The Photographers 50 Photos Dictionary by Sophie Higgins

The Photographers 50 Photos Dictionary By S.L Higgins

Object of Wonder Object

Wonder

noun 1. A material thing that can be seen and touched: • he was dragging a large object. • small objects such as shells. • The film camera is an object of wonder, Sophie thought to herself. 2. A person or thing to which a specified action or feeling is directed: • disease became the object of investigation. • He hated being the object of public attention. 3. Grammar a noun or noun phrase governed by an active transitive verb or by a preposition: in Gaelic the word order is verb, subject, object. 4. Computing a data construct that provides a description of anything known to a computer (such as a processor or a piece of code) and defines its method of operation:the interface treats most items, including cells, graphs, and buttons, as objects.

noun 1. [mass noun] a feeling of amazement and admiration, caused by something beautiful, remarkable, or unfamiliar. 2. A person or thing regarded as very good, remarkable, or effective: • We all eat cakes from Gisella—she’s a wonder. [as modifier] having remarkable properties or abilities: • A wonder drug. 3. [in singular] a surprising event or situation: it is a wonder that losses are not much greater.

verb • Say something to express one’s disapproval of or disagreement with something. [no object] • Residents object to the volume of traffic [with clause] • The boy’s father objected that the police had arrested him unlawfully.

Origin Late Middle English: from medieval Latin objectum ‘thing presented to the mind’, neuter past participle (used as a noun) of Latin obicere, from ob- ‘in the way of ’ + jacere ‘to throw’; the verb may also partly represent the Latin frequentative objectare.

verb [no object] 1. desire to know something; feel curious:how many times have I written that, I wonder? [with clause]: • I can’t help wondering how Georgina’s feeling. [with clause] used to express a polite question or request: • I wonder whether you have thought more about it? 2. feel admiration and amazement; marvel: people stood by and wondered at such bravery (as adjective wondering) a wondering look on her face.

Origin Old English wundor (noun), wundrian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wonder and German Wunder, of unknown ultimate origin.

Fray Fray verb 1. [no object] (of a fabric, rope, or cord) unravel or become worn at the edge, typically through constant rubbing: • Cheap fabric soon frays. • (of a person’s nerves or temper) show the effects of strain: as the temperature rose, tempers frayed. 2. [with object] (of a male deer) rub (a bush or small tree) with the head in order to remove the velvet from newly formed antlers, or to mark territory during the rut:

Origin Late Middle English: from Old French freiier, from Latin fricare ‘to rub’.

Scrap Scrap noun 1. A small piece or amount of something, especially one that is left over after the greater part has been used: • I scribbled her address on a scrap of paper. • Scraps of information (scraps) bits of uneaten food left after a meal: he filled Sammy’s bowls with fresh water and scraps. • Used to emphasize the lack or smallness of something: there was not a scrap of aggression in himevery scrap of green land is up for grabs by development. 2. (also scrap metal) [mass noun] discarded metal for reprocessing: the steamer was eventually sold for scrap [often as modifier] any waste articles or discarded material: • He painted scenes on cardboard shirt boxes and other scrap material. verb (scraps, scrapping, scrapped) • [with object] discard or remove from service (a redundant, old, or inoperative vehicle, vessel, or machine), especially so as to convert it to scrap metal: • A bold decision was taken to scrap existing plant. • Abolish or cancel (a plan, policy, or law):he supports the idea that road tax should be scrapped.

Origin Late Middle English (as a plural noun denoting fragments of uneaten food): from Old Norse skrap ‘scraps’; related to skrapa ‘to scrape’. The verb dates from the late 19th century.

Long-Winded Long-Winded adjective 1. (of speech or writing) continuing at tedious length: â&#x20AC;˘ A long-winded question. â&#x20AC;˘ The books were very long-winded. 2. Archaic capable of doing something for a long time without becoming breathless. 3. Tiresomely long. 4. Capable of energetic activity without becoming short of breath. Derivatives long-windedly adverb long-windedness noun

Exactly Alike Exactly

Alike

adverb 1. Used to emphasize the accuracy of a figure or description: • They met in 1989 and got married exactly two years later. In exact terms; without vagueness: • what exactly are you looking for? 2. Used as a reply to confirm or agree with what has just been said: • You mean that you’re going to tell me the truth? Exactly.

adjective [predic.] (of two or more people or things) similar to each other: • the brothers were very much alike • the houses all looked alike adverb In the same or a similar way: • The girls dressed alike in black trousers and jackets. Used to show that something applies equally to a number of specified subjects: • he talked in a friendly manner to staff and patients alike.

Phrases not exactly informal • 1. Not at all: that too was not exactly convincing • 2. Not quite but close to being: not exactly agitated, but disturbed

Origin Old English gelīc, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch gelijk and German gleich, reinforced in Middle English by Old Norse álíkr (adjective) and álíka (adverb).

Inflexible Inflexible adjective 1. Unwilling to change or compromise: • Once she had made up her mind, she was inflexible Not able to be changed or adapted to particular circumstances: • Inflexible rules 2. Not able to be bent; stiff: • Heavy inflexible armour. • The wood was inflexible. Derivatives inflexibility. Pronunciation: /-ˈbɪlɪti/ Noun inflexibly.

Origin: late Middle English: from Latin inflexibilis, from in‘not’ + flexibilis ‘flexible’

Easily Deceived Easily

Deceived

adverb 1. Without difficulty or effort: • He climbed the mountain easily. • Bradford is easily accessible by road. More quickly or frequently than is usual: • They get bored easily. 2. Without doubt; by far: • He was easily the bravest man I’ve ever met. Very probably: • The body could easily be that of an actress.

verb [with object] Deliberately cause (someone) to believe something that is not true, especially for personal gain: • I didn’t intend to deceive people into thinking it was French champagne. (Of a thing) give (someone) a mistaken impression: • The area may seem to offer nothing of interest, but don’t be deceived. (deceive oneself ) fail to admit to oneself that something is true: • It was no use deceiving herself any longer—she loved him with all her heart. Be sexually unfaithful to (one’s regular partner): • He had deceived her with another woman. Derivatives deceivable. adjective deceiver

Origin Middle English: from Old French deceivre, from Latin decipere ‘catch, ensnare, cheat’

Without a Sound Without

Sound

preposition 1. In the absence of: • He went to Sweden without her. [often with verbal noun] in circumstances in which the action mentioned does not happen: • They sat looking at each other without speaking. 2. Not having the use or benefit of: • The first person to make the ascent without oxygen. 3. Archaic or literary outside: • The barbarians without the gates.

noun [mass noun] 1. Vibrations that travel through the air or another medium and can be heard when they reach a person’s or animal’s ear: • Light travels faster than sound [count noun] a thing that can be heard: • She heard the sound of voices in the hall. • Don’t make a sound. The area or distance within which something can be heard: • We were always within sound of the train whistles. 2. (Also musical sound) sound produced by continuous and regular vibrations, as opposed to noise. 3. Music, speech, and sound effects when recorded and used to accompany a film, video, or broadcast. Emit or cause to emit sound: [no object]: a loud buzzer sounded [with object]: she sounded the horn

Origin Old English withūtan ‘on the outside’.

Origin Middle English soun, from Anglo-Norman French soun (noun), suner (verb), from Latin sonus. The form with -d was established in the 16th century.

Make-Believe Make Believe noun [mass noun] The action of pretending or imagining that things are better than they really are: • She’s living in a world of make-believe. adjective Imitating something real: • He was firing a make-believe gun at the spy planes. verb [no object] pretend; imagine: • You can make-believe you’re swimming out in the crystal clear waters of the Mediterranean.

Away from the Land Away

Land

adverb 1. To or at a distance from a particular place or person: • She landed badly, and crawled away. • They walked away from the vicarage in silence. • We’ll only be away for four nights. At a specified distance: • When he was ten or twelve feet away he stopped. • We have had patients from as far away as Wales. At a specified future distance in time: • The wedding is only weeks away. Conceptually to one side, so as no longer to be the focus of attention: • The Museum has shifted its emphasis away from research towards exhibitions. (With reference to sports fixtures) at the opponents’ ground: • Oh what fun it is to see the Mariners win away. 2. Into an appropriate place for storage or safekeeping: • He put away the pistol 3. Into non-existence: • Marie felt her distress ebbing away. 4. Constantly, persistently, or continuously: • There was Morrissey crooning away.

1. [Mass noun] the part of the earth’s surface that is not covered by water: • The reptiles lay their eggs on land. • After four weeks at sea we sighted land. [as modifier] living or travelling on land rather than in water or the air: • A land force An area of ground, especially in terms of its ownership or use: • He bought 360 acres of land. • Waste land. (lands) • Measures to reduce logging on federal lands. (the land) Ground or soil used as a basis for agriculture: • My family had worked the land for many years. (the land) Rural areas and the rural way of life: • Many people are leaving the land and going to work in the city. 2. A country or state: • The valley is one of the most beautiful in the land.

Origin Old English onweg, aweg ‘on one’s way’ (see a-2, way)

Origin Old English, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch land and German Land.

Cut Apart Cut

Apart

[with object] 1. Make an opening, incision, or wound in (something) with a sharp-edged tool or object: • He cut his big toe on a sharp stone. Make a deliberate incision in (one’s flesh), as a symptom of psychological or emotional distress: • I started cutting myself when I was about 14 and continued for four years. [no object] • I just started high school and I have a lot of selfconfidence issues and as a result I started cutting. 2. Remove (something) from something larger by using a sharp implement.

adverb 1. (Of two or more people or things) separated by a specified distance in time or space: • Two stone gateposts some thirty feet apart. No longer living together or close emotionally: • Alcoholism had driven us apart. 2. To or on one side; at a distance from the main body: • Isabel stepped away from Joanna and stood apart. Used after a noun to indicate that someone or something has qualities which mark them out from other people or things: • Wrestlers were a breed apart. Used to indicate that one is dismissing something from consideration or moving from one tone or topic to another: • Joking apart, they do a really remarkable job 3. So as to be shattered; into pieces: • He leapt out of the car just before it was blown apart.

Origin Middle English (probably existing, although not recorded, in Old English); probably of Germanic origin and related to Norwegian kutte and Icelandic kuta ‘cut with a small knife’, kuti ‘small blunt knife’.

Origin Late Middle English: from Old French, from Latin a parte ‘at the side’.

Keep in one’s Grasp Keep

Grasp

verb (past and past participle kept /kɛpt/) [with object] 1. Have or retain possession of: • My father would keep the best for himself. Retain or reserve for future use: • The stand where her umbrella was kept. 2. Continue or cause to continue in a specified condition, Strange position, course, etc.: [no object, with complement]: • I kept quiet while Emily talked on. 3. Honour or fulfil (a commitment or undertaking): • I’ll keep my promise, naturally. Observe (a religious occasion) in the prescribed manner: • Today’s consumers do not keep the Sabbath. 4. Make written entries in (a diary) on a regular basis: • The master kept a weekly journal. Write down as (a record): • Keep a note of each item.

verb [with object] Seize and hold firmly: • She grasped the bottle. Take (an opportunity) eagerly: • Many companies grasped the opportunity to expand. Comprehend fully: • The press failed to grasp the significance of what had happened. noun [in singular] a firm hold or grip: • The child slipped from her grasp.

Origin Late Old English cēpan ‘seize, take in’, also ‘care for, attend to’, of unknown origin.

Origin Late Middle English: perhaps related to grope.

Onerous Onerous adjective (Of a task or responsibility) involving a great deal of effort, trouble, or difficulty: • He found his duties increasingly onerous. Law involving heavy obligations: • An onerous lease. Derivatives Onerously. adverb onerousness.

Origin Late Middle English: from Old French onereus, from Latin onerosus, from onus, oner- ‘burden’.

Most Profound Most

Profound

determiner & pronoun Greatest in amount or degree: [as determiner]: • They’ve had the most success. [as pronoun]: • She had the most to lose. The majority of, nearly all of: [as determiner]: • The two-pin sockets found in most European countries [as pronoun]: • I spent most of the winter on the coast.

adjective (profounder, profoundest) 1. (of a state, quality, or emotion) very great or intense: • Profound feelings of disquiet. (of a disease or disability) very severe: • A case of profound liver failure. 2. (of a person or statement) having or showing great knowledge or insight: • A profound philosopher. (of a subject or idea) demanding deep study or thought: • Expressing profound truths in simple language. 3. Archaic very deep: • Profound crevasses.

adverb 1. Forming the superlative of adjectives and adverbs, especially those of more than one syllable: • The most important event of my life.

noun (the profound) literary The deepest part of something, especially the ocean: • Nor billowy surge disturbs the vast profound profound quality: • Her work is an often eerie mix of the banal and the profound.

Origin Old English māst, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch meest and German meist.

Origin Middle English: from Old French profund, from Latin profundus ‘deep’, from Latin pro ‘before’ + fundus ‘bottom’. The word was used earliest in the sense ‘showing deep insight’.

Dwindle Away to Nothing Dwindle

Nothing

verb [no object] Diminish gradually in size, amount, or strength: • Traffic has dwindled to a trickle. (as adjective dwindling) • Dwindling resources • Decrease, diminish, fall, lessen. • Decrease in size, extent, or range.

pronoun Not anything; no single thing: • I said nothing. Something of no importance or concern: • What are you laughing at?, Oh, nothing, sir. They are nothing to him [as noun]: • No longer could we be treated as nothings. (In calculations) no amount; nought. adjective [attributive] informal Having no prospect of progress; of no value: • He had a series of nothing jobs Phrases Be nothing to do with. for nothing 1. At no cost; without payment: • Working for nothing is a luxury I can’t afford 2. To no purpose: • He died anyway, so it had all been for nothing.

Origin Late 16th century: frequentative of Scots and dialect dwine ‘fade away’, from Old English dwīnan, of Germanic origin; related to Middle Dutch dwīnen and Old Norse dvína.

Origin Old English nān thing (see no, thing).

Drawing Instrument Drawing

Instrument

noun A picture or diagram made with a pencil, pen, or crayon rather than paint: • A series of charcoal drawings on white paper. [mass noun] the art or activity of making drawings: • She took lessons in drawing.

noun 1. A tool or implement, especially one for precision work: • A surgical instrument. • Instruments of torture. • Writing instruments. 2. A measuring device used to gauge the level, position, speed, etc. of something, especially a motor vehicle or aircraft: • A new instrument for measuring ozone levels 3. (also musical instrument) an object or device for producing musical sounds: • The musicians started tuning their instruments. 4. A means of pursuing an aim: • The failure of education as an instrument of social reform A person who is exploited or made use of: • He was a mere instrument acting under coercion 5. A formal or legal document: • Execution involves signature and unconditional delivery of the instrument.

Origin Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin instrumentum ‘equipment, implement’, from the verb instruere ‘construct, equip’.

Parallel Parallel adjective 1. (of lines, planes, or surfaces) side by side and having the same distance continuously between them: • Parallel lines never meet. 2. Occurring or existing at the same time or in a similar way; corresponding: • A parallel universe. 3. Of or denoting electrical components or circuits connected to common points at each end, rather than one to another in sequence. The opposite of series. 4. Computing involving the simultaneous performance of operations: • Highly parallel multiprocessor systems. • noun 1. A person or thing that is similar or analogous to another: • A challenge which has no parallel in peacetime this century. A similarity or comparison: • She draws a parallel between personal destiny and social forces. 2. (Also parallel of latitude) each of the imaginary parallel circles of constant latitude on the earth’s surface. 3. Be side by side with (something extending in a line), always keeping the same distance; run or lie parallel to.

Origin Mid 16th century: from French parallèle, via Latin from Greek parallēlos, from para- ‘alongside’ + allēlos ‘one another’.

Crossings Crossing noun 1. A place where roads or railway lines cross: • A stream of cars was waiting for the railway crossing barriers to be opened. 2. A place at which one may safely cross something, especially a street: • We were thirty yards from the crossing when a man stepped off the pavement. 3. [mass noun] the action of crossing something: • The crossing of the Pennines. • A short ferry crossing. 4. Architecture the intersection of a church nave and the transepts: • The cathedral has a lantern tower over the crossing.

Easily Understood Easily

Understood

verb 1. Without difficulty or effort: • He climbed the mountain easily. • Bradford is easily accessible by road More quickly or frequently than is usual: • They get bored easily. 2. Without doubt; by far: • He was easily the bravest man I’ve ever met very probably: • The body could easily be that of an actress.

Past and past participle of understand. verb (past and past participle understood /-ˈstʊd/) [with object] 1. Perceive the intended meaning of (words, a language, or a speaker): • He didn’t understand a word I said. • He could usually make himself understood. [with clause]: • She understood what he was saying. Perceive the significance, explanation, or cause of: she didn’t really understand the situation. 2. Interpret or view (something) in a particular way: • As the term is usually understood, legislation refers to regulations and directives. [with clause] infer something from information received (often used as a polite formula in conversation): • I understand you’re at art school.

Origin Old English understandan (see under-, stand).

Stretchy Stretchy adjective (stretchier, stretchiest) (Especially of material or a garment) able to stretch or be stretched easily: â&#x20AC;˘ Stretchy miniskirts. â&#x20AC;˘ Derivatives Stretchiness.

Line Up Line

noun 1. A long, narrow mark or band. A direct course: • The ball rose in a straight line. A furrow or wrinkle in the skin, especially on the face: • There were new lines round her eyes and mouth laughter lines. A contour or outline considered as a feature of design or composition: • (the line) the level of the base of most letters, such as h and x, in printing and writing. • Informal a dose of a powdered narcotic drug, especially cocaine, laid out in a line ready to be taken. 2. A length of cord, rope, wire, or other material serving a particular purpose: A part of a poem or song forming one row of written or printed words: • Each stanza has eight lines. (Lines) the words of an actor’s part in a play or film: • He couldn’t seem to remember his lines and had to read his dialogue off boards.

line someone/thing up 1. Arrange a number of people or things in a straight row: • They lined them up and shot them. (Line up) (of a number of people or things) stand or be arranged in a straight row: • We would line up across the parade ground, shoulder to shoulder. 2. Have someone or something ready or prepared: have you got any work lined up?

Origin Old English līne ‘rope, series’, probably of Germanic origin, from Latin linea (fibra) ‘flax (fibre)’, from Latin linum ‘flax’, reinforced in Middle English by Old French ligne, based on Latin linea.

The Wrong Way Round Wrong

Round

adjective [predic.] having judged incorrectly; mistaken: • I was wrong about him being on the yacht that evening. Unsuitable or undesirable: • The doctor may regard the patient’s decision as wrong. [predic.] in a bad or abnormal condition; amiss: • Something was wrong with the pump. 2. Unjust, dishonest, or immoral: • That was wrong of me. [with infinitive]: • They were wrong to take the law into their own hands adverb In an unsuitable or undesirable manner or direction: • What am I doing wrong? With an incorrect result: • She guessed wrong.

noun 1. A circular piece of something: • Cut the pastry into rounds. • A thick disc of beef cut from the haunch as a joint. 2. An act of visiting a number of people or places in turn: • She did the rounds of her family to say goodbye. A regular tour of inspection in which the well-being of those visited is checked: • The doctor is just making his rounds in the wards 3. Each of a sequence of sessions in a process, typically characterized by development between one session and another: • The two sides held three rounds of talks. A division of a contest such as a boxing or wrestling match. each of a succession of stages in a competition, in each of which more candidates are eliminated: • The FA Cup first round. 4. A regularly recurring sequence of activities: 5. Music a song for three or more unaccompanied voices or parts, each singing the same theme but starting one after another, at the same pitch or in octaves; a simple canon. 7. The amount of ammunition needed to fire one shot.

The wrong way round In the opposite of the normal or desirable orientation, direction, or sequence: • The batteries were in the wrong way round.

Origin Late Old English wrang, from Old Norse rangr ‘awry, unjust’; related to wring.

Origin Middle English: from the Old French stem round-, from a variant of Latin rotundus ‘rotund’.

Green Green adjective 1. Of the colour between blue and yellow in the spectrum; 2. Covered with grass or other vegetation: • Proposals that would smother green fields with development. (Usually Green) concerned with or supporting protection of the environment as a political principle: • Official Green candidates. (Of a product or service) not harmful to the environment: • Traditional, modern, and green funerals. 3. (of a plant or fruit) young or unripe: • Green shoots. (Of wood, food, or leather) in its original or untreated state; not seasoned, tanned, cured, or dried. Archaic (of a wound) fresh; not healed. 4. (Of a person) inexperienced or naive: • A green recruit fresh from college. 5. (Of a person/their complexion) pale and sickly-looking: • ‘Are you all right?—You look absolutely green’.

Origin Old English grēne (adjective), grēnian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch groen, German grün, also to grass and grow.

Calm and Peaceful Calm

Peaceful

adjective 1. Not showing or feeling nervousness, anger, or other strong emotions: • She had to keep calm at all costs. • His voice was calm. (Of a place) peaceful after violent activity: • The city was reported to be calm. 2. (Of the weather) pleasantly free from wind: • The night was clear and calm. (Of the sea) not disturbed by large waves: • A dead calm sea.

adjective 1. Free from disturbance; tranquil: • His peaceful mood vanished. 2. Not involving war or violence: • A soldier was shot at a peaceful demonstration. (Of a person) inclined to avoid conflict: • Dad was a peaceful, law-abiding citizen.

Origin Late Middle English: via one of the Romance languages from Greek kauma ‘heat (of the day)’.

Needle Work Needle

Work

noun 1. A very fine slender piece of polished metal with a point at one end and a hole or eye for thread at the other, used in sewing: • A darning needle. • A similar, larger instrument used in crafts such as crochet, knitting, and lacemaking. 2. The pointed hollow end of a hypodermic syringe. • A very fine metal spike used in acupuncture. 3. A thin pointer on a dial, compass, or other instrument: • The meter needle barely moved. 4. Something likened to a needle, in particular: A stylus used to play records: • She wound the gramophone and lowered the needle on to the record. • An etching tool. • A steel pin exploding the cartridge of a gun. 5. The sharp, stiff, slender leaf of a fir or pine tree. 6. A pointed rock or peak.

noun [mass noun] 1. Activity involving mental or physical effort done in order to achieve a result: The place where one is employed: 2. A task or tasks to be undertaken: • They made sure the work was progressing smoothly • The materials for a task: 3. A thing or things done or made; the result of an action: • Her work hangs in all the main American collections. • The bombing had been the work of a German cell. [count noun] a literary or musical composition or other piece of art: • A work of fiction. (Works) the artistic production of a particular author, composer, or artist, regarded collectively: • The works of Schubert fill several feet of shelf space. A piece of embroidery, sewing, or knitting, typically made using a specified stitch or method. 4. (Works) [treated as singular] chiefly British a place or premises in which industrial or manufacturing processes are carried out: • He found a job in the locomotive works. 5. (Works) the operative part of a clock or other machine.

Origin Old English nǣdl, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch naald and German Nadel, from an IndoEuropean root shared by Latin nere ‘to spin’ and Greek nēma ‘thread’.

Origin Old English weorc (noun), wyrcan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch werk and German Werk, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek ergon.

Superficial Superficial adjective 1. Existing or occurring at or on the surface: • The building suffered only superficial damage. Situated or occurring on the skin or immediately beneath it: • The superficial muscle groups. 2. Appearing to be true/real until examined more closely: • The resemblance between the breeds is superficial. 3. Not thorough, deep, or complete; cursory: • He had only the most superficial knowledge of foreign countries. Lacking depth of character or understanding: • Perhaps I was a superficial and shallow person. 4. British Building denoting a quantity of a material. Expressed in terms of area covered rather than linear dimension or volume.

Origin late Middle English: from late Latin superficialis, from Latin superficies (see superficies).

Gap Gap noun 1. A break or hole in an object or between two objects: • He peeped through the gap in the curtains. A pass or way through a range of hills: [as name]: • Watford Gap 2. A space or interval; a break in continuity: • There are many gaps in our understanding. A difference, especially an undesirable one, between two views or situations: • The media were bridging the gap between government and people.

Origin Middle English: from Old Norse, ‘chasm’; related to gape.

Put Back Put

Back

1. Move to or place in a particular position: • Harry put down his cup. • I put my hand out towards her. Cause (someone or something) to go to a particular place and remain there for a time: • India has put three experimental satellites into space. [no object, with adverbial of direction] (of a ship) proceed in a particular direction: • She stepped into the boat and put out to sea. • They put in at Cuba to refit. [no object, with adverbial of direction] US archaic (of a river) flow in a particular direction. 2. Bring into a particular state or condition: • They tried to put me at ease. • A large aid programme was put into practice. (Put oneself in) imagine oneself in (a particular situation): • It was no use trying to put herself in his place. Write or print (something) in a particular place: • They put my name on the cover page. Express (a thought or comment) in a particular way: • To put it bluntly, he was not really divorced.

noun 1. The rear surface of the human body from the shoulders to the hips: • He lay on his back. 2. The side or part of something that is away from the spectator or from the direction in which it moves or faces; the rear: • At the back of the hotel is a secluded garden. • A rubber dinghy with an engine at the back. 3. A player in a team game who plays in a defensive position behind the forwards: • Their backs showed some impressive passing. 4. (The Backs) the grounds of Cambridge colleges which back on to the River Cam.

Origin Old English (recorded only in the verbal noun putung), of unknown origin; compare with dialect pote ‘to push, thrust’ (an early sense of the verb put).

Origin Old English bæc, of Germanic origin; related to Middle Dutch and Old Norse bak. The adverb use dates from late Middle English and is a shortening of aback.

Dowdy Dowdy adjective (dowdier, dowdiest) (Of a person, typically a woman, or their clothes) Unfashionable and unstylish in appearance: â&#x20AC;˘ She could achieve the kind of casual chic which made every other woman around her look dowdy.

Origin Late 16th century (as a noun): from dowd.

Hitchcock Film Hitchcock

North by Northwest

Hitchcock, Sir Alfred Pronunciation: /ˈhɪtʃkɒk/ (1899–1980), English film director; full name Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock. Acclaimed in Britain for films such as The Thirty-Nine Steps (1935), he moved to Hollywood in 1939. Among his later works, notable for their suspense and their technical ingenuity, are the thrillers Strangers on a Train (1951), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963).

North by Northwest is a 1959 American spy thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason. The screenplay was written by Ernest Lehman, who wanted to write “the Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures”.

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

Origin Mid 17th century: from Dutch schets or German Skizze, from Italian schizzo, from schizzare ‘make a sketch’, based on Greek skhedios ‘done extempore’.

Round the Bend Round

Bend

verb (past and past participle bent) 1. [With object] shape or force (something straight) into a curve or angle: • The wire has to be bent back tightly. 2. [No object] (of a person) incline the body downwards from the vertical: • She bent down and yanked out the flex. 3. Force or be forced to submit: [with object]: • They want to bend me to their will.

Origin Middle English: from the Old French stem round-, from a variant of Latin rotundus ‘rotund’.

noun 1. A curve in a road, river, path, or racing circuit: • The van screeched round a bend. • A bend in the road. 2. A curved or angled part of something: • Make a bend in the wire. 3. A kind of knot used to join two ropes together, or to tie a rope to another object, e.g. a carrick bend. 4. (The bends) decompression sickness, especially in divers.

Origin Old English bendan ‘put in bonds, tension a bow by means of a string’, of Germanic origin; related to band.

Uncover Uncover verb [with object] 1. Remove a cover or covering from: • He uncovered the face of the dead man. [no object] archaic remove one’s hat, especially as a mark of respect: • He stopped short, reverentially uncovered, and stood still till the line of mourners had passed. 2. Discover (something previously secret or unknown): • Further evidence has been uncovered.

Rhythm Rhythm noun 1. A strong, regular repeated pattern of movement or sound: • Ruth listened to the rhythm of his breathing. [mass noun] the systematic arrangement of musical sounds, principally according to duration and periodical stress: • He made her count beats and clap the rhythm. A particular pattern formed by musical rhythm: • Melodies with deep African rhythms. [mass noun] a person’s natural feeling for musical rhythm: • They’ve got no rhythm. 2. [Mass noun] the measured flow of words and phrases in verse or prose as determined by the relation of long and short or stressed and unstressed syllables: • The rhythm, pattern, and cadence of words. [count noun]: Limericks have a characteristic rhythm and rhyme scheme. 3. A regularly recurring sequence of events or processes: • The twice daily rhythms of the tides. Art a harmonious sequence or correlation of colours or elements: • In Art Nouveau, the flow and rhythm of a design became pre-eminent.

Prosper Prosper verb [no object] Succeed in material terms; be financially successful: • His business prospered. • The state hopes to prosper from free trade with the United States. Flourish physically; grow strong and healthy: • Areas where grey squirrels cannot prosper. [with object] archaic make successful: • God has wonderfully prospered this nation.

Origin Late Middle English: from Old French prosperer, from Latin prosperare, from prosperus ‘doing well’.

Sharpness Sharpness noun [mass noun] The quality or state of being sharp: • The sweetened flavour contrasts nicely with the sharpness of the lemon. • His health and mental sharpness declined. adjective 1. (of an object) having an edge or point that is able to cut or pierce something: • Cut the cake with a very sharp knife. 2. Producing a sudden, piercing physical sensation or effect: • I suddenly felt a sharp pain in my back. • The job was a sharp contrast from her past life. • The scene was as sharp and clear in his mind as a film. 4. (Of an action or change) sudden and marked: • There was a sharp increase in interest rates. • He heard her sharp intake of breath.

Origin Old English sc(e)arp, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch scherp and German scharf.

With a Leg on Each Side Leg

Side

noun 1. Each of the limbs on which a person or animal walks and stands: • Adams broke his leg. • He was off as fast as his legs would carry him. 2. Each of the supports of a chair, table, or other structure: table legs. • The house was set on legs. 3. A section or stage of a journey or process: • The return leg of his journey. 4. A branch of a forked object. 5. (Also leg side) Cricket the half of the field (as divided lengthways through the pitch) away from which the batsman’s feet are pointed when standing to receive the ball: • He played a lucky stroke to leg. 6. Archaic a deferential gesture made by drawing back one leg and bending it while keeping the front leg straight.

noun 1. A position to the left or right of an object, place, or central point: • A town on the other side of the river. 2. An upright or sloping surface of a structure or object that is not the top or bottom and not the front or back: • A car crashed into the side of the house. 3. (one’s side) a position closely adjacent to someone: • His wife stood at his side. 4. A part or region near the edge and away from the middle of something: • A minibus was parked at the side of the road. 5. A person or group opposing another or others in a dispute, contest, or debate: • The two sides agreed to resume border trade. • Whose side are you on?

Origin Middle English (superseding shank): from Old Norse leggr (compare with Danish læg ‘calf (of the leg)’), of Germanic origin.

Origin Old English sīde ‘left or right part of the body’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zijde and German Seite, probably from a base meaning ‘extending lengthways’.

Resist Resist verb [with object] Withstand the action or effect of: • Antibodies help us to resist infection. Try to prevent by action or argument: • We will resist changes to the treaty. Refrain from doing (something tempting or unwise): • I couldn’t resist buying the blouse. [no object] struggle or fight back when attacked: • Without giving her time to resist, he dragged her off her feet. noun A resistant substance applied as a coating to protect a surface during a process, for example to prevent dye or glaze adhering: • New lithographic techniques require their own special resists. [mass noun]: The exposed areas of resist will soften.

Origin Late Middle English: from Old French resister or Latin resistere, from re- (expressing opposition) + sistere ‘stop’ (reduplication of stare ‘to stand’). The current sense of the noun dates from the mid 19th century.

Surround Surround verb [with object] Be all round (someone or something): • The hotel is surrounded by its own gardens. figurative He loves to surround himself with family and friends. (Of troops, police, etc.) encircle (someone or something) so as to cut off communication or escape: • Troops surrounded the parliament building. Be associated with: • The killings were surrounded by controversy. noun A thing that forms a border or edging around an object: • An oak fireplace surround. (Usually surrounds) the area encircling something; surroundings: • The beautiful surrounds of Connemara.

Origin Late Middle English (in the sense ‘overflow’): from Old French souronder, from late Latin superundare, from super- ‘over’ + undare ‘to flow’ (from unda ‘a wave’); later associated with round. Current senses of the noun date from the late 19th century.

Final Stage Final

Stage

adjective Coming at the end of a series: • The final version of the report was presented. Reached or designed to be reached as the outcome of a process or a series of actions and events: • The final cost will easily run into six figures. Allowing no further doubt or dispute: • The decision of the judging panel is final.

noun 1. A point, period, or step in a process or development: • There is no need at this stage to give explicit details. 2. A raised floor or platform, typically in a theatre, on which actors, entertainers, or speakers perform: • There are only two characters on stage. 3. A floor or level of a building or structure: • The upper stage was added in the 17th century. 4. Geology (in chronostratigraphy) a range of strata corresponding to an age in time, forming a subdivision of a series: • The Oxfordian stage. (In palaeoclimatology) a period of time marked by a characteristic climate: • The Boreal stage.

noun 1. The last game in a tournament or other competition, which will decide the winner of the tournament. (Finals) a series of games constituting the final stage of a competition: • The World Cup finals. 2. (Final) North American an examination at the end of a term, school year, or particular class. 3. Music the principal note in a mode. 4. (finals) the final approach of an aircraft to the runway it will be landing on: • The plane piloted by Richards was on finals.

Origin Middle English (in the adjectival sense ‘conclusive’): from Old French, or from Latin finalis, from finis ‘end’. Compare with finish.

Origin Middle English (denoting a floor of a building, platform, or stopping place): shortening of Old French estage ‘dwelling’, based on Latin stare ‘to stand’. Current senses of the verb date from the early 17th century.

Turn Upside Down Turn

Upside Down

verb 1. Move or cause to move in a circular direction wholly or partly around an axis or point: [no object]: • The big wheel was turning. [with object]: • I turned the key in the door and crept in. 2. [With object and adverbial] move (something) so that it is in a different position in relation to its surroundings or its previous position: • We waited in suspense for him to turn the cards over. 3. Change or cause to change in nature, state, form, or colour; become or make: [no object, with complement or adverbial]: • She turned pale.

adverb & adjective With the upper part where the lower part should be; in an inverted position: [as adverb]: • The car rolled and landed upside down. [as adjective]: • An upside-down canoe. In or into total disorder or confusion: [as adverb]: • Burglars have turned our house upside down.

Origin Old English tyrnan, turnian (verb), from Latin tornare, from tornus ‘lathe’, from Greek tornos ‘lathe, circular movement’; probably reinforced in Middle English by Old French turner. The noun (Middle English) is partly from Anglo-Norman French tourn, partly from the verb.

Origin Middle English: originally up so down, perhaps in the sense ‘up as if down’.

Very Small Very

Small

Used for emphasis: In a high degree: • A very large amount. • The river rose very quickly. • Very much so. (With superlative or own) used to emphasize that the following description applies without qualification: • The very best quality. • His very own car.

adjective 1. Of a size that is less than normal or usual: • The room was small and quiet. • The small hill that sheltered the house. Not great in amount, number, strength, or power: • A rather small amount of money. Not fully grown or developed; young: • As a small boy, he spent his days either reading or watching cricket. Used of the first letter of a word that has both a general and a specific use to show that in this case the general use is intended: • They are diehard conservatives, with a small c. 2. Insignificant; unimportant: • These are small points. (Of a business or its owner) operating on a modest scale: • A small farmer. Archaic low or inferior in rank or position; socially undistinguished: • At dinner, some of the smaller neighbours were invited.

adjective 1. Actual; precise (used to emphasize the exact identity of someone or something): • Those were his very words. • He might be phoning her at this very moment. Archaic real; genuine: • The very God of Heaven. 2. Emphasizing an extreme point in time or space: • From the very beginning of the book. • At the very back of the skull. 3. With no addition of anything else; mere: • The very thought of drink made him feel sick.

Origin Middle English (as an adjective in the sense ‘real, genuine’): from Old French verai, based on Latin verus ‘true’.

Origin Old English smæl, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch smal and German schmal.

Not So Dark Not

Dark

adverb 1. (Also n’t joined to a preceding verb) used with an auxiliary verb or ‘be’ to form the negative: • He would not say. 2. Used as a short substitute for a negative clause: • Maybe I’ll regret it, but I hope not. • Don’t you keep in touch? I’m afraid not. • They wouldn’t know if I was telling the truth or not. 3. Used to express the negative of other words: • Not a single attempt was made. • Treating the symptoms and not the cause. 4. Used in understatements to suggest that the opposite of a following word or phrase is true: • The not too distant future. • Not a million miles away.

adjective 1. With little or no light: • It’s too dark to see much. (Of a theatre) closed; not in use: • When I came to work here, over half the West End theatres were dark 2. (Of a colour or object) not reflecting much light; approaching black in shade: • Dark green. (Of someone’s skin, hair, or eyes) brown or black in colour: • Dark curly hair. (Of a person) having dark skin, hair, or eyes: • A tall, dark girl. • Both my father and I are very dark. 3. (Of a period or situation) characterized by great unhappiness or unpleasantness: • The dark days of the war. Deeply pessimistic: • A dark vision of the future. (Of an expression) angry: • Matthew flashed a dark look at her.

Origin Middle English: contraction of the adverb nought.

Origin Old English deorc, of Germanic origin, probably distantly related to German tarnen ‘conceal’.

Locality Locality noun (plural localities) The position or site of something: • The rock’s size and locality. An area or neighbourhood: • She had few friends in the locality. A working-class locality.

Origin Early 17th century: from French localité or late Latin localitas, from localis ‘relating to a place’ (see local).

A Cure for all Ills Cure

Ills

verb [with object] 1. Relieve (a person or animal) of the symptoms of a disease or condition: • He was cured of the disease. Eliminate (a disease or condition) with medical treatment: • This technology could be used to cure diabetes. Solve (a problem): • A bid to trace and cure the gearbox problems. 2. Preserve (meat, fish, tobacco, or an animal skin) by salting, drying, or smoking: (as adjective, in combination -cured) • Home-cured ham. Harden (rubber, plastic, concrete, etc.) after manufacture by a chemical process such as vulcanization: • The early synthetic rubbers were much more difficult to cure than natural rubber. [No object] undergo hardening by a chemical process: • The mastic takes days to cure.

adjective 1. Suffering from an illness or feeling unwell: • He was taken ill with food poisoning. [with submodifier]: • A terminally ill patient. (As plural noun the ill) • A day centre for the mentally ill. 2. [Attributive] poor in quality: • It was ill judgement on Ben’s part. Bad or harmful: • She had four glasses of the same wine and suffered no ill effects. Not favourable or auspicious: • I have had a run of ill luck.

noun 1. A substance or treatment that cures a disease or condition: • The search for a cure for the common cold.

Origin Middle English (as a noun): from Old French curer (verb), cure (noun), both from Latin curare ‘take care of ’, from cura ‘care’. The original noun senses were ‘care, concern, responsibility’, in particular spiritual care. In late Middle English the senses ‘medical care’ and ‘successful medical treatment’ arose, and hence ‘remedy’.

adverb 1. [Usually in combination] badly, wrongly, or imperfectly: • The street is dominated by ill-lit shops Unfavourably or inauspiciously: • A look on her face which boded ill for anyone who crossed her path. 2. Only with difficulty; hardly: • She could ill afford the cost of new curtains. Origin Middle English (in the senses ‘wicked’, ‘malevolent’, ‘harmful’, and ‘difficult’): from Old Norse illr ‘evil, difficult’, of unknown origin.

Scratch Scratch verb 1. [With object] score or mark the surface of (something) with a sharp or pointed object: • The car’s paintwork was battered and scratched. [no object]: • He scratched at a stain on his jacket. Make a long, narrow superficial wound in the skin of: • Her arms were scratched by the thorns. • I scratched myself on the tree. Rub (a part of one’s body) with one’s fingernails to relieve itching: • Jessica lifted her sunglasses and scratched her nose. 2. [With object] cancel or strike out (writing) with a pen or pencil: • The name of Dr McNab was scratched out and that of Dr Dunstaple substituted. Withdraw (a competitor) from a competition: • Jolie’s Halo was scratched from a minor stakes race at Monmouth Park. 3. [No object] (often as noun scratching) play a record using the scratch technique (sense 2 of the noun): • The practices of rap and scratching.

Origin Late Middle English: probably a blend of the synonymous dialect words scrat and cratch, both of uncertain origin; compare with Middle Low German kratsen and Old High German krazzōn.

Off Off adverb 1. Away from the place in question; to or at a distance: • The man ran off. 2. So as to be removed or separated: • He whipped off his coat. • A section of the runway had been cordoned off. Absent; away from work: • Take a day off. 3. Starting a journey or race; leaving: • We’re off on holiday tomorrow. • The gunmen made off on foot. • They’re off ! 4. So as to bring to an end or be discontinued: • The Christmas party rounded off a successful year. • She broke off her reading to look at her husband. To mean cancelled: • Tell them the wedding’s off. 5. (Of an electrical appliance or power supply) not functioning or so as to cease to function: • Switch the TV off. • The electricity was off for four days.

Origin Old English, originally a variant of of (which combined the senses of ‘of ’ and ‘off ’).

Resting Place Rest & Place

Resting Place

verb [no object] 1. Cease work or movement in order to relax, sleep, or recover strength: • He needed to rest after the feverish activity. • I’m going to rest up before travelling to England.

noun Used in reference to the grave or death: • He would share her final resting place in the cemetery.

noun 1. A particular position, point, or area in space; a location: • I can’t be in two places at once. 2. A portion of space designated or available for or being used by someone: • They hurried to their places at the table. • Jackie had saved her a place.

Origin Old English ræst, rest (noun), ræstan, restan (verb), of Germanic origin, from a root meaning ‘league’ or ‘mile’ (referring to a distance after which one rests).

Origin Middle English: from Old French, from an alteration of Latin platea ‘open space’, from Greek plateia (hodos) ‘broad (way)’.

A Very Strange Occasion Strange

Occasion

adjective 1. Unusual or surprising; difficult to understand or explain: • Children have some strange ideas. • He’s a very strange man. [with clause]: • It is strange how things change. Slightly or undefinably unwell or ill at ease: • Her head still felt strange. 2. Not previously visited, seen, or encountered; unfamiliar or alien: • She was lost in a strange country. • A harsh accent that was strange to his ears. (Strange to/at/in) archaic unaccustomed to or unfamiliar with: • I am strange to the work. 3. Physics (of a subatomic particle) having a non-zero value for strangeness.

noun 1. A particular event, or the time at which it takes place: • On one occasion I stayed up until two in the morning. A special or noteworthy event, ceremony, or celebration: • She was presented with a watch to mark the occasion. [mass noun]: • Sunday lunch has a suitable sense of occasion about it. A suitable or opportune time for doing something: • By-elections are traditionally an occasion for registering protest votes. 2. [Mass noun] formal reason; cause: [with infinitive]: • It’s the first time that I’ve had occasion to complain.

Origin Middle English: shortening of Old French estrange, from Latin extraneus ‘external, strange’.

Origin Late Middle English: from Latin occasio(n-) ‘juncture, reason’, from occidere ‘go down, set’, from ob- ‘towards’ + cadere ‘to fall’.

Leaving the Ground Leaving

Ground

verb (past and past participle left /lɛft/) 1. [With object] go away from: • She left London on June 6. [no object]: • We were almost the last to leave. 2. [With object] allow or cause to remain: • The parts he disliked he would alter and the parts he didn’t dislike he’d leave. (Be left) remain to be used or dealt with: • We’ve even got one of the Christmas puddings left over from last year. [with infinitive]: • A retired person with no mortgage left to pay. 3. [with object and adverbial or complement] cause (someone or something) to be in a particular state or position: • He’ll leave you in no doubt about what he thinks. • The children were left with feelings of loss. [with object and infinitive] let (someone) do or deal with something without offering help or assistance: • Infected people are often rejected by family and friends, leaving them to face this chronic condition alone.

noun 1. [in singular] the solid surface of the earth: • He lay on the ground. 2. (Also grounds) an area of land or sea used for a specified purpose: fishing grounds. An area of land, often with associated buildings, used for a particular sport: a football ground. 3. [Mass noun] an area of knowledge or subject of discussion or thought: Third-year courses cover less ground. [count noun]: He shifted the argument on to theoretical grounds of his own choosing. 4. (Grounds) factors forming a basis for action or the justification for a belief: There are some grounds for optimism.

Origin Old English lǣfan ‘bequeath’, also ‘allow to remain, leave in place’ of Germanic origin; related to German bleiben ‘remain’.

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Origin Old English grund, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch grond and German Grund.

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Glossary 2-3 An Object of Wonder 4-5 Fray 6-7 Scrap 8-9 Long-winded 10-11 Exactly Alike 12-13 Inflexible 14-15 Easily Decieved 16-17 Without a Sound 18-19 Make-Believe 20-21 Away from the Land 22-23 Cut Apart 24-25 Keep in Oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Grasp 26-27 Onerous 28-29 Most profound 30-31 Dwindle Away to Nothing 32-33 Drawing instrument 34-35 Parallel 36-37 Crossings 38-39 Easily understood

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40-41 Stretchy 42-43 Line up 44-45 The Wrong Way Round 46-47 Green 48-49 Calm and Peaceful 50-51 Needle Work 52-53 Superficial 54-55 Gap 56-57 Put Back 58-59 Dowdy 60-61 Hitchcock Film 62-63 Sketch 64-65 Round the Bend 66-67 Uncover 68-69 Rhythm 70-71 Prosper 72-73 Sharpness 74-75 With a Leg on Each Side

76-77 Resist 78-79 Surround 80-81 Final Stage 82-83 Turn Upside Down 84-85 Very small 86-87 Not So Dark 88-89 Locality 90-91 A Cure for all Ills 92-93 Scratch 94-95 Off 96-97 Resting Place 98-99 A Very Strange Occasion 100-101 Leaving the Ground

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