# dict

Words: prized
Meaning:
adj   extremely important or valuable to someone//  --The child held the bag as tightly as if it were her most prized possession .//


Words: prizefight
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  BrE a public boxing match in which two men fight each other without boxing gloves, in order to win money:\n  2  AmE a professional boxing match:  -- prizefighter n  [C] //  -- prizefighting n  [U] //


Words: pro
Meaning:
n   plural  pros  [C] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: professional]//\n  1 someone who is paid to do something, especially play a sport, that other people do for pleasure:   professional//  → amateur//  --a tennis pro//  --the small gap between top amateurs and pros in golf//\n  2  informal  also old pro :  someone who has had a lot of experience with a particular type of situation//  --Cathy’s an old pro at organizing raffles.//\n  3  pros and cons:  the advantages and disadvantages of something//  the pros and cons of (doing) sth//  --We discussed the pros and cons of going to university.//\n  4  BrE  old-fashioned informal a prostitute:    pro forma,  pro rata//\npro 2 adj  informal \n  1 paid to do something, especially play a sport, that other people do for pleasure:   professional//  turn/go pro //  --Most young talented players are determined to turn pro.//\n  2  AmE played or done by people who are paid for what they do:  --pro basketball//\npro 3 prep   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: ’for’]//  if you are pro an idea, suggestion etc, you support it//  --As a party, they had always been pro family.//


Words: pro bono
Meaning:
adj, adv   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Latin; Origin: pro bono publico  ’for the public good’]//  used to describe work that someone, especially a lawyer, does without getting paid//


Words: pro forma
Meaning:
adj, adv  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: ’as a matter of form’]//  if something is approved, accepted etc pro forma, this is part of the usual way of doing things and does not involve any actual choice or decision//  --pro forma approval//


Words: pro forma invoice
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a document like a bill that is sent to the customer to show what a price would be if he or she made an order//   quotation//


Words: pro rata
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  especially BrE   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: ’for the rate’]//  a payment or share that is pro rata is calculated according to how much of something is used, how much work is done, etc//  --Fees are calculated on a pro rata basis .//  -- pro rata adv //


Words: pro tem
Meaning:
[only after noun]  formal   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: pro tempore  ’for the time’]//  happening or existing now, but only for a short time//  --the president pro tem of the Senate//


Words: pro-
Meaning:
prefix   [Language: Old French; Origin: Latin, from  Greek, from  pro  ’before, for’]//\n  1 supporting or approving of something:  → anti-//  --pro-American//  --the pro-choice lobby//\n  2  technical doing a job instead of someone:  --the pro-vice-chancellor//


Words: pro-am
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: pro +  am (from  amateur)]//  a competition, especially in golf, for professionals (=people who play for money) and amateurs (=people who play just for pleasure) //  -- pro-am adj //


Words: pro-choice
Meaning:
adj   someone who is pro-choice believes that women have a right to have an abortion//    pro-life//  --the pro-choice lobby//


Words: pro-life
Meaning:
adj   someone who is pro-life is opposed to abortion and uses this word to describe their opinion//    pro-choice//  --a pro-life activist//


Words: proactive
Meaning:
adj   making things happen or change rather than reacting to events//  --a proactive approach to staffing requirements//


Words: probability
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U and C] how likely something is, sometimes calculated in a mathematical way:   likelihood, chance//  the probability of (doing) sth//  --The probability of winning the lottery is really very low.//  --There’s a high probability that the children will follow a different career.//  probability that//  --There is a 95% probability that she will not have the disease.//  --You must decide whether, on the balance of probabilities , he committed the crime.//\n  2 [singular] what is likely or something that is likely:  --The probability is that smaller businesses will not have to pay the tax.//  --A peace agreement now seems a probability rather than a possibility.//  high/strong probability //  --projects that have a high probability of making profits//\n  3  in all probability:  very probably//  --Mistakes could and, in all probability, would occur.//


Words: probable
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin probabilis, from  probare;   PROBE2]//  likely to exist, happen, or be true//  --The probable cause of the fire was faulty wiring.//  --Success is highly probable .//  it is probable (that)//  --It seems probable that the accident has damaged her brain.//  probable outcome/consequence/result //  --The probable result of global warming will be a rise in sea levels.//\nprobable 2 n [C]   someone who is likely to be chosen for a team, to win a race etc//


Words: probably
Meaning:
adv   used to say that something is likely to happen, likely to be true etc//  --It will probably take about a week.//  --This would probably be a good time to take a break.//  --It’s probably the best movie I have ever seen.//  [sentence adverb] //  --’Are you going to be able to do this?’ ’Yes, probably.’//  --’Is she going to send it back?’ ’ Probably not , no.’//  very/most probably //  --The building will be replaced, most probably by a modern sports centre.//


Words: probate
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: probatum, from the past participle of  probare;   PROBE2]//   law the legal process of deciding that someone’s will has been properly made//\nprobate 2 v [T]    AmE  law to prove that a will is legal//


Words: probation
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 a system that allows some criminals not to go to prison or to leave prison, if they behave well and see a probation officer regularly, for a particular period of time:  --The judge sentenced Jennings to three years’ probation.//  (put/place sb) on probation //  --He pleaded guilty and was placed on probation.//\n  2 a period of time, during which an employer can see if a new worker is suitable:  --a three month probation period//  on probation//  --Some people are appointed on probation.//\n  3  AmE a period of time in which you must improve your work or behave well so that you will not have to leave your job:  --I’m afraid I have no choice but to put you on probation .//  -- probationary adj //  --a probationary period//


Words: probation officer
Meaning:
n [C]   someone whose job is to watch, advise, and help people who have broken the law and are on probation//


Words: probationer
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who has recently started a job, especially nursing or teaching, and who is being tested to see whether they are suitable for it:\n  2 someone who has broken the law, and has been put on probation:


Words: probe
Meaning:
v [I and T] \n  1 to ask questions in order to find things out, especially things that other people do not want you to know:  probe into//  --I don’t want to probe too deeply into your personal affairs.//  --Police probed claims that he had sold drugs.//\n  2 to look for something or examine something, using a long thin object:  --Jules probed the mud gingerly with a stick.//\nprobe 2 n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: proba, from  Latin probare  ’to test, prove’]//\n  1 a long thin metal instrument that doctors and scientists use to examine parts of the body:\n  2 a space probe:\n  3 an investigation in which many questions are asked to discover the truth about something:  --a police corruption probe//


Words: probing
Meaning:
adj \n  1 designed to find things out, especially things that other people do not want you to know:  --probing questions//\n  2 watching carefully and intelligently:  --his probing eyes//  -- probingly adv //


Words: probiotic
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a food or other substance that contains bacteria and is used in a positive way to improve health, or the use of this type of food to improve health//  --Probiotics have been reported to enhance digestion.//  --probiotic yoghurt//


Words: probity
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: probitas, from  probus  ’honest’]//   formal complete honesty//  --I have always found Bentner to be a model of probity in our dealings.//


Words: problem
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 difficulty:\n   2 :\n   3 question:\n   4 no problem:\n   5 the (only) problem is (that) ...:\n   6 that’s your/his etc problem:\n   7 it’s/that’s not my problem:\n   8 What’s your/his etc problem?:\n   9 Do you have a problem with that?:\n  10 problem child/family/drinker etc:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: probl[hA169]me, from  Latin problema, from  Greek,  ’something thrown forward’, from  proballein  ’to throw forward’]//\n  1 DIFFICULTY:  a situation that causes difficulties//  problem of//  --the problem of race relations//  problem with//  --I’ve been having a few problems with my car.//  --She was older than me, but that wasn’t a problem.//  --new ways of dealing with the problem of street crime//  --Does this mean that all our problems are solved ?//  --They still have some serious problems to overcome .//  --new measures aimed at tackling the drug problem //  --The shortage of teachers poses a major problem .//  --The country has huge economic problems .//  --He had to take some time off work due to personal problems .//  --The marriage ended because of her husband’s drink problem .//  --We still haven’t sorted out the thorny problem of where exactly the money is going to come from. see usage note  trouble1 //\n  2 something wrong with your health or with part of your body:  health problem/problem with your health //  --Does she have any long-term health problems?//  back/heart/kidney etc problem //  --If you have back problems you should avoid lifting heavy objects.//  hearing problem //  --Many people with hearing problems try to hide their condition.//  weight problem //  --She refuses to admit to herself that she has a weight problem.//  emotional/psychological problem //  --Is this a sign of some kind of deeper psychological problem?//\n  3 QUESTION:  a question for which you have to find the right answer, using mathematics or careful thought//  --She gave us 20 mathematical problems to solve.//\n  4  no problem:   spoken //  a) used to say that you are happy to do something or for someone else to do something//  --’Can I bring a friend?’ ’Sure, no problem.’//  b) used after someone has said thank you or said that they are sorry//  --’Thanks for all your help.’ ’No problem!’//\n  5  the (only) problem is (that) ...:   spoken used before saying what the main difficulty in a situation is//  --The problem is, there isn’t enough time.//\n  6  that’s your/his etc problem:   spoken used to say rudely that someone else is responsible for dealing with a situation, not you//  --If you miss the train, that’s your problem.//\n  7  it’s/that’s not my problem:   spoken used to say rudely that you are not responsible for dealing with a particular problem and are not willing to help//  --’We’ve got a serious staffing shortage.’ ’That’s not my problem.’//\n  8  What’s your/his etc problem?:   spoken  informal used when you think that someone is behaving in a way that is unreasonable//\n  9  Do you have a problem with that?:   spoken  informal used to ask someone why they seem to disagree with you, in a way that shows that you are annoyed//\n  10  problem child/family/drinker etc:  a child etc whose behaviour causes problems for other people//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  have a problem //  big/serious/major problem //  cause a problem //  deal with/sort out a problem //  solve/fix/overcome a problem //  address/tackle a problem //  pose/present a probem //  a problem arises/occurs/comes up (=it happens) //  economic/financial problems //  personal problem (=a problem in someone’s private life) //  money/family problems //  drink/drug problem (=when someone drinks too much alcohol or takes too many drugs) //  thorny/knotty problem (=a difficult problem) //  GRAMMAR //  You can say that you  have a problem  or  have problems : We have a slight problem. |  Are you having problems with your parents? //  !!  You can  have problems doing something. Do not use ’to do’ : I’m having a problem finishing (NOT a problem to finish) this. | He had problems finding (NOT problems to find) a job. //  !!  Do not say ’the problem why’. To explain why there is a problem, use  the reason why : The reason why people don’t shop there is that it costs too much. //  !!  Do not say ’problems happen’. Use the verbs  arise  or  occur : Problems start to arise (NOT start to happen) when people don’t keep up their payments. //  ----------//


Words: problem page
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a page in a magazine where letters are printed about people’s personal problems, and answers are suggested//


Words: problem-solving
Meaning:
n [U]   when you find ways of doing things, or answers to problems//  --tasks that involve problem-solving//  --employees with good problem-solving skills//


Words: problematic
Meaning:
adj   involving problems and difficult to deal with//  --The reforms could turn out be highly problematic .//


Words: proboscis
Meaning:
n   plural  probosces /-si[hA359]z/ or  proboscises  [C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: Greek proboskis, from  boskein  ’to feed’]//\n  1 a long thin tube that forms part of the mouth of some insects and worms:\n  2 the long thin nose of some animals such as an elephant:


Words: probs
Meaning:
n   no probs//   BrE  spoken  informal used to say that you will be able to do something easily and with no problems//  --It’ll be ready by six - no probs.//


Words: procedural
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  formal   connected with a procedure, especially in a law court//  --procedural rules//


Words: procedure
Meaning:
W2S3   n [U and C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: procedure, from  Old French proceder;   PROCEED]//\n  1 a way of doing something, especially the correct or usual way:    process//  procedure for//  --What’s the procedure for applying for a visa?//  correct/proper/normal etc procedure //  --This is standard procedure for getting rid of toxic waste.//  legal/court/parliamentary etc procedures //  --All schools have disciplinary procedures they must follow .//  --On board, we were given the usual talk on safety procedures  (=what to do if an accident happens, or to prevent an accident) .//\n  2 a medical treatment or operation:  --Liposuction is a minor surgical procedure .//


Words: proceed
Meaning:
W3S3   v [I]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: proceder, from  Latin procedere  ’to go forward’]//\n  1  formal to continue to do something that has already been planned or started:    proceeds//  proceed with//  --The government was determined to proceed with the election.//  --Before proceeding further, we must define our terms.//\n  2  formal to continue:  --Work is proceeding according to plan .//\n  3  proceed to do sth:  to do something after doing something else first - used sometimes to express surprise or annoyance//  --Sammy took off his coat and proceeded to undo his boots.//\n  4 [always +adverb/preposition]  formal to move in a particular direction:  proceed to/towards/into etc//  --Passengers for Miami should proceed to gate 25.//  proceed against [proceed against sb] phr v//  to begin a legal case against someone//  proceed from [proceed from sth] phr v//  to happen or exist as a result of something//  --ideas that proceed from a disturbed state of mind//  proceed to [proceed to sth] phr v//  if you proceed to the next part of an activity, job etc, you do or take part in the next part of it//   go on to//  --players who proceed to the finals of the competition//  ----------//  HINT //  Do not confuse proceed and precede, which have different meanings and slightly different pronunciations. //  ----------//


Words: proceeding
Meaning:
W2   n \n  1  the proceedings:   also the proceeding //  an event or a series of things that happen//  --We watched the proceedings in the street below.//  --At this point in the proceedings, my doctor offered me a choice.//\n  2 [C usually plural] when someone uses a court of law to deal with a legal case:  begin/open/take proceedings (against sb) //  --She has begun divorce proceedings .//  --John is taking legal proceedings against his ex-partner.//\n  3  the proceedings:   formal the official written records of a meeting, society etc//  the proceedings of//  --the proceedings of the conference//


Words: proceeds
Meaning:
n [plural]  formal   the money that is obtained from doing something or selling something//  --We sold the business and bought a villa in Spain with the proceeds.//  proceeds of/from//  --The proceeds of the concert will go to charity.//


Words: process
Meaning:
W1S2   n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: proces, from  Latin processus, from  procedere;   PROCEED]//\n  1 a series of actions that are done in order to achieve a particular result:  --the Israeli-Egyptian peace process //  --Repetition can help the learning process.//  process of//  --the process of economic change//  slow/lengthy/laborious etc process //  --Getting fit again has been a long slow process.//  --the mental processes involved in decision-making//\n  2 a series of things that happen naturally and result in gradual change:  process of//  --the natural process of evolution//  --Coal forms by a slow process of chemical change.//  --the digestive process//\n  3  be in the process of (doing) sth:  to have started doing something and not yet be finished//  --The company is in the process of moving to new offices.//\n  4  be in process:  if something is in process, it is happening now//  --There was an armed revolt in process.//\n  5  in the process:  while you are doing something or something is happening//  --I spilt the coffee, burning myself in the process.//\n  6  process of elimination:  a way of finding the right answer, the truth etc by gradually deciding that none of the other answers etc are possible//  by (a) process of elimination//  --I solved the problem by a process of elimination.//\n  7 a method of making or producing goods:  --the car production process //  --Recycling is an industrial process.//    due process//\nprocess 2 v [T] \n  1 to make food, materials, or goods ready to be used or sold, for example by preserving or improving them in some way:  --Goats’ cheese may be processed in many ways.//  --Two million workers are employed processing goods for electronic firms.//\n  2 to deal with an official document, request etc in the usual way:  process an application/claim/transaction etc //  --All university applications are processed through this system.//\n  3 to deal with information using a computer:  --The new network will enable data to be processed more speedily.//\n  4 to print a picture from a photographic film:    data processing,  word processor//\nprocess 3  preposition]    formal to walk or move along in a very slow and serious way, especially as part of a group//


Words: processed
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   processed food has substances added to it before it is sold, in order to preserve it, improve its colour etc//  processed cheese/meat/fish etc //  --the artificial colourings and flavourings in processed foods//


Words: procession
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U and C] a line of people or vehicles moving slowly as part of a ceremony:    parade//  funeral/wedding/carnival etc procession //  --They marched in procession to the Capitol building.//\n  2 [C] several people or things of the same type, appearing or happening one after the other:  procession of//  --an endless procession of visitors//


Words: processor
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 the central part of a computer that deals with the commands and information it is given:   central processing unit//\n  2 a machine or person that processes food or other materials before they are sold or used:  --US tuna processors//    food processor//


Words: proclaim
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: proclamer, from  Latin proclamare, from  clamare  ’to cry out’]//\n  1 to say publicly or officially that something important is true or exists:    proclamation//  --The President proclaimed the republic’s independence.//  proclaim that//  --Protesters proclaimed that the girl was innocent.//  proclaim sb sth//  --His son was immediately proclaimed king.//\n  2 to show something clearly or be a sign of something:  --The stripes on her uniform proclaimed her seniority.//


Words: proclamation
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin, from  proclamare;   PROCLAIM]//  [U and C] an official public statement about something that is important, or when someone makes such a statement//    proclaim//  --The authorities issued a proclamation forbidding public meetings.//  proclamation of//  --the proclamation of Lithuania’s independence//


Words: proclivity
Meaning:
n   plural  proclivities  [C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: proclivitas, from  proclivis  ’sloping’, from  clivis  ’hill’]//   formal a tendency to behave in a particular way, or to like a particular thing - used especially about something bad//  proclivity to/towards/for//  --The child showed no proclivity towards aggression.//  --his sexual proclivities//


Words: proconsul
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: pro consule  ’for a consul’]//  someone who governed a part of the ancient Roman Empire//


Words: procrastinate
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  procrastinare, from  cras  ’tomorrow’]//   formal to delay doing something that you ought to do, usually because you do not want to do it//   put off//  --People often procrastinate when it comes to paperwork.//  -- procrastination/pr[hA353]kr[zB024]st[hA369]ne[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U] //


Words: procreate
Meaning:
v [I and T]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  procreare, from  creare;   CREATE]//   formal to produce children or baby animals//   reproduce//  -- procreation/pr[hA353][hA35E]krie[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ pro[hA35E]-/ n  [U] //


Words: proctor
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: procurator]//   AmE someone who watches students in an examination to make sure that they do not cheat//  British Equivalent:  invigilator//  -- proctor v  [T] //


Words: procurator
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Latin; Origin: procurare;   PROCURE]//\n  1 an official with legal powers, especially in the former Soviet Union, the Roman Catholic Church or the ancient Roman Empire:  --the Procurator General of the Ukraine//\n  2  procurator fiscal:  an official in Scotland who decides whether someone should be sent to court for a trial//


Words: procure
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Latin; Origin: procurare, from  cura  ’care’]//\n  1 to obtain something, especially something that is difficult to get:  procure sth for sb//  --He was accused of procuring weapons for terrorists.//\n  2 to provide a prostitute for someone:  -- procurable adj //  -- procurement n  [U] //  --the procurement of raw materials from abroad//  -- procurer n  [C] //


Words: prod
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  prodded present participle  prodding  [I and T] //\n  1 to quickly push something or someone with your finger or a pointed object:   poke//  --’Don’t go to sleep,’ she said, prodding me in the ribs.//  prod at//  --Theo prodded at the dead snake.//\n  2 to make someone do something by persuading or reminding them that it is necessary, especially when they are lazy or unwilling:  prod sb into (doing) sth//  --It had prodded Ben into doing something about it.//  --The strike may prod the government into action .//  -- prodding n  [U] //  --He’s a bright kid, but he needs prodding.//\nprod 2 n [C usually singular]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  brod  ’pointed stick for making an animal go forward’ (14-19 centuries), probably from  Old Norse broddr  ’spike’]//\n  1  especially BrE a quick pushing movement, using your finger or a pointed object:   poke//  --’Go on,’ he whispered, giving me a prod in the back.//\n  2  BrE when you persuade or remind someone to do something:  --Why don’t you ring the shop and give them a prod ?//\n  3 a pointed instrument used for pushing animals, to make them move:  --a cattle prod //


Words: prodigal
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: prodigus, from  prodigere  ’to drive away, use wastefully’]//\n  1  prodigal son/daughter:  someone who leaves their family and home without the approval of their family, but who is sorry later and returns//\n  2 spending money, wasting time etc in a careless way:   extravagant//  --a prodigal lifestyle//\nprodigal 2 n [C]  literary   someone who spends money carelessly and wastes their time - used humorously//


Words: prodigious
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]   very large or great in a surprising or impressive way//  prodigious amounts/quantities of sth //  --Some galaxies seem to release prodigious amounts of energy.//  --the artist’s prodigious output//  -- prodigiously adv //


Words: prodigy
Meaning:
n   plural  prodigies  [C] //  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: prodigium  ’sign telling the future, monster’]//  a young person who has a great natural ability in a subject or skill//  child/infant prodigy //  --Mozart was a musical prodigy.//


Words: produce
Meaning:
v [T]   ----------//\n   1 cause:\n   2 create/make:\n   3 make naturally:\n   4 show:\n   5 play/film:\n   6 baby:  ----------//  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: producere, from  ducere  ’to lead’]//\n  1 CAUSE:  to cause a particular result or effect//    product//  --New drugs are producing remarkable results .//  --a rise in sea-level produced by climatic change//  --As a policy, it did not produce the desired effect . see usage note  produce2 //\n  2 CREATE/MAKE:  to make, write etc something to be bought, used, or enjoyed by people//    product, production//  --The factory produces an incredible 100 cars per hour.//  --How did you manage to produce a meal so quickly?//    mass-produced//\n  3 MAKE NATURALLY:  to grow something or make it naturally//    product, production//  --This region produces the grapes used in champagne.//  --Plants produce oxygen.//\n  4 SHOW:  if you produce an object, you bring it out or present it, so that people can see or consider it//  --When challenged, he produced a gun.//  --They were unable to produce any statistics to verify their claims.//\n  5 PLAY/FILM:  if someone produces a film or play, they find the money for it and control the way it is made//    producer//  --Costner produced and directed the film.//\n  6 BABY:  to give birth to a baby or young animals//  --An adult cat may produce kittens three times a year.//\nproduce 2   n [U]   food or other things that have been grown or produced on a farm to be sold//  agricultural/organic etc produce //  -- fresh local produce //  dairy produce  BrE  (=milk, butter, cheese etc) //  ----------//  WORD CHOICE: produce (v), produce (n), product //  The verb  produce  is pronounced /pr[hA353]dju[hA359]s -du[hA359]s/ . The noun produce  is pronounced /pr[hA361]dju[hA359]s pro[hA35E]du[hA359]s/ and is used to mean ’food that has been grown to be sold’ : We sell tinned goods and fresh produce  (=fruit and vegetables). //  The usual noun used to mean ’something that is produced to be sold’ is  product : Their latest product is a games console. |  the packaging of food products //  ----------//


Words: producer
Meaning:
W3   n [C] \n  1 someone whose job is to control the preparation of a play, film, or broadcast, but who does not direct the actors:  television/film/theatre producer //  --Hollywood producers and movie stars//\n  2  also record producer :  someone whose job is to organize and direct the recording and production of a record//\n  3 a person, company, or country that makes or grows goods, foods, or materials:    consumer//  producer of//  --South Carolina is the fourth largest producer of tobacco.//  coffee/wine/car etc producer //  --leading oil producers//


Words: product
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: productum, from the past participle of  producere;   PRODUCE1]//\n  1 [U and C] something that is grown or made in a factory in large quantities, usually in order to be sold:    produce, production//  agricultural/dairy/software etc products //  --consumer products such as VCRs//  --The London factory assembles the finished product .//  --He works in marketing and product development. see usage note  produce2 //\n  2  the product of sth:  a) if someone is the product of a particular background or experience, their character is typical of that background or the result of that experience//  --Paula was the product of a sheltered middle-class home.//  b) if something is the product of a particular situation, process etc, it is the result of that situation or process//  --The report was the product of four years’ hard work.//\n  3 [C]  technical the number you get by multiplying two or more numbers in mathematics:\n  4 [C] something that is produced through a natural or chemical process:  --Hemoglobin is a product of red blood cells.//


Words: product placement
Meaning:
n [U]   a form of advertising in which a company arranges for one or more of its products to appear in a television programme or film//


Words: production
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] the process of making or growing things to be sold, especially in large quantities:    produce, product//  production of//  --the production of consumer goods//  food/oil/milk etc production //  --agricultural production and distribution//  production costs/facilities/processes etc //  --high-tech production methods//  be in production//   (=being produced) //  --By September, the new motors were in production.//  go into/out of production//   (=begin to be produced in large numbers, or stop being produced) //  --The new model will go into production next year.//\n  2 [U] the amount of goods that are made or grown:  increase/rise/fall etc in production //  --a drop in oil and gas production//  production levels/targets etc //\n  3 [U] when something is produced through a natural process:  production of//  --the skin’s natural production of oil//\n  4 [U and C] a play, film, broadcast etc that is produced for the public, or the process of producing it:  --the new Shakespeare production at the Arts Theatre//  --In 1992, Green moved into video production.//\n  5  on/upon (the) production of sth:   formal when you show something//  --Entrance is only permitted on production of a ticket.//


Words: production line
Meaning:
n [C]   a line of machines and workers in a factory, each doing one job in the process of making of a product before passing it to the next machine or worker//   assembly line//


Words: productive
Meaning:
adj \n  1 producing or achieving a lot:  → unproductive//  --Most of us are more productive in the morning.//  --a highly productive meeting//\n  2 [only before noun] relating to the production of goods, crops, or wealth:  --the economy’s productive capacity//\n  3  productive of sth:   formal causing or resulting in something//  --The meeting was productive of several good ideas.//  -- productively adv //


Words: productivity
Meaning:
n [U]   the rate at which goods are produced, and the amount produced, especially in relation to the work, time, and money needed to produce them//  increase/improve/raise productivity //  --ways of increasing productivity//  -- high productivity levels in manufacturing//  --It cost the country $4 million in lost productivity .//


Words: prof
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  informal a professor:\n  2  Prof.:  the written abbreviation of professor , used in front of names//


Words: profane
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: prophane, from  Latin profanus, from  fanum  ’temple’]//\n  1 showing a lack of respect for God or holy things:  --profane language//\n  2 related to ordinary life, not religion or holy things:   secular//  → sacred//  --sacred and profane art//\nprofane 2 v [T]    formal to treat something holy with a lack of respect//


Words: profanity
Meaning:
n   plural  profanities //\n  1 [C usually plural] offensive words or religious words used in a way that shows you do not respect God or holy things:\n  2 [U]  formal behaviour that shows you do not respect God or holy things:


Words: profess
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: professus, past participle of  profiteri  ’to profess, confess’]//\n  1 to say that you do, are etc something, especially when it is not really true:  profess to do/be sth//  --The government professes to care about the poor.//  --He professed to be an expert on Islamic art.//\n  2  profess your innocence:  to say that you did not do something bad, especially a crime//  --In court, the man was still professing his innocence.//\n  3 to state a personal feeling or belief openly:  --He finally made up his mind to profess his love for her.//  profess yourself (to be) sth//  --He professed himself satisfied with the results.//\n  4 to have a religion or belief:  --Matt professed no religion.//


Words: professed
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  formal \n  1 used to describe a belief that someone has stated openly:  --a professed atheist//\n  2 used to describe a feeling or attitude that someone says they have, but which may not be true:  --Their professed aim is to encourage democracy.//


Words: profession
Meaning:
W3S3   n \n  1 [C] a job that needs a high level of education and training:  the legal/medical/teaching etc profession //  --members of the teaching profession//  enter/go into/join a profession //  --Some students enter other professions such as arts administration.//  --people who work in the professions  (=doctors, lawyers etc) //  by profession//  --Johnson was a barrister by profession.//  --nurses, social workers, and other people in the caring professions  (=ones that involve looking after people)  see usage note  job//\n  2 [singular, also + plural verb British English] all the people who work in a particular profession:  --the medical profession //\n  3 [C]  formal a statement of your belief, opinion, or feeling:  profession of//  --a profession of faith//\n  4  the oldest profession:  the job of being a prostitute - used humorously//


Words: professional
Meaning:
W1S2   adj   ----------//\n   1 job:\n   2 well trained:\n   3 paid:\n   4 team/event:\n   5 professional person/man/woman etc:\n   6 professional liar/complainer etc:  ----------//\n  1 JOB:   [only before noun] //  a) relating to a job that needs special education and training//  --What professional qualifications does he have?//  --It is essential to get good professional advice .//  --You may need to seek professional help .//  b) relating to your job or work and not to your private life//  --professional contacts//\n  2 WELL TRAINED:  showing that someone has been well trained and is good at their work//  --This business plan looks very professional.//  --a more professional approach to work//\n  3 PAID:  doing a job, sport, or activity for money, rather than just for fun//    amateur//  --a professional tennis player//  --a professional army//  turn/go professional (=start to do something as a job) //\n  4 TEAM/EVENT:  done by or relating to people who are paid to do a sport or activity//    amateur//  --a professional hockey team//  --The golf tournament is a professional event.//\n  5  professional person/man/woman etc:  someone who works in a profession, or who has an important position in a company or business//  --We’d prefer to rent the house to a professional couple.//\n  6  professional liar/complainer etc:  someone who lies or complains too much - used humorously//  -- professionalization/pr[hA353]fe[hA35D][hA368]n[hA353]la[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ -l[hA353]-/ n  [U] //  --the increasing professionalization of childcare services//  -- professionalize/pr[hA353]fe[hA35D][hA368]n[hA353]la[hA366]z/ v  [T] //\nprofessional 2 W3 n [C] \n  1 someone who earns money by doing a job, sport, or activity that many other people do just for fun:    amateur//  --Hurd signed as a professional in 1998.//  --top snooker professionals//\n  2 someone who works in a job that needs special education and training, such as a doctor, lawyer, or architect:  -- health professionals  (=doctors, nurses etc) //\n  3 someone who has a lot of experience and does something very skillfully:  --You sing like a real professional.//\n  4  tennis/golf/swimming etc professional:  someone who is very good at a sport and is employed by a private club to teach its members//


Words: professional foul
Meaning:
n [C]   in football, if someone commits a professional foul, they deliberately do something that is against the rules in order to prevent another player from scoring//


Words: professional wrestling
Meaning:
n [U]   a form of entertainment in which people, usually men, fight each other in a way that has been planned before the event//  -- professional wrestler n  [C] //


Words: professionalism
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the skill and high standards of behaviour expected of a professional person:  --the dedication and professionalism of our staff//\n  2  BrE the practice of using professional players in sports:  --Professionalism has raised the standard of rugby immensely.//


Words: professionally
Meaning:
adv \n  1 as part of your work:  --Do you need to use English professionally?//\n  2 in a way that shows high standards and good training:  --The magazine wasn’t very professionally designed.//\n  3 as a paid job rather than just for fun:  --a chance to play football professionally//\n  4 by someone who has the necessary skills and training:  --The carpet should be professionally fitted.//


Words: professor
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  BrE a teacher of the highest rank in a university department:  --Professor Barclay//  professor of Chinese/economics/religion etc //  --She’s been named the professor of English.//\n  2  AmE a teacher at a university or college:  --Ted’s a college professor .//  biology/history/French etc professor //  --Who’s your chemistry professor?//    assistant professor,  associate professor see usage note  teacher//


Words: professorial
Meaning:
adj   relating to the job of a professor, or considered typical of a professor//  --a new professorial chair//  --His beard gives him a very professorial look.//  -- professorially adv //


Words: proffer
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: profrer, from  Old French poroffrir, from  por-  ’forward’ +  offrir  ’to offer’]//\n  1 to offer something to someone, especially by holding it out in your hands:  --Sarah took the glass proffered by the attendant.//  proffer sb sth//  --Poirot proffered him a cigarette.//\n  2 to give someone advice, an explanation etc:  --the proffered invitation//


Words: proficiency
Meaning:
n [U]   a good standard of ability and skill//  proficiency in/with/at//  --a high level of proficiency in English//  --Nick’s proficiency with computers is well-known.//


Words: proficient
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  proficere  ’to go forward, get something done’]//  able to do something well or skilfully//  proficient in/at//  --Martha’s proficient in Swedish.//  --There’s only one way to become proficient at anything - practice!//  --a proficient typist//  -- proficiently adv //


Words: profile
Meaning:
W3   n [C]   ----------//\n   1 head:\n   2 description:\n   3 high profile:\n   4 keep a low profile:\n   5 raise somebody’s profile:\n   6 shape:  ----------//  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Italian; Origin: profilo, from  profilare  ’to draw the edge of something’, from  filare  ’to spin’]//\n  1 HEAD:  a side view of someone’s head//  --Dani has a lovely profile.//  in profile//  --I only saw her face in profile.//\n  2 DESCRIPTION:  a short description that gives important details about a person, a group of people, or a place//  --a job profile//  profile of//  --a short profile of the actor//\n  3  high profile:  something that is high profile is noticed by many people or gets a lot of attention//  --Jack runs a department with a high public profile.//  --The star has a high profile in Britain.//\n  4  keep a low profile:  to behave quietly and avoid doing things that will make people notice you//\n  5  raise sb’s profile:  if a person or an organization raises its profile, it gets more attention from the public//  --an advertising campaign designed to raise the bank’s profile//\n  6 SHAPE:  an edge or shape of something seen against a background//  --the sharp profile of the western foothills against the sky//\nprofile 2 v [T]   to write or give a short description of someone or something//  --The new Chief Executive was profiled in yesterday’s newspaper.//


Words: profiling
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1  offender profiling:   BrE the process of studying a crime, especially a murder, and making judgments about the character of the person who committed it//\n  2  AmE when people who belong to a particular race or group are stopped and searched, for example by the police or at airports, because the police think that they are more likely to commit crimes:  --racial profiling//\n  3 when companies collect information about people that they wish to sell something to:


Words: profit
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin profectus, past participle of  proficere;   PROFICIENT]//\n  1 [U and C] money that you gain by selling things or doing business, after your costs have been paid:  → loss//    revenue//  --Our daily profit is usually around $500.//  --She sold the business and bought a farm with the profits.//  --They sold their house  at a  healthy  profit .//  --Few independent movies turn a profit .//  --The property company made a huge profit on the deal.//  -- Profits are up by a third.//  --Marston’s profits rose last year to $17 million.//  --The group’s pre-tax profits slumped to [hA124]25.5m.//  --They were able to report a small trading profit .//\n  2 [U]  formal an advantage that you gain from doing something:  --There’s no profit in letting meetings drag on.//    non-profit//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  at a profit //  make/earn/turn a profit //  big/huge/healthy/substantial/handsome/hefty profit (=a large profit) //  profits are up/down //  profits rise/increase/grow //  profits soar/leap (=profits increase by a lot) //  profits fall/drop //  profits slump/plunge (=profits fall by a lot) //  boost profits (=make them increase) //  maximize profits (=get as much profit as possible) //  net profit (=after tax and costs are paid) //  gross profit (=before tax and costs are paid) //  pre-tax profit (=before tax is paid) //  trading/operating profit //  ----------//\nprofit 2 v [I and T] \n  1  formal to be useful or helpful to someone:  profit sb to do sth//  --It might profit you to learn about the company before your interview.//  profit by/from//  --There are lessons in these stories that all children can profit by.//\n  2 to get money from doing something:  profit by/from//  --Some industries, such as shipbuilding, clearly profited from the war.//


Words: profit and loss account
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a financial statement showing a company’s income, spending, and profit over a particular period//


Words: profitability
Meaning:
n [U]   when a business or an activity makes a profit, or the amount of profit it makes//  --a decline in company profitability//


Words: profitable
Meaning:
adj   producing a profit or a useful result//  → unprofitable//  --The advertising campaign proved very profitable.//  --a highly profitable business//  --a profitable afternoon//  -- profitably adv //


Words: profiteering
Meaning:
n [U]   the process of making unfairly large profits, especially by selling things that are very difficult to get at very high prices//  -- profiteer n  [C] //  --black market profiteers//  -- profiteer v  [I] //


Words: profits warning
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE  technical   an occasion when a company announces that its profit for a particular period of time will be less than expected//


Words: profligate
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  profligare  ’to strike down’]//\n  1 wasting money or other things in a careless way:   wasteful//  --profligate spending//  --the profligate use of energy resources//\n  2 behaving in an immoral way and not caring that your behaviour is bad:  -- profligacy n  [U] //  -- profligate n  [C] //


Words: profound
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: profond  ’deep’, from  Latin profundus, from  fundus  ’bottom’]//\n  1 having a strong influence or effect:  profound effect/influence/impact/consequence etc //  --Tolstoy’s experiences of war had a profound effect on his work.//  --The mother’s behaviour has a profound impact on the developing child.//  --profound changes in society//\n  2 showing strong, serious feelings:   deep//  --a profound sense of guilt//\n  3 showing great knowledge and understanding:   deep//  --a profound question//  --Jenner is a profound thinker.//\n  4  literary deep or far below the surface of something:   deep//  --Her work touches something profound in the human psyche.//\n  5 complete:  --profound deafness//  -- profoundly adv //  --profoundly disturbing news//


Words: profundity
Meaning:
n   plural  profundities  formal //\n  1 [U] when someone or something shows great knowledge and understanding, or strong, serious feelings:   depth//  --The cartoon version lacks the profundity of the original text.//\n  2 [C usually plural] something that someone says that shows great knowledge and understanding:  --the profundities of her speech//


Words: profuse
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  profundere  ’to pour out’]//  produced or existing in large quantities//  --He made profuse apologies .//  --Profuse sweating is one of the symptoms of heat exhaustion.//  -- profusely adv //  --The wound was bleeding profusely.//  -- profuseness n  [U] //


Words: profusion
Meaning:
n [singular,U]  formal   a very large amount of something//  profusion of//  --The house was overflowing with a profusion of strange ornaments.//  in profusion//  --Cornflowers grow in profusion in the fields.//


Words: progenitor
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: progignere  ’to produce young’]//\n  1  formal someone who first thought of an idea:  progenitor of//  --a progenitor of cubism//\n  2  technical a person or animal that lived in the past, to whom someone or something living now is related:   ancestor//


Words: progeny
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: progenie, from  Latin progenies,  from  progignere;   PROGENITOR]//\n  1  formal the babies of animals or plants:   offspring//\n  2 someone’s children - used humorously:   offspring//  --Sarah with her numerous progeny//\n  3 something that develops from something else:  progeny of//  --Connolly’s book is the progeny of an earlier TV series.//


Words: progesterone
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: pro- +  gestation +  -one]//  a female sex hormone which prepares the body for having a baby, and which is also used in contraceptive drugs//


Words: prognathous
Meaning:
adj  technical   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: pro- +  Greek gnathos  ’jaw’]//  having a jaw that sticks out more than the rest of the face//


Words: prognosis
Meaning:
n   plural  prognoses /-si[hA359]z/ [C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Late Latin; Origin: Greek, from  progignoskein  ’to know before’]//\n  1 a doctor’s opinion of how an illness or disease will develop:    diagnosis//  good/poor prognosis //  --Doctors said Blake’s long-term prognosis is good.//\n  2  formal a judgment about the future, based on information or experience:  prognosis of//  --a hopeful prognosis of the country’s future development//


Words: prognostication
Meaning:
n [U and C]  formal   a statement about what you think will happen in the future//   forecast//  --gloomy prognostications//  -- prognosticate/pr[hA361]gn[hA361]st[hA369]ke[hA366]t $ pr[hA35A][hA359]gn[hA35A][hA359]s-/ v  [T] //


Words: program
Meaning:
W1   n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: programme, from  Greek, from  prographein  ’to write before’]//\n  1 a set of instructions given to a computer to make it perform an operation:  --a word processing program//\n  2 the American spelling of programme:\nprogram 2   past tense and past participle  programmed present participle  programming  v [T] //\n  1 to give a computer a set of instructions that it can use to perform a particular operation:  program sth to do sth//  --attempts to program computers to produce and understand speech//  --Any large high-speed computer can be programmed to learn.//\n  2 the American spelling of programme:    programmer//


Words: programmable
Meaning:
adj   able to be controlled by a computer or electronic program//  --a programmable heating system//


Words: programme
Meaning:
BrE  program AmE   n [C]   ----------//\n   1 plan:\n   2 television/radio:\n   3 education:\n   4 improvements:\n   5 play/concert:\n   6 list of events:\n   7 machine:  ----------//\n  1 PLAN:  a series of actions which are designed to achieve something important//  --the US space program//  programme to do sth//  --a United Nations programme to control the spread of AIDS//  programme of//  --a programme of economic reforms//\n  2 TELEVISION/RADIO:  something that you watch on television or listen to on the radio//  --What’s your favourite television programme ?//  --news and current affairs programmes//  programme about/on//  --There’s a programme about killer whales next.//  see/watch a programme //\n  3 EDUCATION:   AmE a course of study//  --Stanford University’s MBA program//  --a research program//\n  4 IMPROVEMENTS:  actions that have been planned to keep something in good condition or improve something//  --a new fitness programme//\n  5 PLAY/CONCERT:  a small book or piece of paper that gives information about a play, concert etc and who the performers are//  --a theatre programme//\n  6 LIST OF EVENTS:  a series of planned activities or events, or a list showing what order they will come in//  programme for//  --What’s the programme for tomorrow?//  programme of//  --a programme of exhibitions throughout the year//\n  7 MACHINE:  a series of actions done in a particular order by a machine such as a washing machine//  --The light goes off when it finishes the programme.//    program1 //\nprogramme 2  BrE  program AmE v [T] \n  1 to set a machine to operate in a particular way:  programme sth to do sth//  --I’ve programmed the video to come on at ten.//    program2 //\n  2  be programmed:  if a person or animal is programmed socially or biologically to do something, they do it without thinking//  be programmed to do sth//  --All birds of this species are programmed to build their nests in the same way.//\n  3 to arrange for something to happen as part of a series of planned events or activities:  --What’s programmed for this afternoon?//


Words: programmed learning
Meaning:
also programmed instruction  n [U]   a method of learning in which the subject to be learned is divided into small parts, and you have to get one part right before you can go on to the next//


Words: programming
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the activity of writing programs for computers, or something written by a programmer:  --a course in computer programming//\n  2 television or radio programmes, or the planning of these broadcasts:  --The Winter Olympics received over 160 hours of television programming.//


Words: progress
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  progredi  ’to go forward’]//\n  1 the process of getting better at doing something, or getting closer to finishing or achieving something:  --I’m afraid we’re not making much progress .//  progress of//  --the slow progress of the investigation//  --There has been significant progress in  in understanding the HIV infection.//  progress towards//  --They say they are making steady progress towards a peace settlement.//  progress on//  --Little progress has been made on human rights issues.//  --tests designed to monitor the student’s progress //  --At school his academic progress was hindered by a series of health problems.//  --The country has made huge economic progress in recent years.//\n  2 slow or steady movement somewhere:  --We made good progress despite the snow.//  progress through//  --They watched the ship’s slow progress through the heavy seas.//\n  3 change which is thought to lead to a better society, because of developments in science or fairer methods of social organization:  --Mankind is destroying the planet, all in the name of progress  (=because people want progress) .//  --Under communism, nothing was allowed to get in the way of the great march of progress .//\n  4  in progress:   formal happening now, and not yet finished//  --A lecture was in progress in the main hall.//  work/research in progress //  --They looked in periodically to check the work in progress.//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  make progress //  progress in (doing) something //  slow/steady progress //  good/significant/substantial/rapid progress //  follow/chart/monitor/keep track of somebody’s progress //  hinder somebody/something’s progress (=make it slower) //  economic/technological/scientific progress //  HINT //  progress is an uncountable noun. Do not say ’a progress’ or ’progresses’. //  ----------//\nprogress 2   v \n  1 [I] to improve, develop, or achieve things so that you are then at a more advanced stage:  → regress//  --I asked the nurse how my son was progressing.//  progress to//  --She started with a cleaning job, and progressed to running the company.//  progress towards//  --We must progress towards full integration of Catholic and Protestant pupils in Ireland.//  progress beyond//  --Last year the team didn’t progress beyond the opening round.//\n  2 [I and T] if an activity such as work or a project progresses, or you progress it, it continues:  --Work on the ship progressed quickly.//  --We’re hoping to progress the Lane project more quickly next week.//\n  3 [I] if time or an event progresses, time passes:  --As the meeting progressed, Nina grew more and more bored.//  --Time is progressing, so I’ll be brief.//\n  4 [I] to move forward slowly:  --Our taxi seemed to be progressing very slowly.//


Words: progression
Meaning:
n \n  1 [singular,U] a gradual process of change or development:  progression of//  --the natural progression of the disease//  progression through//  --his career progression through the organization//  progression from/to//  --the logical progression from accountant to financial controller//  progression towards//  --Europe’s progression towards economic and monetary union//\n  2 [C] a number of things coming one after the other:    arithmetic progression,  geometric progression//


Words: progressive
Meaning:
adj \n  1 supporting new or modern ideas and methods, especially in politics and education:  --a progressive administration//  --progressive and forward-looking policies//\n  2 happening or developing gradually over a period of time:  progressive decline/reduction/increase etc //  --the progressive increase in population//  --Britain’s progressive decline as a world power//\n  3  technical the progressive form of a verb is used to show that an action or activity is continuing to happen. In English it consists of the verb ’be’ followed by the present participle, as in ’I was waiting for the bus.’:   continuous//  -- progressively adv //  --The situation became progressively worse.//  -- progressiveness n  [U] //  -- progressivism n  [U] //\nprogressive 2 n [C]   someone with modern ideas who wants to change things//


Words: Progressive Party
Meaning:
the   one of the three US political parties which existed in the first half of the 20th century and supported  progressive ideas, such as better working conditions and government help for poor people, people without jobs etc. The Progressive Party was active in the US presidential elections of 1912, 1924, and 1948, but these were in fact three separate organizations.//


Words: progressive tax
Meaning:
n [singular]   a tax that takes more money from people with higher incomes than from people with lower incomes//  → regressive tax//


Words: prohibit
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  prohibere  ’to hold away, prevent’]//\n  1 [usually passive] to say that an action is illegal or not allowed:   ban, forbid//  --Smoking is strictly prohibited inside the factory.//  prohibit sb from doing sth//  --They are prohibited from revealing details about the candidates.//\n  2  formal to make something impossible or prevent it from happening:


Words: Prohibition
Meaning:
n   the period from 1919 to 1933 in the US when the production and sale of alcoholic drinks was illegal//


Words: prohibition
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] the act of saying that something is illegal:  prohibition of//  --the prohibition of the sale of firearms//\n  2 [C] an order stopping something:  prohibition on/against//  --a prohibition on Sunday trading//


Words: prohibitive
Meaning:
adj \n  1 prohibitive costs are so high that they prevent people from buying or doing something:  --The cost of land in Tokyo is prohibitive.//\n  2 a prohibitive rule prevents people from doing things:  --prohibitive regulations//  -- prohibitively adv //  --Moving house would be prohibitively expensive.//


Words: project
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: projectum, from the past participle of  proicere  ’to throw forward’]//\n  1 a carefully planned piece of work to get information about something, to build something, to improve something etc:  --The project aims to provide an analysis of children’s emotions.//  --a three-year research project //  --The scheme will now be extended after a successful pilot project  (=a small trial to test if an idea will be successful) .//  project to do sth//  --a project to develop a substitute for oil//  --The project is funded by Wellcome plc.//  --a project manager //\n  2 a part of a school or college course that involves careful study of a particular subject over a period of time:  project on//  --We’re doing a project on pollution.//  --a geography project//\n  3  also the projects  informal  AmE a housing project:\nproject 2   v   ----------//\n   1 calculate:\n   2 stick out:\n   3 film:\n   4 yourself:\n   5 plan:\n   6 project your voice:\n   7 send:\n   8 success:\n   9 feeling:  ----------//  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  proicere;   PROJECT1]//\n  1 CALCULATE:   [T] to calculate what something will be in the future, using the information you have now//  --The company projected an annual growth rate of 3%.//  --projected sales figures//  be projected to do sth//  --Total expenditure is projected to rise by 25%.//\n  2 STICK OUT:   [I] to stick out beyond an edge or surface//   protrude//  project out/from/through etc//  --Four towers projected from the main building.//  --projecting teeth//\n  3 FILM:   [T] to make the picture of a film, photograph etc appear in a larger form on a screen or flat surface//  project sth onto sth//  --She projected the slide onto the wall.//\n  4 YOURSELF:   [T] to try to make other people have a particular idea about you//  --I hope the team will project a smart, professional image .//  project yourself (as sth)//  --his attempts to project himself as a potential leader//\n  5 PLAN:   be projected//  to be planned to happen in the future//  --the projected closure of the hospital//\n  6  project your voice:  to speak clearly and loudly so that you can be heard by everyone in a big room//\n  7 SEND:   [T] to make something move up or forwards with great force//  --The plants projects its seeds over a wide area.//\n  8 SUCCESS:   [T] to make someone quickly have success or a much better job//  project sb into/onto etc sth//  --His success projected him onto Channel 4’s comedy series ’Packet of Three.’//\n  9 FEELING:   [T] to imagine that someone else is feeling the same emotions as you//  project sth on/onto sb//  --You’re projecting your insecurity onto me.//


Words: projectile
Meaning:
n [C]  formal \n  1 an object that is thrown at someone or is fired from a gun or other weapon, such as a bullet, stone, or shell:\n  2  projectile vomiting:   informal when someone vomits with a lot of force, especially because they have drunk too much alcohol - used humorously//


Words: projection
Meaning:
S3   n   ----------//\n   1 calculation:\n   2 something sticking out:\n   3 film:\n   4 feeling:\n   5 picture:\n   6 imagined qualities:  ----------//\n  1 CALCULATION:   [C] a statement or calculation about what something will be in the future or was in the past, based on information available now//  projection of//  --projections of declining natural gas production//  projection for//  --population projections for the next 25 years//  --He declined to make projections about fourth quarter earnings.//  --Early projections show a three point lead for the Socialists.//\n  2 SOMETHING STICKING OUT:   [C]  formal something that sticks out from a surface//  --small projections of weathered rock on the hillside//\n  3 FILM:   [U] the act of projecting a film or picture onto a screen//  --projection equipment//\n  4 FEELING:   [U]  technical the act of imagining that someone else is feeling the same emotions as you//\n  5 PICTURE:   [C]  technical a representation of something solid on a flat surface//  --a map projection//\n  6 IMAGINED QUALITIES:   [C] something that you imagine to have particular qualities because of your wishes or feelings//  projection of//  --The Devil is a projection of our fears and insecurities.//    Mercator projection//


Words: Prokofiev
Meaning:
Sergei   (1891-1953) a Russian  composer, whose works include the Classical Symphony, the  ballet Romeo and Juliet, and the musical story  Peter and the Wolf//


Words: prolapse
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: prolapsus, from  Latin, past participle of  prolabi  ’to slide forward’]//   medical the slipping of an inner part of your body, such as the womb, from its usual position//


Words: prole
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE  old-fashioned  not polite   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: proletarian]//  an offensive word for a working class person//


Words: proletariat
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: proletariat, from  Latin proletarius;   PROLETARIAN]//  the proletariat [+ singular or plural verb] the class of workers who own no property and work for wages, especially in factories, building things etc - used in  socialist writings//  -- proletarian adj //  -- proletarian n  [C] //


Words: proliferate
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: proliferation]//  if something proliferates, it increases quickly and spreads to many different places//  --Computer courses continue to proliferate.//


Words: proliferation
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: proliferation, from  proliferer  ’to proliferate’, from  Latin proles;   PROLETARIAN]//\n  1 [singular,U] a sudden increase in the amount or number of something:  proliferation of//  --the proliferation of global media networks//\n  2 [U] the very fast growth of new parts of a living thing, such as cells:


Words: prolific
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: prolifique, from  Latin proles;   PROLETARIAN]//\n  1 a prolific artist, writer etc produces many works of art, books etc:  --Handel’s prolific output of opera//\n  2 a prolific sports player produces a lot of runs, goals etc:  --the most prolific goalscorer this decade//\n  3 an animal or plant that is prolific produces many babies or many other plants:\n  4 existing in large numbers:  --the prolific bird life//  -- prolifically/-kli/ adv //


Words: prolix
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: prolixe, from  Latin prolixus  ’flowing out in large quantities’, from  liquere  ’to flow’]//  a prolix piece of writing has too many words and is boring//


Words: prologue
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin prologus  ’first part of a play’, from  Greek, from  pro-  ’before’ +  legein  ’to speak’]//\n  1 the introduction to a play, a long poem etc:    epilogue//\n  2  literary an act or event that leads to a more important event:  prologue to//  --a prologue to the final abandonment of trams in London//


Words: prolong
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: prolonguer, from  Late Latin prolongare, from  Latin longus  ’long’]//\n  1 to deliberately make something such as a feeling or activity last longer:   lengthen//  --I was trying to think of some way to prolong the conversation.//\n  2  prolong the agony:   informal to make an unpleasant or anxious time last longer, especially when people are waiting for news//  --There’s no point in prolonging the agony any longer.//


Words: prolongation
Meaning:
n \n  1 [singular,U] the act of making something last longer:  prolongation of//  --the prolongation of life//\n  2 [C] something added to another thing which makes it longer:


Words: prolonged
Meaning:
adj   continuing for a long time//  --prolonged exposure to the sun//  --a prolonged period of time//


Words: prom
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: promenade]//\n  1  AmE a formal dance party for high school students, often held at the end of a school year:\n  2  BrE  informal a promenade(1):\n  3  BrE  informal a promenade concert:


Words: promenade
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: promener  ’to take for a walk’, from  Latin prominare  ’to drive forward’]//\n  1  BrE a wide road next to the beach, where people can walk for pleasure:\n  2  old-fashioned a walk for pleasure in a public place:  --an evening promenade//


Words: Prometheus
Meaning:
in Greek  mythology, one of the  Titans (=the first gods who ruled the universe) . He stole fire from heaven to give to human beings, and as a result he was punished by  Zeus by being kept in chains, and was finally set free by  Hercules.//


Words: prominence
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] the fact of being important and well-known:  prominence of//  --the prominence of pressure groups as political forces//  come to/rise to/achieve prominence (as sth) //  --She first came to prominence as an artist in 1989.//\n  2  give sth prominence/give prominence to sth:  to treat something as specially important//  --Every newspaper gave prominence to the success of England’s cricketers.//\n  3 [C]  formal a part or place that is higher than what is around it:


Words: prominent
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  prominere  ’to stick out’]//\n  1 important:  --a prominent Russian scientist//  play a prominent part/role (in sth) //  --Mandela played a prominent role in the early years of the ANC.//  --The World Cup will have a prominent place on the agenda.//\n  2 something that is in a prominent place is easily seen:  prominent place/position //  --The statue was in a prominent position outside the railway station.//\n  3 something that is prominent is large and sticks out:  --a prominent nose//  -- prominently adv //  --Her photo was prominently displayed on his desk.//


Words: promiscuous
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: promiscuus, from  miscere  ’to mix’]//\n  1 having many sexual partners:  --the risks of promiscuous sexual behaviour//\n  2  old use involving a wide range of different things:  -- promiscuously adv //  -- promiscuity/pr[hA361]m[hA369]skju[hA359][hA369]ti $ pr[hA35A][hA359]-/ n  [U] //  --sexual promiscuity//


Words: promise
Meaning:
v \n  1 [I and T] to tell someone that you will definitely do or provide something or that something will happen:  --Last night the headmaster promised a full investigation.//  promise to do sth//  --She’s promised to do all she can to help.//  promise (that)//  --Hurry up - we promised we wouldn’t be late.//  promise sb (that)//  --You promised me the car would be ready on Monday.//  --’Promise me you won’t do anything stupid.’ ’I promise.’//  promise sth to sb//  --I’ve promised that book to Ian, I’m afraid.//  promise sb sth//  --The company promised us a bonus this year.//  --’I’ll be back by 1.00.’ ’ Promise ?’ ’Yes! Don’t worry.’//  --He reappeared two hours later, as promised .//\n  2 [T] to show signs of something:  promise to be sth//  --Tonight’s meeting promises to be a difficult one.//  --dark clouds promising showers later//\n  3  promise sb the moon/the earth:  to promise to give someone something that is impossible for you to give//\n  4  I can’t promise (anything):   spoken used to tell someone that you will try to do what they want, but may not be able to//  --I’ll try my best to get tickets, but I can’t promise anything.//\n  5  I promise you:   spoken used to emphasize a promise, warning, or statement//  --I promise you, it does work!//\npromise 2 W2S3 n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: promissum, from the past participle of  promittere  ’to send out, promise’]//\n  1 [C] a statement that you will definitely do or provide something or that something will definitely happen:  promise of//  --a promise of help//  promise to//  --his promise to his father//  promise to do sth//  --She made a promise to visit them once a month.//  promise that//  --his promise that the job would be mine//  keep/break a promise (=to do or fail to do something you promised) //  --Don’t make promises you can’t keep.//  --I might have to break my promise.//  --I’ll never lie to you again. You have my solemn promise .//\n  2 [U] signs that something or someone will be good or successful:  --a young man full of promise//  --Bill shows great promise as a goalkeeper.//  --She didn’t fulfil her early promise .//\n  3 [singular,U] a sign that something, usually something good, may happen:  promise of//  --the promise of spring//  --The letter gave a promise of greater happiness.//


Words: Promise Keepers
Meaning:
the   a US Christian religious organization for men that started in 1990 and has over 2 million members. It holds very large, public meetings, often in sports grounds. The Promise Keepers have very strong Christian beliefs, and members are expected to behave in a very moral and honest way. Some people say that they have old-fashioned traditional beliefs, including the belief that men should control their wives’ lives and be the leaders of their families.//


Words: Promised Land
Meaning:
n   the Promised Land//  a) the land of Canaan, which was promised by God to Abraham and his people in the Bible//  b) a situation or place which people have been wanting to be in because they will be safe and happy//


Words: promising
Meaning:
adj   showing signs of being successful or good in the future//  --a promising career in law//  --a promising young actor//  --a promising start//  -- promisingly adv //


Words: promo
Meaning:
n   plural  promos  [C] //  [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: promotion]//   informal a short film that advertises an event or product//  --a promo video//


Words: promontory
Meaning:
n   plural  promontories  [C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: promonturium]//  a long narrow piece of land which sticks out into the sea//  --a rocky promontory//


Words: promote
Meaning:
W2S3   v [T]   ----------//\n   1 encourage:\n   2 better job:\n   3 sell:\n   4 sport:\n   5 persuade:\n   6 arrange:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  promovere  ’to move forward’]//\n  1 ENCOURAGE:  to help something to develop or increase//  --a meeting to promote trade between Taiwan and the U.K.//  --Fertilizer promotes leaf growth.//\n  2 BETTER JOB:   [usually passive] to give someone a better, more responsible job in a company//  → demote//  promote sb to sth//  --Helen was promoted to senior manager.//\n  3 SELL:  to help sell a new product, film etc by offering it at a reduced price or by advertising it//  --She’s in London to promote her new book.//\n  4 SPORT:   [usually passive]  BrE if a sports team is promoted, they play in a better group of teams the next year//  → relegate//  promote sb to sth//  --They have been promoted to the First Division.//\n  5 PERSUADE:  to try to persuade people to support or use something//  --John Major promoted the idea of a classless society.//\n  6 ARRANGE:  to be responsible for arranging a large public event such as a concert or a sports game//


Words: promoter
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who arranges and advertises concerts or sports events:  --a boxing promoter//\n  2 someone who tries to persuade people to support or use something:  --promoters of solar energy//


Words: promotion
Meaning:
W3S3   n \n  1 [U and C] a move to a more important job or position in a company or organization:  --I want a job with good prospects for promotion.//  promotion to//  --Your promotion to Senior Editor is now official.//\n  2 [U and C] an activity intended to help sell a product, or the product that is being promoted:  --a winter sales promotion//\n  3 [U] the activity of persuading people to support something:  promotion of//  --the promotion of energy conservation//\n  4 [U] the activity of helping something to develop or increase:  promotion of//  --the promotion of international environmental cooperation//\n  5 [U]  BrE when a sports team moves into a better group of teams:  → relegation//


Words: prompt
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: promptare, from  Latin promptus;   PROMPT2]//\n  1 [T] to make someone decide to do something:  prompt sb to do sth//  --What prompted you to buy that suit?//\n  2 [T] to make people say or do something as a reaction:  --The decision prompted an outcry among prominent US campaigners.//\n  3 [T] to help a speaker who pauses, by suggesting how to continue:  --’I can’t decide.’ said Beatrice. ’Decide what?’ prompted Marlon.//\n  4 [T] to ask someone to do something on a computer:  --A message will appear which will prompt you for certain information.//\n  5 [I and T] to remind an actor of the next words in a speech:\nprompt 2 adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: promptus, from the past participle of  promere  ’to bring out’]//\n  1 done quickly, immediately, or at the right time:  --Prompt action must be taken.//  --Prompt payment is requested.//  --a prompt response//\n  2 [not before noun] someone who is prompt arrives or does something at the right time and is not late:  --Lunch is at two. Try to be prompt.//  -- promptness n  [U] //\nprompt 3 adv  BrE  informal   at the time mentioned and no later//  American Equivalent:  sharp//  --The bus will leave at 8 o’clock prompt.//\nprompt 4 n [C] \n  1 a word or words said to an actor in a play, to help them remember what to say:\n  2 a sign on a computer screen which shows that the computer has finished one operation and is ready to begin the next:


Words: promptly
Meaning:
adv \n  1 at the right time without being late:   on time//  --She arrived promptly.//\n  2 immediately:  --She turned off the alarm and promptly went back to sleep.//\n  3 without delay:  --A reply came very promptly.//


Words: Proms
Meaning:
the   a series of concerts of  classical music which take place every summer at the  Albert Hall in London, over a period of several weeks. Part of the hall has no seats, so that more people can attend the concerts and pay less, and many people, especially young people, stand there to listen to the concerts. The Proms were started by Sir Henry  Wood in 1895, and they are a well-known part of British life. The final concert each year, called the  Last Night of the Proms is always shown on television.//


Words: promulgate
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  promulgare, from  mulgere  ’to milk, cause to come out’]//\n  1 to spread an idea or belief to as many people as possible:\n  2 to make a new law come into effect by announcing it officially:  -- promulgator n  [C] //  -- promulgation/pr[hA361]m[hA368]lge[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ pr[hA35A][hA359]-/ n  [U] //


Words: prone
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: pronus]//\n  1 likely to do something or suffer from something, especially something bad or harmful:  prone to//  --Some plants are very prone to disease.//  prone to do sth//  --Kids are all prone to eat junk food.//  accident-prone/injury-prone etc //  --He’s always been accident-prone.//\n  2  formal lying down with the front of your body facing down:   prostrate//  --His eyes shifted to the prone body on the floor.//  -- proneness n  [U] //  -- prone adv //  --Jack lay prone on his bed.//


Words: prong
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: pronga]//\n  1 a thin sharp point of something such as a fork that has several points:  --sticking out like the prongs of a garden fork//\n  2 one of two or three ways of achieving something which are used at the same time:  prong of//  --the second prong of the attack//  -- pronged adj //  --a two-pronged fork//


Words: pronominal
Meaning:
adj  technical   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Late Latin; Origin: pronominalis, from  Latin pronomen;   PRONOUN]//  related to or used like a pronoun//  -- pronominally adv //


Words: pronoun
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: pro- +  noun, on the model of  Latin pronomen  ’pronoun’, from  nomen  ’name’]//  a word that is used instead of a noun or noun phrase, such as ’he’ instead of ’Peter’ or ’the man’//    demonstrative pronoun,  personal pronoun//


Words: pronounce
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: pronuncier, from  Latin pronuntiare, from  nuntius  ’messenger’]//\n  1 [T] to make the sound of a letter, word etc, especially in the correct way:    pronunciation//  --How do you pronounce your name?//\n  2 [T] to officially state that something is true:  pronounce sb/sth sth//  --The victim was pronounced dead on arrival.//  --I now pronounce you man and wife.//\n  3 [I and T] to give a judgment or opinion:  --The scheme was pronounced a failure.//  pronounce on/upon//  --He used to pronounce on matters he knew nothing about.//\n  4 [I,T ]  law to give a legal judgment:  pronounce sentence (=tell a court of law what punishment a criminal will have) //


Words: pronounced
Meaning:
adj   very great or noticeable//  --a pronounced Polish accent//  --This disability is more pronounced in men.//  -- pronouncedly/pr[hA353]na[hA35E]ns[hA369]dli/ adv //


Words: pronouncement
Meaning:
n [C]    formal an official public statement//  pronouncement on//  --the Pope’s last pronouncement on birth control//


Words: pronto
Meaning:
adv  spoken  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Spanish; Origin: Latin promptus;   PROMPT2]//  quickly or immediately//  --You’d better get back here pronto.//


Words: pronunciation
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U and C] the way in which a language or a particular word is pronounced:  pronunciation of//  --Do you know the correct pronunciation of these Gaelic names?//\n  2 [singular] a particular person’s way of pronouncing a word or words:


Words: proof
Meaning:
W3S2   n   ----------//\n   1 evidence:\n   2 copy:\n   3 mathematics:\n   4 the proof of the pudding (is in the eating):\n   5 alcohol:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: preuve, from  Late Latin proba, from  Latin probare;   PROBE2]//\n  1 EVIDENCE:   [U and C] facts, information, documents etc that prove something is true//  proof of//  --proof of the existence of life on other planets//  --This latest interview was further proof of how good at her job Cara was.//  proof of purchase/ownership/identity //  --Do you have any proof of purchase? (=something to prove that you bought and paid for something) //  --You’ll need your passport as proof of identity.//  proof (that)//  --Do you have any proof that this man stole your bag?//  --There is no proof that the document is authentic.//  --Laboratory tests gave conclusive proof that the meat presents no risk to human health.//  --He’s living proof  (=his experience or life shows it is true) that footballers can still play at the highest level into their late thirties.//  proof positive (=definite proof that cannot be doubted) //  --We received 800 applications last year, proof positive that the college is highly regarded by parents and students.//  burden/onus of proof  law  (=used to say who has to show that something is true or not in a legal case) //  --The burden of proof lies on the defendant.//\n  2 COPY:   [C usually plural]  technical a copy of a piece of writing or a photograph that is checked carefully before the final printing is done//  --Can you check these proofs?//\n  3 MATHEMATICS:   [C] //  a) a test in mathematics of whether a calculation is correct//  b) a list of reasons that shows a theorem (=statement)  in geometry to be true//\n  4  the proof of the pudding (is in the eating):  used to say that you can only know whether something is good or bad after you have tried it//\n  5 ALCOHOL:   [U] a measurement of the strength of some types of alcoholic drink, especially spirits//  --70% proof vodka (=that contains 70% pure alcohol)  BrE//  --70 proof vodka (=that contains 35% pure alcohol)  AmE//\nproof 2 adj   be proof against sth//   literary to be too strong or good to be affected by something bad//  --Their defences are proof against most weapons.//\nproof 3 v [T]  BrE \n  1 [usually passive] to treat a material with a substance in order to protect it against water, oil etc:  proof sth against sth//  --climbing gear proofed against water//\n  2 to proofread something:


Words: proofread
Meaning:
v  also  proof  past tense and past participle  proofread /-red/ [I and T] //  to read through something that is written or printed in order to correct any mistakes in it//  -- proofreader n  [C] //  -- proofreading n  [U] //  --a proofreading job//


Words: prop
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  propped present participle  propping  [T always + adverb/preposition] //  to support something by leaning it against something, or by putting something else under, next to, or behind it//  prop sth against/on sth//  --He propped his bike against a tree.//  --Can we prop the window open with something?//  prop up [prop sth → up] phr v//\n  1 to prevent something from falling by putting something against it or under it:  --The builders are trying to prop up the crumbling walls of the church.//  prop something → up against//  --paintings propped up against the wall//\n  2 to help an economy, industry, or government so that it can continue to exist, especially by giving money:  --The government introduced measures to prop up the stock market.//\n  3  prop yourself up:  to hold your body up by leaning against something//  prop yourself up on/against/with//  --She propped herself up on one elbow.//\nprop 2 n [C]   [Sense: 1,3,5; Date: 1400-1500; Language: Middle Dutch; Origin: proppe]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: property]//  [Sense: 4; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: propeller]//\n  1 an object placed under or against something to hold it in a particular position:\n  2 [usually plural] a small object such as a book, weapon etc, used by actors in a play or film:  --Anna looks after costumes and props.//  --stage props//\n  3 something or someone that helps you to feel strong:  --She was becoming an emotional prop for him.//\n  4  informal a propeller:\n  5  also prop forward :  one of the players in a rugby team, who is large and strong and holds up the scrum//


Words: propaganda
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Congregatio de propaganda fide  ’Congregation for propagating the faith’, Roman Catholic organization set up in 1622]//  information which is false or which emphasizes just one part of a situation, used by a government or political group to make people agree with them//  --the spreading of political propaganda //  Nazi/Communist etc propaganda //  propaganda exercise/campaign (=something done to show one political opinion) //  --They have mounted a propaganda campaign against Western governments.//  --the government propaganda machine  (=people who produce propaganda) //  -- propagandize also  -ise BrE  v  [I and T] //  -- propagandist n  [C] //


Words: propagate
Meaning:
v  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  propagare  ’to breed plants from shoots’, from  propago  ’shoot from which a new plant is produced’]//\n  1 [T]  formal to spread an idea, belief etc to many people:  --The group launched a website to propagate its ideas .//\n  2 [I and T] if you propagate plants, or if they propagate, they start to grow from a parent plant to produce new plants:  --Propagate your plants in fresh soil.//\n  3 [T] if an animal, insect, etc propagates itself or is propagated, it increases in number:   reproduce//  -- propagation/pr[hA361]p[hA353]ge[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ pr[hA35A][hA359]-/ n  [U] //


Words: propagator
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who spreads ideas, beliefs etc:\n  2 a covered box of soil in which young plants or seeds are placed so that they can grow:


Words: propane
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: propionic naming a type of fatty acid  (19-21 centuries), from  Greek pion  ’fat’]//  a colourless gas used for cooking and heating//


Words: propel
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  propelled present participle  propelling  [T] //  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: propellere, from  pellere  ’to drive’]//\n  1 to move, drive, or push something forward:    propulsion//  --a boat propelled by a small motor//  --One of our students was unable to propel her wheelchair up the ramp.//  propel yourself along/through etc//  --She used the sticks to propel herself along.//\n  2  written to make someone move in a particular direction, especially by pushing them:  --He took her arm and propelled her towards the door.//\n  3 to move someone into a new situation or make them do something:  propel sb to/into sth//  --The film propelled her to stardom.//  --Company directors were propelled into action.//


Words: propellant
Meaning:
n [U and C] \n  1 an explosive for firing a bullet or rocket:\n  2 gas which is used in an aerosol to spray out a liquid:  -- propellant adj //


Words: propeller
Meaning:
n [C]   propeller//  a piece of equipment consisting of two or more blades that spin around, which makes an aircraft or ship move//


Words: propelling pencil
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a pencil made of plastic or metal, in which the lead (=the part used for making marks)  can be pushed out as it is used//  American Equivalent:  mechanical pencil//


Words: propensity
Meaning:
n   plural  propensities  [C usually singular] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: propense  ’tending’ (16-19 centuries), from  Latin, past participle of  propendere  ’to lean toward’]//   formal a natural tendency to behave in a particular way//  propensity to do sth//  --the male propensity to fight//  propensity for//  --He seems to have a propensity for breaking things.//


Words: proper
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: propre, from  Latin proprius  ’own’]//\n  1 [only before noun] right, suitable, or correct:  --Everything was in its proper place  (=where it should be) .//  --the proper way to clean your teeth//  --The proper name for Matthew’s condition is hyperkinetic syndrome.//\n  2 socially or legally correct and acceptable:  → improper//  it is proper (for sb) to do sth//  --I don’t feel that it would be proper for me to give you that information.//  -- It is only right and proper that an independent inquiry should take place.//\n  3 [only before noun]  BrE  spoken real, or of a good and generally accepted standard:  American Equivalent:  decent, real//  --When are you going to settle down and get a proper job ?//  --Try to eat proper meals instead of fast-food takeaways.//\n  4 [only after noun] the real or main part of something, not other parts before, after or near to it:  --The friendly chat which comes before the interview proper is intended to relax the candidate.//  --the city centre proper//\n  5  proper to sth:   formal //  a) belonging to one particular type of thing//  --the reasoning abilities proper to our species//  b) suitable for something//  --dressed in a way that was proper to the occasion//\n  6 [only before noun]  BrE  spoken complete:   real//  --He’s made a proper fool of himself this time!//\n  7 very polite, and careful to do what is socially correct:  --She was very formal and proper.//    properly//\nproper 2 adv  BrE  spoken \n  1  good and proper:  completely//  --We beat ’em good and proper.//\n  2 used by some people to mean properly, although most people think that this is incorrect:


Words: proper fraction
Meaning:
n [C]   a fraction such as [hA13F], in which the number above the line is smaller than the one below it//    improper fraction//


Words: proper noun
Meaning:
also proper name  especially BrE  n [C]   a noun such as ’James’, ’New York’, or ’China’ that is the name of one particular thing and is written with a capital letter//    noun//


Words: properly
Meaning:
adv \n  1  especially BrE correctly, or in a way that is considered right:  American Equivalent:  right//  --The brakes don’t seem to be working properly.//  --Then he’s not doing his job properly.//  --Parents should teach their children to behave properly in public.//  --properly trained staff//\n  2  especially  BrE completely or fully:   thoroughly//  --Is the chicken properly defrosted?//  --The allegations were never properly investigated.//\n  3  formal really:  --Documents properly belonging to the family were taken away.//  properly speaking  BrE  (=really) //  --It isn’t, properly speaking, a real science.//\n  4 used to say that someone is right to do something:   rightly//  quite/very/perfectly properly //  --People are, quite properly, proud of their homes.//


Words: property
Meaning:
W1S2   n   plural  properties //  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: proprete, from  Latin proprietas, from  proprius;   PROPER]//\n  1 [U] the thing or things that someone owns:  --The hotel is not responsible for any loss or damage to guests’ personal property .//  --Some of the stolen property was found in Mason’s house.//\n  2 [U and C] a building, a piece of land, or both together:  -- Property prices have shot up recently.//  --the property market //  --a sign saying ’ Private Property . Keep Out’//  --property taxes//  commercial/residential property //\n  3 [C usually plural] a quality or power that a substance, plant etc has:   quality, characteristic//  --a herb with healing properties//  physical/chemical etc properties //  --the chemical properties of a substance//    lost property,  real property,  intellectual property//


Words: prophecy
Meaning:
n   plural  prophecies //\n  1 [C] a statement that something will happen in the future, especially one made by someone with religious or magic powers:    prophet//  prophecy (that)//  --The prophecy that David would become king was fulfilled .//  prophecy of//  --the prophecy of Isaiah//\n  2 [U] the power or act of making statements about what will happen in the future:  --She had the gift of prophecy.//    self-fulfilling prophecy at self-fulfilling//


Words: prophesy
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  prophesied present participle  prophesying third person singular  prophesies  [I and T] //  to say what will happen in the future, especially using religious or magical knowledge//   foretell//  prophesy that//  --He prophesied that a flood would cover the earth.//  --There was a great war between the countries, just as the elders had prophesied.//


Words: prophet
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: prophete, from  Latin, from  Greek prophetes, from  phanai  ’to speak’]//\n  1 a man who people in the Christian, Jewish, or Muslim religion believe has been sent by God to lead them and teach them their religion:  --the prophet Elijah//\n  2  the Prophet:  Muhammad, who began the Muslim religion//  --followers of the Prophet//\n  3  the Prophets:  the Jewish holy men whose writings form part of the Old Testament (=first part of the Bible) , or the writings themselves//\n  4 someone who claims that they know what will happen in the future:  prophet of doom/disaster (=someone who says that bad things will happen) //  false prophet (=someone whose claims about the future are not true) //\n  5 someone who introduces and spreads a new idea:  prophet of//  --Gandhi was the prophet of non-violent protest.//


Words: prophetic
Meaning:
adj   correctly saying what will happen in the future//  --It turned out to be a prophetic piece of journalism.//  --Lundgren’s warnings proved prophetic .//  -- prophetically/-kli/ adv //


Words: Prophets
Meaning:
the \n  1 one of the main parts of the  Old Testament of the Bible, consisting of the writings of Jewish holy men such as Isaiah, Joshua, and Jeremiah:\n  2 the Jewish holy men who did these writings:


Words: prophylactic
Meaning:
adj  technical   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Greek; Origin: prophylaktikos, from  prophylassein  ’to guard before’, from  phylax  ’guard’]//  intended to prevent disease//  --prophylactic antibiotics//\nprophylactic 2 n [C] \n  1  technical something used to prevent disease:\n  2  AmE  formal a condom - often used humorously:


Words: prophylaxis
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Greek prophylaktikos;   PROPHYLACTIC1]//   technical a treatment for preventing disease//


Words: propinquity
Meaning:
to]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: propinquitas, from  propinquus  ’near’]//   formal the fact of being near someone or something, or of being related to someone//   proximity//


Words: propitiate
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  propitiare, from  propitius;   PROPITIOUS]//   formal to make someone who has been unfriendly or angry with you feel more friendly by doing something to please them//   appease//  -- propitiation/pr[hA353]p[hA366][hA35D]ie[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U] //


Words: propitiatory
Meaning:
adj  formal   intended to please someone and make them feel less angry and more friendly//  --a propitiatory gift of flowers//


Words: propitious
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: propitius, from  petere  ’to try to find or get’]//  good and likely to bring good results//  --a propitious moment//  propitious for//  --Conditions after the 1905 revolution were propitious for stable development.//  -- propitiously adv //


Words: proponent
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  proponere;   PROPOUND]//  someone who supports something or persuades people to do something//   advocate//    opponent//  proponent of//  --Steinem has always been a strong proponent of women’s rights.//  leading/main/major proponent //  --Dr George is one of the leading proponents of this view.//


Words: proportion
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 part of something:\n   2 relationship:\n   3 correct scale:\n   4 proportions:\n   5 out of (all) proportion:\n   6 keep something in proportion:\n   7 sense of proportion:\n   8 mathematics:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin proportio, from  portio;   PORTION1]//\n  1 [C usually singular also + plural verb British English] PART OF SOMETHING:  a part of a number or amount, considered in relation to the whole//  proportion of//  --The proportion of women graduates has increased in recent years.//  --Every parent is asked to contribute a proportion of the total cost.//  high/large/small etc proportion //  --The decision affects a significant proportion of the population.//  --Although the majority of offenders are men, a small proportion - about 5 percent - are women.//\n  2 RELATIONSHIP:   [U and C] the relationship between two things in size, amount, importance etc//  the proportion of sth to sth//  --What’s the proportion of boys to girls in your class?//  in proportion to sth//  --The rewards you get in this job are in direct proportion to the effort you put in.//\n  3 CORRECT SCALE:   [U] the correct or most suitable relationship between the size, shape, or position of the different parts of something//  --Builders must learn about scale and proportion.//  in proportion//  --Reduce the drawing so that all the elements stay in proportion.//  in proportion to sth//  --Her feet are small in proportion to her height.//  out of proportion with sth//  --The porch is out of proportion with (=too big or too small when compared with) the rest of the house.//\n  4  proportions [plural] :  a) the size or importance of something//  --Try to reduce your tasks to more manageable proportions .//  of immense/huge/massive etc proportions //  --an ecological tragedy of enormous proportions//  of epic/heroic/mythic proportions //  --For most of us, Scott was a hero of mythic proportions.//  crisis/epidemic proportions //  --The flu outbreak has reached epidemic proportions .//  b) the relative sizes of the different parts of a building, object etc//  of grand/gigantic/generous etc proportions //  --a building of classic proportions//  --the elegant proportions of the living room//\n  5  out of (all) proportion:  too big, great, or strong in relation to something//  out of (all) proportion to/with//  --The fear of violent crime has now risen out of all proportion to the actual risk.//  get/blow sth out of proportion (=treat something as more serious than it really is) //  --Aren’t you getting things rather out of proportion?//  --The whole issue has been blown out of all proportion.//\n  6  keep sth in proportion:  to react to a situation sensibly, and not think that it is worse or more serious than it really is//    perspective//  --Let’s keep things in proportion.//\n  7  sense of proportion:  the ability to judge what is most important in a situation//  have/keep/lose a sense of proportion //  --You can protest by all means, but keep a sense of proportion.//\n  8 MATHEMATICS:   [U]  technical equality in the mathematical relationship between two sets of numbers, as in the statement ’8 is to 6 as 32 is to 24’//    ratio//\nproportion 2 v [T usually passive]  formal   to put something in a particular relationship with something else according to their relative size, amount, position etc//  proportion sth to sth//  --The amount of damages awarded are proportioned to the degree of injury caused.//


Words: proportional
Meaning:
adj   something that is proportional to something else is in the correct or most suitable relationship to it in size, amount, importance etc//  → disproportionate//  proportional to//  --The punishment should be proportional to the crime.//  --The fee charged by the realtor is directly proportional to the price of the property.//  --a proportional increase in costs//  -- proportionally adv //


Words: proportional representation
Meaning:
n [U]    especially BrE PR a system of voting in elections by which all political parties are represented in the government according to the number of votes they receive in the whole country//


Words: proportioned
Meaning:
adj   used to talk about how correct, attractive, suitable etc something is in its size or shape//  well/badly/beautifully etc proportioned //  --Arnold’s perfectly proportioned body//  --a beautifully proportioned room//


Words: proposal
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a plan or suggestion which is made formally to an official person or group, or the act of making it:    propose//  proposal for//  --the government’s proposals for regulation of the industry//  proposal to do sth//  --The committee put forward a proposal to reduce the time limit.//  approve/reject a proposal //  --The French government has approved proposals for a new waste law.//  --The original proposals were changed after over 500 objections were lodged.//  proposal that//  --proposals that the President should be directly elected//\n  2 when you ask someone to marry you:  marriage proposal/proposal of marriage //  --She politely declined his proposal of marriage.//


Words: propose
Meaning:
W2S3   v   ----------//\n   1 suggest:\n   2 meeting:\n   3 theory:\n   4 intend:\n   5 marriage:\n   6 propose a toast (to somebody):  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: proposer, from  Latin proponere;   PROPOUND]//\n  1 SUGGEST:   [T]  formal to suggest something as a plan or course of action//    proposal//  --the changes currently proposed by the local planning authorities//  --the proposed budget cuts//  propose that//  --In his speech he proposed that the UN should set up an emergency centre for the environment.//  propose doing sth//  --The report also proposes extending the motorway.//\n  2 MEETING:   [T] to formally suggest a course of action at a meeting and ask people to vote on it//  propose a motion/amendment/resolution etc //  --The resolution was proposed by the chairman of the International Committee.//  propose sb for sth//  --Mr Leesom proposed Mrs Banks for the position of Treasurer (=he suggested formally that she should be the treasurer) .//\n  3 THEORY:   [T] to suggest an idea, method etc as an answer to a scientific question or as a better way of doing something//  --A number of theories have been proposed to explain the phenomenon.//\n  4 INTEND:   [T]  formal to intend to do something//  propose to do sth//  --How does he propose to deal with the situation?//  propose doing sth//  --We still don’t know how the company proposes raising the money.//\n  5 MARRIAGE:  a)  [I] to ask someone to marry you, especially in a formal way//  propose to//  --Shaun proposed to me only six months after we met.//  b)  propose marriage//   formal to ask someone to marry you//\n  6  propose a toast (to sb):  to formally ask a group of people at a social event to join you in wishing someone success, happiness, etc as they raise and drink a glass of wine//  --I’d like to propose a toast to the bride and groom.//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  You propose something to someone: He proposed a possible solution to me (NOT He proposed me a possible solution). Note that in spoken English, people do not usually use ’propose’ to make suggestions. They usually use let’s See also:  let’s//  ----------//


Words: proposed
Meaning:
W3   adj [only before noun]   a proposed change, plan, development etc is one that has been formally suggested to an official person or group//  --The document supplies details of the proposed changes.//  --The government is set to vote on the proposed reforms tomorrow.//


Words: proposer
Meaning:
n [C]  formal   a person who formally suggests a plan, course of action etc at a meeting for people to vote on//    seconder//


Words: Proposition
Meaning:
3  also  Prop 13 informal   a law made in California in 1978 that reduced taxes on property. It was voted on directly by the people of California instead of being passed by California’s state government. It encouraged voters in other US states to vote for similar laws, and was the first of many tax cuts introduced by the state and national governments in the 1980s.//\nproposition 2 v [T]  formal   to suggest to someone that they have sex with you//  --Here, prostitutes constantly proposition tourists.//


Words: proposition
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 statement:\n   2 suggestion:\n   3 law:\n   4 mathematics:  ----------//\n  1 STATEMENT:  a statement that consists of a carefully considered opinion or judgment//  proposition that//  --Most people accept the proposition that we have a duty to protect endangered animals.//  --The theory is founded on two basic propositions.//\n  2 SUGGESTION:  an offer or suggestion, especially in business or politics//  --He telephoned Stuart with a proposition.//  attractive/interesting/practical etc proposition //  --The offer of two tickets for the price of one makes it a very attractive proposition .//  --It doesn’t sound like a very viable proposition to me.//  --I’ve got a proposition to put to you.//\n  3 LAW:   also  Proposition//  a suggested change or addition to the law of a state of the US, which citizens vote on//  --Proposition 147//\n  4 MATHEMATICS:   technical something that must be proved, or a question to which the answer must be found - used in geometry//  -- propositional adj //


Words: propound
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: propone  ’to propose’ (14-19 centuries), from  Latin proponere, from  ponere  ’to put’]//   formal to suggest an idea, explanation etc for other people to consider//  --The theory of natural selection was first propounded by Charles Darwin.//


Words: proprietary
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Late Latin; Origin: proprietarius, from  Latin proprietas;   PROPERTY]//\n  1  especially BrE a proprietary product is one that is sold under a trade name:  → generic//  --a proprietary brand of insecticide//  --proprietary software products//\n  2 relating to who owns something:  --They have proprietary rights to the data.//  --He has no proprietary interest in the farm (=he does not own any part of it) .//\n  3 proprietary behaviour makes it seem that you think you own something or someone:


Words: proprietor
Meaning:
n [C]    formal an owner of a business//  proprietor of//  --the proprietor of a small hotel and restaurant//  newspaper/garage/cafe etc proprietor //


Words: proprietorial
Meaning:
adj   behaving or feeling as if you own something or someone//  proprietorial about//  --She felt proprietorial about the valley.//  -- proprietorially adv //


Words: propriety
Meaning:
n  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: propriete  ’property, quality’, from  Latin proprietas;   PROPERTY]//\n  1 [singular,U] correctness of social or moral behaviour:  → impropriety//  propriety of//  --They discussed the propriety of treating ill children against the wishes of the parents.//  with propriety//  --They conducted themselves with propriety.//\n  2  the proprieties:   especially BrE the accepted rules of correct social behaviour//  --strict in observing the proprieties//


Words: props
Meaning:
interjection  informal   used when you want to say publicly that someone has done something good//  props to sb for (doing) sth//  --Props to Chris for all of his volunteer work.//


Words: propulsion
Meaning:
n [U]  technical   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: propulsus, past participle of  propellere;   PROPEL]//  the force that drives a vehicle forward//    propel//  rocket/wind/nuclear/jet propulsion //  --research into liquid hydrogen as a means of propulsion //  -- propulsive/-s[hA366]v/ adj //


Words: prorate
Meaning:
v [T usually passive]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: pro rata]//   AmE to calculate a charge, price, etc according to the actual amount of service received rather than by a standard sum//


Words: prosaic
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Late Latin; Origin: prosaicus, from  Latin prosa;   PROSE]//  boring or ordinary//  --a prosaic writing style//  --The reality, however, is probably more prosaic.//  -- prosaically/-kli/ adv //


Words: proscenium
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: Greek proskenion, from  skene  ’building in front of which plays are performed’]//  the part of a theatre stage that is in front of the curtain//  --the proscenium arch  (=the arch over the stage where the curtain can be attached) //


Words: proscribe
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: proscribere, from  scribere  ’to write’]//   formal to officially say that something is not allowed to exist or be done//   forbid, prohibit//  --The Act proscribes discrimination on the grounds of race.//  -- proscription/-skr[hA366]p[hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U and C] //


Words: prose
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin prosa, from  prorsus,  prosus  ’straight, direct’]//  written language in its usual form, as opposed to poetry//


Words: prosecute
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  prosequi  ’to follow and try to catch’]//\n  1 [I and T] to charge someone with a crime and try to show that they are guilty of it in a court of law:  --Shoplifters will be prosecuted.//  prosecute sb for (doing) sth//  --Buxton is being prosecuted for assault.//  prosecute sb under a law/Act etc //  --The company is to be prosecuted under the Health and Safety Act.//\n  2 [I and T] if a lawyer prosecutes a case, he or she tries to prove that the person charged with a crime is guilty:    defend//  --Mrs Lynn Smith, prosecuting, said the offence took place on January 27.//\n  3 [T]  formal to continue doing something:  --We cannot prosecute the investigation further.//


Words: prosecution
Meaning:
W3   n \n  1 [U and C] when a charge is made against someone for a crime, or when someone is judged for a crime in a court of law:  --a criminal prosecution //  prosecution for//  --Walters could face prosecution for his role in the robbery.//  prosecution of//  --the prosecution of war criminals//  --The evidence is not sufficient to bring a prosecution against him.//\n  2  the prosecution:  the lawyers who try to prove in a court of law that someone is guilty of a crime//    defence//  --the chief witness for the prosecution //\n  3 [U]  formal when you do something that is your job:  --the prosecution of her duties//


Words: proselytize
Meaning:
also  proselytise BrE   v [I and T]    formal to try to persuade someone to join a religious group, political party etc - used especially when you disapprove of this//  -- proselytizer n  [C] //  -- proselytizing n  [U] //


Words: prosody
Meaning:
n [U]  technical   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: prosodia  ’degree of force on part of a word’, from  Greek prosoidia, from  oide  ’song’]//  the patterns of sound and rhythm in poetry and spoken language, or the rules for arranging these patterns//  -- prosodic/pr[hA353]s[hA361]d[hA366]k $ -s[hA35A][hA359]-/ adj //


Words: prospect
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: prospectus, from the past participle of  prospicere  ’to look forward’]//\n  1 [U and C] the possibility that something will happen:  prospect of doing sth//  --I see no prospect of things improving here.//  --There is every prospect  (=a strong possibility) of the weather remaining dry this week.//  prospect for//  --There are good prospects for growth in the retail sector.//  prospect that//  --There’s a real prospect that England will not qualify for the World Cup.//\n  2 [singular] a particular event which will probably or definitely happen in the future - used especially when you want to talk about how you feel about it:  prospect of//  --The prospect of marriage terrified Alice.//  --Greeks face the prospect of new general elections next month.//  --He relishes the prospect of a fight.//  daunting/exciting etc prospect //  be excited/alarmed/concerned etc at the prospect (of sth) //  --She wasn’t exactly overjoyed at the prospect of looking after her niece.//\n  3  prospects [plural] chances of future success:  --I had no job, no education, and no prospects .//  job/career prospects //  --Job prospects for graduates don’t look good.//\n  4 [C] a person, job, plan etc that has a good chance of success in the future:\n  5  in prospect:   formal likely to happen in the near future//  --A new round of trade talks is in prospect.//\n  6 [C usually singular]  formal a view of a wide area of land, especially from a high place:\nprospect 2   v [I] \n  1 to examine an area of land or water, in order to find gold, silver, oil etc:  prospect for//  --The company is prospecting for gold in Alaska.//\n  2 to look for something, especially business opportunities:  prospect for//  --salesmen prospecting for new customers//


Words: prospective
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1  prospective employee/candidate/buyer etc:  someone who is likely to do a particular thing or achieve a particular position//\n  2 likely to happen:  --the prospective costs of providing pensions//


Words: prospectus
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin:  PROSPECT1]//\n  1  especially BrE a small book that advertises a school, college, new business etc:\n  2 a document produced by a company that wants the public to buy its shares:


Words: prosper
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: prosperer, from  Latin prosperare, from  prosperus  ’favorable’]//  [I] if people or businesses prosper, they grow and develop in a successful way, especially by becoming rich or making a large profit//  --Businesses across the state are prospering.//


Words: prosperity
Meaning:
n [U]   when people have money and everything that is needed for a good life//  --a time of economic prosperity //  prosperity of//  --the future prosperity of the country//


Words: prostate
Meaning:
n  also prostate gland  [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: prostata, from  Greek prostates, from  pro[hA170]stanai  ’to put in front’]//  an organ in the body of male mammals that is near the bladder and that produces a liquid in which sperm are carried//


Words: prosthesis
Meaning:
n   plural  prostheses /-si[hA359]z/ [C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Greek,  ’addition’, from  prostithenai  ’to add to’]//   medical an artificial leg, tooth, or other part of the body which takes the place of a missing part//  -- prosthetic/-[hA35F]et[hA366]k/ adj //


Words: prostitute
Meaning:
n [C]   someone, especially a woman, who earns money by having sex with people//\nprostitute 2 v   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  prostituere  ’to show publicly, offer for sale’]//\n  1 [T] if someone prostitutes a skill, ability, important principle etc, they use it in a way that does not show its true value, usually to earn money:  --Friends from the theater criticized him for prostituting his talent in the movies.//\n  2  prostitute yourself:  to work as a prostitute//


Words: prostrate
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  prosternere, from  sternere  ’to spread out, throw down’]//\n  1 lying on your front with your face towards the ground:  --They found him lying prostrate on the floor.//  prostrate body/figure/form //\n  2 too shocked, upset, weak etc to be able to do anything:  prostrate with//  --Julie was prostrate with grief after her father’s death.//  -- prostration/pr[hA361]stre[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ pr[hA35A][hA359]-/ n  [U and C] //\nprostrate 2   v \n  1  prostrate yourself:  to lie on your front with your face towards the ground, especially as an act of religious worship or as a sign of your willingness to obey someone//\n  2 [T usually passive] to make someone too shocked, upset, or weak to be able to do anything:


Words: protagonist
Meaning:
n [C]  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Greek; Origin: protagonistes, from  agonistes  ’competitor, actor’]//\n  1 the most important character in a play, film, or story:   main character//\n  2 one of the most important people taking part in a competition, battle, or struggle:  --the main protagonists in the conflict//\n  3 one of the most important supporters of a social or political idea:  protagonist of//  --a protagonist of educational reform//


Words: protean
Meaning:
adj  literary   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: Proteus ancient Greek sea god who could change shape]//  able to keep changing or to do many things//


Words: protect
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  protegere, from  tegere  ’to cover’]//\n  1 [I and T] to keep someone or something safe from harm, damage, or illness:    protection, protective//  --Are we doing enough to protect the environment?//  protect sb/sth from sth//  --The cover protects the machine from dust.//  protect sb/sth against sth//  --Physical exercise can protect you against heart disease.//  protect against//  --Waxing your car will help protect against rust.//\n  2 [T usually passive] if an insurance company protects your home, car, life, etc, it agrees to pay you money if things are stolen or damaged or you are hurt or killed:   cover//  --Unemployment insurance means that you are partially protected if you lose your job.//\n  3 [T] to help the industry and trade of your own country by taxing or restricting foreign goods:


Words: protected
Meaning:
adj   a protected animal, plant, area, or building is one that it is illegal to harm or damage//  --Spotted owls are a protected species .//


Words: protection
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] when someone or something is protected:  protection of//  --the protection of the environment//  protection against/from//  --evidence that vitamin C gives protection against cancer//  protection for//  --This law provides protection for threatened animals and plants.//  for protection//  --The police were issued with body armour for extra protection.//\n  2 [U and C] something that protects:  as (a) protection (against sth)//  --Magee pulled up his collar as protection against the breeze.//\n  3 [U] the promise of payment from an insurance company if something bad happens:   coverage//\n  4 [U]  contraception:  --Do you have any protection?//\n  5 [U] when criminals threaten to damage your property or hurt you unless you pay them money:  --protection money//  --a protection racket  (=the illegal activity of demanding money for protection) //


Words: protectionism
Meaning:
n [U]   when a government tries to help industries in its own country by taxing or restricting foreign goods//  -- protectionist adj //  -- protectionist n  [C] //


Words: protective
Meaning:
adj \n  1 [only before noun] used or intended for protection:  --protective clothing//  --Sunscreen provides a protective layer against the sun’s harmful rays.//\n  2 wanting to protect someone from harm or danger:  protective towards//  --I can’t help feeling protective towards my kids.//  protective of//  --He’s very protective of his younger brother.//\n  3 intended to give an advantage to your own country’s industry:  --protective tariffs//  -- protectively adv //  -- protectiveness n  [U] //


Words: protective custody
Meaning:
n [U]   a situation in which the police make you stay somewhere to protect you from people who could harm you//  in/into protective custody//  --The children were taken into protective custody .//


Words: protege
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: , past participle of  proteger, from  Latin protegere;   PROTECT]//  someone, especially a young person, who is taught and helped by someone who has influence, power, or more experience//  --She attempted to encourage her young protege.//


Words: protein
Meaning:
W2   n [U and C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: proteine, from  Greek protos  ’first’]//  one of several natural substances that exist in food such as meat, eggs, and beans, and which your body needs in order to grow and remain strong and healthy//


Words: protest
Meaning:
W3   n \n  1 [U and C] something that you do to show publicly that you think that something is wrong and unfair, for example taking part in big public meetings, refusing to work, or refusing to buy a company’s products:  protest against//  --protests against the Vietnam war//  -- protest marches against the government’s policy on immigration//  --A small group of demonstrators staged a peaceful protest outside the UN Headquarters.//  --5000 employees came out on strike  in protest at  the poor working conditions.//  --Three people died yesterday in violent street protests .//  --the protest movements of the 1960s//\n  2 [C] words or actions that show that you do not want someone to do something or that you dislike something very much:  protest from//  --I turned off the TV, despite loud protests from the kids.//  without protest//  --He accepted his punishment without protest.//  --She ignored his protests and walked away.//  --The programme caused a storm of protest  (=a lot of angry protest) .//  --The announcement was met with howls of protest .//\n  3  do sth under protest:  to do something while making it clear that you do not want to do it//  --The bill was eventually paid under protest.//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  protest march/rally //  hold/stage/mount a protest //  in protest (at something) //  peaceful protest //  violent/angry protest //  public protest //  street protest //  protest group/movement //  HINT //  The noun protest is pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable /pr[hA353][hA35E]test pro[hA35E]test/ . The verb is pronounced with the emphasis on the second syllable /pr[hA353]test/ . //  ----------//\nprotest 2   v   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: protester, from  Latin protestari, from  testari  ’to speak as a witness’]//\n  1 [I and T] to come together to publicly express disapproval or opposition to something:  protest against/at/about//  --Thousands of people blocked the street, protesting against the new legislation.//  protest sth//   AmE //  --Students protested the decision.//\n  2 [I and T] to say that you strongly disagree with or are angry about something because you think it is wrong or unfair:  --’I don’t see why I should take the blame for this!’ she protested.//  protest that//  --Clive protested that he hadn’t been given enough time to do everything.//\n  3 [T] to state very firmly that something is true, when other people do not believe you:  protest (that)//  --Sarah protested that she wasn’t Mick’s girlfriend.//  --Years later, he is still protesting his innocence .//


Words: Protestant
Meaning:
n [C]   a member of a part of the Christian church that separated from the Roman Catholic church in the 16th century//  -- Protestant adj //  -- Protestantism n  [U] //


Words: protestation
Meaning:
n [C]  formal   a strong statement saying that something is true or not true, when other people believe the opposite//  protestation of//  --protestations of innocence//


Words: protester
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who takes part in a public activity such as a demonstration in order to show their opposition to something//


Words: proto-
Meaning:
prefix   [Language: Late Latin; Origin: Greek, from  protos  ’first’]//   technical existing or coming before other things of the same type//  --a proto-fascist group//  --a prototype//


Words: protocol
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: prothocole, from  Late Greek protokollon  ’first page of a document’, from  kolla  ’glue’]//\n  1 [U] a system of rules about the correct way to behave on an official occasion:  --a breach of diplomatic protocol //\n  2 [C]  formal :  a) an international agreement between two or more countries//  --the Montreal protocol on the protection of the ozone layer//  b) a written record of a formal or international agreement, or an early form of an agreement//\n  3 [C]  technical an established method for connecting computers so that they can exchange information:\n  4 [C]  technical a set of rules that are followed when doing a scientific experiment or giving someone medical treatment:


Words: proton
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Greek; Origin: ’first thing’, from  protos;   PROTO-]//  a very small piece of matter with a positive electrical charge that is in the central part of an atom//    electron, neutron//


Words: protoplasm
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: German; Origin: protoplasma, from  Late Latin plasma;   PLASMA]//   technical the colourless substance that forms the cells of plants and animals//


Words: prototype
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: Greek prototypon  ’first form’]//\n  1 the first form that a new design of a car, machine etc has, or a model of it used to test the design before it is produced:  prototype of/for//  --a working prototype of the new car//\n  2 someone or something that is one of the first and most typical examples of a group or situation:


Words: protozoan
Meaning:
plural  protozoa /-z[hA353][hA35E][hA353] $ -zo[hA35E][hA353]/ or  protozoans  [C] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Greek,  ’first animal’]//  a very small living thing that has only one cell//  -- protozoan adj //


Words: protracted
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  protrahere  ’to draw forward’]//  used to describe something that continues for a long time, especially if it takes longer than usual, necessary, or expected//   lengthy//  protracted negotiations/discussions/debate etc //  --the expense of a protracted legal battle//


Words: protractor
Meaning:
n [C]   a piece of plastic in the shape of a half-circle, which is used for measuring and drawing angles//


Words: protrude
Meaning:
v [I]  written   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: protrudere, from  trudere  ’to push’]//  to stick out from somewhere//  protrude from//  --The envelope was protruding from her bag.//


Words: protuberance
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: protuberant, from  Latin, present participle of  protuberare, from  tuber  ’swelling’]//   formal something that sticks out//  --This dinosaur is recognizable by the protuberance on the top of its head.//  -- protuberant adj //


Words: proud
Meaning:
W3S2   adj   comparative  prouder superlative  proudest //  ----------//\n   1 pleased:\n   2 proudest moment/achievement/possession:\n   3 too high opinion:\n   4 great self-respect:\n   5 do somebody proud:\n   6 impressive:  ----------//  [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: prod,  prud,  prou  ’good, brave’, from  Late Latin prode  ’advantage, advantageous’, from  Latin prodesse  ’to be advantageous’]//\n  1 PLEASED:  feeling pleased about something that you have done or something that you own, or about someone or something you are involved with or related to//    pride//  → ashamed//  proud of//  --Her parents are very proud of her.//  --You should be proud of yourself.//  --His past record is certainly something to be proud of .//  be justly/rightly proud of sth (=have good reasons for being proud) //  --The company is justly proud of its achievements.//  proud to do/be sth//  --Seven-year-old Ian is proud to have earned his red belt in karate.//  proud (that)//  --She was proud that the magazine had agreed to publish one of her stories.//  --Seth was the proud owner of a new sports car.//\n  2  proudest moment/achievement/possession:  the moment etc that makes you feel most proud//  --His proudest moment was winning the European Cup final.//\n  3 TOO HIGH OPINION:  thinking that you are more important, skilful etc than you really are - used to show disapproval//    pride//  --a proud man who would not admit his mistakes//\n  4 GREAT SELF-RESPECT:  having respect for yourself, so that you are embarrassed to ask for help when you are in a difficult situation//    pride//  --Some farmers were too proud to ask for government help.//\n  5  do sb proud:  a)  informal to make people feel proud of you by doing something well//  --I tried to do my country proud.//  b)  old-fashioned to treat someone well by providing them with good food or entertainment//\n  6 IMPRESSIVE:   literary tall and impressive//  -- proudly adv //  ----------//  WORD CHOICE: proud, arrogant, conceited, big-headed, vain //  Proud  is a fairly general word used to say that someone is pleased with themselves, pleased with what they have achieved, or pleased with something or someone connected with them such as their school or their family : His proud parents watched the presentation. |  I’m very proud of my students.| She was proud to be in the team. //  Proud  is usually neither approving nor disapproving, although you can say someone is  too proud , meaning that they will not admit they are wrong or need help. //  Arrogant is a disapproving word meaning that someone thinks they are better than other people : He was so arrogant he thought he could not possibly lose. |  the arrogant way she dismisses my opinions //  Conceited  and  big-headed  are disapproving words meaning that someone thinks they or their achievements are better than they really are.  Conceited  is fairly formal and  big-headed  is informal. //  Vain  is a disapproving word meaning that someone thinks they are very special, especially because they are very proud of the way they look. //  ----------//


Words: Proust
Meaning:
Marcel   (1871-1922) a French writer of  novels, who many people consider one of the greatest writers of modern times. His best known work is a series of novels called in English Remembrance of Things Past, which is a detailed description of French society in the late 19th century, and is sometimes mentioned as a typical example of a very long book. Many people also know how the book begins, when one of the characters eats a "madeleine" (=a type of small cake)  and the taste reminds him of an earlier time.//


Words: prove
Meaning:
W1S2   v   past tense  proved past participle  proved  or  proven /pru[hA359]v[hA368]n/ especially AmE //  ----------//\n   1 show something is true:\n   2 be:\n   3 prove yourself/prove something (to somebody):\n   4 prove yourself (to be) something:\n   5 what is somebody trying to prove?:\n   6 prove a point:\n   7 bread:\n   8 law:  ----------//  [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: prover, from  Latin probare;   PROBE2]//\n  1 SHOW SOMETHING IS TRUE:   [T] to show that something is true by providing facts, information etc//    proof//  --You’re wrong, and I can prove it.//  prove (that)//  --Tests have proved that the system works.//  prove sth to sb//  --I knew he had done it, but there was no way I could prove it to Eddie.//  prove sb’s guilt/innocence //  --He claims the police destroyed records that could prove the officer’s guilt.//  prove sb wrong/innocent etc //  --They say I’m too old, but I’m going to prove them all wrong.//  --To prove his point  (=show that he was right) , he mentioned several other experiments which had produced similar results.//\n  2 BE:   [linking verb] if someone or something proves difficult, helpful, a problem etc, they are difficult, helpful, a problem etc//  --The recent revelations may prove embarrassing to the President.//  prove to be sth//  --The design proved to be a success.//\n  3  prove yourself/prove sth (to sb):  to show how good you are at doing something//  --When I first started this job, I felt I had to prove myself.//\n  4  prove yourself (to be) sth:  to show other people that you are a particular type of person//  --She’s proved herself to be a very reliable worker.//\n  5  what is sb trying to prove?:   spoken said when you are annoyed by someone’s actions and do not understand them//\n  6  prove a point:  if someone does something to prove a point, they do it to show that they are right or that they can do something//  --I’m not going to run the marathon just to prove a point.//\n  7 BREAD:   [I] if dough (=unbaked bread mixture)  proves, it rises and becomes light because of the yeast in it//\n  8 LAW:   [T]  law to show that a will has been made in the correct way//  -- provable adj //  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  You prove something to someone: I will prove to you (NOT prove you) that I’m right. //  HINT //  Do not use ’prove’ to mean ’make something better.’ Use improve: a chance to improve your English //  ----------//


Words: proven
Meaning:
adj   [usually before noun] tested and shown to be true or good, or shown to exist//  --a player of proven ability//  --a telephone system with a proven track record  (=past performance showing how good it is) of reliability//\nproven 2   v  especially AmE   a past participle of prove//


Words: provenance
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: provenir  ’to come out, originate’]//   formal the place where something originally came from//  --The provenance of the paintings is unknown.//  (of) dubious/doubtful provenance (=used to suggest that something may have been stolen) //  --artworks of doubtful provenance//


Words: Provence
Meaning:
an area in southeast France which includes the coast of the Mediterranean Sea and the hills and mountains away from the coast. It produces wine, fruit,  olive oil and  lavender (=a strong-smelling purple flower) . Its beaches, beautiful countryside, and warm weather make it a popular place for tourists to visit. Its main towns are Nice and Marseilles.//


Words: proverb
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: proverbe, from  Latin proverbium, from  verbum  ’word’]//  a short well-known statement that gives advice or expresses something that is generally true. ’A penny saved is a penny earned’ is an example of a proverb//    saying//


Words: proverbial
Meaning:
adj \n  1  the proverbial sth:  used when you describe something using part of a well-known expression//  --The store had everything including the proverbial kitchen sink.//\n  2 relating to a proverb:  --a proverbial expression //\n  3 well-known by a lot of people:  --His modesty is proverbial.//  -- proverbially adv //


Words: Proverbs
Meaning:
a book of the  Old Testament of the Bible consisting of a collection of  proverbs which people believe were written by King  Solomon//


Words: provide
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: providere  ’to see ahead, provide’, from  videre  ’to see’]//\n  1 to give something to someone or make it available to them, because they need it or want it:    provision//  --Tea and biscuits will be provided.//  provide sth for sb//  --The hotel provides a shoe-cleaning service for guests.//  provide sb with sth//  --The project is designed to provide young people with work.//\n  2 to produce something useful as a result:  --We are hoping the enquiry will provide an explanation for the accident.//  provide sb with sth//  --The search provided the police with several vital clues.//\n  3  provide that:   formal if a law or rule provides that something must happen, it states that it must happen//  provide against [provide against sth] phr v//  to make plans in order to deal with a bad situation that might happen//  --Health insurance will provide against loss of income if you become ill.//  provide for / [provide for sb/sth] phr v//\n  1 to give someone the things they need to live, such as money, food etc:  --Without work, how can I provide for my children?//\n  2  formal if a law, rule, or plan provides for something, it states that something will be done and makes it possible for it to be done:  --The new constitution provides for a 650-seat legislature.//\n  3  formal to make plans in order to deal with something that might happen in the future:  --Commanders failed to provide for an attack by sea.//  ----------//  GRAMMAR //  Someone can  provide  something but they cannot ’provide someone’ : Will they provide a car? //  You can say that you  provide  someone  with  something or  provide  something  for someone : He provided me with everything (NOT provided me everything) I needed. |  They did not provide enough paper for everyone (NOT to everyone). //  To provide for someone means to support them by giving them the things they need to live : She has to provide for her four children (NOT provide her four children). //  ----------//


Words: provided
Meaning:
W2S3   conj  also provided that   used to say that something will only be possible if something else happens or is done//   providing//  --He can come with us, provided he pays for his own meals.//


Words: Providence
Meaning:
providence/pr[hA361]v[hA369]d[hA368]ns $ pr[hA35A][hA359]-/ n [U]  literary   a force which is believed by some people to control what happens in our lives and to protect us//  --divine providence//


Words: provident
Meaning:
adj  formal   careful and sensible in the way you plan things, especially by saving money for the future//


Words: provider
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a company or person that provides a service:  --an Internet service provider//\n  2 someone who supports a family:  --A widow, she is the sole provider  (=the only one) for her family.//


Words: providing
Meaning:
S2   conj  also providing that   used to say that something will only be possible if something else happens or is done//   provided//  --You can borrow the car, providing I can have it back by six o’clock.//


Words: province
Meaning:
W3   n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin provincia  ’Roman land’, from  vincere  ’to defeat’]//\n  1  also  Province:   [C] one of the large areas into which some countries are divided, and which usually has its own local government//  --a Chinese province//\n  2  the provinces:  the parts of a country that are not near the capital//\n  3 [singular]  formal a subject that someone knows a lot about or something that only they are responsible for:  province of//  --Computers were once the exclusive province of scientists and mathematicians.//


Words: provincial
Meaning:
adj \n  1 [only before noun] relating to or coming from a province:  --a provincial election//  --the provincial government of Quebec//\n  2 relating to or coming from the parts of a country that are not near the capital:  --a provincial town //\n  3 old-fashioned and not interested in anything new or different - used to show disapproval:  --provincial attitudes//\nprovincial 2 n [C]   someone who comes from a part of a country that is not near the capital, especially someone who is not interested in anything new or different - often used to show disapproval//


Words: proving ground
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a place or situation in which something new is tried or tested:  proving ground for//  --High-crime areas are proving grounds for new police officers.//\n  2  technical an area for scientific testing, especially of vehicles:


Words: provision
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Late Latin provisio, from  Latin providere;   PROVIDE]//\n  1 [>C usually singular, U] when you provide something that someone needs now or in the future:  provision of//  --the provision of childcare facilities//  provision for//  --provision for people with disabilities//  --He made provisions for his wife and his children in his will.//\n  2  provisions [plural] food, drink, and other supplies, especially for a journey:  --We had enough provisions for two weeks.//\n  3 [C] a condition in an agreement or law:  --The agreement includes a provision for each side to check the other side’s weapons.//  under the provisions of sth//  --Under the provisions of the Act, employers must supply safety equipment.//\nprovision 2 v [T]  formal   to provide someone or something with a lot of food and supplies, especially for a journey//


Words: provisional
Meaning:
adj  formal   likely or able to be changed in the future//  --a provisional government //  --We accept provisional bookings by phone.//  -- provisionally adv //  --The meeting has been provisionally arranged for the end of May.//


Words: Provisional IRA
Meaning:
the   an illegal military organization that wants Northern Ireland to leave the UK. In 1969, a group that favoured the use of violence, bombing etc separated from the main IRA, and officially this group is called the "Provisional IRA". But in fact when people talk about the "IRA", they usually mean this group.//


Words: provisional licence
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   an official document that you must have when you are learning to drive//  American Equivalent:  learner’s permit//


Words: proviso
Meaning:
n   plural  provisos  [C]  formal //  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: proviso quod  ’provided that’]//  a condition that you ask for before you will agree to something//  with the proviso that//  --The money was given to the museum with the proviso that it is spent on operating costs.//


Words: provocation
Meaning:
n [U and C]   an action or event that makes someone angry or upset, or is intended to do this//    provoke//  without provocation//  --She claims that Graham attacked her without any provocation.//  --He was accused of deliberate provocation .//  --Julie has a tendency to burst into tears at the slightest provocation .//


Words: provocative
Meaning:
adj \n  1 provocative behaviour, remarks etc are intended to make people angry or upset, or to cause a lot of discussion:  provocative comment/remark/statement //  --The minister’s provocative remarks were widely reported in the press.//  --a provocative act by a terrorist group//  --She was accused of being deliberately provocative .//\n  2 provocative clothes, movements, pictures etc are intended to make someone sexually excited:  -- provocative images of young girls//  -- provocatively adv //


Words: provoke
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: provoquer, from  Latin provocare, from  vocare  ’to call’]//\n  1 to cause a reaction or feeling, especially a sudden one:    provocation//  provoke a protest/an outcry/criticism etc //  --The proposal provoked widespread criticism.//  --The decision to invade provoked storms of protest.//  provoke debate/discussion //  --The novel has provoked fierce debate in the US.//  provoke sb into (doing) sth//  --She hopes her editorial will provoke readers into thinking seriously about the issue.//  provoke sb to do sth//  --Emma, though still at school, was provoked to help too.//\n  2 to make someone angry, especially deliberately:  --The dog would not have attacked if it hadn’t been provoked.//  provoke sb into (doing) sth//  --Paul tried to provoke Fletch into a fight.//


Words: Provost
Meaning:
,  provost/pr[hA361]v[hA353]st $ pro[hA35E]vo[hA35E]st/ n [C]   [Date: 900-1000; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin praepositus  ’someone in charge, leader’, from  praeponere  ’to put in front’]//\n  1 the person in charge of a college in some British universities, especially at Oxford or Cambridge:\n  2 an important official at a university in the US:\n  3  old use the leader of the council in some Scottish towns and cities:


Words: prow
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: proue, from  Latin prora, from  Greek proira, from  pro  ’forward’]//   especially literary the front part of a ship or boat//


Words: prowess
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: prouesse, from  prou;   PROUD]//   formal great skill at doing something//  --his physical prowess//  --military prowess//


Words: prowl
Meaning:
v [I and T] \n  1 if an animal prowls, it moves around an area quietly, especially because it is hunting another animal:\n  2 if someone prowls, they move around an area slowly and quietly, especially because they are involved in a criminal activity or because they are looking for something:  --gangs of teenagers prowling the streets //  prowl around/about//   BrE //  --Irene prowled restlessly around the room.//\nprowl 2 n   be/go on the prowl (for sth/sb)//  a) if an animal is on the prowl, it is hunting//  b) if someone is on the prowl, they are moving around different places, looking for an opportunity to do something//  --local men out on the prowl  (=looking for people to have a sexual relationship with) in the city’s bars and nightclubs//  --She’s always on the prowl for bargains.//


Words: prowler
Meaning:
n [C]   a person who follows someone or hides near their house, especially at night, in order to frighten or harm them or to steal something//  --The police were called after a prowler was spotted near their home.//


Words: proximate
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  proximare  ’to go near’, from  proximus  ’nearest, next’]//\n  1 a proximate cause is a direct one:\n  2 nearest in time, order, or family relationship:   close//


Words: proximity
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: proximitas, from  proximus;   PROXIMATE]//   formal nearness in distance or time//  proximity to//  --We chose the house for its proximity to the school.//  proximity of//  --the proximity of the Bahamas to the States//  --Here the rich and the poor live in close proximity  (=very near to each other) .//


Words: proxy
Meaning:
n   plural  proxies //  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: procuracie, from  Latin procuratio, from  procurare;   PROCURE]//\n  1  by proxy:  if you do something by proxy, you arrange for someone else to do it for you//  --You can vote by proxy.//\n  2 [U and C] someone who you choose to represent you, especially to vote for you:  proxy for//  --a husband acting as proxy for his wife//\n  3 [C + for]  formal something used to represent something else that you want to measure:\nproxy 2 adj [only before noun]   involving the use of a proxy//  --a proxy vote //


Words: Prozac
Meaning:
trademark   a type of drug used for treating  depression (=when you feel very unhappy)  and  anxiety (=when you feel very worried) //


Words: prude
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: ’good woman, prudish woman’, from  prudefemme  ’good woman’, from  Old French prode femme]//  someone who is very easily shocked by anything relating to sex - used to show disapproval//


Words: prudence
Meaning:
n [U]   a sensible and careful attitude that makes you avoid unnecessary risks//  --financial prudence//


Words: prudent
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin, from  providens, present participle of  providere;   PROVIDE]//  sensible and careful, especially by trying to avoid unnecessary risks//  --prudent house buyers//  it is prudent (for sb) to do sth//  --It might be prudent to get a virus detector for the network.//


Words: prudery
Meaning:
n [U]   the behaviour or attitude of people who are too easily shocked by things relating to sex - used to show disapproval//


Words: prudish
Meaning:
adj   very easily shocked by things relating to sex - used to show disapproval//  --American culture is in many ways still fairly prudish.//  -- prudery n  [U] //  -- prudishly adv //  -- prudishness n  [U] //


Words: prune
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: proignier, probably from  provigner  ’to breed plants from shoots’, from  Latin propago;   PROPAGATE]//\n  1  also prune sth → back :  to cut off some of the branches of a tree or bush to make it grow better//  --The roses need pruning.//\n  2  especially BrE to make something smaller by removing parts that you do not need or want:  --The company is pruning staff in order to reduce costs.//  --The original version of the text has been pruned quite a bit.//\nprune 2 n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: ’plum’, from  Latin prunus]//  a dried plum, often cooked before it is eaten//  --stewed prunes//


Words: prurient
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  prurire  ’to itch, have desire’]//  having or showing too much interest in sex - used to show disapproval//  --prurient interests//  -- pruriently adv //  -- prurience n  [U] //


Words: Prussia
Meaning:
a former German state in northern Europe, which was a powerful military state between the 17th and 19th centuries. After World War II, its land was divided between Germany, the Soviet Union, and Poland.//


Words: prussic acid
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: prussique  ’Prussian’; because it was first obtained from Prussian blue, a coloring material]//  a very poisonous acid//


Words: pry
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  pried present participle  prying third person singular  pries //  [Sense: 1,3; Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Origin unknown]//  [Sense: 2,4; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: prize  ’to force up’ (17-21 centuries), from  prize  ’lever’ (14-20 centuries), from  Old French prise  ’act of seizing’]//\n  1 [I] to try to find out details about someone else’s private life in an impolite way:  --I don’t want to pry , but I need to ask you one or two questions.//  pry into//  --reporters prying into the affairs of celebrities//\n  2 [T always + adverb/preposition]  especially AmE to force something open, or force it away from something else:  British Equivalent:  prize//  pry sth open/away/off etc//  --We finally managed to pry the door open with a screwdriver.//\n  3  away from prying eyes:  in private, where people cannot see what you are doing//  pry out of / [pry sth out of sb/sth] phr v//  to get money or information from someone with a lot of difficulty//  --If you want to know his name, you have to pry it out of her.//


Words: PS
Meaning:
also  P.S. AmE   n [C]   [Language: Modern Latin; Origin: postscriptum;   POSTSCRIPT]//  postscript a note written at the end of a letter, adding more information//  --She added a PS to say ’hi’ to my brother.//  --Best wishes, Julie. PS Maggie sends her love.//


Words: psalm
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Late Latin; Origin: psalmus, from  Greek psalmos  ’playing of a stringed instrument’, from  psallein;   PSALTER]//  a song or poem praising God, especially in the Bible//


Words: psalter
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 800-900; Language: Latin; Origin: psalterium, from  Greek psalterion, from  psallein  ’to play on a stringed instrument’]//  a book containing the psalms from the Bible//


Words: psaltery
Meaning:
n   plural  psalteries  [C] //  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: sauterie, from  Latin psalterium;   PSALTER]//  an ancient musical instrument with strings stretched over a board//


Words: psephology
Meaning:
n [U]  BrE  technical   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Greek; Origin: psephos  ’small stone, vote’; because the ancient Greeks used small stones for voting]//  the study of how people vote in elections//  -- psephologist n  [C] //


Words: pseud
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: pseudo-]//  a person who pretends to know a lot about a subject and talks about it in a complicated way in order to make other people admire them - used to show disapproval//


Words: pseudo-
Meaning:
prefix   [Language: Late Latin; Origin: Greek, from  pseudes  ’false’]//  false or not real//  --pseudo-intellectuals (=people who pretend to be clever) //  --She dismisses astrology as pseudo-science.//


Words: pseudonym
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: pseudonyme, from  Greek pseudonymos  ’having a false name’]//  an invented name that a writer, artist etc uses instead of their real name//  under a pseudonym//  --He wrote under the pseudonym ’Silchester’.//  -- pseudonymous/sju[hA359]d[hA361]n[hA369]m[hA353]s $ su[hA359]d[hA35A][hA359]-/ adj //  --He was the pseudonymous author.//  -- pseudonymously adv //


Words: psoriasis
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Greek, from  psora  ’itch’]//  a skin disease that causes rough red areas where the skin comes off in small pieces//


Words: psst
Meaning:
interjection   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Natural sound]//  a sound people make when they want to attract someone’s attention without other people noticing//  --Psst! Guess what?//


Words: PST
Meaning:
the abbreviation of Pacific Standard Time //\npsych 1 v   psych out [psych sb → out] phr v//  [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Partly from  psychoanalyze and partly from  psych-]//   informal to do or say things that will make your opponent in a game or competition feel nervous or confused, so that it is easier for you to win//  psych up [psych sb up] phr v//  if you psych yourself up or if someone psychs you up, you get mentally prepared before doing something so that you feel confident//  psych yourself up (for sth)//  --We both knew we had to psych ourselves up for the race.//\npsych 2   n  spoken  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: psychology]//\n  1 [U] a short form of psychology:  --I’m a psych major now.//\n  2 [C] a short form of psychiatrist:


Words: psyche
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]  technical  or  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Greek; Origin: ’breath, life, soul, mind’]//  someone’s mind, or their deepest feelings, which control their attitudes and behaviour//  --Freud’s account of the human psyche //  --A characteristic of the feminine psyche is to seek approval from others.//


Words: psychedelic
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Greek; Origin: psych- (  PSYCH-) +  deloun  ’to show’]//\n  1 psychedelic drugs such as LSD make you hallucinate (=see things that do not exist) :\n  2 having or using bright colours or strange sounds, and representing the experiences people have when they use drugs such as LSD:  --a psychedelic light show//  --Fashion designers look back to the 1960s with dazzling psychedelic prints.//  -- psychedelically/-kli/ adv //  -- psychedelia/-di[hA359]li[hA353]/ n  [U] //  --Sixties psychedelia//


Words: psychiatric
Meaning:
adj   relating to the study and treatment of mental illness//  --a psychiatric hospital//  --a psychiatric nurse//  --Charles was suffering from a psychiatric disorder  (=mental illness) .//  -- psychiatrically/-kli/ adv //


Words: psychiatry
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: psychiatrie, from  Greek psych- (  PSYCH-) +  iatreia  ’cure’]//  the study and treatment of mental illnesses//    psychology//


Words: psychic
Meaning:
adj [no comparative]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Greek; Origin: psychikos, from  psyche;   PSYCHE]//\n  1  also psychical /sa[hA366]k[hA366]k[hA368]l/:  relating to the power of the human mind to do strange or surprising things that cannot be explained by reason//  --a spiritual healer with psychic powers //  --a documentary on psychic phenomena//\n  2 someone who is psychic has the ability to know what other people are thinking or what will happen in the future:    clairvoyant//  --You don’t have to be psychic to know what Maggie is thinking.//\n  3  also psychical :  affecting the mind rather than the body//  --psychic disorders (=illnesses) //  -- psychically/-kli/ adv //\npsychic 2 n [C]   someone who has mysterious powers, especially the ability to receive messages from dead people or to know what will happen in the future//


Words: Psycho
Meaning:
(1960) a US  horror film (= a film that is intended to make you feel frightened) made by Alfred  Hitchcock. Its most famous scene is the one in which the character acted by Janet Leigh  is killed with a knife by Norman  Bates, played by Anthony Perkins, while she is in the  shower.//


Words: psycho
Meaning:
n   plural  psychos  [C] //  [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: psychopath]//   informal someone who is mentally ill and who may behave in a violent or strange way//  -- psycho adj //


Words: psycho-
Meaning:
prefix   [Language: Greek; Origin: psyche;   PSYCHE]//   also psych- //   technical relating to the mind and the mental processes, rather than the body//  --a psychoanalyst//


Words: psychoanalysis
Meaning:
n [U]   medical treatment that involves talking to someone about their life, feelings etc in order to find out the hidden causes of their problems//  -- psychoanalytic/sa[hA366]k[hA353][hA35E]-[zB024]n[hA353]l[hA366]t[hA366]k[hA36B] $ -ko[hA35E][zB024]nl[hA366]t[hA366]k[hA36B]/ adj //  --psychoanalytic theory//  -- psychoanalytical adj //  -- psychoanalytically/-kli/ adv //


Words: psychobabble
Meaning:
n [U]    informal language that sounds scientific but is not really, that some people use when talking about their emotional problems - used in order to show disapproval//


Words: psychodrama
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U and C] a way of treating mental illness in which people are asked to act in a situation together to help them understand their emotions:\n  2 [C] a serious film, play etc that examines the minds and feelings of the characters, rather than what happens:


Words: psychokinesis
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Greek; Origin: psych- (  PSYCH-) +  kinesis  ’movement’]//  the moving of solid objects using only the power of the mind, which some people believe is possible//  -- psychokinetic/-ka[hA366]net[hA366]k[hA36B] $ -k[hA369]ne-/ adj //  -- psychokinetically/-kli/ adv //


Words: psychological
Meaning:
W3   adj \n  1 relating to the way that your mind works and the way that this affects your behaviour:  --Sleep disorders are a serious psychological problem .//  --Freud’s psychological theories//  --What was the patient’s psychological state ?//\n  2 relating to what is in someone’s mind rather than what is real:  --Max says he’s ill, but I’m sure it’s psychological.//\n  3  psychological warfare:  behaviour intended to make your opponents lose confidence or feel afraid//\n  4  the psychological moment:   BrE  informal the exact time in a situation when you have the best chance to achieve what you want//  -- psychologically/-kli/ adv //  --psychologically disturbed patients//


Words: psychology
Meaning:
W3   n   plural  psychologies //\n  1 [U] the study of the mind and how it influences people’s behaviour:  educational/social etc psychology //  --experts in the field of developmental psychology//\n  2 [U] the mental processes involved in believing in something or doing a certain activity:  psychology of//  --research into the psychology of racism//\n  3 [U and C] what someone thinks or believes, and how this affects what they do:  --the psychology of three-year-olds//  --mob psychology//  --You have to use psychology to get people to stop smoking.//


Words: psychopath
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Greek; Origin: psych- (  PSYCH-) +  pathos  ’suffering’]//  someone who has a serious and permanent mental illness that makes them behave in a violent or criminal way//    sociopath//  -- psychopathic/sa[hA366]k[hA353]p[zB024][hA35F][hA366]k[hA36B]/ adj //  --a psychopathic personality//  -- psychopathically/-kli/ adv //


Words: psychosis
Meaning:
n   plural  psychoses /-si[hA359]z/ [U and C] //  a serious mental illness that can change your character and make you unable to behave in a normal way//    psychotic//


Words: psychosomatic
Meaning:
adj  medical   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Greek; Origin: psych- (  PSYCH-) +  somatikos (from  soma  ’body’)]//\n  1 a psychosomatic illness is caused by fear or anxiety rather than by a physical problem:  psychosomatic illness/symptoms/disorder etc //  --Children are just as susceptible to psychosomatic conditions as adults.//\n  2 relating to the relationship between the mind and physical illness:  -- psychosomatically/-kli/ adv //


Words: psychotherapy
Meaning:
n [U]   the treatment of mental illness, for example depression, by talking to someone and discussing their problems rather than giving them drugs//  -- psychotherapist n  [C] //


Words: psychotic
Meaning:
adj   suffering from or caused by psychosis//  --psychotic patients//  --psychotic illness//  -- psychotic n  [C] //  --Like most psychotics, she was very dependent on others.//  -- psychotically/-kli/ adv //


Words: psychotropic
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: psycho- +  -tropic  ’affecting’ (from  Greek trope  ’turning’)]//  psychotropic drugs have an effect on your mind//


Words: PT
Meaning:
n [U]    BrE  physical training activities involving organized games, exercises etc at school//  --a PT instructor//  --PT lessons at school//\nPT 2  P/T  the written abbreviation of part-time  FT//


Words: PT boat
Meaning:
a small, fast boat used by the US military forces, especially during World War II. It was used especially for firing  torpedoes (=explosive weapons that travel under the sea)  at enemy ships. Many Americans remember that President John F.  Kennedy fought during World War II in a PT boat, called PT 109, and that when it was sunk, Kennedy led the men to safety.//


Words: pt.
Meaning:
also  pt BrE \n  1 the written abbreviation of part :\n  2  BrE the written abbreviation of payment :\n  3 the written abbreviation of pint or pints:\n  4  also  Pt:  the written abbreviation of point //\n  5  also  Pt:  the written abbreviation of port //  --Pt Moresby//


Words: PTA
Meaning:
n [C]  especially BrE   parent-teacher association an organization of parents and teachers that tries to help and improve a particular school//  American Equivalent:  PTO//  --an active member of the PTA//


Words: pterodactyl
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Greek pteron  ’wing’ +  daktylos  ’finger’]//  a large flying animal that lived many millions of years ago//


Words: PTO
Meaning:
please turn over written at the bottom of a page to tell the reader to look at the next page//\nPTO 2 n [C]    AmE  Parent-Teacher Organization an organization of parents and teachers that tries to help and improve a particular school//  British Equivalent:  PTA//\nPtolemy 1   (?AD100-AD170) a Greek  astronomer and  mathematician who lived and worked in Egypt. He studied the stars, and believed that the Earth was at the centre of the universe, and that the stars, the sun, and the  planets all travelled in circles around the Earth. This idea is known as the Ptolemaic System, and most people believed it to be true until Nicholas  Copernicus proved that it was wrong at the beginning of the 16th century.//\nPtolemy 2   the name used by the family of kings who ruled Egypt from the 4th century BC to the 1st century BC//


Words: ptomaine
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Italian; Origin: ptomaina, from  Greek ptoma  ’fall, fallen body, dead body’, from  piptein  ’to fall’]//  a poisonous substance formed by bacteria in decaying food//


Words: pty
Meaning:
the written abbreviation of proprietary , used in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa after the name of a business company//  --Australian Wine Growers Pty//


Words: pub
Meaning:
W3S3   n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: public house]//  a building in Britain where alcohol can be bought and drunk, and where meals are often served//    bar//  --Do you fancy going to the pub?//  --a pub lunch//  --the pub landlord//


Words: pub-crawl
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE  informal a visit to several pubs, one after the other, during which you have a drink in each pub//  --a Saturday night pub-crawl//


Words: puberty
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: pubertas, from  puber  ’pubescent’]//  the stage of physical development during which you change from a child to an adult and are able to have children//  --Fourteen is a fairly normal age for a girl to reach puberty .//


Words: pubes
Meaning:
n [plural]  informal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: ’adult stage, body hair, pubic area’]//   pubic hair (=hair around the sexual organs) //


Words: pubescent
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  pubescere, from  pubes;   PUBES]//  a pubescent boy or girl is going through puberty//


Words: public
Meaning:
adj   ----------//\n   1 ordinary people:\n   2 for anyone:\n   3 government:\n   4 known about:\n   5 not hidden:\n   6 place with a lot of people:\n   7 public life:\n   8 public image:\n   9 go public:\n  10 public appearance:\n  11 public property:\n  12 public enemy number one:  ----------//  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: publique, from  Latin publicus, probably from  poplicus, from  populus  ’people’; influenced by  pubes  ’adult’ (  PUBES)]//\n  1 ORDINARY PEOPLE:   [only before noun] relating to all the ordinary people in a country, who are not members of the government or do not have important jobs//  --We have to show that publishing this story is in the public interest  (=helpful or useful to ordinary people) .//  -- Public opinion is gradually shifting in favor of the imprisoned men.//  --There was a public outcry (=display of anger by a lot of people) about the shooting.//\n  2 FOR ANYONE:   [only before noun] available for anyone to use//  → private//  --a public telephone//  --a public footpath//  --proposals to ban smoking in public places //  --a public library//  --full public access to information//  public transport  BrE //  /public transportation  AmE  (=buses, trains etc) //\n  3 GOVERNMENT:   [only before noun] relating to the government and the services it provides for people//  → private//  --the Government’s public spending plans//  --We do not believe he is fit for public office  (=a job in the government) .//  --efforts to control public expenditure//  --public funding for the arts//    public service//\n  4 KNOWN ABOUT:  known about by most people//  --Details of the highly sensitive information have not been made public .//  --It is a job that brings him constantly into the public eye  (=seen or heard a lot on television, radio etc) .//  --Although not a public figure  (=famous person) , he was a man of great influence.//\n  5 NOT HIDDEN:  intended for anyone to know, see, or hear//  → private//  --Today the school finds itself in the midst of a very public debate.//  public display of grief/affection etc (=showing your emotions so that everyone can see) //  --She was acutely embarrassed by his public display of temper.//  --There will be a public inquiry into the sinking of the oil tanker.//  --a fear of public speaking //\n  6 PLACE WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE:  a public place usually has a lot of people in it//  → private//  --Let’s go somewhere less public where we can talk.//\n  7  public life:  work that you do, especially for the government, that makes you well-known to many people//  --Howard seems to have retired from public life.//\n  8  public image:  the public image of a famous person or organization is the character or attitudes that most people think they have//  public image of//  --attempts to improve the public image of the police//\n  9  go public:  a) to tell everyone about something that was secret//  go public on/with//  --The planners are almost ready to go public on the road-building scheme.//  b) to become a public company//  --Many partnerships went public in the 1980s to secure extra capital.//\n  10  public appearance:  a visit by a famous person in order to make a speech, advertise something etc//  --She is paid [hA124]10,000 for the briefest of public appearances.//\n  11  public property:  a) something that is provided for anyone to use, and is usually owned by the government//  --The army was called out to protect public property.//  b) something that everyone has a right to know about//  --Our lives seem to have become public property.//\n  12  public enemy number one:  the criminal, problem etc that is considered the most serious threat to people’s safety//  --Drugs have become public enemy number one.//\npublic 2 n \n  1  the public [also + plural verb British English] ordinary people who do not work for the government or have any special position in society:  --The meeting will be open to the general public .//  --Police warned members of the public not to approach the man, who may be armed.//  --On the whole, the public are conservative about education.//\n  2  in public:  if you do something in public, you do it where anyone can see//  → in private//  --Her husband was always nice to her in public.//    wash/air your dirty linen/laundry (in public) at dirty1 (7)//\n  3 [singular, U also + plural verb British English] the people who like a particular singer, writer etc:  --He is adored by his public.//  --The theatre-going public are very demanding.//


Words: public access channel
Meaning:
n [C]   a television channel provided by cable television companies in the US on which anyone can broadcast a programme//


Words: public affairs
Meaning:
n [plural]   events and questions, especially political ones, which have an effect on most people//  --He took an active part in public affairs.//


Words: public bar
Meaning:
n [C]   in pubs in Britain , a room with plain furniture where you can buy drinks more cheaply than in the other rooms//    lounge bar//


Words: public company
Meaning:
n [C]   a company that offers its shares for sale on the stock exchange//  American Equivalent:  public corporation//


Words: public defender
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE a lawyer who is paid by the government to defend people in court, because they cannot pay for a lawyer themselves//    district attorney//


Words: public domain
Meaning:
n [singular]  law   something that is in the public domain is available for anyone to have or use//  --The information is not currently in the public domain .//  --Public domain software is sometimes called shareware.//


Words: public health
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 in Britain, health care provided by the government, including medical care and public cleaning services:\n  2 the health of all the people in an area:  --a danger to public health//


Words: public holiday
Meaning:
n [C]   a special day when people do not go to work and shops do not open//  American Equivalent:  holiday//


Words: public limited company
Meaning:
n [C]   plc a British company owned by at least two people and whose shares can be bought by everyone//


Words: public nuisance
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  law an action that is harmful to everyone:\n  2 someone who does things that annoy a lot of people:


Words: public opinion
Meaning:
n [U]   the opinions or beliefs that ordinary people have about a particular subject//  --Public opinion is shifting in favor of the new law.//  --the pressure of public opinion//


Words: public ownership
Meaning:
n [U]   businesses, property etc in public ownership are owned by the government//  --The Opposition intends to bring the industry back into public ownership.//


Words: public prosecutor
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a lawyer who works for the government, and tries to prove in a court of law that someone has done something illegal//  American Equivalent:  district attorney//


Words: Public Record Office
Meaning:
the   the PRO a building in West London that holds all British government records and documents, from the 11th century onwards. Most of the records, including secret government papers, can be examined by the general public after 30 years.//


Words: public relations
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] the work of explaining to the public what an organization does, so that they will understand it and approve of it:  --They ran their own successful public relations business in London.//\n  2 [plural] the relationship between an organization and the public:  --The project has been disastrous for the bank in terms of public relations.//  --a public relations exercise  (=done in order to improve the relationship between the public and an organization) .//


Words: public school
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 in Britain, a private school for children aged between 13 and 18, whose parents pay for their education. The children often live at the school while they are studying:    state school//\n  2 a free local school, especially in the US and Scotland, controlled and paid for by the government:    private school//


Words: public sector
Meaning:
n   the public sector//  the industries and services in a country that are owned and run by the government//    the private sector//  in the public sector//  --a job in the public sector//  --public sector workers//  --public sector housing//


Words: public service
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C usually plural] a service, such as transport or health care, that a government provides:  --efforts to improve quality in public services//\n  2 [U and C] a service provided to people because it will help them, and not for profit:  --Local TV stations ran the ads as a public service.//\n  3 [singular,U] the government or its departments:  --staff cuts in the public service//  --He left the public service and embarked on a career in the City.//


Words: Public Service Agreement
Meaning:
a promise by a department of the British government that it will make particular improvements or reach particular standards, for example in health services or education//


Words: public television
Meaning:
n [U]   a television service or programme in the US which is paid for by the government, large companies, and the public//


Words: public utility
Meaning:
n [C]   a private company that is allowed by the government to provide important services such as gas, electricity, water etc//


Words: public works
Meaning:
n [plural]   buildings such as hospitals, roads, hospitals ports etc that are built and paid for by the government//  --the public works department//


Words: public-spirited
Meaning:
adj   willing to do things that are helpful for everyone in society//  --Any public-spirited citizen would have done the same.//


Words: publication
Meaning:
W2   n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin publicare;   PUBLISH]//\n  1 [U] the process of printing a book, magazine etc and offering it for sale:    publish//  publication of//  --She was in England for the publication of her new book.//  for publication//   (=intended to be published) //  --He spent his holiday writing reviews for publication.//\n  2 [C] a book, magazine etc:  --He was the author of 70 major scientific publications.//  --a weekly publication//\n  3 [U] when information is printed in a book, magazine etc so that the public can read it:    publish//  publication of//  --the publication of the company’s annual results//


Words: publicist
Meaning:
n [C]   someone whose job is to make sure that people know about a new product, film, book etc or what a famous person is doing//


Words: publicity
Meaning:
W3S2   n [U] \n  1 the attention that someone or something gets from newspapers, television etc:  --Standards in education have received much publicity over the last few years.//  bad/good/unwelcome etc publicity //  --It’s important to gain good publicity for the school.//  --The adverse publicity had damaged sales.//\n  2 the business of making sure that people know about a new product, film etc or what a particular famous person is doing:  --Who’s going to do the show’s publicity?//  --The Government has launched a publicity campaign .//  --Is their much-reported romance just a publicity stunt  (=something that is only done to get publicity) ?//


Words: publicize
Meaning:
also  publicise BrE   v [T]   to give information about something to the public, so that they know about it//  --television’s failure to publicize the unemployment issue//  well/widely/highly publicized (=receiving a lot of attention) //  --His visit was highly publicized.//


Words: publicly
Meaning:
adv \n  1 in a way that is intended for anyone to know, see, or hear:  --She and her family agreed never to discuss the matter publicly.//\n  2 done or controlled by the government:  --a publicly funded health service//\n  3 a company that is publicly owned has sold its shares in it to people who are not part of the company:\n  4 involving the ordinary people in a country or city:  --publicly elected bodies//


Words: publish
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: publier, from  Latin publicare  ’to make public, publish’, from  publicus;   PUBLIC1]//\n  1 [T] to arrange for a book, magazine etc to be written, printed, and sold:    publication//  --The first edition was published in 1765.//  --They are publishing the dictionary on CD-ROM.//\n  2 [T] if a newspaper or magazine publishes a letter, article etc, it prints it for people to read:    publication//  --We love reading your letters and we try to publish as many as possible.//\n  3 [T usually passive] to make official information such as a report available for everyone to read:    publication//  --The latest unemployment figures will be published tomorrow.//\n  4 [I and T] if a writer, musician etc publishes their work, they arrange for it to be printed and sold:  --University teachers must publish regularly to gain promotion.//\n  5  publish and be damned:   BrE used to say that you should take a risk in saying what you think is true, although the result may be harmful to you//


Words: publisher
Meaning:
W3   n [C]   a person or company whose business is to arrange the writing, production, and sale of books, newspapers etc//


Words: publishing
Meaning:
n [U]   the business of producing books and magazines//  --Tony wants to get a job in publishing.//  --a new publishing house  (=publishing company) //    desktop publishing//


Words: Puccini
Meaning:
Giacomo   (1858-1924) an Italian  composer famous for his  operas, especially La Boheme,  Tosca, and Madame Butterfly//


Words: puce
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: couleur de puce  ’flea-color’, from  Latin pulex  ’flea’]//  dark brownish purple in colour//  -- puce n  [U] //


Words: Puck
Meaning:
a character who enjoys playing tricks on people in the play  A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William  Shakespeare//    puckish//


Words: puck
Meaning:
n [C]   glove, ice skate, puck//  [Date: 1800-1900; Language: English dialect; Origin: puck  ’to hit’, from   POKE1]//  a hard flat circular piece of rubber that you hit with the stick in the game of ice hockey//


Words: pucker
Meaning:
v  also pucker up   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Probably from  poke  ’bag’ (13-20 centuries), from  Old North French;   POCKET1]//\n  1 [I and T] if part of your face puckers, or if you pucker it, it becomes tight or stretched, for example because you are going to cry or kiss someone:  --Her mouth puckered, and she started to cry.//\n  2 [I] if cloth puckers, it gets lines or folds in it and is no longer flat:  -- pucker n  [C] //  -- puckered adj //


Words: puckish
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]  literary   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: Puck evil spirit in old English stories]//  showing that you are amused by other people, and like to make jokes about them//  --a puckish grin//  -- puckishly adv //


Words: pudding
Meaning:
S3   n [U and C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: boudin, from  Latin botellus  ’sausage’]//\n  1  especially BrE a hot sweet dish, made from cake, rice, bread etc with fruit, milk or other sweet things added:\n  2  especially AmE a thick sweet creamy dish, usually made with milk, eggs, sugar, and flour, and served cold:  --chocolate pudding//\n  3  BrE a sweet dish served at the end of a meal:  for pudding//  --There’s ice-cream for pudding.//    dessert//\n  4  BrE a hot dish made of a mixture of flour, fat etc, with meat or vegetables inside:  -- steak and kidney pudding //    black pudding,  Christmas pudding,  milk pudding,  plum pudding,  Yorkshire pudding//    the proof of the pudding is in the eating at proof1 (4)//


Words: puddle
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Probably from  Old English pudd  ’ditch’]//  a small pool of liquid, especially rain water//  --Children splashed through the puddles.//  puddle of//  --He had fallen asleep, his head resting in a puddle of beer.//  -- puddle v  [I]  literary //  --Rain trickled down the glass, puddling on the window sills.//


Words: pudendum
Meaning:
n   plural  pudenda /-d[hA353]/ [C]  technical //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Latin pudere  ’to be ashamed’]//  the sexual organs on the outside of the body, especially a woman’s//


Words: pueblo
Meaning:
n   plural  pueblos  [C] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Spanish; Origin: ’people, village’, from  Latin populus]//  a small town, especially in the south west U.S.//


Words: puerile
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: pueril, from  Latin puerilis, from  puer  ’boy, child’]//  silly and stupid//   childish//  --a puerile joke//  -- puerility/pj[hA35E]r[hA366]l[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //


Words: Puerto Rico
Meaning:
an island in the Caribbean Sea, southeast of the US state of Florida. Population: 3,937,000 (2001). Capital: San Juan. People who live in Puerto Rico are US citizens, but Puerto Rico is not a US state and it governs itself. Many people from Puerto Rico go to live and work in the US. It was a  colony of Spain from 1509 to 1898, and most people speak Spanish as their first language.//  -- Puerto Rican n  adj //


Words: puff
Meaning:
v   [Language: Old English; Origin: pyffan, from the sound]//\n  1 [I] to breathe quickly and with difficulty after the effort of running, carrying something heavy etc:  --George puffed and panted and he tried to keep up.//  puff along/up etc//  --An old man puffed up to them.//  --He caught up with Gary, puffing for breath .//    huff and puff at huff1 (1)//\n  2 [I and T]  also puff away :  to breathe in and out while smoking a cigarette or pipe//  puff at/on//  --Kinane sat in silence, puffing thoughtfully at his pipe.//\n  3 [I always + adverb/preposition, T] if smoke, steam etc puffs from somewhere, or if something puffs it, it comes out in little clouds:  --Steam puffed out of the chimney.//  --The boiler was puffing thick black smoke.//  --Don’t puff smoke into my face.//\n  4 [I always + adverb/preposition] to move in a particular direction, sending out little clouds of steam or smoke:  --The train puffed steadily across the bridge.//  puff out [puff sth → out] phr v//  puff out your cheeks/chest//  to make your cheeks or chest bigger by filling them with air//  --Henry puffed out his chest proudly.//  puff up phr v//\n  1 to become bigger by increasing the amount of air inside, or to make something bigger in this way:  --The pastry will puff up while it bakes.//  puff sth → up//  --Birds puff up their feathers to keep warm.//\n  2 if a part of your body puffs up, it swells painfully because of injury or infection:  --My eye had puffed up because of a mosquito bite.//\npuff 2 n \n  1 [C] the action of taking the smoke from a cigarette, pipe etc into your lungs:  puff on/at//  --He laughed and took a puff on his cigar.//\n  2 [C] a sudden small movement of wind, air, or smoke:  puff of smoke/wind/air/steam etc //  --The dragon disappeared in a puff of smoke.//\n  3  cheese/jam/cream etc puff:  a piece of light pastry with a soft mixture inside//\n  4 [U]  BrE  informal your breath:  --I was out of puff  (=had difficulty breathing) .//\n  5 [C]  also puff piece :  a piece of writing or a speech that praises someone too much - used to show disapproval//


Words: puffed
Meaning:
adj [not before noun]    BrE  informal breathing quickly because you have been using a lot of energy//  --I’m too puffed to dance any more.//


Words: puffed up
Meaning:
adj [not before noun]   behaving in a way that shows you are too pleased with yourself and your achievements - used to show disapproval//  --I was so puffed up with my own importance in those days.//


Words: puffer
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  BrE  informal a small piece of equipment containing medicine which you breathe in through your mouth, to help you breathe more easily:   inhaler//  --Asthma can be made worse by using puffers too often.//\n  2 a type of tropical fish that can fill itself with air so that it looks almost round:


Words: puffin
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Perhaps from  puff, from the idea of the young ones being "puffed up" in shape]//  a North Atlantic sea bird with a black and white body and a large brightly coloured beak//


Words: puffy
Meaning:
adj \n  1 if a part of your body is puffy, it is swollen:  --Her eyes were puffy from crying.//\n  2 soft and full of air:  --puffy white clouds//  -- puffiness n  [U] //


Words: pug
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  Probably from  pug  ’trick-playing spirit, monkey’ (17-19 centuries), perhaps from  Puck;   PUCKISH]//  a small short-haired dog with a wide flat face, a very short nose, and a curly tail//


Words: Puget Sound
Meaning:
an area of water leading from the Pacific Ocean into the US state of Washington. The cities of  Seattle and Tacoma are on its  shoress.//


Words: pugilist
Meaning:
n [C]    old-fashioned  formal a boxer//  -- pugilism n  [U] //  -- pugilistic/pju[hA359]d[hA360][hA369]l[hA366]st[hA366]k[hA36B]/ adj //


Words: pugnacious
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: pugnax, from  pugnare  ’to fight’]//  very eager to argue or fight with people//  --The professor had been pugnacious and irritable.//  -- pugnaciously adv //  -- pugnacity/p[hA356]gn[zB024]s[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //


Words: puke
Meaning:
v  also puke up  [I and T]  informal   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Probably from the sound]//\n  1 to bring food back up from your stomach through your mouth:   vomit//  --He puked all over the carpet.//\n  2  make you (want to) puke:   informal to make you feel very angry//  --That kind of greed makes me puke!//\npuke 2 n [U]    informal food brought back up from your stomach through your mouth//   vomit//


Words: pukka
Meaning:
,  pukha/p[hA356]k[hA353]/ adj  BrE  informal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Hindi; Origin: pakka  ’cooked, ripe’]//  real or properly made and of good quality//  --pukka food//


Words: pulchritude
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: pulchritudo, from  pulcher  ’beautiful’]//   formal physical beauty//


Words: Pulitzer Prize
Meaning:
n [C]   one of the eight prizes given every year in the US to people who have produced especially good work in  journalism (=writing for newspapers) , literature, or music. The prizes were started by the US newspaper owner Joseph Pulitzer(1847-1911), and winning a Pulitzer Prize is a great honour.//


Words: pull
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 move something towards you:\n   2 remove:\n   3 make something follow you:\n   4 take something out:\n   5 clothing:\n   6 move your body:\n   7 muscle:\n   8 pull strings:\n   9 pull the/somebody’s strings:\n  10 trick/crime:\n  11 pull somebody’s leg:\n  12 pull the other one (it’s got bells on):\n  13 switch:\n  14 pull the curtains/blinds:\n  15 crowd/votes etc:\n  16 attract/influence:\n  17 sexually attract:\n  18 stop event:\n  19 pull somebody’s licence:\n  20 stop a vehicle:\n  21 car:\n  22 something is like pulling teeth:\n  23 beer:\n  24 pull a punch:\n  25 cricket/golf/baseball:\n  26 row a boat:  Phrasal verbs//   pull ahead//   pull apart//   pull at/on something//   pull away//   pull back//   pull down//   pull for somebody/something//   pull in//   pull off//   pull on something//   pull out//   pull over//   pull (somebody) through//   pull together//   pull up//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: pullian]//\n  1 MOVE SOMETHING TOWARDS YOU:   [I and T] to use your hands to make something or someone move towards you or in the direction that your hands are moving//  → push//  --Mom! Davey’s pulling my hair!//  pull sb/sth into/away from/over etc sth//  --He pulled her down into her seat.//  pull sth open/shut //  --She pulled open the door and hurried inside.//\n  2 REMOVE:   [T] to use force to take something from the place where it is fixed or held//  --She has to have two teeth pulled.//  pull sth out/off/away etc//  --Vicky had pulled the arm off her doll.//\n  3 MAKE SOMETHING FOLLOW YOU:   [T] to be attached to something or hold something and make it move behind you in the direction you are going//  --a tractor pulling a trailer//\n  4 TAKE SOMETHING OUT:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to take something out of a bag, pocket etc with your hand//  --He pulled out his wallet and said ’let me pay’.//  --Ben pulled a pen from his pocket.//  pull a gun/knife (on sb) (=take one out, ready to use it) //\n  5 CLOTHING:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to put on or take off a piece of clothing, usually quickly//  pull on/off/up/down etc//  --He pulled off his damp shirt.//\n  6 MOVE YOUR BODY:  a)  [I,T always + adverb/preposition] to move your body or part of your body away from someone or something//  pull sth away/free//  --She tried to pull her hand free, but it was held fast.//  pull sth out of/from sth//  --She struggled fiercely, trying to pull her arm out of his grasp.//  pull away/back//  --She pulled away from him.//  b)  pull yourself up/to your feet etc//  to hold onto something and use your strength to move your body towards it//  --Benny pulled himself up from the floor with difficulty.//\n  7 MUSCLE:   [T] to injure one of your muscles by stretching it too much during physical activity//   strain//  --Paul pulled a muscle trying to lift the freezer.//\n  8  pull strings:  to secretly use your influence with important people in order to get what you want or to help someone else//  --Francis pulled strings to get him out of trouble.//\n  9  pull the/sb’s strings:  to control something or someone, especially when you are not the person who is supposed to be controlling them//  --It was widely believed that Montagu was secretly pulling the strings behind the prime minister.//\n  10 TRICK/CRIME:   [T]  informal to succeed in doing something illegal or dishonest or in playing a trick on someone//  --The gang have pulled another bank robbery.//  --He was trying to pull a fast one  (=deceive you) when he told you he’d paid.//  pull a stunt/trick/joke //  --Don’t you ever pull a stunt like that again!//\n  11  pull sb’s leg:  to tell someone something that is not true, as a joke//  --I haven’t won, have I? You’re pulling my leg.//\n  12  pull the other one (it’s got bells on):   BrE  spoken used to tell someone that you think they are joking or not telling the truth//  --Your dad’s a racing driver? Pull the other one!//\n  13 SWITCH:   [T] to move a control such as a switch, lever, or trigger towards you to make a piece of equipment work//  --She raised the gun, and pulled the trigger.//\n  14  pull the curtains/blinds:  to open or close curtains or blinds//  --It was already getting dark so he pulled the curtains.//\n  15 CROWD/VOTES ETC:   [T] if an event, performer etc pulls crowds or a politician pulls a lot of votes, a lot of people come to see them or vote for them//  --Muhammad Ali can still pull the crowds.//\n  16 ATTRACT/INFLUENCE:   [T] to attract or influence someone or their thoughts or feelings//  --The city’s reputation for a clean environment has pulled new residents from other states.//\n  17 SEXUALLY ATTRACT:   [I and T]  BrE  spoken to attract someone in order to have sex with them or spend the evening with them//  --He knew he could pull any girl he wanted.//\n  18 STOP EVENT:   [T] to stop a planned event from taking place//  --They pulled the concert.//\n  19  pull sb’s licence:   informal to take away someone’s licence to do something, especially to drive a car, because they have done something wrong//\n  20 STOP A VEHICLE:   [I and T] to drive a vehicle somewhere and stop; to stop somewhere//  pull sth into/towards/down etc sth//  --She pulled the car into a side street.//  --The bus pulled to a halt .//\n  21 CAR:   [I] if a car pulls to the left or right as you are driving, it moves in that direction because of a problem with its machinery//\n  22  sth is like pulling teeth:  used to say that it is very difficult or unpleasant to persuade someone to do something//  --Getting him to do his homework is like pulling teeth.//\n  23 BEER:   [T]  BrE to get beer out of a barrel by pulling a handle//  --The barman laughed and began to pull a couple of pints.//\n  24  pull a punch:  to deliberately hit someone with less force than you could do, so that it hurts less//    not pull any punches at punch2 (6)//\n  25 CRICKET/GOLF/BASEBALL:   [I and T] to hit the ball in cricket, golf, or baseball so that it does not go straight but moves to one side//\n  26 ROW A BOAT:   [I and T] to make a boat move by using oars//    pull/make a face at face1 (2),  pull your finger out at finger1 (12),  pull rank (on sb) at rank1 (5),  pull the rug (out) from under sb’s feet at rug(3),  pull the plug (on sth) at plug1 (5)//    pull your socks up at sock1 (3)//    pull your weight at weight1 (12)//    pull the wool over sb’s eyes at wool(4)//  pull ahead phr v//  if one vehicle pulls ahead of another, it gets in front of it by moving faster//  --Schumacher pulled ahead of Montoya as the two drivers approached the first corner of the race.//  pull apart phr v//\n  1  pull sth → apart:  to separate something into pieces//  --Pull the meat apart with two forks.//\n  2  pull sb → apart:  to make the relationships between people in a group bad or difficult//  --His drinking pulled the family apart.//\n  3  pull sth → apart:  to carefully examine or criticize something//  --The selection committee pulled each proposal apart.//\n  4  pull sb/sth → apart:  to separate people or animals when they are fighting//  --The fight ended only when the referee pulled the two players apart.//\n  5 if something pulls apart, it breaks into pieces when you pull on it:  pull at/on [pull at/on sth] phr v//\n  1 to take hold of something and pull it several times:  --Mary was pulling nervously at her hair.//\n  2 to take smoke from a pipe or cigarette into your lungs:  --He pulled hard on the cigarette.//\n  3 to take a long drink from a bottle or glass:  pull away phr v//\n  1 to start to drive away from a place where you had stopped:  --He waved as he pulled away.//\n  2 to move ahead of a competitor by going faster or being more successful:  pull away from//  --Nkoku is pulling away from the other runners.//  pull back phr v//\n  1 to decide not to do or become involved in something:  pull back from//  --In the end, he pulled back from financing the film.//\n  2 to get out of a bad situation or dangerous place, or to make someone else do this:  pull back from//  --Many banks are pulling back from international markets.//  pull sb → back//  --They are preparing to pull back their forces.//\n  3  pull sth → back:   BrE if a team that is losing pulls back a goal or some points, it succeeds in scoring a goal or some points//  --Our play improved and we pulled back two goals.//  pull down phr v//\n  1  pull sth → down:  to destroy something or make it stop existing//  --My old school was pulled down.//\n  2  pull down sth:  to earn a particular amount of money//  --Real estate stocks pulled down total returns of 35.7 percent.//\n  3  pull sb down:  to make someone less successful, happy, or healthy//  --Her problems have really pulled her down.//\n  4  pull down a menu:  to make a computer program show you a list of the things it can do//  pull for / [pull for sb/sth] phr v//   informal to encourage a person or team to succeed//  --The crowd were pulling for me to do well.//  pull in phr v//\n  1 if a driver pulls in, they move to the side of the road and stop:  --She pulled in to let the ambulance pass.//\n  2 if a train pulls in, it arrives at a station:  → pull out//\n  3  pull sb/sth → in:  to attract business, money, people etc//  --a publicity stunt to pull in the crowds//\n  4  pull in sth:   informal if you pull in a lot of money, you earn it//\n  5  pull sb → in:  if a police officer pulls someone in, they take them to a police station because they think that person may have done something wrong//  pull off phr v//\n  1  pull sth → off:   informal to succeed in doing something difficult//  --The goalkeeper pulled off six terrific saves.//\n  2  pull off (sth):  to drive a car off a road in order to stop, or to turn into a smaller road//  --We pulled off the road to get some food.//  pull on [pull on sth] phr v//  to pull at something//  pull out phr v//\n  1 :  a) to drive onto a road from another road or from where you have stopped//  --Don’t pull out! There’s something coming.//  b) to drive over to a different part of the road in order to get past a vehicle in front of you//  --I pulled out to overtake a bus.//\n  2 if a train pulls out, it leaves a station:  → pull in//\n  3 to stop doing or being involved in something, or to make someone do this:  --McDermott pulled out with an injury at the last minute.//  pull out of//  --They are trying to pull out of the agreement.//  pull sb out of sth//  --He threatened to pull his son out of the team.//\n  4 to get out of a bad situation or dangerous place, or to make someone or something do this:  --Jim saw that the firm was going to be ruined, so he pulled out.//  pull sb/sth → out//  --Most of the troops have been pulled out.//  pull out of//  --when the country was still pulling out of a recession//    pull out all the stops at stop2 (7)//  pull over phr v//  to drive to the side of the road and stop your car, or to make someone else do this//  --The policeman signalled to him to pull over.//  pull sb/sth → over//  --He pulled the car over.//  --A cop pulled him over and gave him a speeding ticket.//  pull () through [pull (sb) through] phr v//\n  1 to stay alive after you have been very ill or badly injured, or to help someone do this:  --His injuries are severe but he’s expected to pull through.//    bring (sb) through at bring//\n  2 to succeed in doing something very difficult, or to help someone to do this:  --He relied on his experience to pull him through.//  pull together phr v//\n  1 if a group of people pull together, they all work hard to achieve something:  --If we all pull together, we’ll finish on time.//\n  2  pull yourself together:  to force yourself to stop behaving in a nervous, frightened, or uncontrolled way//  --With an effort Mary pulled herself together.//\n  3  pull sth together:  to improve something by organizing it more effectively//  --We need an experienced manager to pull the department together.//  pull up phr v//\n  1 to stop the vehicle that you are driving:  --He pulled up in front of the gates.//\n  2  pull up a chair/stool etc:  to get a chair, etc and sit down next to someone who is already sitting//\n  3  pull sb up:   especially BrE to stop someone who is doing something wrong and tell them you do not approve//  pull somebody up on//  --I felt I had to pull her up on her lateness.//    pull sb up short at short2 (7)//\npull 2 n   ----------//\n   1 act of moving something:\n   2 force:\n   3 attraction:\n   4 influence:\n   5 climb:\n   6 muscle:\n   7 smoke/drink:\n   8 handle:\n   9 cricket/golf/baseball:  ----------//\n  1 ACT OF MOVING SOMETHING:   [C] an act of using force to move something towards you or in the same direction that you are moving//  → push//  --He gave her a sharp pull forward.//\n  2 FORCE:   [C usually singular] a strong physical force that makes things move in a particular direction//  --the gravitational pull of the moon//\n  3 ATTRACTION:   [C usually singular] the ability to attract someone or have a powerful effect on them//  pull of//  --After about a year I gave in to the pull of fatherhood.//\n  4 INFLUENCE:   [singular,U]  informal special influence or power over other people//  --His family’s name gives him a lot of pull in this town.//\n  5 CLIMB:   [singular]  BrE a difficult climb up a steep road//  --It was a long pull up the hill.//\n  6 MUSCLE:   [C usually singular] an injury to one of your muscles, caused by stretching it too much during exercise//  --a groin pull//\n  7 SMOKE/DRINK:   [C] an act of taking the smoke from a cigarette, pipe etc into your lungs or of taking a long drink of something//  pull on/at//  --She took a long pull on her cigarette.//\n  8 HANDLE:   [C] a rope or handle that you use to pull something//  --He popped the ring pull on another can of lager.//\n  9 CRICKET/GOLF/BASEBALL:   [C] a way of hitting the ball in cricket, golf, or baseball so that it does not go straight, but moves to one side//


Words: pull tab
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   a small piece of metal attached to a can of food, drink etc that you pull in order to open it//  British Equivalent:  ring-pull//


Words: pull-down menu
Meaning:
n [C]   a list of things a computer program can do. You make a pull-down menu appear on the computer screen by clicking on a special word with a mouse//


Words: pull-on
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   pull-on clothes or shoes do not have any buttons, zips etc, so you just pull them on to wear them//


Words: pull-out
Meaning:
pullout/p[hA35E]la[hA35E]t/ n [C] \n  1 the act of an army, business etc leaving a particular place:  --The pull-out of troops will begin soon.//\n  2 part of a book or magazine that is designed to be removed and read separately:  --a pull-out on home PCs//


Words: pull-up
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   an exercise in which you use your arms to pull yourself up towards a bar above your head//  American Equivalent:  chin-up//


Words: pullback
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 the act of moving soldiers away from the area where they were fighting:  pullback from//  --The government is planning to implement a second pullback from the area.//\n  2 a reduction in the value, amount, or level of something:  --a significant pullback in the stock market//


Words: pullet
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: poulet, from  poule  ’hen’]//  a young chicken that is in its first year of laying eggs//


Words: pulley
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: poulie, probably from  Greek polos;   POLE1]//  a piece of equipment consisting of a wheel over which a rope or chain is pulled to lift heavy things//


Words: pulling power
Meaning:
n [U]  BrE   the ability of someone or something to attract people//  --Madonna’s pulling power filled the Arena for 10 nights.//


Words: Pullman
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  George M.  Pullman (1831-97), U.S. inventor who designed the car;]//  [Sense: 2; Origin:  because they were made to fit under the seats of Pullman cars]//  a very comfortable train carriage, or a train made up of these carriages//


Words: pullover
Meaning:
n [C]   a piece of woollen clothing without buttons that you wear on the top half of your body//   sweater//


Words: pulmonary
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  medical   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: pulmonarius, from  pulmo  ’lung’]//  relating to the lungs, or having an effect on the lungs//


Words: pulp
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 soft substance:\n   2 fruit/vegetable:\n   3 books/film etc:\n   4 beat somebody to a pulp:\n   5 tooth:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: pulpa  ’flesh, pulp’]//\n  1 SOFT SUBSTANCE:   [singular,U] a very soft substance that is almost liquid, made by crushing plants, wood, vegetables etc//  -- Mash the bananas to a pulp .//  --timber grown for wood pulp  (=used for making paper) //  --a soft pulp of leaves and mud//\n  2 FRUIT/VEGETABLE:   [U] the soft inside part of a fruit or vegetable//  --Halve the melon and scoop out the pulp.//\n  3 BOOKS/FILM ETC:   [U]  AmE books, magazines, films etc that are badly written and that contain lots of sex, violence etc//  --an ad in a pulp magazine//  -- pulp fiction //\n  4  beat sb to a pulp:   informal to seriously injure someone by hitting them many times//\n  5 TOOTH:   [U] part of the inside of a tooth//  -- pulpy adj //  --Cook slowly until soft and pulpy.//\npulp 2 v [T] \n  1 to beat or crush something until it becomes very soft and almost liquid:  --pulped apples//\n  2 [usually passive] to beat or hit someone’s face or body very badly:  --His body was pulped by the impact of the train.//\n  3 to make wood or old books and newspapers into paper:  --wood pulping techniques//  --Unsold novels are sent to be pulped.//


Words: pulpit
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: pulpitum  ’platform’]//  a raised structure inside a church at the front that a priest or minister stands on when they speak to the people//  in/from the pulpit//  --Rev. Dawson addressed the congregation from the pulpit.//


Words: pulsar
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: pulse +  -ar (as in  quasar)]//  an object like a star that is far away in space and produces radiation and radio waves//    quasar//


Words: pulsate
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  pulsare, from  pulsus;   PULSE1]//\n  1 to make sounds or movements that are strong and regular like a heart beating:  --I could see the veins in his neck pulsating.//  --pulsating music//\n  2  literary to be strongly affected by a powerful emotion or feeling:  pulsate with//  --The whole city seemed to pulsate with excitement.//


Words: pulsation
Meaning:
n [U and C]  technical   a beat of the heart or any regular movement that can be measured//  --the pulsations of the baby’s heart//  --muscular pulsation//


Words: pulse
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 heart:\n   2 music:\n   3 sound/light/electricity:\n   4 feelings/opinions:\n   5 food:  ----------//  [Sense: 1-4; Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: pouls, from  Latin pulsus  ’beating’, past participle of  pellere  ’to hit’]//  [Sense: 5; Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: pouls  ’porridge’, from  Latin puls]//\n  1 HEART:   [C usually singular] //  a) the regular beat that can be felt, for example at your wrist, as your heart pumps blood around your body//    heartbeat//  --The doctor listened to his breathing and checked his pulse .//  --His breathing was shallow and his pulse was weak .//  find/detect a pulse (=check that someone is alive by trying to feel the beat of their pulse) //  --In an emergency it can be difficult to find a pulse.//  --She felt his neck. There was no pulse.//  b)  also pulse rate //  the number of heart beats per minute//  take/feel sb’s pulse (=count how many times someone’s heart beats in a minute, usually by feeling their wrist) //  --Her pulse raced  (=beat very quickly) with excitement.//\n  2 MUSIC:   [U and C] a strong regular beat in music//  --the distant pulse of a steel band//\n  3 SOUND/LIGHT/ELECTRICITY:   [C] an amount of sound, light, or electricity that continues for a very short time//\n  4 FEELINGS/OPINIONS:   [U] the ideas, feelings, or opinions that are most important to a particular group of people or have the greatest influence on them at a particular time//  --Clinton had an uncanny ability to sense the pulse of the nation.//\n  5 FOOD:   pulses [plural] seeds such as beans, peas, and lentils that you can eat//    have/keep your finger on the pulse at finger1 (6)//\npulse 2 v \n  1 [I] to move or flow with a steady quick beat or sound:  --She felt the blood pulsing through her veins .//  --Colored lights pulsed in time to the music.//\n  2 [I] if a feeling or emotion pulses through someone, they feel it very strongly:  pulse through//  --Excitement pulsed through the crowd.//\n  3 [I and T] to push a button on a food processor to make the machine go on and off regularly, rather than work continuously:  --Pulse several times until the mixture looks like oatmeal.//


Words: pulverize
Meaning:
also  pulverise BrE   v [T usually passive]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: pulveriser, from  Late Latin pulverizare, from  Latin pulvis  ’dust, powder’]//\n  1 to crush something into a powder:  --The seeds can be used whole or pulverized into flour.//\n  2  informal to completely defeat someone:  --Stewart completely pulverized the opposition.//  -- pulverized adj //  --pulverized coal//  -- pulverization/p[hA356]lv[hA353]ra[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ -r[hA353]-/ n  [U] //


Words: pumice
Meaning:
n  also pumice stone   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: pomis, from  Latin pumex  ’foam’]//\n  1 [U] very light grey rock from a volcano that is crushed to a powder and used for cleaning:\n  2 [C] a piece of pumice stone that you rub on your skin to clean it or make it soft:


Words: pummel
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  pummelled present participle  pummelling  BrE //  past tense and past participle  pummeled present participle  pummeling  AmE  [T] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: pommel]//\n  1 to hit someone or something many times quickly, especially using your fists (=closed hands) :   beat//  --Diane leaned over and pummeled the pillows.//  pummel sth with sth//  --She flew at him, pummelling his chest with her fists.//  pummel at//  --The cook pummelled at the dough.//  --The platoon was pummeled by heavy machine-gun fire.//\n  2  informal to completely defeat someone at a sport:


Words: pump
Meaning:
S3   n   [Sense: 1, 3; Date: 1400-1500; Language: Middle Low German; Origin: pumpe or  Middle Dutch pompe, probably from  Spanish bomba]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Origin unknown]//\n  1 [C] a machine for forcing liquid or gas into or out of something:  water/air/beer etc pump (=for moving water, air etc) //  hand/foot pump (=operated by your hand or foot) //  petrol pump/gas pump (=for putting petrol into cars) //  stomach pump (=for removing the contents of someone’s stomach) //\n  2 [C usually plural] :  a)  BrE a flat light shoe for dancing, exercise, sport etc//  b)  AmE a woman’s plain shoe with no laces, buckles etc//  --a pair of leather pumps//\n  3 [C] an act of pumping:    heat pump//    all hands to the pumps at hand1 (38)//    prime the pump at prime3 (4),  parish pump//\npump 2 v   ----------//\n   1 move in a direction:\n   2 move from under ground:\n   3 move in and out:\n   4 use a pump:\n   5 come out:\n   6 ask questions:\n   7 drugs:\n   8 exercise:\n   9 medical treatment:  Phrasal verbs//   pump something into somebody/something//   pump out//   pump something/somebody → up//  ----------//\n  1 MOVE IN A DIRECTION:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to make liquid or gas move in a particular direction, using a pump//  pump sth into/out of/through sth//  --The fire department is still pumping floodwater out of the cellars.//\n  2 MOVE FROM UNDER GROUND:   [T] to bring a supply of water, oil etc to the surface from under the ground//  --We were able to pump clean water from several of the wells.//  pump gas  AmE  (=put gasoline into a car) //  --He got a job pumping gas for the hotel guests.//\n  3 MOVE IN AND OUT:   [I]  also pump away //  to move very quickly in and out or up and down//  --My heart was pumping fast.//\n  4 USE A PUMP:   [I]  also pump away //  to operate a pump//  pump at//  --The furnace man’s job was to pump away furiously at the bellows.//\n  5 COME OUT:   [I always + adverb/preposition] if a liquid pumps from somewhere, it comes out suddenly in small amounts//  pump from/out of//  --Blood pumped from the wound.//\n  6 ASK QUESTIONS:   [T]  informal to ask someone a lot of questions in order to get information from them//  pump sb for sth//  --I tried to pump him for information about their other contacts.//\n  7 DRUGS:   pump sb full of sth//   informal to put a lot of drugs into someone’s body//  --athletes pumped full of steroids//\n  8 EXERCISE:   pump iron//   informal to do exercises by lifting heavy weights//\n  9 MEDICAL TREATMENT:   have your stomach pumped//  to have a medical treatment to remove things you have swallowed, using a pump//  pump into / [pump sth into sb/sth] phr v//\n  1  pump bullets into sb/sth:   informal to shoot someone several times//\n  2  pump money into sth:  to put a lot of money in a project,  investment etc//  pump out phr v//\n  1 if something such as music, information, or a supply of products pumps out, or if someone pumps it out, a lot of it is produced:  --Music pumped out from the loudspeakers.//  pump sth → out//  --propaganda pumped out by the food industry//\n  2  pump sth → out:  to remove liquid from something, using a pump//  --You’ll have to pump the boat out.//  pump up [pump sth/sb → up] phr v//\n  1 to fill a tyre, airbed etc with air until it is full:   inflate//\n  2  informal to increase the value, amount, or level of something:  --The US was able to pump up exports.//  --Come on, pump up the volume! (=play music louder) //\n  3 to increase someone’s excitement, interest etc:


Words: pump-action
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   a pump-action piece of equipment is operated by pulling or pressing a part in or out so that the contents come out in short bursts//  pump-action shotgun/rifle //


Words: pump-priming
Meaning:
n [U]   the process of trying to help a business, industry, or country to develop by giving it money//


Words: pumpkin
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: pumpion  ’pumpkin’ (16-19 centuries), from  French pompon  ’melon, pumpkin’, from  Latin pepo]//\n  1 [U and C] a very large orange fruit that grows on the ground, or the inside of this fruit:  --pumpkin pie//\n  2  AmE used when speaking to someone you love:


Words: pun
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Probably from  pundigrion  ’pun’ (17-19 centuries), perhaps from  Italian puntiglio;   PUNCTILIOUS]//  an amusing use of a word or phrase that has two meanings, or of words that have the same sound but different meanings//   play on words//  forgive/excuse/pardon the pun (=used to show you know you are making a pun) //  no pun intended (=used to show you do not mean to make a joke about something) //  --The clergy prey (no pun intended) on bereaved families.//\npun 2   past tense and past participle  punned present participle  punning  v [I] //  to make a pun//  pun on//  --In this line, Hamlet puns on the meaning of ’saw’.//


Words: punch
Meaning:
S3   v [T]   ----------//\n   1 hit:\n   2 make holes:\n   3 push buttons:\n   4 punch holes in somebody’s argument/idea/plans etc:\n   5 punch the air:\n   6 punch somebody’s lights out:\n   7 punch the clock:\n   8 cattle:  Phrasal verbs//   punch in//   punch out//  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: poin[hA168]onner  ’to make a hole in’, from  poin[hA168]on  ’tool for making holes’]//\n  1 HIT:  to hit someone or something hard with your fist (=closed hand) //  --He punched me and knocked my teeth out.//  punch sb on/in sth//  --He punched Jack in the face.//\n  2 MAKE HOLES:  to make a hole in something, using a metal tool or other sharp object//  --The guard punched my ticket and I got on.//  --These bullets can punch a hole through 20 mm steel plate.//\n  3 PUSH BUTTONS:  to push a button or key on a machine//  --Just punch the button to select a track.//\n  4  punch holes in sb’s argument/idea/plans etc:  to criticize someone’s views, idea, plans etc by showing why they are wrong//\n  5  punch the air:  to make a movement like a punch towards the sky, to show that you are very pleased//  --He punched the air in triumph.//\n  6  punch sb’s lights out:   informal to hit someone hard in the face//\n  7  punch the clock:   AmE  informal to record the time that you start or finish work by putting a card into a special machine//\n  8 CATTLE:   AmE  old-fashioned to move cattle from one place to another//  punch in phr v//\n  1  AmE to record the time that you arrive at work, by putting a card into a special machine:  British Equivalent:  clock in//\n  2  punch sth → in:  to put information into a computer by pressing buttons or keys//  punch out phr v//\n  1 to record the time that you leave work, by putting a card into a special machine:  British Equivalent:  clock out//\n  2  punch sb out:  to hit someone so hard that they become unconscious//\nPunch 1   Mr Punch //  the main character in a  Punch and Judy Show//\npunch 2 n   [Sense: 1-2, 5-7; Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  PUNCH1]//  [Sense: 3; Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Perhaps from  Hindi p[hA164]c  ’five’; because there are five things that go into it.]//  [Sense: 4; Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Probably from  puncheon;   POUNCE]//  [Sense: 8; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: Punch character in children’s puppet shows, from  Punchinello, probably from  Italian dialect polecenella  ’little chicken’]//\n  1 [C] a quick strong hit made with your fist (=closed hand) :  punch in/on//  --a punch in the kidneys//  --I managed to land a punch on his chin.//  --The two men started throwing punches  (=trying to hit each other) .//\n  2 [singular,U] a strong effective way of expressing things that makes people interested:  --30 years after it was written, Orton’s ’Entertaining Mr Sloane’ still packs a punch .//\n  3 [U and C] a drink made from fruit juice, sugar, water, and usually some alcohol:  --a glass of hot punch//  4 [C] a metal tool for cutting holes or for pushing something into a small hole//\n  5  a one-two punch:  two bad events that happen close together//  --A meteorite collided with Earth at the same time, delivering a one-two punch to the magnetic field.//\n  6  not pull any/your punches:  to express disapproval or criticism clearly, without trying to hide anything//  --The inquiry report doesn’t pull any punches in apportioning blame.//\n  7  beat sb/sth to the punch:   informal to do or get something before anyone else does//  --Hitachi has beaten its competitors to the punch with its new palmtop.//\n  8  as pleased as punch:   old-fashioned very happy//  --He’s as pleased as punch about the baby.//    pack a (hard) punch at pack1 (8)//\nPunch 2  trademark   a British weekly magazine which was started in 1841 and is still produced today. It consists mainly of humorous articles and  cartoons.//


Words: Punch and Judy show
Meaning:
n [C]   a traditional type of entertainment for children, especially at British seaside towns, that uses puppets//


Words: punch-drunk
Meaning:
adj \n  1  informal very confused, especially because you have had a lot of bad luck or have been treated badly:\n  2 a boxer who is punch-drunk is suffering brain damage from being hit on the head:


Words: punchbag
Meaning:
n  BrE punching bag  AmE [C] \n  1 a heavy leather bag hung from a rope, that is punched for exercise or training:\n  2 a person who is hit, criticized strongly, or blamed, even though they have done nothing wrong:  --a young wife whose husband used her as a punching bag //


Words: punched card
Meaning:
also punch card  n [C]   a card with a pattern of holes in it that was used in the past for putting information into a computer//


Words: punchline
Meaning:
punch line/p[hA356]nt[hA35D]la[hA366]n/ n [C usually singular]   the last few words of a joke or story, that make it funny or surprising//


Words: punchy
Meaning:
adj   a punchy piece of writing or speech is short but very clear and effective//  -- punchiness n  [U] //


Words: punctilious
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: punctilio  ’detail of good behavior’ (16-21 centuries), from  Italian puntiglio, from  Spanish puntillo, from  Latin punctum;   POINT1]//  very careful to behave correctly and follow rules//  punctilious about//  --Joe was always punctilious about repaying loans.//  -- punctiliously adv //  -- punctiliousness n  [U] //


Words: punctual
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: punctualis, from  Latin punctum;   POINT1]//  arriving, happening, or being done at exactly the time that has been arranged//   on time//  --She’s always very punctual for appointments.//  --the punctual payment of invoices//  -- punctually adv //  -- punctuality/p[hA356][hA26E]kt[hA35D]u[zB024]l[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //


Words: punctuate
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: , past participle of  punctuare, from  Latin punctum;   POINT1]//\n  1 [T] to divide written work into sentences, phrases, etc using commas, full stops etc:\n  2 [T usually passive]  literary to be interrupted by something, especially when this is repeated:  --The silence was occasionally punctuated by laughter.//


Words: punctuation mark
Meaning:
n [C]   a sign, such as a comma or question mark, used to divide a piece of writing into sentences, phrases, etc//


Words: puncture
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: punctura, from  pungere;   PUNGENT]//\n  1  BrE a small hole made accidentally in a tyre:  American Equivalent:  flat//  --She was cycling home when she had a puncture .//  slow puncture (=one that lets air out very slowly) //\n  2 a small hole made by a sharp point, especially in someone’s body:  --puncture wounds//\npuncture 2 v \n  1 [I and T] if a tyre punctures, or if you puncture it, a small hole appears in it:  --A piece of glass punctured the back tyre.//\n  2 [T] to make a small hole in something:  --One bullet punctured his lung.//  --Pressurized container - do not puncture.//\n  3 [T] to interrupt a period of silence by making a noise:  --There was a stunned silence, punctured by shrill laughter.//\n  4 [T] to suddenly destroy someone’s hopes or beliefs, making them feel unhappy, embarrassed, or confused:  --He wasn’t hurt, but his dignity was punctured.//


Words: pundit
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Hindi; Origin: pandit, from  Sanskrit pandita  ’wise’]//  someone who is often asked to give their opinion publicly of a situation or subject//  political/media/TV etc pundits //  --If you believe the fashion pundits, we’ll all be wearing pink this year.//


Words: pungent
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  pungere  ’to prick, sting’]//\n  1 having a strong taste or smell:  pungent smell/aroma/odour etc //  --the pungent odour of garlic//\n  2  formal pungent speech or writing is clever and direct, and usually criticizes someone or something strongly:  --He expressed some fairly pungent criticisms.//  -- pungently adv //  -- pungency n  [U] //


Words: punish
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: punir, from  Latin punire, from  poena;   PAIN1]//\n  1 to make someone suffer because they have done something wrong or broken the law:    punishment, punitive//  --Smacking is not an acceptable way of punishing a child.//  --He promised to punish severely any officials found guilty of electoral fraud.//  punish sb for (doing) sth//  --It’s unfair to punish a whole class for the actions of one or two students.//  --They deserve to be punished for putting passengers at risk.//  --I felt I was being punished for what my mother had done.//  punish sb by doing sth//  --My parents decided to punish me by withdrawing financial support.//  punish sb with sth//  --The House voted to punish the senator with a formal reprimand.//\n  2 [usually passive] if a crime is punished in a particular way, anyone who is guilty of it is made to suffer in that way:    punishment, punitive//  punish by/with//  --In some societies, theft is punished by death.//\n  3  punish yourself:  to make yourself feel guilty or bad for something you have done//  --If you fail, don’t punish yourself.//


Words: punishable
Meaning:
adj   in law, a punishable act can be punished//  --a punishable offence //  punishable by/with//  --a crime punishable by death//


Words: punishing
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]   difficult, tiring, or extreme//  --He set himself a punishing schedule of conferences.//  --a series of punishing defeats//  --a punishing exercise regime//


Words: punishment
Meaning:
W3   n \n  1 [U and C] something that is done in order to punish someone, or the act of punishing them:    punitive//  --The Court decides what punishment to impose .//  punishment for//  --the punishment for treason//  punishment by//  --punishment by whipping//  as (a) punishment//  --I was sent to bed as a punishment.//  --The gunmen will not escape punishment .//  harsh/severe punishment //  --He got a six-year jail sentence, a harsh punishment for a first offense.//\n  2 [U]  informal rough physical treatment:  --tough plants that can take any amount of punishment //    capital punishment//


Words: punitive
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: punitif, from  Medieval Latin punitivus, from  Latin punire;   PUNISH]//\n  1 intended to punish someone:  punitive action/measures etc //  --The agency sent a letter, but took no punitive action.//  --The jury awarded punitive damages  (=money paid to someone who is the victim of a crime) .//  --The government is expected to take punitive steps against offenders.//\n  2  punitive taxes/price increases etc:  taxes etc that are so high that it is difficult for people to pay them//  --The US could impose punitive tariffs on exports.//


Words: Punjab
Meaning:
the Punjab//  a large area in eastern Pakistan and northwestern India. The Punjab was a single  province in the period of British rule, but it is now two states: one in Pakistan, which contains the city of Lahore, and one in India, which contains the city of  Amritsar, a holy place for followers of the  Sikh religion. Many of the people who live in the Indian Punjab are Sikhs, and some of them would like to become independent from India.//


Words: punk
Meaning:
n   [Sense: 1-3; Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Perhaps from  punk  ’prostitute’ (16-20 centuries).]//  [Sense: 4; Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Perhaps from  spunk  ’material for lighting fires’;   SPUNK]//\n  1 [U]  also punk rock :  a type of loud music popular in the late 1970s and 1980s//\n  2 [C]  also punk rocker :  someone who likes punk music and wears things that are typical of it, such as torn clothes, metal chains, and coloured hair//  --punk hairstyles//\n  3 [C]  AmE  informal a young man who fights and breaks the law:\n  4 [U]  AmE a substance that burns without a flame that is used to light fireworks etc:


Words: punkah
Meaning:
n [C]   in the past, a large fan that was hung across a room and was swung backwards and forwards by hand//


Words: punt
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 boat:\n   2 a punt:\n   3 kick:\n   4 money:  ----------//  [Sense: 1-2; Date: 1000-1100; Language: Latin; Origin: ponto;   PONTOON]//  [Sense: 3; Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  PUNT21]//  [Sense: 4; Date: 1900-2000; Language: Irish]//\n  1 BOAT:   [C] a long thin boat with a flat bottom that you move by pushing a long pole against the bottom of the river//\n  2  a punt:  the activity of travelling in a punt//  --a punt down the river//\n  3 KICK:   [C usually singular] in rugby or American football, the action of kicking the ball after dropping it from your hands//  --a 45-yard punt//\n  4 MONEY:   [C] the standard unit of money used in the Republic of Ireland before the Euro//\npunt 2 v   [Sense: 1; Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  PUNT12]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Perhaps from  punt  ’to hit, push’ (1800-1900).]//\n  1 [I and T] to go on a river in a punt:  punt along/down/past etc//  --Pete punted us back to the boatyard.//\n  2 [T] :  a) in rugby or American football, to drop the ball from your hands and kick it//  --He punted the ball 40 yards.//  b) to kick a ball hard so that it goes a long way//


Words: punter
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  BrE  informal someone who buys a product or service:   customer//  average/typical/ordinary punter //  --The technical details mean nothing to the average punter.//  --You need something to pull in the punters  (=attract them) .//\n  2  BrE  informal someone who bets on the result of a horse race etc:\n  3 the player who punts the ball in American football:


Words: puny
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Old French; Origin: puisne  ’younger’, from  puis  ’afterward’ +  ne  ’born’]//\n  1 a puny person is small, thin, and weak:  --a puny little guy//  --puny arms//\n  2 not effective or impressive:  puny effort/attempt //  --a puny attempt at humour//  --Our efforts look puny beside Fred’s.//\n  3 a puny amount of money is too small:  --She was awarded a puny [hA124]1,000 in compensation.//


Words: pup
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: puppy]//\n  1 a young dog:   puppy//  --a spaniel pup//  --a litter of pups  (=several pups born to the same mother at the same time) //\n  2 a young seal or otter:\n  3  old-fashioned a young man who is rude or too confident:\n  4  be sold a pup/buy a pup:   BrE  old-fashioned to be tricked into buying something that is not worth what you paid for it//


Words: pupa
Meaning:
n   plural  pupae /-pi[hA359]/ also  pupas  AmE  [C] //  [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Latin,  ’girl, doll’]//  an insect at the stage before it becomes adult, when it is protected by a special cover//  --moth pupae//  -- pupal adj  [only before noun] //  --the pupal stage//


Words: pupil
Meaning:
W1S2   n [C]   [Sense: 1; Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: pupille, from  Latin pupillus  ’young boy who is looked after’, from  pupus  ’boy’]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: pupille, from  Latin pupilla, from  pupa  ’girl, doll’; because of the small image of yourself which you can see in someone else’s eye]//\n  1  especially  BrE someone who is being taught, especially a child:  --About 20 pupils study music here.//  --staff and pupils//  --a star pupil  (=a very good one) //  --a third-grade pupil see usage note  student//\n  2 the small black round area in the middle of your eye:    iris//


Words: puppet
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: poupette, from an unrecorded  poupe  ’doll’, from  Latin pupa;   PUPA]//\n  1 a model of a person or animal that you move by pulling wires or strings, or by putting your hand inside it:  puppet show/theatre/play //  --a 20-minute puppet show//  glove/hand/finger puppet //\n  2 a person or organization that allows other people to control them and make their decisions:  puppet of//  --The government is in danger of becoming a mere puppet of the military.//  puppet government/regime/state (=a government etc controlled by a more powerful country or organization) //


Words: puppy
Meaning:
S3   n   plural  puppies  [C] //  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: poupee  ’doll, toy’, from an unrecorded  poupe;   PUPPET]//\n  1 a young dog:  --a six-month-old puppy//\n  2  this/that puppy:   AmE  spoken  informal used instead of the name of a thing, especially when you do not know the name//  --How do you turn this puppy off?//


Words: puppy fat
Meaning:
n [U]    BrE  informal fat on a child’s body, that disappears as they get older//  American Equivalent:  baby fat//  --Carol had shed her puppy fat and was now very elegant.//


Words: puppy love
Meaning:
n [U]   a young person’s romantic love for someone, which other people do not think is serious//  --a bad case of puppy love//


Words: purchase
Meaning:
W3S3   v [T]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: purchacier  ’to try to get’, from  chacier  ’to run after and try to catch’]//   formal to buy something//  --You can purchase insurance on-line.//  --the growing demand to purchase goods on credit//  --Where did you purchase the car?//  purchase from//  --Tickets may be purchased in advance from the box office.//  -- purchasable adj //  -- purchaser n  [C] //  --France was the No. 1 purchaser of Iraqi oil.//\npurchase 2 W3S3 n \n  1 [U and C]  formal something you buy, or the act of buying it:  --She paid for her purchases and left.//  day/date/time of purchase //  --This product should be consumed on the day of purchase.//  --I enclose my receipt as proof of purchase .//  purchase of//  --a loan towards the purchase of a new car//  --She made two purchases from my stall.//    hire purchase,  purchase price//\n  2 [singular]  formal a firm hold on something:  gain/get a purchase on sth //  --The ice made it impossible to get a purchase on the road.//


Words: purchase price
Meaning:
n [singular]    formal the price that has to be paid for something, especially a house//  --We borrowed 80% of the purchase price.//


Words: purchasing power
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the amount of money that a person or group has available to spend:  --increases in purchasing power//\n  2 the amount that a unit of money can buy:  --The purchasing power of the local currency has halved.//


Words: purdah
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Hindi; Origin: parda  ’screen, veil’]//\n  1 the custom in some Muslim and Hindu societies in which women stay indoors or cover their faces so that men cannot see them:  in purdah//  --The bride remains in purdah until the wedding.//\n  2 a period of being alone, especially to keep something secret:  --18 months of self-imposed purdah//


Words: pure
Meaning:
W3S3   adj   ----------//\n   1 not mixed:\n   2 complete:\n   3 clean:\n   4 pure and simple:\n   5 morally good:\n   6 colour or sound:\n   7 typical:\n   8 breed/race:\n   9 art or study:\n  10 pure science/maths etc:\n  11 be as pure as the driven snow:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: pur, from  Latin purus]//\n  1 NOT MIXED:   [usually before noun] a pure substance or material is not mixed with anything//  → impure//  pure silk/cotton/wool etc //  --pure wool blankets//  --rings made of pure gold //  --Our beef patties are 100% pure .//\n  2 COMPLETE:   [only before noun] complete and total//   sheer//  --a work of pure genius//  --a smile of pure joy//  --My mother’s life was pure hell.//  pure chance/luck/coincidence etc //  --By pure chance, I met Sir Malcolm that morning.//  --The chairman dismissed the report as pure speculation.//\n  3 CLEAN:  clean and not containing anything harmful//  → impure//  --We had trouble finding a pure water supply.//  --Up here the air was purer .//\n  4  pure and simple:  used to emphasize that there is only one thing involved or worth considering//  --He wanted revenge, pure and simple.//\n  5 MORALLY GOOD:   literary without any sexual experience or evil thoughts//  → impure//  --a pure young girl//  --They’re too pure and innocent to know what’s really going on.//\n  6 COLOUR OR SOUND:  very clear and beautiful//  --a cloudless sky of the purest blue//  --Her voice, clear and pure, soared up to the roof.//\n  7 TYPICAL:   [only before noun] typical of a particular style//  --His music is pure New York.//\n  8 BREED/RACE:  bred from only one group or race//  --My husband is pure Japanese and traces his family back 800 years.//  --The Highland is the oldest and purest breed of cattle in Britain.//\n  9 ART OR STUDY:   [usually before noun] done according to an accepted standard or pattern//  --Gothic architecture in its purest form //\n  10  pure science/maths etc:  work in science etc that increases our knowledge of the subject rather than using it for practical purposes//\n  11  be as pure as the driven snow:  to be morally perfect - used humorously to say someone is not like this at all//    purely//


Words: purebred
Meaning:
adj   a purebred animal has parents that are both the same breed//   pedigree//    thoroughbred//  --purebred Irish wolfhounds//  -- purebred n  [C] //


Words: puree
Meaning:
puree/pj[hA35E][hA353]re[hA366] $ pj[hA35E]re[hA366]/ v [T]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: puree, from  purer  ’to make pure’, from  Latin purus;   PURE]//  if you puree food, you crush it so that it is almost liquid//  --Use a processor to puree the apricots.//  --pureed potatoes//  -- puree, puree n  [U and C] //  --tomato puree//


Words: purely
Meaning:
W3S2   adv   completely and only//  --a decision made for purely political reasons //  --The building was closed purely on the grounds of safety.//  --It happened purely by chance .//  --I do it purely and simply for the money.//


Words: purgatory
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: purgatorie, from  Latin purgatus, past participle of  purgare;   PURGE1]//\n  1 [U] something that makes you suffer - used humorously:  --Sewing is relaxation for some, purgatory for others.//\n  2  Purgatory:  in Roman Catholic belief, a place where the souls of dead people suffer until they are pure enough to enter heaven//  -- purgatorial/p[hA362][hA359]g[hA353]t[hA350][hA359]ri[hA353]l[hA36B] $ p[hA362][hA359]r-/ adj //


Words: purge
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: purgier, from  Latin  purgare  ’to make pure’, from  purus;   PURE]//\n  1 [T] to force people to leave a place or organization because the people in power do not like them:  purge sth of sb/sth//  --He sought to purge the Democrat party of conservatives.//  purge sb/sth from sth//  --plans to purge ethnic minorities from rebel-controlled areas//\n  2 [T] to remove something that is thought to be harmful or unacceptable:  purge sth of sb/sth//  --an initiative to purge the PC market of software pirates//  --Local languages were purged of Russian words.//  purge sb/sth from sth//  --It’s hard to imagine now that Lawrence’s novels were purged from public libraries.//\n  3 [T] to destroy something that is no longer needed:  --The system automatically purges unread emails after two weeks.//\n  4 [T]  literary to remove bad feelings:  purge sb/sth of sth//  --We have to begin by purging our minds of prejudice.//  --Any doubts about his leadership were purged by the courage of his performance.//\n  5 [T] to take a substance that makes your bowels empty:  --Anorexics may overeat before purging themselves or vomiting.//\n  6 [I] to force yourself to bring food up from your stomach and out of your mouth, especially because you have bulimia:\npurge 2 n [C] \n  1 an action to remove your opponents or the people who disagree with you from an organization or place:  --the Stalinist purges//  purge of/on//  --a purge of military commanders//  --a purge on tax dodgers//\n  2 a substance used to make you empty your bowels:


Words: purify
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  purified present participle  purifying third person singular  purifies  [T] //\n  1 to remove dirty or harmful substances from something:  --chemicals used to purify the water//\n  2 to make someone pure by removing evil from their soul:  --They prayed to God to purify them.//  -- purification/pj[hA35E][hA353]r[hA369]f[hA369]ke[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ pj[hA35E]r-/ n  [U] //  -- water purification tablets//


Words: Purim
Meaning:
a  Jewish religious holiday which celebrates the time when Esther saved the Jewish people from being killed by their Persian rulers in the 5th century BC.//


Words: purist
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who believes that something should be done in the correct or traditional way, especially in the areas of art, sport, music, and language//  -- The purists won’t like it, but opera on TV certainly brings in the audiences.//  --Architects with purist views were suspicious of his work.//


Words: puritan
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Late Latin; Origin: puritas  ’purity’, from  Latin purus;   PURE]//\n  1 someone with strict moral views who thinks that pleasure is unnecessary and wrong:\n  2  Puritan:  a member of a Protestant religious group in the 16th and 17th centuries, who wanted to make religion simpler//  -- puritan adj //  --the Puritan work ethic//


Words: puritanical
Meaning:
adj   very strict about moral matters, especially sex - used in order to show disapproval//  --a puritanical father who wouldn’t let his children watch television//  --The atmosphere at the school was oppressively puritanical.//


Words: puritanism
Meaning:
n [U]   strict religious and moral attitudes - used in order to show disapproval//  --a harsh and repressive sexual puritanism//


Words: purity
Meaning:
n [U]   the quality or state of being pure//  --the purity of tapwater//  -- spiritual purity //    impurity//


Words: purl
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: pirl  ’to twist’ (15-19 centuries)]//  a type of stitch that you use when you knit (=make clothes from wool) //  -- purl v  [I and T] //


Words: purlieus
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: purale  ’checking of a land border by walking around it’, from  Old French puraler  ’to go through’; influenced by  lieu (  LIEU)]//   literary the area in and around a place//


Words: purloin
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: purloigner  ’to put away, make useless’, from  Old French porloigner  ’to put off, delay’, from  loing  ’at a distance’]//   formal to obtain something without permission - often used humorously//  --He must have purloined a key from somewhere.//


Words: purple
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 900-1000; Language: Latin; Origin: purpura, from  Greek porphyra type of shellfish from which purple coloring was obtained]//  a dark colour that is a mixture of red and blue//\npurple 2 adj \n  1 having a dark colour that is a mixture of red and blue:\n  2  purple with rage/purple in the face etc:  with a face that is dark red, caused by anger//  --His face turned purple with rage.//\n  3  purple patch:  a time when you are very successful - used especially in news reports//  --Steve’s purple patch continued with a second victory on Tuesday.//\n  4  purple prose/passage:  writing that uses difficult or unusual words - used in order to show disapproval//


Words: purport
Meaning:
v [I and T]    formal to claim to be or do something, even if this is not true//  purport to do sth//  --Two undercover officers purporting to be dealers infiltrated the gang.//  be purported to be sth//  --The document is purported to be 300 years old.//  -- purportedly adv //  --a portrait purportedly of Shakespeare//\npurport 2   n [U]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: purporter  ’to contain’, from  Old French, from  porter  ’to carry’]//   formal the general meaning of what someone says//


Words: purpose
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 :\n   2 purposes:\n   3 :\n   4 on purpose:\n   5 feeling:\n   6 for all practical purposes:\n   7 serve its purpose:\n   8 defeat the purpose:\n   9 to no purpose:\n  10 to the purpose:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: purpos, from  purposer  ’to intend’, from  Latin proponere;   PROPOUND]//\n  1 [C usually singular] the purpose of something is what it is intended to achieve:  purpose of//  --The purpose of this meeting is to elect a new chairman.//  --What is the purpose of your visit?//  the purpose of doing sth//  --The purpose of conducting a business is to make money.//  for/with the purpose of doing sth//  --Troops were sent solely for the purpose of assisting refugees.//  --He came here with the purpose of carrying out the attack.//  sole/primary/main etc purpose //  --The protection of children is the primary purpose of this legislation.//\n  2  purposes [plural] the reasons that explain why something is needed or why it is considered in a particular way:  --Several of the items had religious purposes .//  for medical/political/decorative etc purposes //  --It should be legitimate to use cannabis for medical purposes.//  --For tax purposes , you will be treated as a married couple.//  --The details are, for the present purposes , irrelevant.//  for the purposes of sth//  --For the purposes of this book, America is taken to include the continent north of Mexico.//\n  3 [C] a plan or aim:  --Nick had no particular purpose in mind when he started.//  sb’s purpose in doing sth//  --Attending the race was not my purpose in coming to Indianapolis.//  serve a purpose (=achieve a particular aim) //  --It would serve no useful purpose to re-open the investigation.//\n  4  on purpose:  deliberately//  do sth on purpose//  --You make it sound as if I did it on purpose!//\n  5 FEELING:   [U] a feeling of determination to achieve things in life//  --It’s so important to have a sense of purpose that underlies human happiness//  --My football career was over and I had no purpose in life .//  --He possessed great strength of purpose .//\n  6  for all practical purposes:   also to all intents and purposes //  used to say that something is so close to the truth that it can be considered to be the truth//  --The war, to all intents and purposes, was over.//  --We have a Secretary of State for Scotland who is for all practical purposes a Scottish Prime Minister.//\n  7  serve its purpose:  if something has served its purpose, it has done what you needed it to do//  --We delete the data once it has served its purpose.//\n  8  defeat the purpose:  to fail to achieve the result you want//  --Anxiety will cause tension, which defeats the purpose of the exercise  (=the activity or plan) .//\n  9  to no purpose:   formal without any useful results//  --She called after them, but to no purpose.//\n  10  to the purpose:   old-fashioned useful or helpful//    purposely,  cross-purposes//


Words: purpose-built
Meaning:
adj  BrE   designed and made for a particular purpose//  --purpose-built toilets for disabled people//


Words: purposeful
Meaning:
adj   having a clear aim or purpose//   determined//  --a purposeful and consistent foreign policy//  --a purposeful movement//  -- purposefully adv //  --He walked purposefully to his desk.//  -- purposefulness n  [U] //


Words: purposeless
Meaning:
adj   not having a clear aim or purpose//  --hours of purposeless activity//  -- purposelessly adv //  -- purposelessness n  [U] //


Words: purr
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  From the sound]//\n  1 [I] if a cat purrs, it makes a soft low sound in its throat to show that it is pleased:\n  2 [I] if the engine of a vehicle or machine purrs, it works perfectly and makes a quiet smooth sound:  --The big Bentley purred along the road.//\n  3 [I and T] to speak in a soft low sexy voice:  --’That feels good,’ she purred.//  -- purr n  [C] //


Words: purse
Meaning:
S3   n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Late Latin; Origin: bursa;   BURSAR]//\n  1 [C] :  a)  especially BrE a small bag in which women keep paper money, coins, cards etc//  American Equivalent:  wallet//  --Julie opened her handbag and took out her purse.//  b)  also change purse, coin purse  AmE a small bag used to hold coins, used especially by women//\n  2 [C]  AmE a bag in which a woman carries her money and personal things:  British Equivalent:  handbag//  --I locked the door and dropped the keys in my purse.//\n  3 [singular]  formal the amount of money that a person, organization, or country has available to spend:  --Election expenses are met from the public purse  (=money controlled by the government) .//  --A visit to the new county museum will set the family purse back by around [hA124]12.//\n  4 [C] the amount of money given to someone who wins a sports event, such as a boxing match or a car race:  --They will compete for a $100,000 purse.//\n  5  the purse strings:  used to refer to the control of spending in a family, company, country etc//  hold/control the purse strings //  --It all comes down to who holds the purse strings.//  --She keeps tight control over the purse strings.//\npurse 2 v [T]   if you purse your lips, you bring them together tightly into a small circle, especially to show disapproval or doubt//  --Mrs Biddell pursed her lips and shook her head.//


Words: pursuance
Meaning:
n   in pursuance of sth//   formal with the aim of doing or achieving something, or while doing something//  --In pursuance of this objective, 8000 letters were sent.//


Words: pursuant
Meaning:
adj    formal  pursuant to sth//  done according to a particular law, rule, contract etc//  --The boy was provided with an interpreter, pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities Act.//


Words: pursue
Meaning:
W2S3   v [T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: pursuer, from  Old French poursuir, from  Latin prosequi;   PROSECUTE]//\n  1 to continue doing an activity or trying to achieve something over a long period of time:    pursuit//  --She plans to pursue a career in politics.//  --Students should pursue their own interests , as well as do their school work.//  pursue a goal/aim/objective etc //  --companies that pursue the traditional goal of profits//  --a campaign promise to pursue policies that will help the poor//\n  2  pursue the matter/argument/question etc:  to continue trying to find out about or persuade someone about a particular subject//  --Janet did not dare pursue the matter further .//  --The defence pursued the question of Dr Carrington’s state of mind.//\n  3 to chase or follow someone or something, in order to catch them, attack them etc:    pursuit//  --Briggs ran across the field with one officer pursuing him.//\n  4 to keep trying to persuade someone to have a relationship with you:  --I was pleased, but somewhat embarrassed, when she pursued me.//


Words: pursuit
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: poursuite, from  poursuir;   PURSUE]//\n  1 [U] when someone tries to get, achieve, or find something in a determined way:    persue//  pursuit of//  --the pursuit of liberty and happiness//  --the pursuit of war criminals//  in (the) pursuit of sth//  --People are having to move to other areas in pursuit of work.//\n  2 [U] when someone chases or follows someone else:    pursue//  in pursuit//  --There were four police cars in pursuit.//  --The quarterback sprinted toward the end zone with Jansen in hot pursuit  (=following closely behind) .//\n  3 [C usually plural]  formal an activity such as a sport or hobby, which you spend a lot of time doing:  --pursuits such as swimming and tennis//


Words: purulent
Meaning:
adj  technical   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: purulentus, from  pus;   PUS]//  containing or producing pus//  -- purulence n  [U] //


Words: purvey
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: porveeir, from  Latin providere;   PROVIDE]//   formal to supply goods, services, information etc to people//  --DJ Dominic purveys a unique brand of music.//


Words: purveyor
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]    formal a business that supplies goods, services, or information//  --purveyors of farmyard fresh poultry//


Words: purview
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: purveu est  ’it is provided’ (first words of a law)]//  within/outside the purview of sb/sth//   formal within or outside the limits of someone’s job, activity, or knowledge//  --This matter comes within the purview of the Department of Health.//


Words: pus
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin]//  a thick yellowish liquid produced in an infected part of your body//  --a wound oozing pus//


Words: push
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 move:\n   2 button/switch:\n   3 try to get past:\n   4 encourage:\n   5 persuade:\n   6 change:\n   7 increase/decrease:\n   8 army:\n   9 advertise:\n  10 drugs:\n  11 be pushing 40/50 etc:\n  12 push your luck/push it:\n  13 push something out of your mind:\n  14 push (somebody’s) buttons:\n  15 push the boat out:\n  16 push the point:\n  17 push the envelope:\n  18 be pushing up (the) daisies:  Phrasal verbs//   push ahead//   push along//   push somebody around//   push somebody/something aside//   push  yourself forward//   push in//   push off//   push on//   push somebody/something → over//   push something → through//  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: poulser  ’to hit, push’, from  Latin pulsare, from  pellere  ’to drive, hit’]//\n  1 MOVE:   [I and T] to make someone or something move by pressing them with your hands, arms etc//  → pull//  --It didn’t move, so she pushed harder.//  --I promised to push him on the swings for as long as he wanted.//  --shoppers pushing their grocery carts//  push sb/sth away/back/aside etc//  --She pushed him away.//  --Maria pushed her hair back from her forehead.//  push sb/sth towards/into etc sth//  --Philip pushed him towards the door.//  push sth open/shut //  --I slowly pushed the door open.//\n  2 BUTTON/SWITCH:   [I and T] to press a button, switch etc in order to make a piece of equipment start or stop working//   press//  --I got in and pushed the button for the fourth floor.//  --Push the green button to start the engine.//\n  3 TRY TO GET PAST:   [I] to use your hands, arms etc to make people or things move, so that you can get past them//  --Don’t push. Everyone will get a turn.//  push (your way) past/through/into etc//  --A fat man pushed past me in his rush to leave.//  --She pushed her way to the front.//\n  4 ENCOURAGE:   [T] to encourage or force someone to do something or to work hard//  --Encourage your kids to try new things, but try not to push them too hard .//  --athletes who push their bodies to the limit //  push yourself//  --He’s been pushing himself too hard, working 12-hour days.//  push sb into (doing) sth//  --My husband pushed me into leaving the job.//  push sb to do sth//  --The teachers pushed the students to achieve.//\n  5 PERSUADE:   [I and T] to try to persuade people to accept your ideas, opinions etc in order to achieve something//  --The president is trying to push his agenda in Congress.//  push for//  --He was pushing hard for welfare reform.//  push to do sth//  --Company representatives are pushing to open foreign markets to their products.//  push sth on sb//  --We don’t try to push our religion on anyone.//\n  6 CHANGE:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to change someone’s situation, or to make a situation change, especially when some people do not want it to change//  --The law would push even more children into poverty.//  --attempts to push the peace process forward//\n  7 INCREASE/DECREASE:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to increase or decrease an amount, value, or number//  push sth up/down//  --Slow sales have pushed down orders.//  push sth higher/lower //  --New technology has pushed the cost of health care even higher.//\n  8 ARMY:   [I always + adverb/preposition] if an army pushes somewhere, it moves in that direction//  --The army was pushing north.//  --We pushed deep into enemy territory.//\n  9 ADVERTISE:   [T]  informal to try to sell more of a product by advertising it a lot//  --Sports stars earn big bucks for pushing everything from shoes to soft drinks.//\n  10 DRUGS:   [T]  informal to sell illegal drugs//    pusher//\n  11  be pushing 40/50 etc:   informal to be nearly 40, 50 etc years old//\n  12  push your luck/push it:   informal to do something or ask for something, especially something you have done or asked for before, when this is likely to annoy someone or involves a risk//  --If she doesn’t want to go, don’t push it.//  --It’s 26 miles, so you’re pushing your luck if you try to hike it in a day.//\n  13  push sth out of your mind:   also push sth to the back of your mind //  to try not to think about something, especially something bad or worrying//  --He pushed the thought out of his mind and tried to concentrate.//\n  14  push (sb’s) buttons:   informal to make someone feel strong emotions//  --Movies shouldn’t be afraid to push a few buttons.//\n  15  push the boat out:   BrE  informal to spend more money than you usually do, on something special//  --Push the boat out and get tickets to the theatre or ballet.//\n  16  push the point:  to keep trying to make someone accept your opinion in a way that they think is annoying//\n  17  push the envelope:   AmE to do something that is new and that goes beyond the limits of what has already been done in a particular area of activity//  push the envelope of/on//  --ideas that push the envelope of design and construction//\n  18  be pushing up (the) daisies:   informal to be dead - used humorously//    pushed,  pushing//  push ahead phr v//  to continue with a plan or activity, especially in a determined way//  push ahead with//  --Quinlan decided to push ahead with the deal.//  push along phr v//   must/should etc be pushing along//   BrE  spoken used to say that you think it is time for you to leave a place//  --It’s getting late - I think we should be pushing along.//  push around [push sb around] phr v//  to tell someone what to do in an impolite or threatening way//  --Europeans sometimes feel the Americans are trying to push them around.//  push aside [push sb/sth aside] phr v//\n  1  push sth → aside:  to try to forget about something, especially something unpleasant, so that you can give your attention to what you are doing//  --She pushed aside her anger, forcing herself to focus on her work.//\n  2 to force someone out of their job or position, taking the job in their place:  --Primakov was pushed aside but later became head of Intelligence.//  push yourself forward [push  yourself forward] phr v//   BrE to try to make other people notice you//  --Rupert was a quiet type, not one to push himself forward.//  push in phr v//   BrE  informal to go in front of other people who are already waiting in a line for something, instead of going to the back of the line//  --A couple of boys pushed in at the head of the queue.//  push off phr v//\n  1 to start moving in a boat, on a bicycle, or when swimming or jumping, by pushing against something with your arms, legs etc:  --Dad pushed off and jumped into the rowboat.//\n  2  BrE  spoken used to tell someone rudely to go away:  push on phr v//\n  1 to continue travelling somewhere, especially after you have had a rest:  --We decided to push on a little further.//\n  2 to continue doing an activity:  push on with//  --Nixon pushed on with the weapons development program.//  push over [push sb/sth → over] phr v//  to make someone or something fall to the ground by pushing them//  --He went wild, pushing over tables and chairs.//  push through [push sth → through] phr v//  to get a plan, law etc officially accepted, especially quickly//  --The planning application was pushed through as quickly as possible.//\npush 2 n   ----------//\n   1 pushing movement:\n   2 effort:\n   3 encouragement:\n   4 army:\n   5 give somebody the push/get the push:\n   6 when/if push comes to shove:\n   7 at a push:\n   8 it’ll be a push:  ----------//\n  1 PUSHING MOVEMENT:   [C] when someone pushes something//  → pull//  --Jodi had stopped swinging. ’Want a push?’ her dad asked.//  --If the door’s stuck, just give it a push .//  at/with the push of a button (=used to emphasize how easy a machine is to use) //  --Files can be attached to your email at the push of a button.//\n  2 EFFORT:   [C] when someone, especially a business, tries to get or achieve something//  --the pre-Christmas advertising push//  push into//  --The company has recently made a big push into the Japanese market.//  push for//  --the push for improved productivity//  push to do sth//  --a push to attract new members//\n  3 ENCOURAGEMENT:   [singular] if someone gives someone else a push, they encourage or persuade them to try something//  --She just needed a gentle push to get her to join in.//\n  4 ARMY:   [C] a planned military movement into the area where the enemy is//  push into//  --The army has made another big push into enemy territory.//\n  5  give sb the push/get the push:   BrE  informal //  a) if your employer gives you the push, they make you leave your job//  --I was scared I’d get the push.//  b) if someone you are having a romantic relationship with gives you the push, they tell you that they no longer want to continue the relationship//\n  6  when/if push comes to shove:   also if it comes to the push  BrE  spoken if a situation becomes very difficult or action needs to be taken//  --If push comes to shove, you can always sell the car.//\n  7  at a push:   informal  BrE if you can do something at a push, it will be difficult, but you will be able to do it//  --We have room for five people, maybe six at a push.//\n  8  it’ll be a push:   BrE  spoken used to say that something will be difficult because you do not have enough time to do it//  --I’ll do my best, but it’ll be a bit of a push.//


Words: push-button
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   operated by pressing a button with your finger//  --a push-button telephone//


Words: push-up
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]  AmE   an exercise in which you lie on the floor on your chest and push yourself up with your arms//  British Equivalent:  press-up//


Words: pushcart
Meaning:
n [C]   a large flat container like a box with wheels, used especially by people who sell goods in the street//


Words: pushchair
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a small seat on wheels, in which a young child sits and is pushed along//  American Equivalent:  stroller//


Words: pushed
Meaning:
adj [not before noun]  BrE  informal \n  1  be pushed for time/money etc:  to not have much time, money etc//   pressed//  --I’m a bit pushed for time today.//\n  2 too busy:  --I’d love to help, but I’m a bit pushed at the moment.//\n  3  be (hard) pushed to do sth:  to have a lot of difficulty doing something//  --I was hard pushed to keep my mind on my work.//


Words: pushing
Meaning:
prep   be pushing 40/60 etc//   spoken to be nearly 40, 60 etc years old - used only about older people//  --Sheila must be pushing 40 by now.//


Words: Pushkin
Meaning:
Aleksandr   (1799-1837) one of Russia’s greatest writers who wrote  novels, plays, and poetry, and greatly influenced the development of Russian literature. His best-known works are Eugene Onegin and  Boris Godunov.//


Words: pushover
Meaning:
n  informal   be a pushover//  a) to be easy to persuade, influence, or defeat//  --They aren’t the best team in the league, but they’re no pushover , either.//  be a pushover for//  --Tony’s a pushover for blondes.//  b)  BrE to be very easy to do or win//  --The exam was a pushover.//


Words: pushy
Meaning:
adj   someone who is pushy does everything they can to get what they want from other people - used in order to show disapproval//  --a pushy salesman//  -- pushiness n  [U] //


Words: pusillanimous
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Late Latin; Origin: pusillanimis, from  Latin pusillus  ’very small’ +  animus  ’spirit’]//  frightened of taking even small risks//   cowardly//  -- pusillanimity/pju[hA359]s[hA369]l[hA353]n[hA366]m[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //


Words: puss
Meaning:
n  BrE  spoken   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Probably from  Middle Low German pus]//  used to talk to or call a cat//  American Equivalent:  kitty//  --Come here, puss, puss, puss!//


Words: Puss in Boots
Meaning:
a  fairy tale about a clever cat who wore boots and did many tricks in order to make his owner rich//


Words: pussy
Meaning:
n   plural  pussies  [C]  informal //  [Sense: 1, 3; Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  PUSS1]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: puss  ’female sex organs’ (17-20 centuries), perhaps from  Low German or a  Scandinavian language.]//\n  1  BrE a cat - used especially by or to children:\n  2  taboo a very offensive word meaning a woman’s sex organs. Do not use this word.:\n  3  AmE  not polite an offensive word for a man who is weak or not brave:


Words: pussycat
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a cat - used especially by or to children:\n  2 [usually singular] someone who is very nice and gentle - used especially when they do not seem this way:  --Greg? He’s a pussycat, really.//


Words: pussyfoot
Meaning:
about    informal to be too careful and frightened to do something, such as making firm decisions or telling someone exactly what you think//  --You can’t pussyfoot around when it comes to keeping kids safe.//


Words: pustule
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: pustula]//   medical a small raised spot on your skin containing pus//


Words: put
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  put present participle  putting  [T] //  ----------//\n   1 move to place:\n   2 change somebody’s situation/feelings:\n   3 write/print something:\n   4 express:\n   5 put a stop/an end to something:\n   6 put something into action/effect/practice:\n   7 ask/suggest:\n   8 put something right:\n   9 put somebody straight/right:\n  10 put something straight:\n  11 make somebody/something do something:\n  12 have importance/quality:\n  13 send somebody somewhere:\n  14 put somebody on a train/plane etc:\n  15 put paid to something:\n  16 I wouldn’t put it past somebody (to do something):\n  17 put somebody to trouble/inconvenience:\n  18 put it there:\n  19 throw:  Phrasal verbs//   put about//   put something → across//   put something → aside//   put something at something//   put somebody/something away//   put something back//   put something behind you//   put something → by//   put down//   put somebody down as something//   put somebody down for something//   put something down to something//   put forth something//   put somebody/something → forward//   put in//   put something into something//   put somebody/something off//   put somebody/something on//   put somebody onto somebody/something//   put out//   put something → over//   put through//   put something → together//   put something towards something//   put somebody under//   put up//   put somebody up to something//   put up with somebody/something//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: putian]//\n  1 MOVE TO PLACE:   [always + adverb/preposition] to move something to a particular place or position, especially using your hands//   place//  --He put the coffee on the table.//  --Where did you put the programmes?//\n  2 CHANGE SOMEBODY’S SITUATION/FEELINGS:   [always + adverb/preposition] to change someone’s situation or the way they feel//  --Don’t put yourself into a situation you can’t handle.//  put sb in a good/bad etc mood (=make them feel happy/annoyed etc) //  --The long delay had put us all in a bad mood.//  --I don’t want to put you in danger .//  --Pit closures have put thousands of miners out of a job  (=made them lose their job) .//  put sb in control/command/charge etc (=give someone authority over a group, activity, or organization) //  --His boss resigned and Murphy was put in charge.//  --Politics puts me to sleep .//  --A knee injury put him out of action for three months.//\n  3 WRITE/PRINT SOMETHING:  to write or print something or to make a mark with a pen or pencil//  put sth in/on/under etc sth//  --Put your name at the top of each answer sheet.//  put sth to sth//  --He put his signature to the contract (=he signed it to show he agreed with it) .//\n  4 EXPRESS:   [always + adverb/preposition] to say or write something using words in a particular way//  put sth well/cleverly/simply etc //  --The question was well put.//  --So it was an accident, an ’act of God’ if you want to put it like that .//  --When women joined the organization, it ’took on a new look,’ as news reports put it .//  --It is hard to put into words  (=express) how I feel now.//  --He’s not very musical, to put it mildly  (=he’s not musical at all) .//  --We get on each other’s nerves, to put it bluntly  (=to say exactly what I mean) .//  --It’s fairly risky. Or to put it another way  (=say it in different words) , don’t try this at home.//  --The subject matter makes the painting a little, how shall I put it  (=how can I say it politely?) , undesirable for public display.//\n  5  put a stop/an end to sth:  to stop an activity that is harmful or unacceptable//  --We must put an end to their threats.//\n  6  put sth into action/effect/practice:  to start using a plan, idea, knowledge etc//  --James was keen to put some of the things he had learned into practice.//\n  7 ASK/SUGGEST:  to ask a question or make a suggestion, especially to get someone’s opinion or agreement//  put a proposition/proposal/case etc to sb //  --He put the proposal to his wife.//  put sth before sb//  --The budget was put before the board of directors.//  --Can I put a question to you?//  --I put it to you that this proposal has to be considered.//\n  8  put sth right:  to make a situation better, especially after someone has made a mistake or behaved badly//  --He has a chance to put things right by admitting a mistake was made.//\n  9  put sb straight/right:   also set sb straight/right //  to tell someone the true facts when they have made a mistake that annoys you//  --A young man was in here asking for ’Miss’ Whalby, but I put him right on that one.//\n  10  put sth straight:  to make something look clean and tidy//  --It took us all weekend to put the garden straight.//\n  11 MAKE SOMEBODY/SOMETHING DO SOMETHING:  to make someone or something work or do something, or to use it//  --a scheme to put unemployed people to work on government construction projects//  --If you have a spare room, put it to work for you - take in a lodger.//  --Computer games are being put to use in the classroom.//  --We put 15 rain jackets to the test  (=we tested them) .//\n  12 HAVE IMPORTANCE/QUALITY:   [always + adverb/preposition] to consider something as having a particular level of importance or quality//  put sb as/among/in etc sth//  --A recent poll put Doctor Martens among the world’s top thirty designer labels.//  put sb/sth before sb/sth//  --Some companies put profit before safety.//  put sb/sth first/second etc//  --The job’s important to him, but he puts his family first.//\n  13 SEND SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE:   [always + adverb/preposition] to arrange for someone to go to a place, or to make them go there//  put sb in (sth)//  --The company is putting in new management.//  --Pneumonia put him in the hospital for a week.//  -- Put the boys to bed around eight o’clock.//\n  14  put sb on a train/plane etc:  to take someone to a plane, train etc to start a journey//  --I put her on the plane for London.//\n  15  put paid to sth:   BrE to spoil and end your hopes or plans completely//  --A car accident put paid to his chances of taking part in the race.//\n  16  I wouldn’t put it past sb (to do sth):   spoken used to say that you think someone could easily do something wrong or illegal//  --I wouldn’t put it past him to use force.//\n  17  put sb to trouble/inconvenience:   especially BrE to make extra work or cause problems for someone//\n  18  put it there:   spoken used to tell someone to put their hand in yours, either as a greeting or after making an agreement with them//  --$500? OK, it’s a deal. Put it there!//\n  19 THROW:  to throw a shot (=a heavy metal ball)  in a sports competition//    put your finger on sth at finger1 (4)//    put your foot down at foot1 (13)//    put your foot in it at foot1 (15)//    put the record straight at record1 (10)//    put sth to (good) use at use2 (4)//    put your back into it at back2 (19)//  put about phr v//\n  1  put sth about:   BrE  informal to give other people news or information, especially when it is unpleasant or untrue//  --After he was fired, he put it about that he was fed up with working for such a large company.//\n  2  put (sth) about:   technical if a ship puts about or if you put it about, it changes direction//\n  3  put yourself about:   BrE  informal to have sexual relationships with a lot of different people//  put across [put sth → across] phr v//\n  1 to explain your ideas, beliefs etc in a way that people can understand:  --He was trying to put across a serious point.//\n  2  put yourself across:   BrE to explain your ideas and opinions clearly so that people understand them and realize what sort of person you are//  --Sue’s never been very good at putting herself across at interviews.//\n  3 to sing, play music, or act in a film or play in a clear, effective way:  --She can really put a song across.//  put aside [put sth → aside] phr v//\n  1 to try to stop thinking about a problem, argument, or disagreement, because you want to achieve something:  --You must put aside your pride and apologise to him.//\n  2 to save money regularly, usually for a particular purpose:  --She put at least [hA124]30 a week aside for food.//\n  3 to put down something you are reading or working with, in order to start doing something else:  --He glanced at the note, put it aside and went on with the meeting.//\n  4 to keep a period of time free in order to be able to do something:  --If you’re planning a trip to the museum, be sure to put aside at least an hour and a half.//  put at [put sth at sth] phr v//  to calculate or guess an amount, number, age etc, without being very exact//  --Her fortune was put at [hA124]5.5 million.//  put away [put sb/sth away] phr v//\n  1  put sth → away:  to put something in the place where it is usually kept//  --He put his toys away every night.//\n  2  put sth → away:  to save money//  --We’re putting some money away for expenses.//\n  3  put sb away:   informal to put someone in a prison or in a mental hospital//  --If you are found guilty, the judge is going to put you away for life.//\n  4  put sth → away:   informal to eat or drink a lot//  --It’s amazing the amount that child can put away.//\n  5  put sth → away:   informal to score a goal, especially after other failed attempts//  --He seized the opportunity to put the ball away.//\n  6  put sth → away:   AmE  informal to defeat your opponent in a sports competition//  --Two plays later, Smith scored to put the game away.//  put back [put sth back] phr v//\n  1  put sb/sth → back:  to put people or things in the place or situation they were in before//  --She put the saucepan back on the stove.//  --Our win today put us back into third place in the league.//\n  2  put sth → back:  to arrange for an event to start at a later time or date//   postpone//  put something → back to//  --The meeting has been put back to next Thursday.//\n  3  put sth → back:  to delay a process or activity by a number of weeks, months etc//  --This fire could put back the opening date by several weeks.//\n  4 to make someone or something have something that they used to have before:  --The win put a smile back on his face.//\n  5  put a clock/watch back:   BrE to make a clock or watch show an earlier time//  American Equivalent:  set back//    put the clock back at clock1 (3)//  put behind you [put sth behind you] phr v//  to try to forget about an unpleasant event or experience and think about the future//  --She had dealt with the guilt years ago and put it behind her.//  put by [put sth → by] phr v//  to save money regularly in order to use it later//  --We’re trying to put a little by each month for a new car.//  put down phr v//\n  1 PLACE:   put sth/sb → down//  to put something or someone that you are holding or carrying onto a surface//  --Put those heavy bags down for a minute.//\n  2 CRITICIZE:   put sb → down//  to criticize someone and make them feel silly or stupid//   belittle//  --I hate the way Dave puts me down the whole time.//  put yourself down//  --Stop putting yourself down.//\n  3 WRITE:   put sth → down//  to write something, especially a name or number, on a piece of paper or on a list//   write down//  --Put down your name and address.//\n  4  put down a revolution/revolt/rebellion etc:  to stop a revolution etc by using force//  --The uprising was put down by the police and the army.//\n  5 PAY:   put sth → down//  to pay part of the total cost of something, so that you can pay the rest later//  put something → down on//  --They put down a deposit on the goods until Christmas.//\n  6 BABY:   put sb down//  to put a baby in its bed//  --We try to put Amy down at six every evening.//\n  7  put the phone down:  to put the receiver back onto the telephone when you have finished speaking to someone//   hang up//  put the phone down on//  --She put the phone down on me (=suddenly ended the conversation) .//\n  8 KILL:   put sth → down//  to kill an animal without causing it pain, usually because it is old or sick//   put something to sleep//  --We had to have the dog put down.//\n  9  I couldn’t put it down:   spoken used to say that you found a book, game etc extremely interesting//  --Once I’d started reading it I just couldn’t put it down.//\n  10 AIRCRAFT:   put (sth) down//  if an aircraft puts down or if a pilot puts it down, it lands, especially because of an emergency//  --The engine failed and the plane put down in the sea.//\n  11  put down a motion/an amendment:  to suggest a subject, plan, change in the law etc for a parliament or committee to consider//\n  12 LEAVE PASSENGER:   put sb down//   BrE to stop a vehicle so that passengers can get off at a particular place//  --He asked the taxi to put him down at the end of the road.//  put down as [put sb down as sth] phr v//  to guess what someone is like or what they do, without having much information about them//  --I didn’t think he was unfriendly. I put him down as shy.//  put down for [put sb down for sth] phr v//\n  1 to put someone’s name on a list so that they can take part in an activity, join an organization etc:  --They put themselves down for a training course.//\n  2  put sb down for [hA124]5/[hA124]20 etc:   especially  BrE to write someone’s name on a list with an amount of money that they have promised to give//  put down to [put sth down to sth] phr v//\n  1 to think that something is caused by something else:  --I was having difficulty reading, which I put down to the poor light.//\n  2  put it down to experience:  to try not to feel too upset about failure, especially when you learn something useful from it//  --Everyone gets rejected from time to time; put it down to experience.//  put forth [put forth sth] phr v//\n  1 to suggest an idea, explanation etc, especially one that other people later consider and discuss:   submit//  --Arguments were put forth for changing some of the rules of the game.//\n  2  put forth leaves/shoots/roots etc:   formal if a tree or bush puts forth leaves etc, it begins to grow them//  put forward [put sb/sth → forward] phr v//\n  1 to suggest a plan, proposal etc, for other people to consider or discuss:   propose//  --They put forward a number of suggestions.//\n  2 to suggest formally that you or someone else should be considered for a particular job, membership of an organization etc:  --Her name was put forward for the lead role in the play.//\n  3 to arrange for an event to start at an earlier time or date:  put somebody/something → forward to//  --The men’s final has been put forward to 1:30.//\n  4  put a clock/watch forward:   BrE to make a clock or watch show a later time//  American Equivalent:  set forward//  put in phr v//\n  1  put sth → in:  to fix a piece of equipment somewhere and connect it so that it is ready to be used//   instal//  --We decided to have a new bathroom put in.//\n  2  put sth → in:  to spend time or use energy working or practising something//  --Dorothy had put in a lot of hard work during her six years as chairperson.//\n  3  put in sth:   written to interrupt someone in order to say something//  --’How old are you?’ ’Sixteen.’ ’I’m sixteen too,’ put in Dixie.//\n  4  put sth → in:  to ask for something in an official way//  --She put in an insurance claim.//  --We must put in an order by tonight.//  put in for sth//  --I put in for a pay increase.//\n  5  put your faith/trust/confidence in sb/sth:  to trust someone or something or believe that they can do something//  --I’m putting my faith in the appeal judges.//\n  6  put in sth:  to do something in a particular way, especially a performance in a play, film, race etc//  --He put in a brilliant performance in the British Grand Prix.//\n  7  put in an appearance:  to go to a social event, meeting etc for a short time//  --There was an hour yet before she needed to put in an appearance at the restaurant.//\n  8 if a ship puts in, it enters a port:  put into [put sth into sth] phr v//\n  1 to make money available to be used for a particular purpose:  --The government appears to be putting more money into education.//\n  2 to use a lot of energy etc when you are doing an activity:  --Candidates put a lot of time and effort into gaining qualifications.//\n  3 to add a quality to something:  --These simple recipes put more fun into eating.//  put off [put sb/sth off] phr v//\n  1  put sth → off:  to delay doing something or to arrange to do something at a later time or date, especially because there is a problem or you do not want to do it now//   delay, procrastinate//  --The match has been put off until tomorrow because of bad weather.//  put off doing sth//  --I put off going to the doctor but I wish I hadn’t.//\n  2  put sb → off:   BrE to make you dislike something or not want to do something//  --Don’t let the restaurant’s decor put you off - the food is really good.//  put sb off (doing) sth//  --Don’t let your failures put you off trying harder.//\n  3  put sb off:  to make someone wait because you do not want to meet them, pay them etc until later//   stall//  --When he calls, put him off as long as you can.//\n  4  put sb off (sth):   BrE to make it difficult for someone to pay attention to what they are doing by talking, making a noise, moving etc//  --It puts me off when you watch me all the time.//\n  5  put sb off (sth):   BrE to let someone leave a vehicle at a particular place//  --I’ll put you off at the supermarket.//  put on [put sb/sth on] phr v//\n  1 CLOTHES:   put sth → on//  to put a piece of clothing on your body//  → take off//  --He took off his uniform and put on a sweater and trousers.//  --I’ll have to put my glasses on; I can’t read the sign from here.//\n  2 ON SKIN:   put sth → on//  to put make-up, cream etc on your skin//  --I’ve got to put this cream on twice a day.//\n  3 AFFECT/INFLUENCE SOMETHING:   put sth on sth//  to do something that affects or influences someone or something else//  --The government put a limit on imports of textiles.//  --Pat was putting pressure on him to leave his wife.//\n  4 START EQUIPMENT:   put sth → on//  to make a light or a piece of equipment start working by pressing or turning a button or switch//   switch on, turn on//  --He got up and put on the light.//  --Shall I put the kettle on?//\n  5 MUSIC:   put sth → on//  to put a record, tape, or CD into a machine and start playing it//  --She put on some music while they ate.//\n  6 PRETEND:   put sth → on//  to pretend to have a particular feeling, opinion, way of speaking etc especially in order to get attention//  --Sheila’s not really that upset; she’s just putting it on.//  --Leaving the court, the families all tried to put on a brave face  (=not show that they were sad or worried) .//\n  7  put on weight/12 lbs/4 kg etc:  to become fatter and heavier//   gain//  --Rosie’s put on five kilos since she quit smoking.//\n  8 EVENT/CONCERT/PLAY ETC:   put sth → on//  to arrange for a concert, play etc to take place, or to perform in it//  --One summer the children put on a play.//\n  9 SHOW WHAT YOU CAN DO:   put sth → on//  to show what you are able to do or what power you have//  --The team need to put on another world-class performance.//\n  10 COOK:   put sth → on//  to start cooking something//  --Shall I put the pasta on now?//\n  11 PROVIDE SOMETHING:   put sth → on//   BrE to provide a service for people, especially a special one//  --BA is putting on extra flights to cover the Christmas rush.//\n  12  you’re putting me on!:   spoken  especially AmE used to tell someone that you think they are joking//  --He wouldn’t do that - you’re putting me on.//\n  13 RISK MONEY:   put sth on sth//  to risk an amount of money on the result of a game, race etc//   bet//  --We put [hA124]50 on Brazil to win the Cup.//\n  14 ADD:   put sth on sth//  to add an amount of money or tax onto the cost of something//  --Can smokers really complain if more tax is put on cigarettes?//\n  15 TELEPHONE:   put sb → on//  to give someone the telephone so that they can talk to someone who is telephoning//  --Can you put Janet on?//  put onto / [put sb onto sb/sth] phr v//   BrE  informal to give someone information about something interesting or useful that they did not know about//  --Jo put us onto this fantastic French restaurant.//  put out phr v//\n  1 FIRE/CIGARETTE ETC:   put sth → out//  to make a fire etc stop burning//   extinguish//  --The rescue services are still trying to put out the fires.//\n  2 LIGHT:   put sth → out//  to make a light stop working by pressing or turning a button or switch//   switch off//\n  3 MAKE AVAILABLE:   put sth → out//  to put things where people can find and use them//  --The girls helped her to put out the cups and plates.//\n  4  feel/be put out:  to feel upset or offended//  --We were a little put out at not being invited to the wedding.//\n  5 MAKE EXTRA WORK:   put sb out//  to make extra work or cause problems for someone//  --Mary can’t come to dinner tonight. She hopes it won’t put you out.//\n  6  put yourself out:  to make an effort to do something that will help someone//  --They had put themselves out to entertain her during her visit.//\n  7 TAKE OUTSIDE:   put sth → out//  to take something outside your house and leave it there//  --Remember to put the cat out before you go to bed.//  put the rubbish/garbage etc out (=put unwanted things outside your house to be taken away) //  put the washing out (=put clothes outside to dry) //\n  8  put your tongue out:  to push your tongue out of your mouth, especially as a rude sign to someone//\n  9  put your hand/foot/arm out:  to move your hand etc forward and away from your body//  --He put out his hand toward her.//\n  10 MAKE UNCONSCIOUS:   put sb out//  to make someone unconscious before a medical operation//\n  11  put your back out:  to injure your back//\n  12 PRODUCE SOMETHING:   put sth → out//  to broadcast or produce something for people to read or listen to//  --They put out a half-hour programme on young refugees.//\n  13  put out feelers:  to try to discover information or opinions by listening to people or watching what is happening//  --He had already put out feelers with local employers but they hadn’t been interested.//\n  14 SHIP:  if a ship puts out, it starts to sail//\n  15 HAVE SEX:   AmE  informal if a woman puts out, she has sex with a man//\n  16 BASEBALL:   put sb out//  to prevent a baseball player from running around the bases, for example, by catching the ball that they have hit//  put over [put sth → over] phr v//\n  1  BrE to succeed in telling other people your ideas, opinions, feelings, etc:  --The advert puts over the message clearly and simply: nuclear power is clean.//\n  2  put one/sth over on sb:   informal to deceive someone into believing something that is not true or that is useless//  --Nobody could put one over on him.//  put through phr v//\n  1  put sb/sth → through:  to connect someone to someone else on the telephone//  put somebody/something → through to//  --Could you put me through to Eddie?//\n  2  put sb through school/college/university:  to pay for someone to study at school, college etc//  --She worked as a waitress and put herself through school.//\n  3  put sb through sth:  to make someone do or experience something difficult or unpleasant//  --The soldiers were put through eight weeks of basic training.//  --They really put me through it at the interview.//\n  4  put sth → through:  to do what is necessary in order to get a plan or suggestion accepted or approved//  --Production will start up again when these changes have been put through.//  put together [put sth → together] phr v//\n  1 to prepare or produce something by collecting pieces of information, ideas etc:  --It took all morning to put the proposal together.//\n  2 to form people or things into a group:  --We are currently putting together a sales and marketing team.//\n  3 to make a machine, model etc by joining all the different parts:   assemble//  --I can’t work out how to put this table together.//\n  4  more ... than the rest/the others/everything else put together:  used to say that one amount is greater than the total of a set of amounts//  --Paul seemed to have more money than the rest of us put together.//  put towards [put sth towards sth] phr v//  to use some money in order to pay part of the cost of something//  --Alec put the money towards a trip to Australia.//  put under [put sb under] phr v//  if a doctor puts you under, they give you drugs to make you unconscious before surgery//  put up phr v//\n  1 BUILD:   put sth → up//  to build something such as a wall, fence, building etc//   erect//  --They’re putting up several new office blocks in the centre of town.//\n  2 FOR PEOPLE TO SEE:   put sth → up//  to put a picture, notice etc on a wall so that people can see it//  --Can I put up some posters?//  --The shops have started to put up Christmas decorations.//\n  3 ATTACH SOMETHING:   put sth → up//  to attach a shelf, cupboard etc to a wall//  --My Dad put up five shelves.//\n  4 INCREASE:   put sth → up//   BrE to increase the cost or value of something//   raise//  --Most big stores admit they daren’t put prices up for fear of losing their customers.//\n  5 RAISE:   put sth → up//  to raise something to a higher position//  --I put up my hand and asked to leave the room.//  --Philip put his hood up because it was raining.//\n  6 LET SOMEBODY STAY:   put sb up//  to let someone stay in your house and give them meals//  --I was hoping Kenny could put me up for a few days.//\n  7 STAY SOMEWHERE:   BrE to stay in a place for a short time//  put up at/in/with//  --We can put up at a hotel for the night.//\n  8  put up a fight/struggle/resistance:  to show great determination to oppose something or get out of a difficult situation//  --Gina put up a real fight to overcome the disease.//  --The rebels have put up fierce resistance.//\n  9  put up sth:  to give an amount of money for a particular purpose//  --The paper put up a reward for information on the murder.//\n  10 MAKE AVAILABLE:   put sth up//  to make something or someone available for a particular purpose//  put something up for//  --They put their house up for sale .//  --The baby was put up for adoption .//\n  11  put up a proposal/argument/case etc:  to explain a suggestion or idea so that other people can think about it or discuss it//  --If you can put up a good enough case, the board will provide the finance.//\n  12 ELECTIONS:   put sb → up//  to suggest someone as a suitable person to be elected to a position//  --I was put up for the committee.//\n  13  put up or shut up:   spoken  informal used to tell someone that they should either do what needs to be done or stop talking about it//  put up to [put sb up to sth] phr v//  to encourage someone to do something stupid or dangerous//  --’Did Shirley put you up to this?’ ’No, it was my own idea.’//  put up with / [put up with sb/sth] phr v//  to accept an unpleasant situation or person without complaining//  --She put up with his violent temper.//


Words: put out
Meaning:
adj [not before noun]  BrE   upset or offended//  --She felt put out that she hadn’t been consulted.//


Words: put-down
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   something you say that is intended to make someone feel stupid or unimportant//   snub//  --She was tired of his put-downs.//


Words: put-on
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]    AmE  informal something you say or do to try to make someone believe something that is not true//


Words: put-up job
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]  informal   an event that seems real but has actually been arranged in order to deceive someone//  --It’s been suggested the kidnapping was a put-up job.//


Words: put-upon
Meaning:
adj    informal someone who feels put-upon thinks that other people are treating them unfairly by expecting them to do too much//


Words: putative
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  formal   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Late Latin; Origin: putativus, from  Latin putare  ’to think’]//  believed or accepted by most people//  --the putative father of her child//


Words: putrefy
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  putrefied present participle  putrefying third person singular  putrefies  [I] //  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: putrefacere, from  putrere (  PUTRID) +  facere  ’to make’]//   formal if a dead animal or plant putrefies, it decays and smells very bad//  -- putrefaction/pju[hA359]tr[hA369]f[zB024]k[hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U] //


Words: putrid
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: putridus, from  putrere  ’to have decayed’, from  puter,  putris  ’decayed’]//\n  1 dead animals, plants etc that are putrid are decaying and smell very bad:  --the putrid smells from the slaughterhouses//\n  2  informal very unpleasant:  --a putrid green colour//


Words: putsch
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Swiss German; Origin: ’knock, hit’]//  a secretly planned attempt to remove a government by force//  --the communist putsch//


Words: putt
Meaning:
v [I and T]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: put]//  to hit a golf ball lightly a short distance along the ground towards the hole//  -- putt n  [C] //  -- putting n  [U] //  --I was practising my putting.//


Words: puttee
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Hindi; Origin: patti  ’long piece of cloth’]//  a long piece of cloth that soldiers wrapped around each leg from the knee down, as part of their uniform in the past//


Words: putter
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: putt]//  a type of golf club (=stick) , used to hit the ball a short distance towards or into the hole//\nputter 2 v [I always + adverb/preposition]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: potter  ’to putter’ (16-21 centuries), from  pote  ’to push’ (11-19 centuries), from  Old English potian]//\n  1  AmE  also putter around :  to spend time doing things that are not very important in a relaxed way//  British Equivalent:  potter//  --I puttered around for a while, cleaning up the kitchen.//\n  2  AmE to walk or move slowly and without hurrying:  --A little boy puttered along the sidewalk.//\n  3  BrE  informal to make the low sound that a vehicle makes when it is moving slowly:  --A motor boat puttered by.//


Words: putting green
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  also green :  one of the smooth areas of grass on a golf course where you hit the ball along the ground into the hole//\n  2  BrE a smooth area of grass with special holes in it for playing a simple type of golf:


Words: putty
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: potee  ’potful, putty’, from  pot  ’pot’]//\n  1 a soft whitish substance that becomes hard when it dries and that is used to fix glass into window frames:\n  2  be putty in sb’s hands:  to be easily controlled or influenced by someone//


Words: putz
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE  informal  not polite   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Yiddish; Origin: potz  ’penis, stupid person’]//\n  1 an offensive word for someone, especially a man, who is stupid, annoying, and unpleasant:\n  2 a penis:\nputz 2   v   putz around phr v//  to spend time doing very little, or not doing anything important//  --I’ve just been putzing around this morning.//


Words: puzzle
Meaning:
n [C]   1 a game or toy that has a lot of pieces that you have to fit together//    jigsaw//  --a child’s wooden puzzle//\n  2 a game in which you have to think hard to solve a difficult question or problem:  --a crossword puzzle//\n  3 [usually singular] something that is difficult to understand or explain:  puzzle of//  --the puzzle of how the sun works//  --The meaning of the poem has always been a puzzle.//  --He thought he had solved the puzzle .//\n  4  piece of the puzzle:  a piece of information that helps you to understand part of a difficult question, mystery etc//\npuzzle 2 v [T]   to confuse someone or make them feel slightly anxious because they do not understand something//  --a question that continues to puzzle scientists//  --He was puzzled by the reactions to his remark.//  --What puzzles me is why his books are so popular.//  puzzle out [puzzle sth → out] phr v//  to solve a confusing or difficult problem by thinking about it carefully//  --He lay looking at the ceiling, trying to puzzle things out.//  puzzle over [puzzle over sth] phr v//  to think for a long time about something because you cannot understand or solve it//  --The class puzzled over a poem by Shakespeare.//


Words: puzzled
Meaning:
adj   confused and unable to understand something//  --’Dinner?’ Sam asked, looking puzzled.//  puzzled about/as to/at//  --John seemed puzzled about what the question meant.//  puzzled that//  --Harry was puzzled that Nicholas didn’t seem to recognize him.//  puzzled look/expression/frown etc //  --Alice read the letter with a puzzled expression on her face.//


Words: puzzling
Meaning:
adj   confusing and difficult to understand or explain//  --a puzzling fact//  --Gary found her reaction puzzling.//


Words: PVC
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: polyvinyl chloride]//  a type of plastic, used to make pipes, window frames, clothes etc//


Words: PX
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: post exchange]//  a shop selling food and other supplies on a US military base//


Words: Pygmalion
Meaning:
(1913) a play by George Bernard  Shaw in which Professor Henry  Higgins teaches a poor  Cockney woman, Eliza  Doolittle, how to speak and behave like an  upper class lady. The play was made into a  musical (=a play that uses singing and dancing to tell a story)  in 1956 and a successful film musical in 1964, both called  My Fair Lady.//\npygmy 1  ,  pigmy/p[hA366]gmi/ n   plural  pygmies  [C] //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: pygmaeus  ’very small in height’, from  Greek, from  pygme  ’fist (as a unit of length)’]//\n  1  also Pygmy :  someone who belongs to a race of very small people, especially one of the tribes of central Africa//\n  2 someone who is not as good, intelligent, strong etc as other people in the same group - used in order to show disapproval:  --a literary pygmy//\npygmy 2 adj [only before noun]   used to describe a type of animal or plant that is much smaller than other similar types//  --a pygmy elephant//


Words: pyjamas
Meaning:
BrE  pajamas AmE   n [plural] \n  1 a soft pair of trousers and a top that you wear in bed:  --striped pyjamas//\n  2 loose trousers that are tied around the waist, worn by Muslim men or women:  -- pyjama adj  [only before noun] //  --pyjama bottoms//    the cat’s pyjamas at cat(5)//


Words: pylon
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Greek; Origin: ’gateway’, from  pyle  ’gate’]//\n  1 a tall metal structure that supports wires carrying electricity:\n  2  AmE one of a set of plastic cones placed on a road to control traffic and protect people working there:


Words: PYO
Meaning:
BrE  written   the abbreviation of pick your own , used by farms that let people pick fruit and vegetables to buy//


Words: Pyongyang
Meaning:
also  P’y[hA175]ng-yang  the capital of North Korea, on the Taedong River, in the southwest of the country. It is Korea’s oldest city.//


Words: pyramid
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: pyramis, from  Greek]//\n  1 a large stone building with four triangular (=three-sided)  walls that slope in to a point at the top, especially in Egypt and Central America:\n  2 [usually singular] a system, society, company etc that is organized in different levels, so that there is a small number of people at the top and a much larger number of people at the bottom:  --different levels of the management pyramid//  --At the bottom of the pyramid are the poor.//\n  3 a pile of objects that have been put into the shape of a pyramid:  pyramid of//  --a pyramid of oranges//\n  4 an object shaped like a pyramid:  -- pyramidal/p[hA366]r[zB024]m[hA366]dl/ adj //


Words: pyramid scheme
Meaning:
also Ponzi scheme   n [C]   a dishonest and often illegal way of selling investments, in which money from people who invest later is used to pay people in the system who have already invested//


Words: pyramid selling
Meaning:
n [U]   a business activity in which the main income comes from people who buy the right to sell products, rather than from the sale of the products themselves. Pyramid selling is illegal in many places.//


Words: Pyramids
Meaning:
the Pyramids//  the ancient Egyptian pyramids, which were built to contain the bodies and possessions of the dead  pharaohs (=kings of ancient Egypt) . The most famous of these are the three pyramids at El Giza, near Cairo, which include the Great Pyramid and which are one of the Seven Wonders of the World.//


Words: Pyramus and Thisbe
Meaning:
in ancient Roman stories, a pair of lovers who killed themselves because each thought the other one was dead. They are best known from the play about them which  Bottom and his friends perform in  A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William  Shakespeare.//


Words: pyre
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: pyra, from  Greek, from  pyr  ’fire’]//  a high pile of wood on which a dead body is placed to be burned in a funeral ceremony//  --a funeral pyre//


Words: Pyrenees
Meaning:
the Pyrenees//  a  range of mountains between France and Spain, which goes from the Bay of Biscay to the Mediterranean Sea//


Words: Pyrex
Meaning:
n [U]    trademark a special type of strong glass that does not break when it gets very hot and that is used to make cooking dishes, plates etc//


Words: pyrites
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: ’flint’, from  Greek,  ’of or in fire’, from  pyr;   PYRE]//  a mix of sulphur with a type of metal, usually iron, or iron and copper//    fool’s gold//  --iron pyrites//


Words: pyromaniac
Meaning:
n [C]    medical someone who suffers from a mental illness that gives them a strong desire to start fires//  -- pyromania n  [U] //


Words: pyrotechnics
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: pyrotechnia, from  Greek pyr (  PYRE) +  techne  ’art’]//\n  1 [plural]  formal  or  technical a public show of fireworks:\n  2 [U]  technical the skill or business of making fireworks:\n  3 [plural] an impressive show of someone’s skill as a public performer, musician etc:  --the guitar pyrotechnics of Eric Clapton//  -- pyrotechnic adj //  --a pyrotechnic display//


Words: Pyrrhic victory
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: Pyrrhus (312?-272BC), Greek king whose army defeated the Romans but had very many killed and wounded]//  a victory in which the person who wins suffers so much that the victory was hardly worth winning//


Words: Pythagoras
Meaning:
(?582-?507BC) a Greek  philosopher and  mathematician who developed Pythagoras’ Theorem, a way of calculating the length of one side of a  triangle which has one angle of 90[hA131], when you already know the length of the other two sides//


Words: python
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: , name of a large snake killed by Apollo, from  Greek]//  a large tropical snake that kills animals for food by winding itself around them and crushing them//


Words: Q
Meaning:
q/kju[hA359]/ n   plural  Q’s  q’s  [U and C] //  the 17th letter of the English alphabet//    mind your p’s and q’s at mind2 (23)//    Q-tip//


Words: Q-tip
Meaning:
n [C]    trademark  AmE a short stick with cotton at each end, used especially for cleaning your ears//


Words: Q.
Meaning:
q. also  Q q BrE   the written abbreviation of question //  --a Q and A session (=a time when people can ask questions and get answers) //    FAQ//


Words: q.v.
Meaning:
quod vide used to tell readers to look in another place in the same book for a piece of information//


Words: QALY
Meaning:
technical   quality adjusted life year a way of measuring how much improvement in their health someone is likely to get as a result of having a particular type of medical treatment in the National Health Service in Britain//


Words: Qatar
Meaning:
a country in the Middle East, east of Saudi Arabia, which is ruled by an  emir (=a type of king) . Population: 769,152(2001). Capital: Doha. Qatar is mostly desert, but it produces a lot of oil.//


Words: QE2
Meaning:
the   a large passenger ship  which sails between Southampton in southern England and New York, and also takes passengers on  cruises (=sea journeys for pleasure) all over the world//


Words: QED
Meaning:
the abbreviation of the Latin phrase quod erat demonstrandum , used to say that a fact or event proves that what you say is true//


Words: qua
Meaning:
prep  formal   used to show you are talking about the basic nature or job of someone or something//  --Money, qua money, cannot provide happiness.//    sine qua non//


Words: quack
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  From the sound]//  to make the sound that ducks make//\nquack 2 n [C]   [Sense: 1; Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  QUACK1]//  [Sense: 2-3; Date: 1600-1700; Origin: quacksalver  ’quack’ (16-19 centuries), from early  Dutch, probably from  quacken  ’to quack, talk’ +  salf  ’cure’]//\n  1 the sound a duck makes:\n  2 someone who pretends to be a doctor - used in order to show disapproval:  --quacks selling weight-loss drugs//\n  3  BrE  informal a doctor:  --You’d better go and see the quack with that burn.//\nquack 3 adj [only before noun]   relating to the activities or medicines of someone who pretends to be a doctor//  --a quack remedy//


Words: quad
Meaning:
n [C]   [Sense: 1; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: quadrangle]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: quadruplet]//  [Sense: 3; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: quadriceps]//\n  1  informal a square open area with buildings all around it, especially in a school or college:\n  2  informal a quadruplet:\n  3  quads [plural]  informal  quadriceps:


Words: quad bike
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: quadri-]//  a small vehicle, similar to a motorcycle but with four wide wheels, usually ridden on rough paths or fields//  American Equivalent:  four wheeler//


Words: Quadragesima
Meaning:
the first Sunday in  Lent The name comes from the Latin word quadraginta, meaning 40, since Quadragesima is about 40 days before Easter.//


Words: quadrangle
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  formal a square open area with buildings all around it, especially at a school or college:   quad//\n  2  technical a flat shape that has four straight sides:


Words: quadrant
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: quadrans  ’fourth part’]//\n  1 a quarter of a circle:\n  2 an instrument for measuring angles, used when sailing or looking at the stars:


Words: quadraphonic
Meaning:
quadrophonic/kw[hA361]dr[hA353]f[hA361]n[hA366]k[hA36B] $ kw[hA35A][hA359]dr[hA353]f[hA35A][hA359]-/ adj   using a system of sound recording, broadcasting etc in which sound comes from four different speakers at the same time//    mono, stereo//


Words: quadratic equation
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  quadratic from  quadrate  ’square’ (14-21 centuries), from  Latin quadratus, past participle of  quadrare  ’to make square’]//   technical an equation such ax[hA133]+by+c = z, which includes numbers or quantities multiplied by themselves//


Words: quadri-
Meaning:
prefix  also quadru- quadr-   four or four times//  --a quadrilateral (=shape with four straight sides) //  --a quadruped (=animal with four legs) //


Words: quadriceps
Meaning:
n   plural  quadriceps  [C] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: quadr- +  -ceps (as in  biceps)]//  the large muscle at the front of your thigh//


Words: quadrille
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: Spanish cuadrilla  ’group of soldiers’, from  Italian quadriglia, from  quadra  ’square’]//  a dance, popular especially in the 19th century, in which the dancers form a square//


Words: quadrillion
Meaning:
number   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: quadr- +  -illion (as in  million)]//\n  1 the number one followed by 15 zeros:\n  2  BrE  old use the number one followed by 24 zeros:


Words: quadriplegic
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: quadriplegia  (20-21 centuries), from  quadr- +  -plegia (as in  paraplegia)]//  someone who is permanently unable to move any part of their body below their neck//    paraplegic//  --A car accident left him a quadriplegic.//  -- quadriplegia n  [U] //  -- quadriplegic adj //


Words: quadruped
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: quadrupes, from  quadr- (  QUADR-) +  pes  ’foot’]//  an animal that has four legs//    biped//


Words: quadruple
Meaning:
v [I and T]   to increase and become four times as big or as high, or to make something increase in this way//    double, triple//  --Food prices quadrupled during the war.//  --The company has quadrupled its profits in just three years.//\nquadruple 2 adj, predeterminer \n  1 four times as big or as many:    double, triple//  --The subjects were given quadruple the normal dosage of the drug.//\n  2 involving four things of the same kind:  --a quadruple murder//


Words: quaff
Meaning:
v [T]  literary   to drink a lot of something quickly//   knock back//  --Wedding guests quaffed champagne.//


Words: quagmire
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: quag  ’soft wet ground’ (16-20 centuries) (perhaps from  quag  ’to shake’ (17-19 centuries)) +  mire]//\n  1 an area of soft wet muddy ground:  --In the rainy season the roads become a quagmire.//\n  2 a difficult or complicated situation:  --The Balkan situation became a political and military quagmire.//


Words: quail
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: quaille, from  Medieval Latin quaccula]//  a small fat bird with a short tail that is hunted for food or sport, or the meat from this bird//\nquail 2 v [I]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: quail  ’to curdle’ (15-19 centuries), from  Latin coagulare;   COAGULATE]//   literary to be afraid and show it by shaking a little bit or moving back slightly//   shrink//  quail at//  --She quailed visibly at the sight of the prison walls.//


Words: quaint
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: cointe  ’clever’, from  Latin cognitus  ’known’]//  unusual and attractive, especially in an old-fashioned way//  --a quaint little village in Yorkshire//


Words: quake
Meaning:
v [I]   [Language: Old English; Origin: cwacian]//\n  1 to shake or tremble, usually because you are very frightened:  quake with fear/fright/anger etc //  --Richmond was quaking with fury.//\n  2  quake in your boots:   informal to feel very afraid - used humorously//\n  3 if the earth, a building etc quakes, it shakes violently:  --The explosion made the whole house quake.//\nquake 2 n [C]   an earthquake//


Words: Quaker
Meaning:
n [C]   a member of the Society of Friends, a Christian religious group that meets without any formal ceremony or priests and that is opposed to violence//  -- Quaker adj //


Words: qualification
Meaning:
W3S2   n \n  1 [C usually plural] if you have a qualification, you have passed an examination or course to show you have a particular level of skill or knowledge in a subject:  academic/vocational/professional/educational etc qualifications //  --the academic qualifications needed for university entrance//  technical/secretarial/medical etc qualifications //  --jobs that require technical qualifications//  --Applicants should have an EFL qualification and a year’s teaching experience.//  qualification in//  --She gained a qualification in marketing.//  --40 percent of the prisoners lack any qualifications .//  paper qualifications  BrE  (=official qualifications rather than experience or personal qualities) //\n  2 [C usually plural] a skill, personal quality, or type of experience that makes you suitable for a particular job or position:  qualification for//  --health and fitness qualifications for membership in the Territorial Army//  qualification to do sth//  --There have been questions about his qualifications to lead the company.//  --Does he have the right qualifications to become a Supreme Court Justice?//\n  3 [U] when a person or team reaches a necessary standard, for example by passing an examination or defeating another team:  --Upon qualification, you can expect to find work abroad fairly easily.//  qualification for//  --the US qualification for the World Cup//\n  4 [U and C] something that you add to a statement to limit its effect or meaning:   reservation//  --I welcome without qualification the Minister’s proposal.//  ----------//  GRAMMAR //  Qualification is usually plural.  Qualifications  are all the examination passes and skills you need to do a particular job : Academic qualifications (NOT qualification) are not necessary to do this job. //  When  qualification  is used in the singular form in British English, it means ’a degree, a certificate, a diploma etc’ : a qualification in business studies.   Speakers of American English usually mention the specific name of the degree, diploma etc they are talking about, e.g. high school diploma, college degree, teaching certificate  etc. //  !!  Do not say ’study a qualification’. Say  study for a qualification. //  ----------//


Words: qualified
Meaning:
S3   adj \n  1 having suitable knowledge, experience, or skills, especially for a particular job:  well/suitably/highly qualified //  --Dawn is well qualified for her new role.//  qualified to do sth//  --The guides are qualified to lead groups into the mountains.//  --If you don’t speak German, you’re not qualified to comment.//\n  2 having passed a professional examination:  qualified doctor/teacher/accountant etc //  --There are qualified instructors on hand to advise you.//  highly/fully qualified //  --a fully qualified nurse//  --a professionally qualified social worker//  --Are you medically qualified ?//  qualified to do sth//  --He’s qualified to teach biology at high school level.//\n  3 [usually before noun] limited in some way:    partial//  qualified approval/support //  --The proposal received qualified approval.//  --The program was considered a qualified success .//  --Is it worth the money? The answer is a qualified yes .//


Words: qualifier
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who has reached the necessary standard for entering a competition, especially by defeating other competitors:  --He’s among the qualifiers for the Lancome Trophy at Paris.//\n  2 a game that you have to win in order to be able to take part in a competition:  --the World Cup qualifier against the Netherlands//\n  3  technical a word or phrase that limits or adds to the meaning of another word or phrase:


Words: qualify
Meaning:
W3S2   v   past tense and past participle  qualified present participle  qualifying third person singular  qualifies //  ----------//\n   1 have a right:\n   2 pass exam:\n   3 be considered something:\n   4 give somebody skills/knowledge:\n   5 sport:\n   6 add something:\n   7 grammar:  ----------//  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: qualifier, from  Medieval Latin qualificare, from  Latin qualis;   QUALITY1]//\n  1 HAVE A RIGHT:   [I and T] to have the right to have or do something, or to give someone this right//  --Free school lunches are given to children who qualify.//  qualify for//  --You may qualify for unemployment benefit.//  qualify sb/sth for sth//  --Membership qualifies you for a discount on purchases.//\n  2 PASS EXAM:   [I] to pass an examination or finish a course of study that you need in order to do something//  qualify as//  --I finally qualified as a pilot.//  --After qualifying, doctors spend at least two years working in hospitals.//\n  3 BE CONSIDERED SOMETHING:   [I] to have all the necessary qualities to be considered to be a particular thing//  qualify as//  --It doesn’t qualify as a date if you bring your children with you.//\n  4 GIVE SOMEBODY SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE:   [T] if something qualifies you to do something, you have the necessary skills, knowledge, ability etc to do it//  qualify sb for sth//  --Fluency in three languages qualifies her for work in the European Parliament.//  qualify sb to do sth//  --The certificate qualifies you to work as a dental assistant.//\n  5 SPORT:   [I] to reach the necessary standard to enter or continue in a competition or sports event//  qualify for//  --She qualified for a spot on the U.S. Olympic speed skating team.//\n  6 ADD SOMETHING:   [T] to add to something that has already been said, in order to limit its effect or meaning//  --Could I just qualify that last statement?//\n  7 GRAMMAR:   [T] if a word or phrase qualifies another word or phrase, it limits or adds to the meaning of it//


Words: qualitative
Meaning:
adj  formal   relating to the quality or standard of something rather than the quantity//  a qualitative analysis/study/research //  --a qualitative study of educational services//  -- qualitatively adv //  --Women’s experiences are qualitatively different from men’s.  quantitative//


Words: quality
Meaning:
n   plural  qualities //  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: qualite, from  Latin qualitas, from  qualis  ’of what kind’]//\n  1 [U and C] how good or bad something is:  air/water etc quality //  --The recent hot, humid weather is affecting air quality.//  quality of//  --the quality of research into the disease//  be of poor/good/high etc quality //  --Much of the land was of poor quality.//  --Use only high quality ingredients.//\n  2 [C usually plural] something that people may have as part of their character, for example courage or intelligence:    characteristic//  --He shows strong leadership qualities .//  --the personal qualities necessary to be a successful salesman//  quality of//  --the qualities of honesty and independence//\n  3 [C] something that is typical of one thing and makes it different from other things, for example size, colour etc:  --the drug’s addictive quality//  quality of//  --the physical and chemical qualities of the rock//\n  4 [U] a high standard:  --his pride in the quality of his craftsmanship//  --wines of quality//\n  5  quality of life:  how good or bad your life is, shown for example by whether or not you are happy, healthy, able to do what you want etc//  --drugs that improve the quality of life for very ill patients//\nquality 2 adj [only before noun] \n  1 [no comparative] very good - used especially by people who are trying to sell something:  --quality child-care at prices people can afford//  --quality double glazing//\n  2  quality newspapers/press etc:   BrE newspapers etc intended for educated readers//


Words: quality assurance
Meaning:
n [U]   the practice of checking the quality of goods or services that a company sells, so that the standard continues to be good//


Words: quality control
Meaning:
n [U]   the practice of checking goods as they are produced to be sure that their quality is good enough//  -- quality controller n  [C] //


Words: quality time
Meaning:
n [U]   the time that you spend giving someone your full attention, especially time that you spend with your children when you are not busy//  --Do you spend enough quality time with your children?//


Words: qualm
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]   a feeling of slight worry or doubt because you are not sure that what you are doing is right//  --Despite my qualms, I took the job.//  --The manager has no qualms about dropping players who do not perform well.//


Words: quandary
Meaning:
n   plural  quandaries  [C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  Latin quando  ’when’]//  a difficult situation or problem, especially one in which you cannot decide what to do//  in a quandary//  --Kate was in a quandary over whether to go or not.//


Words: quango
Meaning:
n   plural  quangos  [C] //  an independent organization in Britain, started by the government but with its own legal powers//


Words: quantifier
Meaning:
n [C]    technical a word or phrase such as ’much’, ’few’, or ’a lot of’ that is used with a noun to show quantity//


Words: quantify
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  quantified present participle  quantifying third person singular  quantifies  [T] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: quantificare, from  Latin quantus;   QUANTITY]//  to calculate the value of something and express it as a number or an amount//  --an attempt to quantify the region’s social and economic decline//  difficult/impossible to quantify //  --The damage caused to the tourist industry is difficult to quantify.//  -- quantifiable adj //  --The cost of unemployment to the government is quite easily quantifiable.//


Words: quantitative
Meaning:
adj  formal   relating to amounts rather than to the quality or standard of something//  quantitative analysis/methods/data etc //  --We need to do a proper quantitative analysis of this problem.//   qualitative//  -- quantitatively adv //


Words: quantity
Meaning:
W2S3   n   plural  quantities //  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: quantite, from  Latin quantitas, from  quantus  ’how much’]//\n  1 [U and C] an amount of something that can be counted or measured:  quantity of//  --The police also found a quantity of ammunition in the flat.//  --Add 50 grams of butter, and the same quantity of sugar.//  a large/small/vast etc quantity of sth //  --He had consumed a large quantity of alcohol.//  --Huge quantities of oil were spilling into the sea.//  in large/small/sufficient etc quantities //  --Buy vegetables in small quantities, for your immediate use.//  --Your work has improved in quantity and quality this term.//\n  2 [U] the large amount of something:  --The sheer quantity of text meant that people did not read the whole of their newspaper.//\n  3  in quantity:  in large amounts//  --It’s a lot cheaper if you buy it in quantity .//    be an unknown quantity at unknown1 (4)//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Do not say ’a big quantity’. Say a large quantity. //  ----------//


Words: quantity surveyor
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE someone whose job is to calculate the amount of materials needed to build something, how long it will take to build, and how much it will cost//


Words: quantum
Meaning:
n   plural  quanta /-t[hA353]/ [C]  technical //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: quantus;   QUANTITY]//  a unit of energy in nuclear physics//


Words: quantum leap
Meaning:
also quantum jump  n [C]   a very large and important development or improvement//  quantum leap in//  --There has been a quantum leap in the range of the wines sold in the UK.//  --The treatment of breast cancer has taken a quantum leap forward.//


Words: quantum theory
Meaning:
n [U]   the idea that energy, especially light, travels in separate pieces and not in a continuous form//


Words: quarantine
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Italian; Origin: quarantina  ’period of forty days’, from  Old French, from  quarante  ’forty’, from  Latin quadraginta]//  a period of time when a person or animal is kept apart from others in case they are carrying a disease//  in quarantine//  --The monkeys were kept in quarantine for 31 days.//\nquarantine 2 v [T]   to keep a person or animal apart from others for a period of time in case they are carrying a disease//


Words: quark
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Invented by Murray Gell-Mann (born 1929), U.S. scientist, based on the phrase "three quarks for Muster Mark" in Finnegans Wake (1939) by James Joyce; because originally there were thought to be three quarks]//   technical a very small part of something, which is smaller than an atom//


Words: quarrel
Meaning:
n [C]  especially BrE   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: querele  ’complaint’, from  Latin querela, from  queri  ’to complain’]//\n  1 an angry argument or disagreement:  --I think they’ve had a quarrel .//  quarrel with//  --Jacob left after a quarrel with his wife.//  quarrel about/over//  --They had a quarrel about some girl.//  quarrel between//  --Had there been any quarrel between you?//  --Are you trying to pick a quarrel  (=deliberately start one) ?//\n  2 a reason to disagree with something or argue with someone:  quarrel with//  --My only quarrel with this plan is that it’s going to take far too long.//  --I have no quarrel with the court’s verdict.//\nquarrel 2   past tense and past participle  quarrelled present participle  quarrelling  BrE //  past tense and past participle  quarreled present participle  quarreling  AmE  v [I] //  to have an argument//  --I wish you two would stop quarreling.//  quarrel with//  --I always seem to be quarrelling with my parents.//  quarrel about//  --We’re not going to quarrel about a few dollars.//  quarrel with [quarrel with sth] phr v//  to disagree with something or complain about something//  --Nobody could quarrel with the report’s conclusions.//


Words: quarrelsome
Meaning:
adj  especially BrE   someone who is quarrelsome quarrels a lot with people//   argumentative//  --He became quarrelsome after drinking too much.//


Words: quarry
Meaning:
n   plural  quarries //  [Sense: 1; Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: quarriere, from an unrecorded  quarre  ’square stone’, from  Latin quadrum  ’square’]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: cuiree  ’inside parts of a killed animal given to the hunting dogs’, probably from  Late Latin corata, from  Latin cor  ’heart’]//\n  1 [C] a place where large amounts of stone or sand are dug out of the ground:  --a slate quarry//\n  2 [singular] the person or animal that you are hunting or chasing:  --Briefly, the hunter and his quarry glared at each other.//\nquarry 2   past tense and past participle  quarried present participle  quarrying third person singular  quarries  v [T] //  to dig stone or sand from a quarry//  quarry sth for sth//  --The rock here is quarried for building stones.//  quarry sth from sth//  --Chalk is quarried from the surrounding area.//  -- quarrying n  [U] //


Words: quarry tile
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]   a clay  tile that has not been glazed. Quarry tiles are used to cover floors.//


Words: quart
Meaning:
n [C]  written abbreviation qt   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: quarte, from  quart  ’fourth’, from  Latin quartus;   QUARTER1]//  a unit for measuring liquid, equal to two pints. In Britain this is 1.14 litres, and in the US it is 0.95 litres.//


Words: quarter
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 amount:\n   2 part of an hour:\n   3 money:\n   4 three months:\n   5 sport:\n   6 part of a city:\n   7 home:\n   8 college:\n   9 moon:\n  10 in/from ... quarters:\n  11 all quarters of the Earth/globe:\n  12 give/receive no quarter:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: quartier, from  Latin quartarius, from  quartus  ’fourth’]//\n  1 AMOUNT:  one of four equal parts into which something can be divided//    half, third//  a/one quarter (of sth) //  --a quarter of a mile//  --roughly one quarter of the city’s population//  --It’s about a page and a quarter.//  three quarters (of sth) (=75%) //  --three quarters of a million pounds//  the first/second etc quarter //  --in the last quarter of the 19th century//  -- Cut the cake into quarters .//\n  2 PART OF AN HOUR:  a period of 15 minutes//  --I’ll meet you in a quarter of an hour .//  --She arrived three quarters of an hour  (=45 minutes) late.//  (a) quarter to (sth)  also //  (a) quarter of (sth)  AmE  (=15 minutes before the hour) //  --It’s a quarter of two.//  (a) quarter past (sth)  BrE  also //  (a) quarter after (sth)  AmE  (=15 minutes after the hour) //  --I’ll meet you at a quarter past ten.//\n  3 MONEY:  a coin used in the US and Canada worth 25 cents//\n  4 THREE MONTHS:  a period of three months, used especially when discussing business and financial matters//  the first/second/third/fourth quarter //  --The company’s profits rose by 11% in the first quarter of the year.//  --Our database is updated every quarter.//    quarterly(1)//\n  5 SPORT:  one of the four equal periods of time into which games of some sports are divided//  the first/second/third/fourth quarter //  --The home side took the lead in the second quarter.//\n  6 PART OF A CITY:   [usually singular] an area of a town//  --I found a small flat in the student quarter.//  --Granada’s ancient Arab quarter//  --a historic quarter of the city//\n  7 HOME:   quarters [plural] the rooms that are given to someone to live in as part of their job, especially servants or soldiers//  --The top floor provided living quarters for the kitchen staff.//  --Most of the officers live in married quarters  (=houses where soldiers live with their wives) .//\n  8 COLLEGE:   AmE one of the four periods into which a year at school or college is divided, continuing for 10 to 12 weeks//    semester//  --What classes are you taking this quarter?//\n  9 MOON:  the period of time twice a month when you can see a quarter of the moon’s surface//\n  10  in/from ... quarters:  among or from different groups of people//  --Offers of financial help came from several quarters.//  --Doubts were expressed in many quarters.//\n  11  all quarters of the Earth/globe:   literary everywhere in the world//\n  12  give/receive no quarter:   literary if someone gives no quarter, they do not show any pity or gentleness when dealing with someone, especially an enemy//  --It was a fight to the death, with no quarter given.//    at close quarters at close2 (20)//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Say a quarter of something, not ’quarter of’ something. //  ----------//\nquarter 2 v [T] \n  1 to cut or divide something into four parts:    halve//  --Quarter the tomatoes and place them round the dish.//\n  2 [usually passive]  formal to provide someone with a place to sleep and eat, especially soldiers:  --Our troops were quartered in Boston until June.//


Words: quarter day
Meaning:
n [C]  technical    BrE a day which officially begins a three-month period of the year, and on which payments are made, for example at the stock exchange//


Words: quarter note
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE a musical note which continues for a quarter of the length of a whole note//  British Equivalent:  crotchet//


Words: quarter-final
Meaning:
BrE  quarter[hA356]fi[hA356]nal AmE   n [C]   one of the four games near the end of a competition, whose winners play in the two semi-finals//


Words: quarterback
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 the player in American football who directs the team’s attacking play and passes the ball to the other players at the start of each attack:\n  2  Monday morning quarterback:   AmE  informal someone who gives advice about something only after it has happened//\nquarterback 2 v  AmE \n  1 [I] to play in the position of quarterback in American football:\n  2 [T]  informal to organize or direct an activity, event etc:  --She quarterbacked the new sales campaign.//


Words: quarterly
Meaning:
adj, adv   produced or happening four times a year//    monthly, annually//  --We publish a quarterly journal.//  --The rent is payable quarterly.//\nquarterly 2   plural  quarterlies  n [C] //  a magazine that is produced four times a year//


Words: quartermaster
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a military officer in charge of providing food, uniforms etc:\n  2 a ship’s officer in charge of signals and guiding the ship on the right course:


Words: quartet
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Italian; Origin: quartetto, from  quarto  ’fourth’, from  Latin quartus;   QUARTER1]//\n  1 four singers or musicians who sing or play together:  --a string quartet  (=four people playing musical instruments with strings, such as violins) //\n  2 a piece of music written for four performers:\n  3 four people or things of the same type:  quartet of//  --a quartet of short films set in the 1920s//   quintet, trio//


Words: quarto
Meaning:
n   plural  quartos  [C]  technical //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: quartus;   QUARTER1]//  the size of paper made by folding a normal large sheet of paper twice to produce four sheets//


Words: quartz
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: German; Origin: quarz]//  a hard mineral substance that is used in making electronic watches and clocks//  --quartz crystals//  --a quartz watch//


Words: quasar
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: quasi-stellar]//   technical an object in space that is similar to a star and that shines very brightly//


Words: quash
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   [Sense: 1; Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: quasser, from  Late Latin cassare, from  Latin cassus  ’having no effect, void’]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: quasser, from  Latin quassare  ’to shake violently, break’]//\n  1 to officially say that a legal judgment or decision is no longer acceptable or correct:   overturn//  --The High Court later quashed his conviction for murder.//  --The decision was quashed by the House of Lords.//\n  2 to say or do something to stop something from continuing:  --A hospital chief executive has quashed rumours that people will lose their jobs.//  --The government immediately moved to quash the revolt.//


Words: quasi-
Meaning:
prefix   [Language: Latin; Origin: quasi  ’as if, partly’]//  like something else or trying to be something else//  --a quasi-scientific approach//  --a quasi-governmental organization//


Words: Quasimodo
Meaning:
the main character in the book  The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1831) by Victor  Hugo. He is an ugly  hunchback (=someone whose back has a large raised part at the top)  whose job is to ring the bells in the  cathedral of  Notre Dame in Paris.//


Words: quatercentenary
Meaning:
n   plural  quatercentenaries  [C] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: quater  ’four times’ +  English centenary]//  the day or year exactly 400 years after a particular event//  quatercentenary of//  --the quatercentenary of Shakespeare’s birth//


Words: Quatermain
Meaning:
Allan   the main character in several popular adventure novels by Sir Henry Rider Haggard (1865-1925), especially King Solomon’s Mines (1885) and Allan Quatermain (1887).//


Words: quatrain
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: quatre  ’four’, from  Latin quattuor]//  a group of four lines in a poem//


Words: quaver
Meaning:
v [I and T]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: quave  ’to shake’ (13-19 centuries)]//  if your voice quavers, it shakes as you speak, especially because you are nervous or upset//  --’It’s not true,’ she said, in a quavering voice.//  --’No,’ he quavered.//  -- quavery adj //\nquaver 2 n [C] \n  1  BrE a musical note which continues for an eighth of the length of a semibreve:  American Equivalent:  eighth note//\n  2 a shaking sound in your voice:


Words: quay
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: kay]//  a place in a town or village where boats can be tied up or can stop to load and unload goods//


Words: quayside
Meaning:
n [C]   the area next to a quay//  --people strolling along the quayside//  --a quayside restaurant//


Words: queasy
Meaning:
adj \n  1 feeling that you are going to vomit:  --The sea got rougher, and I began to feel queasy .//\n  2  AmE feeling uncomfortable because an action seems morally wrong:  queasy about//  --Many Democrats felt queasy about the issue.//


Words: Quebec
Meaning:
1 a  province in eastern Canada, whose capital city is also called Quebec, and whose largest city is Montreal. Quebec is the centre of French Canadian  culture. Most of the population speak French as their first language, and there are laws forbidding the official use of English, for example in public signs. Many people in Quebec think that it should separate from the rest of Canada and become an independent country. People from Quebec are called Quebecois, or sometimes Quebeckers.:\n  2 the capital city of Quebec province, and the centre of French Canadian  nationalism:


Words: Queen
Meaning:
the   Her Majesty the Queen; the official title of the queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The Queen is the official head of state of Britain and of other countries in the  commonwealth, but has little real political power. She has to give her official agreement (Royal Assent) to all new laws before they can actually become laws but in fact she does not have the right to refuse this agreement.//


Words: queen
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 ruler:\n   2 card:\n   3 the queen of something:\n   4 competition:\n   5 insect:\n   6 queen bee:\n   7 homosexual:\n   8 chess:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: cwen  ’woman, queen’]//\n  1 RULER:   also  Queen//  a) the female ruler of a country//    king//  queen of//  --Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt//  --Queen Elizabeth//  --At eighteen, Victoria was crowned queen  (=officially became ruler) .//  b) the wife of a king//  --the future queen//\n  2 CARD:  a playing card with a picture of a queen on it//  --the queen of diamonds//\n  3  the queen of sth:  the woman or place that is considered the best in a particular area or activity//  --With 42 albums, she was the queen of pop.//  --Paris, the queen of fashion//\n  4 COMPETITION:   AmE the woman who wins a beauty competition, or who is chosen to represent a school, area etc//  --the carnival queen//\n  5 INSECT:  a large female bee, ant etc, which lays the eggs for a whole group//\n  6  queen bee:  a woman who behaves as if she is the most important person in a place//\n  7 HOMOSEXUAL:   taboo  informal an offensive word for a male homosexual who behaves very like a woman. Do not use this word.//\n  8 CHESS:  the most powerful piece in the game of chess//    beauty queen,  drag queen//\nqueen 2 v [T] \n  1  technical to change a pawn into a queen in the game of chess:\n  2  queen it over sb:   BrE  informal if a woman queens it over other people, she behaves as if she is more important than them, in an annoying way//


Words: Queen Anne
Meaning:
1 a style of furniture, popular in the UK in the 18th century. Queen Anne tables and chairs typically have curving legs.:\n  2 a plain style of building using red brick, popular in the UK during the time of Queen  Anne:


Words: Queen Elizabeth Hall
Meaning:
the Queen Elizabeth Hall//  a concert hall at the  South Bank in London, which usually has performances of  classical music//


Words: Queen Mother
Meaning:
n [singular]   the mother of the ruling king or queen//\n the   (1900-2002) the mother of the British Queen Elizabeth II, whose official title was Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. She was one of the most popular members of the royal family, and she was often called ’the Queen Mum’ in British popular newspapers.//


Words: Queen of Hearts
Meaning:
the \n  1 a character in the book  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis  Carroll, who orders people’s heads to be cut off, by saying "Off with his head!":    Alice in Wonderland//\n  2 a character from a  nursery rhyme (=an old song or poem for young children) . The rhyme goes:The Queen of Hearts, she baked some tarts, /All on a summer’s day; / The Knave of Hearts, he stole the tarts, /And took them clean away.:


Words: Queen of Sheba
Meaning:
the \n  1 someone who is very rich or who spends money as if they were very rich, from a story in the Old Testament of the Bible about the wealth of the Queen of Sheba :\n  2  and I’m the Queen of Sheba:   humorous used as a reply when someone claims that they are famous or that they have done something impressive, but you do not believe them//  --" I’d like to reserve a table for tonight - this is Demi Moore." "Oh yeah, and I’m the Queen of Sheba."//


Words: Queen Victoria
Meaning:
(1819-1901) the British queen from 1837 until her death, who also had the title "Empress of India". She was queen for 64 years, longer than any other British king or queen, during a period of great change. While she was queen, the UK became one of the richest and most powerful countries in the world, as a result of the growth of industry and the development of the  British Empire. People think now of the "Victorian" period as a time of strict moral standards, when people were very serious, marriages were always permanent, and sex was never mentioned. Victoria was married to a German prince, Prince  Albert.//


Words: Queen’s Bench
Meaning:
the  also the Queen’s Bench Division   a division of the  High Court of Justice in England and Wales. This name is used when a queen is ruling, and it changes to the  King’s Bench when a king is ruling.//    High Court//


Words: Queen’s English
Meaning:
n  BrE   speak the Queen’s English//  to speak very correctly and in a way that is typical of people who belong to the highest social class//    King’s English//


Words: Queen’s evidence
Meaning:
n  BrE   turn Queen’s evidence//  if a criminal turns Queen’s evidence, they agree to help the police and law courts to catch other criminals by giving them information//    king’s evidence,  State’s evidence//


Words: Queen’s speech
Meaning:
the   a speech given by the Queen at the official opening of the British Parliament each year, usually in October. The speech is actually written by the government, and it gives details of the government’s plans for the next year, including the new laws it intends to make. When a king is ruling instead of a queen, it is called the "King’s Speech".//


Words: queen-size
Meaning:
adj   a queen-size bed, sheet etc is a bed for two people that is larger than the standard size//    double bed,  king-size(1),  single1 (6)//


Words: Queens
Meaning:
one of the five  boroughs of New York City, at the western end of Long Island, where a lot of poorer people live//


Words: Queens-Midtown Tunnel
Meaning:
the   a  tunnel for traffic in New York City, which goes under the East River and connects Manhattan and Queens//


Words: Queensberry rules
Meaning:
the   the rules of fair fighting in the sport of  boxing, which were established in 1867 by a British lord, the Marquess of Queensberry//


Words: Queensland
Meaning:
a state in northeast Australia, whose capital and largest city is Brisbane. Its products include sugar, wool, and many types of minerals, including coal. Queensland is a popular place for tourists because of its warm weather, its beaches on the Gold Coast, and the  Great Barrier Reef.//


Words: queer
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  German quer  ’going across’]//\n  1  taboo an offensive word used to describe someone who is homosexual, especially a man. Do not use this word.:\n  2  old-fashioned strange or difficult to explain:  --She gave a queer laugh.//  --Hank was beginning to feel a little queer.//\n  3  queer in the head:   old-fashioned slightly crazy//  -- queerly adv //  --Sue looked at him queerly.//\nqueer 2 n [C]    taboo an offensive word for a homosexual person, especially a man. Do not use this word.//\nqueer 3 v   queer sb’s pitch/queer the pitch for sb//   BrE  informal to make it difficult for someone to do something that they had planned to do//


Words: quell
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   [Language: Old English; Origin: cwellan  ’to kill’]//\n  1 to end a situation in which people are behaving violently or protesting, especially by using force:   put down//  quell the violence/disturbance/riot etc //  --Police used live ammunition to quell the disturbances.//\n  2  literary to reduce or stop unpleasant feelings such as fear, doubt, or worry:  --’Jerry?’ she called, trying to quell the panic inside her.//


Words: quench
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   [Language: Old English; Origin: cwencan]//\n  1  quench your thirst:  to stop yourself feeling thirsty, by drinking something//  --We stopped at a small bar to quench our thirst.//\n  2  quench a fire/flames:  to stop a fire from burning//  --a desperate bid to quench the raging flames//


Words: querulous
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: querulosus, from  queri;   QUARREL1]//  someone who is querulous complains about things in an annoying way//  --’But why can’t I go?’ he said in a querulous voice .//  -- querulously adv //


Words: query
Meaning:
n   plural  queries  [C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: quere  ’question’ (16-19 centuries), from  Latin quaere!  ’ask!’]//  a question that you ask to get information, or to check that something is true or correct//  query about//  --Give us a ring if you have any queries about the contract.//  --Staff are always available to answer your queries .//\nquery 2   past tense and past participle  queried present participle  querying third person singular  queries  v [T] //\n  1 to express doubt about whether something is true or correct:  --Both players queried the umpire’s decision.//  query whether//  --Many people are querying whether the tests are accurate.//\n  2 to ask a question:  --’What time are we leaving?’ Maggie queried.//


Words: quest
Meaning:
n [C]  literary   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: queste, from  Latin quaestus;   QUESTION1]//\n  1 a long search for something that is difficult to find:  quest for//  --his long quest for truth//  --the quest for human happiness//  --World leaders are now united in their quest for peace.//\n  2  in quest of sth:  trying to find or get something//  --They journeyed to the distant Molucca islands in quest of spices.//


Words: question
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 asking for information:\n   2 subject/problem:\n   3 doubt:\n   4 without question:\n   5 there is no question of something happening/somebody doing something:\n   6 in question:\n   7 be a question of something:\n   8 it’s just/only/simply a question of doing something:\n   9 be out of the question:\n  10 (that’s a) good question!:\n  11 pop the question:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin quaestio, from  quaestus, past participle of  quaerere  ’to ask’]//\n  1 ASKING FOR INFORMATION:   [C] a sentence or phrase that is used to ask for information or to test someone’s knowledge//  → answer//  --Can I ask you a question ?//  --I’m afraid I can’t answer that question .//  --Did you  answer all the  questions  in the test?//  question about/on//  --They  asked  me quite a lot of  difficult questions  about my job.//  --The survey included questions on age and smoking habits.//  --Does anyone have any questions ?//  --The audience was invited to put questions to both the speakers.//  --Stop trying to  avoid the question !//  --The  exam questions  are  set  by a team of experts.//  --the answer to the  question posed  at the beginning of this chapter//  --Journalists  bombarded the couple  with questions .//  -- Perhaps I should  rephrase the question .//  -- In answer to your last question , ’Yes’.//\n  2 SUBJECT/PROBLEM:   [C] a subject or problem that needs to be discussed or dealt with//   issue//  question of//  --We discussed the question of confidentiality.//  --This raises the question of government funding.//  --an urgent need to address the question of crime//  --Several questions have still not been resolved .//  -- The question is  should I take the job in Japan, or should I stay here?//  --Some important  questions remain unanswered  (=still have not been dealt with or explained) .//\n  3 DOUBT:   [U] if there is some question about something, there is doubt about it, or people feel uncertain about it//  --The exact cause of death is still open to question  (=not certain) .//  call/bring/throw sth into question (=make people doubt something) //  --This has called into question people’s right to retire at 60.//  --He’s by far the best candidate, there’s no question about it  (=it is completely certain) .//  -- There is no question that  (=it is completely certain that) the government knew about the deal.//  beyond question//   (=completely certain or definite) //  --Her efficiency and intelligence are beyond question.//\n  4  without question:  a) used to emphasize that what you are saying is true or correct//  --Marilyn was, without question, a very beautiful woman.//  b) if you accept or obey something without question, you do it without expressing any doubt about whether it is correct or necessary//  --Clara accepted his decision without question.//\n  5  there is no question of sth happening/sb doing sth:  used to say that there is no possibility of something happening//  --There is no question of the project being postponed.//\n  6  in question:  a) the things, people etc in question are the ones that are being discussed//  --Where were you during the evening in question?//  b) if something is in question, there is doubt about it//  --I’m afraid his honesty is now in question.//\n  7  be a question of sth:  used to say what the most important fact, part, or feature of something is//  --Dance is a question of control and creative expression.//  --I would love to come, but it’s a question of time.//\n  8  it’s just/only/simply a question of doing sth:   spoken used to say that what needs doing is easy or not complicated//  --It’s just a question of putting in a couple of screws.//\n  9  be out of the question:  if something is out of the question, it is definitely not possible or not allowed//  --You can’t go in that old shirt - it’s out of the question.//\n  10  (that’s a) good question!:   spoken used to admit that you do not know the answer to a question//  --’How can we afford this?’ ’Good question!’//\n  11  pop the question:   informal to ask someone to marry you - used humorously//    leading question at leading1 (4),  rhetorical question at rhetorical(1),  beg the question at beg(6)//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  ask (somebody) a question //  answer a question //  have a question  (=want to ask a question) //  put a question to somebody  (=ask someone a question in a formal situation) //  difficult/awkward/tricky question //  avoid/evade/sidestep a question (=avoid giving a clear direct answer) //  set a question (=invent a question for a test) //  exam/test question //  pose a question formal (=ask a question) //  searching/probing question (=one that tries to get a full and thoughtful answer from someone) //  bombard somebody with questions (=ask someone a lot of questions) //  rephrase a question  (=ask it in a different way) //  rhetorical question  (=one you ask without expecting an answer, as a way of making a point in a discussion) //  in answer to your question  (=used for referring back to a question you are going to answer) //  ----------//\nquestion 2 W3S2 v [T] \n  1 to ask someone questions in order to get information about something, especially about a crime:    interrogate//  --Two men have been arrested and questioned.//  question sb about sth//  --She hates being questioned about her past.//  --Joseph questioned the doctors closely  (=asked them a lot of questions) .//\n  2 to have or express doubts about whether something is true, good, necessary etc:  question what/how/when etc//  --Are you questioning what I’m saying?//  --No one dared to question his decisions.//  question whether//  --One questions whether he’s telling the truth.//


Words: question mark
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 the mark (?) that is used at the end of a question:\n  2  there is a question mark over sth/a question mark hangs over sth:  used to say that there is a possibility that something will not be successful or will not continue to exist//  --A big question mark hangs over the company’s future.//


Words: question master
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE the person who asks the questions in a quiz game on television or radio//   quizmaster//


Words: question tag
Meaning:
n [C]    technical a phrase such as ’isn’t it?’, ’won’t it?’, or ’does she?’ that you add to the end of a statement to make it a question or to check that someone agrees with you, as in the sentence: ’You’re from Hamburg, aren’t you?’//


Words: questionable
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not likely to be true or correct:  --The statistics are highly questionable .//  it is questionable whether//  --It is questionable whether the taxpayer receives value for money.//\n  2 not likely to be good, honest, or useful:  --I suspected that his motives for helping us were questionable.//  --He was a man of questionable character.//


Words: questioning
Meaning:
adj   a questioning look or expression shows that you have doubts about something or need some information//  --Mrs Carson gave Ruth a questioning look.//  -- questioningly adv //


Words: questionnaire
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: questionner  ’to question’]//  a written set of questions which you give to a large number of people in order to collect information//  fill in/fill out/complete a questionnaire (=answer all the questions in it) //  --All staff were asked to fill in a questionnaire about their jobs.//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Do not use questionnaire to mean ’a study in which many people are asked questions to find out their opinions or behaviour’. Use survey: We conducted a survey (NOT a questionnaire) to find out what students think about sport. //  ----------//


Words: Quetzalcoatl
Meaning:
a Native American god of central America, shown as a snake with feathers on its head and thought of as the god of air and water//


Words: queue
Meaning:
S3   n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: ’tail’, from  Latin cauda,  coda]//\n  1  BrE a line of people waiting to enter a building, buy something etc, or a line of vehicles waiting to move:  American Equivalent:  line//  be/stand/wait in a queue //  --We stood in a queue for half an hour.//  --You’ll have to join the queue .//  queue of//  --a queue of people waiting for the bus//  queue for//  --the queue for the toilets//  queue to do sth//  --There was a long queue to get into the cinema.//  the front/head/back/end of a queue //  --At last we got to the front of the queue.//\n  2  BrE all the people who are waiting to have or get something:  --You’ll have to join the housing queue.//  queue for//  --the queue for kidney transplant operations//  --It is possible to jump the queue  (=get something before people who have been waiting longer) if you are prepared to pay for your treatment.//\n  3  technical a list of jobs that a computer has to do in a particular order:  --the print queue//\n  4 a number of telephone calls to a particular number that are waiting to be answered:    the dole queue at dole1 (2)//\nqueue 2  also queue up  v [I]  BrE \n  1 to form or join a line of people or vehicles waiting to do something or go somewhere:  American Equivalent:  line up//  queue for//  --Some of the people queuing for tickets had been there since dawn.//  queue (up) to do sth//  --We had to queue up for ages to get served.//\n  2 if people are queueing up to do something, they all want to do it very much:  queue up to do sth//  --The school is one of the best, and parents are queueing up to send their children there.//  queue up for sth//  --Actresses are queuing up for the part.//


Words: queue-jumping
Meaning:
n [U]  BrE   when someone unfairly gets something before other people who have been waiting longer//  -- queue-jump v  [I] //


Words: quibble
Meaning:
v [I]   to argue about small unimportant details//  quibble about/over//  --Let’s not quibble over minor details.//\nquibble 2 n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Probably from  quib  ’quibble’ (16-17 centuries), probably from  Latin quibus  ’for whom, to whom’, from  qui  ’who, which’]//  a small complaint or criticism about something unimportant//  --I’ve just got a few minor quibbles .//


Words: quiche
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: French; Origin: German dialect kuche, from  kuchen  ’cake’]//  a pie without a top, filled with a mixture of eggs, cheese, vegetables etc//


Words: quick
Meaning:
adj   comparative  quicker superlative  quickest //  ----------//\n   1 short time:\n   2 fast:\n   3 no delay:\n   4 clever:\n   5 be quick:\n   6 be quick to do something:\n   7 quick fix:\n   8 have a quick temper:\n   9 be quick on the draw:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: cwic  ’alive’]//\n  1 SHORT TIME:  lasting for or taking only a short time//  --That was quick! I thought you’d be another hour.//  --It’s probably quicker by train.//  --Have we got time for a quick drink?//  --What’s the quickest way to the station?//  --We stopped to have a quick look at the church.//  --Three bombs went off in quick succession  (=quickly, one after the other) .//\n  2 FAST:  moving or doing something fast//  --She walked with short, quick steps.//  --They were great people to work with - very quick, very efficient.//\n  3 NO DELAY:  happening very soon, without any delay//   speedy//  --I had to make a quick decision .//  --We’ve put the house on the market and we’re hoping for a quick sale .//  --We need a quick response from the government.//  --Robertson’s quick thinking had saved the little girl’s life.//\n  4 CLEVER:  able to learn and understand things fast//  --Jane’s very witty and very quick.//  --She’s a quick learner .//  --He’s a good interviewer, tough and quick on the uptake  (=able to understand quickly what someone is saying) .//\n  5  be quick:  used to tell someone to hurry//  --If you want to come with me you’ll have to be quick - I’m leaving in ten minutes.//  --’Can I just finish this first?’ ’OK, but be quick about it .’//\n  6  be quick to do sth:  to react quickly to what someone says or does//  --The government was quick to deny any involvement in the attacks.//\n  7  quick fix:   informal a solution to a problem that can be done quickly, but is not a good or permanent solution//  --There’s no quick fix for stopping pollution.//  --Congress is trying to avoid quick-fix solutions.//\n  8  have a quick temper:  to get angry very easily//\n  9  be quick on the draw:  a) to be able to pull a gun out quickly in order to shoot//  b)  AmE  informal to be good at reacting quickly and intelligently to difficult questions or in difficult situations//  -- quickness n  [U] //    quickly//\nquick 2 interjection   used to tell someone to hurry or come quickly//  --Quick! We’ll miss the bus!//\nquick 3 S3 adv   quickly - many teachers think this is not correct English//   fast//  --Come quick! Larry’s on TV!//  --It all happened pretty quick.//  -- Quick as a flash  (=very quickly) she replied, ’That’s not what I’ve heard!’//\nquick 4 n   [Sense: 1-2; Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Probably from a  Scandinavian language.]//  [Sense: 3; Origin: Old English QUICK1]//\n  1  the quick:  the sensitive flesh under your fingernails and toenails//  --Her nails were bitten to the quick .//\n  2  cut/sting/pierce sb to the quick:  if a remark or criticism cuts you to the quick, it makes you feel extremely upset//  --She was cut to the quick by the accusation.//\n  3  the quick and the dead:   biblical all people, including those who are alive and those who are dead//


Words: quick-witted
Meaning:
adj   able to think and understand things quickly//  → slow-witted//  --Toby was quick-witted and entertaining.//  --a quick-witted reply//


Words: quicken
Meaning:
v [I and T] \n  1  written to become quicker or make something quicker:  --Ray glanced at his watch and quickened his pace  (=began to walk faster) .//  --Companies are finding it hard to cope with the quickening pace of technological change.//  your heart/pulse/breathing quickens (=your heart beats faster because you are afraid, excited etc) //  --She caught sight of Rob and felt her heart quicken.//\n  2  formal if a feeling quickens, or if something quickens it, it becomes stronger or more active:   increase//  --This policy served only to quicken anti-government feeling.//


Words: quickfire
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   done very quickly, one after the other//  --Contestants have to answer a series of quickfire questions.//


Words: quickie
Meaning:
n [C]  informal \n  1 something that you can do quickly and easily:  --I’ve got a question for you - it’s just a quickie.//\n  2 a sexual act that you do quickly - used humorously:  -- quickie adj  [only before noun] //  --a quickie divorce//


Words: quickly
Meaning:
adv \n  1 fast:  --We need to get this finished as quickly as possible.//  --Kids grow up so quickly these days.//\n  2 after only a very short time:   soon//  --I realized fairly quickly that this wasn’t going to be easy.//\n  3 for a short time:  --I’ll just quickly nip into that shop.//  --’Have you talked to Vera about it yet?’ ’Just quickly.’//


Words: quicksand
Meaning:
n [U and C] \n  1 wet sand that is dangerous because you sink down into it if you try to walk on it:\n  2 a bad situation that keeps getting worse, and that you cannot escape from:


Words: quicksilver
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1  old use the metal mercury:\n  2  literary something that is like quicksilver changes or moves quickly in a way that you do not expect:  --His mood changed like quicksilver.//  -- quicksilver adj //  --his quicksilver temperament//


Words: quid
Meaning:
S2   n   plural  quid  [C]  BrE  informal //  [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Perhaps from  Latin what  ’what, something’]//\n  1 one pound in money:  --She earns at least 600 quid a week.//\n  2  be quids in:  to make a good profit//  --If this deal comes off, we’ll be quids in.//


Words: quid pro quo
Meaning:
n   plural  quid pro quos  [C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: ’something for something’]//  something that you give or do in exchange for something else, especially when this arrangement is not official//  quid pro quo for//  --There’s a quid pro quo for everything in politics - you’ll soon learn that.//


Words: quiescent
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  quiescere;   QUIET1]//  not developing or doing anything, especially when this is only a temporary state//


Words: quiet
Meaning:
adj   comparative  quieter superlative  quietest //  ----------//\n   1 no noise:\n   2 not speaking:\n   3 (be) quiet!:\n   4 keep something quiet/keep quiet about something:\n   5 no activity/people:\n   6 business:\n   7 keep somebody quiet:\n   8 have a quiet word (with somebody):  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: quietus, from the past participle of  quiescere  ’to become quiet, rest’, from  quies;   QUIET2]//\n  1 NO NOISE:  not making much noise, or making no noise at all//  --We’ll have to be quiet so as not to wake the baby.//  --It’s a nice car. The engine’s really quiet.//  --I’ll be as quiet as a mouse  (=very quiet) .//\n  2 NOT SPEAKING:  a) not saying much or not saying anything//  --You’re very quiet, Mom - is anything the matter?//  --I didn’t know anything about it so I just kept quiet .//  quiet confidence/satisfaction/desperation (=having a particular feeling but not talking about it) //  --a woman whose life of quiet desperation threatens to overwhelm her//  quiet authority/dignity (=not saying much but making other people have a particular feeling about you) //  --Jack’s air of quiet authority //  b) someone who is quiet does not usually talk very much//  --a strange, quiet girl//\n  3  (be) quiet!:   spoken used to tell someone to stop talking or making a noise//  --Tanya, be quiet! I’m on the phone.//  --Quiet, you lot!//\n  4  keep sth quiet/keep quiet about sth:  to keep information secret//  --You’re getting married? You kept that quiet!//\n  5 NO ACTIVITY/PEOPLE:  without much activity or without many people//  --It was a Sunday, about three o’clock, and the streets were quiet.//  --I’d love to go on holiday somewhere where it’s nice and quiet .//  --I’m going to have a quiet night in  (=an evening when you stay at home and relax) .//  --Anthony met her in the bar, and they found a quiet corner where they could talk.//\n  6 BUSINESS:  if business is quiet, there are not many customers//   slack//  --August is a quiet time of year for the retail trade.//\n  7  keep sb quiet:  to stop someone from talking, complaining, or causing trouble//  --Give the kids some crayons - that will keep them quiet for a while.//\n  8  have a quiet word (with sb):   especially  BrE to talk to someone privately when you want to criticize them or tell them about something serious//  --Brian’s just not keeping up with the workload. Can you have a quiet word?//  -- quietness n  [U] //    quietly//  ----------//  HINT //  Do not confuse quiet (=with little noise) and quite (=fairly) even though they have similar spellings. //  WORD FOCUS: quiet //  voice, sound: low ,  soft,  muffled,  hushed,  subdued //  place: peaceful,  calm,  sleepy,  tranquil //  completely quiet: silent,  you could hear a pin drop //  what you say when you want someone to be quiet: sh,  shut up (not polite),  be quiet,  keep it down (BrE informal) //  ----------//\nquiet 2 n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: quies  ’rest, quiet’]//\n  1 the state of being quiet, calm, and peaceful:  --We were enjoying  the quiet  of the forest.//  --I’ve had an awful day - now I just want some peace and quiet .//\n  2 silence:  --Can I have some quiet, please?//\n  3  on the quiet:   BrE  informal secretly//  --We found out he’d been doing some freelance work on the quiet.//


Words: quieten
Meaning:
v  BrE quiet  AmE \n  1 [I and T]  also quieten down  BrE :  to become calmer and less noisy or active, or to make someone or something do this//  --Javed Miandad appealed for calm, but he failed to quieten the protesters.//  --Quiet down and get ready for bed!//  --Things tend to quieten down after Christmas.//\n  2 [T] to reduce a feeling such as fear or worry:  --I managed to quieten her fears.//


Words: quietly
Meaning:
W3S3   adv \n  1 without making much noise:  --Rosa shut the door quietly.//  --’I’m sorry,’ she said quietly.//  --a quietly-spoken man (=one who always speaks quietly) //\n  2 in a way that does not attract attention:  --The mayor had been aiming to quietly turn over control of the city’s water to private business interests.//  --The government hoped that their early mishandling of the crisis could be quietly forgotten .//\n  3 without protesting, complaining, or fighting:  --Now are you gonna come quietly , or do I have to use force?//  --Speculation is growing that Grogan will be replaced at the end of the season, and he is unlikely to go quietly .//\n  4  quietly confident:   especially BrE fairly confident of success, but without talking proudly about it//  --Adam came out of the interview feeling quietly confident.//


Words: quietus
Meaning:
n [singular]  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: quietus est  ’he is free of debts or duties’]//\n  1 the death of a person:\n  2 the end of something:


Words: quiff
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a part of a man’s hair style where the hair stands up at the front above his forehead//


Words: quill
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Probably from  Middle Low German quiele]//\n  1  also quill pen :  a pen made from a large bird’s feather, used in the past//\n  2 a stiff bird’s feather:\n  3 one of the long pointed things that grow on the back of a porcupine:


Words: Quilp
Meaning:
Daniel   a character in  The Old Curiosity Shop  (1841) by Charles  Dickens. He is a  moneylender who cheats people and is cruel to his wife.//


Words: quilt
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: cuilte, from  Latin culcita  ’mattress’]//  a warm thick cover for a bed, made by sewing two layers of cloth together, with feathers or a thick material in between them//    duvet//


Words: quilted
Meaning:
adj   quilted cloth consists of layers held together by lines of stitches that cross each other//  --a quilted bath robe//


Words: quince
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Plural of  coyn,  quyn  ’quince’ (14-16 centuries), from  Old French coin, from  Latin cotoneum,  cydoneum (malum)  ’Cydonian (apple)’, from  Greek Kydonia  ’Cydonia’, ancient city in Crete]//  a hard yellow fruit like a large apple, used in cooking//


Words: quinine
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Spanish; Origin: quina name of the tree from which quinine is obtained, from  Quechua quinaquina]//  a drug used for treating fevers, especially malaria//


Words: Quinquagesima
Meaning:
the Sunday before Lent. The word comes from the Latin word quinquaginta, meaning 50, since Quinquagesima is about 50 days before Easter.//


Words: quintessence
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: quinte essence, from  Medieval Latin quinta essentia  ’fifth essence’; because it was in addition to the four elements earth, air, fire, and water]//  the quintessence of sth//   formal a perfect example of something//  --John is the quintessence of good manners.//


Words: quintessential
Meaning:
adj   being a perfect example of a particular type of person or thing//   typical//  --’Guys and Dolls’ is the quintessential American musical.//  -- quintessentially adv //  --a place that is quintessentially English//


Words: quintet
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Italian; Origin: quintetto, from  quinto  ’fifth’, from  Latin quintus]//\n  1 five singers or musicians who perform together:\n  2 a piece of music written for five performers:   quartet, sextet, trio//


Words: quintuplet
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: quintuple  ’five times’ (16-21 centuries), from  Late Latin quintuplex, from  Latin quintus  ’fifth’]//  one of five babies born to the same mother at the same time//    quadruplet, sextuplet//


Words: quip
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  quipped present participle  quipping  [T] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  Latin quippe  ’certainly, indeed’, from  quid  ’what’]//  to say something clever and amusing//  --’Giving up smoking is easy,’ he quipped. ’I’ve done it hundreds of times.’//  -- quip n  [C] //  --an amusing quip//


Words: quire
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: quaer  ’four sheets of paper folded once’, from  Latin quaterni  ’four each, set of four’]//   technical 24 sheets of paper//


Words: quirk
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 something strange that happens by chance:  quirk of//  --Years later, by a strange quirk of fate , she found herself sitting next to him on a plane.//\n  2 a strange habit or feature of someone’s character, or a strange feature of something:  --Like every computer, this one has its little quirks.//


Words: quirky
Meaning:
adj   unusual, especially in an interesting way//  --I like his quirky sense of humour.//  -- quirkily adv //  -- quirkiness n  [U] //


Words: quisling
Meaning:
n [C]  old-fashioned   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Vidkun  Quisling (1887-1945), Norwegian politician who helped the Nazis in Norway during World War II]//  someone who helps an enemy country that has taken control of their own country//


Words: quit
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  quit  also quitted  BrE //  present participle  quitting //  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: quiter, from  quite  ’at rest, free of’, from  Latin quietus;   QUIET1]//\n  1 [I and T]  informal to leave a job, school etc, especially without finishing it completely:  --He quit his job after an argument with a colleague.//  --I quit school at 16.//  --She has decided to quit show business.//  --People are now calling on the chairman to quit.//\n  2 [I and T]  especially AmE to stop doing something, especially something that is bad or annoying:    give up//  --The majority of smokers say that they would like to quit the habit.//  --Quit it, Robby, or I’ll tell mom!//  --We’ve done what we can. Let’s quit.//  quit doing sth//  --Doctors have given him six months to live if he doesn’t quit drinking.//  --I wish you’d all quit complaining.//\n  3 [I and T]  BrE  law to leave a house or apartment that you have been renting:  --The landlord gave them notice to quit the premises within seven days.//\n  4  be quit of sth:   BrE  formal to no longer have to suffer or be involved with something bad//  --The people now long to be quit of war.//\n  5 [T]  formal to leave a place:  --It was fourteen years since he had quit Russia.//


Words: quite
Meaning:
predeterminer, adv   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: quit,  quite  ’free of’ (13-19 centuries), from  Old French quite;   QUIT]//\n  1 fairly or very, but not extremely:    pretty//  --The food in the canteen is usually quite good.//  --He seems quite upset about it all.//  --I’m quite willing to help.//  --Amy’s at university now and doing quite well .//  --I got a letter from Sylvia quite recently.//  quite a sth //  --He’s quite a good soccer player.//  quite like/enjoy  BrE //  --I quite like Chinese food. see usage note  rather//\n  2  quite a lot/bit/few:  a fairly large number or amount//  --He’s got quite a lot of friends.//  --Quite a few towns are now banning cars from their shopping centres.//\n  3 [+ adjective/adverb]  BrE completely:  --I’m sorry. That’s quite impossible .//  --What she’s suggesting is quite ridiculous!//  --I think you’ve had quite enough to drink already!//  --That’s quite a different matter.//\n  4  not quite:  not completely//  --They weren’t quite ready so we waited in the car.//  --I’m not quite sure where she lives.//  --Dinner’s almost ready, but not quite .//\n  5  not quite why/what/where etc:  not exactly why, what, where etc//  --I must admit, the play wasn’t quite what we expected.//\n  6  quite a sth/quite some sth:   BrE used before a noun to emphasize that something is very good, large, interesting etc//  --That was quite a party you had last night.//  --The engines make quite a noise.//  --It’s quite some distance away.//\n  7  quite a/some time:   especially BrE a fairly long time//  --We’ve been waiting for quite some time now.//\n  8  quite right:   BrE used to show that you agree strongly with someone//  --’I refused to do any more work until I’d been paid.’ ’Quite right. They can’t expect you to work for nothing.’//\n  9  that’s quite all right:   BrE used to reply to someone that you are not angry about something they have done//  --’I’m sorry we’re so late.’ ’That’s quite all right.’//\n  10  quite/quite so:   BrE  formal used to show that you agree with what someone is saying//   exactly//  --’They really should have thought of this before.’ ’Yes, quite.’//\n  11  quite sth:   especially  BrE used to say that someone or something is very impressive//  -- It’s quite something to walk out on stage in front of 20,000 people.//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Quite goes before, not after, a or an: quite a short time (NOT a quite short time) //  ----------//


Words: quits
Meaning:
adj  informal   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Probably from  quit  ’free of’;   QUITE]//\n  1  be quits:   BrE if two people are quits, neither one owes anything to the other//   straight//  --I’ll give you [hA124]10, and then we’re quits.//\n  2  call it quits:  a) to agree that a debt or argument is settled//  --Just give me $20 and we’ll call it quits.//  b) to stop doing something//  --After twenty-five years as a teacher, he’s decided to call it quits.//


Words: quitter
Meaning:
n [C]    informal someone who does not have the determination or courage to finish something that is difficult//


Words: quiver
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Probably from  quiver  ’active, quick’ (13-19 centuries), from an unrecorded  Old English cwifer]//  to shake slightly because you are cold, or because you feel very afraid, angry, excited etc//   tremble//  --The child was quivering in her arms.//  --Her mouth quivered slightly as she turned away.//  quiver with indignation/anger etc //  --I lay there quivering with fear.//  --His voice was quivering with rage.//\nquiver 2 n [C]   [Sense: 1; Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  QUIVER1]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: quivre]//\n  1 a slight trembling:  quiver of fear/anxiety/anticipation etc //  --I felt a quiver of excitement run through me.//\n  2 a long case for carrying arrows:


Words: quixotic
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  Don  Quixote, main character of the book Don Quixote de la Mancha (1605) by Spanish writer Cervantes]//  quixotic ideas or plans are not practical and are based on unreasonable hopes of improving the world//  --This is a vast, exciting, and perhaps quixotic project.//


Words: quiz
Meaning:
n   plural  quizzes  [C] //\n  1 a competition or game in which people have to answer questions:  --a love quiz in a magazine//  --a general knowledge quiz //  quiz show  especially BrE //  --I get fed up with television quiz shows.//  quiz night  BrE //  --a quiz night held in the local pub//\n  2  AmE a short test that a teacher gives to a class:  --a biology quiz//    pop quiz//\nquiz 2   past tense and past participle  quizzed present participle  quizzing  v [T] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: quiz  ’to look at closely’ (18-19 centuries), probably influenced by  inquisitive]//  to ask someone a lot of questions//   question//  quiz sb about sth//  --Four men have been quizzed about the murder, but no one has yet been charged.//  quiz sb on/over sth//  --They quizzed me on my involvement in the scheme.//


Words: quizzical
Meaning:
adj   a quizzical expression is one that shows that you do not understand something and perhaps think it is slightly amusing//  a quizzical look/expression/smile //  --He sat and watched her, a quizzical look on his face.//  -- quizzically/-kli/ adv //


Words: quoit
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Probably from  Old French coite  ’flat stone, quoit’, from  Latin culcita;   QUILT]//\n  1  quoits [U] a game in which you throw rings over a small upright post:\n  2 [C] the ring that you throw in this game:\n  3 [C] a small circle made of large vertical stones in ancient times:


Words: Quonset hut
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE  trademark a long metal building with a curved roof where soldiers live or things are stored//


Words: quorum
Meaning:
n [singular]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: ’of whom’; from the words of an official request to someone to serve on a committee]//  the smallest number of people who must be present at a meeting so that official decisions can be made//  --We need a quorum of seven.//


Words: quota
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: Latin quota pars  ’how large a part’]//\n  1 an official limit on the number or amount of something that is allowed in a particular period:  quota on//  --The government has  imposed quotas  on the export of timber.//  --The government has decided to  scrap quotas  on car imports.//  quota for//  --Several countries have now set quotas for cod fishing.//  --There are plans to introduce  strict  immigration  quotas .//\n  2 an amount of something that someone is expected to do or achieve:  quota of//  --Each person was given a quota of tickets to sell.//  quota for//  --In the 1990s the Navy couldn’t fill its quota for new recruits.//  meet/make/achieve a quota //  --Workers only get paid if they make their quota.//  sales/production quota //  --They’re worried that they won’t achieve this year’s sales quota.//\n  3 an amount of something that you think is fair, right, or normal:   fair share//  quota of//  --The committee has had more than its quota of problems.//  --I think I’ve had my quota of coffee for the day.//\n  4  BrE a particular number of votes that someone needs to get to be elected in an election:  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  impose/introduce a quota  (=officially start a quota) //  set a quota  (=say what the quota for something will be) //  lift/end/scrap a quota //  import/export quota //  strict quota //  ----------//


Words: quotable
Meaning:
adj   a quotable remark or statement is interesting, clever, or amusing//  --a speech full of witty, quotable phrases//


Words: quotation
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C] a sentence or phrase from a book, speech etc which you repeat in a speech or piece of writing because it is interesting or amusing:   quote//  quotation from//  --a quotation from the Bible//  --The following quotation is taken from a nineteenth century travel diary.//  --a dictionary of quotations//\n  2 [C] a written statement of exactly how much money something will cost:    estimate//  quotation for//  --Ask the builder to give you a written quotation for the job.//  --a quotation for car insurance//  -- Get a couple of quotations from different companies before you decide which one to use.//\n  3 [U] the act of quoting something that someone else has written or said:


Words: quotation mark
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]   one of a pair of marks (’ ’) or (" ") that are used in writing to show that you are recording what someone has said//  British Equivalent:  inverted comma//


Words: quote
Meaning:
W3S2   v   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: quotare, from  Latin quot  ’how many’]//\n  1 [I and T] to repeat exactly what someone else has said or written:  quote from//  --She quoted from a newspaper article.//  --He quoted a short passage from the Bible.//  --A military spokesman was quoted as saying that the border area is now safe.//  quote sb on sth//  --Can I quote you on that?//\n  2 [T] to give a piece of information that is written down somewhere:  --You can order by phoning our hotline and quoting your credit card number.//  --He quoted a figure of 220 deaths each year from accidents in the home.//\n  3 [T] to give something as an example to support what you are saying:   cite//  --Mr Jackson quoted the case of an elderly man who had been evicted from his home.//  quote sth as sth//  --He quoted the example of France as a country with an excellent rail service.//  --The nurses’ union was quoted as an example of a responsible trade union.//\n  4 [T] to tell a customer the price you will charge them for a service or product:  --They quoted a price of [hA124]15,000.//  quote sth for sth//  --The firm originally quoted [hA124]6,000 for the whole job.//\n  5 [T] to give the price of a share or currency:  --The pound was quoted this morning at just under $1.46.//  --The company is now quoted on the stock exchange  (=people can buy and sell shares in it) .//\n  6  (I) quote:   spoken used when you are going to repeat what someone else has said, to emphasize that it is exactly the way they said it//  --The minister said, quote: ’There will be no more tax increases this year.’//\n  7  Quote ... unquote:   spoken used at the beginning and end of a word or phrase that someone else has said or written, to emphasize that you are repeating it exactly//\nquote 2 S2 n [C] \n  1 a sentence or phrase from a book, speech etc which you repeat in a speech or piece of writing because it is interesting or amusing:   quotation//  quote from//  --a quote from the minister’s speech//\n  2  in quotes:  words that are in quotes are written with quotation marks around them to show that someone said those words//\n  3 a statement of how much it will probably cost to build or repair something:   estimate//  --Always get a quote before proceeding with repair work.//


Words: quoth
Meaning:
v [T]  old use   [Language: Old English; Origin: cwath, past tense of  cwethan  ’to say’]//  quoth I/he/she etc//  a way of saying ’I said’, ’he said’ etc//


Words: quotidian
Meaning:
adj  literary   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: cotidian, from  Latin quotidianus, from  quotidie  ’every day’]//  ordinary, and happening every day//


Words: quotient
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: quotiens  ’how many times’, from  quot  ’how many’]//\n  1 the amount or degree of a quality, feeling etc in a person, thing, or situation:  --Is all this healthy food supposed to increase my happiness quotient?//\n  2  technical the number which is obtained when one number is divided by another:


Words: qwerty
Meaning:
adj  especially BrE   a qwerty keyboard on a computer or typewriter has the keys arranged in the usual way for English-speaking countries, with Q,W,E,R,T, and Y on the top row//


Words: R
Meaning:
r/[hA35A][hA359] $ [hA35A][hA359]r/ n   plural  R’s  r’s //\n  1 [U and C] the 18th letter of the English alphabet:\n  2 [singular, U]  AmE used to describe a film that has been officially approved as only suitable for people over 17:    three R’s//\n\n  1  AmE the written abbreviation of Republican , used after a politician’s name to show that he or she belongs to the Republican Party in the US:    D//  --Steve Gunderson (R)//\n  2  BrE the written abbreviation of regina  (=queen) , used after the name of the queen of the United Kingdom:  --Elizabeth R//\n  3  also  R.:  the written abbreviation of river, used especially on maps//    R & B,  R & D,  R & R//


Words: R & D
Meaning:
n [U]   research and development the part of a business concerned with studying new ideas and planning new products//


Words: R & R
Meaning:
n [U]    especially  AmE  rest and relaxation a holiday, especially one given to people in the army, navy etc after a long period of hard work or during a war//  --He was enjoying a few hard-earned days of R and R.//


Words: RA
Meaning:
1 the abbreviation of the Royal Academy:\n  2 the abbreviation of  rear admiral:\n  3  AmE  Regular Army another name for the US Army:


Words: rabbi
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1000-1100; Language: Late Latin; Origin: Greek, from  Hebrew,  ’my master’]//  a Jewish priest//


Words: rabbit
Meaning:
S3   n   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Probably from  Walloon robett,  robete, from  Middle Dutch robbe]//\n  1 [C] a small animal with long ears and soft fur, that lives in a hole in the ground:\n  2 [U] the fur or meat of a rabbit:\nrabbit 2 v   rabbit on phr v//  to talk for a long time in an uninteresting or annoying way//   go on//  rabbit on about//  --He kept rabbiting on about the environment.//


Words: rabbit warren
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 an area under the ground where a lot of wild rabbits live:   warren//    burrow//\n  2 a building with a lot of narrow passages, or a place with a lot of narrow streets, where you can easily get lost:   warren//


Words: rabble
Meaning:
n [singular]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Perhaps from  rabble  ’to talk in a quick confused way’ (14-19 centuries)]//  a noisy crowd of people//  rabble of//  --a rabble of angry youths//


Words: rabble-rousing
Meaning:
n [U]   when someone deliberately makes a crowd of people angry and violent, especially in order to achieve political aims//  --He accused union leaders of rabble-rousing.//  -- rabble-rousing adj //  --a rabble-rousing speech//  -- rabble-rouser n  [C] //


Words: Rabelais
Meaning:
Fran[hA168]ois   (?1494-1553) a French writer whose book  Gargantua and Pantagruel is a  satire (=a way of writing about society or powerful people that makes them seem funny in order to show their faults)  with many jokes about sex//


Words: rabid
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: rabidus, from  rabere;   RAGE1]//\n  1 having very extreme and unreasonable opinions:  --a group of rabid right-wing fanatics//\n  2 a rabid animal is suffering from rabies:


Words: rabies
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin:  RAGE1]//  a very dangerous disease that affects dogs and other animals, and that you can catch if you are bitten by an infected animal//


Words: Rabin
Meaning:
Yitzhak   (1922-95 ) an Israeli politician of the Labour Party, who was  prime minister from 1974-1977 and again from 1992 to 1995. In 1994 he shared the  Nobel Peace Prize with Shimon Peres and Yasser Arafat. He was  assassinated in 1995 when he was at a public meeting for peace.//


Words: RAC
Meaning:
the   the Royal Automobile Club; a British organization that helps its members when their cars break down during a journey//    AA//


Words: raccoon
Meaning:
racoon/r[hA353]ku[hA359]n, r[zB024]- $ r[zB024]-/ n   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Virginia Algonquian; Origin: [hA165]r[hA165]khun]//\n  1 [C] a small North American animal with black fur around its eyes and black and grey rings on its tail:\n  2 [U] the skin and thick fur of a raccoon:  --a raccoon coat//


Words: race
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 sport:\n   2 people:\n   3 get/do something first:\n   4 do something quickly:\n   5 prize/power:\n   6 horse race:  ----------//  [Sense: 1, 3-6; Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old Norse; Origin: ras  ’going quickly, running’]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: Old Italian razza]//\n  1 SPORT:   [C] a competition in which people or animals compete to run, drive etc fastest and finish first//  in a race//  --He will be the youngest runner in the race.//  --She finished second in the race.//  race between//  --the annual boat race between Oxford and Cambridge Universities//  --Over 80 cars will take part in the race .//  --She has won her last four races .//  --There are only three days to go until the big race  (=important race) .//\n  2 PEOPLE:  a)  [U and C] one of the main groups that humans can be divided into according to the colour of their skin and other physical features//    ethnic group//  --The school welcomes children of all races .//  --a person of mixed race //  --The law forbids discrimination on the grounds of race or religion.//    human race//  b)  [singular]  informal a group of people who are similar in some way//  race of//  --The 1960s produced a new race of young novelists.//  --Are schools breeding (=producing) a race of children incapable of making decisions for themselves?//\n  3 GET/DO SOMETHING FIRST:   [singular] a situation in which one group of people tries to obtain or achieve something before another group does//  the race to do sth//  --More and more drug companies are joining the race to beat cancer.//  -- The race is on to develop more environmentally friendly forms of energy.//    arms race,  rat race//\n  4 DO SOMETHING QUICKLY:   [singular] a situation in which you have to do something very quickly because you have very little time available//  a race to do sth//  --It is now a race to find the killer.//  race against time/against the clock //  --The pilot then began a desperate race against time to land the plane before it ran out of fuel.//\n  5 PRIZE/POWER:   [singular] a situation in which people are competing with each other to win a prize or obtain a position of power//  race for//  --Mr Bird has now officially joined the race for the White House.//  --He is no longer in the race for academic awards.//  race to do sth//  --the race to host the next Olympic Games//\n  6 HORSE RACE:   the races//  an occasion when horse races are held//  at the races//  --We spent a day at the races.//    play the race card at play1 (14)//\nrace 2 v   ----------//\n   1 sport:\n   2 move quickly:\n   3 do something quickly:\n   4 heart/mind:\n   5 engine:  ----------//\n  1 SPORT:  a)  [I and T] to compete against someone or something in a race//  race against//  --She’ll be racing against some of the world’s top athletes.//  race in//  --Stevens will not be racing in the final due to a knee injury.//  race sb up/down sth etc//  --I’ll race you to the end of the road.//  b)  [T] to use an animal or a vehicle to compete in a race//  --He will be racing a Ferrari in this year’s Formula One championships.//\n  2 MOVE QUICKLY:   [I,T always + adverb/preposition] to move very quickly or take someone or something to a place very quickly//  --He raced into the village on his bike.//  --I had to race home for my bag.//  race sb to sth etc//  --She was raced to hospital.//  race to do sth//  --He raced to meet her.//\n  3 DO SOMETHING QUICKLY:   [I] to try to do something very quickly because you want to be the first to do it, or because there is very little time available//  race to do sth//  --Investors are racing to buy shares in the new hi-tech companies.//  race against time/the clock //  --The astronauts are racing against time to repair the spaceship.//\n  4 HEART/MIND:   [I] if your heart or mind races, it works harder and faster than usual, for example because you are afraid or excited//  --My heart was racing and my knees shook uncontrollably.//  --My mind was racing, trying to think where I had seen him before.//\n  5 ENGINE:   [I] if an engine races, it runs too fast//


Words: race relations
Meaning:
n [plural]   the relationship that exists between people from different countries, religions etc who are now living in the same place//  --We need to do more to promote good race relations.//  --Community leaders are working to improve race relations in the city.//


Words: Race Relations Act
Meaning:
the   a law passed in the UK in 1976 to protect the legal rights especially of black and Asian people, and to make sure that people of all races are treated fairly and equally //


Words: race riot
Meaning:
n [C]   violent fighting between people of different countries, religions etc who now live in the same country//


Words: racecard
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a list of the races that will happen at a horse racing event, and the horses that will take part in each race//


Words: racetrack
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a track on which runners or cars race:\n  2  AmE a grass track on which horses race:  British Equivalent:  racecourse//


Words: Rachmaninoff
Meaning:
Sergei   (1873-1943) a Russian  composer and  pianist whose best known works are his piano  concertos, symphonies, and his  Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini//


Words: racial
Meaning:
adj \n  1 [only before noun] relating to the relationships between different races of people who now live in the same country or area:  --a victim of  racial discrimination //  --This part of the community needs to be protected from racial prejudice .//  --evidence of  racial harassment //  --the campaign for  racial equality //  --the need for tolerance and racial harmony //\n  2 relating to the various races that humans can be divided into:    ethnic//  --a broad range of racial and ethnic groups//  --people of different racial origin //  -- racially adv //  --They live in a racially mixed area.//  --Police officers believe the attack was racially motivated .//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  racial discrimination/prejudice/harassment/hatred //  racial attack/violence/abuse //  racial segregation (=when people of different races are kept apart) //  racial equality/harmony //  racial tension //  ----------//


Words: Racine
Meaning:
Jean   (1639-99) a French writer of plays, whose work was based mainly on ancient Greek  tragedy and used many of the same subjects as Greek plays//


Words: racing
Meaning:
S3   n [U] \n  1 the sport of racing horses:   horse racing//  --watching the racing on television//  --today’s racing results//    flat racing//\n  2  car/bike/greyhound etc racing:  the sport of racing cars etc//\nracing 2 adj [only before noun]   designed or bred to go very fast and be used for racing//  --racing pigeons//  --a racing yacht//


Words: racism
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 unfair treatment of people, or violence against them, because they belong to a different race from your own:  --The government has promised to continue the fight against racism.//  --the problem of racism in schools//\n  2 the belief that different races of people have different characters and abilities, and that your own race is the best:


Words: racist
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who believes that people of their own race are better than others, and who treats people from other races unfairly and sometimes violently - used to show disapproval//  --He denied being a racist.//  -- racist adj //  --the victim of a racist attack//  --racist violence//  --racist remarks//


Words: rack
Meaning:
n [C]   [Sense: 1-3,5-7; Date: 1300-1400; Language: Middle Dutch; Origin: rec  ’frame’]//  [Sense: 4; Origin: Old English wr[zB024]c  ’unhappiness, punishment’]//\n  1 a frame or shelf that has bars or hooks on which you can put things:  --a wine rack//  --a magazine rack//    luggage rack,  roof-rack//\n  2  the rack:  a piece of equipment that was used in the past to make people suffer severe pain by stretching their bodies//  --Thousands of people were tortured on the rack.//\n  3  on the rack:   BrE  informal in a very difficult situation//  --The company is now well and truly on the rack.//\n  4  go to rack and ruin:  if a building goes to rack and ruin, it gradually gets into a very bad condition because no one has looked after it//  --The house had been left to go to rack and ruin.//\n  5  AmE a three-sided frame used for arranging the balls at the start of a game of snooker or pool:\n  6  a rack of lamb/pork:  a fairly large piece of meat from the side of an animal, that contains several rib bones//\n  7  off the rack:   AmE if you can buy something off the rack, you can buy it in a shop rather than having it specially made//  British Equivalent:  off the peg//  --A lot of designer clothes are now available off the rack.//\nrack 2 v \n  1 [T usually passive] to make someone suffer great mental or physical pain:  --Great sobs racked her body .//  be racked by/with sth//  --Her face was racked with pain.//  --Liza was racked by guilt.//\n  2  rack your brains:  to try very hard to remember or think of something//  --I racked my brains, trying to remember his name.//  rack up [rack sth → up] phr v//  to get a number or amount of something, especially a number of points in a competition//  --He racked up 41 points.//


Words: racket
Meaning:
n   [Sense: 1-2; Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Probably from the sound.]//  [Sense: 3; Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: raquette, from  Italian racchetta, from  Arabic rahah  ’front of the hand’]//\n  1 [singular]  informal a loud noise:  --The old machine used to make an awful racket .//\n  2 [C]  informal a dishonest way of obtaining money, such as by threatening people or selling them illegal goods:  drugs/gambling/smuggling etc racket //  --Police believe he is involved in an international smuggling racket.//    protection racket at protection(5)//  3 [C]  also  racquet//  a specially shaped piece of wood or metal that you use for hitting the ball in games such as tennis, that has a circle filled with tight strings at one end//    bat//  --a tennis racket//


Words: racketeering
Meaning:
n [U]   when someone earns money through crime and illegal activities//  --people involved in smuggling and racketeering//  --He has been arrested on racketeering charges.//


Words: Rackham
Meaning:
Arthur   (1867-1939) a British artist who drew  illustrations (=pictures for books) , especially for children’s books such as ’Peter Pan’ and ’Grimm’s Fairy Tales’. His pictures are often in a strange, magical, sometimes frightening style.//


Words: raconteur
Meaning:
n [C]  formal   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: raconter  ’to tell’]//  someone who is good at telling stories in an interesting and amusing way//


Words: racquetball
Meaning:
n [U]   an indoor game in which two or four players hit a small ball against the four walls of the court//    squash//


Words: racy
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: race  ’particular taste’ (16-19 centuries)]//  racy writing is exciting and entertaining and often about sex//  --a racy novel//


Words: radar
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: radio detection and ranging]//  a piece of equipment that uses radio waves to find the position of things and watch their movement//    sonar//  --The coastline can now be monitored by radar.//  --We could see the plane quite clearly on the radar screen.//


Words: radar trap
Meaning:
n [C]   a set of equipment that uses radar to catch drivers who are going faster than the legal speed limit//    speed trap//


