Aki ola 2 part2

metal which moves up and down in a cylin-der pit /pɪt/ noun 1. a deep dark hole in the ground 2. a mine; a place where substances such as coal are dug out of the ground Thousands of jobs were lost as more pits closed. pitch /pɪʧ/ noun 1. the ground on which a game is played 2. the level of a period of anger or ex-citement pitch /pɪʧ/ verb to put up a tent pitcher /ˈpɪʧə/ noun 1. a large con-tainer for liquids, with a han-dle and a specially shaped part on the top edge for pouring the liquid out 2. a person who throws the ball in baseball pitfall /ˈpɪtfɔːl/ noun a hidden danger pithy /ˈpɪθi/ adj full of serious meaning pitiful /ˈpɪtɪfʊl/ adj 1. making you feel sorry for someone or some-thing 2. not at all good I didn’t recognize him, he looked so pitiful. pitiless /ˈpɪtɪlɪs/ adj not showing any pity

pitta /ˈpɪtə/ bread noun a type of flat bread pittance /ˈpɪtəns/ noun a very low amount that someone earns pitted /ˈpɪtɪd/ adj with the stones re-moved pity /ˈpɪti/ noun a feeling of sympathy for someone who is in a bad situation It’s a pity you’re not staying longer. pity /ˈpɪti/ verb to feel sympathy for someone pivot /ˈpɪvət/ noun a point on which something turns pivotal /ˈpɪvətl/ adj central, of great im-portance pixel /ˈpɪks(ə)l/ noun a single point on a computer display pizza /ˈpiːtsə/ noun an Italian food, consisting of a flat round piece of bread cooked with ingredi-ents such as cheese, tomatoes and onions on top

pizza

placard /ˈplækɑːd/ noun 1. a 391

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notice on a large piece of thin board 2. a large notice, picture or adver-tisement stuck on a wall placate /pləˈkeɪt/ verb to calm someone, to make someone less angry place /pleɪs/ noun 1. where some-thing is, or where something happens 2. where something is usually kept 3. a seat 4. a posi-tion in a race Is there a place where we can talk privately? place /pleɪs/ verb to put something somewhere placebo /pləˈsiːbəʊ/ noun a pill which ap-pears to be a drug, but has no medicine in it placement /ˈpleɪsmənt/ noun the action of finding a job for someone placid /ˈplæsɪd/ adj calm plagiarise /ˈpleɪʤjəraɪz/ verb to copy the work of another author and pretend it is your own plagiarism /ˈpleɪʤjərɪzm/ noun copying an-other person’s written work and passing it off as your own He was accused of plagiarism.

plague /pleɪg/ noun a great quantity of unpleasant things plague /pleɪg/ verb to annoy someone or cause them problems plaice /pleɪs/ noun a common flat sea fish plaid /plæd/ noun a type of cloth which has a pattern of different coloured lines on it plain /pleɪn/ adj 1. simple and not complicated 2. easy to under-stand 3. obvious 4. a more po-lite word than “unattractive”, used for describing a person plain food plainly /ˈpleɪnli/ adv 1. in a way that is easy to see 2. clearly 3. without much decoration plaintiff /ˈpleɪntɪf/ noun a person who starts a legal action against someone in the civil courts plaintive /ˈpleɪntɪv/ adj sad and com-plaining plait /plæt/ verb to form someone’s hair into a plait She wore her hair in plaits. plan /plæn/ noun 1. an organised way of doing things 2. a drawing of the way something is arranged plan /plæn/ verb 1. to ar392

range how you are going to do something 2. to intend to do something plane /pleɪn/ noun 1. an aircraft with wings 2. a tool with a sharp blade for making wood smooth

a plane

planet /ˈplænɪt/ noun 1. one of the ob-jects in space which move round the Sun 2. the planet the planet Earth Jupiter is the largest planet of our solar system. plank /plæŋk/ noun a long flat piece of wood used in building plankton /ˈplæŋktɒn/ plural noun very small animals and plants which live and move about slowly in the sea, and are the food of large animals planner /ˈplænə/ noun a person who draws up plans urban planners planning /ˈplænɪŋ/ noun the act or prac-tice of making plans

plant /plɑːnt/ noun 1. a living thing which grows in the ground and has leaves, a stem and roots 2. a large factory plant /plɑːnt/ verb to put a plant in the ground plantation /plænˈteɪʃən/ noun 1. an area of trees planted as a crop 2. a trop-ical farm growing a particular crop plaque /plɑːk/ noun 1. a flat plate made of a hard substance such as stone or metal and with some writing on the surface 2. a substance which forms on the teeth plasma /ˈplæzmə/ noun a thin yellow liq-uid which makes up the main part of blood plasma /ˈplæzmə/ screen noun a very thin television or computer screen which shows extremely clear images plaster /ˈplɑːstə/ noun 1. a mixture of sand and a white substance called ‘lime’, which is mixed with water and used for cover-ing the inside walls of houses 2. a white substance which be-comes hard when it dries, used to cover a broken arm or leg and hold 393

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it in place She had plastered posters all over her bedroom wall. plastic /ˈplæstɪk/ noun a strong material made from chemicals, used to make many things plastic /ˈplæstɪk/ surgery noun a medical treatment to repair damaged parts of the body plate /pleɪt/ noun 1. a flat round dish for putting food on 2. a flat piece of something such as metal or glass a plate of biscuits

The speakers all stood on a platform. platinum /ˈplætɪnəm/ noun a valuable met-al which does not corrode, and is used in jewellery platitude /ˈplætɪtjuːd/ noun a remark con-sidered to be ordinary and of little interest platonic /pləˈtɒnɪk/ adj (of a relationship) which is not sexual platoon /pləˈtuːn/ noun a small group of soldiers with a lieutenant in charge, part of a company platter /ˈplætə/ noun 1. a large a plate flat serv-ing plate 2. a large plate of pre-pared food, arranged in an at-tractive way plausible /ˈplɔːzəbl/ adj 1. which sounds as though it plateau /ˈplætəʊ/ noun 1. an area of high flat land 2. the could be correct or true 2. good at telling lies so that highest point that will be people believe what you reached say plateful /ˈpleɪtfʊl/ noun the a plausible excuse/explanaquantity held by a plate platform /ˈplætfɔːm/ noun 1. tion play /pleɪ/ noun a story which a high flat structure by the is act-ed in a theatre or on TV side of the rail-way lines at play /pleɪ/ verb 1. to take a station, to help passengers get on or off the trains eas- part in a game 2. to make ily 2. a high wooden floor for music on a musical instrument or to put a recording speakers to speak from on a machine such as a CD 394

player 3. to enjoy your-self play back /pleɪ/ /bæk/ phrasal verb to lis-ten to something which you have just recorded play down /pleɪ/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb to make something seem less im-portant play off /pleɪ/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb to try to benefit by making two people compete against each other play up /pleɪ/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to cause trouble playboy /ˈpleɪbɔɪ/ noun a rich man who spends his time enjoying him-self rather than working player /ˈpleɪə/ noun 1. a person who plays a game 2. a person who plays a musical instrument a piano player playful /ˈpleɪfʊl/ adj lively and enjoying playing playground /ˈpleɪgraʊnd/ noun a place, at a school or in a public area, where children can play playgroup /ˈpleɪgruːp/ noun a group of small children who play togeth-er, looked after by a teacher playing field /ˈpleɪɪŋ/ /fiːld/

noun a large field where sports can be played playmate /ˈpleɪmeɪt/ noun a child who regularly plays with another playoff /ˈpleɪˈɒf/ noun a game to decide the final result, played between two players or teams that have the same score playroom /ˈpleɪrʊm/ noun a room in which children can play plaything /ˈpleɪθɪŋ/ noun 1. something or someone that a person uses simply for his own pleasure 2. a toy for a child to play with playtime /ˈpleɪtaɪm/ noun a time in school when children can play playwright /ˈpleɪraɪt/ noun a person who writes plays plea /pliː/ noun 1. an answer to a charge in court 2. a request plead /pliːd/ verb 1. to answer a charge in a law court 2. to give an excuse 3. to try to change someone’s mind by asking again and again He pleaded not guilty to five felony charges.

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pleasant /ˈplɛznt/ adj enjoyable or at-tractive please /pliːz/ interj used when you are making a polite request or accepting an offer please /pliːz/ verb to make someone happy or satisfied pleased /pliːzd/ adj happy I wasn’t very pleased about having to pay. pleasing /ˈpliːzɪŋ/ adj which pleases pleasurable /ˈplɛʒərəbl/ adj pleasant, which gives pleasure pleasure /ˈplɛʒə/ noun a pleasant feel-ing plebiscite /ˈplɛbɪsɪt/ noun a type of vote, where the whole population of a town, region or country is asked to vote to decide a par-ticular issue pledge /plɛʤ/ verb 1. to promise something formally 2. to give something as a pledge when borrowing money He made a solemn pledge to the American people. plentiful /ˈplɛntɪf(ə)l/ adj in large quantities plenty /ˈplɛnti/ noun a large

quantity plight /plaɪt/ noun a bad situation or condition plod /plɒd/ verb 1. to walk slowly and with heavy steps 2. to work steadily We plodded through the mud. plonk / plɒŋk/ noun cheap wine plonk / plɒŋk/ verb to put something down in a careless way plop /plɒp/ noun the noise made by something falling into water. plop verb 1. to make a noise like a stone falling into water 2. to sit down heavily; to put something down plot /plɒt/ noun 1. a small area of land, e.g. used for building or for growing vegetables 2. the basic story of a book, play or film 3. a secret and evil plan plough /plaʊ/ noun a farm machine for turning over soil plough on /plaʊ/ /ɒn/ verb to continue doing something difficult plough through /plaʊ/ /θruː/ verb to contin-ue doing something unpleas-ant until it is finished

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ploy /plɔɪ/ noun a clever trick The phone call was just a ploy to get rid of her. pluck /plʌk/ verb 1. to pull out feath-ers from a bird 2. to pull and let go of the strings of a guitar or other musical instrument, in order to make a sound plucky /ˈplʌki/ adj brave plug /plʌg/ noun 1. a flat round rub-ber object which covers the hole in a bath or sink 2. an object attached to the end of a wire, which you push into a hole in the wall to make a piece of electrical equipment work plug in /plʌg/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb to con-nect a piece of electrical equip-ment to an electricity supply by pushing the plug into a hole in the wall plughole / ˈplʌɡ.həʊl/ noun a hole in a bath or washbasin through which the dirty water runs away plum /plʌm/ noun a gold, red or purple fruit with a smooth skin and a large stone plumage /ˈpluːmɪʤ/ noun feathers on a bird plumb /plʌm/ verb 1. to

measure the depth of water by using a plumb line 2. to try to under-stand something fully plumber /ˈplʌmə/ noun a person whose job is to install or repair things such as water pipes and heating systems plumbing /ˈplʌmɪŋ/ noun a system of wa-ter pipes in a house plume /pluːm/ noun 1. a long feather, especially one worn in a hat 2. a long cloud of smoke from a factory chimney or volcano plummet /ˈplʌmɪt/ verb to fall sharply Temperatures plummeted to minus 20. plump /plʌmp/ adj (of a person) slight-ly fat in an attractive way plunder /ˈplʌndə/ verb to take or use something that belongs to someone else Many of the region’s churches had been plundered. plunge /plʌnʤ/ verb 1. to throw your-self into water 2. to fall sharply plural /ˈplʊərəl/ adj, noun (in grammar) (which is) the form of a word showing that there is more than one 397

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plus /plʌs/ prep 1. added to Five plus three is eight. plush /plʌʃ/ adj luxurious (informal) plutonium /pluːˈtəʊnjəm/ noun a radioactive element, also used to produce nuclear power ply /plaɪ/ verb to go backwards and forwards plywood /ˈplaɪwʊd/ noun a sheet of wood made of several thin layers of wood stuck together pneumonia /nju(ː)ˈməʊnjə/ noun an illness caused by inflammation of a lung, where the lung becomes filled with fluid poach /pəʊʧ/ verb to persuade an employee to leave his or her job and work for another em-ployer They can poach experienced people easily because they offer higher salaries. poacher /ˈpəʊʧə/ noun a person who catches game illegally pocket /ˈpɒkɪt/ noun one of several little bags sewn into the inside of a piece of clothing such as a coat, in which you can keep things, e.g. money, handker-chief or

keys pocketful /ˈpɒkɪtfʊl/ noun an amount contained in a pocket a pocketful of coins pocket money /ˈpɒkɪt/ / ˈmʌni/ noun money which parents give to their chil-dren each week pod /pɒd/ noun a long green case in which some small vegetables such as peas or beans grow podiatrist / pəˈdaɪ.ə.trɪst / noun a person who looks after people’s feet and diseases of the feet podium /ˈpəʊdɪəm/ noun a small raised platform poem /ˈpəʊɪm/ noun a piece of writing with words carefully chosen to sound attractive or interesting, set out in lines usually of a reg-ular length which sometimes end in words which sound the same love/war poems poet /ˈpəʊɪt/ noun a person who writes poems poetry /ˈpəʊɪtri/ noun poems in general poignant /ˈpɔɪnənt/ adj making you sad point /pɔɪnt/ noun 1. a sharp end of something long 2. a 398

particular place 3. a particular moment in time 4. a meaning or reason 5. a score in a game He explained his point by drawing a diagram. point /pɔɪnt/ verb to aim a gun or your finger at something

pointing at something

point out /pɔɪnt/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb 1. to show something 2. to give a point of view point up /pɔɪnt/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to make something seem very obvious point-blank /ˈpɔɪntˈblæŋk/ adv sharply, di-rectly and rudely pointed /ˈpɔɪntɪd/ adj with a sharp point at one end pointer /ˈpɔɪntə/ noun 1. something which points 2. a piece of ad-vice or information I asked for some pointers on applying for jobs. pointless /ˈpɒntlɪs/ adj with

no sense poise /pɔɪz/ noun balance, a graceful way of holding your head or of standing upright poison /ˈpɔɪzn/ noun a substance which kills you or makes you ill if it is swallowed or if it gets into the blood poisoning /ˈpɔɪznɪŋ/ noun an occasion when someone is made ill or killed by something poisonous poisonous /ˈpɔɪznəs/ adj able to kill or harm people or animals with poison poisonous gas poke /pəʊk/ noun a quick push with a finger or something sharp poke /pəʊk/ verb to push something or someone quickly with a fin-ger or with something sharp poker /ˈpəʊkə/ noun 1. a long metal rod for stirring up a fire 2. a card game in which the play-ers gamble on the cards in their hands, at the same time trying to hide their position from the other players poky /ˈpəʊki/ adj cramped or small polar /ˈpəʊlə/ adj referring to 399

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the North Pole or the South Pole pole /pəʊl/ noun a long wooden or metal stick tent poles Pole /pəʊl/ noun a person from Po-land polemic /pɒˈlɛmɪk/ noun 1. a fierce writ-ten or spoken attack 2. a style of making fierce attacks police /pəˈliːs/ noun the people whose job is to control traffic, to try to stop crime and to catch criminals police constable /pəˈliːs/ / ˈkʌnstəbl/ noun an or-dinary member of the police police force /pəˈliːs/ /fɔːs/ noun the group of police in a certain area policeman /pəˈliːsmən/ noun a man who is an ordinary member of the police police officer /pəˈliːs/ /ˈɒfɪsə/ noun a member of the police police state /pəˈliːs/ /steɪt/ noun a country whose government controls the freedom of the people through the police police station /pəˈliːs/ / ˈsteɪʃən/ noun a building with the offices of a particular lo-

cal police force policewoman / pəˈliːsˌwʊmən/ noun a woman who is an ordinary member of the police policy /ˈpɒlɪsi/ noun decisions on the general way of doing some-thing It is company policy to help staff progress in their careers. polio /ˈpəʊlɪəʊ/ noun an illness caused by a virus which can cause muscles to stop working polish /ˈpɒlɪʃ/ noun a substance used to make things shiny Just give the table a polish. polish /ˈpɒlɪʃ/ verb to rub something in order to make it shiny polish off /ˈpɒlɪʃ/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb 1. to finish off a job quickly 2. to eat a meal quickly polish up /ˈpɒlɪʃ/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to im-prove a skill Polish /ˈpɒlɪʃ/ adj relating to Poland polite /pəˈlaɪt/ adj pleasant towards other people, not rude She was too polite to point out my mistake.

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politely /pəˈlaɪtli/ adv in a polite way politeness /pəˈlaɪtnɪs/ noun the practice of being polite political /pəˈlɪtɪkəl/ adj referring to gov-ernment or to party politics The church has a strong political influence. political prisoner /pəˈlɪtɪkəl/ / ˈprɪznə/ noun a per-son kept in prison because he or she is an opponent of the political party in power political science /pəˈlɪtɪkəl/ /ˈsaɪəns/ noun the study of governments and their use of political power politician /ˌpɒlɪˈtɪʃən/ noun a person who works in politics, especially a member of parliament politics /ˈpɒlɪtɪks/ noun the ideas and methods used in governing a country, the study of how countries are governed polka /ˈpɒlkə/ noun a type of lively dance poll /pɒl/ noun 1. a vote or the act of voting 2. the number of votes cast in an election A recent poll indicated that 77 percent of Americans support-

ed the president. pollen /ˈpɒlɪn/ noun a yellow powder on the stamens of a flower which touches part of a female flower and so creates seeds pollen count /ˈpɒlɪn/ /kaʊnt/ noun a number showing the amount of pollen in the air, which can cause hay fever polling station /ˈpəʊlɪŋ/ / ˈsteɪʃən/ noun a place where you vote in an election, usually in a public building such as a library or school pollster / ˈpəʊl.stər / noun an expert in un-derstanding what polls mean pollutant /pəˈluːtənt/ noun a substance which pollutes pollute /pəˈluːt/ verb to make the envi-ronment dirty by discharging harmful substances into it We need a fuel that won’t pollute the environment. polluted /pəˈluːtɪd/ adj made dirty pollution /pəˈluːʃən/ noun 1. the process of making the environment dirty 2. chemicals and other substances that harm people and the environment

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The book shows simple things you can do to reduce pollution from your car. polo /ˈpəʊləʊ/ noun a ball game in which two teams ride on ponies, trying to hit a small hard ball with clubs like long hammers polo shirt /ˈpəʊləʊ/ /ʃɜːt/ noun a shirt with short sleeves, a collar and three or four buttons at the neck polyester /ˌpɒlɪˈɛstə/ noun a type of syn-thetic fibre used especially to make clothing polystyrene /ˌpɒlɪˈstaɪriːn/ noun a light plas-tic used as a heat insulator or as packing material polythene /ˈpɒlɪθiːn/ noun a type of strong transparent plastic used in thin sheets pomegranate /ˈpɒmˌgrænɪt/ noun a tropi-cal fruit with many black seeds covered in juicy red flesh pomp /pɒmp/ noun a splendid cer-emony pompous /ˈpɒmpəs/ adj using very digni-fied language to make yourself sound more important (disap-proving) pond /pɒnd/ noun a small lake ponder /ˈpɒndə/ verb to think

deeply about something He pondered what might have happened if he hadn’t gone home. pontificate /pɒnˈtɪfɪkɪt/ verb to give your opinion on something in a way which suggests that you believe your opinion is the only right one (formal) pony /ˈpəʊni/ noun a small horse ponytail /ˈpəʊnɪteɪl/ noun a hairstyle where your hair is tied at the back and falls loosely poo /puː/ noun faeces, solid waste matter passed from the body poodle /ˈpuːdl/ noun a type of curly-haired dog, with its fur usually cut in a curious way pool /puːl/ noun 1. a small lake 2. a large bath of water for swim-ming in 3. a game rather like snooker, where you hit balls into pockets using a long stick called a ‘cue’ The hotel has two outdoor pools. poor /pʊə/ adj 1. with little or no money 2. of not very good quality 3. used for 402

showing you are sorry poorly /ˈpʊəli/ adv in quite a bad way pop /pɒp/ noun a noise like a cork coming out of a bottle The music played and champagne corks popped. pop /pɒp/ verb 1. to go somewhere quickly 2. to put something somewhere quickly popcorn /ˈpɒpkɔːn/ noun the seed of a type of maize plant which is heated until it bursts and is eaten as a snack

popcorn

Pope /pəʊp/ noun the head of the Ro-man Catholic Church poplar /ˈpɒplə/ noun a common tall and slender tree pop music /pɒp/ /ˈmjuːzɪk/ noun modern pop-ular music poppy /ˈpɒpi/ noun a common red wild flower which often grows in fields populace /ˈpɒpjʊləs/ noun the ordinary people

popular /ˈpɒpjʊlə/ adj liked by a lot of people popularity /ˌpɒpjʊˈlærɪti/ noun the fact of be-ing liked by a lot of people popularly /ˈpɒpjʊləli/ adv by most people Los Angeles is popularly known as ‘LA’. populate /ˈpɒpjʊleɪt/ verb 1. to go and live in an area 2. to put people to live in an area population /ˌpɒpjʊˈleɪʃən/ noun the number of people who live in a place What’s the population of Brazil? populous /ˈpɒpjʊləs/ adj densely popu-lated porcelain /ˈpɔːsəlɪn/ noun fine china porch /pɔːʧ/ noun 1. a sheltered area joined onto a doorway pore /pɔː/ noun a tiny hole in the skin or in a leaf, through which moisture such as sweat passes pork /pɔːk/ noun fresh meat from a pig, eaten cooked pork chops porn /pɔːn/ noun pornography (infor-mal) pornography /pɔːˈnɒgrəfi/ 403

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noun books, films, etc., with obscene subject matter porous /ˈpɔːrəs/ adj which has many little holes in it, allowing water or air to seep through slowly porous rock porpoise /ˈpɔːpəs/ noun a sea animal similar to a dolphin, which swims in groups porridge /ˈpɒrɪʤ/ noun oatmeal cooked in water or milk, eaten for breakfast port /pɔːt/ noun 1. a place along a coast where boats can stop, or a town with a place like this 2. an opening in a computer for plugging in an attachment portable /ˈpɔːtəbl/ adj which can be car-ried a portable computer portal /ˈpɔːtl/ noun an imposing en-trance (literary) porter /ˈpɔːtə/ noun a doorkeeper in a building such as a hotel or a block of flats portfolio /pɔːtˈfəʊljəʊ/ noun 1. a collection of work such as drawing or writ-ing that one person has done, or a large flat case in which it is carried 2. a minister’s job in a

government porthole /ˈpɔːthəʊl/ noun a round win-dow in the side of a ship portion /ˈpɔːʃən/ noun 1. a part of the whole A large portion of their profits go straight back into new projects. portly /ˈpɔːtli/ adj rather fat portrait /ˈpɔːtrɪt/ noun a painting or photograph of a person portray /pɔːˈtreɪ/ verb to paint or to de-scribe a scene or a person pose /pəʊz/ noun 1. a way of standing sitting or lying pose /pəʊz/ verb 1. to set a problem or put a question 2. to stand or sit still while someone paints or photographs you 3. to pre-tend to be something posh /pɒʃ/ adj expensive and attrac-tive; suitable for special occa-sions position /pəˈzɪʃən/ noun 1. a place where someone or something is 2. a job 3. a situation or state of af-fairs 4. someone’s opinion position /pəˈzɪʃən/ verb to put or place someone or

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something in a po-sition Make sure your chair is in the upright position. positive /ˈpɒzətɪv/ adj 1. certain or sure 2. (in a test) showing that the person tested has a particular condition possess /pəˈzɛs/ verb to own some-thing possession /pəˈzɛʃən/ noun ownership possessive /pəˈzɛsɪv/ adj who treats someone or something as if he or she owns him, her or it possibility /ˌpɒsəˈbɪlɪti/ noun the fact of be-ing likely to happen possible /ˈpɒsəbl/ adj able to be done I’ll send it today, if possible. possibly /ˈpɒsəbli/ adv 1. perhaps 2. used with ‘can’ or ‘can’t’ to make a phrase stronger post /pəʊst/ noun 1. a long piece of wood or metal put in the ground 2. a job 3. letters and parcels that are sent and re-ceived 4. the system of sending letters and parcels post /pəʊst/ verb to send a

letter or parcel post /pəʊst/ prefix later than or after postage /ˈpəʊstɪʤ/ noun money which you pay to send something by post postage and packing postage stamp /ˈpəʊstɪʤ/ / stæmp/ noun a piece of paper which you buy and stick on a letter or parcel to pay for it to be sent on by the post office postal order /ˈpəʊstəl/ /ˈɔːdə/ noun a paper which you can buy for send-ing small amounts of money through the post postbox /ˈpəʊstbɒks/ noun a box into which you can put letters, which will then be collected and sent on by the post office postbox

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you send to some-one with a short message on it Send me a postcard. postcode /ˈpəʊs(t)kəʊd/ noun a series of let-ters and numbers given at the end of an address, to help the people whose job is to sort let-ters poster /ˈpəʊstə/ noun a large notice, pic-ture or advertisement stuck on a wall posterity /pɒsˈtɛrɪti/ noun the generations which will follow this one These works of art should be preserved for posterity. postgraduate /ˌpəʊstˈgrædjʊɪt/ noun a person who has a first degree from a university and who is studying for a further degree posthumous /ˈpɒstjʊməs/ adj after death posting /ˈpəʊstɪŋ/ noun a new job with the same organisation, for which you have to move to a different country or district post, it trademark a small piece of gummed coloured paper which you can write a note on and stick onto something a posting to Madrid postman /ˈpəʊstmən/ noun a person who delivers letters

to houses postmark /ˈpəʊstmɑːk/ noun a mark stamped on a letter to show when and where it was posted post mortem /pəʊst/ / ˈmɔːtəm/ noun 1. the ex-amination of a corpse to find out the cause of death 2. an ex-amination of something which has happened postnatal /ˌpəʊstˈneɪtl/ adj which happens after childbirth post office /pəʊst/ /ˈɒfɪs/ noun a building where you can do such things as buying stamps, sending let-ters and parcels and paying bills postpone /pɛʊstˈpəʊn/ verb to change the time or date of an event so that it will happen on a later date or time The trip to the museum has been postponed until next week. posture /ˈpɒsʧə/ noun a way of sitting or standing postwar /ˌpəʊstˈwɔː/ adj referring to the period after a war pot /pɒt/ noun 1. a glass

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or china container, usually without a handle 2. a deep metal con-tainer with a long handle, used for cooking potassium /pəˈtæsjəm/ noun soft metal found in rocks, essential to bio-logical life potato /pəˈteɪtəʊ/ noun a common white or yellow root vegetable which grows under the ground

bag of potato

potent /ˈpəʊtənt/ adj which has a strong effect potential /pəʊˈtɛnʃəl/ adj possible a potential customer pothole /ˈpɒthəʊl/ noun 1. a hole in a road surface 2. a deep hole in rock worn away by water potholing /ˈpɒthəʊlɪŋ/ noun the sport of ex-ploring potholes in rock potion /ˈpəʊʃən/ noun a liquid mixture of medicine (dated)

potluck /pɒt/ /lʌk/ noun to take potluck to take whatever comes, with no possibility of choosing any-thing different potter /ˈpɒtə/ noun a person who makes pots out of clay potter /ˈpɒtə/ verb also potter about not to do anything in particu-lar or to do little jobs here and there Sunday is usually spent pottering around the house. pottery /ˈpɒtəri/ noun 1. a place where pots are made 2. objects such as pots and plates, made of clay potty /ˈpɒti/ noun a small pot where a young child can urinate or defecate pouch /paʊʧ/ noun 1. a small bag for carrying objects such as coins 2. a bag in the skin in front of some animals, where the young are carried poultry /ˈpəʊltri/ noun common farm birds such as ducks or hens, reared for eggs or to be eaten pounce /paʊns/ verb 1. to jump quick-ly to catch something 2. to crit-icise something strongly The police were waiting to pounce when he arrived at 407

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the airport. pound /paʊnd/ noun 1. a measure of weight, equal to about 450 grams 2. a unit of money used in Britain and several other countries pound /paʊnd/ verb 1. to hit something hard 2. to smash something into little pieces pour /pɔː/ verb 1. to make a liquid flow 2. to flow out or down pour down /pɔː/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb to rain very hard pout /paʊt/ verb to make a sulky ex-pression with your lips poverty /ˈpɒvəti/ noun the fact of being poor to live in poverty powder /ˈpaʊdə/ noun a substance like flour with very small dry grains power /ˈpaʊə/ noun 1. the ability to control people or happenings 2. a driving force 3. electricity used to drive machines or de-vices 4. political control 5. an important, powerful country power base /ˈpaʊə/ /beɪs/ noun a group or area which supports a politi-cian power cut /ˈpaʊə/ /kʌt/ noun

same as power failure power failure /ˈpaʊə/ /ˈfeɪljə/ noun a break-down in electricity supplies powerful /ˈpaʊəfʊl/ adj having a lot of force, influence or capability powerless /ˈpaʊəlɪs/ adj unable to do anything because of not having any power or authority The police were powerless to stop the fighting. power steering /ˈpaʊə/ / ˈstɪərɪŋ/ noun steering in a car, which is powered by the engine power tool /ˈpaʊə/ /tuːl/ noun a powerful electrical tool practicable /ˈpræktɪkəbl/ adj which can be done or can be put into prac-tice practical /ˈpræktɪkəl/ adj 1. referring to real actions and events rather than ideas or plans 2. possible or sensible 3. a way of doing something, especially a way that is regularly used practical experience practise /ˈpræktɪs/ verb 1. to do some-thing many times in order to become better at it 2. to work as a doctor, dentist or lawyer 408

practised /ˈpræktɪst/ adj skilful at doing something because you have had a lot of practice practitioner /prækˈtɪʃnə/ noun a person who does a skilled job. pragmatic /prægˈmætɪk/ adj dealing with facts or practical matters, not concerned with theories prairie /ˈpreəri/ noun an area of grass covered plain in North Ameri-ca, mainly without trees, where most of the world’s grain is produced praise /preɪz/ noun admiration, the act of showing approval He praised the team’s performance. praise /preɪz/ verb to express strong approval of something or someone praiseworthy /preɪz/ /ˈwɜːði/ adj which should be praised pram /prɑːm/ noun a light carriage for pushing a baby in prance /prɑːns/ verb to jump about, to move fast and lightly prank /præŋk/ noun a trick prattle /ˈprætl/ verb to chat-

ter a lot about things which aren’t im-portant prawn /prɔːn/ noun a shellfish like a large shrimp

a prawn

pray /preɪ/ verb to speak to God, ask-ing for something, or asking for someone to be helped or pro-tected She prayed that God would forgive her. prayer /preə/ noun the act of speak-ing to God pre- /priː/ prefix before preach /priːʧ/ verb 1. to give a sermon in church 2. to recommend or advise something preacher /ˈpriːʧə/ noun a person who gives a sermon in church precarious /prɪˈkeərɪəs/ adj not safe, likely to fall off or to fail precaution /prɪˈkɔːʃən/ noun care taken in advance to avoid something unpleasant precede /pri(ː)ˈsiːd/ verb to take place be-fore something 409

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The formal ceremony was preceded by a parade. precedence /pri(ː)ˈsiːdəns/ noun to take precedence over someone or something to be more impor-tant than, when considered as part of a hierarchy precedent /ˈprɛsɪdənt/ noun a thing which has happened before, and which can be a guide as to what should be done preceding /pri(ː)ˈsiːdɪŋ/ adj which comes before something precinct /ˈpriːsɪŋkt/ noun US an adminis-trative district in a town precious /ˈprɛʃəs/ adj 1. worth a lot of money 2. of great value to someone His books are his most precious possessions. precious metal /ˈprɛʃəs/ /ˈmɛtl/ noun a metal, such as gold, which is worth a lot of money precious stone /ˈprɛʃəs/ /stəʊn/ noun a stone such as a diamond, which is rare and very valuable precipice /ˈprɛsɪpɪs/ noun a high cliff on the side of a mountain, not usually near the sea

precipitate /prɪˈsɪpɪtɪt/ verb to make something happen suddenly The war was precipitated by an invasion. precipitation /prɪˌsɪpɪˈteɪʃən/ noun a quantity of rain, snow, etc., which falls on a certain place précis /ˈpreɪsiː/ noun a summary of the main points of a text precise /prɪˈsaɪz/ adj exact precisely /prɪˈsaɪsli/ adv exactly precision /prɪˈsɪʒən/ noun accuracy preclude /prɪˈkluːd/ verb to prevent some-thing taking place (formal) precocious /prɪˈkəʊʃəs/ adj (of a child) surprisingly advanced for its age A precocious child, she went to university at the age of 15. preconception / ˌpriːkənˈsɛpʃən/ noun an idea which is formed in advance, without the benefit of informa-tion or experience precondition /ˌpriːkənˈdɪʃən/ noun a condition which is set in advance precursor /pri(ː)ˈkɜːsə/ noun a thing which leads to some410

thing more im-portant predate /priː/ /deɪt/ verb to come before something in time The drinking of alcohol predates the Greeks and Romans. predator /ˈprɛdətə/ noun an animal which kills and eats other animals

a tiger is a predator

predecessor /ˈpriːdɪsɛsə/ noun a person who has held the same job, etc., before you predicament /prɪˈdɪkəmənt/ noun trouble or a difficult situation predict /prɪˈdɪkt/ verb to foretell some-thing or tell in advance what will happen predictable /prɪˈdɪktəbl/ adj which could be predicted prediction /prɪˈdɪkʃən/ noun

an instance of foretelling something predisposition / ˌpriːdɪspəˈzɪʃən/ noun the fact of being predisposed people with a predisposition to heart disease predominant /prɪˈdɒmɪnənt/ adj most striking or obvious predominantly /prɪˈdɒmɪnəntli/ adv mainly He has played a predominant role in these talks. predominate /prɪˈdɒmɪneɪt/ verb to be more powerful than others preeminent /pri(ː)ˈɛmɪnənt/ adj excellent, much better than everything else pre-empt / ˌpriːˈempt/ verb to get an advan-tage over somebody by doing something quickly before any-one else preen /priːn/ verb (of a bird) to smooth its feathers prefabricated / ˌpriːˈfæbrɪkeɪtɪd/ adj (of a build-ing) built from sections which are easy to put together preface /ˈprɛfɪs/ noun the text at the be-ginning of a book, after the title page, in which the author in-troduces the book and thanks people for

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helping make it prefect /ˈpriːfɛkt/ noun an older school pupil chosen to be in charge of others prefer /priˈfɜː/ verb to like one thing better than another She prefers watching tennis to playing. preferable /ˈprɛfərəbl/ adj which you would prefer preferably /ˈprɛfərəbli/ adv expressing something that would be pre-ferred preference /ˈprɛfərəns/ noun a liking for one thing more than another preferential /ˌprɛfəˈrɛnʃəl/ adj showing that one person or thing is preferred to another prefix /ˈpriːfɪks/ noun a group of letters put in front of another to form a new word pregnancy /ˈprɛgnənsi/ noun the state of being pregnant pregnant /ˈprɛgnənt/ adj (of a woman or female animal) carrying a de-veloping baby inside the body preheat /priːˈhiːt/ verb to make an oven hot before putting something to cook in it Preheat the oven to 180 de-

grees. prehistoric /ˌpriːhɪsˈtɒrɪk/ adj belonging to the time before there was a written history prejudge /ˌpriːˈʤʌʤ/ verb to judge some-thing or someone without hearing all the facts prejudice /ˈprɛʤʊdɪs/ noun an unfair feel-ing of not liking someone or something. verb (prejudices, prejudicing, prejudiced) to make someone have less friend-ly feelings towards someone or something racial prejudice prejudiced /ˈprɛʤʊdɪst/ adj unfairly biased against someone preliminary /prɪˈlɪmɪnəri/ adj which goes be-fore something prelude /ˈprɛljuːd/ noun 1. something which takes place before some-thing more important 2. a short introductory piece of music on one theme premature /ˌprɛməˈtjʊə/ adj 1. which hap-pens before the right time 2. (of a baby)

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born less than nine months after conception a premature baby premeditated /pri(ː) ˈmɛdɪteɪtɪd/ adj (of a crime) planned before it is committed premier /ˈprɛmjə/ noun a prime minister or head of government première /ˈprɛmɪeə/ noun the first perfor-mance of something, e.g. a film or a play premiership /ˈprɛmjəʃɪp/ noun 1. the time when someone is Prime Min-ister 2. a premier league, the group of top football clubs who play against each other premise /ˈprɛmɪs/ noun an assumption, a thing which you assume to be true premises /ˈprɛmɪsɪz/ noun plural a build-ing and the land it stands on Smoking is not allowed anywhere on the premises. premium /ˈpriːmjəm/ noun 1. an amount paid for an insurance policy 2. an extra amount premonition /ˌpriːməˈnɪʃən/ noun a feeling that something is going to hap-pen

preoccupation /pri(ː)ˌɒkjʊˈpeɪʃən/ noun some-thing that you think about a lot, usually so much that you ignore other things preoccupied /pri(ː)ˈɒkjʊpaɪd/ adj worried and thinking only about one thing preparation /ˌprɛpəˈreɪʃən/ noun 1. the action of getting ready 2. a substance which has been mixed preparatory /prɪˈpærətəri/ adj which pre-pares someone for something prepare /prɪˈpeə/ verb 1. to get some-thing ready 2. to get ready for something prepared /prɪˈpeəd/ adj ready preponderance /prɪˈpɒndərəns/ noun a greater number of one type of people or things than any other in a group preposition /ˌprɛpəˈzɪʃən/ noun a word used with a noun or pronoun to show place or time preposterous /prɪˈpɒstərəs/ adj silly or ab-surd prerequisite /ˌpriːˈrɛkwɪzɪt/ noun a thing which you must have before you can do something

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prescribe /prɪsˈkraɪb/ verb 1. to order that something should be done 2. (of a doctor) to tell someone to use something Painkillers are the most common drugs prescribed by doctors in Britain. prescription /prɪsˈkrɪpʃən/ noun an order written by a doctor to a phar-macist asking for a drug to be prepared and sold to a patient presence /ˈprɛzns/ noun 1. the fact of being present 2. an effect you have on other people present /ˈprɛznt/ noun 1. something which you give to someone, e.g. on their birthday 2. the time we are in now 3. the form of a verb showing that the action is hap-pening a present

present /ˈprɛznt/ adj at a place when something happens there

present-day /ˈprɛzntdeɪ/ adj modern presenter /prɪˈzɛntə/ noun a person who presents a television or radio show presently /ˈprɛzntli/ adv 1. soon 2. now, at the present time He’s presently living with his parents. present participle /prɪˈzɛnt/ / ˈpɑːtɪsɪpl/ noun a word formed by adding ‘-ing’ to a verb, used either to form the present continuous tense or as an adjective or noun preservation /ˌprɛzə(ː)ˈveɪʃən/ noun the action of protecting preservative /prɪˈzɜːvətɪv/ noun a substance added to food to stop it from going bad preserve /prɪˈzɜːv/ verb 1. to look after something and keep it in the same state 2. to treat something so that it does not decay to preserve the environment preside /prɪˈzaɪd/ verb 1. to be the per-son in charge of a meeting or event 2. to be in power during a particular period presidency /ˈprɛzɪdənsi/ noun

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the job of being president president /ˈprɛzɪdənt/ noun the head of a republic presidential /ˌprɛzɪˈdɛnʃəl/ adj relating to a president press /prɛs/ noun 1. newspapers taken as a group 2. journalists and oth-er people who work for newspa-pers, or on radio and television press /prɛs/ verb 1. to push or squeeze something 2. to iron something He pressed his face against the window. press conference /prɛs/ / ˈkɒnfərəns/ noun a meeting where newspaper, ra-dio and television reporters are invited to hear news of a new product or a takeover bid, or to talk to a famous person pressing /ˈprɛsɪŋ/ adj urgent, which needs to be done quickly a pressing need for housing press office /prɛs/ /ˈɒfɪs/ noun an office in an organisation which is re-sponsible for relations with the media press release /prɛs/ /rɪˈliːs/ noun a sheet giving news about something which is sent to newspapers and tel-

evision and radio sta-tions press-up /prɛs/-/ʌp/ noun an exercise where you lie on the floor and push yourself up with your arms pressure /ˈprɛʃə/ noun 1. something which forces you to do some-thing pressure /ˈprɛʃə/ group noun a group of people who try to influ-ence an organisation, e.g. the government or the local town council Teachers are under increasing pressure to work longer hours. prestige /prɛsˈtiːʒ/ noun importance, e.g. because of high quality or high value prestigious /prɛˈstɪʤəs/ adj which brings prestige presumably /prɪˈzjuːməbli/ adv expressing something that is likely presume /prɪˈzjuːm/ verb to suppose or assume something I presume that you’ve done your homework. presumption /prɪˈzʌmpʃən/ noun a thing which is assumed to be correct presumptuous /prɪˈzʌmptjʊəs/ adj rude or bold

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presuppose /ˌpriːsəˈpəʊz/ verb to depend on something having already happened pretence /prɪˈtɛns/ noun the act of mak-ing someone believe something which is untrue, the action of pretending pretend /prɪˈtɛnd/ verb to make some-one believe you are something else, so as to trick them pretext /ˈpriːtɛkst/ noun an excuse for do-ing something which is not the real reason for doing it pretty /ˈprɪti/ adj 1. a pretty woman or girl has a face that is quite attractive 2. quite pleasant to look at I’m pretty sure they’ll accept. prevail /prɪˈveɪl/ verb 1. to exist 2. to be widely accepted 3. to win or succeed in something prevailing /prɪˈveɪlɪŋ/ adj usual, common prevailing wind /prɪˈveɪlɪŋ/ / wɪnd/ noun a wind which usually blows from a certain direction prevalent /prɪˈveɪlɪŋ/ /wɪnd/ adj common, occur-ring fre-

quently prevent /prɪˈvɛnt/ verb to stop some-thing happening to prevent accidents/crime prevention /prɪˈvɛnʃən/ noun the process of stopping something from happening preview /ˈpriːvjuː/ noun a private show-ing of a film or exhibition be-fore it is open to the public previous /ˈpriːvjəs/ adj happening or ex-isting at an earlier time previously /ˈpriːvjəsli/ adv at a time be-fore prey /preɪ/ noun an animal eaten by another animal Spiders prey on flies and other small insects. price /praɪs/ noun money which you have to pay to buy something priceless /ˈpraɪslɪs/ adj 1. extremely valuable 2. very funny price tag /praɪs/ /tæg/ noun 1. a ticket with a price written on it 2. a price at which something is for sale pricey /ˈpraɪsi/ adj expensive That jacket’s a bit pricey! prick /prɪk/ verb to make a very small hole with a sharp 416

point in the outer layer of something such as skin prickle /ˈprɪkl/ noun a sharp point on a plant or animal prickly /ˈprɪkli/ adj 1. covered with prickles 2. (of a person) who takes offence easily

a cactus

pride /praɪd/ noun 1. a pleasure in your own ability or possessions 2. a feeling of respect for yourself that is sometimes too strong, making you behave wrongly priest /priːst/ noun a person who car-ries out formal religious duties priestess /ˈpriːstɪs/ noun a female priest in a non-Christian religion priesthood /ˈpriːsthʊd/ noun all priests considered as a group After university, he spent three years training for the priesthood. prima donna /ˈpriːmə/ /ˈdɒnə/

noun 1. the main female singer in an opera com-pany 2. a person who thinks he or she is extremely important and makes a fuss if things are not done in the way they want primarily /ˈpraɪmərɪli/ adv mainly, mostly primary /ˈpraɪməri/ adj main, basic primary school /ˈpraɪməri/ / skuːl/ noun a school for children up to the age of eleven primate /ˈpraɪmɪt/ noun an archbishop prime /praɪm/ adj most important he prime suspect in a murder investigation Prime Minister /praɪm/ / ˈmɪnɪstə/ noun the head of the government in some countries primer /ˈpraɪmə/ noun 1. a special paint which is put on bare wood be-fore giving the top coats 2. a book with simple instructions or that is an introduction to a subject primeval /praɪˈmiːvəl/ adj referring to the period at the beginning of the world’s existence

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primeval forest primitive /ˈprɪmɪtɪv/ adj 1. referring to the very early stages in the devel-opment of something such as a plant or animal 2. rough or crude primrose /ˈprɪmrəʊz/ noun a small pale yellow spring flower prince /prɪns/ noun the son of a king or queen princess /prɪnˈsɛs/ noun the daughter of a king or queen principal /ˈprɪnsəpəl/ adj most important Her principal reason for moving is to be nearer her mother. principality /ˌprɪnsɪˈpælɪti/ noun a country ruled by a prince principally /ˈprɪnsəpəli/ adv mainly principle /ˈprɪnsəpl/ noun 1. a general rule 2. a personal sense of what is right principled /ˈprɪnsəpld/ adj based or acting on firmly held moral principles print /prɪnt/ verb 1. to mark letters or pictures on paper with a ma-chine, and so produce a book, leaflet or newspaper etc. 2. to write capital letters or letters

which are not joined together print out /prɪnt/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb to print information from a computer through a printing machine printer /ˈprɪntə/ noun 1. a person or company that prints things such as books and newspapers 2. a machine for printing docu-ments a printer

printing /ˈprɪntɪŋ/ noun 1. the art, busi-ness and process of printing books, newspapers, etc. 2. a number of copies of a book printed at the same time printing /ˈprɪntɪŋ/ press noun a machine for printing books, newspapers, etc. printout /ˈprɪntaʊt/ noun paper printed with information from a com-puter prior /ˈpraɪə/ adj 1. previous The course requires no prior knowledge of Spanish. prioritise /praɪˈɒrɪˌtaɪz/ verb to rank things according to

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importance or ur-gency priority /praɪˈɒrɪti/ noun 1. a right to be first prism /ˈprɪzm/ noun a glass block, usu-ally with a cross-section shaped like a triangle, which splits white light up into the colours of the rainbow prison /ˈprɪzn/ noun a building where people are kept when they are being punished for a crime prisoner /ˈprɪznə/ noun a person who is in prison pristine /ˈprɪstaɪn/ adj fresh like new privacy /ˈprɪvəsi/ noun not being dis-turbed by other people I hate sharing a bedroom - I never get any privacy. private /ˈpraɪvɪt/ adj 1. which belongs to one person, and is not avail-able to everyone 2. that you would not like to discuss with most people private detective /ˈpraɪvɪt/ / dɪˈtɛktɪv/ noun a de-tective who is not part of a po-lice force, and works for a fee private enterprise /ˈpraɪvɪt/ / ˈɛntəpraɪz/ noun busi-nesses

that are owned and run by individuals or groups, not by the state private practice /ˈpraɪvɪt/ / ˈpræktɪs/ noun a doc-tor’s or dentist’s practice where the clients pay, as opposed to one which is part of the Na-tional Health Service private school /ˈpraɪvɪt/ /skuːl/ noun a school that is not run by the state and which the students have to pay to attend. private secretary /ˈpraɪvɪt/ / ˈsɛkrətri/ noun some-one who deals with an important person’s correspondence and affairs privet /ˈprɪvɪt/ noun a common shrub with small green or yellow leaves, used for garden hedges privilege /ˈprɪvɪlɪʤ/ noun a favour or right granted to some people but not to everyone I had the privilege of meeting the Queen. privileged /ˈprɪvɪlɪʤd/ adj who has a spe-cial advantage prize /praɪz/ noun a reward given to someone who has won a com-petition pro /prəʊ/ noun 1. a pro-

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fessional sportsperson, actor or musi-cian 2. someone who does something very well because they have been doing it for a long time proactive /prəʊˈæktɪv/ adj working by start-ing actions yourself, rather than reacting to what other people do probability /ˌprɒbəˈbɪlɪti/ noun the quality of being probable There’s a high probability that he’ll get the job. probable /ˈprɒbəbl/ adj likely probably /ˈprɒbəbli/ adv used for saying that something is likely to hap-pen probation /prəˈbeɪʃən/ noun 1. a legal sys-tem for dealing with criminals where they are not sent to pris-on provided that they continue to behave well under the super-vision of a probation officer 2. a period when a new employee is being tested before being giv-en a permanent job probationary /prəˈbeɪʃnəri/ adj referring to a time when a person is on pro-bation a probationary period probation officer /prəˈbeɪʃən/ /

ˈɒfɪsə/ noun an of-ficial of the social services who supervises young people on probation probe /prəʊb/ noun a thorough inves-tigation probe /prəʊb/ verb to examine some-thing deeply problem /ˈprɒbləm/ noun 1. something or someone that causes difficulty I’m having problems with my computer. procedure /prəˈsiːʤə/ noun 1. the way in which something ought to be carried out 2. a medical treat-ment proceed /prəˈsiːd/ verb 1. to go further 2. to do something after some-thing else proceedings /prəˈsiːdɪŋz/ plural noun a re-port of what takes place at a meeting proceeds /ˈprəʊsiːdz/ plural noun money which you receive when you sell something process /ˈprəʊsɛs/ noun the method of making something process /ˈprəʊsɛs/ verb 1. to make goods from raw materials 2. to deal with a claim or bill in the usual way process /ˈprəʊsɛs/ verb to 420

walk in a pro-cession Buying a house can be a long and complicated process. procession /prəˈsɛʃən/ noun a group of people walking in line, some-times with music playing processor /ˈprəʊsɛsə/ noun 1. a machine that processes 2. a computer which processes information proclaim /prəˈkleɪm/ verb to make an of-ficial statement in public proclamation / ˌprɒkləˈmeɪʃən/ noun an official public statement procrastinate / prəʊˈkræstɪneɪt/ verb to delay, to postpone something until later I know I’ve got to deal with the problem at some point I’m just procrastinating. procure /prəˈkjʊə/ verb (formal) 1. to obtain something 2. to arrange for a woman to provide sexual intercourse for money prod /prɒd/ verb to poke somebody or something with a finger or stick prodigy /ˈprɒdɪʤi/ noun a remarkable person, usually a young person

A child prodigy, she entered university at the age of eleven. produce /ˈprɒdjuːs/ verb 1. to show some-thing or bring something out of e.g. your pocket 2. to orga-nise a play or film 3. to make something, especially in a fac-tory 4. to give birth to young 5. to grow crops produce /ˈprɒdjuːs/ noun things that have been grown in a garden or on a farm The factory produces about 900 cars a year. producer /prəˈdjuːsə/ noun a company or country which makes or grows something product /ˈprɒdʌkt/ noun 1. a thing which is manufactured 2. something that happens or exists as a re-sult of something else 3. (in mathematics) a number which is the result when numbers are multiplied production /prəˈdʌkʃən/ noun 1. the mak-ing of something 2. putting on a play or film production line /prəˈdʌkʃən/ / laɪn/ noun a system of making a product, where each item such as a car moves slowly through the factory 421

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with new sections being added to it as it goes along

production line

productive /prəˈdʌktɪv/ adj which produc-es results We had a very productive meeting and sorted out a lot of problems. productivity /ˌprɒdʌkˈtɪvɪti/ noun the rate of output, rate of production in a factory profess /prəˈfɛs/ verb to declare some-thing profession /prəˈfɛʃən/ noun work which needs special training, skill or knowledge He’s working in a restaurant, but he’s a teacher by profession professional /prəˈfɛʃən/ adj 1. relating to a profession 2. expert or skilled 3. (of sportsmen) who is paid to play professionalism /prəˈfɛʃən/ noun being an expert, having skill

professor /prəˈfɛsə/ noun 1. the most senior teacher in a particular subject at a university 2. the title taken by some teachers of music and art proffer /ˈprɒfə/ verb to offer something proficiency /prəˈfɪʃənsi/ noun a skill in do-ing something proficient /prəˈfɪʃənt/ adj able to do some-thing very well profile /ˈprəʊfaɪl/ noun 1. a view of some-one’s head, seen from the side 2. to keep or maintain a low profile to be quiet, not to be obvious 3. a short biography of a famous person in a newspa-per The picture shows him in profile. profit /ˈprɒfɪt/ noun money you gain from selling something which is more than the money you paid for it profitable /ˈprɒfɪtəbl/ adj likely to produce a profit profound /ˈprɒfɪtəbl/ adj very serious, very deep profuse /prəˈfjuːs/ adj abundant, exces-sive profusion /prəˈfjuːʒən/ noun a very large quantity 422

a profusion of wild flowers prognosis /prɒgˈnəʊsɪs/ noun an opinion of how something, such as a dis-ease, will develop program /ˈprəʊgræm/ noun instructions given to a computer. programme /ˈprəʊgræm/ noun 1. a televi-sion or radio show 2. a paper in a theatre or at a sports event, which gives information about the show programme /ˈprəʊgræm/ verb to arrange programmes on television or radio programmer /ˈprəʊgræmə/ noun 1. a person who programs a computer 2. a person who programmes tele-vision or radio shows programming /ˈprəʊgræmɪŋ/ noun the pro-cess of creating computer pro-grams progress /ˈprəʊgrəs/ noun a movement forwards technological progress progress /ˈprəʊgrəs/ verb to advance progression /prəʊˈgrɛʃən/ noun a slow change to a better or later stage progressive adj 1. (of move-ment) in stages 2. (of

ideas) advanced prohibit /prəˈhɪbɪt/ verb to say that some-thing must not be done Smoking is prohibited on most international flights. prohibitive /prəʊˈgrɛsɪv/ adj so expensive that you cannot afford it project /prəˈʤɛkt/ noun work planned by students on their own project /ˈprɒʤɛkt/ verb to send a picture onto a screen projectile /ˈprɒʤɪktaɪl/ nnoun a thing which is thrown, or fired from a gun projection /prəˈʤɛkʃən/ noun 1. a calcula-tion of something which is forecast for the future 2. a thing which sticks out 3. the action of projecting a picture onto a screen government projections of population growth projector /prəˈʤɛktə/ / noun a machine which sends pictures onto a screen

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proliferate /prəʊˈlɪfəreɪt/ verb to increase quickly in number proliferation / prəʊˌlɪfəˈreɪʃən/ noun a rapid spread prolific /prəʊˈlɪfɪk/ adj 1. producing many children, fruit or other off-spring 2. producing a lot of something prologue /ˈprəʊlɒg/ noun 1. a piece spo-ken as the introduction of a play or poem 2. a preliminary event that leads on to some-thing else prolong /prəʊˈlɒŋ/ verb to make some-thing longer Eating a good diet can prolong your life. prolonged /prəʊˈlɒŋd/ adj lasting for a long time prom /prɒm/ noun 1. a promenade 2. a school dance promenade /ˌprɒmɪˈnɑːd/ noun a walkway built along the side of the sea prominence /ˈprɒmɪnəns/ noun being im-portant or famous He first came to prominence as a singer in the 1980s. prominent /ˈprɒmɪnənt/ adj 1. standing out, easily seen 2. famous or impor-tant promiscuous /prəˈmɪskjʊəs/

adj who has sex-ual relations with many people promise /ˈprɒmɪs/ noun the act of say-ing that you will definitely do something promising /ˈprɒmɪsɪŋ/ adj 1. who is likely to succeed 2. good, and likely to become much better promontory /ˈprɒməntri/ noun a piece of high land jutting out into the sea promote /prəˈməʊt/ verb 1. to give someone a better job 2. to make sure that people know about a prod-uct or service, by advertising it 3. to encourage something to promote good health/peace promotion /prəˈməʊʃən/ noun 1. a move to a better job 2. advertising of a new product promotional /prəˈməʊʃən(ə) l/ adj used in an ad-vertising campaign prompt /prɒmpt/ adj done immediately prompt verb to tell an actor words which he or she has forgotten His remarks prompted a lot of discussion. promptly /ˈprɒmptli/ adv very soon after an event, in a way that is help-ful or efficient prone /prəʊn/ adj 1. likely to do some-thing, or likely to be 424

affected by something such as an illness 2. lying flat prong /prɒŋ/ noun one of the sharp points of a fork pronoun /ˈprəʊnaʊn/ noun a word used instead of a noun, such as ‘I’, ‘you’, ‘he’, ‘she’ and ‘it’ pronounce /prəˈnaʊns/ verb 1. to speak sounds, especially in a particu-lar way 2. to state something officially How do you pronounce his name? pronounced /prəˈnaʊnst/ adj noticeable pronouncement /prəˈnaʊnsmənt/ noun an offi-cial or formal statement pronunciation / prəˌnʌnsɪˈeɪʃən/ noun a way of saying words proof /pruːf/ noun a thing which proves or which shows that something is true -proof /pruːf/ suffix which prevents something getting in, getting out or harming proofread /ˈpruːfriːd/ verb to read proofs and make corrections to them prop /prɒp/ noun a support or stick which holds something up He propped the ladder

against the wall. propaganda /ˌprɒpəˈgændə/ noun the spread-ing of false or biased informa-tion about something which you want the public to believe propagate /ˈprɒpəgeɪt/ verb 1. to produce new plants 2. to spread ideas propel /prəˈpɛl/ verb to push something forward propensity /prəˈpɛnsɪti/ noun a tendency to do something proper /ˈprɒpə/ adj right and correct; in the way that things are nor-mally done Please put those books back in the proper place. properly /ˈprɒpəli/ adv correctly proper noun /ˈprɒpə/ /naʊn/ noun a word which is the name of a place, a person, a building or a title, etc property /ˈprɒpəti/ noun 1. something that belongs to a particular per-son. 2. buildings and land a property developer

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prophecy /ˈprɒfɪsi/ noun 1. the practice of saying what will happen in the future 2. a thing which you say will happen in the future prophesy /ˈprɒfɪsaɪ/ verb to say what will happen in the future prophet /ˈprɒfɪt/ noun 1. a person who says what will happen in the fu-ture 2. a great religious leader prophetic /prəˈfɛtɪk/ adj which says what will happen in the future Her warnings proved prophetic. proponent /prəˈpəʊnənt/ noun a person who supports something proportion /prəˈpɔːʃən/ noun a part of a whole proportional /prəˈpɔːʃənl/ adj which is di-rectly related to something proposal /prəˈpəʊzəl/ noun a plan which has been suggested propose /prəˈpəʊz/ verb to make a sug-gestion proposition /ˌprɒpəˈzɪʃən/ noun a thing which has been proposed proprietor /prəˈpraɪətə/ noun

an owner propriety /prəˈpraɪəti/ noun correct behav-ior in society propulsion /prəˈpʌlʃən/ noun the force of moving something forward prosaic /prəʊˈzeɪɪk/ adj ordinary and rather dull, not poetic or imagina-tive or romantic prose /prəʊz/ noun something written in ordinary language, not poetry prosecute /ˈprɒsɪkjuːt/ verb to bring some-one to court to answer a crimi-nal charge No one has been prosecuted for the murders. prosecution /ˌprɒsɪˈkjuːʃən/ noun 1. the pro-cess of bringing someone to court to answer a criminal charge 2. the lawyers who rep-resent the party who brings a charge against someone prospect /ˈprɒspɛkt/ noun a future possi-bility prospective /prəsˈpɛktɪv/ adj who or which may do something in the future prospectus /prəsˈpɛktəs/ noun a document which gives information to attract customers prosper /ˈprɒspə/ verb to succeed; to be-come rich

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prosperity /prɒsˈpɛrɪti/ noun being rich and successful prosperous /ˈprɒspərəs/ adj wealthy, rich prostitute /ˈprɒstɪtjuːt/ noun a woman who receives money for sexual inter-course prostitution /ˌprɒstɪˈtjuːʃən/ noun the practice of providing sexual intercourse in return for payment prostrate /ˈprɒstreɪt/ adj lying flat on your face protagonist /prəʊˈtægənɪst/ noun the main character in a story protect /prəˈtɛkt/ verb to keep someone or something safe from harm or danger Vitamin C may help protect against cancer. protected /prəˈtɛktɪd/ adj (of species of animals or plants) classified as being in danger of extinction protection /prəˈtɛkʃən/ noun shelter, the process of being protected This coat doesn’t provide any protection against the rain. protective /prəˈtɛktɪv/ adj who or which protects protégé /ˈprəʊtɛʒeɪ/ noun a person, usually a young

person, who is supported in artistic work with money or advice, by someone else protein /ˈprəʊtiːn/ noun a substance in food such as meat, eggs and nuts which is one of the ele-ments in food which you need to keep your body working properly protest /ˈprəʊtɛst/ noun a statement that you object or disapprove of something a protest against the war protest /ˈprəʊtɛst/ verb 1. to say or show that you do not approve of something 2. to insist that something is true, when others think it isn’t Protestant /ˈprɒtɪstənt/ noun a member of a Christian Church which sepa-rated from the Catholic Church at the time of the Reformation protestation /ˌprəʊtɛsˈteɪʃən/ noun a strong or firm statement that something is true He was arrested despite his protestations of innocence. protester /ˈprəʊtɛstə/ noun a person who protests in a public way about something they don’t agree with protocol /ˈprəʊtəkɒl/ noun correct diplo-matic behaviour

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prototype /ˈprəʊtəʊtaɪp/ noun the first model of a new machine protracted /prəˈtræktɪd/ adj very lengthy protrude /prəˈtruːd/ verb to stick out protrusion /prəˈtruːʒən/ noun something which protrudes proud /praʊd/ adj showing pleasure in what you or someone else has done or in something which belongs to you proudly /ˈpraʊdli/ adv showing that you are proud of something prove /pruːv/ verb to show that some-thing is true Can you prove that you weren’t there? proof /pruːf/ adj tested and shown to be correct proverb /ˈprɒvəb/ noun a saying which teaches you something provide /prəˈvaɪd/ verb to supply provided /prəˈvaɪdɪd/ conj on condition that; as long as, so long as providence /ˈprɒvɪdəns/ noun a lucky force which protects you (literary)

provider /prəˈvaɪdə/ noun a person who provides material support for someone or something, espe-cially a family an Internet service provider province /ˈprɒvɪns/ noun 1. a large ad-ministrative division of a coun-try 2. an area of knowledge or of responsibility provision /prəˈvɪʒən/ noun 1. the act of providing something 2. a con-dition in a contract We need to increase the provision of health care for the elderly. provisional /prəˈvɪʒənl/ adj temporary proviso /prəˈvaɪzəʊ/ noun a condition provocation /ˌprɒvəˈkeɪʃən/ noun the action of making someone annoyed provocative /prəˈvɒkətɪv/ adj 1. likely to make someone annoyed 2. likely to make someone sexually excited provoke /prəˈvəʊk/ verb 1. to make some-one angry 2. to make a reaction take place Her statement has provoked a public outcry.

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prow /praʊ/ noun the front end of a boat

prowess /ˈpraʊɪs/ noun great skill prowl /praʊl/ verb to move about quietly prowler /ˈpraʊlə/ noun a person who moves about an area looking for an opportunity to commit a criminal act proximity /prɒkˈsɪmɪti/ noun the fact of be-ing close to something proxy /ˈprɒksi/ noun 1. a document which gives someone the pow-er to act on behalf of someone else 2. a person who acts on be-half of someone else prude /pruːd/ noun a prudish person prudent /ˈpruːdənt/ adj showing good sense and using good judgement I think it would be prudent to leave now before it starts raining.

prune /pruːn/ verb 1. to cut back a tree or shrub, to keep it in good shape 2. to reduce the size of something such as expenditure or parts of a book pry /praɪ/ verb to look inquisitively into something psalm /sɑːm/ noun a religious poem or song from the Bible pseudonym /ˈsjuːdənɪm/ noun a false or invented name used by an au-thor psyche /ˈsaɪki(ː)/ noun the subconscious mind the male psyche psychiatrist /saɪˈkaɪətrɪst/ noun a person who studies and treats mental disease psychiatry /saɪˈkaɪətri/ noun the study of mental disease psychic /ˈsaɪkɪk/ adj referring to super-natural forces psychoanalysis / ˌsaɪkəʊəˈnæləsɪs/ noun a treat-ment of mental disorder where a specialist talks to patients and analyses their condition psychoanalyst / ˌsaɪkəʊˈænəlɪst/ noun a doctor who is trained in psychoanaly-sis

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psychologist /saɪˈkɒləʤɪst/ noun a person who studies the human mind psychology /saɪˈkɒləʤi/ noun the study of the human mind He’s studying psychology and philosophy. psychopath /ˈsaɪkəʊpæθ/ noun a criminal who is dangerous and mentally unstable psychosis /saɪˈkəʊsɪs/ noun any seri-ous mental disorder in which someone can no longer tell what is real psychosomatic / ˌsaɪkəʊsəʊˈmætɪk/ adj describing a physical illness that is caused by a mental problem psychotherapy /ˌsaɪkəʊˈθɛrəpi/ noun a treat-ment of mental disorders by psychological methods, as when a psychotherapist talks to patients and encourages them to talk about their problems psychotic /ˌsɑɪˈkɒtɪk/ adj referring to or experiencing psychosis pub /pʌb/ noun a place where you can buy beer and other alco-holic drinks, and sometimes meals We’re all going to the pub

after work. puberty /ˈpjuːbəti/ noun the time of life when childhood ends and ado-lescence and sexual maturity begin pubic / ˈpjuː.bɪk/ adj referring to the area around the sexual organs public /ˈpʌblɪk/ adj relating to the peo-ple in general Public opinion has turned against him. publican /ˈpʌblɪkən/ noun a person who manages a pub publication /ˌpʌblɪˈkeɪʃən/ noun 1. the process of making something public 2. a book or newspaper which has been published

a newpaper publication

public figure /ˈpʌblɪk/ /ˈfɪgə/ noun a well known person such as an actor or politician public holiday /ˈpʌblɪk/ / ˈhɒlədeɪ/ noun a day when most businesses and banks are closed

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publicise /ˈpʌblɪsaɪz/ verb to attract peo-ple’s attention to something; to make publicity for something publicist /ˈpʌblɪsɪst/ noun a person who attracts people’s attention to something through advertising publicity /pʌbˈlɪsɪti/ noun advertising which attracts people’s atten-tion to something publicly /ˈpʌblɪkli/ adv in public public school /ˈpʌblɪk/ /skuːl/ noun 1. a private fee-paying secondary school which is not part of the state education system 2. a school which is paid for by public taxes public sector /ˈpʌblɪk/ /ˈsɛktə/ noun the nationalised industries and the civil service public service /ˈpʌblɪk/ / ˈsɜːvɪs/ noun 1. the practice of working for the state 2. all government agencies and their personnel public transport /ˈpʌblɪk/ / ˈtrænspɔːt/ noun trans-port such as buses and trains which can be used by everyone publish /ˈpʌblɪʃ/ verb 1. to

bring out a book or newspaper for sale 2. to make something publicly known This book is published by Cambridge University Press. publisher /ˈpʌblɪʃə/ noun a person or company that produces books or newspapers for sale publishing /ˈpʌblɪʃɪŋ/ noun the process of producing books or newspa-pers for sale pudding /ˈpʊdɪŋ/ noun 1. a sweet dish at the end of the meal 2. a sweet cooked food puddle /ˈpʌdl/ noun a small pool of water, e.g. on the ground after it has rained puff /pʌf/ noun a small breath of air or smoke puff /pʌf/ verb 1. to blow 2. to breathe with difficulty to puff on a cigarette puffy /ˈpʌfi/ adj swollen pugnacious /pʌgˈneɪʃəs/ adj ready to argue or fight puke /pjuːk/ verb also puke up to bring up partly digested food into your mouth puke to make someone feel angry and upset pull /pʊl/ verb to move something towards you or after

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She bent down and pulled up her socks. pull down /pʊl/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb to knock down a building pull off /pʊl/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb 1. to take off a piece of clothing by pull-ing 2. to succeed in doing some-thing very good, especially if it is unexpected 3. to drive off a road and stop pull out /pʊl/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb 1. to take something out by pulling 2. to drive a car away from the side of the road 3. to stop being part of a deal or agreement pull over /pʊl/ /ˈəʊvə/ phrasal verb to drive a car towards the side of the road and stop pull together /pʊl/ /təˈgɛðə/ phrasal verb 1. to work with someone else to achieve something 2. to pull yourself together to become more calm pull up /pʊl/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to bring something closer 2. (of a vehi-cle) to stop pull-down menu /pʊl/-/daʊn/ / ˈmɛnjuː/ noun a menu which appears as a list on part of a computer screen pulley /ˈpʊli/ noun apparatus

for lifting heavy weights with a rope that runs round several wheels pullover /ˈpʊlˌəʊvə/ noun a piece of cloth-ing made of wool, which covers the top part of your body a black woolly pullover pulmonary /ˈpʌlmənəri/ adj referring to the lungs pulp /pʌlp/ noun a squashy mass pulpit /ˈpʊlpɪt/ noun the raised platform in a church where the priest preaches pulsate /pʌlʌˈseɪt/ verb to throb regularly pulse /pʌls/ noun a regular beat of your heart pulverise /ˈpʌlvəraɪz/ verb to crush some-thing to powder pummel /ˈpʌml/ verb to hit something hard repeatedly pump /pʌmp/ noun a machine for forc-ing liquids or air into something a water pump pump /pʌmp/ verb to force in some-thing such as liquid or air with a pump

a pump

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pumpkin /ˈpʌmpkɪn/ noun a large round orange-coloured vegetable pun /pʌn/ noun a play with words which have several different meanings punch /pʌnʧ/ noun 1. a blow with the fist 2. a metal tool for making holes punch /pʌnʧ/ verb 1. to hit someone with your fist 2. to make holes in something with a punch He punched me twice in the stomach. punchline /ˈpʌnʧlaɪn/ noun the last part of a joke, which is the part that makes you laugh punctual /ˈpʌŋktjʊəl/ adj on time punctuate /ˈpʌŋktjʊeɪt/ verb 1. to interrupt something 2. to add punctua-tion marks to a text punctuation /ˌpʌŋktjʊˈeɪʃən/ noun the practice of dividing up groups of words using special printed symbols puncture /ˈpʌŋkʧə/ noun a hole in a tyre puncture /ˈpʌŋkʧə/ verb to make a small hole in something

pundit /ˈpʌndɪt/ noun an expert, espe-cially in political matters a political pundit pungent /ˈpʌnʤənt/ adj 1. with a strong taste or smell 2. (of comments) strong and sharp punish /ˈpʌnɪʃ/ verb to make someone suffer because of something they have done punishable /ˈpʌnɪʃəbl/ adj for which you can be punished punishing /ˈpʌnɪʃɪŋ/ adj exhausting, which makes you tired punishment /ˈpʌnɪʃmənt/ noun a treatment given to punish someone punitive /ˈpjuːnɪtɪv/ adj which aims to punish punitive action punk /pʌŋk/ noun a person who dress-es in unconventional clothes, has brightly coloured hair and pins through parts of the body punter /ˈpʌntə/ noun 1. a person who gambles 2. a person who uses a service puny /ˈpjuːni/ adj 1. weak and feeble 2. very small pup /pʌp/ noun the young of certain animals, especially a 433

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young dog or seal pupil /ˈpjuːpl/ noun 1. a child at a school 2. a black hole in the central part of the eye, through which the light passes he school has 1,100 pupils aged 11 to 18. puppet /ˈpʌpɪt/ noun a doll which moves, used to give a show puppeteer /ˌpʌpɪˈtɪə/ noun a person who gives a performance using pup-pets puppy /ˈpʌpi/ noun a young dog a litter of puppies

purchase /ˈpɜːʧəs/ noun something that has been bought purchaser /ˈpɜːʧəsə/ noun a person who buys something pure /pjʊə/ adj 1. Not spoiled by be-ing mixed with other things or substances of a lower quality 2. total, complete purely /ˈpjʊəli/ adv only, solely

She married him purely for his money. purgatory /ˈpɜːgətəri/ noun 1. a place where some people believe your soul will suffer temporari-ly after you die, before entering heaven 2. an experience which makes you suffer purge /pɜːʤ/ verb 1. to remove some-thing bad or harmful from your mind or body 2. to remove op-ponents or other unacceptable people from a group 3. to make a patient have a bowel movement purify /ˈpjʊərɪfaɪ/ verb to make something or someone pure Plants help to purify the air. purist /ˈpjʊərɪst/ noun a person who in-sists that everything has to be done in the correct way puritan /ˈpjʊərɪtən/ noun a puritanical per-son purity /ˈpjʊərɪti/ noun the quality of be-ing pure purple /ˈpɜːpl/ noun a bluish-red co-lour purplish /ˈpɜːplɪʃ/ adj similar to purple purplish /ˈpɜːplɪʃ/ adj of a colour that is close to purple 434

purport /ˈpɜːpət/ verb to claim something purpose /ˈpɜːpəs/ noun an aim or plan The drug may be legalized for medical purposes. purpose-built /ˈpɜːpəs/-/bɪlt/ adj made specially for a purpose purposeful /ˈpɜːpəsfʊl/ adj with a specific aim in view purposely /ˈpɜːpəsli/ adv intentionally purr /pɜː/ noun 1. the noise made by a cat when pleased 2. a steady low noise made by a machine or engine purse /pɜːs/ noun a small bag for car-rying money I always carry aspirin in my purse.

a purse

pursue /pəˈsjuː/ verb to go after some-one in order to try to catch him or her pursuit /pəˈsjuːt/ noun 1. a chase after someone 2.

the process of try-ing to find something, or trying to do something 3. an occupa-tion or pastime pus /pʌs/ noun a yellow liquid formed in the body as a reac-tion to infection push /pʊʃ/ noun the action of mak-ing something move forwards We pushed the children down the slide. push /pʊʃ/ verb to make something move away from you or in front of you push off /pʊʃ/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb to start on a journey pushbutton /pʊʃ/ /ˈbʌtn/ adj operated by a button which can be pushed pusher /ˈpʊʃə/ noun a person who sells drugs illegally (slang) pushover /ˈpʊʃˌəʊvə/ noun 1. something that is easy to do 2. a person who is easily tricked pushy /ˈpʊʃi/ adj always trying to push yourself forward, trying too hard to achieve success (in-formal) a pushy salesman pussyfoot /ˈpʊsɪfʊt/ verb to be unable to decide what to do or how to do something

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put /pʊt/ verb to place something somewhere put away /pʊt/ /əˈweɪ/ phrasal verb to clear things away put back /pʊt/ /bæk/ phrasal verb to put something where it was before put by /pʊt/ /baɪ/ phrasal verb to save money put down /pʊt/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb 1. to place something lower down onto a surface 2. to write some-thing down 3. to charge some-thing 4. to let passengers get off 5. to make a deposit 6. to kill an animal that is old or ill, painlessly using drugs 7. to defeat a group of people who make an attack against people in authority put forward /pʊt/ /ˈfɔːwəd/ phrasal verb 1. to suggest something 2. to change an arrangement to meet someone to an earlier time 3. to change the time on a clock to a later one put in /pʊt/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb 1. to place something inside something 2. to fix something such as a sys-tem or a large piece of equip-ment in place so that it can be used 3. to do work 4. to put in for to apply

for put off /pʊt/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb 1. to ar-range for something to take place later 2. to take someone’s attention so that they cannot do things properly 3. to say some-thing that makes someone de-cide not to do something put on /pʊt/ /ɒn/ phrasal verb 1. to place something on top of some-thing, on a surface 2. to dress yourself in a certain piece of clothing 3. to switch something on 4. to add something put out /pʊt/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb 1. to place something outside 2. to stretch out a part of your body, e.g. your hand or foot 3. to switch something off 4. to put out to sea (of ships) to leave harbour put through /pʊt/ /θruː/ phrasal verb 1. to put someone through to some-one to connect them on the phone 2. to make someone ex-perience something unpleasant put up /pʊt/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to attach something to a wall, to attach something high 2. to build something 3. to lift something up 4. to increase something, to make something higher 5. to give 436

someone a place to sleep in your house put up with /pʊt/ /ʌp/ / wɪð/ phrasal verb to accept someone or something unpleasant putrid /ˈpjuːtrɪd/ adj decayed; which smells extremely unpleasant a putrid smell putt /pʌt/ noun a short shot on a green in golf putty /ˈpʌti/ noun a soft substance which becomes hard after a time, used especially for fixing the glass in windows puzzle /ˈpʌzl/ noun 1. a game where you have to find the answer to a problem 2. something that is hard to understand. a crossword puzzle

a jigsaw puzzle

puzzled /ˈpʌzld/ adj confused, not un-derstanding something puzzling /ˈpʌzlɪŋ/ adj which

is difficult to understand and does not seem reasonable pyjamas /pəˈʤɑːməz/ plural noun a light shirt and trousers which you wear in bed pylon /ˈpaɪlən/ noun a tall metal tower for carrying electric wires pyramid /ˈpɪrəmɪd/ noun a shape with a square base and four sides ris-ing to meet at a point pyre /ˈpaɪə/ noun a large fire which is burned as part of a ceremony python /ˈpaɪθən/ noun a large snake which kills animals by crush-ing them

Qq quack /kwæk/ noun 1. a sound made by a duck 2. a bad doctor quack /kwæk/ verb to make a noise like a duck quadruple /ˈkwɒdrʊpl/ verb to multiply four times The number of visitors to the town has quadrupled in the 437

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last two years. quagmire /ˈkwægmaɪə/ noun 1. an area of extremely wet ground, where you may be in danger of sinking or of becoming stuck 2. a situation which is very compli-cated quaint /kweɪnt/ adj attractive in a way which is strange or unusual a quaint little village quake /kweɪk/ verb 1. to shake 2. to shake because you have a strong feeling such as fear or because you are very cold qualification /ˌkwɒlɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ noun 1. some-thing necessary for a job, such as proof that you have com-pleted a particular course of study 2. something which limits the meaning of a statement, or shows that you do not agree with something completely 3. being successful in a test or competition which takes you on to the next stage What qualifications do you need to be a nanny? qualified /ˈkwɒlɪfaɪd/ adj 1. with the right qualifications 2. not complete, with condi-

tions attached qualifier /ˈkwɒlɪfaɪə/ noun 1. a person who qualifies in a sports competi-tion 2. a round of a sports com-petition which qualifies a team to go to the next round qualify /ˈkwɒlɪfaɪ/ verb 1. to study for and obtain a qualification which al-lows you to do a certain type of work 2. to attach conditions to something 3. to be in the right position for something, or have the right to have something 4. to pass a test or one section of a competition and so go on to the next stage Foreign students no longer qualify for grants in the UK. quality /ˈkwɒlɪti/ noun 1. how good something is 2. something which is part of a person’s char-acter quantifier /ˈkwɒntɪfaɪə/ noun a word such as ‘all’ or ‘some’ that shows the range of things referred to quantify /ˈkwɒntɪfaɪ/ verb to measure something in quantities quantity /ˈkwɒntɪti/ noun an amount A vast quantity of information is available on the Internet.

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quantum /ˈkwɒntəm/ leap noun a big im-provement in knowledge or a big change, especially to some-thing better quarantine /ˈkwɒrəntiːn/ noun a period of time when an animal or a per-son, usually coming from an-other country, has to be kept apart from others to avoid the risk of passing on diseases quarrel /ˈkwɒrəl/ noun an argument She walked out after having a quarrel with her boss.

quarrel

quarry /ˈkwɒri/ noun an animal or person who is being hunted quarry verb to dig stone out of the ground quart /kwɔːt/ noun a measure of liquid equal to two pints or one quar-ter of a gallon quarter /ˈkwɔːtə/ noun one of four parts, a fourth, 25% Three quarters of the island’s residents speak English. quarter-final /ˈkwɔːtə/-/ˈfaɪnl/

noun (in sport) one of four matches in a com-petition, in which the person or team which wins goes into the semi-finals quarterly /ˈkwɔːtəli/ adj, adv which hap-pens every three months quarters /ˈkwɔːtəz/ plural noun places where people live; at close quarters close to, very near quartet, quartette /kwɔːˈtɛt/, /kwɔːˈtɛt/ noun 1. four musicians playing togeth-er 2. a piece of music for four musicians 3. four people or four things quartz /kwɔːts/ noun a hard mineral often found as crystals in rocks and which makes up the major part of sand quash /kwɒʃ/ verb 1. to make a judg-ment or ruling no longer valid 2. to make something end His conviction was quashed last month. quaver /ˈkweɪvə/ verb (of voice) to shake slightly quay /kiː/ noun the part of a har-bour or port where boats stop queasy /ˈkwiːzi/ adj feeling sick 439

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queen /kwiːn/ noun 1. the wife of a king 2. a woman who rules a country 3. in the game of chess, the second most important piece, after the king Queen Elizabeth II queer /kwɪə/ noun a homosexual man quell /kwɛl/ verb 1. to calm a situa-tion in which there is a lot of noise and fighting 2. to hold back feelings quench /kwɛnʧ/ verb to quench your thirst to have a drink when you are thirsty query /ˈkwɪəri/ noun a question His job is to answer telephone queries about airline schedules. quest /kwɛst/ noun a search question /ˈkwɛsʧən/ noun 1. a sentence which needs an answer 2. a problem or matter question /ˈkwɛsʧən/ verb to ask questions, in question under discussion, out of the question something that can possibly not be done questionable /ˈkwɛsʧənəbl/ adj which is not completely honest or straight-forward

questioning /ˈkwɛsʧənɪŋ/ noun a situation in which someone is asked a lot of questions, especially formally or officially, or an instance of this She was taken in for questioning by police yesterday morning. question mark /ˈkwɛsʧən/ / mɑːk/ noun a sign (?) used in writing to show that a question is being asked questionnaire /ˌkwɛstɪəˈneə/ noun a printed list of questions given to peo-ple to answer, usually ques-tions about what they like or what they buy question tag /ˈkwɛsʧən/ /tæg/ noun a short phrase at the end of a statement that changes it into a question. queue /kjuː/ noun a line of people or things such as cars, waiting one behind the other for some-thing Are you in the queue?

a queue

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quibble /ˈkwɪbl/ verb to argue about the details of something which is extremely unimportant quiche / kiːʃ/ noun an open pastry case with a filling of food such as eggs or vegetables quick /kwɪk/ adj done with speed or in a short time quicken /ˈkwɪkən/ verb 1. to make some-thing go faster 2. to make more active, to become more active quickie /ˈkwɪki/ noun something which takes only a short time to deal with, e.g. a drink or question quickly /ˈkwɪkli/ adv very fast, without taking much time I quickly shut the door. quid /kwɪd/ noun a pound (informal) quiet /ˈkwaɪət/ adj 1. without any noise 2. with no great excitement quieten /ˈkwaɪətn/ verb to make some-body quiet, to calm somebody down quietly /ˈkwaɪətli/ adv without making any noise quilt /kwɪlt/ noun a thick cover for a bed.

A

a quilt

quintessential /ˌkwɪntɪˈsɛnʃəl/ adj which is a perfect example of something quintet, quintette /kwɪnˈtɛt/ noun 1. five musicians playing together 2. a piece of music for five musi-cians quip /kwɪp/ verb to make a joke or a clever remark quirk /kwɜːk/ noun an unusual or strange thing My aunt has a few odd quirks. quirky /ˈkwɜːki/ adj strange, unusual quit /kwɪt/ verb 1. to leave something such as a job or a place and not return 2. to stop doing some-thing quite /kwaɪt/ adv 1. to some degree 2. to a great degree not quite not completely quiver /ˈkwɪvə/ verb to shake slightly quiz /kwɪz/ noun a game where you are asked a series of questions a television quiz show

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quizzical /ˈkwɪzɪkəl/ adj showing that you think something is surprising or funny quorum /ˈkwɔːrəm/ noun the number of people who have to be present at a meeting to make it official or legal quota /ˈkwəʊtə/ noun 1. a fixed amount of things that should be sup-plied or received according to official rules 2. an amount of something that someone has to do, e.g. a share of work an import quota quotation /kwəʊˈteɪʃən/ noun the words of one person which are repeated by another person quotation /kwəʊˈteɪʃən/ marks plural noun printed or written marks () showing that a quotation starts or finishes quote /kwəʊt/ noun a quotation quote /kwəʊt/ verb to repeat what someone has said or written I was quoting from Marx.

Rr

rabbi /ˈræbaɪ/ noun a Jewish religious leader or teacher rabbit /ˈræbɪt/ noun a common wild animal with grey fur, long ears and a short white tail

a rabbit

rabbit warren /ˈræbɪt/ /ˈwɒrən/ noun 1. a series of underground tunnels where rabbits live 2. an area where there are a lot of narrow streets rabble /ˈræbl/ noun a crowd, a large violent mass of people rabies /ˈreɪbiːz/ noun a serious disease which can cause death and which is passed to humans by infected animals race /reɪs/ noun a competition to see which person, animal or vehi-cle is the fastest a horse race race /reɪs/ verb 1. to run 442

fast 2. to compete in a race racecourse /ˈreɪskɔːs/ noun a grass-cov-ered track where horse races are held racehorse /ˈreɪshɔːs/ noun a horse bred and trained especially to run in horse races race relations /reɪs/ / rɪˈleɪʃənz/ plural noun rela-tions between different groups of races in the same country racetrack /ˈreɪstræk/ noun a track where races are run racial /ˈreɪʃəl/ adj referring to different races racing /ˈreɪsɪŋ/ noun competitions to see who is fastest motor racing racism /ˈreɪsɪzm/ noun the belief that a group of people are not as good as others because they are of a different race, and treating them differently racist /ˈreɪsɪst/ noun a person who treats someone differently because of race Four of the named killers are known to be racists. rack /ræk/ noun a frame for holding things, e.g. letters, tools or suit-cases racket /ˈrækɪt/ noun 1. a light

frame with tight strings, used for hitting the ball in games 2. a loud noise racy /ˈreɪsi/ adj (of behaviour) slightly shocking radiance /ˈreɪdjəns/ noun the quality of shining extremely brightly radiant /ˈreɪdjənt/ adj 1. very happy 2. very bright or shining 3. (of heat) sent out in the form of rays radiate /ˈreɪdɪɪt/ verb 1. to send out rays or heat 2. to spread out from a central point A number of roads radiate out from the centre. radiation /ˌreɪdɪˈeɪʃən/ noun the process of sending out rays or heat radiator /ˈreɪdɪeɪtə/ noun 1. a metal ob-ject, usually fixed to a wall, which is filled with hot water for heating a room 2. a metal container filled with cold wa-ter for preventing a car engine from becoming too hot radical /ˈrædɪkəl/ noun a member of a radical party radio /ˈreɪdɪəʊ/ noun 1. a method of sending out and receiving messages using air waves 2. a machine which 443

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sends out and receives messages using air waves

a radio

radioactive /ˌreɪdɪəʊˈæktɪv/ adj (of a sub-stance) which, as its nucleus breaks up, gives off energy in the form of radiation which can pass through other substances radioactive waste radioactivity /ˌreɪdɪəʊækˈtɪvɪti/ noun energy in the form of radiation from ra-dioactive substances radiography / ˌreɪ.diˈɒɡ.rə.fi/ noun the practice or process of making X-ray photographs radish /ˈrædɪʃ/ noun a small red root vegetable, eaten raw in salads

a radish

radius /ˈreɪdjəs/ noun 1. a line from the centre of a circle to

the outside edge 2. the distance in any di-rection from a particular cen-tral point Most facilities lie within a two-mile radius of the house. raffle /ˈræfl/ noun a game where you buy a ticket with a number on it, in the hope of winning a prize raft /rɑːft/ noun many, a lot of rafter /ˈrɑːftə/ noun one of the long straight pieces of wood which hold up a roof rag /ræg/ noun a piece of torn cloth

a rag cloth

rage /reɪʤ/ noun sudden extreme an-ger, to fly into a rage to get very angry suddenly rage /reɪʤ/ verb to be violent ragged /ˈrægɪd/ adj 1. (of clothes) torn 2. (of edge of paper or cloth) not straight raid /reɪd/ noun a sudden attack; a sudden visit by the police raid /reɪd/ verb to make a sud444

den at-tack on a place raider /ˈreɪdə/ noun a person who takes part in a raid rail /reɪl/ noun 1. a straight metal or wooden bar 2. one of two par-allel metal bars on which trains run 3. The railway, a system of travel using trains railroad /ˈreɪlrəʊd/ noun same as railway railway /ˈreɪlweɪ/ noun a way of travel-ling which uses trains to carry passengers and goods Repairs are being carried out on the railway. railway embankment /ˈreɪlweɪ/ /ɪmˈbæŋkmənt/ noun a raised bank of earth to carry a railway rain /reɪn/ noun drops of water which fall from the clouds rain /reɪn/ verb to fall as drops of wa-ter from the clouds They were waiting for the rains to come. rainbow /ˈreɪnbəʊ/ noun a shape like half a circle which shines with many colours in the sky when it is sun-ny and raining at the same time raincoat /ˈreɪnkəʊt/ noun a

coat which keeps off water, which you wear when it is raining raindrop /ˈreɪndrɒp/ noun a drop of water which falls from a cloud rainfall /ˈreɪnfɔːl/ noun the amount of rain which falls in a place over a certain period rain forest /reɪn/ /ˈfɒrɪst/ noun a thick forest which grows in tropical regions where there is a lot of rain rainstorm /ˈreɪnstɔːm/ noun a storm with a lot of rain rainwater /ˈreɪnˌwɔːtə/ noun water which has fallen as rain raise /reɪz/ verb 1. to put something in a higher position or at a high-er level 2. to mention a subject which could be discussed 3. to obtain money 4. to look after a child to raise your hand raisin /ˈreɪzn/ noun a dried grape rake /reɪk/ noun the angle of a slope rake /reɪk/ verb to move a camera or gun slowly sideways so that it covers a wide area

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rake in /reɪk/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb to gather something together (informal) rake up /reɪk/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to pull dead leaves together with a rake 2. to bring together 3. to bring back something unpleas-ant from the past rally /ˈræli/ noun a large meeting of members of a group or politi-cal party ram /ræm/ verb to move or hammer something down hard RAM /ræm/ noun random access memory, computer memory that allows access to any part of the memory in any order with-out having to access the rest of memory Ramadan /ˌræməˈdɑːn/ noun a Muslim reli-gious festival, the ninth month of the Muslim year, during which believers are not allowed to eat or drink during the day ramble /ˈræmbl/ noun a walk for plea-sure in the countryside We rambled through fields and woods. ramp /ræmp/ noun a small curved shape across the surface of a road

rampage /ræmˈpeɪʤ/ noun to go on the rampage to go about breaking things or creating a lot of noise and mess rampage /ræmˈpeɪʤ/ verb to create a lot of mess and noise Angry citizens rampaged through the city. rampant /ˈræmpənt/ adj existing every-where without being con-trolled ramshackle /ˈræmˌʃækl/ adj badly dam-aged and falling to pieces ran /ræn/ past tense of run ranch /rɑːnʧ/ noun (in North or South America) a farm where horses or cows are kept, especially in North or South America rancour /ˈræŋkə/ noun an angry feeling against someone or something random /ˈrændəm/ adj done without any planning a random selection rang /ræŋ/ past tense of ring range /reɪnʤ/ noun 1. a choice or series of things which are available 2. a distance which you can go; a distance over which you can see or hear 3. a series of build-ings or mountains in line

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range /reɪnʤ/ verb to include all things within a range random /ˈrændəm/ adj done without any planning rang /ræŋ/ past tense of ring range /reɪnʤ/ noun 1. a choice or series of things which are available 2. a distance which you can go; a distance over which you can see or hear 3. a series of build-ings or mountains in line We discussed a wide range of subjects. range /reɪnʤ/ verb to include all things within a range rank /ræŋk/ noun 1. a position in so-ciety or in a service such as the army or police 2. a row of peo-ple, especially soldiers 3. a row of things rank /ræŋk/ verb to be placed in order of importance, the rank and file ordinary people The city’s canals now rank among the world’s dirtiest. ranking /ˈræŋkɪŋ/ noun a position in or-der of importance rankle /ˈræŋkl/ verb to cause continu-ing bitter feelings ransack /ˈrænsæk/ verb to cause a lot of damage and mess while search-ing a place

to find something ransom /ˈrænsəm/ noun money paid to get back someone who is being held prisoner rant /rænt/ verb to complain or shout loudly rap /ræp/ noun a form of African Ca-ribbean music where the singer speaks words quickly over a strong beat, improvising as he or she goes along a rap artist rap /ræp/ verb to sing rap music rape /reɪp/ noun the offence of at-tacking a person and forcing them to have sex rapid /ˈræpɪd/ adj done very quickly or happening very quickly rapidly /ˈræpɪdli/ adv quickly rapist /ˈreɪpɪst/ noun a person who has raped someone rapper /ˈræpə/ noun a person who speaks words to rap music rapport /ræˈpɔː/ noun an understand-ing, a close connection between two people or groups She has a good rapport with her staff.

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rapture /ˈræpʧə/ noun a state of great happiness or enthusiasm rare /reə/ adj not usual or common rarely /ˈreəli/ adv almost never rarity /ˈreərɪti/ noun 1. the state of being rare 2. a rare thing rash /ræʃ/ noun a mass of red spots on your skin, which stays for a time and then disappears rasher /ˈræʃə/ noun a thin piece of ba-con rasp /rɑːsp/ verb to make a grating noise raspberry /ˈrɑːzbəri/ noun a rude noise made with the mouth to show that you think something is rubbish rat /ræt/ noun a small furry animal like a large mouse which has a long tail and can carry disease Rats carry disease. rate /reɪt/ noun 1. a number shown as a proportion of another 2. how frequently something is done 3. a level of payment 4. speed rather /ˈrɑːðə/ adv to a slight degree

ratify /ˈrætɪfaɪ/ verb to approve something officially rating /ˈreɪtɪŋ/ noun 1. the act or prac-tice of giving a score or mark for something 2. (in the navy) an ordinary seaman A high percentage of Americans gave the President a positive rating. ratio /ˈreɪʃɪəʊ/ noun an amount of some-thing measured in relation to another amount ration /ˈræʃən/ noun an amount of food or supplies allowed ration /ˈræʃən/ verb to allow only a certain amount of food or sup-plies rational /ˈræʃənl/ adj sensible, based on reason rationale /ˌræʃəˈnɑːl/ noun a set of reasons for which something is done rationalise /ˈræʃnəlaɪz/ verb 1. to find a reason for actions which do not appear to be rational 2. to make something such as a system or a business work in a more effective way I can’t rationalize the way I feel towards him.

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rationalise /ˈræʃnəlaɪz/ verb to make a re-peated noise like two pieces of wood hitting each other raucous /ˈrɔːkəs/ adj loud and unpleas-ant to listen to ravage /ˈrævɪʤ/ verb to damage or to destroy a place The whole area has been ravaged by war. rave /reɪv/ verb 1. to speak in an excited way 2. to be very enthusiastic about something rave noun a very large party for young people, with bright lights, loud music and usually drugs raven /ˈreɪvn/ noun a big black bird like a very large crow

raw /rɔː/ adj not cooked raw meat/vegetables raw materials /rɔː/ / məˈtɪərɪəlz/ plural noun sub-stances such as wool, wood or sand which are still in their natural state and have not yet been made into manufactured goods ray /reɪ/ noun a beam of light or heat raze /reɪz/ verb to destroy a building or a town completely razor /ˈreɪzə/ noun an instrument with a very sharp blade for removing hair from the face or body razor blade /ˈreɪzə/ /bleɪd/ noun a blade for a razor, which can be used sev-eral times before being thrown away

a razor

a raven

ravenous /ˈrævənəs/ adj very hungry ravine /rəˈviːn/ noun a deep narrow val-ley ravishing /ˈrævɪʃɪŋ/ adj very beautiful

re /riː/ prep cocerning re- /riː/ prefix again reach /riːʧ/ noun how far you can stretch out your hand reach /riːʧ/ verb 1. to stretch 449

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out your hand to 2. to arrive at a place 3. to get to a certain level We won’t reach Miami till five or six o’clock. react /ri(ː)ˈækt/ verb 1. to do or to say something in response to words or an action 2. to behave in a particular way as a result of something 3. to show opposi-tion to something reaction /ri(ː)ˈækʃən/ noun 1. a thing done or said as a result of something else 2. a process of chemical change What was his reaction to the news? reactionary /ri(ː)ˈækʃnəri/ adj extremely conservative, opposed to any change read /riːd/ verb 1. to look at and understand written words 2. to look at and understand writ-ten music 3. to understand the meaning of data from some-thing such as a computer disk or a piece of electronic equipment 4. to speak the words of something which is written read aloud, read out /riːd/ / əˈlaʊd/, /riːd/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb to speak the words you are reading

reader /ˈriːdə/ noun 1. a person who reads, especially a person who reads regularly or who reads a particular newspaper or type of book She’s a slow reader. readership /ˈriːdəʃɪp/ noun all the people who regularly read a particular magazine or newspaper, or read the books of a particular writer readily /ˈrɛdɪli/ adv 1. easily and quick-ly 2. willingly readiness /ˈrɛdɪnɪs/ noun being ready or willing reading /ˈriːdɪŋ/ noun 1. the act of look-ing at and understanding writ-ten words 2. an occasion when someone speaks the words of something which is written I did a lot of reading on holiday. readjust /ˌriːəˈʤʌst/ verb to adjust again read-out /riːd/-/aʊt/ noun the data pro-duced by electronic equipment, e.g. a computer, and which you can read or hear ready /ˈrɛdi/ adj 1. prepared for something or to do something 2. available and suitable to be used or eaten 3. willing Are you ready to go yet?

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ready-made /ˈrɛdɪˈmeɪd/ adj which is mass-produced and ready to use real /rɪəl/ adj 1. not false or artificial 2. used for emphasising some-thing 3. which exists in the world, not only in someone’s imagination or in stories real estate /rɪəl/ /ɪsˈteɪt/ noun land or buildings which are bought or sold realise /ˈrɪəlaɪz/ verb 1. to understand clearly something that you did not understand before 2. to make something become real I suddenly realised I’d met him before. realism /ˈrɪəlɪzm/ noun 1. behaviour which faces facts, accepting things as they are and not trying to change them or fight against them 2. the fact or practice of showing things in writing or painting as they really are realist /ˈrɪəlɪst/ noun 1. a person who accepts life as it really is, and does not try to change it or fight it 2. an artist or writer who shows things as they really are realistic /rɪəˈlɪstɪk/ adj 1. which looks as if it is real 2.

accepting life as it really is reality /ri(ː)ˈælɪti/ noun what is real and not imaginary really /ˈrɪəli/ adv 1. in fact 2. used to show surprise I really don’t want to go. realm /rɛlm/ noun 1. a kingdom, es-pecially the United Kingdom 2. an area of experience real time /rɪəl/ /taɪm/ noun an action of a computer which takes place at the same time as the problem it is solving reap /riːp/ verb to cut a grain crop reappear /ˌriːəˈpɪə/ verb to appear again He reappeared later that day. rear /rɪə/ noun the part at the back rear verb 1. to look after ani-mals or children as they are growing up 2. to rise up, or to lift something up rearrange /ˌriːəˈreɪnʤ/ verb 1. to arrange something again 2. to change the time of a meeting rear-view mirror /rɪə/-/vjuː/ / ˈmɪrə/ noun a mir-ror in the centre of the front of a car, so that the driver can see what is behind him without

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turning round

a rearview mirror

reason /ˈriːzn/ noun 1. a thing which explains why something has happened 2. the ability to make sensible judgments He left without giving a reason. reason /ˈriːzn/ verb to think or to plan something carefully and sensibly reasonable /ˈriːznəbl/ adj 1. sensible 2. not expensive reasonably /ˈriːznəbli/ adv 1. in a reasonable way 2. quite reasoned /ˈriːznd/ adj carefully thought out reasoning /ˈriːznɪŋ/ noun opinions, views, or decisions reassure /ˌriːəˈʃʊə/ verb to make some-one less afraid or less worried He reassured me that I would be paid soon. reassuring /ˌriːəˈʃʊərɪŋ/ adj which reas-sures, which

makes you less worried rebate /ˈriːbeɪt/ noun a reduction in the amount of money to be paid rebel /ˈrɛbl/ noun a person who fights against a government or against those who are in authority rebel /ˈrɛbl/ verb to fight against someone or something rebellion /rɪˈbɛljən/ noun a fight against the government, against the people in authority rebellious /rɪˈbɛljəs/ adj fighting against authority rebirth /ˌriːˈbɜːθ/ noun being born again, starting again the rebirth of the women’s movement reboot /ˌriːˈbuːt/ verb to start a computer again rebound /rɪˈbaʊnd/ noun bouncing back rebound /rɪˈbaʊnd/ verb 1. to move back after hitting something 2. to have a bad effect on you in-stead of the person the action was directed at rebuff /rɪˈbʌf/ verb to refuse some-thing sharply rebuild /ˌriːˈbɪld/ verb to build 452

again rebuke /rɪˈbjuːk/ verb to criticize someone sharply rebut /rɪˈbʌt/ verb to state that some-thing such as an argument is not true recalcitrant /rɪˈkælsɪtrənt/ adj determined not to change your mind, be-having in a difficult way recalcitrant schoolchildren recall /rɪˈkɔːl/ noun the act of asking for products to be returned, or the act of ordering someone to return recall /rɪˈkɔːl/ verb 1. to remember something 2. (of a manufac-turer) to ask for products to be returned because of possible faults 3. to tell a government official to come home from a foreign country recap /ˈriːkæp/ verb to state the main points of something again recede /ri(ː)ˈsiːd/ verb to go away or to move back The coastline receded into the distance. receipt /rɪˈsiːt/ noun a piece of paper that shows you have paid for something or have received something

A

a reciept

receive /rɪˈsiːv/ verb 1. to get some-thing which has been sent 2. to meet or to welcome a visitor receiver /rɪˈsiːvə/ noun 1. the part of a telephone which you hold to your ear and listen through 2. the part of a radio or television which receives broadcast programmes recent /ˈriːsnt/ adj taking place not very long ago In recent years, sales have decreased quite markedly. recently /ˈriːsntli/ adv only a short time ago receptacle /rɪˈsɛptəkl/ noun a container reception /rɪˈsɛpʃən/ noun 1. the way in which people react to some-thing that happens or to some-one who 453

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arrives 2. the place in a hotel where guests go when they arrive or leave, e.g. to get the key to their room 3. a place in a large building where visi-tors go when they arrive and say who they have come to see 4. a big party held to welcome special guests 5. the quality of the sound on a radio or the sound and picture of a televi-sion broadcast Ask for me at reception. receptionist /rɪˈsɛpʃənɪst/ noun a person in a place such as a hotel or doc-tor’s office who meets visitors and answers the telephone receptive /rɪˈsɛptɪv/ adj 1. interested in what is being presented 2. will-ing to accept an idea or pro-posal recess /rɪˈsɛs/ noun 1. an alcove or part of the wall of a room which is set back 2. an official holiday of the law courts or parliament 3. a recreation period at school The court is in recess for thirty minutes. recession /rɪˈsɛʃən/ noun a situation when a country’s economy is doing badly recharge /riːˈʧɑːʤ/ verb to

put an electric charge into something again recipe /ˈrɛsɪpi/ noun instructions for cooking food a recipe for carrot cake recipient /rɪˈsɪpɪənt/ noun a person who receives something reciprocal /rɪˈsɪprəkəl/ adj which is done by two people, groups of people or by such things as countries or companies, to each other reciprocate /rɪˈsɪprəkeɪt/ verb to do the same thing to someone in re-turn for something he or she has done to you recital /rɪˈsaɪtl/ noun a performance of music by a musician or a small group of musicians a piano recital a recital

recite /rɪˈsaɪt/ verb to speak a poem or other piece of writ-

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ing aloud in public reckless /ˈrɛklɪs/ adj risky or done without thinking reckon /ˈrɛkən/ verb 1. to calculate, or to estimate 2. to think reckoning /ˈrɛkənɪŋ/ noun a calculation reclaim /rɪˈkleɪm/ verb 1. to claim some-thing which you owned before 2. to take land, such as a marsh or waste sites, and make it suit-able for use recline /rɪˈklaɪn/ verb 1. to lie back 2. to make something lie further back I found him reclining on the sofa. recluse /rɪˈkluːs/ noun a person who lives all alone and does not see anyone else recognisable /ˈrɛkəgnaɪzəbl/ adj who can be recognised recognize /ˈrɛkəgnaɪz/ verb 1. to know someone or something because you have seen him or her or it before 2. to admit something that has gone wrong or is bad 3. to approve of something or someone officially 4. to express praise for something which has been done recognition /ˌrɛkəgˈnɪʃən/

noun the fact that someone recognises or ac-knowledges something recoil /rɪˈkɔɪl/ verb 1. to move back-wards suddenly 2. to move away quickly from something unpleasant 3. to feel strongly that something is unpleasant and want to avoid it She recoiled in horror at the thought of touching a snake. recollect /ˌriːkəˈlɛkt/ verb to remember something from the past recollection /ˌrɛkəˈlɛkʃən/ noun remember-ing something from the past recommend /ˌrɛkəˈmɛnd/ verb 1. to tell someone that it would be good to do something 2. to praise something or someone Can you recommend a good wine to go with this dish? recommendation / ˌrɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/ noun 1. advice 2. giving praise recompense /ˈrɛkəmpɛns/ verb to give com-pensation, payment or reward to someone or for something reconcile /ˈrɛkənsaɪl/ verb to make two different things agree

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reconciliation / ˌrɛkənsɪlɪˈeɪʃən/ noun 1. the bringing together of two peo-ple to become friends again 2. making two accounts agree reconnaissance /rɪˈkɒnɪsəns/ noun a sur-vey of enemy territory to get military information reconsider /ˌriːkənˈsɪdə/ verb to think something over again We’ve been asked to reconsider the proposal. reconstitute /riːˈkɒnstɪˌtjuːt/ verb to form something again as it was be-fore reconstruct /ˌriːkənsˈtrʌkt/ verb 1. to con-struct something again 2. to work out how a crime must have been committed by taking all the known facts and using actors to play the parts of the people involved reconstruction / ˌriːkənsˈtrʌkʃən/ noun 1. the act of reconstructing, of building again 2. a thing reconstructed 3. working out how a crime must have been committed by examining all known facts and using an actor to play the part of the victim, etc.

A reconstruction of the crime was shown on TV. record /ˈrɛkɔːd/ noun 1. a success in sport which is better than any other 2. written evidence of something which has happened 3. a flat round piece of usually black plastic on which sound is stored record /ˈrɛkɔːd/ verb 1. to report some-thing or to make a note of something 2. to put sounds or images onto something such as a film, tape or disc My teacher keeps a record of my absences. record-breaking /ˈrɛkɔːd/-/ ˈbreɪkɪŋ/ adj which breaks records recorder /rɪˈkɔːdə/ noun 1. an instru-ment which records sound 2. a musical instrument that you play by blowing recording /rɪˈkɔːdɪŋ/ noun 1. the action of putting sounds or images onto something such as a film, tape or disc 2. music or speech which has been recorded recount /ˌriːˈkaʊnt/ noun the act of count-ing again, especially counting votes again recount /ˌriːˈkaʊnt/ verb to tell 456

a story He was recounting a story about a woman he’d met on a train. recount /ˌriːˈkaʊnt/ verb to count something again recover /rɪˈkʌvə/ verb to get back some-thing which has been lost or stolen recover /rɪˈkʌvə/ verb to put a new cov-er on a piece of furniture It takes a long time to recover from surgery. recovery /rɪˈkʌvəri/ noun 1. the fact that someone gets well again after being ill 2. getting back some-thing which has been lost or stolen re-create /riː/-/kri(ː)ˈeɪt/ verb to make something that used to exist appear or happen again in a similar way recreation /ˌriːkrɪˈeɪʃən/ noun enjoyable ac-tivities that people do for fun recreation /ˌriːkrɪˈeɪʃən/ noun creating again Shopping seems to be her only form of recreation. recrimination / rɪˌkrɪmɪˈneɪʃən/ noun blaming someone else for some-

thing recruit /rɪˈkruːt/ noun a new soldier or a new member of staff or mem-ber of a club recruit /rɪˈkruːt/ verb to encourage someone to join the army, a company or a club rectangle /ˈrɛkˌtæŋgl/ noun a shape with four sides and right angles at the corners, with two long sides and two short sides rectify /ˈrɛktɪfaɪ/ verb to correct some-thing The government has promised to rectify the situation. rectum /ˈrɛktəm/ noun the end part of the large intestine leading from the colon to the anus recuperate /rɪˈkjuːpəreɪt/ verb to get better after an illness recur /rɪˈkɜː/ verb to happen again recycle /ˌriːˈsaɪkl/ verb to process waste material so that it can be used again recycle bin

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red /rɛd/ adj coloured like the co-lour of blood red card /rɛd/ /kɑːd/ noun a card displayed by the referee when dismissing a player for doing something against the rules redcurrant / ˈredˌkʌr.ənt/ noun a garden fruit in the form of little red berries redden /ˈrɛdn/ verb 1. to become red 2. to go red in the face because you are ashamed or embar-rassed His face reddened with anger. reddish /ˈrɛdɪʃ/ adj of a colour that is close to red redeem /rɪˈdiːm/ verb to make some-thing better than it seemed to be at first redemption /rɪˈdɛmpʃən/ noun 1. the action of redeeming a debt 2. being saved from sin redeploy /ˌriːdɪˈplɔɪ/ verb to use people or equipment in a different area or for a different activity redevelop /ˌriːdɪˈvɛləp/ verb to improve a run down area by renovating old buildings and building new ones There are plans to redevelop the city’s waterfront area. red-handed /rɛd/-/ˈhændɪd/

adj in the act of committing a crime redhead /ˈrɛdˌhɛd/ noun a person with red hair red herring /rɛd/ /ˈhɛrɪŋ/ noun a piece of in-formation which is not impor-tant, and is given to someone to distract attention from what is really important red hot /rɛd/ /hɒt/ adj very hot redial /ˌriːˈdaɪəl/ verb to dial a number on a telephone again redirect /ˌriːdaɪˈrɛkt/ verb 1. to send a let-ter on to another address or a phone call to another number 2. to use something in another way redistribute /ˌriːdɪsˈtrɪbju(ː) t/ verb to share something out again in a dif-ferent way to redistribute wealth red meat /rɛd/ /miːt/ noun meat such as lamb or beef which is red in colour before it is cooked redo /ˌriːˈduː/ verb to do something again I’m going to have to redo that report. redress /rɪˈdrɛs/ verb to correct some-thing or to com-

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pensate red tape /rɛd/ /teɪp/ noun official paper-work which takes a long time to complete reduce /rɪˈdjuːs/ verb to make some-thing smaller or less reduction /rɪˈdʌkʃən/ noun the act of mak-ing something smaller in size or number redundancy /rɪˈdʌndənsi/ noun being no longer employed, because the job is no longer needed There have been a lot of redundancies in the mining industry. redundant /rɪˈdʌndənt/ adj not needed redwood /ˈrɛdwʊd/ noun a very tall co-nifer which grows on the West Coast of the United States reed /riːd/ noun a thin piece of wood or metal inside a musical in-strument, which vibrates when you blow on it

a reed

reef /riːf/ noun a long line of rocks just above or below the surface of the sea reek /riːk/ verb to smell strongly of something reel /riːl/ verb to stagger reel in /riːl/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb to pull in a line round a reel reel off /riːl/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb to give a list of names or figures rapidly She reeled off a list of all the countries she’d been to. re-elect /riː/-/ɪˈlɛkt/ verb to elect someone again referee /ˌrɛfəˈriː/ noun (in sports) a per-son who makes sure that a game is played according to the rules reference /ˈrɛfrəns/ noun an act of men-tioning something or someone In his book, he makes several references to his time in France. reference book /ˈrɛfrəns/ / bʊk/ noun a book, such as a dictionary or an en-cyclopedia, where you can look for information referendum /ˌrɛfəˈrɛndəm/ noun a vote where all the people of a country are asked to vote on a single ques-tion

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refill /ˈriːfɪl/ verb to fill a container that has become empty refill /ˈriːfɪl/ noun another amount of a drink that you have finished refine /rɪˈfaɪn/ verb 1. to make some-thing more pure 2. to make something better refined /rɪˈfaɪnd/ adj 1. which has been made pure 2. very elegant and polite refined sugar refinement /rɪˈfaɪnmənt/ noun 1. elegance 2. improvement refinery /rɪˈfaɪnəri/ noun a plant where a raw material, such as ore, oil or sugar is processed to remove impurities reflect /rɪˈflɛkt/ verb to send back light, heat or an image of something reflective /rɪˈflɛktɪv/ adj 1. thoughtful 2. which reflects a reflective mood reflector /rɪˈflɛktə/ noun apparatus which reflects reflex /ˈriːflɛks/ noun an automatic reac-tion to something reflexive /rɪˈflɛksɪv/ adj (in grammar) a verb or pronoun which refers back to

the subject reflexive /rɪˈflɛksɪv/ verb noun a transitive verb whose subject and object both refer to the same person or thing reflexology / ri:fleksɒlədʒi/ noun a treatment to relieve tension by massaging the soles of the feet and toes to stimulate the nerves and in-crease the blood supply reform /ˌriːˈfɔːm/ noun the act of chang-ing something to make it bet-ter Students have called for reforms in the admission process. reform /ˌriːˈfɔːm/ verb 1. to change some-thing in order to make it better 2. to stop committing crimes, or to stop having bad habits and to become good reformer /rɪˈfɔːmə/ noun a person who tries to make something better refrain /rɪˈfreɪn/ verb to keep yourself from doing something refresh /rɪˈfrɛʃ/ verb 1. to make fresh again 2. to make someone less tired A cool drink should refresh you.

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refreshing /rɪˈfrɛʃɪŋ/ adj something which is refreshing makes you feel fresh or full of energy again refreshments /rɪˈfrɛʃmənts/ plural noun food and drink refrigerate /rɪˈfrɪʤəreɪt/ verb to keep food cold so that it will not go bad refrigerator /rɪˈfrɪʤəreɪtə/ noun an electrical machine used in the kitchen for keeping food and drink cold

a refrigerator

refuel /ˌriːˈfjʊəl/ verb to put more fuel into a ship, plane, car or other vehicle refuge /ˈrɛfjuːʤ/ noun to shelter refugee /ˌrɛfju(ː)ˈʤiː/ noun a person who has left his or her country be-cause of war or because the government did not like or al-low his or her religious or po-litical beliefs

a refugee camp refund /ˈriːfʌnd/ noun money paid back refund /ˈriːfʌnd/ verb to pay money back refurbish /ˌriːˈfɜːbɪʃ/ verb to make some-thing like new refusal /rɪˈfjuːzəl/ noun saying that you do not accept something refuse /ˌriːˈfjuːz/ verb to say that you will not do something I asked him to leave but he refused. refuse /ˌriːˈfjuːz/ noun rubbish and things which are not wanted refute /rɪˈfjuːt/ verb 1. to prove that something is wrong 2. to show that something is untrue regain /rɪˈgeɪn/ verb to get something back which was lost regal /ˈriːgəl/ adj referring to a king or queen regard /rɪˈgɑːd/ verb 1. to have an opin-ion about someone 2. to look at someone or something (for-mal) regard /rɪˈgɑːd/ noun 1. the extent to which you consider something or care about it

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2. an opinion of someone that shows how much you respect them regards /rɪˈgɑːdz/ plural noun best wishes Give/send my regards to your mother when you see her. regarding /rɪˈgɑːdɪŋ/ prep relating to, concerning regardless /rɪˈgɑːdlɪs/ adv without pay-ing any attention to regardless of inspite of regenerate /rɪˈʤɛnəreɪt/ verb to make something grow strong again reggae /ˈrɛgeɪ/ noun a type of West In-dian music regime /reɪˈʒiːm/ noun 1. a usually harsh type of government or admin-istration 2. the government of a country the former Communist regime regiment /ˈrɛʤɪmənt/ noun a group of sol-diers, usually commanded by a colonel or lieutenant-colonel regimented /ˈrɛʤɪməntɪd/ adj strictly organ-ised or kept under strict disci-pline region /ˈriːʤən/ noun a large area of a country regional /ˈriːʤənl/ adj relating to a re-gion register /ˈrɛʤɪstə/ noun 1. a

list of names 2. a book in which you sign your name. the electoral register register office /ˈrɛʤɪstər/ / ˈɒfɪs/ noun an office where records of births, mar-riages and deaths are kept and where you can be married in a civil ceremony registrar /ˌrɛʤɪsˈtrɑː/ noun 1. a person who keeps official records 2. a qualified doctor or surgeon in a hospital who supervises house doctors registration /ˌrɛʤɪsˈtreɪʃən/ noun the act of registering a car with the registration M148 VVH registration number / ˌrɛʤɪsˈtreɪʃən/ /ˈnʌmbə/ noun the official number of a car registry /ˈrɛʤɪstri/ noun a place where of-ficial records are kept registry office /ˈrɛʤɪstri/ / ˈɒfɪs/ noun an office where records of births, mar-riages and deaths are kept and where you can be married in a civil ceremony regress /ˈriːgrɛs/ verb to return to an earlier stage or condition regret /rɪˈgrɛt/ noun the feeling of be-ing sorry that 462

something has happened regrettable /rɪˈgrɛtəbl/ adj which must be regretted regular /ˈrɛgjʊlə/ adj 1. done at the same time each day regularly /ˈrɛgjʊləli/ adv on most occa-sions We arranged to meet on a regular basis. regulate /ˈrɛgjʊleɪt/ verb 1. to adjust a machine so that it works in a certain way 2. to maintain something by law regulation /ˌrɛgjʊˈleɪʃən/ plural noun regula-tions laws or rules controlling something rehab /ˈriːhæb/ noun the process of cur-ing someone of an addiction to drugs or alcohol rehabilitate /ˌriːəˈbɪlɪteɪt/ verb 1. to train a disabled person or an ex-pris-oner to lead a normal life and fit into society 2. to cure some-one of an addiction to drugs or alcohol a programme to rehabilitate young offenders rehash /ˌriːˈhæʃ/ verb to bring out an old story, book, idea, or other work in more or less the same form as before rehearsal /rɪˈhɜːsəl/ noun a

practice of a play or concert before the first public rehearse /rɪˈhɜːs/ verb to practise a play or a concert before a pub-lic performance rehouse /ˌriːˈhaʊs/ verb to move somebody to other, often better, housing reign /reɪn/ noun a period when a king, queen or emperor rules the reign of Henry VIII reimburse /ˌriːɪmˈbɜːs/ verb to pay some-one the money he or she has spent for a particular purpose reincarnation / ˌriːɪnkɑːˈneɪʃən/ noun 1. a per-son’s soul born again in anoth-er body or animal after death 2. reappearance of someone in another form reinforce /ˌriːɪnˈfɔːs/ verb to make stron-ger or more solid to reinforce a view/feeling reinforcement /ˌriːɪnˈfɔːsmənt/ noun the act of reinforcing reinstate /ˌriːɪnˈsteɪt/ verb to put someone back into a job from which he or she was dismissed reinvent /ˌriːɪnˈvɛnt/ verb to make some-thing popular again after it has been out of fashion for a time 463

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reiterate /riːˈɪtəreɪt/ verb to say again reject /ˈriːʤɛkt/ verb 1. to refuse to ac-cept something 2. to refuse to accept something because it is not satisfactory reject /ˈriːʤɛkt/ noun something which is not accepted because it is not satisfactory The United States government rejected the proposal. rejection /rɪˈʤɛkʃən/ noun a refusal to ac-cept rejoice /rɪˈʤɔɪs/ verb to be very happy rejoin /rɪˈʤɔɪn/ verb to join again (formal) rejuvenate /rɪˈʤuːvɪneɪt/ verb 1. to make someone young again 2. to give something new vigour and strength rekindle /ˌriːˈkɪndl/ verb to start again or to make something happen again relapse /rɪˈlæps/ noun (of patient or disease) becoming worse after seeming to be getting better relate /rɪˈleɪt/ verb 1. to have or make a connection with something else 2. to understand someone and be able to communicate with them 3.

to tell a story How do the two proposals relate? relate /rɪˈleɪt/ to phrasal verb 1. to be concerned with something 2. to be able to understand some-thing related to /rɪˈleɪtɪd/ /tuː/ adj 1. belonging to the same family 2. connected in some way relating to /rɪˈleɪtɪŋ/ /tuː/ adv relating to or connected with relation /rɪˈleɪʃən/ noun 1. a member of a family 2. a link between two things. the relation between smoking and lung cancer relations /rɪˈleɪʃənz/ plural noun the way that people or organizations behave towards each other relationship /rɪˈleɪʃənʃɪp/ noun 1. a close friendship, especially one in which two people are involved in a romantic or sexual way with each other 2. the way that people or organisations behave towards each other 3. a link or connection relative /ˈrɛlətɪv/ noun a person who is related to someone 464

a party for friends and relatives relative clause /ˈrɛlətɪv/ / klɔːz/ noun a sub-ordinate clause that provides additional information about person or thing and which is joined to the previous clause by words like ‘which’, ‘who’ or ‘that ‘ relatively /ˈrɛlətɪvli/ adv to some extent relative pronoun /ˈrɛlətɪv/ / ˈprəʊnaʊn/ noun a pronoun, such as ‘who’ or ‘which’, which connects two clauses relax /rɪˈlæks/ verb to rest from work or to be less tense relaxed /rɪˈlækst/ adj not upset or ner-vous relaxing /rɪˈlæksɪŋ/ adj which makes you less tense a relaxing bath relay 1 /riːˈleɪ/ noun a group of people working in turn with other groups relay 2 /riːˈleɪ/ verb 1. to pass on a mes-sage 2. to pass on a TV or radio broadcast through a secondary station release /rɪˈliːs/ verb 1. to stop holding something, or to stop keeping someone prisoner 2. to make something public

relegate /ˈrɛlɪgeɪt/ verb 1. (in sports) to move a team down from a higher division to a lower one 2. to put into a worse position relent /rɪˈlɛnt/ verb to be less strict; to decide to be less strict than before The security guard relented and let them through. relentless /rɪˈlɛntlɪs/ adj continuing without giving up relevance /ˈrɛlɪvəns/ noun the fact that something is relevant This point has no relevance to the discussion. relevant /ˈrɛlɪvənt/ adj if something is relevant, it has something to do with the thing being men-tioned reliable /rɪˈlaɪəbl/ adj which can be re-lied on or which can be trusted reliance /rɪˈlaɪəns/ noun the fact that someone relies on something reliant /rɪˈlaɪənt/ adj which relies on something relic /ˈrɛlɪk/ noun something which re-mains from the past relief /rɪˈliːf/ noun 1. the reduction of pain or stress

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2. help given to people who need it urgently relieve /rɪˈliːv/ verb 1. to make some-thing unpleasant better or eas-ier 2. to take over from some-one Breathing exercises can help to relieve stress. relieved /rɪˈliːvd/ adj glad to be rid of a problem religion /rɪˈlɪʤən/ noun a belief in gods or in one God religious /rɪˈlɪʤəs/ adj relating to religion religiously /rɪˈlɪʤəsli/ adv regularly and carefully relinquish /rɪˈlɪŋkwɪʃ/ verb to leave or to let go of something relish /ˈrɛlɪʃ/ noun 1. spicy pickles or spicy sauce 2. enjoyment. relish /ˈrɛlɪʃ/ verb to enjoy relive /riːˈlɪv/ verb to go through something again, especially in your mind relocate /ˌriːləʊˈkeɪt/ verb to move an of-fice, factory or staff to a differ-ent place The company relocated to Tokyo. reluctant /rɪˈlʌktənt/ adj not willing to do something reluctantly /rɪˈlʌktəntli/ adv

not willingly rely /rɪˈlaɪ/ verb rely on phrasal verb to believe or know that some-thing will happen or that some-one will do something remain /rɪˈmeɪn/ verb 1. to stay 2. to be left Only a few hundred of these animals remain today. remainder /rɪˈmeɪndə/ noun what is left af-ter everything else has gone remaining /rɪˈmeɪnɪŋ/ adj which is left remains /rɪˈmeɪnz/ plural noun 1. things left over or left behind 2. the body of a dead person remake /ˌriːˈmeɪk/ noun new film with the same story as an old film remand /rɪˈmɑːnd/ noun sending a pris-oner away for a time when a case is adjourned to be heard at a later date remand /rɪˈmɑːnd/ verb 1. to send a pris-oner away to reappear later to answer a case which has been adjourned 2. to send a case back to a lower court remark /ˈrɪˈmɑːk/ noun a comment about 466

He made a remark about her clothes. remark /ˈrɪˈmɑːk/ verb to notice and comment on remarkable /rɪˈmɑːkəbl/ adj very unusual remarkably /rɪˈmɑːkəbli/ adv to an unusu-ally great degree, or in an un-usual way remarry /riːˈmæri/ verb to marry again His wife died in 1970 and he never remarried. remedial /rɪˈmiːdjəl/ adj which cures or which makes something better remedy /ˈrɛmɪdi/ noun a thing which may cure remember /rɪˈmɛmbə/ verb to bring back into your mind something which you have seen or heard before remembrance /rɪˈmɛmbrəns/ noun memory remind /ˈrɪmaɪnd/ verb to make someone remember something reminder /rɪˈmaɪndə/ noun 1. a thing which reminds you of something 2. a letter to remind a customer to do something reminisce /ˌrɛmɪˈnɪs/ verb to talk about memories of the

past We were just reminiscing about our school days. reminiscent /ˌrɛmɪˈnɪsnt/ adj which re-minds you of the past remission /rɪˈmɪʃən noun 1. a reduction of a prison sentence 2. a period when an illness is less severe remittance /rɪˈmɪtəns/ noun money which is sent remnant /ˈrɛmnənt/ noun a quantity or piece left over remonstrate /rɪˈmɒnstreɪt/ verb to reason with someone about some-thing they have done (formal) remorse /rɪˈmɔːs/ noun regret about something wrong which you have done remorseless /rɪˈmɔːslɪs/ adj 1. which can-not be stopped 2. cruel, show-ing no pity remote /rɪˈməʊt/ adj 1. far away from towns and places where there are lots of people 2. not very likely His voice sounded remote. remote control /rɪˈməʊt/ / kənˈtrəʊl/ noun a small piece of electronic equipment which you use for con-

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trolling something such as a television or Compact Disc (CD) player from a distance

a remote control

remotely /rɪˈməʊtli/ adv 1. very slightly, or not even very slightly 2. at a great distance from a town 3. without direct physical con-tact removable /rɪˈmuːvəbl/ adj designed so as to be easily taken off and put back on again removal /rɪˈmuːvəl/ noun 1. taking some-thing or someone away 2. the process of moving to a new home, new office, etc. remove /rɪˈmuːv/ verb to take something away An operation was needed to remove the bullets from his chest. remover /rɪˈmuːvə/ noun 1. a person who moves furniture from one house to another 2. a thing which removes remuneration /rɪˌmjuːnəˈreɪʃən/ noun payment

for services done renaissance /rəˈneɪsəns/ noun a rebirth or a starting again rename /ˌriːˈneɪm/ verb to give something a new name render /ˈrɛndə/ verb 1. to translate 2. to provide 3. to make someone or something change into a par-ticular state The trees rendered the road as dark as a tunnel. rendezvous /ˈrɒndɪvuː/ noun (plural same) 1. an appointment or meeting 2. a place where a meeting takes place rendezvous /ˈrɒndɪvuː/ verb to arrange to meet, or meet somewhere rendition /rɛnˈdɪʃən/ noun a performance of a song, etc. renege / rɪˈneɪɡ/ verb not to do some-thing which you had promised to do (formal) renew /rɪˈnjuː/ verb 1. to start again 2. to replace something old with something new 3. to continue something for a further period of time renewable /rɪˈnjuːəbl/ adj which can be renewed a renewable energy source such as wind power

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renewed /rɪˈnjuːd/ adj continuing with new energy, strength or enthu-siasm renounce /rɪˈnaʊns/ verb 1. to give up a right or a claim 2. to state pub-licly that you are going to stop believing in something or are not going to behave in a certain way renovate /ˈrɛnəʊveɪt/ verb to make a build-ing like new again renowned /rɪˈnaʊnd/ adj known and ad-mired by many people rent /rɛnt/ noun money paid to live in a flat or house or to use an office or car He’ll be renting an apartment until he can find a house to buy. rent /rɛnt/ verb to pay money to use a house, flat, office or car rental /ˈrɛntl/ noun rent, money paid to use a room, flat, office, car, etc. rep /rɛp/ noun a salesman who visits clients, trying to sell them something repair /rɪˈpeə/ verb to make something work which is broken or dam-aged

repair /rɪˈpeə/ noun mending some-thing which is broken or has been damaged I must get my bike repaired. repatriate /riːˈpætrɪeɪt/ verb to bring or to send someone back to their home country repay /rɪˈpeɪ/ verb 1. to pay back 2. to be worth repayment /riːˈpeɪmənt/ noun paying back repeal /rɪˈpiːl/ verb to end a law officially repeat /rɪˈpiːt/ verb to say something again repeated /rɪˈpiːtɪd/ adj happening again and again He has refused repeated requests to be interviewed. repeatedly /rɪˈpiːtɪdli/ adv very many times, often so many that it is annoying repel /rɪˈpɛl/ verb 1. to drive back an attack 2. to drive something away 3. to be so unpleasant that it drives people away repent /ˈriːpənt/ verb to be very sorry for what you have done, or for what you have not done repercussions /ˌriːpɜːˈkʌʃənz/ plural noun a result or effect, usually un-pleasant 469

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repertoire /ˈrɛpətwɑː/ noun the plays, songs or pieces of music which someone has learned repetition /ˌrɛpɪˈtɪʃən/ noun 1. the act of repeating, of saying the same thing again 2. a thing which is repeated We don’t want a repetition of last year’s disaster. repetitive /rɪˈpɛtɪtɪv/ adj which is repeated very frequently and is boring rephrase /ˌriːˈfreɪz/ verb to say some-thing again, but in a different way replace /rɪˈpleɪs/ verb to put something back where it was before replacement /rɪˈpleɪsmənt/ noun 1. a thing which is used to replace some-thing 2. the action of It’s not going to be easy to find a replacement for you. replacing /rɪˈpleɪsɪŋ/ something with something else replay /ˌriːˈpleɪ/ noun a match which is played again because the first match was a draw replay /ˌriːˈpleɪ/ verb to play again replenish /rɪˈplɛnɪʃ/ verb to

fill up again replica /ˈrɛplɪkə/ noun an exact copy a replica of the White House replicate /ˈrɛplɪkeɪt/ verb to do or make something in exactly the same way as before reply /rɪˈplaɪ/ noun an answer, especially to a letter or telephone call reply /rɪˈplaɪ/ verb to answer report /rɪˈpɔːt/ noun a description of what has happened or what will happen an annual report on the economy report /rɪˈpɔːt/ verb to present oneself officially reportedly /rɪˈpɔːtɪdli/ adv according to what has been reported reporter /rɪˈpɔːtə/ noun a journalist who writes reports of events for a newspaper or for a television news programme reporting /rɪˈpɔːtɪŋ/ noun the action of reporting something in the press repose /rɪˈpəʊz/ noun calm, resting repossess /ˌriːpəˈzɛs/ verb to take back an item which 470

someone is buying under a hire-purchase agreement, or a house which someone is buying under a mortgage agreement, because the purchaser cannot continue the payments reprehensible /ˌrɛprɪˈhɛnsəbl/ adj which can be criticised represent /ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnt/ verb 1. to speak or act on behalf of someone or of a group of people 2. to mean something, or to be a symbol of something In practice the figure represents a 10% pay cut. representation / ˌrɛprɪzɛnˈteɪʃən/ noun 1. the act of selling goods for a company 2. having someone to act on your behalf 3. a way of show-ing representative /ˌrɛprɪˈzɛntətɪv/ adj typical of all the people or things in a group repress /rɪˈprɛs/ verb 1. to control a natural impulse 2. to restrict people’s freedom, etc.

Brigitta repressed a sudden desire to cry. repressed /rɪˈprɛst/ adj repressive adj severe, strict or using force to keep people

under control reprieve /rɪˈpriːv/ noun 1. temporarily stopping a sentence or order by a court 2. saving something which was planned for demoli-tion reprimand /ˈrɛprɪmɑːnd/ verb to criticise someone severely for doing something wrong reprint 1 /ˌriːˈprɪnt/ noun the printing of copies of a book again after a first printing reprint 2 /ˌriːˈprɪnt/ verb to print more copies of a document or book reprisal /rɪˈpraɪzəl/ noun punishment of someone in revenge for some-thing The attack was in reprisal for police raids. reproach /rɪˈprəʊʧ/ noun 1. a statement of blame or a criticism 2. a thing which is a disgrace reprocess /ˌriːˈprəʊsɛs/ verb to process again reproduce /ˌriːˈprəʊsɛs/ verb 1. to make a copy of something such as artistic material or musical sounds 2. to produce babies or young animals The diagram is reproduced

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by permission of the original author. reproduction /ˌriːprəˈdʌkʃən/ noun 1. a copy of a painting or other work of art 2. the action of reproducing 3. the production of young reptile /ˈrɛptaɪl/ noun a cold-blooded animal which has skin covered with scales and which lays eggs a reptile

republic /rɪˈpʌblɪk/ noun a system of gov-ernment in which elected rep-resentatives have power and the leader is an elected or nom-inated president republican /rɪˈpʌblɪkən/ noun a person who believes that a republic is the best form of government a republican government repudiate /rɪˈpjuːdɪeɪt/ verb to reject or to refuse to accept repugnant /rɪˈpʌgnənt/ adj

very unpleas-ant, offensive or unacceptable repulse /rɪˈpʌls/ verb to push back someone who is attacking repulsion /rɪˈpʌlʃən/ noun 1. a feeling of dislike. 2. (in physics) the act of pushing something away repulsive /rɪˈpʌlsɪv/ adj unpleasant, which makes you disgusted reputable /ˈrɛpjʊtəbl/ adj well thought of, with a good reputation a reputable organization reputation /ˌrɛpju(ː)ˈteɪʃən/ noun an opinion that people have of someone repute /rɪˈpjuːt/ noun a reputation or general opinion reputed /rɪˈpjuːtɪd/ adj supposed, said to be request /rɪˈkwɛst/ noun asking for something require /rɪˈkwaɪə/ verb to need some-thing Training to be a doctor requires a lot of hard work. required /rɪˈkwaɪəd/ adj which must be done or provided requirement /rɪˈkwaɪəmənt/ noun what is nec-essary 472

requisite /ˈrɛkwɪzɪt/ adj necessary re-release /riː/-/rɪˈliːs/ verb to make a mu-sic recording or a film available again sometime after it first came out re-route /riː/-/ruːt/ verb to send people or vehicles along a route which is different from the usual one rerun /ˌriːˈrʌn/ noun 1. the second show-ing of a programme or film on television 2. a thing which hap-pens again resale /ˈriːseɪl/ noun the act of selling of something again reschedule /ˌriːˈʃɛdjuːl/ verb to arrange an appointment again for a later time rescue /ˈrɛskjuː/ verb to save someone from a dangerous or difficult situation Fifty passengers had to be rescued from a sinking ship. rescuer /ˈrɛskjʊə/ noun a person who saves someone from a danger-ous or difficult situation research /rɪˈsɜːʧ/ noun scientific study, which tries to find out facts resemblance /rɪˈzɛmbləns/ noun the fact of looking like

someone resemble /rɪˈzɛmbl/ verb to look like someone or something She resembles her father. resent /rɪˈzɛnt/ verb to feel annoyed because of something that you think is unfair resentful /rɪˈzɛntfʊl/ adj feeling anger or bitterness about something someone has done resentment /rɪˈzɛntmənt/ noun the feeling of being angry and upset about something that someone else has done reservation /ˌrɛzəˈveɪʃən/ noun the act of booking something reserve /rɪˈzɜːv/ verb to book a seat or a table I’d like to reserve two seats on the 9:15 to Birmingham. reserved /rɪˈzɜːvd/ adj 1. booked 2. one who does not reveal his or her thoughts and feelings reservoir /ˈrɛzəvwɑː/ noun a large, usually artificial, lake where drinking water is kept for pumping to a city reset /ˌriːˈsɛt/ verb to set something again

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resettle /ˌriːˈsɛtl/ verb to settle someone in another place reshape /ˌriːˈʃeɪp/ verb to shape something again, to give something a different shape reside /rɪˈzaɪd/ verb to live somewhere residence noun 1. a large house 2. the act of living in a place My sister currently resides in Seattle. residency /ˈrɛzɪdənsi/ noun the fact of be-ing legally entitled to love in a country resident /ˈrɛzɪdənt/ noun a person who lives in a place, e.g. a country or a hotel residual /rɪˈzɪdjʊəl/ adj remaining after everything else has gone residue /ˈrɛzɪdjuː/ noun what is left after a process has taken place resign /rɪˈzaɪn/ verb to give up a job She resigned as headteacher. resignation /ˌrɛzɪgˈneɪʃən/ noun 1. the act of giving up a job 2. the attitude of accepting an unpleasant or unwanted situation resigned /rɪˈzaɪnd/ adj ac-

cepting some-thing unpleasant resilient /rɪˈzɪlɪənt/ adj 1. which easily returns to its original shape after being squashed 2. (of a person) who is strong or able to recover easily from a shock (person) resin /ˈrɛzɪn/ noun 1. a sticky oil which comes from some types of pine tree 2. a solid or liquid organic compound, a polymer used in the making of plastic resist /rɪˈzɪst/ verb to oppose or fight against something I can’t resist chocolate. resistance /rɪˈzɪstəns/ noun opposition to or fighting against something resistant /rɪˈzɪstənt/ adj which resists something resit /ˌriːˈsɪt/ verb to take an examina-tion again after having failed resolute /ˈrɛzəluːt/ adj determined, hav-ing made up your mind a resolute opponent of the war resolution /ˌrɛzəˈluːʃən/ noun 1. a decision to be decided at a meeting 2. the fact

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of being determined to do something 3. clearness of a picture on a screen, calculated as the number of pixels per unit of area resolve /rɪˈzɒlv/ verb to strongly decide to do something resort /rɪˈzɔːt/ noun a place where people go on holiday resounding /rɪˈzaʊndɪŋ/ adj 1. great or complete 2. loud resource /rɪˈsɔːs/ noun a source of supply for what is needed or used natural resources resourceful /rɪˈsɔːsfʊl/ adj good at look-ing after yourself or at dealing with problems respect /rɪsˈpɛkt/ noun admiration for someone respectable /rɪsˈpɛktəbl/ adj considered by people to be good, and deserv-ing to be respected respected /rɪsˈpɛktɪd/ adj admired by many people respectful /rɪsˈpɛktfʊl/ adj full of respect respective /rɪsˈpɛktɪv/ adj referring sepa-rately to each of the people just mentioned members of staff and their respective partners

respectively /rɪsˈpɛktɪvli/ adv in the order just mentioned respirator /ˈrɛspəreɪtə/ noun a machine which is used in hospitals to help patients to breathe when they cannot breathe by them-selves

a respirator

respiratory /rɪsˈpaɪərətəri/ adj referring to breathing respite /ˈrɛspaɪt/ noun a rest, a period when things are slightly better respond /rɪsˈpɒnd/ verb 1. to give a reply 2. to show a favourable reac-tion to something response /rɪsˈpɒns/ noun something that you do or say as a reaction to something I’m writing in response to your letter of 14 February. responsibility /rɪsˌpɒnsəˈbɪlɪti/ noun 1. the fact of being in a position in which you look after or deal with something

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2. something that someone is responsible for responsible /rɪsˈpɒnsəbl/ adj 1. looking af-ter something and so likely to be blamed if something goes wrong 2. (of a person) reliable and able to be trusted to be sensible responsibly /rɪsˈpɒnsəbli/ adv in a respon-sible way responsive /rɪsˈpɒnsɪv/ adj 1. showing sympathy or reacting favour-ably to something 2. reacting to something a wonderfully responsive audience rest /rɛst/ noun 1. a period of be-ing quiet and peaceful, being asleep or doing nothing 2. what is left restaurant /ˈrɛstrɒnt/ noun a place where you can buy and eat a meal rested /ˈrɛstɪd/ adj feeling calm and re-laxed after a rest restful /ˈrɛstfʊl/ adj which makes you feel calm and relaxed restless /ˈrɛstlɪs/ adj too nervous, wor-ried or full of energy to keep still The audience was getting

restless. restore /rɪsˈtɔː/ verb to repair some-thing and make it seem new again restrain /rɪsˈtreɪn/ verb to prevent or try to stop someone doing some-thing restrained /rɪsˈtreɪnd/ adj controlled or calm restraint /rɪsˈtreɪnt/ noun control restrict /rɪsˈtrɪkt/ verb to limit someone or something restricted /rɪsˈtrɪktɪd/ adj limited restriction /rɪsˈtrɪkʃən/ noun a limitation There are restrictions on how many goods you can bring into the country. restrictive /rɪsˈtrɪktɪv/ adj which limits restructure /ˌriːˈstrʌkʧə/ verb to reorganise something, especially the fi-nancial basis of a company result /rɪˈzʌlt/ noun 1. something which happens because of something else 2. the final score in a game, the final marks in an exam, etc. resume /rɪˈzjuːm/ verb 1. to start some-thing again after 476

stopping 2. to go back to a place The talks are due to resume today. résumé /rɪˈzjuːm/ noun 1. a short sum-ming-up of the main points of a discussion or of a book 2. a summary of a person’s life story with details of education and work experience resumption /rɪˈzʌmpʃən/ noun the act of starting again resurface /ˌriːˈsɜːfɪs/ verb 1. to put a new surface on a road 2. to come back to the surface again or ap-pear again resurrect /ˌrɛzəˈrɛkt/ verb 1. to bring something back to use 2. to start something up again With this film Dykes hopes to resurrect his career. resuscitate /rɪˈsʌsɪteɪt/ verb to make someone who appears to be dead start breathing again, and to restart the circulation of blood retail /ˈriːteɪl/ noun the business of sell-ing small quantities of goods direct to the public retailer /riːˈteɪlə/ noun a shopkeeper who sells goods directly to the public.

retailing /riːˈteɪlɪŋ/ noun the business of selling goods at full price to the public retain /rɪˈteɪn/ verb to keep something The council will retain control of the school. retaliate /rɪˈtælɪeɪt/ verb to attack someone retention /rɪˈtɛnʃən/ noun 1. the act of keeping something 2. the act of holding something back rethink /riːˈθɪŋk/ verb to think again about or reconsider something reticent /ˈrɛtɪsənt/ adj not willing to talk about something retina /ˈrɛtɪnə/ noun an inside layer of the eye, which is sensitive to light retinue /ˈrɛtɪnjuː/ noun a group of people following an important person retire /rɪˈtaɪə/ verb 1. to stop work and take a pension 2. to make an employee stop work and take a pension She retired from the company in 1990. retired /rɪˈtaɪəd/ adj one who has stopped work and draws a pen-sion

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retirement /rɪˈtaɪəmənt/ noun 1. the act of retiring from work 2. a period of life when you are retired retiring /rɪˈtaɪərɪŋ/ adj shy, quiet and re-served retort /rɪˈtɔːt/ verb to reply sharply (lit-erary) retract /rɪˈtrækt/ verb 1. to pull back 2. to withdraw something which has been said Several key witnesses have retracted their statements/ claims/allegations. retreat /rɪˈtriːt/ if soldiers retreat, they stop fighting and move back and away from the battle retrial /ˌriːˈtraɪəl/ noun a second trial of a case when the first trial was not conducted properly or no ver-dict was reached retribution /ˌrɛtrɪˈbjuːʃən/ noun a well-de-served punishment retrieve /rɪˈtriːv/ verb 1. to get back something which was lost 2. to bring back something which has been stored in a computer I’ve just retrieved the ball from the bottom of the pond. retrospect /ˈrɛtrəʊspɛkt/ noun when you look back

retrospective /ˌrɛtrəʊˈspɛktɪv/ noun an exhibi-tion of works of art covering the whole career of an artist retry /ˌriːˈtraɪ/ verb to have a retrial of a case which has already been tried once return /rɪˈtɜːn/ noun 1. the act of going or coming back to a place 2. the key on a keyboard which you press when you have finished keying something, reunification /ˌriːˌjuːnɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ noun the act of joining again something which has been split the reunification of Germany reunion /riːˈjuːnjən/ noun a meeting of people who have not met for a long time reunite /ˌriːjuːˈnaɪt/ verb to join people or things together again reuse /riːˈjuːz/ verb to use again some-thing which has already been used revamp1 /ˌriːˈvæmp/ verb to improve the appearance of something which is slightly old-fashioned revamp2 /ˌriːˈvæmp/ noun a complete change of the appearance of something

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reveal /rɪˈviːl/ verb to show or mention something which was hidden It was revealed in this morning’s papers that the couple intend to marry. revealing /rɪˈviːlɪŋ/ adj which shows something which is usually hidden revelation /ˌrɛvɪˈleɪʃən/ noun 1. the act of showing or mentioning some-thing which was secret 2. some-thing which was a secret which now everyone knows reveller /ˈrɛvlə/ noun a person who is having a good time revenge /rɪˈvɛnʤ/ noun the act of pun-ishing someone in return for harm he or she has caused you revenue /ˈrɛvɪnjuː/ noun 1. money which is received 2. money received by a government a tax reverberate /rɪˈvɜːbəreɪt/ verb echo or to ring out loudly and repeatedly The sound of the shots reverberated around the building. revere /rɪˈvɪə/ verb to worship some-one or to respect someone very highly reverence /ˈrəvərəns/ noun

great respect reverie /ˈrɛvəri/ noun a dream which you have during the day when you are not asleep reversal /rɪˈvɜːsəl/ noun a change to the opposite reverse /rɪˈvɜːs/ adj opposite to the front I hate reversing into parking spaces. reverse /rɪˈvɜːs/ noun 1. the opposite side 2. a car gear which makes you go backwards. reversible /rɪˈvɜːsəbl/ adj which can be worn with either side out reversing /rɪˈvɜːsɪŋ/ light noun a light on the back of a car which lights up when the car is put into re-verse gear revert /rɪˈvɜːt/ verb to go back or come back to an earlier state For a while I ate low-fat food but then I reverted to my old eating habits. review /rɪˈvjuː/ noun 1. written com-ments on something, e.g. a book, play or film, published in a newspaper or magazine 2. a monthly or weekly magazine which contains articles of gen-eral 479

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

interest 3. an examination of several things together. reviewer /rɪˈvju(ː)ə/ noun a person who writes comments on some-thing, e.g. books, plays or films revile /rɪˈvaɪl/ verb to criticise someone or something harshly revise /rɪˈvaɪz/ verb 1. to study a lesson again 2. to change something or make something correct a revised edition of the book revision /rɪˈvɪʒən/ noun the action of re-vising something revival /rɪˈvaɪvəl/ noun the act of bringing something back into existence revive /rɪˈvaɪv/ verb 1. to recover, to get well again 2. to bring someone back to life again 3. to make something popular again revoke /rɪˈvəʊk/ verb to cancel some-thing, e.g. a right, agreement or permission His work permit was revoked after six months. revolt /rɪˈvəʊlt/ verb 1. to rise up against authority 2. to disgust some-one revolting /rɪˈvəʊltɪŋ/ adj

extremely un-pleasant, often so unpleasant as to make you feel ill revolution /ˌrɛvəˈluːʃən/ noun 1. an armed rising against a government 2. a change in the way things are done the French Revolution revolutionary /ˌrɛvəˈluːʃnəri/ noun a person who takes part in an uprising against a government revolve /rɪˈvɒlv/ verb to turn round a fixed point revolver /rɪˈvɒlvə/ noun a small hand gun in which the chamber for cartridges turns after each shot is fired, so that another shot can be fired quickly

a revolver

revulsion /rɪˈvʌlʃən/ noun disgust reward /rɪˈwɔːd/ noun money given to someone for work done or as a prize 480

for finding something, or for information about some-thing There’ll be a reward for whoever finishes first. rewarding /rɪˈwɔːdɪŋ/ adj which gives sat-isfaction rewind /riːˈwaɪnd/ noun the action of winding something back rework /ˌriːˈwɜːk/ verb to work on some-thing again rewrite /ˌriːˈraɪt/ verb to write some-thing again in different words I had to rewrite my essay. rhetoric /ˈrɛtərɪk/ noun the art of speak-ing in a way which is intended to make people change their minds rhetorical /rɪˈtɒrɪkəl/ question noun a question which makes a state-ment, rather than expecting an answer rheumatism /ˈruːmətɪzm/ noun a disease which gives painful or stiff joints or muscles rhododendron /ˌrəʊdəˈdɛndrən/ noun a large evergreen shrub with clusters of huge pink, red or purple flowers rhombus /ˈrɒmbəs/ noun a shape with four equal sides but with no right angles

rhubarb /ˈruːbɑːb/ noun a plant of which the thick red leaf stalks are cooked and eaten as a dessert rhyme /raɪm/ noun the way in which some words end in the same sound ‘Moon’ rhymes with ‘June’. rhythm /ˈrɪðəm/ noun a strong regular beat in music or poetry rib /rɪb/ noun one of 24 curved bones which protect your chest ribbed /rɪbd/ adj with a pattern of raised lines (of knitting) ribbon /ˈrɪbən/ noun a long thin strip of material for tying things or used as decoration rice /raɪs/ noun the seeds of a tropi-cal plant which are cooked and eaten rich /rɪʧ/ adj 1. who has a lot of money 2. made with a lot of cream, butter, or eggs These cars are only for the rich. riches /ˈrɪʧɪz/ plural noun wealth rickety /ˈrɪkɪti/ adj wobbly, likely to fall down ricochet /ˈrɪkəʃeɪ/ verb to 481

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bounce off a surface at an angle rid /rɪd/ adj to get rid of something to throw something away ridden /ˈrɪdn/ past participle of ride riddle /ˈrɪdl/ noun a puzzling ques-tion to which you have to find the answer Scientists may have solved the riddle of Saturn’s rings. ride /raɪd/ noun a pleasant trip, e.g. on a horse or a bike or in a car. rider /ˈraɪdə/ noun a person who rides ridge /rɪʤ/ noun a long narrow raised part ridicule /ˈrɪdɪkjuːl/ noun mocking, laugh-ing at someone ridiculous /rɪˈdɪkjʊləs/ adj extremely silly or unreasonable riding /ˈraɪdɪŋ/ noun the sport of going on horseback rife /raɪf/ adj common Rumours were rife that the band would split up. rifle /ˈraɪfl/ noun a gun with a long barrel which you hold with two hands, against your shoulder

a rifle

rift /rɪft/ noun a split or crack rig /rɪg/ verb to arrange a dishonest result (informal) rig /rɪg/ up phrasal verb to arrange something or construct some-thing quickly rigging /ˈrɪgɪŋ/ noun 1. the ropes on a ship 2. the practice of arrang-ing a vote to give a dishonest result right /raɪt/ adj 1. correct 2. exactly 3. towards the right hand side He only got half the answers right. right-handed /raɪt/-/ˈhændɪd/ adj using the right hand more often than the left for things like writing and eating right-hand /raɪt/-/hænd/ man noun the main assistant right-wing /raɪt/-/wɪŋ/ adj belonging or relating to the conservative po-litical parties rigid /ˈrɪʤɪd/ adj stiff and not bending much 482

I found the rules a little too rigid. rigmarole /ˈrɪgmərəʊl/ noun a process which is unnecessarily compli-cated rigorous /ˈrɪgərəs/ adj very thorough rigour /ˈrɪgə/ noun the fact of being strict or severe rile /raɪl/ verb to make someone an-gry or annoyed rim /rɪm/ noun 1. the edge of some-thing round, like a wheel or a cup 2. a frame of spectacles rind /raɪnd/ noun a skin on fruit, ba-con or cheese ring /rɪŋ/ noun 1. a round shape, e.g. of metal 2. a circle of people or things 3. the noise of an elec-tric bell 4. a space where a cir-cus show takes place or where a boxing match is held. a gold ring a ring

ring back /rɪŋ/ /bæk/ phrasal verb to tele-phone to answer someone (in-formal)

ring off /rɪŋ/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb to put down the phone ring up /rɪŋ/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to speak to someone using a telephone ringleader /ˈrɪŋˌliːdə/ noun a person who organises a revolt or some crime ring road /rɪŋ/ /rəʊd/ noun a road which goes right round a town rink /rɪŋk/ noun a large enclosed area, e.g. for ice skating, playing ice hockey or roller skating a roller skating rink rinse /rɪns/ verb to put things cov-ered with soap or dirty things into clean water to remove the soap or the dirt riot /ˈraɪət/ noun noisy and usually violent behaviour by a crowd of people rioter /ˈraɪətə/ noun a person who takes part in a riot riotous /ˈraɪətəs/ adj disorderly, as in a riot rip /rɪp/ noun a tear in cloth rip /rɪp/ verb to go through something violently ripe /raɪp/ adj ready to eat or to be picked ripen /ˈraɪpən/ verb to become 483

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

ripe rip-off /rɪp/-/ɒf/ noun a bad deal (informal) ripple /ˈrɪpl/ noun a little wave rise /raɪz/ noun a movement or slope risk /rɪsk/ noun a possible bad result People in the Northeast face the highest risk of being burgled. risky /ˈrɪski/ adj which is dangerous risqué /ˈrɪskeɪ/ adj slightly indecent rite /raɪt/ noun a religious ceremony ritual /ˈrɪʧʊəl/ noun 1. a religious cer-emony 2. Something which is done regularly in the same way rival /ˈraɪvəl/ adj one who competes rivalry /ˈraɪvəlri/ noun competition river /ˈrɪvə/ noun a large mass of fresh water which runs across the land and goes into the sea or into a large lake rivet /ˈrɪvɪt/ noun a large metal pin which fastens metal plates to-gether rivet /ˈrɪvɪt/ verb to attract

the atten-tion of someone riveting /ˈrɪvɪtɪŋ/ adj which holds every-one’s attention (informal) road /rəʊd/ noun a hard surface which vehicles travel on a road accident roadblock /rəʊd/ /blɒk/ noun a barrier put across a road by the police road map /rəʊd/ /mæp/ noun a map which shows the roads in a certain area road rage /rəʊd/ /reɪʤ/ noun a violent at-tack by a driver on another car or its driver, caused by anger at the way the other driver has been driving roadside /ˈrəʊdsaɪd/ noun the side of a road They found an injured cat lying by the roadside. roadway /ˈrəʊdweɪ/ noun a main surface of a road roadworks /ˈrəʊdˌwɜːks/ plural noun repairs to a road roadworthy / ˈrəʊdˌwɜː.ði / adj in a fit state to be driven on a road roam /rəʊm/ verb to wander about a place without any particular destination roar v /rɔː/ erb to make a deep 484

loud noise roast /rəʊst/ verb to cook food over a fire or in an oven rob /rɒb/ verb to attack and steal from someone robber /ˈrɒbə/ noun a person who at-tacks and steals from someone robbery /ˈrɒbə/ noun the act of attack-ing and stealing someone a bank robbery robe /rəʊb/ noun a long, loose dress for men or women robin /ˈrɒbɪn/ noun a common small brown bird with a red breast robot /ˈrəʊbɒt/ noun a machine which is designed to work automatically like a person robust /rəʊˈbʌst/ adj 1. strong and healthy 2. not likely to fail or break 3. vigorous and determined rock /rɒk/ noun 1. a large stone or a large piece of stone 2. a hard pink sweet shaped like a stick, often with the name of a town printed in it, bought mainly by tourists 3. rock music loud popular music with a strong rhythm

a layer of volcanic rock rock /rɒk/ verb to move from side to side, or to make something move from side to side

rocks

rock bottom /rɒk/ /ˈbɒtəm/ noun the lowest point rocket /ˈrɒkɪt/ noun 1. a type of space vehicle that looks like a tall tower 2. a type of firework which flies up into the sky 3. a type of bomb which is shot through space at an enemy rocking chair /ˈrɒkɪŋ/ /ʧeə/ noun a chair which rocks backwards and forwards on rockers rock music /rɒk/ /ˈmjuːzɪk/ noun loud popular music with a strong rhythm rocky /ˈrɒki/ adj 1. full of rocks and large stones 2. difficult 3. not steady a rocky beach rod /rɒd/ noun a long stick 485

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

rode /rəʊd/ past tense of ride rodent /ˈrəʊdənt/ noun an animal which chews and gnaws, such as a mouse or a rat rodeo /rəʊˈdeɪəʊ/ noun a display of skill by cowboys roe /rəʊ/ noun the eggs of fish rogue /rəʊg/ noun a wicked or dishonest person a rogue state role /rəʊl/ noun 1. a part played by someone in a play or film 2. a part played by someone in real life role model /rəʊl/ /ˈmɒdl/ noun a person who should be taken as an example which others can copy role play /rəʊl/ /pleɪ/ noun an activity in which people each play the part of another person, as part of a training exercise roll /rəʊl/ noun 1. a tube of some-thing which has been turned over and over on itself 2. a very small loaf of bread for one per-son, sometimes cut in half and used to make a sandwich roll /rəʊl/ verb 1. to make some-thing go forward by turning it over and over 2.

to go for-ward by turning over and over 3. to make something move on wheels or rollers 4. to turn something flat over and over so that it forms a cylinder.

She rolled over onto her side. roll up /rəʊl/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to turn something flat over and over until it is a tube 2. to arrive rollcall /ˈrəʊlkɔːl/ noun the act of reading a list of names roller /ˈrəʊlə/ noun 1. a heavy round object which rolls, e.g. one used for making lawns or crick-et pitches flat rollerblades /ˈrəʊləˌbleɪdz/ trademark roll-er skates with a single set of wheels placed in line on the sole of each skate rollerblading /ˈrəʊləˌbleɪdɪŋ/ noun the sport of going on rollerblades roller coaster /ˈrəʊlə/ / ˈkəʊstə/ noun 1. a fairground railway which goes up and down steep slopes 2. a dan-gerous or risky series of events that cannot be controlled rolling pin /ˈrəʊlɪŋ/ /pɪn/ noun a wooden roller with 486

handles, for flatten-ing pastry Roman /ˈrəʊmən/ noun 1. a person who lives or lived in Rome 2. a print-ing type with straight letters Roman Catholic /ˈrəʊmən/ /ˈkæθəlɪk/ noun a per-son who belongs to the Chris-tian Church of which the Pope is the head romance /rəʊˈmæns/ noun 1. a love affair 2. a love story They got married last September after a whirlwind romance.

Roman numeral /ˈrəʊmən/ / ˈnjuːmərəl/ noun a num-ber belonging to the set written with the symbols I,V, X, C, D and M. romantic /rɛʊˈmæntɪk/ adj 1. full of mystery and love 2. used to describe something, often a literary or ar-tistic style, which is based on per-sonal emotions or imagination Romany /ˈrɒməni/ noun a member of a people originally from India, who travel from place to place rather than live in a permanent home romp /rɒmp/ verb to play about ener-getically

The children were romping around in the garden. roof /ruːf/ noun 1. a part of a building which covers it and protects it 2. the top of the inside of the mouth 3. the top of a vehicle, e.g. a car, bus or lorry roofing /ˈruːfɪŋ/ noun material which is used to make roofs roof rack /ruːf/ /ræk/ noun a frame fixed to the roof of a car for carrying luggage He climbed onto the roof. rooftop /ˈruːfˌtɒp/ noun the top of a roof rook /rʊk/ noun 1. a large black bird 2. (in chess) one of two pieces used in chess, shaped like a lit-tle castle tower rookie /ˈrʊki/ noun a new recruit in the armed forces or in the po-lice (informal) room /ruːm/ noun 1. a part of a build-ing, divided from other parts by walls 2. a bedroom in a hotel 3. a space for something room-mate /ˈruːmmeɪt/ noun a person who shares a room with you, espe-cially at college room service /ruːm/ /ˈsɜːvɪs/

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noun an arrange-ment in a hotel where food or drink can be served in a guest’s bedroom roomy /ˈruːmi/ adj with plenty of space inside root /ruːt/ noun 1. a part of a plant which goes down into the ground, and which takes nour-ishment from the soil 2. the part of a hair or a tooth which goes down into the skin the root of all evil

root

rope /rəʊp/ noun a very thick cord rosary /ˈrəʊzəri/ noun a string of beads which Catholics use to count out a set of prayers rose /rəʊz/ noun a common garden flower with a strong pleasant smell He gave me a bunch of red roses.

rosé /rəʊz/ noun a pink wine which gets its colour from the black grape skins being left only for a short time in the fermenting mixture rosemary /ˈrəʊzməri/ noun a bush herb with spiky green leaves, used in cooking rosette /rəʊˈzɛt/ noun a ribbon bunched to look like a flower, used as a decoration or as a badge roster /ˈrəʊstə/ noun a list of duties which have to be done and the people who have to do them rostrum /ˈrɒstrəm/ noun a raised stand for a speaker rostrum /ˈrɒstrəm/ adj 1. bright pink and healthy 2. very favourable rot /rɒt/ verb to decay rota /ˈrəʊtə/ noun a roster, a list of duties which have to be done and the people who have to do them rotary /ˈrəʊtəri/ adj which turns round rotate /rəʊˈteɪt/ verb to turn round or turn something round an axis like a wheel The television rotates for viewing at any angle. rotation /rəʊˈteɪʃən/ noun 1.

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movement around a central point 2. the act of taking turns rote /rəʊt/ noun learning by heart, of-ten without understanding it rotten /ˈrɒtn/ adj 1. decayed 2. un-pleasant rotten eggs rottweiler /ˈrɒtˌvaɪlə/ noun a large pow-erful dog with a black smooth coat with brown rough /rʌf/ adj 1. not smooth 2. not very accurate 3. not finished, or with no details 4. not gentle rough-and-tumble /rʌf/ noun a way of living that involves a lot of conflict roughen /ˈrʌfn/ verb to become rough, or make something become rough Years of housework had roughened her hands. roughly /ˈrʌfli/ adv 1. in a way that is not gentle enough 2. approxi-mately roughshod /ˈrʌfʃɒd/ adv to treat some-body with no justice or consid-eration, or disregard something completely roulette /ru(ː)ˈlɛt/ noun a

game of chance where bets are made on the numbers in boxes on a flat rotating wheel where a small ball will lodge when the wheel stops turning round /raʊnd/ adj 1. with a shape like a circle 2. with a shape like a sphere a round face round /raʊnd/ adv, prep 1. in a circular way or movement 2. towards the back 3. from one person to another 4. in various places round down /raʊnd/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb to decrease to the nearest full fig-ure round on /raʊnd/ /ɒn/ phrasal verb to start to criticise someone suddenly round up /raʊnd/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to gather people or animals to-gether 2. to increase to the nearest full figure roundabout /ˈraʊndəbaʊt/ noun 1. a place where several roads meet, and traffic has to move in a circle 2. (in a children’s playground) a heavy wheel which turns, and which children ride on in a park 3. (in a fairground) a large machine in a fairground 489

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which turns round and plays music, usually with horses to sit on which move up and down to go round a roundabout rounded /ˈraʊndɪd/ adj with a smooth or round shape roundly /ˈraʊndli/ adv strongly and clear-ly round-the-clock / ˈraʊndðəklɒk/ adj throughout the day and night round trip /raʊnd/ /trɪp/ noun a journey from one place to another and back again roundup /ˈraʊndʌp/ noun a summary a police round-up rouse /raʊz/ verb 1. to wake someone who is sleeping 2. to get some-one to rousing /ˈraʊzɪŋ/ adj loud and noisy rout /raʊt/ noun the complete defeat of an army or a team route /ruːt/ noun a way to be fol-lowed to get to a destination Crowds gathered all along the route to watch the race. routine /ruːˈtiːn/ noun the usual, regular way of doing things roving /ˈrəʊvɪŋ/ adj going

from place to place row /rəʊ/ noun a line of things, side by side or one after the other row /rəʊ/ noun (informal) 1. a seri-ous argument 2. a loud noise rowdy /ˈraʊdi/ adj involving people who are making a great deal of noise royal /ˈrɔɪəl/ adj relating to a king or queen the British royal family royal /ˈrɔɪəl/ blue noun a deep blue royalist /ˈrɔɪəlɪst/ noun a person sup-porting rule by a king or queen royalty /ˈrɔɪəlti/ noun 1. members of a king’s or queen’s family 2. money paid to the author of a book or an actor in a film as a percentage of sales rub /rʌb/ verb to move something across the surface of some-thing rub in /rʌb/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb to make an ointment or cream enter the skin by rubbing rub out /rʌb/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb to remove a pencil mark with a rubber

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rub up /rʌb/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to rub someone up the wrong way to annoy someone rubber /ˈrʌbə/ noun 1. a strong sub-stance that bends easily, made from the sap of a tropical tree 2. a piece of rubber used for re-moving pencil marks rubber band /ˈrʌbə/ /bænd/ noun same as elastic band rubbish /ˈrʌbɪʃ/ noun 1. waste, things which are no use and are thrown away 2. worthless non-sense rubble /ˈrʌbl/ noun small stones or broken bricks from damaged buildings, also used in making such things as paths a pile of rubble rubella /ruːˈbɛlə/ noun a usually mild disease which gives a red rash but which can affect an unborn child if caught by a pregnant woman ruby /ˈruːbi/ noun a red precious stone rucksack /ˈrʊksæk/ noun a large bag car-ried on the back when walking rude /ruːd/ adj not polite and likely to offend people

rudely /ˈruːdli/ adv in a rude way rudimentary /ˌruːdɪˈmɛntəri/ adj basic; not fully developed rudiments /ˈruːdɪmənts/ plural noun simple basic facts ruffle /ˈrʌfl/ verb to disturb feathers or water or someone’s hair He ruffled my hair and kissed me. rug /rʌg/ noun 1. a small carpet 2. a thick blanket, especially one used when travelling rugby /ˈrʌgbi/ noun a type of football played with an oval ball which is thrown as well as kicked rugged /ˈrʌgɪd/ adj 1. rough, rocky, un-even 2. tough and sturdy ruin /rʊɪn/ verb to spoil something completely It’s ruining his health living in that damp house. ruins /rʊɪnz/ plural noun remains of old or damaged buildings rule /ruːl/ noun a statement of the right things to do or the right way to behave rule /ruːl/ out phrasal verb to leave something out, not

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to consider something ruler /ˈruːlə/ noun 1. a person who governs 2. a long piece of wood or plastic with measurements marked on it, used for measur-ing and drawing straight lines ruling /ˈruːlɪŋ/ noun a legal decision made by a judge or other arbi-trator rum /rʌm/ noun an alcoholic drink made from the juice of sugar cane rumble /ˈrʌmbl/ verb to make a low rolling noise The smell of cooking made his stomach rumble. rumbling /ˈrʌmblɪŋ/ noun a low rolling noise ruminate /ˈruːmɪneɪt/ verb to think over a problem rummage /ˈrʌmɪʤ/ verb to search about for something rumour /ˈruːmə/ noun a story spread from one person to another but which may not be true I heard a rumour that you were leaving. rump /rʌmp/ noun the back part of an animal rumpled /ˈrʌmpld/ adj creased or untidy run /rʌn/ verb 1. to go

quickly on foot 2. (of buses, trains, etc.) to be operating 3. (of vehicles) to work 4. to direct or organise an organisation 5. to drive some-one by car 6. (of liquid) to flow, to move along smoothly. run across /rʌn/ /əˈkrɒs/ phrasal verb 1. to cross something quickly on foot 2. to find or to meet some-one by accident I ran across Jim in town the other day. run after /rʌn/ /ˈɑːftə/ phrasal verb to fol-low someone fast run away /rʌn/ /əˈweɪ/ phrasal verb to es-cape or to go away fast run down /rʌn/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb 1. to go down quickly on foot 2. (of clock, machine) to stop work-ing or go slower because of lack of power 3. to criticise someone 4. to reduce the quantity of something 5. to knock down with a vehicle run into /rʌn/ /ˈɪntuː/ phrasal verb 1. to go into a place fast 2. to go fast and hit something, usually in a vehicle 3. to amount to something 4. to find someone by chance 5. to flow run off /rʌn/ /ɒf/ phrasal 492

verb 1. to go away fast 2. to print using a machine He ran off with all my money. run off with /rʌn/ /ɒf/ /wɪð/ phrasal verb 1. to go away with someone 2. to steal something and go away run on /rʌn/ /ɒn/ phrasal verb 1. to con-tinue 2. to use something as a fuel run out /rʌn/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb to have nothing left of I’ve nearly run out of money. run over /rʌn/ /ˈəʊvə/ phrasal verb 1. to knock someone down by hit-ting them with a vehicle 2. to continue run through /rʌn/ /θruː/ phrasal verb 1. to read a list rapidly 2. to use up 3. to repeat run up /rʌn/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to go somewhere quickly on foot 2. to make debts go up quickly run up against /rʌn/ /ʌp/ / əˈgɛnst/ phrasal verb to find your way blocked by something runaway /ˈrʌnəweɪ/ noun a person who has run away from home a runaway car/train rundown1 /ˈrʌndaʊn/ adj 1. unwell or tired 2. dilapidat-

ed, not looked after rundown2 /ˈrʌndaʊn/ noun a summary rung /rʌŋ/ noun one of the bars on a ladder run-in /rʌn/-/ɪn/ noun an argument runner /ˈrʌnə/ noun a person or horse running in a race runner /ˈrʌnə/ bean noun a type of climbing bean a long-distance runner

runner

runner-up /ˈrʌnər/-/ʌp/ noun a person who comes after the winner in a race or competition running /ˈrʌnɪŋ/ adj 1. the activity of running, as a sport or a leisure activity 2. the action of manag-ing I go running three times a week. running battle /ˈrʌnɪŋ/ /ˈbætl/ noun a battle which moves around from place to place

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running costs /ˈrʌnɪŋ/ /kɒsts/ noun the mon-ey spent regularly on operating a business running total /ˈrʌnɪŋ/ /ˈtəʊtl/ noun a total which is carried from one col-umn of figures to the next running water /ˈrʌnɪŋ/ / ˈwɔːtə/ noun water which is available in a house through water mains and taps runny /ˈrʌni/ adj in liquid form run-of-the-mill /rʌn/-/ɒv/-/ ðə/-/mɪl/ adj ordinary run-up /rʌn/-/ʌp/ noun a period leading up to some event runway /ˈrʌnweɪ/ noun a track on which planes land and take off at an airport rupture /ˈrʌpʧə/ verb to break or burst He fell and ruptured a ligament in his knee. rural /ˈrʊərəl/ adj relating to the countryside ruse /ruːz/ noun a clever trick rush /rʌʃ/ noun a fast movement rush into /rʌʃ/ /ˈɪntuː/ phrasal verb 1. to go into a place quickly 2. to get into a situation too quickly, without

really thinking rushed /rʌʃt/ adj done very quickly rush hour /rʌʃ/ /ˈaʊə/ noun a time of day when traffic is bad and when trains are full rust /rʌst/ noun a reddish-brown substance formed on iron and steel when left in damp air rustic /ˈrʌstɪk/ adj 1. of country style 2. rough, not elegant rustle /ˈrʌsl/ verb to make a soft noise like dry surfaces rubbing against each other Outside, the trees rustled in the wind. rustle up /ˈrʌsl/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to get something ready quickly rusty /ˈrʌsti/ adj covered with rust rut /rʌt/ noun a deep track made in soft earth by the wheels of ve-hicles ruthless /ˈruːθlɪs/ adj cruel, with no pity for anyone ruthless ambition rye /raɪ/ noun a type of dark brown cereal, used to make bread and American whiskey

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Ss

sabbatical /səˈbætɪkəl/ noun leave granted to people such as teachers for study and travel after a period of work He was on sabbatical last year. sabotage /ˈsæbətɑːʒ/ verb to destroy something, to render some-thing useless deliberately Rebels sabotaged the roads and bridges. saboteur /ˌsɑːbəˈtɜː/ noun a person who commits sabotage sabre /ˈseɪbə/ noun a sword with a curved blade

sabre

sabre-rattling /ˈseɪbə/-/ˈrætlɪŋ/ noun an aggressive display or threat of force or military action

saccharin /ˈsækərɪn/ noun a substance used as a substitute for sugar sachet /ˈsæʃeɪ/ noun a small plastic or paper bag containing some-thing sachets of sugar and coffee powder sack /sæk/ noun a large bag made of strong cloth or paper, used for carrying heavy things sack /sæk/ verb to force someone to leave his or her job sacking /ˈsækɪŋ/ noun dismissal from a job sacrament /ˈsækrəmənt/ noun a Christian religious ceremony sacred /ˈseɪkrɪd/ adj 1. associated with religion 2. respected sacred music sacred cow /ˈseɪkrɪd/ /kaʊ/ noun a belief or idea which is not to be criticised sacrifice /ˈsækrɪfaɪs/ noun 1. something which you give up to achieve something more important 2. the act of making an offering to a god by killing an animal or person sacrilege /ˈsækrɪlɪʤ/ noun 495

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behavior to-wards something holy or im-portant to other people which lacks respect sacrosanct /ˈsækrəʊsæŋkt/ adj not to be criti-cised or changed sad /sæd/ adj not happy sadden /ˈsædn/ verb to make someone unhappy We were saddened by his death. saddle /ˈsædl/ noun 1. a rider’s seat on a bicycle or motorbike 2. a rider’s seat on a horse

a saddle

sadhu noun in Hinduism, a holy man sadist /ˈseɪdɪst/ noun a person who gets pleasure from being cruel sadly /ˈsædli/ adv 1. in a sad way 2. used for saying that something makes you sad sadness /ˈsædnɪs/ noun a feeling of be-ing very unhap-

py safari /səˈfɑːri/ noun an expedition to photograph or kill wild ani-mals, especially in Africa She is on safari in Kenya. safe /seɪf/ adj not in danger, or not likely to be hurt safe deposit box /seɪf/ / dɪˈpɒzɪt/ /bɒks/ noun a small box which you can rent to hold jewellery or documents in a bank’s strongroom safeguard /ˈseɪfgɑːd/ verb to protect something safe haven /seɪf/ /ˈheɪvn/ noun a place which is safe from attack, where some-one is protected from danger safe keeping /seɪf/ /ˈkiːpɪŋ/ noun the care of something in a safe place safely /ˈseɪfli/ adv without being hurt Make sure you drive safely. safe sex /seɪf/ /sɛks/ noun having sex in a way that avoids transmission of a sexual disease, e.g. by using a condom and only having one sexual partner safety /ˈseɪfti/ noun 1. being 2. for safety in order to make 496

something safe safety belt /ˈseɪfti/ /bɛlt/ noun a belt which you wear in a plane to stop you being hurt if there is an acci-dent safety net /ˈseɪfti/ /nɛt/ noun 1. a net stretched under someone such as a tightrope walker to catch him or her if he or she falls 2. something which protects you if things go wrong safety /ˈseɪfti/ pin noun a pin whose point fits into a cover when it is fastened, and so can’t hurt you The hostages were led to safety saffron /ˈsæfrən/ or noun an orange-co-loured powder made from cro-cus flowers, used in cooking to give colour and flavour to food sag /sæg/ verb to sink or bend in the middle under weight or pres-sure saga /ˈsɑːgə/ noun 1. an old story of heroic achievement or adven-ture, especially in Norway and Iceland 2. a long story sage /seɪʤ/ noun 1. an aromatic herb with silvery-green leaves used in cookery 2. an old wise man

Sagittarius /ˌsæʤɪˈteərɪəs/ noun one of the signs of the Zodiac, shaped like an archer, covering the period from 22nd November to 21st December said /sɛd/ past tense and past parti-ciple of say sail /seɪl/ noun a piece of cloth which catches the wind and drives a boat along sail /seɪl/ verb 1. to travel on water 2. to leave a harbour We sailed to Malta. sailboard /seɪl/ /bɔːd/ noun a board with a sail, used for travelling across water sailing /ˈseɪlɪŋ/ noun travel in a ship sailing boat /ˈseɪlɪŋ/ /bəʊt/ noun a boat which uses mainly sails to travel sailor /ˈseɪlə/ noun a person who works on a ship saint /seɪnt/ noun 1. a person who led a very holy life, and is recog-nised by the Christian Church 2. a very good or devoted per-son sake /seɪk/ for certain reasons or pur-poses, or because of something For safety’s sake, you

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shouldn’t swim alone. sake /seɪk/ noun a Japanese rice wine salad /ˈsæləd/ noun a mixture of cold vegetables eaten raw, or a meal that includes such a mixture salad dressing /ˈsæləd/ / ˈdrɛsɪŋ/ noun a sauce consisting of a mixture of oil, vinegar and herbs or spices, used on salad salami /səˈlɑːmi(ː)/ noun a large dry Italian-style sausage eaten cold in thin slices salary /ˈsæləri/ noun payment for work, especially in a professional or office job sale /seɪl/ noun 1. the act of selling, the act of giving an item or doing a service in exchange for money 2. an occasion when things are sold at cheaper pric-es The sale of alcohol is now banned. sales /seɪlz/ assistant noun a person who sells goods to customers in a shop salesman /ˈseɪlzmən/ noun a person who represents a company, selling its products or services to other companies salesperson /ˈseɪlzˌpɜːsən/

noun a person who sells goods in a shop saleswoman /ˈseɪlzˌwʊmən/ noun a woman who sells goods to customers in a shop saline /səˈlaɪn/ adj containing salt saliva /səˈlaɪvə/ noun a fluid in the mouth, secreted by the salivary glands, which starts the process of digesting food salivate /ˈsælɪveɪt/ verb to produce saliva sallow /ˈsæləʊ/ adj slightly yellow, unhealthy looking salmon /ˈsæmən/ noun a large fish with fresh/smoked salmon silver /ˈsɪlvə/ skin and pink flesh that lives in the sea, but swims up rivers to produce young in the winter salon /ˈsælɒn/ noun a shop where people can have their hair cut or styled, or have beauty treat-ments a hair salon saloon /səˈluːn/ noun 1. a place where alcoholic drinks are sold 2. same as car salsa /ˈsælsə/ noun 1. a spicy sauce made with chopped vegeta-bles, of

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Mexican origin 2. Latin American dance music com-bining jazz and rock salt /sɔːlt/ noun a white substance that you put on food to make it taste better or put on roads to make snow or ice melt Pass the salt, please. salt cellar /sɔːlt/ /ˈsɛlə/ noun a small pot containing salt, usually with a hole at the top so that it can be sprinkled on food saltwater /ˈsɔːltˌwɔːtə/ adj referring to water which contains salt salty /ˈsɔːlti/ adj tasting of salt salute /səˈluːt/ noun a movement which expresses respect or recogni-tion, especially the movement of putting your right hand up to touch the side of your forehead salute /səˈluːt/ verb to give a salute to someone to give a salute

a salute

salvage /ˈsælvɪʤ/ verb 1. to save from a wreckor 2. to save something from loss salvation /sælˈveɪʃən/ noun the action of saving a person’s soul from sin same /seɪm/ adj, pron 1. being, look-ing, sounding, etc. exactly alike 2. showing that two or more things are in fact one sample /ˈsɑːmpl/ noun a specimen, a small part which is used to show what the whole is like She brought in some samples of her work. sanatorium /ˌsænəˈtɔːrɪəm/ noun a hospital for the treatment of invalids, espe-cially people suffering from tu-berculosis sanction /ˈsæŋkʃən/ noun approval, per-mission sanction /ˈsæŋkʃən/ verb to approve something sanctity /ˈsæŋktɪti/ noun holiness sanctuary /ˈsæŋktjʊəri/ noun 1. a place of safety 2. a place for the protec-tion of wild animals or birds After a busy day, I like to escape to the sanctuary of my garden.

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sand /sænd/ noun a mass of very small bits of rock found on beaches and in the desert sandal /ˈsændl/ noun a light shoe with an open top sandbag /ˈsændbæg/ noun a bag filled with sand and used as a protection sand dune /sænd/ /djuːn/ noun an area of sand blown by the wind into small hills and ridges which have very little soil or vegeta-tion sandpaper /ˈsændˌpeɪpə/ noun thick paper covered with sand used for smoothing rough surfaces sandpit /ˈsændpɪt/ noun a place in a gar-den, with sand where children can play sandstone /ˈsændstəʊn/ noun a type of red-dish brown rock, formed of tiny pieces of sand sandstorm /ˈsændstɔːm/ noun a high wind in the desert, which carries large amounts of sand with it sandwich /ˈsænwɪʤ/ noun a light meal made with two pieces of bread with other food between them a cheese/tuna sandwich sane /seɪn/ adj not mad sang /sæŋ/ past tense of sing

sanguine /ˈsæŋgwɪn/ adj confident, opti-mistic The director is sanguine about the company’s prospects. sanitation /ˌsænɪˈteɪʃən/ noun being hygien-ic, especially referring to pub-lic hygiene and the removal of household waste and sewage sanity /ˈsænɪti/ noun the state of being sane Jogging helps me keep my sanity. sank /sæŋk/ past tense of sink sap /sæp/ noun the liquid which flows inside plants and trees sap /sæp/ verb to make something weaker sapling /ˈsæplɪŋ/ noun a young tree

a sapling

sapphire /ˈsæfaɪə/ noun a bright blue precious stone sarcasm /ˈsɑːkæzm/ noun 500

sharp unpleas-ant remarks which mean the op-posite of what they saysardine “Oh, I am sorry,” she said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. sardine /sɑːˈdiːn/ noun a small silvery fish which can be eaten fresh, or commonly bought in tins sardonic /sɑːˈdɒnɪk/ adj scornful, showing you feel superior to someone sari, saree /ˈsɑːri(ː)/ noun a long piece of cloth, especially silk, which Indian women wear wrapped round their bodies sash /sæʃ/ noun 1. an ornamental scarf or belt 2. a wooden frame holding panes of glass sat /sæt/ past tense and past parti-ciple of sit satan /ˈseɪtən/ noun the devil satanism /ˈseɪtənɪz(ə)m/ noun the worship of Satan satellite /ˈsætəlaɪt/ noun 1. an object in space which goes round the Earth and sends and receives signals, pictures and data 2. an object like a planet which goes round a planet satellite dish /ˈsætəlaɪt/ /

dɪʃ/ noun an aerial object, shaped like a large sau-cer, used to capture satellite broadcasts satellite television /ˈsætəlaɪt/ / ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən/ noun tele-vision programmes broadcast using satellite technology satin /ˈsætɪn/ noun a silk material with a glossy surface satire /ˈsætaɪə/ noun 1. a way of at-tacking people in speaking or writing by making them seem ridiculous 2. a piece of writing which criticises people by mak-ing them seem ridiculous political satire satirist /ˈsætərɪst/ noun a person who writes or performs satires satisfaction /ˌsætɪsˈfækʃən/ noun a good feeling; a sense of comfort or hap-piness satisfactory /ˌsætɪsˈfæktəri/ adj good enough, or quite good satisfied /ˈsætɪsfaɪd/ adj accepting that something is enough, good or correct Are you satisfied with the new arrangement? satisfy /ˈsætɪsfaɪ/ verb to make someone pleased with what he or she has received

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or achieved satisfying /ˈsætɪsfaɪɪŋ/ adj which satisfies satsuma / ˌsætˈsuː.mə/ noun a type of small orange, with peel which is eas-ily removed saturate /ˈsæʧəreɪt/ verb to fill something with the maximum amount of a liquid or substance which can be absorbed saturated fat /ˈsæʧəreɪtɪd/ / fæt/ noun butter and other types of animal fat, which contain the largest amount of hydrogen possible Saturday /ˈsætədeɪ/ noun the sixth day of the week, the day between Fri-day and Sunday sauce /sɔːs/ noun a liquid with a par-ticular taste, poured over food pasta with tomato sauce saucepan /ˈsɔːspən/ noun a deep metal cooking pan with a lid and a long handle saucer /ˈsɔːsə/ noun a shallow dish which a cup stands on saucy /ˈsɔːsi/ adj cheeky sauna /ˈsaʊnə/ noun 1. a bath taken by sitting in a

room filled with very hot steam 2. a room where you can have a very hot steam bath saunter /ˈsɔːntə/ verb to walk slowly, to stroll sausage /ˈsɒsɪʤ/ noun a food which is a tube of skin full of a mixture of meat and spicessausage roll

sausages

sausage roll /ˈsɒsɪʤ/ /rəʊl/ noun a small roll of pastry with a piece of sausage or some sausage meat inside sauté /ˈsəʊteɪ/ verb to fry something in a little fat savage /ˈsævɪʤ/ noun a person from a culture that is not considered civilized savage /ˈsævɪʤ/ verb to attack some-body with teeth a savage attack savagery /ˈsævɪʤəri/ noun being savage savanna, savannah / 502

səˈvænə/, /səˈvænə/ noun a dry grass-covered plain with few trees, usually referring to the grasslands of South Amer-ica and Africa save /seɪv/ verb 1. to stop some-thing from being damaged 2. to keep things such as money, food or other articles so that you can use them later 3. not to waste something such as time or money 4. to stop someone from being hurt or killed 5. to store data on a computer disk saver /ˈseɪvə/ noun 1. a person who saves money 2. a special offer or ticket which allows you to buy something at a lower price saving /ˈseɪvɪŋ/ noun using less a saving of £20. saving /ˈseɪvɪŋ/ grace noun a quality or feature which makes a situa-tion less bad than it seemed saviour /ˈseɪvjə/ noun a person who saves people savour /ˈseɪvə/ verb to appreciate or enjoy something savoury /ˈseɪvəri/ adj with a salty taste, or other taste which is not sweet savvy /ˈsævi/ noun practical

knowledge business/political savvy saw /sɔː/ past tense of see. saw /sɔː/ verb to cut something with a saw sawdust /ˈsɔːdʌst/ noun powder pro-duced when you saw wood sawmill /ˈsɔːmɪl/ noun a factory where wood is cut into planks by ma-chines sax /sæks/ noun a saxophone saxophone /ˈsæksəfəʊn/ noun a large brass musical instrument with keys

saxophone

say /seɪ/ verb 1. to speak words 2. to give information in writing saying /ˈseɪɪŋ/ noun a phrase which is often used to describe an aspect of everyday life I couldn’t hear what they were saying. scab /skæb/ noun 1. a crust

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of dry blood which forms over a wound and protects it 2. a worker who goes on working when there is a strike scaffold /ˈskæfəld/ noun a wooden plat-form on which an execution takes place scaffolding /ˈskæfəldɪŋ/ noun a construc-tion of poles and planks which make a series of platforms for workmen to stand on while working scenario /sɪˈnɑːrɪəʊ/ noun the general way in which you think something may happen scene /siːn/ noun 1. a place where something has happened 2. a short part of a play or film a love scene scenery /ˈsiːnəri/ noun 1. the features of the countryside 2. the objects and backgrounds on a theatre stage that make it look like a real place scenic /ˈsiːnɪk/ adj referring to beauti-ful scenery an area of great scenic beauty scent /sɛnt/ noun 1. a pleasant smell of a particular type 2. perfume sceptic /ˈskɛptɪk/ noun a per-

son who al-ways doubts the truth of what he or she is told sceptical /ˈskɛptɪkəl/ adj thinking that something is probably not true or good scepticism /ˈskɛptɪsɪzm/ noun doubt or un-certainty schedule /ˈʃɛdjuːl/ noun 1. a list of times of departure and arrival of forms of transport such as trains, planes or coaches 2. a programme or list of events I have a very busy schedule today. schedule /ˈʃɛdjuːl/ verb 1. to put some-thing on an official list 2. to ar-range the times for something scheme /skiːm/ noun a plan for mak-ing something work schizophrenia /ˌskɪtsəʊˈfriːnjə/ noun a men-tal disorder where the patient withdraws from other people, has delusions and seems to lose contact with the real world scholar /ˈskɒlə/ noun 1. a learned per-son 2. a student at school or university who has a scholar-ship a legal scholar scholarly /ˈskɒləli/ adj referring to seri-ous study at a high level 504

scholarship /ˈskɒləʃɪp/ noun 1. money given to someone to help pay for the cost of his or her study 2. a deep learning scholastic /skəˈlæstɪk/ adj referring to schools or teaching methods school /skuːl/ noun 1. a place where students, usually children, are taught 2. a section of a college or university school /skuːl/ verb to train someone in a particular skill I ride my bike to school. schoolboy /skuːl/ /bɔɪ/ noun a boy who goes to school schoolchild /skuːl/ /ʧaɪld/ noun a child who goes to school schooldays /skuːl/ /deɪz/ plural noun the time when you are at school schoolgirl /ˈskuːlgɜːl/ noun a girl who goes to school schooling /ˈskuːlɪŋ/ noun education at school level school leaver /skuːl/ /ˈliːvə/ noun a young person who has just left sec-ondary school schoolteacher /skuːl/ /ˈtiːʧə/ noun a person who teaches in a school

science /ˈsaɪəns/ noun the study of nat-ural physical things, based on observation and experiment Chemistry, physics, and biology are all sciences. science fiction /ˈsaɪəns/ / ˈfɪkʃən/ noun stories of life in the future, based on imaginary scientific develop-ments scientific /ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk/ adj relating to sci-ence scientist /ˈsaɪəntɪst/ noun a person who studies a science, often doing research sci-fi /saɪ/-/faɪ/ noun same as science fic-tion scintillating /ˈsɪntɪleɪtɪŋ/ adj sparkling a scintillating performance scissors /ˈsɪzəz/ plural noun a tool for cutting things such as pa-per and cloth, made of two blades attached in the middle, with handles with holes for the thumb and fingers scoff /skɒf/ verb to eat something greedily (informal) scold /skəʊld/ verb to speak to some-one angrily scone /skɒn/ noun a type of small round soft bread, sometimes with dried fruit in

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it, eaten with butter or cream and jam scoop /skuːp/ noun 1. a deep round spoon with a short handle, for serving soft food such as ice cream 2. a portion of soft food such as ice cream scoop /skuːp/ verb to lift something or someone up in a single quick movement She scooped the ice cream into the dishes. scooter /ˈskuːtə/ noun 1. a child’s two-wheeled vehicle which is pushed along with one foot while the other foot is on the board 2. a vehicle like a small motorbike with a platform for the feet scope /skəʊp/ noun 1. the different types of things that something deals with 2. an opportunity or possibility Do we know the full scope of the problem yet? scorch /skɔːʧ/ verb 1. to burn some-thing slightly or brown some-thing 2. to make something very hot and dry scorched /skɔːʧt/ adj slightly burnt or browned scorching /ˈskɔːʧɪŋ/ adj very hot and dry (informal )

score /skɔː/ noun the number of goals or points made in a match score /skɔː/ verb to make a goal or point in a match scoreboard /ˈskɔːbɔːd/ noun a large board on which the score in a game is shown as the game progresses scorn /skɔːn/ noun a feeling of think-ing that someone or something is not good enough scorn /skɔːn/ verb to refuse to accept an idea or a suggestion You scorned all my suggestions. scornful /ˈskɔːnfʊl/ adj considering some-thing not good enough Scorpio /ˈskɔːpɪəʊ/ noun one of the signs of the Zodiac, shaped like a scorpion, covering the period 23rd October to 21st Novem-ber scorpion /ˈskɔːpɪəʊ/ noun a poisonous tropical animal which stings with its long curved tail

a scorpion

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Scot /skɒt/ noun a person from Scot-land Scotch /skɒʧ/ adj used for referring to some things, especially food and drink, from Scotland Scotland /ˈskɒtlənd/ noun a country to the north of England, forming part of the United Kingdom Scots /skɒts/ adj Scottish Scottish /ˈskɒtɪʃ/ adj relating to Scotland scoundrel /ˈskaʊndrəl/ noun a bad person, with no principles scour /ˈskaʊə/ verb 1. to clean some-thing by scrubbing with a hard material 2. to search every-where in a place The police scoured the surrounding countryside for possible clues. scribble /ˈskrɪbl/ verb to write some-thing hurriedly and badly script /skrɪpt/ noun 1. the written text of a film or play 2. a style or system of handwriting scripture /ˈskrɪpʧə/ noun the writings re-garded as holy by a religion scriptwriter /ˈskrɪptˌraɪtə/

noun a person who writes scripts for films, television or radio plays scroll /skrəʊl/ noun a long piece of pa-per with writing on it, stored as a roll scroll /skrəʊl/ verb to move displayed text up or down a computer screen scroll bar /skrəʊl/ /bɑː/ noun a bar on a computer screen which is used to scroll up and down scrooge /skruːʤ/ noun a mean or mi-serly person (informal ) scrounge /skraʊnʤ/ verb to try to get something without paying for it (informal ) He’s always scrounging money off you. scrub /skrʌb/ verb to clean something by rubbing it with a brush scrub /skrʌb/ noun 1. an area of land with a few small bushes 2. the action of scrubbing scruffy /ˈskrʌfi/ adj untidy or dirty scrum /ˈskrʌm/ noun an arrangement in which the players of both teams crowd together with their heads

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down and try to get the ball scrunch /skrʌnʧ/ verb to squash or crush something with your hand scrupulous /ˈskruːpjʊləs/ adj 1. very careful 2. very honest or morally cor-rect He’s very scrupulous about making sure that all the facts are checked. scrutiny /ˈskruːtɪni/ noun a careful exami-nation of facts or a very close look at something scuba diving /ˈskuːbə/ / ˈdaɪvɪŋ/ noun the activity of swimming under water, using breathing apparatus scuff /skʌf/ verb to scratch the sur-face of something scuffle /ˈskʌfl/ noun a small fight sculptor, sculptress / ˈskʌlptə/, /ˈskʌlptrɪs/ noun a person who makes figures or shapes out of wood, metal or stone sculpture /ˈskʌlpʧə/ noun a piece of art that is a figure carved out of stone or wood or made out of metal a wooden sculpture scum /skʌm/ noun 1. a layer of dirty foam on the surface

of a liquid 2. people of the worst type scurry /ˈskʌri/ verb 1. to hurry to do something 2. to run fast, taking short steps scuttle /ˈskʌtl/ verb to run fast, taking short steps scuttle off or away /ˈskʌtl/ /ɒf/ verb to run away fast scythe /saɪð/ noun a farming im-plement with a long slightly curved blade attached to a handle with two short project-ing hand grips, used for cut-ting long grass sea /siː/ noun an area of salt water between continents or islands, which is large but not as large as an ocean We went swimming in the sea. sea change /siː/ /ʧeɪnʤ/ noun a very big change seafood /ˈsiːfuːd/ noun fish or shellfish which can be eaten seafront /ˈsiːˌfrʌnt/ noun a road or wide path which runs beside the sea in a seaside town seagull /ˈsiːgʌl/ noun a large white sea bird seal /siːl/ noun a large animal with short smooth fur which eats fish and lives near or in the sea

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seal /siːl/ verb to close something tightly She quickly sealed up the bottle. seal off /siːl/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb to close a place off so as to prevent any-one getting inside sea level /siː/ /ˈlɛvl/ noun the level of the sea, taken as a point for measuring altitude sea lion /siː/ /ˈlaɪən/ noun a large species of seal seam /siːm/ noun 1. a line where two pieces of material are attached together 2. a layer of mineral beneath the earth’s surface seaman /ˈsiːmən/ noun a man who works on a ship seance /ˈseɪɑːns/ noun a meeting at which people try to communi-cate with dead people seaport /ˈsiːpɔːt/ noun a town with a large harbour search /sɜːʧ/ noun the action of try-ing to find something He searched in his pockets for some change. search /sɜːʧ/ verb 1. to examine something or someone very carefully 2. to look carefully to try to find some-

thing search engine /sɜːʧ/ /ˈɛnʤɪn/ noun a program which allows you to search for particular words or phrases on the Internet searcher /ˈsɜːʧə/ noun a person who searches searching /ˈsɜːʧɪŋ/ adj very detailed search party /sɜːʧ/ /ˈpɑːti/ noun a group of people sent to look for some-one search warrant /sɜːʧ/ / ˈwɒrənt/ noun an of-ficial document signed by a magistrate which allows police to go into a building and look for criminals, weapons or stolen goods seashell /ˈsiːˌʃɛl/ noun a shell of a shell-fish which lives in the sea

seashell

seashore /ˈsiːʃɔː/ noun a sandy area along the edge of the sea 509

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seasick /ˈsiːsɪk/ adj ill because of the movement of a ship seaside /ˈsiːsaɪd/ noun an area near the sea where people go for a holiday We had a picnic at the seaside. season /ˈsiːzn/ noun 1. one of four parts of a year 2. a part of the year when something usually happens seasonal /ˈsiːzənl/ adj 1. which only lasts for a season, usually the holiday season 2. characteristic of a particular time of year seasoned /ˈsiːznd/ adj 1. (of food) which has had seasoning put on it to improve the flavour 2. who has had a lot of experi-ence a seasoned traveller seasoning /ˈsiːznɪŋ/ noun spices which are added to food season ticket /ˈsiːzn/ /ˈtɪkɪt/ noun a railway, bus or theatre ticket, which you can use for a whole year or a month at a time seat /siːt/ noun a chair, something which you sit on I’ve booked three seats for the cinema tonight. seat belt /siːt/ /bɛlt/ noun

a belt which you wear in a car or plane to stop you being hurt if there is an accident seating /ˈsiːtɪŋ/ noun seats for people seaweed /ˈsiːwiːd/ noun a plant which grows in the sea sec sec /sɛk/ noun a second (informal ) secluded /sɪˈkluːdɪd/ adj quiet or away from crowds seclusion /sɪˈkluːʒən/ noun solitude second /ˈsɛkənd/ noun 1. one of sixty parts which make up a minute 2. a very short time 3. The sec-ond number in a series second /ˈsɛkənd/ adj 1. coming after the first and before the third 2. next after the longest, best, tall-est etc. second /ˈsɛkənd/ verb to lend a member of staff, e.g. to another company or a government department, for a fixed period of time You’re second on the list. secondary /ˈsɛkəndəri/ adj less important secondary /ˈsɛkəndəri/ school noun a school for children after the age of 510

eleven or twelve second best /ˈsɛkənd/ /bɛst/ noun something which is not as good as the best second-class /ˈsɛkənd/-/klɑːs/ adj, adv 1. (of travel or hotels) less expensive and less comfortable than first class 2. (of a postal service) less expensive and slower than the first class postal service a second-class carriage/ticket second cousin /ˈsɛkənd/ / ˈkʌzn/ noun a child of your mother’s or father’s cousin second-guess /ˈsɛkənd/-/gɛs/ verb to try to guess what someone will do secondhand /ˌsɛkəndˈhænd/ adj not new; which someone else has owned before She buys a lot of clothes second-hand. second language /ˈsɛkənd/ / ˈlæŋgwɪʤ/ noun a lan-guage which you know but which is not the language you learned when you first started to speak secondly /ˈsɛkəndli/ adv as the second item in a list. secondment /ˈsɛkəndmənt/ noun the fact of being seconded to another job

second-rate /ˈsɛkənd/-/reɪt/ adj not of very good quality. secrecy /ˈsiːkrɪsi/ noun the fact of being secret or keeping something secret Politicians criticized the secrecy surrounding the air attack. secret /ˈsiːkrɪt/ adj not known about by other people secret /ˈsiːkrɪt/ noun a thing which is not known or which is kept hidden secret agent /ˈsiːkrɪt/ /ˈeɪʤənt/ noun a spy secretarial /ˌsɛkrəˈteərɪəl/ adj referring to the work of a secretary secretary /ˈsɛkrətri/ noun a person who does work such as writing let-ters, answering the phone and filing documents for someone Secretary of State /ˈsɛkrətri/ /ɒv/ /steɪt/ noun 1. a member of the government in charge of a department 2. a senior member of the govern-ment in charge of foreign affairs secrete /sɪˈkriːt/ verb 1. to produce a liquid substance such as an oil or a hormone 2. to hide some-thing

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secretion /sɪˈkriːʃən/ noun 1. the process by which something is pro-duced by a gland 2. a substance produced by a gland secretive /sɪˈkriːtɪv/ adj liking to keep things secret He’s very secretive about his relationships. secretly /ˈsiːkrɪtli/ adv without anyone knowing secret service /ˈsiːkrɪt/ / ˈsɜːvɪs/ noun a govern-ment department which spies on other countries sect /sɛkt/ noun a religious group sectarian /sɛkˈteərɪən/ adj referring to con-flicts between religious groups sectarian violence section /ˈsɛkʃən/ noun a part of some-thing which, when joined to other parts, goes to make up a whole sector /ˈsɛktə/ noun 1. a part of the economy or of the business organisation of a country 2. a part of a circle between two lines drawn from the centre to the outside edge secular /ˈsɛkjʊlə/ adj not religious, not connected with

religion a secular state secure /sɪˈkjʊə/ adj firmly fixed. secure /sɪˈkjʊə/ verb to be successful in getting something important securely /sɪˈkjʊəli/ adv in a secure way security /sɪˈkjʊərɪti/ noun 1. safety or pro-tection against harm 2. a thing given to someone who has lent you money and which is returned when the loan is repaid a security alarm security service /sɪˈkjʊərɪti/ / ˈsɜːvɪs/ noun a gov-ernment service which looks after the security of the country sedan /sɪˈdæn/ noun a two or fourdoor car with seating for four or five people

a sedan

sedate /sɪˈdeɪt/ verb to give someone a drug to make them

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calm or go to sleep sedation /sɪˈdeɪʃən/ noun the act of calm-ing a patient with a drug sedative /ˈsɛdətɪv/ noun a drug which acts on the nervous system to help a patient sleep or to re-lieve stress sediment /ˈsɛdɪmənt/ noun solid particles which fall to the bottom of a liquid seduce /sɪˈdjuːs/ verb 1. to persuade someone to have sex 2. to per-suade someone to do I wouldn’t have bought it but I was seduced by the low prices. something /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/ which is perhaps wrong seductive /sɪˈdʌktɪv/ adj 1. sexually ap-pealing 2. attractive see /siː/ verb 1. to use your eyes to notice or view something 2. to visit someone see off /siː/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb to go to the airport or station with someone who is leaving on a journey see through /siː/ /θruː/ phrasal verb 1. to see from one side of something to the other 2. not to be tricked by some-

thing or someone I saw through him at once. see to /siː/ /tuː/ phrasal verb to arrange something or make sure that something is done seed /siːd/ noun a part of a plant which is formed after the flow-ers die and from which a new plant will grow seedling /ˈsiːdlɪŋ/ noun a very young plant growing from a seed seedy /ˈsiːdi/ adj poor and dirty seek /siːk/ verb to look for someone or something (formal) to seek advice/a solution seem /siːm/ verb to give the appear-ance of being something seemingly /ˈsiːmɪŋli/ adv apparently seen /siːn/ past participle of see seep /siːp/ verb (of a liquid) to flow slowly through a substance or out of a container seesaw /ˈsiːsɔː/ noun a plank with seats at each end, balanced in the middle, so that when one end goes down the other goes up 513

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seesaw /ˈsiːsɔː/ verb to go first one way then the other seethe /siːð/ verb 1. to be very angry 2. To move about like boiling water I left him seething with anger. segment /ˈsɛgmənt/ noun a part of some-thing, especially something which divides naturally into different parts segregate /ˈsɛgrɪgeɪt/ verb to separate people into groups seismic seis-mic adj referring to earthquakes seize /siːz/ verb to grab something and hold it tight seize up /siːz/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to stop working properly seizure /ˈsiːʒə/ noun 1. the act of tak-ing possession of something 2. a sudden contraction of the muscles, especially in a heart attack or an epileptic fit a seizure of power seldom /ˈsɛldəm/ adv not often select /sɪˈlɛkt/ verb to choose some-thing or someone carefully selection /sɪˈlɛkʃən/ noun 1. a range 2. a thing which has or things which have been chosen

selective /sɪˈlɛktɪv/ adj choosing care-fully between different possi-bilities selector /sɪˈlɛktə/ noun a person who chooses people for a team self /sɛlf/ noun your own person or character his true self self- /sɛlf/ prefix referring to yourself self-assured /sɛlf/-/əˈʃʊəd/ adj confident and sure of yourself self-awareness /sɛlf/-/ əˈweənəs/ noun the fact of having a clear and accurate knowledge of your own character self-catering /sɛlf/-/ˈkeɪtərɪŋ/ noun the practice of doing the cooking for your-self self-centred /sɛlf/-/ˈsɛntəd/ adj thinking only about yourself and your own concerns self-confessed /sɛlf/-/ kənˈfɛst/ adj who ad-mits to being something self-confidence /sɛlf/-/ˈkɒnfɪdəns/ noun the fact of being self-confident self-conscious /sɛlf/-/ ˈkɒnʃəs/ adj embar-rassed because you feel you have certain faults 514

self-control /sɛlf/-/kənˈtrəʊl/ noun the fact of keeping your feelings under control self-defence /sɛlf/-/dɪˈfɛns/ noun the act of defending yourself He claimed he had acted in self-defence. self-destruct /sɛlf/-/dɪˈstrʌkt/ verb to destroy itself self-destructive /sɛlf/-/ dɪsˈtrʌktɪv/ adj doing things which are likely to cause harm to oneself self-determination /sɛlf/-/ dɪˌtɜːmɪˈneɪʃən/ noun a free choice by the people of a country as to how they should be governed self-discipline /sɛlf/-/ ˈdɪsɪplɪn/ noun the abil-ity to control your behaviour and do what you should do self-effacing /sɛlf/-/ɪˈfeɪsɪŋ/ adj modest about your own achievements or good qualities self-employed /sɛlf/-/ ɒmˈplɔɪeɪd/ adj working for yourself, not employed by a company self-esteem /sɛlf/-/ɪsˈtiːm/ noun a good opin-ion of yourself and your ability

She suffers from low self-esteem. self-evident /sɛlf/-/ˈɛvɪdənt/ adj obvious self-explanatory /sɛlf/-/ ɪksˈplænətəri/ adj which explains itself easily self-governing /sɛlf/-/ ˈgʌvənɪŋ/ adj which gov-erns itselfself-help self-help /sɛlf/-/hɛlp/ noun the fact of using your own efforts to help your-self, without relying on other people or the government self-important /sɛlf/-/ ɪmˈpɔːtənt/ adj behaving as if you believe you are very im-portant self-imposed /sɛlf/-/ ɪmˈpəʊzd/ adj chosen for yourself self-indulgent /sɛlf/-/ ɪnˈdʌlʤənt/ adj allowing yourself to do what you feel like without self-control self-inflicted /sɛlf/-/ɪnˈflɪktɪd/ adj caused by yourself self-interest /sɛlf/-/ˈɪntrɪst/ noun working for your own benefit selfish /ˈsɛlfɪʃ/ adj doing things only for yourself and not for other people

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It’s very selfish of him. selfless /ˈsɛlflɪs/ adj not thinking of yourself, only of others self-made /sɛlf/-/meɪd/ adj rich and suc-cessful because of your own work, not because you inher-ited money or position self-pity /sɛlf/-/ˈpɪti/ noun pity for yourself self-portrait /sɛlf/-/ˈpɔːtrɪt/ noun a painting of the artist done by himself or herself self-preservation /sɛlf/-/ ˌprɛzə(ː)ˈveɪʃən/ noun the wish to protect yourself from harm self-reliant /sɛlf/-/rɪˈlaɪənt/ adj relying only on yourself to make decisions self-respect /sɛlf/-/rɪsˈpɛkt/ noun pride in yourself self-righteous /sɛlf/-/ˈraɪʧəs/ adj feeling sure that you are doing what is right self-rule /sɛlf/-/ruːl/ noun the right of a country or a state to govern it-self self-satisfied /sɛlf/-/ˈsætɪsfaɪd/ adj feeling very pleased with yourself or with your actions self-service /sɛlf/-/ˈsɜːvɪs/

adj (of a shop or restaurant) in which you take things yourself before paying for them, rather than being served by an assistant self-sufficient /sɛlf/-/ səˈfɪʃənt/ adj able to pro-vide everything for yourself sell /sɛl/ verb 1. to give something to someone for money 2. to be sold I sold my bike to Claire. sell off /sɛl/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb to sell goods quickly and cheaply to get rid of them sell out /sɛl/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb 1. to sell every item of a particular type 2. to sell a business to someone 3. to give in to a group of influ-ential people They’d sold out of bread by the time I got there. sell up /sɛl/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to sell a business sell-by date /sɛl/-/baɪ/ /deɪt/ noun the date on a packet of food, which is the last date on which the food can be sold while it is guaranteed to be good seller /ˈsɛlə/ noun 1. a person who sells something 2. an item which sells 516

a flower seller sell-off /sɛl/-/ɒf/ noun the act of selling something to private buyers Sellotape trademark a type of sticky tape sellout /ˈsɛlaʊt/ noun 1. a betrayal of all your principles 2. a perfor-mance of a play, film or concert for which all the tickets have been sold semantic /sɪˈmæntɪk/ adj referring to the meanings of words and phras-es semblance /ˈsɛmbləns/ noun an appear-ance Our lives have now returned to some semblance of normality. semen /ˈsiːmɛn/ noun a thick pale fluid containing spermatozoa, pro-duced by the testes and ejacu-lated from the penis semester /sɪˈmɛstə/ noun a term in a school or college year which only has two terms semicircle /ˈsɛmɪˌsɜːkl/ noun half a circle semicolon /ˌsɛmɪˈkəʊlən/ noun a punctua-tion mark (;) used to separate two parts of a sentence and

also used to show a pause semi-conscious /ˈsɛmi/-/ ˈkɒnʃəs/ adj not fully conscious semi-final /ˈsɛmi/-/ˈfaɪnl/ noun one of the last two matches in a competition, the winners of which go into the final game seminar /ˈsɛmɪnɑː/ noun the meeting of a small group of university stu-dents to discuss a subject with a teacher expert for training, discussion, or study of a subject seminary /ˈsɛmɪnəri/ noun a college where people train to become priests semitone /ˈsɛmɪtəʊn/ noun the smallest in-terval between notes in music, the interval between two keys on a piano senate /ˈsɛnɪt/ noun the upper house of the legislative body in some countries senator /ˈsɛnətə/ noun a member of a senate Senator Moynihan send /sɛnd/ verb 1. to make some-one or something go from one place to another 2. to use the postal services to get something to someone

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send for /sɛnd/ /fɔː/ phrasal verb to ask someone to come send in /sɛnd/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb to send a letter to an organisation send off /sɛnd/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb 1. (in games) to tell someone to go off the field 2. to post some-thing send up /sɛnd/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to make something go up 2. to make jokes about someone sender /ˈsɛndə/ noun a person who sends something, especially a letter senile /ˈsiːnaɪl/ adj referring to some-one whose is forgetful and con-fused because of old age senior /ˈsiːnjə/ adj 1. older 2. more im-portant, e.g. in rank We work in the same team but she’s senior to me. senior citizen /ˈsiːnjə/ / ˈsɪtɪzn/ noun an old person who does not work seniority /ˌsiːnɪˈɒrɪti/ noun 1. the fact of being older or more important 2. the fact of being a member of a group longer than some-one else sensation /sɛnˈseɪʃən/ noun 1. a general feeling 2. a

physical feeling 3. a thing or person that causes great excitement a burning sensation sensational /sɛnˈseɪʃənl/ adj 1. which causes great excitement 2. very good sensationalism / sɛnˈseɪʃnəlɪzm/ noun the practice of making things seem especially exciting or shocking, e.g. in newspaper reporting sense /sɛns/ noun 1. one of the five ways in which you notice some-thing (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch) 2. a meaning 3. the fact of being sensible senseless /ˈsɛnslɪs/ adj done for no good reason senseless violence sensible /ˈsɛnsəbl/ adj 1. showing good judgment and wisdom 2. (of shoes) strong and comfortable for walking, rather than fash-ionable sensitive /ˈsɛnsɪtɪv/ adj 1. easily upset 2. which measures very accu-rately sensitivity /ˌsɛnsɪˈtɪvɪti/ noun sensitive feel-ings sensor /ˈsɛnsə/ noun an electronic de-vice that reacts to something such as heat, light 518

or smoke Sensors detect movement in the room. sensory /ˈsɛnsəri/ adj referring to the sensessensual sensual /ˈsɛnsjʊəl/ adj referring to plea-sures of the body, not of the mind sensuous /ˈsɛnsjʊəs/ adj which gives pleasure to the senses sent /sɛnt/ past tense and past parti-ciple of send sentence /ˈsɛntəns/ noun 1. a series of words put together to make a complete statement, usually ending in a full stop 2. a judg-ment of a court. sentence /ˈsɛntəns/ verb to give someone an official legal punishment sentiment /ˈsɛntɪmənt/ noun a general feel-ing nationalist/religious sentiments sentimental /ˌsɛntɪˈmɛntl/ adj showing emo-tions of love or pity, not rea-son sentry /ˈsɛntri/ noun a soldier on duty, e.g. at a gate separate /ˈsɛprɪt/ adj not together or attached separate /ˈsɛprɪt/ verb 1. to

divide peo-ple or things 2. to keep people or things apart I try to keep meat separate from other food. separated /ˈsɛpəreɪtɪd/ adj not living to-gether any more separately /ˈsɛprɪtli/ adv individually, rather than together or as a group separation /ˌsɛpəˈreɪʃən/ noun 1. the act of dividing people or things 2. the fact of living apart separatist /ˈsɛpərətɪst/ noun a person who believes that part of the coun-try should become separate and independent September /sɛpˈtɛmbə/ noun the ninth month of the year, between Au-gust and October septic /ˈsɛptɪk/ adj (of a part of a body or a wound) infected with bac-teria sequel /ˈsiːkwəl/ noun 1. the continu-ation of something, such as a story or a play 2. a result or something which follows sequence /ˈsiːkwəns/ noun a series of things which happen or follow one after the other

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the sequence of events that led to his death sequin /ˈsiːkwɪn/ noun a small round shiny metal ornament, sewn onto clothes serene /sɪˈriːn/ adj calm, not worried sergeant /ˈsɑːʤənt/ noun a noncommis-sioned officer in the army, or an officer of low rank in the police sergeant major /ˈsɑːʤənt/ / ˈmeɪʤə/ noun a non-commissioned officer of middle rank in the army and some other armed forces serial /ˈsɪərɪəl/ noun a story that is broadcast on TV or radio in separate parts serial number /ˈsɪərɪəl/ / ˈnʌmbə/ noun a num-ber that is given to something such as a piece of equipment or a bank note so that it can be identified series /ˈsɪəriːz/ noun 1. a group of things which come one after the other in order 2. TV or radio programmes which are broadcast at the same time each week a series of lectures serious /ˈsɪərɪəs/ adj 1. not funny or not joking 2. im-

portant and possibly dangerous 3. carefully planned seriously /ˈsɪərɪəsli/ adv 1. in a serious way 2. to a great extent seriousness /ˈsɪərɪəsnɪs/ noun the fact of being serious sermon /ˈsɜːmən/ noun a talk given by a priest in church to deliver/give a sermon serotonin noun a chemical in your body which affects your moods and the sending of mes-sages through your nerves serpent /ˈsɜːpənt/ noun a snake a serpent

servant /ˈsɜːvənt/ noun a person who is paid to work for a family serve /sɜːv/ verb 1. to give food or drink to someone 2. to go with a dish 3. to help a customer, e.g. in a shop. 4. to start a point by hitting the ball, in sports such as tennis 520

and squash server /ˈsɜːvə/ noun a dedicated com-puter or program which pro-vides a function to a network service /ˈsɜːvɪs/ noun 1. a facility which the public needs 2. the act of serving or helping The food was nice, but the service wasn’t very good. someone in a shop or res-taurant 3. a regular check of a machine 4. a group of people working together 5. a time when you work for a company or organization or in the armed forces 6. a religious ceremony 7. (in games like tennis) the action of hitting the ball first. service verb to keep a machine in good working order service charge noun a charge added to a bill in a restaurant to pay for service serviceman /ˈsɜːvɪsmæn/ noun a male member of the army, navy or air force services /ˈsɜːvɪsɪz/ noun an area next to a motorway with a service station, restaurants and some-times a hotel service station /ˈsɜːvɪs/ /

ˈsteɪʃən/ noun a garage where you can buy petrol and have small repairs done to a car servicewoman /ˈsɜːvɪs/ / ˈwʊmən/ noun a woman member of the army, navy or air force serviette /ˌsɜːvɪˈɛt/ noun a square piece of cloth or paper used to pro-tect clothes and wipe your mouth at meals serving /ˈsɜːvɪŋ/ noun an amount of food served to one person a large serving of rice sesame /ˈsɛsəmi/ noun a plant with small flat seeds that are used in cooking, sometimes scattered on top of bread or cakes, or to make oil session /ˈsɛʃən/ noun the time when an activity is taking place set /sɛt/ noun a group of things which go together, which are used together or which are sold together. set /sɛt/ verb 1. to put something somewhere, usually 2. to fix something 3. to make some-thing happen 4. to go down

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The next meeting is set for 6 February. set about /sɛt/ /əˈbaʊt/ phrasal verb to start to do something set aside /sɛt/ /əˈsaɪd/ phrasal verb 1. to dismiss or reject something 2. to save something and keep it for future use set back /sɛt/ /bæk/ phrasal verb 1. to de-lay something or make some-thing late 2. to place something further back The heavy traffic set us back about half an hour. set down /sɛt/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb 1. to let passengers get off 2. to put something in set in /sɛt/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb to start and become permanent set off /sɛt/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb 1. to begin a trip 2. to start something hap-pening set out /sɛt/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb 1. to begin a journey 2. to explain some-thing clearly 3. to aim to do something set to /sɛt/ /tuː/ phrasal verb to start to work hard set up /sɛt/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to estab-lish something 2. to deceive someone deliberately

setback /ˈsɛtbæk/ noun a problem which makes something late or stops something going ahead The project has suffered a series of setbacks this year. set piece /sɛt/ /piːs/ noun an action which is carefully planned in advance settee /sɛˈtiː/ noun a long seat with a soft back where several people can sit setting /ˈsɛtɪŋ/ noun the background for a story settle /ˈsɛtl/ verb 1. to arrange or agree something 2. to place yourself in a comfortable po-sition 3. to fall to the ground, or to the bottom of something, gently to settle a dispute settle down /ˈsɛtl/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb 1. to place yourself in a comfortable position 2. to change to a calmer way of life without many changes of house or much travelling settle for /ˈsɛtl/ /fɔː/ phrasal verb to choose or to decide on some-thing which is not quite what you want settle in /ˈsɛtl/ /ɪn/ phrasal

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verb to be-come accustomed to something new such as a house or job settlement /ˈsɛtlmənt/ noun 1. the pay-ment of a bill 2. an agreement in a dispute 3. a place where a group of people come to live a peace settlement settler /ˈsɛtlə/ noun a person who goes to live in a new country set-top box /sɛt/-/tɒp/ /bɒks/ noun a device shaped like a box, which is used to operate cable television setup /ˈsɛtʌp/ noun 1. the way some-thing is organised 2. an action taken to deceive someone sever /ˈsɛvə/ verb to cut offs Two of her fingers were severed in the accident. several /ˈsɛvrəl/ adj, pron more than a few, but not a lot severe /sɪˈvɪə/ adj 1. very strict 2. hav-ing a very bad effect severely /sɪˈvɪəli/ adv 1. strictly 2. to a great extent sew /səʊ/ verb to attach, make or repair something by using a needle and

A

thread

to sew

sewage /ˈsju(ː)ɪʤ/ noun waste water and other waste from toilets, car-ried away in pipes under the ground sewer /ˈsəʊə/ noun a large pipe which takes waste water and refuse away from buildings sewing /ˈsəʊɪŋ/ noun things such as clothes which someone is in the process of sewing sewn /səʊn/ past participle of sew sex /sɛks/ noun 1. one of two groups, male and female, into which animals and plants can be divided 2. physical activity which, between a man and a woman, could cause a baby to develop sex appeal /sɛks/ /əˈpiːl/ noun the fact of being attractive to the opposite sex sexism /ˈsɛksɪz(ə)m/ noun

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unfair treatment because of a person’s sex sex life /sɛks/ /laɪf/ noun the part of some-one’s life that involves their sexual relationships sex offender /sɛks/ /əˈfɛndə/ noun a person who commits a crime involv-ing sex sexual /ˈsɛksjʊəl/ adj relating to the activ-ity of having sex sexual intercourse /ˈsɛksjʊəl/ /ˈɪntə(ː)kɔːs/ noun the act in which a man puts his pe-nis inside a woman’s vagina sexuality /ˌsɛkʃʊˈæləti/ noun sexual feelings or activity sexually /ˈsɛksjʊəli/ adv in a sexual way sexual orientation /ˈsɛksjʊəl/ / ˌɔːrɪɛnˈteɪʃən/ noun attrac-tion to someone of the opposite sex, of the same sex or both sex worker /sɛks/ /ˈwɜːkə/ noun a person who gets paid to have sex with peo-ple or who appears in porno-graphic films or photographs sexy /ˈsɛksi/ adj sexually attractive sh interj used to ask for silence shabby /ˈʃæbi/ adj (of clothes) used about clothes which are of poor quality or

look worn out shack /ʃæk/ noun a rough wooden shelter shackle /ˈʃækl/ verb to fasten some-one to something or to another person with a chain shade /ʃeɪd/ noun 1. a variety of a particular colour 2. a dark place which is not in the sun I’d prefer to sit in the shade. shadow /ˈʃædəʊ/ noun a dark place be-hind an object where light is cut off by the object shadowy /ˈʃædəʊi/ adj not easily seen or not well known shady /ˈʃeɪdi/ adj 1. out of the light of the sun 2. not honest shaft /ʃɑːft/ noun 1. the long handle of a tool such as a spade 2. a thin beam of light 3. a deep hole connecting one place to another a ventilation shaft shaggy /ˈʃægi/ adj long and untidy shake /ʃeɪk/ verb to move something from side to side or up and down shake off /ʃeɪk/ /ɒf/ phrasal

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verb to get rid of something, usually some-thing unpleasant shakeup /ˈʃeɪkˈʌp/ noun a total reorgani-sation shaky /ˈʃeɪki/ adj 1. not very safe, not very reliable 2. feeling weak shaky hands shall /ʃæl/ modal verb 1. used to make the future tense 2. used to show a suggestion shallot /ʃəˈlɒt/ noun a type of small onion shallow /ˈʃæləʊ/ adj not far from top to bottom sham /ʃæm/ noun a person or thing which is false Newspapers have described their marriage as a sham. shambles /ˈʃæmblz/ noun 1. a complete lack of organisation 2. a mess shame /ʃeɪm/ noun the bad feeling you get when you know you have done something wrong or cruel which you should not have done shameful /ˈʃeɪmfʊl/ adj extremely im-moral or dishonest, causing shame shameless /ˈʃeɪmlɪs/ adj not ashamed

shampoo /ʃæmˈpuː/ noun 1. liquid soap for washing your hair or for washing things such as carpets or cars 2. the action of washing the hair shanty /ˈʃænti/ town noun a large group of huts belonging to poor people shape /ʃeɪp/ noun the form of how something looks shape /ʃeɪp/ verb to make into a cer-tain form shaped /ʃeɪpt/ adj with a certain shape a heart-shaped cake shapeless /ˈʃeɪplɪs/ adj with no definite shape shapely /ˈʃeɪpli/ adj with an attractive shape share /ʃeə/ noun a part of something that is divided between two or more people. share verb 1. also share out to divide up some-thing among several people 2. to use something which someone else also uses She shares a house with Paul. shareholder /ˈʃeəˌhəʊldə/ noun a person who owns shares in a compa-ny shareware /ʃeə/ /weə/ noun computer software which you try for a short period

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before deciding if you want to buy the right to use it sharia /ʃəˈriːə/ noun Islamic religious law, based on the teaching of the Koran shark /ʃɑːk/ noun a large dangerous fish which lives in the sea and can kill people sharp /ʃɑːp/ adj 1. with an edge or point which can easily cut or pass through something 2. sud-den and great 3. bitter 4. quick to notice things. a sharp knife sharp /ʃɑːp/ adv 1. exactly 2. sudden-ly, at an angle sharpen /ˈʃɑːpən/ verb to make some-thing sharp shatter /ˈʃætə/ verb 1. to break into little pieces 2. to destroy, to up-set violently shattered /ˈʃætəd/ adj 1. very upset 2. very tired shave /ʃeɪv/ noun the act of cutting off the hair on your face with a razor. shaving cream/foam shave /ʃeɪv/ verb 1. to cut off the hair on your face with a razor 2. to cut the hair on your head or, on a part of your body, so that it is very short

shaver /ˈʃeɪvə/ noun an electrical tool used for cutting hair off the body shavings /ˈʃeɪvɪŋz/ plural noun small thin slices of something such as wood or cheese, cut off with a knife shawl /ʃɔːl/ noun a large square of warm material for wearing around the shoulders or head

a shawl

she /ʃiː/ pron used for referring to a female person, a female animal and sometimes to cars, ships and countries sheaf /ʃiːf/ noun 1. a large pile of papers 2. a collection of the stems of plants, such as wheat, tied together after cutting shears /ʃɪəz/ plural noun very large scissors, used for cutting plants or for cutting the wool off sheep sheath /ʃiːθ/ noun a cover for a weapon such as a knife 526

sheaves /ʃiːvz/ plural of sheaf shed /ʃɛd/ noun a small wooden building. a garden shed shed /ʃɛd/ verb to lose something which you are carrying or wear-ing sheen /ʃiːn/ noun an extremely shiny surface sheep /ʃiːp/ noun a common farm animal, which gives wool and meat sheepdog /ˈʃiːpdɒg/ noun a dog trained and used to control sheep sheepish /ˈʃiːpɪʃ/ adj embarrassed and showing that you are ashamed sheepskin /ˈʃiːpskɪn/ noun the skin of a sheep, with the wool still on it, used to make something such as a coat or a floor covering sheer /ʃɪə/ adj 1. used for empha-sizing something 2. very steep sheer determination/hard work sheet /ʃiːt/ noun 1. a large piece of thin cloth which is put on a bed, either to lie on or to cover you 2. a large flat piece of some-thing such as paper, metal, ice or plastic

sheeting /ˈʃiːtɪŋ/ noun thin material used for covering things shelf /ʃɛlf/ noun a flat piece of wood at-tached to a wall or in a cupboard on which things can be put shelf life /ʃɛlf/ /laɪf/ noun the number of days or weeks that a product can be kept in a shop and still be good to use shell /ʃɛl/ noun 1. the hard outside part which covers some animals such as snails or tortoises 2. the hard outside part of an egg or a nut 3. a metal tube which is fired from a gun and explodes when it hits something an egg shell shellfish /ˈʃɛlfɪʃ/ noun sea animals, such as crabs and oysters, which have a hard outer covering and which can be eaten

a crab (shellfish)

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Shelter /ˈʃɛltə/ noun 1. protection 2. a structure or building which protects you from bad weather or danger.

We took shelter from the rain in a doorway.

Shelter /ˈʃɛltə/ verb to go somewhere for protection shelve /ʃɛlv/ verb 1. to put back to a later date 2. to slope down shelving /ˈʃɛlvɪŋ/ noun 1. rows of shelves 2. the act of delaying something such as a plan to do something shenanigans / ʃɪˈnæn.ɪ.ɡənz/ noun behaviour that is dishonest or immoral, but often in a way that can be interesting or funny shepherd /ˈʃɛpəd/ verb to take people somewhere moving them as a group sheriff /ˈʃɛrɪf/ noun an official in charge of justice in a particular part of a state sherry /ˈʃɛri/ noun a type of strong wine, made in Spain shield /ʃiːld/ noun a large flat object carried by people, such as police officers. for protection from attack. shield /ʃiːld/ verb to protect some-one or something

from being reached or seen shift /ʃɪft/ noun a change of something such as position or direction.

There has been a dramatic shift in public opinion on this matter. shift /ʃɪft/ verb to change position or direction shift /ʃɪft/ key noun the key which changes characters on a key-board to capital letters shifty /ˈʃɪfti/ adj not looking honest Shiite /ˈʃiː.aɪt/ noun a follower of the Shia branch of Islam shimmer /ˈʃɪmə/ verb to shine softly with light in a way which is not steady shin /ʃɪn/ noun the front part of your leg below the knee shine /ʃaɪn/ verb 1. to be bright with light 2. to make light fall on something The sun was shining brightly through the window. shingle /ˈʃɪŋgl/ noun 1. a mass of small stones on a beach 2. a small flat piece of something, such as wood, which is fixed on a wall or roof as a covering

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Shinto / ˈʃɪn.təʊ/ noun a Japanese reli-gion with many gods and spir-its of the natural world shiny /ˈʃaɪni/ adj which shines ship /ʃɪp/ noun a large boat for carrying passengers and goods on the sea

ship

shipbuilder /ˈʃɪpˌbɪldə/ noun a person or business that makes ships shipment /ˈʃɪpmənt/ noun 1. the send-ing of goods 2. goods which are sent somewhere by ship or other means of transport The first shipments of food arrived this month. shipping /ˈʃɪpmənt/ noun 1. the sending of goods 2. ships shipwreck /ˈʃɪprɛk/ noun an accident which sinks a ship shipyard /ˈʃɪpjɑːd/ noun a factory where ships are built shirk /ʃɜːk/ verb to try not

to do something, especially work shirt /ʃɜːt/ noun a light piece of cloth-ing which you wear on the top part of the body shiver /ˈʃɪvə/ to shake with cold or fear She shivered with cold. shoal /ʃəʊl/ noun 1. a bank of sand under the water 2. a group of fish swimming about shock /ʃɒk/ noun a sudden unpleas-ant surprise. shock /ʃɒk/ verb to give someone a sudden unpleasant surprise shocked /ʃɒkt/ adj having an un-pleasant surprise shocking /ˈʃɒkɪŋ/ adj very unpleasant, which gives someone a sudden surprise This report contains scenes that some people may find shocking. shock wave /ʃɒk/ /weɪv/ noun a strong emotional feeling after some-thing has happened shoddy /ˈʃɒdi/ adj badly done, badly made shoe /ʃuː/ noun a piece of clothing which is worn on your foot shoelace /ˈʃuːleɪs/ noun a

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string for ty-ing up shoes shoestring /ˈʃuːstrɪŋ/ noun on a shoe-string done with only a little money shone /ʃɒn/ past tense and past par-ticiple of shine shoo /ʃuː/ verb to make an animal or a person go somewhere by waving your hands at them shook /ʃʊk/ past tense of shake shoot /ʃuːt/ noun a new growth of a plant, growing from a seed or from a branch. bamboo shoots shoo /ʃuːt/ verb 1. to fire a gun 2. to hit or kill by firing a 3. to go very fast 4. to aim a ball at the goal shoot down /ʃuːt/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb to make an aircraft crash by hit-ting it with bullets from a gun shoot up /ʃuːt/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to go up fast 2. to grow fast shooting /ˈʃuːtɪŋ/ noun the action of shooting or killing with a gun a fatal shooting shooting star /ˈʃuːtɪŋ/ /stɑː/ noun a small rock which

travels very fast through space and shines brightly shoot-out /ʃuːt/-/aʊt/ noun a fight with guns shop /ʃɒp/ noun a place where you can buy things. shop /ʃɒp/ verb to look for and buy things in shops a shoe shop shop around /ʃɒp/ /əˈraʊnd/ phrasal verb to go to various shops for buying things shop assistant /ʃɒp/ /əˈsɪstənt/ noun a person who serves the customers in a shop shopkeeper /ˈʃɒpˌkiːpə/ noun a person who owns a shop shoplifter /ˈʃɒpˌlɪftə/ noun a person who steals things from shops shoplifting /ˈʃɒpˌlɪftɪŋ/ noun stealing from shops shopper /ˈʃɒpə/ noun a person who buys things from shops shopping /ˈʃɒpɪŋ/ noun 1. the activity of buying things in a shop 2. things which you have bought in a shop I love shopping. shopping centre /ˈʃɒpɪŋ/ / ˈsɛntə/ noun a build-ing with several different shops and restaurants, togeth-er with a

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car park shopping mall /ˈʃɒpɪŋ/ /mɔːl/ noun an en-closed covered shopping area with shops, restaurants, banks and other facilities shore /ʃɔː/ noun land at the edge of the sea or a lake shore up /ʃɔːr/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to hold something up which might fall down shoreline /ˈʃɔːˌlaɪn/ noun the area along the edge of the sea or a lake, where water meets land short /ʃɔːt/ adj 1. (of size or length) not long 2. (of distance) not far 3. (of time) not lasting a long time 4. (of height) not tall short legs shortage /ˈʃɔːtɪʤ/ noun the fact that you do not have something you need shortcoming /ʃɔːtˈkʌmɪŋ/ noun a fault that reduces the effectiveness of something or someone short cut /ʃɔːt/ /kʌt/ noun 1. a way which is shorter than usual 2. a quick-er way of doing something shorten /ˈʃɔːtn/ verb to make shorter

Smoking shortens your life. shortfall /ˈʃɔːtˌfɔːl/ noun an amount which is missing from a total shorthand /ˈʃɔːthænd/ noun a way of writ-ing using a system of signs shortlist /ˈʃɔːtlɪst/ noun a list of some of the people who have applied for a job, and who have been cho-sen to come for an interview shortlived /ˌʃɔːtˈlɪvd/ adj which does not last for a long time shortly /ˈʃɔːtli/ adv soon short-range /ʃɔːt/-/reɪnʤ/ adj which covers a short distance or a short time shorts /ʃɔːts/ plural noun short trou-sers for men or women, that stop above the knees T-shirt and shorts shortsighted /ˌʃɔːtˈsaɪtɪd/ adj 1. able to see close objects clearly, but not objects which are further away 2. not thinking about what may happen in the future short story /ʃɔːt/ /ˈstɔːri/ noun a piece of fiction which is much shorter than a novel short-term /ʃɔːt/-/tɜːm/ adj for

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a short pe-riod only short wave /ʃɔːt/ /weɪv/ noun a radio com-munications frequency below 60 metres. shot /ʃɒt/ noun 1. the action of shooting 2. a kick or hit to try to score a goal Three shots were fired. shotgun /ˈʃɒtgʌn/ noun a gun which fires small pellets should /ʃʊd/ modal verb 1. used in giving advice or warnings for saying what is the best thing to do 2. used to say what you ex-pect to happen 3. used to show a possibility 4. same as would (formal) shoulder /ˈʃəʊldə/ noun the part of the body at the top of the arm He put his arm around my shoulder. shoulder

shoulder blade /ˈʃəʊldə/ /

bleɪd/ noun one of two large flat bones covering the top part of your back shout /ʃaʊt/ noun a loud cry. shout /ʃaʊt/ verb to make a loud cry or to speak very loudly shove /ʃʌv/ noun a sudden push. shove /ʃʌv/ verb to push someone or something roughly shove off /ʃʌv/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb (infor-mal ) 1. to leave 2. to go away shovel /ˈʃʌvl/ noun a tool with a long handle and a wide flat part for picking up things such as earth or stones show /ʃəʊ/ noun 1. an exhibition, things which are arranged for people to look at 2. Something which is on at a theatre. show /ʃəʊ/ verb 1. to let some-one see something 2. to point something out to someone 3. to be seen, to be obvious Show me your photos. show off /ʃəʊ/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb 1. to show how much better than other people you think you are 2. to let

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a lot of people see something which you are proud of show up /ʃəʊ/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to do something which shows other people to be worse than you 2. to be seen clearly 3. to come to or arrive in a place (informal ) showbiz /ˈʃəʊbɪz/ noun same as show business (informal ) show business /ʃəʊ/ /ˈbɪznɪs/ noun the busi-ness of providing entertain-ment for people showcase /ˈʃəʊkeɪs/ noun 1. a cupboard with a glass front or top to display objects 2. an event de-signed to make someone or something known to the pub-lic The exhibition acts as a showcase for British design. showdown /ˈʃəʊdaʊn/ noun a final argu-ment which will solve a serious disagreement shower /ˈʃaʊə/ noun 1. a slight fall of rain or snow 2. a piece of equipment in a bathroom, usu-ally fixed high up on the wall, which sends out water to wash your whole body 3. an occa-sion when you wash your body with a shower

showing /ˈʃəʊɪŋ/ noun a result which shows how well or badly you are doing There’s a repeat showing of Wednesday’s episode on Saturday morning. showman /ˈʃəʊmən/ noun an entertainer, especially one who performs in a very skilled and exciting way shown /ʃəʊn/ past participle of show show-off /ʃəʊ/-/ɒf/ noun a person who shows off (informal ) showpiece /ʃəʊ/ /piːs/ noun the most im-portant object in a collection or an exhibition of its type showroom /ˈʃəʊrʊm/ noun a room or shop where goods are arranged for sale showy /ˈʃəʊi/ adj which attracts atten-tion because of its bright co-lours or shiny surface shrank /ʃræŋk/ past tense of shrink shrapnel /ˈʃræpnl/ noun pieces of metal from a shell or bomb which has exploded shred /ʃrɛd/ noun a long narrow piece torn off something.

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shred /ʃrɛd/ verb 1. to tear or cut pa-per into long thin pieces, which can then be thrown away or used as packing material 2. to cut something into very thin pieces She tore the letter to shreds. shredder /ˈʃrɛdə/ noun a machine for shredding paper shrewd /ʃruːd/ adj clever or wise shriek /ʃriːk/ verb to make the sound of a shriek shrill /ʃrɪl/ adj 1. which has a harsh high sound 2. loud and com-plaining shrimp /ʃrɪmp/ noun an almost trans-parent little shellfish with a tail shrine /ʃraɪn/ noun a place which is visited to remember a holy per-son or someone who has died shrink /ʃrɪŋk/ verb 1. to make some-thing smaller 2. to get smaller My shirt shrank in the wash. shrinkage /ˈʃrɪŋkɪʤ/ noun the action of shrinking shrivel /ˈʃrɪvl/ verb to make the sur-face of something become dry and creased, or to become like this

shroud /ʃraʊd/ noun a long cloth cov-ering a dead body. shroud /ʃraʊd/ verb to cover shrub /ʃrʌb/ noun a small plant with stiff stems shrubbery /ˈʃrʌbəri/ noun a part of a garden where shrubs grow shrug /ʃrʌg/ verb to make the move-ment of a shrug with your shoulders I told him we weren’t happy with it but he just shrugged his shoulders. shrug /ʃrʌg/ off phrasal verb to treat something as if it is not some-thing to worry about shrunk /ʃrʌŋk/ past participle of shrink shrunken /ˈʃrʌŋkən/ adj wrinkled and dried up shudder /ˈʃʌdə/ verb to shake violently with fear shuffle /ˈʃʌfl/ verb 1. to walk drag-ging your feet along the ground 2. to mix the playing cards be-fore starting a game shun /ʃʌn/ verb to avoid She has always shunned publicity. shunt /ʃʌnt/ verb 1. to put someone or something into 534

a less impor-tant place 2. to move a vehicle backwards and forwards shush /ʃʌʃ/ interj be quiet! shut /ʃʌt/ adj not open. shut /ʃʌt/ verb 1. to close something which is open 2. to close for business He lay back and shut his eyes. shut down /ʃʌt/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb 1. to close completely 2. to switch off an electrical system shut in /ʃʌt/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb to lock someone inside a place shut off /ʃʌt/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb 1. to switch something off 2. to stop access to shut out /ʃʌt/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb 1. to lock someone outside a place 2. to stop light getting inside, or to stop people seeing inside 3. to stop thinking about something shut up /ʃʌt/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to close something inside a place 2. an impolite way of telling some-one to stop talking or to stop making a noise shutdown /ˈʃʌtdaʊn/ noun the action of shutting down shutter /ˈʃʌtə/ noun 1. a folding wooden or metal cover

for a window 2. the part of a camera which opens and closes very quickly to allow the light to go on to the film shuttle /ˈʃʌtl/ noun 1. a means of transport which goes frequently from one place to another and back again 2. a small object for holding thread and which takes the thread backwards and forwards when weaving or sew-ing with a machine.

There’s a shuttle service between the airport and the city centre. shuttle /ˈʃʌtl/ verb to go between two places frequently shuttlecock /ˈʃʌtlkɒk/ noun a light little object with feathers stuck in it, which players hit over a net in badminton

shuttlecock

shy /ʃaɪ/ adj nervous and afraid to speak or do something He was too shy to say any-

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thing to her. sibling /ˈsɪblɪŋ/ noun a brother or sister sick /sɪk/ adj 1. not in good health 2. involving subjects or behav-ior that many people are upset or offended They provide care for the sick. sick up /sɪk/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to bring up food from your stomach into your mouth (informal ) sicken /ˈsɪkn/ verb to make someone feel extremely upset sickening /ˈsɪknɪŋ/ adj making you up-set or nervous sick leave /sɪk/ /liːv/ noun a period when an employee is away from work because of illness sickly /ˈsɪkli/ adj not healthy a sickly child sickness /ˈsɪknɪs/ noun 1. the feeling of wanting to bring up food from the stomach into the mouth 2. not being well side /saɪd/ noun 1. one of the four parts which with the top and bottom make a solid object such as a box 2. one of the two parts which with the front and back make

a building 3. one of the surfaces of a flat object 4. one of two or more parts or edg-es of something 5. one of two parts separated by something 6. a sports team 7. the part of the body between the top of the legs and the shoulder sideboard /ˈsaɪdbɔːd/ noun a large piece of furniture made like a table with a cupboard underneath and used for storing objects such as plates, cups and glasses side effect /saɪd/ /ɪˈfɛkt/ noun an effect pro-duced by a medical treatment such as a drug, which is not the main effect intended Headaches are one side effect of this drug. sidekick /ˈsaɪdˌkɪk/ noun someone who works as a helper for another person (informal ) sidelight /ˈsaɪdlaɪt/ noun one of the small lights on each side of the front of a car sideline /ˈsaɪdlaɪn/ noun a business which you carry out in addition to your usual job He works in a bank but teaches English as a sideline.

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sidelong /ˈsaɪdlɒŋ/ adj from one side sideshow /ˈsaɪdʃəʊ/ noun 1. a small stall with a game of skill at an event such as a fair 2. an activity that is less important than another activity connected with it sidestep /ˈsaɪdstɛp/ verb to avoid some-thing unpleasant (informal) side street /saɪd/ /striːt/ noun a small street which leads off a main street sidetrack /ˈsaɪdtræk/ verb to attract some-one’s attention away from a more important problemside-walk Sorry, I was talking about staffing and I got sidetracked. sidewalk /ˈsaɪdwɔːk/ noun a pavement sideways /ˈsaɪdweɪz/ adv to the side or from the side sidle /ˈsaɪdl/ verb to walk in a way which shows you are slightly afraid and not go directly for-wards siege /siːʤ/ noun an act of surround-ing an enemy town or castle with an army to prevent sup-plies getting in, and so, force

the people inside to come out and stop fighting The city is under siege from rebel forces. siesta /sɪˈɛstə/ noun a rest period in the middle of the day, especially common in Mediterranean countries sieve /sɪv/ noun an object used in the kitchen, made of a frame with a metal or plastic net, used to pour through liquids or substances such as flour, in order to remove lumps or sepa-rate some of the parts

a sieve

sift /sɪft/ verb to sieve something sift through /sɪft/ /θruː/ phrasal verb to ex-amine something carefully sigh /saɪ/ noun a long deep breath, showing feelings such as sad-ness or showing that you feel tired. sigh /saɪ/ verb to breathe

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with a sigh sight /saɪt/ noun 1. one of the five senses, being able to see 2. the fact of being able to see some-thing 3. something, especially something famous, which you ought to see Doctors managed to save his sight. sighted /ˈsaɪtɪd/ adj able to see sighting /ˈsaɪtɪŋ/ noun an occasion when you see someone or something sightseeing /ˈsaɪtˌsiːɪŋ/ noun visiting the sights of a town as a tourist a sightseeing tour of London sign /saɪn/ noun 1. a movement of the hand which means something 2. something such as a draw-ing or a notice which advertises something 3. something which shows that something is hap-pening or has happened 4. a printed character. sign /saɪn/ verb to write your name in a special way on a document to show that you have written it or that you have approved it sign on /saɪn/ /ɒn/ phrasal verb 1. to start work 2. to start drawing unem-ployment benefit

signal /ˈsɪgnl/ noun 1. a sign or move-ment which tells someone to do something 2. a device used to tell someone to do some-thing signal /ˈsɪgnl/ verb to make signs to tell someone to do something Don’t move until I give the signal. signatory /ˈsɪgnətəri/ noun a person who signs a contract signature /ˈsɪgnɪʧə/ noun a name written in a special way by someone to show that a document has been authorised or accepted significance /sɪgˈnɪfɪkəns/ noun 1. meaning 2. importance I still don’t understand the significance of his remark. significant /sɪgˈnɪfɪkənt/ adj important or noticeable signify /ˈsɪgnɪfaɪ/ verb 1. to mean 2. to be important signing /ˈsaɪnɪŋ/ noun 1. the action of putting your signature on a document 2. a footballer who has just moved to a new club sign language /saɪn/ /ˈlæŋgwɪʤ/ noun signs made with the hands and fin-gers, used

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for communicating by people who are not able to hear or speak very well signpost /ˈsaɪnpəʊst/ noun a post with signs showing directions to places signpost /ˈsaɪnpəʊst/ verb to put signposts along a road to show direc-tions silence /ˈsaɪləns/ noun a situation which is quiet, without any noise No sound broke the silence of the wintry landscape. silent /ˈsaɪlənt/ adj not talking or mak-ing any noise silhouette /ˌsɪlu(ː)ˈɛt/ noun a black shape of a person or thing against a light background silicon /ˈsɪlɪkən/ noun a chemical el-ement which is used in the electronics industry because of its semiconductor proper-ties a silicon chip silicon chip /ˈsɪlɪkən/ /ʧɪp/ noun a small piece of silicon able to store data, used in a computer silk /sɪlk/ noun cloth made from fi-bres produced by insects sill /sɪl/ noun a flat shelf

below a window, either inside or out-side silly /ˈsɪli/ adj stupid in an annoying way silo /ˈsaɪləʊ/ noun 1. a large container for storing crops such as grain 2. a deep hole in the ground in which missiles are kept silt /sɪlt/ noun soft mud which settles at the bottom of water silver /ˈsɪlvə/ noun 1. a precious grey metal often used for making jewellery 2. a shiny grey colour, like silver silver and gold silver /ˈsɪlvə/ adj of a shiny grey co-lour, like silver silver medal /ˈsɪlvə/ /ˈmɛdl/ noun the prize given to someone who finishes in second place in a race or competition silverware /ˈsɪlvəweə/ noun silver objects, especially things such as knives and forks silver wedding /ˈsɪlvə/ / ˈwɛdɪŋ/ noun an anni-versary of 25 years of marriage similar /ˈsɪmɪlə/ adj very much like someone or something but not exactly the same

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The two houses are remarkably similar. similarity /ˌsɪmɪˈlærɪti/ noun being similar similarly /ˈsɪmɪləli/ adv in a similar way simile /ˈsɪmɪli/ noun a comparison of one thing to another, using ‘like’ or ‘as’, e.g. ‘as flat as a pan-cake.’ simmer /ˈsɪmə/ verb to cook by boil-ing gently simmer down /ˈsɪmə/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb to become calmer after being very annoyed simple /ˈsɪmpl/ adj 1. easy to do or un-derstand 2. not unusual, spe-cial or complicated It’s very simple to use. simplicity /sɪmˈplɪsɪti/ noun the quality of being simple simplify /ˈsɪmplɪfaɪ/ verb to make some-thing simple simplistic /sɪmˈplɪstɪk/ adj too simple, so simple as to seem foolish simply /ˈsɪmpli/ adv 1. in a simple way 2. only 3. used for emphasis We simply don’t have the time. simulate /ˈsɪmjʊleɪt/ verb to

copy the way something behaves, or the way something happens simulation /ˌsɪmjʊˈleɪʃən/ noun an operation in which a computer is made to copy a real life situation or a machine, showing how something works or will work in the future simulator /ˈsɪmjʊleɪtə/ noun a piece of equipment that simulates something else simultaneous /ˌsɪməlˈteɪnjəs/ adj happening at the same time as something else simultaneous translation sin /sɪn/ noun 1. an evil action which goes against the rules of a reli-gion 2. something bad sin /sɪn/ verb to commit a sin, to do something evil since /sɪns/ prep during the period after 1. during the period after 2. because sincere /sɪnˈsɪə/ adj very honest and real, not false or pretended He seems to be sincere. sincerely /sɪnˈsɪəli/ adv honestly or re-ally sincerity /sɪnˈsɛrɪti/ noun honesty

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sing /sɪŋ/ verb to make music with your voice singe /sɪnʤ/ verb to burn the outside of something singer /ˈsɪŋə/ noun a person who sings a jazz singer a singer

single /ˈsɪŋgl/ adj 1. one alone 2. for one person only 3. not mar-ried single out /ˈsɪŋgl/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb to no-tice or choose one person or thing among several single currency /ˈsɪŋgl/ / ˈkʌrənsi/ noun one sys-tem of money which is shared by several countries single-handed /ˈsɪŋgl/-/ ˈhændɪd/ adj, adv all by yourself a single-handed round-theworld yacht race single-minded /ˈsɪŋgl/-/ ˈmaɪndɪd/ adj thinking only

of one thing single parent /ˈsɪŋgl/ / ˈpeərənt/ noun one parent who is bringing up a child or children alone singly /ˈsɪŋgli/ adv one by one singular /ˈsɪŋgjʊlə/ adj showing that there is only one thing or person singularly /ˈsɪŋgjʊləli/ adv 1. strangely 2. particularly Fulbright was singularly uninterested in his comments. sinister /ˈsɪnɪstə/ adj which looks evil, which suggests that something bad will happen sink /sɪŋk/ noun a fixed container for water in which you wash things such as dishes in a kitchen sink /sɪŋk/ verb 1. to go down to the bottom of something such as water or mud 2. to fall sud-denly sink in /sɪŋk/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb to become fixed in the mind sinking feeling /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/ / ˈfiːlɪŋ/ noun a sudden feeling of disappointment you get when you realise that something has gone wrong sinner /ˈsɪnə/ noun someone 541

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who does something that is morally wrong sinus /ˈsaɪnəs/ noun an empty space inside the body, especially the spaces inside your head behind the cheekbone and nose sip /sɪp/ noun the act of drinking a small amount She sipped her champagne. sip /sɪp/ verb to drink something taking only a small amount at a time siphon /ˈsaɪfən/ verb to remove liquid by using a bent tube to direct it to another sir /sɜː/ noun 1. a polite way of speaking to a man, e.g. a man who is a customer in a shop 2. the title given to a knight siren /ˈsaɪərən/ noun a piece of equip-ment which makes a loud warn-ing signal sister /ˈsɪstə/ noun 1. a girl or woman who has the same father and mother as someone else 2. a senior female nurse in charge of a ward my big/little sister sister-in-law /ˈsɪstərɪnlɔː/ noun 1. the wife of your brother 2. the sister of your husband or wife

sisterly /ˈsɪstəli/ adj, adv relating to or characteristic of a sister, especially in a kind or caring way sit /sɪt/ verb 1. to be resting with your bottom on something 2. (of a bird) to rest sit back /sɪt/ /bæk/ phrasal verb 1. to rest your back against the back of a chair when sitting 2. to do nothing sit down /sɪt/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb to sit on a seat sit on /sɪt/ /ɒn/ phrasal verb 1. to be a member of a committee 2. to do nothing about something that should have been dealt with The mayor is sitting on the fence, saying that he must remain neutral. sit up /sɪt/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to sit with your back straight 2. to move from a lying to a sitting posi-tion 3. to delay going to bed or to go to bed later than usual sitcom /ˈsɪtˌkɒm/ noun a TV comedy se-ries which always takes place in the same place, with the same characters, each week (infor-mal ) site /saɪt/ noun 1. a place 542

where something is or will be 2. a place where something hap-pened, where something once existed the site of a battle sitter /ˈsɪtə/ noun 1. a person who looks after children in a house, while their parents are out 2. a person who poses, while some-one paints or photographs him or her sitting /ˈsɪtɪŋ/ noun a time when a group of people eat together a late-night sitting of parliament sitting room /ˈsɪtɪŋ/ /ruːm/ noun a comfort-able room in a house for sitting in situation /ˌsɪtjʊˈeɪʃən/ noun 1. the position which someone or something is in because of things which have happened 2. a place where something is sixth form /sɪksθ/ /fɔːm/ noun the final two years in a secondary school, with students between 16 and 18 years old size /saɪz/ noun the measurements of something, how big something is, or how many there are of something It’s an area about the size of

Oxford. size up /saɪz/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to judge someone’s qualities sizeable /ˈsaɪzəbl/ adj quite big sizzle /ˈsɪzl/ verb to make a sound like food cooking in oil or fat sizzling /ˈsɪzlɪŋ/ adj very hot (infor-mal) skate /skeɪt/ noun a boot with a blade attached to the bottom which you wear for sliding over skates a pair of skates skate /skeɪt/ verb to move wearing skates skateboard /ˈskeɪtbɔːd/ noun a board with two pairs of wheels under-neath, which you stand on to move about a skateboard

skating /ˈskeɪtɪŋ/ rink noun a special area for skating, or for play-ing games such as

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hockey on skates skeletal /ˈskɛlɪtəl/ adj very thin, like a skeleton skeleton /ˈskɛlɪtn/ noun all the bones which make up a body sketch /skɛʧ/ noun a rough quick drawing sketch /skɛʧ/ verb to make a rough quick drawing of something He did a quick sketch of the cat. sketchbook /ˈskɛʧbʊk/ noun a book of drawing paper for sketching sketchy /ˈskɛʧi/ adj not complete, not full skewed /skjuːd/ adj unbalanced skewer /ˈskjʊə/ noun a long thin met-al or wooden rod for putting through pieces of meat, fish or vegetables when cooking or grilling ski /skiː/ noun one of two long flat objects which are attached to your boots for sliding over snow ski /skiː/ verb to travel on skis skid /skɪd/ verb to slide sideways in a vehicle suddenly because the wheels do not

grip the surface skier /ˈskiːə/ noun a person who goes skiing

skier

skiing /ˈskiːɪŋ/ noun the sport of slid-ing on skis I’d like to go skiing in Switzerland. skilful /ˈskɪlfʊl/ adj showing a lot of skill skilfully /ˈskɪlfʊli/ adv in a skilful way skill /skɪl/ noun the ability to do something You need good communication skills to be a teacher. skilled /skɪld/ adj 1. able to do some-thing well, using a particular skill 2. needing a particular skill skim /skɪm/ verb 1. to remove things floating on a liquid 2. to move quickly over the surface of something skimmed milk /skɪmd/ /mɪlk/

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noun milk from which most of the fat has been removed skimpy /ˈskɪmpi/ adj small, not big enough a skimpy bikini/dress skin /skɪn/ noun 1. the outer surface of the body 2. the outer surface of a fruit or vegetable skinhead /ˈskɪnhɛd/ noun a young man with very short hair or a shaved head, often considered as be-having in an aggressive manner skinny /ˈskɪni/ adj too thin to be at-tractive skip /skɪp/ verb 1. to run along partly hopping and partly jumping 2. to jump over a rope which you turn over your head 3. to miss part of something (informal) skipper /ˈskɪpə/ noun 1. the captain of a ship 2. the captain of a team skirmish /ˈskɜːmɪʃ/ noun a minor fight between opposite sides skirt /skɜːt/ noun a piece of clothing worn by women over the lower part of the body from the waist down ski slope /skiː/ /sləʊp/ noun a specially pre-pared and

marked slope for skiing down a mountain skulk /skʌlk/ verb to creep about mys-teriously because you are plan-ning something wrong skull /skʌl/ noun the bones which are joined together to form the head sky /skaɪ/ noun a space above the earth which is blue during the day and where the moon and stars appear at night The sky suddenly went dark. skydiving /ˈskaɪˌdaɪvɪŋ/ noun the sport of jumping out of a plane with a parachute skylight /ˈskaɪlaɪt/ noun a window in a roof or ceiling skyline /ˈskaɪlaɪn/ noun the shape of buildings seen against the sky skyscraper /ˈskaɪˌskreɪpə/ noun a very tall building slab /slæb/ noun a flat square or rect-angular block of stone or con-crete slack /slæk/ adj 1. not pulled tight or not fitting tightly 2. not busy Suddenly the rope became slack.

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slacken /ˈslækən/ verb 1. to make some-thing looser 2. slacken off to become slower or less busy slag /slæg/ noun the waste material left after metal has been ex-tracted from ore, or after coal has been mined slain /sleɪn/ past participle of slay slalom /ˈsleɪləm/ noun a type of race where you have to zigzag fast between a series of posts slam /slæm/ verb 1. to bang a door shut 2. to shut with a bang 3. to move or hit something with great force Kate heard the front door slam. slander /ˈslɑːndə/ noun an untrue spo-ken statement which damages a person’s reputation slang /slæŋ/ noun popular words or phrases used by certain groups of people, but which are not used in formal situations slant /slɑːnt/ noun a slope. slant /slɑːnt/ verb to slope slanted /ˈslɑːntɪd/ adj 1. sloping 2. bi-asedslap

slap /slæp/ noun a blow given with your hand flat. slap /slæp/ verb 1. to hit someone or something with your hand flat 2. to tap someone or some-thing as a friendly gesture She slapped him across the face. slapstick /ˈslæpstɪk/ noun a rough com-edy which involves such things as knocking people over and throwing water over them slash /slæʃ/ verb to make a long cut in something with a knife, of-ten violently slat /slæt/ noun a thin flat piece of wood slate /sleɪt/ noun a thin piece of this stone used to cover a roof slaughter /ˈslɔːtə/ noun 1. the killing of many people 2. the killing of animals slaughter /ˈslɔːtə/ verb 1. to kill many people or animals at the same time 2. to kill animals for their meat slaughterhouse /ˈslɔːtəhaʊs/ noun a place where animals are killed for meat slave /sleɪv/ noun a person who belongs to someone legally and works for him

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or her without pay He treats his mother like a slave. slave /sleɪv/ verb also slave away to work hard (informal) slavery /ˈsleɪvəri/ noun 1. the state of be-ing a slave 2. the buying and selling of slaves slay /sleɪ/ verb to kill someone or something sleaze / sliːz/ noun behaviour which is disreputable sleazy /ˈsliːzi/ adj dirty or disrepu-table He spent the night drinking in a sleazy bar. sled /slɛd/ noun same as sledge sledge /slɛʤ/ noun a small vehicle with long pieces of wood or metal underneath, for sliding fast over snow sledge /slɛʤ/ verb to go on a sledge; to play at sliding on the snow on a sledge sleek /sliːk/ adj smooth and shiny sleep /sliːp/ verb to rest with your eyes closed not knowing what is happening around you We had to sleep in the car

that night. sleep around /sliːp/ /əˈraʊnd/ phrasal verb to have sexual intercourse with various people (informal ) sleep in /sliːp/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb to sleep later than usual in the morn-ing sleep off /sliːp/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb to get rid of an illness by sleeping sleeper /ˈsliːpə/ noun 1. a person who sleeps 2. a carriage on a train where passengers sleep on long journeys 3. an overnight train with sleeping cars sleeping bag /ˈsliːpɪŋ/ /bæg/ noun a comfort-able warm bag for sleeping in, often used by campers sleepover /ˈsliːpˌəʊvə/ noun a child’s party involving an overnight stay at somebody else’s house sleepwalking /ˈsliːpˌwɔːkɪŋ/ noun getting up and walking about even though you are still asleep sleepy /ˈsliːpi/ adj feeling ready to go to sleep The heat had made me sleepy. sleet /sliːt/ noun snow mixed with rain

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sleeve /sliːv/ noun the part of a piece of clothing which covers your arm sleight of hand noun the quick movements of a conjurer when performing a card trick slender /ˈslɛndə/ adj long and thin, or tall and slim a slender woman with long, red hair slept /slɛpt/ past tense and past parti-ciple of sleep slew /sluː/ past tense of slay slice /slaɪs/ noun a thin piece cut off something to eat slice /slaɪs/ verb 1. to cut something into thin pieces 2. to cut or move through something eas-ily slide /slaɪd/ noun 1. a slippery metal or plastic structure for children to slide down 2. a small piece of film which can be projected onto a screen slide /slaɪd/ verb to move smoothly over a slippery surface He likes sliding on the ice. slight /slaɪt/ adj 1. not very big or noticeable 2. (of people) small and thin slightly /ˈslaɪtli/ adv to only a small ex-tent I think I did slightly better in

my exams this time. slim /slɪm/ adj with a body that is thin in an attractive way slim /slɪm/ verb to eat less food, or eat only special foods, in order to become thin slime /slaɪm/ noun a slippery sub-stance, which covers surfaces slimming /ˈslɪmɪŋ/ noun the process of trying to lose weight, especially by eating less slimy /ˈslaɪmi/ adj covered with some-thing that is unpleasant and slippery sling /slɪŋ/ noun an apparatus made of ropes and pulleys for lifting and carrying goods She had her baby in a sling. sling /slɪŋ/ verb to throw slink /slɪŋk/ verb to creep about in or-der to avoid being noticed slip /slɪp/ verb 1. to push something without being seen 2. to go quickly slip up /slɪp/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to make a silly mistake (informal) slipper /ˈslɪpə/ noun a soft indoor shoe

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slippers /ˈslɪpəz/ noun light comfort-able shoes worn indoors slippers

slippery /ˈslɪpəri/ adj so smooth that one can easily slip and fall Be careful - the floor’s slippery. slippery slope /ˈslɪpəri/ /sləʊp/ noun a danger-ous situation that can get very bad if it is not stopped slip road /slɪp/ /rəʊd/ noun a small road which leads to or from a mo-torway slit /slɪt/ noun a long cut or narrow opening Make a slit in the pastry to allow the steam to escape. slither /ˈslɪðə/ verb 1. to slide about in various directions 2. to move over a surface like a snake sliver /ˈslɪvə/ noun a long thin piece slob /slɒb/ noun a lazy, dirty

person slobber /ˈslɒbə/ verb to let saliva come out of your mouth slog /slɒg/ noun a difficult job slog /slɒg/ verb to walk with diffi-culty We slogged up the hill in silence. slogan /ˈsləʊgən/ noun a phrase which is easy to remember and is used in publicity for a product or for a political party slop /slɒp/ verb (of liquid) to spill Her hand shook, making her tea slop into the saucer. slope /sləʊp/ noun a surface or piece of ground that has one end higher than the other slope /sləʊp/ verb to have one end higher than the other sloppy /ˈslɒpi/ adj 1. untidy 2. loose and untidy 3. badly done 4. stupidly sentimental slosh /slɒʃ/ verb 1. to splash 2. to hit someone or something (infor-mal) Water sloshed over the edge of the pool as the swimmers dived in. slot /slɒt/ noun a long thin hole

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slot machine /slɒt/ /məˈʃiːn/ noun 1. a ma-chine for gambling 2. a ma-chine which provides some-thing such as drinks, food or cigarettes when you put a coin into a slot slouch /slaʊʧ/ verb to stand, sit or walk in a bad position, with bent shoulders slow /sləʊ/ adj 1. needing a long time to do something 2. showing a time which is earlier than the right time I’m making slow progress with the painting. slow down /sləʊ/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb 1. to go more slowly 2. to make something go more slowly slowdown /ˈsləʊdaʊn/ noun a slowing down of business activity slowly /ˈsləʊli/ adv at a slow speed slow motion /sləʊ/ /ˈməʊʃən/ noun showing a film at a slower speed than it was filmed at, so that the action seems to have slowed down sludge /slʌʤ/ noun 1. soft muddy material in a liquid 2. the thick soft part of sewage slug /slʌg/ noun a small bul-

let (infor-mal) sluggish /ˈslʌgɪʃ/ adj 1. reacting slowly 2. slow-moving I felt really sluggish after lunch. sluice /sluːs/ noun a gate which closes a channel for water, especially through a dam sluice /sluːs/ verb to wash something with lots of water slum /slʌm/ noun a crowded, dirty dis-trict inside a large townslumber slumber /ˈslʌmbə/ noun sleep She lay down on the bed and fell into a deep slumber. slump /slʌmp/ noun 1. a rapid fall 2. a period of economic collapse with high unemployment and loss of trade slump /slʌmp/ verb 1. to lose value fast or reduce suddenly 2. to sit or lie down clumsily or heavily slung /slʌŋ/ past tense and past parti-ciple of sling slur /slɜː/ noun an insult slur /slɜː/ verb to speak words indis-tinctly slurp /slɜːp/ verb to drink and make a noise slush /slʌʃ/ noun 1. melting 550

snow 2. sentimental writing (informal) sly /slaɪ/ adj good at doing secret or slightly dishonest things smack /smæk/ verb to hit someone with your hand flat smack /smæk/ noun an act of hitting someone, especially a child, with your hand flat Do you think it’s right to smack children when they’re naughty? small /smɔːl/ adj not large in size or amount small intestine /smɔːl/ / ɪnˈtɛstɪn/ noun the top section of the intestines, lead-ing down from the stomach smallpox /ˈsmɔːlpɒks/ noun formerly a very serious, usually fatal, conta-gious disease, with a severe rash which leaves many small scars on the skin small-scale /smɔːl/-/skeɪl/ adj working in a small way, with few staff and not much money small talk /smɔːl/ /tɔːk/ noun informal con-versation He’s not very good at making small talk. smart /smɑːt/ adj 1. having a neat ap-pearance 2. Intelli-

gent smart /smɑːt/ verb to hurt with a burn-ing feeling smart card /smɑːt/ /kɑːd/ noun a credit card with a microchip, used for withdrawing money from cash machines or buying things smarten /ˈsmɑːtn/ verb to make smart smash /smæʃ/ verb 1. to break into pieces 2. to break something into pieces, often using force or violence 3. to do better than the previous best performance 4. to hit against something violently Thieves smashed the shop window and stole $50,000 worth of computer equipment. smash up /smæʃ/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to break everything in a place smashing /ˈsmæʃɪŋ/ adj very good, fan-tastic smear /smɪə/ noun 1. a dirty mark 2. a small amount of something put on glass for examining under a microscope 3. words about someone which are not true but which are meant to harm his or her reputation

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smear /smɪə/ verb 1. to spread some-thing roughly over a surface 2. to make dirty marks 3. to hurt someone’s reputation by saying things which are not true His shirt was smeared with paint. smell /smɛl/ noun 1. one of the five senses, which you can feel through your nose 2. some-thing which you can sense with your nose smell /smɛl/ verb 1. to notice the smell of something 2. to make a smell 3. to bring your nose close to something to smell it smelly adj which has a nasty smell I think I can smell something burning. smelt /smɛlt/ past tense and past parti-ciple of smell smile /smaɪl/ noun a way of showing that you are pleased, by turning your mouth up at the corners She smiled at me. smile /smaɪl/ verb to show that you are pleased by turning your mouth up at the corners smirk /smɜːk/ verb to give an unpleas-ant smile that shows that you think you are superior to some-one else

smock /smɒk/ noun a long loose over-all worn over clothes to protect them smog /smɒg/ noun pollution of the at-mosphere in towns, caused by warm damp air combined with waste gases from cars smoke /sməʊk/ noun a white, grey or black substance produced by something that is burning I’m just going outside for a smoke. smoke /sməʊk/ verb 1. to produce smoke 2. to breathe in smoke from something such as a ciga-rette smoker /ˈsməʊkə/ noun a person who smokes smokescreen /ˈsməʊkskriːn/ noun some-thing said or done to mislead somebody smoking /ˈsməʊkɪŋ/ noun the action of smoking cigarettes, cigars or a pipe The new law will restrict smoking in public places. smoking

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smooth /smuːð/ adj 1. with no bumps or rough parts 2. with no sud-den unpleasant movements smoothie /ˈsmuːði/ noun 1. a charming man who is good at persuading people to do what he wants 2. a drink made with milk, fruit, yoghurt or ice cream smoothly /ˈsmuːðli/ adv in a smooth way smoothness /ˈsmuːðnəs/ noun the state of being smooth smother /ˈsmʌðə/ verb 1. to kill some-one by stopping them from breathing 2. to cover some-thing completely 3. to show too much love towards some-one, especially your children I try not to smother him. smoulder /ˈsməʊldə/ verb 1. to burn slow-ly 2. to feel strong emotion but keep it hidden 3. (of emotions) to be strong but hidden smudge /smʌʤ/ noun a dirty mark a smudge of ink smudge /smʌʤ/ verb to make a dirty mark, e.g. by rubbing ink which is not dry smug /smʌg/ adj pleased

about some-thing, especially your own achievements, in a way that is annoying smuggle /ˈsmʌgl/ verb 1. to take goods into a country secretly and ille-gally 2. to take something into or out of a place secretly and dishonestly He was arrested for smuggling cocaine into Britain. snack /snæk/ noun a light meal, or a small amount of food eaten be-tween meals snag /snæg/ noun a little problem which prevents you from doing something snail /sneɪl/ noun a small animal which moves slowly along the ground, which has a soft body and a spiral-shaped shell on its back snail /sneɪl/ mail noun mail sent us-ing the postal system, rather than being sent electronically as email

a snail

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snake /sneɪk/ noun a long thin animal which has no legs and moves along the ground by wriggling snap /snæp/ noun a photograph taken quickly (informal). snap /snæp/ verb 1. to break sharply with a dry noise 2. to move or be moved with a sudden sharp noise The twigs snapped as we walked on them. snap up /snæp/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to buy quickly snappy /ˈsnæpi/ adj 1. sharp and fash-ionable 2. irritable, short-tem-pered a snappy title snapshot /ˈsnæpˌʃɒt/ noun a photograph taken quickly without special equipment snare /sneə/ noun a trap snare /sneə/ verb to catch with a snare snarl /snɑːl/ verb to growl angrily She snarled at me. snatch /snæʧ/ verb to grab something suddenly and quickly sneak /sniːk/ verb 1. to go or do something quietly without be-ing seen 2. to tell

an adult that another child has done some-thing wrong sneak /sniːk/ noun a person who tells an adult what another child has done (informal ) sneak up /sniːk/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to creep up behind someone without being noticed sneakers /ˈsniːkəz/ plural noun soft sports shoes with rubber soles sneaky /ˈsniːki/ adj deceitful and se-cret sneer /snɪə/ noun an unpleasant smile Carlos sneered at my attempts to put the tent up. sneer /snɪə/ verb to give someone a sarcastic smile or to speak in a contemptuous way sneeze /sniːz/ noun the uncontrolled action of blowing air suddenly out through your mouth and nose because of an irritation inside your nose sneeze /sniːz/ verb to make a sneeze snide /snaɪd/ adj unkind, often in a clever or indirect way

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sniff /snɪf/ noun the act of breathing in air through your nose Sam had a cold and she kept sniffing. sniff /snɪf/ verb to breathe in air through your nose sniffle / ˈsnɪf.l̩ / verb to keep on sniffing because of a cold, or because you want to cry snigger /ˈsnɪgə/ verb to laugh quietly in an unpleasant way snip /snɪp/ verb to cut something quickly with scissors sniper /ˈsnaɪpə/ noun a hidden soldier who shoots at the enemy snippet /ˈsnɪpɪt/ noun a little bit of in-formation snivel /ˈsnɪvl/ verb to cry or complain in an annoying way snob /snɒb/ noun 1. a person who likes people who are of a high-er social class than himself or herself 2. a person who thinks he or she knows much more about art or is better-educated than other people snobbery /ˈsnɒbəri/ noun the behaviour of a snob snog /snɒɡ/ verb to kiss and

hug someone (slang) snooker /ˈsnuːkə/ noun a game for two players played on a table with twenty-two balls of different colours which you hit with a long thin stick snoop /snuːp/ verb to investigate something or someone secretly (informal) I found her snooping around in my bedroom. snooze /snuːz/ verb to sleep lightly for a short time (informal ) snore /snɔː/ noun a loud noise which someone who is sleeping pro-duces in his or her nose and throat snore /snɔː/ verb to make a snore I couldn’t sleep because my brother was snoring. snorkel /ˈsnɔːkəl/ noun a tube which al-lows an underwater swimmer to breathe in air

snorkel

snorkelling /ˈsnɔːkəlɪŋ/ noun

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swimming with a snorkel snort /snɔːt/ verb 1. to make a loud noise blowing air out through the nose 2. to take a powdered drug, such as cocaine, by breath-ing them through the nose Rosie started snorting with laughter. snot /snɔːt/ noun mucus in the nose (offensive informal ) snotty /ˈsnɒti/ adj 1. covered with mu-cus (offensive informal) 2. look-ing down on others who you think are inferior (informal) snout /snaʊt/ noun the nose and mouth of some animals such as pigs snow /snəʊ/ noun water which falls as light white pieces of ice in cold weather children playing in the snow snow /snəʊ/ verb to fall as snow snowball /ˈsnəʊbɔːl/ verb to get steadily bigger snowboarding /ˈsnəʊˌbɔːdɪŋ/ noun the sport of sliding down a snow-cov-ered slope while standing on a board with both feet snowdrift /ˈsnəʊdrɪft/ noun

snow which has been blown into a heap by the wind snowdrop /ˈsnəʊdrɒp/ noun a bulb with little white bellshaped flowers in the early spring snowfall /ˈsnəʊfɔːl/ noun the amount of snow which has fallen snowflake /ˈsnəʊfleɪk/ noun a small piece of snow formed of a number of ice crystals snowman /ˈsnəʊmən/ noun a model of a man made of snow The kids made a snowman in the garden. snowplough /ˈsnəʊplaʊ/ noun a heavy vehicle with a plough on the front used to clear snow off roads and railway tracks snowstorm /ˈsnəʊstɔːm/ noun a storm when the wind blows and snow falls snub /snʌb/ verb to insult someone by refusing to speak to them or by not paying any attention to them snuck /snʌk/ past tense and past par-ticiple of sneak snuff /snʌf/ noun powdered tobacco which is sniffed into the nose

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snug /snʌg/ adj warm and comfort-able a snug little house snuggle /ˈsnʌgl/ verb to get yourself into a warm and comfortable position so /səʊ/ adv 1. showing how much 2. also 3. showing that the an-swer is ‘yes’ soak /səʊk/ verb 1. to put something in a liquid for a time 2. to make something or someone very wet soaked /səʊkt/ adj very wet soaking /ˈsəʊkɪŋ/ adj, adv very wet so-and-so /ˈsəʊənsəʊ/ noun 1. an unpleas-ant person 2. also Mr/Mrs/Miss So-and-so a person whose name is not mentioned He’s a lazy so-and-so. soap /səʊp/ noun a substance which you wash with, made from oils and usually with a pleasant smell a bar of soap soap opera /səʊp/ /ˈɒpərə/ noun a serial story on television about the daily lives of a set of characters soap powder /səʊp/ /ˈpaʊdə/ noun soap in the form of

powder, used in wash-ing machines or dishwashers soar /sɔː/ verb 1. to go up very quickly 2. to fly high up into the sky House prices have soared. sob /sɒb/ to cry, taking short breaths like hiccups sober /ˈsəʊbə/ adj 1. not drunk 2. seri-ous, not frivolous 3. dark with no bright colours sobering /ˈsəʊbərɪŋ/ adj which makes you think seriously so-called /ˈsəʊˈkɔːld/ adj called by a wrong name soccer /ˈsɒkə/ noun a game played be-tween two teams of eleven play-ers with a round ball which can be kicked or hit with the head, but not carried sociable /ˈsəʊʃəbl/ adj friendly, liking the company of other people social /ˈsəʊʃəl/ adj relating to people as a group, or to human society in general social and political changes socialism /ˈsəʊʃəlɪzm/ noun 1. the ideas and beliefs of socialists, that the means of production and distribution

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should belong to the people, that people should be cared for by the state and that all wealth should be shared equally 2. a political system where the state is run on social-ist principles socially /ˈsəʊʃəli/ adv 1. in a friendly sit-uation 2. with respect to other people or society social science /ˈsəʊʃəl/ / ˈsaɪəns/ noun the study of people and the society they live in, including such subjects as sociology, history and eco-nomics social security /ˈsəʊʃəl/ /sɪˈkjʊərɪti/ noun money or help provided by the govern-ment to people who need it social services /ˈsəʊʃəl/ / ˈsɜːvɪsɪz/ plural noun government services to help people with family problems social worker /ˈsəʊʃəl/ / ˈwɜːkə/ noun a person who works to help people with family or financial problems society /səˈsaɪəti/ noun 1. a large group of people, usually all the people living in a country, considered as an organised community 2. a club

or association of people who have the same interests Unemployment is a problem for society. socio-economic /ˌsəʊsɪəʊ/-/ ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk/ adj referring to social and economic condi-tions sociology /ˌsəʊsɪˈɒləʤi/ noun the study of social systems and how people live in society sock /sɒk/ noun a piece of cloth-ing worn on your foot inside a shoe. to pull your socks up to try to do better (informal) socket /ˈsɒkɪt/ noun 1. a set of holes into which an electric plug can be fit-ted 2. a hollow part in a bone, into which another bone fits Your eyeball is in your eye socket. sodden /ˈsɒdn/ adj as full of a liquid or other substance as can be absorbed sodium /ˈsəʊdjəm/ noun a soft white metal, which can catch fire, and is only found combined with other substances sofa /ˈsəʊfə/ noun a long comfortable seat with a soft 558

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sofa

so far /səʊ/ /fɑː/ adv until now soft /sɒft/ adj 1. which moves eas-ily when pressed 2. not loud 3. not bright Cook the onion until it’s soft. soft copy /sɒft/ /ˈkɒpi/ noun data stored on a computer, rather than being printed on paper soft drink /sɒft/ /drɪŋk/ noun a drink which is not alcoholic soften /ˈsɒfn/ verb to make something soft, to become soft soften up /ˈsɒfn/ /ʌp/ verb to make some-one weaker before asking for something, or before launch-ing an attack soft-spoken /ˈsɒftˌspəʊkən/ adj having a quiet gentle voice soft touch /sɒft/ /tʌʧ/ noun

a person who can be easily persuaded to do something for you software /ˈsɒftweə/ noun computer pro-grams which are put into a computer to make it work, as opposed to the computer itself educational software soggy /ˈsɒgi/ adj wet and soft to an unpleasant degree soil /sɔɪl/ noun the earth in which plants grow soiled /sɔɪld/ adj spoiled by dirt or other unpleasant substances solace /ˈsɒləs/ noun comfort Music was a great solace to me. solar /ˈsəʊlə/ adj relating to the sun solar energy /ˈsəʊlər/ / ˈɛnəʤi/ noun electricity produced from the radiation of the sun solar panel /ˈsəʊlə/ /ˈpænl/ noun a group of special electric cells used to turn the sun’s energy into elec-tricity sold /səʊld/ past tense and past parti-ciple of sell soldier /ˈsəʊlʤə/ noun a member of an army 559

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soldier on /ˈsəʊlʤər/ /ɒn/ phrasal verb to con-tinue doing something, in spite of difficulties sold out /səʊld/ /aʊt/ adj no longer in stock, because all the stock has been sold sole /səʊl/ adj only; belonging to one person. noun 1. the underneath side of your foot 2. the main underneath part of a shoe, but not the heel solely /ˈsəʊlli/ adv 1. only 2. without other people being involved solemn /ˈsɒləm/ adj 1. serious and for-mal 2. which should be treated as very serious solicit /səˈlɪsɪt/ verb 1. to ask someone for something such as business or financial support (formal ) 2. to offer sex to people to solicit donations for a charity solicitor /səˈlɪsɪtə/ noun a lawyer who gives advice to members of the public and acts for them in le-gal matters solid /ˈsɒlɪd/ adj 1. hard and not liquid 2. firm or strong 3. not hollow 4. made only of one material

solidarity /ˌsɒlɪˈdærɪti/ noun a general com-mon interest with other peo-plesolidify solidify /səˈlɪdɪfaɪ/ verb to become solid solitary /ˈsɒlɪtəri/ adj 1. one only 2. being alone a solitary figure/walker solitary confinement / ˈsɒlɪtəri/ /kənˈfaɪnmənt/ noun being kept alone in a cell, with-out being able to see or speak to other prisoners solitude /ˈsɒlɪtjuːd/ noun the state of be-ing alone He went upstairs to read the letter in solitude. solo /ˈsəʊləʊ/ noun a piece of music played or sung by one person alone solo /ˈsəʊləʊ/ adj done by one person alone a solo performance soloist /ˈsəʊləʊɪst/ noun a musician who plays a solo soluble /ˈsɒljʊbl/ adj 1. which can be dis-solved 2. which can be solved solution /səˈluːʃən/ noun 1. the action of solving a problem 2. a mixture of a solid substance dissolved in a liquid solve /sɒlv/ verb to find an answer to a problem or question 560

solvent /ˈsɒlvənt/ noun a liquid in which a solid substance can be dis-solved sombre /ˈsɒmbə/ adj dark and gloomy a sombre expression/mood some /sʌm/ adj, pron 1. a certain number of. some of a few 2. a certain amount of 3. used for re-ferring to a person or thing you cannot identify 4. relating to a period of time or a distance somebody /ˈsʌmbədi/ pron 1. same as someone 2. someone who is considered to be important some day /sʌm/ /deɪ/ adv at a time in the future that is not specified somehow /ˈsʌmhaʊ/ adv by some means that are not yet someone /ˈsʌmwʌn/ pron a person who is not identified or referred to in a particular way There’s someone at the door. someone else /ˈsʌmwʌn/ /ɛls/ an extra person, or a different person someplace /ˈsʌmpleɪs/ adv somewhere (informal ) somersault /ˈsʌməsɔːlt/ noun a movement in which you

roll over, head first something /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/ pron 1. a thing which is not identified or re-ferred to in particular 2. an im-portant thing As soon as I walked in, I noticed that something was missing. sometime /ˈsʌmtaɪm/ adv at a time which is not specified sometimes /ˈsʌmtaɪmz/ adv on some occa-sions but not on others somewhat /ˈsʌmwɒt/ adv to a fairly great degree (formal ) somewhere /ˈsʌmweə/ adv in or at a place which is not identified son /sʌn/ noun a male child of a fa-ther or mother sonata /səˈnɑːtə/ noun a piece of music in three or four movements for one or more instruments, accompanied by an orchestra, piano, harpsichord, etc. song /sɒŋ/ noun a set of words which are sung, usually to music to sing a song songwriter /ˈsɒŋˌraɪtə/ noun a person who writes popular songs sonic /ˈsɒnɪk/ adj referring

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to sound that can be heard by the hu-man ear son-in-law /ˈsʌnɪnlɔː/ noun the husband of a daughter sonnet /ˈsɒnɪt/ noun a poem with four-teen lines and one of several rhyming patterns soon /suːn/ adv in a short time from now I’ve got to leave quite soon. sooner /ˈsuːnə/ adv earlier soot /sʊt/ noun a black deposit of carbon which rises in the smoke produced by burning coal, wood and oil and which collects on the inside surfaces of chimneys soothe /suːð/ verb to make some-thing less painful or to calm sophisticated /səˈfɪstɪkeɪtɪd/ adj 1. know-ing a lot about the way people behave, and what is stylish or fashionable 2. cleverly designed and complicated sopping /ˈsɒpɪŋ/ adj very wet soprano /səˈprɑːnəʊ/ adj relating to a high-pitched woman’s singing voice sorcery /ˈsɔːsəri/ noun (in fairy tales) wicked magic sordid/ˈsɔːdɪd/ adj unpleasant

or dirty a sordid affair sore /sɔː/ adj rough and swollen or painful sorely /ˈsɔːli/ adv very much (formal) sorrow /ˈsɒrəʊ/ noun sadness sorry /ˈsɒri/ adj feeling unhappy, ashamed or disappointed about something Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there. sorry /ˈsɒri/ interj used to excuse one-self sort /sɔːt/ noun a type sort /sɔːt/ verb to arrange in order or groups sort out /sɔːt/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb 1. to settle a problem 2. to put things in order or in groups 3. to collect or select things of a particular kind from a mixed group of things so-so /ˈsəʊsəʊ/ adj, adv not very good or not very well soufflé /ˈsuːfl/ noun 1. a light cooked dish, made from eggs beaten up with a savoury flavouring, eaten hot 2. a cold dessert made from beaten eggs, whipped cream and 562

gelatine chocolate/cheese soufflé

soufflé

sought /sɔːt/ past tense and past participle of seek sought-after /ˈsɔːtˈɑːftə/ adj wanted by many people soul /səʊl/ noun the spirit in a per-son, which is believed by some people to go on existing after the person dies soul-searching /səʊl/-/ˈsɜːʧɪŋ/ noun an exam-ination of your own motives or conscience sound /saʊnd/ noun a noise, something which you can hear I could hear the sounds of the city through the open window. sound /saʊnd/ verb 1. to make a noise, or to cause something to make a noise 2. to seem sound off /saʊnd/ /ɒf/ phrasal

verb to start talking loudly about something (informal) sound out /saʊnd/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb to ask someone’s opinion about something soundbite / ˈsaʊnd.baɪt/ noun a short phrase, usually spoken by a politician, especially made so as to be broadcast on radio or TV sound card /saʊnd/ /kɑːd/ noun a circuit board that allows a computer to produce sound sound effects /saʊnd/ /ɪˈfɛkts/ plural noun the artificial sounds used to give an impression of the real thing soundly /ˈsaʊndli/ adv deeply or thor-oughly soundtrack /ˈsaʊndtræk/ noun the track of a film on which the sound is recorded soup /suːp/ noun a liquid food which you eat hot from a bowl at the beginning of a meal, usually made from meat, fish or veg-etables chicken/tomato soup soup kitchen /suːp/ /ˈkɪʧɪn/ noun a place that serves free hot meals to people who have no money to buy food 563

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sour /ˈsaʊə/ adj with a sharp bitter taste source /sɔːs/ noun a place where something comes from sourness /ˈsaʊənəs/ noun the state of being sour south /saʊθ/ noun the direction fac-ing towards the sun at midday southbound /ˈsaʊθ.baʊnd/ adj travelling to-wards the south south-east /ˈsaʊθˈiːst/ adj, adv, noun the direction between south and east southerly /ˈsʌðəli/ adj 1. towards the south 2. (of a wind) blowing from the south We continued in a southerly direction. southern /ˈsʌðən/ adj from, of or in the south southerner /ˈsʌðənə/ noun a person who lives in or comes from the south of a country or region southern hemisphere / ˈsʌðən/ /ˈhɛmɪsfɪə/ noun the part of the earth below the equator southernmost /ˈsʌðənməʊst/ adj furthest to the south

South Pole /saʊθ/ /pəʊl/ noun the furthest point south on the earth southward /ˈsaʊθwəd/ adj towards the south southwards /ˈsaʊθwədz/ adv towards the south south-west /ˈsaʊθˈwɛst/ adj, adv, noun the direction between south and west souvenir /ˈsuːvənɪə/ noun a thing bought to remind you of the place where you bought or received it sovereign /ˈsɒvrɪn/ noun a king or queen sovereignty /ˈsɒvrənti/ noun the total power of a government Soviet /ˈsəʊvɪət/ adj of the former Soviet Union, its people, culture, or political system sow /səʊ/ verb to put seeds into soil so that they become plants to sow seeds/crops soya bean /ˈsɔɪə/ /biːn/ noun a bean from a plant used for food and oil spa /spɑː/ noun 1. a place where min-eral water comes out of the ground naturally and where people go to

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drink or bathe because of its medicinal prop-erties 2. an exercise and health centre in a hotel space /speɪs/ noun 1. an empty place between other things 2. an area which is available for some-thing 3. also outer space the area beyond the earth’s atmo-sphere a parking space space probe /speɪs/ /prəʊb/ noun a spacecraft sent into space for scientific purposes space shuttle /speɪs/ /ˈʃʌtl/ noun a type of plane which is launched by a rocket, flies in space and then re-turns eventually to earth so that it can be used for another trip space station /speɪs/ /ˈsteɪʃən/ noun a satellite which orbits the earth in which people can live and carry out scientific experiments spacious /ˈspeɪʃəs/ adj very large, with plenty of space a spacious apartment/office spade /speɪd/ noun 1. a tool with a wide square blade at the end of a long handle, used for digging or moving something such as soil or sand 2. a similar small plastic tool, used by children

spaghetti /spəˈgɛti/ noun long thin strips of pasta, cooked and eaten with a sauce spam /spæm/ noun unwanted com-mercial e-mails span /spæn/ noun the width of wings or of an arch span /spæn/ verb to stretch across space or time an average life span of seventy years spaniel /ˈspænjəl/ noun a type of dog with large ears that droop down spank /spæŋk/ verb to hit a child’s bot-tom as a punishment spanner /ˈspænə/ noun a metal tool with an opening which fits round a nut and which can be twisted to undo the nut or tighten it spar /spɑː/ verb to practise boxing with someone spare /speə/ adj available but not be-ing used spare /speə/ verb to give something or to do without something a spare bedroom spares /speəz/ plural noun spare parts or pieces used to mend broken parts of a car or other machine

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spark /spɑːk/ noun a little flash of fire or of light The fire was caused by a spark from a cigarette. spark /spɑːk/ verb 1. to send out sparks or to make electric sparks 2. to make something start sudden-ly spark off /spɑːk/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb same as spark sparkle /ˈspɑːkl/ verb to shine brightly Her eyes sparkled with excitement. sparkling /ˈspɑːklɪŋ/ adj 1. shining with little lights 2. which has fizzy bubbles in it spark plug /spɑːk/ /plʌg/ noun a part of an engine which produces sparks that ignite the fuel sparrow /ˈspærəʊ/ noun a very common small brown and grey bird

a sparrow

sparse /spɑːs/ adj not thick or not in large quantities sparse population/vegetation spartan /ˈspɑːtən/ adj harsh or hard spasm /ˈspæzm/ noun a sudden, usually painful, involuntary contrac-tion of a muscle, such as when you have cramps spat /spæt/ past tense and past parti-ciple of spits spate /speɪt/ noun a sudden rush of something spatial /ˈspeɪʃəl/ adj referring to space spatter /ˈspætə/ verb to splash with little spots of liquid His shirt was spattered with blood. spawn /spɔːn/ noun a mass of eggs of a fish or a frog spawn /spɔːn/ verb 1. (of fish) to produce a mass of eggs 2. to produce a mass of things speak /spiːk/ verb 1. to say words 2. to be able to say things in a par-ticular language speak out /spiːk/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb to make your opinions or feelings known 566

strongly speak up /spiːk/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to speak louder; to say what you have to say in a louder voice 2. to make your opinions known strongly speak up for /spiːk/ /ʌp/ /fɔː/ verb to show your support for speaker /ˈspiːkə/ noun 1. a person who speaks 2. a loudspeaker a guest speaker spear /spɪə/ noun a long pointed throwing stick, formerly used as a weapon spearhead /ˈspɪəhɛd/ verb to be in the front of an attacking force special /ˈspɛʃəl/ adj having a particular importance or use I’m cooking something special for her birthday. special effects /ˈspɛʃəl/ / ɪˈfɛkts/ plural noun the impression of something like a fire, a snowstorm or an earthquake, made artificially in a film or play specialise /ˈspɛʃ(ə)laɪz/ verb 1. to study one particular subject 2. to produce one thing in particular specialist /ˈspɛʃəlɪst/ noun 1.

a person who knows a lot about some-thing 2. a doctor who specialis-es in a certain branch of medi-cine speciality /ˌspɛʃɪˈælɪti/ noun 1. a thing you are very good at doing 2. a par-ticular interest, knowledge or study specially /ˈspɛʃəli/ adv in particular or more than usual I made this specially for you. special needs /ˈspɛʃəl/ /niːdz/ plural noun the needs of a person with mental or physical disabilities, which are different from the needs of most people specialty /ˈspɛʃəlti/ noun same as spe-ciality species /ˈspiːʃiːz/ noun a group of living things, such as animals or plants, which can breed with each other specific /spɪˈsɪfɪk/ adj relating to some-thing in particular Could we arrange a specific time to meet? specifically /spəˈsɪfɪk(ə)li/ adv particularly specification /ˌspɛsɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ noun detailed in-formation about what is needed specifics /spɪˈsɪfɪks/ plural

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noun the par-ticular details of something specify /ˈspɛsɪfaɪ/ verb to give clear de-tails of what is needed specimen /ˈspɛsɪmɪn/ noun a sample of something taken as standard speck /spɛk/ noun a tiny spot of co-lour specs /spɛks/ plural noun same as spectacles (informal ) spectacle /ˈspɛktəkl/ noun something very impressive to look at spectacles /ˈspɛktəklz/ plural noun glass lenses worn in front of your eyes to correct vision a pair of spectacles

a spectacle

spectacular /spɛkˈtækjʊlə/ adj very impres-sive to see or watch spectator /spɛkˈteɪtə/ noun a

person who watches an event like a football match or a horse show spectre /ˈspɛktə/ noun 1. a ghost (liter-ary) 2. an image of something which may cause problems in the future This attack raises the spectre of a return to racial violence. spectrum /ˈspɛktrəm/ noun 1. a range of colours from red to violet as seen in a rainbow 2. a range of something speculate /ˈspɛkjʊleɪt/ verb 1. to make guesses about something 2. to take a risk in business which you hope will bring profit speculation /ˌspɛkjʊˈleɪʃən/ noun 1. trying to guess what will happen 2. a risky deal which may produce a shortterm profit speculative /ˈspɛkjʊlətɪv/ adj made by guessing The article was dismissed as highly/purely speculative. sped /spɛd/ past tense and past participle of speed speech /spiːʧ/ noun 1. a formal talk given to an audience 2. the ability to say words, or the act of saying words

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speech-impaired /spiːʧ/-/ ɪmˈpeəd/ adj not able to speak speechless /ˈspiːʧlɪs/ adj very angry or surprised I couldn’t believe what he was telling me - I was speechless. speed /spiːd/ noun the rate at which something moves or is done speed /spiːd/ verb to move quickly He was travelling at a speed of 90 mph. speed up /spiːd/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to go faster 2. to make something happen faster speedboat /ˈspiːdbəʊt/ noun a small fast motorboat speeding /ˈspiːdɪŋ/ noun the offence of driving a vehicle faster than the speed limit speed limit /spiːd/ /ˈlɪmɪt/ noun the fastest speed at which vehicles are allowed to go legally speedometer /spɪˈdɒmɪtə/ noun an instru-ment which shows how fast a vehicle is travelling speedy /ˈspiːdi/ adj very fast a speedy recovery

spell /spɛl/ verb to write or say correct-ly the letters that make a word spell out /spɛl/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb to ex-plain very clearly spellbinding /ˈspɛlbaɪndɪŋ/ adj referring to something which is so inter-esting it holds your attention completely spellbound /ˈspɛlbaʊnd/ adj so interested in something that it holds your attention completely spellchecker / ˈspelˌtʃek.ər/ noun a comput-er program which checks the spelling of text and suggests corrections spelling /ˈspɛlɪŋ/ noun the correct way in which words are spelt spelling mistakes spelt /spɛlt/ past tense and past parti-ciple of spell spend /spɛnd/ verb 1. to pay money 2. to use time doing something spending /ˈspɛndɪŋ/ noun money spent spending money /ˈspɛndɪŋ/ / ˈmʌni/ noun money for ordinary personal expenses spendthrift /ˈspɛndθrɪft/ noun 569

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a person who spends money fast spent /spɛnt/ adj used spent bullets sperm /spɜːm/ noun a male sex cell which fertilises female eggs spew /spjuː/ verb to pour out sphere /sfɪə/ noun an object which is perfectly round like a ball spherical /ˈsfɛrɪkəl/ adj shaped like a sphere, perfectly round sphinx /sfɪŋks/ noun in ancient Egyptian and Greek mythology, a creature with a lion’s body and the head of a man spice /spaɪs/ noun a substance made from the roots, flowers, seeds or leaves of plants, which is used to flavour food herbs and spices spick-and-span /spɪk/-/ænd/-/ spæn/ adj very neat and clean spicy /ˈspaɪsi/ adj 1. with a lot of spices 2. including something which excites sexual interest spider /ˈspaɪdə/ noun a small animal with eight legs which makes a web and eats

insects spike /spaɪk/ noun a piece of metal or wood with a sharp point spill /spɪl/ verb to pour a liquid or a powder out of a container by mistake Someone at the party spilled red wine on the carpet. spilt /ˈspɪlt/ verb 1. to move round and round very fast 2. to make something turn round and round 3. (of a spider) to make a web spin out /spɪn/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb to make something last as long as pos-sible spinach /ˈspɪnɪʤ/ noun an annual plant grown for its green leaves eaten raw as salad or cooked as a veg-etable spinal cord /ˈspaɪnl/ /kɔːd/ noun a part of the central nervous system which runs down the centre of the spine spin doctor /spɪn/ /ˈdɒktə/ noun a person who explains news in a way that makes it flattering to the person or organisation em-ploying him spine /spaɪn/ noun 1. a series of bones joined together from your skull down the middle 570

of your back 2. a sharp part like a pin, on a plant, animal or fish 3. the back edge of a book, which usually has the title printed on it

mental at-titude which controls how someone behaves generally 2. feelings which are typical of a particular occasion 3. the part of a person that is said to still exist after death 4. alcohol spirited /ˈspɪrɪtɪd/ adj very lively spiritual /ˈspɪrɪtjʊəl/ adj relating to the spirit or the soul a spiritual leader spiritualism /ˈspɪrɪtjʊəlɪzm/ spine noun the belief in the possibility of communi-cation with people who have died spit /spɪt/ verb1. to push liquid or food out of your mouth 2. to send liquid out spineless /ˈspaɪnlɪs/ adj who is of the mouth to show conweak and cowardly tempt 3. to rain a little spinoff /spɪn/ /ɒf/ noun a spite /spaɪt/ noun bad feeling useful thing which comes spite /spaɪt/ verb to annoy from a process, but is not someone on purpose. in the main aim of the process spite of al-though somespiral /ˈspaɪərəl/ noun a thing happened or was done shape which is twisted spiteful /ˈspaɪtfʊl/ adj full round and round like a of a nasty feel-ings against spring someone a spiral staircase spitting image /ˈspɪtɪŋ/ / spiral /ˈspaɪərəl/ adj which ˈɪmɪʤ/ noun someone who twists round and round looks exactly like some-one spire /ˈspaɪə/ noun a pointed else top of a church tower splash /splæʃ/ noun a sound spirit /ˈspɪrɪt/ noun 1. the 571

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made when something falls into a liquid or when a liquid hits something hard splash /splæʃ/ verb 1. (of liquid) to make a noise when something is dropped into it or when it hits something 2. to make someone wet by sending liquid on to him 3. to move through water, making a noise The paint splashed onto his new shirt. splatter /ˈsplætə/ verb to splash drops of liquid splay /spleɪ/ verb to spread fingers or legs apart splendid /ˈsplɛndɪd/ adj extremely good or impressive a splendid idea splendour /ˈsplɛndə/ noun magnificence splice /splaɪs/ verb to join two pieces of rope or film together splint /splɪnt/ noun a stiff bar tied to a broken part of the body to pre-vent the bone from moving splinter /ˈsplɪntə/ group noun a group of people who have separated from a main group I’ve got a splinter in my finger.

split /splɪt/ verb 1. to divide some-thing into parts 2. to divide or come apart split up /splɪt/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to di-vide 2. to start to live apart split second /splɪt/ /ˈsɛkənd/ noun a very short space of time splutter /ˈsplʌtə/ verb 1. to speak rapid-ly, using very short phrases, es-pecially when angry 2. to make a hissing sound spoil /spɔːɪl/ verb 1. to change some-thing which was good so that it is no longer good 2. to be too kind to someone, especially a child, so that he or she some-times becomes badly behaved The picnic was spoiled by the bad weather. spoils /spɔːɪlz/ noun things bought the spoils of war spoilsport /ˈspɔɪlspɔːt/ noun a person who spoils other people’s enjoy-ment spoilt /spɔɪlt/ adj (of a child) treated in a way which is too kind, and so is badly behaved He was behaving like a spoilt child.

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spoke /spəʊk/ past tense of speak spoken /ˈspəʊkən/ past participle of speak spoke /spəʊk/ adj said aloud sponge /spʌnʤ/ noun 1. a soft mate-rial full of small holes used to make things like cushions 2. a sea animal with a skeleton which is full of holes

a sponge

sponge /spʌnʤ/ verb to wipe clean with a sponge sponge bag /spʌnʤ/ /bæg/ noun a bag used to hold toiletries, especially when travelling sponge cake /spʌnʤ/ /keɪk/ noun a light soft cake spongy /ˈspʌnʤi/ adj soft and full of holes sponsor /ˈspɒnsə/ noun 1. a person or company that pays to finan-cially help a sport, an exhibi-tion or a music festival, in re-turn for the

right to advertise at sporting events, on sports clothes or programmes 2. a company which pays part of the cost of making a TV or ra-dio programme by advertising on the programme 3. a person who pays money to a charity when someone else walks, swims, or runs a certain dis-tance 4. a person who takes responsibility for someone sponsor /ˈspɒnsə/ verb 1. to be a spon-sor 2. to be the god-parent of a child and promise to help the child to lead a Christian life The event is sponsored by First National Bank. spontaneous /spɒnˈteɪnjəs/ adj which hap-pens of its own accord, which is not forced or prepared in advance spoof /spuːf/ noun an amusing imita-tion to trick someone spooky /ˈspuːki/ adj frightening and which makes you think there may be ghosts around There’s something spooky about that place. spool /spuːl/ noun a cylinder

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round which you wind something spoon /spuːn/ noun an object used for eating liquids and soft food, or for stirring food which is being cooked, with a handle at one end and a small bowl at the other spoon-feed /spuːn/-/fiːd/ verb 1. to give someone food with a spoon 2. to provide everything for peo-ple so that they need do noth-ing to help themselves spoonful /ˈspuːnfʊl/ noun an amount which a spoon can hold sporadic /spəˈrædɪk/ adj happening at ir-regular intervals sport /spɔːt/ noun a game or games involving physical activity and competition sporting /ˈspɔːtɪŋ/ adj 1. referring to sport 2. pleasant and willing to help, especially when playing a sport sporting goods sports car /spɔːts/ /kɑː/ noun a fast open car sports centre /spɔːts/ /ˈsɛntə/ noun a place where several different sports can be played sportsman /ˈspɔːtsmən/ noun a man who plays a sport

sportsmanlike /ˈspɔːtsmənlaɪk/ adj fair and polite sportsmanship / ˈspɔːtsmənʃɪp/ noun fair and polite behaviour when playing a sport We hope to teach children good sportsmanship. sportswear /ˈspɔːtsˌweə/ noun clothes worn to play sport sportswoman / ˈspɔːtsˌwʊmən/ noun a woman who plays a sport sporty adj in-terested in sport and enjoying sport spot /spɒt/ noun 1. a coloured mark, usually round 2. a particular place 3. a small round mark or pimple on the skin spot /spɒt/ verb to notice something or someone. on the spot 1. at a particular place where some-thing happens 2. immediately spot check /spɒt/ /ʧɛk/ noun a check made suddenly and at random I noticed a small spot of oil on my jacket. spotless /ˈspɒtlɪs/ adj completely clean, with no dirty marks at all

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spotlight /ˈspɒtlaɪt/ noun a bright light which shines on one small area spotlight /ˈspɒtlaɪt/ verb to draw atten-tion to something clearly spot-on /spɒt/-/ɒn/ adj absolutely correct spotty /ˈspɒti/ adj covered with pim-ples or marks a spotty young man with greasy hair spouse /spaʊz/ noun a husband or wifespout spout /spaʊt/ noun a tube on a container which is shaped for pouring liquid out of the container sprain /spreɪn/ verb to damage a joint of the body by twisting it sud-denly and violently sprang /spræŋ/ past tense of spring sprawl /sprɔːl/ verb to lie with your arms and legs spread out spray /spreɪ/ noun a mass of tiny drops of liquid spray /spreɪ/ verb to send out liquid in fine drops spread /sprɛd/ verb 1. to arrange over a wide area 2. to move over a wide area 3. to cover with a lay-er of something

He spread the cards out on the table. spread /sprɛd/ noun 1. the action of moving over a wide area 2. a soft food consisting of meat, fish or cheese, which you can spread on something such as bread spreadsheet /ˈsprɛdʃiːt/ noun a display of columns of figures produced by a computer spree /spriː/ noun a short time of do-ing something enjoyable sprig /sprɪg/ noun a little branch a sprig of parsley sprightly /ˈspraɪtli/ adj lively and ener-getic spring /sprɪŋ/ noun 1. the season of the year between winter and summer 2. a wire which is twisted round and round and which goes back to its original shape after you have pulled it or pushed it 3. a place where a stream of water rushes out of the ground spring /sprɪŋ/ verb to move suddenly I’m starting a new course in the spring.

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spring from /sprɪŋ/ /frɒm/ verb to come suddenly from springboard /ˈsprɪŋbɔːd/ noun 1. a long flexible board used to dive or jump off 2. a thing used to help you start something spring-clean /sprɪŋ/-/kliːn/ verb to clean a house thoroughly spring onion /sprɪŋ/ /ˈʌnjən/ noun a very small onion with long green leaves, used in salads and in cooking springtime /ˈsprɪŋtaɪm/ noun the time of year when it is spring sprinkle /ˈsprɪŋkl/ verb to put small amounts of a liquid or powder over a surface by shaking sprinkler /ˈsprɪŋklə/ noun a device for sprinkling water sprinkling /ˈsprɪŋklɪŋ/ noun a small or thin scattering sprint /sprɪnt/ verb to run very fast over a short distance She sprinted along the road to the bus stop. sprinter /ˈsprɪntə/ noun a runner who runs in sprint races sprout /spraʊt/ noun a new shoot of a plant

The seeds I planted are just beginning to sprout. sprout /spraʊt/ verb to produce new shoots spruce /spruːs/ noun a softwood tree growing in cold forests sprung /sprʌŋ/ past participle of spring spry /spraɪ/ adj agile and lively spud /spʌd/ noun a potato (informal) spun /spʌn/ past participle of spin spur /spɜː/ noun something which stimulates an action spur /spɜː/ verb to urge someone on Spurred on by his fans, he won the next three games easily. spurious /ˈspjʊərɪəs/ adj not based on facts spurn /spɜːn/ verb to reject an offer scornfully spurt /spɜːt/ verb 1. also spurt out to come out in a strong jet 2. to run fast suddenly Blood was spurting out of his stomach. spurt /spɜːt/ noun 1. a strong flow of liquid 2. a sudden sudden ef-fort 576

sputter /ˈspʌtə/ verb to send out sparks or small drops spy /spaɪ/ noun a person who is paid to try to find out secret infor-mation about the enemy or a rival group spy /spaɪ/ verb 1. to work as a spy 2. to watch someone in se-cret, to find out what they are planning to do spyhole /ˈspaɪhəʊl/ noun a small hole in a door for looking through to see who is there squabble /ˈskwɒbl/ verb to argue They’re always squabbling over money. squad /skwɒd/ noun 1. a small group of soldiers who perform du-ties together 2. a department in the police service 3. a group of players from whom a sports team will be chosen the England rugby squad squad /skwɒd/ car noun a police car on patrol duty squadron /ˈskwɒdrən/ noun a group of air-craft or of naval ships squalid /ˈskwɒlɪd/ adj referring to a room or building that is dirty and un-pleasant squalid conditions

squall /skwɔːl/ noun a sudden gust of wind squalor /ˈskwɒlə/ noun dirty conditions squander /ˈskwɒndə/ verb to waste mon-ey, energy or opportunity square /skweə/ noun 1. a shape with four equal sides and four right-angled corners 2. an open space in a town, with big buildings all round 3. (in mathematics) a number that is the result of multiplying another number by itself square /skweə/ adj 1. shaped like a square, with four equal sides and four right-angled corners 2.

Multiplied by itself. back to square one to start again from the point you originally started from None of the applicants were suitable, so we had to go back to square one and advertise the job again. squarely /ˈskweəli/ adv in a direct and straightforward way square meal /skweə/ /miːl/ noun a large meal square root /skweə/ /ruːt/ noun a number which, mul-

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tiplied by itself, will produce a particular number squash /skwɒʃ/ verb to crush or to squeeze something We managed to get in but it was a squash. squash /skwɒʃ/ noun a fast game for two players played in an enclosed court, with a small, squashy rubber ball and light, long-handled rackets squat /skwɒt/ verb to move your body close to the ground so that you are sitting on your heels He squatted down beside me. squatter /ˈskwɒtə/ noun a person who squats in someone else’s property or illegally on waste ground squawk /skwɔːk/ verb to make short harsh cries squeak /skwiːk/ noun a quiet high sound like the sound that a mouse makes squeak /skwiːk/ verb to make a squeak His shoes squeaked loudly as he walked. squeaky clean /ˈskwiːki/ / kliːn/ noun 1. ex-tremely clean 2. morally pure

squeal /skwiːl/ noun a loud high noise squeal /skwiːl/ verb to make a loud highpitched noise squeamish /ˈskwiːmɪʃ/ adj likely to be up-set by nasty things squeeze /skwiːz/ noun the act of press-ing or crushing squeeze /skwiːz/ verb 1. to press on something or to press or crush something like a fruit or a tube to get something out of it 2. to force something, or to force your own body, into a small space squelch /skwɛlʧ/ verb to make a wet sucking noise squid /skwɪd/noun a sea animal with eight long arms or tentacles, smaller than an octopus

a squid

squiggle noun a curved, irreg-ular line or mark Her signature just looks like a 578

squiggle. squint /skwɪnt/ verb 1. to have eyes which look in different direc-tions 2. to half-close your eyes to look at something squirm /skwɜːm/ verb 1. to wriggle about 2. to feel very embarrassed squirrel /ˈskwɪrəl/ noun a small red or grey wild animal with a large tail which lives in trees and eats nuts squirt /skwɜːt/ verb to send out a thin powerful flow of liquid Water squirted out all over the floor. squish /skwɪʃ/ verb to press, squeeze or crush something soft squishy /ˈskwɪʃi/ adj soft, squashy and wet stab /stæb/ verb to push a sharp knife with force into someone or something. to have a stab at something to try to do some-thing. stab in the back an attack by someone who is thought to be a friend stabbing /ˈstæbɪŋ/ noun an attack where someone is stabbed

Where were you on the night of the stabbing? stability /stəˈbɪlɪti/ noun being stable or steady stable /ˈsteɪbl/ adj which does not change stack /stæk/ noun a pile or heap of things one on top of the other. e.g a stack of, stacks of lots of (in-formal) stack /stæk/ verb to pile things on top of each other a stack of books/CDs stadium /ˈsteɪdjəm/ noun a large building where crowds of people watch sport, with seats arranged around a sports field staff /stɑːf/ noun all the people who work in a company, school, college, or other organisation staffing /ˈstɑːfɪŋ/ noun the process of providing workers for an or-ganisation stag /stæg/ noun 1. an adult male deer 2. a person who buys a new is-sue of shares and sells them immediately to make a profit stage /steɪʤ/ noun 1. a raised floor, especially where the actors perform in a theatre 2. one of several

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points of development. stage verb to put on or arrange a play, a show, a musical or other performance or event Our project is in its final stages. stagecoach /ˈsteɪʤkəʊʧ/ noun (in the 18th and 19th centuries) a horse-drawn passenger coach which used to run regularly along cer-tain routes stage fright /steɪʤ/ /fraɪt/ noun nervousness which actors feel before going on the stage stage manager /steɪʤ/ / ˈmænɪʤə/ noun a person who organises a performance of a play, opera or other performance stagger /ˈstægə/ verb 1. to walk un-steadily, almost falling down 2. to surprise someone very much 3. to arrange something such as holidays or working hours, so that they do not all begin and end at the same time He staggered drunkenly towards the door. stagger /ˈstægə/ noun the movement of someone who is staggering staggered /ˈstægəd/ adj 1. shocked or very surprised at something 2. not in a con-

secutive sequence or in a straight line I was staggered at the prices. staggering /ˈstægərɪŋ/ adj very surprising stagnant /ˈstægnənt/ adj 1. (of water) which does not flow, which is not pure enough to drink 2. (of business) not active, not in-creasing stagnate /stægˈneɪt/ verb not to increase, not to make progress staid /steɪd/ adj serious and solemn stain /steɪn/ noun a mark which is difficult to remove, e.g. ink or blood a stain on the carpet stain /steɪn/ verb to make a mark of a different colour on something stained glass /steɪnd/ /glɑːs/ noun glass which has been coloured, used for making church windows stainless steel /ˈsteɪnlɪs/ /stiːl/ noun a type of steel with a high percentage of chromium in it, which makes it less likely to rust stair /steə/ noun one step in a series

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of steps, going up or down in-side a building stairs /steəz/ plural noun steps which go up or down inside a build-ing to climb the stairs staircase /ˈsteəkeɪs/ noun a set of stairs which go from one floor in a building to another

move permitted by the rules, and so no one wins 2. a situation where neither side will compromise stalk /stɔːk/ noun the stem of a plant which holds a leaf, a flower or a fruit stalk /stɔːk/ verb to stay near some-one and watch him or her all the time, especially in a way that is frightening or upsetting stalker /ˈstɔːkə/ noun a person who fol-lows people or animals stall /stɔːl/ noun a place in a market where one person sells his or her goods staircase a market stall stall /stɔːl/ verb (of a car enstairway /ˈsteəweɪ/ noun a set of stairs which go from gine) to stop unintentionally, one floor in-side or outside often when trying to drive off with-out accelerating a building to another stallion /ˈstæljən/ noun an stake /steɪk/ noun a strong adult male horse, especially pointed piece of wood or metal, pushed into the ground one kept for breeding to mark some-thing, or to hold stamina /ˈstæljən/ noun the strength to do something something up over a long pe-riod We have to act quickly - peostammer /ˈstæmə/ verb to ple’s lives are at stake. repeat sounds when speakstale /steɪl/ adj food which ing, e.g. because of feeling is stale is old and no longer nervous fresh stale-mate noun 1. (in He blushed and began to chess) a situ-ation where neither player can make any stammer.

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stammer /ˈstæmə/ noun a speech prob-lem that involves hesitating and repeating sounds when speaking stamp /stæmp/ noun 1. a little piece of paper with a price printed on it which you stick on a letter to show that you have paid for it to be sent by post 2. a mark made on something stamp /stæmp/ verb 1. to mark some-thing with a stamp 2. to walk heavily, banging your feet on the ground stamp out /stæmp/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb to stop something stampede /stæmˈpiːd/ noun an uncon-trolled movement of many ani-mals or people stance /stɑːns/ noun 1. the position of someone when standing 2. a point of view or opinion What’s their stance on nuclear energy? stand /stænd/ verb 1. to be upright on your feet, the opposite of sitting or lying down 2. to be upright 3. to accept something bad that continues stand by /stænd/ /baɪ/ phrasal

verb 1. to re-fuse to change something you have said 2. to stand and watch, without getting involved 3. to be ready 4. to give help stand down /stænd/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb to agree not to stay in a position or not to stand for election He stood down as party leader. stand for /stænd/ /fɔː/ phrasal verb 1. to have a meaning 2. to be a can-didate in an election 3. to ac-cept stand out /stænd/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb 1. to be easily seen 2. to be very clear against a background 3. to be much better than others stand up /stænd/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to get up from sitting 2. to stand up-right, to hold yourself upright 3. to put something in an upright position 4. _ to stand someone up not to meet someone even though you had arranged to (informal) stand-up comedy stand up for /stænd/ /ʌp/ /fɔː/ phrasal verb to try to defend someone or some-thing in a difficult situation stand up to /stænd/ /ʌp/ /tuː/ 582

phrasal verb 1. to oppose someone bravely 2. to be able to resist difficult condi-tions standard /ˈstændəd/ noun 1. the level of quality something has 2. an ex-cellent quality which is set as a target 3. a large official flag She sets very high standards for herself. standard /ˈstændəd/ adj 1. usual, not spe-cial 2. on a tall pole standby /ˈstændbaɪ/ noun a thing which is ready to be used if necessary. on standby waiting and ready to act if needed stand-in /ˈstændɪn/ noun a person who takes the place of someone else standing /ˈstændɪŋ/ noun 1. the position of being upright on your feet 2. reputation Last week’s speech has improved the Prime Minister’s standing in the polls. standing army /ˈstændɪŋ/ / ˈɑːmi/ noun a profes-sional military force which exists in times of peace as well as war standing joke /ˈstændɪŋ/ / ʤəʊk/ noun some-thing that people often make jokes about

standing order /ˈstændɪŋ/ / ˈɔːdə/ noun an order written by a customer asking a bank to pay money regularly to an account, or to a company to send something regularly standing ovation /ˈstændɪŋ/ / əʊˈveɪʃən/ noun ap-plause at the end of a perfor-mance where all the audience stand up and clap and cheer stand-off /ˈstændˈɒf/ noun a situation where two sides cannot agree and neither can win standpoint /ˈstændpɔɪnt/ noun a position from which you look at a prob-lem to look at something from a political/religious standpoint standstill /ˈstændstɪl/ noun a situation where nothing moves stank /stæŋk/ past tense of stink stanza /ˈstænzə/ noun a section of a poem made up of a series of lines staple /ˈsteɪpl/ noun a piece of wire which is pushed through pa-pers and bent over to hold them together a staple diet of rice and fish staple /ˈsteɪpl/ verb to fasten papers together with a

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staple or with staples staple diet /ˈsteɪpl/ /ˈdaɪət/ noun the main part of what you eat stapler /ˈsteɪplə/ noun a device used to at-tach papers together with staples star /stɑː/ noun 1. a bright object which can be seen in the sky at night like a very distant bright light 2. a shape that has several points like a star 3. a famous person who is very well known to the public a pop star star /stɑː/ verb to appear as a main character in a film or play starboard /ˈstɑːbəd/ noun the right hand side of a ship or aircraft when facing the front starch /stɑːʧ/ noun the usual form in which carbohydrates exist in food, especially in bread, rice and potatoes starchy /ˈstɑːʧi/ adj 1. (of food) which contains a lot of starch 2. very formal stardom /ˈstɑːdəm/ noun the state of being a film star, a football star etc. stare /steə/ verb to look at someone or something for a

long time starfish /ˈstɑːfɪʃ/ noun a flat sea animal, with five arms branching like a star from a central body

starfish

stark /stɑːk/ adj 1. complete 2. bare and simple His death is a stark warning to other people about the dangers of drugs. starlight /ˈstɑːlaɪt/ noun the light from the stars starling /ˈstɑːlɪŋ/ noun a common dark European bird with a green gloss to its feathers starry-eyed /ˈstɑːrɪˈaɪd/ adj unrealistically optimistic about your future life or career star /stɑː/ sign noun the sign of the zodiac which marks your birth star-studded /stɑː/-/ˈstʌdɪd/ adj including many film or

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stage stars start /stɑːt/ noun the beginning of something start /stɑːt/ verb 1. to begin to do something 2. (of a machine) to begin to work. to start with first of all. for a start as the first point We start work at nine o’clock. start off /stɑːt/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb 1. to be-gin 2. to leave on a journey start out /stɑːt/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb 1. to leave on a journey 2. to begin start up /stɑːt/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to make a business begin to work 2. to make a machine start to work starter /ˈstɑːtə/ noun 1. a person who starts doing something 2. a per-son who organises the start of something 3. the first part of a meal At only 20, he’s the team’s youngest starter. starting point /ˈstɑːtɪŋ/ /pɔɪnt/ noun a place where something begins startle /ˈstɑːtl/ verb to make someone suddenly surprised starvation /stɑːˈveɪʃən/ noun illness through lack of food starve /stɑːv/ verb not to have

enough food starving /ˈstɑːvɪŋ/ adj 1. not having enough to eat to stay healthy 2. very hungry (informal) stash /stæʃ/ verb 1. also stash away to store in a safe place 2. to put state /steɪt/ noun 1. the way some-thing or someone is at a spe-cific time 2. the government of a country 3. an independent country 4. one of the parts of a federal country The building is in a terrible state. state /steɪt/ verb to give information clearly. in a state 1. in a very un-happy, worried or upset condition 2. in a dirty or bad condition stateless /ˈsteɪtləs/ adj who is not a citi-zen of any country stately home /ˈsteɪtli/ /həʊm/ noun a palace or large house, usually belonging to an aristocratic family statement /ˈsteɪtmənt/ noun 1. something that is spoken or written pub-licly 2. same as bank statement The pop star is expected to make a statement about his involvement with drugs. state-of-the-art /steɪt/-/ɒv/-/ 585

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ði/-/ɑːt/ adj technically as advanced as possible state school /steɪt/ /skuːl/ noun a school which is funded by the state. statesman /ˈsteɪtsmən/ noun an experi-enced political leader or repre-sentative of a country static /ˈstætɪk/ noun 1. electrical inter-ference in the air which dis-turbs a radio signal 2. same as static electricity The number of students on the course has remained static. static electricity /ˈstætɪk/ / ɪlɛkˈtrɪsɪti/ noun an elec-tric charge that does not flow, as opposed to electricity which is flowing in a current station /ˈsteɪʃən/ noun 1. a place where trains stop and passengers get on or off 2. a large main build-ing for a service stationary /ˈsteɪʃnəri/ adj not moving stationary cars stationer /ˈsteɪʃnə/ noun a person who has a shop which sells statio-nery stationery /ˈsteɪʃnəri/ noun

things such as paper, envelopes, pens and ink which you use for writing statistic /stəˈtɪstɪk/ noun a fact given in the form of numbers statistician /ˌstætɪsˈtɪʃən/ noun a person who studies or analyses statistics statistics /stəˈtɪstɪks/ noun the study of facts in the form of numbers statue /ˈstætjuː/ noun a solid image of a person or animal made from a substance such as stone or metal

statue

stature /ˈstæʧə/ noun 1. height 2. im-portance a scientist of international stature status /ˈsteɪtəs/ noun 1. social impor-tance when compared to other people 2. a general position status symbol /ˈsteɪtəs/ / ˈsɪmbəl/ noun a thing which 586

you use which shows that you are more important than someone else statute /ˈstætjuːt/ noun a written law, established in an Act of Parlia-ment statutory /ˈstætjʊtəri/ adj imposed by law a statutory minimum wage staunch /stɔːnʧ/ verb to stop blood flowing stay /steɪ/ verb 1. not to change 2. to stop in a place 3. to stop in a place as a visitor stay out /steɪ/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb to remain away from home stay up /steɪ/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb not to go to bed stead /stɛd/ noun 1. it stood him in good stead it was very useful to him 2. in your stead in place of you (formal). instead steadily /ˈstɛdɪli/ adv regularly or con-tinuously steady /ˈstɛdi/ adj 1. firm and not moving or shaking 2. continu-ing in a regular way steady verb to keep something firm He has had a steady flow/ stream of visitors.

steak /steɪk/ noun 1. a thick piece of meat, usually beef 2. a thick piece of a big fish steal /stiːl/ verb 1. to take and keep something that belongs to an-other person without permis-sion 2. to move quietly Burglars broke into the house and stole a computer. stealth /stɛlθ/ noun by stealth in a secret way, without anyone knowing steam /stiːm/ noun the substance like clouds which comes off hot or boiling water steam up /stiːm/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to be-come covered with steam steamer /ˈstiːmə/ noun 1. a pan with holes in the bottom which is placed over boiling water to cook food by steaming 2. a large ship powered by steam steamroller /ˈstiːmˌrəʊlə/ noun a very heavy vehicle with a large cylinder as a front wheel, used to flatten new road surfaces steamroller /ˈstiːmˌrəʊlə/ verb to force ev-eryone to do what you want steamship /ˈstiːmʃɪp/ noun a large ship powered by

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steam steamy /ˈstiːmi/ adj 1. hot and humid, as if full of steam 2. full of de-scriptions of sex a steamy kitchen steel /stiːl/ noun a strong metal made from iron and carbon steelworks /ˈstiːlwɜːks/ noun a factory where steel is made steely /ˈstiːli/ adj 1. strongly deter-mined 2. grey-blue steep /stiːp/ adj 1. which rises or falls quickly 2. very sharply increas-ing or falling The hill was too steep to cycle up. steeple /ˈstiːpl/ noun a church tower with a spire on top steer /stɪə/ verb to make a vehicle go in a particular direction I tried to steer the boat away from the bank. steering /ˈstɪərɪŋ/ noun the parts of a vehicle which control the direc-tion in which it travels stem /stɛm/ noun the tall thin part of a plant which holds a leaf, a flower or a fruit

stench /stɛnʧ/ noun an unpleasant strong smell stencil /ˈstɛnsl/ noun a design which is painted in this way stencil /ˈstɛnsl/ verb to mark with a stencil step /stɛp/ noun 1. a movement of your foot when walking 2. a regular movement of feet at the same time as other people 3. one stair, which goes up or down 4. an action which is done or has to be done out of several step /stɛp/ verb to walk in a par-ticular direction. in step mov-ing your feet at the same rate as everybody else. out of step moving your feet at a different rate from everyone else. to take steps to to act to encourage or prevent something She took a few steps forward and then started to speak. step in /stɛp/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb 1. to enter 2. to do something in an area where you were not involved before step up /stɛp/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to walk onto something higher 2. to in-crease the quantity of something stepbrother /ˈstɛpˌbrʌðə/ 588

noun the son of a stepfather or stepmother step-by-step /stɛp/-/baɪ/-/stɛp/ adj gradual stepchild /ˈstɛpʧaɪld/ noun a stepdaughter or stepson stepdaughter /ˈstɛpˌdɔːtə/ noun the daugh-ter of a wife or husband from another marriage stepfather /ˈstɛpˌfɑːðə/ noun the husband of a mother, who is not a per-son’s father stepladder /ˈstɛpˌlædə/ noun a small lad-der in two parts, hinged to-gether, which is steady when opened up and does not need to lean on anything stepmother /ˈstɛpˌmʌðə/ noun the wife of a father, who is not a person’s mother stepping-stone /ˈstɛpɪŋstəʊn/ noun 1. one of a series of large stones placed to allow you to cross a stream 2. a useful stage in your career Education is a stepping-stone to a good job. stepsister /ˈstɛpˌsɪstə/ noun the daughter of a stepfather or stepmother stepson /ˈstɛpsʌn/ noun the son of a wife or husband

from another mar-riage stereo /ˈstɪərɪə(ʊ)/ noun a machine which plays music or other sound through two different loud-speakers. in stereo using two speakers to produce sound stereotype /ˈstɪərɪətaɪp/ noun a pattern for a certain type of person racial stereotypes sterile /ˈstɛraɪl/ adj 1. free from infec-tious organisms 2. infertile, not able to produce offspring 3. not producing any useful results sterilise /ˈstɛrɪlaɪz/ verb 1. to make some-thing sterile by killing infec-tious organisms 2. to make a person unable to have children sterility /stɛˈrɪlɪti/ noun being unable to produce offspring sterling /ˈstɜːlɪŋ/ noun British currency stern /stɜːn/ adj serious and strict stern criticism steroid /ˈstɛrɔɪd/ noun 1. one of several natural chemical compounds which affect the body and its functions 2. a synthetic chemi-cal used to treat some disorders and

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also used by some athletes to improve their strength stethoscope /ˈstɛθəskəʊp/ noun an instru-ment consisting of a tube with a metal disc at one end and two parts that go in the ears at the other, used by doctors to listen to sounds made inside the body by organs such as the heart or lungs stethoscope

stew /stjuː/ noun a dish of meat and vegetables cooked together for a long time beef/lamb stew stew /stjuː/ verb to cook food for a long time in liquid steward /stjʊəd/ noun 1. a man who looks after passengers, and serves meals or drinks on a ship, aircraft, train or in a club 2. a person who organises pub-lic events such as races etc.

stewardess /ˈstjʊədɪs/ noun a woman who looks after passengers and serves food and drinks on a ship or aircraft stick /stɪk/ noun 1. a thin piece of wood 2. a thin branch of a tree 3. anything long and thin stick /stɪk/ verb to attach something somewhere firmly, especially with glue 2. to be fixed or not to be able to move 3. to push something into something 4. to stay in a place 5. to put up with. to stick together to stay together The stamp wouldn’t stick to the envelope. stick out /stɪk/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb 1. to push something out 2. to be further forward or further away from something stick up /stɪk/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to be further up above a surface or to extend beyond a surface 2. to attach something to something such as a wall or noticeboard for people to see. to stick up for someone or something to de-fend someone sticker /ˈstɪkə/ noun a small 590

piece of paper or plastic which you can stick on something to show a price, as a decoration or to ad-vertise something a car sticker stickler /ˈstɪklə/ noun someone who insists on the correctness of de-tails sticky /ˈstɪki/ adj 1. covered with something which sticks like glue 2. with glue on one side so that it sticks easily sticky fingers stiff /stɪf/ adj 1. which does not move easily 2. with hard bristles stiffen /ˈstɪfn/ verb 1. to become or make stiff 2. to become cau-tious or unfriendly 3. (of wind) to become stronger 4. to make stronger She stiffened at the sound of the doorbell. stiffness /ˈstɪfnəs/ noun 1. having mus-cle pains after doing exercise, or being unable to move easily because of damaged joints 2. the quality of being stiff stifle /ˈstaɪfl/ verb 1. to make someone not able to breathe, not to be able to breathe because of heat or smoke 2. to

prevent some-thing. to stifle a yawn to try to prevent yourself from yawning Large supermarkets stifle competition. stifling /ˈstaɪflɪŋ/ adj extremely hot stigma /ˈstɪgmə/ noun 1. a feeling of shame 2. a part of the female organ of a flower that forms seeds after receiving pollen still /stɪl/ adj not moving. adv 1. continuing until now or until then 2. in spite of everything Do you still play basketball? still life /stɪl/ /laɪf/ noun a painting of ob-jects such as fruit, bottles, flow-ers or food stilted /ˈstɪltɪd/ adj forced and unnatu-ral stimulant /ˈstɪmjʊlənt/ noun 1. a substance which makes the body func-tion faster 2. something which encourages more activity stimulate /ˈstɪmjʊleɪt/ verb to encourage someone or an organ to be more active stimulating /ˈstɪmjʊleɪtɪŋ/ adj causing inter-est, excitement or enthusiasm stimulus /ˈstɪmjʊləs/ noun an encourage-ment or incentive

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that leads to greater activity The report provided the stimulus for more studies. sting /stɪŋ/ noun a wound made by an insect or plant sting /stɪŋ/ verb 1. to wound some-one with an insect’s or plant’s sting 2. to give a burning feel-ing stingy /ˈstɪnʤi/ adj not very generous (informal) stink /stɪŋk/ noun a very unpleasant smell stink /stɪŋk/ verb to have a nasty smell The kitchen stinks of fish. stint /stɪnt/ noun a period of working stipulate /ˈstɪpjʊleɪt/ verb to insist, to make it a condition that stipulate /ˈstɪpjʊleɪt/ verb to move a liquid or powder or something which is cooking, to mix it up stir up /stɜːr/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to encour-age strong emotions or reac-tions stir-fry /stɜː/-/fraɪ/ verb to cook vegetables or meat quickly in hot oil, while continuously stirring stirring /ˈstɜːrɪŋ/ adj making you feel strong emotions,

especially pride or enthusiasm stirrup /ˈstɪrəp/ noun a metal loop hanging from the saddle into which a rider puts his foot stitch /stɪʧ/ noun 1. a little loop of thread made with a needle in sewing or with knitting needles when knitting 2. a small loop of thread used by a surgeon to attach the sides of a wound to-gether to help it to heal She needed 50 stitches in her head. stitch /stɪʧ/ verb to attach something with a needle and thread stock /stɒk/ noun 1. a supply of something kept to use when needed 2. a liquid made from boiling bones in water, used as a base for soups and sauces stock /stɒk/ verb to keep goods for sale in a shop or warehouse We’re expecting some new stock in this afternoon. stock up /stɒk/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to buy supplies for use in the future stockade /stɒˈkeɪd/ noun a

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strong fence made of thick upright poless-tockbroker stockbroker /ˈstɒkˌbrəʊkə/ noun a person who buys or sells shares for cli-ents stocking /ˈstɒkɪŋ/ noun a long light piece of women’s clothing which covers all of a leg and foot stockist /ˈstɒkɪst/ noun a person or shop which stocks a certain product stock market /stɒk/ /ˈmɑːkɪt/ noun a place where shares are bought and sold stockpile /ˈstɒkpaɪl/ verb to collect large supplies of something that you will need in the future to stockpile food stocktaking /ˈstɒkˌteɪkɪŋ/ noun counting and listing the existing stock in a shop or business stocky /ˈstɒki/ adj with large shoul-ders, a strong body and short, strong legs a short, stocky man stodgy /ˈstɒʤi/ adj (of food) heavy and filling stoical /ˈstəʊɪkəl/ adj accepting what hap-pens without complaining stoke /stəʊk/ verb to put

wood or coal into a fire stole /stəʊl/ past tense of steal stolen /ˈstəʊlən/ past participle of steal stolid /ˈstɒlɪd/ adj serious, not easily excited stomach /ˈstʌmək/ noun 1. a part of the body shaped like a bag, into which food passes after being swallowed and where it contin-ues to be digested 2. the front of your body between your chest and your waist stomach ache noun a pain in the abdo-men He punched me in the stomach. stomp /stɒmp/ verb to walk with heavy steps stone /stəʊn/ noun 1. a very hard material, found in the earth, used for building 2. a small piece of stone 3. a British measure of weight equal to 14 pounds or 6.35 kilograms stoned /stəʊnd/ adj 1. (of fruit) with the stone removed 2. high on drugs (informal) stony /ˈstəʊni/ adj made of lots of stones a stony path/road

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stood /stʊd/ past tense and past parti-ciple of stand stool /stuːl/ noun a small seat with no back stoop /stuːp/ verb to bend forward stop /stɒp/ verb 1. not to move any more, e.g. in order to let people get on or off 2. to make some-thing not move any more 3. not to do something any more He started to say something and then stopped. stop /stɒp/ noun 1. the end of some-thing, especially of movement 2. a place where you break a journey 3. a place where a bus or train lets passengers get on or off stop by /stɒp/ /baɪ/ phrasal verb to visit someone for a short time stop off /stɒp/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb to stop for a time in a place before go-ing on with your journey stopgap /ˈstɒpgæp/ noun something used for a short time, while wait-ing for something better to be found stoplight /ˈstɒplaɪt/ noun a traffic light stop over /stɒp/ /ˈəʊvə/ verb to spend a night in a place

on a long journey stopover /ˈstɒpˌəʊvə/ noun a short over-night stop on a long journey by air stoppage /ˈstɒpɪʤ/ noun 1. the action of stopping something from moving 2. money taken from an employee’s wages to pay for insurance and tax stopper /ˈstɒpə/ noun an object that you put into the mouth of a bottle or jar to close it stopwatch /ˈstɒpwɒʧ/ noun a watch which can be started and stopped by pressing a button, used for tim-ing races

stopwatch

storage /ˈstɔːrɪʤ/ noun the act of keep-ing something in a store or warehouse We had to put our furniture into storage. store /stɔː/ noun a shop, usually a big shop 594

store /stɔː/ verb 1. to keep food etc. to use later 2. to keep some-thing in a computer file storey /ˈstɔːri/ noun a whole floor in a building a three-storey house stork /stɔːk/ noun a large white bird with long legs and a long thin red beak storm /stɔːm/ noun a high wind and very bad weather stormy /ˈstɔːmi/ adj when there are storms a stormy night story /ˈstɔːri/ noun 1. a description that tells things that did not re-ally happen but are invented by someone 2. a description that tells what really happened storyteller /ˈstɔːrɪˌtɛlə/ noun a person who tells a story stout /staʊt/ adj 1. (of a person) quite fat 2. (of material ) strong or thick stove /stəʊv/ noun a piece of equip-ment for heating or cooking I’ve left some soup on the stove for you. stow /stəʊ/ verb to put away stow away /stəʊ/ /əˈweɪ/ phrasal verb 1. to put away

2. to travel secretly on a ship or aircraft without pay-ing the fare stowaway /ˈstəʊəweɪ/ noun a person who travels secretly on a ship or air-craft without paying straddle /ˈstrædl/ verb 1. to stand with legs apart, on either side of something 2. be on both sides of something He straddled the chair. straggle /ˈstrægl/ verb 1. to move in various directions, not in an orderly fashion 2. to grow or lie in various directions straight /streɪt/ adj 1. not curved 2. not sloping straight /streɪt/ adv 1. in a straight line, not curving 2. immedi-ately 3. without stopping or changing straightaway /ˈstreɪtəweɪ/ adv at once straighten /ˈstreɪtn/ verb to make something straight straighten up /ˈstreɪtn/ / ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to stand straight after bending 2. to make something tidy straightforward / streɪtˈfɔːwəd/ adj easy to understand or carry out

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strain /streɪn/ noun 1. nervous tension and stress 2. a variety, breed The strain of the last few months had exhausted her. strain /streɪn/ verb 1. to injure part of your body by pulling too hard 2. to make great efforts to do something 3. to pour liquid through a sieve to separate sol-ids from it strained /streɪnd/ adj tense or unfriend-ly strainer /ˈstreɪnə/ noun a kitchen utensil with metal or nylon mesh, used to separate solids from a liquid straitjacket / ˈstreɪtˌdʒæk. ɪt/ noun something which prevents you from act-ing freely strand /strænd/ noun one piece of hair or thread She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. stranded /ˈstrændɪd/ adj alone and unable to move We were stranded at the airport for ten hours. strange adj 1. not usual 2. which you have never seen be-fore or where you have never been before

stranger noun 1. a person whom you have never met 2. a person in a place where he has never been before strangle /streɪnʤ/ verb 1. to kill by squeezing the throat so that someone cannot breathe or swallow 2. to slow the develop-ment of something Police believe the victim was strangled. stranglehold /ˈstræŋglhəʊld/ noun control which prevents you doing what you want to do strap /stræp/ noun a long flat piece of material used to attach some-thing strap /stræp/ verb to fasten something with a strap I want a bag with a shoulder strap. strata /ˈstrɑːtə/ plural of stratum strategic /strəˈtiːʤɪk/ adj 1. done with the intention of achieving a spe-cific aim 2. attacking an enemy from a long distance strategist /ˈstrætɪʤɪst/ noun someone who makes business, military or other plans strategy /ˈstrætɪʤi/ noun the decisions you make about 596

how you are going to do something a an economic strategy stratum /ˈstrɑːtəm/ noun a layer, especial-ly of rock straw /strɔː/ noun 1. dry stems and leaves of crops, used for ani-mals to sleep on 2. a thin plastic tube for sucking up liquids strawberry /ˈstrɔːbəri/ noun a common soft red summer fruit which grows on low plants stray verb to move away from the place where something is expected to be, or from a sub-ject being discussed I suddenly realized that I had strayed far from the village. stray /streɪ/ adj 1. not where it should be 2. (of a pet animal) lost or without a home streak /striːk/ noun 1. a line of colour 2. a particularly characteristic type of behavior 3. a period when a series of things hap-pens She has a streak of white hair. streak /striːk/ verb 1. to go very fast 2. to run about naked in public (informal) stream /striːm/ noun 1. a small river 2. things which

pass continu-ously streamer /ˈstriːmə/ noun a long paper strip used for decoration streaming /ˈstriːmɪŋ/ noun a method of sending a continuous stream of data over the Internet to a computer, providing live video or sound streamline /ˈstriːmlaɪn/ verb 1. to design a car, plane or boat so that it can move easily through water or air 2. to make something more efficient or more simple street /striːt/ noun 1. a road in a town, usually with houses on each side 2. used with names We live on the same street. streetwise ˈstriːt.waɪz adj able to deal with difficult and dangerous situations in a modern city strength /strɛŋθ/ noun the quality of being physically strong strengthen /ˈstrɛŋθən/ verb 1. to make something stronger 2. to be-come stronger exercises to strengthen the leg muscles strenuous /ˈstrɛnjʊəs/ adj

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requiring a lot of physical effort or energy stress /strɛs/ noun 1. nervous strain caused by an outside influ-ence 2. the force or pressure on something stress /strɛs/ verb to put emphasis on something Regular exercise can help reduce stress. stressed /strɛst/ adj worried and tense stressful /ˈstrɛsf(ə)l/ adj (of a situation) which causes stress stress mark /strɛs/ /mɑːk/ noun a mark showing which syllable of a word should be stressed stretch /strɛʧ/ verb 1. to spread out for a great distance 2. to push out your arms or legs as far as they can 3. to pull out so that it becomes loose Don’t pull my sweater - you’ll stretch it. stretch /strɛʧ/ noun 1. a long piece of land, water or road 2. a long period of time. at a stretch without a break. to stretch your legs to go for a short walk after sitting for a long time

stretcher /ˈstrɛʧə/ noun a folding bed with handles, on which an in-jured person can be carried by two people strew /struː/ verb to scatter over a wide area strict /strɪkt/ adj 1. which must be obeyed 2. expecting people to obey rules strictly /ˈstrɪktli/ adv in a strict way That’s not strictly true. stride /straɪd/ noun a long step stride /straɪd/ verb to walk with long steps. to make great strides to advance quickly. to take some-thing in your stride to deal with something easily strident /ˈstraɪdənt/ adj unpleasantly loud and harsh strident criticism strife /straɪf/ noun trouble between people strike /straɪk/ noun the stopping of work by workers because of lack of agreement with man-agement or because of orders from a trade union strike /straɪk/ verb. to stop working because of disagreement with management

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2. to hit some-thing hard 3. (of a clock) to ring to mark an hour 4. to come to someone’s mind strike off /straɪk/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb to re-move a name from a list be-cause of bad behaviour strike up /straɪk/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to start playing a piece of music striker /ˈstraɪkə/ noun 1. a worker who is on strike 2. a football player whose main task is to score goals striking /ˈstraɪkɪŋ/ adj noticeable, un-usual string /strɪŋ/ noun 1. a strong thin fibre used for tying up things such as parcels 2. one of the long pieces of fibre or wire on a musical instrument which makes a note when you hit it 3. one of the strong pieces of fibre which form the flat part of a tennis racket a ball of string string along /strɪŋ/ /əˈlɒŋ/ phrasal verb 1. to walk along in a line behind someone 2. to promise some-one something to get him or her to agree to do what you want

stringed instrument /ˈstrɪŋd/ / ˈɪnstrʊmənt/ noun a musical instrument where the notes are played on strings stringent /ˈstrɪnʤənt/ adj strict or severe strip /strɪp/ noun a long narrow piece of something strip /strɪp/ verb to take off your clothes She was stripped and searched by the guards. stripe /straɪp/ noun a long line of co-lour striptease /ˈstrɪptiːz/ noun an entertain-ment where someone takes their clothes off piece by piece strive /straɪv/ verb to try very hard to do something, especially over a long period of time to strive for happiness/peace strode /strəʊd/ past tense of stride stroke /strəʊk/ noun 1. a serious medi-cal condition in which some-one suddenly becomes un-conscious because blood has stopped flowing normally to the brain 2. the act of hitting something 3. a style of swim-ming stroke /strəʊk/ verb to run 599

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

your hands gently over something or some-one to have/suffer a stroke stroll /strəʊl/ verb to walk slowly as a way of relaxing strong /strɒŋ/ adj 1. who has a lot of strength 2. which has a lot of force or strength 3. having a powerful smell, taste or effect stronghold /ˈstrɒŋhəʊld/ noun 1. a place such as a castle which is dif-ficult for an enemy to defeat 2. a place which is famous for something strongly /ˈstrɒŋli/ adv in a strong way stroppy / ˈstrɒp.i/ adj behaving in a rude and angry way (informal) strove /strəʊv/ past tense of strive struck /strʌk/ past tense and past par-ticiple of strike structural /ˈstrʌkʧərəl/ adj referring to a structure The last five years have seen big structural changes in the company. structure /ˈstrʌkʧə/ noun a building or something else that is built struggle /ˈstrʌgl/ noun, verb

to try hard to do something difficult strum /strʌm/ verb to play a stringed instrument by running your fingers across the strings in an informal way strut /strʌt/ verb to walk in a proud and important way stub /stʌb/ noun a small piece left af-ter something has been used There were cigarette stubs all over the floor. stubble /ˈstʌbl/ noun 1. short stems left in the ground after a crop such as wheat has been cut 2. short hair which grow on a man’s chin if he does not shave for several days stubborn /ˈstʌbən/ adj determined not to change your mind. stuck /stʌk/ past tense and past parti-ciple of stick My car got stuck in a ditch. stud /stʌd/ noun 1. a small round pieceof metal jewellery worn in the ear, nose or elsewhere on the body 2. a young man who is extremely sexually attractive (informal) 3. a nail with a head that stands out above a surface student /ˈstjuːdənt/ noun a 600

person who is studying at a college, university or school a foreign student studio /ˈstjuːdɪəʊ/ noun 1. a room where an artist paints 2. a place where things such as films or broad-casts are made 3. a very small flat for one person, usually one room with a small kitchen studious /ˈstjuːdjəs/ adj enjoying study, spending a lot of time study-ing study /ˈstʌdi/ noun the work of exam-ining something carefully to learn more about it study /ˈstʌdi/ verb 1. to learn about a subject at college or 2. to look at something carefully stuff /stʌf/ noun 1. a substance, especially something unpleasant 2. equipment or possessions stuff /stʌf/ verb 1. to push some-thing into something to fill it 2. to put small pieces of food such as bread, meat or herbs inside meat or vegetables be-fore cooking stuffing /ˈstʌfɪŋ/ noun 1. a mixture of small pieces of food such as bread, fat,

onions and herbs put inside a chicken, fish or vegetables before cooking 2. a soft material used to fill things such as children’s toys or chair seats stuffy /ˈstʌfi/ adj without any fresh air a stuffy club for wealthy old men stumble /ˈstʌmbl/ verb 1. to almost fall by hitting your foot against something 2. to make mistakes when reading aloud or speak-ing stumbling block /ˈstʌmblɪŋ/ / blɒk/ noun some-thing which prevents you from doing what you want to do Lack of money has been the main stumbling block. stump /stʌmp/ noun 1. a short piece of something left sticking up, such as the main stem of a tree that has been cut down 2. one of the three sticks placed in the ground in cricket stump

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stump up /stʌmp/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to pay money (informal) stun /stʌn/ verb 1. to make someone become unconscious with a blow to the head 2. to shock someone completely Friends and family were stunned by her sudden death. stung /stʌŋ/ past tense of sting stunk /stʌŋk/ past tense and past parti-ciple of stink stunning /ˈstʌnɪŋ/ adj impressive, ex-tremely beautiful stunt /stʌnt/ noun a trick or dangerous act done to attract attention He always does his own stunts. stupendous /stju(ː)ˈpɛndəs/ adj extremely un-usual, very large or impressive stupid /ˈstjuːpɪd/ adj 1. not very intelli-gent 2. behaving in a way that is not sensible stupor /ˈstjuːpə/ noun the state of being almost unconscious sturdy /ˈstɜːdi/ adj well made and not easily damaged stutter /ˈstʌtə/ noun a speech problem where you repeat the sound at the beginning of a word several times

stutter /ˈstʌtə/ verb to repeat the same sounds when speaking sty /staɪ/ noun a little building where a pig is kept style /staɪl/ noun 1. a way of doing something, especially a way of designing, drawing or writing 2. a fashionable way of doing hairstyle She’s had her hair cut in a really nice style. stylised /ˈstaɪlaɪzd/ adj drawn or designed in a fixed way that does not look natural stylish /ˈstaɪlɪʃ/ adj attractive and fash-ionable stylistic /staɪˈlɪstɪk/ adj referring to style in art suave /swɑːv/ adj extremely polite with very good manners, though of-ten with an unpleasant charac-ter suave and sophisticated sub /sʌb/ 1. submarine 2. subscrip-tion 3. substitute sub- /sʌb/ prefix below, under subcommittee /ˈsʌbkəˌmɪti/ noun a small committee which is set up by a main committee and deals with a specific matter subconscious /ˌsʌbˈkɒnʃəs/ 602

noun a part of your mind which has ideas or feelings which you do not re-alise subcontinent /ˌsʌbˈkɒntɪnənt/ noun a large mass of land which is a sepa-rate part of a continent subcontract /ˌsʌbˈkɒntrækt/ noun a contract between the main company managing a whole project and another firm who will do part of the work subculture /ˈsʌbˌkʌlʧə/ noun a separate so-cial group within a larger cul-ture subdivide /ˌsʌbdɪˈvaɪd/ verb to divide up something which has already been divided Each chapter is subdivided into smaller sections. subdivision /ˈsʌbdɪˌvɪʒən/ noun the divi-sion of something into smaller parts subdue /səbˈdjuː/ verb to defeat, to bring under control subdued /səbˈdjuːd/ adj 1. very quiet, not excited 2. not bright, not loud subgroup /ˈsʌbgruːp/ noun a small sepa-rate group within a larger group subheading /ˈsʌbhɛdɪŋ/ noun

a heading used to divide something such as a long document into small-er sections subject /ˈsʌbʤɪkt/ noun 1. the thing which you are talking about or writing about. 2. an area of knowledge which you are studying. 3. to be the subject of to be the person or thing talked about or studied 4. (in grammar) a noun or pronoun which comes before a verb and shows the person or thing that does the action expressed by the verb subjective /səbˈʤɛktɪv/ adj seen from your own point of view, and there-fore, possibly influenced by your feelings or beliefs a subjective judgment subject line /ˈsʌbʤɪkt/ /laɪn/ noun the part at the top of an e-mail where the sub-ject of the message is written subject matter /ˈsʌbʤɪkt/ / ˈmætə/ noun the sub-ject dealt with in something such as a book or television programme subjunctive /səbˈʤʌŋktɪv/ noun the form of a verb used to express some-thing 603

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

such as a doubt, sugges-tion or wish sublime /səˈblaɪm/ adj impressive, beau-tiful sublime scenery submarine /ˌsʌbməˈriːn/ noun a special type of ship which can travel under water

a submarine

submarine /ˌsʌbməˈriːn/ adj under the wa-ter submerge /səbˈmɜːʤ/ verb 1. to cover with something, especially with wa-ter 2. to go under water submission /səbˈmɪʃən/ noun 1. the state of giving in or having to obey someone 2. a piece of evidence, a document or an argument used in court They tried to starve her into submission. submissive /səbˈmɪsɪv/ adj (of a person) who obeys all orders, or who gives in easily submit /səbˈmɪt/ verb 1. to put some-thing forward for

someone to examine 2. to accept that some-one has the power to make you do something you do not want to do subordinate /səˈbɔːdnɪt/ noun a person who is under the direction of someone a subordinate position/role subordinate /səˈbɔːdnɪt/ clause noun a clause in a sentence which de-pends on the main clause subpoena /səbˈpiːnə/ noun a court order telling someone to appear in court subscribe /səbˈskraɪb/ verb to give money. subscription /səbˈskrɪpʃən/ noun 1. the amount of money which someone pays to a magazine for a se-ries of issues 2. money paid to a club for a year’s subsection /ˈsʌbˌsɛkʃən/ noun a division of a section such as in a docu-ment subsequent /ˈsʌbsɪkwənt/ adj which comes later (formal ) The mistakes were corrected in a subsequent edition of the book. subsequently /ˈsʌbsɪkwəntli/ adv happening later or following something which has

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already happened subset /ˈsʌbsɛt/ noun a mathematical set whose elements are con-tained in another set subside /səbˈsaɪd/ verb 1. to go down, to become less loud or strong 2. (of a piece of ground or a build-ing) to fall to a lower level The violence seems to be subsiding at last. subsidence /səbˈsaɪdəns/ noun (of a piece of ground or a building) an act of sinking or falling to a lower level subsidiary /səbˈsɪdjəri/ noun a company which is owned by a parent company subsidise /ˈsʌbsɪdaɪz/ verb to help by giv-ing money subsidy /ˈsʌbsɪdi/ noun money given to help pay for something which does not make a profit housing subsidies for the poor subsist /səbˈsɪst/ verb 1. to stay alive, to manage 2. to continue to exist substance /ˈsʌbstəns/ noun a solid or liquid material, especially one used in chemistry substandard /ˌsʌbˈstændəd/ adj not up to the usual stand-

ard substantial /səbˈstænʃəl/ adj 1. large or im-portant 2. large enough to sat-isfy someone 3. solid or strong substantially /səbˈstænʃəli/ adv 1. mainly, mostly 2. by a large amount House prices are substantially higher in the south. substantiate /səbˈstænʃɪeɪt/ verb to prove that something which has been stated is true substitute /ˈsʌbstɪtjuːt/ noun a person or thing that takes the place of someone or something else; Margarine can be used as a substitute for butter. substitute /ˈsʌbstɪtjuːt/ verb to substitute or replace something or someone for something or someone else substitution /ˌsʌbstɪˈtjuːʃən/ noun the act of substituting someone or some-thing for someone or some-thing else subsume /səbˈsjuːm/ verb to include some-thing in a larger group or set The company has been subsumed by a large US bank. subterfuge /ˈsʌbtəfjuːʤ/ noun a trick or clever way

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of doing something subterranean /ˌsʌbtəˈreɪnjən/ adj under the ground subtitle /ˈsʌbˌtaɪtl/ noun a translation of the words spoken in a film which are shown at the bottom of the screen subtle /ˈsʌtl/ adj 1. not obvious or easily 2. complicated or deli-cate a subtle hint subtlety /ˈsʌtlti/ noun careful thought processes which are difficult to explain subtract /səbˈtrækt/ verb to take one num-ber away from another subtraction /səbˈtrækʃən/ noun the act of subtracting one number from another suburb /ˈsʌbɜːb/ noun an area on the edge of a town where there are houses and shops but not usually facto-ries or other large industries suburban /səˈbɜːbən/ adj referring to the suburbs a suburban area/home suburbia /səˈbɜːbɪə/ noun the middle-class suburban districts around a city subversive /səbˈvɜːsɪv/ adj acting secretly against the

government or peo-ple in authority subvert /sʌbˈvɜːt/ verb to make some-thing such as a system fail, or to damage or destroy the existing political system a plot to subvert the government subway /ˈsʌbweɪ/ noun 1. an under-ground passage along which people can walk 2. an under-ground railway station. sub-zero /sʌb/-/ˈzɪərəʊ/ adj below zero de-grees in temperature succeed /səkˈsiːd/ verb to do well in a particular activity He has finally succeeded in passing his exams. success /səkˈsɛs/ noun 1. the fact that you achieve what you have been trying to do.

2. the fact that something or someone does well successful /səkˈsɛsfʊl/ adj who or which does well successfully /səkˈsɛsfʊli/ adv achieving what was intended succession /səkˈsɛʃən/ noun 1. a series of the same type of thing, in suc-cession one after the other 2. taking

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a property or a title from someone who has died to suffer a succession of injuries successive /səkˈsɛsɪv/ adj which come one after the other successor /səkˈsɛsə/ noun a person who takes over from someone success story /səkˈsɛs/ / ˈstɔːri/ noun a person or something such as an invention that has been a great success succinct /səkˈsɪŋkt/ adj exact, not using many words a succinct explanation succumb /səˈkʌm/ verb 1. To accept de-feat 2. to die from an illness or injury such /sʌʧ/ adj 1. of this type 2. very, so much; such as used for giv-ing an example; no such (per-son or thing) a person or thing like that is not in existence suck /sʌk/ verb 1. to hold something with your mouth and pull at it with your tongue to suck a sweet/lollipop sucker /ˈsʌkə/ noun 1. a part of an animal which

sticks to a sur-face by sucking 2. a little plastic cup which sticks to a surface by suction 3. a person who is easily tricked into doing some-thing.4. a person who cannot resist something 5.(of a plant) a shoot which comes from the bottom of the stem or from a root suction /ˈsʌkʃən/ noun the action of sucking out air, so that two surfaces stick together sudden /ˈsʌdn/ adj which happens very quickly, all of a sudden suddenly His sudden death was a great shock to us all. suddenly /ˈsʌdnli/ adv quickly and giv-ing you a shock sue /sjuː/ verb to take someone to court, to start a legal case against someone to get pay-ment for the harm or damage they have caused suede /sweɪd/ noun leather with a soft surface that looks like velvet suet /sjʊɪt/ noun the hard fat from around an animal’s kidneys, used in cookings suffer /ˈsʌfə/ verb 1. to receive an in-jury 2. to suffer from something to have an illness 607

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

or a fault I can’t bear to see animals suffering. sufferer /ˈsʌfərə/ noun a person who has a particular disease suffering /ˈsʌfərɪŋ/ noun feeling pain over a long period of time suffice /səˈfaɪs/ verb to be enough sufficient /səˈfɪʃənt/ adj as much as is needed She didn’t have sufficient time to answer all the questions. self-sufficient /sɛlf/-/səˈfɪʃənt/ noun letters added to the end of a word to make another word. suffocate /ˈsʌfəkeɪt/ verb 1. to make someone stop breathing by cut-ting off the supply of air, or to die from lack of air to breathe 2. to be uncomfortable because of heat and lack of air (infor-mal ) suffrage /ˈsʌfrɪʤ/ noun a right to vote in elections universal suffrage (= the right of all adults to vote) sugar /ˈʃʊgə/ noun a substance that you use to make food sweet

suggest /səˈʤɛst/ verb to mention an idea to see what other people think of it suggestion /səˈʤɛsʧən/ noun an idea that you mention for people to think about suggestive /səˈʤɛstɪv/ adj 1.

Relating to sex 2. suggestive of suggesting something suicidal /sjʊɪˈsaɪdl/ adj wanting to kill yourself suicide /ˈsjʊɪsaɪd/ noun 1. the act of kill-ing yourself; to commit suicide to kill yourself 2. a person who has killed himself He committed suicide after a long period of depression. suicide note noun a letter left by someone who has commit-ted suicide suit /sjuːt/ noun 1. a set of pieces of clothing made of the same cloth and worn together, e.g. a jacket and trousers or skirt 2. one of the four sets of cards with the same symbol in a pack of cards suit /sjuːt/ verb 1. to look good when worn by someone 2. to be con-venient for someone Green really suits you.

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suit yourself /sjuːt/ /jɔːˈsɛlf/ do what you want suitability /ˌsjuːtəˈbɪlɪti/ noun the degree to which someone or something is suitable suitable /ˈsjuːtəbl/ adj which fits or which is convenient suitcase /ˈsjuːtkeɪs/ noun a box with a handle which you carry your clothes in when you are travelling

sulphur /ˈsʌlfə/ noun a non-metallic element, which is usually found in the form of yellow powder, and smells of rotten eggs sulphur dioxide /ˈsʌlfə/ / daɪˈɒksaɪd/ noun a co-lourless gas which has a strong unpleasant smell and causes serious air pollution sultan /ˈsʌltən/ noun a Muslim prince sultana /sʌlˈtɑːnə/ noun a type of pale seedless raisin sultry /ˈsʌltri/ adj 1. (of weather) hot and making you feel uncom-fortably sticky. 2. attractive in a dark and passionate way sum /sʌm/ noun 1. a quana suitcase tity of money 2. a simple suite /swiːt/ noun 1. a set of problem in rooms, especially expensive arithmetic 3. the total of two rooms 2. a set of pieces of or more numbers added furniture together a bedroom suite a large/small sum of money suitor /ˈsjuːtə/ noun a person sum up /sʌm/ /ʌp/ phrasal who wants to marry a girl verb 1. to make a summary of what has been said 2. (of sulk /sʌlk/ verb to show you a judge) to speak at the end are an-noyed by not saying of a trial and go over all the anything sulky /ˈsʌlki/ adj showing that you are annoyed evidence and arguments for the benefit of the jury sullen /ˈsʌlən/ adj silent and summarily /ˈsʌmərɪli/ adv sulky immediately and without 609

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discussion or at-tention to the usual way of do-ing things summarise /ˈsʌməraɪz/ verb to make a short account of what has hap-pened or what has been said summary /ˈsʌməri/ noun a short descrip-tion of what has been said or written, or of what happened, without giving all the details He gave a brief summary of what happened. summer /ˈsʌmə/ noun the hottest sea-son of the year, between spring and autumn We usually go away in the summer. summer camp /ˈsʌmə/ / kæmp/ noun a place where children go for a holiday without their parents in the summer, usually in the country summer holiday /ˈsʌmə/ / ˈhɒlədeɪ/ noun a holiday which you have in the summer summer school /ˈsʌmə/ / skuːl/ noun classes held at a school, college or university during the summer holiday

summertime /ˈsʌməˌtaɪm/ the time of year when it is summer In the summertime, we often eat outside. summit /ˈsʌmɪt/ noun the top of a moun-tain a summit meeting summon /ˈsʌmən/ verb to tell people to come to a meeting (formal) summons /ˈsʌmənz/ noun 1. an official order to go to see someone 2. an official order or document telling someone to appear in court to be tried for a criminal offence or to defend a civil ac-tion sumo /ˈsuːməʊ/ noun a Japanese style of wrestling, where two very large wrestlers try to throw each oth-er out of a ring sumptuous /ˈsʌmptjʊəs/ adj very expensive or impressive sun /sʌn/ noun 1. a very bright star round which the earth travels and which gives light and heat 2. the light from the sun sunbathe /ˈsʌnˌbeɪð/ verb to lie in the sun to get your skin brown sunbed /sʌn/ /bɛd/ noun 1. a piece of equipment which you use to make your skin 610

look brown by means of ultraviolet light 2. a piece of furniture on which you lie in the sun sunburn /ˈsʌnbɜːn/ noun damage to the skin caused by being in the sun for too long sunburnt /ˈsʌnbɜːnt/ adj (of the skin) damaged or made red by the sunSunday a sunburnt nose Sunday /ˈsʌndeɪ/ noun the seventh day of the week, the day between Saturday and Monday Sunday school /ˈsʌndeɪ/ / skuːl/ noun classes held on a Sunday, where chil-dren are taught about the Christian religion sundial /ˈsʌndaɪəl/ noun a type of out-door clock with a central piece whose shadow points to the time when the sun shines on it

sundail

sundown /ˈsʌndaʊn/ noun

the time when the sun goes down in the eve-ning sundry /ˈsʌndri/ adj various sunflower /ˈsʌnˌflaʊə/ noun a very large yellow flower on a very tall stem sung /sʌŋ/ past participle of sing sunglasses /ˈsʌnˌglɑːsɪz/ plural noun dark glasses worn to protect your eyes from the sun sunk /sʌŋk/ past participle of sink sunlight /ˈsʌnlaɪt/ noun the light which comes from the sun sunlit /ˈsʌnlɪt/ adj bright with the light of the sun Sunni / ˈsʊn.i / noun 1. one of the main branches of Islam 2. a member of the Sunni branch of Islam sunny /ˈsʌni/ adj 1. with the sun shin-ing. 2. where the sun often a lovely sunny day sunrise /ˈsʌnraɪz/ noun the time when the sun comes up in the morn-ing sunroof /sʌn/ /ruːf/ noun a part of the roof of a car which opens to let in light and air sunscreen /ˈsʌnˌskriːn/ noun

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a cream which you put on your skin to prevent sunburn sunset /ˈsʌnsɛt/ noun the time when the sun goes down in the evening sunshine /ˈsʌnʃaɪn/ noun a pleasant light from the sun Let’s sit over there in the sunshine. suntan /ˈsʌntæn/ noun the brown colour of skin caused by sunlight super /ˈs(j)uːpə/ adj very good superb /sju(ː)ˈpɜːb/ adj extremely good supercomputer /suːpəkəmˈpjuːtə/ noun a high-speed computer superficial /ˌsjuːpəˈfɪʃəl/ adj 1. affecting only the top surface 2. dealing only with the most obvious and simple matters 3. not seri-ous or important superficial knowledge superfluous /sju(ː)ˈpɜːflʊəs/ adj which is more than is needed; not necessary, not needed superhuman /ˌsjuːpəˈhjuːmən/ adj beyond what humans are usually able to do, or having unusually great abili-ties superimpose /ˌsjuːpərɪmˈpəʊz/

verb to lay one picture over another so that they are both visible; to print one thing on top of another superintendent /ˌsjuːpərɪnˈtɛndənt/ noun a person who is responsible for work, or for a place superior /sju(ː)ˈpɪərɪə/ noun a person in a higher rank This car is far superior to the others. superiority /sju(ː)ˌpɪərɪˈɒrɪti/ noun being more important, more intelligent, better than someone else superlative /sju(ː)ˈpɜːlətɪv/ adj extremely good supermarket /ˈsjuːpəˌmɑːkɪt/ noun a large store selling mainly food and goods for the house, where customers serve themselves and pay at a checkout supermodel /ˈsuːpəˌmɒd(ə) l/ noun a famous fashion model who earns a lot of money supernatural /ˌsjuːpəˈnæʧrəl/ adj which can-not be explained by the laws of nature supernatural forces/powers superpower /ˈsjuːpəˌpaʊə/ noun an extreme-ly powerful

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country with great economic strength and large armed forces supersede /ˌsjuːpəˈsiːd/ verb to take the place of something which has become old and no longer use-ful supersonic /ˌsjuːpəˈsɒnɪk/ adj going faster than the speed of sound supersonic aircraft superstar /ˈsuːpəˌstɑː/ noun an extremely famous film actor or other per-former superstition /ˌsjuːpəˈstɪʃən/ noun a belief in magic and that some things are lucky and others unlucky superstore /ˈsuːpəˌstɔː/ noun a very large self-service store selling a wide range of goods or selling a vari-ety of things of the same type supervise /ˈsjuːpəvaɪz/ verb to watch care-fully, to see that work is well done Students must be supervised by a teacher at all times. supervisor /ˈsjuːpəvaɪzə/ noun a person whose job is making sure that other people are working well supper /ˈsʌpə/ noun the meal which you eat in the evening supplant /səˈplɑːnt/ verb to

take the place of someone or something supple /ˈsʌpl/ adj who or which bends easily a supple body supplement1 /ˈsʌplɪmənt/ noun 1. a thing which is in addition, espe-cially an additional amount 2. a magazine which is part of a newspaper 3. an additional sec-tion at the back of a book Supplement /ˈsʌplɪmənt/ verb to add to supplementary /ˌsʌplɪˈmɛntəri/ adj in addi-tion to what is already there supplier /səˈplaɪə/ noun a person, com-pany or country that supplies something supply /səˈplaɪ/ noun a store of some-thing which is needed sup-ply verb to provide something which is needed; in short supply not available in large enough quantities to meet peo-ple’s needs to supply food/drugs to people support /səˈpɔːt/ noun 1. an object or structure /ˈstrʌkʧə/ which stops some-thing from falling 2. help or encourage-

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ment 3. an act of en-couraging and helping some-one, or of agreeing with their plans support /səˈpɔːt/ verb 1. to hold something up to stop it falling down 2. to provide money to help someone or something 3. to en-courage someone or something Do you support their views on nuclear weapons? supporter /səˈpɔːtə/ noun a person who encourages someone or some-thing support /səˈpɔːt/ group noun a group of people who meet to discuss their problems and help one another supportive /səˈpɔːtɪv/ adj who supports, helps or encourages a very supportive friend suppose /səˈpəʊz/ verb 1. to think something is likely to be true or to happen.2. (showing doubt) what happens if supposed /səˈpəʊzd/ adj accepted as true but not definitely true supposedly /səˈpəʊzɪdli/ adv as we sup-pose supposition /ˌsʌpəˈzɪʃən/ noun something which is

thought to be true or correct, but cannot be proved suppress /səˈprɛs/ verb 1. to limit something such as a person’s freedom 2. to stop something being made public 3. to stop yourself showing what you re-ally feel I could barely suppress my anger. supremacy /sjʊˈprɛməsi/ noun the position of being the strongest power supreme /sju(ː)ˈpriːm/ adj greatest, in the highest position supremely /sju(ː)ˈpriːmli/ adv to the greatest degree surcharge /ˈsɜːʧɑːʤ/ noun an extra charge sure /ʃʊə/ adj without any doubt sure-footed /ˈʃʊəˈfʊtɪd/ adj 1. unlikely to trip or fall 2. confident and not likely to make mistakes surely /ˈʃʊəli/ adv of course, certainly surf /sɜːf/ noun 1. a mass of white foam coming onto a beach on large waves 2. waves breaking along a shore

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surf /sɜːf/ verb to ride on large waves coming onto a beach on a surf board surface /ˈsɜːfɪs/ noun the top part of something The sun was reflected on the surface of the water. surface /ˈsɜːfɪs/ verb to come up to the surface surfboard /ˈsɜːfˌbɔːd/ noun a long board made especially for standing on to ride on top of large waves coming onto a beach surfing /ˈsɜːfɪŋ/ noun 1. to ride waves on a surfboard as a sport or for fun 2. to keep switching from channel to channel on a televi-sion or from site to site on the Internet in no particular order surge /sɜːʤ/ noun a sudden increase in the quantity of something; surge /sɜːʤ/ verb 1. to rise 2. to move in a mass The crowd surged against the barriers. surgeon /ˈsɜːʤən/ noun a doctor who performs medical operations surgery /ˈsɜːʤəri/ noun 1. treatment of disease in which doctors cut into or

remove part of the body 2. a room where a doctor or dentist sees and examines pa-tients to have surgery surgical /ˈsɜːʤɪkəl/ adj referring to sur-gery surly /ˈsɜːli/ adj extremely unfriendly surmise /ˈsɜːmaɪz/ verb to make a guess about something surmount /sɜːˈmaʊnt/ verb 1. to overcome an obstacle 2. to be on top of surname /ˈsɜːneɪm/ noun the name of someone’s family, shared by all people in the family. surpass His surname is Walker. surpass /sɜːˈpɑːs/ verb to do better than surplus /ˈsɜːpləs/ noun more goods than are needed surprise /səˈpraɪz/ noun 1. the feeling you get when something hap-pens which you did not expect to happen 2. an unexpected event surprise /səˈpraɪz/ verb to make some-one surprised surprised /səˈpraɪzd/ adj feeling or show-ing surprise surprising /səˈpraɪzɪŋ/ adj

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which you do not expect It’s not surprising you’re putting on weight, the amount you’re eating! surreal /səˈrɪəl/ adj extremely unusual, as if in a dream surrender /səˈrɛndə/ noun giving in to an enemy because you have lost surrender /səˈrɛndə/ verb to accept that you have been defeated by someone else surreptitious /ˌsʌrəpˈtɪʃəs/ adj done in se-cret surrogate /ˈsʌrəgɪt/ mother noun a wom-an who becomes pregnant and has a baby for a woman who is not able to do this herself, Twenty years older than her, he effectively became a surrogate father. surround /səˈraʊnd/ verb to be all round something or someone surroundings /səˈraʊndɪŋz/ plural noun the area around a person or place surveillance /sɜːˈveɪləns/ noun a careful watch over someone or some-thing survey /ˈsɜːveɪ/ noun 1. a way of finding out about something by asking people ques-

tions 2. the careful examination of a building to see if it is in good enough con-dition survey /ˈsɜːveɪ/ verb 1. to ask people questions to get information about something 2. to measure land in order to produce a plan or map Holidays in the UK are becoming more popular, according to a recent survey. surveyor /sə(ː)ˈveɪə/ noun 1. a person who examines buildings to see if they are in good condition 2. a person who surveys land survival /səˈvaɪvəl/ noun the state of con-tinuing to exist survive /səˈvaɪv/ verb to continue to be alive after an experience such as accident, attack or serious illness He was born with a heart problem and only survived ten days. survivor /səˈvaɪvə/ noun a person who is still alive after an experience such as an accident, attack or serious illness susceptible /səˈsɛptəbl/ adj 1. likely to catch a disease 2. easily influ-enced 3. able to be dealt with in a particular way 616

sushi /ˈsʊʃi/ noun small cakes of rice mixed with fish or vegetables and wrapped in seaweed suspect /ˈsʌspɛkt/ verb to think that something is likely suspect /ˈsʌspɛkt/ noun a person who is thought to have committed a crime suspect /ˈsʌspɛkt/ adj 1. which is not re-liable 2. which might be dan-gerous or illegal suspend sus-pend verb 1. to hangsomething 2. to stop something for a time 3. to stop someone from doing something, such as working He’s the prime suspect (= the most likely suspect) in the murder case. suspenders /səsˈpɛndəz/ plural noun long narrow bands of material which go over your shoulders to hold up your trousers suspense /səsˈpɛns/ noun nervous excite-ment experienced while wait-ing for something to happen or for someone to do something What’s your answer then?

Don’t keep me in suspense. suspension /səsˈpɛnʃən/ noun

1. a system of springs which supports a car and helps it to move smoothly 2. the action of hanging from something 3. the action of stopping something for a time suspension bridge / səsˈpɛnʃən/ /brɪʤ/ noun a bridge which hangs from strong ropes, chains or wires attached to tall towers suspicion /səsˈpɪʃən/ noun 1. a feeling that something is wrong or that someone has committed a crime 2. a general feeling that something is going to happen They were arrested on suspicion of drug dealing. suspicious /səsˈpɪʃəs/ adj which seems to be wrong, dangerous or con-nected with a crime suss /ˈsʌsɪz/ verb to discover or under-stand something such as some-body’s reason for doing something, a situation or the correct way to use something It’s not something that will be easy to change. suss out /ˈsʌsɪz/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb to dis-cover something (informal) sustain /səsˈteɪn/ verb 1. to 617

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make some-thing continue 2. to receive an injury (formal ) 3. to give you strength 4. to support some-thing sustainable /səsˈteɪnəbl/ adj which does not damage natural resources and which leaves the environ-ment in a good condition sustained /səsˈteɪnd/ adj which continues for a long time a sustained attack sustenance /ˈsʌstɪnəns/ noun food swab /swɒb/ noun 1. a thick piece of soft cloth, often attached to a small stick, used for cleaning a cut in your body or for taking samples of infection for analy-sis 2. a sample of infection taken for analysis 3. a cloth for wiping floors clear of water swagger /ˈswægə/ verb to walk in a proud way, swinging your shoulders Swahili / swəˈhiː.li/ noun the language of the Swahili people swallow /ˈswɒləʊ/ verb to make food or liquid pass down your throat from your mouth to the stomach These tablets are too big to swallow.

swam /swæm/ past tense of swim swan /swɒn/ noun a large white water bird with a long curved neck swansong / ˈswɒn.sɒŋ/ noun a last perfor-mance or appearance; swap /swɒp/ verb to exchange some-thing for something else swarm /swɔːm/ noun a large group of insects flying around together swat /swɒt/ verb to hit and kill a fly He swatted a fly with his newspaper. swathe /sweɪð/ noun a long wide band of land, grass or trees sway /sweɪ/ verb 1. to move slowly and smoothly from side to side 2. to have an influence on someone swear /sweə/ verb 1. to make a seri-ous public promise 2. to shout offensive or rude words She swore loudly and threw the box on the floor. swear by /sweə/ /baɪ/ phrasal verb to be-lieve completely in something (informal ) 618

swear word /sweə/ /wɜːd/ noun an offen-sive or rude word, which most people think should not be spoken sweat /swɛt/ noun drops of salt liquid which come through your skin when you are hot or when you are afraid sweat /swɛt/ verb to produce sweat I’d been running and I was sweating. sweater /ˈswɛtə/ noun a thick piece of clothing with sleeves that cov-ers your upper body

sweater

sweatshirt /ˈswɛtʃɜːt/ noun a thick cotton shirt with long sleeves sweatshop /ˈswɛʧɒp/ noun a small facto-ry where people work for long hours and get paid very little money sweaty /ˈswɛti/ adj feeling slightly wet with sweat swede /swiːd/ noun a common veg-etable with a

round root and yellow flesh, used mainly in soups and stews sweep /swiːp/ verb 1. to clear up dust and dirt from the floor with a brush 2. to move rapidly He swept up the pieces of broken glass (= removed them from the floor with a brush). sweep away /swiːp/ /əˈweɪ/ phrasal verb to carry something away very quickly sweepstake /swiːps/ /teɪk/ noun a form of gambling on a horse race where each person bets on a certain horse, and the holder of the winning ticket takes all the money which has been bet sweet /swiːt/ adj 1. tasting like sugar, and neither sour nor bitter 2. very kind or pleasant It was covered in a very sweet chocolate sauce. sweet /swiːt/ noun 1. a small piece of sweet food, made with sugar 2. sweet food eaten at the end of a meal; to have a sweet tooth to like sweet food sweet chestnut /swiːt/ / ˈʧɛsnʌt/ noun a chest-nut from a sweet chestnut tree, which produces edible fruit

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sweetcorn /ˈswiːtkɔːn/ noun the large yel-low seeds of a type of maize, eaten cooked sweeten /ˈswiːtn/ verb to make some-thing sweet She gave me a hot lemon drink, sweetened with honey. sweetener /ˈswiːtnə/ noun 1. an artificial substance such as saccharin added to food to make it sweet 2. a bribe sweetheart /ˈswiːthɑːt/ noun a boyfriend or girlfriend Come here, sweetheart. sweetness /ˈswiːtnəs/ noun a state of be-ing sweet sweet pepper /swiːt/ /ˈpɛpə/ noun a red, yel-low or green vegetable, eaten raw in salads, fried or baked in the oven sweet potato /swiːt/ / pəˈteɪtəʊ/ noun a vegeta-ble like a long red potato with sweet yellow flesh swell /swɛl/ verb to become larger, usually because of an illness or injury swelling /ˈswɛlɪŋ/ noun a condition where liquid forms in part of the body, making that part swell up The doctor gave me drugs to reduce the swelling in my

ankle. swell up /swɛl/ /ʌp/ verb to become larger or to increase in size sweltering /ˈswɛltərɪŋ/ adj very hot swept /swɛpt/ past tense and past participle of sweep swerve /swɜːv/ verb to move suddenly to one side He swerved to avoid a cyclist and hit another car. swift /swɪft/ adj very fast swig /swɪg/ verb to drink something in large mouthfuls swill /swɪl/ verb 1. to wash a floor with a lot of water 2. to drink a lot of alcohol swim /swɪm/ verb to move in the wa-ter using your arms and legs to push you along swimmer /ˈswɪmər/ noun a person who is swimming I’m not a very strong swimmer. swimming /ˈswɪmɪŋ/ noun the activity or sport of moving through water using your arms and legs swimming costume / ˈswɪmɪŋ/ /kɑˈstum/ noun a piece of clothing worn by women or girls when swimming 620

swimming pool /ˈswɪmɪŋ/ / pul/ noun a large pool for swimming swimming trunks /ˈswɪmɪŋ/ /trʌŋks/ plural noun short trousers worn by men and boys when swimming swimsuit /ˈswɪmˌsut/ noun a one-piece swimming costume for women and girls swindle /ˈswɪndəl/ verb to get money from someone by a trick She was swindled out of thousands of dollars. swine /swaɪn/ noun 1. pigs (old) 2. an unpleasant man (insult)

swine

swing /swɪŋ/ verb to move from side to side or forwards and backwards, while hanging from a central point swipe /swaɪp/ noun a punch swipe /swaɪp/ verb 1. to steal (infor-mal ) 2. to pass a credit card or charge card

through a machine that reads its details 3. to hit someone or or something or try to hit someone or something swipe card /swaɪp/ /kɑrd/ noun a credit card or charge card which can be read by an electronic machine swirl /swɜrl/ noun a twisting movement swirl /swɜrl/ verb to move with a twist-ing motion swish /swɪʃ/ verb to move making a regular quiet sound switch /swɪʧ/ noun a small object which you push up or down to stop or start a piece of electrical equipment switch /swɪʧ/ verb 1. to do something different suddenly 2. to change or exchange something switch off /swɪʧ/ /ɔf/ phrasal verb 1. to make a piece of electrical equipment stop 2. to stop lis-tening to what someone is say-ing (informal ) switch on /swɪʧ/ /ɑn/ phrasal verb to make a piece of electrical equipment start Could you switch on the light? switchboard /ˈswɪʧˌbɔrd/

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noun a central point in a telephone system, where all internal and external lines meet swivel /ˈswɪvəl/ verb to turn around a point swollen /ˈswoʊlən/ past participle of swell a swollen wrist/ankle swell /swɛl/ adj much bigger than usual swoop /swup/ verb to come down quickly swop / swɒp/ noun, verb same as swap sword /sɔrd/ noun a weapon with a handle and a long sharp blade swordfish /ˈsɔrdˌfɪʃ/ noun a fish with a long pointed upper jaw like a sword swore /swɔr/ past tense of swear swot / swɒt/ verb to study hard swot / swɒt/ noun a person who you dislike because they study very hard swum /swʌm/ past participle of swim swung /swʌŋ/ past tense and past participle of swing sycamore /ˈsɪkəˌmɔr/ noun a large tree of the maple family

syllable /ˈsɪləbəl/ noun a whole word or part of a word which has one single sound ‘But’ has one syllable and ‘apple’ has two syllables. syllabus /ˈsɪləbəs/ noun a list of subjects to be studied symbol /ˈsɪmbəl/ noun a sign, letter, picture or shape which means something or shows something symbolism /ˈsɪmbəˌlɪzəm/ noun 1. using sym-bols to express things such as feelings 2. a movement in lit-erature and art in the 19th cen-tury in which feelings were not expressed in a straightforward way symmetrical /səˈmɛtrɪkəl/ adj with two sides exactly the same symmetry /ˈsɪmətri/ noun a state where two sides of something are ex-actly the same sympathetic /ˌsɪmpəˈθɛtɪk/ adj showing that you understand someone’s problems My boss is very sympathetic about my situation. sympathise / ˈsɪm.pə.θaɪz/ verb 1. to show that you understand someone’s problems 2. to agree with or 622

support someone or something sympathy /ˈsɪmpəθi/ noun a feeling of un-derstanding for someone else’s problems, or after someone’s death symphony /ˈsɪmfəni/ noun a long piece of music in several parts, called ‘movements’, played by a full orchestra symptom /ˈsɪmptəm/ noun 1. a change in the body, showing that a dis-ease is present 2. a visible sign which shows that something is happening The inability to sleep is often a symptom of some other illness. symptomatic /ˌsɪmptəˈmætɪk/ adj showing that something exists (formal ) synagogue /ˈsɪnəˌgɔg/ noun a building where people of the Jewish faith pray and study their religion syndicate /ˈsɪndɪkət/ noun a group of people or companies working together to make money a bank syndicate syndrome /ˈsɪnˌdroʊm/ noun 1. a group of symptoms which, taken to-gether, show that a particular disease is

present 2. a general feeling or way of approaching a situation synonym /ˈsɪnəˌnɪm/ noun a word which means almost the same as an-other word synopsis /sɪˈnɑpsɪs/ noun a short text, giving the basic details of something syntax /ˈsɪnˌtæks/ noun the grammatical rules for putting words togeth-er into phrases synthesis /ˈsɪnθəsəs/ noun producing something by combining a number of smaller elements synthetic /sɪnˈθɛtɪk/ adj made from artifi-cial materials syphilis /ˈsɪfəlɪs/ noun a serious sexu-ally transmitted disease /ˈsaɪfən/ another syphon spelling of si-phon syringe /səˈrɪnʤ/ noun a surgical in-strument made of a tube with a plunger which slides down inside it, forcing the contents out through a needle to give an injection syrup /ˈsɜrəp/ noun a sweet liquid system /ˈsɪstəm/ noun

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1. a group of things which work together 2. a way in which things are or-ganised the American legal system systematic /ˌsɪstəˈmætɪk/ adj well-organised systems analyst / ˈsɪstəmz/ /ˈænələst/ noun a per-son who examines computer systems

Tt

tab /tæb/ noun 1. a small piece of paper or cloth which sticks out from a surface, used, e.g., for pulling open a box 2. a piece of metal which you pull to open a drinks can 3. to pick up the tab to pay the bill (informal) 4. the tab key on a keyboard Pull tab to open. tabby /ˈtæbi/ noun a cat with brown or orange stripes tab key /tæb/ /kiː/ noun a key on a key-board which you press to jump forward to a set place on the line table /ˈteɪbl/ noun 1. a piece of furni-ture with a flat

top and legs, used to eat or work at 2. a list of numbers, facts, or information set out in an organized way The table below shows the results of the experiment. tablecloth /ˈteɪb(ə)lˌklɒθ/ noun a cloth which covers a table during a meal tablespoon /ˈteɪblspuːn/ 1. a large noun spoon for serving food at table 2. an amount held in a table-spoon tablet /ˈtæblɪt/ noun a small round pill taken as medicine table tennis /ˈteɪbl/ /ˈtɛnɪs/ noun a game sim-ilar to tennis, but played on a large table with a net across the centre, with small round bats and a very light white ball tabloid /ˈtæblɔɪd/ noun a newspaper with a small page size, usually con-taining a lot of information about famous people, and not much serious news taboo /təˈbuː/ adj not talked about be-cause of being rude or embar-rassing Suicide is a taboo subject. tack /tæk/ noun 1. a small nail with a wide head 2. (in 624

sewing) a loose stitch used to hold cloth in place when making clothes, which can be removed later 3. a movement of a sailing boat in a certain direction as it sails against the wind tack verb 1. To nail something down using tacks 2. to make a loose stitch which will be taken out later

tacks

tack on /tæk/ /ɒn/ phrasal verb to add something at the end tackle /ˈtækl/ verb 1. to try to deal with a problem or job 2. (in football, etc.) to try to get the ball from an opposing player new ways to tackle crime tacky /ˈtæki/ adj looking cheap and of bad quality taco /ˈtækəʊ/ noun a Mexican savoury pastry that is filled with meat and vegetables, and cooked until it is hard

tact /tækt/ noun being careful not to offend people, being careful to say the right thing tactful /ˈtæktfʊl/ adj showing tact tactic /ˈtæktɪk/ noun a way of doing something so as to get an ad-vantage These bomb attacks represent a change of tactics by the terrorists. tactless /ˈtæktlɪs/ adj offensive, not al-ways intentionally tad /tæd/ a little, a bit tadpole /ˈtædpəʊl/ noun a frog in its first stage after hatching, when it has a body and tail

tadpole

taffeta /ˈtæfɪtə/ noun a stiff shiny mate-rial often used to make wom-en’s clothes tag /tæg/ noun 1. a label or a piece of paper or plastic attached to something to show, e.g. a price, contents, or someone’s name and ad-

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dress 2. a children’s game where the first child has to try to touch another one who then chases the others in turn tag /tæg/ verb to attach a label to something a price tag t’ai chi / ˈtī-ˈchē/ noun a Chinese form of very slow physical exercise aimed at assisting relaxation and improving balance tail /teɪl/ noun 1. a long thin part at the end of the body of an ani-mal or bird, which can move 2. an end or back part of something tail off /teɪl/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb to become fainter or less His voice tailed off. tailback /teɪl/ /bæk/ noun a long line of cars moving very slowly, or not moving at all tailgate /teɪl/ /geɪt/ noun a door at the back of a car, that opens to give access to the storage space tail light /teɪl/ /laɪt/ noun a back light of a vehicle tailor /ˈteɪlə/ noun a person who makes clothes for men

tailor /ˈteɪlə/ verb to adapt something to fit a particular need tailor-made /ˈteɪləmeɪd/ adj made to fit certain needs take /teɪk/ verb 1. to lift and move something 2. to carry some-thing to another place 3. to go with someone or something to another place 4. to steal something 5. to go away with something which someone else was using 6. to use or occupy something 7. to do a test 8. to accept something 9. to do cer-tain actions 10. to need a cer-tain amount of time or number of people I always take my mobile phone with me. take after /teɪk/ /ˈɑːftə/ phrasal verb to look like a parent or relative take away /teɪk/ /əˈweɪ/ phrasal verb 1. to remove something or someone 2. to subtract one number from another take back /teɪk/ /bæk/ phrasal verb 1. to go back with something 2. to accept something which some-one has brought back 3. to withdraw something which

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has been said, and apologise for it I take back everything I said about him. take down /teɪk/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb 1. to reach up and bring something down 2. to bring something down which had been put up 3. to write down take in /teɪk/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb 1. to bring inside something which was outside 2. to understand some-thing 3. to deceive someone 4. to make a piece of clothing smaller take off /teɪk/ /ɒf/ phrasal 1. to reverb move something, especially your clothes 2. to make an amount smaller 3. (of a plane) to leave the ground 4. to start to rise fast 5. to imitate some-one in a funny way take on /teɪk/ /ɒn/ phrasal 1. to agree verb to do a job 2. to agree to have someone as a worker 3. to fight someone take out /teɪk/ /aʊt/ phrasal 1. to verb pull something out 2. to invite someone to go out take over /teɪk/ /ˈəʊvə/

phrasal verb 1. to start to do something in place of someone else 2. to buy a business by buying most of its shares Who’ll be taking over from Cynthia when she retires? take to /teɪk/ /tuː/ phrasal 1. to start verb to do something as a habit 2. to start to like someone take up /teɪk/ /ʌp/ phrasal 1. to fill verb a space or time 2. to remove something which was on a floor or other low surface 3. to start to do a certain activity 4. to ac-cept an offer made by someone 5. to make something such as a skirt or dress shorter takeaway /ˈteɪkəweɪ/ noun a shop where you can buy cooked food to eat somewhere else takeaway /ˈteɪkəweɪ/ noun, adj a hot meal that you buy in a shop and eat somewhere else taken /ˈteɪkən/ past participle of take Someone’s taken my coat. takeoff /teɪk/ /ɒf/ noun 1. (of an aircraft) the act of leaving the ground 2. an amusing 627

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imitation of some-one takeover /ˈteɪkˌəʊvə/ noun 1. the buying of a controlling interest in a busi-ness by buying more than 50% of the shares 2. occupying a country and removing the gov-ernment talcum powder /ˈtælkəm/ / ˈpaʊdə/ noun soft scented powder, used to soften the skin or reduce rubbing tale /teɪl/ noun a story (literary) My grandfather used to tell us tales of his time as a pilot during the war. talent /ˈtælənt/ noun an ability or skill talented /ˈtæləntɪd/ adj with a lot of tal-ent a talented young musician talisman /ˈtælɪzmən/ noun an object believed to give protection to somebody carrying or wearing it talk /tɔːk/ verb to say things, to speak talk /tɔːk/ noun 1. a conversation, a discussion 2. a lecture about a subject The two sides have agreed to talk. talk into /tɔːk/ /ˈɪntuː/ phrasal

verb to per-suade someone to do some-thing talk over /tɔːk/ /ˈəʊvə/ phrasal verb to dis-cuss something talk round /tɔːk/ /raʊnd/ phrasal verb to per-suade someone to change their mind talkative /ˈtɔːkətɪv/ adj liking to talk a lot, or sometimes too much talker /ˈtɔːkə/ noun a person who talks a lot tall /tɔːl/ adj high, usually higher than normal tally /ˈtæli/ noun a note, account or score This adds to his tally of 12 race wins so far this year. tally /ˈtæli/ verb to agree talon /ˈtælən/ noun the big claw of a bird of prey tambourine /ˌtæmbəˈriːn/ noun a small drum with metal discs attached to the rim, so that they jangle when it is hit a tambourine

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tame /teɪm/ adj a tame animal can live with people because it is no longer wild His TV show is very tame in comparison with his live performances. to tamper /ˈtæmpə/ verb change some-thing that you should not touch tampon /ˈtæmpən/ noun a tube of absor-bent material placed inside the vagina to soak up menstrual blood tan /tæn/ noun a brownish-yellow colour of the skin after being in the sun I tan quite easily. suntan /ˈsʌntæn/ verb to get brown from being in the sun tandem /ˈtændəm/ noun a bicycle for two people tandoori / tän-ˈdu̇r-ē/ noun 1. a method of Indian cooking where the food is usually marinated in yoghurt and spices, then cooked in a traditional clay oven 2. food cooked in this way tangent /ˈtænʤənt/ noun a line which touches a curve without cutting through it tangerine /ˌtænʤəˈriːn/ noun a kind of small orange with soft skin which peels easily

tangible /ˈtænʤəbl/ adj which is real or noticeable tangible benefits/evidence tangle with /ˈtæŋgl/ /wɪð/ phrasal verb to get into an argument with some-one tango /ˈtæŋgəʊ/ noun a South American dance for two people, where you glide sideways tank /tæŋk/ noun 1. a large container 2. an army vehicle which is cov-ered in strong metal, has tracks instead of wheels and has pow-erful guns tankard /ˈtæŋkəd/ noun a large mug for drinking beer tanker /ˈtæŋkə/ noun a ship or lorry for carrying liquids, especially oil an oil tanker tanned /tænd/ adj brown from having been exposed to the sun tantrum /ˈtæntrəm/ noun a sudden attack of uncontrollable bad temper tap /tæp/ noun an object which you turn in order to let liquid or gas come out of a pipe She rinsed the cup under the tap.

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tap /tæp/ verb to hit something gen-tly tape /teɪp/ noun 1. a long narrow piece of cloth or plastic 2. special plastic tape on which sounds and pictures can be re-corded, also used for recording computer data I’ve got the match on tape. tape /teɪp/ verb 1. to record some-thing on tape or on video 2. to attach something with sticky tape tape deck /teɪp/ /dɛk/ noun a part of a ste-reo system, which plays tapes tape measure /teɪp/ /ˈmɛʒə/ noun a measur-ing tape, a long strip marked in centimeters or inches, used for measuring taper /ˈteɪpə/ verb 1. to make some-thing thinner at the end 2. to become thinner at the end taper off /ˈteɪpər/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb to be-come less thick, strong, large, etc. tapestry /ˈtæpɪstri/ noun a thick woven cloth with a picture or design, usually hung on walls or used to cover chairs tap water /tæp/ /ˈwɔːtə/ noun

water which comes through pipes into a building tar /tɑː/ noun a similar black oily substance which comes from burning tobacco tar /tɑː/ verb to cover with melted tar to cover something with tar tarantula /təˈræntjʊlə/ noun a large mildly poisonous tropical spider

tarantula

target /ˈtɑːgɪt/ noun 1. an object which you aim at, e.g. with a gun 2. a goal which you try to reach tariff /ˈtærɪf/ noun 1. a tax to be paid for importing or exporting goods 2. a list of prices for things such as electricity, gas or water import tariffs Tarmac /ˈtɑːmæk/ trademark a trademark for a hard road surface made of tar mixed with small stones

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tarnish /ˈtɑːnɪʃ/ verb 1. (of metal) to become discoloured 2. to ruin a reputation tarot /ˈtærəʊ/ noun a special set of cards with pictures on them, such as the Emperor, the Pope, the Hanged Man and the Fool, used in telling fortunes tarpaulin /tɑːˈpɔːlɪn/ noun a piece of thick waterproof canvas, used to cov-er things left outside tart /tɑːt/ noun a woman who looks or dresses like a prostitute (of-fensive) an apple tart tartan /ˈtɑːtən/ noun a distinctive pat-tern in such a cloth, worn by members of a Scottish clan task /tɑːsk/ noun something, especial-ly a piece of work, that has to be done taskbar /tɑːsk/ /bɑː/ noun a display on a computer screen with symbols showing which programs are open and operating task force /tɑːsk/ /fɔːs/ noun a special group of people chosen to carry out a difficult task t

tassel /ˈtæsəl/ noun a group of threads tied together to form a ball, with the ends hanging free taste /teɪst/ noun 1. one of the five senses, by which you can tell differences of flavour between things you eat, using your tongue 2. a flavour of some-thing that you eat or drink It’s got quite a strong taste. taste /teɪst/ verb 1. to notice the taste of something with your tongue 2. to have a certain taste 3. to try food or drink to see if you like it taste buds /teɪst/ /bʌdz/ plural noun areas on your tongue which enable you to tell differences in flavours tasteful /ˈteɪstfʊl/ adj showing good taste tasteless /ˈteɪstlɪs/ adj 1. with no special flavour 2. showing bad taste The meat was dry and tasteless. tasty /ˈteɪsti/ adj with a pleasant taste tattoo /təˈtuː/ noun 1. a decoration on skin made by pricking with a needle and putting colour into the wound 2. a military parade 631

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tatty /ˈtæti/ adj worn out, in bad con-dition tense taught /tɔːt/ past and past par-ticiple of teach taunt /tɔːnt/ verb to jeer at someone sarcastically He was taunted by his classmates because of his size.

Taurus /ˈtɔːrəs/ noun one of the signs of the Zodiac, shaped like a bull, covering the period 20th April to 20th May taut /tɔːt/ adj stretched tight tax /tæks/ noun money taken by the government from things such as people’s incomes and sales, to pay for government services taxation /tækˈseɪʃən/ noun the action of im-posing taxes tax evasion /tæks/ /ɪˈveɪʒən/ noun illegally try-ing not to pay tax taxi /ˈtæksi/ noun a car which you can hire with a driver I’ll take a taxi to the airport. taxi rank /ˈtæksi/ /ræŋk/ noun a place in the street where taxis can wait /ˈtæksˌpeɪə/ taxpayer noun a person who pays tax, especially income tax

tax return noun a form to be filled in to inform the tax of-fice of your earnings and allow-ances tea /tiː/ noun 1. a drink made from hot water which has been poured onto the dried leaves of a tropical plant 2. a cup of tea 3. the dried leaves of a tropi-cal plant used to make a warm drink 4. a meal eaten in the late afternoon or early evening teabag /tiː/ /bæg/ noun a small paper bag with tea leaves in it which you put into the pot with hot water teach /tiːʧ/ verb to show someone how to do something He teaches history. teacher /ˈtiːʧə/ noun a person who teaches, especially in a school a history/science teacher teaching /ˈtiːʧɪŋ/ noun the work of be-ing a teacher or of giving les-sons teacup /ˈtiːkʌp/ noun a cup for drinking tea teak /tiːk/ noun 1. the hard wood of a tropical tree, which is re-sistant to water, and is used for making

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things such as outdoor furniture 2. the large tropical tree which produces this wood team /tiːm/ noun 1. a group of people who play a game together 2. a group of people who work to-gether Which team are you on? team-mate /ˈtiːmmeɪt/ noun someone in the same team as you /ˈtiːmwɜːk/ teamwork noun working to-gether as a group teapot /ˈtiːˌpɒt/ noun a container which is used for making tea tear /teə/ noun a drop of salt water which forms in your eye when you cry tear /teə/ verb 1. to make a hole in something by pulling 2. to pull something into small pieces tear /teə/ noun a place where some-thing has a hole in it from being torn The nail had torn a hole in my skirt. /teər/ / tear apart əˈpɑːt/ phrasal verb to pull something to pieces The country was torn apart by 12 years of civil war.

tear down /teə/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb 1. to knock something down 2. to remove a piece of paper or cloth which is hanging up tearful /ˈtɪəfʊl/ adj sad, crying tear gas /teə/ /gæs/ noun gas which makes your eyes burn, used by police to control crowds tear up /teər/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to destroy something such as a document by tearing it into small pieces tease /tiːz/ verb to say or do some-thing to annoy someone on purpose Don’t get upset, I’m only teasing. tea set /tiː/ /sɛt/ noun a set of matching chinaware, used for serving tea teaspoon /ˈtiːˌspuːn/ noun a small spoon for stirring tea or other liquid tea towel /tiː/ /ˈtaʊəl/ noun a cloth which you use for drying plates and dishes techie / ˈte-kē/ noun a person who un-derstands the more technical aspects of things such as com-puters (informal) technical /ˈtɛknɪkəl/ adj re-

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lating to in-dustrial processes or practical work We’re having a few technical problems. technicality /ˌtɛknɪˈkælɪti/ a little, usu-alnoun ly unimportant, detail which relates to something technician /tɛkˈnɪʃən/ noun a person who is a specialist in a particular area of industry or science technique /tɛkˈniːk/ noun a way of doing something Scientists have developed a new technique for taking blood samples. techno /ˈtɛknəʊ/ noun a type of fast dance music using electronic instruments technology /tɛkˈnɒləʤi/ the use or noun study of industrial or scientific skills teddy bear /ˈtɛdi/ /beə/ noun a child’s toy bear tedious /ˈtiːdjəs/ adj boring tee /tiː/ noun 1. a raised grass area on a golf course where the ball is placed when you begin to play each hole 2. a little peg which is pushed into ground, on which the golf ball is placed

to start playing a hole teenage /ˈtiːnˌeɪʤ/ adj referring to young people aged between 13 and 19 teenager /ˈtiːnˌeɪʤə/ noun a young person aged between 13 and 19 teens /tiːnz/ plural noun the age be-tween 13 and 19 Her youngest daughter is still in her teens. teeny /ˈtiːni/ adj very small (infor-mal) teeshirt /ˈtiːʃɜːt/ noun a light shirt with a round neck and no buttons or collar, usually with short sleeves teeter /ˈtiːtə/ verb to wobble, to be very unstable teeth /tiːθ/ plural of tooth (of a teethe /tiːð/ verb baby) to have the first teeth starting to grow teething problems /ˈtiːðɪŋ/ / ˈprɒbləmz/ plural noun problems which happen when a new process or system is being introduced As with all projects, there were a few teething troubles. teetotal /tiːˈtəʊtl/ adj who never drinks alcohol telecommunications /

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ˌtɛlɪkəˌmju(ː)nɪˈkeɪʃənz/ plural noun a communication system using e.g. telephone, radio, television or satellites telecommuter /ˈtɛli/ /kəˈmjuːtə/ noun a person who works from home, using email and telephone as their main means of communicat-ing with the company they work for /ˈtɛli/ / teleconference ˈkɒnfərəns/ noun a meet-ing held by people in differ-ent places using telephone and television telegram /ˈtɛlɪgræm/ noun a message sent by telegraph telegraph pole / ˈtɛlɪgrɑːf/ /pəʊl/ noun a pole which holds up a telephone line telemarketing /ˈtɛli/ / ˈmɑːkɪtɪŋ/ noun the activ-ity of selling goods and services by telephone telepathy /tɪˈlɛpəθi/ noun sending thoughts or mental images from one person to another without using the senses telephone /ˈtɛlɪfəʊn/ noun a machine which you use to speak to someone who is

some distance away The telephone rang and she hurried to pick it up.

telephone

telephone /ˈtɛlɪfəʊn/ verb to call some-one using a telephone Could you answer the telephone? telephone box /ˈtɛlɪfəʊn/ / bɒks/ noun a shelter with windows round it con-taining a public telephone telephone directory / ˈtɛlɪfəʊn/ /dɪˈrɛktəri/ noun a book which lists names of peo-ple and businesses in alpha-betical order with their phone numbers and addresses telephone exchange / ˈtɛlɪfəʊn/ /ɪksˈʧeɪnʤ/ noun a central telephone switchboard telephone number /ˈtɛlɪfəʊn/ /ˈnʌmbə/ noun the number of a particular tele-phone

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telesales /ˈtɛli/ /seɪlz/ noun same as tele-marketing telescope /ˈtɛlɪskəʊp/ noun a piece of equipment for looking at ob-jects which are very far away, consisting of a long tube with a series of lenses in it televise /ˈtɛlɪvaɪz/ verb to broadcast something by television The concert will be televised live around the world. television /ˈtɛlɪˌvɪʒən/ noun 1. sound and pictures which are sent through the air or along cables and ap-pear on a special machine 2. a piece of electrical equipment which shows television pic-tures

television

teleworker /ˈtɛli/ /ˈwɜːkə/ noun a person who works from home, using telephone and email as their prin-cipal way of communicating with the company they work for

tell /tɛl/ verb 1. to communicate something to someone, e.g. a story or a joke 2. to give infor-mation or instructions to some-one 3. to notice something Can you tell me what time the next bus leaves? tell off /tɛl/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb to speak to someone angrily about some-thing wrong he or she has done (informal ) teller /ˈtɛlə/ noun a clerk in a bank who takes in money or pays it out to customers telling /ˈtɛlɪŋ/ adj which has a certain effect a telling comment telltale /ˈtɛlteɪl/ adj which shows some-thing She was showing all the telltale signs of pregnancy. telly /ˈtɛli/ noun a television (infor-mal) temp /tɛmp/ noun a worker who is ap-pointed for a short time temp /tɛmp/ verb to work as a temp temper /ˈtɛmpə/ noun the state of be-coming angry He’s got a really bad temper.

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temperament /ˈtɛmpərəmənt/ noun the nature of a person I don’t think he’s got the right temperament to be a teacher. temperate /ˈtɛmpərɪt/ adj which is neither very hot nor very cold temperature /ˈtɛmprɪʧə/ noun 1. heat measured in degrees 2. an ill-ness where your body is hotter than normal tempest /ˈtɛmpɪst/ noun a big storm (lit-erary) template /ˈtɛmplɪt/ noun something that is used as a pattern to make other similar things a temple /ˈtɛmpl/ noun building for worship, usually Hindu or Buddhist, or ancient Greek or Roman a Buddhist temple tempo /ˈtɛmpəʊ/ noun 1. a rhythm or the beat of music 2. the speed at which something happens temporarily /ˈtɛmpərərɪli/ adv for a short time only temporary /ˈtɛmpərəri/ adj existing or last-ing only for a limited time a temporary job tempt /tɛmpt/ verb to try

to persuade someone to do something, es-pecially something pleasant or wrong temptation /tɛmpˈteɪʃən/ noun 1. the state of being tempted 2. something which attracts people tempting /ˈtɛmptɪŋ/ adj which attracts tenacious /tɪˈneɪʃəs/ adj holding on to an idea tightly tenancy /ˈtɛnənsi/ noun a period during which a tenant has an agree-ment to rent a property tenant /ˈtɛnənt/ noun a person or com-pany that rents e.g. a room, a flat, a house, an office or land in which to live or work tend /tɛnd/ verb 1. to look after some-thing 2. to be likely to do some-thing I tend to wear dark colours. tendency /ˈtɛndənsi/ noun the way in which someone or something is likely to act tender /ˈtɛndə/ adj 1. (of food) easy to cut or chew 2. showing love 3. painful when touched tendon /ˈtɛndən/ noun a piece of strong tissue which attaches a muscle to a bone

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tenement /ˈtɛnɪmənt/ noun a large old building which is divided into flats tenet /ˈtiːnɛt/ noun a basic principle or belief one of the basic tenets of Islam tenner /ˈtɛnə/ noun a ten pound note (informal ) tennis /ˈtɛnɪs/ noun a game for two or four players who use rackets to hit a ball over a net tenor /ˈtɛnə/ adj with a high pitch, similar to that of a tenor ten-pin bowling /tɛn/-/pɪn/ / ˈbəʊlɪŋ/ noun a game where you roll a large ball and try to knock down ten targets, shaped like bottles tense /tɛns/ adj nervous and worried The students looked tense as they waited for their exam results. tension /ˈtɛnʃən/ noun 1. a state of ner-vous anxiety 2. a state of hos-tility between countries, races, or groups 3. the state of being tight tent /tɛnt/ noun a shelter made of cloth, held up by poles and attached to the

ground with ropes a tent

tentacle /ˈtɛntəkl/ noun a long arm with suckers, such as that of an oc-topus tenuous /ˈtɛnjʊəs/ adj not strong, very slight The court is unlikely to accept such tenuous evidence. tenure /ˈtɛnjʊə/ noun 1. a right to hold property or a position 2. a pe-riod when you hold an office 3. (in a college or university) a right to hold a job permanently tepid /ˈtɛpɪd/ adj 1. slightly warm 2. not very enthusiastic tequila /tɪˈkiːlə/ noun a strong Mexican alcoholic drink term /tɜːm/ noun 1. one of the parts of a school or university year 2. a word or phrase which has a particular meaning terminal /ˈtɜːmɪnl/ noun a building at an airport where planes arrive or leave a terminal building 638

terminal /ˈtɜːmɪnl/ adj referring to the last period of a serious illness that will lead to death terminate /ˈtɜːmɪneɪt/ verb to end some-thing terminology /ˌtɜːmɪˈnɒləʤi/ noun special words or phrases used in a par-ticular subject area terminus /ˈtɜːmɪnəs/ noun 1. a station at the end of a railway line 2. the place at the end of a journey by bus or coach termite /ˈtɜːmaɪt/ noun a tropical white insect, like a large ant, which eats wood terrace /ˈtɛrəs/ noun 1. a flat outdoor area which is raised above an-other area 2. a row of similar houses connected together terracotta /ˈtɛrəˈkɒtə/ noun 1. a red clay used to make little statues, pots and tiles 2. a dull red-brown colour terracotta pots terrain /ˈtɛreɪn/ noun a particular type of land surface terrestrial /tɪˈrɛstrɪəl/ adj 1. referring to the planet Earth 2. (of an ani-mal or plant)

which lives on land, not in water terrible /ˈtɛrəbl/ adj very bad The weather was terrible. terribly /ˈtɛrəbli/ adv 1. very 2. in a very bad way terrier /ˈtɛrɪə/ noun a small dog, origi-nally one used in hunting terrific /təˈrɪfɪk/ adj 1. extremely good 2. very big or loud terrified /ˈtɛrɪfaɪd/ adj very frightened Maggie was terrified that her parents would discover the truth. terrify /ˈtɛrɪfaɪ/ verb to make someone very frightened territory /ˈtɛrɪtəri/ noun 1. a large area of land 2. land which belongs to a country 3. an area which an animal or bird thinks belongs only to it terror /ˈtɛrə/ noun great fear /ˈtɛrərɪzm/ terrorism noun a policy of using violence in a political cause an act of terrorism terrorist /ˈtɛrərɪst/ noun a person who practises terrorism terse /tɜːs/ adj concise, short,

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using few words tertiary /ˈtɜːʃəri/ adj referring to a third stage, especially to the level of education after the secondary test /tɛst/ noun 1. an examination to see if you know something 2. an examination to see if some-thing is working well You have to take a test. test /tɛst/ verb 1. to find out how well someone can do some-thing or how well someone knows something 2. to examine someone or something to see if everything is working well test case /tɛst/ /keɪs/ noun a court case in which the decision will es-tablish a principle which other cases can follow testify /ˈtɛstɪfaɪ/ verb to give evidence in court Elliott testified that he had met the men in a bar. testimony /ˈtɛstɪməni/ noun a statement given in court about what hap-pened test tube /tɛst/ /tjuːb/ noun a small glass tube, open at the top and with a rounded bottom, used in lab-oratories to hold liquids during exper-

iments

tetanus /ˈtɛtənəs/ noun a serious disease caused by infection of a wound by bacteria in the soil, which af-fects the spinal cord and causes the jaw muscles to stiffen tether /ˈtɛðə/ noun a rope which at-taches an animal to a post tether /ˈtɛðə/ verb to attach an animal to a post with a rope text /tɛkst/ noun the written parts of a document or book, not the pictures a page of text textbook /ˈtɛkstbʊk/ noun a book which students use to learn about the subject they are studying textile /ˈtɛkstaɪl/ noun cloth text message /tɛkst/ /ˈmɛsɪʤ/ noun a message sent by telephone, using

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short forms of words, which ap-pear on the screen of a mobile phone /tɛkst/ / text messaging ˈmɛsɪʤɪŋ/ noun the ac-tion of sending text messages They usually communicate by text messaging. texture /ˈtɛksʧə/ noun the way in which the surface of a material can be felt textured /ˈtɛksʧəd/ adj with a certain tex-ture than /ðæn/ conj used to show a com-parison thank /θæŋk/ verb to say or do some-thing that shows you are grate-ful to someone for doing some-thing for you I’d like to thank everyone who’s helped me. thankful /ˈθæŋkfʊl/ adj glad because a worry has gone away thanks /θæŋks/ noun a word showing that you are grateful Thanksgiving /ˈθæŋksˌgɪvɪŋ/ noun an Ameri-can festival, celebrating the first harvest of the Pilgrims who set-tled in the United States, on the fourth Thursday in November

thanks to /θæŋks/ /tuː/ prep used for saying that someone or something is responsible for something or to blame for something thank you /θæŋk/ /juː/ interj showing that you are grateful “Here’s the money I promised you.” “Thank you.” that /ðæt/ adj used to show something or someone that is further away or in the past thaw /θɔː/ noun a time of warm weather which makes snow and ice melt thaw /θɔː/ verb to melt Allow the meat to thaw before cooking it. the /ðiː/ article 1. meaning some-thing in particular, as opposed to ‘a’ 2. used with something of which only one exists, e.g. in the names of places 3. used for referring to a thing in general 4. meaning something special 5. used to compare theatre /ˈθɪətə/ a building in which plays are shown the Arts Theatre theatrical /θɪˈætrɪkəl/ adj 1.

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referring to the theatre 2. exaggerated, dra-matic and not natural theft /θɛft/ noun 1. the practice of stealing 2. an act of stealing There have been several thefts in the area recently. their /ðeə/ adj belonging to them theirs /ðeəz/ pron the one that belongs to them them /ðɛm/ pron 1. referring to peo-ple or things that have been mentioned before 2. referring to a single person, used instead of him or her theme /θiːm/ noun the main subject of a book or article The theme of loss runs through most of his novels. theme park /θiːm/ /pɑːk/ noun an amuse-ment park based on a single theme such as a medieval cas-tle themselves /ðəmˈsɛlvz/ pron referring to the same people or things that are the subject of the verb They’re both 16 - they’re old enough to look after them-

selves. then /ðɛn/ adv 1. at that time in the past or future 2. after that theology /θɪˈɒləʤi/ noun the study of re-ligion and the belief in God theorem /ˈθɪərəm/ noun a statement which can be proved in math-ematics a mathematical theorem theoretical /θɪəˈrɛtɪkəl/ adj 1. referring to theories 2. not proved in practice theorist /ˈθɪərɪst/ noun a person who develops theories theory /ˈθɪəri/ noun 1. an explanation of something which has not been proved but which you be-lieve is true 2. a careful scientific explanation of why something happens 3. a statement of gen-eral principles which may not apply in practice Darwin’s theory of evolution therapist /ˈθɛrəpɪst/ noun a person who is specially trained to give ther-apy therapy /ˈθɛrəpi/ noun the treatment of a patient to help cure a disease or condition there /ðeə/ adv 1. in that place 2. to that place 3. used 642

thesis /ˈθiːsɪs/ noun 1. a long piece of written research prepared by a candidate for a higher univer-sity degree 2. a particular point of view That is the central thesis of the book. they /ðeɪ/ pron 1. referring to people or things 2. referring to people in general thick /θɪk/ adj 1. bigger than usual when measured from side to side 2. growing close together 3. (of a liquid) which cannot flow easily thicken /ˈθɪkən/ verb 1. to make some-thing thick 2. to become thick thicket /ˈθɪkɪt/ noun a small wood of trees and bushes growing close together thickness /ˈθɪknɪs/ noun 1. the state of being thick thermometer or the extent to which something is thick 2. a thermostat /ˈθɜːməstæt/ noun layer of something Fry the steak for 3-5 minutes, an instru-ment which condepending on the thickness. trols heating according to a set temperature thick-skinned /ˈθɪkˈskɪnd/ thesaurus /θi(ː)ˈsɔːrəs/ noun adj able to stand a lot of a book with words collected criticism into groups of similar meanthief /θiːf/ noun a person who ing steals these /ðiːz/ plural of this when giving something to someone there /ðeə/ pron used usually before the verb when the real subject follows the verb thereabouts /ˈðeərəbaʊts/ adv 1. near that place 2. about that number therefore /ˈðeəfɔː/ adv for this reason thermal /ˈθɜːməl/ adj referring to heat thermal energy a thermal /ˈθɜːməl/ noun rising current of warm air thermometer /θəˈmɒmɪtə/ noun an instru-ment for measuring temperature

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thigh /θaɪ/ noun the part at the top of the leg between your knee and your hip thimble /ˈθɪmbl/ noun a small cup worn to protect the end of your finger when sewing

thimble

thin /θɪn/ adj 1. not fat 2. not thick 3. (of a liquid) which flows eas-ily, often because of containing too much water The walls are very thin. thing /θɪŋ/ noun 1. an object 2. something in general thingy /ˈθɪŋ.i/ noun something whose name you don’t know or can’t remember think /θɪŋk/ verb 1. to consider some-thing, e.g. in order to make a decision 2. to have an opinion or belief 3. to make a plan to do something think about /θɪŋk/ /əˈbaʊt/ phrasal verb 1. to have someone or something in

your mind 2. to have an opin-ion about something think of /θɪŋk/ /ɒv/ phrasal 1. to verb con-sider a plan in your mind 2. to have an opinion think out /θɪŋk/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb to con-sider something carefully in all its details /θɪŋk/ think over /ˈəʊvə/ phrasal verb to con-sider a plan or proposal very carefully / think through θɪŋk/ /θruː/ phrasal verb to consider something carefully in all its details It sounds like a good idea but we need to think it through. think up /θɪŋk/ /ʌp/ phrasal to invent a verb plan or new idea thinker /ˈθɪŋkə/ noun a person who thinks thinking /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/ noun the process of reasoning about something This problem requires careful thinking. think tank /θɪŋk/ /tæŋk/ noun a group of advisers who are appointed to discuss important problems and suggest how they should be solved

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third party /θɜːd/ /ˈpɑːti/ noun any person other than the two main par-ties involved in a contract or a civil case third-rate /ˈθɜːdˈreɪt/ adj quite bad thirst /θɜːst/ noun 1. a feeling of want-ing to drink 2. a feeling of want-ing something Many of the refugees collapsed from thirst and hunger. thirsty /ˈθɜːsti/ adj feeling that you want to drink this /ðɪs/ adj, pron used to show something which is nearer or in the present, in contrast to something else thistle /ˈθɪsl/ noun a large wild plant with prickly leaves and purple flowers

thistle

thong /θɒŋ/ noun a rubber sandal held on by a strap between the toes

thorn /θɔːn/ noun a thin pointed part on some plants thorough /ˈθʌrə/ adj 1. including ev-erything that needs to be dealt with very carefully 2. used for emphasis The government has promised a thorough investigation of the matter. thoroughbred /ˈθʌrəbrɛd/ noun a horse of high quality whose parents and other relatives are all known thoroughfare /ˈθʌrəfeə/ noun a main road through a town, usually where there is a lot of traffic thoroughly /ˈθʌrəli/ adv 1. in a com-plete and careful way 2. used for emphasis Wash the spinach thoroughly before cooking. those /ðəʊz/ plural of that though /ðəʊ/ adv, conj 1. used for mentioning something that makes something else seem surprising 2. but thought /θɔːt/ past tense and past participle of think thought /θɔːt/ noun an idea which you have when thinking Do you have any thoughts about/on where you want to

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spend Christmas?

1. thoughtful /θɔːtfʊl/ adj thinking about something a lot 2. being sensitive to what other people want thoughtless /ˈθɔːtlɪs/ adj without thinking /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/ about other people want thrash /θræʃ/ verb to defeat another person or team easily thrash /θræʃ/ out phrasal verb 1. to try to hit wildly in all directions 2. to discuss something until a solution is found He was screaming in pain and thrashing around on the floor. thrashing /ˈθræʃɪŋ/ noun 1. a severe beating 2. an easy defeat in a game thread /θrɛd/ noun a long strand of cotton, silk, or other fibre threadbare /ˈθrɛdbeə/ adj very worn threat /θrɛt/ noun a warning to some-one that you are going to do something unpleasant, espe-cially if he or she does not do what you want

a death threat threaten /ˈθrɛtn/ verb to warn that you are going to do something un-pleasant, especially if someone does not do what you want threatening /ˈθrɛtnɪŋ/ adj suggesting that something unpleasant will happen three-quarters /ˈθriːˈkwɔːtəz/ plural noun three fourths, 75% threshold /ˈθrɛʃhəʊld/ noun 1. a bar across the floor of a doorway 2. a point where something begins threw /θruː/ past tense of throw thrill /θrɪl/ noun a feeling of great ex-citement thrill /θrɪl/ verb to make someone very excited the thrill of winning a competition thriller /ˈθrɪlə/ noun an exciting work of art, e.g. a crime novel or a film thrilling /ˈθrɪlɪŋ/ adj which makes you very excited a thrilling game thrive /θraɪv/ verb to grow well and be strong throat /θrəʊt/ noun 1. the tube which goes from the

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back of your mouth down the inside of your neck 2. your neck, especially the front part throb /θrɒb/ verb 1. to beat fast 2. to have a pain which comes regu-larly like a heartbeat throne /θrəʊn/ noun a chair on which a king or queen sits during cer-emonies He came to the throne in 1936. throng /θrɒŋ/ noun a large crowd of people throng /θrɒŋ/ verb to crowd together throttle /ˈθrɒtl/ noun a valve on a pipe in an engine, which allows vari-able quantities of fuel to pass into an engine throttle /ˈθrɒtl/ verb to strangle some-one by squeezing the neck, and preventing him or her breath-ing through /θruː/ prep 1. across to the inside of something 2. during a period of time The River Seine flows through Paris. throughout /θru(ː)ˈaʊt/ prep, adv in all or several parts of

throw /θrəʊ/ verb to send something through the air Throw me a chocolate. throw away /θrəʊ/ /əˈweɪ/ phrasal verb to get rid of something which you do not need any more throw in /θrəʊ/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb to add something extra as a bargain throw off /θrəʊ/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb 1. to re-move something quickly 2. to recover from an illness throw out /θrəʊ/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb 1. to push someone outside 2. to get rid of something which you do not need 3. to refuse to accept something throw up /θrəʊ/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to let food come up from your stomach and out through your mouth 2. to give up something throwback /ˈθrəʊbæk/ noun a person or thing that seems to belong to a time in the past Her style of playing is a throwback to the early days of jazz. throw-in /θrəʊ/-/ɪn/ noun

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(in football) the act of throwing the ball back into play from the touchline thrown /θrəʊn/ past participle of throw thrush /θrʌʃ/ noun a common brown bird with brown spots on its light-coloured breast thrust /θrʌst/ verb to push something somewhere suddenly and hard She thrust a letter into my hand and told me to read it. thrust /θrʌst/ noun 1. the act of sud-denly pushing something strongly 2. a force which push-es someone or something thud /θʌd/ noun a dull, heavy noise thud /θʌd/ verb to make a dull noise thug /θʌg/ noun a violent person thumb /θʌm/ noun a part on the side of your hand that looks like a short thick finger /ˈθʌmneɪl/ thumbnail noun the nail on your thumb thump /θʌmp/ noun a dull noise

thump /θʌmp/ verb to hit someone hard with your fist She thumped the tambourine. thunder /ˈθʌndə/ noun a loud noise in the air following a flash of lightning thunder /ˈθʌndə/ verb to make a loud noise in the air following light-ning thunderstorm /ˈθʌndəstɔːm/ noun a storm with rain, thunder and lightning Thursday /ˈθɜːzdeɪ/ noun the day be-tween Wednesday and Friday, the fourth day of the week thus /ðʌs/ adv 1. in this way 2. as a result The guard fell asleep, thus allowing Bates to escape. thwart /θwɔːt/ verb to prevent some-one from doing something thyme /taɪm/ noun a common herb used as flavouring tiara /tɪˈɑːrə/ noun a small jewelled crown tic /tɪk/ noun a twitch of the mus-cles, usually in the face, which cannot be controlled tick /tɪk/ noun 1. a sound made ev-ery second by a clock 2. a mark written to 648

show that something is correct 2. to make a quiet reg-ular sound noise like a clock tick off /tɪk/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb 1. to mark something with a tick 2. to tick someone off to say that you are annoyed with someone (infor-mal) ticket /ˈtɪkɪt/ noun a piece of paper which confirms your reserva-tion and allows you to go into a place, e.g. a cinema, an exhi-bition, or a train a lottery ticket tickle /ˈtɪkl/ verb 1. to touch some-one in a sensitive part of the body in order to make him or her laugh 2. to cause a slight uncomfortable feeling on the skin of part of the body, or to have that feeling tidal wave /ˈtaɪdl/ /weɪv/ noun a huge wave in the sea, caused by an under-water earthquake and not by the tide tide /taɪd/ noun the regular rising and falling movement of the sea the rising tide of drug-related deaths tidily /ˈtaɪdɪli/ adv in a tidy way

tidy /ˈtaɪdi/ adj with everything ar-ranged in the correct way or in an organised way tie /taɪ/ noun 1. a long piece of co-loured cloth which men wear round their necks under the collar of their shirts 2. a result in a competition or election where both sides have the same score

tie

tie /taɪ/ verb 1. to attach something with string, rope or twine 2. to have the same score as another team in a competition The dog was tied to a tree. tie down /taɪ/ /daʊn/ phrasal 1. to at-tach verb something to the floor, to the ground, etc. 2. to make someone accept certain condi-tions tie up /taɪ/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to put string or rope round something 2. to buy

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something, so that the money is not available for other purposes tiebreaker /taɪ/ /ˈbreɪkə/ noun a way of de-ciding the winner of a game or a competition, e.g. by asking an extra question tie-in /ˈtaɪɪn/ noun something such as a book, which is brought out in connection with a successful film or television programme tier /ˈtaɪə/ noun one of a series of steps, usually a row of seats in a theatre the upper tier of seats in a stadium tiff /tɪf/ noun a small argument or quarrel (informal) tiger /ˈtaɪgə/ noun a large wild animal of the cat family which is yel-low with black stripes and lives mainly in India and China tiger

tight /taɪt/ adj 1. fitting too

closely 2. holding firmly Make sure the knot is tight. tighten /ˈtaɪtn/ verb to make tight or become tight tighten /ˈtaɪtn/ up verb to control something more carefully tight-knit /taɪt/-/ nɪt/ adj (of a group of people) who are good friends together tight-lipped /ˈtaɪtˈlɪpt/ adj not prepared to comment on a subject tightly /ˈtaɪtli/ adv in a tight way tightrope /ˈtaɪtrəʊp/ noun a rope stretched between two poles on which someone can walk or perform tricks tights /taɪts/ plural noun a piece of clothing made of thin material, covering your hips, and your legs and feet separately, worn especially by girls, women and dancers a pair of black tights tile /taɪl/ noun 1. a flat piece of baked clay used as a covering for floors, walls or roofs 2. a similar piece of another kind of material used to cover floors or walls

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tile /taɪl/ verb to cover the surface of a roof, a floor or a wall with tiles till /tɪl/ prep, conj up to the time when I lived with my parents till I was twenty. till /tɪl/ noun a drawer for keeping cash in a shop tilt /tɪlt/ verb 1. to slope 2. to put something in a sloping posi-tion timber /ˈtɪmbə/ noun wood cut ready for building The roof was supported by timbers. time /taɪm/ noun 1. a particular point in the day shown in hours and minutes 2. the hour at which something usually happens 3. an amount of hours, days, weeks, months or years that is available for someone to do something 4. a certain period 5. a particular moment when something happens 6. a period when things are pleasant or bad 7. one of several moments or periods when something hap-pens 8. the rhythm of a piece of music time /taɪm/ verb to count something in hours, minutes

and seconds Time seems to pass so slowly when you’re unhappy. time /taɪm/ after a particular period from now time bomb /taɪm/ /bɒm/ noun 1. a bomb with a clock attached, which can be set to explode at a cer-tain time 2. a difficult situa-tion which will happen in the future time-consuming /ˈtaɪmkənˈsjuːmɪŋ/ adj which takes a lot of time to do The legal process was time-consuming and expensive. time frame /taɪm/ /freɪm/ noun the period of time during which something should take place timeless /ˈtaɪmlɪs/ adj which is not af-fected by time time limit /taɪm/ /ˈlɪmɪt/ noun a point in time by which something should be done timely /ˈtaɪmli/ adj which happens at the right moment time off /taɪm/ /ɒf/ noun time away from work or school 651

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time out /taɪm/ /aʊt/ noun to take a rest from some activity timer /ˈtaɪmə/ noun a device which times things timescale /taɪm/ /skeɪl/ noun the period of time during which something should be completed timetable /ˈtaɪmˌteɪb(ə)l/ noun a printed list which shows the times at which something such as classes in school or trains leaving will happen timetable /ˈtaɪmˌteɪb(ə)l/ verb to arrange the times /taɪmz/ for something to happen noun time /taɪm/ zone one of 24 bands in the world in which the same standard time is used timid /ˈtɪmɪd/ adj afraid to do something a timid little boy timing /ˈtaɪmɪŋ/ noun the act of arrang-ing the time at which some-thing happens tin /tɪn/ noun 1. a silver-coloured soft metal 2. a metal container in which food or another sub-stance is sold and can be kept for a long time 3. any metal box

tinfoil /ˈtɪnfɔɪl/ noun a thin sheet of alu-minium, used to cover food tinge /tɪnʤ/ noun a slight colour or feeling of something “Goodbye,” he said, with a tinge of sadness. tingle /ˈtɪŋgl/ noun a feeling like a lot of small sharp things sticking into your skin tingle /ˈtɪŋgl/ verb to have a sharp prickling feeling My hands are starting to tingle with the cold. tinker /ˈtɪŋkə/ verb to try to make something work better, but not very successfully tinkle /ˈtɪŋkl/ noun a noise like the ringing of a little bell tinkle /ˈtɪŋkl/ verb to make a little ring-ing noise tinned /tɪnd/ adj preserved and sold in a tin tin opener /tɪn/ /ˈəʊpnə/ noun an object used for opening tins of food

tin opener

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tinsel /ˈtɪnsəl/ noun thin strips of glit-tering metal used as Christmas decorations tint /tɪnt/ noun a slight shade of co-lour the yellow and red tints of autumn tint /tɪnt/ verb to give something a slight shade of colour tiny /ˈtaɪni/ adj very small tip /tɪp/ noun 1. the end of some-thing long 2. money given to someone who has provided a service 3. advice on something which could be profitable 4. a place where household rubbish is taken to be thrown away tip /tɪp/ verb 1. to pour something out 2. to give money to some-one who has helped you tip off /tɪp/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb to warn someone about something tip up /tɪp/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb 1. to lean and fall over 2. to turn some-thing over so that the contents fall out tip-off /ˈtɪpɒf/ noun a piece of useful information, given secretly (in-formal ) tipsy /ˈtɪpsi/ adj rather drunk tiptoe /ˈtɪptəʊ/ verb to walk quietly on the tips of your

toes tirade /taɪˈreɪd/ noun a long speech at-tacking something tire /ˈtaɪə/ verb 1. to become tired 2. to make someone become tired tired /ˈtaɪəd/ adj 1. feeling that you want to sleep 2. feeling that you need rest She never seems to get tired. tireless /ˈtaɪəlɪs/ adj full of energy, nev-er needing to rest tiresome /ˈtaɪəsəm/ adj annoying tiring /ˈtaɪərɪŋ/ adj which makes you tired tissue /ˈtɪʃuː/ noun a soft paper hand-kerchief tit /tɪt/ noun a woman’s breast (in-formal ) titbit /ˈtɪtbɪt/ noun a special little piece of food or of gossip title /ˈtaɪtl/ noun 1. the name of some-thing, e.g. a book, play, paint-ing or film 2. a word such as Dr, Mr, Professor, Lord, Sir or Lady put in front of a name to show an honour or a qualification title role /ˈtaɪtl/ /rəʊl/ noun the part in a play or film which gives the name to the

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play or film titter /ˈtɪtə/ verb to give a little laugh T-junction noun a junction where one road joins another at right angles to /tuː/ prep 1. showing direction or place 2. showing a period of time 3. showing time in min-utes before an hour 4. showing a person or animal that receives something 5. showing a con-nection or relationship He forgot to feed the cat. toadstool /ˈtəʊdstuːl/ noun a small fungus shaped like an umbrella, but usually not edible, and some-times poisonous toast /təʊst/ noun pieces of bread which have been heated at a high temperature until they are brown a slice of toast toaster /ˈtəʊstə/ noun an electric device for toasting bread tobacco /təˈbækəʊ/ noun the dried leaves of a plant used to make ciga-rettes and cigars, and for smok-ing in pipes toboggan /təˈbɒgən/ noun a sledge made of a long flat piece of wood curved

upwards at the front, designed for sliding downhill on snow or ice today /təˈdeɪ/ noun this day toddler /ˈtɒdlə/ noun a child who has just learnt to walk toe /təʊ/ noun one of the five parts like fingers at the end of the foot toenail /ˈtəʊneɪl/ noun a nail covering the end of a toe toffee /ˈtɒfi/ noun a sticky sweet made by cooking sugar and butter tofu /ˈtəʊfuː/ noun bean curd, a soft white paste made from soya beans together /təˈgɛðə/ adv 1. doing some-thing with someone else or in a group 2. joined with some-thing else or with each other We went shopping together. togetherness /təˈgɛðənəs/ a feeling noun of friendliness and closeness with a person or people you know well toggle /ˈtɒgl/ verb (in computers) to change between two states toil /tɔɪl/ verb to work hard toilet /ˈtɔɪlɪt/ noun 1. a 654

bowl with a seat on which you sit to get rid of waste from your body 2. a room with a toilet bowl in it toilet paper /ˈtɔɪlɪt/ /ˈpeɪpə/ noun soft paper for wiping your bottom after going to the toilet toiletries /ˈtɔɪlɪtriz/ plural noun things, e.g. soap, cream and perfume, which are used in washing the body or making yourself smell nice toilet /ˈtɔɪlɪt/ roll noun a roll of toilet paper token /ˈtəʊkən/ noun 1. a thing which is a sign or symbol of something 2. a piece of paper or card, which is used in the place of money 3. a plastic or metal disc, which is used instead of money told /təʊld/ past tense and past parti-ciple of tell tolerance /ˈtɒlərəns/ noun 1. the practice of accepting or allowing some-thing which you do not agree with 2. the ability of the body to stand the effect of a drug or a poison tolerant /ˈtɒlərənt/ adj who shows a tolerant attitude

tolerate /ˈtɒləreɪt/ verb 1. to allow some-thing which you do not like to happen without complaining about it 2. to allow something which you do not agree with to exist 3. to accept the effect of a drug or a poison toll /təʊl/ noun 1. a payment for us-ing a service, usually a road, bridge or ferry 2. the number of people hurt, of buildings dam-aged, etc. 3. the solemn ringing of a bell toll /təʊl/ verb to ring a bell slowly, as for a funeral tomato /təˈmɑːtəʊ/ noun a small round red fruit used in salads and cooking tomato

tomb /tuːm/ noun a grave, sometimes one with an underground vault tomboy /ˈtɒmbɔɪ/ noun a girl who enjoys playing boys’ games tombstone /ˈtuːmstəʊn/ noun a large stone placed on 655

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a grave with the name of the dead person writ-ten on it tomcat /ˈtɒmˈkæt/ noun a male cat tome /təʊm/ noun a large book /təˈmɒrəʊ/ adv tomorrow on to the day after today Tomorrow is Friday. /təˈmɒrəʊ/ tomorrow noun the day after today ton /tʌn/ noun a measure of weight equal to 2240 pounds tone /təʊn/ noun a way of saying something, or of writing some-thing, which shows a particular feeling I knew by her tone of voice that she was serious. tone down /təʊn/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb to make something less offensive tone up /təʊn/ /ʌp/ phrasal to make your body verb firmer or fitter toner /ˈtəʊnə/ noun 1. a black powder, like dry ink, used in photo-copiers and laser printers 2. a substance used on your skin to make it look nicer or smoother tongue /tʌŋ/ noun 1. the long organ in your mouth which can move and is used for

tasting, swal-lowing and speaking 2. a lan-guage (literary) 3. a long loose piece of leather under the laces in a shoe tongue-in-cheek /ˈtʌŋɪnˈʧiːk/ adj not meant seriously tongue-tied /ˈtʌŋtaɪd/ adj so shy as to be unable to say anything tongue-twister /ˈtʌŋˌtwɪstə/ a phrase noun like ‘red lorry, yellow lorry,’ which is difficult to say quickly tonic /ˈtɒnɪk/ noun something which makes you stronger Spending time with Leo is always a tonic. tonight /təˈnaɪt/ adv, noun the night or the evening of today tonne /tʌn/ noun a metric ton, a weight of 1,000 kilograms tonsil /ˈtɒnsl/ noun one of two soft lumps of tissue at the back of the throat /ˌtɒnsɪˈlaɪtɪs/ tonsillitis noun an inflamma-tion of the tonsils too /tuː/ adv 1. more than necessary 2. (often at the end of a clause) also The film is also far too long.

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took /tʊk/ past tense of take tool /tuːl/ noun an instrument which you hold in your hand to do specific work, such as a ham-mer or a spade toolbar /ˈtuːlbɑː/ noun a line of icons on a computer screen which you click to get the computer to do certain things tool shed /tuːl/ /ʃɛd/ noun a small wood-en shed in a garden where tools are kept toot /tuːt/ verb to blow a horn sharp-ly tooth /tuːθ/ noun one of a set of hard white objects in the mouth which you use to bite or chew food toothache /ˈtuːθeɪk/ noun a pain in a tooth toothbrush /ˈtuːθbrʌʃ/ noun a small brush which you use to clean your teeth toothpaste /ˈtuːθpeɪst/ noun a soft sub-stance which you spread on a toothbrush and then use to clean your teeth toothpick /ˈtuːθpɪk/ noun a little pointed piece of wood, used for clean-ing between the teeth top /tɒp/ noun 1. the highest

place or highest point of something 2. the flat upper surface of some-thing 3. a cover for a container 4. a piece of clothing covering the upper part of the body top /tɒp/ adj 1. in the highest place 2. best I want a cake with cherries on top. top of /tɒp/ /ɒv/ 1. on the top surface of 2. in addition to top to bottom /tɒp/ /tuː/ / ˈbɒtəm/ completely top up /tɒp/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to add liquid to fill completely some-thing which is half empty top-down /tɒp/-/daʊn/ adj working from general things to more specific ones top hat /tɒp/ /hæt/ noun a tall cylindrical hat with a narrow brim which is worn by a man on formal oc-casions

top hat

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than the bottom, and so likely to fall over topic /ˈtɒpɪk/ noun the subject of a dis-cussion or conversation topical /ˈtɒpɪkəl/ adj interesting at the present time topless /ˈtɒplɪs/ adj not wearing any clothes on the top part of your body topmost /ˈtɒpməʊst/ adj highest or nearest the top topography /təˈpɒgrəfi/ noun the study or description of the physical fea-tures of a place and its rivers, mountains, and valleys topping /ˈtɒpɪŋ/ noun things such as cream or melted cheese, put on the top of food such as cakes, pizzas, or ice creams topple /ˈtɒpl/ verb to lose balance and fall topple over /ˈtɒpl/ /ˈəʊvə/ phrasal verb to fall down top secret /tɒp/ /ˈsiːkrɪt/ adj absolutely se-cret topsy-turvy /ˌtäp-sē-ˈtər-vē/ adj in disorder or all upside down torch /tɔːʧ/ noun a small electric light that you can carry tore /tɔː/ past tense of tear

torment /ˈtɔːmənt/ noun extreme pain torment /ˈtɔːmənt/ verb to make some-one suffer All evening the question tormented her. torn /tɔːn/ past participle of tear tornado /tɔːˈneɪdəʊ/ noun a violent storm with a whirlwind torpedo /tɔːˈneɪdəʊ/ a missile like a shell which travels under the water torpedo /tɔːˈneɪdəʊ/ verb 1. to sink a ship using a torpedo 2. to ruin someone’s plans torrent /ˈtɒrənt/ noun 1. a fast rushing stream 2. a fast flow a torrent of abuse /tɒˈrɛnʃəl/ adj torrential like a torrent torso /ˈtɔːsəʊ/ noun the main part of the body, not including the head, arms and legs tortilla /tɔːˈtɪljə/ noun 1. a type of Span-ish omelette, often made with potato and onion 2. a round, flat bread made of corn or wheat flour tortoise /ˈtɔːtəs/ noun a reptile covered with a hard shell which moves very slowly on land and can live to be very old 658

torture /ˈtɔːʧə/ noun 1. making some-one suffer pain as a punish-ment or to make them reveal a secret 2. extreme mental or physical pain torture /ˈtɔːʧə/ verb to inflict mental or physical pain on someone Tory /ˈtɔːri/ noun a member of the Conservative party a Tory voter toss /tɒs/ verb 1. to throw some-thing up into the air 2. to move something about toss /tɒs/ noun 1. the act of throw-ing something into the air 2. a sharp movement of the head up and down tot /tɒt/ noun 1. a little child 2. a small glass of alcohol total /ˈtəʊtl/ adj complete or whole The whole evening was a total disaster. totalitarian /ˌtəʊtælɪˈteərɪən/ adj having total power and not allowing any opposition or personal free-dom totally /ˈtəʊtli/ adv used for emphasis totter /ˈtɒtə/ noun to walk unsteadily or to wobble

She tottered around the dance floor. touch /tʌʧ/ noun 1. one of the five senses, the sense of feeling with the fingers 2. in touch with having contact with 3. a gentle physical contact 4. a very small amount touch /tʌʧ/ verb 1. to feel some-thing with your fingers 2. to be so close to something that you press against it You can look at them but please don’t touch them. touch down /tʌʧ/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb 1. to land 2. to score a try in rugby, by touching the ground behind the opponents’ line with the ball touch up /tʌʧ/ /ʌp/ phrasal to add a verb small amount of paint to a surface touch-and-go /ˈtʌʧənˈgəʊ/ possible that adj anything can happen touchdown /ˈtʌʧdaʊn/ noun 1. the land-ing of a plane or spacecraft 2. (in rugby) scoring a try by touching the ground behind the opponents’ line with the ball 3. scoring a goal in Ameri659

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can football by taking the ball over the opponents’ line touched /tʌʧt/ adj grateful, pleased with She was touched that he had remembered her birthday. touching /ˈtʌʧɪŋ/ adj making you feel emotion, especially affection or sympathy touchline /ˈtʌʧlaɪn/ noun a white line along the side of a football field touch screen /tʌʧ/ /skriːn/ noun a com-puter screen which you operate by touching displayed options with your finger touchstone /ˈtʌʧstəʊn/ noun something which is an excellent example and is a standard by which to judge other things touchy /ˈtʌʧi/ adj 1. easily offended 2. which is likely to cause offence Why are you so touchy today? tough /tʌf/ adj 1. (of meat) difficult to chew or to cut 2. requiring a lot of physical effort, or a lot of bravery or confidence toughen /ˈtʌfn/ verb 1. to make tough or harder 2. to

make more strict or severe toupee /ˈtuːpeɪ/ noun artificial hair worn to cover a bald area on a man’s head tour /tʊə/ noun a holiday journey to various places coming back eventually to the place you started from tour /tʊə/ verb to go on holiday, vis-iting various places We went on a guided tour of the cathedral. tourism /ˈtʊərɪz(ə)m/ noun the business of providing travel, accommoda-tion, food and entertainment for tourists tourist /ˈtʊərɪst/ noun a person who goes on holiday to visit places away from their home tournament /ˈtʊənəmənt/ noun a sporting competition with many games where competitors who lose drop out until only one is left tourniquet /ˈtʊənɪkeɪ/ noun a tight ban-dage put round an arm or leg to stop bleeding tout /taʊt/ verb 1. to praise something in the hope that people will be-lieve you 2. to try to persuade people to buy something

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He is being touted as the next big star. tow /təʊ/ verb to pull something be-hind a vehicle towards /təˈwɔːdz/ prep 1. in the direc-tion of 2. near in time 3. as part of the money to pay for some-thing 4. in relation to towel /ˈtaʊəl/ noun a large piece of soft cloth for drying something, es-pecially your body a bath/beach towel tower /ˈtaʊə/ noun a tall structure tower block /ˈtaʊə/ /blɒk/ noun a very tall block of flats town /taʊn/ noun a place, larger than a village, where people live and work, with houses, shops, of-fices, factories and other build-ings town hall /taʊn/ /hɔːl/ noun the main build-ing in a town, where the town council meets, and where many of the council departments are toxic /ˈtɒksɪk/ adj harmful toxic chemicals/fumes toxin /ˈtɒksɪn/ noun a poisonous sub-stance produced inside the body by germs

toy /tɔɪ/ noun a thing for children to play with

toys

trace /treɪs/ noun something which shows that something existed trace /treɪs/ verb to find where some-one or something is Police have so far failed to trace the missing woman. track /træk/ noun a rough path We followed a dirt track off the main road. track /træk/ plural noun tracks a series of footprints left by an animal or marks left by things like wheels track /træk/ verb to follow someone or an animal track down /træk/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb to follow and catch something, e.g. a criminal trackball /træk/ /bɔːl/ noun a ball used in-stead of a

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computer mouse to control the cursor on a com-puter screen track record /træk/ /ˈrɛkɔːd/ noun the success or failure of someone or a busi-ness in the past This company has an impressive track record in completing projects on time. tracksuit /ˈtræks(j)uːt/ noun a pair of match-ing trousers and top, in warm material, worn when practising sports tract /trækt/ noun 1. a large area of land 2. a system of organs and tubes in the body which are linked together the digestive/respiratory tract traction /ˈtrækʃən/ noun 1. the gripping power between one surface and another, e.g. between a tyre and the road 2. the force used in pulling a load trade /treɪd/ noun the business of buy-ing and selling They rely heavily on trade with Europe. trade in /treɪd/ /ɪn/ phrasal to give in verb an old item, such as a car

or washing-machine, as part of the payment for a new one trade /treɪd/ on phrasal verb to exploit or to use something to your ad-vantage They rely heavily on trade with Europe. trade deficit /treɪd/ /ˈdɛfɪsɪt/ noun the differ-ence between the value of a country’s exports and the value of its imports trade fair /treɪd/ /feə/ noun an occasion when manufacturers and pro-ducers exhibit their products and services to try to sell them /ˈtreɪdˌmɑːk/ trademark noun a particular name, design, etc., which has been registered by the manu-facturer and which cannot be used by other manufacturers trade name /treɪd/ /neɪm/ noun same as brand name trade-off /treɪd/-/ɒf/ noun exchanging one thing for another as part of a deal There’s always a trade-off between speed and quality. trader /ˈtreɪdə/ noun a person who does business

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tradesman /ˈtreɪdzmən/ noun a person who runs a shop tradition /trəˈdɪʃən/ noun beliefs, stories and ways of doing things which are passed from one generation to the next traditional /trəˈdɪʃənl/ adj done in a way that has been used for a long time traditionalist /trəˈdɪʃənlɪst/ noun a person who does things in a tradition-al way traditionally /trəˈdɪʃnəli/ adv according to tradition traffic /ˈtræfɪk/ noun cars, buses and other vehicles which are travel-ling on a street or road Sorry we’re late - we got stuck in traffic. traffic jam /ˈtræfɪk/ /ʤæm/ noun a situation where cars, buses and other vehicles cannot move forward on a road because there is too much traffic, because there has been an accident or because of roadworks tragedy /ˈtræʤɪdi/ noun 1. a serious play, film, or novel which ends sadly 2. a very unhappy event the tragedy of their daughter’s death

tragic /ˈtræʤɪk/ adj very sad trail /treɪl/ noun 1. tracks left by an animal or by a criminal 2. a path or track trail /treɪl/ verb to follow slowly after someone trailer /ˈtreɪlə/ noun 1. a small goods vehicle pulled behind a car 2. a van with beds, a table, and washing facilities, which can be towed by a car 3. parts of a full-length film shown as an advertisement for it train /treɪn/ noun an engine pulling a group of coaches on the rail-way We could go by train. train /treɪn/ verb 1. to teach someone or an animal how to do a par-ticular activity 2. to become fit by practicing for a sport trained /treɪnd/ adj who has been through a course of training trainee /treɪˈniː/ noun a person who is being trained trainer /ˈtreɪnə/ noun a person who trains an athlete a fitness trainer trainers /ˈtreɪnəz/ plural noun light sports shoes 1. training /ˈtreɪnɪŋ/ noun 663

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the process of being taught a skill or being trained 2. practise for a sport trait /treɪt/ noun a particular charac-teristic of someone traitor /ˈtreɪtə/ noun a person who be-trays his or her country, espe-cially by giving secret informa-tion to the enemy trajectory /ˈtræʤɪktəri/ noun the curv-ing movement of something which has been thrown or shot through the air tramp /træmp/ noun 1. a person who has nowhere to live and walks from place to place looking for work or begging for food or money 2. a long walk 3. the noise made by of feet hitting the ground regularly as some-one walks tramp /træmp/ verb 1. to walk with a regular heavy step 2. to walk for a long way, or walk with difficulty trampoline /ˈtræmpəliːn/ noun a large sheet of elastic material stretched across a frame, which you can bounce or jump on trance /trɑːns/ noun a state when you are not alert but not asleep, and do not notice

what is going on around you He sat staring out of the window as if in a trance. tranquil /ˈtræŋkwɪl/ adj calm or peaceful transaction /trænˈzækʃən/ noun a piece of business transatlantic /ˌtrænzətˈlæntɪk/ adj 1. across the Atlantic 2. on the other side of the Atlantic transcend /trænˈsɛnd/ verb to go better or further than something or to be much more important than something Somehow her appeal transcends class barriers. transcribe /trænsˈkraɪb/ verb to write out the text of something which is heard transcript /ˈtrænskrɪpt/ noun a written re-cord of something which has been noted in shorthand, or text of what was said on a radio programme, at a meeting, etc. transfer /ˈtrænsfə(ː)/ verb 1. to move some-thing or someone to another place 2. to change from one type of travel to another transform /trænsˈfɔːm/ verb to change the appearance or character of someone or 664

something com-pletely transformer /trænsˈfɔːmə/ noun a device for changing the voltage of an alternating current

a simple transformer

transgress /trænsˈgrɛs/ verb to go against a rule transient /ˈtrænzɪənt/ adj which will not last transient pleasures transit /ˈtrænsɪt/ noun the movement of passengers or goods on the way to a destination transition /trænˈsɪʒən/ noun the process of moving from one situation to another transitory /ˈtrænsɪtəri/ adj not lasting for a long time translate /trænsˈleɪt/ verb to put written or spoken words into another language We were asked to translate a list of sentences. /trænsˈleɪʃən/ translation

noun writing or speech which has been trans-lated /trænsˈleɪtə/ translator noun a person who translates translucent /trænzˈluːsnt/ adj which light can pass through, but which you cannot see through clearly transmission /trænzˈmɪʃən/ noun 1. passing of disease from one person to another 2. a radio or TV broad-cast 3. (in a car) a series of mov-ing parts which pass the power from the engine through the gearbox and clutch to the axles transmit /trænzˈmɪt/ verb 1. to pass a dis-ease from one person to anoth-er 2. to send out a programme or a message by radio or televi-sion The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes. /træntransmitter zˈmɪtə/ noun apparatus for sending out radio or TV signals transparency /trænsˈpeərənsi/ noun 1. the quality of being transparent 2. being clear when making deci-sions, and being open to the public about official actions 3. a photograph

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which is printed on transparent film so that it can be projected on to a screen / transparent trænsˈpeərənt/ adj which you can see through transparent plastic transpire /trænsˈpaɪə/ verb 1. to become obvious 2. (of a plant) to lose water through the surface of a leaf /trænsˈplɑːnt/ transplant noun 1. the act of replacing a damaged organ or part of the body with a part from another body, or with a part from somewhere else on the same body 2. an organ or piece of tissue which is trans-planted a heart/kidney transplant /trænsˈplɑːnt/ transplant verb 1. to move a plant from one place to an-other 2. to replace a damaged organ or other body part with a healthy part /ˈtrænspɔːt/ transport noun the movement of goods or people in vehicles the city’s transport system /ˈtrænspɔːt/ transport verb to move goods or peo-

ple from one place to an-other in a vehicle / transportation ˌtrænspɔːˈteɪʃən/ noun the ac-tion or means of moving goods or people transpose /trænsˈpəʊz/ verb to make two things change places transvestite / tran(t)s-ˈves-ˌtīt / noun a person who wears the clothes of the opposite sex trap /træp/ noun an object used for catching an animal trap /træp/ verb to catch or hold someone or something trapezium /trəˈpiːzjəm/ noun 1. a flat four-sided geometric shape, where two of the sides are parallel and the other two sides are not 2. a flat four-sided geometric shape, where none of the sides are parallel trash /træʃ/ noun 1. useless things 2. something of bad quality, e.g. a newspaper It’s better than the trash she usually reads. trash /træʃ/ verb 1. to smash up 2. to ruin someone’s reputation trashcan /træʃ/ /kæn/ noun a

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large plastic or metal container for house-hold rubbish (informal ) trashy /ˈtræʃi/ adj of bad quality a trashy novel/movie trauma /ˈtrɔːmə/ noun a mental shock caused by a sudden unpleas-ant experience, which was not expected to take place traumatic /trɔːˈmætɪk/ adj which gives a sharp and unpleasant shock travel /ˈtrævl/ noun the action of mov-ing from one country or place to another He has to travel abroad a lot on business. travel /ˈtrævl/ verb to move from one country or place to another travel agency /ˈtrævl/ / ˈeɪʤənsi/ noun an office which arranges tickets and ac-commodation for travellers travel agent /ˈtrævl/ / ˈeɪʤənt/ noun a person or company that arranges tickets and accommodation for its customers traveller /ˈtræv(ə)lə/ noun 1. a person who travels 2.

a person who has no fixed home and who travels around the country We’re doing a survey of business travellers. traveller’s cheque / ˈtræv(ə)ləz/ /ʧɛk/ noun a cheque which you buy at a bank before you travel and which you can then use in a foreign country traverse /ˈtrævə(ː)s/ verb to go across travesty /ˈtrævɪsti/ noun a ridiculous or poor imitation trawl /trɔːl/ verb to search something large in order to get something trawler /ˈtrɔːlə/ noun a fishing boat which pulls a net behind it tray /treɪ/ noun a flat board for carry-ing food, and things like glasses, cups and saucers She came back carrying a tray of drinks. treacherous /ˈtrɛʧərəs/ adv 1. dangerous 2. not to be trusted treachery /ˈtrɛʧəri/ noun the act of be-traying or of being a traitor to your country, friends, etc. treacle /ˈtriːkl/ noun a thick dark brown liquid produced when sugar is being refined 667

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tread /trɛd/ verb to step or to walk, especially with force I trod on a piece of broken glass. treadmill /ˈtrɛdmɪl/ noun 1. an exercise machine with a moving belt on which you walk or jog without actually moving forward 2. dull work which has to be done ev-ery day

treadmill

treason /ˈtriːzn/ noun the crime of be-traying your country, by giving your country’s secrets to the en-emy or by helping the enemy during a war treasure /ˈtrɛʒə/ noun jewels, gold, or other valuable things buried treasure treasurer /ˈtrɛʒərə/ noun a person who looks after the money of a club, society or other organisation treat /triːt/ noun a special thing which gives pleasure

treat /triːt/ verb 1. to deal with some-one or something 2. to give medical help to a sick or in-jured person He treats her really badly. treatise /ˈtriːtɪz/ noun a long piece of formal writing on a specialised subject treatment /ˈtriːtmənt/ noun 1. a way of be-having towards something or someone 2. a way of looking after a sick or injured person She’s receiving treatment for a lung infection. treaty /ˈtriːti/ noun a written legal agreement between two or more countries treble /ˈtrɛbl/ noun 1. a boy’s high-pitched soprano voice 2. a high-pitched musical instrument treble /ˈtrɛbl/ verb to increase by three times tree /triː/ noun a very large plant, with a thick trunk, branches and leaves trek /trɛk/ noun a long hard journey They started out on the long trek across the mountains. trellis /ˈtrɛlɪs/ noun a frame of criss-crossed pieces of light wood, used for plants

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to climb up tremble /ˈtrɛmbl/ verb to shake because you are cold or afraid, or wor-ried by something tremendous /trɪˈmɛndəs/ adj very big /ˈtrɛmə/ noun a tremor slight shaking trench /trɛnʧ/ noun a long narrow ditch trend /trɛnd/ noun a general tendency I’m not familiar with the latest trends in teaching methodology. trendy /ˈtrɛndi/ adj very fashionable (informal ) trepidation /ˌtrɛpɪˈdeɪʃən/ noun nervous wor-ry trial /ˈtraɪəl/ noun 1. a court case held before a judge 2. the act of test-ing something trial run /ˈtraɪəl/ /rʌn/ noun a test of some-thing which is new to see how good it is triangle /ˈtraɪæŋgl/ noun a shape with three straight sides and three angles triathlon /traɪˈæθlɒn/ noun an Olympic endurance sport in which competitors must complete a 1,500-me-

tre swim, then cycle 40 kilometres and finally run 10,000 metres tribe /traɪb/ noun a group of people with the same race, language and customs /traɪˈbjuːnl/ tribunal noun a specialist court outside the main judicial system which examines special problems and makes judgments tribute /ˈtrɪbjuːt/ noun words or gifts to show respect to someone, espe-cially someone who has died tribute band /ˈtrɪbjuːt/ /bænd/ noun a musical group that tries to look and sound like and performs songs and music made popular by a famous predecessor trick /trɪk/ noun a clever act to de-ceive or confuse someone I wasn’t really ill - it was just a trick. trick /trɪk/ verb to deceive someone trickery /ˈtrɪkəri/ noun deceiving by us-ing tricks trickle /ˈtrɪkl/ verb to flow gently trick question /trɪk/ /ˈk-

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wɛsʧən/ noun a ques-tion which is intended to deceive people tricky /ˈtrɪki/ adj requiring a lot of skill, patience or intelligence tried /traɪd/ past tense and past parti-ciple of try I tried to open the window but couldn’t. tries /traɪz/ plural of try. 3rd person singular present of try trifle /ˈtraɪfl/ noun a small thing which is not important (literary) trigger /ˈtrɪgə/ noun a little lever which you pull to fire a gun trilogy /ˈtrɪləʤi/ noun a novel or play in three separate parts which are linked together trim /trɪm/ verb to cut something to make it tidy trim /trɪm/ adj 1. cut short to give a tidy appearance 2. slim and fit trinket /ˈtrɪŋkɪt/ noun a cheap orna-ment trio /ˈtri(ː)əʊ/ noun a group of three peo-ple, especially a group of three musicians trip /trɪp/ noun a short journey

a business trip trip /trɪp/ verb to catch your foot in something so that you stagger and fall down trip over /trɪp/ /ˈəʊvə/ phrasal to catch verb your foot in something so that you fall triple /ˈtrɪpl/ verb to become three times as large; to make some-thing three times as large tripod /ˈtraɪpɒd/ noun a stand with three legs trite /traɪt/ adj very ordinary and un-exciting or used too often triumph /ˈtraɪəmf/ noun a great victory or great achievement Barcelona’s 2-0 triumph over Manchester United triumph /ˈtraɪəmf/ verb to be successful in spite of difficulties which could have stopped you triumphant /traɪˈʌmfənt/ adj happy or proud because you have won trivia /ˈtrɪvɪə/ noun details which are not important trivial /ˈtrɪvɪəl/ adj not important trod /trɒd/ past tense of tread trodden /ˈtrɒdn/ past participle 670

of tread trolley /ˈtrɒli/ noun a small vehicle on wheels which is designed to be pushed a supermarket trolley trolley

trombone /trɒmˈbəʊn/ noun a brass musical instrument like a large trumpet, where different notes are made by sliding a tube in or out troop /truːp/ noun a large group of people trophy /ˈtrəʊfi/ noun a prize given for winning a competition tropical /ˈtrɒpɪkəl/ adj relating to hot countries a tropical climate trot /trɒt/ noun the action of running with short regular steps, like a horse does trot /trɒt/ verb to run with short reg-ular steps trouble /ˈtrʌbl/ noun problems or wor-ries

trouble /ˈtrʌbl/ verb to make someone feel worried troubled /ˈtrʌbld/ adj 1. where there are problems 2. worried troublemaker /ˈtrʌblˌmeɪkə/ noun a person who causes problems for other people / troubleshooting ˈtrʌbəlˌʃʊtɪŋ/ noun sorting out problems, in business or in technology troublesome /ˈtrʌblsəm/ adj which causes trouble or which is annoying trouble spot /ˈtrʌbl/ /spɒt/ noun a place where trouble, especially polit-ical unrest or violence, occurs trough /trɒf/ noun 1. a long nar-row open container for food or water for farm animals 2. a low point between two higher points of something that rises and falls regularly peaks and troughs trounce /traʊns/ verb to defeat some-one easily troupe /truːp/ noun a group of actors or other performers who per-form together trousers /ˈtraʊzəz/ plural noun clothes which cover

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your body from the waist down, each leg sepa-rately a pair of trousers trout /traʊt/ noun a type of edible freshwater fish trowel /ˈtraʊəl/ noun a hand tool, like a large spoon, used in gardening truancy /ˈtru(ː)ənsi/ noun the action of not going to school when you should truant /ˈtru(ː)ənt/ noun not to go to school when you should truce /truːs/ noun an agreement be-tween two armies or enemies to stop fighting for a time truck /trʌk/ noun a goods vehicle used for carrying heavy loads true /truː/ adj 1. correct according to facts or reality 2. faithful or loyal a true story truffle /ˈtrʌfl/ noun 1. a type of round black edible fungus found un-der the earth 2. a soft sweet made of chocolate, often fla-voured with rum truly /ˈtruːli/ adv used for emphasis the project was truly a team

effort. trump card /trʌmp/ /kɑːd/ noun an advantage which is kept ready for use in an emergency trumpet /ˈtrʌmpɪt/ noun a brass musical instrument which is played by blowing, with three parts which you press with your fingers truncheon /ˈtrʌnʧən/ noun a short, thick stick used by policemen as a weapon trundle /ˈtrʌndl/ verb to push or roll along something heavy or to move in a heavy way The bus trundled along the lane. trunk /trʌŋk/ noun 1. the thick stem of a tree 2. an elephant’s long nose 3. a large box for storing or sending clothes trunk /trʌŋk/ road noun a main road trunks /trʌŋks/ plural noun shorts worn by a man when swimming trust /trʌst/ verb to be confident that someone is reliable My sister warned me not to trust him. trust /trʌst/ noun a belief that

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some-thing will work well or that someone will do something trustee /trʌsˈtiː/ noun a person who administers a trust or who directs a charity or other public insti-tution trust fund /trʌst/ /fʌnd/ noun an investment fund which is managed on be-half of another person trustworthy /ˈtrʌstˌwɜːði/ adj who can be depended upon truth /truːθ/ noun being true; a true story /ˈtruːθfʊl/ adj truthful 1. who always tells the truth 2. giving true facts try /traɪ/ verb 1. to make an effort to do something 2. to test or to see if something is good 3. to hear a civil or criminal case in court Try not to drop anything this time. try on /traɪ/ /ɒn/ phrasal verb 1. to put on a piece of clothing to see if it fits 2. to try to trick someone try out /traɪ/ /aʊt/ phrasal to test verb something, to see if it is good trying /ˈtraɪɪŋ/ adj annoying

and diffi-cult to deal with I’ve had a very trying day/ time. tub /tʌb/ noun 1. a round container with straight sides, often used for growing plants 2. a small, round container for food, usu-ally with a lid 3. a bath tuba /ˈtjuːbə/ noun a large bass brass in-strument tube /tjuːb/ noun 1. a long pipe for carrying liquids or gas 2. a soft container for a soft substance like toothpaste, which you squeeze to get the substance out 3. (in London) the under-ground railway system tuberculosis /tju(ː)ˌbɜːkjʊˈləʊsɪs/ noun an infec-tious disease caused by a bacil-lus, where infected lumps form in the lungs tubing /ˈtjuːbɪŋ/ noun tubes in general tuck /tʌk/ verb to put something carefully into a narrow or small place Tuck your shirt in. tuck in /tʌk/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb 1. to fold something carefully around someone or something and push the ends

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in 2. to start eat-ing enthusiastically tuck up /tʌk/ /ʌp/ verb to push the edge of the bedclothes around some-one to keep them warm Tuesday /ˈtjuːzdeɪ/ noun the second day of the week, the day between Monday and Wednesday tuft /tʌft/ noun a small bunch of something like grass or feath-ers tug /tʌg/ verb to give something a sudden hard pull tug /tʌg/ noun a sudden pull tug-of-war /tʌg/-/ɒv/-/wɔː/ a bitter strugnoun gle between two sides tuition /tju(ː)ˈɪʃən/ noun the teaching of students French tuition tulip /ˈtjuːlɪp/ noun a common spring bulb with flowers in brilliant colours, shaped like cups

tulips

tumble /ˈtʌmbl/ verb to fall He tumbled down the stairs. tumbler /ˈtʌmblə/ noun a glass with a flat base and straight sides, used for serving drinks tummy /ˈtʌmi/ noun the stomach /ˈtjuːmə/ noun tumour an unusual swell-ing or growth of new cells in the body tuna /ˈtuːnə/ noun a very large sea fish used for food tune /tjuːn/ noun a series of musical notes which have a pattern He was humming a tune as he dried the dishes. tune in /tjuːn/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb to adjust a radio so it takes broadcasts from a particular station tunic /ˈtjuːnɪk/ noun 1. a long loose shirt 2. a short uniform jacket worn by soldiers, policemen and others tunnel /ˈtʌnl/ noun a long passage un-der the ground The train went into the tunnel. tunnel vision /ˈtʌnl/ /ˈvɪʒən/ noun 1. seeing only the area immediately in front

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of the eye 2. having the tendency to concentrate on only one aspect of a problem turban /ˈtɜːbən/ noun a long piece of cloth worn wrapped round your head turbine /ˈtɜːbɪn/ noun a machine which produces power from the ac-tion of water, gas or steam turn-ing a wheel with blades which runs a generator turbulence /ˈtɜːbjʊləns/ noun a disturbance in air or water currents turbulent /ˈtɜːbjʊlənt/ adj 1. which is mov-ing violently 2. likely to have riots or civil war turf /tɜːf/ noun 1. an area of grass which is mown and looked af-ter 2. a piece of grass and soil which can be planted to form a lawn turkey /ˈtɜːki/ noun a large farm bird, similar to a chicken but much bigger, often eaten at Christ-mas Turkey /ˈtɜːki/ noun a country in the eastern Mediterranean, south of the Black Sea turmoil /ˈtɜːmɔɪl/ noun a state of disorder and confusion

The whole region is in turmoil. turn /tɜːn/ noun 1. a change of direc-tion, especially of a vehicle turn /tɜːn/ verb 1. to go round in a circle 2. to make something go round 3. to change direction, to go in another direction 4. to move your head or body so that you face in another direction 5. to change into something dif-ferent Ricky turned and saw Sue standing in the doorway. turn away /tɜːn/ /əˈweɪ/ phrasal verb 1. to send people away 2. to turn so as not to face someone turn back /tɜːn/ /bæk/ phrasal verb 1. to turn round and go back in the opposite direction 2. to tell someone to go back turn down /tɜːn/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb 1. to refuse something which is offered 2. to make something less noisy or less strong 3. to fold back a sheet on a bed, so that the pillow is uncovered turn in /tɜːn/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb 1. to take someone or some675

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thing to someone in authority 2. to go to bed turn into /tɜːn/ /ˈɪntuː/ phrasal verb 1. to change to become something different 2. to change direction and go into something turn off /tɜːn/ /ɒf/ phrasal 1. to make a verb piece of electrical equipment stop working 2. to leave a road you are travelling on turn on /tɜːn/ /ɒn/ phrasal 1. to make a verb piece of 2. to attack someone suddenly turn out /tɜːn/ /aʊt/ phrasal 1. to verb force someone to go out 2. to produce or make 3. to switch off 4. to happen in the end 5. to come out The bomb warning turned out to be a false alarm. turn over /tɜːn/ /ˈəʊvə/ phrasal verb 1. to roll over 2. to show the other side 3. to have a certain amount of sales turn round /tɜːn/ /raʊnd/ phrasal verb to move your head or body so that you face in another direction turn up /tɜːn/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to ar-rive 2. to be

found in a particu-lar place 3. to make something louder or stronger 4. to unfold turnaround /ˈtɜːnəˌraʊnd/ same as noun turnround turning /ˈtɜːnɪŋ/ noun a road which goes away from another road Take the second turning on the left. turning point /ˈtɜːnɪŋ/ /pɔɪnt/ noun the time when an important or decisive change takes place This event marked a turning point in the country’s history. turnip /ˈtɜːnɪp/ noun a common vegeta-ble, with a round white root turnout /ˈtɜːnˈaʊt/ noun a crowd of peo-ple who come to a show or a meeting turnover /ˈtɜːnˌəʊvə/ noun the amount of sales of goods or services by a business turnround /ˈtɜːnraʊnd/ noun the process of receiving orders and sending out goods turnstile /ˈtɜːnstaɪl/ noun a little revolving gate which has a counter to re-cord the number of people go-ing through it turntable /ˈtɜːnˌteɪbl/ noun a flat part of a record player 676

which turns with the record on it turquoise /ˈtɜːkwɑːz/ adj blue-green turret /ˈtʌrɪt/ noun 1. a small tower 2. a small armoured structure with a gun inside, on a ship or tank tusk /tʌsk/ noun the long tooth of some animals such as elephants and walruses tussle /ˈtʌsl/ noun a fight or argument tutor /ˈtjuːtə/ noun a teacher, especially a person who teaches only one student or a small group of stu-dents tutor /ˈtjuːtə/ verb to teach a small group of students a private tutor tutorial /tju(ː)ˈtɜːrɪəl/ noun a teaching session between a tutor and one or more students tuxedo /tʌkˈsiːdəʊ/ noun a man’s formal black or white jacket, worn with a bow tie twang /twæŋ/ noun a sound made when the string of a musical instrument or a taut wire is pulled and released tweak /twiːk/ verb 1. to

pinch and pull with your finger and thumb 2. to adjust something carefully Dad sat there tweaking his beard. tweed /twiːd/ noun a usually rough woolen cloth made with strands of different coloured wool tweezers /ˈtwiːzəz/ plural noun little metal pincers for pulling out a hair or splinter

tweezer

twice /twaɪs/ adv two times twiddle /ˈtwɪdl/ verb to twist some-thing aimlessly Karen just sat there twiddling with her hair. twig /twɪg/ noun a little branch of a tree or bush /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/ noun twilight a time when the light is weak, between sunset and night twin /twɪn/ adj, noun one of two ba-bies born at the same time to the same mother

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twin /twɪn/ beds plural noun two sin-gle beds placed in a bedroom twin beds a twinge /twɪnʤ/ noun short sharp pain twinkle /ˈtwɪŋkl/ verb to shine with a little moving light twirl /twɜːl/ verb 1. to twist something round in your hand 2. to spin round twist /twɪst/ verb 1. to wind some-thing round something 2. to turn in different directions twitch /twɪʧ/ verb to make small movements of the muscles /tuː/-/ two-dimensional dɪˈmɛnʃənl/ adj with two dimensions, flat twofold /ˈtuːfəʊld/ adv, adj twice as much two-time /ˈtuːtaɪm/ verb to be unfaith-ful to your marriage partner or lover (informal) tycoon /taɪˈkuːn/ noun a very rich busi-nessman a media tycoon tying /ˈtaɪɪŋ/ present participle of tie type /taɪp/ noun a group of people, animals or things that are simi-lar to each other typeface /taɪp/ /feɪs/ noun

a set of printed characters which have been de-signed with a certain style and have a certain name typewriter /ˈtaɪpˌraɪtə/ noun a machine which prints letters or numbers on a piece of paper when keys are pressed typical /ˈtɪpɪk(ə)l/ adj having the usual qualities of a particular group or occasion This style of painting is typical of Monet. typify /ˈtɪpɪfaɪ/ verb to be a good exam-ple of something typing /ˈtaɪpɪŋ/ noun the action of writ-ing letters with a typewriter typist /ˈtaɪpɪst/ noun a person whose job is to type letters on a type-writer tyrant /ˈtaɪərənt/ noun a ruler who rules by force and fear tyre /ˈtaɪə/ noun a ring made of rub-ber which is put round a wheel It’s got a flat tyre

tyre

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Uu

ubiquitous /ju(ː)ˈbɪkwɪtəs/ adj which is or which seems to be everywhere the ubiquitous security cameras udder /ˈʌdə/ noun a gland which pro-duces milk, a bag which hangs under the body of a cow or fe-male goat ugh /ʊh/ interj showing a feeling that something is unpleasant ugly /ˈʌgli/ adj unpleasant to look at There were ugly scenes outside the stadium. uh huh /ʌ/ /hʌ/ interj showing that you agree or that you are listening uh-oh /ʌ/-/əʊ/ interj used as the written form of an exclamation made to express worry or a warning ulcer /ˈʌlsə/ noun an open sore on or inside the body ulterior motive /ʌlˈtɪərɪə/ /ˈməʊtɪv/ noun a hidden reason for doing something which will give you an advan-tage

ultimate /ˈʌltɪmɪt/ noun the most valu-able or desirable thing Climbing Mount Everest is the ultimate challenge. ultimately /ˈʌltɪmɪtli/ adv in the end /ˌʌltɪˈmeɪtəm/ ultimatum noun a final demand, proposal sent to some-one stating that unless he does something within a period of time, action will be taken The children were given an ultimatum - finish their work quietly or stay behind after class. ultra- /ˈʌltrə/ prefix more than normal, excessively ultrasonic /ˌʌltrəˈsɒnɪk/ adj relating to fre-quencies above the range of human hearing ultrasound /ˌʌltrəˈsaʊnd/ noun a very high frequency sound wave, used to detect objects in the body or under water an ultrasound scan um /əm/ interj showing that you are not sure what to say umbilical cord / ˌʌmbɪˈlaɪkəl/ /kɔːd/ noun a cord which links the foetus

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to the placenta inside the womb umbrage /ˈʌmbrɪʤ/ noun (at something) to be offended by someone umbrella /ʌmˈbrɛlə/ noun a round frame covered with cloth which you hold over your head to keep off the rain

umbrella

umpire /ˈʌmpaɪə/ noun a person who acts as a judge in a game to see that the game is played according to the rules a tennis/cricket umpire umpteen /ˈʌmptiːn/ adj a large number un- /ˌʌn/ prefix not unable /ʌnˈeɪbl/ adj not able to do something Some days he is unable to get out of bed. unaccompanied baggage / ˌʌnəˈkʌmpənɪd/ /ˈbægɪʤ/ noun cases which are sent by air, with no passenger

travel-ling with them unanimous /ju(ː)ˈnænɪməs/ adj with everyone agreeing The jury was unanimous in finding him guilty. unasked /ʌnˈɑːskt/ adj without having been asked unassuming /ˌʌnəˈsjuːmɪŋ/ adj quiet or mod-est unattached /ˌʌnəˈtæʧt/ adj not married, or not in a sexual relationship with anyone unattainable /ˌʌnəˈteɪnəbl/ adj impossible to achieve or reach unattractive /ˌʌnəˈtræktɪv/ adj not attractive unaware /ˌʌnəˈweə/ adj not knowing or realising something He seems totally unaware of the problem. unawares /ˌʌnəˈweəz/ adv without being expected unbearable /ʌnˈbeərəbl/ adj so bad that you cannot accept it or deal with it unbelievable /ˌʌnbɪˈliːvəbl/ adj which is dif-ficult to believe It’s unbelievable how lucky she’s been. unbending /ʌnˈbɛndɪŋ/ adj not flexible in opinions or 680

attitudes unbiased /ʌnˈbaɪəst/ adj without any bias unblock /ʌnˈblɒk/ verb to remove some-thing that is stopping some-thing from flowing unborn /ʌnˈbɔːn/ adj not yet born the unborn child unbreakable /ˌʌnˈbreɪkəbl/ adj which cannot be broken unbroken /ʌnˈbrəʊkən/ adj which has not been broken unbutton /ʌnˈbʌtn/ verb to undo but-tons uncalled /ˌʌnˈkɔːld/ /fɔː/ adj not deserved That was uncalled for, Tess apologize to your brother. uncanny /ʌnˈkæni/ adj mysterious, which seems unnatural uncaring /ˌʌnˈkeərɪŋ/ adj without having any sympathy uncertain /ʌnˈsɜːtn/ adj not sure, or not decided uncle /ˈʌŋkl/ noun a brother of your father or mother unclear /ʌnˈklɪə/ adj not clear uncomfortable /ʌnˈkʌmfətəbl/ adj not com-fortable These shoes are really uncomfortable.

uncommon /ʌnˈkɒmən/ adj strange or un-usual uncommunicative /ˌʌnkəˈmjuːnɪkətɪv/ adj not saying much, or not answering people uncomplicated /ˌʌnˈkɒmplɪkeɪtɪd/ adj easy to deal with or understand / uncompromising ʌnˈkɒmprəmaɪzɪŋ/ adj unwill-ing to give in or to change your ideas unconcerned /ˌʌnkənˈsɜːnd/ adj not worried, not bothered The baby seemed unconcerned by all the noise. unconditional / ˌʌnkənˈdɪʃənl/ adj with no conditions attached unconfirmed /ˌʌnkənˈfɜːmd/ adj which has not been confirmed unconnected /ˌʌnkəˈnɛktɪd/ adj not related or connected to anything else or each other The stomach ailment was unconnected with his cancer. unconscious /ʌnˈkɒnʃəs/ adj 1. in a physi-cal condition in which you are not aware of what is happening 2. not

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realising something unconscious /ʌnˈkɒnʃəs/ noun the part of the mind which stores thoughts, memories or feelings which you are not conscious of, but which influence what you do She was knocked unconscious. uncontrolled /ˌʌnkənˈtrəʊld/ adj which has not been controlled unconventional / ˌʌnkənˈvɛnʃənl/ adj not usual uncork /ʌnˈkɔːk/ verb to remove the cork from a bottle uncountable /ʌnˈkaʊntəbl/ adj describing a noun that does not refer to a single object uncover /ʌnˈkʌvə/ verb 1. to take a cover off something 2. to find some-thing which was hidden The inspectors uncovered evidence of corruption. under /ˈʌndə/ prep 1. in or to a place where something else is on top or above 2. less than a number 3. according to underage /ˌʌndəˈreɪʤ/ adj younger than the legal age underarm /ˈʌndər/ /ɑːm/ noun

the area under the shoulder joint undercarriage /ˈʌndəˌkærɪʤ/ noun the land-ing gear of an aircraft, the aircraft’s wheels and their sup-ports underclass /ˈʌndə/ /klɑːs/ noun the lowest class in society undercover /ˈʌndəˌkʌvə/ adj acting in dis-guise an undercover police officer undercurrent /ˈʌndəˌkʌrənt/ noun 1. a cur-rent of water under the surface 2. hidden feelings undercut /ˈʌndəkʌt/ verb to sell more cheaply than someone underdog /ˈʌndədɒg/ noun the person or team that is weaker, that is going to lose underdone /ˌʌndəˈdʌn/ adj not cooked enough, or not overcooked underestimate /ˌʌndəˈrɛstɪmɪt/ noun an esti-mate which is less than the ac-tual figure underestimate /ˌʌndəˈrɛstɪmɪt/ verb to think that something is smaller or not as bad as it really is Many people underestimate the cost of owning a car.

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underfund /ˈʌndə/ /fʌnd/ verb to provide too little money to enable some-thing to happen or operate sat-isfactorily undergo /ˌʌndəˈgəʊ/ verb to suffer, to have something happen to you He is undergoing surgery for a heart problem. undergraduate /ˌʌndəˈgrædjʊɪt/ noun a student at university who is studying for his or her first degree underground /ˈʌndəgraʊnd/ adv under the ground underground /ˈʌndəgraʊnd/ adj built under the ground underground /ˈʌndəgraʊnd/ a railway noun in a town, which runs under the ground undergrowth /ˈʌndəgrəʊθ/ noun plants which grow thickly under large trees underhand /ˈʌndəhænd/ adj not honest underhand business deals underlie /ˌʌndəˈlaɪ/ verb to be beneath, to be the basic cause of some-thing underline /ˈʌndəlaɪn/ verb to write a line under a word or figure underlying /ˌʌndəˈlaɪɪŋ/ adj

which is the reason for everything undermine /ˌʌndəˈmaɪn/ to make verb weaker A series of scandals have undermined people’s confidence in the government. underneath /ˌʌndəˈniːθ/ prep under underpants /ˈʌndəˌpænts/ plural noun men’s short underwear for the part of the body from the waist to the top of the legs underpass /ˈʌndəpɑːs/ noun a road which is built under another underpin /ˌʌndəˈpɪn/ verb to support underprivileged / ˌʌndəˈprɪvɪlɪʤd/ adj not hav-ing the same opportunities as other people underrated /ˌʌndəˈreɪtɪd/ adj deserving to be valued more underscore /ˌʌndəˈskɔː/ verb to emphasise undershirt /ˈʌndəʃɜːt/ noun a light piece of underclothing for the top half of the body underside /ˈʌndəˌsaɪd/ noun a side that is underneath There was some damage to

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the underside of the car. understand /ˌʌndəˈstænd/ verb 1. to know what something means 2. to have sympathy for someone 3. to know why something happens or how something works understandable /ˌʌndəˈstændəbl/ adj normal, which is easy to understand understanding / ˌʌndəˈstændɪŋ/ noun 1. the fact that someone understands something 2. sympathy for someone else and their prob-lems 3. a private agreement We now have a better understanding of this disease. understatement /ˌʌndəˈsteɪtmənt/ noun a state-ment which does not tell the facts forcefully enough understood /ˌʌndəˈstʊd/ past tense and past participle of understand understudy /ˈʌndəˌstʌdi/ an actor who noun learns a part in the play so as to be able to act it if the usual actor cannot perform undertake /ˌʌndəˈteɪk/ verb 1. to agree to do something 2. to do some-thing Max has undertaken the task of restoring an old houseboat. undertaker /ˈʌndəˌteɪkə/ noun a person who organises funer-

als undertaking /ˌʌndəˈteɪkɪŋ/ noun 1. a busi-ness 2. a promise 3. a large-scale job undertone /ˈʌndətəʊn/ noun 1. a quiet voice 2. a hidden feeling undertook /ˌʌndəˈtʊk/ past tense of un-dertake underused /ˈʌndə/ /juːzd/ adj not used enough undervalue /ˌʌndəˈvæljuː/ to value at verb less than the true rate underwater /ˈʌndəˈwɔːtə/ adj below the sur-face of the water Seals can hear very well underwater. under way /ˈʌndə/ /weɪ/ adv in progress underwear /ˈʌndəweə/ noun clothes worn next to your skin under other clothes

underwear

underweight /ˌʌndəˈweɪt/ adj 684

not heavy enough, which weighs less than usual underwent /ˌʌndəˈwɛnt/ past tense of un-dergo underworld /ˈʌndəwɜːld/ noun 1. (in my-thology) a place inhabited by the dead 2. the world of crimi-nals the criminal underworld undesirable /ˌʌndɪˈzaɪərəbl/ adj not wanted undid /ʌnˈdɪd/ past tense of undo undies /ˈʌndɪz/ plural noun underwear, especially women’s underwear undo /ʌnˈduː/ verb to open something which is tied or fastened Can you undo this knot for me? undoubtedly /ʌnˈdaʊtɪdli/ adv certainly undress /ʌnˈdrɛs/ verb to take your clothes off undressed /ʌnˈdrɛst/ adj having just tak-en off your clothes unearth /ʌnˈɜːθ/ verb to dig up; to dis-cover uneasy /ʌnˈiːzi/ adj nervous and wor-ried I feel a bit uneasy about her travelling alone.

unemployed /ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪd/ without a adj job unemployment / ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪmənt/ noun a lack of work benefit unemployment /ˌʌnɪmˈplɔɪmənt/ /ˈbɛnɪfɪt/ noun money paid by the govern-ment to someone who is un-employed unending /ʌnˈɛndɪŋ/ adj which is going on forever, with no end an unending series of problems unenviable /ˌʌnˈɛnvɪəbl/ adj difficult or un-pleasant unequal /ʌnˈiːkwəl/ adj not equal uneven /ʌnˈiːvən/ adj not smooth or flat unexpected /ˌʌnɪksˈpɛktɪd/ which is sur-prisadj ing and not what was ex-pected His death was completely unexpected. unexpectedly /ˌʌnɪksˈpɛktɪdli/ adv in an unex-pected way unfailing /ʌnˈfeɪlɪŋ/ adj which never changes, which is always there

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unfair /ʌnˈfeə/ adj not fair The test was unfair because some people had seen it before. unfairly /ʌnˈfeəli/ adv in an unfair way unfairness /ʌnˈfeənəs/ noun lack of justice or fairness unfamiliar /ˌʌnfəˈmɪljə/ adj not knowing at all well unfashionable /ʌnˈfæʃnəbl/ adj not fash-ionable unfasten /ʌnˈfɑːsn/ verb to undo a belt, tie or button etc. which is fas-tened to unfasten a seat belt unfeeling /ʌnˈfiːlɪŋ/ adj not caring or sympathetic unfinished /ʌnˈfɪnɪʃt/ adj which has not been finished unfit /ʌnˈfɪt/ adj not fit, not in good physical condition unfold /ʌnˈfəʊld/ verb 1. to spread out something which is folded, such as a newspaper 2. (of a story) to become clear The nation watched on TV as the tragic events unfolded. unforgettable /ˌʌnfəˈgɛtəbl/ adj which can-not be forgotten unforgivable /ˌʌnfəˈgɪvəbl/ adj impossible to forgive

unfortunate /ʌnˈfɔːʧnɪt/ adj which makes you sad It was unfortunate that she lost her job just as her husband became ill. unfortunately /ʌnˈfɔːʧnɪtli/ adv which you wish was not true unfounded /ʌnˈfaʊndɪd/ adj without any basis in truth unfriendly /ʌnˈfrɛndli/ adj not acting like a friend unfulfilled /ˌʌnfʊlˈfɪld/ adj which has not been carried out an unfulfilled ambition/ dream unfurl /ˌʌnˈfɜːl/ verb to unroll like a flag ungainly /ʌnˈgeɪnli/ adj moving without grace ungracious /ʌnˈgreɪʃəs/ adj not well-man-nered /ˌʌnungrammatical grəˈmætɪkəl/ adj using in-correct grammar ungrateful /ʌnˈgreɪtfʊl/ adj not grateful unhappily /ʌnˈhæpɪli/ adv in a sad way unhappy /ʌnˈhæpi/ adj sad, not happy I’m unhappy about the situation.

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unhealthy /ʌnˈhɛlθi/ adj not healthy, especially often ill unheard /ʌnˈhɜːd/ of adj strange or odd unhurried /ʌnˈhʌrɪd/ adj done in a quiet, relaxed way unicorn /ˈjuːnɪkɔːn/ noun an imaginary animal, a white horse with one long, straight horn growing from the centre of its head

unicorn

unidentified /ˌʌnaɪˈdɛntɪfaɪd/ adj which you do not recognise, which you can-not identify The body of an unidentified woman was found in a field last night. unification /ˌjuːnɪfɪˈkeɪʃən/ noun the act of joining two countries together to form one. uniform /ˈjuːnɪfɔːm/ noun special clothes worn by all members of an or-ganization or group

a school uniform uniformed /ˈjuːnɪfɔːmd/ adj wearing a uni-form unify /ˈjuːnɪfaɪ/ verb to join separate countries or groups together to form a single one unilateral /ˌjuːnɪˈlætərəl/ adj done by one side only, not taken jointly unilateral nuclear disarmament unimportant /ˌʌnɪmˈpɒtənt/ adj not impor-tant unintentional /ˌʌnɪnˈtɛnʃənl/ adj which is not intended uninterested /ʌnˈɪntrɪstɪd/ adj not having any interest in something union /ˈjuːnjən/ noun the state of being joined together, or the process of joining together a teachers’/firefighters’ union unique /juːˈniːk/ adj different from any-thing else and therefore the only one of its type unisex /ˈjuːnɪ/ /sɛks/ adj which can be used by both men and women unit /ˈjuːnɪt/ noun 1. one part of some-thing larger 2. one piece of furniture, such as a cupboard or set of shelves

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which can be matched with others 3. the amount used to measure some-thing 4. a single number less than ten unite /juːˈnaɪt/ verb to join together into a single body We need a leader who can unite the party. united /jʊˈnaɪtɪd/ adj joined together as a whole unity /ˈjuːnɪti/ noun being one whole universal /ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsəl/ adj which is under-stood or experienced by every-one in the world universe /ˈjuːnɪvɜːs/ noun all space and everything that exists in it, in-cluding the earth, the planets and the stars Many people believe that there is life elsewhere in the universe. university /ˌjuːnɪˈvɜːsɪti/ noun an education-al institution where students study for degrees and where students and teachers do re-search unjust /ʌnˈʤʌst/ adj not fair unkempt /ʌnˈkɛmpt/ adj not looked after, especially referring to things which

need cutting unkind /ʌnˈkaɪnd/ adj behaving in an un-pleasant way with someone unkindness /ʌnˈkaɪndnəs/ the action of treatnoun ing someone unpleasantly unknown /ʌnˈnəʊn/ adj not known The cause of his death is still unknown. unleash /ʌnˈliːʃ/ verb to allow a violent force to become free unless /ənˈlɛs/ conj except if unlike /ʌnˈlaɪk/ adj, prep 1. totally dif-ferent from 2. not normal or typical The furniture was unlike anything she had ever seen. unlikely /ʌnˈlaɪkli/ adj 1. not likely 2. which is probably not true unlimited /ʌnˈlɪmɪtɪd/ adj with no limits unload /ʌnˈləʊd/ verb to remove a load from a vehicle Can you help me unload the car? unlock /ʌnˈlɒk/ verb to open something which was locked unluckily /ʌnˈlʌkɪli/ adv with bad luck unlucky /ʌnˈlʌki/ adj not lucky, or bringing bad luck 688

unnatural /ʌnˈnæʧrəl/ adj 1. which is not as it is in nature 2. which does not follow the usual pattern unnecessary /ʌnˈnɛsɪsəri/ adj which is not needed, or which does not have to be done unobtrusive /ˌʌnəbˈtruːsɪv/ adj not obvious; not easily noticed He was quiet and unobtrusive. unoccupied /ʌnˈɒkjʊpaɪd/ adj not being used by anyone unofficial /ˌʌnəˈfɪʃəl/ adj not approved by an administration or by people in power unorthodox /ˌʌnˈɔːθədɒks/ adj not usual, independent in behavior or thought unpack /ʌnˈpæk/ verb to take things out of cases in which they were sent or carried I haven’t had time to unpack yet. unpleasant /ʌnˈplɛznt/ adj not pleasant unplug /ˌʌnˈplʌg/ verb to remove a plug from a socket unpopular /ʌnˈpɒpjʊlə/ adj not liked by many people an unpopular idea unpredictable /ˌʌnprɪˈdɪk-

təbl/ adj which can-not be predicted or forecast unprepared /ˌʌnprɪˈpeəd/ adj not ready unprofessional /ˌʌnprəˈfɛʃənl/ adj not ac-cording to professional stan-dards unreal /ʌnˈrɪəl/ adj not like the real world unrealistic /ˌʌnrɪəˈlɪstɪk/ adj not taking into account the true facts of a situ-ation She has a totally unrealistic view of life. unreasonable /ʌnˈriːznəbl/ not reaadj son-able or fair unrelated /ˌʌnrɪˈleɪtɪd/ adj 1. not related, with no connection 2. not be-longing to the same family unrest /ʌnˈrɛst/ noun a situation where people protest to try to get po-litical or industrial change unroll /ʌnˈrəʊl/ verb to undo something which is rolled up He unrolled the carpet. unruly /ʌnˈruːli/ adj wild, with no disci-pline unsafe /ʌnˈseɪf/ adj dangerous

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unsatisfactory /ˌʌnˌsætɪsˈfæktəri/ adj not satisfactory Many school buildings are in an unsatisfactory condition. unscrew /ʌnˈskruː/ verb 1. to open by twisting a top which screws on 2. to unfasten by taking out screws unscrupulous /ʌnˈskruːpjʊləs/ adj not worry-ing too much about honesty unseen /ʌnˈsiːn/ adj not seen, invisible unselfish /ʌnˈsɛlfɪʃ/ adj thinking only of other people unsettled /ʌnˈsɛtld/ adj 1. (of weather) which changes often 2. not calm The weather continues to be unsettled. unsettling /ʌnˈsɛtlɪŋ/ adj which makes you nervous and worried unshaven /ʌnˈʃeɪvn/ adj without having shaved unsightly /ʌnˈsaɪtli/ adj very unpleasant to look at unsociable /ʌnˈsəʊʃəbl/ adj not friendly, not wanting to meet other peo-ple unsophisticated /

ˌʌnsəˈfɪstɪkeɪtɪd/ adj simple; not sophisticated unsound /ʌnˈsaʊnd/ adj not based on fact or logic unstable /ʌnˈsteɪbl/ adj 1. not secure or firm 2. likely to change sudden-ly 3. with a mental state that is likely to change quickly an unstable economy unsteady /ʌnˈstɛdi/ adj not steady; wob-bly unsubscribe /ˌʌnsəbˈskraɪb/ verb to ask not to receive something any longer unsubstantiated / ˌʌnsəbˈstænʃɪeɪtɪd/ adj not hav-ing any supporting evidence unsuccessful /ˌʌnsəkˈsɛsfʊl/ adj which does not succeed an unsuccessful attempt/effort unsuitable /ʌnˈsjuːtəbl/ adj not suitable unsure /ʌnˈʃʊə/ adj not sure untangle /ʌnˈtæŋgl/ verb 1. to separate and free from tangles 2. to make simpler and clearer untidy /ʌnˈtaɪdi/ adj not tidy She’s really untidy at home. untie /ʌnˈtaɪ/ verb to open 690

something which is tied with a knot until /ənˈtɪl/ conj up to the time when untold /ʌnˈtəʊld/ adj very large; so large that it cannot be counted un-true adj not true a untruth /ʌnˈtruːθ/ noun lie unusual /ʌnˈjuːʒʊəl/ adj not normal or ex-pected It’s fairly unusual to keep insects as pets. unveil /ʌnˈveɪl/ verb 1. to take a cover off something, to open it for-mally 2. to reveal details of a new plan etc. unwell /ʌnˈwɛl/ adj in a bad state of health to feel/look unwell unwieldy /ʌnˈwiːldi/ adj large and awk-ward unwilling /ʌnˈwɪlɪŋ/ adj not wanting to do something unwind /ʌnˈwaɪnd/ verb 1. to undo some-thing which has been wound 2. to relax unwise /ʌnˈwaɪz/ adj rash or not pru-dent; not wise an unwise decision unworkable /ʌnˈwɜːkəbl/ adj which will not work

unwound /ʌnˈwaʊnd/ past tense and past participle of unwind unwrap /ʌnˈræp/ verb to take the wrap-ping off something unzip /ʌnˈzɪp/ verb to undo a zip fas-tener He unzipped his trousers. up /ʌp/ adv 1. in or to a high place 2. to a higher position 3. not in bed 4. completely, entirely 5. happening in an unpleasant or dangerous way up /ʌp/ prep 1. in or to a high place 2. along up-and-coming / ˈʌpəndˈkʌmɪŋ/ adj becoming fashionable and likely to suc-ceed upbeat /ʌpˈbiːt/ adj feeling optimistic and happy He remains upbeat about the future. upbringing /ˈʌpˌbrɪŋɪŋ/ noun the way a child is brought up upcoming /ˌʌpˈkʌmɪŋ/ adj approaching soon, forthcoming update /ʌpˈdeɪt/ noun the latest infor-mation update /ʌpˈdeɪt/ verb to add 691

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the latest information to something so that it is quite up-to-date I’ll update you on upend / ˌəp-ˈend/ verb to turn something over on its end up front /ʌp/ /frʌnt/ adv in advance upgrade /ʌpˈgreɪd/ 1. to improve the quality or performance of something such as a computer 2. to give someone a higher po-sition or better facilities to upgrade a computer upheaval /ʌpˈhiːvəl/ noun a great change uphold /ʌpˈhəʊld/ verb to reject an appeal and support an earlier judg-ment upholstery /ʌpˈhəʊlstəri/ noun covers for chairs; padded seats and cush-ions upkeep /ˈʌpkiːp/ noun 1. the cost and process of keeping property such as a house, garden or car in good order 2. The cost of paying for children’s clothes, food, etc. upload /ʌpˈləʊd/ verb to send informa-tion or programs from your computer to a larger system, e.g. over the Internet

up-market /ʌp/-/ˈmɑːkɪt/ adj more expen-sive, appealing to the wealthy section of the market an upmarket hotel/restaurant upon /əˈpɒn/ prep 1. on 2. likely to happen soon higher or upper /ˈʌpə/ adj further up the upper body upper case /ˈʌpə/ /keɪs/ noun (in printing) capital letters uppermost /ˈʌpəməʊst/ adj 1. Highest 2. most important upright /ˈʌpraɪt/ adj straight up uprising /ʌpˈraɪzɪŋ/ noun a rebellion or revolt uproar /ˈʌprɔː/ noun 1. a loud noise 2. angry criticism by a lot of people uproot /ʌpˈruːt/ verb 1. to pull a plant out of the ground with its roots 2. to make a family move to a totally new area upset /ʌpˈsɛt/ adj very worried or un-happy upset /ʌpˈsɛt/ verb 1. to make some-one worried or unhappy 2. to knock something over 692

Mike got very upset when I told him the news. upset /ʌpˈsɛt/ noun 1. an unexpected defeat 2. a slight illness because of something you have eaten or drunk upsetting /ʌpˈsɛtɪŋ/ adj which causes you to feel worried, unhappy or anxious upshot /ˈʌpʃɒt/ noun a result The upshot is that we’ve decided to move to Sydney. upside /ˈʌpsaɪd/ noun the positive side of a situation upside down /ˈʌpsaɪd/ / daʊn/ adv with the top underneath upstage /ˌʌpˈsteɪʤ/ verb to take atten-tion away from someone who should be more important You mustn’t upstage the bride. /ˌʌpˈsteəz/ adv upstairs on or to the up-per part of something upstart /ˈʌpstɑːt/ noun an inexperienced person who has just started a job and feels he knows every-thing about it upsurge /ʌpˈsɜːʤ/ noun a sudden in-crease

uptake /ˈʌpteɪk/ slow or quick to under-stand uptight /ʌpˈtaɪt/ adj nervous and angry up to date /ʌp/ /tuː/ /deɪt/ adv with the latest information The Internet keeps us up-todate. up-to-the-minute /ʌp/-/tuː/-/ ðə/-/ˈmɪnɪt/ adj very recent uptown /ˌʌpˈtaʊn/ adv in or to the outer residential parts of a town upturn /ʌpˈtɜːn/ noun a movement to-wards higher sales or profits upward /ˈʌpwəd/ adj moving towards a higher level an upward trend in sales upward /ˈʌpwəd/ adv same as upwards upwards /ˈʌpwədz/ adv towards the top uranium /jʊˈreɪnjəm/ noun a radioactive metal used in producing atomic energy urban /ˈɜːbən/ adj 1. relating to towns 2. living in towns urbane /ɜːˈbeɪn/ adj having an easy re-laxed manner With his good looks and urbane manner, he was very popular. a strong urge /ɜːʤ/ noun

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wish to do something urge /ɜːʤ/ verb to advise someone strongly to do something urgency /ˈɜːʤənsi/ noun the fact of being very important or needing to be done quickly a matter of great urgency urgent /ˈɜːʤənt/ adj which is important and needs to be done quickly urinate /ˈjʊərɪneɪt/ verb to pass waste liq-uid from the body urine /ˈjʊərɪn/ noun a yellowish liq-uid which is passed out of the body, containing water and waste matter urn /ɜːn/ noun a very large vase

an urn

us /ʌs/ object pronoun meaning me and other people

usable adj which can be used usage /ˈjuːzəbl/ noun 1. a way of using a word 2. the amount of some-thing that is used a guide to English grammar and usage use /juːz/ verb 1. to take something such as a tool and do some-thing with it 2. to take a sub-stance and do something with it use /juːz/ noun 1. a purpose 2. the fact of being used use up /juːz/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to use all of something which used /juːzd/ adj is not new He’s used to working long hours. useful /ˈjuːsfʊl/ adj who or which can help you do something useless /ˈjuːslɪs/ adj which is not use-ful It’s useless arguing with her. user /ˈjuːzə/ noun a person who uses a tool or a service user-friendly /ˈjuːzə/-/ˈfrɛndli/ adj easy to use without special training username /ˈjuːzəneɪm/ noun a name which you use when operating a com-puter pro694

gram usher /ˈʌʃə/ noun a man who shows people to their seats in a cin-ema or at a wedding She ushered me into her office. usher in /ˈʌʃər/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb 1. to bring someone in 2. to be the beginning of usual /ˈjuːʒʊəl/ adj done or used on most occasions usually /ˈjuːʒʊəli/ adv in most cases or on most occasions usurp /juːˈzɜːp/ verb to take and use a right which is not yours, espe-cially to take the throne from a king utensil /ju(ː)ˈtɛnsl/ noun a tool or object used when cooking wooden cooking utensils uterus /ˈjuːtərəs/ noun the hollow organ in a woman’s body where a fer-tilized egg is lodged and an un-born baby is carried utilise /ˈjuːtɪˌlaɪz/ verb to use something utmost /ˈʌtməʊst/ noun the greatest action possible The situation needs to be handled with the utmost care.

utopia /juːˈtəʊpjə/ noun an imaginary perfect world utter /ˈʌtə/ verb to speak; to make a sound utterance /ˈʌtərəns/ noun something which is said utterly /ˈʌtəli/ adv completely It’s utterly ridiculous.

U-turn /juː/-/tɜːn/ noun 1. the act of turn-ing round to go back in the op-posite direction 2. a complete change in policy

Vv

V /viː/ noun the Roman numeral for five or fifth vacancy /ˈveɪkənsi/ noun 1. a job for which there is no employee 2. a room in a hotel which is avail-able to stay in Do you have any vacancies? vacant /ˈveɪkənt/ adj empty and available for you to use vacate /vəˈkeɪt/ verb to leave something empty vacation /vəˈkeɪʃən/ noun 1. especially a holiday 2. a period when the universities

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and law courts are closed We’re taking a vacation in Florida. vaccinate /ˈvæksɪneɪt/ verb to use a vaccine to give a person immunisation against a specific disease vaccine /ˈvæksiːn/ noun a substance which contains the germs of a disease and which is injected into a patient to prevent him or her from catching the disease vacuum /ˈvækjʊəm/ noun 1. a space which is completely empty of all mat-ter, including air 2. same as vacuum cleaner /ˈvækjʊəm/ / ˈkliːnə/ verb to clean a carpet or a room using a vac-uum cleaner vacuum cleaner /ˈvækjʊəm/ /ˈkliːnə/ noun a machine which cleans by sucking up dust

A vacuun cleaner

vacuum flask /ˈvækjʊəm/ /

flɑːsk/ noun a type of bottle which keeps liquids hot or cold vagina /vəˈʤaɪnə/ noun a passage in a female body connecting the uterus to the vulva and through which a baby is born vagrant /ˈveɪgrənt/ noun a tramp, a per-son who travels from place to place with no home or work with no vague /veɪg/ adj details He was a bit vague about directions. vain /veɪn/ adj very proud of your ap-pearance or achievements I tried in vain to start a conversation. valentine /ˈvæləntaɪn/ noun the person you say you love particularly valet /ˈvælɪt/ noun 1. a servant who looks after a man’s clothes 2. a person who parks your car at a restaurant or hotel valiant /ˈvæljənt/ adj brave valid /ˈvælɪd/ adj 1. which can be law-fully used for a particular time 2. which is acceptable because it is true 696

a valid argument validate /ˈvælɪdeɪt/ verb 1. to check to see if something is correct 2. to make something valid 3. to cer-tify officially that something is acceptable valley /ˈvæli/ noun a long piece of low land through which a river runs valuable /ˈvæljʊəbl/ adj 1. worth a lot of money 2. useful or helpful valuable paintings and antiques valuables /ˈvæljʊəblz/ plural noun items which are worth a lot of mon-ey valuation /ˌvæljʊˈeɪʃən/ noun 1. an estimate of the worth of something 2. the act of estimating the worth of something value /ˈvæljuː/ noun an amount of mon-ey which something is worth Cars quickly go down in value. value /ˈvæljuː/ verb to consider some-thing as being valuable values /ˈvæljuːz/ plural noun principles, important things in life valve /vælv/ noun a device in

a tube which allows liquid or air to pass through in one direction only vampire /ˈvæmpaɪə/ noun an evil person who supposedly sucks blood from his or her victims van /væn/ noun a covered goods vehicle

a van

vandal /ˈvændəl/ noun a person who takes pleasure in destroying property, especially public property Vandals had smashed the shop window. vandalism /ˈvændəlɪzm/ noun the meaning-less destruction of property vanilla /vəˈnɪlə/ noun a flavouring made from the seed pods of a tropi-cal plant vanish /ˈvænɪʃ/ verb to disappear sud-denly The report mysteriously vanished from the files.

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vanity /ˈvænɪti/ noun the fact of being excessively proud of your ap-pearance, feeling that you are very handsome or beautiful vantage point /ˈvɑːntɪʤ/ / pɔɪnt/ noun a place from which you can see well From my vantage point, it is difficult to see how things can improve. vapour /ˈveɪpə/ noun a substance in the form of a gas, usually caused by heating variable /ˈveərɪəbl/ noun a thing which varies variance /ˈveərɪəns/ noun the amount of difference between two things The statement seems to be at variance with government policy. variant /ˈveərɪənt/ noun the spelling of a word or name which is slightly different variation /ˌveərɪˈeɪʃən/ noun a change from one state or level to another varied /ˈveərɪd/ adj made up of different sorts and kinds variety /vəˈraɪəti/ noun 1. frequent dif-ferences or changes that make something interesting 2. a dif-ferent type of plant or animal in the same

species various /ˈveərɪəs/ adj several different I started learning Spanish for various reasons. variously /ˈveərɪəsli/ adv in different ways varnish /ˈvɑːnɪʃ/ noun a liquid which when painted on something gives it a shiny surface varnish /ˈvɑːnɪʃ/ verb to paint some-thing with a liquid varnish, to give a shiny surface to some-thing vary /ˈveəri/ verb 1. to change what you do often 2. to be different Roses vary widely in size and shape. vase /vɑːz/ noun a container used for cut flowers, or simply for deco-ration vasectomy / -tə-mē/ noun a surgical op-eration to sterilise a man vast /vɑːst/ adj extremely big, often extremely wide vastly /ˈvɑːstli/ adv very much vat /væt/ noun a large container for liquids vault /vɔːlt/ noun 1. an arched stone ceiling 2. an underground room for bur-

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ying people 3. a high jump meat veal /viːl/ noun from a calf veer /vɪə/ verb 1. to turn in a di-rection suddenly 2. to change plans or ideas The car veered off the road and hit a tree. veg /vɛʤ/ noun vegetables (infor-mal) vegan /ˈviːgən/ noun a person who does not eat meat, dairy produce, eggs or fish, but only eats veg-etables and fruit vegetable /ˈvɛʤɪtəbl/ noun a plant which is grown to be eaten but which is not usually sweet

vegetables

vegetarian /ˌvɛʤɪˈteərɪən/ adj not containing meat, or for people who do not eat meat

vegetarian /ˌvɛʤɪˈteərɪən/ a person noun who eats only fruit, vegetables, bread, eggs, etc., but does not eat meat, and sometimes not fish All her children are vegetarian. vegetation /ˌvɛʤɪˈteɪʃən/ noun plants veggie /ˈvɛʤi/ noun (informal ) 1. a vegetarian 2. a vegetable vehement /ˈviːɪmənt/ adj forceful vehicle /ˈviːɪkl/ noun a machine which carries passengers or goods, e.g. a car, lorry or bus veil /veɪl/ noun 1. a light cloth which can cover a woman’s head or face 2. something which stops you from seeing or understand-ing vein /veɪn/ noun a small tube in the body which takes blood from the tissues back to the heart Velcro trademark a material with stiff fibres which cling tight when pressed together velocity /vɪˈlɒsɪti/ noun speed velvet /ˈvɛlvɪt/ noun a cloth 699

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made from silk, with a soft pile surface on one side a black velvet jacket vendetta /vɛnˈdɛtə/ noun a private quar-rel between families or persons vendor /ˈvɛndɔː/ noun a person who sells a property (formal) an ice cream vendor veneer /vɪˈnɪə/ noun 1. a thin layer of expensive wood glued to the surface of ordinary wood 2. behaviour or an appearance which hides the truth venetian blind /vɪˈniːʃən/ / blaɪnd/ noun a blind to shut out light, made of hori-zontal strips, e.g. of plastic or wood, which can be opened or shut or raised and lowered by pulling a string vengeance /ˈvɛnʤəns/ noun harm caused to someone in return for harm he or she has caused you an act of vengeance venison /ˈvɛnzn/ noun meat from a deer venom /ˈvɛnəm/ noun 1. poison, e.g. from the bite of a snake 2. bit-ter hatred venomous /ˈvɛnəməs/ adj

1. with poison in its bite 2. showing bitter ha-tred 1. a vent /vɛnt/ noun hole through which air or gas can escape 2. a slit in the back of a coat or jacket allowing you to sit down more easily ventilate /ˈvɛntɪleɪt/ verb to allow fresh air to come into a place ventilation /ˌvɛntɪˈleɪʃən/ the process of noun bringing fresh air into a place venture /ˈvɛnʧə/ noun a new activity, especially in business, which involves some risk venture /ˈvɛnʧə/ verb 1. to say some-thing cautiously or reluctantly 2. to go somewhere when it may be exciting or unpleasant a business venture /ˈvɛnʧə/ venture capital /ˈkæpɪtl/ noun money which you invest in a new busi-ness when there is a high risk of failure venue /ˈvɛnjuː/ noun an agreed place where an event such as a meet-ing will be held verb /vɜːb/ noun (in gram-

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mar) a word which shows an action, being or feeling, such as ‘to hit’ or ‘to thank’ verbal /ˈvɜːbəl/ adj spoken and not written down verbal /ˈvɜːbəl/ noun noun a gerund, a noun formed from the present participle of a verb verbatim /vɜːˈbeɪtɪm/ adj using exactly the same words verdict /ˈvɜːdɪkt/ noun a decision made in a court The jury took nine hours to reach a verdict. verge /vɜːʤ/ noun 1. a border of grass along the side of a road 2. the edge verify /ˈvɛrɪfaɪ/ verb to check to see if documents or a statement are correct vermin /ˈvɜːmɪn/ noun animals or insects, e.g. mice, fleas or cockroaches, which eat crops, bring disease into houses, live on other ani-mals, etc. versatile /ˈvɜːsətaɪl/ adj 1. good at doing various things equally well 2. (of a machine, material, etc.) which is suitable for various uses a versatile player/performer verse /vɜːs/ noun 1. a group of

lines which form a part of a song or poem 2. poetry version /ˈvɜːʃən/ noun 1. a description of what happened as seen by one person 2. a type of some-thing, e.g. a work of art or mod-el of car versus /ˈvɜːsəs/ prep (in a sports match or a civil court case) against vertebra /ˈvɜːtɪbrə/ noun one of the 24 bones which form the vertebral column or backbone vertical /ˈvɜːtɪkəl/ adj standing or rising straight up a vertical line vertigo /ˈvɜːtɪgəʊ/ noun dizziness or loss of balance where everything seems to rush round you, especially when you are in a high place verve /vɜːv/ noun enthusiasm, a feel-ing of liveliness very /ˈvɛri/ adv used to make an ad-jective or adverb stronger Marie speaks very slowly. vessel /ˈvɛsl/ noun a ship 1. a vest /vɛst/ noun light piece of underclothing for the top half of the body 2. a short coat with buttons and without any sleeves,

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which is worn over a shirt and under a jacket vested /ˈvɛstɪd/ interest noun a special interest in keeping an existing state of affairs vestige /ˈvɛstɪʤ/ noun remains There is still a vestige of hope that she might be found alive. vet /vɛt/ verb to check someone or something carefully to see if they are suitable veteran /ˈvɛtərən/ noun 1. a member of the armed forces who has fought in a war 2. a person who has a lot of experience veterinary /ˈvɛtərɪnəri/ adj referring to the treatment of sick animals veterinary /ˈvɛtərɪnəri/ surgeon noun a doctor who specialises in treat-ing animals veto /ˈviːtəʊ/ noun a ban or order not to allow something to become law, even if it has been passed by a parliament veto /ˈviːtəʊ/ verb to forbid something via /ˈvaɪə/ prep through viable /ˈvaɪəbl/ adj 1. able to work in practice 2. (of a

foetus) which can survive if born an economically viable plan viaduct /ˈvaɪədʌkt/ noun a long bridge car-rying a road or railway across a valley a parvibe /vaɪb/ noun ticular kind of feeling which you connect with a certain place or person (infor-mal) vibrant /ˈvaɪbrənt/ adj (of a person) full of energy a vibrant city vibrate /vaɪˈbreɪt/ verb to move slightly, but rapidly and continuously vibration /vaɪˈbreɪʃən/ noun a fast and con-tinuous shaking movement vicar /ˈvɪkə/ noun (in the Church of England) a priest in charge of a parish vicarage /ˈvɪkərɪʤ/ noun a house of a vicar 1. crimvice /vaɪs/ noun inal activ-ity involving sex 2. a tool that screws tight to hold something firm while it is being worked on vice- /vaɪs/ prefix a person who is sec-ond in rank to someone vice-president / ˈvaɪsˈprɛzɪdənt/ noun 1. the

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deputy to a president 2. one of the executive directors of a company vice versa /vaɪs/ /ˈvɜːsə/ adv the other way from what has just been men-tioned Never use indoor lights outside and vice versa. vicinity /vɪˈsɪnɪti/ noun an area around something vicious /ˈvɪʃəs/ adj cruel and violent vicious circle /ˈvɪʃəs/ /ˈsɜːkl/ noun a situation in which by trying to solve one problem you find yourself in another which is worse than the first victim /ˈvɪktɪm/ noun a person who is at-tacked, who is in an accident victimise /ˈvɪktɪmaɪz/ verb to treat some-one more unfairly than others Ben feels he has been victimized by his teacher. victor /ˈvɪktə/ noun a person who wins a fight, game or battle Victorian /vɪkˈtɔːrɪən/ noun a person living at the time of Queen Victoria victorious /vɪkˈtɔːrɪəs/ adj having won a game or a battle

victory /ˈvɪktəri/ noun the fact of winning something, e.g. a battle, a fight or a game video /ˈvɪdɪəʊ/ noun 1. a machine which records television programmes 2. a magnetic tape on which you can record television pro-grammes or films for playing back on a television set ‘Pride and Prejudice’ has just come out on video. video game /ˈvɪdɪəʊ/ /geɪm/ noun an electronic game which you play on a tele-vision or computer screen

A kid playing video games

videophone /ˈvɪdɪəʊ/ /fəʊn/ noun a telephone with a screen where you can see the person you are speaking to videotape /ˈvɪdɪə(ʊ)ˌteɪp/ a magnetic noun tape on which pictures and sound can be recorded for

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playing back on a television set vie /vaɪ/ verb to be in competition with someone or something 1. what view /vjuː/ noun you can see from a certain place 2. an opin-ion or a way of thinking about something In her view this is wrong. viewer /ˈvjuːə/ noun 1. a person who watches 2. a small device through which you can look at colour slides viewfinder /ˈvjuːˌfaɪndə/ a small winnoun dow in a camera through which you look when taking a picture, and which shows the exact pic-ture you are about to take viewing /ˈvjuːɪŋ/ noun 1. the act of in-specting something such as a house which you are thinking of buying 2. the act of watching television viewpoint /ˈvjuːpɔɪnt/ noun a point of view, a particular way of thinking about things vigil /ˈvɪʤɪl/ noun the act of staying quietly in a place to look after someone who is ill, to pray for something, or as a protest an all-night vigil for peace

vigilant /ˈvɪʤɪlənt/ adj staying very aware of possible danger Police have asked people to be vigilant after yesterday’s bomb attack. vigilante / vi-jə-ˈlan-tē/ noun a person who is a member of group which tries to enforce law and order in their area, especially when the police seem to find it impossible to do so vigorous /ˈvɪgərəs/ adj very energetic or strong vigour /ˈvɪgə/ noun energy She set about her work with great vigour. vile /vaɪl/ adj extremely unpleasant or bad vilify /ˈvɪlɪfaɪ/ verb to criticise someone, especially unfairly (formal) villa /ˈvɪlə/ noun a large country or seaside house, usually in a warm country village /ˈvɪlɪʤ/ noun a small group of houses in the country, like a lit-tle town, often with a church, and usually some shops She lives in a small village outside Oxford. village green /ˈvɪlɪʤ/ /griːn/ 704

noun a public grassy area in the middle of a village villager /ˈvɪlɪʤə/ noun a person who lives in a village villain /ˈvɪlən/ noun 1. a wicked charac-ter in a work of art, e.g. a film or novel 2. a criminal vindicate /ˈvɪndɪkeɪt/ verb to justify; to show that someone was right vindictive /vɪnˈdɪktɪv/ adj wanting to take revenge; spiteful a climbvine /vaɪn/ noun ing plant which produces grapes vinegar /ˈvɪnɪgə/ noun a liquid with a sour taste, usually made from wine, used in cooking and for pickling vineyard /ˈvɪnjəd/ noun an area planted with vines for making wine vintage /ˈvɪntɪʤ/ noun all the wine made in a particular year vintage /ˈvɪntɪʤ/ adj 1. (of wine) made in a high-quality year 2. show-ing the best typical qualities of someone 3. (of objects) old but well-preserved and often valu-able a vintage Hollywood movie

vinyl /ˈvaɪn(ə)l/ noun a type of strong plas-tic sheet which can be made to look like other materials such as leather or tiles viola /vɪˈəʊlə/ noun 1. a small pansy-like garden flower 2. a stringed in-strument slightly larger than a violin violate /ˈvaɪəleɪt/ verb 1. to break a rule, to go against the law 2. to treat something or someone with-out respect Countries that violate international law will be dealt with severely. violation /ˌvaɪəˈleɪʃən/ noun the action of vi-olating something or someone violence /ˈvaɪələns/ noun action which is intended to hurt someone violent /ˈvaɪələnt/ adj 1. very strong 2. us-ing force to hurt people I don’t like violent films violently /ˈvaɪələntli/ adv 1. with physical force, often with the intention of hurting 2. with great feeling violet /ˈvaɪəlɪt/ noun a bluish-purple colour violin /ˌvaɪəˈlɪn/ noun a musical instru-ment with strings

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that you hold under your chin and play with a bow

a violin

viper /ˈvaɪpə/ noun a small European poisonous snake viral /ˈvaɪərəl/ adj caused by or referring to a virus a viral infection virgin /ˈvɜːʤɪn/ noun a person who has never had sex virginity /vɜːˈʤɪnɪti/ noun the fact of being a virgin Virgo /ˈvɜːgəʊ/ noun one of the signs of the Zodiac, shaped like a girl, covering the period 23rd Au-gust to 22nd September virile /ˈvɪraɪl/ adj with strong male characteristics virility /vɪˈrɪlɪti/ noun manliness; the fact of being virile virtual /ˈvɜːtjʊəl/ adj almost They played the game in virtual silence. virtually /ˈvɜːtjʊəli/ adv

almost virtual reality /ˈvɜːtjʊəl/ /ri(ː) ˈælɪti/ noun the simu-lation of a real-life scene or real events on a computer virtue /ˈvɜːtjuː/ noun 1. a particular goodness of character, a good quality 2. a special thing which gives you an advantage virtuoso /ˌvɜːtjʊˈəʊzəʊ/ noun a person who is skilled in an art, especially one who can play a musical instru-ment extremely well virtuous /ˈvɜːtjʊəs/ adj 1. very good or honest 2. feeling satisfied be-cause you think that you have done something good virulent /ˈvɪrʊlənt/ adj 1. (of a form of a disease or an organism) strong-ly active 2. very harsh a virulent attack on the government virus /ˈvaɪərəs/ noun 1. a very small liv-ing thing that causes disease by living in the bodies of people or animals 2. a part of a computer program which is designed to destroy files on someone else’s computer visa /ˈviːzə/ noun a special 706

stamp on a passport allowing you to enter a country vis-à-vis /ˈviːzɑːviː/ prep in relation to I have to speak to James visà-vis the conference arrangements. viscous /ˈvɪskəs/ adj thick and slow moving visibility /ˌvɪzɪˈbɪlɪti/ noun an ability to see clearly visible /ˈvɪzəbl/ adj which can be seen visibly /ˈvɪzəbli/ adv in a way which everyone can see vision /ˈvɪʒən/ noun 1. eyesight, your ability to see 2. a thing which you imagine visionary /ˈvɪʒnəri/ adj idealistic, with original ideas a visionary leader visit /ˈvɪzɪt/ noun a short stay with someone or in a town or a country visit /ˈvɪzɪt/ verb to stay a short time with someone or in a town or country /ˌvɪzɪˈteɪʃən/ visitation noun an instance of someone believing that he or she has seen a spirit visitor /ˈvɪzɪtə/ noun a person who comes to visit

visor /ˈvaɪzə/ noun a part of a helmet, which is hinged and can drop down to cover and protect the eyes vista /ˈvɪstə/ noun a wide view visual /ˈvɪzjʊəl/ adj referring to seeing The film has some powerful visual effects. visual /ˈvɪzjʊəl/ aid noun something, e.g. a picture or a chart that you use to explain something to people vital /ˈvaɪtl/ adj extremely important It’s vital that you send off this form today. vitality /vaɪˈtælɪti/ noun great energy vitally /ˈvaɪtəli/ adv in a very important way vitamin /ˈvɪtəmɪn/ noun an essential sub-stance which is found in food and is needed for growth and health vivacious /vɪˈveɪʃəs/ adj full of life or ex-citement vivid /ˈvɪvɪd/ adj 1. very bright 2. repre-senting real events clearly vivisection /ˌvɪvɪˈsɛkʃən/ noun the practice of oper707

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ating on live animals for the purpose of scientific research vixen /ˈvɪksn/ noun a female fox V-neck /ˈviːnɛk/ noun a piece of cloth-ing, e.g. a dress, or a pullover, with a neck shaped like a V vocab / ˈvō-ˌkab / noun vocabulary (infor-mal ) vocabulary /vəʊˈkæbjʊləri/ noun 1. all the words used by a person or group of persons 2. a printed list of words vocal /ˈvəʊkəl/ adj 1. referring to the voice 2. protesting loudly She is a vocal supporter of women’s rights. vocal cords /ˈvəʊkəl/ /kɔːdz/ plural noun folds in the larynx which are brought together to make sounds when air passes between them vocalist /ˈvəʊkəlɪst/ noun a singer, espe-cially in a pop group vocation /vɛʊˈkeɪʃən/ noun work which you feel you have been called to do or for which you have a special talent He knew that teaching was

his true vocation. vocational a /vəʊˈkeɪʃənl/ dj referring to a vocation vociferous /vəʊˈsɪfərəs/ adj shouting loud-ly vodka /ˈvɒdkə/ noun a strong, colour-less alcohol made from grain or potatoes, originally in Rus-sia and Poland vogue /vəʊg/ noun the fashion Flat shoes are in vogue voice /vɔɪs/ noun a sound made when you speak or sing voice-activated /vɔɪs/-/ˈæk(of a piece tɪveɪtɪd/ adj of equipment) operated by the sound of your voice voice box /vɔɪs/ /bɒks/ noun the larynx, the upper part of the windpipe, where sounds are made by the voice voice mail /vɔɪs/ /meɪl/ noun a type of telephone answering system, where messages can be left for a person void /vɔɪd/ noun emptiness The contracts were declared void. volatile /ˈvɒlətaɪl/ adj 1. which can eas-ily change 708

into gas at normal temperatures 2. changing your mind or mood frequently 3. not stable, likely to move up or down sharply volcano /vɒlˈkeɪnəʊ/ noun a mountain which lava, ash and gas may flow out of from time to time

a volcano

vole /vəʊl/ noun a small animal, like a mouse, but with a shorter tail volley /ˈvɒli/ noun 1. a series of shots fired at the same time 2. (in sport) the act of hitting the ball before it touches the ground A volley of bullets ripped through the floorboards. volleyball /ˈvɒlɪˌbɔːl/ noun an Olympic sport played on a rectangular court between two teams of six, in which a large inflated ball is hit over a high net with the hands, and the object is to pre-vent the ball touching the

floor of the court volt /vəʊlt/ noun the standard unit of for measuring electric force. voltage /ˈvəʊltɪʤ/ noun an electric force expressed in volts 1. volume /ˈvɒljʊm/ noun the amount of sound 2. the capacity, the amount which is contained inside something 3. one book, especially one in a series to turn the volume up/down voluntary /ˈvɒləntəri/ adj 1. done because you want to do it, and done without being paid 2. done willingly, without being forced volunteer /ˌvɒlənˈtɪə/ noun a person who offers to do something without being paid or being forced to do it volunteer /ˌvɒlənˈtɪə/ verb to offer to do something without being paid or being forced to do it voluptuous /vəˈlʌptjʊəs/ adj evoking sen-sual pleasure vomit /ˈvɒmɪt/ noun partly digested food which has been brought up into the

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mouth from the stomach vomit /ˈvɒmɪt/ verb to bring up partly digested food into your mouth She was vomiting blood. voodoo /ˈvuːduː/ noun witchcraft prac-ticed in the West Indies voracious /vəˈreɪʃəs/ adj very enthusias-tic vote /vəʊt/ noun the act of marking a paper, holding up your hand, etc., to show your opinion or who you want to be elected The unions voted against strike action. vote /ˈvəʊtə//vəʊt/ verb to mark a paper, to hold up your hand, etc., to show your opinion or who you want to be elected voter /ˈvəʊtə/ noun a person who votes or who has the right to vote vouch /vaʊʧ/ verb to guarantee that something is true or that some-one will behave well voucher /ˈvaʊʧə/ noun a paper which is given instead of money a discount voucher vow /vaʊ/ noun a solemn promise

vow /vaʊ/ verb to make a solemn promise to do something I’ve vowed never to go there again. vowel /ˈvaʊəl/ noun one of the five let-ters, a, e, i, o and u, which rep-resent sounds made without using the teeth, tongue or lips voyage /ˈvɔɪɪʤ/ noun a long journey, especially by ship or spacecraft The ship sank on its maiden voyage vulgar /ˈvʌlgə/ adj 1. rude or indecent 2. not in good taste vulnerable /ˈvʌlnərəbl/ adj who or which can easily be hurt vulture /ˈvʌlʧə/ noun a large bird that mainly eats dead animals

a vulture

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Ww wacky /ˈwæki/ adj crazy or silly (infor-mal) a wacky sense of humour wad /wɒd/ noun 1. a thick piece of soft material 2. a thick pile of banknotes or papers a wad of cash waddle /ˈwɒdl/ verb to walk swaying from side to side like a duck wade /weɪd/ verb to walk through wa-ter wafer /ˈweɪfə/ noun a thin biscuit waffle /ˈwɒfl/ noun 1. a type of crisp pancake cooked in an iron mould and eaten with syrup 2. unnecessary or muddled speak-ing or writing (informal) waffle /ˈwɒfl/ verb to talk too much without saying anything clear-ly waft /wɑːft/ verb to carry something gently through the air The smell of coffee wafted through the room.

wag /wæg/ verb to move something from side to side or up and down wage /weɪʤ/ noun money paid, usu-ally in cash each week, to a worker for work done the minimum wage wager /ˈweɪʤə/ noun money which you promise to pay if something you expect to happen does not take place waggle /ˈwægl/ verb to move from side to side quickly wagon /ˈwægən/ noun a railway truck used for carrying heavy loads waif /weɪf/ noun a person, especially a child, who is thin and does not look healthy wail /weɪl/ verb to make a high-pitched mournful cry Somewhere in the distance a police siren was wailing. waist /weɪst/ noun 1. the narrow part of the body between the bot-tom of the chest and the hips 2. the part of a piece of clothing, e.g. a skirt, trousers or dress, that goes round the middle of your body waistband /ˈweɪstbænd/ noun

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a band of fab-ric on a piece of clothing, e.g. a skirt, trousers or dress, that goes round the middle of your body waistcoat /ˈweɪskəʊt/ noun a short coat with buttons and without any sleeves, which is worn over a shirt and under a jacket

waistcoat

waistline /ˈweɪstlaɪn/ noun a measurement around your waist, showing how fat you are wait /weɪt/ verb to stay where you are, and not do anything until something happens or some-one comes How long did you wait for a taxi? wait up /weɪt/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb not to go to bed because you are waiting for someone

waiter /ˈweɪtə/ noun a man who brings food and drink to customers in a restaurant waiting list /ˈweɪtɪŋ/ /lɪst/ noun a list of people waiting for a service or medical treatment a hospital waiting list waiting room /ˈweɪtɪŋ/ /ruːm/ noun a room where you wait, e.g. at a doc-tor’s, dentist’s or railway sta-tion waitress /ˈweɪtrɪs/ noun a woman who brings food and drink to cus-tomers in a restaurant. waive /weɪv/ verb to give up a right or a claim waiver /ˈweɪvə/ noun a document show-ing that someone is willing to give up a right or claim wake /weɪk/ verb 1. to stop someone’s sleep 2. to stop sleeping Could you wake me up before you go? wake up /weɪk/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to stop someone’s sleep 2. to stop sleeping waken /ˈweɪkən/ verb to make someone wake up wake-up call /weɪk/-/ʌp/ / kɔːl/ noun a phone call from 712

the hotel switchboard to wake a guest up waking /ˈweɪkɪŋ/ adj awake, not asleep walk /wɔːk/ verb 1. to go on foot 2. to take an animal for a walk She walks to school. walk /wɔːk/ noun 1. a usually pleasant journey on foot 2. a distance which you cover on foot walk into /wɔːk/ /ˈɪntuː/ phrasal verb to enter on foot walk off /wɔːk/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb to go away on foot walk off with /wɔːk/ /ɒf/ / wɪð/ phrasal verb 1. to win 2. to steal She walked off with the top prize. walk out /wɔːk/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb 1. to go out on foot 2. to go out angrily 3. (of workers) to go on strike, to stop working and leave your office or factory walker /ˈwɔːkə/ noun a person who goes walking for pleasure and exercise walkie-talkie /ˈwɔːkɪˈtɔːki/ noun a portable two-way radio

walking /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/ noun going on foot as a relaxation, e.g. along paths or up mountains walking frame /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/ / freɪm/ noun a metal frame used by someone who has difficulty walking, to help him or her move about walking stick /ˈwɔːkɪŋ/ / stɪk/ noun a strong wooden or metal stick with a handle used as a support when walking Walkman /ˈwɔːkmən/ trademark for a small portable cassette player which you can carry around with you and which has headphones for you to listen to music with walkout /ˈwɔːkˈaʊt/ noun a strike by work-ers walkover /ˈwɔːkˌəʊvə/ noun an easy victory (informal) walkway /ˈwɔːkweɪ/ noun an outdoor path where you can walk be-tween buildings, usually raised above ground level wall /wɔːl/ noun a structure made from things such as bricks or stones, built up to make one of the sides of a building, of a room or to surround a space

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There were several large paintings on the wall. wall up /wɔːl/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to block something such as a door or an entrance with a wall wallaby /ˈwɒləbi/ noun an Australian an-imal like a small kangaroo wallet /ˈwɒlɪt/ noun a small flat leather case for carrying things such as credit cards and banknotes in your pocket wallop /ˈwɒləp/ verb to hit someone or something very hard wallow /ˈwɒləʊ/ verb 1. (of animals) to roll around in mud 2. (of a per-son) to take a lot of pleasure in doing something wallpaper /ˈwɔːlˌpeɪpə/ noun paper with different patterns on it, cover-ing the walls of a room wally /ˈwɔːli/ noun an offensive word that deliberately insults some-body’s intelligence walrus /ˈwɔːlrəs/ noun an animal which looks like a large seal, with two long tusks pointing down-wards

walrus

waltz /wɔːls/ 1. a slow dance in which a man and woman turn around together as they move forward 2. music suitable for such a dance waltz /wɔːls/ verb 1. to dance a waltz 2. to do something in a relaxed way that shows you are not worrying or not trying hard wander /ˈwɒndə/ verb to walk some-where without any specific des-tination They wandered aimlessly around the town. wander off/away /ˈwɒndər/ / ɒf/ verb to walk away from where you should be wane /weɪn/ verb to appear smaller; to become less effective wangle /ˈwæŋgl/ verb to get something by a trick (informal) He managed to wangle an invitation to the party.

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wannabe /ˈwɒnəˌbiː/ noun a person who would like to be something or someone different (informal ) want /wɒnt/ verb 1. to hope that you will do something, that some-thing will happen, or that you will get something 2. to ask someone to do something 3. to need something wanted /ˈwɒntɪd/ adj searched for by the police, usually because of a crime He is wanted for murder. wanting /ˈwɒntɪŋ/ adj lacking a neces-sary feature or quality wanton /ˈwɒntən/ adj in a way which is uncontrolled or without rea-son war /wɔː/ noun a period of fighting between countries war crime /wɔː/ /kraɪm/ noun a crime com-mitted during a war which is against international agree-ments on the rules of war ward /wɔːd/ noun a room or set of rooms in a hospital, with beds for patients the maternity ward warder /ˈwɔːdə/ noun a prison officer, a person who

guards prisoners (old) wardrobe /ˈwɔːdrəʊb/ noun a tall cup-board in which you hang your clothes warehouse /ˈweəhaʊs/ noun a large build-ing where goods are stored warfare /ˈwɔːfeə/ noun fighting a war, especially the method of fight-ing war game /wɔː/ /geɪm/ noun a military ex-ercise warhead /ˈwɔːhɛd/ noun the top end of a missile which explodes when it hits something a nuclear warhead warlord /ˈwɔːlɔːd/ noun a military leader who rules part of a country warm /wɔːm/ adj 1. fairly hot 2. pleas-ant and friendly warm /wɔːm/ verb to make something hotter Make sure you keep warm. warm up /wɔːm/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to make hotter 2. to practise or exercise war memorial /wɔː/ / mɪˈmɔːrɪəl/ noun a structure built to remember soldiers who died in a war warm-hearted /wɔːm/-/ ˈhɑːtɪd/ adj friendly and 715

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kind warmth /wɔːmθ/ noun the fact of being warm or feeling warm the warmth of the fire warn /wɔːn/ verb 1. to inform some-one of a possible danger 2. to inform someone that some-thing is likely to happen warning /ˈwɔːnɪŋ/ noun news about a possible danger The bombs fell completely without warning. warp /wɔːp/ verb 1. to twist out of shape 2. to have a bad effect on someone’s mind or character warped /wɔːpt/ adj strange and twist-ed You’ve got a warped mind! warrant /ˈwɒrənt/ noun an official docu-ment from a court giving some-one permission to do some-thing warranty /ˈwɒrənti/ noun a legal docu-ment which promises that goods you buy will work prop-erly or that an object is of good quality warren /ˈwɒrən/ noun same as rabbit warren

warring /ˈwɔːrɪŋ/ adj at war warrior /ˈwɒrɪə/ noun a person who fights in battle warship /ˈwɔːʃɪp/ noun an armed ship which is used for fighting, not for carrying passengers or goods wart /wɔːt/ noun a small hard lump on the skin, which is not harm-ful wartime /ˈwɔːtaɪm/ noun a time of war war-torn /wɔː/-/tɔːn/ adj (of a country or area) very badly affected by war a war-torn country wary /ˈweəri/ adj aware of a possible problem with someone or something was /wɒz/ past tense of be wash /wɒʃ/ to clean something using water Dad was washing the dishes. wash down /wɒʃ/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb 1. to wash with a large amount of water 2. to have a drink with food wash up /wɒʃ/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to clean objects such as dirty cups, plates, knives and forks with water 2. (of the sea) to bring something up onto the beach 3. to wash your face 716

and hands washable /ˈwɒʃəbl/ adj (of clothing) which can be washed in wa-ter, as opposed to being dry-cleaned washbasin /ˈwɒʃˌbeɪsn/ noun a container for holding water for washing the hands and face, which has taps and is usually attached to the wall of a bathroom washed-up /ˈwɒʃtˈʌp/ adj having failed and not likely to be successful again washer /ˈwɒʃə/ noun 1. a rubber ring inside a pipe which prevents liquid escaping from a joint 2. a metal ring under a nut or bolt washing /ˈwɒʃɪŋ/ noun clothes which have been washed, or which are ready to be washed He does his own washing and ironing. washing line /ˈwɒʃɪŋ/ /laɪn/ noun a long piece of rope fixed between two poles or hooks and used for hanging washing on to dry washing machine /ˈwɒʃɪŋ/ / məˈʃiːn/ noun a ma-chine for washing clothes

washing powder /ˈwɒʃɪŋ/ / ˈpaʊdə/ noun soap in powder form, used in washing machines or dishwashers washing up /ˈwɒʃɪŋ/ /ʌp/ noun 1. The activ-ity of washing all the objects which have been used in pre-paring and eating a meal 2. things such as dirty dishes and glasses waiting to be cleaned He was doing the washing-up washing-up liquid / ˈwɒʃɪŋˈʌp/ /ˈlɪkwɪd/ noun a liq-uid detergent used for washing dirty dishes washout /ˈwɒʃaʊt/ noun 1. a failure be-cause of rain 2. a failure wasp /wɒsp/ noun an insect which has black and yellow bands of co-lour round its body and which can sting

wasp

wastage /ˈweɪstɪʤ/ noun 1.

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the act of wasting 2. an amount lost by being wasted fuel wastage waste /weɪst/ noun 1. an unnecessary use of time or money 2. rub-bish, things which are no use and are thrown away waste /weɪst/ verb to use more of something than you need I don’t want to waste any more time so let’s start. waste /weɪst/ adj useless and ready to be thrown away waste bin /weɪst/ /bɪn/ noun a container for putting rubbish in wasted /ˈweɪstɪd/ adj 1. useless 2. (of a person’s body) extremely thin and weak 3. under the influ-ence of drink or drugs (infor-mal) wasteful wasteful /ˈweɪstfʊl/ adj which wastes a lot wasteland /ˈweɪstˌlænd/ noun land which is not used for anything wastepaper basket /weɪst/ / ˈpeɪpə/ /ˈbɑːskɪt/ noun a small box or basket where use-less papers can be put watch /wɒʧ/ 1. to look at and

notice something 2. to look at some-thing carefully to make sure that nothing happens watch /wɒʧ/ noun 1. an object like a little clock which you wear on your wrist 2. the activity of watching something carefully watched him as he arrived.

a watch

watch out /wɒʧ/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb to be careful watchdog /ˈwɒʧdɒg/ noun 1. a dog used to guard a house or other build-ings 2. a person or committee that examines things such as public spending or public mor-als watchful /ˈwɒʧfʊl/ adj very careful They were playing outside under the watchful eye of a teacher. watchman /ˈwɒʧmən/ noun a person who guards a building, usually when it is 718

empty watchword /ˈwɒʧwɜːd/ noun a word or phrase which shows someone’s attitude towards life in general or towards a particular subject or situation As regards fashion, the watchword this season is simplicity. water /ˈwɔːtə/ noun the liquid which falls as rain and forms rivers, lakes and seas. It makes up a large part of the bodies of liv-ing creatures, and is used for drinking and in cooking; also in industrial processes. water /ˈwɔːtə/ verb to pour water on the soil round a plant to make it grow a drink of water watercolour /ˈwɔːtəˌkʌlə/ noun 1. paint which is mixed with water and used by artists 2. a picture painted using watercolours water cooler /ˈwɔːtə/ /ˈkuːlə/ noun a machine which people can get cold drinking water from, used in places such as offices watercress /ˈwɔːtəkrɛs/ noun a low spreading plant grown in water streams and

eaten in salads and soup waterfall /ˈwɔːtəfɔːl/ noun a place where a stream falls down a steep drop waterfront /ˈwɔːtəfrʌnt/ noun a bank of a river or shore of the sea and the buildings along it waterhole /ˈwɔːtə/ /həʊl/ noun a small pool in the desert or other dry area, where animals come to drink waterlogged /ˈwɔːtəlɒgd/ adj waterlogged ground is full of water, so the surface stays wet for a long time watermark /ˈwɔːtəmɑːk/ noun 1. a hidden mark in paper, usually put there to prove that the paper is legal or official 2. a line showing the level water has reached watermelon /ˈwɔːtəˌmɛlən/ noun a very large type of melon with red flesh, large black seeds and dark green skin water polo /ˈwɔːtə/ /ˈpəʊləʊ/ noun a ball game played in water by two teams, each trying to throw a ball into a goal waterproof /ˈwɔːtəpruːf/ adj not letting wa-ter go through a waterproof sleeping bag 719

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watershed /ˈwɔːtəʃɛd/ noun a point where an important permanent change takes place waterskiing /ˈwɔːtəˌskiːɪŋ/ noun the sport of moving over the surface of a lake or river on large skis, pulled by a fast boat water table /ˈwɔːtə/ /ˈteɪbl/ noun a natural lev-el of water below the ground watertight /ˈwɔːtətaɪt/ adj 1. made so that water cannot get in or out 2. which cannot be shown to be false a watertight alibi waterway /ˈwɔːtəweɪ/ noun a canal or deep river along which boats can easily travel watery /ˈwɔːtəri/ adj like water, which has a lot of water in it watery soup watt /wɒt/ noun the standard unit of electrical power wave /weɪv/ noun 1. a raised mass of water on the surface of the sea, a lake or a river 2. an up and down movement of the hand 3. a regular curve on the surface of hair 4. a sudden increase in something

wave /weɪv/ verb 1. to move up and down in the wind 2. to make an up and down movement of the hand The long grass waved in the breeze. waveband /weɪv/ /bænd/ noun a group of radio waves which are close to-gether wavelength /ˈweɪvlɛŋθ/ noun the distance between similar points on ra-dio waves waver /ˈweɪvə/ verb to be unable to de-cide what to do I’m wavering between the blue shirt and the red. wavy /ˈweɪvi/ adj 1. ((of hair)) slightly curly 2. curving up and down wax /wæks/ noun a solid substance made from fat or oil, used for making things such as candles and polish way /weɪ/ noun 1. the direction in which something can be found or in which someone or some-thing is going 2. the means of doing something 3. the dis-tance between one place and another 4. a path or road which goes somewhere 5. a particular direction from here 6. a space 720

where someone wants to be or which someone wants to use It was the way that she told me that I didn’t like. way in /weɪ/ /ɪn/ noun an entrance waylay /weɪˈleɪ/ verb 1. to stop and at-tack someone 2. to stop some-one to talk to them way out /weɪ/ /aʊt/ noun an exit way-out /weɪ/ /aʊt/ adj strange, exciting wayside /ˈweɪsaɪd/ noun fall by the way-side to fail or to stop before something is completed Many students fall by the wayside during their first year at college. way up /weɪ/ /ʌp/ noun a way in which something stands wayward /ˈweɪwəd/ adj tending to do what he or she wants rather than what is expected we /wiː/ pron used by someone speaking or writing to refer to himself or herself and others weak /wiːk/ adj 1. not strong 2. not effective 3.

not having knowl-edge or skill The children were weak with/ from hunger. weaken /ˈwiːkən/ verb to make or to be-come weak weakling /ˈwiːklɪŋ/ noun a person who lacks physical strength weakness /ˈwiːknɪs/ noun 1. the state of being weak 2. weakness for a liking for something Asking for help is not a sign of weakness. wealth /wɛlθ/ noun a large amount of money and property which someone owns wealthy /ˈwɛlθi/ adj (of a person) very rich wean /wiːn/ verb to make a baby start to eat solid food after only drinking mother’s milk weapon /ˈwɛpən/ noun an object such as a gun, sword or bomb, which you fight Police have found the murder weapon. weaponry /ˈwɛpənri/ noun weapons wear /weə/ verb 1. to have something such as clothes or jewellery on your body 2. to

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damage some-thing or make it thin through using it I don’t usually wear make-up for work. wear down /weə/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb 1. to disappear gradually, or make something disappear by much use 2. to make someone gradu-ally lose their confidence or ef-fectiveness wear off /weər/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb to disappear gradually The anaesthetic is starting to wear off. wear out /weər/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb 1. to use something so much that it be-comes broken and useless 2. to wear yourself out to become very tired through doing something wear and tear /weər/ / ænd/ /teə/ noun the ac-tion of damaging something through use wearing /ˈweərɪŋ/ adj tiring weary /ˈwɪəri/ adj very tired You look weary weasel /ˈwiːzl/ noun a small thin furry wild animal which kills and eats birds and other small ani-mals weather /ˈwɛðə/ noun condi-

tions out-side, e.g. if it is raining, hot, cold or sunny weather-beaten /ˈwɛðə/ / ˈbiːtn/ adj 1. (of a face) made brown by the wind and sun 2. worn and marked by rain, sun and wind weave /wiːv/ verb 1. to make cloth by twisting fibres over and under each other 2. to make some-thing by a similar method, but using things such as very thin pieces of wood or the dried stems of plants web /wɛb/ noun 1. a net spun by spi-ders 2. the Web the thousands of Websites and Webpages within the Internet, which us-ers can visit 3. a set of events that cause problems web browser /wɛb/ /ˈbraʊzə/ noun a program for showing and using pages on the World Wide Web webcam /ˈwɛbˌkæm/ noun a video cam-era recording pictures that are broadcast live on the Internet webcast /ˈwɛbˌkɑːst/ noun a broadcast on the World Wide Web webmaster /wɛb/ /ˈmɑːstə/ 722

noun a person who designs or manages a website webpage /wɛb/ /peɪʤ/ noun a single file of text and graphics, forming part of a website website /ˈwɛbˌsaɪt/ noun a collection of pages on the Web which have been produced by one person or organisation and are linked together wed /wɛd/ verb to marry (formal, used mainly in newspapers) wedding /ˈwɛdɪŋ/ noun a marriage cer-emony, when two people are officially made husband and wife We’re going to a wedding on Saturday. wedding anniversary / ˈwɛdɪŋ/ /ˌænɪˈvɜːsəri/ noun a celebration every year of the date of a wedding wedding ring /ˈwɛdɪŋ/ /rɪŋ/ noun a ring which is put on the finger dur-ing the wedding ceremony wedge /wɛʤ/ noun a solid piece of something such as wood, metal or rubber in the shape of a V a big wedge of cheese wee /wiː/ verb to urinate

weed /wiːd/ noun a wild plant that you do not want in a garden or crop weedy /ˈwiːdi/ adj 1. thin and weak 2. covered with weeds He looks too weedy to be an athlete. week /wiːk/ noun a period of seven days, usually from Monday to Sunday weekday /ˈwiːkdeɪ/ noun any of the days from Monday to Friday, when most offices are open weekend /ˈwiːkˈɛnd/ noun Saturday and Sunday, or the period from Fri-day evening to Sunday evening I’m going home for the weekend. weekly /ˈwiːkli/ adj, adv happening or published once a week weep /wiːp/ verb to produce tears weigh /weɪ/ verb 1. to use scales or a weighing machine to measure how heavy something is 2. to have a particular weight How much do you weigh? weigh down /weɪ/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb to be weighed down with to be bent be-

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cause you are carrying something heavy weigh in /weɪ/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb 1. (of boxers and jockeys) to have your weight measured before a fight or horse race 2. to join in an argument weigh up /weɪ/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to form an opinion of someone or something weight /weɪt/ noun 1. how heavy something is 2. how heavy a person is 3. something which is heavy He’s about average height and weight. weighted /ˈweɪtɪd/ adj changed by the addition of an amount to a to-tal weightlifting /ˈweɪtˌlɪftɪŋ/ noun the sport or exercise of lifting heavy weights weight training /weɪt/ / ˈtreɪnɪŋ/ noun physical training using weights to make your muscles strong weighty /ˈweɪti/ adj 1. important or serious 2. heavy The film deals with the weighty issues of religion and morality. weir /wɪə/ noun a small structure built across a river to control the flow of water

weird /wɪəd/ adj strange in a way that makes you feel nervous or frightened I had a really weird dream last night. weirdo /ˈwɪədəʊ/ noun a person regarded as strange (slang) welcome /ˈwɛlkəm/ verb 1. to greet some-one in a friendly way 2. to be pleased to hear news welcome /ˈwɛlkəm/ noun the action of greeting someone Welcome home! welcome /ˈwɛlkəm/ adj met or greeted with pleasure weld /wɛld/ verb to join two pieces of metal together by heating them together welfare /ˈwɛlfeə/ noun the act or prac-tice of providing the things which people need and which help them to be healthy He is concerned about the welfare of young men in prison. welfare state /ˈwɛlfeə/ /steɪt/ noun a state which makes sure that all its citizens have suitable houses, education, public transport and health services

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well /wɛl/ adv 1. in a way that is sat-isfactory 2. very much I’m not very well. well- /wɛl/- prefix in a satisfactory way well-behaved /wɛl/-/bɪˈheɪvd/ adj having good behaviour a well-behaved child well-being /wɛl/-/ˈbiːɪŋ/ noun a feeling of being healthy and happy well-brought-up /wɛl/-/ brɔːt/-/ʌp/ adj polite because of having been shown the correct way to behave when young well-built /wɛl/-/bɪlt/ adj strong and solid well done /wɛl/ /dʌn/ interj used for prais-ing someone for their success well-heeled /wɛl/-/hiːld/ adj rich (infor-mal) wellie / ˈwe-lē/ noun a wellington boot a pair of wellies wellington /ˈwɛlɪŋtən/ noun a loose knee length rubber boot well-known /wɛl/-/nəʊn/ adj known by a lot of people well-off /wɛl/-/ɒf/ adj rich well-paid /wɛl/-/peɪd/ adj earning a good salary well-timed /wɛl/-/taɪmd/ adj

happening at a favourable time well-to-do /wɛl/-/tuː/-/duː/ rich well-wisher /wɛl/-/ˌwɪʃə/ noun a person who is friendly towards some-one Welsh /wɛlʃ/ adj relating to Wales Welsh /wɛlʃ/ noun 1. the Welsh the people of Wales 2. the language spoken in Wales went /wɛnt/ past tense of go wept /wɛpt/ past tense and past parti-ciple of weep were /wɜː/ first person plural past of be, second person plural past of be, third person plural past of be werewolf /ˈwɪəwʊlf/ noun a person who is thought to change into the form of a wolf at night and back into human form in the day west /wɛst/ noun the direction in which the sun sets They lived in a village four miles west of Oxford. west /wɛst/ adj relating to the west westbound /wɛst/ /baʊnd/ adj travelling towards the west

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westerly /ˈwɛstəli/ adj 1. towards the west /wɛst/ 2. (of a wind) blowing from the west western /ˈwɛstən/ adj from, of or in the south westerner /ˈwɛstənə/ noun 1. a person who lives in or comes from the west of a country or region 2. a person from Europe or North America westernised /ˈwɛstənaɪzd/ adj accepting and using things such as the ideas, customs, and industrial meth-ods of countries in Western Eu-rope and the United States Some Asian countries are becoming increasingly westernized. westernmost /ˈwɛstənməʊst/ adj furthest to the west Westminster /ˈwɛstˌmɪnstə/ noun 1. in the area of London where West-minster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament are 2. the British Parliament itself wet /wɛt/ adj 1. covered in water or other liquid 2. raining 3. not yet dry We got soaking wet in the

rain. wet blanket /wɛt/ /ˈblæŋkɪt/ noun an unhap-py person who spoils social events, e.g. parties, by making other people feel unhappy (in-formal ) wetsuit /ˈwɛts(j)uːt/ noun a rubber suit worn by swimmers and divers to keep themselves warm in the water whack /wæk/ verb to hit hard, mak-ing a loud noise whacked /wækt/ adj feeling extremely tired whale /weɪl/ noun a very large crea-ture that lives in the sea whaling /ˈweɪlɪŋ/ noun the practice of hunting whales wham /wæm/ noun the loud noise produced by a solid heavy blow wharf /wɔːf/ noun a quay where a ship can tie up to load or unload what /wɒt/ adj asking a question What time is it? whatever /wɒtˈɛvə/ pron 1. it does not matter what 2. used instead of ‘what’ for emphasis in ques-tions 726

whatnot /ˈwɒtnɒt/ noun something of the same or a similar kind They sell cards and wrapping paper and whatnot. whatsoever /ˌwɒtsəʊˈɛvə/ adj, pron used for emphasising ‘whatever’ wheat /wiːt/ noun a plant of which the grain is used to make flour wheedle /ˈwiːdl/ verb to try to per-suade someone to do some-thing, especially by speaking to them in a soft voice wheel /wiːl/ noun 1. a round object on which a vehicle such as a bicycle, a car or a train runs 2. any similar round object which turns My bike needs a new front wheel. wheel /wiːl/ verb to push something along which has wheels wheelbarrow /ˈwiːlˌbærəʊ/ noun a large container with one wheel at the front and two handles, used by people such as builders and gardeners for pushing heavy loads around wheelchair /ˈwiːlʧeə/ noun

a chair on wheels which people who can-not walk use to move around a wheelchair

wheeler-dealer /ˈwiːləˈdiːlə/ noun a person who is skilled and successful, but possibly dishonest, in getting what they want, especially in business or politics wheeze /wiːz/ verb to make a whis-tling sound when breathing when /wɛn/ adv at what time (asking a question) when /wɛn/ conj 1. at the time that 2. after 3. even if When did he leave? whenever /wɛnˈɛvə/ adv at any time that where /weə/ adv 1. (asking a question) in what place, to what place 2. in a place in which Where does she live? whereas /weərˈæz/ conj if you compare this with the 727

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

fact that whereupon /ˌweərəˈpɒn/ conj at that point, after that (literary) wherever /weərˈɛvə/ adv 1. to or in any place 2. used instead of ‘where’ for emphasis You can sit wherever you like. whet /wɛt/ verb to make you more interested in something by giv-ing you a little taste of it whether /ˈwɛðə/ conj 1. (showing doubt, or not having reached a decision) used to mean ‘if’ for showing doubt, or for show-ing that you have not decided something 2. (applying to ei-ther of two things) used for re-ferring to either of two things or people whew /hwuː/ interj used to express an emotion such as great surprise or to show that you feel too hot, or you are very pleased that something unpleasant has not happened which /wɪʧ/ adj, pron 1. (asking a question) what person or thing 2. (only used with things, not people) that

Which way is it to the station? whichever /wɪʧˈɛvə/ pron 1. any one in a group 2. used for emphasizing ‘which’ whiff /wɪf/ noun a slight smell while /waɪl/ conj 1. at the time that 2. showing difference 3. although (formal) while /waɪl/ to be worth doing whilst /waɪlst/ conj while (formal) whim /wɪm/ noun a sudden wish or desire whimper /ˈwɪmpə/ verb (of a person or small animal) to make low weak cries The dog was whimpering with pain. whimsical /ˈwɪmzɪkəl/ adj unusual or strange, not very serious whine /waɪn/ verb 1. to make a loud high noise 2. to complain fre-quently in a way that annoys other people whinge / ˈhwinj/ verb to complain in a whining voice (informal ) Oh, stop whingeing! whip /wɪp/ noun a long, thin piece of leather with a handle, used to hit animals

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to make them do what you want whip /wɪp/ verb to hit someone or an animal with a whip whip up /wɪp/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to make something increase suddenly 2. to get food ready quickly whirl /wɜːl/ verb to turn round quick-ly whirlpool /ˈwɜːlpuːl/ noun a stream of wa-ter that turns round and round very fast whirlwind /ˈwɜːlwɪnd/ noun something which happens more quickly than usual a whirlwind of activity whirr /wɜː/ verb to make a low sound like something turning whisk /wɪsk/ verb to mix food such as cream or eggs until they be-come thick and firm whiskey /ˈwɪski/ noun Irish or Ameri-can whisky whisky /ˈwɪski/ noun an alcoholic drink, made in Scotland from barley whisper /ˈwɪspə/ verb to speak very quietly, so that only the person you are talking to can hear

She whispered something to the girl sitting next to her. whisper /ˈwɪspə/ noun a quiet voice, or words spoken very quietly whistle /ˈwɪsl/ noun 1. a high sound made by blowing through your lips when they are almost closed 2. a simple instrument which makes a high sound, played by blowing whistle /ˈwɪsl/ verb 1. to blow through your lips to make a high sound 2. to make a high sound as a signal, using a small metal in-strument

a whistle

white /waɪt/ of a colour like snow or milk white walls white /waɪt/ noun 1. the colour of snow or milk 2. a person whose skin is pale 3. a white part of something 4. a white wine whiteboard /ˈwaɪtbɔːd/ noun a flat white board in 729

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

a classroom, on which you can write with a special type of pen white lie /waɪt/ /laɪ/ noun a lie about something unimportant, especially a lie told in order not to upset someone (informal) white meat /waɪt/ /miːt/ noun 1. meat from the breast of chicken or turkey 2. a pale coloured meat like veal, as opposed to red meat like beef whiten /ˈwaɪtn/ verb to make whiter or to become whiter whitewash /ˈwaɪtwɒʃ/ noun 1. a mixture of water and lime used for painting the walls of houses 2. an attempt to cover up mistakes or dishonest behaviour The newspaper accused the government of a whitewash. whitewater rafting /waɪt/ / ˈwɔːtə/ /ˈrɑːftɪŋ/ noun the sport of riding in small strong rubber boats down dangerous rivers whitish /ˈwaɪtɪʃ/ adj similar to white or partly white whiz /wɪz/ verb to move very fast She whizzed down the street in her new sports car.

whizz /wɪz/ verb, noun another spelling of who /huː/ pron 1. (asking a question) which person or persons 2. the person or the people that Who told you? whoever /hu(ː)ˈɛvə/ pron (emphatic form of ‘who’) no matter who, any-one who whole /həʊl/ adj all of something whole /həʊl/ noun all of something The whole family went to the show. whole food /həʊl/ /fuːd/ noun food that has had very little processing and has been grown or produced without the use of chemicals wholehearted /ˈhəʊlˈhɑːtɪd/ adj complete or total whole number /həʊl/ /ˈnʌmbə/ noun a number such as 1, 35 or 630 which is not a fraction wholesale /ˈhəʊlseɪl/ adv buying goods from manufacturers and sell-ing them in large quantities to traders who then sell them in smaller quantities to the gen-eral public wholesale /ˈhəʊlseɪl/ adj 1. in 730

large quan-tities 2. on a large scale wholesale prices wholesaler /ˈhəʊlseɪlə/ noun a person who buys goods in large quantities from manufacturers and sells them to retailers wholesome /ˈhəʊlsəm/ adj 1. good for your health 2. having a good influence on moral behaviour wholly /ˈhəʊli/ adv completely (for-mal) His behaviour is wholly unacceptable. whoop /huːp/ verb to make loud cries whoops /huːps/ interj used to show that an accident has almost happened whopping /ˈwɒpɪŋ/ adj very large (in-formal ) whose /huːz/ pron 1. (asking a ques-tion) which belongs to which person 2. of whom Whose gloves are these? why /waɪ/ adv 1. for what reason 2. giving a reason 3. agreeing with a suggestion wicked /ˈwɪkɪd/ adj very bad wicker /ˈwɪkə/ adj made of thin pieces of wood or sticks woven to-gether

a wicker basket wicket /ˈwɪkɪt/ noun 1. (in cricket) a set of three sticks put in the ground with two small sticks on top, used as the target 2. the main playing area between two sets of these sticks wide /waɪd/ 1. which measures from side to side 2.

Including many things I have very wide feet. width /wɪdθ/ adv as far as possible, as much as possible wide-eyed /ˈwaɪdˈaɪd/ adj with eyes wide open widely /ˈwaɪdli/ adv 1. by a wide range of people 2. over a wide area widen /ˈwaɪdn/ verb 1. to make wider 2. to become wider The road is being widened to two lanes. wide-ranging /waɪd/-/ ˈreɪnʤɪŋ/ adj which covers a wide range of subjects widescreen /ˈwaɪdskriːn/ adj referring to a television whose screen is no-ticeably wider than average widespread /ˈwaɪdsprɛd/ adj over a large area widow /ˈwɪdəʊ/ noun a

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

woman whose husband has died and who has not married again widowed /ˈwɪdəʊd/ adj who is a widow or widower widower /ˈwɪdəʊə/ noun a man whose wife has died and who has not married again width /wɪdθ/ noun 1. a measurement of something from one side to another 2. the distance from one side to another of a swim-ming pool a width of 2 metres wield /wiːld/ verb 1. to hold some-thing, usually by its handle, and use it 2. to use or have power to control people wife /waɪf/ noun a woman who is married to a man wig /wɪg/ noun false hair worn on the head wiggle /ˈwɪgl/ verb to move slightly up and down or from side to side He was wiggling his hips to the music. wild /waɪld/ adj 1. living naturally, not with people as a pet 2. very an-gry or very excited 3. not think-ing carefully wild card /waɪld/ /kɑːd/ noun a computer symbol

that represents any character wilderness /ˈwɪldənɪs/ noun uncultivated and uninhabited country or desert a beautiful mountain wilderness wildlife /ˈwaɪldlaɪf/ noun birds, plants and animals in their natural condi-tions will modal /wɪl/ /ˈməʊdl/ verb 1. used to form the future tense 2. used as a polite way of asking someone to do something 3. used for showing that you are keen to do something will /wɪl/ noun 1. someone’s desire that something will happen 2. a legal document by which a person gives instructions to his or her executors as to what should happen to the property after he or she dies Claire will be five next month. willing /ˈwɪlɪŋ/ adj keen to help willow /ˈwɪləʊ/ noun a tree with long thin branches often found near rivers and streams willpower /ˈwɪlˌpaʊə/ noun

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mental strength that helps you to achieve something It takes great willpower to lose weight. wilt /wɪlt/ verb to become weak and droop wily /ˈwaɪli/ adj full of tricks wimp /wɪmp/ noun a person without a strong character (insult) win /wɪn/ verb 1. to beat someone in a game, or be first in a race or competition 2. to get some-thing as a prize Who do you think will win the election? wince /wɪns/ verb to show signs of pain or embarrassment, espe-cially on your face winch /wɪnʧ/ noun a device which pulls things up by winding a rope around a drum wind /wɪnd/ noun air moving out-doors he weather forecast said there would be strong winds and rain. wind down /wɪnd/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb to turn a handle to make some-thing go down

wind /wɪnd/ verb to twist something round and round wind up /wɪnd/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to twist round and round 2. to turn a key to make a machine work 3. to turn a key to make something go up 4. to be in a situation at the end of a period 5. to finish 6. to annoy someone windfall /ˈwɪndfɔːl/ noun 1. a fruit which has fallen to the ground from a fruit tree 2. money which you receive unexpectedly wind instrument /wɪnd/ / ˈɪnstrʊmənt/ noun a musi-cal instrument which you have to blow to make a note A flute is a wind instrument. window /ˈwɪndəʊ/ noun 1. an opening in a surface such as a wall or door, which is filled with glass 2. any of several sections of a computer screen on which in-formation is shown

a window

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

window-pane /ˈwɪndəʊpeɪn/ noun a single piece of glass, used as part of a whole window window shopping /ˈwɪndəʊ/ /ˈʃɒpɪŋ/ noun the practice of looking at shop win-dows without buying anything windpipe /ˈwɪndpaɪp/ noun the main air passage from the nose and mouth to the lungs wind power /wɪnd/ /ˈpaʊə/ noun the force of the wind used to drive a wind-mill to produce energy windscreen /ˈwɪndskriːn/ noun the glass window in the front of a ve-hicle windscreen wiper / ˈwɪndskriːn/ /ˈwaɪpə/ noun a de-vice on a car which removes rainwater away from the wind-screen windshield /ˈwɪndʃiːld/ noun 1. a screen on the front of a motorcycle 2. the glass window in the front of a vehicle windsurfing /ˈwɪndˌsɜːfɪŋ/ noun the sport of riding on the sea on a surf-board with a sail attached windswept /ˈwɪndswɛpt/ adj blown by the wind

windswept hair windy /ˈwɪndi/ adj when a strong wind is blowing (informal ) wine /waɪn/ noun an alcoholic drink made from grapes wing /wɪŋ/ noun 1. one of the two parts of the body, which a bird or butterfly etc. 2. one of the two flat parts sticking from the side of an aircraft, which hold the aircraft in the air wing mirror /wɪŋ/ /ˈmɪrə/ noun one of a pair of mirrors attached to the out-side of a vehicle and providing a view to the rear wink /wɪŋk/ verb to shut and open one eye quickly, as a signal She smiled and winked at me. winner /ˈwɪnə/ noun 1. a person who wins something 2. something which is successful winnings /ˈwɪnɪŋz/ plural noun money which has been won at betting winning streak /ˈwɪnɪŋ/ / striːk/ noun a period of time when a person has con-tinuing good luck

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winter /ˈwɪntə/ noun the coldest season of the year, the season between autumn and spring We went skiing last winter. winter solstice /ˈwɪntə/ / ˈsɒlstɪs/ noun 21st De-cember, the shortest day in the northern hemisphere, when the sun is at its furthest point north of the equator winter sports /ˈwɪntə/ / spɔːts/ plural noun sports which are done in the winter, such as skiing and skat-ing etc. wintry /ˈwɪntri/ adj 1. cold like winter 2. unfriendly and cold win-win /wɪn/-/wɪn/ adj used to describe a situation which has a satisfac-tory outcome for all the parties involved wipe /waɪp/ verb to clean or dry some-thing with a cloth I had a job wiping tables in a cafe. wipe out /waɪp/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb 1. to kill, to destroy 2. to remove com-pletely wire /ˈwaɪə/ noun 1. a thin piece of metal or metal thread 2. (elec-tric) wire thin metal thread along which electricity flows, usually

covered with coloured plastic Do you know how to wire a burglar alarm? wireless /ˈwaɪəlɪs/ noun a radio receiver wiring /ˈwaɪərɪŋ/ noun all the wires which make up a system to carry elec-tricity round a building wiry /ˈwaɪəri/ adj 1. (of a person) thin but strong 2. (of hair) stiff and not easily combed a wiry beard wisdom /ˈwɪzdəm/ noun general com-mon sense and the ability to make good decisions wisdom tooth /ˈwɪzdəm/ /tuːθ/ noun one of the four back human teeth which only grow after the age of 20, or sometimes not at all wise /waɪz/ adj having intelligence and being sensible I think we’ve made a wise choice. wish /wɪʃ/ noun what you want to happen wish /wɪʃ/ verb 1. to want something to happen 2. to hope some-thing good will happen

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

wishes /ˈwɪʃɪz/ plural noun a greeting wishful thinking /ˈwɪʃfʊl/ / ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/ noun the practice of thinking that something will actually happen be-cause you want it to wisp /wɪsp/ noun a little piece wistful /ˈwɪstfʊl/ adj longing for some-thing, but sad because there is no hope of getting it wit /wɪt/ noun an ability to say clever and funny things a woman of great intelligence and wit witch /wɪʧ/ noun a woman believed to have magic powers. witchcraft /ˈwɪʧkrɑːft/ noun the art of magic witch hunt /wɪʧ/ /hʌnt/ noun persecution of people who are supposed to be politically unreliable with /wɪð/ prep 1. showing that things or people are together 2. something which you have 3. showing something which is used 4. because of Emma lives with her boyfriend.

withdraw /wɪðˈdrɔː/ verb1. to stop offer-ing or providing something 2. to stop doing something 3. to take money out of a bank ac-count 4. to change your mind about something which has been said or sent and say you no longer want it to be consid-ered 5. to move backwards withdrawal /wɪðˈdrɔːəl/ noun 1. the act of removing money from a bank account 2. the act of going back, doing the opposite of what you had said you would do This account allows you to make withdrawals whenever you want to. withdrawn /wɪðˈdrɔːn/ adj shy, not liking to meet other people wither /ˈwɪðə/ verb (of plants) to grow weaker and dry up, to shrivel withhold /wɪðˈhəʊld/ verb to refuse to let someone have something The company has decided to withhold payment until the job has been finished. within /wɪˈðɪn/ prep (in space or time) inside an area or period of time

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without /wɪˈðaʊt/ prep 1. not with 2. not doing something I can’t see without my glasses. withstand /wɪðˈstænd/ verb to resist some-thing difficult or unpleasant witness /ˈwɪtnɪs/ noun 1. a person who sees something happen or who is present when something happens 2. a person who is present when someone signs a document The witness was called to the stand. witness /ˈwɪtnɪs/ verb to be present when something happens, and see it happening witness box /ˈwɪtnɪs/ /bɒks/ noun a place in a courtroom where the witnesses give evidence witty /ˈwɪti/ adj clever and funny He was witty and charming. wives /waɪvz/ plural of wife wizard /ˈwɪzəd/ noun a clever person, expert wizardry /ˈwɪzədri/ noun being clever

wizened /ˈwɪznd/ adj dried and wrinkled wobble /ˈwɒbl/ verb to move from side to side in a way that is not smooth or steady Stop wobbling the table. woe /wəʊ/ noun sadness or trouble wok /wɒk/ noun a Chinese round bottomed frying pan used in stir-fry cooking

a wok

woke /wəʊk/ past tense of wake woken /ˈwəʊkən/ past participle of wake wolf /wʊlf/ noun a wild animal like a large dog, which usually lives in groups in the forest woman /ˈwʊmən/ noun an adult female person a 30-year-old woman womanhood /ˈwʊmənhʊd/ noun the state of being a woman womankind /ˈwʊmənˈkaɪnd/ 737

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

noun all women taken as a group womanly /ˈwʊmənli/ adj feminine, like a woman womanly charms womb /wuːm/ noun the hollow organ in a woman’s body where a fertilised egg is lodged and an unborn baby is carried won /wʌn/ past tense and past parti-ciple of win wonder /ˈwʌndə/ verb 1. to want to know something 2. to think about something 3. to be sur-prised at something 4. asking a question politely I wonder what he’s making for dinner. wonderful /ˈwʌndəfʊl/ adj extremely good or enjoyable wonky /ˈwɒŋki/ adj, adv 1. unreliable to use 2. not straight woo /wuː/ verb 1. to try to get some-one to support you or to vote for you 2. to try to attract a girl to marry you (old) wood /wʊd/ noun 1. a hard material which comes from a tree 2. an area in which many trees are growing together a piece of wood

wooded /ˈwʊdɪd/ adj covered with trees wooden /ˈwʊdn/ adj made out of wood woodwind /wʊd/ /wɪnd/ noun smaller in-struments in an orchestra such as the flute, clarinet, oboe and bassoon, which are played by blowing woodwind instruments woodworm /wʊd/ /wɜːm/ noun a little insect that eats wood woof /wuːf/ noun the sound made by a dog when it barks wool /wʊl/ noun 1. long threads of twisted animal hair, used to make clothes or carpets etc. 2. the hair growing on a sheep woollen /ˈwʊlən/ adj made of wool woollen gloves woolly /ˈwʊli/ adj made out of wool woozy /ˈwuːzi/ adj feeling confused and dizzy word /wɜːd/ noun 1. a separate piece of language, either written or spoken 2. something spoken 3. a promise which you have made He has difficulty spelling long 738

words. wording /ˈwɜːdɪŋ/ noun words and phrases used in a piece of writ-ing wordplay /ˈwɜːdpleɪ/ noun the clever use of words word processing /wɜːd/ / ˈprəʊsɛsɪŋ/ noun using a computer to produce, check and change texts, reports and letters, etc. word processor /wɜːd/ / ˈprəʊsɛsə/ noun 1. a small computer which is used to produce texts, reports and letters etc. 2. a wordprocess-ing program which allows you to create texts, edit them and print them wordy /ˈwɜːdi/ adj using more words than necessary wore /wɔː/ past tense of wear work /wɜːk/ noun 1. things that you do using your strength or your brain 2. a job done regularly to earn money 3. something which has been made, painted or written by someone He works as a waiter in an Italian restaurant. work /wɜːk/ verb 1. to use your strength or brain to do some-thing 2. to have a job 3. (of a machine) to oper-

ate in the usu-al way 4. to make a machine operate 5. to have the desired effect or result work on /wɜːk/ /ɒn/ phrasal verb to work hard to make something better work out /wɜːk/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb 1. to solve a problem by looking at information or calculating fig-ures 2. to succeed 3. to exercise 4. (of a mine) to exhaust a seam of coal etc., and not be able to continue working there I’m trying to work out the total cost. work up /wɜːk/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb 1. to de-velop 2. to do some hard work to make something happen workaholic /ˌwɜːkəˈhɒlɪk/ noun a person who cannot stop working (in-formal) workbook /ˈwɜːkbʊk/ noun a book in which a student can write an-swers to exercises printed in the book worker /ˈwɜːkə/ noun 1. a person who works 2. a person who works in a particular job an office worker workforce /ˈwɜːkˌfɔːs/ noun all the people who work in an office or fac-tory 739

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working /ˈwɜːkɪŋ/ adj relating to a job or to work working class /ˈwɜːkɪŋ/ / klɑːs/ noun a group in society consisting of people who work with their hands, usually earning wages not sala-ries working day /ˈwɜːkɪŋ/ /deɪ/ noun 1. a day on which someone works 2. the number of hours someone spends at work workload /ˈwɜːkˌləʊd/ noun an amount of work which a person has to do Nurses have a very heavy workload workman /ˈwɜːkmən/ noun a man who works with his hands workmanship /ˈwɜːkmənʃɪp/ noun the skill of a good workman workout /ˈwɜːkaʊt/ noun exercise or sports practice a daily workout at the gym workplace /ˈwɜːkˌpleɪs/ noun a place where work is done works /wɜːks/ plural noun 1. the mov-ing parts of a machine 2. a fac-tory 3. the works everything (informal) worksheet /ˈwɜːkˌʃiːt/ noun

a sheet of questions for students to an-swer workshop /ˈwɜːkʃɒp/ noun a very small factory where things are made or repaired workstation /ˈwɜːkˌsteɪʃ(ə)n/ noun a desk with terminal, monitor or keyboard etc., where a computer opera-tor works world /wɜːld/ noun the earth on which we live Everest is the highest mountain in the world. world-class /wɜːld/-/klɑːs/ adj so good as to be among the best in the world a world-class swimmer world-famous /wɜːld/-/ ˈfeɪməs/ adj known everywhere worldly /ˈwɜːldli/ adj 1. referring to the material world 2.

Not idealis-tic, with a lot of experience world music /wɜːld/ /ˈmjuːzɪk/ noun music from cultures outside the western world worldwide /ˌwɜːldˈwaɪd/ adj, adv over the whole world 10 million copies have been sold worldwide. worm /wɜːm/ noun a small

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thin animal which has no arms or legs and lives in the soil

a worm

worn/wɔːn/ past participle of wear worn out /wɔːn/ /aʊt/ adj very tired I was absolutely worn-out after all that dancing. worried /ˈwʌrid/ adj unhappy because you think something bad will happen or because something bad has happened worry /ˈwʌri/ verb to feel anxious, or to make someone feel anxious She’s always worrying about something. worries /ˈwʌriz/ plural noun 1. some-thing that makes you anxious 2. the state of being anxious worrying /ˈwʌriɪŋ/ adj which makes you worried worse /wɜːs/ adj 1. less good than something else 2.

more ill worsen /ˈwɜːsn/ verb to become worse, to make worse His condition suddenly worsened last week. worse off /wɜːs/ /ɒf/ adj with less money than before worship /ˈwɜːʃɪp/ verb 1. to praise and respect God 2. to take part in a religious service worst /wɜːst/ adj worse than anything else What’s the worst job you’ve ever had? worth /wɜːθ/ adj 1. to have a certain value or price 2. to find some-thing good or helpful to do worth /wɜːθ/ noun a value worthless /ˈwɜːθlɪs/ adj having no worth, no use worthwhile /ˈwɜːθˈwaɪl/ adj which is worth the effort spent on it It’s a difficult course but it’s very worthwhile. worthy /ˈwɜːði/ adj deserving would /wʊd/ modal verb 1. used as a polite way of asking someone to do something 2. used as the past of ‘will’ 3. used as the past of ‘will’, showing something which often

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happens 4. used for showing something which often happened in the past 5. used following a condition would rather /wʊd/ /ˈrɑːðə/ phrasal verb to prefer I’d much rather go out for a meal than stay in and watch TV. would-be /ˈwʊdbiː/ adj who hopes to become wound /wuːnd/ noun a cut made on someone’s body, usually in fighting wound /wuːnd/ verb 1. to hurt someone badly by cutting into their flesh 2. to hurt someone’s feelings She was deeply wounded by his rejection. wound /wuːnd/ past tense and past par-ticiple of wind wove, woven /wəʊv/, / ˈwəʊvən/ past tense of weave woven /ˈwəʊvən/ past participle of weave wow /waʊ/ interj showing surprise and pleasure wrangle /ˈræŋgl/ verb to argue wrap /ræp/ verb to cover something by putting something over it They wrapped him in a blan-

ket. wrap /ræp/ noun 1. a type of shawl that is put round the shoulders or the top part of the body 2. a piece of material used to cover something wrap up /ræp/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to finish off wrapper /ˈræpə/ noun a piece of paper used to wrap round something UK sweet wrappers/ US candy wrappers wrapping /ˈræpɪŋ/ noun the paper or plastic used to wrap something up wrapping paper /ˈræpɪŋ/ / ˈpeɪpə/ noun brightly coloured paper used to wrap presents wrath /rɒθ/ noun great anger wreak /riːk/ verb to do something violent wreath /riːθ/ noun a circle of flowers or leaves especially given at a funeral in memory of the dead person wreck /rɛk/ noun 1. a ship which has been sunk or badly damaged 2. anything which has been dam-aged and cannot be used Floods have wreaked havoc

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in central Europe. wreck /rɛk/ verb to damage some-thing very badly wreckage /ˈrɛkɪʤ/ noun what is left of a building, ship or plane etc. af-ter it has been wrecked Two survivors were pulled from the wreckage. wrench /rɛnʧ/ noun 1. a large spanner which can be adjusted to undo various sizes of nuts 2. a feeling of sadness at leaving wrench /rɛnʧ/ verb to twist and pull something violently The phone had been wrenched off the wall. wrest /rɛst/ verb to twist, to wrench away wrestle /ˈrɛsl/ verb to fight with someone to try to throw him to the ground wrestling /ˈrɛslɪŋ/ noun the sport of fighting, but without punching wriggle /ˈrɪgl/ verb to twist from side to side She wriggled her toes in the warm sand. wring /rɪŋ/ verb to twist something, especially to get water out of it wrinkle /ˈrɪŋkl/ noun a fold in

the skin wrinkled /ˈrɪŋkld/ adj full of lines or creases wrist /rɪst/ noun the joint between the arm and the hand wristwatch /ˈrɪstˌwɒʧ/ noun a small clock worn on a strap around the wrist writ /rɪt/ noun a legal document which starts an action in the High Court write /raɪt/ verb 1. to put words or numbers on paper etc., with a pen or word processor etc. 2. to write a letter and send it to someone 3. to be the author of a book or music etc.

She can’t read or write. write back /raɪt/ /bæk/ phrasal verb to an-swer by letter write down /raɪt/ /daʊn/ phrasal verb to write something write in /raɪt/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb to write a letter to an organisation write off /raɪt/ /ɒf/ phrasal verb 1. to can-cel a debt 2. to remove an as-set from a company’s accounts because it no longer has any value write out /raɪt/ /aʊt/ phrasal verb to write something in

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full write up /raɪt/ /ʌp/ phrasal verb to write a text fully from notes which you have taken write-off /ˈraɪtˈɒf/ noun a total loss, re-moving an asset from a compa-ny’s accounts write-protected /raɪt/-/ prəˈtɛktɪd/ adj (of a com-puter disk) which cannot be al-tered or erased writer /ˈraɪtə/ noun a person who writes write-up /ˈraɪtˈʌp/ noun an article about someone or something in a newspaper writhe /raɪð/ verb to twist and turn when pain is very severe She lay on her bed, writhing in agony. writing /ˈraɪtɪŋ/ noun something which is written written /ˈrɪtn/ adj which has been put in writing a written statement warning written /ˈrɪtn/ past participle of write wrong /rɒŋ/ adj 1. not correct 2. not suitable 3. not working prop-erly 4. morally bad 5. making someone worried wrong /rɒŋ/ adv badly

wrongdoing /ˈrɒŋˈdu(ː)ɪŋ/ noun a crime or unlawful act wrongly /ˈrɒŋli/ adv not correctly wrote /rəʊt/ past tense of write wrought iron /rɔːt/ / ˈaɪən/ noun iron which is bent to make gates and fences etc. wrung /rʌŋ/ past tense and past par-ticiple of wring wry /raɪ/ adj showing amusement by twisting your mouth a wry smile

Xx

xenophobia /ˌzɛnəʊˈfəʊbɪə/ noun a dislike of foreigners Xmas /ˈkrɪsməs/ noun same as Christmas (informal) Happy Xmas!

X-ray /ˈɛksˈreɪ/ noun 1. a type of radia-tion that doctors use for tak-ing photographs of the inside of your body 2. a photograph taken with X-rays They took an X-ray of his 744

leg.

X-ray /ˈɛksˈreɪ/ verb to take an X-ray photograph of someone xylophone /ˈzaɪləfəʊn/ noun a musical in-strument consisting of wood-en or metal bars of different lengths which make different notes when you tap them with a little hammer

a xylophone

Yy yacht /jɒt/ noun 1. a sailing boat used for pleasure and sport 2. a large comfortable boat with a motor a luxury yacht yank /jæŋk/ verb to give something a sudden sharp pull He yanked at the rope. yap /jæp/ verb (of a small dog) to bark

yard /jɑːd/ noun 1. a measurement of length, equal to 0.914 metres 2. an area of concrete at the back or side of a house yardstick /ˈjɑːdstɪk/ noun a standard for measurement If popularity is the yardstick of success, he’s done very well. yarn /jɑːn/ noun a long piece of wool used in knitting or weaving yawn /jɔːn/ verb to open your mouth wide and breathe in and out deeply when you are tired or bored She yawned and looked at her watch. yeah /jɔːn/ interj yes year /jɪə/ noun 1. a period of time lasting twelve months, from January 1st to December 2. a period of twelve months from a particular time He joined the company a year ago. yearbook /ˈjɪəbʊk/ noun a reference book which is published each year with updated or new in-formation yearly /ˈjɪəli/ adj, adv which

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happens every year or once a year yearn /jɜːn/ verb to want something that may not be easy to get very much fungus used to make bread and to ferment alcohol She yearned to get away. yell /jɛl/ verb to shout very loudly yellow /ˈjɛləʊ/ adj of a colour like that of the sun or of gold yellow card /ˈjɛləʊ/ /kɑːd/ noun in football, a card that a referee shows when giving a player a warning yellowish /ˈjɛləʊɪʃ/ adj of a colour that is close to yellow yellow pages /ˈjɛləʊ/ / ˈpeɪʤɪz/ trademark a sec-tion of a telephone directory printed on yellow paper, which lists businesses under various headings, such as computer shops, newsagent’s etc. yelp /jɛlp/ verb (usually of animals) to give a short cry of pain or ex-citement yep /jɛp/ adv, interj yes yes /jɛs/ adv a word showing that you agree with someone, ac-cept some-

thing, or give permission for something “Coffee?” “ Yes, please.” yesterday /ˈjɛstədeɪ/ adv, noun the day before today yet /jɛt/ adv now, before now, or until now yield /jiːld/ noun the quantity of a crop or a product produced from a plant or from an area of land yield /jiːld/ verb 1. to produce a re-sult 2. to produce a crop or a product 3. to do or agree to do something that you have been trying not to do The investigation yielded some unexpected results. yo /jəʊ/ interj used as an informal greeting yoga /ˈjəʊgə/ noun a system of exercis-es and meditation practised by Hindu thinkers, now popular in western countries as a way of keeping fit and relaxing She does yoga three times a week.

yoga

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yoghurt /ˈjɒgə(ː)t/ noun milk which has become slightly sour and thick-er after bacteria are added, of-ten flavoured with fruit yolk /jəʊk/ noun the yellow part in-side an egg you /juː/ pron 1. referring to some-one being spoken to 2. refer-ring to anyone young /jʌŋ/ adj not old We were very young when we met. youngster /ˈjʌŋstə/ noun a young per-son your /jɔː/ adj belonging to you you’re /jʊə/ short for you are yours /jɔːz/ pron belonging to you yourself /jɔːˈsɛlf/ pron relating to ‘you’ as a subject youth /juːθ/ noun 1. a young man 2. a period when you are young, especially the time between be-ing a child and being an adult gangs of youths youth club /juːθ/ /klʌb/ noun a club where young people meet youthful /ˈjuːθfʊl/ adj young youthful energy/good looks youth hostel /juːθ/ /ˈhɒstəl/ noun a building where

young travellers or walk-ers can stay by paying a little money you’ve /juːv/ short for you have If you’ve finished your work, you can go. yo-yo /jəʊ/-/jəʊ/ noun a toy made of two round pieces and a string which you make the toy run up and down yuck /jʌk/ interj used to show that something has a nasty taste yucky / ˈyə-kē/ adj not nice, unpleasant yummy /ˈjʌmi/ adj delicious (infor-mal)

Zz

zany /ˈzeɪni/ adj wildly mad zany humour zap /zæp/ verb (informal ) 1. to hit or kill someone 2. to shut down the television using the remote control zeal /ziːl/ noun keenness or eagerness religious zeal zealous /ˈzɛləs/ adj eager, too efficient

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zebra crossing /ˈziːbrə/ / ˈkrɒsɪŋ/ noun a place marked with black and white lines where traffic stops to al-low you to walk across a road zenith /ˈzɛnɪθ/ noun the highest point, point of greatest achievement The city reached its zenith in the 1980s. zero /ˈzɪərəʊ/ noun 1. the number 0 2. the temperature at which water freezes 3. nothing zero in /ˈzɪərəʊ/ /ɪn/ phrasal verb to go straight to something zest /zɛst/ noun 1. enthusiasm or en-joyment 2. a thin piece of or-ange or lemon peel zigzag /ˈzɪgzæg/ adj, noun used to de-scribe a line which turns one way, then the opposite way zilch / ˈzilch/ noun nothing (informal) zillion /ˈzɪljən/ noun a huge number (informal) zinc /zɪŋk/ noun a hard bright light-coloured metal zip /zɪp/ noun a device for closing openings on clothes and bags, consisting of two

rows of teeth which lock together (informal) Your zip’s undone.

a zip

zip /zɪp/ verb 1. to close something using a zip 2. to go fast zip drive /zɪp/ /draɪv/ trademark a trade-mark for a piece of computer equipment that makes large computer files smaller for easier storage or faster transmission zipper /ˈzɪpə/ same as zip zit / ˈzit/ noun a pimple or spot on the skin zombie /ˈzɒmbi/ noun 1. (in the West In-dies) a dead body which is revived and controlled by witchcraft 2. a person who is unable to think The day after the party I was walking around like a zombie. zone /zəʊn/ noun an area zoo /zuː/ noun a place

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where wild animals are kept, and where people can go to see them zoo-keeper /zuː/-/ˈkiːpə/ noun a person whose job is to look after the animals in a zoo zoologist /zəʊˈɒləʤɪst/ noun a person who studies animals zoology /zəʊˈɒləʤi/ noun the study of ani-mals zoom /zuːm/ verb to go very fast The TV cameras zoomed in on her face. zoom lens /zuːm/ /lɛnz/ noun a camera lens which allows you to change quickly from distant to close-up shots while still keeping in focus zzz noun a representation of the sound made by somebody sleeping, often used in car-toons

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ANTONYMS /ˈantənɪm/ noun a word opposite in meaning to another

absent - present deep - shallow illiteracy - literacy purity - impurity active - passive down - dusk inhale - exhale qualify - disqualify acute - obtuse dry - wet inner - outer question - answer adult - child early - late inside - outside quick - slow advance - retreat east - west interior - exterior quiet - noisy affirmative - negative easy - difficult, hard join - separate raw - cooked all - none economical - extravagant junior - senior

reality - imagination ally - enemy empty - full kind - cruel relevant - irrelevant appear - vanish, disappear encourage - discourage knowledge - ignorance remember - forget approval - disapproval entrance - exit least - greatest reward - punishment arrive - depart ever - never legal - illegal right - wrong ascend - descend everywhere - nowhere lend - borrow right - left asleep - awake expand - contract life - death ripe - raw attack - defend familiar - strange 750

live - die rise - fall aware - unaware fat - thin local - exotic rough - smooth barren - fruitfill, fertile fertile - infertile, barren long - short singular - plural before - after find - lose loud - soft slender - stout begin - end first - last love - hate sparse - dense better - worse former - latter many - few start - finish big - small fortunate - unfortunate merciful - merciless straight - crooked, zigzag black - white freedom - captivity miser - spendthrift succeed - fail b0less - curse

friend - enemy modern - ancient success - failure bravery - cowardice front - back monotony - variety summer - winter bright - dull future - past morning - evening superior - inferior busy - idle generous - mean, selfish national - international surplus - deficit buy - sell giant - dwarf near - far sweet - sour, bitter capable - incapable give - take negative - positive tolerant - intolerant certain - uncertain go - come noise - silence top - bottom doubtful good - bad normal - abnormal true - false

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

cheap - deal, expensive guilty -innocent north -south ugly - beautiful clean - dirty happy - sad obligatory - voluntary upper - lower cloudy - clear hard - soft often - seldom valour - cowardice coarse - fine harmony - discard old - new victory - defeat cold - hot hell - heaven peace - war village - town collect - disperse, scatter here - there permanent - temporary visitor - host compulsory - optional high - low polygamy - monogamy weak - strong conceal - reveal higher - lower poor - rich

weep - laugh danger - safety hit - miss profit - loss wide - narrow day - night honest - dishonest proud - humble win - lose dead - alive hostile - friendly public - private

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SYNONYMS

/ˈsɪnəˌnɪm/ noun a word which means almost the same as an-other word

abandon - give up, surrender aged - old agreement - consent angry - upset, annoyed arrange - organise arrest - imprison arrive - reach ask - inquire bad - miserable beg - ask begin - commence busy - occupied commencement - beginning complain - argue complaint - argument comrade - friend consist - comprise console - sympathise continue - perpetuate, proceed, deceive - lie demands - needs different - various dread - fear eager - curious enemy - foe

essential - useful evidence - proof exact - precise expensive - deal, costly fearful - coward, timid fed up - disgusted fertile - productive foolish - silly, stupid force - compel, oblige fortunate - lucky gift - reward, prize, present govern - administer gradual - eventual great - enonnous, immense guest - visitor hide - conceal hoarse - rough important - significant, valuable jealous - envious joy - pleasure lazy - weak manage - afford meet - converge mistake - error 753

offer - give oppose - protest overthrow - dethrone pass - succeed persuade - seduce pleased - happy, delighted, glad policeman - constable possess - own postpone - adjourn, put off produce - bear, give birth prosperous - rich reckless - careless release - set free rely - depend remedy - solution remember - recall result - outcome, consequence salient - outstanding, prominent satisfy - gratify separate - isolate similar - alike sorrow - grief, sadness struggle - strive succeed - inherit timid - dreadful true - correct try - attempt, endeavour vacant - empty

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waste - destruct wide - broad wise - clever, bright, intelligent - capable, brilliant witness - testify wonderful - fantastic, marvellous air - heir aisle - isle allowed - aloud Important - vital, essential Valid - authorized, legitimate Turbulent - disordered, violent Recalcitrant- stubborn Pacify - appease, placate Hypocrisy - duplicity, falseness Baffle - confuse, deceive Bossy - Controlling, Tyrannical Positive - Optimistic, Cheerful Lucky - Auspicious, Fortunate Introverted - Shy, Bashful Honest - Honorable, Fair