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contradictory

adjective mutually opposed or inconsistent: the two studies came to contradictory conclusions. • containing elements which are inconsistent: politically he exhibited contradictory behaviour. • Logic (of two propositions) so related that one and only one must be true. Compare with contrary. noun (plural contradictories) Logic a contradictory proposition.

conceptually

adverb in terms of a concept or abstract idea: [sentence adverb] : conceptually, this is a complex process | a conceptually simple task.

onerous

adjective (of a task or responsibility) involving a great deal of effort, trouble, or difficulty: he found his duties increasingly onerous. • Law involving heavy obligations: an onerous lease.

tailored

adjective (of clothes) smart, fitted, and well cut: a tailored charcoal-grey suit.

crustal

adjective Geology relating to or originating in the earth's crust: a deep crustal origin.

seamount | ˈsiːmaʊnt |

noun a submarine mountain.

shuffle

verb 1 [no object, with adverbial] walk by dragging one's feet along or without lifting them fully from the ground: I stepped into my skis and shuffled to the edge of the steep slope | (as adjective shuffling) : she heard Gran's shuffling steps. • shift one's position while sitting or move one's feet while standing, typically because of boredom, nervousness, or embarrassment: Christine shuffled uneasily in her chair | [with object] : Ben shuffled his feet in the awkward silence. • [with object] (shuffle something into) put part of one's body into (an item of clothing), typically in a clumsy way: she shuffled her feet into a pair of shoes. 2 [with object] rearrange (a pack of cards) by sliding them over each other quickly: he shuffled the cards and cut the deck | [no object] : anybody who has played skat with my gran knows how to shuffle without dropping the cards. • move (people or things) around so as to occupy different positions or to be in a different order: my father shuffled his money around various building societies | she shuffled her papers into a neat pile | the selectors have been shuffling their resources in recent matches. • play or arrange (tracks on a music player) in a random order: the control lets you shuffle or skip songs by flicking the phone with your wrist. • [no object] (shuffle through) sort or look through (a number of things) hurriedly: he shuffled through the papers. 3 [with object] (shuffle something off) get out of or avoid a responsibility or obligation: some hospitals can shuffle off their responsibilities by claiming to have no suitable facilities. • [no object] archaic behave in a shifty or evasive manner: Mr Milles did not frankly own it, but seem'd to shuffle about it. • [no object] (shuffle out of) archaic get out of (a difficult situation) in an underhand way: he shuffles out of the consequences by vague charges of undue influence. noun 1 [in singular] a shuffling movement, walk, or sound: there was a shuffle of approaching feet. • a quick dragging or scraping movement of the feet in dancing: Violet tried on a top hat and did a brief vaudeville shuffle. • a dance performed with quick dragging or scraping movements of the feet. • a piece of music for or in the style of a shuffle: [mass noun] : it's the usual blend of boogie, shuffle, and ballad. • a rhythmic motif based on a shuffle dance step and typical of early jazz, consisting of alternating crotchets and quavers in a triplet pattern. 2 an act of shuffling a pack of cards: the discard is removed from the deck until the next shuffle. • a change of order or relative positions; a reshuffle: the Prime Minister may have to consider a cabinet shuffle in the spring. • a facility on a music player for playing tracks in an arbitrary order: I had my iPod on shuffle and 'Eleanor Rigby' just happened to begin playing | [as modifier] : a shuffle facility. 3 archaic a piece of equivocation or subterfuge. PHRASES be (or get) lost in the shuffle North American informal be overlooked or missed in a confused or crowded situation: a more established sport that sometimes gets lost in the shuffle is team handball. shuffle off this mortal coil see coil2. shuffle the cards make a different use of one's available options or resources.

scrape

verb 1 [with object] drag or pull a hard or sharp implement across (a surface or object) so as to remove dirt or other matter: remove the green tops from the carrots and scrape them | [with object and complement] : we scraped the dishes clean. • [with object and adverbial] use a sharp or hard implement to remove (dirt or unwanted matter) from something: she scraped the mud off her shoes. • [with object and adverbial] apply (a hard or sharp implement) to a surface so as to remove dirt or other matter: he scraped the long-bladed razor across the stubble on his cheek. • make (a hollow) by scraping away soil or rock: he found a ditch, scraped a hole, and put the bag in it. 2 rub or cause to rub by accident against a rough or hard surface, causing damage or injury: [no object] : he smashed into the wall and felt his teeth scrape against the plaster | [with object] : she reversed in a reckless sweep, scraping the Range Rover. • [with object] draw or move (something) along or over something else, making a harsh noise: she scraped back her chair and stood up. • [no object] move with or make a harsh scraping sound: she lifted the gate to prevent it scraping along the ground. • [no object] humorous play a violin tunelessly: Olivia was scraping away at her violin. • [with object] (scrape something back) draw one's hair tightly back off the forehead: her hair was scraped back into a bun. • [with object and adverbial] British spread (butter or margarine) thinly over bread: she became involved with scraping butter on to a piece of toast. 3 [no object, with adverbial] narrowly pass by or through something: there was only just room to scrape through between the tree and the edge of the stream. • [no object, with adverbial] barely manage to succeed in a particular undertaking: Bowden scraped in with 180 votes at the last election | he scraped through the entrance exam. • [with object] just manage to achieve; accomplish with great effort or difficulty: Scotland scraped a lucky home draw with Portugal | for some years he scraped a living as a tutor. • (scrape something together/up) collect or accumulate something with difficulty: they could hardly scrape up enough money for one ticket, let alone two. • [no object] try to save as much money as possible; economize: they had scrimped and scraped and saved for years. • [no object] (scrape by/along) manage to live with difficulty: she has to scrape by on Social Security. 4 [with object] copy (data) from a website using a computer program: all search engines scrape content from sites without permission and display it on their own sites. noun 1 an act or sound of scraping: he heard the scrape of his mother's key in the lock. • an injury or mark caused by scraping: there was a long, shallow scrape on his shin. • a place where soil has been scraped away, especially a shallow hollow formed in the ground by a bird during a courtship display or for nesting: ringed plovers incubate eggs in shallow scrapes. • [in singular] British a thinly applied layer of butter or margarine on bread: when making sandwiches, use only the thinnest scrape of fat. • archaic an obsequious bow in which one foot is drawn backwards along the ground. 2 Medicine, informal a procedure of dilatation of the cervix and curettage of the uterus. 3 informal an embarrassing or difficult predicament caused by one's own unwise behaviour: he'd been in worse scrapes than this before now. PHRASES scrape acquaintance with dated contrive to get to know: I'd like you to stay at the hotel and try to scrape acquaintance with her. scrape the barrel (or the bottom of the barrel) informal be reduced to using things or people of the poorest quality because there is nothing else available: the party was scraping the barrel for competent politicians.

facilitate

verb [with object] make (an action or process) easy or easier: schools were located in the same campus to facilitate the sharing of resources.

cone penetrometer

圆锥贯入仪

simplex

adjective technical composed of or characterized by a single part or structure. • (of a communication system, computer circuit, etc.) only allowing transmission of signals in one direction at a time. noun a simple or uncompounded word.

implicitly

adverb 1 in a way that is not directly expressed; tacitly: she implicitly suggested that he was responsible for the error. 2 without qualification: absolutely: he trusted Sarah implicitly.

comprise

verb [with object]

viscous

having a thick, sticky consistency between solid and liquid; having a high viscosity: viscous lava.

interstice | ɪnˈtəːstɪs |

noun (usually interstices) an intervening space, especially a very small one: sunshine filtered through the interstices of the arching trees.

tomography

noun [mass noun] a technique for displaying a representation of a cross section through a human body or other solid object using X-rays or ultrasound.

roughen

verb make or become rough: [with object] : the wind was roughening the surface of the river | [no object] : his voice roughened.

unobtrusive

adjective not conspicuous or attracting attention: the service was unobtrusive and efficient.

counterparty

an opposite party in a contract or financial transaction.

carry-out

another term for takeaway.

seismo-

combining form of an earthquake; relating to earthquakes: seismograph.

marginalize

marginalize | ˈmɑːdʒɪn(ə)lʌɪz | (also marginalise) verb [with object] treat (a person, group, or concept) as insignificant or peripheral: by removing religion from the public space, we marginalize it | (as adjective marginalized) : members of marginalized cultural groups.

reverberation | rɪˌvəːbəˈreɪʃn |

noun混响 1 [mass noun] prolongation of a sound; resonance: electronic effects have been added, such as echo and reverberation. 2 (usually reverberations) a continuing effect; a repercussion: the attack has had reverberations around the world.

get rid of

take action so as to be free of (a troublesome or unwanted person or thing): we have been campaigning to get rid of the car tax for 20 years.

take into account

take something into account (or take account of) consider something along with other factors before reaching a decision: teachers should take a child's age into account.

condense

verb 1 [with object] make (something) denser or more concentrated: the morning play on Saturday was condensed into a half-hour package. • express (written or spoken material) in fewer words; make concise: he condensed the three plays into a three-hour drama. 2 change or cause to change from a gas or vapour to a liquid: [no object] : the moisture vapour in the air condenses into droplets of water | [with object] : the cold air was condensing his breath.

implode

verb collapse or cause to collapse violently inwards: [no object] : both the windows had imploded | [with object] : the plasma implodes the fuel.

algebraic | ˌaldʒɪˈbreɪɪk |

代数的adjective relating to or involving algebra. • denoting a mathematical expression or equation in which a finite number of symbols are combined using only the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, and exponentiation with constant rational exponents. Compare with transcendental.

due to

1 caused by or ascribable to: his death was not due to any lack of care. 2 because of; owing to: he had to withdraw due to a knee injury.

incorporated

adjective (of a company or other organization) formed into a legal corporation: the Incorporated Society of Musicians | [postpositive] : Adobe Systems Incorporated.

ingenious

adjective (of a person) clever, original, and inventive: he was ingenious enough to overcome the limited budget. • (of a machine or idea) cleverly and originally devised and well suited to its purpose: ingenious devices | his theory, while ingenious, is most assuredly incorrect.

reproducible

adjective able to be reproduced or copied: the logo should be easily reproducible | reproducible laboratory experiments.

proportional | prəˈpɔːʃ(ə)n(ə)l |

adjective corresponding in size or amount to something else: the punishment should be proportional to the crime. • Mathematics (of a variable quantity) having a constant ratio to another quantity.

optimistic

adjective hopeful and confident about the future: the optimistic mood of the Sixties | the government was optimistic that reform would take place. • (of an estimate) unrealistically high: previous estimates of whale numbers may be wildly optimistic.

cumulative

adjective increasing or increased in quantity, degree, or force by successive additions: the cumulative effect of two years of drought.

predominant

adjective present as the strongest or main element: the predominant colour was white. • having or exerting control or power: the predominant political forces.

numerical

adjective relating to or expressed as a number or numbers: the lists are in numerical order.

striate

adjective | ˈstrʌɪət, ˈstrʌɪeɪt | marked with striae: the striate cortex. verb | strʌɪˈeɪt | [with object] mark with striae: you can emboss, pierce, or striate wood.

boil down to

amount to; be essentially a matter of: everything boiled down to cash in the end.

tailor

noun 1 a person whose occupation is making fitted clothes such as suits, trousers, and jackets to fit individual customers. 2 (also tailorfish) another term for bluefish. verb [with object] 1 (of a tailor) make (clothes) to fit individual customers: he was wearing a sports coat which had obviously been tailored in London. 2 make or adapt for a particular purpose or person: arrangements can be tailored to meet individual requirements.

noun 1 an official list or record of names or items: a membership register. • a book or record of attendance, for example of pupils in a class or guests in a hotel: the system requires teachers to take the register at each lesson | I had signed the register with my new name. 2 a particular part of the range of a voice or instrument: boy trebles singing in a high register. • a sliding device controlling a set of organ pipes which share a tonal quality. • a set of organ pipes controlled by a sliding device. 3 Linguistics a variety of a language or a level of usage, as determined by degree of formality and choice of vocabulary, pronunciation, and syntax, according to the communicative purpose, social context, and standing of the user. 4 [mass noun] Printing & Photography the exact correspondence of the position of colour components in a printed positive: it was reproduced in full colour but unfortunately out of register. • Printing the exact correspondence of the position of printed matter on the two sides of a leaf. 5 (in electronic devices) a location in a store of data, used for a specific purpose and with quick access time. 6 an adjustable plate for widening or narrowing an opening and regulating a draught, especially in a fire grate. 7 Art one of a number of bands or sections into which a design is divided: the central register shows a Roman Emperor on horseback. 8 North American short for cash register. verb [with object] 1 enter or record on an official list or directory: the vessel is registered as British | his father was late in registering his birth | (as adjective registered) : a registered charity. • [no object] enter one's name and other details on an official list or directory: you register at the site with a user ID and a password | [with infinitive] : 34,500 registered to vote. • [no object] put one's name in a register as a guest in a hotel: we had a light supper after we'd registered and unpacked. • [no object] North American (of a couple to be married) have a list of wedding gifts compiled and kept at a shop for consultation by gift buyers: at the store's bridal registry single people can register for gifts even if they are not getting married. • entrust (a letter or parcel) to a post office for transmission by registered post: (as adjective registered) : a registered letter. 2 (of an instrument) detect and show (a reading) automatically: the electroscope was too insensitive to register the tiny changes. • [no object, with complement] (of an event) give rise to a specified reading on an instrument: the blast registered 5.4 on the Richter scale. 3 express or convey (an opinion or emotion): I wish to register an objection | his features registered amusement. • [no object] (of an emotion) show in a person's face or gestures: nothing registered on their faces. • [usually with negative] notice or become aware of: he hadn't even registered her presence. • [no object, usually with negative] make an impression on a person's mind: the content of her statement did not register. 4 achieve (a certain score or result) in a game or match: they registered their third consecutive draw. 5 Printing & Photography correspond or cause to correspond exactly in position: [no object] : they are adjusted until the impressions register | [with object] : alignment is achieved by registering the two images.

borehole

noun a deep, narrow hole made in the ground, especially to locate water or oil.

benchmark

noun基准 1 a standard or point of reference against which things may be compared: the pay settlement will set a benchmark for other employers and workers. • a problem designed to evaluate the performance of a computer system: Xstones is a graphics benchmark. 2 a surveyor's mark cut in a wall, pillar, or building and used as a reference point in measuring altitudes.

trade-off

noun折中 a balance achieved between two desirable but incompatible features; a compromise: a trade-off between objectivity and relevance.

transponder

noun转发器 a device for receiving a radio signal and automatically transmitting a different signal.

petrophysics

the branch of geology concerned with the physical properties and behaviour of rocks.

conform

verb [no object] comply with rules, standards, or laws: the kitchen does not conform to hygiene regulations | the changes were introduced to conform with international classifications. • (of a person) behave according to socially acceptable conventions or standards: the pressure to conform. • be similar in form or type; agree: the countryside should conform to a certain idea of the picturesque.

populate

verb [with object] form the population of (a place): the island is populated by scarcely 40,000 people | a cosy rural town populated with friendly folk. • cause people to settle in (a place). • fill or be present in (a place or sphere): the film is an epic fantasy populated by grotesque weirdos. • Computing fill in (data).

affect

verb [with object] have an effect on; make a difference to: the dampness began to affect my health | [with clause] : your attitude will affect how successful you are. • touch the feelings of; move emotionally: he was visibly affected by the tragedy.

involve

verb [with object] have or include (something) as a necessary or integral part or result: my job involves a lot of travelling | a bill proposing harsher penalties for crimes involving firearms and drugs. • cause to participate in an activity or situation: an opportunity to involve as many people as possible in all aspects of music-making. • (be/get involved) be or become occupied or engrossed in something: her husband had been very involved in his work. • (be involved) be engaged in an emotional or personal relationship: Angela told me she was involved with someone else.

exacerbate

verb [with object] make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse: the exorbitant cost of land in urban areas only exacerbated the problem | the strong pound has exacerbated the situation by making it much harder for UK companies to compete on price.

moor

verb [with object] make fast (a boat) by attaching it by cable or rope to the shore or to an anchor: twenty or so fishing boats were moored to the pierside | [no object] : we moored alongside a jetty.

discern

verb [with object] recognize or find out: I can discern no difference between the two policies | [with clause] : pupils quickly discern what is acceptable to the teacher. • distinguish (someone or something) with difficulty by sight or with the other senses: she could faintly discern the shape of a skull.

achieve

verb [with object] successfully bring about or reach (a desired objective or result) by effort, skill, or courage: he achieved his ambition to become a press photographer | the killings achieved nothing | [no object] : people striving to achieve.

striation

条纹的adjective | ˈstrʌɪət, ˈstrʌɪeɪt | marked with striae: the striate cortex. verb | strʌɪˈeɪt | [with object] mark with striae: you can emboss, pierce, or striate wood.

regularization

正则化verb [with object] make (something) regular: an electrical implant to regularize the heartbeat. • establish (a hitherto temporary or provisional arrangement) on an official basis: immigrants applying to regularize their status as residents. DERIVATIVES regularization | rɛɡjʊlərʌɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n | noun

superscript

adjective (of a letter, figure, or symbol) written or printed above the line. noun a superscript letter, figure, or symbol.

tractable

adjective (of a person) easy to control or influence: she has always been tractable and obedient, even as a child. • (of a situation or problem) easy to deal with: trying to make the mathematics tractable.

diagonal

adjective (of a straight line) joining two opposite corners of a square, rectangle, or other straight-sided shape. • (of a line) straight and at an angle; slanting: a tie with diagonal stripes. noun a straight line joining two opposite corners of a square, rectangle, or other straight-sided shape. • Mathematics the set of elements of a matrix that lie on a line joining two opposite corners. • a slanting straight line: the bars of light made diagonals across the entrance | tiles can be laid on the diagonal. • Chess a slanting row of squares whose colour is the same.

quadric

adjective (of a surface or curve) described by an equation of the second degree. noun a quadric surface or curve.

plausible

adjective (of an argument or statement) seeming reasonable or probable: a plausible explanation | it seems plausible that one of two things may happen. • (of a person) skilled at producing persuasive arguments, especially ones intended to deceive: a plausible liar.

elastic

adjective 1 (of an object or material) able to resume its normal shape spontaneously after being stretched or compressed: a tourniquet of rubber tubing or other elastic material is placed around the upper arm. 2 able to encompass much variety and change; flexible and adaptable: the definition of nationality is elastic in this cosmopolitan country. 3 Economics (of demand or supply) sensitive to changes in price or income: the labour supply is very elastic. 4 Physics (of a collision) involving no decrease of kinetic energy. noun [mass noun] cord, tape, or fabric, woven with strips of rubber, which returns to its original length or shape after being stretched: a polythene bag tied with elastic.

appealing

adjective 1 attractive or interesting: village life is somehow more appealing. 2 showing or expressing a desire for help or sympathy: an appealing look.

apparent

adjective 1 clearly visible or understood; obvious: for no apparent reason she laughed | [with clause] : it became apparent that he was talented. 2 seeming real or true, but not necessarily so: his apparent lack of concern.

orthogonal

adjective 1 of or involving right angles; at right angles. 2 Statistics (of variates) statistically independent. • (of an experiment) having variates which can be treated as statistically independent.

illustrative

adjective 1 serving as an example or explanation: this timetable is provided for illustrative purposes only. 2 relating to pictorial illustration: the illustrative arts.

unconsolidated

adjective not consolidated: unconsolidated gravel and sand.

adjoint | ˈadʒɔɪnt | Mathematics

adjective relating to or denoting a function or quantity related to a given function or quantity by a particular process of transposition. • denoting a matrix that is the transpose of the complex conjugates or the cofactors of a given square matrix.

spatial

adjective relating to space: the spatial distribution of population.

deterministic

adjective relating to the philosophical doctrine that all events, including human action, are ultimately determined by causes regarded as external to the will: a deterministic theory.

spherical

adjective shaped like a sphere: spherical pearls. • relating to the properties of spheres. • formed inside or on the surface of a sphere.

explicit

adjective stated clearly and in detail, leaving no room for confusion or doubt: the arrangement had not been made explicit. • (of a person) stating something in an explicit manner: let me be explicit. • describing or representing sexual activity in a graphic fashion: a sexually explicit blockbuster. noun the closing words of a manuscript, early printed book, or chanted liturgical text. Compare with incipit.[Middle English: late Latin, 'here ends', or abbreviation of explicitus est liber 'the scroll is unrolled'.]

genuine

adjective truly what something is said to be; authentic: genuine 24-carat gold. • (of a person, emotion, or action) sincere: a genuine attempt to put things right | there was genuine affection in his voice.

twofold

adjective twice as great or as numerous: a twofold increase in the risk. • having two parts or elements: the twofold demands of the business and motherhood. adverb so as to double; to twice the number or amount: use increased more than twofold from 1979 to 1989.

in situ

adv. (from Latin) 在原位；在原地；在合适的地方 in the original or correct place

profoundly

adverb [as submodifier] to a profound extent; extremely: a profoundly disturbing experience. • in a profound way; greatly: he profoundly altered the whole course of my life.

whereas

conjunction in contrast or comparison with the fact that: you treat the matter lightly, whereas I myself was never more serious. • (especially in legal preambles) taking into consideration the fact that.

sake

noun 1 (for the sake of something or for something's sake) for the purpose of; in the interest of; in order to achieve or preserve: the couple moved to the coast for the sake of her health | let us say, for the sake of argument, that the plotter and the assassin are one and the same person. • (for its own sake or something for something's sake or for the sake of it) used to indicate something that is done as an end in itself rather than to achieve some other purpose: new ideas amount to change for change's sake. 2 (for the sake of someone or for someone's sake) out of consideration for or in order to help or please someone: I have to make an effort for John's sake. 3 (for God's or goodness', Christ's, heaven's, Pete's etc. sake) used to express impatience, annoyance, urgency, or desperation: 'Oh, for God's sake!' snarled Dyson | where did you get it, for heaven's sake?

covariance

noun 1 [mass noun] Mathematics the property of a function of retaining its form when the variables are linearly transformed. 2 Statistics the mean value of the product of the deviations of two variates from their respective means.

perturbation

noun 1 [mass noun] anxiety; mental uneasiness: she sensed her friend's perturbation. • [count noun] a cause of anxiety or uneasiness: Frank's atheism was more than a perturbation to Michael. 2 a deviation of a system, moving object, or process from its regular or normal state or path, caused by an outside influence: these shifts and swings in wildlife populations are possibly related to climatic perturbations. • Astronomy a minor deviation in the course of a celestial body, caused by the attraction of a neighbouring body.

protocol

noun 1 [mass noun] the official procedure or system of rules governing affairs of state or diplomatic occasions: protocol forbids the prince from making any public statement in his defence. • the accepted or established code of procedure or behaviour in any group, organization, or situation: what is the protocol at a smart lunch if one's neighbour dozes off during the speeches? 2 the original draft of a diplomatic document, especially of the terms of a treaty agreed to in conference and signed by the parties: signatories to the Montreal Protocol | Hungary and the Soviet Union signed a trade protocol. • an amendment or addition to a treaty or convention: a protocol to the treaty allowed for this Danish referendum. 3 a formal or official record of scientific experimental observations: protocols of published cases frequently lack this vital information. • a procedure for carrying out a scientific experiment or a course of medical treatment: a study protocol approved by the ethics committee of the hospital | the low doses of morphine recommended in the protocol. 4 Computing a set of rules governing the exchange or transmission of data between devices.

fence

noun 1 a barrier, railing, or other upright structure, typically of wood or wire, enclosing an area of ground to prevent or control access or escape. • a large upright obstacle in steeplechasing, showjumping, or cross-country. 2 a guard or guide on a plane, saw, or other tool. 3 informal a person who deals in stolen goods. verb [with object] 1 surround or protect with a fence: our garden was not fully fenced. • (fence something in/off) enclose or separate an area with a fence: a small plantation of young trees had been fenced off. • (fence someone/something out) use a barrier to exclude someone or something: walkers may find themselves fenced out of the moor. 2 informal buy or sell (stolen goods): after stealing your ring, he didn't even know how to fence it. 3 [no object] engage in the sport of fencing. • conduct a discussion or argument in an evasive way: twelve months of fencing with McLaren had taken a toll on his nerves. PHRASES mend (one's) fences see mend. outside the fences Australian/NZ informal beyond settled country: I understood that anything outside the fences belonged to nobody. over the fence Australian/NZ informal unreasonable or unacceptable. side of the fence used to refer to either of the opposing positions or interests involved in a particular situation: whatever side of the fence you are on, the debate on conventional versus organic farming is not going to disappear. sit on the fence avoid making a decision or choice. DERIVATIVES fenceless | ˈfɛnsləs | adjective fencer | ˈfɛnsə | noun

hazard

noun 1 a danger or risk: the hazards of childbirth. • a potential source of danger: a safety hazard. • a permanent feature of a golf course which presents an obstruction to playing a shot, such as a bunker or stream. 2 [mass noun] literary chance; probability: we can form no calculation concerning the laws of hazard. 3 [mass noun] a gambling game using two dice, in which the chances are complicated by arbitrary rules. 4 (in real tennis) each of the winning openings in the court. 5 Billiards a stroke with which a ball is pocketed. • (losing hazard) the pocketing of the cue ball off another ball. • (winning hazard) the pocketing of the object ball.

outline

noun 1 a line or set of lines enclosing or indicating the shape of an object in a sketch or diagram: the chalked outline of a human body. • the contours or bounds of an object: the outlines of dockside warehouses standing sharp on the skyline. • a representation of a word in shorthand. 2 a general description or plan showing the essential features of something but not the detail: an outline of parliamentary procedure | [as modifier] : an outline proposal. verb [with object] 1 draw, trace, or define the outer edge or shape of: her eyes were darkly outlined with kohl. 2 give a summary of: she outlined the case briefly.

frame

noun 1 a rigid structure that surrounds something such as a picture, door, or windowpane. • (frames) a metal or plastic structure holding the lenses of a pair of glasses. • the rigid supporting structure of an object such as a vehicle, building, or piece of furniture: the wooden frame of the huge bed | an old bicycle frame. • a box-like structure of glass or plastic in which seeds or young plants are grown. • an apparatus with a surrounding structure, especially one used in weaving, knitting, or embroidery. • [in singular] archaic the universe, or part of it, regarded as an embracing structure: this goodly frame the Earth. 2 a person's body with reference to its size or build: a shiver shook her slim frame. 3 [usually in singular] a basic structure that underlies or supports a system, concept, or text: the establishment of conditions provides a frame for interpretation. • technical short for frame of reference. • [in singular] archaic the structure, constitution, or nature of someone or something: we have in our inward frame various affections. 4 Linguistics a structural environment within which a class of words or other linguistic units can be correctly used. For example I —— him is a frame for a large class of transitive verbs. • a feature which marks a transition from one section of discourse to another: frames are realized by linguistic items such as 'well', 'right', and 'OK'. • a section of a discourse separated by a frame: pragmatically asides step back from the ongoing interpretative frame. • (in semantics) an underlying conceptual structure into which the meanings of a number of related words fit: the frame of verbs of perception. • a social context determining the interpretation of an utterance: an utterance may mean the opposite of what it says if used within a frame of teasing. 5 a single complete picture in a series forming a cinema, television, or video film: video footage slowed down to 20 frames a second. • a single picture in a comic strip. • Computing a graphic panel in a display window, especially in a web browser, which encloses a self-contained section of data and permits multiple independent document viewing. 6 the triangular structure for positioning the red balls in snooker. • a single game of snooker: Jones won the first four frames. verb [with object] 1 place (a picture or photograph) in a frame: he had had the photo framed. • surround so as to create a striking or attractive image: a short style cut to frame the face. 2 formulate (a concept, plan, or system): staff have proved invaluable in framing the proposals. • form or articulate (words): he walked out before she could frame a reply. • archaic make or construct (something) by fitting parts together or in accordance with a plan: what immortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry? 3 informal produce false evidence against (an innocent person) so that they appear guilty: he claims he was framed. PHRASES be in (or out of) the frame be (or not be) eligible: he is back in the frame for a sensational team comeback. • be wanted (or not wanted) by the police: he was always in the frame for the killing. frame of mind | ˌfreɪm əv ˈmʌɪnd | a particular mood that influences one's attitude or behaviour: he was in a relaxed frame of mind.

hypocentre

noun 1 the point within the earth where an earthquake originates. 2 the point on the earth's surface directly above or below an exploding nuclear bomb: the Hall's position at the hypocentre of the blast saved it from more severe damage.

recurrence

noun [mass noun] the fact of occurring again: a drug used to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer | [count noun] : fifty-two patients had recurrences of intestinal problems.

cosines

the trigonometric function that is equal to the ratio of the side adjacent to an acute angle (in a right-angled triangle) to the hypotenuse.

reverse

verb 1 [no object] move backwards: the lorry reversed into the back of a bus. • [with object] cause (a vehicle) to move backwards: she reversed the car into a side turn. • (of an engine) work in a contrary direction: the ship's engines reversed and cut out altogether. 2 [with object] make (something) the opposite of what it was: the damage done to the ozone layer may be reversed. • exchange (the position or function) of two people or things: the experimenter and the subject reversed roles and the experiment was repeated. • Law revoke or annul (a judgement, sentence, or decree made by a lower court or authority): the court reversed his conviction. 3 [with object] turn (something) the other way round or up or inside out: (as adjective reversed) : a reversed S-shape. 4 [with object] Printing make (type or a design) appear as white in a block of solid colour or a half-tone: their press ads had a headline reversed out of the illustration. adjective [attributive] going in or turned towards the direction opposite to that previously stated: the trend appears to be going in the reverse direction. • operating, behaving, or ordered in a way opposite to that which is usual or expected: indiscriminate bombing had a reverse effect on popular morale. • Electronics (of a voltage applied to a semiconductor junction) in the direction which does not allow significant current to flow. • Geology denoting a fault in which a relative downward movement occurred in the strata on the underside of the fault plane. noun 1 a complete change of direction or action: the gall actuates a reverse of photosynthesis. • [mass noun] reverse gear on a motor vehicle; the position of a gear lever or selector corresponding to this: a knob to lock the box in four-wheel drive for reverse | some automatic cars are designed so that Reverse cannot be engaged unless the driver's foot is on the brake pedal. • American Football a play in which a player reverses the direction of attack by passing the ball to a teammate moving in the opposite direction: his touchdown came after he had scampered 58 yards on a reverse with McMahon. 2 (the reverse) the opposite to that previously stated: he didn't feel homesick—quite the reverse. 3 an adverse change of fortune; a setback or defeat: United suffered their heaviest reverse of the season. 4 the opposite side or face to the observer: the address is given on the reverse of this leaflet. • a left-hand page of an open book, or the back of a loose document. • the side of a coin or medal bearing the value or secondary design. • the design or inscription on the reverse of a coin or medal. PHRASES in (or into) reverse (of a motor vehicle) in reverse gear so as to travel backwards: he put the Cadillac into reverse. • in the opposite direction or manner from usual: a similar ride next year will do the route in reverse. reverse arms hold a rifle with the butt upwards, typically as a drill movement at a military or state funeral. reverse the charges make the recipient of a telephone call responsible for payment.

smoothly

adverb 1 in a smooth way: the bust is smoothly carved in white marble | traffic was soon flowing smoothly again. 2 without problems or difficulties: everything seemed to be going smoothly.

favorably

adverb 1 with approval: the audience responded very favourably. 2 to the advantage of someone or something: the deal will work out favourably for the company.

in situ

adverb & adjective in the original place: [as adverb] : frescoes have been left in situ | [as adjective] : a collection of in situ pumping engines. • in the appropriate position: [as adverb] : her guests were all in situ.

quantify

verb (quantifies, quantifying, quantified) [with object] 1 express or measure the quantity of: it is impossible to quantify the extent of the black economy. 2 Logic define the application of (a term or proposition) by the use of all, some, etc., e.g. 'for all x if x is A then x is B'.

discrimination

E: 1.the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex: victims of racial discrimination | discrimination against homosexuals. 2.recognition and understanding of the difference between one thing and another: discrimination between right and wrong | [count noun] : young children have difficulties in making fine discriminations. 3.Electronics the selection of a signal having a required characteristic, such as frequency or amplitude, by means of a discriminator. CH:歧视、区别、识别

Amplitude

For a wave or vibration, the maximum displacement on either side of the equilibrium (midpoint) position.

consecutive

adjective 1 following each other continuously: five consecutive months of serious decline. • in unbroken or logical sequence: a consecutive pattern of what the film would be like. 2 Grammar expressing consequence or result: a consecutive clause. 3 Music denoting intervals of the same kind (especially fifths or octaves) occurring in succession between two parts or voices.

hyperbolic

adjective 1 relating to a hyperbola. • Mathematics denoting trigonometrical functions defined with reference to a hyperbola rather than a circle. 2 (of language) deliberately exaggerated.

probabilistic

adjective based on or adapted to a theory of probability; subject to or involving chance variation: the main approaches are either rule-based or probabilistic.

viable

adjective capable of working successfully; feasible: the proposed investment was economically viable. • Botany (of a seed or spore) able to germinate: most clones can produce thousands of viable seeds. • Biology (of a plant, animal, or cell) capable of surviving or living successfully, especially under particular environmental conditions: the largest and most viable population of this endangered vetch | little of the frozen semen has been viable when thawed. • Medicine (of a fetus or unborn child) able to live after birth: what if the fetus were viable?

inevitable

adjective certain to happen; unavoidable: war was inevitable. • informal so frequently experienced or seen that it is completely predictable: the inevitable letter from the bank. noun (the inevitable) a situation that is unavoidable: by the morning he had accepted the inevitable.

recursive

adjective characterized by recurrence or repetition. • Mathematics & Linguistics relating to or involving the repeated application of a rule, definition, or procedure to successive results: this restriction ensures that the grammar is recursive. • Computing relating to or involving a program or routine of which a part requires the application of the whole, so that its explicit interpretation requires in general many successive executions: a recursive subroutine.

conspicuous

adjective clearly visible: he was very thin, with a conspicuous Adam's apple. • attracting notice or attention: he showed conspicuous bravery. PHRASES conspicuous by one's absence obviously not present where one or it should be: ratepayers grumbled that the police were conspicuous by their absence. [from a speech made by Lord John Russell in an address to electors (1859): taken from Tacitus (Annals iii. 76).] DERIVATIVES conspicuity | kənspɪˈkjuːəti | noun conspicuousness | kənˈspɪkjʊəsnəs | noun

aforementioned

adjective denoting a thing or person previously mentioned: songs from the aforementioned album.

prevailing

adjective existing at a particular time; current: the unfavourable prevailing economic conditions. • having most appeal or influence; prevalent: the prevailing mood within Whitehall circles.

inherent | ɪnˈhɪər(ə)nt, ɪnˈhɛr(ə)nt |

adjective existing in something as a permanent, essential, or characteristic attribute: any form of mountaineering has its inherent dangers. • Law vested in (someone) as a right or privilege. • Linguistics (of an adjective) having the same meaning in both attributive and predicative uses.

vulnerable

adjective exposed to the possibility of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally: we were in a vulnerable position | small fish are vulnerable to predators. • (of a person) in need of special care, support, or protection because of age, disability, or risk of abuse or neglect: the scheme will help charities working with vulnerable adults and young people. • Bridge (of a partnership) liable to higher penalties, either by convention or through having won one game towards a rubber: the authors advise a variable no-trump opening bid which means weak non-vulnerable and strong vulnerable.

rigorous

adjective extremely thorough and careful: the rigorous testing of consumer products. • (of a rule, system, etc.) strictly applied or adhered to: rigorous controls on mergers. • (of a person) adhering strictly to a belief or system: a rigorous teetotaller. • harsh and demanding: many of the expedition had passed rigorous SAS courses.

sequential

adjective forming or following in a logical order or sequence: a series of sequential steps. • chiefly Computing performed or used in sequence: sequential processing of data files.

satisfactory

adjective fulfilling expectations or needs; acceptable, though not outstanding or perfect: he didn't get a satisfactory answer. • (of a patient in a hospital) not deteriorating or likely to die: Mrs Reeves was 'satisfactory and improving slightly' in Middlesbrough General Hospital last night. • Law (of evidence or a verdict) sufficient for the needs of the case: the verdict is safe and satisfactory.

numerous

adjective great in number; many: she had complained to the council on numerous occasions. • consisting of many members: the orchestra and chorus were numerous.

unimodal

adjective having or involving one mode. • (of a statistical distribution) having one maximum.

discrete

adjective individually separate and distinct: speech sounds are produced as a continuous sound signal rather than discrete units.

ornamental

adjective serving or intended as an ornament; decorative: an ornamental fountain. noun a plant grown for its attractive appearance.

promising

adjective showing signs of future success: a promising film actor | a promising start to the season.

negligible

adjective so small or unimportant as to be not worth considering; insignificant: he said that the risks were negligible.

pessimistic

adjective tending to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen: he was pessimistic about the prospects.

surficial

adjective Geology relating to the earth's surface: surficial deposits.

stochastic

adjective technical having a random probability distribution or pattern that may be analysed statistically but may not be predicted precisely.

subscript

adjective 下标的 (of a letter, figure, or symbol) written or printed below the line. noun a subscript letter, figure, or symbol. • Computing a symbol (notionally written as a subscript but in practice usually not) used in a program, alone or with others, to specify one of the elements of an array.

in addition to

as an extra person or thing: members of the board were paid a small allowance in addition to their normal salary.

w.r.t=with reference to

in relation to; as regards: war can only be explained with reference to complex social factors.

drawback

noun 1 a feature that renders something less acceptable; a disadvantage or problem: the main drawback of fitting catalytic converters is the cost. 2 (also duty drawback) an amount of excise or import duty remitted on goods exported: they had been complaining of difficulties in getting quick reimbursement of duty drawback.

sham

noun 1 a thing that is not what it is purported to be: our current free health service is a sham. • [mass noun] pretence: George abhorred sham and affectation. • a person who pretends to be someone or something they are not: he was a sham, totally unqualified for his job as a senior doctor. 2 North American short for pillow sham. adjective bogus; false: a clergyman who arranged a sham marriage. verb (shams, shamming, shammed) [no object] falsely present something as the truth: was he ill or was he shamming? • [with object] pretend to be or to be experiencing: she shams indifference | [no object, with complement] : the opossum escapes danger by shamming dead.

outlier

noun a person or thing situated away or detached from the main body or system: a western outlier in the Andaman archipelago. • a person or thing differing from all other members of a particular group or set: an outlier in Faulkner's body of work | then there are the corporate outliers, people who just don't fit into the culture of the company. • Geology a younger rock formation isolated among older rocks: the Jurassic outlier west of Carlisle. • Statistics a data point on a graph or in a set of results that is very much bigger or smaller than the next nearest data point.

cargo

noun (plural cargoes or cargos) [mass noun] goods carried on a ship, aircraft, or motor vehicle: transportation of bulk cargo | [count noun] : a cargo of oil.

criterion

noun (plural criteria | krʌɪˈtɪərɪə | ) a principle or standard by which something may be judged or decided: they award a green label to products that meet certain environmental criteria.

plateau

noun (plural plateaux | ˈplatəʊz | or plateaus) 1 an area of fairly level high ground. • [as modifier] denoting a group of American Indian peoples of the high plains of western Canada and the US, including the Nez Percé. 2 a state of little or no change following a period of activity or progress: the peace process had reached a plateau. verb (plateaus, plateauing, plateaued) [no object] reach a state of little or no change after a period of activity or progress: the industry's problems have plateaued out.

coherence

noun [mass noun] 1 the quality of being logical and consistent: this raises further questions on the coherence of state policy. 2 the quality of forming a unified whole: the group began to lose coherence and the artists took separate directions.

silt

noun [mass noun] fine sand, clay, or other material carried by running water and deposited as a sediment, especially in a channel or harbour. • [count noun] a bed or layer of silt. • technical sediment whose particles are between clay and sand in size (typically 0.002-0.06 mm). verb [no object] become filled or blocked with silt: the river's mouth had silted up | (as noun silting) : the silting of the river estuary. • [with object] fill or block with silt: the soil ends up silting up the stream | (as adjective silted) : the silted mouth of the river.

simulation

noun [mass noun] imitation of a situation or process: simulation of blood flowing through arteries and veins | photographs showing simulation of sex acts. • the action of pretending; deception: clever simulation that's good enough to trick you. • the production of a computer model of something, especially for the purpose of study: the method was tested by computer simulation | [count noun] : a visual simulation of a collision | [as modifier] : simulation models will allow researchers to test different strategies.

bathymetry

noun [mass noun] the measurement of depth of water in oceans, seas, or lakes.

relevance (also relevancy)

noun [mass noun] the quality or state of being closely connected or appropriate: this film has contemporary relevance | the quantity, quality, and relevance of links count towards your rating | the Web does allow us to produce more articles of relevance to our readers.

precision

noun [mass noun] the quality, condition, or fact of being exact and accurate: the deal was planned and executed with military precision. • [as modifier] marked by or adapted for accuracy and exactness: a precision instrument. • technical refinement in a measurement, calculation, or specification, especially as represented by the number of digits given: a technique which examines and identifies each character with the highest level of precision | [count noun] : a precision of six decimal figures. Compare with accuracy.

attenuation

noun [mass noun] the reduction of the force, effect, or value of something: human security required the attenuation of a wide range of threats to people. • the reduction of the amplitude of a signal, electric current, or other oscillation: the products are used mostly by aircraft manufacturers for noise attenuation in engine housings | [count noun] : attenuations of the order of 50 to 200 dB are required.

kurtosis

noun [mass noun] Statistics the sharpness of the peak of a frequency-distribution curve.

homogeneous

of the same kind; alike

tectonics

plural noun [treated as singular or plural] Geology构造地质学 large-scale processes affecting the structure of the earth's crust: there remains an area of active tectonics north of the mountain chain | Nicol had come to different conclusions about the tectonics of the area.

emit

verb (emits, emitting, emitted) [with object] produce and discharge (something, especially gas or radiation): even the best cars emit carbon dioxide. • make (a sound): she emitted a sound like laughter.

coincide

verb [no object] 1 occur at the same time: publication is timed to coincide with a major exhibition. • be present at the same place and at the same time: on Friday afternoons we generally coincided. • correspond in position; meet: the two long-distance walks briefly coincide here. 2 correspond in nature; tally: the interests of employers and employees do not always coincide. • be in agreement: the members of the College coincide in this opinion.

encounter

verb [with object] 1 unexpectedly be faced with or experience (something hostile or difficult): we have encountered one small problem. 2 meet (someone) unexpectedly: what do we know about the people we encounter in our daily lives? noun an unexpected or casual meeting with someone or something: she felt totally unnerved by the encounter. • a confrontation or unpleasant struggle: his close encounter with death.

tabulate

verb [with object] arrange (data) in tabular form: (as adjective tabulated) : tabulated results. DERIVATIVES tabulation | tabjʊˈleɪʃ(ə)n | noun

depict

verb [with object] represent by a drawing, painting, or other art form: paintings depicting Old Testament scenes | these equations may be depicted on a graph. • portray in words; describe: youth is depicted as a time of vitality and good health.

discretize

verb [with object] Mathematics represent or approximate (a quantity or series) using a discrete quantity or quantities.

exploit

verb | ɪkˈsplɔɪt, ɛkˈsplɔɪt | [with object] 1 make full use of and derive benefit from (a resource): 500 companies sprang up to exploit this new technology. 2 make use of (a situation) in a way considered unfair or underhand: the company was exploiting a legal loophole. • benefit unfairly from the work of (someone), typically by overworking or underpaying them: these workers are at particular risk of being exploited in the workplace. noun | ˈɛksplɔɪt | 1 a bold or daring feat: despite a series of colourful exploits, his agents obtained little intelligence of value. 2 a software tool designed to take advantage of a flaw in a computer system, typically for malicious purposes such as installing malware: if someone you don't know tweets you a link, it's either spam, an exploit, or probably both.

simultaneous

suboptimal | sʌbˈɒptɪm(ə)l |

adjective of less than the highest standard or quality: suboptimal working conditions.

hierarchical

adjective of the nature of a hierarchy; arranged in order of rank: the hierarchical bureaucracy of a local authority.

tournament

noun 1 (in a sport or game) a series of contests between a number of competitors, competing for an overall prize. 2 (in the Middle Ages) a sporting event in which two knights (or two groups of knights) jousted on horseback with blunted weapons, each trying to knock the other off, the winner receiving a prize. • a modern event involving display of military techniques and exercises: the Royal Tournament.

whim

noun 1 a sudden desire or change of mind, especially one that is unusual or unexplained: she bought it on a whim | [mass noun] : he appeared and disappeared at whim. 2 archaic a windlass for raising ore or water from a mine.

sinusoid

noun 1 another term for sine curve. 2 Anatomy a small irregularly shaped blood vessel found in certain organs, especially the liver.

determination

noun [mass noun] 1 the quality of being determined; firmness of purpose: those who succeed because of sheer grit and determination. 2 the process of establishing something exactly by calculation or research: determination of molecular structures. • Law the settlement of a dispute by the authoritative decision of a judge or arbitrator: expert determination. • [count noun] Law a judicial decision or sentence. 3 the controlling or deciding of the nature or outcome of something: genetic sex determination. 4 Law the cessation of an estate or interest. 5 archaic a tendency to move in a fixed direction.

assessment

noun [mass noun] the action of assessing someone or something: the assessment of educational needs | assessments of market value.

progress

noun | ˈprəʊɡrɛs | [mass noun] 1 forward or onward movement towards a destination: the darkness did not stop my progress | they failed to make any progress up the estuary. • [count noun] archaic a state journey or official tour, especially by royalty. 2 development towards an improved or more advanced condition: we are making progress towards equal rights. verb | prəˈɡrɛs | [no object] 1 move forward or onward in space or time: as the century progressed the quality of telescopes improved. • [with object] (usually as adjective progressed) Astrology calculate the position of (a planet) or of all the planets and coordinates of (a chart) according to the technique of progression. 2 develop towards an improved or more advanced condition: work on the pond is progressing. • [with object] cause (a task or undertaking) to make progress: I cannot predict how quickly we can progress the matter. PHRASES in progress in the course of being done or carried out: a meeting was in progress.

multiplicative

subject to or of the nature of multiplication: coronary risk factors are multiplicative.

discretize(also discretise)

verb [with object] Mathematics represent or approximate (a quantity or series) using a discrete quantity or quantities.

lithology

岩石学noun [mass noun] the study of the general physical characteristics of rocks. Compare with petrology. • the general physical characteristics of a rock or the rocks in a particular area: the lithology of South Wales.

correlogram

相关图

viscoelasticity

粘弹性noun [mass noun] Physics the property of a substance of exhibiting both elastic and viscous behaviour, the application of stress causing temporary deformation if the stress is quickly removed but permanent deformation if it is maintained.

viscous

粘稠的adjective having a thick, sticky consistency between solid and liquid; having a high viscosity: viscous lava.

kinematics | ˌkɪnɪˈmatɪks, ˌkʌɪnɪˈmatɪks |

运动学的plural noun [usually treated as singular] the branch of mechanics concerned with the motion of objects without reference to the forces which cause the motion. Compare with dynamics. • [usually treated as plural] the features or properties of motion in an object.

coarse

1 rough or harsh in texture: a coarse woollen cloth. • consisting of large grains or particles: coarse sand. • (of grains or particles) large: under the microscope they are seen to contain coarse grains. • (of a person's features) not elegantly formed or proportioned: his coarse, ugly features contorted with rage. • (of food or drink) of inferior quality: the wine is harsh, tannic, and coarse. 2 (of a person or their speech) rude or vulgar: a man of coarse speech | indecent language and coarse jests. 3 British relating to the sport of angling for coarse fish: coarse anglers.

penetration

1 the action or process of penetrating something: the zip has a Velcro-secured flap to minimize rain penetration. • the insertion by a man of his penis into the vagina or anus of a sexual partner. 2 the selling of a company's products in a particular market or area: they had failed to make any penetration into new energy markets. • the extent to which a product is recognized and bought by customers in a particular market: the software has attained a high degree of market penetration. 3 the perceptive understanding of complex matters: the survey shows subtlety and penetration.

amount to

1 the bill amounted to £50: add up to, come to, run to, number, be, make, total, equal, be equal to, be equivalent to, represent, count as; British tot up to. 2 the delays amounted to maladministration: constitute, comprise, be equivalent to, be tantamount to, approximate to, add up to, come down to, boil down to; signify, signal, mean, indicate, suggest, denote, point to, be evidence of, be symptomatic of; informal spell, spell out; literary betoken. 3 her relationships had never amounted to anything significant: become, grow into, develop into, mature into, prove to be, turn out to be, progress to, advance to.

bearing

E: 1. a person's way of standing or moving: a man of precise military bearing. 2. [mass noun] relation; relevance: the case has no direct bearing on the issues being considered. 3 [mass noun] the ability to tolerate something bad or to be tolerated: school was bad enough, but now it's past bearing. 4 (often bearings) a part of a machine that allows one part to rotate or move in contact with another part with as little friction as possible. 5 the direction or position of something, or the direction of movement, relative to a fixed point. It is usually measured in degrees, typically with magnetic north as zero: the Point is on a bearing of 015° | there were no steeples or bridges from which to take a bearing. • (one's bearings) awareness of one's position relative to one's surroundings: he flashed the torch around, trying to get his bearings. 6 Heraldry a device or charge: armorial bearings. CH: A.noun ①uncountable (posture) 姿态 zītài ▸ of soldierly bearing 具有军人风度的 ▸ regal bearing 王室的气度 ②uncountable (behaviour) 行为 xíngwéi ▸ his dignified bearing 他的庄重举止 ③uncountable (relevance) 关系 guānxì ▸ to have no/little bearing on sth 与某事物无关/几乎无关 ④uncountable (endurance) 忍耐 rěnnài ▸ to be past/beyond (all) bearing 令人难以忍受 ⑤countable Nautical 方位 fāngwèi ▸ the bearing is 137° 方位是137度 ▸ to take a (compass) bearing (on sth) （用罗盘）测（某物的）方位 ▸ to take the ship's bearings 测定船的方位 ⑥countable Motor Vehicles,Mechanics 轴承 zhóuchéng

account for

account for 1 give a satisfactory record of (something, typically money, that one is responsible for): I had to account for every penny I spent. • provide or serve as a satisfactory explanation for: he was brought before the Board to account for his behaviour. • know the fate or whereabouts of (someone or something), especially after an accident: everyone was accounted for after the floods. 2 succeed in killing, destroying, or defeating: a mishit drive accounted for Jones, who had scored 32. 3 supply or make up (a specified amount or proportion): social security accounts for about a third of total public spending.

radical

adjective 1 (especially of change or action) relating to or affecting the fundamental nature of something; far-reaching or thorough: a radical overhaul of the existing regulatory framework. • forming an inherent or fundamental part of the nature of someone or something: the assumption of radical differences between the mental attributes of literate and non-literate peoples. • (of surgery or medical treatment) thorough and intended to be completely curative. 2 advocating or based on thorough or complete political or social change; representing or supporting an extreme or progressive section of a political party: a radical American activist. • British historical belonging to an extreme section of the Liberal party during the 19th century. • characterized by independence of or departure from tradition; innovative or unorthodox: the daring, avant-garde spirit of the music was too radical for the conservative audience. 3 Linguistics denoting or relating to the roots of a word. • Music belonging to the root of a chord. 4 Mathematics relating to or forming the root of a number or quantity. 5 Botany of, or springing direct from, the root or stem base of a plant. 6 [usually as exclamation] North American informal very good; excellent: Okay, then. Seven o'clock. Radical! noun 1 a person who advocates thorough or complete political or social change, or a member of a political party or section of a party pursuing such aims. 2 Chemistry a group of atoms behaving as a unit in a number of compounds. See also free radical. 3 the root or base form of a word. • any of the basic set of approximately 214 Chinese characters constituting semantically or functionally significant elements in the composition of other characters and used as a means of classifying characters in dictionaries. 4 Mathematics a quantity forming or expressed as the root of another. • a radical sign.

gross | ɡrəʊs |

adjective 1 (especially of wrongdoing) very obvious and unacceptable: gross human rights abuses | gross negligence | a gross exaggeration. 2 (of income, profit, or interest) without deduction of tax or other contributions; total: the gross amount of the gift was £1,000. Often contrasted with net2 (sense 1 of the adjective) . • (of weight) including contents, wrappings, or other variable items; overall: a projected gross take-off weight of 500,000 pounds. • (of a score in golf) as actually played, without taking handicap into account. 3 very rude or coarse; vulgar: a gross, slap-and-tickle version of 'The Taming of the Shrew'. • unattractively fat or bloated: I feel fat, gross—even my legs feel flabby. • informal very unpleasant; repulsive: 'Then I threw up,' said Russ. 'How gross,' Ellie muttered. 4 general or large-scale; not detailed: at the gross anatomical level.

objective

adjective 1 (of a person or their judgement) not influenced by personal feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts: historians try to be objective and impartial. Contrasted with subjective. • not dependent on the mind for existence; actual: a matter of objective fact. 2 [attributive] Grammar relating to or denoting a case of nouns and pronouns serving as the object of a transitive verb or a preposition. noun 1 a thing aimed at or sought; a goal: the system has achieved its objective. 2 (the objective) Grammar the objective case. 3 (also objective lens) the lens in a telescope or microscope nearest to the object observed: examine with high power objective.

bold

adjective 1 (of a person, action, or idea) showing a willingness to take risks; confident and courageous: a bold attempt to solve the crisis | no journalist was bold enough to take on the Prime Minister. • dated (of a person or their manner) so confident as to be impudent or presumptuous: she tossed him a bold look. • Irish (especially of a child) naughty; badly behaved: I slapped him when he was bold. 2 (of a colour, design, or shape) having a strong, vivid, or clear appearance: a coat with bold polka dots. • of a kind of typeface having dark, heavy strokes, used especially for emphasis: cross references are printed in bold type. noun [mass noun] a bold typeface or letter: Shadow cabinet members listed in bold. PHRASES be (or make) so bold (as to do something) formal dare to do something that might be considered audacious (used when politely asking a question or making a suggestion): what would he be calling for, if I might make so bold as to ask? (as) bold as brass confident to the point of impudence: she marched into the library as bold as brass. a bold stroke a daring action or initiative: the budget was full of bold strokes.

nominal

adjective 1 (of a role or status) existing in name only: Thailand retained nominal independence under Japanese military occupation. • relating to or consisting of names: the streets have names like Third Avenue, but the resemblance to Manhattan is only nominal | a nominal roll of the Grenadier Company shows a total of 86 men. 2 (of a price or charge) very small; far below the real value or cost: they charge a nominal fee for the service. 3 (of a quantity or dimension) stated or expressed but not necessarily corresponding exactly to the real value: EU legislation allowed variation around the nominal weight (that printed on each packet). • Economics expressed in terms of current prices or figures, without making allowance for changes over time: the nominal exchange rate. 4 Grammar relating to or functioning as a noun: a nominal group. 5 informal (chiefly in the context of space travel) functioning normally or acceptably.

coherent

adjective 1 (of an argument, theory, or policy) logical and consistent: they failed to develop a coherent economic strategy. • (of a person) able to speak clearly and logically: she was lucid and coherent and did not appear to be injured. 2 forming a unified whole: the arts could be systematized into one coherent body of knowledge. 3 Physics (of waves) having a constant phase relationship.

incoherent

adjective 1 (of spoken or written language) expressed in an incomprehensible or confusing way; unclear: he screamed some incoherent threat. • (of a person) unable to speak intelligibly: he was incoherent with sentiment. • not logical or internally consistent: the film is ideologically incoherent. 2 Physics (of waves) having no definite or stable phase relationship.

singular

adjective 1 Grammar (of a word or form) denoting or referring to just one person or thing: the third person singular form of the verb. • single; unique: she always thought of herself as singular, as his only daughter. 2 exceptionally good or great; remarkable: he had the singular good fortune not to die in the trenches. • strange or eccentric in some respect: no explanation accompanied this rather singular statement. 3 Mathematics (of a square matrix) having a zero determinant. 4 Physics & Mathematics relating to or of the nature of singularity. noun Grammar a singular word or form. • (the singular) the singular number: a word in the singular.

null

adjective 1 [predicative] having no legal or binding force; invalid: the establishment of a new interim government was declared null and void. 2 having or associated with the value zero. • Mathematics (of a set or matrix) having no elements, or only zeros as elements. 3 lacking distinctive qualities; having no positive substance or content: his curiously null life. noun 1 literary a zero. 2 a dummy letter in a cipher. 3 Electronics a condition of no signal. • a direction in which no electromagnetic radiation is detected or emitted. verb [with object] Electronics combine (a signal) with another in order to create a null; cancel out: the tumour can be more readily identified by nulling the high signal from bone marrow.

admissible

adjective 1 acceptable or valid, especially as evidence in a court of law: the tape recording was admissible as evidence. 2 having the right to be admitted to a place: foreigners were admissible only as temporary workers.

canonical

adjective 1 according to or ordered by canon law: the canonical rites of the Roman Church. 2 included in the list of sacred books officially accepted as genuine: the canonical Gospels of the New Testament. • accepted as being accurate and authoritative: the canonical method of comparative linguistics. • (of a writer or work) belonging to the literary canon: canonical writers like Jane Austen. • according to recognized rules or scientific laws: canonical nucleotide sequences. • Mathematics relating to a general rule or standard formula. 3 relating to a cathedral chapter or a member of it: his college tutors were later his canonical colleagues. plural noun (canonicals) the prescribed official dress of the clergy: Cardinal Bea in full canonicals.

consistent

adjective 1 acting or done in the same way over time, especially so as to be fair or accurate: the parents are being consistent and firm in their reactions | a consistent worldwide application of its policies. • unchanging in nature, standard, or effect over time: he is their most consistent player this season | the mixtures are of consistent quality. 2 (of an argument or set of ideas) not containing any logical contradictions: a consistent explanation. 3 [predicative] compatible or in agreement with something: the injuries are consistent with falling from a great height.

subjective

adjective 1 based on or influenced by personal feelings, tastes, or opinions: his views are highly subjective | there is always the danger of making a subjective judgement. Contrasted with objective. • dependent on the mind or on an individual's perception for its existence. 2 Grammar relating to or denoting a case of nouns and pronouns used for the subject of a sentence. noun (the subjective) Grammar the subjective case.

arbitrary

adjective 1 based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system: an arbitrary decision. 2 (of power or a ruling body) unrestrained and autocratic in the use of authority: a country under arbitrary government. 3 Mathematics (of a constant or other quantity) of unspecified value.

posterior

adjective 1 chiefly Anatomy further back in position; of or nearer the rear or hind end: the posterior part of the gut | a basal body situated just posterior to the nucleus. The opposite of anterior. • Medicine relating to or denoting presentation of a fetus in which the rear or caudal end is nearest the cervix and emerges first at birth: a posterior labour. 2 formal coming after in time or order; later: a date posterior to the first Reform Bill. noun humorous a person's buttocks.

specific

adjective 1 clearly defined or identified: savings were made by increasing the electricity supply only until it met specific development needs. • precise and clear in making statements or issuing instructions: when ordering goods be specific. • belonging or relating uniquely to a particular subject: information needs are often very specific to individuals. 2 Biology relating to species or a species: the differences between them can only be on the specific level. 3 (of a duty or a tax) levied at a fixed rate per physical unit of the thing taxed, regardless of its price. 4 Physics of or denoting a number equal to the ratio of the value of some property of a given substance to the value of the same property of some other substance used as a reference, such as water, or of a vacuum, under equivalent conditions: specific dielectric strength. • of or denoting a physical quantity expressed in terms of a unit mass, volume, or other measure, in order to give a value independent of the properties or scale of the particular system studied: specific conductance.

complicated

adjective 1 consisting of many interconnecting parts or elements; intricate: a complicated stereo system. • involving many different and confusing aspects: a long and complicated saga. 2 Medicine involving complications: complicated appendicitis.

imitative

adjective 1 copying or following a model or example: the derring-do of our film heroes inspired us to imitative feats. • following a model or example without any attempt at originality: I found the film pretentious and imitative. 2 (of a word) reproducing a natural sound (e.g. fizz) or pronounced in a way that is thought to correspond to the appearance or character of the object or action described (e.g. blob).

extensive | ɪkˈstɛnsɪv, ɛkˈstɛnsɪv |

adjective 1 covering or affecting a large area: an extensive garden. • large in amount or scale: an extensive collection of silver. 2 (of agriculture) obtaining a relatively small crop from a large area with a minimum of capital and labour: extensive farming techniques. Often contrasted with intensive (sense 1 of the adjective) .

extensive

cubic

adjective 1 having the shape of a cube: a cubic room. • denoting a crystal system or three-dimensional geometrical arrangement having three equal axes at right angles: the sodium and chloride ions form two intersecting cubic structures. 2 denoting a unit of measurement equal to the volume of a cube whose side is one of the linear units specified: 15 billion cubic metres of water. 3 involving the cube (and no higher power) of a quantity or variable: a cubic equation. noun Mathematics a cubic equation, or a curve described by one.

dubious

adjective 1 hesitating or doubting: I was rather dubious about the whole idea. 2 not to be relied upon; suspect: extremely dubious assumptions. • morally suspect: timeshare has been brought into disrepute by dubious sales methods. • of questionable value: he holds the dubious distinction of being relegated with every club he has played for.

superior

adjective 1 higher in rank, status, or quality: a superior officer | the new model is superior to every other car on the road. • of high standard or quality: superior malt whiskies. • greater in size or power: deploying superior force. • (superior to) above yielding to or being influenced by: I felt superior to any accusation of anti-Semitism. 2 having or showing an overly high opinion of oneself; conceited: that girl was frightfully superior. 3 (of a letter, figure, or symbol) written or printed above the line. 4 chiefly Anatomy further above or out; higher in position. • Botany (of the ovary of a flower) situated above the sepals and petals. noun 1 a person superior to another in rank or status, especially a colleague in a higher position: obeying their superiors' orders. • the head of a monastery or other religious institution. 2 Printing a superior letter, figure, or symbol.

dereivative

adjective 1 imitative of the work of another artist, writer, etc., and usually disapproved of for that reason: an artist who is not in the slightest bit derivative. • originating from, based on, or influenced by: Darwin's work is derivative of the moral philosophers. 2 [attributive] Finance (of a product) having a value deriving from an underlying variable asset: equity-based derivative products. noun 1 something which is based on another source: the aircraft is a derivative of the Falcon 20G. • a word derived from another or from a root in the same or another language: 'fly-tip' is a derivative of the phrase 'on the fly'. • a substance that is derived chemically from a specified compound: crack is a highly addictive cocaine derivative. 2 (often derivatives) Finance an arrangement or product (such as a future, option, or warrant) whose value derives from and is dependent on the value of an underlying asset, such as a commodity, currency, or security: [as modifier] : the derivatives market. 3 Mathematics an expression representing the rate of change of a function with respect to an independent variable.

derivative

prominent

adjective 1 important; famous: she was a prominent member of the city council. 2 projecting from something; protuberant: a man with big, prominent eyes like a lobster's. 3 situated so as to catch the attention; noticeable: the new housing estates are prominent landmarks. noun (also prominent moth) a stout drab-coloured moth with tufts on the forewings which stick up while at rest, the caterpillars of which typically have fleshy growths on the back. Family Notodontidae: many species.

static

adjective 1 lacking in movement, action, or change, especially in an undesirable or uninteresting way: demand has grown in what was a fairly static market | the whole ballet appeared too static. • Computing (of a process or variable) not able to be changed during a set period, for example while a program is running. 2 Physics concerned with bodies at rest or forces in equilibrium. Often contrasted with dynamic. • acting as weight but not moving. • relating to statics. 3 (of an electric charge) having gathered on or in an object that cannot conduct a current: the film is vulnerable to the collection of static charges. 4 Computing (of a memory or store) not needing to be periodically refreshed by an applied voltage. noun [mass noun] crackling or hissing noises on a telephone, radio, or other telecommunication system: the phone was full of static that sounded distant. • short for static electricity: she felt the tingle of static from the cat's fur. • North American informal angry or critical talk or behaviour: the reception was going sour, breaking up into static.

susceptible

adjective 1 likely or liable to be influenced or harmed by a particular thing: patients with liver disease may be susceptible to infection. • (of a person) easily influenced by feelings or emotions; sensitive: they only do it to tease him—he's too susceptible. 2 (susceptible of) capable or admitting of: the problem is not susceptible of a simple solution.

infinite

adjective 1 limitless or endless in space, extent, or size; impossible to measure or calculate: the infinite mercy of God | the infinite number of stars in the universe. • very great in amount or degree: he bathed the wound with infinite care. • Mathematics greater than any assignable quantity or countable number. • Mathematics (of a series) able to be continued indefinitely. 2 Grammar another term for non-finite. noun (the infinite) a space or quantity that is infinite: beyond the infinite, the space traveller is transformed. • (the Infinite) God: intimations of the infinite.

inferior

adjective 1 lower in rank, status, or quality: schooling in inner-city areas was inferior to that in the rest of the country. • of low standard or quality: inferior goods. • Law (of a court or tribunal) susceptible to having its decisions overturned by a higher court. • Economics denoting goods or services which are in greater demand during a recession than in a boom, for example second-hand clothes. 2 chiefly Anatomy low or lower in position: ulcers located in the inferior and posterior wall of the duodenum. • Botany (of the ovary of a flower) situated below the sepals and enclosed in the receptacle. 3 Printing (of a letter, figure, or symbol) written or printed below the line. noun 1 a person lower than another in rank, status, or ability: her social and intellectual inferiors. 2 Printing an inferior letter, figure, or symbol.

adjacent

adjective 1 next to or adjoining something else: adjacent rooms | the area adjacent to the station. 2 Geometry (of a pair of angles) formed on the same side of a straight line when intersected by another line.

pseudo

adjective 1 not genuine; sham: a pseudo Georgian facade. 2 informal pretentious or insincere: his lyrics sound like pseudo intellectual rubbish. noun (plural pseudos) informal a pretentious or insincere person: the undiscriminating, arty chat of a campus pseudo.

mild

adjective 1 not severe, serious, or harsh: mild criticism | mild flu-like symptoms. • (of weather) moderately warm, especially less cold than expected: mild winters. • (of a feeling) not intense or extreme: she looked at him in mild surprise. • (of a medicine or cosmetic) acting gently: a mild sedative. • (of food, drink, or tobacco) not sharp, hot, or strong in flavour: a mild Italian cheese. 2 gentle and not easily provoked: she was implacable, despite her mild exterior. noun [mass noun] British a kind of dark beer not strongly flavoured with hops.

immediate

adjective 1 occurring or done at once; instant: the authorities took no immediate action | the book's success was immediate. • relating to or existing at the present time: the immediate concern was how to avoid taxes. 2 nearest in time, relationship, or rank: no changes are envisaged in the immediate future | his immediate superior in the department. • nearest or next to in space: roads in the immediate vicinity of the port. • (of a relation or action) without an intervening medium or agency; direct: coronary thrombosis was the immediate cause of death. 3 Philosophy (of knowledge or reaction) gained or shown without reasoning; intuitive.

instantaneous

adjective 1 occurring or done instantly: modern methods of instantaneous communication | her reaction was almost instantaneous. 2 Physics existing or measured at a particular instant: measurement of the instantaneous velocity.

trivial

adjective 1 of little value or importance: huge fines were imposed for trivial offences | trivial details. • (of a person) concerned only with petty things. 2 Mathematics denoting a subgroup that either contains only the identity element or is identical with the given group.

practical

adjective 1 of or concerned with the actual doing or use of something rather than with theory and ideas: there are two obvious practical applications of the research. 2 (of an idea, plan, or method) likely to succeed or be effective in real circumstances; feasible: neither of these strategies are practical for smaller businesses. • suitable for a particular purpose: a practical, stylish kitchen. • (of a person) sensible and realistic in their approach to a situation or problem: I'm merely being practical—we must find a ground-floor flat. • (of a person) skilled at manual tasks: Steve'll fix it—he's quite practical. 3 so nearly the case that it can be regarded as so; virtual: for all practical purposes, she's his girlfriend. noun British an examination or lesson in which theories and procedures learned are applied to the actual making or doing of something.

diurnal

adjective 1 of or during the day. • Zoology (of animals) active in the daytime. • Botany (of flowers) open only during the day. 2 daily; of each day: diurnal rhythms. • Astronomy of or resulting from the daily rotation of the earth: diurnal aberration.

homogeneous

adjective 1 of the same kind; alike: if all jobs and workers were homogeneous. • consisting of parts all of the same kind: a homogeneous society. • Mathematics containing terms all of the same degree. 2 Chemistry denoting a process involving substances in the same phase (solid, liquid, or gaseous): homogeneous catalysis.

lateral

adjective 1 of, at, towards, or from the side or sides: the plant takes up water through its lateral roots. • Anatomy & Zoology situated on one side or other of the body or of an organ, especially in the region furthest from the median plane: the upper lateral incisor | the radius lies lateral to the ulna. The opposite of medial. • Medicine (of a disease or condition) affecting the side or sides of the body, or confined to one side of the body: lateral sclerosis. • Physics acting or placed at right angles to the line of motion or of strain: the greater lateral forces encountered by the front wheel during cornering. 2 chiefly British involving lateral thinking: he's very creative in a lateral way. 3 Phonetics (of a consonant, especially the English clear l) pronounced with partial closure of the air passage by the tongue, which is so placed as to allow the breath to flow on one or both sides of the point of contact. noun 1 a side part of something, especially a shoot or branch growing out from the side of a stem: cut back all the laterals to within two buds of the main stem. 2 Phonetics a lateral consonant. 3 American Football a pass thrown either sideways or back.

feasible

adjective 1 possible and practical to do easily or conveniently: the Dutch have demonstrated that it is perfectly feasible to live below sea level. 2 likely; probable: the most feasible explanation.

distinct

adjective 1 recognizably different in nature from something else of a similar type: the patterns of spoken language are distinct from those of writing | there are two distinct types of sickle cell disease. • physically separate: the gallery is divided into five distinct spaces. 2 readily distinguishable by the senses: a distinct smell of nicotine. • [attributive] (used for emphasis) so clearly apparent to the mind as to be unmistakable; definite: he got the distinct impression that Melissa wasn't best pleased.

academic

adjective 1 relating to education and scholarship: academic achievement | he had no academic qualifications. • relating to an educational or scholarly institution or environment: students resplendent in academic dress. • (of an institution or a course of study) placing a greater emphasis on reading and study than on technical or practical work: a very academic school aiming to get pupils into Oxford or Cambridge. • (of a person) interested in or excelling at scholarly pursuits and activities: Ben is not an academic child but he tries hard. • (of an art form) conventional, especially in an idealized or excessively formal way: academic painting. 2 not of practical relevance; of only theoretical interest: the debate has been largely academic. noun a teacher or scholar in a university or other institute of higher education: the EU offers grants to academics for research on approved projects.

modal

adjective 1 relating to mode or form as opposed to substance. 2 Grammar of or denoting the mood of a verb. • relating to a modal verb. 3 Statistics relating to a value that occurs most frequently in a given set of data. 4 Music of or denoting music using melodies or harmonies based on modes other than the ordinary major and minor scales. 5 Logic (of a proposition) in which the predicate is affirmed of the subject with some qualification, or which involves the affirmation of possibility, impossibility, necessity, or contingency. noun Grammar a modal word or construction.

metric

adjective 1 relating to or based on the metre as a unit of length: all measurements are given in metric form. • relating to or using the metric system: we should have gone metric years ago. 2 Mathematics & Physics relating to or denoting a metric: the metric equation of Minkowski space-time. noun 1 technical a system or standard of measurement: the levels of branching are arbitrary and no precise metric is applied to distance between the nodes. • (metrics) (in business) a set of figures or statistics that measure results. • Mathematics & Physics a binary function of a topological space which gives, for any two points of the space, a value equal to the distance between them, or to a value treated as analogous to distance for the purpose of analysis: [with modifier] : the external structure of space-time is described by the Schwarzschild metric. 2 [mass noun] informal the metric system: it's easier to work in metric.

cellular

adjective 1 relating to or consisting of living cells: cellular proliferation. 2 denoting or relating to a mobile telephone system that uses a number of short-range radio stations to cover the area that it serves, the signal being automatically switched from one station to another as the user travels about. 3 (of a fabric item, such as a blanket or vest) knitted so as to form holes or hollows that trap air and provide extra insulation. 4 consisting of small compartments or rooms: cellular accommodation.

ambient

adjective 1 relating to the immediate surroundings of something: the liquid is stored at below ambient temperature. • relating to ambient music. 2 relating to or denoting advertising that makes use of sites or objects other than the established media (e.g. by placing slogans on the back of bus tickets).

uniform

adjective 1 remaining the same in all cases and at all times; unchanging in form or character: blocks of stone of uniform size. • of a similar form or character to another or others: a uniform package of amenities at a choice of hotels. 2 denoting a garment forming part of a person's uniform: black uniform jackets. noun 1 the distinctive clothing worn by members of the same organization or body or by children attending certain schools: airline pilots in dark blue uniforms | [mass noun] : an officer in uniform. • informal, chiefly North American a police officer wearing a uniform: uniforms were already on the scene. 2 a code word representing the letter U, used in radio communication. verb [with object] make uniform: that's the trouble with word processors—they uniform design.

coarse

adjective 1 rough or harsh in texture: a coarse woollen cloth. • consisting of large grains or particles: coarse sand. • (of grains or particles) large: under the microscope they are seen to contain coarse grains. • (of a person's features) not elegantly formed or proportioned: his coarse, ugly features contorted with rage. • (of food or drink) of inferior quality: the wine is harsh, tannic, and coarse. 2 (of a person or their speech) rude or vulgar: a man of coarse speech | indecent language and coarse jests. 3 British relating to the sport of angling for coarse fish: coarse anglers.

identical

adjective 1 similar in every detail; exactly alike: four girls in identical green outfits | the passage on the second floor was identical to the one below. • (of twins) developed from a single fertilized ovum, and therefore of the same sex and usually very similar in appearance. Compare with fraternal (sense 2) . • [attributive] (of something encountered on separate occasions) the same: she stole a suitcase from the identical station at which she had been arrested before. 2 Logic & Mathematics expressing an identity: an identical proposition.

microscopic

adjective 1 so small as to be visible only with a microscope: microscopic algae. • informal extremely small: a microscopic skirt. • concerned with minute detail: such a vision is as microscopic as his is panoramic. 2 relating to a microscope: microscopic soil analysis.

rigid

adjective 1 unable to bend or be forced out of shape; not flexible: a seat of rigid orange plastic. • (of a person or part of their body) stiff and unmoving, especially as a result of shock or fear: Beatrice was rigid with terror. 2 not able to be changed or adapted: rigid bureaucratic controls. • not adaptable in outlook, belief, or response: the College had not wanted to be too rigid in imposing teaching methods. noun a lorry which is not articulated.

penetrating

adjective able to make a way through or into something: the problem of penetrating damp. • (of a sound) clearly heard through or above other sounds: her scream was sudden and penetrating. • (of a person's eyes or expression) reflecting an apparent ability to see into another's mind; intense: her penetrating gaze. • having or showing clear insight: the students asked some penetrating questions. DERIVATIVES penetratingly | ˈpɛnɪtreɪtɪŋli | adverb penetrate | ˈpɛnɪtreɪt | verb [with object] 1 go into or through (something), especially with force or effort: the shrapnel had penetrated his head | [no object] : tunnels that penetrate deep into the earth's core. • (of a man) insert the penis into the vagina or anus of (a sexual partner). 2 gain access to (an organization, place, or system), especially when this is difficult to do: M15 had been penetrated by Russian intelligence. • (of a company) begin to sell its products in (a particular market or area): the company has succeeded in penetrating Western motorcycle markets. 3 succeed in understanding or gaining insight into (something complex or mysterious): I could never penetrate his thoughts. • [no object] be fully understood or realized by someone: as his words penetrated, she saw a mental picture of him with Dawn.

analogous

adjective comparable in certain respects, typically in a way which makes clearer the nature of the things compared: they saw the relationship between a ruler and his subjects as analogous to that of father and children. • Biology (of organs) performing a similar function but having a different evolutionary origin, such as the wings of insects and birds. Often contrasted with homologous.

monochromatic

adjective containing or using only one colour: monochromatic light. • Physics (of light or other radiation) of a single wavelength or frequency: it employs diffraction to focus monochromatic light.

heuristic

adjective enabling a person to discover or learn something for themselves: a 'hands-on' or interactive heuristic approach to learning. • Computing proceeding to a solution by trial and error or by rules that are only loosely defined. noun a heuristic process or method. • (heuristics) [usually treated as singular] the study and use of heuristic techniques.

correct

adjective free from error; in accordance with fact or truth: make sure you have been given the correct information. • [predicative] not mistaken in one's opinion or judgement; right: [with infinitive] : the government was correct to follow a course of defeating inflation. • meeting the requirements of or most appropriate for a particular situation or activity: cut the top and bottom tracks to the correct length with a hacksaw. • (of a person or their appearance or behaviour) conforming to accepted social standards; proper: he was a polite man, invariably correct and pleasant with Mrs Collins. • chiefly North American conforming to a particular political or ideological orthodoxy: the materials used are as environmentally correct as possible. See also politically correct. verb [with object] put right (an error or fault): the Council issued a statement correcting some points in the press reports. • mark the errors in (a written or printed text): he corrected Dixon's writing for publication. • tell (someone) that they are mistaken: he had assumed she was married and she had not corrected him. • counteract or rectify: the steel industry's current overcapacity will be corrected this year. • adjust (an instrument) to function accurately or accord with a standard: motorists can have their headlights tested and corrected at a reduced price on Saturday. • adjust (a numerical result or reading) to allow for departure from standard conditions: data were corrected for radionuclide decay. DERIVATIVES correctable | kəˈrɛktəb(ə)l | adjective

intractable

influential

adjective having great influence on someone or something: her work is influential in feminist psychology. noun (usually influentials) an influential person: young influentials | networks of influentials.

homologous

adjective having the same relation, relative position, or structure. • Biology (of organs) similar in position, structure, and evolutionary origin but not necessarily in function: a seal's flipper is homologous with the human arm. Often contrasted with analogous. • Biology (of chromosomes) pairing at meiosis and having the same structural features and pattern of genes. • Chemistry (of a series of chemical compounds) having the same functional group but differing in composition by a fixed group of atoms.

content

adjective in a state of peaceful happiness: he seemed more content, less bitter. • willing to accept something; satisfied: he had to be content with third place | [with infinitive] : the duke was content to act as Regent. verb [with object] satisfy (someone): nothing would content her apart from going off to Barcelona. • (content oneself with) accept as adequate despite wanting more or better: we contented ourselves with a few small purchases. noun 1 [mass noun] a state of satisfaction: the greater part of the century was a time of content. 2 a member of the British House of Lords who votes for a particular motion. ORIGIN late Middle English: via Old French from Latin contentus 'satisfied', past participle of continere (see contain). content2 | ˈkɒntɛnt | noun (also contents) the things that are held or included in something: she unscrewed the top of the flask and drank the contents. • [in singular, with modifier] the amount of a particular constituent occurring in a substance: soya milk has a low fat content. • (contents) a list of the chapters or sections given at the front of a book or periodical: [as modifier] : the contents page. • [mass noun] the material dealt with in a speech, literary work, etc. as distinct from its form or style: the tone, if not the content, of his book is familiar. • information made available by a website or other electronic medium: [as modifier] : online content providers.

drastic

adjective likely to have a strong or far-reaching effect; radical and extreme: a drastic reduction of staffing levels.

precise

adjective marked by exactness and accuracy of expression or detail: precise directions | I want as precise a time of death as I can get. • (of a person) exact, accurate, and careful about details: the director was precise with his camera positions. • [attributive] used to emphasize that one is referring to an exact and particular thing: at that precise moment the car stopped.

exact

adjective not approximated in any way; precise: the exact details were still being worked out. • accurate or correct in all details: an exact replica, two feet tall, was constructed. • (of a person) accurate and careful about minor details: she was an exact, clever manager. • (of a subject of study) permitting precise measurements as a basis for rigorously testable theories: psychomedicine isn't an exact science yet. verb [with object] demand and obtain (something) from someone: he exacted promises that another Watergate would never be allowed to happen. • inflict (revenge) on someone: he exacts a cruel revenge against the winning candidate.

stationary

adjective not moving or not intended to be moved: a car collided with a stationary vehicle. • Astronomy (of a planet) having no apparent motion in longitude. • not changing in quantity or condition: a stationary population.

non-trivial

adjective not trivial; significant. • Mathematics having some variables or terms that are not equal to zero or an identity.

simultaneous

adjective occurring, operating, or done at the same time: a simultaneous withdrawal of troops | simultaneous translation.

debatable

adjective open to discussion or argument: it is debatable whether the country is coming out of recession. • historical (of land) on the border between two countries and claimed by each.

preliminary

adjective preceding or done in preparation for something fuller or more important: a preliminary draft | the discussions were seen as preliminary to the policy paper. noun (plural preliminaries) a preliminary action or event: the bombardment was resumed as a preliminary to an infantry attack. • (preliminaries) business or talk, especially of a formulaic or polite nature, taking place before an action or event: she began speaking, without preliminaries. • a preliminary round in a sporting competition. • (preliminaries) the prelims of a text.

informative

adjective providing useful or interesting information: a thought-provoking, informative article. DERIVATIVES informatively | ɪnˈfɔːmətɪvli | adverb informativeness noun

logarithmic

adjective relating to or expressed in terms of logarithms. • (of a scale) constructed so that successive points along an axis, or graduations which are an equal distance apart, represent values which are in an equal ratio: the scale is logarithmic, so pH 2 is ten times more acidic than pH 3. • (of a curve) forming a straight line when plotted on a logarithmic scale; exponential.

tonal

adjective relating to the tone of music, colour, or writing: his ear for tonal colour | the poem's tonal lapses. • relating to music written using conventional keys and harmony. • Phonetics (of a language) expressing semantic differences by varying the intonation given to words or syllables of a similar sound.

qualitative

adjective relating to, measuring, or measured by the quality of something rather than its quantity: a qualitative change in the undergraduate curriculum. Often contrasted with quantitative. • Grammar (of an adjective) describing the quality of something in size, appearance, value, etc. Such adjectives can be submodified by words such as very and have comparative and superlative forms. Contrasted with classifying.

pertinent

adjective relevant or applicable to a particular matter; apposite: she asked me a lot of very pertinent questions | practitioners must consider all factors pertinent to a situation. DERIVATIVES pertinence | ˈpəːtɪnəns | noun pertinency noun pertinently | ˈpəːtɪnəntli | adverb

applicable

adjective relevant or appropriate: the same considerations are equally applicable to accident claims. DERIVATIVES applicably adverb

residual

adjective remaining after the greater part or quantity has gone: the withdrawal of residual occupying forces. • (of a quantity) left after other items have been subtracted: residual income after tax and mortgage payments. • (of a physical state or property) remaining after the removal of or present in the absence of a causative agent: residual stenosis. • (of an experimental or arithmetical error) not accounted for or eliminated. • (of a soil or other deposit) formed in situ by weathering. noun 1 a quantity remaining after other things have been subtracted or allowed for: the Keynesian component is clearly a residual which is arrived at by subtracting the natural and classical components from overall unemployment. • a difference between a value measured in a scientific experiment and the theoretical or true value. • Geology a portion of rocky or high ground remaining after erosion: the eroded residuals of reefs built in relation to earlier, higher sea levels. 2 a royalty paid to a performer, writer, etc. for a repeat of a play, television show, etc.: she has been awarded more than $4.5 million in residuals and profits from the highly successful television show. 3 the resale value of a new car or other item at a specified time after purchase, expressed as a percentage of its purchase price: the federation wants car tax taken out over five years to avoid residuals being hit.

damp

adjective slightly wet: her hair was still damp from the shower | damp November evenings. noun 1 [mass noun] moisture diffused through the air or a solid substance or condensed on a surface, typically with detrimental or unpleasant effects: the house reeked of mould and damp. • short for firedamp. • (damps) archaic damp air or atmosphere: the damps of the valley. 2 archaic a discouragement or check: shame gave a damp to her triumph. verb [with object] 1 make (something) slightly wet: damp a small area with water. 2 (damp something down) make a fire burn less strongly by reducing the flow of air to it: he damped down the fire for the night. • control or restrain a feeling or a situation: she tried to damp down her feelings of despair. 3 reduce or stop the vibration of (the strings of a piano or other musical instrument) so as to reduce the volume of sound: the muted notes should be produced by damping the strings at the seventh position | (as adjective damped) : an ensemble of drums including a foot-damped instrument. • Physics progressively reduce the amplitude of (an oscillation or vibration): concrete structures damp out any vibrations | (as adjective damped) : a damped suspension that isolates the chassis from external vibration.

parsimonious

adjective very unwilling to spend money or use resources: even the parsimonious Joe paid for drinks all round.

uppermost

adjective (also upmost) highest in place, rank, or importance: the uppermost windows | her father was uppermost in her mind. adverb at or to the highest or most important position: investors put environmental concerns uppermost on their list.

messy

adjective (messier, messiest) 1 untidy or dirty: his messy hair. • generating or involving mess: stripping wallpaper can be a messy, time-consuming job. 2 (of a situation) confused and difficult to deal with: a messy divorce. smear verb [with object] 1 coat or mark (something) messily or carelessly with a greasy or sticky substance: his face was smeared with dirt. • [with object and adverbial] spread (a greasy or sticky substance) over something: she smeared sunblock on her skin. • messily blur the outline of (something such as writing or paint); smudge: her lipstick was smeared. 2 damage the reputation of (someone) by false accusations; slander: someone was trying to smear her by faking letters. noun 1 a mark or streak of a greasy or sticky substance: there was an oil smear on his jacket. 2 a sample of tissue or other material taken from part of the body, spread thinly on a microscope slide for examination, typically for medical diagnosis: the smears were stained for cryptosporidium. • British short for smear test. 3 a false accusation intended to damage someone's reputation: the popular press were indulging in unwarranted smears. 4 Climbing an insecure foothold: soon you're eyeballing the top, just one smear away.

compatible

adjective (often compatible with) (of two things) able to exist or occur together without problems or conflict: the careers structure here is not compatible with having a family. • (of two people) able to have a harmonious relationship; well suited: it's a pity we're not compatible. • (of one thing) consistent with another: the symptoms were compatible with gastritis or a peptic ulcer. • Computing (of a computer, piece of software, etc.) able to be used with a specified piece of equipment or software without special adaptation or modification: the printer is fully compatible with all leading software. noun a computer that can use software designed for another make or type: packages available for IBM PCs and compatibles.

rare

adjective (rarer, rarest) (of an event, situation, or condition) not occurring very often: a rare genetic disorder | [with infinitive] : it's rare to see a house so little altered. • (of a thing) not found in large numbers and so of interest or value: one of Britain's rarest birds, the honey buzzard. • unusually good or remarkable: he plays with rare sensitivity.

untidy

adjective (untidier, untidiest) not arranged neatly and in order: the place was dreadfully untidy. • not inclined to keep one's possessions or appearance neat and in order: she was chronically untidy and her clothes lay where she had dropped them.

quadratic

adjective Mathematics involving the second and no higher power of an unknown quantity or variable: a quadratic equation. noun a quadratic equation.

combinatorial

adjective Mathematics relating to the selection of a given number of elements from a larger number without regard to their arrangement: combinatorial analysis.

quadratic

adjective Mathematics二次的 involving the second and no higher power of an unknown quantity or variable: a quadratic equation. noun a quadratic equation.

isotropic

adjective Physics各向同性的 (of an object or substance) having a physical property which has the same value when measured in different directions. Often contrasted with anisotropic. • (of a property or phenomenon) not varying in magnitude according to the direction of measurement.

anisotropic

adjective Physics各向异性的 (of an object or substance) having a physical property which has a different value when measured in different directions. An example is wood, which is stronger along the grain than across it. Often contrasted with isotropic. • (of a property or phenomenon) varying in magnitude according to the direction of measurement: electron scattering is anisotropic.

univariate

adjective Statistics involving one variate or variable quantity.

successive

adjective [attributive] following one another or following others: they were looking for their fifth successive win.

intended

adjective [attributive] planned or meant: the intended victim escaped. noun (one's intended) informal the person one intends to marry; one's fiancé or fiancée: she used to be my intended.

differential

adjective [attributive]常用表示微分 of, showing, or depending on a difference; varying according to circumstances or relevant factors: the differential achievements of boys and girls. • constituting a specific difference; distinctive: the differential features between benign and malignant tumours. • Mathematics relating to infinitesimal differences or to the derivatives of functions. • relating to a difference in a physical quantity: a differential amplifier.

evidential

adjective formal of or providing evidence: the evidential bases for her argument.

degenerate

adjective | dɪˈdʒɛn(ə)rət | 1 having lost the physical, mental, or moral qualities considered normal and desirable; showing evidence of decline: a degenerate form of a higher civilization. 2 technical lacking some usual or expected property or quality. • Mathematics (of a type of equation, curve, etc.) equivalent to a simpler type, especially when a variable or parameter is set to zero. • Physics (of an energy level) corresponding to more than one quantum state. • Physics (of matter) at densities so high that gravitational contraction is counteracted, either by the Pauli exclusion principle or by an analogous quantum effect between closely packed neutrons. • Biology having reverted to a simpler form as a result of losing a complex or adaptive structure present in the ancestral form: degenerate offshoots from the main line of vertebrate progress. noun | dɪˈdʒɛn(ə)rət | an immoral or corrupt person: get out of my house, you degenerate! verb | dɪˈdʒɛnəreɪt | [no object] decline or deteriorate physically, mentally, or morally: the quality of life had degenerated | the debate degenerated into a brawl. DERIVATIVES

degenerate

moderate

adjective | ˈmɒd(ə)rət | average in amount, intensity, quality, or degree: we walked at a moderate pace. • (of a person, party, or policy) not radical or excessively right- or left-wing: a moderate reform programme. noun | ˈmɒd(ə)rət | a person who holds moderate views, especially in politics: an unlikely alliance of radicals and moderates. verb | ˈmɒdəreɪt | 1 make or become less extreme, intense, rigorous, or violent: [with object] : I shall not moderate my criticism | [no object] : the weather has moderated considerably. 2 [with object] British review (examination papers, results, or candidates) in relation to an agreed standard so as to ensure consistency of marking: the dependability of an examining system rests on those who set, moderate, and mark the papers. 3 [with object] (in academic and ecclesiastical contexts) preside over (a deliberative body) or at (a debate): a panel moderated by a Harvard University law professor. • [no object] (especially in the Presbyterian Church in Scotland) act as a moderator; preside: it is the Presbytery that moderates. 4 monitor (an Internet forum or online discussion) for inappropriate or offensive content. 5 [with object] Physics retard (neutrons) with a moderator: the neutrons causing fission are not moderated but react at high energies.

integral

adjective | ˈɪntɪɡr(ə)l, ɪnˈtɛɡr(ə)l | 1 necessary to make a whole complete; essential or fundamental: games are an integral part of the school's curriculum | systematic training should be integral to library management. • included as part of a whole rather than supplied separately: the unit comes complete with integral pump and heater. • having all the parts that are necessary to be complete: the first integral recording of the ten Mahler symphonies. 2 Mathematics of or denoted by an integer. • involving only integers, especially as coefficients of a function. noun | ˈɪntɪɡr(ə)l | Mathematics a function of which a given function is the derivative, i.e. which yields that function when differentiated, and which may express the area under the curve of a graph of the function. See also definite integral, indefinite integral. • a function satisfying a given differential equation.

probabilistic

adjective 概率论的 based on or adapted to a theory of probability; subject to or involving chance variation: the main approaches are either rule-based or probabilistic.

monotonic

adjective单调的 1 Mathematics (of a function or quantity) varying in such a way that it either never decreases or never increases. 2 speaking or uttered with an unchanging pitch or tone: her dour, monotonic husband.

parametric | parəˈmɛtrɪk |

adjective参数化的 relating to or expressed in terms of a parameter or parameters. • Statistics assuming the value of a parameter for the purpose of analysis: variables with normal distribution were compared by means of parametric tests. • Electronics relating to or denoting a process in which amplification or frequency conversion is obtained using a device modulated by a pumping frequency, which enables power to be transferred from the pumping frequency to the signal.

porosity

adjective多孔性 (of a rock or other material) having minute interstices through which liquid or air may pass: layers of porous limestones | some rocks are more porous than others. • not retentive or secure: he ran through a porous home defence to score easily.

continental

adjective大陆的 1 [attributive] forming or belonging to a continent: continental Antarctica. 2 (also Continental) in, from, or characteristic of mainland Europe: a continental holiday. noun an inhabitant of mainland Europe.

morphological (also morphologic) | mɔːfəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l |

adjective形态的 relating to the form or structure of things: the purely morphological fact that with a little dam one could hold back a lot of water. • relating to the branch of biology that deals with the form of living organisms, and with relationships between their structures: studies of genetic variation of morphological traits in mammals | the geraniums have a number of unusual morphological adaptations. • Linguistics relating to the forms of words, in particular inflected forms: the language's phonological, morphological and syntactic structure | morphological and syntactic similarities between languages.

recursive

adjective循环的 characterized by recurrence or repetition. • Mathematics & Linguistics relating to or involving the repeated application of a rule, definition, or procedure to successive results: this restriction ensures that the grammar is recursive. • Computing relating to or involving a program or routine of which a part requires the application of the whole, so that its explicit interpretation requires in general many successive executions: a recursive subroutine.

Eurasian

adjective欧亚的 1 of mixed European (or European-American) and Asian parentage. 2 relating to Eurasia.

recursive

adjective递归的 characterized by recurrence or repetition. • Mathematics & Linguistics relating to or involving the repeated application of a rule, definition, or procedure to successive results: this restriction ensures that the grammar is recursive. • Computing relating to or involving a program or routine of which a part requires the application of the whole, so that its explicit interpretation requires in general many successive executions: a recursive subroutine.

incidentally

adverb 1 [sentence adverb] used to add a further comment or a remark unconnected to the current subject; by the way: incidentally, it was many months before the whole truth was discovered. 2 in an incidental manner; as a chance occurrence: the infection was discovered only incidentally at post-mortem examination.

faithfully

adverb 1 in a loyal manner: he swore that he would serve the king faithfully. 2 in a manner that is true to the facts or the original: she translated the novel as faithfully as possible.

poorly

adverb 1 in a way that is unsatisfactory or inadequate: schools that were performing poorly | [as submodifier] : a poorly attended church. 2 with insufficient money: he lived as poorly as his peasant parishioners.

modestly

adverb 1 in an unassuming manner; without vanity or arrogance: he modestly shrugged off the tributes from his manager. 2 to a relatively moderate or small degree: sales and profits have grown modestly in recent years. • in a manner that is not elaborate or luxurious: a modestly furnished flat | he lived modestly in a small house. 3 so as to avoid impropriety or indecency: women are expected to dress modestly | he modestly covered his eyes.

indeed

adverb 1 used to emphasize a statement or response confirming something already suggested: it was not expected to last long, and indeed it took less than three weeks | 'She should have no trouble hearing him.' 'No indeed.'. • used to emphasize a description: it was a very good buy indeed. 2 used to introduce a further and stronger or more surprising point: the idea is attractive to many men and indeed to many women. 3 used in a response to express interest, surprise, or contempt: 'A ghost indeed! I've never heard anything so silly.'. • expressing interest of an ironic kind with repetition of a question just asked: 'Who'd believe it?' 'Who indeed?'.

subsequently

adverb after a particular thing has happened; afterwards: the officer decided to stop and subsequently made an arrest | the work was accepted for inclusion in the Paris Salon of 1880 and was subsequently sold to an important collector.

separately

adverb as a separate entity or entities; not together: they arrived together but left separately | I shall consider that figure separately from the prime costs.

beforehand

adverb before an action or event; in advance: rooms must be booked beforehand. PHRASES be beforehand with archaic anticipate or forestall: he discovered Ash had been beforehand with him.

regardless

adverb despite the prevailing circumstances: they were determined to carry on regardless. • (regardless of) without regard or consideration for: the allowance is paid regardless of age or income.

henceforth (also henceforward)

adverb from this or that time on: henceforth, parties which fail to get 5% of the vote will not be represented in parliament.

explicitly

adverb in a clear and detailed manner, leaving no room for confusion or doubt: the essay should state explicitly how the facts support the thesis | she has explicitly rejected the theory of patriarchy. • (in reference to representations of sexual activity) graphically and vividly: [as submodifier] : explicitly erotic images.

unambiguously

adverb in a manner that is not open to more than one interpretation: she answered questions clearly and unambiguously | the oldest known fossil unambiguously identified as a bird.

inherently

adverb in a permanent, essential, or characteristic way: the work is inherently dangerous | his theories are inherently flawed | criticism is inherently threatening.

extensively

adverb in a way that covers or affects a large area: the house was extensively damaged by the fire | her husband travelled extensively in his job. • to a large or detailed degree: he has written extensively about the project | the article was extensively researched.

tacitly

adverb in a way that is understood or implied without being directly stated: the production company has tacitly encouraged the Internet phenomenon of fan films | the truth that goes unspoken but is tacitly understood.

seldom

adverb not often; rarely: Islay is seldom visited by tourists | he was seldom absent | [in combination] : an old seldom-used church. adjective [attributive] dated not common; infrequent: a great but seldom pleasure.

adequately

adverb to a satisfactory or acceptable extent: the resources required to prepare adequately will be extensive | the job requirements were not adequately explained.

alias

adverb used to indicate that a named person is also known or more familiar under another specified name: Eric Blair, alias George Orwell. noun 1 a false or assumed identity: a spy operating under the alias Barsad. • Computing an alternative name or label that refers to a file, command, address, or other item, and can be used to locate or access it. 2 Physics & Telecommunications each of a set of signal frequencies which, when sampled at a given uniform rate, would give the same set of sampled values, and thus might be incorrectly substituted for one another when reconstructing the original signal. verb [with object] Physics & Telecommunications misidentify (a signal frequency), introducing distortion or error: fringes at higher spatial frequency are aliased by the sensor.

quantitatively

adverb with regard to the quantity of something rather than its quality: effects of variation in temperature were assessed quantitatively.

potentially

adverb with the capacity to develop or happen in the future: newly available oil might potentially create a drop in prices | a potentially dangerous situation.

intuitively

adverb without conscious reasoning; instinctively: he knows intuitively how to calm me | they intuitively understood each other.

iso-

combining form equal: isochron | isosceles. • Chemistry (chiefly of hydrocarbons) isomeric: isooctane.

bathy-

combining form relating to depth: bathymetry | bathysphere.

eigen-

combining form Mathematics & Physics proper; characteristic: eigenfunction.

interfere

interfere | ɪntəˈfɪə | verb [no object] 1 intervene in a situation without invitation or necessity: you promised not to interfere | she tried not to interfere in her children's lives. 2 (interfere with) prevent (a process or activity) from continuing or being carried out properly: a holiday job would interfere with his studies. • (of a thing) strike against or impede (something) when working: the rotors are widely separated and do not interfere with one another. 3 (interfere with) handle or adjust (something) without permission, especially so as to cause damage: he admitted interfering with a van. • Law attempt to bribe or intimidate (a witness): they face charges of conspiracy to obstruct justice and interfering with witnesses. • British euphemistic sexually molest (someone, especially a child). 4 Physics (of light or other electromagnetic waveforms) interact to produce interference: light pulses interfere constructively in a fibre to emit a pulse. • cause interference to a broadcast radio signal. 5 (of a horse) knock one foot against the fetlock of another leg. DERIVATIVES interferer | ˌɪntəˈfɪərə | noun

foundation

noun 1 (often foundations) the lowest load-bearing part of a building, typically below ground level: foundations were being dug for a block of flats | build the arch resting on top of this solid foundation. • [mass noun] a coloured cream, powder, or liquid used as a base to even out facial skin tone before applying other cosmetics: apply moisturizer a few minutes before using foundation | [count noun] : heavy foundations and concealers can contribute to dull skin and clogged pores | [as modifier] : a foundation brush. 2 an underlying basis or principle: this idea is the foundation of all modern economics | without stability, the country will not be able hold the elections that will lay the foundation for a peaceful and democratic future | physics, the foundation of all the sciences. • [mass noun, often with negative] justification or reason: misleading accusations with no foundation. 3 [mass noun] the action of establishing an institution or organization: the foundation of a civil service college. • [count noun] an institution established with an endowment, for example a research body or charity: charitable foundations.

circumstance

noun 1 (usually circumstances) a fact or condition connected with or relevant to an event or action: we wanted to marry but circumstances didn't permit. • an event or fact that causes or helps to cause something to happen, typically something undesirable: he was found dead but there were no suspicious circumstances | [mass noun] : they were thrown together by circumstance. 2 (circumstances) one's state of financial or material welfare: the artists are living in reduced circumstances. 3 archaic ceremony and public display: pomp and circumstance. PHRASES circumstances alter cases proverb one's opinion or treatment of someone or something may vary according to the prevailing circumstances. under (or in) the circumstances given the difficult nature of the situation: she had every right to be cross under the circumstances. under (or in) no circumstances never, whatever the situation is or might be: under no circumstances may the child be identified.

contour

noun 1 (usually contours) an outline representing or bounding the shape or form of something: she traced the contours of his face with her finger | figurative : challenges that have shaped the contours of European integration. • an outline of a natural feature such as a hill: the road climbs steadily, following the contours of the hillside. • short for contour line: below the 1200-ft contour is a belt of limestone. • a line joining points on a diagram at which some property has the same value: the figure shows contours of 21-cm line emission of atomic hydrogen. 2 a way in which something varies, especially the pitch of music or the pattern of tones in an utterance. verb [with object] 1 mould into a specific shape, especially one designed to fit into something else: the compartment has been contoured with smooth rounded corners | (as adjective contoured) : the contoured leather seats. • shade (an area or areas of the face) with make-up, typically foundation or bronzer, in such a way as to accentuate or enhance the facial shape or structure: I prefer to only contour my cheeks | [no object] : it shouldn't look like you contour. 2 mark (a map or diagram) with contour lines: (as adjective contoured) : a huge contoured map. 3 (of a road or railway) follow the outline of (a topographical feature), especially along a contour line: the road contours the hillside.

takeaway

noun 1 British a restaurant or shop selling cooked food to be eaten elsewhere: a fast-food takeaway | [as modifier] : a takeaway pizza. • a meal or dish bought from a shop or restaurant to be eaten elsewhere: he phoned for a takeaway | [mass noun] : he is happy to eat Chinese takeaway. 2 a key fact, point, or idea to be remembered, typically one emerging from a discussion or meeting: the main takeaway for me is that we need to continue to communicate all the things we're doing for our customers | [as modifier] : the takeaway message. 3 Golf another term for backswing: many golfers ruin the swing with a poor takeaway. 4 US (in football and hockey) an act of regaining the ball or puck from the opposing team.

ash

noun 1 [mass noun] (also ashes) the powdery residue left after the burning of a substance: cigarette ash | I turned over the ashes. • (ashes) the remains of a human body after cremation or burning: his ashes were scattered on the waters of the Ganges River. • the mineral component of an organic substance, as assessed from the residue left after burning: coal contains higher levels of ash than premium fuels. 2 (the Ashes) a trophy for the winner of a series of Test matches in a cricket season between England and Australia. [from a mock obituary notice published in the Sporting Times (2 September 1882), with reference to the symbolical remains of English cricket being taken to Australia after a sensational victory by the Australians at the Oval.]

partition

noun 1 [mass noun] (especially with reference to a country with separate areas of government) the action or state of dividing or being divided into parts: the country's partition into separate states. • Chemistry the distribution of a solute between two immiscible or slightly miscible solvents in contact with one another, in accordance with its differing solubility in each: [as modifier] : partition chromatography. 2 a structure dividing a space into two parts, especially a light interior wall: the cafe was divided up by glass partitions. • Computing each of a number of portions into which some operating systems divide memory or storage: this takes a copy of hard disk partition information during installation. verb [with object] divide into parts: an agreement was reached to partition the country. • divide (a room) into smaller rooms or areas by erecting partitions: the hall was partitioned to contain the noise of the computers | partition off part of a large bedroom to create a small bathroom.

respect

noun 1 [mass noun] a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something elicited by their abilities, qualities, or achievements: the director had a lot of respect for Douglas as an actor. • the state of being admired or respected: his first chance in over fifteen years to regain respect in the business. • (respects) a person's polite greetings: give my respects to their Excellencies. • informal used to express the speaker's approval of someone or something: respect to Hill for a truly non-superficial piece on the techno scene. 2 due regard for the feelings, wishes, or rights of others: young people's lack of respect for their parents. 3 a particular aspect, point, or detail: the government's record in this respect is a mixed one. verb [with object] 1 admire (someone or something) deeply, as a result of their abilities, qualities, or achievements: she was respected by everyone she worked with | (as adjective respected) : a respected academic. 2 have due regard for (someone's feelings, wishes, or rights): I respected his views. • avoid harming or interfering with: it is incumbent upon all hill users to respect the environment. • agree to recognize and abide by (a legal requirement): the crown and its ministers ought to respect the ordinary law.

clay

noun 1 [mass noun] a stiff, sticky fine-grained earth that can be moulded when wet, and is dried and baked to make bricks, pottery, and ceramics: the soil is mainly clay | [as modifier] : a clay soil | a clay tile | [count noun] : the rocks are covered by various mixtures of loose clays and sands. • technical sediment with particles smaller than silt, typically less than 0.002 mm. • a hardened clay surface for a tennis court: she won more matches on clay than any other player. • literary the substance of the human body: this lifeless clay. 2 a European moth with yellowish-brown wings.

formulation

noun 1 [mass noun] the action of creating or preparing something: the formulation of foreign policy. • [count noun] a particular expression of an idea, thought, or theory: compare this complex formulation with Bosch's much more simplistic analysis. 2 a material or mixture prepared according to a formula: post-shave formulations which keep skin soft.

instertion

noun 1 [mass noun] the action of inserting something: he didn't notice the insertion of the envelope into his pocket. • the placing of a spacecraft or satellite into an orbit or trajectory. • Biology the addition of extra DNA or RNA into a section of genetic material. 2 an amendment or addition inserted in a text: omissions and insertions which do not affect the sense | an annual insertion in the local telephone directory. • each appearance of an advertisement in a newspaper or periodical. • an ornamental section of cloth or needlework inserted into a garment. 3 Anatomy & Zoology the place or manner of attachment of an organ: close to the point of leaf insertion. • the place or manner of attachment of a muscle to the part which it moves: the names of the muscles and their insertions on the eyeball.

suspension

noun 1 [mass noun] the action of suspending someone or something or the condition of being suspended: the suspension of military action | the investigation led to the suspension of several officers. 2 [mass noun] the system of springs and shock absorbers by which a vehicle is supported on its wheels: modifications have been made to the car's rear suspension. 3 a mixture in which particles are dispersed throughout the bulk of a fluid: a suspension of maize starch in arachis oil. • [mass noun] a state in which particles are dispersed throughout a fluid: the agitator in the vat keeps the slurry in suspension. 4 Music a discord made by prolonging a note of a chord into the following chord.

elevation

noun 1 [mass noun] the action or fact of raising or being raised to a higher or more important level, state, or position: her sudden elevation to the cabinet. • increase in the level of something: diabetics have been found to have more pronounced elevation of systolic blood pressure. • the raising of the consecrated elements for adoration at Mass: a prayer recommended for lay people at the elevation of the Host. • Ballet the ability of a dancer to attain height in jumps. 2 [mass noun] height above a given level, especially sea level: the area has a topography that ranges from 1,500 to 3,000 metres in elevation. • [count noun] a high place or position: an elevation of 300 metres. • the angle of something with the horizontal, especially of a gun or of the direction of a celestial object: as every gunner knows, increasing the elevation beyond five degrees can be a risky business. 3 a particular side of a building: a burglar alarm was displayed on the front elevation. • a scale drawing showing the vertical projection of one side of a building. Compare with plan (sense 3 of the noun) .

arrangement

noun 1 [mass noun] the action, process, or result of arranging or being arranged: the arrangement of the furniture in the room. • [count noun] a thing that has been arranged in a neat or attractive way: an intricate arrangement of gravel paths. 2 (usually arrangements) a plan or preparation for a future event: all the arrangements for the wedding were made. • an agreement with someone to do something: the travel agents have an arrangement with the hotel | [mass noun] : by special arrangement, students can take a course in other degree programmes. 3 a musical composition arranged for performance with instruments or voices differing from those originally specified: Mozart's symphonies in arrangements for cello and piano. 4 archaic a settlement of a dispute or claim.

variance

noun 1 [mass noun] the fact or quality of being different, divergent, or inconsistent: her light tone was at variance with her sudden trembling | [count noun] : the stylistic variances of classical dance. • the state or fact of disagreeing or quarrelling: they were at variance with all their previous allies. • [count noun] chiefly Law a discrepancy between two statements or documents. • Statistics a quantity equal to the square of the standard deviation. 2 US Law an official dispensation from a rule or regulation, typically a building regulation.

variance

noun 1 [mass noun] the fact or quality of being different, divergent, or inconsistent: her light tone was at variance with her sudden trembling | [count noun]: the stylistic variances of classical dance. • the state or fact of disagreeing or quarreling: they were at variance with all their previous allies. • [count noun] chiefly Law a discrepancy between two statements or documents. • Statistics a quantity equal to the square of the standard deviation. 2 US Law an official dispensation from a rule or regulation, typically a building regulation.

grain | ɡreɪn |

noun 1 [mass noun] wheat or any other cultivated cereal used as food. • the seeds of wheat or other cultivated cereals. 2 a single fruit or seed of a cereal: a few grains of corn. • a small hard particle of a substance such as salt or sand: a grain of salt. • the smallest possible quantity or amount of a quality: there wasn't a grain of truth in what he said. • a discrete particle or crystal in a metal, igneous rock, etc., typically visible only when a surface is magnified. • a piece of solid propellant for use in a rocket engine. 3 (abbreviation gr.) the smallest unit of weight in the troy and avoirdupois systems, equal to 1/5760 of a pound troy and 1/7000 of a pound avoirdupois (approximately 0.0648 gram). [because originally the weight was equivalent to that of a grain of corn.] 4 [mass noun] the longitudinal arrangement or pattern of fibres in wood, paper, etc.: he scored along the grain of the table with the knife. • the texture of wood, stone, etc., as determined by the arrangement and size of constituent particles: the lighter, finer grain of the wood is attractive. • the rough or wrinkled outer surface of leather, or of a similar artificial material. • Mining lamination or planes of cleavage in materials such as stone and coal. • Photography a grainy appearance of a photograph or negative, which is in proportion to the size of the emulsion particles composing it. 5 archaic a person's character or natural tendency. 6 [mass noun] historical kermes or cochineal, or dye made from either of these.

volume

noun 1 a book forming part of a work or series: a biography of George Bernard Shaw in three volumes | [in combination] : a four-volume work. • a single book or a bound collection of printed sheets: a botanical library of 5,000 volumes | her volume of short stories. • a consecutive sequence of issues of a periodical: Chemistry in Britain Volume 28 Number 1. • historical a scroll of parchment or papyrus containing written matter. 2 [mass noun] the amount of space that a substance or object occupies, or that is enclosed within a container: the sewer could not cope with the volume of rainwater. • an amount or quantity of something, especially when great: changes in the volume of consumer spending | [count noun] : the volumes of data handled are vast. • fullness or expansive thickness of something, especially of a person's hair: give your hair volume and bounce with this mousse. 3 [mass noun] quantity or power of sound; degree of loudness: he turned the volume up on the radio.

variation

noun 1 a change or slight difference in condition, amount, or level, typically within certain limits: regional variations in house prices | [mass noun] : the figures showed marked variation from year to year. • Astronomy a deviation of a celestial body from its mean orbit or motion. • Mathematics a change in the value of a function due to small changes in the values of its argument or arguments. • (also magnetic variation) the angular difference between true north and magnetic north at a particular place. • [mass noun] Biology the occurrence of an organism in more than one distinct colour or form. 2 a different or distinct form or version of something: hurling is an Irish variation of hockey. • Music a version of a theme, modified in melody, rhythm, harmony, or ornamentation, so as to present it in a new but still recognizable form: Elgar's Enigma Variations. • Ballet a solo dance as part of a performance: he makes the preparation for his variation with utmost care and accuracy.

crest

noun 1 a comb or tuft of feathers, fur, or skin on the head of a bird or other animal: a large game bird with a conspicuous erect red crest. • a plume of feathers on a helmet. 2 the top of a mountain or hill: she reached the crest of the hill. • Anatomy a ridge along the surface of a bone: biopsy specimens of the iliac crest were obtained under local anaesthesia. • the upper line of the neck of a horse or other mammal: take hold of the mane halfway up the horse's crest. 3 the curling foamy top of a wave: a high wave formed by the meeting of two crests. 4 Heraldry a distinctive device representing a family or corporate body, borne above the shield of a coat of arms (originally as worn on a helmet) or separately reproduced, for example on writing paper. verb 1 [with object] reach the top of (a hill or wave): she crested a hill and saw the valley spread out before her. • [no object] US (of a river, flood, etc.) rise to its highest level. 2 [no object] (of a wave) form a curling foamy top: the swell begins to curl and crest. 3 (be crested with) have attached at the top: his helmet was crested with a fan of spikes.

trap

noun 1 a device or enclosure designed to catch and retain animals, typically by allowing entry but not exit or by catching hold of a part of the body: the squirrels ravaged the saplings, despite the baited traps | a bear trap. • the compartment from which a greyhound is released at the start of a race. 2 a situation in which people lie in wait to make a surprise attack: we were fed false information by a double agent and walked straight into a trap. • a trick by which someone is misled into acting contrary to their interests or intentions: by keeping quiet I was walking into a trap. • an unpleasant situation from which it is hard to escape: they fell into the trap of relying too little on equity finance. 3 [with modifier] a container or device used to collect something, or a place where something collects: one fuel filter and water trap are sufficient on the fuel system. • a curve in the waste pipe from a bath, basin, or toilet that is always full of liquid and prevents gases from coming up the pipe into the building. • a bunker or other hollow on a golf course. 4 a light, two-wheeled carriage pulled by a horse or pony. 5 a device for hurling an object such as a clay pigeon into the air to be shot at. • historical (in the game of trapball) the shoe-shaped device that is hit with a bat to send the ball into the air. 6 short for trapdoor. 7 informal a person's mouth (used in expressions to do with speaking): keep your trap shut! 8 (traps) informal (among jazz musicians) drums or percussion instruments: I played the traps a little myself once. 9 US informal a place where drugs are sold: a trap full of dealers. verb (traps, trapping, trapped) [with object] 1 catch (an animal) in a trap. • prevent (someone) from escaping from a place: twenty workers were trapped by flames. • have (something, typically a part of the body) held tightly by something so that it cannot be freed: he had trapped his finger in a spring-loaded hinge. • Soccer bring (the ball) under control with the foot or other part of the body on receiving it: the ball bounced near Scott and he trapped it with his left foot. 2 trick or deceive (someone) into doing something contrary to their interests or intentions: I hoped to trap him into an admission.

monitor

noun 1 a device used for observing, checking, or keeping a continuous record of something: a heart monitor. • a person operating a monitor: a monitor aboard the vessel said he had measured radiation levels ten times the normal level. • a person who observes a process or activity to check that it is carried out fairly or correctly, especially in an official capacity: the deployment of troops went ahead despite the shooting down of an EC monitor's helicopter | the independent judicial monitor. • a person who listens to and reports on foreign radio broadcasts and signals: radio monitors reported they heard the pilot say he was heading for Paris. 2 a television receiver used in a studio to select or verify the picture being broadcast from a particular camera: the playback can be displayed on an external television screen or monitor. • a screen which displays an image generated by a computer. • a loudspeaker used by performers on stage to hear themselves or in the studio to hear what has been recorded: I was amazed at the quality of the sound coming from the monitors. 3 a school pupil with disciplinary or other special duties: he was a school monitor and a choir boy. 4 (also monitor lizard) a large tropical Old World lizard with a long neck, narrow head, forked tongue, strong claws, and a short body. Monitors were formerly believed to give warning of crocodiles. Called goanna in Australia. Family Varanidae and genus Varanus: many species. See also Komodo dragon. 5 historical a shallow-draught warship mounting one or two heavy guns for bombardment. verb [with object] observe and check the progress or quality of (something) over a period of time; keep under systematic review: equipment was installed to monitor air quality. • maintain regular surveillance over: he was a man of routine and it was easy for an enemy to monitor his movements. • listen to and report on (a foreign radio broadcast or a telephone conversation): listening devices were used to monitor conversations | it was not easy to discover exactly how many calls were monitored. • check or regulate the technical quality of (a radio transmission or television signal): a sound assistant monitors the signal on headphones.

distinction

noun 1 a difference or contrast between similar things or people: there is a sharp distinction between domestic politics and international politics | I was completely unaware of class distinctions. • [mass noun] the separation of people or things into different groups according to their characteristics: high interest rates strike down, without distinction, small businesses and the unemployed. 2 [mass noun] excellence that sets someone or something apart from others: a novelist of distinction. • [count noun] a decoration or honour awarded to someone: he gained the highest distinction awarded for excellence in photography. • [count noun] a grade in an examination denoting excellence: she gained a distinction in her diploma. Compare with merit. PHRASES distinction without a difference an artificially created distinction where no real difference exists.

trial

noun 1 a formal examination of evidence by a judge, typically before a jury, in order to decide guilt in a case of criminal or civil proceedings: the newspaper accounts of the trial | [mass noun] : the editor was summoned to stand trial for libel. 2 a test of the performance, qualities, or suitability of someone or something: clinical trials must establish whether the new hip replacements are working. • a sports match to test the ability of players eligible for selection to a team: he cracked his ankle the week before the final trial. • a test of individual ability on a motorcycle over rough ground or on a road. • (trials) an event in which horses, dogs, or other animals compete or perform: horse trials. 3 a person, experience, or situation that tests a person's endurance or forbearance: the trials and tribulations of married life. verb (trials, trialling, trialled; US trials, trialing, trialed) 1 [with object] test (something, especially a new product) to assess its suitability or performance: teachers all over the UK are trialling the materials. 2 [no object] (of a horse, dog, or other animal) compete in trials: the pup trialled on Saturday.

pile

noun 1 a heap of things laid or lying one on top of another: he placed the books in a neat pile | tottering piles of dirty dishes. • informal a large amount of something: he's making piles of money. • archaic a funeral pyre. 2 a large imposing building or group of buildings: a Victorian Gothic pile. 3 a series of plates of dissimilar metals laid one on another alternately to produce an electric current. 4 (also atomic pile) dated a nuclear reactor. verb 1 [with object and adverbial] place (things) one on top of the other: she piled all the groceries on the counter. • (be piled with) be stacked or loaded with: his in tray was piled high with papers. • (pile up/pile something up) increase or cause to increase in quantity: [no object] : the work is piling up. • (pile something on) informal intensify or exaggerate something for effect: you can pile on the guilt but my heart has turned to stone. 2 [no object] (pile into/out of) (of a group of people) get into or out of (a vehicle) in a disorganized manner: ten of us piled into the minibus. • (pile into) (of a vehicle) crash into: 60 cars piled into each other on the M62. PHRASES make a (or one's) pile informal make a lot of money: he was a car salesman who had made his pile in the Thatcher years. pile arms place a number of rifles (usually four) with their butts on the ground and the muzzles together. pile it on informal exaggerate the seriousness of a situation for effect. ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin pila 'pillar, pier'. pile2 | pʌɪl | noun 1 a heavy stake or post driven vertically into the bed of a river, soft ground, etc., to support the foundations of a superstructure. 2 Heraldry a triangular charge or ordinary formed by two lines meeting at an acute angle, usually pointing down from the top of the shield. verb [with object] strengthen or support (a structure) with piles: an earlier bridge may have been piled. ORIGIN Old English pīl'dart, arrow', also 'pointed stake', of Germanic origin; related to Dutch pijl and German Pfeil, from Latin pilum '(heavy) javelin'. pile3 | pʌɪl | noun [mass noun] the soft projecting surface of a carpet or a fabric such as velvet or flannel, consisting of many small threads: the thick pile of the new rugs | [as modifier, in combination] : deep-pile carpets.

reservoir

noun 1 a large natural or artificial lake used as a source of water supply: the more water we use, the more land has to be flooded for reservoirs. • a supply or source of something: Scotland has always had a fine reservoir of comic talent. • [usually with modifier] a place where fluid collects, especially in rock strata or in the body: big oil reservoirs are becoming harder to find. • a receptacle or part of a machine designed to hold fluid: if all three colours overlap then a black dot is printed from the black ink reservoir. 2 Medicine a population, tissue, etc. which is chronically infested with the causative agent of a disease and can act as a source of further infection: there is a vast reservoir of herpes infection in the community.

burden

noun 1 a load, typically a heavy one. • a duty or misfortune that causes worry, hardship, or distress: the tax burden on low-wage earners. • the main responsibility for achieving a specified aim or task: the burden of establishing that the authority had misused its powers rests upon the prosecution. • a ship's carrying capacity; tonnage: the schooner Wyoming, of about 6,000 tons burden. 2 (the burden) the main theme or gist of a speech, book, or argument. 3 archaic the refrain or chorus of a song. verb [with object] load heavily: she walked forwards burdened with a wooden box. • cause (someone) worry, hardship, or distress: they were not yet burdened with adult responsibility.

ridge

noun 1 a long, narrow hilltop, mountain range, or watershed: the North-East ridge of Everest. • the line or edge formed where the two sloping sides of a roof meet at the top: the roof was unusual due to the relative heights of the eaves and the ridge. • a narrow raised band on a surface: buff your nails in order to smooth ridges. • a raised strip of arable land, especially (in medieval fields) one of a set separated by furrows: a path led through the ridges and furrows of fields long left to nature. 2 Meteorology an elongated region of high barometric pressure: a high-pressure ridge helping to steer cyclones further south. verb [with object] (often as adjective ridged) mark with or form into ridges: the ridged sand of the beach | a field ploughed in narrow stretches that are ridged up slightly. • [no object] (of a surface) form into or rise up as a ridge: the crust of the earth ridged.

mantle

noun 1 a loose sleeveless cloak or shawl, worn especially by women: she was wrapped tightly in her mantle. • a covering of a specified sort: the houses were covered with a thick mantle of snow. • Ornithology a bird's back, scapulars, and wing coverts, especially when of a distinctive colour: many gulls are all white except for dark grey mantle and wings. • Zoology (in molluscs, cirripedes, and brachiopods) a fold of skin enclosing the viscera and secreting the shell. 2 an important role or responsibility that passes from one person to another: the second son has now assumed his father's mantle. [with allusion to the passing of Elijah's cloak (mantle) to Elisha (2 Kings 2:13).] 3 (also gas mantle) a mesh cover fixed round a gas jet to give an incandescent light when heated. 4 Geology the region of the earth's interior between the crust and the core, believed to consist of hot, dense silicate rocks (mainly peridotite): magmas erupted at mid-ocean ridges are derived from the upper mantle | [as modifier] : mantle rock | [mass noun] : the presence of hot mantle leads to melting at the base of the lithosphere. • the part of another planetary body corresponding to the earth's mantle: the lunar mantle. verb 1 [with object] literary cloak or envelop: heavy mists mantled the forested slopes. • archaic (of blood) suffuse (the face): a warm pink mounted to the girl's cheeks and mantled her brow. • [no object] archaic (of the face) glow with a blush: her rich face mantling with emotion. • [no object] archaic (of a liquid) become covered with a head or froth: the poison mantled in the bowl. 2 [no object] (of a bird of prey on the ground or on a perch) spread the wings and tail so as to cover captured prey: the female Goshawk is feeding while mantling with spread wings over her prey.

lane

noun 1 a narrow road, especially in a rural area: she drove along the winding lane. • [in place names] an urban street: Park Lane. 2 a division of a road marked off with painted lines and intended to separate single lines of traffic according to speed or direction: the car moved into the outside lane | a bus lane. • each of a number of parallel strips of track or water for runners, rowers, or swimmers in a race: she went into the final in lane three. • a route prescribed for or regularly followed by ships or aircraft: the shipping lanes of the South Atlantic. • (in tenpin bowling) a long, narrow strip of floor down which the ball is bowled: a maximum of six people can play on a lane at any one time. • Biochemistry each of a number of notional parallel strips in the gel of an electrophoresis plate, occupied by a single sample: DNA from various sources is placed in separate lanes on an electrophoretic gel. • Astronomy a dark streak or band which shows up against a bright background, especially in a spiral galaxy: the innermost dust lane is dense enough to absorb some infrared.

fraction

noun 1 a numerical quantity that is not a whole number (e.g. 1/2, 0.5). 2 a small or tiny part, amount, or proportion of something: he hesitated for a fraction of a second | her eyes widened a fraction. • a dissenting group within a larger one: the dominant classes or fractions in capitalist societies. 3 Chemistry each of the portions into which a mixture may be separated according to a physical property such as boiling point or solubility: the third fraction contain alcohols with boiling points of 120-130°C. 4 [mass noun] (usually the Fraction) (in the Christian Church) the breaking of the Eucharistic bread: the Fraction may be accompanied by the Agnus Dei.

portion

noun 1 a part of a whole: a portion of the jetty still stands | he could repeat large portions of Shakespeare. • a part of something divided between people; a share: she wanted the right to decide how her portion of the allowance should be spent. • an amount of food suitable for or served to one person: a portion of ice cream | burger joints offering huge portions. • Law the part or share of an estate given or descending by law to an heir. • (also marriage portion) archaic a dowry given to a bride at her marriage: he'll marry her fast enough when he knows the sum of her portion. 2 archaic a person's destiny or lot: what will be my portion?

remainder

noun 1 a part of something that is left over when other parts have been completed, used, or dealt with: leave a few mushrooms for garnish and slice the remainder | the remainder of the year. • Mathematics the number which is left over in a division in which one quantity does not exactly divide another: 23 divided by 3 is 7, remainder 2. • a copy of a book left unsold when demand has fallen: it seems that buying and selling remainders is the lowest form of bookselling. 2 Law a property interest that becomes effective in possession only when a prior interest (created at the same time) ends.

substance

noun 1 a particular kind of matter with uniform properties: a steel tube coated with a waxy substance. • an intoxicating, stimulating, or narcotic chemical or drug, especially an illegal one: he was suspended for using a banned substance | [as modifier] : substance abuse. 2 the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists and which has a tangible, solid presence: proteins compose much of the actual substance of the body. • the most important or essential part of something; the real or essential meaning: the substance of the Maastricht Treaty. • the subject matter of a text, speech, or work of art, especially as contrasted with the form or style in which it is presented: the substance of his book was the history of allegorical love literature | [mass noun] : the movie is a triumph of style over substance. 3 [mass noun] the quality of being important, valid, or significant: he had yet to accomplish anything of substance. • the quality of having a solid basis in reality or fact: the claim has no substance. • the quality of being dependable or stable: some were inclined to knock her for her lack of substance. • wealth and possessions: a woman of substance. 4 [mass noun] Philosophy the essential nature underlying phenomena, which is subject to changes and accidents. PHRASES in substance essentially: basic rights are equivalent in substance to human rights.

substitute

noun 1 a person or thing acting or serving in place of another: soya milk is used as a substitute for dairy milk. • a person or thing that becomes the object of love or another emotion which is deprived of its natural outlet: a father substitute. 2 a sports player nominated as eligible to replace another after a match has begun: Stewart was the Rovers substitute. 3 Scots Law a deputy: a sheriff substitute. verb [with object] 1 use or add in place of: dried rosemary can be substituted for the fresh herb. • [no object] act or serve as a substitute: I found someone to substitute for me. • replace (someone or something) with another: customs officers substituted the drugs with another substance | this was substituted by a new clause. • Chemistry replace (an atom or group in a molecule, especially a hydrogen atom) with another: three of the hydrogen atoms of the methane molecule have been substituted by chlorine, bromine or iodine atoms. • (as adjective substituted) Chemistry (of a compound) in which one or more hydrogen atoms have been replaced by other atoms or groups: a substituted terpenoid. 2 replace (a sports player) with a substitute during a match: he was substituted eleven minutes from time.

crystal

noun 1 a piece of a homogeneous solid substance having a natural geometrically regular form with symmetrically arranged plane faces: a quartz crystal | ice crystals formed where his breath froze. • Chemistry any solid consisting of a symmetrical, ordered, three-dimensional aggregation of atoms or molecules. • Electronics a crystalline piece of semiconductor used as an oscillator or transducer. • [mass noun] a clear transparent mineral, especially quartz: cups cut from crystal. • a piece of crystalline substance believed to have healing powers. 2 (also crystal glass) [mass noun] highly transparent glass with a high refractive index: [as modifier] : a crystal chandelier. • articles made of crystal glass: a collection of crystal. • [count noun] the glass over a watch face. 3 [mass noun] informal short for crystal meth (methamphetamine). adjective clear and transparent like crystal: the clean crystal waters of the lake. PHRASES crystal clear | ˌkrɪstəl ˈklɪə | completely transparent and unclouded: careful restoration work had turned the once polluted waters of the river crystal clear. • unambiguous; easily understood: the house rules are crystal clear.

sail

noun 1 a piece of material extended on a mast to catch the wind and propel a boat or ship or other vessel: all the sails were unfurled | [mass noun] : the boat can no longer carry that area of sail. • [mass noun] the use of sailing ships as a means of transport: this led to bigger ships as steam replaced sail. • archaic a sailing ship: sail ahoy! 2 a wind-catching apparatus attached to the arm of a windmill. • the broad fin on the back of a sailfish or of some prehistoric reptiles. • a structure by which an animal is propelled across the surface of water by the wind, e.g. the float of a Portuguese man-of-war. 3 a voyage or excursion in a ship, especially a sailing ship or boat: they went for a sail. 4 Nautical the conning tower of a submarine. 5 South African a canvas sheet or tarpaulin: the sail covering the load of crates broke loose from the truck. [loan translation, based on Dutch seil 'tarpaulin'.] verb [no object] 1 travel in a boat with sails, especially as a sport or recreation: Ian took us out sailing on the lake. • [with adverbial] travel in a ship or boat using sails or engine power: the ferry caught fire sailing between Caen and Portsmouth. • [with adverbial] begin a voyage; leave a harbour: the catamaran sails at 3:30. • [with object] travel by ship on or across (a sea) or on (a route): plastic ships could be sailing the oceans soon. • [with object and adverbial of direction] navigate or control (a boat or ship): I stole a small fishing boat and sailed it to the Delta. 2 [with adverbial of direction] move smoothly and rapidly or in a stately or confident manner: the ball sailed inside the right-hand post. • (sail through) informal succeed easily at (something, especially a test or examination): Ali sailed through his exams. • (sail into) informal attack physically or verbally with force.

interface

noun 1 a point where two systems, subjects, organizations, etc. meet and interact: the interface between accountancy and the law. • chiefly Physics a surface forming a common boundary between two portions of matter or space, for example between two immiscible liquids: the surface tension of a liquid at its air/liquid interface. 2 Computing a device or program enabling a user to communicate with a computer: a graphical user interface. • a device or program for connecting two items of hardware or software so that they can be operated jointly or communicate with each other: an application program interface. verb [no object] (interface with) 1 interact with (another system, person, etc.): you will interface with counterparts from sister companies. 2 Computing connect with (another computer or piece of equipment) by an interface: the hotel's computer system can interface automatically with the booking system | [with object] : a device which can be interfaced with a computer.

sketch

noun 1 a rough or unfinished drawing or painting, often made to assist in making a more finished picture: a charcoal sketch. • a brief written or spoken account or description, giving only basic details: a biographical sketch of Ernest Hemingway. • a rough or unfinished version of any creative work: you can see how the first movement evolved from the composer's sketches. 2 a short humorous play or performance, consisting typically of one scene in a revue or comedy programme: a hilarious sketch for their latest BBC series. 3 informal, dated a comical or amusing person or thing. verb [with object] make a rough drawing of: as they talked, Modigliani began to sketch her | [no object] : Jeanne sketched and painted whenever she had the time. • (sketch something out/in) give a brief account or general outline of something: they sketched out the prosecution case. • perform (a gesture) with one's hands or body: he sketched a graceful bow in her direction.

sphere

noun 1 a round solid figure, or its surface, with every point on its surface equidistant from its centre. • a spherical object; a ball or globe: the markers on the route included two conspicuous black spheres. • a globe representing the earth: the room was littered with books, maps, and spheres. • chiefly literary a celestial body: he sometimes took out his telescope to make sure the spheres were still revolving in good order. • literary the sky perceived as a vault upon or in which celestial bodies are represented as lying. • each of a series of revolving concentrically arranged spherical shells in which celestial bodies were formerly thought to be set in a fixed relationship. 2 an area of activity, interest, or expertise; a section of society or an aspect of life distinguished and unified by a particular characteristic: political reforms to match those in the economic sphere. verb [with object] archaic enclose in or as if in a sphere: mourners, sphered by their dark garb. • form into a rounded or perfect whole: you, hitherto, have still had goodness sphered within your eyes. PHRASES music (or harmony) of the spheres chiefly literary the natural harmonic tones supposedly produced by the movement of the celestial spheres or the bodies fixed in them. sphere of influence (or interest) a country or area in which another country has power to affect developments though it has no formal authority: there was increasing friction between Russia and Germany concerning their respective spheres of influence in eastern Europe. • a field or area in which an individual or organization has power to affect events and developments: we need a system in which agencies have clearer boundaries to their sphere of influence.

dump

noun 1 a site for depositing rubbish. • a heap of rubbish left at a dump. • [usually with modifier] a place where a particular kind of waste, especially dangerous waste, is left: a nuclear waste dump. • a place where weapons and other military equipment is stored: an ammunitions dump. 2 informal an unpleasant or dreary place: why are you living in a dump like this? 3 Computing an act of copying stored data to a different location, performed typically as a protection against loss. • a printout or list of the contents of a computer's memory, occurring typically after a system failure. 4 vulgar slang an act of defecation. verb [with object] 1 deposit or dispose of (rubbish, waste, or unwanted material), typically in a careless or hurried way: trucks dumped 1,900 tons of refuse here. • abandon (something) hurriedly in order to make an escape: the couple dumped the car and fled. • put (something) down heavily or carelessly: she dumped her knapsack on the floor. • informal abandon or desert (someone): you'll get tired of me and dump me. • send (goods unsaleable in the home market) to a foreign market for sale at a low price: these countries have been dumping cheap fertilizers on the UK market. • informal sell off (assets) rapidly: investors dumped shares in scores of other consumer-goods firms. 2 Computing copy (stored data) to a different location, especially so as to protect against loss. • print out or list the contents of (a store), especially after a system failure. PHRASAL VERBS dump on North American informal criticize or abuse (someone); treat badly: you get dumped on just because of your name.

cone

noun 1 a solid or hollow object which tapers from a circular or roughly circular base to a point: stalls selling paper cones full of fresh berries | a cone of acrylic yarn. • Mathematics a surface or solid figure generated by the straight lines which pass from a circle or other closed curve to a single point (the vertex) not in the same plane as the curve. • a conical mountain, especially one of volcanic origin: the smooth cone of Vesuvius. • (also traffic cone) a plastic cone-shaped object that is used to separate off or close sections of a road. • a coned-shaped wafer container in which ice cream is served. • (also pyrometric cone) a ceramic pyramid that melts at a known temperature and is used to indicate the temperature of a kiln. • short for cone shell. 2 the dry fruit of a conifer, typically tapering to a rounded end and formed of a tight array of overlapping scales on a central axis which separate to release the seeds: a cedar cone. • a flower resembling a pine cone, especially that of the hop plant. 3 Anatomy one of two types of light-sensitive cell in the retina of the eye, responding mainly to bright light and responsible for sharpness of vision and colour perception. Compare with rod (sense 5) .

benchmark

noun 1 a standard or point of reference against which things may be compared: the pay settlement will set a benchmark for other employers and workers. • a problem designed to evaluate the performance of a computer system: Xstones is a graphics benchmark. 2 a surveyor's mark cut in a wall, pillar, or building and used as a reference point in measuring altitudes. verb [with object] evaluate (something) by comparison with a standard: we are benchmarking our performance against external criteria. • [no object, with adverbial] give particular results during a benchmark test: the device should benchmark at between 100 and 150 MHz.

nest

noun 1 a structure or place made or chosen by a bird for laying eggs and sheltering its young: two sparrows frantically building a nest | [as modifier] : a nest site. • a place where an insect or other animal breeds or shelters: an ants' nest. • something in the form of a bowl or layer, used to hold, protect, or support something: potato nests filled with okra. • a person's snug or secluded retreat: I'm off to my cosy nest. 2 a place filled with undesirable people, activities, or things: a nest of spies. 3 a set of similar objects of graduated sizes, made so that each smaller one fits into the next in size for storage: a nest of tables. verb 1 [no object] (of a bird or other animal) use or build a nest: the owls often nest in barns | (as adjective nesting) : do not disturb nesting birds. 2 [with object] fit (an object or objects) inside a larger one: the town is nested inside a large crater on the flanks of a volcano. • [no object] (of a set of objects) fit inside one another: Russian dolls that nest inside one another. • (especially in computing and linguistics) place (an object or element) in a lower position in a hierarchy: (as adjective nested) : organisms classified in a series of nested sets.

pad

noun 1 a thick piece of soft material, typically used to protect or shape something, or to absorb liquid: a pad of cotton wool. • a protective guard worn by a sports player to protect a part of the body: cricket pads. 2 the fleshy underpart of an animal's foot or of a human finger: a dog's pads will bleed profusely if cut. 3 a number of sheets of blank paper fastened together at one edge, used for writing or drawing: she sketched something on a big white pad. 4 a flat-topped structure or area used for helicopter take-off and landing or for rocket-launching: an office building with a helicopter pad. 5 informal a person's home: the police raided my pad. 6 Electronics a flat area on a track of a printed circuit or on the edge of an integrated circuit to which wires or component leads can be attached to make an electrical connection. verb (pads, padding, padded) [with object] 1 (often as adjective padded) fill or cover (something) with a soft material in order to protect or shape it or to make it more comfortable: a padded envelope. 2 (pad something out) lengthen a speech or piece of writing with unnecessary material: don't pad out your answer to make it seem impressive. 3 North American defraud by adding false items to (an expenses claim or bill): padded expenses for government work reaped billions of dollars for the Mafia. 4 [no object] (pad up) put on protective pads in order to play a sport, especially cricket: at the age of 90, he still pads up ready to bat. • Cricket (of a batsman) deliberately use one's pads to block a ball: Childs fooled the youngster into padding up to a ball which didn't spin away.

slice

noun 1 a thin, broad piece of food, such as bread, meat, or cake, cut from a larger portion: four slices of bread | potato slices. • a portion or share of something: local authorities control a huge slice of public spending. 2 a utensil with a broad, flat blade for lifting foods such as cake and fish. 3 Golf a stroke which makes the ball curve away to the right (for a left-handed player, the left). • (in other sports) a shot or stroke made with glancing contact so that the ball travels forward spinning. verb [with object] 1 cut (something, especially food) into slices: slice the onion into rings | (as adjective sliced) : a sliced loaf. • (slice something off/from) cut something from (something larger) with a sharp implement: he sliced a corner from a fried egg | figurative : he sliced 70 seconds off the record. • cut with or as if with a sharp implement: the bomber's wings were slicing the air with some efficiency | [no object] : the blade sliced into his palm. • [no object, with adverbial of direction] move easily and quickly: Grimsby sliced through Swindon's defence. 2 Golf strike (the ball) or play (a stroke) so that the ball curves away to the right (for a left-handed player, the left): Duval sliced his ball into the water to the right of the green. • (in other sports) propel (the ball) with a glancing contact so that it travels forward spinning: Evans went and sliced a corner into his own net. PHRASES any way (or however) you slice it US informal however you look at the matter: the news is not good any way you slice it. slice and dice divide a quantity of information up into smaller parts, especially in order to analyse it more closely or in different ways. a slice of the action see a piece of the action at piece. a slice of life a realistic representation of everyday experience in a film, play, or book: it's a slice of life and I hope you found it interesting.

paradigm

noun 1 a typical example or pattern of something; a pattern or model: society's paradigm of the 'ideal woman'. • a world view underlying the theories and methodology of a particular scientific subject: the discovery of universal gravitation became the paradigm of successful science. 2 Linguistics a set of linguistic items that form mutually exclusive choices in particular syntactic roles: English determiners form a paradigm: we can say 'a book' or 'his book' but not 'a his book'. Often contrasted with syntagm. 3 (in the traditional grammar of Latin, Greek, and other inflected languages) a table of all the inflected forms of a particular verb, noun, or adjective, serving as a model for other words of the same conjugation or declension.

manner

noun 1 a way in which a thing is done or happens: taking notes in an unobtrusive manner. • a style in literature or art: a dramatic poem in the manner of Goethe. • [mass noun] Grammar a semantic category of adverbs and adverbials which answer the question 'how?': an adverb of manner. • (manner of) archaic a kind or sort: what manner of man is he? 2 a person's outward bearing or way of behaving towards others: his arrogance and pompous manner. 3 (manners) polite or well-bred social behaviour: didn't your mother teach you any manners? • social behaviour or habits: Trevor apologized for his son's bad manners. • the way a motor vehicle handles or performs: I have no complaints about the performance or road manners.

specification

noun 1 an act of identifying something precisely or of stating a precise requirement: give a full specification of the job advertised | [mass noun] : there was no clear specification of objectives. 2 (usually specifications) a detailed description of the design and materials used to make something: one of the telescope's mirrors had been manufactured to incorrect specifications. • a standard of workmanship or materials required to be met in a piece of work: everything was built to a higher specification. • a description of an invention accompanying an application for a patent.

acquisition

noun 1 an asset or object bought or obtained, typically by a library or museum: the legacy will be used for new acquisitions. • a purchase of one company by another: there were many acquisitions among travel agents | [mass noun] : the company intends to grow within itself rather than by acquisition. • [mass noun] the buying or obtaining of assets or objects: western culture places a high value on material acquisition. 2 [mass noun] the learning or developing of a skill, habit, or quality: the acquisition of management skills.

argument

noun 1 an exchange of diverging or opposite views, typically a heated or angry one: I've had an argument with my father | heated arguments over public spending | [mass noun] : there was some argument about the decision. 2 a reason or set of reasons given in support of an idea, action or theory: there is a strong argument for submitting a formal appeal | [with clause] : he rejected the argument that keeping the facility would be costly. 3 Mathematics & Logic an independent variable associated with a function or proposition and determining its value. For example, in the expression y = F (x1, x2), the arguments of the function F are x 1 and x 2, and the value is y. • another term for amplitude (sense 4) . 4 Linguistics any of the noun phrases in a clause that are related directly to the verb, typically the subject, direct object, and indirect object. 5 archaic a summary of the subject matter of a book.

incident

noun 1 an instance of something happening; an event or occurrence: several amusing incidents | there was not one incident of teasing from the 90 pupils. • a violent event, such as a fracas or assault: one person was stabbed in the incident. • a hostile clash between forces of rival countries: the US regretted the incident. • [mass noun] the occurrence of dangerous or exciting things: my period in Egypt wasn't without incident. 2 Law a privilege, burden, or right attaching to an office, estate, or other holding. adjective 1 (incident to) liable to happen because of; resulting from: the changes incident to economic development. • Law attaching to: the costs properly incident to a suit for foreclosure or redemption. 2 (especially of light or other radiation) falling on or striking something: when an ion beam is incident on a surface. • Physics relating to incidence: the incident angle.

interval

noun 1 an intervening time: after his departure, there was an interval of many years without any meetings | the day should be dry with sunny intervals. • a component of activity in interval training: they ran, sprinted, and jogged for four 15-minute intervals at two different times. 2 a pause or break in activity: an interval of mourning. • British a period of time separating parts of a theatrical or musical performance. • a break between the parts of a sports match: United led 3-0 at the interval. 3 a space between two things; a gap. 4 the difference in pitch between two sounds.

fringe

noun 1 an ornamental border of threads left loose or formed into tassels or twists, used to edge clothing or material: a long grey skirt with a fringe | the fringes of a prayer shawl. 2 chiefly British the front part of a person's hair cut so as to hang over the forehead: she smiled as she pushed her fringe back out of her eyes. • a natural border of hair or fibres in an animal or plant: a long fringe of hair on the tail. 3 (often the fringes) the outer, marginal, or extreme part of an area, group, or sphere of activity: his uncles were on the fringes of crooked activity. • (the Fringe) a secondary festival on the periphery of the Edinburgh Festival: she became noted for her work on the Fringe. 4 a band of contrasting brightness or darkness produced by diffraction or interference of light. • a strip of false colour in an optical image. 5 North American short for fringe benefit: we offer the highest salary and fringes in the country. verb (fringes, fringing, fringed) [with object] decorate (clothing or material) with a fringe: a rich robe of gold, fringed with black velvet. • form a border around (something): the sea is fringed by palm trees. • (as adjective fringed) (of a plant or animal) having a border of hair or fibre: the fringed green leaves.

basin

noun 1 chiefly British a bowl for washing, typically attached to a wall and having taps connected to a water supply; a washbasin. 2 a wide open container used for preparing food or for holding liquid: she poured water from the jug into the basin. 3 a circular or oval valley or natural depression on the earth's surface, especially one containing water: the loch is cupped in a shallow basin among low hills. • the tract of country drained by a river and its tributaries, or which drains into a lake or sea: the Amazon basin. • an enclosed area of water where boats can be moored: the gravel pit is to be used as a yacht basin. • Geology a circumscribed rock formation where the strata dip towards the centre.

bracket

noun 1 each of a pair of marks ( ) [ ] { } 〈 〉 used to enclose words or figures so as to separate them from the context: symbols are given in brackets. 2 [with adjective or noun modifier] a category of people or things that are similar or fall between specified limits: those in a high income bracket. 3 a right-angled support attached to a wall for holding a shelf, lamp, or other object. 4 Military the distance between two artillery shots fired either side of the target to establish range. 5 US a diagram representing the sequence of matches in a sports tournament, especially as used for making predictions about its outcome: with the March Madness tournament half the fun is filling out your bracket. 6 (the bracket) British informal, dated a person's nose or jaw: a quick punch up the bracket. verb (brackets, bracketing, bracketed) [with object] 1 enclose (words or figures) in brackets: (as adjective bracketed) : the relevant data is included as bracketed points. • Mathematics enclose (a complex expression) in brackets to denote that the whole of the expression rather than just a part of it has a particular relation, such as multiplication or division, to another expression. • put (a belief or matter) aside temporarily: he bracketed off the question of God himself. 2 place (one or more people or things) in the same category or group: he is sometimes bracketed with the 'new wave' of film directors. 3 hold or attach (something) by means of a right-angled support: pipes should be bracketed. 4 Military establish the range of (a target) by firing two preliminary shots, one short of the target and the other beyond it. • Photography establish (the correct exposure) by taking several pictures with slightly more or less exposure: it's always best to bracket your exposures.

segment

noun 1 each of the parts into which something is or may be divided: a large segment of the local population | orange segments | the market for private cars can be broken down into several segments. • a portion of time allocated to a particular broadcast item on radio or television: they probably want to tape you for the eleven o'clock segment | Hammond and the others were filming a segment for his programme. 2 Geometry a part of a figure cut off by a line or plane intersecting it. • the part of a circle enclosed between an arc and a chord. • the part of a line included between two points. • the part of a sphere cut off by any plane not passing through the centre. 3 Zoology each of the series of similar anatomical units of which the body and appendages of some animals are composed, such as the visible rings of an earthworm's body. 4 Phonetics the smallest distinct part of a spoken utterance, especially with regard to vowel and consonant sounds rather than stress or intonation. verb | sɛɡˈmɛnt | [with object] divide (something) into separate parts or sections: the unemployed are segmented into two groups. • [no object] divide into separate parts or sections: the market is beginning to segment into a number of well-defined categories. • [no object] Embryology (of a cell) undergo cleavage; divide into many cells.

perimeter

noun 1 the continuous line forming the boundary of a closed geometrical figure: the perimeter of a rectangle. • the outermost parts or boundary of an area or object: the perimeter of the garden | [as modifier] : a perimeter fence. • Basketball an area away from the basket, beyond the reach of the defensive team: he was very patient in working the ball around the perimeter. 2 an instrument for measuring the extent and characteristics of a person's field of vision.

margin

noun 1 the edge or border of something: the eastern margin of the Indian Ocean. • the blank border on each side of the print on a page: the notations in the margin. • a line ruled on paper to mark off a margin. 2 an amount by which something is won: they won by a convincing 17-point margin. • an amount of something included so as to be sure of success or safety: there was no margin for error. • the furthest limit of possibility, success, etc.: the lighting is brighter than before but is still at the margins of acceptability. • a profit margin: launching these new products helped increase margins and market share. • Finance a sum deposited with a broker to cover the risk of loss on a transaction or account. • Australian/NZ an increment to a basic wage, paid for extra skill or responsibility. verb (margins, margining, margined) [with object] 1 provide with an edge or border: the plant's leaves are margined with yellow. • archaic annotate or summarize (a text) in the margins: these he deals forth as the notable Matters, margined for better Notice. 2 deposit an amount of money with a broker as security for (an account or transaction): (as adjective margined) : a margined transaction. PHRASES margin of error a small amount that is allowed for in case of miscalculation or change of circumstances: it is well within the margin of error for this sort of calculation. DERIVATIVES margined adjective [in combination] : a wide-margined volume

stem

noun 1 the main body or stalk of a plant or shrub, typically rising above ground but occasionally subterranean. • the stalk supporting a fruit, flower, or leaf, and attaching it to a larger branch, twig, or stalk. 2 a long, thin supportive or main section of something: the main stem of the wing feathers. • the slender part of a wine glass between the base and the bowl: her fingers tightened on the stem of her glass. • the tube of a tobacco pipe: Stanley eyed his father over the stem of his pipe. • a rod or cylinder in a mechanism, for example the sliding shaft of a bolt or the winding pin of a watch: the stem of the bolt edged clear. • a vertical stroke in a letter or musical note. 3 Grammar the root or main part of a word, to which inflections or formative elements are added. • archaic or literary the main line of descent of a family or nation: the Hellenic tribes were derived from the Aryan stem. 4 the main upright timber or metal piece at the bow of a ship, to which the ship's sides are joined at the front end: the spines and bow stems of abandoned hulks. 5 US informal a pipe used for smoking crack or opium. verb (stems, stemming, stemmed) 1 [no object] (stem from) originate in or be caused by: many of the universities' problems stem from rapid expansion. 2 [with object] remove the stems from (fruit or tobacco leaves): her aunt and her mother were stemming currants on the side porch. 3 [with object] (of a boat) make headway against (the tide or current): if the wind will only freshen a little, we shall be able to stem the first of the flood.

crust

noun 1 the tough outer part of a loaf of bread: a sandwich with the crusts cut off | [mass noun] : I tore off several pieces of crust from the loaf. • a hard, dry scrap of bread: a kindly old woman might give her a crust. 2 a hardened layer, coating, or deposit on the surface of something soft: a crust of snow. • a layer of pastry covering a pie. • the outermost layer of rock of which a planet consists, especially the part of the earth above the mantle: the earth's crust. • a deposit of tartrates and other substances formed in wine aged in the bottle, especially port. 3 British informal a living or livelihood: I've been earning a crust wherever I can. verb [no object] form into a hard outer layer: the blisters eventually crust over. • [with object] cover with a hard outer layer: the burns crusted his cheek.

couple

noun 1 two people or things of the same sort considered together: a couple of girls were playing marbles. • a pair of partners in a dance or game. • (plural couple) a pair of hunting dogs. • (couples) two collars joined together and used for holding hounds together. • a pair of rafters. • Mechanics a pair of equal and parallel forces acting in opposite directions, and tending to cause rotation about an axis perpendicular to the plane containing them. 2 [treated as singular or plural] two people who are married or otherwise closely associated romantically or sexually: in three weeks the couple fell in love and became engaged | a honeymoon couple. 3 informal an indefinite small number: [as pronoun] : he hoped she'd be better in a couple of days | we got some eggs—would you like a couple? | [as determiner] : just a couple more questions | North American : clean the stains with a couple squirts dishwashing liquid. verb 1 [with object] (often be coupled to/with) link or combine (something) with something else: a sense of hope is coupled with a palpable sense of loss. • connect (a railway vehicle or a piece of equipment) to another: a cable is coupled up to one of the wheels. • connect (two electrical components) using electromagnetic induction, electrostatic charge, or an optical link: (as adjective coupled) : networks of coupled oscillators. • [no object] (couple up) join to form a pair: the beetles may couple up to form a pair. 2 [no object] mate or have sexual intercourse: as middle-class youth grew more tolerant of sex, they started to couple more often.

trade-off

noun a balance achieved between two desirable but incompatible features; a compromise: a trade-off between objectivity and relevance.

hamper

noun a basket with a carrying handle and a hinged lid, used for food, cutlery, and plates on a picnic: a picnic hamper. • British a basket or box containing food for a special occasion: a Christmas food hamper. • North American a large basket with a lid, used for laundry: a laundry hamper. ORIGIN Middle English (denoting any large case or casket): from Anglo-Norman French hanaper 'case for a goblet', from Old French hanap 'goblet', of Germanic origin. hamper2 | ˈhampə | verb [with object] hinder or impede the movement or progress of: their work is hampered by lack of funds. noun [mass noun] Nautical necessary but cumbersome equipment on a ship.

sonobuoy

noun a buoy equipped to detect underwater sounds and transmit them by radio.

assemblage

noun a collection or gathering of things or people: a loose assemblage of diverse groups. • a machine or object made of pieces fitted together: some vast assemblage of gears and cogs. • a work of art made by grouping together found or unrelated objects. • [mass noun] the action of gathering or fitting things together: the assemblage of electronic image and text databases.

transducer

noun a device that converts variations in a physical quantity, such as pressure or brightness, into an electrical signal, or vice versa.

spinnaker

noun a large three-cornered sail, typically bulging when full, set forward of the mainsail of a racing yacht when running before the wind.

precaution

noun a measure taken in advance to prevent something dangerous, unpleasant, or inconvenient from happening: he had taken the precaution of seeking legal advice. • (precautions) informal contraception: we never took precautions.

propeller

noun a mechanical device for propelling a boat or aircraft, consisting of a revolving shaft with two or more broad, angled blades attached to it.

correlation

noun a mutual relationship or connection between two or more things: research showed a clear correlation between recession and levels of property crime | [mass noun] : there was no correlation between the number of visits to the clinic and the treatment outcome. • [mass noun] the process of establishing a relationship or connection between two or more things: the increasingly similar basis underlying national soil maps allows correlation to take place more easily. • [mass noun] Statistics interdependence of variable quantities. • Statistics a quantity measuring the extent of the interdependence of variable quantities.

nuisance

noun a person or thing causing inconvenience or annoyance: it's a nuisance having all those people clomping through the house | I hope you're not going to make a nuisance of yourself. • Law an act which is harmful or offensive to the public or a member of it and for which there is a legal remedy. See also private nuisance, public nuisance.

exception

noun a person or thing that is excluded from a general statement or does not follow a rule: he always plays top tunes, and tonight was no exception | the administrator made an exception in the Colonel's case and waived the normal visiting hours. PHRASES the exception proves the rule proverb the fact that some cases do not follow a rule proves that the rule applies in all other cases. take exception to object strongly to: many viewers took great exception to the programme's content. with the exception of except; not including: all water sports, with the exception of scuba diving, are complimentary. without exception with no one or nothing excluded: almost without exception, all the residents are opposed to this vandalism.

reflector

noun a piece of glass or metal for reflecting light in a required direction, e.g. a red one on the back of a motor vehicle or bicycle. • an object or device which reflects radio waves, seismic vibrations, sound, or other waves. • a reflecting telescope.

sequel

noun a published, broadcast, or recorded work that continues the story or develops the theme of an earlier one: the sequel toHome Alone | The Prisoner of Zenda and its sequel. • something that takes place after or as a result of an earlier event: this encouragement to grow potatoes had a disastrous sequel some fifty years later. PHRASES in the sequel British formal as things develop: this modification of style, as will become clearer in the sequel, does not invalidate our earlier approach.

lattice

noun a structure consisting of strips of wood or metal crossed and fastened together with square or diamond-shaped spaces left between, used as a screen or fence or as a support for climbing plants: honeysuckle was growing up a lattice round the door | the lift stopped and he peered through the metal lattice | [as modifier] : a lattice fence. • an interlaced structure or pattern resembling a lattice: the lattice of branches above her. • Physics a regular repeated three-dimensional arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules in a metal or other crystalline solid.

appraisal

noun an act of assessing something or someone: she carried out a thorough appraisal | [mass noun] : the report has been subject to appraisal. • a formal assessment, typically in an interview, of the performance of an employee over a particular period: all appraisals will be held in the next couple of weeks | [as modifier] : an appraisal system.

role

noun an actor's part in a play, film, etc.: Dietrich's role as a wife in war-torn Paris | his first major film role. • the function assumed or part played by a person or thing in a particular situation: the equipment will play a vital role in the fight against cancer | he took an active role in bringing about reform.

buoy

noun an anchored float serving as a navigation mark, to show reefs or other hazards, or for mooring. verb [with object] 1 (often be buoyed up) keep (someone or something) afloat: the creatures could swim, both buoyed up and cooled by the water. • make (someone) cheerful and confident: she was buoyed up by his praise. • cause (a price) to rise to or remain at a high level: shares were up 4p, buoyed by his cut-and-thrust management style. 2 (usually as adjective buoyed) mark with an anchored float: a buoyed channel.

increment

noun an increase or addition, especially one of a series on a fixed scale: all sizes from 4-30 mm in 1 mm increments. • a regular increase in salary on an incremental scale: your first increment will be payable six months from your date of commencement. • Mathematics a small positive or negative change in a variable quantity or function. verb [with object] chiefly Computing cause a discrete increase in (a numerical quantity).

aperture

noun an opening, hole, or gap: the bell ropes passed through apertures in the ceiling | the genital aperture of an insect. • a space through which light passes in an optical or photographic instrument, especially the variable opening by which light enters a camera: a refracting telescope with an aperture of 3 inches.

subsurface

noun the stratum or strata below the earth's surface: [as modifier] : the subsurface layer.

content

noun (also contents) the things that are held or included in something: she unscrewed the top of the flask and drank the contents. • [in singular, with modifier] the amount of a particular constituent occurring in a substance: soya milk has a low fat content. • (contents) a list of the chapters or sections given at the front of a book or periodical: [as modifier] : the contents page. • [mass noun] the material dealt with in a speech, literary work, etc. as distinct from its form or style: the tone, if not the content, of his book is familiar. • information made available by a website or other electronic medium: [as modifier] : online content providers.

accordance

noun (in phrase in accordance with) in a manner conforming with: the ballot was held in accordance with trade union rules.

ambiguity

noun (plural ambiguities) [mass noun] the quality of being open to more than one interpretation; inexactness: we can detect no ambiguity in this section of the Act | [count noun] : ambiguities in such questions are potentially very dangerous.

analogy

noun (plural analogies) a comparison between one thing and another, typically for the purpose of explanation or clarification: an analogy between the workings of nature and those of human societies | [mass noun] : he interprets logical functions by analogy with machines. • a correspondence or partial similarity: the syndrome is called deep dysgraphia because of its analogy to deep dyslexia. • a thing which is comparable to something else in significant respects: works of art were seen as an analogy for works of nature. • [mass noun] Logic a process of arguing from similarity in known respects to similarity in other respects: argument from analogy. • [mass noun] Linguistics a process by which new words and inflections are created on the basis of regularities in the form of existing ones. • [mass noun] Biology the resemblance of function between organs that have a different evolutionary origin. DERIVATIVES analogic | anəˈlɒdʒɪk | adjective analogical | anəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)l | adjective analogically | anəˈlɒdʒɪk(ə)li | adverb

corollary

noun (plural corollaries) a proposition that follows from (and is often appended to) one already proved. • a direct or natural consequence or result: the huge increases in unemployment were the corollary of expenditure cuts. adjective forming a proposition that follows from one already proved. • associated or supplementary: the court did not answer a corollary question.

datum

noun (plural data) 1 a piece of information. See also data: the fact is a datum worth taking into account. • an assumption or premise from which inferences may be drawn: this is not a permanent and unchangeable datum. See also sense datum. 2 a fixed starting point of a scale or operation: an accurate datum is formed by which other machining operations can be carried out. See also ordnance datum.

deficiency

noun (plural deficiencies) a lack or shortage: deficiencies in material resources. • a failing or shortcoming: for all its deficiencies it remains his most powerful play. • the amount by which something, especially revenue, falls short; a deficit: a budget deficiency of $96 billion.

discrepancy

noun (plural discrepancies) an illogical or surprising lack of compatibility or similarity between two or more facts: there's a discrepancy between your account and his.

entity

noun (plural entities) a thing with distinct and independent existence: Church and empire were fused in a single entity. • [mass noun] existence; being: entity and nonentity.

entry

noun (plural entries) 1 an act of going or coming in: the door was locked, but he forced an entry. • a place of entrance, such as a door or lobby: the entry to a block of flats. • dialect a passage between buildings. • [mass noun] the right, means, or opportunity to enter a place or be a member of something: people seeking entry to Australia. • [mass noun] the action of entering something: more young people are postponing their entry into full-time work. • Music the point at which a particular performer in an ensemble starts or resumes playing or singing: a fluffed entry. • Bridge a card providing an opportunity to transfer the lead to a particular hand: the diamonds are still not established, so South must gamble on finding an extra entry to the dummy. • (also entry into possession) [mass noun] Law the action of taking up the legal right to property. 2 an item written or printed in a diary, list, account book, or reference book: the entries in the cash book. • [mass noun] the action of recording an item in a diary, list, etc.: sophisticated features to help ensure accurate data entry. 3 a person or thing competing in a race or competition: from the hundreds of entries we received, twelve winners were finally chosen. • [in singular] the number of competitors in a particular race or competition: another large international entry is anticipated for this year's event. • [mass noun] the action of participating in a race or competition: entry is open to people of all ages | [as modifier] : the entry fee is only £6 per team. 4 the forward part of a ship's hull below the waterline, considered in terms of breadth or narrowness.

equilibrium

noun (plural equilibria | ˌiːkwɪˈlɪbrɪə, ˌɛkwɪˈlɪbrɪə | ) [mass noun] a state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced: the task is the maintenance of social equilibrium. • a state of physical balance: I stumbled over a rock and recovered my equilibrium. • a calm state of mind: his intensity could unsettle his equilibrium. • Chemistry a state in which a process and its reverse are occurring at equal rates so that no overall change is taking place: ice is in equilibrium with water. • Economics a situation in which supply and demand are matched and prices stable: the market is in equilibrium | [as modifier] : the equilibrium level of income.

geometry

noun (plural geometries) [mass noun] the branch of mathematics concerned with the properties and relations of points, lines, surfaces, solids, and higher dimensional analogues. • [count noun] a particular system of geometry: non-Euclidean geometries. • [in singular] the shape and relative arrangement of the parts of something: the geometry of spiders' webs.

hierarchy

noun (plural hierarchies) a system in which members of an organization or society are ranked according to relative status or authority: the initiative was with those lower down in the hierarchy | [mass noun] : the trend is to get away from hierarchy and control. • (the hierarchy) the clergy of the Catholic Church or of an episcopal Church: the Roman Catholic hierarchy in Romania. • (the hierarchy) the upper echelons of a hierarchical system: the magazine was read quite widely even by some of the hierarchy. • an arrangement or classification of things according to relative importance or inclusiveness: a taxonomic hierarchy of phyla, classes, orders, families, genera, and species. • Theology the traditional system of orders of angels and other heavenly beings: the heavenly hierarchy.

identity

noun (plural identities) 1 the fact of being who or what a person or thing is: he knows the identity of the bombers | [mass noun] : she believes she is the victim of mistaken identity. • the characteristics determining who or what a person or thing is: he wanted to develop a more distinctive Scottish Tory identity. • [as modifier] (of an object) serving to establish who the holder, owner, or wearer is by bearing their name and often other details such as a signature or photograph: an identity card. 2 a close similarity or affinity: an identity between the company's own interests and those of the local community. 3 Mathematics (also identity operation) a transformation that leaves an object unchanged. • (also identity element) an element of a set which, if combined with another element by a specified binary operation, leaves that element unchanged. 4 Mathematics the equality of two expressions for all values of the quantities expressed by letters, or an equation expressing this, e.g. (x + 1)2 = x 2 + 2x + 1.

property

noun (plural properties) 1 [mass noun] a thing or things belonging to someone; possessions collectively: she wanted Oliver and his property out of her flat | the stolen property was not recovered. • a building or buildings and the land belonging to it or them: he's expanding now, buying property | [count noun] : the renovation of council properties. • (properties) shares or investments in property: properties ran into profit-taking, with Haslemere 176p. • Law the right to the possession, use, or disposal of something; ownership: rights of property. • old-fashioned term for prop2. 2 an attribute, quality, or characteristic of something: the property of heat to expand metal at uniform rates.

scenario

noun (plural scenarios) a written outline of a film, novel, or stage work giving details of the plot and individual scenes: the scenarios for four short stories. • a postulated sequence or development of events: a possible scenario is that he was attacked after opening the front door. • a setting, in particular for a work of art or literature: the scenario is World War Two.

shelf

noun (plural shelves | ʃɛlvz | ) 1 a flat length of wood or rigid material, attached to a wall or forming part of a piece of furniture, that provides a surface for the storage or display of objects. 2 a ledge of rock or protruding strip of land. • a submarine bank, or a part of the continental shelf.

sepctrum

noun (plural spectra | ˈspɛktrə | or spectrums) 1 a band of colours, as seen in a rainbow, produced by separation of the components of light by their different degrees of refraction according to wavelength. • (the spectrum) the entire range of wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation. • a characteristic series of frequencies of electromagnetic radiation emitted or absorbed by a substance. • the components of a sound or other phenomenon arranged according to such characteristics as frequency, charge, and energy. 2 used to classify something in terms of its position on a scale between two extreme points: the left or the right of the political spectrum. • a wide range: self-help books are covering a broader and broader spectrum.

stratum

noun (plural strata | ˈstrɑːtə, ˈstreɪtə | ) 1 a layer or a series of layers of rock in the ground: a stratum of flint. • a thin layer within any structure: thin strata of air. 2 a level or class to which people are assigned according to their social status, education, or income: members of other social strata. • Statistics a group into which members of a population are divided in stratified sampling: allocation of sample units to strata.

stratum/strata

topology

noun (plural topologies)拓扑，拓扑结构 1 [mass noun] Mathematics the study of geometrical properties and spatial relations unaffected by the continuous change of shape or size of figures. • [count noun] a family of open subsets of an abstract space such that the union and the intersection of any two of them are members of the family, and which includes the space itself and the empty set. 2 the way in which constituent parts are interrelated or arranged: the topology of a computer network.

trajectory

noun (plural trajectories) 1 the path followed by a projectile flying or an object moving under the action of given forces: the missile's trajectory was preset | figurative : the rapid upward trajectory of Rich's career. 2 Geometry a curve or surface cutting a family of curves or surfaces at a constant angle.

trajectory

noun (plural trajectories)轨迹 1 the path followed by a projectile flying or an object moving under the action of given forces: the missile's trajectory was preset | figurative : the rapid upward trajectory of Rich's career. 2 Geometry a curve or surface cutting a family of curves or surfaces at a constant angle.

variability

noun (plural variabilities) [mass noun] lack of consistency or fixed pattern; liability to vary or change: a great deal of variability in quality | seasonal variability in water levels | [count noun] : our results showed substantial variabilities in laboratory practices.

variety

noun (plural varieties) 1 [mass noun] the quality or state of being different or diverse; the absence of uniformity or monotony: it's the variety that makes my job so enjoyable. • (a variety of) a number or range of things of the same general class that are distinct in character or quality: the centre offers a variety of leisure activities. • [count noun] a thing which differs in some way from others of the same general class or sort; a type: fifty varieties of fresh and frozen pasta. • a form of television or theatre entertainment consisting of a series of different types of act, such as singing, dancing, and comedy: [as modifier] : a variety show. 2 Biology a taxonomic category that ranks below subspecies (where present) or species, its members differing from others of the same subspecies or species in minor but permanent or heritable characteristics. Varieties are more often recognized in botany, in which they are designated in the style Apium graveolens (var. dulce). • a cultivated form of a plant. See cultivar. • a plant or animal which varies in some trivial respect from its immediate parent or type.

chromosome

noun Biology a thread-like structure of nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form of genes.

terrane

noun Geology a fault-bounded area or region with a distinctive stratigraphy, structure, and geological history.

inception

noun [in singular] the establishment or starting point of an institution or activity: she has been on the board since its inception two years ago.

relief

noun [mass noun] 1 a feeling of reassurance and relaxation following release from anxiety or distress: much to her relief, she saw the door open. • [count noun] a cause of or occasion for relief: it was a relief to find somewhere to stay. • the alleviation of pain, discomfort, or distress: tablets for the relief of pain. • (usually light relief) something interesting or enjoyable that provides a short respite from a tense or tedious situation: the kiss-and-tell tale gave the nation some light relief from page after page of war coverage. 2 financial or practical assistance given to those in special need or difficulty: raising money for famine relief | [as modifier] : relief workers. • a remission of tax normally due: employees who donate to charity will receive tax relief. • chiefly Law the redress of a hardship or grievance. • the action of raising the siege of a besieged town: the relief of Mafeking. 3 [usually as modifier] a person or group of people replacing others who have been on duty: the relief nurse was late. • British an extra vehicle providing supplementary public transport at peak times or in emergencies: the coach had broken down and a relief vehicle had taken an hour to arrive. 4 the state of being clearly visible or obvious due to being accentuated: the setting sun threw the snow-covered peaks into relief. • a method of moulding, carving, or stamping in which the design stands out from the surface, to a greater (high relief) or lesser (low relief) extent: he cast them in relief from molten metal. • [count noun] a piece of sculpture in relief. • a representation of relief given by an arrangement of line or colour or shading. • Geography difference in height from the surrounding terrain: the sharp relief of many mountains. [via French from Italian rilievo, from rilevare 'raise', from Latin relevare.]

gravel

noun [mass noun] 1 a loose aggregation of small water-worn or pounded stones. • a mixture of gravel with coarse sand, used for paths and roads and as an aggregate. • a stratum or deposit of gravel. 2 Medicine aggregations of crystals formed in the urinary tract. verb (gravels, gravelling, gravelled; US gravels, graveling, graveled) [with object] 1 cover (an area) with gravel: (as adjective gravelled) : gravelled paths. 2 US informal make (someone) angry or annoyed: the strike was badly organized and it gravelled him to involve himself in it. • archaic confuse or puzzle (someone): the wisest doctor is gravelled by the inquisitiveness of a child.

metal

noun [mass noun] 1 a solid material which is typically hard, shiny, malleable, fusible, and ductile, with good electrical and thermal conductivity (e.g. iron, gold, silver, and aluminium, and alloys such as steel): an adjustable pole made of metal | [count noun] : being a metal, aluminium readily conducts heat. • (metals) the steel tracks of a railway: the locomotive is presently being made ready for operation over Network SouthEast metals. • Heraldry gold and silver (as tinctures in blazoning). 2 (also road metal) broken stone for use in road-making: the work also involves dealing with rock aggregates for potential use as suitable road metal. 3 molten glass before it is blown or cast. 4 heavy metal or similar rock music: industrial music is also a blend of metal and techno | [with modifier] : crunching power-trio metal. verb (metals, metalling, metalled; North American metals, metaling, metaled) [with object] 1 (as adjective metalled) made from or coated with metal: a range of metalled key rings. 2 (usually as adjective metalled) British make or mend (a road) with road metal: follow the metalled road for about 200 yards | the road was metalled and tolls charged for the upkeep.

excitation

noun [mass noun] 1 technical the application of energy to something. • Physics the process in which an atom or other particle adopts a higher energy state when energy is supplied: thermal excitation. • Physiology the state of enhanced activity of a cell, organism, or tissue which results from its stimulation: these neurotransmitters can produce excitation or inhibition. • the application of current to the winding of an electromagnet to produce a magnetic field: continuous rotation of the motor by sequential excitation of the phase windings | [as modifier] : two parallel coils with opposing excitation windings. • the application of a signal voltage to the control electrode of an electron tube or the base of a transistor. 2 the action of exciting or the state of being excited; excitement: a state of sexual excitation.

deviation

noun [mass noun] 1 the action of departing from an established course or accepted standard: deviation from a norm | sexual deviation | [count noun] : deviations from Standard English. 2 Statistics the amount by which a single measurement differs from a fixed value such as the mean: a significant deviation from the average value. 3 the deflection of a ship's compass needle caused by iron in the ship.

delineation

noun [mass noun] 1 the action of describing or portraying something precisely: the artist's exquisite delineation of costume and jewellery. 2 the action of indicating the exact position of a border or boundary: the eventual delineation of the border between the two states.

interference

noun [mass noun] 1 the action of interfering or the process of being interfered with: concerns about government interference in church life | [count noun] : an unwarranted interference with personal liberty. • American Football the legal blocking of an opponent to clear a way for the ball carrier. • (in ice hockey and other sports) the illegal hindering of an opponent not in possession of the puck or ball. 2 Physics the combination of two or more electromagnetic waveforms to form a resultant wave in which the displacement is either reinforced or cancelled. • the fading or disturbance of received radio signals caused by unwanted signals from other sources, such as unshielded electrical equipment, or broadcasts from other channels.

displacement

noun [mass noun] 1 the action of moving something from its place or position: vertical displacement of the shoreline | [count noun] : a displacement of the vertebra at the bottom of the spine. • the removal of someone or something by someone or something else which takes their place: males may be able to resist displacement by other males. • the enforced departure of people from their homes, typically because of war, persecution, or natural disaster: the displacement of farmers by guerrilla activity. • [count noun] the amount by which a thing is moved from a position: a displacement of 6.8 metres along the San Andreas fault. 2 the occupation by a submerged body or part of a body of a volume which would otherwise be occupied by a fluid. • the volume or weight of fluid that would fill the volume displaced by a floating ship, used as a measure of the ship's size: the submarine has a surface displacement of 2,185 tons. • technical the volume swept by a reciprocating system, as in a pump or engine: [as modifier] : a fixed displacement gear. 3 Psychoanalysis the unconscious transfer of an intense emotion from one object to another: this phobia was linked with the displacement of fear of his father. 4 Physics the component of an electric field due to free separated charges, regardless of any polarizing effects. • the vector representing such a component. • the flux density of such an electric field.

justification

noun [mass noun] 1 the action of showing something to be right or reasonable: the justification of revolutionary action | he made a speech in justification of his career. • good reason for something that exists or has been done: there is no justification for an increase in charges | [count noun] : all these incidents were used again as a justification for my sacking. 2 Theology the action of declaring or making righteous in the sight of God. 3 Printing the action or manner of justifying a line of type or piece of text.

reduction

noun [mass noun] 1 the action or fact of making something smaller or less in amount, degree, or size: talks on arms reduction | [count noun] : there had been a reduction in the number of casualties. • [count noun] the amount by which something is made smaller, less, or lower in price: special reductions on knitwear. • the simplification of a subject or problem to a particular form in presentation or analysis: the reduction of classical genetics to molecular biology. • Mathematics the process of converting an amount from one denomination to a smaller one, or of bringing down a fraction to its lowest terms. • Biology the halving of the number of chromosomes per cell that occurs at one of the two anaphases of meiosis. 2 [count noun] a thing that is made smaller or less in size or amount. • an arrangement of an orchestral score for piano or for a smaller group of performers. • a thick and concentrated liquid or sauce made by boiling. • a copy of a picture or photograph made on a smaller scale than the original. 3 the action of remedying a dislocation or fracture by returning the affected part of the body to its normal position: we must see if the fracture requires reduction. 4 Chemistry the process or result of reducing or being reduced: the reaction is limited to reduction to the hydrocarbon. 5 Phonetics substitution of a sound which requires less muscular effort to articulate: the process of vowel reduction.

dispersion

noun [mass noun] 1 the action or process of distributing things or people over a wide area: some seeds rely on birds for dispersion. • the state of being dispersed: the study looks at the dispersion of earnings with OECD member countries. • Ecology the pattern of distribution of individuals within a habitat. • (also the Dispersion) another term for diaspora. • [count noun] a mixture of one substance dispersed in another medium: the virus is transmitted in the dispersion of droplets which results from sneezing or coughing. 2 Physics the separation of white light into colours or of any radiation according to wavelength. 3 Statistics the extent to which values of a variable differ from a fixed value such as the mean.

penetration

noun [mass noun] 1 the action or process of penetrating something: the zip has a Velcro-secured flap to minimize rain penetration. • the insertion by a man of his penis into the vagina or anus of a sexual partner. 2 the selling of a company's products in a particular market or area: they had failed to make any penetration into new energy markets. • the extent to which a product is recognized and bought by customers in a particular market: the software has attained a high degree of market penetration. 3 the perceptive understanding of complex matters: the survey shows subtlety and penetration.

separation | sɛpəˈreɪʃ(ə)n |

noun [mass noun] 1 the action or state of moving or being moved apart: the damage that might arise from the separation of parents and children. • the state in which a couple remain married but live apart: legal grounds for divorce or separation | [count noun] : she and her husband have agreed to a trial separation. See also legal separation. 2 the division of something into constituent or distinct elements: prose structured into short sentences with meaningful separation into paragraphs. • the extraction or removal of a specified substance for use or rejection: an improved method of lead separation. • the process of distinguishing between two or more things: religion involved the separation of the sacred and the profane. 3 (also stereo separation) distinction or difference between the signals carried by the two channels of a stereophonic system: use two transmitters for full stereo separation. 4 short for colour separation. 5 Physics & Aeronautics the generation of a turbulent boundary layer between the surface of a body and a moving fluid, or between two fluids moving at different speeds.

separation

transit

noun [mass noun] 1 the carrying of people or things from one place to another: a painting was damaged in transit. • North American the conveyance of passengers on public transport. 2 the action of passing through or across a place: Guatemala is to have freedom of transit across Belize. • Astronomy the passage of an inferior planet across the face of the sun, or of a moon or its shadow across the face of a planet: the transits of Mercury across the sun's disc. • Astronomy the apparent passage of a celestial body across the meridian of a place. • Astrology the passage of a celestial body through a specified sign, house, or area of a chart. verb (transits, transiting, transited) [with object] pass across or through (an area): the new large ships will be too big to transit the Panama Canal. • Astronomy (of a planet or other celestial body) pass across (the face of another body, or a meridian): at the end of February Jupiter transits the meridian. • Astrology (of a celestial body) pass across (a specified sign, house, or area of a chart).

coverage

noun [mass noun] 1 the extent to which something deals with something else: the grammar did not offer total coverage of the language. • the treatment of an issue by the media: the programme won an award for its news coverage. • the area reached by a broadcasting station or advertising medium: a network of eighty transmitters would give nationwide coverage. 2 the area that can be covered by a specified volume or weight of a substance: coverage is 6.5 square metres per litre. 3 US the amount of protection given by an insurance policy. 4 American Football the manner in which a defender or a defensive team cover a player, an area, or a play: man-to-man coverage | [count noun] : he reads coverages well.

magnitude

noun [mass noun] 1 the great size or extent of something: they may feel discouraged at the magnitude of the task before them. • great importance: events of tragic magnitude. 2 size: electorates of less than average magnitude. • [count noun] a numerical quantity or value: the magnitudes of all the economic variables could be determined. 3 the degree of brightness of a star, as represented by a number on a logarithmic scale: [count noun] : the brightest stars have the lowest magnitudes. • [count noun] the class into which a star falls by virtue of its brightness: a star of the fifth magnitude. • [count noun] a difference of one on a scale of brightness, treated as a unit of measurement: a range of a tenth of a magnitude.

translation

noun [mass noun] 1 the process of translating words or text from one language into another: the translation of the Bible into English. • [count noun] a written or spoken rendering of the meaning of a word or text in another language: a Spanish translation of Calvin's great work. • the conversion of something from one form or medium into another: the translation of research findings into clinical practice. • Biology the process by which a sequence of nucleotide triplets in a messenger RNA molecule gives rise to a specific sequence of amino acids during synthesis of a polypeptide or protein. 2 formal or technical the process of moving something from one place to another: the translation of the relics of St Thomas of Canterbury. • Mathematics movement of a body from one point of space to another such that every point of the body moves in the same direction and over the same distance, without any rotation, reflection, or change in size.

divergence

noun [mass noun] 1 the process or state of diverging: the divergence between primates and other groups. • [count noun] a difference in opinions, interests, etc.: a fundamental divergence of attitude. • [count noun] a place where airflows or ocean currents diverge, typically marked by downwelling (of air) or upwelling (of water). 2 Mathematics the scalar product of the operator del and a given vector, which gives a measure of the quantity of flux emanating from any point of the vector field or the rate of loss of mass, heat, etc., from it.

clarity

noun [mass noun] 1 the quality of being coherent and intelligible: for the sake of clarity, each of these strategies is dealt with separately. • the quality of being certain or definite: it was clarity of purpose that he needed. 2 the quality of transparency or purity: the crystal clarity of water. • the quality of being easy to see or hear; sharpness of image or sound: the clarity of the picture.

simplicity

noun [mass noun] 1 the quality or condition of being easy to understand or do: for the sake of simplicity, this chapter will concentrate upon one theory. 2 the quality or condition of being plain or uncomplicated in form or design: the grandeur and simplicity of Roman architecture. • [count noun] a thing that is plain or uncomplicated: the simplicities of pastoral living.

inspection

noun [mass noun] careful examination or scrutiny: on closer inspection it looked like a fossil | please have your tickets ready for inspection | [count noun] : we carry out regular safety inspections.

expansion

noun [mass noun] the action of becoming larger or more extensive: the rapid expansion of suburban London | [count noun] : a small expansion of industry. • the political strategy of extending a state's territory by encroaching on that of other nations: German expansion in the 1930s. • [count noun] a thing formed by the enlargement or broadening of something: the book is an expansion of a lecture given last year. • the increase in the volume of fuel on combustion in the cylinder of an engine, or the piston stroke in which this occurs.

interpretation

noun [mass noun] the action of explaining the meaning of something: the interpretation of data. • [count noun] an explanation or way of explaining: this action is open to a number of interpretations. • [count noun] a stylistic representation of a creative work or dramatic role: his unique interpretation of the Liszt études. DERIVATIVES interpretational | ɪnˌtəːprɪˈteɪʃ(ə)n(ə)l | adjective

substitution

noun [mass noun] the action of replacing someone or something with another person or thing: the substitution of rail services with buses | [count noun] : a tactical substitution.

deformation

noun [mass noun] the action or process of deforming or distorting: solid rock undergoing slow deformation. • the result of a distorting process: the deformation will be temporary. • [count noun] an altered form of a word, especially one used to avoid overt profanity (e.g. dang for damn).

landfill

noun [mass noun] the disposal of waste material by burying it, especially as a method of filling in and reclaiming excavated pits: [as modifier] : landfill sites. • waste material used in landfill sites: our reusable packaging eliminates tons of landfill. • [count noun] an area filled in by landfill: landfills will take up valuable space. verb [with object] bury in a landfill: many tons of edible food are landfilled | [as adjective] : landfilled waste.

contempt

noun [mass noun] the feeling that a person or a thing is worthless or beneath consideration: Pam stared at the girl with total contempt | it is no wonder journalists are held in such contempt. • disregard for something that should be considered: this action displays an arrogant contempt for the wishes of the majority. • (also contempt of court) the offence of being disobedient to or disrespectful of a court of law and its officers: [count noun] : when he was found to have lied to the House this was a contempt. PHRASES beneath contempt utterly worthless or despicable: tawdry trash that is beneath contempt. hold someone in contempt judge someone to have committed the offence of contempt of court: the advocate was held in contempt for subpoenaing the judge. hold someone/something in contempt consider someone or something to be unworthy of respect or attention: the speed limit is held in contempt by many drivers.

diffraction

noun [mass noun] the process by which a beam of light or other system of waves is spread out as a result of passing through a narrow aperture or across an edge, typically accompanied by interference between the wave forms produced.

deterioration

noun [mass noun] the process of becoming progressively worse: a deterioration in the condition of the patient.

contraction

noun [mass noun] the process of becoming smaller: the general contraction of the industry did further damage to morale | [count noun] : the manufacturing sector suffered a severe contraction. • the process in which a muscle becomes or is made shorter and tighter: neurons control the contraction of muscles. • [count noun] (usually contractions) a shortening of the uterine muscles occurring at intervals before and during childbirth: she was now in no doubt that she was having contractions. • the process of shortening a word by combination or elision. • [count noun] a word or group of words resulting from shortening an original form: 'goodbye' is a contraction of 'God be with you'.

transition

noun [mass noun] the process or a period of changing from one state or condition to another: students in transition from one programme to another | [count noun] : a transition to multiparty democracy. • the process by which a person permanently adopts the outward or physical characteristics of the gender with which they identify, as opposed to those associated with their birth sex. The process may or may not involve measures such as hormone therapy and gender reassignment surgery: she had been living as a woman for eight years at that point and had completed her transition in 2001 | he began the transition from female to male in the 10th grade. • [count noun] Music a momentary modulation from one key to another. • [count noun] Physics a change of an atom, nucleus, electron, etc. from one quantum state to another, with emission or absorption of radiation. verb undergo or cause to undergo a process or period of transition: [no object] : he transitioned into filmmaking easily | [with object] : a firm specializing in transitioning companies from old technologies to new ones. • [no object] adopt permanently the outward or physical characteristics of the gender one identifies with, as opposed to those associated with one's birth sex: once the decision was finally made to transition, she was overwhelmed with the support from her immediate family.

merit

noun [mass noun] the quality of being particularly good or worthy, especially so as to deserve praise or reward: composers of outstanding merit. • [count noun] a good feature or point: the relative merits of both approaches have to be considered. • [count noun] a pass grade in an examination denoting above-average performance: if you expect to pass, why not go for a merit or a distinction? Compare with distinction. • (merits) Law the intrinsic rights and wrongs of a case, outside of any other considerations: a plaintiff who has a good arguable case on the merits. • (merits) Theology good deeds entitling someone to a future reward from God. verb (merits, meriting, merited) [with object] deserve or be worthy of (reward, punishment, or attention): the results have been encouraging enough to merit further investigation.

credibility

noun [mass noun] the quality of being trusted and believed in: the government's loss of credibility. • the quality of being convincing or believable: the book's anecdotes have scant regard for credibility. • another term for street credibility.

absence

noun [mass noun] the state of being away from a place or person: the letter had arrived during his absence | I supervised the rehearsal in the absence of the director. • [count noun] an occasion or period of being away from a place or person: repeated absences from school. • (absence of) the non-existence or lack of: she found his total absence of facial expression disconcerting.

dependence

noun [mass noun] the state of relying on or being controlled by someone or something else: Japan's dependence on imported oil. • reliance on someone or something for financial support: the dependence of our medical schools on grant funds. • addiction to drink or drugs: alcohol dependence.

presence

noun [mass noun] the state or fact of existing, occurring, or being present: my presence in the flat made her happy | the presence of chlorine in the atmosphere | the memorial was unveiled in the presence of 24 veterans. • [count noun] a person or thing that exists or is present in a place but is not seen: the monks became aware of a strange presence. • [in singular] a group of people, especially soldiers or police, stationed in a particular place: the US would maintain a presence in the Indian Ocean region. • the impressive manner or appearance of a person: Richard was not a big man but his presence was overwhelming.

literature

noun [mass noun] written works, especially those considered of superior or lasting artistic merit: a great work of literature. • books and writings published on a particular subject: the literature on environmental epidemiology. • leaflets and other printed matter used to advertise products or give advice: advertising and promotional literature.

subduction

noun [mass noun] Geology 潜没[指一个地壳板块下降到另一板块之下的过程] the sideways and downward movement of the edge of a plate of the earth's crust into the mantle beneath another plate: [as modifier] : subduction zone.

refraction

noun [mass noun] Physics the fact or phenomenon of light, radio waves, etc. being deflected in passing obliquely through the interface between one medium and another or through a medium of varying density. • change in direction of propagation of any wave as a result of its travelling at different speeds at different points along the wave front. • measurement of the focusing characteristics of an eye or eyes.

viscoelasticity

noun [mass noun] Physics the property of a substance of exhibiting both elastic and viscous behaviour, the application of stress causing temporary deformation if the stress is quickly removed but permanent deformation if it is maintained.

ascent

noun [usually in singular] 1 a climb or walk to the summit of a mountain or hill: the first ascent of the Matterhorn. • an upward slope or path that one may walk or climb: the ascent grew steeper. 2 an instance of rising or moving up through the air: the first balloon ascent was in 1783. • a rise to a higher social or professional rank: his ascent to power.

isochron

noun chiefly Geology a line on a diagram or map connecting points relating to the same time or equal times.

dispute

noun | dɪˈspjuːt, ˈdɪspjuːt | a disagreement or argument: a territorial dispute between the two countries | [mass noun] : the Commission is in dispute with the government. • a disagreement between management and employees that leads to industrial action: an industrial dispute. verb | dɪˈspjuːt | [with object] 1 argue about (something): the point has been much disputed | [no object] : he taught and disputed with local poets. • question whether (a statement or alleged fact) is true or valid: the accusations are not disputed | [with clause] : the estate disputes that it is responsible for the embankment. 2 compete for; strive to win: the two drivers crashed while disputing the lead. • archaic resist (a landing or advance): I formed my line and prepared to dispute the advance of the foe.

complement

noun | ˈkɒmplɪm(ə)nt | 1 a thing that contributes extra features to something else in such a way as to improve or emphasize its quality: local ales provide the perfect complement to fine food. 2 [in singular] a number or quantity of something, especially that required to make a group complete: at the moment we have a full complement of staff. • the number of people required to crew a ship: almost half the ship's complement of 322 were wounded. • Geometry the amount in degrees by which a given angle is less than 90°. • Mathematics the members of a set or class that are not members of a given subset. 3 Grammar one or more words, phrases, or clauses governed by a verb (or by a nominalization or a predicative adjective) that complete the meaning of the predicate. In generative grammar, all the constituents of a sentence that are governed by a verb form the complement. • (in systemic grammar) an adjective or noun that has the same reference as either the subject (as mad in he is mad) or the object (as mad in he drove her mad or manager in they appointed him manager). 4 [mass noun] Physiology a group of proteins present in blood plasma and tissue fluid which combine with an antigen-antibody complex to bring about the lysis of foreign cells. verb | ˈkɒmplɪmɛnt | [with object] contribute extra features to (someone or something) in such a way as to improve or emphasize their qualities: a classic blazer complements a look that's smart or casual. • add to or make complete: the proposals complement the incentives already available. PHRASES in her complement Heraldry (of the moon) depicted as full. DERIVATIVES complemental | kɒmplɪˈmɛnt(ə)l | adjective

contest

noun | ˈkɒntɛst | an event in which people compete for supremacy in a sport or other activity, or in a quality: a tennis contest. • a competition for a political position: a leadership contest. • a dispute or conflict: a contest between traditional and liberal views. verb | kənˈtɛst | [with object] 1 engage in competition to attain (a position of power): she declared her intention to contest the presidency. • take part in (a competition or election): a coalition was formed to contest the presidential elections. 2 oppose (an action or theory) as mistaken or wrong: the former chairman contests his dismissal. • engage in dispute about: the issues have been hotly contested. PHRASES no contest 1 Law, chiefly US a plea by which a defendant in a criminal prosecution accepts conviction but does not plead or admit guilt: he pleaded no contest to two misdemeanour counts. 2 a decision by the referee to declare a boxing match invalid on the grounds that one or both of the boxers are not making serious efforts. • a competition, comparison, or choice of which the outcome is a foregone conclusion: when the two teams faced each other it was no contest. DERIVATIVES contestability noun contestable | kənˈtɛstəb(ə)l | adjective contestably | kənˈtɛstəbli | adverb contester | kənˈtɛstə | noun

prospect

noun | ˈprɒspɛkt | 1 [mass noun] the possibility or likelihood of some future event occurring: there was no prospect of a reconciliation | [count noun] : some training which offered a prospect of continuous employment. • [in singular] a mental picture of a future or anticipated event: this presents a disturbing prospect of one-party government. • (prospects) chances or opportunities for success or wealth: the poor prospects for the steel industry. 2 a person regarded as likely to succeed or as a potential customer, client, etc.: Norwich's unbeaten heavyweight prospect | clients deemed likely prospects for active party membership. • a place likely to yield mineral deposits: additional exploration prospects have been identified in this area. 3 an extensive view of landscape: a viewpoint commanding a magnificent prospect of the estuary. verb | prəˈspɛkt | [no object] search for mineral deposits, especially by drilling and excavation: the company is also prospecting for gold. • (prospect for) search for; seek: many charities are prospecting for new donors.

ornament

noun | ˈɔːnəm(ə)nt | 1 a thing used or serving to make something look more attractive but usually having no practical purpose, especially a small object such as a figurine: tables covered with ornaments and books. • [mass noun] decoration added to embellish something: Gothic buildings notable for their finely detailed ornament. • a quality or person adding grace, beauty, or honour to something: sense of humour is an ornament to character. • (ornaments) Music embellishments made to a melody: the composer marked the vocal part with many aspirations, accents, and other ornaments. 2 (usually ornaments) Christian Church the accessories of worship, such as the altar, chalice, and sacred vessels. verb | ˈɔːnəmɛnt | [with object] make (something) look more attractive by adding decorative items: a jewel to ornament your wife's lovely throat.

spline

noun样条曲线 1 a rectangular key fitting into grooves in the hub and shaft of a wheel, especially one formed integrally with the shaft which allows movement of the wheel on the shaft. • a corresponding groove in a hub along which the key may slide. 2 a slat of wood, metal, etc. • a flexible wood or rubber strip used especially in drawing large curves. 3 (also spline curve) Mathematics a continuous curve constructed so as to pass through a given set of points and have a certain number of continuous derivatives. verb [with object] secure (a part) by means of a spline: the clutch units are splined on to the mainshaft. • (usually as adjective splined) fit with a spline: splined freewheels.

thermodynamics

plural noun [treated as singular] the branch of physical science that deals with the relations between heat and other forms of energy (such as mechanical, electrical, or chemical energy), and, by extension, of the relationships between all forms of energy. The first law of thermodynamics states the equivalence of heat and work and reaffirms the principle of conservation of energy. The second law states that heat does not of itself pass from a cooler to a hotter body. Another, equivalent, formulation of the second law is that the entropy of a closed system can only increase. The third law (also called Nernst's heat theorem) states that it is impossible to reduce the temperature of a system to absolute zero in a finite number of operations.

boil

verb 1 (with reference to a liquid) reach or cause to reach the temperature at which it bubbles and turns to vapour: [with object] : we asked people to boil their drinking water | [no object] : he waited for the water to boil. • (with reference to a kettle, pan, or other container) heat or be heated until the liquid inside starts to boil: [with object] : she boiled the kettle and took down a couple of mugs | [no object] : the kettle boiled and he filled the teapot. 2 (with reference to food) cook or be cooked by immersing in boiling water or stock: [with object] : boil the potatoes until well done | (as adjective boiled) : two boiled eggs | [no object] : make the sauce while the lobsters are boiling. • [with object] wash or sterilize in very hot water: boil bedclothes and towels. • [with object] historical execute (someone) by subjecting them to the heat of boiling liquid: one valet was ordered to be boiled alive. 3 [no object] (of the sea or clouds) be turbulent and stormy: a huge cliff with the black sea boiling below. • (of a person or strong emotion) be stirred up: he was boiling with rage. noun [in singular] the temperature at which a liquid bubbles and turns to vapour: bring the sauce to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. • the process of heating a liquid to the temperature at which it bubbles and turns to vapour: the kettle's on the boil. • British a state of great activity or excitement: he has gone off the boil since opening the campaign. • Fishing a sudden rise of a fish at a fly: a boil from a fish in a pool. PHRASES keep the pot boiling maintain the brisk momentum of something: a home win over Sheffield kept the pot boiling. PHRASAL VERBS boil down to amount to; be essentially a matter of: everything boiled down to cash in the end. boil something down reduce the volume of a liquid by boiling: they boil down the syrup until it is very thick. boil over (of a liquid) flow over the sides of the container in boiling: the milk's boiled over. • (of a situation or strong emotion) reach a state of such intensity that it can no longer be controlled or contained: one woman's anger boiled over.

generalize

verb 1 [no object] make a general or broad statement by inferring from specific cases: it is not easy to generalize about the poor. 2 [with object] make (something) more widespread or widely applicable: attempts to generalize an elite education. • (as adjective generalized) Medicine (of a disease) affecting much or all of the body: generalized myalgia.

suppose

verb 1 [with clause] think or assume that something is true or probable but lack proof or certain knowledge: I suppose I got there about noon | [with object] : he supposed the girl to be about twelve. • used to make a suggestion or a hesitant admission: [in imperative] : suppose we leave this to the police | I'm quite a good actress, I suppose. • used to introduce a hypothesis and imagine its development: suppose he had been murdered—what then? • (of a theory or argument) assume or require that something is the case as a precondition: the procedure supposes that a will has already been proved | [with object] : the theory supposes a predisposition to interpret utterances. 2 (be supposed to do something) be required to do something because of the position one is in or an agreement one has made: I'm supposed to be meeting someone at the airport. • [with negative] be forbidden to do something: I shouldn't have been in the study—I'm not supposed to go in there.

reflect

verb 1 [with object] (of a surface or body) throw back (heat, light, or sound) without absorbing it: when the sun's rays hit the Earth a lot of the heat is reflected back into space. • (of a mirror or shiny surface) show an image of: he could see himself reflected in Keith's mirrored glasses. • embody or represent (something) in a faithful or appropriate way: schools should reflect cultural differences. • (of an action or situation) bring (credit or discredit) to the relevant parties: the main contract is progressing well, which reflects great credit on those involved. • [no object] (reflect well/badly on) bring about a good or bad impression of: the incident reflects badly on the operating practices of the airlines. 2 [no object] (usually reflect on/upon) think deeply or carefully about: he reflected with sadness on the unhappiness of his marriage | [with clause] : Charles reflected that maybe there was hope for the family after all. • archaic make disparaging remarks about: the clergy were strictly charged not to reflect on the Catholic religion in their discourses

impose

verb 1 [with object] force (an unwelcome decision or ruling) on someone: the decision was theirs and was not imposed on them by others. • put (a restriction) in place: sanctions imposed on South Africa. • require (a duty, charge, or penalty) to be undertaken or paid: a fine may be imposed. • (impose oneself on) exert firm control over: the director was unable to impose himself on the production. 2 [no object] take advantage of someone by demanding their attention or commitment: she realized that she had imposed on Mark's kindness. 3 [with object] Printing arrange (pages of type) so as to be in the correct order after printing and folding.

fuse

verb 1 [with object] join or blend to form a single entity: intermarriage had fused the families into a large unit. • [no object] (of groups of atoms or cellular structures) join or coalesce: the two nuclei move together and fuse into one nucleus | [with object] : attempts to fuse nuclei together. • melt (a material or object) with intense heat so as to join it with something else: powdered glass was fused to a metal base | [no object] : when fired in a special kiln, the metals fused on to the pot. 2 [no object] British (of an electrical appliance) stop working when a fuse melts: the crew were left in darkness after the lights fused. • [with object] cause (an electrical appliance) to stop working when a fuse melts: he will fuse the entire lighting system of the camp. 3 [with object] provide (a circuit or electrical appliance) with a fuse: (as adjective fused) : a fused plug. noun a safety device consisting of a strip of wire that melts and breaks an electric circuit if the current exceeds a safe level.

align

verb 1 [with object] place or arrange (things) in a straight line: the desks are aligned in straight rows facing forwards. • put (things) into correct or appropriate relative positions: the fan blades are carefully aligned | figurative : aligning domestic prices with prices in world markets. • [no object] lie in a straight line, or in correct relative positions: the pattern of the border at the joint should align perfectly. 2 (align oneself with) give support to (a person, organization, or cause): newspapers usually align themselves with certain political parties. • [no object] come together in agreement or alliance: all of them must now align against the foe.

yield

verb 1 [with object] produce or provide (a natural, agricultural, or industrial product): the land yields grapes and tobacco. • produce or generate (a result, gain, or financial return): this method yields the same results | such investments yield direct cash returns. 2 [no object] give way to arguments, demands, or pressure: the Western powers now yielded when they should have resisted | he yielded to the demands of his partners. • [with object] relinquish possession of: they might yield up their secrets | they are forced to yield ground. • [with object] concede (a point of dispute): I yielded the point. • chiefly North American give right of way to other traffic. 3 [no object] (of a mass or structure) give way under force or pressure: he reeled into the house as the door yielded. noun an amount produced of an agricultural or industrial product: the milk yield was poor. • a financial return: an annual dividend yield of 20 per cent.

propose

verb 1 [with object] put forward (a plan or suggestion) for consideration by others: he proposed a new nine-point peace plan | [with clause] : I proposed that the government should retain a 51 per cent stake in the company. • nominate (someone) for an elected office or as a member of a society: Roy Thomson was proposed as chairman. • put forward (a motion) to a legislature or committee: the government put its slim majority to the test by proposing a vote of confidence. • [with infinitive] intend to do something: he proposed to attend the meeting. 2 [no object] make an offer of marriage to someone: I have already proposed to Sarah | [with object] : one girl proposed marriage to him on the spot. PHRASES propose a toast (or propose someone's health) ask a group of people at a social occasion to drink to the health and happiness of a specified person: the Lord Mayor proposed a toast to the Queen.

resolve

verb 1 [with object] settle or find a solution to (a problem or contentious matter): the firm aims to resolve problems within 30 days. • [with object] Medicine cause (a symptom or condition) to heal or subside: endoscopic biliary drainage can rapidly resolve jaundice. • [no object] (of a symptom or condition) heal or subside: symptoms resolved after a median of four weeks. • Music (with reference to a discord) pass or cause to pass into a concord during the course of harmonic change: [no object] : dissonant notes resolve conventionally by rising or falling to form part of a new chord | [with object] : you would not want to resolve a melodic line on to the minor sixth interval. 2 [no object] decide firmly on a course of action: [with infinitive] : she resolved to ring Dana as soon as she got home. • [with clause] (of a legislative body or other formal meeting) make a decision by a formal vote: the executive resolved that a strike would be detrimental to all concerned | [with infinitive] : the conference resolved to support an alliance. 3 chiefly Chemistry separate or cause to be separated into constituent parts or components: [with object] : alpha-zein is often resolved into two major size components | [no object] : the Labyrinth's design resolves into a number of distinct functional areas. • [with object] (resolve something into) reduce a subject, statement, etc. by mental analysis into (separate elements or a more elementary form): the ability to resolve facts into their legal categories. • [with object] Physics analyse (a force or velocity) into components acting in particular directions. 4 [no object] (of something seen at a distance) turn into a different form when seen more clearly: the orange light resolved itself into four roadwork lanterns. • [with object] (of optical or photographic equipment) separate or distinguish between (closely adjacent objects): Hubble was able to resolve six variable stars in M31. • [with object] separately distinguish (peaks in a graph or spectrum). noun 1 [mass noun] firm determination to do something: she received information that strengthened her resolve. 2 US a formal resolution by a legislative body or public meeting.

normalize

verb 1 bring or return to a normal or standard condition or state: [with object] : the two countries normalized diplomatic relations in 1995 | [no object] : the situation had normalized. 2 [with object] Mathematics multiply (a series, function or item of data) by a factor that makes the norm or some associated quantity such as an integral equal to a desired value (usually 1): both sets of data have been normalized such that the lowest value is equal to 1. • Computing (in floating-point representation) express (a number) in the standard form as regards the position of the radix point, usually immediately following the first non-zero digit.

evolve

verb 1 develop gradually: [no object] : the company has evolved into a major chemical manufacturer | the Gothic style evolved from the Romanesque | [with object] : each school must evolve its own way of working. • (with reference to an organism or biological feature) develop over successive generations as a result of natural selection: [no object] : the domestic dog is thought to have evolved from the wolf. 2 [with object] Chemistry give off (gas or heat): the energy evolved during this chemical change is transferred to water.

alter

verb change in character or composition, typically in a comparatively small but significant way: [with object] : Eliot was persuaded to alter the passage | [no object] : our outward appearance alters as we get older | (as adjective altered) : an altered state. • [with object] make structural changes to (a building): plans to alter the dining hall. • [with object] North American & Australian castrate or spay (a domestic animal).

merge

verb combine or cause to combine to form a single entity: [no object] : the merchant bank merged with another broker | [with object] : he agreed to merge his broadcasting company with a multinational concern. • blend or cause to blend gradually into something else so as to become indistinguishable from it: [no object] : he crouched low and endeavoured to merge into the darkness of the forest | [with object] : he placed a sheet of paper over the fresh paint to merge the colours. • [with object] (usually merge something in) Law absorb (a title or estate) in another.

harden

verb make or become hard or harder: [no object] : wait for the glue to harden | [with object] : bricks which seem to have been hardened by firing. • make or become more severe and less sympathetic: [with object] : she hardened her heart. • make or become tougher and more clearly defined: [no object] : suspicion hardened into certainty | [with object] : this served only to harden the resolve of the island nations. • [no object] (of prices of shares, commodities, etc.) rise and remain steady at a higher level: if oil prices harden at the end of this century. PHRASAL VERBS harden something off inure a plant to cold by gradually increasing its exposure to it: the cuttings can be left in the frame until mid May, when they can be hardened off and planted out.

embed

verb (embeds, embedding, embedded) [with object] 1 fix (an object) firmly and deeply in a surrounding mass: he had an operation to remove a nail embedded in his chest. • implant (an idea or feeling) so that it becomes ingrained within a particular context: the Victorian values embedded in Tennyson's poetry. • Linguistics place (a phrase or clause) within another clause or sentence: (as adjective embedded) : the embedded sentence has no overt introducer. • incorporate (a video or other item of data) within the body of a web page or other document: you can embed the videos into a blog post. • (often as adjective embedded) design and build (a microprocessor) as an integral part of a system or device: it eliminates the need for an embedded controller on the plotter. 2 attach (a journalist) to a military unit during a conflict: the CNN correspondent is now embedded with the US Navy aboard the USS Constellation | (as adjective embedded) : check out the excellent blog of embedded journalist Michael.

impinge

verb (impinges, impinging, impinged) [no object] have an effect, especially a negative one: several factors impinge on market efficiency. • advance over an area belonging to someone or something else; encroach: the proposed fencing would impinge on a public bridleway. • (impinge on/upon) Physics strike: the gases impinge on the surface of the liquid.

imply

verb (implies, implying, implied) [with object] indicate the truth or existence of (something) by suggestion rather than explicit reference: salesmen who use jargon to imply superior knowledge | [with clause] : the report implies that two million jobs might be lost. • (of a fact or occurrence) suggest (something) as a logical consequence: the forecasted traffic increase implied more roads and more air pollution.

justify

verb (justifies, justifying, justified) [with object] 1 show or prove to be right or reasonable: the person appointed has fully justified our confidence. • be a good reason for: the situation was grave enough to justify further investigation. 2 Theology declare or make righteous in the sight of God: one of the elect, justified by faith. 3 Printing adjust (a line of type or piece of text) so that the print fills a space evenly or forms a straight edge at the margin: in most European languages you justify text by adding space between letters and words.

lag

verb (lags, lagging, lagged) [no object] 1 fail to keep up with another or others in movement or development: they waited for Tim who was lagging behind. 2 Billiards, North American another term for string (sense 6 of the verb) . noun 1 (also time lag) a period of time between one event and another: a time lag between infection and symptoms. 2 Physics a retardation in an electric current or movement.

creep

verb (past and past participle crept | krɛpt | ) [no object] 1 [usually with adverbial of direction] move slowly and carefully in order to avoid being heard or noticed: he crept downstairs, hardly making any noise | they were taught how to creep up on an enemy. • (of a thing) move very slowly and inexorably: the fog was creeping up from the marsh. • (of a plant) grow along the ground or other surface by means of extending stems or branches: (as adjective creeping) : tufts of fine leaves grow on creeping rhizomes. • (of a plastic solid) undergo gradual deformation under stress. 2 (creep in/into) (of a negative characteristic or fact) occur or develop gradually and almost imperceptibly: errors crept into his game | (as adjective creeping) : the creeping privatization of the health service. • (creep up) increase slowly but steadily in number or amount: gas prices have been creeping up for a while. noun 1 informal a detestable person: I thought he was a nasty little creep. • a person who behaves obsequiously in the hope of advancement. 2 [mass noun] slow steady movement, especially when imperceptible: an attempt to prevent this slow creep of costs. • the tendency of a car with automatic transmission to move when in gear without the accelerator being pressed: creep can be useful in slow-moving traffic or when parking. • the gradual downward movement of disintegrated rock or soil due to gravity: stones and earth slowly slip down the slopes by soil creep. • the gradual deformation of a plastic solid under stress: metals and ceramics can also exhibit creep. • gradual bulging of the floor of a mine owing to pressure on the pillars: the mines were unworkable because of creep. 3 British an opening in a hedge or wall for an animal to pass through: low in the wall are creeps, through which ewes gain access to grazing from the pastures behind. • a feeding enclosure for young animals, with a long, narrow entrance: young piglets spend most of their time in the creep. 4 [mass noun] British solid food given to young farm animals in order to wean them: we've started to wean the lambs earlier and to keep them on creep. PHRASES give someone the creeps informal induce a feeling of revulsion or fear in someone: eels wriggle, they're slimy, and they give some people the creeps. PHRASAL VERBS creep someone out (past and past participle creeped) informal give someone an unpleasant feeling of fear or unease: an anonymous note like that would creep me out. creep to British informal behave obsequiously towards (someone) in the hope of advancement: I'm not the kind of fellow that's going to creep to anybody.

arise

verb (past arose | əˈrəʊz | ; past participle arisen | əˈrɪz(ə)n | ) [no object] 1 (of a problem, opportunity, or situation) emerge; become apparent: new difficulties had arisen. • come into being; originate: the practice arose in the nineteenth century. • (arise from/out of) occur as a result of: motorists are liable for damages arising out of accidents. 2 formal or literary get or stand up: he arose at 9.30.

propel

verb (propels, propelling, propelled) [with object] drive or push something forwards: the boat is propelled by using a very long paddle | (as adjective, in combination -propelled) : a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. • [with object and adverbial of direction] spur or drive into a particular situation: fear propelled her out of her stillness.

span

verb (spans, spanning, spanned) 1 [with object] (of a bridge, arch, etc.) extend from side to side of: the stream was spanned by a narrow bridge. • cover or enclose with the length of one's hand: her waist was slender enough for him to span with his hands. 2 extend across (a period of time or a range of subjects): their interests span almost all the conventional disciplines.

stratify

verb (stratifies, stratifying, stratified) [with object] (usually as adjective stratified) form or arrange into strata: socially stratified cities | [no object] : the residues have begun to stratify. • arrange or classify: stratifying patients into well-defined risk groups. • place (seeds) close together in layers in moist sand or peat to preserve them or to help them germinate: rose seeds stratified in November may be sown outdoors. • [no object] (of seeds) be germinated by stratifying: if you want to sow your own mistletoe, collect ripe berries and store them in moist sand to stratify.

strip

verb (strips, stripping, stripped) [with object] 1 remove all coverings from: they stripped the bed. • remove the clothes from (someone): [with object and complement] : the man had been stripped naked. • [no object] take off one's clothes: I was tempted to strip off for a swim | she stripped down to her underwear. • pull or tear off (a garment or covering): she stripped off her shirt | figurative : strip away the hype and you'll find original thought. • remove bark and branches from (a tree). • remove (paint or varnish) from (a surface): the floorboards can be stripped, sanded, and polished | strip off the existing paint. • remove the stems from (tobacco). • milk (a cow) to the last drop. 2 leave bare of accessories or fittings: thieves stripped the room of luggage. • remove the accessory fittings of or take apart (a machine, motor vehicle, etc.) to inspect or adjust it: the tank was stripped down piece by piece. 3 (strip someone of) deprive someone of (rank, power, or property): the lieutenant was stripped of his rank. 4 sell off (the assets of a company) for profit. • Finance divest (a bond) of its interest coupons so that it and they may be sold separately. 5 tear the thread or teeth from (a screw, gearwheel, etc.). • [no object] (of a screw, gearwheel, etc.) lose its thread or teeth. 6 [no object] (of a bullet) be fired from a rifled gun without spin owing to a loss of surface. noun 1 an act of undressing, especially in a striptease: she got drunk and did a strip on top of the piano. • [as modifier] used for or involving the performance of stripteases: a campaigner against strip joints. 2 British the identifying outfit worn by the members of a sports team while playing: the team's away strip is a garish mix of red, white, and blue. ORIGIN Middle English (as a verb): of Germanic origin; related to Dutch stropen. strip1 (sense 2 of the noun) arose in the late 20th century, possibly from the notion of clothing to which a player 'strips' down. strip2 | strɪp | noun 1 a long, narrow piece of cloth, paper, plastic, or some other material: a strip of linen. • a long, narrow area of land: the offensive gained a strip of territory a mile wide. • chiefly North American a main road in or leading out of a town that is lined with shops, restaurants, and other facilities: we went to a discount centre in a strip near where we work. • [mass noun] steel or other metal in the form of narrow flat bars: the company had purchased 67,423 kg of steel strip. 2 a comic strip: [as modifier] : a strip cartoon. 3 British a programme broadcast regularly at the same time: he hosts a weekly two-hour advice strip.

cruise

verb [no object, with adverbial] 1 sail about in an area without a precise destination, especially for pleasure: they were cruising off the California coast | [with object] : she cruised the canals of France in a barge. • take a holiday on a ship or boat following a predetermined course, usually calling in at several places. • travel or move around a place slowly, typically in search of something: a police van cruised past us | [with object] : my idea of a perfect Sunday afternoon is cruising car lots and checking out the new models. • [no object] informal wander about a place in search of a casual sexual partner: he spends his time cruising and just hanging out in New Orleans | [with object] : he cruised the gay bars of Los Angeles. • [with object] informal walk past and assess (a potential sexual partner): he was cruising a pair of sailors. 2 (of a motor vehicle or aircraft) travel smoothly at a moderate or economical speed: we sit in a jet, cruising at some 30,000 ft. • achieve an objective with ease, especially in sport: Millwall cruised to a 2-0 win over Leicester. 3 (of a young child) walk while holding on to furniture or other structures, prior to learning to walk without support: my daughter cruised at seven months and didn't walk until just after her first birthday | (as noun cruising) : it can take ages to go from cruising to proper walking | [with object] : about a week ago she started crawling forwards, cruising furniture, and standing by herself. noun a voyage on a ship or boat taken for pleasure or as a holiday and usually calling in at several places: a cruise down the Nile | [as modifier] : a cruise liner.

tend

verb [no object, with infinitive] regularly or frequently behave in a particular way or have a certain characteristic: written language tends to be formal | her hair tended to come loose. • [no object] (tend to/towards) be liable to possess or display (a particular characteristic): Walter tended towards corpulence. • [no object, with adverbial] go or move in a particular direction: fire is hot and tends upwards. • [no object] (tend to) Mathematics (of a variable) approach a given quantity as a limit: the orbit tends to infinity.

graze

verb [no object] (of cattle, sheep, etc.) eat grass in a field: cattle graze on the open meadows. • [with object] (of an animal) feed on (grass or grassland): downland areas grazed by sheep. • [with object] put (cattle, sheep, etc.) to feed on grassland: shepherds who grazed animals on common land. • informal (of a person) eat frequent snacks at irregular intervals: advertisers should not encourage children to graze on snacks or sweets. • informal, chiefly North American casually sample something: we grazed up and down the TV channels. DERIVATIVES grazer noun ORIGIN Old English grasian, from græs'grass'. graze2 | ɡreɪz | verb [with object] scrape and break the surface of the skin of (a part of the body): she fell down and grazed her knees. • touch or scrape lightly in passing: his hands just grazed hers. noun a slight injury where the skin is scraped: cuts and grazes on the skin.

decay

verb [no object] (of organic matter) rot or decompose through the action of bacteria and fungi: the body had begun to decay | (as adjective decayed) : decayed animal and plant matter | (as adjective decaying) : the odour of decaying fish. • [with object] cause to rot or decompose: the fungus will decay soft timber. • fall into disrepair; deteriorate: facilities decay when money is not spent on refurbishment. • decline in quality, power, or vigour: the moral authority of the party was decaying. • Physics (of a radioactive substance, particle, etc.) undergo change to a different form by emitting radiation: the trapped radiocarbon begins to decay at a known rate | the W-particle then decays into an electron and a neutrino. • technical (of a physical quantity) undergo a gradual decrease: the time taken for the current to decay to zero. noun [mass noun] the state or process of rotting or decomposition: hardwood is more resistant to decay than softwood | bacterial decay. • rotten matter or tissue: fluoride heals small spots of decay. • structural or physical deterioration: the old barn rapidly fell into decay. • the process of declining in quality, power, or vigour: the problems of urban decay. • Physics the change of a radioactive substance, particle, etc. into another by the emission of radiation: the gas radon is produced by the decay of uranium in rocks and soil | [count noun] : he developed a detector for decays of carbon-14. • technical gradual decrease in the magnitude of a physical quantity: the required time constant for current decay is 1 ms.

leak

verb [no object] 1 (of a container or covering) accidentally lose or admit contents, especially liquid or gas, through a hole or crack: the roof leaked | (as adjective leaking) : a leaking gutter | [with object] : the drums were leaking an unidentified liquid. • [with adverbial of direction] (of liquid, gas, etc.) be accidentally lost or admitted through a hole or crack in a container or covering: water kept leaking in. 2 (of secret information) become known: worrying stories leaked out. • [with object] intentionally disclose (secret information): a report was leaked to the press | (as adjective leaked) : a leaked government document. noun 1 a hole in a container or covering through which contents may accidentally pass: I checked all of the pipework for leaks. • an instance of leaking: a gas leak | [mass noun] : the leak of fluid may occur. 2 an intentional disclosure of secret information: one of the employees was responsible for the leak.

diverge

verb [no object] 1 (of a road, route, or line) separate from another route and go in a different direction: the flight path diverged from the original flight plan | figurative : their ways had diverged at university. • (of an opinion, theory, or approach) differ: the coverage by the columnists diverged from that in the main news stories | (as adjective diverging) : diverging concepts of nation-building. • (diverge from) depart from (a set course or standard): suddenly he diverged from his text. • develop in a different direction: English Gothic architecture began to diverge from that on the Continent. 2 Mathematics (of a series) increase indefinitely as more of its terms are added.

pertain

verb [no object] 1 (pertain to) be appropriate, related, or applicable to: matters pertaining to the organization of government. • chiefly Law belong to something as a part, appendage, or accessory: the shop premises and stock and all assets pertaining to the business. 2 formal be in effect or existence in a specified place or at a specified time: their economic circumstances are vastly different from those which pertained in their land of origin.

drift

verb [no object] 1 be carried slowly by a current of air or water: the cabin cruiser started to drift downstream | figurative : excited voices drifted down the hall. • [with adverbial of direction] walk slowly, aimlessly, or casually: people began to drift away. • [with adverbial] move passively, aimlessly, or involuntarily into a certain situation or condition: I was drifting off to sleep. • (of a person or their attention) digress or stray to another subject: I noticed my audience's attention drifting. 2 (especially of snow or leaves) be blown into heaps by the wind: fallen leaves start to drift in the gutters | (as adjective drifting) : long stretches of drifting snow. noun 1 [in singular] a continuous slow movement from one place to another: there was a drift to the towns. • [mass noun] the deviation of a vessel, aircraft, or projectile from its intended or expected course as the result of currents or winds: the pilot had not noticed any appreciable drift. • a steady movement or development from one thing towards another that is perceived as unwelcome: the drift towards a more repressive style of policing. • [mass noun] a state of inaction or indecision: after so much drift, any expression of enthusiasm is welcome. • Motorsports a controlled skid, used in taking bends at high speeds. 2 [in singular] the general intention or meaning of an argument or someone's remarks: maybe I'm too close to the forest to see the trees, if you catch my drift | he didn't understand much Greek, but he got her drift. 3 a large mass of snow, leaves, or other material piled up or carried along by the wind: four sheep were dug out of the drift. • [mass noun] Geology glacial and fluvioglacial deposits left by retreating ice sheets. • a large spread of flowering plants growing together: a drift of daffodils. 4 Mining a horizontal or inclined passage following a mineral vein or coal seam: the drift led to another smaller ore chamber. 5 British historical an act of driving cattle or sheep. • an act of herding cattle within a forest to a particular place on an appointed day in order to determine ownership or to levy fines. 6 South African a ford. PHRASAL VERBS drift apart (of two or more people) gradually become less intimate or friendly: Lewis and his father drifted apart.

proceed

verb [no object] 1 begin a course of action: the consortium could proceed with the plan. • [with infinitive] do something after something else: opposite the front door was a staircase which I proceeded to climb. • (of an action) carry on or continue: my studies are proceeding well. • Law start a lawsuit against someone: he may still be able to proceed against the contractor under negligence rules. 2 [no object, with adverbial of direction] move forward: from the High Street, proceed over Magdalen Bridge. • British dated advance to a higher rank, status, or education: he did not proceed to university in his seventeenth year. 3 originate from: his claim that all power proceeded from God.

remain

verb [no object] 1 continue to exist, especially after other similar people or things have ceased to do so: a cloister is all that remains of the monastery. • stay in the place that one has been occupying: her husband remained at the flat in Regent's Park. • [with complement] continue to possess a particular quality or fulfil a particular role: he had remained alert the whole time. 2 be left over or outstanding after others or other parts have been completed, used, or dealt with: a more intractable problem remains.

remain

appeal

verb [no object] 1 make a serious, urgent, or heartfelt request: police are appealing for information about the incident | she appealed to Germany for political asylum. • Cricket (of the bowler or fielders) call on the umpire to declare a batsman out, traditionally with a shout of 'How's that?'. 2 Law apply to a higher court for a reversal of the decision of a lower court: he said he would appeal against the conviction. • [with object] chiefly North American apply to a higher court for a reversal of (the decision of a lower court): they have 48 hours to appeal the decision. • (appeal to) try to persuade someone to do something by calling on (a particular principle or quality): I appealed to his sense of justice. 3 be attractive or interesting: the range of topics will appeal to youngsters. noun 1 a serious, urgent, or heartfelt request: his mother made an appeal for the return of the ring. • Cricket a shout of 'How's that?' or a similar call by a bowler or fielder to an umpire to declare a batsman out. • [mass noun] entreaty: a look of appeal on his face. • an attempt to persuade someone to do something by calling on a particular principle or quality: an appeal to their common cultural values. 2 Law an application to a higher court for a decision to be reversed: he has 28 days in which to lodge an appeal | [mass noun] : the right of appeal. 3 a request for donations to support a charity or cause: a public appeal to raise £120,000. 4 [mass noun] the quality of being attractive or interesting: the popular appeal of football.

intervene

verb [no object] 1 take part in something so as to prevent or alter a result or course of events: he acted outside his authority when he intervened in the dispute | [with infinitive] : their forces intervened to halt the attack. • (of an event or circumstance) occur as a delay or obstacle to something being done: Christmas intervened and the investigation was suspended. • interrupt verbally: [with direct speech] : 'It's true!' he intervened. • Law become involved in a lawsuit as a third party. 2 (usually as adjective intervening) occur in the time between events: to occupy the intervening months she took a job in a hospital. • be situated between things: they heard the sound of distant gunfire, muffled by the intervening trees.

deteriorate

verb [no object] become progressively worse: relations between the countries had deteriorated sharply | (as adjective deteriorating) : deteriorating economic conditions. DERIVATIVES deteriorative | dɪˈtɪərɪərətɪv | adjective

mutate

verb [no object] change in form or nature: rhythm and blues mutated into rock and roll. • Biology (with reference to a cell, DNA molecule, etc.) undergo or cause to undergo change in a gene or genes: [no object] : the virus is able to mutate into new forms that are immune to the vaccine | [with object] : certain nucleotides were mutated. DERIVATIVES mutative adjective mutator noun

coalesce

verb [no object] come together to form one mass or whole: the puddles had coalesced into shallow streams. • [with object] combine (elements) in a mass or whole: his idea served to coalesce all that happened into one connected whole.

disapprove

verb [no object] have or express an unfavourable opinion: Bob strongly disapproved of drinking and driving. • [with object] officially refuse to agree to: a company may take power to disapprove the transfer of shares.

fluctuate

verb [no object] rise and fall irregularly in number or amount: trade with other countries tends to fluctuate from year to year | (as adjective fluctuating) : a fluctuating level of demand.

adhere

verb [no object] (adhere to) 1 stick fast to (a surface or substance): paint won't adhere well to a greasy surface. 2 believe in and follow the practices of: I do not adhere to any organized religion. • closely follow, observe, or represent: the account adhered firmly to fact.

deflect

verb [with object, and usually with adverbial of direction] cause (something) to change direction; turn aside from a straight course: the bullet was deflected harmlessly into the ceiling | figurative : he attempted to deflect attention away from his private life. • [no object, with adverbial of direction] (of an object) change direction after hitting something: the ball deflected off Knight's body. • cause (someone) to deviate from an intended purpose: she refused to be deflected from anything she had set her mind on. • cause (something) to change orientation: the compass needle is deflected from magnetic north by metal in the aircraft.

tow

verb [with object] (of a motor vehicle or boat) pull (another vehicle or boat) along with a rope, chain, or tow bar: a pickup van towing a trailer | a man called to tow the car away | the authorities refused to allow the tanker to be towed into their ports. • (of a person) pull along behind one: she saw Florian towing Nicky along by the hand. noun [in singular] an act of towing a vehicle or boat: the cruiser got a tow from a warship after its engine failed. • a rope or line used to tow a vehicle or boat.

prescribe

verb [with object] 1 (of a medical practitioner) advise and authorize the use of (a medicine or treatment) for someone, especially in writing: her doctor prescribed sleeping tablets | [with two objects] : he was prescribed a course of antibiotics. • recommend (a substance or action) as something beneficial: marriage is often prescribed as a universal remedy. 2 state authoritatively or as a rule that (an action or procedure) should be carried out: rules prescribing five acts for a play are purely arbitrary.

prompt

verb [with object] 1 (of an event or fact) cause or bring about (an action or feeling): the violence prompted a wave of refugees to flee the country. • (prompt someone to/to do something) cause someone to take a course of action: curiosity prompted him to look inside. 2 encourage (a hesitating speaker) to say something: [with direct speech] : 'And the picture?' he prompted. • supply a forgotten word or line to (an actor) during the performance of a play. • Computing (of a computer) request input from (a user): the online form prompts users for data. noun 1 an act of encouraging a hesitating speaker: with barely a prompt, Barbara talked on. • a word or phrase spoken as a reminder to an actor of a forgotten word or line. • another term for prompter. • Computing a word or symbol on a screen to show that the system is waiting for input. 2 the time limit for the payment of an account, stated on a prompt note. adjective done without delay; immediate: she would have died but for the prompt action of two ambulancemen. • (of a person) acting without delay: the fans were prompt in complying with police requests. • (of goods) for immediate delivery and payment. adverb British exactly (with reference to a specified time): I set off at three-thirty prompt.

enable

verb [with object] 1 [with infinitive] give (someone) the authority or means to do something; make it possible for: the evidence would enable us to arrive at firm conclusions. • make (something) possible: each of them has wheels to enable easy transportation | the Department is leading the effort to enable a smooth and timely transition. 2 chiefly Computing make (a device or system) operational; activate: you can enable compression or even virus scanning prior to backup. • (as adjective, in combination -enabled) adapted for use with the specified application or system: WAP-enabled mobile phones.

induce

verb [with object] 1 [with object and infinitive] succeed in persuading or leading (someone) to do something: the pickets induced many workers to stay away. 2 bring about or give rise to: none of these measures induced a change of policy. • produce (an electric charge or current or a magnetic state) by induction: the current in the primary winding is induced by the rotating magnet. • (usually as adjective induced) Physics cause (radioactivity) by bombardment with radiation. 3 Medicine bring on (the birth of a baby) artificially, typically by the use of drugs: (as adjective induced) : induced labour. • bring on childbirth in (a pregnant woman) artificially, typically by the use of drugs: Carol was induced just four days before her baby's due date. 4 Logic derive by inductive reasoning: from the experimental evidence, one infers or induces the hypothesis.

re-enact

verb [with object] 1 act out (a past event): bombers were gathered together to re-enact the historic first air attack. 2 bring (a law) into effect again when the original statute has been repealed or has expired: section 3 of the Act re-enacted the form of strict liability formerly found in the Dogs Act.

consitute

verb [with object] 1 be (a part) of a whole: lone parents constitute a great proportion of the poor. • combine to form (a whole): there were enough members present to constitute a quorum. • be or be equivalent to (something): his failure to act constituted a breach of duty. 2 give legal or constitutional form to (an institution); establish by law: the superior courts were constituted by the Judicature Acts 1873-5.

constitute

violate

verb [with object] 1 break or fail to comply with (a rule or formal agreement): they violated the terms of a ceasefire. • fail to respect (someone's peace, privacy, or rights): they denied that human rights were being violated. 2 treat (something sacred) with irreverence or disrespect: he was accused of violating a tomb. 3 literary rape or sexually assault (someone).

mount

verb [with object] 1 climb up (stairs, a hill, or other rising surface): he mounted the steps. • climb or move up on to (a raised surface): the master of ceremonies mounted the platform. • get up on (an animal or bicycle) in order to ride it: he mounted the horse | he took the bicycle, mounted it, and rode to the station. • set (someone) on horseback; provide with a horse: she was mounted on a white horse. • (of a male mammal or bird) assume a position on top of (a female) in order to copulate: a female was immediately mounted by the cat. 2 organize and initiate (a campaign or other course of action): the company had successfully mounted takeover bids. • establish; set up: security forces mounted check points at every key road. • produce (a play, exhibition, or other artistic event) for public viewing: the museum is mounting an exhibition of sixteenth-century drawings | the theatre mounted a brilliant all-male 'As You Like It' | police mounted a reconstruction of what they believe happened before the explosion. 3 [no object] grow larger or more numerous: the costs mount up when you buy a home. • (of a feeling) become stronger or more intense: his anxiety mounted as messages were left unanswered. • (of blood) rise visibly into the cheeks: feeling the blush mount in her cheeks, she looked down quickly. 4 [with adverbial of place] place or fix (an object) on a support: fluorescent lights are mounted on the ceiling | the engine is mounted behind the rear seats. • set in or attach to a backing or setting: the photographs will be mounted and framed. • fix (an object for viewing) on a microscope slide. • Computing make (a disk or disk drive) available for use: there is a limit to the number of hard disks you can have mounted. noun 1 a backing or setting on which a photograph, gem, or work of art is set for display: a decorated photograph mount | delicate mounts for necklaces, earrings, and rings. • a glass microscope slide for securing a specimen to be viewed. • a stamp hinge. 2 a support for a gun, camera, or similar piece of equipment: heavy cannon were torn from their mounts | a mount for a pair of binoculars. 3 a horse that is ridden or is available for riding: he hung on to his mount's bridle. • an opportunity to ride a horse, especially as a jockey: the jockey's injuries forced him to give up the coveted mount on Cool Ground.

retain

verb [with object] 1 continue to have (something); keep possession of: Labour retained the seat | built in 1830, the house retains many of its original features. • not abolish or alter; maintain: the rights of defendants must be retained. • keep in one's memory: I retained a few French words and phrases. 2 absorb and continue to hold (a substance): limestone is known to retain water. 3 (often as adjective retaining) keep (something) in place; hold fixed: remove the retaining bar. 4 keep (someone) engaged in one's service: he has been retained as a freelance. • secure the services of (a barrister) with a preliminary payment: retain a barrister to handle the client's business.

retain

retrieve

verb [with object] 1 get or bring (something) back from somewhere: I was sent to retrieve the balls from his garden | Steven stooped and retrieved his hat. • (of a dog) find and bring back (game that has been shot): labradors are used to retrieve the birds after the flush. • [no object] reel or bring in a fishing line: when he reaches the breakers, with you retrieving furiously, he'll probably change course. 2 find or extract (information stored in a computer): other features include the ability to store, update, retrieve, and print your data. • recall (something): the police hope to encourage him to retrieve forgotten memories. 3 put right or improve (an unwelcome situation): he made one last desperate attempt to retrieve the situation. noun 1 an act of retrieving something, especially game that has been shot: watch the dog make the long retrieves. • an act of reeling or drawing in a fishing line: the chances are that the retrieve will bring your bait through an area of unfished water. 2 [mass noun] archaic the possibility of recovery: he ruined himself beyond retrieve.

interpolate

verb [with object] 1 insert (something of a different nature) into something else: illustrations were interpolated in the text. • insert (words) in a book or other text, especially in order to give a false impression as to its date. • alter or enlarge (a text) by insertion of new material. • Mathematics insert (an intermediate value or term) into a series by estimating or calculating it from surrounding known values. 2 interject (a remark) in a conversation: [with direct speech] : 'I dare say,' interpolated her employer.

adopt

verb [with object] 1 legally take (another's child) and bring it up as one's own: there are many people eager to adopt a baby. 2 choose to take up or follow (an idea, method, or course of action): this approach has been adopted by many big banks. • choose and move to (a country or city) as one's permanent place of residence. 3 take on or assume (an attitude or position): he adopted a patronizing tone. • British choose (someone) as a candidate for office: she was recently adopted as Labour candidate for the constituency. • formally approve or accept (a report or suggestion): the committee voted 5-1 to adopt the proposal. 4 British (of a local authority) accept responsibility for the maintenance of (a road).

preserve

verb [with object] 1 maintain (something) in its original or existing state: all records of the past were zealously preserved | (as adjective preserved) : a magnificently preserved monastery. • retain (a condition or state of affairs): a fight to preserve local democracy. • maintain or keep alive (a memory or quality): the film has preserved all the qualities of the novel. • keep safe from harm or injury: a place for preserving endangered species. • keep (game or an area where game is found) undisturbed to allow private hunting or shooting. 2 treat (food) to prevent its decomposition: freezing and canning can be reliable methods of preserving foods. • prepare (fruit) for long-term storage by boiling it with sugar: (as adjective preserved) : preserved oranges.

perturb

verb [with object] 1 make (someone) anxious or unsettled: they were perturbed by her capricious behaviour | [with object and clause] : he was perturbed that his bleeper wouldn't work. 2 subject (a system, moving object, or process) to an influence tending to alter its normal or regular state or path: nuclear weapons could be used to perturb the orbit of an asteroid. DERIVATIVES perturbable adjective perturbative | pəˈtəːbətɪv, ˈpəːtəbeɪtɪv | adjective perturb (sense 2) perturbingly adverb

consolidate

verb [with object] 1 make (something) physically stronger or more solid: the first phase of the project is to consolidate the outside walls. • strengthen (one's position or power): the company consolidated its position in the international market. 2 combine (a number of things) into a single more effective or coherent whole: all manufacturing activities have been consolidated in new premises. • combine (a number of financial accounts or funds) into a single overall account or set of accounts: (as adjective consolidated) : consolidated accounts. • chiefly British combine (separate pieces of legislation) into a single legislative act: the Companies Act 1948 and subsequent enactments were consolidated by the Companies Act 1985. DERIVATIVES consolidator | kənˈsɒlɪdeɪtə | noun consolidatory adjective

expose

verb [with object] 1 make (something) visible by uncovering it: at low tide the sands are exposed. • (as adjective exposed) unprotected, especially from the weather: the coast is very exposed to the south-west. • (often expose someone to) cause someone to be vulnerable or at risk: many newcomers are exposing themselves to injury. • (expose someone to) introduce someone to (a subject or area of knowledge): students were exposed to statistics in high school. • (expose oneself) publicly and indecently display one's genitals: police are hunting a man who exposed himself to a schoolgirl. • leave (a child) in the open to die. 2 reveal the true, objectionable nature of (someone or something): he has been exposed as a liar and a traitor. • make (something embarrassing or damaging) public: the situation exposed a conflict within the government. 3 subject (photographic film) to light when operating a camera: all over Europe, thousands of miles of film are exposed for holiday snaps.

pronounce

verb [with object] 1 make the sound of (a word or part of a word) in the correct or a particular way: Gerry pronounced the hero's name 'Cahoolin'. 2 declare or announce in a formal or solemn way: allow history to pronounce the verdict | [with complement] : she was pronounced dead at the scene | [with clause] : Asquith pronounced that this was the right course. • [no object] (pronounce on) pass judgement or make a decision on: the Secretary of State will shortly pronounce on alternative measures.

deploy

verb [with object] 1 move (troops or equipment) into position for military action: forces were deployed at strategic locations. • [no object] (of troops) move into position for military action: the air force began to deploy forward. 2 bring into effective action: small states can often deploy resources more freely.

devise | dɪˈvʌɪz |

verb [with object] 1 plan or invent (a complex procedure, system, or mechanism) by careful thought: a training programme should be devised | a complicated game of his own devising. 2 Law leave (something, especially real estate) to someone by the terms of a will. noun Law a clause in a will leaving something, especially real estate, to someone.

indicate

verb [with object] 1 point out; show: dotted lines indicate the text's margins. • be a sign of; strongly suggest: sales indicate a growing market for such art | [with clause] : his tone indicated that he didn't hold out much hope. • mention indirectly or briefly: the president indicated his willingness to use force against the rebels. • direct attention to (someone or something) by means of a gesture: he indicated Cindy with a brief nod of the head. • (of a gauge or meter) register a reading of (a quantity, dimension, etc.): an external tube is used to indicate fluid level. 2 suggest as a desirable or necessary course of action: treatment for shock may be indicated. 3 [no object] British (of a driver or motor vehicle) signal an intention to change lanes or turn using an indicator: Cal indicated and moved across the road | one car had indicated left but pulled out in front of him.

render

verb [with object] 1 provide or give (a service, help, etc.): money serves as a reward for services rendered | Mrs Evans would render assistance to those she thought were in need. • submit or present for inspection or consideration: he would render income tax returns at the end of the year. • deliver (a verdict or judgement): the jury's finding amounted to the clearest verdict yet rendered upon the scandal. • literary give up; surrender: he will render up his immortal soul. 2 [with object and complement] cause to be or become; make: the rains rendered his escape impossible. 3 represent or depict artistically: the eyes and the cheeks are exceptionally well rendered. • perform (a piece of music): a soprano solo reverently rendered by Linda Howie. • translate: the phrase was rendered into English. • Computing process (an outline image) using colour and shading in order to make it appear solid and three-dimensional: he is forced to render images by intermixing pixels of a few basic colours. 4 covertly send (a foreign criminal or terrorist suspect) for interrogation abroad; subject to extraordinary rendition. 5 melt down (fat) in order to clarify it: the fat was being cut up and rendered for lard. • process (the carcass of an animal) in order to extract proteins, fats, and other usable parts: (as adjective rendered) : the rendered down remains of sheep. 6 cover (stone or brick) with a coat of plaster: external walls will be rendered and tiled. noun [mass noun] a first coat of plaster applied to a brick or stone surface.

exhibit

verb [with object] 1 publicly display (a work of art or item of interest) in an art gallery or museum or at a trade fair: only one sculpture was exhibited in the artist's lifetime. • [no object] (of an artist) display one's work to the public in an art gallery or museum: she was invited to exhibit at several French museums. • publicly display the work of (an artist) in an art gallery or museum: no foreign painters were exhibited. 2 manifest clearly (a quality or a type of behaviour): he could exhibit a saintlike submissiveness. • show as a sign or symptom: patients with alcoholic liver disease exhibit many biochemical abnormalities. noun an object or collection of objects on public display in an art gallery or museum or at a trade fair: the museum is rich in exhibits. • North American an exhibition: people flocked to the exhibit in record-breaking numbers. • Law a document or other object produced in a court as evidence: many exhibits, including the cockpit voice recordings, will be produced in court.

suspend

verb [with object] 1 temporarily prevent from continuing or being in force or effect: work on the dam was suspended. • officially prohibit (someone) from holding their usual post or carrying out their usual role for a particular length of time: two officers were suspended from duty pending the outcome of the investigation. • defer or delay (an action, event, or judgement): the judge suspended judgement until January 15. • Law (of a judge or court) cause (an imposed sentence) not to be enforced as long as no further offence is committed within a specified period: the sentence was suspended for six months | (as adjective suspended) : a suspended jail sentence. 2 hang (something) from somewhere: the light was suspended from the ceiling. 3 (be suspended) (of solid particles) be dispersed throughout the bulk of a fluid: the paste contains collagen suspended in a salt solution. 4 Music prolong (a note of a chord) into a following chord, usually so as to produce a temporary discord. PHRASES suspend disbelief temporarily allow oneself to believe something that is not true, especially in order to enjoy a work of fiction. suspend payment (of a company) cease to meet its financial obligations as a result of insolvency or insufficient funds.

scatter

verb [with object] 1 throw in various random directions: scatter the coconut over the icing | his family are hoping to scatter his ashes at sea. • cover (a surface) with objects thrown or spread randomly over it: sandy beaches scattered with driftwood. • (be scattered) [usually with adverbial] occur or be found at intervals rather than all together: there are many watermills scattered throughout the marshlands | (as adjective scattered) : a scattered cliff-top community. 2 [no object] (of a group of people or animals) separate and move off quickly in different directions: the roar made the dogs scatter. • [with object] cause (a group of people or animals) to move off quickly in different directions: he charged across the foyer, scattering people. 3 Physics deflect or diffuse (electromagnetic radiation or particles): the light is scattered as it strikes particles suspended in the air. 4 Baseball pitch (balls) effectively, allowing several hits but little or no scoring. noun 1 a small, dispersed amount of something: a scatter of boulders round the pothole mouth. 2 [mass noun] Statistics the degree to which repeated measurements or observations of a quantity differ. 3 [mass noun] Physics the scattering of light, other electromagnetic radiation, or particles.

degrade

verb [with object] 1 treat or regard (someone) with contempt or disrespect: she thought that many supposedly erotic pictures degraded women. • lower the character or quality of: vast areas of natural habitats have been degraded. • archaic reduce (someone) to a lower rank, especially as a punishment: he was degraded from his high estate. 2 break down or deteriorate chemically: the bacteria will degrade hydrocarbons | [no object] : when exposed to light the materials will degrade. • Physics reduce (energy) to a less readily convertible form. • Geology wear down (rock) and cause it to disintegrate.

degrade

compose

verb [with object] 1 write or create (a work of art, especially music or poetry): he composed the First Violin Sonata four years earlier. • phrase (a letter or piece of writing) with great care and thought: the first sentence is so hard to compose. • form (a whole) by ordering or arranging the parts, especially in an artistic way: compose and draw a still life. 2 (of elements) constitute or make up (a whole, or a specified part of it): the National Congress is composed of ten senators | Christians compose 40 per cent of the state's population. 3 calm or settle (oneself or one's features or thoughts): she tried to compose herself. • archaic settle (a dispute): the king, with some difficulty, composed this difference. 4 prepare (a text) for printing by manually, mechanically, or electronically setting up the letters and other characters in the order to be printed: in offices where close-set text was composed both men and women pieceworkers were normally employed.

synchronize

verb [with object] cause to occur or operate at the same time or rate: soldiers used watches to synchronize movements. • [no object] occur at the same time or rate: their breathing slowly synchronized. • adjust (a clock or watch) to show the same time as another: It is now 05.48. Synchronize watches. • [no object] agree with something else: their version failed to synchronize with the police view. • Computing cause (a set of data or files) to remain identical in more than one location: you can synchronize your calendar with your GPS device and be alerted when you need to leave for an appointment. • coordinate; combine: both media synchronize national interests with multinational scope.

comprise

verb [with object] consist of; be made up of: the country comprises twenty states. • make up or constitute (a whole): this single breed comprises 50 per cent of the Swiss cattle population | (be comprised of) : documents are comprised of words.

formulate

verb [with object] create or prepare methodically: the government has formulated a policy on waste management | use special-effects paints that are formulated for the task. • express (an idea) in a concise or systematic way: the argument is sufficiently clear that it can be formulated mathematically.

intersect | ɪntəˈsɛkt |

verb [with object] divide (something) by passing or lying across it: the area is intersected only by minor roads. • [no object] (of two or more things) pass or lie across each other: lines of latitude and longitude intersect at right angles.

bisect

verb [with object] divide into two parts: a landscape of ploughland bisected by long straight roads. • Geometry divide (a line, angle, or shape) into two exactly equal parts. DERIVATIVES bisection | bʌɪˈsɛkʃ(ə)n | noun bisector | bʌɪˈsɛktə | noun

apportion

verb [with object] divide up and share out: voting power will be apportioned according to contribution. • assign: they did not apportion blame or liability to any one individual. DERIVATIVES apportionable | əˈpɔːʃ(ə)nəb(ə)l | adjective

extrapolate

verb [with object] extend the application of (a method or conclusion) to an unknown situation by assuming that existing trends will continue or similar methods will be applicable: the results cannot be extrapolated to other patient groups | [no object] : it is always dangerous to extrapolate from a sample. • estimate or conclude (something) by extrapolating: the figures were extrapolated from past trends. • Mathematics extend (a graph, curve, or range of values) by inferring unknown values from trends in the known data: the low-temperature results can be extrapolated to room temperature | (as adjective extrapolated) : a set of extrapolated values.

misrepresent

verb [with object] give a false or misleading account of the nature of: you are misrepresenting the views of the government.

steer

verb [with object] guide or control the movement of (a vehicle, vessel, or aircraft), for example by turning a wheel or operating a rudder: he steered the boat slowly towards the busy quay | [no object] : he let Lily steer. • [no object, with adverbial of direction] (of a vehicle, vessel, or aircraft) be guided in a specified direction: the ship steered into port. • [with object and adverbial of direction] follow (a course) in a specified direction: the fishermen were steering a direct course for Koepang. • [with object and adverbial of direction] guide the movement or course of: he had steered her to a chair | figurative : he made an attempt to steer the conversation back to Heather. noun 1 [mass noun] the type of steering of a vehicle: some cars boast four-wheel steer. 2 informal a piece of advice or information concerning the development of a situation: the need for the NHS to be given a clear steer as to its future direction.

disrupt

verb [with object] interrupt (an event, activity, or process) by causing a disturbance or problem: flooding disrupted rail services. • drastically alter or destroy the structure of: alcohol can disrupt the chromosomes of an unfertilized egg.

splice

verb [with object] join or connect (a rope or ropes) by interweaving the strands at the ends: we learned how to weave and splice ropes | figurative : the work splices detail and generalization. • join (pieces of timber, film, or tape) at the ends: commercials can be spliced in later | he had to splice the short music films together. • Genetics join or insert (a gene or gene fragment): they have spliced a gene into tomatoes that improves flavour. noun a join consisting of two ropes, pieces of tape or timber, etc. joined together at the ends: so smooth is the splice that you can't see the join. • the wedge-shaped tang of a cricket-bat handle, forming a joint with the blade. PHRASES get (or be) spliced British informal get married. splice the main brace British historical (in the navy) serve out an extra tot of rum. [perhaps arising from the issue of a tot of rum as a reward for the actual splicing of the main brace, which would be a rare and difficult operation.]

calibrate

verb [with object] mark (a gauge or instrument) with a standard scale of readings: the depth gauge is calibrated in centimetres. • correlate the readings of (an instrument) with those of a standard in order to check the instrument's accuracy: a separate control experiment is then carried out to calibrate the calorimeter. • adjust (experimental results) to take external factors into account or to allow comparison with other data: the radiocarbon results would need to be calibrated to convert them to calendar ages. • carefully assess, set, or adjust (something abstract): the regulators cannot properly calibrate the risks involved | (as adjective calibrated) : their carefully calibrated economic policies.

blend

verb [with object] mix (a substance) with another substance so that they combine together: blend the cornflour with a tablespoon of water | add the grated cheese and blend well. • (often as adjective blended) mix (different types of the same substance, such as tea, coffee, spirits, etc.) together so as to make a product of the desired quality: a blended whisky. • put or combine (abstract things) together: I blend basic information for the novice with some scientific gardening for the more experienced | (as noun blending) : a blending of romanticism with a more detached modernism. • merge (a colour) with another so that one is not clearly distinguishable from the other: blend and smudge the darker colours under the bottom lashes. • [no object] form a harmonious combination: costumes, music, and lighting all blend together beautifully. • (blend in/into) be an unobtrusive or harmonious part of a greater whole by being similar in appearance or behaviour: she would have to employ a permanent bodyguard in the house, someone who would blend in. noun a mixture of different substances or other things: the chutney is a blend of bananas, raisins, and ginger | Ontario offers a cultural blend you'll find nowhere else on earth. • a mixture of different types of the same substance: nearly all Scotch whiskies are blends. • a word made up of parts of two other words and combining their meanings, for example motel from motor and hotel.

derive

verb [with object] (derive something from) obtain something from (a specified source): they derived great comfort from this assurance. • (derive something from) base a concept on an extension or modification of (another concept): some maintain that he derived the idea of civil disobedience from Thoreau. • [no object] (derive from) (of a word) have (a specified word, usually of another language) as a root or origin: the word 'punch' derives from the Hindustani 'pancha' | [with object] : the word 'man' is derived from the Sanskrit 'manas'. • [no object] (derive from) arise from or originate in (a specified source): words whose spelling derives from Dr Johnson's incorrect etymology. • (be derived from) Linguistics (of a sentence in a natural language) be linked by a set of stages to (its underlying logical form). • (be derived from) (of a substance) be formed or prepared by (a chemical or physical process affecting another substance): strong acids are derived from the combustion of fossil fuels. • Mathematics obtain (a function or equation) from another by a sequence of logical steps, for example by differentiation: the volume fraction of the soil can then be derived as a function of L.

concatenate

verb [with object] formal or technical link (things) together in a chain or series: some words may be concatenated, such that certain sounds are omitted.

focalize

verb [with object] technical focus (something). • (in literary theory) provide an internal focus for (a text). • Medicine confine (a disease or infection) to a particular site in the body.

focalize

verb [with object] technical focus (something). • (in literary theory) provide an internal focus for (a text). • Medicine confine (a disease or infection) to a particular site in the body. DERIVATIVES focalization | fəʊk(ə)lʌɪˈzeɪʃ(ə)n | noun

refract

verb [with object]折射 (of water, air, or glass) make (a ray of light) change direction when it enters at an angle: the rays of light are refracted by the material of the lens. • measure the focusing characteristics of (an eye) or of the eyes of (someone): when refracting patients an ophthalmologist relies on verbal reports.

anneal

verb [with object]退火 1 heat (metal or glass) and allow it to cool slowly, in order to remove internal stresses and toughen it: copper tubes must be annealed after bending or they will be brittle | (as adjective annealing) : the chimneys of annealing furnaces | figurative : Dr Lowenstein, annealed to hostility, looked at me coolly. 2 Biochemistry recombine (DNA) in the double-stranded form.

discard

verb | dɪˈskɑːd | [with object] get rid of (someone or something) as no longer useful or desirable: Hilary bundled up the clothes she had discarded. • (in bridge, whist, and similar card games) play (a card that is neither of the suit led nor a trump), when one is unable to follow suit: West led a heart and East was able to discard his club loser. noun | ˈdɪskɑːd | a thing rejected as no longer useful or desirable. • (in bridge, whist, and similar card games) a card played which is neither of the suit led nor a trump, when one is unable to follow suit.

augment

verb | ɔːɡˈmɛnt | [with object] make (something) greater by adding to it; increase: he augmented his summer income by painting houses. noun | ˈɔːɡm(ə)nt | Linguistics a vowel prefixed to past tenses of verbs in Greek and certain other Indo-European languages.

interchange

verb | ɪntəˈtʃeɪn(d)ʒ | [with object] (of two or more people) exchange (things) with each other: superior and subordinates freely interchange information. • put each of (two things) in the other's place: the terms are often interchanged. • [no object] (of a thing) be able to be exchanged with another: diesel units will interchange with the petrol ones. noun | ˈɪntətʃeɪn(d)ʒ | 1 [mass noun] the action of interchanging people or things: the interchange of ideas | [count noun] : we have a significant interchange of staff with the nearby college. • [count noun] an exchange of words: I listened in shock to this venomous interchange. 2 [mass noun] alternation: the interchange of woods and meadows. 3 a road junction designed on several levels so that traffic streams do not intersect: turn left at the next interchange. 4 a station where passengers may change from one railway line, bus service, etc. to another: the town's famous rail interchange.

incorporate

verb | ɪnˈkɔːpəreɪt | [with object] 1 take in or contain (something) as part of a whole; include: he has incorporated in his proposals a number of measures | some schemes incorporated all these variations. • combine (ingredients) into one substance: add the cheeses and butter and process briefly to incorporate them. 2 constitute (a company, city, or other organization) as a legal corporation: limited liability companies could only be incorporated under the 1930 Act. adjective | ɪnˈkɔːp(ə)rət | 1 another term for incorporated. 2 literary having a bodily form; embodied: through an incorporate resilience, slighted confidence restores itself.

incorporated

incorporate

initiate

verb | ɪˈnɪʃɪeɪt | [with object] 1 cause (a process or action) to begin: he proposes to initiate discussions on planning procedures. 2 admit (someone) into a secret or obscure society or group, typically with a ritual: she had been formally initiated into the movement. • (as plural noun the initiated) a small group of people who share obscure knowledge: it's a secret sign to the initiated. • (initiate someone in/into) introduce someone to (a particular activity or skill, especially a difficult or obscure one): they were initiated into the mysteries of mathematics. noun | ɪˈnɪʃɪət | a person who has been initiated into an organization or activity: an initiate of the cult.

deviate

verb | ˈdiːvɪeɪt | [no object] (usually deviate from) depart from an established course: you must not deviate from the agreed route. • depart from usual or accepted standards: those who deviate from society's values.

cumulate

verb | ˈkjuːmjʊleɪt | 1 [with object] gather together and combine: the systems cumulate data over a period of years. • [no object] be gathered together and combined: all unpaid dividend payments cumulate and are paid when earnings are sufficient. 2 (as adjective cumulated) Chemistry denoting two double bonds attached to the same carbon atom. noun | ˈkjuːmjʊlət | Geology an igneous rock formed by gravitational settling of particles in a magma: they appear to have formed from cumulates in the root of a magma chamber | [as modifier] : cumulate gabbro. DERIVATIVES cumulation | ˌkjuːmjʊˈleɪʃ(ə)n | noun

mediate

verb | ˈmiːdɪeɪt | 1 [no object] intervene in a dispute in order to bring about an agreement or reconciliation: Wilson attempted to mediate between the powers to end the war. • [with object] intervene in (a dispute) to bring about an agreement: set up a tribunal to arbitrate and mediate disputes. • [with object] bring about (an agreement or solution) by intervening in a dispute: efforts to mediate a peaceful resolution of the conflict. 2 [with object] technical bring about (a result such as a physiological effect): the right hemisphere plays an important role in mediating tactile perception of direction. • be a means of conveying: this important ministry of mediating the power of the word. • form a link between: structures which mediate gender divisions. adjective | ˈmiːdɪət | connected indirectly through another person or thing; involving an intermediate agency: public law institutions are a type of mediate state administration.

saturate

verb | ˈsatʃəreɪt | [with object] cause (something) to become thoroughly soaked with water or other liquid so that no more can be absorbed: the soil is saturated. • cause (a substance) to combine with, dissolve, or hold the greatest possible quantity of another substance: the groundwater is saturated with calcium hydroxide. • magnetize or charge (a substance or device) fully. • Electronics put (a device) into a state in which no further increase in current is achievable. • fill (something or someone) with something until no more can be held or absorbed: the air is saturated with the smells of food. • supply (a market) beyond the point at which the demand for a product is satisfied: Japan's electronics industry began to saturate the world markets. • overwhelm (an enemy target area) by concentrated bombing. noun | ˈsatʃərət | (usually saturates) a saturated fat: as far as the heart is concerned saturates are considered the main enemy. adjective | ˈsatʃərət | literary saturated with moisture.

alternate

verb | ˈɔːltəneɪt, ˈɒltəneɪt | [no object] occur in turn repeatedly: bouts of depression alternate with periods of elation | (as adjective alternating) : a season of alternating hot days and cool nights. • [with object] do or perform in turn repeatedly: some adults who wish to alternate work with education. • change repeatedly between two contrasting conditions: the government alternated between the Labour and Conservative parties. adjective | ɔːlˈtəːnət, ɒlˈtəːnət | [attributive] 1 every other; every second: she was asked to attend on alternate days. • (of two things) each following and succeeded by the other in a regular pattern: alternate bouts of intense labour and of idleness. • Botany (of leaves or shoots) placed alternately on the two sides of the stem. 2 chiefly North American another term for alternative: a novel set in an alternate universe. noun | ɔːlˈtəːnət, ɒlˈtəːnət | North American a person who acts as a deputy or substitute: he shall be entitled to exercise the vote of the director for whom he is an alternate.

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