collins Level 2 vocabulary

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Q: bodyguard [5bCdigB:d]

A: A bodyguard is a person or a group of people employed to protect someone.     Three of his bodyguards were injured in the attack.     The King had brought his own bodyguard of twenty armed men.

Q: borough [5bQrE]

A: A borough is a town, or a district within a large town, which has its own council.     ...the South London borough of Lambeth.     ...the New York City borough of Brooklyn.     ...Kirklees Borough Council.

Q: borrower [5bCrEuE]

A: A borrower is a person or organization that borrows money. = lender

Q: brand-new BRAND-NEW

A: A brand-new object is completely new.     Yesterday he went off to buy himself a brand-new car.

Q: bride [braid]

A: A bride is a woman who is getting married or who has just got married.

Q: bruise [bru:z]

A: A bruise is an injury which appears as a purple mark on your body, although the skin is not broken.     How did you get that bruise on your cheek?.     She was treated for cuts and bruises. If you bruise a part of your body, a bruise appears on it, for example because something hits you. If you bruise easily, bruises appear when something hits you only slightly.     I had only bruised my knee. * bruised     I escaped with severely bruised legs. If a fruit, vegetable, or plant bruises or is bruised, it is damaged by being handled roughly, making a mark on the skin.     Choose a warm, dry day to cut them off the plants, being careful not to bruise them.     ...bruised tomatoes and cucumbers...     Be sure to store them carefully as they bruise easily. Also a noun.     ...bruises on the fruit's skin. If you are bruised by an unpleasant experience, it makes you feel unhappy or upset.     The government will be severely bruised by yesterday's events.     Their egos are so easily bruised. = wound * bruising     The bruising experience of near-bankruptcy has left him chastened.

Q: balcony [5bAlkEni]

A: A balcony is a platform on the outside of a building, above ground level, with a wall or railing around it. The balcony in a theatre or cinema is an area of seats above the main seating area. = circle

Q: balloon [bE5lu:n]

A: A balloon is a small, thin, rubber bag that you blow air into so that it becomes larger and rounder or longer. Balloons are used as toys or decorations.     She popped a balloon with her fork. A balloon is a large, strong bag filled with gas or hot air, which can carry passengers in a container that hangs underneath it.     They are to attempt to be the first to circle the Earth non-stop by balloon. When something balloons, it increases rapidly in amount.     In London, the use of the Tube has ballooned.     The budget deficit has ballooned to $25 billion. = soar, rocket

Q: barn [bB:n]

A: A barn is a building on a farm in which crops or animal food can be kept.

Q: batch [bAtF]

A: A batch of things or people is a group of things or people of the same kind, especially a group that is dealt with at the same time or is sent to a particular place at the same time.     ...the current batch of trainee priests...     She brought a large batch of newspaper cuttings.     We're still waiting for the first batch to arrive.

Q: battlefield [5bAt(E)lfi:ld]

A: A battlefield is a place where a battle is fought.     ...the battlefields of the Somme. = battleground You can refer to an issue or field of activity over which people disagree or compete as a battlefield.     ...the domestic battlefield of family life. = battleground

Q: biscuit [5biskit]

A: A biscuit is a small flat cake that is crisp and usually sweet. (BRIT; in AM use cookie) A biscuit is a small round dry cake that is made with baking powder, baking soda, or yeast. (AM) If someone has done something very stupid, rude, or selfish, you can say that they take the biscuit or that what they have done takes the biscuit, to emphasize your surprise at their behaviour. (BRIT; in AM use take the cake)

Q: bloc [blCk]

A: A bloc is a group of countries which have similar political aims and interests and that act together over some issues.     ...the former Soviet bloc.     ...the world's largest trading bloc. See also en bloc.

Q: bloke [blEuk]

A: A bloke is a man. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     He is a really nice bloke.

Q: Jan. JAN.

A: Jan. Jan. is a written abbreviation for January.

Q: journalism [5dVE:nElizEm]

A: Journalism is the job of collecting news and writing about it for newspapers, magazines, television, or radio.     He began a career in journalism, working for the North London Press Group.     It was an accomplished piece of investigative journalism. See also cheque-book journalism.

Q: judicial [dVu(:)5diFEl]

A: Judicial means relating to the legal system and to judgements made in a court of law.     ...an independent judicial inquiry...     The last judicial hanging in Britain was in l964.     ...judicial decisions. * judicially     Even if the amendment is passed it can be defeated judicially.

Q: local government LOCAL GOVERNMENT

A: Local government is the system of electing representatives to be responsible for the administration of public services and facilities in a particular area. A local government is the same as a local authority. (AM)

Q: lunchtime [5lQntFtaim]

A: Lunchtime is the period of the day when people have their lunch.     Could we meet at lunchtime?     ...a lunchtime meeting.

Q: maggot [5mAgEt]

A: Maggots are creatures that look like very small worms and turn into flies.

Q: Mar. MAR.

A: Mar. Mar. is a written abbreviation for March.

Q: Mediterranean [7meditE5reinjEn]

A: Mediterranean The Mediterranean is the sea between southern Europe and North Africa. The Mediterranean refers to the southern part of Europe, which is next to the Mediterranean Sea.     Barcelona has become one of the most dynamic and prosperous cities in the Mediterranean. Something that is Mediterranean is characteristic of or belongs to the people or region around the Mediterranean Sea.     There was very little meat in the classic Mediterranean diet.

Q: Member of Congress MEMBER OF CONGRESS

A: Member of Congress Members of Congress A Member of Congress is a person who has been elected to the United States Congress. = MP

Q: miniature [5minjEtFE]

A: Miniature is used to describe something which is very small, especially a smaller version of something which is normally much bigger.     Rosehill Farm has been selling miniature roses since 1979.     He looked like a miniature version of his handsome and elegant big brother. If you describe one thing as another thing in miniature, you mean that it is much smaller in size or scale than the other thing, but is otherwise exactly the same.     Ecuador provides a perfect introduction to South America; it's a continent in miniature.     If it can be done full-size, I can do it in miniature. A miniature is a very small detailed painting, often of a person. A miniature is a very small bottle of strong alcohol such as whisky or brandy, and usually contains enough for one or two drinks.

Q: boring [5bC:riN]

A: Someone or something boring is so dull and uninteresting that they make people tired and impatient.     Not only are mothers not paid but also most of their boring or difficult work is unnoticed.     ...boring television programmes. = dull, tedious <> interesting * boringly     The meal itself was not so good -- everything was boringly brown including the vegetables.

Q: disabled [dis5eib(E)ld]

A: Someone who is disabled has an illness, injury, or condition that tends to restrict the way that they can live their life, especially by making it difficult for them to move about.     ...an insight into the practical problems encountered by disabled people in the workplace. = handicapped People who are disabled are sometimes referred to as the disabled.     There are toilet facilities for the disabled.

Q: grandchild [5grAndtFaild]

A: Someone's grandchild is the child of their son or daughter.     Mary loves her grandchildren.

Q: disturbing [di5stE:biN]

A: Something that is disturbing makes you feel worried or upset.     There was something about him she found disturbing.     There are disturbing reports of killings at the two centres. * disturbingly     The Government has itself recognised the disturbingly high frequency of racial attacks.

Q: enjoyable [in5dVCiEb(E)l]

A: Something that is enjoyable gives you pleasure.     It was much more enjoyable than I had expected.     ...the most enjoyable activity they did. * enjoyably     ...an enjoyably nasty thriller.     ...the place in which he has enjoyably spent his working life.

Q: lb LB

A: The baby was born three months early at 3 lb 5oz. = pound

Q: cavalry [5kAvElri]

A: The cavalry is the part of an army that uses armoured vehicles for fighting.     The Cavalry were exercising on Salisbury Plain.     ...the US Army's 1st Cavalry Division. The cavalry is the group of soldiers in an army who ride horses.     ...a young cavalry officer.

Q: closure [5klEuVE]

A: The closure of a place such as a business or factory is the permanent ending of the work or activity there.     ...the closure of the Ravenscraig steelworks.     ...British Coal's proposed pit closures...     Almost three in four clinics say they face closure by the end of the year. The closure of a road or border is the blocking of it in order to prevent people from using it.

Q: demise [di5maiz]

A: The demise of something or someone is their end or death. (FORMAL)     ...the demise of the reform movement...     Smoking, rather than genetics, was the cause of his early demise.

Q: deployment DEPLOYMENT

A: The deployment of troops, resources, or equipment is the organization and positioning of them so that they are ready for quick action.     ...the deployment of troops into townships.

Q: dole [dEul]

A: The dole is money that is given regularly by the government to people who are unemployed. (BRIT; in AM usually use welfare) = benefit Someone who is on the dole is registered as unemployed and receives money from the government. (mainly BRIT; in AM usually use on welfare)     It's not easy living on the dole.

Q: duration [djuE5reiFEn]

A: The duration of an event or state is the time during which it happens or exists.     He was given the task of protecting her for the duration of the trial.     Courses are of two years' duration. If you say that something will happen for the duration, you mean that it will happen for as long as a particular situation continues.     His wounds knocked him out of combat for the duration.

Q: ecu ECU

A: The ecu is a unit of currency used for accounting purposes by the European Union's financial institutions. Ecu is an abbreviation for `European Currency Unit'.

Q: electorate [i5lektErEt]

A: The electorate of a country or area is all the people in it who have the right to vote in an election.     He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.     ...the Maltese electorate.

Q: emergence [i5mE:dVEns]

A: The emergence of something is the process or event of its coming into existence.     ...the emergence of new democracies in East and Central Europe.

Q: eve [i:v]

A: The eve of a particular event or occasion is the day before it, or the period of time just before it. (JOURNALISM)     ...on the eve of his 27th birthday. See also Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve.

Q: exclusion [iks5klu:VEn]

A: The exclusion of something is the act of deliberately not using, allowing, or considering it.     It calls for the exclusion of all commercial lending institutions from the college loan program.     Certain exclusions and limitations apply. Exclusion is the act of preventing someone from entering a place or taking part in an activity.     ...women's exclusion from political power...     A spokeswoman for Mr Prescott yesterday made it clear that he had been unhappy at his exclusion. If you do one thing to the exclusion of something else, you only do the first thing and do not do the second thing at all.     Diane had dedicated her life to caring for him to the exclusion of all else.

Q: blonde [blCnd]

A: The form blonde is usually used to refer to women, and blond to refer to men A woman who has blonde hair has pale-coloured hair. Blonde hair can be very light brown or light yellow. The form blond is used when describing men.     There were two little girls, one Asian and one with blonde hair.     The baby had blond curls. Someone who is blonde has blonde hair.     She was tall, blonde, and attractive.     He was blonder than his brother.     ...the striking blond actor. A blonde is a woman who has blonde hair.

Q: genetics [dVi5netiks]

A: The form genetic is used as a modifier Genetics is the study of heredity and how qualities and characteristics are passed on from one generation to another by means of genes. You use genetic to describe something that is concerned with genetics or with genes.     Cystic fibrosis is the most common fatal genetic disease in the United States. * genetically     Some people are genetically predisposed to diabetes.     ...fetuses that are genetically abnormal.

Q: formation [fC:5meiFEn]

A: The formation of something is the starting or creation of it.     ...with time running out for the formation of a new government. = creation The formation of an idea, habit, relationship, or character is the process of developing and establishing it.     My profession had an important influence in the formation of my character and temperament. = development If people or things are in formation, they are arranged in a particular pattern as they move.     He was flying in formation with seven other jets.     They saw a squadron of fifteen motorcycle policemen driving in V-formation.     The dancers step into a formation which represents the human being. A rock or cloud formation is rock or cloud of a particular shape or structure.     ...a vast rock formation shaped like a pillar...     Enormous cloud formations formed a purple mass.

Q: frequency [5fri:kwEnsi]

A: The frequency of an event is the number of times it happens during a particular period.     The frequency of Kara's phone calls increased rapidly.     The tanks broke down with increasing frequency. In physics, the frequency of a sound wave or a radio wave is the number of times it vibrates within a specified period of time.     You can't hear waves of such a high frequency.     ...a frequency of 24 kilohertz.     ...low frequency waves.

Q: bow 2 [bau]

A: The front part of a ship is called the bow or the bows. The plural bows can be used to refer either to one or to more than one of these parts.     The waves were about five feet now, and the bow of the boat was leaping up and down.     ...the sight of that magnificent ship lit up from bow to stern.     ...spray from the ship's bows.

Q: high street HIGH STREET

A: The high street of a town is the main street where most of the shops and banks are. (mainly BRIT; in AM use Main Street)     Vegetarian restaurants and health food shops are springing up in every high street.     ...West Bromwich high street. High street banks and businesses are companies which have branches in the main shopping areas of most towns. (mainly BRIT)     The scanners are available from high street stores.

Q: hull [hQl]

A: The hull of a boat or tank is the main body of it.     The hull had suffered extensive damage to the starboard side. * -hulled     ...a steel-hulled narrowboat. The hull of a soft fruit such as a strawberry is the stalk and ring of leaves at the base. If you hull soft fruit such as strawberries, you remove the hulls.     Wash and hull the strawberries.

Q: infrastructure [5infrE5strQktFE]

A: The infrastructure of a country, society, or organization consists of the basic facilities such as transport, communications, power supplies, and buildings, which enable it to function.     ...improvements in the country's infrastructure...     The infrastructure, from hotels to transport, is old and decrepit.

Q: inhabitant [in5hAbitEnt]

A: The inhabitants of a place are the people who live there.     ...the inhabitants of Glasgow.

Q: inmate [5inmeit]

A: The inmates of a prison or mental hospital are the prisoners or patients who are living there.

Q: judiciary [dVu(:)5diFiEri]

A: The judiciary is the branch of authority in a country which is concerned with law and the legal system. (FORMAL)     The judiciary must think very hard before jailing non-violent offenders.

Q: living room LIVING ROOM

A: The living room in a house is the room where people sit and relax.     We were sitting on the couch in the living room watching TV. = sitting room, lounge

Q: monarch [5mCnEk]

A: The monarch of a country is the king, queen, emperor, or empress.

Q: km KM

A: The spelling km. is used in American English; km can also be used as the plural form. Km is a written abbreviation for kilometre.

Q: identical [ai5dentikEl]

A: Things that are identical are exactly the same.     Nearly all the houses were identical.     The two parties fought the last election on almost identical manifestos. * identically     ...nine identically dressed female dancers.

Q: choke off CHOKE OFF

A: To choke off financial growth means to restrict or control the rate at which a country's economy can grow.     They warned the Chancellor that raising taxes in the Budget could choke off the recovery.

Q: clamp down CLAMP DOWN

A: To clamp down on people or activities means to take strong official action to stop or control them. (JOURNALISM)     If the government clamps down on the movement, that will only serve to strengthen it in the long run.     They may not have informed banking regulators, who failed to clamp down until earlier this month.

Q: classify [5klAsifai]

A: To classify things means to divide them into groups or types so that things with similar characteristics are in the same group.     It is necessary initially to classify the headaches into certain types.     Rocks can be classified according to their mode of origin.     The coroner immediately classified his death as a suicide. = categorize * classification classifications     ...the arbitrary classification of knowledge into fields of study.     ...the British Board of Film Classification.

Q: grind out GRIND OUT

A: To grind something out means to produce it in a boring or routine manner. (INFORMAL)     Were it not for this misfortune, he might never have been forced into the business of grinding out novels to support his family.

Q: gum up GUM UP

A: To gum something up means to stop it working properly or efficiently. (INFORMAL)     Regulators may gum up an efficient system.     The house price chain is gummed up.

Q: hype up HYPE UP

A: To hype someone up means to deliberately make them very excited about something.     Everyone at school used to hype each other up about men all the time. See also hype 2.

Q: inflict [in5flikt]

A: To inflict harm or damage on someone or something means to make them suffer it.     Rebels say they have inflicted heavy casualties on government forces.     ...the damage being inflicted on Britain's industries by the recession...     The dog then attacked her, inflicting serious injuries. * infliction     ...without the unnecessary or cruel infliction of pain.

Q: jerk off JERK OFF

A: To jerk off means to masturbate. (INFORMAL, RUDE)

Q: bang up BANG UP

A: When a prisoner is banged up, they are put in prison and locked in a cell. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     You become a rebel if you are banged up in a cell 23 hours a day.

Q: audit [5C:dit]

A: When an accountant audits an organization's accounts, he or she examines the accounts officially in order to make sure that they have been done correctly.     Each year they audit our accounts and certify them as being true and fair. Also a noun.     The bank first learned of the problem when it carried out an internal audit.

Q: log out, log off LOG OUT, LOG OFF

A: When someone who is using a computer system logs out or logs off, they finish using the system by typing a particular command.     If a computer user fails to log off, the system is accessible to all.

Q: heel over HEEL OVER

A: When something heels over, it leans over very far as if it is about to fall over.     The little sailing-boat moved briskly along, heeling over under a nice breeze.

Q: expire [iks5paiE, eks-]

A: When something such as a contract, deadline, or visa expires, it comes to an end or is no longer valid.     He had lived illegally in the United States for five years after his visitor's visa expired. = run out When someone expires, they die. (LITERARY)     He endured excruciating agonies before he finally expired. = die

Q: law and order LAW AND ORDER

A: When there is law and order in a country, the laws are generally accepted and obeyed, so that society there functions normally.     If there were a breakdown of law and order, the army might be tempted to intervene.     ...people who had no respect for law and order.

Q: halve [hB:v]

A: When you halve something or when it halves, it is reduced to half its previous size or amount.     Dr Lee believes that men who exercise can halve their risk of cancer of the colon.     The work force has been halved in two years.     Meanwhile, sales of vinyl records halved in 1992 to just 6.7m. If you halve something, you divide it into two equal parts.     Halve the pineapple and scoop out the inside. 3 Halves is the plural of half.

Q: ending [5endiN]

A: You can refer to the last part of a book, story, play, or film as the ending, especially when you are considering the way that the story ends.     The film has a Hollywood happy ending. The ending of a word is the last part of it.     ...common word endings, like `ing' in walking.

Q: albeit [C:l5bi:it]

A: You use albeit to introduce a fact or comment which reduces the force or significance of what you have just said. (FORMAL)     Charles's letter was indeed published, albeit in a somewhat abbreviated form. = although

Q: effectively [i5fektivli]

A: You use effectively with a statement or opinion to indicate that it is not accurate in every detail, but that you feel it is a reasonable description or summary of a particular situation.     This effectively means that the government does not agree with the proposals.     The region was effectively independent. = in effect

Q: greatly [5greitli]

A: You use greatly to emphasize the degree or extent of something. (FORMAL)     People would benefit greatly from a pollution-free vehicle.     We were greatly honoured that Sheik Hasina took the trouble to visit us.

Q: lengthy [5leNWi]

A: You use lengthy to describe an event or process which lasts for a long time.     ...a lengthy meeting.     ...the lengthy process of filling out passport application forms. A lengthy report, article, book, or document contains a lot of speech, writing, or other material.     ...a lengthy report from the Council of Ministers...     There is a lengthy article on Spike Milligan in the Observer newspaper.

Q: majesty [5mAdVisti]

A: You use majesty in expressions such as Your Majesty or Her Majesty when you are addressing or referring to a King or Queen.     I quite agree, Your Majesty.     His Majesty requests your presence in the royal chambers.     Their Majesties celebrated our arrival by giving us each a little silver spoon. = highness Majesty is the quality of being beautiful, dignified, and impressive.     ...the majesty of the mainland mountains.

Q: bowel [5bauEl]

A: Your bowels are the tubes in your body through which digested food passes from your stomach to your anus. You can refer in a polite way to someone getting rid of the waste from their body by saying that they move, open, or empty their bowels. You can refer to the parts deep inside something such as the earth, a building, or a machine as the bowels of that thing. (LITERARY or HUMOROUS)     ...deep in the bowels of the earth...     Lyn went off into the dark bowels of the building. = depths

Q: common sense COMMON SENSE

A: Your common sense is your natural ability to make good judgements and to behave in a practical and sensible way.     Use your common sense.     She always had a lot of common sense.     ...a common-sense approach.

Q: eyebrow [5aibrau]

A: Your eyebrows are the lines of hair which grow above your eyes. If something causes you to raise an eyebrow or to raise your eyebrows, it causes you to feel surprised or disapproving.     An intriguing item on the news pages caused me to raise an eyebrow over my morning coffee.     He raised his eyebrows over some of the suggestions.     He was looking at her with his eyebrows raised questioningly.

Q: grandmother [5grAnd7mQTE]

A: Your grandmother is the mother of your father or mother.     My grandmothers are both widows.

Q: builder [5bildE]

A: A builder is a person whose job is to build or repair houses and other buildings.     The builders have finished the roof.

Q: bulb [bQlb]

A: A bulb is the glass part of an electric lamp, which gives out light when electricity passes through it.     The stairwell was lit by a single bulb. = light bulb A bulb is a root shaped like an onion that grows into a flower or plant.     ...tulip bulbs.

Q: bullet [5bulit]

A: A bullet is a small piece of metal with a pointed or rounded end, which is fired out of a gun. See also plastic bullet, rubber bullet. If someone bites the bullet, they accept that they have to do something unpleasant but necessary. (JOURNALISM)     Tour operators may be forced to bite the bullet and cut prices.

Q: bulletin [5bulitin]

A: A bulletin is a short news report on the radio or television.     ...the early morning news bulletin. A bulletin is a short official announcement made publicly to inform people about an important matter.     At 3.30 p.m. a bulletin was released announcing that the president was out of immediate danger. A bulletin is a regular newspaper or leaflet that is produced by an organization or group such as a school or church.

Q: bunker [5bQNkE]

A: A bunker is a place, usually underground, that has been built with strong walls to protect it against heavy gunfire and bombing.     ...an extensive network of fortified underground bunkers. A bunker is a container for coal or other fuel. On a golf course, a bunker is a large area filled with sand, which is deliberately put there as an obstacle that golfers must try to avoid. In golf, if you bunker a shot, you hit your ball into the bunker.     She bunkered her second shot.

Q: bureaucracy [bjuE5rCkrEsi]

A: A bureaucracy is an administrative system operated by a large number of officials.     State bureaucracies can tend to stifle enterprise and initiative. Bureaucracy refers to all the rules and procedures followed by government departments and similar organizations, especially when you think that these are complicated and cause long delays.     People usually complain about having to deal with too much bureaucracy. = red tape

Q: catastrophe [kE5tAstrEfi]

A: A catastrophe is an unexpected event that causes great suffering or damage.     From all points of view, war would be a catastrophe.     If the world is to avoid environmental catastrophe, advanced economies must undergo a profound transition. = disaster

Q: cathedral [kE5Wi:drEl]

A: A cathedral is a very large and important church which has a bishop in charge of it.     ...St. Paul's Cathedral.     ...the cathedral city of Canterbury.

Q: cemetery [5semitri]

A: A cemetery is a place where dead people's bodies or their ashes are buried. = graveyard

Q: cent [sent]

A: A cent is a small unit of money worth one hundredth of the main unit of money in many countries, for example the United States or Australia.     A cup of rice which cost thirty cents a few weeks ago is now being sold for up to one dollar.     We haven't got a cent. See also per cent.

Q: chap [tFAp]

A: A chap is a man or boy. (mainly BRIT, INFORMAL)     `I am a very lucky chap,' he commented. `The doctors were surprised that I was not paralysed.' = bloke, guy

Q: chef [Fef]

A: A chef is a cook in a restaurant or hotel.

Q: chick [tFik]

A: A chick is a baby bird. Some men refer to women as chicks. This use could cause offence. (INFORMAL)

Q: civil servant CIVIL SERVANT

A: A civil servant is a person who works in the Civil Service in Britain and some other countries, or for the local, state, or federal government in the United States.     ...two senior civil servants.

Q: clan [klAn]

A: A clan is a group which consists of families that are related to each other.     ...rival clans. You can refer to a group of people with the same interests as a clan. (INFORMAL)     ...a powerful clan of industrialists from Monterrey.

Q: classroom [5klB:srum]

A: A classroom is a room in a school where lessons take place.

Q: clearing [5kliEriN]

A: A clearing is a small area in a forest where there are no trees or bushes.     A helicopter landed in a clearing in the dense jungle.

Q: cluster [5klQstE]

A: A cluster of people or things is a small group of them close together.     ...clusters of men in formal clothes...     There's no town here, just a cluster of shops, cabins and motels at the side of the highway. If people cluster together, they gather together in a small group.     The passengers clustered together in small groups.     The children clustered around me. See also clustered.

Q: columnist [5kClEmnist]

A: A columnist is a journalist who regularly writes a particular kind of article in a newspaper or magazine.     Clarence Page is a columnist for the Chicago Tribune.     ...the gossip columnists' favourite target.

Q: comedian [kE 5mi:diEn]

A: A comedian is an entertainer whose job is to make people laugh, by telling jokes or funny stories. = comic

Q: composer [kCm5pEuzE]

A: A composer is a person who writes music, especially classical music.

Q: congressman [5kCNgresmEn]

A: A congressman is a male member of the US Congress, especially of the House of Representatives.

Q: constituent [kEn5stitjuEnt]

A: A constituent is someone who lives in a particular constituency, especially someone who is able to vote in an election. A constituent of a mixture, substance, or system is one of the things from which it is formed.     Caffeine is the active constituent of drinks such as tea and coffee. The constituent parts of something are the things from which it is formed. (FORMAL)     ...a plan to split the company into its constituent parts and sell them separately.     ...the leaders of Russia's constituent republics.

Q: cupboard [5kQbEd]

A: A cupboard is a piece of furniture that has one or two doors, usually contains shelves, and is used to store things. In British English, cupboard refers to all kinds of furniture like this. In American English, the word closet is usually used instead to refer to larger pieces of furniture.     The kitchen cupboard was stocked with tins of soup and food. A cupboard is a very small room that is used to store things, especially one without windows. (BRIT; in AM use closet)

Q: dictator [dik5teitE]

A: A dictator is a ruler who has complete power in a country, especially power which was obtained by force and is used unfairly or cruelly.

Q: fin [fin]

A: A fish's fins are the flat objects which stick out of its body and help it to swim and keep its balance. A fin on something such as an aeroplane, rocket, or bomb is a flat part which sticks out and which is intended to help control its movement.

Q: footballer [5fut7bC:lE(r)]

A: A footballer is a person who plays football, especially as a profession. (BRIT; in AM use soccer player)

Q: fragrance [5freigrEns]

A: A fragrance is a pleasant or sweet smell.     A shrubby plant with a strong characteristic fragrance.     ...the fragrance of his cologne. Fragrance is a pleasant-smelling liquid which people put on their bodies to make themselves smell nice.     The advertisement is for a male fragrance. = perfume

Q: ghetto [5getEu]

A: A ghetto is a part of a city in which many poor people or many people of a particular race, religion, or nationality live separately from everyone else.     ...the black ghettos of New York and Los Angeles.     ...the gang kids who will never escape the ghetto.

Q: gold medal GOLD MEDAL

A: A gold medal is a medal made of gold which is awarded as first prize in a contest or competition.

Q: guitarist [gi5tB:rist]

A: A guitarist is someone who plays the guitar.

Q: head of state HEAD OF STATE

A: A head of state is the leader of a country, for example a president, king, or queen.

Q: homeland [5hEumlAnd]

A: Your homeland is your native country. (mainly WRITTEN)     Many are planning to return to their homeland. The homelands were regions within South Africa in which black South Africans had limited self-government.

Q: heavyweight [5heviweit]

A: A heavyweight is a boxer weighing more than 175 pounds and therefore in the heaviest class. If you refer to a person or organization as a heavyweight, you mean that they have a lot of influence, experience, and importance in a particular field, subject, or activity.     He was a political heavyweight.     ...jazz heavyweights.

Q: herd [hE:d]

A: A herd is a large group of animals of one kind that live together.     Chobe is also renowned for its large herds of elephant and buffalo.     ...dairy herds. If you say that someone has joined the herd or follows the herd, you are criticizing them because you think that they behave just like everyone else and do not think for themselves.     They are individuals; they will not follow the herd. = pack If you herd people somewhere, you make them move there in a group.     He began to herd the prisoners out.     The group was herded into a bus. = shepherd If you herd animals, you make them move along as a group.     Stefano used a motor cycle to herd the sheep.     A boy herded half a dozen camels down towards the water trough.

Q: highway [5haiwei]

A: A highway is a main road, especially one that connects towns or cities. (mainly AM)     I crossed the highway, dodging the traffic.

Q: historian [his5tC:riEn]

A: A historian is a person who specializes in the study of history, and who writes books and articles about it.

Q: hormone [5hC:mEun]

A: A hormone is a chemical, usually occurring naturally in your body, that makes an organ of your body do something.

Q: kidney [5kidni]

A: Your kidneys are the organs in your body that take waste matter from your blood and send it out of your body as urine. Kidneys are the kidneys of an animal, for example a lamb, calf, or pig, that are eaten as meat.     ...lambs' kidneys.     ...steak and kidney pie.

Q: lab [lAb]

A: A lab is the same as a laboratory. 2 Lab In Britain, Lab is the written abbreviation for Labour.     ...David Blunkett, MP for Sheffield (Lab).

Q: lama [5lB:mE]

A: A lama is a Buddhist priest or monk in Tibet or Mongolia.     It takes twenty to twenty-five years of study and meditation to qualify as a lama.

Q: lily [5lili]

A: A lily is a plant with large flowers that are often white.

Q: lorry [5lCri]

A: A lorry is a large vehicle that is used to transport goods by road. (BRIT; in AM use truck)     ...a seven-ton lorry. If someone says that something has fallen off the back of a lorry, or that they got something off the back of a lorry, they mean that they bought something that they knew was stolen. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     He gets caviare that has fallen off the back of a lorry.     Pete once bought the boys a bicycle cheap off the back of a lorry.

Q: lucrative [5lu:krEtiv, lju:-]

A: A lucrative activity, job, or business deal is very profitable.     Thousands of ex-army officers have found lucrative jobs in private security firms.

Q: lung [lQN]

A: Your lungs are the two organs inside your chest which fill with air when you breathe in.

Q: machine gun MACHINE GUN

A: A machine gun is a gun which fires a lot of bullets one after the other very quickly.     The two sides joined battle once again using artillery, mortars and heavy machine guns.     ...a burst of machine-gun fire. See also sub-machine gun.

Q: magistrate [5mAdVistrit, -treit]

A: A magistrate is an official who acts as a judge in law courts which deal with minor crimes or disputes.

Q: mare [5mZEri]

A: A mare is an adult female horse.

Q: mom [mCm]

A: Your mom is your mother. (INFORMAL) (AM; in BRIT use mum)     We waited for Mom and Dad to get home.     Mom, can you tell me how to do it?

Q: massacre [5mAsEkE]

A: A massacre is the killing of a large number of people at the same time in a violent and cruel way.     Maria lost her 62-year-old mother in the massacre.     ...reports of massacre, torture and starvation. If people are massacred, a large number of them are attacked and killed in a violent and cruel way.     300 civilians are believed to have been massacred by the rebels.     Troops indiscriminately massacred the defenceless population.

Q: melody [5melEdi]

A: A melody is a tune. (FORMAL) Melody is the quality of having a pleasant tune.     Her voice was full of melody.

Q: microwave [5maikrEuweiv]

A: A microwave or a microwave oven is an oven which cooks food very quickly by electromagnetic radiation rather than by heat. To microwave food or drink means to cook or heat it in a microwave oven.     Steam or microwave the vegetables until tender.     ...microwaved food.

Q: militia [mi5liFE]

A: A militia is an organization that operates like an army but whose members are not professional soldiers.     The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias.

Q: mineral [5minErEl]

A: A mineral is a substance such as tin, salt, or sulphur that is formed naturally in rocks and in the earth. Minerals are also found in small quantities in food and drink.

Q: molecule [5mClikju:l, 5mEu-]

A: A molecule is the smallest amount of a chemical substance which can exist by itself.     ...the hydrogen bonds between water molecules.

Q: monk [mQNk]

A: A monk is a member of a male religious community that is usually separated from the outside world.     ...saffron-robed Buddhist monks.

Q: mosque [mCsk]

A: A mosque is a building where Muslims go to worship.

Q: motorist [5mEutErist]

A: A motorist is a person who drives a car. (mainly BRIT; in AM use driver) = driver

Q: murderer [5mE:dErE(r)]

A: A murderer is a person who has murdered someone.     One of these men may have been the murderer.     ...a notorious mass murderer.

Q: nanny [5nAni]

A: A nanny is a woman who is paid by parents to look after their child or children. = nursemaid

Q: narrative [5nArEtiv]

A: A narrative is a story or an account of a series of events.     ...a fast-moving narrative...     Sloan began his narrative with the day of the murder. Narrative is the description of a series of events, usually in a novel.     Neither author was very strong on narrative.     ...Nye's simple narrative style.

Q: dimension [di5menFEn]

A: A particular dimension of something is a particular aspect of it.     There is a political dimension to the accusations.     This adds a new dimension to our work. = aspect If you talk about the dimensions of a situation or problem, you are talking about its extent and size.     He considers the dimensions of the problem.     The dimensions of the market collapse, in terms of turnover and price, were certainly not anticipated. = scale A dimension is a measurement such as length, width, or height. If you talk about the dimensions of an object or place, you are referring to its size and proportions.     Drilling will continue on the site to assess the dimensions of the new oilfield.     I don't think it would spoil the dimensions of the room.     ...the grandiose dimensions of the building. In mathematics and science, dimension is used in describing spatial concepts such as points, lines, and solids.

Q: gender [5dVendE]

A: A person's gender is the fact that they are male or female.     Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.     ...groups that are traditionally discriminated against on grounds of gender, colour, race, or age. = sex You can refer to all male people or all female people as a particular gender.     While her observations may be true about some men, they could hardly apply to the entire gender.     ...the different abilities and skills of the two genders. = sex In grammar, the gender of a noun, pronoun, or adjective is whether it is masculine, feminine, or neuter. A word's gender can affect its form and behaviour. In English, only personal pronouns such as `she', reflexive pronouns such as `itself', and possessive determiners such as `his' have gender.     In both Welsh and Irish the word for `moon' is of feminine gender.

Q: lethal [5li:WEl]

A: A substance that is lethal can kill people or animals.     ...a lethal dose of sleeping pills.     ...chemicals lethal to fish and aquatic mammals. If you describe something as lethal, you mean that it is capable of causing a lot of damage.     High-powered cars are lethal weapons in the hands of inexperienced drivers.     Shearer was the most lethal striker in British football.

Q: ie. IE.

A: ADJ-GRADED

Q: glamour [5glAmE]

A: AM) also glamor Glamour is the quality of being more attractive, exciting, or interesting than ordinary people or things.     ...the glamour of show biz. = glitter

Q: centred CENTRED

A: AM) centered If an industry or event is centred in a place, it takes place to the greatest extent there.     ...the silk industry, which was centered in Valencia.     ...the tremor, which was centred on the Carpathian Mountains.

Q: clean-up CLEAN-UP

A: AM) cleanup A clean-up is the removing of dirt, pollution, crime, or corruption from somewhere.     ...the need for a clean-up of Italian institutions...     The Governor has now called in the National Guard to assist the cleanup operation.

Q: favourable [5feiErEbl]

A: AM) favorable If your opinion or your reaction is favourable to something, you agree with it and approve of it.     His recently completed chapel for Fitzwilliam is attracting favourable comment.     In Switzerland, banks and big companies are favourable to EC membership. * favourably     He listened intently, and responded favourably to both my suggestions.     He was quite favourably impressed with the new French commander. If something makes a favourable impression on you or is favourable to you, you like it and approve of it.     His ability to talk tough while eating fast made a favourable impression on his dining companions.     These terms were favourable to India. = positive, good Favourable conditions make something more likely to succeed or seem more attractive.     It's believed the conditions in which the elections are being held are too favourable to the government.     ...favourable weather conditions. = good * favourably     Japan is thus favourably placed to maintain its lead as the most successful manufacturing nation. If you make a favourable comparison between two things, you say that the first is better than or as good as the second.     The film bears favourable technical comparison with Hollywood productions costing 10 times as much. * favourably     Britain's overall road safety record compares favourably with that of other European countries.

Q: chilli [5tFili]

A: AM) usually and (BRIT) sometimes chili Chillies are small red or green peppers. They have a very hot taste and are used in cooking. Chilli is the same as chilli con carne.

Q: catalogue [5kAtElCg]

A: AM) usually catalog A catalogue is a list of things such as the goods you can buy from a particular company, the objects in a museum, or the books in a library.     ...the world's biggest seed catalogue. = list To catalogue things means to make a list of them.     The Royal Greenwich Observatory was founded to observe and catalogue the stars. = list A catalogue of similar things, especially bad things, is a number of them considered or discussed one after another.     His story is a catalogue of misfortune.     ...a catalogue of nuclear disasters. If you catalogue a series of similar events or qualities, especially bad ones, you list them.     Speaker after speaker lined up to catalogue a series of failures under his leadership. = list

Q: advertising [5AdvEtaiziN]

A: Advertising is the activity of creating advertisements and making sure people see them.

Q: enthusiast [in5Wju:ziAst]

A: An enthusiast is a person who is very interested in a particular activity or subject and who spends a lot of time on it.     He is a great sports enthusiast.     ...keep-fit enthusiasts.

Q: envelope [5envilEup]

A: An envelope is the rectangular paper cover in which you send a letter to someone through the post.

Q: estate agent ESTATE AGENT

A: An estate agent is someone who works for a company that sells houses and land for people. (BRIT; in AM use realtor or real estate agent)

Q: even 2 [5i:vEn]

A: An even measurement or rate stays at about the same level.     How important is it to have an even temperature when you're working?.     The brick-built property keeps the temperature at an even level throughout the year. = steady * evenly     Stock is added evenly during the first 18 minutes while the mixture cooks.     He looked at Ellen, breathing evenly in her sleep. An even surface is smooth and flat.     The tables are fitted with a glass top to provide an even surface. = level If there is an even distribution or division of something, each person, group, or area involved has an equal amount.     Divide the dough into 12 even pieces and shape each piece into a ball.     Many are tired of being unpopular because of their wealth and would encourage more even distribution of it. = equal * evenly     The meat is divided evenly and boiled in a stew.     Within manufacturing, the loss of jobs has been far more evenly spread across the regions.     The blood vessels in the skin are not evenly distributed around the face and neck.

Q: expedition [7ekspi5diFEn]

A: An expedition is an organized journey that is made for a particular purpose such as exploration.     ...Byrd's 1928 expedition to Antarctica. You can refer to a group of people who are going on an expedition as an expedition.     Forty-three members of the expedition were killed. An expedition is a short journey or trip that you make for pleasure.     Caroline joined them on the shopping expeditions.     ...a fishing expedition. = trip

Q: heir [ZE]

A: An heir is someone who has the right to inherit a person's money, property, or title when that person dies.     His heir, Lord Doune, cuts a bit of a dash in the city.     ...the heir to the throne. = successor

Q: inn [in]

A: An inn is a small hotel or pub, usually an old one. (OLD-FASHIONED)     ...the Waterside Inn.

Q: inning [5iniN]

A: An inning is one of the nine periods that a standard baseball game is divided into. Each team is at bat once in each inning.

Q: insect [5insekt]

A: An insect is a small animal that has six legs. Most insects have wings. Ants, flies, butterflies, and beetles are all insects.

Q: instinctive [in5stiNktiv]

A: An instinctive feeling, idea, or action is one that you have or do without thinking or reasoning.     It's an absolutely instinctive reaction -- if a child falls you pick it up.     Ms Senatorova showed an instinctive feel for market economics. = automatic, natural * instinctively     Jane instinctively knew all was not well with her 10-month old son.

Q: insurer [in5FuErE]

A: An insurer is a company that sells insurance.

Q: intermediate [7intE5mi:djEt]

A: An intermediate stage, level, or position is one that occurs between two other stages, levels, or positions.     You should consider breaking the journey with intermediate stopovers at airport hotels.     ...hourly trains to Perugia, Assisi, and intermediate stations. Intermediate learners of something have some knowledge or skill but are not yet advanced.     The Badminton Club holds coaching sessions for beginners and intermediate players on Friday evenings. An intermediate is an intermediate learner.     The ski school coaches beginners, intermediates, and advanced skiers.

Q: inventory [5invEntri]

A: An inventory is a written list of all the objects in a particular place.     Before starting, he made an inventory of everything that was to stay. An inventory is a supply or stock of something. (AM)     ...one inventory of twelve sails for each yacht.

Q: antibiotic [7Antibai5Ctik]

A: Antibiotics are medical drugs used to kill bacteria and treat infections.     Your doctor may prescribe a course of antibiotics.

Q: apartheid [E5pB:t(h)eit]

A: Apartheid was a political system in South Africa in which people were divided into racial groups and kept apart by law.     He praised her role in the struggle against apartheid.     ...the anti-apartheid movement.

Q: Aug. AUG.

A: Aug. Aug. is a written abbreviation for August.

Q: industrialize [in5dQstriElaiz]

A: BRIT) also industrialise When a country industrializes or is industrialized, it develops a lot of industries.     Energy consumption rises as countries industrialise.     Stalin's methods had industrialized the Russian economy.     Britain was the first nation to be industrialised. * industrialization     Industrialization began early in Spain.

Q: industrialized [in5dQstriElaizd]

A: BRIT) also industrialised An industrialized area or place is one which has a lot of industries.     Industrialized countries could reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent.     ...the industrialized world.

Q: liberalize [5libErElaiz]

A: BRIT) also liberalise When a country or government liberalizes, or liberalizes its laws or its attitudes, it becomes less strict and allows people more freedom in their actions.     ...authoritarian states that have only now begun to liberalise.     ...the decision to liberalize travel restrictions. * liberalization     ...the liberalization of divorce laws in the late 1960s. = relaxation

Q: lounge around LOUNGE AROUND

A: BRIT) also lounge about If you lounge around or lounge about, you spend your time in a relaxed and lazy way, sometimes when you should be doing something useful.     It gives him a reason for lounging around doing nothing.     He remembered mowing the lawn, lounging around the swimming pool. = loll about

Q: modernize [5mCdE(:)naiz]

A: BRIT) also modernise To modernize something such as a system or a factory means to change it by replacing old equipment or methods with new ones.     ...plans to modernize the refinery...     There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system. * modernizing     In effect, modernizing societies are portrayed as battlegrounds. * modernization     ...the modernization of the region.     ...a five-year modernization programme.

Q: bacon [5beikEn]

A: Bacon is salted or smoked meat which comes from the back or sides of a pig.     ...bacon and eggs.     ...smoked streaky bacon. If you bring home the bacon, you achieve what you needed to achieve. (INFORMAL)     Voters are interested in the representative's ability to bring home the bacon.     I will be most upset if this book does not bring home the bacon. The person in a family who brings home the bacon provides the family with the money they need to live. (INFORMAL)     Who brings up the baby and who brings home the bacon? If someone or something saves your bacon, they get you out of a dangerous or difficult situation. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     Your mother once saved my bacon. She lent me money when I needed it.

Q: bacteria [bAk5tiEriE]

A: Bacteria are very small organisms. Some bacteria can cause disease.     Chlorine is added to kill bacteria.

Q: banana [bE5nB:nE]

A: Bananas are long curved fruit with yellow skins.     ...a bunch of bananas. If someone is behaving in a silly or crazy way, or if they become extremely angry, you can say that they are going bananas. (INFORMAL)     People went bananas with boredom.     Adamson's going to go bananas on this one.

Q: basketball [5bB:skitbC:l]

A: Basketball is a game in which two teams of five players each try to score goals by throwing a large ball through a circular net fixed to a metal ring at each end of the court. A basketball is a large ball which is used in the game of basketball.

Q: beef [bi:f]

A: Beef is the meat of a cow, bull, or ox.     ...roast beef.     ...beef stew.     ...exports of beef and powdered milk. See also corned beef. If someone beefs about something, they keep complaining about it. (INFORMAL)     Instead of beefing about what Mrs Martin has not done, her critics might take a look at what she is trying to do. = moan Also a noun. (INFORMAL)     I really don't have a beef with Wayne. = complaint

Q: berry [5beri]

A: Berries are small, round fruit that grow on a bush or a tree. Some berries are edible, for example blackberries and raspberries.

Q: bias [5baiEs]

A: Bias is a tendency to prefer one person or thing to another, and to favour that person or thing.     Bias against women permeates every level of the judicial system.     There were fierce attacks on the BBC for alleged political bias. = prejudice Bias is a concern with or interest in one thing more than others.     The Department has a strong bias towards neuroscience. To bias someone means to influence them in favour of a particular choice.     We mustn't allow it to bias our teaching. A dress or skirt that is cut on the bias or that is bias-cut has been cut diagonally across the material so that it hangs down in a particular way.     The fabric, cut on the bias, hangs as light as a cobweb off a woman's body.     ...a bias-cut dress.

Q: Bible [5baibl]

A: Bible The Bible is the holy book on which the Jewish and Christian religions are based. A Bible is a copy of the Bible. If someone describes a book or magazine about their job or interest as their bible, they mean that it is the best and most useful book about the subject.     ...the photographer's bible -- Amateur Photographer.

Q: bilateral [bai5lAtErEl]

A: Bilateral negotiations, meetings, or agreements, involve only the two groups or countries that are directly concerned. (FORMAL)     ...bilateral talks between Britain and America. * bilaterally     The Agreement provided for disputes and differences between the two neighbours to be solved bilaterally.

Q: blossom [5blCsCm]

A: Blossom is the flowers that appear on a tree before the fruit.     The cherry blossom came out early in Washington this year.     ...the blossoms of plants, shrubs and trees. If someone or something blossoms, they develop good, attractive, or successful qualities.     Why do some people take longer than others to blossom?.     What began as a local festival has blossomed into an international event.     ...the blossoming relationship between Israel and Eastern Europe. = bloom * blossoming     ...the blossoming of British art, pop and fashion. When a tree blossoms, it produces blossom.     Rain begins to fall and peach trees blossom.

Q: boat people BOAT PEOPLE

A: Boat people are people who escape from their country in small boats to travel to another country in the hope that they will be able to live there..     ...50,000 Vietnamese boat people.

Q: borrowing [5bCrEuiN]

A: Borrowing is the activity of borrowing money.     We have allowed spending and borrowing to rise in this recession.     ...the huge {Pound}50 billion public sector borrowing requirement. A borrowing is something such as a word or an idea that someone has taken from another language or from another person's work and used in their own language or work.     The names are direct borrowings from the Chinese.

Q: bowling [5bEuliN]

A: Bowling is a game in which you roll a heavy ball down a narrow track towards a group of wooden objects and try to knock down as many of them as possible.     I go bowling for relaxation. In cricket, bowling is the action or activity of bowling the ball towards the batsman.

Q: boxing [5bCksiN]

A: Boxing is a sport in which two people wearing large padded gloves fight according to special rules.     Some speakers argued that boxing was less dangerous than rugby.

Q: Br. BR.

A: Br. Br. is a written abbreviation for British.

Q: bronze [brCnz]

A: Bronze is a yellowish-brown metal which is a mixture of copper and tin.     ...a bronze statue of Giorgi Dimitrov. A bronze is a statue or sculpture made of bronze.     ...a bronze of Napoleon on horseback. A bronze is a bronze medal. Something that is bronze is yellowish-brown in colour.     Her hair shone bronze and gold.     ...huge bronze chrysanthemums.

Q: bureaucrat [5bjuErEukrAt]

A: Bureaucrats are officials who work in a large administrative system. You can refer to officials as bureaucrats especially if you disapprove of them because they seem to follow rules and procedures too strictly.     The economy is still controlled by bureaucrats.

Q: CIA CIA

A: CIA The CIA is the government organization in the United States that collects secret information about other countries. CIA is an abbreviation for `Central Intelligence Agency'.

Q: capital gains CAPITAL GAINS

A: Capital gains are the profits that you make when you buy something and then sell it again at a higher price.     He called for the reform of capital gains tax.

Q: Capt. CAPT.

A: Capt. Capt. is a written abbreviation for captain.     Capt. Hunt asked which engine was on fire.

Q: carrot [5kArEt]

A: Carrots are long, thin, orange-coloured vegetables. They grow under the ground, and have green shoots above the ground. Something that is offered to people in order to persuade them to do something can be referred to as a carrot. Something that is meant to persuade people not to do something can be referred to in the same sentence as a `stick'.     They will be set targets, with a carrot of extra cash and pay if they achieve them.     Why the new emphasis on sticks instead of diplomatic carrots? See also carrot and stick. = incentive

Q: Celtic [5keltik; 5seltik]

A: Celtic If you describe something as Celtic, you mean that it is connected with the people and the culture of Scotland, Wales, Ireland, and some other areas such as Brittany.     ...important figures in Celtic tradition.

Q: champagne [FAm5pein]

A: Champagne is an expensive French white wine with bubbles in. It is often drunk to celebrate something. If you say that champagne corks are popping, you mean that people are celebrating something.

Q: chartered [5tFB:tEd]

A: Chartered is used to indicate that someone, such as an accountant or a surveyor, has formally qualified in their profession. (BRIT; in AM usually use certified)

Q: Christ [kraist]

A: Christ Christ is one of the names of Jesus, whom Christians believe to be the son of God and whose teachings are the basis of Christianity.     ...the teachings of Christ. Some people say `Christ!' when they are surprised, shocked, or annoyed, or in order to emphasize what they are saying. This use could cause offence. (INFORMAL)     He looked at her watch. `Christ! We only have three minutes!'

Q: coastal [5kEustl]

A: Coastal is used to refer to things that are in the sea or on the land near a coast.     Local radio stations serving coastal areas often broadcast forecasts for yachtsmen.     The fish are on sale from our own coastal waters.

Q: communism [5kCmjunizEm]

A: Communism. Communism is the political belief that all people are equal and that workers should control the means of producing things.     ...the ultimate triumph of communism in the world. <> capitalism

Q: compassion [kEm5pAFEn]

A: Compassion is a feeling of pity, sympathy, and understanding for someone who is suffering.     Elderly people need time and compassion from their physicians.

Q: computing [kEm5pju:tiN]

A: Computing is the activity of using a computer and writing programs for it.     Courses range from cookery to computing. Computing means relating to computers and their use.     Many graduates are employed in the electronics and computing industries.

Q: consecutive [kEn5sekjutiv]

A: Consecutive periods of time or events happen one after the other without interruption.     The Cup was won for the third consecutive year by the Toronto Maple Leafs.     Photographs taken at the same time on two consecutive sunny days can be quite different from one another. = successive * consecutively     ...a CD player which plays six CDs consecutively.

Q: Conservative Party CONSERVATIVE PARTY

A: Conservative Party The Conservative Party is the main right of centre party in Britain.

Q: correction [kE5rekFEn]

A: Corrections are marks or comments made on a piece of work, especially school work, which indicate where there are mistakes and what are the right answers. Correction is the punishment of criminals. (mainly AM)     ...jails and other parts of the correction system.     ...the Department of Correction.

Q: correspondence [7kCris5pCndEns]

A: Correspondence is the act of writing letters to someone.     The judges' decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into.     His interest in writing came from a long correspondence with a close college friend. Someone's correspondence is the letters that they receive or send.     He always replied to his correspondence.     She virtually never mentions him in her correspondence or notebooks. If there is a correspondence between two things, there is a close similarity or connection between them.     In African languages there is a close correspondence between sounds and letters.     ...correspondences between Eastern religions and Christianity.

Q: countless [5kautlis]

A: Countless means very many.     She brought joy to countless people through her music.     There are countless small ski areas dotted about the province. = innumerable

Q: Crown Court CROWN COURT

A: Crown Court Crown Courts In England and Wales, a Crown Court is a court in which criminal cases are tried by a judge and jury rather than by a magistrate.     He appeared at Manchester Crown Court on Thursday on a drink-driving charge.

Q: DJ DJ

A: DJ DJs also D.J. or dj. A DJ is the same as a disc jockey. A DJ is the same as a dinner jacket. (BRIT)

Q: DNA DNA

A: DNA DNA is an acid in the chromosomes in the centre of the cells of living things. DNA determines the particular structure and functions of every cell and is responsible for characteristics being passed on from parents to their children. DNA is an abbreviation for `deoxyribonucleic acid'.

Q: dame [deim]

A: Dame is a title given to a woman as a special honour because of important service or work that she has done. (BRIT)     ...Dame Judi Dench. A dame is a woman. This use could cause offence. (AM, OLD-FASHIONED, INFORMAL)     Who does that dame think she is?

Q: damned [dAmd]

A: Damned is used by some people to emphasize what they are saying, especially when they are angry or frustrated. (INFORMAL, RUDE)     The damned meeting seemed endless.     They're a damned nuisance most of the time. Also an adverb.     We are making a damned good profit, I tell you that. According to some religions, the damned are people whose punishment is to stay in hell for ever after they have died. If someone says `I'm damned if I'm going to do it' or `I'll be damned if I'll do it', they are emphasizing that they do not intend to do something and think it is unreasonable for anyone to expect them to do it. (INFORMAL, RUDE) Some people say `I'll be damned!' when they are expressing surprise at something. (INFORMAL, RUDE)

Q: day-to-day DAY-TO-DAY

A: Day-to-day things or activities exist or happen every day as part of ordinary life.     I am a vegetarian and use a lot of lentils in my day-to-day cooking.

Q: daylight [5deilait]

A: Daylight is the natural light that there is during the day, before it gets dark.     It was still daylight but all the cars had their headlights on.     Lack of daylight can make people feel depressed. <> night Daylight is the time of day when it begins to get light.     Quinn returned shortly after daylight yesterday morning. = dawn If you say that a crime is committed in broad daylight, you are expressing your surprise that it is done during the day when people can see it, rather than at night.     A girl was attacked on a train in broad daylight.     The recent murder happened in broad daylight in a supposedly `safe' part of London.

Q: Dec. DEC.

A: Dec. Dec. is a written abbreviation for December.

Q: decent [5di:snt]

A: Decent is used to describe something which is considered to be of an acceptable standard or quality.     Nearby is a village with a decent pub.     He didn't get a decent explanation.     The lack of a decent education did not defeat Rey. = reasonable, acceptable * decently     The allies say they will treat their prisoners decently.     This year's festival can boast a decently long list of sponsors. = reasonably, acceptably Decent is used to describe something which is morally correct or acceptable.     But, after a decent interval, trade relations began to return to normal.     She watched his face, as the coffin was lowered into the ground. As soon as it was decent, he plunged through the crowd towards the cars. = respectable * decently     There were at least four hours before he could decently go to the pub.     And can't you dress more decently -- people will think you're a tramp. = respectably Decent people are honest and behave in a way that most people approve of.     The majority of people around here are decent people.     The jury will see what a decent guy he is. = upright If you say that someone should

Q: decision-making DECISION-MAKING

A: Decision-making is the process of reaching decisions, especially in a large organization or in government.     She wants to see more women involved in decision making.     Shortening the decision-making process would provide one solution.

Q: defiance [di5faiEns]

A: Defiance is behaviour or an attitude which shows that you are not willing to obey someone.     ...his courageous defiance of the government. If you do something in defiance of a person, rule, or law, you do it even though you know that you are not allowed to do it.     Thousands of people have taken to the streets in defiance of the curfew.

Q: determination [di tE:mi5neiFEn]

A: Determination is the quality that you show when you have decided to do something and you will not let anything stop you.     Everyone concerned acted with great courage and determination.     He reaffirmed their determination to tackle inflation.     His cooking reflects a determination to acknowledge his northern roots.     There was an expression of fierce determination on her face.

Q: digital [5didVitl]

A: Digital systems record or transmit information in the form of thousands of very small signals. Compare analogue.     The new digital technology would allow a rapid expansion in the number of TV channels. * digitally     ...digitally recorded sound. Digital devices such as watches or clocks give information by displaying numbers rather than by having a pointer which moves round a dial. Compare analogue.     ...a digital display.

Q: dinosaur [5dainEsC:]

A: Dinosaurs were large reptiles which lived in prehistoric times. If you refer to an organization as a dinosaur, you mean that it is large, inefficient, and out of date.     ...industrial dinosaurs.

Q: disappointment [7disE5pCintmEnt]

A: Disappointment is the state of feeling disappointed.     Despite winning the title, their last campaign ended in great disappointment.     Book early to avoid disappointment. = dissatisfaction Something or someone that is a disappointment is not as good as you had hoped.     For many, their long-awaited homecoming was a bitter disappointment.     ...this ne'er-do-well brother who was such a disappointment to his family. = let down

Q: disciplinary [5disiplinEri]

A: Disciplinary bodies or actions are concerned with making sure that people obey rules or regulations and that they are punished if they do not.     He will now face a disciplinary hearing for having an affair.     He was unhappy that no disciplinary action was being taken.

Q: disclosure [dis5klEuVE]

A: Disclosure is the act of giving people new or secret information.     ...insufficient disclosure of negative information about the company.     ...unauthorised newspaper disclosures. = revelation

Q: discrimination [dis7krimi5neiFEn]

A: Discrimination is the practice of treating one person or group of people less fairly or less well than other people or groups.     She is exempt from sex discrimination laws.     ...discrimination against immigrants.     ...measures to counteract racial discrimination. Discrimination is knowing what is good or of high quality.     They cooked without skill and ate without discrimination. = taste Discrimination is the ability to recognize and understand the differences between two things.     We will then have an objective measure of how colour discrimination and visual acuity develop at the level of the brain.     ...the system that allows a mother to make the discrimination between her own and alien lambs.

Q: disgust [dis5gQst]

A: Disgust is a feeling of very strong dislike or disapproval.     He spoke of his disgust at the incident.     A look of disgust came over his face.     I threw the book aside in disgust. = revulsion To disgust someone means to make them feel a strong sense of dislike and disapproval.     He disgusted many with his boorish behaviour.

Q: dual [5dju(:)El]

A: Dual means having two parts, functions, or aspects.     ...his dual role as head of the party and head of state...     Rob may be entitled to dual nationality.

Q: earliest [5iEliist]

A: Earliest is the superlative of early. At the earliest means not before the date or time mentioned.     The first official results are not expected until Tuesday at the earliest.

Q: efficiency [i5fiFEnsi]

A: Efficiency is the quality of being able to do a task successfully, without wasting time or energy.     There are many ways to increase agricultural efficiency in the poorer areas of the world.     ...energy efficiency. In physics and engineering, efficiency is the difference between the amount of energy a machine needs to make it work, and the amount it produces. (TECHNICAL)

Q: electronics [ilek5trCniks]

A: Electronics is the technology of using transistors and silicon chips, especially in devices such as radios, televisions, and computers.     ...Europe's three main electronics companies.     ...cheaper, better consumer electronics. You can refer to electronic devices, or the part of a piece of equipment that consists of electronic devices, as the electronics.     All the electronics are housed in a waterproof box.

Q: embarrassment [im5bArEsmEnt]

A: Embarrassment is the feeling you have when you are embarrassed.     It is a source of embarrassment to Londoners that the standard of pubs is so low.     I think I would have died of embarrassment.     We apologise for any embarrassment this may have caused. An embarrassment is an action, event, or situation which causes problems for a politician, political party, government, or other public group.     The poverty figures were undoubtedly an embarrassment to the president. If you refer to a person as an embarrassment, you mean that you disapprove of them but cannot avoid your connection with them.     You have been an embarrassment to us from the day Douglas married you. If you say that someone has an embarrassment of riches, you mean that they have so many good things that these things are a problem.     The art gallery's problem is an embarrassment of riches, with nowhere to put most of them.

Q: equality [i(:)5kwCliti]

A: Equality is the same status, rights, and responsibilities for all the members of a society, group, or family.     ...equality of the sexes.

Q: ethic [5eWik]

A: Ethics are moral beliefs and rules about right and wrong.     Its members are bound by a rigid code of ethics which includes confidentiality.     Refugee workers said such action was a violation of medical ethics. Someone's ethics are the moral principles about right and wrong behaviour which they believe in.     It is common to distinguish between personal and social ethics.     He told the police that he had thought honestly about the ethics of what he was doing. Ethics is the study of questions about what is morally right and wrong.     ...the teaching of ethics and moral philosophy. An ethic of a particular kind is an idea or moral belief that influences the behaviour, attitudes, and philosophy of a group of people.     ...the ethic of public service.     ...an indomitable work ethic and determination to succeed.

Q: evolution [7i:vE5lu:FEn, 7evE-]

A: Evolution is a process of gradual change that takes place over many generations, during which species of animals, plants, or insects slowly change some of their physical characteristics.     ...the evolution of plants and animals.     ...the theory of evolution by natural selection.     ...human evolution. Evolution is a process of gradual development in a particular situation or thing over a period of time. (FORMAL)     ...a crucial period in the evolution of modern physics.     ...an accurate account of his country's evolution...     His long life comprised a series of evolutions. = development

Q: expenditure [iks5penditFE, eks-]

A: Expenditure is the spending of money on something, or the money that is spent on something. (FORMAL)     Policies of tax reduction must lead to reduced public expenditure.     They should cut their expenditure on defence.     An expenditure for clothing will qualify as a trade or business expense. Expenditure of something such as time or energy is the using of that thing for a particular purpose. (FORMAL)     The financial rewards justified the expenditure of effort.

Q: FBI FBI

A: FBI The FBI is a government agency in the United States that investigates crimes in which a national law is broken or in which the country's security is threatened. FBI is an abbreviation for `Federal Bureau of Investigation'.

Q: FM FM

A: FM FM is a method of transmitting radio waves that can be used to broadcast high quality sound. FM is an abbreviation for `frequency modulation'.

Q: external [eks5tE:nl]

A: External is used to indicate that something is on the outside of a surface or body, or that it exists, happens, or comes from outside.     ...a much reduced heat loss through external walls.     ...internal and external allergic reactions. <> internal * externally     Vitamins can be applied externally to the skin.     ...externally imposed conditions. External means involving or intended for foreign countries.     ...the commissioner for external affairs.     ...Jamaica's external debt.     ...the republic's external borders. * externally     ...protecting the value of the mark both internally and externally. External means happening or existing in the world in general and affecting you in some way.     ...a reaction to external events...     Such events occur only when the external conditions are favorable. External experts, for example, external examiners, come into an organization from outside in order to do a particular job fairly and impartially, or to check that a particular job was done properly. (mainly BRIT) = outside * externally     There must be externally moderated tests. If medicine is for external use, it is intended to be used only on the outside of your body, and not to be eaten or drunk.

Q: farming [5fB:miN]

A: Farming is the activity of growing crops or keeping animals on a farm.

Q: fascism [5fAFiz(E)m]

A: Fascism is a set of right-wing political beliefs that includes strong control of society and the economy by the state, a powerful role for the armed forces, and the stopping of political opposition.

Q: Feb. FEB.

A: Feb. Feb. is a written abbreviation for February.

Q: First World War FIRST WORLD WAR

A: First World War The First World War or the First War is the major war that was fought between 1914 and 1918 in Europe.

Q: fishery [5fiFEri]

A: Fisheries are areas of the sea where fish are caught in large quantities for commercial purposes.     ...the fisheries off Newfoundland. = fishing ground A fishery is a place where fish are bred and reared. = fish farm

Q: footage [5futidV]

A: Footage of a particular event is a film of it or the part of a film which shows this event.     They are planning to show exclusive footage from this summer's festivals.

Q: Foreign Office FOREIGN OFFICE

A: Foreign Office Foreign Offices The Foreign Office is the government department, especially in Britain, which has responsibility for the government's dealings and relations with foreign governments.     ...a Foreign Office spokesman.

Q: foreign exchange FOREIGN EXCHANGE

A: Foreign exchanges are the institutions or systems involved with changing one currency into another.     On the foreign exchanges, the US dollar is up point forty-five. Foreign exchange is used to refer to foreign currency that is obtained through the foreign exchange system.     ...an important source of foreign exchange.     ...foreign-exchange traders.

Q: fortunately [5fC:tFEnEtli]

A: Fortunately is used to introduce or indicate a statement about an event or situation that is good.     Fortunately, the weather that winter was reasonably mild.     Fortunately for me, my friend saw that something was seriously wrong.     Bombs had hit the building a number of times but fortunately no one was hurt. = luckily

Q: freight [freit]

A: Freight is the movement of goods by lorries, trains, ships, or aeroplanes.     France derives 16% of revenue from air freight. Freight is goods that are transported by lorries, trains, ships, or aeroplanes.     ...26 tons of freight...     90% of managers wanted to see more freight carried by rail. When goods are freighted, they are transported in large quantities over a long distance.     From these ports the grain is freighted down to Addis Ababa.

Q: full-time FULL-TIME

A: Full-time work or study involves working or studying for the whole of each normal working week rather than for part of it.     ...a full-time job.     ...full-time staff. Also an adverb.     Deirdre works full-time. If you describe a regular activity or task as a full-time job, you mean that it takes up so much of your time it is like doing a paid job.     The way she did it, mothering was a full-time job. In games such as soccer, full-time is the end of a match. (BRIT)     The score at full-time was Arsenal 1, Sampdoria 1.

Q: fundamentalism [fQndE5mentEliz(E)m]

A: Fundamentalism is the belief in the original form of a religion or theory, without accepting any later ideas.     Religious fundamentalism was spreading in the region. * fundamentalist fundamentalists     He will try to satisfy both wings of the party, the fundamentalists and the realists.     ...fundamentalist Christians.

Q: GB GB

A: GB GB is an abbreviation for Great Britain.

Q: glove [glQv]

A: Gloves are pieces of clothing which cover your hands and wrists and have individual sections for each finger. You wear gloves to keep your hands warm or dry or to protect them.     He stuck his gloves in his pocket.     ...a pair of white cotton gloves. If you say that something fits like a glove, you are emphasizing that it fits exactly.

Q: Grand Prix GRAND PRIX

A: Grand Prix Grands Prix or Grand Prix A Grand Prix is one of a series of races for very powerful racing cars; also used sometimes in the names of competitions in other sports.     He never won the British Grand Prix.

Q: half-time HALF-TIME

A: Half-time is the short period of time between the two parts of a sporting event such as a football, soccer, or basketball game, when the players have a short rest.

Q: hardship [5hB:d7Fip]

A: Hardship is a situation in which your life is difficult or unpleasant, often because you do not have enough money.     Many people are suffering economic hardship.     One of the worst hardships is having so little time to spend with one's family. = privation

Q: High Court HIGH COURT

A: High Court High Courts In England and Wales, the High Court is a court of law which deals with very serious or important cases.

Q: higher education HIGHER EDUCATION

A: Higher education is education at universities and colleges.

Q: cm CM

A: His height had increased by 2.5 cm.

Q: Hispanic [his5pAnik]

A: Hispanic A Hispanic person is a citizen of the United States of America who originally came from Latin America, or whose family originally came from Latin America.     ...a group of Hispanic doctors in Washington...     The former mayor of San Antonio is Hispanic. A Hispanic is someone who is Hispanic.

Q: hockey [5hCki]

A: Hockey is an outdoor game played between two teams of 11 players who use long curved sticks to hit a small ball and try to score goals. (BRIT; in AM usually use field hockey)     She played hockey for the national side.     ...the British hockey team. Hockey is a game played on ice between two teams of 11 players who use long curved sticks to hit a small rubber disk, called a puck, and try to score goals. (AM; in BRIT usually use ice hockey)

Q: Home Office HOME OFFICE

A: Home Office The Home Office is the department of the British Government which is responsible for things such as the police, broadcasting, and making decisions about people who want to come to live in Britain.

Q: huh [hQ]

A: Huh is used in writing to represent a noise that people make at the end of a question if they want someone to agree with them or if they want someone to repeat what they have just said. Huh is also used to show that someone is surprised or not impressed.     Can we just get on with it, huh?.     Clever, huh?.     Huh? What's going on? You want to tell me what I did?.     Huh. What are you so excited about?

Q: humiliation [hju:7mili5eiFEn]

A: Humiliation is the embarrassment and shame you feel when someone makes you appear stupid, or when you make a mistake in public.     She faced the humiliation of discussing her husband's affair. A humiliation is an occasion or a situation in which you feel embarrassed and ashamed.     The result is a humiliation for the prime minister.

Q: hunting [5hQntiN]

A: Hunting is the chasing and killing of wild animals by people or other animals, for food or as a sport.     Hunting is one of Italy's most popular sports.     Deer hunting was banned in Scotland in 1959.     ...a hunting accident. Hunting is the activity of searching for a particular thing.     Job hunting should be approached as a job in itself. Also a combining form.     Lee has divided his time between flat-hunting and travelling.

Q: hydrogen [5haidrEudVEn]

A: Hydrogen is a colourless gas that is the lightest and commonest element in the universe.

Q: IMF IMF

A: IMF The IMF is an international agency which tries to promote trade and improve economic conditions in poorer countries, sometimes by lending them money. IMF is an abbreviation for `International Monetary Fund'.

Q: ITV ITV

A: ITV ITV refers to the group of British commercial television companies that broadcasts programmes on one channel. ITV is an abbreviation for `Independent Television'. (BRIT)     ITV has set its sights on winning a younger and more upmarket audience. ITV is the television channel that is run by ITV.     The first episode will be shown tomorrow at 10.40pm on ITV.     ...ITV viewers.

Q: ideological [7aidiE5lCdVikEl]

A: Ideological means relating to principles or beliefs.     Others left the party for ideological reasons.     The ideological divisions between the parties aren't always obvious. * ideologically     ...an ideologically sound organisation...     The army was ideologically opposed to the kind of economic solution proposed.     Ideologically, there was nothing in common between them.

Q: bang out BANG OUT

A: If a company bangs out a poor quality product, they produce large quantities of it in order to make money.     ...factories that banged out the same product year after year. If someone bangs out a tune on a musical instrument such as a piano, they play it loudly and not very well.     ...the same version of `Mr Tambourine Man' he's been banging out since the world was young.

Q: melt away MELT AWAY

A: If a crowd of people melts away, members of the crowd gradually leave until there is no-one left.     The crowd around the bench began to melt away. See also melt 2.

Q: bog down BOG DOWN

A: If a plan or process bogs down or if something bogs it down, it is delayed and no progress is made.     We intended from the very beginning to bog the prosecution down over who did this.     The talks have bogged down over the issue of military reform. See also bogged down.

Q: forge [fC:dV]

A: If one person or institution forges an agreement or relationship with another, they create it with a lot of hard work, hoping that it will be strong or lasting.     The Prime Minister is determined to forge a good relationship with America's new leader.     They agreed to forge closer economic ties.     The programme aims to forge links between higher education and small businesses.     The Community was trying to forge a common foreign and security policy. = form If you say that a person has forged something that you approve of, you mean that you admire them for having done something difficult.     The project will help inmates forge new careers.     Tito forged a unique model of communism after breaking with Stalin in 1948. If someone forges something such as a banknote, a document, or a painting, they copy it or make it so that it looks genuine, in order to deceive people.     He admitted seven charges including forging passports.     She alleged that Taylor had forged her signature on the form.     They used forged documents to leave the country. * forger forgers     ...the most prolific art forger in the country. A forge is a place where someone makes metal goods and equipment by heating pieces of metal and then shaping them.     ...the blacksmith's forge.     ...Woodbury Blacksmith & Forge Co. If someone forges an object out of metal, they heat the metal and then hammer and bend it into the required shape.     To forge a blade takes great skill.

Q: hammer out HAMMER OUT

A: If people hammer out an agreement or treaty, they succeed in producing it after a long or difficult discussion.     I think we can hammer out a solution.     The new fixture package has been hammered out by the Premiership clubs in talks over the last ten days.

Q: dignity [5digniti]

A: If someone behaves or moves with dignity, they are calm, controlled, and admirable.     ...her extraordinary dignity and composure. = self-possession If you talk about the dignity of people or their lives or activities, you mean that they are valuable and worthy of respect.     ...the sense of human dignity.     ...the integrity and the dignity of our lives and feelings. Your dignity is the sense that you have of your own importance and value, and other people's respect for you.     If you were wrong, admit it. You won't lose dignity, but will gain respect.     She still has her dignity. = self-respect

Q: adventure [Ed5ventFE]

A: If someone has an adventure, they become involved in an unusual, exciting, and rather dangerous journey or series of events.     I set off for a new adventure in the United States on the first day of the new year. Adventure is excitement and willingness to do new, unusual, or rather dangerous things.     Their cultural backgrounds gave them a spirit of adventure.     ...a feeling of adventure and excitement. If you adventure somewhere, you go somewhere new, unusual, and exciting. (WRITTEN)     The group has adventured as far as the Austrian alps.

Q: abolish [E5bCliF]

A: If someone in authority abolishes a system or practice, they formally put an end to it.     The following year Parliament voted to abolish the death penalty for murder.     The whole system should be abolished.

Q: defender [di5fendE]

A: If someone is a defender of a particular thing or person that has been criticized, they argue or act in support of that thing or person.     ...the most ardent defenders of conventional family values.     ...a strong defender of human rights or religious freedom. A defender in a game such as soccer, football, or hockey is a player whose main task is to try and stop the other side scoring.

Q: bind over BIND OVER

A: If someone is bound over by a court or a judge, they are given an order and must do as the order says for a particular period of time. (LEGAL)     On many occasions demonstrators were bound over to keep the peace.     They put us in a cell, and the next day some bumbling judge bound us over.     This imposes a duty on courts to bind over parents when they have no control over their children.

Q: gore [gC:]

A: If someone is gored by an animal, they are badly wounded by its horns or tusks.     Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.     He was gored to death in front of his family. Gore is blood from a wound that has become thick. (LITERARY)     There were pools of blood and gore on the pavement.

Q: loosen [5lu:sn]

A: If someone loosens restrictions or laws, for example, they make them less strict or severe.     Many business groups have been pressing the Federal Reserve to loosen interest rates.     Drilling regulations, too, have been loosened to speed the development of the fields. * loosening     Domestic conditions did not justify a loosening of monetary policy. If someone or something loosens the ties between people or groups of people, or if the ties loosen, they become weaker.     The Federal Republic must loosen its ties with the United States.     The deputy leader is cautious about loosening the links with the unions.     The ties that bind them together are loosening. If you loosen your clothing or something that is tied or fastened, you undo it slightly so that it is less tight or less firmly held in place.     He reached up to loosen the scarf around his neck.     Loosen the bolt so the bars can be turned.     Her hair had loosened and was tangled around her shoulders. <> tighten If you loosen something that is stretched across something else, you make it less stretched or tight.     Insert a small knife into the top of the chicken breast to loosen the skin. If you loosen your grip on something, or if your grip loosens, you hold it less tightly.

Q: comeback [5kQmbAk]

A: If someone such as an entertainer or sports personality makes a comeback, they return to their profession or sport after a period away.     Sixties singing star Petula Clark is making a comeback. If something makes a comeback, it becomes fashionable again.     Tight fitting T-shirts are making a comeback. If you have no comeback when someone has done something wrong to you, there is nothing you can do to have them punished or held responsible. = redress

Q: arouse [E5rauz]

A: If something arouses a particular reaction or attitude in people, it causes them to have that reaction or attitude.     His revolutionary work in linguistics has aroused intense scholarly interest.     ...the deep public anger you have aroused. If something arouses a particular feeling or instinct that exists in someone, it causes them to experience that feeling or instinct strongly.     There is nothing quite like a crisp, dry sherry to arouse the appetite.     He aroused her mothering instincts. If you are aroused by something, it makes you feel sexually excited.     Some men are aroused when their partner says erotic words to them. * aroused     Some men feel that they get most sexually aroused in the morning. * arousing     Being stroked by a partner is usually more arousing than stroking yourself. If something arouses you, it makes you feel angry.     He apologized, saying this subject always aroused him. If something arouses you from sleep, it wakes you up. (WRITTEN)     About two o'clock, we were aroused from our sleep by a knocking at the door. = awaken

Q: formerly [5fC:mEli]

A: If something happened or was true formerly, it happened or was true in the past.     He had formerly been in the Navy.     ...east Germany's formerly state-controlled companies.

Q: merit [5merit]

A: If something has merit, it has good or worthwhile qualities.     The argument seemed to have considerable merit.     Box-office success mattered more than artistic merit.     Your feature has the merit of simply stating what has been achieved. The merits of something are its advantages or other good points.     They have been persuaded of the merits of peace.     ...the technical merits of a film...     It was obvious that, whatever its merits, their work would never be used. If someone or something merits a particular action or treatment, they deserve it. (FORMAL)     He said he had done nothing wrong to merit a criminal investigation.     Such ideas merit careful consideration. = deserve If you judge something or someone on merit or on their merits, your judgement is based on what you notice when you consider them, rather than on things that you know about them from other sources.     Everybody is selected on merit.     Each case is judged on its merits.

Q: freshly [5freFli]

A: If something is freshly made or done, it has been recently made or done.     ...freshly baked bread.     ...freshly cut grass. = recently

Q: frightening [5fraitEniN]

A: If something is frightening, it makes you feel afraid, anxious, or nervous.     It was a very frightening experience and they were very courageous.     The number of youngsters involved in crime is frightening. = alarming * frighteningly     The country is frighteningly close to possessing nuclear weapons.

Q: frown upon, frown on FROWN UPON, FROWN ON

A: If something is frowned upon or is frowned on people disapprove of it.     This practice is frowned upon as being wasteful.     Many teachers frown on such practices.

Q: frighten [5fraitn]

A: If something or someone frightens you, they cause you to suddenly feel afraid, anxious, or nervous.     He knew that Soli was trying to frighten him, so he smiled to hide his fear.     Most children are frightened by the sight of blood. = scare If something frightens the life out of you, frightens the wits out of you, or frightens you out of your wits, it causes you to feel suddenly afraid or gives you a very unpleasant shock.     Fairground rides are intended to frighten the life out of you.

Q: inevitably INEVITABLY

A: If something will inevitably happen, it is certain to happen and cannot be prevented or avoided.     Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.     Inevitably, the proposal is running into difficulties. = unavoidably

Q: bucket down BUCKET DOWN

A: If the rain buckets down, or if it buckets down with rain, it rains very heavily. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     As soon as we were inside, the rain began to bucket down.     If it hadn't been bucketing down with rain and blowing a gale, I would have had a glorious view. = pour

Q: break-in BREAK-IN

A: If there has been a break-in, someone has got into a building by force.     The break-in had occurred just before midnight. = burglary

Q: distributed [dis5tribju:tid]

A: If things are distributed throughout an area, object, or group, they exist throughout it.     These cells are widely distributed throughout the body.     Galactic surveys show that distant galaxies are not as evenly distributed in space as theory predicts.

Q: howl down HOWL DOWN

A: If you are howled down, people prevent you from speaking or giving your opinion, often by shouting angrily. (mainly BRIT; in AM use shout down)     The president was howled down by hundreds of opponents. = shout down

Q: batter down BATTER DOWN

A: If you batter a door down, you hit it so hard that it falls to pieces.     He would have to batter the door down.     They used lorries to batter down embassy gates.

Q: beef up BEEF UP

A: If you beef up something, you increase, strengthen, or improve it.     ...a campaign to beef up security...     Both sides are still beefing up their military strength.     ...a beefed up police presence.

Q: dash off DASH OFF

A: If you dash off to a place, you go there very quickly.     He dashed off to lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe.     They dashed off to Paris for a couple of days. If you dash off a piece of writing, you write or compose it very quickly, without thinking about it very much.     He dashed off a couple of novels.

Q: evaluate [i5vAljueit]

A: If you evaluate something or someone, you consider them in order to make a judgement about them, for example about how good or bad they are.     They will first send in trained nurses to evaluate the needs of the individual situation.     The market situation is difficult to evaluate. = assess * evaluation evaluations     ...the opinions and evaluations of college supervisors...     Evaluation is standard practice for all training arranged through the school.

Q: exaggerate [ig5zAdVEreit]

A: If you exaggerate, you indicate that something is, for example, worse or more important than it really is.     He thinks I'm exaggerating.     Don't exaggerate.     Sheila admitted that she did sometimes exaggerate the demands of her job. * exaggeration exaggerations     Like many stories about him, it smacks of exaggeration.     It would be an exaggeration to call the danger urgent. If something exaggerates a situation, quality, or feature, it makes the situation, quality, or feature appear greater, more obvious, or more important than it really is.     These figures exaggerate the loss of competitiveness.     The dress exaggerates her wasp waist and enlarges her bosom.

Q: forge ahead FORGE AHEAD

A: If you forge ahead with something, you continue with it and make a lot of progress with it.     He again pledged to forge ahead with his plans for reform.     The two companies forged ahead, innovating and expanding.

Q: hack off HACK OFF

A: If you hack something off, you cut it off with strong, rough strokes using a sharp tool such as an axe or knife.     Kim even hacked off her long hair.     Surgeons saved a man's arm after it was hacked off at the elbow.

Q: injection [in5dVekFEn]

A: If you have an injection, a doctor or nurse puts a medicine into your body using a device with a needle called a syringe.     They gave me an injection to help me sleep.     It has to be given by injection, usually twice daily. An injection of money or resources into an organization is the act of providing it with more more money or resources, to help it become more efficient or profitable.     An injection of cash is needed to fund some of these projects.     The company is hoping to obtain a {Pound}250 million cash injection from the government.

Q: integrity [in5tegriti]

A: If you have integrity, you are honest and firm in your moral principles.     I have always regarded him as a man of integrity.     He was praised for his fairness and high integrity. The integrity of something such as a group of people or a text is its state of being a united whole. (FORMAL)     Separatist movements are a threat to the integrity of the nation.

Q: disposal [dis5pEuzEl]

A: If you have something at your disposal, you are able to use it whenever you want, and for whatever purpose you want. If you say that you are at someone's disposal, you mean that you are willing to help them in any way you can.     Do you have this information at your disposal?.     He has said he will use all the weapons at his disposal.     If I can be of service, I am at your disposal. Disposal is the act of getting rid of something that is no longer wanted or needed.     ...methods for the permanent disposal of radioactive wastes.     ...waste disposal sites.

Q: hike up HIKE UP

A: If you hike up your clothing, you pull or lift it up quickly or roughly, especially so you can move more easily.     He hiked up his trouser legs.     I hiked my nightgown right up and I ran. See also hike 4. = hitch up

Q: hollow out HOLLOW OUT

A: If you hollow something out, you remove the inside part of it.     Someone had hollowed out a large block of stone.     Bake some big red peppers and hollow them out.

Q: hurry up, hurry along HURRY UP, HURRY ALONG

A: If you hurry something up or hurry it along, you make it happen faster or sooner than it would otherwise have done.     ...if you're not a traditionalist and you want to hurry up the process...     Petter saw no reason to hurry the divorce along. = hasten

Q: idle away IDLE AWAY

A: If you idle away a period of time, you spend it doing very little.     Residents were mowing their lawns, washing their cars and otherwise idling away a pleasant, sunny day.     He idled the time away in dreamy thought.

Q: indulge [in5dQldV]

A: If you indulge in something or if you indulge yourself, you allow yourself to have or do something that you know you will enjoy.     Only rarely will she indulge in a glass of wine.     He returned to Britain so that he could indulge his passion for football.     You can indulge yourself without spending a fortune. If you indulge someone, you let them have or do what they want, even if this is not good for them.     He did not agree with indulging children. = spoil

Q: inquire after INQUIRE AFTER

A: If you inquire after someone, you ask how they are or what they are doing. (FORMAL)     Elsie called to inquire after my health.

Q: mug up MUG UP

A: If you mug up a subject or mug up on it, you study it quickly, so that you can remember the main facts about it. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     ...visitors who want to mug up their knowledge in the shortest possible time...     It is advisable to mug up on your Spanish, too, as few locals speak English. = swot up

Q: grind down GRIND DOWN

A: If you say that someone grinds you down, you mean that they treat you very harshly and cruelly, reducing your confidence or your will to resist them.     `You see,' said Hughes, `there's people who want to humiliate you and grind you down.'

Q: developed DEVELOPED

A: If you talk about developed countries or the developed world, you mean the countries or the parts of the world that are wealthy and have many industries.     The developed nations have to recognize the growing gap between rich and poor around the world.     This scarcity is inevitable in less developed countries.

Q: fur up FUR UP

A: If your veins or arteries fur up or are furred up, they become blocked, so that your blood cannot flow properly. (BRIT; in AM use clog up)     Three of my veins had furred up and I needed a triple bypass.     Oxidized cholesterol may be responsible for furring up the arteries.

Q: imprisonment [im5prizEnmEnt]

A: Imprisonment is the state of being imprisoned.     She was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment.     ...the prospect of imprisonment.

Q: anymore [5enimC:]

A: In British English, the spelling anymore is sometimes considered incorrect, and any more is used instead If something does not happen or is not true anymore, it has stopped happening or is no longer true.     I don't ride my motorbike much anymore.     I couldn't trust him anymore.     People are not interested in movies anymore. = any longer

Q: cockpit [5kCkpit]

A: In an aeroplane or racing car, the cockpit is the part where the pilot sits.

Q: birdie [5bE:di]

A: In golf, if you get a birdie, you get the golf ball into a hole in one stroke fewer than the number of strokes which has been set as the standard for a good player. If a golfer birdies a hole, he or she gets a birdie at that hole.     He birdied five of the first seven holes.

Q: goddess [5gCdis]

A: In many religions, a goddess is a female spirit or being that is believed to have power over a particular part of the world or nature.     ...Diana, the goddess of war.

Q: e.g. E.G.

A: It is used before a noun, or to introduce another sentence.     We need helpers of all types, engineers, scientists (e.g. geologists) and teachers.     Or consider how you can acquire these skills, e.g. by taking extra courses. = for instance

Q: et al ET AL

A: It is used especially when referring to books or articles which were written by more than two people.     ...Blough et al.

Q: analyse [5AnElaiz]

A: AM) analyze If you analyse something, you consider it carefully or use statistical methods in order to fully understand it.     McCarthy was asked to analyse the data from the first phase of trials of the vaccine.     This book teaches you how to analyse what is causing the stress in your life. If you analyse something, you examine it using scientific methods in order to find out what it consists of.     We haven't had time to analyse those samples yet.     They had their tablets analysed to find out whether they were getting the real drug or not.

Q: aerospace [5ZErEuspeis]

A: Aerospace companies are involved in developing and making rockets, missiles, space vehicles, and related equipment.     The US government also helps its aerospace industry, chiefly via the space agency, Nasa.

Q: ammunition [7Amju5niFEn]

A: Ammunition is bullets and rockets that are made to be fired from guns.     He had only seven rounds of ammunition for the revolver. You can describe information that you can use against someone in an argument or discussion as ammunition.     The improved trade figures have given the government fresh ammunition.

Q: amongst [E5mQNst]

A: Amongst means the same as among. (LITERARY) = among

Q: abbey [5Abi]

A: An abbey is a church with buildings attached to it in which monks or nuns live or used to live.

Q: accountant [E5kauntEnt]

A: An accountant is a person whose job is to keep financial accounts.

Q: admirable [5AdmErEbl]

A: An admirable quality or action is one that deserves to be praised and admired.     Beyton is an admirable character.     The film tells its story with admirable economy. = excellent, estimable * admirably     Peter had dealt admirably with the sudden questions about Keith.     Johnstone's research is admirably wide-ranging.

Q: admiral [5AdmErEl]

A: An admiral is a very senior officer who commands a navy.     ...Admiral Hodges.

Q: allowance [E5lauEns]

A: An allowance is money that is given to someone, usually on a regular basis, in order to help them pay for the things that they need.     He lives on a single parent's allowance of {Pound}70 a week.     She gets an allowance for looking after Lillian. A child's allowance is money that is given to him or her every week or every month by his or her parents. (mainly AM; in BRIT use pocket money) Your tax allowance is the amount of money that you are allowed to earn before you have to start paying income tax. (BRIT; in AM use personal exemption)     ...those earning less than the basic tax allowance. A particular type of allowance is an amount of something that you are allowed in particular circumstances.     Most of our flights have a baggage allowance of 44lbs per passenger. If you make allowances for something, you take it into account in your decisions, plans, or actions.     They'll make allowances for the fact it's affecting our performance.     The raw exam results make no allowance for social background. If you make allowances for someone, you accept behaviour which you would not normally accept or deal with them less severely than you would normally, because of a problem that they have.     He's tired so I'll make allowances for him.

Q: ambulance [5AmbjulEns]

A: An ambulance is a vehicle for taking people to and from hospital.

Q: allocate [5AlEukeit]

A: If one item or share of something is allocated to a particular person or for a particular purpose, it is given to that person or used for that purpose.     Tickets are limited and will be allocated to those who apply first.     The 1985 federal budget allocated $7.3 billion for development programmes.     Our plan is to allocate one member of staff to handle appointments. = assign

Q: accomplished [E5kCmpliFt]

A: If someone is accomplished at something, they are very good at it. (FORMAL)     She is an accomplished painter and a prolific author of stories for children.     ...one of the most accomplished composers of our time.

Q: accomplish [E5kCmpliF]

A: If you accomplish something, you succeed in doing it.     If we'd all work together, I think we could accomplish our goal.     They are skeptical about how much will be accomplished by legislation. = realize

Q: ain't [eint]

A: People sometimes use ain't instead of `am not', `aren't', `isn't', `haven't', and `hasn't'. Some people consider this use to be non-standard. (DIALECT, SPOKEN)     Well, it's obvious, ain't it?.     I ain't got kids, but I have to pay towards the schools.

Q: gallon [5gAlEn]

A: A gallon is a unit of measurement for liquids that is equal to eight pints. In Britain, it is equal to 4.564 litres. In America, it is equal to 3.785 litres.     ...80 million gallons of water a day.     ...a gasoline tax of 4.3 cents a gallon.

Q: angler [5ANglE]

A: An angler is someone who fishes with a fishing rod as a hobby.

Q: aviary [5eivjEri]

A: An aviary is a large cage or covered area in which birds are kept.

Q: emperor [5empErE]

A: An emperor is a man who rules an empire or is the head of state in an empire.

Q: entrepreneur [7CntrEprE5nE:]

A: An entrepreneur is a person who sets up businesses and business deals.

Q: asthma [5AsmE]

A: Asthma is a lung condition which causes difficulty in breathing.

Q: catering [5keitEriN]

A: Catering is the activity of providing food and drink for a large number of people, for example at weddings and parties.     His catering business made him a millionaire at 41.     He recently did the catering for a presidential reception.

Q: climbing [5klaimiN]

A: Climbing is the activity of climbing rocks or mountains. See also climb, rock climbing, social climbing.

Q: cocaine [kE5kein]

A: Cocaine is a powerful drug which some people take for pleasure, but which they can become addicted to.

Q: dissident [5disidEnt]

A: Dissidents are people who disagree with and criticize their government, especially because it is undemocratic.     ...political dissidents.     ...former Soviet dissident Natan Schransky. Dissident people disagree with or criticize their government or a powerful organization they belong to.     ...a dissident Russian novelist...     She was suspected of having links with a dissident group.     ...dissident shareholders.

Q: eh [ei]

A: Eh is used in writing to represent a noise that people make as a response in conversation, for example to express agreement or to ask for something to be explained or repeated.     Let's talk all about it outside, eh?.     `He's um ill in bed.' --- `Eh?' --- `He's ill in bed.'

Q: esteem [is5ti:m]

A: Esteem is the admiration and respect that you feel towards another person. (FORMAL)     He is held in high esteem by colleagues in the construction industry.     Their public esteem has never been lower.     He said he retained immense regard and esteem for the prime minister. If you esteem someone or something, you respect or admire them. (FORMAL)     I greatly esteem your message in the midst of our hard struggle.

Q: exclusively [ik5sklu:sivli]

A: Exclusively is used to refer to situations or activities that involve only the thing or things mentioned, and nothing else.     ...an exclusively male domain...     Instruction in these subjects in undergraduate classes is almost exclusively by lecture.

Q: expertise [7ekspE5ti:z]

A: Expertise is special skill or knowledge that is acquired by training, study, or practice.     The problem is that most local authorities lack the expertise to deal sensibly in this market.

Q: ext. EXT.

A: Ext. is the written abbreviation for extension when it is used to refer to a particular telephone number. = extension

Q: famine [5fAmin]

A: Famine is a situation in which large numbers of people have little or no food, and many of them die.     Thousands of refugees are trapped by war, drought and famine.     The civil war is obstructing distribution of famine relief by aid agencies.

Q: farewell [5fZE5wel]

A: Farewell means the same as goodbye. (OLD-FASHIONED, LITERARY) Also a noun.     They said their farewells there at the cafe.

Q: fatty [5fAti]

A: Fatty food contains a lot of fat.     Don't eat fatty food or chocolates.     The report dispels the myth that Northerners have a fattier diet than people in the south. Fatty acids or fatty tissues, for example, contain or consist of fat.     ...fatty acids...     The woman lost about 1.8kg of fatty tissue during the week's fast. If you call someone a fatty, you are criticizing or insulting them for being fat. (INFORMAL)     Consuming this amount of food could turn these fit players into fatties.     `Get another one, Fatty,' said Jerry.

Q: feminine [5feminin]

A: Feminine qualities and things relate to or are considered typical of women, in contrast to men.     ...male leaders worrying about their women abandoning traditional feminine roles.     ...a manufactured ideal of feminine beauty. = female Someone or something that is feminine has qualities that are considered typical of women, especially being pretty or gentle.     I've always been attracted to very feminine women who are not overpowering, the delicate English-rose type.     The bedroom has a light, feminine look. <> masculine In some languages, a feminine noun, pronoun, or adjective has a different form from a masculine or neuter one, or behaves in a different way.

Q: delicious [di5liFEs]

A: Food that is delicious has a very pleasant taste.     There's always a wide selection of delicious meals to choose from.     Pecan nuts are delicious both raw and cooked. = tasty * deliciously     This yoghurt has a deliciously creamy flavour. If you describe something as delicious, you mean that it is very pleasant.     There is a delicious irony in all this.     ...that delicious feeling of surprise. * deliciously     It leaves your hair smelling deliciously fresh and fragrant.

Q: genius [5dVi:njEs]

A: Genius is very great ability or skill in a particular subject or activity.     This is the mark of her real genius as a designer.     The man had genius and had made his mark in the aviation world.     Its very title is a stroke of genius. A genius is a highly talented, creative, or intelligent person.     Chaplin was not just a genius, he was among the most influential figures in film history.

Q: Great Britain GREAT BRITAIN

A: Great Britain Great Britain is the island consisting of England, Scotland, and Wales, which together with Northern Ireland makes up the United Kingdom. = GB

Q: grunge [grQndV]

A: Grunge is the name of a fashion and of a type of music. Grunge fashion involves wearing clothes which look old and untidy. Grunge music is played on guitars and is very loud. Grunge is dirt. (AM, INFORMAL) * grungy     ...grungy motel rooms.

Q: high tech [tek]

A: High tech activities or equipment involve or result from the use of high technology.     ...such high-tech industries as computers or telecommunications.     ...the latest high-tech medical gadgetry.

Q: Hindu [5hindu:]

A: Hindu Hindus A Hindu is a person who believes in Hinduism and follows its teachings. Hindu is used to describe things that belong or relate to Hinduism.     ...a Hindu temple.

Q: Home Secretary HOME SECRETARY

A: Home Secretary Home Secretaries The Home Secretary is the member of the British government who is in charge of the Home Office.

Q: honey [5hQni]

A: Honey is a sweet, sticky, yellowish substance that is made by bees. You call someone honey as a sign of affection. (mainly AM)     Honey, I don't really think that's a good idea.

Q: House of Commons HOUSE OF COMMONS

A: House of Commons The House of Commons is the part of parliament in Britain or Canada whose members are elected. The building where they meet is also called the House of Commons.     The House of Commons has overwhelmingly rejected demands to bring back the death penalty for murder.

Q: ice cream ICE CREAM

A: Ice cream is a very cold sweet food which is made from frozen cream or a substance like cream and has a flavour such as vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry.     I'll get you some ice cream.     ...vanilla ice cream. An ice cream is an amount of ice cream sold in a small container or a cone made of thin biscuit.     Do you want an ice cream?.     They stuffed themselves with ice creams, chocolate and lollies. = ice

Q: boycott [5bCikEt]

A: If a country, group, or person boycotts a country, organization, or activity, they refuse to be involved with it in any way because they disapprove of it.     The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections. Also a noun.     Opposition leaders had called for a boycott of the vote.     ...the lifting of the economic boycott against Israel.

Q: flare up FLARE UP

A: If a disease or injury flares up, it suddenly returns or becomes painful again.     Students often find that their acne flares up before and during exams. See also flare 2, 3, flare-up.

Q: mandate [5mAndeit]

A: If a government or other elected body has a mandate to carry out a particular policy or task, they have the authority to carry it out as a result of winning an election or vote.     The President and his supporters are almost certain to read this vote as a mandate for continued economic reform.     The union already has a mandate from its conference to ballot for a strike . If someone is given a mandate to carry out a particular policy or task, they are given the official authority to do it.     How much longer does the independent prosecutor have a mandate to pursue this investigation?.     A mandate from the UN would be needed before any plans could be implemented. You can refer to the fixed length of time that a country's leader or government remains in office as their mandate. (FORMAL)     ...his intention to leave politics once his mandate ends. When someone is mandated to carry out a particular policy or task, they are given the official authority to do it. (FORMAL)     He'd been mandated by the West African Economic Community to go in and to enforce a ceasefire.     The elections are mandated by a peace accord signed by the government last May. To mandate something means to make it mandatory. (AM)     The proposed initiative would mandate a reduction of carbon dioxide of 40%.     Sixteen years ago, Quebec mandated that all immigrants send their children to French schools.     ...constitutionally mandated civil rights.

Q: loosen up LOOSEN UP

A: If a person or situation loosens up, they become more relaxed and less tense.     Relax, smile; loosen up in mind and body and behaviour.     Things loosened up, in politics and the economy.     I think people have loosened up their standards. If you loosen up your body, or if it loosens up, you do simple exercises to get your muscles ready for a difficult physical activity, such as running or playing football.     Squeeze the foot with both hands, again to loosen up tight muscles.     Close your eyes. Relax. Let your body loosen up.

Q: convenient [kEn5vi:njEnt]

A: If a way of doing something is convenient, it is easy, or very useful or suitable for a particular purpose.     ...a flexible and convenient way of paying for business expenses...     The family thought it was more convenient to eat in the kitchen. <> inconvenient * convenience     They may use a credit card for convenience.     ...the convenience of a fast non-stop flight. * conveniently     The body spray slips conveniently into your sports bag for freshening up after a game. If you describe a place as convenient, you are pleased because it is near to where you are, or because you can reach another place from there quickly and easily.     The town is well placed for easy access to London and convenient for Heathrow Airport.     Martin drove along until he found a convenient parking place. = handy * conveniently     It was very conveniently situated just across the road from the City Reference Library.     He chose Simi Valley in Ventura County mainly because it was conveniently close to Los Angeles.     ...two conveniently placed push-buttons. <> inconveniently A convenient time to do something, for example to meet someone, is a time when you are free to do it or would like to do it.     She will try to arrange a mutually convenient time and place for an interview.     Would this evening be convenient for you? <> inconvenient If you describe someone's attitudes or actions as convenient, you think they are only adopting those attitudes or performing those actions in order to avoid something difficult or unpleasant. &

Q: guideline GUIDELINE

A: If an organization issues guidelines on something, it issues official advice about how to do it.     The government should issue clear guidelines on the content of religious education.     The accord also lays down guidelines for the conduct of American drug enforcement agents. A guideline is something that can be used to help you plan your actions or to form an opinion about something.     The effects of the sun can be significantly reduced if we follow certain guidelines.     A written IQ test is merely a guideline.

Q: doubtful [5dautful]

A: If it is doubtful that something will happen, it seems unlikely to happen or you are uncertain whether it will happen.     For a time it seemed doubtful that he would move at all.     It is doubtful whether Tweed, even with his fluent French, passed for one of the locals.     Whether the authorities will allow inspection is highly doubtful. = debatable If you are doubtful about something, you feel unsure or uncertain about it.     I was still very doubtful about the chances for success.     Why did he sound so doubtful? = dubious * doubtfully     Keeton shook his head doubtfully. = dubiously If you say that something is of doubtful quality or value, you mean that it is of low quality or value.     ...selling something that is overpriced or of doubtful quality...     They also seemed of very doubtful value.     ...information that he described as having doubtful reliability. = dubious If a sports player is doubtful for a match or event, he or she seems unlikely to play, usually because of injury. (JOURNALISM)     Forsyth is doubtful for tonight's game with a badly bruised leg.

Q: boast [bEust]

A: If someone boasts about something that they have done or that they own, they talk about it very proudly, in a way that other people may find irritating or offensive.     Witnesses said Furci boasted that he took part in killing them.     Carol boasted about her costume.     He's boasted of being involved in the arms theft.     We remember our mother's stern instructions not to boast. Also a noun.     It is the charity's proud boast that it has never yet turned anyone away.     He was asked about earlier boasts of a quick victory. If someone or something can boast a particular achievement or possession, they have achieved or possess that thing.     The houses will boast the latest energy-saving technology.     Frommen says his country boasts a healthy economy.

Q: buzz off BUZZ OFF

A: If someone buzzes off, they go away. People sometimes say buzz off as a rude way of telling someone to go away. (mainly BRIT, INFORMAL)     He buzzed off downstairs.     Now be quiet and buzz off. = clear off

Q: con [kCn]

A: If someone cons you, they persuade you to do something or believe something by telling you things that are not true. (INFORMAL)     He claimed that the businessman had conned him of {Pound}10,000.     White conned his way into a job as a warehouseman with Dutch airline, KLM.     The British motorist has been conned by the government. = cheat, trick A con is a trick in which someone deceives you by telling you something that is not true. (INFORMAL)     Slimming snacks that offer miraculous weight loss are a con.     She is the victim of a big con trick. = confidence trick A con is the same as a convict. (INFORMAL)

Q: fit 3 [fit]

A: If someone has a fit they suddenly lose consciousness and their body makes uncontrollable movements.     About two in every five epileptic fits occur during sleep.     Once a fit has started there is nothing you can do to stop it. = seizure If you have a fit of coughing or laughter, you suddenly start coughing or laughing in an uncontrollable way.     Halfway down the cigarette she had a fit of coughing.     It was so unreal that I broke into a fit of giggles. = bout If you do something in a fit of anger or panic, you are very angry or afraid when you do it.     Pattie shot Tom in a fit of jealous rage. If you say that someone will have a fit when they hear about something, you mean that they will be very angry or shocked. (INFORMAL)     Will Mrs Winterton have a fit if we add one more to the guest list at this late stage?.     He'd have a fit if he knew what we were up to! = go mad Someone who is in fits is laughing uncontrollably.     He was a much more entertaining person, who used to have us all in fits. = stitches Something that happens in fits and starts or b

Q: mock [mCk]

A: If someone mocks you, they show or pretend that they think you are foolish or inferior, for example by saying something funny about you, or by imitating your behaviour.     I thought you were mocking me.     I distinctly remember mocking the idea.     `I'm astonished, Benjamin,' she mocked. You use mock to describe something which is not real or genuine, but which is intended to be very similar to the real thing.     `It's tragic!' swoons Jeffrey in mock horror.     One of them was subjected to a mock execution.     ...a mock Tudor mansion. Mocks are practice exams that you take as part of your preparation for real exams. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     She went from a D in her mocks to a B in the real thing.

Q: bulk up, bulk out BULK UP, BULK OUT

A: If someone or something bulks up or bulks out, they become bigger or heavier.     Use extra vegetables to bulk up the omelette.     Holyfield has bulked up to 210 pounds using weights.

Q: discourage [dis5kQridV]

A: If someone or something discourages you, they cause you to lose your enthusiasm about your actions.     It may be difficult to do at first. Don't let this discourage you. = dishearten * discouraged     She was determined not to be too discouraged. * discouraging     Today's report is rather more discouraging for the economy. To discourage an action or to discourage someone from doing it means to make them not want to do it.     ...typhoons that discouraged shopping and leisure activities.     ...a campaign to discourage children from smoking. = deter

Q: disrupt [dis5rQpt]

A: If someone or something disrupts an event, system, or process, they cause difficulties that prevent it from continuing or operating in a normal way.     Anti-war protesters disrupted the debate.     The drought has severely disrupted agricultural production. = disturb

Q: exert [ig5zE:t]

A: If someone or something exerts influence, authority, or pressure, they use it in a strong or determined way, especially in order to produce a particular effect. (FORMAL)     He exerted considerable influence on the thinking of the scientific community on these issues.     The cyst was causing swelling and exerting pressure on her brain. If you exert yourself, you make a great physical or mental effort, or work hard to do something.     Youngsters get so absorbed that they don't realise how much they're exerting themselves, visually and mentally.     Do not exert yourself unnecessarily. * exertion exertions     He clearly found the physical exertion exhilarating.     Thanks to the exertions of a few sensible and courageous men, the compromise was accepted.

Q: hamper [5hAmpE]

A: If someone or something hampers you, they makes it difficult for you to do what you are trying to do.     The bad weather hampered rescue operations.     I was hampered by a lack of information. A hamper is a basket containing food of various kinds that is given to people as a present.     ...a luxury food hamper. A hamper is a large basket with a lid, used especially for carrying food in.     ...a picnic hamper.

Q: blend in BLEND IN

A: If something blends into the background, it is so similar to the background that it is difficult to see or hear it separately.     The toad had changed its colour to blend in with its new environment.     ...a continuous pale neutral grey, almost blending into the sky...     You can blend in so that the voice becomes just another instrument in the band. If someone blends into a particular group or situation, they seem to belong there, because their appearance or behaviour is similar to that of the other people involved.     It must have reinforced my determination to blend into my surroundings.     She felt she would blend in nicely.     He blended in with the crowd at the art sale.

Q: conform [kEn5fC:m]

A: If something conforms to something such as a law or someone's wishes, it is of the required type or quality.     The Night Rider lamp has been designed to conform to new British Standard safety requirements.     The meat market can continue only if it is radically overhauled to conform with strict EC standards. If you conform, you behave in the way that you are expected or supposed to behave.     Many children who can't or don't conform are often bullied.     He did not feel obliged to conform to the rules that applied to ordinary men.     We conformed with social and family expectations. <> rebel If someone or something conforms to a pattern or type, they are very similar to it.     I am well aware that we all conform to one stereotype or another.     Like most `peacetime wars' it did not conform to preconceived ideas.

Q: constitute [5kCnstitju:t]

A: If something constitutes a particular thing, it can be regarded as being that thing.     Testing patients without their consent would constitute a professional and legal offence.     The vote hardly constitutes a victory.     What constitutes abuse? If a number of things or people constitute something, they are the parts or members that form it.     China's ethnic minorities constitute less than 7 percent of its total population.     ...the four companies constituting the Aramco partnership. = comprise When something such as a committee or government is constituted, it is formally established and given authority to operate. (FORMAL)     On 6 July a People's Revolutionary Government was constituted.     The accused will appear before a specially constituted military tribunal. = set up

Q: disintegrate [dis5intigreit]

A: If something disintegrates, it becomes seriously weakened, and is divided or destroyed.     During October 1918 the Austro-Hungarian Empire began to disintegrate. * disintegration     ...the violent disintegration of Yugoslavia.     ...the disintegration of an ordinary marriage. If an object or substance disintegrates, it breaks into many small pieces or parts and is destroyed.     At 420 mph the windscreen disintegrated. * disintegration     The report describes the catastrophic disintegration of the aircraft after the explosion.

Q: compulsory [kEm5pQlsEri]

A: If something is compulsory, you must do it or accept it, because it is the law or because someone in a position of authority says you must.     In East Germany learning Russian was compulsory.     Many young men are trying to get away from compulsory military conscription. = mandatory * compulsorily     Five of the company's senior managers have been made compulsorily redundant.

Q: deem [di:m]

A: If something is deemed to have a particular quality or to do a particular thing, it is considered to have that quality or do that thing. (FORMAL)     French and German were deemed essential.     He says he would support the use of force if the UN deemed it necessary.     I was deemed to be a competent shorthand typist. = judge

Q: destined DESTINED

A: If something is destined to happen or if someone is destined to behave in a particular way, that thing seems certain to happen or be done.     He feels that he was destined to become a musician.     London seems destined to lose more than 2,000 hospital beds.     Everyone knew that Muriel was destined for great things. If someone is destined for a particular place, or if goods are destined for a particular place, they are travelling towards that place or will be sent to that place.     ...products destined for Saudi Arabia. = bound for

Q: inland [5inlEnd]

A: If something is situated inland, it is away from the coast, towards or near the middle of a country. If you go inland, you go away from the coast, towards the middle of a country.     The vast majority live further inland.     It's about 15 minutes' drive inland from Cannes.     The car turned away from the coast and headed inland. Inland areas, lakes, and places are not on the coast, but in or near the middle of a country.     ...a rather quiet inland town.

Q: loom up LOOM UP

A: If something looms up, it comes into sight as a tall, unclear shape, often in a frightening way.     The great house loomed up ahead of them.

Q: alike [E5laik]

A: If two or more things are alike, they are similar in some way.     We looked very alike. <> different Alike means in a similar way.     They even dressed alike.     ...their assumption that all men and women think alike. <> differently You use alike after mentioning two or more people, groups, or things in order to emphasize that you are referring to both or all of them.     The techniques are being applied almost everywhere by big and small firms alike. = equally

Q: fame [feim]

A: If you achieve fame, you become very well-known.     At the height of his fame, his every word was valued.     The film earned him international fame.     ...her rise to fame and fortune as a dramatist. claim to fame: see claim.

Q: depressed [di5prest]

A: If you are depressed, you are sad and feel that you cannot enjoy anything, because your situation is so difficult and unpleasant.     He seemed somewhat depressed.     She's been very depressed and upset about this whole situation. = despondent A depressed place or industry does not have enough business or employment to be successful.     Many states already have Enterprise Zones and legislation that encourage investment in depressed areas.     The construction industry is no longer as depressed as it was. = run-down <> thriving A depressed point on a surface is lower than the parts around it.     Acupressure is manual pressure applied to a specific slightly depressed point on the body.

Q: fed up FED UP

A: If you are fed up, you are unhappy, bored, or tired of something, especially something that you have been experiencing for a long time. (INFORMAL)     I am fed up with reading how women should dress to please men.     He had become fed up with city life.     I'm just fed up and I don't know what to do. = cheesed off

Q: frantic [5frAntik]

A: If you are frantic, you are behaving in a wild and uncontrolled way because you are frightened or worried.     A bird had been locked in and was by now quite frantic. = frenzied * frantically     She clutched frantically at Emily's arm. If an activity is frantic, things are done quickly and in an energetic but disorganized way, because there is very little time.     A busy night in the restaurant can be frantic in the kitchen. * frantically     We have been frantically trying to save her life.

Q: brink [briNk]

A: If you are on the brink of something, usually something important, terrible, or exciting, you are just about to do it or experience it.     Their economy is teetering on the brink of collapse.     Failure to communicate had brought the two nations to the brink of war. = verge

Q: attribute [E5tribju(:)t]

A: If you attribute something to an event or situation, you think that it was caused by that event or situation.     Women tend to attribute their success to external causes such as luck. = ascribe If you attribute a particular quality or feature to someone or something, you think that they have got it.     People were beginning to attribute superhuman qualities to him. = ascribe * attribution     There's usually a lot of attribution of evil intent to those who have different views. If a piece of writing, a work of art, or a remark is attributed to someone, people say that they wrote it, created it, or said it.     This, and the remaining frescoes, are not attributed to Giotto.     ...a Madonna and Child attributed to Pietro Lorenzetti. An attribute is a quality or feature that someone or something has.     Cruelty is a normal attribute of human behaviour.     He has every attribute you could want and could play for any team. = characteristic

Q: bump up BUMP UP

A: If you bump up an amount, you increase it suddenly, usually by a lot. (INFORMAL)     The extra cost will bump up the price.     Add pasta to your salads to bump up your fibre intake. = boost

Q: construct [kEn5strQkt]

A: If you construct something such as a building, road, or machine, you build it or make it.     The French constructed a series of fortresses from Dunkirk on the Channel coast to Douai.     The boxes should be constructed from rough-sawn timber.     They thought he had escaped through a specially constructed tunnel. = build If you construct something such as an idea, piece of writing, or system, you create it by putting different parts together.     You will find it difficult to construct a spending plan without first recording your spending.     He eventually constructed a business empire which ran to Thailand and Singapore.     The novel is constructed from a series of on-the-spot reports.     ...using carefully constructed tests. = create A construct is a complex idea. (FORMAL)     ...the underlying constructs (beliefs, philosophy, etc.) which influence action and behaviour...     It was a re-enactment of the same mental construct under which slavery was justified. = concept A construct is something that is built, made, or created. (FORMAL)     As the flimsy constructs soared, the men paid out twine until the kites reached three or four thousand feet.     The country was an artificial construct held together by force and intimidation for more than 70 years. = creation

Q: consume [kEn5sju:m]

A: If you consume something, you eat or drink it. (FORMAL)     Martha would consume nearly a pound of cheese per day.     ...serving chocolate ice-creams for the children to consume in the kitchen. To consume an amount of fuel, energy, or time means to use it up.     Some of the most efficient refrigerators consume 70 percent less electricity than traditional models.     ...plans which will consume hours of time and deplete your cash reserves. = use up * -consuming     ...oil-consuming countries...     It is very space-consuming. If a fire consumes a building, it completely destroys it. (FORMAL)     ...the fire which consumed the dwelling. If a feeling or idea consumes you, it affects you very strongly indeed.     The memories consumed him.

Q: crunch [krQntF]

A: If you crunch something hard, such as a sweet, you crush it noisily between your teeth.     She sucked an ice cube into her mouth, and crunched it loudly.     Richard crunched into the apple. If something crunches or if you crunch it, it makes a breaking or crushing noise, for example when you step on it.     A piece of china crunched under my foot.     He crunched the sheets of paper in his hands. = scrunch Also a noun.     She heard the crunch of tires on the gravel driveway. If you crunch across a surface made of very small stones, you move across it causing it to make a crunching noise.     I crunched across the gravel.     ...wheels crunching over a stony surface. If you say that something will happen if or when it comes to the crunch, you mean that it will happen if or when the time comes when something has to be done.     Tomorrow, though, is the crunch.     He can rely on my support when the crunch comes.     The Prime Minister is expected to call a crunch meeting on Monday.     If it comes to the crunch, I'll resign over this.

Q: deprive [di5praiv]

A: If you deprive someone of something that they want or need, you take it away from them, or you prevent them from having it.     The disintegration of the Soviet Union deprived western intelligence agencies of their main enemies.     They've been deprived of the fuel necessary to heat their homes.

Q: contradiction [7kCntrE5dikFEn]

A: If you describe an aspect of a situation as a contradiction, you mean that it is completely different from other aspects, and so makes the situation confused or difficult to understand.     ...the contradictions between her private life and the public persona...     The performance seemed to me unpardonable, a contradiction of all that the Olympics is supposed to be.     The militants see no contradiction in using violence to bring about a religious state. If you say that something is a contradiction in terms, you mean that it is described as having a quality that it cannot have.     A public service run for profit -- a contradiction in terms if there ever was one.

Q: experienced [ik5spiEriEnst]

A: If you describe someone as experienced, you mean that they have been doing a particular job or activity for a long time, and therefore know a lot about it or are very skilful at it.     ...lawyers who are experienced in these matters...     It's a team packed with experienced and mature professionals.     Perhaps I'm a bit more experienced about life than my contemporaries.

Q: middle-aged [5midl5eidVd]

A: If you describe someone as middle-aged, you mean that they are neither young nor old. People between the ages of 40 and 60 are usually considered to be middle-aged.     His sisters are grown up and his parents are middle-aged.     ...middle-aged, married businessmen. The middle-aged are people who are middle-aged.     ...the perfect holiday for the middle-aged. If you describe someone's activities or interests as middle-aged, you are critical of them because you think they are typical of a middle-aged person, for example by being conventional or old-fashioned.     Her novels are middle-aged and boring.

Q: moody [5mu:di]

A: If you describe someone as moody, you mean that their feelings and behaviour change frequently, and in particular that they often become depressed or angry without any warning.     David's mother was unstable and moody.     Ray is a complicated, moody man behind the joking front. = temperamental * moodily     He sat and stared moodily out the window. * moodiness     His moodiness may have been caused by his poor health. If you describe a picture, film, or piece of music as moody, you mean that it suggests particular emotions, especially sad ones.     ...moody black and white photographs.     ...a blend of melancholy guitars and moody lyrics. = atmospheric

Q: comic [5kCmik]

A: If you describe something as comic, you mean that it makes you laugh, and is often intended to make you laugh.     The novel is comic and tragic.     Most of these trips had exciting or comic moments. Comic is used to describe comedy as a form of entertainment, and the actors and entertainers who perform it.     Grodin is a fine comic actor.     ...a comic opera. A comic is an entertainer who tells jokes in order to make people laugh. = comedian A comic is a magazine that contains stories told in pictures. (mainly BRIT; in AM usually use comic book)     Joe loved to read `Superman' comics. = comic book The comics is the part of a newspaper that contains the comic strips. (AM)

Q: crap [krAp]

A: If you describe something as crap, you think that it is wrong or of very poor quality. (INFORMAL, RUDE) Also a noun.     It is a tedious, humourless load of crap. = rubbish Crap is sometimes used to refer to faeces. (INFORMAL, RUDE) To crap means to get rid of faeces from your body. (INFORMAL, RUDE) Craps or crap is a gambling game, played mainly in North America, in which you throw two dice and bet what the total will be.     I'll shoot some craps or play some blackjack.

Q: erotic [i5rCtik]

A: If you describe something as erotic, you mean that it involves sexual feelings or arouses sexual desire.     It might sound like some kind of wild fantasy, but it wasn't an erotic experience at all.     ...photographs of nude women in erotic poses. * erotically     The film is shot seductively, erotically.     He may get a woman erotically obsessed with him but he will never get her love. Erotic art shows naked people or sexual acts, and is intended to produce feelings of sexual pleasure.     Erotic paintings also became a fine art.

Q: fabulous [5fAbjulEs]

A: If you describe something as fabulous, you are emphasizing that you like it a lot or think that it is very good. (INFORMAL)     This is a fabulous album. It's fresh, varied, fun.     The scenery and weather were fabulous. = wonderful If you talk about someone's fabulous beauty, for example, or their fabulous success, you are emphasizing that they are extremely beautiful or extremely successful.     Despite his fabulous wealth, he is very much a man of the people. * fabulously     ...their fabulously rich parents.

Q: fascinating [5fAsineitiN]

A: If you describe something as fascinating, you find it very interesting and attractive, and your thoughts tend to concentrate on it.     Madagascar is the most fascinating place I have ever been to.     Her perceptions and intuitions about human nature were fascinating.

Q: immense [i5mens]

A: If you describe something as immense, you mean that it is extremely large or great.     ...an immense cloud of smoke...     With immense relief I stopped running. = enormous * immensity     The immensity of the universe is difficult to grasp.

Q: excessive [ik5sesiv]

A: If you describe the amount or level of something as excessive, you disapprove of it because it is more or higher than is necessary or reasonable.     ...the alleged use of excessive force by police...     The government says that local authority spending is excessive. * excessively     Managers are also accused of paying themselves excessively high salaries.     Mum had started taking pills and drinking excessively.

Q: differentiate [7difE5renFieit]

A: If you differentiate between things or you differentiate one thing from another, you recognize or show the difference between them.     A child may not differentiate between his imagination and the real world.     At this age your baby cannot differentiate one person from another. = distinguish A quality or feature that differentiates one thing from another makes the two things different.     ...distinctive policies that differentiate them from the other parties. = distinguish * differentiation     Their marketing director claims the differentiation between the two ranges will increase.

Q: long 4 [lCN]

A: If you long for something, you want it very much.     Steve longed for the good old days.     I'm longing to meet her.     He longed for the winter to be over. See also longing.

Q: locked [lCkt]

A: If you say that people are locked in conflict or in battle, you mean they are arguing or fighting in a fierce or determined way, and neither side seems likely to stop.

Q: guaranteed GUARANTEED

A: If you say that something is guaranteed to happen, you mean that you are certain that it will happen.     Reports of this kind are guaranteed to cause anxiety.     It's guaranteed that my colleagues think I'm deranged.     Success is not guaranteed. See also guarantee.

Q: hedge about, hedge around HEDGE ABOUT, HEDGE AROUND

A: If you say that something such as an offer is hedged about or is hedged around with rules or conditions, you mean that there are a lot of rules or conditions.     The offer was hedged around with conditions.     Many reduced fares are hedged around with restrictions.

Q: ink [iNk]

A: Ink is the coloured liquid used for writing or printing.     The letter was handwritten in black ink. If you ink something, you put ink on it.     Ritter took his left hand and inked the fingertips.

Q: learning [5lE:niN]

A: Learning is the process of gaining knowledge through studying.     The brochure described the library as the focal point of learning on the campus. See also learn, seat of learning.

Q: Midlands MIDLANDS

A: Midlands The Midlands is the region or area in the central part of a country, in particular the central part of England.     ...an engineering company in the Midlands.

Q: beneficial [beni5fiFEl]

A: Something that is beneficial helps people or improves their lives.     ...vitamins which are beneficial to our health...     Using computers has a beneficial effect on children's learning.

Q: cargo [5kB:gEu]

A: The cargo of a ship or plane is the goods that it is carrying.     The boat calls at the main port to load its regular cargo of bananas.     ...cargo planes. = consignment

Q: destination [7desti5neiFEn]

A: The destination of someone or something is the place to which they are going or being sent.     Spain is still our most popular holiday destination.     Only half of the emergency supplies have reached their destination.

Q: front door FRONT DOOR

A: The front door of a house or other building is the main door, which is usually in the wall that faces a street.

Q: broadly BROADLY

A: You can use broadly to indicate that something is generally true.     The President broadly got what he wanted out of his meeting.     The idea that software is capable of any task is broadly true in theory. See also broad. = more or less

Q: limb [lim]

A: Your limbs are your arms and legs.     She would be able to stretch out her cramped limbs and rest for a few hours. The limbs of a tree are its branches. (LITERARY)     This entire rickety structure was hanging from the limb of an enormous leafy tree. If someone goes out on a limb, they do something they strongly believe in even though it is risky or extreme, and is likely to fail or be criticized by other people.     They can see themselves going out on a limb, voting for a very controversial energy bill. If someone risks life and limb, they do something very dangerous that may cause them to die or be seriously injured.     Aid workers have risked life and limb and we have had to hire our own protection to safeguard workers at our centres. If someone threatens to tear you limb from limb, they mean that they are extremely angry with you, and may use violence against you.     The police were lucky they found him before I did. I would have torn him limb from limb.

Q: liver [5livE]

A: Your liver is a large organ in your body which processes your blood and helps to clean unwanted substances out of it. Liver is the liver of some animals, especially lambs, pigs, and cows, which is cooked and eaten.     ...grilled calves' liver.

Q: motive [5mEutiv]

A: Your motive for doing something is your reason for doing it.     Police have ruled out robbery as a motive for the killing.     ...the motives and objectives of British foreign policy...     The doctor's motive was to bring an end to his patient's suffering.

Q: lash [lAF]

A: Your lashes are the hairs that grow on the edge of your upper and lower eyelids.     ...sombre grey eyes, with unusually long lashes...     Joanna studied him through her lashes. = eyelash If you lash two or more things together, you tie one of them firmly to the other.     Secure the anchor by lashing it to the rail.     The shelter is built by lashing poles together to form a small dome.     Cindy lashed her motorboat alongside.     We were worried about the lifeboat which was not lashed down. = tie If wind, rain, or water lashes someone or something, it hits them violently. (WRITTEN)     The worst winter storms of the century lashed the east coast of North America.     Suddenly rain lashed against the windows.     The rain was absolutely lashing down.     ...gales of lashing rain. If someone lashes you or lashes into you, they speak very angrily to you, criticizing you or saying you have done something wrong.     She went quiet for a moment while she summoned up the words to lash him.     The report lashes into police commanders for failing to act on intelligence information. Also a noun.     Never before had he felt the full lash of John's temper. A lash is a thin strip of leather at the end of a whip. A lash is a blow with a whip, especially a blow on someone's back as a punishment.     The villagers sentenced one man to five lashes for stealing a ham from his neighbor. If someone lashes another person, they hit that person with a whip.     They snatched up whips and lashed the backs of those who had fallen. = whip If an animal lashes its tail, or if its tail lashes, it

Q: A level A LEVEL

A: A level A levels A levels are British educational qualifications which schoolchildren take when they are seventeen or eighteen years old. People usually need A levels if they want to go to university in Britain.     He left school with four A levels.     Laura is taking A levels next summer in theatre and religious studies.

Q: airway [5ZEwei]

A: A person's airways are the passages from their nose and mouth down to their lungs, through which air enters and leaves their body.     ...an inflammation of the airways. The airways are all the routes that planes can travel along.     How does a private pilot get access to the airways? Airways means the same as airwaves.     The interview went out over the airways.

Q: ABC [5eibi:5si:]

A: ABC The ABC of a subject or activity is the parts of it that you have to learn first because they are the most important and basic.     ...the ABC of Marxism. Children who have learned their ABC or their ABCs have learned to recognize, write, or say the alphabet. (INFORMAL)

Q: aesthetic [i:s5Wetik]

A: AM) also esthetic Aesthetic is used to talk about beauty or art, and people's appreciation of beautiful things.     ...products chosen for their aesthetic appeal as well as their durability and quality. The aesthetic of a work of art is its aesthetic quality.     He responded very strongly to the aesthetic of this particular work. * aesthetically     A statue which is aesthetically pleasing to one person, however, may be repulsive to another.

Q: academy [E5kAdEmi]

A: Academy is sometimes used in the names of schools and colleges, especially those specializing in particular subjects or skills, or private high schools in the United States.     If you want to be a musician, you go to the Royal Academy of Music.     ...her experience as a police academy instructor. Academy appears in the names of some societies formed to improve or maintain standards in a particular field.     ...the American Academy of Psychotherapists...     The British Academy of Film and Television Arts.

Q: acceptance [Ek5septEns]

A: Acceptance of an offer or a proposal is the act of saying yes to it or agreeing to it.     The Party is being degraded by its acceptance of secret donations.     I sent them more than 6,000 cartoons before I had my one and only acceptance by them.     Several shareholders have withdrawn earlier acceptances of the offer.     ...a letter of acceptance.     ...his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize. <> rejection If there is acceptance of an idea, most people believe or agree that it is true.     ...a theory that is steadily gaining acceptance...     There's a general acceptance that the US defence budget will shrink considerably over the next few years. Your acceptance of a situation, especially an unpleasant or difficult one, is an attitude or feeling that you cannot change it and that you must get used to it.     Popular acceptance of authority had been an early aim of the Nationalists.     The most impressive thing about him is his calm acceptance of whatever comes his way. <> rejection If there is acceptance of a new product, people start to like it and get used to it.     Car manufacturers are already producing small numbers of electric vehicles to test customer acceptance.     Avant-garde music to this day has not found general public acceptance. <> rejection Acceptance of someone into a group means beginning to think of them as part of the group and to act in a friendly way towards them.     A very determined effort by society will ensure that the disabled achieve real acceptance and integration. = recognition <> rejection

Q: accessory [Ak5sesEri]

A: Accessories are items of equipment that are not usually essential, but which can be used with or added to something else in order to make it more efficient, useful, or decorative.     ...an exclusive range of hand-made bedroom and bathroom accessories. Accessories are articles such as belts and scarves which you wear or carry but which are not part of your main clothing. If someone is guilty of being an accessory to a crime, they helped the person who committed it, or knew it was being committed but did not tell the police. (LEGAL)     She had been charged with being an accessory to the embezzlement of funds from a co-operative farm. = accomplice You can use accessory to describe something which is part of an activity or process, but not the most essential or important part of it. (FORMAL)     Forster established the essentiality of minerals as accessory food factors required for maintaining life.

Q: accommodation [E7kCmE5deiFEn]

A: Accommodation is used to refer to buildings or rooms where people live or stay. (BRIT; in AM use accommodations)     The government will provide temporary accommodation for up to three thousand people sleeping rough in London.     Prices start at {Pound}2,095 per person, including flights, hotel accommodation and various excursions.     Rates are higher for deluxe accommodations and lower in the off-season. Accommodation is space in buildings or vehicles that is available for certain things, people, or activities. (FORMAL)     The school occupies split-site accommodation on the main campus.     Some trains carry bicycles, but accommodation is restricted so a reservation is essential. An accommodation is an agreement between different people which enables them to exist together without trouble. (FORMAL)     His instinct would be to seek a new accommodation with the nationalists.     Religions, to survive, must make accommodations with the larger political structures that nurture them.

Q: accounting [E5kauntiN]

A: Accounting is the activity of keeping detailed records of the amounts of money a business or person receives and spends.     ...allegations of theft, forgery and false accounting.     ...the accounting firm of Leventhal & Horwath. See also account.

Q: acting [5AktiN]

A: Acting is the activity or profession of performing in plays or films.     Saffron Burrows returned to London to pursue her acting career after four years of modelling. You use acting before the title of a job to indicate that someone is doing that job temporarily.     The new acting President has a reputation of being someone who is independent.

Q: addiction [E5dikFEn]

A: Addiction is the condition of taking harmful drugs and being unable to stop taking them.     She helped him fight his drug addiction.     ...long-term addiction to nicotine. An addiction to something is a very strong desire or need for it.     He needed money to feed his addiction to gambling.     I discovered an addiction to housework which I had never felt before.

Q: administrative [Ed5ministrEtiv]

A: Administrative work involves organizing and supervising an organization or institution.     Other industries have had to sack managers to reduce administrative costs.     The project will have an administrative staff of 12. = management * administratively     Cuba is politically and administratively divided into 14 provinces.

Q: admiration [7AdmE5reiFEn]

A: Admiration is a feeling of great liking and respect for a person or thing.     I have always had the greatest admiration for him.     Meg's eyes widened in admiration.

Q: admission [Ed5miFEn]

A: Admission is permission given to a person to enter a place, or permission given to a country to enter an organization. Admission is also the act of entering a place.     Students apply for admission to a particular college.     Poland and Czechoslovakia have vigorously pursued admission to the European Community.     There have been substantial increases in hospital admissions of children. = admittance Admissions to a place such as a school or university are the people who are allowed to enter or join it.     Each school sets its own admissions policy. Admission at a park, museum, or other place is the amount of money that you pay to enter it.     Gates open at 10.30am and admission is free. = entrance Also used before a noun.     The admission price is $8 for adults. An admission is a statement that something bad, unpleasant, or embarrassing is true.     By his own admission, he is not playing well.     She wanted some admission of guilt from her father.

Q: adolescent [7AdEu5lesnt]

A: Adolescent is used to describe young people who are no longer children but who have not yet become adults. It also refers to their behaviour.     It is important that an adolescent boy should have an adult in whom he can confide.     He spent his adolescent years playing guitar in the church band.     ...adolescent rebellion. = teenage An adolescent is an adolescent boy or girl.     Young adolescents are happiest with small groups of close friends. = teenager

Q: adverse [5AdvE:s]

A: Adverse decisions, conditions, or effects are unfavourable to you.     The police said Mr Hadfield's decision would have no adverse effect on the progress of the investigation.     Despite the adverse conditions, the road was finished in just eight months. <> favourable * adversely     Price changes must not adversely affect the living standards of the people.

Q: aggression [E5greFEn]

A: Aggression is a quality of anger and determination that makes you ready to attack other people.     Aggression is by no means a male-only trait. = belligerence <> gentleness Aggression is violent and attacking behaviour.     The raid was an unjustifiable act of aggression.     ...the threat of massive military aggression.

Q: agony [5AgEni]

A: Agony is great physical or mental pain.     A new machine may save thousands of animals from the agony of drug tests.     They sat and listened as she called out in agony.     As a young man he suffered agonies of religious doubt. = torment

Q: alien [5eiljEn]

A: Alien means belonging to a different country, race, or group, usually one you do not like or are frightened of. (FORMAL)     He said they were opposed to what he described as the presence of alien forces in the region. = foreign You use alien to describe something that seems strange and perhaps frightening, because it is not part of your normal experience.     His work offers an insight into an alien culture. = strange If something is alien to you or to your normal feelings or behaviour, it is not the way you would normally feel or behave. (FORMAL)     Such an attitude is alien to most businessmen. = foreign An alien is someone who is not a legal citizen of the country in which they live. (FORMAL or LEGAL)     Both women had hired illegal aliens for child care.     When war broke out, he was interned as an enemy alien. = foreigner In science fiction, an alien is a creature from outer space.

Q: aluminium [7Alju:5minjEm]

A: Aluminium is a lightweight metal used, for example, for making cooking equipment and aircraft parts. (BRIT; in AM use aluminum)     ...aluminium cans.

Q: abrupt [E5brQpt]

A: An abrupt change or action is very sudden, often in a way which is unpleasant.     Rosie's idyllic world came to an abrupt end when her parents' marriage broke up.     The recession brought an abrupt halt to this happiness.     His abrupt departure is bound to raise questions. = unexpected * abruptly     He stopped abruptly and looked my way. = suddenly Someone who is abrupt speaks in a rather rude, unfriendly way.     He was abrupt to the point of rudeness.     Cross was a little taken aback by her abrupt manner. = offhand * abruptly     `Good night, then,' she said abruptly. * abruptness     I think Simon was hurt by your abruptness this afternoon.

Q: abstract [5AbstrAkt]

A: An abstract idea or way of thinking is based on general ideas rather than on real things and events.     ...starting with a few abstract principles...     It's not a question of some abstract concept of justice.     ...the faculty of abstract reasoning. = theoretical * abstractly     It is hard to think abstractly in these conditions. When you talk or think about something in the abstract, you talk or think about it in a general way, rather than considering particular things or events.     Money was a commodity she never thought about except in the abstract. In grammar, an abstract noun refers to a quality or idea rather than to a physical object.     ...abstract words such as glory, honor, and courage. <> concrete Abstract art makes use of shapes and patterns rather than showing people or things.     A modern abstract painting takes over one complete wall. <> figurative An abstract is an abstract work of art. An abstract of an article, document, or speech is a short piece of writing that gives the main points of it. = summary

Q: accidental [7Aksi5dentl]

A: An accidental event happens by chance or as the result of an accident, and is not deliberately intended.     Video evidence was shown to the inquest jury, before it returned a verdict of accidental death.     His hand brushed against hers; it could have been either accidental or deliberate. <> deliberate * accidentally     A policeman accidentally killed his two best friends with a single bullet.     A special locking system means the door cannot be opened accidentally. <> deliberately

Q: ace [eis]

A: An ace is a playing card with a single symbol on it. In most card games, the ace of a particular suit has either the highest or the lowest value of the cards in that suit.     ...the ace of hearts. If you describe someone such as a sports player as an ace, you mean that they are very good at what they do. (JOURNALISM)     ...former motor-racing ace Stirling Moss. Also an adjective.     ...ace horror-film producer Lawrence Woolsey. If you say that something is ace, you think that it is good and you like it a lot. (INFORMAL)     It's been a while since a really ace film came out of Germany. In tennis, an ace is a serve which is so fast that the other player cannot reach the ball.     The American served three aces in the opening game of the set. If you say that someone holds all the aces, you mean that they have all the advantages in a contest or situation.     `When I was an adolescent,' says a thirty-one-year-old man, `I thought girls held all the aces.' Something that is an ace in the hole is an advantage which you have over an opponent or rival, and which you can use if necessary.     Our superior technology is our ace in the hole. <fo

Q: acoustic [E5ku:stik]

A: An acoustic guitar or other instrument is one whose sound is produced without any electrical equipment. * acoustically     It's a very exciting time, I think, to be writing acoustically based music. If you refer to the acoustics or the acoustic of a space, you are referring to the structural features which determine how well you can hear music or speech in it.     In this performance, Rattle had the acoustic of the Symphony Hall on his side. * acoustically     The church is fully air-conditioned and acoustically perfect. Acoustics is the scientific study of sound. Acoustic means relating to sound or hearing. Compare aural.     ...acoustic signals.

Q: acquaintance [E5kweintEns]

A: An acquaintance is someone who you have met and know slightly, but not well.     He exchanged a few words with the proprietor, an old acquaintance of his.     I have a large circle of friends and acquaintances engaged in photography. If you have an acquaintance with someone, you have met them and you know them.     ...a writer who becomes involved in a real murder mystery through his acquaintance with a police officer...     On first acquaintance she is cool and slightly distant. Your acquaintance with a subject is your knowledge or experience of it. (FORMAL)     They had little or no acquaintance with Chinese philosophy or history. When you make someone's acquaintance, you meet them for the first time and get to know them a little. (FORMAL)     I first made his acquaintance and that of his wife and young family in the early 1960s.     I am so pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr Tweed. A person of your acquaintance is someone who you have met and know. (FORMAL)     ...a highly cultivated woman of our acquaintance.

Q: addict [E5dikt]

A: An addict is someone who takes harmful drugs and cannot stop taking them.     He's only 24 years old and a drug addict. If you say that someone is an addict, you mean that they like a particular activity very much and spend as much time doing it as they can.     She is a TV addict and watches as much as she can.

Q: adjustment [E5dVQstmEnt]

A: An adjustment is a small change that is made to something such as a machine or a way of doing something.     Compensation could be made by adjustments to taxation.     Investment is up by 5.7% after adjustment for inflation.     ...a technician made an adjustment to a smoke machine at the back of the auditorium. An adjustment is a change in a person's behaviour or thinking.     He will have to make major adjustments to his thinking if he is to survive in office.

Q: administrator [Ed5ministreitE]

A: An administrator is a person whose job involves helping to organize and supervise the way that an organization or institution functions.

Q: advert [Ed5vE:t]

A: An advert is an announcement in a newspaper, on television, or on a poster about something such as a product, event, or job. (BRIT; in AM use ad)     I saw an advert for a transport job with a large steel and engineering company.     Many caravans are let by private individuals through adverts in papers or shop windows. = ad, advertisement If you say that an example of something is an advert for that thing in general, you mean that it shows how good that thing is. (BRIT)     This courtroom battle has been a poor advert for English justice. = advertisement You can use the adverts to refer to the interval in a commercial television programme, or between programmes, during which advertisements are shown. (INFORMAL) (BRIT; in AM use commercial break)     After the adverts, the presenter tried to pretend that everything was back to normal. = commercials

Q: advertisement [Ed5vE:tismEnt]

A: An advertisement is an announcement in a newspaper, on television, or on a poster about something such as a product, event, or job. (WRITTEN)     Miss Parrish recently placed an advertisement in the local newspaper. = advert, ad If you say that an example of something is an advertisement for that thing in general, you mean that it shows how good that thing is. (mainly BRIT)     The Treviso team were an effective advertisement for the improving state of Italian club rugby.     That would not be a good advertisement for Hungary's emerging democracy.

Q: advisory [Ed5vaizEri]

A: An advisory group regularly gives suggestions and help to people or organizations, especially about a particular subject or area of activity. (FORMAL)     ...members of the advisory committee on the safety of nuclear installations...     Now my role is strictly advisory. An advisory is an official announcement or report that warns people about bad weather, diseases, or other dangers or problems. (AM)     26 states have issued health advisories. = warning

Q: aeroplane [5ZErEplein]

A: An aeroplane is a vehicle with wings and one or more engines that enable it to fly through the air. (BRIT; in AM use airplane) = plane, aircraft

Q: affiliate [E5filieit]

A: An affiliate is an organization which is officially connected with another, larger organization or is a member of it. (FORMAL)     ...twelve companies, including three affiliates of a Texas oil firm...     The World Chess Federation has affiliates in around 120 countries. If an organization affiliates to or with another larger organization, it forms a close connection with the larger organization or becomes a member of it. (FORMAL)     All youth groups will have to affiliate to the National Youth Agency.     The Government will not allow the staff association to affiliate with outside unions. If a professional person such as a lawyer or doctor affiliates with an organization, they become officially connected with that organization. (mainly AM, FORMAL)     He said he wanted to affiliate with a U.S. firm because he needed `expert advice and counsel in legal affairs'.

Q: aggregate [5Agrigeit]

A: An aggregate amount or score is made up of several smaller amounts or scores added together.     The rate of growth of GNP will depend upon the rate of growth of aggregate demand.     England have beaten the Welsh three times in succession with an aggregate score of 83-12. Also a noun.     The highest aggregate came in the third round where Leeds and Middlesbrough drew 4-4. An aggregate is a number of people or things that are being considered as a single thing. (FORMAL)     ...society viewed as an aggregate of individuals. If amounts or things are aggregated, they are added together and considered as a single amount or thing. (FORMAL)     Different economies, with different currencies, should not be aggregated to produce uniform policies..     We should never aggregate votes to predict results under another system. * aggregation     A bigger objection is that aggregation of the results invites distortion. If a number of different things or amounts are considered in aggregate, or in the aggregate, they are considered as a single thing or amount. (FORMAL)     Expenses are deductible only to the extent that in aggregate they exceed 7 percent of gross income. = in total If one team beats another on aggregate, it wins because it has a higher total score than the other team after a series of games. (BRIT)     United won 5-3 on aggregate.

Q: aide [eid]

A: An aide is an assistant to someone who has an important job, especially in government or in the armed forces.     A close aide to the Prime Minister repeated that Israel would never accept it.

Q: airlift [5eElift]

A: An airlift is an operation to move people, troops, or goods by air, especially in a war or when land routes are closed.     President Garcia has ordered an airlift of food, medicines and blankets. If people, troops, or goods are airlifted somewhere, they are carried by air, especially in a war or when land routes are closed.     The injured were airlifted to hospital in Prestwick.     Other nationalities, such as Pakistanis, were being airlifted out by their governments.     The government is trying to replenish supplies by airlifting food.

Q: airplane [5ZE7plein]

A: An airplane is a vehicle with wings and one or more engines that enable it to fly through the air. (AM; in BRIT use aeroplane)

Q: alcoholic [7AlkE5hClik]

A: An alcoholic is someone who cannot stop drinking large amounts of alcohol, even when this is making them ill.     He showed great courage by admitting on television that he is an alcoholic. Alcoholic drinks are drinks that contain alcohol.     The serving of alcoholic drinks was forbidden after six o'clock.     ...tea, coffee, and alcoholic beverages.

Q: amnesty [5Amnesti]

A: An amnesty is an official pardon granted to a group of prisoners by the state.     Activists who were involved in crimes of violence will not automatically be granted amnesty. = pardon An amnesty is a period of time during which people can admit to a crime or give up weapons without being punished.     The government has announced an immediate amnesty for rebel fighters.

Q: anchor [5ANkE]

A: An anchor is a heavy hooked object that is dropped from a boat into the water at the end of a chain in order to make the boat stay in one place. When a boat anchors or when you anchor it, its anchor is dropped into the water in order to make it stay in one place.     We could anchor off the pier.     They anchored the boat. If you anchor an object somewhere, you fix it to something to prevent it moving from that place.     The roots anchor the plant in the earth.     The child seat belt was not properly anchored to the car. = fix If one thing is the anchor for something else, it makes that thing stable and secure.     He provided an emotional anchor for her.     He remains the anchor of the country's fragile political balance. If something is anchored in something or to something, it has strong links with it.     A united Germany must be firmly anchored in NATO if Europe is to remain stable.     His basic outlook remains anchored in the liberal tradition. = rooted in The person who anchors a television or radio programme, especially a news programme, is the person who presents it and acts as a link between interviews and reports which come from other places or stu

Q: angel [5eindVEl]

A: Angels are spiritual beings that some people believe are God's servants in heaven. You can call someone you like very much an angel in order to show affection, especially when they have been kind to you or done you a favour.     Thank you a thousand times, you're an angel. If you describe someone as an angel, you mean that they seem to be very kind and good.     Poppa thought her an angel.     He was such an angel to put up with it. If you say that someone is on the side of the angels, you believe very strongly that what they are doing is right.     Billy is on the side of the angels when it comes to racial tolerance. If you say that someone rushes in where angels fear to tread, you are criticizing them gently because they get themselves into dangerous or difficult situations without thinking carefully enough about what they are doing.     Martin is inclined to rush in where angels fear to tread.

Q: am. AM.

A: Compare p.m..     The program starts at 9 a.m.

Q: accommodate [E5kCmEdeit]

A: If a building or space can accommodate someone or something, it has enough room for them.     The school in Poldown was not big enough to accommodate all the children.     The CD-ROMS will accommodate the works of all English poets from 600 to 1900. To accommodate someone means to provide them with a place to live or stay.     ...a hotel built to accommodate guests for the wedding of King Alfonso...     Students are accommodated in homes nearby. If something is planned or changed to accommodate a particular situation, it is planned or changed so that it takes this situation into account.     The roads are built to accommodate gradual temperature changes.     The way that American history is taught may change in order to accommodate some more of those cultures. If you do something to accommodate someone, you do it with the main purpose of pleasing or satisfying them.     He has never put an arm around his wife to accommodate photographers.     He's already altered several of the proposals in his economic plan to accommodate demands of special interests. = oblige If you accommodate to something new, you change your behaviour or ideas so that you are able to deal with it. (FORMAL)     Some animal and plant species cannot accommodate to the rapidly changing conditions.  &nb

Q: ambush [5AmbuF]

A: If a group of people ambush their enemies, they attack them after hiding and waiting for them.     The Guatemalan army says rebels ambushed and killed 10 patrolmen. = waylay An ambush is an attack on someone by people who have been hiding and waiting for them.     A policeman has been shot dead in an ambush in County Armagh. If someone is lying in ambush, they are hiding and waiting for someone, usually to attack them.     The gunmen, lying in ambush, opened fire, killing the driver.

Q: accessible [Ek5sesEbl]

A: If a place or building is accessible to people, it is easy for them to reach it or get into it. If an object is accessible, it is easy to reach.     The Gateshead Shopping Centre is easily accessible to virtually all the population of Tyne and Wear.     The premises are wheelchair accessible.     I had to keep the video camera readily accessible in case I saw something that needed to be filmed. * accessibility     Unlike the other South Western reservoirs it has uniquely easy accessibility. If something is accessible to people, they can easily use it or obtain it.     The aim of any reform of legal aid should be to make the system accessible to more people.     This device helps make virtual reality a more usable and accessible technology. * accessibility     ...growing public concern about the cost, quality and accessibility of health care. If you describe a book, painting, or other work of art as accessible, you think it is good because it is simple enough for people to understand and appreciate easily.     Both say they want to write literary books that are accessible to a general audience.     ...their reputation for providing exciting and accessible theatre for young people. * accessibility     Seminar topics are chosen for their accessibility to a general audience.

Q: administer [Ed5ministE]

A: If someone administers something such as a country, the law, or a test, they take responsibility for organizing and supervising it.     The plan calls for the UN to administer the country until elections can be held.     We hope that they're going to administer justice impartially.     Next summer's exams would be straightforward to administer and mark. If a doctor or a nurse administers a drug, they give it to a patient. (FORMAL)     Sister came to watch the staff nurse administer the drugs. = give If someone administers a punch or a kick, they punch or kick someone. (FORMAL)     He is shown in the tape of the beating as administering most of the blows.

Q: absent [5AbsEnt]

A: If someone or something is absent from a place or situation where they should be or where they usually are, they are not there.     He has been absent from his desk for two weeks.     The pictures, too, were absent from the walls.     Any soldier failing to report would be considered absent without leave and punished accordingly. If someone appears absent, they are not paying attention because they are thinking about something else.     `Nothing,' Rosie said in an absent way. = inattentive * absently     He nodded absently. An absent parent does not live with his or her children.     ...absent fathers who fail to pay towards the costs of looking after their children. If someone absents themselves from a place where they should be or where they usually are, they do not go there or they do not stay there. (FORMAL)     She was old enough to absent herself from the lunch table if she chose.     He pleaded guilty before a court martial to absenting himself without leave. If you say that absent one thing, another thing will happen, you mean that if the first thing does not happen, the second thing will happen. (AM, FORMAL)     Absent a solution, people like Sue Godfrey will just keep on fighting. = without

Q: acclaim [E5kleim]

A: If someone or something is acclaimed, they are praised enthusiastically. (FORMAL)     More recently she has been acclaimed for the TV dramas `Prime Suspect' and `Civvies'.     He was acclaimed as England's greatest modern painter.     The group's debut album was immediately acclaimed a hip hop classic. * acclaimed     She has published six highly acclaimed novels. Acclaim is public praise for someone or something. (FORMAL)     Angela Bassett has won critical acclaim for her excellent performance.     All this equipment has received international acclaim from the specialist hi-fi press. = praise

Q: absorb [Eb5sC:b]

A: If something absorbs a liquid, gas, or other substance, it soaks it up or takes it in.     Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air and moisture from the soil.     Refined sugars are absorbed into the bloodstream very quickly. = soak up If something absorbs light, heat, or another form of energy, it takes it in.     A household radiator absorbs energy in the form of electric current and releases it in the form of heat. If a group is absorbed into a larger group, it becomes part of the larger group.     The Colonial Office was absorbed into the Foreign Office.     ...an economy capable of absorbing and supporting thousands of immigrants. If something absorbs a force or shock, it reduces its effect.     ...footwear which does not absorb the impact of the foot striking the ground. If a system or society absorbs changes, effects, or costs, it is able to deal with them.     The banks would be forced to absorb large losses.     We can't absorb those costs. = cope with If something absorbs something valuable such as money, space, or time, it uses up a great deal of it.     It absorbed vast amounts of capital that could have been used for investment.     It might help if campaigning didn't absorb so much time and money. = eat up If you absorb information, you learn and understand it.     Too often he only absorbs half the information in the manual.     We closed our offices at 2:00 p.m. to give employees time to absorb the bad news. = digest, take in

Q: amaze [E5meiz]

A: If something amazes you, it surprises you very much.     He amazed us by his knowledge of Welsh history.     The Riverside Restaurant promises a variety of food that never ceases to amaze! = astonish * amazed     He said most of the cast was amazed by the play's success.     I was amazed to learn she was still writing her stories.     She is amazed that people still risk travelling without insurance. = astonished

Q: accelerate [Ak5selEreit]

A: If the process or rate of something accelerates, it gets faster and faster.     Growth will accelerate to 2.9 per cent next year.     The government is to accelerate its privatisation programme. When a moving vehicle accelerates, it goes faster and faster.     Suddenly the car accelerated.     She accelerated away from the kerb.

Q: ample [5Ampl]

A: If there is an ample amount of something, there is enough of it and usually some extra.     There'll be ample opportunity to relax, swim and soak up some sun.     The design of the ground floor created ample space for a good-sized kitchen. * amply     This collection of his essays and journalism amply demonstrates his commitment to democracy. If you describe someone's figure as ample, you mean that they are large in a pleasant or attractive way. (WRITTEN)     ...a young mother with a baby resting against her ample bosom.

Q: ache [eik]

A: If you ache or a part of your body aches, you feel a steady, fairly strong pain.     The glands in her neck were swollen, her head was throbbing and she ached all over.     My leg is giving me much less pain but still aches when I sit down.     The weary holidaymakers soothed their aching feet in the sea. An ache is a steady, fairly strong pain in a part of your body.     You feel nausea and aches in your muscles.     Poor posture can cause neck ache, headaches and breathing problems. See also backache, headache, heartache, stomach ache. If you ache for something or your heart aches, you want something very much, and feel very unhappy because you cannot have it. (WRITTEN)     She still ached for the lost intimacy and sexual contact of marriage.     But Spain was a country aching to get away from its past.     It was quite an achievement to keep smiling when his heart must have been aching. = long Also a noun.     You also feel an overwhelming ache for support from others which you cannot put into words. You can use aches and pains to refer in a general way to any minor pains that you feel in your body.     It seems to ease all the aches and pains of a hectic and tiring day.

Q: adapt [E5dApt]

A: If you adapt to a new situation or adapt yourself to it, you change your ideas or behaviour in order to deal with it successfully.     The world will be different, and we will have to be prepared to adapt to the change.     They have been tightening their belts for months, adapting themselves to a war economy. = adjust If you adapt something, you change it to make it suitable for a new purpose or situation.     Shelves were built to adapt the library for use as an office. = modify If you adapt a book or play, you change it so that it can be made into a film or a television programme.     The scriptwriter helped him to adapt his novel for the screen.     The film has been adapted from a play of the same title.

Q: affirm [E5fE:m]

A: If you affirm that something is true or that something exists, you state firmly and publicly that it is true or exists. (FORMAL)     The European Community has repeatedly affirmed that it's in agreement with the Americans on this point.     ...a speech in which he affirmed a commitment to lower taxes...     `This place is a dump,' affirmed Miss T. = assert * affirmation affirmations     After the meeting, the ministers issued a robust affirmation of their faith in the European Monetary System. If an event affirms something, it shows that it is true or exists. (FORMAL)     Everything I had accomplished seemed to affirm that opinion. = confirm * affirmation     The high turnout was an eloquent affirmation of the importance that the voters attached to the election.

Q: alienate [5eiljEneit]

A: If you alienate someone, you make them become unfriendly or unsympathetic towards you.     The government cannot afford to alienate either group. To alienate a person from someone or something that they are normally linked with means to cause them to be emotionally or intellectually separated from them.     His second wife, Alice, was determined to alienate him from his two boys. * alienated     He felt alienated from his peers. * alienation     ...the alienation of many from the political process...     Her sense of alienation from the world disappeared.

Q: allege [E5ledV]

A: If you allege that something bad is true, you say it but do not prove it. (FORMAL)     She alleged that there was rampant drug use among the male members of the group.     The accused is alleged to have killed a man.     It was alleged that the restaurant discriminated against black customers. = claim

Q: amend [E5mend]

A: If you amend something that has been written such as a law, or something that is said, you change it in order to improve it or make it more accurate.     Kaunda agreed to amend the constitution and allow multi-party elections.     `You must admit that the man has got charm,' said Nicolson. `Glamour,' amended Wells.     ...the amended version of the Act. = revise If you make amends when you have harmed someone, you show that you are sorry by doing something to please them.     He wanted to make amends for causing their marriage to fail. = atone

Q: aboard [E5bC:d]

A: If you are aboard a ship or plane, you are on it or in it.     She invited 750 people aboard the luxury yacht, the Savarona.     They said goodbye to him as he got aboard the train at Union Station. = on board Also an adverb.     It had taken two hours to load all the people aboard.     The United States has a naval task force offshore, with two thousand marines aboard. = on board

Q: accountable [E5kauntEbl]

A: If you are accountable to someone for something that you do, you are responsible for it and must be prepared to justify your actions to that person.     Public officials can finally be held accountable for their actions.     The major service industries should be accountable to their customers. = answerable * accountability     ...an impetus towards democracy and greater accountability.

Q: allergy [5AlEdVi]

A: If you have a particular allergy, you become ill or get a rash when you eat, smell, or touch something that does not normally make people ill.     Food allergies can result in an enormous variety of different symptoms.     Allergy to cats is one of the commonest causes of asthma. If you say that you have an allergy to something or someone, you mean that you dislike them very strongly and try to avoid them. (INFORMAL)     I developed a temporary allergy to the company of couples.

Q: accusation [Akju(:)5zeiFEn]

A: If you make an accusation against someone, you criticize them or express the belief that they have done something wrong.     Kim rejects accusations that Country music is over-sentimental.     Another accusation levelled at the Minister is that he does not understand ordinary people.     She was surprised that he had no words of blame or accusation for her. = charge An accusation is a statement or claim by a witness or someone in authority that a particular person has committed a crime, although this has not yet been proved.     ...people who have made public accusations of rape...     The government denied the accusation that it was involved in the murders.

Q: affection [E5fekFEn]

A: If you regard someone or something with affection, you like them and are fond of them.     She thought of him with affection.     She had developed quite an affection for the place.     ...trying to win their affection. = love Your affections are your feelings of love or fondness for someone.     The distant object of his affections is Caroline.     Jack Russell has a special place in the affections of the cricketing public.     ...her fear of being replaced in his affections.

Q: absurd [Eb5sE:d]

A: If you say that something is absurd, you are criticizing it because you think that it is ridiculous or that it does not make sense.     It is absurd to be discussing compulsory redundancy policies for teachers.     I've known clients of mine go to absurd lengths, just to avoid paying me a few pounds.     That's absurd. = ridiculous The absurd is something that is absurd. (FORMAL)     Parkinson had a sharp eye for the absurd. * absurdly     Prices were still absurdly low, in his opinion.     Absurdly, it makes shoppers overpay farmers to grow too much food. * absurdity absurdities     I find myself growing increasingly angry at the absurdity of the situation.     ...the absurdities of fashionable childcare methods.

Q: ageing [5eidViN]

A: Someone or something that is ageing is becoming older and less healthy or efficient.     John lives with his ageing mother.     Ageing aircraft need more frequent safety inspections. Ageing is the process of becoming old or becoming worn out.

Q: amusing [E5mju:ziN]

A: Someone or something that is amusing makes you laugh or smile.     He had a terrific sense of humour and could be very amusing.     They recounted amusing stories about their first sexual experiences. = entertaining * amusingly     It must be amusingly written.     Recline & Sprawl is an amusingly named furniture shop in London.

Q: ambitious [Am5biFEs]

A: Someone who is ambitious has a strong desire to be successful, rich, or powerful.     Chris is so ambitious, so determined to do it all.     He's a very ambitious lad and he wants to play at the highest level. <> unambitious An ambitious idea or plan is on a large scale and needs a lot of work to be carried out successfully.     The ambitious project was completed in only nine months.     Their goal was extraordinarily ambitious. * ambitiously     Its trade and industrial policies should be used more ambitiously.     He is working on his life story, ambitiously planned as a 50-volume work.

Q: accent [5AksEnt]

A: Someone who speaks with a particular accent pronounces the words of a language in a distinctive way that shows which country, region, or social class they come from.     He had developed a slight American accent. An accent is a short line or other mark which is written above certain letters in some languages and which indicates the way those letters are pronounced. If you put the accent on a particular feature of something, you emphasize it or give it special importance.     He is putting the accent on military readiness.     There is often a strong accent on material success. = emphasis

Q: alarming [E5lB:miN]

A: Something that is alarming makes you feel afraid or anxious that something unpleasant or dangerous might happen.     The disease has spread at an alarming rate.     ...the alarming increase in crime. = worrying * alarmingly     ...the alarmingly high rate of heart disease.

Q: accuracy [5AkjurEsi]

A: The accuracy of information or measurements is their quality of being true or correct, even in small details.     The preceding text cannot be guaranteed as to the accuracy of speakers' words or spelling. <> inaccuracy If someone or something performs a task, for example hitting a target, with accuracy, they do it in an exact way without making a mistake.     ...weapons that could fire with accuracy at targets 3,000 yards away...     Every bank pays close attention to the speed and accuracy of its staff. <> inaccuracy

Q: aftermath [5B:ftEmAW]

A: The aftermath of an important event, especially a harmful one, is the situation that results from it.     In the aftermath of the coup, the troops opened fire on the demonstrators.     During the Soviet era and its immediate aftermath, the region was officially known as `Middle Asia and Kazakhstan'.

Q: accumulate [E5kju:mjuleit]

A: When you accumulate things or when they accumulate, they collect or are gathered over a period of time.     It suggests that households accumulate wealth across a broad spectrum of assets.     Lead can accumulate in the body until toxic levels are reached. = build up

Q: alternate [C:l5tE:nit]

A: When you alternate two things, you keep using one then the other. When one thing alternates with another, the first regularly occurs after the other.     Her aggressive moods alternated with gentle or more co-operative states.     The three acts will alternate as headliners throughout the tour.     Now you just alternate layers of that mixture and eggplant.     ...a German big band that alternated romantic American love songs with bouncy Bavarian numbers.     ...an imaginative novel, with alternating chapters presenting each partner's point of view. * alternation alternations     The alternation of sun and snow continued for the rest of our holiday. Alternate actions, events, or processes regularly occur after each other.     They were streaked with alternate bands of colour. * alternately     He could alternately bully and charm people.     She became alternately angry and calm. If something happens on alternate days, it happens on one day, then happens on every second day after that. In the same way, something can happen in alternate weeks, years, or other periods of time.     Lesley had agreed to Jim going skiing in alternate years. = every other You use altern

Q: acute [E5kju:t]

A: You can use acute to indicate that an undesirable situation or feeling is very severe or intense.     The war has aggravated an acute economic crisis.     The report has caused acute embarrassment to the government.     The labour shortage is becoming acute. = severe An acute illness is one that becomes severe very quickly but does not last very long. Compare chronic. (MEDICAL)     ...a patient with acute rheumatoid arthritis.     ...an acute case of dysentery. If a person's or animal's sight, hearing, or sense of smell is acute, it is sensitive and powerful.     I like how in the dark my sense of smell and hearing become so acute. = keen If you say that someone is acute or has an acute mind, you mean that they are quick to notice things and are able to understand them clearly.     Into her nineties, her thinking remained acute and her character forceful.     His relaxed exterior hides an extremely acute mind. = keen, perceptive * acuteness     Everything he writes demonstrates the acuteness of his intelligence. An acute angle is less than 90{Deg}. Compare obtuse angle. An acute accent is a symbol that is placed over vowels in some languages in order to indicate how that vowel is pronounced or over one letter in a word to indicate where it is stressed. You refer to a letter with this accent as, for example, e acute. For example, there is an acute accent over the letter `e' in the French word `cafe'.

Q: accordingly [E5kC:diNli]

A: You use accordingly to introduce a fact or situation which is a result or consequence of something that you have just referred to.     We have a different background, a different history. Accordingly, we have the right to different futures.     The workforce have recently been calling for their working hours to be reduced. Many companies have accordingly switched to a five-day week. = therefore, consequently If you consider a situation and then act accordingly, the way you act depends on the nature of the situation.     It is a difficult job and they should be paid accordingly.     The new government will make a judgment about its interests and act accordingly.

Q: aged [5eidVid]

A: You use aged followed by a number to say how old someone is.     Alan has two children, aged eleven and nine. Aged means very old.     She has an aged parent who's capable of being very difficult. You can refer to all people who are very old as the aged.     The American Society on Aging provides resource services to those dealing with the aged. = the elderly

Q: alternatively [C:l5tE:nEtivli]

A: You use alternatively to introduce a suggestion or to mention something different to what has just been stated.     Allow about eight hours for the drive from Calais. Alternatively, you can fly to Brive. = otherwise

Q: ancestor [5AnsistE]

A: Your ancestors are the people from whom you are descended.     ...our daily lives, so different from those of our ancestors...     He could trace his ancestors back seven hundred years. <> descendant An ancestor of something modern is an earlier thing from which it developed.     The direct ancestor of the modern cat was the Kaffir cat of ancient Egypt.     The immediate ancestor of rock `n' roll is rhythm-and-blues. <> descendant

Q: ankle [5ANkl]

A: Your ankle is the joint where your foot joins your leg.     John twisted his ankle badly.

Q: defendant [di5fendEnt]

A: A defendant is a person who has been accused of breaking the law and is being tried in court.

Q: broadcaster [5brC:dkB:stE]

A: A broadcaster is someone who gives talks or takes part in interviews and discussions on radio or television programmes.     ...the prominent naturalist and broadcaster, Sir David Attenborough.

Q: balanced [5bAlEnst]

A: A balanced report, book, or other document takes into account all the different opinions on something and presents information in a fair and reasonable way.     ...a fair, balanced, comprehensive report. = objective Something that is balanced is pleasing or useful because its different parts or elements are in the correct proportions.     ...a balanced diet. Someone who is balanced remains calm and thinks clearly, even in a difficult situation.     I have to prove myself as a respectable, balanced, person.

Q: bang [bAN]

A: A bang is a sudden loud noise such as the noise of an explosion.     I heard four or five loud bangs.     She slammed the door with a bang.     The television went bang. If something bangs, it makes a sudden loud noise, once or several times.     The engine spat and banged. If you bang a door or if it bangs, it closes suddenly with a loud noise.     ...the sound of doors banging...     All up and down the street the windows bang shut.     The wind banged a door somewhere. = slam If you bang on something or if you bang it, you hit it hard, making a loud noise.     We could bang on the desks and shout till they let us out.     There is no point in shouting or banging the table. If you bang something on something or if you bang it down, you quickly and violently put it on a surface, because you are angry.     She banged his dinner on the table.     He banged down the telephone. If you bang a part of your body, you accidentally knock it against something and hurt yourself.     She'd fainted and banged her head.  &nbs

Q: banner [5bAnE]

A: A banner is a long strip of cloth with something written on it. Banners are usually attached to two poles and carried during a protest or rally.     A large crowd of students followed the coffin, carrying banners and shouting slogans denouncing the government.     A big banner was draped across one of the streets saying, `Idaho Falls Says NO to Drugs.' If someone does something under the banner of a particular cause, idea, or belief, they do it saying that they support that cause, idea, or belief.     Russia was the first country to forge a new economic system under the banner of Marxism.     Under the banner of education, we herd our children from ballet to basketball and back again.

Q: barge [bB:dV]

A: A barge is a long, narrow boat with a flat bottom. Barges are used for carrying heavy loads, especially on canals.     Carrying goods by train costs nearly three times more than carrying them by barge. = canal boat If you barge into a place or barge through it, you rush or push into it in a rough and rude way. (INFORMAL)     Students tried to barge into the secretariat buildings.     The FBI barged through the gates, demanding to search the plant for evidence. = butt in If you barge into someone or barge past them, you bump against them roughly and rudely. (INFORMAL)     He would barge into them and kick them in the shins.     He barged past her and sprang at Gillian, knocking her to the floor. = shove

Q: barrack [5bArEk]

A: A barracks is a building or group of buildings where soldiers or other members of the armed forces live and work. `Barracks' is the singular and plural form.     ...an army barracks in the north of the city.     ...the parade grounds of Wellington Barracks. = camp, billet If people in an audience barrack public speakers or performers, they interrupt them, for example by making rude remarks. (BRIT)     Fans gained more enjoyment barracking him than cheering on the team.     President Alan Garcia was barracked by the right wing opposition. = heckle, jeer * barracking     He was affected badly by the barracking that he got from the crowd. = heckling

Q: barricade [7bAri5keid]

A: A barricade is a line of vehicles or other objects placed across a road or open space to stop people getting past, for example during street fighting or as a protest.     Large areas of the city have been closed off by barricades set up by the demonstrators. = blockade If you barricade something such as a road or an entrance, you place a barricade or barrier across it, usually to stop someone getting in.     The rioters barricaded streets with piles of blazing tyres.     The doors had been barricaded. = fortify If you barricade yourself inside a room or building, you place barriers across the door or entrance so that other people cannot get in.     The students have barricaded themselves into their dormitory building.     About forty prisoners are still barricaded inside the wrecked buildings.

Q: bash [bAF]

A: A bash is a party or celebration, especially a large one held by an official organization or attended by famous people. (INFORMAL)     He threw one of the biggest showbiz bashes of the year as a 36th birthday party for Jerry Hall. = thrash If someone bashes you, they attack you by hitting or punching you hard. (INFORMAL)     If someone tried to bash my best mate they would have to bash me as well.     I bashed him on the head and dumped him in the cold, cold water.     Two women were hurt and the chef was bashed over the head with a bottle. If you bash something, you hit it hard in a rough or careless way. (INFORMAL)     Too many golfers try to bash the ball out of sand. That spells disaster.     A stand-in drummer bashes on a single snare and a pair of cymbals. If you get a bash on a part of your body, someone or something hits you hard, or you bump into something. (INFORMAL) = knock To bash someone means to criticize them severely, usually in a public way. (JOURNALISM)     The President could continue to bash Democrats as being soft on crime. If you have a bash at something, you try to do it. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     He's prepared to have a bash at discussing it intelligently.

Q: basin [5beisn]

A: A basin is a large or deep bowl that you use for holding liquids, or for mixing or storing food.     Place the eggs and sugar in a large basin.     ...a pudding basin. A basin of something such as water is an amount of it that is contained in a basin.     We were given a basin of water to wash our hands in. A basin is the same as a washbasin.     ...a cast-iron bath with a matching basin and wc. The basin of a large river is the area of land around it from which streams run down into it.     ...the Amazon basin. In geography, a basin is a particular region of the world where the earth's surface is lower than in other places. (TECHNICAL)     ...countries around the Pacific Basin. A basin is a partially enclosed area of deep water where boats or ships are kept.

Q: basket [bB:skit]

A: A basket is a stiff container that is used for carrying or storing objects. Baskets are made from thin strips of materials such as straw, plastic, or wire woven together.     ...big wicker picnic baskets filled with sandwiches.     ...a laundry basket. A basket of things is a number of things contained in a basket.     ...a small basket of fruit and snacks. In economics, a basket of currencies or goods is the average or total value of a number of different currencies or goods. (TECHNICAL)     The pound's value against a basket of currencies hit a new low of 76.9.     ...an inflation measure that gauges the price of a fixed basket of goods and services. In basketball, the basket is a net hanging from a ring through which players try to throw the ball in order to score points.

Q: battalion [bE5tAljEn]

A: A battalion is a large group of soldiers that consists of three or more companies.     Ten hours later Anthony was ordered to return to his battalion.     When war broke out, he joined the second battalion of the Grenadier Guards. = garrison A battalion of people is a large group of them, especially a well-organized, efficient group that has a particular task to do.     There were battalions of highly paid publicists to see that such news didn't make the press. = horde

Q: bee [bi:]

A: A bee is an insect with a yellow-and-black striped body that makes a buzzing noise as it flies. Bees make honey, and can sting. If you have a bee in your bonnet about something, you are so enthusiastic or worried about it that you keep mentioning it or thinking about it.     He's got a bee in his bonnet about factory farming. A bee is a social event where people get together for a competition or to do something such as sew. (AM)     That year I won first prize in the spelling bee.     ...a group of friends at a quilting bee.

Q: beginner [bi5ginE]

A: A beginner is someone who has just started learning to do something and cannot do it very well yet.     The course is suitable for beginners and advanced students.     I am a complete beginner to bird-keeping.

Q: brochure [brEu5FjuE]

A: A brochure is a magazine or thin book with pictures that gives you information about a product or service.     ...travel brochures.

Q: bench [bentF]

A: A bench is a long seat of wood or metal that two or more people can sit on.     He sat down on a park bench. A bench is a long, narrow table in a factory or laboratory.     ...the laboratory bench. In parliament, different groups sit on different benches. For example, the government sits on the government benches. (BRIT)     Members of Hungary's former ruling Communist party watched the day's proceedings from the opposition benches. See also backbencher, backbenches, front bench. In a court of law, the bench is the judge or magistrates.     The chairman of the bench adjourned the case until October 27. If someone serves on the bench, they work as a judge or magistrate.     Allgood served on the bench for more than 50 years. If a member of a sports team is on the bench for a particular match, he or she waits at the side of the field until the manager tells them to play. (JOURNALISM)     Ian Ferguson was preferred to Stuart McCall, who was on the bench.

Q: bicycle [5baisikl]

A: A bicycle is a vehicle with two wheels which you ride by sitting on it and pushing two pedals with your feet. You steer it by turning a bar that is connected to the front wheel. = bike If you bicycle somewhere, you cycle there. (OLD-FASHIONED)     I bicycled on towards the sea.

Q: bin [bin]

A: A bin is a container that you put rubbish in. (mainly BRIT; in AM usually use garbage can, trash can)     He screwed the paper small and chucked it in the bin. A bin is a container that you keep or store things in.     ...a bread bin.     ...big steel storage bins. If you bin something, you throw it away. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     He decided to bin his paintings.

Q: binding [5baindiN]

A: A binding promise, agreement, or decision must be obeyed or carried out.     ...proposals for a legally binding commitment on nations to stabilise emissions of carbon dioxide...     The panel's decisions are secret and not binding on the government. The binding of a book is its cover.     Its books are noted for the quality of their paper and bindings. Binding is a strip of material that you put round the edge of a piece of cloth or other object in order to protect or decorate it.     ...the Regency mahogany dining table with satinwood binding. Binding is a piece of rope, cloth, tape, or other material that you wrap around something so that it can be gripped firmly or held in place.

Q: biography [bai5CgrEfi]

A: A biography of someone is an account of their life, written by someone else. Biography is the branch of literature which deals with accounts of people's lives.     ...a volume of biography and criticism.

Q: feather [5feTE]

A: A bird's feathers are the soft covering on its body. Each feather consists of a lot of smooth hairs on each side of a thin stiff centre.     ...a hat that she had made herself from black ostrich feathers.     ...a feather bed. See also feathered. If you describe two people as birds of a feather, you mean that they have very similar characteristics, interests, or beliefs.     She and my mother were birds of a feather. If you describe something that someone has achieved as a feather in their cap, you mean that they can be proud of it or that it might bring them some advantage.     Harry's appointment to this important post was a feather in his cap.

Q: blanket [5blANkit]

A: A blanket is a large square or rectangular piece of thick cloth, especially one which you put on a bed to keep you warm. A blanket of something such as snow is a continuous layer of it which hides what is below or beyond it.     The mud disappeared under a blanket of snow.     Cold damp air brought in the new year under a blanket of fog. You can refer to something such as an unpleasant emotion or an undesirable quality that seems to affect every aspect of a particular situation as a blanket of that emotion or quality. (LITERARY)     It seems as if the blanket of depression is in some way necessary to help them blot out the even greater pain of real life.     A blanket of silence descended. If something such as snow blankets an area, it covers it.     More than a foot of snow blanketed parts of Michigan.     With a thick mist now blanketing the trees, I got thoroughly lost. You use blanket to describe something when you want to emphasize that it affects or refers to every person or thing in a group, without any exceptions.     There's already a blanket ban on foreign unskilled labour in Japan.     ...the blanket coverage of the Barcelona Olympics. = comprehensive

Q: build-up [5bildQp]

A: A build-up is a gradual increase in something.     There has been a build-up of troops on both sides of the border.     The disease can also cause a build up of pressure in the inner ear leading to severe earache. The build-up to an event is the way that journalists, advertisers, or other people talk about it a lot in the period of time immediately before it, and try to make it seem important and exciting.     We should wait at least until winter before we start the build-up to Christmas.     The exams came, almost an anti-climax after the build-up that the students had given them.

Q: blessing [5blesiN]

A: A blessing is something good that you are grateful for.     Rivers are a blessing for an agricultural country.     ...the blessings of prosperity. If something is done with someone's blessing, it is done with their approval and support.     With the blessing of the White House, a group of Democrats in Congress is meeting to find additional budget cuts.     In April Thai and Indonesian leaders gave their formal blessing to the idea. = approval A blessing is a prayer asking God to look kindly upon the people who are present or the event that is taking place. If you tell someone to count their blessings, you are saying that they should think about how lucky they are instead of complaining.     Some would argue this was no burden in fact, and that she should count her blessings. If you say that something is a blessing in disguise, you mean that it causes problems and difficulties at first but later you realize that it was the best thing that could have happened.     The failure to conclude the trade talks last December could prove a blessing in disguise. If you say that a situation is a mixed blessing, you mean that it has disadvantages as well as advantages.     For ordinary Italians, Sunday's news probably amounts to a mixed blessing.

Q: blockade [blC5keid]

A: A blockade of a place is an action that is taken to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving it.     Striking lorry drivers agreed to lift their blockades of main roads.     It's not yet clear who will actually enforce the blockade.     ...the economic blockade of Lithuania. If a group of people blockade a place, they stop goods or people from reaching that place. If they blockade a road or a port, they stop people using that road or port.     Truck drivers have blockaded roads to show their anger over new driving regulations.     About 50,000 people are trapped in the town, which has been blockaded for more than 40 days.

Q: bloom [blu:m]

A: A bloom is the flower on a plant. (LITERARY or TECHNICAL)     The sweet fragrance of the white blooms makes this climber a favourite.     Harry carefully plucked the bloom. = flower A plant or tree that is in bloom has flowers on it.     ...a pink climbing rose in full bloom.     ...the sweet smell of the blackberry in bloom. = in flower When a plant or tree blooms, it produces flowers. When a flower blooms, it opens.     This plant blooms between May and June. * -blooming     ...the scent of night-blooming flowers. If someone or something blooms, they develop good, attractive, or successful qualities.     Not many economies bloomed in 1990, least of all gold exporters like Australia.     She bloomed into an utterly beautiful creature. = blossom If something such as someone's skin has a bloom, it has a fresh and healthy appearance.     The skin loses its youthful bloom. = glow

Q: blur [blE:]

A: A blur is a shape or area which you cannot see clearly because it has no distinct outline or because it is moving very fast.     Out of the corner of my eye I saw a blur of movement on the other side of the glass.     Her face is a blur. When a thing blurs or when something blurs it, you cannot see it clearly because its edges are no longer distinct.     This creates a spectrum of colours at the edges of objects which blurs the image.     If you move your eyes and your head, the picture will blur. = smudge * blurred     ...blurred black and white photographs. If something blurs an idea or a distinction between things, that idea or distinction no longer seems clear.     ...her belief that scientists are trying to blur the distinction between `how' and `why' questions...     The evidence is blurred by central banks' reluctance to reveal their blunders. = obscure * blurred     The line between fact and fiction is becoming blurred. If your vision blurs, or if something blurs it, you cannot see things clearly.     Her eyes, behind her glasses, began to blur.     Sweat ran from h

Q: bog [bCg]

A: A bog is an area of land which is very wet and muddy. The bog is another name for the toilet. (BRIT, INFORMAL) = toilet

Q: brisk [brisk]

A: A brisk activity or action is done quickly and in an energetic way.     Taking a brisk walk can often induce a feeling of well-being.     The horse broke into a brisk trot. = energetic * briskly     Eve walked briskly down the corridor to her son's room. = energetically * briskness     With determined briskness, Amy stood up and put their cups back on the tray. If trade or business is brisk, things are being sold very quickly and a lot of money is being made.     Vendors were doing a brisk trade in souvenirs.     Its sales had been brisk since July. = good * briskly     A trader said gold sold briskly on the local market. If the weather is brisk, it is cold and fresh.     ...a typically brisk winter's day on the South Coast...     The breeze was cool, brisk and invigorating. = bracing Someone who is brisk behaves in a busy, confident way which shows that they want to get things done quickly.     The Chief summoned me downstairs. He was brisk and businesslike.     She is noted for her brisk handling of business. = businesslike * briskly     `Anyhow,' she added briskly, `it's none of my business.' * briskness     He felt her familiar briskness, and he knew that it was all over.

Q: environmentalist [in7vaiErEn5mentlist]

A: An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with protecting and preserving the natural environment, for example by preventing pollution.

Q: bolt [bEult]

A: A bolt is a long metal object which screws into a nut and is used to fasten things together. When you bolt one thing to another, you fasten them firmly together, using a bolt.     The safety belt is easy to fit as there's no need to bolt it to seat belt anchorage points.     Bolt the components together.     The doors were bolted on.     ...a wooden bench which was bolted to the floor. A bolt on a door or window is a metal bar that you can slide across in order to fasten the door or window.     I heard the sound of a bolt being slowly and reluctantly slid open. When you bolt a door or window, you slide the bolt across to fasten it.     He reminded her that he would have to lock and bolt the kitchen door after her.     The building is a shell, its masonry rough, the bolted doors opening on dizzy drops. If a person or animal bolts, they suddenly start to run very fast, often because something has frightened them.     The pig rose squealing and bolted.     I made some excuse and bolted for the exit. = scarper If you bolt your food, you eat it so quickly that you hardly chew it or taste it.     Being under stress can cause you

Q: bomber [5bCmE]

A: A bomber is a military aircraft which drops bombs.     ...a high speed bomber with twin engines. Bombers are people who cause bombs to explode in public places.     Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.

Q: bonus [5bEunEs]

A: A bonus is an extra amount of money that is added to someone's pay, usually because they have worked very hard.     Workers in big firms receive a substantial part of their pay in the form of bonuses and overtime.     ...a {Pound}15 bonus.     ...a special bonus payment. = gratuity A bonus is something good that you get in addition to something else, and which you would not usually expect.     We felt we might finish third. Any better would be a bonus.     It's made from natural ingredients, but with the added bonus of containing 30 per cent less fat than ordinary cheese. = plus

Q: booking [5bukiN]

A: A booking is the arrangement that you make when you book something such as a hotel room, a table at a restaurant, a theatre seat, or a place on public transport.     I suggest you tell him there was a mistake over his late booking. = reservation

Q: booklet [5buklit]

A: A booklet is a small book that has a paper cover and that gives you information about something. = pamphlet

Q: boxer [5bCksE(r)]

A: A boxer is someone who takes part in the sport of boxing. A boxer is a dog with short hair and a rather flat face.

Q: breakthrough [5breik5Wru:]

A: A breakthrough is an important development or achievement.     The company looks poised to make a significant breakthrough in China.     The breakthrough came hours before a UN deadline.

Q: breeze [bri:z]

A: A breeze is a gentle wind.     ...a cool summer breeze. If you breeze into a place or a position, you enter it in a very casual or relaxed manner.     Lopez breezed into the quarter-finals of the tournament.     `Are you all right?' Francine asked as she breezed in with the mail. If you breeze through something such as a game or test, you cope with it easily.     John seems to breeze effortlessly through his many commitments at work. If you say that something is a breeze, you mean that it is very easy to do or to achieve. (INFORMAL)     And after being an office manager for 20 people, handling my own tiny staff of three is a breeze!.     Making the pastry is a breeze if you have a food processor. = cinch

Q: bribe [braib]

A: A bribe is a sum of money or something valuable that one person offers or gives to another in order to persuade him or her to do something.     He was being investigated for receiving bribes. If someone bribes someone else, they give them a bribe.     He was accused of bribing a senior bank official.     The government bribed the workers to be quiet.

Q: briefing [5bri:fiN]

A: A briefing is a meeting at which information or instructions are given to people, especially before they do something.     They're holding a press briefing tomorrow.     Security staff did not then receive any briefing before they started each shift. See also brief.

Q: brigade [bri5geid]

A: A brigade is one of the groups which an army is divided into.     ...the men of the Seventh Armoured Brigade. See also fire brigade. You can use brigade to refer to a group of people who believe strongly in a particular thing or who share a particular characteristic. (HUMOROUS)     ...the healthy eating brigade.     ...the black T-shirt brigade.

Q: brutal [5bru:tl]

A: A brutal act or person is cruel and violent.     He was the victim of a very brutal murder.     ...the brutal suppression of anti-government protests...     Jensen is a dangerous man, and can be very brutal and reckless. = vicious, savage * brutally     Her real parents had been brutally murdered. If someone expresses something unpleasant with brutal honesty or frankness, they express it in a clear and accurate way, without attempting to disguise its unpleasantness.     It was refreshing to talk about themselves and their feelings with brutal honesty.     He took an anguished breath. He had to be brutal and say it. * brutally     The talks had been brutally frank.     `Lotte Bruckner is dead.' It came out more brutally than Brand had intended. Brutal is used to describe things that have an unpleasant effect on people, especially when there is no attempt by anyone to reduce their effect.     The dip in prices this summer will be brutal.     The afternoon sun had been brutal.     ...The twentieth century brought brutal change to some countries. = merciless * brutally     The early-morning New York air can be brutally cold. = mercilessly

Q: buck [bQk]

A: A buck is a US or Australian dollar. (INFORMAL)     That would probably cost you about fifty bucks.     Why can't you spend a few bucks on a coat?.     This means big bucks for someone. = dollar A buck is the male of various animals, including the deer, antelope, rabbit and kangaroo. A buck is a young Native American or African American man. (AM, INFORMAL, OFFENSIVE)     He'd been a real hell-raiser as a young buck. If someone has buck teeth, their upper front teeth stick forward out of their mouth. = protruding If a horse bucks, it kicks both of its back legs wildly into the air, or jumps into the air wildly with all four feet off the ground.     The stallion bucked as he fought against the reins holding him tightly in.     ...cowboys riding bucking broncos. If you buck the trend, you obtain different results from others in the same area. If you buck the system, you get what you want by breaking or ignoring the rules.     While other newspapers are losing circulation, we are bucking the trend.     He wants to be the tough rebel who bucks the system.     The company believes it is bucking the recession and says orders continue to be satisfactory. If you get more bang for the buck, you spend your money wisely and get more for your money than if you were to spend it in a different way. (mainly AM, INFORMAL)     I think it's very important for those governments to do whatever they can to get a bigger bang for the buck. = value for money When someone makes a fast buck or makes a quick buck, they earn a lot of money quickly and easily, often by doing something which is considered to be dishonest. (INFORMAL)     His life isn't ruled by looking for a fast buck.

Q: bucket [5bQkit]

A: A bucket is a round metal or plastic container with a handle attached to its sides. Buckets are often used for holding and carrying water.     We drew water in a bucket from the well outside the door.     The girls happily played in the sand and sea with buckets and spades. A bucket of water is the amount of water contained in a bucket.     She threw a bucket of water over them. = bucketful Buckets or bucket-loads of something means a large amount of it. (INFORMAL)     They obviously have buckets of confidence.     They didn't exactly sell bucket-loads of records the first time around. = bucketful If someone cries buckets, they cry a lot because they are very upset. If it rains buckets, it rains a lot. (INFORMAL)     He was weeping buckets.     The rain was still coming down in buckets when we went back out. If you say that someone has kicked the bucket, you mean that they have died. (INFORMAL)

Q: bud [bQd]

A: A bud is a small pointed lump that appears on a tree or plant and develops into a leaf or flower.     Rosanna's favourite time is early summer, just before the buds open. When a tree or plant is budding, buds are appearing on it or are beginning to open.     The leaves were budding on the trees below. Some men use bud as a way of addressing other men. (AM, INFORMAL)     You heard what the boss said, bud. = buddy When a tree or plant is in bud or has come into bud, it has buds on it.     The flowers are bronzy in bud and bright yellow when open.     ...almond trees that should come into bud soon. If you nip something such as bad behaviour in the bud, you stop it before it can develop very far. (INFORMAL)     It is important to recognize jealousy and to nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand.

Q: bug [bQg]

A: A bug is an insect or similar small creature. (INFORMAL)     We noticed tiny bugs that were all over the walls.     ...a bloodsucking bug which infests poor housing. A bug is an illness which is caused by small organisms such as bacteria. (INFORMAL)     I think I've got a bit of a stomach bug.     There was a bug going around at the club.     ...the killer brain bug meningitis. If there is a bug in a computer programme, there is a mistake in it.     There is a bug in the software. A bug is a tiny hidden microphone which transmits what people are saying.     There was a bug on the phone. If someone bugs a place, they hide tiny microphones in it which transmit what people are saying.     He heard that they were planning to bug his office.     I found out my phone was bugged. = wire, tap * bugging     ...an electronic bugging device. You can say that someone has been bitten by a particular bug when they suddenly become very enthusiastic about something. (INFORMAL)     I've definitely been bitten by the gardening bug.     Roundhay Park in Leeds was the place I first got the fishing bug. If someone or something bugs you, they worry or annoy you. (INFORMAL)

Q: cabin [5kAbin]

A: A cabin is a small room in a ship or boat.     He showed her to a small cabin. A cabin is one of the areas inside a plane.     He sat quietly in the First Class cabin of the British Airways flight looking tired. A cabin is a small wooden house, especially one in an area of forests or mountains.     ...a log cabin.

Q: bull [bul]

A: A bull is a male animal of the cow family. Some other male animals, including elephants and whales, are called bulls.     Suddenly a massive bull elephant with huge tusks charged us. On the stock market, bulls are people who buy shares in expectation of a price rise, in order to make a profit by selling the shares again after a short time. Compare bear. In the Roman Catholic church, a papal bull is an official statement on a particular subject that is issued by the Pope. = decree If you say that something is bull or a load of bull, you mean that it is complete nonsense or absolutely untrue. (INFORMAL)     I think it's a load of bull.     The press couldn't deal with that so they made up all this bull. = rubbish If you say that someone rushes into a situation like a bull in a china shop, you are critical of them because they do not stop to think, and are insensitive to other people's feelings. (INFORMAL)     Still, it'll stop him rampaging all over the place like a bull in a china shop. You say that someone is like a bull in a china shop when they are very clumsy. If you take the bull by the horns, you do something that you feel you ought to do even though it is difficult, dangerous, or unpleasant.     Now is the time for the Chancellor to take the bull by the horns and announce a two per cent cut in interest rates.

Q: bully [5buli]

A: A bully is someone who uses their strength or power to hurt or frighten other people.     I fell victim to the office bully.     He's a coward and a bully who confuses physical strength with manhood. If someone bullies you, they use their strength or power to hurt or frighten you.     I wasn't going to let him bully me.     I asked her if she was bullied by the other children. = push around * bullying     ...schoolchildren who were victims of bullying. If someone bullies you into something, they make you do it by using force or threats.     We think an attempt to bully them into submission would be counterproductive.     She used to bully me into doing my schoolwork.     The government says it will not be bullied by the press.

Q: bundle [5bQndl]

A: A bundle of things is a number of them that are tied together or wrapped in a cloth or bag so that they can be carried or stored.     She produced a bundle of notes and proceeded to count out one hundred and ninety-five pounds.     He gathered the bundles of clothing into his arms.     I have about 20 year's magazines tied up in bundles. You can refer to a tiny baby as a bundle. If you describe someone as, for example, a bundle of fun, you are emphasizing that they are full of fun. If you describe someone as a bundle of nerves, you are emphasizing that they are very nervous.     I remember Mickey as a bundle of fun, great to have around.     Life at high school wasn't a bundle of laughs, either.     He confessed to having been a bundle of nerves. If you refer to a bundle of things, you are emphasizing that there is a wide range of them.     The profession offers a bundle of benefits, not least of which is extensive training. = package If someone is bundled somewhere, someone pushes them there in a rough and hurried way.     He was bundled into a car and driven 50 miles to a police station.     He was bundled in and arrested as soon as he was airborne. If you say that something costs a bundle, or cos

Q: bush [buF]

A: A bush is a large plant which is smaller than a tree and has a lot of branches.     Trees and bushes grew down to the water's edge. = shrub The wild, uncultivated parts of some hot countries are referred to as the bush.     They walked through the dense Mozambican bush for thirty six hours.     The jeep was found lying in thick bush. If you tell someone not to beat about the bush, you mean that you want them to tell you something immediately and quickly, rather than in a complicated, indirect way.     Stop beating about the bush. What's he done?

Q: butterfly [5bQtEflai]

A: A butterfly is an insect with large colourful wings and a thin body. Butterfly is a swimming stroke which you do lying on your front, kicking your legs and bringing your arms over your head together. If you have butterflies in your stomach or have butterflies, you are very nervous or excited about something. (INFORMAL)     An exam, or even an exciting social event may produce butterflies in the stomach.

Q: cab [kAb]

A: A cab is a taxi. The cab of a truck or train is the front part in which the driver sits.     A Luton van has additional load space over the driver's cab.

Q: cabbage [5kAbidV]

A: A cabbage is a round vegetable with white, green or purple leaves that is usually eaten cooked. If someone refers to a very sick or disabled person as a cabbage, they are saying in an offensive way that the sick person is so badly brain-damaged or ill that they cannot do anything. (INFORMAL, OFFENSIVE) = vegetable

Q: cafe [5kAfei; (us) kA5fei]

A: A cafe is a place where you can buy drinks, simple meals, and snacks, but, in Britain, not usually alcoholic drinks. A street cafe or a pavement cafe is a cafe which has tables and chairs on the pavement outside it where people can eat and drink.     ...an Italian street cafe.     ...sidewalk cafes and boutiques.

Q: cage [keidV]

A: A cage is a structure of wire or metal bars in which birds or animals are kept.     I hate to see birds in cages. See also rib cage. If someone rattles your cage, they do something which is intended to make you feel nervous.     If he's trying to rattle your cage, it's working.

Q: calculation [7kAlkju5leiFEn]

A: A calculation is something that you think about and work out mathematically. Calculation is the process of working something out mathematically.     Leonard made a rapid calculation: he'd never make it in time.     ...the calculation of their assets. A calculation is something that you think about and arrive at a conclusion on after having considered all the relevant factors.     The President has two years of power left and he is deep in his calculations. If you describe someone's behaviour as calculation, you are criticizing them because they seem to think only of themselves and not of other people.     ...cold, unspeakably cruel calculation.

Q: calendar [5kAlindE]

A: A calendar is a chart or device which displays the date and the day of the week, and often the whole of a particular year divided up into months, weeks, and days.     There was a calendar on the wall above, with large squares around the dates. A calendar is a particular system for dividing time into periods such as years, months, and weeks, often starting from a particular point in history.     The Christian calendar was originally based on the Julian calendar of the Romans. You can use calendar to refer to a series or list of events and activities which take place on particular dates, and which are important for a particular organization, community, or person.     It is one of the British sporting calendar's most prestigious events.     Franklin joined her and the children whenever his crowded calendar allowed.     They tried to make a calendar of Spain's festivals. = diary

Q: caller [5kC:lE]

A: A caller is a person who is making a telephone call.     An anonymous caller told police what had happened. A caller is a person who comes to see you for a short visit.     She ushered her callers into a cluttered living-room. = visitor

Q: campaigner [kAm5peinE]

A: A campaigner is a person who campaigns for social or political change.     ...anti-hunting campaigners.     ...campaigners for multi-party democracy.

Q: campus [5kAmpEs]

A: A campus is an area of land that contains the main buildings of a university or college.     ...during a rally at the campus...     Private automobiles are not allowed on campus.

Q: canal [kE5nAl]

A: A canal is a long, narrow stretch of water that has been made for boats to travel along or to bring water to a particular area.     ...the Grand Union Canal.     ...Venetian canals and bridges. A canal is a narrow tube inside your body for carrying food, air, or other substances.     ...delaying its progress through the alimentary canal.

Q: candle [5kAndl]

A: A candle is a stick of hard wax with a piece of string called a wick through the middle. You light the wick in order to give a steady flame that provides light.     The bedroom was lit by a single candle. If you burn the candle at both ends, you try to do too many things in too short a period of time so that you have to stay up very late at night and get up very early in the morning to get them done. If you say that one person or thing can't hold a candle to another, you meant that the first person or thing is not nearly as good as the second.     Girls today can't hold a candle to the beauties of the Fifties. If you say that the game is not worth the candle, you mean that something is not worth the trouble or effort needed to achieve or obtain it. (OLD-FASHIONED)

Q: cannon [5kAnEn]

A: A cannon is a large gun, usually on wheels, which used to be used in battles. A cannon is a heavy automatic gun, especially one that is fired from an aircraft. If one person or thing cannons into another, they bump into them with great force.     One of the reporters cannoned into Arnold.     The ball cannoned off the back of a Spartak defender and into the net. = bump into If someone is a loose cannon, they do whatever they want and nobody can predict what they are going to do.     Max is a loose cannon politically. See also water cannon.

Q: cape [keip]

A: A cape is a large piece of land that sticks out into the sea from the coast.     In 1978, Naomi James became the first woman to sail solo around the world via Cape Horn. A cape is a short cloak.     ...a woollen cape.

Q: companion [kEm5pAnjEn]

A: A companion is someone who you spend time with or who you are travelling with.     Fred had been her constant companion for the last six years of her life.     I asked my travelling companion what he thought of the situation in Algeria.

Q: capitalist [5kApitElist]

A: A capitalist country or system supports or is based on the principles of capitalism.     China has pledged to retain Hong Kong's capitalist system for 50 years.     ...capitalist economic theory. A capitalist is someone who believes in and supports the principles of capitalism.     Lenin had hoped to even have a working relationship with the capitalists. A capitalist is someone who owns a business which they run in order to make a profit for themselves.     They argue that only private capitalists can remake Poland's economy. = entrepreneur

Q: captive [5kAptiv]

A: A captive person or animal is being kept imprisoned or enclosed. (LITERARY)     Her heart had begun to pound inside her chest like a captive animal. A captive is someone who is captive.     He described the difficulties of surviving for four months as a captive. = prisoner A captive audience is a group of people who are not free to leave a certain place and so have to watch or listen. A captive market is a group of people who cannot choose whether or where to buy things.     We all performed action songs, sketches and dances before a captive audience of parents and patrons.     Airlines consider business travellers a captive market. If you take someone captive or hold someone captive, you take or keep them as a prisoner.     Richard was finally released on February 4, one year and six weeks after he'd been taken captive.     Rebels in Liberia have released four foreigners after holding them captive for a week.

Q: car park CAR PARK

A: A car park is an area or building where people can leave their cars. (BRIT; in AM use parking lot)

Q: cardinal [5kB:dinEl]

A: A cardinal is a high-ranking priest in the Catholic church.     In 1448, Nicholas was appointed a cardinal.     They were encouraged by a promise from Cardinal Winning. A cardinal rule or quality is the one that is considered to be the most important. (FORMAL)     As a salesman, your cardinal rule is to do everything you can to satisfy a customer.     Harmony, balance and order are cardinal virtues to the French. = chief, principal A cardinal is a common North American bird. The male has bright red feathers.

Q: carnival [5kB:nivEl]

A: A carnival is a public festival during which people play music and sometimes dance in the streets. A carnival is a travelling show which is held in a park or field and at which there are machines to ride on, entertainments, and games. (AM; in BRIT use funfair) A carnival of something such as colours or sounds is a bright or exciting mixture of them. (LITERARY)     The avenues lined with jacaranda trees burst into a carnival of purple.

Q: carp [kB:p]

A: A carp is a kind of fish that lives in lakes and rivers. If you say that someone is carping, you mean that they keep criticizing or complaining about someone or something, especially in a way you think is unnecessary or annoying.     He cannot understand why she's constantly carping at him.     This was the man whom other trainers love to carp about. * carping     She was in no mood to put up with Blanche's carping.

Q: carpet [5kB:pit]

A: A carpet is a thick covering of soft material which is laid over a floor or a staircase.     They put down wooden boards, and laid new carpets on top.     ...the stain on our living-room carpet. If a floor or a room is carpeted, a carpet is laid on the floor.     The room had been carpeted and the windows glazed with coloured glass.     The main gaming room was thickly carpeted. A carpet of something such as leaves or plants is a layer of them which covers the ground. (LITERARY)     The carpet of leaves in my yard became more and more noticeable. = layer If the ground is carpeted with something such as leaves or plants, it is completely covered by them. (LITERARY)     The ground was thickly carpeted with pine needles. = cover

Q: carriage [5kAridV]

A: A carriage is an old-fashioned vehicle, usually for a small number of passengers, which is pulled by horses.     The President-elect followed in an open carriage drawn by six beautiful gray horses. A carriage is one of the separate, long sections of a train that carries passengers. (BRIT; in AM usually use car) = coach A carriage is the same as a baby carriage. (AM) Carriage is the cost or action of transporting or delivering goods. (FORMAL) (BRIT; in AM usually use delivery charge)     It costs {Pound}10.86 for one litre including carriage.     If the Government introduces a carbon tax on road haulage, then carriage by water will become more attractive. = delivery charge Your carriage is the way you hold your body and head when you are walking, standing, or sitting. (LITERARY)     Her legs were long and fine, her hips slender, her carriage erect. = deportment

Q: market share MARKET SHARE

A: A company's market share in a product is the proportion of the total sales of that product that is produced by that company. (TECHNICAL)     Ford has been gaining market share this year at the expense of GM and some Japanese car manufacturers.

Q: cart [kB:t]

A: A cart is an old-fashioned wooden vehicle that is used for transporting goods or people. Some carts are pulled by animals.     ...a country where horse-drawn carts far outnumber cars. = wagon If you cart things or people somewhere, you carry them or transport them there, often with difficulty. (INFORMAL)     After both their parents died, one of their father's relatives carted off the entire contents of the house.     One of them protests loudly, and the Americans cart him away in plastic handcuffs.     I've been trying to cut down on the stuff that I cart around with me. A cart is a small vehicle with a motor. (AM)     Cars are prohibited, so transportation is by electric cart or by horse and buggy.     He drove up in a golf cart to watch them. A cart or a shopping cart is a large metal basket on wheels which is provided by shops such as supermarkets for customers to use while they are in the shop. (AM; in BRIT use trolley) If you say that someone is putting the cart before the horse, you mean that they are doing things in the wrong order. (INFORMAL)     This puts the cart before the horse; elections should follow, not precede, agreement on a constitution.

Q: cartel [kB:5tel]

A: A cartel is an association of similar companies or businesses that have grouped together in order to prevent competition and to control prices.     ...a drug cartel...     Since 1993 OPEC, the oil cartel dominated by Saudi Arabia, has kept its output constant at around 25m barrels a day

Q: cartoon [kB:5tu:n]

A: A cartoon is a humorous drawing or series of drawings in a newspaper or magazine.     One of Britain's best-loved cartoon characters, Rupert the Bear, celebrates his seventieth birthday today. See also strip cartoon. A cartoon is a film in which all the characters and scenes are drawn rather than being real people or objects.     ...a TV set blares out a cartoon comedy.

Q: case 2 [keis]

A: A case is a container that is specially designed to hold or protect something.     ...a black case for his spectacles.     ...a 10-foot-long stuffed alligator in a glass case. See also attache case, bookcase, briefcase, packing case, pillowcase, showcase. A case is a suitcase. A case of wine or other alcoholic drink is a box containing a number of bottles, usually twelve, which is sold as a single unit.     ...a case of champagne.

Q: casino [kE5si:nEu]

A: A casino is a building or room where people play gambling games such as roulette.

Q: cassette [kB:5set]

A: A cassette is a small, flat, rectangular plastic case containing magnetic tape which is used for recording and playing back sound or film.     His two albums released on cassette have sold more than 10 million copies. = tape A cassette is the container or case for the film that you load into a camera.

Q: caste [kB:st]

A: A caste is one of the traditional social classes into which people are divided in a Hindu society.     Most of the upper castes worship the Goddess Kali. = class Caste is the system of dividing people in a society into different social classes.     Caste is defined primarily by social honour attained through personal life-style.     The caste system shapes nearly every facet of Indian life. = class

Q: ceiling [5si:liN]

A: A ceiling is the horizontal surface that forms the top part or roof inside a room.     The rooms were spacious, with tall windows and high ceilings.     The study was lined from floor to ceiling on every wall with bookcases. A ceiling on something such as prices or wages is an official upper limit that cannot be broken.     ...an informal agreement to put a ceiling on salaries...     The agreement sets the ceiling of twenty-two-point-five million barrels a day on OPEC production. = limit A ceiling is the greatest height at which a particular aircraft can fly safely. (TECHNICAL)

Q: celebrated [5selibreitid]

A: A celebrated person or thing is famous and much admired.     He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.     Dean died three days before the opening of Rebel Without Cause, his most celebrated film. = renowned

Q: celebrity [si5lebriti]

A: A celebrity is someone who is famous, especially in areas of entertainment such as films, music, writing, or sports.     In 1944, at the age of 30, Hersey suddenly became a celebrity.     ...a host of celebrities. = star If a person or thing achieves celebrity, they become famous, especially in areas of entertainment such as films, writing, or sport.     Joanna has finally made it to the first rank of celebrity after 25 years as an actress.

Q: census [5sensEs]

A: A census is an official survey of the population of a country that is carried out in order to find out how many people live there and to obtain details of such things as people's ages and jobs.

Q: certificate [sE5tifikit]

A: A certificate is an official document stating that particular facts are true.     ...birth certificates.     ...share certificates. A certificate is an official document that you receive when you have completed a course of study or training. The qualification that you receive is sometimes also called a certificate.     To the right of the fireplace are various framed certificates.     ...the Post-Graduate Certificate of Education.

Q: challenger [5tFAlindVE(r)]

A: A challenger is someone who competes with you for a position or title that you already have, for example being a sports champion or a political leader.     Draskovic has emerged as the strongest challenger to the leader of the Serbian government.     The One Australia syndicate is to become the sixth challenger for the 1995 Americas Cup.

Q: challenging [5tFAlindViN]

A: A challenging task or job requires great effort and determination.     Mike found a challenging job as a computer programmer.     I'm ready to do all those things which are more challenging. = demanding <> unchallenging, undemanding If you do something in a challenging way, you seem to be inviting people to argue with you or compete against you in some way.     Mona gave him a challenging look. = defiant

Q: chant [tFB:nt]

A: A chant is a word or group of words that is repeated over and over again.     He was greeted by the chant of `Judas! Judas!'. A chant is a religious song or prayer that is sung on only a few notes.     ...a Gregorian chant.     ...a Buddhist chant. If you chant something or if you chant, you repeat the same words over and over again.     Demonstrators chanted slogans.     The crowd chanted `We are with you.'.     Several thousand people chanted and demonstrated outside the building. * chanting     A lot of the chanting was in support of the deputy Prime Minister. If you chant or if you chant something, you sing a religious song or prayer.     Muslims chanted and prayed.     Mr Sharma lit incense and chanted Sanskrit mantras. * chanting     The chanting inside the temple stopped.

Q: chapel [5tFApEl]

A: A chapel is a part of a church which has its own altar and which is used for private prayer.     ...the chapel of the Virgin Mary. A chapel is a small church attached to a hospital, school, or prison.     We married in the chapel of Charing Cross Hospital in London. A chapel is a building used for worship by members of some Christian churches. Chapel refers to the religious services that take place there.     ...a Methodist chapel...     On Sundays, the family went three times to chapel.

Q: charitable [5tFAritEbl]

A: A charitable organization or activity helps and supports people who are ill, disabled, or very poor.     ...charitable work for the handicapped. Someone who is charitable to people is kind or understanding towards them.     They were rather less than charitable towards the referee. * charitably     Still, he reflected charitably, it was hardly her fault.

Q: chemist [5kemist]

A: A chemist or a chemist's is a shop where drugs and medicines are sold or given out, and where you can buy cosmetics and some household goods. Compare drugstore, pharmacy. (BRIT)     There are many creams available from the chemist which should clear the infection.     She went into a chemist's and bought some aspirin. = pharmacy A chemist is someone who works in a chemist's shop and is qualified to prepare and sell medicines. (BRIT; in AM use druggist or pharmacist) = pharmacist A chemist is a person who does research connected with chemistry or who studies chemistry.     She worked as a research chemist.

Q: choir [5kwaiE]

A: A choir is a group of people who sing together, for example in a church or school.     He has been singing in his church choir since he was six. In a church building, the choir is the area in front of the altar where the choir sits.

Q: chord [kC:d]

A: A chord is a number of musical notes played or sung at the same time with a pleasing effect.     ...the opening chords of `Stairway to Heaven'. See also vocal cords. If something strikes a chord with you, it makes you feel sympathy or enthusiasm.     Mr Jenkins' arguments for stability struck a chord with Europe's two most powerful politicians.     Burke's sentiments undoubtedly struck a responsive chord in Parliament.

Q: condom [5kCndEm]

A: A condom is a covering made of thin rubber which a man can wear on his penis as a contraceptive or as protection against disease during sexual intercourse.

Q: chorus [5kC:rEs]

A: A chorus is a part of a song which is repeated after each verse.     Caroline sang two verses and the chorus of her song.     Everyone joined in the chorus. = refrain A chorus is a large group of people who sing together.     The chorus was singing `The Ode to Joy'. = choir A chorus is a piece of music written to be sung by a large group of people.     ...the Hallelujah Chorus. A chorus is a group of singers or dancers who perform together in a show, in contrast to the soloists.     Students played the lesser parts and sang in the chorus. When there is a chorus of criticism, disapproval, or praise, that attitude is expressed by a lot of people at the same time.     The government is defending its economic policies against a growing chorus of criticism. When people chorus something, they say it or sing it together.     `Hi,' they chorused. Also a noun.     He was greeted with a rousing chorus of Happy Birthday.     `All the best,' called the other typists in chorus.

Q: chronic [5krCnik]

A: A chronic illness or disability lasts for a very long time. Compare acute.     ...chronic back pain. = persistent * chronically     Most of them were chronically ill. You can describe someone's bad habits or behaviour as chronic when they have behaved like that for a long time and do not seem to be able to stop themselves.     Anyone who does not believe that smoking is an addiction has never been a chronic smoker.     ...a chronic worrier. = habitual, inveterate A chronic situation or problem is very severe and unpleasant.     One cause of the artist's suicide seems to have been chronic poverty.     There is a chronic shortage of patrol cars in this police district. = severe * chronically     Research and technology are said to be chronically underfunded.

Q: circus [5sE:kEs]

A: A circus is a group that consists of clowns, acrobats, and animals which travels around to different places and performs shows.     My real ambition was to work in a circus.     ...circus performers. The circus is the show performed by these people.     My dad took me to the circus. If you describe a group of people or an event as a circus, you disapprove of them because they attract a lot of attention but do not achieve anything useful.     It could well turn into some kind of a media circus.     ...the travelling circus of political journalists. Circus is sometimes used as part of the name of a street which goes in a circle. (BRIT)     ...Piccadilly Circus.

Q: clamp [klAmp]

A: A clamp is a device that holds two things firmly together. When you clamp one thing to another, you fasten the two things together with a clamp.     Somebody forgot to bring along the U-bolts to clamp the microphones to the pole. To clamp something in a particular place means to put it or hold it there firmly and tightly.     Simon finished dialing and clamped the phone to his ear.     He clamped his lips together.     You entreat him to try just one spoonful, and he clamps his mouth shut.     Peter jumped to his feet with his hand clamped to his neck. A clamp is a large metal device which is fitted to the wheel of an illegally parked car or other vehicle in order to prevent it from being driven away. The driver has to pay to have the clamp removed. (BRIT; in AM use Denver boot) = wheel clamp To clamp a car means to fit a clamp to one of its wheels so that it cannot be driven away. (BRIT; in AM use boot)     Courts in Scotland have ruled it illegal to clamp a car parked on private ground and then to demand a fine. * clamping     The Automobile Association yesterday called for laws to regulate clamping firms. * clamper clampers     Private clampers demanded {Pound}57 to release her van.

Q: clause [klC:z]

A: A clause is a section of a legal document.     He has a clause in his contract which entitles him to a percentage of the profits.     ...a compromise document sprinkled with escape clauses.     ...a complaint alleging a breach of clause 4 of the code. In grammar, a clause is a group of words containing a verb. Sentences contain one or more clauses. There are finite clauses and non-finite clauses. See also main clause, relative clause, subordinate clause.

Q: cleaner [5kli:nE]

A: A cleaner is someone who is employed to clean the rooms and furniture inside a building. A cleaner is someone whose job is to clean a particular type of thing.     He was a window cleaner. A cleaner is a substance used for cleaning things.     ...oven cleaner.     ...abrasive cleaners. A cleaner is a device used for cleaning things.     ...an air cleaner. See also pipe cleaner, vacuum cleaner. A cleaner or a cleaner's is a shop where things such as clothes are dry-cleaned. If someone takes you to the cleaners, they unfairly take most of your money, for example in a business deal or in gambling. (INFORMAL)

Q: clerk [klB:k; klE:k]

A: A clerk is a person who works in an office, bank, or law court and whose job is to look after the records or accounts.     She was offered a job as an accounts clerk with a travel firm. In a hotel, office, or hospital, a clerk is the person whose job is to answer the telephone and deal with people when they arrive. (mainly AM)     ...a hotel clerk. A clerk is someone who works in a store. (AM) = sales clerk To clerk means to work as a clerk. (mainly AM)     Gene clerked at the auction.     He clerked for the chief justice of the Supreme Court.

Q: cliff [klif]

A: A cliff is a high area of land with a very steep side, especially one next to the sea.     The car rolled over the edge of a cliff.

Q: clip [klip]

A: A clip is a small device, usually made of metal or plastic, that is specially shaped for holding things together.     She took the clip out of her hair. When you clip things together, you fasten them together using a clip or clips.     He clipped his safety belt to a fitting on the deck.     He clipped his cufflinks neatly in place.     ...an electronic pen which clips to the casing...     His flashlight was still clipped to his belt. A clip from a film or a radio or television programme is a short piece of it that is broadcast separately.     ...an historical film clip of Lenin speaking.     ...a clip from the movie `Shane'. If you clip something, you cut small pieces from it, especially in order to shape it.     I saw an old man out clipping his hedge.     He had already clipped his hair close to the skull. Also a noun.     Give hedges a last clip. If you clip something out of a newspaper or magazine, you cut it out.     Kids in his neighborhood clipped his picture from the newspaper and carried it around. If something clips something else, it hits it accidentally at an angle before moving off in a different direction.     The lorry clipped the rear of a tanker and then crashed into a second truck. If you give someone a clip round the ear, you hit their head fairly lightly with the palm of your hand, usually as a punishment.     The

Q: closed [klEuzd]

A: A closed group of people does not welcome new people or ideas from outside.     They said that the EC had never been a closed circle.     It is a closed society in the sense that they've not been exposed to many things. <> open

Q: clue [klu:]

A: A clue to a problem or mystery is something that helps you to find the answer to it.     Geneticists in Canada have discovered a clue to the puzzle of why our cells get old and die.     How a man shaves may be a telling clue to his age. A clue is an object or piece of information that helps someone solve a crime.     The vital clue to the killer's identity was his nickname, Peanuts. A clue in a crossword or game is information which is given to help you to find the answer to a question. If you haven't a clue about something, you do not know anything about it or you have no idea what to do about it. (INFORMAL)     I haven't a clue what I'll give Carl for his birthday next year.

Q: cock [kCk]

A: A cock is an adult male chicken. (mainly BRIT; in AM use rooster)     The cock was announcing the start of a new day. = rooster You refer to a male bird, especially a male game bird, as a cock when you want to distinguish it from a female bird. (mainly BRIT)     ...a cock pheasant. A man's cock is his penis. (INFORMAL) ([!] VERY RUDE) If you cock a part of your body in a particular direction, you lift it or point it in that direction.     He paused and cocked his head as if listening.     The Brigadier thought about this for a moment, head cocked to one side. If someone cocks their ear, they try very hard to hear something from a particular direction.     He suddenly cocked an ear and listened.     All ears were cocked for the footsteps on the stairs. When someone cocks a gun, they set a small device in the gun so that it is ready to fire.     His hands were too weak to cock his revolver.

Q: cocktail [5kCkteil]

A: A cocktail is an alcoholic drink which contains several ingredients.     On arrival, guests are offered wine or a champagne cocktail.     A cocktail party was thrown at the British Officers Club.     ...an expert at mixing cocktails. A cocktail is a mixture of a number of different things, especially ones that do not go together well.     The court was told she had taken a cocktail of drugs and alcohol.     Children and guns are a potentially lethal cocktail.

Q: coffin [5kCfin]

A: A coffin is a box in which a dead body is buried or cremated. If you say that one thing is a nail in the coffin of another thing, you mean that it will help bring about its end or failure.     A fine would be the final nail in the coffin of the airline.

Q: commentary [5kCmEntEri]

A: A commentary is a description of an event that is broadcast on radio or television while the event is taking place.     He gave the listening crowd a running commentary.     That programme will include live commentary on the England-Ireland game. A commentary is an article or book which explains or discusses something.     Mr Rich will be writing a twice-weekly commentary on American society and culture. Commentary is discussion or criticism of something.     The show mixed comedy with social commentary.     When I was able to elicit only a gentle smile, I thought perhaps this was a commentary on my humor. = comment

Q: coin [kCin]

A: A coin is a small piece of metal which is used as money.     ...50 pence coins.     ...Frederick's gold coin collection. If you coin a word or a phrase, you are the first person to say it.     Jaron Lanier coined the term `virtual reality' and pioneered its early development.     The word `lunatic' was coined to describe people who went mad at the full moon. If you say that someone is coining it or is coining money, you are emphasizing that they are making a lot of money very quickly, often without really earning it. (INFORMAL)     Many private colleges are coining it.     One wine shop is coining money selling Wembley-label champagne. Coining in means the same as coining.     She's coining it in with a $10 million contract with Revlon. You say `to coin a phrase' to show that you realize you are making a pun or using a cliche.     Fifty local musicians have, to coin a phrase, banded together to form the Jazz Umbrella. You use the other side of the coin to mention a different aspect of a situation.     These findings are a reminder that poverty pay is the other side of the coin of falling unemployment. If you say that two things are two sides of the same coin, you mean that they are different ways of looking at or dealing with the same situation.     The minister reporte

Q: coincidence [kEu5insidEns]

A: A coincidence is when two or more similar or related events occur at the same time by chance and without any planning.     Mr. Berry said the timing was a coincidence and that his decision was unrelated to Mr. Roman's departure.     ...a string of amazing coincidences...     The premises of Chabert and Sons were situated by the river and, by coincidence, not too far away from where Eric Talbot had met his death.

Q: collector [kE5lektE]

A: A collector is a person who collects things of a particular type as a hobby.     ...a stamp-collector.     ...a respected collector of Indian art...     His work is much sought after by collectors. You can use collector to refer to someone whose job is to take something such as money, tickets, or rubbish from people. For example, a rent collector collects rent from people.     He earned his living as a tax collector.     ...a garbage collector.

Q: collision [kE5liVEn]

A: A collision occurs when a moving object crashes into something.     They were on their way to the Shropshire Union Canal when their van was involved in a collision with a car.     I saw a head-on collision between two aeroplanes. = crash A collision of cultures or ideas occurs when two very different cultures or people meet and conflict.     It's the collision of disparate ideas that alters one's perspective.     The play represents the collision of three generations. = clash

Q: colony [5kClEni]

A: A colony is a country which is controlled by a more powerful country.     In France's former North African colonies, anti-French feeling is growing.     Puerto Rico, though it calls itself a Commonwealth, is really a self-governing American colony. You can refer to a place where a particular group of people lives as a particular kind of colony.     In 1932, he established a school and artists' colony in Stone City, Iowa.     ...a penal colony.     ...industrial colonies. = settlement The colonies means all the countries that used to be British colonies. (BRIT, OLD-FASHIONED)     Many of our troops and officers were scattered around the world in the service of His Majesty in the colonies. The colonies means the 13 British colonies in North America which formed the original United States. (AM)     On the eve of the Revolution, the colonies produced thirty thousand tons of crude iron a year. A colony of birds, insects, or animals is a group of them that live together.     The Shetlands are famed for their colonies of sea birds.     The caterpillars feed in large colonies.

Q: combined [kEm5baind]

A: A combined effort or attack is made by two or more groups of people at the same time.     These refugees are looked after by the combined efforts of the host countries and non-governmental organisations. = joint The combined size or quantity of two or more things is the total of their sizes or quantities added together.     Banco Central and Banco Hispano Americano will have combined assets worth 8.8 trillion pesetas. = total

Q: comet [5kCmit]

A: A comet is a bright object with a long tail that travels around the sun.     Halley's Comet is going to come back in 2061.

Q: commodity [kE5mCditi]

A: A commodity is something that is sold for money. (TECHNICAL)     The government increased prices on several basic commodities like bread and meat. = goods

Q: gypsy [5dVipsi]

A: A gypsy is a member of a race of people who travel from place to place, usually in caravans, rather than living in one place. = Romany Also an adjective.     ...the largest gypsy community of any country.

Q: compelling [kEm5peliN]

A: A compelling argument or reason is one that convinces you that something is true or that something should be done.     Factual and forensic evidence makes a suicide verdict the most compelling answer to the mystery of his death.     My second and more compelling reason for going to Dearborn was to see the Henry Ford Museum. If you describe something such as a film or book, or someone's appearance, as compelling, you mean you want to keep looking at it or reading it because you find it so interesting.     ...a frighteningly violent yet compelling film...     Her eyes were her best feature, wide-set and compelling. * compellingly     She wrote compellingly, with great zest.

Q: complication [7kCmpli5keiF(E)n]

A: A complication is a problem or difficulty that makes a situation harder to deal with.     The age difference was a complication to the relationship.     An added complication is the growing concern for the environment. A complication is a medical problem that occurs as a result of another illness or disease.     Blindness is a common complication of diabetes.     He died of complications from a heart attack.

Q: compliment [5kCmplimEnt]

A: A compliment is a polite remark that you say to someone to show that you like their appearance, appreciate their qualities, or approve of what they have done.     You can do no harm by paying a woman compliments.     `Well done, Cassandra,' Crook said. She blushed, but accepted the compliment with good grace. If you compliment someone, you pay them a compliment.     They complimented me on the way I looked each time they saw me.     Firstly I compliment you on most of your excellent Spring issue of `Triangle'. If you consider something that a person says or does as a compliment, it convinces you of your own good qualities, or that the person appreciates you.     We consider it a compliment to be called `conservative'.     It's obvious he's worried about us and I'm taking it as a compliment. You can refer to your compliments when you want to express thanks, good wishes, or respect to someone in a formal way.     My compliments to the chef.     Give my compliments to your lovely wife when you write home. If you say that someone returns the compliment, you mean that they do the same thing to someone else as that person has done to them.     The actors have entertained us so splendidly during this weekend, I think it's time we returned the compliment.<

Q: composite [5kCmpEzit, -zait]

A: A composite object or item is made up of several different things, parts, or substances.     Galton devised a method of creating composite pictures in which the features of different faces were superimposed over one another. Also a noun.     Spain is a composite of diverse traditions and people.

Q: compound [5kCmpaund]

A: A compound is an enclosed area of land that is used for a particular purpose.     Police fired on them as they fled into the embassy compound.     ...a military compound. = enclosure In chemistry, a compound is a substance that consists of two or more elements.     Organic compounds contain carbon in their molecules. If something is a compound of different things, it consists of those things. (FORMAL)     Honey is basically a compound of water, two types of sugar, vitamins and enzymes. = mixture Compound is used to indicate that something consists of two or more parts or things.     ...a tall shrub with shiny compound leaves.     ...the compound microscope. = composite <> simple In grammar, a compound noun, adjective, or verb is one that is made up of two or more words, for example `fire engine', `bottle-green', and `force-feed'. In grammar, a compound sentence is one that is made up of two or more main clauses. Compare complex. To compound a problem, difficulty, or mistake means to make it worse by adding to it. (FORMAL)     Additional bloodshed and loss of life will only compound the tragedy.     The problem is compounded by the medical system here. = add to

Q: concentrated [5kCnsentreitid]

A: A concentrated liquid has been increased in strength by having water removed from it.     Sweeten dishes sparingly with honey, or concentrated apple or pear juice. <> diluted A concentrated activity is directed with great intensity in one place.     ...a more concentrated effort to reach out to troubled kids. = concerted <> half-hearted

Q: conception [kEn5sepFEn]

A: A conception of something is an idea that you have of it in your mind.     My conception of a garden was based on gardens I had visited in England.     I see him as someone with not the slightest conception of teamwork. = notion Conception is the forming of an idea for something in your mind.     The symphony is admirable in conception.     The other fundamental consideration in the conception of a plan is function. Conception is the process in which the egg in a woman is fertilized and she becomes pregnant.     Six weeks after conception your baby is the size of your little fingernail.     Teenage conceptions have risen steadily in the last ten years.

Q: conductor [kEn5dQktE]

A: A conductor is a person who stands in front of an orchestra or choir and directs its performance. On a bus, the conductor is the person whose job is to sell tickets to the passengers. On a train, a conductor is a person whose job is travel on the train in order to help passengers and check tickets. (AM; in BRIT use guard) A conductor is a substance that heat or electricity can pass through or along. See also lightning conductor, semiconductor.

Q: confederation [kEn7fedE5reiFEn]

A: A confederation is an organization or group consisting of smaller groups or states, especially one that exists for business or political purposes.     ...the Confederation of Indian Industry.     ...plans to partition the republic into a confederation of mini-states.

Q: confession [kEn5feFEn]

A: A confession is a signed statement by someone in which they admit that they have committed a particular crime.     They forced him to sign a confession. Confession is the act of admitting that you have done something that you are ashamed of or embarrassed about.     The diaries are a mixture of confession and observation.     I have a confession to make. If you make a confession of your beliefs or feelings, you publicly tell people that this is what you believe or feel.     ...Tatyana's confession of love. = declaration In the Catholic church and in some other churches, if you go to confession, you privately tell a priest about your sins and ask for forgiveness.     He never went to Father Porter for confession again.

Q: congress [5kCNgres]

A: A congress is a large meeting that is held to discuss ideas and policies.     A lot has changed after the party congress.     ...a congress of coal miners.

Q: conjunction [kEn5dVQNkFEn]

A: A conjunction of two or more things is the occurrence of them at the same time or place. (FORMAL)     ...the conjunction of two events.     ...a conjunction of religious and social factors. In grammar, a conjunction is a word or group of words that joins together words, groups, or clauses. In English, there are co-ordinating conjunctions such as `and' and `but', and subordinating conjunctions such as `although', `because', and `when'. If one thing is done or used in conjunction with another, the two things are done or used together. (FORMAL)     The army should have operated in conjunction with the fleet to raid the enemy's coast.     Since iron destroys vitamin E, these two nutrients should not be taken in conjunction. = together

Q: consensus [kEn5sensEs]

A: A consensus is general agreement among a group of people.     The consensus amongst the world's scientists is that the world is likely to warm up over the next few decades.     The question of when the troops should leave would be decided by consensus.

Q: consortium [kEn5sC:tjEm]

A: A consortium is a group of people or firms who have agreed to co-operate with each other.     The consortium includes some of the biggest building contractors in Britain.

Q: constituency [kEn5stitjuEnsi]

A: A constituency is an area for which someone is elected as the representative in a parliament or government. A particular constituency is a section of society that may give political support to a particular party or politician.     Mr Jackson had a natural constituency among American blacks.     In France, farmers are a powerful political constituency.

Q: constraint [kEn5streint]

A: A constraint is something that limits or controls what you can do.     Their decision to abandon the trip was made because of financial constraints.     Water shortages in the area will be the main constraint on development. Constraint is control over the way you behave which prevents you from doing what you want to do. = restraint

Q: constructive [kEn5strQktiv]

A: A constructive discussion, comment, or approach is useful and helpful rather than negative and unhelpful.     She welcomes constructive criticism.     After their meeting, both men described the talks as frank, friendly and constructive.     The Prime Minister has promised that Israel will play a constructive role.     At least I'm doing something constructive. = positive <> negative * constructively     We are prepared to sit down and talk constructively with our European partners.     Use the time constructively.

Q: controller [kEn5trEulE]

A: A controller is a person who has responsibility for a particular organization or for a particular part of an organization. (mainly BRIT)     ...the job of controller of BBC 1.     ...The financial controller of W H Smith. See also air traffic controller. A controller is the same as a comptroller.

Q: consultation [7kCnsEl5teiFEn]

A: A consultation is a meeting which is held to discuss something. Consultation is discussion about something.     Next week he'll be in Florida for consultations with President Mitterrand.     The plans were drawn up in consultation with the World Health Organisation.     The strike was called in protest at the government's lack of consultation with the unions. A consultation with a doctor or other expert is a meeting with them to discuss a particular problem and get their advice. Consultation is the process of getting advice from a doctor or other expert. (mainly BRIT)     A personal diet plan is devised after a consultation with a nutritionist.     ...fees paid for consultation and advice in tax matters. A consultation is a meeting where several doctors discuss a patient and his or her condition and treatment. (AM) Consultation of a book or other source of information is looking at it in order to find out certain facts.     With such excellent studies available for consultation, it should be easy to avoid the pitfalls. A consultation paper or document is a document containing ideas for changes in the law. It is published by the government or by an organization, so that people can discuss it and give their opinions on it. (mainly BRIT)     The Government proposed a common retirement age of 63 in a consultation paper published yesterday.

Q: consuming [kEn5sju:miN]

A: A consuming passion or interest is more important to you than anything else.     He has developed a consuming passion for chess. See also consume, time-consuming.

Q: container [kEn5teinE]

A: A container is something such as a box or bottle that is used to hold or store things in.     ...the plastic containers in which fish are stored and sold.     ...stainless steel or glass containers. = receptacle A container is a very large metal or wooden box used for transporting goods so that they can be loaded easily onto ships and lorries.

Q: contender [kEn5tendE(r)]

A: A contender is someone who takes part in a competition. (JOURNALISM)     Her trainer said yesterday that she would be a strong contender for a place in Britain's Olympic squad.     Our British Affairs correspondent reports on how the three contenders reacted to the news of the resignation.

Q: contingent [kEn5tindVEnt]

A: A contingent of police, soldiers, or military vehicles is a group of them. (FORMAL)     Nigeria provided a large contingent of troops to the West African Peacekeeping Force.     There were contingents from the navies of virtually all EC countries. A contingent is a group of people representing a country or organization at a meeting or other event. (FORMAL)     The strong British contingent suffered mixed fortunes.     The whistles from the large contingent of England fans away to our left are deafening. If something is contingent on something else, the first thing depends on the second in order to happen or exist. (FORMAL)     In effect, growth is contingent on improved incomes for the mass of the low-income population. = dependent

Q: continual [kEn5tinjuEl]

A: A continual process or situation happens or exists without stopping.     The school has been in continual use since 1883.     They felt continual pressure to perform well.     Despite continual pain, he refused all drugs. = continuous * continually     She cried almost continually and threw temper tantrums.     The large rotating fans whirred continually. = continuously Continual events happen again and again.     ...the government's continual demands for cash to finance its chronic deficit...     She suffered continual police harassment. * continually     Malcolm was continually changing his mind.     I had been writing him continually, trying to get him to call me.

Q: continuous [kEn5tinjuEs]

A: A continuous process or event continues for a period of time without stopping.     Residents report that they heard continuous gunfire.     ...all employees who had a record of five years' continuous employment with the firm...     There is a continuous stream of phone calls. = unbroken <> spasmodic * continuously     The civil war has raged almost continuously since 1976.     It is the oldest continuously inhabited city in America. A continuous line or surface has no gaps or holes in it.     ...a continuous line of boats.     ...the continuous frieze of sculpted figures. = unbroken In English grammar, continuous verb groups are formed using the auxiliary `be' and the present participle of a verb, as in `I'm feeling a bit tired' and `She had been watching them for some time'. Continuous verb groups are used especially when you are focusing on a particular moment. Compare simple. = progressive

Q: contractor [kEn5trAktE]

A: A contractor is a person or company that does work for other people or organizations.     We told the building contractor that we wanted a garage big enough for two cars.     ...a major US defense contractor.

Q: convertible [kEn5vE:tEbl]

A: A convertible is a car with a soft roof that can be folded down or removed.     Her own car is a convertible Golf. = soft top In finance, convertible investments or money can be easily exchanged for other forms of investments or money. (TECHNICAL)     ...the introduction of a convertible currency. * convertibility     ...the convertibility of the rouble.     ...rapid export growth based on currency convertibility.

Q: convoy [5kCnvCi]

A: A convoy is a group of vehicles or ships travelling together.     ...a U.N. convoy carrying food and medical supplies.     ...humanitarian relief convoys...     They travel in convoy with armed guards. To convoy goods or people somewhere means to move them there in a convoy.     He ordered the combined fleet to convoy troops to Naples.

Q: cop [kCp]

A: A cop is a policeman or policewoman. (INFORMAL)     Frank didn't like having the cops know where to find him. If you cop it, someone punishes you or speaks to you angrily because you have done something wrong. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     Motel owners and restaurant managers copped it for neglecting their clients. If you say that something is not much cop, you mean that it is not very good, and is disappointing. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     The Jane's `Triple X Album' came out in 1986, and wasn't much cop actually.

Q: corps [kC:]

A: A corps is a part of the army which has special duties.     ...the Army Medical Corps.     ...the Russian Officer Corps. The Corps is the United States Marine Corps. (AM)     ...seventy-five men, all combat veterans, all members of The Corps' most exclusive unit. = Marines A corps is a small group of people who do a special job.     ...the diplomatic corps.     ...the foreign press corps.

Q: corpse [kC:ps]

A: A corpse is a dead body, especially the body of a human being. = body

Q: corridor [5kCridC:]

A: A corridor is a long passage in a building or train, with doors and rooms on one or both sides. A corridor is a strip of land that connects one country to another or gives it a route to the sea through another country.     East Prussia and the rest of Germany were separated, in 1919, by the Polish corridor.

Q: costing [5kCstiN]

A: A costing is an estimate of all the costs involved in a project or a business venture. (mainly BRIT; in AM use costs)     We'll put together a proposal, including detailed costings, free of charge. = estimate

Q: couch [kautF]

A: A couch is a long, comfortable seat for two or three people. = sofa, settee A couch is a narrow bed which patients lie on while they are being examined or treated by a doctor. If a statement is couched in a particular style of language, it is expressed in that style of language. (WRITTEN)     The new centre-right government's radical objectives are often couched in moderate terms.     This time the proposal was couched as an ultimatum. = phrase

Q: heritage [5heritidV]

A: A country's heritage is all the qualities, traditions, or features of life there that have continued over many years and have been passed on from one generation to another.     The historic building is as much part of our heritage as the paintings.     ...the rich heritage of Russian folk music.

Q: coupon [5ku:pCn]

A: A coupon is a piece of printed paper which allows you to pay less money than usual for a product, or to get it free.     Bring the coupon below to any Tecno store and pay just {Pound}10.99.     ...a 50p money-off coupon. = voucher A coupon is a small form, for example in a newspaper or magazine, which you send off to ask for information, to order something, or to enter a competition.     Send the coupon with a cheque for {Pound}18.50, made payable to `Good Housekeeping'.     He was filling in his pools coupon.

Q: courier [5kuriE]

A: A courier is a person who is paid to take letters and parcels direct from one place to another.     He worked as a motorcycle courier.     The cheques were delivered to the bank by a private courier firm. A courier is a person employed by a travel company to look after people who are on holiday. = rep

Q: covering [5kQvEriN]

A: A covering is a layer of something that protects or hides something else.     Leave a thin covering of fat.     Sawdust was used as a hygienic floor covering.

Q: deer [diE]

A: A deer is a large wild animal that eats grass and leaves. A male deer usually has large, branching horns.

Q: cowboy [5kaubCi]

A: A cowboy is a male character in a western.     Boys used to play at cowboys and Indians.     ...cowboy films. A cowboy is a man employed to look after cattle in North America, especially in former times. You can refer to someone who runs a business as a cowboy if they run it dishonestly or are not experienced, skilful, or careful in their work. (BRIT)     We don't want to look like a bunch of cowboys.     Fortunately, such cowboy firms are becoming rarer. <> professional

Q: crack 2 [krAk]

A: A crack is a very narrow gap between two things, or between two parts of a thing.     Kathryn had seen him through a crack in the curtains. = chink If you open something such as a door, window, or curtain a crack, you open it only a small amount.     He went to the door, opened it a crack, and listened. A crack is a line that appears on the surface of something when it is slightly damaged.     The plate had a crack in it.     Hundreds of office buildings and homes developed large cracks in walls and ceilings. A crack is a sharp sound, like the sound of a piece of wood breaking.     Suddenly there was a loud crack and glass flew into the car.     `Crack!' -- The first shot rang out, dropping Paolo. If you have or take a crack at something, you make an attempt to do or achieve something. (INFORMAL)     I should love to have a crack at the Olympia title in my last year.     She decided to head for the dormitory to take another crack at locating Blanche. = go, shot A crack is a slightly rude or cruel joke.     When Paul made the crack about the `famous girl detective', I began to suspect that he had it in for you. = jibe Crack is a very pure form of the drug cocaine. See also crack cocaine. A crack soldier or sportsman is highly trained and very skilful.     ...a crack undercover police officer...     He is said to be a crack shot, despite weak vision in one eye. If you say that someone does something at the crack of dawn, you are emphasizing that they do it very early in the morning.     I often start work at the crack of dawn when there is a big order to get out. If you paper over the cracks, you try to hide all the things that are wrong with something. (mainly BRIT)     The meeting was stormy, and the two sides managed only to paper over the cracks on some issues. If you get a fair crack of the whip, you are allowed a reasonable opportunity to succeed at something. (BRIT; INFORMAL)     None of them is expecting any favours, just a fair crack of the whip.

Q: crackdown CRACKDOWN

A: A crackdown is strong official action that is taken to punish people who break laws.     ...anti-government unrest that ended with the violent army crackdown. = clampdown

Q: crane [krein]

A: A crane is a large machine that moves heavy things by lifting them in the air.     The little prefabricated hut was lifted away by a huge crane. A crane is a kind of large bird with a long neck and long legs. If you crane your neck or head, you stretch your neck in a particular direction in order to see or hear something better.     She craned her neck to get a better view.     Children craned to get close to him.     She craned forward to look at me.

Q: credit card CREDIT CARD

A: A credit card is a plastic card that you use to buy goods on credit. Compare charge card.

Q: criterion [krai5tiEriEn]

A: A criterion is a factor on which you judge or decide something.     The most important criterion for entry is that applicants must design and make their own work.     British defence policy had to meet three criteria if it was to succeed.

Q: crook [kruk]

A: A crook is a dishonest person or a criminal. (INFORMAL)     The man is a crook and a liar.     Donaldson was a petty crook with a string of previous offences. The crook of your arm or leg is the soft inside part where you bend your elbow or knee.     She hid her face in the crook of her arm. If you crook your arm or finger, you bend it.     He crooked his finger: `Come forward,' he said. A crook is a long pole with a large hook at the end. A crook is carried by a bishop in religious ceremonies, or by a shepherd.     ...a shepherd's crook. If someone says they will do something by hook or by crook, they are determined to do it, even if they have to make a great effort or use dishonest means.     They intend to get their way, by hook or by crook.

Q: crossing [5krCsiN]

A: A crossing is a journey by boat or ship to a place on the other side of a sea, river, or lake.     He made the crossing from Cape Town to Sydney in just over twenty-six days.     The vessel docked in Swansea after a ten-hour crossing. A crossing is a place where two roads, paths, or lines cross. A crossing is the same as a pedestrian crossing. (BRIT; in AM use crosswalk)     A car hit her on a crossing. See also pelican crossing, zebra crossing. A crossing is the same as a grade crossing or a level crossing.

Q: crude [kru:d]

A: A crude method or measurement is not exact or detailed, but may be useful or correct in a rough, general way.     Standard measurements of blood pressure are an important but crude way of assessing the risk of heart disease or strokes.     Birthplace data are only the crudest indicator of actual migration paths. <> rough * crudely     The donors can be split -- a little crudely -- into two groups.     Put crudely, the liberationists favour extending a number of rights to children. If you describe an object that someone has made as crude, you mean that it has been made in a very simple way or from very simple parts.     ...crude wooden boxes. * crudely     ...a crudely carved wooden form...     In some places maps are scarce, and are often crudely produced. If you describe someone as crude, you disapprove of them because they speak or behave in a rude, offensive, or unsophisticated way.     Nev! Must you be quite so crude?     ...crude language.     ...crude sexual jokes. = coarse * crudely     He hated it when she spoke so crudely.     To put it crudely, nobody really gives a toss about this any more. * crudity     He had not expected such crudity from so sophisticated a minister. * crudeness     Crudeness is on the rise in all fields of entertainment. Crude substances are in a natural or unrefined state, and have not yet been used

Q: envoy [5envCi]

A: An envoy is someone who is sent as a representative from one government or political group to another. = emissary An envoy is a diplomat in an embassy who is immediately below the ambassador in rank.

Q: cube [kju:b]

A: A cube is a solid object with six square surfaces which are all the same size.     ...cold water with ice cubes in it.     ...a box of sugar cubes...     The cabinet comes with locks and key and is shaped like a cube. When you cube food, you cut it into cube-shaped pieces.     Remove the seeds and stones and cube the flesh.     Serve with cubed bread. The cube of a number is another number that is produced by multiplying the first number by itself twice. For example, the cube of 2 is 8.

Q: cult [kQlt]

A: A cult is fairly small religious group, especially one which is considered strange.     The teenager may have been abducted by a religious cult.     The cult of Isis was carried from Egypt into Greece and Rome. Cult is used to describe things that are very popular or fashionable among a particular group of people.     Since her death, she has become a cult figure.     The film is destined to become a cult classic.     The Osaka-based group is popular home in Japan and has developed a cult following in the United States. Someone or something that is a cult has become very popular or fashionable among a particular group of people.     Ludlam was responsible for making Ridiculous Theatre something of a cult.     The bra has gone from being a fashion classic to a fashion cult. The cult of something is a situation in which people regard that thing as very important or special.     ...the cult of youth that recently gripped publishing...     Society is entitled and bound to protect itself against a cult of violence.     Meanwhile the personality cult around this campaigner grew.

Q: curfew [5kE:fju:]

A: A curfew is a law stating that people must stay inside their houses after a particular time at night, for example during a war.     The village was placed under curfew.     In Lucknow crowds of people defied the curfew to celebrate on the streets.

Q: curriculum [kE5rikjulEm]

A: A curriculum is all the different courses of study that are taught in a school, college, or university.     There should be a broader curriculum in schools for post-16-year-old pupils.     Russian is the one compulsory foreign language on the school curriculum. See also National Curriculum. A particular curriculum is one particular course of study that is taught in a school, college, or university.     ...the history curriculum. = syllabus

Q: curve [kE:v]

A: A curve is a smooth, gradually bending line, for example part of the edge of a circle.     ...the curve of his lips.     ...a curve in the road. If something curves, or if someone or something curves it, it has the shape of a curve.     Her spine curved.     The track curved away below him.     ...a knife with a slightly curving blade...     A small, unobtrusive smile curved the cook's thin lips. If something curves, it moves in a curve, for example through the air.     The ball curved strangely in the air. You can refer to a change in something as a particular curve, especially when it is represented on a graph.     Each firm will face a downward-sloping demand curve.     Was it just a temporary blip on an otherwise healthy growth curve? See also learning curve.

Q: cushion [5kuFEn]

A: A cushion is a fabric case filled with soft material, which you put on a seat to make it more comfortable.     ...a velvet cushion. A cushion is a soft pad or barrier, especially one that protects something.     The company provides a styrofoam cushion to protect the tablets during shipping. Something that cushions an object when it hits something protects it by reducing the force of the impact.     There is also a new steering wheel with an energy absorbing rim to cushion the driver's head in the worst impacts.     The suspension is designed to cushion passengers from the effects of riding over rough roads. To cushion the effect of something unpleasant means to reduce it.     They said Western aid was needed to cushion the blows of vital reform.     The price rises will be cushioned by welfare benefits.     The subsidies are designed to cushion farmers against unpredictable weather. Something that is a cushion against something unpleasant reduces its effect.     Housing benefit provides a cushion against hardship.

Q: defect [di5fekt]

A: A defect is a fault or imperfection in a person or thing.     He was born with a hearing defect.     ...a defect in the aircraft caused the crash...     A report has pointed out the defects of the present system. = imperfection If you defect, you leave your country, political party, or other group, and join an opposing country, party, or group.     He tried to defect to the West last year.     He defected from the party in the late 1970s.     ...a KGB officer who defected in 1963. * defection defections     ...the defection of at least sixteen Parliamentary deputies.

Q: custom [5kQstEm]

A: A custom is an activity, a way of behaving, or an event which is usual or traditional in a particular society or in particular circumstances.     The custom of lighting the Olympic flame goes back centuries.     Chung has tried to adapt to local customs. If it is your custom to do something, you usually do it in particular circumstances.     It was his custom to approach every problem cautiously.     As is the custom, police forensic experts carried out a painstaking search of the debris. If a shop has your custom, you regularly buy things there. (BRIT, FORMAL)     You have the right to withhold your custom if you so wish.     Providing discounts is not the only way to win custom. If you use custom to describe something such as a vehicle or a piece of clothing, you mean that it has been designed for one particular customer.     Her one-of-a-kind custom garments are priced from one hundred dollars to more than a thousand dollars.

Q: cut-off CUT-OFF

A: A cut-off or a cut-off point is the level or limit at which you decide that something should stop happening.     The cut-off point depends on age and length of employment.     The cut-off date for registering is yet to be announced.     On young girls it can look really great, but there is a definite age cut-off on this. The cut-off of a supply or service is the complete stopping of the supply or service.     A total cut-off of supplies would cripple the country's economy.     The United States resisted an arms cutoff.

Q: cylinder [5silindE]

A: A cylinder is an object with flat circular ends and long straight sides.     ...a cylinder of foam...     It was recorded on a wax cylinder. A gas cylinder is a cylinder-shaped container in which gas is kept under pressure.     ...oxygen cylinders. In an engine, a cylinder is a cylinder-shaped part in which a piston moves backwards and forwards.     ...a 2.5 litre, four-cylinder engine.

Q: dairy [5dZEri]

A: A dairy is a shop or company that sells milk and food made from milk, such as butter, cream, and cheese. On a farm, the dairy is the building where milk is kept or where cream, butter, and cheese are made. Dairy is used to refer to foods such as butter and cheese that are made from milk.     ...dairy produce.     ...vitamins found in eggs, meat and dairy products. Dairy is used to refer to the use of cattle to produce milk rather than meat.     ...a small vegetable and dairy farm.     ...the feeding of dairy cows.

Q: dam [dAm]

A: A dam is a wall that is built across a river in order to stop the water flowing and to make a lake.     They went ahead with plans to build a dam on the Danube River.     ...the Aswan Dam. To dam a river means to build a dam across it.     ...plans to dam the nearby Delaware River...     This reservoir was formed by damming the River Blith. In the breeding of farm animals, an animal's dam is its mother. (TECHNICAL)

Q: dancer [5dB:nsE]

A: A dancer is a person who earns money by dancing, or a person who is dancing.     His previous girlfriend was a dancer with the Royal Ballet.     The dancers began to walk away from the floor. If you say that someone is a good dancer or a bad dancer, you are saying how well or badly they can dance.     He was the best dancer in LA.

Q: decree [di5kri:]

A: A decree is an official order or decision, especially one made by the ruler of a country.     In July he issued a decree ordering all unofficial armed groups in the country to disband.     He is prepared to use his recently-acquired powers to introduce reform by presidential decree. If someone in authority decrees that something must happen, they decide or state this officially.     The government decreed that all who wanted to live and work in Kenya must hold Kenyan passports.     Within 48 hours the king got the two deputies off the hook by decreeing a general amnesty. A decree is a judgement made by a law court. (mainly AM)     ...court decrees.

Q: deduction [di5dQkFEn]

A: A deduction is a conclusion that you have reached about something because of other things that you know to be true.     It was a pretty astute deduction.     My mother had consequently made her own shrewd deductions about what was going on in my marriage. Deduction is the process of reaching a conclusion about something because of other things that you know to be true.     Miss Allan beamed at him. `You are clever to guess. I'm sure I don't know how you did it.' --- `Deduction,' James said. A deduction is an amount that has been subtracted from a total.     ...your gross income (before tax and National Insurance deductions)...     After deductions for war reparations, the balance would be used to buy food and humanitarian supplies. Deduction is the act or process of subtracting an amount of money from a total amount.     After the deduction of tax at 20 per cent, the interest rate will be 6.2 per cent.

Q: denial [di5naiEl]

A: A denial of something is a statement that it is not true, does not exist, or did not happen.     It seems clear that despite official denials, differences of opinion lay behind the Ambassador's decision to quit.     Denial of the Mafia's existence is nothing new. The denial of something to someone is the act of refusing to let them have it. (FORMAL)     ...the denial of visas to international relief workers...     This does not justify the denial of constitutional protection. In psychology, denial is when a person cannot or will not accept an unpleasant truth.     With major life traumas, like losing a loved one, for instance, the mind's first reaction is denial.     I literally didn't know how fat I was. I was in denial about it, I guess.

Q: dentist [5dentist]

A: A dentist is a person who is qualified to examine and treat people's teeth.     Visit your dentist twice a year for a check-up. The dentist or the dentist's is used to refer to the surgery or clinic where a dentist works.     It's worse than being at the dentist's.

Q: department store DEPARTMENT STORE

A: A department store is a large shop which sells many different kinds of goods.

Q: developer [di5velEpE]

A: A developer is a person or a company that buys land and builds houses, offices, shops, or factories on it, or buys existing buildings and makes them more modern.     ...common land which would have a high commercial value if sold to developers.     ...a corrupt, self-made property developer. A developer is someone who develops something such as an idea, a design, or a product.     John Bardeen was also co-developer of the theory of superconductivity.     ...a software developer. Developer is a chemical used for developing photographs or films.

Q: dial [5daiEl]

A: A dial is the part of a machine or instrument such as a clock or watch which shows you the time or a measurement that has been recorded.     The luminous dial on the clock showed five minutes to seven.     The dials of most barometers are inscribed with weather terms. A dial is a control on a device or piece of equipment which you can move in order to adjust the setting, for example to select or change the frequency on a radio or the temperature of a heater.     He turned the dial on the radio.     The heat dial was set at 150 degrees. On some telephones, especially older ones, the dial is the disc on the front that you turn with your finger to choose the number that you want to call. The disc has holes in it, and numbers or letters behind the holes.     ...turning the dial on the phone. If you dial or if you dial a number, you turn the dial or press the buttons on a telephone in order to phone someone.     He lifted the phone and dialled her number.     He dialled, and spoke briefly to the duty officer.

Q: diamond [5daiEmEnd]

A: A diamond is a hard, bright, precious stone which is clear and colourless. Diamonds are used in jewellery and for cutting very hard substances.     ...a pair of diamond earrings.     ...a sphere made of diamond without impurity or flaw. Diamonds are jewellery such as necklaces and rings which have diamonds set into them.     Nicole loves wearing her diamonds, even with jeans and a white T-shirt. A diamond is a shape with four straight sides of equal length where the opposite angles are the same, but none of the angles is equal to 90{Deg}: #.     ...forming his hands into the shape of a diamond. Diamonds is one of the four suits of cards in a pack of playing cards. Each card in the suit is marked with one or more red symbols in the shape of a diamond.     He drew the seven of diamonds. A diamond is a playing card of this suit. In baseball, the diamond is the diamond-shaped area of the playing field between the four bases.

Q: dictionary [5dikFEnEri]

A: A dictionary is a book in which the words and phrases of a language are listed alphabetically, together with their meanings or their translations in another language.     ...a Welsh-English dictionary. A dictionary is an alphabetically ordered reference book on one particular subject or limited group of subjects.     ...the Dictionary of National Biography.

Q: dilemma [di5lemE7 dai-]

A: A dilemma is a difficult situation in which you have to choose between two or more alternatives.     He was faced with the dilemma of whether or not to return to his country.     The issue raises a moral dilemma. on the horns of a dilemma: see horn.

Q: directive [di5rektiv, dai5rektiv]

A: A directive is an official instruction that is given by someone in authority.     Thanks to a new EC directive, insecticide labelling will be more specific. = ruling

Q: directory [di5rektEri]

A: A directory is a book which gives lists of facts, for example people's names, addresses, and telephone numbers, or the names and addresses of business companies, usually arranged in alphabetical order.     ...a telephone directory.

Q: disability [7disE5biliti]

A: A disability is a permanent injury, illness, or physical or mental condition that tends to restrict the way that someone can live their life.     Facilities for people with disabilities are still insufficient.     ...athletes who have overcome a physical disability to reach the top of their sport. = handicap Disability is the state of being disabled.     Disability can make extra demands on financial resources because the disabled need extra care.

Q: disadvantage [7disEd5vB:ntidV]

A: A disadvantage is a factor which makes someone or something less useful, acceptable, or successful than other people or things.     His two main rivals suffer the disadvantage of having been long-term political exiles.     Military commanders had been weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of allowing their soldiers to marry. <> advantage If you are at a disadvantage, you have a problem or difficulty that many other people do not have, which makes it harder for you to be successful.     The children from poor families were at a distinct disadvantage.     England's players would be left at a disadvantage against those of the rest of the world. If something is to your disadvantage or works to your disadvantage, it creates difficulties for you.     ...an opposition attempt to prevent a snap election which would be to their disadvantage...     Depression is the third thing that works to my patients' disadvantage. = to your detriment

Q: disastrous [di5zB:strEs]

A: A disastrous event has extremely bad consequences and effects.     ...the recent, disastrous earthquake...     The effect on coffee prices has been disastrous for the producers. = terrible * disastrously     The vegetable harvest is disastrously behind schedule.     Their scheme went disastrously wrong. If you describe something as disastrous, you mean that it was very unsuccessful.     England's cricketers have had another disastrous day.     ...after their disastrous performance in the general election of 1906. * disastrously     ...debts resulting from the company's disastrously timed venture into property development.

Q: disco [5diskEu]

A: A disco is a place or event at which people dance to pop music.     Fridays and Saturdays are regular disco nights.

Q: disorder [dis5C:dE]

A: A disorder is a problem or illness which affects someone's mind or body.     ...a rare nerve disorder that can cause paralysis of the arms.     ...a psychiatrist who specialises in eating disorders...     He appeared to be suffering from a severe mental disorder and had served a term in prison. = complaint Disorder is a state of being untidy, badly prepared, or badly organized.     The emergency room was in disorder.     Inside all was disorder: drawers fallen out, shoes and boots scattered. = confusion Disorder is violence or rioting in public.     The government issued a decree calling on the authorities to uphold the law and stop public disorder.     There are other forms of civil disorder -- most notably, football hooliganism. = unrest

Q: distributor [dis5tribjutE]

A: A distributor is a company that supplies goods to shops or other businesses.     ...Spain's largest distributor of petroleum products...     Bulmer is the UK distributor for Perrier and the Jamaican lager Red Stripe.     Theater owners lease films from film distributors. The distributor in a car or other motor vehicle is a device that sends electric current to the spark plugs in the engine.

Q: disturbance [dis5tE:bEns]

A: A disturbance is an incident in which people behave violently in public.     During the disturbance which followed, three Englishmen were hurt.     ...the worst of last September's disturbances. Disturbance means upsetting or disorganizing something which was previously in a calm and well-ordered state.     The home would cause less disturbance to local residents than a school.     The animals are very sensitive to disturbance and have never bred in captivity. You can use disturbance to refer to a medical or psychological problem, when someone's body or mind is not working in the normal way.     Poor educational performance is related to emotional disturbance.     ...the treatment of certain heart rhythm disturbances.

Q: feeder [5fi:dE]

A: A feeder road, railway, or river is a smaller one that leads to a more important one.     ...the feeder road leading to the airport. Feeder airline and railway services connect major routes and local destinations.     ...a feeder to British Airways's transatlantic destinations. A feeder school or team provides students or players for a larger or more important one.     ...children coming up from two infant feeder schools. A feeder is a container that you fill with food for birds or animals.

Q: disturbed [dis5tE:bd]

A: A disturbed person is very upset emotionally, and often needs special care or treatment.     ...working with severely emotionally disturbed children...     The murderer was apparently mentally disturbed. You can say that someone is disturbed when they are very worried or anxious.     Doctors were disturbed that less than 30 percent of the patients were women.     I was disturbed to hear that the selection committee originally decided not to send a British team to this year's Championships. = troubled If you describe a situation or period of time as disturbed, you mean that it is unhappy and full of problems.     ...these disturbed times.     ...women from disturbed backgrounds. = troubled

Q: ditch [ditF]

A: A ditch is a long narrow channel cut into the ground at the side of a road or field. If you ditch something that you have or are responsible for, you abandon it or get rid of it, because you no longer want it. (INFORMAL)     I decided to ditch the sofa bed.     Unpopular policies such as unilateral disarmament were ditched. = dump If someone ditches someone, they end a relationship with that person. (INFORMAL)     I can't bring myself to ditch him and start again. = dump If a pilot ditches an aircraft or if it ditches, the pilot makes an emergency landing.     One American pilot was forced to ditch his jet in the Gulf.     A survivor was knocked unconscious when the helicopter ditched. = crash-land

Q: dock [dCk]

A: A dock is an enclosed area in a harbour where ships go to be loaded, unloaded, and repaired.     ...the loading dock...     She headed for the docks, thinking that Ricardo might be hiding in one of the boats.     What other ships are in dock here? When a ship docks or is docked, it is brought into a dock.     The vessel docked at Liverpool in April 1811.     Russian commanders docked a huge aircraft carrier in a Russian port.     The aircraft carrier has been docked there since last month. When one spacecraft docks or is docked with another, the two crafts join together in space.     The space shuttle Atlantis is scheduled to dock with Russia's Mir space station.     They have docked a robot module alongside the orbiting space station.     The shuttle will spend five days docked with Mir. A dock is a platform for loading vehicles or trains. (AM)     The truck left the loading dock with hoses still attached. A dock is a small structure at the edge of water where boats can tie up, especially one that is privately owned. (AM)     He had a house there and a dock and a little aluminum boat. = jetty In a law court, the dock is where the person accused of a crime stands or sits.     What about the odd chance that you do put an innocent man in the dock? If you dock someone's wages or money, you take some of the money away. If you dock someone points in a contest, you take away some of the points that they have.     He threatens to dock her fee.     To dock points would be wrong. A dock is a plant with large leaves which grows wild in Britain, the United States, and some other northern countries. Dock leaves are supposed to heal nettle stings.

Q: doctrine [5dCktrin]

A: A doctrine is a set of principles or beliefs, especially religious ones.     ...the Marxist doctrine of perpetual revolution...     I disagree with the doctrine that the writer's life and intention have no bearing on his texts. A doctrine is a statement of official government policy, especially foreign policy. (AM)     Following World War II, the first U.S. commitment to Europe came in the form of the 1947 Truman Doctrine.

Q: documentary [7dCkju5mentEri]

A: A documentary is a television or radio programme, or a film, which shows real events or provides information about a particular subject.     ...a TV documentary on homelessness. Documentary evidence consists of things that are written down.     The government says it has documentary evidence that the two countries were planning military action.

Q: doll [dCl]

A: A doll is a child's toy which looks like a small person or baby.

Q: dolphin [5dClfin]

A: A dolphin is a mammal which lives in the sea and looks like a large fish with a pointed mouth.

Q: dome [dEum]

A: A dome is a round roof.     ...the dome of St Paul's cathedral. A dome is any object that has a similar shape to a dome.     ...the dome of the hill.

Q: donation [dEu5neiFEn]

A: A donation is something which someone gives to a charity or other organization.     Employees make regular donations to charity.     Charities appealed for donations of food and clothing for victims of the hurricane. See also donate. = gift

Q: donor [5dEunE]

A: A donor is someone who gives a part of their body or some of their blood to be used by doctors to help a person who is ill.     Doctors removed the healthy kidney from the donor. Donor organs or parts are organs or parts of the body which people allow doctors to use to help people who are ill. A donor is a person or organization who gives something, especially money, to a charity, organization, or country that needs it.     Donor countries are becoming more choosy about which countries they are prepared to help.

Q: doorway [5dC:wei]

A: A doorway is a space in a wall where a door opens and closes.     Hannah looked up to see David and another man standing in the doorway.     We were escorted through a low doorway. A doorway is a covered space just outside the door of a building.     ...homeless people sleeping in shop doorways.

Q: dose [dEus]

A: A dose of medicine or a drug is a measured amount of it which is intended to be taken at one time.     One dose of penicillin can wipe out the infection. You can refer to an amount of something as a dose of that thing, especially when you want to emphasize that there is a great deal of it.     She was born with a healthy dose of self-confidence.     The West is getting a heavy dose of snow and rain today. If you dose a person or animal with medicine, you give them an amount of it.     The doctor fixed the rib, dosed him heavily with drugs, and said he would probably get better.     I dosed myself with quinine. Dose up means the same as dose.     I dosed him up with Valium.

Q: dot [dCt]

A: A dot is a very small round mark, for example one that is used as the top part of the letter `i', as a full stop, or as a decimal point. You can refer to something that you can see in the distance and that looks like a small round mark as a dot.     Soon they were only dots above the hard line of the horizon. = speck, spot When things dot a place or an area, they are scattered or spread all over it.     Small coastal towns dot the landscape. If you arrive somewhere or do something on the dot, you arrive there or do it at exactly the time that you were supposed to.     They appeared on the dot of 9.50 pm as always.     At nine o' clock on the dot, they have breakfast. = punctually If you say that someone dots the i's and crosses the t's, you mean that they pay great attention to every small detail in a task; often used to express your annoyance because such detailed work seems unnecessary and takes a very long time. The year dot is used to mean a very long time ago. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     You've wanted to be a barrister since the year dot.

Q: drawer [5drC:E]

A: A drawer is part of a desk, chest, or other piece of furniture that is shaped like a box and is designed for putting things in. You pull it towards you to open it.     He opened a drawer in his writing-table and brought out a sheet of notepaper. Drawers are underpants, especially ones worn by women. (OLD-FASHIONED)

Q: drawing [5drC:iN]

A: A drawing is a picture made with a pencil or pen.     She did a drawing of me. See also draw.

Q: drill [dril]

A: A drill is a tool or machine that you use for making holes.     ...pneumatic drills.     ...a dentist's drill. When you drill into something or drill a hole in something, you make a hole in it using a drill.     He drilled into the wall of Lili's bedroom.     I drilled five holes at equal distance. When people drill for oil or water, they search for it by drilling deep holes in the ground or in the bottom of the sea.     There have been proposals to drill for more oil.     The team is still drilling. * drilling     Drilling is due to start early next year. A drill is a way that teachers teach their students something by making them repeat it many times.     The teacher runs them through a drill -- the days of the week, the weather and some counting. If you drill people, you teach them to do something by making them repeat it many times.     He drills the choir to a high standard. * drilling     ...stimulation rather than repetitive drilling. A drill is repeated training for a group of people, especially soldiers, so that they can do something quickly and efficiently.     The Marines carried out landing exercises in a drill that includes 18 ships and 90 aircraft.     His hands were clasped behind him like a drill sergeant. A drill is a routine exercise or activity, in which people practise what they should do in dangerous situations.     ...a fire drill.     ...air-raid drills. Drill is thick cotton material which is used for making uniforms and trousers.     ...cotton drill. A drill is a long line in the earth, a few centimetres deep, which a farmer or gardener makes to plant seeds in.     Sow the seeds in drills about 1/2in. deep and 12in. apart.

Q: drought [draut]

A: A drought is a long period of time during which no rain falls.     ...a country where drought and famines have killed up to two million people during the last eighteen years...     He told a press conference that Spain was suffering one of the worst droughts of the century.

Q: drummer [5drQmE]

A: A drummer is a person who plays a drum or drums in a band or group.

Q: duck [dQk]

A: A duck is a very common water bird with short legs, a short neck, and a large flat beak.     Chickens and ducks scratch around the outbuildings. Duck is the flesh of this bird when it is eaten as food.     ...honey roasted duck. A duck is a female duck. The male is called a drake.     I brought in one drake and three ducks. If you duck, you move your head or the top half of your body quickly downwards to avoid something that might hit you, or to avoid being seen.     He ducked in time to save his head from a blow from the poker.     He ducked his head to hide his admiration.     I wanted to duck down and slip past but they saw me. If you duck something such as a blow, you avoid it by moving your head or body quickly downwards.     Hans deftly ducked their blows. = dodge If you duck into a place, you move there quickly, often in an attempt to avoid danger or to avoid being seen. (mainly INFORMAL)     Matt ducked into his office.     He ducked through the door and looked about frantically. = dart You say that someone ducks a duty or responsibility when you disapprove of the fact that they avoid it. (INFORMAL)     The Opposition reckons the Health Secretary has ducked all the difficult decisions.     He had ducked the confrontation with United Nations inspectors last summer. = shirk If someone ducks someone else, they force them or their head under water for a short time.     She splashed around in the pool with Mark, rowdily trying to duck him. Some people call other people duck or ducks as a sign of affection. (BRIT)     Oh, I am glad to see you, duck. You say that criticism is like water off a duck's back or water off a duck's back to emphasize that it is not having any effect on the person being criticized.     All the criticism is water off a duck's back to me. If you take to something like a duck to water, you discover that you are naturally good at it or that you find it very easy to do.     Some mothers take to breastfeeding like a duck to water, while others find they need some help to get started.

Q: bubble up BUBBLE UP

A: A feeling that is bubbling up inside you is growing stronger and stronger.     She could feel the anger growing, bubbling up inside her.

Q: haven [5heivn]

A: A haven is a place where people or animals feel safe, secure, and happy.     It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.     ...Lake Baringo, a freshwater haven for a mixed variety of birds. See also safe haven. = refuge

Q: faint [feint]

A: A faint sound, colour, mark, feeling, or quality has very little strength or intensity.     He became aware of the soft, faint sounds of water dripping.     The room held the faint, sweet odour of pipe tobacco.     He could see faint lines in her face.     There was still the faint hope deep within him that she might never need to know. * faintly     He was already asleep in the bed, which smelled faintly of mildew.     She felt faintly ridiculous. = slightly A faint attempt at something is one that is made without proper effort and with little enthusiasm.     Caroline made a faint attempt at a laugh.     A faint smile crossed the Monsignor's face and faded quickly.     Ten years ago today the US Center for Disease Control published the first faint warnings of a worldwide epidemic. * faintly     John smiled faintly and shook his head. If you faint, you lose consciousness for a short time, especially because you are hungry, or because of pain, heat, or shock.     She suddenly fell forward on to the table and fainted.    &

Q: fairy [5fZEri]

A: A fairy is an imaginary creature with magical powers. Fairies are often represented as small people with wings. If someone describes a man as a fairy, they mean that he is a homosexual and they disapprove of this. (OLD-FASHIONED, OFFENSIVE)

Q: fake [feik]

A: A fake fur or a fake painting, for example, is a fur or painting that has been made to look valuable or genuine, in order to deceive people.     The bank manager is said to have issued fake certificates. A fake is something that is fake.     It is filled with famous works of art, and every one of them is a fake. If someone fakes something, they try to make it look valuable or genuine, although in fact it is not.     It's safer to fake a tan with make-up rather than subject your complexion to the harsh rays of the sun.     He faked his own death last year to collect on a $1 million insurance policy.     ...faked evidence. Someone who is a fake is not what they claim to be, for example because they do not have the qualifications that they claim to have. = fraud If you fake a feeling, emotion, or reaction, you pretend that you are experiencing it when you are not.     Jon faked nonchalance.     Maturity and emotional sophistication can't be faked.

Q: fatal [5feitl]

A: A fatal action has very undesirable effects.     It would clearly be fatal for Europe to quarrel seriously with America.     He made the fatal mistake of compromising early.     It would deal a fatal blow to his fading chances of success. * fatally     Failure now could fatally damage his chances in the future. A fatal accident or illness causes someone's death.     ...the fatal stabbing of a police sergeant...     A hospital spokesman said she had suffered a fatal heart attack. * fatally     The dead soldier is reported to have been fatally wounded in the chest.

Q: fax [fAks]

A: A fax or a fax machine is a piece of equipment used to copy documents by sending information electronically along a telephone line, and to receive copies that are sent in this way.     ...a modern reception desk with telephone and fax...     These days, cartoonists send in their work by fax. = facsimile If you fax a document to someone, you send it from one fax machine to another.     I faxed a copy of the agreement to each of the investors.     Did you fax him a reply?.     Pop it in the post, or get your secretary to fax it.     I faxed 10 hotels in the area to check room size. You can refer to a copy of a document that is transmitted by a fax machine as a fax.     I sent him a long fax, saying I didn't need a maid.     ...a 2,000 word fax message. = facsimile

Q: feast [fi:st]

A: A feast is a large and special meal.     Lunch was a feast of meat and vegetables, cheese, yoghurt and fruit, with unlimited wine.     The fruit was often served at wedding feasts.     On the following day a feast was given in King John's honour. = banquet If you feast on a particular food, you eat a large amount of it with great enjoyment.     They feasted well into the afternoon on mutton and corn stew.     Starving dogs feasted on the human corpses. If you feast, you take part in a feast.     Only a few feet away, their captors feasted in the castle's banqueting hall. * feasting     The feasting, drinking, dancing and revelry continued for several days. You can refer to a large number of good, interesting, or enjoyable things as a feast of things.     This new series promises a feast of special effects and set designs.     Chicago provides a feast for the ears of any music lover. = cornucopia A feast is a day or time of the year when a special religious celebration takes place.     The Jewish feast of Passover began last night.    &nbsp

Q: feminist [5feminist]

A: A feminist is a person who believes in and supports feminism.     Only 16 per cent of young women in a 1990 survey considered themselves feminists.     ...a daunting feminist academic. Feminist groups, ideas, and activities are involved in feminism.     ...the concerns addressed by the feminist movement.     ...the reconstruction of history from a feminist perspective.

Q: ferry [5feri]

A: A ferry is a boat that transports passengers and sometimes also vehicles, usually across rivers or short stretches of sea.     They had recrossed the River Gambia by ferry. If a vehicle ferries people or goods, it transports them, usually by means of regular journeys between the same two places.     Every day, a plane arrives to ferry guests to and from Bird Island Lodge.     It was still dark when five coaches started to ferry the miners the 140 miles from the Silverhill colliery.     A helicopter ferried in more soldiers to help in the search. = transport

Q: fisherman [5fiFEmEn]

A: A fisherman is a person who catches fish as a job or for sport.

Q: fitting [5fitiN]

A: A fitting is one of the smaller parts on the outside of a piece of equipment or furniture, for example a handle or a tap.     ...brass light fittings.     ...industrial fittings for kitchen and bathroom...     He has made fittings for antique cars. Fittings are things such as ovens or heaters, that are fitted inside a building, but can be removed if necessary. Something that is fitting is right or suitable.     A solitary man, it was perhaps fitting that he should have died alone.     The President's address was a fitting end to a bitter campaign. = appropriate, proper * fittingly     ...a fittingly eccentric figure.     ...the four-storeyed, and fittingly named, High House...     Fittingly, she will spend her year off training her voice to sing blues and jazz. = appropriately If someone has a fitting, they try on a piece of clothing that is being made for them to see if it fits.     She lunched and shopped and went for fittings for clothes she didn't need.

Q: flame [fleim]

A: A flame is a hot bright stream of burning gas that comes from something that is burning.     The heat from the flames was so intense that roads melted.     ...a huge ball of flame. If someone's face flames, it suddenly looks red, usually because they are angry. (WRITTEN)     Her cheeks flamed an angry red.     Christopher's listening face flamed at the contempt. You can refer to a feeling of passion or anger as a flame of passion or a flame of anger.     ...that burning flame of love. If something bursts into flames or bursts into flame, it suddenly starts burning strongly.     She managed to scramble out of the vehicle as it burst into flames. If someone or something fans the flames of a situation or feeling, usually a bad one, they make it more intense or extreme in some way.     He accused the Tories of `fanning the flames of extremism'. If something goes up in flames, it starts to burn strongly and is destroyed.     Fires broke out everywhere, the entire city went up in flames. Something that is in flames is on fire.

Q: flare [flZE]

A: A flare is a small device that produces a bright flame. Flares are used as signals, for example on ships.     ...a ship which had fired a distress flare. If a fire flares, the flames suddenly become larger.     Camp fires flared like beacons in the dark. Flare up means the same as flare.     Don't spill too much fat on the barbecue as it could flare up. If something such as trouble, violence, or conflict flares, it starts or becomes more violent.     Even as the President appealed for calm, trouble flared in several American cities. Flare up means the same as flare.     Dozens of people were injured as fighting flared up. If people's tempers flare, they get angry.     Tempers flared and harsh words were exchanged. If someone's nostrils flare or if they flare them, their nostrils become wider, often because the person is angry or upset.     I turned to Jacky, my nostrils flaring in disgust.     He stuck out his tongue and flared his nostrils. If

Q: flock [flCk]

A: A flock of birds, sheep, or goats is a group of them.     They kept a small flock of sheep.     They are gregarious birds and feed in flocks. You can refer to a group of people or things as a flock of them to emphasize that there are a lot of them.     These cases all attracted flocks of famous writers.     ...his flock of advisers. If people flock to a particular place or event, a very large number of them go there, usually because it is pleasant or interesting.     The public have flocked to the show.     The criticisms will not stop people flocking to see the film.     His greatest wish must be that huge crowds flock into the beautiful park. A clergyman's flock is the group of Christians who come to his church or live in the area that he has responsibility for. (OLD-FASHIONED) = congregation

Q: fluid [5flu(:)id]

A: A fluid is a liquid. (FORMAL)     The blood vessels may leak fluid, which distorts vision.     Make sure that you drink plenty of fluids.     ...fluid retention. Fluid movements or lines or designs are smooth and graceful.     His painting became less illustrational and more fluid.     ...long, fluid dresses. = flowing * fluidity     She dances with an exquisite fluidity of movement. A situation that is fluid is unstable and is likely to change often.     The situation is extremely fluid and it can be changing from day to day. = changeable * fluidity     ...the complexity and fluidity of the crisis.

Q: follow-up FOLLOW-UP

A: A follow-up is something that is done to continue or add to something done previously.     They are recording a follow-up to their successful 1989 album.     One man was arrested during the raid and another during a follow-up operation.

Q: follower [5fClEuE]

A: A follower of a particular person, group, or belief is someone who supports or admires this person, group, or belief.     ...followers of the Zulu Inkatha movement.     ...the Democratic Party's most loyal followers. See also camp follower. = supporter

Q: fork [fC:k]

A: A fork is a tool used for eating food which has a row of three or four long metal points at the end.     ...knives and forks. If you fork food into your mouth or onto a plate, you put it there using a fork.     Ann forked some fish into her mouth.     He forked an egg onto a piece of bread and folded it into a sandwich. A garden fork is a tool used for breaking up soil which has a row of three or four long metal points at the end. If you fork something such as manure or hay, you move it from one place to another using a large garden fork.     They started me off in the gardens as a handyman. Digging, forking manure, that kind of thing.     Farmers cut the hay, fork it on to a cart and then store it in barns. A fork in a road, path, or river is a point at which it divides into two parts and forms a `Y' shape.     We arrived at a fork in the road.     The road divides; you should take the right fork.     ...the fork of the Delaware and Lehigh rivers. If a road, path, or river forks, it forms a fork.     Beyond the village the road forked.     The path dipped down to a sort of cove, and then it forked in two directions.

Q: fort [fC:t]

A: A fort is a strong building or a place with a wall or fence around it where soldiers can stay and be safe from the enemy. If you hold the fort for someone, or, in American English, if you hold down the fort, you look after things for them while they are somewhere else or are busy doing something else.     His business partner is holding the fort while he is away.

Q: forthcoming [fC:W5kQmiN]

A: A forthcoming event is planned to happen soon.     ...his opponents in the forthcoming elections. If something that you want, need, or expect is forthcoming, it is given to you or it happens. (FORMAL)     They promised that the money would be forthcoming.     We must first see some real evidence. So far it has not been forthcoming.     One source predicts no major shift in policy will be forthcoming at the committee hearings. If you say that someone is forthcoming, you mean that they willingly give information when you ask them.

Q: fortnight [5fC:tnait]

A: A fortnight is a period of two weeks. (mainly BRIT)     I hope to be back in a fortnight.

Q: forum [5fC:rEm]

A: A forum is a place, situation, or group in which people exchange ideas and discuss issues, especially important public issues.     Members of the council agreed that it still had an important role as a forum for discussion.     The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed. In ancient Roman towns, the forum was a square where people met to discuss business and political matters.

Q: fossil [5fCsl]

A: A fossil is the hard remains of a prehistoric animal or plant that are found inside a rock.

Q: fountain [5fauntin]

A: A fountain is an ornamental feature in a pool or lake which consists of a long narrow stream of water that is forced up into the air by a pump. A fountain of a liquid is an amount of it which is sent up into the air and falls back. (LITERARY)     The volcano spewed a fountain of molten rock 650 feet in the air. = jet If you describe a person or thing as a fountain of something, you mean they are an important source of it and supply a lot of it. (LITERARY)     You are a fountain of ideas.

Q: fridge [fridV]

A: A fridge is a large metal container which is kept cool, usually by electricity, so that food that is put in it stays fresh. (mainly BRIT; in AM use refrigerator) = refrigerator

Q: fox [fC:ks]

A: A fox is a wild animal which looks like a dog and has reddish-brown fur, a pointed face and ears, and a thick tail. Foxes eat smaller animals. If you are foxed by something, you cannot understand it or solve it. (mainly BRIT, INFORMAL)     I admit I was foxed for some time.     Only once did we hit on a question which foxed one of these formidable experts.     They're a bit foxed by the colours of the riders' jerseys and hats. If you describe someone as a fox, you mean they are very clever and deceitful.     Enrico was too good, an old fox, cunning.

Q: fraction [5frAkFEn]

A: A fraction is a tiny amount or proportion of something.     She hesitated for a fraction of a second before responding.     Here's how to eat like the stars, at a fraction of the cost.     I opened my eyes just a fraction. A fraction is a number that can be expressed as a proportion of two whole numbers. For example, *1/2 and *1/3 are both fractions.     The students had a grasp of decimals, percentages and fractions.

Q: fracture [5frAktFE]

A: A fracture is a slight crack or break in something, especially a bone.     At least one-third of all women over ninety have sustained a hip fracture. If something such as a bone is fractured or fractures, it gets a slight crack or break in it.     You've fractured a rib, maybe more than one.     One strut had fractured and been crudely repaired in several places.     He suffered a fractured skull. If something such as an organization or society is fractured or fractures, it splits into several parts or stops existing. (FORMAL)     His policy risks fracturing the coalition.     It might be a society that could fracture along class lines. * fractured     ...in a world of fractured cultures and global interdependence.

Q: fragment [5frAgmEnt]

A: A fragment of something is a small piece or part of it.     The only reminder of the shooting is a few fragments of metal in my shoulder.     She read everything, digesting every fragment of news.     ...glass fragments. = piece If something fragments or is fragmented, it breaks or separates into small pieces or parts.     The clouds fragmented and out came the sun.     Fierce rivalries have traditionally fragmented the region.     By the first century BC, Buddhism was in danger of fragmenting into small sects. * fragmentation     ...the extraordinary fragmentation of styles on the music scene. * fragmented     Europe had become infinitely more unstable and fragmented. = divided

Q: framework [5freimwE:k]

A: A framework is a particular set of rules, ideas, or beliefs which you use in order to deal with problems or to decide what to do.     ... within the framework of federal regulations. A framework is a structure that forms a support or frame for something.     ...wooden shelves on a steel framework.

Q: franchise [5frAntFaiz]

A: A franchise is an authority that is given by an organization to someone, allowing them to sell its goods or services or to take part in an activity which the organization controls.     ...fast-food franchises.     ...the franchise to build and operate the tunnel...     Talk to other franchise holders and ask them what they think of the parent company. If a company franchises its business, it sells franchises to other companies, allowing them to sell its goods or services.     She has recently franchised her business.     Though the service is available only in California, its founder Michael Cane says he plans to franchise it in other states.     It takes hundreds of thousands of dollars to get into the franchised pizza business. * franchising     One of the most important aspects of franchising is the reduced risk of business failure it offers to franchisees. Franchise is the right to vote in an election, especially one in which people elect a parliament.     ...the introduction of universal franchise...     The 1867 Reform Act extended the franchise to much of the male working class.

Q: freak [fri:k]

A: A freak event or action is one that is a very unusual or extreme example of its type.     Weir broke his leg in a freak accident playing golf.     The ferry was hit by a freak wave off the North Wales coast. = bizarre, chance If you describe someone as a particular kind of freak, you are emphasizing that they are very enthusiastic about a thing or activity, and often seem to think about nothing else. (INFORMAL)     Oat bran became the darling of health freaks last year.     ...computer freaks. See also control freak. = fanatic People are sometimes referred to as freaks when their behaviour or attitude is very different from that of the majority of people.     However, outside of these institutions the black thinking woman is looked upon as a freak.     Not so long ago, transsexuals were regarded as freaks. If you refer to someone as a freak, you mean that they are physically abnormal in some way. This use could cause offence. If someone freaks, or if something freaks them, they suddenly feel extremely surprised, upset, angry, or confused. (INFORMAL)     I saw five cop cars pull into the driveway. And I literally freaked.     I think they got freaked by women laughing at them. Freak out means the same as freak.     I remember the first time I went onstage. I freaked out completely.     I think our music freaks people out sometimes.     It sort of frightens me. I guess I am kind of freaked out by it.

Q: fringe [frindV]

A: A fringe is hair which is cut so that it hangs over your forehead. (BRIT; in AM use bangs) A fringe is a decoration attached to clothes, or other objects such as curtains, consisting of a row of hanging strips or threads.     The jacket had leather fringes. To be on the fringe or the fringes of a place means to be on the outside edge of it, or to be in one of the parts that are farthest from its centre.     ...black townships located on the fringes of the city...     They lived together in a mixed household on the fringe of a campus. The fringe or the fringes of an activity or organization are its less important, least typical, or most extreme parts, rather than its main and central part.     The party remained on the fringe of the political scene until last year. Fringe groups or events are less important or popular than other related groups or events.     The monarchists are a small fringe group who quarrel fiercely among themselves.     ...the numerous fringe meetings held during the party conference.

Q: front-page FRONT-PAGE

A: A front-page article or picture appears on the front page of a newspaper because it is very important or interesting.     ...a front-page article in last week's paper.

Q: frontier [5frQntjE]

A: A frontier is a border between two countries. (BRIT; in AM usually use border)     It wasn't difficult then to cross the frontier. When you are talking about the western part of America before the twentieth century, you use frontier to refer to the area beyond the part settled by Europeans.     ...a far-flung outpost on the frontier. The frontiers of something, especially knowledge, are the limits to which it extends.     ...pushing back the frontiers of science.     ...technological frontiers.

Q: funeral [5fju:nErEl]

A: A funeral is the ceremony that is held when the body of someone who has died is buried or cremated.     His funeral will be on Thursday at Blackburn Cathedral.     He was given a state funeral. If someone says to you `It's your funeral', they think your decision or your actions will have bad consequences for you, but they are unwilling to interfere. (INFORMAL)     None of my business, I guess. It's your funeral.

Q: gamble [5gAmbl]

A: A gamble is a risky action or decision that you take in the hope of gaining money, success, or an advantage over other people.     Yesterday, he named his cabinet and took a big gamble in the process.     ...the French president's risky gamble in calling a referendum. = risk If you gamble on something, you take a risky action or decision in the hope of gaining money, success, or an advantage over other people.     Few firms will be willing to gamble on new products.     They are not prepared to gamble their careers on this matter.     Who wants to gamble with the life of a friend?. If you gamble an amount of money, you bet it in a game such as cards or on the result of a race or competition. People who gamble usually do it frequently.     Most people visit Las Vegas to gamble their hard-earned money.     John gambled heavily on the horses.     Britain is the only country in Europe that allows minors to gamble.     He gambled away his family estates on a single throw of the dice. = bet

Q: garage [5gArB:(d)V]

A: A garage is a building in which you keep a car. A garage is often built next to or as part of a house. A garage is a place where you can get your car repaired. In Britain, you can also buy fuel for your car, or buy cars.     Nancy took her car to a local garage for a check-up.     Nelson Garage has the used car you're after.

Q: gardener [5gB:dnE(r)]

A: A gardener is a person who is paid to work in someone else's garden. A gardener is someone who enjoys working in their own garden growing flowers or vegetables.     The majority of sweet peas are still bred by enthusiastic amateur gardeners.

Q: garment [5gB:mEnt]

A: A garment is a piece of clothing; used especially in contexts where you are talking about the manufacture or sale of clothes.     Many of the garments have the customers' name tags sewn into the linings.

Q: gasp [gB:sp]

A: A gasp is a short quick breath of air that you take in through your mouth, especially when you are surprised, shocked, or in pain.     An audible gasp went round the court as the jury announced the verdict.     She gave a small gasp of pain. When you gasp, you take a short quick breath through your mouth, especially when you are surprised, shocked, or in pain.     She gasped for air and drew in a lungful of water.     I heard myself gasp and cry out. You describe something as the last gasp to emphasize that it is the final part of something or happens at the last possible moment.     ...the last gasp of a dying system of censorship.     He snatched a last gasp winner.

Q: hen [hen]

A: A hen is a female chicken. People often keep hens in order to eat or sell their eggs. The female of any bird can be referred to as a hen.     ...ostrich hens.

Q: gathering [5gATEriN]

A: A gathering is a group of people meeting together for a particular purpose.     ...the twenty-second annual gathering of the South Pacific Forum. If there is gathering darkness, the light is gradually decreasing, usually because it is nearly night.     The lighthouse beam was quite distinct in the gathering dusk. See also gather.

Q: generator [5dVenEreitE]

A: A generator is a machine which produces electricity. A generator of something is a person, organization, product, or situation which produces it or causes it to happen.     The US economy is still an impressive generator of new jobs.     The company has been a very good cash generator.

Q: genre [VB:Nr]

A: A genre is a particular type of literature, painting, music, film, or other art form which people consider as a class because it has special characteristics. (FORMAL)     ...his love of films and novels in the horror genre.

Q: ghost [gEust]

A: A ghost is the spirit of a dead person that someone believes they can see or feel.     ...the ghost of Marie Antoinette...     The village is haunted by the ghosts of the dead children. The ghost of something, especially of something bad that has happened, is the memory of it.     The President is using the two visits to lay the ghosts of the Munich Agreement.     ...the ghost of anti-Americanism. If there is a ghost of something, that thing is so faint or weak that it hardly exists.     He gave the ghost of a smile.     The sun was warm and there was just a ghost of a breeze from the north-west. If a book or other piece of writing is ghosted, it is written by a writer for another person, for example a politician or sportsman, who then publishes it as his or her own work.     I published his autobiography, which was very competently ghosted by a woman journalist from the Daily Mail.     I ghosted his weekly rugby column for the Telegraph. = ghost-write If someone does not stand or does not have a ghost of a chance of doing something, they have very little chance of succeeding in it. (INFORMAL)     He doesn't stand a ghost of a chance of selling the house. If someone gives up the ghost, they stop trying to do something because they no longer believe they can do it successfully. If a machine gives up the ghost, it stops working. (INFORMAL)     Some firms give up the ghost before they find what they are looking for.     The battery in my car gave up the ghost. = give up

Q: gig [gig]

A: A gig is a live performance by someone such as a musician or a comedian. (INFORMAL)     The two bands join forces for a gig at the Sheffield Arena on November 28.     He supplemented his income with occasional comedy gigs. = show When musicians or other performers gig, they perform live in public. (INFORMAL)     By the time he was 15, Scott had gigged with a handful of well-known small bands.     ...ten years of gigging in bars and clubs all over Kentucky. = perform

Q: gilt [gilt]

A: A gilt object is covered with a thin layer of gold or gold paint.     ...marble columns and gilt spires. Gilts are gilt-edged stocks or securities. (BRIT)

Q: gland [glAnd]

A: A gland is an organ in the body which produces chemical substances for the body to use or get rid of.     ...the hormones secreted by our endocrine glands.     ...sweat glands.

Q: glow [glEu]

A: A glow is a dull, steady light, for example the light produced by a fire when there are no flames.     The cigarette's red glow danced about in the darkness.     The rising sun casts a golden glow over the fields. A glow is a pink colour on a person's face, usually because they are healthy or have been exercising.     The moisturiser gave my face a healthy glow that lasted all day. If you feel a glow of satisfaction or achievement, you have a strong feeling of pleasure because of something that you have done or that has happened.     Exercise will give you a glow of satisfaction at having achieved something.     As he looked around he felt a glow of pride in Katrina as he realized what she had accomplished. If something glows, it produces a dull, steady light.     The night lantern glowed softly in the darkness.     Even the mantel above the fire glowed white. If a place glows with a colour or a quality, it is bright, attractive, and colourful.     Used together these colours will make your interiors glow with warmth and vitality.     ...carved wood bathed in glowing colors and gold leaf. If something glows, it looks bright because it is reflecting light.     The instruments glowed in the bright orange

Q: goalkeeper [5gEulki:pE(r)]

A: A goalkeeper is the player in a sports team whose job is to guard the goal. = goalie

Q: goat [gEut]

A: A goat is a farm animal or a wild animal that is about the size of a sheep. Goats have horns, and hairs on their chin which resemble a beard.

Q: golfer [5gClfE(r),5gCf-]

A: A golfer is a person who plays golf for pleasure or as a profession.

Q: gym [dVim]

A: A gym is a club, building, or large room, usually containing special equipment, where people go to do physical exercise and get fit.     While the lads are golfing, I work out in the gym.     ...the school gym. Gym is the activity of doing physical exercises in a gym, especially at school. (INFORMAL)     ...gym classes.

Q: goose [gu:s]

A: A goose is a large bird that has a long neck and webbed feet. Geese are often farmed for their meat. Goose is the meat from a goose that has been cooked.     ...roast goose. If you cook someone's goose, you prevent their plans from succeeding.     He said that what they were up to would cook Krasky's goose. If someone kills the goose that lays the golden egg, they harm or destroy the person or thing that gives them their money, power, or advantage.     Unregulated tourism can kill the goose that laid their golden egg. If you say what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, you mean what is acceptable for one person in a particular situation should be acceptable for another person in a similar situation.

Q: gown [gaun]

A: A gown is a dress, usually a long dress, which women wear on formal occasions.     The new ball gown was a great success.     ...wedding gowns. A gown is a loose black garment worn on formal occasions by people such as lawyers and academics.     ...an old headmaster in a flowing black gown.

Q: gradual [5grAdjuEl]

A: A gradual change or process occurs in small stages over a long period of time, rather than suddenly.     Losing weight is a slow, gradual process.     You can expect her progress at school to be gradual rather than brilliant.

Q: grate [greit]

A: A grate is a framework of metal bars in a fireplace, which holds the coal or wood.     A wood fire burned in the grate. If you grate food such as cheese or carrots, you rub it over a metal tool called a grater so that the food is cut into very small pieces.     Grate the cheese into a mixing bowl.     ...grated carrot. When something grates, it rubs against something else making a harsh, unpleasant sound.     His chair grated as he got to his feet.     The gun barrel grated against the floor. If something such as someone's behaviour grates on you or grates, it makes you feel annoyed.     His manner always grated on me.     What truly grates is the painful banter.

Q: greenhouse [5gri:nhaus]

A: A greenhouse is a glass building in which you grow plants that need to be protected from bad weather. Greenhouse means relating to or causing the greenhouse effect.     ...the consequences of the buildup of greenhouse gases.

Q: grill [gril]

A: A grill is a part of a stove which produces strong heat to cook food that has been placed underneath it. (BRIT; in AM use broiler)     Place the omelette under a gentle grill until the top is set. A grill is a flat frame of metal bars on which food can be cooked over a fire. When you grill food, or when it grills, you cook it using very strong heat directly above or below it. (BRIT; in AM use broil)     Grill the meat for 20 minutes each side.     Apart from peppers and aubergines, many other vegetables grill well.     ...grilled chicken. * grilling     The breast can be cut into portions for grilling. If you grill someone about something, you ask them a lot of questions for a long period of time. (INFORMAL)     Grill your travel agent about the facilities for families with children.     The police grilled him for hours. = interrogate * grilling grillings     They gave him a grilling about the implications of a united Europe. A grill is a restaurant that serves grilled food.

Q: groove [gru:v]

A: A groove is a deep line cut into a surface.     Prior to assembly, grooves were made in the shelf, base and sides to accommodate the back panel. In popular music, a groove is a rhythm. (INFORMAL)     ...Latin and African grooves.

Q: grove [grEuv]

A: A grove is a group of trees that are close together.     ...open fields and groves of trees.     ...an olive grove. Grove is often used as part of the name of a street. (mainly BRIT)     ...47 Canada Grove, Bognor Regis.

Q: grower [5grEuE(r)]

A: A grower is a person who grows large quantities of a particular plant or crop in order to sell them.     England's apple growers are fighting an uphill battle against foreign competition.

Q: guardian [5gB:djEn]

A: A guardian is someone who has been legally appointed to look after the affairs of another person, for example a child or someone who is mentally ill. The guardian of something is someone who defends and protects it.     The National Party is lifting its profile as socially conservative guardian of traditional values.

Q: guild [gild]

A: A guild is an organization of people who do the same job.     ...the Writers' Guild of America.

Q: gunman [5gQnmEn]

A: A gunman is a man who uses a gun to commit a crime such as murder or robbery.     Two policemen were killed when gunmen opened fire on their patrol vehicle.

Q: hammer [5hAmE]

A: A hammer is a tool that consists of a heavy piece of metal at the end of a handle. It is used, for example, to hit nails into a piece of wood or a wall, or to break things into pieces.     He used a hammer and chisel to chip away at the wall. If you hammer an object such as a nail, you hit it with a hammer.     To avoid damaging the tree, hammer a wooden peg into the hole.     Builders were still hammering outside the window. Hammer in means the same as hammer.     The workers kneel on the ground and hammer the small stones in. * hammering     The noise of hammering was dulled by the secondary glazing. If you hammer on a surface, you hit it several times in order to make a noise, or to emphasize something you are saying when you are angry.     We had to hammer and shout before they would open up.     A crowd of reporters was hammering on the door.     He hammered his two clenched fists on the table. = pound * hammering     As he said it, there was a hammering outside. If you hammer something such as an idea into people or you hammer at it, you keep repeating it forcefully so that it will have a

Q: handful [5hAndful]

A: A handful of people or things is a small number of them.     He surveyed the handful of customers at the bar.     One spring morning a handful of potential investors assembled in Quincy. A handful of something is the amount of it that you can hold in your hand.     She scooped up a handful of sand and let it trickle through her fingers. If you say that someone, especially a child, is a handful, you mean that they are difficult to control. (INFORMAL)     Zara can be a handful sometimes.

Q: handicap [5hAndikAp]

A: A handicap is a physical or mental disability.     He lost his leg when he was ten, but learnt to overcome his handicap. A handicap is an event or situation that places you at a disadvantage and makes it harder for you to do something.     She was away from school for 15 weeks, a handicap she could have done without.     Being a foreigner was not a handicap. If an event or a situation handicaps someone or something, it places them at a disadvantage.     Greater levels of stress may seriously handicap some students.     The industrial injuries scheme takes into account the actual disability and whether it handicaps a person in working. In golf, a handicap is an advantage given to someone who is not a good player, in order to make the players more equal. As you improve, your handicap gets lower.     I see your handicap is down from 16 to 12. In horse racing, a handicap is a race in which some competitors are given a disadvantage of extra weight in an attempt to give everyone an equal chance of winning.

Q: handsome [5hAnsEm]

A: A handsome man has an attractive face with regular features.     ...a tall, dark, handsome sheep farmer. = good-looking A handsome woman has an attractive appearance with features that are large and regular rather than small and delicate and that are considered to show strength of character.     ...an extremely handsome woman with a beautiful voice. A handsome sum of money is a large or generous amount. (FORMAL)     They will make a handsome profit on the property. * handsomely     He was rewarded handsomely for his efforts. A place such as a building or garden that is handsome is large and well made with an attractive appearance.     ...the ports of Dubrovnik and Zadar, with their handsome Renaissance buildings. * handsomely     The drawing-room is handsomely proportioned. If someone has a handsome win or a handsome victory, they get many more points or votes than their opponent.     The opposition won a handsome victory in the election. * handsomely     The car ran perfectly to the finish, and we won handsomely.

Q: hasty [5heisti]

A: A hasty movement, action, or statement is sudden, and often done in reaction to something that has just happened.     One company is giving its employees airplane tickets in the event they need to make a hasty escape. = swift, quick * hastily     `It may be satisfying, but it's not fun.' `No, I'm sure it's not,' said Virginia hastily. `I didn't mean that.' = swiftly A hasty event or action is one that is completed more quickly than normal.     After the hasty meal, the men had moved forward to take up their positions. = quick, hurried * hastily     He said good night hastily, promising that he would phone Hans in the morning.     The survivors were recovering in hastily erected tents. = hurriedly If you describe a person or their behaviour as hasty, you mean that they are acting too quickly, without thinking carefully, for example because they are angry.     So let's not be hasty. After all, he can't run away.     A number of the United States' allies had urged him not to take a hasty decision. = rash * hastily     I decided that nothing should be done hastily, that things had to be sorted out carefully.

Q: herb [hE:b]

A: A herb is a plant whose leaves are used in cooking to add flavour to food, or as a medicine.

Q: hawk [hC:k]

A: A hawk is a large bird with a short, hooked beak, sharp claws, and very good eyesight. Hawks catch and eat small birds and animals. If you refer to someone as a hawk, you mean that they believe in using force and violence to achieve something, rather than using more peaceful or diplomatic methods. Compare dove.     Both hawks and doves have expanded their conditions for ending the war. <> dove If someone hawks goods, they sell them by walking through the streets or knocking at people's houses, and asking people to buy them. (OLD-FASHIONED)     ...vendors hawking trinkets. = peddle You can say that someone is hawking something if you do not like the forceful way in which they are asking people to buy it.     Developers will be hawking cut-price flats and houses. Hawk around means the same as hawk. (BRIT)     He is hawking around a 15-minute, {Pound}5,000 promotional video.     Most of the women were hawking food around the various prisons. If someone hawks, they noisily clear mucus from their throat and spit it out. (OLD-FASHIONED)     He hawked and spat. If you watch someone like a hawk, you observe them very carefully, usually to make sure that they do not make a mistake or do something you do not want them to do.

Q: hazard [5hAzEd]

A: A hazard is something which could be dangerous to you, your health or safety, or your plans or reputation.     A new report suggests that chewing-gum may be a health hazard.     Oil leaking from a barge in the Mississippi River poses a hazard to the drinking water of New Orleans. If you hazard someone or something, you put them into a situation which might be dangerous for them. (mainly WRITTEN)     He could not believe that, had the Englishman known how much he was at risk, he would have hazarded his grandson. = endanger If you hazard or if you hazard a guess, you make a suggestion about something which is only a guess and which you know might be wrong.     I would hazard a guess that they'll do fairly well in the next election.     `Fifteen or sixteen?' Mrs Dearden hazarded.

Q: heap [hi:p]

A: A heap of things is a pile of them, especially a pile arranged in a rather untidy way.     ...a heap of bricks.     ...a compost heap...     He has dug up the tiles that cover the floor and left them in a heap. = mound If you heap things in a pile, you arrange them in a large pile.     Mrs. Madrigal heaped more carrots onto Michael's plate. Heap up means the same as heap.     Off to one side, the militia was heaping up wood for a bonfire. If you heap praise or criticism on someone or something, you give them a lot of praise or criticism.     The head of the navy heaped scorn on both the methods and motives of the conspirators. Heaps of something or a heap of something is a large quantity of it. (INFORMAL)     You have heaps of time.     ...a job that might suit someone with heaps of experience...     I got in a heap of trouble. = loads Someone who is at the bottom of the heap or at the top of the heap is low down or high up in society or an organization.     ...those at the top of the social heap...     Ordinary workers in state industry, once favoured, suddenly found themselves at the bottom of the heap.

Q: heated [5hi:tid]

A: A heated discussion or quarrel is one where the people involved are angry and excited.     It was a very heated argument and they were shouting at each other.     Our discussions were rather heated. <> calm If someone gets heated about something, they get angry and excited about it.     You will understand that people get a bit heated about issues such as these.     The baron became increasingly heated over the hypocrisy of it all. = worked up * heatedly     The crowd continued to argue heatedly about the best way to tackle the problem.

Q: hedge [hedV]

A: A hedge is a row of bushes or small trees, usually along the edge of a garden, field, or road. If you hedge against something unpleasant or unwanted that might affect you, especially losing money, you do something which will protect you from it.     You can hedge against redundancy or illness with insurance.     Today's clever financial instruments make it possible for firms to hedge their risks. Something that is a hedge against something unpleasant will protect you from its effects.     Gold is traditionally a hedge against inflation. If you hedge, you avoid answering a question or committing yourself to a particular action or decision.     They hedged in answering various questions about the operation.     `I can't give you an answer now,' he hedged. If you hedge your bets, you reduce the risk of losing a lot by supporting more than one person or thing in a situation where they are opposed to each other.     Hawker Siddeley tried to hedge its bets by diversifying into other fields.     Forecasters are hedging their bets about the outcome of this Saturday's Louisiana governor's race.

Q: helmet [5helmit]

A: A helmet is a hat made of a strong material which you wear to protect your head. See also crash helmet.

Q: heterosexual [7hetErEu5seksjuEl]

A: A heterosexual relationship is a sexual relationship between a man and a woman. Someone who is heterosexual is sexually attracted to people of the opposite sex. Also a noun.     In Denmark the age of consent is fifteen for both heterosexuals and homosexuals. * heterosexuality     ...a challenge to the assumption that heterosexuality was `normal'.

Q: hierarchy [5haiErB:ki]

A: A hierarchy is a system of organizing people into different ranks or levels of importance, for example in society or in a company.     Like most other American companies with a rigid hierarchy, workers and managers had strictly defined duties.     She rose up the Tory hierarchy by the local government route.     Even in the desert there was a kind of social hierarchy. The hierarchy of an organization such as the Church is the group of people who manage and control it. A hierarchy of ideas and beliefs involves organizing them into a system or structure. (FORMAL)     ...the notion of `cultural imperialism', implies a hierarchy of cultures, some of which are stronger than others.

Q: hike [haik]

A: A hike is a long walk in the country, especially one that you go on for pleasure. = walk If you hike, you go for a long walk in the country.     You could hike through the Fish River Canyon -- it's entirely up to you.     We plan to hike the Samaria Gorge. = walk * hiking     ...some harder, more strenuous hiking on cliff pathways.     ...heavy hiking boots. A hike is a sudden or large increase in prices, rates, taxes, or quantities. (INFORMAL)     ...a sudden 1.75 per cent hike in Italian interest rates...     His economic plan, with its tax hikes and spending cuts, will slow the economy. = rise To hike prices, rates, taxes, or quantities means to increase them suddenly or by a large amount. (INFORMAL)     It has now been forced to hike its rates by 5.25 per cent.     TSB's monthly credit card rate is now hiked from 1.95% to 2.05%.     The federal government hiked the tax on hard liquor. = raise Hike up means the same as hike.     The insurers have started hiking up premiums by huge amounts.     Big banks were hiking their rates up.

Q: hobby [5hCbi]

A: A hobby is an activity that you enjoy doing in your spare time.     My hobbies are letter writing, football, music, photography, and tennis. = pastime

Q: hostel [5hCstEl]

A: A hostel is a large house where people can stay cheaply for a short period of time. Hostels are usually owned by local government authorities or charities. (mainly BRIT) See also youth hostel.

Q: hound [haund]

A: A hound is a type of dog that is often used for hunting or racing.     Rainey's chief interest in life is hunting with hounds. If someone hounds you, they constantly disturb or speak to you in an annoying or upsetting way.     Newcomers are constantly hounding them for advice.     From the start of the season, the Arsenal striker has been hounded by the press. If someone is hounded out of a job or place, they are forced to leave it, often because other people are constantly criticizing them.     There is a general view around that he has been hounded out of office by the press.

Q: human being HUMAN BEING

A: A human being is a man, woman, or child.

Q: humble [5hQmbl]

A: A humble person is not proud and does not believe that they are better than other people.     He gave a great performance, but he was very humble.     Andy was a humble, courteous and gentle man.     ...a humble apology. = unassuming <> proud * humbly     `I'm a lucky man, undeservedly lucky,' he said humbly. People with low social status are sometimes described as humble.     Spyros Latsis started his career as a humble fisherman in the Aegean.     He came from a fairly humble, poor background. = lowly A humble place or thing is ordinary and not special in any way.     There are restaurants, both humble and expensive, that specialize in them.     Varndell made his own reflector for these shots from a strip of humble kitchen foil. People use the word humble in a phrase such as in my humble opinion as a polite way of emphasizing what they think, even though they do not feel humble about it.     It is, in my humble opinion, perhaps the best steak restaurant in Great Britain. = modest * humbly     So may I humbly suggest we all do something next time. If you eat humble pie, you speak or behave in a way which tells people that you admit you were wrong about something.     Anson was forced to eat humble pie and publicly apologise to her.

Q: hurdle [5hE:dl]

A: A hurdle is a problem, difficulty, or part of a process that may prevent you from achieving something.     Two-thirds of candidates fail at this first hurdle and are packed off home.     The weather will be the biggest hurdle so I have to be ready. = obstacle Hurdles is a race in which people have to jump over a number of obstacles, that are also called hurdles. You can use hurdles to refer to one or more races.     Davis won the 400m. hurdles in a new Olympic time of 49.3 sec. If you hurdle, you jump over something while you are running.     He crossed the lawn and hurdled the short fence.     She learnt to hurdle by leaping over bales of hay on her family's farm.

Q: hurricane [5hQrikEn, -kin]

A: A hurricane is an extremely violent wind or storm.

Q: hut [hQt]

A: A hut is a small house with only one or two rooms, especially one which is made of wood, mud, grass, or stones. A hut is a small wooden building in someone's garden, or a temporary building used by builders or repair workers. = shed

Q: hybrid [5haibrid]

A: A hybrid is an animal or plant that has been bred from two different species of animal or plant. (TECHNICAL)     All these brightly coloured hybrids are so lovely in the garden.     ...a hybrid between watermint and spearmint. Also an adjective.     ...the hybrid maize seed. You can use hybrid to refer to anything that is a mixture of other things, especially two other things.     ...a hybrid of solid and liquid fuel. Also an adjective.     ...a hybrid system.

Q: jack [dVAk]

A: A jack is a device for lifting a heavy object off the ground, for example a car. A jack is a playing card whose value is between a ten and a queen. A jack is usually represented by a picture of a young man. = knave

Q: jar [dVB:]

A: A jar is a glass container with a lid that is used for storing food.     ...yellow cucumbers in great glass jars. You can use jar to refer to a jar and its contents, or to the contents only.     She opened up a glass jar of plums.     ...two jars of filter coffee. If you have a jar, you have a drink with friends in a pub. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     They had a few jars together. If something jars on you, you find it unpleasant, disturbing, or shocking.     Sometimes a light remark jarred on her father.     ...televised congressional hearings that jarred the nation's faith in the presidency...     You shouldn't have too many colours in a small space as the effect can jar. * jarring     In the context of this chapter, Dore's comments strike a jarring note. = grating If an object jars, or if something jars it, the object moves with a fairly hard shaking movement.     The ship jarred a little.     The impact jarred his arm.

Q: jewel [5dVu:El]

A: A jewel is a precious stone used to decorate valuable things that you wear, such as rings or necklaces.     ...a golden box containing precious jewels. See also crown jewels. If you describe something or someone as a jewel, you mean that they are better, more beautiful, or more special than other similar things or than other people.     Walk down Castle Street and admire our little jewel of a cathedral.     Alan, you're a jewel. = treasure If you refer to an achievement or thing as the jewel in someone's crown, you mean that it is considered to be their greatest achievement or the thing they can be most proud of.     His achievement is astonishing and this book is the jewel in his crown.

Q: jockey [5dVCki]

A: A jockey is someone who rides a horse in a race. If someone is jockeying for position, they are using whatever methods they can in order to get into a better position than their rivals.     The rival political parties are already jockeying for power.     Already, both sides are jockeying to belittle the other side.

Q: jumper [5dVQmpE]

A: A jumper is a warm knitted piece of clothing which covers the upper part of your body and your arms. (BRIT; in AM use sweater)     With her simple jumper and skirt, Isabel looked like a young girl again. = sweater, pullover A jumper is a sleeveless dress that is worn over a blouse or sweater. (AM; in BRIT use pinafore)     She wore a checkered jumper and had ribbons in her hair. If you refer to a person or a horse as a particular kind of jumper, you are describing how good they are at jumping or the way that they jump.     He is a terrific athlete and a brilliant jumper.     Horses are not natural jumpers. A particular kind of jumper is an athlete who takes part in a particular jumping event.     Packer began her career as a long jumper.

Q: junction [5dVQNkFEn]

A: A junction is a place where roads or railway lines join. In American English, the more usual word is intersection, especially when referring to roads.     Follow the road to a junction and turn left.     Leave the M1 at junction 25.     There's a good British Rail link at Clapham Junction.

Q: ladder [5lAdE]

A: A ladder is a piece of equipment used for climbing up something or down from something. It consists of two long pieces of wood, metal, or rope with steps fixed between them. You can use ladder to refer to something such as a society, organization, or system which has different levels that people can progress up or drop down.     If they want to climb the ladder of success they should be given that opportunity.     She admired her mother's sister for moving up the social ladder. A ladder is a hole or torn part in a woman's stocking or tights, where some of the vertical threads have broken, leaving only the horizontal threads. (mainly BRIT; in AM use run)     Her hair was a mess and there was a ladder in her tights.

Q: jungle [5dVQNgl]

A: A jungle is a forest in a tropical country where large numbers of tall trees and plants grow very close together.     ...the mountains and jungles of Papua New Guinea...     The seventy square miles of the mountain area were covered entirely in dense jungle.     ...a remote jungle area. If you describe a place as a jungle, you are emphasizing that it is full of lots of things and very untidy.     ...a jungle of stuffed sofas, stuffed birds, knick-knacks, potted plants. If you describe a situation as a jungle, you dislike it because it is complicated and difficult to get what you want from it.     Social security law and procedure remain a jungle of complex rules.     ...the examination jungle. If you refer to the law of the jungle, you are referring to a situation in which there are no laws or rules to govern the way that people behave and people use force to get what they want.     If you make aggression pay, this becomes the law of the jungle.     The law of the jungle demands: kill or be killed. Jungle is a style of dance music with a fast drum beat.

Q: justification [dVQstifi5keiF(E)n]

A: A justification for something is an acceptable reason or explanation for it.     To me the only justification for a zoo is educational.     I knew from the beginning that there was no justification for what I was doing. = defence, excuse

Q: juvenile [5dVu:vinail]

A: A juvenile is a child or young person who is not yet old enough to be regarded as an adult. (FORMAL)     The number of juveniles in the general population has fallen by a fifth in the past 10 years. Juvenile activity or behaviour involves young people who are not yet adults.     Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate.     ...a scheme to lock up persistent juvenile offenders. = childish If you describe someone's behaviour as juvenile, you are critical of it because you think that it is silly or childish.     He's a typical male, as he gets older he becomes more juvenile. = childish Young animals are sometimes referred to as juveniles.

Q: kindly [5kaindli]

A: A kindly person is kind, caring, and sympathetic.     He was a stern critic but an extremely kindly man. * kindliness     His kindliness and warmth made him particularly effective with staff welfare. If someone kindly does something for you, they act in a thoughtful and helpful way.     He kindly carried our picnic in a rucksack.     He had very kindly asked me to the cocktail party that evening. If someone asks you to kindly do something, they are asking you in a way which shows that they have authority over you, or that they are angry with you. (FORMAL)     Will you kindly obey the instructions I am about to give? If you look kindly on or look kindly upon someone or something, you support them or approve of what they are doing.     Recent historical work looks kindly on the regime. If someone does not take kindly to something, they do not like it.     She did not take kindly to being offered advice on her social life.     It is hard to imagine her taking kindly to too much interference.

Q: kingdom [5kiNdEm]

A: A kingdom is a country or region that is ruled by a king or queen.     The kingdom's power declined.     ...the United Kingdom.     ...the Kingdom of Denmark. A kingdom is a place or area that is thought to be under the control of a person or organization.     It was infamous as a kingdom of brigands, scoundrels, and slave-traders. All the animals, birds, and insects in the world can be referred to together as the animal kingdom. All the plants can be referred to as the plant kingdom.

Q: kit [kit]

A: A kit is a group of items that are kept together, often in the same container, because they are all used for similar purposes.     Make sure you keep a well-stocked first aid kit ready to deal with any emergency.     The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items and a lady's shaver. Kit is special clothing and equipment that you use when you take part in a particular activity, especially a sport. (mainly BRIT)     I forgot my gym kit. A kit is a set of parts that can be put together in order to make something.     Her popular potholder is also available in do-it-yourself kits. If someone gets their kit off or takes their kit off, they take off all their clothes. If they keep their kit on, they do not take off all their clothes, even though people may be expecting them to. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     I don't like taking my kit off on screen.     Back in the Fifties, social convention required that males models keep their kit on.

Q: lamb [lAm]

A: A lamb is a young sheep. Lamb is the flesh of a lamb eaten as food.     Laura was basting the leg of lamb. People sometimes use lamb when they are addressing or referring to someone who they are fond of and who is young, gentle, or unfortunate.     She came and put her arms around me. `You poor lamb. What's wrong?' If you say that people do something like lambs or like lambs to the slaughter, you mean that they do what someone wants them to do without complaining or fighting.     The pair surrendered to him like lambs.     We follow their every word like lambs to the slaughter.

Q: lamp [lAmp]

A: A lamp is a light that works by using electricity or by burning oil or gas.     She switched on the bedside lamp.     In the evenings we eat by the light of an oil lamp. A lamp is an electrical device which produces a special type of light or heat, used especially in medical or beauty treatment.     ...a sun lamp.     ...the use of infra-red lamps.

Q: landmark [5lAndmB:k]

A: A landmark is a building or feature which is easily noticed and can be used to judge your position or the position of other buildings or features.     The Ambassador Hotel is a Los Angeles landmark. You can refer to an important stage in the development of something as a landmark.     ...a landmark arms control treaty...     The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship.

Q: large-scale LARGE-SCALE

A: A large-scale action or event happens over a very wide area or involves a lot of people or things.     ...a large scale military operation. A large-scale map or diagram represents a small area of land or a building or machine on a scale that is large enough for small details to be shown.     ...a large-scale map of the county.

Q: laser [5leizE]

A: A laser is a narrow beam of concentrated light produced by a special machine. It is used for cutting very hard materials, and in many technical fields such as surgery and telecommunications.     ...new laser technology...     Researchers realised that a tunable laser beam might be useful in surgery. A laser is a machine that produces a laser beam.     ...the first-ever laser, built in 1960.

Q: lawmaker [5lC:meikE(r)]

A: A lawmaker is someone such as a politician who is responsible for proposing and passing new laws. (AM)

Q: lawn [lC:n]

A: A lawn is an area of grass that is kept cut short and is usually part of someone's garden or backyard, or part of a park.     They were sitting on the lawn under a large beech tree.

Q: lawsuit [5lC:su:t, 5lC:sju:t]

A: A lawsuit is a case in a court of law which concerns a dispute between two people or organizations. (FORMAL)     The dispute culminated last week in a lawsuit against the government.     ...a lawsuit brought by Barclays Bank.

Q: lead-in [5li:d5in]

A: A lead-in is something that is said or done as an introduction before the main subject or event, especially before a radio or television programme.     They were thrilled, finally, to have a decent lead-in for their 9 a.m. local programs.

Q: leaflet [5li:flit]

A: A leaflet is a little book or a piece of paper containing information about a particular subject.     Campaigners handed out leaflets on passive smoking.     ...a leaflet called `Sexual Harassment at Work'. If you leaflet a place, you distribute leaflets there, for example by handing them to people, or by putting them through letter boxes.     We've leafleted the university today to try to drum up some support.     The only reason we leafleted on the Jewish New Year was because more people than usual go to the synagogue on that day.

Q: lecturer [5lektFErE]

A: A lecturer is a teacher at a university or college.     ...a lecturer in law at Southampton University.

Q: legacy [5legEsi]

A: A legacy is money or property which someone leaves to you when they die.     You could make a real difference to someone's life by leaving them a generous legacy. A legacy of an event or period of history is something which is a direct result of it and which continues to exist after it is over.     ...a programme to overcome the legacy of inequality and injustice created by Apartheid...     The old system has left a mixed legacy.

Q: legend [5ledVEnd]

A: A legend is a very old and popular story that may be true.     ...the legends of ancient Greece.     ...the Robin Hood legend...     The play was based on Irish legend. If you refer to someone as a legend, you mean that they are very famous and admired by a lot of people.     ...blues legends John Lee Hooker and B.B. King. A legend is a story that people talk about, concerning people, places, or events that exist or are famous at the present time.     The incident has since become a family legend.     His frequent brushes with death are the stuff of legend among the press.

Q: liner [5lainE]

A: A liner is a large ship in which people travel long distances, especially on holiday.     ...luxury ocean liners.     ...the cruise liner, the QE2. See also bin liner.

Q: lion [5laiEn]

A: A lion is a large wild member of the cat family that is found in Africa. Lions have yellowish fur, and male lions have long hair on their head and neck.

Q: lemon [5lemEn]

A: A lemon is a bright yellow fruit with very sour juice. Lemons grow on trees in warm countries.     ...a slice of lemon.     ...oranges, lemons and other citrus fruits.     ...lemon juice. Lemon is a drink that tastes of lemons. Lemon is the same as lemon yellow. If you think that something is a failure, or not as good or as useful as it should be, you can say that it is a lemon. (INFORMAL)     He took a little test drive and agreed the car was a lemon. If you think that someone looks foolish because they are shy or slow to take action, you can say that they are like a lemon. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     I just stood there like a lemon.

Q: lender [5lendE]

A: A lender is a person or an institution that lends money to people.     ...the six leading mortgage lenders.

Q: levy [5levi]

A: A levy is a sum of money that you have to pay, for example as a tax to the government.     ...an annual motorway levy on all drivers. If a government or organization levies a tax or other sum of money, it demands it from people or organizations.     They levied religious taxes on Christian commercial transactions.     Taxes should not be levied without the authority of Parliament.

Q: lid [lid]

A: A lid is the top of a box or other container which can be removed or raised when you want to open the container. = top Your lids are the pieces of skin which cover your eyes when you close them.     A dull pain began to throb behind his lids. = eyelid If you say that someone is keeping the lid on an activity or a piece of information, you mean that they are restricting the activity or are keeping the information secret. (INFORMAL)     The soldiers' presence seemed to keep a lid on the violence.     Their finance ministry is still trying to put a lid on the long-simmering securities scandal. If you say that you want to keep a lid on the cost of doing something, you mean that you want to prevent it costing you more than you feel is reasonable.     If our industry is to remain competitive it must mean keeping a lid on prices. = limit

Q: lieutenant [lef5tenEnt; le5tenEnt; lju:5tenEnt]

A: A lieutenant is a person who holds a junior officer's rank in the army, navy, marines, or air force, or in the American police force.     Lieutenant Campbell ordered the man at the wheel to steer for the gunboat. Also a combining form.     ...Lieutenant Colonel Gale Carter. If you refer to someone as a person's lieutenant, you mean they are that person's assistant, especially their main assistant, in an organization or activity.     He was my right-hand man, my lieutenant on the field, a cool, calculated footballer. = second-in-command

Q: lifetime [5laiftaim]

A: A lifetime is the length of time that someone is alive.     During my lifetime I haven't got around to much travelling.     ...a trust fund to be administered throughout his wife's lifetime.     ...an extraordinary lifetime of achievement. The lifetime of a particular thing is the period of time that it lasts.     ...the lifetime of a parliament.     ...a satellite's lifetime. If you describe something as the chance or experience of a lifetime, you are emphasizing that it is the best or most important chance or experience that you are ever likely to have.     This could be not just the trip of a lifetime but the experience of a lifetime.

Q: lime [laim]

A: A lime is a green fruit that tastes like a lemon. Limes grow on trees in tropical countries.     ...peeled slices of lime...     Oranges, lemons and limes were found to cure scurvy.     Add a few drops of lime juice. Lime is a drink that tastes of limes.     ...a pint of lager and lime. A lime is a large tree with pale green leaves. It is often planted in parks in towns and cities.     ...dilapidated avenues of limes. = linden Lime is a substance containing calcium. It is found in soil and water.     If your soil is very acid, add lime. Also a combining form.     ...lime-rich sand.     ...old lime-stained baths.

Q: line-up LINE-UP

A: A line-up is a group of people or a series of things that have been gathered together to be part of a particular event.     Ryan Giggs is likely to be in Wales's starting line-up for their World Cup qualifying match.     The programme is back for a new series with a great line-up of musicians and comedy acts. At a line-up, a witness to a crime tries to identify the criminal from among a line of people.     He failed to identify Graham from photographs, but later picked him out of a police line-up. = identity parade

Q: liquid [5likwid]

A: A liquid is a substance which is not solid but which flows and can be poured, for example water.     Drink plenty of liquid.     Boil for 20 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half.     Solids turn to liquids at certain temperatures. A liquid substance is in the form of a liquid rather than being solid or a gas.     Wash in warm water with liquid detergent.     ...liquid nitrogen...     Fats are solid at room temperature, and oil is liquid at room temperature. Liquid assets are the things that a person or company owns which can be quickly turned into cash if necessary. (TECHNICAL)     The bank had sufficient liquid assets to continue operations.

Q: listener [5lisnE]

A: A listener is a person who listens to the radio or to a particular radio programme.     I'm a regular listener to her show.     Each week Dr Buczacki chooses a listener's question and gives a detailed answer. If you describe someone as a good listener, you mean that they listen carefully and sympathetically to you when you talk, for example about your problems.     Dr Brian was a good listener.     If you can be a sympathetic listener, it may put your own problems in perspective.

Q: listing [5listiN]

A: A listing is a published list, or an item in a published list.     A full listing of the companies will be published quarterly.     For details of the nearest performance look in the local listings magazines.

Q: loaded [5lEudid]

A: A loaded question or word has more meaning or purpose than it appears to have, because the person who uses it hopes it will cause people to respond in a particular way.     That's a loaded question.     ...the loaded word `sexist'. If something is loaded with a particular characteristic, it has that characteristic to a very great degree.     The President's visit is loaded with symbolic significance.     The phrase is loaded with irony. If you say that something is loaded in favour of someone, you mean it works unfairly to their advantage. If you say it is loaded against them, you mean it works unfairly to their disadvantage.     The press is loaded in favour of this present government.     The article was heavily loaded against Morrissey.     ...very loaded experiments carried out by General Bobby Marshall. = biased

Q: locomotive [7lEukE5mEutiv]

A: A locomotive is a large vehicle that pulls a railway train. (FORMAL)     Steam locomotives pumped out clouds of white smoke.

Q: lodge [lCdV]

A: A lodge is a house or hut in the country or in the mountains where people stay on holiday, especially when they want to shoot or fish.     ...a Victorian hunting lodge.     ...a ski lodge. A lodge is a small house at the entrance to the grounds of a large house.     I drove out of the gates, past the keeper's lodge. In some organizations, a lodge is a local branch or meeting place of the organization.     My father would occasionally go to his Masonic lodge. If you lodge a complaint, protest, accusation, or claim, you officially make it.     He has four weeks in which to lodge an appeal. = make If you lodge somewhere, such as in someone else's house or if you are lodged there, you live there, usually paying rent.     ...the story of the farming family she lodged with as a young teacher...     The building he was lodged in turned out to be a church. If someone lodges you somewhere, they give you a place to stay, for example because they are responsible for your safety or comfort.     They took me into custody, ques

Q: log [lCg]

A: A log is a piece of a thick branch or of the trunk of a tree that has been cut so that it can be used for fuel or for making things.     He dumped the logs on the big stone hearth.     ...the original log cabin where Lincoln was born. A log is an official written account of what happens each day, for example on board a ship.     The family made an official complaint to a ship's officer, which was recorded in the log. If you log an event or fact, you record it officially in writing or on a computer.     They log everyone and everything that comes in and out of here.     Details of the crime are then logged in the computer. = record

Q: long-range LONG-RANGE

A: A long-range piece of military equipment or vehicle is able to hit or detect a target a long way away or to travel a long way in order to do something.     He is very keen to reach agreement with the US on reducing long-range nuclear missiles.     ...the growing use on the North Atlantic routes of long-range twin-engined aircraft. A long-range plan or prediction relates to a period extending a long time into the future.     Eisenhower was intensely aware of the need for long-range planning.     ...a bold, complex, and long-range strategy for improving US education.

Q: enzyme [5enzaim]

A: An enzyme is a chemical substance that is found in living creatures which produces changes in other substances without being changed itself. (TECHNICAL)

Q: long-standing [5lCNstAdiN]

A: A long-standing situation has existed for a long time.     They are on the brink of resolving their long-standing dispute over money.     ...long-standing economic links between Europe and much of Africa.

Q: loop [lu:p]

A: A loop is a curved or circular shape in something long, for example in a piece of string.     Mrs. Morrell reached for a loop of garden hose. If you loop something such as a piece of rope around an object, you tie a length of it in a loop around the object, for example in order to fasten it to the object.     He looped the rope over the wood.     He wore the watch and chain looped round his neck like a medallion. If something loops somewhere, it goes there in a circular direction that makes the shape of a loop.     The enemy was looping around the south side.     The helicopter took off and headed north. Then it looped west, heading for the hills. If someone is in the loop, they are part of a group of people who make decisions about important things, or they know about these decisions. If they are out of the loop, they do not make or know about important decisions. (mainly AM, INFORMAL)     I think that the vice president was in the loop.     These activists don't want to feel out of the loop.

Q: lump [lQmp]

A: A lump of something is a solid piece of it.     The potter shaped and squeezed the lump of clay into a graceful shape.     ...a lump of wood...     They used to buy ten kilos of beef in one lump. A lump on or in someone's body is a small, hard swelling that has been caused by an injury or an illness.     I've got a lump on my shoulder.     Howard had to have cancer surgery for a lump in his chest. A lump of sugar is a small cube of it.     ...a nugget of rough gold about the size of a lump of sugar...     `No sugar,' I said, and Jim asked for two lumps. See also sugar lump. If you say that someone will have to lump it, you mean that they must accept a situation or decision whether they like it or not. (INFORMAL)     The crew will be sleeping in the hull and will have to lump it.     William was going to kick up a fuss, but he realized he'd have to lump it. If you say that you have a lump in your throat, you mean that you have a tight feeling in your throat because of a strong emotion such as sorrow or gratitude.     I stood there with a lump in my throat and tried to fight back tears.     It was a great reception and it brought a lump to my throat.

Q: maid [meid]

A: A maid is a woman who works as a servant in a hotel or private house.     A maid brought me breakfast at half past eight. See also old maid.

Q: beard [biEd]

A: A man's beard is the hair that grows on his chin and cheeks.     He's decided to grow a beard.     ...Charlie's bushy black beard.

Q: manifesto [7mAni5festEu]

A: A manifesto is a statement published by a person or group of people, especially a political party, or a government, in which they say what their aims and policies are.     The Tories are currently drawing up their election manifesto.     His manifesto promised measures to protect them.

Q: manor [5mAnE]

A: A manor is a large private house in the country, usually built in the Middle Ages, and also includes the land and smaller buildings around it. (BRIT)     Thieves broke into the manor at night.     ...Bawdsey Manor on the Suffolk coast. Some people, especially police officers, refer to the area where they work as their manor. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     The Chief Constable deeply resented any intrusions into his manor.     Thank God they're not on my manor any more. = patch, turf

Q: mansion [5mAnFEn]

A: A mansion is a very large house.     ...an eighteenth century mansion in Hampshire...     The very best properties, however, the colonial mansions and villas, were reserved for the government. Mansions is often used in the names of blocks of flats. (BRIT)     ...Delaware Mansions, a block of 167 flats opposite the BBC Radio studios.

Q: manuscript [5mAnjuskript]

A: A manuscript is a handwritten or typed document, especially a writer's first version of a book before it is published.     He had seen a manuscript of the book.     ...discovering an original manuscript of the song in Paris...     I am grateful to him for letting me read his early chapters in manuscript. A manuscript is an old document that was written by hand before printing was invented.     ...early printed books and rare manuscripts.

Q: instructor [in5strQktE]

A: An instructor is someone who teaches a skill such as driving or skiing. In American English, instructor can also be used to refer to a schoolteacher or to a university teacher of low rank.     I recommend that you drive under tuition from an approved driving instructor.

Q: marathon [5mArEWEn]

A: A marathon is a race in which people run a distance of 26 miles, which is about 42 km.     ...running in his first marathon...     Rodgers can also claim four victories in the New York Marathon. The marathon is the sport of running marathon races.     ...when I took up the marathon. If you use marathon to describe an event or task, you are emphasizing that it takes a long time and is very tiring.     People make marathon journeys to buy glass here.     ...a marathon session of talks with government representatives.     ...the medical team which successfully carried out the marathon operation.

Q: mistress [5mistris]

A: A married man's mistress is a woman who is not his wife and with whom he is having a sexual relationship. (OLD-FASHIONED)     She was his mistress for three years.     He has a wife and a mistress. A mistress is a female teacher. (BRIT, OLD-FASHIONED)     My history mistress was extremely helpful. = teacher A servant's mistress is the woman that he or she works for. (OLD-FASHIONED)     It must be really bad, for her to ignore a summons from her mistress! A dog's mistress is the woman or girl who owns it.     The huge wolfhound danced in circles around his mistress. If a woman is mistress of a situation, she has complete control over it.     She had always been mistress of her own destiny. If you say that a woman is a mistress of a particular activity, you mean that she is very skilled at it.     She is a mistress of disguise.     ...another winner from the mistress of historical romance. = queen

Q: masterpiece [5mB:stEpi:s]

A: A masterpiece is an extremely good painting, novel, film, or other work of art.     His book, I must add, is a masterpiece.     ...masterpieces by artists like Rembrandt, Raphael and Ingres. An artist's, writer's, or composer's masterpiece is the best work that they have ever produced.     `Man's Fate,' translated into sixteen languages, is probably his masterpiece. A masterpiece is an extremely clever or skilful example of something.     The whole thing was a masterpiece of crowd management.

Q: measurement [5meVEmEnt]

A: A measurement is a result, usually expressed in numbers, that you obtain by measuring something.     We took lots of measurements.     The measurements are extraordinarily accurate. Measurement of something is the process of measuring it in order to obtain a result expressed in numbers.     Measurement of blood pressure can be undertaken by practice nurses. The measurement of the quality, value, or effect of something is the activity of deciding how great it is.     ...the measurement of output in the non-market sector. Your measurements are the size of your waist, chest, hips, and other parts of your body, which you need to know when you are buying clothes.

Q: mechanic [mi5kAnik]

A: A mechanic is someone whose job is to repair and maintain machines and engines, especially car engines.     If you smell something unusual (gas fumes or burning, for instance), take the car to your mechanic.     An elevator mechanic can work the machinery directly by turning this lever. The mechanics of a process, system, or activity are the way in which it works or the way in which it is done.     What are the mechanics of this new process?.     The mechanics of the job, however, have changed little since then. Mechanics is the part of physics that deals with the natural forces that act on moving or stationary objects.     ...the other great theory of 20th-century physics, quantum mechanics...     He has not studied mechanics or engineering.

Q: mechanical [mi5kAnikl]

A: A mechanical device has parts that move when it is working, often using power from an engine or from electricity.     ...a small mechanical device that taps out the numbers.     ...the oldest working mechanical clock in the world...     Most mechanical devices require oil as a lubricant. * mechanically     The air was circulated mechanically. Mechanical means relating to machines and engines and the way they work.     ...mechanical engineering...     The company undertakes mechanical work on all types of cars.     The train had stopped due to a mechanical problem. * mechanically     The car was mechanically sound, he decided. If you describe a person as mechanical, you mean they are naturally good at understanding how machines work.     He was a very mechanical person, who knew a lot about sound.     I'm not mechanical like my father; I have to follow the instructions. * mechanically     I'm not mechanically minded. If you describe someone's action as mechanical, you mean that they do it automatically, without thinking about it.     It is real prayer, and not mechanical repetition.     Many girls have a kind of mechanical attitude towards sex.     Her retort was mechanical. * mechanically     He nodded mechanically, his eyes fixed on the girl.

Q: mode [mEud]

A: A mode of life or behaviour is a particular way of living or behaving. (FORMAL)     ...the capitalist mode of production...     He switched automatically into interview mode. A mode is a particular style in art, literature, or dress.     ...a slightly more elegant and formal mode of dress...     Levi is best known for work in a very different mode from what is to be found here. = style On some cameras or electronic devices, the different modes available are the different programs or settings that you can choose when you use them.     ...when the camera is in manual mode.

Q: memorial [mi5mC:riEl]

A: A memorial is a structure built in order to remind people of a famous person or event.     Building a memorial to Columbus has been his lifelong dream.     Every village had its war memorial. A memorial event, object, or prize is in honour of someone who has died, so that they will be remembered.     A memorial service is being held for her at St Paul's Church.     ...memorial plaques to local regiments...     He went on to win the James E. Sullivan Memorial Trophy as the outstanding amateur athlete of 1962. If you say that something will be a memorial to someone who has died, you mean that it will continue to exist and remind people of them.     The museum will serve as a memorial to the millions who passed through Ellis Island.     The city's rather uncompromising bleakness is a permanent memorial to its dark and mysterious founders.

Q: metaphor [5metEfE]

A: A metaphor is an imaginative way of describing something by referring to something else which is the same in a particular way. For example, if you want to say that someone is very shy and frightened of things, you might say that they are a mouse.     ...the avoidance of `violent expressions and metaphors' like `kill two birds with one stone'.     ...the writer's use of metaphor. If one thing is a metaphor for another, it is intended or regarded as a symbol of it.     The divided family remains a powerful metaphor for a society that continued to tear itself apart. If you mix your metaphors, you use two conflicting metaphors. People do this accidentally, or sometimes deliberately as a joke.     To mix yet more metaphors, you were trying to run before you could walk, and I've clipped your wings.     Despite the mixed metaphor, there is some truth in this judgement.

Q: meter [5mi:tE]

A: A meter is a device that measures and records something such as the amount of gas or electricity that you have used.     He was there to read the electricity meter.     They have the right to come in and inspect the meter. To meter something such as gas or electricity means to use a meter to measure how much of it people use, usually in order to calculate how much they have to pay.     Only a third of these households thought it reasonable to meter water.     Metered taxis are relatively inexpensive. A meter is the same as a parking meter.

Q: microphone [5maikrEfEun]

A: A microphone is a device that is used to make sounds louder or to record them on a tape recorder.

Q: migrant [5maigrEnt]

A: A migrant is a person who moves from one place to another, especially in order to find work.     The government divides asylum-seekers into economic migrants and genuine refugees.     ...migrant workers following harvests northward. Migrants are birds, fish, or animals that migrate from one part of the world to another.     Migrant birds shelter in the reeds.

Q: millionaire [7miljE5nZE]

A: A millionaire is a very rich person who has money or property worth at least a million pounds or dollars.     By the time he died, he was a millionaire.

Q: mine 2 [main]

A: A mine is a place where deep holes and tunnels are dug under the ground in order to obtain a mineral such as coal, diamonds, or gold.     ...coal mines. When a mineral such as coal, diamonds, or gold is mined, it is obtained from the ground by digging deep holes and tunnels.     The pit is being shut down because it no longer has enough coal that can be mined economically.     ...the finest gems, mined from all corners of the world. A mine is a bomb which is hidden in the ground or in water and which explodes when people or things touch it. If an area of land or water is mined, mines are placed there which will explode when people or things touch them.     The approaches to the garrison have been heavily mined. If you say that someone is a mine of information, you mean that they know a great deal about something.

Q: mob [mCb]

A: A mob is a large, disorganized, and often violent crowd of people.     Bottles and cans were hurled on the terraces by the mob.     The inspectors watched a growing mob of demonstrators gathering. People sometimes use the mob to refer in a disapproving way to the majority of people in a country or place, especially when these people are behaving in a violent or uncontrolled way.     If they continue like this there is a danger of the mob taking over.     They have been exercising what amounts to mob rule. You can refer to the people involved in organized crime as the Mob. (INFORMAL)     ...casinos that the Mob had operated...     It was a Mob killing. If you say that someone is being mobbed by a crowd of people, you mean that the people are trying to talk to them or get near them in an enthusiastic or threatening way.     Her car was mobbed by the media.     They found themselves being mobbed in the street for autographs.

Q: monarchy [5mCnEki]

A: A monarchy is a system in which a country has a monarch.     In a few years we may no longer have a monarchy.     ...a serious debate on the future of the monarchy. <> republic A monarchy is a country that has a monarch. <> republic The monarchy is used to refer to the monarch and his or her family.     The monarchy has to create a balance between its public and private lives. = royal family

Q: monkey [5mQNki]

A: A monkey is an animal with a long tail which lives in hot countries and climbs trees. If you refer to a child as a monkey, you are saying in an affectionate way that he or she is very lively and naughty.     She's such a little monkey. = scamp

Q: monster [5mCnstE]

A: A monster is a large imaginary creature that looks very ugly and frightening. A monster is something which is extremely large, especially something which is difficult to manage or which is unpleasant.     ...the monster which is now the London marathon.     ...the monster of apartheid. Monster means extremely and surprisingly large. (INFORMAL)     ...a monster weapon...     The film will be a monster hit. = giant If you describe someone as a monster, you mean that they are cruel, frightening, or evil. = fiend

Q: monument [5mCnjumEnt]

A: A monument is a large structure, usually made of stone, which is built to remind people of an event in history or of a famous person. A monument is something such as a castle or bridge which was built a very long time ago and is regarded as an important part of a country's history.     ...the ancient monuments of England, Scotland and Wales. If you describe something as a monument to someone's qualities, you mean that it is a very good example of the results or effects of those qualities.     By his international achievements he leaves a fitting monument to his beliefs.

Q: moor [muE]

A: A moor is an area of open and usually high land with poor soil that is covered mainly with grass and heather. (mainly BRIT)     Colliford is higher, right up on the moors.     Exmoor National Park stretches over 265 square miles of moor. If you moor a boat somewhere, you stop and tie it to the land with a rope or chain so that it cannot move away.     She had moored her barge on the right bank of the river.     I decided to moor near some tourist boats. = tie up The Moors were a Muslim people who established a civilization in North Africa and Spain between the 8th and the 15th century A.D.

Q: mortar [5mC:tE]

A: A mortar is a big gun which fires missiles high into the air over a short distance.     The two sides exchanged fire with artillery, mortars and small arms.     He was killed in a mortar attack. Mortar is a mixture of sand, water, and cement or lime which is put between bricks to hold them together. A mortar is a bowl in which you can crush things such as herbs, spices, or grain using a rod called a pestle.

Q: motorway [5mEutEwei]

A: A motorway is a major road that has been specially built for fast travel over long distances. Motorways have several lanes and special places where traffic gets on and leaves. (BRIT; in AM usually use freeway)     ...the M1 motorway.     ...the national motorway network.

Q: mouse [maus]

A: A mouse is a small furry animal with a long tail.     ...a mouse running in a wheel in its cage.     ...the problem of rats and mice. A mouse is a device that is connected to a computer. By moving it over a flat surface and pressing its buttons, you can move the cursor around the screen and do things without using the keyboard.

Q: mug [mQg]

A: A mug is a large deep cup with straight sides and a handle, used for hot drinks.     He spooned instant coffee into two of the mugs. A mug of something is the amount of it contained in a mug.     He had been drinking mugs of coffee to keep himself awake. If someone mugs you, they attack you in order to steal your money.     I was walking out to my car when this guy tried to mug me.     He has been mugged more than once. * mugging muggings     Bank robberies, burglaries and muggings are reported almost daily in the press.     We usually think of a victim of mugging as being someone elderly. If you say that someone is a mug, you mean that they are stupid and easily deceived by other people. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     He's a mug as far as women are concerned.     I feel such a mug for signing the agreement. If you say that an activity is a mug's game, you mean that it is not worth doing because it does not give the person who is doing it any benefit or satisfaction. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     I used to be a very heavy gambler, but not any more. It's a mug's game.     Dieting is a mug's game. Someone's mug is their face. (INFORMAL)     He managed to get his ugly mug on the telly.

Q: multinational [mQlti5nAFEn(E)l]

A: A multinational company has branches or owns companies in many different countries. Also a noun.     ...multinationals such as Ford and IBM. Multinational armies, organizations, or other groups involve people from several different countries.     The US troops would be part of a multinational force. Multinational countries or regions have a population that is made up of people of several different nationalities.

Q: nail [neil]

A: A nail is a thin piece of metal with one pointed end and one flat end. You hit the flat end with a hammer in order to push the nail into something such as a wall.     A mirror hung on a nail above the washstand.     He hammered the nail into the branch. If you nail something somewhere, you fix it there using one or more nails.     Frank put the first plank down and nailed it in place.     They nail shut the front door.     The windows were all nailed shut. Your nails are the thin hard parts that grow at the ends of your fingers and toes.     Keep your nails short and your hands clean. To nail someone means to catch them and prove that they have been breaking the law. (INFORMAL)     The prosecution still managed to nail him for robberies at the homes of leading industrialists. = nab If you say that someone is as hard as nails or hard as nails, you mean that they are extremely tough and aggressive, either physically or in their attitude towards other people or other situations.     He's a shrewd businessman and hard as nails.     He simply looked mean and hard as nails. If you say that someone has hit the nail on the head, you think they are exactly right about something.   &nb

Q: embarrassed EMBARRASSED

A: A person who is embarrassed feels shy, ashamed, or guilty about something.     He looked a bit embarrassed.     ...an embarrassed silence.

Q: cripple [5kripl]

A: A person with a physical disability or a serious permanent injury is sometimes referred to as a cripple. (OFFENSIVE)     She has gone from being a healthy, fit, and sporty young woman to being a cripple. If someone is crippled by an injury, it is so serious that they can never move their body properly again.     Mr Easton was seriously crippled in an accident and had to leave his job.     He had been warned that another bad fall could cripple him for life.     He heaved his crippled leg into an easier position. If you describe someone as an emotional cripple, you mean that they have a particular psychological or emotional problem which prevents them from living a normal life. If something cripples a person, it causes them severe psychological or emotional problems.     Howard wanted to be a popular singer, but stage fright crippled him.     I'm not perfect but I'm also not emotionally crippled or lonely. To cripple a machine, organization, or system means to damage it severely or prevent it from working properly.     Let's try to cripple their communications.     A total cut-off of supplies would cripple Jordan's economy.     The pilot was able to maneuver the crippled aircraft out of the hostile area.

Q: destiny [5destini]

A: A person's destiny is everything that happens to them during their life, including what will happen in the future, especially when it is considered to be controlled by someone or something else.     We are masters of our own destiny.     It is my destiny one day to be king. = fate Destiny is the force which some people believe controls the things that happen to you in your life.     Is it destiny that brings people together, or is it accident? = fate

Q: gut [gQt]

A: A person's or animal's guts are all the organs inside them.     By the time they finish, the crewmen are standing ankle-deep in fish guts. When someone guts a dead animal or fish, they prepare it for cooking by removing all the organs from inside it.     It is not always necessary to gut the fish prior to freezing. The gut is the tube inside the body of a person or animal through which food passes while it is being digested. Guts is the will and courage to do something which is difficult or unpleasant, or which might have unpleasant results. (INFORMAL)     The new Chancellor has the guts to push through unpopular tax increases.     It takes more guts than I've usually got to go and see him. A gut feeling is based on instinct or emotion rather than reason.     Let's have your gut reaction to the facts as we know them. You can refer to someone's stomach as their gut, especially when it is very large and sticks out. (INFORMAL)     His gut sagged out over his belt. See also beer gut. The guts of something, for example a subject or a machine, are the key elements of it, which make it work. (INFORMAL)     She has a reputation for gett

Q: grim [grim]

A: A situation or piece of information that is grim is unpleasant, depressing, and difficult to accept.     They painted a grim picture of growing crime.     There was further grim economic news yesterday.     The mood could not have been grimmer. * grimness     ...an unrelenting grimness of tone. A place that is grim is unattractive and depressing in appearance.     The city might be grim at first, but there is a vibrancy and excitement.     ...the tower blocks on the city's grim edges. If a person or their behaviour is grim, they are very serious, usually because they are worried about something. (WRITTEN)     She was a stout, grim woman with a turned-down mouth.     Her expression was grim and unpleasant. * grimly     `It's too late now to stop him,' Harris said grimly. If you say that something is grim, you think that it is very bad, ugly, or depressing. (INFORMAL)     Things were pretty grim for a time.

Q: kidnap [5kidnAp]

A: AM) also kidnaped, kidnaping To kidnap someone is to take them away illegally and by force, and usually to hold them prisoner in order to demand something from their family, employer, or government.     Police in Brazil uncovered a plot to kidnap him.     The aim of the terrorists is to kidnap rather than kill.     The kidnapped man was said to have been seized by five people. = abduct * kidnapper kidnappers     His kidnappers have threatened that they will kill him unless three militants are released from prison. = abductor * kidnapping kidnappings     Two youngsters have been arrested and charged with kidnapping. Kidnap or a kidnap is the crime of taking someone away by force.     Stewart denies attempted murder and kidnap.     He was charged with the kidnap of a 25 year-old woman. = abduction

Q: appal [E5pC:l]

A: AM) appall If something appals you, it disgusts you because it seems so bad or unpleasant.     The new-found strength of Hindu militancy appals many observers.     My wife now looks like her mother, which appals me. = horrify

Q: armour [5B:mE]

A: AM) armor In former times, armour was special metal clothing that soldiers wore for protection in battle.     ...the collection of weapons and armour in the historic White Tower.     ...knights in armour.     ...a medieval suit of armour. Armour consists of tanks and other military vehicles used in battle. (MILITARY)     ...the biggest movement of heavy British armour since the Second World War. Armour is a hard, usually metal, covering that protects a vehicle against attack.     ...a formidable warhead that can penetrate the armour of most tanks.     ...armour-piercing missiles.

Q: armoured ARMOURED

A: AM) armored Armoured vehicles are fitted with a hard metal covering in order to protect them from gunfire and other missiles.     More than forty armoured vehicles carrying troops have been sent into the area. Armoured troops are troops in armoured vehicles.     These front-line defences are backed up by armoured units in reserve.

Q: applause [E5plC:z]

A: Applause is the noise made by a group of people clapping their hands to show approval.     They greeted him with thunderous applause.     ...a round of applause.

Q: axe AXE

A: AM) ax An axe is a tool used for cutting wood. It consists of a heavy metal blade which is sharp at one edge and attached by its other edge to the end of a long handle. If someone's job or something such as a public service or a television programme is axed, it is ended suddenly and without discussion.     Community projects are being axed by hard-pressed social services departments. = cut If a person or institution is facing the axe, that person is likely to lose their job or that institution is likely to be closed, usually in order to save money. (JOURNALISM)     St Bartholomew's is one of four London hospitals facing the axe. If someone has an axe to grind, they are doing something for selfish reasons. (INFORMAL)     He seems like a decent bloke and I've got no axe to grind with him.

Q: backwards [5bAkwEdz]

A: AM) backward If you move or look backwards, you move or look in the direction that your back is facing.     The diver flipped over backwards into the water.     He took two steps backward.     Bess glanced backwards.     Keeping your back straight, swing one leg backwards. <> forwards Also an adjective.     Without so much as a backwards glance, he steered her towards the car. If you do something backwards, you do it in the opposite way to the usual way.     He works backwards, building a house from the top downwards. You use backwards to indicate that something changes or develops in a way that is not an improvement, but is a return to old ideas or methods.     Greater government intervention in businesses would represent a step backwards.     ...unshakable traditions that look backward rather than ahead. <> forwards If someone or something moves backwards and forwards, they move repeatedly first in one direction and then in the opposite direction.     Using a gentle, sawing motion, draw the floss backwards and forwards between the teeth.     ...people travelling backwards and forwards to and from London. = to and fro In British English, if you say that someone knows something backwards, you are emphasizing that they know it very well. In American English, you say that someone knows something backward and forward.     I asked about one or two things that interest me and she really did know it all backwards.

Q: cheque [tFek]

A: AM) check A cheque is a printed form on which you write an amount of money and who it is to be paid to. Your bank then pays the money to that person from your account.     He wrote them a cheque for {Pound}10,000.     I'd like to pay by cheque. See also blank cheque, traveller's cheque.

Q: colourful [5kQlEful]

A: AM) colorful Something that is colourful has bright colours or a lot of different colours.     The flowers were colourful and the scenery magnificent.     People wore colorful clothes and seemed to be having a good time. * colourfully     ...the sight of dozens of colourfully dressed people. A colourful story is full of exciting details.     The story she told was certainly colourful, and extended over her life in England, Germany and Spain.     ...the country's colourful and often violent history. A colourful character is a person who behaves in an interesting and amusing way.     Casey Stengel was probably the most colorful character in baseball. If someone has had a colourful past or a colourful career, they have been involved in exciting but often slightly shocking things.     More details surfaced of her colourful past as the story developed.     ...a well-known City business man with a rather colourful background. Colourful language is rude or offensive language.     Bryant is alleged to have used colourful language. = bad

Q: councillor [5kaunsilE]

A: AM) councilor A councillor is a member of a local council.     ...the first black New York City councillor, Benjamin Davis Jr.     ...Councillor Michael Poulter.

Q: counselling COUNSELLING

A: AM) counseling Counselling is advice which a therapist or other expert gives to someone about a particular problem.     She will need medical help and counselling to overcome the tragedy.     She brought her husband in for marriage counseling.

Q: counsellor [5kaunsElE]

A: AM) counselor A counsellor is a person whose job is to give advice to people who need it, especially advice on their personal problems.     Children who have suffered like this should see a counsellor experienced in bereavement.     They sought the help of a marriage counsellor.

Q: cosy COSY

A: AM) cozy A house or room that is cosy is comfortable and warm.     Downstairs there's a breakfast room and guests can relax in the cosy bar. = homely * cosily     We took time to relax in the cosily decorated drawing room. * cosiness     In the evening a log fire would provide cosiness. If you are cosy, you are comfortable and warm.     They like to make sure their guests are comfortable and cosy. * cosily     He was settled cosily in the corner with an arm round Lynda. You use cosy to describe activities that are pleasant and friendly, and involve people who know each other well.     ...a cosy chat between friends...     My mood this year is for a cosy, nice and thoroughly wholesome Christmas. = intimate * cosily     ...chatting cosily with friends over coffee. * cosiness     ...the cosiness and solidity of family life.

Q: breeder [5bri:dE]

A: Breeders are people who breed animals or plants.     Her father was a well-known racehorse breeder. See also fast-breeder reactor.

Q: cruel [5kruEl]

A: AM) crueler, cruelest Someone who is cruel deliberately causes pain or distress to people or animals.     Children can be so cruel.     Don't you think it's cruel to cage a creature up? <> kind * cruelly     Douglas was often cruelly tormented by jealous siblings. A situation or event that is cruel is very harsh and causes people distress.     ...struggling to survive in a cruel world with which they cannot cope...     By a cruel irony, his horse came down on a flat part of the course. * cruelly     His life has been cruelly shattered by an event not of his own making.

Q: draught [drB:ft]

A: AM) draft A draught is a current of air that comes into a place in an undesirable way.     Block draughts around doors and windows.     On a cold day there can be quite a draught from the letterbox. Beer that is on draught is kept in and served from a barrel rather than a bottle.     Draught beer is available too.     They drink bitter on draught in the local bar. = on tap A draught of liquid is a large amount that you swallow.     He took a draught of beer.     Having added more fruit juice on top, drink it down in one draught. Draughts is a game for two people, played with 24 round pieces on a board. (BRIT; in AM use checkers)     He was in the study playing draughts by the fire with Albert. A draught is one of the round pieces which are used in the game of draughts. (BRIT; in AM use checker) A draught animal is one which pulls heavy loads, for example on a farm.     ...an Irish draught mare. A draught is a medicine in the form of a liquid which you drink. (OLD-FASHIONED)     One of the night-duty nuns gave her a sleeping draught.

Q: endeavour [in5devE]

A: AM) endeavor If you endeavour to do something, you try very hard to do it. (FORMAL)     I will endeavour to arrange it.     They are endeavouring to protect trade union rights. = strive An endeavour is an attempt to do something, especially something new or original. (FORMAL)     His first endeavours in the field were wedding films.     ...the benefits of investment in scientific endeavour.

Q: fibre [5faibE]

A: AM) fiber A fibre is a thin thread of a natural or artificial substance, especially one that is used to make cloth or rope.     If you look at the paper under a microscope you will see the fibres.     ...a variety of coloured fibres. = strand A particular fibre is a type of cloth or other material that is made from or consists of threads.     The ball is made of rattan -- a natural fibre. Fibre consists of the parts of plants or seeds that your body cannot digest. Fibre is useful because it makes food pass quickly through your body.     Most vegetables contain fibre. A fibre is a thin piece of flesh like a thread which connects nerve cells in your body or which muscles are made of.     ...the nerve fibres. If you say that you feel something with every fibre of your being, you mean that you feel it very deeply. (LITERARY)     I wanted to be an actress with every fibre of my being. See also moral fibre.

Q: jewellery [5dVu:Elri]

A: AM) jewelry Jewellery is ornaments that people wear, for example rings, bracelets, and necklaces. It is often made of a valuable metal such as gold, and sometimes decorated with precious stones.

Q: litre [li:tE(r)]

A: AM) liter A litre is a metric unit of volume that is a thousand cubic centimetres. It is equal to 1.76 British pints or 2.11 American pints.     ...15 litres of water...     This tax would raise petrol prices by about 3.5p per litre.     ...a Ford Escort with a 1.9-litre engine.

Q: manoeuvre [mE5nu:vE]

A: AM) maneuver If you manoeuvre something into or out of an awkward position, you skilfully move it there.     We attempted to manoeuvre the canoe closer to him.     I manoeuvred my way among the tables to the back corner of the place.     The pilot instinctively maneuvered to avoid them. Also a noun.     ...a ship capable of high speed and rapid manoeuvre. If you manoeuvre a situation, you change it in a clever and skilful way so that you can benefit from it.     The authorities have to manoeuvre the markets into demanding a cut in interest rates.     He brilliantly manoeuvred himself back to power.     He manoeuvres to foster recovery. = manipulate Also a noun.     ...manoeuvres to block the electoral process. = ploy * manoeuvring manoeuvrings     ...his unrivalled skill in political manoeuvring.     ...his manoeuvrings on the matter of free trade. Military manoeuvres are training exercises which involve the movement of soldiers and equipment over a large area.     Allied troops begin maneuvers tomorrow to show how quickly forces could be mobilized in case of a new invasion.     The camp was used for military manoeuvres. = exercises

Q: marshal [5mB:FEl]

A: AM) marshaling, marshaled If you marshal people or things, you gather them together and arrange them for a particular purpose.     Richard was marshalling the doctors and nurses, showing them where to go.     ...the way in which Britain marshalled its economic and political resources to protect its security interests. = organize A marshal is an official who helps to supervise a public event, especially a sports event.     The grand prix is controlled by well-trained marshals.     During the demonstration, marshals handed over to the police a young man caught breaking shop windows. In the United States and some other countries, a marshal is a police officer, often one who is responsible for a particular area.     A federal marshal was killed in a shoot-out. A marshal is an officer in a fire department. (AM)     She was ordered out of her home by a fire marshal because the house next door had an explosion from a leaking gas main. In Britain and some other countries, a marshal is an officer who has the highest rank in an army or air force.     ...Air Chief Marshal Sir Kenneth Cross.

Q: marvellous [5mB:vilEs]

A: AM) marvelous If you describe someone or something as marvellous, you are emphasizing that they are very good.     He certainly is a marvellous actor.     She made marvellous fish pie.     He looked marvellous. = splendid * marvellously     He always painted marvellously.     Isabel gave me a marvellously funny birthday card.

Q: mould [mEuld]

A: AM) mold A mould is a hollow container that you pour liquid into. When the liquid becomes solid, it takes the same shape as the mould.     Spoon the mixture carefully into the mould.     The moulds for the foundry are made in the toolroom area.     ...jelly moulds. If you say that someone breaks the mould, you mean that they do completely different things from what has been done before or from what is usually done.     At first sight, Joe Pesci is not exactly cast in the leading man mould.     He was from the same mould as the men she had gazed at worshipfully when a child: rich, handsome, of impeccable social standing.     Memorial services have become tedious and expected. I would like to help break the mould.     When they first started, they said they were going to break the mould of British politics. If you mould a soft substance such as plastic or clay, you make it into a particular shape or into an object.     Using 2 spoons, mould the cheese mixture into small balls or ovals.     Before we left the camp, my twin brother and I moulded a chair out of mud. To mould someone or something means to change or influence them over a period of time so that they develop in a particular way.     She was only 17 at the time and the experience moulded her personality.     Here we outline some of the sometimes conflicting forces moulding the debate.     Too often we try to mold our children into something they do not wish to be. = form When something moulds to an object or when you mould it there, it fits round the object tightly so that the shape of the object can still be seen.     You need a malleable pillow that will mould to the curves of your neck.     She stepped onto the catwalk and stood there, the wind moulding the smock around her. Mould is a soft grey, green, or blue substance that sometimes forms in spots on old food or on damp walls or clothes. See also leaf mould.

Q: capitalism [5kApitElizEm]

A: Capitalism is an economic and political system in which property, business, and industry are owned by private individuals and not by the state.     ...the two fundamentally opposed social systems, capitalism and socialism.

Q: humanity [hju(:)5mAniti]

A: All the people in the world can be referred to as humanity.     They face charges of committing crimes against humanity.     ...a young lawyer full of illusions and love of humanity. A person's humanity is their state of being a human being, rather than an animal or an object. (FORMAL)     He was under discussion and it made him feel deprived of his humanity. Humanity is the quality of being kind, thoughtful, and sympathetic towards others.     Her speech showed great maturity and humanity. The humanities are the subjects such as history, philosophy, and literature which are concerned with human ideas and behaviour.     The number of students majoring in the humanities has declined by about half. = arts

Q: dive [daiv]

A: American English sometimes uses the form dove for the past tense If you dive into some water, you jump in head-first with your arms held straight above your head.     He tried to escape by diving into a river.     She was standing by a pool, about to dive in.     Joanne had just learnt to dive. Also a noun.     Pat had earlier made a dive of 80 feet from the Chasm Bridge. If you dive, you go under the surface of the sea or a lake, using special breathing equipment.     Bezanik is diving to collect marine organisms. Also a noun.     This sighting occurred during my dive to a sunken wreck off Sardinia. When birds and animals dive, they go quickly downwards, head-first, through the air or through water.     ...a pelican which had just dived for a fish...     The shark dived down and swam under the boat. If an aeroplane dives, it flies or drops down quickly and suddenly.     He was killed when his monoplane stalled and dived into the ground.

Q: costume [5kCstju:m, -5tju:m]

A: An actor's or performer's costume is the set of clothes they wear while they are performing.     Even from a distance the effect of his fox costume was stunning.     The performers, in costume and make-up, were walking up and down backstage.     In all, she has eight costume changes. = outfit The clothes worn by people at a particular time in history, or in a particular country, are referred to as a particular type of costume.     ...men and women in eighteenth-century costume...     In the colourful markets at Chincero and Pisac, women still wear their traditional costume. = dress A costume play or drama is one which is set in the past and in which the actors wear the type of clothes that were worn in that period.     ...a lavish costume drama set in Ireland and the US in the 1890s.

Q: applicant [5AplikEnt]

A: An applicant for something such as a job or a place at a college is someone who makes a formal written request to be given it.

Q: flank [flANk]

A: An animal's flank is its side, between the ribs and the hip.     He put his hand on the dog's flank. A flank of an army or navy force is one side of it when it is organized for battle.     The assault element, led by Captain Ramirez, opened up from their right flank. The side of anything large can be referred to as its flank.     They continued along the flank of the mountain. If something is flanked by things, it has them on both sides of it, or sometimes on one side of it.     The altar was flanked by two Christmas trees.     Bookcases flank the bed.     She crossed the room and sat in the armchair flanking the window seat.     He walks briskly, flanked by heavily armed guards.

Q: apology [E5pClEdVi]

A: An apology is something that you say or write in order to tell someone that you are sorry that you have hurt them or caused trouble for them.     I didn't get an apology.     We received a letter of apology.     He made a public apology for the team's performance. If you offer or make your apologies, you apologize. (FORMAL)     His mother offered her apologies to the Jones family.     When Mary finally appeared, she made her apologies to Mrs Madrigal. If you say that you make no apologies for what you have done, you are emphasizing that you feel that you have done nothing wrong.     It was a battling performance and I make no apologies for the way we played.

Q: appliance [E5plaiEns]

A: An appliance is a device or machine in your home that you use to do a job such as cleaning or cooking. Appliances are often electrical. (FORMAL)     He could also learn to use the vacuum cleaner, the washing machine and other household appliances.     ...Maytag, one of America's biggest domestic appliance manufacturers. The appliance of a skill or of knowledge is its use for a particular purpose.     They were the result of the intellectual appliance of science.

Q: approximate [E5prCksimeit]

A: An approximate number, time, or position is close to the correct number, time, or position, but is not exact.     The approximate cost varies from around {Pound}150 to {Pound}250.     The times are approximate only. = rough <> exact * approximately     Approximately $150 million is to be spent on improvements. An idea or description that is approximate is not intended to be precise or accurate, but to give some indication of what something is like.     They did not have even an approximate idea what the Germans really wanted. If something approximates to something else, it is similar to it but is not exactly the same.     Something approximating to a just outcome will be ensured.     The mixture described below will approximate it, but is not exactly the same. = resemble

Q: apt [Apt]

A: An apt remark, description, or choice is especially suitable.     The words of this report are as apt today as in 1929.     ...an apt description of the situation. = apposite * aptly     ...the beach in the aptly named town of Oceanside. If someone is apt to do something, they often do it and so it is likely that they will do it again.     She was apt to raise her voice and wave her hands about.     This type of weather is apt to be more common in winter. = liable

Q: arch [B:tF]

A: An arch is a structure that is curved at the top and is supported on either side by a pillar, post, or wall. An arch is a curved line or movement. = arc The arch of your foot is the curved section at the bottom in the middle. If you arch a part of your body such as your back or if it arches, you bend it so that it forms a curve.     Don't arch your back, keep your spine straight. If you arch your eyebrows, you move them upwards as a way of showing surprise or disapproval. (LITERARY)     `Oh really?' he said, arching an eyebrow. = raise If something arches in a particular direction, it makes a curved line or movement.     I gazed up at the domed ceiling arching overhead. An arch look is mysterious and mischievous.     Both of them looked at him with that curious, slightly amused and even arch expression. * archly     She looked at me rather archly. If you say that someone is arch, you are criticizing them for talking or behaving as if they are better or more important than other people.     Their attempts to be casual have so far just looked arch or patronising. = superior * archly     `You can't fool me,' Shirley said archly.

Q: architect [5B:kitekt]

A: An architect is a person who designs buildings. You can use architect to refer to a person who plans large projects such as landscaping or railways.     ...Merrick Denton-Thompson, the landscape architect for Hampshire county council.     ...Paul Andreu, chief architect of French railways. The architect of an idea, event, or institution is the person who invented it or made it happen. (FORMAL)     ...Russia's chief architect of economic reform.

Q: arena [E5ri:nE]

A: An arena is a place where sports, entertainments, and other public events take place. It has seats around it where people sit and watch.     ...the largest indoor sports arena in the world. = stadium You can refer to a field of activity, especially one where there is a lot of conflict or action, as an arena of a particular kind.     He made it clear he had no intention of withdrawing from the political arena.     Oil speculation proved a natural arena for his skills.

Q: array [E5rei]

A: An array of different things or people is a large number or wide range of them.     As the deadline approached she experienced a bewildering array of emotions.     A dazzling array of celebrities are expected at the Mayfair gallery to see the pictures. An array of objects is a collection of them that is displayed or arranged in a particular way.     There was an impressive array of pill bottles stacked on top of the fridge.     We visited the local markets and saw wonderful arrays of fruit and vegetables. An array of instruments such as telescopes or solar panels is a number of them that are connected together to form a single unit. In science and mathematics, an array of things such as atoms or numbers is a regular pattern or structure that is formed by them. (TECHNICAL)     ...methods which can be used to create an ordered array of molecules within materials...     The image is then stored on the computer hard disk as a vast array of black or white dots.

Q: arrow [5ArEu]

A: An arrow is a long thin weapon which is sharp and pointed at one end and which often has feathers at the other end. An arrow is shot from a bow.     Warriors armed with bows and arrows and spears have invaded their villages. An arrow is a written or printed sign that consists of a straight line with another line bent at a sharp angle at one end. This is a printed arrow: ->. The arrow points in a particular direction to indicate where something is.     A series of arrows points the way to the modest grave of Andrei Sakharov.

Q: ass [As]

A: An ass is an animal which is related to a horse but which is smaller and has long ears. If you describe someone as an ass, you think that they are silly or do silly things. (INFORMAL)     He was generally disliked and regarded as a pompous ass. Your ass is your bottom. ([!] VERY RUDE) (INFORMAL) (AM; in BRIT use arse or bum) To kick ass or to kick someone's ass means to show them that you are angry with them, either by telling them or by using physical force. (AM, INFORMAL, RUDE)     They've really been kicking ass lately -- busting places up, harassing everybody.     He damn well better not try it now or he will damn well get his ass kicked. Saying that someone can kiss your ass is a very rude way of expressing anger or disagreement. ([!] VERY RUDE) (AM, INFORMAL) If you say that someone makes an ass of themselves, you mean they behave in a way that you think is very silly. (INFORMAL)     I find no pleasure in seeing people make asses of themselves.

Q: assignment [E5sainmEnt]

A: An assignment is a task or piece of work that you are given to do, especially as part of your job or studies.     The assessment for the course involves written assignments and practical tests. You can refer to someone being given a particular task or job as their assignment to the task or job.     An Australian division scheduled for assignment to Greece was ordered to remain in Egypt.     I hardly ever take photographs except on assignment.

Q: astronomer [E5strCnEmE(r)]

A: An astronomer is a scientist who studies the stars, planets, and other natural objects in space.

Q: asylum [E5sailEm]

A: An asylum is a psychiatric hospital. (OLD-FASHIONED) If a government gives a person from another country asylum, they allow them to stay, usually because they are unable to return home safely for political reasons.     He applied for asylum in 1987 after fleeing the police back home. = sanctuary

Q: atom [5AtEm]

A: An atom is the smallest amount of a substance that can take part in a chemical reaction.     A methane molecule is composed of one carbon atom attached to four hydrogens.

Q: atrocity [E5trCsiti]

A: An atrocity is a very cruel, shocking action.     The killing was cold-blooded, and those who committed this atrocity should be tried and punished.

Q: attempted ATTEMPTED

A: An attempted crime or unlawful action is an unsuccessful effort to commit the crime or action.     ...a case of attempted murder...     The attempted coup took place in January.

Q: attendant [E5tendEnt]

A: An attendant is someone whose job is to serve or help people in a place such as a petrol station, a car park, or a cloakroom.     Tony Williams was working as a car-park attendant in Los Angeles. = assistant You use attendant to describe something that results from a thing already mentioned or that is connected with it.     Mr Branson's victory, and all the attendant publicity, were well deserved.     ...the risks attendant on the exploration of the unknown. = resulting

Q: authentic [C:5Wentik]

A: An authentic person, object, or emotion is genuine.     ...authentic Italian food...     She has authentic charm whereas most people simply have nice manners.     They have to look authentic. = genuine, real <> fake, imitation * authenticity     There are factors, however, that have cast doubt on the statue's authenticity. * authentically     Consumers are increasingly interested in the authentically exotic tastes.     The enamel gives new brass an authentically tarnished finish. If you describe something as authentic, you mean that it is such a good imitation that it is almost the same as or as good as the original.     ...patterns for making authentic frontier-style clothing. * authentically     The team decided to try and replicate the missing curtains as authentically as possible. An authentic piece of information or account of something is reliable and accurate.     I had obtained the authentic details about the birth of the organization. * authentically     The book authentically and intimately describes the small details of her daily life. * authenticity     The film's authenticity of detail has impressed critics.

Q: collected [kE5lektid]

A: An author's collected works or letters are all their works or letters published in one book or in a set of books.     ...the collected works of Rudyard Kipling...     His collected poems have just been published. = complete If you say that someone is collected, you mean that they are very calm and self-controlled, especially when they are in a difficult or serious situation.     Police say she was cool and collected during her interrogation.

Q: automobile [5C:tEmEubi:l, 7C:tE5mEubil, 7C:tEmE5bi:l]

A: An automobile is a car. (mainly AM)

Q: autonomous [C:5tCnEmEs]

A: An autonomous country, organization, or group governs or controls itself rather than being controlled by anyone else.     They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province. = independent * autonomously     ...a highly decentralised company, with each of its subsidiaries operating autonomously. An autonomous person makes their own decisions rather than being influenced by someone else.     He treated us as autonomous individuals who had to learn to make up our own minds about important issues. = independent

Q: awkward [5C:kwEd]

A: An awkward situation is embarrassing and difficult to deal with.     I was the first to ask him awkward questions but there'll be harder ones to come.     There was an awkward moment as couples decided whether to stand next to their partners. = tricky <> easy * awkwardly     There was an awkwardly long silence.     ...an awkwardly timed meeting. Something that is awkward to use or carry is difficult to use or carry because of its design. A job that is awkward is difficult to do.     It was small but heavy enough to make it awkward to carry.     Full-size tripods can be awkward, especially if you're shooting a low-level subject. = tricky <> easy * awkwardly     The autoexposure button is awkwardly placed under the lens release button. An awkward movement or position is uncomfortable or clumsy.     Amy made an awkward gesture with her hands. * awkwardly     He fell awkwardly and went down in agony clutching his right knee.     He lay beside her awkwardly, propped on an elbow. Someone who feels awkward behaves in a shy or embarrassed way.     Women frequently say

Q: earthquake [5E:Wkweik]

A: An earthquake is a shaking of the ground caused by movement of the earth's crust.

Q: eel [i:l]

A: An eel is a long, thin fish that looks like a snake. Eel is the flesh of this fish which is eaten as food.     ...smoked eel.

Q: electron [i5lektrCn]

A: An electron is a tiny particle of matter that is smaller than an atom and has a negative electrical charge. (TECHNICAL)

Q: elephant [5elifEnt]

A: An elephant is a very large animal with a long, flexible nose called a trunk, which it uses to pick up things. Elephants live in India and Africa. See also white elephant.

Q: embryo [5embriEu]

A: An embryo is an unborn animal or human being in the very early stages of development.     The embryo lives in the amniotic cavity.     ...the remarkable resilience of very young embryos. An embryo idea, system, or organization is in the very early stages of development, but is expected to grow stronger.     They are an embryo party of government.     It was an embryo idea rather than a fully worked proposal. Something that is in embryo is at a very early stage of its development.     These developments were foreseen in embryo more than a decade ago.

Q: emission [i5miFEn]

A: An emission of something such as gas or radiation is the release of it into the atmosphere. (FORMAL)     The emission of gases such as carbon dioxide should be stabilised at their present level.     Sulfur emissions from steel mills become acid rain.

Q: endowment [in5daumEnt]

A: An endowment is a gift of money that is made to an institution or community in order to provide it with an annual income.     The company revived the finances of the Oxford Union with a generous {Pound}1m endowment.     ...the National Endowment for the Arts. If someone has an endowment of a particular quality or ability, they possess it naturally. (FORMAL) In finance, an endowment policy or mortgage is an insurance policy or mortgage which you pay towards each month and which should then provide you with enough money to pay for your house at the end of a fixed period. (BRIT)

Q: engagement [in5geidVmEnt]

A: An engagement is an arrangement that you have made to do something at a particular time. (FORMAL)     He had an engagement at a restaurant in Greek Street at eight.     ...business-related social engagements. An engagement is an agreement that two people have made with each other to get married.     I've broken off my engagement to Arthur.     Announcing our engagement was a relief. You can refer to the period of time during which two people are engaged as their engagement.     I felt our engagement was quite an unhappy time. A military engagement is an armed conflict between two enemies.     The constitution prohibits them from military engagement on foreign soil.

Q: entity [5entiti]

A: An entity is something that exists separately from other things and has a clear identity of its own. (FORMAL)     ...the earth as a living entity...     North and South will remain separate entities within a commonwealth until the year 2000.

Q: epic [5epik]

A: An epic is a long book, poem, or film, whose story extends over a long period of time or tells of great events.     ...the Middle High German epic, `Nibelungenlied', written about 1200...     At three hours and 21 minutes, it is an over-long, standard Hollywood epic. Also an adjective.     ...epic narrative poems...     Like `Gone With The Wind' it's an unashamed epic romance. Something that is epic is very large and impressive.     ...Columbus's epic voyage of discovery.

Q: equation [i5kweiFEn]

A: An equation is a mathematical statement saying that two amounts or values are the same, for example 6x4=2x2. An equation is a situation in which two or more parts have to be considered together so that the whole situation can be understood or explained.     The equation is simple: research breeds new products.     The party fears the equation between higher spending and higher taxes.     New plans have taken chance out of the equation.

Q: essay [5esei, 5esi]

A: An essay is a short piece of writing on one particular subject written by a student.     We asked Jason to write an essay about his hometown and about his place in it. An essay is a short piece of writing on one particular subject that is written by a writer for publication.     ...Thomas Malthus's essay on population. If you essay something, you try to do it. (FORMAL)     Sinclair essayed a smile but it could hardly have been rated as a success. Also a noun.     His first essay in running a company was a notoriously tough undertaking.

Q: exam [ig5zAm, eg-]

A: An exam is a formal test that you take to show your knowledge or ability in a particular subject, or to obtain a qualification.     I don't want to take any more exams.     Kate's exam results were excellent. = examination If you have a medical exam, a doctor looks at your body, feels it, or does simple tests in order to check how healthy you are. (mainly AM) = examination

Q: explosive [iks5plEusiv]

A: An explosive is a substance or device that can cause an explosion.     ...one-hundred-and-fifty pounds of Semtex explosive...     There were traces of explosives in the bedroom. Something that is explosive is capable of causing an explosion.     The explosive device was timed to go off at the rush hour.     Highly explosive gas is naturally found in coal mines. * explosively     Hydrogen is explosively flammable when mixed with oxygen. An explosive growth is a sudden, rapid increase in the size or quantity of something.     The explosive growth in casinos is one of the most conspicuous signs of Westernisation. * explosively     These transactions grew explosively in the early 1980s. An explosive situation is likely to have difficult, serious, or dangerous effects.     He appeared to be treating the potentially explosive situation with some sensitivity.     Nobody knows what explosive arguments the future of Europe will bring. * explosively     A referendum next year would coincide explosively with the election campaign. If you describe someone as explosive, you mean that they tend to express sudden violent anger.     She was unpredictable, explosive, impulsive and easily distracted.     He's inherited his father's explosive temper. = fiery * explosively     `Are you mad?' David asked explosively. A sudden loud noise can be described as explosive.     He made a loud, explosive noise of disgust.     ...an explosive drumbeat. * explosively     The

Q: extension [iks5tenFEn]

A: An extension is a new room or building which is added to an existing building or group of buildings. An extension is a new section of a road or rail line that is added to an existing road or line.     ...the Jubilee Line extension. An extension is an extra period of time for which something lasts or is valid, usually as a result of official permission.     He first entered Britain on a six-month visa, and was given a further extension of six months.     Ian Lentern has been granted a three-year extension. Something that is an extension of something else is a development of it that includes or affects more people, things, or activities.     Many Filipinos see the bases as an extension of American colonial rule.     That's the logical extension of my approach. An extension is a telephone line that is connected to the switchboard of a company or institution, and that has its own number. The written abbreviation ext. is also used.     She can get me on extension 308.     For further information, please contact 414 3925, extension 2253. An extension is a part which is connected to a piece of equipment in order to make it reach something further away.     ...a 30-foot extension cord...     Some of the best extensions are made from sections of rod tube or drainpipe.

Q: ideology [7aidi5ClEdVi, id-]

A: An ideology is a set of beliefs, especially the political beliefs on which people, parties, or countries base their actions.     ...capitalist ideology. = philosophy

Q: illusion [i5lu:VEn, i5lju:-]

A: An illusion is a false idea or belief.     Do not have any illusions that an industrial tribunal will right all employment wrongs.     No one really has any illusions about winning the war. = delusion An illusion is something that appears to exist or be a particular thing but does not actually exist or is in reality something else.     Floor-to-ceiling windows can look stunning, giving the illusion of extra height.     This eerie calm is an illusion.

Q: dragon [5drAgEn]

A: In stories and legends, a dragon is an animal like a big lizard. It has wings and claws, and breathes out fire. If someone calls a woman, especially an older woman, a dragon, they mean that she is fierce and unpleasant. (INFORMAL)

Q: impulse [5impQls]

A: An impulse is a sudden desire to do something.     Unable to resist the impulse, he glanced at the sea again.     He still couldn't understand the impulse that had made him confide in Cassandra.     Wade resisted an impulse to smile. An impulse is a short electrical signal that is sent along a wire or nerve or through the air, usually as one of a series. An impulse buy or impulse purchase is something that you decide to buy when you see it, although you had not planned to buy it.     The curtains were an impulse buy. If you do something on impulse, you suddenly decide to do it, without planning it.     Sean's a fast thinker, and he acts on impulse.     After lunch she decided on impulse to take a bath.

Q: incumbent [in5kQmbEnt]

A: An incumbent is someone who holds an official post at a particular time. (FORMAL)     In general, incumbents have a 94 per cent chance of being re-elected. Also an adjective.     ...the only candidate who defeated an incumbent senator. If it is incumbent upon you to do something, it is your duty or responsibility to do it. (FORMAL)     It is incumbent upon all of us as loyal citizens to make an extra effort.

Q: indicator [5indikeitE]

A: An indicator is a measurement or value which gives you an idea of what something is like.     ...vital economic indicators, such as inflation, growth and the trade gap...     The number of wells is a fair indicator of the demand for water. A car's indicators are the flashing lights that tell you when it is going to turn left or right. (mainly BRIT; in AM usually use blinkers or turn signals)

Q: indirect [7indi5rekt, indai5rekt]

A: An indirect result or effect is not caused immediately and obviously by a thing or person, but happens because of something else that they have done.     Businesses are feeling the indirect effects from the recession that's going on elsewhere.     Millions could die of hunger as an indirect result of the war.     His influence has been profound, but it has been indirect. <> direct * indirectly     Drugs are indirectly responsible for the violence.     The president is indirectly elected by parliament.     Indirectly, I did cause her death. I shouldn't have left her there. An indirect route or journey does not use the shortest or easiest way between two places.     The goods went by a rather indirect route. <> direct Indirect remarks and information suggest something or refer to it, without actually mentioning it or stating it clearly.     His remarks amounted to an indirect appeal for economic aid.     There were indirect references to his opponent.     So far the evidence is only indirect. * indirectly     He referred indirectly to the territorial dispute.

Q: infant [5infEnt]

A: An infant is a baby or very young child. (FORMAL)     ...young mums with infants in prams...     The family were forced to flee with their infant son.     ...the infant mortality rate in Britain. Infants are children between the ages of five and seven, who go to an infant school. (BRIT) You use the infants to refer to a school or class for such children.     You've been my best friend ever since we started in the infants. Infant means designed especially for very young children.     ...an infant carrier in the back of a car. An infant organization or system is new and has not developed very much.     The infant company was based in Germany.     ...the infant health service.

Q: innings INNINGS

A: An innings is a period in a game of cricket during which a particular team or player is batting.     The home side were all out for 50 in their second innings.

Q: innovation [7inEu5veiFEn]

A: An innovation is a new thing or a new method of doing something.     They produced the first vegetarian beanburger -- an innovation which was rapidly exported to Britain.     ...the transformation wrought by the technological innovations of the industrial age. Innovation is the introduction of new ideas, methods, or things.     We must promote originality, inspire creativity and encourage innovation.

Q: insider [in5saidE(r)]

A: An insider is someone who is involved in a situation and who knows more about it than other people.     An insider said, `Katharine has told friends it is time to end her career.'.     German banks have more insider knowledge than most.

Q: installation [7instE5leiFEn]

A: An installation is a place that contains equipment and machinery which are being used for a particular purpose.     The building was turned into a secret military installation.     ...a nuclear installation. See also install.

Q: interpretation [in7tE:pri5teiFEn]

A: An interpretation of something is an opinion about what it means.     The opposition Conservative Party put a different interpretation on the figures.     Analysis and interpretation is a very personal thing. A performer's interpretation of something such as a piece of music or a role in a play is the particular way in which they choose to perform it.     ...her full-bodied interpretation of the role of Micaela. = portrayal, rendition

Q: interpreter [in5tE:pritE]

A: An interpreter is a person whose job is to translate what someone is saying into another language.     Speaking through an interpreter, Aristide said that Haitians had hoped coups were behind them. The interpreter of something such as a piece of music is the person who performs it.     Over the years Freni has been one of the supreme interpreters of Puccini's heroines.

Q: interval [5intEvEl]

A: An interval between two events or dates is the period of time between them.     The ferry service between Burnham and Wallasea Island has restarted after an interval of 12 years.     There was a long interval of silence. = gap An interval during a film, concert, show, or game is a short break between two of the parts. (mainly BRIT; in AM usually use intermission)     During the interval, wine was served.     England were two goals behind at the interval. In music, an interval is the difference in pitch between two musical notes. (TECHNICAL) If something happens at intervals, it happens several times with gaps or pauses in between.     She woke him for his medicines at intervals throughout the night. If things are placed at particular intervals, there are spaces of a particular size between them.     Several red and white barriers marked the road at intervals of about a mile.     The trees which gave the road its name stood at regular intervals along the kerb.     At intervals there were red warning lights.

Q: invention [in5venFEn]

A: An invention is a machine, device, or system that has been invented by someone.     It's been a tricky business marketing his new invention.     The spinning wheel was a Chinese invention. Invention is the act of inventing something that has never been made or used before.     More than eight million books were printed within fifty years after the invention of the printing press.     ...the invention of the telephone. If you refer to someone's account of something as an invention, you think that it is untrue and that they have made it up.     In these and several other respects, there are many inventions and exaggerations.     The story was certainly a favourite one, but it was undoubtedly pure invention. = fabrication Invention is the ability to invent things or to have clever and original ideas.     Perhaps, with such powers of invention and mathematical ability, he will be offered a job in computers. = creativity

Q: investigator [in5vestigeitE(r)]

A: An investigator is someone who carries out investigations, especially as part of their job.

Q: isle [ail]

A: An isle is an island; often used as part of an island's name, or in literary English.     ...the paradise isle of Bali.     ...the Isle of Man.

Q: isolated [5aisEleitid]

A: An isolated place is a long way away from large towns and is difficult to reach.     Many of the refugee villages are in isolated areas.     Aubrey's family's farm is very isolated. = cut off, remote If you feel isolated, you feel lonely and without friends or help.     Men can feel isolated at work.     Some patients may become very isolated and depressed. = cut off An isolated example is an example of something that is not very common.     They said the allegations related to an isolated case of cheating. = untypical

Q: antibody [5Anti7bCdi]

A: Antibodies are substances which a person's or an animal's body produces in their blood in order to destroy substances which carry disease.

Q: appreciation [E7pri:Fi5eiFEn]

A: Appreciation of something is the recognition and enjoyment of its good qualities.     ...an investigation into children's understanding and appreciation of art...     Brian whistled in appreciation. Your appreciation for something that someone does for you is your gratitude for it.     He expressed his appreciation for what he called Saudi Arabia's moderate and realistic oil policies.     ...the gifts presented to them in appreciation of their work. = gratitude An appreciation of a situation or problem is an understanding of what it involves.     They have a stronger appreciation of the importance of economic incentives. = grasp Appreciation in the value of something is an increase in its value over a period of time.     You have to take capital appreciation of the property into account. <> depreciation An appreciation of an artist or performer or of their work is a speech or piece of writing in which they are discussed and assessed.     I had written an appreciation of Hernandez for a magazine. = review, critique

Q: Apr. APR.

A: Apr. Apr. is a written abbreviation for April.     An agreement was reached on Apr. 27.

Q: Aquarius [E5kwZEriEs]

A: Aquarius Aquarius is one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. Its symbol is a person pouring water. People who are born approximately between 20th January and 18th February come under this sign. An Aquarius is a person whose sign of the zodiac is Aquarius.

Q: archaeology [7B:ki5ClEdVi]

A: Archaeology is the study of the societies and peoples of the past by examining the remains of their buildings, tools, and other objects. * archaeological     ...one of the region's most important archaeological sites. * archaeologist archaeologists     The archaeologists found a house built around 300 BC, with a basement and attic.

Q: architectural [7B:ki5tektFErEl]

A: Architectural means relating to the design and construction of buildings.     ...Tibet's architectural heritage.     ...the unique architectural style of towns like Lamu. * architecturally     The old city centre is architecturally rich.     Architecturally, the chapel would be the perfect match for the school.

Q: architecture [5B:kitektFE]

A: Architecture is the art of planning, designing, and constructing buildings.     He studied classical architecture and design in Rome. The architecture of a building is the style in which it is designed and constructed.     ...modern architecture.     ...a fine example of Moroccan architecture.     ...the architecture of the city's buildings. The architecture of something is its structure. (FORMAL)     ...the crumbling intellectual architecture of modern society.     ...the architecture of muscle fibres.

Q: Aries [5ZEri:z]

A: Aries Aries is one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. Its symbol is a ram. People who are born approximately between 21st March and 19th April come under this sign. An Aries is a person whose sign of the zodiac is Aries.

Q: artery [5B:tEri]

A: Arteries are the tubes in your body that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body.     ...patients suffering from blocked arteries. You can refer to an important main route within a complex road, railway, or river system as an artery.     Clarence Street was one of the north-bound arteries of the central business district.     ...the point where the Ohio River, itself a great artery, joins the Mississippi.

Q: artificial [7B:ti5fiFEl]

A: Artificial objects, materials, or processes do not occur naturally and are created by human beings, for example using science or technology.     ...a wholefood diet free from artificial additives, colours and flavours...     The city is dotted with small lakes, natural and artificial.     He did not want his life to be prolonged by artificial means. = synthetic <> natural * artificially     ...artificially sweetened lemonade.     ...drugs which artificially reduce heart rate. An artificial state or situation exists only because someone has created it, and therefore often seems unnatural or unnecessary.     Even in the artificial environment of an office, our body rhythms continue to affect us.     He foresaw an open society without artificial barriers of background, religion or race. * artificiality     ...another example of the capriciousness and artificiality of our adversarial system of justice. * artificially     ...state subsidies that have kept retail prices artificially low. If you describe someone or their behaviour as artificial, you disapprove of them because they pretend to have attitudes and feelings which they do not really have.     The voice was patronizing and affected, the accent artificial. * artificiality     ...the novel's use of homosexuality to suggest the artificiality of all relationships in that nervous city. If you say that food tastes or looks artificial, you do not like it because its taste or appearance does not seem genuine, and seems to be created by added substances.     The meat was chewy and the sauce was glutinous and tasted artificial.     ...complaints that their tinned peas were an artificial shade of

Q: artillery [B:5tilEri]

A: Artillery consists of large, powerful guns which are transported on wheels and used by an army.     Using tanks and heavy artillery, they seized the town.     ...the sound of artillery fire. The artillery is the section of an army which is trained to use large, powerful guns.     At some stage he left the Artillery to command a radar unit.

Q: ash [AF]

A: Ash is the grey or black powdery substance that is left after something is burnt. You can also refer to this substance as ashes.     A cloud of volcanic ash is spreading across wide areas of the Philippines.     He brushed the cigarette ash from his sleeve.     He ordered their villages burned to ashes. A dead person's ashes are their remains after their body has been cremated. An ash is a tree that has smooth grey bark and loses its leaves in winter.     ...a high forest of oak and ash. Ash is the wood from this tree.     The rafters are made from ash.

Q: athletic [AW5letik]

A: Athletic means relating to athletes and athletics.     They have been given college scholarships purely on athletic ability.     Most athletic activities are about individual effort. * athletically     ...she's academically able and athletically outstanding. An athletic person is fit, and able to perform energetic movements easily.     Xandra is an athletic 36-year-old with a 21-year-old's body.     He was tall, with an athletic build. * athletically     He jumped athletically out of the car.

Q: athletics [AW5letiks]

A: Athletics refers to track and field sports such as running, the high jump, and the javelin. (mainly BRIT; in AM use track and field)     As the modern Olympics grew in stature, so too did athletics.     ...the International Amateur Athletics Federation. Athletics refers to any kind of physical sports, exercise, or games. (AM)     ...students who play intercollegiate athletics.

Q: atomic [E5tCmik]

A: Atomic means relating to power that is produced from the energy released by splitting atoms.     ...atomic energy.     ...atomic weapons. = nuclear Atomic means relating to the atoms of substances.

Q: attraction [E5trAkFEn]

A: Attraction is a feeling of liking someone, and often of being sexually interested in them.     Our level of attraction to the opposite sex has more to do with our inner confidence than how we look.     It was never a physical attraction, just a meeting of minds. An attraction is a feature which makes something interesting or desirable.     ...the attractions of living on the waterfront. An attraction is something that people can go to for interest or enjoyment, for example a famous building.     The walled city is an important tourist attraction.

Q: audio [5C:diEu]

A: Audio equipment is used for recording and reproducing sound.     She uses her vocal training to record audio tapes of books for blind people.

Q: autonomy [C:5tCnEmi]

A: Autonomy is the control or government of a country, organization, or group by itself rather than by others.     Activists stepped up their demands for local autonomy last month. = independence Autonomy is the ability to make your own decisions about what to do rather than being influenced by someone else or told what to do. (FORMAL)     Each of the area managers enjoys considerable autonomy in the running of his own area. = independence

Q: avenue [5Avinju:]

A: Avenue is sometimes used in the names of streets. The written abbreviation Ave. is also used.     ...the most expensive stores on Park Avenue. An avenue is a wide, straight road, especially one with trees on either side. An avenue is a way of getting something done.     Talbot was presented with 80 potential avenues of investigation.     There is another avenue to pursue -- it involves further negotiations. = line

Q: aviation [7eivi5eiFEn]

A: Aviation is the operation and production of aircraft.

Q: apologize [E5pClEdVaiz]

A: BRIT) also apologise When you apologize to someone, you say that you are sorry that you have hurt them or caused trouble for them. You can say `I apologize' as a formal way of saying sorry.     Two years ago, Congress formally apologized for the internment.     I apologize for being late, but I have just had a message from the hospital.     Costello later apologized, saying he'd been annoyed by the man.     He apologized to the people who had been affected.

Q: authorize [5C:WEraiz]

A: BRIT) also authorise If someone in a position of authority authorizes something, they give their official permission for it to happen.     It would certainly be within his power to authorize a police raid like that.     We are willing to authorize the president to use force if necessary. = sanction * authorization authorizations     The United Nations will approve his request for authorization to use military force to deliver aid.

Q: characterize [5kAriktEraiz]

A: BRIT) also characterise If something is characterized by a particular feature or quality, that feature or quality is an obvious part of it. (FORMAL)     This election campaign has been characterized by violence.     A bold use of colour characterizes the bedroom. = typify If you characterize someone or something as a particular thing, you describe them as that thing. (FORMAL)     Both companies have characterized the relationship as friendly.     This play is characterized as a comedy. = describe * characterization characterizations     I don't fully agree with that characterization of the welfare system.

Q: civilization [7sivilai5zeiFLn;-li5z-]

A: BRIT) also civilisation A civilization is a human society with its own social organization and culture.     The ancient civilizations of Central and Latin America were founded upon corn.     It seemed to him that western civilization was in grave economic and cultural danger. Civilization is the state of having an advanced level of social organization and a comfortable way of life.     ...our advanced state of civilisation. You can refer to a place where you can enjoy the comforts that you consider to be necessary as civilization.     ...when I returned to civilization.

Q: comedown [kQmdaun]

A: BRIT) also come-down If you say that something is a comedown, you think that it is not as good as something else that you have just done or had.     After getting your degree and being on a high, it's quite a comedown to experience constant rejection. = let-down

Q: computerize [kEm5pju:tEraiz]

A: BRIT) also computerise To computerize a system, process, or type of work means to arrange for a lot of the work to be done by computer.     I'm trying to make a spreadsheet up to computerize everything that's done by hand at the moment.     Many hospitals say they simply can't afford to computerize. * computerization     ...the benefits of computerization.

Q: dispatch [dis5pAtF]

A: BRIT) also despatch If you dispatch someone to a place, you send them there for a particular reason. (FORMAL)     He had been continually dispatching scouts ahead.     The Italian government was preparing to dispatch 4,000 soldiers to search the island. = send Also a noun.     The despatch of the task force is purely a contingency measure. If you dispatch a message, letter, or parcel, you send it to a particular person or destination. (FORMAL)     The victory inspired him to dispatch a gleeful telegram to Roosevelt.     Free gifts are dispatched separately so please allow 28 days for delivery. = send Also a noun.     We have 125 cases ready for dispatch. A dispatch is a special report that is sent to a newspaper or broadcasting organization by a journalist who is in a different town or country.     ...this despatch from our West Africa correspondent. = bulletin If a soldier is mentioned in dispatches, he or she is considered to have been extremely brave in a battle, and is recommended for a medal.     I was carrying dispatches from the ambassador.     He was hailed as a hero, mentioned in dispatches and finally given a medal. To dispatch a person or an animal means to kill them. (OLD-FASHIONED)     The fox takes his chance with a pack of hounds which may catch him and despatch him immediately. To dispatch a job or task means to finish it quickly and efficiently without wasting time. (OLD-FASHIONED)     Amy sat outside in the sun while Ge

Q: fertilizer [5fE:ti7laizE]

A: BRIT) also fertiliser Fertilizer is a substance such as solid animal waste or a chemical mixture that you spread on the ground in order to make plants grow more successfully.     ...farming without any purchased chemical, fertilizer or pesticide...     Work in a balanced fertiliser before planting.

Q: gram [grAm]

A: BRIT) also gramme A gram is a unit of weight. One thousand grams are equal to one kilogram.     A football weighs about 400 grams.

Q: medieval [7medi5i:vEl]

A: BRIT) also mediaeval Something that is medieval relates to or was made in the period of European history between the end of the Roman Empire in 476 AD and about 1500 AD.     ...a medieval castle.     ...the medieval chroniclers.

Q: minimize [5minimaiz]

A: BRIT) also minimise If you minimize a risk, problem, or unpleasant situation, you reduce it to the lowest possible level, or prevent it increasing beyond that level.     Concerned people want to minimize the risk of developing cancer.     Many of these problems can be minimised by sensible planning. = reduce <> maximize If you minimize something, you make it seem smaller or less significant than it really is.     Some have minimized the importance of ideological factors.     At his trial, he tried to minimize his behavior. = play down <> maximize If you minimize a window on a computer screen, you make it very small, because you do not want to use it.     Click the square icon again to minimize the window.

Q: Capricorn [5kAprikC:n]

A: Capricorn Capricorn is one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. Its symbol is a goat. People who are born approximately between the 22nd of December and the 19th of January come under this sign. A Capricorn is a person whose sign of the zodiac is Capricorn.

Q: mobilize [5mEubilaiz]

A: BRIT) also mobilise If you mobilize support or mobilize people to do something, you succeed in encouraging people to take action, especially political action. If people mobilize, they prepare to take action.     The best hope is that we will mobilize international support and get down to action.     The purpose of the journey is to mobilise public opinion on the controversial issue.     Faced with crisis, people mobilized. * mobilization     ...the rapid mobilization of international opinion in support of the revolution. If you mobilize resources, you start to use them or make them available for use.     If you could mobilize the resources, you could get it done. = marshal * mobilization     ...the mobilisation of resources for education. If a country mobilizes, or mobilizes its armed forces, or if its armed forces mobilize, they are given orders to prepare for a conflict. (MILITARY or JOURNALISM)     Sudan even threatened to mobilize in response to the ultimatums.     India is now in a better position to mobilise its forces.     It means that their whole army will mobilize. * mobilization     ...a demand for full-scale mobilisation to defend the republic.

Q: bail [beil]

A: Bail is a sum of money that an arrested person or someone else puts forward as a guarantee that the arrested person will attend their trial in a law court. If the arrested person does not attend it, the money will be lost.     He was freed on bail pending an appeal.     The high court set bail at $8,000. Bail is permission for an arrested person to be released after bail has been paid.     He was yesterday given bail by South Yorkshire magistrates. If someone is bailed, they are released while they are waiting for their trial, after paying an amount of money to the court.     He was bailed for probation reports.     He was bailed to appear before local magistrates on 5 November. In cricket, the bails are the two small pieces of wood that are laid across the top of the stumps to form the wicket. If you bail, you use a container to remove water from a boat or from a place which is flooded.     We kept her afloat for a couple of hours by bailing frantically. Bail out means the same as bail.     A crew was sent down the shaft to close it off and bail out all the water.     The flood waters have receded since then, but residents are still bailing out. If a prisoner jumps bail, he or she does not come back for his or her trial after being released on bail.     He had jumped bail last year while being tried on drug charges.

Q: bait [beit]

A: Bait is food which you put on a hook or in a trap in order to catch fish or animals. If you bait a hook or trap, you put bait on it or in it.     He baited his hook with pie.     The boys dug pits and baited them so that they could spear their prey.     ...baited lures. To use something as bait means to use it to trick or persuade someone to do something.     Service stations make only a nominal profit on petrol, using it as a bait to lure motorists into the restaurants and other facilities.     Television programmes are essentially bait to attract an audience for advertisements. If you bait someone, you deliberately try to make them angry by teasing them.     He delighted in baiting his mother. = needle If you take the bait, you react to something that someone has said or done exactly as they intended you to do. The expression rise to the bait is also used, mainly in British English.     When she attempts to make you feel guilty, don't take the bait.     Their behaviour may seem insulting, but it's important not to rise to the bait and get cross.

Q: ballet [5bAlei, bA5lei]

A: Ballet is a type of very skilled and artistic dancing with carefully planned movements.     I trained as a ballet dancer.     She is also keen on the ballet. A ballet is an artistic work that is performed by ballet dancers.     The performance will include the premiere of three new ballets.

Q: bankruptcy [5bANkrEp(t)si]

A: Bankruptcy is the state of being bankrupt.     Pam Am is the second airline in two months to file for bankruptcy.     Many established firms were facing bankruptcy. = insolvency A bankruptcy is an instance of an organization or person going bankrupt.     The number of corporate bankruptcies climbed in August. = insolvencies If you refer to something's bankruptcy, you are emphasizing that it is completely lacking in value or worth.     The massacre laid bare the moral bankruptcy of the regime. = vacuum

Q: canvas [5kAnvEs]

A: Canvas is a strong, heavy cloth that is used for making things such as tents, sails, and bags.     ...a canvas bag. A canvas is a piece of canvas or similar material on which an oil painting can be done. A canvas is a painting that has been done on canvas.     The show includes canvases by masters like Carpaccio, Canaletto and Guardi. = painting, picture If you are living and sleeping under canvas, you are living and sleeping in a tent.     Campsites in the New Forest quickly filled up as thousands decided to spend the holiday under canvas.

Q: battery [5bAtEri]

A: Batteries are small devices that provide the power for electrical items such as radios and children's toys.     The shavers come complete with batteries.     ...a battery-operated cassette player.     ...rechargeable batteries. A car battery is a rectangular box containing acid that is found in a car engine. It provides the electricity needed to start the car.     ...a car with a flat battery. A battery of equipment such as guns, lights, or computers is a large set of it kept together in one place.     They stopped beside a battery of abandoned guns.     ...batteries of spotlights set up on rooftops. A battery of people or things is a very large number of them.     ...a battery of journalists and television cameras...     Crack is part of a battery of drugs used by addicts. = horde A battery of tests is a set of tests that is used to assess a number of different aspects of something, such as your health.     We give a battery of tests to each patient. Battery farming is a system of breeding chickens and hens in which large numbers of them are kept in small cages, and used for their meat and eggs. (BRIT)     ...battery hens being raised in dark, cramped conditions.

Q: bent [bent]

A: Bent is the past tense and past participle of bend. If an object is bent, it is damaged and no longer has its correct shape.     The trees were all bent and twisted from the wind. If a person is bent, their body has become curved because of old age or disease. (WRITTEN)     ...a bent, frail, old man. = hunched If someone is bent on doing something, especially something harmful, they are determined to do it.     He's bent on suicide. If you have a bent for something, you have a natural ability to do it or a natural interest in it.     His bent for natural history directed him towards his first job. = flair If someone is of a particular bent, they hold a particular set of beliefs.     ...economists of a socialist bent. = persuasion If you say that someone in a position of responsibility is bent, you mean that they are dishonest or do illegal things. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     ...this bent accountant. Homosexuals are sometimes described as bent. This use could cause offence. (BRIT, INFORMAL) If someone is bent double, the top part of their body is leaning forward towards their legs, usually because they are in great pain or because they are laughing a lot. In American English, you can also say that someone is bent over double.     He left the courtroom on the first day bent double with stomach pain.

Q: biological [baiE5lCdVikEl]

A: Biological is used to describe processes and states that occur in the bodies and cells of living things.     The living organisms somehow concentrated the minerals by biological processes.     This is a natural biological response. * biologically     Much of our behaviour is biologically determined.     Possibly we are accustomed, biologically speaking, to this background radiation. Biological is used to describe activities concerned with the study of living things.     ...all aspects of biological research associated with leprosy.     ...the university's school of biological sciences. Biological weapons and biological warfare involve the use of bacteria or other living organisms in order to attack human beings, animals, or plants.     Such a war could result in the use of chemical and biological weapons. Biological pest control is the use of bacteria or other living organisms in order to destroy other organisms which are harmful to plants or crops.     ...Jim Litsinger, a consultant on biological control of agricultural pests. A child's biological parents are the man and woman who caused him or her to be born, rather than other adults who look after him or her.     ...foster parents for young teenagers whose biological parents have rejected them. = natural A biological washing powder contains substances called enzymes which dissolve dirt.

Q: biology [bai5ClEdVi]

A: Biology is the science which is concerned with the study of living things. * biologist biologists     ...biologists studying the fruit fly. The biology of a living thing is the way in which its body or cells behave.     The biology of these diseases is terribly complicated.     ...human biology.

Q: brake [breik]

A: Brakes are devices in a vehicle that make it go slower or stop.     The brakes began locking.     A seagull swooped down in front of her car, causing her to slam on the brakes. When a vehicle or its driver brakes, or when a driver brakes a vehicle, the driver makes it slow down or stop by using the brakes.     He heard tires squeal as the car braked to avoid a collision.     She braked sharply to avoid another car.     He lit a cigarette and braked the car slightly.     She braked to a halt and switched off. You can use brake in a number of expressions to indicate that something has slowed down or stopped.     Illness had put a brake on his progress.     You can take the financial brakes off in June.

Q: brass [brB:s]

A: Brass is a yellow-coloured metal made from copper and zinc. It is used especially for making ornaments and musical instruments.     The instrument is beautifully made in brass. The brass is the section of an orchestra which consists of brass wind instruments such as trumpets and horns.     He once again raised his baton and brought in the brass. Brasses are flat pieces of brass with writing or a picture cut into them, which are often found in churches. See also brass rubbing. In the army or in other organizations, the brass are the people in the highest positions. (INFORMAL) (AM; in BRIT use top brass)     The brass are reluctant to fraternise with the enlisted men. If you get down to brass tacks, you discuss the basic, most important facts of a situation.     Angola's ruling party was due to get down to brass tacks today with a debate on the party's record.

Q: brick [brik]

A: Bricks are rectangular blocks of baked clay used for building walls, which are usually red or brown. Brick is the material made up of these blocks.     She built bookshelves out of bricks and planks.     ...a tiny garden surrounded by high brick walls. If you say that someone is a brick, you mean that they have helped you or supported you when you were in a difficult situation. (OLD-FASHIONED, INFORMAL)     You were a brick, a real friend in need. = pal, mate If you are banging your head against a brick wall, what you are saying or doing is not having any effect although you keep saying or doing it. (INFORMAL)     I wanted to sort out this problem with him, but it was like banging my head against a brick wall. If you hit a brick wall or come up against a brick wall, you are unable to continue or make progress because something stops you. (INFORMAL)     After that my career just seemed to hit a brick wall.     The discussions in Brussels hit a brick wall. You can use bricks and mortar to refer to houses and other buildings, especially when they are considered as an investment.     Paying rent simply helps to line the pockets of landlords. It's far better to put your money into bricks and mortar of your own.     As an investment, bricks and mortar are not what they were.

Q: Brit BRIT

A: Brit Brits British people are sometimes referred to as Brits. (INFORMAL)     Holiday mad Brits are packing their buckets and spades and heading for the sun.

Q: Briton [5britEn]

A: Briton Britons A Briton is a British citizen, or a person of British origin. (FORMAL)     The role is played by seventeen-year-old Briton Jane March.

Q: bubble [5bQbl]

A: Bubbles are small balls of air or gas in a liquid.     Ink particles attach themselves to air bubbles and rise to the surface.     ...a bubble of gas trapped under the surface. A bubble is a hollow ball of soapy liquid that is floating in the air or standing on a surface.     With soap and water, bubbles and boats, children love bathtime. In a cartoon, a speech bubble is the shape which surrounds the words which a character is thinking or saying. When a liquid bubbles, bubbles move in it, for example because it is boiling or moving quickly.     Heat the seasoned stock until it is bubbling.     The coffeepot bubbled, filling the room with fragrance.     The fermenting wine has bubbled up and over the top.     Danny looked down at the stream bubbling through the trees nearby. If something bubbles, it is very active. (WRITTEN)     At the same time, the press bubbles with stories of the sale of Russian arms to Serbia.     The show bubbles like pink champagne with pretty sets, exquisite costumes and enchanting dance routines. A feeling, influence, or activity that is bubbling away continues to occur.     ...political tensions that have been bubbling awa

Q: bureaucratic [7bjuErEu5krAtik]

A: Bureaucratic means involving complicated rules and procedures which can cause long delays.     Diplomats believe that bureaucratic delays are inevitable.     The department has become a bureaucratic nightmare.

Q: calcium [5kAlsiEm]

A: Calcium is a soft white element which is found in bones and teeth, and also in limestone, chalk, and marble.

Q: calorie [5kAlEri]

A: Calories are units used to measure the energy value of food. People who are on diets try to eat food that does not contain many calories.     A glass of wine does have quite a lot of calories.     ...calorie controlled diets. See also -calorie.

Q: Cancer CANCER

A: Cancer Cancer is one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. Its symbol is a crab. People who are born between the 21st of June and the 22nd of July come under this sign. A Cancer is a person whose sign of the zodiac is Cancer.

Q: cane [kein]

A: Cane is used to refer to the long, hollow, hard stems of plants such as bamboo. Strips of cane are often used to make furniture, and some types of cane can be crushed and processed to make sugar.     ...cane furniture.     ...cane sugar...     Bamboo produces an annual crop of cane.     Dig out and burn infected canes. A cane is a long thin stick with a curved or round top which you can use to support yourself when you are walking, or which in the past was fashionable to carry with you.     He wore a grey suit and leaned heavily on his cane. = walking stick A cane is a long, thin, flexible stick which in the past was used to hit people, especially children at school, as a punishment.     Until the 1980s some criminals were still flogged with a rattan cane as a punishment. The cane is used to refer to the punishment of being hit with a cane.     In school, you knew if you misbehaved you would get the cane. If a child is caned, he or she is hit with a cane as a punishment.     In Wales in the same era, boys were caned for speaking Welsh in the playground.     I have caned my son when necessary. A cane is a tall, narrow stick, usually made of bamboo, which is used for supporting plants.

Q: carbohydrate [5kB:bEu5haidreit]

A: Carbohydrates are substances, found in certain kinds of food, that provide you with energy. Foods such as sugar and bread that contain these substances can also be referred to as carbohydrates.     Food is made up of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.     ...carbohydrates such as bread, pasta or chips.

Q: carbon dioxide CARBON DIOXIDE

A: Carbon dioxide is a gas. It is produced by animals and people breathing out, and by chemical reactions.

Q: cattle [5kAtl]

A: Cattle are cows and bulls.     ...the finest herd of beef cattle for two hundred miles.

Q: caution [5kC:FEn]

A: Caution is great care which you take in order to avoid possible danger.     Extreme caution should be exercised when buying part-worn tyres.     The Chancellor is a man of caution. If someone cautions you, they warn you about problems or danger.     Tony cautioned against misrepresenting the situation.     The statement clearly was intended to caution Seoul against attempting to block the council's action again.     He cautioned that opposition attacks on the ruling party would not further political co-operation. = warn Also a noun.     There was a note of caution for the Treasury in the figures. = warning If someone who has broken the law is cautioned by the police, they are warned that if they break the law again official action will be taken against them. (BRIT)     The two men were cautioned but police say they will not be charged.     Tapp was eventually cautioned for wasting police time. Also a noun.     In November 1987 Paula escaped with a caution. In October 1988 she was fined. If someone who has been arrested is cautioned, the police warn them that anything they say may be used as evidence in a trial. (BRIT)

Q: cement [si5ment]

A: Cement is a grey powder which is mixed with sand and water in order to make concrete.     Builders have trouble getting the right amount of cement into their concrete. Cement is the same as concrete.     ...the hard cold cement floor. = concrete Glue that is made for sticking particular substances together is sometimes called cement.     Stick the pieces on with tile cement. Something that cements a relationship or agreement makes it stronger.     Nothing cements a friendship between countries so much as trade. The cement of a relationship or agreement is something that makes it stronger and more long-lasting. (LITERARY)     ...the power of the party, once the cement that held the Soviet Union together...     In the old days, television was the cement of society. If things are cemented together, they are stuck or fastened together.     Most artificial joints are cemented into place.

Q: ceramic [si5rAmik]

A: Ceramic is clay that has been heated to a very high temperature so that it becomes hard.     ...ceramic tiles.     ...items made from hand-painted ceramic. Ceramics are ceramic ornaments or objects.     ...a collection of Chinese ceramics. Ceramics is the art of making artistic objects out of clay.

Q: cereal [5siEriEl]

A: Cereal or breakfast cereal is a food made from grain. It is mixed with milk and eaten for breakfast.     I have a glass of fruit juice and a bowl of cereal every morning. Cereals are plants such as wheat, corn, or rice that produce grain.     ...the rich cereal-growing districts of the Paris Basin.

Q: certainty [5sE:tEnti]

A: Certainty is the state of being definite or of having no doubts at all about something.     I have told them with absolute certainty there'll be no change of policy.     There is too little certainty about the present state of the German economy. Certainty is the fact that something is certain to happen.     A general election became a certainty three weeks ago.     ...the certainty of more violence and bloodshed...     I began to realize the certainty of freezing to death if I remained where I was. = inevitability Certainties are things that nobody has any doubts about.     There are no certainties in modern Europe.     The collapse of old certainties.

Q: communal [5kCmjunl]

A: Communal means relating to particular groups in a country or society.     Communal violence broke out in different parts of the country.     ...inter-communal relations. You use communal to describe something that is shared by a group of people.     The inmates ate in a communal dining room.     ...communal ownership. * communally     Meals are taken communally in the dining room.

Q: left-hand LEFT-HAND

A: If something is on the left-hand side of something, it is positioned on the left of it.     They drive on the left-hand side of the road.     The keys are in the back left-hand corner of the drawer. <> right-hand

Q: charm [tFB:m]

A: Charm is the quality of being pleasant or attractive.     `Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs', the 1937 Disney classic, has lost none of its original charm.     The house had its charms, not the least of which was the furniture that came with it. Someone who has charm behaves in a friendly, pleasant way that makes people like them.     He was a man of great charm and distinction. If you charm someone, you please them, especially by using your charm.     He even charmed Mrs Prichard, carrying her shopping and flirting with her, though she's 83.     The Indians, in turn, were charmed by the famous author's cultured and civilised outlook.     You can't force -- or even charm -- him into behaving differently if he doesn't want to. If you charm your way into or out of a place or situation, you use your charm to get into or out of that place or situation.     ...charming his way into the British Embassy in Teheran...     He charmed his way out of trouble. If you say that someone charmed something out of you or from you, you mean that they used their charm to persuade you to give it to them.     He is good at charming money out of companies. A charm is a sma

Q: chemistry [5kemistri]

A: Chemistry is the scientific study of the structure of substances and of the way that they react with other substances. The chemistry of an organism or a material is the chemical substances that make it up and the chemical reactions that go on inside it.     We have literally altered the chemistry of our planet's atmosphere.     If the supply of vitamins and minerals in the diet is inadequate, this will result in changes in body chemistry. If you say that there is chemistry between two people, you mean that is obvious they are attracted to each other or like each other very much.     ...the extraordinary chemistry between Ingrid and Bogart...     Janis and I became friends but we were never close. The chemistry wasn't there.

Q: cherry [5tFeri]

A: Cherries are small, round fruit with red skins. A cherry or a cherry tree is a tree that cherries grow on.

Q: chess [tFes]

A: Chess is a game for two people, played on a chessboard. Each player has 16 pieces, including a king. Your aim is to move your pieces so that your opponent's king cannot escape being taken.     ...the world chess championships.

Q: Chief of Staff CHIEF OF STAFF

A: Chief of Staff Chiefs of Staff The Chiefs of Staff are the highest-ranking officers of each service of the armed forces.     ...General Carl Vano, the chief of staff of the Army.

Q: daddy [5dAdi]

A: Children often call their father daddy. (INFORMAL)     Look at me, Daddy!.     I wrote a letter to Daddy.     She wanted her mummy and daddy.

Q: china [5tFainE]

A: China is a hard white substance made from clay. It is used to make things such as cups, bowls, plates, and ornaments.     ...a small boat made of china.     ...china cups. See also bone china. Cups, bowls, plates, and ornaments made of china are referred to as china.     Judy collects blue and white china.

Q: cholesterol [kE5lestErEul, -rCl]

A: Cholesterol is a substance that exists in the fat, tissues, and blood of all animals. Too much cholesterol in a person's blood can cause heart disease.     ...a dangerously high cholesterol level.

Q: Christianity [7kristi5Aniti]

A: Christianity Christianity is a religion that is based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and the belief that he was the son of God.     He converted to Christianity that day.

Q: chunk [tFQNk]

A: Chunks of something are thick solid pieces of it.     They had to be careful of floating chunks of ice.     ...a chunk of meat...     Cut the melon into chunks. = lump A chunk of something is a large amount or large part of it. (INFORMAL)     The company owns a chunk of farmland near Gatwick Airport.

Q: civil rights CIVIL RIGHTS

A: Civil rights are the rights that people have in a society to equal treatment and equal opportunities, whatever their race, sex, or religion.     ...the civil rights movement.     ...violations of civil rights.

Q: Easter [5i:stE]

A: Easter Easters Easter is a Christian festival when Jesus Christ's return to life is celebrated. It is celebrated on a Sunday in March or April.     `Happy Easter,' he yelled.     ...the first Easter morning. Easter is the period of several days around and including Easter Sunday.     They usually have a walking holiday at Easter.     She spends her Easter holidays taking groups of children to France.     The government declared Easter Monday a public holiday.

Q: clay [klei]

A: Clay is a kind of earth that is soft when it is wet and hard when it is dry. Clay is shaped and baked to make things such as pots and bricks.     ...the heavy clay soils of Cambridgeshire...     As the wheel turned, the potter shaped and squeezed the lump of clay into a graceful shape.     ...a little clay pot. In tennis, matches played on clay are played on courts whose surface is covered with finely crushed stones or brick.     Most tennis is played on hard courts, but a substantial amount is played on clay.     Agassi was equally impressive in beating Frana, a clay court specialist. If you say that a person who is respected or admired has feet of clay or has clay feet, you mean that they have serious faults which you or other people did not know about before. (FORMAL)     When those idols are found to have feet of clay, the pain of disenchantment can be profound.

Q: clinical [5klinikEl]

A: Clinical means involving or relating to the direct medical treatment or testing of patients. (MEDICAL)     The first clinical trials were expected to begin next year.     ...a clinical psychologist. * clinically     She was diagnosed as being clinically depressed.     It has been clinically proved that it is better to stretch the tight muscles first. You use clinical to describe thought or behaviour which is very logical and does not involve any emotion.     All this questioning is so analytical and clinical -- it kills romance. = impersonal

Q: cloth [klC(:)W]

A: Cloth is fabric which is made by weaving or knitting a substance such as cotton, wool, silk, or nylon. Cloth is used especially for making clothes.     She began cleaning the wound with a piece of cloth. = fabric, material A cloth is a piece of cloth which you use for a particular purpose, such as cleaning something or covering something.     Clean the surface with a damp cloth.     ...a tray covered with a cloth. The cloth is sometimes used to refer to Christian priests and ministers.     I've got as much respect for the cloth as the next man.     ...a man of the cloth. = clergy <> laity

Q: coarse [kC:s]

A: Coarse things have a rough texture because they consist of thick threads or large pieces.     ...a jacket made of very coarse cloth.     ...a beach of coarse sand. = rough <> fine * coarsely     ...coarsely ground black pepper. If you describe someone as coarse, you mean that he or she talks and behaves in a rude and offensive way.     The soldiers did not bother to moderate their coarse humour in her presence. = vulgar, crude * coarsely     The women laughed coarsely at some vulgar joke. * coarseness     The coarseness of her cursing amazed the workmen.

Q: cola [5kEulE]

A: Cola is a sweet brown non-alcoholic fizzy drink.     ...a can of cola.

Q: Cold War COLD WAR

A: Cold War also cold war. The Cold War was the period of hostility and tension between the Soviet bloc and the Western powers that followed the Second World War.     ...the end of the cold war and the decline in armaments spending.     ...the first major crisis of the post-Cold War era.

Q: collaboration [kE7lAbE5reiFEn]

A: Collaboration is the act of working together to produce a piece of work, especially a book or some research.     There is substantial collaboration with neighbouring departments.     Close collaboration between the Bank and the Fund is not merely desirable, it is essential.     ...scientific collaborations...     Drummond was working on a book in collaboration with Zodiac Mindwarp. A collaboration is a piece of work that has been produced as the result of people or groups working together.     He was also a writer of beautiful stories, some of which are collaborations with his fiancee. Collaboration is the act of helping an enemy who is occupying your country during a war.     ...rumors of his collaboration with the occupying forces during the war.

Q: colonial [kE5lEunjEl]

A: Colonial means relating to countries that are colonies, or to colonialism.     ...the 31st anniversary of Jamaica's independence from British colonial rule.     ...the colonial civil service. People who have lived for a long time in a colony but who belong to the colonizing country are sometimes referred to as colonials.     ...a group of ex-colonials. A Colonial building or piece of furniture was built or made in a style that was popular in America in the 17th and 18th centuries. (mainly AM)     ...the white colonial houses on the north side of the campus...     I sat on the Colonial bench that was just to the left of the office doorway.

Q: compact [5kCmpAkt]

A: Compact things are small or take up very little space. You use this word when you think this is a good quality.     ...my compact office in Washington.     ...the new, more compact Czech government. * compactness     The very compactness of the cottage made it all the more snug and appealing. A compact person is small but strong.     He was compact, probably no taller than me.     He looked physically very powerful, athletic in a compact way. A compact cassette, camera, or car is a small type of cassette, camera, or car. To compact something means to press it so that it becomes more solid. (FORMAL)     The Smith boy was compacting the trash.     The soil settles and is compacted by the winter rain. = compress * compacted     ...a pile of compacted earth. * compaction     Regular forking of beds and borders relieves the compaction caused by rain. A compact is a small, flat case that contains face powder and a mirror.

Q: competing COMPETING

A: Competing ideas, requirements, or interests cannot all be right or satisfied at the same time.     They talked about the competing theories of the origin of life.     ...the competing interests of beach development and sea turtle protection.     ...the competing demands of work and family. See also compete. = conflicting

Q: complexity [kEm5pleksiti]

A: Complexity is the state of having many different parts connected or related to each other in a complicated way.     ...a diplomatic tangle of great complexity.     ...the increasing complexity of modern weapon systems. <> simplicity

Q: compost [5kCmpCst]

A: Compost is a mixture of decayed plants and vegetable waste which is added to the soil to help plants grow.     ...a small compost heap. Compost is specially treated soil that you buy and use to grow seeds and plants in pots. To compost things such as unwanted bits of plants means to make them into compost.     Cut down and compost spent cucumbers, tomatoes and other crops.     All garden waste should be composted and returned to the garden. * composting     Composting is the ideal way of getting rid of vegetable, garden and organic waste.

Q: condemnation [7kCndem5neiFEn]

A: Condemnation is the act of saying that something or someone is very bad and unacceptable.     There was widespread condemnation of Saturday's killings.     The raids have drawn a strong condemnation from the United Nations Security Council.

Q: consequently [5kCnsikwEntli]

A: Consequently means as a result. (FORMAL)     Grandfather Dingsdale had sustained a broken back while working in the mines. Consequently, he spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair.     Relations between the two companies had, consequently, never been close. = as a result

Q: conservation [7kCnsE(:)5veiFEn]

A: Conservation is saving and protecting the environment.     ...a four-nation regional meeting on elephant conservation.     ...tree-planting and other conservation projects. Conservation is saving and protecting historical objects or works of art such as paintings, sculptures, or buildings.     Then he began his most famous work, the conservation and rebinding of the Book of Kells. The conservation of a supply of something is the careful use of it so that it lasts for a long time.     ...projects aimed at promoting energy conservation.     ...rules concerning the conservation of fishery resources.

Q: conspiracy [kEn5spirEsi]

A: Conspiracy is the secret planning by a group of people to do something illegal.     Seven men, all from Bristol, admitted conspiracy to commit arson.     He believes there probably was a conspiracy to kill President Kennedy in 1963. = plot A conspiracy is an agreement between a group of people which other people think is wrong or is likely to be harmful.     It's all part of a conspiracy to dispense with the town centre all together and move everything out to Meadowhall.     It was like some kind of conspiracy against men. If there is a conspiracy of silence about something, people who know about it have agreed that they will not talk publicly about it, although it would probably be a good thing if people in general knew about it.     Detectives have run into a conspiracy of silence in the tight-knit communities of the peninsula.

Q: ecological [7ekE5lCdVikEl]

A: Ecological means involved with or concerning ecology.     Large dams have harmed Siberia's delicate ecological balance.     ...ecological disasters, such as the destruction of rainforest. * ecologically     It is economical to run and ecologically sound. Ecological groups, movements, and people are concerned with preserving the environment and natural resources, so that they can be used in a sensible way, rather than being wasted.     Ecological groups say that nothing is being done to tackle the problem.

Q: continental [7kCnti5nentl]

A: Continental means situated on or belonging to the continent of Europe except for Britain. (mainly BRIT)     He sees no signs of improvement in the UK and continental economy. A continental is someone who comes from the continent of Europe. (BRIT, INFORMAL) If you describe someone or something as continental, you think that they are typical of the continent of Europe. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     He's very continental.     Torquay is undeniably continental. Continental is used to refer to something that belongs to or relates to a continent.     Since these substances are not licensed, they cannot be sold in the continental United States. The continental United States consists of all the states which are situated on the continent of North America, as opposed to Hawaii and territories such as the Virgin Islands. (mainly AM)     Shipping is included on orders sent within the continental U.S. Continental means existing or happening in the American colonies during the American Revolution. (AM)     ...George Washington, Commander of the Continental Army...     The Continental Congress called upon the 13 states to draft new constitutions establishing governments more conducive to `republican' principles. Continentals were soldiers who fought in the Continental Army against the British in the American Revolution. (AM)

Q: conversion [kEn5vE:FEn]

A: Conversion is the act or process of changing something into a different state or form.     ...the conversion of disused rail lines into cycle routes...     A loft conversion can add considerably to the value of a house. If someone changes their religion or beliefs, you can refer to their conversion to their new religion or beliefs.     ...his conversion to Christianity...     It's hard to trust the President's conversion. In rugby, if a player makes or kicks a conversion, he scores points by kicking the ball over the goal after a try has been scored.

Q: copper [5kCpE]

A: Copper is reddish brown metal that is used to make things such as coins and electrical wires.     Chile is the world's largest producer of copper.     ...a copper mine. Copper is sometimes used to describe things that are reddish-brown in colour. (LITERARY)     His hair has reverted back to its original copper hue. Coppers are brown metal coins of low value. (mainly BRIT, INFORMAL) A copper is a policeman or a policewoman. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     ...your friendly neighbourhood copper.

Q: cord [kC:d]

A: Cord is strong, thick string.     The door had been tied shut with a length of nylon cord.     ...gilded cords and tassels. Cord is wire covered in rubber or plastic which connects electrical equipment to an electricity supply.     ...electrical cord...     We used so many lights that we needed four extension cords. = cable, flex Cords are trousers made of corduroy.     He had bare feet, a T-shirt and cords on. Cord means made of corduroy.     ...a pair of cord trousers.

Q: corn [kC:n]

A: Corn is used to refer to crops such as wheat and barley. It can also be used to refer to the seeds from these plants. The American word is grain.     ...fields of corn...     He filled the barn to the roof with corn. Corn is the same as maize.     ...rows of corn in an Iowa field. Corns are small, painful areas of hard skin which can form on your foot, especially near your toes.

Q: cosmetic [kCz5metik]

A: Cosmetics are substances such as lipstick or powder, which people put on their face to make themselves look more attractive. = make-up If you describe measures or changes as cosmetic, you mean they improve the appearance of a situation or thing but do not change its basic nature, and you are usually implying that they are inadequate.     It is a cosmetic measure which will do nothing to help the situation long term.     In general, the students view these changes as merely cosmetic. = superficial

Q: courtesy [5kE:tisi, 5kC:-]

A: Courtesy is politeness, respect, and consideration for others. (FORMAL)     ...a gentleman who behaves with the utmost courtesy towards ladies...     He did not even have the courtesy to reply to my fax. = politeness <> rudeness If you refer to the courtesy of doing something, you are referring to a polite action. (FORMAL)     By extending the courtesy of a phone call to my clients, I was building a personal relationship with them.     At least if they're arguing, they're doing you the courtesy of being interested. Courtesies are polite, conventional things that people say in formal situations. (FORMAL)     Hugh and John were exchanging faintly barbed courtesies. = formalities Courtesy is used to describe services that are provided free of charge by an organization to its customers, or to the general public.     A courtesy shuttle bus operates between the hotel and the town.     ...a courtesy phone. A courtesy call or a courtesy visit is a formal visit that you pay someone as a way of showing them politeness or respect.     The President paid a courtesy call on Emperor Akihito. A courtesy title is a title that someone is allowed to use, although it has no legal or official status.     Both were accorded the courtesy title of Lady.     My title, by courtesy only, is the Honourable Amalia Lovell. If something is provided courtesy of someone or by courtesy of someone, they provide it. You often use this expression in order to thank them.     The waitress brings over some congratulatory glasses of ch

Q: greater GREATER

A: Greater is the comparative of great. Greater is used with the name of a large city to refer to the city together with the surrounding urban and suburban area.     ...Greater London. Greater is used with the name of a country to refer to a larger area which includes that country and other land which used to belong to it, or which some people believe should belong to it.     ...greater Syria.

Q: credible [5kredEbl, -ibl]

A: Credible means able to be trusted or believed.     ...a credible threat of terrorist action...     Baroness Thatcher's claims seem credible to many. = convincing <> unconvincing * credibly     Ministers can equally credibly claim that the opposition is to blame. A credible candidate, policy, or system, for example, is one that appears to have a chance of being successful.     Mr Robertson would be a credible candidate.     The challenge before the opposition is to offer credible alternative policies for the future. * credibly     He was the only figure who could credibly run the country.

Q: cross-country [krCs5kQntri; (us) 5krC:s-]

A: Cross-country is the sport of running, riding, or skiing across open countryside rather than along roads or around a running track.     She finished third in the world cross-country championships in Antwerp. A cross-country journey involves less important roads or railway lines, or takes you from one side of a country to the other.     ...cross-country rail services...     The group made a 13-concert cross-country tour, including a stop in New York. Also an adverb.     I drove cross-country in his van.

Q: cruelty [5kru:Elti]

A: Cruelty is behaviour that deliberately causes pain or distress to people or animals.     Britain had laws against cruelty to animals but none to protect children.     He had been unable to escape the cruelties of war. <> kindness

Q: curiosity [7kjuEri5Csiti]

A: Curiosity is a desire to know about something.     Ryle accepted more out of curiosity than anything else.     ...an enthusiasm and genuine curiosity about the past...     To satisfy our own curiosity we traveled to Baltimore. = inquisitiveness A curiosity is something that is unusual, interesting, and fairly rare.     There is much to see in the way of castles, curiosities, and museums.     Reed International is a curiosity in the international world of publishing.

Q: custody [5kQstEdi]

A: Custody is the legal right to keep and look after a child, especially the right given to a child's mother or father when they get divorced.     I'm going to go to court to get custody of the children.     Child custody is normally granted to the mother.     ...a bitter custody battle. Someone who is in custody or has been taken into custody has been arrested and is being kept in prison until they can be tried in a court.     Three people appeared in court and two of them were remanded in custody.     She was taken into custody later that day. If someone is being held in a particular type of custody, they are being kept in a place that is similar to a prison.     The youngster got nine months' youth custody.     Barrett was taken into protective custody.

Q: customs CUSTOMS

A: Customs is the official organization responsible for collecting taxes on goods coming into a country and preventing illegal goods from being brought in.     ...components similar to those seized by British customs.     ...customs officers. Customs is the place where people arriving from a foreign country have to declare goods that they bring with them.     He walked through customs. Customs duties are taxes that people pay for importing and exporting goods.

Q: damn [dAm]

A: Damn, damn it, and dammit are used by some people to express anger or impatience. (INFORMAL, RUDE)     Don't be flippant, damn it! This is serious. Damn is used by some people to emphasize what they are saying. (INFORMAL, RUDE)     There's not a damn thing you can do about it now. Also an adverb.     As it turned out, I was damn right.     Let's have a damn good party. If you say that a person or a news report damns something such as a policy or action, you mean that they are very critical of it.     ...a sensational book in which she damns the ultra-right party.     ...a report damning the chocolate advertising people for targeting women in their campaigns. = slam If you say that someone does not give a damn about something, you are emphasizing that they do not care about it at all. (INFORMAL, RUDE) People use damn near to emphasize that what they are saying is not actually true, but is very close to being true. (INFORMAL, RUDE)     I damn near went crazy.     That's a question damn near every woman who ever lived has had to answer for herself. Some people say as near as damn it or as near as dammit to emphasize that what they have said is almost completely accurate, but not quite. (BRIT, INFORMAL, RUDE)

Q: doll up DOLL UP

A: If a woman dolls herself up, she puts on smart or fashionable clothes in order to try and look attractive for a particular occasion. (INFORMAL)     We used to doll ourselves up and go into town. = dress up * dolled up     She was dolled up for the occasion.

Q: dawn [dC:n]

A: Dawn is the time of day when light first appears in the sky, just before the sun rises.     Nancy woke at dawn. = sunrise, daybreak The dawn of a period of time or a situation is the beginning of it. (LITERARY)     We can only guess what went through the mind of a man who could look back to the dawn of powered flight.     ...the dawn of the radio age. If something is dawning, it is beginning to develop or come into existence. (WRITTEN)     Throughout Europe a new railway age, that of the high-speed train, has dawned.     A new era seemed to be about to dawn for the coach and his young team.     Now there is a dawning realisation that drastic action is necessary. * dawning     ...the dawning of the space age...     Tettlinger uncovered his eyes in the first dawning of hope. When you say that a particular day dawned, you mean it arrived or began, usually when it became light. (WRITTEN)     When the great day dawned, the inevitable first concern was the weather.     The next day dawned sombre and gloomy.

Q: debris [5debri:, 5deib-]

A: Debris is pieces from something that has been destroyed or pieces of rubbish or unwanted material that are spread around.     I stood at the foot of the collapsed tower and watched the rescue workers sifting through the debris.     A number of people were killed by flying debris.

Q: deficiency [di5fiFEnsi]

A: Deficiency in something, especially something that your body needs, is not having enough of it.     They did blood tests on him for signs of vitamin deficiency.     There are serious deficiencies in the numbers of suitable aircraft. A deficiency that someone or something has is a weakness or imperfection in them. (FORMAL)     The most serious deficiency in Nato's air defence is the lack of an identification system to distinguish friend from foe. = weakness

Q: dental [5dentl]

A: Dental is used to describe things that relate to teeth or to the care and treatment of teeth.     You can get free prescriptions and dental treatment while you are pregnant.     ...the dental profession.

Q: despair [dis5pZE]

A: Despair is the feeling that everything is wrong and that nothing will improve.     I looked at my wife in despair.     There is always someone to whom you can admit feelings of despair or inadequacy. If you despair, you feel that everything is wrong and that nothing will improve.     `Oh, I despair sometimes,' he says in mock sorrow.     He does despair at much of the press criticism. If you despair of something, you feel that there is no hope that it will happen or improve. If you despair of someone, you feel that there is no hope that they will improve.     He wished to earn a living through writing but despaired of doing so.     ...efforts to find homes for people despairing of ever having a roof over their heads...     There are signs that many voters have already despaired of politicians.

Q: dessert [di5zE:t]

A: Dessert is something sweet, such as fruit or a pudding, that you eat at the end of a meal.     She had homemade ice cream for dessert.     I am partial to desserts that combine fresh fruit with fine pastry. = sweet, pudding

Q: detention [di5tenFEn]

A: Detention is when someone is arrested or put into prison, especially for political reasons.     ...the detention without trial of government critics...     They have been held in detention since the end of June.     The government says the detentions are necessary on national security grounds. Detention is a punishment for naughty schoolchildren, who are made to stay at school after the other children have gone home.     The teacher kept the boys in detention after school.

Q: diabetes [7daiE5bi:ti:z, -ti:s]

A: Diabetes is a medical condition in which someone has too much sugar in their blood.

Q: diagnosis [7daiEg5nEusis]

A: Diagnosis is the discovery and naming of what is wrong with someone who is ill or with something that is not working properly.     I need to have a second test to confirm the diagnosis.     Symptoms may not appear for some weeks, so diagnosis can be difficult.

Q: dictatorship [dik5teitEFip]

A: Dictatorship is government by a dictator.     ...a new era of democracy after a long period of military dictatorship in the country.     ...countries which are ruled by dictatorships. A dictatorship is a country which is ruled by a dictator or by a very strict and harsh government.     Every country in the region was a military dictatorship. = tyrant

Q: diesel [5di:zEl]

A: Diesel or diesel oil is the heavy oil used in a diesel engine. A diesel is a vehicle which has a diesel engine.

Q: dim [dim]

A: Dim light is not bright.     She stood waiting, in the dim light.     Below decks, the lights were dim. * dimly     Two lamps burned dimly.     He followed her into a dimly lit kitchen. * dimness     ...the dimness of an early September evening. A dim place is rather dark because there is not much light in it.     The room was dim and cool and quiet. * dimness     I stood just inside the doorway, squinting to adjust my eyes to the dimness. A dim figure or object is not very easy to see, either because it is in shadow or darkness, or because it is far away.     Pete's torch picked out the dim figures of Bob and Chang. = faint * dimly     The shoreline could be dimly seen. If you have a dim memory or understanding of something, it is difficult to remember or is unclear in your mind.     It seems that the '60s era of social activism is all but a dim memory. = hazy

Q: diplomacy [di5plEumEsi]

A: Diplomacy is the activity or profession of managing relations between the governments of different countries.     Today's Security Council resolution will be a significant success for American diplomacy.     The talks have now gone into a stage of quiet diplomacy. See also shuttle diplomacy. Diplomacy is the skill of being careful to say or do things which will not offend people.     He stormed off in a fury, and it took all Minnelli's powers of diplomacy to get him to return.

Q: disagreement [disE5gri:mEnt]

A: Disagreement means objecting to something such as a proposal.     Britain and France have expressed some disagreement with the proposal. = objection When there is disagreement about something, people disagree or argue about what should be done.     The United States Congress and the President are still locked in disagreement over proposals to reduce the massive budget deficit.     Plans for a peace conference failed due to disagreement on who should be allowed to attend.     Disagreements among the twelve EC countries prevented them from taking any concerted action.     My instructor and I had a brief disagreement. = dispute

Q: discomfort [dis5kQmfEt]

A: Discomfort is a painful feeling in part of your body when you have been hurt slightly or when you have been uncomfortable for a long time.     She carried her left arm at an awkward angle, as if it were causing her discomfort.     Steve had some discomfort, but no real pain. = soreness Discomfort is a feeling of worry caused by shame or embarrassment.     He sniffed, fidgeting in discomfort, uneasy at the suggestion.     She hears the discomfort in his voice. = uneasiness Discomforts are conditions which cause you to feel physically uncomfortable.     ...the discomforts of camping.     ...reducing the physical discomforts and difficulties faced by women.

Q: discretion [dis5kreFEn]

A: Discretion is the quality of behaving in a quiet and controlled way without drawing attention to yourself or giving away personal or private information. (FORMAL)     Larsson sometimes joined in the fun, but with more discretion.     He appreciated his discretion and his fidelity. If someone in a position of authority uses their discretion or has the discretion to do something in a particular situation, they have the freedom and authority to decide what to do. (FORMAL)     This committee may want to exercise its discretion to look into those charges.     School governors have the discretion to allow parents to withdraw pupils in exceptional circumstances. If something happens at someone's discretion, it can happen only if they decide to do it or give their permission. (FORMAL)     We may vary the limit at our discretion and will notify you of any change.     Where there are no service charges added to the bill, tip at your discretion.     Visits are at the discretion of the owners. If you say discretion is the better part of valour, you mean that avoiding a dangerous or unpleasant situation is sometimes the most sensible thing to do.

Q: dismay [dis5mei]

A: Dismay is a strong feeling of fear, worry, or sadness that is caused by something unpleasant and unexpected. (FORMAL)     Local councillors have reacted with dismay and indignation.     Lucy discovered to her dismay that she was pregnant.     The ministers expressed dismay at the continued practice of ethnic cleansing.     Meg looked up at her in dismay. If you are dismayed by something, it makes you feel afraid, worried, or sad. (FORMAL)     The committee was dismayed by what it had been told.     McKee suddenly realized she was crying and the thought dismayed him. * dismayed     He was dismayed at the cynicism of the youngsters.     He was dismayed to find that his hands were shaking.

Q: dissent [di5sent]

A: Dissent is strong disagreement or dissatisfaction with a decision or opinion, especially one that is supported by most people or by people in authority.     He is the toughest military ruler yet and has responded harshly to any dissent.     Political dissent would no longer be tolerated.     I made a gesture of dissent. = opposition If you dissent, you express disagreement with a decision or opinion, especially one that is supported by most people or by people in authority. (FORMAL)     Just one of the 10 members dissented.     No one dissents from the decision to unify.     There are likely to be many dissenting voices.

Q: distant [5distEnt]

A: Distant means very far away.     The mountains rolled away to a distant horizon.     ...the war in that distant land. = faraway <> nearby You use distant to describe a time or event that is very far away in the future or in the past.     There is little doubt, however, that things will improve in the not too distant future.     Last summer's drought is a distant memory. = faraway <> near A distant relative is one who you are not closely related to.     He's a distant relative of the mayor.     They were distant cousins. <> close * distantly     His father's distantly related to the Royal family. If you describe someone as distant, you mean that you find them cold and unfriendly.     He found her cold, ice-like and distant.     He is direct and courteous but distant. = aloof <> approachable If you describe someone as distant, you mean that they are not concentrating on what they are doing because they are thinking about other things.     There was a distant look in her eyes from time to time, her thoughts elsewhere. = detached <

Q: distress [dis5tres]

A: Distress is a state of extreme sorrow, suffering, or pain.     Jealousy causes distress and painful emotions.     Her mouth grew stiff with pain and distress. = suffering Distress is the state of being in extreme danger and needing urgent help.     He expressed concern that the ship might be in distress.     The constable received a distress call, and saw two youths attacking his colleague. If someone or something distresses you, they cause you to be upset or worried.     The idea of Toni being in danger distresses him enormously.     I did not want to frighten or distress the horse.

Q: Downing Street DOWNING STREET

A: Downing Street Downing Street is the street in London in which the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer live. You can also use Downing Street to refer to the Prime Minister and his or her officials.     The Prime Minister arrived back at Downing Street from Paris this morning.     Downing Street is taking the French opinion polls very seriously indeed.

Q: downtown [5dauntaun]

A: Downtown places are in or towards the centre of a large town or city, where the shops and places of business are. (mainly AM)     ...an office in downtown Chicago. <> uptown Also an adverb.     By day he worked downtown for American Standard.     You have to be downtown in a hurry. <> uptown Also a noun.     ...in a large vacant area of the downtown.     ...Ardastra Gardens, a short taxi ride from downtown.

Q: dressage [dre5sB:V, 5dresEV]

A: Dressage is a competition in which horse riders have to make their horse perform controlled movements.

Q: dried [draid]

A: Dried food or milk has had all the water removed from it so that it will last for a long time.     ...an infusion which may be prepared from the fresh plant or the dried herb...     Thirty-six trucks were loaded with some 100 tons of dried milk and bandages. See also dry. = dehydrated

Q: dying [5daiiN]

A: Dying is the present participle of die. A dying person or animal is very ill and likely to die soon.     ...a dying man. The dying are people who are dying.     By the time our officers arrived, the dead and the dying were everywhere. You use dying to describe something which happens at the time when someone dies, or is connected with that time.     It'll stay in my mind till my dying day.     She was compelled to fulfil the dying wishes of her mother. The dying days or dying minutes of a state of affairs or an activity are its last days or minutes.     The islands were seized by the Soviet army in the dying days of the second world war.     A penalty by Thierry Lacroix broke the deadlock in the dying minutes of the game. = final A dying tradition or industry is becoming less important and is likely to disappear completely.     Shipbuilding is a dying business. A dying fire is no longer hot and bright and will not burn for much longer.

Q: electrical [i5lektrik(E)l]

A: Electrical goods, equipment, or appliances work by means of electricity.     ...shipments of electrical equipment.     ...electrical appliances. * electrically     ...electrically-powered vehicles. Electrical systems or parts supply or use electricity. Electrical energy is energy in the form of electricity. * electrically     ...electrically charged particles...     The researchers stimulated the muscle electrically. Electrical industries, engineers, or workers are involved in the production and supply of electricity or electrical goods.

Q: encouragement [in5kQridVmEnt]

A: Encouragement is the activity of encouraging someone, or something that is said or done in order to encourage them.     I also had friends who gave me a great deal of encouragement.     Thanks for your advice and encouragement.     ...the notion that tax encouragements and the like would be sufficient to increase people's appetite for supporting charity.

Q: envy [5envi]

A: Envy is the feeling you have when you wish you could have the same thing or quality that someone else has.     Gradually he began to acknowledge his feelings of envy towards his mother.     They gazed in a mixture of envy and admiration at the beauty of the statue. If you envy someone, you wish that you had the same things or qualities that they have.     I don't envy the young ones who've become TV superstars and know no other world.     I have a rich brother and a lot of people envy the fact.     He envied Caroline her peace.     `You must've seen the world by now,' said Frannie, `I envy you that.' If a thing or quality is the envy of someone, they wish very much that they could have or achieve it.     Britain is now the envy of the world's record companies.     ...an economic expansion that was the envy of many other states.

Q: er [Q:, E:7E]

A: Er is used in writing to represent the sound that people make when they hesitate, especially while they decide what to say next.     I would challenge the, er, suggestion that we're in third place.     People that are addicted to drugs get er help from the government one way or another.

Q: ethical [5eWikEl]

A: Ethical means relating to beliefs about right and wrong.     ...the moral and ethical standards in the school.     ...the medical, nursing and ethical issues surrounding terminally-ill people. * ethically     Attorneys are ethically and legally bound to absolute confidentiality. If you describe something as ethical, you mean that it is morally right or morally acceptable.     ...ethical investment schemes...     Does the party think it is ethical to link tax policy with party fund-raising? * ethically     Mayors want local companies to behave ethically.

Q: expulsion [iks5pQlFEn]

A: Expulsion is when someone is forced to leave a school, university, or organization.     Her hatred of authority led to her expulsion from high school.     ...the high number of school expulsions...     This led to his suspension and, finally, expulsion from the party in 1955. Expulsion is when someone is forced to leave a place. (FORMAL)     ...the expulsion of Yemeni workers.     ...a new wave of mass expulsions. Expulsion is when something is forced out from your body. (FORMAL)     ...the expulsion of waste products.     ...their expulsion from the digestive tract.

Q: facial [5feiFEl]

A: Facial means appearing on or being part of your face.     Cross didn't answer; his facial expression didn't change.     I ended up in hospital with facial injuries. A facial is a sort of beauty treatment in which someone's face is massaged, and creams and other substances are rubbed into it.

Q: fatigue [fE5ti:g]

A: Fatigue is a feeling of extreme physical or mental tiredness.     She continued to have severe stomach cramps, aches, fatigue, and depression.     Clarke says his team could have lasted another 15 days before fatigue would have begun to take a toll. = exhaustion You can say that people are suffering from a particular kind of fatigue when they have been doing something for a long time and feel they can no longer continue to do it.     ...compassion fatigue caused by endless TV and celebrity appeals.     ...the result of four months of battle fatigue. Fatigues are clothes that soldiers wear when they are fighting or when they are doing routine jobs.     He never expected to return home wearing US combat fatigues. Fatigue in metal or wood is a weakness in it that is caused by repeated stress. Fatigue can cause the metal or wood to break.     The problem turned out to be metal fatigue in the fuselage.

Q: fiction [5fikFEn]

A: Fiction refers to books and stories about imaginary people and events, rather than books about real people or events.     Immigrant tales have always been popular themes in fiction.     Diana is a writer of historical fiction. See also science fiction. <> non-fiction A statement or account that is fiction is not true.     The truth or fiction of this story has never been truly determined. <> fact If something is a fiction, it is not true, although people sometimes pretend that it is true.     Total recycling is a fiction. <> fact

Q: fixture [5fikstFE]

A: Fixtures are pieces of furniture or equipment, for example baths and sinks, which are fixed inside a house or other building and which stay there if you move.     ...a detailed list of what fixtures and fittings are included in the purchase price. A fixture is a sports event which takes place on a particular date. (BRIT)     City won this fixture 3-0 last season. If you describe someone or something as a fixture in a particular place or occasion, you mean that they always seem to be there.     She was a fixture in New York's nightclubs.     The cordless kettle may now be a fixture in most kitchens.

Q: flesh [fleF]

A: Flesh is the soft part of a person's or animal's body between the bones and the skin.     Illness had wasted the flesh from her tall, willowy body.     ...the pale pink flesh of trout and salmon. You can use flesh to refer to human skin and the human body, especially when you are considering it in a sexual way.     ...the warmth of her flesh.     ...the sins of the flesh. The flesh of a fruit or vegetable is the soft inside part of it.     Cut the flesh from the olives and discard the stones. You use flesh and blood to emphasize that someone has human feelings or weaknesses, often when contrasting them with machines.     I'm only flesh and blood, like anyone else.     ...skills of a precision unmatched by any flesh and blood worker. If you say that someone is your own flesh and blood, you are emphasizing that they are a member of your family.     The kid, after all, was his own flesh and blood. He deserved a second chance. If something makes your flesh creep or makes your flesh crawl, it makes you feel disgusted, shocked or frightened.     It makes my flesh creep to think of it.     I was heading on a secret mission that m

Q: flour [5flauE]

A: Flour is a white or brown powder that is made by grinding grain. It is used to make bread, cakes, and pastry. If you flour cooking equipment or food, you cover it with flour.     Lightly flour a rolling pin.     Remove the dough from the bowl and put it on a floured surface.

Q: ft FT

A: Flying at 1,000 ft, he heard a peculiar noise from the rotors.     ...an area of 2,750 sq ft.

Q: foil [fCil]

A: Foil consists of sheets of metal as thin as paper. It is used to wrap food in.     Pour cider around the meat and cover with foil.     ...aluminium foil. If you foil someone's plan or attempt to do something, for example to commit a crime, you succeed in stopping them from doing what they want. (JOURNALISM)     A brave police chief foiled an armed robbery on a jewellers' by grabbing the raiders' shotgun.     The idea of building a roof terrace was also foiled by the planning authorities. = thwart If you refer to one thing or person as a foil for another, you approve of the fact that they contrast with each other and go well together, often in a way that makes the second thing or person seem better or less harmful.     He thought of her serenity as a foil for his intemperance.     A cold beer is the perfect foil for a curry. = complement A foil is a thin light sword used in fencing, which has a button on its tip to prevent injury.

Q: crisp [krisp]

A: Food that is crisp is pleasantly hard, or has a pleasantly hard surface.     Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes, till they're nice and crisp.     ...crisp bacon.     ...crisp lettuce. <> soggy * crispness     The pizza base retains its crispness without becoming brittle. * crisply     ...crisply fried onion rings. If food crisps or if you crisp it, it becomes pleasantly hard, for example because you have heated it at a high temperature.     Cook the bacon until it begins to crisp.     Spread breadcrumbs on a dry baking sheet and crisp them in the oven. Crisps are very thin slices of fried potato that are eaten cold as a snack. (BRIT; in AM use chips or potato chips)     ...a packet of crisps.     ...cheese and onion potato crisps. Weather that is pleasantly fresh, cold, and dry can be described as crisp.     ...a crisp autumn day. Crisp cloth or paper is clean and has no creases in it.     He wore a panama hat and a crisp white suit.     I slipped between the crisp clean sheets. &nbs

Q: foster [5fCstE]

A: Foster parents are people who officially take a child into their family for a period of time, without becoming the child's legal parents. The child is referred to as their foster child.     Little Jack was placed with foster parents.     The foster mother was a wonderful, warm person. If you foster a child, you take it into your family for a period of time, without becoming its legal parent.     She has since gone on to find happiness by fostering more than 100 children. To foster something such as an activity or idea means to help it to develop.     He said that developed countries had a responsibility to foster global economic growth to help new democracies.     Its cash crisis has been fostered by declining property values.

Q: freely [5fri:li]

A: Freely means many times or in large quantities.     We have referred freely to his ideas.     George was spending very freely.     ...the United States, where consumer goods are freely available. If you can talk freely, you can talk without needing to be careful about what you say.     She wondered whether he had someone to whom he could talk freely. = unreservedly If someone gives or does something freely, they give or do it willingly, without being ordered or forced to do it.     Danny shared his knowledge freely with anyone interested.     Williams freely admits he lives for racing. = willingly, voluntarily If something or someone moves freely, they move easily and smoothly, without any obstacles or resistance.     The clay court was slippery and he was unable to move freely.     You must allow the clubhead to swing freely.

Q: Frenchman [5frentFmEn]

A: Frenchman Frenchmen A Frenchman is a man who comes from France.

Q: Frenchwoman FRENCHWOMAN

A: Frenchwoman Frenchwomen A Frenchwoman is a woman who comes from France.

Q: Fri. FRI.

A: Fri. Fri. is a written abbreviation for Friday.

Q: frozen [5frEuzn]

A: Frozen is the past participle of freeze. If the ground is frozen it has become very hard because the weather is very cold.     It was bitterly cold now and the ground was frozen hard.     ...the frozen bleakness of the Far North. Frozen food has been preserved by being kept at a very low temperature.     Frozen fish is a very healthy convenience food.     ...frozen desserts like ice cream. Frozen stiff means the same as frozen.     He put one hand up to his frozen face.     I'm frozen to the bone out here.     It was cold and damp; he pulled up his collar and was aware of being frozen stiff. If you describe someone as frozen, you mean that their body is fixed in a particular position, for example because they are very worried or afraid.     One boy, aged about 11, looks frozen with fright.     Katherine was frozen in horror.

Q: fur [fE:]

A: Fur is the thick and usually soft hair that grows on the bodies of many mammals.     This creature's fur is short, dense and silky. Fur is the fur-covered skin of an animal that is used to make clothing or small carpets.     She had on a black coat with a fur collar.     Women are also wearing fur again.     ...the trading of furs from Canada. A fur is a coat made from real or artificial fur, or a piece of fur worn round your neck.     There were women in furs and men in comfortable overcoats. Fur is an artificial fabric that looks like fur and is used, for example, to make clothing, soft toys, and seat covers. If an event sets the fur flying, it causes a great argument.     Last week's meeting of the 1922 Committee set the fur flying again on the Tory backbenches.     The fur will really fly over this.

Q: furthermore [fE:TE5mC:(r)]

A: Furthermore is used to introduce a piece of information or opinion that adds to or supports the previous one. (FORMAL)     Furthermore, they claim that any such interference is completely ineffective. = moreover

Q: fury [5fjuEri]

A: Fury is violent or very strong anger.     She screamed, her face distorted with fury and pain. = wrath If you are in a fury, you are very angry.     I had reacted in a fury of grief.     He rose to his feet in a fury to leave no doubt about where he stood on the issue.

Q: grief [gri:f]

A: Grief is a feeling of extreme sadness.     ...a huge outpouring of national grief for the victims of the shootings...     Their grief soon gave way to anger. If something comes to grief, it fails. If someone comes to grief, they fail in something they are doing, and may be hurt.     So many marriages have come to grief over lack of money.     He was driving a Mercedes racer at 100 mph and almost came to grief. Some people say `Good grief' when they are surprised or shocked.     `He's been arrested for theft and burglary.' --- `Good grief!'

Q: fuss [fQs]

A: Fuss is anxious or excited behaviour which serves no useful purpose.     I don't know what all the fuss is about.     He just gets down to work without any fuss. = bother If you fuss, you worry or behave in a nervous, anxious way about unimportant matters or rush around doing unnecessary things.     Carol fussed about getting me a drink.     My wife was fussing over the food and clothing we were going to take.     She fussed with a wisp of hair over her ear.     A team of waiters began fussing around the table.     `Stop fussing,' he snapped. = flap If you fuss over someone, you pay them a lot of attention and do things to make them happy or comfortable.     Auntie Hilda and Uncle Jack couldn't fuss over them enough. If you make a fuss or kick up a fuss about something, you become angry or excited about it and complain. (INFORMAL)     I don't know why everybody makes such a fuss about a few mosquitoes.     I kick up a fuss if my wife wants to spend time alone. If you make a fuss of someone, you pay them a lot of attention and do things to make them happy or comfortable. (BRIT)     When I arrived my nephews made a big fuss of me.

Q: GDP GDP

A: GDP GDP is the total value of goods and services produced within a country in a year. GDP is an abbreviation for `gross domestic product'.

Q: GMT GMT

A: GMT GMT is the standard time in Great Britain which is used to calculate the time in the rest of the world. GMT is an abbreviation for `Greenwich Mean Time'.     New Mexico is seven hours behind GMT.

Q: GNP [dVi:en5pi:]

A: GNP GNPs In economics, a country's GNP is the total value of all the goods produced and services provided by that country in one year. GNP is an abbreviation for `Gross National Product'.     By 1973 the government deficit equalled thirty per cent of GNP.

Q: GP GP

A: GP GPs A GP is a doctor who does not specialize in any particular area of medicine, but who has a medical practice in which he or she treats all types of illness. GP is an abbreviation for `general practitioner'.     Her husband called their local GP.

Q: galaxy [5gAlEksi]

A: Galaxy. A galaxy is an extremely large group of stars and planets that extends over many billions of light years.     Astronomers have discovered a distant galaxy. The Galaxy is the extremely large group of stars and planets to which the Earth and the Solar System belong.     The Galaxy consists of 100 billion stars. If you talk about a galaxy of people from a particular profession, you mean a group of them who are all famous or important.     He is one of a small galaxy of Dutch stars on German television. = array

Q: gambling [5gAmbliN]

A: Gambling is the act or activity of betting money, for example in card games or on horse racing.     Gambling is a form of entertainment.     ...gambling casinos.

Q: garlic [5gB:lik]

A: Garlic is the small, white, round bulb of a plant that is related to the onion plant. Garlic has a very strong smell and taste and is used in cooking.     ...a clove of garlic.

Q: gasoline [5gAsEli:n]

A: Gasoline is the same as petrol. (AM)

Q: Gemini [5dVeminai]

A: Gemini Gemini is one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. Its symbol is a pair of twins. People who are born approximately between 21st May and 20th June come under this sign. A Gemini is a person whose sign of the zodiac is Gemini.

Q: geography [dVi5CgrEfi, 5dViCg-]

A: Geography is the study of the countries of the world and of such things as the land, seas, climate, towns, and population. The geography of a place is the way that features such as rivers, mountains, towns, or streets are arranged within it.     ...policemen who knew the local geography.     ...a pictorial journey through the history, geography and culture of the Caribbean.

Q: Georgian [5dVC:dVjEn]

A: Georgian Georgian means belonging to or connected with Britain in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, during the reigns of King George I to King George IV.     ...the restoration of his Georgian house.

Q: global warming GLOBAL WARMING

A: Global warming is the gradual rise in the earth's temperature caused by high levels of carbon dioxide and other gases in the atmosphere.     The threat of global warming will eventually force the US to slow down its energy consumption.

Q: guidance [5gaidEns]

A: Guidance is help and advice.     ...an opportunity for young people to improve their performance under the guidance of professional coaches...     The nation looks to them for guidance.

Q: glory [5glC:ri]

A: Glory is the fame and admiration that you gain by doing something impressive.     Walsham had his moment of glory when he won a 20km race     ...we were still basking in the glory of our Championship win. A person's glories are the occasions when they have done something people greatly admire which makes them famous.     The album sees them re-living past glories but not really breaking any new ground.     ...the military glories of Frederick the Great. The glory of something is its great beauty or impressive nature.     The glory of the idea blossomed in his mind. The glories of a culture or place are the things that people admire most about it.     ...a tour of Florence, to enjoy the artistic glories of the Italian Renaissance...     One of the glories of the island has always been its bird population. If you glory in a situation or activity, you enjoy it very much.     The workers were glorying in their new-found freedom.     He does not glory in his past successes and looks forward to achieving more. = revel If you go out in a blaze of glory, you do something very dramatic at the end of your career or your life which makes you famous.     I

Q: glue [glu:]

A: Glue is a sticky substance used for joining things together, often for repairing broken things.     ...a tube of glue.     ...high quality glues. If you glue one object to another, you stick them together using glue.     Glue the fabric around the window.     The material is cut and glued in place.     They are glued together. If you say that someone keeps their eyes glued to something, you mean that they are watching it with all their attention.     They are all glued to the Olympic Games.     He kept his eyes glued to the clock.

Q: goodwill [gud5wil]

A: Goodwill is a friendly or helpful attitude towards other people, countries, or organizations.     I invited them to dinner, a gesture of goodwill.     They depend on the goodwill of visitors to pick up rubbish.

Q: gossip [5gCsip]

A: Gossip is informal conversation, often about other people's private affairs.     He spent the first hour talking gossip.     There has been much gossip about the possible reasons for his absence.     Don't you like a good gossip? If you gossip with someone, you talk informally, especially about other people or local events. You can also say that two people gossip.     We spoke, debated, gossiped into the night.     Eva gossiped with Sarah.     Mrs Lilywhite never gossiped. If you describe someone as a gossip, you mean that they enjoy talking informally to people about the private affairs of others.     He was a vicious gossip.

Q: governmental [7gQvEn5mentl]

A: Governmental means relating to a particular government, or to the practice of governing a country.     ...a governmental agency for providing financial aid to developing countries.

Q: grammar [5grAmE]

A: Grammar is the ways that words can be put together in order to make sentences.     He doesn't have mastery of the basic rules of grammar.     ...the difference between Sanskrit and Tibetan grammar. Someone's grammar is the way in which they obey or do not obey the rules of grammar when they write or speak.     His vocabulary was sound and his grammar excellent.     ...a deterioration in spelling and grammar among teenagers. A grammar is a book that describes the rules of a language.     ...an advanced English grammar. A particular grammar is a particular theory that is intended to explain the rules of a language.     Transformational grammars are more restrictive.

Q: grape [greip]

A: Grapes are small green or dark purple fruit which grow in bunches. Grapes can be eaten raw, used for making wine, or dried. If you describe someone's attitude as sour grapes, you mean that they say something is worthless or undesirable because they want it themselves but cannot have it.     These accusations have been going on for some time now, but it is just sour grapes.

Q: gravity [5grAviti]

A: Gravity is the force which causes things to drop to the ground.     Arrows would continue to fly forward forever in a straight line were it not for gravity, which brings them down to earth. See also centre of gravity. The gravity of a situation or event is its extreme importance or seriousness.     The president said those who grab power through violence deserve punishment which matches the gravity of their crime.     Not all acts of vengeance are of equal gravity. The gravity of someone's behaviour or speech is the extremely serious way in which they behave or speak.     There was an appealing gravity to everything she said.

Q: heroin [5herEuin]

A: Heroin is a powerful drug which some people take for pleasure, but which they can become addicted to.

Q: guilt [gilt]

A: Guilt is an unhappy feeling that you have because you have done something wrong or think that you have done something wrong.     Her emotions had ranged from anger to guilt in the space of a few seconds.     Some cancer patients experience strong feelings of guilt. Guilt is the fact that you have done something wrong or illegal.     The trial is concerned only with the determination of guilt according to criminal law.     You weren't convinced of Mr Matthews' guilt.

Q: gum [gQm]

A: Gum is a substance, usually tasting of mint, which you chew for a long time but do not swallow. See also bubblegum, chewing gum. Your gums are the areas of firm, pink flesh inside your mouth, which your teeth grow out of.     The toothbrush gently removes plaque without damaging the gums or causing bleeding.     ...gum disease. Gum is a type of glue that is used to stick two pieces of paper together. (mainly BRIT)     He was holding up a pound note that had been torn in half and stuck together with gum. * gummed     ...gummed labels. If two things are gummed together, they are stuck together. (BRIT)     It is a mild infection in which a baby's eyelashes can become gummed together. = stuck Gum is a sticky substance which comes from the eucalyptus tree or from various other trees and shrubs.

Q: halfway [5hB:f5wei]

A: Halfway means in the middle of a place or between two points, at an equal distance from each of them.     Half-way across the car-park, he noticed she was walking with her eyes closed.     He was halfway up the ladder.     She was halfway down when she heard the noise. Halfway means in the middle of a period of time or of an event.     By then, it was October and we were more than halfway through our tour. Also an adjective.     Welsh international Matthew Postle was third fastest at the halfway point. If you meet someone halfway, you accept some of the points they are making so that you can come to an agreement with them.     The Democrats are willing to meet the president halfway. = compromise Halfway means fairly or reasonably. (INFORMAL)     You need hard currency to get anything halfway decent.     All I had to do was be halfway cool.

Q: ham [hAm]

A: Ham is meat from the top of the back leg of a pig, specially treated so that it can be kept for a long period of time.     ...a huge baked ham.     ...ham sandwiches.     ...a dozen slices of ham. A ham is a person whose hobby consists of using special radio equipment to talk to other people with the same hobby, often people who are in other countries.     I became a ham radio operator at the age of eleven. A ham actor is someone who acts badly, exaggerating every emotion and gesture. If actors or actresses ham it up, they exaggerate every emotion and gesture when they are acting, often deliberately because they think that the audience will be more amused.     Thrusting themselves into the spirit of the farce, they ham it up like mad.

Q: harassment [5hArEsmEnt]

A: Harassment is behaviour which is intended to trouble or annoy someone, for example repeated attacks on them or attempts to cause them problems.     Another survey found that 51 per cent of women had experienced some form of sexual harassment in their working lives.     ...racial harassment...     The party has accused the police of harassment.

Q: harsh [hB:F]

A: Harsh climates or conditions are very difficult for people, animals, and plants to live in.     The weather grew harsh, chilly and unpredictable.     ...the harsh desert environment.     ...after the harsh experience of the war. = severe <> mild * harshness     ...the harshness of their living conditions. = severity Harsh actions or speech are unkind and show no understanding or sympathy.     ...the cold, harsh cruelty of her husband...     He said many harsh and unkind things about his opponents. = cruel, severe * harshly     She's been told that her husband is being harshly treated in prison.     `Why didn't you tell me before?' asked Hunter harshly. * harshness     ...treating him with great harshness. = severity Something that is harsh is so hard, bright, or rough that it seems unpleasant or harmful.     Tropical colours may look rather harsh in our dull northern light.     ...harsher detergents that can leave hair brittle. * harshness     ...as the wine ages, losing its bitter harshness. Harsh voices and sounds are ones that are rough and unpleasant to listen to.     It's a pity she has such a loud harsh voice. <> soft, gentle * harshly     Chris laughed harshly. * harshness     Then in a tone of abrupt harshness, he added, `Open these trunks!'. If you talk about harsh realities or facts, or the harsh truth, you are emphasizing that they are true or

Q: hatred [5heitrid]

A: Hatred is an extremely strong feeling of dislike for someone or something.     Her hatred of them would never lead her to murder.     My hatred for her is so intense it seems to be destroying me.     He has been accused of inciting racial hatred. <> love

Q: heating [5hi:tiN]

A: Heating is the process of heating a building or room, considered especially from the point of view of how much this costs.     You can still find cottages for {Pound}150 a week, including heating.     ...heating bills. Heating is the system and equipment that is used to heat a building.     There is no heating in the shed, so the dogs would be bitterly cold at night.     I wish I knew how to turn on the heating. See also central heating.

Q: hers [hE:z]

A: Hers is a third person possessive pronoun. You use hers to indicate that something belongs or relates to a woman, girl, or female animal.     His hand as it shook hers was warm and firm.     He'd never seen eyes as green as hers.     Professor Camm was a great friend of hers.     Hers was the suggestion I acted upon. In written English, hers is sometimes used to refer to a person without saying whether that person is a man or a woman. Some people dislike this use and prefer to use `his or hers' or `theirs'.     The author can report other people's results which more or less agree with hers. Hers is sometimes used to refer to a country or nation. (FORMAL or WRITTEN) People sometimes use hers to refer to a car, machine, or ship. (INFORMAL)

Q: hidden [5hidn]

A: Hidden is the past participle of hide. Hidden facts, feelings, activities, or problems are not easy to notice or discover.     Under all the innocent fun, there are hidden dangers, especially for children.     The precise details of the origins of life remain hidden. A hidden place is difficult to find.     As you descend, suddenly you see at last the hidden waterfall. = concealed

Q: hostility [hCs5tiliti]

A: Hostility is unfriendly or aggressive behaviour towards people or ideas.     The last decade has witnessed a serious rise in the levels of racism and hostility to Black and ethnic groups.     Christabel looked at Ron with open hostility. Your hostility to something you do not approve of is your opposition to it.     There is hostility among traditionalists to this method of teaching history.

Q: hunger [5hQNgE]

A: Hunger is the feeling of weakness or discomfort that you get when you need something to eat.     Hunger is the body's signal that levels of blood sugar are too low.     Seized by morning hunger pangs, Robert made a beeline for the chocolate vending machine. Hunger is a severe lack of food which causes suffering or death.     Three hundred people in this town are dying of hunger every day.     ...a desire to alleviate hunger and suffering in the Third World. = starvation If you have a hunger for something, you want or need it very much. (WRITTEN)     Geffen has a hunger for success that seems bottomless.     ...his hunger to equal Vardon's record of six wins. = craving If you say that someone hungers for something or hungers after it, you are emphasizing that they want it very much. (FORMAL)     But Jules was not eager for classroom learning, he hungered for adventure. = hanker

Q: hype [haip]

A: Hype is the use of a lot of publicity and advertising to make people interested in something such as a product.     We are certainly seeing a lot of hype by some companies.     My products aren't based on advertising hype, they sell by word of mouth. To hype a product means to advertise or praise it a lot.     We had to hype the film to attract the financiers.     These gurus are being promoted by publishers and hyped in the business press. Hype up means the same as hype.     The media seems obsessed with hyping up individuals or groups.     He felt the film was hyped up too much.

Q: ibid IBID

A: Ibid is used in books and journals to indicate that a piece of text taken from somewhere else is from the same source as the previous piece of text.

Q: contrary [5kCntrEri]

A: Ideas, attitudes, or reactions that are contrary to each other are completely different from each other.     This view is contrary to the aims of critical social research for a number of reasons.     Several of those present, including Weinberger, had contrary information. If you say that something is true contrary to other people's beliefs or opinions, you are emphasizing that it is true and that they are wrong.     Contrary to popular belief, moderate exercise actually decreases your appetite.     Contrary to what you might think, neither man was offended. You use on the contrary when you have just said or implied that something is not true and are going to say that the opposite is true.     It is not an idea around which the Community can unite. On the contrary, I see it as one that will divide us. You can use on the contrary when you are disagreeing strongly with something that has just been said or implied, or are making a strong negative reply.     `People just don't do things like that.' --- `On the contrary, they do them all the time.' You can use quite the contrary to emphasize a previous negative statement, or when you are making a strong negative reply.     I'm not a feminist, quite the contrary.     `Are there any signs that he may quit soon?' --- `Quite the contrary.' = quite the opposite

Q: diverse [dai5vE:s]

A: If a group or range of things is diverse, it is made up of a wide variety of things.     ...shops selling a diverse range of gifts...     Society is now much more diverse than ever before. = varied Diverse people or things are very different from each other.     Albert Jones' new style will inevitably put him in touch with a much more diverse and perhaps younger audience.

Q: escalate [5eskEleit]

A: If a bad situation escalates or if someone or something escalates it, it becomes greater in size, seriousness, or intensity. (JOURNALISM)     Both unions and management fear the dispute could escalate.     The protests escalated into five days of rioting.     Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict. * escalation escalations     The threat of nuclear escalation remains.     ...a sudden escalation of violence.

Q: junk bond JUNK BOND

A: If a company issues junk bonds, it borrows money from investors, usually at a high rate of interest, in order to finance a particular deal, for example the setting up or the taking over of another company.

Q: monopoly [mE5nCpEli]

A: If a company, person, or state has a monopoly on something such as an industry, they have complete control over it, so that it is impossible for others to become involved in it.     ...Russian moves to end a state monopoly on land ownership.     ...the governing party's monopoly over the media.     ...an inquiry by the Monopolies Commission. A monopoly is a company which is the only one providing a particular product or service.     ...a state-owned monopoly. If you say that someone does not have a monopoly on something, you mean that they are not the only person who has that thing.     Women do not have a monopoly on feelings of betrayal.

Q: dawn on, dawn upon DAWN ON, DAWN UPON

A: If a fact or idea dawns on you, you realize it.     It gradually dawned on me that I still had talent and ought to run again.     Then the chilling truth dawned on Captain Gary Snavely.

Q: decisive [di5saisiv]

A: If a fact, action, or event is decisive, it makes it certain that there will be a particular result.     ...his decisive victory in the presidential elections...     The election campaign has now entered its final, decisive phase.     The meeting between Molotov, Bidault and Bevin was decisive. * decisively     The plan was decisively rejected by Congress three weeks ago. If someone is decisive, they have or show an ability to make quick decisions in a difficult or complicated situation.     He should give way to a younger, more decisive leader. * decisively     `I'll call for you at half ten,' she said decisively. * decisiveness     His supporters admire his decisiveness.

Q: deport [di5pC:t]

A: If a government deports someone, usually someone who is not a citizen of that country, it sends them out of the country because they have committed a crime or because it believes they do not have the right to be there.     ...a government decision earlier this month to deport all illegal immigrants...     More than 240 England football fans are being deported from Italy following riots last night. = expel * deportation deportations     ...thousands of Albanian migrants facing deportation...     Civil rights lawyers tried to halt the deportations.

Q: dilute [dai5lju:t7 di5l-]

A: If a liquid is diluted or dilutes, it is added to or mixes with water or another liquid, and becomes weaker.     If you give your baby juice, dilute it well with cooled, boiled water.     The liquid is then diluted.     The poisons seeping from Hanford's contaminated land quickly dilute in the water. * dilution     ...ditches dug for flood protection, drinking-water supply and sewage dilution. A dilute liquid is very thin and weak, usually because it has had water added to it.     ...a dilute solution of bleach. If someone or something dilutes a belief, quality, or value, they make it weaker and less effective.     There was a clear intention to dilute black voting power.     Serious attention is being given to diluting the value of personal tax allowances. * dilution     The result was a potentially devastating dilution of earnings per share.

Q: lump together LUMP TOGETHER

A: If a number of different people or things are lumped together, they are considered as a group rather than separately.     Policemen and prostitutes, bankers and butchers are all lumped together in the service sector.     Because she was lumped together with alcoholics and hard-drug users, Claire felt out of place. = join

Q: dart [dB:t]

A: If a person or animal darts somewhere, they move there suddenly and quickly. (WRITTEN)     Ingrid darted across the deserted street.     The girl turned and darted away through the trees. If you dart a look at someone or something, or if your eyes dart to them, you look at them very quickly. (LITERARY)     She darted a sly sideways glance at Bramwell.     The conductor's eyes darted to Wilfred, then fixed on Michael again. A dart is a small, narrow object with a sharp point which can be thrown or shot.     Markov died after being struck by a poison dart. Darts is a game in which you throw darts at a round board which has numbers on it.

Q: limp [limp]

A: If a person or animal limps, they walk with difficulty or in an uneven way because one of their legs or feet is hurt.     I wasn't badly hurt, but I injured my thigh and had to limp.     He had to limp off with a leg injury. Also a noun.     A stiff knee following surgery forced her to walk with a limp. If you say that something such as an organization, process, or vehicle limps along, you mean that it continues slowly or with difficulty, for example because it has been weakened or damaged.     In recent years the newspaper had been limping along on limited resources.     A British battleship, which had been damaged severely in the battle of Crete, came limping into Pearl Harbor. If you describe something as limp, you mean that it is soft or weak when it should be firm or strong.     She was told to reject applicants with limp handshakes.     A residue can build up on the hair shaft, leaving the hair limp and dull looking. * limply     Flags and bunting hung limply in the still, warm air. If someone is limp, their body has no strength and is not moving, for example because they are asleep or unconscious.     He carried her limp body into the room and laid her on the bed.     He hit his head against a rock and went limp.

Q: humanitarian [hju(:)7mAni5tZEriEn]

A: If a person or society has humanitarian ideas or behaviour, they try to avoid making people suffer or they help people who are suffering.     Air bombardment raised criticism on the humanitarian grounds that innocent civilians might suffer.     ...humanitarian aid. A humanitarian is someone with humanitarian ideas.     I like to think of myself as a humanitarian.

Q: default [di5fC:lt]

A: If a person, company, or country defaults on something that they have legally agreed to do, such as paying some money or doing a piece of work before a particular time, they fail to do it. (LEGAL)     The credit card business is down, and more borrowers are defaulting on loans.     The first warning signals came in March when the company defaulted on its initial payment of {Pound}40 million. Also a noun.     The corporation may be charged with default on its contract with the government.     The creditors haven't declared them in default. A default situation is what exists or happens unless someone or something changes it.     Sometimes he simply keyed in default passwords installed on commercial machines and left unaltered by buyers.     Death, not life, is the default state of cells. If something happens by default, it happens only because something else which might have prevented it or changed it has not happened. (FORMAL)     Spassky won the first game, and was awarded by the second by default, when Fischer failed to put in an appearance.     I would rather pay the individuals than let the money go to the State by default. If something happens in default of something else, it happens because that other thing does not happen or proves to be impossible. (FORMAL)     Malvolio becomes, in default of competition, the play's moral centre.

Q: hail [heil]

A: If a person, event, or achievement is hailed as important or successful, they are praised publicly.     Faulkner has been hailed as the greatest American novelist of his generation.     US magazines hailed her as the greatest rock'n'roll singer in the world.     The deal was hailed by the Defence Secretary. Hail consists of small balls of ice that fall like rain from the sky.     ...a sharp short-lived storm with heavy hail. When it hails, hail falls like rain from the sky.     It started to hail, huge great stones. A hail of things, usually small objects, is a large number of them that hit you at the same time and with great force.     The victim was hit by a hail of bullets.     The riot police were met with a hail of stones and petrol bombs. Someone who hails from a particular place was born there or lives there. (FORMAL)     I hail from Brighton.     The band hail from Glasgow. If someone or something hails from a particular background, they come from it. (FORMAL)     He hails from an affluent background.     This is a film which seems to hail from the hippie era. If you hail someone, you call to them. (LITERARY)     Jill saw him and hailed him.     Suddenly, a voice hailed us and there was Miss Quigley. If you hail a taxi, you wave at it in order to stop it because you want the driver to take you somewhere.     I hurried away to hail a t

Q: circulate [5sE:kjuleit]

A: If a piece of writing circulates or is circulated, copies of it are passed round among a group of people.     The document was previously circulated in New York at the United Nations.     Public employees, teachers and liberals are circulating a petition for his recall.     This year anonymous leaflets have been circulating in Peking. * circulation     ...an inquiry into the circulation of `unacceptable literature'. If something such as a rumour circulates or is circulated, the people in a place tell it to each other.     Rumours were already beginning to circulate that the project might have to be abandoned.     I deeply resented those sort of rumours being circulated at a time of deeply personal grief. = spread When something circulates, it moves easily and freely within a closed place or system.     ...a virus which circulates via the bloodstream and causes ill health in a variety of organs...     Cooking odors can circulate throughout the entire house. * circulation     The north pole is warmer than the south and the circulation of air around it is less well contained.     ...the principle of free circulation of goods.

Q: crowded [5kraudid]

A: If a place is crowded, it is full of people.     He peered slowly around the small crowded room.     The street was crowded and noisy.     The old town square was crowded with people. <> empty, deserted If a place is crowded, a lot of people live there.     ...a crowded city of 2 million...     The best housing they could afford was crowded and filthy. = overpopulated If your timetable, your life, or your mind is crowded, it is full of events, activities, or thoughts.     Never before has a European Community summit had such a crowded agenda.     ...a long life crowded with incident...     She slept fitfully, her mind crowded with confusing dreams. = packed

Q: gloomy [5glu:mi]

A: If a place is gloomy, it is almost dark so that you cannot see very well.     Inside it's gloomy after all that sunshine.     All the electric lamps in this huge gloomy church were extinguished. If people are gloomy, they are unhappy and have no hope.     Miller is gloomy about the fate of the serious playwright in America. = despondent * gloomily     He tells me gloomily that he has been called up for army service. If a situation is gloomy, it does not give you much hope of success or happiness.     ...a gloomy picture of an economy sliding into recession...     Officials say the outlook for next year is gloomy. = grim

Q: enclose [in5klEuz]

A: If a place or object is enclosed by something, the place or object is inside that thing or completely surrounded by it.     The rules state that samples must be enclosed in two watertight containers.     Enclose the pot in a clear polythene bag.     The surrounding land was enclosed by an eight foot wire fence.     ...the enclosed waters of the Baltic. If you enclose something with a letter, you put it in the same envelope as the letter.     I have enclosed a cheque for {Pound}10.     He tore open the creamy envelope that had been enclosed in the letter.     The enclosed leaflet shows how Service Care can ease all your worries.

Q: inhabit [in5hAbit]

A: If a place or region is inhabited by a group of people or a species of animal, those people or animals live there.     The valley is inhabited by the Dani tribe.     ...the people who inhabit these islands.     ...the beautifully coloured fish that inhabit the Egyptian reefs.     ...a land primarily inhabited by nomads.

Q: miscarriage [mis5kAridV]

A: If a pregnant woman has a miscarriage, her baby dies and she gives birth to it before it is properly formed.

Q: momentum [mEu5mentEm]

A: If a process or movement gains momentum, it keeps developing or happening more quickly and keeps becoming less likely to stop.     This campaign is really gaining momentum.     They are each anxious to maintain the momentum of the search for a solution. = impetus In physics, momentum is the mass of a moving object multiplied by its speed in a particular direction. (TECHNICAL)

Q: bleak [bli:k]

A: If a situation is bleak, it is bad, and seems unlikely to improve.     The immediate outlook remains bleak.     Many predicted a bleak future. = gloomy <> bright * bleakness     The continued bleakness of the American job market was blamed. If you describe a place as bleak, you mean that it looks cold, empty, and unattractive.     The island's pretty bleak.     ...bleak inner-city streets. When the weather is bleak, it is cold, dull, and unpleasant.     The weather can be quite bleak on the coast. If someone looks or sounds bleak, they look or sound depressed, as if they have no hope or energy.     His face was bleak.     Alberg gave him a bleak stare. * bleakly     `There is nothing left,' she says bleakly.

Q: deepen [5di:pEn]

A: If a situation or emotion deepens or if something deepens it, it becomes stronger and more intense.     If this is not stopped, the financial crisis will deepen.     If anything, Sloan's uneasiness deepened.     My marriage was rough, but it deepened my emotions, it made me think about life. If you deepen your knowledge or understanding of a subject, you learn more about it and become more interested in it.     The course is an exciting opportunity for anyone wishing to deepen their understanding of themselves and other people. = extend When light or a colour deepens or is deepened, it becomes darker. (LITERARY)     Dusk was deepening as they drove back to the lights of Shillingham.     This spice is used particularly in poultry feed to deepen the colour of egg yolks. When a sound deepens or is deepened, it becomes lower in tone.     Her voice has deepened and coarsened with the years.     The music room had been made to reflect and deepen sounds. When your breathing deepens, or you deepen it, you take more air into your lungs when you breathe.     He heard her breathing deepen.     When you are ready to finish the exercise, gradually deepen your breathing. If people deepen something, they increase its depth by digging out its lower surface.     A major project has now begun to deepen the main approach channel to a depth of between 12.5m and 13.0m.     The tunnels have been widened and deepened. Something such as a river or a sea deepens where the bottom begins to slope downwards.     As we drew nearer to it the water gradually deepened.

Q: compel [kEm5pel]

A: If a situation, a rule, or a person compels you to do something, they force you to do it.     ...the introduction of legislation to compel cyclists to wear a helmet...     Leonie's mother was compelled to take in washing to help support her family.     Local housing authorities have been compelled by the housing crisis to make offers of sub-standard accommodation. If you feel compelled to do something, you feel that you must do it, because it is the right thing to do.     Dickens felt compelled to return to the stage for a final good-bye.     I felt morally compelled to help.

Q: dissolve [di5zClv]

A: If a substance dissolves in liquid or if you dissolve it, it becomes mixed with the liquid and disappears.     Heat gently until the sugar dissolves.     Dissolve the salt in a little boiled water. When an organization or institution is dissolved, it is officially ended or broken up.     The committee has been dissolved.     The King agreed to dissolve the present commission. When a parliament is dissolved, it is formally ended, so that elections for a new parliament can be held.     The present assembly will be dissolved on April 30th.     Kaifu threatened to dissolve the Parliament and call an election. When a marriage or business arrangement is dissolved, it is officially ended.     The marriage was dissolved in 1976. If something such as a problem or feeling dissolves or is dissolved, it becomes weaker and disappears.     His new-found optimism dissolved.     Lenny still could not dissolve the nagging lump of tension in his chest. = dissipate

Q: lynch [lintF]

A: If an angry crowd of people lynch someone, they kill that person by hanging them, without letting them have a trial, because they believe that that person has committed a crime.     They were about to lynch him when reinforcements from the army burst into the room and rescued him. * lynching lynchings     Some towns found that lynching was the only way to drive away bands of outlaws.

Q: howl [haul]

A: If an animal such as a wolf or a dog howls, it makes a long, loud, crying sound.     Somewhere in the streets beyond a dog suddenly howled, baying at the moon. Also a noun.     The dog let out a savage howl and, wheeling round, flew at him. If a person howls, they make a long, loud cry expressing pain, anger, or unhappiness.     He howled like a wounded animal as blood spurted from the gash.     The baby was howling for her 3am feed. Also a noun.     With a howl of rage, he grabbed the neck of a broken bottle and advanced. When the wind howls, it blows hard and makes a loud noise.     The wind howled all night, but I slept a little.     It sank in a howling gale. If you howl something, you say it in a very loud voice. (INFORMAL)     `Get away, get away, get away' he howled.     The crowd howled its approval. If you howl with laughter, you laugh very loudly.     Joe, Pink, and Booker howled with delight.     The crowd howled, delirious. Also a noun.     His stories caused howls of laughter.

Q: fire 3 [5faiE]

A: If an employer fires you, they dismiss you from your job.     If he hadn't been so good at the rest of his job, I probably would have fired him.     She was sent a box of chocolates along with a letter saying she was fired. = sack * firing     There was yet another round of firings.

Q: melt down MELT DOWN

A: If an object is melted down, it is heated until it melts, so that the material can be used to make something else.     Some of the guns were melted down and used to help build a statue.     When Jefferson didn't like a pair of goblets given to him as a gift, he asked a local smith to melt them down and make eight new cups without stems and handles.     Some thieves do not even bother to melt down stolen silver for its scrap value.

Q: gleam [gli:m]

A: If an object or a surface gleams, it reflects light because it is shiny and clean.     His black hair gleamed in the sun.     ...a gleaming red sports car. You can refer to the light reflected from something as a gleam. (LITERARY)     ...the gleam of the dark river...     In the light that fell on her from the hall her fair hair had a golden gleam. If a light or the sun or moon gleams, it shines faintly. (LITERARY)     Neon lights gleamed in the deepening mists. A gleam of light is a pale, clear light. (WRITTEN)     ...the gleam of the headlights. If your eyes gleam, they look bright and show that you are excited or happy. (WRITTEN)     His eyes gleamed almost wickedly. = glisten, shine If someone has a gleam in their eye, their eyes show a particular feeling. (WRITTEN)     There was a gleam in her eye when she looked at me. A gleam of something is a faint sign of it.     There was a gleam of hope for a peaceful settlement.     ...gleams of wit. = glimmer If you say that something is only a gleam in someone's eye at present, you mean that it is only being planned or considered, and has not yet been properly begun.     The product is still only a gleam in an engineer's eye.

Q: irregular [i5regjulE]

A: If events or actions occur at irregular intervals, the periods of time between them are of different lengths.     Cars passed at irregular intervals.     She was taken to hospital suffering from an irregular heartbeat.     He worked irregular hours. <> regular * irregularly     He was eating irregularly, steadily losing weight. * irregularity irregularities     ...a dangerous irregularity in her heartbeat. Something that is irregular is not smooth or straight, or does not form a regular pattern.     The paint was drying in irregular patches.     He had bad teeth, irregular and discolored. = uneven <> regular * irregularly     Located off-center in the irregularly shaped lake was a fountain. * irregularity     ...treatment of abnormalities or irregularities of the teeth. Irregular behaviour is dishonest or not in accordance with the normal rules.     ...the minister accused of irregular business practices...     `Will you do this for me, Leo? It's the only way.' --- `It's highly irregular, Ralph.' * irregularity     ...charges arising from alleged financial irregularities.

Q: embargo [em5bB:gEu]

A: If one country or group of countries imposes an embargo against another, it forbids trade with that country.     The United Nations imposed an arms embargo against the country.     He has called on the government to lift its embargo on trade with Vietnam. = ban If goods of a particular kind are embargoed, people are not allowed to import them from a particular country or export them to a particular country.     The fruit was embargoed.     They embargoed oil shipments to the U.S.     A lot of embargoed goods were still crossing the border. = ban

Q: conquer [5kCNkE]

A: If one country or group of people conquers another, they take complete control of their land.     During 1936, Mussolini conquered Abyssinia.     Early in the eleventh century the whole of England was again conquered by the Vikings. If you conquer something such as a problem, you succeed in ending it or dealing with it successfully.     I was certain that love was quite enough to conquer our differences.     He has never conquered his addiction to smoking.     ...the first man in history to conquer Everest.

Q: coincide [7kEuin5said]

A: If one event coincides with another, they happen at the same time.     The exhibition coincides with the 50th anniversary of his death.     Although his mental illness had coincided with his war service it had not been caused by it.     The beginning of the solar and lunar years coincided every 13 years. If the ideas or interests of two or more people coincide, they are the same.     The kids' views on life don't always coincide, but they're not afraid of voicing their opinions.     ...a case in which public and private interests coincide...     He gave great encouragement to his students, especially if their passions happened to coincide with his own.

Q: dwarf [dwC:f]

A: If one person or thing is dwarfed by another, the second is so much bigger than the first that it makes them look very small.     His figure is dwarfed by the huge red McDonald's sign.     The US air travel market dwarfs that of Britain. Dwarf is used to describe a particular kind of star which is quite small and not very bright.     ...a white dwarf star.     ...a red dwarf. Dwarf is used to describe varieties or species of plants and animals which are much smaller than the usual size for their kind.     ...dwarf shrubs. In children's stories, a dwarf is an imaginary creature that is like a small man. Dwarfs often have magical powers. In former times, people who were much smaller than normal were called dwarfs. (OLD-FASHIONED, OFFENSIVE)

Q: complement [5kCmplimEnt]

A: If one thing complements another, it goes well with the other thing and makes its good qualities more noticeable.     Nutmeg, parsley and cider all complement the flavour of these beans well. = set off If people or things complement each other, they are different or do something different, which makes them a good combination.     There will be a written examination to complement the practical test.     We complement one another perfectly. Something that is a complement to something else complements it.     The green wallpaper is the perfect complement to the old pine of the dresser.     Political knowledge is a necessary complement to science in approaching solutions to these problems. The complement of things or people that something has is the number of things or people that it normally has, which enable it to function properly. (FORMAL)     Each ship had a complement of around a dozen officers and 250 men.     Not one house on the Close still had its full complement of windows. In grammar, the complement of a link verb is an adjective group or noun group which comes after the verb and describes or identifies the subject. For example, in the sentence `They felt very tired', `very tired' is the complement. In `They were students', `students' is the complement.

Q: harmony [5hB:mEni]

A: If people are living in harmony with each other, they are living together peacefully rather than fighting or arguing.     ...the notion that man should dominate nature rather than live in harmony with it...     He projected himself as the protector of national unity and harmony. = accord Harmony is the pleasant combination of different notes of music played at the same time.     ...complex vocal harmonies.     ...singing in harmony. The harmony of something is the way in which its parts are combined into a pleasant arrangement.     ...the ordered harmony of the universe...     He looked more relaxed, as if some of the harmony from his surroundings had flowed into him.

Q: correspond [kCris5pCnd]

A: If one thing corresponds to another, there is a close similarity or connection between them. You can also say that two things correspond.     Racegoers will be given a number which will correspond to a horse running in a race.     A 22 per cent increase in car travel corresponds with a 19 per cent drop in cycle mileage per person.     The two maps of London correspond closely.     Her expression is concerned but her body-language does not correspond. * corresponding     March and April sales this year were up 8 per cent on the corresponding period in 1992.     ...the inexorable rise in Britain's fortunes and the corresponding decline of France as an international power. If you correspond with someone, you write letters to them. You can also say that two people correspond.     She still corresponds with American friends she met in Majorca nine years ago.     We corresponded regularly.

Q: displace [dis5pleis]

A: If one thing displaces another, it forces the other thing out of its place, position, or role, and then occupies that place, position, or role itself.     These factories have displaced tourism as the country's largest source of foreign exchange.     Coal is to be displaced by natural gas and nuclear power. If a person or group of people is displaced, they are forced to moved away from the area where they live.     In Europe alone thirty million people were displaced.     Most of the civilians displaced by the war will be unable to return to their homes.     ...the task of resettling refugees and displaced persons.

Q: incorporate [in5kC:pEreit]

A: If one thing incorporates another thing, it includes the other thing. (FORMAL)     The new cars will incorporate a number of major improvements. = include If someone or something is incorporated into a large group, system, or area, they become a part of it. (FORMAL)     The agreement would allow the rebels to be incorporated into a new national police force.     The party vowed to incorporate environmental considerations into all its policies. = include * incorporation     ...the incorporation of Piedmont Airlines and PSA into US Air.

Q: connected [kE5nektid]

A: If one thing is connected with another, there is a link or relationship between them.     Have you ever had any skin problems connected with exposure to the sun?.     The dispute is not directly connected to the negotiations.     She was born at Ambala, India, her family being closely connected with the Indian army. See also connect, well-connected.

Q: merge [mE:dV]

A: If one thing merges with another, or is merged with another, they combine or come together to make one whole thing. You can also say that two things merge, or are merged.     My life merged with his.     Bank of America merged with a rival bank.     The rivers merge just north of a vital irrigation system.     The two countries merged into one.     He sees sense in merging the two agencies while both are new.     Then he showed me how to merge the graphic with text on the same screen. If one sound, colour, or object merges into another, the first changes so gradually into the second that you do not notice the change.     Like a chameleon, he could merge unobtrusively into the background.     His features merged with the darkness.     Night and day begin to merge.

Q: lag [lAg]

A: If one thing or person lags behind another thing or person, their progress is slower than that of the other thing or person.     Britain still lags behind most of Europe in its provisions for women who want time off to have babies.     The restructuring of the pattern of consumption in Britain also lagged behind.     He now lags 10 points behind the champion.     A poll for the Observer showed Labour on 39 per cent with the Tories lagging a point behind.     Hague was lagging badly in the polls. A time lag or a lag of a particular length of time is a period of time between one event and another related event.     There's a time lag between infection with HIV and developing AIDS.     Price rises have matched rises in the money supply with a lag of two or three months. If you lag the inside of a roof, a pipe, or a water tank, you cover it with a special material in order to prevent heat escaping from it or to prevent it from freezing. (mainly BRIT)     If you have to take the floorboards up, take the opportunity to lag any pipes at the same time.     Water tanks should be well lagged and the roof well insulated. See also lagging.

Q: differ [5difE]

A: If two or more things differ, they are unlike each other in some way.     The story he told police differed from the one he told his mother.     Management styles differ. If people differ about something, they do not agree with each other about it.     The two leaders had differed on the issue of sanctions.     That is where we differ.     Since his retirement, Crowe has differed with the President on several issues.

Q: erect [i5rekt]

A: If people erect something such as a building, bridge, or barrier, they build it or create it. (FORMAL)     Opposition demonstrators have erected barricades in roads leading to the parliament building.     The building was erected in 1900-1901 for the Glasgow Parish Council.     We all unconsciously erect barriers against intimacy. = build If you erect a system, a theory, or an institution, you create it.     Japanese proprietors are erecting a complex infrastructure of political influence throughout America.     He erected a new doctrine of precedent.     ...the whole edifice of free trade which has been erected since the Second World War. = put up People or things that are erect are straight and upright.     Stand reasonably erect, your arms hanging naturally.     Her head was erect and her back was straight.     ...the short, stiff, erect stems of almost bead-like blue flowers.

Q: enforce [in5fC:s]

A: If people in authority enforce a law or a rule, they make sure that it is obeyed, usually by punishing people who do not obey it.     Until now, the government has only enforced the ban with regard to American ships.     The measures are being enforced by Interior Ministry troops. To enforce something means to force or cause it to be done or to happen.     They struggled to limit the cost by enforcing a low-tech specification.     David is now living in Beirut again after an enforced absence.

Q: loot [lu:t]

A: If people loot shops or houses, they steal things from them, for example during a war or riot.     The trouble began when gangs began breaking windows and looting shops.     There have been reports of youths taking advantage of the general confusion to loot and steal. = plunder * looting     In the country's largest cities there has been rioting and looting. If someone loots things, they steal them, for example during a war or riot.     The town has been plagued by armed thugs who have looted food supplies and terrorized the population.     ...lists of looted material ranging from tanks to office fittings. Loot is stolen money or goods. (INFORMAL)     Most criminals steal in order to sell their loot for cash on the black market. = plunder, spoils

Q: migrate [mai5greit, 5maigreit]

A: If people migrate, they move from one place to another, especially in order to find work or to live somewhere for a short time.     People migrate to cities like Jakarta in search of work.     Farmers have learned that they have to migrate if they want to survive. * migration migrations     ...the migration of Soviet Jews to Israel. When birds, fish, or animals migrate, they move at a particular season from one part of the world or from one part of a country to another, usually in order to breed or to find new feeding grounds.     Most birds have to fly long distances to migrate.     ...a dam system that kills the fish as they migrate from streams to the ocean. * migration     ...the migration of animals in the Serengeti.

Q: idle [5aidl]

A: If people who were working are idle, they have no jobs or work.     Employees have been idle almost a month because of shortages. <> busy If machines or factories are idle, they are not working or being used.     Now the machine is lying idle.     ...factories that had been idle for years. If you say that someone is idle, you disapprove of them because they are not doing anything and you think they should be.     ...idle bureaucrats who spent the day reading newspapers...     I never met such an idle bunch of workers in all my life! = lazy * idleness     Idleness is a very bad thing for human nature. * idly     We were not idly sitting around. Idle is used to describe something that you do for no particular reason, often because you have nothing better to do.     Brian kept up the idle chatter for another five minutes.     ...idle curiosity. * idly     We talked idly about magazines and baseball.     `Has there been an accident?' Ga

Q: erode [i5rEud]

A: If rock or soil erodes or is eroded by the weather, sea, or wind, it cracks and breaks so that it is gradually destroyed.     By 1980, Miami beach had all but totally eroded.     Once exposed, soil is quickly eroded by wind and rain. = wear away * eroded     ...the deeply eroded landscape. If someone's authority, right, or confidence erodes or is eroded, it is gradually destroyed or removed. (FORMAL)     His critics say his fumbling of the issue of reform has eroded his authority.     America's belief in its own God-ordained uniqueness started to erode. If the value of something erodes or is eroded by something such as inflation or age, its value decreases.     Competition in the financial marketplace has eroded profits.     The value of the dollar began to erode rapidly just around this time.

Q: assert [E5sE:t]

A: If someone asserts a fact or belief, they state it firmly. (FORMAL)     Mr. Helm plans to assert that the bill violates the First Amendment.     The defendants, who continue to assert their innocence, are expected to appeal.     Altman asserted, `We were making a political statement about western civilisation and greed.' = declare * assertion assertions     There is no concrete evidence to support assertions that the recession is truly over. If you assert your authority, you make it clear by your behaviour that you have authority.     After the war, the army made an attempt to assert its authority in the south of the country.     The people have asserted their power and that will be very difficult to reverse. = establish * assertion     The decision is seen as an assertion of his authority within the company. If you assert your right or claim to something, you insist that you have the right to it.     The republics began asserting their right to govern themselves. * assertion     These institutions have made the assertion of ethnic identity possible. If you assert yourself, you speak and act in a forceful way, so that people take notice of you.     He's speaking up and asserting himself and doing things he enjoys.

Q: bang on about BANG ON ABOUT

A: If someone bangs on about something, they keep talking about it in a boring or annoying way. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     He has been banging on about education reform for years.

Q: bash in BASH IN

A: If someone bashes a person's or animal's head in, they hit it very hard and cause severe injuries to it.     The butt of a rifle had been used to bash in his skull.     ...a dead fox with its head bashed in.

Q: bash up BASH UP

A: If someone bashes you up, they attack you violently and injure you. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     The two sisters apparently bashed each other up when their long overdue reconciliation turned sour.     I've been bashed up by people with baseball bats because they said I was thieving on their patch. = beat up

Q: brew up BREW UP

A: If someone brews up or if they brew up some tea, they make tea by pouring hot water over tea leaves. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     Brew up, Curly. We could all do with a cup of tea. If someone is brewing up an unpleasant situation or if an unpleasant situation is brewing up, it is starting to develop.     I realized the extent of the trouble that Mary Morse was brewing up.     There's another security scandal brewing up.

Q: bitch [bitF]

A: If someone calls a woman a bitch, they are saying in a very rude way that they think she behaves in a very unpleasant way. (INFORMAL) ([!] VERY RUDE) See also son of a bitch. If you describe a situation as a bitch, you mean that it is very unpleasant or difficult to deal with. (INFORMAL, RUDE) If you say that someone is bitching about something, you mean that you disapprove of the fact that they are complaining about it in an unpleasant way. (INFORMAL)     They're forever bitching about everybody else. A bitch is a female dog.

Q: enforcement [in5fC:smEnt]

A: If someone carries out the enforcement of an act or rule, they enforce it.     The doctors want stricter enforcement of existing laws, such as those banning sales of cigarettes to children.

Q: cheat on CHEAT ON

A: If someone cheats on their husband, wife, or partner, they have a sexual relationship with another person. (INFORMAL)     I'd found Philippe was cheating on me and I was angry and hurt. = be unfaithful to If someone cheats on something such as an agreement or their taxes, they do not do what they should do under a set of rules. (mainly AM)     Their job is to check that none of the signatory countries is cheating on the agreement.

Q: head-on HEAD-ON

A: If two vehicles hit each other head-on, they hit each other with their fronts pointing towards each other.     Pulling out to overtake, the car collided head-on with a van. Also an adjective.     Their car was in a head-on smash with an articulated lorry. A head-on conflict or approach is direct, without any attempt to compromise or avoid the issue.     The only victors in a head-on clash between the president and the assembly would be the hardliners on both sides. Also an adverb.     Once again, I chose to confront the issue head-on.

Q: confess [kEn5fes]

A: If someone confesses to doing something wrong, they admit that they did it.     He had confessed to seventeen murders.     Her husband confessed to having had an affair.     I had expected her to confess that she only wrote these books for the money.     Most rape victims confess a feeling of helplessness.     Ray changed his mind, claiming that he had been forced into confessing.     `I played a very bad match,' he confessed. = admit <> deny If someone confesses or confesses their sins, they tell God or a priest about their sins so that they can be forgiven.     You just go to the church and confess your sins.     Once we have confessed our failures and mistakes to God, we should stop feeling guilty. You use expressions like `I confess', `I must confess', or `I have to confess' to apologize slightly for admitting something you are ashamed of or that you think might offend or annoy someone.     I confess it's got me baffled.     I must confess I'm not a great enthusiast for long political programmes. = admit

Q: convene [kEn5vi:n]

A: If someone convenes a meeting or conference, they arrange for it to take place. You can also say that people convene or that a meeting convenes. (FORMAL)     Last August he convened a meeting of his closest advisers at Camp David.     Senior officials convened in October 1991 in London.     ...the convening of an international peace conference.

Q: giggle [5gigl]

A: If someone giggles, they laugh in a childlike way, because they are amused, nervous, or embarrassed.     Both girls began to giggle.     `I beg your pardon?' she giggled.     ...a giggling little girl. = titter Also a noun.     She gave a little giggle. If you say that someone has the giggles, you mean they cannot stop giggling.     I was so nervous I got the giggles.     She had a fit of the giggles. If you say that something is a giggle, you mean it is fun or is amusing. (INFORMAL, mainly BRIT)     I might buy one for a friend's birthday as a giggle.

Q: heart attack HEART ATTACK

A: If someone has a heart attack, their heart begins to beat very irregularly or stops completely.     He died of a heart attack brought on by overwork. If you say that someone will have a heart attack about something, you are emphasizing that they will be very shocked or angry. (INFORMAL)     She'll have a heart attack if I tell her.

Q: copyright [5kCpirait]

A: If someone has copyright on a piece of writing or music, it is illegal to reproduce or perform it without their permission.     To order a book one first had to get permission from the monastery that held the copyright.     She threatened legal action against the Sun for breach of copyright.

Q: mercy [5mE:si]

A: If someone in authority shows mercy, they choose not to harm someone they have power over, or they forgive someone they have the right to punish.     Neither side took prisoners or showed any mercy.     They cried for mercy but their pleas were met with abuse and laughter.     May God have mercy on your soul. Mercy is used to describe a special journey to help someone in great need, such as people who are sick or made homeless by war. (JOURNALISM)     She vanished nine months ago while on a mercy mission to West Africa.     It's the first so-called mercy flight for a fortnight as the Americans have been waiting for enough people to fill a 747 jet. If you refer to an event or situation as a mercy, you mean that it makes you feel happy or relieved, usually because it stops something unpleasant happening.     It really was a mercy that he'd gone so rapidly at the end.     The two cars finished up in a run-off area, clear of the circuit, and that was a mercy. = blessing If one person or thing is at the mercy of another, the first person or thing is in a situation where they cannot prevent themselves being harmed or affected by the second.     Buildings are left to decay at the mercy of vandals and the weather.     The Emperor must realize that he has us at his mercy. If you tell someone who is in an unpleasant situation that they should be grateful or thankful for small mercies, you mean that although their situation is bad, it could be even worse, and so they should be happy.     But so low has morale sunk that the team and the fans would have been grateful for small mercies.

Q: insult [5insQlt]

A: If someone insults you, they say or do something that is rude or offensive.     I did not mean to insult you.     Buchanan said he was insulted by the judge's remarks. * insulted     I mean, I was a bit insulted that they thought I needed bribing to shut up. An insult is a rude remark, or something a person says or does which insults you.     Their behaviour was an insult to the people they represent.     The prison Governor criticised some of his officers who shouted insults at prisoners on the roof. You say to add insult to injury when mentioning an action or fact that makes an unfair or unacceptable situation even worse.     The driver of the car that killed Smith got a {Pound}250 fine and five penalty points on his licence. To add insult to injury, he drove away from court in his own car.

Q: loser [5lu:zE]

A: If someone is a good loser, they accept that they have lost a game or contest without complaining. If someone is a bad loser, they hate losing and complain about it.     ...the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills, the winners and losers of this year's Super Bowl.     I'm sure the prime minister will turn out to be a good loser.     You are a very bad loser Lou, aren't you? If you refer to someone as a loser, you have a low opinion of them because you think they are always unsuccessful. (INFORMAL)     They've only been trained to compete with other men, so a successful woman can make them feel like a real loser. = failure People who are losers as the result of an action or event, are in a worse situation because of it or do not benefit from it.     Some of Britain's top business leaders of the 1980s have become the country's greatest losers in the recession. <> beneficiary

Q: ashamed [E5Feimd]

A: If someone is ashamed, they feel embarrassed or guilty because of something they do or they have done, or because of their appearance.     I felt incredibly ashamed of myself for getting so angry.     She was ashamed that she looked so shabby.     I'm a lesbian and I'm not ashamed about it. <> proud If you are ashamed of someone, you feel embarrassed to be connected with them, often because of their appearance or because you disapprove of something they have done.     I've never told this to anyone, but it's true, I was terribly ashamed of my mum. <> proud If someone is ashamed to do something, they do not want to do it because they feel embarrassed about it.     Women are often ashamed to admit they are being abused. <> proud

Q: batter [bAtE]

A: If someone is battered, they are regularity hit and badly hurt by a member of their family or by their partner.     ...evidence that the child was being battered.     ...boys who witness fathers battering their mothers.     ...battered wives. * battering     Leaving the relationship does not mean that the battering will stop. To batter someone means to hit them many times, using fists or a heavy object.     He battered her around the head.     A karate expert battered a man to death.     He was battered unconscious. * battered     Her battered body was discovered in a field. If a place is battered by wind, rain, or storms, it is seriously damaged or affected by very bad weather.     The country has been battered by winds of between fifty and seventy miles an hour.     ...a storm that's been battering the Northeast coastline. = pound If you batter something, you hit it many times, using your fists or a heavy object.     They were battering the door, they were breaking in.     Batter the steaks flat. Batter is a mixture of flour, eggs, and milk that is used in cooking.     ...pancake batter.     ...fish in batter. In sports such as baseball and softball, a batter is a person who hits the ball with a wooden bat.

Q: bundle off BUNDLE OFF

A: If someone is bundled off somewhere, they are sent there or taken there in a hurry.     The pair were then bundled off to a neighbour's house by waiting police.     We want to bundle them off to bed quickly.

Q: expel [iks5pel]

A: If someone is expelled from a school or organization, they are officially told to leave because they have behaved badly.     More than five-thousand secondary school students have been expelled for cheating.     ...the mother of a 14-year-old boy expelled from school for refusing to take a shower. If people are expelled from a place, they are made to leave it, often by force.     An American academic was expelled from the country yesterday.     They were told at first that they should simply expel the refugees. To expel something means to force it out from a container or from your body.     Daily brushing of the skin helps the skin expel toxins.     As the lungs exhale this waste, gas is expelled into the atmosphere.

Q: extradite [5ekstrEdait]

A: If someone is extradited, they are officially sent back to their own or another country to be tried for a crime that they have been accused of. (FORMAL)     He was extradited to Britain from the Irish Republic to face explosives charges.     The authorities refused to extradite him. * extradition extraditions     A New York court turned down the British government's request for his extradition.     There were no plans to reopen extradition proceedings against him.

Q: foolish [5fu:liF]

A: If someone's behaviour or action is foolish, it is not sensible and shows a lack of good judgement.     It would be foolish to raise hopes unnecessarily.     It is foolish to risk skin cancer. * foolishly     He admitted that he had acted foolishly. * foolishness     They don't accept any foolishness when it comes to spending money. If you look or feel foolish, you look or feel so silly or ridiculous that people are likely to laugh at you.     I just stood there feeling foolish and watching him.     I didn't want him to look foolish and be laughed at. = ridiculous * foolishly     He saw me standing there, grinning foolishly at him.

Q: frank [frANk]

A: If someone is frank, they state or express things in an open and honest way.     `It is clear that my client has been less than frank with me,' said his lawyer.     They had a frank discussion about the issue. = candid * frankly     You can talk frankly to me.     He now frankly admits that much of his former playboy lifestyle was superficial. * frankness     The reaction to his frankness was hostile. When a letter or parcel is franked, it is marked with a symbol that shows that the proper charge has been paid or that no stamp is needed.     The letter was franked in London on August 6.     ...a self-addressed, franked envelope. You can say `to be frank' or `to be frank with you' to introduce a statement which is your honest opinion, especially when the person you are talking to might not like it. (SPOKEN)     To be frank, he could also be a bit of a bore.     To be frank with you, Harvey, I may have made a mistake.

Q: horrify [5hCrifai]

A: If someone is horrified, they feel shocked or disgusted, usually because of something that they have seen or heard.     His family were horrified by the change.     ...a crime trend that will horrify all parents. = appal * horrified     When I saw these figures I was horrified.     We are so horrified by the enormity of the crime that we want somebody brought to justice quickly.

Q: imprison [im5prizn]

A: If someone is imprisoned, they are locked up or kept somewhere, usually in prison as a punishment for a crime or for political opposition.     The local priest was imprisoned for 18 months on charges of anti-state agitation.     Dutch colonial authorities imprisoned him for his part in the independence movement.

Q: hiding [5haidiN]

A: If someone is in hiding, they have secretly gone somewhere where they cannot be seen or found.     Gray is thought to be in hiding near the France/Italy border.     Hundreds of people are said to have gone into hiding to avoid arrest.     The duchess is expected to come out of hiding to attend the ceremony. If you give someone a hiding, you punish them by hitting them many times. (INFORMAL) = beating If you say that someone who is trying to achieve something is on a hiding to nothing, you are emphasizing that they have absolutely no chance of being successful. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     As regards commercial survival, a car manufacturer capable of making only 50,000 cars a year is on a hiding to nothing.

Q: jealous [5dVelEs]

A: If someone is jealous, they feel angry or bitter because they think that another person is trying to take a lover or friend, or a possession, away from them.     She got insanely jealous and there was a terrible fight. * jealously     The formula is jealously guarded. If you are jealous of another person's possessions or qualities, you feel angry or bitter because you do not have them.     She was jealous of his wealth.     You're jealous because the record company rejected your idea. * jealously     Gloria eyed them jealously.

Q: lazy [5leizi]

A: If someone is lazy, they do not want to work or make any effort to do anything.     Lazy and incompetent police officers are letting the public down.     I was too lazy to learn how to read music. <> hardworking * laziness     Current employment laws will be changed to reward effort and punish laziness. You can use lazy to describe an activity or event in which you are very relaxed and which you do or take part in without making much effort.     Her latest novel is perfect for a lazy summer's afternoon reading.     We would have a lazy lunch and then lie on the beach in the sun. = relaxed * lazily     Liz went back into the kitchen, stretching lazily. If you describe something as lazy, you mean that it moves or flows slowly and gently. (LITERARY)     ...a valley of rolling farms spread out along a lazy river.     ...the lazy, loose grace of the born athlete. * lazily     The Salzach river threaded its way lazily between the old city and the new.

Q: escort [is5kC:t]

A: If someone is taken somewhere under escort, they are accompanied by guards, either because they have been arrested or because they need to be protected.     He arrived with a police escort shortly before half past nine.     A man was injured when gunmen attacked a group of Hindus being taken under police escort to the city outskirts. An escort is a person who accompanies another person of the opposite sex to a social event. Sometimes people are paid to be escorts.     My sister needed an escort for a company dinner. If you escort someone somewhere, you accompany them there, usually in order to make sure that they leave a place or get to their destination.     I escorted him to the door.     The vessel was escorted to an undisclosed port.

Q: mediate [5mi:diit, -djEt]

A: If someone mediates between two groups of people, or mediates an agreement between them, they try to settle an argument between them by talking to both groups and trying to find things that they can both agree to.     My mom was the one who mediated between Zelda and her mom.     United Nations officials have mediated a series of peace meetings between the two sides.     The Vatican successfully mediated in a territorial dispute between Argentina and Chile in 1984.     UN peacekeepers mediated a new cease-fire. * mediation     The agreement provides for United Nations mediation between the two sides.     There is still a possibility the two sides could reach a compromise through the mediation of a third party. * mediator mediators     An archbishop has been acting as mediator between the rebels and the authorities. If something mediates a particular process or event, it allows that process or event to happen and influences the way in which it happens. (FORMAL)     ...the thymus, the organ which mediates the response of the white blood cells...     People's responses to us have been mediated by their past experience of life. * mediation     This works through the mediation of the central nervous system.

Q: grace [greis]

A: If someone moves with grace, they move in a smooth, controlled, and attractive way.     He moved with the grace of a trained boxer.     Ballet classes are important for poise and grace. If someone behaves with grace, they behave in a pleasant, polite, and dignified way, even when they are upset or being treated unfairly.     The new King seemed to be carrying out his duties with grace and due decorum.     The young woman had grace beyond her years. The graces are the ways of behaving and doing things which are considered polite and well-mannered.     She didn't fit in and she had few social graces. Grace is used in expressions such as a day's grace and a month's grace to say that you are allowed that amount of extra time before you have to finish something.     She wanted a couple of days' grace to get the maisonette cleaned before she moved in.     We have only a few hours' grace before the soldiers come. If you say that something graces a place or a person, you mean that it makes them more attractive. (FORMAL)     He went to the beautiful old Welsh dresser that graced this homely room.     Her shoulders were graced with mink and her fingers sparkled with diamonds. If you say that someone important will grace an event or a

Q: comply [kEm5plai]

A: If someone or something complies with an order or set of rules, they are in accordance with what is required or expected.     The commander said that the army would comply with the ceasefire.     Some beaches had failed to comply with European directives on bathing water.     There are calls for his resignation, but there is no sign yet that he will comply.

Q: credibility [7kredi5biliti]

A: If someone or something has credibility, people believe in them and trust them.     The police have lost their credibility.     The president will have to work hard to restore his credibility.

Q: excellence [5eksElEns]

A: If someone or something has the quality of excellence, they are extremely good in some way.     ...the top US award for excellence in journalism and the arts.     ...a school once noted for its academic excellence. See also par excellence.

Q: inspire [in5spaiE]

A: If someone or something inspires you to do something new or unusual, they make you want to do it.     These herbs will inspire you to try out all sorts of exotic-flavoured dishes!.     Our challenge is to motivate those voters and inspire them to join our cause.     And what inspired you to change your name? = encourage If someone or something inspires you, they give you new ideas and a strong feeling of enthusiasm.     In the 1960s, the electric guitar virtuosity of Jimi Hendrix inspired a generation. If a book, work of art, or action is inspired by something, that thing is the source of the idea for it.     The book was inspired by a real person, namely Tamara de Treaux.     ...a political murder inspired by the same nationalist conflicts now wrecking the country. * -inspired     ...Mediterranean-inspired ceramics in bright yellow and blue...     Jamaica's socialist government is adopting US-inspired free market practices. Someone or something that inspires a particular emotion or reaction in people makes them feel this emotion or reaction.     The car's performance is effortless and its handling is precise and quickly inspires confidence.

Q: injustice [in5dVQstis]

A: Injustice is a lack of fairness in a situation.     They'll continue to fight injustice.     They resented the injustices of the system. If you say that someone has done you an injustice, you mean that they have been unfair in the way that they have judged you or treated you.     Calling them a bunch of capricious kids with half-formed ideas does them an injustice.

Q: diagnose [5daiEgnEuz]

A: If someone or something is diagnosed as having a particular illness or problem, their illness or problem is identified. If an illness or problem is diagnosed, it is identified.     The soldiers were diagnosed as having flu.     Susan had a mental breakdown and was diagnosed with schizophrenia.     In 1894 her illness was diagnosed as cancer.     He could diagnose an engine problem simply by listening.     This disorder is easily diagnosed but not so easily treated.

Q: dub [dQb]

A: If someone or something is dubbed a particular thing, they are given that description or name. (JOURNALISM)     ...the man whom the Labour opposition dubbed as the `no change Prime Minister'...     At the height of her career, Orson Welles dubbed her `the most exciting woman in the world'. If a film or soundtrack in a foreign language is dubbed, a new soundtrack is added with actors giving a translation.     It was dubbed into Spanish for Mexican audiences.     ...a badly dubbed foreign film.

Q: exempt [ig5zempt]

A: If someone or something is exempt from a particular rule, duty, or obligation, they do not have to follow it or do it.     Men in college were exempt from military service.     Children under two years are exempt. Also a combining form.     The fund was in danger of losing its tax-exempt status. To exempt a person or thing from a particular rule, duty, or obligation means to state officially that they are not bound or affected by it.     South Carolina claimed the power to exempt its citizens from the obligation to obey federal law.     Companies with fifty-five or fewer employees would be exempted from the requirements. * exemption exemptions     ...the exemption of employer-provided health insurance from taxation.     ...new exemptions for students and the low-paid.

Q: kit out KIT OUT

A: If someone or something is kitted out, they have everything they need at a particular time, such as clothing, equipment, or furniture. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     She was kitted out with winter coat, skirts, jumpers, nylon stockings.     The place is kitted out in upmarket Italian cafe style. = fit out

Q: exhibit [ig5zibit]

A: If someone or something shows a particular quality, feeling, or type of behaviour, you can say that they exhibit it. (FORMAL)     He has exhibited symptoms of anxiety and overwhelming worry.     Two cats or more in one house will also exhibit territorial behaviour.     The economy continued to exhibit signs of decline in September. = demonstrate, show When a painting, sculpture, or object of interest is exhibited, it is put in a public place such as a museum or art gallery so that people can come to look at it. You can also say that animals are exhibited in a zoo.     His work was exhibited in the best galleries in America, Europe and Asia.     ...a massive elephant exhibited by London Zoo in the late 19th Century. * exhibition     Five large pieces of the wall are currently on exhibition in London. When artists exhibit, they show their work in public.     By 1936 she was exhibiting at the Royal Academy. An exhibit is a painting, sculpture, or object of interest that is displayed to the public in a museum or art gallery.     Shona showed me round the exhibits. An exhibit is a public display of paintings, sculpture, or objects of interest, for example in a museum or art gallery. (AM; in BRIT use exhibition)     ...an exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. An exhibit is an object that a lawyer shows in court as evidence in a legal case. If you say that someone exhibits something, you mean that they are showing it openly or publicly in order to be admired, noticed, or believed.     Other women seemed content and even exhibite

Q: bind [baind]

A: If something binds people together, it makes them feel as if they are all part of the same group or have something in common.     It is the memory and threat of persecution that binds them together.     ...the social and political ties that bind the USA to Britain.     ...a group of people bound together by shared language, culture, and beliefs. If you are bound by something such as a rule, agreement, or restriction, you are forced or required to act in a certain way.     The Luxembourg-based satellite service is not bound by the same strict rules as the BBC.     The authorities will be legally bound to arrest any suspects.     There is a bottom deck though, so you're not bound to sit on top.     The treaty binds them to respect their neighbour's independence. * bound     The world of advertising is obviously less bound by convention than the world of banking.     Few of them feel bound by any enduring loyalties. If you bind something or someone, you tie rope, string, tape, or other material around them so that they are held firmly.     Bind the ends of the cord together with thread.     ...the red tape which was used to bind the files...     He said there were cases where prisoners were tightly bound, often for several days. When a book is bound, the pages are joined together and the cover is put on.     Each volume is bound in bright-coloured cloth.     Their business came from a few big publishers, all of whose books they bound.     ...four immaculately bound hardbacks. * -bound     ...leather-bound stamp albums. If one chemical or particle is bound to another, it becomes attached to it or reacts with it to form a single particle or substance. (TECHNICAL)     At present nobody understands why these three quarks which are in the proton are bound together.     These may bind to receptor molecules on the surfaces of cells.     These compounds bind with genetic material in the liver. In cookery, if you bind a mixture of food, you form it into a mass by mixing it with a sticky substance.     Bind the mixture with the raw minced liver and cook for 3 minutes more.     ...a divine mixture of vegetarian cheeses bound with egg. If you are in a bind, you are in a difficult situation, usually because you have to make a decision or a choice and whatever decision or choice you make will have unpleasant consequences. (INFORMAL)     This puts the politicians in a bind

Q: bob [bCb]

A: If something bobs, it moves up and down, like something does when it is floating on water.     Huge balloons bobbed about in the sky above.     The raft bobbed along more quietly. If you bob somewhere, you move there quickly so that you disappear from view or come into view.     She handed over a form, then bobbed down again behind a typewriter. When you bob your head, you move it quickly up and down once, for example when you greet someone.     A hostess stood at the top of the steps and bobbed her head at each passenger. = nod Also a noun.     The young man smiled with a bob of his head. = nod In Britain, people used to refer to a shilling as a bob. (INFORMAL)     I've only got ten bob on me. A bob is a fairly short hair style in which the hair is the same length all the way round, except for the front. Bits and bobs are small objects or parts of something. (mainly BRIT, INFORMAL)     The microscope contains a few hundred dollars-worth of electronic bits and bobs. = bits and pieces

Q: buzz [bQz]

A: If something buzzes or buzzes somewhere, it makes a long continuous sound, like the noise a bee makes when it is flying.     The intercom buzzed and he pressed down the appropriate switch.     Attack helicopters buzzed across the city. Also a noun.     ...the irritating buzz of an insect. * buzzing     He switched off the transformer and the buzzing stopped. If people are buzzing around, they are moving around quickly and busily. (WRITTEN)     A few tourists were buzzing about.     She was intimidated by the number of businessmen buzzing around the saleroom. = race If questions or ideas are buzzing around your head, or if your head is buzzing with questions or ideas, you are thinking about a lot of things, often in a confused way.     Many more questions were buzzing around in my head.     Top style consultants will leave you buzzing with new ideas. If a place is buzzing with activity or conversation, there is a lot of activity or conversation there, especially because something important or exciting is about to happen.     The rehearsal studio is buzzing with lunchtime activity.     The capital is buzzing with rumours of possible demonstrations. <fo

Q: click [klik]

A: If something clicks or if you click it, it makes a short, sharp sound.     The applause rose to a crescendo and cameras clicked.     He clicked off the radio.     Blake clicked his fingers at a passing waiter, who hurried across to them. Also a noun.     The telephone rang three times before I heard a click and then her recorded voice. If you click on an area of a computer screen, you point the cursor at that area and press one of the buttons on the mouse in order to make something happen. (COMPUTING)     I clicked on a link and recent reviews of the production came up. Also a noun.     You can check your email with a click of your mouse. When you suddenly understand something, you can say that it clicks. (INFORMAL)     When I saw the television report it all clicked.     It suddenly clicked that this was fantastic fun. If you click with someone, you like each other and become friendly as soon as you meet. You can also say that two people click. (INFORMAL)     They clicked immediately. They loved the same things.     ...the man who clicks with the world's most beautiful women.

Q: crumble [5krQmbl]

A: If something crumbles, or if you crumble it, it breaks into a lot of small pieces.     Under the pressure, the flint crumbled into fragments.     Roughly crumble the cheese into a bowl. If an old building or piece of land is crumbling, parts of it keep breaking off.     The high and low-rise apartment blocks built in the 1960s are crumbling.     The cliffs were estimated to be crumbling into the sea at the rate of 10ft an hour. = disintegrate Crumble away means the same as crumble.     Britain's coastline stretches 4000 kilometres and much of it is crumbling away. If something such as a system, relationship, or hope crumbles, it comes to an end.     Their economy crumbled under the weight of United Nations sanctions.     The traditional marriage is crumbling fast.     It only takes a minute for the football hopes of an entire country to crumble. = fall apart Crumble away means the same as crumble.     Opposition more or less crumbled away. If someone crumbles, they stop resisting or trying to win, or become unable to cope.     Brighton have too many experienced players to crumble just because we are in town.     He is a skilled and ruthless leader who isn't likely to crumble under pressure. A crumble is a baked pudding made from fruit covered with a mixture of flour, butter, and sugar. (BRIT)     ...apple crumble.

Q: deteriorate [di5tiEriEreit]

A: If something deteriorates, it becomes worse in some way.     There are fears that the situation might deteriorate into full-scale war.     The weather conditions are deteriorating.     Grant's health steadily deteriorated. <> improve * deterioration     ...concern about the rapid deterioration in relations between the two countries.     ...the slow steady deterioration of a patient with Alzheimer's disease. <> improvement

Q: exceed [ik5si:d]

A: If something exceeds a particular amount or number, it is greater or larger than that amount or number. (FORMAL)     Its research budget exceeds $700 million a year.     The demand for places at some schools exceeds the supply.     His performance exceeded all expectations. If you exceed a limit or rule, you go beyond it, even though you are not supposed to or it is against the law. (FORMAL)     He accepts he was exceeding the speed limit.     I would be exceeding my powers if I ordered the march to be halted.

Q: excite [ik5sait]

A: If something excites you, it makes you feel very happy, eager, or enthusiastic.     I only take on work that excites me, even if it means turning down lots of money.     We'd not been excited by anything for about three years.     Where the show really excites is in the display of avant-garde photography. If something excites a particular feeling, emotion, or reaction in someone, it causes them to experience it.     By all accounts, the monarchy does not excite strong feelings among the majority of Romanians.     Daniel's early exposure to motor racing did not excite his interest.     Reports of the plot of this unusual film tend to excite revulsion. = arouse If something or someone excites you, they cause you to feel sexual desire.     Don't try exciting your partner with dirty magazines. * excited     She makes you feel warm and comfortable, and maybe a little excited. * exciting     ...a sexually exciting thought. To excite a physical object such as an atomic particle or an organ in your body means to increase the amount of energy, movement, or activity in it. (TECHNICAL)     The amount of nicotine in these nicotine substitutes can be enough to excite the heart. * excited     ...when an electron drops from an excited state to a less excited state.

Q: flick [flik]

A: If something flicks in a particular direction, or if someone flicks it, it moves with a short, sudden movement.     His tongue flicked across his lips.     The man's gun flicked up from beside his thigh.     His glance flicked round my face and came to rest on my eyes.     He flicked his cigarette out of the window. Also a noun.     ...a flick of a paintbrush. If you flick something away, or off something else, you remove it with a quick movement of your hand or finger.     Shirley flicked a speck of fluff from the sleeve of her black suit.     Alan stretched out his hand and flicked the letter away. If you flick something such as a whip or a towel, or flick something with it, you hold one end of it and move your hand quickly up and then forward, so that the other end moves.     He helped her up before flicking the reins.     She sighed and flicked a dishcloth at the counter.     The jockey said he tended to flick horses with the whip. Also a noun.     ...a flick of the whip. If you flick a switch, or flick an el

Q: flourish [5flQriF]

A: If something flourishes, it is successful, active, or common, and developing quickly and strongly.     Business flourished and within six months they were earning 18,000 roubles a day.     Racism and crime still flourish in the ghetto. = thrive <> decline * flourishing     London quickly became a flourishing port. = thriving If a plant or animal flourishes, it grows well or is healthy because the conditions are right for it.     The plant flourishes particularly well in slightly harsher climes. = thrive * flourishing     Britain has the largest and most flourishing fox population in Europe. = thriving If you flourish an object, you wave it about in a way that makes people notice it.     He flourished the glass to emphasize the point. Also a noun.     He took his peaked cap from under his arm with a flourish and pulled it low over his eyes. If you do something with a flourish, you do in a showy way so that people notice it.     She tended to finish dancing with a flouris

Q: glitter [5glitE]

A: If something glitters, light comes from or is reflected off different parts of it every moment.     The bay glittered in the sunshine.     The Palace glittered with lights. = sparkle If someone's eyes glitter, they are bright and express a particular emotion such as excitement or interest. (WRITTEN)     His eyes glittered with a tense amusement. = gleam Glitter consists of tiny shining pieces of metal. It is glued to things for decoration.     Decorate the tunic with sequins or glitter. You can use glitter to refer to superficial attractiveness or to the excitement connected with something.     She was blinded by the glitter and the glamour of her own life.

Q: heighten [5haitn]

A: If something heightens a feeling or if the feeling heightens, the feeling increases in degree or intensity.     The move has heightened tension in the state.     These latest murders have heightened fears of further attacks.     Cross's interest heightened.     ...a heightened awareness of the dangers that they now face. = intensify

Q: hum [hQm]

A: If something hums, it makes a low continuous noise.     The birds sang, the bees hummed.     Within five hours, the equipment will be humming away again.     There was a low humming sound in the sky. Also a noun.     ...the hum of traffic...     There was a general hum of conversation around them. When you hum a tune, you sing it with your lips closed.     She was humming a merry little tune.     He hummed to himself as he opened the trunk. * humming     The guard stopped his humming and turned his head sharply. If you say that a place hums, you mean that it is full of activity.     The place is really beginning to hum.     On Saturday morning, the town hums with activity and life. Hum is sometimes used to represent the sound people make when they are not sure what to say.     Hum, I am sorry but I thought you were French.

Q: invariably [in5veEriEb(E)li]

A: If something invariably happens or is invariably true, it always happens or is always true.     They almost invariably get it wrong.     Their teamwork was invariably good.     Invariably, he keeps the refrigerator well stocked.

Q: irritate [5iriteit]

A: If something irritates you, it keeps annoying you.     Their attitude irritates me.     Perhaps they were irritated by the sound of crying. = annoy * irritated     Not surprisingly, her teacher is getting irritated with her. If something irritates a part of your body, it causes it to itch or become sore.     Wear rubber gloves while chopping chillies as they can irritate the skin.

Q: incentive [in5sentiv]

A: If something is an incentive to do something, it encourages you to do it.     There is little or no incentive to adopt such measures.     Many companies in Britain are keen on the idea of tax incentives for R&D. = inducement

Q: denounce [di5nauns]

A: If you denounce a person or an action, you criticize them severely and publicly because you feel strongly that they are wrong or evil.     The letter called for trade union freedom and civil rights, but did not openly denounce the regime.     German leaders all took the opportunity to denounce the attacks and plead for tolerance.     Some 25,000 demonstrators denounced him as a traitor. If you denounce someone who has broken a rule or law, you report them to the authorities.     They were at the mercy of informers who might at any moment denounce them.

Q: calculated [5kAlkjuleitid]

A: If something is calculated to have a particular effect, it is specially done or arranged in order to have that effect.     Their movements through the region were calculated to terrify landowners into abandoning their holdings.     These tracks were calculated to be controversial and attract attention to the album. = designed If you say that something is not calculated to have a particular effect, you mean that it is unlikely to have that effect.     German names were not calculated to attract patrons to America's movie theaters in 1941.     Such a statement was hardly calculated to deter future immigrants. = likely You can describe a clever or dishonest action as calculated when it is very carefully planned or arranged.     Irene's use of the mop had been a calculated attempt to cover up her crime.     ...a calculated and coherent strategy for winning power. If you take a calculated risk, you do something which you think might be successful, although you have fully considered the possible bad consequences of your action.     The President took a calculated political risk in throwing his full support behind the rebels.

Q: confined [kEn5faind]

A: If something is confined to a particular place, it exists only in that place. If it is confined to a particular group, only members of that group have it.     The problem is not confined to Germany.     These dangers are not confined to smokers. = restricted A confined space or area is small and enclosed by walls.     His long legs bent up in the confined space. If someone is confined to a wheelchair, bed, or house, they have to stay there, because they are disabled or ill.     He had been confined to a wheelchair since childhood.

Q: contaminate [kEn5tAmineit]

A: If something is contaminated by dirt, chemicals, or radiation, they make it dirty or harmful.     Have any fish been contaminated in the Arctic Ocean?     ...vast tracts of empty land, much of it contaminated by years of army activity. * contaminated     Nuclear weapons plants across the country are heavily contaminated with toxic wastes.     More than 100,000 people could fall ill after drinking contaminated water. * contamination     The contamination of the sea around Capri may be just the beginning.

Q: deadly [5dedli]

A: If something is deadly, it is likely or able to cause someone's death, or has already caused someone's death.     He was acquitted on charges of assault with a deadly weapon.     ...a deadly disease currently affecting dolphins...     Passive smoking can be deadly too.     The authorities are looking into last week's deadly gas explosions. = lethal, fatal If you describe a person or their behaviour as deadly, you mean that they will do or say anything to get what they want, without caring about other people.     His mother's voice was one he knew; ice cold and deadly.     The Duchess levelled a deadly look at Nikko. = menacing If you describe someone or something as deadly, you mean that you think they are very dull and boring. (INFORMAL)     She finds these parties deadly. = boring You can use deadly to emphasize that something has a particular quality, especially an unpleasant or undesirable quality.     Broadcast news was accurate and reliable but deadly dull.     The north wind was bitter and deadly cold.     The United States had been deadly serious in its threat of military action. = dreadfully A deadly situation has unpleasant or dang

Q: distinct [dis5tiNkt]

A: If something is distinct from something else of the same type, it is different or separate from it.     Engineering and technology are disciplines distinct from one another and from science.     This book is divided into two distinct parts. * distinctly     ...a banking industry with two distinctly different sectors. If something is distinct, you can hear, see, or taste it clearly.     ...to impart a distinct flavor with a minimum of cooking fat. * distinctly     I distinctly heard the loudspeaker calling passengers for the Turin-Amsterdam flight. If an idea, thought, or intention is distinct, it is clear and definite.     Now that Tony was no longer present, there was a distinct change in her attitude.     I have distinct memories of him in his last years. * distinctly     I distinctly remember wishing I had not got involved. You can use distinct to emphasize that something is great enough in amount or degree to be noticeable or important.     Being 6ft 3in tall has some distinct disadvantages!.     Another Cup marathon between the two sides is now a distinct possibility. = definite * distinctly     His government is looking distinctly shaky. If you say that you are talking about one thing as distinct from another, you are indicating exactly which thing you mean.     There's a lot of evidence that oily fish, as distinct from fatty meat, has a beneficial effect.

Q: moving [5mu:viN]

A: If something is moving, it makes you feel strongly an emotion such as sadness, pity, or sympathy.     It is very moving to see how much strangers can care for each other.     It was a moving moment for Marianne. = touching * movingly     You write very movingly of your sister Amy's suicide. A moving model or part of a machine moves or is able to move. The moving spirit or moving force behind something is the person or thing that caused it to start and to keep going, or that influenced people to take part in it.     She alone must have been the moving spirit behind the lawsuit that lost me my position.     Professor Krauss has been a moving force in the world of academic art criticism.

Q: earnest [5E:nist]

A: If something is done or happens in earnest, it happens to a much greater extent and more seriously than before.     Campaigning will begin in earnest tomorrow.     The two countries can finally start negotiating in earnest about issues of mutual concern. = seriously Earnest people are very serious and sincere in what they say or do, because they think that their actions and beliefs are important.     Ella was a pious, earnest woman.     His expression is as earnest when he smiles as when he is arguing.     Despite their earnest efforts, they still struggle to win support. = sincere * earnestness     He was admired by many for his earnestness. = sincerity If you are in earnest, you are sincere in what you are doing and saying.     It presented in satirical terms points made in earnest by Catholic writers.     No one could tell whether he was in earnest or in jest.

Q: doomed DOOMED

A: If something is doomed to happen, or if you are doomed to a particular state, something unpleasant is certain to happen, and you can do nothing to prevent it.     Their plans seemed doomed to failure.     He knew that if he lived, he would be doomed to spend the war as a prisoner. Someone or something that is doomed is certain to fail or be destroyed.     Fireman battled through the smoke in a doomed attempt to rescue the children.     I used to pour time and energy into projects that were doomed from the start. = hopeless

Q: edged [edVd]

A: If something is edged with a particular thing, that thing forms a border around it.     ...a large lawn edged with flowers and shrubs.     ...blank pages edged in black. Also a combining form.     ...clutching a lace-edged handkerchief.

Q: evident [5evidEnt]

A: If something is evident, you notice it easily and clearly.     His footprints were clearly evident in the heavy dust.     The threat of inflation is already evident in bond prices.     ...the best-publicised cases of evident injustice. = noticeable, unmistakable You use evident to show that you are certain about a situation or fact and your interpretation of it.     It was evident that she had once been a beauty.     The cities are bombarded day after day in an evident effort to force their surrender. = obvious

Q: flounder [5flaundE]

A: If something is floundering, it has many problems and may soon fail completely.     What a pity that his career was left to flounder.     The economy was floundering. = founder If you say that someone is floundering, you are criticizing them for not making decisions or for not knowing what to say or do.     Right now, you've got a president who's floundering, trying to find some way to get his campaign jump-started.     I know that you're floundering around, trying to grasp at any straw. = dither If you flounder in water or mud, you move in an uncontrolled way, trying not to sink.     Three men were floundering about in the water. A flounder is a flat fish that you can eat. Flounder is this fish eaten as food.     Mr. Dambar had loaded his plate with stuffed flounder.

Q: forbidden [fE5bidn]

A: If something is forbidden, you are not allowed to do it or have it.     Smoking was forbidden everywhere.     It is forbidden to drive faster than 20mph. A forbidden place is one that you are not allowed to visit or enter.     This was a forbidden area for foreigners. = out of bounds Forbidden is used to describe things that people strongly disapprove of or feel guilty about, and that are not often mentioned or talked about.     The war was a forbidden subject.     Men fantasise as a substitute for acting out forbidden desires.     Divorce? It was such a forbidden word. = taboo

Q: inadequate [in5Adikwit]

A: If something is inadequate, there is not enough of it or it is not good enough.     Supplies of food and medicines are inadequate.     The problem goes far beyond inadequate staffing. = insufficient <> adequate * inadequately     The projects were inadequately funded. If someone feels inadequate, they feel that they do not have the qualities and abilities necessary to do something or to cope with life in general.     I still feel inadequate, useless and mixed up.     Mary Ann felt painfully inadequate in the crisis. = incapable

Q: located LOCATED

A: If something is located in a particular place, it is present or has been built there. (FORMAL)     The restaurant is located near the cathedral.     A boutique and beauty salon are conveniently located within the grounds.     ...well-located buildings. = situated

Q: loom [lu:m]

A: If something looms over you, it appears as a large or unclear shape, often in a frightening way.     Vincent loomed over me, as pale and grey as a tombstone.     ...the bleak mountains that loomed out of the blackness and towered around us. If a worrying or threatening situation or event is looming, it seems likely to happen soon. (JOURNALISM)     Another government spending crisis is looming in the United States.     The threat of renewed civil war looms ahead.     ...the looming threat of recession. If something, especially a problem or worry looms large, it occupies a lot of your thoughts and seems important.     ...the terrible problem of armed crime now looming large in our society...     As such tensions increase, they loom larger in Russia's domestic politics. A loom is a machine that is used for weaving thread into cloth.

Q: magnetic [mAg5netik]

A: If something metal is magnetic, it acts like a magnet.     ...magnetic particles. You use magnetic to describe something that is caused by or relates to the force of magnetism.     The electrically charged gas particles are affected by magnetic forces. * magnetically     ...metal fragments held together magnetically. You use magnetic to describe tapes and other objects which have a coating of a magnetic substance and contain coded information that can be read by computers or other machines.     ...her magnetic strip ID card.     ...magnetic recording tape. If you describe something as magnetic, you mean that it is very attractive to people because it has unusual, powerful, and exciting qualities.     ...the magnetic effect of the prosperous German economy on would-be immigrants.     ...the magnetic pull of his looks and her personality.

Q: connect [kE5nekt]

A: If something or someone connects one thing to another, or if one thing connects to another, the two things are joined together.     You can connect the machine to your hi-fi.     The traditional method is to enter the exchanges at night and connect the wires.     Two cables connect to each corner of the plate.     ...a television camera connected to the radio telescope. = attach <> disconnect If a piece of equipment or a place is connected to a source of power or water, it is joined to that source so that it has power or water.     These appliances should not be connected to power supplies.     Ischia was now connected to the mainland water supply. Connect up means the same as connect.     The shower is easy to install -- it needs only to be connected up to the hot and cold water supply.     They turned the barricade into a potential death trap by connecting it up to the mains. If a telephone operator connects you, he or she enables you to speak to another person by telephone.     To call the police, an ambulance or the fire brigade dial 999 and the operator will connect you.     He asked to be connected to the central switchboard. = put through If

Q: definite [5definit]

A: If something such as a decision or an arrangement is definite, it is firm and clear, and unlikely to be changed.     It's too soon to give a definite answer.     Her Royal Highness has definite views about most things.     She made no definite plans for her future. Definite evidence or information is true, rather than being someone's opinion or guess.     We didn't have any definite proof.     If you have any definite news of my husband, please let me know.     The police had nothing definite against her. You use definite to emphasize the strength of your opinion or belief.     There has already been a definite improvement.     That's a very definite possibility. = real Someone who is definite behaves or talks in a firm, confident way.     Mary is very definite about this. A definite shape or colour is clear and noticeable.     Studying his face in the bathroom mirror he wished he had more definite features.

Q: flap [flAp]

A: If something such as a piece of cloth or paper flaps or if you flap it, it moves quickly up and down or from side to side.     Grey sheets flapped on the clothes line.     They would flap bath towels from their balconies as they chatted. = flutter If a bird or insect flaps its wings or if its wings flap, the wings move quickly up and down.     The bird flapped its wings furiously.     A pigeon emerges, wings flapping noisily, from the tower. If you flap your arms, you move them quickly up and down as if they were the wings of a bird.     ...a kid running and flapping her arms. A flap of cloth or skin, for example, is a flat piece of it that can move freely up and down or from side to side because it is held or attached by only one edge.     He drew back the tent flap and strode out into the blizzard.     ...a loose flap of skin. A flap on the wing of an aircraft is an area along the edge of the wing that can be raised or lowered to control the movement of the aircraft.     ...the sudden slowing as the flaps were lowered. A flap is a sudden noise or movement made by a bird's wing or by a piece of paper or cloth when it flaps.     Nothin

Q: haunt [hC:nt]

A: If something unpleasant haunts you, you keep thinking or worrying about it over a long period of time.     The decision to leave her children now haunts her.     He would always be haunted by that scene in Well Park. Something that haunts a person or organization regularly causes them problems over a long period of time.     The stigma of being a bankrupt is likely to haunt him for the rest of his life. = plague A place that is the haunt of a particular person is one which they often visit because they enjoy going there.     The Channel Islands are a favourite summer haunt for UK and French yachtsmen alike. A ghost or spirit that haunts a place or a person regularly appears in the place, or is seen by the person and frightens them.     His ghost is said to haunt some of the rooms, banging a toy drum.

Q: epidemic [7epi5demik]

A: If there is an epidemic of a particular disease somewhere, it affects a very large number of people there and spreads quickly to other areas.     A flu epidemic is sweeping through Moscow.     ...a killer epidemic of yellow fever. If an activity that you disapprove of is increasing or spreading rapidly, you can refer to this as an epidemic of that activity.     ...an epidemic of serial killings...     Drug experts say it could spell the end of the crack epidemic.

Q: confusion [kEn5fju:VEn]

A: If there is confusion about something, it is not clear what the true situation is, especially because people believe different things.     There's still confusion about the number of casualties.     Omissions in my recent article must have caused confusion. Confusion is a situation in which everything is in disorder, especially because there are lots of things happening at the same time.     There was confusion when a man fired shots.     The rebel leader appears to have escaped in the confusion. If your mind is in a state of confusion, you do not know what to believe or what you should do.     We always left his office in a state of confusion.     ...the pressures and confusions of puberty.

Q: dirt [dE:t]

A: If there is dirt on something, there is dust, mud, or a stain on it.     I started to scrub off the dirt. = grime You can refer to the earth on the ground as dirt, especially when it is dusty.     They all sit on the dirt in the dappled shade of a tree. = earth A dirt road or track is made from hard earth. A dirt floor is made from earth without any cement, stone, or wood laid on it.     I drove along the dirt road.     The rooster chased me across the dirt floor of the barn. If you say that you have dirt on someone, you mean that you have information that could harm their reputation or career. (INFORMAL)     Steve was mad keen to get all the dirt he could on the Langenbach woman.     Both parties use computers to dig up dirt on their opponents. If someone dishes the dirt on you, they say bad things about you, without worrying if they are true or not, or if they will damage your reputation. (mainly BRIT, INFORMAL)     He dishes the dirt on his buddies. If you say that someone treats you like dirt, you are angry with them because you think that they treat you unfairly and with no respect.     People think they can treat me like dirt!

Q: compatible [kEm5pAtEbl]

A: If things, for example systems, ideas, and beliefs, are compatible, they work well together or can exist together successfully.     Free enterprise, he argued, was compatible with Russian values and traditions.     Marriage and the life I live just don't seem compatible. <> incompatible * compatibility     National courts can freeze any law while its compatibility with European Community legislation is being tested. <> incompatibility If you say that you are compatible with someone, you mean that you have a good relationship with them because you have similar opinions and interests.     Mildred and I are very compatible. She's interested in the things that interest me.     In a large city you're almost certain to find a physician with whom you are compatible and feel comfortable. <> incompatible * compatibility     As a result of their compatibility, Haig and Fraser were able to bring about wide-ranging reforms. <> incompatibility If one make of computer or computer equipment is compatible with another make, especially IBM, they can be used together and can use the same software.

Q: mail order MAIL ORDER

A: Mail order is a system of buying and selling goods. You choose the goods you want from a company by looking at their catalogue, and the company sends them to you by post.     The toys are available by mail order from Opi Toys.     Many of them also offer a mail-order service. Mail orders are goods that have been ordered by mail order. (mainly AM)     I supervise the packing of all mail orders.

Q: derive [di5raiv]

A: If you derive something such as pleasure or benefit from a person or from something, you get it from them. (FORMAL)     Mr Ying is one of those happy people who derive pleasure from helping others. If you say that something such as a word or feeling derives or is derived from something else, you mean that it comes from that thing.     The name Anastasia is derived from a Greek word meaning `of the resurrection'.     ...defensive behaviour patterns which derive from our subconscious fears. = stem from

Q: anticipate [An5tisipeit]

A: If you anticipate an event, you realize in advance that it may happen and you are prepared for it.     At the time we couldn't have anticipated the result of our campaigning.     It is anticipated that the equivalent of 192 full-time jobs will be lost.     Officials anticipate that rivalry between leaders of the various drug factions could erupt into full scale war. = expect If you anticipate a question, request, or need, you do what is necessary or required before the question, request, or need occurs.     What Jeff did was to anticipate my next question.     Do you expect your partner to anticipate your needs? If you anticipate something, you do it, think it, or say it before someone else does.     In the 50s, Rauschenberg anticipated the conceptual art movement of the 80s.

Q: attached [E5tAtFt]

A: If you are attached to someone or something, you like them very much.     She is very attached to her family and friends. If someone is attached to an organization or group of people, they are working with them, often only for a short time.     Ford was attached to the battalion's first line of transport. If one organization or institution is attached to a larger organization, it is part of that organization and is controlled and run by it.     At one time the schools were mainly attached to the church.     ...a think-tank, attached to the Academy of Sciences. = linked with

Q: besiege [bi5si:dV]

A: If you are besieged by people, many people want something from you and continually bother you.     She was besieged by the press and the public. If soldiers besiege a place, they surround it and wait for the people in it to stop fighting or resisting.     The main part of the army moved to Sevastopol to besiege the town.     The Afghan air force was using helicopters to supply the besieged town.

Q: blunt [blQnt]

A: If you are blunt, you say exactly what you think without trying to be polite.     She is blunt about her personal life.     She told the industry in blunt terms that such discrimination is totally unacceptable. * bluntly     `I don't believe you!' Jeanne said bluntly.     To put it bluntly, he became a pain. * bluntness     His bluntness got him into trouble. A blunt object has a rounded or flat end rather than a sharp one.     One of them had been struck 13 times over the head with a blunt object. <> pointed A blunt knife or blade is no longer sharp and does not cut well. <> sharp If something blunts an emotion, a feeling or a need, it weakens it.     The constant repetition of violence has blunted the human response to it.     Our appetite was blunted by the beer.

Q: bored BORED

A: If you are bored, you feel tired and impatient because you have lost interest in something or because you have nothing to do.     I am getting very bored with this entire business.

Q: energetic [7enE5dVetik]

A: If you are energetic in what you do, you have a lot of enthusiasm and determination.     Blackwell is 59, strong looking, enormously energetic and accomplished.     The next government will play an energetic role in seeking multilateral nuclear disarmament. * energetically     He talked on energetically.     He had worked energetically all day on his new book. An energetic person is very active and does not feel at all tired. An energetic activity involves a lot of physical movement and power.     Ten year-olds are incredibly energetic.     ...an energetic exercise routine. * energetically     Gretchen chewed energetically on the gristled steak.

Q: casual [5kAVjuEl]

A: If you are casual, you are, or you pretend to be, relaxed and not very concerned about what is happening or what you are doing.     It's difficult for me to be casual about anything.     He's an easy-going, friendly young man with a casual sort of attitude towards money. = unconcerned * casually     `No need to hurry,' Ben said casually. * casualness     Bayldon asked the question with studied casualness. A casual event or situation happens by chance or without planning.     What you mean as a casual remark could be misinterpreted.     Even a casual observer could hardly have failed to notice the heightening of an already tense atmosphere. Casual clothes are ones that you normally wear at home or on holiday, and not on formal occasions.     I also bought some casual clothes for the weekend. <> formal * casually     They were smartly but casually dressed. Casual work is done for short periods and not on a permanent or regular basis.     ...establishments which employ people on a casual basis, such as pubs and restaurants...     It became increasingly expensive to hire casual workers. =

Q: confused [kEn5fju:zd]

A: If you are confused, you do not know exactly what is happening or what to do.     A survey showed people were confused about what they should eat to stay healthy.     Things were happening too quickly and Brian was confused. = bewildered * confusedly     He shook his head confusedly. Something that is confused does not have any order or pattern and is difficult to understand.     The situation remains confused as both sides claim success.     ...a modern society in which values have become increasingly confused.

Q: content 2 [kEn5tent]

A: If you are content with something, you are willing to accept it, rather than wanting something more or something better.     I am content to admire the mountains from below.     I'm perfectly content with the way the campaign has gone.     Not content with rescuing one theatre, Sally Green has taken on another. If you are content, you are fairly happy or satisfied.     He says his daughter is quite content. If you content yourself with something, you accept it and do not try to do or have other things.     He wisely contented himself with his family and his love of nature.     Most manufacturers content themselves with updating existing models.

Q: crouch [5krautF]

A: If you are crouching, your legs are bent under you so that you are close to the ground and leaning forward slightly.     We were crouching in the bushes.     I crouched on the ground.     The man was crouched behind the Mercedes. = squat Also a noun.     They walked in a crouch, each bent over close to the ground. Crouch down means the same as crouch.     He crouched down and reached under the mattress.     He crouched down beside him. If you crouch over something, you bend over it so that you are very near to it.     Meantime, here I crouch over a cup of tea in my unheated study.     ...sitting crouched over the steering wheel.

Q: discreet [dis5kri:t]

A: If you are discreet, you are polite and careful in what you do or say, because you want to avoid embarrassing or offending someone.     They were gossipy and not always discreet.     He followed at a discreet distance. * discreetly     I took the phone, and she went discreetly into the living room. If you are discreet about something you are doing, you do not tell other people about it, in order to avoid being embarrassed or to gain an advantage.     We were very discreet about the romance.     She's making a few discreet inquiries with her mother's friends. * discreetly     Everyone worked to make him welcome, and, more discreetly, to find out about him. If you describe something as discreet, you approve of it because it is small in size or degree, or not easily noticed.     She is wearing a noticeably stylish, feminine dress, plus discreet jewellery. * discreetly     ...stately houses, discreetly hidden behind great avenues of sturdy trees...     The two rooms were relatively small and discreetly lit.

Q: enthusiastic [in7Wju:zi5Astik]

A: If you are enthusiastic about something, you show how much you like or enjoy it by the way that you behave and talk.     Tom was very enthusiastic about the place.     Bob Dole seemed less than enthusiastic about the proposed move. = excited * enthusiastically     The announcement was greeted enthusiastically.

Q: excited [ik5saitid]

A: If you are excited, you are so happy that you cannot relax, especially because you are thinking about something pleasant that is going to happen to you.     I'm very excited about the possibility of playing for England's first team.     I was so excited when I went to sign the paperwork I could hardly write.     ...an excited teenager on a trek through the London shops. * excitedly     `You're coming?' he said excitedly. `That's fantastic! That's incredible!' If you are excited, you are very worried or angry about something, and so you are very alert and cannot relax.     I don't think there's any reason to get excited about inflation.     Excited voices were shouting that the road was blocked by soldiers. = agitated * excitedly     Larry rose excitedly to the edge of his seat, shook a fist at us and spat.

Q: fearful [5fiEful]

A: If you are fearful of something, you are afraid of it. (FORMAL)     Bankers were fearful of a world banking crisis.     I had often been very fearful, very angry, and very isolated. * fearfully     `What are you going to do to me?' Alex asked fearfully. You use fearful to emphasize how serious or bad a situation is. (FORMAL)     The region is in a fearful recession.     ...the fearful consequences which might flow from unilateral military moves. = terrible Fearful is used to emphasize that something is very bad. (OLD-FASHIONED, INFORMAL)     You gave me a fearful shock!.     `It sounds the most fearful hard work,' Sybil said later. * fearfully     This is fearfully expensive compared with the last one I bought.

Q: fond [fCnd]

A: If you are fond of someone, you feel affection for them.     I am very fond of Michael.     She was especially fond of a little girl named Betsy. * fondness     ...a great fondness for children. You use fond to describe people or their behaviour when they show affection.     ...a fond father...     He gave him a fond smile. * fondly     Liz saw their eyes meet fondly across the table. If you are fond of something, you like it or you like doing it very much.     He was fond of marmalade.     She is fond of collecting rare carpets. * fondness     I've always had a fondness for jewels.     ...his fondness for cooking. If you have fond memories of someone or something, you remember them with pleasure.     I have very fond memories of living in our village. = pleasant * fondly     My dad took us there when I was about four and I remembered it fondly. You use fond to describe hopes, wishes, or beliefs which you think are foolish because they seem unlikely to be fulfilled.     My fond hope is that we will be ready by Christmastime. * fondly     I fondly imagined that surgery meant a few stitches and an overnight stay in hospital.

Q: frightened [5frait(E)nd]

A: If you are frightened, you are anxious or afraid, often because of something that has just happened or that you think may happen.     She was frightened of flying.     Miriam was too frightened to tell her family what had happened.

Q: grateful [5greitful]

A: If you are grateful for something that someone has given you or done for you, you have warm, friendly feelings towards them and wish to thank them.     She was grateful to him for being so good to her.     I should like to extend my grateful thanks to all the volunteers. * gratefully     `That's kind of you, Sally,' Claire said gratefully.

Q: helpless [5helplis]

A: If you are helpless, you do not have the strength or power to do anything useful or to control or protect yourself.     Parents often feel helpless, knowing that all the cuddles in the world won't stop the tears.     Children are dying, and I am helpless to do anything.     Once aboard we were soon helpless with laughter at the absurdity of it.     They are not merely helpless victims. * helplessly     Their son watched helplessly as they vanished beneath the waves. * helplessness     I remember my feelings of helplessness.

Q: hopeful [5hEupful]

A: If you are hopeful, you are fairly confident that something that you want to happen will happen.     I am hopeful this misunderstanding will be rectified very quickly.     Surgeons were hopeful of saving the sight in Sara's left eye. * hopefully     `Am I welcome?' He smiled hopefully, leaning on the door. If something such as a sign or event is hopeful, it makes you feel that what you want to happen will happen.     The result of the election in is yet another hopeful sign that peace could come to the Middle East.     ...hopeful forecasts that the economy will improve. A hopeful action is one that you do in the hope that you will get what you want to get.     We've chartered the aircraft in the hopeful anticipation that the government will allow them to leave. If you refer to someone as a hopeful, you mean that they are hoping and trying to achieve success in a particular career, election, or competition.     His soccer skills continue to be put to good use in his job as football coach to young hopefuls.

Q: hostile [5hCstail]

A: If you are hostile to another person or an idea, you disagree with them or disapprove of them, often showing this in your behaviour.     Many people felt would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.     The West has gradually relaxed its hostile attitude to this influential state.     The Governor faced hostile crowds when he visited the town yesterday. = antagonistic <> receptive Someone who is hostile is unfriendly and aggressive.     Drinking may make a person feel relaxed and happy, or it may make her hostile, violent, or depressed.     The prisoner eyed him in hostile silence. = aggressive <> cordial Hostile situations and conditions make it difficult for you to achieve something.     ...some of the most hostile climatic conditions in the world...     If this round of talks fails, the world's trading environment is likely to become increasingly hostile. In a war, you use the word hostile to describe your enemy's forces, organizations, weapons, land, and activities.     The city is encircled by a hostile army.     They were in hostile territory.     ...hostile aircraft. = enemy

Q: impatient [im5peiFEnt]

A: If you are impatient, you are annoyed because you have to wait too long for something.     He is impatient as the first hour passes and then another.     The big clubs are becoming increasingly impatient at the rate of progress. * impatiently     People have been waiting impatiently for a chance to improve the situation. * impatience     There is considerable impatience with the slow pace of political change.     Impatience is growing after three days in which nothing has been achieved. If you are impatient, you are easily irritated by things.     Beware of being too impatient with others.     He threw it aside with an impatient gesture and another oath and walked off. * impatiently     `Come on, David,' Harry said impatiently. * impatience     There was a hint of impatience in his tone. If you are impatient to do something or impatient for something to happen, you are eager to do it or for it to happen and do not want to wait.     He didn't want to tell Mr Morrisson why he was impatient to get home.     They are impatient for jobs and security. * impatience     She showed impatience to continue the climb.

Q: disguise [dis5gaiz]

A: If you are in disguise, you are not wearing your usual clothes or you have altered your appearance in other ways, so that people will not recognize you.     You'll have to travel in disguise.     He was wearing that ridiculous disguise.     She's adopted so many disguises her own mother wouldn't recognize her. If you disguise yourself, you put on clothes which make you look like someone else or alter your appearance in other ways, so that people will not recognize you.     She disguised herself as a man so she could fight on the battlefield. * disguised     The extremists entered the building disguised as medical workers.     I was heavily disguised. To disguise something means to hide it or make it appear different so that people will not know about it or will not recognize it.     He made no attempt to disguise his agitation.     Their healthy image disguises the fact that they are highly processed foods.     I played along, and disguised my voice. * disguised     The proposal is a thinly disguised effort to revive the price controls of the 1970s.

Q: midst [5midst]

A: If you are in the midst of doing something, you are doing it at the moment.     Congress is in the midst of rewriting the nation's banking laws.     We are in the midst of one of the worst recessions for many, many years. = in the middle of If something happens in the midst of an event, it happens during it.     Eleanor arrived in the midst of a blizzard. = during If someone or something is in the midst of a group of people or things, they are among them or surrounded by them.     Many were surprised to see him exposed like this in the midst of a large crowd.     Angelo laid the gun carefully on the table, in the midst of brochures and other papers. = amid You say that someone is in your midst when you are drawing attention to the fact that they are in your group. (FORMAL)     We're lucky to have such a man in our midst.

Q: breach [bri:tF]

A: If you breach an agreement, a law, or a promise, you break it.     The newspaper breached the code of conduct on privacy.     The film breached the criminal libel laws. = violate A breach of an agreement, a law, or a promise is an act of breaking it.     The congressman was accused of a breach of secrecy rules.     ...a $1 billion breach of contract suit. = violation A breach in a relationship is a serious disagreement which often results in the relationship ending. (FORMAL)     Their actions threatened a serious breach in relations between the two countries.     ...the breach between Tito and Stalin. = rift, rupture If someone or something breaches a barrier, they make an opening in it, usually leaving it weakened or destroyed. (FORMAL)     The limestone is sufficiently fissured for tree roots to have breached the roof of the cave.     Fire may have breached the cargo tanks and set the oil ablaze. = rupture If you breach someone's security or their defences, you manage to get through and attack an area that is heavily guarded and protected.     The bomber had breached security by hurling his dynamite from a roof overlooking the building. = violate Also a noun.     ...widespread breaches of security at Ministry of Defence bases.

Q: inclined [in5klaind]

A: If you are inclined to behave in a particular way, you often behave in that way, or you want to do so.     Nobody felt inclined to argue with Smith.     He was inclined to self-pity.     If you are so inclined, you can watch TV. If you say that you are inclined to have a particular opinion, you mean that you hold this opinion but you are not expressing it strongly.     I am inclined to think that the ancient Greeks understood this better than we do.     I am inclined to agree with Alan. = tend Someone who is mathematically inclined or artistically inclined, for example, has a natural talent for mathematics or art.     Bratby's grandfather had been artistically inclined.     ...the needs of academically inclined pupils.

Q: insecure [7insi5kjuE]

A: If you are insecure, you lack confidence because you think that you are not good enough or are not loved.     In effect she is punishing her parents for making her feel threatened and insecure.     Most mothers are insecure about their performance as mothers. <> secure * insecurity insecurities     She is always assailed by self-doubt and emotional insecurity.     His behaviour is an attempt to cover up his insecurities. Something that is insecure is not safe or protected.     ...low-paid, insecure jobs...     Cellular phones are inherently insecure, as anyone can listen to and record conversations. <> secure * insecurity     ...the increase in crime, which has created feelings of insecurity in the population.     ...the harshness and insecurity of agricultural life.

Q: intent [in5tent]

A: If you are intent on doing something, you are eager and determined to do it.     The rebels are obviously intent on keeping up the pressure.     The play starred a well-known retired actress who was intent on a come-back. If someone does something in an intent way, they pay great attention to what they are doing. (WRITTEN)     She looked from one intent face to another.     Rodney had been intent on every word. * intently     He listened intently, then slammed down the phone. A person's intent is their intention to do something. (FORMAL)     The timing of this strong statement of intent on arms control is crucial.     Two men will appear before Birmingham magistrates' court today charged with possession of arms with intent to endanger life. = intention You say to all intents and purposes to suggest that a situation is not exactly as you describe it but the effect is the same as if it were.     To all intents and purposes he was my father.

Q: miserable [5mizErEbl]

A: If you are miserable, you are very unhappy.     I took a series of badly paid secretarial jobs which made me really miserable.     She went to bed, miserable and depressed. * miserably     He looked miserably down at his plate. If you describe a place or situation as miserable, you mean that it makes you feel unhappy or depressed.     There was nothing at all in this miserable place to distract him. = depressing If you describe the weather as miserable, you mean that it makes you feel depressed, because it is raining or dull.     On a grey, wet, miserable day our teams congregated in Port Hamble.     It was very cold, damp and miserable. = depressing If you describe someone as miserable, you mean that you do not like them because they are bad-tempered or unfriendly.     He always was a miserable man. He never spoke to me nor anybody else, not even to pass the time of day. = grumpy You can describe a quantity or quality as miserable when you think that it is much smaller or worse than it ought to be.     Our speed over the ground was a miserable 2.2 knots.     It has so far accepted a miserable 1,100 refugees from the former Yugoslavia. = paltry

Q: assign [E5sain]

A: If you assign a piece of work to someone, you give them the work to do.     When I taught, I would assign a topic to children which they would write about.     Later in the year, she'll assign them research papers.     When teachers assign homework, students usually feel an obligation to do it. If you assign something to someone, you say that it is for their use.     The selling broker is then required to assign a portion of the commission to the buyer broker.     He assigned her all his land in Ireland. = allocate If someone is assigned to a particular place, group, or person, they are sent there, usually in order to work at that place or for that person.     I was assigned to Troop A of the 10th Cavalry.     Did you choose Russia or were you simply assigned there?.     Each of us was assigned a minder, someone who looked after us. = detail If you assign a particular function or value to someone or something, you say they have it.     Under Mr. Harel's system, each business must assign a value to each job.     Assign the letters of the alphabet their numerical values--A equals 1, B equals 2, etc.

Q: assure [E5FuE]

A: If you assure someone that something is true or will happen, you tell them that it is definitely true or will definitely happen, often in order to make them less worried.     He hastened to assure me that there was nothing traumatic to report.     `Are you sure the raft is safe?' she asked anxiously. `Couldn't be safer,' Max assured her confidently.     Government officials recently assured Hindus of protection. See also assured. = reassure To assure someone of something means to make certain that they will get it.     Last night's resounding victory over Birmingham City has virtually assured them of promotion.     Ways must be found to assure our children a decent start in life. = guarantee You use phrases such as I can assure you or let me assure you to emphasize the truth of what you are saying.     I can assure you that the animals are well cared for.     This may sound trivial, but I assure you it is quite important!.     And let me assure you I will use whatever force is necessary to restore order. = believe me

Q: avert [E5vE:t]

A: If you avert something unpleasant, you prevent it from happening.     Talks with the teachers' union over the weekend have averted a strike.     A fresh tragedy was narrowly averted yesterday. If you avert your eyes or gaze from someone or something, you look away from them.     He avoids any eye contact, quickly averting his gaze when anyone approaches.     He kept his eyes averted.

Q: barge in BARGE IN

A: If you barge in or barge in on someone, you rudely interrupt what they are doing or saying. (INFORMAL)     I'm sorry to barge in like this, but I have a problem I hope you can solve.

Q: bathe [beiT]

A: If you bathe in a sea, river, or lake, you swim, play, or wash yourself in it. Birds and animals can also bathe. (mainly BRIT, FORMAL)     The police have warned the city's inhabitants not to bathe in the polluted river.     ...small ponds for the birds to bathe in. Also a noun.     Fifty soldiers were taking an early morning bathe in a nearby lake. * bathing     Nude bathing is not allowed.     ...Britain's 440 designated bathing beaches. When you bathe, you have a bath. (AM; BRIT, FORMAL)     At least 60% of us now bathe or shower once a day. = bath If you bathe someone, especially a child, you wash them in a bath. (AM; ALSO BRIT, FORMAL)     Back home, Shirley plays with, feeds and bathes the baby. = bath If you bathe a part of your body or a wound, you wash it gently or soak it in a liquid.     Bathe the infected area in a salt solution.     She paused long enough to bathe her blistered feet. If a place is bathed in light, it is covered with light, especially a gentle, pleasant light.     The arena was bathed in warm sunshine.</

Q: beg [beg]

A: If you beg someone to do something, you ask them very anxiously or eagerly to do it.     I begged him to come back to England with me.     I begged to be allowed to leave.     We are not going to beg for help any more.     They dropped to their knees and begged forgiveness. = beseech If someone who is poor is begging, they are asking people to give them food or money.     I was surrounded by people begging for food.     There are thousands like him in Los Angeles, begging on the streets and sleeping rough.     She was living alone, begging food from neighbors. = panhandle You say `I beg to differ' when you are politely emphasizing that you disagree with someone. If you say that something is going begging, you mean that it is available but no one is using it or accepting it.     There is other housing going begging in town. If you say that something begs a particular question, you mean that it makes people want to ask that question; some people consider that this use is incorrect.     Hopewell's success begs the question: why aren't more companies doing the same? If you say that something begs a particular question, you mean that it assumes that the question has already been answered and so does not deal with it. (WRITTEN)     The research begs a number of questions.

Q: clutch [klQtF]

A: If you clutch at something or clutch something, you hold it tightly, usually because you are afraid or anxious.     I staggered and had to clutch at a chair for support.     She was clutching a photograph. = grasp, grip If someone is in another person's clutches, that person has captured them or has power over them.     Tony fell into the clutches of an attractive American who introduced him to drugs.     Stojanovic escaped their clutches by jumping from a moving vehicle. = grasp In a vehicle, the clutch is the pedal that you press before you change gear.     Laura let out the clutch and pulled slowly away down the drive. A clutch of eggs is a number of eggs laid by a bird at one time.     ...the second clutch of eggs. A clutch of people or things is a small group of them. (WRITTEN)     The party has attracted a clutch of young southern liberals.     ...a clutch of songs about adolescent experiences.

Q: betray [bi5trei]

A: If you betray someone who loves or trusts you, your actions hurt and disappoint them.     When I tell someone I will not betray his confidence I keep my word.     The President betrayed them when he went back on his promise not to raise taxes. * betrayer betrayers     She was her friend and now calls her a betrayer. If someone betrays their country or their friends, they give information to an enemy, putting their country's security or their friends' safety at risk.     They offered me money if I would betray my associates.     The group were informers, and they betrayed the plan to the Germans. * betrayer     `Traitor!' she screamed. `Betrayer of England!' If you betray an ideal or your principles, you say or do something which goes against those beliefs.     We betray the ideals of our country when we support capital punishment. = renege on * betrayer     Babearth regarded the middle classes as the betrayers of the Revolution. If you betray a feeling or quality, you show it without intending to.     She studied his face, but it betrayed nothing.     He nodded his head instead of saying anything where his voice might betray him. <> conceal

Q: blank out BLANK OUT

A: If you blank out a particular feeling or thought, you do not allow yourself to experience that feeling or to have that thought.     I learned to blank those feelings out.     I was trying to blank out previous situations from my mind. = block out

Q: blend [blend]

A: If you blend substances together or if they blend, you mix them together so that they become one substance.     Blend the butter with the sugar and beat until light and creamy.     Blend the ingredients until you have a smooth cream.     Put the soap and water in a pan and leave to stand until they have blended.     Most whiskies are blended whiskies. A blend of things is a mixture or combination of them that is useful or pleasant.     The public areas offer a subtle blend of traditional charm with modern amenities.     ...a blend of wine and sparkling water...     He makes up his own blends of flour. When colours, sounds, or styles blend, they come together or are combined in a pleasing way.     You could paint the walls and ceilings the same colour so they blend together.     ...the picture, furniture and porcelain collections that blend so well with the house itself. If you blend ideas, policies, or styles, you use them together in order to achieve something.     His `cosmic vision' is to blend Christianity with `the wisdom of all world religions'.     ...a band that blended jazz, folk and classical music.

Q: bolster [5bEulstE]

A: If you bolster something such as someone's confidence or courage, you increase it.     Hopes of an early cut in interest rates bolstered confidence.     ...a number of measures intended to bolster morale. = boost If someone tries to bolster their position in a situation, they try to strengthen it.     Britain is free to adopt policies to bolster its economy. = boost Bolster up means the same as bolster.     ...an aid programme to bolster up their troubled economy. A bolster is a firm pillow shaped like a long tube which is sometimes put across a bed under the ordinary pillows.

Q: bounce back BOUNCE BACK

A: If you bounce back after a bad experience, you return very quickly to your previous level of success, enthusiasm, or activity.     We lost two or three early games in the World Cup, but we bounced back.     He is young enough to bounce back from this disappointment. = recover

Q: bow out BOW OUT

A: If you bow out of something, you stop taking part in it. (WRITTEN)     The Royal Family should bow out gracefully, while they still can.     He had bowed out gracefully when his successor had been appointed.

Q: brace [breis]

A: If you brace yourself for something unpleasant or difficult, you prepare yourself for it.     He braced himself for the icy plunge into the black water.     She braced herself, as if to meet a blow. If you brace yourself against something or brace part of your body against it, you press against something in order to steady your body or to avoid falling.     Elaine braced herself against the dresser and looked in the mirror.     He braced his back against the wall. If you brace your shoulders or knees, you keep them stiffly in a particular position.     He braced his shoulders defiantly as another squall of wet snow slashed across his face. To brace something means to strengthen or support it with something else.     Overhead, the lights showed the old timbers, used to brace the roof. You can refer to two things of the same kind as a brace of that thing. The plural form is also brace.     ...a brace of bottles of Mercier Rose champagne.     ...a few brace of grouse. A brace is a device attached to a part of a person's body, for example to a weak leg, in order to strengthen or support it.     He wore leg braces after polio in childhood.

Q: brew [bru:]

A: If you brew tea or coffee, you make it by pouring hot water over tea leaves or ground coffee.     I'll get Venner to brew some tea.     He brewed a pot of coffee. A brew is a particular kind of tea or coffee. It can also be a particular pot of tea or coffee.     She swallowed a mouthful of the hot strong brew, and wiped her eyes.     ...a mild herbal brew. If a person or company brews beer, they make it.     I brew my own beer.     The beer is brewed at the Charles Wells Brewery. * brewing     ...the brewing of home-made alcohol. A brew is a particular kind of beer or beer that is produced in a particular place at a particular time.     Britons still consume more than 29 million pints a day, ranging over 1,000 or more different brews.     ...low-alcohol brews. See also home-brew. If a storm is brewing, large clouds are beginning to form and the sky is becoming dark because there is going to be a storm.     We'd seen the storm brewing when we were out in the boat. If an unpleasant or difficult situation is brewing, it is starting to develop.     At home a crisis was brewing.     There's trouble brewing.

Q: brick up BRICK UP

A: If you brick up a hole, you close it with a wall of bricks.     We bricked up our windows.     All the doors have been bricked up to deter vandals.

Q: buck up BUCK UP

A: If you buck someone up or buck up their spirits, you say or do something to make them more cheerful. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     Anything anybody said to him to try and buck him up wouldn't sink in.     The aim, it seemed, was to buck up their spirits in the face of the recession. = cheer up If you tell someone to buck up or to buck up their ideas, you are telling them to start behaving in a more positive and efficient manner. (INFORMAL)     People are saying if we don't buck up we'll be in trouble.     Buck up your ideas or you'll get more of the same treatment. = pull one's socks up

Q: bump into BUMP INTO

A: If you bump into someone you know, you meet them unexpectedly. (INFORMAL)     I happened to bump into Mervyn Johns in the hallway. = run into

Q: bump [bQmp]

A: If you bump into something or someone, you accidentally hit them while you are moving.     They stopped walking and he almost bumped into them.     There was a jerk as the boat bumped against something.     He bumped his head on the low beams of the house. Also a noun.     Small children often cry after a minor bump. A bump is the action or the dull sound of two heavy objects hitting each other.     I felt a little bump and I knew instantly what had happened.     The child took five steps, and then sat down with a bump. A bump is a minor injury or swelling that you get if you bump into something or if something hits you.     She fell against our coffee table and got a large bump on her forehead. = lump If you have a bump while you are driving a car, you have a minor accident in which you hit something. (INFORMAL) = collision A bump on a road is a raised, uneven part.     The truck hit a bump and bounced. If a vehicle bumps over a surface, it travels in a rough, bouncing way because the surface is very uneven.     We left the road, and again bumped over the mountainside.

Q: bundle up BUNDLE UP

A: If you bundle up a mass of things, you make them into a bundle by gathering or tying them together.     Francis bundled up her clothes again into their small sack.     Her mother had bundled all her Forties clothes up and burnt them. If you bundle up, you dress in a lot of warm clothes, usually because the weather is very cold. If you bundle someone up, you dress them in a lot of warm clothes.     After the coffee we bundled up and walked down to the river.     The next morning, Franklin and Eleanor bundled up the baby and carried him to New York.     I spent much of my time bundled up in sweaters in an effort to keep warm. = wrap up

Q: cock up COCK UP

A: If you cock something up, you ruin it by doing something wrong. (BRIT, INFORMAL, RUDE)     `Seems like I've cocked it up,' Egan said.     They've cocked up the address. See also cock-up.

Q: commute [kE5mju:t]

A: If you commute, you travel a long distance every day between your home and your place of work.     Mike commutes to London every day.     McLaren began commuting between Paris and London.     He's going to commute. * commuter commuters     The number of commuters to London has dropped by 100,000.     ...a commuter train. A commute is the journey that you make when you commute. (mainly AM)     The average Los Angeles commute is over 60 miles a day. If a death sentence or prison sentence is commuted to a less serious punishment, it is changed to that punishment.     His death sentence was commuted to life imprisonment.     Prison sentences have been commuted.

Q: bypass [5baipB:s; (us) 5baipAs]

A: If you bypass someone or something that you would normally have to get involved with, you ignore them, often because you want to achieve something more quickly.     A growing number of employers are trying to bypass the unions altogether.     Regulators worry that controls could easily be bypassed. = sidestep A bypass is a surgical operation performed on or near the heart, in which the flow of blood is redirected so that it does not flow through a part of the heart which is diseased or blocked.     ...heart bypass surgery. If a surgeon bypasses a diseased artery or other part of the body, he or she performs an operation so that blood or other bodily fluids do not flow through it.     Small veins are removed from the leg and used to bypass the blocked up stretch of coronary arteries. A bypass is a main road which takes traffic around the edge of a town rather than through its centre.     A new bypass around the city is being built.     ...the Hereford bypass. If a road bypasses a place, it goes around it rather than through it.     ...money for new roads to bypass cities. If you bypass a place when you are travelling, you avoid going through it.     The rebel forces simply bypassed Zwedru on their way further south.

Q: calculate [5kAlkjuleit]

A: If you calculate a number or amount, you discover it from information that you already have, by using arithmetic, mathematics, or a special machine.     From this you can calculate the total mass in the Galaxy.     We calculate that the average size farm in Lancaster County is 65 acres.     A computer calculates by switching currents on or off. = work out If you calculate the effects of something, especially a possible course of action, you think about them in order to form an opinion or decide what to do.     I believe I am capable of calculating the political consequences accurately.     The President is calculating that this will somehow relieve the international pressure on him.

Q: distinguish [dis5tiNgwiF]

A: If you can distinguish one thing from another, you can see or understand the difference between them.     Could he distinguish right from wrong?.     Research suggests that babies learn to see by distinguishing between areas of light and dark.     It is necessary to distinguish the policies of two successive governments. = tell apart A feature or quality that distinguishes one thing from another causes the two things to be regarded as different, because only the first thing has the feature or quality.     There is something about music that distinguishes it from all other art forms.     The bird has no distinguishing features. = set apart If you can distinguish something, you can see, hear, or taste it although it is very difficult to detect. (FORMAL)     There were cries, calls. He could distinguish voices. = make out If you distinguish yourself, you do something that makes you famous or important.     Over the next few years he distinguished himself as a leading constitutional scholar.     They distinguished themselves at the Battle of Assaye.

Q: conceive [kEn5si:v]

A: If you cannot conceive of something, you cannot imagine it or believe it.     I just can't even conceive of that quantity of money.     He was immensely ambitious but unable to conceive of winning power for himself. If you conceive something as a particular thing, you consider it to be that thing.     The ancients conceived the earth as afloat in water.     We conceive of the family as being in a constant state of change.     Elvis conceived of himself as a ballad singer. If you conceive a plan or idea, you think of it and work out how it can be done.     She had conceived the idea of a series of novels, each of which would reveal some aspect of Chinese life.     He conceived of the first truly portable computer in 1968. When a woman conceives, she becomes pregnant.     Women, he says, should give up alcohol before they plan to conceive.     About one in six couples has difficulty conceiving.     A mother who already has non-identical twins is more likely to conceive another set of twins.

Q: conceal [kEn5si:l]

A: If you conceal something, you cover it or hide it carefully.     Frances decided to conceal the machine behind a hinged panel.     Five people were arrested for carrying concealed weapons. If you conceal a piece of information or a feeling, you do not let other people know about it.     Robert could not conceal his relief.     She knew at once that he was concealing something from her. <> reveal If something conceals something else, it covers it and prevents it from being seen.     ...a pair of carved Indian doors which conceal a built-in cupboard...     The hat concealed her hair.

Q: carve [kB:v]

A: If you carve an object, you make it by cutting it out of a substance such as wood or stone. If you carve something such as wood or stone into an object, you make the object by cutting it out.     One of the prisoners has carved a beautiful wooden chess set.     He carves his figures from white pine.     I picked up a piece of wood and started carving.     ...carved stone figures. See also carving. = sculpt If you carve writing or a design on an object, you cut it into the surface of the object.     He carved his name on his desk.     The ornately carved doors were made in the seventeenth century. If you carve a piece of cooked meat, you cut slices from it so that you can eat it.     Andrew began to carve the chicken.     Carve the beef into slices. If you carve a career or a niche for yourself, you succeed in getting the career or the position that you want by your own efforts.     She has carved a niche for herself as a comic actor.     They may be loyally standing by their men, but they are also carving their own careers.     The girl from nowhere clearly means to carve herself a place in history. Carve out means the same as carve.     H

Q: chew up CHEW UP

A: If you chew food up, you chew it until it is completely crushed or soft.     I took one of the pills and chewed it up. If something is chewed up, it has been destroyed or damaged in some way. (INFORMAL)     Every spring the ozone is chewed up, and the hole appears.     ...rebels who are now chewing up Government-held territory...     This town is notorious for chewing people up and spitting them out.

Q: chew out CHEW OUT

A: If you chew someone out, you tell them off in a very angry way. (INFORMAL)     He chewed out the player, who apologized the next time I saw him.     When Tom got back to Dallas, Perot called him over and chewed him out.

Q: chew over CHEW OVER

A: If you chew something over, you keep thinking about it.     He tends to chew things over too much in his mind.     Goldstone chewed over the idea further.

Q: choke back CHOKE BACK

A: If you choke back tears or a strong emotion, you force yourself not to show your emotion.     Choking back tears, he said Mary died in his arms. = suppress

Q: chuck away CHUCK AWAY

A: If you chuck something away, you throw it away or waste it. (INFORMAL)     You cannot chuck money away on little luxuries like that.

Q: chuck out CHUCK OUT

A: If you chuck something out, you throw it away, because you do not need it or cannot use it. (INFORMAL)     Many companies have struggled valiantly to use less energy and chuck out less rubbish. = throw away If a person is chucked out of a job, a place, or their home, they are forced by other people to leave. (INFORMAL)     Any head teacher who made errors like this would be chucked out.     I was chucked out of my London flat in 1960.     Her parents are going to chuck her out on the street.

Q: clinch [klintF]

A: If you clinch something you are trying to achieve, such as a business deal or victory in a contest, you succeed in obtaining it.     Hibernian clinched the First Division title when they beat Hamilton 2-0.     This has fuelled speculation that he is about to clinch a deal with an American engine manufacturer. = secure The thing that clinches an uncertain matter settles it or provides a definite answer.     Evidently this information clinched the matter.     That was the clue which clinched it for us. If two people who love each other are in a clinch, they are holding each other tightly. (JOURNALISM)     They were caught in a clinch when their parents returned home unexpectedly.

Q: cling [kliN]

A: If you cling to someone or something, you hold onto them tightly.     Another man was rescued as he clung to the riverbank.     She had to cling onto the door handle until the pain passed.     They hugged each other, clinging together under the lights. If someone clings to a position or a possession they have, they do everything they can to keep it even though this may be very difficult.     Instead, he appears determined to cling to power.     Another minister clung on with a majority of only 18.     Japan's productivity has overtaken America in some industries, but elsewhere the United States has clung on to its lead. Clothes that cling to you stay pressed against your body when you move.     His sodden trousers were clinging to his shins. * clinging     ...clinging black garments. Something that is clinging to something else is stuck on it or just attached to it.     Her glass had bits of orange clinging to the rim. If someone clings to a person they are fond of, they do not allow that person to be free or independent.     I was terrified he would leave me, so I was clinging to him. * clinging     She was anxious not to appear clinging. If you cling to an idea or way of behaving, you continue to believe in its value or importance, even though it may no longer be valid or useful.     They know scholars reject their legend, but they still cling to their belief.     They're clinging to the past.

Q: innocence [5inEsns]

A: Innocence is the quality of having no experience or knowledge of the more complex or unpleasant aspects of life.     ...the sweet innocence of youth...     Youngsters are losing their childhood innocence too quickly. If someone proves their innocence, they prove that they are not guilty of a crime.     He claims he has evidence which could prove his innocence. <> guilt

Q: confuse [kEn5fju:z]

A: If you confuse two things, you get them mixed up, so that you think one of them is the other one.     Great care is taken to avoid confusing the two types of projects.     I can't see how anyone could confuse you with another! * confusion     Use different colours of felt pen on your sketch to avoid confusion. To confuse someone means to make it difficult for them to know exactly what is happening or what to do.     German politics surprised and confused him. = bewilder To confuse a situation means to make it complicated or difficult to understand.     To further confuse the issue, there is an enormous variation in the amount of sleep people feel happy with.

Q: congratulate [kEn5grAtjuleit]

A: If you congratulate someone, you say something to show you are pleased that something nice has happened to them.     She congratulated him on the birth of his son.     I was absolutely astonished by the reaction to our engagement. Everyone started congratulating us. * congratulation     We have received many letters of congratulation. If you congratulate someone, you praise them for something good that they have done.     I really must congratulate the organisers for a well run and enjoyable event.     We specifically wanted to congratulate certain players. If you congratulate yourself, you are pleased about something that you have done or that has happened to you.     Waterstone has every reason to congratulate himself.     Journalists have been congratulating themselves on the role the press has played in the investigations.

Q: console [kEn5sEul]

A: If you console someone who is unhappy about something, you try to make them feel more cheerful.     `Never mind, Ned,' he consoled me.     Often they cry, and I have to play the role of a mother, consoling them.     He will have to console himself by reading about the success of his compatriots.     I can console myself with the fact that I'm not alone.     He consoled himself that Emmanuel looked like a nice boy, who could be a good playmate for his daughter. = comfort * consoling     It is not a consoling thought to Germans to see that Americans have the same kind of problem, too. = cheering * consolation consolations     The only consolation for the Scottish theatre community is that they look likely to get another chance.     He knew then he was right, but it was no consolation. = comfort A console is a panel with a number of switches or knobs that is used to operate a machine.

Q: consolidate [kEn5sClideit]

A: If you consolidate something that you have, for example power or success, you strengthen it so that it becomes more effective or secure.     The question is: will the junta consolidate its power by force?.     Brydon's team-mate Martin Williamson consolidated his lead in the National League when he won the latest round. * consolidation     But change brought about the growth and consolidation of the working class.     Even if not total, the Romans' hold was sufficient for them to begin the task of consolidation. To consolidate a number of small groups or firms means to make them into one large organization.     Judge Charles Schwartz is giving the state 60 days to disband and consolidate Louisiana's four higher education boards.     IBM, which consolidated some operations last summer, has made clear that it needs to continue to streamline them. * consolidation consolidations     This consolidation meant having to reduce the numerical strength of the Army.     Further consolidations in the industry could follow.

Q: contemplate [5kCntempleit]

A: If you contemplate an action, you think about whether to do it or not.     For a time he contemplated a career as an army medical doctor.     She contemplates leaving for the sake of the kids. = consider If you contemplate an idea or subject, you think about it carefully for a long time.     As he lay in his hospital bed that night, he cried as he contemplated his future.     That makes it difficult to contemplate the idea that the present policy may not be sustainable. * contemplation     It is a place of quiet contemplation. If you contemplate something or someone, you look at them for a long time.     He contemplated his hands, still frowning. * contemplation     He was lost in the contemplation of the landscape for a while.

Q: creep up on CREEP UP ON

A: If you creep up on someone, you move slowly closer to them without being seen by them.     They'll creep up on you while you're asleep. If a feeling or state creeps up on you, you hardly notice that it is beginning to affect you or happen to you.     The desire to be a mother may creep up on you unexpectedly.

Q: Jul. JUL.

A: Jul. Jul. is a written abbreviation for July.     `Eat before Jul 14' was stamped on the label.

Q: Jun. JUN.

A: Jun. Jun. is a written abbreviation for June.     ...Wed 21 Jun.

Q: cultivate [5kQltiveit]

A: If you cultivate land or crops, you prepare land and grow crops on it.     She also cultivated a small garden of her own.     ...the few patches of cultivated land. * cultivation     ...the cultivation of fruits and vegetables...     Farmers with many acres under cultivation profited. If you cultivate an attitude, image, or skill, you try hard to develop it and make it stronger or better.     He has written eight books and has cultivated the image of an elder statesman.     Cultivating a positive mental attitude towards yourself can reap tremendous benefits. * cultivation     ...the cultivation of a positive approach to life and health. If you cultivate someone or cultivate a friendship with them, you try hard to develop a friendship with them.     Howe carefully cultivated Daniel C. Roper, the Assistant Postmaster General.     Estonia has done much to cultivate the friendship of western European countries.

Q: curb [kE:b]

A: If you curb something, you control it and keep it within limits.     ...advertisements aimed at curbing the spread of Aids...     Inflation needs to be curbed in Russia. = check, restrain Also a noun.     He called for much stricter curbs on immigration. If you curb an emotion or your behaviour, you keep it under control.     He curbed his temper.     You must curb your extravagant tastes. = check, restrain

Q: curse [kE:s]

A: If you curse, you use rude or offensive language, usually because you are angry about something. (WRITTEN)     I cursed and hobbled to my feet. = swear Also a noun.     He shot her an angry look and a curse. If you curse someone, you say insulting things to them because you are angry with them.     Grandma protested, but he cursed her and rudely pushed her aside.     He cursed himself for having been so careless. If you curse something, you complain angrily about it, especially using rude language.     So we set off again, cursing the delay, towards the west.     She silently cursed her own stupidity. If you say that there is a curse on someone, you mean that there seems to be a supernatural power causing unpleasant things to happen to them.     Maybe there is a curse on my family.     He's been the object of a voodoo curse. You can refer to something that causes a great deal of trouble or harm as a curse.     Apathy is the long-standing curse of British local democracy.     Summer colds are a terrible curse. = plague

Q: dash [dAF]

A: If you dash somewhere, you run or go there quickly and suddenly.     Suddenly she dashed down to the cellar.     She dashed in from the garden. Also a noun.     ...a 160-mile dash to hospital. If you say that you have to dash, you mean that you are in a hurry and have to leave immediately. (INFORMAL)     Oh, Tim! I'm sorry but I have to dash.     See you tomorrow night. Must dash now. = rush A dash of something is a small quantity of it which you add when you are preparing food or mixing a drink.     Pour over olive oil and a dash of balsamic vinegar to accentuate the sweetness. A dash of a quality is a small amount of it that is found in something and often makes it more interesting or distinctive.     ...a story with a dash of mystery thrown in.     ...A fake fur collar or cuff adds a dash of glamour to even the simplest style. If you dash something somewhere, you throw or push it violently, often so hard that it breaks. (LITERARY)     She seized the doll and dashed it against the stone wall with tremendous force.

Q: defy [di5fai]

A: If you defy someone or something that is trying to make you behave in a particular way, you refuse to obey them and behave in that way.     This was the first (and last) time that I dared to defy my mother.     Nearly eleven-thousand people have been arrested for defying the ban on street trading. If you defy someone to do something, you challenge them to do it when you think that they will be unable to do it or too frightened to do it.     I defy you to come up with one major accomplishment of the current Prime Minister.     He looked at me as if he was defying me to argue. = dare If something defies description or understanding, it is so strange, extreme, or surprising that it is almost impossible to understand or explain.     When the flowers open in spring they fill the night air with a fragrance that defies description.     It's a devastating and barbaric act that defies all comprehension. If you say that someone defies their age, or defies the years, you mean that their appearance or behaviour suggests that they are younger than they really are.     The singer continues to defy her age by wearing the scantiest of outfits.

Q: descend [di5send]

A: If you descend or if you descend a staircase, you move downwards from a higher to a lower level. (FORMAL)     Things are cooler and more damp as we descend to the cellar.     She walked over to the carpeted stairs at the end of the corridor and descended one flight. = go down <> rise When a mood or atmosphere descends on a place or on the people there, it affects them by spreading among them. (LITERARY)     An uneasy calm descended on the area.     A reverent hush descended on the multitude. = fall If a large group of people arrive to see you, especially if their visit is unexpected or causes you a lot of work, you can say that they have descended on you.     Some 3,000 city officials will descend on Capitol Hill on Tuesday to lobby for more money.     Curious tourists and reporters from around the globe are descending upon the peaceful villages. = invade When night, dusk, or darkness descends, it starts to get dark. (LITERARY)     Darkness has now descended and the moon and stars shine hazily in the clear sky. = fall If you say that someone descends to behaviour which you consider unacceptable, you are expressing your disapproval of the fact that they do it.     We're not going to descend to such methods.     She's got too much dignity to descend to writing anonymous letters. = stoop, sink When you want to emphasize that the situation that someone is entering is very bad, you can say that they are descending into that situation.     He was ultimately overthrown and the country descended into chaos. = fall, slide

Q: justified JUSTIFIED

A: If you describe a decision, action, or idea as justified, you think it is reasonable and acceptable.     In my opinion, the decision was wholly justified. If you think that someone is justified in doing something, you think that their reasons for doing it are good and valid.     He's absolutely justified in resigning. He was treated shamefully.

Q: heroic [hi5rEuik]

A: If you describe a person or their actions as heroic, you admire them because they show extreme bravery.     The heroic sergeant risked his life to rescue 29 fishermen from their blazing trawler.     His heroic deeds were celebrated in every corner of India. = courageous * heroically     He had acted heroically during the liner's evacuation. If you describe an action or event as heroic, you admire it because it involves great effort or determination to succeed.     The company has made heroic efforts at cost reduction.     He finally faltered in the last game of a heroic match.     Their dogged single-mindedness is almost heroic. * heroically     Single parents cope heroically in doing the job of two people. Heroic means being or relating to the hero of a story.     ...the book's central, heroic figure. Heroics are actions involving bravery, courage, or determination.     ...the man whose aerial heroics helped save the helicopter pilot...     England need heroics from the captain now. If you describe someone's actions or plans as heroics, you think that they are foolish or dangerous because they are too difficult or brave for the situation in which they occur. (SPOKEN)     He said his advice was: `No heroics, stay within the law'.     Cut it out, Perry. You've performed your heroics. It's all over now.

Q: distinguished [dis5tiNgwiFt]

A: If you describe a person or their work as distinguished, you mean that they have been very successful in their career and have a good reputation.     ...a distinguished academic family.     ...a distinguished career. = illustrious If you describe someone as distinguished, you mean that they look very noble and respectable.     His suit was immaculately cut and he looked very distinguished.     ...a distinguished gentleman.

Q: fragile [5frAdVail]

A: If you describe a situation as fragile, you mean that it is weak or uncertain, and unlikely to be able to resist strong pressure or attack. (JOURNALISM)     The fragile economies of several southern African nations could be irreparably damaged.     The Prime Minister's fragile government was on the brink of collapse.     His overall condition remained fragile. = unstable * fragility     By mid-1988 there were clear indications of the extreme fragility of the Right-wing coalition. Something that is fragile is easily broken or damaged.     He leaned back in his fragile chair. <> sturdy * fragility     Older drivers are more likely to be seriously injured because of the fragility of their bones. Something that is fragile is very delicate or fine in appearance.     The haircut emphasised her fragile beauty. = delicate If someone feels fragile, they feel weak, for example because they are ill or have drunk too much alcohol.     He felt irritated and strangely fragile, as if he were recovering from a severe bout of flu.

Q: extremist [iks5tri:mist]

A: If you describe someone as an extremist, you disapprove of them because they try to bring about political change by using violent or extreme methods.     He said the country needed a strong intelligence service to counter espionage, terrorism and foreign extremists.     A previously unknown extremist group has said it carried out Friday's bomb attack.     ...a marked rise in extremist violence. If you say that someone has extremist views, you disapprove of them because they believe in bringing about change by using violent or extreme methods.

Q: articulate [B:5tikjulit]

A: If you describe someone as articulate, you mean that they are able to express their thoughts and ideas easily and well.     She is an articulate young woman.     The child was unable to offer an articulate description of what she had witnessed. * articulacy     To start a revolution, you need discipline, incisiveness and articulacy. When you articulate your ideas or feelings, you express them clearly in words. (FORMAL)     The president has been accused of failing to articulate an overall vision in foreign affairs. If you articulate something, you say it very clearly, so that each word or syllable can be heard.     He articulated each syllable.

Q: cynical [5sinikEl]

A: If you describe someone as cynical, you mean they believe that people always act selfishly.     ...his cynical view of the world. <> idealistic * cynically     As a backpacker said cynically, `He's probably pocketed the difference!' If you are cynical about something, you do not believe that it can be successful or that the people involved are honest.     It's hard not to be cynical about reform.     It has also made me more cynical about relationships.

Q: dynamic [dai5nAmik]

A: If you describe someone as dynamic, you approve of them because they are full of energy or full of new and exciting ideas.     He seemed a dynamic and energetic leader.     Marcus was handsome, dynamic and ambitious. * dynamically     He's one of the most dynamically imaginative jazz pianists still functioning. If you describe something as dynamic, you approve of it because it is very active and energetic.     South Asia continues to be the most dynamic economic region in the world.     ...90 minutes of dynamic Indian folk dance. A dynamic process is one that constantly changes and progresses.     ...a dynamic, evolving worldwide epidemic...     Political debate is dynamic. <> static * dynamically     Germany has a dynamically growing market at home. The dynamic of a system or process is the force that causes it to change or progress.     The dynamic of the market demands constant change and adjustment.     Politics has its own dynamic. The dynamics of a situation or group of people are the opposing forces within it that cause it to change.     What is needed is insight into the dynamics of the social system.     The interchange of ideas aids an understanding of family dynamics. Dynamics are forces which produce power or movement. (TECHNICAL)     Scientists observe the same dynamics in fluids. Dynamics is the scientific study of motion, energy, and forces.     His idea was to apply geometry to dynamics.

Q: helpful [5helpful]

A: If you describe someone as helpful, you mean that they help you in some way, such as doing part of your job for you or by giving you advice or information.     The staff in the London office are helpful but only have limited information.     James is a very helpful and cooperative lad.     Thank you, you've been most helpful. * helpfully     They had helpfully provided us with instructions on how to find the house.     `Perhaps you could check the book?' Moira said helpfully. * helpfulness     The level of expertise and helpfulness is far higher in smaller shops. If you describe information or advice as helpful, you mean that it is useful for you.     The catalog includes helpful information on the different bike models available.     The following information may be helpful to readers. <> unhelpful Something that is helpful makes a situation more pleasant or more easy to tolerate.     A predominantly liquid diet for a day or two may be helpful.     It is often helpful to have your spouse in the room when major news is expected.     Group discussion is also immensely helpful in convincing patients that they can choose a course that feels right to them.

Q: mean 2 [mi:n, min]

A: If you describe someone as mean, you are being critical of them because they are unwilling to spend much money or to use very much of a particular thing. (mainly BRIT; in AM use cheap or stingy)     Don't be mean with fabric, otherwise curtains will end up looking skimpy. = stingy * meanness     This very careful attitude to money can sometimes border on meanness. If you describe an amount as mean, you are saying that it is very small. (BRIT)     ...the meanest grant possible from the local council. If someone is being mean, they are being unkind to another person, for example by not allowing them to do something.     The little girls had locked themselves in upstairs because Mack had been mean to them.     I'd feel mean saying no. = unkind * meanly     He had been behaving very meanly to his girlfriend. If you describe a person or animal as mean, you are saying that they are very bad-tempered and cruel. (mainly AM)     The state's former commissioner of prisons once called Leonard the meanest man he'd ever seen.

Q: naive [nB:5i:v]

A: If you describe someone as naive, you think they lack experience and so expect things to be easy or people to be honest or kind.     It's naive to think that teachers are always tolerant.     I must have been naive to think we would get my parents' blessing.     ...naive idealists...     Their view was that he had been politically naive. = unrealistic * naively     ...naively applying Western solutions to Eastern problems...     I thought, naively, that this would be a nine-to five job. * naivety     I was alarmed by his naivety and ignorance of international affairs.

Q: bland [blAnd]

A: If you describe someone or something as bland, you mean that they are rather dull and unexciting.     Serle has a blander personality than Howard.     It sounds like an advert: easy on the ear but bland and forgettable.     ...a bland, 12-storey office block. * blandness     ...the blandness of television. Food that is bland has very little flavour.     It tasted bland and insipid, like warmed cardboard.

Q: convincing [kEn5vinsiN]

A: If you describe someone or something as convincing, you mean that they make you believe that a particular thing is true, correct, or genuine.     Scientists say there is no convincing evidence that power lines have anything to do with cancer.     He sounded very convincing. = plausible <> unconvincing * convincingly     He argued forcefully and convincingly that they were likely to bankrupt the budget.     Benito Garozzo won convincingly. <> unconvincingly

Q: dull [dQl]

A: If you describe someone or something as dull, you mean they are not interesting or exciting.     They are both nice people but can be rather dull.     I felt she found me boring and dull.     The documentary lasts for more than two-and-a-half hours, and there is scarcely a dull minute. = boring <> lively * dullness     They enjoy anything that breaks the dullness of their routine life. Someone or something that is dull is not very lively or energetic.     The body's natural rhythms mean we all feel dull and sleepy between 1 and 3pm. = sluggish * dully     His giant face had a rough growth of stubble, his eyes looked dully ahead. * dullness     Did you notice any unusual depression or dullness of mind? A dull colour or light is not bright.     The stamp was a dark, dull blue colour with a heavy black postmark. = sombre * dully     The street lamps gleamed dully through the night's mist. You say the weather is dull when it

Q: glamorous [5glAmErEs]

A: If you describe someone or something as glamorous, you mean that they are more attractive, exciting, or interesting than ordinary people or things.     ...some of the world's most beautiful and glamorous women...     The south coast is less glamorous but full of clean and attractive hotels.

Q: imposing [im5pEuziN]

A: If you describe someone or something as imposing, you mean that they have an impressive appearance or manner.     He was an imposing man.     ...the imposing wrought-iron gates at the entrance to the estate.

Q: legendary [5ledVEndEri]

A: If you describe someone or something as legendary, you mean that they are very famous and that many stories are told about them.     ...the legendary Jazz singer Adelaide Hall...     His political skill is legendary. A legendary person, place, or event is mentioned or described in an old legend.     The hill is supposed to be the resting place of the legendary King Lud.

Q: imaginative [i5mAdVinEtiv]

A: If you describe someone or their ideas as imaginative, you are praising them because they are easily able to think of or create new or exciting things.     ...an imaginative writer.     ...hundreds of cooking ideas and imaginative recipes...     They should adopt a more imaginative approach and investigate alternative uses for their property. = inventive <> unimaginative * imaginatively     The hotel is decorated imaginatively and attractively.

Q: hardline HARDLINE

A: If you describe someone's policy or attitude as hardline, you mean that it is strict or extreme, and they refuse to change it.     The United States has taken a lot of criticism for its hard-line stance.

Q: devastating [5devEsteitiN]

A: If you describe something as devastating, you are emphasizing that it is very harmful or damaging.     The city of Ormac took the full force of the winds and devastating floods.     Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages. You can use devastating to emphasize that something is very shocking, upsetting, or terrible.     The diagnosis was devastating. She had cancer. You can use devastating to emphasize that something or someone is very impressive.     He returned to his best with a devastating display of galloping and jumping.     I was devastating, if I do say so myself. * devastatingly     Its advertising is devastatingly successful.     She was charming and devastatingly beautiful too.

Q: first-class FIRST-CLASS

A: If you describe something or someone as first-class, you mean that they are extremely good and of the highest quality.     The food was first-class.     She has a first-class brain and is a damned good writer. = first-rate You use first-class to describe something that is in the group that is considered to be of the highest standard.     He officially announced his retirement from first-class cricket yesterday.     Harriet graduated with a first class degree in literature.     The Altea is a newly built first-class hotel. First-class accommodation on a train, aeroplane, or ship is the best and most expensive type of accommodation.     ...a first-class carriage...     He won himself two first-class tickets to fly to Dublin.     ...first-class passengers. Also an adverb.     She had never flown first class before. First-class is the first-class accommodation on a train, aeroplane, or ship.     He paid for and was assigned a cabin in first class. In Britain, first-class postage is the quicker and more expensive type of postage. In the United States, first-class postage is the type of postage that is used for sending letters and postcards.     Two first class stamps, please.     The price of mailing a first-class letter will not be increasing this year. Also an adverb.     It took six days to arrive despite being p

Q: dubious [5dju:bjEs]

A: If you describe something as dubious, you mean that you do not consider it to be completely honest, safe, or reliable.     This claim seems to us to be rather dubious.     Soho was still a highly dubious area.     Those figures alone are a dubious basis for such a conclusion. = questionable * dubiously     Carter was dubiously convicted of shooting three white men in a bar. If you are dubious about something, you are not completely sure about it and have not yet made up your mind about it.     My parents were a bit dubious about it all at first but we soon convinced them. = uncertain * dubiously     He eyed Coyne dubiously. If you say that someone has the dubious honour or the dubious pleasure of doing something, you are indicating that what they are doing is not an honour or pleasure at all, but is, in fact, unpleasant or bad.     Nagy has the dubious honour of being the first athlete to be banned in this way.     El Salvador has earned the dubious distinction of having the worst soil erosion in continental America.

Q: exclusive [iks5klu:siv]

A: If you describe something as exclusive, you mean that it is limited to people who have a lot of money or who belong to a high social class, and is therefore not available to everyone.     He is already a member of Britain's most exclusive club.     The City was criticised for being too exclusive and uncompetitive. * exclusiveness     ...a rising middle class, which objected to the exclusiveness of the traditional elite. * exclusivity     While residents enjoy the exclusivity of their homes, they take more pride in their advanced degrees and ambitious jobs. Something that is exclusive is used or owned by only one person or group, and not shared with anyone else.     Our group will have exclusive use of a 60-foot boat.     Many of their cheeses are exclusive to our stores in Britain. * exclusivity     Only 250 are to be sold in Europe, so exclusivity is guaranteed. If a newspaper, magazine, or broadcasting organization describes one of its reports as exclusive, they mean that it is a special report which does not appear in any other publication or on any other channel.     He told the magazine in an exclusive interview: `All my problems stem from drink'. An exclusive is an exclusive article or repor

Q: foul [faul]

A: If you describe something as foul, you mean it is dirty and smells or tastes unpleasant.     ...foul polluted water...     The pot-pourri of smells in the air was quite foul. = disgusting Foul language is offensive and contains swear words or rude words.     He was sent off for using foul language in a match last Sunday.     He had a foul mouth. = filthy If someone has a foul temper or is in a foul mood, they become angry or violent very suddenly and easily.     Collins was in a foul mood even before the interviews began. = bad Foul weather is unpleasant, windy, and stormy. If a place is fouled by someone or something, they make it dirty.     A village's entire beach and harbor can be fouled by a single rotting whale.     Two oil-related accidents near Los Angeles have fouled the ocean and the skies there. If an animal fouls a place, it drops faeces onto the ground.     It is an offence to let your dog foul a footpath.

Q: infinite [5infinit]

A: If you describe something as infinite, you are emphasizing that it is extremely great in amount or degree.     ...an infinite variety of landscapes...     With infinite care, John shifted position.     The choice is infinite. = immense * infinitely     His design was infinitely better than anything I could have done. Something that is infinite has no limit, end, or edge.     ...an infinite number of atoms...     Obviously, no company has infinite resources.     ...God's infinite mercy. = boundless The infinite is something which is infinite.     ...pondering on the infinite. * infinitely     A centimeter can be infinitely divided into smaller units.

Q: intriguing [in5tri:giN]

A: If you describe something as intriguing, you mean that it is interesting or strange.     This intriguing book is both thoughtful and informative. = fascinating * intriguingly     ...the intriguingly-named newspaper Le Canard Enchaine (The Chained Duck).

Q: formidable [5fC:midEbl]

A: If you describe something or someone as formidable, you mean that you feel slightly frightened by them because they are very great or impressive.     We have a formidable task ahead of us.     Marsalis has a formidable reputation in both jazz and classical music.     She looked every bit as formidable as her mother. = daunting * formidably     Sofia was attractive and formidably intelligent.

Q: invisible [in5vizEbl]

A: If you describe something as invisible, you mean that it cannot be seen, for example because it is transparent, hidden, or very small.     The lines were so finely etched as to be invisible from a distance.     The belt is invisible even under the thinnest garments. <> visible * invisibly     A thin coil of smoke rose almost invisibly into the sharp, bright sky. You can use invisible when you are talking about something that cannot be seen but has a definite effect. In this sense, invisible is often used before a noun which refers to something that can usually be seen.     All the time you are in doubt about the cause of your illness, you are fighting against an invisible enemy.     Her father's face had suddenly tightened as though he was being strangled by invisible hands. * invisibly     ...the tradition that invisibly shapes things in the present. If you say that you feel invisible, you are complaining that you are being ignored by other people. If you say that a particular problem or situation is invisible, you are complaining that it is not being considered or dealt with.     It was strange, how invisible a clerk could feel.     The problems of the poor are largely invisible. * invisibility     She takes up the issue of the invisibility of women and women's concerns in society. In stories, invisible people or things have a magic quality which makes people unable to see them.     ...The Invisible Man. In economics, invisible earnings are the money that a country makes as a result of services such as banking and tourism, rather than by producing goods. (TECHNICAL)     The revenue from tourism is the biggest single item in the country's invisible earnings.     The invisible trade surplus was {Pound}900 million lower than reported. <> visible Invisibles are services such as banking and tourism,

Q: lavish [5lAviF]

A: If you describe something as lavish, you mean that it is very elaborate and impressive and a lot of money has been spent on it.     ...a lavish party to celebrate Bryan's fiftieth birthday...     He staged the most lavish productions of Mozart.     The sets and costumes are lavish. = grand * lavishly     ...the train's lavishly furnished carriages. If you say that spending, praise, or the use of something is lavish, you mean that someone spends a lot or that something is praised or used a lot.     Critics attack his lavish spending and flamboyant style.     The book drew lavish praise from literary critics. = extravagant If you say that someone is lavish, you mean that they give, spend, or use a lot of something.     American reviewers are lavish in their praise of this book.     He was always a lavish spender. * lavishly     Entertaining in style needn't mean spending lavishly. If you lavish money, affection, or praise on someone or something, you spend a lot of money on them or give them a lot of affection or praise.     Prince Sadruddin lavished praise on Britain's contributions to world diplomacy.     The emperor promoted the general and lavished him with gifts.

Q: marginal [5mB:dVinEl]

A: If you describe something as marginal, you mean that it is small or not very important.     This is a marginal improvement on October.     The role of the opposition party proved marginal. If you describe people as marginal, you mean that they are not involved in the main events or developments in society because they are poor or have no power.     The tribunals were established for the well-integrated members of society and not for marginal individuals.     I don't want to call him marginal, but he's not a major character. <> mainstream In political elections, a marginal seat or constituency is one which is usually won or lost by only a few votes, and is therefore of great interest to politicians and journalists. (BRIT)     ...the views of voters in five marginal seats. A marginal is a marginal seat. (BRIT)     The votes in the marginals are those that really count.     The coalition won a majority of the vote but failed to win enough of the key marginals. Marginal activities, costs, or taxes are not the main part of a business or an economic system, but often make the difference between its success or failure, and are therefore important to control.     The analysts applaud the cuts in marginal businesses, but insist the company must make deeper sacrifices.     For low-paid workers, the marginal tax rate is at least 75%. Marginal land is not very good for growing crops or grass for animals. (TECHNICAL)     The poor are forced to farm in more marginal lands higher up the mountains.     ...helping farmers, so they do not have to exploit marginal lands.

Q: meaningful [5mi:niNful]

A: If you describe something as meaningful, you mean that it is serious, important, or useful in some way.     She believes these talks will be the start of a constructive and meaningful dialogue.     He asked people to tell him about a meaningful event or period in their lives. = significant * meaningfully     This in effect denied them their right to participate meaningfully in elections. = significantly A meaningful look or gesture is one that is intended to express something, usually to a particular person, without anything being said.     Upon the utterance of this word, Dan and Harry exchanged a quick, meaningful look. * meaningfully     He glanced meaningfully at the other policeman, then he went up the stairs.     `Who's your publisher?' --- `Lockett Press,' she said, and she raised an eyebrow meaningfully.

Q: misleading [mis5li:diN]

A: If you describe something as misleading, you mean that it gives you a wrong idea or impression.     It would be misleading to say that we were friends.     The article contains several misleading statements. * misleadingly     The data had been presented misleadingly.

Q: delightful [di5laitful]

A: If you describe something or someone as delightful, you mean they are very pleasant.     It was the most delightful garden I had ever seen.     She remembered Lucy as beautiful, charming and absolutely delightful. = agreeable * delightfully     This delightfully refreshing cologne can be splashed on liberally.     ...fine cheese and delightfully packaged foie gras.

Q: horrible [5hCrEbl]

A: If you describe something or someone as horrible, you do not like them at all. (INFORMAL)     The record sounds horrible.     ...a horrible small boy. = horrid <> lovely * horribly     When trouble comes they behave selfishly and horribly. You can call something horrible when it causes you to feel great shock, fear, and disgust.     Still the horrible shrieking came out of his mouth. = frightful * horribly     A two-year-old boy was horribly murdered. Horrible is used to emphasize how bad something is.     That seems like a horrible mess that will drag on for years.     Unless you respect other people's religions, horrible mistakes and conflict will occur. = awful * horribly     Our plans have gone horribly wrong.     You got horribly drunk.

Q: irresistible [7iri5zistEbl]

A: If you describe something such as a desire or force as irresistible, you mean that it is so powerful that it makes you act in a certain way, and there is nothing you can do to prevent this.     It proved an irresistible temptation to Hall to go back.     ...irresistible pressure from the financial markets...     They feel the case for change is irresistible. = overwhelming * irresistibly     I found myself irresistibly drawn to Steve's world. If you describe something or someone as irresistible, you mean that they are so good or attractive that you cannot stop yourself from liking them or wanting them. (INFORMAL)     The music is irresistible.     ...irresistible granary bread. * irresistibly     She had a gamine charm which men found irresistibly attractive.

Q: irrelevant [i5relivEnt]

A: If you describe something such as a fact or remark as irrelevant, you mean that it is not connected with what you are discussing or dealing with.     ...irrelevant details...     The government decided that their testimony would be irrelevant to the case. <> relevant * irrelevantly     She would have hated the suit, I thought irrelevantly. If you say that something is irrelevant, you mean that it is not important in a situation.     Their old hard-won skills were irrelevant.     The choice of subject matter is irrelevant.     He said politics has become increasingly irrelevant to most Americans.

Q: devise [di5vaiz]

A: If you devise a plan, system, or machine, you have the idea for it and design it.     We devised a scheme to help him.     New long-range objectives must be devised.

Q: devote [di5vEut]

A: If you devote yourself, your time, or your energy to something, you spend all or most of your time or energy on it.     He decided to devote the rest of his life to scientific investigation.     Considerable resources have been devoted to proving him a liar.     She gladly gave up her part-time job to devote herself entirely to her art. = dedicate If you devote a particular proportion of a piece of writing or a speech to a particular subject, you deal with the subject in that amount of space or time.     He devoted a major section of his massive report to an analysis of US aircraft design.     Page upon page is devoted to the chain of events leading to the Prime Minister's resignation.

Q: dictate [dik5teit]

A: If you dictate something, you say or read it aloud for someone else to write down.     Sheldon writes every day of the week, dictating his novels in the morning.     Everything he dictated was signed and sent out the same day. If someone dictates to someone else, they tell them what they should do or can do.     He had warned the West against trying to dictate to the Soviet Union.     What right has one country to dictate the environmental standards of another?.     He cannot be allowed to dictate what can and cannot be inspected.     What gives them the right to dictate to us what we should eat?.     The officers were more or less able to dictate terms to successive governments.     The rules of court dictate that a defendant is entitled to all evidence which may help his case. If one thing dictates another, the first thing causes or influences the second thing.     The film's budget dictated a tough schedule.     The way in which they dress is dictated by very rigid fashion rules.     Of course, a number of factors will dictate how long an apple tree can survive.     Circumstances dictated that they played a defensive rather than attacking game. You say that reason or common sense dictates that a particular thing is the case when you believe strongly that it is the case

Q: dine on DINE ON

A: If you dine on a particular sort of food, you have it for dinner. (WRITTEN)     My daughters could dine on caviar and champagne for the rest of their lives.

Q: dine out DINE OUT

A: If you dine out, you have dinner away from your home, usually at a restaurant.     She does not enjoy parties or dining out.

Q: made [meid]

A: Made is the past tense and past participle of make. If something is made of or made out of a particular substance, that substance was used to build it.     The top of the table is made of glass.     What is the statue made out of? If you say that someone has it made or has got it made, you mean that they are certain to be rich or successful. (INFORMAL)     When I was at school, I thought I had it made.

Q: dip [dip]

A: If you dip something into a liquid, you put it into the liquid for a short time, so that only part of it is covered, and take it out again.     They dip the food into the sauce.     Quickly dip the base in and out of cold water. = dunk Also a noun.     One dip into the bottle should do an entire nail. If you dip your hand into a container or dip into the container, you put your hand into it in order to take something out of it.     She dipped a hand into the jar of sweets and pulled one out.     Watch your fingers as you dip into the pot.     Ask the children to guess what's in each container by dipping their hands in. If something dips, it makes a downward movement, usually quite quickly.     Blake jumped in expertly; the boat dipped slightly under his weight.     The sun dipped below the horizon. Also a noun.     I noticed little things, a dip of the head, a twitch in the shoulder. If an area of land, a road, or a path dips, it goes down quite suddenly to a lower level.     The road dipped and rose again as it neared the top of Parker Mountain.     ...a path which suddenly dips down into a tunnel.

Q: disagree [7disE5gri:]

A: If you disagree with someone or disagree with what they say, you do not accept that what they say is true or correct. You can also say that two people disagree.     You must continue to see them no matter how much you may disagree with them.     They can communicate even when they strongly disagree.     `I think it is inappropriate to put up a statue.'`Well, I disagree. We've got a statue for Churchill and Nelson.'.     The two men had disagreed about reincarnation. <> agree If you disagree with a particular action or proposal, you disapprove of it and believe that it is wrong. (mainly BRIT)     I respect the president but I disagree with his decision.     I disagree with drug laws in general. = oppose If a particular food or drink disagrees with you, it makes you feel unwell.     Orange juice seems to disagree with some babies.

Q: discard [dis5kB:d]

A: If you discard something, you get rid of it because you no longer want it or need it.     Read the manufacturer's guidelines before discarding the box.     ...looking for discarded cigarette butts. = dispose of

Q: disclose [dis5klEuz]

A: If you disclose new or secret information, you tell people about it.     Neither side would disclose details of the transaction.     The company disclosed that its chairman will step down in May. = reveal

Q: dislike [dis5laik]

A: If you dislike someone or something, you consider them to be unpleasant and do not like them.     Liver is a great favourite of his and we don't serve it often because so many people dislike it.     David began to dislike all his television heroes who smoked. Dislike is the feeling that you do not like someone or something.     My dislike of thunder and even small earthquakes was due to Mother.     Years of dislike boiled over and blows were exchanged. = loathing Your dislikes are the things that you do not like.     Consider what your likes and dislikes are about your job.     Strong irrational dislikes of other people can easily be picked up from others. If you take a dislike to someone or something, you decide that you do not like them.     I took a violent dislike to him.     He may suddenly take a dislike to foods that he's previously enjoyed.

Q: dismantle [dis5mAntl]

A: If you dismantle a machine or structure, you carefully separate it into its different parts.     He asked for immediate help from the United States to dismantle the warheads. To dismantle an organization or system means to cause it to stop functioning by gradually reducing its power or purpose.     ...opposition to the president's policy of dismantling apartheid...     Public services of all kinds are being dismantled.

Q: dispose of DISPOSE OF

A: If you dispose of something that you no longer want or need, you throw it away.     Just fold up the nappy and dispose of it in the normal manner.     ...the safest means of disposing of nuclear waste...     Engine oil cannot be disposed of down drains. = discard If you dispose of a problem, task, or question, you deal with it.     You did us a great favour by the manner in which you disposed of that problem.     The justices have been arguing about how the case should be disposed of. = settle To dispose of a person or an animal means to kill them. (FORMAL)     He alleged that they had hired an assassin to dispose of him.

Q: dissolve into DISSOLVE INTO

A: If you dissolve into or dissolve in tears or laughter, you begin to cry or laugh, because you cannot control yourself.     She dissolved into tears at the mention of Munya's name.

Q: distort [dis5tC:t]

A: If you distort a statement, fact, or idea, you report or represent it in an untrue way.     The media distorts reality; categorises people as all good or all bad.     The minister has said his remarks at the weekend have been distorted. * distorted     These figures give a distorted view of the significance for the local economy. If something you can see or hear is distorted or distorts, its appearance or sound is changed so that it seems unclear.     A painter may exaggerate or distort shapes and forms.     His size was persistently distorted by the cartoonists.     His face was beginning to distort, and there was a strange tone to his voice. * distorted     Sound was becoming more and more distorted through the use of hearing aids.

Q: distribute [dis5tribju(:)t]

A: If you distribute things, you hand them or deliver them to a number of people.     Students shouted slogans and distributed leaflets.     Thousands of soldiers are working to distribute food and blankets to the refugees.     In the move most of the furniture was left to the neighbours or distributed among friends. When a company distributes goods, it supplies them to the shops or businesses that sell them.     We didn't understand how difficult it was to distribute a national paper. If you distribute things among the members of a group, you share them among those members.     Immediately after his election he began to distribute major offices among his friends and supporters. To distribute a substance over something means to scatter it over it. (FORMAL)     Distribute the topping evenly over the fruit.

Q: disturb [dis5tE:b]

A: If you disturb someone, you interrupt what they are doing and upset them.     Did you sleep well? I didn't want to disturb you. You looked so peaceful.     Find a quiet, warm, comfortable room where you won't be disturbed. = interrupt If something disturbs you, it makes you feel upset or worried.     I dream about him, dreams so vivid that they disturb me for days.     He had been disturbed by the news of the attack on Hector Coyne. = worry If something is disturbed, its position or shape is changed.     He'd placed his notes in the brown envelope. They hadn't been disturbed.     The old woman put her arm gently around Mona's shoulders, taking care not to disturb the costume. If something disturbs a situation or atmosphere, it spoils it or causes trouble.     Neither Baker nor Levy seemed eager to disturb the cordial atmosphere by discussing more sensitive issues..     What could possibly disturb such tranquility? If someone is accused of disturbing the peace, they are accused of behaving in a noisy and offensive way in public. (LEGAL)

Q: dodge [dCdV]

A: If you dodge, you move suddenly, often to avoid being hit, caught, or seen.     He dodged amongst the seething crowds of men.     We dodged behind a pillar out of sight of the tourists. If you dodge something, you avoid it by quickly moving aside or out of reach so that it cannot hit or reach you.     He desperately dodged a speeding car trying to run him down. = sidestep If you dodge something, you deliberately avoid thinking about it or dealing with it, often by being deceitful.     He boasts of dodging military service by feigning illness.     Many struggling firms are ready to break the law by dodging tax. = evade Also a noun.     This was not just a tax dodge.

Q: dole out DOLE OUT

A: If you dole something out, you give a certain amount of it to each member of a group.     I got out my wallet and began to dole out the money.

Q: donate [dEu5neit]

A: If you donate something to a charity or other organization, you give it to them.     He frequently donates large sums to charity.     Others donated secondhand clothes.     The silver trophy was donated by a Leicester businessman. * donation     ...the donation of his collection to the art gallery. If you donate your blood or a part of your body, you allow doctors to use it to help someone who is ill.     ...people who are willing to donate their organs for use after death...     All donated blood is screened for HIV. * donation     ...measures aimed at encouraging organ donation.

Q: hopeless [5hEuplis]

A: If you feel hopeless, you feel very unhappy because there seems to be no possibility of a better situation or success.     He had not heard her cry before in this uncontrolled, hopeless way.     The economic crisis makes jobs almost impossible to find and even able pupils feel hopeless about job prospects. * hopelessly     I looked around hopelessly.     ...a young woman hopelessly in love with a handsome hero. * hopelessness     She had a feeling of hopelessness about the future. Someone or something thing that is hopeless is certain to fail or be unsuccessful.     I don't believe your situation is as hopeless as you think. If you love each other, you'll work it out.     A doctor is there to treat and to cure, not to dismiss anyone as a hopeless case. If someone is hopeless at something, they are very bad at it. (INFORMAL)     I'd be hopeless at working for somebody else.     I was fine at sports, but pretty hopeless academically. You use hopeless to emphasize how bad or inadequate something or someone is.     I don't drive and the buses are quite hopeless.     Argentina's economic policies were a hopeless mess. * hopelessly     The story is hopelessly confusing.     They were on the other side of Berlin and Harry was hopelessly lost.     By October 1990, when arrested, he was hopelessly in debt.

Q: distinction [dis5tiNkFEn]

A: If you draw a distinction or make a distinction, you say that two things are different.     There are obvious distinctions between the two wine-making areas.     The distinction between craft and fine art is more controversial.     I did not yet make a distinction between the pleasures of reading and of writing fiction.     He draws a distinction between art and culture. Distinction is the quality of being very good or better than other things of the same type. (FORMAL)     Lewis emerges as a composer of distinction and sensitivity.     ...pieces of furniture of distinction. A distinction is a special award or honour that is given to someone because of their very high level of achievement.     The order was created in 1902 as a special distinction for eminent men and women.     I did an M.A. at Liverpool University in Latin American Studies and got a distinction. = honour If you say that someone or something has the distinction of being something, you are drawing attention to the fact that they have the special quality of being that thing. Distinction is normally used to refer to good qualities, but can sometimes also be used to refer to bad qualities.     He has the distinction of being regarded as the Federal Republic's greatest living writer.

Q: dread [dred]

A: If you dread something which may happen, you feel very anxious and unhappy about it because you think it will be unpleasant or upsetting.     I'm dreading Christmas this year.     I dreaded coming back, to be honest.     I suffer badly from cold sores and dread them appearing on my wedding day.     I'd been dreading that the birth would take a long time. <> look forward to Dread is a feeling of great anxiety and fear about something that may happen.     She thought with dread of the cold winters to come. = apprehension Dread means terrible and greatly feared. (LITERARY)     ...a more effective national policy to combat this dread disease. = dreaded You can use dread to describe something that you, or a particular group of people, find annoying or undesirable. (INFORMAL)     ...the dread phrase `politically correct'. = dreaded If you say that you dread to think what might happen, you mean that you are anxious about it because it is likely to be very unpleasant.     I dread to think what will happen in the case of a major emergency.     I dread to think what Hollywood is planning to do with this interesting little story.

Q: duck out DUCK OUT

A: If you duck out of something that you are supposed to do, you avoid doing it. (INFORMAL)     George ducked out of his forced marriage to a cousin.     You can't duck out once you've taken on a responsibility.

Q: dye [dai]

A: If you dye something such as hair or cloth, you change its colour by soaking it in a special liquid.     The women prepared, spun and dyed the wool.     She had dyed black hair. Dye is a substance made from plants or chemicals which is mixed into a liquid and used to change the colour of something such as cloth or hair.     ...bottles of hair dye.

Q: embark [im5bB:k]

A: If you embark on something new, difficult, or exciting, you start doing it.     He's embarking on a new career as a writer.     The government embarked on a programme of radical economic reform. When someone embarks on a ship, they go on board before the start of a journey.     They travelled to Portsmouth, where they embarked on the battle cruiser HMS Renown.     Bob ordered brigade HQ to embark. * embarkation     Embarkation was scheduled for just after 4 pm.

Q: embrace [im5breis]

A: If you embrace someone, you put your arms around them and hold them tightly, usually in order to show your love or affection for them. You can also say that two people embrace.     Penelope came forward and embraced her sister.     At first people were sort of crying for joy and embracing each other.     He threw his arms round her and they embraced passionately. = hug Also a noun.     ...a young couple locked in an embrace. If you embrace a change, political system, or idea, you accept it and start supporting it or believing in it. (FORMAL)     He embraces the new information age.     The new rules have been embraced by government watchdog organizations. Also a noun.     The marriage signalled James's embrace of the Catholic faith. If something embraces a group of people, things, or ideas, it includes them in a larger group or category. (FORMAL)     ...a theory that would embrace the whole field of human endeavour.

Q: emigrate [5emigreit]

A: If you emigrate, you leave your own country to live in another country.     He emigrated to Belgium.     They planned to emigrate. * emigration     ...the huge emigration of workers to the West.

Q: endorse [in5dC:s]

A: If you endorse someone or something, you say publicly that you support or approve of them.     I can endorse their opinion wholeheartedly.     ...policies agreed by the Labour Party and endorsed by the electorate. If someone's driving licence is endorsed, an official record is made on it that they have been found guilty of a driving offence. (BRIT)     For failing to report the accident, his licence was endorsed.     He also had his licence endorsed with eight penalty points. When you endorse a cheque, you write your name on the back of it so that it can be paid into someone's bank account.     The payee of the cheque must endorse the cheque. If you endorse a product or company, you appear in advertisements for it.     The twins endorsed a line of household cleaning products.

Q: endure [in5djuE]

A: If you endure a painful or difficult situation, you experience it and do not avoid it or give up, usually because you cannot.     The company endured heavy financial losses.     ...unbearable pain, which they had to endure in solitude because not even the doctors could get near them. = undergo If something endures, it continues to exist without any loss in quality or importance.     Somehow the language endures and continues to survive. = last * enduring     This chance meeting was the start of an enduring friendship.

Q: envisage [in5vizidV, en-]

A: If you envisage something, you imagine that it is true, real, or likely to happen.     He envisages the possibility of establishing direct diplomatic relations in the future.     He had never envisaged spending the whole of his working life in that particular job.     Personally, I envisage them staying together. = imagine, envision

Q: equip [i5kwip]

A: If you equip a person or thing with something, you give them the tools or equipment that are needed.     They become obsessed with trying to equip their vehicles with gadgets to deal with every possible contingency.     Owners of restaurants would have to equip them to admit disabled people.     The country did not possess the modern guns to equip the reserve army properly. * equipped     ...well-equipped research buildings...     The greenhouses come equipped with a ventilating system and aluminium screen door.     Each caravan is equipped for four persons. If something equips you for a particular task or experience, it gives you the skills and attitudes you need for it, especially by educating you in a particular way.     Relative poverty, however, did not prevent Martin from equipping himself with an excellent education.     A basic two-hour first aid course would equip you to deal with any of these incidents. * equipped     Some students unburden themselves of emotional problems that faculty members feel ill equipped to handle.     When they leave school, they will be equipped for obtaining office jobs.

Q: exclude [iks5klu:d]

A: If you exclude someone from a place or activity, you prevent them from entering it or taking part in it.     The Academy excluded women from its classes.     The army should be excluded from political life.     Many of the youngsters feel excluded. If you exclude something that has some connection with what you are doing, you deliberately do not use it or consider it.     They eat only plant foods, and take care to exclude animal products from other areas of their lives.     In some schools, Christmas carols are being modified to exclude any reference to Christ. To exclude a possibility means to decide or prove that it is wrong and not worth considering.     I cannot entirely exclude the possibility that some form of pressure was applied to the neck.     ...the pathological evidence, which does not exclude suicide. To exclude something such as the sun's rays or harmful germs means to prevent them physically from reaching or entering a particular place.     This was intended to exclude the direct rays of the sun.     They have spent $3 million building fences around the National Park to exclude such pests. = keep out

Q: dizzy [5dizi]

A: If you feel dizzy, you feel that you are losing your balance and are about to fall.     Her head still hurt, and she felt slightly dizzy and disoriented.     He began to get dizzy spells. * dizzily     Her head spins dizzily as soon as she sits up. * dizziness     His complaint causes dizziness and nausea. You can use dizzy to describe a woman who is careless and forgets things, but is easy to like.     She is famed for playing dizzy blondes.     ...a charmingly dizzy great-grandmother. If something dizzies you, it causes you to feel unsteady or confused.     The sudden height dizzied her and she clung tightly. * dizzying     We're descending now at dizzying speed. If you say that someone has reached the dizzy heights of something, you are emphasizing that they have reached a very high level by achieving it. (HUMOROUS)     I escalated to the dizzy heights of director's secretary.

Q: fetch [fetF]

A: If you fetch something or someone, you go and get them from the place where they are.     Sylvia fetched a towel from the bathroom.     Fetch me a glass of water.     The caddie ran over to fetch something for him. If something fetches a particular sum of money, it is sold for that amount.     The painting is expected to fetch between two and three million pounds. = raise If you fetch and carry, you perform simple, often boring tasks for someone, such as collecting and carrying things for them.     I helped out in the tents fetching and carrying.

Q: fetch up FETCH UP

A: If you fetch up somewhere, you arrive there, especially when you have not planned to go there. (INFORMAL)     He spent the first few months on a walking and sketching tour, before fetching up in Dublin. = end up

Q: flesh out FLESH OUT

A: If you flesh out something such as a story or plan, you add details and more information to it.     He talked with him for an hour and a half, fleshing out the details of his original five-minute account.     He has since fleshed out his story.

Q: fling [fliN]

A: If you fling something somewhere, you throw it there using a lot of force.     The woman flung the cup at him.     He once seized my knitting, flinging it across the room. If you fling yourself somewhere, you move or jump there suddenly and with a lot of force.     He flung himself to the floor. If you fling a part of your body in a particular direction, especially your arms or head, you move it there suddenly.     She flung her arms around my neck and kissed me. = throw If you fling someone to the ground, you push them very roughly so that they fall over.     The youth got him by the front of his shirt and flung him to the ground. If you fling something into a particular place or position, you put it there in a quick or angry way.     Peter flung his shoes into the corner.     He flung it down on the desk. If you fling yourself into a particular activity, you do it with a lot of enthusiasm and energy.     She flung herself into her career.     I flung myself into poetry.

Q: flip [flip]

A: If you flip a device on or off, or if you flip a switch, you turn it on or off by pressing the switch quickly.     He didn't flip on the headlights until he was two blocks away.     Then he walked out, flipping the lights off.     He flipped the timer switch. = flick If you flip through the pages of a book, for example, you quickly turn over the pages in order to find a particular one or to get an idea of the contents.     He was flipping through a magazine in the living room.     He flipped the pages of the diary and began reading the last entry. If something flips over, or if you flip it over or into a different position, it moves or is moved into a different position.     The plane then flipped over and burst into flames.     He flipped it neatly on to the plate. If you flip something, especially a coin, you use your thumb to make it turn over and over, as it goes through the air.     I pulled a coin from my pocket and flipped it.     I flipped a butt out of the window and drove on. = toss Also a noun.     ...having gambled all on the flip of a coin. If someone flips, they suddenly become extremely upset or angry because of something that has happened. (INFORMAL)     He got so provoked that he flipped. = snap If you say that someone is being flip, you disapprove of them because you think that what they are saying shows they are not being serious enough about something.     ...a flip answer...     The tone of the book is sometimes too flip. = flippant, glib

Q: flop [flCp]

A: If you flop into a chair, for example, you sit down suddenly and heavily because you are so tired.     Bunbury flopped down upon the bed and rested his tired feet.     She flopped, exhausted, on to a sofa. = collapse If something flops onto something else, it falls there heavily or untidily.     The briefcase flopped onto the desk.     His hair flopped over his left eye. If something is a flop, it is completely unsuccessful. (INFORMAL)     It is the public who decide whether a film is a hit or a flop. = failure If something flops, it is completely unsuccessful. (INFORMAL)     The film flopped badly at the box office.

Q: flush [flQF]

A: If you flush, your face goes red because you are hot or ill, or because you are feeling a strong emotion such as embarrassment or anger.     Do you sweat a lot or flush a lot?.     He turned away embarrassed, his face flushing red. Also a noun.     There was a slight flush on his cheeks. * flushed     Her face was flushed with anger. When someone flushes a toilet after using it, they fill the toilet bowl with water in order to clean it, usually by pressing a handle or pulling a chain. You can also say that a toilet flushes.     She flushed the toilet and went back in the bedroom.     ...the sound of the toilet flushing. Also a noun.     He heard the flush of a toilet. If you flush something down the toilet, you get rid of it by putting it into the toilet bowl and flushing the toilet.     He was found trying to flush banknotes down the toilet. If you flush a part of your body, you clean it or make it healthier by using a large amount of liquid to get rid of dirt or harmful substances.     Flush the eye with clean cold water for at least 15 minutes.     Water is ideal to flush the kidneys and the urinary tract. = cleanse Flush out means the same as flush.     ...an `alternative' therapy that gently flushes out the colon to remove toxins. If you flush dirt or a harmful substance out of a place, you get rid of it by using a large amount of liquid.     That won't flush out all the sewage, but it should unclog some stinking drains. If you flush people or animals out of a place where they are hiding, you find or capture them by forcing them to come out of that place.     They flushed them out of their hiding places.     The Guyana Defence Force is engaged in flushing out illegal Brazilian miners operating in the country. I

Q: down 3 [daun]

A: If you say that someone downs food or a drink, you mean that they eat or drink it.     We downed bottles of local wine. = consume If something or someone is downed, they fall to the ground because they have been hurt or damaged in some way. (JOURNALISM)     A couple of jet fighters were downed during the five-week rebellion.     A bank guard shot him in the leg and downed him. * downing     ...the downing of an airliner, which killed 107 people.

Q: forbid [fE5bid]

A: If you forbid someone to do something, or if you forbid an activity, you order that it must not be done.     They'll forbid you to marry.     She was shut away and forbidden to read.     Brazil's constitution forbids the military use of nuclear energy. = prohibit If something forbids a particular course of action or state of affairs, it makes it impossible for the course of action or state of affairs to happen.     His own pride forbids him to ask Arthur's help.     Custom forbids any modernisation.

Q: foresee [fC:5si:]

A: If you foresee something, you expect and believe that it will happen.     He did not foresee any problems.     ...a dangerous situation which could have been foreseen...     He could never have foreseen that one day his books would sell in millions. = predict

Q: forgive [fE5giv]

A: If you forgive someone who has done something bad or wrong, you stop being angry with them and no longer want to punish them.     Hopefully she'll understand and forgive you, if she really loves you.     She'd find a way to forgive him for the theft of the money.     Still, for those flashes of genius, you can forgive him anything. If you say that someone could be forgiven for doing something, you mean that they were wrong or mistaken, but not seriously, because many people would have done the same thing in those circumstances.     Looking at the figures, you could be forgiven for thinking the recession is already over.     If the research which enticed them to Britain is removed, they can be forgiven for feeling betrayed. = be excused for Forgive is used in polite expressions and apologies like `forgive me' and `forgive my ignorance' when you are saying or doing something that might seem rude, silly, or complicated.     Forgive me, I don't mean to insult you.     I do hope you'll forgive me but I've got to leave.     `Forgive my manners,' she said calmly. `I neglected to introduce myself.' If an organization such as a bank forgives someone's debt, they agree not to ask for that money to be repaid.     The American Congress has agreed to forgive Egypt's military debt.

Q: fork out FORK OUT

A: If you fork out for something, you spend a lot of money on it. (INFORMAL)     He will have to fork out for private school fees for Nina.     You don't ask people to fork out every time they drive up the motorways.     Britons fork out more than a billion pounds a year on toys.

Q: formulate [5fC:mjuleit]

A: If you formulate something such as a plan or proposal, you invent it, thinking about the details carefully.     Little by little, he formulated his plan for escape. = devise If you formulate a thought, opinion, or idea, you express it or describe it using particular words.     I was impressed by the way he could formulate his ideas. = express

Q: foul up FOUL UP

A: If you foul up something such as a plan, you spoil it by doing something wrong or stupid.     There are serious risks that laboratories may foul up these tests. = mess up

Q: frighten away, frighten off FRIGHTEN AWAY, FRIGHTEN OFF

A: If you frighten away a person or animal or frighten them off, you make them afraid so that they run away or stay some distance away from you.     The fishermen said the company's seismic survey was frightening away fish.     He fired into the air, hoping that the noise would frighten them off. To frighten someone away or frighten them off means to make them nervous so that they decide not to become involved with a particular person or activity.     Building society repossessions have frightened buyers off.     The government is convinced that the bombers want to frighten away foreign investors. = put off

Q: frighten into FRIGHTEN INTO

A: If you frighten someone into doing something they would not normally do, you make them do it by making them afraid not to do it.     He was a bully. He tried to frighten people into doing what he wanted.

Q: insight [5insait]

A: If you gain insight or an insight into a complex situation or problem, you gain an accurate and deep understanding of it.     The project would give scientists new insights into what is happening to the earth's atmosphere.     I hope that this talk has given you some insight into the kind of the work that we've been doing. If someone has insight, they are able to understand complex situations.     He was a man of forceful character, with considerable insight and diplomatic skills. = understanding

Q: leisure [5leVE; 5li:VE]

A: Leisure is the time when you are not working and you can relax and do things that you enjoy.     ...a relaxing way to fill my leisure time.     ...one of Britain's most popular leisure activities. If someone does something at leisure or at their leisure, they enjoy themselves by doing it when they want to, without hurrying.     You will be able to stroll at leisure through the gardens.     He could read all the national papers at his leisure.

Q: gauge [gedV]

A: If you gauge the speed or strength of something, or if you gauge an amount, you measure or calculate it, often by using a device of some kind.     He gauged the wind at over thirty knots.     Distance is gauged by journey time rather than miles. A gauge is a device that measures the amount or quantity of something and shows the amount measured.     ...temperature gauges.     ...pressure gauges. If you gauge people's actions, feelings, or intentions in a particular situation, you carefully consider and judge them.     Plans flickered through Derec's mind as he gauged possible enemy moves and his own responses.     His mood can be gauged by his reaction to the most trivial of incidents. = assess A gauge of someone's feelings or a situation is a fact or event that can be used to judge them.     The index is the government's chief gauge of future economic activity. = measure A gauge is the distance between the two rails on a railway line.     ...a narrow gauge railway. A gauge is the thickness of something, especially metal or wire.

Q: gaze [geiz]

A: If you gaze at someone or something, you look steadily at them for a long time, for example because you find them attractive or interesting, or because you are thinking about something else.     ...gazing at herself in the mirror...     Sitting in his wicker chair, he gazed reflectively at the fire.     The girls stood still, gazing around the building, trying to picture life there fifty years before. = stare You can talk about someone's gaze as a way of describing how they are looking at something, especially when they are looking steadily at it. (WRITTEN)     The Monsignor turned his gaze from the flames to meet the Colonel's.     She felt increasingly uncomfortable under the woman's steady gaze.     The interior was shielded from the curious gaze of passersby. If someone or something is in the public gaze, they are receiving a lot of attention from the general public.     You won't find a couple more in the public gaze than Michael and Lizzie.

Q: glimpse [glimps]

A: If you get a glimpse of someone or something, you see them very briefly and not very well.     Some of the fans had waited 24 hours outside the Hyde Park Hotel to catch a glimpse of their heroine. If you glimpse someone or something, you see them very briefly and not very well.     She glimpsed a group of people standing on the bank of a river. A glimpse of something is a brief experience of it or an idea about it that helps you understand or appreciate it better.     As university campuses become increasingly multi-ethnic, they offer a glimpse of the conflicts society will face tomorrow.     ...a glimpse into the future.

Q: feedback [5fi:dbAk]

A: If you get feedback on your work or progress, someone tells you how well or badly you are doing, and how you could improve. If you get good feedback you have worked or performed well.     Continue to ask for feedback on your work.     I was getting great feedback from my boss. Feedback is the unpleasant high-pitched sound produced by a piece of electrical equipment when part of the signal that comes out goes back into it.

Q: assurance [E5FuErEns]

A: If you give someone an assurance that something is true or will happen, you say that it is definitely true or will definitely happen, in order to make them feel less worried.     He would like an assurance that other forces will not move into the territory that his forces vacate.     He will have been pleased by Marshal Yazov's assurance of the armed forces' loyalty. = promise If you do something with assurance, you do it with a feeling of confidence and certainty.     Masur led the orchestra with assurance.     The EC is now acquiring greater assurance and authority. = assuredness Assurance is insurance that provides cover in the event of death. (BRIT)     ...endowment assurance. See also life assurance.

Q: go-ahead GO-AHEAD

A: If you give someone or something the go-ahead, you give them permission to start doing something.     The Greek government today gave the go-ahead for five major road schemes.     Don't do any major repair work until you get the go-ahead from your insurers. A go-ahead person or organization tries hard to succeed, often by using new methods.     Fairview Estate is one of the oldest and the most go-ahead wine producers in South Africa.

Q: groan [grEun]

A: If you groan, you make a long, low sound because you are in pain, or because you are upset or unhappy about something.     Slowly, he opened his eyes. As he did so, he began to groan with pain.     They glanced at the man on the floor, who began to groan.     She was making small groaning noises. = moan Also a noun.     She heard him let out a pitiful, muffled groan.     As his ball flew wide, there was a collective groan from the stands. = moan If you groan something, you say it in a low, unhappy voice.     `My leg -- I think it's broken,' Eric groaned. If you groan about something, you complain about it.     His parents were beginning to groan about the price of college tuition. Also a noun.     Listen sympathetically to your child's moans and groans about what she can't do. If wood or something made of wood groans, it makes a loud sound when it moves.     The timbers groan and creak and the floorboards shift. If you say that something such as a table groans under the weight of food, you are emphasizing that there is a lot of food on it.     The bar counter groans under the weight of huge plates of the freshest fish.     ...a table groaning with food. If you say that someone or something is groaning under the weight of something, you think there is too much of that thing.     Consumers were groaning under the weight of high interest rates.     Bookshelves groan under the burden of books on threats to the environment.

Q: consent [kEn5sent]

A: If you give your consent to something, you give someone permission to do it. (FORMAL)     At approximately 11:30 p.m., Pollard finally gave his consent to the search.     Can my child be medically examined without my consent? If you consent to something, you agree to do it or to allow it to be done. (FORMAL)     He finally consented to go.     He asked Ginny if she would consent to a small celebration after the christening.     I was a little surprised when she consented. = agree If something happens by common consent or by mutual consent, it happens as the result of an agreement between the people or groups involved.     By common consent their talk avoided the reason for their being there at all.     He left the company by mutual consent last September. You can use by general consent or by common consent to indicate that most people agree that something is true.     By common consent this election constituted a historic step on the road to democracy.

Q: glare [glZE]

A: If you glare at someone, you look at them with an angry expression on your face.     The old woman glared at him.     Jacob glared and muttered something.     ...glaring eyes. A glare is an angry, hard, and unfriendly look.     His glasses magnified his irritable glare. If the sun or a light glares, it shines with a very bright light which is difficult to look at.     The sunlight glared.     ...glaring searchlight beams. Glare is very bright light that is difficult to look at.     ...the glare of a car's headlights...     Special-purpose glasses reduce glare. If someone is in the glare of publicity or public attention, they are constantly being watched and talked about by a lot of people.     Norma is said to dislike the glare of publicity.     She attacked police in the full glare of TV cameras.

Q: downstairs [daun5steEz]

A: If you go downstairs in a building, you go down a staircase towards the ground floor.     Denise went downstairs and made some tea. <> upstairs If something or someone is downstairs in a building, they are on the ground floor or on a lower floor than you.     The telephone was downstairs in the entrance hall.     Everybody was downstairs watching a movie.     ...the woman who lives in the flat downstairs. <> upstairs Downstairs means situated on the ground floor of a building or on a lower floor than you are.     She repainted the downstairs rooms and closed off the second floor. <> upstairs The downstairs of a building is its lower floor or floors.     The downstairs of the two little houses had been entirely refashioned. <> upstairs

Q: grasp [grB:sp]

A: If you grasp something, you take it in your hand and hold it very firmly.     He grasped both my hands.     She was trying to grasp at something. See also grasping. A grasp is a very firm hold or grip.     His hand was taken in a warm, firm grasp. If you say that something is in someone's grasp, you disapprove of the fact that they possess or control it. If something slips from your grasp, you lose it or lose control of it.     The people in your grasp are not guests, they are hostages.     She allowed victory to slip from her grasp.     ...the task of liberating a number of states from the grasp of tyrants. If you grasp something that is complicated or difficult to understand, you understand it.     The Government has not yet grasped the seriousness of the crisis.     He instantly grasped that Stephen was talking about his wife. A grasp of something is an understanding of it.     They have a good grasp of foreign languages. If you say that something is within someone's grasp, you mean that it is very likely that they will achieve it.     Peace is now within our grasp.

Q: grind [graind]

A: If you grind a substance such as corn, you crush it between two hard surfaces or with a machine until it becomes a fine powder.     Store the peppercorns in an airtight container and grind the pepper as you need it.     ...the odor of fresh ground coffee. Grind up means the same as grind.     He makes his own paint, grinding up the pigment with a little oil. If you grind your teeth, you rub your upper and lower teeth together as though you are chewing something.     `Well,' I said, grinding my cigarette nervously into the granite step.     If you know you're grinding your teeth, particularly at night, see your dentist. If you grind something, you make it smooth or sharp by rubbing it against a hard surface.     It was beyond my ability to grind a blade this broad.     The tip can be ground to a much sharper edge to cut smoother and faster. If a vehicle grinds somewhere, it moves there very slowly and noisily.     Tanks had crossed the border at five fifteen and were grinding south. The grind of a machine is the harsh, scraping noise that it makes, usually because it is old or is working too hard.     The grind of heavy machines could get on their nerves. If you refer to routine tasks or activities as the grind, you mean they are boring and take up a lot of time and effort. (INFORMAL)     The daily grind of government is done by Her Majesty's Civil Service.     Life continues to be a terrible grind for the ordinary person. If a country's economy or something such as a process grinds to a halt, it gradually becomes slower or less active until it stops.     The peace process has ground to a halt while Israel struggles to form a new government. If a vehicle grinds to a halt, it stops slowly and noisily.     The tanks ground to a halt after a hundred yards because the fuel had been siphoned out.

Q: Leo [5li(:)Eu]

A: Leo Leo is one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. Its symbol is a lion. People who are born approximately between the 23rd of July and the 22nd of August come under this sign. A Leo is a person whose sign of the zodiac is Leo.

Q: hack [hAk]

A: If you hack something or hack at it, you cut it with strong, rough strokes using a sharp tool such as an axe or knife.     An armed gang barged onto the train and began hacking and shooting anyone in sight.     Some were hacked to death with machetes.     Matthew desperately hacked through the leather. Hack away means the same as hack.     He started to hack away at the tree bark. If you hack your way through an area such as a jungle or hack a path through it, you move forward, cutting back the trees or plants that are in your way.     We undertook the task of hacking our way through the jungle. If you hack at or hack something which is too large, too long, or too expensive, you reduce its size, length, or cost by cutting out or getting rid of large parts of it.     He hacked away at the story, throwing out much of the flashback material and eliminating one character entirely. If you refer to a professional writer, such as a journalist, as a hack, you disapprove of them because they write for money without worrying very much about the quality of their writing.     ...tabloid hacks, always eager to find victims in order to sell newspapers.     ...a hack writer of cheap romances. If you refer to a politician as a hack, you disapprove of them because they are too loyal to their party and perhaps do not deserve the position they have.     Far too many party hacks from the old days still hold influential jobs. If someone hacks into a computer system, they break into the system, especially in order to get secret information.     The saboteurs had demanded money in return for revealing how they hacked into the systems. * hacking     ...the common and often illegal art of computer hacking. If you hack or go hacking, you go out for a ride on horseback. (BRIT)     The children could be seen hacking across the hillside on their ponies. * hacking     Hacking is a major activity in the horse world. A hack is a ride on horseback. (BRIT)

Q: hammer away HAMMER AWAY

A: If you hammer away at a task or activity, you work at it constantly and with great energy.     Palmer kept hammering away at his report. If you hammer away at an idea or subject, you keep talking about it, especially because you disapprove of it.     They also hammered away at Labor's plans to raise taxes.

Q: haul [hC:l]

A: If you haul something which is heavy or difficult to move, you move it using a lot of effort.     A crane had to be used to haul the car out of the stream.     He hauled himself to his feet.     She hauled up her bedroom window and leaned out. If someone is hauled before a court or someone in authority, they are made to appear before them because they are accused of having done something wrong.     She was hauled before magistrates for refusing to reveal her age to a policeman.     He was hauled before the managing director and fired. Haul up means the same as haul.     He was hauled up before the Board of Trustees.     She was late for the interview after being hauled up for speeding. A haul is a quantity of things that are stolen, or a quantity of stolen or illegal goods found by police or customs.     The size of the drugs haul shows that the international trade in heroin is still flourishing.     Another break-in yielded a {Pound}4,000 haul of jewellery. If you say that a task or a journey is a long haul, you mean that it takes a long time and a lot of effort.     Revitalising the Romanian economy will be a long haul.<

Q: bout [baut]

A: If you have a bout of an illness or of an unpleasant feeling, you have it for a short period.     He was recovering from a severe bout of flu.     I was suffering with a bout of nerves. A bout of something that is unpleasant is a short time during which it occurs a great deal.     The latest bout of violence has claimed twenty four lives.     A half-hour daily walk can be more beneficial than one hard bout of exercise a week. = spell A bout is a boxing or wrestling match.     This will be Eubank's eighth title bout in 19 months. 4 bout Some writers use 'bout or bout to represent about when the first syllable is not pronounced.     How 'bout some coffee?.     I just felt the need to write bout it, I guess.

Q: fever [5fi:vE]

A: If you have a fever when you are ill, your body temperature is higher than usual and your heart beats faster.     My Uncle Jim had a high fever.     Symptoms of the disease include fever and weight loss. See also hay fever, rheumatic fever, scarlet fever. = temperature A fever is extreme excitement or nervousness about something.     Angie waited in a fever of excitement. = frenzy

Q: headache [5hedeik]

A: If you have a headache, you have a pain in your head.     I have had a terrible headache for the last two days. If you say that something is a headache, you mean that it causes you difficulty or worry.     The airline's biggest headache is the increase in the price of aviation fuel.     This is a real headache for us. = problem

Q: holding [5hEuldiN]

A: If you have a holding in a company, you own shares in it.     That would increase Olympia & York's holding to 35%.     Sid's amazing wealth comes from holdings in oil, gas, land and property. = investment A holding is an area of farm land which is owned or rented by the person who grows crops on it. The holdings of a place such as a museum, library, or art gallery are the items such as books or paintings which are kept there. A holding operation or action is a temporary one that is intended to keep a situation under control and to prevent it from becoming worse.     A garden is, at best, a holding operation against nature.

Q: intimate [5intimit]

A: If you have an intimate friendship with someone, you know them very well and like them a lot.     I discussed with my intimate friends whether I would immediately have a baby. An intimate is an intimate friend. (FORMAL)     They are to have an autumn wedding, an intimate of the couple confides. * intimately     He did not feel he had got to know them intimately. If two people are in an intimate relationship, they are involved with each other in a loving or sexual way.     I just won't discuss my intimate relationships.     ...their intimate moments with their boyfriends. * intimately     You have to be willing to get to know yourself and your partner intimately. An intimate conversation or detail, for example, is very personal and private.     He wrote about the intimate details of his family life.     I hate to interrupt your intimate conversation but we do have an assignment to discuss. = private * intimately     It was the first time they had attempted to talk intimately. If you use intimate to describe an occasion or the atmosphere of a place, you like it because it is quiet and pleasant, and seems suitable for close conversations between friends.     ...an intimate candlelit dinner for two. An intimate connection between ideas or organizations, for example, is a very strong link between them.     ...an intimate connection between madness and wisdom...     France has kept the most intimate links with its former African territories. * intimately     Property and equities are intimately connected in Hong Kong. An intimate knowledge of something is a deep and detailed knowledge of it.     He surprised me with his intimate knowledge of Kierkegaard and Schopenhauer. = thorough

Q: contempt [kEn5tempt]

A: If you have contempt for someone or something, you have no respect for them or think that they are unimportant.     He has contempt for those beyond his immediate family circle.     I hope voters will treat his advice with the contempt it deserves. <> respect Contempt means the same as contempt of court. (LEGAL)     Mr. Kelly was sentenced to six months in prison for contempt. = contempt of court If you hold someone or something in contempt, you feel contempt for them.     Small wonder that many voters hold their politicians in contempt. familiarity breeds contempt: see familiarity.

Q: curl [kE:l]

A: If you have curls, your hair is in the form of tight curves and spirals.     ...the little girl with blonde curls...     A curl of black hair fell loosely across his forehead. If your hair has curl, it is full of curls.     Dry curly hair naturally for maximum curl and shine. If your hair curls or if you curl it, it is full of curls.     She has hair that refuses to curl.     Maria had curled her hair for the event.     Afro hair is short and tightly curled. A curl of something is a piece or quantity of it that is curved or spiral in shape.     A thin curl of smoke rose from a rusty stove.     ...curls of lemon peel. If your toes, fingers, or other parts of your body curl, or if you curl them, they form a curved or round shape.     His fingers curled gently round her wrist.     Raise one foot, curl the toes and point the foot downwards.     She sat with her legs curled under her. = bend If something curls somewhere, or if you curl it there, it moves there in a spiral or curve.     Smoke was curling up the chimney.     He curled th

Q: capability [7keipE5biliti]

A: If you have the capability or the capabilities to do something, you have the ability or the qualities that are necessary to do it.     People experience differences in physical and mental capability depending on the time of day.     The standards set four years ago in Seoul will be far below the athletes' capabilities now. = ability A country's military capability is its ability to fight in a war.     Their military capability has gone down because their air force has proved not to be an effective force.     They have the capability to destroy the enemy in days rather than weeks.

Q: contend [kEn5tend]

A: If you have to contend with a problem or difficulty, you have to deal with it or overcome it.     It is time, once again, to contend with racism.     American businesses could soon have a new kind of lawsuit to contend with. If you contend that something is true, you state or argue that it is true. (FORMAL)     The government contends that he is fundamentalist.     `You were just looking,' contends Samantha. `I was the one doing all the work.' If you contend with someone for something such as power, you compete with them to try to get it.     ...the two main groups contending for power.     ...with 10 UK construction yards contending with rivals from Norway, Holland, Italy and Spain.     ...a binding political settlement between the contending parties.

Q: drastic [5drAstik]

A: If you have to take drastic action in order to solve a problem, you have to do something extreme and basic to solve it.     Drastic measures are needed to clean up the profession.     He's not going to do anything drastic about economic policy. = radical A drastic change is a very great change.     Elderly people are not in a position to make drastic changes at this stage of their life.     Foreign food aid has led to a drastic reduction in the numbers of people dying of starvation. * drastically     As a result, services have been drastically reduced.

Q: hesitate [5heziteit]

A: If you hesitate, you do not speak or act for a short time, usually because you are uncertain, embarrassed, or worried about what you are going to say or do.     The telephone rang. Catherine hesitated, debating whether to answer it.     She hesitated a long time and then she said `Yes'. * hesitation hesitations     Asked if he would go back, Mr Searle said after some hesitation, `I'll have to think about that'.     Mirella approached him and, after a brief hesitation, shook his hand. If you hesitate to do something, you delay doing it or are unwilling to do it, usually because you are not certain it would be right. If you do not hesitate to do something, you do it immediately.     Some parents hesitate to take these steps because they suspect that their child is exaggerating.     I hesitated to apply the word `vulnerable' to him but it came into my mind.     I will not hesitate to take unpopular decisions. You can use hesitate in expressions such as `don't hesitate to call me' or `don't hesitate to contact us' when you are telling someone that they should do something as soon as it needs to be done and should not worry about disturbing other people.     In the event of difficulties, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Service Department.     Please don't hesitate to tell either Mr Schrader or myself should you feel ill again.     Do not hesitate to laugh at anything you find amusing.

Q: hop [hCp]

A: If you hop, you move along by jumping on one foot.     I hopped down three steps.     Malcolm hopped rather than walked. Also a noun.     `This really is a catching rhythm, huh?' he added, with a few little hops. When birds and some small animals hop, they move along by jumping on both feet.     A small brown fawn hopped across the trail in front of them. Also a noun.     The rabbit got up, took four hops and turned round. If you hop somewhere, you move there quickly or suddenly. (INFORMAL)     My wife and I were the first to arrive and hopped on board.     I hopped out of bed quickly. = jump A hop is a short, quick journey, usually by plane. (INFORMAL)     It is a three-hour drive from Geneva but can be reached by a 20-minute hop in a private helicopter. A hop is a social event at which people mix together and dance in an informal way. (INFORMAL)     They were afraid of being turned down when they asked girls to dance at high school hops. Hops are flowers that are dried and used for making beer. If you tell someone to hop it, you are telling them in a rude way to go away. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     `Hop it', I snapped at the bloke. `She's with me.' = clear off Someone who is hopping mad is very angry. (INFORMAL)     The family's hopping mad that she left them nothing. If you are caught on the hop, you are surprised by someone doing something when you were not expecting them to and so you are not prepared for it. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     His plans almost caught security chiefs and hotel staff on the hop.

Q: hurl [hE:l]

A: If you hurl something, you throw it violently and with a lot of force.     Groups of angry youths hurled stones at police.     One prisoner set fire to rags and hurled them into the courtyard.     Simon caught the grenade and hurled it back.     Gangs rioted last night, breaking storefront windows and hurling rocks and bottles. If you hurl abuse or insults at someone, you shout insults at them aggressively.     How would you handle being locked in the back of a cab while the driver hurled abuse at you?

Q: hurry [5hQri]

A: If you hurry somewhere, you go there as quickly as you can.     Claire hurried along the road.     When she finished work she had to hurry home and look after her son.     Bob hurried to join him, and they rode home together. If you hurry to do something, you start doing it as soon as you can, or try to do it quickly.     Mrs Hardie hurried to make up for her tactlessness by asking her guest about his holiday..     There was no longer any reason to hurry. If you are in a hurry to do something, you need or want to do something quickly. If you do something in a hurry, you do it quickly or suddenly.     Kate was in a hurry to grow up, eager for knowledge and experience.     Eric left the barge in a hurry. To hurry something means the same as to hurry up something.     ...The President's attempt to hurry the process of independence. If you hurry someone to a place or into a situation, you try to make them go to that place or get into that situation quickly.     Rachel hurried him to his bed.     They say they are not going to be hurried into any decision.     I don't want to hurry you. = rush

Q: incur [in5kE:]

A: If you incur something unpleasant, it happens to you because of something you have done. (WRITTEN)     The government had also incurred huge debts.     She falls in love and incurs the wrath of her father.     ...the terrible damage incurred during the past decade. = sustain

Q: inherit [in5herit]

A: If you inherit money or property, you receive it from someone who has died.     He has no son to inherit his land.     ...paintings that he inherited from his father.     ...people with inherited wealth. If you inherit something such as a task, problem, or attitude, you get it from the people who used to have it, for example because you have taken over their job or been influenced by them.     The Endara government inherited an impossibly difficult situation from its predecessors.     Our legal system inherited laws from the English system.     ...the inherited wisdoms contained in its social hierarchy. If you inherit a characteristic or quality, you are born with it, because your parents or ancestors also had it.     We inherit from our parents many of our physical characteristics.     Her children have inherited her love of sport.     Stammering is probably an inherited defect.

Q: loyalty [5lCiElti]

A: Loyalty is the quality of staying firm in your friendship or support for someone or something.     I have sworn an oath of loyalty to the monarchy.     This is seen as a reward for the army's loyalty during a barracks revolt earlier this month. Loyalties are feelings of friendship, support, or duty towards someone or something.     She had developed strong loyalties to the Manet family.

Q: initiate [i5niFieit]

A: If you initiate something, you start it or cause it to happen.     They wanted to initiate a discussion on economics.     The trip was initiated by the manager of the community centre. If you initiate someone into something, you introduce them to a particular skill or type of knowledge and teach them about it.     He initiated her into the study of other cultures. If someone is initiated into something such as a religion, secret society, or social group, they become a member of it by taking part in ceremonies at which they learn its special knowledge or customs.     In many societies, young people are formally initiated into their adult roles.     ...the lengthy ceremony that initiated Golden Dawn members into the Second Order. An initiate is a person who has been accepted as a member by a particular group or club and been taught its secrets and skills.     Chen was an initiate of a Chinese spiritual discipline.

Q: inquire [in5kwaiE]

A: If you inquire about something, you ask for information about it. (FORMAL)     `Is something wrong?' he enquired.     `Who are you?' he enquired of the first man.     I rang up to inquire about train times.     He asked for his key and inquired whether there had been any messages for him.     He was so impressed that he inquired the young shepherd's name. If you inquire into something, you investigate it carefully.     Inspectors were appointed to inquire into the affairs of the company.

Q: insert [in5sE:t]

A: If you insert an object into something, you put the object inside it.     He took a small key from his pocket and slowly inserted it into the lock.     Wait for a couple of minutes with your mouth closed before inserting the thermometer. * insertion insertions     ...the first experiment involving the insertion of a new gene into a human being. If you insert a comment into a piece of writing or a speech, you include it.     They joined with the monarchists to insert a clause calling for a popular vote on the issue. * insertion     He saw no point whatsoever in recording an item for insertion in the programme. An insert is something that is inserted somewhere, especially an advertisement on a piece of paper that is placed between the pages of a book or magazine.

Q: instruct [in5strQkt]

A: If you instruct someone to do something, you formally tell them to do it. (FORMAL)     The family has instructed solicitors to sue Thomson for compensation.     `Go and have a word with her, Ken,' Webb instructed.     I want you to instruct them that they've got three months to get the details sorted out. Someone who instructs people in a subject or skill teaches it to them.     He instructed family members in nursing techniques.

Q: insure [in5FuE]

A: If you insure yourself or your property, you pay money to an insurance company so that, if you become ill or if your property is damaged or stolen, the company will pay you a sum of money.     For protection against unforeseen emergencies, you insure your house, your furnishings and your car.     While many people insure against death, far fewer take precautions against long-term loss of income because of sickness.     We automatically insure your furniture, belongings and decorations against theft, fire, vandalism or burst pipes. If you insure yourself against something unpleasant that might happen in the future, you do something to protect yourself in case it happens, or to prevent it happening.     ...if he can further insure himself against ambitious party rivals by achieving a strong election result in his home state next April...     All the electronics in the world cannot insure against accidents, though.

Q: intensify [in5tensifai]

A: If you intensify something or if it intensifies, it becomes greater in strength, amount, or degree.     Britain is intensifying its efforts to secure the release of three British hostages.     The conflict is almost bound to intensify.     Groups of refugees are on the move following intensified fighting in the region. = heighten * intensification     The country was on the verge of collapse because of the intensification of violent rebel attacks.

Q: interpret [in5tE:prit]

A: If you interpret something in a particular way, you decide that this is its meaning or significance.     The whole speech might well be interpreted as a coded message to the Americans.     The judge quite rightly says that he has to interpret the law as it's been passed.     Both approaches agree on what is depicted in the poem, but not on how it should be interpreted. If you interpret what someone is saying, you translate it immediately into another language.     The chambermaid spoke little English, so her husband came with her to interpret.     Three interpreters looked it over for about three or four hours and found that they could not interpret half of it.

Q: interrupt [7intE5rQpt]

A: If you interrupt someone who is speaking, you say or do something that causes them to stop.     Turkin tapped him on the shoulder. `Sorry to interrupt, Colonel.'.     He tried to speak, but she interrupted him. * interruption interruptions     The sudden interruption stopped Beryl in mid-flow. If someone or something interrupts a process or activity, they stop it for a period of time.     He has rightly interrupted his holiday in Spain to return to London.     The match took nearly three hours and was interrupted at times by rain. = disrupt * interruption     ...interruptions in the supply of food and fuel...     Motherhood did not constitute much of an interruption to her career.     I was able to get on with my work without interruption. = disruption If something interrupts a line, surface, or view, it stops it from being continuous or makes it look irregular.     Taller plants interrupt the views from the house.

Q: intervene [7intE5vi:n]

A: If you intervene in a situation, you become involved in it and try to change it.     The situation calmed down when police intervened.     The Government is doing nothing to intervene in the crisis. If you intervene, you interrupt a conversation in order to add something to it.     Hattie intervened and told me to stop it.     `I've told you he's not here,' Irena intervened. = interject If an event intervenes, it happens suddenly in a way that stops, delays, or prevents something from happening.     The South African mailboat arrived on Friday mornings unless bad weather intervened.     I pray that death may not intervene to prevent our meeting with my darling children.

Q: intimidate [in5timideit]

A: If you intimidate someone, you deliberately make them frightened enough to do what you want them to do.     Jones had set out to intimidate and dominate Paul.     Attempts to intimidate people into voting for the governing party did not work. = browbeat * intimidation     ...an inquiry into allegations of intimidation during last week's vote.

Q: invent [in5vent]

A: If you invent something such as a machine or process, you are the first person to think of it or make it.     He invented the first electric clock.     Writing had not been invented as yet. If you invent a story or excuse, you try to make other people believe that it is true when in fact it is not.     I stood still, trying to invent a plausible excuse.

Q: jack in JACK IN

A: If you jack in something such as an activity or job, you stop doing it. (BRIT, INFORMAL)     Four of the cast jacked it in about Christmas.     After she jacked in the teaching, Jane got herself a job with a shipping line. = pack in

Q: jack up JACK UP

A: If you jack up a heavy object such as a car, you raise it off the ground using a jack.     They jacked up the car.     All I had to do was get everyone out of the car, jack it up, and put on the spare. To jack up the price or amount of something means to increase it to an unreasonable or unacceptable level. (INFORMAL)     The plan would cost so much that the company would have to jack up its prices.     Inflation has jacked up the rate of unemployment. = hike, hike up

Q: jerk [dVE:k]

A: If you jerk something or someone in a particular direction, or they jerk in a particular direction, they move a short distance very suddenly and quickly.     Mr Griffin jerked forward in his chair.     The car jerked to a halt.     `This is Brady Coyne,' said Sam, jerking his head in my direction.     Mike kept snatching him up by the collar and jerking him up.     Eleanor jerked her wrist free.     Foley raised his chin and jerked his neck as if his collar were too tight. Also a noun.     He indicated the bedroom with a jerk of his head. If you call someone a jerk, you are insulting them because you think they are stupid or you do not like them. (INFORMAL, OFFENSIVE)

Q: ideally [ai5diEli]

A: If you say that ideally a particular thing should happen or be done, you mean that this is what you would like to happen or be done, but you know that this is may not be possible or practical.     People should, ideally, be persuaded to eat a diet with much less fat or oil. = preferably If you say that someone or something is ideally suited, ideally located, or ideally qualified, you mean that they are as well suited, located, or qualified as they could possibly be.     They were an extremely happy couple, ideally suited.     The hotel is ideally situated for country walks.     The General is ideally qualified for the job. = perfectly

Q: knit [nit]

A: If you knit something, especially an article of clothing, you make it from wool or a similar thread by using two knitting needles or a machine.     I had endless hours to knit and sew.     I have already started knitting baby clothes.     She knitted him 10 pairs of socks to take with him.     During the war, Joan helped her mother knit scarves for soldiers.     She pushed up the sleeves of her grey knitted cardigan and got to work. Also a combining form.     Ferris wore a heavy knit sweater.     ...a cotton-knit sweater.     ...hand-knit garments. * knitter knitters     Pattern charts with small print are often difficult for older knitters to use. If someone or something knits things or people together, they make them fit or work together closely and successfully.     The best thing about sport is that it knits the whole family close together.     Ordinary people have some reservations about their president's drive to knit them so closely to their neighbors. Also a combining form.     ...a closer-knit European Community.     ...a tightly knit society. When broke

Q: lash out LASH OUT

A: If you lash out, you attempt to hit someone quickly and violently with a weapon or with your hands or feet.     Riot police fired in the air and lashed out with clubs to disperse hundreds of demonstrators.     Her husband has a terrible temper and lashes out at her for no good reason. If you lash out at someone or something, you speak to them or about them very angrily or critically.     As a politician Jefferson frequently lashed out at the press.     The Cuban leader lashed out against the policy of the US President.

Q: locate [lEu5keit]

A: If you locate something or someone, you find out where they are. (FORMAL)     The scientists want to locate the position of the gene on a chromosome.     We've simply been unable to locate him. = find If you locate something in a particular place, you put it there or build it there. (FORMAL)     Atlanta was voted the best city in which to locate a business by more than 400 chief executives.     Tudor Court represents your opportunity to locate at the heart of the new Birmingham. If you locate in a particular place, you move there or open a business there. (mainly AM)     ...tax breaks for businesses that locate in run-down neighborhoods.

Q: moan [mEun]

A: If you moan, you make a low sound, usually because you are unhappy or in pain.     Tony moaned in his sleep and then turned over on his side.     `My head, my head,' he moaned. `I can't see.' = groan Also a noun.     Suddenly she gave a low, choking moan and began to tremble violently.     ...her moan of sorrow. To moan means to complain or speak in a way which shows that you are very unhappy.     I used to moan if I didn't get at least six hours' sleep at night.     ...moaning about the weather...     They moan on a lot about money.     Meg moans, `I hated it!'.     The gardener was moaning that he had another garden to do later that morning. = complain, whinge A moan is a complaint. (INFORMAL)     They have been listening to people's gripes, moans and praise. If you have a moan, you complain about something. (INFORMAL)     You can go see him and have a good old moan. A moan is a low noise. (LITERARY)     ...the occasional moan of the wind round the corners of the house.     ...the moan of distant traffic.

Q: modify [5mCdifai]

A: If you modify something, you change it slightly, usually in order to improve it.     The club members did agree to modify their recruitment policy.     The plane was a modified version of the C-130. = adapt * modification modifications     Relatively minor modifications were required.     ...behaviour modification techniques. A word or group of words that modifies another word describes or classifies something, or restricts the meaning of the word.     It is a rule of English that adjectives generally precede the noun they modify: we say `a good cry', not `a cry good'.

Q: murmur [5mE:mE]

A: If you murmur something, you say it very quietly, so that not many people can hear what you are saying.     He turned and murmured something to the professor.     She murmured a few words of support.     `How lovely,' she murmured.     Murmuring softly that they must go somewhere to talk, he led her from the garden. A murmur is something that is said which can hardly be heard.     They spoke in low murmurs.     She gave a little murmur. A murmur is a continuous low sound, like the noise of a river or of voices far away.     The piano music mixes with the murmur of conversation.     I could hear the murmur of the sea.     The clamor of traffic has receded to a distant murmur. = hum A murmur of a particular emotion is a quiet expression of it.     The promise of some basic working rights draws murmurs of approval.     Already there are murmurs of discontent. A murmur is an abnormal sound which is made by the heart and which shows that there is probably something wrong with it.     The doctor said James had now developed a heart murmur.

Q: muse [mju:z]

A: If you muse on something, you think about it, usually saying or writing what you are thinking at the same time. (WRITTEN)     Many of the papers muse on the fate of the President.     `As a whole,' she muses, `the `organized church' turns me off'.     He once mused that he would have voted Labour in 1964 had he been old enough. = ponder * musing musings     His musings were interrupted by Montagu who came and sat down next to him. A muse is a person, usually a woman, who gives someone, usually a man, a desire to create art, poetry, or music, and gives them ideas for it.     Once she was a nude model and muse to French artist Henri Matisse.     ...the muses who fuel his inspiration.

Q: mutter [5mQtE]

A: If you mutter, you speak very quietly so that you cannot easily be heard, often because you are complaining about something.     `God knows,' she muttered, `what's happening in that madman's mind.'.     She can hear the old woman muttering about consideration.     He sat there shaking his head, muttering to himself.     She was staring into the fire muttering. = mumble Also a noun.     They make no more than a mutter of protest. * muttering mutterings     He heard muttering from the front of the crowd.     He will lead the party into the election, in spite of the mutterings about his leadership.

Q: nail down NAIL DOWN

A: If you nail down something unknown or uncertain, you find out exactly what it is.     It would be useful if you could nail down the source of this tension. = pin down If you nail down an agreement, you manage to reach a firm agreement with a definite result.     The Secretary of State and his Russian counterpart met to try to nail down the elusive accord. If you nail something down, you fix it firmly onto something.     Lay strips of 4mm ply over the mesh and nail these down with panel pins.

Q: nail up NAIL UP

A: If you nail something up, you fix it to a wall, post, or tree using nails.     He fished and nailed up his catch to dry on the wall of the byre. = fix If you nail up a wooden container, you secure the lid with nails.     He took a hammer from his boot and nailed up the lid.

Q: feat [fi:t]

A: If you refer to an action, or the result of an action, as a feat, you admire it because it is an impressive and difficult achievement.     A racing car is an extraordinary feat of engineering. no mean feat...see mean. = accomplishment

Q: inability [inE5biliti]

A: If you refer to someone's inability to do something, you are referring to the fact that they are unable to do it.     Her inability to concentrate could cause an accident.     ...the government's inability to provide basic services. <> ability

Q: indictment [in5daitmEnt]

A: If you say that one thing is an indictment of another thing, you mean that it shows how bad the other thing is.     It's a sad indictment of society that policeman are regarded as easy targets by thugs. An indictment is a formal accusation that someone has committed a crime. (mainly AM, LEGAL)     Prosecutors may soon seek an indictment on racketeering and fraud charges.     The government's indictment against the three men alleged unlawful trading. = charge

Q: bash out BASH OUT

A: If you say that someone bashes something out, you mean that they produce it quickly or in large quantities, but without much care or thought. (INFORMAL)     Up to then, they'd merrily bashed out albums in between tours.     Their ambitions are to bash out good grub with minimal fuss.

Q: mortal [5mC:tl]

A: If you refer to the fact that people are mortal, you mean that they have to die and cannot live for ever.     A man is deliberately designed to be mortal. He grows, he ages, and he dies. <> immortal * mortality     She has suddenly come face to face with her own mortality. You can describe someone as a mortal when you want to say that they are an ordinary person.     Tickets seem unobtainable to the ordinary mortal.     ...impossible needs for any mere mortal to meet. = human You can use mortal to show that something is very serious or may cause death.     The police were defending themselves and others against mortal danger.     Broadcasting was regarded at the time as the mortal enemy of live music-making. * mortally     He falls, mortally wounded. You can use mortal to emphasize that a feeling is extremely great or severe.     When self-esteem is high, we lose our mortal fear of jealousy. * mortally     Candida admits to having been `mortally embarrassed'.

Q: bow down BOW DOWN

A: If you refuse to bow down to another person, you refuse to show them respect or to behave in a way which you think would make you seem weaker or less important than them.     We should not have to bow down to anyone. = kow-tow

Q: anonymous [E5nCnimEs]

A: If you remain anonymous when you do something, you do not let people know that you were the person who did it.     You can remain anonymous if you wish.     An anonymous benefactor stepped in to provide the prize money.     ...anonymous phone calls. <> known, named * anonymity     Both mother and daughter, who have requested anonymity, are doing fine. * anonymously     The latest photographs were sent anonymously to the magazine's Paris headquarters. Something that is anonymous does not reveal who you are.     Of course, that would have to be by anonymous vote. * anonymity     He claims many more people would support him in the anonymity of a voting booth. If you describe a place as anonymous, you dislike it because it has no unusual or interesting features and seems unwelcoming.     ...the most anonymous part of north-west Washington...     It's nice to stay in a home rather than in an anonymous holiday villa. * anonymity     ...the anonymity of the rented room.

Q: graphic [5grAfik]

A: If you say that a description or account of something unpleasant is graphic, you are emphasizing that it is clear and detailed.     The descriptions of sexual abuse are graphic.     ...graphic scenes of drug taking. = explicit * graphically     Here, graphically displayed, was confirmation of the entire story. Graphic means concerned with drawing or pictures, especially in publishing, industry, or computing.     ...the graphic design department.     ...fine and graphic arts. Graphics is the activity of drawing or making pictures, especially in publishing, industry, or computing.     ...a computer manufacturer which specialises in graphics. Graphics are drawings and pictures that are composed using simple lines and sometimes strong colours.     The articles are noticeably shorter with strong headlines and graphics.     The Agriculture Department today released a new graphic to replace the old symbol.

Q: miracle [5mirEkl]

A: If you say that a good event is a miracle, you mean that it is very surprising and unexpected.     It is a miracle no one was killed.     The Italian economic miracle has always been a mystery. A miracle drug or product does something that was thought almost impossible. (JOURNALISM)     ...a miracle drug that is said to be a cure for Aids and cancer. A miracle is a wonderful and surprising event that is believed to be caused by God.     ...the miracle of the Virgin Birth.     ...Jesus's ability to perform miracles.

Q: carve up CARVE UP

A: If you say that someone carves something up, you disapprove of the way they have divided it into small parts.     He has set about carving up the company which Hammer created from almost nothing.     They have begun carving the country up like a pie. To carve someone up means to hurt them badly using a knife. (INFORMAL)     He wanted to go into the street and carve someone's face up.

Q: dedicate [5dedikeit]

A: If you say that someone has dedicated themselves to something, you approve of the fact that they have decided to give a lot of time and effort to it because they think that it is important.     Back on the island, he dedicated himself to politics.     Bessie has dedicated her life to caring for others. = devote * dedicated     He's quite dedicated to his students.     ...a company staffed by capable and dedicated people. * dedication     We admire her courage, compassion and dedication to the cause of humanity, justice and peace.     To be successful takes hard work and dedication. If someone dedicates something such as a book, play, or piece of music to you, they mention your name, for example in the front of a book or when a piece of music is performed, as a way of showing affection or respect for you.     She dedicated her first album to Woody Allen, whom she says understands her obsession.     This book is dedicated to the memory of my mother. If a building or church is dedicated to someone, a formal ceremony is held to show that the building will always be associated with them.     The other day, in a little church near Brighton, a window was dedicated to the memory of the Revd. Michael Scott.     The church is dedicated to St Mary of Bec. * dedication     ...the dedication of the Holocaust Museum...     Some 250 guests attended the dedication ceremony.

Q: interfere [7intE5fiE]

A: If you say that someone interferes in a situation, you mean they get involved in it although it does not concern them and their involvement is not wanted.     I wish everyone would stop interfering and just leave me alone.     The UN cannot interfere in the internal affairs of any country. = meddle Something that interferes with a situation, activity, or process has a damaging effect on it.     Drug problems frequently interfered with his work.     Alexander wasn't going to let a lack of space interfere with his plans.     Smoking and drinking interfere with your body's ability to process oxygen.

Q: beam [bi:m]

A: If you say that someone is beaming, you mean that they have a big smile on their face because they are happy, pleased, or proud about something. (WRITTEN)     Frances beamed at her friend with undisguised admiration.     `Welcome back,' she beamed.     ...the beaming face of a 41-year-old man on the brink of achieving his dreams. A beam is a line of energy, radiation, or particles sent in a particular direction.     ...high-energy laser beams.     ...a beam of neutrons. If radio signals or television pictures are beamed somewhere, they are sent there by means of electronic equipment.     The interview was beamed live across America.     Soon, CMTV will be beaming into British homes via the Astra satellite.     ...a ship which is due to begin beaming radio broadcasts to China. A beam of light is a line of light that shines from an object such as a lamp. If something such as the sun or a lamp beams down, it sends light to a place and shines on it.     A sharp white spot-light beamed down on a small stage.     All you see of the outside world is the sunlight beaming through the cracks in the roof. A beam is a long thick bar of wood, m

Q: challenged CHALLENGED

A: If you say that someone is challenged in a particular way, you mean that they have a disability in that area. Challenged is often combined with inappropriate words for humorous effect.     ...terms like `vertically-challenged' -- meaning short...     She ran off with an intellectually challenged ski instructor.

Q: cop out COP OUT

A: If you say that someone is copping out, you mean they are avoiding doing something they should do. (INFORMAL)     `Will you call the board to alert them that I feel I should resign?' --- `I'll do it. But I think you're copping out.' See also cop-out.

Q: defiant [di5faiEnt]

A: If you say that someone is defiant, you mean they show aggression or independence by refusing to obey someone.     The players are in defiant mood as they prepare for tomorrow's game.     Despite the risk of suspension, he remained defiant. * defiantly     They defiantly rejected any talk of a compromise.

Q: eccentric [ik5sentrik]

A: If you say that someone is eccentric, you mean that they behave in a strange way, and have habits or opinions that are different from those of most people.     He is an eccentric character who likes wearing a beret and dark glasses.     ...Mr Thomas, a businessman with eccentric views. = odd An eccentric is an eccentric person. * eccentrically     ...painters, eccentrically dressed and already half drunk.

Q: jerk around JERK AROUND

A: If you say that someone is jerking you around, you mean that they are not being honest with you about something. (INFORMAL)     Don't jerk me around, Mr Crook.     We're being jerked around, and I don't like it.

Q: costly [5kCstli]

A: If you say that something is costly, you mean that it costs a lot of money, often more than you would want to pay.     Having professionally made curtains can be costly, so why not make your own? = expensive <> cheap If you describe someone's action or mistake as costly, you mean that it results in a serious disadvantage for them, for example the loss of a large amount of money or the loss of their reputation.     Psychometric tests can save organizations from grim and costly mistakes.     This sort of scandal in international banking has been politically costly.

Q: manipulate [mE5nipjuleit]

A: If you say that someone manipulates people, you disapprove of them because they skilfully force or persuade people to do what they want.     He is a very difficult character. He manipulates people.     She's always borrowing my clothes and manipulating me to give her vast sums of money.     They'll have kids who are two, three, who are manipulating them into buying toys. * manipulation manipulations     ...repeated criticism or manipulation of our mind...     I don't like manipulations or lies. If you say that someone manipulates an event or situation, you disapprove of them because they use or control it for their own benefit, or cause it to develop in the way they want.     She was unable, for once, to control and manipulate events.     They felt he had been cowardly in manipulating the system to avoid the draft. = manoeuvre * manipulation     ...accusations of political manipulation. If you manipulate something that requires skill, such as a complicated piece of equipment or a difficult idea, you operate it or process it.     The technology uses a pen to manipulate a computer.     The puppets are expertly manipulated by Liz Walker.     His mind moves in quantum leaps, manipulating ideas and jumping on to new ones as soon as he can. * manipulation     ...science that requires only the simplest of mathematical manipulations. If someone manipulates your bones or muscles, they skilfully move and press them with their hands in order to push the bones into their correct position or make the muscles less stiff.     The way he can manipulate my leg has helped my arthritis so much. * manipulation

Q: liability [7laiE5biliti]

A: If you say that someone or something is a liability, you mean that they cause a lot of problems or embarrassment.     As the president's prestige continues to fall, they're clearly beginning to consider him a liability     ... what was once a vote catching policy, is now a political liability. A company or organization's liabilities are the sums of money which it owes. (TECHNICAL or LEGAL)     The company had assets of $138 million and liabilities of $120.5 million. <> asset

Q: fortunate [5fC:tFEnit]

A: If you say that someone or something is fortunate, you mean that they are lucky.     He was extremely fortunate to survive.     Central London is fortunate in having so many large parks and open spaces.     It was fortunate that the water was shallow.     She is in the fortunate position of having plenty of choice.

Q: comprise [kEm5praiz]

A: If you say that something comprises or is comprised of a number of things or people, you mean it has them as its parts or members. (FORMAL)     The special cabinet committee comprises Mr Brown, Mr Mandelson, and Mr Straw.     The exhibition comprises 50 oils and watercolours.     The task force is comprised of congressional leaders, cabinet heads and administration officials.     A crowd comprised of the wives and children of scientists staged a demonstration. The things or people that comprise something are the parts or members that form it. (FORMAL)     ...the multitude of ideas, ambitions and regrets that comprises the culture of Russia today...     Women comprise 44% of hospital medical staff. = form, make up

Q: grind on GRIND ON

A: If you say that something grinds on, you disapprove of the fact that it continues to happen in the same way for a long time.     Civil war in the Sudan has been grinding on for nine years.

Q: charming [5tFB:miN]

A: If you say that something is charming, you mean that it is very pleasant or attractive.     ...a charming little fishing village.     ...the charming custom of wearing a rose on that day. <> charmless * charmingly     There's something charmingly old-fashioned about his brand of entertainment. = delightfully If you describe someone as charming, you mean they behave in a friendly, pleasant way that makes people like them.     ...a charming young man...     He found her as smart and beautiful as she is charming.     He can be charming to his friends. * charmingly     Calder smiled charmingly and put out his hand. `A pleasure, Mrs Talbot.' You can say `Charming!' to indicate your disapproval when someone has just been rude to you or told you about someone's bad behaviour.     `I'm glad I'm not going with you, that's for sure.' --- `Oh, charming!'.     `They wanted to stop my dole money for those days.' --- `Charming!'

Q: lyric [5lirik]

A: Lyric poetry is written in a simple and direct style, and usually expresses personal emotions such as love.     ...Lawrence's splendid short stories and lyric poetry. The lyrics of a song are its words.     ...Kurt Weill's Broadway opera with lyrics by Langston Hughes.

Q: dreadful [5dredful]

A: If you say that something is dreadful, you mean that it is very bad or unpleasant, or very poor in quality.     They told us the dreadful news.     My financial situation is dreadful. = awful, appalling * dreadfully     You behaved dreadfully.     They treated him dreadfully. Dreadful is used to emphasize the degree or extent of something bad.     We've made a dreadful mistake.     I had a dreadful headache. If someone looks or feels dreadful, they look or feel very ill, tired, or upset.     Are you all right? You look dreadful.     I feel absolutely dreadful about what has happened.

Q: endless [5endlis]

A: If you say that something is endless, you mean that it is very large or lasts for a very long time, and it seems as if it will never stop.     They turned into an endless street.     The war was endless. * endlessly     They talk about it endlessly.     ...endlessly long arcades of shops.

Q: fantastic [fAn5tAstik]

A: If you say that something is fantastic, you are emphasizing that you think it is very good or that you like it a lot. (INFORMAL)     I have a fantastic social life.     I thought she was fantastic. = great A fantastic amount or quantity is an extremely large one.     ...fantastic amounts of money. * fantastically     ...a fantastically expensive restaurant. You describe something as fantastic or fantastical when it seems strange and wonderful or unlikely.     Unlikely and fantastic legends grew up around a great many figures, both real and fictitious.     The book has many fantastical aspects.

Q: gorgeous [5gC:dVEs]

A: If you say that something is gorgeous, you mean that it gives you a lot of pleasure or is very attractive. (INFORMAL)     ...gorgeous mountain scenery...     It's a gorgeous day.     Some of the Renaissance buildings are gorgeous. = lovely * gorgeously     She has a gorgeously warm speaking voice. If you describe someone as gorgeous, you mean that you find them very sexually attractive. (INFORMAL)     The cosmetics industry uses gorgeous women to sell its skincare products.     All the girls in my house are mad about Ryan, they think he's gorgeous. = beautiful If you describe things such as clothes and colours as gorgeous, you mean they are bright, rich, and impressive.     ...a red-haired man in the gorgeous uniform of a Marshal of the Empire. * gorgeously     ...gorgeously embroidered clothing.

Q: imminent [5iminEnt]

A: If you say that something is imminent, especially something unpleasant, you mean it is almost certain to happen very soon.     There appeared no imminent danger.     They warned that an attack is imminent. * imminence     The imminence of war was on everyone's mind.

Q: manifest [5mAnifest]

A: If you say that something is manifest, you mean that it is clearly true and that nobody would disagree with it if they saw it or considered it. (FORMAL)     ...the manifest failure of the policies...     There may be unrecognised cases of manifest injustice of which we are unaware. = patent * manifestly     She manifestly failed to last the mile and a half of the race.     ...the manifestly obvious health and social advantages of chastity. = patently If you manifest a particular quality, feeling, or illness, or if it manifests itself, it becomes visible or obvious. (FORMAL)     He manifested a pleasing personality on stage.     The virus needs two weeks to manifest itself.     ...and so their frustration and anger will manifest itself in crying and screaming...     He's only convincing when that inner fury manifests itself. = show Also an adjective.     The same alarm is manifest everywhere.     Some of her social aspirations were made manifest.

Q: essence [5esns]

A: If you say that something is of the essence, you mean that it is absolutely necessary in order for a particular action to be successful. (FORMAL)     The essence of consultation is to listen to, and take account of, the views of those consulted.     ...the essence of life...     Others claim that Ireland's very essence is expressed through the language.     Though off-puttingly complicated in detail, local taxes are in essence simple.     Time is of the essence.     Speed was of the essence in a project of this type. = crucial Essence is a very concentrated liquid that is used for flavouring food or for its smell.     ...a few drops of vanilla essence.     ...exotic bath essences.

Q: magnificent [mAg5nifisnt]

A: If you say that something or someone is magnificent, you mean that you think they are extremely good, beautiful, or impressive.     ...a magnificent country house in wooded grounds.     ...magnificent views over the San Fernando Valley...     She is magnificent at making you feel you can talk quite naturally to her. = splendid * magnificence     I shall never forget the magnificence of the Swiss mountains and the beauty of the lakes. = splendour * magnificently     The team played magnificently throughout the competition.     ...a magnificently elaborate head-dress. = splendidly

Q: lone [lEun]

A: If you talk about a lone person or thing, you mean that they are alone.     A lone woman motorist waited for six hours for the RAC yesterday because of a name mix-up.     He was shot by a lone gunman. A lone parent is a parent who is looking after her or his child or children and who is not married or living with a partner. (mainly BRIT)     Ninety per cent of lone parent families are headed by mothers. = single

Q: developing [di5velEpiN]

A: If you talk about developing countries or the developing world, you mean the countries or the parts of the world that are poor and have few industries.     In the developing world cigarette consumption is increasing.

Q: hurry up HURRY UP

A: If you tell someone to hurry up, you are telling them do something more quickly than they were doing.     Franklin told Howe to hurry up and take his bath; otherwise, they'd miss their train.     Hurry up with that coffee, will you.

Q: knot [nCt]

A: If you tie a knot in a piece of string, rope, cloth, or other material, you pass one end or part of it through a loop and pull it tight.     One lace had broken and been tied in a knot. If you knot a piece of string, rope, cloth, or other material, you pass one end or part of it through a loop and pull it tight.     He knotted the laces securely together.     He knotted the bandanna around his neck.     ...a knotted rope. A knot of people is a group of people who are standing very close together. (WRITTEN)     A little knot of men stood clapping. If you feel a knot in your stomach, you get an uncomfortable tight feeling in your stomach, usually because you are afraid or excited.     There was a knot of tension in his stomach. If your stomach knots or if something knots it, it feels tight because you are afraid or excited.     I felt my stomach knot with apprehension.     The old dread knotted her stomach. If part of your face or your muscles knot, they become tense, usually because you are worried or angry.     His forehead knotted in a frown.     ...his knotted muscles. <f

Q: established [is5tAbliFt]

A: If you use established to describe something such as an organization, you mean that it is officially recognized or generally approved of because it has existed for a long time.     Their religious adherence is not to the established church.     ...qualified lawyers with established and prestigious business addresses.     ...the established names of Paris fashion.

Q: ignorance [5ignErEns]

A: Ignorance of something is lack of knowledge about it.     I am beginning to feel embarrassed by my complete ignorance of non-European history.     There is so much ignorance about mental illness.     In my ignorance I had never heard country & western music.

Q: imperial [im5piEriEl]

A: Imperial is used to refer to things or people that are or were connected with an empire.     ...the Imperial Palace in Tokyo...     They executed Russia's imperial family in 1918. The imperial system of measurement uses inches, feet, and yards to measure length, ounces and pounds to measure weight, and pints and gallons to measure volume.

Q: black and white BLACK AND WHITE

A: In a black and white photograph or film, everything is shown in black, white, and grey.     ...a black-and-white photo of the two of us together.     ...old black and white film footage...     The pictures were in black and white. A black and white television set shows only black and white pictures. A black and white issue or situation is one which involves issues which seem simple and therefore easy to make decisions about.     But this isn't a simple black and white affair, Marianne.     She saw things in black and white. = clear-cut You say that something is in black and white when it has been written or printed, and not just said.     He'd seen the proof in black and white.     Maybe you don't want to read about Doug's death in black and white.

Q: backward [5bAkwEd]

A: In American English, backward is usually used as an adverb instead of backwards. Backward is also sometimes used in this way in formal British English. See backwards for these uses. A backward movement or look is in the direction that your back is facing. Some people use backwards for this meaning.     He unlocked the door of apartment two and disappeared inside after a backward glance at Larry.     He did a backward flip. <> forward If someone takes a backward step, they do something that does not change or improve their situation, but causes them to go back a stage.     At a certain age, it's not viable for men to take a backward step into unskilled work.     Many dentists will no longer treat National Health Service patients, which is a big backward step in this country. = forward A backward country or society does not have modern industries and machines.     We need to accelerate the pace of change in our backward country. <> developed * backwardness     I was astonished at the backwardness of our country at the time. A backward child has difficulty in learning.     ...research into teaching techniques to help backward children...     I was slow to walk and talk and my parents thought I was backward. = slow * backwardness </f

Q: constable [5kQnstEbl]

A: In Britain and some other countries, a constable is a police officer of the lowest rank.     He was a constable at Sutton police station.     ...Constable Stuart Clark...     Thanks for your help, Constable. See also Chief Constable. In the United States, a constable is an official who helps keep the peace in a town. They are lower in rank than a sheriff.

Q: building society BUILDING SOCIETY

A: In Britain, a building society is a business which will lend you money when you want to buy a house. You can also invest money in a building society, where it will earn interest. Compare savings and loan association.

Q: high school HIGH SCHOOL

A: In Britain, a high school is a school for children aged between eleven and eighteen.     ...Sunderland High School. In the United States, a high school is a school for children usually aged between fourteen and eighteen.     ...an 18-year-old inner-city kid who dropped out of high school.     ...the high school football team.

Q: cater [5keitE]

A: In British English, to cater for a group of people means to provide all the things that they need or want. In American English, you say you cater to a person or group of people.     Minorca is the sort of place that caters for families.     We cater to an exclusive clientele. In British English, to cater for something means to take it into account. In American English, you say you cater to something.     We have to cater for demand.     ...shops that cater for the needs of men...     Exercise classes cater to all levels of fitness. If a person or company caters for an occasion such as a wedding or a party, they provide food and drink for all the people there.     Nunsmere Hall can cater for receptions of up to 300 people.     The chef is pleased to cater for vegetarian diets.     Does he cater parties too? See also catering, self-catering.

Q: barrister [5bAristE]

A: In England and Wales, a barrister is a lawyer who represents clients in the higher courts of law. Compare solicitor.

Q: devil [5devl]

A: In Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, the Devil is the most powerful evil spirit. = Satan A devil is an evil spirit.     ...the idea of angels with wings and devils with horns and hoofs. = demon You can use devil to emphasize the way you feel about someone. For example, if you call someone a poor devil, you are saying that you feel sorry for them. You can call someone you are fond of but who sometimes annoys or irritates you an old devil or a little devil. (INFORMAL)     I felt sorry for Blake, poor devil.     Manfred, you're a suspicious old devil.     Susie, you're a determined little devil. If you refer to someone as a devil, you mean that they do not behave very well but you like them and are not angry with them. (INFORMAL)     `I think he was a bit of a devil,' Constance said. Devil can be used to emphasize what you think about someone or something. For example, if you say that someone is a devil of a nuisance, you mean that they are very annoying. If you say that something is a devil of a problem, you mean that it is a very difficult problem.     He was always a devil of a nuisance.     It's a devil of a tricky problem,isn't it? If you say better the devil you know or better the devil you know than the devil you don't know, you mean that you would prefer to have contact with or do business with a person you already know

Q: keeper [5ki:pE]

A: In soccer, the keeper is the same as the goalkeeper. (BRIT, INFORMAL) In American football, a keeper is a play in which the quarterback keeps the ball. (AM) A keeper at a zoo is a person who takes care of the animals. The keeper of a museum or art gallery, or of one part of it, is the person who is responsible for the things in it. (mainly BRIT; in AM usually use curator) = curator If you say that you are not someone's keeper, you mean that you are not responsible for what they do or for what happens to them.     `I don't know where he is,' Hughes replied. `I'm not his keeper.'

Q: landing [5lAndiN]

A: In a house or other building, the landing is the area at the top of the staircase which has rooms leading off it.     I ran out onto the landing. A landing is an act of bringing an aircraft or spacecraft down to the ground.     I had to make a controlled landing into the sea.     The plane had been cleared for landing at Brunswick's Glynco Airport. = touchdown When a landing takes place, troops are unloaded from boats or aircraft at the beginning of a military invasion or other operation.     American forces have begun a big landing. A landing is the same as a landing stage.

Q: lounge [laundV]

A: In a house, a lounge is a room where people sit and relax. (mainly BRIT)     The Holmbergs were sitting before a roaring fire in the lounge, sipping their cocoa. = living room, sitting room In a hotel, club, or other public place, a lounge is a room where people can sit and relax.     I spoke to her in the lounge of a big Johannesburg hotel where she was attending a union meeting. In an airport, a lounge is a very large room where people can sit and wait for aircraft to arrive or leave.     Instead of taking me to the departure lounge they took me right to my seat on the plane. If you lounge somewhere, you sit or lie there in a relaxed or lazy way.     They ate and drank and lounged in the shade.     If you don't want to lounge on the beach, you can go on a guided walk along the nature trail. = laze

Q: logical [5lCdVikEl]

A: In a logical argument or method of reasoning, each step must be true if the step before it is true.     Only when each logical step has been checked by other mathematicians will the proof be accepted. * logically     My professional training has taught me to look at things logically. The logical conclusion or result of a series of facts or events is the only one which can come from it, according to the rules of logic.     If the climate gets drier, then the logical conclusion is that even more drought will occur.     ...this is the logical result of a long evolution in which we moved from working by the sweat of our brow and by muscle to industrial work and finally to knowledge work.     ...a society that dismisses God as a logical impossibility. * logically     From that it followed logically that he would not be meeting Hildegarde. Something that is logical seems reasonable or sensible in the circumstances.     Connie suddenly struck her as a logical candidate.     There was a logical explanation.     It is logical to take precautions. = sensible * logically     This was the one possibility I hadn't taken into consideration, though logically I should have done.

Q: menu [5menju:]

A: In a restaurant or cafe, or at a formal meal, the menu is a list of the meals and drinks that are available.     A waiter offered him the menu.     Even the most elaborate dishes on the menu were quite low on calories. A menu is the food that you serve at a meal.     Try out the menu on a few friends.     The menu is all-important. Every component of every meal should create contrasts. On a computer, a menu is a list of choices. Each choice represents something that you can do using the computer.

Q: hardware [5hB:dwZE]

A: In computer systems, hardware refers to the machines themselves as opposed to the programs which tell the machines what to do. Compare software. Military hardware is the machinery and equipment that is used by the armed forces, such as tanks, aircraft, and missiles. Hardware refers to tools and equipment that are used in the home and garden, for example saucepans, screwdrivers, and lawnmowers.

Q: hey [hei]

A: In informal situations, you say or shout `hey' to attract someone's attention, or to show surprise, interest, or annoyance.     `Hey! Look out!' shouted Patty.     Hey, can I ask you a question?

Q: creation [kri5eiFEn]

A: In many religions, creation is the making of the universe, earth, and creatures by God.     ...the Creation of the universe as told in Genesis Chapter One...     For the first time since creation, the survival of the Earth is entirely in our hands. People sometimes refer to the whole universe as creation. (LITERARY) You can refer to something that someone has made as a creation, especially if it shows skill, imagination, or artistic ability.     The bathroom is entirely my own creation.     Featured are both his classics and his latest creations.     You'll be amazed at the culinary creations possible in a Dutch oven.

Q: knight [nait]

A: In medieval times, a knight was a man of noble birth, who served his king or lord in battle. If someone is knighted, they are given a knighthood.     He was knighted in the Queen's birthday honours list in June 1988. A knight is a man who has been knighted. In chess, a knight is a piece which is shaped like a horse's head. If you refer to someone as a knight in shining armour, you mean that they are kind and brave, and likely to rescue you from a difficult situation.     The love songs tricked us all into believing in happy endings and knights in shining armor.

Q: gospel [5gCspEl]

A: In the New Testament of the Bible, the Gospels are the four books which describe the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.     ...the parable in St Matthew's Gospel.     ...an illustrated and illuminated manuscript of the four gospels. In the Christian religion, the gospel refers to the message and teachings of Jesus Christ, as explained in the New Testament.     I didn't shirk my duties. I visited the sick and I preached the gospel. You can use gospel to refer to a particular way of thinking that a person or group believes in very strongly and that they try to persuade others to accept.     It taught only materialism, the gospel of mammon.     ...the gospel according to my mom. = doctrine Gospel or gospel music is a style of religious music that uses strong rhythms and vocal harmony. It is especially popular among black Christians in the southern United States of America.     I had to go to church, so I grew up singing gospel.     The group perform variations on soul and gospel music. If you take something as gospel, or as gospel truth, you believe that it is completely true.     The results were not to be taken as gospel.     He wouldn't say this if it weren't the gospel truth.

Q: meantime [5mi:n5taim]

A: In the meantime or meantime means in the period of time between two events.     Eventually your child will leave home to lead her own life as a fully independent adult, but in the meantime she relies on your support.     It now hopes to hold elections in February. Meantime, the state will continue to be run from Delhi. = meanwhile For the meantime means for a period of time from now until something else happens.     The Prime Minister has, for the meantime, seen off the challenge of the opposition.     For the meantime, the opinion polls have to be taken on trust. = for the moment

Q: income tax INCOME TAX

A: Income tax is a certain percentage of your income that you have to pay regularly to the government.

Q: indie [5indi]

A: Indie music refers to rock or pop music produced by new bands working with small, independent record companies. (BRIT, mainly INFORMAL)     ...a multi-racial indie band. <> mainstream An indie is an indie band or record company. = major

Q: indoor [5indC:]

A: Indoor activities or things are ones that happen or are used inside a building and not outside.     No smoking in any indoor facilities.     ...an indoor market.     ...indoor plants. <> outdoor

Q: inefficient [7ini5fiFEnt]

A: Inefficient people, organizations, systems, or machines do not use time, energy, or other resources in the best way.     Their communication systems are inefficient in the extreme.     ...the closure of outdated and inefficient factories. <> efficient * inefficiency inefficiencies     The inefficiency of the distribution system has led to the loss of millions of tons of food. * inefficiently     Energy prices have been kept low, so energy is used inefficiently.

Q: informal [in5fC:mEl]

A: Informal speech or behaviour is relaxed and friendly rather than serious, very correct, or official.     She is refreshingly informal.     His friend was less good-looking, but a lot more informal and relaxed. <> formal * informally     She was always there at half past eight, chatting informally to the children. * informality     He was overwhelmed by their cheerfulness and friendly informality. An informal situation is one which is relaxed and friendly and not very serious or official.     I would like it to be an informal occasion.     The house has an informal atmosphere. <> formal * informality     Eleanor enjoyed the relative informality of island life. Informal clothes are casual and suitable for wearing when you are relaxing, but not on formal occasions.     Most of the time Jenny needs informal clothes.     For lunch, dress is informal. = casual <> formal * informally     Everyone dressed informally in shorts or faded jeans, and baggy sweatshirts. You use informal to describe something that is done unofficially or casually without planning.     The two leaders will retire to Camp David for informal discussions.     ...an informal meeting of EC ministers...     We had an informal party at a hotel, and people just flooded in. * informally     He began informally to handle Ted's tax affairs for him.

Q: confidential [kCnfi5denFEl]

A: Information that is confidential is meant to be kept secret or private.     She accused them of leaking confidential information about her private life.     We'll take good care and keep what you've told us strictly confidential, Mr. Lane. <> public * confidentially     People can phone in the knowledge that any information they give will be treated confidentially. = privately * confidentiality     ...the confidentiality of the client-solicitor relationship. If you talk to someone in a confidential way, you talk to them quietly because what you are saying is secret or private.     `Look,' he said in a confidential tone, `I want you to know that me and Joey are cops.'.     His face suddenly turned solemn, his voice confidential. * confidentially     Nash hadn't raised his voice, still spoke rather softly, confidentially.

Q: input [5input]

A: Input consists of information or resources that a group or project receives.     It's up to the teacher to provide a variety of types of input in the classroom.     They may need some additional inputs and advice on how to improve the management of their farms. Input is information that is put into a computer. <> output If you input information into a computer, you feed it in, for example by typing it on a keyboard.     The computer acts as a word processor where the text of a speech can be input at any time.

Q: inspiration [7inspE5reiFEn]

A: Inspiration is a feeling of enthusiasm you get from someone or something, which gives you new and creative ideas.     My inspiration comes from poets like Baudelaire and Jacques Prevert.     What better way of finding inspiration for your own garden than by visiting others. If you describe someone or something good as an inspiration, you mean that they make you or other people want to do or achieve something.     Powell's unusual journey to high office is an inspiration to millions.     She was a great inspiration. She was the person who impressed us with the importance of research. If something or someone is the inspiration for a particular book, work of art, or action, they are the source of the ideas in it or act as a model for it.     India's myths and songs are the inspiration for her books.     The inspiration behind the reforms was a paper written in 1985. If you suddenly have an inspiration, you suddenly think of an idea of what to do or say.     Alison had an inspiration. `Wouldn't it be good if we made a tunnel out of hardboard'.

Q: instability [7instE5biliti]

A: Instability is the quality of being unstable.     ...unpopular policies, which resulted in social discontent and political instability.     ...Caligula's inherent mental instability...     The length of the fuselage was increased due to a degree of directional instability. <> stability

Q: instinct [5instiNkt]

A: Instinct is the natural tendency that a person or animal has to behave or react in a particular way.     I didn't have as strong a maternal instinct as some other mothers.     The basis for training relies on the dog's natural instinct to hunt and retrieve.     He always knew what time it was, as if by instinct. If you have an instinct for something, you are naturally good at it or able to do it.     Farmers are increasingly losing touch with their instinct for managing the land.     Irene is so incredibly musical and has a natural instinct to perform. = aptitude If it is your instinct to do something, you feel that it is right to do it.     I should've gone with my first instinct, which was not to do the interview.     She hadn't followed her instinct and because of this Frank was dead. = gut feeling Instinct is a feeling that you have that something is the case, rather than an opinion or idea based on facts.     There is scientific evidence to support our instinct that being surrounded by plants is good for health.     He seems so honest and genuine and my every instinct says he's not. = intuition

Q: institutional [7insti5tju:FEnEl]

A: Institutional means relating to a large organization, for example a university, bank, or church.     NATO remains the United States' chief institutional anchor in Europe.     The share price will be determined by bidding from institutional investors. Institutional means relating to a building where people are looked after or held.     Outside the protected environment of institutional care he could not survive. An institutional value or quality is considered an important and typical feature of a particular society or group, usually because it has existed for a long time.     ...social and institutional values.

Q: intensive [in5tensiv]

A: Intensive activity involves concentrating a lot of effort or people on one particular task in order to try to achieve a great deal in a short time.     ...after several days and nights of intensive negotiations...     Each counsellor undergoes an intensive training programme before beginning work. * intensively     Ruth's parents opted to educate her intensively at home. Intensive farming involves producing as many crops or animals as possible from your land, usually with the aid of chemicals.     Elsewhere large areas have been drained and levelled for industry or intensive farming.     ...intensive methods of rearing poultry. * intensively     Will they farm the rest of their land less intensively?

Q: intercourse [5intE(:)kC:s]

A: Intercourse is the act of having sex. (FORMAL)     ...sexual intercourse...     We didn't have intercourse. Social intercourse is communication between people as they spend time together. (OLD-FASHIONED)     There was social intercourse between the old and the young. = contact

Q: interference [7intE5fiErEns]

A: Interference by a person or group is their unwanted or unnecessary involvement in something.     The parliament described the decree as interference in the republic's internal affairs.     Airlines will be able to set cheap fares without interference from the government. = meddling When there is interference, a radio signal is affected by other radio waves or electrical activity so that it cannot be received properly.     ...electrical interference...     They have been accused of deliberately causing interference to transmissions.

Q: irony [5aiErEni]

A: Irony is a subtle form of humour which involves saying things that you do not mean.     They find only irony in the narrator's concern.     Sinclair examined the closed, clever face for any hint of irony, but found none. If you talk about the irony of a situation, you mean that it is odd or amusing because it involves a contrast.     The irony is that many officials in Washington agree in private that their policy is inconsistent.     Opposition parties lost no time in stressing the irony of his return to power after being rejected by voters in November.

Q: irritation [7iri5teiFEn]

A: Irritation is a feeling of annoyance, especially when something is happening that you cannot easily stop or control.     For the first time Leonard felt irritation at her methods.     He tried not to let his irritation show as he blinked in the glare of the television lights. = annoyance An irritation is something that keeps annoying you.     Don't allow a minor irritation in the workplace to mar your ambitions.     He describes the tourists as an irritation. = annoyance Irritation in a part of your body is a feeling of slight pain and discomfort there.     These oils may cause irritation to sensitive skins.     This is an irritation and inflammation of the edge of the eyelid.

Q: isolation [7aisEu5leiFEn]

A: Isolation is the state of feeling alone and without friends or help.     Many deaf people have feelings of isolation and loneliness.     He also talked briefly about the isolation he endured while in captivity. See also isolate. If something is considered in isolation from other things that it is connected with, it is considered separately, and those other things are not considered.     Punishment cannot, therefore, be discussed in isolation from social and political theory. = separately If someone does something in isolation, they do it without other people being present or without their help.     Malcolm, for instance, works in isolation but I have no doubts about his abilities. = alone

Q: ivory [5aivEri]

A: Ivory is a hard cream-coloured substance which forms the tusks of elephants. It is valuable and can be used for making carved ornaments.     ...the international ban on the sale of ivory.     ...intricate ivory carvings. Ivory is a creamy-white colour.

Q: jam [dVAm]

A: Jam is a thick sweet food that is made by cooking fruit with a large amount of sugar, and that is usually spread on bread. (mainly BRIT; in AM usually use jelly)     ...home-made jam. If you jam something somewhere, you push or put it there roughly.     He picked his cap up off the ground and jammed it on his head.     Pete jammed his hands into his pockets. If something such as a part of a machine jams, or if something jams it, the part becomes fixed in position and is unable to move freely or work properly.     The second time he fired his gun jammed.     A rope jammed the boat's propeller.     Cracks appeared in the wall and a door jammed shut.     The intake valve was jammed open.     Every few minutes the motor cut out as the machinery became jammed. If vehicles jam a road, there are so many of them that they cannot move.     Hundreds of departing motorists jammed roads that had been closed during the height of the storm. Also a noun.     400 trucks may sit in a jam for ten hours waiting to cross the limited number of bridges. * jammed     Nearby roads and the dirt track to the beach were jammed with cars. If a lot of people jam a place, or jam into a place, they are pressed tightly together so that they can hardly move.     Hundreds of people jammed the boardwalk to watch.     They jammed into buses provided by the Red Cross and headed for safety. = cram * jammed     The stadium was jammed and they had to turn away hundreds of disappointed fans. = packed To jam a radio or electronic signal means to interfere with it and prevent it from being received or heard clearly.     They will try to jam the transmissions electronically. * jamming     The plane is used for electronic jamming and radar detection. If callers are jamming telephone lines, there are so many callers that the people answering the telephones find it difficult to deal with them all.     Hundreds of callers

Q: Jamaican [dVE5meikEn]

A: Jamaican Jamaican means belonging or relating to Jamaica or to its people or culture. A Jamaican is a person who comes from Jamaica.

Q: jealousy [5dVelEsi]

A: Jealousy is the feeling of anger or bitterness which someone has when they think that another person is trying to take a lover or friend, or a possession, away from them.     At first his jealousy only showed in small ways -- he didn't mind me talking to other guys. Jealousy is the feeling of anger or bitterness which someone has when they wish that they could have the qualities or possessions that another person has.     Her beauty causes envy and jealousy.

Q: jeans [dVi:ns]

A: Jeans are casual trousers that are usually made of strong blue cotton cloth called denim.

Q: Jr JR

A: Jr (AM) Jr. Jr is a written abbreviation for Junior. It is used after a man's name to distinguish him from an older member of his family with the same name.     ...Harry Connick Jr. = Jnr

Q: junk [dVQNk]

A: Junk is old and used goods that have little value and that you do not want any more.     Rose finds her furniture in junk shops.     What are you going to do with all that junk, Larry? If you junk something, you get rid of it or stop using it. (INFORMAL)     Consumers will not have to junk their old cassettes to use the new format.     The Socialists junked dogma when they came to office in 1982. = ditch, jettison A junk is a Chinese sailing boat that has a flat bottom and square sails.

Q: Kremlin [5kremlin]

A: Kremlin The Kremlin is the building in Moscow where Russian government business takes place.     ...a two hour meeting in the Kremlin. The Kremlin is also used to refer to the central government of Russia and of the former Soviet Union.     The Kremlin is still insisting on a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

Q: LP LP

A: LP LPs An LP is a record which usually has about 25 minutes of music or speech on each side; LP is an abbreviation for `long-playing record'.     ...his first LP since 1986.

Q: lace [leis]

A: Lace is a very delicate cloth which is made with a lot of holes in it. It is made by twisting together very fine threads of cotton to form patterns.     She finally found the perfect gown, a beautiful creation trimmed with lace.     ...a plain white lace bedspread. Laces are thin pieces of material that are put through special holes in some types of clothing, especially shoes. The laces are tied together in order to tighten the clothing.     Barry was sitting on the bed, tying the laces of an old pair of running shoes. If you lace something such as a pair of shoes, you tighten the shoes by pulling the laces through the holes, and usually tying them together.     I have a good pair of skates, but no matter how tightly I lace them, my ankles wobble. = tie Lace up means the same as lace.     He sat on the steps, and laced up his boots.     Nancy was lacing her shoe up when the doorbell rang. To lace food or drink with a substance such as alcohol or a drug means to put a small amount of the substance into the food or drink.     She laced his food with sleeping pills. If you lace your speech or writing with words of a particular kind, you include a lot of those words in what you say or write.    &nbs

Q: fertile [5fE:tail; 5fE:til]

A: Land or soil that is fertile is able to support the growth of a large number of strong healthy plants.     ...fertile soil.     ...the rolling fertile countryside of East Cork. = rich * fertility     He was able to bring large sterile acreages back to fertility. A fertile mind or imagination is able to produce a lot of good, original ideas.     ...a product of Flynn's fertile imagination...     A chess player must have a fertile imagination and rich sense of fantasy. = prolific A situation or environment that is fertile in relation to a particular activity or feeling encourages the activity or feeling.     ...a fertile breeding ground for this kind of violent racism. A person or animal that is fertile is able to reproduce and have babies or young.     The operation cannot be reversed to make her fertile again. <> sterile * fertility     Doctors will tell you that pregnancy is the only sure test for fertility. <> sterility

Q: Latin American LATIN AMERICAN

A: Latin American Latin American means belonging or relating to the countries of South America, Central America, and Mexico. Latin American also means belonging or relating to the people of culture of these countries.     Leaders of eight Latin American countries are meeting in Caracas, Venezuela, today.     ...Latin American art. A Latin American is someone who lives in or comes from South America, Central America, or Mexico.

Q: lead 2 [li:d]

A: Lead is a soft, grey, heavy metal.     ...drinking water supplied by old-fashioned lead pipes. Lead is sometimes used to refer to bullets. (INFORMAL)     Eventually Bogart pumps him full of lead. = bullets The lead in a pencil is the centre part of it which makes a mark on paper.

Q: left-wing [5leftwiN]

A: Left-wing people have political ideas that are based on socialism.     They said they would not be voting for him because he was too left-wing. <> right-wing The left wing of a group of people, especially a political party, consists of the members of it whose beliefs are closer to socialism than are those of its other members.     The left-wing of the party is confident that the motion will be carried. <> right wing

Q: legislative [5ledVis7leitiv]

A: Legislative means involving or relating to the process of making and passing laws. (FORMAL)     Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.     ...the country's highest legislative body.

Q: leverage [5li:vEridV]

A: Leverage is the ability to influence situations or people so that you can control what happens.     His function as a Mayor affords him the leverage to get things done through attending committee meetings. Leverage is the force that is applied to an object when something such as a lever is used.     The spade and fork have longer shafts, providing better leverage. In business, to leverage a company or investment means to use borrowed money in order to buy it or pay for it. (TECHNICAL)     He might feel that leveraging the company at a time when he sees tremendous growth opportunities would be a mistake. * leveraged     The committee voted to limit tax refunds for corporations involved in leveraged buyouts.

Q: libel [5laibEl]

A: Libel is a written statement which wrongly accuses someone of something, and which is therefore against the law. Compare slander. (LEGAL)     Warren sued him for libel over the remarks.     If the jury decided there was a libel, it would have to consider its effect on Miss Smith's position.     ...a libel action against the paper. To libel someone means to write or print something in a book, newspaper, or magazine which wrongly damages that person's reputation and is therefore against the law. (LEGAL)     The newspaper which libelled him had already offered compensation.

Q: Liberal Democrat LIBERAL DEMOCRAT

A: Liberal Democrat In Britain, a Liberal Democrat is a member of the Liberal Democrat Party.

Q: Libra [5laibrE]

A: Libra Libra is one of the twelve signs of the zodiac. Its symbol is a pair of scales. People who are born approximately between the 23rd of September and the 22nd of October come under this sign. A Libra is a person whose sign of the zodiac is Libra.

Q: lightning [5laitniN]

A: Lightning is the very bright flashes of light in the sky that happen during thunderstorms.     One man died when he was struck by lightning.     Another flash of lightning lit up the cave.     ...thunder and lightning. See also forked lightning. Lightning describes things that happen very quickly or last for only a short time.     Driving today demands lightning reflexes.

Q: linen [5linin]

A: Linen is a kind of cloth that is made from a plant called flax. It is used for making clothes and things such as tablecloths and sheets.     ...a white linen suit.     ...cottons, woolens, silks and linens. Linen is tablecloths, sheets, pillowcases, and similar things made of cloth that are used in the home.     ...embroidered bed linen...     All linens and towels are provided. to wash your dirty linen in public: see dirty.

Q: lipstick [5lipstik]

A: Lipstick is a coloured substance in the form of a stick which women put on their lips.     She was wearing red lipstick.     ...glossy lipsticks made from natural oils and waxes. A lipstick is a small tube containing this substance.

Q: litter [5litE]

A: Litter is rubbish that is left lying around outside.     If you see litter in the corridor, pick it up.     On Wednesday we cleared a beach and woodland of litter. = rubbish A litter of things is a quantity of them that are lying around in a disorganized way.     He pushed aside the litter of books and papers and laid two places at the table. If a number of things litter a place, they are scattered untidily around it or over it.     Glass from broken bottles litters the pavement. * littered     The entrance hall is littered with toys and wellington boots.     Concrete purpose-built resorts are littered across the mountainsides. If something is littered with things, it contains many examples of it.     History is littered with men and women spurred into achievement by a father's disregard.     Charles' speech is littered with lots of marketing buzzwords like `package' and `product'. = full of A litter is a group of animals born to the same mother at the same time.     ...a litter of pups.

Q: logic [5lCdVik]

A: Logic is a method of reasoning that involves a series of statements, each of which must be true if the statement before it is true.     Apart from criminal investigation techniques, students learn forensic medicine, philosophy and logic. The logic of a conclusion or an argument is its quality of being correct and reasonable.     I don't follow the logic of your argument.     There would be no logic in upsetting the agreements. A particular kind of logic is the way of thinking and reasoning about things that is characteristic of a particular type of person or particular field of activity.     The plan was based on sound commercial logic.

Q: manual [5mAnjuEl]

A: Manual work is work in which you use your hands or your physical strength rather than your mind.     ...skilled manual workers...     They have no reservations about taking factory or manual jobs. = blue-collar Manual is used to talk about movements which are made by someone's hands. (FORMAL)     ...toys designed to help develop manual dexterity. Manual means operated by hand, rather than by electricity or a motor.     There is a manual pump to get rid of the water. * manually     The device is manually operated, using a simple handle. A manual is a book which tells you how to do something or how a piece of machinery works.     ...the instruction manual.

Q: marble [5mB:bl]

A: Marble is a type of very hard rock which feels cold when you touch it and which shines when it is cut and polished. Statues and parts of buildings are sometimes made of marble.     The house has a superb staircase made from oak and marble.     The entrance-hall was paved with black and white marble tiles. Marbles are sculptures made of marble.     ...marbles and bronzes from the Golden Age of Athens. Marbles is a children's game played with small balls, usually made of coloured glass. You roll a ball along the ground and try to hit an opponent's ball with it.     On the far side of the street, two boys were playing marbles. A marble is one of the small balls used in the game of marbles. If you say that someone has lost their marbles, you mean that their ideas or behaviour are very strange, as if they have become insane. (INFORMAL)     I'll tell it to you, although you'll probably think I've lost my marbles. = go mad

Q: martial [5mB:FEl]

A: Martial is used to describe things relating to soldiers or war. (FORMAL)     The paper was actually twice banned under the martial regime. See also court-martial.

Q: Marxist [5mB:ksist]

A: Marxist Marxist means based on Marxism or relating to Marxism.     ...a Marxist state.     ...Marxist ideology. A Marxist is a person who believes in Marxism or who is a member of a Marxist party.

Q: massage [5mAsB:V]

A: Massage is the action of squeezing and rubbing someone's body, as a way of making them relax or reducing their pain.     Alex asked me if I wanted a massage.     Massage isn't a long-term cure for stress. If you massage someone or a part of their body, you squeeze and rub their body, in order to make them relax or reduce their pain.     She continued massaging her right foot, which was bruised and aching.     ...if you wish to massage your family and friends yourself. If you say that someone massages statistics, figures, or evidence, you are criticizing them for changing or presenting the facts in a way that misleads people.     Their governments have no reason to `massage' the statistics.     ...efforts to massage the unemployment figures for electoral purposes. = doctor

Q: mathematics [7mAWi5mAtiks]

A: Mathematics is the study of numbers, quantities, or shapes.     Elizabeth studied mathematics and classics.     ...a professor of mathematics at Boston College. The mathematics of a problem is the calculations that are involved in it.     Once you understand the mathematics of debt you can work your way out of it.

Q: maturity [mE5tjuEriti]

A: Maturity is the state of being fully developed or adult.     Humans experience a delayed maturity; we arrive at all stages of life later than other mammals. Someone's maturity is their quality of being fully developed in their personality and emotional behaviour.     Her speech showed great maturity and humanity.     Lacking self-confidence and maturity, many teenagers are left feeling very vulnerable. When an investment such as a savings policy or pension plan reaches maturity, it reaches the stage when you stop paying money and the company pays you back the money you have saved, and the interest your money has earned.     Customers are told what their policies will be worth on maturity, not what they are worth today.     Treasury bonds have maturities that extend out as far as 25 years or more.

Q: mushroom [5mQFrum]

A: Mushrooms are fungi that you can eat. They have short stems and round tops.     There are many types of wild mushrooms.     ...eggs, bacon, sausage, and mushrooms.     ...mushroom omelette. See also button mushroom. If something such as an industry or a place mushrooms, it grows or comes into existence very quickly.     The media training industry has mushroomed over the past decade.     A sleepy capital of a few hundred thousand people has mushroomed to a crowded city of 2 million. * mushrooming     ...the mushrooming of commercial art galleries in Barcelona and Madrid.

Q: meant [ment]

A: Meant is the past tense and past participle of mean. You use meant to to say that something or someone was intended to be or do a particular thing, especially when they have failed to be or do it.     I can't say any more, it's meant to be a big secret.     The decor was meant to keep the mind concentrated on the making of money.     I'm meant to be on holiday. = be supposed to If something is meant for particular people or for a particular situation, it is intended for those people or for that situation.     Fairy tales weren't just meant for children.     The seeds were not meant for human consumption.     The letter might not have been meant for me at all. = intended If you say that something is meant to happen, you mean that it is expected to happen or that it ought to happen.     The peculiar thing about getting engaged is that you're meant to announce it to everyone.     Parties are meant to be fun. = be supposed to If you say that something is meant to have a particular quality or characteristic, you mean that it has a reputation for being like that.     Spurs are meant to be one of the top teams in the world. = be thought to

Q: medication [7medi5keiFEn]

A: Medication is medicine that is used to treat and cure illness.     She stopped taking the prescribed medications.     When somebody comes for treatment I always ask them if they are on any medication.

Q: meditation [medi5teiFEn]

A: Meditation is the act of remaining in a silent and calm state for a period of time, as part of a religious training, or so that you are more able to deal with the problems of everyday life.     Many busy executives have begun to practice yoga and meditation. See also transcendental meditation. A meditation is a particular exercise that is used in meditation.     Having chosen a meditation it is important that you stick to that meditation for, at the very least, a fortnight. Meditation is the act of thinking about something very carefully and deeply for a long time.     ...the man, lost in meditation, walking with slow steps along the shore...     In his lonely meditations Antony had been forced to the conclusion that there had been rumours. = contemplation A meditation on a particular subject is something such as a piece of writing or a speech which expresses deep thoughts about that subject.     In fact, the entire novel is a long meditation on child-bearing and mortality.     The title track is a pointed meditation on a continent gone wrong.

Q: Member of Parliament MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

A: Member of Parliament Members of Parliament A Member of Parliament is a person who has been elected by the people in a particular area to represent them in a country's parliament. The abbreviation MP is often used. = MP

Q: metropolitan [metrE5pClit(E)n]

A: Metropolitan means belonging to or typical of a large busy city.     ...the metropolitan district of Miami.     ...a dozen major metropolitan hospitals.     ...metropolitan sophistication and rustic naivety. A metropolitan is an important priest in the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. He has authority over other priests and is in charge of a particular area.     ...the Ukrainian Catholic representatives, Metropolitan Volodymyr and Bishop Sofron.

Q: mighty [5maiti]

A: Mighty is used to describe something that is very large or powerful. (LITERARY)     There was a flash and a mighty bang.     ...a land marked with vast lakes and mighty rivers. Mighty is used in front of adjectives and adverbs to emphasize the quality that they are describing. (mainly AM, INFORMAL)     It's something you'll be mighty proud of.     Being paper money, it rotted away mighty fast.

Q: min. MIN.

A: Min. is a written abbreviation for minimum, or for minutes or minute.

Q: mining [5mainiN]

A: Mining is the industry and activities connected with getting valuable or useful minerals from the ground, for example coal, diamonds, or gold.     ...traditional industries such as coal mining and steel making...     He was born at Aberdare in South Wales, the son of a mining engineer.

Q: mint [mint]

A: Mint is a herb with fresh-tasting leaves.     Garnish with mint sprigs. A mint is a sweet with a peppermint flavour. Some people suck mints in order to make their breath smell fresher. The mint is the place where the official coins of a country are made.     In 1965 the mint stopped putting silver in dimes. To mint coins or medals means to make them in a mint.     ...the right to mint coins.     ...its collection of locally minted Saxon coins. * minting     ...the minting of new gold coins. If you say that someone makes a mint, you mean that they make a very large amount of money. (INFORMAL)     Everybody thinks I'm making a mint.     They were worth a mint. = pile If you say that something is in mint condition, you mean that it is in perfect condition.

Q: misery [5mizEri]

A: Misery is great unhappiness.     All that money brought nothing but sadness and misery and tragedy.     ...the miseries of his youth. Misery is the way of life and unpleasant living conditions of people who are very poor.     A tiny, educated elite profited from the misery of their two million fellow countrymen. = deprivation If you say that someone is a misery, you are critical of them because they are always complaining. (mainly BRIT, INFORMAL)     I'm not such a misery now! I gave up drink a few years back and that has changed things a lot. If someone makes your life a misery, they behave in an unpleasant way towards you over a period of time and make you very unhappy.     I would really like living here if it wasn't for the gangs of kids who make our lives a misery. = make your life hell If you put someone out of their misery, you tell them something that they are very anxious to know. (INFORMAL)     Please put me out of my misery. How do you do it? If you put an animal out of its misery, you kill it because it is sick or injured and cannot be cured or healed. = put down

Q: mist [mist]

A: Mist consists of a large number of tiny drops of water in the air, which make it difficult to see very far.     Thick mist made flying impossible.     A bluish mist hung in the air.     Mists and fog swirled about the road. If a piece of glass mists or is misted, it becomes covered with tiny drops of moisture, so that you cannot see through it easily.     The windows misted, blurring the stark streetlight.     The temperature in the car was misting the window. Mist over and mist up mean the same as mist.     The front windshield was misting over.     She stood in front of the misted-up mirror. If someone's eyes mist, they cannot see easily because there are tears in their eyes.     Her eyes misted with tears. Mist over means the same as mist.     His eyes misted over and he started to shake.

Q: moisture [5mCistFE]

A: Moisture is tiny drops of water in the air, on a surface, or in the ground.     When the soil is dry, more moisture is lost from the plant.     Rainfall affects the moisture content of the atmosphere.

Q: Mon. MON.

A: Mon. Mon. is a written abbreviation for Monday.     ...Mon Oct 19.

Q: morale [mC5rB:l]

A: Morale is the amount of confidence and cheerfulness that a group of people have.     Many pilots are suffering from low morale.     They hope to boost the morale of their troops.

Q: morality [mC5rAliti]

A: Morality is the belief that some behaviour is right and acceptable and that other behaviour is wrong.     ...standards of morality and justice in society.     ...an effort to preserve traditional morality. = ethics A morality is a system of principles and values concerning people's behaviour, which is generally accepted by a society or by a particular group of people.     ...a morality that is sexist.     ...communities and their shared moralities. = ethic The morality of something is how right or acceptable it is.     ...the arguments about the morality of blood sports.

Q: mounted [5mauntid]

A: Mounted police or soldiers ride horses when they are on duty.     A dozen mounted police rode into the square. See also mount.

Q: mud [mQd]

A: Mud is a sticky mixture of earth and water.     His uniform was crumpled, untidy, splashed with mud.     Their lorry got stuck in the mud.

Q: municipal [mju(:)5nisipEl]

A: Municipal means associated with or belonging to a city or town that has its own local government.     The municipal authorities gave the go-ahead for the march.     ...next month's municipal elections.     ...the municipal library.

Q: muscular [5mQskjulE]

A: Muscular means involving or affecting your muscles.     As a general rule, all muscular effort is enhanced by breathing in as the effort is made.     Early symptoms include anorexia, muscular weakness and fatigue. If a person or their body is muscular, they are very fit and strong, and have firm muscles which are not covered with a lot of fat.     Like most female athletes, she was lean and muscular.     ...his tanned muscular legs.

Q: landlord [5lAndlC:d]

A: Someone's landlord is the man who allows them to live or work in a building which he owns, in return for rent.     His landlord doubled the rent. The landlord of a pub is the man who owns or runs it, or the husband of the woman who owns or runs it. (mainly BRIT)     The landlord refused to serve him because he considered him too drunk. A landlord is the man who owns or runs a boarding house or inn. (AM; ALSO BRIT, OLD-FASHIONED)

Q: bastard [5bAstEd]

A: N-COUNT Some people say things such as lucky bastard or poor bastard to refer to a person, usually a man, who they think is very lucky, or very unlucky. (INFORMAL, RUDE) A bastard is a person whose parents were not married to each other at the time that he or she was born. This use could cause offence. (OLD-FASHIONED)     ...King Arthur's bastard son, Mordred. = illegitimate If someone describes a problem or a situation as a bastard, they mean that it is extremely annoying or difficult to deal with. (INFORMAL, RUDE)     Life can be a real bastard at times.     I had to go early 'cos it's a bastard to get your motor out of the car park.

Q: NASA [5nAsE]

A: NASA NASA is the American government organization concerned with spacecraft and space travel. NASA is an abbreviation for `National Aeronautics and Space Administration'.

Q: horn [hC:n]

A: On a vehicle such as a car, the horn is the device that makes a loud noise as a signal or warning.     He sounded the car horn. The horns of an animal such as a cow or deer are the hard pointed things that grow from its head.     A mature cow has horns. Horn is the hard substance that the horns of animals are made of. Horn is sometimes used to make objects such as spoons, buttons, or ornaments. See also horn-rimmed. A horn is a musical instrument of the brass family. It is a long circular metal tube, wide at one end, which you play by blowing. = French horn A horn is a simple musical instrument consisting of a metal tube that is wide at one end and narrow at the other. You play it by blowing into it.     ...a hunting horn. A horn is a hollow curved object that is narrow at one end and wide at the other.     ...a wind-up gramophone with a big horn. If you blow your own horn, you boast about yourself. (mainly AM; in BRIT usually use blow your own trumpet) If two people lock horns, they argue about something.     During his six years in office, Seidman has often locked horns with lawmakers. If you are on the horns of a dilemma, you have to choose between two things, both of which are unpleasant or difficult.

Q: bankrupt [5bANkrQpt]

A: People or organizations that go bankrupt do not have enough money to pay their debts.     If the firm cannot sell its products, it will go bankrupt.     He was declared bankrupt after failing to pay a {Pound}114m loan guarantee. = insolvent To bankrupt a person or organization means to make them go bankrupt.     The move to the market nearly bankrupted the firm and its director.     Uninsured people can be bankrupted by big medical bills. A bankrupt is a person who has been declared bankrupt by a court of law. If you say that something is bankrupt, you are emphasizing that it lacks any value or worth.     He really thinks that European civilisation is morally bankrupt. = deficient

Q: goodness [5gudnis]

A: People sometimes say `goodness' or `my goodness' to express surprise.     Goodness, I wonder if he knows.     My goodness, he's earned millions in his career. thank goodness: see thank. Goodness is the quality of being kind, helpful, and honest.     He retains a faith in human goodness.

Q: daring [5dZEriN]

A: People who are daring are willing to do or say things which are new or which might shock or anger other people.     Bergit was probably more daring than I was.     He realized this to be a very daring thing to ask.     ...one of the most daring political theatres in Prague. = bold * daringly     `Cheers,' he said and winked daringly at her.     ...a daringly low-cut dress. A daring person is willing to do things that might be dangerous.     ...the heroic and daring Charlie Pierce...     His daring rescue saved the lives of the youngsters. = bold Daring is the courage to do things which might be dangerous or which might shock or anger other people.     His daring may have cost him his life. = bravery, boldness <> cowardice

Q: mainstream [5meinstri:m]

A: People, activities, or ideas that are part of the mainstream are regarded as the most typical, normal, and conventional because they belong to the same group or system as most others of their kind.     ...people outside the economic mainstream...     This was the company's first step into the mainstream of scientific and commercial computing.     The show wanted to attract a mainstream audience.

Q: fashionable [5fAFEnEbl]

A: Something or someone that is fashionable is popular or approved of at a particular time.     It became fashionable to eat certain kinds of fish.     Chelsea Harbour is renowned for its fashionable restaurants. * fashionably     ...women who are perfectly made up and fashionably dressed.

Q: hardy [5hB:di]

A: Plants that are hardy are able to survive cold weather.     The silver-leaved varieties of cyclamen are not quite as hardy. * hardiness     ...the hardiness of other species that have blue flowers. People and animals that are hardy are strong and able to cope with difficult conditions.     They grew up to be farmers, round-faced and hardy.     Hardy antelope wander in from the desert. * hardiness     ...the hardiness, endurance, and courage of my companions...     These Pacific oysters are known for their hardiness. If you describe a group of people as hardy, you mean that they have been very patient or loyal, or have been trying hard to do something in difficult conditions.     ...the ten hardy supporters who had made the trek to Dublin from Riga. = trusty

Q: ed. ED.

A: SUFFIX

Q: dominant [5dCminEnt]

A: Someone or something that is dominant is more powerful, successful, influential, or noticeable than other people or things.     ...a change which would maintain his party's dominant position in Scotland...     She was a dominant figure in the French film industry. = pre-eminent A dominant gene is one that produces a particular characteristic, whether a person has only one of these genes from one parent, or two genes, one from each parent. Compare recessive. (TECHNICAL)     Because it is carried by a dominant gene, an affected individual can expect about half of his or her children to inherit the illness.

Q: influential [7influ5enFEl]

A: Someone or something that is influential has a lot of influence over people or events.     It helps to have influential friends.     ...the influential position of president of the chamber...     He had been influential in shaping economic policy.     ...one of the most influential books ever written.

Q: mysterious [mis5tiEriEs]

A: Someone or something that is mysterious is strange and is not known about or understood.     He died in mysterious circumstances.     A mysterious illness confined him to bed for over a month.     The whole thing seems very mysterious.     He began to feel sympathy for this slightly mysterious man. * mysteriously     A couple of messages had mysteriously disappeared. If someone is mysterious about something, they deliberately do not talk much about it, sometimes because they want to make people more interested in it.     As for his job -- well, he was very mysterious about it. = enigmatic * mysteriously     Asked what she meant, she said mysteriously: `Work it out for yourself'. = enigmatically

Q: arrogant [5ArEgEnt]

A: Someone who is arrogant behaves in a proud, unpleasant way towards other people because they believe that they are more important than others.     He was so arrogant.     That sounds arrogant, doesn't it?     ...an air of arrogant indifference. * arrogance     At times the arrogance of those in power is quite blatant. * arrogantly     Later, Simpson arrogantly claimed: `We won't lose another game.'

Q: checked [tFekt]

A: Something that is checked has a pattern of small squares, usually of two colours.     He was wearing blue jeans and checked shirt. = check

Q: artistic [B:5tistik]

A: Someone who is artistic is good at drawing or painting, or arranging things in a beautiful way.     They encourage boys to be sensitive and artistic.     Mary's got it all so nice -- you remember how artistic she always was with colors. Artistic means relating to art or artists.     ...the campaign for artistic freedom.     ...their 1,300 year old artistic traditions. * artistically     ...artistically gifted children...     Artistically, the photographs are stunning. An artistic design or arrangement is beautiful.     ...an artistic arrangement of stone paving. * artistically     ...artistically carved vessels.     ...vegetarian dishes which can be presented artistically.

Q: asleep [E5sli:p]

A: Someone who is asleep is sleeping.     My four year-old daughter was asleep on the sofa. <> awake When you fall asleep, you start sleeping.     Sam snuggled down in his pillow and fell asleep. Someone who is fast asleep or sound asleep is sleeping deeply.     They were both fast asleep in their cots.     Turning over, she was soon sound asleep again. <> wide awake

Q: awake [E5weik]

A: Someone who is awake is not sleeping.     I don't stay awake at night worrying about that.     Nightmares kept me awake all night. Someone who is wide awake is fully awake and unable to sleep.     I could not relax and still felt wide awake. When you awake or when something awakes you, you wake up. (LITERARY)     At midnight he awoke and listened to the radio for a few minutes.     I awoke to the sound of the wind in the trees.     The sound of many voices awoke her with a start. = wake up

Q: bald [bC:ld]

A: Someone who is bald has little or no hair on the top of their head.     The man's bald head was beaded with sweat.     She is going bald. * baldness     He wears a cap to cover a spot of baldness. If a tyre is bald, its surface has worn down and it is no longer safe to use. A bald statement is in plain language and contains no extra explanation or information.     The announcement came in a bald statement from the official news agency.     The bald truth is he's just not happy. = blunt * baldly     `The leaders are outdated,' he stated baldly. `They don't relate to young people.' = bluntly

Q: bold [bEuld]

A: Someone who is bold is not afraid to do things which involve risk or danger.     Amrita becomes a bold, daring rebel.     In 1960 this was a bold move.     Poland was already making bold economic reforms. = brave <> cautious * boldly     You can and must act boldly and confidently. * boldness     Don't forget the boldness of his economic programme. Someone who is bold is not shy or embarrassed in the company of other people.     I don't feel I'm being bold, because it's always been natural for me to just speak out about whatever disturbs me. = brave <> timid * boldly     `You should do it,' the girl said, boldly. A bold colour or pattern is very bright and noticeable.     ...bold flowers in various shades of red, blue or white.     ...bold, dramatic colours. * boldly     The design is pretty startling and very boldly coloured. Bold lines or designs are drawn in a clear, strong way.     Each picture is shown in colour on one page and as a bold outline on the opposit

Q: cheerful [5tFiEful]

A: Someone who is cheerful is happy and shows this in their behaviour.     They are both very cheerful in spite of their colds.     Jack sounded quite cheerful about the idea. = cheery * cheerfully     `We've come with good news,' Pat said cheerfully.     She greeted him cheerfully. * cheerfulness     I remember this extraordinary man with particular affection for his unfailing cheerfulness. Something that is cheerful is pleasant and makes you feel happy.     The nursery is bright and cheerful, with plenty of toys. If you describe someone's attitude as cheerful, you mean they are not worried about something, and you think that they should be.     There is little evidence to support many of Mr Will's cheerful assumptions. = optimistic * cheerfully     ...cheerfully ignoring medical advice which could have prolonged his life.

Q: competent [5kCmpitEnt]

A: Someone who is competent is efficient and effective.     He was a loyal, distinguished and very competent civil servant.     ...a competent performance. * competently     The government performed competently in the face of multiple challenges. If you are competent to do something, you have the skills, abilities, or experience necessary to do it well.     Most adults do not feel competent to deal with a medical emergency involving a child. = able

Q: corrupt [kE5rQpt]

A: Someone who is corrupt behaves in a way that is morally wrong, especially by doing dishonest or illegal things in return for money or power.     ...to save the nation from corrupt politicians of both parties.     ...corrupt police officers...     He had accused three opposition members of corrupt practices. <> fair, honest, just * corruptly     ...several government officials charged with acting corruptly. If someone is corrupted by something, it causes them to become dishonest and unjust and unable to be trusted.     It is sad to see a man so corrupted by the desire for money and power. To corrupt someone means to cause them to stop caring about moral standards.     ...warning that television will corrupt us all...     Cruelty depraves and corrupts. If something is corrupted, it becomes damaged or spoiled in some way.     Some of the finer type-faces are corrupted by cheap, popular computer printers.     They can ensure that traditional cuisines are not totally corrupted by commercial practices.     ...corrupted data.

Q: cross 2 [krCs]

A: Someone who is cross is rather angry or irritated.     The women are cross and bored.     I'm terribly cross with him.     She was rather cross about having to trail across London. = annoyed * crossly     `No, no, no,' Morris said crossly.

Q: deaf [def]

A: Someone who is deaf is unable to hear anything or is unable to hear very well.     She is now profoundly deaf. The deaf are people who are deaf.     Many regular TV programs are captioned for the deaf. * deafness     Because of her deafness she was hard to make conversation with. If you say that someone is deaf to people's requests, arguments, or criticisms, you are criticizing them because they refuse to pay attention to them.     The provincial assembly were deaf to all pleas for financial help. = impervious

Q: devoted [di5vEutid]

A: Someone who is devoted to a person loves that person very much.     ...a loving and devoted husband...     Today, 50 years on and three children later, the couple are still devoted to one another. If you are devoted to something, you care about it a lot and are very enthusiastic about it.     I have personally been devoted to this cause for many years.     Horace is so devoted to his garden that he hasn't been away for 10 years.     Joyce Bryt is a devoted Star Trek fan. Something that is devoted to a particular thing deals only with that thing or contains only that thing.     ...a major touring exhibition devoted to the work of disabled artists.     ...the original Jane Churchill shop, now devoted to a new range of accessories.

Q: divorced DIVORCED

A: Someone who is divorced from their former husband or wife has separated from them and is no longer legally married to them.     Princess Margaret is divorced from Lord Snowdon.     He is divorced, with a young son. If you say that one thing is divorced from another, you mean that the two things are very different and separate from each other.     ...speculative theories divorced from political reality. = unconnected If you say that someone is divorced from a situation, you mean that they act as if they are not affected by it in any way.     This just shows how divorced from reality she's become.

Q: drunk [drQNk]

A: Someone who is drunk has drunk so much alcohol that they cannot speak clearly or behave sensibly.     Stewart could not remember exactly why he had done it because he was so drunk.     I got drunk and had to be carried home.     He was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving. = inebriated A drunk is someone who is drunk or frequently gets drunk.     A drunk lay in the alley. = drunkard If you are drunk with a strong emotion or an experience, you are in a state of great excitement because of it.     They are currently drunk with success.     I felt drunk with the excitement of life. 4 drunk Drunk is the past participle of drink.

Q: educated [5edju:keitid]

A: Someone who is educated has a high standard of learning.     The general secretary of the TUC is an educated, amiable and decent man. = learned

Q: eligible [5elidVEbl]

A: Someone who is eligible to do something is qualified or able to do it, for example because they are old enough.     Almost half the population are eligible to vote in today's election.     You could be eligible for a university scholarship. * eligibility     The rules covering eligibility for benefits changed in the 1980s. An eligible man or woman is not yet married and is thought by many people to be a suitable partner.     He's the most eligible bachelor in Japan.

Q: engaged [in5geidVd]

A: Someone who is engaged in or engaged on a particular activity is doing that thing. (FORMAL)     The police said they found the three engaged in target practice.     ...the various projects he was engaged on. When two people are engaged, they have agreed to marry each other.     We got engaged on my eighteenth birthday.     He was engaged to Miss Julia Maria Boardman.     ...the engaged couple. If a telephone or a telephone line is engaged, it is already being used by someone else so that you are unable to speak to the person you are phoning. (BRIT; in AM use busy)     The line is engaged.     We tried to call you back but you were engaged. If a public toilet is engaged, it is already being used by someone else. (BRIT; in AM usually use occupied)

Q: faithful [5feiWful]

A: Someone who is faithful to a person, organization, idea, or activity remains firm in their belief in them or support for them.     She had been faithful to her promise to guard this secret.     Older Americans are among this country's most faithful voters. The faithful are people who are faithful to someone or something.     He spends his time making speeches at factories or gatherings of the Party faithful. * faithfully     He has since 1965 faithfully followed and supported every twist and turn of government policy. Someone who is faithful to their husband, wife, or lover does not have a sexual relationship with anyone else.     She insisted that she had remained faithful to her husband.     I'm very faithful when I love someone. <> unfaithful The faithful are the group of people who believe in a particular religion.     The faithful revered him then as a prophet. A faithful account, translation, or copy of something represents or reproduces the original accurately.     Colin Welland's screenplay is faithful to the novel.     ...faithful copies of household items used in the mid-1800s. * faithfully     When I adapt something I translate from one meaning to another as faithfully as I can. You can refer to something that has been used or has existed for a long time as an old faithful, especially when it is something you can rely on.     We tested a selection of vacuum cleaners, from old faithfuls to those with the latest features.

Q: finished [5finiFt]

A: Someone who is finished with something is no longer doing it or dealing with it or is no longer interested in it.     One suspects he will be finished with boxing. Something that is finished no longer exists or is no longer happening.     I go back on the dole when the shooting season's finished. = over Someone or something that is finished is no longer important, powerful, or effective.     Her power over me is finished.     He confessed: `I thought I was finished.' Something that is finished or finished off in a particular way has been given a particular appearance or decoration.     The dining room is finished in deep red.     Each dress is beautifully finished off with piped seams and fitted underskirts.

Q: furious [5fjuEriEs]

A: Someone who is furious is extremely angry.     He is furious at the way his wife has been treated.     I am furious that it has taken so long to uncover what really happened. * furiously     He stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door furiously behind him. Furious is also used to describe something that is done with great energy, effort, speed, or violence.     A furious gunbattle ensued. * furiously     Officials worked furiously to repair the centre court.

Q: good-looking GOOD-LOOKING

A: Someone who is good-looking has an attractive face.     Cassandra noticed him because he was good-looking.     ...a good-looking woman.

Q: handicapped [5hAndikApt]

A: Someone who is handicapped has a physical or mental disability that prevents them living a totally normal life.     I'm going to work two days a week teaching handicapped kids to fish.     Alex was mentally handicapped. You can refer to people who are handicapped as the handicapped.     ...measures to prevent discrimination against the handicapped.

Q: jobless [5dVCblis]

A: Someone who is jobless does not have a job, although they would like one.     One in four people are now jobless in inner areas like Tottenham and Peckham.     ...the number of jobless people. = unemployed The jobless are people who are jobless.     They joined the ranks of the jobless. * joblessness     Concern over the rising level of joblessness was a feature of yesterday's debate. = unemployment

Q: geographical [7dViE5grAfikEl]

A: The form geographic is also used. Geographical or geographic means concerned with or relating to geography.     Its geographical location stimulated overseas mercantile enterprise.     ...a vast geographical area. * geographically     It is geographically more diverse than any other continent.

Q: jolly [5dVCli]

A: Someone who is jolly is happy and cheerful in their appearance or behaviour.     She was a jolly, kindhearted woman. A jolly event is lively and enjoyable.     I was looking forward to a jolly party.     She had a very jolly time in Korea. Jolly is sometimes used to emphasize an adjective or adverb. (BRIT, INFORMAL, OLD-FASHIONED)     She was jolly good at jigsaws.     It was jolly hard work, but I loved it. = very, extremely Jolly well is sometimes used to emphasize an opinion or intention, and to express annoyance or anger. (BRIT, INFORMAL, OLD-FASHIONED)     We can hardly just tell him what we jolly well think of him can we?.     She was jolly well not going to let them get away with it.

Q: kind 2 [kaind]

A: Someone who is kind behaves in a gentle, caring, and helpful way towards other people.     She is warmhearted and kind to everyone and everything.     I must thank you for being so kind to me.     It was very kind of you to come. * kindly     `You seem tired this morning, Jenny,' she said kindly. You can use kind in expressions such as please be so kind as to and would you be kind enough to in order to ask someone to do something in a firm but polite way.     Please be so kind as to see to it that all the alterations are made at once!.     I wonder if you'd be kind enough to call him. Something that is kind emphasizes the good qualities in something, and perhaps makes it appear better than it really is.     Summer clothes are invariably less kind to fuller figures. = flattering

Q: lonely [5lEunli]

A: Someone who is lonely is unhappy because they are alone or do not have anyone they can talk to.     ...lonely people who just want to talk...     I feel lonelier in the middle of London than I do on my boat in the middle of nowhere. The lonely are people who are lonely.     He looks for the lonely, the lost, the unloved. A lonely situation or period of time is one in which you feel unhappy because you are alone or do not have anyone to talk to.     I desperately needed something to occupy me during those long, lonely nights.     ...her lonely childhood. A lonely place is one where very few people come.     It felt like the loneliest place in the world.     ...dark, lonely streets.

Q: loving [5lQviN]

A: Someone who is loving feels or shows love to other people.     Jim was a most loving husband and father.     The children there were very loving to me. = affectionate * lovingly     Brian gazed lovingly at Mary Ann. Loving actions are done with great enjoyment and care.     The house has been restored with loving care. * lovingly     I lifted the box and ran my fingers lovingly over the top.

Q: loyal [5lCiEl]

A: Someone who is loyal remains firm in their friendship or support for a person or thing.     They had remained loyal to the president.     He'd always been such a loyal friend to us all. = faithful <> disloyal * loyally     They have loyally supported their party and their leader.

Q: mute [mju:t]

A: Someone who is mute is silent for a particular reason and does not speak.     He was mute, distant, and indifferent.     I threw a mute look of appeal at Paula. Also an adverb.     He could watch her standing mute by the phone.     He sat mute, speechless with ecstasy, gazing into the sky. * mutely     I crouched by him and grasped his hand, mutely offering what comfort I could. Someone who is mute is unable to speak. (OLD-FASHIONED)     Marianna, the duke's daughter, became mute after a shock. If someone mutes something such as their feelings or their activities, they reduce the strength or intensity of them.     The corruption does not seem to have muted the country's prolonged economic boom. * muted     The threat contrasted starkly with his administration's previous muted criticism.     The financial markets gave a muted response to the Democrats' triumph. = subdued If you mute a noise or sound, you lower its volume or make it less distinct.     They begin to mute their voices, not be as assertive.     At first the wooded hillsides muted the sounds. * muted     `Yes,' he muttered, his voice so muted I hardly heard his reply.     There were muted cheers from the public gallery. A mute is a device which can be used to make

Q: finding [5faindiN]

A: Someone's findings are the information they get or the conclusions they come to as the result of an investigation or some research.     One of the main findings of the survey was the confusion about the facilities already in place.     We hope that manufacturers will take note of the findings and improve their products accordingly. The findings of a court are the decisions that it reaches after a trial or an investigation.     The government hopes the court will announce its findings before the end of the month. = judgement

Q: girlfriend GIRLFRIEND

A: Someone's girlfriend is a girl or woman with whom they are having a romantic or sexual relationship.     He had been going out with his girlfriend for seven months.     Has he got a girlfriend? A girlfriend is a female friend.     I met a girlfriend for lunch.

Q: naked [5neikid]

A: Someone who is naked is not wearing any clothes.     Her naked body was found wrapped in a sheet in a field.     The hot paving stones scorched my naked feet.     They stripped me naked.     He stood naked in front of me. = bare * nakedness     He had pulled the blanket over his body to hide his nakedness. See also stark naked. If an animal or part of an animal is naked, it has no fur or feathers on it.     The nest contained eight little mice that were naked and blind. If you say that someone is naked or feels naked, you mean they are powerless or have no way of protecting themselves.     If the reports are accurate, the deal leaves the authorities and the President virtually naked.     ...Bevan's appeal against going `naked into the conference chamber'. = defenceless You can describe an object as naked when it does not have its normal covering.     ...a naked bulb dangling in a bare room...     The water was heated by a naked gas flame. Naked emotions are easy to recognize, because they are very strongly felt. (WRITTEN)     The naked hatred in the woman's face shocked me.     There h

Q: aspiration [7AspE5reiFEn]

A: Someone's aspirations are their desire to achieve things.     ...the needs and aspirations of our pupils...     He is unlikely to send in the army to quell nationalist aspirations.     ...the republic's aspiration to statehood.

Q: attendance [E5tendEns]

A: Someone's attendance at an event or an institution is the fact that they are present at the event or go regularly to the institution.     Her attendance at school was sporadic. The attendance at an event is the number of people who are present at it.     Average weekly cinema attendance in February was 2.41 million.     This year attendances were 28% lower than forecast.     Some estimates put the attendance at 60,000. If someone is in attendance at a place or an event, they are there.     Councillor Paul Tisley will be in attendance at the start of the meeting to welcome us.     Police with riot gear and several fire engines are in attendance. If someone is in attendance on an important person, they are accompanying that person as a servant or assistant. (FORMAL)     He lived in considerable style, travelling widely, usually with a cook, valet, butler and chauffeur in attendance.

Q: boyfriend [5bCifrend]

A: Someone's boyfriend is a man or boy with whom they are having a romantic or sexual relationship.     ...Brenda and her boyfriend Anthony...     I don't know if she's got a boyfriend or not.

Q: contention [kEn5tenFEn]

A: Someone's contention is the idea or opinion that they are expressing in an argument or discussion.     It is my contention that death and murder always lurk as potentials in violent relationships.     Sufficient research evidence exists to support this contention. = belief If something is a cause of contention, it is a cause of disagreement or argument.     They generally tried to avoid subjects of contention between them.     A particular source of contention are plans to privatise state-run companies. See also bone of contention. If you are in contention in a contest, you have a chance of winning it.     He was in contention for a place in the European championship squad.

Q: dealings DEALINGS

A: Someone's dealings with a person or organization are the relations that they have with them or the business that they do with them.     He has learnt little in his dealings with the international community.     ...her family's business dealings.

Q: ego [5i:gEu]

A: Someone's ego is their sense of their own worth. For example, if someone has a large ego, they think they are very important and valuable.     He had a massive ego, never would he admit he was wrong. See also alter ego, super-ego.

Q: insistence [in5sistEns]

A: Someone's insistence on something is the fact that they insist that it should be done or insist that it is the case.     ...Raeder's insistence that naval uniform be worn...     He admired your insistence on understanding things and making your point, even when he preferred his own.     She had attended an interview, at her boyfriend's insistence.

Q: briefly [5brifli]

A: Something that happens or is done briefly happens or is done for a very short period of time.     He smiled briefly.     Guerillas captured and briefly held an important provincial capital. If you say or write something briefly, you use very few words or give very few details.     There are four basic alternatives; they are described briefly below. = in brief You can say briefly to indicate that you are about to say something in as few words as possible.     Briefly, no less than nine of our agents have passed information to us.

Q: herald [5herEld]

A: Something that heralds a future event or situation is a sign that it is going to happen or appear. (FORMAL)     ...the sultry evening that heralded the end of the baking hot summer...     Their discovery could herald a cure for some forms of impotence. Something that is a herald of a future event or situation is a sign that it is going to happen or appear. (FORMAL)     I welcome the report as a herald of more freedom, not less.     For her, it was the herald of summer. If an important event or action is heralded by people, announcements are made about it so that it is publicly known and expected. (FORMAL)     Janet Jackson's new album has been heralded by a massive media campaign.     Tonight's clash between Real Madrid and Arsenal is being heralded as the match of the season. In former times, a herald was a person who delivered and announced important messages. = messenger

Q: appalling [E5pC:liN]

A: Something that is appalling is so bad or unpleasant that it shocks you.     They have been living under the most appalling conditions for two months. = dreadful * appallingly     He says that he understands why they behaved so appallingly.     The detection rate for racial crimes is appallingly low. You can use appalling to emphasize that something is very great or severe.     I developed an appalling headache. * appallingly     It's been an appallingly busy morning.

Q: astonishing [Es5tCniFiN]

A: Something that is astonishing is very surprising.     It's astonishing, he's learned Latin in three hours!     ...an astonishing display of physical strength. = amazing * astonishingly     Isabella was an astonishingly beautiful young woman.     He was wearing, astonishingly, a frilly pink apron over shirt and trousers.

Q: bizarre [bi5zB:]

A: Something that is bizarre is very odd and strange.     The game was also notable for the bizarre behaviour of the team's manager.     You know, that book you lent me is really bizarre. = weird * bizarrely     She dressed bizarrely.     Bizarrely, death is not a disqualification for voting although non-attendance at party meetings is.

Q: blank [blANk]

A: Something that is blank has nothing on it.     We could put some of the pictures over on that blank wall over there.     He tore a blank page from his notebook.     ...blank cassettes. A blank is a space which is left in a piece of writing or on a printed form for you to fill in particular information.     Put a word in each blank to complete the sentence. If you look blank, your face shows no feeling, understanding, or interest.     Abbot looked blank. `I don't quite follow, sir.'.     His daughter gave him a blank look. * blankly     She stared at him blankly. * blankness     His eyes have the blankness of someone half-asleep. If your mind or memory is a blank, you cannot think of anything or remember anything.     I'm sorry, but my mind is a blank.     I came round in hospital and did not know where I was. Everything was a complete blank. Blanks are gun cartridges which contain explosive but do not contain a bullet, so that they cause no harm when the gun is fired.     ...a starter pistol which only fires blanks.

Q: boiling [5bCiliN]

A: Something that is boiling or boiling hot is very hot.     `It's boiling in here,' complained Miriam.     Often the food may be bubbling and boiling hot on the top, but the inside may still be cold. = baking If you say that you are boiling or boiling hot, you mean that you feel very hot, usually unpleasantly hot.     When everybody else is boiling hot, I'm freezing! = sweltering

Q: circular [5sE:kjulE]

A: Something that is circular is shaped like a circle.     ...a circular hole twelve feet wide and two feet deep...     Place your hands on your shoulders and move your elbows up, back, and down, in a circular motion. See also semi-circular. A circular journey or route is one in which you go to a place and return by a different route.     Both sides of the river can be explored on this circular walk. A circular argument or theory is not valid because it uses a statement to prove something which is then used to prove the statement. A circular is an official letter or advertisement that is sent to a large number of people at the same time.     The proposal has been widely publicised in BBC-TV press information circulars sent to 1,800 newspapers.

Q: comparable [5kCmpErEbl]

A: Something that is comparable to something else is roughly similar, for example in amount or importance.     ...paying the same wages to men and women for work of comparable value...     Farmers were meant to get an income comparable to that of townspeople.     The risk it poses is comparable with smoking just one cigarette every year. = equal * comparably     ...to assess a number of comparably qualified students. * comparability     The rises are the result of a comparability study. If two or more things are comparable, they are of the same kind or are in the same situation, and so they can reasonably be compared.     In other comparable countries real wages increased much more rapidly.     By contrast, the comparable figure for the Netherlands is 16 per cent.     Published rates are not always directly comparable. = equivalent * comparability     The result is a lack of comparability between the accounts of similar companies.

Q: confusing CONFUSING

A: Something that is confusing makes it difficult for people to know exactly what is happening or what to do.     The statement is highly confusing.     The uncertainty created by this situation must be confusing for you. <> clear * confusingly     Confusingly, blind people also respond to the light.

Q: damp [dAmp]

A: Something that is damp is slightly wet.     Her hair was still damp.     ...the damp, cold air...     She wiped the table with a damp cloth. = moist Damp is moisture that is found on the inside walls of a house or in the air.     There was damp everywhere and the entire building was in need of rewiring. See also rising damp. If you damp something, you make it slightly wet.     Hillsden damped a hand towel and laid it across her forehead. = dampen

Q: decorative [5dekErEtiv]

A: Something that is decorative is intended to look pretty or attractive.     The curtains are for purely decorative purposes and do not open or close.     ...highly decorative iron brackets.

Q: definitive [di5finitiv]

A: Something that is definitive provides a firm conclusion that cannot be questioned.     No one has come up with a definitive answer as to why this should be so.     There is no definitive test as yet for the condition. * definitively     The Constitution did not definitively rule out divorce. A definitive book or performance is thought to be the best of its kind that has ever been done or that will ever be done.     His `An Orkney Tapestry' is still the definitive book on the islands.

Q: delicate [5delikit]

A: Something that is delicate is small and beautifully shaped.     He had delicate hands.     ...an evergreen tree with large flame-coloured leaves and delicate blossom. = dainty * delicately     She was a shy, delicately pretty girl with enormous blue eyes. = daintily Something that is delicate has a colour, taste, or smell which is pleasant and not strong or intense.     Young haricot beans have a tender texture and a delicate, subtle flavour.     The colours are delicate and shimmering. = subtle <> strong * delicately     ...a soup delicately flavoured with nutmeg. = subtly If something is delicate, it is easy to harm, damage, or break, and needs to be handled or treated carefully.     Although the coral looks hard, it is very delicate.     ...a washing machine catering for every fabric -- even the most delicate. = fragile <> robust Someone who is delicate is not healthy and strong, and becomes ill easily.     She was physically delicate and psychologically unstable. = frail, sickly

Q: dense [dens]

A: Something that is dense contains a lot of things or people in a small area.     Where Bucharest now stands, there once was a large, dense forest.     Its fur is short, dense and silky.     They went out on to the pavement, thrusting their way again through the dense crowd. <> sparse, thin * densely     Java is a densely populated island.     The fire struck a densely wooded area of Oakland. <> sparsely Dense fog or smoke is difficult to see through because it is very heavy and dark.     A dense column of smoke rose several miles into the air. = thick <> thin In science, a dense substance is very heavy in relation to its volume. (TECHNICAL)     ...a small dense star. If you describe writing or a film as dense, you mean that it is difficult to understand because it contains a lot of information and ideas.     His prose is vigorous and dense, occasionally to the point of obscurity. If you say that someone is dense, you mean that you think they are stupid and that they take a long time to understand simple things. (INFORMAL)     He's not a bad man, just a bit dense. = thick

Q: depressing [di5presiN]

A: Something that is depressing makes you feel sad and disappointed.     Yesterday's unemployment figures were as depressing as those of the previous 22 months.     I'm rather keen to go on holiday in February because I think it's a very dismal, depressing month. * depressingly     It all sounded depressingly familiar to Janet.

Q: desirable [di5zaiErEbl]

A: Something that is desirable is worth having or doing because it is useful, necessary, or popular.     Prolonged negotiation was not desirable.     The crowd moved indoors for what were deemed the most desirable items. * desirability     ...the desirability of democratic reform.     ...the debate on the desirability of banning the ivory trade. Someone who is desirable is considered to be sexually attractive.     ...the young women of his own age whom his classmates thought most desirable. * desirability     He had not at all overrated Veronica's desirability.

Q: destructive [dis5trQktiv]

A: Something that is destructive causes or is capable of causing great damage, harm, or injury.     ...the awesome destructive power of nuclear weapons...     Guilt can be very destructive. * destructiveness     ...the size of armies and the destructiveness of their weapons. * destructively     Power can be used creatively or destructively.

Q: disappointing [7disE5pCintiN]

A: Something that is disappointing is not as good or as large as you hoped it would be.     The wine was excellent, but the meat was overdone and the vegetables disappointing.     The recession is largely blamed for the disappointing response to the appeal. = unsatisfactory * disappointingly     Progress is disappointingly slow.     Disappointingly, this show is only on view for a week.

Q: distinctive [dis5tiNktiv]

A: Something that is distinctive has a special quality or feature which makes it easily recognizable and different from other things of the same type.     ...the distinctive odour of chlorine.     ...a distinctive blue and yellow flag...     His voice was very distinctive. * distinctively     ...the distinctively fragrant taste of elderflowers...     Each room is distinctively decorated with light, bright colors and floral prints. * distinctiveness     His own distinctiveness was always evident at school.

Q: durable [5djuErEbl]

A: Something that is durable is strong and lasts a long time without breaking or becoming weaker.     Fine bone china is eminently practical, since it is strong and durable. = hard-wearing * durability     Airlines recommend hard-sided cases for durability.

Q: embarrassing [im5bArEsiN]

A: Something that is embarrassing makes you feel shy or ashamed.     That was an embarrassing situation for me.     Men find it embarrassing to be honest. = uncomfortable, awkward * embarrassingly     The lyrics of the song are embarrassingly banal.     Stephens had beaten him embarrassingly easily. Something that is embarrassing to a politician or a political party causes problems for them.     He has put the Bonn government in an embarrassing position.     The speech was deeply embarrassing to Cabinet ministers.

Q: encouraging [in5kQridViN]

A: Something that is encouraging gives people hope or confidence.     There are encouraging signs of an artistic revival.     The results have been encouraging.     It was encouraging that he recognised the dangers facing the company. * encouragingly     The people at the next table watched me eat and smiled encouragingly.     Against all expectations, the theatre reopened to encouragingly large audiences.     But, most encouragingly, there'd been no sign of any recurrence of the hallucinations.

Q: eternal [i(:)5tE:nl]

A: Something that is eternal lasts for ever.     Whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.     ...the quest for eternal youth. = everlasting * eternally     She is eternally grateful to her family for their support.     The whole universe exists eternally in that one infinite being. If you describe something as eternal, you mean that it seems to last for ever, often because you think it is boring or annoying.     In the background was that eternal hum. = interminable, never-ending Eternal truths, values, and questions never change and are believed to be always true and to be relevant in all situations.     ...the eternal truths of the Indian subcontinent.     ...the eternal question.

Q: exaggerated [ig5zAdVEreitid]

A: Something that is exaggerated is or seems larger, better, worse, or more important than it actually needs to be.     They should be sceptical of exaggerated claims for what such courses can achieve.     Western fears, he insists, are greatly exaggerated. * exaggeratedly     ...an exaggeratedly feminine appearance...     She laughed exaggeratedly at their jokes.

Q: exotic [ig5zCtik]

A: Something that is exotic is unusual and interesting, usually because it comes from or is related to a distant country.     ...brilliantly coloured, exotic flowers...     She flits from one exotic location to another. * exotically     ...exotically beautiful scenery.

Q: experimental [eks7peri5mentl]

A: Something that is experimental is new or uses new ideas or methods, and might be modified later if it is unsuccessful.     ...an experimental air conditioning system...     He tends to write bizarre and highly experimental pieces of music.     The technique is experimental, but the list of its practitioners is growing. Experimental means using, used in, or resulting from scientific experiments.     ...the main techniques of experimental science.     ...the use of experimental animals...     We have experimental and observational evidence concerning things which happened before and after the origin of life. * experimentally     ...an ecology laboratory, where communities of species can be studied experimentally under controlled conditions. An experimental action is done in order to see what it is like, or what effects it has.     The British Sports Minister is reported to be ready to argue for an experimental lifting of the ban. * experimentally     This system is being tried out experimentally at many universities.     Before opening the front door he lifted the cases experimentally.

Q: explicit [iks5plisit]

A: Something that is explicit is expressed or shown clearly and openly, without any attempt to hide anything.     Sexually explicit scenes in films and books were taboo under the old regime     ...explicit references to age in recruitment advertising. = overt * explicitly     The play was the first commercially successful work dealing explicitly with homosexuality.     Their intention is not to become involved in explicitly political activities. = overtly * explicitness     When the book was published, the energy and explicitness caught the popular imagination. If you are explicit about something, you speak about it very openly and clearly.     He was explicit about his intention to overhaul the party's internal voting system. * explicitly     She has been talking very explicitly about AIDS to these groups.

Q: exquisite [5ekskwizit]

A: Something that is exquisite is extremely beautiful or pleasant, especially in a delicate way.     The Indians brought in exquisite beadwork to sell.     Mr Zhang's photography is exquisite.     ...her exquisite manners. * exquisitely     ...exquisitely crafted dolls' houses.     ...an exquisitely beautiful young woman. Exquisite is used to emphasize that a feeling or quality is very great or intense. (LITERARY)     The words issuing from her lips gave exquisite pleasure as they flowed over him.     She peeled it with exquisite care.

Q: glorious [5glC:riEs]

A: Something that is glorious is very beautiful and impressive.     ...a glorious rainbow in the air...     She had missed the glorious blooms of the Mediterranean spring.     ...a glorious Edwardian opera house. = magnificent * gloriously     A tree, gloriously lit by autumn, pressed against the windowpane. If you describe something as glorious, you are emphasizing that it is wonderful and it makes you feel very happy.     The win revived glorious memories of his championship-winning days.     We opened the windows and let in the glorious evening air. = heavenly * gloriously     ...her gloriously happy love life. A glorious career, victory, or occasion involves great fame or success.     Harrison had a glorious career spanning more than six decades.     Her future could be more glorious even than her past. = illustrious * gloriously     But the mission was successful, gloriously successful. Glorious weather is hot and sunny.     I got dressed and emerged into glorious sunshine.     The sun was out again, and it was a glorious day. * gloriously     For a change, it was a gloriously sunny day.

Q: handy [5hAndi]

A: Something that is handy is useful.     The book gives handy hints on looking after indoor plants.     Credit cards can be handy -- they mean you do not have to carry large sums of cash. If something comes in handy, it is useful in a particular situation.     That key will come in handy if you lock yourself out.     The $20 check came in very handy. A thing or place that is handy is nearby and therefore easy to get or reach.     It would be good to have a pencil and paper handy.     Keep handy a lightweight sweater or cardigan.     This lively town is handy for Londoners. Someone who is handy with a particular tool is skilful at using it. (INFORMAL)     If you're handy with a needle you could brighten up your sweater with giant daisies.

Q: harmful [5hB:mful]

A: Something that is harmful has a bad effect on something else, especially on a person's health.     ...the harmful effects of smoking...     It believed the affair was potentially harmful to British aviation. = damaging <> harmless

Q: harmless [5hB:mlis]

A: Something that is harmless does not have any bad effects, especially on people's health.     Industry has been working at developing harmless substitutes for these gases.     This experiment was harmless to the animals. = safe <> harmful * harmlessly     Another missile exploded harmlessly outside the town. If you describe someone or something as harmless, you mean that they are not important and therefore unlikely to annoy other people or cause trouble.     He seemed harmless enough.     I would not want to deny them a harmless pleasure. = inoffensive * harmlessly     It started harmlessly enough, with a statement from the Secretary of State for Social Security.

Q: hollow [5hClEu]

A: Something that is hollow has a space inside it, as opposed to being solid all the way through.     ...a hollow tree.     ...a hollow cylinder. A surface that is hollow curves inwards.     He looked young, dark and sharp-featured, with hollow cheeks. A hollow is a hole inside a tree.     I made my home there, in the hollow of a dying elm. A hollow is an area that is lower than the surrounding surface.     Below him the town lay warm in the hollow of the hill.     ...where water gathers in a hollow and forms a pond. If you describe a statement, situation, or person as hollow, you mean they have no real value, worth, or effectiveness.     Any threat to bring in the police is a hollow one.     ...a hollow man who's coasted on charm for far too long. = empty * hollowness     One month before the deadline we see the hollowness of these promises. If someone gives a hollow laugh, they laugh in a way that shows that they do not really find something amusing.     Murray Pick's hollow laugh had no mirth in it.</

Q: implicit [im5plisit]

A: Something that is implicit is expressed in an indirect way.     It is taken as an implicit warning to the Moroccans not to continue or repeat the military actions they began a week ago.     Branagh says that it was his intention to make explicit in the film what was only implicit in the play. = tacit <> explicit * implicitly     An inquest jury implicitly criticised the Home Office's administration of Armley Jail by returning an open verdict on a teenager who was found hanging in his cell. = tacitly <> explicitly If a quality or element is implicit in something, it is involved in it or is shown by it. (FORMAL)     Implicit in snobbery is timidity -- being afraid to take a risk for fear of what your posh friends may think.     Try and learn from the lessons implicit in the failure of your marriage. = inherent If you say that someone has an implicit belief or faith in something, you mean that they have complete faith in it and no doubts at all.     He had implicit faith in the noble intentions of the Emperor. = absolute * implicitly     I trust him implicitly.

Q: inappropriate [7inE5prEupriit]

A: Something that is inappropriate is not useful or suitable for a particular situation or purpose.     The industry is inappropriate to the region's present and future needs.     There is no suggestion that clients have been sold inappropriate policies. = unsuitable <> appropriate * inappropriately     He was dressed inappropriately for the heat in a dark suit. If you say that someone's speech or behaviour in a particular situation is inappropriate, you are criticizing it because you think it is not suitable for that situation.     I feel the remark was inappropriate for such a serious issue.     It is inappropriate for a judge to belong to a discriminatory club. * inappropriately     You have the law on your side if the bank is acting inappropriately.     ...behavior that may appear inappropriately childish.

Q: inferior [in5fiEriE]

A: Something that is inferior is not as good as something else.     The cassettes were of inferior quality.     This resulted in overpriced and often inferior products.     If children were made to feel inferior to other children their confidence declined. <> superior If one person is regarded as inferior to another, they are regarded as less important because they have less status or ability.     He preferred the company of those who were intellectually inferior to himself.     ...the inferior status of women in pre-revolutionary Russia...     Most career women make me feel inferior. <> superior Also a noun.     It was a gentleman's duty always to be civil, even to his inferiors. * inferiority     I found it difficult to shake off a sense of social inferiority.

Q: innovative [5inEuveitiv]

A: Something that is innovative is new and original.     ...products which are cheaper, more innovative and more reliable than those of their competitors. An innovative person introduces changes and new ideas.     He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.

Q: insufficient [7insE5fiFEnt]

A: Something that is insufficient is not large enough in amount or degree for a particular purpose. (FORMAL)     He decided there was insufficient evidence to justify criminal proceedings.     These efforts were insufficient to contain the burgeoning crisis. = inadequate * insufficiency     Late miscarriages are usually not due to hormonal insufficiency. * insufficiently     Food that is insufficiently cooked can lead to food poisoning.

Q: intact [in5tAkt]

A: Something that is intact is complete and has not been damaged or changed.     Customs men put dynamite in the water to destroy the cargo, but most of it was left intact.     If the family unit is still intact, the patient frequently does very well. = in one piece

Q: legitimate [l i5dVitimit]

A: Something that is legitimate is acceptable according to the law.     The French government has condemned the coup in Haiti and has demanded the restoration of the legitimate government.     The government will not seek to disrupt the legitimate business activities of the defendant. * legitimacy     The opposition parties do not recognise the political legitimacy of his government. * legitimately     The government has been legitimately elected by the people. If you say that something such as a feeling or claim is legitimate, you think that it is reasonable and justified.     That's a perfectly legitimate fear.     The New York Times has a legitimate claim to be a national newspaper. * legitimacy     Sampras beat Carl-Uwe Steeb by 6-1, 6-2, 6-1 to underline the legitimacy of his challenge for the title. * legitimately     They could quarrel quite legitimately with some of my choices. A legitimate child is one whose parents were married before he or she was born.     We only married in order that the child should be legitimate. <> illegitimate To legitimate something means the same as to legitimize it. (FORMAL)     We want to legitimate this process by passing a law. * legitimation     ...the legitimation of state constitutions.

Q: lightweight [5laitweit]

A: Something that is lightweight weighs less than most other things of the same type.     ...lightweight denim...     The company manufactures a range of innovative light-weight cycles. Lightweight is a category in some sports, such as boxing, judo, or rowing, based on the weight of the athlete.     By the age of sixteen he was the junior lightweight champion of Poland.     He changed from lightweight (under 71kg) to light middleweight (under 78kg). A lightweight is a person who is in the lightweight category in a particular sport. If you describe someone as a lightweight, you are critical of them because you think that they are not very important or skilful in a particular area of activity.     Hill considered Sam a lightweight, a real amateur. <> heavyweight Also an adjective.     Some of the discussion in the book is lightweight and unconvincing.

Q: magical [5mAdVikEl]

A: Something that is magical seems to use magic or to be able to produce magic.     ...the story of Sin-Sin, a little boy who has magical powers. * magically     ...the story of a young boy's adventures after he is magically transported through the cinema screen. You can say that a place or object is magical when it has a special mysterious quality that makes it seem wonderful and exciting.     The beautiful island of Cyprus is a magical place to get married.

Q: mathematical [7mAWi5mAtikEl]

A: Something that is mathematical involves numbers and calculations.     ...mathematical calculations...     Given the sheer number of stars that exist it's a mathematical certainty that there is life on other planets. * mathematically     ...a mathematically complicated formula...     Mathematically, it made sense. If you have mathematical abilities or a mathematical mind, you are clever at doing calculations or understanding problems that involve numbers.     ...children who display extraordinary mathematical ability.     ...a mathematical genius. * mathematically     Anyone can be an astrologer as long as they are mathematically minded.

Q: memorable [5memErEbl]

A: Something that is memorable is worth remembering or likely to be remembered, because it is special or very enjoyable.     ...the perfect setting for a nostalgic memorable day...     Annette's performance as Eliza Doolittle in `Pygmalion' was truly memorable. * memorably     The National Theatre's production is memorably staged.

Q: minimal [5minimEl]

A: Something that is minimal is very small in quantity, value, or degree.     The co-operation between the two is minimal.     One aim of these reforms is effective defence with minimal expenditure. = negligible * minimally     He was paid, but only minimally.     I was minimally successful.

Q: nasty [5nAsti]

A: Something that is nasty is very unpleasant to see, experience, or feel.     ...an extremely nasty murder...     This divorce could turn nasty. = horrible * nastiness     ...the nastiness of war. = unpleasantness If you describe a person or their behaviour as nasty, you mean that they behave in an unkind and unpleasant way.     What nasty little snobs you all are.     The guards looked really nasty.     Mummy is so nasty to me when Daddy isn't here. = disagreeable <> nice, kind * nastily     She took the money and eyed me nastily.     Nikki laughed nastily. * nastiness     As the years went by his nastiness began to annoy his readers. If you describe something as nasty, you mean it is unattractive, undesirable, or in bad taste.     ...Emily's nasty little house in Balham...     That damned Farrel made some nasty jokes here about Mr. Lane. = unpleasant <> nice A nasty problem or situation is very worrying and difficult

Q: commonwealth [5kCmEnwelW]

A: The Commonwealth is an organization consisting of the United Kingdom and most of the countries that were previously under its rule. Commonwealth is used in the official names of some countries, groups of countries, or parts of countries.     ...the Commonwealth of Australia.     ...the Commonwealth of Independent States, which replaced the Soviet Union. If you refer to a commonwealth of nations, you are referring to a group of countries who are friendly towards each other and have something in common. (FORMAL)     ...a commonwealth of nations without economic borders.

Q: mafia [5mB:fiE]

A: The Mafia is a criminal organization that makes money illegally, especially by threatening people and dealing in drugs.     The Mafia is by no means ignored by Italian television. You can use mafia to refer to an organized group of people who you disapprove of because they use unfair or illegal means in order to get what they want.     They are well-connected with the south-based education-reform mafia.

Q: archive [5B:kaiv]

A: The archive or archives are a collection of documents and records that contain historical information. You can also use archives to refer to the place where archives are stored.     ...the archives of the Imperial War Museum...     I decided I would go to the Archive the next day and look up the appropriate issue. Archive material is information that comes from archives.     ...archive material.     ...pieces of archive film.

Q: franc [frANk]

A: The franc is the unit of currency that is used in France, Switzerland, Belgium, and some other countries where French is spoken.     The price of grapes has shot up to 32 francs a kilo. The franc is also used to refer to the currency systems of France, Switzerland, Belgium, and some other countries where French is spoken.     In Paris the French franc is suffering from uncertainty surrounding the new government.

Q: bank 2 [bANk]

A: The banks of a river, canal, or lake are the raised areas of ground along its edge.     ...30 miles of new developments along both banks of the Thames.     ...an old warehouse on the banks of a canal. = side A bank of ground is a raised area of it with a flat top and one or two sloping sides.     ...resting indolently upon a grassy bank. = knoll A bank of something is a long high mass of it.     On their journey south they hit a bank of fog off the north-east coast of Scotland. A bank of things, especially machines, switches, or dials, is a row of them, or a series of rows.     The typical laborer now sits in front of a bank of dials.

Q: basement [5beismEnt]

A: The basement of a building is a floor built partly or completely below ground level.     They bought an old schoolhouse to live in and built a workshop in the basement.     They live in a basement flat in North London.

Q: batsman [5bAtsmEn]

A: The batsman in a game of cricket is the player who is batting.     The batsman rose on his toes and played the rising ball down into the ground.     He was the greatest batsman of his generation.

Q: belly [5beli]

A: The belly of a person or animal is their stomach or abdomen. In British English, this is an informal or literary use.     She laid her hands on her swollen belly.     ...a horse with its belly ripped open...     You'll eat so much your belly'll be like a barrel. See also beer belly, pot belly. = stomach If a company goes belly up, it does not have enough money to pay its debts. (INFORMAL)     I really can't afford to see this company go belly up. = go bust

Q: blade [bleid]

A: The blade of a knife, axe, or saw is the edge, which is used for cutting.     Many of them will have sharp blades. The blades of a propeller are the long, flat parts that turn round. The blade of an oar is the thin flat part that you put into the water. A blade of grass is a single piece of grass.

Q: boundary [5baundEri]

A: The boundary of an area of land is an imaginary line that separates it from other areas.     ...the Bow Brook which forms the western boundary of the wood...     Drug traffickers operate across national boundaries. = border The boundaries of something such as a subject or activity are the limits that people think that it has.     The boundaries between history and storytelling are always being blurred and muddled.     ...extending the boundaries of press freedom. = perimeters

Q: bowler [5bEulE(r)]

A: The bowler in a game of cricket is the player who is bowling the ball.     He's a rather good fast bowler. A bowler is someone who plays bowls or goes bowling. A bowler is the same as a bowler hat. (mainly BRIT)

Q: box office BOX OFFICE

A: The box office in a theatre, cinema, or concert hall is the place where the tickets are sold. When people talk about the box office, they are referring to the degree of success of a film or play in terms of the number of people who go to watch it or the amount of money it makes.     The film has taken {Pound}180 million at the box office.     The film was a huge box-office success.

Q: break-up BREAK-UP

A: The break-up of a marriage, relationship, or association is the act of it finishing or coming to an end because the people involved decide that it is not working successfully.     Since the break-up of his marriage he had not formed any new relationships.     ...the acrimonious break-up of the meeting's first session.     ...a marital break-up. = collapse The break-up of an organization or a country is the act of it separating or dividing into several parts.     ...the break-up of British Rail for privatisation...     At no time did a majority of Czechoslavakia's citizens support the country's break-up.

Q: breakdown [5breikdaun]

A: The breakdown of something such as a relationship, plan, or discussion is its failure or ending.     ...the breakdown of trade talks between the US and EC officials.     ...the irretrievable breakdown of a marriage...     He argues that the breakdown in the legal system has spawned a black market. = collapse If you have a breakdown, you become very depressed, so that you are unable to cope with your life.     My personal life was terrible. My mother had died, and a couple of years later I had a breakdown.     They often seem depressed and close to emotional breakdown. See also nervous breakdown. If a car or a piece of machinery has a breakdown, it stops working.     Her old car was unreliable, so the trip was plagued by breakdowns.     If you stop on the hard shoulder, wait for the police or breakdown service. A breakdown of something is a list of its separate parts.     The organisers were given a breakdown of the costs. = analysis

Q: circulation [7sE:kju5leiFEn]

A: The circulation of a newspaper or magazine is the number of copies that are sold each time it is produced.     The Daily News once had the highest circulation of any daily in the country.     The paper has proved unable to maintain its circulation figures. Your circulation is the movement of blood through your body.     Anyone with heart, lung or circulation problems should seek medical advice before flying.     ...cold spots in the fingers caused by poor circulation. If something such as money is in circulation, it is being used by the public. If something is out of circulation or has been withdrawn from circulation, it is no longer available for use by the public.     The supply of money in circulation was drastically reduced overnight.     ...a society like America, with perhaps 180 million guns in circulation.     ...the decision to take 50 and 100 ruble bills out of circulation. If someone is out of circulation, they do not appear in public or at social gatherings for a period of time. You can also say that someone is out of circulation when they are in prison.     Political trials were being used to keep prominent activists out of circulation.     I had been out of circulation for a month and knew that many friends would be there.

Q: climax [5klaimAks]

A: The climax of something is the most exciting or important moment in it, usually near the end.     For Pritchard, reaching an Olympics was the climax of her career.     It was the climax to 24 hours of growing anxiety.     The last golf tournament of the European season is building up to a dramatic climax. The event that climaxes a sequence of events is an exciting or important event that comes at the end. You can also say that a sequence of events climaxes with a particular event. (JOURNALISM)     The demonstration climaxed two weeks of strikes.     They've just finished a sell-out UK tour that climaxed with a three-night stint at Brixton Academy. A climax is an orgasm. When someone climaxes, they have an orgasm.     Often, a man can enjoy making love but may not be sufficiently aroused to climax.

Q: collar [5kClE]

A: The collar of a shirt or coat is the part which fits round the neck and is usually folded over.     His tie was pulled loose and his collar hung open.     ...a coat with a huge fake fur collar. See also blue-collar, dog-collar, white-collar. A collar is a band of leather or plastic which is put round the neck of a dog or cat. If you collar someone who has done something wrong or who is running away, you catch them and hold them so that they cannot escape. (INFORMAL)     As Kerr fled towards the exit, Boycott collared him at the ticket barrier. = grab If you collar someone, you stop them and make them listen to you. (INFORMAL)     Beattie managed to collar Atkins in a hallway.     Bernard was once collared by an aggressive stranger in Soho. If someone gets hot under the collar about something, they get very annoyed, angry, or excited about it. (INFORMAL)     Some of you were getting very hot under the collar about Royals.

Q: consumption [kEn5sQmpFEn]

A: The consumption of fuel or natural resources is the amount of them that is used or the act of using them.     The laws have led to a reduction in fuel consumption in the US.     ...a tax on the consumption of non-renewable energy resources. The consumption of food or drink is the act of eating or drinking something, or the amount that is eaten or drunk. (FORMAL)     Most of the wine was unfit for human consumption.     The average daily consumption of fruit and vegetables is around 200 grams.     Excessive alcohol consumption is clearly bad. Consumption is the act of buying and using things.     They were prepared to put people out of work and reduce consumption by strangling the whole economy.     The production and consumption of goods and services is the ultimate aim of all economic endeavour. If you do or say something for a particular person's or group's consumption, you do or say it especially for them, although your private thoughts or plans may be very different.     The hard-line speech appears to be mostly for domestic consumption.     The report was obviously designed for the consumption of members of the War Committee. Consumption is the same as tuberculosis. (OLD-FASHIONED)

Q: creator [kri:5eitE(r)]

A: The creator of something is the person who made it or invented it.     ...Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond...     I have always believed that a garden dies with its creator. God is sometimes referred to as the Creator.     This was the first object placed in the heavens by the Creator.

Q: format [5fC:mAt, -mB:t]

A: The format of something is the way or order in which it is arranged and presented.     I had met with him to explain the format of the programme and what we had in mind.     ...a large-format book. The format of a piece of computer software or a musical recording is the type of equipment on which it is designed to be used or played. For example, possible formats for a musical recording are record, CD, and cassette.     His latest album is available on all formats. To format a computer disk means to run a program so that the disk can be written on.

Q: decoration [7dekE5reiFEn]

A: The decoration of a room is its furniture, wallpaper, and ornaments.     The decoration and furnishings had to be practical enough for a family home.     With its simple decoration, the main bedroom is a peaceful haven. = decor Decorations are features that are added to something in order to make it look more attractive.     The only wall decorations are candles and a single mirror.     The planting of winter and spring-flowering bulbs will supply colourful decoration at a time when most gardens are looking fairly desolate. Decorations are brightly coloured objects such as pieces of paper and balloons, which you put up in a room on special occasions to make it look more attractive.     Colorful streamers and festive paper decorations had been hung from the ceiling. A decoration is an official title or honour which is given to someone, usually in the form of a medal, as a reward for military bravery or public service.     He was awarded several military decorations by grateful Allied governments. = award

Q: diameter [dai5AmitE]

A: The diameter of a round object is the length of a straight line that can be drawn across it, passing through the middle of it.     ...a tube less than a fifth of the diameter of a human hair.     ...a length of 22-mm diameter steel pipe.     ...a tiny capsule, between 1 and 3 millimetres in diameter.

Q: dining room DINING ROOM

A: The dining room is the room in a house where people have their meals, or a room in a hotel where meals are served.

Q: director general DIRECTOR GENERAL

A: The director general of a large organization such as the BBC is the person who is in charge of it.

Q: diversity [dai5vE:siti]

A: The diversity of something is the fact that it contains many very different elements.     ...the cultural diversity of British society.     ...to introduce more choice and diversity into the education system. = variety A diversity of things is a range of things which are very different from each other.     Forslan's object is to gather as great a diversity of genetic material as possible.

Q: elder [5eldE(r)]

A: The elder of two people is the one who was born first.     ...his elder brother.     ...the elder of her two daughters. A person's elder is someone who is older than them, especially someone quite a lot older. (FORMAL)     The young have no respect for their elders. In some societies, an elder is one of the respected older people who have influence and authority.     ...a meeting of political figures and tribal elders. In some Christian churches, an elder is one of the people who hold a position of responsibility, but not usually a minister.     He is now an elder of the village church. An elder is a bush or small tree which has groups of small white flowers and black berries.

Q: exit [5eksit, -zit]

A: The exit is the door through which you can leave a public building.     He picked up the case and walked towards the exit.     There's a fire exit by the downstairs ladies room. An exit on a motorway or highway is a place where traffic can leave it.     Take the A422 exit at Old Stratford. If you refer to someone's exit, you are referring to the way that they left a room or building, or the fact that they left it. (FORMAL)     I made a hasty exit and managed to open the gate. = departure If you refer to someone's exit, you are referring to the way that they left a situation or activity, or the fact that they left it. (FORMAL)     ...after England's exit from the European Championship...     They suggested that she make a dignified exit in the interest of the party. = departure If you exit from a room or building, you leave it. (FORMAL)     She exits into the tropical storm.     As I exited the final display, I entered a hexagonal room.     She walked into the front door of a store and exited from the rear.

Q: bust [bQst]

A: The form bust is used as the present tense of the verb, and can also be used as the past tense and past participle If you bust something, you break it or damage it so badly that it cannot be used. (INFORMAL)     They will have to bust the door to get him out. If someone is busted, the police arrest them. (INFORMAL)     They were busted for possession of cannabis. If police bust a place, they go to it in order to arrest people who are doing something illegal. (INFORMAL)     ...police success in busting UK-based drug factories. Also a noun.     Six tons of cocaine were seized last week in Panama's biggest drug bust. A bust company or fund has no money left and has been forced to close down. (INFORMAL)     It is taxpayers who will pay most of the bill for bailing out bust banks. If a company goes bust, it loses so much money that it is forced to close down. (INFORMAL)     ...a Swiss company which went bust last May. A bust is a statue of the head and shoulders of a person.     ...a bronze bust of the Queen.

Q: front line FRONT LINE

A: The front line is the place where two opposing armies are facing each other and where fighting is going on.     ...a massive concentration of soldiers on the front line. A front line state shares a border with a country that it is at war with or is in conflict with.     ...the front-line states bordering South Africa. Someone who is in the front line has to play a very important part in defending or achieving something.     Information officers are in the front line of putting across government policies.

Q: gloom [glu:m]

A: The gloom is a state of near darkness.     ...the gloom of a foggy November morning...     I was peering about me in the gloom. Gloom is a feeling of sadness and lack of hope.     ...the deepening gloom over the economy.

Q: habitat [5hAbitAt]

A: The habitat of an animal or plant is the natural environment in which it normally lives or grows.     In its natural habitat, the hibiscus will grow up to 25ft.     Few countries have as rich a diversity of habitat as South Africa. = home

Q: hardliner HARDLINER

A: The hardliners in a group such as a political party are the people who support a strict, fixed set of ideas that are often extreme, and who refuse to accept any change in them.     Unionist hardliners warned the U.S. President he would not be welcome.

Q: harvest [5hB:vist]

A: The harvest is the gathering of a crop.     There was about 300 million tons of grain in the fields at the start of the harvest. A harvest is the crop that is gathered in.     ...a bumper potato harvest...     Millions of people are threatened with starvation as a result of drought and poor harvests. When you harvest a crop, you gather it in.     Many farmers are refusing to harvest the cane.     ...freshly harvested beetroot. * harvesting     ...war is hampering harvesting and the distribution of food aid. If you harvest a large number of things, you collect them, often by making great efforts. (LITERARY)     In his new career as a restaurateur he has blossomed and harvested many awards. = collect If you reap the harvest, you benefit or suffer from the results of your past actions or of someone else's past actions. (WRITTEN)     The Israeli Prime Minister must be convinced that he will reap a richer harvest of votes by going to the electorate well before October.

Q: heroine [5herEuin]

A: The heroine of a book, play, film, or story is the main female character, who usually has good qualities.     The heroine is a senior TV executive. = protagonist <> villain A heroine is a woman who has done something brave, new, or good, and who is therefore greatly admired by a lot of people.     The national heroine of the day was Xing Fen, winner of the first Gold medal of the Games. If you describe a woman as your heroine, you mean that you admire her greatly, usually because of a particular quality or skill that she has.     My heroine was Elizabeth Taylor. = idol

Q: horizon [hE5raizn]

A: The horizon is the line in the far distance where the sky seems to meet the land or the sea.     A grey smudge appeared on the horizon. That must be Calais, thought Fay.     The sun had already sunk below the horizon. Your horizons are the limits of what you want to do or of what you are interested or involved in.     As your horizons expand, these new ideas can give a whole new meaning to life.     By embracing other cultures and genres, we actually broaden our horizons, rather than narrow any existing ones. If something is on the horizon, it is almost certainly going to happen or be done quite soon.     With breast cancer, as with many common diseases, there is no obvious breakthrough on the horizon.     Suddenly, with war on the horizon, the army seemed in danger of disintegration.     There are glimmers of hope on the horizon.

Q: identification [ai7dentifi5keiFEn]

A: The identification of something is the recognition that it exists, is important, or is true.     Early identification of a disease can prevent death and illness.     Their work includes the identification of genes which govern the growth rate and fertility.     There should be some identification of goals, and how far these have been achieved. Your identification of a particular person or thing is your ability to name them because you know them or recognize them.     Officials are awaiting positive identification before charging the men with war crimes.     He's made a formal identification of the body.     ...the Hamlyn identification guide to wild flowers of Britain. If someone asks you for some identification, they want to see something such as a driving licence, which proves who you are.     The woman who was on passport control asked me if I had any further identification. = ID The identification of one person or thing with another is the close association of one with the other.     Throughout the Balkans, there is a close identification of nationhood with language.     ...the identification of Spain with Catholicism. = association Identification with someone or something is the feeling of sympathy and support for them.     I need your full, emotional identification with the problem and with me.     Marilyn had an intense identification with animals. = empathy

Q: infantry [5infEntri]

A: The infantry are soldiers who fight on foot rather than in tanks or on horses.     The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.     The enemy infantry was hiding.     ...an infantry division.     ...regiments of infantry.

Q: inherent [in5hiErEnt]

A: The inherent qualities of something are the necessary and natural parts of it.     Stress is an inherent part of dieting.     ...the dangers inherent in an outbreak of war. = intrinsic * inherently     Aeroplanes are not inherently dangerous.     War is inherently a dirty business. = intrinsically

Q: introduction [7intrE5dQkFEn]

A: The introduction to a book or talk is the part that comes at the beginning and tells you what the rest of the book or talk is about.     Ellen Malos, in her introduction to `The Politics of Housework', provides a summary of the debates. = foreword If you refer to a book as an introduction to a particular subject, you mean that it explains the basic facts about that subject.     On balance, the book is a friendly, down-to-earth introduction to physics.     ...`Psychology and Language: An Introduction to Psycholinguistics'. You can refer to a new product as an introduction when it becomes available in a place for the first time.     There are two among their recent introductions that have greatly impressed me. If you say that someone or something needs no introduction, you mean that they are so well known that everyone knows who or what they are.     Michael Jackson, of course, needs no introduction.

Q: keyboard [5ki:bC:d]

A: The keyboard of a typewriter or computer is the set of keys that you press in order to operate it. The keyboard of a piano or organ is the set of black and white keys that you press in order to play it.     Tanya's hands rippled over the keyboard. People sometimes refer to musical instruments that have a keyboard as keyboards.     ...Sean O'Hagan on keyboards.     ...the keyboard player.

Q: legislature [5ledVis7leitFE]

A: The legislature of a particular state or country is the group of people in it who have the power to make and pass laws. (FORMAL)     The proposals before the legislature include the creation of two special courts to deal exclusively with violent crimes.

Q: lifestyle LIFESTYLE

A: The lifestyle of a particular person or group of people is the living conditions, behaviour, and habits that are typical of them or are chosen by them.     They enjoyed an income and lifestyle that many people would envy.     ...the change of lifestyle occasioned by the baby's arrival.

Q: lighting [5laitiN]

A: The lighting in a place is the way that it is lit, for example by electric lights, by candles, or by windows, or the quality of the light in it.     ...the bright fluorescent lighting of the laboratory...     The whole room is bathed in soft lighting.     ...street lighting. The lighting in a film or play is the use of different electric lights to give a particular effect.     Peter Mumford's lighting and David Freeman's direction make a crucial contribution to the success of the staging.

Q: likelihood [5laiklihud]

A: The likelihood of something happening is how likely it is to happen.     The likelihood of infection is minimal.     There didn't seem much likelihood of it happening.     There is every likelihood that sanctions will work. = probability If something is a likelihood, it is likely to happen.     But the likelihood is that people would be willing to pay if they were certain that their money was going to a good cause.     That, as we all know, is not only a possibility but a likelihood. = probability If you say that something will happen in all likelihood, you mean that it will probably happen.     These factories would in all likelihood take five to seven years to work up to full production. = in all probability

Q: limitation [7limi5teiFEn]

A: The limitation of something is the act or process of controlling or reducing it.     All the talk had been about the limitation of nuclear weapons.     ...damage limitation. A limitation on something is a rule or decision which prevents that thing from growing or extending beyond certain limits.     ...a limitation on the tax deductions for people who make more than $100,000 a year...     There is to be no limitation on the number of opposition parties. If you talk about the limitations of someone or something, you mean that they can only do some things and not others, or cannot do something very well.     I realized how possible it was to overcome your limitations, to achieve well beyond what you believe yourself capable of.     Parents are too likely to blame schools for the educational limitations of their children. = shortcomings A limitation is a fact or situation that allows only some actions and makes others impossible.     This drug has one important limitation. Its effects only last six hours.     ...an acute disc collapse in the spine, causing limitation of movement.

Q: lining [5lainiN]

A: The lining of something such as a piece of clothing or a curtain is a layer of cloth attached to the inside of it in order to make it thicker or warmer, or in order to make it hang better.     ...a padded satin jacket with quilted lining. You can use lining to refer to a layer of paper, plastic, metal, or another substance that is attached to the inside of something, for example in order to protect it.     ...brake linings...     Moss makes an attractive lining to wire baskets. The lining of your stomach or other organ is a layer of tissue on the inside of it.     ...a bacterium that attacks the lining of the stomach.     ...the uterine lining.

Q: logo [5lCgEu]

A: The logo of a company or organization is the special design or way of writing its name that it puts on all its products, notepaper, or advertisements.

Q: maintenance [5meintinEns]

A: The maintenance of a building, vehicle, road, or machine is the process of keeping it in good condition by regularly checking it and repairing it when necessary.     ...maintenance work on government buildings...     The window had been replaced last week during routine maintenance.     ...car maintenance lessons. Maintenance is money that someone gives regularly to another person to pay for the things that the person needs.     ...the government's plan to make absent fathers pay maintenance for their children. If you ensure the maintenance of a state or process, you make sure that it continues.     ...the maintenance of peace and stability in Asia.     ...the importance of natural food to the maintenance of health.

Q: making [5meikiN]

A: The making of something is the act or process of producing or creating it.     ...Salamon's book about the making of this movie...     Ducks' eggs are particularly prized for cake making. If you describe a person or thing as something in the making, you mean that they are going to become known or recognized as that thing.     Her drama teacher is confident Julie is a star in the making.     I think it's a disaster in the making. If something is the making of a person or thing, it is the reason that they become successful or become very much better than they used to be.     This discovery may yet be the making of him. If you say that a person or thing has the makings of something, you mean it seems possible or likely that they will become that thing, as they have the necessary qualities.     Godfrey had the makings of a successful journalist. If you say that something such as a problem you have is of your own making, you mean you have caused or created it yourself.     Some of the university's financial troubles are of its own making.     The Prime Minister, however, is now caught in a trap of her own making.

Q: managing director MANAGING DIRECTOR

A: The managing director of a company is the most important working director, and is in charge of the way the company is managed. (mainly BRIT; in AM usually use chief executive officer)

Q: nadir [5neidiE, -dE]

A: The nadir of something such as someone's career or the history of an organization is its worst time. (LITERARY)     1945 to 1946 was the nadir of Truman's presidency. <> zenith In astronomy, the nadir is the point at which the sun or moon is directly below you, on the other side of the earth. Compare zenith. (TECHNICAL)

Q: in. IN.

A: The plural can be `in.' or `ins'.     ...30.4 x 25.4 cm (12 x 10 in)...     It is 24 ins wide and 16 ins high.

Q: gm GM

A: The plural can be gm or gms gm is a written abbreviation for gram.     ...450 gm (1 lb) mixed soft summer fruits.

Q: bail out BAIL OUT

A: The spelling bale is also used If you bail someone out, you help them out of a difficult situation, often by giving them money.     They will discuss how to bail the economy out of its slump.     He desperately needed cash to bail out the ailing restaurant.     The airline had losses of $35m and was bailed out by Qantas. If you bail someone out, you pay bail on their behalf.     He has been jailed eight times. Each time, friends bailed him out. If a pilot bails out of an aircraft that is crashing, he or she jumps from it, using a parachute to land safely.     Reid was forced to bail out of the crippled aircraft.     The pilot bailed out safely.

Q: co-ordinate CO-ORDINATE

A: The spelling coordinate is also used. If you co-ordinate an activity, you organize the various people and things involved in it.     Government officials visited the earthquake zone on Thursday morning to co-ordinate the relief effort.     ...the setting up of an advisory committee to co-ordinate police work. * co-ordinated     ...a rapid and well co-ordinated international rescue operation. * co-ordinator co-ordinators     ...the party's campaign co-ordinator, Mr Peter Mandelson. If you co-ordinate clothes or furnishings that are used together, or if they co-ordinate, they are similar in some way and look nice together.     She'll show you how to co-ordinate pattern and colours.     Tie it with fabric bows that co-ordinate with other furnishings.     Colours and looks must fit the themes of the seasons so that the shops co-ordinate well.     ...curtains and co-ordinating bed covers. Co-ordinates are pieces of clothing or soft furnishings which are similar and which are intended to be worn or used together.     ...new lingerie co-ordinates. If you co-ordinate the different parts of your body, you make them work together efficiently to perform particular movements.     They spend several weeks each year undergoing intensive treatment which enables them to coordinate their limbs better. The co-ordinates of a point on a map or graph are the two sets of numbers or letters that you need in order to find that point. (TECHNICAL)     Can you give me your co-ordinates?     ...the latitude and longitude co-ordinates of any location in the world.

Q: disc [disk]

A: The spelling disk is also used in American English, mainly for meaning 1. A disc is a flat, circular shape or object.     Most shredding machines are based on a revolving disc fitted with replaceable blades. A disc is one of the thin, circular pieces of cartilage which separates the bones in your back.     I had slipped a disc and was frozen in a spasm of pain. A disc is a record that you play on a record player. (OLD-FASHIONED)     This disc includes the piano sonata in C minor.

Q: forever [fE5revE]

A: The spelling for ever is also used If you say that something will happen or continue forever, you mean that it will always happen or continue.     I think that we will live together forever.     It was great fun but we knew it wouldn't go on for ever.     I will forever be grateful for his considerable input. If something has gone or changed forever, it has gone or changed completely and permanently.     The old social order was gone forever.     Their lives changed forever. = for good If you say that something takes forever or lasts forever, you are emphasizing that it takes or lasts a very long time, or that it seems to. (INFORMAL)     The drive seemed to take forever.     They didn't cost anything and they lasted forever. = ages If you say that someone is forever doing a particular thing, especially something which annoys or amuses you, you are emphasizing that they do it very often. (INFORMAL)     He was forever attempting to arrange deals.     I was forever dragging him away from the fireplace. = always, constantly You use forever to emphasize that someone always has or shows the quality mentioned.     Katherine was forever secretive.     To this end the young child is forever watchful. = ever, eternally

Q: gel [dVel]

A: The spelling jell is usually used in American English and sometimes used in British English If people gel with each other, or if two groups of people gel, they work well together because their skills and personalities fit together well.     They have gelled very well with the rest of the side.     Palace have lost only once in their last six matches and there were signs on Saturday that the team is starting to gel at last.     Their partnership gelled and scriptwriting for television followed. If a vague shape, thought, or creation gels, it becomes clearer or more definite.     Even if her interpretation has not yet gelled into a satisfying whole, she displays real musicianship.     It was not until 1974 that his ability to write gelled again. Gel is a thick jelly-like substance, especially one used to keep your hair in a particular style.

Q: compose [kEm5pEuz]

A: The things that something is composed of are its parts or members. The separate things that compose something are the parts or members that form it.     The force would be composed of troops from NATO countries.     Protein molecules compose all the complex working parts of living cells.     They agreed to form a council composed of leaders of the rival factions. = make up When someone composes a piece of music, they write it.     Vivaldi composed a large number of very fine concertos.     Cale also uses electronic keyboards to compose. If you compose something such as a letter, poem, or speech, you write it, often using a lot of concentration or skill. (FORMAL)     He started at once to compose a reply to Anna.     The document composed in Philadelphia transformed the confederation of sovereign states into a national government. If you compose a picture or image, you arrange it in an attractive and artistic way. (TECHNICAL)     Anthony dismounted with his camera and walked away from the walls to compose a shot.     The drawing is beautifully composed. If you compose yourself or if you compose your features, you succeed in becoming calm after you have been angry, excited, or upset.     She quickly composed herself as the car started off.     Then he composed his features, took Godwin's hand awkwardly and began to usher him from the office.

Q: bureau [bjuE5rEu, 5bjuErEu]

A: The usual plural in British English is bureaux. The usual plural in American English is bureaus A bureau is an office, organization, or government department that collects and distributes information.     ...the Federal Bureau of Investigation.     ...the Citizens' Advice Bureau. A bureau is an office of a company or organization which has its main office in another town or country. (mainly AM)     ...the Wall Street Journal's Washington bureau. = office A bureau is a writing desk with shelves and drawers and a lid that opens to form the writing surface. (BRIT) = writing desk A bureau is a chest of drawers. (AM)

Q: dependent [di5pendEnt]

A: To be dependent on something or someone means to need them in order to succeed or be able to survive.     The local economy is overwhelmingly dependent on oil and gas extraction.     Up to two million people there are dependent on food aid.     Britain became increasingly dependent upon American technology.     In his own way, he was dependent on her.     Just 26 per cent of households are married couples with dependent children. = reliant <> independent If one thing is dependent on another, the first thing will be affected or determined by the second.     The results you get from weight training are largely dependent upon how you use those weights and what type of exercise programme you follow.     ...companies whose earnings are largely dependent on the performance of the Chinese economy. = contingent <> independent

Q: bump off BUMP OFF

A: To bump someone off means to kill them. (INFORMAL, OFTEN HUMOROUS)     They will probably bump you off anyway!     ...the hit man he's hired to bump off his wife.

Q: chill out CHILL OUT

A: To chill out means to relax after you have done something tiring or stressful. (INFORMAL)     After raves, we used to chill out in each others' bedrooms. = relax

Q: clarify [5klArifai]

A: To clarify something means to make it easier to understand, usually by explaining it in more detail. (FORMAL)     Thank you for writing and allowing me to clarify the present position.     A bank spokesman was unable to clarify the situation. * clarification clarifications     The union has written to Zurich asking for clarification of the situation.

Q: cleanse [klenz]

A: To cleanse a place, person, or organization of something dirty, unpleasant, or evil means to make them free from it.     Straight after your last cigarette your body will begin to cleanse itself of tobacco toxins.     It urged the party to cleanse its own ranks of those found guilty of human rights violations.     Confession cleanses the soul. See also ethnic cleansing. If you cleanse your skin or a wound, you clean it.     Catherine demonstrated the proper way to cleanse the face.     ...cleansing lotions.

Q: commemorate [kE5memEreit]

A: To commemorate an important event or person means to remember them by means of a special action, ceremony, or specially created object.     One room contained a gallery of paintings commemorating great moments in baseball history.     The 200th anniversary of Mozart's death is being commemorated around the world with concerts featuring his work. = celebrate * commemoration commemorations     ...the 50th Anniversary Commemoration of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.     ...a service of commemoration.     ...a march in commemoration of Malcolm X.

Q: compensate [5kCmpEnseit]

A: To compensate someone for money or things that they have lost means to pay them money or give them something to replace that money or those things.     The official promise to compensate people for the price rise clearly hadn't been worked out properly.     To ease financial difficulties, farmers could be compensated for their loss of subsidies. If you compensate for a lack of something or for something you have done wrong, you do something to make the situation better.     The company agreed to keep up high levels of output in order to compensate for supplies lost.     She would then feel guilt for her anger and compensate by doing even more for the children. = make up Something that compensates for something else balances it or reduces its effects.     MPs say it is crucial that a mechanism is found to compensate for inflation.     The pluses more than compensated for the inconveniences involved in making the trip. If you try to compensate for something that is wrong or missing in your life, you try to do something that removes or reduces the harmful effects.     People who sense that they are inferior have to compensate, and often over-compensate by way of outward achievement.

Q: confine [5kCnfain]

A: To confine something to a particular place or group means to prevent it from spreading beyond that place or group.     Health officials have successfully confined the epidemic to the Tabatinga area.     The US will soon be taking steps to confine the conflict. = restrict If you confine yourself or your activities to something, you do only that thing and are involved with nothing else.     He did not confine himself to the one language.     Yoko had largely confined her activities to the world of big business.     His genius was not confined to the decoration of buildings. = limit, restrict If someone is confined to a mental institution, prison, or other place, they are sent there and are not allowed to leave for a period of time.     The woman will be confined to a mental institution.     He announced that the army and police had been confined to barracks. Something that is within the confines of an area or place is within the boundaries enclosing it. (FORMAL)     The movie is set entirely within the confines of the abandoned factory.     ...the wild grass and weeds that grew in the confines of the grandstand. The confines of a situation, system, or activity are the limits or restrictions it involves.

Q: convey [kEn5vei]

A: To convey information or feelings means to cause them to be known or understood by someone.     When I returned home, I tried to convey the wonder of this machine to my husband.     In every one of her pictures she conveys a sense of immediacy.     Mr Boucher said the Americans had conveyed their views to the Romanian government. = communicate To convey someone or something to a place means to carry or transport them there. (FORMAL)     The railway company extended a branch line to Brightlingsea to convey fish direct to Billingsgate. = transport

Q: court 2 [kC:t]

A: To court a particular person, group, or country means to try to please them or improve your relations with them, often so that they will do something that you want them to do. (JOURNALISM)     Both Democratic and Republican parties are courting former supporters of Ross Perot.     Stars are courted by manufacturers who value their influence on style-conscious fans. = cultivate If you court something such as publicity or popularity, you try to attract it.     Having spent a lifetime avidly courting publicity, Paul has suddenly become secretive.     ...his ability to get things done, usually by manipulating, courting favour or cleverly finding a way around opponents. If you court something unpleasant such as disaster or unpopularity, you act in a way that makes it likely to happen.     If he thinks he can remain in power by force he is courting disaster.     They argue that the commission should risk courting unpopularity and push on with its legislative programmes. = invite If you are courting someone of the opposite sex, you spend a lot of time with them, because you are intending to get married. You can also say that a man and a woman are courting. (OLD-FASHIONED)     I was courting Billy at 19 and married him when I was 21.

Q: crush [krQF]

A: To crush something means to press it very hard so that its shape is destroyed or so that it breaks into pieces.     Andrew crushed his empty can.     Their vehicle was crushed by an army tank.     Peel and crush the garlic.     ...crushed ice. To crush a protest or movement, or a group of opponents, means to defeat it completely, usually by force.     The military operation was the first step in a plan to crush the uprising.     ...in his bid to crush the rebels. * crushing     ...the violent crushing of anti-government demonstrations. If you are crushed by something, it upsets you a great deal.     Listen to criticism but don't be crushed by it. = devastate If you are crushed against someone or something, you are pushed or pressed against them.     We were at the front, crushed against the stage. A crush is a crowd of people close together, in which it is difficult to move.     His thirteen-year-old son somehow got separated in the crush.     Everywhere he went he was mobbed by a crush of fans. <

Q: damp down DAMP DOWN

A: To damp down something such as a strong emotion, an argument, or a crisis means to make it calmer or less intense.     His hand moved to his mouth as he tried to damp down the panic.     The entire spending boost could go on wage demands unless expectations are damped down. = calm

Q: depict [di5pikt]

A: To depict someone or something means to show or represent them in a work of art such as a drawing or painting.     ...a gallery of pictures depicting Nelson's most famous battles. To depict someone or something means to describe them or give an impression of them in writing.     Margaret Atwood's novel depicts a gloomy, futuristic America.     Children's books often depict farmyard animals as gentle, lovable creatures. = portray

Q: deplete [di5pli:t]

A: To deplete a stock or amount of something means to reduce it. (FORMAL)     ...substances that deplete the ozone layer...     They fired in long bursts, which depleted their ammunition.     Most native mammal species have been severely depleted. * depleted     ...Robert E. Lee's worn and depleted army. * depletion     ...the problem of ozone depletion.     ...the depletion of underground water supplies.

Q: deploy [di5plCi]

A: To deploy troops or military resources means to organize or position them so that they are ready to be used.     The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.     ...the US-made Patriot anti-missile system which was deployed in the Gulf war.

Q: detect [di5tekt]

A: To detect something means to find it or discover that it is present somewhere by using equipment or making an investigation.     ...a sensitive piece of equipment used to detect radiation...     Most skin cancers can be cured if detected and treated early.     Doctors have developed a device which can detect who is more at risk from sudden death following a mild heart attack. If you detect something, you notice it or sense it, even though it is not very obvious.     Arnold could detect a certain sadness in the old man's face. = sense

Q: deter [di5tE:]

A: To deter someone from doing something means to make them not want to do it or continue doing it.     Supporters of the death penalty argue that it would deter criminals from carrying guns.     Arrests and jail sentences have done nothing to deter the protesters.     Jeremy was not deterred by this criticism. = discourage

Q: devalue [di:5vAlju:]

A: To devalue something means to cause it to be thought less impressive or less deserving of respect.     They spread tales about her in an attempt to devalue her work.     Wabel's victory was in no way devalued by the absence of series leader Tom Fisher. * devalued     Selling tickets for a devalued championship is becoming increasingly difficult.     The child will be able to accept punishment without feeling devalued and worthless. To devalue the currency of a country means to reduce its value in relation to other currencies.     India has devalued the Rupee by about eleven per cent.     The Pound would be devalued, we were told.     Economic theory suggests that the devalued pound will boost the economy. * devaluation devaluations     It will lead to devaluation of a number of European currencies.     There were massive devaluations of several currencies.

Q: discredit [dis5kredit]

A: To discredit someone or something means to cause them to lose people's respect or trust.     ...a secret unit within the company that had been set up to discredit its major rival...     He says his accusers are trying to discredit government foreign-aid policies.     He said such methods would discredit the party worldwide. * discredited     The previous government is now thoroughly discredited.     ...the old, discredited regimes. To discredit an idea or evidence means to make it appear false or not certain.     They realized there would be difficulties in discrediting the evidence.

Q: divert [di5vE:t]

A: To divert vehicles or travellers means to make them follow a different route or go to a different destination than they originally intended. You can also say that someone or something diverts from a particular route or to a particular place. (BRIT; in AM use detour)     ...Rainham Marshes, east London, where a new bypass will divert traffic from the A13...     During the strike, ambulances will be diverted to private hospitals.     We diverted a plane to rescue 100 passengers.     She insists on diverting to a village close to the airport.     The capital remained jammed with diverted traffic. To divert money or resources means to cause them to be used for a different purpose.     The government is trying to divert more public funds from west to east.     ...government departments involved in diverting resources into community care. To divert a phone call means to send it to a different number or place from the one that was dialled by the person making the call.     He instructed switchboard staff to divert all Laura's calls to him.     Customers will only incur additional call charges if the call is diverted outside the UK. If you say that someone diverts your attention from something important or serious, you disapprove of them behaving or talking in a way that stops you thinking about it.     They want to divert the attention of the people from the real issues.     The President needed to divert attention away from his own economic record. = distract

Q: endanger [in5deindVE]

A: To endanger something or someone means to put them in a situation where they might be harmed or destroyed completely.     The debate could endanger the proposed Mideast peace talks.     ...endangered species such as lynx, wolf and several species of vulture.

Q: evacuate [i5vAkjueit]

A: To evacuate someone means to send them to a place of safety, away from a dangerous building, town, or area.     They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.     Since 1951, 18,000 people have been evacuated from the area. * evacuation evacuations     ...the evacuation of the sick and wounded...     An evacuation of the city's four-million inhabitants is planned for later this week. If people evacuate a place, they move out of it for a period of time, especially because it is dangerous.     The fire is threatening about sixty homes, and residents have evacuated the area.     Officials ordered the residents to evacuate. * evacuation evacuations     ...the mass evacuation of the Bosnian town of Srebrenica...     Burning sulfur from the wreck has forced evacuations from the area.

Q: evoke [i5vEuk]

A: To evoke a particular memory, idea, emotion, or response means to cause it to occur. (FORMAL)     ...the scene evoking memories of those old movies...     A sense of period was evoked by complementing pictures with appropriate furniture.

Q: invade [in5veid]

A: To invade a country means to enter it by force with an army.     In autumn 1944 the allies invaded the Italian mainland at Anzio and Salerno.     When the Romans and later the Normans came to Britain they did so as invading armies. If you say that people or animals invade a place, you mean that they enter it in large numbers, often in a way that is unpleasant or difficult to deal with.     People invaded the streets in victory processions almost throughout the day.     Every so often the kitchen would be invaded by ants.

Q: license [5laisEns]

A: To license a person or activity means to give official permission for the person to do something or for the activity to take place.     ...a proposal that would require the state to license guns...     Under the agreement, the council can license a U.S. company to produce the drug.

Q: extract [iks5trAkt]

A: To extract a substance means to obtain it from something else, for example by using industrial or chemical processes.     ...the traditional method of pick and shovel to extract coal...     Citric acid can be extracted from the juice of oranges, lemons, limes or grapefruit.     ...looking at the differences in the extracted DNA. * extraction     Petroleum engineers plan and manage the extraction of oil. If you extract something from a place, you take it out or pull it out. (LITERARY)     He extracted a small notebook from his hip pocket.     Patterson went straight to the liquor cabinet and extracted a bottle of Scotch.     She reached into the wardrobe and extracted another tracksuit. When a dentist extracts a tooth, they remove it from the patient's mouth.     A dentist may decide to extract the tooth to prevent recurrent trouble.     She is to go and have a tooth extracted at 3 o'clock today. * extraction extractions     In those days, dentistry was basic. Extractions were carried out without anaesthetic. If you say that someone extracts something, you disapprove of them because they take it for t

Q: filter [5filtE]

A: To filter a substance means to pass it through a device which is designed to remove certain particles contained in it.     The best prevention for cholera is to boil or filter water, and eat only well-cooked food. A filter is a device through which a substance is passed when it is being filtered.     ...a paper coffee filter. A filter is a device through which sound or light is passed and which blocks or reduces particular sound or light frequencies.     You might use a yellow filter to improve the clarity of a hazy horizon. If light or sound filters into a place, it comes in weakly or slowly, either through a partly covered opening, or from a long distance away.     Light filtered into my kitchen through the soft, green shade of the honey locust tree. When news or information filters through to people, it gradually reaches them.     It took months before the findings began to filter through to the politicians.     News of the attack quickly filtered through the college.     ...as indications filter in from polling stations.     ...the horror stories which were beginning to filter out of Germany. A traffic filter is a traffic signal or l

Q: filter out FILTER OUT

A: To filter out something from a substance or from light means to remove it by passing the substance or light through something acting as a filter.     Children should have glasses which filter out UV rays.     Plants and trees filter carbon dioxide out of the air and produce oxygen.

Q: hover [5hCvE]

A: To hover means to stay in the same position in the air without moving forwards or backwards. Many birds and insects can hover by moving their wings very quickly.     Beautiful butterflies hovered above the wild flowers.     A police helicopter hovered overhead.     Mist hovered in all the valleys. If you hover, you stay in one place and move slightly in a nervous way, for example because you cannot decide what to do.     Judith was hovering in the doorway.     With no idea of what to do for my next move, my hand hovered over the board. If you hover, you are in an uncertain situation or state of mind.     She hovered on the brink of death for three months as doctors battled to save her.     Just as at the turn of the century, we hover between great hopes and great fears. If a something such as a price, value, or score hovers around a particular level, it stays at more or less that level and does not change much.     In September 1989 the exchange rate hovered around 140 yen to the dollar.     His golf handicap hovered between 10 and 12.

Q: induce [in5dju:s]

A: To induce a state or condition means to cause it.     Doctors said surgery could induce a heart attack.     ...an economic crisis induced by high oil prices. If you induce someone to do something, you persuade or influence them to do it.     I would do anything to induce them to stay.     More than 4,000 teachers were induced to take early retirement. = persuade If a doctor or nurse induces labour or birth, they cause a pregnant woman to start giving birth by using drugs or other medical means. (MEDICAL)     He might decide that it is best to induce labour. * induction     ...if there are obvious medical reasons for induction.

Q: inject [in5dVekt]

A: To inject someone with a substance such as a medicine means to put it into their body using a device with a needle called a syringe.     His son was injected with strong drugs.     The technique consists of injecting healthy cells into the weakened muscles.     He needs to inject himself once a month. If you inject a new, exciting, or interesting quality into a situation, you add it.     She kept trying to inject a little fun into their relationship.     The result might inject more sense into future bargaining. If you inject money or resources into a business or organization, you provide more money or resources for it.     He has injected {Pound}5.6 billion into the health service.

Q: lure [ljuE]

A: To lure someone means to trick them into a particular place or to trick them into doing something that they should not do.     He lured her to his home and shot her with his father's gun.     They did not realise that they were being lured into a trap.     The company aims to lure smokers back to cigarettes. = trick A lure is an object which is used to attract animals so that they can be caught. A lure is an attractive quality that something has, or something that you find attractive.     The excitement of hunting big game in Africa has been a lure to Europeans for 200 years.     The lure of rural life is proving as strong as ever.

Q: mar [mB:]

A: To mar something means to spoil or damage it.     A number of problems marred the smooth running of this event.     That election was marred by massive cheating. = ruin

Q: can 2 [kAn, kEn]

A: WEAK STRONG; cans A can is a metal container in which something such as food, drink, or paint is put. The container is usually sealed to keep the contents fresh.     Several young men were kicking a tin can along the middle of the road.     ...empty beer cans.     ...cans of paint and brushes. = tin When food or drink is canned, it is put into a metal container and sealed so that it will remain fresh.     ...fruits and vegetables that will be canned, skinned, diced or otherwise processed...     It was always roast lamb and canned peas for Sunday lunch. = tin The can is the toilet. (AM, INFORMAL) If you are canned, you are dismissed from your job. (AM, INFORMAL)     The extremists prevailed, and the security minister was canned.     When I got canned, I took these keys as souvenirs. If you have to carry the can, you have to take all the blame for something. (mainly BRIT, INFORMAL)     We are a luxury restaurant and if people have a bad experience, we have to carry the can. = take the blame If you say that something such as a job that you are doing is in the can, you mean that it is completely finished. (INFORMAL)

Q: hatch [hAtF]

A: When a baby bird, insect, or other animal hatches, or when it is hatched, it comes out of its egg by breaking the shell.     As soon as the two chicks hatch, they leave the nest burrow.     The young disappeared soon after they were hatched. When an egg hatches or when a bird, insect, or other animal hatches an egg, the egg breaks open and a baby comes out.     The eggs hatch after a week or ten days.     During these periods the birds will lie on the cage floor as if trying to lay or hatch eggs. Hatch out means the same as hatch.     Seeing the eggs hatch out for the first time is a moment that I will never forget. If you hatch a plot or a scheme, you think of it and work it out.     He has accused opposition parties of hatching a plot to assassinate the Pope. A hatch is an opening in the deck of a ship, through which people or cargo can go. You can also refer to the door of this opening as a hatch.     He stuck his head up through the hatch.     All deck fittings, windows, hatches and doors had been fastened. A hatch is an opening in a ceiling or a wall, especially between a kitchen and a dining room, which you can pass something such as food through. (mainly BRIT) If someone battens down the hatches, they prepare themselves so that they will be able to survive a coming difficulty or crisis.     Many firms are battening down the hatches and preparing to ride out the storm.

Q: mature [mE5tjuE]

A: When a child or young animal matures, it becomes an adult.     You will learn what to expect as your child matures physically.     The eggs hatched and the chicks matured.     ...young girls who'd not yet matured. = grow up When something matures, it reaches a state of complete development.     When the trees matured they were cut in certain areas.     Their songwriting has matured. = develop If someone matures, they become more fully developed in their personality and emotional behaviour.     Hopefully after three years at university I will have matured.     I thought you had matured enough not to be giggly and silly about serious art. = develop If you describe someone as mature, you think that they are fully developed and balanced in their personality and emotional behaviour.     They are emotionally mature and should behave responsibly.     You and I are mature, freethinking adults. If you describe the work of an artist, writer, or musician as mature, you mean that it is thoughtful and skilful and shows that their abilities have fully developed.     It is his most mature comedy yet. If something such as wine or cheese matures or is matured, it is left for a time to allow its full flavour or strength to develop.     Unlike wine, brandy matures only in wood, not glass.     ...the cellars where the cheeses are matured.     ...our b

Q: inter [in5tE:]

A: When a dead person is interred, they are buried. (FORMAL)     ...the spot where his bones were originally interred.

Q: bark [bB:k]

A: When a dog barks, it makes a short, loud noise, once or several times.     Don't let the dogs bark.     A small dog barked at a seagull he was chasing. Also a noun.     The Doberman let out a string of roaring barks. If you bark at someone, you shout at them aggressively in a loud, rough voice.     I didn't mean to bark at you.     A policeman held his gun in both hands and barked an order. Bark is the tough material that covers the outside of a tree. If you say that someone's bark is worse than their bite, you mean that they seem much more unpleasant or hostile than they really are. (INFORMAL)     She was used to Wu's invective. Usually, his bark was far worse than his bite.

Q: blaze [bleiz]

A: When a fire blazes, it burns strongly and brightly.     Three people died as wreckage blazed, and rescuers fought to release trapped drivers.     The log fire was blazing merrily.     ...a blazing fire. A blaze is a large fire which is difficult to control and which destroys a lot of things. (JOURNALISM)     Two fireman were hurt in a blaze which swept through a tower block last night. If something blazes with light or colour, it is extremely bright. (LITERARY)     The gardens blazed with colour. Also a noun.     I wanted the front garden to be a blaze of colour. If someone's eyes are blazing with an emotion, or if an emotion is blazing in their eyes, their eyes look very bright because they are feeling that emotion so strongly. (LITERARY)     He got to his feet and his dark eyes were blazing with anger.     Eva stood up and indignation blazed in her eyes.     His eyes blazed intently into mine.     Miss Turner turned blazing eyes on the victim. = burn A blaze of publicity or attention is a great amount of it.     He was arrested in a blaze of publicity.     ...the sporting career that began in a blaze of glory. If guns blaze, or blaze away, they fire continuously, making a lot of noise.     Guns were blazing, flares going up and the sky was lit up all around.     She took the gun and blazed away with calm and deadly accuracy. If someone blazes a trail, they discover or develop something new.     These surgeons have blazed the trail in the treatment of bomb victims. = lead the way

Q: enact [i5nAkt]

A: When a government or authority enacts a proposal, they make it into a law. (TECHNICAL)     The authorities have failed so far to enact a law allowing unrestricted emigration.     The bill would be submitted for public discussion before being enacted as law. If people enact a story or play, they perform it by acting.     She often enacted the stories told to her by her father. = perform If a particular event or situation is enacted, it happens; used especially to talk about something that has happened before. (JOURNALISM)     It was a scene which was enacted month after month for eight years.

Q: applaud [E5plC:d]

A: When a group of people applaud, they clap their hands in order to show approval, for example when they have enjoyed a play or concert.     The audience laughed and applauded.     Every person stood to applaud his unforgettable act of courage. When an attitude or action is applauded, people praise it.     He should be applauded for his courage.     This last move can only be applauded.     She applauds the fact that they are promoting new ideas.

Q: melt [melt]

A: When a solid substance melts or when you melt it, it changes to a liquid, usually because it has been heated.     The snow had melted, but the lake was still frozen solid.     Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a bowl suspended over simmering water.     Add the melted butter, molasses, salt, and flour. If something such as your feelings melt, they suddenly disappear and you no longer feel them. (LITERARY)     His anxiety about the outcome melted, to return later but not yet.     He would have struggled but his strength had melted. Melt away means the same as melt.     When he heard these words, Shinran felt his inner doubts melt away. If a person or thing melts into something such as darkness or a crowd of people, they become difficult to see, for example because they are moving away from you or are the same colour as the background. (LITERARY)     The youths dispersed and melted into the darkness.     The squadron's armour is draped in sand-coloured nets that melt into the landscape. = disappear If someone or something melts your heart, or if your heart melts, you start to feel love or sympathy towards them.     When his lips break into a smile, it is enough to melt any woman's heart.     When a bride walk

Q: erupt [i5rQpt]

A: When a volcano erupts, it throws out a lot of hot, melted rock called lava, as well as ash and steam.     The volcano erupted in 1980, devastating a large area of Washington state.     Scientists say Mount Pinatubo could erupt again soon. * eruption eruptions     ...the volcanic eruption of Tambora in 1815. If violence or fighting erupts, it suddenly begins or gets worse in an unexpected, violent way. (JOURNALISM)     Heavy fighting erupted there today after a two-day cease-fire.     Violence erupted as the boys were driven away in two police vans. = break out * eruption     ...this sudden eruption of violence. When people in a place suddenly become angry or violent, you can say that they erupt or that the place erupts. (JOURNALISM)     In Los Angeles, the neighborhood known as Watts erupted into riots.     This region which had been relatively calm erupted in violence again this spring. You say that someone erupts when they suddenly have a change in mood, usually becoming quite noisy.     Then, without warning, she erupts into laughter.     Newman fled barefoot as the cheated husband erupted in fury. * eruption     ...an eruption of despair. If your skin erupts, sores or spots suddenly appear there.     At the end of the second week, my skin erupted in pimples. * eruption     ...eruptions of adolescent acne.     ...an unpleasant skin eruption.

Q: dismissal [dis5misEl]

A: When an employee is dismissed from their job, you can refer to their dismissal.     ...Mr Low's dismissal from his post at the head of the commission. Dismissal of something means deciding or saying that it is not important.     ...bureaucratic indifference to people's rights and needs, and high-handed dismissal of public opinion.

Q: beloved [bi5lQvd, bi5lQvid]

A: When the adjective is not followed by a noun it is pronounced A beloved person, thing, or place is one that you feel great affection for.     He lost his beloved wife last year.     The rose is the most romantic of flowers, beloved of poets, singers, and artists. = cherished Your beloved is the person that you love. (OLD-FASHIONED)     He takes his beloved into his arms.

Q: bounce [bauns]

A: When an object such as a ball bounces or when you bounce it, it moves upwards from a surface or away from it immediately after hitting it.     I bounced a ball against the house.     My father would burst into the kitchen bouncing a football.     ...a falling pebble, bouncing down the eroded cliff...     They watched the dodgem cars bang and bounce. = rebound Also a noun.     The wheelchair tennis player is allowed two bounces of the ball. = rebound The bounce of a sports field is the condition of it, which determines how high a ball will bounce on it. If sound or light bounces or is bounced off a surface, it reaches the surface and is reflected back.     Your arms and legs need protection from light bouncing off glass.     They work by bouncing microwaves off solid objects. If something bounces or if something bounces it, it swings or moves up and down.     Her long black hair bounced as she walked.     Then I noticed the car was bouncing up and down as if someone were jumping on it.     The wind was bouncing the branches of the big oak trees. = bob

Q: diversify [dai5vE:sifai]

A: When an organization or person diversifies into other things, or diversifies their range of something, they increase the variety of things that they do or make.     The company's troubles started only when it diversified into new products.     As demand has increased, so manufacturers have been encouraged to diversify and improve quality.     These firms have been given a tough lesson in the need to diversify their markets. = branch out * diversification diversifications     The seminar was to discuss diversification of agriculture.     These strange diversifications could have damaged or even sunk the entire company.

Q: graze [greiz]

A: When animals graze or are grazed, they eat the grass or other plants that are growing in a particular place. You can also say that a field is grazed by animals.     Five cows graze serenely around a massive oak.     The hills have been grazed by sheep because they were too steep to be ploughed.     Several horses grazed the meadowland.     ...a large herd of grazing animals. If you graze a part of your body, you injure your skin by scraping against something.     I had grazed my knees a little. * grazed     ...grazed arms and legs. A graze is a small wound caused by scraping against something. If something grazes another thing, it touches that thing lightly as it passes by.     A bullet had grazed his arm.     Wright managed a shot but it grazed the near post and rolled harmlessly across the goal. = brush

Q: evolve [i5vClv]

A: When animals or plants evolve, they gradually change and develop into different forms.     The bright plumage of many male birds was thought to have evolved to attract females.     Maize evolved from a wild grass in Mexico.     ...when amphibians evolved into reptiles. If something evolves or you evolve it, it gradually develops over a period of time into something different and usually more advanced.     ...a tiny airline which eventually evolved into Pakistan International Airlines...     Popular music evolved from folk songs.     As medical knowledge evolves, beliefs change.     This was when he evolved the working method from which he has never departed.

Q: digest [di5dVest; dai5dVest]

A: When food digests or when you digest it, it passes through your body to your stomach. Your stomach removes the substances that your body needs and gets rid of the rest.     Do not undertake strenuous exercise for a few hours after a meal to allow food to digest.     She couldn't digest food properly.     Nutrients from the digested food can be absorbed into the blood. If you digest information, you think about it carefully so that you understand it.     They learn well but seem to need time to digest information.     She read everything, digesting every fragment of news. If you digest some unpleasant news, you think about it until you are able to accept it and know how to deal with it.     All this has upset me. I need time to digest it all. A digest is a collection of pieces of writing. They are published together in a shorter form than they were originally published.     The organization publishes a regular digest of environmental statistics.     ...the Middle East Economic Digest.

Q: greet [gri:t]

A: When you greet someone, you say `Hello' or shake hands with them.     She liked to be home to greet Steve when he came in from school. If something is greeted in a particular way, people react to it in that way.     The European Court's decision has been greeted with dismay by fishermen.     It is unlikely that this suggestion will be greeted enthusiastically in the Baltic States. If you are greeted by something, it is the first thing you notice in a particular place. (WRITTEN)     I was greeted by a shocking sight.     The savoury smell greeted them as they went through the door.

Q: drip [drip]

A: When liquid drips somewhere, or you drip it somewhere, it falls in individual small drops.     Sit your child forward and let the blood drip into a tissue or on to the floor.     Amid the trees the sea mist was dripping and moisture formed on Tom's glasses.     ...harassed parents trying to stop their children from dripping Coke on the carpets. When something drips, drops of liquid fall from it.     A tap in the kitchen was dripping.     Lou was dripping with perspiration.     He was holding a cloth that dripped pink drops upon the floor. A drip is a small individual drop of a liquid.     Drips of water rolled down the trousers of his uniform. A drip is a piece of medical equipment by which a liquid is slowly passed through a tube into a patient's blood.     I had a bad attack of pneumonia and spent two days in hospital on a drip. If you say that something is dripping with a particular thing, you mean that it contains a lot of that thing. (LITERARY)     They were dazed by window displays dripping with diamonds and furs.     His voice was dripping with sarcasm. If you call someone a drip, you mean that they are rather stupid and lacking in enthusiasm or energy. (INFORMAL)

Q: assemble [E5sembl]

A: When people assemble or when someone assembles them, they come together in a group, usually for a particular purpose such as a meeting.     There wasn't even a convenient place for students to assemble between classes.     Thousands of people, mainly Zulus, assembled in a stadium in Thokoza.     The assembled multitude cheered and whistled as the political leaders arrived. = gather To assemble something means to collect them together or to fit the different parts of it together.     Greenpeace managed to assemble a small flotilla of inflatable boats to waylay the ship at sea.     She had been trying to assemble the bomb when it went off in her arms.     He is assembling evidence concerning a murder.

Q: interact [7intEr5Akt]

A: When people interact with each other or interact, they communicate as they work or spend time together.     While the other children interacted and played together, Ted ignored them.     ...rhymes and songs to help parents interact with their babies. * interaction interactions     This can sometimes lead to somewhat superficial interactions with other people.     ...our experience of informal social interaction among adults. When people interact with computers, or when computers interact with other machines, information or instructions are exchanged.     Millions of people want new, simplified ways of interacting with a computer.     There will be a true global village in which telephones, computers and televisions interact. * interaction interactions     ...experts on human-computer interaction. When one thing interacts with another or two things interact, the two things affect each other's behaviour or condition.     You have to understand how cells interact.     Atoms within the fluid interact with the minerals that form the grains. * interaction     ...the interaction between physical and emotional illness.

Q: creep [kri:p]

A: When people or animals creep somewhere, they move quietly and slowly.     Back I go to the hotel and creep up to my room.     The rabbit creeps away and hides in a hole. If something creeps somewhere, it moves very slowly.     Mist had crept in again from the sea. If something creeps in or creeps back, it begins to occur or becomes part of something without people realizing or without them wanting it.     Insecurity might creep in.     An increasing ratio of mistakes, perhaps induced by tiredness, crept into her game.     ...a proposal that crept through unnoticed at the National Council in December...     Now his other major works are creeping back into concert programmes.     Their organisation has been subjected to creeping privatisation since 1981. If a rate or number creeps up to a higher level, it gradually reaches that level.     The inflation rate has been creeping up to 9.5 per cent.     The average number of students in each class is creeping up from three to four. If you describe someone as a creep, you mean that you dislike them a great deal, especially because they are insincere and flatter people. (INFORMAL) If someone or something gives you the creeps, they make you feel ver

Q: detain [di5tein]

A: When people such as the police detain someone, they keep them in a place under their control. (FORMAL)     The act allows police to detain a suspect for up to 48 hours.     He was arrested and detained for questioning. To detain someone means to delay them, for example by talking to them. (FORMAL)     Millson stood up. `Thank you. We won't detain you any further, Mrs Stebbing.'

Q: attacker [E5tAkE]

A: You can refer to a person who attacks someone as their attacker.     There were signs that she struggled with her attacker before she was repeatedly stabbed.

Q: cheat [tFi:t]

A: When someone cheats, they do not obey a set of rules which they should be obeying, for example in a game or exam.     Students may be tempted to cheat in order to get into top schools. * cheating     In an election in 1988, he was accused of cheating by his opponent. Someone who is a cheat does not obey a set of rules which they should be obeying.     Cheats will be disqualified. If someone cheats you out of something, they get it from you by behaving dishonestly.     The company engaged in a deliberate effort to cheat them out of their pensions.     Many brokers were charged with cheating customers in commodity trades. If you say that someone cheats death, you mean they only just avoid being killed. (JOURNALISM)     He cheated death when he was rescued from the roof of his blazing cottage. If you feel cheated, you feel that you have been let down or treated unfairly.     The storyline is fatally compromised by an ending that leaves you feeling horribly cheated.

Q: drown [draun]

A: When someone drowns or is drowned, they die because they have gone or been pushed under water and cannot breathe.     Forty-eight people have drowned after their boat capsized during a storm.     A child can drown in only a few inches of water.     Last night a boy was drowned in the river.     He walked into the sea and drowned himself.     Dolphins have sometimes been known to save drowning swimmers. If you say that a person or thing is drowning in something, you are emphasizing that they have a very large amount of it, or are completely covered in it.     We were drowning in data but starved of information.     ...people who gradually find themselves drowning in debt...     The potatoes were drowned in chilli. = inundate If something drowns a sound, it is so loud that you cannot hear that sound properly.     Clapping drowned the speaker's words for a moment.     The conversation was drowned by the arrival of the taxi. Drown out means the same as drown.     Their cheers drowned out the protests of demonstrators.     Her voice was drowned out by a loud crash. If you say that someone is drowning their sorrows, you mean that they are drinking

Q: frown [fraun]

A: When someone frowns, their eyebrows become drawn together, because they are annoyed, worried, or puzzled, or because they are concentrating.     Nancy shook her head, frowning.     He frowned at her anxiously.     ...a frowning man. Also a noun.     There was a deep frown on the boy's face.

Q: assassinate [E5sAsineit]

A: When someone important is assassinated, they are murdered as a political act.     Would the USA be radically different today if Kennedy had not been assassinated?.     The plot to assassinate Martin Luther King had started long before he was actually killed. * assassination assassinations     She would like an investigation into the assassination of her husband.     He lives in constant fear of assassination.     ...an assassination plot.

Q: discharge [dis5tFB:dV]

A: When someone is discharged from hospital, prison, or one of the armed services, they are officially allowed to leave, or told that they must leave.     He has a broken nose but may be discharged today.     You are being discharged on medical grounds.     ...the regulation that gay people should be discharged from the military...     Five days later Henry discharged himself from hospital. Also a noun.     He was given a conditional discharge and ordered to pay Miss Smith {Pound}100 compensation. If someone discharges their duties or responsibilities, they do everything that needs to be done in order to complete them. (FORMAL)     ...the quiet competence with which he discharged his many college duties. If someone discharges a debt, they pay it. (FORMAL)     The goods will be sold for a fraction of their value in order to discharge the debt. If something is discharged from inside a place, it comes out. (FORMAL)     The resulting salty water will be discharged at sea.     The bird had trouble breathing and was discharging blood from the nostrils.

Q: log in, log on LOG IN, LOG ON

A: When someone logs in or logs on, or logs into a computer system, they start using the system, usually by typing their name or identity code and a password.     Customers pay to log on and gossip with other users.     They would log into their account and take a look at prices and decide what they'd like to do.

Q: incidentally [insi5dentEli]

A: You use incidentally to introduce a point which is not directly relevant to what you are saying, often a question or extra information that you have just thought of.     `I didn't ask you to come. Incidentally, why have you come?'.     The tower, incidentally, dates from the twelfth century. = by the way If something occurs only incidentally, it is less important than another thing or is not a major part of it.     The letter mentioned my great-aunt and uncle only incidentally.

Q: elevate [5eliveit]

A: When someone or something achieves a more important rank or status, you can say that they are elevated to it. (FORMAL)     He was elevated to the post of prime minister. = promote * elevation     The Prime Minister is known to favour the elevation of more women to the Cabinet.     After his elevation to the papacy, he reigned for two years. If you elevate something to a higher status, you consider it to be better or more important than it really is.     Don't elevate your superiors to superstar status. To elevate something means to increase it in amount or intensity. (FORMAL)     Emotional stress can elevate blood pressure.     ...overweight individuals who have elevated cholesterol levels. = raise If you elevate something, you raise it above a horizontal level. (FORMAL)     Jack elevated the gun at the sky.

Q: bless [bles]

A: When someone such as a priest blesses people or things, he asks for God's favour and protection for them.     ...asking for all present to bless this couple and their loving commitment to one another. Bless is used in expressions such as `God bless' or `bless you' to express affection, thanks, or good wishes. (INFORMAL, SPOKEN)     `Bless you, Eva,' he whispered.     God bless and thank you all so much. You can say `bless you' to someone who has just sneezed. (SPOKEN)

Q: educate [5edju(:)keit]

A: When someone, especially a child, is educated, he or she is taught at a school or college.     He was educated at Haslingden Grammar School. To educate people means to teach them better ways of doing something or a better way of living.     Drinkwise Day is mainly designed to educate people about the destructive effects of alcohol abuse. = inform

Q: decrease [di:5kri:s]

A: When something decreases or when you decrease it, it becomes less in quantity, size, or intensity.     Population growth is decreasing by 1.4% each year.     The number of independent firms decreased from 198 to 96.     Raw-steel production by the nation's mills decreased 2.1% last week.     Since 1945 air forces have decreased in size.     Gradually decrease the amount of vitamin C you are taking when you begin to feel better.     We've got stable labor, decreasing interest rates, low oil prices. A decrease is a reduction in the quantity, size, or intensity of something.     In Spain and Portugal there has been a decrease in the number of young people out of work.     Bank base rates have fallen from 10 per cent to 6 per cent -- a decrease of 40 per cent.

Q: diminish [di5miniF]

A: When something diminishes, or when something diminishes it, it becomes reduced in size, importance, or intensity.     The threat of nuclear war has diminished.     Federalism is intended to diminish the power of the central state.     Universities are facing grave problems because of diminishing resources.     This could mean diminished public support for the war. <> increase If you diminish someone or something, you talk about them or treat them in a way that makes them appear less important than they really are.     He never put her down or diminished her.     He could no longer cope; he relied on me, and felt diminished by it. = belittle

Q: disperse [dis5pE:s]

A: When something disperses or when you disperse it, it spreads over a wide area.     The oil appeared to be dispersing.     The intense currents disperse the sewage.     Because the town sits in a valley, air pollution is not easily dispersed. When a group of people disperses or when someone disperses them, the group splits up and the people leave in different directions.     Police fired shots and used teargas to disperse the demonstrators.     The crowd dispersed peacefully after prayers. = scatter

Q: harden [5hB:dn]

A: When something hardens or when you harden it, it becomes stiff or firm.     Mould the mixture into shape while hot, before it hardens.     Give the cardboard two or three coats of varnish to harden it. When an attitude or opinion hardens or is hardened, it becomes harsher, stronger, or fixed.     Their action can only serve to harden the attitude of landowners.     The bitter split which has developed within Solidarity is likely to harden further into separation. * hardening     ...a hardening of the government's attitude towards rebellious parts of the army. When prices and economies harden, they become much more stable than they were.     Property prices are just beginning to harden again. When events harden people or when people harden, they become less easily affected emotionally and less sympathetic and gentle than they were before.     Her years of drunken bickering hardened my heart.     She was hardened by the rigours of the Siberian steppes.     All of a sudden my heart hardened against her. If you say that someone's face or eyes harden, you mean that they suddenly look serious or angry.     His smile died and the look in his face hardened.

Q: liable [5laiEbl]

A: When something is liable to happen, it is very likely to happen.     Only a small minority of the mentally ill are liable to harm themselves or others. = be likely to If people or things are liable to something unpleasant, they are likely to experience it or do it.     She will grow into a woman particularly liable to depression.     Steroids are used to reduce the inflammation, which makes the muscles of the airways liable to constriction. = prone If you are liable for something such as a debt, you are legally responsible for it.     The airline's insurer is liable for damages to the victims' families.     As the killings took place outside British jurisdiction, the Ministry of Defence could not be held liable. * liability     He is claiming damages from London Underground, which has admitted liability but dispute the amount of his claim.

Q: jingle [5dViNgl]

A: When something jingles or when you jingle it, it makes a gentle ringing noise, like small bells.     Brian put his hands in his pockets and jingled some change.     Her bracelets jingled like bells.     ...jingling bottles. Also a noun.     ...the jingle of money in a man's pocket. A jingle is a short, simple tune, often with words, which is used to advertise a product or programme on radio or television.     ...advertising jingles.

Q: multiply [5mQltipli]

A: When something multiplies or when you multiply it, it increases greatly in number or amount.     Such disputes multiplied in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.     Her husband multiplied his demands on her time. When animals and insects multiply, they increase in number by giving birth to large numbers of young.     These creatures can multiply quickly. If you multiply one number by another, you add the first number to itself as many times as is indicated by the second number. For example 2 multiplied by 3 is equal to 6.     What do you get if you multiply six by nine?     ...the remarkable ability to multiply huge numbers correctly without pen or paper.

Q: depart [di5pB:t]

A: When something or someone departs from a place, they leave it and start a journey to another place.     Our tour departs from Heathrow Airport on 31 March and returns 16 April.     In the morning Mr McDonald departed for Sydney.     The coach departs Potsdam in the morning for the drive to Leipzig. If you depart from a traditional, accepted, or agreed way of doing something, you do it in a different or unexpected way.     Why is it in this country that we have departed from good educational sense?.     It takes a brave cook to depart radically from the traditional Christmas menu. = deviate If someone departs from a job, they resign from it or leave it. In American English, you can say that someone departs a job.     Lipton is planning to depart from the company he founded.     ...a number of staff departed during his reign as rector of the Royal College of Art...     He had the good fortune to depart baseball in the '60s at just about that moment when it was becoming tarnished. = leave When someone departs this life, or departs this earth, they die. (LITERARY)     He departed this world with a sense of having fulfilled his destiny.

Q: decay [di5kei]

A: When something such as a dead body, a dead plant, or a tooth decays, it is gradually destroyed by a natural process.     The bodies buried in the fine ash slowly decayed.     The ground was scattered with decaying leaves. = rot Also a noun.     When not removed, plaque causes tooth decay and gum disease. * decayed     Even young children have teeth so decayed they need to be pulled. = rotten If something such as a society, system, or institution decays, it gradually becomes weaker or its condition gets worse.     In practice, the agency system has decayed. Most `agents' now sell only to themselves or their immediate family.     Congress has tried dozens of approaches to revitalize decaying urban and rural areas. Also a noun.     There are problems of urban decay and gang violence.

Q: linger [5liNgE]

A: When something such as an idea, feeling, or illness lingers, it continues to exist for a long time, often much longer than expected.     The scent of her perfume lingered on in the room.     A guerrilla war has lingered into its fourth decade.     He was ashamed. That feeling lingered, and he was never comfortable in church after that.     He would rather be killed in a race than die a lingering death in hospital. If you linger somewhere, you stay there for a longer time than is necessary, for example because you are enjoying yourself.     Customers are welcome to linger over coffee until around midnight.     I lingered on in Atlanta for a few days, spending much of my time with an artist friend.     It is a dreary little town where few would choose to linger.

Q: fog [fCg]

A: When there is fog, there are tiny drops of water in the air which form a thick cloud and make it difficult to see things.     The crash happened in thick fog.     These ocean fogs can last for days. A fog is an unpleasant cloud of something such as smoke inside a building or room.     ...a fog of stale cigarette smoke. You can use fog to refer to a situation which stops people from being able to notice things, understand things, or think clearly.     The most basic facts about him are lost in a fog of mythology and folklore.     Synchronizing these attacks may also be difficult in the fog of war.     His mind was in a fog when he finally got up. If a window, mirror, or other glass surface fogs or is fogged, it becomes covered with very small drops of water so that you cannot see things clearly through it or in it.     The windows fogged immediately.     Water had fogged his diving mask and he couldn't remember how to clear it.     The car windows were fogged with vapor. Fog up means the same as fog.     The car windows fogged up.     It'd fog up their telescopes.     His hair was all wet and his glasses were fogged up.

Q: hungry [5hQNgri]

A: When you are hungry, you want some food because you have not eaten for some time and have an uncomfortable or painful feeling in your stomach.     My friend was hungry, so we drove to a shopping mall to get some food.     She is reduced to stealing to feed her hungry family. <> full * hungrily     James ate hungrily. If people go hungry, they do not have enough food to eat.     Leonidas' family had been poor, he went hungry for years. If you say that someone is hungry for something, you are emphasizing that they want it very much. (LITERARY)     Susan was certainly hungry for a life different from the one she had made for herself.     I left Oxford in 1961 hungry to be a critic. = eager Also a combining form.     ...power-hungry politicians.     ...land-hungry peasants. * hungrily     He looked at her hungrily. What eyes! What skin!

Q: bleed [bli:d]

A: When you bleed, you lose blood from your body as a result of injury or illness.     His head had struck the sink and was bleeding.     He was bleeding profusely.     She's going to bleed to death! * bleeding     This results in internal bleeding. If the colour of one substance bleeds into the colour of another substance that it is touching, it goes into the other thing so that its colour changes in an undesirable way.     The colouring pigments from the skins are not allowed to bleed into the grape juice. If someone is being bled, money or other resources are gradually being taken away from them.     We have been gradually bled for twelve years.     They mean to bleed the British to the utmost. If someone is being bled dry or is being bled white, all of their money or other resources are gradually being taken away from them.     The war has bled the once-strong Armenian economy dry.

Q: inner city INNER CITY

A: You use inner city to refer to the areas in or near the centre of a large city where people live and where there are often social and economic problems.     ...helping kids deal with the fear of living in the inner city...     Schools in 20 inner-city areas produced the worst results in last year's tests.

Q: blink [bliNk]

A: When you blink or when you blink your eyes, you shut your eyes and very quickly open them again.     Kathryn blinked and forced a smile.     Suddenly, Momma's eyes blinked.     She was blinking her eyes rapidly.     He blinked at her. Also a noun.     He kept giving quick blinks. When a light blinks, it flashes on and off.     Green and yellow lights blinked on the surface of the harbour.     The plane was flying normally for about 15 minutes before a warning light blinked on.     ...the blinking lights at the top of the Tutweiler Hotel. If you say that something happens in the blink of an eye, you mean that it happens very quickly.     It was all over in the blink of an eye. If a machine goes on the blink, it stops working properly. (INFORMAL)     ...an old TV that's on the blink.

Q: bow 1 [bau]

A: When you bow to someone, you briefly bend your body towards them as a formal way of greeting them or showing respect.     They bowed low to Louis and hastened out of his way.     He bowed slightly before taking her bag. Also a noun.     I gave a theatrical bow and waved. If you bow your head, you bend it downwards so that you are looking towards the ground, for example because you want to show respect or because you are thinking deeply about something.     The Colonel bowed his head and whispered a prayer of thanksgiving.     She stood still, head bowed, hands clasped in front of her. = lower If you bow to pressure or to someone's wishes, you agree to do what they want you to do.     Some shops are bowing to consumer pressure and stocking organically grown vegetables.     Parliament has bowed to the demand for a referendum next year. If you are bowed by something, you are made unhappy and anxious by it, and lose hope.     ...their determination not to be bowed in the face of the allied attacks. To be bowed down means the same as to be bowed.     I am bowed down by my sins. If someone bows to the inevitable and does something that they do not want to do, they do it, because circumstances force them to do it.     He bowed to the inevitable and announced that he was willing to resume diplomatic relations. If an actor or entertainer takes a bow, he or she shows appreciation of an audience's applause by bowing to them.     They ran to the center of the tent to take their bows.

Q: chew [tFu:]

A: When you chew food, you use your teeth to break it up in your mouth so that it becomes easier to swallow.     Be certain to eat slowly and chew your food extremely well.     Daniel leaned back on the sofa, still chewing on his apple.     ...the sound of his mother chewing and swallowing. If you chew gum or tobacco, you keep biting it and moving it around your mouth to taste the flavour of it. You do not swallow it.     One girl was chewing gum.     He chews tobacco constantly. If you chew your lips or your fingernails, you keep biting them because you are nervous.     He chewed his lower lip nervously. If a person or animal chews an object, they bite it with their teeth.     They pause and chew their pencils.     One owner left his pet under the stairs where the animal chewed through electric cables. = bite A chew is a sweet that you have to chew very hard before it becomes soft. (BRIT)     ...a selection of penny chews. If you say that someone has bitten off more than they can chew, you mean that they are trying to do something which is too difficult for them.     Micky is used to handling dodgy deals but this time fears he may have bitten off more than he can chew. If people chew the fat, they talk in a relaxed, informal way. (INFORM

Q: chill [tFil]

A: When you chill something or when it chills, you lower its temperature so that it becomes colder but does not freeze.     Chill the fruit salad until serving time.     These doughs can be rolled out while you wait for the pastry to chill.     ...a glass of chilled champagne. <> heat When cold weather or something cold chills a person or a place, it makes that person or that place feel very cold.     The marble floor was beginning to chill me.     An exposed garden may be chilled by cold winds.     Wade placed his chilled hands on the radiator and warmed them.     The boulder sheltered them from the chilling wind. = freeze If you say that something you see, hear, or feel chills you, you mean that it frightens you. (WRITTEN)     There was a coldness in her that chilled him.     Some films chill you to the marrow of your bones. If something sends a chill through you, it gives you a sudden feeling of fear or anxiety.     The violence used against the students sent a chill through Indonesia.     He smiled, an odd, dreamy smile that sent chills up my back. = shiver A chill is a mild illness which can give you a

Q: choke [tFEuk]

A: When you choke or when something chokes you, you cannot breathe properly or get enough air into your lungs.     The coffee was almost too hot to swallow and made him choke for a moment.     A small child could choke on the doll's hair.     Dense smoke swirled and billowed, its rank fumes choking her.     The girl choked to death after breathing in smoke. To choke someone means to squeeze their neck until they are dead.     The men pushed him into the entrance of a nearby building where they choked him with his tie. = strangle If a place is choked with things or people, it is full of them and they prevent movement in it.     The village's roads are choked with traffic.     His pond has been choked by the fast-growing weed. The choke in a car, truck, or other vehicle is a device that reduces the amount of air going into the engine and makes it easier to start.

Q: chuck [tFQk]

A: When you chuck something somewhere, you throw it there in a casual or careless way. (INFORMAL)     I took a great dislike to the clock, so I chucked it in the dustbin.     That second night, Sid Vicious chucked a bottle at the stage. = throw If you chuck your job or some other activity, you stop doing it. (INFORMAL)     Last summer, he chucked his 10-year career as a London stockbroker and headed for the mountains. If someone chucks it all, they stop doing their job, and usually move somewhere else. In British English you can also say that someone chucks it all up or chucks it all in.     Almost half the British public think about chucking in their jobs and doing their own thing at least once a month.     Then I met my husband, and I chucked it all up for him.     Sometimes I'd like to chuck it all and go fishing. If your girlfriend or boyfriend chucks you, they end the relationship. (INFORMAL)     There wasn't a great hoo-ha when I chucked her. A chuck is a device for holding a tool in a machine such as a drill.

Q: compile [kEm5pail]

A: When you compile something such as a report, book, or programme, you produce it by collecting and putting together many pieces of information.     Councils were required to compile a register of all adults living in their areas.     The book took 10 years to compile.     A report compiled by the Fed's Philadelphia branch described the economy as weak. * compilation     There have been enormous advances in the compilation of data on suspected terrorists.

Q: crawl [krC:l]

A: When you crawl, you move forward on your hands and knees.     Don't worry if your baby seems a little reluctant to crawl or walk.     I began to crawl on my hands and knees towards the door.     As he tried to crawl away, he was hit in the shoulder. When an insect crawls somewhere, it moves there quite slowly.     I watched the moth crawl up the outside of the lampshade. If someone or something crawls somewhere, they move or progress slowly or with great difficulty.     I crawled out of bed at nine-thirty.     They had not foreseen the higher inflation in France when most of Western Europe was crawling out of recession.     Hairpin turns force the car to crawl at 10 miles an hour in some places. Also a noun.     The traffic on the approach road slowed to a crawl. If you say that a place is crawling with people or animals, you are emphasizing that it is full of them. (INFORMAL)     This place is crawling with police.     ...rock-hard earth littered with rubbish and crawling with vermin. The crawl is a kind of swimming stroke which you do lying on your front, swinging one arm over your head, and then the other arm. If something makes your skin crawl or makes your flesh crawl, it makes you feel shocked or disgusted.     I hated this man, his very touch made my skin crawl.

Q: deduct [di5dQkt]

A: When you deduct an amount from a total, you subtract it from the total.     The company deducted this payment from his compensation.     Up to 5% of marks in the exams will be deducted for spelling mistakes.

Q: designate [5dezigneit]

A: When you designate someone or something, you formally give them a particular description or name.     ...a man interviewed in one of our studies whom we shall designate as E...     There are efforts under way to designate the bridge a historic landmark.     I live in Exmoor, which is designated as a national park. If something is designated for a particular purpose, it is set aside for that purpose.     Some of the rooms were designated as offices.     ...scholarships designated for minorities...     Smoking is allowed in designated areas. When you designate someone as something, you formally choose them to do that particular job.     Designate someone as the spokesperson.     The President's designated successor is his son. Designate is used to describe someone who has been formally chosen to do a particular job, but has not yet started doing it.     Japan's Prime Minister-designate is completing his Cabinet today.

Q: dine [dain]

A: When you dine, you have dinner. (FORMAL)     He dines alone most nights.     That night the two men dined at Wilson's club.     They used to enjoy going out to dine. to wine and dine: see wine.

Q: enlarge [in5lB:dV]

A: When you enlarge something or when it enlarges, it becomes bigger.     ...the plan to enlarge Ewood Park into a 30,000 all-seater stadium...     The glands in the neck may enlarge. * enlarged     The UN secretary-general yesterday recommended an enlarged peacekeeping force. To enlarge a photograph means to develop a bigger print of it.     ...newly-weds wishing to enlarge snaps of their big day. If you enlarge on something that has been mentioned, you give more details about it. (FORMAL)     He didn't enlarge on the form that the interim government and assembly would take.     I wish to enlarge upon a statement made by Gary Docking. = expand

Q: grin [grin]

A: When you grin, you smile broadly.     He grins, delighted at the memory.     Sarah tried several times to catch Philip's eye, but he just grinned at her.     ...a statue of a grinning old man cutting the throat of a deer. A grin is a broad smile.     ...a big grin on her face...     Bobby looked at her with a sheepish grin. to wipe the grin off someone's face: see wipe. If you grin and bear it, you accept a difficult or unpleasant situation without complaining because you know there is nothing you can do to make things better.     They cannot stand the sight of each other, but they will just have to grin and bear it.

Q: hug [hQg]

A: When you hug someone, you put your arms around them and hold them tightly, for example because you like them or are pleased to see them. You can also say that two people hug each other or that they hug.     She had hugged him exuberantly and invited him to dinner the next day.     They hugged each other like a couple of lost children.     We hugged and kissed. = embrace Also a noun.     Syvil leapt out of the back seat, and gave him a hug. If you hug something, you hold it close to your body with your arms tightly round it.     Shaerl trudged toward them, hugging a large box.     She hugged her legs tight to her chest.     She stood hugging her quilted jacket round her. Something that hugs the ground or a stretch of land or water stays very close to it. (WRITTEN)     The road hugs the coast for hundreds of miles.     Our pilot reduced height until we hugged the ground.

Q: ironic [aiE5rCnik]

A: When you make an ironic remark, you say something that you do not mean, as a joke.     At the most solemn moments he will flash a mocking smile or make an ironic remark.     People used to call me Mr Popularity at high school, but they were being ironic. If you say that it is ironic that something should happen, you mean that it is odd or amusing because it involves a contrast.     Does he not find it ironic that the sort of people his movie celebrates hardly ever watch this kind of movie?

Q: faithfully [5feiWfuli]

A: When you start a formal or business letter with `Dear Sir' or `Dear Madam', you write Yours faithfully before your signature at the end. (BRIT; in AM use Sincerely yours) See also faithful.

Q: composition [kCmpE5ziFEn]

A: When you talk about the composition of something, you are referring to the way in which its various parts are put together and arranged.     Television has transformed the size and social composition of the audience at great sporting occasions.     Forests vary greatly in composition from one part of the country to another. = make-up The compositions of a composer, painter, or other artist are the works of art that they have produced.     Mozart's compositions are undoubtedly amongst the world's greatest. = creation A composition is a piece of written work that children write at school. = essay Composition is the technique or skill involved in creating a work of art.     He taught the piano, organ and composition.     The course is designed to help students with colour and composition. Composition is the act of composing something such as a piece of music or a poem.     These plays are arranged in their order of composition.

Q: darling [5dB:liN]

A: You call someone darling if you love them or like them very much.     Thank you, darling.     Oh darling, I love you. In some parts of Britain, people call other people darling as a sign of friendliness. Some people use darling to describe someone or something that they love or like very much. (INFORMAL)     To have a darling baby boy was the greatest gift I could imagine.     What a darling film -- everyone adored it. If you describe someone as a darling, you are fond of them and think that they are nice. (INFORMAL)     He's such a darling. The darling of a group of people is someone who is especially liked by that group.     Rajneesh was the darling of a prosperous family.

Q: lively [5laivli]

A: You can describe someone as lively when they behave in an enthusiastic and cheerful way.     She had a sweet, lively personality.     Josephine was bright, lively and cheerful. * liveliness     Amy could sense his liveliness even from where she stood. A lively event or a lively discussion, for example, has lots of interesting and exciting things happening or being said in it.     It turned out to be a very interesting session with a lively debate.     Their 4-1 win in Honduras was a particularly lively affair. * liveliness     Some may enjoy the liveliness of such a restaurant for a few hours a day or week. Someone who has a lively mind is intelligent and interested in a lot of different things.     She was a very well educated girl with a lively mind, a girl with ambition.     ...her very lively imagination. A lively feeling or awareness is a strong or enthusiastic one.     The papers also show a lively interest in European developments.

Q: beast [bi:st]

A: You can refer to an animal as a beast, especially if it is a large, dangerous, or unusual one. (LITERARY)     ...the threats our ancestors faced from wild beasts.     ...a centaur: half man, half beast. If you refer to a man as a beast, you mean that his behaviour, especially his sexual behaviour, is very violent and uncontrolled. (JOURNALISM)     ...a sex beast who subjected two sisters to a terrifying ordeal. If you call someone a beast, you think that they are behaving in a selfish, unkind, or unpleasant way. (OLD-FASHIONED, INFORMAL)     Bully! Hooligan! Beast! Let me go, let go! You can use beast to refer to something or someone in a light-hearted way, and to mention that they have a particular quality.     ...that rare beast, a sports movie that isn't boring. = animal

Q: episode [5episEud]

A: You can refer to an event or a short period of time as an episode if you want to suggest that it is important or unusual, or has some particular quality.     This episode is bound to be a deep embarrassment for Washington.     Unfortunately it was a rather sordid episode of my life. An episode of something such as a series on radio or television or a story in a magazine is one of the separate parts in which it is broadcast or published.     The final episode will be shown next Sunday. = instalment An episode of an illness is short period in which a person who suffers from it is affected by it particularly badly. (MEDICAL)     ...people who'd suffered a third episode of depression in two years...     The new drug lessens the severity of pneumonia episodes. = attack

Q: creature [5kri:tFE]

A: You can refer to any living thing that is not a plant as a creature, especially when it is of an unknown or unfamiliar kind. People also refer to imaginary animals and beings as creatures.     Alaskan Eskimos believe that every living creature possesses a spirit.     The garden is surrounded by a hedge in which many small creatures can live.     They have been visited by creatures from outer space. = animal If you say that someone is a particular type of creature, you are focusing on a particular quality they have.     She's charming, a sweet creature.     I am not a vain creature.     She was a creature of the emotions, rather than reason. a creature of habit: see habit. If you describe someone as someone else's creature, you mean that they are controlled by or depend on that person.     We are not creatures of the Conservative government.

Q: bulk [bQlk]

A: You can refer to something's bulk when you want to emphasize that it is very large. (WRITTEN)     The truck pulled out of the lot, its bulk unnerving against the dawn.     ...the shadowy bulk of an ancient barn. You can refer to a large person's body or to their weight or size as their bulk.     Bannol lowered his bulk carefully into the chair.     Despite his bulk he moved lightly on his feet. The bulk of something is most of it.     The bulk of the text is essentially a review of these original documents.     The vast bulk of imports and exports are carried by sea. = majority Also a pronoun.     They come from all over the world, though the bulk is from the Indian subcontinent. If you buy or sell something in bulk, you buy or sell it in large quantities.     Buying in bulk is more economical than shopping for small quantities.     ...bulk purchasing. = in quantity

Q: mainland [5meinlEnd,-lAnd]

A: You can refer to the largest part of a country or continent as the mainland when contrasting it with the islands around it.     She was going to Nanaimo to catch the ferry to the mainland.     ...the islands that lie off the coast of mainland Britain.

Q: elite [ei5li:t]

A: You can refer to the most powerful, rich, or talented people within a particular group, place, or society as the elite.     ...a government comprised mainly of the elite.     ...China's intellectual elite. Elite people or organizations are considered to be the best of their kind.     ...the elite troops of the President's bodyguard.

Q: globe [glEub]

A: You can refer to the world as the globe when you are emphasizing how big it is or that something happens in many different parts of it.     ...bottles of beer from every corner of the globe...     70% of our globe's surface is water. = planet A globe is a ball-shaped object with a map of the world on it. It is usually fixed on a stand.     ...a globe of the world...     Three large globes stand on the floor. Any ball-shaped object can be referred to as a globe.     The overhead light was covered now with a white globe.

Q: ironically IRONICALLY

A: You use ironically to draw attention to a situation which is odd or amusing because it involves a contrast.     Ironically, for a man who hated war, he would have made a superb war cameraman. If you say something ironically, you do not mean it and are saying it as a joke.     Classmates at West Point had ironically dubbed him Beauty.

Q: contributor [kEn5tribju(:)tE]

A: You can use contributor to refer to one of the causes of an event or situation, especially if that event or situation is an unpleasant one.     Old buses are major contributors to pollution in British cities.     All this can lead to divisive family arguments to which guilt is a major contributor. See also contribute.

Q: lasting [5lB:stiN]

A: You can use lasting to describe a situation, result, or agreement that continues to exist or have an effect for a very long time.     We are well on our way to a lasting peace.     She left a lasting impression on him.     ...but there was no lasting damage. See also last.

Q: literally [5litErEli]

A: You can use literally to emphasize an exaggeration. Some careful speakers of English think that this use is incorrect.     We've got to get the economy under control or it will literally eat us up.     The views are literally breath-taking. You use literally to emphasize that what you are saying is true, even though it seems exaggerated or surprising.     Putting on an opera is a tremendous enterprise involving literally hundreds of people.     I literally crawled to the car. If a word or expression is translated literally, its most simple or basic meaning is translated.     The word `volk' translates literally as `folk'.     A stanza is, literally, a room. If you take something literally, you think that a word or expression is being used with its most simple or basic meaning.     If you tell a person to `step on it' or `throw on your coat,' they may take you literally, with disastrous consequences.

Q: machinery [mE5Fi:nEri]

A: You can use machinery to refer to machines in general, or machines that are used in a factory or on a farm.     ...quality tools and machinery.     ...your local garden machinery specialist...     Farmers import most of their machinery and materials. The machinery of a government or organization is the system and all the procedures that it uses to deal with things.     The machinery of democracy could be created quickly.     ...the government machinery and administrative procedures concerned with social provision...     The full state and police machinery ground into action.

Q: goodbye [7gud5bai]

A: You say `Goodbye' to someone when you or they are leaving, or at the end of a telephone conversation. When you say your goodbyes, you say something such as `Goodbye' when you leave.     He said his goodbyes knowing that a long time would pass before he would see his child again.     I said a hurried goodbye and walked home in the cold.     Perry and I exchanged goodbyes. When you say goodbye to someone, you say something such as `Goodbye', `Bye', or `See you', when you or they are leaving. You can also wave goodbye to someone.     He left without saying goodbye.     He wanted to say goodbye to you.     They came to the front door to wave goodbye. If you say goodbye or wave goodbye to something that you want or usually have, you accept that you are not going to have it.     He has probably said goodbye to his last chance of Olympic gold.     We can wave goodbye to the sort of protection that people at work need and deserve.

Q: hopefully [5hEupfuli]

A: You say hopefully when mentioning something that you hope will happen. Some careful speakers of English think that this use of hopefully is not correct, but it is very frequently used.     Both of them have been through an awful lot and hopefully now I can help them rebuild their lives.     Hopefully, you won't have any problems after reading this.

Q: honesty [5Cnisti]

A: You say in all honesty when you are saying something that might be disappointing or upsetting, and you want to soften its effect by emphasizing your sincerity.     They said the greatest virtues in a politician were integrity, correctness and honesty.     In all honesty, aren't there already far too many pages of scientific research published every week?.     But in all honesty, I wish it had never happened. Honesty is a plant whose seeds are contained in silvery-white papery discs.

Q: assuming [E5su:miN]

A: You use assuming or assuming that when you are considering a possible situation or event, so that you can think about the consequences.     `Assuming you're right,' he said, `there's not much I can do about it, is there?'.     But assuming that the talks make progress, won't they do too little, too late? = if

Q: burning [5bE:niN]

A: You use burning to describe something that is extremely hot.     ...the burning desert of Central Asia. Also an adverb.     He touched the boy's forehead. It was burning hot. = scorching If you say that someone has burning eyes, you mean they look at you in an intense way or have bright eyes because of a strong feeling. (LITERARY)     She glared at both of them with burning, reproachful eyes. If you have a burning interest in something or a burning desire to do something, you are extremely interested in it or want to do it very much.     I had a burning ambition to become a journalist.     She had a burning desire to wreak revenge. = passionate A burning issue or question is a very important or urgent one that people feel very strongly about.     The burning question in this year's debate over the federal budget is: whose taxes should be raised?

Q: civic [5sivik]

A: You use civic to describe people or things that have an official status in a town or city.     ...the businessmen and civic leaders of Manchester.     ...Bromley Civic Centre. = municipal You use civic to describe the duties or feelings that people have because they belong to a particular community.     ...a sense of civic pride.

Q: comparative [kEm5pArEtiv]

A: You use comparative to show that you are judging something against a previous or different situation. For example, comparative calm is a situation which is calmer than before or calmer than the situation in other places.     ...those who manage to reach the comparative safety of Fendel...     The task was accomplished with comparative ease. = relative * comparatively     ...a comparatively small nation.     ...children who find it comparatively easy to make and keep friends. A comparative study is a study that involves the comparison of two or more things of the same kind.     ...a comparative study of the dietary practices of people from various regions of India.     ...a professor of English and comparative literature. In grammar, the comparative form of an adjective or adverb shows that something has more of a quality than something else has. For example, `bigger' is the comparative form of `big', and `more quickly' is the comparative form of `quickly'. Compare superlative. Also a noun.     The comparative of `pretty' is `prettier'.

Q: concerning [kEn5sE:niN]

A: You use concerning to indicate what a question or piece of information is about. (FORMAL)     For more information concerning the club contact I. Coldwell.     ...various questions concerning pollution and the environment. = about

Q: dedicated [5dedikeitid]

A: You use dedicated to describe someone who enjoys a particular activity very much and spends a lot of time doing it.     Her great-grandfather had clearly been a dedicated and stoical traveller.     ...dedicated followers of classical music. You use dedicated to describe something that is made, built, or designed for one particular purpose or thing.     Such areas should also be served by dedicated cycle routes.     ...the world's first museum dedicated to ecology.

Q: defensive [di5fensiv]

A: You use defensive to describe things that are intended to protect someone or something.     The Government hastily organized defensive measures, deploying searchlights and anti-aircraft guns around the target cities.     The union leaders were pushed into a more defensive position by the return of a Republican Congress in November. Someone who is defensive is behaving in a way that shows they feel unsure or threatened.     Like their children, parents are often defensive about their private lives.     She heard the blustering, defensive note in his voice and knew that he was ashamed. * defensively     `Oh, I know, I know,' said Kate, defensively. * defensiveness     It's just our national defensiveness. We're always worried about what people will think of us. If someone is on the defensive, they are trying to protect themselves or their interests because they feel unsure or threatened.     The civil service is on the defensive, scorned by people impatient of red tape and regulations.     He smiled, not wanting to put the man on the defensive. In sports, defensive play is play that is intended to prevent your opponent from scoring goals or points against you.     I'd always played a defensive game, waiting for my opponent to make a mistake. <> attacking * defensively     Mexico did it not by playing defensively. They did it with exciting, flowing, attacking football.

Q: divine [di5vain]

A: You use divine to describe something that is provided by or relates to a god or goddess.     He suggested that the civil war had been a divine punishment.     ...divine inspiration. * divinely     The law was divinely ordained. A divine is a priest who specializes in the study of God and religion. (OLD-FASHIONED) People use divine to express their pleasure or enjoyment of something. (OLD-FASHIONED)     `Isn't it divine?' she said. `I wish I had the right sort of brooch to lend you for it.'.     Darling how lovely to see you, you look simply divine. = heavenly * divinely     ...divinely glamorous singer Jeffrey McDonald. If you divine something, you discover or learn it by guessing. (LITERARY)     The child developed an unconscious ability to intuit or divine the needs of the parents and respond to them.     We may divine that kings did not sleep any better than peasants. If you divine, you try to find underground supplies of water or minerals, using a special rod or pair of rods.     The only reason I was divining for water was because of the drought.   &nb

Q: elaborate [i5lAbErEt]

A: You use elaborate to describe something that is very complex because it has a lot of different parts.     ...an elaborate research project.     ...an elaborate ceremony that lasts for eight days. = complicated Elaborate plans, systems, and procedures are complicated because they have been planned in very great detail, sometimes too much detail.     ...elaborate efforts at the highest level to conceal the problem...     The company has worked out an elaborate management training scheme for graduates. = complicated * elaborately     It was clearly an elaborately planned operation. Elaborate clothing or material is made with a lot of detailed artistic designs.     He is known for his elaborate costumes. * elaborately     ...elaborately costumed dolls. If you elaborate a plan or theory, you develop it by making it more complicated and more effective.     His task was to elaborate policies which would make a market economy compatible with a clean environment.     ...the plan elaborated by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council. * elaboration     ...the elaboration of specific policies and mechanisms. If you elaborate on something that has been said, you say more about it, or give more details.     A spokesman decl

Q: eventual [i5ventjuEl]

A: You use eventual to indicate that something happens or is the case at the end of a process or period of time.     There are many who believe that civil war will be the eventual outcome of the racial tension in the country.     The eventual aim is the reunification of Korea. = ultimate

Q: everyday [5evridei]

A: You use everyday to describe something which happens or is used every day, or forms a regular and basic part of your life, so it is not especially interesting or unusual.     In the course of my everyday life, I had very little contact with teenagers.     ...opportunities for improving fitness in your everyday routine.     ...the everyday problems of living in the city...     A paint finish can transform something everyday and mundane into something more elaborate.

Q: evidently [5evidEntli]

A: You use evidently to say that something is obviously true, for example because you have seen evidence of it yourself.     The man wore a bathrobe and had evidently just come from the bathroom.     The two Russians evidently knew each other. = clearly, obviously You use evidently to show that you think something is true or have been told something is true, but that you are not sure, because you do not have enough information or proof.     From childhood, he was evidently at once rebellious and precocious.     Ellis evidently wished to negotiate downwards after Atkinson had set the guidelines. You can use evidently to introduce a statement or opinion and to emphasize that you feel that it is true or correct. (FORMAL)     Quite evidently, it has nothing to do with social background.

Q: lately [5leitli]

A: You use lately to describe events in the recent past, or situations that started a short time ago.     Dad's health hasn't been too good lately.     Lord Tomas had lately been appointed Chairman of the Centre for Policy Studies.     `Have you talked to her lately? --- Not lately, really.'.     Optimism about the US economy has been a rare commodity lately. = recently You can use lately to refer to the job a person has been doing until recently. (FORMAL)     ...Timothy Jean Geoffrey Pratt, lately deputy treasury solicitor...

Q: exceptional [ik5sepFEnl]

A: You use exceptional to describe someone or something that has a particular quality, usually a good quality, to an unusually high degree.     ...children with exceptional ability...     His translation is exceptional in its poetic quality. = extraordinary * exceptionally     He's an exceptionally talented dancer and needs to practice several hours every day.     The conditions under ground were exceptionally hot. = extremely Exceptional situations and incidents are unusual and only likely to happen very infrequently. (FORMAL)     ...if the courts hold that this case is exceptional...     School governors have the discretion to allow parents to withdraw pupils in exceptional circumstances. = unusual * exceptionally     Exceptionally, in times of emergency, we may send a team of experts.     At your request we may agree, exceptionally, to work outside usual working hours. = unusually

Q: excitement [ik5saitmEnt]

A: You use excitement to refer to the state of being excited, or to something that excites you.     Everyone is in a state of great excitement.     ...the excitement of a thunderstorm...     This game had its challenges, excitements and rewards.

Q: mistaken [mis5teikEn]

A: You use expressions such as if I'm not mistaken and unless I'm very much mistaken as a polite way of emphasizing the statement you are making, especially when you are confident that it is correct.     I see I was mistaken about you.     You couldn't be more mistaken, Alex. You've utterly misread the situation.     I think he wanted to marry her, if I am not mistaken.     Unless I'm mistaken, he didn't specify what time. A mistaken belief or opinion is incorrect.     I had a mistaken view of what was happening.     ...a limited understanding of addiction and mistaken beliefs about how it can be overcome. * mistakenly     He says they mistakenly believed the standard licenses they held were sufficient.

Q: fascist [5fAFist]

A: You use fascist to describe organizations, ideas, or systems which follow the principles of fascism.     ...an upsurge of support for extreme rightist, nationalist and fascist organisations.     ...the threatening nature of fascist ideology. A fascist is someone who has fascist views. If you refer to someone as a fascist, you are expressing disapproval of the fact that they have extreme views on something, and do not tolerate alternative views.     ...the so-called health fascists who would meddle in their lives and regulate their calorie intake.

Q: frankly [5frANkli]

A: You use frankly when you are expressing an opinion or feeling to emphasize that you mean what you are saying, especially when the person you are speaking to may not like it.     `You don't give a damn about my feelings, do you.' --- `Quite frankly, I don't.'.     Frankly, Thomas, this question of your loan is beginning to worry me.     I was frankly astonished at the degree to which different singers can affect the interpretation of a song. See also frank.

Q: hence [hens]

A: You use hence to indicate that the statement you are about to make is a consequence of what you have just said. (FORMAL)     The trade imbalance is likely to rise again in 1990. Hence a new set of policy actions will be required soon.     Whatever is hidden is harmful (hence revelation equals security).     European music happens to use a scale of eight notes, hence the use of the term octave.     The Socialist Party was profoundly divided and hence very weak. = therefore, thus You use hence in expressions such as `several years hence' or `six months hence' to refer to a time in the future, especially a long time in the future. (FORMAL)     The gases that may be warming the planet will have their main effect many years hence.     ...the much larger peacekeeping force that is meant to be fully deployed five months hence.

Q: honestly [5Cnistli]

A: You use honestly to emphasize that you are referring to your, or someone else's, true beliefs or feelings.     I honestly feel I cannot do any more to prove myself.     I honestly don't know.     But did you honestly think we wouldn't notice? You use honestly to emphasize that you are telling the truth and that you want people to believe you. (SPOKEN)     Honestly, I don't know anything about it.     We didn't play with him, honestly we didn't. You use honestly to indicate that you are annoyed or impatient. (SPOKEN)     Honestly, Nev! Must you be quite so crude!.     Oh, honestly, I don't know what they will think of next. = really

Q: blood pressure BLOOD PRESSURE

A: Your blood pressure is the amount of force with which your blood flows around your body.     Your doctor will monitor your blood pressure.     Prime Minister Pavlov had been taken ill with high blood pressure.

Q: lesser [5lesE]

A: You use lesser in order to indicate that something is smaller in extent, degree, or amount than another thing that has been mentioned.     No medication works in isolation but is affected to a greater or lesser extent by many other factors.     The more obvious potential allies are Ireland, Denmark and, to a lesser degree, the Netherlands. <> greater Also an adverb.     ...lesser known works by famous artists. You can use lesser to refer to something or someone that is less important than other things or people of the same type.     They pleaded guilty to lesser charges of criminal damage.     He was feared by other, lesser, men. Lesser is used in the names of some species of birds, animals, and plants.     ...the lesser spotted woodpecker.

Q: likewise [5laik7waiz]

A: You use likewise when you are comparing two methods, states, or situations and saying that they are similar.     All attempts by the Socialists to woo him back were spurned. Similar overtures from the right have likewise been rejected.     The V2 was not an ordinary weapon: it could only be used against cities. Likewise the atom bomb. = similarly If you do something and someone else does likewise, they do the same or a similar thing.     He lent money, made donations and encouraged others to do likewise.

Q: ministerial [minis5tiEriEl]

A: You use ministerial to refer to people, events, or jobs that are connected with government ministers.     The prime minister's initial ministerial appointments haven't pleased all his supporters.     ...the recent ministerial meeting.

Q: minus [5mainEs]

A: You use minus to show that one number or quantity is being subtracted from another.     One minus one is zero.     They've been promised their full July salary minus the hardship payment. = less <> plus Minus before a number or quantity means that the number or quantity is less than zero.     The aircraft was subjected to temperatures of minus 65 degrees and plus 120 degrees. <> plus 3 minus Teachers use minus in grading work in schools and colleges. `B minus' is not as good as `B', but is a better grade than `C'.     I'm giving him a B minus. <> plus To be minus something means not to have that thing.     The film company collapsed, leaving Chris jobless and minus his life savings. = without A minus is a disadvantage. (INFORMAL)     The minuses far outweigh that possible gain.     The plusses and minuses were about equal.     None of these minus points will have been mentioned. = drawback <> plus You use plus or minus to give the amount by which a particular number may vary.     The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 5 per cent.

Q: multiple [5mQltipl]

A: You use multiple to describe things that consist of many parts, involve many people, or have many uses.     He died of multiple injuries.     The most common multiple births are twins, two babies born at the same time. If one number is a multiple of a smaller number, it can be exactly divided by that smaller number.     Their numerical system, derived from the Babylonians, was based on multiples of the number six. A multiple or a multiple store is a shop with a lot of branches in different towns. (BRIT)     It made it almost impossible for the smaller retailer to compete against the multiples.

Q: namely [5neimli]

A: You use namely to introduce detailed information about the subject you are discussing, or a particular aspect of it.     One group of people seems to be forgotten, namely pensioners.     This shows how little they were aware of the challenge facing them, namely, to re-establish prosperity and the rule of law. = that is

Q: appetite [5Apitait]

A: Your appetite is your desire to eat.     He has a healthy appetite.     Symptoms are a slight fever, headache and loss of appetite. Someone's appetite for something is their strong desire for it.     ...his appetite for success.     ...Americans' growing appetite for scandal...     She gave him just enough information to whet his appetite.

Q: autobiography [7C:tEbai5CgrEfi]

A: Your autobiography is an account of your life, which you write yourself.     He published his autobiography last autumn.

Q: cheek [tFi:k]

A: Your cheeks are the sides of your face below your eyes.     Tears were running down her cheeks.     She kissed him lightly on both cheeks. * -cheeked     ...rosy-cheeked children.     ...a fat, chubby-cheeked fellow. You say that someone has a cheek when you are annoyed or shocked at something unreasonable that they have done. (INFORMAL)     I'm amazed they had the cheek to ask in the first place.     I still think it's a bit of a cheek sending a voucher rather than a refund.     The cheek of it, lying to me like that! If you turn the other cheek when someone harms or insults you, you do not harm or insult them them in return.

Q: chin [tFin]

A: Your chin is the part of your face that is below your mouth and above your neck.     ...a double chin...     He rubbed the gray stubble on his chin. If you say that someone took something on the chin, you mean that they accepted an unpleasant or difficult situation bravely and without making a lot of fuss about it. (INFORMAL)     When the police arrived he took it on the chin and apologised for the trouble he'd caused them.

Q: conscience [5kCnFEns]

A: Your conscience is the part of your mind that tells you whether what you are doing is right or wrong. If you have a guilty conscience, you feel guilty about something because you know it was wrong. If you have a clear conscience, you do not feel guilty because you know you have done nothing wrong.     I have battled with my conscience over whether I should actually send this letter.     What if he got a guilty conscience and brought it back?.     I could go away again with a clear conscience. Conscience is doing what you believe is right even though it might be unpopular, difficult, or dangerous.     He refused for reasons of conscience to sign a new law legalising abortion.     ...the law on freedom of conscience and religious organizations. See also prisoner of conscience. Conscience is a feeling of guilt because you know you have done something that is wrong.     I'm so glad he had a pang of conscience.     They have shown a ruthless lack of conscience. = guilt If you say that you cannot do something in all conscience, in good conscience, or in conscience, you mean that you cannot do it because you think it is wrong.     She could not, in good conscience, back out on her deal with him. If you have something on your conscience, you feel guilty because you know you have done something wrong.     Now the murderer has two deaths on his conscience.

Q: creditor [5kreditE]

A: Your creditors are the people who you owe money to.     The company said it would pay in full all its creditors except Credit Suisse. <> debtor

Q: elbow [5elbEu]

A: Your elbow is the part of your arm where the upper and lower halves of the arm are joined.     He slipped and fell, badly bruising an elbow. If you elbow people aside or elbow your way somewhere, you push people with your elbows in order to move somewhere.     They also claim that the security team elbowed aside a steward.     Mr Smith elbowed me in the face.     Brand elbowed his way to the centre of the group of bystanders. = jostle If someone or something elbows their way somewhere, or elbows other people or things out of the way, they achieve success by being aggressive and determined.     Non-state firms gradually elbow aside the inefficient state-owned ones.     With the survival of the whole planet in mind, environmental concerns will elbow their way right to the top of the agenda.

Q: faculty [5fAkElti]

A: Your faculties are your physical and mental abilities.     He was drunk and not in control of his faculties.     It is also a myth that the faculty of hearing is greatly increased in blind people. A faculty is a group of related departments in some universities, or the people who work in them. (BRIT)     ...the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences. A faculty is all the teaching staff of a university or college, or of one department. (AM)     The faculty agreed on a change in the requirements.     How can faculty improve their teaching so as to encourage creativity?     ...eminent Stanford faculty members.

Q: forehead [5fCrid, 5fC:hed]

A: Your forehead is the area at the front of your head between your eyebrows and your hair. = brow

Q: grandfather [5grAnd7fB:TE]

A: Your grandfather is the father of your father or mother.     His grandfather was a professor.

Q: fist [fist]

A: Your hand is referred to as your fist when you have bent your fingers in towards the palm in order to hit someone, to make an angry gesture, or to hold something.     Angry protestors with clenched fists shouted their defiance.     Gary clutched a penny in his fist. An iron fist policy or approach is one which deals with people and situations in a very strict and cruel way.     The iron-fist policy towards the fundamentalists is unlikely to be interrupted. hand over fist: see hand.

Q: heel [hi:l]

A: Your heel is the back part of your foot, just below your ankle. The heel of a shoe is the raised part on the bottom at the back.     He kicked it shut with the heel of his boot.     ...the shoes with the high heels. Heels are women's shoes that are raised very high at the back.     ...two well-dressed ladies in high heels...     ...the old adage that you shouldn't wear heels with trousers. The heel of a sock or stocking is the part that covers your heel. The heel of your hand is the rounded pad at the bottom of your palm.     He shoved the heel of his hand against the side of my face. If a person or an animal is at your heels, they are following close behind you.     She strode off down the restaurant with Cavendish following close at her heels. If you bring someone to heel, you force them to obey you.     It's still not clear how the president will use his power to bring the republics to heel. If someone such as a soldier clicks their heels, they make a sound by knocking the heels of their shoes together when saluting or greeting someone.     ...a courtly European who still clicked his heels when he met a lady.

Q: immune system IMMUNE SYSTEM

A: Your immune system consists of all the organs and processes in your body which protect you from illness and infection.

Q: intake [5inteik]

A: Your intake of a particular kind of food, drink, or air is the amount that you eat, drink, or breathe in.     Your intake of alcohol should not exceed two units per day.     Reduce your salt intake. The people who are accepted into an organization or place at a particular time are referred to as a particular intake.     ...one of this year's intake of students...     There was a proposal in the United States to quadruple its annual intake of immigrants. When someone takes an intake of breath, they breathe in quickly and noisily, usually because they are shocked at something.     I heard, even over the babble of the crowd, a sharp, shocked intake of breath.

Q: jaw [dVC:]

A: Your jaw is the lower part of your face below your mouth. The movement of your jaw is sometimes considered to express a particular emotion. For example, if your jaw drops, you are very surprised.     He thought for a moment, stroking his well-defined jaw.     Meg's jaw dropped in amazement.     His jaw was set, but his voice sounded thin and unsure. A person's or animal's jaws are the two bones in their head which their teeth are attached to.     ...a forest rodent with powerful jaws. If you talk about the jaws of something unpleasant such as death or hell, you are referring to a dangerous or unpleasant situation.     A family dog rescued a newborn boy from the jaws of death.     ...caught in the jaws of world recession. = clutches

Q: motivation [7mEuti5veiFEn]

A: Your motivation for doing something is what causes you to want to do it.     Money is my motivation.     The timing of the attack, and its motivations, are unknown.

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