# dict

Words: melodramatic
Meaning:
adj   if you behave in a melodramatic way, you become more angry or upset than is really necessary//  --Stop being so melodramatic!//  -- melodramatically/-kli/ adv //


Words: melody
Meaning:
n   plural  melodies //  [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: melodie, from  Late Latin, from  Greek meloidia  ’music’, from  melos  ’arm or leg, musical phrase, song’ +  aeidein  ’to sing’]//  [U and C] a tune//  --They played some lovely melodies.//  --a haunting melody//


Words: melon
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Late Latin melo, from  Latin melopepo, from  Greek, from  melon  ’apple’ +  pepo  ’gourd’]//  a large round fruit with sweet juicy flesh//


Words: melt
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 become liquid:\n   2 disappear:\n   3 become less angry:\n   4 melt in your mouth:\n   5 melt into somebody’s arms/embrace:  Phrasal verbs//   melt away//   melt something → down//   melt into something//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: meltan]//\n  1 BECOME LIQUID:   [I and T] if something solid melts or if heat melts it, it becomes liquid//    freeze, thaw//  --It was warmer now, and the snow was beginning to melt.//  --Melt the butter in a saucepan.//\n  2 DISAPPEAR:   [I]  also melt away //  to gradually disappear//  --Opposition to the government melted away.//  --His anger slowly melted.//\n  3 BECOME LESS ANGRY:   [I] to become less angry and begin to feel more gentle and sympathetic//  --She melted under his gaze.//  --My heart just melted when I saw her crying.//\n  4  melt in your mouth:  if food melts in your mouth, it is soft and tastes very nice//\n  5  melt into sb’s arms/embrace:   literary to allow someone to hold you in their arms and feel that you love them//  --Closing her eyes, she melted into his embrace.//    butter wouldn’t melt in sb’s mouth at butter1 (2)//  melt away phr v//\n  1 if a crowd of people melts away, the people gradually leave:  --The demonstrators melted away at the first sign of trouble.//\n  2 to gradually disappear:  --Her determination to take revenge slowly melted away.//  melt down [melt sth → down] phr v//  to heat a metal object until it becomes a liquid, especially so that you can use the metal again//  --A lot of the gold was melted down and used for making jewellery.//  melt into [melt into sth] phr v//\n  1 to gradually change into something else:  --Her irritation melted into pity.//\n  2 to gradually become hidden by something:  --He is trying to melt into the background.//


Words: meltdown
Meaning:
n [U and C] \n  1 a very dangerous situation in which the material inside a nuclear reactor melts and burns through its container, allowing radioactivity to escape:\n  2 a situation in which prices fall by a very large amount or an industry or economic situation becomes much weaker:  --The stock market crash might lead to financial meltdown.//


Words: melting
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]  written   if someone gives you a melting look or speaks to you in a melting voice, it makes you feel pity or love for them//  -- meltingly adv //


Words: melting pot
Meaning:
n [singular] \n  1 a place where people from different races, countries, or social classes come to live together:  --New York has always been a great melting pot.//\n  2 a situation or place in which many different ideas are discussed:\n  3  in the melting pot:   BrE an idea or situation that is still in the melting pot is likely to change//


Words: Melville
Meaning:
Herman   (1819-91) a US writer who wrote about his experiences as a sailor. He wrote  Moby-Dick, one of the most famous American novels. He also wrote Billy Budd, a story which Benjamin  Britten used in his  opera of the same name.//


Words: member
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: membre, from  Latin membrum]//\n  1 a person or country that belongs to a group or organization:  --The majority of  union members  voted in favour of a strike.//  member of//  --He is a member of the local tennis club.//  --We offer training to all  members of staff .//  --The other members of his family were against the marriage.//  --Copies of the report are available to schools and members of the public .//  --a problem which should concern every member of society //  --a  senior member  of the ruling party//  -- leading members  of the government//  --In her youth she was an  active member  of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND).//  --He is a  founder member  of the Prison Reform Trust.//  --a meeting of all UN  member states //  --a  card-carrying member  of the Communist Party//  --Turkey is not yet a full member of the EU.//\n  2 one of a particular group of animals or plants:  member of//  --The plant is a  member of  the lily  family .//  --Wolves and domestic dogs are  members of  the same  species .//\n  3  BrE a Member of Parliament:  member for//  --the member for Truro//\n  4  formal a man’s sex organ:   penis//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  committee/party/union/board etc member (=a member of a particular group) //  member of staff/staff member //  member of somebody’s family //  member of the public //  member of society  (=a citizen) //  senior/junior member //  leading member (=one of the most important members) //  active member //  founder member  (=a member of an organization who also started that organization) //  member state/country/nation (=a country that belongs to a particular international organization) //  card-carrying member  (=a member who is very active in a group) //  full member  (=a member in the most complete way) //  associate member  (=a member who does not have all the rights of a full member) //  ----------//


Words: Member of Parliament plural
Meaning:
Members of Parliament  n [C]   MP someone who has been elected to represent people in a parliament//


Words: membership
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] when someone is a member of a club, group, or organization:  membership of//  --Greece first  applied for membership  of the EU in 1975.//  membership in//   AmE //  --I forgot to  renew  my  membership  in the sailing club.//  --You should carry your membership card with you at all times.//  -- Membership fees are being increased this year.//\n  2 [singular also + plural verb British English] all the members of a club, group, or organization:  --The membership voted to change the rules about women members.//\n  3 [singular] the number of people who belong to a club, group, or organization:  --We’re trying to increase our membership.//  --The club now has a membership of over 2,000.//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  apply for membership //  renew your membership  (=apply to become a member again after your membership has ended) //  union/church/party etc membership (=membership of a particular group) //  full membership (=membership with all the rights that can be allowed to members) //  membership card //  membership fees //  ----------//


Words: membrane
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: membrana  ’skin’, from  membrum;   MEMBER]//\n  1 a very thin piece of skin that covers or connects parts of your body:  --Loud noise can damage the delicate membrane in the ear.//\n  2 a very thin layer of material that covers something:  -- membranous/membr[hA353]n[hA353]s/ adj //


Words: memento
Meaning:
n   plural  mementos  [C] //  [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: ’remember’]//  a small thing that you keep to remind you of someone or something//  memento of//  --I kept the bottle as a memento of my time in Spain.//


Words: memo
Meaning:
S3   n   plural  memos  [C] //  [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: memorandum]//  a short official note to another person in the same company or organization//  --I sent him a memo reminding him about the meeting.//  memo to/from//  --a memo from the managing director to all heads of department//


Words: memoir
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: memoire  ’memory’, from  Latin memoria;   MEMORY]//\n  1  memoirs [plural] a book by someone important and famous in which they write about their life and experiences:  --Lady Thatcher had just published her memoirs.//\n  2  formal a short piece of writing about a person or place that you knew well, or an event that you experienced:


Words: memorabilia
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: memorabilis;   MEMORABLE]//  things that you keep or collect because they are connected with a famous person, event, or time//  --a collection of war memorabilia//


Words: memorable
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: memorabilis, from  memorare  ’to remind, mention’, from  memor;   MEMORY]//  very good, enjoyable, or unusual, and worth remembering//  --We want to make this a truly memorable day for the children.//  -- memorably adv //


Words: memorandum
Meaning:
n   plural  memoranda /-d[hA353]/ or  memorandums  [C] //  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: ’thing to be remembered’, from  memorare;   MEMORABLE]//\n  1  formal a memo:\n  2  law a short legal document that contains the important details of an agreement:


Words: memorial
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   done or made in order to remind people of someone who has died//  memorial service/ceremony //  --A memorial service will be held at 7 pm on Saturday.//\nmemorial 2 n \n  1 [C] something, especially a stone with writing on it, that reminds people of someone who has died:  memorial to//  --The hospital was built as a memorial to King Edward VII.//  permanent/lasting memorial //  --An appeal has been launched to build a lasting memorial to the composer.//\n  2 [singular] an achievement that reminds people of someone who has died:  memorial to//  --The garden is a memorial to one of the finest Victorian gardeners.//    war memorial//


Words: Memorial Day
Meaning:
a US legal holiday, the last Monday in May, when people remember those killed in wars//  --Memorial Day weekend//


Words: memorialize
Meaning:
also  memorialise BrE   v [T]   to do something so that a person or event will be remembered by people//


Words: memory
Meaning:
n   plural  memories //  ----------//\n   1 ability to remember:\n   2 something you remember:\n   3 computer:\n   4 in/within memory:\n   5 in memory of somebody:\n   6 somebody’s memory:\n   7 a walk/trip down memory lane:\n   8 somebody’s memory is playing tricks on them:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: memorie, from  Latin memoria, from  memor  ’remembering’]//\n  1 ABILITY TO REMEMBER:   [U and C] someone’s ability to remember things, places, experiences etc//  --My  memory ’s not as  good  as it once was.//  memory for//  --She has a  terrible memory  for names.//  --Those of you with  long memories  will remember this song.//  --The pianist played the whole piece  from memory .//  --I’m speaking from memory , but I believe it was last May.//  --The first symptom of the disease is often  short-term memory  loss.//  --The image has  remained in my memory  ever since.//  -- If my memory serves me correctly , he lived in Paris for a while.//\n  2 SOMETHING YOU REMEMBER:   [C usually plural] something that you remember from the past about a person, place, or experience//  memory of//  --She talked about her memories of the war.//  happy/fond/bad etc memories //  --He has lots of happy memories of his stay in Japan.//  --My most vivid memory is not the accident itself but being in the ambulance.//  --One of my earliest childhood memories is of my mother reading stories to me by the fire.//  --Those old songs bring back memories. //\n  3 COMPUTER:  a)  [C] the part of a computer where information can be stored//  --The data is stored in the computer’s memory.//  b)  [U] the amount of space that can be used for storing information on a computer//  --128 Mb of memory//  --Personal computers now have much increased memory capacity.//\n  4  in/within memory:  during the time that people can remember//  --the worst floods in living memory  (=since the earliest time that people now alive can remember) //  --It’s certainly the best England team in recent memory. //  --The disaster was within the memory of many men still working at the station.//\n  5  in memory of sb:  if something is done or made in memory of someone, it is done to remember them and remind other people of them after they have died//  --a statue in memory of those who died in the war//  --She set up a charitable fund in her father’s memory.//\n  6  sb’s memory:  the way you remember someone who has died//  --She died over 40 years ago but her memory lives on  (=people still remember her) .//  to sb’s memory//  --There’s a bench to his memory in the local park.//\n  7  a walk/trip down memory lane:  when you spend some time remembering the past//  --She returned to her old school yesterday for a trip down memory lane.//\n  8  sb’s memory is playing tricks on them:   spoken used to say that someone is remembering things wrongly//  --My memory must be playing tricks on me; I’m sure I put that book on the desk.//    commit sth to memory at commit(9)//    jog sb’s memory at jog1 (3)//    photographic memory//    refresh sb’s memory at refresh(2)//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  have a good/excellent memory //  have a bad/poor/terrible etc memory //  have a memory like a sieve (=have a very bad memory) //  have a long memory  (=be able to remember things for a long time) //  have a short memory  (=only remember something for a short time, and soon forget it) //  from memory (=using your memory, and not using notes or written instructions) //  lose your memory  (=lose your ability to remember things) //  short-term memory  (=your ability to remember things you have just seen, heard, or experienced) //  long-term memory  (=your ability to remember events that happened a long time ago) //  remain/stay/be etched in your memory (=be remembered for a long time) //  if my memory serves me correctly/right  (=used to say that you are almost certain you have remembered correctly) //  ----------//


Words: memory hog
Meaning:
n [C]  informal \n  1 a computer program that uses a lot of memory:\n  2 someone who uses computer programs that use a lot of the power available, so that other people on the network have trouble using their programs:  -- memory-hogging adj  [only before noun] //


Words: Memphis
Meaning:
the largest city in the state of Tennessee, US, on the Mississippi River, which is a port and industrial centre and is also famous for being the home of Elvis  Presley//


Words: menace
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin minacia, from  minari  ’to threaten’]//\n  1 [C] something or someone that is dangerous:   threat//  menace of//  --It’s the only way to deal with the menace of drug dealing.//  menace to//  --That man’s a menace to society . He should be locked away.//  --the growing menace of oil pollution at sea//\n  2 [U] a threatening quality, feeling, or way of behaving:  --There was menace in his voice.//  air/sense of menace //  --There was a sense of menace as the sky grew darker.//\n  3 [C] a person, especially a child that is annoying or causes trouble:   nuisance//  --My little brother’s a real menace.//\n  4  with menaces:   BrE  law if someone asks another person for something with menaces, they use threats of violence to get what they want//  --He was charged with demanding money with menaces. //\nmenace 2 v [T]    formal to threaten//  --The elephants are still menaced by poachers.//


Words: menacing
Meaning:
adj   making you expect something unpleasant//   threatening//  --dark menacing clouds//  --a low menacing laugh//  --His tone grew more menacing.//  -- menacingly adv //  --He moved towards her menacingly.//


Words: menage
Meaning:
n [C]  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: Latin mansio;   MANSION]//  all the people who live in a particular house//   household//


Words: menagerie
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: menagerie, from  menage;   M[hA14A]NAGE]//  a group of wild animals kept privately or for the public to see//


Words: Menai Straits
Meaning:
the Menai Straits//  a narrow area of sea in North Wales, between the Welsh coast and the island of Anglesey//


Words: MENCAP
Meaning:
the Royal Society for Mentally Handicapped Children and Adults a British  charity organization that gives advice and practical help to people who have learning difficulties, and supports changes in the law that will help these people//


Words: mend
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 repair:\n   2 become healthy:\n   3 mend your ways:\n   4 mend (your) fences:\n   5 end a quarrel:  ----------//  [Date: 1100-1200; Origin: amend]//\n  1 REPAIR:   [T] //  a) to repair a tear or hole in a piece of clothing//  --My father used to mend our shoes.//  b)  BrE to repair something that is broken or not working//   fix//  --When are you going to mend that light in the hall?//  --Tim can mend any broken toy. see usage note  repair1 //\n  2 BECOME HEALTHY:   [I]  informal if a broken bone mends, it becomes whole again//  --His leg isn’t mending as quickly as he’d expected.//\n  3  mend your ways:  to improve the way you behave after behaving badly for a long time//  --If he doesn’t mend his ways, he’ll be asked to leave.//\n  4  mend (your) fences:  to try to become friendly with someone again after you have offended them or argued with them//  --Is it too late to mend fences with your ex-wife?//\n  5 END A QUARREL:   [T] to end a quarrel or difficult situation by dealing with the problem that is causing it//  --I’ve tried to mend matters between us, but she’s still very angry.//\nmend 2 n [C] \n  1  be on the mend:  to be getting better after an illness or after a difficult period//  --He’s had flu, but he’s on the mend.//  --signs that the economy is on the mend//\n  2 a place in something where it has been repaired:


Words: mendacious
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: mendax]//  not truthful//  --mendacious propaganda//  -- mendaciously adv //


Words: Mendel
Meaning:
Gregor Johann   (1822-84) an Austrian  monk (=a member of a group of Christian men who live apart from other people)  who studied the  pea plant in order to find out how qualities are passed from parent plants to their children. Many years later his discoveries were used by scientists who were developing the new science of  genetics.//


Words: Mendeleyev
Meaning:
Dmitri Ivanovitch   (1834-1907) a Russian scientist who invented the  periodic table, which is a list of all the  elements (=basic chemical substances) arranged according to their  atomic number//


Words: Mendelssohn
Meaning:
Felix   (1809-47) a German  composer (writer of music), who wrote five  symphonies and the overture Fingal’s Cave. The Wedding March  from his Incidental Music to a Midsummer Night’s Dream is often played at church weddings as the newly married man and woman leave the church.//


Words: mendicant
Meaning:
n [C]  formal   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  mendicare  ’to beg’, from  mendicus  ’beggar’]//  someone who asks people for money in order to live, usually for religious reasons//  -- mendicant adj //


Words: Mendip Hills
Meaning:
also the Mendips   the Mendip Hills//  a  range of hills in southwest England, in the county of Somerset//


Words: Menelaus
Meaning:
in ancient Greek stories, the king of  Sparta, the brother of Agamemmnon, and the husband of  Helen of Troy//    Iliad, the//    Trojan War, the//


Words: menfolk
Meaning:
n [plural]  old-fashioned   the men in a particular society, family etc//    womenfolk//  --Many women took in washing to supplement the income of their menfolk.//


Words: Mengele
Meaning:
Josef   (1911-1979) a doctor who did  experiments on prisoners at the Auschwitz concentration camp//


Words: menial
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: meiniee  ’household’, from  Latin mansio;   MANSION]//  menial work is boring, needs no skill, and is not important//  --a menial job//  --She did menial tasks about the house.//\nmenial 2 n [C]   someone who does menial work, especially a servant in a house//


Words: meningitis
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: meninx  ’outer part of the brain’ +  English -itis]//  a serious illness in which the outer part of the brain becomes swollen//


Words: Mennonite
Meaning:
n [C]   a member of a Protestant religious group that refuses to join the armed forces or to hold official public positions, and does not baptize its children. There are several different Mennonite groups, including the Amish, and they live mostly in the US.//  -- Mennonite adj //


Words: menopause
Meaning:
n [singular, U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: meno-  ’menstruation’ (from  Greek men  ’month’) +  Greek pausis (  PAUSE2)]//  the time when a woman stops  menstruatting, which usually happens around the age of 50//    male menopause//  --After the menopause a woman cannot bear a child.//  -- menopausal/men[hA353]p[hA350][hA359]z[hA368]l[hA36B] $ -p[hA361][hA359]-/ adj //


Words: menorah
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Hebrew; Origin: ’candlestick’]//  a Jewish candlestick that holds seven candles//


Words: MENSA
Meaning:
an international organization for people who are very intelligent. People take a test and are accepted into the organization if they are among the top two percent in their country.//


Words: mensch
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Yiddish; Origin: mensh, from  German mensch  ’person’]//   AmE  spoken someone that you like and admire, especially because they have done something good for you//


Words: menses
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: ’months’]//   medical the blood that flows out of a woman’s body each month//


Words: menstrual
Meaning:
adj   relating to the time each month when a woman loses blood, or the blood that she loses//  --the menstrual cycle //


Words: menstruate
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Late Latin; Origin: , past participle of  menstruari, from  Latin menstruus  ’monthly’, from  mensis  ’month’]//  when a woman menstruates, usually every month, blood flows from her body//  -- menstruation/menstrue[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U and C] //


Words: mental
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: Late Latin mentalis, from  Latin mens  ’mind’]//\n  1 [only before noun] relating to the health or state of someone’s mind:    psychiatric//  --The centre provides help for people suffering from mental illness. //  --Stress has an effect on both your physical and mental health. //\n  2 [only before noun] relating to the mind and thinking, or happening only in the mind:  --a child’s mental development//  --You need to develop a positive mental attitude. //  mental picture/image (=a picture that you form in your mind) //  --I tried to get a mental picture of him from her description.//\n  3  make a mental note:  to make a special effort to remember something//  --Sarah made a mental note to ask Janine about it later.//\n  4  mental block:  a difficulty in remembering something or in understanding something//  --I got a complete mental block as soon as the interviewer asked me a question.//\n  5  go mental:   BrE  spoken  informal //  a) to get very angry//  b) to start behaving in an uncontrolled or excited way//\n  6 [not before noun]  BrE  informal thinking or behaving in a way that seems crazy or strange:  --He must be mental!//  -- mentally adv //  --She’s obviously mentally ill .//


Words: mental age
Meaning:
S3 n [C]   a measure of someone’s ability to think, understand etc, expressed as the average age of a child with that level of ability//  --a 25-year-old man with a mental age of seven//


Words: mental arithmetic
Meaning:
n [U]   the act of adding numbers together, multiplying them etc in your mind, without writing them down//  --I did a quick bit of mental arithmetic.//


Words: mental hospital
Meaning:
n [C]  old-fashioned   a hospital where people with mental illnesses are treated//   psychiatric hospital//


Words: mentality
Meaning:
n   plural  mentalities  [C] //  a particular attitude or way of thinking, especially one that you think is wrong or stupid//  --a get-rich-quick mentality//  --I can’t understand the mentality of the people who are behind this kind of violence.//


Words: mentally handicapped
Meaning:
adj  old-fashioned   a mentally handicapped person has a problem with their brain, often from the time they are born, that affects their ability to think or control their body movements//


Words: menthol
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: German; Origin: Latin mentha  ’mint’]//  a substance that smells and tastes of mint, used to give cigarettes and sweets a special taste//


Words: mention
Meaning:
v [T] \n  1 to talk or write about something or someone, usually quickly and without saying very much or giving details:  --Was my name mentioned at all?//  --Some of the problems were mentioned in his report.//  mention sth to sb//  --I mentioned the idea to Joan, and she seemed to like it.//  mention (that)//  --He mentioned that he was having problems, but he didn’t explain.//  -- It’s worth mentioning  (=it is important enough to mention) that they only studied a very small number of cases.//  -- As I mentioned earlier , there have been a lot of changes recently.//  --She mentioned in passing  (=mentioned in a quick unimportant way) that you had just been to Rome.//  now you mention it (=used to say that you had not thought about something until the speaker mentioned it) //  --Now you mention it, I haven’t seen her around lately.//  fail/omit/neglect to mention sth (=not mention something you should mention) //  --The report failed to mention that most of the landowners do not live on their properties.//\n  2  don’t mention it:   spoken used to say politely that there is no need for someone to thank you for helping them//  --’Thanks for the ride home!’ ’Don’t mention it.’//\n  3  not to mention sth:  used to introduce an additional thing that makes a situation even more difficult, surprising, interesting etc//  --Pollution has a negative effect on the health of everyone living in the city, not to mention the damage to the environment.//  --It’s too far to walk, not to mention the fact that it’ll probably be closed by now anyway.//\n  4  be mentioned in dispatches:   BrE to have your name on an official list of people who have been brave in battle, as an honour//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Do not say ’mention about’ something. Mention is followed by a direct object: She didn’t mention her mother. //  ----------//\nmention 2 n [C usually singular, U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin mentio, from  mens  ’mind’]//  when someone mentions something or someone in a conversation, piece of writing etc//  mention of//  --He made no mention of his wife’s illness.//  at the mention of sth//  --At the mention of a trip to the seaside, the children got very excited.//  --They all get a mention  (=they are all mentioned) in the book.//  deserve/merit (a) mention //  --There is one other person who deserves special mention  (=is especially worth mentioning for something they have done) .//    honourable mention//


Words: mentor
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: Mentor, adviser of Odysseus’s son Telemachus in the ancient Greek Odyssey by Homer]//  an experienced person who advises and helps a less experienced person//


Words: mentoring
Meaning:
n [U]   a system where people with a lot of experience, knowledge etc advise and help other people at work or young people preparing for work//


Words: menu
Meaning:
S3   n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: menu  ’small, full of details’, from  Latin minutus;   MINUTE2]//\n  1 a list of all the kinds of food that are available for a meal, especially in a restaurant:  --Could we have the menu, please?//  on the menu//  --Is there any fish on the menu?//  --a three course set menu  (=dishes which you do not choose for yourself) //\n  2 a list of things on a computer screen which you can ask the computer to do:  --Select PRINT from the main menu.//  pull-down/drop-down menu (=a list of choices which appears when you  click on a place on the screen ) //  menu-driven (=operated by using a menu) //


Words: Menuhin
Meaning:
Sir Yehudi   (1916-99) a US violin player, who became a British citizen in 1985. He lived in the UK, where he started a music school for children with special abilities and was given the official title Lord Menuhin. As well as playing classical music, he played  jazz with the violin player Stephane Grappelli.//


Words: MEP
Meaning:
n [C]   Member of the European Parliament someone who has been elected as a member of the Parliament of the European Union//


Words: Merc
Meaning:
n \n  1  especially BrE an informal name for a  Mercedes-Benz car:\n  2  AmE an informal name for a car called the Mercury, made by  Ford:


Words: mercantile
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: Italian, from  Latin mercari;   MERCHANT]//   formal concerned with trade//   commercial//  --mercantile law//


Words: Mercedes Mercedes Benz
Meaning:
trademark   a type of car made by the German company Daimler-Benz. Mercedes cars are bought especially by rich people, successful business people, and political leaders. In the UK, a Mercedes is informally called a ’Merc’, and in the US it is informally called a ’Benz’.//


Words: mercenary
Meaning:
n   plural  mercenaries  [C] //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: mercenarius, from  merces  ’payment for work’;   MERCY]//  a soldier who fights for any country or group that will pay him//  --an army of foreign mercenaries//  --a mercenary soldier//\nmercenary 2 adj   only interested in the money you may be able to get from a person, job etc//  --She did it for purely mercenary reasons.//  --a mercenary attitude//


Words: mercerized cotton
Meaning:
also  mercerised BrE   n [U]   cotton that has been treated with chemicals to make it shiny and strong//


Words: merchandise
Meaning:
W3   n [U]  formal   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: marcheandise, from  marcheant;   MERCHANT]//  goods that are being sold//  --A range of official Disney merchandise was on sale.//  --They inspected the merchandise carefully.//\nmerchandise 2 v [T]   to try to sell goods or services using methods such as advertising//   market//  --If the product is properly merchandised, it should sell very well.//


Words: merchandising
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 toys, clothes, and other products relating to a popular film, sports team, singer etc:  --The concerts generated [hA124]3 million in ticket and merchandising sales.//\n  2 the way in which shops and businesses try to sell their products:  --the director of merchandising//


Words: merchant
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: marcheant, from  Latin mercatus, past participle of  mercari  ’to buy and sell’]//\n  1  wine/coal/timber etc merchant:  someone whose job is to buy and sell wine, coal etc or a small company that does this//  --He had a job with an Edinburgh wine merchant.//\n  2  old-fashioned someone who buys and sells goods in large quantities:  --the son of a wealthy merchant//\n  3  con merchant/speed merchant etc:   BrE  informal someone who is involved in a particular activity, such as tricking people or driving very fast//


Words: merchant navy
Meaning:
BrE merchant marine  AmE n [singular]   all of a country’s ships that are used for trade, not war, and the people who work on these ships//  --John worked as a chef in the merchant navy.//


Words: Merchant of Venice
Meaning:
The   a play by William  Shakespeare about a man called Antonio who borrows money from  Shylock. When Antonio cannot pay back the money, Shylock demands the right to cut out a ’pound of flesh’ from Antonio’s body. A famous speech from the play, made by the main female character, Portia, begins with the words, "The quality of mercy is not strained", by which Portia tells Shylock that he cannot be forced to show  mercy (=forgiveness) , but that this would be a morally good thing to do.//


Words: Merchant-Ivory
Meaning:
trademark   a respected British film company started by the producer Ismail Merchant (1936- ) and the  director James Ivory (1928- ). Many of their films, such as  A Room with a View (1983),  Howards End (1991), and  The Remains of the Day (1992), are based on well-known works of English literature, and they are often about the lives of  upper class English people in the early 20th century, and about the English class system and its effects on people’s behaviour.//


Words: merciful
Meaning:
adj \n  1  merciful death/end/release:  a death or end to something that seems fortunate because it ends someone’s suffering//  --I think my uncle’s death was a merciful release for my poor aunt.//\n  2 being kind to people and forgiving them rather than punishing them or being cruel:  --Merciful God, save us.//


Words: mercifully
Meaning:
adv   fortunately or luckily, because a situation could have been much worse//  --Mercifully, I managed to stop the car just in time.//  --The journey was mercifully brief.//


Words: merciless
Meaning:
adj \n  1 cruel and showing no kindness or forgiveness:  --a merciless attack//  --a merciless killer//\n  2  merciless heat/cold/wind etc:  heat, cold etc that is very great or strong and unpleasant, and does not stop//  --It brings some relief from the merciless summer heat.//  -- mercilessly adv //  --He teased his sister mercilessly.//


Words: Mercosur
Meaning:
a trade association (=group of countries that have trade agreements with each other)  consisting of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, which was started in 1991 in order to encourage trade and reduce  import taxes between these countries //


Words: mercurial
Meaning:
adj \n  1  literary having feelings that change suddenly and without warning:  --an actor noted for his mercurial temperament//\n  2  literary quick and clever:  --her mercurial wit//\n  3  technical containing mercury:


Words: mercury
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: Mercury]//  a heavy silver-white poisonous metal that is liquid at ordinary temperatures, and is used in thermometers. It is a chemical element: symbol Hg//


Words: Mercury program
Meaning:
the   (1961-63) a US government space programme designed to put human beings in  orbit around the Earth. In its first successful flight, John  Glenn made three orbits of the Earth in 1962.//


Words: mercy
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: merci, from  Latin merces  ’price paid, payment for work’, from  merx  ’things for sale’]//\n  1 [U] if someone shows mercy, they choose to forgive or to be kind to someone who they have the power to hurt or punish:  --He showed no mercy to his enemies.//  --God have mercy on his soul.//  beg/cry/plead for mercy //  --The boy was screaming and begging for mercy.//\n  2  at the mercy of sb/sth:  unable to do anything to protect yourself from someone or something//  --After the boat’s motor failed, they were at the mercy of the weather.//  --She was completely at his mercy.//\n  3  mercy flight/mission etc:  a journey taken to bring help to people//  --a mercy mission to help homeless refugees//\n  4  leave sb to sb’s (tender) mercies:  to let someone be dealt with by another person, who may treat them very badly or strictly - used humorously//\n  5  throw yourself on sb’s mercy:  to ask someone to help you or forgive you when you are in a very bad situation//\n  6  it’s a mercy (that):   spoken used to say that it is lucky that a worse situation was avoided//  --It’s a mercy the accident happened so near the hospital.//    be thankful/grateful for small mercies at small1 (13)//


Words: mercy killing
Meaning:
n [U and C]   the act of killing someone who is very ill or old so that they do not have to suffer any more//   euthanasia//


Words: mere
Meaning:
W3   adj   superlative  merest  [only before noun, no comparative] //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: merus  ’pure, unmixed’]//\n  1 used to emphasize how small or unimportant something or someone is:  --She lost the election by a mere 20 votes.//  --He’s a mere child.//  --It can’t be a mere coincidence that they left at the same time.//\n  2 used to emphasize that something which is small or not extreme has a big effect or is important:  --The merest little noise makes him nervous.//  --The mere thought of food made her feel sick.//  -- The mere fact that the talks are continuing is a positive sign.//\nmere 2 n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: ’sea, lake’]//   literary a lake//


Words: Meredith
Meaning:
George   (1828-1909) a British writer whose works include the novel  The Egoist and  Poems and Lyrics of the Joy of Earth//


Words: merely
Meaning:
adv \n  1 used to emphasize how small or unimportant something or someone is:   only//  --He’s merely a boy - you can’t expect him to understand.//\n  2 used to emphasize that nothing more than what you say is involved:   just//  --We’re merely good friends.//  --He merely shrugged and walked away.//\n  3  not merely/rather than merely:  used before the less important of two ideas in a sentence to emphasize the more important idea//  --It’s not merely a matter of cost, but whether she’s old enough to go on holiday alone.//  --It’s important to write these goals down, rather than merely think about them.//


Words: meretricious
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: meretricius, from  meretrix  ’prostitute’, from  merere;   MERIT1]//  something that is meretricious seems attractive but has no real value or is not based on the truth//  --meretricious research//  -- meretriciousness n  [U] //


Words: merge
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: mergere  ’to dive’]//\n  1 [I and T] to combine, or to join things together to form one thing:  merge with//  --The bank announced that it was to merge with another of the high street banks.//  --The company plans to merge its subsidiaries in the US.//  merge sth into sth//  --proposals to merge the three existing health authorities into one//  merge together//  --The villages have grown and merged together over the years.//\n  2 [I] if two things merge, or if one thing merges into another, you cannot clearly see them, hear them etc as separate things:  merge into//  --She avoided reporters at the airport by merging into the crowds.//  merge with//  --Memories seemed to merge with reality.//


Words: merger
Meaning:
n [C]   the joining together of two or more companies or organizations to form one larger one//  merger of/between//  --a proposed merger between two of the largest software companies//  merger with//  --There has been a lot of talk about a merger with another leading bank.//  --merger negotiations//


Words: meridian
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin meridianus  ’of the middle of the day’, from  medius  ’middle’ +  dies  ’day’]//\n  1 [C] one of the imaginary lines from the North Pole to the South Pole, drawn on a map of the Earth:\n  2  the meridian:   technical the highest point reached by the sun or another star, when seen from a point on the Earth’s surface//


Words: meringue
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French]//  a light sweet food made by mixing sugar and the white part of eggs together very quickly and then baking it//


Words: merino
Meaning:
n   plural  merinos  [U and C] //  [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Spanish]//  a type of sheep with long wool, or cloth made from this wool//


Words: merit
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: merite, from  Latin meritum, from  merere  ’to deserve, earn’]//\n  1 [C] an advantage or good feature of something:  merit of//  --The film has the merit of being short.//  --The merit of the report is its realistic assessment of the changes required.//  --The great merit of the project is its flexibility and low cost.//  --Each of these approaches to teaching has its merits. //  --Tonight’s meeting will weigh up the relative merits of the two candidates.//\n  2 [U]  formal a good quality that makes someone or something deserve praise:  -- There is never any merit in being second best.//  have (some) merit/be of merit (=be good) //  --The suggestion has some merit.//  on merit//  --All students are selected solely on merit (=because they are good) .//  artistic/literary merit //  --a film lacking any kind of artistic merit//\n  3  judge/consider etc sth on its (own) merits:  to judge something only on what you see when you look at it rather than on what you know from other people or things//  --It’s important to judge each case on its merits.//\nmerit 2 v [T not in progressive]  formal   to be good, important, or serious enough for praise or attention//   deserve//  --The results have been encouraging enough to merit further investigation.//  --It’s a fascinating book which merits attention.//


Words: meritocracy
Meaning:
n   plural  meritocracies  [C] //\n  1 a social system that gives the greatest power and highest social positions to people with the most ability:\n  2  the meritocracy:  the people who have power in a meritocracy//  -- meritocratic/mer[hA369]t[hA353]kr[zB024]t[hA366]k[hA36B]/ adj //


Words: mermaid
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  MERE2 +  maid]//  in stories, a woman who has a fish’s tail instead of legs and who lives in the sea//


Words: merrily
Meaning:
adv \n  1  written in a happy way, or in a way that makes you feel happy:  --Sylvia laughed merrily.//\n  2  literary quickly and in a pleasant way:  --The fire soon began to burn merrily.//  --The clock ticked merrily in the corner.//\n  3 not thinking about possible problems that might happen as a result of what you are doing - used to show disapproval:   blithely//  --Meanwhile, the company is merrily pushing ahead with its plans.//


Words: merriment
Meaning:
n [U]    literary laughter, fun, and enjoyment//  --Her eyes sparkled with merriment.//  --the sounds of merriment//


Words: merry
Meaning:
adj   [Language: Old English; Origin: myrge,  merge]//\n  1  Merry Christmas!:  used to say that you hope someone will have a happy time at Christmas//   Happy Christmas//\n  2  literary happy:   cheerful, jolly//  --He marched off, whistling a merry tune.//  --He’s a lovely man with merry eyes and a wide smile.//\n  3  the more the merrier:   spoken used to say that you are happy for other people to join you in what you are doing//  --’Do you mind if I bring Tony?’ ’No, of course not. The more the merrier.’//\n  4 [not before noun]  BrE  informal slightly drunk:   tipsy//\n  5  make merry:   old-fashioned to enjoy yourself by drinking, singing, laughing, etc//  --Christmas is a time to eat, drink and make merry.//\n  6  old use pleasant:  --the merry month of June//  -- merriness n  [U] //    play (merry) hell with sth at hell1 (25),  lead sb a merry old dance at lead1 (19)//


Words: Merry England
Meaning:
Merrie England  England in the past, before the period when industry developed and large cities grew up. People sometimes imagine that life at that time was pleasant and simple, with lots of singing, dancing, and enjoyment. //


Words: Merry Monarch
Meaning:
the   a  nickname for the British King  Charles II who was famous for enjoying himself and having many lovers//


Words: merry-go-round
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C] a machine that turns around and around, and has model animals or cars for children to sit on:  American Equivalent:  carouselBritish Equivalent:  roundabout//\n  2 [singular] a series of similar events that happen very quickly one after another:  merry-go-round of//  --the endless Washington merry-go-round of parties and socializing//


Words: Mersey
Meaning:
the Mersey//  a river in northwest England, which flows through Cheshire, Greater Manchester, and Merseyside into the Irish Sea. For British people, the Mersey is usually connected with Liverpool, and the music of the  Beatles and other  pop groups from Liverpool in the 1960s was known as the Mersey sound or the Mersey beat.//


Words: Merseyside
Meaning:
a  county in the northwest of England, which includes Liverpool. It used to be an important industrial centre with many  docks (=places where ships are loaded and unloaded) .//


Words: mesa
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Spanish; Origin: ’table’, from  Latin mensa]//  a hill with a flat top and steep sides, in the southwestern US//


Words: mescaline
Meaning:
mescalin/mesk[hA353]li[hA359]n/ n [U]   a drug made from a cactus plant that makes people imagine that they can see things that do not really exist//


Words: mesh
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Probably from early  Dutch maesche]//\n  1 [U and C] material made from threads or wires that have been woven together like a net, or a piece of this material:  --The windows were covered in wire mesh to keep out flies.//  --a mesh fence//\n  2 [C usually singular]  literary a complicated or difficult situation or system:  mesh of//  --She had felt trapped by the old mesh of loyalty and shame.//\nmesh 2 v [I] \n  1 if two ideas or things mesh, they fit together very well:  mesh with//  --His own ideas did not mesh with the views of the party.//\n  2 if two parts of an engine or machine mesh, they fit closely together and connect with each other:


Words: mesmeric
Meaning:
adj   very attractive or having a very powerful effect, so that people cannot think of anything else//  --a mesmeric performance//  --the mesmeric hum of the bees//


Words: mesmerize
Meaning:
also  mesmerise BrE   v [T usually in passive]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Franz  Mesmer (1734-1815), Austrian doctor who developed hypnotism]//  if you are mesmerized by someone or something, you cannot stop watching them or listening to them because they are so attractive or have such a powerful effect//   captivate//  --The first time I saw Diana I was mesmerized by her beauty.//  -- mesmerizing adj //


Words: Mesopotamia
Meaning:
an area in western Asia around the River Tigris and the River Euphrates in Iraq, where, in ancient times, the world’s first cities were built and several important ancient  civilizations developed//    fertile crescent//


Words: mesquite
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Spanish; Origin: Nahuatl mizquitl]//  an American tree or bush, or the wood from it that is used to give food a special taste when cooking on a barbecue//


Words: mess
Meaning:
S2   n   ----------//\n   1 dirty/untidy:\n   2 problems/difficulties:\n   3 make a mess of (doing) something:\n   4 person:\n   5 a mess of something:\n   6 army/navy:\n   7 waste substance:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: mes  ’food’, from  Late Latin missus  ’course at a meal’, from  Latin mittere  ’to send’]//\n  1 DIRTY/UNTIDY:   [singular, U] if there is a mess somewhere or a place is a mess, things there are dirty or not neatly arranged//  --What a mess!//  --Sorry - the place is a bit of a mess .//  --When I got home, the house  was a complete mess .//  in a mess//   BrE //  --The burglars left the house in an awful mess.//  --You can make cookies if you promise not to make a mess in the kitchen.//  clear/clean up the mess //  --Whoever is responsible for this mess can clear it up immediately!//  --She hates mess.//\n  2 PROBLEMS/DIFFICULTIES:   [singular, U] a situation in which there are a lot of problems and difficulties, especially as a result of mistakes or carelessness//  --My life’s such a mess .//  in a mess//  --The economy is still in a terrible mess.//  --You got us into this mess , Terry. You can get us out of it.//  --All she could do was pray that, somehow, she might be able to sort out the mess she had got herself into.//\n  3  make a mess of (doing) sth:  to do something badly//  --I feel I’ve made a real mess of my marriage.//  --Many people make a mess of handling money.//\n  4 PERSON:   be a mess//   informal if someone is a mess, they look dirty and untidy, or are in a bad emotional state//\n  5  a mess of sth:   AmE  informal a lot of something//  --a mess of fresh fish//\n  6 ARMY/NAVY:   [C] a room in which members of the army, navy etc eat and drink together//  --We had lunch in the officers’ mess .//\n  7 WASTE SUBSTANCE:   [U and C]  BrE  informal solid waste from an animal//  --The dog’s  made a mess  on the carpet.//\nmess 2 S3 v \n  1 [T] to make something look untidy or dirty:  --He scratched his head and messed his hair even more.//\n  2 [I and T]  BrE if an animal or person messes something, they use the wrong place as a toilet:  --He was so drunk that he messed the bed.//\n  3  no messing:   spoken  informal used to say that something was done very easily//  --Williams won very comfortably, no messing.//\n  4 [I] to have meals in a room where members of the army, navy etc eat together:  mess around phr v//\n  1 to spend time lazily, doing things slowly and in a way that is not planned:  --He spent his vacation messing around on the farm.//\n  2 to behave in a silly way when you should be paying attention or doing something sensible:   fool around//  --Stop messing around and get ready for school.//\n  3  mess sb around:  to cause a lot of problems for someone, especially by changing your mind often and not being completely honest//  --Don’t mess me about - I want the money you promised me.//  mess around with / [mess around with sb/sth] phr v//\n  1 to have a sexual relationship with someone that you should not have a sexual relationship with:  --She’d been messing around with another man.//\n  2 to spend time playing with something, repairing it etc:  --Dave likes messing around with old cars.//\n  3 to use something and make annoying changes to it:  --Who’s been messing around with my camera?//  mess up phr v//\n  1  mess sth → up:  to spoil or ruin something, especially something important or something that has been carefully planned//  --It took me ages to get this right - I don’t want some idiot to mess it up.//  --She felt she’d messed up her whole life.//\n  2  mess sth → up:  to make something dirty or untidy//  --Who messed up the kitchen?//\n  3 to make a mistake and do something badly:  --I think I messed up on the last question.//  mess sth → up//  --It doesn’t matter if you mess it up, you can always try again.//\n  4  mess sb → up:  to make someone have emotional or mental problems//  --I messed up my kids.//\n  5  mess sb → up:   AmE  informal to hurt someone especially by hitting them//  mess with / [mess with sb/sth] phr v//\n  1 to get involved with someone or something that may cause problems or be dangerous:  --Don’t mess with drugs.//\n  2 to deceive someone or cause trouble for them:  --You mess with me, and I’ll rip your head off.//\n  3 to try changing something, especially in a way that damages or spoils it:


Words: message
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Medieval Latin missaticum, from  Latin mittere  ’to send’]//\n  1 a spoken or written piece of information that you send to another person or leave for them:  --Did you get my message ?//  message from//  --There’s a message from Karen on the answerphone.//  message for//  --I have an  urgent message  for you.//  --He left a message saying he would probably be a little late.//  --I use the internet mainly for  sending email  messages .//  --I’m sorry, she’s out right now, can I take a message ?//  --He wanted me to  pass on a message  to the police.//  --The family would like to express their thanks to all those who sent  messages of sympathy  after Jack’s tragic accident.//\n  2 [usually singular] the main or most important idea that someone is trying to tell people about in a film, book, speech etc:  --The message of the film is that good always triumphs over evil.//  --The result of this legal battle sends an important message to people in similar situations.//  --It’s perfectly possible to get your message across  (=communicate what you want to say) without being so angry.//  --They use illustrations to convey their message .//\n  3  get the message:   informal to understand what someone means or what they want you to do//  --OK, I get the message - I’m going!//\n  4 a piece of written information which appears on a computer screen to tell the user about something, especially a problem:  error/warning message //  --I keep getting an error message when I try to log on.//\n  5  on/off message:  stating or not stating the official opinion of the political party you belong to//\n  6  keep to the message:  to always emphasize your political party’s most important ideas when you are trying to gain people’s support//  --Don’t confuse the voters. Keep to the message.//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  get/receive a message //  leave a message //  send a message //  take a message  (=give a telephone message from someone to someone else) //  pass on/relay a message (=give someone a message from someone else) //  urgent/important message //  telephone/fax message //  mail/email message  (=a message sent by computer) //  text message (=on a mobile phone) //  message of thanks/congratulations/support/sympathy etc //  ----------//


Words: messaging
Meaning:
n [U]   the system or process of sending messages using electronic equipment//  --an electronic messaging system//


Words: messed up
Meaning:
adj  informal   someone who is messed up has emotional or mental problems because of something that has happened to them//


Words: messenger
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: messager  ’messenger’ (12-16 centuries), from  Old French messagier, from  message;   MESSAGE]//\n  1 someone whose job is to deliver messages or documents, or someone who takes a message to someone else:\n  2  blame/shoot the messenger:  to be angry with the person who tells you about something bad, instead of the person who caused it to happen//\nmessenger 2 v [T]   to send a letter, package etc somewhere using a messenger//


Words: Messerschmitt
Meaning:
a type of military aircraft used by Germany in World War II and designed by Willy Messerschmitt (1898-1978), a German engineer//


Words: messiah
Meaning:
n [singular]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Hebrew; Origin: mashiah and  Aramaic meshiha,  ’anointed’]//\n  1  the Messiah:  a) Jesus Christ, who Christians believe has been sent by God to save the world from evil//  b) a great religious leader who, according to Jewish belief, will be sent by God to save the world//\n  2 someone who people believe will solve all their problems:  --The club was in desperate need of a new footballing messiah.//


Words: messianic
Meaning:
adj  formal \n  1 someone who has messianic beliefs wants to make very big social or political changes:  --Many young people have an admirable messianic zeal about them.//\n  2 relating to or involving the Messiah:


Words: Messrs
Meaning:
BrE Messrs.  AmE    [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: messieurs, plural of  monsieur  ’sir, Mr.’]//  the plural of Mr, used especially in the names of companies//  --Messrs Ford and Dobson//


Words: messy
Meaning:
S3   adj   comparative  messier superlative  messiest //\n  1 dirty or untidy:  --a messy room//  --Sorry the place is so messy, I haven’t had time to clear up.//\n  2  informal a messy situation is complicated and unpleasant to deal with:  --He’s just been through a particularly messy divorce.//\n  3 making someone or something dirty or untidy:  --messy jobs like plumbing, plastering, and tiling//  -- messily adv //  -- messiness n  [U] //


Words: mestizo
Meaning:
n   plural  mestizos  [C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Spanish; Origin: mestizo  ’mixed’]//  someone who has one Hispanic parent and one Native American parent//


Words: Met Office
Meaning:
the   the Meteorological Office the national organization that collects information about the weather in the UK, and provides weather reports for newspapers, radio, and TV, and also for farmers, scientists, airports etc. There is a similar organization in the US called the National Weather Service.//


Words: meta-
Meaning:
prefix   [Language: Latin; Origin: ’change’, from  Greek,  ’among, with, after, change’, from  meta  ’among, with, after’]//\n  1 beyond or at a higher level:  --metaphysical (=beyond ordinary physical things) //\n  2 relating to a change of state or position:  --metabolism (=the process of changing food into energy) //


Words: metabolic
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   relating to your body’s metabolism//  (high/low) metabolic rate //  --Fish normally have a high metabolic rate.//  --Exercise can increase your metabolic rate.//  --the metabolic activity of the brain//


Words: metabolism
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Greek; Origin: metabole  ’change’]//  the chemical processes by which food is changed into energy in your body//  --This drug speeds up your metabolism.//  protein/carbohydrate/alcohol etc metabolism //  --The vast majority of alcohol metabolism occurs in the liver.//  metabolism of//  --the metabolism of fat by the liver//


Words: metabolize
Meaning:
also  metabolise BrE   v [T]   to change food in your body into energy and new cells, using chemical processes//


Words: metadata
Meaning:
n [plural, U]   information that describes what is contained in large computer databases, for example who wrote the information, what it is for, and in what form it is stored//


Words: metal
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin metallum  ’mine, metal’, from  Greek metallon]//  a hard, usually shiny substance such as iron, gold, or steel//    metallic//  --The gate is made of metal.//  --a small black metal box//  --They traded in gold and other precious metals  (=valuable metals used especially for making jewellery) .//  --The old trucks were sold as scrap metal  (=old metal that is melted and used again) .//    heavy metal//


Words: metal detector
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a machine used to find pieces of metal that are buried under the ground:\n  2 a special frame that you walk through at an airport, used to check for weapons made of metal:


Words: metal fatigue
Meaning:
n [U]   weakness in metal that makes it likely to break, caused for example by frequent shaking over a long period//


Words: metallic
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a metallic noise sounds like pieces of metal hitting each other:  --The key turned in the lock with a loud metallic click.//  --The pans made a metallic clatter as they crashed to the floor.//\n  2 a metallic voice is rough, hard, and unpleasant:  --He spoke in a thin, metallic voice.//\n  3 a metallic colour shines like metal:  --He drives a metallic red van.//\n  4 a metallic taste is bitter and unpleasant, like metal:  --The gum left a horrible metallic taste in my mouth.//\n  5 made of metal or containing metal:  --metallic particles//


Words: metallurgy
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: metallurgia, from  Greek metallon (  METAL) +  -ergos  ’working’]//  the scientific study of metals and their uses//  -- metallurgist n  [C] //  -- metallurgical/met[hA353]l[hA362][hA359]d[hA360][hA366]k[hA368]l[hA36B] $ -l[hA362][hA359]r-/ adj //


Words: metalwork
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 objects made by shaping metal:  --a huge collection of antique metalwork//\n  2 the activity or skill of making metal objects:  --Students can study woodwork or metalwork.//  -- metalworker n  [C] //


Words: metamorphose
Meaning:
v [I and T]  formal   to change completely and become something different, or to make something change in this way//  metamorphose into//  --From an easygoing young girl, she had metamorphosed into a neurotic middle-aged woman.//


Words: metamorphosis
Meaning:
n   plural  metamorphoses /-si[hA359]z/ [U and C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: Greek, from  meta- (  META-) +  morphe  ’shape’]//\n  1  formal a process in which something changes completely into something very different:   transformation//  --It took me some time to undergo the metamorphosis from teacher to lecturer.//  --the metamorphosis of China under Deng’s economic reforms//\n  2 a process in which a young insect,  frog etc changes into another stage in its development:  --Beetles undergo a complete metamorphosis in their life cycle.//


Words: metaphor
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: metaphore, from  Latin, from  Greek metaphora, from  meta- (  META-) +  pherein  ’to carry’]//\n  1 a way of describing something by referring to it as something different and suggesting that it has similar qualities to that thing:    simile//  --She uses some wonderful images and metaphors in her writing.//  --a very creative use of metaphor//\n  2  mixed metaphor:  the use of two different metaphors at the same time to describe something, especially in a way that seems silly or funny//\n  3 something that represents a general idea or quality:  metaphor for//  --Their relationship is a metaphor for the failure of communication in the modern world.//


Words: metaphorical
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a metaphorical use of a word is not concerned with real objects or physical events, but with ideas or events of a non-physical kind:  --The word has a metaphorical as well as a literal meaning.//\n  2 used to show that you are using a metaphor:  --his need to escape from the metaphorical chains that held him//  -- metaphorically/-kli/ adv //  --She was, literally and metaphorically, in perfect shape.//


Words: metaphysical
Meaning:
adj   concerned with the study of metaphysics//  --A lot of scientists don’t like discussing metaphysical matters.//


Words: metaphysics
Meaning:
n [U]   the part of philosophy that is concerned with trying to understand and describe the nature of truth, life, and reality//


Words: mete
Meaning:
v   mete out [mete sth → out] phr v//  [Language: Old English; Origin: metan  ’to measure’]//  if you mete out a punishment, you give it to someone//  mete something → out to//  --He felt he had a right to mete out physical punishment to the children.//  --Judges are meting out increasingly harsh sentences for car theft.//


Words: meteor
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: meteore, from  Medieval Latin meteorum, from  Greek meteoron  ’something in the sky’, from  meteoros  ’high in air’]//  a piece of rock or metal that travels through space, and makes a bright line in the night sky when it falls down towards the Earth//  --Astronomers track large meteors using radar.//  --a meteor shower  (=a lot of meteors that fall down towards the Earth at the same time) //


Words: meteoric
Meaning:
adj \n  1 happening very suddenly and quickly:  --her meteoric rise from dancer to professional actress//  --The company has experienced meteoric growth.//  --The scandal ended his meteoric political career .//\n  2  technical from a meteor:  --meteoric iron//  -- meteorically/-kli/ adv //  --His career faded as meteorically as it grew.//


Words: meteorology
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: meteorologie, from  Greek, from  meteoron;   METEOR]//  the scientific study of weather conditions//  -- meteorologist n  [C] //  --The storms have baffled meteorologists in the United States.//  -- meteorological/mi[hA359]ti[hA353]r[hA353]l[hA361]d[hA360][hA366]k[hA368]l[hA36B] $ -l[hA35A][hA359]-/ adj //  --satellites that provide meteorological data to the National Weather Service//


Words: meter
Meaning:
n [C]   [Sense: 1-3; Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  -METER]//\n  1 a machine that measures and shows the amount of something you have used or the amount of money that you must pay:  water/gas/electricity meter //  --A man came to read the electricity meter .//  --The taxi driver left the meter running while I ran in to pick up my bags.//\n  2 a machine that measures the level of something:  sound-level/light etc meter //\n  3  also parking meter :  a machine which you put money into when you park your car next to it//\n  4 the American spelling of metre:\nmeter 2 v [T]   to measure how much of something is used, and how much you must pay for it, by using a meter//  --All our water is metered now.//


Words: meter maid
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE  old-fashioned   a woman whose job is to make sure that cars are not parked illegally//  British Equivalent:  traffic warden//


Words: methadone
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: methyl +  diphenyl +  -one]//  a drug that is often given to people who are trying to stop taking heroin//


Words: methane
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: methyl]//  a gas that you cannot see or smell, which can be burned to give heat//  --Methane is one of the principal gases contributing to the greenhouse effect.//


Words: methanol
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: methane]//  a type of poisonous alcohol that can be made from wood//


Words: methinks
Meaning:
v   past tense  methought /-[hA35F][hA350][hA359]t $ -[hA35F][hA361][hA359]t/ [T]  old use //  [Language: Old English; Origin: me thincth  ’it seems to me’, from  thyncan  ’to seem’]//  I think//  --Methinks he is not mistaken.//


Words: method
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: methodus, from  Greek methodos, from  meta- (  META-) +  hodos  ’way’]//\n  1 [C] a planned way of doing something, especially one that a lot of people know about and use:  --traditional teaching methods//  --I think we should try again using a different method.//  method of/for (doing) sth//  --Today’s methods of birth control make it possible for a couple to choose whether or not to have a child.//  --effective methods for the storage and retrieval of information//\n  2 [U]  formal a well-organized and well-planned way of doing something:  --There’s no method in the way they do their accounts.//\n  3  there’s method in/to sb’s madness:  used to say that even though someone seems to be behaving strangely, there is a sensible reason for what they are doing//


Words: methodical
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a methodical way of doing something is careful and uses an ordered system:  --He always checked every detail in a methodical way.//  --a methodical approach to answering questions//\n  2 a methodical person always does things carefully, using an ordered system:  --She’s a very methodical person.//  --He had a neat, methodical mind.//  -- methodically/-kli/ adv //  --He went through the papers methodically, one by one.//


Words: Methodist
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who belongs to a Christian religious group that follows the ideas of John Wesley//  -- Methodist adj //  --a Methodist chapel//  -- Methodism n  [U] //


Words: methodology
Meaning:
n   plural  methodologies  [U and C] //  the set of methods and principles that you use when studying a particular subject or doing a particular kind of work//  methodology for (doing) sth//  --We’ve been developing a new methodology for assessing new products.//  --There are some differences in methodology between the two studies.//  -- methodological/me[hA35F][hA353]d[hA353]l[hA361]d[hA360][hA366]k[hA368]l[hA36B] $ -l[hA35A][hA359]-/ adj //  --There are a few methodological issues we need to discuss.//  -- methodologically/-kli/ adv //  --The study was methodologically flawed.//


Words: methyl alcohol
Meaning:
n [U]  technical   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: methylene  ’group of atoms from methane’ (19-21 centuries), from  French methyl[hA169]ne, from  Greek methy  ’wine’ +  hyle  ’wood’]//  a poisonous alcohol that can be made from wood//   methanol//


Words: meticulous
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: meticulosus  ’afraid’, from  metus  ’fear’]//  very careful about small details, and always making sure that everything is done correctly//  --He kept meticulous accounts.//  --Their planning and preparation were meticulous.//  --He cleaned the tools with meticulous care.//  --The book describes his journey in meticulous detail.//  meticulous in//  --He was meticulous in his use of words.//  meticulous about//  --He has always been so meticulous about his appearance.//  -- meticulously adv //  --The attack was meticulously planned and executed.//


Words: metier
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: metier, from  Vulgar Latin misterium, from  Latin ministerium  ’work, ministry’]//   formal someone’s metier is the type of work or activity that they enjoy doing because they have a natural ability to do it well//  --Acting is not my metier.//


Words: metre
Meaning:
W3S2  BrE  meter AmE   n   [Sense: 1; Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: m[hA169]tre, from  Greek metron  ’measure’]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 800-900; Language: Latin; Origin: metrum, from  Greek metron]//\n  1 [C]  written abbreviation m :  the basic unit for measuring length in the metric system//\n  2 [U and C] the arrangement of sounds in poetry into patterns of strong and weak beats:    rhythm//


Words: metric
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: metrique, from  m[hA169]tre;   METER1]//\n  1 using or connected with the metric system of weights and measures:    imperial//  --a metric tonne//  --The parts all come in metric sizes now.//\n  2 metrical:


Words: metric system
Meaning:
n   the metric system//  the system of weights and measures that is based on the kilogram and the metre//


Words: metrical
Meaning:
adj  technical   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Late Latin; Origin: metricus, from  Greek, from  metron;   -METER]//  written in the form of poetry, with a pattern of strong and weak beats//


Words: metrication
Meaning:
n [U]   the change to using the metric system of weights and measures//  --Most businesses are in favour of metrication.//


Words: metro
Meaning:
n   plural  metros  [C] //  [Date: 1900-2000; Language: French; Origin: metro, from  (chemin de fer) metropolitain  ’metropolitan railway’]//  a railway system that runs under the ground below a city//  --the Paris Metro//  --It’ll be quicker to go on the metro.//  --a metro station //


Words: metronome
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Greek; Origin: metron (  -METER) +  -nomos  ’controlling’ (from  nomos  ’law’)]//  a piece of equipment that makes a regular repeated sound like a clock, showing the speed at which music should be played//


Words: metropolis
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Late Latin; Origin: Greek, from  meter  ’mother’ +  polis  ’city’]//  a very large city that is the most important city in a country or area//  --The city has become a huge, bustling metropolis.//


Words: metropolitan
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1 relating or belonging to a very large city:  --a metropolitan area of South Australia//\n  2  technical relating to France, rather than its  colonies:  --metropolitan France//


Words: Metropolitan Museum of Art
Meaning:
the Metropolitan Museum of Art//   also the Met  informal //  the most important art  museum in the US, in New York City//


Words: Metropolitan Opera
Meaning:
the  also the Met  informal   a US  opera company based at the  Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. Its performances are often broadcast on the radio.//


Words: mettle
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: metal]//\n  1 courage and determination to do something even when it is very difficult:  test/show/prove your mettle //  --a crisis which will test the prime minister’s mettle//\n  2  on your mettle:   BrE if you are on your mettle, you are ready to try as hard as possible because your abilities are being tested//  --We’ll have to be on our mettle from the start.//  keep/put sb on their mettle //  --This was just his way of keeping me on my mettle.//


Words: mew
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  From the sound]//  if a cat mews, it makes a soft high crying sound//  --The cat mewed at me.//  -- mew n  [C] //


Words: mews
Meaning:
n [plural]  BrE   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: mew  ’place where hawks are kept’ (14-20 centuries), from  French mue, from  muer  ’to have the feathers fall out’]//  a small street or area surrounded by buildings in a city, where horses used to be kept, but where people now live//


Words: Mexican
Meaning:
adj   relating to Mexico or its people//  --the Mexican government//  --the Mexican border//  --Mexican food//\nMexican 2 n [C]   someone from Mexico//


Words: Mexican War
Meaning:
the  also the Mexican-American War   (1846-48) a war between the US and Mexico, which began when Texas, which had recently become independent from Mexico, became part of the US. Mexico and the US disagreed over the Texas-Mexico border. The US also wanted to buy California and New Mexico, but Mexico did not want to sell them. Led by Zachary Taylor, the US won the war, and bought a very large area of land, which included California, Nevada, Utah, and parts of several other states.//


Words: Mexican wave
Meaning:
n [singular]  BrE   the effect that is made when all the people watching a sport stand up, move their arms up and down, and sit down again one after the other in a continuous movement that looks like a wave moving on the sea//


Words: Mexico
Meaning:
a country to the south of the US and to the north of Guatemala. Population: 101,879,000 (2001). Capital: Mexico City. Before the arrival of Europeans, there were several important Native American CIvilizations in Mexico, including the Aztecs and the Maya. The country was ruled by Spain from the 16th century, and became independent in 1821.//


Words: mezzanine
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: Italian mezzanino, from  mezzano  ’middle’]//\n  1 a small floor that is built between two other floors in a building:  --A young woman was sitting at a desk on the mezzanine floor.//\n  2  AmE the lowest balcony in a theatre, or the first few rows of seats in that balcony:


Words: mezzo
Meaning:
adv   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Italian; Origin: ’middle, half’, from  Latin medius;   MEDIUM]//  mezzo forte/piano etc//   technical not too loud, softly etc - used in instructions for performing music//


Words: mezzo-soprano
Meaning:
also mezzo  n [C]   a female singing voice that is lower than a soprano but higher than an alto, or a woman with a voice like this//


Words: mezzotint
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Italian; Origin: mezzatinta, from  mezza  ’half’ +  tinta  ’tint’]//  a picture printed from a metal plate that is polished in places to produce areas of light and shade//


Words: MGM
Meaning:
trademark   Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer a US film company based in Hollywood which has made many famous films and  cartoons//


Words: mi
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Medieval Latin]//  the third note in a musical scale according to the sol-fa system//


Words: MI5
Meaning:
n   a secret British government organization whose job it is to keep Britain safe from attack by enemies inside the country, such as foreign  spies or terrorists//  --a government agent working for MI5//


Words: MI6
Meaning:
n   a secret British government organization that sends people to foreign countries to try and find out secret political and military information//  --He used to work for MI6.//  --the head of MI6//


Words: MIA
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE  missing in action a soldier who has disappeared in a battle and who may still be alive//  --There are still more than 500 MIAs.//


Words: Miami
Meaning:
a city in the southeast of Florida in the US, which is popular with tourists. It has a large  Hispanic and Cuban population.//


Words: miaow
Meaning:
meow/mia[hA35E]/ v [I]   if a cat miaows, it makes a crying sound//  -- miaow n  [C] //  --The cat jumped away with a loud miaow.//


Words: miasma
Meaning:
n [singular]  literary   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Greek; Origin: ’making dirty’]//\n  1 dirty air or a thick unpleasant mist that smells bad:  --He looked up at me through a miasma of cigarette smoke.//  --A foul miasma lay over the town.//\n  2 an evil influence or feeling that seems to surround a person or place:  miasma of//  --The miasma of defeat hung over them.//


Words: mica
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: ’grain, crumb’]//  a mineral that separates easily into small flat transparent pieces of rock, often used to make electrical instruments//


Words: Micawber
Meaning:
Mr   a character in the book  David Copperfield (1849-50) by Charles Dickens. Many people think that he is based on Dickens’s own father. He is put in prison because he owes money and cannot pay it, but he is always happy and spends any money he gets on himself, confident that "something will turn up" to end his problems.//


Words: Michael
Meaning:
in the Old Testament of the Bible, an  archangel (=a good spirit of the highest rank who lives with God in Heaven) //


Words: Michelangelo
Meaning:
(1475-1564) an Italian painter, sculptor, and  architect (=someone who designs buildings)  of the  Renaissance period. One of the greatest artists who ever lived, he is famous especially for his  statue of David (an ancient king of Israel) and for painting the ceiling of the  Sistine Chapel in Rome with scenes from the Old Testament of the Bible, including the  Creation of  Adam.//


Words: Michelin Guide
Meaning:
also Michelin  trademark   a type of  guidebook produced by the French company Michelin, which contains information for tourists visiting places in Europe and the US. The green guides contain maps and information about interesting places to visit, especially in Europe and the US, and the red guides contain lists of restaurants and hotels in Europe, which are given one, two, or three stars, according to a system for judging their quality. A restaurant with three Michelin stars is regarded as extremely good, and very few restaurants achieve this.//


Words: Michigan
Meaning:
1 MI a state in north central US, which is an industrial area and an important centre for producing cars:\n  2  Lake Michigan:  a large lake in north central US, one of the  Great Lakes//


Words: mick
Meaning:
n [C]  taboo   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: Mick common Irish man’s name, from  Michael]//  an offensive word for someone from Ireland. Do not use this word.//


Words: mickey
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  From the male name  Mickey]//  take the mickey (out of sb)//   BrE  informal to make someone look silly, often in a friendly way, for example by copying them or by pretending something is true when it is not//  --He’s always taking the mickey out of me.//


Words: Mickey Mouse
Meaning:
adj  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: Mickey Mouse, cartoon character invented by the U.S. film producer Walt Disney]//  small and not at all important//  --The charity has been described as a Mickey Mouse operation.//  --a Mickey Mouse job//\n  trademark   a  cartoon character invented by Walt  Disney. He is the most famous of all Disney’s characters and is often used as a  symbol of the Disney organization.//


Words: micro scooter
Meaning:
n [C]   a vehicle like a child’s scooter, but smaller and lighter. It is used as a toy, and also by adults, especially as a way of travelling short distances.//


Words: micro-
Meaning:
prefix [in nouns, adjectives and adverbs]   [Language: Latin; Origin: Greek, from  mikros  ’small, short’]//  extremely small//    macro-, mini-//  --microelectronics//  --a micro-organism//


Words: microbe
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: micro- +  Greek bios  ’life’]//  an extremely small living thing which you can only see if you use a microscope. Some microbes can cause diseases//


Words: microbiology
Meaning:
n [U]   the scientific study of very small living things such as bacteria//  -- microbiologist n  [C] //  -- microbiological/ma[hA366]kr[hA353][hA35E]ba[hA366][hA353]l[hA361]d[hA360][hA366]k[hA368]l $ -kro[hA35E]ba[hA366][hA353]l[hA35A][hA359]-/ adj //  --a microbiological examination of the fibres found near the body//


Words: microbrewery
Meaning:
n   plural  microbreweries  [C] //  a small company that makes only a small amount of beer to sell, and often has a restaurant where the beer is served//


Words: microchip
Meaning:
n  also chip  [C]   a very small piece of silicon containing a set of electronic parts which is used in computers and other machines//  --Japan’s largest producer of microchips//  --the microchip industry//


Words: microclimate
Meaning:
n [C]   the weather patterns in one small area, which are different from the weather patterns in the surrounding area//  --The valley has its own unique microclimate.//


Words: microcosm
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: microcosmus, from  Greek mikros kosmos  ’small world’]//  a small group, society, or place that has the same qualities as a much larger one//    macrocosm//  microcosm of//  --New York’s mix of people is a microcosm of America.//  in microcosm//  --All the problems of society can be seen here in microcosm.//  -- microcosmic/ma[hA366]kr[hA353][hA35E]k[hA361]zm[hA366]k $ -kro[hA35E]k[hA35A][hA359]z-/ adj //  --the forces which we see at work on a microcosmic scale//


Words: microdot
Meaning:
n [C]   a secret photograph of something such as a document which is reduced to a very small size so that it can easily be hidden//


Words: microeconomics
Meaning:
n [U]   the study of small economic systems that are part of national or international systems//    macroeconomics//  -- microeconomic adj //


Words: microelectronics
Meaning:
n [U]   the practice or study of designing very small electrical circuits that are used in computers//  --the latest developments in microelectronics//  -- microelectronic adj //  --a new system that has been developed using microelectronic technology//


Words: microengineering
Meaning:
n [U]   the activity of designing structures and machines that are extremely small//  -- microengineer n  [C] //


Words: microfiche
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: French; Origin: Greek mikro- (  MICRO-) +  French fiche  ’small piece of paper’]//  a sheet of microfilm which can only be read using a special machine, especially in a library//  on microfiche//  --Details of all members are now available on microfiche.//


Words: microfilm
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a type of film on which pictures and writing can be made very small, so that large amounts can be stored easily//  on microfilm//  --Most of the daily newspapers are available on microfilm.//


Words: microfinance
Meaning:
n [U]   a system that allows people in poor countries to borrow small amounts of money to help them start a small business//


Words: micromanage
Meaning:
v [T]   to organize and control all the details of another person’s work in a way that they think is annoying//  -- micromanagement n  [U] //


Words: micrometre
Meaning:
BrE  micrometer AmE   [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Greek, from  mikros  ’small’]//  a unit for measuring length. There are one million micrometres in one metre.//


Words: Micronesia
Meaning:
a group of more than 2,000 small islands in the west Pacific Ocean, including the Caroline Islands, the Marshall Islands, and Kiribati. Population: 107,000 (1995)//  -- Micronesian n  adj //


Words: microphone
Meaning:
n [C]   a piece of equipment that you speak into to record your voice or make it louder when you are speaking or performing in public//  --She spoke confidently into the microphone.//  --They searched the room for hidden microphones.//


Words: microscope
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: microscopium, from  micro- (  MICRO-) +  -scopium (from  Greek -skopion  ’instrument for seeing’)]//\n  1 a scientific instrument that makes extremely small things look larger:  under/through a microscope//  --Abnormalities in the cells can be seen quite clearly under a microscope.//  --Each sample was examined through a microscope.//\n  2  put sth under the microscope:  to examine a situation very closely and carefully//  --Our prison system is being put under the microscope after an alarming number of deaths and suicides this year.//


Words: microscopic
Meaning:
adj \n  1 extremely small and therefore very difficult to see:  --a microscopic speck of dust//  --Inspectors discovered microscopic cracks in the hull of the submarine.//\n  2 [only before noun] using a microscope:  --The cells were identified through microscopic analysis.//  -- microscopically/-kli/ adv //  --The seeds are microscopically small.//


Words: microsurgery
Meaning:
n [U]   medical treatment in which a part of someone’s body is repaired or removed using very small instruments or lasers//


Words: microwave
Meaning:
n [C]   1  also microwave oven //  a type of oven that cooks food very quickly using very short electric waves instead of heat//  --I’ll heat it up in the microwave.//\n  2 a very short electric wave that is used in cooking food and sending messages by radio, and in radar:\nmicrowave 2 v [T]   to cook something in a microwave oven//  --You can heat it up under the grill or microwave it.//  -- microwaveable microwavable//   adj //  --a new range of microwavable snacks//


Words: mid Atlantic
Meaning:
adj \n  1  mid Atlantic accent:  a way of speaking that uses a mixture of American and British English sounds and words//  --She spoke in a soft mid Atlantic accent.//\n  2  mid-Atlantic states/region:  the US states that are on the Atlantic coast, approximately between New Jersey and Maryland//


Words: mid-
Meaning:
prefix   [Language: Old English; Origin: midde]//  middle//  --a young woman in her mid-twenties//  --The mid-sixties were a turning point in sports car design.//  --in mid-July//  --He stopped mid-sentence.//  mid-morning/afternoon/week etc //


Words: mid-range
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   mid-range products and services are not the most expensive or the cheapest//    top-of-the-range//


Words: midair
Meaning:
n   in midair//  in the air or the sky, away from the ground//  --The planes collided in midair.//  -- midair adj  [only before noun] //  --a midair collision//


Words: Midas
Meaning:
King   in ancient Greek stories, a king who was given the power to change everything he touched into gold. He soon realized this would not bring him happiness, when he found that even his food and drink changed into gold as soon as he touched them.//


Words: Midas touch
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: Midas king of Phrygia in ancient times who was given the magic power of turning everything he touched into gold]//  the Midas touch//  if someone has the Midas touch, everything they do is successful and makes money for them//  --a talented young businessman with the Midas touch//


Words: midday
Meaning:
n [U]   the middle of the day, at or around 12 o’clock//    midnight//  at/around/by etc midday//  --I’m meeting him at midday.//  --I got there around midday.//  --By midday it had begun to warm up.//  --We stopped off in Colchester for our midday meal .//  --the full heat of the midday sun //


Words: middle
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 centre part:\n   2 time/event:\n   3 scale/range:\n   4 body:\n   5 be in the middle of (doing) something:\n   6 in the middle of something:\n   7 in the middle of nowhere:\n   8 divide/split something down the middle:  ----------//\n  1 CENTRE PART:   the middle//  the part that is nearest the centre of something, and furthest from the sides, edges, top, bottom etc//  the middle of//  --We rowed out towards the middle of the lake.//  in the middle (of sth)//  --Jo was standing in the middle of the room.//  --Those are my two brothers, and that’s me in the middle.//  --The meat was burnt on the outside and raw in the middle.//  --a huge hole right in the middle of the lawn//  through the middle (of sth)//  --The new road will go right through the middle of the wood.//  down the middle (of sth)//  --Draw a line down the middle of the page.//\n  2 TIME/EVENT:   the middle//  the part of an event or period of time that is between the beginning and the end//  the middle of//  --events which took place around the middle of the last century//  in the middle (of sth)//  --I’m going to stay with some friends in the middle of May.//  --He gets killed in the middle of the film.//  the middle of the night/day //  --I got a phone call from her in the middle of the night!//  the middle of the week/month/year etc //  --Everything should be sorted out by the middle of next year.//\n  3 SCALE/RANGE:   the middle//  the level or position that is between two extreme positions, for example between the best and the worst//  --There are plenty of small houses for sale, and quite a lot of very large ones, but very little in the middle.//  the middle of//  --In tests, I always seem to finish around the middle of the class.//\n  4 BODY:   [C usually singular] the part of your body around your waist and stomach//  sb’s middle//  --He was holding a towel around his middle.//\n  5  be in the middle of (doing) sth:  to be busy doing something//  --Can I call you back - I’m in the middle of a meeting.//  --I was in the middle of sorting some papers when the phone rang.//\n  6  in the middle of sth:  if you are in the middle of something, it is happening to you or around you//  --At that time Britain was in the middle of a recession.//  --The company is in the middle of a takeover battle.//\n  7  in the middle of nowhere:  a long way from the nearest big town//  --They live miles away, in the middle of nowhere.//\n  8  divide/split sth down the middle:  to divide something into equal halves or groups//  --We put all the money together and then split it down the middle.//  --The voters are split down the middle on this issue.//    piggy in the middle at piggy1 (2)//\nmiddle 2 adj [only before noun]   ----------//\n   1 centre:\n   2 time/event:\n   3 scale/range:\n   4 in your middle twenties/thirties etc:\n   5 middle brother/child/daughter etc:\n   6 middle course/way etc:\n   7 Middle English/French etc:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: middel]//\n  1 CENTRE:  nearest the centre and furthest from the edge, top, end etc//  --driving in the middle lane of the motorway//  --the middle drawer of the filing cabinet//\n  2 TIME/EVENT:  half of the way through an event or period of time//  --They spent the middle part of their vacation in Florida.//  --the middle part of the day//\n  3 SCALE/RANGE:  between two extreme levels or positions, for example between the best and worst, the biggest and smallest etc//  --a car in the middle price range//  --the middle ranks of the army//  --a middle-income family//\n  4  in your middle twenties/thirties etc:  about 25, 35 etc years old//\n  5  middle brother/child/daughter etc:  the brother etc who is between the oldest and the youngest//\n  6  middle course/way etc:  a way of dealing with something that is between two opposite and often extreme ways//  middle course/way etc between//  --The party is seeking to find a middle way between extreme right-wing and left-wing policies.//  --I try to steer a middle course between keeping control of the project and giving responsibility to others.//\n  7  Middle English/French etc:  an old form of English, French etc, used in the Middle Ages (=between 1100 and 1500 AD) //


Words: middle age
Meaning:
n [U]   the period of your life between the ages of about 40 and 60, when you are no longer young but are not yet old//  --Men who smoke are more likely to have heart attacks in middle age.//


Words: Middle America
Meaning:
n \n  1 the middle part of the United States, which is not on the east or west coasts:\n  2 Americans who are neither very rich nor very poor and who have traditional ideas and beliefs:


Words: middle class
Meaning:
n [C]   the social class that includes people who are educated and work in professional jobs, for example teachers or managers//    lower class, upper class, working class//  --This led to the creation of a new, affluent middle class.//  --Home ownership was once a privilege of the middle classes.//


Words: middle distance
Meaning:
n   the middle distance//  the part of a picture or view that is between the nearest part and the part that is furthest away//  --She just stood there gazing into the middle distance.//


Words: Middle East
Meaning:
n   the Middle East//  the area that includes Iran and Egypt and the countries which are between them//    Far East//  -- Middle Eastern adj //


Words: middle ground
Meaning:
n [U]   ideas that are not extreme, and that people who oppose each other can agree about//  --The negotiators could find no middle ground.//


Words: middle management
Meaning:
n [U]   managers who are in charge of small groups of people, but do not take important decisions that affect the whole organization//  -- middle manager n  [C] //


Words: middle name
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 the name that is between your first name and your family name:\n  2  sth is sb’s middle name:   informal used to say that someone has a personal quality very strongly//  --Don’t worry - discretion is my middle name.//


Words: middle school
Meaning:
n [U and C] \n  1 a school in Britain for children between the ages of 8 and 12:\n  2 a school in the US for children between the ages of 11 and 14:


Words: Middle Temple
Meaning:
the   a London organization of law students and  barristers and the buildings they use, which is one of the four  Inns of Court//


Words: middle-aged
Meaning:
adj \n  1 between the ages of about 40 and 60:  --a middle-aged businessman//\n  2 someone who seems middle-aged seems rather dull and does not do exciting or dangerous things:  --Living with Henry had made her feel middle-aged.//\n  3  middle-aged spread:  fat that many people develop around their waist as they grow older//


Words: middle-class
Meaning:
adj \n  1 typical of people who are educated and work in professional jobs:  --a middle-class family//  --They lived a comfortable middle-class life.//\n  2 middle-class attitudes and ideas are typical of middle-class people and are often concerned with the idea that people should work hard, have a good education, and try to earn enough money to live a comfortable life:


Words: middle-distance
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   a middle-distance race is neither very short nor very long, for example 800 or 1500 metres//


Words: middle-of-the-road
Meaning:
adj \n  1 middle-of-the-road ideas or opinions are not extreme, and so most people are likely to agree with them:  --a party offering safe, middle-of-the-road policies//\n  2 middle-of-the-road voters or politicians have ideas that are not extreme:\n  3  informal ordinary and not new, different, or exciting:  --Their first album was quite good, but the second was very middle-of-the-road stuff.//


Words: middle-ranking
Meaning:
adj   having a responsible job or position, but not among the most important people in a company//  --middle-ranking officers and bureaucrats//


Words: middlebrow
Meaning:
adj   middlebrow books, television programmes etc are of fairly good quality but are not very difficult to understand//    highbrow, lowbrow//


Words: middleman
Meaning:
n   plural  middlemen /-men/ [C] //  someone who buys things in order to sell them to someone else, or who helps to arrange business deals for other people//  --He acts as a middleman for British companies seeking contracts in the Gulf.//  --Buy direct from the manufacturer and cut out the middleman  (=avoid using a middleman) .//


Words: Middlemarch
Meaning:
(1871) a novel by George  Eliot about the people who live in an imaginary town in central England called Middlemarch during a time of social and economic change. Many people consider it to be one of the greatest novels in English literature.//


Words: Middleton
Meaning:
Thomas   (1580-1627) an English writer of plays who wrote  satirical comedies and  tragedies, including Women Beware Women//


Words: middleweight
Meaning:
n [C]   a boxer who weighs less than 72.58 kilograms, and who is heavier than a welterweight but lighter than a light heavyweight//


Words: midfield
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the middle part of the area where a game such as football is played:  --He plays in midfield.//  --an excellent midfield player//\n  2 the members of a football team who play in the midfield:  --The midfield did very well in the first half.//


Words: midget
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: midge]//\n  1  taboo a very offensive word for someone who is very short because their body has not grown normally. Do not use this word.:    dwarf//\n  2  BrE  informal someone who is not very tall:\nmidget 2 adj [only before noun]   very small//  --a midget submarine//


Words: MIDI
Meaning:
n [U]  technical   musical instrument digital interface a system that allows computers to communicate with electronic musical instruments//


Words: midi
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: mid- +  i (as in  mini-)]//  midi skirt/dress/coat//  a skirt, dress etc that comes to the middle of the lower leg//    mini//


Words: midlife crisis
Meaning:
also  mid-life crisis/m[hA366]dla[hA366]f kra[hA366]s[hA369]s/ n [C]   a period of worry and lack of confidence that some people experience when they are about 40 or 50 years old and begin to feel that they are getting old//


Words: midnight
Meaning:
n [U] \n  12 o’clock at night:    midday//  at midnight//  --The train is due in at midnight.//  after/before midnight//  --We stayed there until way after midnight.//  --You can’t phone her now - it’s gone midnight  (=after midnight) !//  --By the time he arrived, it was well past midnight  (=after midnight) .//  at/on the stroke of midnight (=at exactly midnight) //  --The treaty will come into force on the stroke of midnight tonight.//  --He’s gone for a midnight swim.//    burn the midnight oil at burn1 (20)//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Do not say ’in the midnight’. If you mean ’at 12 o’clock at night’ say  at midnight and if you mean ’very late at night’ say in the middle of the night. //  ----------//


Words: Midnight Mass
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a special Christian religious service held at midnight on Christmas Eve, to celebrate Christmas and the birth of Christ//


Words: midnight sun
Meaning:
n   the midnight sun//  the sun that you can see in the middle of the night in summer in the far north or south of the world//


Words: midpoint
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   a point that is half of the way through or along something//  midpoint of//  --At the midpoint of the study, all those taking part were interviewed again.//


Words: midriff
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: midhrif, from  midde (  MID-) +  hrif  ’abdomen’]//  the part of the body between your chest and your waist//


Words: midsection
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   the middle part of something or of someone’s body//  --There are 24 missiles in the submarine’s midsection.//


Words: midshipman
Meaning:
n   plural  midshipmen /-m[hA353]n/ [C] //  someone who is training to become an officer in the British navy//


Words: midst
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: mids  ’middle’ (13-19 centuries), from  Old English midde (  MID-)]//\n  1  in the midst of sth:  a) if you are in the midst of an event or situation, it is happening around you//  --The government is in the midst of a major crisis.//  b) in the middle of a place or a group of things or people//  --We were sitting in the midst of an elegant and well-dressed audience.//\n  2  in our/their midst:   formal in a particular group//  --I fear we have an enemy in our midst.//\nmidst 2 prep  old use   surrounded by people or things//


Words: midstream
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1  in midstream:  when something has started and is still happening//  --They had to drop the experiment in midstream.//  --He interrupted the official in midstream (=while the official was still speaking) .//\n  2 the middle part of a river:  in midstream//  --The boat had anchored in midstream.//  -- midstream adv //


Words: Midsummer Night’s Dream
Meaning:
A   a humorous play by William  Shakespeare in which  Oberon, the king of the  fairies, puts a magic  spell on  Titania, his queen, while she is sleeping, so that she falls in love with the first creature she sees when she awakes. This is  Bottom, a weaver who has been given the head of a  donkey by Oberon’s servant,  Puck, who has magic powers. It is one of Shakespeare’s most popular plays, and it is often performed outdoors in the summer.//


Words: midterm
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] the middle period of an elected government’s time in power:\n  2 [C]  AmE a test that students take in the middle of a semester or quarter:\nmidterm 2   adj [only before noun] \n  1 in the middle of an elected government’s time in power:  --midterm elections//\n  2  American English in the middle of a semester or quarter:    half-term//  --midterm tests//


Words: Midtown
Meaning:
a central area of a city, especially the part of  Manhattan in New York City which is south of  Central Park//


Words: midtown
Meaning:
adj, adv  AmE   in the area of a city that is quite near the centre but is not the main business area//    downtown, uptown//  -- midtown n  [U] //


Words: midway
Meaning:
adj, adv \n  1 between two places, and the same distance from each of them:   halfway//  midway between//  --The city is midway between Edinburgh and London.//\n  2 when half a period of time has passed:   halfway//  midway through//  --Leeds scored midway through the first half.//\nMidway 1   two small islands in the Pacific Ocean northwest of Honolulu, used as a US military base. There was an important sea and air battle there in 1942 called the Battle of Midway.//


Words: midweek
Meaning:
adj, adv   on one of the middle days of the week//  --There are often discounts available for midweek travel.//  -- midweek n  [U] //  --The match will be played in midweek.//


Words: midwife
Meaning:
n   plural  midwives /-wa[hA366]vz/ [C] //  [Date: 1200-1300; Origin: mid  ’with’ (11-14 centuries) (from  Old English) +  wife  ’woman’]//  a specially trained nurse whose job is to help women when they are having a baby//


Words: midyear
Meaning:
n [U]   the middle of the year//  --Sales had improved by midyear.//  -- midyear adj  [only before noun] //  --a midyear review//


Words: mien
Meaning:
n [singular]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Probably from  demean  ’to behave’ (  DEMEANOR) (influenced by  French mine  ’appearance’)]//   literary a person’s typical expression or appearance//  --her sorrowful mien//


Words: Mies van der Rohe
Meaning:
Ludwig   (1886-1969) a US  architect, born in Germany, who many people consider to be one of the most important architects of the 20th century. He designed many steel and glass  skyscrapers such as the Seagram Building in New York City. He was a teacher in the  Bauhaus in Germany, and his buildings are very plain, practical, and without decoration.//


Words: miffed
Meaning:
adj  spoken   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: miff  ’condition of annoyance’ (17-21 centuries), perhaps from a natural sound expressing annoyance]//  slightly annoyed or upset//  --I felt a bit miffed that no one had told me about the trip.//


Words: might
Meaning:
modal v    negative short form  mightn’t //  ----------//\n   1 possibility:\n   2 suggesting:\n   3 asking permission:\n   4 somebody should have done something:\n   5 past purpose:\n   6 might I say/ask/add etc:\n   7 I might say/add:\n   8 I might have known/guessed etc:\n   9 might (just) as well:\n  10 although :\n  11 formal question:\n  12 might well:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: meahte,  mihte]//\n  1 POSSIBILITY:  a) if something might happen or might be true, there is a possibility that it may happen or may be true, but you are not at all certain//  --I might be a few minutes late.//  --She might not want to come with us.//  --I suppose he might have missed the train.//  --This might well be her last public performance (=it is fairly likely) .//  --One of the guards might easily panic and shoot someone (=it is likely) .//  b) used as the past tense of ’may’ when reporting that someone talked or thought about the possibility of something//  --George said he might be able to help you.//  --I thought they might have gone home.//  --She was worried that we might get hurt.//  c) used to say that something was a possibility in the past but did not actually happen//  --It was terrifying. We might have been killed.//\n  2 SUGGESTING:  used to suggest politely what someone should do//  --If you need more information, you might try the Internet.//  --I thought we might go to the new Chinese restaurant on the High Street.//  --It might be a good idea to put those plants in the shade.//  --We’re going to a concert. You might like to come with us.//\n  3 ASKING PERMISSION:  a)  spoken  especially BrE used to politely ask for permission to do something//  --Might I borrow your pen?//  --I wonder if I might speak to your son.//  b) used when reporting that someone asked for permission to do something//  --He asked if he might come in and look around.//\n  4 SOMEBODY SHOULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING:  used when you are annoyed because someone has not done something that you think they should do//  --You might at least say thank you.//  --They might have cleaned up before they left.//\n  5 PAST PURPOSE:  used after ’so that’ or ’in order that’ to say that someone did something in order to make something else happen or be possible//  --I asked for names and addresses so that I might pass on details to the police.//\n  6  might I say/ask/add etc:   spoken  especially BrE used to politely give more information, ask a question, interrupt etc//  --Might I ask how old you are?//  --Might I just say how lovely it is to see everyone here today.//\n  7  I might say/add:   spoken used to emphasize what you are saying//  --I was, I might say, not surprised.//\n  8  I might have known/guessed etc:   spoken used to say that you are not surprised at a situation//  --I might have known it was you!//  --I might have guessed I’d get no sympathy from my family.//\n  9  might (just) as well:  a) used to suggest that someone should do something, because there is no good reason to do anything else//  --I suppose we might as well go home.//  b) used to say that the effect of an action or situation is the same as if it was another one//  --They might as well have a badge on them saying ’Steal me’.//  --He might as well have been a million miles away.//\n  10 ALTHOUGH :  used to say that even though something is perhaps true, something different or opposite is also true//  --He might be nearly seventeen but he’s still very immature.//  --Surprising as it might seem, some tourists actually enjoy the British weather.//  --Although she might understand his beliefs, she could not accept them.//  --Try as I might (=although I tried hard) , I couldn’t work out the answer.//\n  11 FORMAL QUESTION:  used to ask a question in a formal and rather unfriendly way//  --And who might you be, young man?//\n  12  might well:  used to say that there is a good reason for a reaction, question, or feeling//  --’What do they hope to achieve?’ ’You might well ask .’//  --a system of which we in Britain might well be envious//  --This caused a few gasps, as well it might .//\nmight 2 n [U]   [Language: Old English; Origin: miht]//\n  1 great strength and power:  --two individuals who took on the might of the English legal system//  --He swung the axe again with all his might .//\n  2  might is right:   BrE might makes right  AmE used to say that powerful people and countries are able to do whatever they want, especially when you disapprove of this//


Words: mightily
Meaning:
adv \n  1 very:  --a mightily impressive piece of work//  --I was mightily relieved when we landed at Manchester airport.//\n  2  literary using great strength:  --We laboured mightily to rebuild the walls.//


Words: mighty
Meaning:
adj   comparative  mightier superlative  mightiest  literary //  very strong and powerful, or very big and impressive//  --the mighty Mississippi river//  --a mighty army//    high and mighty at high1 (26)//\nmighty 2 adv    AmE  informal very//  --You seem mighty sure of your facts.//  --They got out of there mighty fast, I can tell you.//


Words: migraine
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Late Latin hemicrania  ’pain in one side of the head’, from  Greek, from  hemi-  ’half’ +  kranion (  CRANIUM)]//  an extremely bad headache, during which you feel sick and have pain behind your eyes//  have/get a migraine //  --I won’t be coming this evening - I’ve got a migraine.//  bad/severe migraine //  --He suffers from severe migraine.//


Words: migrant
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who goes to live in another area or country, especially in order to find work:    emigrant, immigrant//  migrant worker/labourer //  --A lot of factory work is done by migrant workers.//  economic migrant (=someone who goes to live in another country because they are likely to find a better job there) //\n  2 a bird or animal that travels regularly from one part of the world to another:


Words: migrate
Meaning:
to]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  migrare]//\n  1 if birds or animals migrate, they travel regularly from one part of the world to another:\n  2 if people migrate, they go to live in another area or country, especially in order to find work:    emigrate//


Words: migration
Meaning:
S2   n [U and C] \n  1 when large numbers of people go to live in another area or country, especially in order to find work:\n  2 when birds or animals travel regularly from one part of the world to another:


Words: Mikado
Meaning:
The   (1885) a  comic opera by  Gilbert and Sullivan which is set in Japan and contains the well-known songs  The Flowers that Bloom in the Spring, Tra La and  Three Little Maids from School. The name ’Mikado’ is a former title for the  emperor of Japan.//


Words: mike
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: microphone]//   informal a microphone//    open mike//\nmike 2 v   mike up [mike sb → up] phr v//  to fix a microphone to someone so that their voice can be recorded or made louder//


Words: Milan
Meaning:
a city in northern Italy, an important financial and industrial centre, which is also a centre of the fashion industry and has a large  cathedral and a famous  opera house,  La Scala//


Words: mild
Meaning:
adj   comparative  milder superlative  mildest //  ----------//\n   1 weather:\n   2 illness:\n   3 feelings:\n   4 food/taste:\n   5 criticism:\n   6 problems/situations:\n   7 people:\n   8 drugs/chemicals:\n   9 soap etc:\n  10 language:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: milde]//\n  1 WEATHER:  fairly warm//  → cold//  --We had an exceptionally mild winter last year.//  --a mild climate//\n  2 ILLNESS:  a mild illness or health problem is not serious//  --He suffered a mild heart attack.//  --Sometimes the symptoms can be quite mild.//  --a mild case of food poisoning//  --a mild form of diabetes//\n  3 FEELINGS:  a mild feeling is not very strong//  --Both men looked at her in mild surprise.//  --a feeling of mild irritation//\n  4 FOOD/TASTE:  not very strong or hot-tasting//  --a mild curry//  --a cheese with a pleasant mild flavour //\n  5 CRITICISM:  a mild criticism does not criticize strongly//\n  6 PROBLEMS/SITUATIONS:  not serious enough to cause much suffering//  --The recession in Germany has been comparatively mild.//  --a mild setback//\n  7 PEOPLE:  a mild person has a gentle character and does not easily get angry//  --a mild, well-mannered man//  --His voice was soft and mild.//\n  8 DRUGS/CHEMICALS:  a mild drug or chemical does not have a very strong effect//  --a mild painkiller//  --a mild herbicide//\n  9 SOAP ETC:  soft and gentle to your skin//  --a mild shampoo//\n  10 LANGUAGE:  mild words or language are not very rude or offensive//  --I heard him mutter a mild swear word.//  -- mildness n  [U] //    mildly//\nmild 2 n [U]    BrE dark beer with a slightly sweet taste//    bitter//


Words: mildew
Meaning:
n [U]   [Language: Old English; Origin: meledeaw  ’sweet sticky substance from plants’]//  a white or grey substance that grows on walls or other surfaces in wet, slightly warm conditions//  -- mildewed adj //


Words: mildly
Meaning:
adv \n  1 slightly:  --The drug is only mildly addictive.//  --I felt mildly depressed.//\n  2  to put it mildly:   spoken used to say that you could use much stronger words to describe something//  --Losing two members of staff was unfortunate, to put it mildly.//\n  3 in a gentle way without being angry:  --’Of course I don’t mind,’ she answered mildly.//


Words: mile
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: mil, from  Latin milia passum  ’thousands of paces’]//\n  1  written abbreviation m :  a unit for measuring distance, equal to 1760  yards or about 1609 metres//  --It’s forty miles from here to the Polish border.//  --an area 50 miles wide and 150 miles long//  --We walked about half a mile .//  --He was driving at 70 miles per hour .//\n  2  the mile:  a race that is a mile in length//  --the first man to run the mile in under four minutes//\n  3  miles:   informal a very long distance//  miles from//  --We were miles from home, and very tired.//  miles away//  --You can’t go to Portsmouth, it’s miles away.//  for miles//  --You can see for miles from here.//  --They lived in a little cottage miles from anywhere  (=a long way from the nearest town) .//\n  4  go the extra mile:  to try a little harder in order to achieve something, after you have already used a lot of effort//  --The president expressed his determination to go the extra mile for peace.//\n  5  stick out/stand out a mile:   informal to be very easy to see or notice//  --It sticks out a mile that you’re new here.//\n  6  can see/spot/tell sth a mile off:   informal if you can see something a mile off, it is very easy to notice//  --You can tell a mile off that he likes you.//\n  7  be miles away:   spoken to not be paying attention to anything that is happening around you//  --’Kate!’ ’Sorry, I was miles away!’//\n  8  miles older/better/too difficult etc:   BrE  informal very much older, better, too difficult etc//   loads//  --The second film’s miles better.//\n  9  by a mile:   informal by a very large amount//  --He was the best player on the pitch by a mile.//\n  10  miles out:   BrE  informal a measurement, guess, or calculation that is miles out is completely wrong//\n  11  join the mile high club:   informal to have sex in a plane//    nautical mile,  run a mile at run1 (38)//


Words: mileage
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C usually singular, U] the number of miles a vehicle has travelled since it was made:  --Always check the mileage before you buy a secondhand car.//\n  2 [C usually singular, U] the number of miles someone travels in a vehicle in a particular period of time:  --Look for a car hire agreement that offers unlimited mileage.//\n  3 [C usually singular, U] the number of miles a vehicle can travel using a particular amount of fuel:  --The car’s average mileage is 22.73 miles per gallon.//\n  4 [U] the amount of use or advantage you get from something:  --The newspapers wanted to get as much mileage from the story as they could.//\n  5 [C usually singular, U]  also mileage allowance :  an amount of money that is paid to someone for each mile that they travel when they use their own car for work//  --Community nurses are paid a mileage allowance.//\n  6 [U] the number of miles that is covered by a country’s roads or railways:  --plans to treble the country’s railway mileage//


Words: mileometer
Meaning:
milometer/ma[hA366]l[hA361]m[hA369]t[hA353] $ -l[hA35A][hA359]m[hA369]t[hA353]r/ n [C]  BrE   an instrument in a car that shows how many miles it has travelled//  American Equivalent:  odometer//


Words: milepost
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE \n  1 a post next to a road or railway that shows the distance in miles to the next town:\n  2 a milestone(1):


Words: milestone
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a very important event in the development of something:  American Equivalent:  milepost//  milestone in//  --an important milestone in South African history//  --The treatment of diabetes reached a significant milestone in the 1970s.//\n  2 a stone next to a road that shows the distance in miles to the next town:


Words: milieu
Meaning:
n   plural  milieux /-lj[hA362][hA359]z, -lj[hA362][hA359] $ -lj[hA362][hA359]z, -lju[hA359]z, -j[hA362][hA359], -lju[hA359] / or  milieus  [C]  formal //  [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French]//  the things and people that surround you and influence the way you live and think//  --Proust’s work reflected his own social and cultural milieu.//  --She never felt happy in a student milieu.//


Words: militant
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  militare  ’to be a soldier, take part in war’, from  miles;   MILITARY1]//  a militant organization or person is willing to use strong or violent action in order to achieve political or social change//  --militant political activists//  --a militant animal rights group//  --After the assassination of Martin Luther King, black leaders became more militant.//  -- militant n  [C] //  --right-wing militants//  -- militancy n  [U] //  --an increase in trade union militancy//  -- militantly adv //  --a militantly anti-communist group//


Words: militarism
Meaning:
n [U]   the belief that a country should build up its military forces and use them to protect itself and get what it wants//  --a country emerging from 20 years of militarism and political repression//  -- militarist n  [C] //  -- militaristic/m[hA366]l[hA369]t[hA353]r[hA366]st[hA366]k[hA36B]/ adj //  --a militaristic regime//


Words: militarized
Meaning:
also militarised  BrE   adj \n  1 a militarized area is one that has a lot of soldiers and weapons in it:  --Kalinigrad is a highly militarized zone.//\n  2 organized like an army:  --the militarized police force//


Words: military
Meaning:
W1S2   adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: militaire, from  Latin militaris, from  miles  ’soldier’]//\n  1 used by, involving, or relating to the army, navy, or airforce:  --a military helicopter//  --military equipment//  --The government has threatened to take military action if the rebels do not withdraw from the area.//  --The United States is prepared to use military force to achieve its aims.//  --a raid by European military forces  (=the army, navy, or air force) //\n  2  with military precision:  if you do something with military precision, you do it in a very organized and exact way//  --The trips are planned with military precision.//  -- militarily adv //  --Europe may have to intervene militarily if the crisis worsens.//\nmilitary 2 n   the military [also + plural verb British English] the military forces of a country//   the forces//  --He was never tempted to join the military.//  in the military//  --My brother is in the military.//  --The military were sent in to break up the demonstration.//


Words: Military Academy
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a national college where people are trained to be officers in the military forces:\n  2 a private school in the US that gives students military training:


Words: military police
Meaning:
n   the military police//  a special police force whose job is to deal with members of the army etc who break the rules//


Words: military service
Meaning:
n [U]   the system in which every adult, or every male adult, in a country has to spend a period of time in the army, navy, or air force//    draft//  --More and more men are refusing to do military service .//


Words: militate
Meaning:
v   militate against [militate against sth] phr v//  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  militare;   MILITANT]//  to prevent something or make it less likely to happen//  --Environmental factors militate against building the power station in this area.//


Words: militia
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: ’military service’, from  miles;   MILITARY1]//  a group of people trained as soldiers, who are not part of the permanent army//  --He joined the local militia as soon as he was 16.//  --a militia leader//  --a left-wing militia group//


Words: milk
Meaning:
W3S2   n   [Language: Old English; Origin: meolc,  milc]//\n  1 [U] a white liquid produced by cows or goats that is drunk by people:  --a bottle of milk//  --Would you like some milk in your tea?//  --a pint of semi-skimmed milk//\n  2 [U] a white liquid produced by female animals and women for feeding their babies:  --mothers who believe that breast milk is best for their babies//  --The tiny fox cubs drink nothing but their mother’s milk .//\n  3 [U] a liquid or juice produced by particular plants, especially the coconut:\n  4 [U and C] a thin white liquid used to clean or protect skin:   lotion//  --a mild facial cleansing milk//\n  5  the milk of human kindness:   literary the kind and sympathetic behaviour of most ordinary people//    evaporated milk//    cry over spilt milk at cry1 (3)//    land of milk and honey at land1 (8)//\nmilk 2 v [T] \n  1  informal to get as much money or as many advantages as you can from a situation, in a very determined and sometimes dishonest way:  milk sb/sth for sth//  --Their landlord regularly milks them for extra money by claiming for damage to his property.//  --He seems to be milking the incident for all it’s worth  (=getting as much from it as possible) .//\n  2 to take milk from a cow or goat:  --I helped to milk the cows.//  -- milking n  [U] //  --They had risen at 5.30 to do the milking.//


Words: milk product
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]   a food such as cheese or cream that is made from milk//  --I’ve tried to cut down on milk products.//


Words: milk round
Meaning:
n  BrE \n  1 [C] the regular journey a milkman makes every day to deliver milk:\n  2  the milk round:  a series of visits to universities in Britain that large companies make each year in order to find students they may want to employ//


Words: milk run
Meaning:
n [C]  informal \n  1  BrE a familiar, easy journey that you do regularly:\n  2  AmE a train journey or regular plane flight with stops in many places:


Words: milk shake
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  BrE a sweet drink made of milk with fruit or chocolate added:\n  2  AmE a sweet drink made of milk, ice cream, and fruit or chocolate:


Words: milk tooth plural
Meaning:
milk teeth  n [C]    BrE one of the first set of teeth that babies and young children have//   baby tooth//


Words: milkman
Meaning:
n   plural  milkmen /-m[hA353]n/ [C] //  someone in Britain whose job is to deliver milk to people’s houses each morning//


Words: milksop
Meaning:
n [C]  old-fashioned   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: milksop  ’bread softened in milk’ (14-15 centuries)]//  a boy or man who is too gentle and weak, and who is afraid to do anything difficult or dangerous//


Words: milkweed
Meaning:
n [U]   a common North American plant that produces a bitter white substance when its stem is broken//


Words: milky
Meaning:
adj \n  1 containing a lot of milk:  --a cup of milky coffee//\n  2 looking, smelling, or tasting like milk:  --a sweet, milky flavour//\n  3 milky skin is white and smooth:  --her beautiful milky complexion//\n  4  literary white or pale:  --His eyes were a pale milky blue.//


Words: Mill
Meaning:
John Stuart   (1806-73) a British  philosopher and economist who influenced modern ideas about politics and economics. He helped to develop the idea of  utilitarianism (=the principle that actions are good if they generally bring happiness, and bad if they do not) , and in his book  On Liberty, he said that people should be free to do what they want so long as they did not harm other people.//


Words: mill
Meaning:
W3   n [C]   ----------//\n   1 grain:\n   2 cotton/cloth/steel:\n   3 coffee/pepper mill:\n   4 go through the mill:\n   5 put somebody through the mill:\n   6 money:\n   7 million:  ----------//  [Sense: 1-5; Origin: Old English mylen, from  Late Latin molina, from  Latin mola  ’mill, millstone’]//  [Sense: 6; Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: mille  ’thousand’]//  [Sense: 7; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: million]//\n  1 GRAIN:  a building containing a large machine for crushing grain into flour//\n  2 COTTON/CLOTH/STEEL:  a factory that produces materials such as cotton, cloth, or steel//  cotton/steel/paper etc mill //  --an old Victorian cotton mill//\n  3  coffee/pepper mill:  a small machine for crushing coffee or pepper//\n  4  go through the mill:  to go through a time when you experience a lot of difficulties and problems//  --He’s really been through the mill recently.//\n  5  put sb through the mill:  to make someone answer a lot of difficult questions or do a lot of difficult things in order to test them//  --It was a three day course and they really put us through the mill.//\n  6 MONEY:   AmE a unit of money equal to 1/10 of a cent, used in setting taxes and for other financial purposes//\n  7 MILLION:   spoken a million//  --Are you saying they paid a quarter of a mill for that house?//    run-of-the-mill//    (all) grist to the mill at grist//\nmill 2 v [T] \n  1 to crush grain, pepper etc in a mill:  --All our flours are milled using traditional methods.//  --Add some freshly milled black pepper.//\n  2 to press, roll, or shape metal in a machine:  mill around/about () [mill around/about (sth)] phr v//  if a lot of people mill around, they move around a place in different directions without any particular purpose//  --Crowds of students were milling around in the street.//  --There were a lot of people milling around the entrance.//


Words: Mill on the Floss
Meaning:
The   (1860) a novel by George  Eliot about Maggie Tulliver, the daughter of a  miller, and her brother, Tom//


Words: Millais
Meaning:
Sir John Everett   (1829-96) a British painter who helped to establish the  Pre-Raphaelite group of artists//


Words: millennium
Meaning:
n   plural  millennia /-ni[hA353]/ [C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Latin mille  ’thousand’ +  annus  ’year’]//\n  1 [C] a period of 1000 years:  --people who have inhabited this land for millennia//\n  2 [usually singular] the time when a new 1000-year period begins:  --the beginning of a new millennium//  --events which took place at the turn of the last millennium //  -- millennial adj //


Words: Millennium Bridge
Meaning:
the Millennium Bridge//  a bridge that crosses the Thames River in London, built to celebrate the  Millennium. People can walk over it, but no cars or buses are allowed. When it was first built it shook too much when people walked on it, and it had to be closed and strengthened.//


Words: Millennium Dome
Meaning:
the Millennium Dome//  a very large temporary building in the shape of a dome in Greenwich, London, built by the UK government to contain a big public  exhibition celebrating the start of the new  millennium in the year 2000//


Words: Miller
Meaning:
Arthur   (1915- ) a US writer of plays that deal with political or moral problems. His most famous plays include  The Crucible, about the  Salem Witchcraft Trials in 17th century America, and  Death of a Salesman. He is also famous for having been married to Marilyn  Monroe.//\n Glenn   (1904-44) a US musician, band leader, and  composer, whose  swing music was very popular during World War II. His most famous pieces of music are  In the Mood and  Moonlight Serenade.//\n Henry   (1891-1980) a US writer whose novels include  Tropic of Cancer and  Tropic of Capricorn//


Words: millet
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: milet, from  Latin milium]//  the small seeds of a plant similar to grass, used as food//


Words: milli-
Meaning:
prefix [in nouns]   [Language: French; Origin: Latin, from  mille  ’thousand’]//  a 1000th part of a unit//  --a millilitre (=0.001 litres) //


Words: millibar
Meaning:
n [C]   a unit for measuring the pressure of the atmosphere (=the mixture of gases surrounding the Earth) //


Words: milligram
Meaning:
also  milligramme BrE   n [C]  written abbreviation mg   a unit for measuring weight. There are 1000 milligrams in one gram.//


Words: millilitre
Meaning:
BrE  milliliter AmE   n [C]  written abbreviation ml   a unit for measuring an amount of liquid. There are 1000 millilitres in one litre.//


Words: millimetre
Meaning:
S3  BrE  millimeter AmE   n [C]  written abbreviation mm   a unit for measuring length. There are 1000 millimetres in one metre.//


Words: milliner
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: Milan city in Italy from which women’s clothing was bought in the 16th century]//  someone who makes and sells women’s hats//


Words: million
Meaning:
number, n   plural  million  or  millions //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Old Italian milione, from  mille  ’thousand’, from  Latin;   MILLI-]//\n  1 the number 1,000,000:  --Each of the books sold more than a million copies.//  two/three/four etc million //  --seven million dollars//  --[hA124]37 million of new investment//  millions of pounds/dollars etc //  --Millions of pounds were lost in Western aid.//\n  2 an extremely large number of people or things:  a million//  --I’ve got a million ideas.//  millions of sth//  --She seems to have millions of friends.//\n  3  not/never in a million years:   spoken used to emphasize that something is impossible or very unlikely to happen//  --She’ll never believe me. Not in a million years.//\n  4  look/feel like a million dollars/bucks:   informal  especially AmE to look very attractive or feel very happy and healthy//\n  5  in a million:   informal //  a) the best of all possible people or things//  --She’s a wife in a million.//  --He’s so generous. He’s one in a million .//  b) used to show how unlikely something is//  --It was a chance in a million that we’d find a fossil.//  -- millionth adj //  --The park has just received its millionth visitor.//  -- millionth n  [C] //


Words: millionaire
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: million;   MILLION]//  someone who is very rich and has at least a million pounds or dollars//  --an American millionaire//  --a millionaire businessman//


Words: millipede
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: millepeda, from  mille  ’thousand’ +  pes  ’foot’]//  a long thin creature with a very large number of legs//    centipede//


Words: Mills and Boon
Meaning:
trademark   a British publisher that produces very popular romantic novels, bought especially by women. The typical Mills and Boon story is about the  romance between a young, beautiful woman and a good-looking man, who usually get married after many difficulties.//  --Tall, rich, and handsome, Garth was just like the hero of a Mills and Boon book.//


Words: millstone
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 one of the two large circular stones that crush grain into flour in a mill:\n  2  a millstone round/around sb’s neck:  something that causes a lot of problems for someone, and that they cannot get rid of//  --Inflation is still a millstone round the neck of British businesses.//


Words: millwheel
Meaning:
n [C]  especially BrE   a large wheel that is turned by water flowing past it to provide power to the machinery in a watermill//


Words: Milne
Meaning:
A. A.   (1882-1956) a British writer, famous for his books for children such as  Winnie the Pooh and his collection of poems  When We Were Very Young//


Words: Milton
Meaning:
John   (1608-74) an English poet who many people consider to be one of the most important writers in English literature.He wrote the  epic poems  Paradise Lost and  Paradise Regained after he had gone blind. Before this, he was active in politics as a strong supporter of religious freedom and of Oliver  Cromwell.//


Words: Milton Keynes
Meaning:
a town in central southern England that was developed in 1967 as a  new town. The  Open University is based there.//


Words: Milwaukee
Meaning:
the largest city in the US state of Wisconsin, which is a port on Lake Michigan and an important centre of the beer-making industry//


Words: mime
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: mimus, from  Greek mimos  ’copier, mimic’]//  [U and C] the use of movements to express what you want to say without using words, or a play where the actors use only movements//  --The children learn through role-play, dance and mime.//  --They will perform a short mime later.//  --a professional mime artist //\nmime 2 v [I and T] \n  1 to describe or express something, using movements not words:  --Stan put a finger to his mouth, miming ’shush’.//  mime doing sth//  --Soundlessly, she mimed picking up a phone and speaking into it.//\n  2 to pretend to play or sing a piece of music, without making any sound:  mime to//  --Singers on television often mime to pre-recorded tapes.//


Words: mimetic
Meaning:
adj  technical   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Greek; Origin: mimetikos, from  mimeisthai  ’to copy’]//  copying the movements or appearance of someone or something else//


Words: mimic
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  mimicked present participle  mimicking  [T] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: mimic  ’copying’ (16-21 centuries), from  Latin mimicus, from  Greek, from  mimos;   MIME1]//\n  1 to copy the way someone speaks or behaves, especially in order to make people laugh:   imitate, take off//  --He could mimic all the teachers’ accents.//  --’I’m so sorry,’ she mimicked.//\n  2 to behave or operate in exactly the same way as something or someone else:  --Europe should not try to mimic Japan: we have to find our own path to successful modernisation.//  --The drug mimics the action of the body’s own chemicals.//\n  3 if an animal mimics something, it looks or sounds very like it:  --a fly whose size and colour exactly mimics that of the wasp//  -- mimicry n  [U] //  --He has a gift for mimicry.//\nmimic 2 n [C]   a person or animal that is good at copying the movements, sound, or appearance of someone or something else//    impressionist, impersonator//


Words: mimosa
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: mimus (  MIME1); because it copies animal behavior in reacting when touched]//\n  1 a tree with small yellow flowers that grows in hot countries:\n  2  AmE a mixture of champagne and orange juice, or a glass of this:  British Equivalent:  Buck’s Fizz//


Words: minaret
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: Turkish minare, from  Arabic manarah  ’lighthouse’]//  a tall thin tower on a mosque, from which Muslims are called to prayer//


Words: minatory
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Late Latin; Origin: minatorius, from  Latin minari  ’to threaten’]//  threatening to hurt someone or something//


Words: mince
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: mincier, from  Latin minutia  ’smallness’;   MINUTIAE]//\n  1 [T]  also mince sth → up :  to cut food, especially meat, into very small pieces, usually using a machine//  --minced lamb//  --Mince the meat up with some onion and garlic.//\n  2 [I always + adverb/preposition] to walk with very quick, short steps in a way that looks unnatural or silly:  --She was mincing about in her high-heeled shoes.//\n  3  not mince (your) words:  to say exactly what you think, even if this might offend people//  --Tom didn’t mince words and told me straight away that I had failed.//\nmince 2 n [U]  BrE   meat, especially beef, that has been cut into very small pieces using a special machine//  American Equivalent:  ground beef//


Words: mincemeat
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 a mixture of dried fruits that you use to make sweet dishes:\n  2  make mincemeat of sb/sth:   informal to completely defeat someone in an argument, fight, or game//  --I knew that a good lawyer would make mincemeat of him if I allowed him to give evidence.//


Words: mincer
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a machine that cuts meat into very small pieces by forcing it through small holes//  American Equivalent:  meat grinder//


Words: MIND
Meaning:
a British  charity organization which gives advice and practical help to people who are mentally ill and to their families, and which tries to make people in general understand more about mental illness //


Words: mind
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 ability to think and imagine:\n   2 change your mind:\n   3 make up your mind/make your mind up:\n   4 have somebody/something in mind (for something):\n   5 bear/keep somebody/something in mind:\n   6 with somebody/something in mind:\n   7 on your/somebody’s mind:\n   8 get/put somebody/something out of your mind:\n   9 cross/enter somebody’s mind:\n  10 go/run/flash etc through somebody’s mind:\n  11 come/spring to mind:\n  12 character:\n  13 intelligence:\n  14 intelligent person:\n  15 state/frame of mind:\n  16 to/in my mind:\n  17 go/turn over something in your mind:\n  18 be the last thing on somebody’s mind:\n  19 take/keep/get somebody’s mind off something:\n  20 set/put somebody’s mind at rest:\n  21 it/that is a load/weight off somebody’s mind:\n  22 prey on somebody’s mind:\n  23 no one in their right mind ...:\n  24 be out of your mind:\n  25 be out of your mind with worry/grief etc:\n  26 go out of your mind:\n  27 somebody’s mind goes blank:\n  28 go (right/clean) out of somebody’s mind:\n  29 bring/call something to mind:\n  30 put somebody in mind of somebody/something:\n  31 stick/stay in somebody’s mind:\n  32 be of one mind/of the same mind/of like mind:\n  33 have a mind of your own:\n  34 put/set/turn your mind to something:\n  35 somebody’s mind is not on something:\n  36 keep your mind on something:\n  37 somebody’s mind wanders:\n  38 somebody’s mind is racing:\n  39 it’s all in the mind:\n  40 in your mind’s eye:\n  41 have it in mind:\n  42 have half a mind to do something:\n  43 mind over matter:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: gemynd]//\n  1 ABILITY TO THINK AND IMAGINE:   [U and C] your thoughts or your ability to think, feel, and imagine things//  --It is impossible to understand the complex nature of the human mind. //  --Mind and body are closely related.//  --Meditation involves focusing the mind on a single object or word.//  in sb’s mind//  --There was no doubt in my mind that it was the right decision to make.//  --Do you have a clear picture in your mind of what you want?//  --A plan began to form in his mind.//  --The event is still fresh in most people’s minds.//  independence/strength/flexibility of mind //  --men who were chosen for their independence of mind//\n  2  change your mind:  to change your decision, plan, or opinion about something//  --I was afraid that Liz would change her mind and take me back home.//  change your mind about//  --If you change your mind about the colour scheme, it’s easy to just paint over it.//\n  3  make up your mind/make your mind up:  a) to decide which of two or more choices you want, especially after thinking for a long time//  --I wish he’d hurry up and make his mind up.//  make up your mind/make your mind up about//  --He couldn’t make up his mind about what to do with the money.//  make up your mind whether//  --Karen couldn’t make up her mind whether to apply for membership or not.//  b) to become very determined to do something, so that you will not change your decision//  --No more argument My mind is made up. //  make up your mind to do sth//  --He had clearly made up his mind to end the affair.//  make up your mind that//  --I made up my mind there and then that I would never get married.//  c) to decide what your opinion is about someone or something//  make up your mind/make your mind up about//  --I could never really make my mind up about him.//  --You’re old enough to make your own mind up about smoking.//\n  4  have sb/sth in mind (for sth):  to have an idea about who or what you want for a particular purpose//  --It was a nice house, but it wasn’t quite what we had in mind .//  --Did you have anyone in mind for the job?//  --Have you any particular colour in mind for the bedroom?//\n  5  bear/keep sb/sth in mind:  to remember or think about someone or something when you are doing something//  --It’s a good idea - I’ll keep it in mind.//  --You must always keep the reader in mind when writing a report.//  --Floor tiles can be difficult to clean - worth keeping in mind when you choose a new floor.//  bear/keep in mind that//  --Bear in mind that the price does not include flights.//  --More money should be given to housing, bearing in mind  (=because of) the problem of homelessness.//\n  6  with sb/sth in mind:  considering someone or something when doing something, and taking suitable action//  --Most gardens designed with children in mind are safe but dull.//  --With these aims in mind, the school operates a broad-based curriculum.//\n  7  on your/sb’s mind:  a) if something is on your mind, you keep thinking or worrying about it//  --He looked as though he had something on his mind .//  --Sorry I forgot. I’ve got a lot on my mind  (=a lot of problems to worry about) at the moment.//  b) if something is on your mind, that is what you are thinking about//  --She’s the type of person who just says what’s on her mind.//\n  8  get/put sb/sth out of your mind:   also put sb/sth to the back of your mind //  to stop yourself thinking about someone or something//  --I just can’t seem to get her out of my mind.//  --You’ve got to try and put him out of your mind.//  --She put her disappointment to the back of her mind and concentrated on Dana.//\n  9  cross/enter sb’s mind:   also come into sb’s mind //   [not in progressive] if something crosses your mind, you have a thought or idea//  -- It never crossed my mind that Lisa might be lying.//  --Suddenly a horrible thought came into my mind.//\n  10  go/run/flash etc through sb’s mind:  if something goes through your mind, you have a thought, especially for a short time//  --She knew what was going through his mind.//  --All kinds of questions ran through my mind.//  --After the accident, one of the things that went through my mind was whether I would be able to drive again.//\n  11  come/spring to mind [not in progressive] if something comes or springs to mind, you suddenly or immediately think of it:  --I just used the first excuse which sprang to mind.//  --A memory of last night came to mind, and he smiled.//  --Fatherhood doesn’t immediately spring to mind when you think of James.//\n  12 CHARACTER:   [C] used to talk about the way that someone thinks and the type of thoughts they have//  --He has a very devious mind.//  --My naturally suspicious mind thought he might be lying.//\n  13 INTELLIGENCE:   [C usually singular] your intelligence and ability to think, rather than your emotions//  --a mind trained to react with split-second accuracy//  a brilliant/enquiring/logical etc mind //  --a bright child with an enquiring mind//\n  14 INTELLIGENT PERSON:   [C] someone who is very intelligent, especially in a particular subject or activity//   brain//  --This is one of the issues that has most interested military minds.//  --Some of the finest minds in the country are working on the project.//\n  15  state/frame of mind:  the way someone is thinking and feeling at a particular time//  --What happened had a lot to do with my state of mind at the time.//  in a good/positive/relaxed etc frame of mind //  --She returned from lunch in a happier frame of mind.//  in the right/wrong frame of mind //  --You have to be in the right frame of mind to play well.//\n  16  to/in my mind:  used to show you are giving your opinion about something//  --The Internet, to my mind, represents information exchange at its best.//\n  17  go/turn over sth in your mind:  to keep thinking about something because you are trying to understand it or solve a problem//  --Corbett rode along, turning over in his mind what Bruce had said.//\n  18  be the last thing on sb’s mind:   also be the furthest thing from sb’s mind //  to be the thing that someone is least likely to be thinking about//  --Insurance was the last thing on my mind when we set off that day.//\n  19  take/keep/get sb’s mind off sth:  to make someone stop thinking and worrying about something//  --Going back to work helped take my mind off my Ian’s death.//  --Want a game? It might take your mind off things .//\n  20  set/put sb’s mind at rest:   also set/put sb’s mind at ease //  to make someone feel less worried or anxious//  --If you’re worried, see a doctor to set your mind at rest.//\n  21  it/that is a load/weight off sb’s mind:   informal used to say that someone does not have to worry about something any more//\n  22  prey on sb’s mind:   also play on sb’s mind //  if a problem preys on your mind, you cannot stop thinking about it//  --Finally, she broached the subject that had been playing on her mind for days.//\n  23  no one in their right mind ...:   also who in their right mind ...? //   informal used to say that someone must be stupid or crazy to do something//  --Who in their right mind would want to do that job?//  --No woman in her right mind would go out with a man like him.//\n  24  be out of your mind:   informal to be stupid or crazy//  --He must have been out of his mind to employ her.//\n  25  be out of your mind with worry/grief etc:   also be worried/bored etc out of your mind //  to be extremely worried, bored etc//  --It was getting late and I was out of my mind with worry.//\n  26  go out of your mind:   also lose your mind //   informal to become mentally ill or very worried, bored etc//  --Nicole looked at him as if he’d gone out of his mind.//\n  27  sb’s mind goes blank:   also sb’s mind is a blank //   informal if your mind goes blank, you suddenly cannot remember something//  --For some inexplicable reason, her mind went completely blank.//  --His heart was thumping and his mind was a complete blank.//\n  28  go (right/clean) out of sb’s mind:   also slip sb’s mind //  if something goes out of your mind, you forget it, especially because you are very busy//  --I’m sorry. So much has been happening, it went clean out of my mind.//  -- It had completely slipped her mind that Dave still had a key to the house.//\n  29  bring/call sth to mind:  a) to make you think of someone or something//  --The wine’s sweet nutty taste calls to mind roasted chestnuts.//  b)  formal to remember something//  --The only thing I could call to mind was something my mother once said.//\n  30  put sb in mind of sb/sth [not in progressive]  formal to remind someone of someone or something:  --The girl put me in mind of my own daughter.//\n  31  stick/stay in sb’s mind:  if a name, fact etc sticks in your mind, you remember it for a long time//  --For some reason, the name really stuck in Joe’s mind.//  --One line from the poem had stayed in her mind.//\n  32  be of one mind/of the same mind/of like mind:   formal to have the same opinions as someone else//  --It can be difficult to meet others of like mind.//  be of one mind/of the same mind/of like mind on/about//  --The council and the government are of one mind on the long-term objective.//\n  33  have a mind of your own:  a) to have strong opinions about things, and make your own decisions without being influenced by other people//  --She’s a woman without fear, with a mind of her own, who says what she thinks.//  b) if an object has a mind of its own, it seems to control itself and does not work or move in the way you want it to//  --The bicycle seemed to have a mind of its own and I couldn’t steer it straight.//\n  34  put/set/turn your mind to sth:  to decide that you want to achieve something and try very hard to do it//  --I think anyone can lose weight if they set their mind to it.//\n  35  sb’s mind is not on sth:  if your mind is not on what you are doing, you are not thinking much about it because you are thinking or worrying about something else//  --His mind didn’t seem to be on the game at all.//\n  36  keep your mind on sth:  to keep paying attention to something, even though it is difficult//  --He could hardly keep his mind on what she was saying.//  keep your mind on the job/task in hand //  --Making notes is the best way of keeping your mind on the task at hand.//\n  37  sb’s mind wanders:  if your mind wanders, you no longer pay attention to something, especially because you are bored//  --Her mind was beginning to wander.//\n  38  sb’s mind is racing:  if your mind is racing, you are thinking very quickly and hard about something because you are excited, frightened etc//  --He tried to reassure her, but Carrie’s mind was racing.//\n  39  it’s all in the mind:  used to tell someone that they have imagined something and it does not really exist//  --He’s one of those doctors who say you’re not really sick and it’s all in the mind.//\n  40  in your mind’s eye:  if you see something in your mind’s eye, you imagine or remember clearly what it looks like//  --She paused, imagining the scene in her mind’s eye.//\n  41  have it in mind:   formal to intend to do something//  have it in mind to do sth//  --For a long time I had it in mind to write a book about my experiences.//  have it in mind that//  --I had it in mind that one day I might move to Spain.//\n  42  have half a mind to do sth:   spoken //  a)  also have a good mind to do sth //  used to say that you might do something to show that you disapprove of something someone has done//  --I’ve a good mind to tell him exactly what I think.//  --I’ve half a mind to stop him seeing her altogether.//  b) used to say that you may decide to do something//  --I’ve half a mind to come with you tomorrow.//\n  43  mind over matter:  used to say that you can use your thoughts to control physical feelings or an unpleasant situation//  --I’m scared, yes, but it’s a case of mind over matter.//    in/at the back of your mind at back2 (6)//    blow sb’s mind at blow1 (15)//    cast your mind back at cast1 (9)//    a closed mind at closed(4)//    be in/at/to the forefront of sb’s mind/attention at forefront(2)//    give sb a piece of your mind at piece1 (13)//    great minds think alike at great1 (15)//    know your own mind at know1 (50)//    the mind boggles at boggle//    meeting of minds at meeting(5)//    one-track mind//    an open mind at open1 (16)//    out of sight, out of mind at sight1 (8)//    peace of mind at peace(3),  presence of mind//    read sb’s mind at read1 (15)//    set your heart/mind/sights on (doing) sth at set1 (13)//    be of sound mind at sound3 (5)//    speak your mind at speak(7)//    be in two minds at two(9)//  ----------//  HINT sense 11 //  Do not say that something ’comes to your mind’ or ’springs to your mind’. Say that it comes to mind or springs to mind. //  ----------//\nmind 2 v   ----------//\n   1 feel annoyed:\n   2 not mind doing something:\n   3 not care which one:\n   4 mind your own business:\n   5 be minding your own business:\n   6 never mind:\n   7 I wouldn’t mind (doing) something:\n   8 would/do you mind...?:\n   9 mind you:\n  10 warning:\n  11 mind how you go:\n  12 mind you do something:\n  13 never you mind:\n  14 do you mind!:\n  15 if you don’t mind:\n  16 if you don’t mind my saying so/if you don’t mind me asking:\n  17 I don’t mind admitting/telling you/saying etc:\n  18 don’t mind me:\n  19 don’t mind her/him etc:\n  20 (I) don’t mind if I do:\n  21 take care of something/somebody:\n  22 mind the shop:\n  23 mind your manners/language/p’s and q’s:\n  24 obey:  Phrasal verbs//   mind out//  ----------//\n  1 FEEL ANNOYED:   [I,T not in progressive or passive, usually in questions and negatives] to feel annoyed or upset about something//  --I don’t mind the heat, in fact I quite like it.//  --The expression on Dan’s face showed that he did mind, very much.//  --I wouldn’t have minded if she’d asked me first.//  mind doing sth//  --Did you mind being away from home for so long?//  mind sb doing sth//  --Don’t your parents mind you staying out so late?//  mind that//  --He didn’t mind that other people in the village thought him odd.//\n  2  not mind doing sth:  to be willing to do something//  --I don’t mind driving if you’re tired.//\n  3 NOT CARE WHICH ONE:   not mind [I,T not in progressive or passive]  especially BrE if you do not mind what someone does or what happens, you do not have a strong opinion about it//  --’Do you want to go out now or later?’ ’I don’t really mind.’//  not mind what/who/where etc//  --I don’t mind where we go.//\n  4  mind your own business:   informal to not ask questions about a situation that does not involve you//  --Why don’t you just mind your own business and leave me in peace?//  --I wish he’d mind his own business.//\n  5  be minding your own business:  to be doing something ordinary on your own when something unexpected happens to you//  --My father was just driving along, minding his own business, when suddenly a brick came through the window.//\n  6  spoken  never mind:  a) used to tell someone not to worry or be upset about something//  --’We haven’t done very well, have we?’ ’Never mind. At least we tried.’//  never mind about//  --Never mind about the car. You’re safe, and that’s the main thing.//  b) used to say that something is not possible or likely, because even a less extreme thing is not possible or likely//  --Well, you would have hardly got a bed in that room, never mind anything else.//  --I don’t think I could walk that far, never mind run that far.//  c) used to tell someone that it is not important to do or consider something now, often because something else is more important//  --Never mind me - what about you? What have you been doing?//  --Never mind the dishes - I’ll do them later.//  never mind doing sth//  --Never mind looking at the boys, we’re supposed to be playing tennis.//  never mind why/how etc//  --Never mind how I got here. Tell me what happened.//\n  7  spoken  I wouldn’t mind (doing) sth:  used to say that you would like something//  --’Can I get you anything to drink?’ ’I wouldn’t mind a coffee.’//  --She’s gorgeous! I wouldn’t mind looking like that!//\n  8  spoken  would/do you mind...?:  a) used to politely ask someone’s permission//  would you mind if//  --Would you mind if I opened the window?//  --Would you mind if I came with you?//  --I’ll have to leave early, do you mind?//  b) used to politely ask someone to do something//  would you mind doing sth?//  --Would you mind waiting outside?//  --’Do you want me to carry this bag for you?’ ’Would you mind?’//  c) used to angrily ask or tell someone to do something//  would you mind doing sth?//  --Would you mind telling me what you’re doing in here?//  --Would you mind shutting up for a minute?//\n  9  spoken  mind you:   also mind //   BrE used when saying something that is almost the opposite of what you have just said, or that explains or emphasizes it//  --He looks very young in this photo. Mind you, it was taken years ago.//  --I love hot weather, but not too hot, mind.//\n  10  spoken WARNING:   mind!//   BrE used to warn someone to be careful because they might hurt themselves or someone else, or damage something//  --Mind that bike, James!//  -- Mind you don’t fall.//  mind your head/fingers etc //  --Mind your head - the ceiling’s a bit low.//  mind how/where/who etc//  --It’s slippery, so mind where you’re walking.//\n  11  spoken  mind how you go:   BrE used when saying goodbye to someone, to tell them to take care//\n  12  spoken  mind you do sth:   BrE used to tell someone to do something//  --Mind you behave yourself.//\n  13  spoken  never you mind:   especially BrE used to tell someone that you are not going to tell them something because it is private or secret//  --’What’s that you were saying to Dad?’ ’Never you mind.’//\n  14  spoken  do you mind!:  used to say to someone that you are annoyed with them because of something they have just done or said//  --Do you mind! I just washed that floor!//\n  15  spoken  if you don’t mind:   also if you wouldn’t mind //  a) used to check that someone is willing to do something or let you do something//  --If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go to bed now.//  --I’d like to stay a while longer if you don’t mind.//  --We’ll go there together - that’s if you don’t mind. //  b) used when you are annoyed to tell someone what to do or what you are going to do//  --Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to get back to bed.//  c) used humorously or rudely to correct something someone has said//  --The name’s John, not Jonathan, if you don’t mind.//  d) used to refuse someone’s offer politely//  --’Do you want to come for a drink?’ ’I won’t if you don’t mind. I’ve got a lot of work to do.’//\n  16  spoken  if you don’t mind my saying so/if you don’t mind me asking:  used when you are saying or asking something that you think might offend someone//  --You’re looking tired, if you don’t mind my saying so.//  --How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?//\n  17  spoken  I don’t mind admitting/telling you/saying etc:  used to emphasize what you are saying, especially when it could make you seem silly//  --I don’t mind admitting that I was really scared.//\n  18  spoken  don’t mind me:  a) used to tell someone not to pay any attention to you//  --If you want to get on and do something, please don’t mind me.//  b) used when you are annoyed because someone is not paying any attention to you//  --Don’t mind me! I only live here!//\n  19  spoken  don’t mind her/him etc:  used to say sorry for someone else’s behaviour//  --Don’t mind her. She doesn’t mean to be hurtful.//\n  20  spoken  (I) don’t mind if I do:   old-fashioned used humorously to accept something such as food or drink that has been offered to you//\n  21 TAKE CARE OF SOMETHING/SOMEBODY:   [T]  BrE //  a) to be responsible for something for a short time//   watch//  --Will you mind my bag while I buy my ticket?//  b) to take care of a child while their parents are not there//   look after//  --My sister minds the baby while I’m at yoga.//\n  22  mind the shop:   BrE mind the store  AmE //   informal to be in charge of something, while the person who is usually in charge is not there//\n  23  mind your manners/language/p’s and q’s:  to be careful about what you say or how you behave so that you do not offend anyone//  --She gave him a frown and told him to mind his manners.//\n  24 OBEY:   [T not in progressive]  AmE to obey someone’s instructions or advice//  --Some dogs will mind instructions better than others.//  mind out phr v//  used to warn someone to be careful//  --Mind out. The plates are hot.//


Words: mind-bending
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]  informal \n  1 mind-bending drugs have a strong effect on your mind and make you have very strange feelings and experiences:\n  2 difficult to understand:  --Infinity in space is a mind-bending concept.//


Words: mind-boggling
Meaning:
adj  informal   difficult to imagine and very big, strange, or complicated//  --a problem of mind-boggling complexity//


Words: minded
Meaning:
adj \n  1  serious-minded/evil-minded etc:  having a particular attitude or way of thinking//  --a very serious-minded girl who studies hard//  --a tough-minded businessman//\n  2  be minded to do sth:   formal to want or intend to do something//


Words: mindful
Meaning:
adj   mindful of sth//   formal remembering a particular rule or fact and thinking about it when you are making decisions about what to do//   conscious of//  --The school is mindful of its responsibilities towards all the children.//


Words: mindless
Meaning:
adj \n  1 completely stupid and without any purpose:   senseless//  --His drinking bouts often ended in acts of mindless violence.//\n  2 if something is mindless, you can do it or watch it without thinking or using your mind:  --Doug was watching something mindless on television.//  --the mindless routine of military discipline//\n  3  mindless of sth:  not paying attention to something, especially something dangerous or unpleasant//  --After lunch we explored the city, mindless of the rain.//  -- mindlessly adv //


Words: mindset
Meaning:
n [C]   someone’s general attitude, and the way in which they think about things and make decisions//  --The company seems to have a very old-fashioned mindset.//


Words: mine
Meaning:
S1   pron [possessive form of ’I’]   used by the person speaking or writing to refer to something that belongs to or is connected with himself or herself//  --It was Glen’s idea, not mine.//  --’Is that your car?’ ’No, mine is parked over the road.’//  --You’ve got good legs - mine are too thin.//  --His English is better than mine.//  of mine//  --I want you to meet an old friend of mine .//\nmine 2 W3S2 n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Vulgar Latin mina]//\n  1 a deep hole or holes in the ground that people dig so that they can remove coal, gold, tin etc:  coal/gold/copper etc mine //  --one of the largest coal mines in the country//  in/down a mine//  --the time when children used to work down the mines//\n  2 a type of bomb that is hidden just below the ground or under water and that explodes when it is touched:  --They learnt how to set ambushes and lay mines  (=put them in place) .//  --The ship struck a mine and sank.//    landmine//\n  3  a mine of information (about/on sth):  someone or something that can give you a lot of information about a particular subject and that is therefore very useful or helpful//  --The website is a mine of information about all forms of cancer.//\nmine 3 v   past tense and past participle  mined present participle  mining //\n  1 [I,T usually passive] to dig large holes in the ground in order to remove coal, gold etc:  --Copper has been mined here since the sixteenth century.//  --This area has been mined for over 300 years.//  mine for//  --The company first started mining for salt in 1851.//\n  2 [T usually passive] to hide bombs in the sea or under the ground:  --All the roads leading to the village had been mined.//


Words: minefield
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C] an area where a lot of bombs have been hidden just below the ground or under water:  --They realized they had wandered into a minefield.//\n  2 [singular] a situation in which there are a lot of dangers and difficulties, and it is difficult to make the right decision:  --Choosing the right school can be a bit of a minefield.//  minefield of//  --The new Administration has to pick its way through the minefield of legislation.//  legal/financial/political etc minefield //  --The legalisation of cannabis is a political minefield.//


Words: miner
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who works under the ground in a mine to remove coal, gold etc//  coal/gold etc miner //  --a strike by coal miners//


Words: mineral
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: mineralis  ’of mines’, from  Old French mine;   MINE2]//\n  1 a substance that is formed naturally in the earth, such as coal, salt, stone, or gold. Minerals can be dug out of the ground and used:  --The area is very rich in minerals .//  --a country with few mineral resources //\n  2 a natural substance such as iron that is present in some foods and is important for good health:  --Fish is a rich source of vitamins and minerals.//


Words: mineral water
Meaning:
n [U and C]   water that comes from under the ground and contains a lot of minerals//  --a glass of mineral water//


Words: minestrone
Meaning:
n  also minestrone soup  [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Italian; Origin: Latin ministrare  ’to serve’]//  a type of soup containing vegetables and small pieces of pasta//


Words: minesweeper
Meaning:
n [C]   a ship with special equipment for removing bombs from under water//  -- minesweeping n  [U] //


Words: Ming Dynasty
Meaning:
the  dynasty (=family of rulers)  which ruled China from 1368 to 1644. During this period there were many important developments in Chinese art, politics, and trade. Ming  vases (=decorated containers)  are famous for being very beautiful and very valuable.//


Words: mingle
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  mingled present participle  mingling //  [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: meng  ’to mix’ (11-19 centuries), from  Old English mengan]//\n  1 [I and T] if two feelings, sounds, smells etc mingle, they mix together with each other:  --Add the mint and allow the flavours to mingle.//  mingle with//  --Her perfume mingled with the smell of woodsmoke from the fire.//  be mingled with sth//  --Her excitement was mingled with a slight feeling of fear.//\n  2 [I] if you mingle at a party, you move around the room and talk to lots of different people:  mingle with//  --She was eager to mingle with the other guests.//


Words: Mingus
Meaning:
Charlie   (1922-79) a US  jazz musician and  composer who played the  double bass. He wrote the story of his own life called  Beneath the Underdog (1971).//


Words: mini-
Meaning:
prefix   [Origin: miniature]//  very small or short, compared with others of the same kind//  --All the hotel’s bedrooms have a mini-bar, telephone and radio.//  --a mini-screen TV//


Words: mini-bar
Meaning:
also  minibar/m[hA366]nib[hA35A][hA359] $  -b[hA35A][hA359]r/ n [C]   a small fridge in a hotel bedroom, in which drinks are kept//


Words: mini-roundabout
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a white circle painted on the ground where several roads meet. Vehicles must drive round the circle in one direction only.//


Words: miniature
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   much smaller than normal//  --miniature roses//  --a miniature railway//  --He looked like a miniature version of his father.//\nminiature 2 n   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Italian; Origin: miniatura  ’art of drawing small pictures in a book’, from  Latin miniare  ’to color with minium’, from  minium  ’red substance used for coloring pictures in old books’; influenced by minute and minimum]//\n  1  in miniature:  exactly like something or someone but much smaller//  --She’s her mother in miniature.//\n  2 [C] a very small painting, usually of a person:\n  3 [C] a very small bottle containing an alcoholic drink:  --a miniature of whiskey//


Words: miniature golf
Meaning:
n [U]    AmE a type of golf game, played for fun, in which you hit a small ball through passages, over bridges and small hills etc//  British Equivalent:  crazy golf//


Words: miniaturize
Meaning:
also  miniaturise BrE   v [T]   to make something in a very small size//  -- miniaturized adj //  --a miniaturized listening device//


Words: minicomputer
Meaning:
n [C]   a computer that is larger than a personal computer and smaller than a mainframe, used by businesses and other large organizations//


Words: minim
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: minimus, from  Latin;   MINIMUM2]//  a musical note that continues for the length of two crotchets//  American Equivalent:  half note//


Words: minimal
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: minimus;   MINIMUM2]//  very small in degree or amount, especially the smallest degree or amount possible//  --The storm caused only minimal damage//  --The cost to taxpayers would be minimal.//  --This is a practical course, with only a minimal amount of theory.//  -- minimally adv //  --Rates of truancy from school have only increased minimally.//


Words: minimalism
Meaning:
n [U]   a style of art, design, music etc that uses only a very few simple ideas or patterns//  -- minimalist adj //  --minimalist Christmas decorations//  -- minimalist n  [C] //


Words: minimize
Meaning:
also  minimise BrE   v [T] \n  1 to reduce something that is difficult, dangerous, or unpleasant to the smallest possible amount or degree:  → maximize//  --Every effort is being made to minimize civilian casualties.//  --The rail company is bringing in more trains in an effort to minimize disruption to travellers.//\n  2 to make something seem less serious or important than it really is:   play down//  --We must not minimize the problem of racial discrimination.//\n  3 to make a document or program on your computer very small when you are not using it but still want to keep it open:  → maximize//  --Click on the top of the window to minimize it.//


Words: minimum
Meaning:
W3S2   adj [only before noun]   the minimum number, degree, or amount of something is the smallest or least that is possible, allowed, or needed//  → maximum//  --The minimum number of students we need to run the course is fifteen.//  --The minimum age for retirement is 55.//  -- minimum adv //  --You’ll need two tons of cement, minimum.//\nminimum 2 n [singular]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: minimus  ’smallest’]//\n  1 the smallest amount of something or number of things that is possible or necessary:  → maximum//  a minimum of two hours/[hA124]1000 etc //  --The judge recommended that he should serve a minimum of 12 years.//  minimum of//  --He achieved enviable results with the minimum of effort.//  absolute/bare minimum (=the very least amount or number) //  --Prison inmates are kept in tiny cells, with the bare minimum of furniture.//  keep/reduce sth to a minimum //  --She had reduced her consumption of fat and sugar to an absolute minimum.//\n  2  at a/the minimum:  used to say that if nothing else is done, this one thing should be done//  --At a minimum, we must recruit two new teachers.//


Words: minimum security prison
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   a prison that does not restrict prisoners’ freedom as much as ordinary prisons//  British Equivalent:  open prison//


Words: minimum wage
Meaning:
n [singular]   the lowest amount of money that an employer can legally pay to a worker//  --Most of the junior office staff are on the minimum wage (=being paid the lowest legal amount) .//


Words: mining
Meaning:
n [U]   the work or industry of getting gold, coal etc out of the earth//  coal/gold etc mining //  --the coal mining industry//


Words: minion
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: mignon word for a much-loved person]//  someone’s minions are the people who just obey their orders and do unskilled work - used humorously//  --I was shown into the office by one of her minions.//


Words: miniseries
Meaning:
n [C]   a television film that is divided into several parts. Each part is shown on a different evening//


Words: minister
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: ministre, from  Latin minister  ’servant’]//\n  1 a politician who is in charge of a government department, in Britain and some other countries:  minister of//  --the Minister of Agriculture//  minister for//  --the Minister for Foreign Affairs//  foreign/defence/finance etc minister //  --a meeting of EU foreign ministers//  --a senior Cabinet minister //    prime minister//\n  2 a priest in some Christian churches:    pastor, vicar//  --a Baptist minister//\n  3 someone whose job is to represent their country in another country, but who is lower in rank than an ambassador:\nminister 2 v [I]   to work as a priest//  --Rev Wilson spent 20 years ministering in some of New York’s poorest areas.//  minister to / [minister to sb/sth] phr v//  to give help to someone who needs it, especially someone who is sick or old//  --She spent much time ministering to the sick.//  --ministering to the needs of other people//


Words: minister of state
Meaning:
n [C]   a member of the government in Britain who has an important job in a government department but is not in charge of it//


Words: ministerial
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   connected with or relating to government ministers//  --a ministerial meeting//  --The project was approved at ministerial level.//


Words: ministrations
Meaning:
n [plural]    formal the giving of help to people who are ill or who need the help of a priest//  --Despite the ministrations of the surgeon poor Lucy died on the 22 July.//


Words: ministry
Meaning:
W2   n   plural  ministries //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: ministerium, from  minister;   MINISTER1]//\n  1 [C] a government department that is responsible for one of the areas of government work, such as education or health:  ministry of//  --the Ministry of Agriculture//  foreign/justice/finance etc ministry //  --a Defence Ministry spokesman//\n  2  the ministry:  the profession of being a church leader, especially in the Protestant church//  --Converted in his early teens, he entered the ministry  (=started working as a church leader) in 1855.//\n  3 [C usually singular] the work done by a priest or other religious person as a result of their religious beliefs:  --the ministry of Jesus//


Words: Ministry of Agriculture
Meaning:
Fisheries and Food   MAFF the British government department that was responsible for farming, food production, and the safety of food products. In 2001, it became part of a new Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.//


Words: Ministry of Defence
Meaning:
the   MOD the British government department that is responsible for the UK’s armed forces. The minister in charge of this department is the Secretary of State for Defence.//


Words: minivan
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE a large car with seats for six to eight people//  British Equivalent:  people carrier//


Words: mink
Meaning:
n   plural  mink  or  minks //  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Swedish]//\n  1 [U and C] a small animal with soft brown fur, or the very valuable fur of this animal which is used to make coats, hats etc:  --a mink coat//\n  2 [C] a coat or jacket made of mink:


Words: Minneapolis
Meaning:
a city in east Minnesota, US and an important industrial centre. It is a port on one side of the  Mississippi River, with  Saint Paul on the other side. Together, they are called the  Twin Cities.//


Words: Minnesota
Meaning:
MN a state in the north of the US, which is an industrial and farming area with many farms that produce milk//


Words: Minnie Mouse
Meaning:
trademark   a  cartoon character invented by Walt  Disney. She is a female mouse, and wife or girlfriend of Mickey Mouse.//


Words: Minnie the Minx
Meaning:
a character in the British  comic (=a magazine for children that tells stories using sets of drawings)  The Beano. She is a girl who enjoys behaving badly and causing problems for other people.//


Words: minnow
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Probably from an unrecorded  Old English mynwe]//\n  1 a very small fish that lives in rivers and lakes:\n  2 an organization or company that is small and unimportant:  --one of the minnows of the computer industry//


Words: minor
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Latin; Origin: ’smaller’]//\n  1 small and not very important or serious, especially when compared with other things:  → major//  --We have made some minor changes to the program.//  --a relatively minor error//  --a minor road//  --They played only a minor role in local government.//  minor injury/illness/operation etc (=one that is not very serious or dangerous) //  --He escaped with only minor injuries.//\n  2 based on a particular type of musical scale:  --Mahler’s Symphony No. 3 in D minor//  --a minor key//\nminor 2 n [C] \n  1  law someone who is below the age at which they become legally responsible for their actions:  --This film contains material unsuitable for minors.//\n  2  AmE the second main subject that you study at university for your degree:  → major//  --I’m taking history as my minor.//\n  3  the minors:  the Minor Leagues//\nminor 3 v   minor in [minor in sth] phr v//   AmE to study a second main subject as part of your university degree//  → major//  --Sid minored in political science.//


Words: Minor Leagues
Meaning:
n   the Minor Leagues//  the groups of teams that form the lower levels of American professional baseball//    Major Leagues//


Words: minor-league
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1 connected with the Minor Leagues:  --a minor-league team//\n  2 not as important, powerful, or successful as others of the same kind:  --Collins and Reynolds were just minor-league crooks.//


Words: Minorca
Meaning:
also Menorca   a Spanish island in the west Mediterranean Sea, one of the Balearic Islands, which is popular with tourists//


Words: minority
Meaning:
W2S3   n   plural  minorities //\n  1 [singular also + plural verb] a small group of people or things within a much larger group:  → majority//  --Gaelic is still spoken in Ireland by a tiny minority.//  minority of//  --A small minority of young people does drink excessively.//  --Only a minority of people support these new laws.//  small/tiny/substantial/significant minority //  --Gay men are a small but significant minority.//  minority report (=a report by a minority of a group who do not agree with the others) //\n  2 [C usually plural] :  a) a group of people of a different race, religion etc from most other people in that country//  --People from ethnic minorities often face prejudice and discrimination.//  --the very large Russian minorities in Ukraine and Moldova//  --children from minority groups //  --the teaching of minority languages in schools//  minority leader/businessman/student etc  AmE //  --a school with a high proportion of minority students//  b)  AmE someone who belongs to a group like this//  --Businesses are under pressure to hire minorities and women.//\n  3  be in the/a minority:  to form less than half of a group//  --Boys are very much in the minority at the dance class.//\n  4  be in a minority of one:  to be the only person in a group who has a particular opinion//\n  5 [U]  law the period of time when someone is below the age at which they become legally responsible for their actions:


Words: minority government
Meaning:
n [C]   a government that does not have enough politicians in a parliament to control parliament and take decisions without the support of other parties//


Words: minority leader
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE the leader of the political party that has fewer politicians in congress than the leading party//    majority leader//


Words: Minotaur
Meaning:
the   in ancient Greek stories, a creature which was half a man and half a  bull (=a male cow) , which was kept in a  labyrinth (=a complicated network of paths which it is difficult to find your way out of)  and was given young men and women to eat. It was killed by  Theseus.//


Words: Minsk
Meaning:
the capital city of Belarus, on the Svisloch River. It was badly damaged during the Second World War.//


Words: minster
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   [Language: Old English; Origin: mynster, from  Late Latin monasterium;   MONASTERY]//  a large or important church//  --a carol service at the minster//  --York Minster//


Words: minstrel
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: menestrel  ’servant, minstrel’, from  Latin minister;   MINISTER1]//\n  1 a singer or musician in the Middle Ages:\n  2 one of a group of white singers and dancers who pretended to be black while performing in popular shows in the 1920s:


Words: mint
Meaning:
n   [Sense: 1-2; Origin: Old English minte, from  Latin mentha;   MENTHOL]//  [Sense: 3-5; Origin: Old English mynet  ’coin, money’, from  Latin moneta;   MONEY]//\n  1 [U] a small plant with green leaves that have a fresh smell and taste and are used in cooking:  --new potatoes sprinkled with chopped mint//  --roast lamb with mint sauce //  --Decorate with a sprig of mint .//\n  2 [C] a sweet that tastes of peppermint (=a type of mint with a strong fresh taste) :  --We sat in the back row, sucking mints.//  --Would you like a mint?//\n  3  in mint condition:  looking new and in perfect condition//  --A copy in mint condition would fetch about [hA124]2000.//\n  4  a mint:   informal a large amount of money//  --She made a mint on the stock exchange last year.//\n  5 [C] a place where coins are officially made:  --coins issued by the Royal Mint//\nmint 2 v [T]   to make a coin//  --Only 2,000 of the special commemorative coins are being minted.//


Words: minted
Meaning:
adj \n  1  newly/freshly minted:  a newly minted word, phrase, idea etc has been invented or produced very recently//  --some newly minted theatrical stories//\n  2 minted food and drinks have mint added to them:  --Serve with minted peas.//


Words: minuet
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: menuet, from  Old French menu  ’small’;   MINUTE2]//  a slow dance of the 17th and 18th centuries, or a piece of music for this dance//


Words: minus
Meaning:
prep   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: ’less’, from  minor  ’smaller’]//\n  1 used to show that one number or quantity is being subtracted from another:  → plus//  --17 minus 5 is 12 (17 - 5 = 12).//  --The payment will be refunded to you minus a small service charge.//\n  2  informal without something that would normally be there, or that used to be there:  --He came back minus a couple of front teeth.//\nminus 2 n [C] \n  1 something that is a disadvantage because it makes a situation unpleasant:   drawback//  → plus//  --There are both pluses and minuses to living in a big city.//\n  2 a minus sign:\nminus 3 adj \n  1 [only before noun]  BrE used to talk about a disadvantage of a thing or situation:  → plus//  --’Any minus points ?’ ’Well, the engine is rather noisy.’//  -- On the minus side , there is no free back-up service if things go wrong.//\n  2 less than zero - used especially when talking about temperatures:  --At night temperatures sometimes fall to minus 30[hA131].//  --a minus quantity//\n  3  A minus/B minus etc:  a mark used in a system of judging students’ work. An ’A minus’ is slightly lower than a ’A’, but higher than a ’B’.//  → plus//


Words: minus sign
Meaning:
also minus  n [C]   a sign (-) showing that a number is less than zero, or that the second of two numbers is to be subtracted from the first//    plus sign//


Words: minuscule
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: Latin minusculus  ’rather small’, from  minor  ’smaller’]//  extremely small//   minute//  --a minuscule amount of food//  --Her office is minuscule.//


Words: minute
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 time:\n   2 the last minute:\n   3 by the minute:\n   4 love/enjoy/hate etc every minute (of something):\n   5 within minutes:\n   6 a minute:\n   7 in a minute:\n   8 wait a minute/just a minute/hold on a minute/hang on a minute:\n   9 (at) any minute (now):\n  10 have you got a minute?:\n  11 the minute (that) somebody does something:\n  12 not think/believe/etc for one minute:\n  13 this minute:\n  14 the next minute:\n  15 one minute ... the next (minute) ...:\n  16 meeting:\n  17 mathematics:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Medieval Latin minuta, from  pars minuta prima  ’first small part, one sixtieth of a unit’, from  Latin minutus;   MINUTE2]//\n  1 TIME:  a unit for measuring time. There are 60 minutes in one hour//  --It takes me ten minutes to walk to work.//  --The train arrived at four minutes past eight.//  --He returned a few minutes later.//  --I’ll meet you at the car in five minutes.//  a one/two/three etc minute sth //  --a ten minute bus ride//\n  2  the last minute:  the last possible time, just before it is too late//  at the last minute//  --He cancelled his trip to England at the last minute.//  until the last minute//  --If you leave your essay until the last minute, you’ll almost certainly panic.//    last-minute//\n  3  by the minute:   also every minute, minute by minute //  used to say that something continues quickly becoming greater, stronger etc//  --She was getting angrier by the minute.//  --His voice was getting stronger every minute.//\n  4  love/enjoy/hate etc every minute (of sth):   informal if you love, enjoy etc every minute of an activity or experience, you love, enjoy etc all of it//  --I went camping for a week and enjoyed every minute of it.//\n  5  within minutes:  very soon after something has happened//  --The ambulance was there within minutes.//  within minutes of doing sth//  --He had his car stolen within minutes of arriving at the office.//\n  6  a minute:  a very short period of time//   moment//  --Sam thought for a minute, then smiled at his brother.//  --Can I have a quick word? It won’t take a minute (=it won’t take very long) .//\n  7  spoken  in a minute:  very soon//  --Wait here. I’ll be back in a minute.//  --Mr Gregson will be with you in a minute.//\n  8  spoken  wait a minute/just a minute/hold on a minute/hang on a minute:  a) used to tell someone you want them to wait for a short time while you do or say something else//  --Just a minute, Margaret, I want to introduce you to Betty.//  --Wait a minute, let me see if I understand this correctly.//  b) used to tell someone to stop speaking or doing something for a short time because they have said or done something wrong//  --Hold on a minute! That can’t be right.//\n  9  spoken  (at) any minute (now):  used to say that something will or may happen extremely soon//  --We’re expecting them any minute now.//\n  10  spoken  have you got a minute?:   BrE do you have a minute?  AmE used to ask someone if you may talk to them for a short time//  --Have you got a minute ? I need to ask you some questions.//\n  11  spoken  the minute (that) sb does sth:  as soon as someone does something//  --Tell him I need to see him the minute he arrives.//\n  12  spoken  not think/believe/etc for one minute:  used to say that you certainly do not think something, believe something etc//  --I don’t think for one minute that he’ll do it but I have to ask.//\n  13  spoken  this minute:  immediately//  --Johnny! Get inside, this minute!//  --You don’t have to tell me right this minute .//\n  14  the next minute:  immediately afterwards//  --I put down the phone and the next minute it rang again.//\n  15  one minute ... the next (minute) ...:  used to say that a situation suddenly changes//  --One minute they’re madly in love and the next they’ve split up again.//\n  16 MEETING:   minutes [plural] an official written record of what is said and decided at a meeting//  --Will you take the minutes  (=write them down) ?//  minutes of//  --Has everyone seen the minutes of last month’s meeting?//\n  17 MATHEMATICS:   technical one of the sixty parts into which a degree of an angle is divided. It can be shown as a symbol after a number. For example, 78[hA13B] 52’ means 78 degrees 52 minutes.//    up-to-the-minute//\nminute 2   adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: minutus, from  minuere  ’to make smaller’]//\n  1 extremely small:  --You only need a minute amount.//  --Her handwriting is minute.//\n  2 paying careful attention to the smallest details:  --a minute examination of the rock//  --He explained the plan in minute detail .//  -- minutely adv //  --She studied the letter minutely.//\nminute 3   v [T]    especially  BrE to make an official note of something in the record of a meeting//  --This discussion is off the record and should not be minuted.//


Words: minute hand
Meaning:
n [C]   the long thin piece of metal that points to the minutes on a clock or watch//    hour hand//


Words: minuteman
Meaning:
n   plural  minutemen /-men/ [C] //   AmE one of a group of men in the past who were not official soldiers but who were ready to fight at any time//


Words: minutiae
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: , plural of  minutia  ’smallness’, from  minutus;   MINUTE2]//  very small and exact details//  minutiae of//  --Most people are not interested in the minutiae of the research, just its conclusions.//


Words: minx
Meaning:
n [C]  old-fashioned   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  Middle Dutch minnekijn  ’much-loved person’]//  an attractive young woman who does not show respect and who is good at getting what she wants in a clever way//


Words: miracle
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin miraculum]//\n  1 something very lucky or very good that happens which you did not expect to happen or did not think was possible:  -- It’s a miracle you weren’t killed!//  --By some miracle, we managed to catch the plane.//  --the economic miracle of the 1950s.//  --She’s our miracle baby.//  small/minor miracle (=something lucky but not very important) //  --The fence’s survival in these winds seems like a minor miracle.//\n  2 an action or event believed to be caused by God, which is impossible according to the ordinary laws of nature:  --Do you believe in miracles?//\n  3  miracle cure/drug:  a very effective medical treatment that cures even serious diseases//  --There is no miracle cure for diabetes.//\n  4  work/perform miracles:  to have a very good effect or achieve a very good result//  --Maybe you should try yoga - it worked miracles for me.//\n  5  a miracle of sth:  a very good example of something//  --The concert tour was an absolute miracle of organization.//  --a miracle of modern engineering//


Words: miraculous
Meaning:
adj \n  1 very good, completely unexpected, and often very lucky:  --She made a miraculous recovery from her injuries.//  --They had a miraculous escape when their car plunged into a river.//\n  2 a miraculous action or event is believed to be caused by God, and is impossible according to the ordinary laws of nature:  --miraculous powers of healing//  -- miraculously adv //  --Miraculously, no one was killed.//


Words: mirage
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: mirer;   MIRROR1]//\n  1 an effect caused by hot air in a desert, which makes you think that you can see objects when they are not actually there:\n  2 a dream, hope, or wish that cannot come true:   illusion//  --Perhaps we are just chasing a mirage.//


Words: Miranda
Meaning:
the daughter of  Prospero in the play  The Tempest by William  Shakespeare//\n Carmen   (1913-55) a Brazilian actress and singer, who appeared in  musicals (=films that use singing and dancing to tell a story)  and was famous for her hats decorated with fruit//


Words: Miranda decision
Meaning:
the   a 1966 decision by the US  supreme court that said it was necessary for police, when  arresting people, to tell them about their legal rights//


Words: Miranda rights
Meaning:
in the US, the legal rights that a person being arrested by the police must be told about. These include the "right to remain silent" (to not say anything) and the right to get advice from a lawyer. These rights were established by the Miranda decision of the US Supreme Court in 1966, in the case of  Miranda v. Arizona.//


Words: mire
Meaning:
n [U]  literary   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old Norse; Origin: myrr]//\n  1 deep mud:  --The wheels got stuck in the mire.//\n  2  the mire:  a bad or difficult situation that you cannot seem to escape from//   quagmire//  --The Party sank deeper into the mire of conflict.//\n  3  drag sb’s name through the mire:  to say bad things about someone in public, so that other people have a bad opinion of them//


Words: mired
Meaning:
adj [not before noun]  literary \n  1 stuck in a bad situation and unable to get out or make progress:  mired in//  --a government mired in scandal and controversy//\n  2 stuck in mud or covered in mud:


Words: Miro
Meaning:
Joan   (1893-1983) a Spanish  surrealist painter, famous for his use of bright colours and abstract shapes//


Words: Mirror
Meaning:
The   a British daily  tabloid newspaper owned by  Mirror Group Newspapers. It usually supports the Labour Party.//


Words: mirror
Meaning:
W3S3   n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: mirour, from  mirer  ’to look at’, from  Latin mirare]//\n  1 a piece of special glass that you can look at and see yourself in:  in a mirror//  --She was studying her reflection in the mirror.//  --He spends hours in front of the mirror !//  --When I looked in the mirror I couldn’t believe it. I looked fantastic!//  fog lamp, headlight, indicator, mirror//\n  2 a mirror on the inside or side of a vehicle, which the driver uses to see what is behind:  --Check your rear-view mirror before you drive away.//  --a wing mirror //\n  3  a mirror of sth:  something that gives a clear idea of what something else is like//  --We believe the polls are an accurate mirror of public opinion.//\nmirror 2 v [T]   if one thing mirrors another, it is very similar to it and may seem to copy or represent it//  --Henry’s sad smile mirrored that of his son.//  --The economic recovery in Britain was mirrored in the US.//


Words: mirror image
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 an image of something in which the right side appears on the left, and the left side appears on the right:\n  2 something that is either very similar to something else or is the complete opposite of it:  mirror image of//  --The situation is a mirror image of the one Republicans faced 25 years ago.//


Words: mirror site
Meaning:
n [C]   a website that is an exact copy of another one, but which is in a different place on the Internet//


Words: mirth
Meaning:
n [U]   [Language: Old English; Origin: myrgth, from  myrge;   MERRY]//   literary happiness and laughter//  --Her body began to shake with mirth.//  -- mirthful adj //


Words: mirthless
Meaning:
adj    literary mirthless laughter or a mirthless smile does not seem to be caused by real amusement or happiness//  --’Now it’s your turn,’ he said with a mirthless grin.//  -- mirthlessly adv //  --He smiled mirthlessly.//


Words: mis-
Meaning:
prefix   [Origin: Partly from  Old English mis-, partly from  Old French mes-]//\n  1 bad or badly:  --misfortune (=bad luck) //  --He’s been misbehaving.//\n  2 wrong or wrongly:  --a miscalculation//  --I misunderstood you.//\n  3 used to refer to an opposite or the lack of something:  --What caused this anger and mistrust (=lack of trust) ?//


Words: misadventure
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: mesaventure, from  mesavenir  ’to happen badly’]//\n  1  death by misadventure:   BrE  law the official name for a death caused by an accident//  --A verdict of death by misadventure was recorded.//\n  2 [U and C]  literary bad luck or an accident:


Words: misalliance
Meaning:
n [C]    formal a situation in which two people or organizations have agreed to work together, marry each other etc, but are not suitable for each other//  --It was a hopeless misalliance.//


Words: misanthropist
Meaning:
[C]    formal someone who does not like other people and prefers to be alone//  -- misanthropic/m[hA366]s[hA353]n[hA35F]r[hA361]p[hA366]k[hA36B] $ -[hA35F]r[hA35A][hA359]-/ adj //  -- misanthropy/m[hA366]s[zB024]n[hA35F]r[hA353]pi/ n  [U] //


Words: misapply
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  misapplied present participle  misapplying third person singular  misapplies  [T usually passive] //  to use something incorrectly or for a wrong purpose//  --In your case the rules have been misapplied.//  -- misapplication/m[hA366]s[zB024]pl[hA369]ke[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U] //  --a misapplication of the law//


Words: misapprehension
Meaning:
n [C]    formal a mistaken belief or a wrong understanding of something//   misunderstanding//  under a misapprehension//  --You seem to be under a misapprehension.//  --I think we should clear up this misapprehension.//


Words: misappropriate
Meaning:
v [T]    formal to dishonestly take something that someone has trusted you with, especially money or goods that belong to your employer//   embezzle//  --He claimed the finance manager had misappropriated company funds.//  -- misappropriation/m[hA366]s[hA353]pr[hA353][hA35E]prie[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ -pro[hA35E]-/ n  [U] //  --the misappropriation of public funds//


Words: misbegotten
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  old-fashioned \n  1 a misbegotten plan, idea, etc is not likely to succeed because it is badly planned or not sensible:\n  2 a misbegotten person is completely stupid or useless:  --You misbegotten fool!//


Words: misbehave
Meaning:
v [I]    also misbehave yourself //  to behave badly, and cause trouble or annoy people//  → behave//  --George has been misbehaving at school.//  --Students have a tendency to misbehave themselves at exam time.//


Words: misbehaviour
Meaning:
BrE  misbehavior AmE   n [U]   bad behaviour that is not acceptable to other people//   misconduct//  --Even the most minor forms of misbehaviour were punished.//


Words: miscalculate
Meaning:
v [I and T] \n  1 to make a mistake when deciding how long something will take to do, how much money you will need etc:  --We miscalculated how long it would take to get there.//\n  2 to make a wrong judgment about a situation:  --Tim had miscalculated: Laura would never disobey her father.//


Words: miscalculation
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a mistake made in deciding how long something will take to do, how much money you will need etc:\n  2 a wrong judgment about a situation:


Words: miscarriage
Meaning:
n [U and C]   if a woman who is going to have a baby has a miscarriage, she gives birth before the baby is properly formed and it dies//    abortion, stillbirth//  --She had two miscarriages before she had her first child.//  --One in five pregnancies ends in miscarriage .//


Words: miscarriage of justice plural
Meaning:
miscarriages of justice  n [U and C]   a situation in which someone is wrongly punished by a court of law for something they did not do//  --the victim of a serious miscarriage of justice//


Words: miscarry
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  miscarried present participle  miscarrying third person singular  miscarries //\n  1 [I and T] to give birth to a baby before it is properly formed and able to live:    abort//  --She miscarried when she was 10 weeks pregnant.//  --Many babies with serious disabilities are miscarried.//\n  2 [I]  formal if a plan miscarries, it is not successful:


Words: miscast
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  miscast  [T usually passive] //  to choose an unsuitable actor to play a particular character in a play or film//    cast//  --She was hopelessly miscast in her last film.//


Words: miscegenation
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: miscere  ’to mix’ +  genus  ’race’]//   formal when people of different races have a sexual relationship or have children together//


Words: miscellaneous
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: miscellaneus, from  miscellus  ’mixed’, from  miscere  ’to mix’]//  a miscellaneous set of things or people includes many different things or people who do not seem to be connected with each other//  --a miscellaneous assortment of books//  --They receive a grant of [hA124]1094 to cover the cost of miscellaneous expenses.//


Words: miscellany
Meaning:
n   plural  miscellanies  [C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: miscellanees (plural), from  Latin miscellaneus;   MISCELLANEOUS]//  a group of different things//  miscellany of//  --He earned his living from a miscellany of jobs.//


Words: mischance
Meaning:
n [U and C]  formal   bad luck, or a situation that results from bad luck//  --If by some mischance the government get elected again, I think taxes will rise.//


Words: mischief
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: meschief  ’something bad that happens’, from  mes- (  MIS-) +  chief  ’head, end’]//\n  1 [U] bad behaviour, especially by children, that causes trouble or damage, but no serious harm:  --Now run along, and don’t get into mischief .//  --They’ve got enough toys to keep them out of mischief for a while.//  --If you can’t see Nick, you can be sure he’s up to some mischief  (=behaving badly and causing trouble or damage) .//\n  2 [U] the pleasure or enjoyment of playing tricks on people or embarrassing them:  --Kiki’s eyes were bright with mischief.//\n  3  make mischief:   informal to deliberately cause quarrels or unfriendly feelings between people//  make mischief between//  --I didn’t want to make mischief between them.//\n  4  do yourself a mischief:   BrE  informal to injure yourself slightly//  --If you try to lift that box, you’ll do yourself a mischief.//\n  5 [U]  formal damage or harm that is done to someone or to their property:  --The jury cleared him of the charge of criminal mischief.//


Words: mischievous
Meaning:
adj \n  1 someone who is mischievous likes to have fun, especially by playing tricks on people or doing things to annoy or embarrass them:  --Their sons are noisy and mischievous.//  mischievous smile/look etc //  --Gabby looked at him with a mischievous grin.//  --There was a mischievous gleam in her eyes.//\n  2 causing trouble or quarrels deliberately:  --a mischievous remark//  -- mischievously adv //  --He grinned mischievously.//  -- mischievousness n  [U] //


Words: misconceived
Meaning:
adj   a misconceived idea, plan, method etc is not a good one because it is based on a wrong understanding of something//  --His arguments are totally misconceived.//  --His criticisms are misconceived and misplaced.//


Words: misconception
Meaning:
n [U and C]   an idea which is wrong or untrue, but which people believe because they do not understand the subject properly//   fallacy//    preconception//  popular/common misconception //  --There is a popular misconception that too much exercise is bad for you.//  misconception that//  --Refugees have the misconception that life is great over here.//  misconception about//  --many people’s misconceptions about the blind and deaf//


Words: misconduct
Meaning:
n [U]    formal bad or dishonest behaviour by someone in a position of authority or trust//  --a doctor who has been accused of professional misconduct //  --He was fired for serious misconduct .//  --She was found guilty of gross misconduct  (=very serious misconduct) .//


Words: misconstruction
Meaning:
n [U and C]    formal an incorrect or mistaken understanding of something//  --Your ideas are open to misconstruction.//


Words: misconstrue
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   to misunderstand something that someone has said or done//  --His behaviour could easily be misconstrued.//


Words: miscount
Meaning:
v [I and T]   to count wrongly//  --Sorry, I miscounted - we need ten copies, not nine.//  --The votes were deliberately miscounted.//


Words: miscreant
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: , present participle of  mescroire  ’to disbelieve’]//   formal a bad person who causes trouble, hurts people etc//


Words: misdemeanour
Meaning:
BrE  misdemeanor AmE   n [C] \n  1  formal a bad or unacceptable action that is not very serious:  --Alfred beat his children for even the smallest misdemeanour.//\n  2  law a crime that is not very serious:    felony//


Words: misdiagnose
Meaning:
v [T]   to give an incorrect explanation of an illness, a problem in a machine etc//  misdiagnose sth as sth//  --Her condition was misdiagnosed as arthritis.//


Words: misdirect
Meaning:
v [T usually in passive] \n  1  formal to use your effort, energy, abilities etc on doing the wrong thing:  --Without well-defined goals, it is likely that efforts will be misdirected.//  --Their criticism is misdirected.//\n  2 if a judge misdirects a jury (=the group of people who decide a legal case) , he or she gives them incorrect information about the law:\n  3  formal to send someone or something to the wrong place:  misdirect sb/sth to sth//  --Our mail was misdirected to the wrong street.//  -- misdirection/-rek[hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U] //


Words: miser
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: ’miserable’]//  someone who is not generous and does not like spending money//


Words: miserable
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin miserabilis, from  miser;   MISER]//\n  1 extremely unhappy, for example because you feel lonely, cold, or badly treated:  --I’ve been so miserable since Patrick left me.//  --I spent the weekend feeling miserable .//  --Janice looks really miserable .//  --Why do you make yourself miserable by taking on too much work?//  as miserable as sin  BrE  (=very miserable) //\n  2  especially BrE always bad-tempered, dissatisfied, or complaining:  --He’s a miserable old devil.//\n  3 [usually before noun] making you feel very unhappy, uncomfortable etc:  --They endured hours of backbreaking work in miserable conditions.//  --Mosquito bites can make life miserable .//\n  4 miserable weather is cold and dull, with no sun shining:  --It was a miserable grey day.//  --two weeks of miserable weather//\n  5 [only before noun] very small in amount, or very bad in quality:  --I can hardly afford the rent on my miserable income.//  --The team gave a miserable performance.//\n  6  miserable failure:   BrE a complete failure//  --Her attempts to learn to drive had been a miserable failure.//  -- miserably adv //  --I failed miserably in my duty to protect her.//


Words: miserly
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a miserly amount or quantity is one that is much too small:   measly, paltry//  --We were offered a miserly 4% pay rise.//\n  2 a miserly person is not generous and does not like spending money:   mean//  -- miserliness n  [U] //


Words: misery
Meaning:
S3   n   plural  miseries //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: miserie, from  Latin miseria, from  miser;   MISER]//\n  1 [U and C] great suffering that is caused for example by being very poor or very sick:  --What we are witnessing here is human misery on a vast scale.//  --the misery of unemployment//  --the miseries of war//\n  2 [U and C] great unhappiness:  --She looked away so that Tom wouldn’t see her misery.//  --His face was a picture of sheer misery.//  --The news plunged him into abject misery .//\n  3  make sb’s life a misery:   BrE to cause so much trouble for someone that they cannot enjoy their life//  --Competitive mothers can make their daughters’ lives a misery.//\n  4  put sth/sb out of their misery:  a)  informal to make someone stop feeling worried, especially by telling them something they are waiting to hear//  --Go on, put them out of their misery and announce the winner.//  b) to kill a sick or injured animal in order to end its suffering//   put down//  --I think you should put the poor creature out of its misery.//\n  5 [C]  BrE  spoken someone who is always complaining and never enjoys anything:  --Don’t be such a misery.//  --What’s the matter with you, misery guts  (=a name for someone like this) ?//


Words: misfield
Meaning:
v [I and T]   to make a mistake in catching or throwing the ball in some ball games, such as  cricket//  -- misfield/m[hA366]sfi[hA359]ld/ n  [C] //


Words: misfire
Meaning:
v [I] \n  1 if a plan or joke misfires, it goes wrong and does not have the result that you intended:    backfire//  --His attempt at a joke misfired.//  --I was worried that the plan might misfire.//\n  2 if an engine misfires, the petrol mixture does not burn at the right time:\n  3 if a gun misfires, the bullet does not come out:


Words: misfit
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who does not seem to belong in a particular group of people, and who is not accepted by that group, because they are very different from the other group members//  --I was very conscious of being a misfit at school.//  --a social misfit//


Words: misfortune
Meaning:
n [U and C]   very bad luck, or something that happens to you as a result of bad luck//  --It seems the banks always profit from farmers’ misfortunes.//  have the misfortune to do/of doing sth//  --The French soldiers had the misfortune to be caught in the crossfire.//


Words: misgiving
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a feeling of doubt or fear about what might happen or about whether something is right//  misgiving about//  --Despite her misgivings about leaving the baby, she decided to accompany her husband.//  grave/serious/deep misgivings //  --Some politicians have expressed grave misgivings about the scheme.//  --Opponents of nuclear energy have deep misgivings about its safety.//  --She eyed the distant shoreline with misgiving.//


Words: misguided
Meaning:
adj \n  1 intended to be helpful but in fact making a situation worse:  --He described the government’s economic policy as misguided.//  --a misguided attempt to bring her parents back together//\n  2 a misguided idea or opinion is wrong because it is based on a wrong understanding of a situation:  --His parents still clung to the misguided belief that his common sense would keep him out of serious trouble.//  -- misguidedly adv //  --The company misguidedly thought that expansion was the best way to survive.//


Words: mishandle
Meaning:
v [T] \n  1 to deal with a situation badly, because of a lack of skill or care:  --The prime minister admitted that the crisis had been mishandled.//\n  2 to treat something roughly, often causing damage:  --Some of the goods had been mishandled and damaged.//


Words: mishap
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: mis- +  hap (  HAPPY)]//  a small accident or mistake that does not have very serious results//  --I had a slight mishap with one of the glasses.//  --a series of mishaps//  without mishap//  --Only one horse finished the course without mishap.//


Words: mishear
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  misheard /-h[hA362][hA359]d $ -h[hA362][hA359]rd/ [I and T] //  to not hear properly what someone says, so that you think they said something different//  --It seemed a strange question.; I wondered if I had misheard.//  --You must have misheard him.//


Words: Mishima
Meaning:
Yukio   (1925-70) a Japanese writer who most people consider to be the most important Japanese writer of  novels in the 20th century. He wrote about modern Japan and wanted to return to older, more traditional Japanese values. His best-known books include Confessions of a Mask and  The Sea of Fertility. He killed himself using the traditional Japanese method of  harakiri after a military  coup by his small private army was unsuccessful.//


Words: mishit
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  mishit present participle  mishitting  [T] //  to hit a ball badly in a game or sport//  --He completely mishit his shot.//  -- mishit/m[hA366]sh[hA366]t/ n  [C] //


Words: mishmash
Meaning:
n [singular]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: mash]//   informal a mixture of a lot of very different things that are put together in a way that is not organized//   hodge-podge//  mishmash of//  --The magazine is a jumbled mishmash of jokes, stories, and serious news.//


Words: misinform
Meaning:
v [T usually passive]   to give someone information that is incorrect//  --I am afraid you’ve been misinformed.//


Words: misinformation
Meaning:
n [U]   incorrect information, especially when deliberately intended to deceive people//    disinformation//


Words: misinterpret
Meaning:
v [T]   to not understand the correct meaning of something that someone says or does, or of facts that you are considering//   misread, misconstrue//  --Some parts of the report could be misinterpreted.//  misinterpret sth as sth//  --She had misinterpreted his silence as anger.//  -- misinterpretation/m[hA366]s[hA366]nt[hA362][hA359]pr[hA369]te[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ -t[hA362][hA359]r-/ n  [U and C] //  --a misinterpretation of the test results//


Words: misjudge
Meaning:
v [T] \n  1 to form a wrong or unfair opinion about a person or a situation:  --The government misjudged the mood of the electorate.//  --I think you’ve misjudged her.//\n  2 to guess an amount or distance wrongly:  --I misjudged the speed of the car coming towards me.//  -- misjudgment also  misjudgement BrE //   n  [U and C] //  --He accused the government of a serious foreign policy misjudgement.//


Words: mislay
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  mislaid /-le[hA366]d/ [T] //  to put something somewhere, then forget where you put it//   lose, misplace//  --I’ve mislaid my glasses again.//  --Sometimes students’ work does get lost or mislaid.//


Words: mislead
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  misled /-led/ [T] //  to make someone believe something that is not true by giving them information that is false or not complete//  mislead sb about/over sth//  --Politicians have misled the public over the dangers of these chemicals.//  --Don’t be misled by appearances, he’s a good worker.//  mislead sb into believing/thinking etc sth //  --Don’t be misled into thinking that scientific research is easy.//


Words: misleading
Meaning:
adj   likely to make someone believe something that is not true//  --The article was misleading, and the newspaper has apologized.//  seriously/highly/grossly etc misleading //  --These figures are highly misleading.//  -- misleadingly adv //  --The diagrams are misleadingly simple.//


Words: mismanage
Meaning:
v [T]   if someone mismanages something they are in charge of, they deal with or manage it badly//  --The nation’s finances had been badly mismanaged.//  -- mismanagement n  [U] //  --the government’s mismanagement of the crisis//


Words: mismatch
Meaning:
n [C]   a combination of things or people that do not work well together or are not suitable for each other//  mismatch between//  --the mismatch between the demand for health care and the supply//  -- mismatched/m[hA366]sm[zB024]t[hA35D]t[hA36B]/ adj //  --a mismatched couple//


Words: misname
Meaning:
v [T]   to give something a name that is wrong or not suitable//  --a dreary little place that was misnamed the Grand Hotel//


Words: misnomer
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: mesnommer  ’to name wrongly’]//  a wrong or unsuitable name//  --’Silent movie’ is a misnomer since the movies usually had a musical accompaniment.//


Words: misogynist
Meaning:
n [C]  formal   a man who hates women//  -- misogynistmisogynistic //   adj //  --deeply misogynist attitudes//  -- misogyny n  [U] //


Words: misplace
Meaning:
v [T]   to lose something for a short time by putting it in the wrong place//   mislay//  --Oh dear, I seem to have misplaced the letter.//


Words: misplaced
Meaning:
adj   misplaced feelings of trust, love etc are wrong and unsuitable, because the person that you have these feelings for does not deserve them//  --I realized that my trust in him was misplaced.//  --She stuck with him through a misplaced sense of loyalty.//


Words: mispronounce
Meaning:
v [T]   to pronounce a word or name wrongly//  -- mispronunciation/m[hA366]spr[hA353]n[hA356]nsie[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U and C] //


Words: misquote
Meaning:
v [T]   to make a mistake in reporting what someone else has said//  --Dr Hall said he had been misquoted in the press.//  -- misquotation/m[hA366]skw[hA353][hA35E]te[hA366][hA35D][hA353]n $ -kwo[hA35E]-/ n  [U and C] //


Words: misread
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  misread /-red/ [T] //\n  1 to make a wrong judgment about a person or situation:   misinterpret//  --I think she misread the situation.//  --He may be misreading her intentions.//\n  2 to read something incorrectly:  --The doctor must have misread the notes.//  -- misreading n  [U and C] //  --a misreading of the situation//


Words: misreport
Meaning:
v [T usually passive]   to give an incorrect or untrue account of an event or situation//  --The facts of the story have been misreported.//


Words: misrepresent
Meaning:
v [T]   to deliberately give a wrong description of someone’s opinions or of a situation//  --These statistics grossly misrepresent the reality.//  -- misrepresentation/m[hA366]srepr[hA366]zente[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U and C] //  --a misrepresentation of the truth//


Words: misrule
Meaning:
n [U]    formal bad government//  --The country has suffered years of misrule by a weak and corrupt government.//


Words: miss
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 not do something/fail to do something:\n   2 not hit/catch:\n   3 feel sad about somebody:\n   4 feel sad about something:\n   5 too late:\n   6 miss a chance/opportunity:\n   7 not see/hear:\n   8 miss the point:\n   9 something is not to be missed:\n  10 avoid something:\n  11 I wouldn’t miss it for the world:\n  12 notice something isn’t there:\n  13 miss the mark:\n  14 miss the boat:\n  15 without missing a beat:\n  16 somebody’s heart misses a beat:\n  17 engine:  Phrasal verbs//   miss out//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: missan]//\n  1 NOT DO SOMETHING/FAIL TO DO SOMETHING:   [T] to not go somewhere or do something, especially when you want to but cannot//  --I’m absolutely starving -- I missed lunch.//  --He missed 20 games after breaking a bone in his wrist.//  --She was upset at missing all the excitement.//  miss doing sth//  --He had missed being elected by a single vote.//\n  2 NOT HIT/CATCH:   [I and T] to fail to hit or catch an object that is close to you, or to fail to hit a distant object that you are aiming at//  --Every time she missed the ball she became more angry.//  --He fired, missed and loaded again.//  --The bullet narrowly missed her heart.//\n  3 FEEL SAD ABOUT SOMEBODY:   [T] to feel sad because someone you love is not with you//  --She missed her family badly.//  --Will you miss me?//  --John will be sorely missed by his family and friends.//\n  4 FEEL SAD ABOUT SOMETHING:   [T] to feel sad because you do not have something or cannot do something you had or did before//  --I miss the car, but the bus system is good.//  miss doing sth//  --Ben knew he would miss working with Sabrina.//\n  5 TOO LATE:   [T] to be too late for something//  --We got there late and missed the beginning of the movie.//  miss the train/bus etc //  --I overslept and missed the train.//\n  6  miss a chance/opportunity:  to fail to use an opportunity to do something//  --He certainly wasn’t going to miss the chance of making some extra money.//  --Don’t miss the chance to see the breathtaking Dolomite Mountains.//  --The opportunity was too good to miss so we left immediately.//\n  7 NOT SEE/HEAR:   [T] to not see, hear, or notice something, especially when it is difficult to notice//  --Maeve’s sharp eyes missed nothing.//  --Perhaps there’s something the police have missed.//  --It’s a huge hotel on the corner. You can’t miss it  (=it is very easy to notice or recognize) .//  -- You don’t miss much , do you (=you are good at noticing things) ?//  --John didn’t miss a trick  (=noticed every opportunity to get an advantage) when it came to cutting costs.//\n  8  miss the point:  to not understand the main point of what someone is saying//\n  9  sth is not to be missed:  used to say that someone should do something while they have the opportunity//  --A journey on one of the steam trains is certainly not to be missed!//\n  10 AVOID SOMETHING:   [T] to avoid something bad or unpleasant//  --If we leave now we should miss the traffic.//  miss doing sth//  --As he crossed the street, a bus just missed hitting him.//  --They narrowly missed being killed in the fire.//\n  11  I wouldn’t miss it for the world:   spoken used to say that you really want to go to an event, see something etc//  --’Come to the party.’ ’I will. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.’//\n  12 NOTICE SOMETHING ISN’T THERE:   [T] to notice that something or someone is not in the place you expect them to be//  --I didn’t miss my wallet till it came to paying the bill.//\n  13  miss the mark:  to not achieve something you were trying to do//  --Their efforts to improve quality have somewhat missed the mark.//\n  14  miss the boat:   informal to fail to take an opportunity that will give you an advantage//  --You’ll miss the boat if you don’t buy shares now.//\n  15  without missing a beat:  if you do something without missing a beat, you do it without showing that you are surprised or shocked//  --She handled all of their questions without missing a beat.//\n  16  sb’s heart misses a beat:  used to say that someone is very excited, surprised, or frightened//  --Glancing up at Rick’s face, she felt her heart miss a beat.//\n  17 ENGINE:   [I] if an engine misses, it stops working for a very short time and then starts again//  miss out phr v//\n  1 to not have the chance to do something that you enjoy and that would be good for you:  --Some children miss out because their parents can’t afford to pay for school trips.//  miss out on//  --Prepare food in advance to ensure you don’t miss out on the fun!//\n  2  miss sb/sth → out:   BrE to not include someone or something//  --Make sure you don’t miss any details out.//\nmiss 2 S2 n   ----------//\n   1 Miss:\n   2 Miss Italy/Ohio/World etc:\n   3 young woman:\n   4 teacher:\n   5 give something a miss:\n   6 not hit/catch:\n   7 young girl:  ----------//  [Sense: 1-4, 7; Date: 1600-1700; Origin: mistress]//  [Sense: 5-6; Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  MISS1]//\n  1  Miss:  used in front of the family name of a woman who is not married to address her politely, to write to her, or to talk about her//    Mrs, Ms, Mr//  --I’d like to make an appointment with Miss Taylor.//\n  2  Miss Italy/Ohio/World etc:  used to refer to a woman who represents a country, city etc in a beauty competition//\n  3 YOUNG WOMAN:   spoken used as a polite way of speaking to a young woman when you do not know her name//    madam, sir//  --Excuse me, miss, you’ve dropped your umbrella.//\n  4 TEACHER:   BrE  spoken used by children when speaking to a female teacher, whether she is married or not//    sir//  --I know the answer, Miss.//\n  5  give sth a miss:   BrE  informal to decide not to do something//  --I’d better give the coffee a miss. I’m due at a meeting in half an hour.//\n  6 NOT HIT/CATCH:   [C] an occasion when you fail to hit, catch, or hold something//  --Will he score a goal this time? No, no it’s a miss.//\n  7 YOUNG GIRL:   [C]  BrE  spoken a young girl, especially one who has been bad or rude//  --She’s a cheeky little miss.//    hit-and-miss,  near miss at near2 (6)//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Some unmarried women prefer to be addressed as Ms because it does not draw attention to whether or not they are married. See also:  Mr//  ----------//


Words: Miss America Pageant
Meaning:
the   a  beauty contest held every year in Atlantic City, New Jersey, in which women who have won beauty contests in each of the 50 states represent those states. One of them is chosen to serve as Miss America for one year.//


Words: Miss Piggy
Meaning:
trademark   a  puppet in the form of a pig with long  blond hair who appears in the television programme  The Muppets. She thinks that she is very beautiful and expects everyone to admire her, and she gets angry if the other characters do not do what she wants.//


Words: Miss Universe
Meaning:
trademark   a US competition in which women from many different countries compete to be judged the most beautiful and to win the title "Miss Universe". //


Words: Miss World
Meaning:
trademark   a competition in which women from many different countries compete to be judged the most beautiful. The winner is given the title Miss World. //


Words: missal
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: missale, from  Vulgar Latin missa;   MASS15]//  a book containing all the prayers said during each Mass for a whole year in the Roman Catholic church//


Words: misshapen
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: mis- +  shapen, old past participle of  shape]//  not the normal or natural shape//  --an old woman struggling to walk on misshapen feet//  --misshapen carrots//


Words: missile
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: missilis  ’able to be thrown’, from  mittere;   MISSION]//\n  1 a weapon that can fly over long distances and that explodes when it hits the thing it has been aimed at:  --a nuclear missile //  --a missile attack//\n  2 an object that is thrown at someone in order to hurt them:  --Demonstrators threw missiles at the police.//    ballistic missile,  cruise missile,  guided missile//


Words: missing
Meaning:
adj \n  1 something that is missing is not in its usual place, so that you cannot find it:  --We found the missing piece of the jigsaw under the chair.//  --The keys have been missing for ages.//  missing from//  --Two bottles were missing from the drugs cupboard.//  go missing  BrE //  --The scissors have gone missing again.//\n  2 if part of something is missing, it is no longer attached or has been destroyed:  --Two of her front teeth were missing.//  --The last page of the diary was missing.//  missing from//  --There’s a button missing from your shirt.//\n  3 someone who is missing has disappeared, and no one knows if they are alive or dead:  --Two crew members survived, but two are still missing.//  go missing  BrE //  --Nearly 100,000 young people go missing in Britain each year.//  --When Lily did not come home, her parents called the police to report her missing .//\n  4 not present or not included in something:  missing from//  --Why is my name missing from the list?//  --Something was missing from her life.//\n  5  missing in action:  a soldier who is missing in action has not returned after a battle and their body has not been found//


Words: missing link
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a piece of information that you need in order to solve a problem:  --Could this be the missing link in the search for a cure for cancer?//\n  2  the missing link:  an animal which was a stage in the development of humans from apes, whose bones have not yet been found//


Words: missing person plural
Meaning:
missing persons  n [C]   someone who has disappeared and whose family has asked the police to try to find them//


Words: mission
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 air force/army etc:\n   2 job:\n   3 duty:\n   4 purpose:\n   5 government:\n   6 religion:\n   7 mission accomplished:\n   8 woman/man with a mission:  ----------//  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: missio  ’act of sending’, from  mittere  ’to send, throw’]//\n  1 AIR FORCE/ARMY ETC:  an important job that involves travelling somewhere, done by a member of the airforce, army etc, or by a spacecraft//  --He was sent on over 200 missions before being killed in action.//  mission to//  --the first manned space mission to Mars//  --US troops taking part in the peacekeeping mission //\n  2 JOB:  an important job that someone has been given to do, especially when they are sent to another place//  --Her mission was to improve staff morale and output.//  on a mission//  --scientists on a mission to the rainforest, to study possible medicinal uses of plants//  rescue/diplomatic/fact-finding etc mission //  --a group of US congressmen on a fact-finding mission to Northern Ireland//\n  3 DUTY:  something that you feel you must do because it is your duty//   calling, vocation//  --Momich’s mission was to help young people in his local community.//  --His main mission in life is to earn as much money as possible.//\n  4 PURPOSE:  the purpose or the most important aim of an organization//  --The mission of International House is to enable students of different cultures to live together and build life-long friendships.//    mission statement//\n  5 GOVERNMENT:  a group of important people who are sent by their government to another country to discuss something or collect information//   delegation//  --a British trade mission to Moscow//\n  6 RELIGION:  a) religious work that involves going to a foreign country in order to teach people about Christianity or help poor people//  b) a building where this kind of work is done, or the people who work there//\n  7  mission accomplished:  used when you have successfully achieved something that you were trying to do//\n  8  woman/man with a mission:  someone who is very determined to achieve what they are trying to do - often used humorously//


Words: mission creep
Meaning:
n [U]  AmE   a series of gradual changes in the aim of a group of people, with the result that they do something different from what they planned to do at the beginning//


Words: mission statement
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 an official statement about the aims of a company or organization:\n  2  personal mission statement:  a clear statement about what you want to achieve with your life//  --Use a personal mission statement to chart your career course.//


Words: missionary
Meaning:
n   plural  missionaries  [C] //  someone who has been sent to a foreign country to teach people about Christianity and persuade them to become Christians//\nmissionary 2 adj [only before noun] \n  1 relating to the work of missionaries:  --missionary work//  --a missionary hospital//\n  2  missionary zeal:  if you do something with missionary zeal, you do it with great eagerness, because you believe strongly that it is a good thing to do//  --a young English teacher, who taught poetry with missionary zeal//


Words: missionary position
Meaning:
n   the missionary position//  the sexual position in which the woman lies on her back with the man on top of her and facing her//


Words: Mississippi
Meaning:
1 MS a state in the southeastern US, which is now an industrial area but used to produce a lot of cotton, and which was an important centre of the  Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s:\n  2  the Mississippi:  the longest river in the US, about 2350 miles long, which flows from Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico//


Words: missive
Meaning:
n [C]  literary   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: lettre missive  ’letter intended to be sent’]//  a letter - often used humorously//  --An anonymous missive had been pushed under her door.//


Words: Missouri
Meaning:
1 MO a state in the central US, which is an industrial and farming area:\n  2  the Missouri:  a long river in the US, flowing from the  Rocky Mountains to join the  Mississippi at St Louis//


Words: misspell
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  misspelt /-spelt/ or  misspelled  [T] //  to spell a word wrongly//  -- misspelling n  [U and C] //


Words: misspend
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  misspent /-spent/ [T] //\n  1  misspent youth:  someone who had a misspent youth wasted their time or behaved badly when they were young - often used humorously//\n  2 to use time or money badly or wrongly:  --Carey admitted misspending company funds.//


Words: misstep
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   a mistake, especially one that is caused by not understanding a situation correctly//  --A misstep here could cost millions of dollars.//


Words: missus
Meaning:
missis/m[hA366]s[hA369]z/ n [singular]  spoken  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: mistress]//\n  1 a man’s wife, or girlfriend who lives with him:  --How’s the missus?//\n  2  BrE used when speaking to a woman whose name you do not know:  --Hey, missus, are these your kids?//


Words: mist
Meaning:
n   [Language: Old English; Origin:]//\n  1 [U and C] a light cloud low over the ground that makes it difficult for you to see very far:    fog//  --We could just see the outline of the house through the mist.//  --Next morning, the whole town was shrouded in mist  (=covered in mist) .//\n  2  lost in the mists of time:  if something such as a fact or secret is lost in the mists of time, no one remembers it because it happened so long ago//  --The real reasons for the war are now lost in the mists of time.//\n  3  see sth through a mist of tears:   literary to see something while you are crying//\nmist 2 v   [T] to cover something with very small drops of liquid in order to keep it wet//  --The plant has to be misted every day.//  mist over phr v//\n  1 if someone’s eyes mist over, they become filled with tears:  --His eyes misted over at the memory of his wife.//\n  2 to mist up:  mist up phr v//  if a piece of glass mists up, or if something mists it up, it becomes covered with very small drops of water so that you cannot see through it//  mist sth → up//  --I can’t see where I’m going, with the windows all misted up like this.//


Words: mistake
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C] something that has been done in the wrong way, or an opinion or statement that is incorrect:    error//  mistake in//  --We may have made a mistake in our calculations.//  --a mistake in the law//  --Ivan’s work is always full of mistakes .//  --The article was  littered with spelling mistakes .//  --One silly mistake cost them the match.//  --The most  common mistake  is to plant them too deep.//  --Please believe me. It was an  honest mistake .//  --Did he  admit his mistake ?//  --He warned that  correcting the  mistakes  of the present administration would not be easy.//  -- It is a mistake to think that  violence can bring a solution to our problems.//  -- There must be some mistake with the bill. see usage note  fault1 //\n  2 [C] something you do that is not sensible or has a bad result:  --Buying the house seemed a great idea at the time, but now I can see it was a mistake.//  --It’s your decision, but I warn you - you’re making a mistake .//  make the mistake of doing sth//  --I stupidly made the mistake of giving them my phone number.//  big/terrible/ghastly etc mistake //  --Marrying him was  the biggest mistake she ever made .//  --It proved to be a costly mistake.//  --She only  realized  her mistake when it was too late.//  --Some of our decisions were wrong, but you have to  learn from your mistakes .//  make the same mistake (again/twice) //  --I don’t intend to make the same mistake again.//\n  3  by mistake:  if you do something by mistake, you do it without intending to//   accidentally//  → deliberately, on purpose//  --Someone must have left the door open by mistake.//  --I’m sorry, this letter is addressed to you - I opened it by mistake.//\n  4  we all make mistakes:   spoken used to tell someone not to be worried because they have made a mistake//\n  5  make no mistake (about it):   spoken used to emphasize that what you are saying is true, especially when you are warning about something serious or dangerous//  --Make no mistake, this is the most serious threat our industry has ever seen.//\n  6  and no mistake:   BrE  spoken  informal used to emphasize the description you have just given//  --Miles was a heartbreaker, and no mistake!//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  make a mistake //  be full of mistakes/be littered with mistakes (=have a lot of mistakes in it ) //  spelling mistake //  silly mistake //  common mistake //  honest mistake  (=something not done deliberately) //  admit your mistake (=admit that you have made a mistake) //  correct a mistake //  it is a mistake to think/assume/imagine etc that //  there must be some mistake (=used when you think someone has made a mistake) //  HINT sense 1 //  Do not say ’do a mistake’. Say make a mistake. //  ----------//\nmistake 2   past tense  mistook /-st[hA35E]k/past participle  mistaken /-ste[hA366]k[hA353]n/ v [T] //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old Norse; Origin: mistaka]//\n  1 to understand something wrongly:  --She mistook my meaning entirely.//  --Ken mistook her concern, thinking she was interested in him for another reason.//\n  2  you can’t mistake sb/sth:  used to say that someone or something is very easy to recognize//  --You can’t mistake her. She’s the one with the long red hair.//\n  3  there is no mistaking sb/sth:  used to say that you are certain about something//  --There’s no mistaking whose children they are - they all look just like Joe.//  mistake for / [mistake sb/sth for sb/sth] phr v//  to wrongly think that one person or thing is someone or something else//  --A woman mistook him for a well-known actor, and asked him for his autograph.//  --The doctor mistook the symptoms for blood poisoning.//


Words: mistaken
Meaning:
adj \n  1  be mistaken:  if you are mistaken, you are wrong about something that you thought you knew or saw//  --It can’t have been my car. You must be mistaken.//  --I thought he said 12 o’clock, but I might have been mistaken.//  --We bought the rug in Turkey, if I’m not mistaken .//\n  2  mistaken belief/idea/impression/view etc:  a mistaken belief etc is not correct//  --Marijuana has few withdrawal effects, and this has given rise to the mistaken belief that it is not addictive.//  -- mistakenly adv //


Words: mistaken identity
Meaning:
n [U]   a situation in which someone believes that they have seen a particular person when in fact it was someone else - used especially in relation to crimes//  --The police arrested someone, but it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity .//


Words: mister
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: master]//\n  1  Mister:  the full form of Mr//\n  2  spoken  especially AmE used to address a man whose name you do not know:  --Thanks, mister.//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  In people’s names, Mister is always written Mr . //  ----------//


Words: mistime
Meaning:
v [T]   to do something at not quite the right time.//  --He mistimed his kick and missed the ball.//


Words: mistletoe
Meaning:
n [U]   [Language: Old English; Origin: misteltan, from  mistel  ’mistletoe’ +  tan  ’small stem’]//  a plant with small white berries, which grows on trees. It is traditional to kiss people under a piece of mistletoe at Christmas.//


Words: mistreat
Meaning:
v [T]   to treat a person or animal badly, especially in a cruel way//   ill-treat, maltreat//  --Security forces are accused of mistreating prisoners.//  -- mistreatment n  [U] //


Words: mistress
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: maistresse, from  maistre;   MASTER1]//\n  1 a woman that a man has a sexual relationship with, even though he is married to someone else:  --The Prince had shocked society by living openly with his mistress.//\n  2  BrE  old-fashioned a female teacher:    master//  --the new English mistress//\n  3 the female owner of a dog, horse etc:    master//\n  4  old-fashioned the female employer of a servant:    master//  --The maid looked nervously at her mistress.//\n  5  be (a/the) mistress of sth:  if a woman is a mistress of something, she is in control of it, highly skilled at it etc//    master//  --She appeared to be very much the mistress of the situation.//\n  6  Mistress:   old use used with a woman’s family name as a polite way of speaking to her//    master//


Words: mistrial
Meaning:
n [C]   a trial in a court of law which is unfair, so that a new trial has to be held//  --The defense attorney argued that the judge should declare a mistrial .//


Words: mistrust
Meaning:
n [U]   the feeling that you cannot trust someone, especially because you think they may treat you unfairly or dishonestly//   suspicion, distrust//  mistrust of//  --He had a deep mistrust of the legal profession.//\nmistrust 2 v [T]   to not trust someone, especially because you think they may treat you unfairly or dishonestly//   distrust//  --As a very small child she had learned to mistrust adults.//  -- mistrustful adj //  --Some people are very mistrustful of computerised banking.//


Words: misty
Meaning:
adj \n  1 misty weather is weather with a lot of mist:  --a cold, misty morning//\n  2  literary if your eyes are misty, they are full of tears, especially because you are remembering a time in the past:  --He paused, his eyes growing misty.//  --Whenever Maria sees a picture of her mother, she gets misty-eyed .//\n  3 not clear or bright:  --Without my glasses everything is just a misty blur.//


Words: misunderstand
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  misunderstood  [I and T] //  to fail to understand someone or something correctly//  --Rachel, you must have misunderstood her! Ellie would never say something like that.//  --Don’t misunderstand me. She’s a very nice person when you get to know her.//


Words: misunderstanding
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U and C] a problem caused by someone not understanding a question, situation, or instruction correctly:  --There must have been some misunderstanding. I didn’t order all these books.//\n  2 [C] an argument or disagreement that is not very serious - often used humorously:  --Terry had a little misunderstanding with the police last night.//


Words: misunderstood
Meaning:
adj   used to describe someone who is not liked by other people in a way that is unfair, because they do not understand him or her//  --Rodman claims that he is misunderstood, and that the media has always portrayed him unfairly.//


Words: misuse
Meaning:
v [T] \n  1 to use something for the wrong purpose, or in the wrong way, often with harmful results:  --Even harmless drugs can be misused.//  --The term ’schizophrenia’ is often misused.//  --There is concern that the judges might misuse their power.//\n  2 to treat someone badly or unfairly:\nmisuse 2   n [U and C]   the use of something in the wrong way or for the wrong purpose//   abuse//  --a system designed to prevent credit card misuse//  drug/alcohol misuse //  --Children who begin smoking when young are at greater risk from drugs misuse.//  misuse of//  --a scandalous misuse of public funds//


Words: MIT
Meaning:
Massachusetts Institute of Technology a respected US university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is an important centre for  research work in scientific subjects such as mathematics and computer science//


Words: Mitchell
Meaning:
Joni   (1943- ) a Canadian singer and songwriter, popular especially in the 1960s and 1970s. Her songs include  Big Yellow Taxi.//


Words: mite
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin:]//\n  1 a very small creature that lives in plants, carpets etc:\n  2  spoken a small child, especially one that you feel sorry for:  --Poor mite! You must be starving!//\n  3  a mite:  slightly//   a bit//  --She’s a mite shy.//  --It’s a mite too big for the box.//\n  4  a mite of sth:   old-fashioned a small amount of something//


Words: miter
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: mitre, from  Latin mitra  ’band around the head’, from  Greek]//  the American spelling of mitre//


Words: Mitford
Meaning:
Nancy   (1904-73) a British writer who  novels and other books about the British aristocracy. Her best-known novels are  The Pursuit of Love and  Love in a Cold Climate. She and her sisters were known as the Mitford girls, and they belonged to a well-known English  upper-class family. Two of the sisters, Diana and Unity, became involved in  right-wing politics. They greatly admired Adolf Hitler, and Diana married the British  fascist leader Oswald  Mosley.//


Words: Mithras
Meaning:
the god of light or the sun in an ancient Persian religion known as Mithraism, which spread through the  Roman Empire in the first and second centuries AD, and was an important religion especially among Roman soldiers//


Words: mitigate
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  mitigare  ’to soften’, from  mitis  ’soft’]//  to make a situation or the effects of something less unpleasant, harmful, or serious//   alleviate//  --Measures need to be taken to mitigate the environmental effects of burning more coal.//


Words: mitigating
Meaning:
adj   mitigating circumstances/factors//  facts about a situation that make a crime or bad mistake seem less serious//  --Judges often give reduced sentences where there are mitigating circumstances.//


Words: mitigation
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1  in mitigation:   law if you say something in mitigation, you try to make someone’s crime or mistake seem less serious or show that they were not completely responsible//  --The captain added, in mitigation, that the engines may have been faulty.//\n  2  formal a reduction in how unpleasant, harmful, or serious a situation is:  --His marriage had brought a slight mitigation of the monotony of his existence.//


Words: mitre
Meaning:
BrE  miter AmE   n [C] \n  1 a tall pointed hat worn by bishops and archbishops:\n  2  also mitre joint :  a joint between two pieces of wood, in which each piece is cut at an angle//


Words: mitt
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: mitten]//\n  1 a type of glove that does not have separate parts for each finger:   mitten//  --ski mitts//  --an oven mitt (=a thick glove used to protect your hand when you hold hot pans) //  2 a type of leather glove used to catch a ball in baseball//\n  3  informal  especially BrE someone’s hand:  --Robert’s put his sticky mitts all over it.//


Words: mitten
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: mitaine, probably from  mite  ’mitten’]//  a type of glove that does not have separate parts for each finger//


Words: Mitty
Meaning:
Walter   the main character in a story by James  Thurber called The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1932). He has a very ordinary life, but spends a lot of time imagining that he is a brave and important person living a dangerous and exciting life. His name is used, especially in newspapers, to describe someone who seems very ordinary but who either imagines they have an exciting secret life or who actually does have one//  --Their quiet neighbour turned out to be a Walter Mitty character, running a huge drug-smuggling business from his garage.//


Words: mix
Meaning:
W3S2   v   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: mixte  ’mixed’ (13-17 centuries), from  Latin mixtus, past participle of  miscere  ’to mix’]//\n  1 [I and T] if you mix two or more substances or if they mix, they combine to become a single substance, and they cannot be easily separated:  --Oil and water don’t mix.//  mix (sth) with sth//  --Shake the bottle well so that the oil mixes with the vinegar.//  --The powder is mixed with cold water to form a paste.//  --Mix the soured cream with ketchup and tomatoes.//  mix sth together//  --First mix the butter and sugar together, then add the milk.//  mix sth in//  --Mix in 75g of butter.//  mix sth into sth//  --Mix the herbs into the sauce.//\n  2 [T] to combine two or more different activities, ideas, groups of things etc:  --Their musical style mixes elements of Eastern culture and Western pop.//  mix sth with sth//  --His books mix historical fact with fantasy.//  --I don’t like to mix business with pleasure  (=combine business and social activities at the same time) .//\n  3 [I] to meet, talk, and spend time with other people, especially people you do not know very well:   socialize//  mix with//  --Charlie doesn’t mix well with the other children.//\n  4  not mix:  if two different ideas, activities etc do not mix, there are problems when they are combined//  --Smoking and babies don’t mix.//\n  5 [T]  also mix up :  to prepare something, especially food or drink, by mixing things together//  --Will you mix us some martinis, Bill?//\n  6  mix and match:  to choose to put different things together from a range of possibilities//  --They can mix and match their uniform, wearing either a sweatshirt or blouse with trousers or a skirt.//\n  7 [T]  technical to control the balance of sounds in a record or film:\n  8  mix it (up):   informal to get involved in a fight with someone//  --You don’t want to mix it with him. He’s been drinking since noon.//  mix up [mix sb/sth → up] phr v//\n  1 to make the mistake of thinking that someone or something is another person or thing:   confuse, muddle up//  mix somebody/something → up with//  --I always mix him up with his brother. They look so much alike.//  --I think you might be mixing up Wetherall and Newton.//  --I must have got the times mixed up .//\n  2 to change the way things have been arranged, often by mistake, so that they are no longer in the same order:  --My papers got all mixed up .//  --Books on Scottish history were mixed up with books on volcanoes.//\n  3 to make someone feel confused:  --They kept trying to mix me up.//\n  4 to prepare something by mixing things together:  --It was hard work mixing up four tonnes of cement.//    mixed up,  mix-up//\nmix 2 n \n  1 [singular] the particular combination of things or people in a group or thing:  mix of//  --a good mix of people//  --We felt that between us we had the right mix of skills.//  --a complicated mix of colours and textures//  --the region’s rich ethnic mix (=people of different races) //\n  2 [U and C] a combination of substances that you mix together to make something such as a cake:   mixture//  cake/soup etc mix //  --Add water to the cake mix and bake at 375[hA131]F.//\n  3 [C] a particular arrangement of sounds, voices, or different pieces of music used on a pop record:  --the dance mix//


Words: mix-up
Meaning:
n [C]    informal a mistake that causes confusion about details or arrangements//  mix-up in//  --Geoffrey rushed in late pleading a mix-up in his diary.//  mix-up between//  --A council official blamed a mix-up between departments.//  mix-up over//  --There was a mix-up over the hotel booking.//


Words: mixed
Meaning:
S2   adj \n  1 [only before noun] consisting of several different types of things or people:  --a very mixed group of women//  --a mixed salad//\n  2  mixed feelings/emotions:  if you have mixed feelings or emotions about something, you are not sure whether you like, agree with or feel happy about it//  mixed feelings/emotions about//  --I had mixed feelings about meeting Laura again.//  --He watched with mixed emotions.//\n  3  mixed reaction/response/reviews etc:  if something gets a mixed reaction etc, some people say they like it or agree with it, but others dislike it or disagree with it//  --The film has had mixed reviews from the critics.//  --Media coverage of the event was mixed.//\n  4  especially BrE for both males and females:  --a mixed school//\n  5  a mixed blessing:  something that is good in some ways but bad in others//  --Having your parents living nearby is a mixed blessing.//\n  6  a mixed bag:  a) a group of things or people that are all very different from each other//  a mixed bag of//  --The concert was a mixed bag of classical and modern music.//  --Club-goers are a mixed bag these days, and so are the places they go clubbing.//  b) something that includes both good and bad parts//  --The meat was very good, but the vegetables were rather a mixed bag.//\n  7  (of) mixed race:  having parents of different races//  --children of mixed race//\n  8  in mixed company:  when you are with people of both sexes//  --It’s not the sort of joke you tell in mixed company.//    mixed metaphor at metaphor(2)//


Words: mixed ability
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   a mixed ability school or class teaches all children of the same age together, even if they have different levels of ability//  --a mixed ability group//  --mixed ability teaching//


Words: mixed doubles
Meaning:
n [U]   a game in a sport such as tennis in which a man and a woman play against another man and woman//


Words: mixed economy
Meaning:
n [C]   an economic system in which some industries are owned by the government and some are owned by private companies//


Words: mixed grill
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a dish consisting of meats such as sausage, bacon, liver etc which have all been grilled//


Words: mixed up
Meaning:
adj \n  1  be/get mixed up in sth:  to be involved in an illegal or dishonest activity//  --He’s the last person I’d expect to be mixed up in something like this.//  --I’d have to be crazy to get mixed up in that kind of thing.//\n  2  be/get mixed up with sb:  to be involved with someone who has a bad influence on you//  --When he left college he got mixed up with the wrong people.//\n  3 [not before noun] confused, for example because you have too many different details to remember or think about:  --I get all mixed up over the money whenever I travel abroad.//\n  4  also mixed-up :   informal confused and suffering from emotional problems//   screwed up//  --She’s just a crazy mixed-up kid.//    mix up at mix1 ,  mix-up//


Words: mixer
Meaning:
n [C]   1 a piece of equipment used to mix things together//  --an electric food mixer//  --a cement mixer//  --a shower mixer//\n  2 a piece of equipment or computer software which is used to control the sound levels or picture quality of a recording or film, or a person whose job is to use this equipment:  --an audio mixer//\n  3 a drink that can be mixed with alcohol, especially to make a cocktail:  --We can use tonic water or orange juice as mixers.//\n  4  good mixer:  someone who finds it easy to talk to people they do not know//  --Media people need to be good mixers and good talkers.//\n  5  AmE  old-fashioned a party held so that people who have just met can get to know each other better:  --Are you going to the freshman mixer?//


Words: mixtape
Meaning:
n [C]   a piece of music that is produced by mixing different voices or musical instruments that have already been recorded//  --All types of electronic dance music mixtapes for sale.//  --mixtape CDs//


Words: mixture
Meaning:
W3S3   n   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: misture, from  Latin mixtura, from  mixtus;   MIX1]//\n  1 [C] a combination of two or more different things, feelings, or types of people:  mixture of//  --The town is a mixture of the old and the new.//  --the mixture of different people living in the city//  --She felt a strange mixture of excitement and fear.//  --a mixture of emotions//\n  2 [U and C] a liquid or other substance made by mixing several substances together, especially in cooking:    compound//  mixture of//  --Fill the bread with a mixture of lettuce, tomatoes, and cucumbers.//  --Pour the mixture into four small dishes.//\n  3 [C]  technical a combination of substances that are put together but do not mix with each other:


Words: mizzen
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  also mizzen mast :  the mast behind the main mast on a sailing ship//\n  2  also mizzen sail :  the main sail on a mizzen on a sailing ship//


Words: MLitt
Meaning:
M.Litt./em l[hA366]t/ n [C]  BrE   Master of Letters a university degree that you can get at some British universities by studying for two years after your first degree//\nmm 1   the written abbreviation of millimetre or millimetres//\nmm 2    used when someone else is speaking and you want to show that you are listening, that you agree with them, or that you are thinking about what they have said//  --’That’s okay, isn’t it?’ ’Mm yeah.’//  --Mm, I see what you mean.//


Words: mnemonic
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Greek; Origin: mnemonikos, from  mimneskesthai  ’to remember’]//  something such as a poem or a sentence that you use to help you remember a rule, a name etc//  -- mnemonic adj //


Words: mo
Meaning:
n [singular]    BrE  spoken a very short period of time//   moment//  --Wait a mo!//  --I’ll be back in a mo.//


Words: moan
Meaning:
v \n  1 [I and T]  informal to complain in an annoying way, especially in an unhappy voice and without good reason:  --’I feel seasick already,’ she moaned.//  moan about//  --A lot of people moaned about the parking problems.//  moan at//   BrE //  --My mum never stops moaning at me.//  moan that//  --He’s always moaning that we use too much electricity.//  --He moaned and groaned all the way there.//\n  2 [I] to make a long low sound expressing pain, unhappiness, or sexual pleasure:   groan//  --She moaned and cried out in pain.//\n  3 [I]  literary if the wind moans, it makes a long low sound:  --They could hear the wind moaning in the trees.//  -- moaner n  [C]  BrE //  --Dad’s a gloomy old moaner.//\nmoan 2 n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Origin:  From an unrecorded  Old English man]//\n  1 a long low sound expressing pain, unhappiness, or sexual pleasure:  moan of//  --There was a moan of pain from the injured man.//  --She gave a little moan of pleasure.//  --a low moan //\n  2  have a moan (about sth):   BrE  informal to complain about something//  --We were just having a moan about work.//\n  3  literary a low sound made by the wind:


Words: moat
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: mote,  motte  ’small hill (on which a castle was built)’]//\n  1 a deep wide hole, usually filled with water, dug around a castle as a defence:\n  2 a deep wide hole dug around an area used for animals in a zoo to stop them from escaping:  -- moated adj //


Words: mob
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: mobile vulgus  ’excitable crowd’, from  mobilis;   MOBILE1]//\n  1 a large noisy crowd, especially one that is angry and violent:  mob of//  --a mob of a few hundred demonstrators//  --They were immediately surrounded by the mob.//  --The leadership had been criticized for giving in to mob rule  (=when a mob controls the situation rather than the government or the law) .//\n  2  informal a group of people of the same type:   gang//  mob of//  --The usual mob of teenagers were standing on the corner.//  the heavy mob  BrE  (=group of strong violent men) //  --What happens if they send the heavy mob round to find him?//\n  3  the Mob:  the mafia (=a powerful organization of criminals) //\n  4  the mob:   old use an insulting expression meaning all the poorest and least educated people in society//\n  5  mob of sheep/cattle:   AusE a large group of sheep or cattle//\nmob 2   past tense and past participle  mobbed present participle  mobbing  v [T] //\n  1 if people mob a famous person, they rush to get close to them and form a crowd around them:  --Fans ran onto the pitch and mobbed the batsman.//\n  2 if a group of birds or animals mob another bird or animal, they all attack it:


Words: mob cap
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  Probably from  mab,  mob  ’prostitute, careless dress’ (16-18 centuries), from the female name  Mab, from  Mabel]//  a light cotton hat with a decorative edge, worn by women in the 18th and 19th centuries//


Words: mobile
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: Latin mobilis, from  movere  ’to move’]//\n  1 not fixed in one position, and easy to move and use in different places:  --mobile air-conditioners//\n  2 moving or able to move from one job, area, or social class to another:  --a more mobile workforce//  --People these days are much more socially mobile .//  --an upwardly mobile  (=moving to a higher social scale) professional//\n  3 able to move or travel easily:  → immobile//  --She’s more mobile now that she has her own car.//\n  4  mobile library/shop/clinic etc:   BrE a shop etc that is kept in a vehicle and driven from place to place//  --Two mobile units provide healthcare in rural villages.//\n  5  mobile mouth/face/features:   written features that can change their expression quickly//  --His mobile features registered amusement.//\nmobile 2   n [C]   1  BrE a mobile phone//  American Equivalent:  cellphone//  --Give me a call on my mobile.//  --Have you got my mobile number?//\n  2 a decoration made of small objects tied to wires or string which is hung up so that the objects move when air blows around them:


Words: mobile home
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  AmE a type of house made of metal, that can be pulled by a vehicle and moved to another place:\n  2  BrE a large caravan which always stays in the same place and is used as a house:  American Equivalent:  trailer//


Words: mobile phone
Meaning:
n [C]   a telephone that you can carry with you and use in any place//  American Equivalent:  cellular phone//  --mobile phone users//


Words: mobility
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the ability to move easily from one job, area, or social class to another:  -- social mobility //  mobility of//  --There is greater mobility of labour  (=movement of workers) between jobs and areas.//  upward/downward mobility //  --jobs and opportunities for upward mobility//\n  2 the ability to move easily:  --It improves the strength and mobility of joints.//  --The key to the army’s effectiveness is its increased mobility.//  mobility allowance  BrE  (=money paid to sick or disabled people to help pay for transport) //


Words: mobilize
Meaning:
also mobilise  BrE   v \n  1 [T] to encourage people to support something in an active way:  --an attempt to mobilize popular opinion//  --a campaign to mobilize support for the strike//\n  2 [T] to start to use the things or people you have available in order to achieve something:  --They failed to mobilize their resources effectively.//\n  3 [I and T] if a country mobilizes or mobilizes its army, it prepares to fight a war:    demobilize//\n  4 [T] to help something to move more easily:  --The physiotherapist mobilizes the patient’s shoulder.//  -- mobilization/m[hA353][hA35E]b[hA369]la[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ mo[hA35E]b[hA369]l[hA353]-/ n  [U and C] //  --the mobilization of public opinion//


Words: Moby-Dick
Meaning:
(1851) a novel by Herman  Melville about a man called Captain  Ahab who risks his life and the lives of the other people on his ship by hunting a large, powerful white  whale called Moby-Dick. The book is famous of containing a lot of information about hunting whales and for being very long. Many people consider it to be one of the greatest American novels.//


Words: moccasin
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Virginia Algonquian; Origin: mockasin]//  a flat comfortable shoe made of soft leather//


Words: mocha
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: Mocha, port in Arabia]//\n  1 a type of coffee:\n  2 a combination of coffee and chocolate:


Words: mochaccino
Meaning:
n   plural  mochaccinos  [U and C] //  a drink made of strong coffee, chocolate or cocoa, and hot milk//


Words: mock
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: moquier]//\n  1 [I and T]  formal to laugh at someone or something and try to make them look stupid by saying unkind things about them or by copying them:   make fun of//  --Opposition MPs mocked the government’s decision.//  --’Running away?’ he mocked.//  --It’s easy for you to mock, but we put a lot of work into this play.//\n  2 [T]  formal to make something seem completely useless:  --Violent attacks like this mock the peace process.//  -- mocking adj //  --Her tone was mocking.//  -- mockingly adv //  --His lips twisted mockingly.//  -- mocker n  [C] //  mock up [mock sth → up] phr v//  to make a  full-size model of something so that it looks real//    mock-up//\nmock 2 adj [only before noun] \n  1 not real, but intended to be very similar to a real situation, substance etc:  --war games with mock battles//  --a mock interview//  --mock marble floors//\n  2  mock surprise/horror/indignation etc:  surprise etc that you pretend to feel, especially as a joke//  --She threw her hands up in mock horror.//\nmock 3 n \n  1  mocks [plural]  BrE school examinations taken as practice before official examinations:  --I’m revising for my mocks.//\n  2  make mock of sb:   literary to mock someone//


Words: Mock Turtle
Meaning:
the   a character in the book  Alice in Wonderland by Lewis  Carroll, who is a strange and sad creature who often cries//


Words: mock-
Meaning:
prefix \n  1 used to show that an attitude or feeling is pretended, not real:  --a mock-serious expression//  --His frown was mock-severe.//\n  2 copying a particular style, especially of building:  --a mock-Tudor fireplace//


Words: mock-up
Meaning:
n [C]   a full size model of something, made before the real thing is built, or made for a film, show etc//  mock-up of//  --a mock-up of the system//  --a mock-up of a submarine//    mock up at mock1 //


Words: mockers
Meaning:
n   put the mockers on sth//   BrE  informal to spoil an event or someone’s plans, or to bring someone bad luck//  --Without wishing to put the mockers on things, I’d like to know where the money is going to come from.//


Words: mockery
Meaning:
n \n  1  make a mockery of sth:  to make something such as a plan or system seem completely useless or ineffective//  --This building plan makes a mockery of the government’s environmental policy.//\n  2 [U] when someone laughs at someone or something or shows that they think they are stupid:  --There was a hint of mockery in his voice.//\n  3 [singular] something that is completely useless or ineffective:  --She said that the trial had been a mockery.//


Words: Mod
Meaning:
n \n  1  BrE member of a group of young people in Britain in the 1960s who wore a particular type of neat clothes and drove  motor scooters:    rocker//\n  2 a Gaelic  festival of music and poetry held in Scotland every year:


Words: mod cons
Meaning:
n   all mod cons//   BrE  informal all the things that are fitted in modern houses to make life easy and comfortable//  --a property with many interesting features and all mod cons//


Words: modal
Meaning:
n [C]   a modal verb//\nmodal 2 adj  technical   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: modalis, from  Latin modus;   MODE]//\n  1 [only before noun] modal meanings are concerned with the attitude of the speaker to the hearer or to what is being said:\n  2 related to or written in a musical mode(5):  -- modality/m[hA353][hA35E]d[zB024]l[hA369]ti $ mo[hA35E]-/ n  [U] //


Words: modal verb
Meaning:
also modal  n [C]  technical   one of these verb forms: can, could, may, might, shall, should, will, would, must, ought to, used to, need, had better, and dare. They are all used with other verbs to express ideas such as possibility, permission, or intention//    auxiliary verb//


Words: mode
Meaning:
W3   n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: modus  ’measure, way’]//\n  1  formal a particular way or style of behaving, living or doing something:  mode of//  --the most efficient mode of transport //  --They have a relaxed mode of life that suits them well.//  --Western modes of thought//\n  2  technical a particular way in which a machine or piece of equipment can operate:  --Set the monitor to 256 colour mode.//  --To get out of the ’auto’ mode on the camera, turn the knob to ’M’.//\n  3  be in work mode/holiday mode etc:   informal to have a particular feeling or way of thinking or behaving, because of the situation you are in//  --With only minutes to go, we were now in panic mode.//\n  4  be the mode:   formal to be fashionable at a particular time//  --Long skirts were then the mode.//\n  5  technical one of various systems of arranging notes in music, such as major and minor in Western music:    a la mode,  modish//


Words: model
Meaning:
W1S2   n [C]   ----------//\n   1 small copy:\n   2 fashion:\n   3 type of car etc:\n   4 description:\n   5 somebody/something to copy:\n   6 model of efficiency/virtue etc:\n   7 art:  ----------//  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: mod[hA169]le, from  Old Italian modello, from  Latin modulus;   MODULE]//\n  1 SMALL COPY:  a small copy of a building, vehicle, machine etc, especially one that can be put together from separate parts//  model of//  --They showed us a model of the building.//  --a working model  (=one with parts which move) of a steam engine//\n  2 FASHION:  someone whose job is to show clothes, hair styles etc by wearing them at fashion shows or for photographs//  --a top fashion model//  --a male model//\n  3 TYPE OF CAR ETC:  a particular type or design of a vehicle or machine//  --Renault are introducing three new models at the show.//  --Our dishwasher is the latest model  (=newest design) .//  --the 2.8 litre V6 model//\n  4 DESCRIPTION:  a computer representation or scientific description of something//  model of//  --Scientists are building computer models of the ocean currents.//\n  5 SOMEBODY/SOMETHING TO COPY:  someone or something which people want to copy because they are successful or have good qualities//  model for//  --It served as a model for other cities.//  --He used English medieval architecture as his model.//  role model (=someone that you try to copy because they have qualities you would like to have) //  --Good teachers can act as positive role models .//\n  6  model of efficiency/virtue etc:  someone or something that has a lot of a good quality//  --She was a model of honesty and decency.//\n  7 ART:  someone who is employed by an artist or photographer to be painted or photographed//\nmodel 2 adj \n  1  model aircraft/train/car etc:  a small copy of an aircraft, train etc, especially one that a child can play with or put together from separate parts//  --He spent hours playing with his model railway.//  --She builds model aeroplanes in her spare time.//\n  2  model wife/employee/student etc:  a wife,  employee (=worker)  etc who is considered to be good because they do everything they should//   exemplary//  --His lawyers tried to show him as a model husband and father.//\n  3  model prison/farm/school etc:  a prison etc that has been specially designed or organized to be as good as possible//\nmodel 3 v   past tense and past participle  modelled present participle  modelling  BrE //  past tense and past participle  modeled present participle  modeling  AmE //\n  1 [I and T] to wear clothes at a fashion show or in magazine photographs in order to show them to people:  --She’s modeling Donna Karan’s fall collection.//  --Claire modelled for a few years when she was in her twenties.//\n  2  model yourself on sb:   BrE model yourself after sb  AmE to try to be like someone else because you admire them//  --Jim had always modelled himself on his great hero, Martin Luther King.//\n  3  be modelled on sth:  to be designed in a way that copies another system or way of doing something//  --Their education system is modelled on the French one.//\n  4 [T] to do a computer representation or scientific description of a situation or event:  --They used a computer to model the possible effects of global warming.//\n  5 [T] to make something by shaping clay, wood etc:  -- modeller n  [C] //


Words: Model T Ford
Meaning:
trademark   a type of Ford car made between 1909 and 1927. It was the first car to be built on an  assembly line, and this made inexpensive cars available to ordinary people for the first time. The Model T Ford was sold in very large numbers, and was informally called the ’Tin Lizzie’. Henry  Ford, who invented and produced this car, was speaking about the Model T when he said the famous phrase: "You can have any colour you like, so long as it’s black."//


Words: modelling
Meaning:
BrE  modeling AmE   n [U] \n  1 the work of a fashion model:  --a career in modelling//\n  2 the process of making a scientific or computer model of something to show how it works or to understand it better:  modelling of//  -- computer modelling of the system//  --economic modelling//\n  3 the activity of making models of objects:


Words: modem
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: modulator +  demodulator]//  a piece of electronic equipment that allows information from one computer to be sent along telephone wires to another computer//


Words: moderate
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: moderatus, past participle of  moderare  ’to moderate’]//\n  1 not very large or very small, very hot or very cold, very fast or very slow etc:  --Even moderate amounts of alcohol can be dangerous.//  --a moderate degree of success//  --a student of only moderate ability//  --Moderate exercise, such as walking or swimming, is recommended.//  --Bake the pie for 30 minutes in a moderate oven.//  --moderate to strong winds//\n  2 having opinions or beliefs, especially about politics, that are not extreme and that most people consider reasonable:  → extreme//  --the more moderate members of the party//  --a moderate politician//\n  3 staying within reasonable or sensible limits:  → immoderate//  --a moderate smoker//  --moderate wage demands//    moderately//\nmoderate 2   v [I and T] \n  1  formal to make something less extreme or violent, or to become less extreme or violent:  --The students moderated their demands.//  --He learnt to moderate his anger.//\n  2  BrE to do the work of a moderator:\nmoderate 3   n [C]   someone whose opinions or beliefs, especially about politics, are not extreme and are considered reasonable by most people//  → extremist, hardliner//  --He’s coming under pressure from moderates in the party.//


Words: moderately
Meaning:
adv \n  1 fairly, but not very:   reasonably//  --a moderately successful film//  --He did moderately well in the exams.//\n  2 in a way which is not extreme or stays within reasonable limits:  --He drinks moderately.//\n  3  moderately priced:  neither cheap nor expensive//  --Both hotels are moderately priced.//


Words: moderation
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1  in moderation:  if you do something in moderation, such as drinking alcohol or eating certain foods, you do not do it too much//  → to excess//  --Some people think drinking in moderation can prevent heart disease.//\n  2  formal control of your behaviour, so that you keep your actions, feelings, habits etc within reasonable limits:  moderation in//  --Moderation in diet is the way to good health.//  --He encouraged moderation and toleration on religious issues.//\n  3  formal reduction in force, degree, speed etc:


Words: moderato
Meaning:
adj, adv   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Italian; Origin: Latin moderatus;   MODERATE1]//  at an average speed - used as an instruction on how fast to play a piece of music//


Words: moderator
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone whose job is to control a discussion or an argument between people:\n  2  BrE someone who makes sure that an examination is fair, and that the marks given are fair and correct:\n  3 a religious leader who is in charge of the council of the Presbyterian and United Reformed Churches:


Words: modern
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Late Latin; Origin: modernus, from  Latin modo  ’just now’, from  modus;   MODE]//\n  1 [only before noun] belonging to the present time or most recent time:   contemporary//  --Such companies must change if they are to compete in the modern world .//  --They are the youngest children in modern times to face murder charges.//  --Smaller families are a feature of modern society .//  --Computers are an essential part of modern life .//  --a book about modern history //  --The original supermarkets were small by modern standards.//  Modern Greek/Hebrew etc (=the form of the language used today) //\n  2 made or done using the most recent designs or methods:   up-to-date//  --A lot of progress has been made with the use of modern technology .//  --advances in modern medicine //  --modern surgical techniques//\n  3 [only before noun] modern art, music, literature etc uses styles that have been recently developed and are very different from traditional styles:   contemporary//  --an exhibition of modern art//  --modern dance//\n  4 having very recent attitudes or ways of behaving:   progressive//  → traditional//  --The school is very modern in its approach to sex education.//    secondary modern//


Words: modern language
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a language which is used now, especially a European language such as French or Italian, studied as a subject at school or university//  --a degree in modern languages//


Words: modern pentathlon
Meaning:
n [singular]   a sports competition that involves running, swimming, riding horses, fencing, and shooting guns//


Words: modern-day
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   existing in the present time - used when comparing someone or something to a person or thing in the past//   present-day, contemporary//  --She’s a modern-day Joan of Arc.//  --The modern-day diet has too little fiber in it.//


Words: modernism
Meaning:
n [U]   a style of art, building etc that was popular especially from the 1940s to the 1960s, in which artists used simple shapes and modern artificial materials//    post-modernism//  --the rise of modernism in Paris//  -- modernist adj  n  [C] //  --the modernist school//


Words: modernistic
Meaning:
adj   designed in a way that looks very modern and very different from previous styles//  → traditional//  --a modernistic office building//


Words: modernize
Meaning:
also modernise  BrE   v \n  1 [T] to make something such as a system or building more modern:  --They need more funds to modernize the country’s telephone system.//  --a tastefully modernized old farmhouse//\n  2 [I] to start using more modern methods and equipment:  --The business will lose money if it doesn’t modernize.//  -- modernizer n  [C] //  --the conflict between the modernizers and the conservatives//  -- modernization/m[hA361]d[hA353]na[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ m[hA35A][hA359]d[hA353]rn[hA353]-/ n  [U and C] //  --the modernization of the railway system//


Words: modest
Meaning:
adj   ----------//\n   1 not proud:\n   2 not big:\n   3 shy:\n   4 clothes:  ----------//  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: modestus]//\n  1 NOT PROUD:  someone who is modest does not want to talk about their abilities or achievements//  → immodest, boastful//  modest about//  --He was always modest about his role in the Everest expedition.//  --You’re too modest! You’ve been a huge help to us.//\n  2 NOT BIG:  not very great, big, or expensive//  --a modest increase in costs//  --She had saved a modest amount of money.//  --The new service proved a modest success .//  --a modest house with a small garden//  --his modest ambitions//\n  3 SHY:  shy about showing your body or attracting sexual interest, because you are easily embarrassed//  → immodest//  --She was a modest girl, always keeping covered, even in summer.//\n  4 CLOTHES:   old-fashioned modest clothing covers the body in a way that does not attract sexual interest//  --a modest knee-length dress//  -- modestly adv //  --’I was just lucky,’ he said modestly.//  --modestly priced meals//


Words: modesty
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 a modest way of behaving or talking:  --’Anyone else would have done the same thing,’ he said with typical modesty.//\n  2 unwillingness to show your body or do anything that may attract sexual interest:\n  3  in all modesty:   spoken used when you want to talk about something good you have done, but you do not want to seem too proud//  --I think in all modesty that I can take some small credit for the team’s success.//\n  4  modesty forbids:   spoken used when saying jokingly that you do not want to talk about your achievements//    false modesty at false(4)//


Words: modicum
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: modicus  ’moderate’, from  modus;   MODE]//  a modicum of sth//   formal a small amount of something, especially a good quality//  --a modicum of common sense//


Words: modification
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C] a small change made in something such as a design, plan, or system:  modification to//  --We’ve made one or two modifications to the original design.//  --They have used the same process for almost 50 years with only minor modifications .//\n  2 [U and C] the act of modifying something, or the process of being modified:  modification of//  --The review resulted in the modification of our security procedures.//  modification in//  --Knowledge of the ill effects of tobacco has led to a modification in smoking behaviour.//


Words: modifier
Meaning:
n [C]    technical a word or group of words that gives additional information about another word. Modifiers can be adjectives (such as ’fierce’ in ’the fierce dog’), adverbs (such as ’loudly’ in ’the dog barked loudly’), or phrases (such as ’with a short tail’ in ’the dog with a short tail’).//


Words: modify
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  modified present participle  modifying third person singular  modifies  [T] //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: modifier, from  Latin modificare  ’to measure, moderate’, from  modus;   MODE]//\n  1 to make small changes to something in order to improve it and make it more suitable or effective:   adapt//  --The feedback will be used to modify the course for next year.//  --The regulations can only be modified by a special committee.//  modify sth to do sth//  --The seats can be modified to fit other types of vehicle.//\n  2  technical if an adjective, adverb etc modifies another word, it describes something or limits the word’s meaning. In the phrase ’walk slowly’, the adverb ’slowly’ modifies the verb ’walk’.:


Words: Modigliani
Meaning:
Amedeo   (1884-1920) an Italian painter and  sculptor known especially for his pictures of  nudes (=women without clothes)  and of people’s faces, in which the bodies and faces are much longer than in real life//


Words: modular
Meaning:
adj   consisting of separate parts or units which can be put together to form something, often in different combinations//  --a modular course in business studies//  --Most colleges now use the modular system of teaching.//  --modular furniture//


Words: modulate
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  modulari  ’to play, sing’, from  modulus;   MODULE]//\n  1 [T]  formal to change the sound of your voice:\n  2 [T] to change a process or activity to make it more controlled, slower, less strong etc:  --These drugs modulate the disease process.//\n  3 [I + from/to]  technical to move from one key to another in a piece of music using a series of related chords:\n  4 [T]  technical to change the form of a radio signal so that it can be broadcast more effectively:  -- modulation/m[hA361]dj[hA36A]le[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ m[hA35A][hA359]d[hA360][hA353]-/ n  [U and C] //


Words: module
Meaning:
W2   n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: modulus  ’small measure, rhythm’, from  modus;   MODE]//\n  1  especially BrE one of the separate units that a course of study has been divided into. Usually students choose a number of modules to study:  --a module in mathematics//  --You choose five modules in the first year.//\n  2  technical one of several parts of a piece of computer software that does a particular job:\n  3 a part of a spacecraft that can be separated from the main part and used for a particular purpose:\n  4 one of several separate parts that can be combined to form a larger object, such as a machine or building:


Words: modus operandi
Meaning:
n [singular]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: ’way of operating’]//   formal M.O. a way of doing something that is typical of a particular person or group//


Words: modus vivendi
Meaning:
n [singular]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: ’way of living’]//   formal an arrangement between people with very different opinions or habits that allows them to live or work together without quarrelling//


Words: Mogadishu
Meaning:
also  Mogadiscio Muqdisho  the capital, largest city, and main port of Somalia, on the Indian Ocean//


Words: moggy
Meaning:
moggie/m[hA361]gi $ m[hA35A][hA359]gi, m[hA361][hA359]gi/ n   plural  moggies  [C] //   BrE  informal a cat//


Words: Mogul
Meaning:
also  Moghul Mughal  a member of a family of Muslim rulers of northern India from 1526-1857, a period famous for beautiful art and buildings, including the Taj Mahal//


Words: mogul
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: Mogul  ’member of a Muslim group that ruled India in former times’ (16-21 centuries), from  Persian Mughul, from  Mongolian Mongol]//  movie/media/gambling etc mogul//  a  businessman or  businesswoman who has great power and influence in a particular industry//


Words: mohair
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: mocayare  ’mohair’ (1500-1600), from early  Italian mocaiarro, from  Arabic mukhayyar  ’choice’; influenced by  hair]//  expensive wool made from the hair of the angora goat//  --a mohair sweater//


Words: Mohammed
Meaning:
also  Muhammad  (?570-632) an Arab holy man, born in  Mecca, who started the religion of Islam and is its most important Prophet (=someone who has been sent by God to lead people and teach them) . The things that God told him were later written down to form the holy book called the Koran.. When Muslim people mention Muhammad’s name, they usually add the words "peace be upon him" in order to show their respect.//


Words: Mohican
Meaning:
AmE [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  From the hairstyle worn by Native American men in J. Fenimore Cooper’s novel Last of the Mohicans (1826)]//  a hairstyle in which the hair is cut off the sides of the head, and the hair on top of the head is made to stick up and is sometimes brightly coloured//  -- Mohican adj //  --a Mohican haircut//\nMohican 2   an imaginary Native American tribe of the upper Hudson River valley in New York State, invented by the writer James Fenimore  Cooper for his stories, such as  The Last of the Mohicans//


Words: moi
Meaning:
pron  spoken   me - used humorously to disagree with a negative description of yourself//  --Difficult, moi?//


Words: moiety
Meaning:
n   plural  moieties  [C] //  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: moite, from  Late Latin medietas, from  Latin medius  ’middle’]//   law or literary a half share//


Words: moist
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: moiste, from  Latin mucidus  ’wet and slippery’, from  mucus;   MUCUS]//  slightly wet, especially in a way that is pleasant or suitable//  --Make sure the soil is moist before planting the seeds.//  --a rich, moist chocolate cake//  --warm moist air//  --Her eyes were moist (=she was almost crying) .//  -- moistness n  [U] //


Words: moisten
Meaning:
v [T]   to make something slightly wet//  --Moisten the clay if it seems too dry.//  --She moistened her lips  (=made her lips wet with her tongue) .//


Words: moisture
Meaning:
n [U]   small amounts of water that are present in the air, in a substance, or on a surface//  --Plants use their roots to absorb moisture from the soil.//  --Your skin’s moisture content varies according to weather conditions.//


Words: moisturize
Meaning:
also  moisturise BrE   v [I and T] \n  1 to make your skin less dry by using special cream:  --You should cleanse, tone and moisturize every day for healthy looking skin.//\n  2  moisturizing cream/lotion/oil etc:  cream, oil etc which you put on your skin or hair to make it less dry//


Words: Mojave Desert
Meaning:
the Mojave Desert//   also  the Mohave Desert//  a large desert in southern California.  Death Valley, the lowest point in the US, is found in the Mojave Desert.//


Words: molar
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: molaris, from  molaris  ’crushing like a mill’, from  mola;   MILL1]//  one of the large teeth at the back of the mouth that are used for breaking up food//    incisor//  -- molar adj //


Words: molasses
Meaning:
n [U]  AmE   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Portuguese; Origin: mela[hA168]o, from  Late Latin mellaceum  ’grape juice’, from  Latin mel  ’honey’]//  a thick dark sweet liquid that is obtained from raw sugar plants when they are being made into sugar//  British Equivalent:  treacle//


Words: molder
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Probably from  mold  ’earth’ (11-21 centuries), from  Old English molde; influenced by   MOLD11]//  the American spelling of moulder//


Words: Moldova
Meaning:
a country in Eastern Europe between Romania and the Ukraine, which used to be part of the former  Soviet Union. Population: 4,432,000 (2001). Capital: Kishinev.//  -- Moldavan n  adj //


Words: Mole
Meaning:
Adrian   the main character in a series of humorous British books written by Sue Townsend, the first of which was  The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13 (1982). Each book is in the form of a  diary in which Adrian writes about his daily life and thoughts. He describes many of the emotional problems that are typical of people his age.//


Words: mole
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a small dark furry animal which is almost blind. Moles usually live under the ground.:\n  2 a small dark brown mark on the skin that is slightly higher than the skin around it:\n  3 someone who works for an organization while secretly giving information to its enemies:


Words: molecule
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: molecule, from  Latin moles  ’mass’]//  the smallest unit into which any substance can be divided without losing its own chemical nature, usually consisting of two or more atoms//  --The molecules of oxygen gas contain just two atoms.//  -- molecular/m[hA353]lekj[hA36A]l[hA353] $ -[hA353]r/ adj //  --molecular structure//


Words: molehill
Meaning:
n [C]   a small pile of earth made by a mole//    make a mountain out of a molehill at mountain(4)//


Words: molest
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: molester, from  Latin molestare, from  molestus  ’heavy, annoying’, from  moles  ’mass’]//\n  1 to attack or harm someone, especially a child, by touching them in a sexual way or by trying to have sex with them:   abuse//  --men who molest young boys//\n  2  old-fashioned to attack and physically harm someone:  --a dog that was molesting sheep//  -- molester n  [C] //  -- molestation/m[hA353][hA35E]leste[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ mo[hA35E]-/ n  [U] //  --sexual molestation//    child molester//


Words: Moli[hA169]re
Meaning:
(1622-73) a French actor and writer of plays whose real name was Jean-Baptiste Poquelin. His most famous works are  comedies that make fun of human behaviour, such as  Le Misanthrope,  Tartuffe, and  Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme.//


Words: moll
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: Moll a female name]//   especially AmE  old-fashioned  informal a criminal’s girlfriend//  --a gangster’s moll//


Words: Moll Flanders
Meaning:
the main character in the book The Fortunes and Misfortunes of the Famous Moll Flanders, written in 1722 by Daniel Defoe. Moll tells the story of her marriages, sexual relationships, and crimes in an amusing way that makes the reader feel sympathy for her.//


Words: mollify
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  mollified present participle  mollifying third person singular  mollifies  [T]  formal //  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: mollifier, from  Late Latin mollificare, from  Latin mollis  ’soft’]//  to make someone feel less angry and upset about something//   placate//  --A policewoman attempted to mollify her.//  --Nature reserves were set up around new power stations to mollify local conservationists.//


Words: mollusc
Meaning:
BrE  mollusk AmE   n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: mollusque, from  Latin molluscus  ’soft’, from  mollis;   MOLLIFY]//  a type of sea or land animal that has a soft body covered by a hard shell//  --snails and other molluscs//  -- molluscan/m[hA353]l[hA356]sk[hA353]n/ adj //  --molluscan prey//


Words: Molly Maguires
Meaning:
the   a 19th-century secret organization of Irish Americans in the coal-producing area of Pennsylvania, US, which used often violent means to try to improve working conditions//


Words: mollycoddle
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: mollycoddle  ’someone treated too kindly’ (19-21 centuries), from  Molly a female name +  coddle]//  to treat someone too kindly and to protect them too much from anything unpleasant//  --He had been mollycoddled as a young boy.//


Words: Moloch
Meaning:
a god in some ancient religions, mentioned in the Old Testament of the Bible, for whom children were killed as a  sacrifice//


Words: Molotov cocktail
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Vyacheslav M.  Molotov (1890-1986), Soviet politician]//  a simple bomb consisting of a bottle filled with petrol with a piece of cloth in the end//


Words: molt
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: mout  ’to molt’ (14-17 centuries), from  Old English mutian  ’to change’, from  Latin mutare;   MUTATE]//  the American spelling of moult//


Words: molten
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  An old past participle of  melt]//  molten metal or rock has been made into a liquid by being heated to a very high temperature//  --molten iron//  molten lava (=liquid rock from a  volcano) //


Words: molto
Meaning:
adv   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Italian; Origin: Latin multum  ’much’]//  very - used in musical instructions//  molto allegro (=very fast) //


Words: molybdenum
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Greek molybdaina, from  molybdos  ’lead’]//  a hard silver-white metal that is used to make steel stronger. It is a chemical element: symbol Mo//


Words: mom
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: momma]//  mother//  British Equivalent:  mum//  --Mom, can I go over to Lisa’s house?//  --My mom says I have to stay home tonight.//


Words: mom-and-pop
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]    AmE a mom-and-pop business is owned and managed by a family or a husband and wife//  --a real mom-and-pop restaurant//


Words: moment
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 point in time:\n   2 short time:\n   3 at the moment:\n   4 for the moment:\n   5 the moment (that) somebody does something:\n   6 the last moment:\n   7 (at) any moment:\n   8 opportunity:\n   9 moment of madness/weakness/panic etc:\n  10 one moment ... the next/from one moment to the next:\n  11 not believe/think/do something for a/one moment:\n  12 of the moment:\n  13 have its/your moments:\n  14 not a moment too soon:\n  15 the moment of truth:\n  16 of great moment:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin momentum;   MOMENTUM]//\n  1 POINT IN TIME:  a particular point in time//  --It was one of the most exciting moments in his life.//  at this/that moment//   (=used for emphasis) //  --Just at that moment there was a knock on the door.//  --She may be in trouble at this very moment and trying to call you.//  --I remember the moment when I first saw him after the operation.//  --Quinn always seems to be in the right place at the crucial moment.//  --I just this moment  (=only a very short time ago) arrived and already Dan wants to know when I’m leaving.//  -- At this moment in time it would be inappropriate to comment on the situation.//  -- From that moment on  (=after that time) we were the best of friends.//\n  2 SHORT TIME:  a very short period of time//  --He was here a moment ago .//  --Can you spare a few moments to answer some questions?//  in a moment//   (=very soon) //  --I’ll come back to that point in a moment.//  for a moment//  --It was quiet for a moment, then Rae spoke.//  after a moment//  --’I don’t understand,’ said Louise after a moment.//  --A moment later we heard a splash.//  wait/just a moment (=used when you want someone to wait a short time while you do or say something) //  --Just a moment; let me put these away first.//  --We have to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice  (=very quickly) .//\n  3  at the moment:   BrE  especially spoken  ,  AmE  formal now//  --Julia’s on holiday in Spain at the moment.//  --At the moment, the situation in Haiti is very tense.//\n  4  for the moment:  used to say that something is happening or is true now but will probably change in the future//  --Well, for the moment we’re just friends.//  --For the moment the rain had stopped.//\n  5  the moment (that) sb does sth:  as soon as someone does something//  --He said he’d phone you the moment he got home.//\n  6  the last moment:  if you do something at the last moment or if something happens at the last moment, it happens at the last possible time//  at the last moment//  --The operation was cancelled at the last moment.//  --She always leaves everything to the last moment .//\n  7  (at) any moment:  extremely soon//  --The plumber should be here any moment now .//  --The roof could collapse at any moment.//\n  8 OPPORTUNITY:   [usually singular] a particular time when you have a chance to do something//  --His wife Denise was there to share his big moment  (=opportunity to do something great) .//  choose/pick your moment (=try to choose the best time to do something) //  --He picked his moment carefully to tell them the news.//  --This was her moment and she knew she had to take it.//\n  9  moment of madness/weakness/panic etc:  a short period of time when you do not feel or behave as normal and often do or say something which you later wish you had not done or said//  in a moment of sth//  --In a moment of madness I agreed to go with him.//  --He experienced a brief moment of panic.//\n  10  one moment ... the next/from one moment to the next:  used to say that a situation changes very suddenly, often in a way which you do not expect or cannot explain//  --One moment she’s kissing me, the next she doesn’t want to see me again.//  --You never know what’s going to happen from one moment to the next.//\n  11  not believe/think/do sth for a/one moment:   especially spoken used to say that you did not believe, expect etc something at all//  --He didn’t fool me for a moment.//  --She had never for one moment imagined that it could happen to her.//\n  12  of the moment:  the person, idea, word etc of the moment is the one that is most important or popular at the present time//  --They interview personalities on a topic of the moment.//  --the mood of the moment//\n  13  have its/your moments:  to have periods of being good or interesting//  --a movie that had its moments//\n  14  not a moment too soon:  almost too late//  --The ambulance finally arrived, and not a moment too soon.//\n  15  the moment of truth:  the time when you will find out if something will work properly, be successful etc//\n  16  of great moment:   old-fashioned important//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Do not say in that moment when you mean ’at that particular time’. Say at that moment: At that moment, everything stopped. //  ----------//


Words: momentarily
Meaning:
adv \n  1 for a very short time:   briefly//  --She was momentarily lost for words.//  --Jimmy paused momentarily.//\n  2  AmE very soon:  --Mr Johnson will be with you momentarily.//


Words: momentous
Meaning:
adj   a momentous event, change, or decision is very important because it will have a great influence on the future//  --a momentous decision //  -- Momentous events are taking place in the US.//  --His colleagues all recognized that this was a momentous occasion .//  --one of the most momentous days in British sport//


Words: momentum
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: ’movement, moment’, from  movere  ’to move’]//\n  1 the ability to keep increasing, developing, or being more successful:  gain/gather momentum //  --The campaign for reform should start to gather momentum in the new year.//  --incentives to maintain the momentum of European integration//  --Governments often lose momentum in their second term of office.//  momentum of//  --the momentum of increasing immigration//  momentum towards//  --the momentum towards economic union//\n  2 the force that makes a moving object keep moving:  gain/gather momentum (=move faster) //  --The wheel was allowed to roll down the slope, gathering momentum as it went.//  --Pratt, without losing any momentum at all, passed them both and won the race.//\n  3  technical the force or power that is contained in a moving object and is calculated by multiplying its weight by its speed:  momentum of//  --the momentum of a particle//


Words: mommy
Meaning:
S3   n   plural  mommies  [C] //  [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: mammy]//   AmE mother - used by or to young children//  British Equivalent:  mummy//


Words: mommy track
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE  informal   a situation in which women with children have less opportunity to make large amounts of money or become very successful at their jobs, for example because they are not able to work as many hours as other people//


Words: Mona Lisa
Meaning:
the   a 16th century painting by  Leonardo da Vinci of a woman with a mysterious smile. The painting is also called  La Gioconda. It is kept in the  Louvre in Paris, and is one of the most famous paintings in the world.//


Words: Monaco
Meaning:
a small  principality (=a country ruled by a prince)  on the Mediterranean coast between France and Italy. Population 31,842 (2001). Capital: Monaco. It is a popular place for rich people from other countries to go to live, because of its low taxes. Its main town is  Monte Carlo. People from Monaco are called "Monegasques".//


Words: monarch
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Late Latin; Origin: monarcha, from  Greek, from  mono- (  MONO-) +  -archos (from  archein  ’to rule’)]//  a king or queen//  -- monarchic/m[hA353]n[hA35A][hA359]k[hA366]k $ -[hA35A][hA359]r-/ also monarchical //   adj //  --the old monarchical system//


Words: monarchy
Meaning:
n   plural  monarchies //\n  1 [U] the system in which a country is ruled by a king or queen:  --the abolition of the monarchy//\n  2 [C] a country that is ruled by a king or queen:    republic//\n  3  the monarchy:  the king or queen of a country, and his or her family//  --People are going to be questioning the role of the monarchy more and more.//


Words: monastery
Meaning:
n   plural  monasteries  [C] //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Late Latin; Origin: monasterium, from  Greek, from  monazein  ’to live alone’, from  monos;   MONO-]//  a place where monks live//    convent, nunnery//


Words: monastic
Meaning:
adj \n  1 relating to monks or life in a monastery:  --the monastic life//  --a monastic community//  --Roman Catholic monastic orders  (=groups of monks) //\n  2 similar to a  monk’s way of living, for example quiet, simple, or not having sex:  -- He led a rather monastic lifestyle.//  -- monasticism/-t[hA369]s[hA366]z[hA368]m/ n  [U] //  --early medieval monasticism//


Words: Monday
Meaning:
n [U and C]  written abbreviation Mon.   [Language: Old English; Origin: monand[zB024]g, from a translation of  Latin lunae dies  ’day of the moon’]//  the day between Sunday and Tuesday//  on Monday//  --It was raining on Monday.//  --The president announced Monday that he would cancel the debt. AmE//  Monday morning/afternoon etc //  --Let’s go out for a meal on Monday night.//  last Monday //  --Kelly arrived last Monday.//  this Monday //  --The UK office will open for business this Monday.//  next Monday (=Monday of next week) //  --Shall we meet next Monday?//  a Monday//   (=one of the Mondays in the year) //  --My birthday’s on a Monday this year.//


Words: Mondrian
Meaning:
Piet   (1872-1944) a Dutch painter famous for his  abstract work involving only straight lines and squares or rectangles of colour//


Words: Monet
Meaning:
Claude   (1840-1926) a French painter who helped to start the  Impressionist movement. He is famous for his paintings of the countryside in which he tried to show the effects of light by painting the same picture at different times of day or in different types of weather.//


Words: monetarism
Meaning:
n [U]   the belief that the best way to manage a country’s economy is for the government to control and limit the amount of money that is available and being used//  --the monetarism of the 1980s//  -- monetarist adj  n  [C] //  --a monetarist view of the economy//


Words: monetary
Meaning:
W3   adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Late Latin; Origin: monetarius, from  Latin moneta;   MONEY]//  relating to money, especially all the money in a particular country//  --the government’s tight monetary policy//  --objects of little monetary value//


Words: monetize
Meaning:
also  monetise BrE   v [T]  technical   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: moneta;   MONEY]//  to change government bonds and debts into money//


Words: money
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: moneie, from  Latin moneta  ’mint, money’, from  Moneta, name given to Juno, the goddess in whose temple the ancient Romans produced money]//\n  1 what you earn by working and can use to buy things. Money can be in the form of notes and coins or cheques, and can be kept in a bank:  --Don’t spend all your money on the first day of your holiday!//  --She doesn’t earn very much money .//  --He’s working for a finance company now, and making loads of money .//  --At last the business is starting to make money .//  --The company is losing money and may have to close down.//  --The repairs will cost quite a lot of money .//  --We’re not going on holiday this year because we’re trying to save money .//  --Could you lend me some money ?//  --I don’t want to borrow money from the bank unless I really have to.//  --They charge huge amounts of  money for their services.//  --We’re trying to raise money to help children with cancer.//  --If you are not completely satisfied with our products, we will give you your money back .//  --He was left a large sum of money .//  --You can earn good money as a computer programmer.//\n  2 money in the form of coins or notes that you can carry around with you:   cash//  --You’ll find some money in my purse.//  --I didn’t have any money on me  (=I was not carrying any money) .//  Swiss/Japanese/Turkish etc money //  --Don’t forget to get some Swiss money before you leave.//  --We can change some money at the airport (=change it into the money of another country) .//\n  3 someone’s wealth, including all the property and other things they own:  --The family made their money in the woollen trade.//  --He had lost all his money gambling.//\n  4  the money:   informal the amount of money that you earn for doing a job//  --It sounds quite an interesting job, but I don’t know what the money’s like yet.//  --You have to work long hours and the money’s terrible!//\n  5  pay good money for sth:   spoken to spend a lot of money on something//  --Don’t let the children jump around on the sofa. I paid good money for that.//\n  6  put/pump/pour money into sth:  to give money to a company or business so that it will become successful and you will earn money from it in the future//  --No one’s going to put money into the company while the market is so unstable.//\n  7  there’s money (to be made) in sth:   spoken used to say that you can earn a lot of money from doing a particular job or type of business//  --There’s a lot of money in sport these days.//  --Teaching can be very rewarding, but there’s no money in it.//\n  8  I’m not made of money:   spoken used to say that you cannot afford something when someone asks you to pay for it.//\n  9  have money to burn:  to have more money than you need, so that you spend it on unnecessary things//  --Unless you’ve got money to burn, these expensive guitars are probably not for you.//\n  10  get your money’s worth:  to get something worth the price that you paid//  --At that price, you want to make sure you get your money’s worth.//\n  11  be in the money:   informal to have a lot of money suddenly, or when you did not expect to//\n  12  money is no object:   informal used to say that someone can spend as much money as they want to on something//\n  13  for my money:   spoken used when giving your opinion about something to emphasize that you believe it strongly//  --For my money, he’s one of the best TV comedians ever.//\n  14  put (your) money on sth:  to risk money on the result of a race or competition//\n  15  I’d put (my) money on sth:   spoken used to say that you feel sure that something will happen//\n  16  my money’s on sb/sth:   also the smart money’s on sb/sth //   spoken used to say that you feel sure someone will win a race or competition, or that something will happen//\n  17  money for old rope:   BrE  spoken money that you earn very easily by doing a job that is not difficult//\n  18  put your money where your mouth is:   informal to show by your actions that you really believe what you say//\n  19  money talks:   spoken used to say that people with money have power and can get what they want//\n  20  be (right) on the money:   AmE  spoken to be completely correct or right//  --You were right on the money when you said that he would have to resign.//\n  21  marry (into) money:  to marry someone whose family is rich//    monies,  blood money,  hush money,  pocket money,  give sb a (good) run for their money at run2 (11),  have a (good) run for your money at run2 (12),  throw money at sth at throw1 (19)//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  spend money //  make/earn money //  make money  (=make a profit) //  lose money (=not make a profit, so that a business owes more than it earns) //  cost money/cost a lot of money //  save money //  lend/borrow/owe money //  waste money (on something) //  be a waste of money  //  charge (somebody) money //  raise money //  pay money (for something) //  give somebody their money back/refund somebody’s money //  a sum/an amount of money //  get/earn good money  (=be paid good wages) //  WORD CHOICE: money, cash, change, currency //  Money  is the most general word for the notes and coins that you use for buying things : Can I borrow some money? |  Put the money straight in your purse. //  Use  cash  when you want to emphasize that you mean notes and coins, and not cheques, credit cards etc : You have to pay in cash - they don’t accept cheques. //  !!  Do not say ’pay by cash’. Say  pay in cash . //  Use  change  when you mean money in the form of coins, or the money you get back when you pay for something with more money than it cost : I need some change for the phone. |  He left the shop without waiting for his change. //  Use  currency  to refer to the money of a particular country : You’ll need about [hA124]500 worth of Japanese currency.  //  ----------//


Words: money laundering
Meaning:
n [U]   when money that has been obtained illegally is put into legal businesses or bank accounts in different countries, so that it is difficult for people to discover where it came from//  --The country is a major centre for money laundering.//  --He will now face trial on money laundering charges.//


Words: money market
Meaning:
n [C]   all the banks and other institutions that buy, sell, lend, or borrow money, especially foreign money, for profit//


Words: money order
Meaning:
n [C]   an official document that you buy in a post office or a bank and send to someone so that they can exchange it for money in a bank//    postal order//


Words: money supply
Meaning:
n [singular]    technical all the money that exists in a country’s economic system at a particular time//  --his policy of controlling the money supply and cutting public spending//


Words: moneygrabbing
Meaning:
[only before noun]  informal   determined to get a lot of money, even by unfair or dishonest methods//  --people who are exploited by moneygrabbing employers//  -- moneygrabber, moneygrubber n  [C] //


Words: moneylender
Meaning:
n [C]   someone whose business is to lend money to people, especially someone who makes people pay back a lot more money than they have borrowed//  -- moneylending n  [U] //  --Most of his fortune came from moneylending.//


Words: moneymaker
Meaning:
n [C]   a product or business that earns a lot of money//  British Equivalent:  money-spinner//  -- money-making adj  [only before noun] //  --money-making schemes//


Words: mongol
Meaning:
n [C]  taboo  old-fashioned   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Mongolian]//  a very offensive word for someone with Down’s syndrome. Do not use this word.//  -- mongolism n  [U] //


Words: Mongolia
Meaning:
a country in north central Asia between Russia and China. Population 2,655,000 (2001). Capital: Ulaanbaatar (formerly Ulan Bator). Mongolia is a large country but has a small population because it includes a large area of desert and open plains. The country is sometimes informally called ’Outer Mongolia’, and it is next to a part of China called ’Inner Mongolia’.//  -- Mongolian n  adj //


Words: mongoose
Meaning:
n   plural  mongooses  [C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Hindi; Origin: magus, from  Prakrit manguso]//  a small furry tropical animal that kills snakes and rats//


Words: mongrel
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Probably from  mong  ’mixture’ (13-19 centuries), from  Old English gemong  ’crowd’]//  a dog that is a mix of several different breeds//


Words: monies
Meaning:
moneys/m[hA356]niz/ n [plural]    law money//  --If we are no longer able to provide the holiday you booked, we will return to you all monies paid.//


Words: moniker
Meaning:
n [C]  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Shelta; Origin: munnik, from  Irish Gaelic ainm]//  a name, especially one that you choose for yourself or give something - used humorously//


Words: monitor
Meaning:
W3S3   v [T] \n  1 to carefully watch and check a situation in order to see how it changes over a period of time:  --Patients who are given the new drug will be asked to monitor their progress.//  --The government is monitoring the situation very closely .//  --The temperature is carefully monitored .//  monitor what/how etc//  --We need a better system for monitoring what is going on. see usage note  control2 //\n  2 to secretly listen to other people’s telephone calls, foreign radio broadcasts etc:  --He suspected that his phone calls were being monitored.//\nmonitor 2 n [C]   ----------//\n   1 screen:\n   2 piece of equipment for measuring:\n   3 somebody who watches an activity:\n   4 child:\n   5 somebody who listens to radio:  ----------//  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: monere  ’to warn’]//\n  1 SCREEN:  a television or part of a computer with a screen, on which you can see pictures or information//  television/TV/computer monitor //  --She was staring at her computer monitor.//  on a monitor//  --We could watch what was happening on the TV monitor.//\n  2 PIECE OF EQUIPMENT FOR MEASURING:  a piece of equipment that measures and shows the level, speed, temperature etc of something//  --a heart monitor//  --The noise monitor recorded 98 decibels.//\n  3 SOMEBODY WHO WATCHES AN ACTIVITY:  someone whose job is to watch an activity or a situation to see how it changes or develops, or to make sure that it is fair and legal//  --UN monitors will remain in the country to supervise the elections.//  peace/human rights etc monitors //  --The UN is sending peace monitors to the area.//\n  4 CHILD:  a child who has been chosen to help a teacher in some way in class//\n  5 SOMEBODY WHO LISTENS TO RADIO:  someone whose job is to listen to news or messages on a radio and report on them//


Words: monk
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: munuc, from  Late Latin monachus, from  Greek monos;   MONO-]//  a member of an all-male religious group that lives apart from other people in a monastery//    nun//  -- monkish adj //


Words: monkey
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Probably from  Low German]//\n  1 a small brown animal with a long tail, which uses its hands to climb trees and lives in hot countries:\n  2  informal a small child who is very active and likes to play tricks:  --Stop that, you little monkey!//\n  3  monkey business:   informal bad or dishonest behaviour//\n  4  not give a monkey’s:   BrE  spoken  informal to not care at all about something//  --To be honest I don’t give a monkey’s what they do.//\n  5  make a monkey (out) of sb:  to make someone seem stupid//\n  6  a monkey on your back:   AmE  informal a serious problem that makes your life very difficult, especially being dependent on drugs//\nmonkey 2 v   monkey around phr v//  to behave in a stupid or careless way//  --Stop monkeying around and listen to me!//


Words: monkey bars
Meaning:
n [plural]    AmE a structure of bars for children to climb and play on//  British Equivalent:  climbing frame//


Words: monkey wrench
Meaning:
n [C]  especially AmE \n  1 a tool that is used to hold or turn things of different widths:  British Equivalent:  adjustable spanner//\n  2  throw a monkey wrench in the works:   AmE  informal to do something that will cause problems or spoil someone’s plans//  British Equivalent:  throw/put a spanner in the works//


Words: mono
Meaning:
n [U]  informal   [Sense: 1; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: mononucleosis]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: monophonic  ’mono’ (20-21 centuries)]//\n  1  AmE an infectious illness that makes your lymph nodes swell and makes you feel weak and tired for a long time afterwards:  British Equivalent:  glandular fever//\n  2 a system of recording or broadcasting sound, in which the sound comes from only one direction:    stereo//\nmono 2 adj   using a system of recording or broadcasting sound in which all the sound comes from only one direction//    stereo//  --an old mono recording//


Words: mono-
Meaning:
prefix   [Language: French; Origin: Latin, from  Greek, from  monos  ’alone, single’]//  one//  --a monoplane (=a plane with only one wing on each side) //  --a monolingual dictionary (=dealing with only one language) //


Words: monochrome
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: monochroma, from  Greek, from  mono- (  MONO-) +  chroma  ’color’]//\n  1 in shades of only one colour, especially shades of grey:  --We looked out over the grey, monochrome landscape.//\n  2 a monochrome picture or screen uses only the colours black, white, and grey:  → colour//  --a monochrome computer monitor//  -- monochromatic/m[hA361]n[hA353]kr[hA353]m[zB024]t[hA366]k[hA36B] $ m[hA35A][hA359]-/ adj //


Words: monocle
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: Late Latin monoculus  ’one-eyed’, from  Latin mono- (  MONO-) +  oculus  ’eye’]//  a round piece of glass that you put in front of one eye to help you see better//


Words: monogamy
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: monogamie, from  Late Latin, from  Greek, from  mono- (  MONO-) +  gamos  ’marriage’]//\n  1 the custom of being married to only one husband or wife:    bigamy, polygamy//\n  2 when a person or animal has a sexual relationship with only one partner:  --Monogamy is rare in most animal groups, but is common among birds.//  -- monogamous adj //  --We live in a monogamous society.//  -- monogamously adv //


Words: monogram
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Late Latin; Origin: monogramma, from  Greek mono- (  MONO-) +  gramma  ’letter’]//  a design that is made using the first letters of someone’s names and is put on pieces of clothing or other possessions//  -- monogrammed adj //


Words: monograph
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: mono- +  -graph (from  Greek graphein  ’to write’)]//  an article or short book that discusses a subject in detail//


Words: monolingual
Meaning:
adj   speaking or using only one language//    bilingual, multilingual//  --a monolingual dictionary//


Words: monolith
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: monolithe, from  Latin, from  Greek, from  mono- (  MONO-) +  lithos  ’stone’]//\n  1 a large, powerful organization that cannot change quickly and does not consider the ideas or feelings of the people it affects:  --It is misleading to see the legal system as a monolith.//\n  2 a large tall block of stone, especially one that was put in place in ancient times, possibly for religious reasons:


Words: monolithic
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a monolithic building is very large, solid, and impressive:\n  2 a monolithic organization, political system etc is very large and powerful and difficult to change:  --a monolithic movie company//


Words: monologue
Meaning:
also  monolog AmE   n [C]   a long speech by one person//    soliloquy, dialogue//  --Henry looked up, then continued his monologue.//


Words: monomania
Meaning:
n [U]  formal   a very strong interest in one particular idea or subject which prevents you from thinking about anything else//  --an obsession with food that verged on monomania//  -- monomaniac/-ni[zB024]k/ n  [C] //


Words: Monopolies and Mergers Commission
Meaning:
the   a British government organization whose job is to examine cases where two companies plan to  merge (=join together to form a larger company) , and to decide whether this would be bad for other businesses and for ordinary customers. There is a similar organization in the US called the  FTC (=the Federal Trade Commission) .//


Words: monopolistic
Meaning:
adj   controlling or trying to control an industry or business activity completely//  --The company wants to maintain its monopolistic position.//


Words: monopolize
Meaning:
also monopolise  BrE   v [T] \n  1 to have complete control over something so that other people cannot share it or take part in it:  --The company has monopolized the soft drinks market.//  --He monopolized the conversation all evening.//\n  2 to use a lot of someone’s time or attention:  --Virtually all her time and energy is now monopolized by the children.//  -- monopolist n  [C] //


Words: Monopoly
Meaning:
trademark   a very popular type of  board game that has been sold since the 1930s. Players use toy money to buy streets and buildings on squares on the board, and then make other players pay rent if they move onto those squares. The squares on the board show the names of real streets in cities in the US (=in an American Monopoly set), London (=in a British Monopoly set), or other big cities around the world. People sometimes use the expression Monopoly money to mean a very large amount of money //


Words: monopoly
Meaning:
n   plural  monopolies //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: monopolium, from  Greek, from  mono- (  MONO-) +  polein  ’to sell’]//\n  1 [C] if a company or government has a monopoly of a business or political activity, it has complete control of it so that other organizations cannot compete with it:  monopoly of//  --They are demanding an end to the Communist Party’s monopoly of power .//  --the state monopoly of television//  monopoly on/in//  --For years Bell Telephone had a monopoly on telephone services in the US.//  --a monopoly in copper trading//\n  2 [C] a large company that controls all or most of a business activity:  --The company will become a state-owned monopoly.//\n  3 [singular] if someone has a monopoly on something, that thing belongs to them, and no one else can share it:  --Teachers do not have a monopoly on educational debate.//


Words: monorail
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U and C] a railway system that uses a single rail, usually high above the ground:\n  2 [C] a train on a monorail system:


Words: monosyllabic
Meaning:
adj \n  1 someone who speaks in a monosyllabic way does not say very much and does not try to be friendly:  --He made monosyllabic replies to my questions.//\n  2  technical a monosyllabic word has only one syllable:


Words: monotheism
Meaning:
n [U]   the belief that there is only one God//    polytheism//  -- monotheist n  [C] //  -- monotheistic/m[hA361]n[hA353][hA35E][hA35F]i[hA366]st[hA366]k[hA36B] $ m[hA35A][hA359]n[hA353]-/ adj //  --monotheistic religions//


Words: monotone
Meaning:
n [singular]   a sound or way of speaking or singing that continues on the same note without getting any louder or softer, and therefore sounds very boring//  --He answered all the lawyer’s questions in a dull monotone.//


Words: monotonous
Meaning:
adj   boring because of always being the same//  --a monotonous diet//  --a little boy who wet his bed with monotonous regularity //  -- monotonously adv //  --The rain poured monotonously out of the grey sky.//


Words: monotony
Meaning:
n [U]   the quality of being always the same, which makes something boring, especially someone’s life or work//  monotony of//  --She wanted to escape the monotony of her everyday life.//  relieve/break the monotony //  --He suggested a card game to relieve the monotony of the journey.//


Words: Monroe
Meaning:
James   (1758-1831) the President of the US from 1817 to 1825. He is famous especially for the speech he made to the US  Congress in 1823, called the  Monroe Doctrine.//\n Marilyn   (1926-62) a US film actress and singer, whose real name was Norma Jean Baker. People still think of her as the most typical example of a  sex symbol (=someone who represents society’s idea of what is sexually attractive). Her films include  Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and  Some Like It Hot (1959).//


Words: Monroe Doctrine
Meaning:
the   the idea, stated in a speech by President James  Monroe in 1823, that countries of Europe should not get involved in the affairs of the countries of North and South America, and, in exchange for this, the US would not get involved in European affairs//


Words: Monsieur
Meaning:
n   plural  Messieurs /me[hA366]sj[hA362][hA359]z $ -sj[hA362][hA359]rz///  used when speaking to or about a French-speaking man//    Madame, Mademoiselle//  --Monsieur Lacombe//


Words: Monsignor
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Italian; Origin: monsignore, from  French monseigneur]//  used when speaking to or about a priest of high rank in the Roman Catholic Church//  --Monsignor Delgard//


Words: monsoon
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Early  Dutch monssoen, from  Portuguese mon[hA168]ao, from  Arabic mawsim  ’time, season’]//\n  1 [usually singular] the season, from about April to October, when it rains a lot in India and other southern Asian countries:\n  2 the heavy rain that falls during the monsoon, or the wind that brings the rain:


Words: monster
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 in stories:\n   2 cruel person:\n   3 child:\n   4 something large:\n   5 dangerous problem:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: French; Origin: monstre, from  Latin monstrum  ’warning, monster’, from  monere  ’to warn’]//\n  1 IN STORIES:  an imaginary or ancient creature that is large, ugly, and frightening//  --the remains of a prehistoric monster//  --the search for the Loch Ness Monster//\n  2 CRUEL PERSON:  someone who is very cruel and evil//  --Only a monster could kill all those women.//\n  3 CHILD:  a small child, especially one who is behaving badly - used humorously//  --I’ve got to get home and feed this little monster.//\n  4 SOMETHING LARGE:   informal an object, animal etc that is unusually large//  --Did you see the fish Dad caught? It was a monster!//  --There’s a monster of a spider in the bath!//\n  5 DANGEROUS PROBLEM:  a dangerous or threatening problem, especially one that develops gradually and is difficult to manage//\nmonster 2 adj [only before noun]    informal unusually large//   giant//  --a monster cat//  --The song was a monster hit.//


Words: Monster Raving Loony Party
Meaning:
the   a small British political party, whose ideas are not intended to be serious, but which some people vote for in order to show that they do not approve of any of the main parties. It was led by a former pop singer called Screaming Lord Sutch until his death in 1999.//


Words: monstrosity
Meaning:
n   plural  monstrosities  [C] //  something large and ugly, especially a building//  --a concrete monstrosity//


Words: monstrous
Meaning:
adj \n  1 very wrong, immoral, or unfair:  -- It’s monstrous to charge that much for a hotel room.//  --Such monstrous injustice is hard to understand.//\n  2 unusually large:  --a monstrous nose//\n  3 unnatural or ugly and frightening:   hideous//  --a monstrous shadow on the stairs//  -- monstrously adv //  --He was ugly and monstrously fat.//  --It was monstrously unfair.//


Words: Mont Blanc
Meaning:
a mountain in the Alps on the border between France and Italy. It is the highest mountain in western Europe, and there is a  tunnel through it for cars to drive between France and Italy.//\nMont Blanc 2    trademark a very expensive type of pen//


Words: montage
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: French; Origin: monter;   MOUNT1]//\n  1 [U] the process of making a whole picture, film, or piece of music or writing by combining parts of different pictures, films etc in an interesting and unusual way:\n  2 [C] something made by combining parts of different pictures, films etc in an interesting and unusual way:  montage of//  --a montage of flowers//  --a photo montage//


Words: Montaigne
Meaning:
Michel Eyquem de   (1533-92) a French writer of  essays (=short pieces of writing giving someone’s ideas on particular subjects)  who influenced many writers with his informal but careful way of writing//


Words: Montana
Meaning:
MT a state in the northwestern US that has many mountains. It is the fourth largest state in the US, but has one of the smallest populations.//


Words: Monte Carlo
Meaning:
the main town of Monaco where many wealthy people live or visit. It has many  casinos and is famous for a car rally and the Monaco Grand Prix car race, which are held there every year.//


Words: Monte Cristo
Meaning:
the Count of   the main character in the book  The Count of Monte Cristo by the French writer Alexandre  Dumas. He is wrongly put in prison for many years, and when he escapes he does not tell anyone who he is so that he can find and punish his enemies.//


Words: Montego Bay
Meaning:
a city and port in northwest Jamaica, the second largest city on the island. Its beautiful beaches make it a popular place for tourists//


Words: Montenegro
Meaning:
a  republic of the  Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, which consists of Serbia and Montenegro, on the Adriatic Sea//


Words: Monterrey
Meaning:
an industrial city in northeast Mexico, and the most important centre for producing steel in the country//


Words: Montessori
Meaning:
Maria   (1870-1952) an Italian teacher and writer who developed a new way of teaching young children, the Montessori method, which encourages each child to develop at his or her own speed, to learn through playing, and to be confident and independent. Her method is used in  Montessori schools in many countries.//


Words: Montezuma
Meaning:
(1466-1520) the last Aztec ruler of Mexico, who was taken prisoner by the Spaniards under Cortes, and later killed by his own people//


Words: Montgomery
Meaning:
the capital city of the US state of  Alabama//\n Field Marshal   (1887-1976) a British military leader, known informally as Monty, who led the British army to victory in the Battle of  El Alamein (1942) in World War II, and later became the commander of the British forces in Europe//\n L.M.   (1874-1942) a Canadian writer who wrote  Anne of Green Gables//


Words: month
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: monath]//\n  1 one of the 12 named periods of time that a year is divided into:  this/last/next month //  --Phil is coming home for a visit next month.//  --She’ll be thirteen this month.//  --I hope I’ll have finished the work by the end of the month .//  --She earns about [hA124]350 a month  (=each month) .//  --We update the schedule at least once a month.//  the month of May/June etc //  --It snowed heavily during the month of January.//\n  2 a period of about four weeks:  --She has an eight-month-old daughter.//  --He’ll be away for two months.//  --The symptoms she suffered varied from month to month  (=every few weeks she had different medical problems) .//  --a month-long transport strike//\n  3  months:  a long time, especially several months//  --Redecorating the kitchen took months.//  for/in months//  --I haven’t seen him for months.//\n  4  month after month:  used to emphasize that something happens regularly or continuously for a period of time//  --I felt I was doing the same old thing week after week, month after month.//\n  5  month by month:  used when you are talking about a situation that develops slowly and steadily over a period of time//  --Unemployment figures are rising month by month.//\n  6  never/not in a month of Sundays:   especially BrE  spoken used to emphasize that something will definitely never happen//  --You won’t find someone to do that job in a month of Sundays.//


Words: monthly
Meaning:
S3   adj [only before noun] \n  1 happening once a month:  --The mortgage is payable in monthly instalments.//  --a monthly publication//\n  2 used to talk about the total amount of something that is received, paid, measured, or calculated in a month:  --a monthly salary of $850//  --a monthly rainfall of four inches//\n  3 a monthly ticket, pass etc can be used for a period of one month:  -- monthly adv //  --They meet monthly to discuss progress.//\nmonthly 2   plural  monthlies  n [C] //  a magazine that appears once a month//  --a leading women’s monthly//


Words: Montmartre
Meaning:
an area of northern Paris on a hill, which is famous for the large white church of Sacre Coeur and for its bars, restaurants, and  nightclubs, including the  Moulin Rouge, where the 19th century artist Toulouse-Lautrec did paintings of the dancers and singers. Many artists used to live and work there.//


Words: Montreal
Meaning:
a city and port on Montreal Island in the St. Lawrence river in southern Quebec, in East Canada. Most people living in Montreal speak French as their main language.//


Words: Montserrat
Meaning:
an island in the Caribbean Sea, one of the Leeward Islands, which belongs to the UK. Capital: Plymouth. //  -- Montserratian n  adj //


Words: Monty Python
Meaning:
also Monty Python’s Flying Circus   (1969-74) a humorous British television programme famous for its  surreal humour and its  sketches (=short scenes)  in which people behaved in strange or crazy ways. The programme’s style of humour influenced many later  comedians, and the group later made several films, including  The Life of Brian.//


Words: monument
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Latin; Origin: monumentum, from  monere  ’to remind’]//\n  1 a building, statue, or other large structure that is built to remind people of an important event or famous person:    memorial//  --He erected a monument on the spot where his daughter was killed.//  monument to//  --a fitting monument to the men who died in the battle//\n  2 a very old building or place that is important historically:  -- Ancient monuments are protected by law.//\n  3  be a monument to sb/sth:  to show clearly the result of someone’s qualities, beliefs, or actions//  --The company is a monument to Sir Peter’s energy and vision.//    national monument//


Words: monumental
Meaning:
adj \n  1 [usually before noun] a monumental achievement, piece of work, etc is very important and is usually based on many years of work:  --a monumental contribution to the field of medicine//  --Charles Darwin’s monumental study, ’The Origin of Species’//\n  2 [only before noun] extremely large, bad, good, impressive etc:  --Banks and building societies were yesterday accused of monumental incompetence.//  --a monumental task//  --There was a monumental traffic jam on the freeway.//\n  3 [only before noun] relating to a monument or built as a monument:  --a monumental arch//


Words: monumentally
Meaning:
adv   extremely - usually used of negative qualities//  --It was a monumentally stupid thing to do.//


Words: moo
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  From the sound]//  if a cow moos, it makes a long low sound//  -- moo n  [C] //


Words: mooch
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: muchier  ’to hide’]//   AmE  informal to get something by asking someone to give you it, instead of paying for it//  British Equivalent:  scrounge//  mooch sth off sb//  --He tried to mooch a drink off me.//  mooch around/about phr v//  to move around slowly without any purpose and doing very little//  --Beth was happy to mooch around for hours in her nightdress.//


Words: mood
Meaning:
W3S3   n   ----------//\n   1 way you feel:\n   2 be in a mood:\n   3 be/feel in the mood for something:\n   4 be in no mood for something/to do something:\n   5 way a place or event feels:\n   6 grammar:  ----------//  [Sense: 1-5; Origin: Old English mod  ’mind, courage’]//  [Sense: 6; Date: 1500-1600; Origin: mode]//\n  1 WAY YOU FEEL:   [C] the way you feel at a particular time//  --You’re  in a good mood  this morning! //  --The manager was  in a foul mood  and was shouting at everyone. //  -- The players are all  in a confident mood . //  --What kind of mood is she in today?//  --The good weather  put him in an excellent mood for breakfast.//  --It usually takes me a couple of days to get into the holiday mood .//  --The mood of the crowd was unpredictable.//  --the growing  mood of confidence  in East-West relations//  --the  general mood of depression in the office//  -- Why had her  mood changed so dramatically? //  -- a mental disorder characterized by severe  mood swings //  --The weather did little to  lighten their mood .//  --The movie accurately  reflects the mood of the time  .//\n  2  be in a mood:  to feel unhappy, impatient, or angry and to refuse to speak normally to other people//  --He’s been in a real mood all day.//  --Don’t talk to her. She’s in one of her moods  (=used about someone who is often unhappy, angry etc) .//\n  3  be/feel in the mood for sth:  to feel that you would like to do something//  --We really felt in the mood for a party.//  --I don’t want to talk about it now. I’m not in the mood.//\n  4  be in no mood for sth/to do sth:  to not want to do something, or be determined not to do something//  --I was in no mood for a joke.//  --George was in no mood to be sociable.//\n  5 WAY A PLACE OR EVENT FEELS:   [singular] the way that a place, event, book, film etc seems or makes you feel//  --The opening shot of dark, rainy streets sets the mood for the whole film.//\n  6 GRAMMAR:   [C]  technical one of the sets of verb forms in grammar: the indicative (=expressing a fact or action) , the imperative (=expressing a command) , the interrogative (=expressing a question)  or the subjunctive (=expressing a doubt or wish) //  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  in a good mood (=happy) //  in a bad mood (=angry) //  in a foul mood  (=in a very bad mood) //  in a confident/optimistic mood //  in a holiday/party/festive mood  //  put somebody in a good/bad etc mood (=make someone feel happy, angry etc) //  get into the mood (=start to feel that you are ready and want to do something) //  mood of confidence/optimism/despair/gloom etc //  the general mood (=among a group of people) //  the mood of the time/moment //  somebody’s mood changes //  mood swings  (=sudden big changes in someone’s mood) //  lighten somebody’s mood  (=make someone happier) //  reflect/capture somebody’s mood  (=show what someone is feeling) //  ----------//


Words: mood-altering
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   mood-altering drugs or substances affect your mind and change the way you think or feel//


Words: moody
Meaning:
adj \n  1 annoyed or unhappy:  --Keith had seemed moody all morning.//\n  2 often changing quickly from being in a good temper to being in a bad temper:   temperamental//  --a moody teenager//  --Lewis was aggressive, eccentric, moody, and brilliantly clever.//\n  3 moody places, films, pictures, and music make you feel slightly sad, lonely, or perhaps frightened:  --the moody grey sea in the dawn light//  -- moodily adv //  --She was staring moodily into the fire.//  -- moodiness n  [U] //


Words: Moody’s Investors Service
Meaning:
also Moody’s   a US company that provides information about the performance of  investments and companies, giving them a  rating based on combinations of letters from A to C//  --The bonds have a Moody’s AAA rating.//


Words: moon
Meaning:
W3   n   [Language: Old English; Origin: mona]//\n  1  the moon/the Moon:  the round object that you can see shining in the sky at night, and that moves around the Earth every 28 days//  --The Americans landed on the moon in 1969.//  --the craters on the surface of the moon//\n  2 [C usually singular] the appearance or shape of the moon at a particular time:  --a clear night with a bright moon//  --a thin crescent moon//  --It was raining and there was no moon  (=the moon could not be seen) .//    full moon,  half moon,  new moon//\n  3 [C] a round object that moves around a planet other than Earth:  --the moons of Saturn//\n  4  ask for the moon:   also cry for the moon  BrE  informal to ask for something that is difficult or impossible to obtain//  --There’s no point in crying for the moon.//\n  5  over the moon:   BrE  informal very happy//  --She’s over the moon about her new job.//\n  6  many moons ago:   literary a long time ago//  --It all happened many moons ago.//    once in a blue moon at once1 (15),  promise sb the moon at promise1 (3)//\nmoon 2 v [I and T]    informal to bend over and show your  buttocks as a joke or a way of insulting someone//  moon about/around phr v//   BrE  informal to spend your time lazily, moving around with no real purpose//  --I wish you’d stop mooning about and do something useful!//  moon over / [moon over sb/sth] phr v//   old-fashioned to spend your time thinking about someone that you are in love with//  --She sits mooning over his photograph for hours.//


Words: moonless
Meaning:
adj   a moonless sky or night is dark because the moon cannot be seen//  --a cloudy, moonless night//


Words: moonlight
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the light of the moon:  in the moonlight//  --The water looked silver in the moonlight.//  pale/silver moonlight //  --The hills were bathed in pale moonlight.//  by moonlight//  --We dined by moonlight.//\n  2  do a moonlight (flit):   BrE to leave a place secretly in the middle of the night in order to avoid paying money that you owe//  --They did moonlight flits from one awful apartment to another.//\nmoonlight 2 v [I]  informal \n  1 to have a second job in addition to your main job, especially without the knowledge of the government tax department:  --She’s been moonlighting as a waitress in the evenings.//\n  2  BrE to do paid work although you are getting money from the government because you do not officially have a job:  -- moonlighter n  [C] //  -- moonlighting n  [U] //  --He’s been doing some moonlighting for another company.//


Words: moonshine
Meaning:
n [U]  informal \n  1  especially AmE strong alcoholic drink that is produced illegally:\n  2  BrE an idea or statement that is silly or wrong and does not deserve serious attention:   nonsense//  --He regarded her plans as romantic moonshine.//


Words: Moor
Meaning:
n [C]   one of the Muslim people from North Africa who entered Spain in the 8th century and ruled the southern part of the country until 1492//


Words: moor
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]   [Language: Old English; Origin: mor]//   especially  BrE a wild open area of high land, covered with rough grass or low bushes and heather, that is not farmed because the soil is not good enough//  --They went grouse shooting up on the moors.//  --the Yorkshire moors//\nmoor 2 v [I and T]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Probably from  Middle Low German moren]//  to fasten a ship or boat to the land or to the bottom of the sea using ropes or an anchor//  --Two or three fishing boats were moored alongside the pier.//


Words: Moore
Meaning:
Bobby   (1941-93) a British football player, one of the greatest English players ever, who played for the English national team and led the team that won the  World Cup in 1966.//\n Henry   (1898-1986) a British sculptor considered by many people to be the most important British sculptor of the 20th century. He made many large sculptures of people in a partly abstract style, especially of women lying down.//\n Marianne   (1887-1972) a US poet and  critic, who wrote clever and satirical poems//


Words: mooring
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  moorings [plural] the ropes, chains, anchors etc used to fasten a ship or boat to the land or the bottom of the sea:  break free of/slip its moorings //  --The great ship slipped her moorings and slid out into the Atlantic.//\n  2 the place where a ship or boat is moored:  --a temporary mooring//


Words: moorland
Meaning:
n [U]  also moorlands  [plural]    especially  BrE wild open countryside covered with rough grass and low bushes//  --large areas of open moorland //  -- moorland adj //  --a bleak moorland road//


Words: Moors Murderers
Meaning:
the   Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, a British man and woman who murdered several children in the 1960s. Brady and Hindley were lovers, and they were called the Moors Murderers because they buried the murdered children in the  moors (=wild areas of high land)  in the North of England. Before they killed the children, they  tortured them (=treated them very cruelly) , and these events caused great shock and anger in the UK.//


Words: moose
Meaning:
n   plural  moose  [C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: Abenaki  mos]//  a large brown animal like a deer that has very large flat antlers (=horns that grow like branches) and lives in North America, northern Europe, and parts of Asia//


Words: moot
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: moot  ’law court, discussion’ (11-21 centuries), from  Old English mot]//\n  1  a moot point/question:  something that has not yet been decided or agreed, and about which people have different opinions//  --Whether these controls will really reduce violent crime is a moot point.//\n  2  AmE a situation or possible action that is moot is no longer likely to happen or exist:  --The fear that airstrikes could endanger troops is moot now that the army is withdrawing.//\nmoot 2 v   [Language: Old English; Origin: motian, from  mot;   MOOT1]//  be mooted//  to be suggested for people to consider//  --The question of changing the membership rules was mooted at the last meeting.//


Words: mop
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Perhaps from  Latin mappa  ’cloth (for cleaning)’]//\n  1 a thing used for washing floors, consisting of a long stick with threads of thick string or a piece of sponge fastened to one end:  --a mop and bucket//\n  2 a thing used for cleaning dishes, consisting of a short stick with a piece of sponge fastened to one end:\n  3 [usually singular]  informal a large amount of thick, often untidy hair:  mop of//  --He ran a hand through his mop of fair hair.//\nmop 2 v   past tense and past participle  mopped present participle  mopping //\n  1 [I and T] to wash a floor with a wet mop:  --She carried on mopping the floor.//\n  2 [T] to dry your face by rubbing it with a cloth or something soft:   wipe//  --It was so hot he had to keep stopping to mop his face.//  --The doctor mopped his brow  (=removed sweat from his forehead) with a handkerchief.//\n  3 [I and T] to remove liquid from a surface by rubbing it with a cloth or something soft:  mop sth from sth//  --She gently mopped the blood from the wound.//  --He mopped the sweat from his face.//  mop sth away//  --She mopped the tears away with a lacy handkerchief.//\n  4  mop the floor with sb:   AmE to completely defeat someone, for example in a game or argument//  British Equivalent:  wipe the floor with somebody//  --We mopped the floor with the team from Pomona High.//  mop up [mop sth/sb → up] phr v//\n  1 to remove liquid with a mop, a cloth, or something soft, especially in order to clean a surface:   wipe up//  --Mop the sauce up with your bread.//  --He mopped up the spilt milk.//\n  2 to remove or deal with something which you think is undesirable or dangerous, so that it is no longer a problem:  --The usual solution is to send in infantry to mop up any remaining opposition.//  --The rebellion has been crushed, but mopping-up operations may take several weeks.//


Words: mope
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Probably from  mop,  mope  ’stupid person’ (14-16 centuries)]//  to feel sorry for yourself, without making any effort to do anything or be more happy//  --Don’t lie there moping on a lovely morning like this!//  --The week he died, we all sat around and moped.//  mope around/about () [mope around/about (sth)] phr v//  to move around a place in a sad, slow way, especially because you feel unhappy about the situation you are in//  --She spends her days moping around the house.//  --Stephen didn’t expect her to mope about while he was away on business.//


Words: moped
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Swedish; Origin: motor  ’motor’ +  pedal  ’pedal’]//  a small two-wheeled vehicle with an engine//    motorcycle//


Words: moppet
Meaning:
n [C]  informal   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: mop  ’stupid person, baby’ (14-16 centuries)]//  a small child//


Words: moraine
Meaning:
n [C]    technical a mass of earth or pieces of rock moved along by a glacier and left in a line at the bottom of it//


Words: moral
Meaning:
W2S3   adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: moralis, from  mos  ’what people usually or traditionally do’]//\n  1 [only before noun] relating to the principles of what is right and wrong behaviour, and with the difference between good and evil:    morally, ethical//  --It is easy to have an opinion on a moral issue like the death penalty for murder.//  -- moral philosophy //  moral standards/values/principles //  --I think you can run a business to the highest moral standards.//  --If we accept that certain babies should be allowed to die, we place doctors in a moral dilemma .//  --Man is gifted with a moral sense by which he distinguishes good from evil.//\n  2 [only before noun] based on your ideas about what is right, rather than on what is legal or practical:  --The book places a high moral value on marriage and the family unit.//  --The UN feels that it has the moral authority  (=influence because people accept that its beliefs are right) to send troops to the area.//  moral duty/obligation/responsibility //  --A man has a moral duty to obey the law.//  --It isn’t just lack of moral fibre  (=lack of the emotional strength to do what you believe is right) which leads to a rising divorce rate.//\n  3  moral support:  encouragement that you give by expressing approval or interest, rather than by giving practical help//  --Dad came along to give me some moral support.//\n  4  moral victory:  a situation in which you show that your beliefs are right and fair, even if you do not win//  --Through Joan of Arc, France won a great moral victory.//\n  5 always behaving in a way that is based on strong principles about what is right and wrong:  → immoral, amoral//  --a moral man of high integrity//\n  6  take/claim/seize the moral high ground:  to claim that you are the only person who does what is morally right in a situation, with the intention of being noticed and considered to be good by the public//\nmoral 2 n [C] \n  1  morals [plural] principles or standards of good behaviour, especially in matters of sex:    ethics//  --the morals and customs of the Victorian period//  --Values and morals are independent of religious faith.//  --the corruption of public morals  (=the standards of behaviour, especially sexual behaviour, expected by society) //  --a young woman of loose morals  (=low standards of sexual behaviour - often used humorously) //\n  2 a practical lesson about what to do or how to behave, which you learn from a story or from something that happens to you:    message//  moral of//  --The moral of the film was that crime does not pay.//


Words: Moral Majority
Meaning:
the \n  1  trademark a US Christian organization started in 1979 by the Rev. Jerry Falwell. The group’s aim is to help politicians who support its right wing ideas on subjects such as abortion and the rights of homosexuals, and to actively oppose politicians who disagree with these ideas. :\n  2 a general name, especially in the US, for Christians who have strongly traditional ideas about sexual behaviour, the family etc, and who also tend to have right wing political ideas:


Words: moral majority
Meaning:
n   the moral majority//  the group of people in a society who have strong moral beliefs and think they are always right. In the US there is an organized group called the Moral Majority, who have strong Christian principles//  --Smokers today are often made to feel like social outcasts by the moral majority.//


Words: Moral Rearmament
Meaning:
MRA an international movement started in 1938 by the US  evangelist Frank Buchman (1878-1961), who wanted to make people behave in a more moral and  spiritual way, especially in international relations//


Words: morale
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: moral, from  Latin moralis;   MORAL1]//  the level of confidence and positive feelings that people have, especially people who work together, who belong to the same team etc//  --A win is always good for morale.//  low/high morale //  --low staff morale//  --The failed coup caused a dramatic loss of morale within the army.//  boost/raise/improve/build morale //  --There is a need to raise morale in the teaching profession.//  --the Prince’s morale-boosting  (=intended to raise morale) mission to the war-torn country//  maintain/keep up/restore morale //  --The media feels pressure to keep the morale of the country up in war time.//


Words: moralist
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who has very strong beliefs about what is right and wrong and how people should behave - used to show disapproval:  --a narrow-minded moralist//\n  2 a teacher of moral principles:


Words: moralistic
Meaning:
adj   with very strong beliefs about what is right and wrong, especially when this makes you judge other people’s behaviour//  --It’s difficult to talk to teenagers about drugs without sounding too moralistic.//


Words: morality
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 beliefs or ideas about what is right and wrong and about how people should behave:  -- sexual morality //  public/private/personal morality //  --the decline in standards of personal morality//  --The authorities are protectors of public morality.//  conventional/traditional morality //  --a lack of concern for conventional morality//\n  2 the degree to which something is right or acceptable:  morality of//  --a discussion on the morality of abortion//


Words: moralize
Meaning:
also moralise  BrE   v [I]   to tell other people your ideas about right and wrong behaviour, especially when they have not asked for your opinion//   preach//  --politicians moralizing about people’s sexual behaviour//


Words: morally
Meaning:
adv \n  1 according to moral principles about what is right and wrong:  --What you did wasn’t illegal, but it was morally wrong .//  --There is a belief that village life is somehow morally superior to city life.//  --Such hypocrisy is morally indefensible.//  --The Constitution is not morally neutral but is based on certain central values.//\n  2  morally certain:   old-fashioned certain about something that cannot be proved//  --I am morally certain that he is incapable of deliberately harming anyone.//


Words: morass
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Dutch; Origin: moeras, from  Old French maresc]//\n  1 [singular] a complicated and confusing situation that is very difficult to get out of:  --We’re trying to drag the country out of its economic morass.//  morass of//  --They were stuck in a morass of paperwork.//\n  2 [C]  literary a dangerous area of soft wet ground:   marsh//


Words: moratorium
Meaning:
n   plural  moratoriums  or  moratoria  [C usually singular] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Late Latin moratorius  ’delaying’, from  Latin morari  ’to delay’]//\n  1 an official stopping of an activity for a period of time:  moratorium on//  --a moratorium on nuclear testing//\n  2 a law or an agreement that gives people more time to pay their debts:  --a two-year moratorium on interest payments//


Words: morbid
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: morbidus  ’diseased’, from  morbus  ’illness’]//\n  1 with a strong and unhealthy interest in unpleasant subjects, especially death:  morbid fascination/curiosity //  --a morbid fascination with instruments of torture//  --The trip was made all the worse by Frankie’s morbid fear of flying.//  --His head was full of morbid thoughts.//\n  2  medical relating to or caused by a disease:  --a morbid gene//  -- morbidly adv //  -- morbidity/m[hA350][hA359]b[hA366]d[hA369]ti $ m[hA350][hA359]r-/ n  [U] //


Words: mordant
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: , present participle of  mordre  ’to bite’, from  Latin mordere]//  mordant wit/satire/humour//   formal unkind and insulting humour etc that is also funny//   biting//  --The play’s mordant comedy makes for compelling viewing.//


Words: Mordred
Meaning:
also  Modred  an evil  knight who is either the son or the  nephew of King Arthur in old stories. He tries to take Arthur’s land from him, but is killed by Arthur during a battle.//


Words: More
Meaning:
Sir Thomas   (1478-1535) an English politician and writer. His most famous work is  Utopia, which describes his idea of a perfect society. He was a powerful adviser to King  Henry VIII, but he opposed the king’s  divorce (=the official ending of a marriage)  and refused to accept him as the head of the  Church of England. For this the king put him in prison and ordered his head to be cut off. The Roman Catholic Church later made him a  saint.//


Words: more
Meaning:
adv \n  1 [used before an adjective or adverb to form the comparative] having a particular quality to a greater degree:  → less//  --You’ll have to be more careful next time.//  --Can’t it be done more quickly?//  much/a lot/far more //  --Children generally feel much more confident working in groups.//  more ... than//  --It was a lot more expensive than I had expected.//  --Your health is more important than anything else.//  --Children can often do these puzzles more easily than adults.//  --Selling goods abroad is no more difficult (=not more difficult) than selling to the home market.//\n  2 used to say that something happens a greater number of times or for longer:  →  less//  --I promised Mum that I’d help more with the housework.//  --You need to get out of the house more.//  more than//  --Children are using the library more than they used to.//  --He travels around a lot more now that he has a car.//\n  3 used to say that something happens to a greater degree:  → less//  --She cares a lot more for her dogs than she does for me.//  more than//  --It’s his manner I dislike, more than anything else.//\n  4  more and more:  used to say that a quality, situation etc gradually increases//   increasingly//  --More and more, we are finding that people want to continue working beyond 60.//  --As the disease worsened, he found walking more and more difficult.//\n  5  more or less:  almost//  --a place where the ground was more or less flat//  --They’ve settled here more or less permanently.//  --He more or less accused me of lying.//\n  6  once more:  a) again, and often for the last time//  --May I thank you all once more for making this occasion such a big success.//  --Once more the soldiers attacked and once more they were defeated.//  b) used to say that someone or something returns to the situation they were in before//  --Within a year, England was once more at war with France.//\n  7  not any more:   also no more  literary //  if something does not happen any more, it used to happen but does not happen now//  --Sarah doesn’t live here any more.//\n  8  more than happy/welcome/likely etc:  very happy, welcome, likely etc - used to emphasize what you are saying//  --The store is more than happy to deliver goods to your home.//  --The police are more than likely to ban the match.//\n  9  the more ..., the more/less ...:  used to say that if a particular activity increases, another change happens as a result//  --The more I thought about it, the less I liked the idea.//\n  10  be more sth than sth:  to be one thing rather than another//  --It was more a worry than a pleasure.//\n  11  more than a little:   formal fairly//  --The lectures were more than a little disappointing.//\n  12  no more does/has/will etc sb:   spoken  old-fashioned used to say that a negative statement is also true about someone else//   nor, neither//  --’She didn’t know the reason for his leaving.’ ’No more do I (=neither do I) .’//\n  13  no more ... than:  used to emphasize that someone or something does not have a particular quality or would not do something//  --He’s no more fit to be a priest than I am!//    more often than not at often(5)//    more fool you/him etc at fool1 (7)//    that’s more like it/this is more like it at like1 (11)//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Do not use more with the -er form of an adjective or adverb: I’ll be smarter than before (NOT I’ll be more smarter than before). //  ----------//\nmore 2 determiner, pron [comparative of ’many’ and ’much’] \n  1 a greater amount or number:  → less, fewer//  --We should spend more on health and education.//  more (...) than//  --More people are buying new cars than ever before.//  much/a lot/far more //  --Diane earns a lot more than I do.//  more than 10/100 etc //  --Our plane took off more than two hours late.//  --More than a quarter of the students never finished their courses.//  more of//  --Viewers want better television, and more of it.//  --Perhaps next year more of us will be able to afford holidays abroad.//\n  2 an additional number or amount:  → less//  --I really am interested. Tell me more.//  --We need five more chairs.//  a little/many/some/any more //  --Can I have a little more time to finish?//  --Are there any more sandwiches?//  --I have no more questions.//  more of//  --You’d better take some more of your medicine.//  --Don’t waste any more of my time.//\n  3  more and more:  an increasing number or amount//  → less and less//  --More and more people are moving to the cities.//\n  4  not/no more than sth:  used to emphasize that a particular number, amount, distance etc is not large//  --It’s a beautiful cottage not more than five minutes from the nearest beach.//  --Opinion polls show that no more than 30% of people trust the government.//\n  5  the more ..., the more/less ...:  used to say that if an amount of something increases, another change happens as a result//  --It always seems like the more I earn, the more I spend.//\n  6  be more of sth than sth:  to be one thing rather than another//  --It was more of a holiday than a training exercise.//\n  7  no more than:  a) used to say that something is not too much, but exactly right or suitable//  --It’s no more than you deserve.//  --Eline felt it was no more than her duty to look after her husband.//  b)  also little more than //  used to say that someone or something is not very great or important//  --He’s no more than a glorified accountant.//  --He left school with little more than a basic education.//\n  8  (and) what’s more:  used to add more information that emphasizes what you are saying//  --I’ve been fortunate to find a career that I love and, what is more, I get well paid for it.//\n  9  no more sth:  used to say that something will or should no longer happen//  --No more dreary winters - we’re moving to Florida.//    more’s the pity at pity1 (4)//


Words: moreish
Meaning:
adj  BrE  spoken   food or drink that is moreish tastes very good, and makes you want to have more of it//


Words: moreover
Meaning:
W2   adv [sentence adverb]  formal   in addition - used to introduce information that adds to or supports what has previously been said//  --The rent is reasonable and, moreover, the location is perfect.//  --The source of the information is irrelevant. Moreover, the information need not be confidential.//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Moreover is very formal and not common in spoken English. Use besides or also instead. //  ----------//


Words: mores
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: , plural of  mos;   MORAL1]//   formal the customs, social behaviour, and moral values of a particular group//  --contemporary social and sexual mores//


Words: Morgan le Fay
Meaning:
an evil  sorceress (=a woman who has magic powers)  who is the  half-sister of King Arthur in old stories//


Words: morgue
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: Morgue, name of a morgue in Paris]//\n  1 a building or room, usually in a hospital, where dead bodies are kept until they are buried or cremated:   mortuary//\n  2 a place that has become very quiet and dull - used humorously:  --This place is like a morgue.//


Words: Moriarty
Meaning:
Professor   an extremely intelligent criminal, who is the main enemy of Sherlock  Holmes in the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle//


Words: moribund
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: moribundus, from  mori  ’to die’]//\n  1 a moribund organization, industry, etc is no longer active or effective and may be coming to an end:  --The region’s heavy industry is still inefficient and moribund.//  --A cut in interest rates will help the country’s moribund housing market.//\n  2  literary slowly dying:  --The patient was moribund by the time the doctor arrived.//


Words: Mormon
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: Mormon supposed writer of the Book of Mormon, holy book of the Mormons]//  a member of a religious organization formed in 1830 in the US, officially called The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints//  -- Mormon adj //  -- Mormonism n  [U] //


Words: morning
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin: morn +  -ing (as in evening)]//\n  1 the early part of the day, from when the sun rises until 12 o’clock in the middle of the day:  --It was a nice sunny morning.//  --I hated those cold winter mornings.//  --Classes start  in the morning  and go through the whole day. //  -- He stayed in bed late  on Sunday morning . //  -- I’ll see you  tomorrow morning.  //  -- I only met her  yesterday morning . //  --I’m not feeling too good  this morning .//  -- Next morning I went to the bank.//  -- It was still only  late morning . //  --He took the early morning  train. //  --a copy of the morning paper//\n  2 the part of the day from 12 o’clock at night until 12 o’clock in the middle of the day:  two/four o’clock in the morning //  --The phone rang at three in the morning.//  --It’s four o’clock in the morning.//  --I woke up  in the small hours of the morning  (=very early, before dawn) .//\n  3  in the morning:  if something will happen in the morning, it will happen during the morning of the following day//  --I’ll deal with that in the morning.//\n  4  mornings:  during the morning of each day//  --She works mornings at the local school.//\n  5  morning, noon, and night:  used to emphasize that something happens a lot or continuously//  --I was on duty morning, noon, and night.//    coffee morning//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  in the morning(s) //  on Monday/Friday/Saturday etc morning //  tomorrow morning //  yesterday morning //  this morning  (=today in the morning) //  (the) next morning //  late morning //  early morning //  morning sun/light/mist //  ----------//\nmorning 2 interjection   used to greet someone in the morning//  --Morning, Dave. How are you?//


Words: morning dress
Meaning:
n [U]    especially BrE men’s formal clothes that include a morning coat, trousers, and a top hat, worn at daytime ceremonies such as weddings//


Words: morning glory
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a plant that has white, blue, or pink flowers that open in the morning and close in late afternoon//


Words: Morning Prayer
Meaning:
n [U]   a morning church service in the Church of England and the Episcopal Church in the US//   matins//


Words: morning sickness
Meaning:
n [U]   a feeling of sickness that some women have during the morning when they are pregnant, usually in the early months//


Words: morning star
Meaning:
n [singular]   a bright planet, usually Venus, that you can see in the eastern sky when the sun rises//


Words: morning-after pill
Meaning:
n [C]   a drug that a woman can take a few hours after having sex to prevent her from becoming pregnant//


Words: Morocco
Meaning:
a country in northwest Africa on the Mediterranean Sea, whose people speak Arabic, Berber, and French, and whose cities include Casablanca, Marrakesh, and Tangier. Population 30,645,000 (2001). Capital: Rabat.//  -- Moroccan n  adj //


Words: morocco
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: Morocco, where it was first made]//  fine soft leather used especially for covering books//


Words: moron
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Greek; Origin: moros  ’of low intelligence’]//\n  1  informal  not polite a very offensive word for someone who you think is very stupid:   idiot//  --Don’t leave it there, you moron!//\n  2  technical  old-fashioned someone whose intelligence has not developed to the normal level:  -- moronic/m[hA353]r[hA361]n[hA366]k $ -r[hA35A][hA359]-/ adj //  --a moronic grin//


Words: morose
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: morosus, from  mos;   MORAL1]//  bad-tempered, unhappy, and silent//  --Daniel seems very morose and gloomy.//  -- morosely adv //  --He stared morosely at the floor.//  -- moroseness n  [U] //


Words: morph
Meaning:
v [I and T]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: metamorphosis]//  to develop a new appearance or change into something else, or to make something do this//  morph into//  --The river flooded its banks and morphed into a giant sea that swamped the town.//


Words: morpheme
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: morph[hA169]me, from  Greek morphe  ’form’ +  English -eme (as in phoneme)]//   technical the smallest unit of meaning in a language. The words ’so’, ’the’ and ’boy’ consist of one morpheme. ’Boys’ consists of two morphemes, ’boy’ and ’s’.//  --the past tense morpheme//  --the plural morpheme//


Words: morphia
Meaning:
n [U]  old-fashioned   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Morpheus ancient Roman god of sleep]//  morphine//


Words: morphine
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: Morpheus;   MORPHIA]//  a powerful and addictive drug used for stopping pain and making people calmer//


Words: morphology
Meaning:
n   plural  morphologies  technical //  [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Greek; Origin: morphe  ’form’ +  English -ology]//\n  1 [U] the study of the morphemes of a language and of the way in which they are joined together to make words:    syntax//\n  2 [U] the scientific study of the form and structure of animals and plants:\n  3 [U and C] the structure of an object or system or the way it was formed:  -- morphological/m[hA350][hA359]f[hA353]l[hA361]d[hA360][hA366]k[hA368]l[hA36B] $ m[hA350][hA359]rf[hA353]l[hA35A][hA359]-/ adj //  --the morphological features of cells//  -- morphologically/-kli/ adv //


Words: Morris
Meaning:
William   (1834-96) a British artist,  craftsman, writer, and supporter of social change. Morris was a Socialist who disliked the development of  mass production in factories, and tried to support traditional methods of making things. He designed and made his own furniture and materials, and his designs are still popular//  --William Morris wallpaper (=wallpaper with a pattern originally designed by William Morris) //


Words: morris dancing
Meaning:
n [U]   traditional English country dancing performed by men wearing white clothes decorated with small bells//  -- morris dancer n  [C] //


Words: Morris Minor
Meaning:
trademark   a type of small British car built by the Morris company from the 1950s to the 1970s. There were several types of Morris Minor, including the Morris Minor Traveller, an  estate car, with a frame made out of wood. Morris Minors have a simple, old-fashioned design and are not very fast. They are very popular with people who care about the environment or do not like advanced modern machines. Their owners look after them well, so there are still many of these cars being driven in the UK.//


Words: Morrison
Meaning:
Jim   (1943-71) the main singer with the  rock group The  Doors, known for his sexually exciting performances on stage. Many people see him as a typical example of someone whose life was destroyed by drugs, alcohol, and the problems of being famous.//\n Toni   (1931- ) a US author whose  novels include Song of Solomon (1977) and Beloved (1987). In 1993 she won the Nobel Prize for Literature.//


Words: morrow
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old English; Origin: morgen;   MORN]//\n  1  the morrow:   old use //  a) the next day//   tomorrow//  on the morrow//  --They were to arrive on the morrow.//  b) the future//  -- Take no thought for the morrow  (=do not worry about the future) .//\n  2  on the morrow of sth:   literary immediately after a particular event//  --on the morrow of victory//\n  3  good morrow:   old use  good morning//


Words: Morse
Meaning:
Inspector   a character in books written by Colin Dexter, and in British television programme based on these books. Morse is a police officer in Oxford, who rarely smiles and sometimes has a rather unfriendly manner.//


Words: Morse code
Meaning:
n [U]   a system of sending messages in which the alphabet is represented by signals made of dots (=short signals) and dashes (=long signals) in sound or light//  in Morse code//  --a message in Morse code//


Words: morsel
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: mors  ’bite’, from  Latin mordere;   MORDANT]//  a very small amount of something, especially a small piece of food//   scrap//  morsel of//  --a morsel of bread//  --a morsel of scandal//  --birds searching for tasty morsels //


Words: mortal
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin mortalis, from  mors  ’death’]//\n  1 not able to live for ever:  → immortal//  --Her father’s death reminded her that she was mortal.//\n  2  mortal blow/danger/wound etc:  a) something very serious, that may cause the end of something//  --The computer has dealt a mortal blow to traditional printing methods.//  --Our health service is in mortal danger.//  b) something that causes death or may cause death//    lethal//  --Near the end of the battle, he received a mortal wound.//  --the screams of men in mortal combat  (=fighting until one person kills the other) //\n  3  mortal enemy/foe:  an enemy that you hate very much and will always hate//  --He glared at Claudia as if she were his mortal enemy.//\n  4  mortal fear/dread/terror:  extreme fear//  --She lives in mortal fear of her husband’s anger.//\n  5  sb’s mortal remains:   formal someone’s body, after they have died//  --the churchyard where his mortal remains lie (=where his body is buried) //\n  6  literary human - used especially when comparing humans with gods, spirits etc:  --Both gods and mortal men found her captivating.//\n  7  mortal coil:   literary life or the state of being alive//  --when Hubbard shuffled off this mortal coil  (=died) //\nmortal 2 n [C] \n  1  lesser/ordinary/mere mortals:  ordinary people, as compared with people who are more important, more powerful, or more skilled - used humorously//  --She dines in the executive suite, while we lesser mortals use the staff cafeteria.//\n  2  literary a human - used especially when comparing humans with gods, spirits etc:


Words: mortal sin
Meaning:
n [U and C]   something that you do that is so bad, according to the Roman Catholic Church, that your soul will be punished for ever after death unless you ask to be forgiven//


Words: mortality
Meaning:
n   plural  mortalities //\n  1 [U]  also mortality rate / $ .’.../:  the number of deaths during a particular period of time among a particular type or group of people//  --Mortality from heart disease varies widely across the world.//  infant/child/maternal/adult mortality //  --an appallingly high infant mortality rate  (=number of babies who die) //\n  2 [U] the condition of being human and having to die:  → immortality//  --My mother’s death forced me to face the fact of my own mortality .//\n  3 [C]  technical a death:  --mortalities from cancer//


Words: mortally
Meaning:
adv \n  1 in a way that will cause death:   fatally//  --He regarded the mortally wounded man with no pity in his heart.//\n  2 extremely or greatly:  --He was mortally afraid of upsetting her.//  --I tried to be tactful, but he seemed to be mortally offended.//


Words: mortar
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1000-1100; Language: Old French; Origin: mortier, from  Latin mortarium]//\n  1 [U] a mixture of cement or lime, and sand and water, used in building for holding bricks or stones together:\n  2 [C] a heavy gun that fires bombs or shells in a high curve:  --A cameraman was killed when his vehicle came under mortar fire .//  --a mortar attack //  pestle, mortar//\n  3 [C] a stone bowl in which substances are crushed with a pestle (=tool with a heavy round end) :  --You’ll need a pestle and mortar to grind the spices.//    bricks and mortar at brick1 (2)//


Words: mortarboard
Meaning:
n [C]   a black cap with a flat square top worn by members of some universities on formal occasions//


Words: Morte d’Arthur
Meaning:
Le   the Death of Arthur; a book by Sir Thomas  Malory, written in the 15th century, which describes the life of King  Arthur//    Arthurian Legend//


Words: mortgage
Meaning:
W3   n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: mort  ’dead’ +  gage  ’promise’]//\n  1 a legal arrangement by which you borrow money from a bank or similar organization in order to buy a house, and pay back the money over a period of years:  --Your building society or bank will help arrange a mortgage.//  --They’ve taken out a 30 year mortgage  (=they will pay for their house over a period of 30 years) .//  --We decided to use Fred’s redundancy money to pay off the mortgage  (=pay back all the money we borrowed for a mortgage) .//  -- Mortgage rates are set to rise again in the spring.//  --She was having trouble meeting her mortgage payments .//\n  2 the amount of money you borrow in the form of a mortgage:  --If you earn [hA124]20,000 per year, then you may be able to get a mortgage of [hA124]60,000.//\nmortgage 2 v [T] \n  1 if you mortgage your home, land, or property, you borrow money, usually from a bank, and if you cannot pay back the money within a particular period of time, the bank has the right to sell your property in order to get the money you owe it:  --We mortgaged our house to start Paul’s business.//\n  2  mortgage the/sb’s future:  to borrow money or do something that is likely to cause problems in the future, that other people will have to deal with//  --The report explains how governments are mortgaging their nations’ futures.//


Words: mortician
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: mors (  MORTAL1) +  English -ician]//  someone whose job is to arrange funerals and prepare bodies to be buried//  British Equivalent:  undertaker//


Words: mortified
Meaning:
adj   extremely offended, ashamed, or embarrassed//  mortified to hear/find etc //  --Nora was mortified to discover that her daughter had been out drinking.//  -- mortification/m[hA350][hA359]t[hA369]f[hA369]ke[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ m[hA350][hA359]r-/ n  [U] //


Words: mortify
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  mortified present participle  mortifying third person singular  mortifies  [T] //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: mortifier, from  Latin mors;   MORTAL1]//\n  1 to cause someone to feel extremely embarrassed or ashamed:\n  2  mortify the flesh/yourself:   formal to try to control your natural physical desires and needs by making your body suffer pain//  -- mortifying adj //


Words: mortise
Meaning:
mortice/m[hA350][hA359]t[hA369]s $ m[hA350][hA359]r-/ n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: mortaise, perhaps from  Arabic murtazz  ’fixed in’]//   technical a hole cut in a piece of wood or stone so that the shaped end of another piece will fit there firmly//    tenon//


Words: mortise lock
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: mortise  ’hole made for a part to fit into’ (14-21 centuries), from  Old French, probably from  Arabic murtaj  ’locked’]//  a strong lock that fits into a hole cut in the edge of a door//  American Equivalent:  dead bolt//


Words: Morton
Meaning:
Jelly Roll   (1885-1941) a US  jazz piano player and band leader, who helped to develop  New Orleans jazz//


Words: mortuary
Meaning:
n   plural  mortuaries  [C] //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: mortuarium, from  Latin mortuus  ’dead’]//\n  1  BrE a building or room, for example in a hospital, where dead bodies are kept before they are buried or cremated:   morgue//\n  2  AmE the place where a body is kept before a funeral and where the funeral is sometimes held:\nmortuary 2 adj [only before noun]    formal connected with death or funerals//  --a mortuary urn//


Words: Mosaic
Meaning:
adj   relating to Moses, the great leader of the Jewish people in ancient times//  --the Mosaic law//


Words: mosaic
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: mosaique, from  Late Latin musivus  ’of a muse, artistic’, from  Latin Musa;   MUSE2]//\n  1 [U and C] a pattern or picture made by fitting together small pieces of coloured stone, glass etc:  --rooms decorated with wall paintings and mosaics//  --a 3rd century Roman mosaic floor//\n  2 [C usually singular] a group of different things that exist next to each other or together:  mosaic of//  --The forest floor was a mosaic of autumn colours.//  --the complex mosaic of world cultures//


Words: Mosaic Law
Meaning:
also the Law of Moses   the rules and laws stated in the  Pentateuch, which is the first five books of the Old Testament of the Bible. These rules and laws are believed to have been given by God to  Moses, and Jewish law is based on them.//    Torah//


Words: Moscow
Meaning:
the capital of Russia, and formerly of the  Soviet Union. Its many famous and beautiful buildings include the Kremlin, where the government is based, St. Basil’s Cathedral, and Red Square.//


Words: Moses
Meaning:
a leader of the Jewish people in ancient times. According to the story in the Bible, he brought the Israelites out of Egypt. They were able to escape from the Egyptians when God made the waters of the Red Sea move so that they could walk across. Moses received the Ten Commandments (=God’s laws)  from God on Mount Sinai.//


Words: mosey
Meaning:
preposition]  AmE  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Perhaps from  Spanish vamos  ’let’s go’]//\n  1 to walk somewhere in a slow relaxed way - used humorously:  --I guess I’ll mosey on down to the store now.//\n  2  I’d better mosey along/be moseying along:  I should leave now//  --I’d better mosey along - it’s getting late.//  -- mosey n  [singular] //


Words: mosh
Meaning:
v [I]  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Perhaps from  mosh  ’to crush’ (19-20 centuries), from  mush;   MUSH2]//  to dance very violently at a concert with loud rock or punk music//


Words: mosh pit
Meaning:
n [C]  informal   an area in front of the stage at a rock or punk concert where people dance with a lot of energy, often hitting their bodies against other people//


Words: Mosley
Meaning:
Sir Oswald   (1896-1980) a British politician who started a new political group called the British Union of Fascists (BUF) in 1932. Mosley admired Mussolini and Hitler, and the BUF organized attacks on Jewish people in London.//


Words: mosque
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: mosquee, from  Old Spanish mezquita, from  Arabic masjid, from  sajada  ’to lie face downward’]//  a building in which Muslims worship//


Words: mosquito
Meaning:
n   plural  mosquitoes  or  mosquitos  [C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Spanish; Origin: mosca  ’fly’, from  Latin musca]//  a small flying insect that sucks the blood of people and animals, sometimes spreading the disease malaria//


Words: moss
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: mos  ’wet ground’]//  a very small green plant that grows in a thick soft furry mass on wet soil, trees, or rocks//  -- mossy adj //  --a high, mossy wall//


Words: Moss Side
Meaning:
a poor area of central Manchester. British people think of Moss Side as a dangerous place where there are  gangs (=groups of violent criminals)  who sell drugs//


Words: most
Meaning:
adv \n  1 [used before an adjective or adverb to form the superlative] having the greatest amount of a particular quality:  → least//  --She’s one of the most experienced teachers in the district.//  --The most important thing is to stay calm.//  --A recent study showed that gardening is easily the most popular activity among the over 50s.//  --We shall find out which system works most effectively.//  --It is the kind of tea most often served in Chinese restaurants.//\n  2 to a greater degree or more times than anything else:  --What annoyed him most was the way she wouldn’t even listen.//  --I guess the food I eat most is pasta.//  -- Most of all , I just felt sad that it was over.//\n  3 [+adjective/adverb]  formal very:  --Thank you for a most interesting evening.//  --I was most surprised to hear of your engagement.//\n  4  AmE  informal almost:  --He plays poker most every evening.//  ----------//  GRAMMAR //  When you mean ’nearly all’ use  most , not  the most : Most pupils wanted to go to university (NOT The most pupils wanted to go to university). //  Use  the most  when you are comparing one person or thing with all others : It was the most terrifying experience of my life.  //  In spoken English, you can also use  the most  when you are talking about just two people or things : Who’s the most talented - Will or Gareth?  but some users of English think that this use is incorrect and use  the more  instead : Who is the more talented - Will or Gareth? //  !!  Do not use  most  with the -est form of an adjective or adverb : one of the hardest things to do (NOT one of the most hardest things to do) //  ----------//\nmost 2 determiner, pron [the superlative of ’many’ and ’much’] \n  1 nearly all of the people or things in a group, or nearly all of something:   the majority//  --Like most people, I try to take a vacation every year.//  --Most research in this field has been carried out by the Russians.//  most of//  --It was Sunday and most of the shops were shut.//  --Most of what Hannah told me wasn’t true.//  --Some were barefoot, most were in rags.//  most of the time/most days etc (=usually) //  --Most of the time it’s very quiet here.//  --Most evenings we just stay in and watch TV.//\n  2 a larger amount or number than anyone or anything else:  the most//  --The team that scores the most points wins.//  --Which class has the most children in it?//  --It’s unfair that you should have to pay the most when you earn so little.//  --The animal that caused most trouble was a little black puppy.//\n  3 the largest number or amount possible:  --The aim is to help patients to obtain most benefit from their treatment.//  the most//  --The most you can hope to achieve is just to get him to listen to your ideas.//\n  4  at (the) most:  used to say that you think an amount cannot be larger than the amount you are mentioning//  --It’ll take 20 minutes at the most.//  --There were at most 50 people in the audience.//  --The boy looked nine at the very most  (=he was probably younger) .//\n  5  for the most part:  used to say that something is generally true but not completely true//  --For the most part, people seemed pretty friendly.//\n  6  make the most of sth/get the most out of sth:  to gain the greatest possible advantage from something//  --Charming and friendly, she will help you make the most of your visit.//  --advice on how to get the most out of your computer//


Words: mostly
Meaning:
W3S2   adv   used to talk about most members of a group, most occasions, most parts of something etc//   mainly//  --Green teas are mostly from China or Japan.//  --There were about fifteen people in the lounge, mostly women.//  --He blamed his parents. Mostly he blamed his dad.//


Words: MOT
Meaning:
n  also MOT test  [C]   a test in Britain that all cars more than three years old must pass every year in order to show that they are still safe to be driven//  --My car’s just failed its MOT.//  --an MOT certificate //


Words: mot juste
Meaning:
n   plural  mots justes  (same pronunciation)  [C]  formal //  [Date: 1900-2000; Language: French; Origin: ’exact word’]//  the/le mot juste//  exactly the right word or phrase//  --She paused, searching for the mot juste.//


Words: motel
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: motor +  hotel]//  a hotel for people who are travelling by car, where you can park your car outside your room//


Words: motet
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: mot  ’word’]//  a piece of music on a religious subject//


Words: moth
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: moththe]//  an insect related to the butterfly that flies mainly at night and is attracted to lights. Some moths eat holes in cloth//


Words: moth-eaten
Meaning:
adj \n  1 cloth that is moth-eaten has had holes eaten in it by moths:  --a moth-eaten sweater//\n  2 old and in bad condition:  --a moth-eaten old sofa//


Words: mothball
Meaning:
n [C usually plural] \n  1 a small ball made of a strong-smelling chemical, used for keeping moths away from clothes:\n  2  in/into mothballs:  kept but not used for a long time//  --With the end of the Cold War, several warships were put into mothballs.//\nmothball 2 v [T]   to stop using a factory, equipment etc or to not continue with a plan, temporarily but possibly for a long time//  --The hospital manager said the project would be mothballed until funding became available.//


Words: mother
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: modor]//\n  1 a female parent of a child or animal:  --His mother and father are both doctors.//  mother of two/three etc (=mother of two/three etc children) //  --Janet is a full-time teacher and a mother of two.//  --the relationship between mother and child //  --Goodnight, Mother.//  --Mother said they’d met at university.//  --If food is scarce, the mother will feed the smaller, weaker chicks.//  mother cat/bird/hen etc (=an animal that is a mother) //\n  2  be (like) a mother to sb:  to care for someone as if you were their mother//  --She’s like a mother to them. If they need anything she always helps out.//\n  3  like a mother hen:  if someone behaves like a mother hen, they try to protect their children too much and worry about them all the time//\n  4  learn/be taught sth at your mother’s knee:  to learn something when you are a very young child//  --the prayers which he had been taught at his mother’s knee//\n  5  the mother of sth:  a) the origin or cause of something//  --Westminster is known as ’the mother of parliaments’.//  --Necessity is the mother of invention (=people have good ideas when the situation makes it necessary) .//  b)  informal a very severe or extreme type of something, usually something bad//  --I woke up with the mother of all hangovers.//\n  6  spoken  especially AmE something very large and usually very good:  --a real mother of a car//\n  7  AmE  taboo  spoken  motherfucker:\n  8  Mother:  a) used to address the woman who is in charge of a convent//\nmother 2 v [T]   to look after and protect someone as if you were their mother, especially by being too kind and doing everything for them//  --I don’t like being mothered!//


Words: mother country
Meaning:
n [C usually singular] \n  1 someone’s mother country is the country where they or their family were born and to which they feel a very strong emotional connection, even if they are no longer living there:   motherland//\n  2 a powerful country that controls or used to control a less powerful country:  --The bond between the mother country and her former colonies grew stronger.//


Words: Mother Goose
Meaning:
AmE the imaginary writer of a book of  nursery rhymes (=old songs or poems for young children) , or the nursery rhymes themselves//  -- If you’re good I’ll read you some Mother Goose before you go to bed.//


Words: mother lode
Meaning:
motherlode/m[hA356][hA171][hA353]l[hA353][hA35E]d $ -[hA171][hA353]rlo[hA35E]d/ n [C usually singular]  AmE \n  1 a mine that is full of gold, silver etc:\n  2 a place where you can find a lot of a particular type of object:  mother lode of//  --The Sharper Image catalog is a mother lode of men’s gadgets and toys.//


Words: Mother Nature
Meaning:
n   used to talk about nature, especially when it is thought of as a force that affects people and the world//  --How could Mother Nature have dealt such a savage blow?//


Words: Mother Teresa
Meaning:
(1910-97) an Albanian Roman Catholic  nun (=a member of a group of Christian religious women)  who lived in India, where she worked to help the poor and the sick in the city of  Calcutta. She won the  Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, and people think of her as a typical example of someone who is very kind, unselfish, and morally good.//


Words: mother tongue
Meaning:
n [C]  especially BrE   your mother tongue is the first and main language that you learnt when you were a child//   native language/tongue//  --children for whom English is not their mother tongue//


Words: mother’s boy
Meaning:
BrE   a man or boy who allows his mother to protect him too much and is considered weak//  American Equivalent:  mama’s boy//


Words: mother-of-pearl
Meaning:
n [U]   a pale-coloured hard smooth shiny substance that forms the inside of some shellfish, and is used for making buttons, jewellery etc//


Words: motherfucker
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE  taboo  spoken a very offensive word for someone that you dislike very much or that you are very angry with. Do not use this word.//  -- motherfucking adj //


Words: motherhood
Meaning:
n [U]   the state of being a mother//  --the challenge of combining a career with motherhood//  --teenagers who are unprepared for motherhood//


Words: mothering
Meaning:
n [U]   the process of caring for children in the way that a mother does//  --mothering skills//  --Babies and young children need mothering.//


Words: motherland
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   someone’s motherland is the country where they were born and to which they feel a strong emotional connection//   mother country, fatherland//  --They are willing to die for the motherland.//


Words: motherless
Meaning:
adj   a motherless child is one whose mother has died//  --homes for children who had been left motherless//


Words: motherly
Meaning:
adj   a motherly woman is loving and kind, like a good mother//    maternal//  --her motherly instincts//  --She was a plump, motherly woman in her fifties.//  -- motherliness n  [U] //


Words: motif
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: Old French;   MOTIVE1]//\n  1 an idea, subject, or image that is regularly repeated and developed in a book, film, work of art etc:  --The theme of creation is a recurrent motif in Celtic mythology.//\n  2 a small picture or pattern used to decorate something plain:  --a white T-shirt with a blue fish motif//\n  3 an arrangement of notes that is often repeated in a musical work:


Words: motion
Meaning:
W3   n   ----------//\n   1 movement:\n   2 moving your head or hand:\n   3 suggestion at a meeting:\n   4 in motion:\n   5 set/put something in motion:\n   6 go through the motions (of doing something):\n   7 body waste:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin motio  ’movement’, from  movere;   MOVE1]//\n  1 MOVEMENT:   [U] the process of moving or the way that someone or something moves//  motion of//  --the motion of the planets//  --The rocking motion of the boat made Sylvia feel sick.//  --Newton’s first law of motion//\n  2 MOVING YOUR HEAD OR HAND:   [C] a single movement of your hand or head, especially one made in order to communicate something//   gesture//  motion of//  --He summoned the waiter with a motion of his hand.//  --Doyle glanced back at Bodie, and made a slight motion with his head.//\n  3 SUGGESTION AT A MEETING:   [C] a proposal that is made formally at a meeting, and then is usually decided on by voting//  --The motion was defeated by 201 votes to 159.//  motion to do sth/motion that//  --We will now vote on the motion that membership charges should rise by 15%.//  pass/carry/approve a motion (=accept it by voting) //  --The motion was carried unanimously.//  --I urge you to support this motion .//  propose/put forward/table a motion (=make a proposal) //  --I’d like to propose a motion to move the weekly meetings to Thursdays.//  --The motion was seconded  (=formally supported) by Mr. Levin.//  --The attorneys filed a motion  (=made a proposal in a court) for a temporary restraining order.//\n  4  in motion:   formal moving from one place or position to another//  --The end doors are not to be used when the train is in motion.//\n  5  set/put sth in motion:  to start a process or series of events that will continue for some time//  --The Church voted to set in motion the process allowing women to be priests.//  --Once the house had been sold, Jane set the wheels in motion  (=started the process) to find somewhere smaller to live.//\n  6  go through the motions (of doing sth):  to do something because you have to do it, without being very interested in it//  --I feel so bored at work, like I’m just going through the motions.//\n  7 BODY WASTE:   [C] solid waste material that comes out when you empty your bowels - used especially by doctors and nurses//    slow motion,  time and motion study//\nmotion 2 v [I and T]   to give someone directions or instructions by moving your hand or head//   signal//  motion (for) sb to do sth//  --The police officer motioned for me to pull over.//  motion to sb to do sth//  --He motioned to the barman to refill their glasses.//  motion sb forward/away etc//  --His father motioned him forward.//  motion sb into/to sth//  --I saw her motioning me into the room.//


Words: motion picture
Meaning:
n [C]  especially AmE  formal   a film made for the cinema//   movie//  --the motion picture industry//


Words: motion sickness
Meaning:
n [U]  especially AmE   a feeling of illness that some people get when travelling by car, boat, plane etc//   travel sickness, carsickness//  British Equivalent:  seasickness//


Words: motionless
Meaning:
adj   not moving at all//   still//  stand/sit/lay motionless //  --The men stood motionless as Weir held his finger to his lips.//  --Graham remained motionless.//  -- motionlessly adv //


Words: motivate
Meaning:
v [T] \n  1 to be the reason why someone does something:   drive//  --Would you say that he was motivated solely by a desire for power?//  motivate sb to do sth//  --We may never know what motivated him to kill his wife.//\n  2 to make someone want to achieve something and make them willing to work hard in order to do this:  --A good teacher has to be able to motivate her students.//  motivate sb to do sth//  --The profit-sharing plan is designed to motivate the staff to work hard.//


Words: motivated
Meaning:
adj \n  1 very keen to do something or achieve something, especially because you find it interesting or exciting:  --The students are all highly motivated .//  --The key to a successful modern economy is a well-educated and motivated workforce.//\n  2  politically/economically/financially etc motivated:  done for political, economic etc reasons//  --a politically-motivated decision//  --Police believe the attack was racially motivated.//


Words: motivation
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] eagerness and willingness to do something without needing to be told or forced to do it:  sb’s motivation//  --efforts to improve employees’ motivation//  --Jack is an intelligent pupil, but he lacks motivation.//  --a high level of motivation//\n  2 [C] the reason why you want to do something:  motivation for (doing) sth//  --What was your motivation for becoming a teacher?//  --Escape can be a strong motivation for travel.//  motivation behind//  --There is suspicion about the motivation behind the changes we are debating.//  -- motivational adj //  --motivational speeches//


