Collins Caribbean Student's Dictionary

Collins

caribbean

student’s dictionary

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Guide to the Dictionary Main entry words Main entry words are printed in blue bold type: berry

Variant forms Variant forms are printed in blue bold type after the main entry word: bento or bento box

Pronunciations Pronunciations are given in brackets for words that are difficult or confusing; the word is respelt as it is pronounced, with the stressed syllable in bold type: beret (ber-ray)

Parts of speech Parts of speech are shown in italics as an abbreviation. Where a word has several senses for one part of speech, the senses are numbered: bereaved adj having recently lost a close relative or friend through death ▶ history Old English bereafian to deprive > bereavement n

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When a word can be used as more than one part of speech, the change of 14/11/2016 09:16 part of speech is shown after an empty arrow: besides adv 1 in addition ▷ prep 2 apart from; even considering ▷ conj 3 anyway; moreover

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Irregular forms Irregular forms of verbs, nouns, adjectives, and adverbs are shown in blue Caribbean bold type:Students Dict A-C 2nd proofs.indd 70

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bestride vb -striding, -strode t

Definitions and examples Definitions give the meaning of the word. Example sentences are in italics and show how the word is used: better-off adj reasonably wealthy: Catalonia aims to attract better-off tourists

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Guide to the Dictionary Phrases Phrases are given in blue bold type: berserk adj go berserk to become violent or destructive

Regional labels Regional labels are given in italics: bespoke adj chiefly Brit 1 (esp. of a suit) made to the customer’s specifications 2 making or selling

Usage labels Usage labels (showing register or context) are given in italics: betrothed old-fashioned adj 1 engaged to be married ▷ n 2 the person to whom one is

Subject labels Subject labels are given in italics: bergschrund (berk-shroont) n geog a crevasse at

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the head of a glacier ▶ history German: mountain 14/11/2016 09:16 crack

Related adjectives Caribbean Students Dict A-C 2nd proofs.indd

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Related adjectives are given in black bold type: bird n 1 a two-legged creature with feathers and wings, which lays eggs and can usually fly. Related adjective: avian 2 slang, chiefly Brit a girl or young

Related words Related words are given at the end of an entry in blue bold type after a chevron: bereaved adj having recently lost a close relative or friend through death ▶ history Old English bereafian to deprive > bereavement n

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Guide to the Dictionary Cross-references Cross-references are given in black bold type: beyond reasonable doubt n law the standard of proof in a criminal case, meaning that, before someone can be found guilty, there must not be any reasonable doubt as to their guilt in the minds of the jury or magistrate. Compare balance of probabilities

Word histories Word histories are given towards the end of an entry after a black filled arrow: bête noire (bet nwahr) n, pl bêtes noires a person or thing that one particularly dislikes or dreads ▶ history French, literally: black beast

Detailed word histories Detailed word histories give more information about interesting words:

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bonfire n a large outdoor fire

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word history A ‘bonfire’ is literally a ‘bone-fire’. Bones were used as fuel in the Middle Ages.

Word Focus boxes Word Focus boxes give alternatives for overused words. The sense numbers in the Word Focus box correspond to the sense numbers in the dictionary entry:

better Like best, the word better can be replaced with a number of alternatives to add variety and interest to your written and spoken English. definition 2

•If you want to describe something as being more excellent than other things, you could try: the greater prize • higher-quality service • far superior to yours • surpassing quality definition 3 •If you want to describe something as being more

word focus suitable or attractive than other things, you could try: no finer place • much grander house • much nicer room • preferable to • a worthier cause definition 4 •If you want to describe someone as having improved health, you could say: now I’m cured • a lot fitter • fully recovered • much healthier • definitely improving • on the mend now • she’s recovering • getting stronger • feeling well again

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Aa a1 or A n, pl a’s, A’s or As 1 the first letter of the English alphabet 2 from A to B from one place to another: I just want a car that takes me from A to B 3 from A to Z from start to finish a1 adj (indefinite article) 1 used preceding a singular count noun that has not been mentioned before: a book; a great shame 2 used preceding a noun or adjective of quantity: a litre of wine; a great amount has been written; I swim a lot and walk much more 3 each or every; per: I saw him once a week for six weeks A 1 music the sixth note of the scale of C major 2 ampere(s) 3 atomic: an A-bomb Å angstrom unit a- or before a vowel an- prefix not or without: atonal; asocial; anaphrodisiac ▶ history Greek A1, A-1 or A-one adj informal first-class, excellent A4 n a standard paper size, 297 × 210 mm AA 1 Alcoholics Anonymous 2 (in Britain and S Africa) Automobile Association AAA Brit (formerly) Amateur Athletic Association A & R artists and repertoire aardvark n a S African anteater with long ears and snout

word history ’Aardvark’ is an obsolete Afrikaans word meaning ‘earth pig’, from aarde, meaning ‘earth’ and vark, meaning ‘pig’. With its long ears and snout and its stout body, the aardvark does look rather like a pig, but pigs and aardvarks belong to totally separate animal families.

AB 1 able-bodied seaman 2 Alberta ab- prefix away from or opposite to: abnormal ▶ history Latin aback adv taken aback startled or disconcerted abacus (ab-a-cuss) n a counting device consisting of a frame holding beads on metal rods ▶ history Latin abaft adv, adj naut closer to the stern of a ship ▶ history Old English be by + æftan behind abalone (ab-a-lone-ee) n an edible sea creature with a shell lined with mother-of-pearl ▶ history American Spanish abulón abandon vb 1 to desert or leave: he had already abandoned his first wife 2 to give up completely: did you abandon all attempts at contact with the boy?

3 to give oneself over completely to an emotion ▷ n 4 with abandon uninhibitedly and without

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restraint ▶ history Old French a bandon under one’s control > abandonment n abandoned adj 1 no longer used or occupied: four people were found dead in an abandoned vehicle 2 wild and uninhibited: that fluffy abandoned laugh abase vb abasing, abased • abase oneself to make oneself humble ▶ history Old French abaissier > abasement n abashed adj written embarrassed and ashamed ▶ history Old French esbair to be astonished abate vb abating, abated to make or become less strong: the tension has abated in recent months ▶ history Old French abatre to beat down > abatement n abattoir (ab-a-twahr) n a slaughterhouse ▶ history French abattre to fell abbacy n, pl -cies the office or jurisdiction of an abbot or abbess ▶ history Church Latin abbatia abbé (ab-bay) n a French abbot or other clergyman abbess n the nun in charge of a convent ▶ history Church Latin abbatissa abbey n 1 a church associated with a community of monks or nuns 2 a community of monks or nuns 3 a building inhabited by monks or nuns ▶ history Church Latin abbatia abbacy abbot n the head of an abbey of monks ▶ history Aramaic abbā father abbreviate vb -ating, -ated 1 to shorten a word by leaving out some letters 2 to cut short ▶ history Latin brevis brief > abbreviation n ABC1 n 1 the alphabet 2 an alphabetical guide 3 the basics of something ABC2 Australian Broadcasting Corporation abdicate vb -cating, -cated 1 to give up the throne formally 2 to give up one’s responsibilities ▶ history Latin abdicare to disclaim > abdication n abdomen n the part of the body that contains the stomach and intestines ▶ history Latin > abdominal adj abduct vb to remove (a person) by force; kidnap ▶ history Latin abducere to lead away > abduction n > abductor n abeam adv, adj at right angles to the length of a ship or aircraft Aberdeen Angus n a black hornless breed of beef cattle originating in Scotland aberrant adj not normal, accurate, or correct: aberrant behaviour aberration n 1 a sudden change from what is normal, accurate, or correct 2 a brief lapse in control of one’s thoughts or feelings: he suddenly had a mental aberration ▶ history Latin aberrare to wander away abet vb abetting, abetted to help or encourage in wrongdoing ▶ history Old French abeter to lure on abeyance n in abeyance put aside temporarily ▶ history Old French abeance, literally: a gaping after abhor vb -horring, -horred to detest utterly ▶ history Latin abhorrere to shudder at

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abhorrent

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2

–

above

abhorrent adj hateful or disgusting

abominable snowman n a large creature, like

> abhorrence n abide vb 1 to tolerate: I can’t abide stupid people 2 to last or exist for a long time: these instincts, while subdued in the individual, may abide in the race 3 abide by to act in accordance with: he must abide by the findings of the report 4 archaic to live ▶ history Old English ābīdan, from a- (intensive) + bīdan to wait abiding adj lasting for ever: an abiding interest in history ability n, pl -ties 1 possession of the necessary skill or power to do something 2 great skill or competence: his ability as a speaker was legendary ▶ history Latin habilitas abiotic (ay-bye-ott-ik) adj not living or not produced by living organisms. Compare biotic abject adj 1 utterly miserable: one Mexican in five lives in abject poverty 2 lacking all self-respect ▶ history Latin abjectus thrown away > abjectly adv abjure vb -juring, -jured to renounce or deny under oath ▶ history Latin abjurare > abjuration n ablation n 1 the surgical removal of an organ or part 2 the wearing away of a rock or glacier 3 the melting of a part, such as the heat shield of a space re-entry vehicle ▶ history Latin ablatus carried away ablaze adj 1 on fire 2 brightly illuminated: the sky was ablaze with the stars shining bright 3 emotionally aroused: his eyes were ablaze with anger able adj 1 having the necessary power, skill, or opportunity to do something 2 capable or talented ▶ history Latin habilis easy to hold -able suffix forming adjectives able to be acted upon as specified: washable ▶ history Latin -abilis, -ibilis > -ably suffix forming adverbs > -ability suffix forming nouns able-bodied adj strong and healthy able-bodied seaman or able seaman n a seaman who is trained in certain skills ableism (ay-bel-iz-zum) n Brit, Austral & S African discrimination against disabled people ablutions pl n the act of washing: after the nightly ablutions, I settled down to read ▶ history Latin abluere to wash away ably adv competently or skilfully ABM antiballistic missile abnormal adj differing from the usual or typical > abnormality n > abnormally adv aboard adv, adj, prep on, in, onto, or into (a ship, plane, or train) abode n one’s home ▶ history from abide abolish vb to do away with (laws, regulations, or customs) ▶ history Latin abolere to destroy abolition n 1 the act of doing away with something: the abolition of slavery 2 Abolition the ending of slavery > abolitionist n, adj A-bomb n short for atomic bomb abominable adj very bad or unpleasant: I think that what is being done here is utterly abominable > abominably adv

a man or an ape, that is said to live in the Himalayas ▶ history translation of Tibetan metohkangmi foul snowman abominate vb -nating, -nated to dislike intensely ▶ history Latin abominari to regard as an ill omen > abomination n aboriginal adj existing in a place from the earliest known period Aboriginal adj 1 of the Aborigines of Australia ▷ n 2 an Aborigine aborigine (ab-or-rij-in-ee) n Brit, Austral & NZ an original inhabitant of a country or region, esp.

(A-) Australia ▶ history from Latin aborigines, the name of the inhabitants of Latium in pre-Roman times Aborigine n a member of a dark-skinned people who were already living in Australia when European settlers arrived abort vb 1 (of a pregnancy) to end before the fetus is viable 2 to end a plan or process before completion ▶ history Latin abortare abortion n 1 an operation to end pregnancy 2 the premature ending of a pregnancy when a fetus is expelled from the womb before it can live independently 3 the failure of a mission or project 4 informal something that is grotesque > abortionist n abortion pill n a drug used to terminate a pregnancy in its earliest stage abortive adj failing to achieve its purpose abound vb 1 to exist in large numbers 2 abound in to have a large number of ▶ history Latin abundare to overflow about prep 1 relating to or concerning 2 near to 3 carried on: I haven’t any money about me 4 on every side of ▷ adv 5 near in number, time, or degree; approximately 6 nearby 7 here and there: there were some fifteen other people scattered about on the first floor 8 all around; on every side 9 in or to the opposite direction 10 in rotation: turn and turn about 11 used to indicate understatement: it’s about time somebody told the truth on that subject 12 about to on the point of; intending to: she was about to get in the car 13 not about to determined not to: we’re not about to help her out ▷ adj 14 active: he was off the premises well before anyone was up and about ▶ history Old English abūtan, onbūtan on the outside of about-turn or US about-face n 1 a complete change of opinion or direction 2 a reversal of the direction in which one is facing above prep 1 higher than; over 2 greater than in quantity or degree: above average 3 superior to or higher than in quality, rank, or ability 4 too high-minded for: he considered himself above the task of working 5 too respected for; beyond: his fleet was above suspicion 6 too difficult to be understood by: a discussion that was way above my head 7 louder or higher than (other noise) 8 in preference to 9 above all most of all; especially ▷ adv 10 in or to a higher place: the hills above 11 in a previous place

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Writing business letters f FAQ Q. Is there a particular style I should use?

A. Most companies have their own way of doing things. They have a ‘house style’ for layout and punctuation so if you are unsure or new to a company, look back in the filing to find out which style has been used as the house style.

Q. What do I need to include in a business letter?

A. You should include: the company letterhead; the letter reference; date; addressee’s name and address; salutation (opening); subject heading; body of the letter; subscription (closing); signature or signatory. f Tips • Keep letters short and to the point.

UNIQUE SURVIVAL GUIDE

• The subject heading indicates the subject of the letter for quick reference and should only be two or three words.

• Make sure you open with a statement of intent and close with a request or promise of action.

• Avoid using ambiguous words or phrases. If there is any chance of a misunderstanding, find an alternative way to say it.

• Think out your letter before you start to compose it. Make notes if it helps to organize the information in a logical order.

• Remember that the standard method of closing before the signature depends on the opening at the start of the letter. If you opened with ‘Dear Sir’, you should close with ‘Yours faithfully’, if you opened with ‘Dear Mr….’ you should close with ‘Yours sincerely’.

• All parts of a letter are designed to give important information. If your letters give accurate information, you will increase efficiency.

• If you can amend a standard or similar letter to say what you need to say, do so. It will save you time.

• If the sender is not available to sign, the letter can be signed per procurationem (‘for and on behalf of ’) by another person (the signatory). This is indicated by the abbreviation ‘pp’ written or typed before the signatory.

• Always proofread your letters for spelling errors and other details.

• Don’t rely on your computer spell-check facility.

• If the letter has been marked ‘Personal’, ‘Private’ or ‘Confidential’, ensure that the envelope has been marked in the same way. Private means personal, confidential means sensitive.

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f Useful phrases • Thank you for your letter/email …

• With regard to … I am writing to …

• Further to our recent telephone conversation …

• Further to your recent email …

• If you require further information please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Ms Vera Williams 111 Windward Road Ocho Rios Jamaica 27th January 2016

UNIQUE SURVIVAL GUIDE

Dear Ms Williams I am writing to thank you for coming to the office yesterday so that we could discuss the possibility of our company taking over responsibility for publishing The Big Book of Yo-Yos. This is an exciting opportunity for us and I hope that we are able to reach a mutually beneficial agreement.

I will present this title to my sales and marketing team at our regular meeting midweek, and will then take the proposal to the more formal acquisitions meeting early next week.

I have sounded my marketing director out already and he is as enthusiastic as I am to publish your book, so I am not anticipating too many problems getting a positive response from the sales team.

I will also look at the financial side of the project, and you are kindly going to send me a copy of your current contract, detailing royalty rates. I have requested a copy of our standard author contract from the legal department and will forward this to you as soon as it arrives.

I enjoyed meeting you on Friday and hope that this is the start of a fruitful relationship. I will of course keep you up to date with progress.

Yours sincerely Eugenia Macaulay Publishing Manager

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Writing memoranda f FAQ Q. What is a memorandum?

A. A memorandum (or memo) is a short letter or note sent to a particular in-house member of staff or circulated to groups of people.

Q. Can I send a memo to someone in another company?

A. Memos are not usually sent out of house.

Q. What information does a memo usually contain?

A. A memo usually contains: the sender’s name and department; the addressee’s name and department; date; and the subject.

UNIQUE SURVIVAL GUIDE

Q. Can memos be used for confidential information and do they need a signature?

A. They are not normally used for confidential information, but if they are they should be placed in a sealed envelope marked ‘Confidential’.

Memos are not usually signed, but if they contain financial information it may be usual for the sender to add initials.

Q. Do I need to keep a copy?

A. Always keep and file copies of all memoranda, as with other forms of correspondence.

To: Shontay Broomes Publishing Production

From: Jada Reid Editorial Department

23/01/16 THE BIG BOOK OF YO-YOS TEXT PRINTING COPY Shontay, With regard to passing the book for press, I enclose the text printing copy: – complete set of text pages, with book pages marked and margins ruled up for all prelims.

– pagination and margins list.

– sheet showing book pages and their content.

Please pass this and request a full set of proofs from the printer for checking.

Cover copy for this edition already passed.

Thanks, Jada

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