Collins COBUILD Advanced American English Dictionary [Third edition]

Collins

ADVANCED AMERICAN

ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Cobuild_Adv_Dict NEW 164x238 TITLE PAGE.indd 1

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afternoon after|noon 쏆쏆앳 /æftərnun/ (afternoons) n-var The afternoon

A is the part of each day that begins at lunchtime and ends at afternoon

about six o’clock. ❏ He’s arriving in the afternoon. ❏ He had stayed in his room all afternoon. after|noon tea (afternoon teas) n-var Afternoon tea is a small meal you can have in the afternoon. It includes a cup of tea and food such as sandwiches and cakes. [brit] after-party (after-parties) n-count An after-party is a small party held after a larger event, to which only a small group of guests is invited. ❏ He met her at a fashion-show after-party. after-sales ser|vice (after-sales services) n-var A company’s after-sales service is all the help and information that it provides to customers after they have bought a particular product. [business] ❏ … a local retailer who offers a good after-sales service. ❏ They are also attempting to keep the car buyer as a long-term customer by offering after-sales service. after-school adj [adj n] After-school activities are those that are organized for children in the afternoon or evening after they have finished school. ❏ … an after-school program for advanced students. after|shave /æftərʃeɪv/ (aftershaves) also after-shave n-mass Aftershave is a liquid with a pleasant smell that men sometimes put on their faces after shaving. ❏ … a bottle of aftershave. after|shock /æftərʃɒk/ (aftershocks)  n-count Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that occur after a large earthquake.  n-count [usu with supp] People sometimes refer to the effects of an important event, especially a bad one, as the aftershock. [mainly journalism] ❏ They were already under stress, thanks to the aftershock of last year’s drought. after|taste /æftərteɪst/ also after-taste n-sing An aftertaste is a taste that remains in your mouth after you have finished eating or drinking something. after|thought /æftərθɔt/ (afterthoughts) n-count [usu sing, usu a n] If you do or say something as an afterthought, you do or say it after something else as an addition, perhaps without careful thought. ❏ Almost as an afterthought he added that he missed her. after|ward 쏆앳앳 /æftərwərd/ also afterwards adv [adv with cl] If you do something or if something happens afterward, you do it or it happens after a particular event or time that has already been mentioned. ❏ Shortly afterward, police arrested four suspects. after|word /ɑftərwɜrd/ n-sing An afterword is a short essay at the end of a book, usually written by the author. again 쏆쏆쏆 /əgɛn, əgeɪn/  adv You use again to indicate that something happens a second time, or after it has already happened before. ❏ He kissed her again. ❏ Again there was a short silence.  adv [adv after v] You use again to indicate that something is now in a particular state or place that it used to be in. ❏ He opened his attaché case, removed a folder, then closed it again.  adv [adv cl] You can use again when you want to point out that there is a similarity between the subject that you are talking about now and a previous subject. ❏ Again the pregnancy was very similar to my previous two.  adv [adv with cl] You can use again in expressions such as but again, then again, and there again when you want to introduce a remark that contrasts with or weakens something that you have just said. ❏ You may be happy to buy imitation leather, and then again, you may wonder what you’re getting for your money.  adv [cl adv] You can add again to the end of your question when you are asking someone to tell you something that you have forgotten or that they have already told you. [spoken] ❏ Sorry, what’s your name again?.  adv [amount adv] You use again in expressions such as half as much again when you are indicating how much greater one amount is than another amount that you have just mentioned or are about to mention. [brit] ❏ A similar wine from France would cost you half as much again.  phrase You can use again and again or time and again to emphasize that something happens many times. [emphasis] ❏ He would go over his work again and again until he felt he had it right.  now and again ➞ see now  once again ➞ see once against 쏆쏆쏆 /əgɛnst, əgeɪnst/ afternoon tea

after-party

after-sales service

after-school

aftershave

aftershock

aftertaste

afterthought

afterward

afterword

again

age-appropriate

26

 prep If one thing is leaning or pressing against another,

it is touching it. ❏ She leaned against him. ❏ On a table pushed against a wall there were bottles of beer and wine.  prep If you are against something such as a plan, policy, or system, you think it is wrong, bad, or stupid. ❏ Taxes are unpopular – it is understandable that voters are against them. ❏ Joan was very much against commencing drug treatment. ● adv [adv after v] Against is also an adverb. ❏ The vote for the suspension of the party was 283 in favor with 29 against.  prep If you compete against someone in a game, you try to beat them. ❏ This is the first of two games against Denver in the next five days.  prep If you take action against someone or something, you try to harm them. ❏ Security forces are still using violence against opponents of the government.  prep If you take action against a possible future event, you try to prevent it. ❏ Experts have been discussing how to improve the fight against crime.  prep If you do something against someone’s wishes, advice, or orders, you do not do what they want you to do or tell you to do. ❏ He discharged himself from the hospital against the advice of doctors.  prep If you do something in order to protect yourself against something unpleasant or harmful, you do something that will make its effects on you less serious if it happens. ❏ Any business needs insurance against ordinary risks such as fire, flood, and breakage.  prep If something is against the law or against the rules, there is a law or a rule which says that you must not do it. ❏ It is against the law to detain you against your will for any length of time.  prep If you are moving against a current, tide, or wind, you are moving in the opposite direction to it. ❏ … swimming upstream against the current.  prep If something happens or is considered against a particular background of events, it is considered in relation to those events, because those events are relevant to it. ❏ The profits rise was achieved against a backdrop of falling metal prices.  prep If something is measured or valued against something else, it is measured or valued by comparing it with the other thing. ❏ Our policies have to be judged against a clear test: will it improve the standard of education?  prep [n prep] The odds against something happening are the chances or odds that it will not happen. ❏ The odds against him surviving are incredible. ● adv [n adv] Against is also an adverb. ❏ What were the odds against?  phrase If you have something against someone or something, you dislike them. ❏ Have you got something against women, Les?  up against ➞ see up 햳  against the clock ➞ see clock agape /əgeɪp/ adj [v-link adj] If you describe someone as having their mouth agape, their mouth is open very wide, often because they are very surprised by something. [written] ❏ She stood looking at Carmen with her mouth agape. ag|ate /ægɪt/ (agates) n-var Agate is a very hard stone which is used to make jewelry. age 쏆쏆쏆 /eɪdʒ/ (ages, aging or ageing, aged)  n-var Your age is the number of years that you have lived. ❏ She has a nephew who is just ten years of age. ❏ At the age of sixteen he qualified for a place at the University of North Carolina.  n-var The age of a thing is the number of years since it was made. ❏ Everything in the room looks in keeping with the age of the building.  n-uncount Age is the state of being old or the process of becoming older. ❏ Perhaps he has grown wiser with age. ❏ This cologne, like wine, improves with age.  v-t/v-i When someone ages, or when something ages them, they seem much older and less strong or less alert. ❏ He had always looked so young, but he seemed to have aged in the last few months.  n-count An age is a period in history. ❏ … the age of steam and steel.  n-count You can say an age or ages to mean a very long time. [informal] ❏ He waited what seemed an age.  ➞ see also aged, aging, middle age  ➞ See feature box at appearance agape

agate

age

synonyms age noun  time: We are in one of the most severe recessions in modern times. era: It was an era of austerity. period: No reference to their existence appears in any literature of the period. epoch: This marked an epoch in the social history of the city.

against

In addition to the uses shown below, against is used in phrasal verbs such as ‘come up against,’ ‘guard against,’ and ‘hold against.’

Cob_American_Adv_A-C 2nd proofs.indd 26

age-appropriate adj Something that is age-appropriate is suitable for the age that a person is. ❏ That outfit isn’t really age-appropriate. age-appropriate

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armband arm|band /ɑrmbænd/ (armbands)  n-count An armband is a band of fabric that you wear around your upper arm in order to show that you have an official position or belong to a particular group. Some people wear a black armband as a symbol of mourning or protest.  n-count Armbands are the same as water wings. [brit] arm|chair /ɑrmtʃɛər/ (armchairs)  n-count An armchair is a big comfortable chair that has a support on each side for your arms. ❏ She was sitting in an armchair with blankets wrapped around her.  adj [adj n] An armchair critic, fan, or traveler knows about a particular subject from reading or hearing about it rather than from practical experience. ❏ This great book is ideal for both the traveling supporter and the armchair fan.  ➞ See also color supplement armed 쏆쏆앳 /ɑrmd/  adj Someone who is armed is carrying a weapon, usually a gun. ❏ City police said the man was armed with a revolver. ❏ … a barbed-wire fence patrolled by armed guards.  adj [adj n] An armed attack or conflict involves people fighting with guns or carrying weapons. ❏ They had been found guilty of armed robbery.  ➞ see also arm 햳 armband

armchair

armed

-armed /-ɑrmd/  comb in adj -armed is used with adjectives

-armed

to indicate what kind of arms someone has. ❏ … plump-armed women in cotton dresses.  comb in adj -armed is used with adjectives such as ‘nuclear’ and nouns such as ‘missile’ to form adjectives that indicate what kind of weapons an army or person has. ❏ …nuclear-armed navy vessels.  ➞ see also armed armed forces 쏆앳앳 n-plural The armed forces or the armed services of a country are its military forces, usually the army, navy, marines, and air force. ❏ Every member of the armed forces is a hero. arm|ful /ɑrmfʊl/ (armfuls) n-count [usu n of n] An armful of something is the amount of it that you can carry fairly easily. ❏ He hurried out with an armful of brochures. arm|hole /ɑrmhoʊl/ (armholes) n-count The armholes of something such as a shirt or dress are the openings through which you put your arms, or the places where the sleeves are attached. ar|mi|stice /ɑrmɪstɪs/ n-sing An armistice is an agreement between countries who are at war with one another to stop fighting and to discuss ways of making peace. ❏ Finally, the Bolsheviks signed an armistice with Germany. arm|load /ɑrmloʊd/ (armloads) n-count [usu n of n] An armload of something is the same as an armful of something. ❏ … an armload of books. armed forces

armful

armhole

around

63 armor-plating

armor-plating

armory

in brit, use armoury  n-count A country’s armory is all the weapons and military

equipment that it has. ❏ Nuclear weapons will play a less prominent part in NATO’s armory in the future.  n-count An armory is a place where weapons, bombs, and other military equipment are stored. ❏ … a failed attempt to steal weapons from an armory.  n-count In the United States, an armory is a building used by the National Guard or Army Reserve for meetings and training. ❏ The National Guard says an armory in Fairmont has opened to shelter stranded motorists. ar|mour /ɑrmər/ [brit] ➞ see armor arm|pit /ɑrmpɪt/ (armpits) n-count Your armpits are the areas of your body under your arms where your arms join your shoulders. ❏ I shave my armpits every couple of days. arm|rest /ɑrmrɛst/ (armrests) also arm rest n-count The armrests on a chair are the two pieces on either side that support your arms when you are sitting down. arms race n-sing An arms race is a situation in which two countries or groups of countries are continually trying to get more and better weapons than each other. army 쏆쏆쏆 /ɑrmi/ (armies)  n-count-coll An army is a large organized group of people who are armed and trained to fight on land in a war. Most armies are organized and controlled by governments. ❏ Perkins joined the Army in 1990.  n-count-coll An army of people, animals, or things is a large number of them, especially when they are regarded as a force of some kind. ❏ … data collected by an army of volunteers. armour

armpit

armrest

arms race

army

collocations army noun

armistice



noun + army: guerrilla, rebel; reserve, volunteer adjective + army: regular; advancing, invading, retreating verb + army: command, deploy, lead, mobilize; join; defeat

armload

ar|mor /ɑrmər/

armor

a

in brit, use armour-plating n-uncount The armor-plating on a vehicle or building is the hard metal covering that is intended to protect it from gunfire and other missiles. ar|mory /ɑrməri/ (armories)



adjective + army: growing, small, vast

aro|ma /əroʊmə/ (aromas) n-count An aroma is a strong, pleasant smell. ❏ … the wonderful aroma of freshly baked bread. aroma|thera|pist /əroʊməθɛrəpɪst/ (aromatherapists) n-count An aromatherapist is a person who is qualified to practice aromatherapy. aroma|thera|py /əroʊməθɛrəpi/ n-uncount Aromatherapy is a type of treatment which involves massaging the body with special fragrant oils. aro|mat|ic /ærəmætɪk/ adj An aromatic plant or food has a strong, pleasant smell of herbs or spices. ❏ … an evergreen shrub with deep green, aromatic leaves. arose /əroʊz/ Arose is the past tense of arise. aroma

in brit, use armour  n-uncount In former times, armor was special metal

clothing that soldiers wore for protection in battle. ❏ … knights in armor.  n-uncount Armor consists of tanks and other military vehicles used in battle. [military] ❏ U.S. Army troops and armor blocked access to the main palace grounds.  n-uncount Armor is a hard, usually metal, covering that protects a vehicle against attack. ❏ … a formidable warhead that can penetrate the armor of most tanks.  knight in shining armor ➞ see knight

ar|mored /ɑrmərd/

armored

in brit, use armoured

aromatherapist

aromatherapy

aromatic

arose

around

 adj Armored vehicles are equipped with a hard metal

covering in order to protect them from gunfire and other missiles. ❏ More than forty armored vehicles carrying troops have been sent into the area.  adj Armored troops are troops in armored vehicles. ❏ These front-line defenses are backed up by armored units in reserve. ar|mor|er /ɑrmərər/ (armorers) armorer

in brit, use armourer n-count An armorer is someone who makes or supplies weapons.

armor-plated

armor-plated

in brit, use armour-plated adj [usu adj n] An armor-plated vehicle or building has a hard metal covering in order to protect it from gunfire and other missiles. ❏ He has taken to traveling in an armor-plated car.

Cob_American_Adv_A-C 2nd proofs.indd 63

around 쏆쏆쏆 /əraʊnd/

Around is an adverb and a preposition. In British English, the word ‘round’ is often used instead. Around is often used with verbs of movement, such as ‘walk’ and ‘drive,’ and also in phrasal verbs such as ‘get around’ and ‘turn around.’  prep To be positioned around a place or object means to

surround it or be on all sides of it. To move around a place means to go along its edge, back to your starting point. ❏ She looked at the papers around her. ❏ Today she wore her hair down around her shoulders. ● adv [n adv] Around is also an adverb. ❏ … a village with a rocky river, a ruined castle and hills all around.  prep If you move around a corner or obstacle, you move to the other side of it. If you look around a corner or obstacle, you look to see what is on the other side. ❏ The photographer stopped clicking and hurried around the corner.  prep If you move around a place, you travel through it, going to most of its

02/05/2023 16:14

assumed name

astronomical

73

someone assumes power or responsibility, they take power or responsibility. ❏ Mr. Cross will assume the role of CEO with a team of four directors.  v-t If you assume a particular expression or way of behaving, you start to look or behave in this way. ❏ He managed to assume an air of calm.

as|sumed name (assumed names) n-count [usu under n] If you do something under an assumed name, you do it using a name that is not your real name. assumed name

as|sum|ing /əsumɪŋ/ conj You use assuming or assuming that when you are considering a possible situation or event, so that you can think about the consequences. ❏ “Assuming you’re right,” he said, “there’s not much I can do about it, is there?” assuming

as|sump|tion 쏆앳앳 /əsʌmpʃən/ (assumptions) n-count If you make an assumption that something is true or will happen, you accept that it is true or will happen, often without any real proof. ❏ You would be making an assumption that’s not based on any fact that you could report. assumption

synonyms assumption

asth|mat|ic /æzmætɪk/ (asthmatics)  n-count People who have asthma are sometimes referred to as asthmatics. ❏ I have been an asthmatic from childhood and was never able to play any sports. ● adj Asthmatic is also an adjective. ❏ One child in ten is asthmatic.  adj [adj n] Asthmatic means relating to asthma. ❏ … asthmatic breathing. astig|ma|tism /əstɪgmətɪzəm/ n-uncount If someone has astigmatism, the front of their eye has a slightly irregular shape, so they cannot see properly. aston|ish /əstɒnɪʃ/ (astonishes, astonishing, astonished) v-t If something or someone astonishes you, they surprise you very much. ❏ My news will astonish you. aston|ished /əstɒnɪʃt/ adj If you are astonished by something, you are very surprised about it. ❏ They were astonished to find the driver was a six-year-old boy. aston|ish|ing /əstɒnɪʃɪŋ/ adj Something that is astonishing is very surprising. ❏ … an astonishing display of physical strength. ● aston|ish|ing|ly adv ❏ Andrea was an astonishingly beautiful young woman. aston|ish|ment /əstɒnɪʃmənt/ n-uncount Astonishment is a feeling of great surprise. ❏ I spotted a shooting star which, to my astonishment, was bright green in color. astound /əstaʊnd/ (astounds, astounding, astounded) v-t If something astounds you, you are very surprised by it. ❏ He used to astound his friends with feats of physical endurance. astound|ed /əstaʊndɪd/ adj If you are astounded by something, you are very shocked or surprised that it could exist or happen. ❏ I was astounded by its beauty. ❏ I am astounded at the comments made by the Senator. astound|ing /əstaʊndɪŋ/ adj If something is astounding, you are shocked or amazed that it could exist or happen. ❏ The results are quite astounding. as|tra|khan /æstrəkæn/ n-uncount [usu n n] Astrakhan is black or gray curly fur from the skins of lambs. It is used for making coats and hats. ❏ … a coat with an astrakhan collar. as|tral /æstrəl/ adj Astral means relating to the stars. [formal] astray /əstreɪ/  phrase If you are led astray by someone or something, you behave badly or foolishly because of them. ❏ The judge thought he’d been led astray by older children.  phrase If someone or something leads you astray, they make you believe something that is not true, causing you to make a wrong decision. ❏ The testimony would inflame the jurors, and lead them astray from the facts of the case.  phrase If something goes astray, it gets lost while it is being taken or sent somewhere. ❏ Many items of mail being sent to her have gone astray. astride /əstraɪd/ prep If you sit or stand astride something, you sit or stand with one leg on each side of it. ❏ … three youths who stood astride their bicycles and stared. asthmatic

a

astigmatism

astonish

astonished

astonishing

astonishment

noun presumption: … the presumption that a defendant is innocent until proven guilty. guess: Well, we can hazard a guess at the answer. inference: There were two inferences to be drawn from her letter. conjecture: That was a conjecture, not a fact. supposition: There’s a popular supposition that we’re publicly funded.

as|sur|ance /əʃʊərəns/ (assurances)  n-var If you give someone an assurance that something is true or will happen, you say that it is definitely true or will definitely happen, in order to make them feel less worried. ❏ He would like an assurance that other forces will not move into the territory that his forces vacate.  n-uncount If you do something with assurance, you do it with a feeling of confidence and certainty. ❏ Masur led the orchestra with assurance. assurance

as|sure /əʃʊər/ (assures, assuring, assured)  v-t If you

assure

assure someone that something is true or will happen, you tell them that it is definitely true or will definitely happen, often in order to make them less worried. ❏ He hastened to assure me that there was nothing traumatic to report. ❏ “Are you sure the raft is safe?” she asked anxiously. “Couldn’t be safer,” Max assured her confidently.  ➞ see also assured  v-t To assure someone of something means to make certain that they will get it. ❏ His performance yesterday morning assured him of a record eighth medal.  phrase You use phrases such as I can assure you or let me assure you to emphasize the truth of what you are saying. [emphasis] ❏ I can assure you that the animals are well cared for.

as|sured 쏆앳앳 /əʃʊərd/  adj Someone who is assured is very confident and relaxed. ❏ He was infinitely more assured than in his more recent concert appearances.  adj [v-link adj] If something is assured, it is certain to happen. ❏ Our victory is assured; nothing can stop us.  adj [v-link adj of n] If you are assured of something, you are certain to get it or achieve it. ❏ Laura Davies is assured of a place in the team.  phrase If you say that someone can rest assured that something is the case, you mean that it is definitely the case, so they do not need to worry about it. [emphasis] ❏ Their parents can rest assured that their children’s safety will be of paramount importance. assured

as|sur|ed|ly /əʃʊərɪdli/ adv If something is assuredly true, it

assuredly

is definitely true. ❏ He is, assuredly, not alone in believing they will win. ❏ “I did not say that.”—“You most assuredly did.”

as|ter|isk /æstərɪsk/ (asterisks) n-count An asterisk is the sign *. It is used especially to indicate that there is further information about something in another part of the text. asterisk

astern /əstɜrn/ adv [be adv] Something that is astern is at the back of a ship or behind the back part. [technical] astern

as|ter|oid /æstərɔɪd/ (asteroids)  n-count An asteroid is one of the very small planets that move around the sun, especially between Mars and Jupiter.  ➞ See feature box at space asteroid

asth|ma /æzmə/ n-uncount Asthma is a lung condition

asthma

that causes difficulty in breathing.

Cob_American_Adv_A-C 2nd proofs.indd 73

astound

astounded

astounding

astrakhan

astral

astray

astride

as|trin|gent /əstrɪndʒənt/ (astringents) n-count An astringent is a liquid that you put on your skin to make it less oily or to make cuts stop bleeding. ● adj [adj n] Astringent is also an adjective. ❏ … an astringent lotion. astringent

prefix astrois used to form words which refer to things relating to the stars or to outer space. For example, astronomy is the scientific study of the stars, the planets and other objects in space.

as|trolo|ger /əstrɒlədʒər/ (astrologers) n-count An astrologer is a person who uses astrology to try to tell you things about your character and your future. as|trol|ogy /əstrɒlədʒi/ n-uncount Astrology is the study of the movements of the planets, sun, moon, and stars in the belief that these movements can have an influence on people’s lives. as|tro|naut /æstrənɔt/ (astronauts) n-count An astronaut is a person who is trained for traveling in a spacecraft. as|trono|mer /əstrɒnəmər/ (astronomers)  n-count An astronomer is a scientist who studies the stars, planets, and other natural objects in space.  ➞ See feature box at space astrologer

astrology

astronaut

astronomer

as|tro|nomi|cal /æstrənɒmɪkəl/  adj If you describe an amount, especially the cost of something as astronomical, you are emphasizing that it is very large. [emphasis]

astronomical

03/05/2023 15:33

bitch

B

 n-count You can use bit to refer to a particular item or to one of a group or set of things. For example, a bit of information is an item of information. ❏ There was one bit of vital evidence which helped win the case.  n-count In computing, a bit is the smallest unit of information that is held in a computer’s memory. It is either 1 or 0. Several bits form a byte.  n-count A bit is 121/2 cents; mainly used in expressions such as two bits, which means 25 cents, or four bits, which means 50 cents. [am, informal or old-fashioned] ❏ They weren’t worth four bits.  Bit is the past tense of bite.  phrase If something happens bit by bit, it happens in stages. ❏ Bit by bit I began to understand what they were trying to do.  phrase If you do your bit, you do something that, to a small or limited extent, helps to achieve something. [brit]

bittersweet

124

the bait.  phrase If someone bites the hand that feeds them, they behave badly or in an ungrateful way toward someone who they depend on. ❏ She may be cynical about the film industry, but ultimately she has no intention of biting the hand that feeds her.  phrase If you bite your lip or your tongue, you stop yourself from saying something that you want to say, because it would be the wrong thing to say in the circumstances. ❏ I must learn to bite my lip.  to bite the bullet ➞ see bullet  to bite the dust ➞ see dust

synonyms bite verb  nibble: He started to nibble his biscuit. gnaw: Woodlice attack living plants and gnaw at the stems. chew: Be certain to eat slowly and chew your food extremely well. crunch: Richard crunched into the apple.

in am, use do your part  phrase You say that one thing is every bit as good,

interesting, or important as another to emphasize that the first thing is just as good, interesting, or important as the second. [emphasis] ❏ My dinner jacket is every bit as good as his.  phrase If you say that something is a bit much, you are annoyed because you think someone has behaved in an unreasonable way. [informal, feelings] ❏ Her stage outfit of hot pants, over-the-knee boots and a tube top was a bit much.  phrase You use not a bit when you want to make a strong negative statement. [emphasis] ❏ I’m really not a bit surprised.  phrase You can use bits and pieces to refer to a collection of different things. [informal] ❏ The drawers are full of bits and pieces of armor. bitch /bɪtʃ/ (bitches, bitching, bitched)  n-count If someone calls a woman a bitch, they are saying in a very rude way that they think her behavior is unpleasant. [offensive, vulgar, disapproval]  ➞ see also son of a bitch  v-i [oft cont] If you say that someone is bitching about something, you mean that you disapprove of the fact that they are complaining about it in an unpleasant way. [informal, disapproval] ❏ They’re forever bitching about everybody else.  n-count A bitch is a female dog. bitchy /bɪtʃi/ (bitchier, bitchiest) adj If someone is being bitchy or is making bitchy remarks, they are saying unkind things about someone. [informal, disapproval] ❏ I’m sorry. I know I was bitchy on the phone. ● bitchi|ness n-uncount ❏ There’s a lot of bitchiness. bit|coin /bɪtkɔɪn/ (bitcoins) also Bitcoin n-uncount Bitcoin is a digital currency used as a means of payment on the internet. ❏ Is bitcoin the gold standard of online currency? ● n-count A bitcoin is a unit of this currency. ❏ Stores in some parts of Berlin now take payments in bitcoins as well as euros. bite 쏆쏆쏆 /baɪt/ (bites, biting, bit, bitten)  v-t/v-i If you bite something, you use your teeth to cut into it, for example, in order to eat it or break it. If an animal or person bites you, they use their teeth to hurt or injure you. ❏ Both sisters bit their nails as children. ❏ He bit into his sandwich. ❏ Every year in this country more than 50,000 children are bitten by dogs.  n-count A bite of something, especially food, is the action of biting it. ❏ He took another bite of apple.  n-count A bite of food is the amount of food you take into your mouth when you bite it. ❏ Look forward to eating the food and enjoy every bite.  n-sing If you have a bite to eat, you have a small meal or a snack. [informal] ❏ It was time to go home for a little rest and a bite to eat.  v-t/v-i If a snake or a small insect bites you, or if it bites, it makes a mark or hole in your skin, and often causes the surrounding area of your skin to become painful or itchy. ❏ When an infected mosquito bites a human, spores are injected into the blood.  n-count A bite is an injury or a mark on your body where an animal, snake, or small insect has bitten you. ❏ Any dog bite, no matter how small, needs immediate medical attention.  v-i When an action or policy begins to bite, it begins to have a serious or harmful effect. ❏ As the sanctions begin to bite there will be more political difficulties ahead.  v-i If an object bites into a surface, it presses hard against it or cuts into it. ❏ There may even be some wire or nylon biting into the flesh.  n-uncount If you say that a food or drink has bite, you like it because it has a strong or sharp taste. ❏ The olive salad has to have bite and tang.  v-i If a fish bites when you are fishing, it takes the hook or bait at the end of your fishing line in its mouth. ❏ After half an hour, the fish stopped biting and we moved on. ● n-count Bite is also a noun. ❏ If I don’t get a bite in a few minutes I lift the rod and twitch bitch

bitchy

collocations bite noun  noun + bite: flea, insect, mosquito, spider, tick; dog, shark, snake adjective + bite: fatal

bite-sized also bite-size  adj [usu adj n] Bite-sized pieces of food are small enough to fit easily in your mouth. ❏ … bite-sized pieces of cheese.  adj [usu adj n] If you describe something as bite-sized, you like it because it is small enough to be considered or dealt with easily. [approval] ❏ … bite-size newspaper items. bit|ing /baɪtɪŋ/  adj Biting wind or cold is extremely cold. ❏ … a raw, biting northerly wind.  adj Biting criticism or wit is very harsh or unkind, and is often caused by such feelings as anger or dislike. ❏ … the author’s biting satire on the church. bit|map /bɪtmæp/ (bitmaps, bitmapping, bitmapped) n-count A bitmap is a type of graphics file on a computer. [computing] ❏ … bitmap graphics for representing complex images such as photographs. ● v-t Bitmap is also a verb. ❏ Bitmapped maps require huge storage space. bit part (bit parts) also bit-part n-count A bit part is a small and unimportant role for an actor in a film or play. bite-sized

biting

bitmap

bit part

bitcoin

bite

Cob_American_Adv_A-C 2nd proofs.indd 124

bit|ten /bɪtən/ Bitten is the past participle of bite. bit|ter 쏆앳앳 /bɪtər/ (bitterest)  adj In a bitter argument or

bitten

bitter

conflict, people argue very angrily or fight very fiercely. ❏ … the scene of bitter fighting during the Second World War. ❏ … a bitter attack on the government’s failure to support manufacturing. ● bit|ter|ly adv ❏ Any such thing would be bitterly opposed by most of the world’s democracies. ● bit|ter|ness n-uncount ❏ The rift within the organization reflects the growing bitterness of the dispute.  adj If someone is bitter after a disappointing experience or after being treated unfairly, they continue to feel angry about it. ❏ She is said to be very bitter about the way she was fired. ● bit|ter|ly adv ❏ “And he sure didn’t help us,” Grant said bitterly. ● bit|ter|ness n-uncount ❏ I still feel bitterness and anger towards the person who knocked me down.  adj A bitter taste is sharp, not sweet, and often slightly unpleasant. ❏ The leaves taste rather bitter.  adj A bitter experience makes you feel very disappointed. You can also use bitter to emphasize feelings of disappointment. ❏ The decision was a bitter blow from which he never quite recovered. ❏ A great deal of bitter experience had taught him how to lose gracefully. ● bit|ter|ly adv ❏ I was bitterly disappointed to have lost yet another race so near the finish.  adj Bitter weather, or a bitter wind, is extremely cold. ❏ Outside, a bitter east wind was accompanied by flurries of snow. ● bit|ter|ly adv [adv adj] ❏ It’s been bitterly cold here in Moscow.  a bitter pill ➞ see pill bit|ter|ly /bɪtərli/  adv [adv adj] You use bitterly when you are describing an attitude which involves strong, unpleasant emotions such as anger or dislike. ❏ We are bitterly upset at what has happened.  ➞ see also bitter bitter|sweet /bɪtərswit/ also bitter-sweet  adj If you describe an experience as bittersweet, you mean that it has some happy aspects and some sad ones. ❏ … bittersweet memories of his first appearance for the team.  adj A bittersweet taste seems bitter and sweet at the same time. ❏ … a wine with a bitter-sweet flavor. bitterly

bittersweet

03/05/2023 15:32

blackmail

B

government or organization, they are put on a blacklist. ❏ He has been blacklisted since being convicted of possessing marijuana in 1969. black|mail /blækmeɪl/ (blackmails, blackmailing, blackmailed)  n-uncount Blackmail is the action of threatening to reveal a secret about someone, unless they do something you tell them to do, such as giving you money. ❏ It looks like the pictures were being used for blackmail.  n-uncount If you describe an action as emotional or moral blackmail, you disapprove of it because someone is using a person’s emotions or moral values to persuade them to do something against their will. [disapproval] ❏ The tactics employed can range from overt bullying to subtle emotional blackmail.  v-t If one person blackmails another person, they use blackmail against them. ❏ He told her their affair would have to stop, because Jack Smith was blackmailing him. ❏ The government insisted that it would not be blackmailed by violence. ● black|mail|er (blackmailers) n-count ❏ The nasty thing about a blackmailer is that his starting point is usually the truth. black mark (black marks) n-count A black mark against someone is something bad that they have done or a bad quality that they have that affects the way people think about them. ❏ There was one black mark against him. black mar|ket (black markets) n-count If something is bought or sold on the black market, it is bought or sold illegally. ❏ There is a plentiful supply of arms on the black market. black mar|ket|eer (black marketeers) n-count A black marketeer is someone who sells goods on the black market. black|ness /blæknɪs/ n-uncount Blackness is the state of being very dark. [literary] ❏ The twilight had turned to a deep blackness. black|out /blækaʊt/ (blackouts) also black-out  n-count A blackout is a period of time during a war in which towns and buildings are made dark so that they cannot be seen by enemy planes. ❏ She had driven ambulances during the blackouts of the Second World War. ❏ … blackout curtains.  n-count If a blackout is imposed on a particular piece of news, journalists are prevented from broadcasting or publishing it. ❏ … a media blackout imposed by the Imperial Palace.  n-count If there is a power blackout, the electricity supply to a place is temporarily cut off. ❏ There was an electricity black-out in a large area in the north of the country.  n-count If you have a blackout, you temporarily lose consciousness. ❏ I suffered a black-out which lasted for several minutes.  ➞ See feature box at electricity black pep|per n-uncount Black pepper is pepper which is dark in color and has been made from the dried berries of the pepper plant, including their black outer cases. black pud|ding [mainly brit] ➞ see blood pudding black sheep (black sheep) n-count [usu sing, oft the n of n] If you describe someone as the black sheep of their family or of a group that they are a member of, you mean that they are considered bad or worthless by other people in that family or group. [disapproval] black|smith /blæksmɪθ/ (blacksmiths) n-count A blacksmith is a person whose job is making things by hand out of metal that has been heated to a high temperature. black tie also black-tie  adj [usu adj n] A black tie event is a formal social event such as a party at which people wear formal clothes called evening dress. ❏ … a black-tie dinner for former students.  n-uncount If someone is dressed in black tie, they are wearing formal evening dress, which includes a dinner jacket or tuxedo and a bow tie. ❏ Most of the guests will be wearing black tie. black|top /blæktɒp/ n-uncount Blacktop is a hard black substance which is used as a surface for roads. [am] ❏ … waves of heat rising from the blacktop. blackmail

black mark

black market

black marketeer

blackness

blackout

black pepper

black pudding

black sheep

blacksmith

black tie

blacktop

in brit, use tarmac

blad|der /blædər/ (bladders)  n-count Your bladder is the

bladder

part of your body where urine is stored until it leaves your body. ❏ … an opportunity to empty a full bladder.  ➞ see also gall bladder blade /bleɪd/ (blades)  n-count The blade of a knife, ax, or saw is the flat sharp part, which is used for cutting. ❏ Many of them will have sharp blades.  n-count The blades of a propeller are the blade

Cob_American_Adv_A-C 2nd proofs.indd 126

blank

126

long, flat parts that turn around.  n-count The blade of an oar is the thin flat part that you put into the water.  n-count A blade of grass is a single piece of grass. ❏ Brian began to tear blades of grass from between the bricks.  ➞ See also color supplement

blah /blɑ/ convention You use blah, blah, blah to refer to something that is said or written without giving the actual words, because you think that they are boring or unimportant. [informal] ❏ … the different challenges of their career, their need to change, to evolve, blah blah blah. blah

blame 쏆쏆앳 /bleɪm/ (blames, blaming, blamed)  v-t If you blame a person or thing for something bad, or if you blame something bad on somebody, you believe or say that they are responsible for it or that they caused it. ❏ The commission is expected to blame the army for many of the atrocities. ❏ Ms. Carey appeared to blame her breakdown on EMI’s punishing work schedule. ● n-uncount Blame is also a noun. ❏ Nothing could relieve my terrible sense of blame.  n-uncount The blame for something bad that has happened is the responsibility for causing it or letting it happen. ❏ I’m not going to sit around and take the blame for a mistake he made.  v-t [usu with brd-neg] If you say that you do not blame someone for doing something, you mean that you consider it was a reasonable thing to do in the circumstances. ❏ I do not blame them for trying to make some money.  phrase If someone is to blame for something bad that has happened, they are responsible for causing it. ❏ If their forces were not involved, then who is to blame?  phrase If you say that someone has only themselves to blame or has no one but themselves to blame, you mean that they are responsible for something bad that has happened to them and that you have no sympathy for them. ❏ My life is ruined and I suppose I only have myself to blame. blame

blame|less /bleɪmlɪs/ adj Someone who is blameless has not done anything wrong. ❏ He feels he is blameless. ❏ The U.S. itself, of course, is not entirely blameless in trading matters. blameless

blanch /blæntʃ/ (blanches, blanching, blanched)  v-i If you blanch, you suddenly become very pale. ❏ Simon’s face blanched as he looked at Sharpe’s blood-drenched uniform.  v-i If you say that someone blanches at something, you mean that they find it unpleasant and do not want to be involved with it. ❏ Everything he had said had been a mistake. He blanched at his miscalculations. blanch

blanc|mange /bləmɒndʒ/ (blancmanges) n-var Blancmange is a cold custard that is made from milk, sugar, cornstarch, and flavoring.

blancmange

bland /blænd/ (blander, blandest)  adj If you describe someone or something as bland, you mean that they are rather dull and unexciting. ❏ Serle has a blander personality than Howard. ❏ It sounds like a commercial: easy on the ear but bland and forgettable.  adj Food that is bland has very little flavor. ❏ It tasted bland and insipid, like warmed cardboard. bland

blan|dish|ments /blændɪʃmənts/ n-plural [oft with poss] Blandishments are pleasant things that someone says to another person in order to persuade them to do something. [formal] ❏ At first Lewis resisted their blandishments. blandishments

bland|ly /blændli/ adv [adv with v] If you do something blandly, you do it in a calm and quiet way. ❏ “It’s not important,” he said blandly. ❏ The nurse smiled blandly. blandly

blank /blæŋk/ (blanks)  adj Something that is blank has nothing on it. ❏ We could put some of the pictures over on that blank wall over there. ❏ He tore a blank page from his notebook.  n-count A blank is a space which is left in a piece of writing or on a printed form for you to fill in particular information. ❏ Put a word in each blank to complete the sentence.  adj If you look blank, your face shows no feeling, understanding, or interest. ❏ Abbot looked blank. “I don’t quite follow, sir.” ● blank|ly adv [adv with v] ❏ She stared at him blankly.  n-sing If your mind or memory is a blank, you cannot think of anything or remember anything. ❏ I’m sorry, but my mind is a blank.  n-count Blanks are gun cartridges which contain explosive but do not contain a bullet, so that they cause no harm when the gun is fired. ❏ … a starter pistol which only fires blanks.  ➞ see also point-blank  phrase If your mind goes blank, you are suddenly unable to think of anything appropriate to say, for example in reply to a question. blank

03/05/2023 10:58

careen

C

Caribbean

186

of a particular person or place, they send it to that person or place, and it is then passed on to you. ❏ Please write to me care of the publishers. ❏ He wrote to me in care of my publisher.  phrase If you take care of someone or something, you look after them and prevent them from being harmed or damaged. ❏ There was no one else to take care of their children.  phrase If you take care to do something, you make sure that you do it. ❏ Foley followed Albert through the gate, taking care to close the latch.  phrase To take care of a problem, task, or situation means to deal with it. ❏ They leave it to the system to try and take care of the problem.  phrase You can say ‘Who cares?’ to emphasize that something does not matter to you at all. [emphasis] ❏ “But we might ruin the stove.”—“Who cares?”  ➞ See feature box at drive ca|reen /kərin/ (careens, careening, careened) v-i To careen somewhere means to rush forward in an uncontrollable way. [mainly am] ❏ He stood to one side as they careened past him. ca|reer 쏆쏆앳 /kərɪər/ (careers, careering, careered)  n-count A career is the job or profession that someone does for a long period of their life. ❏ She is now concentrating on a career as a fashion designer. ❏ … a career in journalism.  n-count Your career is the part of your life that you spend working. ❏ During his career, he wrote more than fifty plays.  adj [adj n] Career advice or guidance consists of information about different jobs and help with deciding what kind of job you want to do. ❏ She received very little career guidance when young.  v-i [oft cont] If a person or vehicle careers somewhere, they move fast and in an uncontrolled way. ❏ His car careered into a river.  ➞ See feature box at work

what they intend to do is probably wrong, and that they should think seriously before they do it. ❏ I think you should be careful about talking of the rebels as heroes. ● care|ful|ly adv [adv after v] ❏ He should think carefully about actions like this which play into the hands of his opponents.  adj If you are careful with something such as money or resources, you use or spend only what is necessary. ❏ Industries should be more careful with natural resources. care|giv|er /kɛərgɪvər/ (caregivers) n-count A caregiver is someone who is responsible for taking care of another person, for example, a person who has a disability, or is sick or very young. [mainly am] ❏ It is often women who are the primary caregivers. caregiver

in brit, usually use carer

care|less /kɛərlɪs/  adj If you are careless, you do not pay

careen

career

collocations career noun  noun + career: acting, coaching, modeling adjective + career: distinguished, glittering, illustrious, successful; academic, managerial, musical, political, professional; international verb + career: forge, pursue; begin, embark on, launch, start; abandon, give up

careless

enough attention to what you are doing, and so you make mistakes, or cause harm or damage. ❏ I’m sorry. How careless of me. ❏ Some parents are accused of being careless with their children’s health. ● care|less|ly adv [adv with v] ❏ She was fined $200 for driving carelessly. ● care|less|ness n-uncount ❏ Errors are sometimes made from simple carelessness.  adj If you say that someone is careless of something such as their health or appearance, you mean that they do not seem to be concerned about it, or do nothing to keep it in a good condition. ❏ He had shown himself careless of personal safety where the life of his colleagues might be at risk. care|less|ly /kɛərlɪsli/  adv [adv with v] If someone does something carelessly, they do it without much thought or effort. [written] ❏ He carelessly left the door unlocked. ❏ “Oh,” he said carelessly. “I’m in no hurry to get back.”  ➞ see also careless car|er /kɛərər/ (carers) n-count A carer is the same as a caregiver. [brit] ca|ress /kərɛs/ (caresses, caressing, caressed) v-t If you caress someone or something, you stroke them gently and affectionately. [written] ❏ He was gently caressing her golden hair. ● n-count Caress is also a noun. ❏ Margaret took me to one side, holding my arm in a gentle caress. care|taker /kɛərteɪkər/ (caretakers)  n-count A caretaker is a person whose job it is to take care of a house or property when the owner is not there. ❏ Slater remained at the house, acting as its caretaker when the family was not in residence.  n-count A caretaker is someone who is responsible for looking after another person, for example, a person who has a disability, or is sick or very young. [mainly am] ❏ … older people serving as primary caretakers of young children. carelessly

carer

caress

caretaker

synonyms career noun  occupation: I was looking for an occupation which would be an adventure. employment: She was unable to find employment. vocation: It could well be that he has a real vocation. livelihood: … fishermen who depend on the seas for their livelihood. profession: Harper was a teacher by profession.

ca|reer break (career breaks) n-count If someone takes a

career break

career break, they stop working in their particular profession for a period of time, with the intention of returning to it later. [business] ❏ Many women still take career breaks to bring up children. ca|reer|ist /kərɪərɪst/ adj [usu adj n] Careerist people are ambitious and think that their career is more important than anything else. ❏ … careerist politicians. ca|reer wom|an (career women) n-count A career woman is a woman who regards her job and progressing in it as very important. care|free /kɛərfri/ adj A carefree person or period of time does not have or involve any problems, worries, or responsibilities. ❏ Chantal remembered carefree summers at the beach. care|ful 쏆쏆앳 /kɛərfəl/  adj If you are careful, you give serious attention to what you are doing, in order to avoid harm, damage, or mistakes. If you are careful to do something, you make sure that you do it. ❏ Be very careful with this stuff, it can be dangerous if it isn’t handled properly. ❏ Careful on those stairs! ● care|ful|ly adv [adv with v] ❏ Have a nice time, dear, and drive carefully.  adj Careful work, thought, or examination is thorough and shows a concern for details. ❏ He has decided to prosecute her after careful consideration of all the relevant facts. ● care|ful|ly adv [adv with v] ❏ … a vast series of deliberate and carefully planned thefts.  adj [v-link adj about/of -ing] If you tell someone to be careful about doing something, you think that careerist

career woman

carefree

careful

Cob_American_Adv_A-C 2nd proofs.indd 186

in brit, use carer  n-count A caretaker is a person whose job it is to take care

of a large building such as a school or an apartment house, and deal with small repairs to it. [brit] in am, use janitor  adj [adj n] A caretaker government or leader is in charge

temporarily until a new government or leader is appointed. ❏ The military intends to hand over power to a caretaker government and hold elections within six months. care work|er (care workers)  n-count A care worker is someone whose job involves helping people who have particular problems or special needs.  ➞ see also healthcare worker care|worn /kɛərwɔrn/ adj A person who looks careworn looks worried, tired, and unhappy. ❏ Her face was careworn with anxiety. car|go /kɑrgoʊ/ (cargoes) n-var The cargo of a ship or plane is the goods that it is carrying. ❏ The boat calls at the main port to load its regular cargo of bananas. car|go pants n-plural [also a pair of n] Cargo pants are large, loose pants with lots of pockets. ❏ … a pair of cream cargo pants.

Car|ib|bean 쏆앳앳 /kærəbiən, kərɪbiən/ (Caribbeans)  n-proper The Caribbean is the sea which is between the West Indies, Central America, and the north coast of South America.  adj Caribbean means belonging or relating to the Caribbean Sea and its islands, or to its people. care worker

careworn

cargo

cargo pants

Caribbean

03/05/2023 15:32

frost

for five fund managers looking after a fund specializing in small and medium-sized public companies. frost /frɔst/ (frosts, frosting, frosted)  n-var When there is frost or a frost, the temperature outside falls below freezing point and the ground becomes covered in ice crystals. ❏ There is frost on the ground and snow is forecast.  v-t If you frost a cake, you cover and decorate it with frosting. [am] ❏ She was frosting the cupcakes while we talked. frost|bite /frɔstbaɪt/ n-uncount Frostbite is a condition in which parts of your body, such as your fingers or toes, become seriously damaged as a result of being very cold. ❏ The survivors suffered from frostbite. frost|bitten /frɔstbɪtən/ adj If a person or a part of their body is frostbitten, they are suffering from frostbite. frost|ed /frɔstɪd/  adj Frosted glass is glass that you cannot see through clearly. ❏ The top half of the door to his office was of frosted glass.  adj Frosted means covered with frost. ❏ … the frosted trees.  adj Frosted means covered with something that looks like frost. ❏ … frosted blue eye shadow.  adj Frosted means covered with frosting. [am] ❏ … a plate of frosted cupcakes. frost|ing /frɔstɪŋ/ n-uncount Frosting is a sweet substance made from powdered sugar that is used to cover and decorate cakes. [am] ❏ … a huge pastry with green frosting on it. frosty /frɔsti/ (frostier, frostiest)  adj If the weather is frosty, the temperature is below freezing. ❏ … sharp, frosty nights.  adj You describe the ground or an object as frosty when it is covered with frost. ❏ The street was deserted except for a cat lifting its paws off the frosty stones. froth /frɔθ/ (froths, frothing, frothed)  n-uncount Froth is a mass of small bubbles on the surface of a liquid. ❏ … the froth of bubbles on the top of a glass of beer.  v-i If a liquid froths, small bubbles appear on its surface. ❏ The sea froths over my feet. frothy /frɔθi/ (frothier, frothiest) adj [usu adj n] A frothy liquid has lots of bubbles on its surface. ❏ … frothy milk shakes. frown /fraʊn/ (frowns, frowning, frowned)  v-i When someone frowns, their eyebrows become drawn together, because they are annoyed, worried, or puzzled, or because they are concentrating. ❏ Nancy shook her head, frowning. ❏ He frowned at her anxiously. ● n-count Frown is also a noun. ❏ There was a deep frown on the boy’s face.  ➞ See feature box at polite Ü frown upon also frown on phrasal verb If something is frowned upon or is frowned on, people disapprove of it. ❏ This practice is frowned upon as being wasteful. froze /froʊz/ Froze is the past tense of freeze. fro|zen /froʊzən/  Frozen is the past participle of freeze.  adj If the ground is frozen, it has become very hard because the weather is very cold. ❏ It was bitterly cold now and the ground was frozen hard.  adj Frozen food has been preserved by being kept at a very low temperature. ❏ Frozen fish is a very healthy convenience food.  adj If you say that you are frozen, or a part of your body is frozen, you are emphasizing that you feel very cold. [emphasis] ❏ He put one hand up to his frozen face. ❏ I’m frozen out here. ● phrase Frozen stiff means the same as frozen. fruc|tose /frʌktoʊs, frʊk-/ n-uncount Fructose is a sweet substance which occurs naturally in fruit and vegetables.

It is sometimes used to make food sweeter. fru|gal /frugəl/  adj People who are frugal or who live frugal lives do not spend much money on themselves. ❏ She lives a frugal life. ● fru|gal|ity /frugælɪti/ n-uncount ❏ We must practice the strictest frugality and economy.  adj A frugal meal is small and not expensive. ❏ The diet was frugal: cheese and water, rice and beans. fruit 쏆쏆앳 /frut/ (fruit, fruits, fruiting, fruited) frost

ft.

530

or the fruit of someone’s work or activity are the good things that result from it. ❏ The team has really worked hard and we’re all enjoying the fruits of that labor.  ➞ see also kiwi fruit  phrase If the effort that you put into something or a particular way of doing something bears fruit, it is successful and produces good results. ❏ Eleanor’s work among the women will, I trust, bear fruit.

usage fruit Don’t use ‘fruits’ to talk about several oranges, bananas, etc. Use some fruit. For example, don’t say ‘I’m going to the market to buy some fruits.’ Say ‘I’m going to the market to buy some fruit.’ …a table with some fruit on it.

frostbite

frostbitten

F

frosted

frosting

frosty

froth

frothy

frown

froze

frozen

fructose

frugal

fruit

The plural form is usually fruit, but can also be fruits.  n-var Fruit or a fruit is something which grows on a tree

or bush and which contains seeds or a pit covered by a substance that you can eat. ❏ Fresh fruit and vegetables provide fiber and vitamins. ❏ … bananas and other tropical fruits.  v-i If a plant fruits, it produces fruit. ❏ The scientists will study the variety of trees and observe which are fruiting.  n-count The fruits

Cob_American_Adv_D-L 2nd proofs.indd 530

fruit bowl (fruit bowls) n-count A fruit bowl is a large bowl in which fruit is kept and displayed. fruit|cake /frutkeɪk/ (fruitcakes) also fruit cake  n-var A fruitcake is a cake that contains raisins, currants, and other dried fruit.  n-count If you refer to someone as a fruitcake, you mean that they are crazy or that their behavior is very strange. [informal, disapproval] fruit cock|tail (fruit cocktails) n-var Fruit cocktail is a mixture of pieces of different kinds of fruit eaten as part of a meal. fruit fly (fruit flies) n-count Fruit flies are very small flies which eat fruit and rotting plants. fruit|ful /frutfəl/ adj Something that is fruitful produces good and useful results. ❏ We had a long, happy, fruitful relationship. fruit bowl

fruitcake

fruit cocktail

fruit fly

fruitful

frui|tion /fruɪʃən/ n-uncount If something comes to fruition, it starts to succeed and produce the results that were intended or hoped for. [formal] ❏ These plans take time to come to fruition. fruit|less /frutlɪs/ adj Fruitless actions, events, or efforts do not achieve anything at all. ❏ It was a fruitless search. fruit ma|chine (fruit machines) n-count A fruit machine is a machine used for gambling. You put money into it and if a particular combination of symbols, especially fruit, appears, you win money. [brit] fruition

fruitless

fruit machine

in am, use slot machine fruit salad

fruit sal|ad (fruit salads) n-var Fruit salad is a mixture of

pieces of different kinds of fruit. It is usually eaten as a dessert. fruity /fruti/ (fruitier, fruitiest)  adj Something that is fruity smells or tastes of fruit. ❏ This shampoo smells fruity and leaves the hair beautifully silky.  adj A fruity voice or laugh is pleasantly rich and deep. ❏ Jerrold laughed again, a solid, fruity laugh. frumpy /frʌmpi/ (frumpier, frumpiest)  adj If you describe someone or someone’s clothes as frumpy, you mean that their clothes are dull and not fashionable. [disapproval] ❏ … bulky, frumpy clothes.  ➞ See feature box at fashion frus|trate 쏆앳앳 /frʌstreɪt/ (frustrates, frustrating, frustrated)  v-t If something frustrates you, it upsets or angers you because you are unable to do anything about the problems it creates. ❏ These questions frustrated me. ● frus|trat|ed adj ❏ Roberta felt frustrated and angry. ● frus|tra|tion /frʌstreɪʃən/ (frustrations) n-var ❏ The results show the level of frustration among hospital doctors.  v-t If someone or something frustrates a plan or attempt to do something, they prevent it from succeeding. ❏ The government has deliberately frustrated his efforts to gain work permits for his foreign staff. frus|trat|ing /frʌstreɪtɪŋ/ adj Something that is frustrating annoys you or makes you angry because you cannot do anything about the problems it causes. ❏ The current situation is very frustrating for us. fry 쏆앳앳 /fraɪ/ (fries, frying, fried)  v-t When you fry food, you cook it in a pan that contains hot fat or oil. ❏ Fry the breadcrumbs until golden brown.  n-plural Fries are the same as French fries. fry|er /fraɪər/ (fryers) n-count [oft n n] A fryer is a type of deep pan which you can use to fry food in hot oil. fry|ing pan (frying pans) n-count A frying pan is a flat metal pan with a long handle, in which you fry food. ft. ft. is a written abbreviation for feet or foot. ❏ Flying at 1,000 ft., he heard a peculiar noise from the rotors. fruity

frumpy

frustrate

frustrating

fry

fryer

frying pan

ft.

02/05/2023 16:13

occurrence

886

synonyms occur verb  happen: We cannot say for sure what will happen. take place: The discussion took place in a famous villa on the lake’s shore. come about: That came about when we went to Glastonbury last year.

oc|cur|rence /əkɜrəns/ (occurrences)  n-count An occurrence is something that happens. [formal] ❏ Complaints seemed to be an everyday occurrence.  n-count The occurrence of something is the fact that it happens or is present. ❏ The greatest occurrence of coronary heart disease is in those over 65. occurrence

OCD /oʊ si di/  n-uncount OCD is a condition in which someone has repeated thoughts or worries that they cannot control, or cannot stop doing a particular thing such as washing their hands. OCD is an abbreviation for obsessivecompulsive disorder.  adj If you describe someone as OCD , you mean that they have the condition OCD or that they have a tendency to think or worry too much about a particular thing. [informal] ❏ They knew Jack was a bit OCD when he insisted on mopping up when tea dripped on to the table.

OCD

ocean 쏆앳앳 /oʊʃən/ (oceans)  n-sing The ocean is the sea. ❏ There were few sights as beautiful as the calm ocean on a warm night.  n-count An ocean is one of the five very large areas of sea on the Earth’s surface. ❏ They spent many days cruising the northern Pacific Ocean.  n-count If you say that there is an ocean of something, you are emphasizing that there is a very large amount of it. [informal, emphasis] ❏ I had cried oceans of tears.  phrase If you say that something is a drop in the ocean, you mean that it is a very small amount which is unimportant compared to the cost of other things or is so small that it has very little effect on something. [emphasis] ❏ His fee is a drop in the ocean compared with the real cost of broadcasting.  ➞ See feature box at water ocean

vocabulary in context

odd

ocean-going adj [usu adj n] Ocean-going ships are designed for traveling on the sea rather than on rivers, canals, or lakes. ❏ At the height of his shipping career he owned about 60 ocean-going vessels. ocean-going

ocean|ic /oʊʃiænɪk/ adj [adj n] Oceanic means belonging or relating to an ocean or to the sea. ❏ Many oceanic islands are volcanic. oceanic

ocean|og|ra|phy /oʊʃənɒgrəfi/ n-uncount Oceanography is the scientific study of sea currents, the ocean floor, and the fish and animals that live in the sea. ● ocean|og|ra|pher (oceanographers) n-count ❏ … an oceanographer working on an environmental protection program. ● oceano|graph|ic /oʊʃənəgræfɪk/ adj [adj n] ❏ … oceanographic research. oceanography

ocher /oʊkər/ also ochre color Something that is ocher is a yellowish orange color. ❏ For our dining room I have chosen ocher yellow walls. ocher

o’clock 쏆앳앳 /əklɒk/ adv [num adv] You use o’clock after numbers from one to twelve to say what time it is. For example, if you say that it is 9 o’clock, you mean that it is nine hours after midnight or nine hours after noon. ❏ The trouble began just after ten o’clock last night. o’clock

Oct. Oct. is a written abbreviation for October. ❏ … Tuesday Oct. 25th.

Oct.

oc|ta|gon /ɒktəgɒn/ (octagons) n-count An octagon is a shape that has eight straight sides. octagon

oc|tago|nal /ɒktægənəl/ adj Something that is octagonal has eight straight sides. ❏ … a white octagonal box.

octagonal

oc|tane /ɒkteɪn/  n-uncount [usu with supp] Octane is a chemical substance that exists in gasoline. Higher octane fuel is of better quality. ❏ … high octane fuel for cars.  ➞ see also high-octane octane

oc|tave /ɒktɪv/ (octaves) n-count An octave is a series of eight notes in a musical scale. It is also used to talk about the difference in pitch between the first and last notes in a musical scale.

octave

oc|tet /ɒktɛt/ (octets) n-count [oft in names] An octet is a group of eight singers or musicians. ❏ … the Stan Tracey Octet.

octet

Oc|to|ber 쏆쏆쏆 /ɒktoʊbər/ (Octobers) n-var October is the tenth month of the year in the Western calendar. ❏ Most seasonal hiring is done in early October. ❏ The first plane is due to leave on October 2.

October

O

oc|to|genar|ian /ɒktədʒɪnɛəriən/ (octogenarians) n-count An octogenarian is a person who is between eighty and eighty-nine years old.

octogenarian

oc|to|pus /ɒktəpəs/ (octopuses) n-var An octopus is a soft sea creature with eight long arms called tentacles which it uses to catch food. ● n-uncount Octopus is this creature eaten as food. ❏ … plates of octopus. octopus

ocu|lar /ɒkyələr/ adj [adj n] Ocular means relating to the eyes or the ability to see. [medical] ❏ Other ocular signs include involuntary rhythmic movement of the eyeball. ocular

OD /oʊ di/ (OD’s, OD’ing, OD’d) v-i To OD means the same as to overdose. [informal] ❏ His son was a junkie; the kid OD’d a year ago. ● n-count OD is also a noun. ❏ “I had a friend who died of an OD,” she said.

OD

The ocean Our oceans are facing a serious challenge: plastic pollution.

Deep-sea animals encounter discarded plastic in many shapes and sizes, and the sheer quantity of plastic in the oceans has become a serious threat to biodiversity. We have all seen pictures of animals such as turtles and seals that have become entangled in plastic cord or discarded fishing nets. But the problem is far more extensive and far-reaching that that. Plastic microbeads found in cosmetics make their way through the water system into the ocean, where they settle on the ocean floor and the coral reefs. Fish and crustaceans swallow them, and the microbeads enter the food chain – a food chain that ends with us. All sorts of other plastic rubbish is swept up by the ocean currents onto beaches and coastlines, or far out to sea, where it forms huge, floating islands of plastic rubbish, which grow bigger week by week.

Cob_American_Adv_M-R_2nd proofs.indd 886

odd 쏆쏆앳 /ɒd/ (odder, oddest)  adj If you describe someone or something as odd, you think that they are strange or unusual. ❏ He’d always been odd, but not to this extent. ❏ What an odd coincidence that he should have known your family. ● odd|ly adv [adv with v] ❏ … an oddly shaped hill.  adj [det adj] You use odd before a noun to indicate that you are not mentioning the type, size, or quality of something because it is not important. ❏ … moving from place to place where she could find the odd bit of work. ❏ He had various odd cleaning jobs around the place.  adv [num adv] You use odd after a number to indicate that it is only approximate. [informal] ❏ How many pages was it, 500 odd? ❏ He has now appeared in sixty odd films.  adj Odd numbers, such as 3 and 17, are those which cannot be divided exactly by the number two. ❏ The odd numbers are on the left as you walk up the street.  adj You say that two things are odd when they do not belong to the same set or pair. ❏ I’m wearing odd socks today by the way.  phrase The odd man out, the odd woman out, or the odd one out in a particular situation is a odd

02/05/2023 16:19

permeate

957

into it. ❏ A number of products have been developed which are permeable to air and water. per|me|ate /pɜrmieɪt/ (permeates, permeating, permeated)  v-t If an idea, feeling, or attitude permeates a system or permeates society, it affects every part of it or is present throughout it. ❏ Bias against women permeates every level of society.  v-t If something permeates a place, it spreads throughout it. ❏ The smell of roast beef permeated the air. permeate

per|mis|sible /pərmɪsəbəl/ adj If something is permissible,

permissible

it is considered to be acceptable because it does not break any laws or rules. ❏ Religious practices are permissible under the Constitution.

per|mis|sion 쏆앳앳 /pərmɪʃən/ n-uncount If someone who has authority over you gives you permission to do something, they say that they will allow you to do it. ❏ He asked permission to leave the room. ❏ They cannot leave the country without permission. permission

collocations permission noun adjective + permission: express, prior, special; parental, written verb + permission: give, grant, refuse; ask, need, obtain, seek

per|mis|sive /pərmɪsɪv/ adj A permissive person, society, or way of behaving allows or tolerates things that other people disapprove of. ❏ The call for law and order replaced the “permissive tolerance” of the 1960s. ● per|mis|sive|ness n-uncount ❏ … a culture of permissiveness. per|mit 쏆앳앳 (permits, permitting, permitted) permissive

permit

The verb is pronounced /pərmɪt/. The noun is pronounced

/pɜrmɪt/.

 v-t If someone permits something, they allow it to happen.

If they permit you to do something, they allow you to do it. [formal] ❏ He can let the court’s decision stand and permit the extradition. ❏ The guards permitted me to bring my camera.  n-count A permit is an official document which says that you may do something. For example, you usually need a permit to work in a foreign country. ❏ He has to apply for a permit, and we have to find him a job.  v-t/v-i If a situation permits something, it makes it possible for that thing to exist, happen, or be done or it provides the opportunity for it. [formal] ❏ Try to go out for a walk at lunchtime, if the weather permits. ❏ This method of cooking also permits heat to penetrate evenly from both sides.

per|mu|ta|tion /pɜrmyʊteɪʃən/ (permutations) n-count [usu pl] A permutation is one of the ways in which a number of things can be ordered or arranged. ❏ Variation among humans is limited to the possible permutations of our genes. per|ni|cious /pərnɪʃəs/ adj If you describe something as pernicious, you mean that it is very harmful. [formal] ❏ Parents are blaming not only peer pressure but also the pernicious influence of the internet. per|ni|cious anemia n-uncount Pernicious anemia is a very severe blood disease. per|nick|ety /pərnɪkɪti/ adj Pernickety is the same as persnickety. [brit] permutation

pernicious

pernicious anemia

pernickety

pero|ra|tion /pɛrəreɪʃ n/ (perorations)  n-count A peroration is the last part of a speech, especially the part where the speaker sums up his or her argument. [formal]  n-count If someone describes a speech as a peroration, they mean that they dislike it because they think it is very long and not worth listening to. [formal, disapproval] per|ox|ide /pərɒksaɪd/ (peroxides)  n-mass Peroxide is a chemical that is often used for making hair lighter in color.

It can also be used to kill germs.  ➞ see also hydrogen peroxide per|ox|ide blonde (peroxide blondes) also peroxide blond n-count You can refer to someone whose hair has been artificially made lighter in color as a peroxide blonde or a peroxide blond, especially when you want to show that you disapprove of this, or that you think their hair looks unnatural or unattractive. ə

peroration

peroxide

peroxide blonde

Cob_American_Adv_M-R_2nd proofs.indd 957

persecutor

per|pen|dicu|lar /pɜrpəndɪkyələr/  adj [usu adj n] A perpendicular line or surface points straight up, rather than being sloping or horizontal. ❏ We made two slits for the eyes and a perpendicular line for the nose. ❏ The sides of the mountain are almost perpendicular.  adj [usu v-link adj to n] If one thing is perpendicular to another, it is at an angle of 90 degrees to it. [formal] ❏ The left wing dipped until it was perpendicular to the ground. per|pe|trate /pɜrpɪtreɪt/ (perpetrates, perpetrating, perpetrated) v-t If someone perpetrates a crime or any other immoral or harmful act, they do it. [formal] ❏ A high proportion of crime in any country is perpetrated by young males in their teens and twenties. ● per|pe|tra|tor (perpetrators) n-count ❏ The perpetrator of the crime does not have to be traced before you can claim compensation. per|pet|ual /pərpɛtʃuəl/  adj A perpetual feeling, state, or quality is one that never ends or changes. ❏ … the creation of a perpetual union. ● per|pet|ual|ly adv ❏ They were all perpetually starving.  adj A perpetual act, situation, or state is one that happens again and again and so seems never to end. ❏ I thought her perpetual complaints were going to prove too much for me. ● per|pet|ual|ly adv ❏ He perpetually interferes in political affairs. per|pet|ual mo|tion also perpetual-motion n-uncount The idea of perpetual motion is the idea of something continuing to move forever without getting energy from anything else. per|petu|ate /pərpɛtʃueɪt/ (perpetuates, perpetuating, perpetuated) v-t If someone or something perpetuates a situation, system, or belief, especially a bad one, they cause it to continue. ❏ We must not perpetuate the religious divisions of the past. per|pe|tu|ity /pɜrpɪtuɪti/ phrase [phr after v] If something is done in perpetuity, it is intended to last for ever. [formal] ❏ The U.S. government gave the land to the tribe in perpetuity. per|plex /pərplɛks/ (perplexes, perplexing, perplexed) v-t If something perplexes you, it confuses and worries you because you do not understand it or because it causes you difficulty. ❏ It perplexed him because he was tackling it the wrong way. per|plexed /pərplɛkst/ adj If you are perplexed, you feel confused and slightly worried by something because you do not understand it. ❏ She is perplexed about what to do for her daughter. per|plex|ing /pərplɛksɪŋ/ adj [usu adj n] If you find something perplexing, you do not understand it or do not know how to deal with it. ❏ It took years to understand many perplexing diseases. per|plex|ity /pərplɛksɪti/ (perplexities)  n-uncount Perplexity is a feeling of being confused and frustrated because you do not understand something. ❏ He began counting them and then, with growing perplexity, counted them a second time.  n-count [usu pl] The perplexities of something are those things about it that are difficult to understand because they are complicated. ❏ … the perplexities of quantum mechanics. per|qui|site /pɜrkwɪzɪt/ (perquisites) n-count A perquisite is the same as a perk. [formal] ❏ … long-distance calls, a perquisite of her employment. per se /pɜr seɪ, pər-/ adv Per se means ‘by itself’ or ‘in itself,’ and is used when you are talking about the qualities of one thing considered on its own, rather than in connection with other things. ❏ I don’t work out per se, but I’m very active physically. per|secute /pɜrsɪkyut/ (persecutes, persecuting, persecuted) v-t If someone is persecuted, they are treated cruelly and unfairly, often because of their race or beliefs. ❏ Mr. Weaver and his family have been persecuted by the authorities for their beliefs. ❏ They began by brutally persecuting the Catholic Church. perpendicular

perpetrate

perpetual

perpetual motion

perpetuate

perpetuity

perplex

perplexed

perplexing

p

perplexity

perquisite

per se

persecute

per|secu|tion /pɜrsɪkyuʃən/ (persecutions) n-count Persecution is cruel and unfair treatment of a person or group, especially because of their religious or political beliefs, or their race. ❏ … the persecution of minorities. ❏ … victims of political persecution. per|secu|tor /pɜrsɪkyutər/ (persecutors) n-count [usu pl] The persecutors of a person or group treat them cruelly and unfairly, especially because of their religious or political beliefs, or their race. persecution

persecutor

02/05/2023 16:19

shamanism

1185

sham|an|ism /ʃeɪmənɪzəm/ n-uncount Shamanism is a religion which is based on the belief that the world is controlled by good and evil spirits, and that these spirits can be directed by people with special powers.

shamanism

sham|ble /ʃæmbəl/ (shambles, shambling, shambled) verb If you shamble somewhere, you walk clumsily, pulling your feet along the ground. [literary] ❏ The conductor shambled to the next car. ❏ … his tall, shambling figure. shamble

sham|bles /ʃæmbəlz/ n-sing If a place, event, or situation is a shambles or is in a shambles, everything is in disorder. ❏ The ship’s interior was an utter shambles. shame 쏆앳앳 /ʃeɪm/ (shames, shaming, shamed)  n-uncount Shame is an uncomfortable feeling that you get when you have done something wrong or embarrassing, or when someone close to you has. ❏ She felt a deep sense of shame. ❏ Her father and her brothers would die of shame.  n-uncount If someone brings shame on you, they make other people lose their respect for you. ❏ I don’t want to bring shame on the family name.  v-t If something shames you, it causes you to feel shame. ❏ Her son’s affair had humiliated and shamed her.  v-t If you shame someone into doing something, you force them to do it by making them feel ashamed not to. ❏ He would not let neighbors shame him into silence.  n-sing If you say that something is a shame, you are expressing your regret about it and indicating that you wish it had happened differently. [feelings] ❏ It’s a crying shame that police have to put up with these mindless attacks.  convention You can use shame in expressions such as shame on you and shame on them to indicate that someone ought to feel shame for something they have said or done. [feelings] ❏ He tried to deny it. Shame on him!  phrase If someone puts you to shame, they make you feel ashamed because they do something much better than you do. ❏ His playing really put me to shame. shame|faced /ʃeɪmfeɪst/ adj If you are shamefaced, you feel embarrassed because you have done something that you know you should not have done. [formal] ❏ There was a long silence, and my father looked shamefaced. shame|ful /ʃeɪmfəl/ adj If you describe a person’s action or attitude as shameful, you think that it is so bad that the person ought to be ashamed. [disapproval] ❏ … the most shameful episode in U.S. naval history. ● shame|ful|ly adv ❏ At times they have been shamefully neglected. shame|less /ʃeɪmlɪs/ adj If you describe someone as shameless, you mean that they should be ashamed of their behavior, which is unacceptable to other people. [disapproval] ❏ … a shameless attempt to stifle democratic debate. ● shame|less|ly adv ❏ … a shamelessly lazy week-long trip. sham|poo /ʃæmpu/ (shampoos, shampooing, shampooed)  n-mass Shampoo is a soapy liquid that you use for washing your hair. ❏ … a bottle of shampoo.  v-t When you shampoo your hair, you wash it using shampoo. ❏ Shampoo your hair and dry it. shambles

shame

shamefaced

shameful

shameless

shampoo

word history shampoo A shampoo was originally a massage rather than a wash.

The word ‘shampoo’ comes from the Hindi verb chāmpnā, meaning ‘press,’ ‘knead,’ or ‘massage.’

sham|rock /ʃæmrɒk/ (shamrocks) n-count A shamrock is a small plant with three round leaves on each stem. The shamrock is the national symbol of Ireland. shank /ʃæŋk/ (shanks)  n-count The shank of an object is the long, thin, straight part of the object. ❏ These hooks are sharp with long shanks.  n-count [usu pl] Shanks are the lower parts of the legs; used especially with reference to meat. ❏ Turn the shanks and baste them once or twice as they cook. shan’t /ʃænt/ Shan’t is the usual spoken form of ‘shall not.’ shan|ty /ʃænti/ (shanties)  n-count A shanty is a small rough hut which poor people live in, built from tin, cardboard, or other materials that are not very strong.  n-count A shanty is a song which sailors used to sing while they were doing work on a ship. shanty|town /ʃæntitaʊn/ (shantytowns) also shanty town n-count A shantytown is a collection of rough huts which poor people live in, usually in or near a large city. shamrock

shank

shan’t

shanty

shantytown

Cob_American_Adv_S-Z 2nd proofs.indd 1185

share

shape 쏆쏆앳 /ʃeɪp/ (shapes, shaping, shaped)  n-count [oft n of n, also in n] The shape of an object, a person, or an area is the appearance of their outside edges or surfaces, for example, whether they are round, square, curved, or fat. ❏ Each mirror is made to order and can be designed to almost any shape or size. ❏ … little pens in the shape of baseball bats. ❏ … sofas and chairs of contrasting shapes and colors.  n-count You can refer to something that you can see as a shape if you cannot see it clearly, or if its outline is the clearest or most striking aspect of it. ❏ The great gray shape of a tank rolled out of the village.  n-count A shape is a space enclosed by an outline, for example, a circle, a square, or a triangle. ❏ Imagine a sort of a kidney shape.  n-sing The shape of something that is planned or organized is its structure and character. ❏ The last two weeks have seen a lot of talk about the future shape of Europe.  v-t Someone or something that shapes a situation or an activity has a very great influence on the way it develops. ❏ Like it or not, our families shape our lives and make us what we are.  v-t If you shape an object, you give it a particular shape, using your hands or a tool. ❏ Cut the dough in half and shape each half into a loaf.  ➞ see also shaped  phrase If you say, for example, that you will not accept something in any shape or form, or in any way, shape, or form, you are emphasizing that you will not accept it in any circumstances. [emphasis] ❏ I don’t condone violence in any shape or form.  phrase If someone or something is in shape, or in good shape, they are in a good state of health or in a good condition. If they are in bad shape, they are in a bad state of health or in a bad condition. ❏ … the Fatburner Diet Book, a comprehensive guide to getting in shape. ❏ He was still in better shape than many young men.  phrase If you lick, knock, or whip someone or something into shape, you use whatever methods are necessary to change or improve them so that they are in the condition that you want them to be in. ❏ You’ll have four months in which to lick the recruits into shape.  phrase If something is out of shape, it is no longer in its proper or original shape, for example, because it has been damaged or wrongly handled. ❏ Once most wires are bent out of shape, they don’t return to the original position.  phrase If you are out of shape, you are unhealthy and unable to do a lot of physical activity without getting tired. ❏ I weighed 245 pounds and was out of shape.  phrase When something takes shape, it develops or starts to appear in such a way that it becomes fairly clear what its final form will be. ❏ In 1912 women’s events were added, and the modern Olympic program began to take shape. Ü shape up  phrasal verb If something is shaping up, it is starting to develop or seems likely to happen. ❏ There are also indications that a major tank battle may be shaping up for tonight. ❏ The accident is already shaping up as a significant environmental disaster.  phrasal verb If you ask how someone or something is shaping up, you want to know how well they are doing in a particular situation or activity. ❏ I did have a few worries about how Hugh and I would shape up as parents.  phrasal verb If you tell someone to shape up, you are telling them to start behaving in a sensible and responsible way. ❏ They were given a year to shape up or risk losing their scholarships. shape

s

shaped 쏆앳앳 /ʃeɪpt/ adj [v-link adj] Something that is shaped like a particular object or in a particular way has the shape of that object or a shape of that type. ❏ A new perfume from Russia came in a bottle shaped like a diamond. shaped

-shaped /-ʃeɪpt/ comb in adj -shaped combines with nouns to form adjectives that describe the shape of an object. ❏ … large, heart-shaped leaves. ❏ … an L-shaped couch.

-shaped

shape|less /ʃeɪplɪs/ adj [usu adj n] Something that is shapeless does not have a distinct or attractive shape. ❏ Aunt Mary wore shapeless black dresses. shapeless

shape|ly /ʃeɪpli/ (shapelier, shapeliest) adj [usu adj n] If you describe a woman as shapely, you mean that she has an attractively curvy body. [approval] ❏ … their shapely legs. shapely

shard /ʃɑrd/ (shards) n-count [oft n of n] Shards are pieces of broken glass, pottery, or metal. ❏ Eyewitnesses spoke of rocks and shards of glass flying in the air. shard

share 쏆쏆쏆 /ʃɛər/ (shares, sharing, shared)  n-count A company’s shares are the many equal parts into which its ownership is divided. Shares can be bought by people as an investment. [business] ❏ People in China are eager to buy shares in share

03/05/2023 10:43

sticky tape

stilted

1267

problems or is embarrassing. [informal] ❏ Inevitably the transition will yield some sticky moments.  ➞ See feature box at snow sticky tape n-uncount Sticky tape is the same as Scotch tape. [brit] stiff /stɪf/ (stiffer, stiffest)  adj Something that is stiff is firm or does not bend easily. ❏ The furniture was stiff, uncomfortable, too delicate, and too neat. ❏ His gaberdine trousers were brand new and stiff. ● stiff|ly adv ❏ Moira sat stiffly upright in her straight-backed chair.  adj Something such as a door or drawer that is stiff does not move as easily as it should. ❏ There have been problems with doors being too stiff to open.  adj If you are stiff, your muscles or joints hurt when you move, because of illness or because of too much exercise. ❏ The mud bath is particularly recommended for relieving tension and stiff muscles. ● stiff|ly adv ❏ He climbed stiffly from the Volkswagen.  adj Stiff behavior is rather formal and not very friendly or relaxed. ❏ They always seemed a little awkward with each other, a bit stiff and formal. ● stiff|ly adv ❏ “Why don’t you borrow your sister’s car?” said Cassandra stiffly.  adj Stiff can be used to mean difficult or severe. ❏ She faces stiff competition in the Best Actress category.  adv [adj adv] If you are bored stiff, worried stiff, or scared stiff, you are extremely bored, worried, or scared. [informal, emphasis] ❏ Anna tried to look interested. Actually, she was bored stiff. ● adj [v n adj] Stiff is also an adjective. ❏ Even if he bores you stiff, it is good manners not to let him know it. sticky tape

sti|let|to /stɪlɛtoʊ/ (stilettos)  n-count Stilettos are women’s shoes that have high, very narrow heels. ❏ Off came her sneakers and on went a pair of stilettos.  ➞ See also color supplement stiletto

still

stiff

stiff|en /stɪfən/ (stiffens, stiffening, stiffened)  v-i If you stiffen, you stop moving and stand or sit with muscles that are suddenly tense, for example because you feel afraid or angry. ❏ Ada stiffened at the sound of his voice.  v-i If your muscles or joints stiffen, or if something stiffens them, they become difficult to bend or move. ❏ The blood supply to the skin is reduced when muscles stiffen. ● phrasal verb Stiffen up means the same as stiffen. ❏ These clothes restrict your freedom of movement and stiffen up the whole body.  v-t [usu passive] If something such as cloth is stiffened, it is made firm so that it does not bend easily. ❏ This special paper was actually thin, soft Sugiwara paper that had been stiffened with a kind of paste. stiff-necked also stiffnecked adj If you say that someone is stiff-necked, you mean that they are proud and unwilling to do what other people want. [disapproval] stiffen

stiff-necked

sti|fle /staɪfəl/ (stifles, stifling, stifled)  v-t If someone stifles something you consider to be a good thing, they prevent it from continuing. [disapproval] ❏ Regulations on children stifled creativity.  v-t If you stifle a yawn or laugh, you prevent yourself from yawning or laughing. ❏ She makes no attempt to stifle a yawn.  v-t If you stifle your natural feelings or behavior, you prevent yourself from having those feelings or behaving in that way. ❏ It is best to stifle curiosity and leave birds’ nests alone. sti|fling /staɪflɪŋ/  adj Stifling heat is so intense that it makes you feel uncomfortable. You can also use stifling to describe a place that is extremely hot. ❏ The stifling heat of the little room was beginning to make me nauseous.  adj If a situation is stifling, it makes you feel uncomfortable because you cannot do what you want. ❏ Life at home with her parents and two sisters was stifling.  ➞ see also stifle  ➞ See feature box at hot stig|ma /stɪgmə/ (stigmas)  n-var If something has a stigma attached to it, people think it is something to be ashamed of. ❏ There is still a stigma attached to cancer.  ➞ See also color supplement stig|ma|ta /stɪgmɑtə/ n-plural Stigmata are marks that appear on a person’s body in the same places where Christ was wounded when he was nailed to the cross. Some Christians believe that these marks are a sign of holiness. stig|ma|tize /stɪgmətaɪz/ (stigmatizes, stigmatizing, stigmatized) stifle

햲 ADVERB USES 햳 NOT MOVING OR MAKING A NOISE 햴 EQUIPMENT 햲 still 쏆쏆쏆 /stɪl/  adv If a situation that used to exist still exists, it has continued and exists now. ❏ I still dream of home. ❏ Brian’s toe is still badly swollen and he cannot put on his shoe.  adv [adv before v] If something that has not yet happened could still happen, it is possible that it will happen. If something that has not yet happened is still to happen, it will happen at a later time. ❏ Big money could still be made if the crisis keeps oil prices high. ❏ We could still make it, but we won’t get there till three.  adv [be adv n] If you say that there is still an amount of something left, you are emphasizing that there is that amount left. ❏ There are still some outstanding problems.  adv [adv before v] You use still to emphasize that something remains the case or is true in spite of what you have just said. ❏ I’m average for my height. But I still feel I’m fatter than I should be.  adv [adv with cl] You use still to indicate that a problem or difficulty is not really worth worrying about. ❏ Their luck had simply run out.

Still, never fear.  adv [adv n/adv] You use still in expressions such as still further, still another, and still more to show that you find the number or quantity of things you are referring to surprising or excessive. [emphasis] ❏ We look forward to strengthening still further our already close co-operation with the police.  adv [adv with compar] You use still with comparatives to indicate that something has even more of a quality than something else. [emphasis] ❏ Formula One motor car racing is supposed to be dangerous. “Indycar” racing is supposed to be more dangerous still. 햳 still 쏆쏆쏆 /stɪl/ (stiller, stillest, stills)  adj [adj after v] If you stay still, you stay in the same position and do not move. ❏ David had been dancing about like a child, but suddenly he stood still and looked at Brad.  adj If air or water is still, it is not moving. ❏ The night air was very still.  adj If a place is still, it is quiet and shows no sign of activity. ❏ In the room it was very still. ● still|ness n-uncount ❏ Four deafening explosions shattered the stillness of the night air.  adj Drinks that are still do not contain any bubbles of carbon dioxide. ❏ …a glass of still water.  n-count A still is a photograph taken from a movie which is used for publicity purposes. ❏ … stills from the James Bond movie series. still

still

synonyms still

adj 햳  stationary: Stationary cars in traffic jams cause a great deal of pollution. motionless: Her hands were motionless. inert: He covered the inert body with a blanket. static: Both your pictures are of static subjects.

stifling

stigma

stigmata

stigmatize

in brit, also use stigmatise v-t If someone or something is stigmatized, they are unfairly regarded by many people as being bad or having something to be ashamed of. ❏ Children in single-parent families must not be stigmatized. stile /staɪl/ (stiles) n-count A stile is an entrance to a field or path consisting of a step on either side of a fence or wall to help people climb over it.

stile

Cob_American_Adv_S-Z 2nd proofs.indd 1267

s

햴 still /stɪl/ (stills) n-count A still is a piece of equipment used to make strong alcoholic drinks by a process called distilling. still|birth /stɪlbɜrθ/ (stillbirths) n-var A stillbirth is the birth of a dead baby. still|born /stɪlbɔrn/ adj A stillborn baby is dead when it is born. ❏ It was a miracle that she survived the birth of her stillborn baby. still life (still lifes) n-var A still life is a painting or drawing of an arrangement of objects such as flowers or fruit. Still life refers to this type of painting or drawing. ❏ … a still life by one of France’s finest artists. stilt /stɪlt/ (stilts)  n-count [usu pl, oft on n] Stilts are long upright pieces of wood or metal on which some buildings are built, especially where the ground is wet or very soft. ❏ They inhabit reed huts built on stilts above the water.  n-count Stilts are two long pieces of wood with pieces for the feet fixed high up on the sides so that people can stand on them and walk high above the ground. stilt|ed /stɪltɪd/ adj If someone speaks in a stilted way, they speak in a formal or unnatural way, for example because they are not relaxed. ❏ We made polite, stilted conversation. still

stillbirth

stillborn

still life

stilt

stilted

02/05/2023 16:30

wireless

media will be huge.  adj [usu adj n] Wired is used to describe material or clothing that has wires sewn into it in order to keep it stiff. ❏ … a length of wired ribbon. wire|less 쏆쏆앳 /waɪərlɪs/  adj Wireless technology uses radio waves rather than electricity and therefore does not require any wires. ❏ … the fast-growing wireless communication market.  ➞ See feature box at computer Wire|less Ap|pli|ca|tion Proto|col ➞ see WAP wire|tap /waɪərtæp/ (wiretaps, wiretapping, wiretapped) v-t If someone wiretaps your telephone, they attach a special device to the line so that they can secretly listen to your conversations. [am] ❏ The coach said his club had wiretapped the hotel room of a player during a road trip. ● n-count Wiretap is also a noun. ❏ … tapes of telephone conversations that can have been obtained only by illegal wiretaps. ● wire|tapping n-uncount ❏ … allegations of wiretapping. wir|ing /waɪərɪŋ/ n-uncount The wiring in a building or machine is the system of wires that supply electricity to the different parts of it. ❏ Faulty wiring is the major cause of house fires. wiry /waɪəri/ (wirier, wiriest)  adj Someone who is wiry is somewhat thin but is also strong. ❏ His body is wiry and athletic.  adj Something such as hair or grass that is wiry is stiff and rough to touch. ❏ Her wiry hair was pushed up on top of her head in an untidy bun. wis|dom /wɪzdəm/  n-uncount Wisdom is the ability to use your experience and knowledge in order to make sensible decisions or judgments. ❏ … the patience and wisdom that comes from old age.  n-sing If you talk about the wisdom of a particular decision or action, you are talking about how sensible it is. ❏ Many Lithuanians have expressed doubts about the wisdom of the decision. wis|dom tooth (wisdom teeth)  n-count Your wisdom teeth are the four large teeth at the back of your mouth that usually grow much later than your other teeth.  ➞ See also color supplement wise 쏆앳앳 /waɪz/ (wiser, wisest)  adj A wise person is able to use their experience and knowledge in order to make sensible decisions and judgments. ❏ She has the air of a wise woman. ● wise|ly adv [adv with v] ❏ The three of us stood around the machine nodding wisely.  adj A wise action or decision is sensible. ❏ It’s never wise to withhold evidence. ❏ She had made a very wise decision. ● wise|ly adv ❏ They’ve invested their money wisely.

-wise /-waɪz/  comb in adv [adv with cl] -wise is added to nouns to form adverbs indicating that something is the case when considering the particular thing mentioned. ❏ Career-wise, this illness couldn’t have come at a worse time. ❏ It was a much better day weather-wise.  comb in adv [adv after v] -wise is added to nouns to form adverbs indicating that something goes in a particular direction or is in a particular position. ❏ She walked clockwise around the circle. wise|crack /waɪzkræk/ (wisecracks) n-count A wisecrack is a clever remark that is intended to be amusing, but is often unkind. wise|crack|ing /waɪzkrækɪŋ/ adj [usu adj n] You can use wisecracking to describe someone who keeps making wisecracks. ❏ … a wisecracking private eye. wise guy (wise guys) also wiseguy  n-count If you say that someone is a wise guy, you dislike the fact that they think they are very clever and always have an answer for everything. [informal, disapproval]  n-count A wise guy is a member of the Mafia. [mainly am, informal] wish 쏆쏆앳 /wɪʃ/ (wishes, wishing, wished)  n-count A wish is a desire or strong feeling that you want to have something or do something. ❏ She was sincere and genuine in her wish to make amends for the past. ❏ The decision was made against the wishes of the party leader.  v-t/v-i If you wish to do something or to have it done for you, you want to do it or have it done. [formal] ❏ If you wish to go away for the weekend, our office will be delighted to make hotel reservations. ❏ We can dress as we wish now.  v-t [no cont] If you wish something were true, you would like it to be true, even though you know that it is impossible or unlikely. ❏ I wish I could do that. ❏ Pa, I wish you wouldn’t shout.  v-i If you wish for something, you express the desire for that thing silently to yourself. In fairy tales, when a person wishes for wireless

Wireless Application Protocol

wiretap

wit

1478

something, the thing they wish for often happens by magic. ❏ Be careful what you wish for. You might get it! ● n-count Wish is also a noun. ❏ The custom is for people to try and eat 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight. Those who are successful can make a wish.  v-t [no cont, with brd-neg] If you say that you would not wish a particular thing on someone, you mean that the thing is so unpleasant that you would not want them to be forced to experience it. ❏ It’s a horrid experience and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.  v-t If you wish someone something such as luck or happiness, you express the hope that they will be lucky or happy. ❏ I wish you both a good trip.  n-plural If you express your good wishes toward someone, you are politely expressing your friendly feelings toward them and your hope that they will be successful or happy. [politeness] ❏ I found George’s story very sad. Please give him my best wishes.

synonyms wish

wiring

noun  desire: I had a strong desire to help and care for people. longing: Imelda spoke of her longing to return home. aspiration: … the needs and aspirations of our students. urge: He had an urge to open a store of his own. need: Charles has never felt the need to compete with anyone.

wiry

usage

wisdom

wisdom tooth

wise

-wise

wisecrack

wisecracking

wise guy

W

wish

Cob_American_Adv_S-Z 2nd proofs.indd 1478

wish Don’t use ‘wish’ with a clause to say that you hope something good will happen to someone. Don’t say, for example, ‘I wish you’ll have a nice time in Finland.’ Say ‘I hope you’ll have a nice time in Finland’ or ‘I hope you have a nice time in Finland.’ I hope you like this village.

wish|bone /wɪʃboʊn/ (wishbones) n-count A wishbone is a V-shaped bone in chickens, turkeys, and other birds.

wishbone

wish|ful think|ing n-uncount If you say that an idea, wish, or hope is wishful thinking, you mean that it has failed to come true or is unlikely to come true. ❏ It is wishful thinking to expect deeper change under his leadership. wishful thinking

wish list (wish lists) n-count [oft with poss] If you refer to someone’s wish list, you mean all the things which they would like to happen or be given, although these things may be unlikely. [informal] ❏ … one special toy that tops the wish list of every child. wish list

wishy-washy /wɪʃi wɒʃi/ adj If you say that someone is wishy-washy, you are critical of them because their ideas are not firm or clear. [informal, disapproval] ❏ If there’s anything I can’t stand it’s an indecisive, wishy-washy customer. wishy-washy

wisp /wɪsp/ (wisps)  n-count [usu n of n] A wisp of hair is a small, thin, bunch of it. ❏ She smoothed away a wisp of hair from her eyes.  n-count [usu n of n] A wisp of something such as smoke or cloud is an amount of it in a long thin shape. ❏ A thin wisp of smoke straggled up through the trees. wisp

wispy /wɪspi/ (wispier, wispiest)  adj If someone has wispy hair, their hair does not grow thickly on their head.  adj [usu adj n] A wispy cloud is thin or faint. wispy

wis|te|ria /wɪstɪəriə/ n-uncount Wisteria is a type of climbing plant that has pale purple or white flowers.

wisteria

wist|ful /wɪstfəl/ adj Someone who is wistful is sad because they want something and know that they cannot have it. ❏ I can’t help feeling slightly wistful about the perks I’m giving up. ● wist|ful|ly adv [usu adv with v, also adv adj] ❏ ’I wish I had a little brother,’ said Daphne wistfully. wistful

wit /wɪt/ (wits)  n-uncount Wit is the ability to use words or ideas in an amusing, clever, and imaginative way. ❏ Boulding was known for his biting wit.  n-sing If you say that someone has the wit to do something, you mean that they have the intelligence and understanding to make the right decision or take the right action in a particular situation. ❏ The information is there and waiting to be accessed by anyone with the wit to use it.  n-plural You can refer to your ability to think quickly and effectively in a difficult situation as your wits. ❏ She has used her wits to progress to the position she holds today.  n-plural You can use wits in expressions such as frighten someone out of their wits and scare the wits out of someone to emphasize wit

02/05/2023 16:30

shamanism

1185

sham|an|ism /ʃeɪmənɪzəm/ n-uncount Shamanism is a religion which is based on the belief that the world is controlled by good and evil spirits, and that these spirits can be directed by people with special powers.

shamanism

sham|ble /ʃæmbəl/ (shambles, shambling, shambled) verb If you shamble somewhere, you walk clumsily, pulling your feet along the ground. [literary] ❏ The conductor shambled to the next car. ❏ … his tall, shambling figure. shamble

sham|bles /ʃæmbəlz/ n-sing If a place, event, or situation is a shambles or is in a shambles, everything is in disorder. ❏ The ship’s interior was an utter shambles. shame 쏆앳앳 /ʃeɪm/ (shames, shaming, shamed)  n-uncount Shame is an uncomfortable feeling that you get when you have done something wrong or embarrassing, or when someone close to you has. ❏ She felt a deep sense of shame. ❏ Her father and her brothers would die of shame.  n-uncount If someone brings shame on you, they make other people lose their respect for you. ❏ I don’t want to bring shame on the family name.  v-t If something shames you, it causes you to feel shame. ❏ Her son’s affair had humiliated and shamed her.  v-t If you shame someone into doing something, you force them to do it by making them feel ashamed not to. ❏ He would not let neighbors shame him into silence.  n-sing If you say that something is a shame, you are expressing your regret about it and indicating that you wish it had happened differently. [feelings] ❏ It’s a crying shame that police have to put up with these mindless attacks.  convention You can use shame in expressions such as shame on you and shame on them to indicate that someone ought to feel shame for something they have said or done. [feelings] ❏ He tried to deny it. Shame on him!  phrase If someone puts you to shame, they make you feel ashamed because they do something much better than you do. ❏ His playing really put me to shame. shame|faced /ʃeɪmfeɪst/ adj If you are shamefaced, you feel embarrassed because you have done something that you know you should not have done. [formal] ❏ There was a long silence, and my father looked shamefaced. shame|ful /ʃeɪmfəl/ adj If you describe a person’s action or attitude as shameful, you think that it is so bad that the person ought to be ashamed. [disapproval] ❏ … the most shameful episode in U.S. naval history. ● shame|ful|ly adv ❏ At times they have been shamefully neglected. shame|less /ʃeɪmlɪs/ adj If you describe someone as shameless, you mean that they should be ashamed of their behavior, which is unacceptable to other people. [disapproval] ❏ … a shameless attempt to stifle democratic debate. ● shame|less|ly adv ❏ … a shamelessly lazy week-long trip. sham|poo /ʃæmpu/ (shampoos, shampooing, shampooed)  n-mass Shampoo is a soapy liquid that you use for washing your hair. ❏ … a bottle of shampoo.  v-t When you shampoo your hair, you wash it using shampoo. ❏ Shampoo your hair and dry it. shambles

shame

shamefaced

shameful

shameless

shampoo

word history shampoo A shampoo was originally a massage rather than a wash.

The word ‘shampoo’ comes from the Hindi verb chāmpnā, meaning ‘press,’ ‘knead,’ or ‘massage.’

sham|rock /ʃæmrɒk/ (shamrocks) n-count A shamrock is a small plant with three round leaves on each stem. The shamrock is the national symbol of Ireland. shank /ʃæŋk/ (shanks)  n-count The shank of an object is the long, thin, straight part of the object. ❏ These hooks are sharp with long shanks.  n-count [usu pl] Shanks are the lower parts of the legs; used especially with reference to meat. ❏ Turn the shanks and baste them once or twice as they cook. shan’t /ʃænt/ Shan’t is the usual spoken form of ‘shall not.’ shan|ty /ʃænti/ (shanties)  n-count A shanty is a small rough hut which poor people live in, built from tin, cardboard, or other materials that are not very strong.  n-count A shanty is a song which sailors used to sing while they were doing work on a ship. shanty|town /ʃæntitaʊn/ (shantytowns) also shanty town n-count A shantytown is a collection of rough huts which poor people live in, usually in or near a large city. shamrock

shank

shan’t

shanty

shantytown

Cob_American_Adv_S-Z 2nd proofs.indd 1185

share

shape 쏆쏆앳 /ʃeɪp/ (shapes, shaping, shaped)  n-count [oft n of n, also in n] The shape of an object, a person, or an area is the appearance of their outside edges or surfaces, for example, whether they are round, square, curved, or fat. ❏ Each mirror is made to order and can be designed to almost any shape or size. ❏ … little pens in the shape of baseball bats. ❏ … sofas and chairs of contrasting shapes and colors.  n-count You can refer to something that you can see as a shape if you cannot see it clearly, or if its outline is the clearest or most striking aspect of it. ❏ The great gray shape of a tank rolled out of the village.  n-count A shape is a space enclosed by an outline, for example, a circle, a square, or a triangle. ❏ Imagine a sort of a kidney shape.  n-sing The shape of something that is planned or organized is its structure and character. ❏ The last two weeks have seen a lot of talk about the future shape of Europe.  v-t Someone or something that shapes a situation or an activity has a very great influence on the way it develops. ❏ Like it or not, our families shape our lives and make us what we are.  v-t If you shape an object, you give it a particular shape, using your hands or a tool. ❏ Cut the dough in half and shape each half into a loaf.  ➞ see also shaped  phrase If you say, for example, that you will not accept something in any shape or form, or in any way, shape, or form, you are emphasizing that you will not accept it in any circumstances. [emphasis] ❏ I don’t condone violence in any shape or form.  phrase If someone or something is in shape, or in good shape, they are in a good state of health or in a good condition. If they are in bad shape, they are in a bad state of health or in a bad condition. ❏ … the Fatburner Diet Book, a comprehensive guide to getting in shape. ❏ He was still in better shape than many young men.  phrase If you lick, knock, or whip someone or something into shape, you use whatever methods are necessary to change or improve them so that they are in the condition that you want them to be in. ❏ You’ll have four months in which to lick the recruits into shape.  phrase If something is out of shape, it is no longer in its proper or original shape, for example, because it has been damaged or wrongly handled. ❏ Once most wires are bent out of shape, they don’t return to the original position.  phrase If you are out of shape, you are unhealthy and unable to do a lot of physical activity without getting tired. ❏ I weighed 245 pounds and was out of shape.  phrase When something takes shape, it develops or starts to appear in such a way that it becomes fairly clear what its final form will be. ❏ In 1912 women’s events were added, and the modern Olympic program began to take shape. Ü shape up  phrasal verb If something is shaping up, it is starting to develop or seems likely to happen. ❏ There are also indications that a major tank battle may be shaping up for tonight. ❏ The accident is already shaping up as a significant environmental disaster.  phrasal verb If you ask how someone or something is shaping up, you want to know how well they are doing in a particular situation or activity. ❏ I did have a few worries about how Hugh and I would shape up as parents.  phrasal verb If you tell someone to shape up, you are telling them to start behaving in a sensible and responsible way. ❏ They were given a year to shape up or risk losing their scholarships. shape

s

shaped 쏆앳앳 /ʃeɪpt/ adj [v-link adj] Something that is shaped like a particular object or in a particular way has the shape of that object or a shape of that type. ❏ A new perfume from Russia came in a bottle shaped like a diamond. shaped

-shaped /-ʃeɪpt/ comb in adj -shaped combines with nouns to form adjectives that describe the shape of an object. ❏ … large, heart-shaped leaves. ❏ … an L-shaped couch.

-shaped

shape|less /ʃeɪplɪs/ adj [usu adj n] Something that is shapeless does not have a distinct or attractive shape. ❏ Aunt Mary wore shapeless black dresses. shapeless

shape|ly /ʃeɪpli/ (shapelier, shapeliest) adj [usu adj n] If you describe a woman as shapely, you mean that she has an attractively curvy body. [approval] ❏ … their shapely legs. shapely

shard /ʃɑrd/ (shards) n-count [oft n of n] Shards are pieces of broken glass, pottery, or metal. ❏ Eyewitnesses spoke of rocks and shards of glass flying in the air. shard

share 쏆쏆쏆 /ʃɛər/ (shares, sharing, shared)  n-count A company’s shares are the many equal parts into which its ownership is divided. Shares can be bought by people as an investment. [business] ❏ People in China are eager to buy shares in share

02/05/2023 16:30

subjection

1285

is an area of knowledge or study, especially one that you study in school, or college. ❏ Surprisingly, math was voted their favorite subject.  n-count In an experiment or piece of research, the subject is the person or animal that is being tested or studied. [formal] ❏ “White noise” was played into the subject’s ears through headphones.  n-count An artist’s subjects are the people, animals, or objects that he or she paints, models, or photographs. ❏ Sailboats and fish are popular subjects for local artists.  n-count In grammar, the subject of a clause is the noun group that refers to the person or thing that is doing the action expressed by the verb. For example, in ‘My cat keeps catching birds,’ ‘my cat’ is the subject.  adj [v-link adj to n] To be subject to something means to be affected by it or to be likely to be affected by it. ❏ Prices may be subject to alteration.  adj [v-link adj to n] If someone is subject to a particular set of rules or laws, they have to obey those rules or laws. ❏ The tribunal is unique because Mr. Jones is not subject to the normal police discipline code.  v-t If you subject someone to something unpleasant, you make them experience it. ❏ They subjected me to endless threats to sabotage my business.  n-count The people who live in or belong to a particular country, usually one ruled by a monarch, are the subjects of that monarch or country. ❏ His subjects regarded him as a great and wise monarch.  phrase When someone involved in a conversation changes the subject, they start talking about something else, often because the previous subject was embarrassing. ❏ He tried to change the subject, but she wasn’t to be put off.  phrase If an event will take place subject to a condition, it will take place only if that thing happens. ❏ They denied a report that Egypt had agreed to a summit, subject to certain conditions.

collocations subject noun 

submit

subjugate the Afghans lasted just 10 years. ● sub|ju|ga|tion /sʌbdʒəgeɪʃən/ n-uncount [usu n of n] ❏ … the brutal subjugation of native tribes.  v-t [usu passive] If your wishes or desires are subjugated to something, they are treated as less important than that thing. [formal] ❏ She was no longer willing to see her own needs subjugated to his ambitions. sub|junc|tive /səbdʒʌŋktɪv/ n-sing [the n] In English, a clause expressing a wish or suggestion can be put in the subjunctive, or in the subjunctive mood, by using the base form of a verb or ‘were.’ Examples are ‘She asked that they be removed’ and ‘I wish I were somewhere else.’ These structures are formal. [technical] sub|let /sʌblɛt/ (sublets, subletting) subjunctive

sublet

The form sublet is used in the present tense and is the past tense and past participle of the verb. v-t If you sublet a building or part of a building, you allow someone to use it and you take rent from them, although you are not the owner and pay rent for it yourself. ❏ The company rented the building, occupied part and sublet the rest. sub|li|mate /sʌblɪmeɪt/ (sublimates, sublimating, sublimated) v-t If you sublimate a strong desire or feeling, you express it in a way that is socially acceptable. [formal] ❏ He could try to sublimate the problem by writing, in detail, about it. sub|lime /səblaɪm/ adj If you describe something as sublime, you mean that it has a wonderful quality that affects you deeply. [literary, approval] ❏ Sublime music floats on a scented summer breeze to the spot where you lie. ● n-sing You can refer to sublime things as the sublime. ❏ She elevated every rare small success to the sublime. ● phrase If you describe something as going from the sublime to the ridiculous, you mean that it involves a change from something very good or serious to something silly or unimportant. sublimate

sublime

sub|limi|nal /sʌblɪmɪnəl/ adj Subliminal influences or messages affect your mind without you being aware of it. ❏ Color has a profound, though often subliminal, influence on our senses and moods. sub|ma|chine gun /sʌbməʃin gʌn/ (submachine guns) also sub-machine gun n-count A submachine gun is a light portable type of machine gun. sub|ma|rine /sʌbmərin/ (submarines)  n-count A submarine is a type of ship that can travel both above and below the surface of the sea. The abbreviation sub is also used. ❏ … a nuclear submarine.  ➞ See also color supplement sub|ma|rin|er /sʌbmərinər, səbmærənər/ (submariners) n-count A submariner is a sailor or other person who goes in a submarine. sub|merge /səbmɜrdʒ/ (submerges, submerging, submerged) v-t/v-i If something submerges or if you submerge it, it goes below the surface of some water or another liquid. ❏ Hippos are unable to submerge in the few remaining water holes. sub|merged /səbmɜrdʒd/ adj If something is submerged, it is below the surface of some water. ❏ My right toe struck against a submerged rock. subliminal

adjective + subject: controversial, difficult, sensitive, taboo verb + subject: address, broach, discuss, raise 

noun + subject: degree; art, science adjective + subject: academic, compulsory, core, vocational; favorite, specialist verb + subject: research, study, teach

submachine gun

submarine

synonyms subject noun  topic: The main topic for discussion is political union. question: But the whole question of aid is a tricky political one. issue: Is it right for the Church to express a view on political issues? matter: It was clear that she wanted to discuss some private matter.

sub|jec|tion /səbdʒɛkʃən/ n-uncount Subjection to someone involves being completely controlled by them. ❏ … their complete subjection to their captors. ❏ … the worst forms of economic subjection and drudgery. sub|jec|tive /səbdʒɛktɪv/ adj Something that is subjective is based on personal opinions and feelings rather than on facts. ❏ We know that taste in art is a subjective matter. ● sub|jec|tive|ly adv ❏ Our preliminary results suggest that people do subjectively find the speech clearer. ● sub|jec|tiv|ity /sʌbdʒɛktɪvɪti/ n-uncount ❏ They accused her of flippancy and subjectivity in her reporting of events in their country. sub|ject mat|ter  n-uncount The subject matter of something such as a book, lecture, movie, or painting is the thing that is being written about, discussed, or shown. ❏ Then, attitudes changed and artists were given greater freedom in their choice of subject matter.  ➞ See feature box at study sub ju|di|ce /sʌb dʒudɪsi/ also sub-judice adj [usu v-link adj] When something is sub judice, it is the subject of a trial in a court of law. [legal] ❏ He declined further comment on the grounds that the case was sub judice. sub|ju|gate /sʌbdʒəgeɪt/ (subjugates, subjugating, subjugated)  v-t If someone subjugates a group of people, they take complete control of them, especially by defeating them in a war. [formal] ❏ Their costly and futile attempt to subjection

subjective

subject matter

sub judice

subjugate

Cob_American_Adv_S-Z 2nd proofs.indd 1285

submariner

submerge

s

submerged

sub|mers|ible /səbmɜrsɪbəl/ adj If something is submersible, it can go or operate under water. ❏ … a submersible pump. submersible

sub|mis|sion /səbmɪʃən/ n-uncount Submission is a state in which people can no longer do what they want to do because they have been brought under the control of someone else. ❏ The army intends to take the city or simply starve it into submission. sub|mis|sive /səbmɪsɪv/ adj If you are submissive, you obey someone without arguing. ❏ Some doctors want their patients to be submissive. ● sub|mis|sive|ly adv ❏ The troops submissively laid down their weapons. sub|mit /səbmɪt/ (submits, submitting, submitted)  v-i If you submit to something, you unwillingly allow something to be done to you, or you do what someone wants, for example because you are not powerful enough to resist. ❏ In desperation, Mrs. Jones submitted to an operation on her right knee to relieve the pain.  v-t If you submit a proposal, report, or request to someone, you formally send it to them so that they can consider it or decide about it. ❏ They submitted their reports to the chancellor yesterday. submission

submissive

submit

03/05/2023 11:31

pressure cooker

pretty

1012

people expect a lot from you. ❏ Can you work under pressure? ❏ Even if I had the talent to play tennis I couldn’t stand the pressure.  v-t If you pressure someone to do something, you try forcefully to persuade them to do it. ❏ He will never pressure you to get married. ❏ The Senate should not be pressured into making hasty decisions. ● pres|sured adj ❏ You’re likely to feel anxious and pressured.  ➞ see also blood pressure  ➞ See feature box at success

pres|sure cook|er (pressure cookers) n-count A pressure cooker is a large metal container with a lid that fits tightly, in which you can cook food quickly using steam at high pressure.

pressure cooker

pres|sure group (pressure groups) n-count A pressure

pressure group

group is an organized group of people who are trying to persuade a government or other authority to do something, for example, to change a law. ❏ … the environmental pressure group Greenpeace.

pres|sur|ize /prɛʃəraɪz/ (pressurizes, pressurizing,

pressurize

pressurized) in brit, also use pressurise  verb If you are pressurized into doing something, you are

forcefully persuaded to do it. ❏ Do not be pressurized into making your decision immediately. ❏ He thought she was trying to pressurize him.  ➞ see also pressurized

pres|sur|ized /prɛʃəraɪzd/

pressurized

in brit, also use pressurised adj In a pressurized container or area, the pressure inside is different from the pressure outside. ❏ Certain types of foods are also dispensed in pressurized canisters.

pres|tige /prɛstiʒ, -stidʒ/  n-uncount If a person, a country, or an organization has prestige, they are admired and respected because of the position they hold or the things they have achieved. ❏ … efforts to build up the prestige of the United Nations. ❏ It was his responsibility for foreign affairs that gained him international prestige.  adj [adj n] Prestige is used to describe products, places, or activities that people admire because they are associated with being rich or having a high social position. ❏ … such prestige cars as Cadillac, Mercedes, Porsche, and Jaguar.

pre|sup|po|si|tion /prisʌpəzɪʃən/ (presuppositions) n-count A presupposition is something that you assume to be true, especially something that you must assume is true in order to continue with what you are saying or thinking. [formal] ❏ … the presupposition that human life must be sustained for as long as possible. presupposition

pre|tax /pritæks/ also pre-tax adj [adj n] Pretax profits or losses are the total profits or losses made by a company before tax has been taken away. [business] ❏ They announced a fall in pretax profits. ● adv [adv after v] Pretax is also an adverb. ❏ Last year it made $2.5 million pretax. pretax

pre|teen /pritin/ (preteens) n-count [oft n n] A preteen is a child aged between nine and thirteen. ❏ Some preteens are able to handle a good deal of responsibility. ❏ … preteen children. preteen

pre|tence /prɪtɛns, pritɛns/ [brit] ➞ see pretense pre|tend /prɪtɛnd/ (pretends, pretending, pretended)  v-t

pretence

pretend

If you pretend that something is the case, you act in a way that is intended to make people believe that it is the case, although in fact it is not. ❏ I pretend that things are really okay when they’re not. ❏ Sometimes the boy pretended to be asleep.  v-t If children or adults pretend that they are doing something, they imagine that they are doing it, for example, as part of a game. ❏ She can sunbathe and pretend she’s in Cancun.  v-t [with neg] If you do not pretend that something is the case, you do not claim that it is the case. ❏ We do not pretend that the past six years have been without problems for us.

pre|tend|er /prɪtɛndər/ (pretenders) n-count [usu n to n, adj n] A pretender to a position is someone who claims the right to that position, and whose claim is disputed by others. ❏ … the Comte de Paris, pretender to the French throne. pretender

pretense

pre|tense /prɪtɛns, pritɛns/ (pretenses)

prestige

pres|tig|ious /prɛstɪdʒəs, -stidʒəs/ adj A prestigious institution, job, or activity is respected and admired by people. ❏ It’s one of the best equipped and most prestigious schools in the country. prestigious

P

pre|sum|ably 쏆앳앳 /prɪzuməbli/ adv If you say that something is presumably the case, you mean that you think it is very likely to be the case, although you are not certain. [vagueness] ❏ The spear is presumably the murder weapon. presumably

pre|sume /prɪzum/ (presumes, presuming, presumed)  v-t

presume

If you presume that something is the case, you think that it is the case, although you are not certain. ❏ I presume you’re here on business. ❏ “Had he been home all week?”—“I presume so.”  v-t If you say that someone presumes to do something, you mean that they do it even though they have no right to do it. [formal] ❏ They’re resentful that outsiders presume to meddle in their affairs.  v-t If an idea, theory, or plan presumes certain facts, it regards them as true so that they can be used as a basis for further ideas and theories. [formal] ❏ The legal definition of “know” often presumes mental control.

pre|sump|tion /prɪzʌmpʃən/ (presumptions) n-count A

presumption

presumption is something that is accepted as true but is not certain to be true. ❏ … the presumption that a defendant is innocent until proved guilty.

pre|sump|tu|ous /prɪzʌmptʃuəs/ adj If you describe someone or their behavior as presumptuous, you disapprove of them because they are doing something that they have no right or authority to do. [disapproval] ❏ It would be presumptuous to judge what the outcome will be. presumptuous

pre|sup|pose /prisəpoʊz/ (presupposes, presupposing, presupposed) v-t If one thing presupposes another, the first thing cannot be true or exist unless the second thing is true or exists. ❏ All your arguments presuppose that he’s a rational, intelligent man. ❏ The end of an era presupposes the start of another. presuppose

Cob_American_Adv_M-R_2nd proofs.indd 1012

in brit, use pretence  n-var A pretense is an action or way of behaving that is

intended to make people believe something that is not true. ❏ He goes to the library and makes a pretense of reading some Thoreau. ❏ On the eighth day of questioning, she dropped the pretense that she was Japanese.  phrase If you do something under false pretenses, you do it when people do not know the truth about you and your intentions. ❏ This interview was conducted under false pretenses.

pre|ten|sion /prɪtɛnʃən/ (pretensions)  n-var If you say that someone has pretensions, you disapprove of them because they claim or pretend that they are more important than they really are. [disapproval] ❏ Her wide-eyed innocence soon exposes the pretensions of the art world.  n-plural If someone has pretensions to something, they claim to be or do that thing. ❏ The city has unrealistic pretensions to world-class status. pretension

pre|ten|tious /prɪtɛnʃəs/ adj If you say that someone or something is pretentious, you mean that they try to seem important or significant, but you do not think that they are. [disapproval] ❏ His response was full of pretentious nonsense. pretentious

pre|ter|natu|ral /pritərnætʃrəl/ adj [adj n] Preternatural abilities, qualities, or events are very unusual in a way that might make you think that unknown forces are involved. [formal] ❏ Their parents had an almost preternatural ability to understand what was going on in their children’s minds. ● pre|ter|natu|ral|ly adv [adv adj] ❏ It was suddenly preternaturally quiet. preternatural

pret|ti|fy /prɪtɪfaɪ/ (prettifies, prettifying, prettified) v-t To prettify something, especially something that is ugly, means to try to make it appear more attractive. [disapproval] ❏ … just a clever effort to prettify animal slaughter. ❏ It presented an intolerably prettified view of the countryside. prettify

pret|ty 쏆쏆앳 /prɪti/ (prettier, prettiest)  adj If you describe someone as pretty, you mean that they are attractive. ❏ She’s a very charming and very pretty girl. ● pret|ti|ly /prɪtɪli/ adv ❏ She smiled again, prettily.  adj A place or a thing that is pretty is attractive and pleasant, in a charming but not particularly unusual way. ❏ … a very pretty little town. ● pret|ti|ly adv ❏ The living-room was prettily decorated.  adv [adv adj/adv] You can use pretty before an adjective or adverb to slightly lessen its force. [informal] ❏ I had a pretty good idea what she was going to do. pretty

02/05/2023 16:18

wireless

media will be huge.  adj [usu adj n] Wired is used to describe material or clothing that has wires sewn into it in order to keep it stiff. ❏ … a length of wired ribbon. wire|less 쏆쏆앳 /waɪərlɪs/  adj Wireless technology uses radio waves rather than electricity and therefore does not require any wires. ❏ … the fast-growing wireless communication market.  ➞ See feature box at computer Wire|less Ap|pli|ca|tion Proto|col ➞ see WAP wire|tap /waɪərtæp/ (wiretaps, wiretapping, wiretapped) v-t If someone wiretaps your telephone, they attach a special device to the line so that they can secretly listen to your conversations. [am] ❏ The coach said his club had wiretapped the hotel room of a player during a road trip. ● n-count Wiretap is also a noun. ❏ … tapes of telephone conversations that can have been obtained only by illegal wiretaps. ● wire|tapping n-uncount ❏ … allegations of wiretapping. wir|ing /waɪərɪŋ/ n-uncount The wiring in a building or machine is the system of wires that supply electricity to the different parts of it. ❏ Faulty wiring is the major cause of house fires. wiry /waɪəri/ (wirier, wiriest)  adj Someone who is wiry is somewhat thin but is also strong. ❏ His body is wiry and athletic.  adj Something such as hair or grass that is wiry is stiff and rough to touch. ❏ Her wiry hair was pushed up on top of her head in an untidy bun. wis|dom /wɪzdəm/  n-uncount Wisdom is the ability to use your experience and knowledge in order to make sensible decisions or judgments. ❏ … the patience and wisdom that comes from old age.  n-sing If you talk about the wisdom of a particular decision or action, you are talking about how sensible it is. ❏ Many Lithuanians have expressed doubts about the wisdom of the decision. wis|dom tooth (wisdom teeth)  n-count Your wisdom teeth are the four large teeth at the back of your mouth that usually grow much later than your other teeth.  ➞ See also color supplement wise 쏆앳앳 /waɪz/ (wiser, wisest)  adj A wise person is able to use their experience and knowledge in order to make sensible decisions and judgments. ❏ She has the air of a wise woman. ● wise|ly adv [adv with v] ❏ The three of us stood around the machine nodding wisely.  adj A wise action or decision is sensible. ❏ It’s never wise to withhold evidence. ❏ She had made a very wise decision. ● wise|ly adv ❏ They’ve invested their money wisely.

-wise /-waɪz/  comb in adv [adv with cl] -wise is added to nouns to form adverbs indicating that something is the case when considering the particular thing mentioned. ❏ Career-wise, this illness couldn’t have come at a worse time. ❏ It was a much better day weather-wise.  comb in adv [adv after v] -wise is added to nouns to form adverbs indicating that something goes in a particular direction or is in a particular position. ❏ She walked clockwise around the circle. wise|crack /waɪzkræk/ (wisecracks) n-count A wisecrack is a clever remark that is intended to be amusing, but is often unkind. wise|crack|ing /waɪzkrækɪŋ/ adj [usu adj n] You can use wisecracking to describe someone who keeps making wisecracks. ❏ … a wisecracking private eye. wise guy (wise guys) also wiseguy  n-count If you say that someone is a wise guy, you dislike the fact that they think they are very clever and always have an answer for everything. [informal, disapproval]  n-count A wise guy is a member of the Mafia. [mainly am, informal] wish 쏆쏆앳 /wɪʃ/ (wishes, wishing, wished)  n-count A wish is a desire or strong feeling that you want to have something or do something. ❏ She was sincere and genuine in her wish to make amends for the past. ❏ The decision was made against the wishes of the party leader.  v-t/v-i If you wish to do something or to have it done for you, you want to do it or have it done. [formal] ❏ If you wish to go away for the weekend, our office will be delighted to make hotel reservations. ❏ We can dress as we wish now.  v-t [no cont] If you wish something were true, you would like it to be true, even though you know that it is impossible or unlikely. ❏ I wish I could do that. ❏ Pa, I wish you wouldn’t shout.  v-i If you wish for something, you express the desire for that thing silently to yourself. In fairy tales, when a person wishes for wireless

Wireless Application Protocol

wiretap

wit

1478

something, the thing they wish for often happens by magic. ❏ Be careful what you wish for. You might get it! ● n-count Wish is also a noun. ❏ The custom is for people to try and eat 12 grapes as the clock strikes midnight. Those who are successful can make a wish.  v-t [no cont, with brd-neg] If you say that you would not wish a particular thing on someone, you mean that the thing is so unpleasant that you would not want them to be forced to experience it. ❏ It’s a horrid experience and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.  v-t If you wish someone something such as luck or happiness, you express the hope that they will be lucky or happy. ❏ I wish you both a good trip.  n-plural If you express your good wishes toward someone, you are politely expressing your friendly feelings toward them and your hope that they will be successful or happy. [politeness] ❏ I found George’s story very sad. Please give him my best wishes.

synonyms wish

wiring

noun  desire: I had a strong desire to help and care for people. longing: Imelda spoke of her longing to return home. aspiration: … the needs and aspirations of our students. urge: He had an urge to open a store of his own. need: Charles has never felt the need to compete with anyone.

wiry

usage

wisdom

wisdom tooth

wise

-wise

wisecrack

wisecracking

wise guy

W

wish

Cob_American_Adv_S-Z 2nd proofs.indd 1478

wish Don’t use ‘wish’ with a clause to say that you hope something good will happen to someone. Don’t say, for example, ‘I wish you’ll have a nice time in Finland.’ Say ‘I hope you’ll have a nice time in Finland’ or ‘I hope you have a nice time in Finland.’ I hope you like this village.

wish|bone /wɪʃboʊn/ (wishbones) n-count A wishbone is a V-shaped bone in chickens, turkeys, and other birds.

wishbone

wish|ful think|ing n-uncount If you say that an idea, wish, or hope is wishful thinking, you mean that it has failed to come true or is unlikely to come true. ❏ It is wishful thinking to expect deeper change under his leadership. wishful thinking

wish list (wish lists) n-count [oft with poss] If you refer to someone’s wish list, you mean all the things which they would like to happen or be given, although these things may be unlikely. [informal] ❏ … one special toy that tops the wish list of every child. wish list

wishy-washy /wɪʃi wɒʃi/ adj If you say that someone is wishy-washy, you are critical of them because their ideas are not firm or clear. [informal, disapproval] ❏ If there’s anything I can’t stand it’s an indecisive, wishy-washy customer. wishy-washy

wisp /wɪsp/ (wisps)  n-count [usu n of n] A wisp of hair is a small, thin, bunch of it. ❏ She smoothed away a wisp of hair from her eyes.  n-count [usu n of n] A wisp of something such as smoke or cloud is an amount of it in a long thin shape. ❏ A thin wisp of smoke straggled up through the trees. wisp

wispy /wɪspi/ (wispier, wispiest)  adj If someone has wispy hair, their hair does not grow thickly on their head.  adj [usu adj n] A wispy cloud is thin or faint. wispy

wis|te|ria /wɪstɪəriə/ n-uncount Wisteria is a type of climbing plant that has pale purple or white flowers.

wisteria

wist|ful /wɪstfəl/ adj Someone who is wistful is sad because they want something and know that they cannot have it. ❏ I can’t help feeling slightly wistful about the perks I’m giving up. ● wist|ful|ly adv [usu adv with v, also adv adj] ❏ ’I wish I had a little brother,’ said Daphne wistfully. wistful

wit /wɪt/ (wits)  n-uncount Wit is the ability to use words or ideas in an amusing, clever, and imaginative way. ❏ Boulding was known for his biting wit.  n-sing If you say that someone has the wit to do something, you mean that they have the intelligence and understanding to make the right decision or take the right action in a particular situation. ❏ The information is there and waiting to be accessed by anyone with the wit to use it.  n-plural You can refer to your ability to think quickly and effectively in a difficult situation as your wits. ❏ She has used her wits to progress to the position she holds today.  n-plural You can use wits in expressions such as frighten someone out of their wits and scare the wits out of someone to emphasize wit

03/05/2023 10:43