Set 13

advocate
noun |ˈadvəәkəәt|
1 a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular
cause or policy: he was an untiring advocate of economic reform.
2 a person who puts a case on someone else's behalf: care
managers can become advocates for their clients.
• a professional pleader in a court of justice. solicitors may act as
advocates in Crown Courts.
• Scottish and South African term for barrister.
verb |ˈadvəәkeɪt| [ with obj. ]
publicly recommend or support: voters supported candidates who
advocated an Assembly.
DERIVATIVES
advocateship noun,
advocation noun
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French avocat, from
Latin advocatus, past participle (used as a noun) of advocare
‘call (to one's aid)’, from ad- ‘to’ + vocare ‘to call’.

advocate
noun
1 she was a powerful advocate of children's rights: champion,
upholder, supporter, backer, promoter, proponent, exponent,
protector, patron; spokesman for, spokeswoman for,
spokesperson for, speaker for, campaigner for, fighter for, battler
for, crusader for; missionary, reformer, pioneer, pleader,
propagandist, apostle, apologist; N. Amer. booster; informal
plugger. ANTONYMS critic.
2 Scottish Law he studied law and became an advocate at twenty-one:
barrister, lawyer, counsel, counsellor, professional pleader, legal
practitioner; N. Amer. attorney; N. Amer. & Irish counsellor-
at-law; informal brief.
verb
heart disease specialists advocate a diet low in cholesterol: recommend,
prescribe, commend, advise, favour, approve of, support, back,
uphold, subscribe to, champion, campaign on behalf of, stand
up for, speak for, argue for, plead for, press for, lobby for, urge,
promote, espouse, endorse, sanction, vouch for; informal plug,
push. ANTONYMS reject.

predict |prɪˈdɪkt|
verb [ with obj. ]
say or estimate that (a specified thing) will happen in the future
or will be a consequence of something: it is too early to predict a
result | [ with clause ] : he predicts that the trend will continue | (as
adj.predicted) : the predicted growth in road traffic.
DERIVATIVES
predictor noun
ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from Latin praedict- ‘made
known beforehand, declared’, from the verb praedicere,
from prae- ‘beforehand’ + dicere ‘say’.
predict
verb
it is difficult to predict what the outcome will be: forecast, foretell,
foresee, prophesy, divine, prognosticate, anticipate, see, say, tell
in advance, project, speculate, envision, envisage, imagine,
picture, estimate, conjecture, guess, hazard a guess; archaic
augur, previse, presage, foreshow; Scottish archaic spae; rare
vaticinate, auspicate.
pronounce |prəәˈnaʊns|

verb [ with obj. ]
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 obj. ] (pronounce on) pass judgement or make a
decision on: the Secretary of State will shortly pronounce on alternative
measures.
DERIVATIVES
pronounceability |-səәˈbɪlɪti| noun,
pronounceable |-səәb(əә)l| adjective,
pronouncer noun
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French pronuncier,
from Latin pronuntiare, from pro- ‘out, forth’ + nuntiare
‘announce’ (from nuntius ‘messenger’).

pronounce
verb
1 his name is difficult to pronounce: say, enunciate, articulate, utter,
express, voice, vocalize, get one's tongue round, sound; rare
enounce.
2 the judge pronounced that he would be sentenced to sixteen years'
imprisonment: announce, proclaim, declare, rule, decree, ordain,
adjudicate, lay down, affirm, assert, state, judge; rare
asseverate.
support |səәˈpɔːt|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 bear all or part of the weight of; hold up: the dome was
supported by a hundred white columns.
2 give assistance to, especially financially: the government gives
£2,500 million a year to support the voluntary sector.
• provide with a home and the necessities of life: my main concern
was to support my family.
• give approval, comfort, or encouragement to: the proposal was
supported by many delegates.

• be actively interested in and concerned for the success of (a
particular sports team). fans should always support their team fully, no
matter what.
• (as adj.supporting) (of an actor or role) of secondary
importance to the leading roles in a play or film. the production's
greatest successes are in the main supporting roles.
• (of a pop or rock group or performer) function as a secondary
act to (another) at a concert.
3 suggest the truth of; corroborate: the studies support our findings.
4 produce enough food and water for; be capable of
sustaining: the land had lost its capacity to support life.
5 endure; tolerate: at work during the day I could support the grief.
6 (of a computer or operating system) allow the use or
operation of (a program, language, or device): the new versions do
not support the graphical user interface standard.
noun
1 a thing that bears the weight of something or keeps it
upright: the best support for a camera is a tripod.
• [ mass noun ] the action of supporting something or someone
or the state of being supported: she clutched the sideboard for
support.

2 [ mass noun ] material assistance: the bank provided unstinting
financial support | air operations in support of British forces.
• approval, encouragement, or comfort: the paper printed many
letters in support of the government | she's been through a bad time and
needs our support.
• technical help given to the user of a computer or other
product.
3 [ mass noun ] evidence that serves to corroborate something:
the study provides support for both theories.
4 a secondary act at a pop or rock concert: [ as modifier ] : a
support band.
DERIVATIVES
supportability noun,
supportable adjective
supportless adjective
ORIGIN Middle English (originally in the sense ‘tolerate’):
from Old French supporter, from Latin supportare, from
sub- ‘from below’ + portare ‘carry’.

support
verb
1 the roof was supported by massive stone pillars: hold up, bear, carry,
prop up, keep up, bolster up, brace, shore up, underpin,
buttress, reinforce.
2 he was struggling to support his family: provide for, provide
sustenance for, maintain, sustain, keep, take care of, look after.
3 Martha lovingly supported him to the end: give moral support to,
give strength to, be a source of strength to, comfort, bring
comfort to, sustain, encourage, buoy up, hearten, fortify,
console, solace, give sympathy to, reassure, succour, soothe;
informal buck up. ANTONYMS neglect, abandon.
4 there seems to be evidence to support both of these arguments:
substantiate, back up, give force to, give weight to, bear out,
corroborate, confirm, attest to, verify, prove, validate,
authenticate, endorse, ratify, document. ANTONYMS
contradict, undermine.
5 all the money we receive will be used to support charitable projects in
Africa: help, aid, assist; contribute to, give a donation to, give
money to, back, underwrite, subsidize, fund, finance, succour;
N. Amer. informal bankroll.

6 he obtained 773 votes as an independent candidate supported by a
residents' association: back, champion, give help to, help, assist,
aid, be on the side of, side with, favour, prefer, abet, aid and
abet, encourage; vote for, ally oneself with, stand behind, fall in
with, stand up for, defend, take someone's part, take up the
cudgels for; sponsor, vouch for, second, promote, endorse,
sanction, approve of, give one's blessing to, smile on; informal
stick up for, throw one's weight behind. ANTONYMS oppose.
7 a bold initiative to support human rights around the world: advocate,
promote, further, champion, back, be on the side of, espouse,
espouse the cause of, be in favour of, recommend, defend,
subscribe to.
8 at work during the day I could support the grief: endure, bear, put up
with, tolerate, stand, abide, suffer, stomach, brook, sustain,
shoulder, weather.
noun
1 one of the bridge supports had developed a six inch crack: pillar, post,
prop, underprop, underpinning, base, substructure, foundation;
brace, buttress, abutment, bolster, upright, stay, stand, trestle,
crutch, plinth.
2 he can't be forced to pay support for a wife abroad: maintenance,
keep, sustenance, subsistence; food and accommodation.

3 I was lucky to have my family's support during this difficult time:
moral support, friendship, strengthening, strength,
encouragement, buoying up, heartening, fortification,
consolation, solace, succour, relief, easement; informal bucking
up.
4 he was a great support when her father died: comfort, help,
assistance, tower of strength, prop, backbone, mainstay.
5 we will provide support for essential community services:
contributions, backing, donations, money, subsidy, funding,
funds, finance, capital.
6 many stars openly voiced their support for one candidate or another:
backing, help, assistance, aid, votes, endorsement, sanction,
approval, blessing, patronage.
7 there has been a surge in support for decentralization: advocacy,
backing, promotion, championship, espousal, defence,
recommendation, recommending, argument for, arguing for.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
support, help, aid, assist
See help.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.

determine |dɪˈtəәːmɪn|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 cause (something) to occur in a particular way or to have a
particular nature: it will be her mental attitude that determines her
future.
2 ascertain or establish exactly by research or calculation: the
inquest is entrusted with the task of determining the cause of death |
[ with clause ] : the point of our study was to determine what is
true, not what is practicable.
• Mathematics specify the value, position, or form of (a
mathematical or geometrical object) uniquely.
3 [ no obj. ] firmly decide: he determined on a withdrawal of
his forces | [ with infinitive ] : she determined to tackle Stephen the next
day. [ with clause ] : my wife had determined that I must swap
my old bike for a car.
4 Law, archaic bring or come to an end.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French determiner,
from Latin determinare ‘limit, fix’, from de- ‘completely’
+ terminare ‘terminate’.

determine
verb
1 it is this last pair of chromosomes which determines the sex of the
embryo: control, decide, regulate, direct, rule, dictate, govern,
condition, form, shape; affect, have an effect on, influence,
exert influence on, sway, act on, work on, mould, modify, alter,
touch, have an impact on, impact on.
2 he determined to sell up and go abroad: resolve, decide, come to a
decision, make a decision, reach a decision, make up one's
mind, choose, elect, opt; formal purpose.
3 the rent shall be determined by a qualified accountant: specify, set, fix,
decide on, come to a decision about, settle, assign, designate,
allot, arrange, choose, name, appoint, establish, authorize,
ordain, prescribe, decree.
4 the first step is to determine the composition of the raw materials: find
out, discover, ascertain, learn, establish, fix, settle, decide,
calculate, work out, make out, fathom (out), get/come to know,
ferret out, deduce, divine, intuit, diagnose, discern, check,
verify, confirm, make certain of, certify; informal figure out, get
a fix on.
5 I am not sure what determined her to write to me: prompt, impel,
induce, influence, sway, lead, move, cause, motivate, stimulate,

prod, spur on, provoke, incite, dispose, incline, persuade,
encourage, urge, inspire; make.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
determine, decide, resolve
See decide.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
preamble |priːˈamb(əә)l, ˈpriː-|
noun
a preliminary or preparatory statement; an introduction: he
could tell that what she said was by way of a preamble | [ mass
noun ] : I gave him the bad news without preamble.
• Law the introductory part of a statute or deed, stating its
purpose, aims, and justification.
DERIVATIVES
preambular |-ˈambjʊləә| adjective( formal)

ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French preambule,
from medieval Latin praeambulum, from late Latin
praeambulus ‘going before’.
preamble
noun
Lord Denning's preamble to the report: introduction, preliminary/
preparatory/opening remarks, preliminary/preparatory/
opening statement, preliminaries, preface, lead-in, overture,
prologue; foreword, prelude, front matter, forward matter;
informal intro, prelims; rare proem, prolegomenon, exordium,
prolusion, prodrome.
mediation |miːdɪˈeɪʃ(əә)n|
noun [ mass noun ]
intervention in a dispute in order to resolve it; arbitration: the
parties have sought mediation and it has failed.
• intervention in a process or relationship; intercession: they are
offering sacrifice and mediation between God and man.
DERIVATIVES
mediational adjective

mediation
noun
mediation between victims and offenders: conciliation, arbitration,
reconciliation, intervention, intercession, interposition, good
offices; negotiation, shuttle diplomacy; archaic temporization.
definition |dɛfɪˈnɪʃ(əә)n|
noun
1 a statement of the exact meaning of a word, especially in a
dictionary. a dictionary definition of the verb.
• an exact statement or description of the nature, scope, or
meaning of something: our definition of what constitutes poetry.
• [ mass noun ] the action or process of defining something. a
question of definition. issues of methodology and definition.
2 [ mass noun ] the degree of distinctness in outline of an
object, image, or sound. the clarity and definition of pictures can be
aided by using computer graphics.
• the capacity of a device to make images distinct in outline:
[ in combination ] : high-definition television.

PHRASES
by definition by its very nature; intrinsically: the assumption is
that travel will, by definition, lead to creative insight.
DERIVATIVES
definitional adjective,
definitionally adverb
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin definitio(n-), from
the verb definire ‘set bounds to’ (see define) .
definition
noun
1 there is no agreed definition of ‘intelligence’: meaning, denotation,
sense; interpretation, explanation, elucidation, explication,
description, clarification, exposition, expounding, illustration;
deciphering, decoding; statement/outline of meaning.
2 the definition of the picture can be aided by using computer graphics:
clarity, clearness, visibility, precision, sharpness, crispness,
acuteness, distinctness; resolution, focus, contrast.
ANTONYMS blurriness, fuzziness.

conclusion |kəәnˈkluːʒ(əә)n|
noun
1 the end or finish of an event, process, or text: the conclusion of
World War Two.
• the summing-up of an argument or text. in the conclusion we
highlight these and other important issues.
• [ mass noun ] the formal and final arrangement of an
agreement: the conclusion of a free-trade accord.
2 a judgement or decision reached by reasoning: each research
group came to a similar conclusion.
• Logic a proposition that is reached from given premises.
PHRASES
in conclusion lastly; to sum up: in conclusion, it is clear that the
market is maturing.
jump (or leap) to conclusions (or the conclusion)make a
hasty judgement before considering all the facts. they are
imagining things, jumping to conclusions. investigators jumped to the
conclusion that tropical deforestation was to blame.
try conclusions with formal engage in a trial of skill or
argument with.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin conclusio(n-), from
the verb concludere (see conclude) .

conclusion |kəәnˈkluːʒ(əә)n|
noun
1 the end or finish of an event, process, or text: the conclusion of
World War Two.
• the summing-up of an argument or text. in the conclusion we
highlight these and other important issues.
• [ mass noun ] the formal and final arrangement of an
agreement: the conclusion of a free-trade accord.
2 a judgement or decision reached by reasoning: each research
group came to a similar conclusion.
• Logic a proposition that is reached from given premises.
PHRASES
in conclusion lastly; to sum up: in conclusion, it is clear that the
market is maturing.
jump (or leap) to conclusions (or the conclusion)make a
hasty judgement before considering all the facts. they are
imagining things, jumping to conclusions. investigators jumped to the
conclusion that tropical deforestation was to blame.
try conclusions with formal engage in a trial of skill or
argument with.

ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin conclusio(n-), from
the verb concludere (see conclude) .
collate |kəәˈleɪt|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 collect and combine (texts, information, or data). all the
information obtained is being collated.
• compare and analyse (two or more sources of information):
these accounts he collated with his own experience.
• Printing verify the number and order of (the sheets of a
book).
2 appoint (a clergyman) to a benefice.
DERIVATIVES
collator noun
ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘confer a benefice upon’):
from Latin collat- ‘brought together’, from the verb
conferre (see confer) .
collate
verb
1 the police computer system is being used to collate information from
across Britain: collect, gather, accumulate, assemble; combine,

aggregate, put together; arrange, organize, order, put in order,
sort, categorize, systematize, structure. ANTONYMS separate.
2 what follows is based mainly on collating these two sources: compare,
contrast, set side by side, juxtapose, weigh against, set against,
balance, differentiate, discriminate.
assemble |əәˈsɛmb(əә)l|
verb
1 [ no obj. ] (of people) gather together in one place for a
common purpose: a crowd had assembled outside the gates.
• [ with obj. ] cause (people or things) to gather together for a
common purpose: he assembled the surviving members of the group for
a tour.
• (usu. as nounassembling) Entomology (of male moths)
gather for mating in response to a pheromone released by a
female.
2 [ with obj. ] fit together the separate component parts of (a
machine or other object): my new machine is being assembled and my
old one dismantled.
3 [ with obj. ] Computing translate (a program) from a
symbolic language into machine code. assemble the program and
produce a file suitable to input to the simulator.

ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French asembler, based
on Latin ad- ‘to’ + simul ‘together’.
assemble
verb
1 a crowd had assembled: come together, get together, gather,
collect, meet, muster, rally, congregate, convene, flock together;
rare foregather. ANTONYMS disperse.
2 he assembled the suspects in the lounge: bring together, get together,
call together, gather, collect, round up, marshal, muster,
summon, rally, convene, accumulate, mass, amass; formal
convoke. ANTONYMS disperse.
3 how to assemble the kite: construct, build, fabricate, manufacture,
erect, set up, join up, fit together, put together, piece together,
connect, join, unite, patch up, sew (up). ANTONYMS
dismantle.
describe |dɪˈskrʌɪb|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 give a detailed account in words of: he described his experiences in
a letter to his parents.

2 mark out or draw (a geometrical figure): on the diameter of a
circle an equilateral triangle is described.
• move in a way which follows the outline of (an imaginary
geometrical figure): a single light is seen to describe a circle.
DERIVATIVES
describable adjective,
describer noun
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin describere, from
de- ‘down’ + scribere ‘write’.
describe
verb
1 he described his experiences in a letter to his parents: report, narrate,
recount, relate, tell of, set out, chronicle; express, put into
words, give a description/account of, give details of, detail,
represent; evoke, conjure up; catalogue, give a rundown of,
paint a word picture of, paint in words; explain, expound,
elucidate, illustrate, discuss, comment on.
2 a lawyer described him as a pathetic figure: designate,
pronounce, call, label, style, dub; characterize, classify, class,
categorize, portray, depict, brand, hail, paint.

3 the tip of the light pen described a circle: delineate, mark out,
outline, trace, draw, sketch.
thrifty |ˈθrɪfti|
adjective (thriftier, thriftiest)
1 using money and other resources carefully and not
wastefully: he had been brought up to be thrifty and careful.
2 chiefly archaic or dialect (of livestock or plants) strong and
healthy. the sheep are vigorous and thrifty.
• archaic prosperous.
DERIVATIVES
thriftily adverb,
thriftiness noun
thrifty
adjective
Gran brought me up to be thrifty and never to get into debt: careful with
money, provident, prudent, canny, economical, frugal, sparing,
scrimping, abstemious, parsimonious, penny-pinching, miserly;
N. Amer. forehanded. ANTONYMS profligate, extravagant.

daring
adjective
a lone torpedo-bomber attempted a daring attack on the battleship: bold,
audacious, adventurous, intrepid, venturesome, fearless, brave,
unafraid, unshrinking, undaunted, dauntless, valiant, valorous,
heroic, dashing; confident, enterprising; madcap, rash, reckless,
heedless; informal gutsy, spunky, peppy, pushy; rare
adventuresome, venturous. ANTONYMS cowardly; cautious.
noun
this recording eclipses the others by its sheer daring: boldness, audacity,
temerity, audaciousness, fearlessness, intrepidity, bravery,
courage, courageousness, valour, valorousness, heroism, pluck;
recklessness, rashness, foolhardiness; adventurousness,
enterprise, dynamism, spirit, mettle, confidence; informal
nerve, guts, gutsiness, spunk, grit; Brit. informal bottle,
ballsiness; N. Amer. informal moxie, cojones, sand; vulgar
slang balls; rare venturousness, temerariousness.
ANTONYMS cowardice; caution.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
daring, bold, audacious
See bold.

These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.
dare
verb
1 nobody dared to say a word: be brave enough, have the courage,
pluck up courage, take the risk; venture, have the nerve, have
the temerity, make so bold as, be so bold as, have the effrontery,
have the audacity, presume, go so far as; risk doing, hazard
doing, take the liberty of doing; informal stick one's neck out,
go out on a limb; N. Amer. informal take a flyer; archaic make
bold to.
2 she dared him to go: challenge, provoke, goad, taunt, defy,
summon, invite, bid; throw down the gauntlet to.
noun
she didn't quite know why she accepted the dare: challenge,
provocation, goad, taunt; gauntlet, invitation, ultimatum,
summons.
daring |ˈdɛːrɪŋ|
adjective
(of a person or action) adventurous or audaciously bold: a
daring crime.

• causing outrage or surprise by being boldly unconventional: a
pretty girl in daring clothes.
noun [ mass noun ]
adventurous courage. the daring of the players brings fortune or ruin.
DERIVATIVES
daringly adverb
dare |dɛː|
verb (3rd sing. present usu. dare before an expressed or
implied infinitive)
1 (as modal usu. with infinitive with or without to often with
negative) have the courage to do something: a story he dare not
write down | she leaned forward as far as she dared.
• (how dare you) used to express indignation at something:
how dare you talk to me like that
• (don't you dare) used to order someone threateningly not to
do something: don't you dare touch me.
2 [ with obj. and infinitive ] defy or challenge (someone) to do
something: she was daring him to disagree | [ with obj. ] : swap with
me, I dare you.
3 [ with obj. ] literary take the risk of; brave: few dared his wrath.
noun

a challenge, especially to prove courage: she ran across a main road
for a dare.
PHRASES
I dare say (or daresay)used to indicate that one believes
something is probable: I dare say you've heard about her.
DERIVATIVES
darer noun
ORIGIN Old English durran, of Germanic origin; related to
Gothic gadaursan, from an Indo-European root shared by
Greek tharsein and Sanskrit dhṛṣ- ‘be bold’.
conscientious |ˌkɒnʃɪˈɛnʃəәs|
adjective
1 wishing to do one's work or duty well and thoroughly: a
conscientious man, he took his duties very seriously.
2 relating to a person's conscience: the individual is denied even the
opportunity to break the law on conscientious grounds.
DERIVATIVES
conscientiously adverb,
conscientiousness noun
ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from French consciencieux, from
medieval Latin conscientiosus, from Latin conscientia (see
conscience) .

conscientious
adjective
a conscientious man, he took his duties very seriously: diligent,
industrious, punctilious, painstaking, sedulous, assiduous,
dedicated, careful, meticulous, thorough, attentive, laborious,
hard-working, ultra-careful, persevering, unflagging, searching,
close, minute, accurate, correct, studious, rigorous, particular;
religious, strict. ANTONYMS casual.
rash 1
noun
1 next day, he broke out in a rash: spots, skin eruption, breakout;
hives, heat rash, nettle rash, nappy rash; technical erythema,
exanthema, urticaria, papules, roseola, purpura, pompholyx;
rare efflorescence.
2 the incident provoked a rash of articles in the press: series, succession;
spate, wave, flood, deluge, torrent; outbreak, plague, epidemic,
explosion, run, flurry; rare boutade.
rash 2
adjective

he cursed himself for being so rash | a rash decision: reckless,
impetuous, impulsive, hasty, overhasty, foolhardy, incautious,
precipitate, precipitous, premature, careless, heedless,
thoughtless, imprudent, foolish, headstrong, adventurous, over-
adventurous, hot-headed, daredevil, devil-may-care, overbold,
audacious, indiscreet; ill-considered, unconsidered, unthinking,
ill-advised, injudicious, ill-judged, misguided, spur-of-the-
moment, unthought-out, hare-brained, unwary, unguarded,
wild, madcap; informal harum-scarum; rare temerarious.
ANTONYMS careful, cautious, prudent.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
rash, reckless, foolhardy
All these adjectives are used to criticize actions or
people for a lack of proper caution.
■ Rash suggests an overhasty judgement that one might
regret (now isn't the time for us to make rash statements
| he would be rash to expect everyone to obey him all
the time).
■ Reckless typically describes something more serious:
a reckless act is that of a person who simply does not
care what damage they cause to themselves or others

(reckless consumption of the earth's resources | he could
be convicted of causing death by reckless driving).
■ Foolhardy, as the word suggests, refers to foolish
daring, and a foolhardy act is most likely to harm the
foolhardy person themselves (old mines were not to be
left open as an invitation to any foolhardy visitor).
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.

wary |ˈwɛːri|
adjective (warier, wariest)
feeling or showing caution about possible dangers or problems:
dogs which have been mistreated often remain very wary of strangers | a
wary look.
ORIGIN late 15th cent.: from ware 2 + -y 1 .

wary
adjective
1 as a soldier, he was trained to be wary: cautious, careful,
circumspect, on one's guard, chary, alert, on the alert, on the
lookout, on the qui vive, prudent; attentive, heedful, watchful,
vigilant, observant; informal wide awake, on one's toes, cagey.
ANTONYMS unwary, inattentive.
2 we are wary of strangers in the city these days: suspicious, chary,
careful, distrustful, mistrustful, sceptical, doubtful, dubious;
guarded, on one's guard; informal leery. ANTONYMS unwary,
trustful.
WORD TOOLKIT
wary watchful circumspect
investor
consumer
rabbit
owners eye
gaze
supervision
parents approach
manner
dissimulation
lawyer
Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close
synonyms by means of words typically used with them.

decorate
verb
1 the door was decorated with a lion's head knocker: ornament, adorn,
trim, embellish, garnish, furnish, accessorize, enhance, grace,
enrich; festoon, garland, trick out, bedeck, beautify, prettify;
literary furbelow.
2 a house painter called to decorate his home: paint, wallpaper, paper,
furbish, smarten up; renovate, refurbish, redecorate, retouch;
informal do up, spruce up, do out, do over, fix up, tart up, give
something a facelift, titivate.
3 he was decorated for courage on the battlefields: give a medal to, pin
a medal on, honour, confer an award on; cite, mention in
dispatches, reward.
decorate |ˈdɛkəәreɪt|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 make (something) look more attractive by adding extra items
or images to it: the town was decorated with Christmas lights.
• chiefly Brit.apply paint or wallpaper in (a room or building):
the five bedrooms are individually decorated.
2 confer an award or medal on (a member of the armed
forces): he was decorated for outstanding bravery.

ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (in the sense ‘to grace or honour’):
from Latin decoratus ‘embellished’ (past participle of
decorare), from decus, decor- ‘beauty, honour, or
embellishment’.
reticent |ˈrɛtɪs(əә)nt|
adjective
not revealing one's thoughts or feelings readily: she was extremely
reticent about her personal affairs.
DERIVATIVES
reticently adverb
ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from Latin reticent- ‘remaining
silent’, from the verb reticere, from re- (expressing intensive
force) + tacere ‘be silent’.
reticent
adjective
Smith was extremely reticent about his personal affairs: reserved,
withdrawn, introverted, restrained, inhibited, diffident, shy,
modest, unassuming, shrinking, distant, undemonstrative,
wouldn't say boo to a goose; uncommunicative, unforthcoming,
unresponsive, tight-lipped, close-mouthed, close-lipped, quiet,

taciturn, silent, guarded, secretive, private, playing one's cards
close to one's chest; informal mum. ANTONYMS expansive,
garrulous.
blame |bleɪm|
verb [ with obj. ]
feel or declare that (someone or something) is responsible for a
fault or wrong: the inquiry blamed the train driver for the accident.
• (blame something on) assign the responsibility for a bad or
unfortunate situation or phenomenon to (someone or
something): they blame youth crime on unemployment.
noun [ mass noun ]
responsibility for a fault or wrong: his players had to take the
blame for the defeat | they are trying to put the blame on us.
PHRASES
be to blame be responsible for a fault or wrong: he was to
blame for their deaths.
I don't (or can't) blame you (or her etc.)used to indicate
that one agrees that the action or attitude taken was
reasonable: he was becoming impatient and I couldn't blame him.
have only oneself to blame be solely responsible for a bad
or unwelcome state of affairs. he really had only himself to blame.

DERIVATIVES
blameable (US also blamable)adjective,
blameful adjective
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French blamer, blasmer
(verb), from a popular Latin variant of ecclesiastical Latin
blasphemare ‘reproach, revile, blaspheme’, from Greek
blasphēmein (see blaspheme) .
blame
verb
1 the inquiry blamed the train driver for the accident: hold responsible,
hold accountable, hold liable, place/lay the blame on; censure,
criticize, condemn, accuse of, find/consider guilty of; assign
fault/liability/guilt to; archaic inculpate. ANTONYMS
absolve; forgive.
2 they blame youth crime on unemployment: ascribe to, attribute to,
impute to, lay at the door of, put down to, set down to;
informal pin, stick.
noun
he was cleared of all blame for the incident: responsibility, guilt,
accountability, liability, onus, blameworthiness, culpability,

fault; censure, criticism, condemnation, recrimination; informal
rap.
permeate |ˈpəәːmɪeɪt|
verb [ with obj. ]
spread throughout (something); pervade: the aroma of soup
permeated the air | [ no obj. ] : his personality has begun to permeate
through the whole organization.
DERIVATIVES
permeation |-ˈeɪʃ(əә)n| noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Latin permeat- ‘passed
through’, from the verb permeare, from per- ‘through’ +
meare ‘pass, go’.
permeate
verb
1 the delicious smell emanating from the kitchen permeated the entire flat:
pervade, spread through, fill, filter through, diffuse through,
imbue, penetrate, pass through, percolate through, perfuse,
extend throughout, be disseminated through, flow through,
charge, suffuse, run through, steep, impregnate, inform,
infiltrate.

2 these resins are able to permeate partly decayed timber: soak through,
penetrate, seep through, saturate, percolate through, leach
through, pass through, spread through.
accolade |ˈakəәleɪd, ˌakəәˈleɪd|
noun
1 an award or privilege granted as a special honour or as an
acknowledgement of merit: the hotel has won numerous accolades.
• an expression of praise or admiration. poignant accolades and
urgent testimonials of thanks.
2 a touch on a person's shoulders with a sword at the bestowing
of a knighthood.
ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from French, from Provençal
acolada, literally ‘embrace around the neck (when
bestowing knighthood)’, from Latin ad- ‘at, to’ + collum
‘neck’.
accolade
noun
1 he received the accolade of knighthood: honour, recognition,
privilege, award, gift, title; prize, laurels, bays, palm.
2 his role in the game earned him this accolade from his manager: tribute,
commendation, acclaim, applause, ovation, acclamation,

approval, admiration, approbation, testimonial, praise,
welcome, flattery, kudos, adulation, homage, compliment, pat
on the back, eulogy, encomium, panegyric; cheers, salutes,
plaudits, congratulations, bouquets; informal rave; rare
extolment, laudation, eulogium. ANTONYMS criticism.
simple |ˈsɪmp(əә)l|
adjective (simpler, simplest)
1 easily understood or done; presenting no difficulty: a simple
solution | camcorders are now so simple to operate.
• [ attrib. ] used to emphasize the fundamental and
straightforward nature of something: the simple truth.
2 plain, basic, or uncomplicated in form, nature, or design;
without much decoration or ornamentation: a simple white blouse
| the house is furnished in a simple country style.
• humble and unpretentious: a quiet unassuming man with simple
tastes.
3 composed of a single element; not compound.
• Mathematics denoting a group that has no proper normal
subgroup.
• Botany (of a leaf or stem) not divided or branched.

• (of a lens, microscope, etc.) consisting of a single lens or
component.
• (in English grammar) denoting a tense formed without an
auxiliary, for example sang as opposed to was singing.
• (of interest) payable on the sum loaned only. Compare with
compound 1 .
4 of very low intelligence.
nounchiefly historical
a medicinal herb, or a medicine made from one: the gatherers of
simples.
DERIVATIVES
simpleness noun
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French, from Latin
simplus. The noun sense (mid 16th cent.) originally referred
to a medicine made from one constituent, especially from one
plant.
simple
adjective
1 it sounds difficult I know, but it's really pretty simple:
straightforward, easy, uncomplicated, uninvolved, effortless,
painless, manageable, undemanding, unexacting, elementary,

child's play, plain sailing, a five-finger exercise, nothing;
informal as easy as falling off a log, as easy as pie, as easy as
ABC, a piece of cake, a cinch, a snip, easy-peasy, no sweat, a
doddle, a pushover, money for old rope, money for jam, kids'
stuff, a breeze, a doss, a cakewalk; N. Amer. informal duck
soup, a snap; Austral./NZ informal a bludge, a snack; S.
African informal a piece of old tackle; Brit. vulgar slang a
piece of piss. ANTONYMS difficult, hard, demanding,
complicated.
2 the chapter on finance explains in simple language how a profit and loss
account is compiled: clear, plain, straightforward, clearly
expressed, intelligible, comprehensible, uncomplicated,
understandable, (words) of one syllable, lucid, coherent,
unambiguous, direct, accessible, uninvolved; informal user-
friendly. ANTONYMS complex.
3 a simple white blouse | a simple, square house in Bath stone: plain,
unadorned, undecorated, unembellished, unornamented,
without ornament/ornamentation, unelaborate, unpretentious,
unostentatious, unfussy, no-nonsense, basic, modest,
unsophisticated, penny plain, without frills, honest, homely,
homespun, everyday, workaday; stark, severe, spartan, austere,
chaste, spare, bare; muted, unpatterned, patternless; classic,

understated, uncluttered, clean, restrained; N. Amer.
homestyle; informal no-frills. ANTONYMS fancy, elaborate.
4 the simple fact is that stray dogs are a menace | she was overcome at last
by simple exhaustion: basic, fundamental; mere, sheer, pure, pure
and simple.
5 she wondered how he would react if she told him the simple truth:
candid, frank, honest, direct, sincere, plain, absolute,
unqualified, bald, stark, naked, blunt, unadorned, unvarnished,
unembellished.
6 simple country people: unpretentious, unsophisticated, ordinary,
unaffected, unassuming, natural, honest-to-goodness, modest,
homely, wholesome, humble, quiet, lowly, rustic; innocent,
artless, guileless, childlike, naive, ingenuous, gullible,
inexperienced; N. Amer. cracker-barrel; informal green.
ANTONYMS pretentious, affected.
7 simple chemical substances: non-compound, non-complex,
uncompounded, uncombined, unmixed, unblended, unalloyed,
pure, basic, single, elementary, fundamental. ANTONYMS
compound.

plain
adjective
1 it was plain that something was very wrong: obvious, clear, crystal
clear, as clear as crystal, evident, apparent, manifest, patent,
visible, discernible, perceptible, perceivable, noticeable,
detectable, recognizable, observable, unmistakable,
transparent, palpable, distinct, pronounced, marked, striking,
conspicuous, overt, self-evident, indisputable; as plain as a
pikestaff, staring someone in the face, writ large, written all
over someone, as plain as day, plain to see, beyond (a) doubt,
beyond question; informal as plain as the nose on one's face,
standing/sticking out like a sore thumb, standing/sticking out a
mile.
2 put it in plain English: intelligible, comprehensible,
understandable, coherent, accessible, uncomplicated, lucid,
perspicuous, unambiguous, clear, simple, straightforward,
clearly expressed, clear-cut, direct, digestible, user-friendly.
ANTONYMS unclear, obscure.
3 there were indrawn breaths at such plain speaking: candid, frank,
outspoken, forthright, plain-spoken, direct, honest, truthful,
blunt, downright, unvarnished, bald, straight from the

shoulder, explicit, unequivocal; informal upfront; archaic
round, free-spoken.
4 her plain black dress: simple, ordinary, unadorned, undecorated,
unembellished, unornamented, unpretentious, unostentatious,
unfussy, homely, homespun, basic, modest, unsophisticated,
penny plain, without frills; stark, severe, spartan, austere,
chaste, bare, uncluttered, restrained, muted, unpatterned,
patternless, everyday, workaday. ANTONYMS fancy,
elaborate.
5 a rather plain girl: unattractive, unprepossessing, as plain as a
pikestaff, ugly, ill-favoured, unlovely, ordinary-looking; N.
Amer. homely; informal not much to look at, fugly; Brit.
informal no oil painting. ANTONYMS attractive, beautiful,
good-looking.
6 a plain, honest man with no nonsense about him: straightforward,
unpretentious, simple, ordinary, average, unassuming,
unaffected, honest-to-goodness, ingenuous, artless, guileless,
sincere; N. Amer. cracker-barrel. ANTONYMS pretentious,
affected.
7 it was plain bad luck: sheer, pure, downright, out-and-out,
unmitigated, rank, nothing other than.
PHRASES

plain sailing getting their products onto the market has not been plain
sailing: uncomplicated, straightforward, simple, easy, effortless,
painless, undemanding, unexacting; elementary, a five-finger
exercise, child's play; routine; informal as easy as falling off a
log, as easy as pie, as easy as ABC, a piece of cake, a cinch, a
snip, easy-peasy, no sweat, a doddle, money for old rope,
money for jam, kids' stuff, a breeze, a doss, a cakewalk; N.
Amer. informal duck soup, a snap; Austral./NZ informal a
bludge, a snack; S. African informal a piece of old tackle.
adverb
this is just plain stupid: downright, utterly, absolutely, completely,
totally, really, thoroughly, positively, profoundly, categorically,
simply, incontrovertibly, unquestionably, undeniably; informal
plumb.
noun
the vast treeless plains of North America: grassland, flatland,
lowland, pasture, meadowland, open country, prairie,
savannah, steppe; in S. Americatableland, tundra, pampas,
campo, llano, vega; in southern Africaveld; Geology pediplain;
literary champaign.

plain 1 |pleɪn|
adjective
1 not decorated or elaborate; simple or basic in character: good
plain food | everyone dined at a plain wooden table.
• without a pattern; in only one colour: a plain fabric.
• bearing no indication as to contents or affiliation: donations can
be put in a plain envelope.
• (of paper) without lines.
2 easy to perceive or understand; clear: the advantages were plain
to see | it was plain that something was wrong.
• [ attrib. ] (of written or spoken usage) clearly expressed,
without the use of technical or abstruse terms: an insurance policy
written in plain English.
• not using concealment or deception; frank: there were indrawn
breaths at such plain speaking.
3 not distinguished by any particular beauty; ordinary looking:
a plain, round-faced woman.
• having no pretensions; not remarkable or special: a plain,
honest man with no nonsense about him.
4 [ attrib. ] sheer; simple (used for emphasis): the main problem is
just plain exhaustion.

5 (of a knitting stitch) made by putting the needle through the
front of the stitch from left to right. Compare with purl 1 .
adverb informal
1 [ as submodifier ] used for emphasis: perhaps the youth was just
plain stupid.
2 clearly or unequivocally: I'm finished with you, I'll tell you
plain.
noun
a large area of flat land with few trees. the coastal plain.
PHRASES
as plain as the nose on someone's face informal very
obvious. I knew what he was up to—it was as plain as the nose on his
face.
plain and simple informal used to emphasize the statement
preceding or following: she was a nuisance, plain and simple.
plain as day informal very clearly.
DERIVATIVES
plainly adverb [ as sentence adverb ] : her mother was plainly
anxious to leave,
plainness |ˈpleɪnnɪs| noun
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French plain, from Latin
planus, from a base meaning ‘flat’.

plain 2 |pleɪn|
verb [ no obj. ] archaic
mourn or lament.
• complain.
• emit a mournful or plaintive sound.
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French plaindre, from
Latin plangere ‘to lament’.
easy |ˈiːzi|
adjective (easier, easiest)
1 achieved without great effort; presenting few difficulties: an
easy way of retrieving information.
2 (of a period of time or way of life) free from worries or
problems: promises of an easy life in the New World.
• (of a person) lacking anxiety or awkwardness; relaxed: her easy
and agreeable manner | he never felt easy with her.
3 [ attrib. ] (of an object of attack or criticism) having no
defence; vulnerable: as a taxi driver he was an easy target.
• informal, derogatory (of a woman) very receptive to sexual
advances: her reputation at school for being easy.
adverb archaic or US
without difficulty or effort: we all scared real easy in those days.

exclamation
be careful: easy, girl—you'll knock me over
PHRASES
be easier said than done be more easily talked about than
put into practice: going on an economy drive is easier said than done.
(as) easy as pie see pie 1 .
easy come, easy go used especially in spoken English to
indicate that a relationship or possession acquired without
effort may be abandoned or lost without regret.
easy does it used especially in spoken English to advise
someone to approach a task carefully and slowly. with father's
wine in the back I mustn't drive too fast, so easy does it.
easy on the eye (or ear) informal pleasant to look at (or
listen to). a charming village that is easy on the eye.
go (or be) easy on informal 1 refrain from being harsh with
or critical of (someone). go easy on him, Rory, he's only little. 2 be
sparing in one's use or consumption of: go easy on fatty foods.
have it easy informal have no difficulties; be fortunate. they
have had it easy for too long and have become complacent.
I'm easy informal said by someone when offered a choice to
indicate that they have no particular preference.

of easy virtue dated or humorous (of a woman) sexually
promiscuous. she's cheap, a woman of easy virtue.
sleep (or rest) easy go to sleep without (or be untroubled by)
worries: this insurance policy will let you rest easy.
stand easy Military used to instruct soldiers standing at ease
that they may relax their attitude further.
take the easy way out extricate oneself from a difficult
situation by choosing the simplest rather than the most
honourable course of action. she had taken the easy way out by
returning the keys without a message.
take it easy 1 proceed in a calm and relaxed manner. 2 make
little effort; rest.
DERIVATIVES
easiness noun
ORIGIN Middle English (also in the sense ‘comfortable,
tranquil’): from Old French aisie, past participle of aisier
‘put at ease, facilitate’ (see ease) .

easy
adjective
1 Wilf's task was very easy: uncomplicated, not difficult,
undemanding, unexacting, unchallenging, effortless, painless,
trouble-free, facile, simple, straightforward, elementary, idiot-
proof, plain sailing; informal easy-peasy, easy as pie, as easy as
falling off a log, as easy as ABC, a piece of cake, child's play,
kids' stuff, a cinch, no sweat, a doddle, a breeze, a pushover,
money for old rope, money for jam; N. Amer. informal duck
soup, a snap; Austral./NZ informal a bludge; S. African
informal a piece of old tackle; Brit. vulgar slang a piece of
piss; dated a snip. ANTONYMS difficult.
2 some parents have easy babies and amenable children: docile,
manageable, amenable, biddable, tractable, compliant, pliant,
yielding, acquiescent, accommodating, obliging, cooperative,
easy-going, flexible. ANTONYMS difficult; demanding.
3 the thug thought he had picked an easy target: vulnerable,
susceptible, exploitable, defenceless, naive, gullible, trusting,
credulous, impressionable. ANTONYMS streetwise.
4 Vic's easy manner made everyone feel at home: natural, casual,
informal, unceremonious, unreserved, uninhibited,
unconstrained, unforced, unaffected, free and easy, easy-going,

familiar, amiable, affable, genial, congenial, agreeable, good-
humoured; carefree, nonchalant, unconcerned, composed,
insouciant, urbane, suave; informal laid-back, unflappable,
together. ANTONYMS formal.
5 they are hoping for an easy life: calm, tranquil, serene, quiet,
peaceful, trouble-free, untroubled, undisturbed, unworried,
contented, relaxed, comfortable, secure, safe; informal cushy.
ANTONYMS uneasy.
6 the walkers set off at an easy pace: leisurely, leisured, unhurried,
unrushed, comfortable, unexacting, undemanding, easy-going,
gentle, sedate, moderate, steady, regular, even; informal laid-
back. ANTONYMS demanding.
7 informal she had a reputation at school for being easy: promiscuous,
sexually indiscriminate, free with one's favours, of easy virtue,
unchaste, loose, wanton, abandoned, licentious, dissolute,
dissipated, debauched; informal swinging, sluttish, whorish,
tarty, slaggy; N. Amer. informal roundheeled; W. Indian
informal slack; archaic light; rare concupiscent, riggish.
ANTONYMS chaste.
PHRASES

take it easy the doctor was still advising me to take it easy. See
relax (sense 1).
ambitious |amˈbɪʃəәs|
adjective
having or showing a strong desire and determination to
succeed: a ruthlessly ambitious woman.
• (of a plan or piece of work) intended to satisfy high
aspirations and therefore difficult to achieve: an ambitious
enterprise.
DERIVATIVES
ambitiously adverb,
ambitiousness noun
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French ambitieux or
Latin ambitiosus, from ambitio (see ambition) .
ambitious
adjective
1 he was an exceptionally energetic, ambitious, and intelligent politician:
aspiring, determined, forceful, pushy, enterprising, pioneering,
progressive, eager, motivated, driven, enthusiastic, energetic,
zealous, committed, go-ahead, go-getting, purposeful, assertive,

aggressive, hungry, power-hungry; informal on the make.
ANTONYMS unambitious, lazy.
2 he was ambitious to make it to the top: eager, determined,
enthusiastic, desirous, anxious, hungry, impatient, striving,
yearning, longing, wishing, itching, dying, hoping, avid,
hankering; intent on; informal raring.
3 an ambitious task: difficult, exacting, demanding, formidable,
challenging, hard, arduous, onerous, tough, stiff, strenuous;
bold, grandiose, extravagant, monumental; informal killing,
hellish; Brit. informal knackering; archaic toilsome.
ANTONYMS unambitious, easy; modest.
prescribe |prɪˈskrʌɪb|
verb [ with obj. ]
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 objs ] : 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.
DERIVATIVES
prescribable adjective,
prescriber noun
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘confine within
bounds’, also as a legal term meaning ‘claim by prescription’):
from Latin praescribere ‘direct in writing’, from prae
‘before’ + scribere ‘write’.
usage: The verbs prescribe and proscribe do not have the
same meaning. Prescribe is a much commoner word and
means either ‘issue a medical prescription’ or ‘recommend with
authority’, as in the doctor prescribed antibiotics. Proscribe, on
the other hand, is a formal word meaning ‘condemn or forbid’,
as in gambling was strictly proscribed by the authorities.

prescribe
verb
1 your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic: order, advise, authorize,
direct.
2 traditional values prescribe a life of domesticity: advise, recommend,
advocate, commend, urge, suggest, subscribe to, endorse,
support, back, champion, argue for, promote.
3 two rules prescribe the nature of that duty: stipulate, lay down,
dictate, specify, impose, set down, determine, establish, fix,
formulate, appoint, decree, order, command, pronounce,
ordain, require, direct, enjoin, make provision for, promulgate.
EASILY CONFUSED WORDS
prescribe or proscribe?
Prescribe is sometimes confused with proscribe, but
their meanings are totally different. Prescribe is a much
commoner word and means either ‘issue a medical
prescription’ or ‘recommend with authority’, as in the
doctor prescribed antibiotics. Proscribe, on the other
hand, is a formal word meaning ‘condemn or forbid’, as
in gambling was strictly proscribed by the authorities.

These notes clear up confusion between similar-looking
pairs.
narrate |nəәˈreɪt|
verb [ with obj. ]
give a spoken or written account of: the story is narrated by the
heroine.
• deliver a commentary to accompany (a film, broadcast, piece
of music, etc.). the series is narrated by Richard Baker.
DERIVATIVES
narratable adjective
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Latin narrat- ‘related, told’,
from the verb narrare (from gnarus ‘knowing’).
narrate
verb
the story is narrated by an ageing English butler: tell, relate, recount,
give an account of, unfold, set forth/out, describe, detail,
sketch out, portray, chronicle, give a report of, report, relay,
retail, delineate, rehearse, recite; voice-over.

PHRASE WORDS
call a spade a spade speak plainly without avoiding
unpleasant or embarrassing issues. it is time to name names and call
a spade a spade.
face the music be confronted with the unpleasant
consequences of one's actions. we would later have to face the music
over our bold moves.
play second fiddle have a subordinate role to someone or
something; be treated as less important than someone or
something: he resented playing second fiddle to his younger
brother.
jump down someone's throat informal respond to what
someone has said in a sudden and angrily critical way. I was
about to say, before you jumped down my throat, that I agree with you.
out of 1 indicating the source or derivation of something;
from: a bench fashioned out of a fallen tree trunk | I get a lot of
enjoyment out of teaching. • having (the thing mentioned) as a
motivation: he was acting out of spite. 2 indicating the dam of a
pedigree animal, especially a horse. 3 from among (a number):

nine times out of ten, companies are the source of such information. 4 not
having (a particular thing): they had run out of cash | you're out of
luck, mate, there's none left.
one's wits be extremely frightened.

spade 1 |speɪd|
noun
a tool with a sharp-edged, typically rectangular, metal blade
and a long handle, used for digging or cutting earth, sand, turf,
etc.
• a tool shaped like a spade but used for another purpose,
especially one for removing the blubber from a whale.
• [ as modifier ] shaped like a spade: a spade bit.
verb [ with obj. ]
dig over (ground) with a spade: while spading the soil, I think of the
flowers.
• [ with obj. and adverbial of direction ] move (soil) with a
spade: earth is spaded into the grave.
PHRASES
call a spade a spade speak plainly without avoiding
unpleasant or embarrassing issues. it is time to name names and call
a spade a spade.
DERIVATIVES
spadeful noun (pl.spadefuls)

ORIGIN Old English spadu, spada, of Germanic origin; related
to Dutch spade,German Spaten, also to Greek spathē
‘blade, paddle’.
call |kɔːl|
verb
1 [ with obj. ] cry out to (someone) in order to summon them
or attract their attention: she heard Terry calling her | [ no obj. ] : I
distinctly heard you call.
• cry out (a word or words): he heard an insistent voice calling his
name | Meredith was already calling out a greeting.
• [ no obj. ] (of an animal, especially a bird) make its
characteristic cry: the mother bird was calling from the twig.
• shout out or chant (the steps and figures) to people
performing a square dance or country dance.
• telephone (a person or telephone number): could I call you
back?
• summon (an emergency service, taxi, etc.) by telephone: if you
are suspicious, call the police.
• bring (a witness) into court to give evidence. four expert witnesses
were called.
• [ with obj. and infinitive ] archaic inspire or urge (someone)
to do something: I am called to preach the Gospel.

• fix a date or time for (a meeting, strike, or election). she intends
to call a meeting of the committee early next week. there appeared to be no
alternative but to call a general election.
• Bridge make (a particular bid) during the auction. her partner
called 6♠.
• [ no obj. ] guess the outcome of tossing a coin: ‘You call,’ he
said. ‘Heads or tails?’.
• predict the result of (a future event, especially an election or a
vote): in the Midlands the race remains too close to call.
• Cricket (of an umpire) no-ball (a bowler) for throwing. the
umpire never called him in a first-class match, only in a festival game.
• Computing cause the execution of (a subroutine). one
subroutine may call another subroutine (or itself).
2 [ with obj. and complement ] give (an infant or animal) a
specified name: they called their daughter Hannah.
• (be called) have a specified name: her companion was called
Ethel | he has written a book called The Secret Life of Wombats.
• address or refer to (someone) by a specified name, title, etc.:
please call me Lucy.
• refer to or consider (someone or something) as being: he's the
only person I would call a friend.

• (of an umpire or other official in a game) pronounce (a ball,
stroke, etc.) to be the thing specified: the linesman called the ball
wide.
3 [ no obj., with adverbial of place ] chiefly Brit.(of a person)
pay a brief visit: I've got to call at the bank to get some cash | he had
promised Celia he would call in at the clinic.
• (call for) stop to collect (someone) at the place where they are
living or working: I'll call for you around seven.
• (call at) (of a train or coach) stop at (a specified station or
stations) on a particular route: the 8.15 service to Paddington, calling
at Reading.
noun
1 a cry made as a summons or to attract someone's attention:
in response to the call, a figure appeared.
• [ with modifier ] a series of notes sounded on a brass
instrument as a signal to do something: a bugle call to rise at 8.30.
• a telephone communication or conversation: I'll give you a call
at around five.
• (a call for) an appeal or demand for: the call for action was
welcomed.
• a summons: a messenger arrived bringing news of his call to the
throne.

• [ in sing., with infinitive ] a vocation: his call to be a disciple.
• [ in sing. ] a powerful force of attraction: walkers can't resist the
call of the Cairngorms.
• [ usu. with negative ] (call for) demand or need for (goods or
services): there is little call for antique furniture.
• a shout by an official in a game indicating that the ball has
gone out of play or that a rule has been breached.
• Bridge a bid, response, or double. the alternative call of 2♠
would be quite unsound.
• a direction in a square dance given by the caller.
• a demand for payment of lent or unpaid capital.
• Stock Exchange short for call option.
2 the characteristic cry of a bird or other animal: it is best
distinguished by its call, a loud ‘pwit’.
3 a brief visit: we paid a call on an elderly Spaniard.
• a visit or journey made in response to an emergency appeal
for help: the doctor was out on a call.
PHRASES
at call another way of saying on call ( sense 2).
call attention to cause people to notice: he is seeking to call
attention to himself by his crimes.
call someone's bluff see bluff 1 .

call collect N. Amer.make a telephone call reversing the
charges.
call something into (or in) question cast doubt on
something: these findings call into question the legitimacy of the
proceedings.
call it a day see day.
call someone names see name.
call of nature see nature.
call the shots (or tune)take the initiative in deciding how
something should be done. we believe in parents and teachers calling
the shots.
call a spade a spade see spade 1 .
call someone to account see account.
call someone/thing to mind cause one to think of someone
or something, especially through similarity: the still lifes call to
mind certain of Cézanne's works. • [ with negative ] remember
someone or something: [ with clause ] : I cannot call to mind where
I have seen you.
call someone/thing to order ask those present at a meeting
to be silent so that business may proceed. Randy McGill called the
large gathering to order.

don't call us, we'll call you informal used as a dismissive
way of saying that someone has not been successful in an
audition or job application.
good call (or bad call) informal used to express approval (or
criticism) of a person's decision or suggestion. So you asked her to
leave? Good call.[with reference to decisions made by referees or
umpires.]
on call 1 (of a person) able to be contacted in order to provide
a professional service if necessary, but not formally on duty.
your local GP may be on call round the clock. 2 (of money lent)
repayable on demand.
to call one's own used to describe something that one can
genuinely feel belongs to one: I had not an item to call my own.
within call near enough to be summoned by calling: she moved
into the guest room, within call of her father's room.
PHRASAL VERBS
call for 1 make necessary: desperate times call for desperate measures.
2 publicly ask for or demand: the report calls for an audit of
endangered species. 3 N. Amer.predict or describe (the likely
weather conditions) for a period of time in the future: the forecast
is calling for more rain. they're calling for temperatures in the 80s for the
rest of the week.

call something forth elicit a specified response: few things call
forth more compassion.
call someone/thing down 1 cause or provoke someone or
something to appear or occur: nothing called down the wrath of
Nemesis quicker. 2 dated reprimand someone. he called down
Clarence Drum about being so high and mighty.
call someone in enlist someone's aid or services. you can either
do the work yourself or call in a local builder to help you.
call something in require payment of a loan or promise of
money. the bank would call in loans and foreign donations.
call someone/thing off order a person or dog to stop
attacking someone. Gunda pleaded with him to call the dog off.
call something off cancel an event or agreement. they held a
ballot on whether to call off industrial action.
call on 1 pay a visit to (someone): he's planning to call on Katherine
today. 2 (also call upon) have recourse to: we are able to call on
academic staff with a wide variety of expertise. • [ with infinitive ]
demand that (someone) do something: he called on the government
to hold a vote.
call someone out 1 summon someone to deal with an
emergency or to do repairs. patients are to be told to stop calling

doctors out unnecessarily at night. 2 order or advise workers to strike.
3 archaic challenge someone to a duel.
call something over dated read out a list of names to
determine those present. a gentleman proceeded to call over the names
of the jury.
call someone up 1 informal, chiefly N. Amer.telephone
someone. I have a list of people to call up in the morning. 2 summon
someone to serve in the army. they have called up more than 20,000
reservists. • select someone to play in a team: he was called up for
the international against Turkey.
call something up summon for use something that is stored
or kept available: icons which allow you to call up a graphic. • evoke
something: the imaginative intensity with which he called up the Devon
landscape.
ORIGIN late Old English ceallian, from Old Norse kalla
‘summon loudly’.

cut |kʌt|
verb (cutting; past and past participlecut) [ with obj. ]
1 make an opening, incision, or wound in (something) with a
sharp-edged tool or object: he cut his big toe on a sharp stone | when
fruit is cut open, it goes brown.
• make a deliberate incision in (one's flesh), as a symptom of
psychological or emotional distress: I started cutting myself when I
was about 14 and continued for four years | [ no obj. ] : I just started
high school and I have a lot of self-confidence issues and as a result I
started cutting.
2 remove (something) from something larger by using a sharp
implement: I cut his photograph out of the paper | some prisoners
had their right hands cut off.
• castrate (an animal, especially a horse).
• (cut something out) make something by cutting: I cut out
some squares of paper.
• (cut something out) remove, exclude, or stop eating or
doing something undesirable: start today by cutting out fatty foods.
• (cut something out) N. Amer.separate an animal from the
main herd. after the target animal is spotted, the pilot swoops down,
cutting it out of the herd.

3 divide into pieces with a knife or other sharp implement: cut
the beef into thin slices | he cut his food up into teeny pieces.
• make divisions in (something): land that has been cut up by
streams into forested areas.
• separate (something) into two; sever: they cut the rope before he
choked.
• (cut something down) cause something to fall by cutting it
through at the base. some 24 hectares of trees were cut down.
• (cut someone down) (of a weapon, bullet, or disease) kill or
injure someone: Barker had been cut down by a sniper's bullet.
4 make or form (something) by using a sharp tool to remove
material: workmen cut a hole in the pipe.
• make or design (a garment) in a particular way: (as adj., with
submodifiercut) : an impeccably cut suit.
• make (a path, tunnel, or other route) by excavation, digging,
or chopping: plans to cut a road through a rainforest | [ no obj. ] :
investigators called for a machete to cut through the bush.
• make (a sound recording). quadraphonic LPs had to be cut at a
lower volume level than conventional records.
5 trim or reduce the length of (grass, hair, etc.) by using a sharp
implement: Ted was cutting the lawn | cut back all the year's growth
to about four leaves.

6 reduce the amount or quantity of: buyers will bargain hard to cut
the cost of the house they want | I should cut down my sugar intake
| [ no obj. ] : they've cut back on costs | we're looking to cut
down on the use of chemicals.
• abridge (a text, film, or performance) by removing material:
he had to cut unnecessary additions made to the opening scene.
• Computing delete (part of a text or other display) so as to
insert a copy of it elsewhere. See also cut and paste below.
• end or interrupt the provision of (a supply): we resolved to cut oil
supplies to territories controlled by the rebels | if the pump develops a
fault, the electrical supply is immediately cut off.
• switch off (an engine or a light). Niall brought the car to a halt and
cut the engine.
• N. Amer.absent oneself from (something one should
normally attend, especially school): Rodney was cutting class.
7 informal ignore or refuse to recognize (someone): they cut her in
public.
8 (of a line) cross or intersect (another line). mark the point where
the line cuts the vertical axis.
• [ no obj. ] (cut across) pass or traverse, especially so as to
shorten one's route: the following aircraft cut across to join him.

• [ no obj. ] (cut across) have an effect regardless of (divisions
or boundaries between groups): subcultures which cut across national
and political boundaries.
• [ no obj. ] (cut along) informal, dated leave or move
hurriedly. you can cut along now.
9 [ no obj., often in imperative ] stop filming or recording. ‘Cut’
shouted a voice, followed by ‘Could we do it again, please?’.
• [ with adverbial ] move to another shot in a film: cut to a
dentist's surgery.
• [ with obj. ] make (a film) into a coherent whole by removing
parts or placing them in a different order. I like to watch the rushes
at home before I start cutting the film.
10 [ no obj. ] divide a pack of playing cards by lifting a portion
from the top, either to reveal a card at random or to place the
top portion under the bottom portion. let's cut for dealer.
11 strike or kick (a ball) with an abrupt, typically downward
motion: Cook cut the ball back to him.
• Golf slice (the ball).
• Cricket hit (the ball) to the off side with the bat held almost
horizontally; play such a stroke against (the bowler).
• [ no obj. ] Cricket (of the ball) turn sharply on pitching.

12 mix (an illegal drug) with another substance: speed cut with
rat poison.
13 (cut it) N. Amer. informal come up to expectations; meet
requirements: this CD player doesn't quite cut it.[shortened form of
the idiom cut the mustard.]
noun
1 an act of cutting, in particular:
• [ in sing. ] a haircut: his hair was in need of a cut.
• a stroke or blow given by a sharp-edged implement or by a
whip or cane: he could skin an animal with a single cut of the knife.
• a wounding remark or act. his unkindest cut at Elizabeth was to
call her heartless.
• [ often with modifier ] a reduction in amount or size: she took a
20% pay cut | a cut in interest rates.
• Brit.a power cut. fortunately the cut happened at night and power was
quickly restored.
• an act of cutting part of a book, play, etc.: they would not publish
the book unless the author was willing to make cuts.
• an immediate transition from one scene to another in a film.
instead of hard cuts, we used dissolves to give it a very dreamy character.
• Golf the halfway point of a golf tournament, where half of
the players are eliminated.

• Tennis & Cricket a stroke made with an abrupt, typically
horizontal or downward action. Kellett was denied a century by
edging a cut to wicketkeeper Burns.
2 a result of cutting something, in particular:
• a long, narrow incision in the skin made by something sharp:
blood ran from a cut on his jaw.
• a long, narrow opening or incision made in a surface or piece
of material: make a single cut along the top of each potato.
• a piece of meat cut from a carcass: a good lean cut of beef.
• [ in sing. ] informal a share of the profits from something: the
directors are demanding their cut.
• a recording of a piece of music: a cut from his forthcoming album.
• a version of a film after editing. the final cut.
• a passage cut or dug out, as a railway cutting or a new
channel made for a river or other waterway. the cut connected with
the Harborough arm of the canal.
3 [ in sing. ] the way or style in which something, especially a
garment or someone's hair, is cut: the elegant cut of his dinner
jacket.
PHRASES

be cut out for (or to be) [ usu. with negative ] informal have
exactly the right qualities for a particular role or job: I'm just not
cut out to be a policeman.
a cut above informal noticeably superior to: she's a cut above the
rest.
cut and dried [ often with negative ] (of a situation)
completely settled: the championship is not as cut and dried as everyone
thinks.[early 18th cent.: originally used to distinguish the herbs
of herbalists' shops from growing herbs.]
cut and paste Computing move (text) by cutting it from one
part of the text and inserting it in another.
cut and run informal make a speedy departure from a
difficult situation rather than deal with it. he laughed off
suggestions he is ready to cut and run from struggling United.[originally
a nautical phrase, meaning ‘cut the anchor cable because of
some emergency and make sail immediately’.]
cut and thrust a lively and competitive atmosphere or
environment: the cut and thrust of political debate. • a situation or
sphere of activity regarded as carried out under adversarial
conditions: the ruthless cut and thrust of the business world.[originally
a phrase in fencing.]

cut both ways (of a point or statement) serve both sides of an
argument. such a tax is often claimed to encourage saving but the
argument can cut both ways. • (of an action or process) have both
good and bad effects: the triumphs of civilization cut both ways.
cut the corner take the shortest course by going across and
not around a corner.
cut corners do something perfunctorily so as to save time or
money. there is always a temptation to cut corners when time is short.
cut the crap [ often in imperative ] vulgar slang get to the
point; state the real situation.
cut a dash Brit.be stylish or impressive in one's dress or
behaviour. the foreign secretary wanted to cut a dash in Brussels.
cut someone dead completely ignore someone. where he used
to cut them dead, he now helps them on with their coats.
cut a deal N. Amer. informal come to an arrangement,
especially in business; make a deal. he had gone to the board of
directors with his new robot design and cut a deal.
cut someone down to size informal deflate someone's
exaggerated sense of self-worth.
cut something down to size reduce the size or power of
something, for example an organization, which is regarded as

having become too large or powerful. the government clearly plans
to cut councils down to size.
cut a —— figure present oneself or appear in a particular
way: David has cut a dashing figure on the international social scene.
cut from the same cloth of the same nature; similar. don't
assume all women are cut from the same cloth.
cut in line N. Amer.jump the queue.
cut it fine see fine 1 .
cut it out [ usu. in imperative ] informal used to ask someone
to stop doing or saying something that is annoying or offensive.
I'm sick of that joke; cut it out, can't you?
cut loose distance or free oneself from a person, group, or
system: he was a young teenager, already cutting loose from his
family. • begin to act without restraint: when Mannion cut loose the
home side collapsed to 127 all out.
cut someone/thing loose (or free)free someone or
something from something which holds or restricts them: he'd
cut loose the horses.
cut one's losses abandon an enterprise or course of action
that is clearly going to be unprofitable or unsuccessful before
one suffers more loss or harm. an inner voice was urging her to cut
her losses and go back to England.

cut the mustard informal come up to expectations; reach the
required standard: I didn't cut the mustard as a hockey player.
cut no ice informal have no influence or effect: your holier-than-
thou attitude cuts no ice with me.
cut someone off (or down) in their prime bring
someone's life or career to an abrupt end while they are at the
peak of their abilities. she was too young to die: she had been cut off in
her prime.
cut someone/thing short interrupt someone or something;
bring an abrupt or premature end to something said or done:
Peter cut him short rudely.
cut someone to pieces kill or severely injure someone. I was
nearly cut to pieces by shrapnel. • totally defeat someone. we were cut
to pieces by Rovers.
cut a (or the) rug N. Amer. informal dance, especially in an
energetic or accomplished way. a place where a fella and a gal can
cut a rug.
cut one's teeth acquire initial practice or experience of a
particular sphere of activity: the brothers cut their professional teeth at
Lusardi's before starting their own restaurant.
cut a tooth (of a baby) have a tooth appear through the gum.
a feast to celebrate a son cutting his first tooth.

cut to the chase N. Amer. informal come to the point: cut to
the chase—what is it you want us to do?[ cut in the sense ‘move to
another part of the film’, expressing the notion of ignoring any
preliminaries.]
cut up rough Brit. informal behave in an aggressive,
quarrelsome, or awkward way. he can cut up rough and turn a bit
nasty if he's got a mind to.
cut up well archaic bequeath a large fortune. the old banker died
and cut up prodigiously well.
cut your coat according to your cloth proverb undertake
only what you have the money or ability to do and no more.
have one's work cut out see work.
make the cut [ usu. with negative ] Golf equal or better a
required score, thus avoiding elimination from the last two
rounds of a four-round tournament. she shot rounds of 86 and 86
and failed to make the cut.
miss the cut Golf fail to equal or better a required score, thus
being eliminated from the last two rounds of a four-round
tournament. bad driving made him miss the cut by nine strokes.
PHRASAL VERBS
cut in 1 interrupt someone while they are speaking: ‘It's urgent,’
Raoul cut in. 2 pull in too closely in front of another vehicle after

having overtaken it: she cut in on a station wagon, forcing the driver
to brake. 3 (of a motor or other mechanical device) begin
operating, especially when triggered automatically by an
electrical signal. emergency generators cut in. 4 dated interrupt a
dancing couple to take over from one partner. Saturday night she
goes to an informal dance where men are rare and any girl may cut in.
cut someone in informal include someone in a deal and give
them a share of the profits. he didn't mind my having a racket, he
was just narked that I hadn't cut him in.
cut into interrupt the course of: Victoria's words cut into her
thoughts.
cut someone off 1 interrupt someone while they are
speaking. he cut her off and went on to another subject. • interrupt
someone during a telephone call by breaking the connection. I
listened to pre-recorded messages for twenty-three minutes before being cut
off. 2 prevent someone from receiving or being provided with
something, especially power or water. consumers may be cut off for
non-payment. 3 reject someone as one's heir; disinherit someone:
Gabrielle's family cut her off without a penny. 4 prevent
someone from having access to somewhere or someone; isolate
someone from something they previously had connections
with: the couple were cut off by a fast-moving tide.

cut something off block the usual means of access to a
place: the caves were cut off from the outside world by a landslide.
cut out 1 (of a motor or engine) suddenly stop operating. both
the lifeboat's engines cut out at times as they hit the seabed. 2 N. Amer.
informal (of a person) leave quickly, especially so as to avoid a
boring or awkward situation. she was working her way toward the
door and when no one was watching, she cut out.
cut someone out exclude someone: his mother cut him out of her
will.
cut up 1 N. Amer. informal behave in a mischievous or unruly
manner: kids cutting up in a classroom. 2 informal (of a horse race)
have a particular selection of runners: the race has cut up badly
with no other opposition from England.
cut someone up 1 informal (of a driver) overtake someone
and pull in too closely in front of them. he was threatened with a
baseball bat after cutting up another driver. 2 N. Amer. informal
criticize someone severely: my kids cut him up about his appetite all
the time.
ORIGIN Middle English (probably existing, although not
recorded, in Old English); probably of Germanic origin and
related to Norwegian kutte and Icelandic kuta ‘cut with a
small knife’, kuti ‘small blunt knife’.

wit 1 |wɪt|
noun [ mass noun ]
1 (also wits) the capacity for inventive thought and quick
understanding; keen intelligence: she does not lack perception or
native wit | he needed all his wits to figure out the way back.
• [ with infinitive ] good sense: I had the wit to realize that the only
way out was up.
2 a natural aptitude for using words and ideas in a quick and
inventive way to create humour: his caustic wit cuts through the
humbug.
• [ count noun ] a witty person: she is such a wit.
PHRASES
be at one's wits' end be overwhelmed with problems and at
a loss as to what to do next. I'm almost at my wits' end trying to cope
with these demands.
be frightened (or scared) out of one's wits be extremely
frightened.
gather (or collect) one's wits allow oneself to think calmly
and clearly in a demanding situation. all she needed was a minute of
two to gather her wits.

have (or keep) one's wits about one be constantly alert. a
signalman had to have his wits about him. keep your wits about you or
you'll forget something important.
live by one's wits earn money by clever and sometimes
dishonest means, having no regular employment. he lived by his
wits and was involved with many shady characters.
pit one's wits against compete mentally with. they formed
themselves into teams to pit their wits against each other.
DERIVATIVES
witted adjective [ in combination ] : slow-witted
ORIGIN Old English wit(t), gewit(t), denoting the mind as the
seat of consciousness, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch
weet and German Witz, also to wit 2 .

out |aʊt|
adverb
1 moving or appearing to move away from a particular place,
especially one that is enclosed or hidden: he walked out into the
street | watch the stars come out.
• situated or operating in the open air, away from buildings: the
search-and-rescue team have been out looking for you.
• no longer detained in prison: they would be out on bail in no time.
2 situated far or at a particular distance from somewhere: an old
farmhouse right out in the middle of nowhere | they lived eight miles out
of town | a cold front hundreds of miles out in the Atlantic.
• to sea, away from the land: the Persian fleet put out from Cyprus.
• (of the tide) falling or at its lowest level: the tide was going out.
• indicating a specified distance away from the goal line or
finishing line: he scored from 70 metres out.
3 away from home: he's gone out.
• in or to a public place for purposes of pleasure or
entertainment: an evening out at a restaurant.
4 so as to be revealed or known: find out what you can.
• aloud; so as to be heard: Miss Beard cried out in horror.
5 at or to an end: the romance fizzled out.

• so as to be finished or complete: I'll leave them to fight it out | I
typed out the poem.
• in various other completive uses: the crowd had thinned out | he
crossed out a word.
6 (of a light or fire) so as to be extinguished or no longer
burning: at ten o'clock the lights went out.
• (of a stain or mark) no longer visible; removed: try and get the
stain out.
7 no longer involved in a situation, competition, or activity:
Oxford United are out of the FA Cup.
preposition
non-standard contraction of out of: he ran out the door.
adjective [ predic. ]
1 not at home or at one's place of work: if he called, she'd pretend
to be out.
2 revealed or made public: the secret was soon out.
• published: the book should be out before the end of the month.
• informal in existence or use: it works as well as any system that's
out.
• (of a jury) considering its verdict in secrecy.
• dated (of a young upper-class woman) introduced into
society. where is the use of having a lot of dresses when she isn't out yet?

• open about one's homosexuality: I had been out since I was 17.
3 no longer alight; extinguished: the fire was nearly out.
4 at an end: school was out for the summer.
• informal no longer in fashion: grunge is out.
5 not possible or worth considering: a trip to the seaside is out for a
start.
6 in a state of unconsciousness.
• Boxing unable to rise from the floor.
7 mistaken; in error: he was slightly out in his calculations.
8 (of the ball in tennis and similar games) outside the
designated playing area.
9 Cricket & Baseball no longer batting or at bat; having had
one's innings or at bat ended by the fielding side: England were
all out for 159.
10 (of a flower) in bloom; open.
noun
1 informal a way of escaping from a problem or dilemma: he
was desperately looking for an out.
2 Baseball an act of putting a player out.
3 (the outs) the political party not in office.
verb [ with obj. ]
1 knock (someone) out.

2 informal reveal the homosexuality of (a prominent person).
3 W. Indianextinguish: out the lamp when you're ready.
4 dated expel, reject, or dismiss: they had outed Asquith quite easily.
PHRASES
at outs (N. Amer.on the outs)in dispute: you were at outs
with my uncle Ned.
not out Cricket (of a side or batsman) having begun an
innings and not been dismissed. Hussain scored 89 not out as Essex
won by three wickets.
out and about engaging in normal activity after an illness.
out for intent on having: he was out for a good time.
out of 1 indicating the source or derivation of something;
from: a bench fashioned out of a fallen tree trunk | I get a lot of
enjoyment out of teaching. • having (the thing mentioned) as a
motivation: he was acting out of spite. 2 indicating the dam of a
pedigree animal, especially a horse. 3 from among (a number):
nine times out of ten, companies are the source of such information. 4 not
having (a particular thing): they had run out of cash | you're out of
luck, mate, there's none left.
out of it informal 1 not included; rejected: I hate feeling out of it.
2 unaware of what is happening as a result of being

uninformed. • unable to think or react properly, especially as a
result of taking drugs or drinking too much alcohol.
out to do something keenly striving to do something: they
were out to impress.
out with it say what you are thinking.
ORIGIN Old English ūt (adverb), ūtian (verb), of Germanic
origin; related to Dutch uit and German aus .
usage: The use of out as a preposition (rather than the
standard prepositional phrase out of), as in he threw it out the
window, is common in informal contexts, and is standard in
American, Australian, and New Zealand English.
Traditionalists do not accept it as part of standard British
English, however.
jump |dʒʌmp|
verb
1 [ no obj., usu. with adverbial of direction ] push oneself off a
surface and into the air by using the muscles in one's legs and
feet: the cat jumped off his lap | he jumped twenty-five feet to the ground.
• [ with obj. ] pass over (an obstacle or barrier) by jumping: one
of the deer tried to jump the ditch.

• [ with adverbial ] (of an athlete or horse) perform in a
competition involving jumping over obstacles: his horse jumped
well and won by five lengths.
• (especially of prices or figures) rise suddenly and by a large
amount: pre-tax profits jumped from £51,000 to £1.03 million.
• informal (of a place) be full of lively activity: the bar is jumping
on Fridays and Saturdays.
• [ with obj. ] informal (of driver or a vehicle) fail to stop at (a
red traffic light). she jumped at least seven red lights.
• [ with obj. ] get on or off (a train or other vehicle) quickly,
typically illegally or dangerously. he jumped a freight train on the
German border.
• [ with obj. ] N. Amer.take summary possession of (a mining
concession or other piece of land) after alleged abandonment
or forfeiture by the former occupant. the same long story about the
time somebody jumped his claim.
2 [ no obj., usu. with adverbial ] (of a person) move suddenly
and quickly in a specified way: Juliet jumped to her feet | they
jumped back into the car and drove off.
• (of a person) make a sudden involuntary movement in
reaction to something that causes surprise or shock: an owl
hooted nearby, making her jump.

• pass quickly or abruptly from one idea, subject, or state to
another: the book jumps constantly from Brooklyn to Harlem.
• [ with obj. ] omit or skip over (part of something) and pass on
to a further point or stage.
• (of a machine or device) move or jerk suddenly and abruptly:
the vibration can cause the needle to jump.
• (of a person) make a sudden, impulsive rush to do something:
Gordon jumped to my defence.
• Bridge make a bid that is higher than necessary, in order to
signal a strong hand: East jumped to four spades.
• [ with obj. ] informal attack (someone) suddenly and
unexpectedly. he was jumped by seven men as he opened the front door of
his home.
3 vulgar slang,N. Amer.have sexual intercourse with
(someone).
4 [ with obj. ] N. Amer. informal start (a vehicle) using jump
leads: I jumped his saloon from my car's battery.
noun
1 an act of jumping from a surface by pushing upwards with
one's legs and feet: in making the short jump across the gully he lost his
balance.

• an obstacle to be jumped, especially by a horse and rider in
an equestrian competition. the horse made a nonsense of the second
jump.
• an act of descending from an aircraft by parachute. she will
make a sponsored jump at Thruxton Airfield. a parachute jump.
• a sudden dramatic rise in amount, price, or value: a 51 per cent
jump in annual profits.
• a large or sudden transition or change: the jump from county to
Test cricket.
• Bridge a bid that is higher than necessary, signalling strength.
a jump to four indicates support for responder's suit.
2 N. Amer. vulgar slang an act of sexual intercourse.
3 a sudden involuntary movement caused by shock or surprise:
I woke up with a jump.
• (the jumps) informal extreme nervousness or anxiety. you get
the jumps—you feel like J. Edgar Hoover's on your tail.
PHRASES
be jumping up and down informal be very angry, upset, or
excited. there are people jumping up and down because at this stage they
do not understand all the pros and cons.
get (or have) the jump on someone N. Amer. informal get
(or have) an advantage over someone as a result of one's

prompt action. two of the team's top scouts rooted him out of bed at
daybreak in their haste to get the jump on their rivals.
jump bail see bail 1 .
jump someone's bones N. Amer. vulgar slang have sexual
intercourse with someone.
jump down someone's throat informal respond to what
someone has said in a sudden and angrily critical way. I was
about to say, before you jumped down my throat, that I agree with you.
jump for joy be ecstatically happy. I'm not exactly jumping for joy
at the prospect.
jump the gun see gun.
jump in with both feet get started enthusiastically.
jump into bed with informal engage readily in sexual
intercourse with. Veronica was never the type to jump into bed with
total strangers.
jump on the bandwagon see bandwagon.
jump out of one's skin informal be extremely startled. I
nearly jumped out of my skin when Guy fired his revolver.
jump the queue (or USjump in line)push into a queue of
people in order to be served or dealt with before one's turn. he
jumped the queue at the ticket counter. • take unfair precedence over

others: the old boy networks were one way of jumping the promotion
queue.
jump the rails (or track)(of a train) become dislodged from
the track. the engine jumped the rails on its maiden run. it's an action
movie so fast it threatens to jump the rails.
jump the shark informal (of a television series or film) reach
a point when far-fetched events are included merely for the
sake of novelty, indicative of a decline in quality. the majority of
television has jumped the shark; few shows maintain their creative
ingenuity.[said to be with allusion to the long-running US
television series Happy Days, in which the central character (the
Fonz) jumped over a shark when waterskiing.]
jump ship (of a sailor) leave the ship on which one is serving
without having obtained permission to do so: he jumped ship in
Cape Town.
jump through hoops go through an elaborate or
complicated procedure in order to achieve an objective. if you
want a home birth, you have to fight and jump through hoops.
jump to conclusions see conclusion.
jump to it informal used to exhort someone to prompt or
immediate action. get back to work—come on, jump to it

one jump ahead one step or stage ahead of someone else
and so having the advantage over them: the Americans were one
jump ahead of the British in this.
PHRASAL VERBS
jump at accept (an opportunity or offer) with great eagerness:
I'd jump at the chance of a career in football.
jump off (of a military campaign) begin. the air-attack phase will
continue before the ground attack jumps off.
jump on informal attack or take hold of (someone) suddenly.
two men jumped on him from behind. • criticize (someone) suddenly
and severely. we had sergeants and inspectors jumping on us for the least
little thing. • seize on (something) eagerly; give sudden (typically
critical) attention to: the paper jumped on the inconsistencies of his
stories.
jump out have a strong visual or mental impact; be very
striking: advertising posters that really jump out at you.
DERIVATIVES
jumpable adjective
ORIGIN early 16th cent. (in the sense ‘be moved or thrown
with a sudden jerk’): probably imitative of the sound of feet
coming into contact with the ground.

fiddle |ˈfɪd(əә)l|
noun
1 informal a violin.
2 informal, chiefly Brit.an act of defrauding, cheating, or
falsifying: a major mortgage fiddle.
3 Brit. informal a small task that seems awkward and
unnecessarily complex: inserting a tape is a bit of a fiddle.
4 Nautical a ledge or raised rim that prevents things from
rolling or sliding off a table in rough seas.
verb
1 [ no obj. ] touch or fidget with something in a restless or
nervous way: Lena fiddled with her cup.
• tinker with something in an attempt to make minor
adjustments or improvements: he fiddled with the blind, trying to
prevent the sun from shining in her eyes.
• (fiddle around) pass time aimlessly, without doing or
achieving anything of substance.
2 [ with obj. ] informal, chiefly Brit.falsify (figures, data, or
records), typically in order to gain money: everyone is fiddling their
expenses.

3 [ no obj. ] informal play the violin.
PHRASES
fiddle while Rome burns be concerned with relatively
trivial matters while ignoring the serious or disastrous events
going on around one.
(as) fit as a fiddle in very good health.
on the fiddle informal, chiefly Brit.engaged in cheating or
swindling.
play second fiddle have a subordinate role to someone or
something; be treated as less important than someone or
something: he resented playing second fiddle to his younger
brother.
ORIGIN Old English fithele, denoting a violin or similar
instrument (originally not an informal or depreciatory term),
related to Dutch vedel and German Fiedel, based on Latin
vitulari ‘celebrate a festival, be joyful’, perhaps from
Vitula, the name of a Roman goddess of joy and victory.
Compare with viol.

have |hav|
verb (has |haz, has| , having, had |had| ) [ with obj. ]
1 (also have got)possess, own, or hold: he had a new car and a
boat | have you got a job yet? | I don't have that much money on me.
• possess (a quality, characteristic, or feature): the ham had a sweet,
smoky flavour | she's got blue eyes | the house has gas-fired central
heating.
• (have oneself) informal, chiefly N. Amer.provide or indulge
oneself with (something): he had himself two highballs.
• be made up of; comprise: in 1989 the party had 10,000 members.
• used to indicate a particular relationship: he's got three children |
do you have a client named Peters?
• be able to make use of (something available or at one's
disposal): how much time have I got for the presentation?
• possess as an intellectual attainment; know (a language or
subject): he knew Latin and Greek; I had only a little French.
2 experience; undergo: I went to a few parties and had a good time |
I was having difficulty in keeping awake.
• (also have got)suffer from (an illness, ailment, or disability):
I've got a headache.

• (also have got)let (a feeling or thought) come into one's mind;
hold in the mind: he had the strong impression that someone was
watching him.
• [ with past participle ] experience or suffer the specified
action happening or being done to (something): she had her bag
stolen.
• [ with obj. and complement ] cause to be in a particular state
or condition: I want to have everything ready in good time | I had the
TV on with the sound turned down.
• [ with past participle ] cause (something) to be done for one
by someone else: it is advisable to have your carpet laid by a
professional.
• tell or arrange for (someone) to do something for one: [ with
obj. and infinitive ] : he had his bodyguards throw Chris out | she's
always having the builders in to do something or other.
• (also have got) informal have put (someone) at a
disadvantage in an argument: you've got me there; I've never given the
matter much thought.
• informal cheat or deceive (someone): I realized I'd been had.
• vulgar slang engage in sexual intercourse with.

3 (have to or have got to do something) be obliged or find
it necessary to do the specified thing: you don't have to accept this
situation | sorry, we've got to dash.
• be strongly recommended to do something: if you think that
place is great, you have to try our summer house.
• be certain or inevitable to happen or be the case: there has to be
a catch.
4 perform the action indicated by the noun specified (used
especially in spoken English as an alternative to a more specific
verb): he had a look round | the colour green has a restful effect.
• organize and bring about: are you going to have a party?
• eat or drink: they had beans on toast.
• give birth to or be due to give birth to: she's going to have a baby.
5 (also have got) show (a personal attribute or quality) by one's
actions or attitude: he had little patience with technological gadgetry |
[ with obj. and infinitive ] : you never even phoned, and now you've got
the cheek to come back.
• [ often in imperative ] exercise or show (mercy, pity, etc.)
towards another person: God have mercy on me
• [ with negative ] accept or tolerate: I can't have you insulting Tom
like that.

6 (also have got) [ with obj. and adverbial of place ] place or
keep (something) in a particular position: Mary had her back to me
| I soon had the trout in a net.
• hold or grasp in a particular way: he had me by the throat.
7 be the recipient of (something sent, given, or done): she had a
letter from Mark.
• take or invite into one's home so as to provide care or
entertainment: we're having the children for the weekend.
auxiliaryverb
used with a past participle to form the perfect, pluperfect, and
future perfect tenses, and the conditional mood: I have finished |
he had asked her | she will have left by now | I could have helped, had I
known | ‘Have you seen him?’ ‘Yes, I have.’.
noun
1 (the haves) informal people with plenty of money and
possessions: an increasing gap between the haves and have-nots.
2 [ in sing. ] Brit. informal, dated a swindle.
PHRASES
have a care (or an eye etc.) see care, eye, etc.
have got it bad (or badly) informal be very powerfully
affected emotionally, especially by love.

have had it informal 1 be in a very poor condition; be beyond
repair or past its best: the car had had it. • be extremely tired.
tomorrow she would motor on through Germany, but for today, she'd had
it. • have lost all chance of survival: when the lorry smashed into me,
I thought I'd had it. 2 be unable to tolerate someone or something
any longer: I've had it with him—he's humiliated me once too often
have it 1 [ with clause ] claim; express the view that: rumour
had it that although he lived in a derelict house, he was really very wealthy.
2 win a decision, especially after a vote: the ayes have it. 3 have
found the answer to something: ‘I have it’ Rosa exclaimed.
have it away (on one's toes)Brit. informal leave quickly. the
dog scratched itself, then had it away for home.
have it away (or off)Brit. vulgar slang have sexual
intercourse.
have it both ways see both.
have (got) it in for informal feel a particular dislike of
(someone) and behave in a hostile manner towards them. she's
had it in for me ever since our quarrel.
have (got) it in one (to do something) informal have the
capacity or potential (to do something): everyone thinks he has it in
him to produce a literary classic.

have it out informal attempt to resolve a contentious matter
by confronting someone: give her the chance of a night's rest before
you have it out with her.
have a nice day chiefly USused to express good wishes when
parting. I hope you enjoyed your meal. Thank you and have a nice day
have (got) nothing on informal 1 be not nearly as good as.
bright though his three sons were, they had nothing on Sally. 2 (have
nothing or something on) know nothing (or something)
discreditable or incriminating about: I am not worried—they've got
nothing on me.
have nothing to do with see do 1 .
have one too many see many.
have (got) something to oneself be able to use, occupy, or
enjoy something without having to share it with anyone else.
now she had the kitchen to herself, Belle got busy peeling potatoes.
have —— to do with see do 1 .
PHRASAL VERBS
have at tackle or attack forcefully or aggressively. somehow we
thought we had to have at each other.
have someone on informal try to make someone believe
something that is untrue, especially as a joke: that's just too neat—
you're having me on.

have (got) something on 1 be wearing something: she had a
blue dress on. 2 be committed to an arrangement: I've got a lot on
at the moment.
have something out undergo an operation to extract a part
of one's body. that was the year we had our tonsils out.
have someone up Brit. informal bring someone before a
court of justice to answer for an alleged offence: you can be had
up for blackmail.
ORIGIN Old English habban, of Germanic origin; related to
Dutch hebben and German haben, also probably to heave.
usage: 1 Have and have got: there is a great deal of debate
on the difference between these two forms; a traditional view is
that have got is chiefly British, but not correct in formal
writing, while have is chiefly American. Actual usage is more
complicated: have got is in fact also widely used in US
English. In both British and US usage have is more formal
than have got and it is more appropriate in writing to use
constructions such as don't have rather than haven't got. 2
A common mistake is to write the word of instead of have or
've: I could of told you that instead of I could've told you that.
The reason for the mistake is that the pronunciation of have
in unstressed contexts is the same as that of of, and the two

words are confused when it comes to writing them down. The
error was recorded as early as 1837 and, though common, is
unacceptable in standard English. 3 Another controversial
issue is the insertion of have where it is superfluous, as for
example I might have missed it if you hadn't have pointed it out
(rather than the standard ... if you hadn't pointed it out). This
construction has been around since at least the 15th and 16th
centuries, but only where a hypothetical situation is presented
(e.g. statements starting with if). More recently, there has been
speculation among grammarians and linguists that this
insertion of have may represent a kind of subjunctive and is
actually making a useful distinction in the language. However,
it is still regarded as an error in standard English.
best |bɛst|
adjective
of the most excellent or desirable type or quality: the best
midfielder in the country | how to obtain the best results from your machine
| her best black suit.
• most enjoyable: some of the best times of my life.
• most appropriate, advantageous, or well advised: do whatever
you think best | it's best if we both go.

adverb
to the highest degree; most (used with verbs suggesting a
desirable action or state or a successful outcome): they named the
pictures they liked best | you knew him best | well-drained soil suits this
plant best.
• to the highest standard: the best-dressed man in Britain | the things
we do best.
• most appropriately or usefully: pruning is best done in spring |
jokes are best avoided in essays.
noun (the best)
that which is the most excellent, outstanding, or desirable: buy
the best you can afford | Sarah always had to be the best at everything |
this film represents the best of mainstream popular cinema.
• the finest aspect of a person or thing: he brought out the
best in people.
• (one's best) the highest standard or level that someone or
something can reach: this is jazz at its best | try to look your best.
• (one's best) one's smartest or most formal clothes: she dressed
in her best.
• (in sport) a record performance: a lifetime best of 12.0 seconds |
a personal best.

• written at the end of a letter to wish a person well: See you
soon, best, Michael.
verb [ with obj. ] informal
outwit or get the better of (someone): she refused to allow herself to
be bested.
PHRASES
all the best said or written to wish a person well on ending a
letter or parting.
as best one can (or may)as effectively as possible under the
circumstances: I went about my job as best I could.
at best taking the most optimistic view: what signs there are of
recovery are patchy at best.
at the best of times even in the most favourable
circumstances: his memory is poor at the best of times.
best of breed the animal in a show judged to be the best
representative of its breed. • any item or product considered to
be the best of its kind: their technology is still considered best of breed
and demand for their products is still growing.
one's best friend one's closest friend: Michael was Frank's best
friend | he's best friends with Eddie.
the best-laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley
proverb even the most careful planning doesn't necessarily

ensure success. in the tradition of all best-laid plans, subsequent events
overturned the scheme.[see gang 2 .]
be the best of friends be very close friends: she's really nice and
we're the best of friends.
the best of three (or five etc.)victory achieved by winning
the majority of a specified odd number of games.
the best part of most of: the tedious ceremony took the best part of a
day.
best wishes an expression of hope for someone's future
happiness or welfare, often written at the end of a letter. best
wishes, Celia. we sent our best wishes for a speedy recovery.
one's best years the most vigorous and productive period of
one's life; one's prime. my best years are ahead of me.
do (or try) one's best do all one can: Ruth did her best to
reassure her.
be for (or all for) the best be desirable in the end, although
not at first seeming so. what was done was done, and maybe it was for
the best.
get the best of overcome (someone): his drinking got the best of
him and he was fired.

give someone/thing best Brit. dated admit the superiority
of someone or something. he finally decided to give us best and took
himself off.
had best do something find it most sensible or well advised
to do the thing mentioned: I'd best be going.
make the best of derive what limited advantage one can
from (something unsatisfactory): you'll just have to make the best of
the situation. • use (resources) as well as possible: he tried to make the
best of his talents.
make the best of a bad job Brit.do something as well as one
can under difficult circumstances.
six of the best Brit., chiefly historical or humorous a caning
as a punishment, traditionally with six strokes of the cane. one
prefect would hold you down and the other would give you six of the best.
to the best of one's ability see ability.
to the best of one's knowledge see knowledge.
with the best of them as well or as much as anyone: he'll be
out there dancing with the best of them.
ORIGIN Old English betest (adjective), betost, betst (adverb), of
Germanic origin; related to Dutch and German best, also to
better 1 .

better 1 |ˈbɛtəә|
adjective
1 more desirable, satisfactory, or effective: we're hoping for better
weather tomorrow | the new facilities were far better | I'm better at
doing sums than Alice.[comparative of the adjective good.]
• more appropriate, advantageous, or well advised: there couldn't
be a better time to take up this job | it might be better to borrow the money.
2 [ predic. or as complement ] partly or fully recovered from
illness, injury, or mental stress: his leg was getting better.
[comparative of the adjective well 1 .]
adverb
more excellently or effectively: Jonathon could do better if he tried |
sound travels better in water than in air | instruments are generally better
made these days.
• to a greater degree; more (used in connection with success or
with desirable actions or conditions): I liked it better when we lived
in the country | well-fed people are better able to fight off infection.
• more suitably, appropriately, or usefully: the money could be better
spent on more urgent cases.
noun

1 [ mass noun ] the better one; that which is better: the Natural
History Museum book is by far the better of the two | you've a right to
expect better than that | a change for the better.
2 (one's betters) chiefly dated or humorous one's superiors
in social class or ability: educating the young to respect their elders
and betters.
verb [ with obj. ]
improve on or surpass (an existing or previous level or
achievement): his account can hardly be bettered | bettering his previous
time by ten minutes.
• make (something) better; improve: his ideas for bettering the lot of
the millhands.
• (better oneself) achieve a higher social position or status: the
residents are mostly Londoners who have bettered themselves.
• overcome or defeat (someone): she had almost bettered him at
archery.
PHRASES
the —— the better used to emphasize the importance or
desirability of the thing specified: the sooner we're off the better.
better the devil you know than the devil you don't
know proverb it's wiser to deal with an undesirable but
familiar situation than to risk a change that might lead to an

even worse situation. any other man might be as unpleasant to live
with—better the devil you know.
better off in a more desirable or advantageous position,
especially in financial terms: the proposals would make her about
£400 a year better off.
the better part of almost all of; most of: it is the better part of a
mile.
better safe than sorry proverb it's wiser to be cautious and
careful than to be hasty or rash and so do something you may
later regret.
better than N. Amer.more than: he'd lived there for better than
twenty years.
the better to —— so as to —— better: he leaned closer the better
to hear her.
for better or (for) worse whether the outcome is good or
bad. ours, for better or for worse, is the century of youth.
get the better of gain an advantage over or defeat (someone)
by superior strength or ability: no one has ever got the better of her
yet. • (of a feeling or urge) be too strong to conceal or resist:
curiosity got the better of her.
go one better narrowly surpass a previous effort or
achievement: I want to go one better this time and score. • narrowly

outdo (another person). he went one better than Black by reaching the
final.
had better do something would find it wiser to do
something; ought to do something: you had better be careful.
have the better of be more successful in (a contest): Attlee had
the better of these exchanges.
no (or little) better than just (or almost) the same as
(something bad); merely: viceroys who were often no better than
bandits.
no better than one should (or ought to) be regarded as
sexually promiscuous or of doubtful moral character.
ORIGIN Old English betera (adjective), of Germanic origin;
related to Dutch beter and German besser, also to best.
usage: In the verb phrase had better do something the
word had acts like an auxiliary verb, and in informal spoken
contexts it is often dropped, as in you better not come tonight. In
writing, the had may be contracted to 'd but should not be
dropped altogether.

need |niːd|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 require (something) because it is essential or very important
rather than just desirable: I need help now | [ with present
participle ] : this shirt needs washing | [ with infinitive ] : they need
to win tomorrow.
• (not need something) not want to be subjected to
something: I don't need your sarcasm.
2 [ as modal verb ] [ with negative or in questions ] expressing
necessity or obligation: need I say more? | all you need bring are
sheets.
3 [ no obj. ] archaic be necessary. lest you, even more than needs,
embitter our parting.
noun
1 [ mass noun ] circumstances in which something is necessary;
necessity: the basic human need for food | [ with infinitive ] :
there's no need to cry.
2 (often needs) a thing that is wanted or required: his day-to-day
needs.
3 [ mass noun ] the state of requiring help, or of lacking basic
necessities such as food: help us in our hour of need | children in need.
PHRASES

at need archaic when needed; in an emergency. men whose
experience could be called upon at need.
had need archaic ought to. kings had need beware, how they side
themselves.
have need of/to do something formal need something:
Alida had need of company.
if need be if necessary. I'll work from morning till night if need be.
in need of needing (something): he was in desperate need of
medical care.
ORIGIN Old English nēodian (verb), nēod, nēd (noun), of
Germanic origin; related to Dutch nood and German Not
‘danger’.
usage: 1 In modern English, there are two quite distinct uses
for the verb need. In the first place it is used as a normal verb
meaning ‘require’: I need some money; I need to see her today.
Second, it is one of a small class of verbs called modals (like
can, could, and might, for example), which cannot stand
alone without another verb and do not take normal verb
endings or normal negative constructions, e.g. he need not
worry, not he needs not worry; he can't swim, not he doesn't
can swim. Because of this dual grammatical status, it is
sometimes called a semi-modal. 2 The two constructions in that

shirt needs washing (verb + present participle) and that shirt
needs to be washed (verb + infinitive and past participle)
have more or less the same meaning. Both these constructions
are acceptable in standard English, but a third construction,
that shirt needs washed (verb + bare past participle), is
restricted to certain dialects of Scotland and North America
and is not considered acceptable in standard English.

hell-bent
adjective [ predic. ]
determined to achieve something at all costs: she's hell-bent on
leaving.
look forward to await eagerly: we look forward to seeing you.
we are look forward to see you tomorrow
told |təәʊld|
past and past participle of tell 1 .
tell 1 |tɛl|
verb (past and past participletold |təәʊld| )
1 [ reporting verb ] communicate information to someone in
spoken or written words: [ with obj. and clause ] : I told her you
were coming | [ with obj. and direct speech ] : ‘We have nothing in
common,’ she told him | [ with obj. ] : he's telling the truth | [ with
two objs ] : we must be told the facts.
• [ with obj. and infinitive ] order or advise someone to do
something: tell him to go away.
• [ with obj. ] relate (a story). he tried to make the children laugh by
telling jokes. [ with two objs ] : tell me the story again.

• [ with obj. ] reveal (information) to someone in a non-verbal
way: the figures tell a different story | [ with two objs ] : the smile on
her face told him everything.
• [ no obj. ] divulge confidential or private information: promise
you won't tell.
• [ no obj. ] (tell on) informal inform someone of the
misdemeanours of: friends don't tell on each other.
2 [ with clause ] decide or determine correctly or with
certainty: you can tell they're in love | I couldn't tell if he believed
me.
• [ with obj. and adverbial ] perceive (the difference between
one person or thing and another): I can't tell the difference
between margarine and butter.
3 [ no obj. ] (of an experience or period of time) have a
noticeable, typically harmful, effect on someone: the strain of
supporting the family was beginning to tell on him.
• (of a particular factor) play a part in the success or otherwise
of someone or something: lack of fitness told against him on his
first run of the season.
4 archaic count (the members of a group): the shepherd had told
all his sheep.
noun

(especially in poker) an unconscious action that is thought to
betray an attempted deception.
PHRASES
as far as one can tell judging from the available
information. the work will take about six weeks, as far as I can tell.
I tell you (or I can tell you)used to emphasize a statement:
that took me by surprise, I can tell you
I (or I'll) tell you what used to introduce a suggestion: I tell
you what, why don't we meet for lunch tomorrow?
I told you (so)used to point out that one's warnings, although
ignored, have been proved to be well founded.
tell one's beads see bead.
tell someone's fortune see fortune.
tell it like it is informal describe the true facts of a situation
no matter how unpleasant they may be.
tell its own tale (or story)be significant or revealing, without
any further explanation being necessary: the worried expression on
Helen's face told its own tale.
tell me about it informal used as an ironic acknowledgement
of one's familiarity with an unpleasant situation or experience
described by someone else.
tell me another informal used as an expression of incredulity.

tell something a mile off see mile.
tell that to the marines see marine.
tell the time (or N. Amer.tell time)be able to ascertain the
time from reading the face of a clock or watch.
tell someone where to get off (or where they get off)
informal angrily dismiss or rebuke someone.
tell someone where to put (or what to do with)
something informal angrily reject something: I told him what he
could do with his diamond.
that would be telling informal used to convey that one is not
prepared to divulge confidential information.
there is no telling used to convey the impossibility of
knowing what has happened or will happen: there's no telling how
she will react.
to tell (you) the truth see truth.
you're telling me informal used to emphasize that one is
already well aware of or in complete agreement with
something. ‘That was bad luck.’ ‘You're telling me’.
PHRASAL VERBS
tell someone off 1 informal reprimand or scold someone: my
parents told me off for coming home late. 2 archaic assign a member

of a group to a particular task: there used to be a chap told off every
day to fetch us beer.
DERIVATIVES
tellable adjective
ORIGIN Old English tellan‘relate, count, estimate’, of
Germanic origin; related to German zählen ‘reckon, count’,
erzählen ‘recount, relate’, also to tale.
tell
verb
1 why didn't you tell me about this before? inform, let know, notify,
apprise, make aware, mention something to, acquaint with,
advise, put in the picture, brief, fill in, break the news to; alert,
warn, forewarn; informal clue in.
2 I hope you are telling the truth | she was crying as she told the story:
speak, utter, say, voice, state, declare; communicate, make
known, impart, divulge, announce, proclaim, broadcast; relate,
recount, narrate, give an account of, set forth, unfold, retail,
report, chronicle, recite, rehearse, describe, portray, sketch,
delineate, depict, paint, weave, spin.
3 Corbett told him to leave: instruct, order, give orders, command,
direct, charge, enjoin, call on, require; literary bid.

4 I tell you, I did nothing wrong: assure, promise, give someone
one's word, swear, guarantee; dated warrant.
5 the figures tell a different story: reveal, show, be/give evidence of,
disclose, indicate, convey, signify; display, exhibit.
6 promise you won't tell? give the game away, talk, tell tales, open
one's mouth, tattle; informal spill the beans, let the cat out of
the bag, blab; Brit. informal blow the gaff. ANTONYMS keep
a secret.
7 he was afraid she would tell on him: inform on/against, tell tales
on, give away, denounce, sell out, stab someone in the back;
informal split on, blow the whistle on, rat on, peach on, squeal
on, squeak on, stitch up, do the dirty on, sell down the river;
Brit. informal grass on, sneak on, shop; N. Amer. informal rat
out, drop a/the dime on, finger; Austral./NZ informal dob on,
pimp on, pool, shelf, put someone's pot on; rare delate.
8 it was hard to tell what he was thinking: ascertain, decide,
determine, work out, make out, deduce, discern, perceive, see,
identify, recognize, understand, comprehend; be sure, be
certain; informal figure out, get a fix on; Brit. informal suss out.
9 he didn't look as if he could tell a Renoir from a Renault: distinguish,
differentiate, tell apart, discriminate.

10 the strain of supporting the family was beginning to tell on him:
take its toll on, leave its mark on, have an adverse effect on,
affect.
PHRASES
tell someone off informal my parents told me off for coming home
late: reprimand, rebuke, reproach, scold, admonish, reprove,
remonstrate with, chastise, chide, upbraid, berate, take to task,
pull up, castigate, lambaste, read someone the Riot Act, give
someone a piece of one's mind, haul over the coals, criticize,
censure; informal give someone a talking-to, give someone a
telling-off, dress down, give someone a dressing-down, give
someone an earful, give someone a roasting, give someone a
rocket, give someone a rollicking, rap, rap someone over the
knuckles, slap someone's wrist, let someone have it, bawl out,
give someone hell, come down on, blow up, pitch into, lay into,
lace into, give someone a caning, blast, rag, keelhaul; Brit.
informal tick off, have a go at, carpet, monster, give someone a
mouthful, tear someone off a strip, give someone what for, wig,
give someone a wigging, give someone a row, row; N. Amer.
informal chew out, ream out; Brit. vulgar slang bollock, give
someone a bollocking; N. Amer. vulgar slang chew someone's

ass, ream someone's ass; dated call down, rate, give someone a
rating, trim; rare reprehend, objurgate. ANTONYMS praise.

since |sɪns|
preposition, conjunction, & adverb
1 in the intervening period between (the time mentioned) and
the time under consideration, typically the present: [ as
prep. ] : she has suffered from depression since she was sixteen | the worst
property slump since the war | I've felt better since I've been here | [ as
adv. ] : she ran away on Friday and we haven't seen her since.
2 [ conjunction ] for the reason that; because: delegates were
delighted, since better protection of rhino reserves will help protect other rare
species.
3 [ adverb ] ago: the settlement had vanished long since.
ORIGIN late Middle English: contraction of obsolete sithence,
or from dialect sin (both from dialect sithen‘thereupon,
afterwards, ever since’).

when |wɛn|
interrogativeadverb
at what time: when did you last see him? | [ with prep. ] : since when
have you been interested?
• how soon: when can I see you?
• in what circumstances: when would such a rule be justifiable?
relativeadverb
at or on which (referring to a time or circumstance): Saturday is
the day when I get my hair done.
conjunction
1 at or during the time that: I loved maths when I was at school.
• after: call me when you've finished.
• at any time that; whenever: can you spare five minutes when it's
convenient?
2 after which; and just then (implying suddenness): he had just
drifted off to sleep when the phone rang.
3 in view of the fact that; considering that: why bother to paint it
when you can photograph it with the same effect?
4 although; whereas: I'm saying it now when I should have told you
long ago.
ORIGIN Old English hwanne, hwenne; of Germanic origin;
related to German wenn ‘if’, wann ‘when’.

who |huː, hʊ|
pronoun
1 [ interrogative pronoun ] what or which person or people:
who is that woman? | I wonder who that letter was from.
2 [ relative pronoun ] used to introduce a clause giving further
information about a person or people previously mentioned:
Joan Fontaine plays the mouse who married the playboy.
• archaic the person that; whoever: who holds the sea, perforce doth
hold the land.
PHRASES
as who should say archaic as if to say: he meekly bowed to him,
as who should say ‘Proceed’.
who am I (or are you, is he, etc.) to do something what
right or authority do I (or you, he, etc.) have to do something:
who am I to object?
who goes there? see go 1 .
ORIGIN Old English hwā, of Germanic origin; related to
Dutch wie and German wer .
usage: 1 A continuing debate in English usage is the question
of when to use who and when to use whom. According to
formal grammar, who forms the subjective case and so should

be used in subject position in a sentence, as in who decided this?
The form whom, on the other hand, forms the objective case
and so should be used in object position in a sentence, as in
whom do you think we should support?; to whom do you wish to
speak? Although there are some speakers who still use who and
whom according to the rules of formal grammar as stated
here, there are many more who rarely use whom at all; its use
has retreated steadily and is now largely restricted to formal
contexts. The normal practice in modern English is to use
who instead of whom (and, where applicable, to put the
preposition at the end of the sentence): who do you wish to speak
to?; who do you think we should support? Such uses are today
broadly accepted in standard English. 2 On the use of who
and that in relative clauses see usage at that.
Who |huː, hʊ|
(the Who) an English rock group known almost as much for
destroying their instruments on stage as for the songs of
guitarist Pete Townshend (b.1945). They had hits with songs
such as ‘My Generation’ (1965) and recorded Townshend's
rock opera Tommy in 1969.
WHO
abbreviation

World Health Organization.
World Health Organization(abbrev.: WHO)
an agency of the United Nations, established in 1948 to
promote health and control communicable diseases. It assists in
the efforts of member governments, and pursues biomedical
research through some 500 collaborating research centres
throughout the world. Its headquarters are in Geneva.
whole
adjective
1 they refused to publish the whole report: entire, complete, full, total;
unabridged, full-length, uncut, uncondensed, unexpurgated,
unreduced, undivided. ANTONYMS partial, incomplete.
2 they discovered a whole marble mantelpiece: intact, in one piece,
sound, unbroken; unimpaired, undamaged, unharmed,
unhurt, untouched, uninjured, unscathed, unmutilated,
inviolate, flawless, faultless, unmarked, unspoilt, perfect, mint,
pristine. ANTONYMS in pieces, broken.
noun
1 the two movements had been fused into a single whole: entity, unit,
body, piece, discrete item, ensemble, combination, package,
conglomeration, object; totality, entirety, unity.

2 it may take the whole of the year: all, every part, everything,
the lot, the sum, the sum total, the aggregate.
PHRASES
on the whole on the whole they lived peaceably: overall, all in all,
all things considered, altogether, taking everything into
consideration/account, on balance, on average, for the most
part, mostly, mainly, in the main, chiefly, principally,
predominantly, largely, in general, generally, generally
speaking, as a rule, as a general rule, in the general run of
things, by and large, to a large extent, to a great degree,
basically, substantially, effectively, virtually, to all intents and
purposes; normally, usually, more often than not, almost
always, most of the time, habitually, customarily, regularly,
typically, ordinarily, commonly.
WORD LINKS
holo- related prefix, as in holocaust, Holocene
Word Links sections supply words that are related to the
headword but do not normally appear in a thesaurus
because they are not actual synonyms.

whom |huːm|
pronoun
used instead of ‘who’ as the object of a verb or preposition:
[ interrogative pronoun ] : whom did he marry? | her mother, in
whom she confided, said it wasn't easy for her.
usage: On the use of who and whom, see usage at who.
whomever |huːmˈɛvəә(r)|
pronounchiefly formal or literary
used instead of ‘whoever’ as the object of a verb or
preposition: I'll sing whatever I like to whomever I like.
whoever |huːˈɛvəә|
relative pronoun
the person or people who; any person who: whoever wins should
be guaranteed an Olympic place.
• regardless of who: come out, whoever you are.
interrogativepronoun
used for emphasis instead of ‘who’ in questions, typically
expressing surprise or confusion: whoever would want to make up
something like that?

usage: In emphatic use whoever is also written as two words:
whoever/who ever does he think he is? See usage at however.
about |əәˈbaʊt|
preposition
1 on the subject of; concerning: I was thinking about you | a book
about ancient Greece | it's all about having fun.
• so as to affect: there's nothing we can do about it.
2 chiefly Brit.used to indicate movement within a particular
area: she looked about the room.
3 chiefly Brit.used to express location in a particular place: rugs
were strewn about the hall | he produced a knife from somewhere about his
person.
• used to describe a quality apparent in a person: there was a look
about her that said everything.
adverb
1 chiefly Brit.used to indicate movement within an area: men
were floundering about | finding my way about.
2 chiefly Brit.used to express location in a particular place: there
was a lot of flu about.
3 (used with a number or quantity) approximately: reduced by
about 5 per cent | he's about 35.

PHRASES
be about to do something intend to do something, or be
close to doing something, very soon: the ceremony was about to
begin.
be not about to do something be unwilling to do
something: he is not about to step down after so long.
be on about see on.
know what one is about informal be sensible, self-possessed,
and aware of how to deal with difficult situations. don't go to the
Congo without knowing what you're about.
ORIGIN Old English onbūtan, from on‘in, on’ + būtan‘outside
of ’ (see but 2 ) .
about
preposition
1 a book about ancient Greece: regarding, concerning, with
reference to, referring to, with regard to, with respect to,
respecting, relating to, on, touching on, dealing with, relevant
to, with relevance to, connected with, in connection with, on
the subject of, in the matter of, apropos, re; Scottish anent.

2 two hundred people were milling about the room: around, round,
throughout, over, through, all over, in all parts of, on every side
of, encircling, surrounding; here and there, everywhere.
3 they aren't seen about here very often: near, nearby, close to, not far
(away) from, a short distance from, in the vicinity of, in the
neighbourhood of, within reach of, adjacent to, beside, around,
a stone's throw away from; informal within spitting distance of,
{a hop, skip, and a jump away from}.
4 while I am about it, I had better apologize for what happened:
occupied with, concerned with, busy with, taken up with,
employed in, involved in, absorbed in, in the process of, in the
course of, in the midst of, in the throes of; conducting,
pursuing, following, practising.
PHRASES
about to I was about to climb into bed when the bell rang: going to,
ready to, all set to, preparing to, intending to, soon to; on the
point of, on the verge of, on the brink of, within an ace of.
adverb
1 there were babies crawling about in the grass: around, here and
there, to and fro, back and forth, from place to place, hither
and thither, in every direction, in all directions, abroad.

2 although I hadn't seen him for two years, I knew he was about
somewhere: near, nearby, around, about the place, hereabouts,
not far off/away, close by, in the vicinity, in the neighbourhood,
at hand, within reach, on the doorstep, (just) around the
corner.
3 we think the explosion has caused about £15,000 worth of damage:
approximately, roughly, around, round about, in the
neighbourhood/region of, in the area of, of the order of,
something like; or so, or thereabouts, there or thereabouts,
more or less, give or take a few, not far off; Brit. getting on for;
Latincirca; informal as near as dammit; N. Amer. informal in
the ballpark of. ANTONYMS exactly, precisely.
4 he gave orders to turn about: in the opposite direction, in the
reverse direction, around, backwards, to face the other way.
5 there was a lot of flu about: around, in circulation, in existence,
current, going on, prevailing, prevalent, widespread, pervasive,
endemic, happening, in the air, abroad.
away |əәˈweɪ|
adverb

1 to or at a distance from a particular place or person: she
landed badly, and crawled away | they walked away from the vicarage
in silence | we'll only be away for four nights.
• at a specified distance: when he was ten or twelve feet away he
stopped | we have had patients from as far away as Wales.
• at a specified future distance in time: the wedding is only weeks
away.
• towards a lower level; downwards: in front of them the land fell
away to the river.
• conceptually to one side, so as no longer to be the focus of
attention: the Museum has shifted its emphasis away from research
towards exhibitions.
• (with reference to sports fixtures) at the opponents' ground.
Oh what fun it is to see the Mariners win away.
2 into an appropriate place for storage or safekeeping: he put
away the pistol.
3 into non-existence: Marie felt her distress ebbing away.
4 constantly, persistently, or continuously: there was Morrissey
crooning away.
adjective
(of a sporting contest) played at the opponents' ground:
tomorrow night's away game at Leicester.

noun
an away match or win.
PHRASES
away with see with.
ORIGIN Old English onweg, aweg‘on one's way’ (see a- 2 ,way) .
away
adverb
1 she began to walk away: off, from here, from there.
2 stay indoors, away from the trouble: at a distance, apart, isolated.
3 Bernice pushed him away: aside, off, to one side.
4 we'll be away for two weeks: elsewhere, abroad, not at home, not
here, gone, absent; on holiday, on vacation.
WORD LINKS
ab- related prefix, as in abduct
abs- related prefix, as in abscond
Word Links sections supply words that are related to the
headword but do not normally appear in a thesaurus
because they are not actual synonyms.

out |aʊt|
adverb
1 moving or appearing to move away from a particular place,
especially one that is enclosed or hidden: he walked out into the
street | watch the stars come out.
• situated or operating in the open air, away from buildings: the
search-and-rescue team have been out looking for you.
• no longer detained in prison: they would be out on bail in no time.
2 situated far or at a particular distance from somewhere: an old
farmhouse right out in the middle of nowhere | they lived eight miles out
of town | a cold front hundreds of miles out in the Atlantic.
• to sea, away from the land: the Persian fleet put out from Cyprus.
• (of the tide) falling or at its lowest level: the tide was going out.
• indicating a specified distance away from the goal line or
finishing line: he scored from 70 metres out.
3 away from home: he's gone out.
• in or to a public place for purposes of pleasure or
entertainment: an evening out at a restaurant.
4 so as to be revealed or known: find out what you can.
• aloud; so as to be heard: Miss Beard cried out in horror.
5 at or to an end: the romance fizzled out.

• so as to be finished or complete: I'll leave them to fight it out | I
typed out the poem.
• in various other completive uses: the crowd had thinned out | he
crossed out a word.
6 (of a light or fire) so as to be extinguished or no longer
burning: at ten o'clock the lights went out.
• (of a stain or mark) no longer visible; removed: try and get the
stain out.
7 no longer involved in a situation, competition, or activity:
Oxford United are out of the FA Cup.
preposition
non-standard contraction of out of: he ran out the door.
adjective [ predic. ]
1 not at home or at one's place of work: if he called, she'd pretend
to be out.
2 revealed or made public: the secret was soon out.
• published: the book should be out before the end of the month.
• informal in existence or use: it works as well as any system that's
out.
• (of a jury) considering its verdict in secrecy.
• dated (of a young upper-class woman) introduced into
society. where is the use of having a lot of dresses when she isn't out yet?

• open about one's homosexuality: I had been out since I was 17.
3 no longer alight; extinguished: the fire was nearly out.
4 at an end: school was out for the summer.
• informal no longer in fashion: grunge is out.
5 not possible or worth considering: a trip to the seaside is out for a
start.
6 in a state of unconsciousness.
• Boxing unable to rise from the floor.
7 mistaken; in error: he was slightly out in his calculations.
8 (of the ball in tennis and similar games) outside the
designated playing area.
9 Cricket & Baseball no longer batting or at bat; having had
one's innings or at bat ended by the fielding side: England were
all out for 159.
10 (of a flower) in bloom; open.
noun
1 informal a way of escaping from a problem or dilemma: he
was desperately looking for an out.
2 Baseball an act of putting a player out.
3 (the outs) the political party not in office.
verb [ with obj. ]
1 knock (someone) out.

2 informal reveal the homosexuality of (a prominent person).
3 W. Indianextinguish: out the lamp when you're ready.
4 dated expel, reject, or dismiss: they had outed Asquith quite easily.
PHRASES
at outs (N. Amer.on the outs)in dispute: you were at outs
with my uncle Ned.
not out Cricket (of a side or batsman) having begun an
innings and not been dismissed. Hussain scored 89 not out as Essex
won by three wickets.
out and about engaging in normal activity after an illness.
out for intent on having: he was out for a good time.
out of 1 indicating the source or derivation of something;
from: a bench fashioned out of a fallen tree trunk | I get a lot of
enjoyment out of teaching. • having (the thing mentioned) as a
motivation: he was acting out of spite. 2 indicating the dam of a
pedigree animal, especially a horse. 3 from among (a number):
nine times out of ten, companies are the source of such information. 4 not
having (a particular thing): they had run out of cash | you're out of
luck, mate, there's none left.
out of it informal 1 not included; rejected: I hate feeling out of it.
2 unaware of what is happening as a result of being

uninformed. • unable to think or react properly, especially as a
result of taking drugs or drinking too much alcohol.
out to do something keenly striving to do something: they
were out to impress.
out with it say what you are thinking.
ORIGIN Old English ūt (adverb), ūtian (verb), of Germanic
origin; related to Dutch uit and German aus .
usage: The use of out as a preposition (rather than the
standard prepositional phrase out of), as in he threw it out the
window, is common in informal contexts, and is standard in
American, Australian, and New Zealand English.
Traditionalists do not accept it as part of standard British
English, however.
out- |aʊt|
prefix
1 to the point of surpassing or exceeding: outfight | outperform.
2 external; separate; from outside: outbuildings | outpatient.
3 away from; outward: outbound | outpost.

down 1 |daʊn|
adverb
1 towards or in a lower place or position, especially to or on
the ground or another surface: she looked down | the sun started to
go down | he put his glass down | he swung the axe to chop down the
tree.
• at or to a specified distance below: you can plainly see the bottom
35 feet down.
• downstairs: I went down to put the kettle on.
• expressing movement or position away from the north: they're
living down south.
• to or at a place perceived as lower (often expressing
casualness or lack of hurry): I'd rather be down at the villa | I'm
going down to the pub.
• Brit.away from the capital or major city: there are eight trains a
day, four up and four down.
• Brit.away from a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge.
he was down from Oxford.
• (with reference to food or drink swallowed) in or into the
stomach: she couldn't keep anything down.
• so as to lie or be fixed flush or flat: she stuck down a Christmas
label.

• [ as exclamation ] used as a command to a person or animal
to sit or lie down: down, boy
• referring to a crossword answer which reads vertically: how
many letters in fifteen down?
2 to or at a lower level of intensity, volume, or activity: keep the
noise down | the panic was dying down | at night it would cool down.
• to or at a lower price, value, or rank: output was down by 20 per
cent | soup is down from 59p to 49p.
• to a finer consistency, a smaller amount or size, or a simpler
or more basic state: I must slim down a bit | a formal statement that
can't be edited down | thin down an oil-based paint with spirits.
• from an earlier to a later point in time or order: buildings in
England down to 1540 | everyone, from the President down to the
bloke selling hot dogs, wants her dead.
3 in or into a weaker or worse position, mood, or condition: the
scandal brought down the government | he was down with the flu.
• losing or at a disadvantage by a specified amount: United were
3–0 down.
• used to express progress through a series of tasks or items: one
down and only six more to go.
• (of a computer system) out of action or unavailable for use:
the system went down yesterday.

• (down with ——) shouted to express strong dislike of a
specified person or thing: crowds chanted ‘Down with America’.
4 in or into writing: Graham noted the numbers down carefully |
taking down notes.
• on or on to a list, schedule, or record: I'll put you down for the
evening shift.
5 (with reference to partial payment of a sum of money) made
initially or on the spot: pay £5 down and the rest at the end of the
month.
6 (of sailing) with the current or the wind.
• (of a ship's helm) moved round to leeward so that the rudder
is to windward.
7 American Football (of the ball or a player in possession) not
in play, typically through progress being stopped.
preposition
1 from a higher to a lower point of (something): up and down the
stairs | tears streaming down her face.
• at or to the part of (a river or stream) that is nearer the sea: a
dozen miles or so down the Thames.
• moving or at a point further along the course of (something):
he lived down the street | I wandered down the road.

• informal at or to (a place): she was tired of going down the pub
every night.
2 throughout (a period of time): astrologers down the ages.
adjective
1 [ attrib. ] directed or moving towards a lower place or
position: the down escalator | click on the down arrow.
• relating to or denoting trains travelling away from the main
terminus: we travelled on the first down train.
• Physics denoting a flavour of quark having a charge of − 1 / 3 .
Protons and neutrons are thought to be composed of
combinations of up and down quarks.
2 [ predic. ] unhappy; depressed: he's been so down lately.
3 [ predic. ] (of a computer system) temporarily out of action
or unavailable: sorry, but the computer's down.
4 [ predic. ] US black slang supporting or going along with
someone or something: you got to be down with me.
• aware of and following the latest fashion: a seriously down, hip-
hop homie.
verb [ with obj. ] informal
1 knock or bring to the ground: 175 enemy aircraft had been downed
| he struck Slater on the face, downing him.

2 consume (something, typically a drink): he downed five pints of
cider.
• Golf sink (a putt). he downed a 20-foot putt for victory.
noun
1 American Football a chance for a team to advance the ball,
ending when the ball carrier is tackled or the ball becomes out
of play. A team must advance at least ten yards in a series of
four downs in order to keep possession.
2 (downs) informal unwelcome experiences or events: there had
been more downs than ups during his years at Ferrari.
3 informal a feeling or period of unhappiness or depression:
everyone gets their downs, their depressive periods.
PHRASES
be (or have a) down on Brit. informal feel hostile or
antagonistic towards. she had a real down on Angela.
be down to 1 be attributable to (a particular factor or
circumstance): he claimed his problems were down to the media. • be
the responsibility of (a particular person): it's down to you to make
sure the boiler receives regular servicing. 2 be left with only (the
specified amount): I'm down to my last few pounds.
down in the mouth informal unhappy; dejected.

down on one's luck informal experiencing a period of bad
luck. he plays the part of a scriptwriter down on his luck.
down tools Brit. informal stop work, especially as a form of
industrial action: the union instructed its members to down tools.
down to the ground informal completely; totally.
down town into or in the centre of a town: I went down town to
do a few errands.
have (or put) someone/thing down as judge someone or
something to be (a particular type): I never had Jake down as a
ladies' man.
ORIGIN Old English dūn, dūne, shortened from
adūne‘downward’, from the phrase of dūne‘off the hill’ (see
down 3 ) .
down 2 |daʊn|
noun [ mass noun ]
soft, fine, fluffy feathers which form the first covering of a
young bird or an insulating layer below the contour feathers of
an adult bird. the baby penguins' woolly down is essential in the
Antarctic winter.
• down feathers taken from ducks or their nests and used for
stuffing cushions, quilts, etc. a down-filled sleeping bag.

• fine, soft hair on the face or body of a person: the little girl had
a covering of golden down on her head.
• short, soft hairs on some leaves, fruit, or seeds. the bright green
leaves are covered with a soft white down.
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old Norse dúnn .
down 3 |daʊn|
noun
1 (usu. downs) a gently rolling hill: the gentle green contours of the
downs.
• (the Downs)ridges of undulating chalk and limestone hills in
southern England, used mainly for pasture.
2 (the Downs)a stretch of sea off the east coast of Kent,
sheltered by the Goodwin Sands.
ORIGIN Old English dūn‘hill’ (related to Dutch duin ‘dune’),
perhaps ultimately of Celtic origin and related to Old Irish
dún and obsolete Welsh din ‘fort’, which are from an Indo-
European root shared by town.
Down |daʊn|
one of the Six Counties of Northern Ireland, since 1973 an
administrative district; chief town, Downpatrick.

schedule |ˈʃɛdjuːl, ˈskɛd-|
noun
1 a plan for carrying out a process or procedure, giving lists of
intended events and times: we have drawn up an engineering schedule.
• (usu. one's schedule) one's day-to-day plans or timetable:
take a moment out of your busy schedule.
• a timetable: information on airline schedules.
2 chiefly Law an appendix to a formal document or statute,
especially as a list, table, or inventory. they need a clear schedule of
fixtures and fittings.
3 (with reference to the British system of income tax) any of
the forms (named ‘A’, ‘B’, etc.) issued for completion and
relating to the various classes into which taxable income is
divided.
verb [ with obj. ]
1 arrange or plan (an event) to take place at a particular time:
the release of the single is scheduled for April.
• make arrangements for (someone or something) to do
something: [ with obj. and infinitive ] : he is scheduled to be released
from prison this spring.

2 Brit.include (a building or site) in a list for legal preservation
or protection. Cowley Bridge has already been scheduled and protected
as an ancient monument.
PHRASES
ahead of (or behind) schedule earlier (or later) than
planned or expected. work finished an astonishing twelve days ahead
of schedule. I'm behind schedule as it is.
to (or on or according to) schedule on time; as planned or
expected. the filming was still on schedule.
DERIVATIVES
schedular adjective
ORIGIN late Middle English (in the sense ‘scroll, explanatory
note, appendix’): from Old French cedule, from late Latin
schedula ‘slip of paper’, diminutive of scheda, from Greek
skhedē ‘papyrus leaf’. The verb dates from the mid 19th
cent.
schedule
noun
1 until that decision is made we cannot begin to draw up an engineering
schedule: plan, programme, timetable, scheme.

2 I have a very busy schedule for the next few days: timetable, agenda,
diary, calendar, appointment book, list of appointments, social
calendar; itinerary.
3 ring us for a schedule of all our courses: list, catalogue, inventory;
syllabus.
PHRASES
behind schedule the project is three months behind schedule: late,
running late, overdue, behind time, not on time, behind,
behindhand, behind target.
verb
another meeting was scheduled for April 20: arrange, organize, plan,
programme, timetable, fix a time for, make arrangements for,
book, set up, line up, slot in, time; N. Amer. slate.
travelogue |ˈtravəәlɒg|
noun
a film, book, or illustrated lecture about the places visited by or
experiences of a traveller.
ORIGIN early 20th cent.: from travel, on the pattern of
monologue.

travel |ˈtrav(əә)l|
verb (travels, travelling, travelled; UStravels, traveling,
traveled)
1 [ no obj., with adverbial ] make a journey, typically of some
length: the vessel had been travelling from Libya to Ireland | we travelled
thousands of miles.
• [ with obj. ] journey along (a road) or through (a region): he
travelled the world with the army.
• withstand a journey without illness or impairment: he usually
travels well, but he did get a bit upset on a very rough crossing.
• be successful away from the place of origin: accordion music
travels well.
2 [ no obj. ] (of an object or radiation) move, typically in a
constant or predictable way: light travels faster than sound.
• (usu. as adj.travelling) go or be moved from place to place: a
travelling exhibition.
• informal (of a vehicle) move quickly.
noun [ mass noun ]
1 the action of travelling: my job involves a lot of travel.
• [ count noun ] (travels) journeys, especially abroad: perhaps
you'll write a book about your travels.

• [ as modifier ] (of a device) sufficiently compact for use on a
journey: a travel iron.
2 the range, rate, or mode of motion of a part of a machine:
two proximity switches detect when the valve has reached the end of its
travel.
ORIGIN Middle English: a variant of travail, and originally
in the same sense.
itinerant |ɪˈtɪn(əә)r(əә)nt, ʌɪ-|
adjective
travelling from place to place: itinerant traders.
noun
a person who travels from place to place.
DERIVATIVES
itineracy noun,
itinerancy noun
ORIGIN late 16th cent. (used to describe a judge travelling on
a circuit): from late Latin itinerant- ‘travelling’, from the
verb itinerari, from Latin iter, itiner- ‘journey, road’.
incurable |ɪnˈkjʊəәrəәb(əә)l|

adjective
(of a sick person or a disease) not able to be cured. even when the
sick are incurable they are never untreatable. incurable diseases.
• (of a person or behaviour) unable to be changed: an incurable
optimist.
noun
a person who cannot be cured.
DERIVATIVES
incurability |-ˈbɪlɪti| noun
incurably adverb [ as submodifier ] : incurably ill patients
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French, or from late Latin
incurabilis, from in- ‘not’ + curabilis (see curable) .
cure |kjʊəә, kjɔː|
verb [ with obj. ]
1 relieve (a person or animal) of the symptoms of a disease or
condition: he was cured of the disease.
• eliminate (a disease or condition) with medical treatment: this
technology could be used to cure diabetes.
• solve (a problem): a bid to trace and cure the gearbox problems.

2 preserve (meat, fish, tobacco, or an animal skin) by salting,
drying, or smoking: (as adj., in combination-cured) : home-cured
ham.
• harden (rubber, plastic, concrete, etc.) after manufacture by a
chemical process such as vulcanization. the early synthetic rubbers
were much more difficult to cure than natural rubber.
• [ no obj. ] undergo hardening by a chemical process. the mastic
takes days to cure.
noun
1 a substance or treatment that cures a disease or condition: the
search for a cure for the common cold.
• [ mass noun ] restoration to health: he was beyond cure.
• a solution to a problem: the cure is to improve the clutch operation.
2 [ mass noun ] the process of curing rubber, plastic, or other
material.
3 [ mass noun ] a Christian minister's pastoral charge or area
of responsibility for spiritual ministry: a benefice involving the cure
of souls.
• [ count noun ] a parish. he had been at this cure for four years.
DERIVATIVES
curer noun

ORIGIN Middle English (as a noun): from Old French curer
(verb), cure (noun), both from Latin curare ‘take care of’,
from cura ‘care’. The original noun senses were ‘care,
concern, responsibility’, in particular spiritual care (hence
sense 3 of the noun). In late Middle English the senses
‘medical care’ and ‘successful medical treatment’ arose, and
hence ‘remedy’.
cure
verb
1 Casey had been cured, but he needed to convalesce: heal, restore to
health, make well, make better, restore, rehabilitate, treat
successfully; archaic cleanse.
2 the belief that economic equality could cure all social ills: rectify,
remedy, put right, set right, right, set to rights, fix, mend,
repair, heal, make better, ameliorate, alleviate, ease; solve, sort
out, be the answer/solution to; eliminate, do away with, end,
put an end to, remove, counteract, correct. ANTONYMS
exacerbate, aggravate.
3 some farmers cured their own bacon: preserve, smoke, salt, dry,
kipper, pickle.
noun

1 a cure for cancer: remedy, curative, medicine, medication,
medicament, restorative, corrective, antidote, antiserum;
(course of) treatment, therapy, healing, alleviation; nostrum,
panacea, cure-all; archaic physic, specific.
2 he was beyond cure: healing, restoration to health.
3 interest rate cuts are not the cure for the problem: solution, answer,
antidote, nostrum, panacea, cure-all, magic formula; informal
quick fix, magic bullet.

incorrigible |ɪnˈkɒrɪdʒɪb(əә)l|
adjective
(of a person or their behaviour) not able to be changed or
reformed: she's an incorrigible flirt.
noun
an incorrigible person. all repeat offenders, but none of them real
hard-case incorrigibles.
DERIVATIVES
incorrigibility |-ˈbɪlɪti| noun
incorrigibly adverb [ as submodifier ] : the incorrigibly macho
character of news-gathering operations
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin
incorrigibilis, from in- ‘not’ + corrigibilis (see corrigible) .
incorrigible
adjective
she's an incorrigible flirt: inveterate, habitual, confirmed,
hardened; incurable, unreformable, irreformable,
irredeemable, intractable, hopeless, beyond hope/redemption;
chronic, diehard, deep-dyed, dyed-in-the-wool, long-standing,
addicted, hard-core; impenitent, uncontrite, unrepentant,

unapologetic, unashamed; informal impossible. ANTONYMS
occasional; repentant.
WORD TOOLKIT
incorrigible hardened habitual
optimist
flirt
womanizer
spendthrift
gossip offender
drunkenness
smoker
liar
snoring
criminal
cynic
soldier
warrior
terrorist
Word Toolkits illustrate the difference between close
synonyms by means of words typically used with them.
harden |ˈhɑːd(əә)n|
verb
make or become hard or harder: [ no obj. ] : wait for the glue to
harden | [ with obj. ] : bricks which seem to have been hardened by
firing.
• make or become more severe and less sympathetic: [ with
obj. ] : she hardened her heart.
• make or become tougher and more clearly defined: [ no
obj. ] : suspicion hardened into certainty | [ with obj. ] : this
served only to harden the resolve of the island nations.

• [ no obj. ] (of prices of shares, commodities, etc.) rise and
remain steady at a higher level. if oil prices harden at the end of this
century.
PHRASES
hardening of the arteries another term for
arteriosclerosis.
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.
DERIVATIVES
hardener noun
harden
verb
1 this glue will harden in four hours: solidify, set, become hard,
become solid, congeal, clot, coagulate, stiffen, thicken, cake,
freeze, bake, crystallize; strengthen, reinforce; technical
anneal, vulcanize, ossify, petrify; rare indurate, inspissate,
gelatinize. ANTONYMS liquefy.
2 their suffering had hardened them: toughen, desensitize, inure,
make insensitive, make tough, make unfeeling, case-harden,

harden someone's heart; deaden, numb, benumb, anaesthetize;
brutalize, make callous; rare indurate. ANTONYMS soften.
vulnerable |ˈvʌln(əә)rəәb(əә)l|
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.
• 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.
DERIVATIVES
vulnerability |-ˈbɪlɪti| noun (pl.vulnerabilities) ,
vulnerableness noun,
vulnerably adverb
ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from late Latin vulnerabilis, from
Latin vulnerare ‘to wound’, from vulnus ‘wound’.
vulnerable
adjective

1 they evacuated children from the most vulnerable cities: in danger, in
peril, in jeopardy, at risk, endangered, unsafe, unprotected, ill-
protected, unguarded; open to attack, attackable, assailable,
exposed, wide open; undefended, unshielded, unfortified,
unarmed, without arms, without weapons, defenceless, easily
hurt/wounded/damaged, powerless, helpless; rare pregnable,
impuissant, resistless. ANTONYMS well protected,
invulnerable, resilient.
2 he is extremely sensible and less vulnerable to criticism than most:
exposed to, open to, wide open to, liable to, prone to, prey to,
susceptible to, subject to, not above, in danger of, at risk of, at
the mercy of, an easy target for, easily affected by; in the firing
line; rare susceptive of. ANTONYMS immune to, above.
invulnerable |ɪnˈvʌln(əә)rəәb(əә)l|
adjective
impossible to harm or damage: no state in the region is now
invulnerable to attack by another.
DERIVATIVES
invulnerability |-ˈbɪlɪti| noun,
invulnerably adverb

ORIGIN late 16th cent. (earlier than vulnerable): from Latin
invulnerabilis, from in- ‘not’ + vulnerabilis (see
vulnerable) .
invulnerable
adjective
no state in the region is invulnerable to attack by another: impervious,
insusceptible, immune, insensitive; indestructible, impenetrable,
impregnable, unassailable, unattackable, inviolable, invincible,
unshakeable, secure, safe, safe and sound, strong; proof
against. ANTONYMS vulnerable, defenceless.
amnesty |ˈamnɪsti|
noun (pl.amnesties)
an official pardon for people who have been convicted of
political offences: an amnesty for political prisoners.
• an undertaking by the authorities to take no action against
specified offences during a fixed period: a month-long weapons
amnesty.
verb (amnesties, amnestying, amnestied) [ with obj. ]
grant an official pardon to. the guerrillas would be amnestied and
allowed to return to civilian life.

ORIGIN late 16th cent.: via Latin from Greek amnēstia
‘forgetfulness’.

amnesty
noun
an amnesty for political prisoners: pardon, pardoning, reprieve;
release, discharge, liberty, freedom; absolution, forgiveness,
dispensation, remission, indulgence, clemency, mercy; informal
let-off, letting off.
verb
the guerrillas were amnestied and allowed to return to civilian life:
pardon, grant an amnesty to, reprieve; release, discharge,
liberate, free; forgive, excuse, exempt, spare, deliver; deal
leniently with, be lenient on/to, be merciful to, show mercy to,
have mercy on; informal let off, let off the hook, go easy on.
misogynist |mɪˈsɒdʒ(əә)nɪst, mʌɪ-|
noun
a person who hates women. a bachelor and renowned misogynist.
adjective
having or showing a hatred of women: a misogynist attitude.
DERIVATIVES
misogynistic |-ˈnɪstɪk| adjective
misogynist

noun
a bachelor and renowned misogynist: woman hater, anti-feminist,
male chauvinist, male supremacist, chauvinist, sexist; informal
male chauvinist pig, MCP.
misogamy |mɪˈsɒgəәmi, mʌɪ-|
noun [ mass noun ] rare
the hatred of marriage.
DERIVATIVES
misogamist noun
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Greek misos ‘hatred’ +
gamos ‘marriage’.

ambivert |ˈambɪvəәːt|
nounPsychology
a person who has a balance of extrovert and introvert features
in their personality.
DERIVATIVES
ambiversion |ambɪˈvəәːʃ(əә)n| noun
ORIGIN 1920s: from Latin ambi- ‘on both sides’, on the
pattern of extrovert and introvert.

misanthrope |ˈmɪz(əә)nθrəәʊp, mɪs-| (also misanthropist |mɪ
ˈzanθrəәpɪst, mɪˈsan-| )
noun
a person who dislikes humankind and avoids human society.
Scrooge wasn't the mean-spirited misanthrope most of us believe him to be.
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Greek misanthrōpos, from
misein ‘to hate’ + anthrōpos ‘man’.
misanthrope, misanthropist
noun
hater of mankind, cynic, sceptic, churl, grouch, grump, recluse,
hermit, anchorite; in Japanhikikomori.

carnivore |ˈkɑːnɪvɔː|
noun
an animal that feeds on other animals.
• Zoology a mammal of the order Carnivora.
• informal a person who is not a vegetarian.
ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: from French, from Latin carnivorus
(see carnivorous) .
cannibal |ˈkanɪb(əә)l|
noun
a person who eats the flesh of other human beings: [ as
modifier ] : cannibal tribes.
• an animal that feeds on flesh of its own species.
DERIVATIVES
cannibalism noun,
cannibalistic |-bəәˈlɪstɪk| adjective,
cannibalistically |-bəәˈlɪstɪk(əә)li| adverb
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Spanish Canibales (plural),
variant (recorded by Columbus) of Caribes, the name of a
West Indian people reputed to eat humans (see Carib) .
cannibal

noun
man-eater, people-eater; rare anthropophagite,
anthropophagist.
savage |ˈsavɪdʒ|
adjective
1 (of an animal or force of nature) fierce, violent, and
uncontrolled: packs of savage dogs roamed the streets.
• cruel and vicious; aggressively hostile: a savage attack on the
government.
2 (of something bad or negative) very great; severe: the decision
was a savage blow for the town.
3 (chiefly in historical or literary contexts) primitive;
uncivilized.
• (of a place) wild-looking and inhospitable; uncultivated.
noun
1 (chiefly in historical or literary contexts) a member of a
people regarded as primitive and uncivilized.
2 a brutal or vicious person: the mother of one of the victims has
described his assailants as savages.
3 Heraldry a representation of a bearded and semi-naked man
with a wreath of leaves.

verb [ with obj. ]
(especially of a dog or wild animal) attack ferociously and
maul: police are rounding up dogs after a girl was savaged.
• subject to a vicious verbal attack; criticize brutally: he savaged
the government for wasting billions in their failed bid to prop up the pound.
DERIVATIVES
savagely adverb,
savageness noun
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French sauvage ‘wild’,
from Latin silvaticus ‘of the woods’, from silva ‘a wood’.
savage
adjective
1 packs of savage dogs roamed the streets: ferocious, fierce; wild,
untamed, undomesticated, feral; predatory, ravening.
ANTONYMS tame.
2 James died after a savage assault at his home near Blackpool: vicious,
brutal, cruel, sadistic, ferocious, fierce, violent, bloody,
murderous, homicidal, bloodthirsty, bestial, brutish, barbaric,
barbarous, merciless, ruthless, pitiless, heartless, inhuman,
harsh, callous, cold-blooded; archaic fell, sanguinary.

3 Calvert launched a savage attack on European free-trade policy: fierce,
blistering, scathing, searing, stinging, devastating, mordant,
trenchant, caustic, cutting, biting, withering, virulent, vitriolic.
ANTONYMS mild, gentle.
4 a savage race: primitive, uncivilized, unenlightened, non-
literate, in a state of nature, heathen; wild, barbarian,
barbarous, barbaric; archaic rude. ANTONYMS civilized.
5 the most savage landscape you are likely to see in the Pyrenees: rugged,
rough, wild, inhospitable, uninhabitable.
6 the decision was a savage blow for the town: severe, crushing,
devastating, crippling, terrible, awful, dreadful, dire,
catastrophic, calamitous, ruinous; mortal, lethal, fatal.
noun
1 Sheila had expected mud huts and savages: barbarian, wild man,
wild woman, primitive, heathen; cannibal; Caliban.
2 the mother of one of the victims has described his assailants as savages:
brute, beast, monster, barbarian, ogre, demon, sadist, animal.
verb
1 11-year-old Kelly was savaged by two Rottweilers: maul, attack, tear
to pieces, lacerate, claw, bite, mutilate, mangle; worry.
2 British critics savaged the film: criticize severely, attack, lambaste,
condemn, flay, shoot down, pillory, revile; informal jump on,

tear to pieces, take to pieces, take/pull apart, lay into, pitch
into, hammer, slam, bash, do a hatchet job on, crucify, give
something a battering, roast, skewer, throw brickbats at, knock;
Brit. informal slate, rubbish, slag off, monster; N. Amer.
informal bad-mouth, pummel; Austral./NZ informal trash,
bag, give someone bondi; archaic excoriate, slash.
ANTONYMS praise, commend, applaud.
captor |ˈkaptəә|
noun
a person that catches or confines another. he managed to escape
from his captors two nights later.
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from Latin, from capt- ‘seized,
taken’, from the verb capere .
captor
noun
he managed to escape from his captors: jailer, guard, incarcerator,
custodian, keeper, enslaver; Law detainer.

defeatist |dɪˈfiːtɪst|
noun
a person who expects or is excessively ready to accept failure.
adjective
demonstrating expectation or acceptance of failure: we have a
duty not to be so defeatist.
DERIVATIVES
defeatism noun
ORIGIN early 20th cent.: from French défaitiste, from
défaite ‘defeat’.
defeatist
adjective
they were criticized for their defeatist attitude: pessimistic, fatalistic,
negative, resigned, cynical, discouraged, despondent,
despairing, hopeless, bleak, gloomy, gloom-ridden, looking on
the dark/black side. ANTONYMS optimistic, positive.
noun
pessimist, fatalist, yielder, cynic, prophet of doom,
doomwatcher; misery, killjoy, worrier, Job's comforter; informal
quitter, doom and gloom merchant, doomster, wet blanket.
ANTONYMS optimist.

sycophant |ˈsɪkəәfant|
noun
a person who acts obsequiously towards someone important in
order to gain advantage.
DERIVATIVES
sycophancy noun
ORIGIN mid 16th cent. (denoting an informer): from French
sycophante, or via Latin from Greek sukophantēs
‘informer’, from sukon ‘fig’ + phainein ‘to show’, perhaps
with reference to making the insulting gesture of the
‘fig’ (sticking the thumb between two fingers) to informers.

sycophant
noun
he was surrounded by flatterers and sycophants: toady, creep, crawler,
fawner, flatterer, flunkey, truckler, groveller, doormat, lickspittle,
kowtower, obsequious person, minion, hanger-on, leech,
puppet, spaniel, Uriah Heep; informal bootlicker, yes-man;
vulgar slang arse-licker, arse-kisser, brown-nose; N. Amer.
vulgar slang suckhole.
truant |ˈtruːəәnt|
noun
a pupil who stays away from school without leave or
explanation.
adjective
(of a pupil) being a truant: truant children.
• wandering; straying: her truant husband.
verb [ no obj. ]
another way of saying play truant below. if my daughter had
been truanting from school I would have been informed.
PHRASES

play truant chiefly Brit.(of a pupil) stay away from school
without leave or explanation. he often played truant and he usually
wrote his own absence notes.
ORIGIN Middle English (denoting a person begging through
choice rather than necessity): from Old French, probably
ultimately of Celtic origin; compare with Welsh truan,Scottish
Gaelic truaghan ‘wretched’.
truant
noun
absentee, non-attender; Brit. informal skiver; Austral./NZ
informal wag.
PHRASES
play truant it's bad news when youngsters play truant from school:
stay away from school, not go to school, be absent, truant; Brit.
informal skive (off), bunk off; Irish informal mitch (off); N.
Amer. informal play hookey, goof off, ditch; Austral./NZ
informal play the wag; rare bag it, hook Jack, mooch, play the
hop, hop the wag.
verb
teachers reported on whether pupils had truanted. See play truant.

martinet |ˌmɑːtɪˈnɛt|
noun
a person who demands complete obedience; a strict
disciplinarian. the woman in charge was a martinet who treated all those
beneath her like children. a martinet of a staff officer.
DERIVATIVES
martinettish (also martinetish)adjective
ORIGIN late 17th cent. (denoting the system of drill invented
by Martinet): named after Jean Martinet, 17th-cent. French
drill master.
martinet
noun
disciplinarian, slave-driver, stickler for discipline, taskmaster,
taskmistress, authoritarian, tyrant; drill sergeant.
scepticism |ˈskɛptɪsɪz(əә)m| ( archaic & N. Amer.skepticism)
noun [ mass noun ]
1 a sceptical attitude; doubt as to the truth of something: these
claims were treated with scepticism.

2 Philosophy the theory that certain knowledge is impossible.
Cartesian scepticism.

scepticism
noun
1 members of the organization greeted his ideas with scepticism: doubt,
doubtfulness, dubiousness, a pinch of salt, lack of conviction;
disbelief, cynicism, distrust, mistrust, suspicion, misbelief,
incredulity; pessimism, defeatism; rare dubiety, Pyrrhonism,
scepsis, minimifidianism. ANTONYMS conviction.
2 a vague kind of scepticism is one of the commonest spiritual diseases in
this generation: agnosticism, doubt; atheism, non-theism,
unbelief, non-belief; rationalism. ANTONYMS belief, faith.
mesmerize |ˈmɛzməәrʌɪz| (also mesmerise)
verb [ with obj. ]
capture the complete attention of (someone); transfix: they were
mesmerized by his story | (as adj.mesmerizing) : a mesmerizing
stare.
• archaic hypnotize (someone). he was mesmerized when at the point
of death.
DERIVATIVES
mesmerization |-ˈzeɪʃ(əә)n| noun,
mesmerizer noun,
mesmerizingly adverb

mesmerize
verb
they were mesmerized by his performance: enthral, spellbind,
entrance, hold spellbound, dazzle, bewitch, charm, captivate,
enrapture, enchant, fascinate, transfix, transport, grip,
magnetize, hypnotize; informal get under someone's skin.

plagiarism |ˈpleɪdʒəәrɪz(əә)m|
noun [ mass noun ]
the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing
them off as one's own. there were accusations of plagiarism. [ count
noun ] : it claims there are similar plagiarisms in the software produced
at the university.
DERIVATIVES
plagiarist noun,
plagiaristic |-ˈrɪstɪk| adjective
ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from Latin plagiarius
‘kidnapper’ (from plagium ‘a kidnapping’, from Greek
plagion) + -ism.
plagiarism
noun
there were accusations of plagiarism: copying, infringement of
copyright, piracy, theft, stealing, poaching, appropriation;
informal cribbing.
equip |ɪˈkwɪp|
verb (equips, equipping, equipped) [ with obj. ]

supply with the necessary items for a particular purpose: all
bedrooms are equipped with a colour TV | they equipped
themselves for the campaign.
• prepare (someone) mentally for a particular situation or task:
I don't think he's equipped for the modern age.
DERIVATIVES
equipper noun
ORIGIN early 16th cent.: from French équiper, probably
from Old Norse skipa ‘to man (a ship)’, from skip ‘ship’.

equip
verb
1 each was equipped with a flare gun: provide, furnish, supply, issue,
fit out, kit out, rig out, deck out, stock, provision, arm; array,
attire, dress, outfit, accoutre; informal fix up.
2 the course will equip graduates for careers in software development:
prepare, qualify, suit, endow; enable, facilitate.
usher |ˈʌʃəә|
noun
1 a person who shows people to their seats, especially in a
cinema or theatre or at a wedding.
• Brit.a person employed to walk before a person of high rank
on special occasions.
2 an official in a law court whose duties include swearing in
jurors and witnesses and keeping order.
3 archaic an assistant teacher.
verb [ with obj. and adverbial of direction ]
1 show or guide (someone) somewhere: a waiter ushered me to a
table.
2 (usher something in) cause or mark the start of something
new: the railways ushered in an era of cheap mass travel.

ORIGIN late Middle English (denoting a doorkeeper): from
Anglo-Norman French usser, from medieval Latin ustiarius,
from Latin ostiarius, from ostium ‘door’.
usher
verb
he ushered him to a window seat: escort, accompany, help, assist,
take, show, see, lead, show someone the way, lead the way,
conduct, guide, steer, pilot, shepherd, convoy.
PHRASES
usher in the railways ushered in an era of cheap mass travel:
herald, mark the start of, signal, announce, give notice of, ring
in, show in, set the scene for, pave the way for, clear the way
for, open the way for, smooth the path of; portend, foreshadow;
start, begin, initiate, introduce, put in place, open the door to,
allow to happen, inaugurate, get going, get off the ground, set
in motion, get under way, kick off, launch, cause; precede,
antecede.
noun
attendant, escort, guide; doorkeeper, commissionaire, aide,
lackey, flunkey.

foreign |ˈfɒrɪn|
adjective
1 of, from, in, or characteristic of a country or language other
than one's own: foreign currency | a man with a foreign accent.
• dealing with or relating to other countries: foreign policy.
• of or belonging to another district or area: a visit to a foreign
clan.
• coming or introduced from outside: the quotation is a foreign
element imported into the work.
2 strange and unfamiliar: I suppose this all feels pretty foreign to
you.
• (foreign to) not belonging to or characteristic of: crime and
brutality are foreign to our nature.
DERIVATIVES
foreignness |ˈfɒr(əә)nnɪs| noun
ORIGIN Middle English foren, forein, from Old French forein,
forain, based on Latin foras, foris ‘outside’, from fores
‘door’. The current spelling arose in the 16th cent., by
association with sovereign.

foreign
adjective
1 foreign branches of UK banks: overseas, distant, remote, far off,
far flung, external, outside; alien, non-native, adventitious.
ANTONYMS domestic.
2 the concept is very foreign to us Westerners: unfamiliar, unknown,
unheard of, strange, alien, exotic, outlandish, odd, peculiar,
curious, bizarre, weird, queer, funny; novel, new.
ANTONYMS familiar.
3 formal this matter is altogether foreign to the affair in hand:
irrelevant, not pertinent, inappropriate, inapposite, extraneous,
unrelated, unconnected; outside, distant from, remote from,
disconnected from, different from; rare extrinsic.
ANTONYMS relevant.

briefly |ˈbriːfli|
adverb
for a short time; fleetingly: he worked briefly as a lawyer.
• using few words; concisely: as I briefly mentioned earlier |
[ sentence adverb ] : briefly, the plot is as follows ....
briefly
adverb
1 Henry paused briefly: momentarily, temporarily, for a few
moments, for a few seconds, for a little while; hurriedly, hastily,
quickly, fleetingly.
2 briefly, the plot is as follows: in short, in brief, to put it briefly, to
cut a long story short, in a word, to sum up, in sum, to come to
the point, (to put it) in a nutshell, in essence, in outline.

specialize |ˈspɛʃ(əә)lʌɪz| (also specialise)
verb [ no obj. ]
concentrate on and become expert in a particular subject or
skill: he could specialize in tropical medicine.
• confine oneself to providing a particular product or service:
the firm specialized in commercial brochures.
• make a habit of engaging in a particular activity: a group of
writers have specialized in attacking the society they live in.
• [ with obj. ] Biology adapt or set apart (an organ or part) to
serve a special function or to suit a particular way of life: zooids
specialized for different functions.
DERIVATIVES
specialization |-ˈzeɪʃ(əә)n| noun
ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from French spécialiser, from
spécial ‘special’.
specialized |ˈspɛʃ(əә)lʌɪzd| (also specialised)
adjective
requiring or involving detailed and specific knowledge or
training: employees with specialized skills.
• concentrating on a small area of a subject: periodicals have
become more and more specialized.
• designed for a particular purpose: specialized software.

agency |ˈeɪdʒ(əә)nsi|
noun
1 [ often with adj. or noun modifier ] a business or
organization providing a particular service on behalf of
another business, person, or group: an advertising agency | aid
agencies.
• a department or body providing a specific service for a
government or other organization: the Environmental Protection
Agency.
2 [ mass noun ] action or intervention producing a particular
effect: canals carved by the agency of running water.
• [ count noun ] a thing or person that acts to produce a
particular result: the movies could be an agency moulding the values of
the public.
ORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from medieval Latin agentia, from
agent- ‘doing’ (see agent) .
grove |grəәʊv|
noun
a small wood or other group of trees: an olive grove | [ in place
names ] : Ladbroke Grove.

PHRASES
the groves of Academe the academic world. younger men lured
from the groves of Academe.[translating Horace's silvas
Academi .]
DERIVATIVES
grovy adjective
ORIGIN Old English grāf, of Germanic origin.
sick 1 |sɪk|
adjective
1 affected by physical or mental illness: nursing very sick children |
half my staff were off sick | (as plural nounthe sick) : visiting the
sick and the elderly.
• relating to those who are ill: the company organized a sick fund for
its workers.
• (of an organization, system, or society) suffering from serious
problems: the British economy remains sick.
2 [ predic. ] feeling nauseous and wanting to vomit: he was
starting to feel sick | Mark felt sick with fear.
• [ attrib. ] (of an emotion) so intense as to cause one to feel
unwell or nauseous: he had a sick fear of returning.

• informal disappointed, mortified, or miserable: he looked pretty
sick at that, but he eventually agreed.
• archaic pining or longing for someone or something: he was
sick for a sight of her.
3 (sick of) intensely annoyed with or bored by (someone or
something) as a result of having had too much of them: I'm
absolutely sick of your moods.
4 informal (especially of humour) having something unpleasant
such as death or misfortune as its subject and dealing with it in
an offensive way: this was someone's idea of a sick joke.
• (of a person) having abnormal or unnatural tendencies;
perverted: he is a deeply sick man from whom society needs to be
protected.
5 informal excellent.
noun [ mass noun ] Brit. informal
vomit. she was busy wiping sick from the carpet.
verb [ with obj. ] (sick something up) Brit. informal
bring something up by vomiting. he was passing blood and sicking it
up. [ no obj. ] : she sicked up all over the carpet.
PHRASES
be sick 1 be ill. 2 Brit.vomit. the baby was sick all over my silk shirt.

get sick 1 be ill. 2 N. Amer.vomit.
make someone sick cause someone to vomit or feel
nauseous or unwell. sherry makes me sick and so do cigars. • cause
someone to feel intense annoyance or disgust: you're so damned
self-righteous you make me sick
—— oneself sick do something to such an extent that one
feels nauseous or unwell (often used for emphasis): she was
worrying herself sick about Mike.
on the sick Brit. informal receiving sickness benefit.
sick and tired of informal annoyed about or bored with
(someone or something) and unwilling to put up with them any
longer: I am sick and tired of all the criticism.
(as) sick as a dog informal extremely ill. you were as sick as a
dog when you ate those shrimps.
(as) sick as a parrot Brit. informal extremely disappointed. if
I was to break my leg tomorrow I'd be as sick as a parrot.
the sick man of —— a country that is politically or
economically unsound, especially in comparison with its
neighbours: the country had been the sick man of Europe for too long.
[applied in the late 19th cent. to the Sultan of Turkey, later
extended to Turkey and other countries.]

sick to death of informal another way of saying sick and
tired of above.
sick to one's stomach nauseous. • disgusted. I felt sick to my
stomach reading that filth.
DERIVATIVES
sickish adjective
ORIGIN Old English sēoc‘affected by illness’, of Germanic
origin; related to Dutch ziek and German siech .
sick 2 |sɪk| (also sic)
verb [ with obj. ] (sick something on)
set a dog on: the plan was to surprise the heck out of the grizzly by
sicking the dog on him.
• (sick someone on) informal set someone to pursue, keep
watch on, or accompany (another). who sicked those two on to us?
ORIGIN mid 19th cent.: dialect variant of seek.
sick
adjective
1 half of children in the class are sick: ill, unwell, poorly, ailing,
indisposed, laid up, bad, out of sorts, not oneself; Brit. off, off
colour; informal under the weather, on the sick list; Austral./

NZ informal crook; vulgar slang crappy. ANTONYMS well,
healthy.
2 he was starting to feel sick: nauseous, nauseated, queasy, bilious,
sick to one's stomach, green, green about the gills; seasick,
carsick, airsick, travel-sick, suffering from motion sickness,
suffering from altitude sickness, suffering from radiation
sickness; informal about to throw up; N. Amer. informal barfy;
rare qualmish.
3 informal we're sick about the closure plans: disappointed,
miserable, depressed, dejected, despondent, downcast,
disconsolate, unhappy, low-spirited, distressed; angry, cross,
enraged, annoyed, disgusted, displeased, disgruntled, fed up,
grumpy; Brit. informal cheesed off. ANTONYMS glad.
4 I'm thoroughly sick of this music: fed up with, bored with/by,
tired of, weary of, jaded with/by, surfeited with/by, satiated
with, glutted with/by; (be sick of) have had enough of;
informal have had a basinful of, have had it up to here with;
have had something up to here. ANTONYMS fond.
5 a sick joke: macabre, black, ghoulish, morbid, perverted,
gruesome, sadistic, cruel, offensive. ANTONYMS in good
taste.
PHRASES

be sick Brit. he was sick in a bucket: vomit, throw up, retch;
cough up, bring up, regurgitate; heave, gag; N. Amer. get sick;
informal chunder, chuck up, hurl, spew, do the technicolor
yawn, keck, ralph; Brit. informal honk, sick up; Scottish
informal boke; N. Amer. informal spit up, barf, upchuck, toss
one's cookies, blow chunks.

attain |əәˈteɪn|
verb [ with obj. ]
succeed in achieving (something that one has worked for): clarify
your objectives and ways of attaining them | he attained the rank of
Brigadier.
• reach (a specified age, size, or amount): dolphins can attain speeds
in water which man cannot yet emulate.
ORIGIN Middle English (in the senses ‘bring to justice’ and
‘reach a state’): from Old French ateindre, from Latin
attingere, from ad- ‘at, to’ + tangere ‘to touch’.
attain
verb
they help the child attain his or her full potential: achieve, accomplish,
reach, arrive at, come by, obtain, gain, procure, secure, get,
grasp, hook, net, win, earn, acquire, establish, make; realize,
fulfil, succeed in, bring off, bring about, bring to fruition, carry
off, carry through, effect; informal hit, clinch, bag, wangle,
wrap up, polish off; rare effectuate, reify.
threat |θrɛt|
noun

1 a statement of an intention to inflict pain, injury, damage, or
other hostile action on someone in retribution for something
done or not done: members of her family have received death
threats.
• Law a menace of bodily harm, such as may restrain a
person's freedom of action.
2 a person or thing likely to cause damage or danger: hurricane
damage poses a major threat to many coastal communities.
• [ in sing. ] the possibility of trouble, danger, or ruin: the
company faces the threat of liquidation proceedings | [ mass noun ] :
thousands of rail freight jobs came under threat.
ORIGIN Old English thrēat‘oppression’, of Germanic origin;
related to Dutch verdrieten ‘grieve’, German verdriessen
‘irritate’.
threat
noun
1 the general had made threats against UN personnel: threatening
remark, warning, ultimatum, intimidating remark; rare
commination; (threats) menaces, menacing.
2 the ash from the volcano poses a possible threat to aircraft: danger,
peril, hazard, menace, risk.

3 the company faces the threat of liquidation proceedings: possibility,
chance, probability, likelihood, risk, danger, peril, menace, fear,
prospect.

particular |pəәˈtɪkjʊləә|
adjective
1 [ attrib. ] used to single out an individual member of a
specified group or class: the action seems to discriminate against a
particular group of companies.
• Logic denoting a proposition in which something is asserted
of some but not all of a class. Contrasted with universal.
2 [ attrib. ] especially great or intense: when handling or checking
cash the cashier should exercise particular care.
3 insisting that something should be correct or suitable in every
detail; fastidious: she is very particular about cleanliness.
noun
1 a detail: he is wrong in every particular.
• (particulars) detailed information about someone or
something: a clerk took the woman's particulars.
2 Philosophy an individual item, as contrasted with a universal
quality. universals can be simultaneously exemplified by different
particulars in different places.
PHRASES
in particular especially (used to show that a statement applies
to one person or thing more than any other): he socialized with the
other young people, one boy in particular.

ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French particuler,
from Latin particularis ‘concerning a small part’, from
particula ‘small part’.
particular
adjective
1 the action seems to discriminate against a particular group of companies:
specific, certain, distinct, separate, isolated; single, individual,
peculiar, discrete, definite, express, precise. ANTONYMS
general.
2 an issue of particular importance: special, extra special, especial,
exceptional, unusual, marked, singular, uncommon, notable,
noteworthy, remarkable, outstanding, unique; formal peculiar.
ANTONYMS ordinary.
3 he was particular about what he ate: fussy, fastidious, meticulous,
punctilious, discriminating, selective, painstaking, exacting,
demanding, critical, over-particular, over-fastidious, finicky,
faddish, finical, dainty; informal pernickety, choosy, picky; Brit.
informal faddy; archaic nice. ANTONYMS careless, easy-
going, laid-back.
4 he gave a long and particular account of his journey: detailed, blow-
by-blow, itemized, item-by-item, thorough, minute, exact,

explicit, precise, faithful, close, circumstantial, painstaking,
meticulous, punctilious, particularized.
noun
the two contracts will be the same in every particular: detail, item,
point, fine point, specific, specification, element, aspect,
respect, regard, particularity, fact, feature, circumstance, thing.
PHRASES
in particular 1 she wasn't talking about anyone in particular:
specific, special. 2 beer drinkers in particular were hit by prices rising
faster than inflation: particularly, specifically, to be specific,
especially, specially.

disease |dɪˈziːz|
noun
a disorder of structure or function in a human, animal, or
plant, especially one that produces specific symptoms or that
affects a specific location and is not simply a direct result of
physical injury: bacterial meningitis is quite a rare disease | [ mass
noun ] : heart disease.
• a particular quality or disposition regarded as adversely
affecting a person or group of people: we are suffering from the
British disease of self-deprecation.
ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘lack of ease;
inconvenience’): from Old French desaise ‘lack of ease’, from
des- (expressing reversal) + aise ‘ease’.

disease
noun
illness, sickness, ill health; infection, ailment, malady, disorder,
complaint, affliction, condition, indisposition, upset, problem,
trouble, infirmity, disability, defect, abnormality; pestilence,
plague, cancer, canker, blight; informal bug, virus; Brit.
informal lurgy; Austral. informal wog; dated contagion.
ANTONYMS health.
WORD LINKS
patho- related prefix, as in pathogenic
noso- related prefix, as in nosography
-pathy related suffix, as in neuropathy
pathological relating to disease
epidemiology, pathology, therapeutics branches of
medicine to do with diseases
pathophobia, nosophobia fear of disease
Word Links sections supply words that are related to the
headword but do not normally appear in a thesaurus
because they are not actual synonyms.

familiar |fəәˈmɪlɪəә|
adjective
1 well known from long or close association: their faces will be
familiar to many of you | a familiar voice.
• often encountered or experienced; common: the situation was
all too familiar.
• (familiar with) having a good knowledge of: ensure that you are
familiar with the heating controls.
2 in close friendship; intimate: she had not realized they were on such
familiar terms.
• informal or intimate to an inappropriate degree. he was being
overly familiar with Gloria.
noun
1 (also familiar spirit)a demon supposedly attending and
obeying a witch, often said to assume the form of an animal.
her familiars were her two little griffons that nested in her skirts.
2 a close friend or associate.
3 (in the Roman Catholic Church) a person rendering certain
services in a pope's or bishop's household.
DERIVATIVES
familiarly adverb

ORIGIN Middle English (in the sense ‘intimate’, ‘on a family
footing’): from Old French familier, from Latin familiaris,
from familia ‘household servants, family’, from famulus
‘servant’.
familiar
adjective
1 I see a lot of familiar faces | a familiar task: well known, known,
recognized, accustomed; common, everyday, day-to-day,
ordinary, commonplace, frequent, habitual, usual, customary,
repeated, routine, standard, stock, mundane, run-of-the-mill,
conventional; household, domestic; Brit. common or garden;
N. Amer. garden variety; informal bog-standard; literary
wonted. ANTONYMS unfamiliar.
2 she was an old and familiar friend: close, intimate, dear, near,
confidential, bosom; friendly, neighbourly, sociable, amicable,
easy; informal pally, chummy, matey, buddy-buddy, palsy-walsy,
thick, thick as thieves.
3 he enjoyed the familiar atmosphere in their house: informal, non-
formal, casual, relaxed, comfortable, easy, free, free and easy, at
ease, at home, friendly, unceremonious, unrestrained,

unconstrained, unreserved, open, natural, simple,
unpretentious. ANTONYMS formal.
4 they object to him being familiar with the staff: overfamiliar,
unduly familiar, over-free, presumptuous, disrespectful,
forward, bold, impudent, impertinent, intrusive; making passes
at, chatting up, making advances towards; informal pushy.
ANTONYMS formal.
PHRASES
familiar with are you familiar with the subject? acquainted with,
conversant with, versed in, informed about, knowledgeable
about, well informed about, instructed in, skilled in, proficient
in; at home with, no stranger to, au fait with, au courant with,
apprised of, abreast of, up to date with, in touch with; informal
well up on, in the know about, genned up on, clued in on,
clued up on, plugged into; Brit. informal switched on to;
archaic ware of. ANTONYMS unfamiliar with.

carry |ˈkari|
verb (carries, carrying, carried) [ with obj. ]
1 support and move (someone or something) from one place to
another: medics were carrying a wounded man on a stretcher.
• transport, conduct or transmit: the train service carries 20,000
passengers daily | nerves carry visual information from the eyes.
• have on one's person: he was killed for the money he was carrying |
figurative : she had carried the secret all her life.
• be infected with (a disease) and liable to transmit it to others:
ticks can carry a nasty disease which affects humans.
2 support the weight of: the bridge is capable of carrying even the
heaviest loads.
• be pregnant with: she was carrying twins.
3 [ no obj. ] (of a sound, ball, missile, etc.) reach a specified
point: his voice carried clearly across the room | the ball carried to
second slip.
• [ with obj. ] (of a gun or similar weapon) propel (a missile) to
a specified distance.
• [ with obj. ] take or develop (an idea or activity) to a specified
point: he carried the criticism much further.
4 assume or accept (responsibility or blame): they must carry
management responsibility for the mess they have got the company into.

• be responsible for the effectiveness of: they relied on dialogue to
carry the plot.
5 (carry oneself) stand and move in a specified way: she carried
herself straight and with assurance.
6 have as a feature or consequence: being a combat sport, karate
carries with it the risk of injury | each bike carries a ten-year
guarantee.
• (of a newspaper or a television or radio station) publish or
broadcast: the paper carried a detailed account of the current crisis.
• (of a shop) keep a regular stock of (goods for sale): 550 off-
licences carry the basic range.
• be known or marked by: the product does not carry the swallow
symbol.
7 approve (a proposed measure) by a majority of votes: the
resolution was carried by a two-to-one majority.
• persuade (others) to support one's policy: he could not carry the
cabinet.
• N. Amer.gain (a state or district) in an election.
8 transfer (a figure) to an adjacent column during an
arithmetical operation (e.g. when a column of digit adds up to
more than ten).
noun (pl.carries) [ usu. in sing. ]

1 an act of carrying something from one place to another. we
did a carry of equipment from the camp.
• American Football an act of running or rushing with the
ball.
• [ mass noun ] N. Amer.the action of keeping a gun on one's
person: this pistol is the right choice for on-duty or off-duty carry.
• N. Amer. historical a place between navigable waters over
which boats or supplies had to be carried.
• the transfer of a figure into an adjacent column (or the
equivalent part of a computer memory) during an arithmetical
operation.
2 the range of a gun or similar weapon.
• Golf the distance a ball travels before reaching the ground.
3 Finance the maintenance of an investment position in a
securities market, especially with regard to the costs or profits
accruing. if other short-term interest rates are higher than the current
yield, the bond is said to involve a negative carry.
PHRASES
carry all before one overcome all opposition. at the beginning
of the decade the party seemed to carry all before them.
carry one's bat Cricket (of an opening or high-order
batsman) be not out at the end of a side's completed innings.

carry the can Brit. informal take responsibility for a mistake
or misdeed. if anyone makes a mistake, it's the senior person who has to
carry the can.
carry conviction be convincing. he might have reassured the
financial markets had he carried conviction as a man in complete charge of
economic policy.
carry the day be victorious or successful. the gusto of the
amateur should carry the day.
carry weight be influential: the report is expected to carry
considerable weight with the administration.
PHRASAL VERBS
be/get carried away lose self-control: I got a bit carried away
when describing his dreadful season.
carry something away Nautical lose a mast or other part of
a ship through breakage.
carry something forward transfer figures to a new page or
account. they allowed the deficit to be carried forward. • keep
something to use or deal with at a later time: we carried forward a
reserve which allowed us to meet demands.
carry someone/thing off take someone or something away
by force. bandits carried off his mule. • (of a medical condition) kill
someone: Parkinson's disease carried him off in September.

carry something off win a prize: she failed to carry off the gold
medal. • succeed in doing something difficult: he could not have
carried it off without government help.
carry on 1 continue an activity or task: you can carry on with
a sport as long as you feel comfortable | she carries on watching the telly. •
continue to move in the same direction: I knew I was going the
wrong way, but I just carried on. 2 informal behave in a specified
way: they carry on in a very adult fashion. • behave in an
overemotional way. 3 informal be engaged in a love affair,
typically one of which the speaker disapproves: she was
carrying on with young Adam.
carry something on engage in an activity: he could not carry on
a logical conversation.
carry something out perform a task: we're carrying out a
market-research survey.
carry over extend beyond the original area of application: his
artistic practice is clearly carrying over into his social thought.
carry something over retain something and apply or deal
with it in a new context: much of the wartime economic planning was
carried over into the peace. • postpone an event: the match had to be
carried over till Sunday. • another way of saying carry
something forward.

carry something through bring a project to completion.
policy blueprints are rarely carried through perfectly. • bring something
safely out of difficulties: he was the only person who could carry the
country through.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French
and Old Northern French carier, based on Latin carrus
‘wheeled vehicle’.

carry
verb
1 she carried the box of food into the kitchen: convey, transfer, move,
take, bring, bear, shift, switch, fetch, transport; informal cart,
lug, hump, schlep, tote.
2 Britain's biggest coach operator carries 12 million passengers a year:
transport, convey, transmit, move, handle.
3 satellites were used to carry the signal over the Atlantic: transmit,
conduct, pass on, relay, communicate, convey, impart, bear,
dispatch, beam; disseminate, spread, circulate, diffuse.
4 the dinghy would carry the weight of the baggage easily enough:
support, sustain, stand, prop up, shore up, bolster, underpin,
buttress.
5 managers carry as much responsibility as possible: undertake, accept,
assume, bear, shoulder, support, sustain; take on, take up, take
on oneself; manage, handle, deal with, get to grips with, turn
one's hand to.
6 she told him the baby she was carrying was not his: be pregnant
with, bear, expect; technical be gravid with.
7 she carried herself with a certain assurance: conduct, bear,
hold; act, behave, perform, acquit; rare comport, deport.

8 a resolution was carried by an overwhelming majority: approve, vote
for, accept, endorse, ratify, authorize, mandate, support, back,
uphold; agree to, consent to, assent to, acquiesce in, concur in,
accede to, give one's blessing to, bless, give one's seal/stamp of
approval to, rubber-stamp, say yes to; informal give the go-
ahead to, give the green light to, give the OK to, OK, give the
thumbs up to, give the nod to, buy. ANTONYMS reject.
9 this argument carried the day: win, capture, gain, secure, effect,
take, accomplish. ANTONYMS lose.
10 I spoke for forty minutes and carried the whole audience: win over,
sway, prevail on, convince, persuade, influence; affect, have an
effect on, have an impact on, impact on, motivate, stimulate,
drive, touch, reach.
11 today's paper carried an article on housing policy: publish, print,
communicate, give, release, distribute, spread, disseminate;
broadcast, transmit.
12 we carry a wide assortment of hockey sticks: sell, stock, keep, keep
in stock, offer, have for sale, have, retail, market, supply, trade
in, deal in, traffic in, peddle, hawk.
13 most common domestic toxins carry poison warnings: display, bear,
exhibit, show, present, set forth, be marked with, have.

14 contempt of court carries a maximum penalty of two years'
imprisonment: entail, involve, lead to, result in, occasion, have as
a consequence, have; require, demand.
15 his voice carried across the quay: be audible, travel, reach, be
transmitted.
PHRASES
be/get carried away I'm afraid I got a bit carried away: lose self-
control, get excited, get overexcited, go too far, lose one's sense
of proportion, be swept off one's feet; informal flip, lose it.
carry someone off his elder brother had been carried off by
consumption: kill, kill off, cause the death of, cause to die, take/
end the life of, dispatch, finish off; informal polish off, do in.
carry something off 1 her co-star carried off four awards: win,
secure, capture, gain, achieve, attain, earn, obtain, acquire,
procure, get, collect, pick up, come away with; informal land,
net, bag, bank, pot, scoop, walk off/away with. 2 against the odds,
he has carried it off: succeed in, triumph in, be victorious in,
achieve success in, be successful in, be a success in, do well at,
make good in; informal crack.
carry on 1 she didn't have the strength to carry on arguing: continue,
keep on, keep, keep at, go on, push on, press on, persist in,
persevere in, not stop, maintain; informal stick with/at.

ANTONYMS stop. 2 it's just not the English way of carrying on:
behave, act, perform, conduct oneself, acquit oneself, bear
oneself, carry oneself; rare comport oneself, deport oneself. 3
Brit. informal his wife had been carrying on with other men: have an
affair, commit adultery, philander, dally, be involved; informal
play around, have a fling, mess about/around, play away; N.
Amer. informal fool around. 4 I abused the teachers and was always
carrying on: misbehave, behave badly, make mischief, get up to
mischief, be mischievous, act up, cause trouble, cause a fuss/
commotion, get/be up to no good, be bad, be naughty, clown
about/around, fool about/around, mess about/around, act the
clown, act the fool, act the goat, act foolishly; informal create;
Brit. informal muck about/around, play up. ANTONYMS
behave.
carry something on a bank carrying on a bona fide business:
engage in, conduct, undertake, be involved in, take part in,
participate in, carry out, perform, direct.
carry something out 1 the decision to carry out a Caesarean
section: conduct, perform, implement, execute, discharge, bring
about, bring off, effect; rare effectuate. 2 I carried out my promise
to her: fulfil, carry through, implement, execute, effect,

discharge, perform, honour, redeem, make good; keep,
observe, abide by, comply with, obey, respect, conform to, stick
to, act in accordance with, act according to, have regard to,
heed, follow, pay attention to, defer to, take notice of, be bound
by, keep faith with, stand by, adhere to. ANTONYMS break.

pretend |prɪˈtɛnd|
verb
1 [ with clause or infinitive ] behave so as to make it appear
that something is the case when in fact it is not: I closed my eyes
and pretended I was asleep | she turned the pages and pretended to read.
• engage in an imaginative game or fantasy: children pretending to
be grown-ups.
• [ with obj. ] give the appearance of feeling or possessing (an
emotion or quality); simulate: she pretended a greater surprise than
she felt.
2 [ no obj. ] (pretend to) lay claim to (a quality or title): he
cannot pretend to sophistication.
adjective [ attrib. ] informal
not really what it is represented as being; imaginary: the children
poured out pretend tea for the dolls.
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Latin praetendere
‘stretch forth, claim’, from prae ‘before’ + tendere
‘stretch’. The adjective dates from the early 20th cent.
pretend

verb
1 they just pretend to listen: make as if, profess, affect;
dissimulate, dissemble, pose, posture, put it on, put on a false
front, go through the motions, sham, fake it; informal kid.
2 if you like, I'll pretend to be the dragon: put on an act, make
believe, play at, act, play-act, pass oneself off as, bluff,
impersonate.
3 it was useless to pretend innocence: feign, sham, fake, simulate, put
on, counterfeit, affect.
4 he did not even pretend to a crushing burden of work: claim, lay
claim to, make a claim to, purport to have, profess to have, go
through the motions of having.
adjective
informal she picked up the phone and had a pretend conversation:
imaginary, imagined, pretended, make-believe, made-up,
fantasy, fantasized, fancied, dream, dreamed-up, unreal,
fanciful, invented, fictitious, fictive, mythical, feigned, fake,
mock, imitative, sham, simulated, artificial, ersatz, dummy,
false, faux, spurious, bogus, counterfeit, fraudulent, forged,
pseudo; informal phoney; S. African informal play-play.
pose 1 |pəәʊz|

verb
1 [ with obj. ] present or constitute (a problem or danger): the
sheer number of visitors is posing a threat to the area.
• raise (a question or matter for consideration): the statement posed
more questions than it answered.
2 [ no obj. ] assume a particular position in order to be
photographed, painted, or drawn: the prime minister posed for
photographers.
• [ with obj. ] place (someone) in a particular position in order
to be photographed, painted, or drawn. he posed her on the sofa.
3 [ no obj. ] (pose as) pretend to be (someone or something):
an armed gang posed as policemen to ambush a postman | figurative : a
literary novel posing as a spy thriller.
4 [ no obj. ] behave affectedly in order to impress others: some
people like to drive kit cars, but most just like to pose in them.
noun
1 a way of standing or sitting, especially in order to be
photographed, painted, or drawn: photographs of boxers in ferocious
poses.
2 a particular way of behaving adopted in order to impress or
to give a false impression: the man dropped his pose of amiability.
DERIVATIVES

posable adjective
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French poser (verb), from
late Latin pausare ‘to pause’, which replaced Latin ponere
‘to place’. The noun dates from the early 19th cent.
pose 2 |pəәʊz|
verb [ with obj. ] archaic
puzzle or perplex (someone) with a question or problem: we
have thus posed the mathematician and the historian.
ORIGIN early 16th cent.: shortening of obsolete appose, from
Old French aposer, variant of oposer ‘oppose’.

pose
verb
1 pollution levels pose a threat to people's health: constitute, present,
create, cause, produce, give rise to, lead to, result in.
2 the question posed in Chapter 1 remains unanswered: put forward,
raise, ask, put, set, submit, advance, propose, propound, posit,
broach, suggest, postulate, moot.
3 he asked her to come to his studio and pose for him: be a model,
model, sit, take up a position, assume an attitude, strike a pose.
4 he posed her on the sofa: position, place, put, arrange, lay out, set
out, dispose, locate, situate; archaic posture.
5 a bunch of fashion victims stood posing at the bar: behave affectedly,
strike an attitude, strike a pose, posture, attitudinize, put on
airs, put on an act; informal show off; N. Amer. informal cop
an attitude.
PHRASES
pose as a gang posing as police officers hijacked the lorry: pretend to
be, impersonate, pass oneself off as, be disguised as,
masquerade as, profess to be, purport to be, set oneself up as,
assume/feign the identity of, pass for, represent oneself as; rare
personate.
noun

1 a photograph of a glamorous brunette in a sexy pose: posture,
position, stance, attitude, bearing.
2 she found her pose of aggrieved innocence hard to keep up: pretence,
act, affectation, facade, show, front, display, masquerade,
posture; play-acting, attitudinizing, dissimulation.

chief |tʃiːf|
noun
1 a leader or ruler of a people or clan: the chief of the village |
[ as title ] : Chief Banawi.
• the head of an organization: a union chief | the chief of police.
• an informal form of address to a man, especially one of
superior rank or status: it's quite simple, chief.
2 Heraldry an ordinary consisting of a broad horizontal band
across the top of the shield.
• the upper third of the field.
adjective
most important: the chief reason for the spending cuts | chief among
her concerns is working alone at night.
• having or denoting the highest rank: the chief economist of a
leading bank.
PHRASES
chief cook and bottle-washer informal a person who
performs a variety of important but routine tasks.
in chief Heraldry at the top; in the upper part. See also -in-
chief.

too many chiefs and not enough Indians used to describe
a situation where there are too many people giving orders and
not enough people to carry them out.
DERIVATIVES
chiefdom noun
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French chief, chef, based
on Latin caput ‘head’.
chief
noun
1 a Highland chief petitioned her father for her hand: leader, chieftain,
head, headman, ruler, overlord, master, commander, suzerain,
seigneur, liege, liege lord, potentate; among American
Indianssachem.
2 he is the chief of the US central bank: head, principal, chief
executive, executive, president, chair, chairman, chairwoman,
chairperson, governor, director, administrator, manager,
manageress, superintendent, foreman, forewoman, controller,
overseer; boss, employer, proprietor; N. Amer. chief executive
officer, CEO; informal boss man, kingpin, top dog, big cheese,
bigwig, skipper; Brit. informal gaffer, guv'nor; N. Amer.
informal numero uno, Mister Big, honcho, head honcho,

padrone, sachem, big white chief, big kahuna, big wheel, high
muckamuck; informal, derogatory fat cat.
adjective
1 he had a meeting with the chief rabbi: head, leading, principal,
premier, highest, foremost, supreme, grand, superior, arch-;
directing, governing; informal number-one. ANTONYMS
subordinate.
2 their chief aim was to remove the invading forces: main, principal,
most important, uppermost, primary, prime, first, cardinal,
central, key, focal, vital, crucial, essential, pivotal, supreme,
predominant, pre-eminent, paramount, overriding, leading,
major, ruling, dominant, highest; arch; informal number-one.
ANTONYMS minor.
horrible |ˈhɒrɪb(əә)l|
adjective
causing or likely to cause horror; shocking: a horrible massacre.
• informal very unpleasant: the tea tasted horrible.
DERIVATIVES
horribleness noun,
horribly adverb [ as submodifier ] : the plan had gone horribly
wrong

ORIGIN Middle English: via Old French from Latin
horribilis, from horrere ‘tremble, shudder’ (see horrid) .
horrible
adjective
1 there was a horrible murder here earlier this year: dreadful,
horrifying, horrific, horrendous, frightful, fearful, awful,
terrible, shocking, appalling, hideous, grim, grisly, ghastly,
harrowing, gruesome, heinous, vile, nightmarish, macabre,
unspeakable, hair-raising, spine-chilling; loathsome, monstrous,
abhorrent, detestable, hateful, execrable, abominable,
atrocious, sickening, nauseating.
2 the tea tasted horrible | a horrible little man: nasty, disagreeable,
unpleasant, horrid, awful, dreadful, terrible, appalling,
horrendous, disgusting, foul, revolting, repulsive, repellent,
ghastly; obnoxious, hateful, odious, objectionable, offensive,
insufferable, vile, loathsome, abhorrent; informal frightful,
lousy, God-awful, hellish; Brit. informal beastly, grotty, bitchy,
catty; N. Amer. informal hellacious; archaic disgustful, loathly;
rare rebarbative. ANTONYMS pleasant; agreeable.
suffocate |ˈsʌfəәkeɪt|

verb
die or cause to die from lack of air or inability to breathe: [ no
obj. ] : ten detainees suffocated in an airless police cell | [ with obj. ] :
she was suffocated by fumes from the boiler.
• have or cause to have difficulty in breathing: [ no obj. ] : he
was suffocating, his head jammed up against the back of the sofa | [ with
obj. ] : you're suffocating me—I can scarcely breathe | (as
adj.suffocating) : the suffocating heat.
• feel or cause to feel trapped and oppressed: (as
adj.suffocated) : I felt suffocated by London.
DERIVATIVES
suffocatingly adverb,
suffocation |-ˈkeɪʃ(əә)n| noun
ORIGIN late 15th cent. (earlier (late Middle English) as
suffocation): from Latin suffocat- ‘stifled’, from the verb
suffocare, from sub- ‘below’ + fauces ‘throat’.
suffocate
verb
1 she suffocated her victim after a furious row: smother, asphyxiate,
stifle; choke; strangle, throttle, strangulate.

2 two people suffocated in the crowd: be smothered, asphyxiate, be
stifled.
3 she felt as though she was suffocating in the heat: be breathless, be
short of air, struggle for air; be too hot, swelter; informal roast,
bake, boil.
stale 1 |steɪl|
adjective (staler, stalest)
(of food) no longer fresh and pleasant to eat; hard, musty, or
dry: stale bread.
• no longer new and interesting or exciting: their marriage had
gone stale.
• [ predic. ] (of a person) no longer able to perform well or
creatively because of having done something for too long: a top
executive tends to get stale.
• (of a cheque or legal claim) invalid because out of date.
justifications for adverse possession go beyond stale claims.
verb
make or become stale: [ no obj. ] : she would cut up yesterday's
leftover bread, staling now.
DERIVATIVES
stalely adverb,

staleness noun
ORIGIN Middle English (describing beer in the sense ‘clear
from long standing, strong’): probably from Anglo-Norman
French and Old French, from estaler ‘to halt’; compare with
the verb stall.
stale 2 |steɪl|
verb [ no obj. ]
(of an animal, especially a horse) urinate. the horse staled while he
was riding.
ORIGIN late Middle English: perhaps from Old French
estaler ‘come to a stand, halt’ (compare with stale 1 ) .
stale
adjective
1 stale bread | stale cheese: dry, dried out, hard, hardened, old,
past its best, past its sell-by date; off, mouldy, rotten, decayed,
unfresh, rancid, rank. ANTONYMS fresh.
2 stale air: stuffy, close, musty, fusty, unfresh, stagnant, frowzy;
Brit. frowsty, fuggy.
3 stale beer: flat, sour, insipid, tasteless, turned, spoiled, off.
4 the jokes are a bit stale for real belly laughs: hackneyed, tired, worn
out, overworked, threadbare, warmed-up, banal, trite, stock,

stereotyped, clichéd, run-of-the-mill, commonplace,
platitudinous, unoriginal, derivative, unimaginative,
uninspired, flat; out of date, outdated, outmoded, passé,
archaic, obsolete, defunct, antiquated; N. Amer. warmed-over;
informal old hat, corny, out of the ark, played out, past their
sell-by date. ANTONYMS original.
CHOOSE THE RIGHT WORD
stale, trite, hackneyed
See trite.
These notes show fine distinctions in meaning between
closely related synonyms to help you find the best word.

chilled |tʃɪld|
adjective
1 (of food or drink) cooled in a refrigerator: a glass of chilled
white wine | chilled artichoke soup.
2 informal very relaxed: by Sunday evening I'm usually feeling pretty
chilled | the chilled atmosphere makes this a great way to enjoy some
typical French cuisine.
chill |tʃɪl|
noun
1 an unpleasant feeling of coldness in the atmosphere, one's
surroundings, or the body: there was a chill in the air | the draughty
chill of the castle | heat exhaustion symptoms include nausea, chills,
dizziness and dehydration.
• a feverish cold: we had better return before you catch a chill. he was
confined to bed with a severe chill.
• a coldness of manner: the chill in relations between France and its
former colony.
• a depressing influence: his statements have cast a chill over this
whole country.
• a sudden and powerful feeling of fear: a chill ran down my spine.
2 a metal mould, often cooled, designed to ensure rapid or
even cooling of metal during casting.

verb [ with obj. ]
1 make (someone) cold: they were chilled by a sudden wind.
• cool (food or drink), typically in a refrigerator: chill the soup
slightly before serving.
• [ no obj. ] (of food or drink) be cooled by chilling: they had
some champagne chilling in the fridge.
• Metallurgy another term for chill-cast.
2 horrify or frighten (someone): the city was chilled by the violence |
(as adj.chilling) : a chilling account of the prisoners' fate.
3 [ no obj. ] (also chill out) informal calm down and relax: they
like to get home, have a bath, and chill out.
• pass time idly with other people: she always seems to be just
chilling with friends.
adjective
chilly: the chill grey dawn | figurative : the chill winds of public
censure.
PHRASES
chill someone's blood horrify or terrify someone. the screams
coming from the house had chilled his blood.
take the chill off warm slightly: an electric heater took the chill off
the house.
DERIVATIVES

chillingly adverb,
chillness noun,
chillsome adjective( literary)
ORIGIN Old English cele, ciele‘cold, coldness’, of Germanic
origin; related to cold.

chill
noun
1 there was a distinct chill in the air: coldness, chilliness, coolness,
iciness, crispness, rawness, bitterness, nip, bite, sting, sharpness,
keenness, harshness, wintriness, frigidity; informal nippiness;
rare gelidity. ANTONYMS warmth.
2 he took to his bed with a chill: cold, dose of flu, dose of influenza,
respiratory infection, viral infection, virus; archaic grippe.
3 he tried to end the chill in his relations with the West: unfriendliness,
lack of understanding, lack of sympathy, lack of warmth,
chilliness, coldness, coolness, frigidity, aloofness, distance,
remoteness, unresponsiveness. ANTONYMS friendliness.
verb
1 the dessert is best made ahead and then chilled: make cold, make
colder, cool, cool down, cool off; refrigerate, freeze, quick-
freeze, deep-freeze, ice. ANTONYMS warm.
2 his quiet tone chilled Ruth more than if he had shouted: scare,
frighten, petrify, terrify, alarm, appal, disturb, disquiet, unsettle;
make someone's blood run cold, chill someone's blood, chill to
the bone, chill to the marrow, make someone's flesh crawl, give
someone goose pimples, scare witless, frighten the living
daylights out of, fill with fear, strike terror into, put the fear of

God into, throw into a panic; informal scare the pants off; Brit.
informal put the wind up, give someone the heebie-jeebies,
make someone's hair curl; Irish informal scare the bejesus out
of; vulgar slang scare shitless; archaic affright. ANTONYMS
comfort, reassure.
PHRASES
chill out N. Amer. informal the home should be a place to chill out.
See relax.
adjective
literary a chill wind came through the open doors: cold, chilly, cool,
crisp, fresh, brisk; bleak, wintry, snowy, frosty, icy, ice-cold, icy-
cold, glacial, polar, arctic, raw, sharp, bitter, bitterly cold,
biting, piercing, penetrating, numbing, freezing, frigid; informal
nippy; Brit. informal parky; rare gelid, brumal.
asleep |əәˈsliːp|
adjective& adverb
in or into a state of sleep: [ as adj. ] : she had been asleep for over
three hours | [ as adv. ] : he soon fell asleep.
• not attentive or alert; inactive: [ as adj. ] : the competition was not
asleep.

• (of a limb) having no feeling; numb: [ as adj. ] : his legs were
asleep.
• literary used euphemistically to indicate that someone is dead.
PHRASES
asleep at the wheel (or N. Amer.switch) informal not
attentive or alert. our industry is asleep at the switch.

anxiety |aŋˈzʌɪəәti|
noun (pl.anxieties) [ mass noun ]
1 a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something
with an uncertain outcome: he felt a surge of anxiety | [ count
noun ] : anxieties about the moral decline of today's youth.
• Psychiatry a nervous disorder marked by excessive
uneasiness and apprehension, typically with compulsive
behaviour or panic attacks. [ as modifier ] : she suffered from
anxiety attacks.
2 [ with infinitive ] strong desire or concern to do something or
for something to happen: the housekeeper's eager anxiety to please.
ORIGIN early 16th cent.: from French anxiété or Latin
anxietas, from anxius (see anxious) .
anxiety
noun
1 his anxiety grew as his messages were all left unanswered: worry,
concern, apprehension, apprehensiveness, consternation,
uneasiness, unease, fearfulness, fear, disquiet, disquietude,
perturbation, fretfulness, agitation, angst, nervousness, nerves,

edginess, tension, tenseness, stress, misgiving, trepidation,
foreboding, suspense; informal butterflies (in one's stomach),
the willies, the heebie-jeebies, the jitters, the shakes, the jumps,
the yips, collywobbles, jitteriness, jim-jams, twitchiness; Brit.
informal the (screaming) abdabs; Austral. rhyming slang Joe
Blakes; N. Amer. archaic worriment. ANTONYMS calmness,
serenity.
2 her anxiety to please: eagerness, keenness, desire, impatience,
longing, yearning.

suspense |səәˈspɛns|
noun [ mass noun ]
1 a state or feeling of excited or anxious uncertainty about
what may happen: come on, Fran, don't keep me in suspense
• a quality in a work of fiction that arouses excited expectation
or uncertainty about what may happen: a tale of mystery and
suspense.
2 chiefly Law the temporary cessation or suspension of
something.
DERIVATIVES
suspenseful adjective
ORIGIN late Middle English: from Old French suspens
‘abeyance’, based on Latin suspensus ‘suspended,
hovering, doubtful’, past participle of suspendere (see
suspend) .

suspense
noun
I can't bear the suspense a moment longer tension, uncertainty, doubt,
doubtfulness, anticipation, expectation, expectancy, excitement,
anxiety, nervousness, apprehension, apprehensiveness, strain.
PHRASES
in suspense we now wait in suspense for the banker to turn the cards
over: eagerly, agog, all agog, with bated breath, on tenterhooks,
avid, excited, on edge, open-mouthed, anxious, edgy, jittery,
jumpy, keyed up, overwrought, uneasy, worried; informal
uptight, waiting for the axe to fall.

opinion |əәˈpɪnjəәn|
noun
1 a view or judgement formed about something, not
necessarily based on fact or knowledge: that, in my opinion, is
right | the area's residents share vociferous opinions about the future.
• [ mass noun ] the beliefs or views of a group or majority of
people: the changing climate of opinion.
• an estimation of the quality or worth of someone or
something: I had a higher opinion of myself than I deserved.
2 a statement of advice by an expert on a professional matter:
if in doubt, get a second opinion.
• Law a barrister's advice on the merits of a case. the solicitor
took counsel's opinion.
• Law a formal statement of reasons for a judgement given. a
dissenting opinion adjudged that the government had the right to protect ‘the
symbolic value of the flag’.
PHRASES
be of the opinion that believe or maintain that. the
complainant being of the opinion that this provided grounds for legal
proceedings.

difference of opinion a disagreement or mild quarrel: there
was a difference of opinion between myself and the chief
planner.
a matter of opinion something not capable of being proven
either way. relativism tends to regard different beliefs as just a matter of
opinion.
ORIGIN Middle English: via Old French from Latin
opinio(n-), from the stem of opinari ‘think, believe’.
opinion
noun
she did not share her husband's opinion: belief, judgement, thought(s),
school of thought, thinking, way of thinking, mind, point of
view, view, viewpoint, outlook, angle, slant, side, attitude,
stance, perspective, position, standpoint; theory, tenet,
conclusion, verdict, estimation, thesis, hypothesis, feeling,
sentiment, impression, reflections, idea, notion, assumption,
speculation, conception, conviction, contention, persuasion,
creed, dogma.
PHRASES

a matter of opinion whether this is desirable or not is a matter of
opinion: open to question, a debatable point, debatable, open to
debate, a moot point, open to/for discussion, up to the
individual.
be of the opinion I'm of the opinion that this is not necessary:
believe, think, consider, maintain, imagine, be of the view,
reckon, guess, estimate, conjecture, fancy, suspect, feel, have a/
the feeling, assume, presume, take it, suppose, expect, gather;
contend, put forward, be convinced, be of the conviction,
reason, deduce, conclude, theorize, hypothesize, take as a
hypothesis; N. Amer. informal allow; formal opine; archaic
ween.
in my opinion we have very little choice, in my opinion: as I see it,
in my view, to my mind, (according) to my way of thinking,
from my standpoint, personally, in my estimation, in my
judgement, in my book, for my money, if you ask me.

suppose |səәˈpəәʊz|
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 obj. ] : 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 obj. ] : 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.
PHRASES

I suppose so used to express hesitant agreement. ‘You see I
have to do this?’ ‘I suppose so.’.
DERIVATIVES
supposable adjective
ORIGIN Middle English: from Old French supposer, from
Latin supponere (from sub- ‘from below’ + ponere ‘to
place’), but influenced by Latin suppositus ‘set under’ and
Old French poser ‘to place’.

suppose
verb
1 I suppose he's used to this kind of work: assume, dare say, take for
granted, take as read, presume, expect, take it; believe, think,
fancy, be of the opinion, suspect, have a sneaking suspicion,
sense, trust; guess, surmise, reckon, conjecture, theorize,
deduce, infer, gather, glean, divine; formal opine.
2 suppose your spacecraft had a two-stage rocket: hypothesize,
postulate, theorize, posit, speculate, (let's) say, assume, imagine.
3 the classical theory supposes rational players: require, presuppose,
imply, assume; call for, need.

chew |tʃuː|
verb [ with obj. ]
bite and work (food) in the mouth with the teeth, especially to
make it easier to swallow: he was chewing a mouthful of toast | [ no
obj. ] : he chewed for a moment, then swallowed.
• gnaw at (something) persistently: he chewed his lip reflectively |
[ no obj. ] : she chewed at a fingernail.
noun
a repeated biting or gnawing of something. the dog was enjoying a
quiet chew of his bone.
• something that is meant for chewing: a dog chew | a chew of
tobacco.
• a chewy sweet. a gobstopper or a chew could be bought for a farthing.
PHRASES
chew the cud see cud.
chew the fat (or rag) informal chat in a leisurely and
prolonged way. we were chewing the fat, telling stories about the old
days.
PHRASAL VERBS
chew someone out N. Amer. informal reprimand someone
severely: he chewed me out for being late.

chew something over discuss or consider something at
length: executives met to chew over the company's future.
chew something up damage or destroy something as if by
chewing: the bikes were chewing up the paths.
DERIVATIVES
chewable adjective,
chewer noun [ usu. in combination ] : a tobacco-chewer
ORIGIN Old English cēowan, of West Germanic origin;
related to Dutch kauwen and German kauen .

chew
verb
Carolyn chewed a mouthful of toast: masticate, munch, champ,
chomp, crunch, bite, nibble, gnaw, grind; eat, consume,
devour; technical manducate, triturate; rare chumble.
PHRASES
chew something over the doctor chewed over possible responses:
meditate on, ruminate on, think about, think over, think
through, mull over, contemplate, consider, weigh up, ponder
on, deliberate on, reflect on, muse on, cogitate about, dwell on,
take stock of, give thought to, turn over in one's mind, consider
the pros and cons of; brood over, wrestle with, puzzle over, rack
one's brains about; N. Amer. think on; informal kick around/
about, bat around/about; archaic pore on; rare cerebrate.
chew the fat/rag informal he liked drinking with friends and
chewing the fat: chat, talk, converse, speak to each other, discuss
things, have a talk, have a chat, have a tête-à-tête, have a
conversation; informal have a confab, jaw, rap, yak, yap; Brit.
informal natter, rabbit, have a chinwag, chinwag; N. Amer.
informal shoot the breeze, shoot the bull, visit; Austral./NZ
informal mag; formal confabulate.

daze |deɪz|
verb [ with obj. ]
(especially of an emotional or physical shock) make (someone)
unable to think or react properly: she was dazed by his revelations |
(as adj.dazed) : a dazed expression.
noun [ in sing. ]
a state of stunned confusion or bewilderment: he was walking
around in a daze.
DERIVATIVES
dazedly |-zɪdli| adverb
ORIGIN Middle English: back-formation from dazed
(adjective), from Old Norse dasathr ‘weary’; compare with
Swedish dasa ‘lie idle’.

daze
verb
1 he was dazed from being flung out of the car: stun, stupefy, knock
senseless, knock unconscious, knock out, lay out; informal
knock for six, knock the stuffing out of.
2 she was still dazed by the revelations of the past half hour: astound,
amaze, astonish, startle, take someone's breath away,
dumbfound, stupefy, overwhelm, overcome, overpower,
devastate, dismay, disconcert, stagger, shock, confound,
bewilder, take aback, nonplus, shake up; informal flabbergast,
knock for six, knock sideways, knock the stuffing out of, hit like
a ton of bricks, bowl over, floor, blow away.
noun
he was walking around in a daze: stupor, state of stupefaction, state
of shock, trance-like state, haze, confused state, spin, whirl,
muddle, jumble; confusion, bewilderment, distraction,
numbness; Scottish dwam.
rushed |rʌʃt|
adjective
done or completed too hurriedly; hasty: a rushed job.
• (of a person) short of time; hurrying: I'm too rushed to do it.

rush 1 |rʌʃ|
verb
1 [ no obj., with adverbial of direction ] move with urgent
haste: Oliver rushed after her | I rushed outside and hailed a taxi.
• (of air or a liquid) flow strongly: the water rushed in through the
great oaken gates.
• [ no obj. ] act with great haste: as soon as the campaign started they
rushed into action | [ with infinitive ] : shoppers rushed to buy
computers.
• [ with obj. ] force (someone) to act hastily: I don't want to rush
you into something.
• [ with obj. and adverbial of direction ] take (someone)
somewhere with great haste: an ambulance was waiting to rush him
to hospital.
• [ with two objs ] deliver (something) quickly to (someone):
we'll rush you a copy at once.
• (rush something out) produce and distribute something
very quickly: a rewritten textbook was rushed out last autumn.
• [ with obj. ] deal with (something) hurriedly: panic measures
were rushed through parliament.

• [ with obj. ] dash towards (someone or something) in an
attempt to attack or capture: to rush the bank and fire willy-nilly
could be disastrous for everyone.
2 [ with obj. ] American Football advance towards (an
opposing player, especially the quarterback). a linebacker who was
gifted in rushing the quarterback.
• [ no obj. ] run from scrimmage with the ball. he rushed for 100
yards on 22 carries.
3 [ with obj. ] USentertain (a new student) in order to assess
suitability for membership of a college fraternity or sorority. (as
noun rushing) : athletics and fraternity rushing were much more
important than anything that happened to you in the classroom.
4 [ with obj. ] Brit. informal, dated overcharge (a customer):
They rushed you, all right It's not worth a penny more than £120.
noun
1 a sudden quick movement towards something, typically by a
number of people: there was a rush for the door.
• a sudden flow or flood: she felt a rush of cold air.
• a flurry of hasty activity: the pre-Christmas rush | [ as
modifier ] : a rush job.
• a sudden strong demand for a commodity: there's been a rush
on the Western News because of the murder.

• a sudden intense feeling: Mark felt a rush of anger.
• informal a sudden thrill or feeling of euphoria such as
experienced after taking certain drugs. users experience a rush.
2 American Football an act of advancing forward, especially
towards the quarterback.
3 (rushes) the first prints made of a film after a period of
shooting. after the shoot the agency team will see the rushes.
PHRASES
rush one's fences Brit.act with undue haste. although they had
created an expectation of radical reform, his team were not going to rush
their fences.
a rush of blood (to the head)a sudden attack of wild
irrationality. what lost us the match was a rush of blood to the head
when they had the man sent off.
DERIVATIVES
rusher noun,
rushingly adverb
ORIGIN late Middle English: from an Anglo-Norman French
variant of Old French ruser ‘drive back’, an early sense of
the word in English (see ruse) .
rushed

adjective
1 a rushed divorce from his wife was arranged: hasty, fast, speedy,
quick, swift, rapid, hurried, brisk, expeditious; precipitate.
2 he had been too rushed in Rome to enjoy his stay: in a hurry, running
about, run off one's feet, rushing about, dashing about, pushed
for time, pressed for time; busy, hectic, frantic.
rush
verb
1 Simone rushed back into the house: hurry, dash, run, race, sprint,
bolt, dart, gallop, career, charge, shoot, hurtle, hare, bound, fly,
speed, zoom, go hell for leather, pound, plunge, dive, whisk,
streak, scurry, scuttle, scamper, scramble, make haste, hasten,
bustle, bundle; stampede; informal tear, belt, pelt, scoot, zap,
zip, whip, step on it, get a move on, hotfoot it, leg it, steam, put
on some speed, go like a bat out of hell; Brit. informal bomb,
bucket; Scottish informal wheech; N. Amer. informal boogie,
hightail it, clip, barrel, get the lead out; informal, dated cut
along; N. Amer. vulgar slang drag/tear/haul ass; literary fleet;
archaic post, hie, haste. ANTONYMS dawdle.
2 the noise of water rushing along gutters: flow, pour, gush, surge,
stream, cascade, shoot, swirl, run, course; spout, spurt, pump,
jet; Brit. informal sloosh.

3 the tax was rushed through parliament: send rapidly, pass rapidly,
hurry, push, hasten, speed, hustle, press, steamroller, force;
informal railroad.
4 some demonstrators rushed the cordon of tanks and troops: attack,
charge, run at, fly at, assail; storm, attempt to capture.
noun
1 the men made a rush for the exit: dash, run, sprint, dart, bolt,
charge, scramble, bound, break; stampede.
2 the lunchtime rush gathered pace: hustle and bustle, commotion,
bustle, hubbub, hurly-burly, flurry of activity, stir; archaic
hurry-scurry.
3 travel agents say there's been a last minute rush for holidays abroad:
demand, clamour, call, request, run (on).
4 Peacock was in no rush to leave Tyneside: hurry, haste, dispatch;
urgency.
5 a rush of adrenalin | he felt a rush of excitement: surge, flow, gush,
stream, flood, spurt; dart, thrill, flash, flush, blaze, stab.
6 a rush of cold night air: gust, draught, flurry.
7 I made a sudden rush at him: charge, onslaught, attack, sortie,
sally, assault, onrush.
adjective

a rush job: urgent, high-priority, top-priority, emergency;
hurried, hasty, fast, quick, rapid, swift; N. Amer. informal
hurry-up.
restless |ˈrɛs(t)lɪs|
adjective
unable to rest or relax as a result of anxiety or boredom: the
audience grew restless and inattentive.
• offering no physical or emotional rest; involving constant
activity: a restless night.
DERIVATIVES
restlessly adverb,
restlessness noun
ORIGIN Old English restlēas (see rest 1 ,-less) .
restless
adjective
1 she was restless, moving uneasily about the hut: uneasy, ill at ease,
restive, fidgety, edgy, on edge, tense, worked up, nervous,
agitated, anxious, on tenterhooks, keyed up, apprehensive,
unquiet, impatient; Brit. nervy; informal jumpy, jittery, twitchy,

uptight, wired, like a cat on a hot tin roof; Brit. informal like a
cat on hot bricks. ANTONYMS calm.
2 he had spent a restless night: sleepless, wakeful, insomniac; fitful,
broken, disturbed, troubled, unsettled, uncomfortable; tossing
and turning; archaic watchful; rare insomnolent.
ANTONYMS peaceful.