# Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary

Collins Dictionaries

Optimised for colour tablets. The images in this e-book are not suitable for viewing on black and white e-ink devices.For children aged 8 and over, this dictionary contains full sentence definitions, examples, synonyms and parts of speech, as well as spelling and grammar tips, word histories, colourful pictures, and two informative supplements.Collins Primary Illustrated Dictionary has been especially designed to support the language and literacy needs of children aged 8-10.Written in a clear, straightforward style, it places words within a context familiar to the student.It extends and reinforces key dictionary skills by showing parts of speech (for example, whether a word is a noun or verb) and other forms of a word (for example plural forms as well as adjectival forms).Numbered definitions show multiple uses. Pronunciation help is given for difficult or easily confusable words. Synonyms (similar words) and antonyms (opposite words) are given to build vocabulary, and spelling and grammar tips help children to use words with confidence.The clear layout ensures that the dictionary is an easy-to-use reference tool. Colour illustrations and photographs add extra meaning and information.The Word Wizard contains information on parts of speech, prefixes, suffixes and punctuation, plus help to improve spelling and writing. It also has information on shapes, numbers, fractions and angles, along with pictures.The Earth and Space is a fact-filled section where children can learn about the planets, the continents, the world’s mountains, rivers, and oceans, and the flags of some nations of the world.

Copyright

Published by Collins

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Westerhill Road

Bishopbriggs

Glasgow G64 2QT

Second Edition 2015

© HarperCollins Publishers 2010, 2015

eBook Edition © March 2015 ISBN 978-0-00-758365-2

Version: 2015-01-27

Collins® is a registered trademark of HarperCollins Publishers Limited

www.collins.co.uk/childrensreference

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank those authors and publishers who kindly gave permission for copyright material to be used in the Collins Corpus. We would also like to thank Times Newspapers Ltd for providing valuable data.

Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Using this dictionary

Dictionary A-Z

Aa

Bb

Cc

Dd

Ee

Ff

Gg

Hh

Ii

Jj

Kk

Ll

Mm

Nn

Oo

Pp

Qq

Rr

Ss

Tt

Uu

Vv

Ww

Xx

Yy

Zz

Word Wizard

2D shapes

3D shapes and angles

Numbers and fractions

Time

Parts of speech

Prepositions

Prefixes

Suffixes

Where words come from

Tips for tricky words

Punctuation

The Earth and Space

The Solar System

The Earth

The Moon

Continents

Mountains, rivers, and oceans

Flags of the world

Index

Picture credits

About the Publisher

Using this dictionary

A dictionary helps you to find out what a word means and how to spell it correctly. The words in a dictionary are arranged in alphabetical order.

How to find a word

Think of the first letter in the word you want to look up. Once you know this, there is more than one way to find your word in the dictionary:

• You can use the Index at the back of the ebook which lists all of the dictionary words in alphabetical order. Scroll through the Index until you find the letter your word begins with, then look down the words until you find the one you are looking for. You can then follow the link to the entry in the dictionary.

• You can use the Contents page at the front of the book, which has a link to every letter in the dictionary. Follow the link to the letter your word begins with, then look through the entries in this letter until you find the word you are looking for.

Finding your way around the dictionary

1. The headword is the word you are looking up.

2. After the headword there can be other forms of the word, such as plural nouns, verb tenses, and comparative and superlative adjectives.

3. The part of speech tells you what type of word the headword is, such as a noun, verb, adjective, adverb, or pronoun.

4. The definition tells you what the word means.

5. If the headword has more than one meaning, each meaning has a different number.

6. Sometimes there is an example to show how the word is used.


7. A pronunciation shows you how to say a difficult word.

8. A word history tells you where a word originally came from.


9. Some entries have a related word, such as a noun, adjective, or adverb made from the headword.

10. Synonyms, or words that you can use instead, are given for some words.

11. Antonyms, or words that have the opposite meaning, are given for some words.


Other features of this dictionary

• Some headwords can be spelt in more than one way.

medieval; also spelt mediaeval

age ages, ageing or aging, aged

• Sometimes definitions include a label, such as FORMAL, INFORMAL, or TRADEMARK. This tells you a little more about the word or how it is used.

mum mums

NOUN INFORMAL mother

• Sometimes a photo or an illustration is included.

mollusc molluscs

NOUN an animal with a soft body and no backbone. Snails, slugs, clams and mussels are all molluscs.


• Grammar and spelling tips provide extra information on the spelling or use of words.

different

ADJECTIVE If one thing is different from another, it is not like it.

There are two es in different.

• Some definitions tell you where to find more information at another headword.

convex

ADJECTIVE A convex surface bulges outwards, rather than being level or curving inwards.

See concave

ANTONYM: concave

Extra help for you

Word Wizard is a special section after the A-Z to help you with your writing. It contains information on things like parts of speech, prefixes, suffixes, and punctuation. It also tells you how you can improve your spelling. There are interesting facts about where some words come from. It even has information on shapes, numbers, fractions, and angles, along with pictures.

The Earth and Space is a fact-filled section with colourful pictures. This is where to look if you want to know more about the Solar System, the Earth, the Moon, the continents, and the world’s mountains, rivers, and oceans. There are also pages showing you the flags of some of the nations of the world.

Aa

a an

ADJECTIVE A and an are used when you talk about one of something. A is used when the next sound is a consonant: a car, a dog. An is used when the next sound is a vowel (a, e, i, o or u): an apple, an elephant.

abacus abacuses

NOUN a frame with beads that slide along rods, used for counting

[from Greek abax meaning board covered with sand for doing sums on]

abandon abandons, abandoning, abandoned

VERB If you abandon someone or something, you leave them or give them up for good. • He abandoned all hope of catching the train on time.

abbey abbeys

NOUN a church with buildings attached to it in which monks or nuns live

abbreviation abbreviations

NOUN a short form of a word or phrase • N is an abbreviation for North.

abdomen abdomens

NOUN the front part of your body below your chest, containing your stomach and intestines

abdominal ADJECTIVE

ability abilities

NOUN If you have ability, you have the intelligence and skill to do things.

able

ADJECTIVE If you are able to do something, you can do it.

ANTONYM: unable

abnormal

ADJECTIVE not normal or usual

abnormally ADVERB

aboard

PREPOSITION OR ADVERB If you are aboard a plane or a ship you are on it.

Aborigine Aborigines

NOUN someone descended from the people who were living in Australia before the European settlers arrived

about

PREPOSITION OR ADVERB 1 If you talk or write about a particular thing, you say things that are to do with that subject. • a book about London

2 You say about in front of a number to show it is not exact. • about two o’clock

PHRASE 3 If you are about to do something, you are just going to do it. • He was about to leave.

above

PREPOSITION OR ADVERB If one thing is above another, it is higher up. • The plane was flying above the clouds.

ANTONYM: below

abroad

ADVERB If you go abroad, you go to another country.

abscess abscesses

NOUN a painful swelling on the body, which contains pus

abseil abseils, abseiling, abseiled

VERB If you abseil down a rock face, you use ropes to go down it.

absent

ADJECTIVE If you are absent from a place, you are not there.

ANTONYM: present

absolute

ADJECTIVE 1 total and complete • absolute darkness

2 having total power • an absolute ruler

absolutely

ADVERB If you are absolutely sure about something, you are completely sure of it.

absorb absorbs, absorbing, absorbed

VERB If something absorbs liquid or gas, it soaks it up. • Plants absorb moisture from the soil.

absorbent

ADJECTIVE If something is absorbent, it soaks up liquids easily.

abstract

ADJECTIVE 1 An abstract idea is based on thoughts and ideas rather than on real objects or happenings, for example bravery and happiness.

2 Abstract art uses shapes rather than images of people or objects.


3 In grammar, abstract nouns refer to qualities or ideas, rather than physical objects, for example happiness.

See noun

absurd

ADJECTIVE Something that is absurd is stupid or ridiculous.

abuse abuses, abusing, abused

Said “ab-yooss” NOUN 1 cruel treatment of someone

2 rude and unkind remarks

Said “ab-yooz” VERB 3 To abuse someone is to treat them cruelly.

4 If you abuse someone, you speak to them in a rude and insulting way.

abysmal

ADJECTIVE very bad

abysmally ADVERB

academic academics

ADJECTIVE 1 Academic work is done in school, college and university.

NOUN 2 someone who teaches or does research in a college or university

academy academies

NOUN 1 a school or college, usually one that specializes in a particular subject • the Royal Academy of Arts

2 an organization of scientists, writers, artists or musicians

accelerate accelerates, accelerating, accelerated

VERB To accelerate is to speed up.

ANTONYM: decelerate

acceleration

NOUN the rate at which the speed of something increases

accent accents

NOUN a way of pronouncing a language • She had an Australian accent.

accept accepts, accepting, accepted

VERB 1 If you accept something, you say yes to it or you take it from someone. • She accepted our invitation to the party.

2 If you accept a situation, you realize that it cannot be changed. • I accepted that I would have to work hard before my exams.

acceptable

ADJECTIVE satisfactory

access

NOUN If you have access to a place, you may enter it. If you have access to a thing, you may use it.

accessible

ADJECTIVE 1 easy to reach or to see • The beach was accessible by a narrow path.

2 Books that are accessible are easy to understand.

accident accidents

NOUN 1 something that happens suddenly or unexpectedly, causing people to be hurt or killed

PHRASE 2 Something that happens by accident has not been planned. • We met by accident in the supermarket.

accidental

ADJECTIVE Something that is accidental has not been planned.

accidentally ADVERB

accommodation

NOUN a place where you can live, work or sleep

accompany accompanies, accompanying, accompanied

VERB 1 If you accompany someone, you go with them.

2 If you accompany a singer, you play an instrument while they sing.

accomplice accomplices

NOUN a person who helps someone else to commit a crime

accomplish accomplishes, accomplishing, accomplished

VERB If you accomplish something, you succeed in doing it.

according to

PREPOSITION If something is true according to a particular person, that person says that it is true. • According to my grandad, that castle is haunted.

account accounts, accounting, accounted

NOUN 1 a written or spoken report of something

2 money that you keep at a bank

PHRASE 3 On account of means because of. • He couldn’t play football, on account of a sore throat.

VERB 4 To account for something is to explain it. • The bad weather accounts for the cancellation of the barbecue.

accountant accountants

NOUN someone whose job is to look after the financial affairs of people and companies

accumulate accumulates, accumulating, accumulated

VERB If things accumulate, or if you accumulate things, they collect over a period of time. • While they were away, a large pile of letters accumulated on the doormat.

accumulation NOUN

accurate

ADJECTIVE absolutely correct

accuracy NOUN

accuse accuses, accusing, accused

VERB If you accuse someone of doing something wrong, you say they have done it.

accusation NOUN

ace aces

NOUN 1 In a pack of cards, the ace is a card with a single symbol on it.

2 In tennis, an ace is a serve that the other player is unable to return.

ADJECTIVE 3 INFORMAL good or skilful • an ace squash player

ache aches, aching, ached

NOUN 1 a continuous, dull pain

VERB 2 If a part of your body aches, you feel a continuous, dull pain there.

achieve achieves, achieving, achieved

VERB If you achieve something, you are successful at doing it or at making it happen.

The i comes before the e in achieve.

acid acids

NOUN 1 a chemical substance. Strong acids can damage skin, cloth and metal, for example sulphuric acid. Other acids, such as those found in citrus fruit and vinegar, are harmless.

ANTONYM: alkali

ADJECTIVE 2 If something has an acid taste, it tastes sharp or bitter.

ANTONYM: alkaline

[from Latin acidus meaning sour]

acid rain

NOUN rain that has been polluted by the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil

acknowledge acknowledges, acknowledging, acknowledged

VERB 1 If you acknowledge a fact or a situation, you admit that it is true.

2 If you acknowledge someone, you show that you have seen and recognized them, by waving or saying hello.

3 If you acknowledge a message or a letter, you tell the person who sent it that you have received it.

acne

NOUN a skin disease that causes spots on the face and neck. Acne is common among teenagers.

acorn acorns

NOUN a nut that grows on oak trees

acquaintance acquaintances

NOUN someone you know slightly but not well

acre acres

NOUN a unit for measuring land. One acre is equal to 4840 square yards or about 4047 square metres.

acrobat acrobats

NOUN an entertainer who performs difficult gymnastic acts

[from Greek akrobates meaning someone who walks on tiptoe]

acrobatic ADJECTIVE

acrobatics PLURAL NOUN

acronym acronyms

NOUN a word made up of the initial letters of a phrase • NATO is an acronym, and stands for North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

across

PREPOSITION OR ADVERB 1 If you go across a place, you go from one side of it to the other. • We walked across Hyde Park.

2 Something that is situated across a road or river is on the other side of it.

act acts, acting, acted

VERB 1 If you act, you do something. • We have to act quickly in an emergency.

2 If you act in a particular way, you behave in that way. • You’re acting like a baby.

3 If you act in a play or film, you play a role in it.

NOUN 4 a single thing someone does • The rescue was a brave act.

5 An Act of Parliament is a law passed by the government.

6 Stage plays are divided into parts called acts.

action actions

NOUN 1 something you do for a particular purpose

2 a physical movement, such as jumping

active

ADJECTIVE 1 Someone who is active moves around a lot or does a lot of things.

2 In grammar the active, or the active voice, is the form of the verb in which the subject of the sentence is the person or thing doing the action, rather than having it done to them. For example, the sentence The dog bit Ben is in the active voice. In the passive voice the subject is acted upon: Ben was bitten by the dog.

ANTONYM: passive

activity activities

NOUN 1 a situation in which a lot of things are happening at the same time • There was a great deal of activity in the hall as we got ready for the school play.

2 something you do for pleasure, such as gymnastics or music

actor actors

NOUN a man or woman whose job is performing in plays or films

actress actresses

NOUN a woman whose profession is acting

actual

ADJECTIVE real, rather than imaginary or guessed at • You guessed I was eleven – my actual age is twelve.

actually ADVERB

acute

ADJECTIVE 1 severe or intense • She had an acute pain in her arm.

2 In mathematics, an acute angle measures less than 90 degrees.

3 Someone who is acute is intelligent.

AD

ADJECTIVE You use AD in dates to show the number of years after the birth of Jesus Christ.

[an abbreviation of the Latin Anno Domini meaning the year of Our Lord]

adapt adapts, adapting, adapted

VERB 1 If you adapt to something, you get used to it.

2 If you adapt something, you change it so that it can be used in a new way.

adaptable

ADJECTIVE If you are adaptable, you change easily in a new situation or to suit new circumstances.

add adds, adding, added

VERB 1 If you add something to a number of things, you put it with those things. • Each girl added more wood to the pile.

2 If you add numbers together, or add them up, you work out the total. • Two and three added together are five (2 + 3 = 5).

adder adders

NOUN a small, poisonous snake


addiction addictions

NOUN If you have an addiction to something, you cannot stop doing it or wanting it.

addition additions

NOUN 1 the process of adding two or more numbers together

2 something that is added to something else • The addition of sugar would improve the taste of these plums.

additional

ADJECTIVE extra or more

additive additives

NOUN something that is added to something else, such as food

address addresses, addressing, addressed

NOUN 1 Your address is the number of the house where you live, together with the name of the street and the town or village.

VERB 2 If someone addresses a letter to you, they write your name and address on it.

3 If you address a group of people, you speak to them formally.

There are two ds and two ss in address.

adenoids

PLURAL NOUN small lumps of flesh at the back of the throat

adequate

ADJECTIVE just enough for what is needed

SYNONYMS: enough, satisfactory, sufficient

adhesive adhesives

NOUN 1 a substance used to stick things together, such as glue

ADJECTIVE 2 If something is adhesive, it sticks to other things.

adjective adjectives

NOUN a word that adds to the description of a noun. For example, large and old are both adjectives.

adjust adjusts, adjusting, adjusted

VERB 1 If you adjust something, you change its position or alter it in some other way. • She adjusted her pillow to make herself more comfortable.

2 If you adjust to a new situation, you get used to it.

adjustment NOUN

administration administrations

NOUN the work of managing and supervising an organization

admiral admirals

NOUN a senior officer in the navy

admire admires, admiring, admired

VERB If you admire someone or something, you respect and approve of them.

admirer NOUN

admission admissions

NOUN 1 If you are allowed admission to a place, you may go into it.

2 If you make an admission, you confess to something or agree that it is true.

admit admits, admitting, admitted

VERB 1 If you admit something, you agree that it is true.

2 If you admit to something, you agree that you did something you shouldn’t have done.

3 To admit someone or something to a place is to allow them to enter it.

admittance

NOUN the right to enter somewhere • There will be no admittance to the party after eight o’clock.

adolescent adolescents

NOUN a young person who is no longer a child, but is not yet an adult

[from Latin adolescere meaning to grow up]

adolescence NOUN

adopt adopts, adopting, adopted

VERB If someone adopts a child, they take them into their family as their son or daughter by a legal process.

[from Latin adoptare meaning to choose for oneself]

adorable

ADJECTIVE loveable and attractive

adore adores, adoring, adored

VERB If you adore someone, you feel deep love and admiration for them.

adoration NOUN

adult adults

NOUN a mature and fully developed person or animal

advance advances, advancing, advanced

VERB 1 To advance is to move forward.

NOUN 2 An advance is progress in something. • There have been many scientific advances in the past century.

PHRASE 3 If you do something in advance of something, you do it beforehand. • We booked our holiday well in advance.

advanced

ADJECTIVE If something is advanced, it is at a high level, or ahead in development or progress. • The children in the top group do advanced maths exercises.

advantage advantages

NOUN 1 a benefit, or something that puts you in a better position • The advantage of e-mail is that it is quicker than the post.

PHRASE 2 If you take advantage of someone, you treat them unfairly for your own benefit.

3 If you take advantage of something, you make use of it.

adventure adventures

NOUN something that is exciting, and perhaps even dangerous

adverb adverbs

NOUN a word that tells you how, when, where or why something happens or something is done. For example, she walked slowly, he came yesterday, they live here.

[from Latin adverbium meaning added word]

advert

NOUN an abbreviation for advertisement

advertise advertises, advertising, advertised

VERB If you advertise something, you tell people about it in a newspaper, on a poster or on TV.

advertisement advertisements

NOUN a notice in a newspaper, on a poster or on TV about a job or things for sale

advice

NOUN a suggestion from someone about what you should do

The noun advice ends in ce.

advisable

ADJECTIVE If it is advisable to do something, it is a sensible thing to do and will probably give the results that you want. • It is advisable to wear a helmet when cycling.

advise advises, advising, advised

VERB If you advise someone to do something, you tell them you think they should do it.

The verb advise ends in se.

aerial aerials

NOUN 1 a piece of wire for receiving television or radio signals

ADJECTIVE 2 happening in the air • We watched the aerial displays at the RAF airshow.

aero-

PREFIX to do with the air, for example aeroplane

[from Greek aer meaning air]

aerobics

NOUN a type of fast physical exercise that increases the oxygen in your blood and strengthens your heart and lungs

aerobic ADJECTIVE

aeroplane aeroplanes

NOUN a vehicle with wings and engines that enable it to fly

aerosol aerosols

NOUN a small, metal container in which liquid is kept under pressure so that it can be forced out as a spray

affair affairs

NOUN 1 an event or series of events • The wedding was a happy affair.

2 If something is your own affair, then it is your concern only.

affect affects, affecting, affected

VERB When something affects someone or something, it causes them to change. • Computers affect our lives in many ways.

affection

NOUN a feeling of love and fondness for someone

affectionate ADJECTIVE

affluent

ADJECTIVE People who are affluent have a lot of money and possessions.

afford affords, affording, afforded

VERB 1 If you can afford something, you have enough money to pay for it.

2 If you can afford to relax, you feel you have done enough work for the moment, and have time to take things easy.

afloat

ADVERB If something or someone is afloat, they are floating.

afraid

ADJECTIVE 1 If you are afraid, you are frightened.

SYNONYM: scared

2 If you are afraid something might happen, you worry that it might happen.

after

PREPOSITION OR ADVERB 1 later than a particular time, date or event • She left just after breakfast. • Soon after, he went to work.

PREPOSITION 2 If you come after someone or something, you are behind them and following them. • They ran after her.

afternoon afternoons

NOUN the part of the day between twelve noon and about six o’clock

afterwards

ADVERB after an event or time • We went swimming, and afterwards we had an ice cream.

again

ADVERB happening one more time • The film was so good that we went to see it again.

SYNONYM: once more

against

PREPOSITION 1 touching and resting on • He leaned the ladder against the wall.

2 in opposition to • France played against England.

age ages, ageing or aging, aged

NOUN 1 The age of something or someone is the number of years they have lived or existed.

2 a particular period in history • the Iron Age

PLURAL NOUN 3 INFORMAL Ages means a very long time. • He’s been talking for ages.

VERB 4 To age is to grow old or to appear older.

Ageing and aging are both correct spellings.

agency agencies

NOUN an organization or business that provides special services • detective agency • advertising agency

agenda agendas

NOUN a list of items to be discussed at a meeting

agent agents

NOUN 1 someone who does business or arranges things for other people • a travel agent

2 someone who works for their country’s secret service

aggravate aggravates, aggravating, aggravated

VERB 1 If you aggravate something, you make it worse.

2 INFORMAL If you aggravate someone, you annoy them.

aggravating ADJECTIVE aggravation NOUN

aggressive

ADJECTIVE full of hostility and violence • Some breeds of dog are more aggressive than others.

SYNONYMS: belligerent, hostile

agile

ADJECTIVE able to move quickly and easily • He is as agile as a cat.

agilely ADVERB agility NOUN

agitated

ADJECTIVE worried and anxious

agitation NOUN

ago

ADVERB in the past • She bought her flat three years ago.

agony

NOUN very great physical or mental pain

SYNONYMS: suffering, torment

agree agrees, agreeing, agreed

VERB 1 If you agree with someone, you have the same opinion as they do.

2 If you agree to do something, you say you will do it.

agreeable

ADJECTIVE 1 pleasant or enjoyable

2 If you are agreeable to something, you are willing to allow it or to do it.

agreeably ADVERB

agreement agreements

NOUN If you reach an agreement with one or more people, you make a decision with them or come to an arrangement with them.

agriculture

NOUN farming

ahead

ADVERB 1 in front • He looked ahead as he cycled down the road.

2 more advanced than someone or something else • Some countries are ahead of others in space travel.

3 in the future • I can’t think that far ahead.

aid aids

NOUN 1 money, equipment or services provided for people in need

2 something that makes a job easier • The whiteboard is a useful teaching aid.

ailment ailments

NOUN a minor illness

aim aims, aiming, aimed

VERB 1 If you aim at something, you point a weapon at it.

2 If you aim to do something, you are planning to do it.

SYNONYMS: intend, mean

NOUN 3 Your aim is what you intend to achieve. • The aim of the jumble sale is to raise money for charity.

SYNONYMS: goal, objective

aimless

ADJECTIVE If you are aimless, you have no clear purpose or sense of direction.

aimlessly ADVERB

air

NOUN 1 the mixture of oxygen and other gases that we breathe and that forms the earth’s atmosphere

2 the space around things or above the ground • The balloons floated up into the air.

3 used to refer to travel in aircraft • My uncle often travels by air.

air conditioning

NOUN a way of keeping cool, fresh air in a building

aircraft

NOUN any vehicle that can fly


air force air forces

NOUN the part of a country’s armed services that fights using aircraft

airline airlines

NOUN a company that provides air travel

airmail

NOUN the system of sending letters and parcels by air • He sent letters from Hong Kong to Britain by airmail.

airport airports

NOUN a place where people go to catch aeroplanes

airtight

ADJECTIVE If something is airtight, no air can get in or out.

aisle aisles

NOUN a long, narrow gap that people can walk along between rows of seats or shelves • The ticket collector was coming down the aisle.

ajar

ADJECTIVE A door or window that is ajar is slightly open.

alarm alarms, alarming, alarmed

NOUN 1 a feeling of fear and worry • The cat sprang back in alarm.

2 an automatic device used to warn people of something • The burglar alarm went off accidentally.

VERB 3 If something alarms you, it makes you worried and anxious.

album albums

NOUN 1 a CD, cassette or record with a number of songs on it

2 a book in which you keep a collection of things, such as photographs or stamps

alcohol

NOUN the name for drinks such as beer, wine and spirits

alert alerts, alerting, alerted

ADJECTIVE 1 If you are alert, you are paying full attention to what is happening.

SYNONYMS: vigilant, watchful

VERB 2 If you alert someone to a problem or danger, you warn them of it.

algebra

NOUN a branch of mathematics in which symbols and letters are used to represent unknown numbers

alias aliases

NOUN a false name

alibi alibis

NOUN If you have an alibi, you have evidence proving you were somewhere else when a crime was committed.

alien aliens

NOUN 1 In science fiction, an alien is a creature from outer space.

ADJECTIVE 2 Something that is alien to you seems strange because it is not part of your normal experience. • The desert is an alien environment to many people.

[from Latin alienus meaning foreign]

alight alights, alighting, alighted

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is alight is burning.

VERB 2 If something alights somewhere, it lands there.

3 If someone alights from a vehicle, they get out of it.

alike

ADJECTIVE 1 Things that are alike are very similar in some way.

ADVERB 2 If people or things are treated alike, they are treated the same.

alive

ADJECTIVE If someone or something is alive, they are living.

alkali alkalis

NOUN a chemical substance sometimes used in cleaning materials. Alkalis can neutralize acids.

ANTONYM: acid

alkaline ADJECTIVE

all

ADJECTIVE, NOUN OR ADVERB 1 the whole of something • She told us all about it. • He ate all the chocolate.

ADVERB 2 also used to show that both sides in a game or contest have the same score • The final score was three points all.

Allah

PROPER NOUN the Muslim name for God

allege alleges, alleging, alleged

VERB If you allege that something is true, you say it’s true, but you cannot prove it.

allergy allergies

NOUN If you have an allergy to something, it makes you ill to eat or touch it.

allergic ADJECTIVE

alley alleys

NOUN a narrow street or passageway between buildings

alliance alliances

NOUN a group of countries, organizations or people who have similar aims and who work together to achieve them

alligator alligators

NOUN a large, scaly reptile, similar to a crocodile

[from Spanish el lagarto meaning lizard]

alliteration

NOUN the use of several words together that begin with the same letter or sound. For example, the slithery snake slid silently across the sand.

allotment allotments

NOUN a piece of land that people rent to grow fruit and vegetables on

allow allows, allowing, allowed

VERB If someone allows you to do something, they let you do it.

all right

ADJECTIVE 1 If something is all right, it is satisfactory, but not especially good. • Do you like mushrooms? They’re all right.

2 If someone is all right, they are safe and not harmed.

3 You say all right if you agree to something. • Will you help? All right.

ally allies

NOUN a person or a country that helps and supports another

SYNONYMS: friend, partner

almond almonds

NOUN an oval edible nut, cream in colour

almost

ADVERB very nearly • I have almost as many points as you.

SYNONYMS: just about, practically

alone

ADJECTIVE not with other people or things

along

PREPOSITION 1 moving forward • We strolled along the road.

2 from one end of something to the other • The cupboards stretched along the wall.

alongside

PREPOSITION OR ADVERB next to something • We tied our boat alongside the jetty.

aloud

ADVERB When you read aloud, you read so that people can hear you.

alphabet alphabets

NOUN all the letters used to write words in a language. The letters of an alphabet are written in a special order.

alphabetical

ADJECTIVE If something is in alphabetical order, it is arranged according to the letters of the alphabet.

alphabetically ADVERB

already

ADVERB If you have done something already, you did it earlier. • Josh has already gone to bed.

also

ADVERB in addition to something that has just been mentioned • I bought an ice cream, and I also bought a drink.

altar altars

NOUN a holy table in a church or temple

alter alters, altering, altered

VERB If something alters, or if you alter it, it changes.

alternate alternates, alternating, alternated

Said “ol-ter-nut” ADJECTIVE 1 If something happens on alternate days, it happens on one in every two days.

Said “ol-ter-nayt” VERB 2 If two things alternate, they regularly happen one after the other.

alternative alternatives

NOUN something you can do or have instead of something else • Is there an alternative to meat on the menu?

although

CONJUNCTION in spite of the fact that • He wasn’t well-known in America, although he had made a film there.

altitude altitudes

NOUN height above sea level • The mountain range reaches an altitude of 1330 metres.

altogether

ADVERB 1 completely or entirely • The car got slower, then stopped altogether.

2 in total – used of amounts • I have two cats and two dogs. That’s four pets altogether.

aluminium

NOUN a silvery-white, lightweight metal

always

ADVERB 1 all the time • He’s always late.

2 forever • I’ll always remember this day.

a.m.

a.m. is used to show times in the morning

[an abbreviation of the Latin ante meridiem meaning before noon]

am

VERB a present tense of be

amateur amateurs

NOUN someone who does something without being paid for it • He began playing football as an amateur, but now he is a professional.

amaze amazes, amazing, amazed

VERB If something amazes you, it surprises you very much.

SYNONYMS: astonish, astound

amazement NOUN

amazing

ADJECTIVE If something is amazing, it is very surprising.

amazingly ADVERB

ambassador ambassadors

NOUN a person sent to a foreign country as the representative of their own government

amber

NOUN 1 a hard, yellowish-brown substance from trees, used in making jewellery

NOUN OR ADJECTIVE 2 an orange-brown colour

ambiguous

ADJECTIVE If something is ambiguous, it can have more than one meaning.

ambiguously ADVERB ambiguity NOUN

ambition ambitions

NOUN If you have an ambition to do something, you want very much to do it.

amble ambles, ambling, ambled

VERB If you amble, you walk along in a slow, relaxed way.

ambulance ambulances

NOUN a vehicle for taking sick and injured people to hospital

ambush ambushes, ambushing, ambushed

NOUN 1 a surprise attack

VERB 2 If one group of people ambushes another, they hide and lie in wait, and then make a surprise attack.

ammonia

NOUN a strong-smelling, colourless liquid or gas, often used in cleaning substances

ammunition

NOUN anything that can be fired from a gun or other weapon, for example bullets and shells

amoeba amoebas or amoebae

NOUN a tiny living organism that has only one cell. An amoeba reproduces by dividing into two.

among or amongst

PREPOSITION 1 surrounded by

2 in the company of • He was among friends.

3 between more than two • The money will be divided among seven charities.

amount amounts

NOUN how much there is of something • You need a large amount of flour for this recipe.

amphibian amphibians

NOUN a creature that lives partly on land and partly in water, for example a frog or a newt

amphibious ADJECTIVE


amplify amplifies, amplifying, amplified

VERB If you amplify a sound, you make it louder.

amplifier NOUN

amputate amputates, amputating, amputated

VERB If a surgeon amputates part of the body, such as an arm or a leg, they cut it off.

amputation NOUN

amuse amuses, amusing, amused

VERB 1 If something amuses you, you think it is funny.

2 If you amuse yourself, you find things to do that stop you from being bored.

amused ADJECTIVE amusing ADJECTIVE

amusement amusements

NOUN 1 the feeling you have when you think that something is funny or you have pleasure

2 a mechanical device used for entertainment, at a fair for example

3 Amusements are ways of passing the time pleasantly.

an

ADJECTIVE An is used instead of a in front of words that begin with the vowels a, e, i, o, or u. • an apple • an egg

anaemia

NOUN a medical condition in which there are too few red cells in the blood. It makes you feel tired and look pale.

anaemic ADJECTIVE

anaesthetic anaesthetics; also spelt anesthetic

NOUN a substance that stops you feeling pain. A general anaesthetic stops you from feeling pain in the whole of your body by putting you to sleep. A local anaesthetic makes just one part of your body go numb.

anagram anagrams

NOUN a word or phrase formed by changing the order of the letters of another word or phrase. For example, draw is an anagram of ward and dear is an anagram of read.

analogue

ADJECTIVE An analogue watch or clock shows the time with pointers that move round a dial.

ANTONYM: digital

analogy analogies

NOUN a comparison between two things that are similar in some ways

analyse analyses, analysing, analysed

VERB If you analyse something, you investigate it carefully to understand it or to find out what it consists of.

anatomy anatomies

NOUN the study of the structure of bodies, both animal and human, to find out how they work

anatomical ADJECTIVE

ancestor ancestors

NOUN a member of your family who lived many years ago • He could trace his ancestors back 700 years.

[from Latin antecessor meaning one who goes before]

anchor anchors, anchoring, anchored

NOUN 1 a heavy, hooked object at the end of a chain. It is dropped from a boat into the water to keep the boat from floating away.

VERB 2 If you anchor something, you hold it down firmly.

ancient

ADJECTIVE Things that are ancient existed or happened a very long time ago.

ANTONYM: modern

and

CONJUNCTION You use and to link two or more parts of a sentence together. • Let’s go to the cinema and then have pizza.

anecdote anecdotes

NOUN a short, sometimes entertaining story about a person or an event

angel angels

NOUN a being who, some people believe, lives in heaven and acts as a messenger for God

[from Greek angelos meaning messenger]

anger

NOUN the strong feeling you get about something unfair or cruel

SYNONYMS: fury, rage, wrath

angle angles

NOUN 1 the distance between two lines at the point where they join together. Angles are measured in degrees. • an angle of 90 degrees

2 the direction from which you look at something • He painted pictures of the garden from all angles.

angry angrier, angriest

ADJECTIVE very annoyed

SYNONYMS: furious, cross

anguish

NOUN great suffering

animal animals

NOUN any living being that is not a plant

animation animations

NOUN a way of making films using drawings that appear to move when you watch them

animated ADJECTIVE

ankle ankles

NOUN the joint that connects your foot to your leg

annihilate annihilates, annihilating, annihilated

VERB If someone or something annihilates someone or something else, they destroy them completely.

annihilation NOUN

anniversary anniversaries

NOUN a date that is remembered because something special happened on that date in a previous year • We celebrated Mum and Dad’s twelfth wedding anniversary.

announce announces, announcing, announced

VERB If you announce something, you tell people about it publicly or officially. • They announced the team on Friday morning.

SYNONYM: make known

announcement NOUN

annoy annoys, annoying, annoyed

VERB If someone or something annoys you, they make you angry or impatient.

SYNONYMS: bother, irritate

annoyance NOUN

annual annuals

ADJECTIVE 1 happening once a year • our annual sports day

NOUN 2 a book that is published once a year for children

anonymous

ADJECTIVE If something is anonymous, nobody knows who is responsible for it. • The charity received an anonymous donation.

anorak anoraks

NOUN a warm, waterproof jacket, usually with a hood

[an Eskimo word]

anorexia

NOUN a psychological illness in which the person refuses to eat

[from Greek an + orexis meaning no appetite]

another

ADJECTIVE OR PRONOUN one more person or thing

answer answers, answering, answered

VERB 1 If you answer someone, you reply to them in speech or writing.

NOUN 2 the reply you give when you answer someone • I received an answer to my letter.

3 a solution to a problem

ant ants

NOUN Ants are small insects that live in large groups.

antagonize antagonizes, antagonizing, antagonized

VERB If you antagonize someone, you upset them and make them feel angry.

Antarctic

NOUN the area around the South Pole

antelope antelopes

NOUN a hoofed animal, similar to a deer

antenna antennae or antennas

NOUN 1 one of the two long, thin parts attached to the head of an insect or other animal, which it uses to feel with. The plural is antennae.

2 In Australian, New Zealand and American English, an antenna is a radio or television aerial. The plural is antennas.

anthem anthems

NOUN usually a song of celebration, and sometimes a religious song

anther anthers

NOUN the part of the stamen in a flower where the pollen matures

anthology anthologies

NOUN a collection of writings by various authors, published in one book

[from Greek anthologia meaning flower gathering]

anti-

PREFIX against or opposite • an antimalaria tablet

ANTONYM: pro-

antibiotic antibiotics

NOUN a drug or chemical used in medicine to kill bacteria and cure infections

anticipate anticipates, anticipating, anticipated

VERB If you anticipate an event, you are expecting it and are getting prepared for it.

anticipation NOUN

anticlimax anticlimaxes

NOUN If something is an anticlimax, it disappoints you because it is not as exciting as you expected, or because it occurs after something that was more exciting.

anticlockwise

ADJECTIVE OR ADVERB moving in the opposite direction to the hands of a clock

ANTONYM: clockwise


antidote antidotes

NOUN a chemical substance that works against the effects of a poison

antique antiques

NOUN an object from the past that is collected because of its value or beauty

antiseptic

ADJECTIVE Something that is antiseptic can kill some germs.

antler antlers

NOUN Antlers are the branched horns on the top of a male deer’s head.

antonym antonyms

NOUN a word that means the opposite of another word • Happy is the antonym of sad.

anxiety anxieties

NOUN nervousness or worry

anxious

ADJECTIVE 1 If you are anxious, you are nervous or worried.

2 If you are anxious to do something, you very much want to do it. • She was anxious to pass her ballet exam.

any

ADJECTIVE OR PRONOUN 1 one, some or several • Have you any sausages?

2 even the smallest amount or even one • She can’t eat nuts of any kind.

3 no matter which or what • I’m so thirsty, any drink will do.

anybody

PRONOUN any person

anyhow

ADVERB 1 in any case • It’s still early, but I’m going to bed anyhow.

2 in a careless way • They were all shoved in anyhow.

anyone

PRONOUN any person • I won’t tell anyone.

anything

PRONOUN any object, event, situation or action • Can you see anything?

anyway

ADVERB in any case • It’s raining, but I’m going out anyway.

anywhere

ADVERB in, at or to any place • Can you see him anywhere? • We haven’t got anywhere to play.

apart

ADVERB OR ADJECTIVE 1 When something is apart from something else, there is a space or a distance between them. • The gliders landed about seventy metres apart.

ADVERB 2 If you take something apart, you separate it into pieces.

apartment apartments

NOUN a set of rooms for living in, usually on one floor of a building

ape apes, aping, aped

NOUN 1 a large animal similar to a monkey, but without a tail. Apes include chimpanzees and gorillas.

VERB 2 If you ape someone’s speech or behaviour, you imitate it.

apex apexes or apices

NOUN The apex of something is its pointed top. • the apex of a cone

SYNONYM: vertex


apologize apologizes, apologizing, apologized; also spelt apologise

VERB When you apologize to someone, you say you are sorry for something you have said or done.

apology NOUN

apostrophe apostrophes

NOUN 1 a punctuation mark (‘) used to show that one or more letters have been missed out of a word, for example he’s for he is

2 Apostrophes are also used with -s at the end of a noun to show that what follows belongs to or relates to the noun. If the noun already has an -s at the end, for example because it is plural, the apostrophe comes after the s. For example, my brother’s books (one brother), my brothers’ books (more than one brother).

apparatus

NOUN the equipment used for a particular task • The firefighters wore breathing apparatus.

apparent

ADJECTIVE 1 An apparent situation seems to exist, although you cannot be certain of it.

2 clear and obvious • It was apparent they would get on well together.

apparently ADVERB

appeal appeals, appealing, appealed

VERB 1 If you appeal for something, you make an urgent request for it. • The police appealed for witnesses to come forward.

2 If something or someone appeals to you, you find them attractive or interesting.

NOUN 3 a formal or serious request • an appeal for funds to help people in need

appear appears, appearing, appeared

VERB 1 When something appears, it moves from somewhere you could not see to somewhere you can see it. • The sun appeared from behind the clouds.

2 If something appears to be a certain way, it seems or looks that way.

appearance appearances

NOUN 1 Someone’s or something’s appearance is the way they look to other people.

2 If a person makes an appearance in a film or a show, they take part in it.

3 The appearance of something is the time it begins to exist.

appendicitis

NOUN a painful illness in which a person’s appendix becomes infected

appendix appendices or appendixes

NOUN 1 Your appendix is a small, closed tube forming part of your digestive system.

2 extra information that comes at the end of a book

When appendix means the body part, the plural is appendixes. When it means the part of a book, the plural is appendices.

appetite appetites

NOUN a desire to eat

[from Latin appetere meaning to desire]

appetizing

ADJECTIVE When food is appetizing, it looks or smells good and you want to eat it.

applause

NOUN the sound of people clapping to show their enjoyment or approval of something

apple apples

NOUN a round fruit with smooth skin and firm white flesh

appliance appliances

NOUN any machine in your home that you use to do a job like cleaning or cooking. For example, a toaster is a kitchen appliance.

application applications

NOUN If you make an application for something, you make a formal request, usually in writing.

apply applies, applying, applied

VERB 1 If you apply for something, you ask for it formally, usually by writing a letter. • My brother is applying for jobs.

2 If you apply something to a surface, you put it on or rub it into the surface. • She applied sun cream to her face.

3 If you apply yourself to a task, you give it all of your attention.

appoint appoints, appointing, appointed

VERB If a person appoints someone to a job or position, they formally choose them for it. • The teacher appointed Sunita as team captain.

appointment appointments

NOUN an arrangement you have with someone to meet them

appreciate appreciates, appreciating, appreciated

VERB If you appreciate something that someone has done for you, you are grateful to them for it.

apprehensive

ADJECTIVE If you are apprehensive about something, you feel worried and unsure about it.

apprentice apprentices

NOUN someone who works with another person for a length of time to learn that person’s job or skill

approach approaches, approaching, approached

VERB If you approach something, you come near or nearer to it.

appropriate

ADJECTIVE suitable or acceptable for a particular situation

approval

NOUN If you ask for approval for something that you want to do, you ask for agreement with your plans.

approve approves, approving, approved

VERB 1 If you approve of something or someone, you think they are acceptable or good.

SYNONYMS: favour, like

2 If someone approves a plan or idea, they agree to it. • The council approved plans for the new swimming pool.

SYNONYMS: agree to, permit

approximate

ADJECTIVE near but not exactly right • What was the approximate time you arrived?

apricot apricots

NOUN a small, soft, yellowish-orange fruit

April

NOUN the fourth month of the year. April has 30 days.

apron aprons

NOUN a piece of clothing worn over the front of normal clothing to protect it

aquarium aquaria or aquariums

NOUN a glass tank filled with water in which fish and other aquatic animals or plants are kept

aquatic

ADJECTIVE An aquatic animal or plant lives in water.

aqueduct aqueducts

NOUN a bridge with many arches, which carries a water supply over a valley


arable

ADJECTIVE Arable land is used for growing crops.

arc arcs

NOUN 1 a smoothly curving line

2 In geometry, an arc is a section of the circumference of a circle.

arcade arcades

NOUN a covered passageway where there are shops or market stalls

arch arches, arching, arched

NOUN 1 a structure that has a curved top, supported on either side by a pillar or wall

VERB 2 If something arches, or if you arch it, it forms a curved line or shape. • The cat arched its back.

archaeology; also spelt archeology

NOUN the study of the past by digging up and examining the remains of things such as buildings, tools, and pots

[from Greek arkhaios meaning ancient]

archbishop archbishops

NOUN a bishop of the highest rank in a Christian Church • the Archbishop of Canterbury

archery

NOUN a sport in which people shoot at a target with a bow and arrow

architect architects

NOUN a person who designs buildings

architecture

NOUN the art or practice of designing buildings

arctic

NOUN 1 The Arctic is the region north of the Arctic Circle.

ADJECTIVE 2 very cold indeed • You need specially warm clothes for arctic conditions.

are

VERB a present tense of be

area areas

NOUN 1 a particular part of a place, country, or the world • a built-up area of the city

SYNONYMS: district, region, zone

2 the measurement of a flat surface • The area of the playground is 1500 square metres (1500 m2).

arena arenas

NOUN a place where sports and other public events take place

[from Latin harena meaning sand, because of the sandy centre of an amphitheatre where gladiators fought]

aren’t

VERB a contraction of are not

argue argues, arguing, argued

VERB 1 If you argue with someone about something, you disagree with them about it, sometimes in an angry way.

2 If you argue that something is true, you give reasons why you think that it is.

argument arguments

NOUN a talk between people who do not agree

arid

ADJECTIVE Arid land is very dry because there has been very little rain.

ANTONYM: fertile

arise arises, arising, arose, arisen

VERB When something such as an opportunity or a problem arises, it begins to exist.

aristocrat aristocrats

NOUN someone whose family has a high social rank, and who has a title such as Lord or Lady

aristocratic ADJECTIVE aristocracy NOUN

arithmetic

NOUN the part of mathematics that is to do with the addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of numbers

[from Greek arithmos meaning number]

arithmetical ADJECTIVE

arithmetically ADVERB

arm arms, arming, armed

NOUN 1 the part of your body between your shoulder and your wrist

PLURAL NOUN 2 Arms are weapons used in a war.

VERB 3 If a country arms itself, it prepares for war.

armada armadas

NOUN a large fleet of warships • The Spanish Armada was the fleet sent to destroy the English in 1588.

armchair armchairs

NOUN a large chair with a support on each side for your arms

armistice armistices

NOUN In war, an armistice is an agreement to stop fighting.

armour

NOUN 1 In the past, armour was metal clothing worn for protection in battle.

2 In modern warfare, tanks are often referred to as armour.

army armies

NOUN a large group of soldiers who are trained to fight on land

aroma aromas

NOUN a strong, pleasant smell

[a Greek word meaning spice]

aromatic ADJECTIVE

around

PREPOSITION 1 situated at various points in a place or area • There are several post boxes around the town.

2 from place to place inside an area • We walked around the stalls at the summer fair.

3 surrounding or encircling a place or object • We were sitting around the table.

4 at approximately the time or place mentioned • The jumble sale began around noon.

arrange arranges, arranging, arranged

VERB 1 If you arrange to do something, or arrange something for someone, you make plans for it or make it possible. • I arranged to meet him later. • Dad arranged a trip to the circus for us.

2 If you arrange objects, you set them out in a particular way. • We arranged the books in alphabetical order.

array arrays

NOUN 1 a large number of different things displayed together

2 a mathematical way of grouping. For example, 3 × 2 is shown as ::: and 2 × 3 is shown as ⋮⋮.

arrest arrests, arresting, arrested

VERB 1 If the police arrest someone, they take them to a police station because they believe they may have committed a crime.

NOUN 2 An arrest is the act of arresting someone.

arrive arrives, arriving, arrived

VERB 1 When you arrive at a place, you reach it at the end of your journey.

2 When you arrive at a decision you make up your mind.

arrival NOUN

arrogant

ADJECTIVE Arrogant people behave as if they are better than other people.

arrow arrows

NOUN a long, thin weapon with a sharp point at one end, shot from a bow

arsenal arsenals

NOUN a place where weapons and ammunition are stored or produced

arsenic

NOUN a strong, dangerous poison that can kill

arson

NOUN the crime of deliberately setting fire to something, especially a building

art arts

NOUN 1 the creation of objects, such as paintings and sculptures, that are thought to be beautiful or that express a particular idea • He wanted to take art classes to learn how to draw and paint well.

2 Art is also used to refer to the objects themselves. • We saw lots of interesting paintings and sculptures at the art exhibition.

3 something that needs special skills or ability • I would like to master the art of sewing.

artery arteries

NOUN the tubes that carry blood from your heart to the rest of your body

See vein

arterial ADJECTIVE


arthritis

NOUN a condition in which the joints in someone’s body become painful, and sometimes swollen

arthritic ADJECTIVE

article articles

NOUN 1 a piece of writing in a newspaper or magazine

2 a particular item • an article of clothing

artificial

ADJECTIVE Something artificial is created by people rather than occurring naturally.

ANTONYM: natural

artillery

NOUN 1 Artillery consists of large, powerful guns and rockets.

2 The artillery is the branch of an army that uses these weapons.

artist artists

NOUN a person who draws or paints or produces other works of art

as

CONJUNCTION 1 at the same time that • We watched television as we ate our sandwiches.

2 because • As I like school I get there early.

PHRASE 3 You use as if or as though when you are giving an explanation for something. • Shane walked past as if he didn’t know me.

ascend ascends, ascending, ascended

VERB FORMAL If someone or something ascends, they move or lead upwards. • We ascended the stairs to the second floor.

ANTONYM: descend

ash ashes

NOUN the grey or black powdery remains of anything that has been burnt • We put the ashes from the bonfire on the compost heap.

ashamed

ADJECTIVE 1 If you are ashamed, you feel embarrassed or guilty.

2 If you are ashamed of someone, you feel embarrassed to be connected with them.

ashore

ADVERB If someone or something comes ashore, they come on to the land from the sea or a river.

aside

ADVERB If you move something aside, you move it to one side. • She closed the book and laid it aside.

ask asks, asking, asked

VERB 1 If you ask someone something, you put a question to them.

2 If you ask someone to do something, you tell them you want them to do it. • We asked him to do his card trick.

3 If you ask for something, you say you would like to have it. • She asked for a drink of water.

4 If you ask someone to come or go somewhere, you invite them there.

asleep

ADJECTIVE If you are asleep, your eyes are closed and your whole body is resting.

aspect aspects

NOUN one of many ways of seeing or thinking about something

aspirin aspirins

NOUN 1 a white drug used to relieve pain, fever and colds

2 a small white tablet of this drug

ass asses

NOUN another word for donkey

assassinate assassinates, assassinating, assassinated

VERB If someone assassinates an important person, they murder them.

assassination NOUN

assault assaults

NOUN a violent attack on someone

[from Latin assalire meaning to leap upon]

assemble assembles, assembling, assembled

VERB 1 If people assemble, they gather together. • We assembled in the playground to watch the display.

2 If you assemble something, you fit the parts of it together. • It took us ages to assemble the model car.

assembly assemblies

NOUN a group of people who have gathered together for a meeting

assess assesses, assessing, assessed

VERB If you assess something, you consider it carefully and make a judgement about it. • She tried to assess how much further they had to walk.

SYNONYMS: judge, size up

asset assets

NOUN 1 If someone or something is an asset, they are useful or helpful. • He’s an asset to the school.

2 The assets of a person or a company are all the things they own that could be sold to raise money.

assignment assignments

NOUN a job you are given to do

assist assists, assisting, assisted

VERB If you assist someone, you help them to do something.

assistant assistants

NOUN someone who helps another person to do their job

associate associates, associating, associated

VERB 1 If you associate with someone, you spend time with them.

2 If you associate one thing with another, you make a connection between them.

association associations

NOUN 1 an organization for people who have similar interests, jobs or aims

2 An association between two things is a link you make in your mind between them.

assorted

ADJECTIVE Assorted things are a mixture of various sorts of something. They may be different colours, sizes and shapes.

assortment assortments

NOUN a group of similar things that are different sizes, shapes and colours • There was an amazing assortment of toys in the shop.

assume assumes, assuming, assumed

VERB 1 If you assume that something is true, you believe it, even if you have not thought carefully about it.

2 If you assume responsibility for something, you decide to do it. • I assumed responsibility for feeding the hamster.

assure assures, assuring, assured

VERB If you assure someone of something, you say something to make them less worried about it. • I assured him that I wouldn’t be late.

asterisk asterisks

NOUN a symbol (*) used in writing and printing to draw attention to something that is explained somewhere else, usually at the bottom of the page

asteroid asteroids

NOUN one of the large number of very small planets that move around the sun between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars

asthma

NOUN a disease of the chest that causes wheezing and difficulty in breathing

[from Greek azein meaning to breathe hard]

asthmatic ADJECTIVE

astonish astonishes, astonishing, astonished

VERB If something astonishes you, it surprises you very much.

astonished ADJECTIVE astonishing ADJECTIVE

astonishingly ADVERB astonishment NOUN

astrology

NOUN the study of the sun, moon and stars in the belief that their movements can influence people’s lives

astronaut astronauts

NOUN a person who operates a spacecraft

[from Greek astron meaning star and nautes meaning sailor]

astronomy

NOUN the scientific study of stars and planets

astronomer NOUN

at

PREPOSITION 1 where someone or something is • John waited for me at the bus stop.

2 the direction something is going in • I threw the snowball at my brother.

3 when something happens • The party starts at six o’clock.

ate

VERB the past tense of eat

atheist atheists

NOUN someone who does not believe in any form of God

athlete athletes

NOUN a person who is very good at sport and who takes part in sporting competitions

athletics

NOUN sporting events such as running, long jump and discus

Atlantic

NOUN the ocean that separates North and South America from Europe and Africa

atlas atlases

NOUN a book of maps

[from the giant Atlas in Greek mythology, who supported the sky on his shoulders]

atmosphere atmospheres

NOUN 1 gases that surround a planet

2 the general mood of a place • There was a friendly atmosphere at the party.

atom atoms

NOUN the smallest part of an element that can take part in a chemical reaction

atrocity atrocities

NOUN an extremely shocking and cruel act

attach attaches, attaching, attached

VERB If you attach something to something else, you join or fasten the two things together.

attachment attachments

NOUN 1 a feeling of love and affection for someone

2 a file attached to an e-mail

attack attacks, attacking, attacked

VERB 1 If someone attacks another person or animal, they use violence in order to hurt or kill them. • The lion attacked the zebra in order to kill it for food.

2 In a game such as football or hockey, players attack to get the ball into a position from which a goal can be scored.

NOUN 3 violent, physical action against someone

attempt attempts, attempting, attempted

VERB 1 If you attempt to do something, you try to do it.

NOUN 2 the act of trying to do something • He made a brave attempt to help.

attend attends, attending, attended

VERB 1 If you attend school, church or hospital, you go there regularly.

2 If you attend an event, you are present at it.

attend to

VERB If you attend to something, you deal with it. • We should attend to our homework before going to the park.

attendant attendants

NOUN someone whose job is to help people in a place such as a museum or shop

attention

NOUN the thought or care that you give to someone or something • I paid a lot of attention to my homework.

attentive

ADJECTIVE When you are attentive, you pay close attention.

attentively ADVERB

attic attics

NOUN a room at the top of a house immediately below the roof

attitude attitudes

NOUN the way you think about someone or something and behave towards them • I’m not going in that shop again. I don’t like their attitude.

attract attracts, attracting, attracted

VERB 1 If something attracts people, it interests them and makes them want to go to it.

2 If someone attracts you, you like them and are interested in them.

3 When magnetic materials are attracted to a magnet, they are pulled towards it.

attraction attractions

NOUN 1 If you feel an attraction for someone, you like them very much.

2 somewhere people like to visit for interest or pleasure, such as a fun fair or a stately home

3 A force of attraction pulls magnetic materials towards a magnet.

attractive

ADJECTIVE 1 Someone who is attractive is good-looking or has an exciting personality.

2 If something is attractive, it is interesting.

aubergine aubergines

NOUN a dark purple, pear-shaped vegetable. It is also called an eggplant.


auburn

ADJECTIVE a red-brown hair colour

auction auctions, auctioning, auctioned

NOUN 1 a public sale in which goods are sold to the person who offers the highest price

VERB 2 to sell something in an auction

audible

ADJECTIVE If something is audible, you can hear it.

audience audiences

NOUN 1 the group of people who are watching or listening to a performance

2 a private or formal meeting with an important person • The winners of the bravery awards had an audience with the Queen.

audition auditions

NOUN a short performance by an actor or musician, so that a director can decide whether they are suitable for a part in a play or a film, or for a place in an orchestra

auditorium auditoriums or auditoria

NOUN the part of a theatre or concert hall where the audience sits

August

NOUN the eighth month of the year. August has 31 days.

aunt aunts

NOUN Your aunt is the sister of your mother or father, or the wife of your uncle.

author authors

NOUN The author of a book is the person who wrote it.

authority authorities

NOUN 1 the power to tell other people what to do • The teacher had the authority to give me detention.

2 an organization that controls public interests • the local health authority

3 Someone who is an authority on something, knows a lot about it.

authorize authorizes, authorizing, authorized

VERB If someone authorizes something, they give official permission for it.

authorization NOUN

auto-

PREFIX 1 self or same • autobiography

2 self-propelling • automatic car

autobiography autobiographies

NOUN an account of someone’s life that they have written themselves

autobiographical ADJECTIVE

autograph autographs

NOUN the signature of a famous person

[from Greek auto meaning self and graphos meaning written]

automatic automatics

ADJECTIVE 1 An automatic machine is programmed to perform tasks without needing a person to operate it.

NOUN 2 a car in which the gears change automatically as the car’s speed changes

autumn autumns

NOUN the season between summer and winter, when the leaves fall off the trees • I love the golden colours of the trees in autumn.

available

ADJECTIVE 1 If something is available, it is easy to get or to buy.

2 A person who is available is ready for work or free to talk to.

avalanche avalanches

NOUN a huge mass of snow and ice that falls down a mountainside

avenue avenues

NOUN a street, especially one with trees along it

average averages

NOUN 1 a result obtained by adding several amounts together and then dividing the total by the number of different amounts • If I shared 36 sweets between four children, the average would be nine sweets per child.

ADJECTIVE 2 standard or usual • The average teenager is interested in pop music.

SYNONYMS: normal, ordinary, typical

PHRASE 3 You say on average when mentioning what usually happens in a situation. • Men are, on average, taller than women.

aviary aviaries

NOUN a large cage or group of cages in which birds are kept

aviation

NOUN the science of flying aircraft

avocado avocados

NOUN a pear-shaped fruit with dark green skin, soft greenish-yellow flesh, and a large stone

avoid avoids, avoiding, avoided

VERB 1 If you avoid someone or something, you keep away from them. • To avoid him, she went home the other way.

2 If you avoid doing something, you make an effort not to do it.

SYNONYMS: dodge, shirk

awake

ADJECTIVE Someone who is awake is not sleeping.

award awards, awarding, awarded

NOUN 1 a prize or certificate for doing something well

VERB 2 If someone awards you something, they give it to you formally or officially. • He was awarded the prize for fastest runner.

aware

ADJECTIVE 1 If you are aware of something, you know about it.

2 If you are aware of something, you can see, hear, smell or feel it.

away

ADVERB 1 moving from a place • I saw them walk away from the house.

2 at a distance from a place • The nearest supermarket is 12 kilometres away.

3 in its proper place • He put his CDs away.

4 not at home, school or work • My friend’s been away from school for a week.

awe

NOUN FORMAL a feeling of great respect mixed with amazement, and sometimes slight fear • Looking up at the mountains, we felt a sense of awe.

awful

ADJECTIVE very unpleasant or very bad • Isn’t the weather awful?

SYNONYMS: dreadful, terrible

awkward

ADJECTIVE 1 difficult to deal with • an awkward situation

2 clumsy and uncomfortable • The large bag was awkward to carry.

[from Old Norse ofugr meaning turned the wrong way]

axe axes

NOUN a tool with a handle and a sharp blade, used for chopping wood

axis axes

NOUN 1 an imaginary line through the middle of something, around which it moves • The earth turns on its axis.

2 one of the two sides of a graph


axle axles

NOUN the long bar that connects a pair of wheels on a vehicle

Bb

babble babbles, babbling, babbled

VERB If someone babbles, they talk in a quick and confused way that is difficult to understand.

baboon baboons

NOUN an African monkey with a pointed face, large teeth and a long tail

baby babies

NOUN a child in the first year or two of its life

baby-sit baby-sits, baby-sitting, baby-sat

VERB If you baby-sit for someone, you look after their children while they are out.

bachelor bachelors

NOUN a man who has never been married

back backs, backing, backed

ADVERB 1 When people or things move back, they move in the opposite direction to the one they are facing.

2 When you go back to a place or situation, you return to it. • She went back to sleep.

NOUN 3 the rear part of your body

ADJECTIVE 4 The back parts of something are the ones at the rear. • the dog’s back legs

VERB 5 If a building backs on to something, the back of it faces in that direction.

backbone backbones

NOUN the column of linked bones along the middle of the back of a human and other vertebrates

background backgrounds

NOUN 1 the things in a picture or scene that are less noticeable than the main things

2 the kind of home you come from, and your education and experience

backstroke

NOUN a style of swimming movement on your back

backward

ADJECTIVE If you take a backward look, you look behind you.

backwards

ADVERB 1 If you move backwards, you move to a place behind you.

2 If you do something backwards, you do it opposite to the usual way. • He told them to count backwards from 20 to 5.

bacon

NOUN meat from the back or sides of a pig, which has been salted or smoked

bacteria

PLURAL NOUN very tiny organisms that can cause disease

[from Greek bakterion meaning little rod; some bacteria are rod-shaped]

bacterial ADJECTIVE

bad worse, worst

ADJECTIVE 1 Bad things are harmful or upsetting. • I have some bad news.

SYNONYMS: distressing, grave, terrible

2 not enough or of poor quality • We thought the film was very bad.

3 Bad food is not fresh.

SYNONYMS: rotten, decayed

badge badges

NOUN a piece of plastic or metal with a design or message on it that you can pin to your clothes

badger badgers, badgering, badgered

NOUN 1 a nocturnal mammal that has a white head with two black stripes on it

VERB 2 If you badger someone, you keep asking them questions or pestering them to do something.

badly worse, worst

ADVERB 1 not well, poorly • The script was badly written.

2 seriously • She was badly hurt in the accident.

badminton

NOUN a game in which two or four players use rackets to hit a feathered object, called a shuttlecock, over a high net

bag bags

NOUN a container for carrying things in

[From Old Norse baggi meaning bundle]

baggage

NOUN Your baggage is all the suitcases, holdalls and bags that you take with you when you travel.

bagpipes

PLURAL NOUN a musical instrument played by squeezing air out of a leather bag and through pipes

baguette baguettes

NOUN a long, thin French loaf of bread

bail bails

NOUN 1 In cricket, the bails are the two small pieces of wood placed on top of the stumps to form the wicket.

2 a sum of money paid to a court to allow an accused person to go free until the time of the trial • The accused man was released on bail.

bait baits, baiting, baited

NOUN 1 a small amount of food placed on a hook, or in a trap, to attract and catch a fish or wild animal

VERB 2 If you bait a hook or a trap, you put some food on it to catch a fish or wild animal.

bake bakes, baking, baked

VERB 1 When you bake food, you cook it in an oven without using extra liquid or fat.

2 If you bake earth or clay, you heat it until it becomes hard.

baker bakers

NOUN a person who makes and sells bread and cakes

balance balances, balancing, balanced

VERB 1 When someone or something balances, they remain steady and do not fall over.

2 used in mathematics when weighing and comparing two weights. If two weights are equal, they balance.

NOUN 3 the state of being upright and steady • She lost her balance and fell.

4 the amount of money in someone’s bank account

balcony balconies

NOUN 1 a platform on the outside of a building, with a wall or railing round it

2 an area of upstairs seats in a theatre or cinema

bald balder, baldest

ADJECTIVE A bald person has little or no hair on their head.

[from Middle English ballede meaning having a white patch]

bale bales, baling, baled

NOUN 1 a large bundle of something, such as paper or hay, tied tightly

VERB 2 If you bale water from a boat, you remove it using a container; also spelt bail.

ball balls

NOUN 1 a round object used in games such as tennis, soccer, and hockey

2 The ball of your foot or thumb is the rounded part where your toes join your foot or your thumb joins your hand.

ballad ballads

NOUN 1 a long song or poem that tells a story

2 a slow, romantic pop song

ballerina ballerinas

NOUN a female ballet dancer

ballet

NOUN a type of artistic dancing based on precise steps

[from Italian balletto meaning little dance]

balloon balloons

NOUN 1 a small bag made of thin rubber that you blow into until it becomes larger. Balloons are often used as party decorations.

2 a large, strong bag filled with gas or hot air, that travels through the air carrying passengers in a basket underneath it • They went on a hot air balloon flight over the city.

ballpoint ballpoints

NOUN a pen with a small, metal ball at the writing point

bamboo

NOUN a tall tropical grass with hard, hollow stems used for making furniture

ban bans, banning, banned

VERB 1 If you ban something, you forbid it to be done.

SYNONYMS: forbid, prohibit

NOUN 2 If there is a ban on something, it is not allowed.

banana bananas

NOUN a long, curved fruit with a yellow skin

band bands

NOUN 1 a group of musicians who play jazz or pop music together

2 a group of people who share a common purpose

3 a narrow strip of something used to hold things together • She tied her hair back with an elastic band.

bandage bandages

NOUN a strip of cloth wrapped round a wound to protect it

bang bangs, banging, banged

NOUN 1 a sudden, short, loud noise

2 a hard, painful bump against something

VERB 3 If you bang something, you hit it or put it down violently so that it makes a loud noise.

4 If you bang a part of your body against something, you accidentally bump it.

banish banishes, banishing, banished

VERB 1 If someone is banished, they are sent away and never allowed to return.

2 If you banish something from your thoughts, you try not to think about it.

banishment NOUN

banister banisters

NOUN a rail supported by posts up the side of a staircase

banjo banjos or banjoes

NOUN a musical instrument, like a small guitar with a round body

bank banks, banking, banked

NOUN 1 a business that looks after people’s money

2 the raised ground along the edge of a river or lake

VERB 3 If you bank on something happening, you rely on it. • I know we said we’d go swimming, but don’t bank on it.

banner banners

NOUN 1 a long strip of cloth with a message or slogan on it • We saw banners advertising the fair.

ADJECTIVE 2 A banner headline is a headline printed right across the page of a newspaper.

banquet banquets

NOUN a grand, formal dinner, often followed by speeches

[from Old French banquet, originally meaning little bench]

baptism baptisms

NOUN the ceremony in which someone has water sprinkled on them, or they are immersed in water, as a sign that they have become a Christian

baptize baptizes, baptizing, baptized; also spelt baptise

VERB When a church official baptizes someone, they sprinkle water on them, or immerse them in water, as a sign that they have become a Christian.

bar bars, barring, barred

NOUN 1 a long, straight piece of metal

VERB 2 If you bar someone’s way, you stop them going somewhere by standing in front of them.

NOUN 3 a counter or room where alcoholic drinks are served

4 a piece of something made in a rectangular shape • a bar of soap

barbecue barbecues

NOUN 1 a grill with a charcoal fire on which you cook food, usually outdoors

2 an outdoor party where you eat food cooked on a barbecue

[from a Caribbean word meaning framework]

barber barbers

NOUN a man who cuts men’s hair

bar chart bar charts

NOUN a kind of graph where the information is shown in rows or bars


bar code bar codes

NOUN a pattern of lines and numbers on something that is for sale, so that the price can be read by a machine

bare barer, barest

ADJECTIVE 1 If a part of your body is bare, it is not covered by any clothing. • bare feet

SYNONYMS: naked, uncovered

2 If something is bare, it is not covered or decorated with anything. • bare wooden floors

3 The bare minimum, or the bare essentials, means the very least that is needed.

barely

ADVERB If you barely manage to do something, you only just succeed in doing it.

bargain bargains, bargaining, bargained

NOUN 1 an agreement in which two people or groups discuss and agree what each will do, pay or receive

2 something that is sold at a low price and that is good value • The apples are a bargain at this price.

VERB 3 When people bargain with each other, they discuss and agree terms about what each will do, pay or receive.

barge barges, barging, barged

NOUN 1 a boat with a flat bottom used for carrying heavy loads, especially on canals

VERB 2 INFORMAL If you barge into a place, you push into it in a rough or rude way.

bark barks, barking, barked

VERB 1 When a dog barks, it makes a short, loud noise, once or several times.

NOUN 2 the tough material that covers the outside of a tree

barley

NOUN a cereal that is grown for food and is also used for making beer and whisky

bar mitzvah

NOUN A Jewish boy’s bar mitzvah is a ceremony that takes place on his 13th birthday, after which he is regarded as an adult.

barn barns

NOUN a large farm building used for storing crops or animal food

[from Old English beren meaning barley room]

barnacle barnacles

NOUN a small shellfish that fixes itself to rocks and to the bottom of boats

barometer barometers

NOUN an instrument that measures air pressure and shows when the weather is changing

barrel barrels

NOUN 1 a wooden container with rounded sides and flat ends

2 The barrel of a gun is the long tube through which the bullet is fired.

barricade barricades, barricading, barricaded

NOUN 1 a temporary barrier put up to stop people getting past

VERB 2 If you barricade yourself inside a room or building, you put something heavy against the door to stop people getting in.

[from Old French barriquer meaning to block with barrels]

barrier barriers

NOUN a fence or wall that prevents people or animals getting from one area to another

barrister barristers

NOUN a lawyer who is qualified to represent people in the higher courts

barrow barrows

NOUN 1 another word for wheelbarrow

2 a large cart from which fruit or other goods are sold in the street

base bases, basing, based

NOUN 1 the lowest part of something • The waves crashed at the base of the cliffs.

2 The base of a triangle or a square-shaped pyramid is the bottom.

3 a place where part of an army, navy or air force works from

VERB 4 If you base one thing on another, you develop from it. • She based the film on a true story.

5 If you are based somewhere, you live there or work from there. • My dad is based in Cardiff, but spends a lot of time abroad.

baseball

NOUN a team game played with a bat and a ball. It is popular in the USA.

basement basements

NOUN a room or set of rooms below the level of the street • My aunt lives in the basement of our house.

basic

ADJECTIVE 1 The basic aspects of something are the most necessary ones. • The basic ingredients of bread are flour, yeast and water.

2 having only the essentials, and no extras or luxuries

basically ADVERB

basin basins

NOUN 1 a round, wide container which is open at the top

2 A river basin is a bowl of land from which water runs into the river.

basis bases

NOUN If something is the basis of something else, it is the main principle on which it is based, and from which other points and ideas can be developed.

bask basks, basking, basked

VERB If you bask in hot weather, you lie in the sun and enjoy the warmth.

basket baskets

NOUN a container made of thin strips of wood or metal woven together • a shopping basket

basketball

NOUN a game in which two teams try to score goals by throwing a large ball through one of two circular nets that are suspended high up at each end of the basketball court

bass basses

NOUN 1 a man with a very deep singing voice

ADJECTIVE 2 In music, a bass instrument produces a very deep sound. • a bass guitar

bassoon bassoons

NOUN a large woodwind instrument


bat bats, batting, batted

NOUN 1 a specially shaped piece of wood with a handle, used for hitting a ball in games such as table tennis or cricket

2 a small animal like a mouse with leathery wings. Bats fly at night and sleep hanging upside down.

VERB 3 If you are batting in cricket, baseball or rounders, it is your turn to hit the ball.

batch batches

NOUN A batch of things is a group of things that are all the same or are being dealt with at the same time. • They delivered the first batch of books at the start of term.

bath baths

NOUN a long container that you fill with water and sit in to wash yourself

bathe bathes, bathing, bathed

VERB When you bathe in a sea, river or lake, you swim or play there.

bathroom bathrooms

NOUN a room with a bath or shower, a washbasin and often a toilet in it

baton batons

NOUN 1 a light, thin stick that a conductor uses to direct an orchestra or choir

2 a short stick passed from one runner to another at the changeover in a relay race

battalion battalions

NOUN an army unit consisting of three or more companies

batter batters, battering, battered

NOUN 1 a mixture of flour, eggs and milk, used to make pancakes, or to coat food before frying it

VERB 2 When someone or something batters someone or something, they hit them many times. • The waves battered the sides of the ship.

battery batteries

NOUN a device for storing energy and producing electricity, for example in a torch or a car

battle battles

NOUN a fight between armed forces, or a struggle between two people or groups with different aims

battlefield battlefields

NOUN a place where a battle has been fought or is being fought

battlements

PLURAL NOUN the top part of a castle where there are openings through which arrows or guns could be fired

battleship battleships

NOUN a large fighting ship carrying powerful guns

bawl bawls, bawling, bawled

VERB If someone bawls, they shout or cry loudly.

bay bays, baying, bayed

NOUN 1 part of the coastline where the land curves

2 a space or an area used for a particular purpose • a loading bay

3 a tree with dark green leaves. The leaves are used for flavouring food.

VERB 4 When a dog or a wolf bays, it makes a deep, howling sound.

PHRASE 5 If you keep something at bay, you stop it hurting you. • Try eating an orange to keep a cold at bay.

bayonet bayonets

NOUN a sharp blade that can be fixed to the end of a rifle

bazaar bazaars

NOUN 1 an area with many small shops and stalls, especially in Eastern countries

2 a sale to raise money for charity • a Christmas bazaar

[from Persian bazar meaning market]

BC

ADJECTIVE You use BC to show the dates before the birth of Jesus Christ. It is an abbreviation for before Christ.

be am, is, are; being; was, were; been

VERB 1 You can use be with the present participle of other verbs. • Look! I am riding on my own!

2 You can also use be to say that something will happen. • I will be nine in November.

3 You use be to say more about something or somebody. • His name is Tom.

beach beaches

NOUN an area of sand or pebbles beside the sea

beacon beacons

NOUN In the past, a beacon was a light or fire on a hill, which acted as a signal or warning.

bead beads

NOUN 1 a small, shaped piece of glass, stone or wood with a hole through the middle. Beads are strung together with others to make necklaces or bracelets.

2 a drop of liquid • beads of perspiration

beak beaks

NOUN the hard part of a bird’s mouth that sticks out. It is used for pecking up food and for carrying things such as twigs.

beam beams, beaming, beamed

NOUN 1 a long, thick bar of wood or metal, especially one that supports a roof

2 a band of light that shines from something such as a torch or the sun

VERB 3 If you beam, you smile broadly.

bean beans

NOUN the seed or pod of a plant, eaten as a vegetable or used for other purposes • runner beans • coffee beans • soya beans

bear bears, bearing, bore, borne

NOUN 1 a large, strong, wild mammal with thick fur and sharp claws • polar bear • grizzly bear

VERB 2 If someone or something bears something, they carry it or support its weight. • The ice wasn’t thick enough to bear their weight.

3 If something bears a mark or typical feature, it has it. • The room bore all the signs of a violent struggle.

4 If you bear something difficult, you accept it and are able to deal with it. • The loneliness was hard to bear.

beard beards

NOUN the hair that grows on the lower part of a man’s face

beast beasts

NOUN 1 an old-fashioned word for a large, wild animal

2 INFORMAL If you call someone a beast, you mean that they are cruel or spiteful.

beat beats, beating, beat, beaten

VERB 1 If someone or something beats someone or something else, they hit them hard and repeatedly. • The rain was beating against the window.

2 If you beat someone in a race or game, you defeat them or do better than them.

3 When your heart beats, it pumps blood with a regular rhythm.

NOUN 4 the main rhythm of a piece of music or poetry

beautiful

ADJECTIVE very attractive or pleasing

SYNONYM: lovely

beauty beauties

NOUN 1 the quality of being beautiful • the beauty of the stars on a clear night

2 The beauty of an idea or a plan is what makes it attractive or worth doing. • The beauty of going in September is that the sea will be warmer for swimming.

beaver beavers

NOUN a mammal with a big, flat tail and webbed hind feet. Beavers build dams.

because

CONJUNCTION 1 Because is used with other words to give the reason for something. • I went home because I was tired.

PHRASE 2 Because of is used with a noun that gives the reason for something. • I had to stay late because of detention.

beckon beckons, beckoning, beckoned

VERB If you beckon to someone, you make a sign to them with your hand, asking them to come to you.

become becomes, becoming, became, become

VERB If someone or something becomes something else, they start feeling or being that thing. • I became more and more angry.

[from Old English becuman meaning to happen]

bed beds

NOUN 1 a piece of furniture that you lie on when you sleep

2 an area of ground in a garden which has been dug and prepared for planting

3 The bed of the sea or a river is the bottom of it.

bedraggled

ADJECTIVE If a person or animal is bedraggled, they are wet, dirty and messy.

bedroom bedrooms

NOUN a room for sleeping in

bedtime bedtimes

NOUN the time when you go to bed

bee bees

NOUN a winged insect that makes honey. Many types of bee live in large groups.


beech beeches

NOUN a tree with a smooth, grey trunk and shiny leaves

beef

NOUN the meat of a cow, bull or ox

beehive beehives

NOUN a specially designed structure in which bees are kept so that their honey can be collected


been

VERB the past participle of be

beer beers

NOUN an alcoholic drink made from malt and flavoured with hops

beetle beetles

NOUN a flying insect with hard wings that cover its body when it is not flying

[from Old English bitan meaning to bite]

beetroot beetroots

NOUN a round, dark red root vegetable

before

ADVERB, PREPOSITION OR CONJUNCTION If something happens before, it happens earlier than something else. • Can I see you before you go?

ANTONYM: after

beg begs, begging, begged

VERB 1 When people beg, they ask for food or money, because they are very poor.

2 If you beg someone to do something, you ask them very anxiously to do it. • David begged his dad to take him to the cinema.

began

VERB the past tense of begin

begin begins, beginning, began, begun

VERB If you begin something, you start it.

beginner beginners

NOUN someone who has just started to learn something

SYNONYM: learner

beginning beginnings

NOUN The beginning of something is when or where it starts.

begun

VERB the past participle of begin

behalf

PHRASE If you do something on behalf of someone or something, you do it for them or in their name. • We did the sponsored swim on behalf of various charities.

behave behaves, behaving, behaved

VERB 1 If you behave in a particular way, you act in that way. • He knew that he’d behaved badly.

2 If you behave yourself, you act correctly or properly.

behind

PREPOSITION 1 at the back of • The moon disappeared behind a cloud.

2 supporting someone • The whole school was behind him in the competition.

ADVERB 3 If you stay behind, you remain after other people have gone.

4 If you leave something behind, you do not take it with you.

beige

ADJECTIVE a cream-brown colour

being

VERB the present participle of be

belch belches, belching, belched

VERB 1 If you belch, you make a sudden noise in your throat because air has risen up from your stomach.

2 If something belches smoke or fire, it sends it out in large amounts. • Smoke belched from the factory chimneys.

NOUN 3 the noise you make when you belch

belief beliefs

NOUN If you have a belief in something, you are certain that it is right or true.

believe believes, believing, believed

VERB 1 If you believe that something is true, you think that it is true.

2 If you believe someone, you accept that they are telling the truth.

bell bells

NOUN 1 a cup-shaped metal object with a piece inside it called a clapper that hits the side and makes a ringing sound

2 an electrical device that you can ring or buzz to get attention

bellow bellows, bellowing, bellowed

VERB If a human or other animal bellows, they shout very loudly or make a very loud, deep noise like a roar.

belly bellies

NOUN the part of your body, especially your stomach, that holds and digests food

belong belongs, belonging, belonged

VERB 1 If something belongs to you, it is yours and you own it.

2 If you belong to a group, you are a member of it.

3 If something belongs in a particular place, that is where it should be. • That book belongs on the top shelf.

belongings

PLURAL NOUN Your belongings are all the things that you own.

below

PREPOSITION OR ADVERB 1 If something is below something else, it is in a lower position. • We could hear music coming up from the flat two floors below.

ANTONYM: above

2 If something is below a particular amount or level, it is less than it. • below average rainfall

ANTONYM: above

belt belts

NOUN a strip of leather or cloth that you fasten round your waist to hold your trousers or skirt up

bench benches

NOUN a long seat that two or more people can sit on

bend bends, bending, bent

VERB 1 When you bend something, you use force to make it curved or angular.

2 When you bend, you move your head and shoulders forwards and downwards. • I bent over to pick up my glasses.

NOUN 3 a curved part of something • a bend in the road

beneath

PREPOSITION OR ADVERB FORMAL underneath

benefit benefits, benefiting, benefited

NOUN 1 the advantage that something brings to people • the benefit of a good education

VERB 2 If you benefit from something, it helps you. • He’ll benefit from some extra tuition.

[from Latin benefactum meaning good deed]

bent

ADJECTIVE curved or twisted out of shape

bereaved

ADJECTIVE FORMAL You say that someone is bereaved when a close relative of theirs has recently died.

bereavement NOUN

berry berries

NOUN a small, round fruit that grows on bushes or trees

berserk

ADVERB If somebody goes berserk, they lose control of themselves and become extremely violent.

[from Icelandic berserkr meaning a Viking who wore a shirt made from the skin of a bear and who worked himself into a mad frenzy before going into battle]

berth berths

NOUN 1 a space in a harbour where a ship stays when it is being loaded or unloaded

2 In a boat or caravan, a berth is a bed.

PHRASE 3 If you give someone or something a wide berth, you avoid them because they are unpleasant or dangerous.

beside

PREPOSITION If one thing is beside another thing, it is next to it.

besides

ADVERB also or in addition to

best

ADJECTIVE 1 the superlative of good and well • That was one of the best films I’ve ever seen.

ANTONYM: worst

ADVERB 2 The thing that you like best is the thing that you prefer to everything else.

bet bets, betting, bet

VERB If you bet on the result of an event, you will win money if what you bet on happens and lose money if it does not.

betray betrays, betraying, betrayed

VERB If you betray someone who trusts you, you tell people something secret about them.

better

ADJECTIVE 1 the comparative of good and well • I am feeling better today.

2 If you are better after an illness, you are no longer ill.

SYNONYM: cured

between

PREPOSITION OR ADVERB 1 If something is between two other things, it is situated or happens in the space or time that separates them. • He was head teacher between 1989 and 2000.

2 A relationship or a difference between two people or two things is one that involves them both. • the difference between frogs and toads

beware

VERB If you tell someone to beware of something, you are warning them that it might be dangerous or harmful.

bewilder bewilders, bewildering, bewildered

VERB If something bewilders you, it confuses and muddles you so that you can’t understand.

bewilderment NOUN

beyond

PREPOSITION 1 If something is beyond a certain place, it is on the other side of it. • Beyond the mountains was the secret valley.

2 If something is beyond you, you cannot do it or understand it.

bi-

PREFIX added to a word to mean two or twice. For example, someone who is bilingual can speak two languages.

bib bibs

NOUN a piece of cloth or plastic put under a baby’s chin to protect its clothes from stains

Bible Bibles

NOUN the sacred book of the Christian religion • I read about Noah and the Ark in the Bible.

bibliography bibliographies

NOUN a list of books or articles

bicycle bicycles

NOUN a two-wheeled vehicle that you ride by pushing two pedals with your feet

bid bids, bidding, bid

VERB If you bid for something, you offer to buy it for a certain sum of money. • He bid for an old bike at the auction.

big bigger, biggest

ADJECTIVE large or important

ANTONYMS: small, tiny, little

bike bikes

NOUN an abbreviation for bicycle

bikini bikinis

NOUN a small, two-piece swimming costume worn by women

bilingual

ADJECTIVE involving or using two languages • bilingual street signs

[from Latin bis meaning two and lingua meaning tongue]

bill bills

NOUN 1 a written statement of how much is owed for goods or services • a phone bill

2 a formal statement of a proposed new law that is discussed and then voted on in Parliament

3 A bill can be a piece of paper money. • a dollar bill

4 A bird’s bill is its beak.

billiards

NOUN a game in which a long stick called a cue is used to move balls on a table

billion billions

NOUN a thousand million • You can write one billion like this: 1,000,000,000.

billow billows, billowing, billowed

VERB 1 When things made of cloth billow, they swell out and flap slowly in the wind.

2 When smoke or cloud billows, it spreads upwards and outwards.

NOUN 3 a large wave

billy goat billy goats

NOUN a male goat

bin bins

NOUN a container, especially one that you put rubbish in

binary

ADJECTIVE The binary system is a number system used when working with computers. It uses only two digits, 0 and 1.

bind binds, binding, bound

VERB 1 If you bind something, you tie rope or string round it so that it is held firmly.

2 If you bind a wound, you wrap bandages round it.

3 When a book is bound, the pages are joined together and a cover is put on.

bingo

NOUN a game in which players aim to match the numbers that someone calls out with the numbers on the card they have been given

binoculars

PLURAL NOUN an instrument with lenses for both eyes, which you look through in order to see objects far away • They used binoculars for bird watching.


biodegradable

ADJECTIVE Biodegradable materials can be broken down naturally, and so they are not dangerous to the environment.

biography biographies

NOUN the history of someone’s life, written by someone else

biology

NOUN the study of living things

[from Greek bios + logos meaning life study]

birch birches

NOUN a tall, deciduous tree with thin branches and thin bark

bird birds

NOUN an egg-laying animal with feathers, two wings, two legs and a beak

birth births

NOUN Your birth was when you were born.

birthday birthdays

NOUN Your birthday is the anniversary of the date on which you were born.

birthmark birthmarks

NOUN a mark on your skin that has been there since you were born

biscuit biscuits

NOUN a small, flat cake that is crisp and usually sweet

bisect bisects, bisecting, bisected

VERB to divide a line or an area in half

bishop bishops

NOUN a high-ranking clergyman in some Christian Churches

bison

NOUN a large, hairy animal, related to cattle, with a large head and shoulders. Bison used to be very common on the prairies in North America, but they are now almost extinct.

bit bits

VERB 1 the past tense of bite • She bit into the toast.

NOUN 2 A bit of something is a small amount of it.

PHRASE 3 INFORMAL A bit means slightly or to a small extent. • That’s a bit difficult.

bitch bitches

NOUN a female dog

bite bites, biting, bit, bitten

VERB If you bite something, you cut into it with your teeth.

bitter bitterest

ADJECTIVE 1 A bitter taste is sharp and unpleasant.

2 A bitter wind is extremely cold.

3 If you are bitter about something, you feel angry and resentful.

bizarre

ADJECTIVE very strange and weird

SYNONYMS: odd, peculiar

black blacker, blackest

NOUN OR ADJECTIVE the darkest possible colour, like the sky at night when there is no light

blackberry blackberries

NOUN a small, soft black fruit that grows on brambles

blackbird blackbirds

NOUN a common European bird, the male of which has black feathers and a yellow beak

blackboard blackboards

NOUN a dark-coloured board in a classroom, which teachers write on using chalk

blackcurrant blackcurrants

NOUN Blackcurrants are very small, dark, purple fruits that grow in bunches on bushes.

black hole black holes

NOUN the empty space made by the collapse of a star

bladder bladders

NOUN the part of your body where urine is held until it leaves your body

blade blades

NOUN 1 the sharp part of a knife, axe or saw

2 a single piece of grass

blame blames, blaming, blamed

VERB If someone blames a person for something bad that has happened, they believe that person caused it.

SYNONYM: accuse

blank blanker, blankest

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is blank has nothing on it. • a blank sheet of paper

2 If you look blank, your face shows no feeling or interest.

blanket blankets

NOUN a large rectangle of thick cloth that is put on a bed to keep people warm

[from Old French blancquete meaning little white thing]

blare blares, blaring, blared

VERB to make a loud, unpleasant noise • The radio blared from the flat below.

blast blasts, blasting, blasted

VERB 1 When people blast a hole in something, they make a hole with an explosion. • They’re using dynamite to blast away rocks.

NOUN 2 a big explosion, especially one caused by a bomb

blaze blazes, blazing, blazed

NOUN 1 a large, hot fire

VERB 2 If something blazes, it burns or shines brightly. • The fire blazed in the fireplace.

blazer blazers

NOUN a kind of jacket, often in the colours of a school or sports team

bleach bleaches, bleaching, bleached

NOUN 1 a chemical that is used to make material white or to clean thoroughly and kill germs

VERB 2 If you bleach material or hair, you make it white, usually by using a chemical.

bleak bleaker, bleakest

ADJECTIVE 1 If a place is bleak, it is cold, bare and exposed to the wind. • a bleak mountain top

2 If a situation is bleak, it is bad and seems unlikely to improve.

bleat bleats, bleating, bleated

VERB When sheep or goats bleat, they make a high-pitched cry.

bleed bleeds, bleeding, bled

VERB When you bleed, you lose blood as a result of an injury. • My hand bled a lot after I cut it.

blend blends, blending, blended

VERB 1 When you blend substances, you mix them together to form a single substance. • Blend the butter with the sugar.

2 When colours or sounds blend, they combine in a pleasing way.

bless blesses, blessing, blessed or blest

VERB When a priest blesses people or things, he or she asks God to give his protection to them.

[from Old English bloedsian meaning to sprinkle with sacrificial blood]

blew

VERB the past tense of blow

blind blinds, blinding, blinded

ADJECTIVE 1 Someone who is blind cannot see.

VERB 2 If something blinds you, it stops you seeing, either for a short time or permanently.

NOUN 3 a roll of cloth or paper that you pull down over a window to keep out the light

blindfold blindfolds

NOUN a strip of cloth tied over someone’s eyes to stop them seeing

blink blinks, blinking, blinked

VERB When you blink, you close your eyes quickly for a moment.

bliss

NOUN a state of complete happiness

blissful ADJECTIVE blissfully ADVERB

blister blisters

NOUN a small bubble on your skin containing watery liquid, caused by a burn or rubbing

blizzard blizzards

NOUN a heavy snowstorm with strong winds

bloated

ADJECTIVE Something that is bloated is much larger than normal, often because there is a lot of liquid or gas inside it.

block blocks, blocking, blocked

NOUN 1 a large building containing flats or offices

2 In a town, a block is an area of land with streets on all its sides.

3 a large, rectangular, three-dimensional piece of something

VERB 4 If someone or something blocks a road or channel, they put something across it so that nothing can get through.

SYNONYM: obstruct

block capitals

PLURAL NOUN large upper-case letters. THESE ARE BLOCK CAPITALS.

block graph block graphs

NOUN another name for bar chart

blog blogs, blogging, blogged

NOUN 1 a person’s online diary that they put on the internet so that other people can read it

VERB 2 If you blog about something, you write about it in a blog. • He blogs about cooking and restaurants.

blonde blondes

ADJECTIVE 1 Blonde hair is pale yellow in colour. The spelling blond is used when referring to men.

NOUN 2 A blonde or blond is a person with pale yellow hair.

blood

NOUN the red liquid that is pumped by the heart round the bodies of human beings and other vertebrates

bloodstream

NOUN the flow of blood through your body

bloodthirsty

ADJECTIVE Someone who is bloodthirsty enjoys using or watching violence.

bloom blooms, blooming, bloomed

NOUN 1 a flower on a plant

VERB 2 When a plant blooms, it produces flowers.

blossom blossoms, blossoming, blossomed

NOUN 1 all the flowers that appear on a tree before the fruit

VERB 2 When a tree blossoms, it produces flowers.

blot blots

NOUN a mark made by a drop of liquid, especially ink

blouse blouses

NOUN a light shirt, worn by a girl or a woman

blow blows, blowing, blew, blown

VERB 1 When the wind blows, the air moves.

2 If you blow, you send a stream of air from your mouth.

3 If you blow your nose, you force air out of it through your nostrils in order to clear it.

NOUN 4 If you receive a blow, someone or something hits you.

blow up

VERB 1 If something blows up, it is destroyed by an explosion.

2 If you blow up a balloon or a tyre, you fill it with air.

blubber

NOUN the layer of fat beneath the skin of animals such as whales and seals that protects them from the cold

blue bluer, bluest

ADJECTIVE OR NOUN the colour of the sky on a clear, sunny day

bluebell bluebells

NOUN a woodland plant with blue, bell-shaped flowers

bluff bluffs, bluffing, bluffed

NOUN 1 an attempt to make someone believe that you will do something when you do not really intend to do it

VERB 2 If you are bluffing, you are trying to make someone believe that you are in a strong position when you are not.

[from Dutch bluffen meaning to boast]

blunder blunders, blundering, blundered

NOUN 1 a silly mistake

VERB 2 If you blunder, you make a silly mistake.

blunt blunter, bluntest

ADJECTIVE 1 A blunt object has a rounded point or edge, rather than a sharp one. • My pencil was blunt so I could not write with it.

2 If you are blunt, you say exactly what you think, without trying to be polite.

SYNONYMS: outspoken, straightforward

blur

NOUN If something is a blur, you can’t see it clearly. • The mountain was a blur through the mist.

blurb blurbs

NOUN the description of a book printed on the back cover

blurt out blurts out, blurting out, blurted out

VERB If you blurt out something, you say it suddenly, after trying to keep it a secret.

blush blushes, blushing, blushed

VERB If you blush, your face becomes red, because you are embarrassed or ashamed.

[from Old English blyscan meaning to glow]

boa boas

NOUN a large snake that kills its prey by coiling round it and crushing it

boar boars

NOUN 1 a male wild pig

2 a male domestic pig used for breeding

board boards, boarding, boarded

NOUN 1 a long, flat piece of wood

2 a flat piece of wood, plastic or cardboard, which is used for a particular purpose • a chessboard • a surfboard

3 the group of people who control a company or organization • My mum is on the board of governors.

4 the meals provided when you stay in a hotel or guesthouse • The price includes full board.

VERB 5 If you board a ship or aircraft, you get on it or in it.

PHRASE 6 If you are on board a ship or aircraft, you are on it or in it.

Do not confuse board with bored.

boarder boarders

NOUN 1 a pupil who lives at school during term

2 a lodger

boast boasts, boasting, boasted

VERB If you boast, you talk proudly about what you have or what you can do.

SYNONYM: brag

boat boats

NOUN a small vehicle for travelling across water

body bodies

NOUN 1 Your body is all of you, from your head to your feet.

2 You can say body when you mean just the main part of a human or other animal, not counting head, arms and legs.

bodyguard bodyguards

NOUN a person employed to protect someone

bog bogs

NOUN an area of wet, spongy ground

boil boils, boiling, boiled

VERB 1 When a hot liquid boils, or when you boil it, it starts to bubble and to give off steam.

2 When you boil food, you cook it in boiling water.

boiler boilers

NOUN a piece of equipment that burns fuel to provide hot water

boisterous

ADJECTIVE Someone who is boisterous is noisy and lively.

SYNONYMS: loud, rowdy

boisterously ADVERB

bold bolder, boldest

ADJECTIVE 1 brave or confident • He was bold enough to ask for her autograph.

2 clear and noticeable • The sign was painted in bold colours.

[from Old Norse ballr meaning dangerous or terrible]

bollard bollards

NOUN a short, thick post used to stop vehicles from entering a road

bolt bolts, bolting, bolted

NOUN 1 a metal object that screws into a nut and is used to fasten things together


VERB 2 If you bolt one thing to another, you fasten them together using a bolt. • They bolted the chair to the floor.

3 If you bolt a door or window, you slide a metal bar across in order to fasten it.

bomb bombs, bombing, bombed

NOUN 1 a container filled with material that explodes when it hits something or when it is set off by a timer

VERB 2 If you bomb something, you attack it with a bomb.

[from Greek bombos meaning a booming sound]

bond bonds

NOUN a close relationship between people • the bond between mothers and babies

bone bones

NOUN the hard parts that form the framework of a person’s or animal’s body

bonfire bonfires

NOUN a large fire made outdoors, to burn rubbish or to celebrate something

[from bone + fire – bones were used as fuel in the Middle Ages]

bonnet bonnets

NOUN 1 the metal cover over a car’s engine

2 a baby’s or woman’s hat tied under the chin

bonus bonuses

NOUN 1 an amount of money added to a person’s usual pay

2 a good thing that you get in addition to something else

bony bonier, boniest

ADJECTIVE Bony people or animals are very thin, with not much flesh covering their bones.

book books, booking, booked

NOUN 1 a number of pages held together inside a cover

VERB 2 When you book something, you arrange to have it or use it at a particular time. • Mum booked two rooms at the hotel.

bookcase bookcases

NOUN a piece of furniture where you keep books

booklet booklets

NOUN a small book with a paper cover

boom booms, booming, boomed

NOUN 1 a deep, echoing sound

2 a fast increase in something • There has been a boom in the sale of sun cream this summer.

VERB 3 If something booms, it makes a loud booming sound. • We heard the foghorn boom in the distance.

boomerang boomerangs

NOUN a curved, wooden missile that can be thrown so that it returns to the thrower. Boomerangs were traditionally used as weapons by Australian Aborigines.


boost boosts, boosting, boosted

VERB If someone boosts something, they improve or increase it. • The teacher boosted Juliet’s confidence when she praised her story.

boot boots

NOUN 1 strong shoes that come up over your ankle, and sometimes your calf

2 the covered space in a car, usually at the back, for carrying things in

booth booths

NOUN 1 a small, partly-enclosed area • a telephone booth

2 a stall where you can buy things, for example at a market or a fair

border borders

NOUN 1 the dividing line between two countries

2 a strip or band round the edge of something

3 flower beds round the edges of a garden

borderline borderlines

NOUN If someone or something is on the borderline, they are on the division between two different categories.

bore bores, boring, bored

VERB 1 If something bores you, you find it dull and uninteresting.

2 If you bore a hole in something, you make it using a tool such as a drill.

3 the past tense of bear

NOUN 4 someone or something that bores you

bored

ADJECTIVE If you are bored, you are miserable because you have nothing interesting to do.

Do not confuse bored with board.

boring

ADJECTIVE dull and uninteresting

ANTONYM: interesting

born

VERB When an animal such as a human baby is born, it comes out of its mother’s body and starts to live.

borrow borrows, borrowing, borrowed

VERB If you borrow something that belongs to someone else, they let you have it for a period of time. • I borrowed a book from my friend.

boss bosses, bossing, bossed

NOUN 1 Someone’s boss is the person in charge of the place where they work.

VERB 2 If someone bosses you, they keep telling you what to do.

bossy bossier, bossiest

ADJECTIVE If you are bossy, you like to order other people around.

botany

NOUN the study and classification of plants

both

ADJECTIVE OR PRONOUN Both is used when saying something about two things or two people. • You can both come to my party.

bother bothers, bothering, bothered

VERB 1 If you don’t bother to do something, you don’t do it because it takes too much effort or it’s not important.

2 If something bothers you, you are worried about it.

3 If you are not bothered about something, you don’t care about it.

4 If you bother someone, you interrupt them when they are busy.

NOUN 5 trouble, fuss or difficulty • Mum’s having a bit of bother with the car.

bottle bottles, bottling, bottled

NOUN 1 a glass or plastic container for keeping liquids in

VERB 2 If you bottle something, you put it in a bottle to store it.

bottom bottoms

NOUN 1 the lowest part of something • It sank to the bottom of the pond.

2 Your bottom is the part of your body that you sit on.

bottomless

ADJECTIVE If something is bottomless, it has no bottom or it is very deep.

bough boughs

Rhymes with “cow” NOUN a large branch of a tree

bought

VERB the past tense and past participle of buy

Do not confuse bought with brought.

boulder boulders

NOUN a large, rounded rock

bounce bounces, bouncing, bounced

VERB When an object bounces, it springs back from something after hitting it. • The ball bounced high off the ground.

bound bounds, bounding, bounded

ADJECTIVE 1 If you say that something is bound to happen, you mean that it is certain to happen. • He’s bound to find out.

NOUN 2 a large leap

VERB 3 When humans or other animals bound, they move quickly with large leaps.

boundary boundaries

NOUN the limit of an area

bouquet bouquets

NOUN an attractively arranged bunch of flowers

bout bouts

NOUN 1 something that lasts for a short period of time • I had a bout of flu.

2 a boxing or wrestling match

boutique boutiques

NOUN a small shop that sells fashionable clothes

bow bows, bowing, bowed

Rhymes with “now” VERB 1 When you bow, you bend your body or lower your head as a sign of respect or greeting.

NOUN 2 the movement you make when you bow

3 the front part of a ship

Rhymes with “low” NOUN 4 a knot with two loops and two loose ends • The ribbon was tied in a bow.

5 a long, thin piece of wood with horsehair strings stretched along it, used to play some stringed instruments, such as the violin and the cello

6 a long, flexible piece of wood used for shooting arrows

bowel bowels

NOUN the tubes leading from your stomach, through which waste passes before it leaves your body

[from Latin botellus meaning little sausage]

bowl bowls, bowling, bowled

NOUN 1 a round container with a wide, uncovered top, used for holding liquid or for serving food • a bowl of soup

2 the hollow, rounded part of something • a toilet bowl

VERB 3 When you bowl in cricket and rounders, you throw the ball towards the batsman.

bowling

NOUN a game in which you roll a heavy ball down a narrow track towards a set of wooden objects called pins, and try to knock them down

bowls

NOUN a game in which the players try to roll large wooden balls as near as possible to a small ball

box boxes, boxing, boxed

NOUN 1 a container with a firm base and sides, and usually a lid

VERB 2 If someone boxes, they fight according to special rules.

boxer boxers

NOUN 1 a person who boxes

2 a medium-sized, smooth-haired dog with a flat face

Boxing Day

NOUN the day after Christmas Day

boy boys

NOUN a male child

boyfriend boyfriends

NOUN Someone’s boyfriend is the man or boy with whom they are having a romantic relationship.

bra bras

NOUN a piece of underwear worn by a woman to support her breasts

brace braces, bracing, braced

NOUN 1 an object fixed to something to straighten or support it • I wore a brace on my teeth for two years.

PLURAL NOUN 2 Braces are elastic straps worn over the shoulders to hold trousers up.

VERB 3 If you brace yourself, you stiffen your body to steady yourself. • We braced ourselves as the bus went round the corner.

4 If you brace yourself for something unpleasant, you prepare yourself to deal with it.

bracelet bracelets

NOUN a chain or band worn around someone’s wrist as an ornament

[from Old French bracel meaning little arm]

bracken

NOUN a plant like a large fern that grows on hills and in woods

bracket brackets

NOUN a pair of written marks, ( ), { } or [ ], placed round a word or sentence that is not part of the main text, or to show that the items inside the brackets belong together

brag brags, bragging, bragged

VERB If you brag, you boast about something.

Braille

NOUN a system of printing for blind people in which letters are represented by raised dots that can be felt with the fingers


brain brains

NOUN the organ inside your head that controls your body and enables you to think and feel

brainstorm brainstorms

NOUN 1 a clever idea that you think of suddenly

2 If you have a brainstorm, you become confused and cannot think clearly.

brainy brainier, brainiest

ADJECTIVE clever and good at learning things

brake brakes, braking, braked

NOUN 1 a device for making a vehicle stop or slow down

VERB 2 When drivers brake, they make a vehicle stop or slow down by using its brakes.

bramble brambles

NOUN a wild, trailing bush with thorns, which produces blackberries

branch branches, branching, branched

NOUN 1 part of a tree that grows out from the trunk

2 A branch of a business or organization is one of its offices or shops.

VERB 3 A road that branches off from another road splits off from it to lead in a different direction.

brand brands

NOUN a particular kind or make of something

brandy

NOUN a strong, alcoholic drink, often drunk after a meal

[from Dutch brandewijn meaning burnt wine]

brass

NOUN OR ADJECTIVE 1 a yellow-coloured metal made from copper and zinc

2 In an orchestra, the brass section consists of instruments such as trumpets and trombones.

brave braver, bravest; braves, braving, braved

ADJECTIVE 1 A brave person is willing to do dangerous things and does not show any fear.

SYNONYMS: courageous, daring

VERB 2 If you brave an unpleasant or dangerous situation, you face up to it in order to do something. • We braved the snow to go to the party.

[from Italian bravo meaning courageous or wild]

brawl brawls, brawling, brawled

NOUN 1 a rough fight

VERB 2 When people brawl, they take part in a rough fight.

bread

NOUN a very common food made from flour, and baked in an oven

breadth breadths

NOUN the distance between two sides of something • I can swim the breadth of the pool.

See width

break breaks, breaking, broke, broken

VERB 1 When an object breaks, or when you break it, it becomes damaged or separates into pieces.

2 If you break a rule or promise, you fail to keep it.

3 To break a record means to do better than the previous recorded best. • She broke the record for the long jump.

NOUN 4 a short period during which you rest or do something different

break down

VERB When a machine or a vehicle breaks down, it stops working.

break up

VERB When schools break up, the term ends. • We break up on Thursday.

breakable

ADJECTIVE easy to break

breakdown breakdowns

NOUN If there is a breakdown in a system, it stops working.

breakfast breakfasts

NOUN the first meal of the day

breast breasts

NOUN A woman’s breasts are the two soft, fleshy parts on her chest, which produce milk after she has had a baby.

breast-feed breast-feeds, breast-feeding, breast-fed

VERB If a woman breast-feeds her baby, she feeds it with milk from her breasts.

breath breaths

NOUN 1 the air you take into your lungs and let out again when you breathe • He took a deep breath before jumping into the pool.

PHRASE 2 If you are out of breath, you are breathing with difficulty after doing something energetic.

breathe breathes, breathing, breathed

VERB When you breathe, you take air into your lungs and let it out again.

breathless

ADJECTIVE If you are breathless, you are breathing very fast or with difficulty. • I was breathless after running to catch the bus.

breathlessly ADVERB

breathlessness NOUN

breed breeds, breeding, bred

NOUN 1 a particular type of animal. For example, an Alsatian is a breed of dog.

VERB 2 Someone who breeds animals or plants keeps them in order to produce more animals or plants with particular qualities. • He used to breed dogs for the police.

3 When animals breed, they produce young.

SYNONYM: reproduce

breeze breezes

NOUN a gentle wind

breezy ADJECTIVE

brewery breweries

NOUN a place where beer is made, or a company that makes beer

bribe bribes, bribing, bribed

NOUN 1 a gift or money given to an official to persuade them to allow you to do something

VERB 2 If someone bribes someone else, they give them a bribe.

brick bricks

NOUN a rectangular block of baked clay used in building

bride brides

NOUN a woman who is getting married or who has just got married

bridegroom bridegrooms

NOUN a man on or near his wedding day

bridesmaid bridesmaids

NOUN a woman or girl who helps a bride on her wedding day

bridge bridges

NOUN 1 a structure built over a river, road or railway so that vehicles and people can cross

2 a card game for four players

bridle bridles

NOUN a set of straps round a horse’s head and mouth, which the rider uses to control the horse

brief briefer, briefest; briefs, briefing, briefed

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is brief lasts only a short time. • We only had time for a brief visit.

VERB 2 When you brief someone on a task, you give them all the necessary instructions or information about it.

briefcase briefcases

NOUN a small, flat case for carrying papers

bright brighter, brightest

ADJECTIVE 1 strong and startling • a bright light

SYNONYMS: brilliant, dazzling

2 clever • That’s a bright idea.

SYNONYMS: intelligent, quick

brighten brightens, brightening, brightened

VERB If something brightens, it becomes brighter.

brighten up

VERB If you brighten up something, you make it look brighter and more attractive.

brilliant

ADJECTIVE 1 A brilliant person is extremely clever.

2 INFORMAL Something that is brilliant is extremely good or enjoyable.

3 A brilliant colour or light is extremely bright.

brim brims

NOUN 1 the wide part of a hat that sticks outwards from the head

2 If a container is filled to the brim, it is filled right to the top.

bring brings, bringing, brought

VERB If you bring something or someone with you when you go to a place, you take them with you.

bring up

VERB When someone brings up children, they look after them while they grow up.

brink

NOUN 1 the edge of a deep hole, cliff or ravine

PHRASE 2 If you are on the brink of something, you are about to do it. • They were on the brink of discovering a cure for the common cold.

brisk brisker, briskest

ADJECTIVE 1 quick and energetic • a brisk walk

2 If someone’s manner is brisk, it shows that they want to get things done quickly and efficiently.

briskly ADVERB briskness NOUN

bristle bristles, bristling, bristled

NOUN 1 Bristles are strong animal hairs used to make brushes.

VERB 2 If the hairs on an animal’s body bristle, they rise up because it is frightened.

bristly ADJECTIVE

brittle

ADJECTIVE An object that is brittle is hard but breaks easily.

broad broader, broadest

ADJECTIVE 1 A broad river is wide.

2 The broad outline of a story gives the main points, but no details.

broadband

NOUN a digital system for sending data to and from televisions, computers and telephones • What is the broadband speed like here?

broadcast broadcasts, broadcasting, broadcast

NOUN 1 a programme or announcement on radio or television

VERB 2 When someone broadcasts something, they send it out by radio waves, so that it can be seen on television or heard on radio.

broccoli

NOUN a vegetable with green stalks and green or purple flower buds


brochure brochures

NOUN a booklet that gives information about a product or a service • holiday brochure

broke

VERB 1 the past tense of break

ADJECTIVE 2 If you are broke, you have no money.

broken

ADJECTIVE A broken object is damaged in some way.

bronchitis

NOUN an illness in which the tubes connecting your windpipe to your lungs become infected, making you cough

brontosaurus brontosauruses

NOUN a very large, plant-eating dinosaur

bronze

NOUN a yellowish-brown metal that is a mixture of copper and tin

brooch brooches

Rhymes with “coach” NOUN a piece of jewellery with a pin at the back for attaching to clothes

brood broods, brooding, brooded

NOUN 1 a family of baby birds

VERB 2 If you brood about something, you are worried about it and can’t stop thinking about it.

brook brooks

NOUN a stream

broom brooms

NOUN a long-handled brush

brother brothers

NOUN Your brother is a boy or man who has the same parents as you.

brother-in-law brothers-in-law

NOUN Someone’s brother-in-law is the brother of their husband or wife, or their sister’s husband.

brought

VERB the past tense and past participle of bring

Do not confuse brought with bought.

brown browner, brownest

ADJECTIVE OR NOUN the colour of earth or wood

Brownie Brownies

NOUN a junior member of the Girl Guides

bruise bruises, bruising, bruised

NOUN 1 a purple mark that appears on your skin after something has hit it

VERB 2 If something bruises you, it hits you so that a bruise appears on your skin.

brunette brunettes

NOUN a girl or a woman with dark brown hair

brush brushes, brushing, brushed

NOUN 1 an object with bristles. There are brushes for cleaning things, painting or tidying your hair.


VERB 2 If you brush something, you clean it or tidy it with a brush.

Brussels sprout Brussels sprouts

NOUN a vegetable that looks like a tiny cabbage

brutal

ADJECTIVE Brutal behaviour is violent and cruel.

brutally ADVERB brutality NOUN

bubble bubbles, bubbling, bubbled

NOUN 1 a ball of air in a liquid

VERB 2 When a liquid bubbles, bubbles form in it.

buck bucks, bucking, bucked

NOUN 1 the male of various animals, including deer and rabbits

VERB 2 If a horse bucks, it jumps into the air with all four feet off the ground.

bucket buckets

NOUN a deep, round container with an open top and a handle

buckle buckles, buckling, buckled

NOUN 1 a fastening on the end of a belt or strap

VERB 2 If you buckle a belt or strap, you fasten it.

3 If metal buckles, it crumples up.

bud buds

NOUN a small, tight swelling on a tree or plant, which develops into a flower or leaf

Buddhist

NOUN someone who follows the religious teachings of Buddha, who taught in India in the fifth century. Buddhists believe that the way to end suffering is by overcoming our desires.

Buddhism NOUN

budgerigar budgerigars

NOUN a small, brightly-coloured pet bird. Budgerigars originated in Australia.

[an Australian Aboriginal name, from budgeri + gar meaning good cockatoo]

budget budgets, budgeting, budgeted

NOUN 1 a plan showing how much money will be available and how it will be spent

VERB 2 If you budget for something, you plan how you use your money carefully, so as to be able to afford what you want.

buffalo buffaloes

NOUN 1 a wild animal like a large cow with long curved horns

2 another word for bison

buffet buffets

NOUN 1 a café at a station or on a train

2 a meal at which people serve themselves

bug bugs, bugging, bugged

NOUN 1 a small insect, especially one that causes damage

2 an infection or virus that makes you ill

3 a small error in a computer programme that stops it working properly

VERB 4 If a place is bugged, tiny microphones are hidden there to pick up what people are saying.

build builds, building, built

VERB If you build something, you make it from all its parts.

builder builders

NOUN a person whose job is to build buildings

building buildings

NOUN a structure with walls and a roof

bulb bulbs

NOUN 1 the glass part of an electric lamp

2 an onion-shaped root from which a flower or plant grows. Tulips and daffodils are grown from bulbs.

[from Greek bolbos meaning onion]

bulge bulges, bulging, bulged

VERB 1 If something bulges, it swells out.

NOUN 2 a lump on a normally flat surface

bulk bulks

NOUN 1 a large mass of something

PHRASE 2 If you buy something in bulk, you buy it in large quantities.

bulky bulkier, bulkiest

ADJECTIVE Something that is bulky is large and heavy and sometimes difficult to move.

bull bulls

NOUN the male of some animal species including cattle, elephants and whales

bulldozer bulldozers

NOUN a powerful tractor with a broad blade in front, which is used for moving earth or knocking things down

bullet bullets

NOUN a small piece of metal fired from a gun

bulletin bulletins

NOUN a short news report on radio or television

bullion

NOUN gold or silver bars

bullock bullocks

NOUN a young male bull that is reared for meat

bully bullies, bullying, bullied

NOUN 1 someone who uses their strength or power to hurt or frighten other people

VERB 2 If someone bullies you into doing something, they make you do it by using force or threats.

[a sixteenth-century word meaning fine fellow or hired ruffian]

bump bumps, bumping, bumped

VERB 1 If you bump into something, you knock into it accidentally.

NOUN 2 a soft noise made by something knocking into something else

3 a raised, uneven part of a surface

SYNONYMS: bulge, lump

bumper bumpers

NOUN a bar on the front or back of a vehicle that protects it if it bumps into something

bumpy bumpier, bumpiest

ADJECTIVE Something that is bumpy has a rough, uneven surface. • a bumpy road

bun buns

NOUN a small, round bread roll or cake

bunch bunches

NOUN a group of things together • a bunch of flowers

bundle bundles, bundling, bundled

NOUN 1 a number of things tied together or wrapped up in a cloth

VERB 2 If you bundle someone or something somewhere, you push them there quickly and roughly.

bungalow bungalows

NOUN a one-storey house

[from Hindi bangla meaning house]

bunk bunks

NOUN a bed fixed to a wall in a ship or caravan

bunk beds

PLURAL NOUN two beds fixed together, one above the other

buoy buoys

NOUN a floating object anchored to the bottom of the sea, marking a channel or warning of danger

buoyancy

NOUN Something that has buoyancy is able to float in liquid or in the air.

buoyant

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is buoyant is able to float.

2 Someone who is buoyant is lively and cheerful.

burden burdens

NOUN a heavy load

burger burgers

NOUN a flat fried cake of meat, vegetables or cheese, served in a bread roll

burglar burglars

NOUN someone who breaks into buildings and steals things

burgle VERB

burn burns, burning, burned or burnt

VERB 1 If something is burning, it is on fire.

2 To burn something means to damage or destroy it with fire.

3 People often burn fuel, such as coal, to keep warm.

NOUN 4 A burn is an injury caused by fire or by something hot.

You can write either burned or burnt as the past form of burn.

burqa burqas; also spelt burka

Said “bur-ka” NOUN a long garment worn by some Muslim women in public, covering everything except the eyes

burrow burrows, burrowing, burrowed

NOUN 1 a tunnel or hole in the ground dug by a small animal

VERB 2 When an animal burrows, it digs a burrow.

burst bursts, bursting, burst

VERB 1 When something bursts, or when you burst it, it splits open suddenly.

2 When you burst into a room, you enter suddenly and with force.

NOUN 3 A burst of something is a sudden short period of it. • a burst of applause

bury buries, burying, buried

VERB 1 If you bury something, you put it in a hole in the ground and cover it with earth.

2 If something is buried under something, it is covered by it. • My trainers were buried under a pile of clothes.

bus buses

NOUN a large motor vehicle that carries passengers

[from Latin omnibus meaning for all]

bush bushes

NOUN 1 a large plant, smaller than a tree and with a lot of woody branches

2 In Australia and South Africa, an uncultivated area outside a town or city is called the bush.

3 In New Zealand, the bush is land covered by rainforest.

bushy bushier, bushiest

ADJECTIVE Bushy hair or fur grows very thickly. • My dad has bushy eyebrows.

business businesses

NOUN 1 work relating to the buying and selling of goods and services

2 an organization that produces or sells goods, or provides a service

SYNONYMS: company, firm, organization

busker buskers

NOUN someone who sings or plays music in public places for money

bus stop bus stops

NOUN a place where the bus stops regularly for passengers to get on or off, usually marked with a sign

busy busier, busiest

ADJECTIVE 1 If you are busy, you are doing something and are not free to do anything else. • She was too busy to come to the cinema with us.

2 A busy place is full of people doing things or moving about.

but

CONJUNCTION 1 used to introduce an idea that is opposite to what has gone before • I love cooking, but I hate washing up afterwards.

2 used when you apologize for something • Sorry, but I can’t come to play tomorrow.

PREPOSITION 3 except • There was nothing to eat but potatoes.

butcher butchers

NOUN a shopkeeper who prepares and sells meat

butter

NOUN a soft, fatty food made from cream, which is spread on bread and used in cooking

buttercup buttercups

NOUN a wild plant with bright yellow flowers

butterfly butterflies

NOUN a type of insect with large, colourful wings. Butterflies develop from caterpillars.


buttocks

PLURAL NOUN Your buttocks are the part of your body that you sit on.

[from Old English buttuc meaning rounded slope]

button buttons, buttoning, buttoned

NOUN 1 a small, hard round object sewn on to clothing such as shirts • My new jeans fasten with buttons instead of a zip.

2 a small object on a piece of equipment that you press to make it work • You must push the button down to switch the video on.

VERB 3 If you button a garment, you fasten it using its buttons.

buy buys, buying, bought

VERB If you buy something, you get it by paying money for it.

buzz buzzes, buzzing, buzzed

VERB If something buzzes, it makes a humming sound, like a bee.

buzzer buzzers

NOUN a device that makes a buzzing sound. Buzzers are used to attract attention. • I pressed the door buzzer but nobody was home.

by

PREPOSITION 1 used to show who or what has done something • The announcement was made by the head teacher.

2 used to show how something is done • He cheered us up by taking us to the cinema.

3 next to or near to • They live by the park.

4 before a particular time • We should finish by tea time.

PREPOSITION OR ADVERB 5 going past • We drove by her house.

bypass bypasses

NOUN a road that takes traffic around the edge of a town instead of through the middle • The centre of town is much quieter since they built the bypass.

byte bytes

NOUN a unit of storage in a computer

Cc

cab cabs

NOUN 1 a taxi

2 The cab is where the driver sits in a lorry, bus or train.

cabbage cabbages

NOUN a large, green, leafy vegetable

cabin cabins

NOUN 1 a room in a ship where a passenger sleeps

2 a small wooden house, usually in the country

cabinet cabinets

NOUN 1 a small cupboard • a medicine cabinet

2 The cabinet in a government is a group of ministers who advise the leader and decide policies.

cable cables

NOUN 1 a strong, thick rope or chain

2 a bundle of wires with a rubber covering, which carries electricity

cable television

NOUN a television service that comes through underground wires

cactus cacti or cactuses

NOUN a thick, fleshy plant that grows in deserts. Cactuses are usually covered in spikes.


cadet cadets

NOUN a young person being trained in the armed forces or police

café cafés

NOUN a place where you can buy light meals and drinks

[from the French café meaning coffee or coffee house]

caffeine; also spelt caffein

NOUN a chemical in coffee and tea that makes you more active

cage cages

NOUN a box or room made with bars, in which birds or animals are kept

caged ADJECTIVE

cake cakes, caking, caked

NOUN 1 a sweet food made from eggs, flour, butter and sugar

2 a block of a hard substance such as soap

VERB 3 If something is caked, it becomes covered with a solid layer of something else. • My shoes were caked in mud.

calamity calamities

NOUN something terrible that happens, causing destruction and misery • The earthquake was a terrible calamity.

SYNONYMS: disaster, catastrophe

calcium

Said “kal-see-um” NOUN a soft white mineral found in bones and teeth and in some foods. Milk and cheese are good sources of calcium.

calculate calculates, calculating, calculated

VERB If you calculate something, you work it out, usually by doing some arithmetic. • We calculated how much money we had raised from the sponsored walk.

[from Latin calculus meaning stone or pebble, which the Romans used for counting]

calculation calculations

NOUN something that you think about carefully and work out mathematically, or that you do on a machine such as a calculator

calculator calculators

NOUN a small electronic machine used for doing mathematical calculations

calendar calendars

NOUN a chart, usually organized month by month, showing the date of each day in a particular year • We marked the end of term on the calendar in red.

calf calves

NOUN 1 a young cow

2 Your calves are the backs of your legs between your knees and ankles.

call calls, calling, called

VERB 1 If you call someone or something a particular name, that is their name. • I will call my dog Spot. • That type of machine is called a combine harvester.

2 If you call someone, you telephone them.

3 If you call someone, you shout their name loudly.

NOUN 4 A call is a shout or a cry. • We heard a call for help.

call off

VERB If something is called off it is cancelled. • The party was called off.

call on

VERB If you call on someone, you pay them a short visit.

calm calmer, calmest

ADJECTIVE 1 Someone who is calm is quiet and does not show any worry or excitement.

2 If the sea is calm, the water is not moving very much.

calorie calories

NOUN The amount of energy that food gives you is measured in calories.

came

VERB the past tense of come

camel camels

NOUN a large mammal with either one or two humps on its back. Camels live in hot desert areas and are used for carrying people and things.

camera cameras

NOUN a piece of equipment used for taking photographs or for filming

camouflage camouflages, camouflaging, camouflaged

NOUN 1 a way of avoiding being seen by having the same colour or appearance as the surroundings

VERB 2 To camouflage something is to hide it by giving it the same colour or appearance as its surroundings.

camp camps, camping, camped

NOUN 1 a place where people live in tents or stay in tents for a holiday

VERB 2 If you camp, you stay in a tent.

NOUN 3 a collection of buildings for soldiers or prisoners

camper NOUN

campaign campaigns, campaigning, campaigned

VERB When people campaign, they take action in order to achieve something. • She campaigned against the export of live animals.

campaign NOUN

can could; cans

VERB 1 If someone says you can do something, you are allowed to do it.

2 If you can do something, you are able to do it. • I can say “hello” in French.

NOUN 3 a metal container, often sealed, with food or drink inside

canal canals

NOUN a long, narrow, man-made stretch of water


canary canaries

NOUN a yellow songbird

cancel cancels, cancelling, cancelled

VERB If you cancel something that has been arranged, you stop it from happening. • They cancelled the school trip.

cancer cancers

NOUN a serious disease in which abnormal cells in a part of the body increase rapidly, causing growths

candidate candidates

NOUN a person who is being considered for a job

candle candles

NOUN a stick of hard wax with a piece of string called a wick through the middle. You light the wick to produce a flame.

cane canes

NOUN 1 the long, hollow stem of a plant such as bamboo

2 strips of cane used for weaving baskets and other containers

3 a long, narrow stick used to support plants

canine canines

ADJECTIVE 1 relating to dogs

NOUN 2 a canine is one of the pointed teeth near the front of the mouth in humans and some animals

cannibal cannibals

NOUN a person who eats human flesh

cannon cannons or cannon

NOUN a large gun, usually on wheels, which fires heavy iron balls

cannot

VERB the same as can not

canoe canoes

NOUN a small, narrow boat that you row using a paddle

canoeing NOUN canoeist NOUN

can’t

VERB a contraction of cannot

canteen canteens

NOUN a place to eat in a school or workplace

canvas canvases

NOUN 1 strong, heavy cloth used for making things such as sails and tents

2 a piece of canvas on which an artist does a painting

canyon canyons

NOUN a narrow river valley with steep sides

cap caps

NOUN 1 a soft, flat hat, often with a peak at the front

2 a bottle top

3 a small explosive used in toy guns

capable

ADJECTIVE 1 If you are capable of doing something, you are able to do it.

2 Someone who is capable is able to do something well.

capacity capacities

NOUN the maximum amount that something can hold or produce • The arena has a seating capacity of two thousand.

capital capitals

NOUN 1 The capital of a country is the city where the government meets. • Paris is the capital of France.

2 A capital, or a capital letter, is a larger, upper-case letter used at the beginning of a sentence or a name: Carol, Tim.

capsize capsizes, capsizing, capsized

VERB If a boat capsizes, it turns upside down.

capsule capsules

NOUN 1 a small container with medicine inside, which you swallow

2 the part of a spacecraft in which astronauts travel

[from Latin capsula meaning little box]

captain captains

NOUN 1 the officer in charge of a ship or aeroplane

2 the leader of a sports team

caption captions

NOUN a title printed underneath a picture or a photograph

captive captives

NOUN someone who is locked up and kept prisoner

capture captures, capturing, captured

VERB If someone captures someone or something, they take them prisoner.

car cars

NOUN 1 a four-wheeled road vehicle with an engine and room to carry a few passengers

2 a railway carriage used for a particular purpose • the buffet car

caravan caravans

NOUN 1 a vehicle pulled by a car in which people live or spend their holidays

2 a group of people and animals travelling together, usually across a desert

carbohydrate carbohydrates

NOUN a substance that gives you energy. It is found in foods like sugar and bread.

carbon

NOUN a chemical found in coal, diamonds and graphite. All living things contain carbon.

carbon dioxide

NOUN the gas that human beings and other animals breathe out

carbon footprint carbon footprints

NOUN the amount of carbon monoxide produced by a person, company or country

card cards

NOUN 1 a piece of stiff paper or plastic with a message or information on it • birthday card • credit card

2 When you play cards, you play a game using special playing cards.

3 strong, stiff paper

cardboard

NOUN thick, stiff paper, which is stronger than card

cardigan cardigans

NOUN a knitted jacket that fastens up the front

care cares, caring, cared

VERB 1 If you care about something or someone, you are concerned about them and interested in them.

2 If you care for a person or an animal, you look after them.

NOUN 3 worry or trouble • She didn’t have a care in the world.

4 If you do something with care, you concentrate very hard on it so that you don’t make mistakes. • He wrote the telephone number down with great care.

PHRASE 5 If you take care of a person or an animal, you look after them. • Shakira said she would take care of the hamsters while we were on holiday.

career careers

NOUN Your career is the series of jobs you have in life, often in the same occupation. • a teaching career

careful

ADJECTIVE acting sensibly and with care

ANTONYM: careless

carefully ADVERB

careless

ADJECTIVE not paying attention to what you are doing

SYNONYMS: slapdash, sloppy

carelessly ADVERB carelessness NOUN

caretaker caretakers

NOUN a person who looks after a large building such as a school

cargo cargoes

NOUN goods carried on a ship or plane

Caribbean

Said “carib-ee-un” NOUN 1 short for the Caribbean Sea, which lies between the West Indies and South America

ADJECTIVE 2 to do with the Caribbean Sea or the islands in it • I love Caribbean food.

carnation carnations

NOUN a plant with thin leaves and scented white, pink or red flowers

carnival carnivals

NOUN a public festival with music, processions and dancing

carnivore carnivores

NOUN an animal that eats meat

carnivorous ADJECTIVE

carol carols

NOUN a religious song sung at Christmas time

carpenter carpenters

NOUN a person who makes and repairs wooden things

carpentry NOUN

carpet carpets

NOUN a thick floor covering usually made of material like wool

carriage carriages

NOUN 1 one of the separate sections of a passenger train

2 an old-fashioned vehicle for carrying passengers, usually pulled by horses

Carroll diagram Carroll diagrams

NOUN a way of sorting and displaying information in the form of a grid


carrot carrots

NOUN a long, thin, orange-coloured root vegetable

carry carries, carrying, carried

VERB 1 If you carry something, you hold it and take it somewhere.

2 When a vehicle carries people, they travel in it.

3 If people or animals carry a germ or a disease, they can pass it on to others.

4 If a sound carries it can be heard a long way off. • Their voices carried across the valley.

cart carts

NOUN a vehicle with wheels, used for carrying things and usually pulled by horses or cattle

carton cartons

NOUN a cardboard or plastic container

cartoon cartoons

NOUN 1 a humorous drawing in a newspaper, comic or magazine

2 a film in which all the characters and scenes are drawn

cartridge cartridges

NOUN 1 a tube containing a bullet and an explosive substance, used in guns

2 a small plastic container filled with ink that you put in a pen or a printer

cartwheel cartwheels

NOUN an acrobatic movement in which you lift both arms in the air then throw yourself sideways on to one hand, swinging your body around in a circle with your legs straight until you land on your feet again

carve carves, carving, carved

VERB If you carve something, you shape it or slice it with a knife.

cascade cascades, cascading, cascaded

NOUN 1 a small waterfall or group of waterfalls flowing down a rocky hillside

VERB 2 When water cascades, it flows very fast down a hillside or over rocks.

case cases

NOUN 1 a box for keeping or carrying things in

2 a particular situation or event • a bad case of measles

3 A crime that the police are investigating is called a case.

cash

NOUN money in notes and coins

cashier cashiers

NOUN the person who deals with money in a place such as a shop or a bank

casserole casseroles

NOUN 1 a stew made with meat, vegetables or fish that is baked in the oven

2 a dish with a lid, which is used for cooking

cast casts, casting, cast

NOUN 1 all the people who act in a play or film

2 an object made by pouring a liquid such as plaster into a container and leaving it to harden

VERB 3 If an object casts a shadow on to a place, it makes a shadow fall there.

castaway castaways

NOUN someone who has been shipwrecked but manages to survive on a lonely shore or an island

castle castles

NOUN a large building with walls or ditches round it to protect it from attack

[from Latin castellum meaning small fort]

casual

ADJECTIVE 1 happening by chance and without planning • I made a casual remark.

2 Casual clothes are suitable for informal occasions.

casualty casualties

NOUN a person killed or injured in an accident or a war • There were many casualties after the motorway crash.

cat cats

NOUN a small, furry mammal with whiskers, a tail and sharp claws, often kept as a pet

catalogue catalogues

NOUN a list of things, such as the goods you can buy from a company, the objects in a museum, or the books in a library • I ordered my trainers from a mail order catalogue.

catastrophe catastrophes

NOUN a terrible disaster

catastrophic ADJECTIVE

catch catches, catching, caught

VERB 1 If you catch an object that is moving through the air, you grasp it with your hands.

2 If you catch a person or animal, you capture them. • The police caught the thief.

3 If you catch a bus, train or plane, you get on it and travel somewhere.

4 If you catch a cold or a disease, you become ill with it.

NOUN 5 a hook that fastens or locks a door or window

catching

ADJECTIVE If a disease or illness is catching it spreads very quickly. • Measles is catching.

catchy catchier, catchiest

ADJECTIVE Something that is catchy, such as a tune, is pleasant and easy to remember.

category categories

NOUN a group of things that have something in common

caterpillar caterpillars

NOUN the larva of a butterfly or moth. Caterpillars look like small, coloured worms and feed on plants.

cathedral cathedrals

NOUN an important church with a bishop in charge of it • Canterbury Cathedral

Catholic Catholics

ADJECTIVE OR NOUN a Roman Catholic, or belonging to that religion

cattle

PLURAL NOUN cows and bulls kept by farmers

caught

VERB the past tense of catch

cauldron cauldrons

NOUN a large, round metal cooking pot, especially one that sits over a fire

[from Latin caldarium meaning hot bath]

cauliflower cauliflowers

NOUN a large, round, white vegetable surrounded by green leaves

cause causes, causing, caused

VERB 1 To cause something means to make it happen.

NOUN 2 The cause of something is the thing that makes it happen. • The cause of the explosion was a gas leak.

cautious

ADJECTIVE Someone who is cautious acts carefully in order to avoid danger or disappointment.

cavalry

NOUN The cavalry is the part of an army that fights on horseback or in armoured vehicles such as tanks.

cave caves, caving, caved

NOUN a large hole in the side of a cliff or under the ground

cave in

VERB If a roof caves in, it collapses inwards.

caveman or cavewoman cavemen or cavewomen

NOUN Cavemen and cavewomen were people who lived in caves in prehistoric times.

cavity cavities

NOUN a small hole in something solid • There were cavities in his back teeth.

CD

NOUN an abbreviation for compact disc

CD-ROM

NOUN a way of storing video, sound or text on a compact disc that can be played on a computer. CD-ROM is an abbreviation for compact disc read-only memory.

cease ceases, ceasing, ceased

VERB 1 If something ceases, it stops.

2 If you cease doing something, you stop doing it.

ceiling ceilings

NOUN the roof inside a room

celebrate celebrates, celebrating, celebrated

VERB If you celebrate something, you do something special and enjoyable because of it. • We felt like celebrating the end of exams.

celebration NOUN

celebrity celebrities

NOUN a famous person

celery

NOUN a vegetable with long, pale green stalks

cell cells

NOUN 1 In biology, a cell is the smallest part of an animal or plant that can exist by itself. Humans, animals and plants are made up of millions of cells.


2 a small room in a prison or police station where a prisoner is locked up

cellar cellars

NOUN a room underneath a building

cello cellos

Said “chel-oh” NOUN a large, stringed musical instrument that you play sitting down

cellist NOUN

Celsius

NOUN a scale for measuring temperature in which water freezes at 0 degrees (0 °C) and boils at 100 degrees (100 °C)

[named after Anders Celsius (1701–1744) who invented it]

cement

NOUN a grey powder that is mixed with sand and water to make concrete

cemetery cemeteries

NOUN an area of land where dead people are buried

census censuses

NOUN an official survey of the population of a country

cent cents

NOUN In some countries a cent is a unit of currency.

centenary centenaries

NOUN the hundredth anniversary of something

centigrade

NOUN another word for Celsius

centimetre centimetres

NOUN a unit of length (cm). One centimetre is equal to ten millimetres (mm).

centipede centipedes

NOUN a long, thin creature with many pairs of legs

[from Latin centum + pedes meaning a hundred feet]

central

ADJECTIVE 1 Something central is in the middle.

2 An idea that is central is the main idea.

central heating

NOUN a heating system in which water or air is heated and passed round a building through pipes and radiators

centre centres

NOUN 1 the middle of an object or area

2 a building where people go for activities, meetings, or help • We played badminton at the sports centre.

century centuries

NOUN a period of one hundred years

ceramic ceramics

Said “ser-ram-ic” NOUN 1 a hard material made by baking clay at very high temperatures

PLURAL NOUN 2 Ceramics is the art of making objects out of clay.

cereal cereals

NOUN 1 a food made from grain, often eaten with milk for breakfast

2 a plant that produces edible grain, such as wheat, oats, barley and rye

ceremony ceremonies

NOUN a formal event such as a wedding or prizegiving

certain

ADJECTIVE 1 If you are certain about something, you are sure it is true. • She is certain she wants to be a vet.

2 You use certain to refer to a particular person, place or thing. • I like certain animals, for example cats and dogs.

certainly

ADVERB without any doubt • “Will you be at the party?” “I certainly will.”

certificate certificates

NOUN an official piece of paper that proves that something took place • a birth certificate

chaffinch chaffinches

NOUN a small European bird with black and white wings

chain chains

NOUN 1 a number of metal rings linked together in a line

2 a number of things in a series or connected to each other • a chain of shops • a chain of events

chair chairs

NOUN a seat for one person to sit on, with a back and four legs

chalet chalets

NOUN a small wooden house with a sloping roof, especially found in mountain areas or holiday camps

chalk

NOUN a soft, white rock. Small sticks of chalk are used for writing or drawing on a blackboard.

chalky ADJECTIVE

challenge challenges, challenging, challenged

NOUN 1 something new and exciting that needs a lot of effort • Learning how to cook is a new challenge for me.

VERB 2 If someone challenges you, they suggest that you compete with them. • She challenged me to a game of table tennis.

challenging

ADJECTIVE If you find something challenging, you find it quite difficult.

chameleon chameleons

NOUN a lizard that is able to change the colour of its skin to match the colour of its surroundings

[from Greek khamai + leon meaning ground lion]

champagne champagnes

NOUN a sparkling white wine made in France

champion champions

NOUN a person who wins a competition

championship championships

NOUN a competition to find the best player or players of a particular sport

chance chances

NOUN 1 how possible or likely something is • I think we’ve got a good chance of winning.

2 an opportunity to do something • This is your chance to be a TV star!

3 a possibility that something dangerous or unpleasant may happen

PHRASE 4 Something that happens by chance happens unexpectedly, without being planned.

chancellor chancellors

NOUN the head of government in some European countries

Chancellor of the Exchequer

NOUN the government minister in charge of finance and taxes in Britain

change changes, changing, changed

NOUN 1 money you get back when you pay for something with more money than it costs

VERB 2 When something changes, or you change it, it becomes different. • The wind changed direction.

channel channels

NOUN 1 a wavelength on which television programmes are broadcast. It can also be the television station itself.

2 a passage for water or other liquid

3 The Channel, or the English Channel, is the stretch of sea between England and France.

chaos

NOUN a state of complete disorder • The demonstration ended in chaos.

chaotic ADJECTIVE

chapel chapels

NOUN 1 a section of a church or cathedral with its own altar

2 a type of small church

chapter chapters

NOUN one of the parts into which a book is divided

character characters

NOUN 1 all the qualities that make a person or a place special • She has a gentle character.

2 The characters in a film, play or book are the people in it.

characteristic characteristics

NOUN 1 a special quality about a person, place or thing

ADJECTIVE 2 typical of a place or person • Noise and traffic fumes are characteristic of cities.

charades

NOUN a party game where one team guesses what the other team is acting out

charcoal

NOUN burnt wood used as a fuel. Charcoal is also used for drawing.

charge charges, charging, charged

VERB 1 If someone charges you money, they ask you to pay for something you have bought or received.

2 rush forward • She charged into the room.

PHRASE 3 If you are in charge of someone or something, you are responsible for them. • I left him in charge of the shop while I went out.

chariot chariots

NOUN a two-wheeled open vehicle pulled by horses in ancient times

charity charities

NOUN 1 an organization that raises money to help people in need

2 money or other help given to people in need

charm charms, charming, charmed

NOUN 1 something you wear for good luck

2 the quality of being attractive and pleasant

VERB 3 If you charm someone, you use your charm to please them.

chart charts

NOUN a diagram or table showing information

chase chases, chasing, chased

VERB If you chase someone, you run after them or follow them in order to catch them or make them leave a place.

chat chats, chatting, chatted

NOUN 1 a friendly talk with someone

VERB 2 When people chat, they talk to each other in a friendly way about things that are not very important.

chatty ADJECTIVE

chatroom chatrooms

NOUN an internet site where users have discussions using e-mail

chatter chatters, chattering, chattered

VERB 1 When people chatter, they talk about unimportant things.

2 If your teeth chatter, they knock together and make a clicking noise because you are cold.

chauffeur chauffeurs

NOUN a person whose job is to drive another person’s car • He had a chauffeur to drive him everywhere.

cheap cheaper, cheapest

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is cheap costs very little money.

2 Cheap sometimes means of poor quality.

cheaply ADVERB

cheat cheats, cheating, cheated

VERB If someone cheats in a game or exam, they break the rules in order to do better.

check checks, checking, checked

VERB 1 If you check something, you examine it to make sure that everything is all right. • Check your work carefully when you finish.

NOUN 2 an inspection to make sure that everything is all right

3 Checks are different coloured squares that form a pattern.

checkout checkouts

NOUN the place in a supermarket where you pay for your goods

cheek cheeks

NOUN 1 Your cheeks are the sides of your face below your eyes.

2 speech or behaviour that is rude and disrespectful • Their grandparents won’t stand any cheek from them.

cheeky ADJECTIVE cheekily ADVERB

cheer cheers, cheering, cheered

VERB When people cheer, they shout loudly and happily. • We cheered our team when they won.

cheerful

ADJECTIVE A cheerful person is happy.

cheerfully ADVERB

cheese cheeses

NOUN a solid savoury food made from milk

cheetah cheetahs

NOUN a wild mammal like a large cat with black spots, mainly found in Africa

[from Sanskrit citra + kaya meaning speckled body]

chef chefs

NOUN a head cook in a restaurant or hotel

[from French chef meaning head]

chemical chemicals

NOUN 1 a substance made by the use of chemistry • Dangerous chemicals should be handled carefully.

ADJECTIVE 2 involved in chemistry or using chemicals • a chemical reaction

chemist chemists

NOUN a shop that sells medicines and cosmetics

chemistry

NOUN the scientific study of substances and the ways in which they change when they are combined

cheque cheques

NOUN a printed piece of paper that people can use to pay for things

cherry cherries

NOUN a small, juicy fruit with a red, yellow or black skin and a hard stone in the centre


chess

NOUN a game played on a board with 64 squares. Each player has 16 pieces.

chest chests

NOUN 1 the front part of your body between your shoulders and your waist

2 a large wooden box used for storing things

chestnut chestnuts

NOUN 1 a reddish-brown nut that grows inside a prickly, green outer covering

2 the tree that produces these nuts

ADJECTIVE 3 Something that is chestnut is reddish-brown in colour.

chew chews, chewing, chewed

VERB When you chew something, you use your teeth to break it up in your mouth before swallowing it.

chewing gum

NOUN a kind of sweet that you chew for a long time, but which you do not swallow

chick chicks

NOUN a young bird

chicken chickens

NOUN a bird kept on a farm for its eggs and meat; also the meat of this bird

chickenpox

NOUN an illness that causes a fever and blister-like spots to appear on the skin

chief chiefs

NOUN 1 the leader of a group or organization

ADJECTIVE 2 main or most important

chilblain chilblains

NOUN a sore, itchy swelling on a finger or toe, which causes discomfort in cold weather

child children

NOUN 1 a young person who is not yet an adult

SYNONYMS: kid, youngster

2 Someone’s child is their son or daughter.

childhood childhoods

NOUN Your childhood is the time when you are a child.

childish

ADJECTIVE If someone is childish, they are not acting in an adult way.

ANTONYM: adult

childishly ADVERB

childminder childminders

NOUN a person who is paid to look after children while their parents are at work

children

PLURAL NOUN the plural of child

chill chills, chilling, chilled

VERB 1 When you chill something, you make it cold. • Chill the orange juice before you drink it.

NOUN 2 a feverish cold

3 a feeling of cold • the chill of early morning

chilli chillies

NOUN the red or green seed pod of a type of pepper that has a very hot, spicy taste

chilly chillier, chilliest

ADJECTIVE 1 Chilly weather is rather cold.

2 If people behave in a chilly way, they are not very friendly.

chime chimes, chiming, chimed

VERB 1 When a bell chimes, it makes a clear ringing sound.

NOUN 2 Chimes are a set of bells or other objects that make ringing sounds.

chimney chimneys

NOUN a pipe above a fireplace or furnace through which smoke from the fire can escape

chimpanzee chimpanzees

NOUN a small ape with dark fur that lives in forests in Africa

chin chins

NOUN the part of your face below your mouth

china

NOUN plates, cups, saucers and other dishes that are made from fine clay

chink chinks

NOUN 1 a small, narrow opening • a chink in the fence

2 a small ringing sound, like glasses touching each other

chip chips, chipping, chipped

NOUN 1 Chips are thin strips of fried potato.

2 a tiny piece of silicon inside a computer, which is used to form electronic circuits • computer chips

VERB 3 If you chip an object, you break a small piece off it.

chirp chirps, chirping, chirped

VERB When a bird chirps, it makes a short, high-pitched sound.

chisel chisels, chiselling, chiselled

NOUN 1 a tool with a long metal blade and a sharp edge at the end. Chisels are used for cutting and shaping wood, stone or metal.


VERB 2 If you chisel wood, stone or metal, you cut or shape it using a chisel.

chlorine

NOUN a poisonous greenish-yellow gas with a strong, unpleasant smell. It is used to disinfect water and to make bleach.

chocolate chocolates

NOUN a sweet food made from cocoa beans

[from Aztec xococ + atl meaning bitter water]

choice choices

NOUN 1 a range of different things that are available to choose from

SYNONYMS: range, variety

2 something that you choose • You made a good choice when you bought this book.

choir choirs

NOUN a group of singers, for example in a church

choke chokes, choking, choked

VERB If you choke on something, it prevents you from breathing properly. • He choked on a fish bone.

cholesterol

NOUN a substance found in all animal fats, tissues and blood

choose chooses, choosing, chose, chosen

VERB If you choose something, you decide to have it or do it.

SYNONYMS: pick, select

chop chops, chopping, chopped

VERB 1 If you chop something, you cut it with quick, heavy strokes using an axe or a knife. • Mum chopped the logs for firewood.

NOUN 2 a small piece of pork or lamb that contains a bone • We had chops and broccoli for dinner.

choppy

ADJECTIVE When the sea or a stretch of water is choppy, there are a lot of waves on it because it is windy.

chopstick chopsticks

NOUN Chopsticks are a pair of thin sticks used for eating Chinese and Japanese food.

choral

Said “kor-al” ADJECTIVE for a choir

chord chords

NOUN a group of three or more musical notes played together

chore chores

NOUN an uninteresting job that has to be done

chorus choruses

NOUN 1 a part of a song that is repeated after each verse

2 a large group of singers

chose

VERB the past tense of choose

chosen

VERB 1 the past participle of choose

2 When you are chosen, you are picked to do something. • I was chosen for the volleyball team.

christen christens, christening, christened

VERB When a priest christens someone, they name them in a ceremony where water is poured over their head as a sign that they are a member of the Christian church.

christening NOUN

Christian Christians

NOUN a person who believes in Jesus Christ and his teachings

Christianity NOUN

Christmas Christmases

NOUN a Christian festival held on December 25th to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ

chrome

Said “krome” NOUN metal plated with chromium, a hard, silver-grey metal

chromosome chromosomes

Said “krome-uh-soam” NOUN the part of a cell in living things that contains the genes that determine what characteristics the animal or plant will have

chronic

ADJECTIVE lasting a very long time or never stopping • He suffers from chronic hay fever.

chronological

ADJECTIVE arranged in the order in which things happened • Tell me the whole story in chronological order.

chronologically ADVERB

chrysalis chrysalises

NOUN a butterfly or moth when it is developing from being a caterpillar to being a fully grown adult

chrysanthemum chrysanthemums

NOUN a plant with large, brightly-coloured flowers

chuckle chuckles, chuckling, chuckled

VERB When you chuckle, you laugh quietly.

chunk chunks

NOUN a thick piece of something

SYNONYMS: hunk, lump, piece

church churches

NOUN a building where Christians go for religious services and worship

churchyard churchyards

NOUN an area of land around a church, often used as a graveyard

churn churns, churning, churned

NOUN 1 a container used for making milk or cream into butter

VERB 2 When you churn something, you stir it vigorously, for example when making milk into butter.

churn out

VERB If you churn out something, you produce it quickly in large numbers. • They churned out hundreds of leaflets advertising the dance.

chutney

NOUN a strong-tasting, thick sauce made from fruit, vinegar and spices

cider

NOUN an alcoholic drink made from apples

cigar cigars

NOUN a roll of dried tobacco leaves, which people smoke

cigarette cigarettes

NOUN a thin tube of paper containing tobacco, which people smoke

cinder cinders

NOUN Cinders are small pieces of burnt material left after something such as wood or coal has burned.

cinema cinemas

NOUN a place where people go to watch films

circle circles, circling, circled

NOUN 1 a regular, two-dimensional round shape. Every point on the edge is the same distance from the centre.

VERB 2 to move around in a circle • Seagulls circled overhead.

circular ADJECTIVE

circuit circuits

NOUN 1 the path of an electric current

2 a racecourse

3 A training circuit is a course of physical activities.

circulation circulations

NOUN 1 the movement of blood around a body

2 the number of copies of a newspaper or magazine that are sold each time it is issued

circumference circumferences

NOUN 1 the outer line or edge of a circle

2 The length of this line is also called the circumference.


circumstance circumstances

NOUN The circumstances of a situation or event are the conditions that affect what happens. • He did well under difficult circumstances.

circus circuses

NOUN a travelling show performed in a large tent, with performers such as clowns and acrobats

cistern cisterns

NOUN a tank in which water is stored, such as in the roof of a house, or above a toilet

citizen citizens

NOUN The citizens of a country or city are the people who live in it or belong to it.

citrus fruit citrus fruits

NOUN Citrus fruits are juicy, sharp-tasting fruits such as oranges, lemons and grapefruit.

city cities

NOUN a large town where many people live and work

civil

ADJECTIVE 1 relating to the citizens of a place

2 Someone who is civil is polite.

civilian civilians

NOUN a person who is not in the armed forces

civilization civilizations; also spelt civilisation

NOUN 1 a large group of people with a high level of organization and culture • We’re learning about the ancient civilizations of Greece, Rome and Egypt.

2 a highly developed and organized way of life

civilized; also spelt civilised

ADJECTIVE 1 A civilized society is one with a highly developed social organization and a comfortable way of life.

2 A civilized person is polite and reasonable.

civil war civil wars

NOUN a war between groups of people who live in the same country

claim claims, claiming, claimed

VERB 1 If you claim that something is the case, you say that it is so.

2 If you claim something, you ask for it because you believe you have a right to it.

clamber clambers, clambering, clambered

VERB If you clamber somewhere, you climb there with difficulty. • We clambered over the rocks to get to the beach.

clammy clammier, clammiest

ADJECTIVE unpleasantly damp and sticky • The weather was very clammy.

clamp clamps, clamping, clamped

NOUN 1 a device that holds something firmly in place


VERB 2 When you clamp one thing to another, you fasten them together with a clamp.

clan clans

NOUN a group of families related to each other by being descended from the same ancestor

clang clangs, clanging, clanged

VERB When something made of metal clangs, or when you clang it, it makes a loud, ringing sound.

clank clanks, clanking, clanked

VERB When something clanks, it makes a loud, metallic sound.

clap claps, clapping, clapped

VERB 1 When you clap, you hit your hands together loudly to show that you have enjoyed something or that you approve of something.

NOUN 2 a sudden loud noise of thunder

clarify clarifies, clarifying, clarified

VERB If you clarify something, you make it clear and easier to understand.

clarification NOUN

clarinet clarinets

NOUN a woodwind instrument with a straight tube and a single reed in its mouthpiece

clarity

NOUN The clarity of something is its clearness. • The clarity of the water made me think it was very clean.

clash clashes, clashing, clashed

VERB 1 Colours or ideas that clash are so different that they do not go together. • Debbie’s red shirt clashed with her green shorts.

2 If one event clashes with another, they happen at the same time, so you cannot go to both.

3 If people clash with each other, they fight or argue.

clasp clasps, clasping, clasped

VERB 1 If you clasp something, you hold it tightly.

NOUN 2 a fastening such as a hook or a catch

class classes

NOUN 1 a group of pupils or students taught together, or a lesson that they have together

2 A class of people or things is a group of them of a particular type. • Beetles and ants belong to different classes of insect.

SYNONYMS: group, kind, type

classic

ADJECTIVE Something described as classic is considered a high quality example of something. • He has a classic car.

classical

ADJECTIVE 1 traditional in style and content • classical ballet

2 Classical music is serious music thought to be of lasting value.

classify classifies, classifying, classified

VERB to arrange things into groups with something in common • We classified the foods into three groups: fruits, vegetables and meats.

classification NOUN

classroom classrooms

NOUN a room in a school where lessons take place

clatter clatters, clattering, clattered

VERB 1 When things clatter, they hit each other with a loud, rattling noise.

NOUN 2 a loud noise made by hard things hitting against each other • There was a great clatter when the waitress dropped the tray.

clause clauses

NOUN In grammar, a clause is a group of words with a subject and a verb, which may be a complete sentence or part of a sentence.

claw claws, clawing, clawed

NOUN 1 An animal’s claws are the hard, curved nails at the end of its feet.

2 The claws of a crab or a lobster are the two jointed parts at the end of the leg, used for holding things.

VERB 3 3 If an animal claws something, it digs its claws into it

clay

NOUN a type of earth that is soft and sticky when wet and hard when baked dry. It is used to make pottery and bricks.

clean cleaner, cleanest; cleans, cleaning, cleaned

ADJECTIVE 1 free from dirt or unwanted marks

VERB 2 to remove dirt from something

clear clearer, clearest; clears, clearing, cleared

ADJECTIVE 1 easy to understand, see or hear • The instructions on the packet were very clear.

2 easy to see through • a clear liquid

VERB 3 To clear unwanted things from a place is to remove them. • We cleared the dirty dishes from the table.

4 If you clear a fence or other obstacle, you jump over it without touching it.

clearly ADVERB

clear up

VERB When you clear up a place, you tidy it and put things away.

clench clenches, clenching, clenched

VERB 1 When you clench your fist, you curl your fingers up tightly.

2 When you clench your teeth, you squeeze them together tightly, either in pain or in anger.

clerk clerks

NOUN a person who keeps records or accounts in an office, bank or law court

clever cleverer, cleverest

ADJECTIVE 1 intelligent and quick to understand things

SYNONYMS: bright, intelligent, smart

2 very effective or skilful • We came up with a clever plan.

cliché clichés

NOUN an idea or phrase that is no longer effective because it has been used so much. For example, in this day and age and over the moon.

click clicks, clicking, clicked

VERB 1 When something clicks or when you click it, it makes a short snapping sound.

NOUN 2 a sound of something clicking

client clients

NOUN someone who pays a professional person or company for a service

cliff cliffs

NOUN a high area of land with a very steep side, usually next to the sea

cliffhanger cliffhangers

NOUN a very exciting or frightening situation, usually in a television or radio serial, where you are left not knowing what is going to happen next

climate climates

NOUN the general weather conditions that are typical of a place

climax climaxes

NOUN the most exciting moment of something, usually near the end

climb climbs, climbing, climbed

VERB 1 If you climb something, such as a tree, mountain or ladder, you move towards the top of it.

2 If you climb somewhere, you move there with difficulty. • We climbed over the high wall.

NOUN 3 a movement upwards • I was tired after the long climb to the top of the hill.

climber NOUN

cling clings, clinging, clung

VERB If you cling to something, you hold on to it tightly.

clinic clinics

NOUN a place where people go for medical advice or treatment

clip clips, clipping, clipped

NOUN 1 a small metal or plastic object used for holding things together

2 a short piece of a film shown by itself

VERB 3 If you clip something, you cut bits from it to shape it.

clipboard clipboards

NOUN a stiff piece of board or plastic, with a clip at the top to keep papers in place

clippers

PLURAL NOUN a tool used for cutting • hedge clippers

cloak cloaks, cloaking, cloaked

NOUN 1 a wide, loose coat without sleeves

VERB 2 If something cloaks something else, it covers or hides it. • The mist cloaked the land.

cloakroom cloakrooms

NOUN 1 a room where you can leave coats and luggage for a while

2 a room with toilets and washbasins in a public building

clock clocks

NOUN an instrument that measures and shows the time

clockwise

ADVERB in the same direction as the hands on a clock


clockwork

NOUN 1 Toys that move by clockwork are wound up with a key.

PHRASE 2 If something goes like clockwork, it happens with no problems or delays.

clog clogs, clogging, clogged

VERB 1 When something is clogged, or when you clog something up, it becomes blocked and doesn’t work properly or doesn’t allow things to move freely. • The traffic was clogging the roads.

NOUN 2 a shoe made entirely of wood, originally from the Netherlands

clone clones

NOUN an animal or plant that is an identical copy of another animal or plant

close closes, closing, closed; closer, closest

Said “klohz” VERB 1 If you close something, you move it so that it is no longer open. • He closed the door behind him.

2 If a shop or other building closes at a certain time, it does not do business after that time.

Said “klohss” ADJECTIVE 3 Something that is close to something else is near to it.

SYNONYMS: near, nearby

4 People who are close are very friendly with each other and know each other well.

5 If the weather is close, it is uncomfortably warm and stuffy.

NOUN 6 a street that is closed at one end • We live in Park Close.

closely ADVERB

close-up close-ups

Said “klohss-up” NOUN A close-up in a film or a photograph is taken at very close range and shows things in great detail.

cloth cloths

NOUN 1 fabric made by a process such as weaving

2 a piece of material used for wiping or protecting things

clothes

PLURAL NOUN things people wear on their bodies

cloud clouds

NOUN 1 a mass of water vapour that is seen as a white or grey patch in the sky

2 A cloud of smoke or dust is a mass of it floating in the air.

cloudy cloudier, cloudiest

ADJECTIVE 1 full of clouds • The sky was cloudy.

SYNONYMS: dull, overcast

2 difficult to see through • a cloudy liquid

SYNONYM: murky

clover

NOUN a small plant with leaves made up of three similar parts

clown clowns

NOUN a circus performer who wears funny clothes and make-up and does silly things to make people laugh

club clubs

NOUN 1 a group of people with similar interests, who meet regularly. The place where they meet is also called a club. • a youth club

2 a team that competes in sports competitions

clue clues

NOUN something that helps solve a problem or mystery • Police have found clues to the robbery.

clueless

ADJECTIVE INFORMAL If you say that someone is clueless, you think they are stupid and not able to do things properly.

clump clumps

NOUN a small group of things growing or standing close together • a clump of trees

clumsy clumsier, clumsiest

ADJECTIVE moving awkwardly and carelessly

SYNONYMS: awkward, ungainly

clumsily ADVERB

clung

VERB the past tense and past participle of cling

cluster clusters, clustering, clustered

NOUN 1 a group of things together • There is a cluster of houses by the lake.

VERB 2 If people cluster together, they stay together in a close group.

[from Old English clyster meaning bunch of grapes]

clutch clutches, clutching, clutched

VERB If you clutch something, you hold it tightly or seize it.

clutter clutters, cluttering, cluttered

NOUN 1 an untidy mess

VERB 2 Things that clutter a place fill it and make it untidy.

coach coaches, coaching, coached

NOUN 1 a large bus that takes passengers on long journeys

2 a section of a train that carries passengers

VERB 3 If someone coaches you, they help you to get better at a sport or a subject.

SYNONYMS: instruct, train

NOUN 4 someone who coaches a person or sports team

coal

NOUN a hard, black rock taken from under the ground and burned as a fuel

coarse coarser, coarsest

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is coarse is rough in texture.

2 Someone who is coarse talks or behaves in a rude, offensive way.

coarsely ADVERB coarseness NOUN

coast coasts, coasting, coasted

NOUN 1 the edge of the land where it meets the sea

VERB 2 If a vehicle coasts somewhere, it moves there with the engine switched off. • The car coasted quietly down the hill.

coastal ADJECTIVE

coastguard coastguards

NOUN an official who watches the sea near a coast to get help for sailors when they need it

coat coats, coating, coated

NOUN 1 a piece of outdoor clothing with sleeves, which you wear over other clothes

2 An animal’s coat is the fur or hair on its body.

3 A coat of paint or varnish is a layer of it.

VERB 4 If you coat something, you cover it with a thin layer of something. • We coated the biscuits with chocolate.

coating coatings

NOUN a thin layer of something spread over a surface

coax coaxes, coaxing, coaxed

VERB If you coax someone to do something, you persuade them gently to do it.

cobble cobbles

NOUN Cobbles or cobblestones are stones with a rounded surface that were used in the past for making roads.

cobra cobras

NOUN a type of large poisonous snake from Africa and Asia

cobweb cobwebs

NOUN the very thin net that a spider spins to catch insects

cock cocks

NOUN an adult male chicken, or any other male bird

cockerel cockerels

NOUN a young cock

cockle cockles

NOUN a type of small, edible shellfish

Cockney Cockneys

NOUN someone who was born in the East End of London

cockpit cockpits

NOUN 1 the area in a plane where the pilot sits in control

2 the driver’s compartment in a racing car

cockroach cockroaches

NOUN a large, dark-coloured insect often found in dirty rooms

[from Spanish cucaracha]

cocky cockier, cockiest

ADJECTIVE INFORMAL If you are cocky, you are sure of yourself and sometimes rather cheeky.

cocoa

NOUN 1 a brown powder made from the seeds of a tropical tree and used for making chocolate

2 a hot drink made from this powder

coconut coconuts

NOUN a very large nut with white flesh, milky juice, and a hard hairy shell

cocoon cocoons

NOUN a silky covering over the larvae of moths and some other insects

cod

NOUN a large, edible fish

The plural of cod is cod.

code codes

NOUN 1 a system of replacing the letters or words in a message with other letters or words, so that nobody can understand the message unless they know the system • They wrote messages in code.

2 a group of numbers and letters used to identify something • the telephone code for Falmouth

coeducation

NOUN Coeducation is a system where girls and boys are taught together at the same school.

coeducational ADJECTIVE

coffee

NOUN 1 a powder made by roasting and grinding the beans of the coffee plant

2 a hot drink made from coffee

coffin coffins

NOUN a box in which a dead body is buried or cremated

cog cogs

NOUN a wheel with teeth, which turns another wheel or part of a machine

coil coils, coiling, coiled

NOUN 1 a length of rope or wire wound into a series of loops

2 A single loop is also called a coil.

VERB 3 If something coils, or if you coil it, it winds into a series of loops. • The snake coiled around the branch.

coin coins, coining, coined

NOUN 1 a small metal disc used as money

VERB 2 If you coin a word or a phrase, you invent it.

coinage

NOUN the coins that are used in a particular country

coincide coincides, coinciding, coincided

VERB When two things coincide, they happen at the same time. • Auntie’s visit coincided with my birthday.

coincidence coincidences

NOUN what happens when two or more things occur at the same time by chance

coke

NOUN a grey fuel produced from coal

cola colas

NOUN a sweet, brown fizzy drink, like Coca-Cola

colander colanders

NOUN a bowl-shaped container with holes in it, used for washing or draining food


cold colder, coldest; colds

ADJECTIVE 1 If something is cold, it has a very low temperature.

2 If the weather is cold, the air temperature is very low.

NOUN 3 a minor illness that makes you sneeze and cough, and sometimes gives you a sore throat

cold-blooded

ADJECTIVE 1 A cold-blooded animal has a body temperature that changes according to the surrounding temperature.

2 Someone who is cold-blooded does not show any pity.

cold-bloodedly ADVERB

coleslaw

NOUN a salad of chopped cabbage and other vegetables in mayonnaise

collaborate collaborates, collaborating, collaborated

VERB When people collaborate, they work together to produce something. • The two schools collaborated to produce a play.

collaboration NOUN collaborator NOUN

collage collages

NOUN a picture made by sticking pieces of paper or cloth on to a surface

collapse collapses, collapsing, collapsed

VERB 1 If something such as a building collapses, it falls down suddenly.

2 If a person collapses, they fall down suddenly because they are ill.

collapsible

ADJECTIVE A collapsible object can be folded flat when it is not in use. • collapsible chairs

collar collars

NOUN 1 the part around the neck of something, such as a coat or shirt

2 a leather band round the neck of a dog or cat

colleague colleagues

NOUN A person’s colleagues are the people they work with.

collect collects, collecting, collected

VERB 1 If you collect things, you gather them together for a special purpose or as a hobby.

2 If you collect someone or something from a place, you call there and take them away. • We collected Ali from school.

3 When things collect in a place, they gather there over a period of time. • Dust collects in corners.

collection collections

NOUN 1 a group of things you have gathered over a period of time • a stamp collection

2 the organized collecting of money, for example for charity, or the money collected

collective noun collective nouns

NOUN a noun that refers to a group of people or things. For example, a flock, a herd, and a shoal are all collective nouns.

college colleges

NOUN a place where students study after they have left school

collide collides, colliding, collided

VERB If a moving object collides with something, it hits it. • They collided with each other as they rushed through the door.

collision collisions

NOUN A collision is when a moving object hits something.

SYNONYM: crash

colon colons

NOUN 1 the punctuation mark (:). It is used to introduce a list, a quotation or an explanation of a statement. • We need to buy several things: bread, milk, fruit and toothpaste.

2 part of your intestine

colonel colonels

NOUN an army officer with a fairly high rank

colony colonies

NOUN 1 a country that is controlled by another country

2 a group of people or animals living together

colossal

ADJECTIVE very large indeed

[from Greek kolossos meaning huge statue]

colour colours

NOUN the appearance something has as a result of reflecting light • Red, blue and yellow are the primary colours.

colour blind

ADJECTIVE Someone who is colour blind is not able to see the difference between certain colours.

colourful

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is colourful has a lot of different colours or bright colours.

ANTONYMS: dull, colourless

2 A colourful story is very exciting and interesting.

ANTONYMS: dull, boring

colourless

ADJECTIVE 1 without colour

2 dull and uninteresting

colt colts

NOUN a young male horse

column columns

NOUN 1 a tall, solid, upright cylinder, especially one supporting part of a building

2 In a newspaper or magazine, a column is a vertical section of writing.

3 a group of people or vehicles moving in a long line

coma comas

NOUN a state of deep unconsciousness

comb combs, combing, combed

NOUN 1 a flat object with long, thin, pointed parts, which you use for tidying your hair

VERB 2 When you comb your hair, you tidy it with a comb.

combat combats, combating, combated

NOUN 1 fighting • In the Falklands War many soldiers had to take part in armed combat.

VERB 2 If someone combats something, they try to stop it happening. • We need new ways to combat crime.

combination combinations

NOUN 1 a mixture of things • Fatima won the competition through a combination of skill and determination.

2 a series of numbers or letters used to open a special lock

combine combines, combining, combined

VERB If you combine things, you mix them together. • Combine the butter and sugar, then add the eggs. • The book combines adventure and mystery.

combine harvester combine harvesters

NOUN a large machine used on farms to cut, sort and clean grain

combustion

NOUN the process of burning

come comes, coming, came

VERB 1 If you come to a place, you move or arrive there.

2 If something comes to a particular point, it reaches that point. • The water came up to her waist.

3 When a particular time comes, it happens. • Spring came early this year.

comedian comedians

NOUN an entertainer whose job is to make people laugh

comedy comedies

NOUN a play, film, or television programme that is intended to make people laugh

comet comets

NOUN an object that travels around the sun leaving a bright trail behind it

[from Greek kometes meaning long-haired]

comfort comforts, comforting, comforted

NOUN 1 the state of being pleasantly relaxed

2 a feeling of relief from worry or unhappiness • It’s a comfort to me to know that they are safe.

VERB 3 If you comfort someone, you make them less worried or unhappy.

comfortable

ADJECTIVE 1 If you are comfortable, you are at ease and relaxed.

2 Something that is comfortable makes you feel relaxed. • a comfortable chair

comfortably ADVERB

comic comics

NOUN 1 a magazine that contains stories told in pictures

ADJECTIVE 2 funny • a comic song

comma commas

NOUN the punctuation mark (,). It can show a short pause, or it can separate items in a list or words in speech marks from the rest of the sentence.

command commands, commanding, commanded

NOUN 1 an order to do something

VERB 2 If you command someone to do something, you order them to do it.

commemorate commemorates, commemorating, commemorated

VERB If you commemorate something, you do something special to show that you remember it. • On Remembrance Day we commemorate all the people who died in the two World Wars.

comment comments, commenting, commented

NOUN 1 a remark about something

VERB 2 If you comment on something, you make a remark about it.

commentary commentaries

NOUN a description of an event that is broadcast on radio or television while the event is happening • The commentary on the match was on the radio.

commentator commentators

NOUN someone who gives a radio or television commentary

commerce

NOUN the buying and selling of goods

commercial commercials

NOUN 1 an advertisement on television or radio

ADJECTIVE 2 Commercial activities involve producing large amounts of goods to sell and make money.

commit commits, committing, committed

VERB When someone commits a crime or sin, they do it. • The police know who committed the burglary.

committee committees

NOUN a group of people who make decisions on behalf of a larger group

common commoner, commonest; commons

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is common exists in large numbers or happens often.

NOUN 2 an area of grassy land where everyone can go

ADJECTIVE 3 If something is common to two or more people, they all have it or use it. • We had a common interest in butterflies.

PHRASE 4 If two things or people have something in common, they both have it. • Sarah and I have a lot in common.

common noun common nouns

NOUN Common nouns name things in general. They begin with lower-case letters: girl, boy, animal, picture.

See noun

common sense

NOUN knowing how to behave sensibly in any situation

Commonwealth

NOUN The Commonwealth is a group of countries that used to be ruled by Britain.

commotion

NOUN a lot of noise and excitement

communal

ADJECTIVE shared by a group of people • The shop had communal changing rooms.

communicate communicates, communicating, communicated

VERB When people communicate, they exchange information, usually by talking or writing to each other.

communication communications

NOUN 1 the act of exchanging information, usually by talking, writing or, in the case of animals, making sounds • the communication of ideas

PLURAL NOUN 2 Communications are electrical or radio systems that allow people to broadcast or communicate information.

communion

NOUN 1 a Christian religious service in which people share holy bread and wine

2 the sharing of thoughts and feelings

community communities

NOUN all the people living in a particular area

commuter commuters

NOUN a person who has to travel a long way to work every day

compact

ADJECTIVE Something that is compact takes up very little space, or no more space than is necessary.

compact disc compact discs

NOUN a music or video recording in the form of a small plastic disc

companion companions

NOUN someone you travel or spend time with

company companies

NOUN 1 a business that sells goods or provides a service

2 If you have company, you have a friend or visitor with you.

PHRASE 3 If you keep someone company, you spend time with them.

comparative comparatives

ADJECTIVE 1 You use comparative to show that something is true only when compared with something else.

NOUN 2 In grammar, the comparative is the form of an adjective or adverb that shows an increase in size, quality or amount. It is usually formed by adding -er to a word, for example, bigger, faster, or by putting more before the word, for example, more difficult.

compare compares, comparing, compared

VERB When you compare things, you see in what ways they are different or similar. • We compared our hair to see whose was longest.

comparison comparisons

NOUN When you make a comparison, you consider two things together and decide in what ways they are different or similar.

compartment compartments

NOUN 1 a section of a railway carriage

2 one of the separate sections of something such as a bag or a box

compass compasses

NOUN 1 an instrument with a magnetic needle that always points north. You use a compass to find your way.


PLURAL NOUN 2 Compasses are a hinged instrument for drawing circles.

compassion

NOUN pity and sympathy for someone who is suffering

compassionate ADJECTIVE

compass point compass points

NOUN one of the 32 marks on the dial of a compass that show direction • North, south, east and west are compass points.

compel compels, compelling, compelled

VERB 1 If you compel someone to do something, you force them to do it.

ADJECTIVE 2 A compelling story or event is extremely interesting.

3 A compelling argument or reason makes you believe that something is true.

compensate compensates, compensating, compensated

VERB 1 To compensate someone means to give them money to replace something that has been lost or damaged.

2 If one thing compensates for another, it cancels out the bad effects of it. • The trip to Disneyland compensated for her long illness.

compete competes, competing, competed

VERB 1 If you compete in a contest or game, you take part in it.

2 If you compete, you try to do better than others.

competent

ADJECTIVE Someone who is competent at something can do it satisfactorily. • He is a competent nurse.

competition competitions

NOUN an event in which people take part to find out who is the best at something

compile compiles, compiling, compiled

VERB When you compile information, you collect it and put it together.

complain complains, complaining, complained

VERB 1 If you complain, you say that you are not happy about something. • The neighbours complained about the noise.

2 If you complain of pain or illness, you say that you have it.

complaint NOUN

complement complements, complementing, complemented

VERB 1 If one thing complements another, the two things go well together. • Her piano music complements the poem.

NOUN 2 In grammar, a complement is a word or phrase that gives information about the subject or object of a sentence. For example, in the sentence Rover is a dog, is a dog is the complement.

Do not confuse complement with compliment.

complete completes, completing, completed

VERB 1 If you complete something, you finish it. • She has just completed her third short story.

ADJECTIVE 2 If something is complete, none of it is missing.

completely

ADVERB totally

SYNONYM: utterly

complex complexes

ADJECTIVE 1 Complex things have many different parts and are hard to understand.

NOUN 2 a group of buildings used for a particular purpose, such a sports complex

complexion complexions

NOUN the quality of the skin on your face

complicated

ADJECTIVE Something that is complicated is hard to understand.

complication complications

NOUN something that makes a situation more difficult to deal with

compliment compliments

NOUN If you pay someone a compliment, you tell them you admire or like something about them.

Do not confuse compliment with complement.

component components

NOUN The components of something are the parts it is made of.

compose composes, composing, composed

VERB 1 If you compose a piece of music, a letter, or a speech, you write it.

2 If something is composed of particular things or people, it is made up of them.

composer composers

NOUN someone who writes music

composition compositions

NOUN 1 a piece of music or writing

2 the things that something is made up of

compost

NOUN a mixture of rotted plants and manure that gardeners add to the soil to help plants grow

compound word compound words

NOUN a word with a single meaning, but made up of two or more words. For example, gingerbread, housework and teapot are all compound words.

comprehend comprehends, comprehending, comprehended

VERB If you comprehend something, you understand it.

comprehensive comprehensives

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is comprehensive includes everything that you need to know.

NOUN 2 a school where children of all abilities are taught together

comprehensively ADVERB

compress compresses, compressing, compressed

VERB If you compress something, you squeeze it or shorten it. • She compressed her story into one page.

compromise compromises, compromising, compromised

NOUN 1 an agreement in which people accept less than they really wanted

VERB 2 When people compromise, they settle for less than they really wanted.

compulsory

ADJECTIVE If something is compulsory, you have to do it.

computer computers

NOUN an electronic machine that stores information and makes calculations

computerize computerizes, computerizing, computerized; also spelt computerise

VERB When a system or process is computerized, such as train timetables or bank accounts, the work is done by computers.

comrade comrades

NOUN a companion, especially in battle

con cons, conning, conned

VERB 1 If someone cons you, or you are conned, you are tricked into doing something. • He conned me into buying the tickets.

NOUN 2 a trick that makes you believe or do something that you would not normally believe or do

concave

ADJECTIVE A concave surface curves inwards, rather than being level or bulging outwards.

ANTONYM: convex


conceal conceals, concealing, concealed

VERB If you conceal something, you hide it.

conceited

ADJECTIVE Someone who is conceited is too proud of their appearance or abilities.

SYNONYMS: bigheaded, self-important

conceive conceives, conceiving, conceived

VERB 1 If you can’t conceive of something, you can’t imagine it or believe it. • He couldn’t conceive of anything more fun than surfing.

2 If you conceive something such as a plan, you think of it and work out how it could be done. • Alex conceived the idea while eating his lunch.

3 When a woman conceives, she becomes pregnant.

concentrate concentrates, concentrating, concentrated

VERB 1 If you concentrate on something, you give it all your attention. • I need to concentrate on my homework.

2 When something is concentrated in one place, it is all there rather than in several places. • The shops were concentrated in the town centre.

concentrated

ADJECTIVE A concentrated liquid has been made stronger by having water removed from it. • concentrated orange juice

concentration concentrations

NOUN 1 the ability to give your full attention to something you do or hear

2 A concentration of something is a large amount of it in one place.

concept concepts

NOUN an abstract or general idea

conception conceptions

NOUN the idea you have of something

concern concerns, concerning, concerned

NOUN 1 worry about something or someone

2 If something is your concern, it is your duty or responsibility.

VERB 3 If something concerns you or if you are concerned about it, it worries you.

concerned ADJECTIVE

concerning

PREPOSITION You use concerning to show what something is about. • an article concerning fox hunting

concert concerts

NOUN a public performance by musicians

concession concessions

NOUN If you make a concession, you agree to let someone have or do something.

concise

ADJECTIVE giving all the necessary information using as few words as possible • a concise explanation

SYNONYMS: brief, short

concisely ADVERB

conclude concludes, concluding, concluded

VERB 1 If you conclude something, you examine the facts and decide what your opinion is. • We concluded that the letter was a fake.

2 When you conclude something, you finish it.

conclusion conclusions

NOUN 1 the end of something

2 a final decision about something • We wanted to go for a swim in the sea, but we came to the conclusion that it was too cold.

concrete

NOUN 1 a building material made by mixing cement, sand and water

ADJECTIVE 2 real and physical, rather than abstract • He had no concrete evidence.

concussion

NOUN damage to the brain caused by a blow or a fall, which causes confusion, sickness or unconsciousness

concussed ADJECTIVE

condemn condemns, condemning, condemned

VERB 1 If you condemn something, you say it is bad and unacceptable.

2 If someone is condemned to a punishment, they are given it. • The burglar was condemned to five years in prison.

condensation

NOUN a coating of tiny drops of liquid formed on a cold surface by steam or vapour

condense condenses, condensing, condensed

VERB 1 If you condense a piece of writing or a speech, you shorten it.

2 When a gas or vapour condenses, it changes into a liquid.

condition conditions

NOUN 1 the state someone or something is in • The antique clock was still in good condition.

2 something that must happen in order for something else to be possible • I can go swimming on Saturday on the condition that I do my homework first.

conduct conducts, conducting, conducted

Said “kon-duct” NOUN 1 behaviour

Said “kon-duct” VERB 2 When you conduct an activity, you carry it out.

3 When someone conducts an orchestra, a band or a choir, they direct it in a piece of music.

4 If something conducts heat or electricity, heat or electricity can pass along it. • Copper conducts electricity well.

conductor conductors

NOUN 1 someone who conducts an orchestra or choir

2 someone who moves round a bus or train selling and checking tickets

3 a substance that conducts heat or electricity

cone cones

NOUN 1 a regular three-dimensional shape with a circular base and a point at the top


2 the fruit of a fir or pine tree

conference conferences

NOUN a meeting at which formal discussions take place

confess confesses, confessing, confessed

VERB If you confess to something, you admit that you did it.

confession confessions

NOUN 1 If you make a confession, you admit that you have done something wrong.

SYNONYM: admission

2 the act of confessing something, especially as a religious act, where people confess their sins to a priest

confetti

NOUN small pieces of coloured paper thrown over the bride and groom at a wedding

[from Italian confetto meaning a sweet]

confide confides, confiding, confided

VERB If you confide in or to someone, you tell them a secret.

confidence

NOUN 1 If you have confidence in someone, you feel you can trust them.

2 Someone who has confidence is sure of their own abilities or qualities.

confident

ADJECTIVE 1 If you are confident about something, you are sure it will happen the way you want it to.

2 Someone who is confident is very sure of themselves and their own abilities.

confidently ADVERB

confidential

ADJECTIVE Confidential information is meant to be kept secret.

confine confines, confining, confined

VERB 1 If someone confines you to a place, you can’t leave it. • The doctor confined Debbie to bed for two weeks as she had pneumonia.

2 If you confine yourself to doing something, you do only that thing. • On their trip abroad, they confined themselves to drinking bottled water.

confirm confirms, confirming, confirmed

VERB 1 If you confirm something, you say or show that it is true. • The teacher confirmed that we had all passed our spelling test.

2 If you confirm an arrangement or appointment, you say it is definite. • Dad confirmed our holiday booking.

confiscate confiscates, confiscating, confiscated

VERB If someone confiscates something, they take it away from someone as a punishment.

[from Latin confiscare meaning to seize for the public treasury]

confiscation NOUN

conflict conflicts, conflicting, conflicted

NOUN 1 disagreement and argument

2 a war or battle

VERB 3 When two ideas or interests conflict, they are different and it seems impossible for them both to be true.

conform conforms, conforming, conformed

VERB 1 If you conform, you behave the way people expect you to.

2 If something conforms to a law or to someone’s wishes, it does what is required or wanted.

conformist NOUN OR ADJECTIVE

confront confronts, confronting, confronted

VERB 1 If you are confronted with a problem or task, you have to deal with it.

2 If you confront someone, you meet them face to face, especially when you are going to fight or argue with them.

confrontation confrontations

NOUN a serious dispute between two people or groups of people who come face to face

confuse confuses, confusing, confused

VERB 1 If you confuse two people or things, you mix them up and are not sure which is which.

2 If you confuse someone, you make them uncertain about what is happening or what to do.

confusion NOUN

congested

ADJECTIVE 1 When a road is congested, it is so full of traffic that normal movement is impossible.

2 If your nose is congested, it is blocked and you cannot breathe properly.

congestion NOUN

congratulate congratulates, congratulating, congratulated

VERB If you congratulate someone, you say that you’re pleased about something good that has happened to them, or praise them for something they have done. • He congratulated us on winning the competition.

congratulations NOUN

congregation congregations

NOUN the people attending a service in a church

congruent

ADJECTIVE In mathematics, things that are congruent are exactly the same size and shape, and would fit exactly on top of each other. • congruent triangles


conifer conifers

NOUN any type of evergreen tree that produces cones

coniferous ADJECTIVE

conjunction conjunctions

NOUN In grammar, a conjunction is a word that links two other words or two clauses, such as and, but, or, while and that. For example: “I love bacon and eggs.” “I’m happy, but my brother is not”.

conjurer conjurers

NOUN someone who entertains people by doing magic tricks

conker conkers

NOUN a brown nut from a horse chestnut tree

connect connects, connecting, connected

VERB 1 If you connect two things, you join them together.

2 If one thing or person is connected with another, there is a link between them.

connection connections

NOUN 1 the point where two things are joined together

2 If you make a connection at a station or airport, you continue your journey by catching another train, bus or plane. • Our train was late, so we missed our connection.

connective connectives

NOUN a word that connects phrases, clauses or words together

See conjunction

conquer conquers, conquering, conquered

VERB 1 If you conquer something difficult or dangerous, you succeed in controlling it. • She conquered her fear of spiders.

2 to take control of a country by force

conqueror NOUN

conscience

NOUN the part of your mind that tells you what is right or wrong

conscientious

ADJECTIVE Someone who is conscientious takes great care over their work.

conscientiously ADVERB

conscious

ADJECTIVE 1 Someone who is conscious is awake, rather than asleep or unconscious.

2 If you are conscious of something, you are aware of it.

3 A conscious action or effort is done deliberately.

consecutive

ADJECTIVE 1 Consecutive events or periods of time happen one after the other. • We had eight consecutive days of rain.

2 Consecutive numbers follow each other in order. For example, 1, 2, 3, 4 are consecutive numbers.

consecutively ADVERB

consent consents, consenting, consented

NOUN 1 permission to do something

2 agreement between two or more people • By common consent we went to France for the holiday.

VERB 3 If you consent to something, you agree to do it or allow it to happen.

consequence consequences

NOUN result or effect

conservation

NOUN the preservation of the environment

conservationist NOUN OR ADJECTIVE

conservative conservatives

NOUN 1 a member or supporter of the Conservative Party in Britain

ADJECTIVE 2 Someone who is conservative does not like change or new ideas.

3 A conservative estimate or guess is a cautious or moderate one.

conservatory conservatories

NOUN a room with glass walls and a glass roof in which plants are kept

conserve conserves, conserving, conserved

VERB 1 If you conserve a supply of something, you make it last as long as possible. • I switched off my torch to conserve the battery.

2 If you conserve something, you keep it as it is and do not change it. • We should conserve this old building.

consider considers, considering, considered

VERB If you consider something, you think about it carefully.

considerable

ADJECTIVE A considerable amount of something is a lot of it.

considerate

ADJECTIVE Someone who is considerate thinks of other people’s needs and feelings.

consideration considerations

NOUN 1 careful thought about something

2 something that should be thought about when you are planning or deciding something

3 Someone who shows consideration pays attention to the needs and feelings of other people.

consist consists, consisting, consisted

VERB Something that consists of certain things is made up of them. • This bread consists of flour, yeast and water.

consistent

ADJECTIVE Something that is consistent does not change.

console consoles, consoling, consoled

Said “kon-sole” VERB 1 If you console someone who is unhappy, you comfort them and cheer them up.

Said “kon-sole” NOUN 2 a panel with switches or knobs for operating a machine

consonant consonants

NOUN all the letters of the alphabet that are not vowels

conspicuous

ADJECTIVE If something is conspicuous, you can see or notice it very easily.

conspiracy conspiracies

NOUN an illegal plan made in secret by a group of people

constable constables

NOUN a police officer of the lowest rank

constant

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is constant happens all the time or is always there. • We could hear the constant sound of the waves pounding the shore.

2 If an amount or level is constant, it stays the same.

constellation constellations

NOUN a group of stars

constipated

ADJECTIVE Someone who is constipated finds it difficult to empty their bowels.

[from Latin constipare meaning to press together]

constipation NOUN

constitution constitutions

NOUN 1 The constitution of a country is the system of laws and principles by which it is governed.

2 Your constitution is your health.

construct constructs, constructing, constructed

VERB If you construct something, you build or make it.

construction constructions

NOUN 1 the process of building or making something

2 something built or made

constructive

ADJECTIVE helpful • The tennis coach made some constructive comments about my backhand.

consult consults, consulting, consulted

VERB 1 If you consult someone, you ask for their opinion or advice.

2 If you consult a book or map, you look at it for information.

consultation NOUN

consultant consultants

NOUN an experienced doctor who specializes in one type of medicine • a consultant heart surgeon

consume consumes, consuming, consumed

VERB 1 If you consume something, you eat or drink it.

2 To consume fuel or energy is to use it up.

consumer consumers

NOUN someone who buys things or uses services • magazines aimed at teenage consumers

consumption

NOUN The consumption of fuel or food is the using of it, or the amount used. • The consumption of ice cream rises in hot weather.

contact contacts, contacting, contacted

NOUN 1 If you are in contact with someone, you talk or write to them regularly. • I am in contact with a pen pal in France.

2 When things are in contact, they are touching each other.

VERB 3 If you contact someone, you telephone them or write to them.

contact lens contact lenses

NOUN small plastic lenses that you put in your eyes instead of wearing glasses, to help you see better

contagious

ADJECTIVE A contagious disease can be caught by touching people or things infected with it. • Measles is contagious.

contain contains, containing, contained

VERB 1 If a substance contains something, that thing is a part of it.

2 The things a box or room contains are the things inside it.

container containers

NOUN something that you keep things in, such as a box or a jar

contaminate contaminates, contaminating, contaminated

VERB If dirt, chemicals or radiation contaminate something, they make it impure and harmful.

contamination NOUN

contemplate contemplates, contemplating, contemplated

VERB 1 If you contemplate, you think very carefully about something. • She contemplated what she would do at the weekend.

2 If you contemplate something, you look at it for a long time.

contemporary

ADJECTIVE 1 produced or happening now

2 A contemporary work is one that was written at the time of the events it describes.

contempt

NOUN If you treat someone with contempt, you show no respect for them at all.

content

Said “kon-tent” ADJECTIVE 1 If you are content, you are happy and satisfied with your life.

2 If you are content to do something, you are willing to do it.

contents

Said “kon-tents” PLURAL NOUN 1 The contents of something like a box or a cake are the things in it.

2 The contents page of a book tells you what is in it.

contest contests

NOUN a competition or game

contestant contestants

NOUN someone who takes part in a competition

SYNONYMS: competitor, player

context contexts

NOUN The context of a word or sentence is the words or sentences that come before and after it, which help to make the meaning clear.

continent continents

NOUN 1 a very large area of land, such as Africa or Asia

2 In Britain, the mainland of Europe is sometimes called the Continent. [from Latin terra continens meaning continuous land]

continental

ADJECTIVE In Britain, continental means on, belonging to or typical of the mainland of Europe. • continental breakfast

continual

ADJECTIVE happening again and again • Mum had a continual stream of phone calls.

continue continues, continuing, continued

VERB 1 If you continue to do something, you keep doing it.

2 If something continues, it does not stop.

3 You say something continues when it starts again after stopping. • She paused for a moment, then continued.

continuous

ADJECTIVE happening all the time without stopping • The television made a continuous buzzing noise.

contour contours

NOUN 1 The contour of something is its general shape or outline.

2 On a map, a contour is a line joining points of equal height.


contract contracts, contracting, contracted

Said “con-trakt” NOUN 1 a legal agreement about the sale of something or work done for money • He was given a two-year contract.

Said “con-trakt” VERB 2 When something contracts, it gets smaller or shorter. • Metals contract with cold and expand with heat.

ANTONYM: expand

contraction contractions

NOUN a shortened form of a word or words, often marked by an apostrophe • “I’ve” is a contraction of “I have”.

contradict contradicts, contradicting, contradicted

VERB If you contradict someone, you say that what they have just said is wrong.

contradiction NOUN

contrary

ADJECTIVE 1 Contrary ideas, opinions or attitudes are completely different from each other.

PHRASE 2 On the contrary is used to contradict something that has just been said.

contrast contrasts, contrasting, contrasted

Said “con-trast” NOUN 1 a great difference between things • the contrast between town and country

Said “con-trast” VERB 2 If you contrast things, you describe or emphasize the differences between them.

contribute contributes, contributing, contributed

VERB 1 If you contribute to something, you do something to make it successful. • Everyone contributed to the class project.

2 If you contribute money to something, you help to pay for it. • We contributed some money to the appeal for the homeless.

SYNONYMS: donate, give

contribution NOUN

control controls, controlling, controlled

NOUN 1 If you have control over something, you are able to make it work the way you want it to.

2 The controls on a machine are the knobs or other devices used to work it.

VERB 3 If someone controls a country or an organization, they make the decisions about how it is run.

4 If someone controls something such as a machine, they make it work the way they want it to.

PHRASE 5 If something is out of control, nobody has any power over it. • The fire was out of control.

controversial

ADJECTIVE Something that is controversial causes a lot of discussion and argument, because many people disapprove of it. • The film was controversial.

convalescent convalescents

NOUN someone who is resting while recovering from an illness

convenient

ADJECTIVE If something is convenient, it is easy to use or it makes something easy to do. • It’s convenient living close to the bus stop.

convenience NOUN

convent convents

NOUN 1 a building where nuns live

2 a school run by nuns

conventional

ADJECTIVE Someone who is conventional thinks or behaves in an ordinary and accepted way.

converge converges, converging, converged

VERB When things meet or join at a particular place, they converge. • The roads converge after three kilometres.

convergence NOUN

conversation conversations

NOUN When people have a conversation, they talk to each other.

convert converts, converting, converted

VERB 1 If you convert something, it changes from one thing to another. • Dad converted the loft into a workshop.

2 If someone converts you, they persuade you to change your religious or political beliefs.

3 In mathematics, convert means to change a number from one form to another. These are equal to each other. For example, you can convert a fraction to a decimal (½ = 0.5).

convex

ADJECTIVE A convex surface bulges outwards, rather than being level or curving inwards.

See concave

ANTONYM: concave

convey conveys, conveying, conveyed

VERB 1 If someone conveys people or things to a place, they take them there.

2 If you convey information, ideas or feelings, you tell people about them.

conveyor belt conveyor belts

NOUN a moving strip used in factories for moving objects along

convict convicts, convicting, convicted

Said “kon-vikt” VERB 1 If a law court convicts someone of a crime, it says they are guilty of it.

Said “kon-vikt” NOUN 2 someone serving a prison sentence

convince convinces, convincing, convinced

VERB If you convince someone of something, you persuade them to do it or that it is true. • I convinced mum and dad to let me go on the school trip.

convoy convoys

NOUN a group of ships or vehicles travelling together

cook cooks, cooking, cooked

VERB 1 When you cook, you prepare food for eating by boiling, baking or frying it.

NOUN 2 a person whose job is to prepare food

cooker cookers

NOUN an apparatus for cooking food

cookery

NOUN the art of preparing and cooking food

cookie cookies

NOUN 1 a sweet biscuit • a chocolate cookie

2 a small file placed on a user’s computer by a website • This website uses cookies.

cool cooler, coolest; cools, cooling, cooled

ADJECTIVE 1 Something cool has a low temperature but is not cold.

2 If you are cool in a difficult situation, you stay calm.

VERB 3 When something cools, it becomes less warm.

cooperate cooperates, cooperating, cooperated

VERB 1 When people cooperate, they work or act together.

2 If you cooperate, you do what someone asks you to do.

cooperative cooperatives

ADJECTIVE 1 A cooperative person does what they are asked to do willingly and cheerfully.

NOUN 2 a business or organization run by the people who work for it, and who share its profits

coordinates

PLURAL NOUN a pair of numbers or letters that tell you exactly where a point is on a grid, map or graph

cop cops

NOUN INFORMAL a policeman

cope copes, coping, coped

VERB If you cope, you are able to do something even if the circumstances are difficult. • I managed to cope with my homework and with looking after my little brother at the same time.

copper

NOUN a soft, reddish-brown metal

copy copies, copying, copied

NOUN 1 something made to look like something else • a copy of a famous painting

2 A copy of a book, newspaper or record is one of many identical ones produced at the same time. • a copy of today’s newspaper

VERB 3 If you copy what someone does, you do the same thing.

4 If you copy something, you make a copy of it.

copyright copyrights

NOUN If someone has the copyright on a piece of writing or music, it cannot be copied or performed without their permission.

coral corals

NOUN a hard substance that forms in the sea from the skeletons of tiny animals called corals


cord cords

NOUN 1 strong, thick string

2 electrical wire covered in rubber or plastic

corduroy

NOUN heavy, ribbed cloth made of cotton

core cores

NOUN the most central part of an object or place • an apple core • the earth’s core

cork corks

NOUN 1 a soft, light substance that forms the bark of a Mediterranean tree

2 a piece of cork pushed into the end of a bottle to close it

corkscrew corkscrews

NOUN a device for pulling corks out of bottles

corn

NOUN 1 crops such as wheat and barley

2 the seeds of these crops

corner corners, cornering, cornered

NOUN 1 the point where two sides or edges of something meet • The TV was in the corner of the room.

See vertex

VERB 2 If someone corners a person or animal, they get them into a place they can’t escape from. • The police cornered the thief.

cornet cornets

NOUN a small, brass instrument used in brass and military bands

coronation coronations

NOUN the ceremony at which a king or queen is crowned

coroner coroners

NOUN an official who investigates the deaths of people who have died in a violent or unusual way

corporal corporals

NOUN an officer of low rank in the army or air force

corporal punishment

NOUN punishing of people by beating them

corps

Said “kor” NOUN part of an army with special duties • the Medical Corps

corpse corpses

NOUN a dead body

correct corrects, correcting, corrected

ADJECTIVE 1 If something is correct, there are no mistakes in it.

VERB 2 If you correct something that is wrong, you make it right. • She corrected my maths homework.

correction NOUN

correspond corresponds, corresponding, corresponded

VERB 1 If one thing corresponds with another, it is similar to it or it matches it in some way.

2 If numbers or amounts correspond, they are the same.

3 When people correspond, they write to each other.

correspondence

NOUN 1 letters or the writing of letters

2 If there is a correspondence between two things, there is a similarity between them.

correspondent correspondents

NOUN a newspaper, radio or television reporter

corridor corridors

NOUN a passage in a building or train

[from Old Italian corridore meaning place for running]

corrode corrodes, corroding, corroded

VERB When something corrodes, it is eaten away. When iron and steel are corroded, rust is formed.

corrosion NOUN corrosive ADJECTIVE

corrugated

ADJECTIVE Corrugated metal or cardboard has parallel folds to make it stronger.

corrupt corrupts, corrupting, corrupted

ADJECTIVE 1 People who are corrupt act dishonestly or illegally in return for money or power.

SYNONYM: dishonest

VERB 2 If you corrupt someone, you make them dishonest.

3 If a bug in a computer spoils files, it corrupts them.

corruption NOUN

cosmetics

PLURAL NOUN lipstick, face powder and other make-up

cosmic

ADJECTIVE belonging to or relating to the whole universe

cosmos

NOUN the universe

cost costs, costing, cost

NOUN 1 the amount of money needed to buy, do or make something

VERB 2 You use cost to talk about the amount of money you have to pay for things. • You can’t have that – it costs too much.

costume costumes

NOUN 1 a set of clothes worn by an actor

2 the clothing worn in a particular place or during a particular period

cosy cosier, cosiest

ADJECTIVE warm and comfortable

cot cots

NOUN a small bed for a baby, with bars or panels round it to stop the baby falling out

cottage cottages

NOUN a small house, especially in the country

cotton

NOUN 1 cloth made from the soft fibres of the cotton plant • a cotton shirt

2 thread used for sewing • a needle and cotton

couch couches

NOUN a long, soft piece of furniture for sitting or lying on

cough coughs, coughing, coughed

VERB When you cough, you force air out of your throat with a sudden harsh noise.

could

VERB 1 the past tense of can

2 You use could to say that something might happen or might be true. • It could rain later.

3 You use could when you are asking for something politely. • Could you tell me the way to the station, please?

couldn’t

VERB a contraction of could not

council councils

NOUN a group of people elected to look after something, especially the affairs of a town, district or county

counsel counsels, counselling, counselled

NOUN 1 advice

VERB 2 If someone counsels people, they give them advice about their problems.

count counts, counting, counted

VERB 1 When you count, you say all the numbers in order up to a particular number.

2 If you count, or count up, all the things in a group, you add them up to see how many there are.

3 If you can count on someone or something, you can rely on them. • You can count on me to help.

PHRASE 4 If you keep count of something, you keep a record of how often it happens. • Who’s keeping count of the score?

5 If you lose count of something, you cannot remember how often it has happened.

counter counters

NOUN 1 a long, flat surface in a shop, over which goods are sold

2 a small, flat, round object used in board games

counterfeit counterfeits, counterfeiting, counterfeited

Said “kown-ter-fit” ADJECTIVE 1 Counterfeit things are not genuine, but have been made to look genuine in order to deceive people. • counterfeit money

VERB 2 If someone counterfeits something, they make an exact copy of it in order to trick people.

countless

ADJECTIVE too many to count

country countries

NOUN 1 one of the political areas the world is divided into

2 land away from towns and cities • It is peaceful living in the country.

countryside

NOUN land away from towns and cities

county counties

NOUN a region with its own local government • The county of Lincolnshire is in the east of England.

couple couples

NOUN 1 two people who are married or having a romantic relationship

2 A couple of things or people means two of them, or not very many.

couplet couplets

NOUN two lines of poetry together that usually rhyme

coupon coupons

NOUN 1 a piece of printed paper that entitles you to pay less than usual for something

2 a form you fill in to ask for information or to enter a competition

courage

NOUN the quality shown by people who do things that they know are dangerous or difficult • She showed great courage in her efforts to save them from the burning house.

courageous ADJECTIVE

courageously ADVERB

courgette courgettes

NOUN a vegetable that looks like a small green marrow

courier couriers

NOUN 1 someone employed by a travel company to look after people on holiday

2 someone employed to deliver letters and parcels quickly

course courses

NOUN 1 a series of lessons or lectures

2 a piece of land where races take place or golf is played

3 the route something such as a ship or a river takes • The captain changed course to avoid the storm.

4 one of the parts of a meal • The first course was soup.

PHRASE 5 If you say of course, you are showing that you are absolutely sure about something. • Of course she wouldn’t do a thing like that.

court courts

NOUN 1 a place where legal matters are decided by a judge and jury or a magistrate. The judge and jury or magistrate can also be referred to as the court. • He is due to appear in court next week. • The court awarded him ten thousand pounds in compensation.

2 a place where a game such as tennis or badminton is played

3 the place where a king or queen lives and works

courteous

ADJECTIVE Courteous behaviour is polite and considerate.

courteously ADVERB

courtyard courtyards

NOUN a flat area of ground surrounded by buildings or walls

cousin cousins

NOUN Your cousin is the child of your uncle or aunt.

cove coves

NOUN a small bay on the coast

cover covers, covering, covered

VERB 1 If you cover something, you put something else over it to protect it or hide it.

2 If something covers something else, it forms a layer over it.

3 If you cover a particular distance, you travel that distance.

4 If you cover a subject, you discuss it in a lesson, course or book. • We covered the Vikings in today’s lesson.

NOUN 5 something put over an object to protect it or keep it warm

6 The cover of a book or magazine is its outside.

7 Cover is trees, rocks or other places where you can shelter or hide. • When it started raining they ran for cover.

coverage

NOUN The coverage of something in the news is the reporting of it. • There was complete coverage of the Wimbledon finals on television.

cow cows

NOUN a large female mammal kept on farms for its milk and meat

coward cowards

NOUN a person who is easily frightened and avoids dangerous situations

cowardly ADJECTIVE cowardice NOUN

cowboy cowboys

NOUN a man employed to look after cattle in America

coy coyer, coyest

ADJECTIVE If someone behaves in a coy way, they pretend to be shy and modest.

crab crabs

NOUN a crustacean with four pairs of legs, two claws, and a flat, round body covered by a shell

crack cracks, cracking, cracked

VERB 1 If something cracks, or if something cracks it, it becomes damaged, with lines appearing on its surface.

2 If you crack a joke, you tell it.

3 If you crack a problem or code, you solve it.

NOUN 4 one of the lines appearing on something when it cracks

5 a narrow gap • My ring fell into a crack in the pavement.

cracker crackers

NOUN 1 a thin, crisp biscuit that is often eaten with cheese

2 a paper-covered tube that pulls apart with a bang, and usually has a toy and paper hat inside

crackle crackles, crackling, crackled

VERB 1 something crackles, it makes a series of short sharp sounds • The bonfire started to crackle as the flames grew higher.

NOUN 2 a short sharp sound

cradle cradles, cradling, cradled

NOUN 1 a box-shaped bed for a baby

VERB 2 If you cradle something in your arms or hands, you hold it there carefully.

craft crafts

NOUN 1 an activity that needs skill with the hands, such as weaving, carving or pottery

2 a boat, plane or spacecraft

craftsman or craftswoman craftsmen or craftswomen

NOUN a person who makes things skilfully with their hands

craftsmanship NOUN

crafty craftier, craftiest

ADJECTIVE Crafty people get what they want by tricking other people in a clever way.

SYNONYMS: cunning, wily

crag crags

NOUN a steep, rugged rock or peak


cram crams, cramming, crammed

VERB If you cram people or things into a place, you put more in than there is room for. • I crammed my dirty washing into the washing machine.

cramp cramps

NOUN pain caused when muscles contract

cramped

ADJECTIVE If a room or a building is cramped, it is not big enough for the people or things in it.

crane cranes, craning, craned

NOUN 1 a machine that moves heavy things by lifting them in the air

2 a large bird with a long neck and long legs

VERB 3 If you crane your neck, you extend your head in a particular direction to see or hear something better.

crash crashes, crashing, crashed

NOUN 1 an accident in which a moving vehicle hits something and is damaged

2 a sudden, loud noise

VERB 3 If a vehicle crashes, it hits something and is badly damaged.

crate crates

NOUN a large box used for transporting or storing things

crater craters

NOUN a wide hole in the ground caused by something hitting it or by an explosion • The surface of the moon has many craters.

[from Greek krater meaning mixing-bowl]

crave craves, craving, craved

VERB If you crave something, you want it very much. • I craved a bar of chocolate.

craving NOUN

crawl crawls, crawling, crawled

VERB 1 When you crawl, you move forward on your hands and knees.

2 When an insect or vehicle crawls somewhere, it moves there very slowly.

crayon crayons

NOUN a coloured pencil or a stick of coloured wax

craze crazes

NOUN something that is very popular for a short time

crazy crazier, craziest

ADJECTIVE INFORMAL 1 very strange or foolish

2 If you are crazy about something or someone, you like them very much.

creak creaks, creaking, creaked

VERB 1 If something creaks, it makes a harsh sound when it moves or when you stand on it.

NOUN 2 a harsh, squeaking noise

creaky ADJECTIVE

cream creams

NOUN 1 a thick, yellowish-white liquid taken from the top of milk

2 a substance that you can rub into your skin to make it soft or protect it

ADJECTIVE 3 a yellowish-white colour

crease creases, creasing, creased

NOUN 1 an irregular line that appears on cloth or paper when it is crumpled

2 a straight line on something that has been pressed or folded neatly • Dad ironed a sharp crease in his best trousers.

VERB 3 If you crease something, you make lines appear on it.

create creates, creating, created

VERB If someone creates something, they cause it to happen or exist.

creation NOUN

creative

ADJECTIVE Creative people are good at inventing and developing new ideas.

creature creatures

NOUN any living thing that is not a plant

crèche crèches

NOUN a place where small children are looked after while their parents are working

[from old French crèche meaning crib or manger]

credit credits

NOUN 1 a system where you pay for something in small amounts, regularly over a period of time

2 praise given to you for good work

PLURAL NOUN 3 Credits are the list of people who helped make a film, record or television programme.

PHRASE 4 If your bank account is in credit, you have money in it.

credit card credit cards

NOUN a plastic card that allows someone to buy goods on credit rather than paying with cash

creek creeks

NOUN a narrow inlet where the sea comes a long way into the land

creep creeps, creeping, crept

VERB If you creep somewhere, you move there quietly and slowly.

creepy creepier, creepiest

ADJECTIVE strange and frightening • The film was creepy.

SYNONYMS: eerie, spooky

cremate cremates, cremating, cremated

VERB If someone is cremated when they die, their body is burned instead of buried.

crematorium crematoriums or crematoria

NOUN a building in which people are cremated

crescent crescents

NOUN a curved shape that is wider in the middle than at the ends, like a new moon

cress

NOUN a plant with small, strong-tasting leaves, used in salads

crest crests

NOUN 1 the highest part of a hill or wave

2 a tuft of feathers on top of a bird’s head

3 a special sign of something, such as a school or other organization

crevice crevices

NOUN a narrow crack or gap in rock

crew crews

NOUN The crew of a ship, aeroplane or spacecraft are the people who operate it.

cricket crickets

NOUN 1 an outdoor game played by two teams, who take turns at scoring runs by hitting a ball with a bat

2 a small, jumping insect that produces sounds by rubbing its wings together

cried

VERB the past tense and past participle of cry

crime crimes

NOUN an action for which you can be punished by law

criminal criminals

NOUN 1 someone who has committed a crime

ADJECTIVE 2 involving or related to crime

crimson

NOUN OR ADJECTIVE dark, purplish-red

crinkle crinkles, crinkling, crinkled

VERB 1 If something crinkles, it becomes slightly creased or folded.

NOUN 2 a small crease or fold

cripple cripples, crippling, crippled

VERB If someone is crippled by something, they are injured so severely that they can never move properly again.

crippling ADJECTIVE

crisis crises

NOUN a serious or dangerous situation • The food crisis was caused by drought.

crisp crisper, crispest; crisps

ADJECTIVE 1 pleasantly fresh and firm • crisp lettuce leaves

NOUN 2 a thin slice of potato that has been fried until it is hard and crunchy

critic critics

NOUN 1 someone who writes reviews of books, films, plays or musical performances for newspapers or magazines

2 a person who criticizes someone or something publicly

critical

ADJECTIVE 1 A critical time or situation is a very important and serious one when things must be done correctly.

2 If the state of a sick or injured person is critical, they are in danger of dying.

3 Someone who is critical judges people and things very severely.

criticism criticisms

NOUN 1 spoken or written disapproval of someone or something

2 A criticism of a book, film or play is an examination of its good and bad points.

criticize criticizes, criticizing, criticized; also spelt criticise

VERB If you criticize someone or something, you say what you think is wrong with them.

croak croaks, croaking, croaked

VERB 1 When animals and birds croak, they make harsh, low sounds.

NOUN 2 a harsh, low sound

croaky ADJECTIVE

crochet crochets, crocheting, crocheted

Said “kroh-shay” NOUN 1 a kind of knitting done with a hooked needle and cotton or wool

VERB 2 If you crochet, you use a hooked needle and wool or cotton to make lacy material for things such as clothes and shawls.

crockery

NOUN things you use for eating and drinking, such as plates, cups, bowls and saucers

crocodile crocodiles

NOUN a large, scaly, meat-eating reptile that lives in tropical rivers

[from Greek krokodeilos meaning lizard]

crocus crocuses

NOUN Crocuses are yellow, purple or white flowers that grow in early spring.

crook crooks

NOUN 1 a criminal

2 The crook of your arm or leg is the soft, inside part of your elbow or your knee.

3 a long stick with a hooked end used by shepherds

crooked

ADJECTIVE 1 bent or twisted

2 dishonest

crop crops, cropping, cropped

NOUN 1 plants such as wheat and potatoes that are grown for food

2 the plants collected at harvest time • They gather two crops of rice a year.

VERB 3 If you crop something such as your hair, you cut it very short.

cross crosses, crossing, crossed; crosser, crossest

VERB 1 If you cross something, such as a room or a road, you go to the other side of it.

2 Lines or roads that cross meet and go across each other.

3 If you cross your arms, legs or fingers, you put one on top of the other.

NOUN 4 a mark or a shape like + or ×

ADJECTIVE 5 Someone who is cross is rather angry.

cross out

VERB If you cross out words on a page, you draw a line through them.

cross-country

NOUN the sport of running across open countryside, rather than on roads or a track

crossing crossings

NOUN 1 a place where you can cross the road, a railway or a river

2 a journey by ship to a place across the sea

crossroads

NOUN a place where two roads meet and cross each other

cross-section cross-sections

NOUN 1 the flat part of something that you see when you cut straight through it to see inside • We looked at cross-sections of kiwi fruit and oranges.


2 a typical sample of people or things • We interviewed a cross-section of teenagers.

crossword crosswords

NOUN a word puzzle in which you work out answers to clues and write them in a grid

crouch crouches, crouching, crouched

VERB If you crouch, you lower your body with your knees bent.

crow crows, crowing, crowed

NOUN 1 a large black bird that makes a loud, harsh sound

VERB 2 When a cock crows, it makes a series of loud sounds, usually early in the morning.

crowbar crowbars

NOUN a heavy, iron bar used as a lever or for forcing things open

crowd crowds, crowding, crowded

NOUN 1 a large group of people gathered together

VERB 2 When people crowd around someone or something, they gather closely together around them.

crown crowns, crowning, crowned

NOUN 1 a circular ornament made of gold or jewels, which a king or queen wears on their head

VERB 2 When a king or queen is crowned, a crown is put on their head and they are officially made king or queen.

crucial

ADJECTIVE Something that is crucial is very important.

crucify crucifies, crucifying, crucified

VERB When a person is crucified they are tied or nailed to a cross and left there to die.

crucifixion NOUN

crude cruder, crudest

ADJECTIVE 1 rough and simple • a crude shelter made of old boxes

2 rude and vulgar

cruel crueller, cruellest

ADJECTIVE Cruel people deliberately cause pain or distress to other people or to animals.

SYNONYMS: brutal, unkind

cruelly ADVERB cruelty NOUN

cruise cruises, cruising, cruised

NOUN 1 a holiday in which you travel on a ship and visit places

VERB 2 When a vehicle cruises, it moves at a constant, moderate speed.

crumb crumbs

NOUN a very small piece of bread or cake

crumble crumbles, crumbling, crumbled

VERB When something crumbles, or when you crumble it, it breaks into small pieces.

crumple crumples, crumpling, crumpled

VERB If you crumple paper or cloth, you squash it so that it is full of creases and folds.

crunch crunches, crunching, crunched

VERB If you crunch something, you crush it noisily, for example between your teeth or under your feet.

crusade crusades

NOUN 1 In the Middle Ages, the Crusades were a number of expeditions to Palestine by Christians who were attempting to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims.

2 a long and determined attempt to achieve something

[from Spanish cruzar meaning to take up the cross]

crusader NOUN

crush crushes, crushing, crushed

VERB 1 If you crush something, you squeeze it hard until its shape is destroyed. • He crushed the empty can.

2 If you crush against someone or something, you press hard against them. • We crushed against each other in the crowded bus.

crust crusts

NOUN 1 the hard outside part of a loaf

2 a hard layer on top of something • the earth’s crust

crustacean crustaceans

Said “krus-tay-shun” NOUN an animal with a hard outer shell and several pairs of legs, which usually lives in water • Crabs, lobsters and shrimps are crustaceans.

crutch crutches

NOUN a support like a long stick that you lean on if you have injured your leg or foot • I was on crutches while my ankle healed.

cry cries, crying, cried

VERB 1 When you cry, tears come from your eyes because you are unhappy or hurt.

2 If you cry something, you shout it or say it loudly.

NOUN 3 a shout or other loud sound made with your voice

crypt crypts

NOUN an underground room beneath a church, usually used as a burial place

crystal crystals

NOUN 1 a piece of a mineral that has formed naturally into a regular shape

2 a type of transparent rock, used in jewellery

3 a type of very high quality glass

crystalline ADJECTIVE

cub cubs

NOUN 1 the young of some wild animals • a fox cub • a lion cub

2 The Cubs is an organization for young boys before they join the Scouts.

cube cubes

NOUN a solid shape with six square faces that are all the same size


cubic

ADJECTIVE 1 shaped like a cube

2 used to describe volume when you measure height, width and depth • a cubic metre

cubicle cubicles

NOUN a small enclosed area in a place such as a sports centre or a shop, where you can dress and undress

cuboid cuboids

NOUN a rectangular, three-dimensional box shape. A cuboid has six faces, all of which are rectangles.

cuckoo cuckoos

NOUN a grey bird with a two-note call. Cuckoos lay their eggs in other birds’ nests.

cucumber cucumbers

NOUN a long, thin, green vegetable that is eaten raw

cud

NOUN food that has been chewed and digested more than once by cows, sheep or other animals that have more than one stomach

cuddle cuddles, cuddling, cuddled

VERB 1 If you cuddle someone, you hold them closely in your arms as a way of showing your affection.

NOUN 2 If you give someone a cuddle, you cuddle them.

cuddly ADJECTIVE

cuff cuffs

NOUN the end part of a sleeve, especially a shirt sleeve

cul-de-sac cul-de-sacs

NOUN a road that does not lead to any other roads because one end is blocked off

[from French cul + de + sac meaning bottom of the bag]

culprit culprits

NOUN someone who has done something harmful or wrong

cult cults

NOUN 1 a small religious group, especially one that is considered strange

ADJECTIVE 2 very popular or fashionable among a particular group of people • It became a cult film.

cultivate cultivates, cultivating, cultivated

VERB When someone cultivates land, they grow crops on it.

cultivation NOUN

culture cultures

NOUN the ideas, customs and art of a particular society

cunning

ADJECTIVE A cunning person or plan achieves things in a clever way, often by deceiving people.

SYNONYMS: crafty, sly, wily

cup cups, cupping, cupped

NOUN 1 a small, round container with a handle, which you drink from

2 a large metal container with two handles, which is given as a prize

VERB 3 If you cup your hands, you put them together to make a shape like a cup.

cupboard cupboards

NOUN 1 a piece of furniture with doors and shelves

2 a very small room for storing things in • The broom is in the cupboard under the stairs.

curator curators

NOUN the person in a museum or art gallery in charge of its contents

curb curbs, curbing, curbed

VERB If you curb something, you keep it within limits. • You must curb your spending on comics.

curdle curdles, curdling, curdled

VERB When milk curdles, it turns sour.

cure cures, curing, cured

VERB 1 If a doctor cures someone of an illness, they help them get better.

NOUN 2 something that heals or helps someone to get better

VERB 3 If someone cures meat or fish, they smoke it to give it flavour and preserve it.

curfew curfews

NOUN a rule or a law stating that people must stay indoors between particular times at night

curiosity curiosities

NOUN 1 the desire to know something or about many things

2 something unusual and interesting

curious

ADJECTIVE 1 Someone who is curious wants to know more about something.

SYNONYMS: inquisitive, nosy

2 Something that is curious is unusual or difficult to understand.

SYNONYMS: strange, peculiar

curl curls, curling, curled

NOUN 1 Curls are lengths of hair shaped in tight curves and circles.

2 a curved or spiral shape • A curl of smoke rose from the chimney.

VERB 3 If something curls, it moves in a curve or spiral. • Smoke curled up the chimney.

curly ADJECTIVE

currant currants

NOUN a small, dried grape. Currants are often used in cakes and puddings.

currency currencies

NOUN A country’s currency is its coins and banknotes.

current currents

NOUN 1 a steady continuous flowing movement of water or air

NOUN 2 An electric current is a flow of electricity through a wire or circuit.

ADJECTIVE 3 Something that is current is happening now. • current fashion trends

curriculum curriculums or curricula

NOUN the different courses taught at a school or university

curry curries

NOUN an Indian dish made with hot spices

curse curses, cursing, cursed

NOUN 1 an evil spell • She said the old house had a curse on it.

VERB 2 If you curse, you swear because you are angry.

cursor cursors

NOUN a sign on a computer monitor that shows where the next letter or symbol is

curtain curtains

NOUN a hanging piece of material that can be pulled across a window

curtsy curtsies, curtsying, curtsied

NOUN 1 a little bobbing bow to show respect • I made a little curtsy to the Queen.

VERB 2 the action of making a curtsy

curve curves, curving, curved

NOUN 1 a smooth, gradually bending line


VERB 2 When something curves, it moves in a curve or has the shape of a curve. • The lane curved to the right.

curved ADJECTIVE

cushion cushions, cushioning, cushioned

NOUN 1 a soft object that you put on a seat to make it more comfortable

VERB 2 When something cushions something else, it reduces its effect. • The pile of leaves cushioned his fall.

custard

NOUN a sweet, yellow sauce made from milk and eggs

custody

NOUN 1 If someone has custody of a child, they have the legal right to keep it and look after it.

PHRASE 2 Someone who is in custody is being kept in prison until they can be tried in a court.

[from Latin custos meaning a guard]

custodial ADJECTIVE

custom customs

NOUN something that people usually do • the custom of decorating the house for Christmas

customary

ADJECTIVE usual

customer customers

NOUN a person who buys things from a shop or firm

customs

NOUN the place at a border, airport or harbour where you declare any goods that you are bringing into the country

cut cuts, cutting, cut

VERB 1 If you cut something, you use a pair of scissors, a knife or another sharp tool to mark it or remove parts of it.

2 If you cut yourself, you injure yourself with a sharp object.

NOUN 3 a mark made with a knife or a sharp tool

4 a reduction in something • There were lots of price cuts during the sales.

cutlery

NOUN knives, forks and spoons

cycle cycles, cycling, cycled

NOUN 1 a bicycle

2 a series of events that is repeated again and again • the cycle of the seasons

VERB 3 When you cycle, you ride a bicycle.

cyclist NOUN

cyclone cyclones

NOUN a violent wind that blows in a spiral like a corkscrew

cygnet cygnets

NOUN a young swan

cylinder cylinders

NOUN 1 a hollow or solid shape with straight sides and equal circular faces

See prism


2 the part of an engine that the piston moves in

cylindrical ADJECTIVE

cymbal cymbals

NOUN a circular brass plate used as a percussion instrument. Cymbals are clashed together or hit with a stick.

See percussion

Dd

dabble dabbles, dabbling, dabbled

VERB If you dabble in something, you work or play at it without being seriously involved in it.

dad or daddy dads or daddies

NOUN INFORMAL Your dad or your daddy is your father.

daffodil daffodils

NOUN a plant with yellow, trumpet-shaped flowers that blooms in spring

daft dafter, daftest

ADJECTIVE silly and not very sensible

dagger daggers

NOUN a weapon like a short knife

daily

ADJECTIVE occurring every day

dainty daintier, daintiest

ADJECTIVE very delicate and pretty

dairy dairies

NOUN 1 a shop or company that supplies milk and milk products

2 In New Zealand, a dairy is a small shop selling groceries.

ADJECTIVE 3 Dairy products are foods made from milk, such as butter, cheese, cream and yogurt.

daisy daisies

NOUN a small, wild flower with a yellow centre and small, white petals

[from Old English deagesege meaning day’s eye, because the daisy opens in the daytime and closes at night]

Dalmatian Dalmatians

NOUN a large, smooth-haired white dog with black or brown spots

dam dams

NOUN a barrier built across a river to hold back water


damage damages, damaging, damaged

VERB If you damage something, you harm or spoil it.

damp damper, dampest

ADJECTIVE slightly wet

dampness NOUN

damson damsons

NOUN 1 a small, blue-black plum

2 the tree that damsons grow on

dance dances, dancing, danced

VERB 1 When you dance, you move around in time to music.

NOUN 2 a series of rhythmic movements that you do in time to music

3 a social event where people dance with each other

dandelion dandelions

NOUN a wild plant with yellow flowers that form a ball of fluffy seeds

[from Old French dent de lion meaning lion’s tooth, referring to the shape of the leaves]

dandruff

NOUN small, loose scales of dead skin in someone’s hair

danger dangers

NOUN the possibility that someone may be harmed or killed

SYNONYMS: peril, risk

dangerous

ADJECTIVE If something is dangerous, it is likely to cause hurt or harm. • It is dangerous to walk close to the edge of the cliff.

SYNONYMS: unsafe, hazardous

dangerously ADVERB

dangle dangles, dangling, dangled

VERB When something dangles, or when you dangle it, it swings or hangs loosely. • We sat by the pool and dangled our legs in the water.

dappled

ADJECTIVE marked with patches of a different or darker shade • The lawn was dappled with the shadows of the leafy trees.

dare dares, daring, dared

VERB 1 If you dare to do something, you have the courage to do it.

2 If you dare someone to do something, you challenge them to do it. • I dare you to ask him his name.

[from Old English durran meaning to venture or to be bold]

daredevil daredevils

NOUN a person who enjoys doing dangerous things

daring

ADJECTIVE 1 bold and willing to take risks

NOUN 2 the courage required to do things that are dangerous

daringly ADVERB

dark darker, darkest

ADJECTIVE 1 If it is dark, there is not enough light to see properly.

2 Dark colours have a lot of black, grey or brown tones in them.

dark NOUN

darken darkens, darkening, darkened

VERB If something darkens, it becomes darker than it was before. • The sky darkened as the storm approached.

darkness

NOUN being dark

darling darlings

NOUN You call someone darling if you love them or like them very much.

darn darns, darning, darned

VERB 1 When you darn a hole in a garment, you mend it with crossing stitches.

NOUN 2 A darn is the part of a garment that has been darned.

dart darts, darting, darted

NOUN 1 a small, pointed arrow

2 Darts is a game in which the players throw darts at a round board divided into numbered sections.

VERB 3 If you dart somewhere, you move there quickly and suddenly.

dash dashes, dashing, dashed

VERB 1 If you dash somewhere, you rush there.

NOUN 2 the punctuation mark (–) which may be used instead of brackets

dashboard dashboards

NOUN the instrument panel in a car

data

NOUN information, usually in the form of facts or statistics

Data is really a plural word, but is usually used as a singular word: Customer data is stored here.

database databases

NOUN a collection of information stored in a computer

date dates

NOUN 1 a particular day or year that can be named • What is your date of birth?

2 If you have a date, you have an appointment to meet someone.

3 a small, brown, sticky fruit with a stone inside. Dates grow on palm trees.

daughter daughters

NOUN Someone’s daughter is their female child.

dawdle dawdles, dawdling, dawdled

VERB If you dawdle, you are slow about doing something or going somewhere. • Don’t dawdle, we have to be there in ten minutes.

dawn dawns

NOUN the time in the morning when light first appears in the sky

day days

NOUN 1 the time taken between one midnight and the next. There are 24 hours in one day.

2 the period of light between sunrise and sunset

daydream daydreams, daydreaming, daydreamed

NOUN 1 pleasant thoughts about things that you would like to happen

VERB 2 When you daydream, you drift off into a daydream.

daylight

NOUN the part of the day when it is light

daytime

NOUN the part of the day when it is light

daze

PHRASE If you are in a daze, you are confused and bewildered.

dazzle dazzles, dazzling, dazzled

VERB If a bright light dazzles you, it blinds you for a moment.

dazzling ADJECTIVE

de-

PREFIX added to some words to mean removal or reversal of something • She debugged the computer program. • We had to defrost the windscreen before leaving.

dead

ADJECTIVE 1 no longer living

2 no longer functioning • The phone went dead.

ADVERB 3 precisely or exactly • We arrived dead on eight o’clock.

deadly deadlier, deadliest

ADJECTIVE 1 likely or able to cause death • a deadly disease

ADVERB OR ADJECTIVE 2 used to emphasize how serious or unpleasant something is • deadly dangerous • deadly serious

deaf deafer, deafest

ADJECTIVE Deaf people are unable to hear anything or unable to hear well.

deafening

ADJECTIVE A deafening sound is so loud that you cannot hear anything else.

deal deals, dealing, dealt

NOUN 1 an agreement or arrangement, especially in business

VERB 2 If you deal with something, you do what is necessary to sort it out.

3 When you deal cards, you give them out to the players.

PHRASE 4 A good deal or a great deal of something is a lot of it.

dear dearer, dearest

NOUN 1 You call someone dear as a sign of affection.

ADJECTIVE 2 Something that is dear is very expensive.

3 You use dear at the beginning of a letter, with the name of the person you are writing to. • Dear Sunita.

death deaths

NOUN the end of the life of a human being or other animal or plant

debate debates, debating, debated

NOUN 1 argument or discussion

2 a formal discussion in which opposing views are expressed

VERB 3 When people debate something, they discuss it in a formal way.

debit card debit cards

NOUN a plastic card that allows someone to buy goods using the money in their bank account

debris

NOUN fragments or rubble left after something has been destroyed • After the eruption, volcanic debris was found scattered for miles.

debt debts

NOUN a sum of money that someone owes

debut debuts

NOUN a performer’s first public appearance

decade decades

NOUN a period of ten years

decaffeinated

ADJECTIVE Decaffeinated coffee or tea has had most of the caffeine removed.

decathlon decathlons

NOUN an athletic competition in which competitors take part in ten different events

decay decays, decaying, decayed

VERB When things decay, they rot or go bad.

deceased

ADJECTIVE FORMAL A deceased person is someone who has recently died.

deceit

NOUN behaviour that makes people believe something to be true that is not true

deceive deceives, deceiving, deceived

VERB If you deceive someone, you make them believe something that is not true.

December

NOUN the twelfth month of the year. December has 31 days.

decent

ADJECTIVE honest and respectable

deception deceptions

NOUN 1 something that is intended to trick or deceive someone

2 the act of deceiving someone

deceptive

ADJECTIVE likely to make people believe that something is true when it is not

decide decides, deciding, decided

VERB If you decide to do something, you choose to do it, usually after thinking about it carefully.

SYNONYM: make up one’s mind

decision NOUN

deciduous

ADJECTIVE Deciduous trees lose their leaves in the autumn every year.

decimal decimals

ADJECTIVE 1 A decimal system involves counting in units of ten.

NOUN 2 A decimal, or decimal fraction, is a fraction in which a dot, called a decimal point, separates the whole numbers on the left from tenths, hundredths and thousandths on the right. For example, 0.5 represents 5⁄10 (or ½); 0.05 represents 5⁄100 (or 1⁄20).

decision decisions

NOUN a choice or judgement that is made about something

decisive

ADJECTIVE 1 A decisive person is able to make decisions quickly.

2 having an important influence on the result of something • The first goal was a decisive moment in the match.

deck decks

NOUN a downstairs or upstairs area on a bus or ship

declare declares, declaring, declared

VERB 1 If you declare something, you say it firmly and forcefully.

SYNONYMS: announce, proclaim, state

2 FORMAL If something is declared, it is announced publicly. • War was declared in 1939.

decline declines, declining, declipned

VERB 1 If something declines, it becomes smaller or weaker. • The number of students has declined this year.

2 If you decline something, you politely refuse to accept it or do it.

decode decodes, decoding, decoded

VERB If you decode a coded message, you convert it into ordinary language.

decompose decomposes, decomposing, decomposed

VERB If something decomposes, it rots after it dies.

decorate decorates, decorating, decorated

VERB 1 If you decorate something, you make it more attractive by adding things to it.

2 If you decorate a room or building, you paint or wallpaper it.

decoy decoys

NOUN something used to lead a person or animal into a trap

decrease decreases, decreasing, decreased

VERB If something decreases, or if you decrease it, it becomes less. • The number of children in the class decreased rapidly.

decree decrees, decreeing, decreed

NOUN 1 an official order by the government, church or the rulers of a country

VERB 2 If someone decrees something, they announce formally that it will happen.

dedicate dedicates, dedicating, dedicated

VERB 1 If you dedicate yourself to something, you give your time and energy to it.

2 If you dedicate a book or piece of music to someone, you say that it is written for them.

deduct deducts, deducting, deducted

VERB If you deduct an amount from a total, you take it away.

deed deeds

NOUN 1 something that is done • a good deed

2 an important piece of paper or document that an agreement is written on

deep deeper, deepest

ADJECTIVE 1 going a long way down from the surface • a deep hole

2 great or intense • deep affection

3 a low sound • a deep voice

deer

NOUN a large, fast-running, graceful mammal with hooves, that lives wild in parts of Britain and other countries. Male deer have antlers.

deface defaces, defacing, defaced

VERB If you deface something, you damage its appearance in some way. • The gang defaced the walls with spray paint.

defeat defeats, defeating, defeated

VERB 1 If you defeat someone or something, you win a victory over them, or cause them to fail.

NOUN 2 the state of being beaten or of failing • The team was downhearted after its defeat.

defect defects, defecting, defected

NOUN 1 a fault or flaw in something

VERB 2 If someone defects, they leave their own country or organization and join an opposing one.

defection NOUN defector NOUN

defective

ADJECTIVE Something that is defective is not perfect or has something wrong with it.

defence defences

NOUN 1 something that protects you against attack • She carried an alarm as a defence against muggers.

2 A country’s defences are its armed forces and its weapons.

defend defends, defending, defended

VERB 1 If you defend someone or something, you protect them from harm or danger.

2 If you defend a person or their ideas, you argue in support of them.

defendant defendants

NOUN a person in a court of law who is accused of a crime

defer defers, deferring, deferred

VERB If you defer something, you put off doing it until later.

defiant

ADJECTIVE If you are defiant, you behave in a way that shows you are not willing to obey someone.

defiance NOUN defiantly ADVERB

deficient

ADJECTIVE lacking in something

deficiency NOUN

define defines, defining, defined

VERB If you define something, you say what it is or what it means.

definite

ADJECTIVE 1 clear and unlikely to be changed • We must arrange a definite date for the party.

2 true rather than being someone’s guess or opinion

There is no a in definite.

definitely

ADVERB OR EXCLAMATION certainly; without doubt • I am definitely going on holiday next week.

definition definitions

NOUN a statement explaining the meaning of a word or an idea

deflate deflates, deflating, deflated

VERB If you deflate something, such as a tyre or balloon, you let all the air or gas out of it.

ANTONYMS: inflate, blow up

deforestation

NOUN the cutting down or the destruction of all the trees in an area

deformed

ADJECTIVE disfigured or abnormally shaped

defrost defrosts, defrosting, defrosted

VERB 1 If you defrost frozen food, you let it thaw out.

2 If you defrost a freezer or refrigerator, you remove the ice from it.

defuse defuses, defusing, defused

VERB 1 If someone defuses a bomb, they remove its fuse or detonator so that it cannot explode.

2 If you defuse a dangerous or tense situation, you make it less dangerous or tense.

defy defies, defying, defied

VERB If you defy a person or a law, you openly refuse to obey.

degree degrees

NOUN 1 a unit of measurement for temperatures, angles, and longitude and latitude, written as ° after a number • The temperature was 20 °C. • A right angle is a ninety-degree angle.

2 an amount of a feeling or quality • As captain you have a high degree of responsibility.

3 a university qualification gained after completing a course of study there

dehydrated

ADJECTIVE If someone is dehydrated, they are weak or ill because they have lost too much water from their body.

deity deities

NOUN a god or goddess

dejected

ADJECTIVE If you are dejected, you are sad and gloomy.

dejection NOUN

delay delays, delaying, delayed

VERB 1 If you delay doing something, you put it off until later.

SYNONYM: postpone

2 If something delays you, it makes you late or slows you down.

NOUN 3 If there is a delay, something does not happen until later than planned or expected.

delete deletes, deleting, deleted

VERB If you delete something written, you cross it out or remove it.

deliberate

ADJECTIVE 1 done on purpose or planned in advance

2 slow and careful in speech and action • deliberate movements

deliberately ADVERB

delicate

ADJECTIVE 1 light and attractive • a delicate perfume

2 fragile and needing to be handled carefully • a delicate china cup

3 precise or sensitive • delicate instruments

delicately ADVERB

delicatessen delicatessens

NOUN a shop selling unusual or imported foods

delicious

ADJECTIVE Delicious food or drink has an extremely pleasant taste.

SYNONYMS: delectable, scrumptious

delight delights, delighting, delighted

NOUN 1 great pleasure or joy

VERB 2 If something delights you, or if you are delighted by it, it gives you a lot of pleasure.

delighted ADJECTIVE

delinquent delinquents

NOUN a young person who commits minor crimes

delinquency NOUN

delirious

ADJECTIVE 1 unable to speak or act in a rational way because of illness or fever

2 wildly excited and happy

deliriously ADVERB

deliver delivers, delivering, delivered

VERB 1 If you deliver something to someone, you take it and give it to them.

2 If someone delivers a baby, they help the woman who is giving birth.

delta deltas

NOUN a triangular piece of land at the mouth of a river where it divides into separate streams


deluge deluges

NOUN a sudden, heavy downpour of rain

demand demands, demanding, demanded

VERB 1 If you demand something, you ask for it forcefully.

NOUN 2 If there is demand for something, a lot of people want to buy it or have it.

democracy democracies

NOUN a system of government in which the people choose their leaders by voting for them in elections

democratic ADJECTIVE

demolish demolishes, demolishing, demolished

VERB If someone demolishes a building, they knock it down.

demolition NOUN

demon demons

NOUN a devil or an evil spirit

demonstrate demonstrates, demonstrating, demonstrated

VERB 1 If you demonstrate something to somebody, you show them how to do it or how it works.

2 If people demonstrate, they march or gather together to show that they oppose or support something.

demonstration demonstrations

NOUN 1 If someone gives a demonstration, they show how to do something or how something works.

2 a march or a gathering of people to show publicly what they think about something

den dens

NOUN 1 a home or hiding place of a wild animal

2 a special place where you can do what you want without being disturbed

denial denials

NOUN 1 A denial of something is a statement that it is untrue.

2 The denial of a request is the refusal to grant it.

denim denims

NOUN strong, cotton cloth used for making clothes, especially jeans

[from French serge de Nîmes, meaning serge (a type of cloth) from Nîmes]

denominator denominators

NOUN In mathematics, the denominator is the bottom number of a fraction.

dense denser, densest

ADJECTIVE 1 Something that is dense contains a lot of things or people in a small area. • We cut our way through the dense forest.

2 difficult to see through • The dense fog prevented us from enjoying the view over the hills.

densely ADVERB

density densities

NOUN 1 thickness

2 the proportion of mass to volume

dent dents, denting, dented

VERB 1 If you dent something, you damage its surface by hitting it.

NOUN 2 a hollow in the surface of something

dental

ADJECTIVE to do with teeth

dentist dentists

NOUN a person who is qualified to treat people’s teeth

dentures

PLURAL NOUN false teeth

deny denies, denying, denied

VERB 1 If you deny something, you say that it is not true.

2 If you are denied something, you are refused it.

deodorant deodorants

NOUN a substance used to hide or prevent the smell of sweat on your body

depart departs, departing, departed

VERB When you depart, you leave.

departure NOUN

department departments

NOUN one of the sections into which a large shop or an organization is divided

department store department stores

NOUN a very large shop divided into departments, each selling different types of goods

depend depends, depending, depended

VERB 1 If one thing depends on another, it is influenced by it. • The cooking time depends on the size of the potato.

2 If you depend on someone or something, you trust them and rely on them.

dependable

ADJECTIVE If someone is dependable, you can trust them to be helpful, sensible and reliable.

depict depicts, depicting, depicted

VERB If you depict someone or something, you paint, draw or describe them.

deport deports, deporting, deported

VERB If someone is deported from a country they are sent out of it, either because they have no right to be there, because they have done something wrong or because they did not ask permission to be there.

deposit deposits, depositing, deposited

VERB 1 If you deposit something, you put it down or leave it somewhere.

NOUN 2 a sum of money given in part payment for goods or services

depot depots

NOUN 1 a place where supplies of food or equipment are stored until they are needed

2 A bus depot is a bus station.

depressed

ADJECTIVE sad and gloomy

depression depressions

NOUN 1 a state of mind in which someone feels unhappy and has no energy or enthusiasm for anything

2 a hollow in the ground or on any other surface

3 a time when there is a lot of unemployment and poverty

deprive deprives, depriving, deprived

VERB If you deprive someone of something, you take it away from them or prevent them from having it.

depth depths

NOUN 1 the measurement or distance between the top and bottom of something, or the back and front of something • The depth of the swimming pool at the deep end is 1.5 m.

PHRASE 2 In depth means thoroughly. • We studied the poem in depth.

deputy deputies

NOUN a person who helps someone in their job and acts on their behalf when they are away

derail derails, derailed, derailing

VERB If a train is derailed, it comes off the railway tracks.

derivation derivations

NOUN The derivation of something is where it has come from.

derive derives, deriving, derived

VERB 1 FORMAL If you derive something from someone or something, you get it from them. • He derives great pleasure from music.

2 If something is derived from something else, it comes from that thing. • His name is derived from a Greek word.

descant descants

NOUN 1 The descant to a tune is another tune played at the same time but at a higher pitch.

ADJECTIVE 2 A descant musical instrument plays the highest notes in a range of instruments. • a descant recorder

descend descends, descending, descended

VERB If someone or something descends, they move downwards. • We descended to the basement in the lift.

ANTONYM: ascend

descendant descendants

NOUN A person’s descendants are all the people in later generations who are related to them.

describe describes, describing, described

VERB If you describe someone or something, you say what they are like.

desert deserts, deserting, deserted

Said “dez-ert” NOUN 1 an area of land, usually in a hot region, that has almost no water, rain, trees or plants • the Sahara Desert


Said “de-zert” VERB 2 If someone deserts you, they leave you and no longer help or support you.

deserted

ADJECTIVE A deserted building or place is one that people have left and never come back to.

deserve deserves, deserving, deserved

VERB If you deserve something, you earn it or have a right to it.

design designs, designing, designed

VERB 1 If you design something new, you plan what it should be like.

NOUN 2 a drawing from which something can be built or made

3 a decorative pattern of lines or shapes

desire desires, desiring, desired

VERB 1 If you desire something, you want it.

NOUN 2 a strong feeling of wanting something

SYNONYMS: longing, want, wish

desk desks

NOUN a piece of furniture with a flat or sloping top, which you sit at to write, read or work

desktop

ADJECTIVE small enough to be used at a desk • a desktop computer

desolate

ADJECTIVE 1 deserted and bleak • a desolate mountain top

2 lonely, very sad, and without hope

desolation NOUN

despair despairs, despairing, despaired

NOUN 1 a total loss of hope

VERB 2 If you despair, you lose hope.

desperate

ADJECTIVE 1 If you are desperate, you are in such a bad situation that you will try anything to change it.

2 A desperate situation is extremely dangerous or serious.

despicable

ADJECTIVE Something that is despicable is nasty, cruel or evil.

despise despises, despising, despised

VERB If you despise someone or something, you have a very low opinion of them.

despite

PREPOSITION If you do something despite some difficulty, you manage to do it anyway.

dessert desserts

NOUN a sweet food that you eat at the end of a meal

destination destinations

NOUN the place you are going to

destined

ADJECTIVE meant to happen • They were destined to meet.

destiny destinies

NOUN Your destiny is your fate: the things that will happen to you in the future.

destitute

ADJECTIVE without money or possessions, and therefore in great need

destitution NOUN

destroy destroys, destroying, destroyed

VERB If you destroy something, you damage it so much that it is completely ruined.

SYNONYMS: demolish, ruin, wreck

destruction NOUN

destructive

ADJECTIVE Something that is destructive can cause great damage, harm or injury.

SYNONYM: damaging

detach detaches, detaching, detached

VERB If you detach something, you remove or unfasten it.

detachable ADJECTIVE

detached

ADJECTIVE separate or standing apart • It was a detached house, standing alone at the top of the hill.

detail details

NOUN 1 an individual fact or feature of something • I remember every detail of that film.

PLURAL NOUN 2 Details about something are information about it. For example, your details might be your name and address.

detain detains, detaining, detained

VERB If you detain someone, you keep them from going somewhere or doing something.

detect detects, detecting, detected

VERB If you detect something, you notice or find it. • X-rays can detect broken bones.

detective detectives

NOUN a person, usually a police officer, whose job is to investigate crimes

detector detectors

NOUN an instrument used to detect the presence of something • a metal detector

detention

NOUN 1 a form of punishment in which a pupil is made to stay in school for extra time when other children do not have to

2 arrest or imprisonment

deter deters, deterring, deterred

VERB If you deter someone from doing something, you persuade them not to do it or try to stop them in some way.

detergent detergents

NOUN a chemical substance used for washing or cleaning things

deteriorate deteriorates, deteriorating, deteriorated

VERB If something deteriorates, it gets worse.

deterioration NOUN

determination

NOUN a great strength and will to do something

determined

ADJECTIVE having your mind firmly made up • She was determined to pass her exams.

deterrent deterrents

NOUN something that prevents people from doing something, usually by making them afraid to do it • We have a car alarm as a deterrent to car thieves.

detest detests, detesting, detested

VERB If you detest someone or something, you dislike them intensely.

[from Latin detestari meaning to curse]

detestable ADJECTIVE

detonate detonates, detonating, detonated

VERB If someone detonates a bomb or mine, they cause it to explode.

detonation NOUN detonator NOUN

detour detours

NOUN If you make a detour on a journey, you go by a longer or less direct route.

devastate devastates, devastating, devastated

VERB A place that has been devastated has been severely damaged or destroyed.

devastation NOUN

develop develops, developing, developed

VERB 1 When something develops, it grows or becomes more advanced.

2 If you develop photographs or film, you produce a visible image from them.

development developments

NOUN gradual growth or progress • There have been great developments in technology over the past fifty years.

device devices

NOUN a machine or tool that is used for a particular purpose

devil devils

NOUN an evil spirit

devious

ADJECTIVE Devious people behave in an underhand, nasty and secretive way.

devise devises, devising, devised

VERB If you devise something, you invent it or design it.

devoted

ADJECTIVE very loving and loyal

devour devours, devouring, devoured

VERB 1 If you devour food, you eat it quickly and greedily.

2 If one creature devours another, it eats it.

3 If you devour a book, you read it very quickly.

devout

ADJECTIVE very deeply religious

dew

NOUN drops of moisture that form on the ground and other cool surfaces at night

diabetes

NOUN a condition in which a person has too much sugar in their blood

diabetic NOUN OR ADJECTIVE

diagnose diagnoses, diagnosing, diagnosed

VERB If someone diagnoses an illness or problem, they identify what is wrong.

diagonal diagonals

NOUN 1 a straight line that slopes from one corner of a shape to another

ADJECTIVE 2 in a slanting direction • a diagonal line

[from Greek diagonios meaning from angle to angle]

diagram diagrams

NOUN a drawing that shows or explains something • Carroll or Venn diagram

dial dials, dialling, dialled

NOUN 1 the part of a clock or meter where the time or a measurement is shown

VERB 2 If you dial a telephone number, you press the buttons to select the number you want.

dialect dialects

NOUN the form of a language spoken in a particular area

dialogue dialogues

NOUN In a novel, play or film, dialogue is conversation.

diameter diameters

NOUN the length of a straight line drawn across a circle through its centre


diamond diamonds

NOUN 1 a precious stone made of pure carbon

2 a shape with four straight sides of equal length that are not at right angles to each other

See rhombus

diarrhoea

NOUN an illness that attacks your bowels so that you can’t stop going to the lavatory

diary diaries

NOUN a notebook with a separate space or page for each day of the year

dice dices, dicing, diced

NOUN 1 a small cube with dots on each of its six faces

VERB 2 If you dice food, you cut it into small cubes.