# dict

Words: keen
Meaning:
W3S3   adj   ----------//\n   1 want something:\n   2 like:\n   3 hobby/interest:\n   4 eager to work/learn:\n   5 sight/smell/hearing:\n   6 mind:\n   7 feeling:\n   8 competition:\n   9 attracted:\n  10 sharp:\n  11 wind:\n  12 prices:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: cene]//\n  1 WANT SOMETHING:   especially BrE wanting to do something or wanting something to happen very much//   eager//  keen to do sth//  --He told Hayling that he was keen to help.//  keen on doing sth//  --I wasn’t keen on going there on my own.//  keen for sth to happen//  --The government is keen for peace talks to start again soon.//  keen that//  --The chairman is keen that the company should expand its product range.//\n  2 LIKE:   be keen on sb/sth//   BrE  spoken to like someone or something//  --I’m not keen on cabbage.//  not too/not very/not that keen on sth //  --She likes Biology, but she’s not too keen on Physics.//  --My flatmates want to have a party, but I’m not keen on the idea .//\n  3 HOBBY/INTEREST:   especially BrE someone who is keen on something is very interested in it or enjoys doing it very much//  --a keen photographer//  --keen golfers//  keen on//  --Daniel’s very keen on tennis.//  mad keen on sth (=very keen on something)  spoken //  --I was mad keen on dinosaurs when I was little.//  --She takes a keen interest in politics and current affairs.//\n  4 EAGER TO WORK/LEARN:  someone who is keen is eager to work or learn and enjoys doing it//  --keen students//  --The kids in my class are all very keen.//  --She was new in the job and keen as mustard  (=very keen) .//\n  5 SIGHT/SMELL/HEARING:  a keen sense of smell or keen sight or hearing is an extremely good ability to smell etc//  --Dogs have a very keen sense of smell.//  --She has a keen eye for  (=is good at noticing) talent.//\n  6 MIND:  someone with a keen mind is quick to understand things//  --a keen understanding of commerce//  --With her keen mind and good business sense, she soon became noticed.//\n  7 FEELING:  a keen feeling is one that is strong and deep//  --As she walked away, Joe felt a keen sense of loss.//\n  8 COMPETITION:  used to describe a situation in which people compete strongly//  --We won the contest in the face of keen competition .//\n  9 ATTRACTED:   BrE  be keen on sb//  to be sexually attracted to someone//\n  10 SHARP:   literary a keen knife or blade is extremely sharp//\n  11 WIND:   old-fashioned a keen wind is cold and strong//\n  12 PRICES:   BrE keen prices are low//  -- keenly adv //  --I was keenly aware of the dangers.//  -- keenness n  [U] //\nkeen 2 v [I]    old use to sing a loud, sad song for someone who has died//


Words: keep
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  kept /kept///  ----------//\n   1 not change:\n   2 continue doing something:\n   3 not give back:\n   4 not lose:\n   5 store something:\n   6 make somebody stay in a place:\n   7 delay somebody:\n   8 do what you promised:\n   9 keep a secret:\n  10 keep something quiet/keep quiet (about something):\n  11 keep a record/account/diary etc:\n  12 keep going:\n  13 food:\n  14 animals:\n  15 stop other people from using something:\n  16 keep somebody waiting:\n  17 keep guard/watch:\n  18 shop:\n  19 provide somebody with things:\n  20 protect:\n  21 keep goal/wicket:\n  22 keep quiet:\n  23 how are you keeping?:\n  24 keep your hair/shirt on!:\n  25 somebody can keep something:\n  26 it’ll keep:  Phrasal verbs//   keep at something//   keep back//   keep somebody/something → down//   keep from something//   keep somebody in//   keep in with somebody//   keep off//   keep on//   keep to something//   keep up//   keep up with somebody//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: cepan]//\n  1 NOT CHANGE:   [linking verb, T] to stay in a particular state, condition, or position, or to make someone or something do this//  keep (sb/sth) warm/safe/dry etc //  --We huddled around the fire to keep warm.//  keep calm/awake/sane etc //  --I was struggling to keep awake.//  keep sth clean/tidy //  --Keep your room tidy.//  keep sb busy/amused/occupied //  --some toys to keep the kids amused//  --You won’t be able to keep it secret for ever.//  --Peter cycles to work to keep fit .//  --Don’t keep us in suspense any longer!//  keep (sb/sth) away/back/off/out etc//  --The police put up barriers to keep the crowds back.//  --If I were you, I’d keep away from that area at night.//  --a sign saying ’Danger: Keep out’//  --The little boy kept close to his mother.//  keep (sb) out of sth//  --Keep him out of trouble.//  --You keep out of this, Mother (=do not get involved) . It’s no concern of yours.//  --How can I cut your hair if you won’t keep still !//  keep left/right (=stay to the left or right of a path or road as you move) //  keep sb/sth doing sth//  --Jane kept the engine running.//\n  2 CONTINUE DOING SOMETHING:   also keep on //   [I] to continue doing something or to do the same thing many times//  keep (on) doing sth//  --I keep thinking about Joe, all alone in that place.//  --I keep telling you, but you won’t listen!//  --She pretended not to hear, and kept on walking.//\n  3 NOT GIVE BACK:   [T] to have something and not give it back to the person who had it before//  --You can keep it. I don’t need it any more.//\n  4 NOT LOSE:   [T] to continue to have something and not lose it or get rid of it//  --We decided to keep our old car instead of selling it.//  --I kept his letters for years.//  --In spite of everything, Robyn’s managed to keep her sense of humor.//\n  5 STORE SOMETHING:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to leave something in one particular place so that you can find it easily//  --Where do you keep your tea bags?//  --George kept a bottle of whiskey under his bed.//\n  6 MAKE SOMEBODY STAY IN A PLACE:   [T always + adverb preposition] to make someone stay in a place, especially a prison or hospital//  --He was kept in prison for a week without charge.//\n  7 DELAY SOMEBODY:   [T] to delay someone//  --He should be here by now. What’s keeping him?//\n  8 DO WHAT YOU PROMISED:   [T] to do what you have promised or agreed to do//  keep your word/promise //  --How do I know you’ll keep your word?//  --patients who fail to keep their appointments //\n  9  keep a secret:  to not tell anyone about a secret that you know//  --Can I trust you to keep a secret?//\n  10  keep sth quiet/keep quiet (about sth):  to not say anything in order to avoid telling a secret or causing problems//\n  11  keep a record/account/diary etc:  to regularly record written information somewhere//\n  12  keep going:  a)  keep (sb) going//  to have or to give someone enough hope and emotional strength to continue living and doing things, in a bad situation//  --That woman’s been through such a lot - I don’t know how she keeps going.//  --Her letters were the only thing that kept me going while I was in prison.//  b)  keep (sth) going//  if you keep a business, institution, regular event etc going, you keep it open or make it continue to happen//  --The library costs [hA124]5 million a year to run, and the council can’t afford to keep it going.//  c)  keep going//  to continue doing something difficult//  --Persevere and keep going until you reach your ideal weight.//  d)  keep sb going//  if something keeps you going, it is enough to satisfy your need while you are waiting to get something bigger or better//  --I’ll have a biscuit to keep me going until dinner time.//\n  13 FOOD:   [I] if food keeps, it stays fresh enough to be eaten//  --Eat the salmon because it won’t keep till tomorrow.//\n  14 ANIMALS:   [T] to own and look after animals//  --We keep chickens and a couple of pigs.//\n  15 STOP OTHER PEOPLE FROM USING SOMETHING:   [T] to stop other people from using something, so that it is available for someone//   save//  --Will you keep a seat for me?//\n  16  keep sb waiting:  to make someone wait before you meet them or see them//  -- Sorry to keep you waiting - I got stuck in a meeting.//\n  17  keep guard/watch:  to guard a place or watch around you all the time//\n  18 SHOP:   [T]  BrE  old-fashioned to own a small business and work in it//\n  19 PROVIDE SOMEBODY WITH THINGS:   [T] to provide someone with money, food etc//  --He did not earn enough to keep a wife and children.//  keep sb in sth//  --There’s enough money there to keep you in champagne for a year!//\n  20 PROTECT:   [T]  formal to guard or protect someone//  --The Lord bless you and keep you.//  --His only thought was to keep the child from harm .//\n  21  keep goal/wicket:  to be the player in a team whose job is to protect the goal or wicket//    goalkeeper,  wicket keeper//\n  22  spoken  keep quiet:  used to tell someone not to say anything or make any noise//  --Keep quiet! I’m trying to watch the game.//\n  23  spoken  how are you keeping?:  used to ask if someone is well//  --’Hi, Mark! How are you keeping?’ ’Oh, not so bad.’//\n  24  spoken  keep your hair/shirt on!:  used to tell someone to be more calm, patient etc//\n  25  spoken  sb can keep sth:  used to say that you do not want or are not interested in something//  --She can keep her wild parties and posh friends - I like the quiet life.//\n  26  spoken  it’ll keep:  used to say that you can tell someone something or do something later//  --’I don’t have time to listen now.’ ’Don’t worry, it’ll keep.’//  keep at [keep at sth] phr v//\n  1  spoken to continue to do something, although it is difficult or hard work:  --I know it’s hard, but keep at it! Don’t give up!//\n  2  keep sb at sth:  to force someone to continue to work hard and not let them stop//  keep back phr v//\n  1  keep sth back:  to deliberately not tell someone all that you know about something//  --I got the feeling he was keeping something back.//\n  2  keep sth → back:  to not show your feelings, even though you want to very much//  --She was struggling to keep back the tears .//\n  3  keep sb → back:  to prevent someone from being as successful as they could be//   hold back//  --Fear and stereotypes have kept women back for centuries.//\n  4  keep sth → back:   especially BrE to not give or pay something that you were going to give//  --They kept back some of his wages to pay for the damage.//  keep down [keep sb/sth → down] phr v//\n  1 to prevent the size, cost, or quantity of something from increasing or being too great:  --We need to keep costs down.//\n  2 to succeed in keeping food in your stomach, instead of bringing it up again out of your mouth, when you are ill:  --I could hardly keep anything down for about three days.//\n  3 used to ask someone to make less noise:  -- Keep your voice down - she’ll hear you!//  --Can you keep it down - I’m trying to work.//\n  4 to prevent a group of people from becoming as successful and powerful as the other people in a society:  --Plantation owners kept slaves down by refusing them an education.//  keep from [keep from sth] phr v//\n  1  keep (sb/sth) from sth:  to prevent someone from doing something or prevent something from happening//  keep sb from (doing) sth//  --His ex-wife had kept him from seeing his children.//  --I hope I haven’t kept you from your work.//  keep sth from doing sth//  --Put the pizza in the bottom of the oven to keep the cheese from burning.//  keep (yourself) from doing sth//  --The play was so boring, I could hardly keep myself from falling asleep.//\n  2  keep sth from sb:  to prevent someone from knowing something, by deliberately not telling them about it//   withhold//  --The government had wanted to keep this information from the public.//  keep in [keep sb in] phr v//\n  1 to make someone stay in hospital because they are too ill to go home:  --They kept her in overnight for observation.//\n  2  BrE to force someone to stay inside, especially as a punishment in school:  keep in with [keep in with sb] phr v//  to try to stay friendly with someone, especially because this helps you//  --It’s always a good idea to keep in with the boss.//  keep off phr v//\n  1  keep sth → off:  to prevent something from touching or harming something//  --She held an old piece of cloth over them both to keep the rain off.//  keep sth off sth//  --How are we going to keep the flies off this food?//\n  2  keep your hands off sb/sth:  used to tell someone not to touch someone or something//  --Keep your hands off me!//\n  3  keep (sb) off sth:  to not eat, drink, or take something that is bad for you, or to stop someone else from eating, drinking, or taking it//  --Keep off fatty foods.//  --a programme aimed at keeping teenagers off drugs//\n  4  keep off sth:   especially BrE to avoid talking about a particular subject, especially so that you do not upset someone//   avoid, stay off//\n  5  keep sth → off:  if you keep weight off, you do not get heavier again after you have lost weight//\n  6  BrE if rain keeps off, it does not fall:  keep on phr v//\n  1 to continue doing something, or to do something many times:  keep on doing sth//  --You just have to keep on trying.//\n  2  keep sb → on:  to continue to employ someone, especially for longer than you had planned//  --If you’re good they might keep you on after Christmas.//\n  3  BrE  informal to talk continuously about something or repeat something many times, in a way that is annoying:   go on//  keep on about//  --There’s no need to keep on and on about it!//  keep on at//  --If I didn’t keep on at the children, they’d never do their homework.//  keep to [keep to sth] phr v//\n  1 to stay on a particular road, course, piece of ground etc:  --It’s best to keep to the paths.//\n  2 to do what has been decided in an agreement or plan, or what is demanded by law:  --Keep to the speed limits.//\n  3  keep to the point/subject etc:  to talk or write only about the subject you are supposed to be talking about//\n  4  keep sth to sth:  to prevent an amount, degree, or level from becoming higher than it should//  --Costs must be kept to a minimum .//\n  5  keep sth to yourself:  to not tell anyone about something//  --I’d appreciate it if you kept it to yourself.//\n  6  keep to yourself:   also keep yourself to yourself  BrE to live a very quiet private life and not do many things that involve other people//  keep up phr v//\n  1  keep sth → up:  to continue doing something//  --I don’t think I can keep this up any longer.//  keep up the good work! (=continue to work hard and well) //\n  2 if a situation keeps up, it continues without stopping or changing:   continue//  --How long can the economic boom keep up?//\n  3 to go as quickly as someone else:  keep up with//  --I had to walk fast to keep up with him.//\n  4 to manage to do as much or as well as other people:  → fall behind//  keep up with//  --Jack’s having trouble keeping up with the rest of the class.//  keep up with the Joneses (=try to have the same new, impressive possessions that other people have) //\n  5 to continue to read and learn about a particular subject, so that you always know about the most recent facts, products etc:  keep up with//  --Employees need to keep up with the latest technical developments.//\n  6  keep sth → up:  to make something continue at its present level or amount, instead of letting it decrease//  --NATO kept up the pressure on the Serbs to get out of Kosovo.//\n  7 if one process keeps up with another, it increases at the same speed and by the same amount:  keep up with//  --Food production is not keeping up with population growth.//\n  8  keep sth → up:  to continue to practise a skill so that you do not lose it//  --I used to speak French, but I haven’t kept it up.//\n  9  keep sb up:   informal to prevent someone from going to bed//  --I hope I’m not keeping you up.//\n  10  keep your spirits/strength/morale etc up:  to stay happy, strong, confident etc, by making an effort//  --We sang as we marched, to keep our spirits up.//\n  11  keep up appearances:  to pretend that everything in your life is normal and happy even though you are in trouble, especially financial trouble//  keep up with [keep up with sb] phr v//  to write to, telephone, or meet a friend regularly, so that you do not forget each other//  ----------//  HINT sense 2 //  Do not say ’keep up’ doing something. Say keep doing something or keep on doing something. //  ----------//\nkeep 2 n \n  1  sb’s keep:  the cost of providing food and a home for someone//  earn your keep (=do things in return for the things that are provided for you) //  --It’s time you got a job and started earning your keep.//\n  2  for keeps:   informal for ever//  --Marriage ought to be for keeps.//\n  3 [C] a large strong tower, usually in the centre of a castle:


Words: Keep America Beautiful
Meaning:
a phrase used by a group of people who want to encourage American people not to drop litter in the streets//


Words: Keep Britain Tidy
Meaning:
a phrase used by a group of people who want to encourage British people not to drop litter in the streets//


Words: keep fit
Meaning:
n [U]    BrE  old-fashioned a class in which you do exercises to keep yourself healthy//    aerobics//  -- keep-fit adj //


Words: keep-away
Meaning:
n [U]    AmE a children’s game in which you try to catch a ball that is being thrown between two other people//  British Equivalent:  piggy in the middle//


Words: keeper
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who looks after animals:  --a beekeeper//  --Bob is head lion keeper at the zoo.//    gamekeeper,  zoo-keeper//\n  2 someone whose job is to look after a particular place or thing:  --a lighthouse keeper//  keeper of//  --the keeper of Greek coins in the British Museum//\n  3  BrE  informal a goalkeeper:\n  4  I am not sb’s keeper:   spoken used to say that you are not responsible for someone else’s actions//    wicket keeper//


Words: keeping
Meaning:
n \n  1  in keeping (with sth):  matching something or suitable in a particular situation//  --In keeping with tradition, everyone wore black.//\n  2  out of keeping (with sth):  not matching something or not suitable in a particular situation//  --The cheerful cover of the book is out of keeping with the sad story told inside it.//\n  3  in sb’s keeping:  being looked after or guarded by someone//    safekeeping//


Words: keepsake
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  Because you " keep" it for the " sake" of (that is, to be reminded of) the person who gave it to you]//  a small object that you keep to remind you of someone//   memento//


Words: keg
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: cag  ’barrel’ (15-18 centuries), from  Old Norse kaggi]//  a round wooden or metal container with a flat top and bottom, used for storing beer//    barrel//  keg beer/bitter  BrE  (=beer served from a keg) //


Words: keister
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Probably from  German kiste  ’box’]//   AmE  spoken your buttocks (=the part of your body that you sit on) //


Words: Keller
Meaning:
Helen   (1880-1968) a US writer who is famous for the way she learned to speak and write after becoming  blind (=unable to see)  and deaf (=unable to hear)  as a baby. She greatly helped blind and deaf people by collecting money, making speeches, and trying to change people’s attitudes. She was the subject of a famous book and film about her life called  The Miracle Worker.//


Words: Kellogg Pact
Meaning:
the  also the Kellogg-Briand Pact   an agreement, signed by 15 nations in 1928, to deal with arguments between countries peacefully, without war or weapons. It was suggested by Aristide Briand, the French Foreign Minister, to Frank B. Kellogg, the US Secretary of State.//


Words: Kells
Meaning:
The Book of   an  illuminated (=with the pages decorated with gold paint and other bright colours)  copy of the four Christian  Gospels, produced during the 8th century at a  monastery in the town of Kells in the Republic of Ireland//


Words: Kelly
Meaning:
Gene   (1912-96) a US dancer, singer, actor, and  director who appeared in many musical films in the 1940s and 1950s, especially as a dancer. His most famous film was  Singin’ in the Rain, in which he sings and dances to a song with the same name.//\n Grace   (1928-82) a US film actress who was famous for her beauty, and who appeared in such films as  High Noon (1952) and  High Society (1956). She became Princess Grace of Monaco when she married Prince Rainier in 1956.//\n Ned   (1855-80) an Australian bank  robber who was in a  gang (=group of criminals)  with his brother Dan. They became very famous, and some people considered Ned to be a  hero. He was caught by the police and hanged in 1880.//


Words: Kelvin
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  William  Kelvin]//  K a scale of temperature in which water freezes at 273.15 K and boils at 373.15 K//  -- Kelvin adj //


Words: Kempis
Meaning:
Thomas a   (1380-1471) a German  monk (=a member of a religious group of Christian men who live apart from other people)  who is believed to have written  The Imitation of Christ//


Words: ken
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: ken  ’to know, recognize’ (13-21 centuries), from  Old English cennan  ’to make known’ and  Old Norse kenna  ’to be aware, understand’]//  beyond your ken//  if something is beyond your ken, you have no knowledge or understanding of it//  --mysteries beyond our ken//


Words: Kennedy
Meaning:
Jackie  also Jackie Kennedy Onassis   (1929-94) the wife of John F. Kennedy, who became very popular when she was the  first lady of the US from 1961 to 1963 because she was considered very beautiful and fashionable. In 1968, five years after Kennedy’s death, she married Aristotle  Onassis.//\n John Fitzgerald   (1917-63) a US politician in the  Democratic Party, also known as Jack Kennedy and JFK, who was President of the US from 1961 to 1963. He was an extremely popular president, and he planned to improve education, the system of medical care, and  civil rights in the US, although it was Lyndon B.  Johnson who achieved most of these plans after Kennedy’s death. In 1961 Kennedy ordered the  invasion of the  Bay of Pigs in Cuba, and he was strongly criticized for this. Two years later he was shot in Dallas, Texas, and Lee Harvey  Oswald was  accused of killing him.//\n Robert Francis  also Kennedy, Bobby   (1925-68) a US politician in the  Democratic Party who was the brother of John F. Kennedy. He became a  senator for New York in 1965. In 1968, when he was trying to become elected President of the US, he was shot.//


Words: Kennedy Center
Meaning:
the Kennedy Center//  the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts //  a theatre built as the official  memorial to President  Kennedy, in Washington, D.C., where there are  opera,  ballet, and musical performances. Every year there is a special ceremony there, where prizes are given to singers, actors, dancers, musicians etc. //


Words: kennel
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  From an unrecorded  Old North French kenil, from  Vulgar Latin canile, from  Latin canis  ’dog’]//\n  1 a small building made for a dog to sleep in:\n  2  also kennels :   BrE a place where dogs are kept for breeding or are cared for while their owners are away//  boarding/quarantine kennels //  --The puppy, which may have rabies, is at a quarantine kennels.//


Words: Kennel Club
Meaning:
the   KC a British organization for people who breed dogs, which decides what physical features each type of dog should have. The Kennel Club also organizes dog shows, including  Cruft’s, and it keeps records of the  pedigrees of all  purebred dogs in the UK.//


Words: keno
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: quine  ’set of five winning numbers’ +  English -o]//  a game played in casinos in which you try to win money by guessing which numbers a computer will choose//


Words: Kensington
Meaning:
also Kensington and Chelsea   an expensive and fashionable  borough in West London just north of the River Thames//


Words: Kent
Meaning:
a  county in southeast England, sometimes called the ’Garden of England’ because of the fruit and vegetables it produces. //\n Clark   a character in US  comics (=magazines with stories told in pictures) , films, and television programmes about  Superman. Clark Kent seems like a very ordinary, quiet man, but secretly he is Superman.//


Words: Kent State
Meaning:
an event in 1970 when soldiers from the National Guard killed four students who were part of a large  protest march against the Vietnam War at Kent State University in Ohio//


Words: Kentucky
Meaning:
KY a state in the south of the US, known as the Bluegrass State. It is one of the poorest states in the US, and is famous for its  country and western music, and for its  whiskey.//


Words: Kentucky Derby
Meaning:
the   a famous race for three-year-old horses held each year on the first Saturday in May in Louisville, Kentucky//


Words: Kenya
Meaning:
a country in East Africa which became independent from Britain in 1963, and is a member of the British  Commonwealth. Population: 30,766,000 (2001). Capital: Nairobi. Kenya produces coffee and tea, and is popular with tourists who go to see the wild animals in the  safari parks there.//  -- Kenyan n  adj //\n Mount   a mountain that is an inactive  volcano in central Kenya//


Words: Kenyatta
Meaning:
Jomo   (?1893-1978) a Kenyan politician who was President from 1964 until his death. He was one of the leaders of Kenya’s fight for independence from the UK, and he was put in prison in the 1950s for his connection with the  Mau Mau organization.//


Words: Kepler
Meaning:
Johannes   (1571-1630) a German  astronomer (=a scientist who studies the stars)  who discovered how the  planets move around the sun. These principles are known as Kepler’s Laws, and they greatly influenced the work of Sir Isaac  Newton.//


Words: kept woman
Meaning:
n [C]    old-fashioned a woman who is given a place to live, money, and clothes by a man who visits her for sex - often used humorously//


Words: kerb
Meaning:
BrE curb  AmE   n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: curb]//  the edge of the pavement (=raised path)  at the side of a road//  --His car mounted the kerb and ploughed into a bus queue.//


Words: kerb crawler
Meaning:
BrE curb crawler  AmE n [C]   a man who drives his car slowly along the road looking for a prostitute (=a women who has sex for money) //  -- kerb crawling n  [U] //  --He was arrested for kerb crawling.//


Words: kerchief
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: cuevrechief, from  covrir  ’to cover’ +  chief  ’head’]//  a square piece of cloth, worn on the head or around the neck//


Words: Kermit
Meaning:
also Kermit the Frog   a  puppet in the form of a green  frog, who is one of the main characters in the television programmes  The Muppets and  Sesame Street//


Words: Kern
Meaning:
Jerome   (1885-1945) a US  composer and songwriter who wrote many  musicals (=films or plays that use singing and dancing to tell a story) , such as  Showboat (1927), which contains the famous song  Ol’ Man River//


Words: kernel
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: cyrnel, from  corn;   CORN]//\n  1 the part of a nut or seed inside the shell or the part inside the stone of some fruits:\n  2 [usually singular] one of the small yellow pieces on a corn cob:\n  3 [usually singular] the most important part of a statement, idea, plan etc:   core//  kernel of//  --This evidence is the kernel of the defendants’ case.//\n  4 [usually singular] a very small part or amount of something:  kernel of//  --There may be a kernel of truth in what he says.//


Words: kerosene
Meaning:
kerosine/ker[hA353]si[hA359]n/ n [U]  especially AmE  AusE   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Greek; Origin: keros  ’wax’ +  English -ene  ’chemical compound’]//  a clear oil that is burnt to provide heat or light//  British Equivalent:  paraffin//  --a kerosene lamp//


Words: Kerouac
Meaning:
Jack   (1922-69) a US writer who was a leading figure of the 1950s  beat generation. His most famous novel is  On the Road, which describes the adventures of two friends as they travel across the US.//


Words: Kerry
Meaning:
a  county in the southwest of the Republic of Ireland, popular with tourists because of its beautiful mountains and countryside//


Words: kestrel
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: crecerelle, from  crecelle  ’rattle’]//  a type of bird that is like a small falcon//


Words: ketchup
Meaning:
n  also  catsup AmE [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Malay; Origin: kechap  ’hot-tasting fish sauce’]//  a thick cold red sauce made from tomatoes that you put on food//  --a bottle of tomato ketchup//


Words: kettle
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: cetel]//\n  1 a container with a lid, a handle, and a spout, used for boiling and pouring water:  American Equivalent:  teakettle//  --She filled the kettle and switched it on.//  --The kettle’s boiling (=the water in it is boiling) .//  -- Put the kettle on  (=start boiling water in a kettle) will you?//\n  2  AmE a large pot, used for making soup:\n  3  another/a different kettle of fish:   informal used to say that a situation is very different from one that you have just mentioned//  --She enjoys public speaking but being on TV is a different kettle of fish.//


Words: kettledrum
Meaning:
n [C]   a large metal drum with a round bottom, used in an orchestra. A set of kettledrums is called timpani.//


Words: Kew Gardens
Meaning:
the UK’s largest and most important  botanical garden, in West London, which contains plants and trees from all over the world //


Words: kewpie doll
Meaning:
n  also kewpie  [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: Kewpie, a trademark, from  cupid]//  a type of plastic doll from America with a fat body and a curl of hair on its head//


Words: Key
Meaning:
Francis Scott   (1779-1843) a US poet, who wrote the words of  The Star-Spangled Banner, the  national anthem (=official song)  of the US//


Words: key
Meaning:
W1S2   adj [no comparative]   very important or necessary//  --China’s support is key to the success of the coalition.//  key factor/points/questions etc //  --The President makes all the key decisions on foreign policy.//  key role/player/figure etc (=one with a lot of influence on a result) //  --The show has been hit by the departure of key personnel.//    low-key//\nkey 2 W3S2 n [C]   ----------//\n   1 lock:\n   2 important part:\n   3 computer:\n   4 music:\n   5 map/drawing:\n   6 test:\n   7 island:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: c[zB024]g]//\n  1 LOCK:  a small specially shaped piece of metal that you put into a lock and turn in order to lock or unlock a door, start a car etc//  house/car keys //  --I lost my house keys.//  --A bunch of keys hung from his belt.//  key to//  --I can lend you a spare key to the store until you get one cut (=made) .//    master key//\n  2 IMPORTANT PART:   the key//  the part of a plan, action etc, that will make it possible for it to succeed//  the key to//  --Working well as a team is the key to success .//  --a discovery that may hold the key to our understanding of the universe//\n  3 COMPUTER:  the buttons that you press on a computer keyboard to operate the computer//  --Press the ESCAPE key to exit.//  hot key/shortcut key (=a special key on a computer that does specific things) //\n  4 MUSIC:  a)  [usually plural] the wooden or metal parts that you press on a piano and some wind instruments in order to play them//  --piano keys//  b) a scale of notes that begins with one particular note, or the quality of sound this scale has//  --a tune in the key of A minor//\n  5 MAP/DRAWING:  a list of the signs, colours etc used on a map or technical drawing etc that explains what they mean//\n  6 TEST:  the printed answers to a test or set of questions in a book//\n  7 ISLAND:   [usually plural] a small flat island, especially one that is part of a group near the coast//  --the Florida Keys//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Do not say ’the key of’ something. Say the key to something. //  ----------//\nkey 3 v [T] \n  1  AmE  informal if you key a win for your team, you help it win a game because you play very well:  --Abdul keyed the game with three touchdowns.//\n  2  BrE to prepare a surface so that a covering such as paint will stick to it:  key in [key sth → in] phr v//  to put information into a computer or other machine, using buttons or a keyboard//  --Key in your password and press ’Return’.//  key to [key sth to sth] phr v//\n  1 to make or change a system so that it works well with something else:  --The daycare hours are keyed to the needs of working parents.//\n  2 if the level, price, or value of something is keyed to something else, it is related to it and they rise and fall at the same time:  --Pensions are keyed to the rate of inflation.//    keyed up//


Words: Key West
Meaning:
an island off the coast of Florida, one of the  Florida Keys, which is popular with tourists because of its warm weather and interesting buildings//


Words: keyboard
Meaning:
S3   n [C]   1 a board with buttons marked with letters or numbers that are pressed to put information into a computer or other machine//  --a computer keyboard//\n  2 the row of keys on some musical instruments that you press in order to play them:\n  3  also keyboards :   [plural] an electronic musical instrument similar to a piano that can make sounds like many different instruments//    synthesizer//  --Chris Kelly (guitar) and Benny Hayes (keyboards and vocals)//\nkeyboard 2 v   [I and T] to put information into a computer, using a keyboard//  -- keyboarding n  [U] //  --keyboarding errors//


Words: keyed up
Meaning:
adj [not before noun]   worried or excited//  keyed up with/about/at//  --Travis was keyed up at the thought of seeing Rosie again.//


Words: keyhole
Meaning:
n [C]   the hole in a lock that you put the key in//  --I peeped through the keyhole and watched them.//


Words: Keynes
Meaning:
John Maynard   (1883-1946) a British  economist whose ideas greatly influenced economic thinking in the 20th century. Keynes believed that governments should use public money to control the level of employment, for example by spending money on  public works (=buildings, roads etc built by the government)  in order to provide more jobs in periods of high unemployment.//  -- Keynesian adj //  --Keynesian economics//


Words: keynote
Meaning:
n [C]   the main point in a book, system of beliefs, activity etc that influences everything else//  keynote of//  --Unprecedented change has been the keynote of the electronic revolution.//\nkeynote 2 adj [only before noun]   relating to the most important part of a formal meeting, report etc//  keynote speech/address/lecture etc //  --He is scheduled to deliver the keynote address at an awards ceremony.//  --Bill Gates is booked as the keynote speaker .//\nkeynote 3 v [I and T]   to give the keynote speech at a formal meeting, ceremony etc//  --The event is usually keynoted by the prime minister.//


Words: keypal
Meaning:
n [C]   someone with whom you regularly exchange e-mail//    penpal//  --If your daughter is interested in having a keypal next year, please have her get in touch.//


Words: keystone
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C] the large central stone in an arch that keeps the other stones in position:\n  2 [singular]  formal the most important part of an idea, belief, or process that influences how it develops:  keystone of//  --The keystone of any personal injury case is medical evidence.//


Words: Keystone Kops
Meaning:
the   a group of characters in humorous US  silent films (=old films made with no sound) . They are police officers who are very stupid and are always making silly mistakes.//


Words: keyword
Meaning:
n [C]   a word that you type into a computer so that it will search for that word on the Internet//  --You can find the site by entering the keyword ’Quark’.//


Words: khaki
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Hindi; Origin: ’dust-colored’, from  khak  ’dust’]//\n  1 a dull green-brown or yellow-brown colour:\n  2 cloth of this colour, especially when worn by soldiers:  -- khaki adj //  --a khaki uniform//


Words: Khamenei
Meaning:
Ayatollah Ali   (1939-) the religious leader of  Iran who succeeded Ayatollah  Khomeini in 1989.  He is regarded by Iranians as God’s representative on earth and has the highest position of power in the country.  //


Words: khan
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Turkic; Origin: kan  ’ruler, prince’]//  a ruler or official in India or central Asia, or their title//


Words: Khmer Rouge
Meaning:
the   a very left-wing military organization which took control of the government of Cambodia in 1975, under its leader  Pol Pot. Around 3 million Cambodians are believed to have been killed under Khmer Rouge rule, which continued until 1979//


Words: Khomeini
Meaning:
Ayatollah   (1900-89) a religious and political leader in Iran, who was the head of its Islamic government from 1979 until his death. Khomeini demanded the exact following of Islamic laws.//


Words: Khrushchev
Meaning:
Nikita   (1894-1971) a Russian politician who was leader of the former Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964. He publicly criticized  Stalin and his policies after Stalin’s death in 1953.//


Words: Khyber Pass
Meaning:
the Khyber Pass//  a steep road that goes through mountains and joins Pakistan and Afghanistan. For centuries it was the main road to India from the West. //


Words: kibbutz
Meaning:
n   plural  kibbutzim /-s[hA366]m/ [C] //  [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Hebrew; Origin: qibbus, from  Hebrew,  ’gathering’]//  a type of farm in Israel where many people live and work together//


Words: kibitz
Meaning:
v [I]  AmE  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Yiddish; Origin: kibitsen, from  German kiebitzen, from  kiebitz  ’lapwing’ (type of bird that makes a lot of noise)]//\n  1 to make unhelpful remarks while someone is doing something:\n  2 to talk about things that everyone already knows in a boring way:  --incessant philosophical kibbitzing//  -- kibitzer n  [C] //  --the usual crowd of kibitzers//


Words: kibosh
Meaning:
n   put the kibosh on sth//   old-fashioned  informal to stop a plan, idea etc from developing//   ruin//


Words: kick
Meaning:
W3S2   v [I and T]   1 to hit something with your foot//  kick sth down/over/around etc//  --Billy was kicking a ball around the yard.//  --The police kicked the door down.//  kick sb in the stomach/face/shin etc //  --There was a scuffle and he kicked me in the stomach.//\n  2 to move your legs as if you were kicking something:  --He kicked off his shoes and lay back on the bed.//  --a row of dancers kicking their legs in the air//  --A horse trotted past, kicking up dust from the road.//\n  3  kick yourself:   spoken used to say that you are annoyed with yourself because you have done something silly, made a mistake etc//  --You’ll kick yourself when I tell you the answer.//  --United will be kicking themselves for missing several chances.//\n  4  kick the habit:  to stop doing something that is a harmful habit, such as smoking, taking drugs etc//  --The scheme has already helped hundreds of smokers to kick the habit.//\n  5  kick sb when they are down:  to criticize or attack someone who is already in a weak or difficult position//  --The media can’t resist kicking a man when he’s down.//\n  6  kick sb in the teeth:  kick sb in the stomach/pants  AmE  informal to disappoint someone or treat them badly at a time when they need help//  --We all have times when life kicks us in the teeth.//\n  7  kick sb’s ass/butt:   AmE  informal  not polite to punish or defeat someone//  --We’re gonna kick San Francisco’s ass good tonight.//\n  8  kick ass:   AmE  informal  not polite used to say that someone or something is very good or impressive//  --Tucson pop band Shoebomb kick some serious ass.//\n  9  kick your heels:   BrE to waste time waiting for something//  --We were left kicking our heels for half the day.//\n  10  kick up your heels:  to enjoy yourself a lot at a party, event etc//  --The charity ball is a chance to kick up your heels and help a good cause.//\n  11  kick sth into touch:   BrE  informal to stop a plan or project before it is completed//  --A hitch resulted in the deal being kicked firmly into touch.//\n  12  kick up a fuss/stink/row:   informal to complain loudly about something//  --Won’t he kick up a fuss when he discovers they’re missing?//\n  13  kicking and screaming:  protesting violently or being very unwilling to do something//  --The London Stock Exchange was dragged kicking and screaming into the 20th century.//\n  14  kick the shit out of sb:   informal  not polite to hurt someone very badly by kicking them many times//\n  15  kick against the pricks:   BrE  informal to hurt or damage yourself by trying to change something that cannot be changed//\n  16  kick sb upstairs:  to move someone to a new job that seems to be more important than their last one, but that actually gives them less influence//\n  17  be kicking (it):   AmE  spoken to be relaxing and having a good time//  --I was just kicking with my buddies.//\n  18  be kicking it:   AmE  spoken to be having a romantic or sexual relationship with someone//  be kicking it with//  --My sources say that she was kicking it with Thomas while she was on tour.//\n  19  kick over the traces:   BrE  old-fashioned to start behaving badly by refusing to accept any control or rules//\n  20  kick the bucket:   old-fashioned to die - used humorously//  kick (out) against [kick (out) against sth] phr v//  to react strongly against something//  --She has kicked out against authority all her life.//  kick around phr v//\n  1  kick sth around:  to think about or discuss an idea before making a decision//  --We kicked that suggestion around and in the end decided to go ahead.//\n  2  kick sb around:  to treat someone badly and unfairly//  --I have my pride, you know. They can’t kick me around.//\n  3  kick around (sth):  to be in a place doing things but without any firm plans//   knock around//  --He kicked around India for a few months.//\n  4 to be left in a place untidily or forgotten:  --There’s a copy of the report kicking around somewhere.//  kick back phr v//  to relax//  --Your waitress will take your order while you kick back and enjoy the game.//  kick in phr v//\n  1  informal to start or to begin to have an effect:  --The storm is expected to kick in shortly after sunrise.//  --The painkillers kicked in and he became sleepy.//\n  2  kick in (sth):  to join with others in giving money or help//   chip in//  --Bill never wants to kick in.//  --We were each asked to kick in 50 cents toward the cost.//\n  3  kick sb’s head/face/teeth in:  to injure someone badly by kicking them//  --He threatened to come round and kick my head in.//\n  4  kick a door in:  to kick a locked door so hard that it breaks open//  --We had to get the police to kick the door in.//  kick off phr v//\n  1 if a meeting, event, or a football game kicks off, it starts:  --What time does the laser show kick off?//  --The match kicks off at noon.//  kick off with//  --The series kicked off with an interview with Brando.//\n  2  informal if you kick off a discussion, meeting, event etc, you start it:  --OK Marion, would you care to kick off?//  kick sth → off (with sth)//  --I’m going to kick off today’s meeting with a few remarks about the budget.//\n  3  kick sb off sth:   informal to remove someone from a team or group//  --Joe was kicked off the committee for stealing funds.//\n  4  AmE  informal to die:  kick out [kick sb → out] phr v//  to make someone leave a place, job etc//   throw out//  --Bernard’s wife kicked him out.//  kick somebody → out of//  --He was kicked out of the golf club.//\nkick 2 n [C] \n  1 a movement of your foot or leg, usually to hit something with your foot:  --Brazil scored with the last kick of the match.//  --Rory aimed a kick at her leg and missed.//  --kung fu kicks//  --If the door won’t open just give it a good kick .//\n  2 the act of kicking the ball in a sports game such as football, or the ball that is kicked and the direction it goes in:  --Benjamin struck a post with an overhead kick.//  free/penalty kick (=an opportunity, allowed by the rules, for a player in one team to kick the ball without being stopped by the other team) //  --Pearce came forward to take the free kick .//\n  3 something that you enjoy because it is exciting:   thrill//  get a kick out of/from (doing) sth//  --Gerald gets a kick out of dressing as a woman.//  give sb a kick//  --It gives her a kick to get you into trouble.//  do sth (just) for kicks//  --She used to steal from shops for kicks.//\n  4  a kick up the arse/backside/pants etc:   informal criticism or strong encouragement to make someone do something they should have done//  --What Phil needs is a good kick up the arse .//\n  5  a kick in the teeth:   informal something that is very disappointing or upsetting that happens when you need support//  --This broken promise is a real kick in the teeth for our fans.//\n  6  a kick:   informal used to talk about the strong effect of a drink or drug or the strong taste that some food has//  --The wine had a real kick.//


Words: kickback
Meaning:
n [C]    informal money that someone pays secretly and dishonestly in return for someone’s help//   bribe//


Words: kickboxing
Meaning:
n [U]   a form of boxing in which you kick someone as well as hitting them//  -- kickboxer n  [C] //


Words: kicker
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C] a player in a sports team who kicks the ball to score points:\n  2 [singular]  AmE a surprising or unexpected end to an event:  --The kicker came when the reporter asked the 22-mile runner whether she was tired.//


Words: kickoff
Meaning:
n [C usually singular] \n  1 the time when a football game starts, or the first kick of the game:  --Kickoff is at 3.00.//\n  2  informal the beginning of a new activity:


Words: kickstand
Meaning:
n [C]   a thin piece of metal on the bottom of a bicycle or motorcycle that supports it in an upright position when it is not moving//


Words: kid
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old Norse; Origin: kith]//\n  1 [C]  informal a child:  --She’d always loved animals since she was a little kid .//  --He’s married with three kids.//  --A neighbor volunteered to keep an eye on the kids  (=their children or the children they are responsible for) .//\n  2 [C]  informal a young person:  --college kids//\n  3 [C usually singular] used by adults to address a person who is younger than them:  --Hey kid, come here.//\n  4  kid’s stuff:   also kid stuff  AmE something that is too easy or boring//  --Pokemon? Oh boy, that is kid stuff!//\n  5 :  a)  [C] a young goat//  b)  [U] very soft leather made from the skin of a young goat//  --a pair of white kid boots//\n  6  kid gloves:  a way of treating someone kindly and carefully because they easily become upset//  treat/handle sb with kid gloves //  --I want you to treat Hayley with kid gloves today. She’s still upset about her father.//\nkid 2 v   past tense and past participle  kidded present participle  kidding  informal //  [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Probably from   KID1]//\n  1 [I and T] to say something that is not true, especially as a joke:   joke//  just/only kidding //  --Don’t get mad, I was only kidding.//\n  2 [T] to make jokes or say funny things about someone in a friendly way:   tease//  kid sb about sth//  --We were kidding Mom about being a grandmother.//  kid sb (that)//  --My friends kidded me that my gear would fill the car.//\n  3  no kidding?/are you kidding?:   spoken used when you are so surprised by what someone has told you that you do not completely believe them//  --Carlotta’s 39? No kidding?//\n  4  no kidding:   spoken //  a) used to say that you understand and agree with what someone has just said//  --’That girl has some major problems.’ ’Yeah, no kidding.’//  b) used to emphasize a threat or that you are telling the truth//  --If you break that thing, you’ll be grounded for a week - no kidding.//  --And then he saw us and - no kidding - he asked us if we wanted a ride.//\n  5 [T] to let yourself believe something that is untrue or unlikely:  kid yourself (that)//  --Don’t kid yourself he’ll ever change.//  --We thought we could change the world. Just who were we trying to kid ?//\n  6  I kid you not:   spoken used to emphasize that you are telling the truth//  -- kidding n  [U] //  kid around phr v//  to behave in a silly way//  --Stop kidding around and listen.//\nkid 3 adj   kid sister/brother//   especially AmE  informal your kid sister or brother is younger than you are//  British Equivalent:  little sister/brother//\nkiddie 1  kiddy/k[hA366]di/ n [C]    informal  especially BrE a young child//  --a sandpit for the kiddies//\nkiddie 2  kiddy adj [only before noun]   made, involving, or intended for young children//  --a kiddie seat//


Words: kiddo
Meaning:
n   plural  kiddos  [C usually singular] //   especially AmE  spoken  informal used by adults to address a young person//  --Come on kiddo, let’s go.//


Words: kidnap
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  kidnapped present participle  kidnapping  also //  past tense and past participle  kidnaped present participle  kidnaping  AmE  [T] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: kid  ’child’ +  nap  ’to take, seize’ (17-19 centuries)]//  to take someone somewhere illegally by force, often in order to get money for returning them//    ransom//  --Police appealed for witnesses after a woman was kidnapped at gunpoint and assaulted.//  -- kidnapper n  [C] //  --the hunt for the kidnapper//  -- kidnapping also kidnap //   n  [U and C] //  --a series of kidnappings//


Words: Kidnapped
Meaning:
(1886) an adventure story by Robert Louis  Stevenson about a young man called David Balfour who is kidnapped, but escapes. He and his friend Alan Breck see a man being killed, and people think that they did it, so they run away and travel across the Highlands of Scotland.//


Words: kidney
Meaning:
S3   n   artery, brain, fatty, tissue, heart, kidney, intestine, intestine2, small, large, liver, lung, muscles, stomach, vein, throat//  [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Perhaps from  Old English cwith  ’abdomen, womb’ +  [zB024]g  ’egg’]//\n  1 [C] one of the two organs in your lower back that separate waste products from your blood and make urine:  --a kidney transplant//\n  2 [U and C] one or more of these organs from an animal, used as food:  --steak and kidney pie//


Words: kidult
Meaning:
n [C]   an adult who likes to play games or buy things that most people consider more suitable for children//


Words: Kierkegaard
Meaning:
S[hA179]ren Aabye   (1813-55) a Danish  philosopher whose ideas had an important influence on  existentialism//


Words: kike
Meaning:
n [C]  taboo   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Probably from  kiki, from  -ki, common ending of names of Jews from countries in Eastern Europe]//  a very offensive word for someone who is Jewish. Do not use this word.//


Words: kill
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 make somebody/something die:\n   2 kill yourself:\n   3 make something stop/fail:\n   4 be angry with somebody:\n   5 annoyed/sad:\n   6 would/could kill for something:\n   7 my head/back etc is killing me:\n   8 kill time/an hour etc:\n   9 kill a beer/bottle of wine etc:\n  10 make somebody laugh:\n  11 it won’t/wouldn’t kill somebody (to do something):\n  12 (even) if it kills me:\n  13 kill two birds with one stone:\n  14 kill the goose that lays the golden egg:\n  15 kill the fatted calf:\n  16 kill somebody with kindness:\n  17 kill or cure:  Phrasal verbs//   kill something → off//  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  Probably from an unrecorded  Old English cyllan]//\n  1 MAKE SOMEBODY/SOMETHING DIE:   [I and T] to make a person or animal die//  --Why did she kill her husband? //  --Murray held a gun to his head and threatened to kill him.//  --Four people were killed when a train plunged into a flooded river. //  be killed instantly/outright (=immediately) //  --The driver was killed instantly.//  --Bleach kills household germs.//  --Smoking kills.//\n  2  kill yourself:  a) to cause your own death//  --You’re going to kill yourself on that bike.//  --After her husband died, Mary tried to kill herself.//  b) to work very hard to achieve something in a way that makes you ill or tired//  --It’s not worth killing yourself over it.//  kill yourself to do sth//  --He about killed himself to make the business go.//\n  3 MAKE SOMETHING STOP/FAIL:   [T] to make something stop operating or fail//  --Joe pulled in and killed the engine.//  --The out-of-town shopping centre will kill local trade.//  kill your speed (=drive slowly) //\n  4 BE ANGRY WITH SOMEBODY:   [T]  informal to be very angry with someone//  --Mom will kill me if I’m late.//\n  5 ANNOYED/SAD:   [T] to make someone feel annoyed, sad, concerned etc//  it kills sb to do sth//  --It kills me to see him working so hard.//  --What happened next? The suspense is killing me .//\n  6  would/could kill for sth:   also would kill to do sth //  to want something so much that you will do almost anything to get it or do it//  --I could kill for a smoke right now.//  --In those days, actors would kill to break into film.//\n  7  my head/back etc is killing me:   spoken used to say that a part of your body is hurting a lot//  --I’ve walked miles and my feet are killing me.//\n  8  kill time/an hour etc:  to spend time doing something which is not important while you are waiting to do something important or waiting for something else to happen//  --With time to kill, he took a cab to the centre.//\n  9  kill a beer/bottle of wine etc:   spoken to drink or finish drinking a beer etc quickly//  --Let’s kill these beers and go.//\n  10 MAKE SOMEBODY LAUGH:   [T] to make someone laugh a lot//  kill yourself laughing//  --They weren’t bothered -- in fact they were killing themselves laughing.//\n  11  it won’t/wouldn’t kill sb (to do sth):   spoken used to say that someone could easily do something, and ought to do it//  --It wouldn’t kill you to help out once in a while.//\n  12  (even) if it kills me:   spoken used to emphasize that you are determined to do something even though it is very difficult//  --I’m completing this course, even if it kills me.//\n  13  kill two birds with one stone:  to achieve two things with one action//\n  14  kill the goose that lays the golden egg:  to destroy the thing that brings you profit or success//\n  15  kill the fatted calf:  to welcome someone home with a big meal etc after they have been away for a long time//\n  16  kill sb with kindness:  to be too kind to someone, in a way that actually harms them//\n  17  kill or cure:  used to say that something you are going to do will be either successful or fail completely//    dressed to kill at dressed(3)//  kill off [kill sth → off] phr v//\n  1 to cause the death of a lot of living things:   destroy//  --Pollution is rapidly killing off plant life.//\n  2 to stop or remove something completely:   destroy//  --These figures kill off any hope that the economy is poised for recovery.//  ----------//  WORD CHOICE: kill, murder, execute, put to death, kill yourself, commit suicide, slaughter, massacre, assassinate //  There are many different words meaning to kill someone.  Kill  is the most general : He says he did not mean to kill his wife. |  Thousands of Russian soldiers were killed in the war. //  Use  murder  to talk about deliberately killing someone, especially after planning to do it : He is charged with murdering a policeman. //  When you are talking about killing someone as a punishment for a crime, use  execute  or  put  someone  to death : He was executed by a firing squad. |  the first person to be put to death in San Quentin jail //  If someone deliberately causes their own death, say that they  commit suicide or that someone kills himself or herself : the feeling of hopelessness that led him to commit suicide,| It was not the first time she had tried to kill herself.  //  Slaughter  and  massacre  mean to violently kill a large number of people who cannot defend themselves. These words are used mainly in writing or journalism : Hundreds of innocent civilians were slaughtered. |  Soldiers massacred 900 men, women, and children in the village. //  Use  assassinate  to talk about killing an important person, especially a politician : J.F.Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas in 1963. //  ----------//\nkill 2 n \n  1 [C usually singular] the act of killing a hunted animal:  --He raised his knife for the kill.//\n  2  move in/close in for the kill:  to come closer to something in order to kill, defeat, or destroy it//  --Enemy submarines were moving in for the kill.//\n  3 [singular] an animal that is killed by another animal:  --The cubs will share the remains of the kill.//


Words: killer
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a person, animal, or thing that kills:  --Heart disease is America’s number one killer.//  --the hunt for her killers//  --weed killer//    serial killer at serial2 (1)//\n  2  informal something or someone that is very difficult, tiring, or boring:  --The new project is a killer.//\n  3  informal something that is very exciting or impressive:  --I’m not saying the film is a killer, but it’s cool.//\nkiller 2 adj [only before noun] \n  1 very harmful or dangerous:  --a killer hurricane//  --a swarm of killer bees//\n  2  informal very attractive, good, impressive etc:  --a book called ’How to Build a Killer Website’//\n  3  killer instinct:  a very strong desire to succeed in a situation or activity etc that is very competitive//  --Young players these days lack the killer instinct.//


Words: killing
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 the act of killing someone deliberately:   murder//  --a series of gangland killings//  --They murdered fifteen boys in a killing spree  (=an occasion when a someone murders many people in a short period of time) across southern California.//\n  2  make a killing:   informal to make a lot of money in a short time//  --He made a killing on the stock exchange.//


Words: Killing Fields
Meaning:
The   (1984) a British film about the events in Cambodia in 1975-79, when Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge were in power and killed millions of people//


Words: kiln
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 700-800; Language: Latin; Origin: culina  ’kitchen’, from  coquere  ’to cook’]//  a special oven for baking clay pots, bricks etc//


Words: kilo-
Meaning:
prefix [in nouns]   [Language: French; Origin: Greek chilioi  ’thousand’]//  a thousand - used with units of measurement//


Words: kilogram
Meaning:
also  kilogramme BrE   n [C]  written abbreviation kg   a unit for measuring weight, equal to 1000 grams//


Words: kilohertz
Meaning:
n   plural  kilohertz  [C]  written abbreviation kHz //  a unit for measuring the frequency of sound waves, especially radio signals, equal to 1000 hertz//


Words: kilometre
Meaning:
S3  BrE  kilometer AmE   n [C]  written abbreviation km   a unit for measuring distance, equal to 1000 metres//


Words: kilowatt hour
Meaning:
n [C]  written abbreviation kWh   a unit for measuring electrical power, equal to the amount of work produced by one kilowatt in one hour//


Words: kilt
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: kilt  ’to fold up’ (14-19 centuries), from a  Scandinavian language]//  a type of thick skirt made of tartan (=material with a pattern of lines and squares)  that is traditionally worn by Scottish men//  -- kilted adj //


Words: kilter
Meaning:
n   out of kilter/off kilter//  not working as well as usual//  --Pollution has thrown the Earth’s chemistry out of kilter .//


Words: kimchi
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Korean; Origin: Chinese]//  a Korean hot-tasting dish made of pickled cabbage and other vegetables//


Words: kimono
Meaning:
n   plural  kimonos  [C] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Japanese; Origin: ’clothes’]//  a traditional piece of Japanese clothing like a long loose coat, worn at special ceremonies//


Words: kin
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Language: Old English; Origin: cyn]//\n  1  informal  also kinsfolk, kinfolk :  your family//\n  2  next of kin:   formal your most closely related family//  --We’ll have to notify the next of kin of his death.//   kindred//    kith and kin//


Words: kind
Meaning:
n   [Language: Old English; Origin: cynd]//\n  1 [U and C] one of the different types of a person or thing that belong to the same group:   sort, type//  kind of//  --They sell all kinds of things.//  --The flowers attract several different kinds of insects.//  -- Certain kinds of medical care are more expensive than others.//  -- Greg was working on  some kind  of deal in Italy. //  -- Get me a sandwich -  any kind  will do. //  -- You can’t get in unless you’re wearing  the right kind  of clothes. //  -- This is hypocrisy of  the worst kind . //  -- It is the biggest centre  of its kind . //  -- What kind of  food do you want? //  --I like yoga, aerobics, and  that kind of thing . //  -- This is  precisely the kind  of sensational attitude I most deplore. see usage note  type1 //\n  2  the kind:  used to describe a person with a particular character, feelings, opinions etc//  --Ted just isn’t the marrying kind.//  --Rob isn’t the kind of person to worry.//\n  3  kind of:  kinda  AmE  spoken slightly but not exactly, or in some ways//   sort of//  --I’m kind of glad I didn’t win.//  --He’s kinda dumb, isn’t he?//\n  4  a kind of (a) sth:   spoken used to say that your description of something is not exact//  --a kind of reddish-brown color//\n  5  two/three etc of a kind:  two, three etc people or things that are very similar//  --You and Joe are two of a kind.//\n  6  one of a kind:  the only one of a particular type of thing//  --Each plate is handpainted and one of a kind.//\n  7  sth of the/that kind:   spoken something similar to what was expected or talked about//  --Rosa was shocked by the news, although she had suspected something of the kind might happen.//\n  8  nothing/anything of the kind:   spoken used to emphasize that what has been said is not true//  --I never said anything of the kind!//\n  9  of a kind:  used to say that something is not as good as it should be//  --Elections of a kind are held, but there is only one party to vote for.//\n  10  in kind:  reacting to something someone has done by doing the same thing//  --After recent bombings, counter-terrorist forces could retaliate in kind.//    payment in kind at payment(3)//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  all kinds/every kind //  different/various kinds //  a certain/particular kind //  some kind //  any kind //  the same kind //  the right kind //  the worst kind //  of its/their kind //  of this kind //  what kind (of something)? //  that kind of thing //  precisely/exactly the kind (that) //  ----------//\nkind 2 S3 adj   comparative  kinder superlative  kindest //  [Language: Old English; Origin: gecynde  ’natural’]//\n  1 saying or doing things that show that you care about other people and want to help them or make them happy:  → unkind//    kindly, kindness//  kind to//  --They’ve been very kind to me.//  --It wasn’t a very kind thing to say.//  --She’s a very kind and generous person.//  it’s kind of sb (to do sth)//  --It’s kind of you to say that.//  --It’s really kind of them to let us use their pool.//  --We thanked the priest for his kind words .//  --Thank you for your help. You’ve been  most kind  (=said when thanking someone very politely) .//  thank you for your kind invitation/offer (=said when thanking someone very politely for their invitation or offer) //  --Ms Jarvis is unable to accept your kind invitation .//  --Thank you for your  kind offer .//\n  2 not causing harm or suffering:  kind to//  --Life has been very kind to me.//  --I need a soap that’s kinder to my skin.//  --Let’s hope the weather’s kind tomorrow.//\n  3  would you be kind enough to do sth/be so kind as to do sth:   formal used to make a polite request//  --Would you be kind enough to close the door, please?//\n  4  kind regards:   written used to end a formal but fairly friendly letter//  ----------//  HINT sense 3 //  If you use these expressions in informal English, they can sound rude or unfriendly. Use please could you...? or would you mind...? instead. //  WORD FOCUS: kind //  similar words: nice,  considerate,  thoughtful,  sympathetic,  benevolent,  compassionate,  gentle //  ----------//


Words: kind-hearted
Meaning:
adj   kind and generous//  --a kind-hearted gesture//  -- kind-heartedly adv //  -- kind-heartedness n  [U] //


Words: kindergarten
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: German; Origin: ’children’s garden’]//\n  1  AmE a school or class for children aged five:\n  2  BrE a school for children aged two to five:   nursery school//


Words: kindle
Meaning:
v [I and T]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old Norse; Origin: kynda]//\n  1 if you kindle a fire, or if it kindles, it starts to burn:\n  2 to make someone feel interested, excited, hopeful etc:  kindle sth in sb//  --A love of poetry was kindled in him by his mother.//


Words: kindly
Meaning:
adv \n  1 in a kind way:   generously//  kindly offer/agree/give etc //  --Mr Nunn has kindly agreed to let us use his barn for the dance.//\n  2  not take kindly to sth:  to be unwilling to accept a situation because it annoys you//  --She does not take kindly to criticism.//\n  3  look kindly on sb/sth:  to approve of someone or something//  --Jimmy would probably not look too kindly on our request.//\n  4  spoken  formal a word meaning `please’, which is often used when you are annoyed:  --Will you kindly put that book back?//\nkindly 2 adj  old-fashioned   kind and caring for other people//  --Mrs Gardiner was a kindly old soul.//  -- kindliness n  [C] //  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  It is more usual to say kind. //  ----------//


Words: kindness
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] kind behaviour towards someone:  --I can’t thank you enough for your kindness.//\n  2 [C] a kind action:  do sb a kindness//  --It would be doing him a kindness to tell him the truth.//    kill sb with kindness at kill1 (16)//


Words: kindred
Meaning:
n [U]  old use   [Date: 1100-1200; Origin: kin +  Old English r[zB024]den  ’condition’]//  your whole family//    kin//\nkindred 2 adj [only before noun] \n  1  a kindred spirit:  someone who thinks and feels the way you do//\n  2  formal belonging to the same group or family:  --The protest included members of Free the Streets and kindred organisations.//


Words: kinetic
Meaning:
adj  technical   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Greek; Origin: kinetikos, from  kinetos  ’moving’]//  relating to movement//  --kinetic energy//


Words: king
Meaning:
W1   n [C]   ----------//\n   1 ruler:\n   2 the best:\n   3 successful:\n   4 chess:\n   5 cards:\n   6 important:\n   7 a king’s ransom:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: cyning]//\n  1 RULER:  a man who rules a country because he is from a royal family//    queen//  king of//  --Henry VIII, King of England//  --On 2 December Henry VI was crowned king  (=made the king at an official ceremony) .//\n  2 THE BEST:   the king of sth//  someone or something that people think is the most important or best of a particular type of person or thing//  --the King of Rock ’n’ Roll//  --the king of Swiss cheeses//  --The lion is the king of the jungle .//\n  3 SUCCESSFUL:  if you live like a king, feel like a king etc, you are very successful, happy, rich etc//  --With her at my side, I felt like a king.//\n  4 CHESS:  the most important piece in chess//\n  5 CARDS:  a playing card with a picture of a king on it//\n  6 IMPORTANT:   be king//  if something is king at a particular time, it has a big influence on people//  --back in the days when jazz was king//\n  7  a king’s ransom:  a very large amount of money//


Words: King David
Meaning:
(died around 962 BC) in the Old Testament of the Bible, one of the Kings of Israel.  When David was a boy, he killed the  giant (=a very tall, strong man)  Goliath by hitting him on the head with a stone thrown from his  sling. People sometimes use the names David and Goliath to describe a situation in which a small and less powerful person or group is fighting a much larger and more powerful person or group.//\n St   the  patron saint of Wales, who lived in the 6th century. St David’s Day, 1st March, is celebrated as the Welsh national day.//


Words: King James Bible
Meaning:
the  also the King James Version   an English translation of the Bible produced for King James I of England in 1611, which is also known in Britain as the Authorized Version. For hundreds of years this was the main type of Bible used in both the US and the UK, and many well-known sayings from the Bible come from this translation. It is now used much less often and has been replaced by more modern translations.//


Words: King Kong
Meaning:
a very large  gorilla who is the main character in the film  King Kong (1933). He is taken to New York City, but he escapes and destroys buildings and hurts or kills many people.//


Words: King Lear
Meaning:
a play by William  Shakespeare about an old king who decides to divide his  kingdom among his three daughters according to how much each of them says she loves him. Two daughters,  Goneril and  Regan, pretend to love him very much, and he divides the kingdom between them. The third daughter,  Cordelia, is the only one who really loves him, but she receives nothing because she says that she loves him no more and no less than she should. As a result there are many sad and terrible events, including the deaths of Lear and his three daughters.//


Words: King of Loving
Meaning:
A   a book by Stan Barstow that tells the story of a young working-class man who marries a woman he does not love after she becomes pregnant. The book was made into a film and was one of several British books of the 1960s that told the stories of ordinary people in a realistic way.//


Words: King’s Bench
Meaning:
the  also the King’s Bench Division   part of the  High Court of Justice in England and Wales. This name is used during the times when Britain is ruled by a king.//    Queen’s Bench, the//


Words: King’s College Chapel
Meaning:
a beautiful old church which is part of King’s College, one of the colleges of the University of Cambridge, in eastern England//


Words: King’s Cross
Meaning:
an area in north central London that has two important railway stations, King’s Cross and  St Pancras, from which trains go to Scotland and northeast England//


Words: King’s English
Meaning:
n  also Queen’s English   the King’s English//   old-fashioned correct English, as it is spoken in Britain//


Words: king’s evidence
Meaning:
n   turn King’s evidence//   BrE to give information about other criminals in order to get a less severe punishment//    queen’s evidence//  American Equivalent:  state’s evidence//


Words: king-size
Meaning:
adj  also king-sized \n  1 very large, and usually the largest size of something:  --a king-size bed//  --king-sized cigarettes//\n  2  informal very big, strong, or extreme:  --a king-size headache//


Words: kingdom
Meaning:
W3   n [C] \n  1 a country ruled by a king or queen:  --the United Kingdom//  kingdom of//  --the kingdom of Thailand//\n  2  the animal/plant/mineral kingdom:  one of the three parts into which the natural world is divided//\n  3  the kingdom of heaven/God:   also God’s kingdom //  heaven//\n  4  kingdom come:   informal a phrase used to describe the end of the world, death, or the end of time//  --He left the gas on and nearly blew us all to kingdom come .//


Words: kingmaker
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who influences the choice of people for important jobs//  --Her death thrust Newman into the position of kingmaker.//


Words: kingpin
Meaning:
n [C usually singular] \n  1 the person or thing in a group that is the most important or that has the most power - used especially in news reports:  crime/drug etc kingpin //  --a mafia kingpin//\n  2  technical a thin strong piece of metal used in hinges:


Words: Kings Road
Meaning:
the Kings Road//  a fashionable, expensive shopping street in London which was a very famous place for young people to spend time and buy clothes in the 1960s//


Words: Kingsley
Meaning:
Charles   (1819-75) a British writer of historical novels such as  Westward Ho! and  Hereward the Wake, who also wrote the children’s story  The Water Babies.//


Words: kink
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Dutch]//\n  1 a twist in something that is normally straight:  kink in//  --The water hose had a kink in it.//\n  2 a small problem in a plan, system etc:  --Given the size of the task a few kinks are inevitable.//\n  3 something strange or dangerous in someone’s character:\nkink 2 v [I and T]   to have or get a kink//  --Take care to avoid kinking the wire.//


Words: kinky
Meaning:
adj \n  1  informal having or showing unusual ways of getting sexual excitement:  --kinky sex videos//\n  2 kinky hair has a lot of small curves:  -- kinkiness n  [U] //  -- kinkily adv //


Words: Kinsey
Meaning:
Alfred Charles   (1894-1956) a US scientist who studied human sexual behaviour. His two books,  Sexual Behavior in the Human Male  (1948) and  Sexual Behavior in the Human Female (1953), usually called the Kinsey Reports, showed that people’s sexual practices were very different from what most people had thought.//


Words: Kinshasa
Meaning:
the capital city of the Democratic Republic of Congo, on the River Congo, formerly called Leopoldville//


Words: kinship
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U + with]  literary a family relationship:  --the ties of kinship//\n  2 [singular, U] a strong connection between people:    rapport//  kinship between//  --The sense of kinship between the two men is surprising.//  --He felt a kinship with only other American on the base.//


Words: kiosk
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: kiosque, from  Turkish k[hA177]sk  ’small bulding for sitting in’]//\n  1 a small building in the street where newspapers, sweets etc are sold:\n  2  BrE  old-fashioned a public telephone box:


Words: kip
Meaning:
n [singular, U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Danish; Origin: kippe  ’cheap hotel’]//   BrE  informal a period of sleep//  --I’ve only had an hour’s kip .//  --We ought to get some kip .//\nkip 2   past tense and past participle  kipped present participle  kipping  v [I]  BrE  informal //  to sleep somewhere, especially somewhere that is not your home//  kip down//  --There are rooms for drivers to kip down for the night.//  kip on//  --Mum says you can kip on the sofa tonight.//


Words: Kipling
Meaning:
Rudyard   (1865-1936) a British writer born in India. He is famous for his novels, poems, and short stories set in that country, especially his popular children’s story  The Jungle Book, and for poems such as  Gunga Din and  If. He won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907. He is sometimes criticized now as being a strong supporter of the British Empire and British  imperialism.//


Words: kipper
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old English; Origin: cypera  ’male salmon’]//  a herring (=type of fish) that has been preserved using smoke and salt//  -- kippered adj //  --kippered herring//


Words: Kiribati
Meaning:
a country in the Pacific Ocean, consisting of 33 islands. Population 94,149 (2001). Capital: Bairiki. It was formerly ruled by the UK and called the Gilbert Islands, but has been independent since 1979.//


Words: Kirk
Meaning:
Captain   one of the main characters in the television programme  Star Trek, whose full name is Captain James T. Kirk. Captain Kirk is a brave, determined man who is in charge of the  Starship Enterprise.//


Words: kirk
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C] a church - used in Scotland and Northern England:\n  2  the Kirk:  the Church of Scotland//


Words: Kirkwall
Meaning:
a town on the largest island of the  Orkney islands, where the local government for the islands is based//


Words: kirsch
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: German; Origin: kirschwasser  ’cherry water’]//  a strong alcoholic drink made from cherry juice//


Words: kismet
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Turkish; Origin: Arabic qismah  ’share you receive by luck’]//   literary the things that will happen to you in your life//   fate//


Words: kiss
Meaning:
W3S3   v   [Language: Old English; Origin: cyssan]//\n  1 [I and T] to touch someone with your lips as a greeting, to show them love, or as part of a sexual relationship:  --Maggie leaned forward and kissed her cheek.//  --Georgina took him in her arms and kissed him on the lips.//  --As they parted, Jim and Mary kissed (=they kissed each other) .//  kiss sb gently/lightly //  --He kissed her gently and stroked her hair.//  kiss sb goodbye/goodnight etc //  --Kiss Daddy goodnight.//\n  2 [T] to touch something with your lips as a sign of respect:  --She raised the crucifix to her lips and kissed it.//\n  3  kiss goodbye to sth/kiss sth goodbye:   informal to accept that you will lose something or lose an opportunity to do something//  --She knew if she concentrated on her marriage she could kiss her career goodbye.//\n  4  kiss sth better:   spoken used, especially to a child, to say that you will take away the pain of something by kissing them//  --Here, let Mommy kiss it better.//\n  5  kiss my ass:   AmE  informal  not polite an insulting expression used to show that you do not respect someone//\n  6  kiss (sb’s) ass:   AmE  informal  not polite to be too nice to someone who can give you something you want - used to show disapproval//\n  7 [T]  literary if the wind, sun etc kisses something, it gently moves or touches it:  kiss up to [kiss up to sb] phr v//  to try to please someone in order to get them to do something for you - used to show disapproval//  British Equivalent:  suck up to//  --If you say that, it’ll look like you’re kissing up to me.//\nkiss 2 n [C] \n  1 an act of kissing:  --Do you remember your first kiss?//  --Come and give your old Grandma a kiss .//  a big/long/quick etc kiss //  --a passionate kiss//\n  2  give sb the kiss of life:   especially  BrE to make someone start breathing again by blowing air into their lungs when they have almost drowned etc//\n  3  the kiss of death:   informal something that spoils or ruins a plan, activity etc//    French kiss,  blow sb a kiss at blow1 (9)//


Words: kiss-and-tell
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   a story, article, book etc in which someone tells the public the secret details of a romantic relationship that they had with a famous person//


Words: kisser
Meaning:
n [C ]  informal \n  1 [usually singular] your mouth:  --She slapped me right in the kisser.//\n  2 a person who is kissing:  a good/bad etc kisser //


Words: Kissinger
Meaning:
Henry   (1923- ) a US politician and university teacher, who was born in Germany and who was the US  Secretary of State from 1973 to 1977. He won the  Nobel Peace Prize in 1973 for helping to achieve the agreement that ended the Vietnam War.//


Words: kissogram
Meaning:
kissagram/k[hA366]s[hA353]gr[zB024]m/ n [C]   a humorous greeting for your birthday etc that is delivered by someone in a special costume who delivers it and kisses you//


Words: kit
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Dutch; Origin: kitte  ’container for liquid’]//\n  1 [C] a set of tools, equipment etc that you use for a particular purpose or activity:  --Sally keeps her make-up kit in her bag.//  --a bike repair kit//  --a shaving kit//  --a drum kit//\n  2 [C] something that you buy in parts and put together yourself:  --model kits for making boats//  --kit cars//\n  3 [U] electronic equipment, especially computers and computer software:  --The new kit includes a CD-ROM and DAT drive.//\n  4 [U and C]  BrE a set of clothes and equipment that you use for a particular purpose such as playing a sport:  --sports kit//  --football kits//\n  5 [U] a set of clothes and equipment used by soldiers, sailors, etc:  --The soldiers are trained to jump from the planes with full kit on.//\n  6  get your kit off:   BrE  informal to take your clothes off//\n  7  the whole kit and caboodle:   old-fashioned everything//    drum kit,  first aid kit,  tool kit//\nkit 2 v   past tense and past participle  kitted present participle  kitting //  kit out/up [kit sb/sth → out/up] phr v//  if someone or something is kitted out with clothes or equipment, they are provided with the clothes or equipment needed for an activity//  kit somebody/something → out/up with/in//  --The studio is lavishly kitted out with camera equipment.//  --Mark was kitted up in mountaineering skis, boots, and equipment.//


Words: kit bag
Meaning:
kitbag/k[hA366]tb[zB024]g/ n [C]  especially  BrE   a long narrow bag used by soldiers, sailors etc, for carrying their clothes and other possessions//


Words: kitchen
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: cycene]//\n  1 the room where you prepare and cook food:  --Sam went into the kitchen to make a pot of tea.//  --She is in the kitchen making a meal.//\n  2  everything but the kitchen sink:   humorous used when someone has brought too many things with them//


Words: kitchen cabinet
Meaning:
n [C]   a group of people who give advice informally to the leader of the government, not officially//


Words: kitchen garden
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a part of a garden where you grow your own fruit and vegetables//   vegetable patch/plot//


Words: kitchen roll
Meaning:
BrE  also kitchen towel  n [U]   thick paper used for cleaning up small amounts of liquid, food etc//


Words: Kitchener
Meaning:
Horatio   (1850-1916) a British army officer, also known as Lord Kitchener, who fought successfully in the  Boer War. During World War I he was responsible for building up the British army, and his picture appeared on a famous  poster with the words ’Your country wants YOU, Join your country’s army, God save the King’.//


Words: kite
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: cyta]//\n  1 a light frame covered in coloured paper or plastic that you let fly in the air on the end of one or two long strings:\n  2 a type of hawk (=bird that eats small animals) :\n  3  AmE  informal an illegal cheque:\n  4  fly a kite:  to make a suggestion to see what people will think of it//    go fly a kite at fly1 (24),  high as a kite at high1 (24)//\nkite 2 v [I and T]  AmE  informal \n  1  also kite up :  to raise the cost of something//   hike up//  --Soaring medical costs keep kiting up insurance premiums.//\n  2 to obtain money using an illegal cheque:


Words: kite surfing
Meaning:
n [U]   the activity of moving across water on a surfboard while holding a large kite which is attached to strong strings//


Words: kite-flying
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the game or sport of flying a kite:\n  2  BrE when you tell people about an idea, plan etc in order to get their opinion:


Words: Kitemark
Meaning:
n [C]  trademark   a mark in the shape of a kite which is officially put on goods in Britain to show that their quality is of a good standard//


Words: kith and kin
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  kith  ’people you know well’ from  Old English cythth  ’knowledge’]//   old-fashioned family and friends//


Words: kitsch
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: German; Origin: kitschen  ’to put together roughly or carelessly’]//  objects, films etc that are cheap and unfashionable, and which often amuse people because of this//  -- kitsch kitschy//   adj //


Words: kitten
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  From an unrecorded  Old North French caton, from  cat  ’cat’, from  Late Latin cattus]//\n  1 a young cat:\n  2  have kittens:   BrE  spoken  informal to be very anxious or upset about something//


Words: kitten heels
Meaning:
n [plural]   shoes or boots worn by women, with very thin high heels that curve under the shoes//  -- kitten-heel adj  [only before noun] //  --kitten-heel ankle boots//


Words: kitty
Meaning:
n   plural  kitties  [C ] //  [Sense: 1-2; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: kit]//  [Sense: 3; Date: 1700-1800; Origin: kitten]//\n  1 [usually singular] the money that people have collected for a particular purpose:  --How much money is there left in the kitty?//\n  2 [usually singular] the money that the winner of a game of cards receives:\n  3 a word for a cat, used especially by children:


Words: Kitty Hawk
Meaning:
the place in North Carolina, in the US, where the  Wright brothers made the world’s first successful flight in a plane in 1903//


Words: kitty-corner
Meaning:
adv  AmE  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: cater-corner]//  on the opposite corner of a street from a particular place//  kitty-corner from/to//  --The drugstore is kitty-corner from the bank.//


Words: Kiwanis
Meaning:
the   a US organization whose members work together to support their local areas, especially by doing  charity work. The Kiwanis have clubs all over the US, especially in small towns. A member of the club is called a Kiwani.//


Words: kiwi
Meaning:
n [C]   [Sense: 1; Date: 1800-1900; Language: Maori]//\n  1 a New Zealand bird that has very short wings and cannot fly:\n  2  informal someone from New Zealand:


Words: klansman
Meaning:
n   plural  klansmen /-m[hA353]n/ [C] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  klan (as in  Ku Klux Klan) from  clan]//   AmE a member of the Ku Klux Klan//


Words: Klaxon
Meaning:
n [C]  trademark   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: Klaxon, a trademark]//  a loud horn that was fixed onto police cars and other official vehicles in the past//


Words: kleptomania
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Greek; Origin: kleptes  ’thief’ +  English mania]//  a mental illness in which you have a desire to steal things//


Words: Klimt
Meaning:
Gustav   (1862-1918) an Austrian artist who was the founder of the Vienna Secession, the Austrian art nouveau movement.//


Words: Klingon
Meaning:
an imaginary race of  aggressive people from another  planet, who appeared in the television series Star Trek.//


Words: Klondike
Meaning:
the Klondike//  an area in northwest Canada, in the Yukon. Gold was discovered there in the 1890s, and this caused a  gold rush (=when many people go to an area to look for gold) .//


Words: kludge
Meaning:
n [C]   a computer system or program that is made or written very quickly and not very well//  -- kludge v  [T] //


Words: klutz clutz
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Yiddish; Origin: klotz,  klutz, from  German klotz  ’large piece of wood’]//  someone who drops things and falls easily//  -- klutzy adj //


Words: knack
Meaning:
n  informal   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Perhaps from  Dutch or  Low German knak  ’(sound of) a sudden blow’, from the sound]//\n  1 [singular] a natural skill or ability:    talent//  knack for doing sth//  --Some people seem to have a knack for making money.//  knack of doing sth//  --Thomson’s knack of scoring vital goals makes him important to the team.//\n  2  have a knack of doing sth:   BrE to have a tendency to do something//  --He has a knack of saying the wrong thing.//


Words: knacker
Meaning:
v [T]  BrE  spoken  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: knacker  ’horse-killer’;   KNACKERS’   YARD]//\n  1 to become extremely tired:   exhaust//  knacker yourself (out)//  --Slow down - you’ll knacker yourself out!//\n  2  knacker your elbow/hand etc:  to hurt your elbow etc so that you cannot use it//


Words: knackered
Meaning:
adj  BrE  spoken  informal \n  1 extremely tired:   exhausted//\n  2 too old or broken to use:  British Equivalent:  clapped-out//  --a knackered old bike//


Words: knackers’ yard
Meaning:
also knacker’s  n [C]  BrE   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  knacker  ’horse-killer’ (19-20 centuries) from  knacker  ’saddle-maker’, perhaps from a  Scandinavian language]//\n  1 a place where horses are killed:\n  2  ready/fit for the knacker’s yard:  too old to be useful or to work properly//


Words: knapsack
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Low German; Origin: knappsack or  Dutch knapzak  ’food bag’]//  a bag that you carry on your shoulders//   backpack, rucksack//


Words: knave
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: cnafa  ’boy, male servant’]//\n  1  BrE the playing card with a value between the ten and queen:   jack//  --the knave of hearts//    card1 (7)//\n  2  old-fashioned a dishonest boy or man:  -- knavish adj //  --cunning, knavish tricks//  -- knavishly adv //


Words: knead
Meaning:
v [T]   [Language: Old English; Origin: cnedan]//\n  1 to press a mixture of flour and water many times with your hands:  -- Knead the dough for three minutes.//\n  2 to press someone’s muscles many times to help cure pain or to help someone relax:


Words: knee
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: cneow]//\n  1 the joint that bends in the middle of your leg:  --Lucy had a bandage round her knee.//  on your knees//  --She was on her knees (=kneeling) weeding the garden.//  sink/fall/drop to your knees (=move so that you are kneeling) //  --Tim fell to his knees and started to pray.//  --a painful knee injury//\n  2 the part of your clothes that covers your knee:  --His jeans had holes in both knees.//\n  3  on sb’s knee:  on the top part of your legs when you are sitting down//  --Daddy, can I sit on your knee?//\n  4  knees knocking (together):  if your knees are knocking, you are feeling very afraid or very cold//\n  5  on your knees:  in a way that shows you have no power but want or need something very much//  --Unemployment was so bad in the 1930s that they went on their knees nearly to get jobs.//\n  6  bring sb/sth to their knees:  a) to defeat a country or group of people in a war//  --The bombing was supposed to bring the country to its knees.//  b) to have such a bad effect on an organization, activity etc that it cannot continue//   cripple//  --The recession has brought many companies to their knees.//\n  7  put/take sb over your knee:   old-fashioned to punish a child by hitting them//\n  8  on bended knee(s):   old-fashioned in a way that shows great respect for someone//    knee/elbow pad at pad1 (1),  learn/be taught sth at your mother’s knee at mother1 (4),  the bee’s knees at bee(5),  weak at the knees at weak(13)//\nknee 2 v [T + in]   to hit someone with your knee//  --I kneed him in the groin.//


Words: knee cap
Meaning:
n [C]   backbone, breastbone, collarbone, kneecap, pelvis, skull, spine, rib//  the bone at the front of your knee//


Words: knee-deep
Meaning:
adj \n  1 deep enough to reach your knees:  knee-deep in//  --knee deep in mud//  --knee-deep in snow//\n  2 [not before noun]  informal having a lot of something:  knee-deep in//  --knee deep in work//


Words: knee-high
Meaning:
adj \n  1 tall enough to reach your knees:  --knee-high grass//\n  2  knee-high to a grasshopper:   old-fashioned used when talking about the past to say that someone was a young child then//


Words: knee-jerk
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   a knee-jerk reaction, answer etc is what you feel or say about a situation from habit, without thinking about it//   automatic//  --A victim’s knee-jerk reaction to the crime is often revenge.//


Words: kneecap
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  kneecapped present participle  kneecapping  [T] //  to shoot someone’s knee caps as an unofficial punishment//


Words: kneel
Meaning:
v  also kneel down   past tense and past participle  knelt /nelt/ also kneeled  AmE [I] //  [Language: Old English; Origin: cneowlian]//  to be in or move into a position where your body is resting on your knees//  --Tom knelt down and patted the dog.//  kneel on//  --She knelt on the floor and put more wood on the fire.//


Words: knell
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: cnyll]//   literary the sound of a bell being rung slowly because someone has died//    death knell//


Words: knick-knack
Meaning:
n [C]   a small object used as a decoration//   ornament//  --They had various knick-knacks on the top of the bookcase.//


Words: knickerbockers
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Diedrich  Knickerbocker, name invented by Washington Irving for the supposed writer of his History of New York (1809), who is shown in the book wearing such pants]//  short loose trousers that fit tightly at your knees, worn especially in the past//


Words: knickers
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: knickerbockers]//\n  1  BrE a piece of women’s underwear worn between the waist and the top of the legs:   panties//  --a pair of frilly knickers//\n  2  AmE  knickerbockers:\n  3  (don’t) get your knickers in a twist:   BrE  spoken used to say that someone is upset, or to tell someone not to get upset//


Words: knife
Meaning:
W3S3   n   plural  knives /na[hA366]vz/ [C] //  flipper, knife, tank, wetsuit//  [Language: Old English; Origin: cnif]//\n  1 a metal blade fixed into a handle, used for cutting or as a weapon:    scalpel//  --a knife and fork//  --Some young people are carrying knives to defend themselves.//  --a kitchen knife//  --Use a sharp knife to cut the melon into sections.//\n  2  the knives are out (for sb):   informal used to say that people are being extremely unfriendly in criticizing someone//  --The knives are out for the vice president.//\n  3  twist/turn the knife (in the wound):  to say something that makes someone more upset about a subject they are already unhappy about//\n  4  stick/put etc the knife in/into someone:   BrE  informal to dislike someone and be very unfriendly towards them//\n  5  under the knife:   informal having a medical operation//\n  6  you could cut the atmosphere/air/tension with a knife:  used to say that you felt the people in a room were angry with each other//\n  7  like a (hot) knife through butter:   informal used to say that something happens or is done very easily, without any problems//\nknife 2 v [T ]   to put a knife into someone’s body//   stab//  --She had been knifed to death .//  -- knifing n  [C] //


Words: knife-edge
Meaning:
n [singular] \n  1 a situation in which the result is extremely uncertain:  on a knife-edge//  --His future in the job is balanced on a knife-edge .//  --a knife-edge vote//\n  2 a situation which makes someone very anxious:  on a knife-edge//  --Living with him, she is constantly on a knife-edge.//  --the knife-edge of insecurity//\n  3 something that is narrow or sharp:


Words: knifepoint
Meaning:
n   at knifepoint//  using a knife to threaten someone//  --An eighty-year-old man was robbed at knifepoint in his home.//


Words: knight
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: cniht]//\n  1 a man with a high rank in the past who was trained to fight while riding a horse:  --knights in armour//    white knight//\n  2 a man who has received a knighthood and has the title ’ sir ’ before his name:\n  3 the chess piece with a horse’s head on it:\n  4  a knight in shining armour:  a brave man who saves someone, especially a woman, from a dangerous situation//\nknight 2 v [T]   to give someone the rank of knight//


Words: knighthood
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a British rank and title which is given to a man as an honour for achievement or for doing good things//    Dame//


Words: knightly
Meaning:
adj  literary   relating to knights or typical of a knight, especially behaving with courage and honour//  --knightly deeds of chivalry//


Words: Knights of the Round Table
Meaning:
the   the  knights led by King Arthur, who, according to old English stories, sit together at a table, which is round so that no one should seem to be more important than any of the others//


Words: Knights Templars
Meaning:
the  also the Knights of the Temple of Solomon   a military and Christian religious group of  knights during the  Middle Ages, who protected people travelling in and to the  Holy Land during the  Crusades//


Words: Knightsbridge
Meaning:
an area in western central London which has expensive, fashionable shops and is a very expensive place to live//


Words: knit
Meaning:
v   present participle  knitting  [I and T] //  [Language: Old English; Origin: cnyttan]//\n  1 :  past tense and past participle  knitted to make clothing out of wool, using two knitting needles//    crochet//  --My grandmother taught me how to knit.//  --She’s knitting a sweater.//  knit sb sth//  --Emily knitted him some socks.//\n  2 :  past tense and past participle  knitted to use a plain (=basic)  knitting stitch//  --Knit one, purl one.//\n  3 :  past tense and past participle  knit to join people, things, or ideas more closely together, or to be joined closely together//  knit together//  --In a good report, individual sentences knit together in a clear way that readers can follow.//  closely/tightly etc knit (=with all the members having close relationships) //  --a closely knit community//  --Harold is part of a tightly knit team.//\n  4 :  past tense and past participle  knit a bone that knits after being broken grows into one piece again//  knit together//  --The pin holds the bones in place while they knit together.//\n  5  knit your brows:  to show you are worried, thinking hard etc by moving your eyebrows together//  -- knitter n  [C] //    close-knit,  tight-knit//


Words: knitting needle
Meaning:
n [C]   knitting needle, wool//  one of the two long sticks with round ends that you use to knit something//


Words: knob
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Middle Low German; Origin: knobbe]//\n  1 a round handle or thing that you turn to open a door, turn on a television etc:  --He thought the door was locked, but he turned the knob and the door opened.//  --a brass door knob //  --I adjusted the volume knob and sat down.//\n  2  a knob of sth:  a small piece of something//   lump//  --Melt a knob of butter in the pan.//\n  3  BrE  spoken  not polite a penis:\n  4  with (brass) knobs on:   BrE  spoken  old-fashioned used especially by children to reply to an insult//  --’You’re fat and lazy.’ ’Fat and lazy to you with brass knobs on!’//


Words: knock
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 door:\n   2 hit and move something:\n   3 hit somebody hard:\n   4 hit part of your body:\n   5 knock on doors:\n   6 be knocking on the door:\n   7 remove wall:\n   8 knock a hole in/through something:\n   9 criticize:\n  10 ball:\n  11 knock somebody for six:\n  12 knock the stuffing out of somebody:\n  13 knock somebody sideways:\n  14 knock some sense into somebody/into somebody’s head:\n  15 knock (somebody’s) heads together:\n  16 knock something on the head:\n  17 knock somebody’s socks off:\n  18 knock somebody off their pedestal/perch:\n  19 knock spots off somebody/something:\n  20 knock on wood:\n  21 knock it off:\n  22 make a noise:\n  23 heart:\n  24 I’ll knock your head/block off:\n  25 knock the bottom out of something:  Phrasal verbs//   knock around//   knock somebody/something back//   knock somebody/something down//   knock something into somebody//   knock off//   knock out//   knock somebody/something → over//   knock something → together//   knock somebody/something → up//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: cnocian]//\n  1 DOOR:   [I] to hit a door or window with your closed hand to attract the attention of the people inside//  --I knocked and knocked but nobody answered.//  knock at/on//  --We knocked at the door but there was no one there.//  --Wilson went up and knocked on the door.//\n  2 HIT AND MOVE SOMETHING:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to hit something with a short quick action so that it moves or falls//  knock sth out of/from sth//  --As I got up, I knocked a pencil out of its holder.//  --He knocked the knife from my hand.//  knock sth over//  --At that moment, Sally knocked over her glass of wine.//  knock sth aside//  --She tried to knock the gun aside but she was not fast enough.//\n  3 HIT SOMEBODY HARD:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to hit someone very hard//  --He knocked her to the ground and kicked her.//  knock sb unconscious/cold/senseless (=hit someone so hard that they fall unconscious) //  --Simon could knock a man unconscious with one punch to the jaw.//  --Garry answered the door only to be knocked flying as two policemen came rushing in.//\n  4 HIT PART OF YOUR BODY:   [T] to hit something with part of your body//  knock sth against sth//  --Morse knocked his shin against a large suitcase standing just inside the door.//  knock sth on sth//  --She knocked her head on a stone.//\n  5  knock on doors:  to go to every house or apartment in an area asking the people who live there for information or support//  --Gathering that information means knocking on doors and asking people questions.//\n  6  be knocking on the door:  to be wanting to join a group or team - used in news reports//  --Five countries have permanent seats on the UN Security Council but Germany and Japan, among others, are knocking on the door.//\n  7 REMOVE WALL:   [T] to remove a wall or part of a building in order to make a bigger room or space//  knock sth into sth//  --We could make a bigger living space by knocking two rooms into one.//  knock sth through//  --The wall between the kitchen and the dining room has been partially knocked through.//\n  8  knock a hole in/through sth:  to make a hole in something, especially a wall//  --We could knock a hole through the wall into the cupboard.//\n  9 CRITICIZE:   [T] to criticize someone or their work, especially in an unfair or annoying way//  --The British press always knock British winners at any sport.//  --’Designer fashion is silly.’ ’ Don’t knock it , it’s an important industry.’//\n  10 BALL:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to kick or hit a ball somewhere//  --The aim is to knock the ball into the opposing goal.//\n  11  knock sb for six:   BrE  informal to shock or upset someone very much or make them physically weak//  --This flu has really knocked me for six.//\n  12  knock the stuffing out of sb:   informal to make someone lose their confidence//  --Suzanne was very upset when her mother left home. It knocked the stuffing out of her.//\n  13  knock sb sideways:   BrE to upset someone so much that it is difficult for them to deal with something//  --His daughter’s death knocked Tom sideways.//\n  14  knock some sense into sb/into sb’s head:   informal to make someone learn to behave in a more sensible way//  --The struggle to build up her own business had knocked some sense into her.//\n  15  knock (sb’s) heads together:   informal to tell people who are arguing that they must stop and behave more sensibly//  --None of them can agree and it needs someone to knock heads together.//\n  16  knock sth on the head:   BrE  informal to stop something happening//  --We wanted to go for a picnic, but the rain’s knocked that on the head.//\n  17  knock sb’s socks off:   also knock sb dead //   spoken to surprise and please someone by being very impressive//  --With that dress and your new haircut, you’ll knock him dead.//\n  18  knock sb off their pedestal/perch:  to stop admiring someone that you previously thought was perfect//  --The press were determined to knock the princess off the pedestal that they had put her on.//\n  19  knock spots off sb/sth:   BrE  spoken to be much better than someone or something//  --The new computer system knocks spots off the old one.//\n  20  knock on wood:   AmE used to say that you hope your good luck so far will not change//  British Equivalent:  touch wood//\n  21  knock it off:   spoken used to tell someone to stop doing something, because it is annoying you//\n  22 MAKE A NOISE:   [I] if an engine or pipes etc are knocking, they make a noise like something hard being hit, usually because something is wrong with them//\n  23 HEART:   [I] if your heart is knocking, it is beating hard, especially because you are afraid//   pound//\n  24  I’ll knock your head/block off:   spoken used when threatening to hit someone very hard//  --If you say that again, I’ll knock your head off!//\n  25  knock the bottom out of sth:   informal to make something such as a market or industry fail suddenly//  --A sudden drop in supplies of certain chemicals could knock the bottom out of the engineering industry.//    knock/beat sb/sth into a cocked hat at cocked hat(1),  knock sb into shape at shape1 (3),  knees knocking (together) at knee1 (4)//  knock around phr v//\n  1 HIT SOMEBODY:   knock sb around//  to hit someone several times//  --My father used to knock me and my brother around.//\n  2 RELAX:   knock around (sth)//  to spend time somewhere, without doing anything very serious or important//   hang-around//  --On Saturdays I knock around with my friends.//  --We spent the day just knocking around the house.//\n  3 TRAVEL:   knock around sth//  to travel to different places//   kick around//  --For a couple of years we knocked around the Mediterranean.//\n  4 IDEAS:   knock sth → around//  to discuss and think about an idea, plan etc with other people//  --We’ve been knocking around a few ideas.//\n  5 BALL:   knock sth around//   BrE to play a game with a ball, but not in a serious way//   kick about//\n  6 BE SOMEWHERE:   BrE if something or someone is knocking around, it is somewhere but you are not sure exactly where//  --Is there a screwdriver knocking about anywhere?//  knock back [knock sb/sth back] phr v//\n  1  knock sth → back:  to quickly drink large quantities of a drink, especially an alcoholic drink//  --Brenda knocked the brandy back quickly.//\n  2  knock sb back sth:  to cost you a lot of money//  --His new car knocked him back several thousand dollars.//\n  3  knock sb back:   BrE to make someone feel upset, shocked, or physically weak//  knock down [knock sb/sth down] phr v//\n  1 HIT/PUSH SOMEBODY:   knock sb → down//  to hit or push someone so that they fall to the ground//  --Something hit him from behind and knocked him down.//    knockdown2 //\n  2 HIT SOMEBODY WITH A VEHICLE:   knock sb → down//  to hit someone with a vehicle while you are driving, so that they are hurt or killed//  --A child was in hospital last night after being knocked down by a car.//\n  3 DESTROY:   knock sth → down//  to destroy a building or part of a building//   demolish//  --They want to knock the house down and rebuild it.//\n  4 REDUCE PRICE:   knock sth → down//   informal to reduce the price of something by a large amount//  --The new stove we bought was knocked down from $800 to $550.//    knockdown1 //\n  5 ASK SOMEBODY TO REDUCE PRICE:   knock sb down to sth//   informal to persuade someone to reduce the price of something they are selling you//  --She’s asking for [hA124]150 but I’ll try to knock her down to [hA124]100.//  knock into [knock sth into sb] phr v//  to make someone learn something//  --Parsons must knock these lessons into the team before Saturday.//  knock off phr v//\n  1 STOP WORK:   knock off (sth)//  to stop working and go somewhere else//  --There was no one in the office because they’d all knocked off for lunch.//  --Do you want to knock off early today?//  --We usually knock off work at about twelve on Saturday.//\n  2 REDUCE A PRICE:   knock sth → off//  to reduce the price of something by a particular amount//  --I’ll knock off [hA124]10.//  knock sth off sth//  --Travel agents are knocking [hA124]50 and sometimes [hA124]100 off the price of holidays.//\n  3 REDUCE AMOUNT:   knock sth → off//  to reduce a total by a particular amount//  knock sth off sth//  --Moving house will knock an hour off Ray’s journey to work.//\n  4 PRODUCE:   knock sth → off//  to produce something quickly and easily//  --Roland makes a lot of money knocking off copies of famous paintings.//\n  5 MURDER:   knock sb → off//  to murder someone//\n  6 STEAL:   knock sth → off//   BrE to steal something//  knock out phr v//\n  1 UNCONSCIOUS:   knock sb → out//  to make someone become unconscious or go to sleep//  --The champion knocked Biggs out in the seventh round.//  knock yourself out//  --His head hit a table as he fell and he knocked himself out.//  --The nurse gave me some medicine which totally knocked me out.//    knockout1 (1)//\n  2 DEFEAT:   knock sb/sth → out//  to defeat a person or team in a competition so that they can no longer take part//  --The German team were knocked out in the first round.//  knock sb/sth out of sth//  --He first hit the headlines when he knocked Becker out of the French Open Tournament.//    knockout1 (3)//\n  3 DESTROY:   knock sth → out//  to damage something so that it does not work//  --The air raids were planned to knock out communications on the ground.//\n  4 ADMIRE:   knock sb out//   informal if something knocks you out, it is very impressive and surprises you because it is so good//  --She loved the movie. It knocked her out.//    knockout1 (2)//\n  5 PRODUCE:   knock sth → out//   informal to produce something easily and quickly//  --Paul has been knocking out new songs for the album.//\n  6  knock yourself out:   informal to work very hard in order to do something well//  knock over [knock sb/sth → over] phr v//\n  1 to hit someone with a vehicle while you are driving, so that they are hurt or killed:  --A woman was knocked over by a bus last year.//\n  2  AmE  informal to rob a place such as a shop or bank and threaten or attack the people who work there:  knock together [knock sth → together] phr v//  to make something quickly, using whatever you have available//  --We should be able to knock something together with what’s in the fridge (=make a meal from items of food in the fridge) .//  knock up [knock sb/sth → up] phr v//\n  1 to make something quickly and without using much effort:  --Michael knocked up a shed in the back garden.//\n  2  BrE to wake someone up by knocking on their door:  --What time do you want me to knock you up in the morning?//\n  3  informal  not polite to make a woman pregnant:\nknock 2 n \n  1 [C] the sound of something hard hitting a hard surface:  --a loud knock at the door//  --a knock in the engine//\n  2 [C] the action of something hard hitting your body:  --He got a knock on the head when he fell.//\n  3  take a knock:   informal to have some bad luck or trouble//  --Clive’s taken quite a few hard knocks lately.//


Words: knock-down-drag-out
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  AmE  informal   a knock-down-drag-out argument or fight is an extremely angry or violent one//


Words: knock-on
Meaning:
adj  BrE   have a knock-on effect (on sth)//  to start a process in which everything that happens causes something else to happen//  --These price rises will have a knock-on effect on the economy.//


Words: knock-up
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   the time before a tennis match officially starts when the players hit the ball to each other for practice//    warm-up//


Words: knockabout
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  BrE   knockabout humour involves making fun of someone or something in a rough way, or behaving in a silly way//


Words: knockdown
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  informal   a knockdown price is very cheap//\nknockdown 2 n [C]   when a boxer falls down when he is hit//


Words: knocker
Meaning:
n [C]   1 a piece of metal on an outside door of a house that you hit against the door to attract the attention of the people inside//    doorknocker//\n  2  knockers [plural]  spoken  not polite an offensive word meaning a woman’s breasts:


Words: knockout
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 when a boxer hits his opponent so hard that he falls down and cannot get up again:  --The fight ended in a knockout.//\n  2  informal someone or something that is very attractive or successful:  --Her dress was a knockout.//\n  3 a type of competition in which only the winning players or teams at each stage continue to play until there is only one winner:\nknockout 2 adj  informal \n  1  knockout punch/blow:  a) a hard hit that knocks someone down so that they cannot get up again//  b) an action or event that causes defeat or failure//  --High interest rates have been a knockout blow to the business.//\n  2 relating to a type of competition in which only the winning players or teams at each stage continue to play:  --Scotland’s failure to get through the knockout stage of the competition//\n  3  knockout pills/drops etc:   pills etc that make someone unconscious//


Words: knot
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 string/rope etc:\n   2 hair style:\n   3 wood:\n   4 ship’s speed:\n   5 people:\n   6 feeling:\n   7 hard mass:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: cnotta]//\n  1 STRING/ROPE ETC:  a) a part where one or more pieces of string, rope, cloth etc have been tied or twisted together//  --Are you any good at tying knots ?//  -- Thread the string through the hoop and  tie  it  in a knot . //  b) a part where hair, a thread etc has become accidentally twisted together//  --I can’t get the knots out of my hair.//  knot in//  --There’s a knot in my shoelace.//\n  2 HAIR STYLE:  a hair style in which your hair is arranged in a tight round shape on top of your head//\n  3 WOOD:  a hard round place in a piece of wood where a branch once joined the tree//\n  4 SHIP’S SPEED:  a unit for measuring the speed of ships and aircraft, equal to about 1853 metres per hour//\n  5 PEOPLE:  a small group of people standing close together//  knot of//  --Knots of delegates stood around outside the conference centre.//\n  6 FEELING:  a tight uncomfortable feeling caused by a strong emotion such as fear or anger//  knot of//  --a knot of anxiety in her stomach//  --Her stomach was in knots .//\n  7 HARD MASS:  a tight painful place in a muscle//    Gordian knot,  at a rate of knots at rate1 (7),  tie the knot at tie2 (5),  tie yourself (up) in knots at tie1 (6)//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  tie a knot //  tie something in a knot //  undo a knot (=unfasten it) //  loosen a knot //  a tight knot //  ----------//\nknot 2 v   past tense and past participle  knotted present participle  knotting //\n  1 [T] to tie together two ends or pieces of string, rope, cloth etc:  --A pretty scarf was loosely knotted around her neck.//\n  2 [I] if hair, a thread etc knots, it becomes twisted together:\n  3 [I and T] if a muscle or other part of your body knots, or is knotted, it feels tight and uncomfortable:  --Fear and anxiety knotted her stomach.//


Words: knotted
Meaning:
adj   ----------//\n   1 tied:\n   2 muscle:\n   3 get knotted!:\n   4 hands:  ----------//\n  1 TIED:  tied in a knot or in several knots//  --a knotted handkerchief on his head//\n  2 MUSCLE:  if a muscle or other part of your body is knotted, it feels tight and uncomfortable//  --knotted shoulder muscles//\n  3  get knotted!:   BrE  spoken used to tell someone rudely to go away or that you do not agree with them//\n  4 HANDS:  knotted hands or fingers are twisted because of old age or too much work//


Words: knotty
Meaning:
adj \n  1 difficult to solve:  --a knotty problem//\n  2 knotty wood contains a lot of hard round places where branches once joined the tree:


Words: know
Meaning:
v   past tense  knew /nju[hA359] $ nu[hA359]/past participle  known /n[hA353][hA35E]n $ no[hA35E]n///  ----------//\n   1 have information:\n   2 be sure:\n   3 be familiar with somebody/something:\n   4 realize:\n   5 skill/experience:\n   6 know somebody’s qualities:\n   7 know better:\n   8 not know any better:\n   9 know something inside out:\n  10 know your way around something:\n  11 make yourself known (to somebody):\n  12 recognize:\n  13 know somebody/something as something:\n  14 know something from something:\n  15 experience:\n  16 somebody/something is not known to be something:\n  17 I’ve known somebody/something to do something:\n  18 you know:\n  19 you know/do you know:\n  20 I know:\n  21 I don’t know:\n  22 I don’t know how/why etc:\n  23 I don’t know about you but...:\n  24 I don’t know how to thank you/repay you:\n  25 wouldn’t you know (it):\n  26 you don’t know:\n  27 I wouldn’t know:\n  28 what does somebody know?:\n  29 how should I know?/how am I to know?/how do I know?:\n  30 how was I to know?/how did I know?:\n  31 be not to know:\n  32 I ought to know:\n  33 for all I know:\n  34 not that I know of:\n  35 Heaven/God/who/goodness knows!:\n  36 knowing my luck:\n  37 (well,) what do you know?:\n  38 if you know what’s good for you:\n  39 you know who/what:\n  40 there’s no knowing:\n  41 let it be known/make it known (that):\n  42 not want to know:\n  43 know the score:\n  44 not know what hit you:\n  45 know your place:\n  46 know no bounds:\n  47 somebody knows best:\n  48 before you know it:\n  49 know different/otherwise:\n  50 know your own mind:\n  51 you will be delighted/pleased etc to know (that):  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: cnawan]//\n  1 HAVE INFORMATION:   [I,T not in progressive] to have information about something//  --Who knows the answer?//  --There are instructions telling you everything you need to know.//  --Didn’t you know that?//  know what/how/where etc//  --Do you know what time it is?//  --I don’t know where to go.//  know (sth/nothing etc) about sth//  --I need to know more about the job before I decide whether to apply for it.//  --Little is known about the author’s childhood.//  --I know all about David and what he’s been up to!//  know (sth/nothing etc) of sth//  --I wonder if he knew of the plan?//  --Do you know of any good restaurants in the area?//  --You know nothing of this business.//  know (that)//  --We know that greenhouse gases can affect the climate.//  -- Let me know  (=tell me) what time you’re planning to arrive.//  --I thought you’d want to know immediately.//  -- If you must know , I was with James last night (=used when you are angry because someone wants to know something) .//  without sb/sb’s knowing//  --He slipped out of the house without his parents knowing (=secretly) .//  -- How did he know  (=how did he find information about) our names?//  as you/we know //  --’I’m divorced, as you know,’ she said briefly.//  be known to do sth//  --Smoking is known to increase a person’s risk of developing lung cancer. see usage note  ignore//\n  2 BE SURE:   [I,T not in progressive] to be sure about something//  --’Are you seeing Jim tomorrow?’ ’I don’t know yet.’//  know (that)//  --I know I won’t get the job.//  --Ruth knew that she couldn’t continue in the relationship for much longer.//  know what/why/how etc//  --I know exactly what you need!//  know if/whether//  --The boy stared at him uncertainly, not knowing whether to believe him.//  --I don’t know if I’ll be able to come.//  knowing (that)//  --She forced herself to go out, knowing that she would feel more depressed if she stayed at home.//  -- How do you know  (=what makes you sure) he won’t do it again?//  know sb/sth to be sth//  --It’s a story that I know to be true.//  --I think he’s still living in Chicago, but I don’t know for sure .//  -- As far as I know , they’re arriving on Saturday (=used when you think something is true but are not sure) .//  --I doubt I’ll win, but you never know  (=used when you cannot be sure about something, but something good might happen) .//\n  3 BE FAMILIAR WITH SOMEBODY/SOMETHING:   [T not in progressive] to be familiar with a person, place etc//  --I’ve known her for twenty years.//  --Are you really thinking of leaving Kevin for a guy you barely know?//  --Do you know the nightclub on the corner of Maine Street?//  --I don’t know him very well .//  --We’re still getting to know each other really.//  know sb from sth//  --I know her from school.//  know sb as sth//  --Many people knew him as a local businessman.//  --Hepburn is best known for  (=people are most likely to be familiar with) her roles in classic films such as ’My Fair Lady’.//  --The museum outlines the development of the city as we know it today.//  --Does he know the way to your house (=know how to get there) ?//  --I grew up here; I know the place like the back of my hand  (=I know it very well) .//  --I only know her by sight  (=I often see her but have not really spoken to her) .//  --She didn’t know me from Adam , but she was really helpful (=she did not know me at all) .//  knowing sb/if I know sb (=used to say that you expect someone to behave in a particular way because you know them well) //  --Knowing Sumi, my note’s probably still in her pocket.//  --He’ll be chatting up the women, if I know Ron!//\n  4 REALIZE:   [I and T] to realize, find out about, or understand something//  --Hardly knowing what he was doing, Nick pulled out a cigarette.//  --She knew the risks involved.//  know (that)//  --Suddenly she knew that something was terribly wrong.//  know how/what/why etc//  --I didn’t know how difficult it would be.//  know to do sth//  --She knows not to tell anyone.//  (do/if) you know what I mean? (=used to ask if someone has understood you) //  --It’s nice to have a change sometimes. Know what I mean?//  --’I just felt so tired.’ ’Yeah, I know what you mean .’ (=I understand, because I have had the same experience) //  --I should have known it wouldn’t be easy.//  --I might have known  (=I am annoyed but not surprised) you would take that attitude.//  know exactly/precisely //  --I know exactly how you feel.//  know perfectly well/full well/only too well //  --He knew full well that what he was doing was dangerous.//  sb will never know/no one will ever know //  --Just take it, no one will ever know.//  --’That’s not what I mean, and you know it ,’ Cara protested.//  if I had known/if I’d have known //  --I wouldn’t have come if I’d known you were so busy.//  -- Little did she know  (=she did not know) that years later she would have her own pool and luxury apartment in Florida.//  --She knew nothing of what had happened earlier that day.//\n  5 SKILL/EXPERIENCE:   [T not in progressive] to have learned a lot about something or be skilful and experienced at doing something//  --I don’t know enough history to make a comparison.//  --I taught him everything he knows.//  --I know some French.//  know how to do sth//  --Do you know how to change a fuse?//  know about//  --I have a friend who knows about antiques.//  --Bessie knew nothing about football.//  --Politicians know all about the power of language.//  --I don’t know the first thing about  (=I know nothing about) looking after children.//  --I don’t really know what I’m doing  (=I do not have enough skill and experience to deal with something) when it comes to cars.//  --The staff are dedicated people who clearly know what they are talking about .//  --She knew from experience that exams made her very nervous.//  know your job/subject/stuff (=be good at and know all you should about a job or subject) //  --a decent manager who knows the ropes  (=has a lot of experience) //  --My cousin knows a thing or two  (=know a lot about) about golf.//  know a song/tune/poem etc (=be able to sing a song, say a poem etc because you have learned it) //  --Do you know all the words to ’As Time Goes By’?//\n  6 KNOW SOMEBODY’S QUALITIES:   [T not in progressive] to think that someone has particular qualities//  know sb as sth//  --I knew him as a hard-working, modest, and honest politician.//  know sb for sth//  --In fact, I knew her for a tough-minded young woman.//\n  7  know better:  a) to be wise or experienced enough not to do something//  --It’s just prejudice from educated people who should know better .//  --Eva knew better than to interrupt one of Mark’s jokes.//  b) to know or think you know more than someone else//  --Everyone thought it was an accident. Only Dan knew better.//\n  8  not know any better:  used to say that someone does something bad or stupid because they have not been told or taught that it is wrong//  --Drugs are being sold to children who don’t know any better.//\n  9  know sth inside out:   also know sth backwards  BrE know sth backwards and forwards  AmE to be very familiar with something, especially because you have learned about it or because you have a lot of experience//  --Erikson know the game inside out.//\n  10  know your way around sth:  a) to be so familiar with something that you are confident and good at using it//  --She knows her way around a wine list.//  b) to be familiar with a place so that you know where things are//  --I don’t know my way around the city yet.//\n  11  make yourself known (to sb):   formal to introduce yourself to someone//  --After she had gone, Paul made himself known to Dr Heatherton.//\n  12 RECOGNIZE:   [T] to be able to recognize someone or something//  --Honestly, it had been so long, I hardly knew her.//  know sb/sth by sth//  --He looked very different, but I knew him by his voice.//\n  13  know sb/sth as sth:  to have a particular name//  --The main street between the castle and the palace is known as ’the Royal Mile’.//  --Nitrous oxide is commonly known as laughing gas.//\n  14  know sth from sth:  to understand the difference between one thing and another//  --Lloyd doesn’t even know his right from his left.//  --At what age do children start to know right from wrong?//\n  15 EXPERIENCE:   [T] to have experience of a particular feeling or situation//  --I don’t think he ever knew true happiness.//  know about//  --I know all about being poor.//  --I’ve never known  (=have never experienced) this to happen in all the time I’ve worked here.//  --I’ve never known him to shout (=he never shouts) .//\n  16  sb/sth is not known to be sth:   or sb/sth has never been known to do sth //  used to say there is no information that someone or something has particular qualities//  --This species is not known to be vicious.//\n  17  I’ve known sb/sth to do sth:   or sb/sth has been known to do sth //  used to say that someone does something sometimes or that something happens sometimes, even if it is unusual//  --People have been known to drive 500 miles just to visit the shop.//  --This type of fish has been known to live for 10 years or more.//\n  18  spoken  you know:  a) used to emphasize a statement//  --There’s no excuse, you know.//  b) used to make sure that someone understands what you are saying//  --I felt very upset, you know?//  c) used when you want to keep someone’s attention, but cannot think of what to say next//  --Well, you know, we’ve got a job to do here.//  d) used when you are explaining or describing something and want to give more information//  --That flower in the garden, you know, the purple one, what is it?//\n  19  spoken  you know/do you know:  used to start talking about something, or make someone listen//  --You know, I sometimes feel I don’t know him at all.//  --Do you know, when I went out this morning that man was still there.//  (do) you know what/sth? //  --You know what? I think he’s lonely.//\n  20  spoken  I know:  a) used to agree with someone or to say that you feel the same way//  --’We have to talk about it, Rob.’ ’Yeah, I know.’//  b) used to say that you have suddenly had an idea, thought of a solution to a problem, etc//  --I know, let’s go out for a meal on your birthday.//  c) used to stop someone from interrupting because they have an opinion about what you are saying//  --It sounds silly, I know, but I will explain.//  --I know, I know, I should have had the car checked out before now.//\n  21  spoken  I don’t know:  a) used to say that you do not have the answer to a question//  --’When did they arrive?’ ’I don’t know.’//  b) used when you are not sure about something//  --’How old do you think he is?’ ’Oh, I don’t know, sixty, seventy?’//  I don’t know what/how/whether etc//  --I don’t know whether to call him.//  I don’t know that//  --I don’t know that you need a passport for travelling within the EU.//  c) used to show that you disagree slightly with what has just been said//  --’I couldn’t live there.’ ’Oh, I don’t know. It might not be so bad.’//  d)  BrE used to show that you are slightly annoyed//  --Oh, I don’t know! You’re hopeless!//\n  22  spoken  I don’t know how/why etc:  used to criticize someone//  --I don’t know how people could keep an animal in those conditions.//\n  23  spoken  I don’t know about you but...:  used to give your opinion, decision, or suggestion when you are not sure that the person you are talking to will feel the same way//  --I don’t know about you, but I’ll be glad when Christmas is over.//\n  24  spoken  I don’t know how to thank you/repay you:  used to thank someone//\n  25  spoken  wouldn’t you know (it):  used to say that something is not at all surprising//  --I was told in no uncertain terms that Helen, wouldn’t you know it, didn’t approve.//\n  26  spoken  you don’t know:  used to emphasize how strong your feelings are//  --You don’t know how much I missed him.//\n  27  spoken  I wouldn’t know:  used to say that you do not know the answer to something and that you are not the person who would know//\n  28  spoken  what does sb know?:  used to say angrily that someone’s opinion is wrong or that it is not important//  --What does she know about relationships?//\n  29  spoken  how should I know?/how am I to know?/how do I know?:  used to say that it is not reasonable to expect that you should know something//  --’When will they be back?’ ’How should I know?’//\n  30  spoken  how was I to know?/how did I know?:  used as an excuse when something bad has happened//  --How was I to know that the file was confidential?//\n  31  spoken  be not to know:   BrE used to say that you do not mind that someone has made a mistake because they could not have avoided it//  --’Sorry, I didn’t realize you had guests.’ ’That’s all right, you weren’t to know.’//\n  32  spoken  I ought to know:  used to emphasize that you know about something because you made it, experienced it etc//  --’Are you sure there’s no sugar in this coffee?’ ’Of course. I ought to know, I made it!’//\n  33  spoken  for all I know:  used to emphasize that you do not know something and say that it is not important to you//  --I don’t know where she is. She could have been kidnapped for all I know.//\n  34  spoken  not that I know of:  used to say that you think the answer is ’no’ but there may be facts that you do not know about//  --’Did he call earlier?’ ’Not that I know of.’//\n  35  spoken  Heaven/God/who/goodness knows!:  a) used to say that you do not know the answer to a question//  --’Where do you think he’s disappeared to this time?’ ’God knows!’//  --Goodness knows why she didn’t go herself.//  b) used to emphasize a statement//  --Goodness knows, I’ve never liked the woman, but I didn’t know how bad it would be to work with her.//\n  36  spoken  knowing my luck:  used to say that you expect something bad will happen because you are usually unlucky//  --Knowing my luck, the train will be late.//\n  37  spoken  (well,) what do you know?:  used to express surprise//  --Well, what do you know? Look who’s here!//\n  38  spoken  if you know what’s good for you:  used to tell someone that they should do something, or something bad will happen//  --You’ll keep your mouth shut about this if you know what’s good for you!//\n  39  spoken  you know who/what:  used to talk about someone or something without mentioning their name//  --I saw you know who yesterday.//\n  40  there’s no knowing:  it is impossible to know//  --There was no knowing who might have read the letter.//\n  41  let it be known/make it known (that):   formal to make sure that people know something, especially by getting someone else to tell them//  --Farrar let it be known that he saw nothing wrong with the proposed solutions.//\n  42  not want to know:   BrE  informal to not be interested in someone and what they want to say//  --She’d approached several model agencies but they just didn’t want to know.//\n  43  know the score:   informal to understand a situation and all the good and bad features about it//  --I knew the score before I started the job.//\n  44  not know what hit you:   informal to feel shocked and confused because something happens when you were not expecting it to//  --Poor man, I don’t think he knew what hit him.//\n  45  know your place:  used to say that someone understands that they are less important than other people - usually used humorously//  --I know my place. I’ll get back to the kitchen!//\n  46  know no bounds:   formal if a feeling or quality knows no bounds, it is not limited in any way//  --His enthusiasm knew no bounds.//\n  47  sb knows best:  used to say that someone should be obeyed or that their way of doing things should be accepted because they are experienced//  --She always thinks she knows best.//  --I have always hated the attitude that ’the doctor knows best’.//\n  48  before you know it:  used to say that something happens very quickly and when you are not expecting it//  --You’ll be home before you know it.//\n  49  know different/otherwise:   informal to know that the opposite of something is true//  --He told people he didn’t care about her, but deep down he knew different.//\n  50  know your own mind:  to be confident and have firm ideas about what you want and like//\n  51  you will be delighted/pleased etc to know (that):   formal used before you give someone information that they will be pleased to hear//  --You will be pleased to know that we have accepted your offer.//    the next thing I/she etc knew at next1 (6)//  ----------//  WORD CHOICE: know, find out, get to know //  Know  means to have information about something : I know where you live. |  I never knew you were such a good dancer. //  !!  Do not use  know  when you mean to get information about something that you want to know. Use  find out  instead : I went to the window to find out what was happening outside (NOT I went to the window to know what was happening outside). //  Know  also means to be familiar with someone or something : Do you know Sara well? |  I don’t really know London. //  !!  Do not use  know  when you mean  become  familiar with someone or something. Use  get to know  instead : I’d like to get to know her better (NOT I’d like to know her better). |  The best way to get to know Venice is by boat (NOT The best way to know Venice is by boat.) //  ----------//\nknow 2 n   in the know//   informal having more information about something than most people//  --People in the know say that interest rates will have to rise again soon.//


Words: know-all
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE  informal   someone who behaves as if they know everything - used to show disapproval//  American Equivalent:  know-it-all//


Words: know-how
Meaning:
n [U]  informal   knowledge, practical ability, or skill to do something//  --those who  have the know-how to  exploit the technology to the fullest //  -- the know-how needed  by today’s practising lawyer //  --No other company had the technical know-how to deal with the disaster.//


Words: know-it-all
Meaning:
n [C]  informal  especially AmE   someone who behaves as if they know everything - used to show disapproval//  British Equivalent:  know-all//


Words: knowing
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   showing that you know all about something, even if it has not been discussed directly//  --He gave us a knowing look .//  --She exchanged a knowing smile with her mother.//


Words: knowingly
Meaning:
adv \n  1 in a way that shows you know about something secret or embarrassing:  --She smiled knowingly at us.//\n  2 deliberately:  --He would never knowingly upset people.//


Words: knowledge
Meaning:
W1S2   n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: knowledge  ’to acknowledge’ (13-18 centuries), from  know]//\n  1 the information, skills, and understanding that you have gained through learning or experience:  --You need specialist knowledge to do this job.//  knowledge of//  --His knowledge of ancient civilizations is unrivalled.//  knowledge about//  --the need to increase knowledge about birth control//  --Many of the students did not have much  knowledge of American history.//  -- salesmen with good  technical knowledge  of what they are selling //  -- An  in-depth knowledge  of accounting is not necessary as training will be given. //  -- The equipment is complex and requires  specialist knowledge  to be repaired. //  -- The year studying in the US gives students  personal knowledge  of American culture. //  -- someone with a  background knowledge  of engineering //  -- a  general knowledge  quiz//\n  2 when you know about a particular situation or event, or the information you have about it:  --Evans denied all knowledge of the robbery.//  --I had no knowledge of this whatsoever until The Times contacted me.//  (secure/safe) in the knowledge that //  --Kay smiled, secure in the knowledge that she was right.//  be common/public knowledge (=be known about by everyone) //  --Their affair is public knowledge.//  to (the best of) sb’s knowledge (=used to say that someone may not know the true facts) //  --To the best of my knowledge the new project will be starting in June.//  --To our knowledge, this is the first time it’s happened.//  --’Is it true that she’s leaving the company?’ ’ Not to my knowledge  (=I do not think so) .’//  without sb’s knowledge//  --He was annoyed to find the contract had been signed without his knowledge.//  --She acted with the full knowledge of her boss (=her boss knew about her action) .//    general knowledge,  working knowledge at working1 (9)//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  have knowledge //  acquire/gain knowledge (=learn something) //  technical/scientific knowledge //  in-depth knowledge //  detailed knowledge //  specialist knowledge  (=knowledge about a particular subject) //  first-hand/personal knowledge  (=knowledge from experiencing something for yourself) //  background knowledge  (=knowledge you need to understand or do something) //  general knowledge  (=knowledge about a lot of different subjects) //  a thirst for knowledge (=when you want very much to learn things) //  HINT sense 1 //  Do not say that you ’learn knowledge’ or ’get knowledge’. Say that you learn a lot or learn a great deal: You can learn a lot through travel. //  ----------//


Words: knowledgeable
Meaning:
adj   knowing a lot//  knowledgeable about//  --Graham’s very knowledgeable about wines.//  -- knowledgeably adv //


Words: known
Meaning:
the past participle of know1//\nknown 2 W3 adj \n  1 [only before noun] used about something that people know about or have discovered:  --a study of all the known facts//  --her last known address//  --Apart from vaccines, there is no known way to protect against meningitis.//\n  2 [only before noun] a known criminal, drug dealer etc is someone who people know to be regularly involved in criminal activities or to do other things that are disapproved of:  --He was found with several other known sex offenders.//  --a known liar//\n  3  be known for sth:  to be famous or known about by a lot of people because of something//  --He’s known for his stunning good looks.//  --The region is known for its fine wines//\n  4  well-known/little-known/lesser-known:  used when saying how famous someone is//  --works by lesser-known French artists//


Words: Knox
Meaning:
John   (?1505-72) a Scottish Protestant religious leader, who opposed Scotland’s Catholic queen,  Mary Queen of Scots. He started the  Presbyterian religion in Scotland, a new type of Christianity based on the strict rules of moral behaviour of  Calvinism, and he also established the Church of Scotland.//


Words: knuckle
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Middle Low German; Origin: kn[hA177]kel  ’small bone, knuckle’]//\n  1 your knuckles are the joints in your fingers, including the ones where your fingers join your hands:  --Her knuckles whitened as she gripped the gun.//\n  2 a piece of meat around the lowest leg joint of a pig:  --a knuckle of pork//\n  3  near the knuckle:   BrE  informal rude, or likely to give offence//  --Some of his jokes are a bit near the knuckle.//    a rap on/over the knuckles at rap1 (6),  rap sb on/over the knuckles at rap2 (5)//\nknuckle 2 v   knuckle down phr v//  to suddenly start working or studying hard//   get down to//  --If he doesn’t knuckle down soon, he’ll never get through those exams.//  knuckle down to//  --He is clearly ready to knuckle down to the task.//  knuckle under phr v//  to accept someone’s authority or orders although you do not want to//


Words: knucklehead
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE  spoken   someone stupid - used when you are not very angry with them//  British Equivalent:  blockhead//


Words: KO
Meaning:
n [U and C]   the abbreviation of knockout //\nKO 2   past tense and past participle  KO’d third person singular  KO’s  v [T]  informal //  to hit someone so hard that they become unconscious//


Words: koala
Meaning:
[C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  From an  Australian Aboriginal language]//  an Australian animal like a small grey bear with no tail that climbs trees and eats leaves//


Words: kohl
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Arabic; Origin: kuhl]//  a black pencil used around women’s eyes to make them more attractive//


Words: Kon-Tiki expedition
Meaning:
the   a journey made in 1947 by the Norwegian  explorer, Thor Heyerdahl, and five other people. They sailed a  raft, called the Kon-Tiki, from Callao in Peru to Tuamoto Island in the South Pacific Ocean in order to show that the  Polynesians.//


Words: kook
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: cuckoo]//  someone who is silly or crazy//  -- kooky adj //


Words: Kool-Aid
Meaning:
trademark   a type of powder that you mix with water and sugar to make a cold drink. Kool-Aid is sold in the US, and is drunk especially by children//  --grape Kool-Aid//


Words: Koran
Meaning:
Qur’an/k[hA350][hA359]r[hA35A][hA359]n, k[hA353]- $ k[hA353]r[zB024]n, -r[hA35A][hA359]n/ n   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Arabic; Origin: qur’an, from  qara’a  ’to read’]//  the Koran//  the holy book of the Muslims//  -- Koranic/k[hA353]r[zB024]n[hA366]k/ adj //


Words: Korea
Meaning:
a country in East Asia which, in 1948, was divided into two countries,  North Korea and  South Korea//


Words: Korean War
Meaning:
the   a war between Chinese and North Korean forces on one side and UN and South Korean forces on the other. The war began in 1950 and ended in 1953, with neither side having won.//


Words: Koresh
Meaning:
David   (1959-93) the leader of a small religious group called the Branch Davidians, who lived together in Waco, Texas, in the US. In 1993 the FBI came to  arrest him for illegally having guns, and Koresh and 86 members of his group were killed.//


Words: kosher
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Yiddish; Origin: Hebrew kasher  ’fit, suitable’]//\n  1 :  a) kosher food is prepared according to Jewish law//  b) kosher restaurants or shops sell food prepared in this way//\n  2  informal something that is kosher is honest, legal, or really what it is claimed to be:  --Are you sure this offer is kosher?//


Words: Kosovo
Meaning:
an area in southern Serbia, where people of Albanian origin wanted independence. Many Albanians were killed in Kosovo in fights with Serb forces in the 1990s.//


Words: kowtow
Meaning:
v [I]  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Chinese; Origin: ke tou  ’to hit your head’; because when you bow very low you hit your head on the floor]//  to be too eager to obey or be polite to someone in authority//  kowtow to//  --We will not kowtow to the government.//


Words: KP
Meaning:
n [U]  AmE   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: kitchen police]//  work that soldiers or children at a camp have to do in a kitchen//


Words: Krakatoa
Meaning:
also  Krakatua  a mountain that is an active  volcano in the Sunda Strait near Indonesia. In 1883 it erupted and caused the deaths of 36,000 people.//


Words: kraut
Meaning:
n [C]  taboo   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: kraut  ’sauerkraut’ (19-20 centuries), from  German,  ’vegetable, cabbage’; because Germans supposedly love to eat sauerkraut]//  a very offensive word for someone from Germany. Do not use this word.//


Words: krill
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Norwegian; Origin: kril  ’small young fish’]//  small shellfish//


Words: Krishna
Meaning:
in Hindu  mythology, the most important  avatar (=a god in human form)  of the god  Vishnu. He is often shown in art as a beautiful young man, often with blue skin and sometimes playing a  flute.//


Words: krona
Meaning:
n   plural  kronor /-n[hA350][hA359] $ -n[hA350][hA359]r/ [C] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Swedish; Origin:  and  Icelandic,  ’crown’]//  the standard unit of money in Sweden and Iceland//


Words: krone
Meaning:
n   plural  kroner /-n[hA353] $ -n[hA353]r/ [C] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Danish; Origin: ’crown’]//  the standard unit of money in Denmark and Norway//


Words: Kruger
Meaning:
Freddy   a frightening character in the film Nightmare on Elm Street (1984). He is a  serial killer who has knives instead of  fingernails.//


Words: Krugerrand
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Paul  Kruger (1825-1904), South African political leader +  rand]//  a South African gold coin//


Words: krypton
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Greek; Origin: kryptos  ’hidden’]//  a colourless gas that is found in very small quantities in the air and is used in fluorescent lights and lasers. It is a chemical element: symbol Kr//


Words: Kryptonite
Meaning:
n [U]   a type of rock that comes from the  planet Krypton in the  Superman stories. It is harmful to Superman.//


Words: Ku Klux Klan
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Perhaps from  Greek kyklos  ’circle’ +  English clan]//  the Ku Klux Klan//  a secret American political organization of Protestant white men who oppose people of other races or religions//


Words: Kuala Lumpur
Meaning:
the capital and largest city of Malaysia, established in the 19th century and an important business and industrial centre//


Words: Kublai Khan
Meaning:
(1216-94) a Mongol  emperor of China from 1259 until his death, whose grandfather was Genghis  Khan. He moved the capital of China to Peking. There is a famous English poem about him called  Kubla Khan, by Samuel Taylor  Coleridge.//


Words: Kubrick
Meaning:
Stanley   (1928-99), a US film  director,  producer, and writer, whose films include  2001: A Space Odyssey (1968),  A Clockwork Orange (1971), and  The Shining (1980)//


Words: kudos
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Greek; Origin: kydos]//  the state of being admired and respected for being important or for doing something important//  --He acquired kudos just by appearing on television.//


Words: kumquat
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Chinese; Origin: kam kwat  ’gold orange’]//  a fruit that looks like a very small orange//


Words: kung fu
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Chinese; Origin: ’principles of boxing’]//  an ancient Chinese fighting art in which you attack people with your hands and feet//


Words: Kurd
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Kurdish]//  a member of a people living in Iran, Iraq, and Turkey//


Words: Kurdistan
Meaning:
an area of land which consists of parts of Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Armenia where the  Kurds live, but which is not a separate country//


Words: Kurosawa
Meaning:
Akira   (1910-98) one of Japan’s greatest film  directors, who is famous for films such as  The Seven Samurai (1954) and  Kagemusha (1980)//


Words: Kurtz
Meaning:
a character in the novel  Heart of Darkness by Joseph  Conrad. Kurtz is an educated white man in central Africa, who has stopped accepting Western values and has become the violent, powerful ruler of an African community.//


Words: Kuwait
Meaning:
a country in the Middle East, north of Saudi Arabia and south of Iraq. Population: 2,042,000 (2001). Capital: Kuwait City. It is an oil-producing country. Iraq attacked it in 1990, causing the  Gulf War.//  -- Kuwaiti n  adj //


Words: kvetch
Meaning:
v [I]  AmE  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Yiddish; Origin: kvetshn  ’to press firmly, complain’]//  to keep complaining//  -- kvetch n  [C] //


Words: Kyrgyzstan
Meaning:
Kirghizia  a country in central Asia between China and Uzbekistan, which used to be part of the former  Soviet Union. Population: 4,753,000 (2001). Capital: Bishkek. //


Words: Kyushu
Meaning:
the most southern and the third largest of the main islands of Japan, whose main cities are Fukuoka and Nagasaki//


Words: L
Meaning:
n  l  plural  L’s  l’s //\n  1 [U and C] the 12th letter of the English alphabet:\n  2 [C] the number 50 in the system of roman numerals:\nL  1 the written abbreviation of large , used on clothes to show the size:\n  2 the written abbreviation of lake , used on maps:\n  3 the written abbreviation of learner , used on cars to show that the driver is a learner:    L-plate//


Words: L-plate
Meaning:
n [C]   a flat white square with a red letter L on it, that must be attached to the car of someone who is learning to drive in Britain//


Words: la
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Medieval Latin]//  the sixth note in a musical scale, according to the sol-fa system//\nLA 1   a short form of  Los Angeles//\nLA 2   the written abbreviation of Louisiana//


Words: La Boh[hA169]me
Meaning:
(1896) an  opera by  Puccini about a young woman called Mimi who has a relationship with a poet called Rodolfo, but later becomes very ill and dies//


Words: La Paz
Meaning:
the capital and largest city of Bolivia, in the Andes Mountains on the La Paz River. It is the highest capital in the world.//


Words: La Salle
Meaning:
Rene Robert, Sieur de   (1643-87) a French  explorer who travelled through North America, down the Mississippi River, and claimed a large area of the southern part of North America for France, naming it  Louisiana. He was killed by his followers when another  expedition he was leading was unsuccessful and they got lost.//


Words: La Scala
Meaning:
a theatre in Milan, in northern Italy, where  operas are performed. It is one of the greatest opera houses in the world.//


Words: la-di-da
Meaning:
la-di-dah/l[hA35A][hA359] di[hA359] d[hA35A][hA359]/ adj  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Copying the speech of upper-class people]//  used to describe someone’s behaviour when you think they are talking and behaving as if they consider themselves better than other people//   snobbish//  --a la-di-da attitude//


Words: La-la Land
Meaning:
AmE  informal \n  1 another name for  Los Angeles, used to mean that the people who live there are slightly crazy:\n  2  in La-la Land:  if you say that someone is in La-la Land, you mean that they are slightly crazy//


Words: la-la land
Meaning:
n   be/live in la-la land//  to think that a situation is much better than it really is, in a way that seems slightly stupid//


Words: lab
Meaning:
n [C]  informal   [Sense: 1; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: laboratory]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: Labrador]//  a laboratory//  --the school science lab//


Words: label
Meaning:
W3   n [C]   label//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: ’long narrow piece of cloth’]//\n  1 a piece of paper or another material that is attached to something and gives information about it:  --a luggage label//  on the label//  --It says ’Dry clean’ on the label.//\n  2 a word or phrase which is used to describe a person, group, or thing, but which is unfair or not correct:  --Men these days have to avoid attracting the ’sexist’ label.//\n  3 a record company:  --their new release on the Ace Sounds label//\n  4  designer label:  clothes made by fashionable companies//  --Fancy designer labels tend to come with fancy price tags to match.//    own label//\nlabel 2   past tense and past participle  labelled present participle  labelling  BrE //  past tense and past participle  labeled present participle  labeling  AmE  v [T] //\n  1 to attach a label onto something or write information on something:  --Label the diagram clearly.//  label sth sth//  --The file was labelled `Top Secret’.//  label sth with sth//  --Each bag of seeds is labelled with the grower’s name.//\n  2 to use a word or phrase to describe someone or something, but often unfairly or incorrectly:  label sb/sth (as) sth//  --The newspapers had unjustly labelled him a troublemaker.//  --The regime was inevitably labelled as ’communist’.//


Words: labia
Meaning:
n [plural]  technical   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Latin,  ’lips’]//  the outer parts of the female sex organ//


Words: labial
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: labialis, from  Latin labium  ’lip’]//  a speech sound made using one or both lips//    bilabial//  -- labial adj //


Words: labor union
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   an organization that represents the ordinary workers in a particular trade or profession, especially in meetings with employers//  British Equivalent:  trade union//


Words: laboratory
Meaning:
W3   n   plural  laboratories  [C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: laboratorium, from  Latin laborare  ’to work’]//  a special room or building in which a scientist does tests or prepares substances//  --a research laboratory //  laboratory tests/experiments/studies //  --tests on laboratory animals//    language laboratory//


Words: laborious
Meaning:
adj   taking a lot of time and effort//  laborious process/task/business etc //  --Collecting the raw materials proved a long and laborious task.//  --the laborious business of drying the crops//  -- laboriously adv //  --A beetle began to crawl laboriously up his leg.//


Words: Labour
Meaning:
n   the British Labour Party//  under Labour//  --Most people will pay higher taxes under Labour.//  --They always vote Labour. //  --a Labour government //  Labour MP/candidate //\nlabour 1 n  BrE  labor AmE   ----------//\n   1 work:\n   2 workers:\n   3 baby:\n   4 a labour of love:\n   5 somebody’s labours:  ----------//\n  1 WORK:   [U] work, especially physical work//  --The garage charges [hA124]30 an hour for labour.//  --Many women do hard manual labour  (=work with their hands) .//  --Workers withdrew their labour  (=protested by stopping work) for twenty-four hours.//    hard labour//\n  2 WORKERS:   [U] all the people who work for a company or in a country//  --a shortage of  skilled labor //  -- Wages for  unskilled labour  are very low. //  -- small commercial farmers who depend on a  casual labour  supply //  --These countries are a source of cheap labour .//  --the use of child labour //  -- produce grown by  slave labor  //  --We need to reduce our labour costs .//  -- Labour shortages  have forced the Japanese into making heavy use of industrial robots.//  -- the changing role of mothers in the  labour market //    labour force,  labour market//\n  3 BABY:   [singular, U] the process of giving birth to a baby//  in labour//  --Meg was in labour for ten hours.//  --Diane went into labour at 2 o’clock.//  a long/short/difficult labour //  --The labour pains were unbearable.//  labour ward/room (=a room in a hospital where women give birth) //\n  4  a labour of love:  something that is hard work but that you do because you want to//\n  5  sb’s labours:   formal a period of hard work//  --After several hours gardening we sat down to admire the results of our labours.//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 2 //  skilled labour  (=workers who have special skills) //  unskilled labour  (=workers who have no special skills) //  casual labour  (=workers who do jobs that are not permanent) //  cheap labour //  child labour //  slave labour //  labour costs //  labour shortage //  labour market  (=all the people available to work) //  ----------//\nlabour 2  BrE  labor AmE v [I] \n  1 to work hard:  --They laboured all day in the mills.//  labour over//  --I’ve been labouring over this report all morning.//  labour to do sth//  --Ray had little talent but labored to acquire the skills of a writer.//\n  2  labour under a delusion/misconception/misapprehension etc:  to believe something that is not true//  --She had laboured under the misconception that Bella liked her.//\n  3  labour the point:  to describe or explain something in too much detail or when people have already understood it//\n  4 [always + adverb/preposition] to move slowly and with difficulty:  --I could see the bus labouring up the steep, windy road.//


Words: labour exchange
Meaning:
n [C]  old-fashioned   a British government office where people went to find jobs in the past//    job centre//


Words: labour force
Meaning:
BrE  labor force AmE n [C usually singular]   all the people who work for a company or in a country//


Words: labour market
Meaning:
BrE  labor market AmE n [C]   the people looking for work and the jobs that are available at that time//  --married women re-entering the labour market//


Words: labour movement
Meaning:
n  BrE labor movement  AmE   the labour movement//  the organizations, political parties etc that represent working people//


Words: Labour Party
Meaning:
n [also + plural verb British English]   the Labour Party//  a political party in Britain and some other countries that aims to improve social conditions for ordinary working people and poorer people//    Conservative Party//


Words: labour relations
Meaning:
BrE labor relations  AmE n [plural]   the relationship between employers and workers//  --a company with good labour relations//


Words: labour-intensive
Meaning:
adj  BrE  labor-intensive AmE   an industry or type of work that is labour-intensive needs a lot of workers//    capital intensive//  --labour-intensive farming methods//


Words: labour-saving
Meaning:
BrE  labor-saving AmE adj [only before noun]   making it easier for you to do a particular job//  labour-saving device/gadget/equipment etc //


Words: laboured
Meaning:
BrE  labored AmE   adj \n  1 if someone’s breathing is laboured, it is difficult for them to breathe:\n  2 if writing or speaking is laboured, it takes a lot of effort and is not good:  --Some of the episodes are very laboured.//


Words: labourer
Meaning:
BrE  laborer AmE   n [C]   someone whose work needs physical strength, for example building work//    worker//  --a farm labourer//


Words: labouring
Meaning:
BrE  laboring AmE   adj [only before noun] \n  1  labouring class/family etc:   old-fashioned people who do hard physical work and who do not have a lot of money or power, considered as a group//  --They wanted to provide education for the labouring classes.//\n  2 involving hard physical work:  --a labouring job//


Words: Labrador
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: Labrador, area of eastern Canada where the dog was first bred]//  a large dog with fairly short yellow or black hair//


Words: labyrinth
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: labyrinthus, from  Greek labyrinthos]//\n  1 a large network of paths or passages which cross each other, making it very difficult to find your way:   maze//  labyrinth of//  --a labyrinth of underground tunnels//\n  2 something that is very complicated and difficult to understand:  labyrinth of//  --Decisions are frequently delayed in the labyrinth of Whitehall committees.//  -- labyrinthine/l[zB024]b[hA353]r[hA366]n[hA35F]a[hA366]n[hA36B]/ adj //  --labyrinthine corridors//


Words: lace
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: laz  ’net, string’, from  Latin laqueus  ’trap’]//\n  1 [U] a fine cloth made with patterns of many very small holes:  --a handkerchief trimmed with lace//  --lace curtains//  heel, upper, toe, lace, lining, sole//\n  2 [C usually plural] a string that is pulled through special holes in shoes or clothing to pull the edges together and fasten them:\nlace 2 v [T] \n  1  also lace up :  to fasten something by tying a lace//   tie//  --Lace up your shoes or you’ll trip over.//  lace sth to sth//  --The canvas was laced to a steel frame.//\n  2 to add a small amount of alcohol or a drug to a drink:  lace sth with sth//  --coffee laced with Irish whiskey//\n  3  written to weave or twist several things together:  lace sth together//  --Hannah laced her fingers together.//  lace with [lace sth with sth] phr v//\n  1 to include something all through something you write or say:  --He laces his narrative with a great deal of irrelevant information.//\n  2  be laced with sth:   written to have some of a quality//  --Iris’s voice was heavily laced with irony.//


Words: lace-up
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]  especially BrE   a shoe that is fastened with a lace//  -- lace-up adj //  --shiny black lace-up shoes//


Words: lacerate
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  lacerare  ’to tear’]//\n  1 to cut skin deeply with something sharp:  --His fingers were badly lacerated by the broken glass.//\n  2 to criticize someone very strongly:   slate//


Words: laceration
Meaning:
n [U and C]  technical   a cut in your skin//  laceration to//  --multiple lacerations to the upper arms//


Words: lack
Meaning:
W2S3   n [singular, U]   when there is not enough of something, or none of it//   shortage//  lack of//  --new parents suffering from lack of sleep//  --Too many teachers are treated with a lack of respect.//  -- comments based on a  total lack of  information //  -- Does their  apparent lack of  progress mean they are not doing their job properly? //  -- tours that are cancelled  for lack of  bookings //  --There was no lack of willing helpers.//  --health problems linked to poor diet and a  relative lack of exercise//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  a complete/total lack of something //  an apparent lack of something //  for lack of something (=because something is not present or does not exist) //  a distinct/marked lack of something //  no lack of something (=plenty of something) //  a relative/comparative lack of something  //  no lack of something  (=plenty of something) //  ----------//\nlack 2 W3 v   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Middle Dutch; Origin: laken]//\n  1 [T] to not have something that you need, or not have enough of it:  --Alex’s real problem is that he lacks confidence.//\n  2  not lack for sth:   formal to have a lot of something//  --He does not lack for critics.//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Do not use the verb lack before ’in’ or ’of’: We lack ideas (NOT We lack in/of ideas). However, you can use the phrases be lacking in and a lack: We are lacking in ideas OR We have a lack of ideas. //  ----------//


Words: lackadaisical
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: lackaday expression of sadness  (17-19 centuries), from  alack the day]//  not showing enough interest in something or not putting enough effort into it//  --David has a rather lackadaisical approach to his work.//


Words: lackey
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: laquais]//  someone who always does what a particular person tells them to do - used to show disapproval//


Words: lacking
Meaning:
adj [not before noun] \n  1 not having enough of something or any of it:  lacking in//  --He was lacking in confidence .//  --She seems to be entirely lacking in intelligence.//  --The new designs have all been found lacking in some important way.//\n  2 if something that you need or want is lacking, it does not exist:  --Financial backing for the project is still lacking.//  --These qualities are sadly lacking today.//


Words: lacklustre
Meaning:
BrE  lackluster AmE   adj \n  1 not exciting, impressive etc:   dull//  --a lacklustre performance//\n  2 not shining:   dull//  --lacklustre hair//


Words: laconic
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: laconicus  ’of Sparta’, from  Greek lakonikos; because the people of ancient Sparta were famous for not using many words]//  using only a few words to say something//  -- laconically/-kli/ adv //  --’She left,’ said Pascoe laconically.//


Words: lacquer
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Portuguese; Origin: lacre  ’substance for keeping a letter or document closed’, from  laca  ’hard substance produced by an insect’, from  Arabic lakk]//\n  1 a liquid painted onto metal or wood to form a hard shiny surface:    varnish//\n  2  old-fashioned  hairspray:\nlacquer 2 v [T] \n  1 to cover something with lacquer:  --a black lacquered box//\n  2  old-fashioned to use lacquer on your hair:


Words: lacrosse
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Canadian French; Origin: la crosse  ’the crosier’ (= long stick with a curved end carried by a Christian priest)]//  a game played on a field by two teams of ten players, in which each player has a long stick with a net on the end of it and uses this to throw, catch, and carry a small ball//


Words: lactate
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  lactare, from  lac;   LACTIC]//  if a woman or female animal lactates, she produces milk to feed her baby or babies with//


Words: lactose
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: lac (  LACTIC) +  English -ose]//  a type of sugar found in milk, sometimes used as a food for babies and sick people//


Words: lacuna
Meaning:
n   plural  lacunae /-ni[hA359]/ or  lacunas  [C]  formal //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: ’pool, hole in the ground, empty space’]//  a place where something is missing in a piece of writing//


Words: lacy
Meaning:
adj   made of lace or looking like lace//  --lacy underwear//  --a plant with delicate, lacy leaves//


Words: lad
Meaning:
W3S3   n [C]  BrE   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  Perhaps from a  Scandinavian language]//\n  1  old-fashioned or informal a boy or young man:    lass//  --a young lad //  --Things were different when I was a lad.//\n  2  the lads:   spoken a group of male friends that a man works with or spends his free time with//  --a night out with the lads//  one of the lads (=a member of your group of friends) //\n  3  a bit of a lad:   spoken a man that people like even though he behaves rather badly//  --That Chris is a bit of a lad, isn’t he?//\n  4  lad culture:   informal the way in which some young men behave, involving typically male activities such as drinking a lot of alcohol, driving fast cars, and watching football - used to show disapproval//\n  5  also  stable lad:  a boy or man who works with horses//   stable boy//    Jack the Lad//


Words: ladder
Meaning:
S3   n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: hl[zB024]der]//\n  1 a piece of equipment used for climbing up to or down from high places. A ladder has two bars that are connected by rungs (=short bars that you use as steps) :  --She climbed up the ladder .//  --He hurt himself falling off a ladder .//    rope ladder,  stepladder//\n  2 a series of levels which someone moves up and down within an organization, profession, or society:  career/corporate ladder //  --Stevens slowly worked his way up the corporate ladder.//  --Becoming a doctor would be a step up the social ladder .//  --the first step on the ladder of success//\n  3  BrE a long thin hole in stockings or tights where some stitches have broken:  American Equivalent:  run//  --Yes, I know I’ve got a ladder in my tights.//    snakes and ladders//\nladder 2 v [I and T]    BrE if stockings or tights ladder, or if you ladder them, a long thin hole is made in them because some stitches have broken//  American Equivalent:  run//


Words: laddish
Meaning:
adj  BrE   a young man who is laddish likes spending time with other men, drinking alcohol and enjoying things like sport, sex, and music//    lad//


Words: laddism
Meaning:
n [U]  BrE   the attitudes and behaviour of some young men in Britain, who drink a lot of alcohol, and are mainly interested in sport, sex, and music//    lad//  --the culture of laddism//


Words: laden
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Past participle of  lade  ’to load’ (11-21 centuries), from  Old English hladan]//\n  1  literary heavily loaded with something, or containing a lot of something:  laden with//  --The tables were laden with food.//  fully/heavily laden //  --The lorry was fully laden.//  -- snow-laden branches//\n  2 having a lot of a particular quality, thing etc:  laden with//  --She was laden with doubts about the affair.//  --trucks laden with equipment//  --a debt-laden company//


Words: ladette
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a young woman who likes to do some things that young men typically do, such as drinking a lot of alcohol and talking about sex and sports//    lad//


Words: ladies’ man
Meaning:
also  lady’s man n [singular]  old-fashioned   a man who likes to spend time with women, and thinks they enjoy being with him//


Words: ladle
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: hl[zB024]del, from  hladan;   LADEN]//  a large deep spoon with a long handle, used for lifting liquid food, especially soup, out of a container//\nladle 2 v [T]    also ladle out //  to put soup or other liquid food onto plates or into bowls, especially using a ladle//


Words: Lady
Meaning:
The   a rather old-fashioned British magazine for women, typically read by older,  upper class women. It also contains advertisements for servants and  nannies.//


Words: lady
Meaning:
n   plural  ladies  [C] //  [Language: Old English; Origin: hl[zB024]fdige, from  hlaf  ’bread’ +  -dige  ’one who kneads’]//\n  1 :  a) a woman of a particular type or age//  young/old/elderly etc lady //  b) a word meaning woman, used especially to describe women’s sports or products made for women//  ladies’ team/champion/championship etc //  --the ladies’ darts team//  ladies’ fashion/clothing/shoes etc //  --ladies’ underwear//  c)  old-fashioned a word meaning woman, used in order to be polite//    gentleman//  --The young lady at reception sent me up here.//  --Give your coat to the lady over there.//  lady doctor/lawyer etc (=a polite word, which many women find offensive, for a woman doctor, lawyer, etc) //\n  2 a woman who is polite and behaves very well:    gentleman//  --She knows how to behave like a lady.//\n  3  Lady:  used as the title of the wife or daughter of a British nobleman or the wife of a knight//  --Lady Spencer//\n  4  the ladies:  a)  BrE a women’s toilet//  American Equivalent:  ladies’ room//    the gents’//  b) a word meaning women, often used humorously//  --His boyish good looks made him a favourite with the ladies.//    ladies’ man//\n  5  ladies:   spoken formal used to speak to a group of women//  --Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please?//\n  6 a woman, especially one with a strong character - used to show approval:  --She can be a tough lady to negotiate with.//\n  7  lady friend:  a woman that a man is having a romantic relationship with - often used humorously//   girlfriend//  --I saw Chris with his new lady friend.//\n  8  lady of leisure:  a woman who does not work and has a lot of free time - used humorously//  --So you’re a lady of leisure now that the kids are at school?//\n  9  AmE  spoken used when talking directly to a woman you do not know, when you are angry with her:  --Hey lady, would you mind getting out of my way?//\n  10  Our Lady:  an expression used to mean Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ//\n  11  the lady of the house:   old-fashioned the most important woman in a house, usually the mother of a family//\n  12  old-fashioned a woman born into a high social class in Britain:  --I could see the Queen, surrounded by her lords and ladies.//\n  13  old-fashioned a man’s wife:  --the captain and his lady//    bag lady,  cleaning lady at cleaning,  first lady,  leading lady at leading1 ,  lollipop lady,  old lady,  young lady at young1 (3)//


Words: Lady and the Tramp
Meaning:
(1955) a  cartoon made by Walt  Disney, about two dogs who meet and have a romantic relationship. Lady is a  pedigree dog (=a special type of dog) , and she is very well cared for, but the Tramp is a  mongrel (=a mixture of different types of dogs)  who lives on the street.//


Words: Lady Chatterley’s Lover
Meaning:
a novel by D. H.  Lawrence which was written in 1928, but could not legally be sold in the UK until 1960 because the story contained a lot of descriptions of sex and was considered to be very shocking. It is about Lady Chatterley, a married woman from a high social class, who has a sexual relationship with her  gamekeeper (=someone whose job is to take care of wild birds that are bred to be shot for sport) . //


Words: Lady Day
Meaning:
25 March, the day of the  Annunciation, on which, according to Christian belief, the news was given to Mary by the Angel Gabriel that she would become the mother of Jesus Christ. Formerly, Lady Day was officially regarded as the first day of the legal year in the UK.:


Words: Lady of the Lake
Meaning:
the   a mysterious woman in old stories about King Arthur. When Arthur is dying, his sword, Excalibur, is thrown into a lake, and the Lady of the Lake’s hand appears from under the water and catches it. She is also one of the three queens who take Arthur by boat to Avalon to die.//


Words: ladylike
Meaning:
adj  old-fashioned   if a woman or girl is ladylike, she behaves in a polite and quiet way that was once believed to be typical of or suitable for women//  --ladylike behaviour//


Words: ladyship
Meaning:
n   your/her ladyship//  a) used as a way of speaking to or talking about a woman with the title of Lady//    lordship//  b)  BrE  spoken use this to talk about a woman who thinks she is very important - used humorously//  --Do you think her ladyship will be joining us?//


Words: lag
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  lagged present participle  lagging //  [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Probably from a  Scandinavian language]//\n  1 [I and T] to move or develop more slowly than others:  lag behind//  --She stopped to wait for Ian who was lagging behind.//  --Britain is lagging behind the rest of Europe.//\n  2 [T]  BrE to cover water pipes etc with a special material to prevent the water inside them from freezing or the heat from being lost:  --We’ve had the hot-water tank lagged.//\nlag 2 n [C]   a delay or period of waiting between one event and a second event//  --a time lag //    jet lag,  old lag//


Words: lager
Meaning:
S3   n  BrE   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: German; Origin: lagerbier  ’beer made to be stored’, from  lager  ’storehouse’ +  bier  ’beer’]//  [U and C] a light-coloured beer, or a glass of this type of beer//  can/bottle/glass etc of lager //  --a pint of lager//


Words: laggard
Meaning:
n [C]  old-fashioned   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  LAG1]//  someone or something that is very slow or late//  -- laggardly adj //


Words: lagoon
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: lagune, from  Italian  laguna, from  Latin lacuna;   LACUNA]//\n  1 a lake of sea water that is partly separated from the sea by rocks, sand, or coral:  --a coastal lagoon//\n  2  AmE a small lake which is not very deep, near a larger lake or river:


Words: laid-back
Meaning:
adj   relaxed and seeming not to be worried about anything//  --I don’t know how you can be so laid-back about your exams.//  laid-back attitude/manner/approach etc //  --He is famed for his laid-back attitude.//


Words: lair
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: leger  ’act of lying, bed’]//\n  1 the place where a wild animal hides and sleeps:   den//\n  2 a place where you go to hide or to be alone:   den//  --a smuggler’s lair//


Words: laird
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: lord]//  a person who owns a very large area of land in Scotland//    squire 1//


Words: lairy
Meaning:
adj  BrE  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: leery  ’doubtful, suspicious’ (18-20 centuries)]//  behaving in a way that is very loud, or with too much confidence//  --He’s a bit lairy, your friend Mick.//


Words: laissez-faire
Meaning:
laisser-faire/lese[hA366] fe[hA353], le[hA366]- $ -fer/ n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: ’allow to do’]//\n  1 the principle that the government should allow the economy or private businesses to develop without any state control or influence:  --the policy of laissez-faire//  laissez-faire economics/capitalism //\n  2  laissez-faire attitude/approach etc:  when you do not become involved in other people’s personal affairs//


Words: laity
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  LAY3]//  the laity//  all the members of a religious group apart from the priests//    layman//


Words: lake
Meaning:
W3S3   n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: lac, from  Latin lacus]//\n  1 [C] a large area of water surrounded by land:  --Lake Michigan//\n  2  wine/milk etc lake:   BrE a very large amount of wine, milk etc that has been produced but is not needed or used//    mountain 3//


Words: Lake District
Meaning:
the Lake District//  an area in northwest England famous for its beautiful lakes and mountains and visited by many tourists. The highest mountain in England, Scafell Pike, is in the Lake District, and the area is connected in people’s minds with many writers and poets who lived there, especially William  Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy.//


Words: Lake Wobegon
Meaning:
an imaginary town in stories written by Garrison  Keillor, which is typical of a small US town in Minnesota//


Words: Lalique
Meaning:
Rene   (1860-1945) a French designer of jewellery and  glassware (=objects made of glass)  in the  art nouveau style//


Words: lam
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: lam  ’to hit’ (16-21 centuries), from a  Scandinavian language]//  on the lam//   AmE  informal escaping or hiding from someone, especially the police//  --Brenner was recaptured after three weeks on the lam.//


Words: lama
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Tibetan; Origin: blama]//  a Buddhist priest in Tibet or Mongolia//


Words: Lamb
Meaning:
Charles   (1775-1834) a British writer of  essays, who worked with his sister Mary Lamb (1764-1847) on  Tales from Shakespeare, a book for children that tells the stories of Shakespeare’s plays in simple language//


Words: lamb
Meaning:
n   [Language: Old English; Origin:]//\n  1 [C] a young sheep:\n  2 [U] the meat of a young sheep:    mutton//  --roast lamb//  --a leg of lamb //  lamb chop/cutlet/stew etc //\n  3 [C]  spoken used to talk to or talk about someone who is gentle and lovable, especially a child:  --Ben’s asleep now, the little lamb.//\n  4  like a lamb to the slaughter:  used when someone is going to do something dangerous, but they do not realize it or have no choice//\n  5  like a lamb:  quietly and without any argument//  --Suzie went off to school like a lamb today.//    mutton dressed as lamb at mutton(2)//\nlamb 2 v [I]   to give birth to lambs//  --The ewes are lambing this week.//  -- lambing n  [U] //  --the lambing season //


Words: lambada
Meaning:
n [singular, U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Brazilian Portuguese; Origin: ’beating’]//  a sexy modern dance from Brazil in which two people hold each other closely and move their bodies at the same time//


Words: lambast
Meaning:
lambaste/l[zB024]mb[zB024]st/ v [T]  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Probably from  lam  ’to hit’ (  LAM) +  baste]//  to criticize someone or something very strongly, usually in public//   slate//  --Democrats lambasted the President’s budget plan for being ’inadequate’.//


Words: Lambeth Conference
Meaning:
the   a formal meeting of all the  bishops (=high-ranking priests)  of the  Church of England from all over the world, which takes place every 10 years//


Words: Lambeth Palace
Meaning:
a large very old building that is the official home in London of the  Archbishop of Canterbury. The name Lambeth Palace is sometimes used in news reports to mean the people who are in charge of the Church of England//  --Lambeth Palace has condemned government policies on the inner city.//


Words: Lambeth Walk
Meaning:
The   a dance which was especially popular in the UK in the 1930s and 1940s, in which dancers form a long line, usually in the street. It was danced to a popular song, also called  The Lambeth Walk.//


Words: lame
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: French; Origin: lame  ’gold or silver thread’]//  cloth containing gold or silver threads//  --a gold lame dress//\n   adj   [Language: Old English; Origin: lama]//\n  1 :  a) unable to walk properly because your leg or foot is injured or weak//  --a lame dog//  go lame (=become lame) //  b)  the lame [plural] people who are lame//\n  2 a lame explanation or excuse is weak and difficult to believe:  lame excuse/explanation //  --She gave some lame excuse about missing the bus.//  --a lame attempt to deflect criticism//    lamely//\n  3  informal boring or not very good:   poor//  --A lot of the songs on this album are a bit lame.//  --the company’s lame performance//  -- lameness n  [U] //\nlame 2 v [T usually passive]   to make a person or animal unable to walk properly//   cripple//  --The fall left him badly lamed.//


Words: lame duck
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a person, business etc that is having problems and needs help:\n  2  lame duck president/governor/legislature etc:   informal a president, governor etc with no real power because his or her period in office will soon end//


Words: lamely
Meaning:
adv  written   if you say something lamely, you do not sound confident and other people find it difficult to believe you//   weakly//  --’It wasn’t my responsibility,’ he lamely explained.//


Words: lament
Meaning:
v  written   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: lamenter, from  Latin lamentari, from  lamentum  ’a lament’]//\n  1 [I and T] to express feelings of great sadness about something:  --The nation lamented the death of its great war leader.//\n  2 [T] to express annoyance or disappointment about something you think is unsatisfactory or unfair:  lament that//  --He lamented that people had expected too much of him too soon.//  --She lamented the fact that manufacturers did not produce small packs for single-person households.//  lament the lack/absence/decline etc of sth //  --Steiner lamented the lack of public interest in the issue.//\nlament 2 n [C]   a song, piece of music, or something that you say, that expresses a feeling of sadness//  --A lone piper played a lament.//  lament for//  --a lament for the dead//


Words: lamentable
Meaning:
adj  formal   very unsatisfactory or disappointing//   terrible//  --a lamentable state of affairs //  --a lamentable lack of support for the idea//  -- It is lamentable that the officer failed to deal with the situation.//  -- lamentably adv //


Words: lamentation
Meaning:
n [U and C]    formal deep sadness or something that expresses it//  --There was lamentation throughout the land at news of the defeat.//


Words: laminate
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: laminate  ’laminated’ (17-21 centuries)]//  laminated material//


Words: laminated
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: laminate  ’to put in layers’ (16-21 centuries), from  Latin lamina  ’thin plate, layer’]//\n  1 laminated material is made by joining several thin layers on top of each other:  --laminated glass//\n  2 covered with a thin layer of plastic for protection:  --a laminated ID card//  -- laminate v  [T] //


Words: lamp
Meaning:
S3   n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: lampe, from  Latin lampas, from  Greek, from  lampein  ’to shine’]//\n  1 an object that produces light by using electricity, oil, or gas:  table/desk/bedside lamp //  oil/electric/fluorescent lamp //    fog lamp,  headlamp,  hurricane lamp,  safety lamp,  standard lamp//\n  2 a piece of electrical equipment used to provide a special kind of heat, especially as a medical treatment:  infrared/ultraviolet lamp //    sunlamp,  blowlamp//


Words: lamp-post
Meaning:
lamp post lamppost/l[zB024]mp-p[hA353][hA35E]st $ -po[hA35E]st/ n [C]   a tall pole that supports a light over a street or public area//


Words: lampoon
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: lampon, probably from  lampons  ’let us drink’ (used in drinking songs), from  lamper  ’to drink’]//  to criticize someone or something in a humorous way that makes them seem stupid//  --The Prime Minister was frequently lampooned in political cartoons.//  -- lampoon n  [C] //


Words: LAN
Meaning:
n [C]    technical  local area network a system that connects computers to each other within a building or organization so that people can use and work on the same information//


Words: Lancashire
Meaning:
Lancs. a  county in northwest England, which was once the centre of the cotton industry in the UK and had many factories that produced cloth. The large cities of Liverpool and Manchester were formerly part of Lancashire, but now form their own local government areas. //


Words: Lancaster Gate
Meaning:
often used in British newspapers to mean the English  Football Association (FA). Lancaster Gate is a road in West London, where the FA building is.//


Words: lance
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin lancea]//  a long thin pointed weapon that was used in the past by soldiers riding on horses//\nlance 2 v [T]   to cut a small hole in someone’s flesh with a sharp instrument to let out pus (=yellow liquid produced by infection) //


Words: lance corporal
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: lancepesade  ’officer of lowest rank’ (16-19 centuries), from early  French lancepessade, from  Old Italian lancia spezzata  ’broken lance, experienced soldier’]//  a low level rank in the Marines or the British army, or someone who has this rank//


Words: Lancelot
Meaning:
Sir   the most famous of King Arthur’s  knights in old stories. Lancelot has a romantic relationship with Arthur’s wife, Guinevere, and is the father of Sir  Galahad.//


Words: Lancet
Meaning:
the   a British magazine for doctors and other people in the medical profession, produced by the British Medical Association. The Lancet provides reports on recent developments, new drugs and medical treatments etc.//    JAMA//    New England Journal of Medicine, the//


Words: lancet
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: lancette, from  lance;   LANCE1]//\n  1 a small very sharp pointed knife with two cutting edges, used by doctors to cut skin and flesh:   scalpel//\n  2  lancet window/arch:   technical a tall narrow window or arch that is pointed at the top//


Words: Land
Meaning:
Edwin Herbert   (1909-91) a US scientist who invented  polaroid (=a special substance that is put on glass to make the sun seem less bright) , which is used on  sunglasses and car windows. He also invented the Polaroid camera, which uses a special film to produce photographs as soon as they have been taken.//


Words: land
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 ground:\n   2 not sea:\n   3 country:\n   4 not city:\n   5 property:\n   6 see/find out how the land lies:\n   7 in the land of the living:\n   8 the land of milk and honey:\n   9 (in) the land of nod:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin:]//\n  1 GROUND:   [U] an area of ground, especially when used for farming or building//  --500 acres of land//  --a piece of open land  (=land which has not been built on) //  fertile/arid/dry land //  agricultural/arable land //  waste/vacant/derelict land //  housing/industrial etc land //  --a shortage of housing land//  --land prices//    dockland,  farmland see usage note  ground1 //\n  2 NOT SEA:   [U] the solid dry part of the Earth’s surface//  --After 21 days at sea, we sighted land.//  by land//  --Troops began an assault on the city by land and sea.//  on land//  --The crocodile lays its eggs on land.//  land bird/animal //  --The white stork is one of the biggest land birds of the region.//    dry land//\n  3 COUNTRY:   [C]  literary a country or area//  --Their journey took them to many foreign lands .//  native land (=the land where you were born) //  --He’s fiercely proud of his native land.//  --Australia represented a real land of opportunity for thousands of people.//\n  4 NOT CITY:   the land//  the countryside thought of as a place where people grow food//  live off the land (=grow or catch all the food you need) //  --A third of the region’s population still lives off the land.//  work/farm the land (=grow crops) //  --Many people were forced to give up working the land.//\n  5 PROPERTY:   [U] the area of land that someone owns//  --He ordered us to get off his land.//  private/public/common land //\n  6  see/find out how the land lies:   spoken to try to discover what the situation really is before you make a decision//\n  7  in the land of the living:   spoken awake - used humorously//\n  8  the land of milk and honey:  an imaginary place where life is easy and pleasant//\n  9  (in) the land of nod:   old-fashioned asleep//    be/live in cloud-cuckoo-land at cloud1 (7),  dry land,  dreamland,  fairyland//    the lie of the land at lie3 (3)//    never-never land//    promised land//    wasteland//    wonderland//\nland 2 W3S2 v   ----------//\n   1 plane/bird/insect:\n   2 arrive by boat/plane:\n   3 fall/come down:\n   4 goods/people:\n   5 job/contract etc:\n   6 land somebody in trouble/hospital/court etc:\n   7 land somebody in it:\n   8 problems:\n   9 land a punch/blow etc:\n  10 land on your feet:\n  11 catch fish:  Phrasal verbs//   land up//   land somebody with something//  ----------//\n  1 PLANE/BIRD/INSECT:  a)  [I] if a plane, bird, or insect lands, it moves safely down onto the ground//  → take off//  --Flight 846 landed five minutes ago.//  --The bird landed gracefully on the water.//  b)  [T] to make a plane move safely down onto the ground at the end of a journey//  --The pilot managed to land the aircraft safely.//\n  2 ARRIVE BY BOAT/PLANE:   [I] to arrive somewhere in a plane, boat etc//  land on/in/at etc//  --We expect to be landing in Oslo in about fifty minutes.//  --In 1969, the first men landed on the moon.//\n  3 FALL/COME DOWN:   [I always + adverb/preposition] to come down through the air onto something//   drop//  land in/on/under etc//  --A large branch landed on the hood of my car.//  --Louis fell out of the tree and landed in a holly bush.//  --She fell and landed heavily on the floor.//  --A couple of bombs landed quite near to the village.//\n  4 GOODS/PEOPLE:   [T] if a boat or aircraft lands people or goods, it brings them to a place, and the people get out or the goods are carried out//  --The troops were landed by helicopter.//\n  5 JOB/CONTRACT ETC:   [T]  informal to succeed in getting a job, contract etc that was difficult to get//  --He landed a job with a law firm.//  land yourself sth//  --Bill’s just landed himself a part in a Broadway show.//\n  6  land sb in trouble/hospital/court etc:  to cause someone to have serious problems or be in a difficult situation//  --Connie’s going to land herself in big trouble if she keeps arriving late for work.//  --She developed pneumonia which landed her in hospital.//\n  7  land sb in it:   BrE  spoken  informal to get someone into trouble by telling other people that they did something wrong//   drop somebody in it//  --Geoff landed me in it by saying I should have checked that the door was locked.//\n  8 PROBLEMS:   [I always + adverb/preposition] to arrive unexpectedly, and cause problems//  land in/on/under etc//  --Just when I thought my problems were over, this letter landed on my desk.//\n  9  land a punch/blow etc:  to succeed in hitting someone//\n  10  land on your feet:  to get into a good situation again, after having problems//  --She certainly landed on her feet when she got that job.//\n  11 CATCH FISH:   [T] to catch a fish//  land up phr v//  to be in a particular place, situation, or position after a lot of things have happened to you//   end up//  land up in//  --We landed up in a bar at 3 am.//  --Be careful that you don’t land up in serious debt.//  land up with//  --I landed up with five broken ribs.//  land with [land sb with sth] phr v//  to give someone something unpleasant to do, because no one else wants to do it//  --Maria’s been landed with all the tidying up as usual.//


Words: land agent
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   someone whose job is to look after land, cattle, farms etc that belong to someone else//


Words: Land of Hope and Glory
Meaning:
a song, based on the music from Elgar’s  Pomp and Circumstance, which praises Britain and is often sung on  patriotic occasions//


Words: land office
Meaning:
n [C]   a government office in Britain that keeps records about the sale of land and who buys and sells it//  British Equivalent:  land registry//


Words: land registry plural
Meaning:
land registries  n [C]   a government office in Britain that keeps records about the sale of land and who owns it//  American Equivalent:  land office//


Words: Land’s End
Meaning:
a place on the southwest coast of England, which most people think of as the furthest point in the southwest of the UK. It is used especially in the phrase ’from Land’s End to John O’Groats’, because people think of John O’Groats as the furthest point in the northeast of the UK.//


Words: landed
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1  landed gentry/family/nobility:  a family or group that has owned a lot of land for a long time//\n  2 including a lot of land:  --landed estates//


Words: landfall
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C] a landslide(2):\n  2 [U and C]  literary the land that you see or arrive at after a long journey by sea or air, or the act of arriving there:


Words: landfill
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] the practice of burying waste under the ground, or the waste buried in this way:\n  2 [C] a place where waste is buried under the ground:


Words: landholding
Meaning:
land-holding/l[zB024]ndh[hA353][hA35E]ld[hA366][hA26E] $ -ho[hA35E]l-/ n [U and C]   the land that is owned by someone//


Words: landing
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U and C] the action of bringing an aircraft down to the ground after being in the air:  → take-off//  --take-off and landing procedures//  crash/emergency landing (=a sudden landing caused by a problem with the engine etc) //  --the Apollo moon landings //    soft landing//\n  2 [C] the floor at the top of a set of stairs or between two sets of stairs:  --the first-floor landing//\n  3 [C] the action of bringing soldiers onto land that is controlled by the enemy:  --the first landings of American Marines at Da Nang//\n  4 [C] a landing stage:


Words: landing craft plural
Meaning:
landing craft  n [C]   a flat-bottomed boat that opens at one end so that soldiers and equipment can be moved directly onto the shore//


Words: landing net
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a net on a long handle used for lifting a fish out of the water after you have caught it//


Words: landlady
Meaning:
n   plural  landladies  [C] //\n  1 a woman who rents a room, building, or piece of land to someone:    landlord//\n  2  BrE a woman who owns or manages a pub:    landlord//


Words: landlocked
Meaning:
adj   a landlocked country, state etc is surrounded by other countries, states etc and has no coast//


Words: landlord
Meaning:
W3   n [C] \n  1 a man who rents a room, building, or piece of land to someone:    landlady//\n  2  BrE a man who owns or manages a pub:    landlady//


Words: landlubber
Meaning:
n [C]  old-fashioned   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: land +  lubber  ’large awkward person’ (14-21 centuries)]//  someone who does not have much experience of the sea or ships//


Words: landmark
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 something that is easy to recognize, such as a tall tree or building, and that helps you know where you are:  --One of Belfast’s most famous landmarks, the Grosvenor Hall, has been demolished.//\n  2 one of the most important events, changes, or discoveries that influences someone or something:  --The discovery of penicillin was a landmark in the history of medicine.//  landmark decision/case/ruling //  --The Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in January 2001.//


Words: landowner
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who owns land, especially a large amount of it//  --wealthy landowners//  -- landowning adj //  --Britain’s landowning aristocracy//  -- landownership n  [U] //


Words: landscape
Meaning:
W3   n   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Dutch; Origin: landschap, from  land  ’land’ +  -schap  ’-ship’]//\n  1 [C] an area of countryside or land of a particular type, used especially when talking about its appearance:  --the beauty of the New England landscape//  rural/industrial/urban etc landscape //  2 [C] a picture showing an area of countryside or land//  --English landscape artists//\n  3  the political/social landscape:  the general situation in which a particular activity takes place//  --Recent electoral shocks have shaken the European political landscape.//\n  4 [U] a way of printing a document in which the long sides are horizontal and the short sides are vertical:    portrait//    a blot on the landscape at blot2 (2)//\nlandscape 2 v [T often passive]   to make a park, garden etc look attractive and interesting by changing its design, and by planting trees and bushes etc//  --The area around the mill pond has also been landscaped.//  -- landscaping n  [U] //


Words: landscape architect
Meaning:
n [C]   someone whose job is to plan the way an area of land looks, including roads, buildings, and planted areas//  -- landscape architecture n  [U] //


Words: landscape gardening
Meaning:
n [U]   the profession or art of arranging gardens and parks so that they look attractive and interesting//  -- landscape gardener n  [C] //


Words: landslide
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 [usually singular] a victory in an election in which one person or party gets a lot more votes than all the others:  --a landslide election victory //  by a landslide//  --The SNP candidate won by a landslide .//\n  2 a sudden fall of a lot of earth or rocks down a hill, cliff etc:


Words: landslip
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a small fall of earth or rocks down a hill, cliff etc, that is smaller than a landslide//


Words: landward
Meaning:
adj   facing towards the land and away from the sea//    seaward//  --the landward side of the hill//  -- landwards adv //


Words: Lane
Meaning:
Lois   in the stories about  Superman, a female  reporter who works for the  The Daily Planet, and has a romantic relationship with Superman//


Words: lane
Meaning:
W3S3   n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: lanu]//\n  1 a narrow road in the countryside:    path//  --a quiet country lane //\n  2 a road in a city, often used in road names:  --the Hilton Hotel in Park Lane//  --a network of alleys and back lanes  (=narrow unimportant roads, often behind a row of houses) //\n  3 one of the two or three parallel areas on a road which are divided by painted lines to keep traffic apart:  --That idiot changed lanes without signalling.//  the inside/middle/outside lane //  --Use the outside lane for overtaking only.//  the fast/slow lane //  --Cars in the fast lane were travelling at over 80 miles an hour.//  three-lane motorway/highway/road //    bus lane,  cycle lane//\n  4 one of the narrow parallel areas marked for each competitor in a running or swimming race:\n  5 a line or course along which ships or aircraft regularly travel between ports or airports:  --busy shipping lanes //    life in the fast lane at fast lane(1)//    walk/trip down memory lane at memory(7)//


Words: Lang
Meaning:
Fritz   (1890-1976) an Austrian film  director, who worked in Germany and the US and had an important influence on the development of the cinema. His films include  Metropolis (1926),  Fury (1936), and  The Big Heat (1953)//


Words: language
Meaning:
W1S2   n   ----------//\n   1 English/French/Arabic etc:\n   2 communication:\n   3 style/type of words:\n   4 computers:\n   5 swearing:\n   6 strong language:\n   7 sounds/signs/actions:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: langue  ’tongue, language’, from  Latin lingua]//\n  1 ENGLISH/FRENCH/ARABIC ETC:   [U and C] a system of communication by written or spoken words, which is used by the people of a particular country or area//  --How many languages do you speak ?//  --It took him several years to master the language .//  --common problems for  foreign language  learners//  --a book intended for  language teachers //  --Andrea’s  native language  is German.//  --For the majority of Tanzanians, Swahili is their  second language .//  --She had lived in Italy for years, and her command of the language was excellent.//  --I didn’t speak much Japanese, and I was worried that  the language barrier might be a problem.//  --one of the best known poems in  the English language //  --The official language of Ghana is English.//  --a degree in modern languages //  --a dead language such as Latin//\n  2 COMMUNICATION:   [U] the use of written or spoken words to communicate//  --the origins of language//  spoken/written language //\n  3 STYLE/TYPE OF WORDS:   [U] //  a) the words and style of writing used in poetry or writing//  --literary language//  --poetic language//  b) the words used in a particular activity or job//  language of//  --the language of science//  legal/medical/technical etc language //  ordinary/everyday language //\n  4 COMPUTERS:   [U and C]  technical a system of instructions for operating a computer//  --a programming language for the web//\n  5 SWEARING:   [U]  informal words that most people think are offensive//  mind/watch your language  spoken  (=stop swearing) //  bad/foul/abusive language //\n  6  strong language:  a) angry words used to tell people exactly what you mean//  b) words that most people think are offensive//   swearing//\n  7 SOUNDS/SIGNS/ACTIONS:   [U and C] signs, movements, or sounds that express ideas or feelings//  language of//  --the language of bees//  --the language of dolphins//    body language,  sign language//    speak the same language at speak(11)//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  speak a language //  master a language (=succeed in learning a language) //  language teacher/student/learner //  foreign language //  somebody’s first language/native language (=the first language someone learned) //  somebody’s second language //  somebody’s command of a language (=someone’s ability to speak a language) //  the language barrier (=the problem of communicating with people who speak a different language) //  the English/Japanese/German etc language //  the official language //  modern languages (=languages that are still spoken) //  dead language (=a language that is no longer spoken) //  WORD FOCUS: language //  dialect the form of a language that is spoken in a particular area //  slang informal words used by people who belong to a particular group, for example young people, criminals etc //  jargon words used by people who do a particular job or are interested in a particular subject, which ordinary people cannot easily understand  //  terminology words used in a particular subject such as science or medicine //  journalese language often used in newspapers //  legalese (disapproving) language used by lawyers or in legal documents, which is difficult for ordinary people to understand //  ----------//


Words: language laboratory
Meaning:
n   plural  language laboratories  [C] //  a room in a school or college where you can learn to speak a foreign language by listening to tapes and recording your own voice//


Words: languid
Meaning:
adj  literary   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: languide, from  Latin languidus, from  languere;   LANGUISH]//\n  1 slow or lazy and involving very little energy or activity:  --He greeted Charles with a languid wave of his hand.//  --We spent a languid afternoon by the pool.//\n  2 lazy and involving very little activity:  -- languidly adv //


Words: languish
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: languir, from  Latin languere]//\n  1 if someone languishes somewhere, they are forced to remain in a place where they are unhappy:  languish in//  --Shaw languished in jail for fifteen years.//\n  2 if something languishes, it fails to improve and develop or become successful:    founder//  → flourish//  --The housing market continues to languish.//  --The shares are languishing at just 46p after yesterday’s fall.//  --West Ham United are currently languishing at the bottom of the league.//


Words: languor
Meaning:
n [U]  literary   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin, from  languere;   LANGUISH]//\n  1 a pleasant feeling of laziness:  --Lying there beside her, he was filled with an agreeable languor.//\n  2 when the air is heavy and there is no wind:  --the languor of a hot afternoon//  -- languorous adj //  -- languorously adv //


Words: lanky
Meaning:
adj   someone who is lanky is tall and thin, and moves awkwardly//   gangling//  --a lanky young man//  -- lankiness n  [U] //


Words: lanolin
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: lana  ’wool’ +  oleum  ’oil’]//  an oil that is obtained from sheep’s wool, and is used in skin creams//


Words: lantern
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: French; Origin: lanterne, from  Latin, from  Greek lampter, from  lampein  ’to shine’]//  a lamp that you can carry, consisting of a metal container with glass sides that surrounds a flame or light//    Chinese lantern,  magic lantern//


Words: Lanza
Meaning:
Mario   (1921-59) an American singer with a good tenor voice. He sang in opera and made several musical films, including The Great Caruso (1951).//


Words: Lao-Tsu
Meaning:
also  Lao-Tse  (6th century BC) a Chinese  philosopher who is considered to be the person who began  Taoism, and who wrote the Tao Te Ching.//


Words: Laos
Meaning:
a country in southeast Asia between China and Cambodia. Population: 5,636,000 (2001). Capital: Vientiane.//  -- Laotian n  adj //


Words: lap
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 :\n   2 :\n   3 :\n   4 part of journey:\n   5 in the lap of luxury:\n   6 in the lap of the gods:  ----------//  [Sense: 1, 4-5; Origin: Old English l[zB024]ppa]//  [Sense: 2-3; Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  LAP2]//  [Sense: 3; Origin:  in the earlier meaning  ’to run a single time round a track’]//\n  1 the upper part of your legs when you are sitting down:   knee//  on sb’s lap//  --Shannon sat on her mother’s lap.//  in sb’s lap//  --His hands were folded in his lap.//\n  2 a single journey around a race track:  --Rubens Barrichello finished a lap ahead of his team-mate.//  lap of honour  BrE //  /victory lap  AmE  (=a lap to celebrate winning) //  --The entire team took a victory lap in front of their cheering fans.//\n  3  AmE a single journey from one end of a swimming pool to another:  do/run/swim a lap //  --Every morning she swims 50 laps in the pool.//\n  4 PART OF JOURNEY:  a part of a long journey//   leg//  lap of//  --The last lap of their journey was by ship.//\n  5  in the lap of luxury:  having an easy and comfortable life with a lot of money, possessions etc//  --She wasn’t used to living in the lap of luxury .//\n  6  in the lap of the gods:   BrE if the result of something is in the lap of the gods, you do not know what will happen because it depends on things you cannot control//\nlap 2 v   past tense and past participle  lapped present participle  lapping //  [Sense: 1-2; Origin: Old English lapian]//  [Sense: 3; Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  Probably from   LAP11 in the earlier meaning  ’fold, piece of cloth’]//\n  1 [I and T] if water laps something or laps against something such as the shore or a boat, it moves against it or hits it in small waves:  lap against/over etc//  --The waves lapped gently against the rocks.//  --The tide was lapping the harbour wall.//  2  also lap up //   [T] if an animal laps water, milk etc, it drinks it by putting its tongue into it//\n  3 [T] to pass a competitor in a race who is one complete lap behind you:  --Erik Gomas spun off the track when trying to lap Andrew Scott.//  -- lapping n  [U] //  --She could hear the soft lapping of the sea.//  lap up [lap sth → up] phr v//\n  1 to enjoy something without worrying about whether it is good, true etc:  --She’s lapping up all the attention she’s getting.//  --The humour was lapped up by an appreciative crowd.//\n  2 if an animal laps up water, milk etc, it drinks it by putting its tongue into it:  --The cat began to lap up the milk.//


Words: lap dancing
Meaning:
n [U]   a type of dancing in which a young woman uses sexy movements and removes her clothes while sitting on a customer’s lap in a nightclub//  -- lap dancer n  [C] //


Words: lap dog
Meaning:
lapdog/l[zB024]pd[hA361]g $ -d[hA361][hA359]g/ n [C] \n  1 a small pet dog:\n  2 someone who is completely under the control of someone else and will do anything they say - used to show disapproval:


Words: lapel
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  LAP11 in the earlier meaning  ’part of clothing that can be folded over’]//  the part of the front of a coat or jacket that is joined to the collar and folded back on each side//


Words: lapidary
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: lapidarius, from  lapis  ’stone’]//\n  1  formal well-written and accurate:  --the lapidary style of the poem//\n  2  technical relating to the cutting or polishing of valuable stones or jewels:


Words: lapis lazuli
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: Latin lapis  ’stone’ +  Medieval Latin lazuli  ’of lapis lazuli’ (from  Arabic lazaward)]//  [U and C] a valuable bright blue stone, used especially in jewellery//


Words: Lapland
Meaning:
an area of northern Europe consisting of parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia. The people who live there are called  Saami, though the old English name for them was Lapps.//  -- Laplander n //


Words: lapse
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: lapsus, from  labi  ’to slip’]//\n  1 a short period of time during which you fail to do something well or properly, often caused by not being careful:  momentary/temporary/occasional etc lapse //  --Despite the occasional lapse, this was a fine performance by the young saxophonist.//  --A defensive lapse by Keown allowed Tottenham to score.//  lapse in//  --lapses in security//  lapse of//  --A single lapse of concentration cost Sampras the game.//  --a lapse of judgement//  --After taking the drug, several patients suffered memory lapses  (=when you cannot remember something for a short time) .//\n  2 a failure to do something you should do, especially to behave correctly:  --He forgot to offer Darren a drink, but Marie did not appear to notice the lapse.//\n  3 [usually singular] a period of time between two events:  --The usual time lapse between request and delivery is two days.//  lapse of//  --a lapse of about ten seconds//\nlapse 2 v [I] \n  1 to gradually come to an end or to stop for a period of time:  --The conversation lapsed.//\n  2 if a contract, agreement etc lapses, it comes to an end, usually because an agreed time limit has passed:  --Your booking will automatically lapse unless you confirm it.//\n  3 to stop believing in or following a religion:  --those people who have lapsed from the practice of their religion//\n  4  formal if a period of time lapses, it passes:  --Many years had lapsed since her first visit to Wexford.//  lapse into [lapse into sth] phr v//\n  1  lapse into unconsciousness/silence/sleep etc:  to go into a quiet or less active state//  --He lapsed into a coma and died two days later.//  --Alison lapsed into puzzled silence.//\n  2 to begin to behave or speak in a way that you did before:  --She lapsed back into her old ways.//  --Occasionally he lapsed into his native German.//\n  3 to get into a worse state or become worse:  --Following his death, the Empire lapsed into chaos.//  --His poetry often lapses into sentimentality.//


Words: lapsed
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   no longer having the beliefs you used to have, especially religious beliefs//  → practising//  --a lapsed Catholic //


Words: larceny
Meaning:
n   plural  larcenies  [U and C] //  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: larcin  ’stealing’, from  Latin latrocinium, from  latro  ’paid soldier’]//   law the act or crime of stealing//    petty larceny//


Words: larch
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: larix]//  a tree that looks like a pine tree but drops its leaves in winter//


Words: lard
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin lardum]//  white fat from pigs that is used in cooking//\nlard 2 v [T]   to put small pieces of bacon onto meat before cooking it//  lard with [lard sth with sth] phr v//  to include a lot of something, especially something that is not necessary, in a speech, piece of writing, plan etc//  --a speech larded with Biblical quotations//


Words: larder
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: lardier, from  lard;   LARD1]//  a small room or large cupboard for storing food in a house//    pantry//


Words: large
Meaning:
adj   comparative  larger superlative  largest //  [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin largus]//\n  1 big in size, amount, or number:  → small//  --Los Angeles is the second largest city in the US.//  --The T-shirt comes in Small, Medium and Large.//  --a large ovenproof pan//  --large sums of money//  --those who drink large amounts of coffee//  --A large number of students have signed up for the course. see usage note  big1 //\n  2 a large person is tall and often fat:  → small//\n  3  be at large:  if a dangerous person or animal is at large, they have escaped from somewhere or have not been caught//  --The escaped prisoners are still at large.//\n  4  the population/public/society/world etc at large:  people in general//  --The chemical pollution poses a threat to the population at large.//\n  5  the larger issues/question/problem/picture:  more general facts, situations, or questions related to something//  --The book helps to explain the larger picture in the Middle East.//\n  6  in large part/measure:   formal mostly//  --Their success was due in large part to their ability to speak Spanish.//\n  7  (as) large as life:   BrE  spoken used when someone has appeared or is present in a place where you did not expect to see them//  --I turned a corner and there was Joe, as large as life.//\n  8  larger than life:  someone who is larger than life is very amusing or exciting in an attractive way//\n  9  by and large:  used when talking generally about someone or something//  --Charities, by and large, do not pay tax.//    loom large at loom1 (3)//    writ large at writ2 //\nlarge 2 v   large it (up)//   BrE  informal to enjoy yourself, especially in a way that involves drinking alcohol, dancing etc//  --Here’s a picture of us larging it up in Brighton last summer.//


Words: large intestine
Meaning:
n [C]   the lower part of your bowels, where food is changed into solid waste matter//    small intestine//


Words: large-scale
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1 using or involving a lot of effort, people, supplies etc:  → small-scale//  --a large-scale rescue operation//\n  2 a large-scale map, model etc is drawn or made bigger than usual, so that more details can be shown:


Words: largely
Meaning:
W2S3   adv   mostly or mainly//  --The state of Nevada is largely desert.//  --It had been a tiring day, largely because of all the tedious waiting.//


Words: largesse
Meaning:
largess/l[hA35A][hA359][hA360]es $ l[hA35A][hA359]rd[hA360]es/ n [U]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: large;   LARGE]//   formal when someone gives money or gifts to people who have less than they do, or the money or gifts that they give//   generosity//


Words: largo
Meaning:
adj, adv  technical   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Italian; Origin: ’broad, slow’, from  Latin largus;   LARGE]//  played or sung slowly and seriously//  -- largo n  [C] //


Words: lariat
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: American Spanish; Origin: la reata  ’the lasso’, from  Spanish reatar  ’to tie again’]//   AmE a lasso//


Words: lark
Meaning:
n [C]   [Sense: 1,5; Origin: Old English lawerce]//  [Sense: 2-4; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: lark  ’to play around’ (19-21 centuries), perhaps from  lake  ’to play’ (11-20 centuries) (from  Old English lacan), or from   LARK2]//\n  1 a small brown singing bird with long pointed wings:   skylark//\n  2  informal something that you do to amuse yourself or as a joke:  as/for a lark//  --I only went along for a lark.//\n  3  blow/sod/bugger etc that for a lark:   BrE  spoken  not polite used when you stop doing something or refuse to do something because it needs too much effort//  --Paint the whole room? Sod that for a lark!//\n  4  BrE  spoken used to describe an activity that you think is silly or difficult:  --Salad again? How long are you going to keep up this healthy eating lark?//\n  5  be up with the lark:  to get up very early//\nlark 2 v   lark about/around phr v//  to have fun by behaving in a silly way//   mess about//  --A couple of boys were larking about in the pool.//


Words: Larkin
Meaning:
Philip   (1922-85) a British poet. He often wrote about death and loneliness and his poems are sometimes very sad, but people like them because they are written in plain and simple language. His most famous poems are  Aubade, High Windows, and Whitsun Weddings.//


Words: larva
Meaning:
n   plural  larvae /-vi[hA359]/ [C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: ’ghost, mask’]//  a young insect with a soft tube-shaped body, which will later become an insect with wings//   grub//  -- larval adj //


Words: larynx
Meaning:
n   plural  larynges /l[hA353]r[hA366]nd[hA360]i[hA359]z/ or  larynxes  [C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Greek]//  the part in your throat where your voice is produced//


Words: Las Palmas
Meaning:
a town on the island of  Gran Canaria in the Canary Islands, which is very popular with British tourists//


Words: Las Vegas
Meaning:
also Vegas  informal   a city in the desert in the US state of Nevada, famous for its  casinos. Las Vegas also has many  Chapels where people can get married immediately, and is a popular place for people to spend their  honeymoon.//


Words: lasagne
Meaning:
BrE  lasagna AmE   n [U and C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Italian; Origin: Latin lasanum  ’cooking pot’]//  a type of Italian food made with flat pieces of pasta, meat, or vegetables, and cheese//


Words: Lascaux
Meaning:
a cave in southwest France that has  prehistoric paintings of animals and hunters on its walls, which were painted about 17,500 years ago //


Words: lascivious
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Late Latin; Origin: lasciviosus, from  Latin lascivus]//  showing strong sexual desire, or making someone feel this way//  --a lascivious wink//  -- lasciviously adv //  -- lasciviousness n  [U] //


Words: laser
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  From " light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation"]//\n  1 a piece of equipment that produces a powerful narrow beam of light that can be used in medical operations, to cut metals, or to make patterns of light for entertainment:  --laser surgery//\n  2 a beam of light produced by a laser:


Words: laser pointer
Meaning:
n [C]   a small piece of equipment that produces a laser beam, used by teachers and people who are giving talks in order to point at things on a map, board etc//


Words: lash
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 tie:\n   2 wind/rain/sea:\n   3 hit:\n   4 tail:\n   5 criticize:  Phrasal verbs//   lash out//  ----------//  [Sense: 1; Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: lacier, from  Latin laqueus;   LACE1]//  [Sense: 2-5; Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Perhaps from the sound of a sudden sharp hit]//\n  1 TIE:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to tie something tightly to something else with a rope//   bind//  lash sth to sth//  --The oars were lashed to the sides of the boat.//\n  2 WIND/RAIN/SEA:   [I always + adverb/preposition, T] if the wind, sea etc lashes something, it hits it with violent force//  --Giant waves lashed the sea wall.//  lash against/down/across//  --The wind lashed violently against the door.//\n  3 HIT:   [T] to hit a person or animal very hard with a whip, stick etc//  --Oliver lashed the horses to go faster.//\n  4 TAIL:   [I and T] if an animal lashes its tail or its tail lashes, it moves it from side to side quickly and strongly, especially because it is angry//\n  5 CRITICIZE:   [I and T] to criticize someone angrily - used especially in newspapers//  --Democrats lashed Republican plans, calling them extreme.//  lash back//  --Gallins lashed back at those who accused him of corruption.//  lash out phr v//\n  1 to suddenly speak angrily to someone or criticize someone angrily:  lash out at//  --Olson lashed out at the media.//\n  2 to try to hit someone, with a series of violent, uncontrolled movements:  lash out at//  --She would suddenly lash out at other children.//\nlash 2 n [C] \n  1 a hit with a whip, especially as a punishment:  --They were each given fifty lashes.//\n  2 [usually plural] one of the hairs that grow around the edge of your eyes:   eyelash//\n  3 a sudden or violent movement like that of a whip:  --With a lash of its tail, the lion sprang at its prey.//\n  4 the thin piece of leather at the end of a whip:


Words: lashing
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a punishment in which someone is hit with a whip:   whipping//\n  2 a rope that fastens something tightly to something else:\n  3  lashings of sth:   BrE  old-fashioned a large amount of food or drink//  --apple pie with lashings of cream//


Words: lass
Meaning:
[C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Probably from a  Scandinavian language]//  a girl or young woman - used especially in Scotland and the north of England//    lad//


Words: Lassie
Meaning:
a dog who was the main character in seven films made between 1943 and 1951 and later in television programmes. Lassie is very brave and clever, and she often saves people from danger, especially members of the family that she belongs to.//


Words: lassitude
Meaning:
n [U]  formal   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: Latin lassitudo, from  lassus  ’tired’]//  tiredness and lack of energy or interest//   weariness//


Words: lasso
Meaning:
n   plural  lassos  or  lassoes  [C] //  [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Spanish; Origin: Latin laqueus;   LACE1]//  a rope with one end tied in a circle, used to catch cattle and horses, especially in the western US//\nlasso 2 v [T]   to catch an animal using a lasso//


Words: last
Meaning:
determiner, adj \n  1 most recent or nearest to the present time:    next (12)//  --I hadn’t seen him since the last meeting.//  last night/week/year etc //  --Did you see the game on TV last night?//  --The law was passed last August.//  --Interest in golf has grown rapidly in the last ten years.//  --Things have changed since the last time  (=the most recent occasion) you were here.//\n  2 happening or existing at the end, with no others after:  → first//  --I didn’t read the last chapter of the book.//  --The next meeting will be held in the last week in June.//  the last person/thing etc to do sth //  --Anna was the last person to see him alive.//  last but one/two etc (=last except for one other, two others etc) //  --on the last but one day of his trial//\n  3 remaining after all others have gone, been used etc:  --Can I have the last piece of cake?//  every last (=used to emphasize that you mean all of something) //  --All the money was gone; every last penny of it.//\n  4  the last minute/moment:  the latest possible time before something happens//  --Travelers will find it hard to get a hotel room at the last minute.//  --He never makes a decision until almost the last moment.//\n  5  the last person/thing:  used to make a strong negative statement about someone or something//  --She’s the last person I’d expect to meet in a disco (=I would not expect to meet her in a disco at all) .//  --Money was the last thing I cared about right now.//  the last thing sb needs/wants //  --The last thing she needed was for me to start crying too.//\n  6  be the last straw:  to be the final thing in a series of annoying things that makes someone very angry//  --He’d broken his promise again, and it was the last straw.//\n  7  last thing (at night):  at the very end of the day//  --Take a couple of these pills last thing at night to help you sleep.//\n  8  on your last legs:   informal //  a) very tired//  --Sarah looks as if she’s on her last legs.//  b) very ill and likely to die soon//\n  9  on its last legs:   informal old or in bad condition, and likely to stop working soon//  --The car’s on its last legs.//\n  10  be the last word in sth:  to be the best, most modern, or most comfortable example of something//  --It’s the last word in luxury holidays.//    last resort at resort1 (2)//    with your last/dying breath at breath(9)//    last hurrah//    have the last laugh at laugh2 (6)//    the last/final word at word1 (14)//\nlast 2 adv \n  1 most recently before now:    next//  --When I last saw her, she was working in New York.//\n  2 after everything or everyone else:  → first//  --Who is speaking last?//  --Add the flour last.//  last of all (=used when giving a final point or piece of information) //  --Last of all, I’d like to thank everyone for coming//\n  3  last but not least:  used when mentioning the last person or thing in a list, to emphasize that they are still important//  --Last but not least, let me introduce Jane, our new secretary.//\nlast 3 n, pron \n  1  the last:  the person or thing that comes after all the others//  → first//  --I think this box is the last.//  the last to do sth//  --He was the first to arrive and the last to leave.//\n  2  at (long) last:  if something happens at last, it happens after you have been hoping, waiting, or working for it a long time//  --At last it was time to leave.//  --We reached the summit at last. see usage note  lastly//\n  3  the day/week/year etc before last:  the day, week etc before the one that has just finished//  --I sent the letter off the week before last.//\n  4  the last of sth:  the remaining parts of something//  --John ate the last of the bread at lunchtime.//\n  5  sb hasn’t heard the last of sb/sth:  if you have not heard the last of someone or something, they may return and cause problems for you in the future//  --We haven’t heard the last of football violence.//\n  6  sb will never hear the last of sth:  if you will never hear the last of something, someone will be angry with you about it for a long time//  --If my mother sees me, I’ll never hear the last of this.//\n  7  the last I heard:   spoken used to tell someone the most recent news that you know about a person or situation//  --The last I heard, she was at college studying law.//\n  8  to the last:   formal until the end of an event or the end of someone’s life//  --He died in 1987, insisting to the last he was innocent.//\nlast 4 v   [Language: Old English; Origin: l[zB024]stan  ’to last, follow’]//\n  1 [I always + adverb/preposition] to continue for a particular length of time:  last for/until/through etc//  --The hot weather lasted for the whole month of June.//  last an hour/ten minutes etc //  --Each lesson lasts an hour.//  --The ceasefire didn’t last long.//\n  2 [I and T] to continue to exist, be effective, or remain in good condition for a long time:  --This good weather won’t last.//  last (sb) two days/three weeks etc //  --A good coat will last you ten years.//  --Cut flowers will last longer if you put flower food in the water.//\n  3  also last out (sth)  BrE :   [I always + adverb/preposition] to manage to remain in the same situation, even when this is difficult//  --They won’t be able to last much longer without fresh supplies.//  --If you go into the job with that attitude, you won’t last long.//  --She feared she might not be able to last out the afternoon in court without fainting.//\n  4 [I,T always + adverb/preposition] to be enough for someone for a period of time:   do//  last (sb) two days/three weeks etc //  --The water supply should last another 48 hours.//  --We only had $50 to last us the rest of the month.//\nlast 5 n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: l[zB024]ste, from  last  ’footmark’]//  a piece of wood or metal shaped like a human foot, used by someone who makes and repairs shoes//


Words: last call
Meaning:
n [U]    AmE the time when customers in a bar can order one more drink before the bar closes//  British Equivalent:  last orders//


Words: last hurrah
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]    AmE a final effort, event etc at the end of a long period of work, a life etc//  --He’s made it clear that this Olympics, his third, will be his last hurrah.//


Words: last judgment
Meaning:
n   the last judgment//  the time after death when everyone is judged by God for what they have done in life, according to Christianity and some other religions//   judgment day//


Words: Last Night of the Proms
Meaning:
the   the last concert of the  Proms (=a series of concerts held each summer in the  Albert Hall in London). The second part of the concert always consists of the same tunes and songs, and the people who go to the concert join the singing. //


Words: Last of the Mohicans
Meaning:
The   (1826) a novel by James Fenimore  Cooper about the lives of Native Americans and the adventures of  pioneers (=the first Europeans)  in North America//


Words: last orders
Meaning:
n [plural]    BrE the time when customers in a bar or pub can order one more drink before the bar closes//  American Equivalent:  last call//


Words: last post
Meaning:
n   the last post//  the tune played on a bugle at British military funerals, or to call soldiers back to camp for the night//


Words: last rites
Meaning:
n [plural]   the last rites//  the ceremony performed in some religions, especially the Catholic religion, for people who are dying//


Words: Last Supper
Meaning:
the \n  1 in the New Testament of the Bible, the meal eaten by Jesus and his twelve  disciples on the evening before he was  crucified. Jesus gave everyone bread and wine, and the Christian ceremony of the  Eucharist is based on this meal.:\n  2 a painting of this event, especially the one painted by  Leonardo da Vinci from 1495 to 1497, on the wall of a  monastery in Milan.:


Words: Last Tango in Paris
Meaning:
(1972) a US film in which Marlon  Brando appears as a man living in Paris who has a sexual relationship with a young woman. Some people found it shocking when it was first shown because it contained a lot of sex scenes.//


Words: last-ditch
Meaning:
adj   a last-ditch attempt/effort etc//  a final attempt to achieve something before it is too late//  --The negotiators made a last-ditch effort to reach an agreement.//


Words: last-minute
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   happening or done as late as possible before something else happens//  --a few last-minute changes to the script//


Words: lasting
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]   strong enough, well enough planned etc to continue for a very long time//   long-lasting//  --The reforms will bring lasting benefits .//  --Their generosity made a lasting impression on me.//  --a solution that would bring lasting peace //


Words: lastly
Meaning:
adv [sentence adverb]   used when telling someone the last thing at the end of a list or a series of statements//  → firstly//  --Lastly, could I ask all of you to keep this information secret.//  ----------//  WORD CHOICE: lastly, finally, eventually, in the end, at last //  !!  Do not use  lastly  to say what happened at the end of a period of time or after several other things happened. Use one of the following expressions: //  Use  finally  or  eventually  to say that something happens after a long time : Finally we managed to get the car to start. |  When she eventually turned up, the food was cold. //  Use  eventually  or  in the end  to say what the result or outcome of something was : They eventually got bored and went home. |  In the end we decided to cancel the trip. //  Use  at last  to say that something happens after a long period of waiting or trying, when you are glad about this : It’s good to be home at last. |  At last, the pizza’s here! //  Use  lastly  or  finally  to introduce the last point you want to make, the last action in a series of actions, or the last item in a list : Lastly, I would like to remind you that smoking is not allowed. |  Load the paper, select the number of copies, and lastly press ’Print’. |  You add flour, salt, and finally milk. //  ----------//


Words: latch
Meaning:
n [C]   1 a small metal or plastic object used to keep a door, gate, or window closed//  --Gwen lifted the latch and opened the gate.//\n  2  especially BrE a type of lock for a door that you can open from the inside by turning a handle, but that you need a key to open from the outside:  on the latch//   (=shut but not locked) //  --Ray went out, leaving the door on the latch.//\nlatch 2 v [T]   [Language: Old English; Origin: l[zB024]ccan]//  to fasten a door, gate, or window with a latch//  latch on phr v//   BrE  informal to understand//  --He’s so thick it took him ages to latch on.//  latch onto / [latch onto sb/sth] phr v//\n  1 to become very interested in something:  --Don’t just latch on to the latest management fads.//\n  2 to follow someone and keep trying to talk to them, get their attention etc, especially when they would prefer to be left alone:  --He latched onto Sandy at the party and wouldn’t go away.//\n  3 to hold tightly to something with your hand, mouth etc:  --a baby latching on to its mother’s breast//


Words: latchkey
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a key that opens a lock on an outside door of a house or apartment:\n  2  latchkey kid:   old-fashioned a child whose parents both work and who spends time alone in the house after school//


Words: late
Meaning:
adj   comparative  later superlative  latest //  ----------//\n   1 after expected time:\n   2 near the end:\n   3 be too late:\n   4 after usual time:\n   5 evening:\n   6 dead:\n   7 late developer/bloomer:\n   8 it’s (a little/bit) late in the day (to do something):\n   9 late of something:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: l[zB024]t]//\n  1 AFTER EXPECTED TIME:  arriving, happening, or done after the time that was expected, agreed, or arranged//  → early//  --Sorry I’m late - I overslept.//  ten minutes/two hours etc late //  --You’re half an hour late.//  --The train was even later than usual.//  --We apologize for the late departure of flight AZ709.//  --There are penalties if loan repayments are late.//  late for//  --Cheryl was late for school.//  late with//  --We’ve never been late with the rent.//\n  2 NEAR THE END:   [only before noun] used to refer to the part near the end of a period of time//  → early//  --a late eighteenth century building//  --Paul’s in his late forties.//  --in the late 1980s//  --By late afternoon, she had done 10 drawings.//\n  3  be too late:  to arrive or do something after the time when something could or should have been done//  --He shouted a warning but it was too late .//  too late to do sth//  --Are we too late to get tickets?//  --It was too late to turn back.//\n  4 AFTER USUAL TIME:  happening or done after the usual or normal time//  --a late breakfast//  --The harvest was late this year because of the rain.//  --She looked tired - too many late nights  (=nights when she went to bed after the normal time) .//\n  5 EVENING:  near the end of a day//  --the late movie//  -- It’s late - I’d better go home.//\n  6 DEAD:   [only before noun] dead//  late husband/wife //  --Mrs. Moore’s late husband//\n  7  late developer/bloomer:  a) a child who develops socially, emotionally, or physically at later age than other children//  b) someone who does not become successful until they are older//\n  8  it’s (a little/bit) late in the day (to do sth):  used to show disapproval because someone has done something too late//  --It’s a bit late in the day to start having objections.//\n  9  late of sth:   formal used about someone who has died fairly recently//  --Billy Hicks, late of this parish//  -- lateness n  [U] //  --penalties for lateness at work//  --despite the lateness of the hour//\nlate 2 W3S2 adv   comparative  later superlative  no superlative //\n  1 after the usual time:  --The stores are open later on Thursdays.//  --Ellen has to work late tonight.//  --Can you stay late?//\n  2 after the arranged or expected time:  → early//  ten minutes/two hours etc late //  --The bus came ten minutes late.//\n  3  too late:  after the time when something could or should have been done//  --The advice came too late.//\n  4 near to the end of a period of time or an event:  late in//  --The wedding took place late in May.//  --It was not a place to walk in late at night .//\n  5  as late as sth:  used to express surprise that something considered old-fashioned was still happening so recently//  --Capital punishment was still used in Britain as late as the 1950s.//\n  6  of late:   formal recently//  --Birth rates have gone down of late.//\n  7  late in life:  if you do something late in life, you do it at an older age than most people do it//\n  8  better late than never:  used to say that you are glad someone has done something, or to say that they should do something even though they are late//    run late at run1 (39)//


Words: late-breaking
Meaning:
adj   late-breaking news concerns events that happen just before a news broadcast or just before a newspaper is printed//


Words: late-night
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   happening late at night//  --late-night television//  --late-night shopping//


Words: latent
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  latere  ’to lie hidden’]//  something that is latent is present but hidden, and may develop or become more noticeable in the future//    dormant//  latent in//  --The virus remains latent in the body for many years.//  --latent aggression//  -- latency n  [U] //


Words: later
Meaning:
adv \n  1 after the time you are talking about or after the present time:  --I’m going out for a bit - I’ll see you later.//  two years/three weeks etc later //  --He became Senator two years later.//  later that day/morning/week etc //  --The baby died later that night.//  later in the day/week/year //  --The dentist could fit you in later in the week.//\n  2  later on:  at some time after the present time//  --I can’t eat all of this - I’ll finish it later on.//\n  3  not later than sth:  used to say that something must be done by a particular time in the future//  --Completed entry forms should arrive not later than 31st July.//\nlater 2 adj [only before noun] \n  1 coming in the future or after something else:  → earlier//  --The role of marketing is dealt with in a later chapter.//  --The launch was postponed to a later date.//\n  2 more recent:  → earlier//  --The engine has been greatly improved in later models.//\n  3  in later years/life:  when someone is older//  --Using a sunscreen when you are young helps you to have healthy skin in later years.//


Words: lateral
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: lateralis, from  latus  ’side’]//\n  1 relating to the sides of something, or movement to the side:  --The wall is weak and requires lateral support.//\n  2 relating to positions, jobs, relationships etc that are at the same level or rank:  --Employees can expect lateral moves to different departments, to gain experience.//  -- laterally adv //


Words: lateral thinking
Meaning:
n [U]   a way of thinking in which you use your imagination to see relationships between things that are not normally thought of together//


Words: latest
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   the most recent or the newest//  --all the latest gossip//  --His latest film is one of the funniest he’s ever made.//\nlatest 2 n \n  1  the latest:   informal the most recent or newest thing//  the latest in//  --Wednesday’s session was the latest in a series of planning meetings.//  the latest in ... technology/equipment (=the most modern equipment) //  --using the latest in medical technology//\n  2  at the latest:  no later than the time mentioned//  --I should be back by 11 o’clock at the latest.//


Words: latex
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: ’liquid’]//\n  1 a thick white liquid produced by some plants, especially the rubber tree, and used in making rubber, paint, glue etc:  --a doctor’s latex gloves//\n  2 an artificial substance similar to latex:


Words: lath
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: l[zB024]tt]//  a long flat narrow piece of wood used in building to support plaster (=material used to cover walls) //


Words: lathe
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Probably from  lath  ’supporting frame’ (14-15 centuries), perhaps from  Danish lad]//  a machine that shapes wood or metal, by turning it around and around against a sharp tool//


Words: lather
Meaning:
n [singular, U]   [Language: Old English; Origin: leathor]//\n  1 a white mass of bubbles produced by mixing soap in water:\n  2 a white mass that forms on a horse’s skin when it has been sweating:   foam//\n  3  get in a lather:   also work yourself into a lather //   informal to get very anxious or upset about something//  --By the time Alan called, Jody had worked herself into a lather.//\n  4  in a lather:  very worried, upset, or excited//  --He was in a lather of anticipation.//\nlather 2 v \n  1 [I] to produce a lather:  --This soap lathers really well.//\n  2 [T] to cover something with lather:


Words: Latimer
Meaning:
Bishop Hugh   (1485-1555) an English  bishop (=a Christian priest of high rank)  who was one of the leaders of the  Reformation in England (=the time when many Christians left the Catholic religion and started the Protestant religion) . When  Mary I, who was a Catholic, became queen of England, she ordered him to be officially killed by being burned.//


Words: Latin
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] the language used in ancient Rome:\n  2 [C] someone from Latin America:\n  3 [C] someone from a Southern European country whose language developed from Latin, for example Spain, Portugal, or Italy:\nLatin 2 adj   [Date: 900-1000; Language: Latin; Origin: Latinus  ’of Latium, Roman’, from  Latium ancient country of Italy]//\n  1 relating to the Latin language:  --a Latin inscription//\n  2 from or relating to South America:  --Latin music//\n  3 from or relating to Southern European countries whose languages developed from Latin, for example Spain, Portugal, or Italy:


Words: Latin Quarter
Meaning:
the Latin Quarter//  a part of Paris on the  Left Bank of the River Seine, which is traditionally an area where many students, writers, and artists live, but is now a popular place for tourists to visit//


Words: Latina
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: American Spanish; Origin: Latino used for females]//   AmE a woman in the US whose family comes from Latin America//    Hispanic//


Words: Latino
Meaning:
n   plural  Latinos  [C] //  [Date: 1900-2000; Language: American Spanish]//   AmE a man in the US whose family comes from Latin America. The plural ’Latinos’ can mean a group of men and women, or just men//    Hispanic//  -- Latino adj //  --Latino culture//


Words: latitude
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: latitudo, from  latus  ’wide’]//\n  1 [U and C] the distance north or south of the equator (=the imaginary line around the middle of the world) , measured in degrees:    longitude//\n  2  latitudes [plural] an area at a particular latitude:  --The birds breed in northern latitudes.//  --the oceans of the lower latitude//\n  3 [U]  formal freedom to choose what you do or say:  considerable/greater latitude (=a lot of freedom to choose) //  --Pupils enjoy considerable latitude in deciding what they want to study.//  latitude in/for//  --Employees should have some latitude in organizing their work.//  -- latitudinal/l[zB024]t[hA369]tju[hA359]d[hA369]n[hA368]l $ -tu[hA359]dn-[hA353]l/ adj //


Words: latrine
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: French; Origin: Latin latrina, from  lavatrina, from  lavare;   LAVATORY]//  a toilet that is outdoors in a camp or military area//


Words: latte
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Italian; Origin: caff[hA169] latte  ’milk coffee’]//  very strong coffee with a lot of steamed milk in it, or a cup of this type of coffee//


Words: latter
Meaning:
W2   n   the latter//   formal the second of two people or things just mentioned//  → former//  --Where unemployment and crime are high, it can be assumed that the latter is due to the former.//\nlatter 2 adj [only before noun]  formal   [Language: Old English; Origin: l[zB024]tra  ’later’, from  l[zB024]t  ’late’]//\n  1 being the second of two people or things, or the last in a list just mentioned:  → former//  --In the latter case, buyers pay a 15% commission.//\n  2 the latter part of a period of time is nearest to the end of it:  --Celebrations are planned for the latter part of November.//


Words: latter-day
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1  a latter-day Versailles/Tsar/Robin Hood etc:  something or someone that exists now but is like a famous thing or person that existed in the past//  --He ruled his business empire like a latter-day Tsar.//\n  2 relating to a recent period of time, rather than an earlier one:  --Latter-day students could never meet the college entrance standards required in the 1940s.//


Words: latterly
Meaning:
adv  BrE  formal \n  1 recently:  --Scientists have studied the moon through telescopes, and, latterly, from satellites.//\n  2 towards the end of a period of time:    formerly//  --O’Rourke retired after a 15-year career with Bisons, latterly as chief executive.//


Words: lattice
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  also latticework /l[zB024]t[hA369]sw[hA362][hA359]k $ -w[hA362][hA359]rk/:  a pattern or structure made of long pieces of wood, plastic etc that cross each other so that the spaces between them are shaped like diamonds//\n  2  technical a regular arrangement of objects:


Words: lattice window
Meaning:
also latticed window  n [C]  BrE   a type of window made of many small pieces of glass shaped like diamonds//


Words: Latvia
Meaning:
a country in northeast Europe on the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania, which used to be part of the former  Soviet Union. Population: 2,385,000 (2001). Capital: Riga.//  -- Latvian n  adj //


Words: laud
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: laudare, from  laus  ’praise’]//   formal to praise someone or something//


Words: laudable
Meaning:
adj  formal   deserving praise, even if not completely successful//   praiseworthy//  --a laudable attempt//  -- laudably adv //


Words: laudanum
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: , probably from  Medieval Latin lapdanum  ’juice obtained from a type of plant’]//  a substance containing the drug opium, used in the past to control pain and help people to sleep//


Words: laugh
Meaning:
v   [Language: Old English; Origin: hliehhan]//\n  1 [I] to make sounds with your voice, usually while you are smiling, because you think something is funny:  --Maria looked at him and laughed.//  laugh at/about//  --’I didn’t know what I was doing,’ she said, laughing at the memory.//  --Tony was laughing so hard he had to steady himself on the table.//  --Nora laughed so much that she nearly cried.//  laugh heartily/uproariously/hysterically etc (=laugh a lot) //  --The kids tumbled around on the floor, laughing hysterically.//  --He couldn’t help it; he burst out laughing  (=suddenly started laughing) .//  laugh your head off //  --He’s one of the few writers who can make me laugh out loud .//\n  2 [T] to say something in a voice that shows you are amused:  --’You look ridiculous!’ Nick laughed.//\n  3  not know whether to laugh or cry:  to feel upset or annoyed about something bad that has happened, but also able to see that there is something funny about it//  --And when I couldn’t find the passports - honestly, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry!//\n  4  don’t make me laugh:   spoken used when someone has just told you something that is completely untrue, asked for something impossible etc//  --’Can you finish this by tomorrow?’ ’Don’t make me laugh.’//\n  5  no laughing matter:   informal something serious that should not be joked about//  --It’s no laughing matter having to walk by a group of rowdy drunks every night just to get home.//\n  6  be laughed out of court:   also be laughed out of town/business etc  AmE if a person or idea is laughed out of court etc, the idea is not accepted because people think it is completely stupid//  --We can’t propose that! We’d be laughed out of court!//\n  7  you have to laugh:   spoken used to say that, even though a situation is annoying or disappointing, you can also see that there is something funny about it//\n  8  be laughing all the way to the bank:   informal to make a lot of money without making much effort//\n  9  sb will be laughing on the other side of their face:   spoken used to say that although someone is happy or confident now, they will be in trouble later//\n  10  be laughing:   BrE  spoken  informal to be happy or in a good situation, for example because something has had a successful result for you//  --Well they paid me, didn’t they, so I’m laughing.//\n  11  laugh in sb’s face:  to behave towards someone in a way that shows that you do not respect them//  --I told my sister what I thought, and she just laughed in my face.//\n  12  laugh up your sleeve:  to be secretly happy, especially because you have played a trick on someone or criticized them without them knowing//  laugh at / [laugh at sb/sth] phr v//\n  1 to make unkind or funny remarks about someone, because they have done or said something you think is stupid:   tease//  --I’m afraid the other kids will laugh at me because I don’t understand.//\n  2 to seem not to care about something that most people would worry about:  --Young offenders just laugh at this sort of sentence.//  laugh off [laugh sth → off] phr v//  to pretend that something is less serious than it really is by laughing or joking about it//  --Knox laughed off rumors that he would be running for mayor.//  ----------//  WORD FOCUS: words meaning laugh //  giggle to laugh repeatedly in a silly way because you are amused, embarrassed, or nervous //  snigger to laugh unkindly and quietly, especially at something that is not meant to be funny  //  chuckle to laugh quietly, especially because you are thinking about something funny //  roar/howl with laughter to laugh very loudly because you think something is very funny //  be in hysterics to laugh uncontrollably //  crack up (informal) to suddenly start laughing a lot //  ----------//\nlaugh 2 S3 n \n  1 [C] the act of laughing or the sound you make when you laugh:  --a nervous laugh//  with a laugh//  --’What a mess!’ she said, with a laugh.//  --At first she was silent, then she gave a nervous laugh .//  --It was a nightmare at the time, but afterwards we all had a good laugh  (=laughed a lot) about it.//  --This scene gets one of the biggest laughs in the movie.//  --Tell me -  I could use a laugh  (=I am upset or sad and would like to hear something funny) .//\n  2 [C] if something is a laugh, you have fun and enjoy yourself when you are doing it:  --We all went to the beach last night -  it was a really good laugh .//  --The other campers were nice, and  we had a great laugh  together.//  --It was a great holiday with  lots of laughs .//\n  3  sb is a (good) laugh:   BrE to be amusing and fun to be with//  --I like Peter - he’s a good laugh.//\n  4  for laughs:   also for a laugh  BrE //  for fun //  --We took the hot-air balloon ride, just for laughs.//\n  5  that’s a laugh:   spoken used to say that something is silly or unlikely//  --Me? Star in a film? That’s a laugh.//\n  6  have the last laugh:  to finally be successful, win an argument etc, after other people have earlier criticized you, defeated you etc//  --Men make jokes about women drivers, but women have the last laugh - their insurance rates are cheaper.//\n  7  be a laugh a minute:   informal to be very funny - sometimes used humorously to mean that someone or something is not at all funny//


Words: laugh track
Meaning:
n [C]   recorded laughter that is used during a television show to make it sound as if people are laughing during the performance//


Words: laughable
Meaning:
adj   something that is laughable is impossible to believe or be serious about, because it is so silly or bad//   ridiculous//  --The promises are so far from reality that they are laughable.//  -- laughably adv //


Words: Laughing Cavalier
Meaning:
The   a painting by the 17th century artist Frans  Hals, which shows a wealthy man with a large  moustache who is slightly smiling in a proud way//


Words: laughing stock
Meaning:
also  laughingstock AmE   n [C]   someone who is a laughing stock has done something so silly that people have no respect for them//  --The programme has made the U.S. a laughingstock .//


Words: laughingly
Meaning:
adv \n  1 if something is laughingly called something, the name is a joke, or is not suitable:  --The news network was laughingly referred to as the ’Disaster Channel.’//\n  2 if you do something laughingly, you are laughing while you do it:


Words: laughter
Meaning:
n [U]   [Language: Old English; Origin: hleahtor]//  when people laugh, or the sound of people laughing//  --Foster joined in the laughter.//  --He looked shocked, then burst into laughter  (=started laughing) .//  roar/scream/shriek with laughter (=laugh very loudly) //  --Audiences roared with laughter.//  --He shook with laughter .//  peals/gales/howls etc of laughter (=loud laughs) //  --The comment brought peals of laughter from her classmates.//


Words: laughter lines
Meaning:
n [plural]    BrE lines on your skin around your eyes, which can be seen when you laugh//  American Equivalent:  laugh lines//


Words: launch
Meaning:
W2   v [T]   ----------//\n   1 start something:\n   2 product:\n   3 boat:\n   4 sky/space:\n   5 computer:\n   6 launch yourself forwards/up/from etc:  Phrasal verbs//   launch into something//   launch out//  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old North French; Origin: lancher, from  Late Latin lanceare  ’to throw a lance’, from  Latin lancea;   LANCE1]//\n  1 START SOMETHING:  to start something, usually something big or important//  --The organization has launched a campaign to raise $150,000.//  --The Canadian police plan to launch an investigation into the deal.//  launch an attack/assault/offensive //  --The press launched a vicious attack on the President.//  --The book launched his career as a novelist.//\n  2 PRODUCT:  to make a new product, book etc available for sale for the first time//  --The company hopes to launch the new drug by next October.//\n  3 BOAT:  to put a boat or ship into the water//\n  4 SKY/SPACE:  to send a weapon or spacecraft into the sky or into space//  --A test satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral.//\n  5 COMPUTER:  to make a computer program start//   open//  --Double-click on an icon to launch an application.//\n  6  launch yourself forwards/up/from etc:  to jump up and forwards into the air with a lot of energy//  launch into [launch into sth] phr v//\n  1 to suddenly start a description or story, or suddenly start criticizing something:  --Nelson launched into a blistering criticism of greedy lawyers.//\n  2 to suddenly start doing something:  --Don’t just launch into exercise without warming up first.//  launch out phr v//  to start something new, especially something that involves risk//\nlaunch 2 n [C]   [Sense: 1,3; Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  LAUNCH1]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1600-1700; Language: Spanish; Origin: lancha, from  Portuguese, perhaps from  Malay lanchar  ’quick’]//\n  1 when a new product, book etc is made available or made known:  launch of//  --the launch of a new women’s magazine//  --a new product launch //\n  2 a large boat with a motor:\n  3 when a weapon or spacecraft is sent into the sky or into space:


Words: launch pad
Meaning:
also launching pad  n [C] \n  1 a base from which a weapon or spacecraft is sent up into the sky:\n  2 an event, group, or activity that helps someone start something:  launch pad for//  --Ellington’s band was a launching pad for many gifted jazz musicians.//


Words: launchpad
Meaning:
n [C]   a place on the Internet that helps you start to find information about a particular subject//  --Their website is a good launchpad to other sites.//


Words: launder
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: launder  ’someone who washes clothes’ (14-17 centuries), from  French lavandier, from  Latin lavare;   LAVATORY]//\n  1 to put money which has been obtained illegally into legal businesses and bank accounts, so that you can hide it or use it:  --a law designed to prevent money laundering //\n  2  formal to wash and iron clothes, sheets etc:


Words: launderette
Meaning:
AmE [C]  trademark   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: launder]//  a place where you can go to wash your clothes in machines that work when you put coins in them//


Words: laundry
Meaning:
n   plural  laundries //\n  1 [U] clothes, sheets etc that need to be washed or have just been washed:  --She did the laundry  (=washed the clothes etc) and hung it out to dry.//  --Ben was folding laundry.//  clean/dirty laundry //  --a pile of dirty laundry//\n  2 [C] a place or business where clothes etc are washed and ironed:    air/wash your dirty laundry at dirty1 (7)//


Words: laundry basket
Meaning:
n [C]   1  BrE a large basket that you put dirty clothes in until you wash them//  American Equivalent:  hamper//\n  2 a basket used for carrying clothes that have been or need to be washed:


Words: Laurasia
Meaning:
the very large area of land that existed about 200 million years ago, before it broke apart to form North America, Europe, Asia, and Greenland//    Gondwanaland//    Pangaea//


Words: laureate
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: laureatus  ’crowned with laurel’, from  laurus;   LAUREL]//  someone who has been given an important prize or honour, especially the Nobel Prize//  --Nigeria’s Nobel laureate, Wole Soyinka//    Poet Laureate//


Words: laurel
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: lorier, from  lor  ’laurel’, from  Latin laurus]//\n  1 [U and C] a small tree with smooth shiny dark green leaves that do not fall in winter:\n  2  rest/sit on your laurels:  to be satisfied with what you have achieved and therefore stop trying to achieve anything new//\n  3  look to your laurels:  to work hard in order not to lose the success that you have achieved//\n  4  laurels [plural] honours that you receive for something you have achieved:  --academic laurels//


Words: Laurel and Hardy
Meaning:
two US  comedians, Stan Laurel (1890-1965), who was born in the UK, and  Oliver Hardy (1892-1957), who made many humorous and popular films together from the 1920s to the 1950s. Laurel is famous for being a thin stupid character, who is easily upset, and Hardy is famous for being a fat character with a small  moustache, who often gets angry with Laurel and says to him, "That’s another fine mess you’ve gotten me into!"//


Words: lava
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Italian; Origin: Latin labes  ’fall’ or  lavare  ’to wash’]//  hot liquid rock that flows from a volcano, or this rock when it has become solid//


Words: lavatory
Meaning:
n   plural  lavatories  [C] //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: lavatorium  ’bowl for washing in’, from  Latin lavare  ’to wash’]//   formal a toilet or the room a toilet is in//


Words: lavender
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: lavendre, from  Medieval Latin lavandula, perhaps from  Latin lividus  ’bluish’ or  lavare  ’to wash’]//\n  1 [U and C] a plant that has grey-green leaves and purple flowers with a strong pleasant smell:\n  2 [U] a pale purple colour:


Words: lavish
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: lavish  ’too great quantity’ (15-16 centuries), from  Old French lavasse  ’heavy rain’, from  laver  ’to wash’]//\n  1 large, impressive, or expensive:  --a royal palace on a lavish scale //  --a lavish lifestyle //  --The food was lavish.//\n  2 very generous:  lavish with/in//  --We were always lavish with financial aid in times of crisis.//  --He was always lavish in his praise of my efforts.//  -- lavishly adv //  --their lavishly illustrated catalogue//  -- lavishness n  [U] //\nlavish 2 v [T]   to give someone or something a lot of love, praise, money etc//  lavish sth on/upon sb//  --He lavished attention on her.//  lavish sb with sth//  --Hug your children and lavish them with love.//


Words: law
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 system of rules:\n   2 a rule:\n   3 law and order:\n   4 police:\n   5 what always happens:\n   6 study/profession:\n   7 sport/activity:\n   8 the law of the jungle:\n   9 the law of averages:\n  10 be a law unto himself/herself etc:\n  11 take the law into your own hands:\n  12 go to law:\n  13 be above the law:\n  14 there’s no law against something:\n  15 there ought to be a law against something:\n  16 somebody’s word is law:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: lagu]//\n  1 SYSTEM OF RULES:   also  the law//   [U] the whole system of rules that people in a particular country or area must obey//  -- Should people do what they think is right even when it means  breaking the law ? //  --Elected officials ought to  obey the law . //  -- The Suicide Act  became law  in 1961. //  -- By law , seatbelts must be worn by all passengers.//  --In Sweden it is against the law to hit a child.//  -- They were fully convinced they were performing their duties  within the law . //  -- an interesting area of  criminal law  //  -- the principles of  international law  //  -- Federal law  protects workers who are disabled. //\n  2 A RULE:   [C] a rule that people in a particular country or area must obey//  immigration/labour/libel etc law //  under a law//  --Five people arrested under anti-terrorism laws were released without charge.//  law on//  --European laws on equal opportunities//  law against//  --The laws against drug use were very severe.//  -- laws passed by Parliament//\n  3  law and order:  a situation in which people respect the law, and crime is controlled by the police, the prison system etc//  --We are concerned about the breakdown of law and order in the country.//\n  4 POLICE:   the law//  the police//  --I think she may be in trouble with the law.//\n  5 WHAT ALWAYS HAPPENS:   [C] something that always happens in nature or society, or a statement that describes this//  law of//  --the law of supply and demand//  --the laws of nature//  --the law of gravity//\n  6 STUDY/PROFESSION:   also  the law//   [U] law as a subject of study, or the profession of being a lawyer//  --She’s studying law in London.//\n  7 SPORT/ACTIVITY:   [C] one of the rules which controls a sport or activity//  --the laws of football//\n  8  the law of the jungle:  a) the idea that people should only look after themselves and not care about other people if they want to succeed//  b) the principle that only the strongest creatures will stay alive//\n  9  the law of averages:  the probability that one result will happen as often as another if you try something often enough//  --The law of averages says we’ll win at least once.//\n  10  be a law unto himself/herself etc:  to behave in an independent way and not worry about the usual rules of behaviour or what other people do or think//  --Boys his age are a law unto themselves.//\n  11  take the law into your own hands:  to do something illegal in order to put right something that you think is not fair, for example by violently punishing someone instead of telling the police//  --vigilantes who take the law into their own hands//\n  12  go to law:  to go to court in order to settle a problem//  --the right of consumers to go to law if they need to//\n  13  be above the law:  someone who is above the law does not have to obey the law//  --Many ministers seem to regard themselves as above the law.//\n  14  there’s no law against sth:   spoken used to tell someone who is criticizing you that you are not doing anything wrong//\n  15  there ought to be a law against sth:   spoken used to say that you do not think something should be accepted or allowed//  --There ought to be a law against cutting off power supplies in the middle of February.//\n  16  sb’s word is law:  used to say that someone is always obeyed without argument//    civil law,  common law,  criminal law,  Roman law,  Sod’s law,  lay down the law at lay down(3),  unwritten law at unwritten//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  break the law  (=do something illegal) //  obey the law //  become law  (=officially be made a law) //  enforce the law (=make people obey the law) //  by law  (=according to the law) //  be against the law  (=be illegal) //  within the law  (=legal or legally) //  tax/copyright/divorce etc law (=all the laws about tax etc) //  criminal law //  civil law //  international law //  federal law American English (=the law of the US, not of a particular state) //  ----------//


Words: Law Lords
Meaning:
n   the Law Lords//  members of the British House of Lords who hold high positions in the legal profession, and form the highest court in the British legal system//


Words: law school
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a part of a university or a special school in the US where you study to become a lawyer after you get your bachelor’s degree//


Words: Law Society
Meaning:
the   an organization for members of the legal profession in the UK. The Law Society is in charge of the education and training of lawyers, and is responsible for making sure that they do their jobs in a professional and honest way.//


Words: lawful
Meaning:
adj  formal  or  law   allowed or recognized by law//   legal//  -- It is not lawful to kill or injure a pet animal.//  --a lawful arrest//  --his lawful wife//  -- lawfully adv //  -- lawfulness n  [U] //


Words: lawless
Meaning:
adj   not obeying the law, or not controlled by the law//  → law-abiding//  --this increasingly lawless society//  --These border areas are among the most lawless regions in the world.//  -- lawlessness n  [U] //


Words: lawman
Meaning:
n   plural  lawmen /-men/ [C] //   AmE  informal any officer who is responsible for making sure that the law is obeyed//


Words: lawn
Meaning:
n   [Sense: 1; Date: 1500-1600; Language: Old French; Origin: launde  ’open space between woods’]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1400-1500; Origin: Laon, town in northern France where such cloth was made]//\n  1 [U and C] an area of ground in a garden or park that is covered with short grass:  --I spent all morning mowing the lawn  (=cutting the grass) .//  --a carefully tended lawn//\n  2 [U] a fine cloth made from cotton or linen:


Words: lawn bowling
Meaning:
n [U]    AmE a game played on grass in which you try to roll a big ball as near as possible to a smaller ball//  British Equivalent:  bowls//


Words: lawn party
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE a formal party held outside in the afternoon, especially in a large garden//  British Equivalent:  garden party//


Words: Lawrence
Meaning:
D. H.   (1885-1930) a British writer who wrote stories of life in industrial society, in which his characters show strong emotion and sexual desire. His books include  Sons and Lovers,  Women in Love, and  Lady Chatterley’s Lover.//\n Stephen   (1974-1993) a young black man who was murdered in Eltham, south London, in 1993 by a group of young white men. Five men were  arrested,, but the Crown Prosecution Service decided there was not enough evidence to bring them to trial. In 1996 Stephen’s parents brought a private prosecution for murder against the five men, but they were found not guilty. Mr and Mrs Lawrence also complained that the police had not carried out a proper investigation into the murder because Stephen was black. An inquiry was held and in 1999 its chairman Sir William Macpherson criticized the police in his report. He said there was institutional racism in the Metropolitan Police Force.//\n T. E.   (1888-1935) a British soldier and writer, also known as Lawrence of Arabia. Lawrence helped the Arabs in their fight against the Turks (1914-18), and was strongly in favour of Arab independence. He wrote  The Seven Pillars of Wisdom about his adventures in the desert.//


Words: lawsuit
Meaning:
n [C]   a problem or complaint that a person or organization brings to a court of law to be settled//   suit//  lawsuit against//  --His lawyer filed a lawsuit against the city.//


Words: lawyer
Meaning:
W2S3   n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: law +  -yer (from   -IER1)]//  someone whose job is to advise people about laws, write formal agreements, or represent people in court//  ----------//  WORD CHOICE: lawyer, attorney, solicitor, barrister, counsel //  Lawyer  is a general word for someone who has professional training in legal work or who is an expert in the law. //  In American English, the word  attorney  is often used instead, especially in legal or official language and especially to refer to a lawyer who represents people in court. //  In British English, there is a difference between a solicitor  , who gives legal advice and prepares legal documents, and a  barrister  , who represents people in court. //  In both American and British English, someone’s  counsel  is the lawyer or group of lawyers who represent them in court. //  ----------//


Words: lax
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: laxus  ’loose’]//  not strict or careful enough about standards of behaviour, work, safety etc//   slack//  lax in (doing) sth//  --The company has been lax in carrying out its duties.//  -- lax security //  -- laxity also laxness //   n  [U] //


Words: laxative
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: laxativus, from  Latin laxare  ’to loosen’, from  laxus;   LAX]//  a medicine or something that you eat which makes your bowels empty easily//  -- laxative adj //


Words: lay
Meaning:
v   the past tense of lie1//\nlay 2 v   past tense and past participle  laid /le[hA366]d///  ----------//\n   1 put somebody/something down:\n   2 lay bricks/carpet/concrete/cables etc:\n   3 bird/insect etc:\n   4 table:\n   5 lay the foundations/groundwork/base:\n   6 give information:\n   7 lay emphasis/stress on something:\n   8 lay a hand/finger on somebody:\n   9 lay bare/open something:\n  10 lay somebody/something open to something:\n  11 lay waste something:\n  12 lay plans/a trap etc:\n  13 lay claim to (doing) something:\n  14 lay siege to somebody/something:\n  15 have sex:\n  16 lie:\n  17 risk money:\n  18 lay somebody/something on the line:\n  19 lay something at the door of somebody/something:\n  20 lay somebody low:\n  21 lay somebody to rest:\n  22 lay the ghost (of something):  Phrasal verbs//   lay about somebody//   lay something → aside//   lay something → down//   lay something → in//   lay into somebody/something//   lay off//   lay something on//   lay somebody/something → out//   lay over//   lay up//  ----------//\n  1 PUT SOMEBODY/SOMETHING DOWN:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to put someone or something down carefully into a flat position//   place//  --He laid his hand on my shoulder.//  --They laid a wreath at the place where so many people died.//  -- Lay the material flat on the table.//\n  2  lay bricks/carpet/concrete/cables etc:  to put or fasten bricks, a carpet etc in the correct place, especially on the ground or floor//  --The carpet was laid last week.//  --The project involved laying an oil pipeline across the desert.//\n  3 BIRD/INSECT ETC:   [I and T] if a bird, insect etc lays eggs, it produces them from its body//  --The flies lay their eggs on decaying meat.//  --A cuckoo is able to lay in a range of different nests.//\n  4 TABLE:   [T]  BrE to put the cloth, plates, knives, forks etc on a table, ready for a meal//   set//  --John was laying the table .//  --As she spoke, she was laying him a place at the table.//\n  5  lay the foundations/groundwork/base:  to provide the conditions that will make it possible for something to happen or be successful//  lay the foundations/groundwork/base for//  --Mandela helped lay the foundations for a new democratic South Africa.//  --It was an invention which laid the foundations of modern radio technology.//\n  6 GIVE INFORMATION:   [T]  formal to make a statement, give information etc in an official or public way//   put//  --Several proposals have been laid before the committee.//\n  7  lay emphasis/stress on sth:   formal to emphasize something because you believe it is very important//  --a political philosophy that lays great stress on individual responsibility//\n  8  lay a hand/finger on sb [usually in negatives] to touch someone with the intention of hurting them:  --I swear I didn’t lay a finger on him.//  --If you lay one hand on me, I’ll scream.//\n  9  lay bare/open sth:   also lay sth bare/open //  a) to show what something is really like, or stop hiding facts, feelings etc//  --Every aspect of their private life has been laid bare.//  b) to remove the thing that is covering or hiding something else//  --When the tide goes out, vast stretches of sand are laid bare.//\n  10  lay sb/sth open to sth:  to do something that makes it possible for other people to blame you, criticize you etc//  lay yourself open to sth//  --By doing that, he laid himself open to ridicule.//  --Not to have taken action would have laid the department open to charges of negligence.//\n  11  lay waste sth:   also lay waste to sth //   formal to destroy or damage something, especially in a war//  --The island was laid waste and abandoned.//  --an attack which laid waste to hundreds of villages//\n  12  lay plans/a trap etc:  to carefully prepare all the details of something//  --We are laying plans now in order to be successful in the future.//  the best-laid plans (=plans that have been made carefully) //  --Bad weather can upset even the best-laid travel plans.//\n  13  lay claim to (doing) sth:  to say that something belongs to you or say that you deserve something//  --The town can lay claim to having the oldest theatre in Britain.//  --No one has laid claim to the property.//\n  14  lay siege to sb/sth:  a) if a group of people lay siege to a place, they try to get control by surrounding it//  --The armies laid siege to Vienna in 1529.//  b) to do everything you can to get someone to talk to you or notice you//  --A group of young men were always at the stage door, trying to lay siege to the girls.//\n  15 HAVE SEX:   get laid [T]  informal to have sex with someone//  --All he wants to do is go out and get laid .//\n  16 LIE:   [I]  spoken to be in a position in which you are flat - some people consider this use to be incorrect//   lie//\n  17 RISK MONEY:   [T]  especially BrE to risk an amount of money on the result of a race, sports game etc//   bet//  lay sth on sth//  --She laid [hA124]50 on the favourite, Golden Boy.//  lay money (that) //  --I’d lay money that he will go on to play for England.//\n  18  lay sb/sth on the line:  a) to state something, especially a threat, demand, or criticism, in a very clear way//  -- Lay it on the line and tell them what’s really been happening.//  b)  also put sb/sth on the line //  to risk losing your life, your job etc, especially in order to help someone//  --I’ve laid myself on the line for him once already.//\n  19  lay sth at the door of sb/sth:   also lay sth at sb’s door //  to blame something or someone for something//  --The continued divisions within the party cannot be laid entirely at his door.//  --Many illnesses are being laid at the door of stress.//\n  20  lay sb low:  a)  [usually passive] if an illness lays someone low, they are unable to do their normal activities for a period of time//  lay somebody low with//  --She’s been laid low with flu for a week.//  b)  literary to make someone fall down, or injure them seriously//\n  21  lay sb to rest:   formal to bury someone after they have died//  --She was laid to rest beside her husband.//    lay/put sth to rest at rest1 (10)//\n  22  lay the ghost (of sth):  to finally stop being worried or upset by something from the past//    lay your hands on sth at hand1 (18)//    lay the blame on sb/sth at blame2 //    put/lay your cards on the table at card1 (13)//  lay about [lay about sb] phr v//  to attack someone violently//   set about//  lay about somebody with//  --He laid about his attackers with a stick.//  lay aside [lay sth → aside] phr v//\n  1 to stop using something and put it down, especially so you can do something else:   put aside//  --Richard had laid aside his book to watch what was happening.//\n  2 to stop behaving in a particular way, or stop having particular feelings, especially so you can achieve something:   put aside//  --On the day of the wedding, all arguments between the families were laid aside.//  --As a doctor, you often need to lay aside your personal feelings.//\n  3  also lay sth → by :  to keep something, especially money, so you can use it in the future//   put by//  --She’d laid aside a few pounds each week from her wages.//  lay down [lay sth → down] phr v//\n  1 OFFICIALLY STATE:  to officially state something or say that rules, principles etc must be obeyed//  --He had already clearly laid down his view in his opening speech.//  lay down that//  --The contract laid down that the work must be completed before 2025.//\n  2 WEAPONS:  if people lay down their weapons, they stop fighting//  --The terrorists were urged to lay down their arms .//\n  3  lay down the law:  to tell other people what to do, how they should think etc, in a very strong or impolite way//  --I could hear him laying down the law.//\n  4  lay down your life:   formal to die in order to help other people//  lay down your life for//  --He was even prepared to lay down his life for his friends.//\n  5 KEEP:  to store something, especially wine, to use in the future//  lay in [lay sth → in] phr v//  to get and store a supply of something to use in the future//  --He likes to lay in a few special drinks for the festive season.//  lay into / [lay into sb/sth] phr v//  to attack or criticize someone or something//  --Outside the club, two men were laying into each other.//  lay off phr v//\n  1  lay sb → off:  to stop employing someone because there is no work for them to do//    layoff//  --The company laid off 250 workers in December.//  --Millions of people have been laid off in the steel industry.//\n  2  lay off (sth):   informal to stop using or doing something//  --I think you’d better lay off alcohol for a while.//  lay off doing sth//  --I had to lay off running for several months.//\n  3  lay off (sb):   informal to stop annoying someone or hurting them//  --Just lay off, will you!//  --I wish he’d lay off me!//\n  4  lay sth → off:  to pass the ball to someone in your team in a game such as football - used in sports reports//  lay sth off to sb//  --Murphy has the ball and then lays it off to Owen.//  lay on [lay sth on] phr v//\n  1  lay sth → on:   especially BrE to provide something such as food, entertainment, or transport for a group of people//  --They laid on a buffet for his farewell party.//  --A bus has been laid on to take you home.//\n  2  lay sth on sb:  to ask someone to do something, especially something that is difficult or something they will not want to do//  --Sorry to lay this on you, but we need someone to give a talk at the conference next week.//\n  3  lay it on (thick):   informal //  a) to praise someone or something too much, especially in order to get what you want//  b) to talk about something in a way that makes it seem more important, serious etc than it really is//   exaggerate//  lay out [lay sb/sth → out] phr v//\n  1 SPREAD:  to spread something out//  --Lay out the map on the table and let’s have a look.//\n  2 ARRANGE:  to arrange or plan a building, town, garden etc//   set out//  --The garden is laid out in a formal pattern.//\n  3 EXPLAIN:  to describe or explain something clearly//   set out//  --The financial considerations are laid out in a booklet called ’How to Borrow Money’.//\n  4 SPEND:   informal to spend money, especially a lot of money//    outlay//  lay out sth on sth//  --What’s the point in laying out money on something you’ll only wear once?//\n  5 HIT:   informal to hit someone so hard that they fall down and become unconscious//  --One of the guards had been laid out and the other was missing.//\n  6 BODY:  to prepare a dead body so that it can be buried//  lay over phr v//  to stay somewhere for a short time before continuing your trip//    layover//  lay up phr v//\n  1  be laid up (with sth):  to have to stay in bed because you are ill or injured//  --I was laid up for a week with flu.//\n  2 to stop using a boat or vehicle, especially while it is being repaired:  lay sth → up//  --Most of the yachts were laid up for the winter.//\n  3  lay sth → up:   old-fashioned to collect and store something to use in the future//  --We started laying up firewood for the winter.//  ----------//  WORD CHOICElay, lie //  The verb  lay  must have an object. It is a slightly literary way to say ’put something somewhere’ : She lays a silk cloth over the table . //  The verb  lie  does not have an object. It means ’be or get into a horizontal position somewhere’ : Let’s lie on the grass. |  Lie down here for a while. //  !! lay  is also the past tense of  lie : I lay on the couch and tried to relax.  The past tense of  lay  is  laid : He laid his hand on my shoulder. //  ----------//\nlay 3 adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: lai, from  Late Latin laicus, from  Greek laikos  ’of the people’, from  laos  ’people’]//  a) not trained or not knowing much about a particular profession or subject//    layman//  --lay witnesses//  b) not in an official position in the church//  --a lay preacher//\nlay 4 n [C]   [Sense: 1-3; Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  LAY1]//  [Sense: 4; Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: lai]//\n  1  the lay of the land:  a) the situation that exists at a particular time//  --Get the lay of the land before you make any decisions.//  b) the appearance of an area of land, for example the way it slopes//\n  2  the lay of sth:  the appearance of something and where each part of it is//  --Mr. Lowe will give you the lay of the camp and tell you what we’re going to be doing.//\n  3  be a good/quick/easy etc lay:   informal to be a good, quick etc person to have sex with//\n  4  literary a poem or song:


Words: lay reader
Meaning:
n [C]   someone in Christian churches who is not a priest but who has been given authority to lead a religious service//


Words: lay-off
Meaning:
n [C]   an occasion when an employer ends a worker’s employment for a temporary period of time because there is not enough work//  --more lay-offs in the car industry//    lay off//


Words: layaway
Meaning:
n [U]    AmE a method of buying goods in which you give the seller of the goods a small amount of money to keep the goods until you can pay the full price//  --I put the dress on layaway.//  -- layaway adj //


Words: layer
Meaning:
W3S3   n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  LAY1 +  -er]//\n  1 an amount or piece of a material or substance that covers a surface or that is between two other things:  layer of//  --A thick layer of dust lay on the furniture.//  --The moon was shining through a thin layer of cloud.//  --He pulled off layer upon layer of clothing (=many layers of clothing) .//  in layers//  --Arrange the peppers, garlic and tomatoes in layers.//    ozone layer//\n  2 one of several different levels in a complicated organization, system, set of ideas etc:  layer of//  --We are operating with fewer layers of management.//  --There are multiple layers of meaning in the story.//  --the multi-layered nature of organizations (=they have many layers) //\nlayer 2 v [T] \n  1 to make a layer of something or put something down in layers:  --Layer the raw sliced vegetables in a shallow baking dish.//\n  2 to cut someone’s hair so that the hair on top is in shorter lengths than the lower hair:  --I have layered, shoulder-length brown hair.//


Words: layette
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: ’small box or drawer’, from  Old French laye  ’box’]//  a complete set of clothing and other things that a new baby needs//


Words: layman
Meaning:
n   plural  laymen /-m[hA353]n/ [C] //\n  1 someone who is not trained in a particular subject or type of work, especially when they are being compared with someone who is:  → expert//  --To the layman  (=laymen in general) all these plants look pretty similar.//  --If you don’t understand what the doctor says, ask to have it explained in layman’s terms  (=in simple language) .//\n  2 someone who is not a priest but is a member of a church:


Words: layout
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 the way in which something such as a town, garden, or building is arranged:  layout of//  --the layout of the park//  --All the flats in the building had the same layout.//\n  2 the way in which writing and pictures are arranged on a page:  layout of//  --the layout of a business letter//  --page layout software//    lay out//


Words: layover
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE a short stay between parts of a journey, especially a long plane journey//  British Equivalent:  stopover//


Words: laywoman
Meaning:
n   plural  laywomen /-w[hA366]m[hA366]n/ [C] //\n  1 a woman not trained in a particular subject or type of work, especially when she is being compared with someone who is:   expert//\n  2 a woman who is not a priest but is a member of a church:


Words: laze
Meaning:
preposition]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: lazy]//  to relax and enjoy yourself in a lazy way//  laze in//  --We spent the afternoon lazing in the sun.//  laze about/around//  --We lazed around, gazing at the views.//  -- laze n  [singular] //


Words: lazy
Meaning:
adj   comparative  lazier superlative  laziest //  [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  Middle Low German lasich  ’weak’]//\n  1 not liking work and physical activity, or not making any effort to do anything:   idle//  --the laziest boy in the class//  --He felt too lazy to get out of bed.//\n  2 a lazy period of time is spent doing nothing except relaxing:  --We spent lazy days relaxing on the beach.//  -- lazily adv //  -- laziness n  [U] //


Words: lazybones
Meaning:
n   plural  lazybones  [C] //   informal a lazy person - often used in a friendly way to someone you like//  --Come on, lazybones! Get out of bed.//


Words: lb
Meaning:
BrE  lb. AmE   plural  lb  or  lbs //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: libra  ’pound’]//  the written abbreviation of pound or pounds in weight//


Words: lbw
Meaning:
adv   leg before wicket a way in which your innings can end in cricket, when the ball hits your leg if it is in front of the wicket//


Words: LCD
Meaning:
n [C]   liquid crystal display the part of a watch, calculator, or small computer where numbers or letters are shown by means of an electric current that is passed through a special liquid//


Words: Le Corbusier
Meaning:
(1887-1965) a French  architect (=someone who designs buildings)  who was born in Switzerland. He believed that buildings should look modern, be made of modern materials such as  concrete and glass, and that they should be  functional (=simple and practical, without unnecessary decoration) . He built many important buildings, and planned the city of Chandigarh in India.//


Words: Le Havre
Meaning:
a city and port in northwest France where the River Seine flows into the English Channel.  ferries from the south of England take cars and passengers to Le Havre.//


Words: Le Mans
Meaning:
a city in northwest France where a famous car race takes place every year. The race continues without stopping for 24 hours, and the winner is the car that has driven the most times around the track in that time.//


Words: Le Shuttle
Meaning:
trademark   a type of train which goes from Folkestone in the south of England to Calais in the north of France using the  Channel Tunnel, and which carries cars and goods vehicles//  --Take a day-trip to France on Le Shuttle.//    Eurostar//


Words: leach
Meaning:
v  also leach out  [I and T]   [Language: Old English; Origin: leccan  ’to make wet’]//   technical if a substance leaches or is leached from a larger mass such as the soil, it is removed from it by water passing through the larger mass//  --The manufacturers say that there is no danger of the aluminium leaching into the water.//


Words: lead
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  led /led///  ----------//\n   1 take somebody somewhere:\n   2 go in front:\n   3 be in charge:\n   4 cause something to happen:\n   5 cause somebody to believe something:\n   6 influence:\n   7 be more successful:\n   8 be winning:\n   9 path/door etc:\n  10 life:\n  11 discussion etc:\n  12 lead somebody up the garden path:\n  13 lead somebody astray:\n  14 lead nowhere/not lead anywhere:\n  15 lead by example:\n  16 lead somebody by the nose:\n  17 this/that leads (me) to something:\n  18 somebody has their own life to lead:\n  19 lead somebody a merry old dance/a right old dance:\n  20 market-led/export-led etc:\n  21 lead the eye:\n  22 card game:  Phrasal verbs//   lead off//   lead somebody on//   lead on to something//   lead with something//   lead up to something//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: l[zB024]dan]//\n  1 TAKE SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE:   [I and T] to take someone somewhere by going in front of them while they follow, or by pulling them gently//  lead sb to/into etc sth//  --A nurse took her arm and led her to a chair.//  --The horses were led to safety .//  lead sb away/down etc//  --She was led away from the courtroom in tears.//  --The manager led the way through the office. see usage note  direct2 //\n  2 GO IN FRONT:   [I and T] to go in front of a line of people or vehicles//  --A firetruck was leading the parade.//\n  3 BE IN CHARGE:   [I and T] to be in charge of an organization, country, or team, or a group of people who are trying to do something//  --He has led the party for over twenty years.//  --Some people say she is too old to lead the country  (=be in charge of its government) .//  --Beckham led his team to victory .//  lead an investigation/inquiry/campaign //  --The investigation will be led by Inspector Scarfe.//  --They are leading a campaign to warn teenagers about the dangers of drug abuse.//  lead a revolt/rebellion/coup etc //  --The rebellion was led by the King’s brother.//  lead an attack/assault //  --Nelson preferred to lead the attack himself from the front.//  --a man who was born to lead //  --a communist-led strike//\n  4 CAUSE SOMETHING TO HAPPEN:   [I and T] to cause something to happen or cause someone to do something//  lead to//  --the events that led to the start of the First World War//  --A degree in English could lead to a career in journalism.//  lead sb into sth//  --Her trusting nature often led her into trouble .//  lead sb to do sth//  --What led him to kill his wife?//  lead to sb doing sth//  --His actions could lead to him losing his job.//\n  5 CAUSE SOMEBODY TO BELIEVE SOMETHING:   [T] to make someone believe something, especially something that is not true//  lead sb to believe/expect/understand sth //  --He had led everyone to believe that his family was very wealthy.//  --The hotel was terrible, and not at all what we had been led to expect.//  --Our research led us to the conclusion that the present system is unfair.//\n  6 INFLUENCE:   [T] to influence someone to make them do something that is wrong//  lead sb into sth//  --His brother led him into a life of crime.//  --He’s not a bad boy. He’s just easily led  (=it is easy for other people to persuade him to do things that he should not do) .//\n  7 BE MORE SUCCESSFUL:   [T] to be more successful than other people, companies, or countries in a particular activity//  lead the world/market/pack/field //  --US companies lead the world in biotechnology.//  lead the way (=be the first to do something, and show other people how to do it) //  --The Swedes have led the way in data protection.//    leading1 (1)//\n  8 BE WINNING:   [I and T] to be winning a game, competition etc//  → lose//  --At half-time, Brazil led 1-0.//  --With 15 laps to go, Schumacher led the race.//  --The polls showed Clinton leading Bush 55 percent to 34 percent.//  lead by ten points/two goals etc //  --Agassi was leading by two sets.//\n  9 PATH/DOOR ETC:   [I,T always + adverb/preposition] used to say where a path, wire etc goes or what place is on the other side of a door//  lead to/towards//  --The path led down to a small lake.//  lead from/out of//  --the major artery leading from the heart//  lead into//  --the door leading into the hallway//  lead sb to/into sth//  --The riverside path leads visitors to a small chapel.//\n  10 LIFE:   [T] if you lead a particular kind of life, that is what your life is like//  lead a normal/quiet/busy etc life //  --If the operation succeeds, Carly will be able to lead a normal life.//  --He has led a charmed life  (=been very fortunate) .//  lead a life of luxury/poverty etc //  lead the life of a ... //  --She now leads the life of a recluse.//  lead a double life (=deceive people by keeping different parts of your life separate and not letting anyone know the whole truth) //  --Joe had been leading a double life, seeing an ex-model while his wife believed he was on business.//  --They lead a nomadic existence .//\n  11 DISCUSSION ETC:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to control the way a discussion, conversation etc develops//  --I tried to lead the conversation back to the subject of money.//\n  12  lead sb up the garden path:   informal to deliberately deceive someone//\n  13  lead sb astray:  a) to encourage someone to do bad or immoral things, which they would not normally do//  b) to make someone believe something that is not true//\n  14  lead nowhere/not lead anywhere:  to not produce any useful result//  --So far police investigations seem to have led nowhere.//\n  15  lead by example:  to show the people you are in charge of what you want them to do by doing it yourself//  --The best managers lead by example.//\n  16  lead sb by the nose:  to influence someone so much that you can completely control everything that they do//  --Politicians think they can easily lead people by the nose.//\n  17  this/that leads (me) to sth:  used to introduce a new subject that is connected to the previous one//  --That leads me to my final point. Where are we going to get the money?//\n  18  sb has their own life to lead:  used to say that someone wants to be able to live their life independently, without having to do things that other people want them to do//\n  19  lead sb a merry old dance/a right old dance:   BrE to cause a lot of problems or worries for someone//\n  20  market-led/export-led etc:  most influenced by the market, by exports etc//  --an export-led economic recovery//\n  21  lead the eye:  if a picture, view etc leads the eye in a particular direction, it makes you look in that direction//  --marble columns that lead the eye upward//\n  22 CARD GAME:   [I and T] to play a particular card as your first card in one part of a card game//  lead off phr v//\n  1 to start a meeting, discussion, performance etc by saying or doing something:  --I’d like to lead off by thanking Rick for coming.//  lead off with//  --The French team led off with two quick goals in the first five minutes.//  lead sth → off//  --Hal led the evening off with some folk songs.//\n  2  lead off (sth):  if a road, room etc leads off a place, you can go directly from that place along that road, into that room etc//  lead off from sth//  --He pointed down a street leading off from the square.//  --a large room, with doors leading off it in all directions//\n  3 to be the first player to try to hit the ball in an inning (=period of play) in a game of baseball:  lead on [lead sb on] phr v//  to deceive someone, especially to make them think you love them//  --He thought she loved him, but in fact she was just leading him on.//  lead on to [lead on to sth] phr v//  to cause something to develop or become possible at a later time//  --Alan Turing’s work led onto the development of modern computers.//  lead with [lead with sth] phr v//\n  1 if a newspaper or television programme leads with a particular story, that story is the main one:  --The Washington Post leads with the latest news from Israel.//\n  2 to use a particular hand to begin an attack in boxing, or a particular foot to begin a dance:  --Adam led with his left and punched his opponent on the jaw.//  lead up to [lead up to sth] phr v//\n  1 if a series of events or a period of time leads up to an event, it comes before it or causes it:  --the weeks that led up to her death//  --the events leading up to his dismissal//\n  2 to gradually introduce an embarrassing, upsetting, or surprising subject into a conversation:  --She had already guessed what he was leading up to.//\nlead 2 n \n  1  the lead:  the first position in a race or competition//  --She was in the lead from start to finish.//  --The Canadians went into the lead after only 30 seconds.//  --The goal put Holland into the lead .//  --The Bears took the lead for the first time this season.//\n  2 [singular] the amount or distance by which one competitor is ahead of another:  --The Chicago Bulls had a narrow lead  (=were winning by a small number of points) .//  lead over//  --The Socialists now have a commanding lead over their opponents.//\n  3 [singular] if someone follows someone else’s lead, they do the same as the other person has done:  --Other countries are likely to follow the U.S.’s lead .//  --The Government should give industry a lead in tackling racism (=show what other people should do) .//  --The black population in the 1960s looked to Ali for a lead  (=looked to him to show them what they should do) .//\n  4  take the lead (in doing sth):  to be the first to start doing something or be most active in doing something//  --The U.S. took the lead in declaring war on terrorism.//\n  5 [C] a piece of information that may help you to solve a crime or mystery:   clue//  --The police have checked out dozens of leads, but have yet to find the killer.//\n  6 [C] the main acting part in a play, film etc, or the main actor:  play the lead/the lead role //  --He will play the lead role in Hamlet.//  --Powers was cast in the lead role  (=he was chosen to play it) .//  the male/female lead //  --They were having trouble casting the female lead.//  --the film’s romantic lead //\n  7  lead singer/guitarist etc:  the main singer, guitarist etc in a group//  lead singer/guitarist etc of/with//  --the lead singer of Nirvana//\n  8 [C]  BrE a piece of rope, leather, or chain for holding or controlling a dog:   leash//  on a lead//  --All dogs must be kept on a lead.//\n  9 [C]  BrE a wire used to connect a piece of electrical equipment to the power supply:  American Equivalent:  cord//    jump leads//\nlead 3   n   lead//\n  1 [U] a soft heavy grey metal that melts easily and is poisonous, used to cover roofs, or in the past, for water pipes. It is a chemical element: symbol Pb:\n  2 [U and C] the central part of a pencil that makes the marks when you write:\n  3  go down like a lead balloon:   informal if a suggestion or joke goes down like a lead balloon, people do not like it at all//\n  4 [U]  AmE  old-fashioned bullets:  --They filled him full of lead.//\n  5  leads [plural] :  a) sheets of lead used for covering a roof//  b) narrow pieces of lead used for holding small pieces of glass together to form a window//


Words: lead-up
Meaning:
n [singular]   the things that are done in the time before an important event//   run-up//  --the lead-up to the election//


Words: leaded
Meaning:
adj \n  1 leaded petrol contains lead:  → unleaded//\n  2 leaded windows have narrow pieces of lead separating small square or diamond -shaped pieces of glass:


Words: leaden
Meaning:
adj \n  1  literary a leaden sky or sea is dark grey in colour:\n  2  literary if your body feels leaden, you move slowly, because you are tired, unhappy etc:   heavy//  --She stumbled forward, her legs leaden.//\n  3 dull:  --a leaden joke//\n  4 a leaden feeling is a feeling of great unhappiness or anxiety:\n  5 made of lead:


Words: leader
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 in control:\n   2 competition:\n   3 product company:\n   4 newspaper:\n   5 musician:\n   6 musical director:\n   7 tape:\n   8 branch:  ----------//\n  1 IN CONTROL:  the person who directs or controls a group, organization, country etc//    ruler//  leader of//  --the leader of the local black community//  party/union/government/opposition etc leader //  political/military/religious leader //  --the largest ever gathering of world leaders  (=people who are in charge of countries) //  natural/born leader (=someone who naturally has all the qualities needed to be a leader) //  --His air of confidence makes him a natural leader.//\n  2 COMPETITION:  the person or group that is in front of all the others in a race or competition//  --County Championship leaders of Hampshire//\n  3 PRODUCT COMPANY:  the product or company that is the best or most successful//  leader in//  --a world leader in defence and space electronics//  --These products are firmly established as the market leaders .//\n  4 NEWSPAPER:   BrE a piece of writing in a newspaper giving the paper’s opinion on a subject//   editorial//  --The Times leader column//\n  5 MUSICIAN:   BrE the main violin player in an orchestra//  American Equivalent:  concertmaster//\n  6 MUSICAL DIRECTOR:   AmE someone who directs the playing of a musical group//  British Equivalent:  conductor//\n  7 TAPE:   technical the part at the beginning of a film or recording tape which has nothing on it//\n  8 BRANCH:   technical a long thin branch that grows from the stem of a bush or tree beyond other branches//


Words: Leader of the House
Meaning:
the   a member of the UK government who is responsible for organizing the work of the British Parliament. There are two Leaders of the House, one for the House of Commons and one for the House of Lords.//


Words: leadership
Meaning:
W2S3   n \n  1 [U and C] the position of being the leader of a group, organization, country etc:  leadership of//  --the leadership of the Conservative party//  under sb’s leadership//  --Our prospects of winning an election will be better under his leadership.//  --The United States must now take a firm leadership role .//  --the Conservative leadership contest //  --The next leadership election is due in November.//\n  2 [U] the quality of being good at leading a group, organization, country etc:  --She has great faith in her own leadership qualities .//  --someone with vision and leadership//\n  3 [C also + plural verb British English] all the people who lead a group, organization, country etc:  --the country’s military leadership//  --The party leadership are in agreement on this matter.//\n  4 [U] the position of being in front of others in an activity or competition:  --Leadership in science is important to our nation.//


Words: leading
Meaning:
W2   adj [only before noun] \n  1 best, most important, or most successful:  --The army played a leading role in organizing the attempted coup.//  --the leading industrial nations//  --a leading heart specialist//  -- leading members of the government//\n  2  leading edge:  a)  technical the part of something that is at the front of it when it moves//  b) the part of an activity where the most modern and advanced equipment and methods are used//  leading edge of//  --This is the leading edge of medical technology.//    leading-edge//\n  3  leading light:  a respected person who leads a group or organization, or is important in a particular area of knowledge or activity//  --The two women were leading lights of the women’s union.//\n  4  leading question:  a question that deliberately tricks someone into giving the answer you want//  --Don’t ask leading questions.//\n  5  leading lady/man:  the woman or man who acts the most important female or male part in a film, play etc//    leading article//\nleading 2   n [U]  technical    lead used for covering roofs, for window frames etc//


Words: leading article
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a piece of writing in a newspaper giving the paper’s opinion on a subject//   editorial//


Words: leading-edge
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   leading-edge machines, systems etc are the most modern and advanced ones available//  --leading-edge technologies for military and computer applications//


Words: leaf
Meaning:
n   plural  leaves /li[hA359]vz///  branch, leaves, trunk//  ----------//\n   1 plant:\n   2 take a leaf out of somebody’s book:\n   3 turn over a new leaf:\n   4 page:\n   5 part of table:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin:]//\n  1 PLANT:   [C] one of the flat green parts of a plant that are joined to its stem or branches//  --a flowering bush with large shiny leaves//  leaf of//  --Add a few leaves of fresh basil to the salad.//  be in leaf/come into leaf (=have or start growing leaves, at a particular time of year) //  --The forest was just coming into leaf.//\n  2  take a leaf out of sb’s book:  to copy the way someone else behaves because you want to be like them or be as successful as they are//  --They are committing $3m to research. We could take a leaf out of their book.//\n  3  turn over a new leaf:  to change the way you behave and become a better person//  --I see fatherhood as a chance to turn over a new leaf.//\n  4 PAGE:   [C]  formal a page of a book//  --He slipped the letter between the leaves of his notebook.//    loose-leaf,  overleaf//\n  5 PART OF TABLE:   [C] a part of the top of a table that can be taken out to make the table smaller//    shake like a leaf at shake1 (2)//\nleaf 2 v   leaf through [leaf through sth] phr v//  to turn the pages of a book quickly, without reading it properly//   skim through//  --She picked up the magazine and leafed through it.//


Words: leaflet
Meaning:
n [C]   a small book or piece of paper advertising something or giving information on a particular subject//  leaflet on//  --a leaflet on skin cancer//  hand/pass/give/send out a leaflet //  --Students were handing out election leaflets at the station.//\nleaflet 2 v [I and T]   to give leaflets to people//  --He’s leafleting the neighbourhood.//


Words: leafy
Meaning:
adj \n  1 having a lot of leaves:  --leafy green vegetables such as spinach//\n  2 having a lot of trees and plants:  --a leafy suburb//


Words: league
Meaning:
W2   n [C]   [Sense: 1-5; Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: ligue  ’agreement to act together’, from  Old Italian liga, from  ligare  ’to tie’]//  [Sense: 6; Date: 1300-1400; Language: Late Latin; Origin: leuga]//\n  1 a group of sports teams or players who play games against each other to see who is best:  --He makes his football league debut tomorrow.//  --the Rugby League Championship //  be (at the) top/bottom of the league (=be the best or the worst team in a group) //\n  2 a group of people or countries who have joined together because they have similar aims, political beliefs etc:  --the National Socialist League//\n  3  not be in the same league (as sb/sth):   also be in a different league (from sb/sth) //  to be not nearly as good or important as someone or something else//  --They’re not in the same league as the French at making wine.//\n  4  be out of your league:  to not be skilled or experienced enough to do or deal with something//\n  5  be in league (with sb):  to be working with someone secretly, especially for a bad purpose//  --Vernon was accused by his enemies of being in league with the devil.//\n  6 an ancient unit for measuring distance, equal to 3 miles or about 4828 metres on land, and three nautical miles or 5556 metres at sea:


Words: League against Cruel Sports
Meaning:
the   a UK organization which wants to make killing animals for sport illegal. It is especially opposed to the sport of hunting  foxes.//


Words: League of Nations
Meaning:
the   an international organization that was established after World War I to encourage countries to work together and achieve international peace. It was replaced in 1946 by the  United Nations.//


Words: League of Women Voters
Meaning:
the   a US organization that encourages women to vote, and makes sure that laws or policies that affect women are properly discussed and thought about//


Words: league table
Meaning:
n [C]    especially BrE a list in which people, teams, or organizations are shown in order of their success or quality//  --The government’s school league tables are published today.//


Words: leak
Meaning:
S3   v   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old Norse; Origin: leka]//\n  1 [I and T] if a container, pipe, roof etc leaks, or if it leaks gas, liquid etc, there is a small hole or crack in it that lets gas or liquid flow through:  --The roof is leaking in several places.//  --A tanker is leaking oil off the coast of Scotland.//\n  2 [I always + adverb/preposition] if a gas or liquid leaks somewhere, it gets through a hole in something:   seep//  leak into/from/out//  --Sea water was leaking into the batteries which powered the electric motors.//\n  3 [T] to deliberately give secret information to a newspaper, television company etc:  --The report’s findings had been leaked.//  leak sth to sb//  --civil servants who leak information to the press//  leak out phr v//  if secret information leaks out, a lot of people find out about it//  --No sooner had the news leaked out than my telephone started ringing.//\nleak 2 n [C] \n  1 a small hole that lets liquid or gas flow into or out of something:  --There is a leak in the ceiling.//  --The boat had sprung a leak  (=a hole had appeared in it) .//\n  2  a gas/oil/water etc leak:  an escape of gas or liquid through a hole in something//  --A gas leak caused the explosion.//\n  3 a situation in which secret information is deliberately given to a newspaper, television company etc:  --It became evident from the leaks that something important was going on.//\n  4  take/have a leak:   informal to get rid of waste liquid from your body//   urinate//


Words: leakage
Meaning:
n [U and C] \n  1 when gas, water etc leaks in or out, or the amount of it that has leaked:\n  2 the deliberate spreading of secret information:  --leakages of confidential information//


Words: Leakey
Meaning:
a family of British scientists working in the area of  paleontology (=the study of ancient animals and plants that have been preserved in rock). The family includes Mary Leakey (1913-96 ), her husband Louis Leakey (1903-72), and their son Richard Leakey (1944- ), all of whom discovered many  fossils and human bones in Tanzania, which have provided important information about how humans first developed//


Words: leaky
Meaning:
adj   a container, roof etc that is leaky has a hole or crack in it so that liquid or gas passes through it//  --The house had a leaky roof.//


Words: Lean
Meaning:
Sir David   (1908-91) a British film  director who made many well-known films, such as  Brief Encounter (1945),  The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957),  Lawrence of Arabia (1962),  Dr Zhivago (1965), and  A Passage to India (1984)//


Words: lean
Meaning:
S3   v   past tense and past participle  leaned  or  leant /lent/ especially BrE //  [Language: Old English; Origin: hleonian]//\n  1 [I always + adverb/preposition] to move or bend your body in a particular direction:  lean forward/back/over etc//  --They were leaning forward, facing each other.//  --Lean back and enjoy the ride.//  --She leant towards him and listened.//  2 [I always + adverb/preposition] to support yourself in a sloping position against a wall or other surface//  lean against/on//  --He was leaning on the bridge, watching the boats go by.//\n  3 [I,T always + adverb/preposition] to put something in a sloping position where it is supported, or to be in that position:  lean (sth) against/on sth//  --A huge mirror was leaning against the wall.//  --He leant his bicycle against the fence.//\n  4 [I] to slope or bend from an upright position:  --trees leaning in the wind//  lean on [lean on sb] phr v//\n  1 to depend on someone for support and encouragement, especially at a difficult time:  --The couple lean on each other for support.//\n  2  informal to try to influence someone, especially by threatening them:  --They won’t pay unless you lean on them.//  lean towards [lean towards sth] phr v//  to tend to support, or begin to support, a particular set of opinions, beliefs etc//  --Canada, the UK and Japan leant towards the US view.//\nlean 2 adj   [Language: Old English; Origin: hl[zB024]ne]//\n  1 thin in a healthy and attractive way:  --He was lean, tall, and muscular. see usage note  thin1 //\n  2 lean meat does not have much fat on it:  → fatty//\n  3 a lean organization, company etc uses only as much money and as many people as it needs, so that nothing is wasted:\n  4 a lean period is a very difficult time because there is not enough money, business etc:  --His wife was a source of constant support during the lean years .//  -- leanness n  [U] //


Words: leaning
Meaning:
n [C]   a tendency to prefer or agree with a particular set of beliefs, opinions etc//   inclination//  --his radical political leanings //  leaning towards//  --a leaning towards the Right//


Words: Leaning Tower of Pisa
Meaning:
the Leaning Tower of Pisa//  a tall round tower in Pisa, Italy, which does not stand straight, but  leans to one side. It was built in the 12th century and is popular with tourists.//


Words: leap
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  leapt /lept/ especially BrE  leaped  especially AmE //  ----------//\n   1 jump:\n   2 move fast:\n   3 increase:\n   4 leap at the chance/opportunity:\n   5 leap to somebody’s defence:\n   6 heart:  Phrasal verbs//   leap out at somebody//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: hleapan]//\n  1 JUMP:  a)  [I always + adverb/preposition] to jump high into the air or to jump in order to land in a different place//  --She leapt over the fence.//  --The smaller animals can easily leap from tree to tree.//  b)  [T]  literary to jump over something//  --Brenda leaped the gate and ran across the field.//\n  2 MOVE FAST:   [I always + adverb/preposition] to move very quickly and with a lot of energy//  --I leapt up the stairs three at a time.//  --He leapt out of bed.//  --She leapt to her feet  (=stood up quickly) and started shouting.//\n  3 INCREASE:   [I] to increase quickly and by a large amount//  → tumble//  leap to//  --Profits leapt to [hA124]376m.//  --He leapt 27 places to second spot.//\n  4  leap at the chance/opportunity:  to accept an opportunity very eagerly//  --I leapt at the chance of studying art in Paris.//\n  5  leap to sb’s defence:   BrE  leap to somebody’s defense AmE to quickly defend someone//  --When her younger brother was being bullied she leapt to his defence.//\n  6 HEART:   [I]  literary if your heart leaps, you feel a sudden surprise, happiness, or excitement//  --My heart leaped when I saw Paul at the airport.//    look before you leap at look1 (12)//  leap out at [leap out at sb] phr v//  if a word or phrase in a piece of writing leaps out at you, you notice it particularly, because it is interesting, important etc//   jump out at//\nleap 2 n [C] \n  1 a big jump:   bound//  --He threw a stick into the river and the dog went after it in a flying leap .//\n  2 a large increase or change:  quantum/great/huge etc leap //  --a quantum leap (=very great increase or change) in population levels//  leap in//  --a 16% leap in pre-tax profits//  leap forward//  --the huge leap forward that took place in the 1980s//\n  3  by/in leaps and bounds:  if something increases, develops, grows etc by leaps and bounds, it does it very quickly//  --Lifeboat technology has advanced by leaps and bounds.//\n  4  a leap of (the) imagination:   also an imaginative leap //  a mental process that is needed to understand something difficult or see the connection between two very different ideas//\n  5  leap in the dark:  something you do without knowing what will happen as a result//\n  6  leap of faith:  something you do even though it involves a risk, hoping that it will have a good result//


Words: leap year
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Perhaps because a date in such a year "jumps" one day ahead of the day on which it would otherwise have fallen]//  a year, which happens every fourth year, when February has 29 days instead of 28//


Words: leapfrog
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Because the jumping players look like frogs]//  a children’s game in which someone bends over and someone else jumps over them//\nleapfrog 2   past tense and past participle  leapfrogged present participle  leapfrogging  v [I and T] //  to suddenly become better, more advanced etc than people or organizations that were previously better than you//  --The company leapfrogged its rivals into a leading position.//


Words: Lear
Meaning:
Edward   (1812-88) a British artist and poet, who wrote the  Book of Nonsense, a collection of humorous poems//\n King     King Lear//


Words: learn
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  learned  or  learnt /l[hA362][hA359]nt $ l[hA362][hA359]rnt/ especially BrE //  ----------//\n   1 subject/skill:\n   2 find out:\n   3 remember:\n   4 change your behaviour:\n   5 somebody has learned their lesson:\n   6 learn (something) the hard way:\n   7 that’ll learn somebody!:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: leornian]//\n  1 SUBJECT/SKILL:   [I and T] to gain knowledge of a subject or skill, by experience, by studying it, or by being taught//    teach//  --What’s the best way to learn a language?//  learn (how) to do sth//  --I learnt to drive when I was 17.//  --Hector spent the winter learning how to cope with his blindness.//  --The teacher’s task is to help the pupil learn.//  learn (sth) from sb//  --I learned a lot from my father.//  learn about//  --Kids can have fun and learn about music at the same time.//  learn what//  --Youngsters must learn what is dangerous and what is not to be feared.//  --The student will learn from experience about the importance of planning.//\n  2 FIND OUT:   [I and T]  formal to find out information or news by hearing it from someone else or reading it//   discover//  --I didn’t tell her the truth. She would learn it for herself soon enough.//  learn of/about//  --He learned about his appointment by telephone yesterday.//  learn (that)//  --Last week I learned that I was pregnant.//  --She was surprised to learn that he was a lot older than she had thought.//  learn whether/who/why//  --I waited to learn whether I’d secured a college place.//  --We have yet to learn who will be the new manager.//\n  3 REMEMBER:   [T] to get to know something so well that you can easily remember it//   memorize//  --The actors hardly had time to learn their lines before filming started.//\n  4 CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOUR:   [I and T] to gradually understand a situation and start behaving in the way that you should//  learn (that)//  --They have to learn that they can’t just do whatever they like.//  learn to do sth//  --Young hairdressers must learn to treat the client as a person, not a head of hair.//  --I’ve told him a hundred times not to bully people, but he never learns .//  learn from//  --You have to learn from your mistakes  (=understand why what you did was wrong) .//  --the lessons learned in the Gulf War//\n  5  sb has learned their lesson:  used to say that someone will not do something wrong or stupid again, because they suffered as a result//  --I’ve learned my lesson; I’ve now got a burglar alarm and a guard dog.//\n  6  learn (sth) the hard way:  to understand a situation or develop a skill by learning from your mistakes and bad experiences//\n  7  that’ll learn sb!:   spoken used when something bad has just happened to someone as a result of their actions, especially when they ignored a warning//    live and learn at live1 (20)//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Do not say that you ’learn someone something’ or ’learn someone how to do something’. Use teach: I taught him how to send an e-mail. //  ----------//


Words: learned
Meaning:
adj  formal \n  1 a learned person has a lot of knowledge because they have read and studied a lot:  --a learned professor//\n  2  learned books/works etc:  books etc that are written by people who have a lot of knowledge//  --learned works on natural history//  -- learnedly adv //


Words: learner
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who is learning to do something:  learner of//  --a new dictionary for learners of business English//  --the needs of  slow learners //  --attractive grammar books for  adult learners //\n  2  also learner driver :   BrE someone who is learning to drive a car//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  slow learner  (=someone who learns things slowly) //  quick/fast learner  (=someone who learns things quickly) //  adult learner //  young learner //  advanced learner  (=someone who has been learning something for a long time) //  language learner //  ----------//


Words: learner’s permit
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE an official document that gives you permission to learn to drive//  British Equivalent:  provisional licence//


Words: learning curve
Meaning:
n [C]   the rate at which you learn a new skill//  --Everyone in the centre has been through a very steep learning curve  (=they had to learn very quickly) .//


Words: learning difficulties
Meaning:
n [plural]   a mental problem that affects someone’s ability to learn//  --a school for children with learning difficulties//


Words: lease
Meaning:
W3   n [C] \n  1 a legal agreement which allows you to use a building, car etc for a period of time, in return for rent:  lease on//  --They  took out a lease  on a seven-acre field. //  --The landlord refused to  renew his  lease .//  -- The 99-year  lease expired  in 1999. //  --Do you understand all the terms of the lease ?//\n  2  a new lease of life:   especially BrE a new lease on life  AmE //  a) if something has a new lease of life, it is changed or repaired so that it can continue//  --Historic buildings can have a new lease of life through conversion.//  b) if someone has a new lease of life, they become healthy, active, or happy again after being weak, ill, or tired//  --an operation to give her a new lease of life//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  take out a lease  (=start having a lease) //  renew a lease  (=start having a lease again after it has finished) //  a lease expires/runs out  (=a lease stops) //  the terms of a lease  (=the legal details in a lease) //  a long lease //  a short lease //  ----------//\nlease 2 v [T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: lesser, from  Old French laissier  ’to let go’, from  Latin laxare;   LAXATIVE]//\n  1 to use a building, car etc under a lease:  --I’m interested in leasing your cottage.//  lease sth from sb//  --They lease the site from the council.//\n  2  also lease out :  to let someone use a building, car etc under a lease//  lease sth to sb//  --The building was leased to a health club. see usage note  rent1 //


Words: leaseback
Meaning:
n [U and C]    technical an arrangement in which you sell or give something to someone, but continue to use it by paying them rent//


Words: leasehold
Meaning:
adj  especially BrE   leasehold property is property that you will own only for the period of time stated in a lease//    freehold//  -- leasehold adv //


Words: leash
Meaning:
n [C]  especially AmE   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: laisse, from  laissier;   LEASE2]//\n  1 a piece of rope, leather etc fastened to a dog’s collar in order to control it:  British Equivalent:  lead//  on/off a leash//  --At her side on a leash trotted a small grey dog.//  --Never leave your dog off the leash outside a store.//\n  2  keep/have sb on a leash:  to control someone - used humorously//  --Marcus keeps you on a short leash, does he?//\nleash 2 v [T]    AmE to put a leash on a dog//


Words: least
Meaning:
determiner, pron \n  1  at least:  a) not less than a particular number or amount//  --It will take you at least 20 minutes to get there.//  --He had at least [hA124]100,000 in savings.//  at the (very) least (=not less than and probably much more than) //  --It would cost $1 million at the very least.//  b) even if something better is not true or is not done//  --At least he didn’t lie to me.//  --I don’t expect you to pay me, but you could at least cover my expenses.//  --The house still needed a lot of work, but at least the kitchen was finished.//  c) used when you are correcting or changing something that you have just said//  --They all knew I was on their side. At least, that’s what they said.//  --I made everything perfectly clear - or at least I thought I did.//\n  2  at the (very) least:  used when mentioning the least extreme thing that happens, is needed etc//  --Computer viruses are at the very least annoying and often actually destructive.//\n  3  the least:  a) the smallest amount//  --Women work in those sectors of the job market which pay the least.//  --Which method causes the least damage to the environment?//  b) used to emphasize how small something is, especially when it hardly exists at all//  --I haven’t the least idea what you are talking about.//  --He used to wake at the least noise.//  c) used when you are saying what someone should do in a situation, and suggesting that they should really do more//  --The least you could do is give me her phone number.//  --The least they could have given her is some money towards the rent.//\n  4  not the least/not in the least/not the least bit:  none at all, or not at all//  --I tried to convince them, but they weren’t the least interested.//  --I’m not in the least afraid of you any more.//  --His voice was alert, not the least bit sleepy.//\n  5  to say the least:  used to show that something is worse or more serious than you are actually saying//  --His teaching methods were strange, to say the least.//\n  6  the least of sb’s worries/problems/troubles/concerns:  something that someone is not worried about because there are other more important problems//  --What I looked like was the least of my problems.//\n  7  it’s the least I can do:   spoken used to say that you are very willing to do something or to reply to someone’s thanks//  --I’ll look after them - it’s the least I can do.//    last but not least at last2 (3)//\nleast 2 adv \n  1 less than anything or anyone else:  → most//  --The journey would impose extra expense on those least able to afford it.//  --It is quite amazing what turns up when you are least expecting it.//  --He’s my least favourite member of staff.//\n  2  least of all:  especially not a particular person or thing//  --She hardly ever lost her temper - least of all with Anne.//\n  3  not least:   formal used to emphasize that something is important//  --My mother was upset about his appearance here, not least because she felt it was invading her privacy.//


Words: leastways
Meaning:
informal   at least//   anyway//  --There’s no way to cross the mountains, leastways at this time of the year.//


Words: leather
Meaning:
W3   n   [Language: Old English; Origin: lether]//\n  1 [U] animal skin that has been treated to preserve it, and is used for making shoes, bags etc:  --The inside of the bag was lined with soft leather.//  --elegant leather boots//\n  2  leathers [plural] special leather clothes worn for protection by someone riding a motorcycle:    run/go hell for leather at hell1 (27)//


Words: leave
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  left /left///  ----------//\n   1 go away:\n   2 stop:\n   3 leave somebody/something alone:\n   4 let something/somebody stay:\n   5 not change/move something:\n   6 result of accident/illness/event:\n   7 be left:\n   8 letter/message/thing:\n   9 delay:\n  10 let somebody decide/be responsible:\n  11 husband/wife etc:\n  12 when you die:\n  13 mark:\n  14 not eat/drink:\n  15 leave somebody/something standing:\n  16 leave a lot/something/much to be desired:\n  17 mathematics:\n  18 leave something aside/to one side:\n  19 leave somebody/something be:\n  20 leave go/hold of something:\n  21 leave it to somebody (to do something):  Phrasal verbs//   leave somebody/something → behind//   leave off//   leave somebody/something →  out//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: l[zB024]fan]//\n  1 GO AWAY:   [I and T] to go away from a place or a person//  --My baby gets upset when I leave the room.//  --Before leaving the train, make sure you have all your belongings with you.//  --Leave the motorway at Junction 7.//  leave at//  --The plane leaves at 12.30.//  leave for//  --I tried calling him, but he’d already left for work.//  leave (sth/sb) soon/now/later etc //  --If he left immediately, he’d catch the 7.30 train.//  leave (sth/sb) to do sth//  --Frances left work early to meet her mother.//  leave sb doing sth//  --Never leave children playing near water unattended.//  leave sb to sth//  --I’ll leave you to it  (=go away and let you continue with what you are doing) .//  --My youngest boy has not left my side  (=has stayed near me) since his daddy was killed.//  leave sb in peace (=go away from someone so that they can think, work etc alone) //  --Just a few more questions, then we’ll leave you in peace.//\n  2 STOP:   [I and T] if you leave your job, home, school etc, you permanently stop doing that job, living at home etc//  --Over the past two years, 20 staffers have left.//  leave home/school/college etc //  --How old were you when you left home (=your parents’ home) ?//  --My daughter got a job after she left school.//  --The lawsuit will be postponed until the president leaves office .//  leave a job/country/Spain etc //  --Many missionaries were forced to leave the country.//  --It seems that Tony has left the band for good  (=permanently) .//  leave (sb/sth) to do sth//  --Laura left her native England to live in France.//\n  3  leave sb/sth alone:  a) to stop annoying or upsetting someone//  --Oh, just leave me alone, will you?//  --Leave the boy alone, he can make up his own mind.//  b) to go away from someone so that they are on their own//  --Six-year-old Gemma had been left alone in the house.//  c) to stop touching something//  --Leave that alone. You’ll break it.//  d)  also leave well (enough) alone //  to stop being involved in or trying to change a situation//  --Why can’t they just leave well alone and let us concentrate on teaching?//\n  4 LET SOMETHING/SOMEBODY STAY:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to make or allow something or someone to stay in a place when you go away//  leave sth/sb in/with/behind etc//  --Are you leaving the kids with Grandma on Saturday?//  --As soon as I’d shut the door, I realized I’d left the keys inside.//  --Did anybody leave a jacket behind last night?//  --She left her son in the care of a friend.//  leave sb to do sth//  --He left Ruth to find her own way home.//  --Students were left to their own devices  (=left alone and allowed to do whatever they wanted) for long periods.//  leave sb for dead //  --The girl had been attacked and left for dead.//\n  5 NOT CHANGE/MOVE SOMETHING:   [T] to let something remain in a particular state, position, or condition//  leave sth on/off/out etc//  --You’ve left your lights on.//  --She must have left the phone off the hook.//  leave sth open/empty/untidy etc //  --I wish you’d stop leaving the door open.//  --The trial left many questions unanswered.//  leave a space/gap etc //  --Leave the next two lines blank for the tutor’s comments.//  --Drivers should always leave room for cyclists.//  leave sth doing sth//  --I’ll just leave the engine running while I go in.//  --Don’t leave tools lying about .//  leave sth to do sth//  --Leave the pots to soak overnight.//\n  6 RESULT OF ACCIDENT/ILLNESS/EVENT:   [T] if an event, accident, illness etc leaves you in a particular condition, you are in that condition because of it//  --An explosion at a chemical plant has left one worker dead and four injured.//  leave sb with sth//  --Although the infection cleared up, he was left with a persistent cough.//  leave sb doing sth//  --The incident left her feeling confused and hurt.//  --The announcement has left shareholders nursing huge losses.//\n  7  be left:   also have sth left //  if something is left, it remains after everything else has gone, been taken away, or used//  --I’ve only got a few dollars left.//  --There were a couple of seats left at the back.//  --We don’t have much time left.//  --He pointed to what was left of the house (=used when very little is left) .//  -- All that was left was a pile of bones.//  be left over//  --After we’ve paid the bills, there’s never much left over.//  --They ate some bread rolls left over from the night before.//\n  8 LETTER/MESSAGE/THING:   [T] to deliver a message, note, package etc for someone or put it somewhere so that they will get it later//  --She left a message on his answerphone.//  leave sb sth//  --Can you leave me some money for the bus?//  leave sth with sb//  --Ian left this note with me.//  leave sth for sb//  --A guy left these flowers for you.//\n  9 DELAY:   [T] to not do something or to do it later than you intended//  --Leave the dishes. I’ll do them later.//  --So much had been left undone .//  leave sth until the last minute/until last //  --If you leave your preparation until the last minute , you’ll reduce your chances of passing.//  --I left the best bit until last.//  --I want to think about it. Can I leave it for now ?//  --I’m afraid you’ve left it too late to change your ticket.//  leave it at that (=used to say that you will not do any more of something, because you have done enough) //  --Let’s leave it at that for today.//\n  10 LET SOMEBODY DECIDE/BE RESPONSIBLE:   [T] to let someone else decide something or be responsible for something//  leave sth to sb//  -- Leave it to me. I’ll make sure it gets posted.//  --The choice of specialist subject is left entirely to the students.//  leave it (up) to sb to do sth//  --I’ll leave it up to you to decide.//  --She leaves it to the reader to draw their own conclusions.//  leave doing sth to sb//  --Is it okay if I leave writing the results to you?//  leave sth with sb//  --Leave it with me, I’ll fix it for you.//  --He’s not the sort to leave things to chance  (=take no action and just wait to see what happens) .//  leave sb with no choice/option (=force someone to take a particular action) //  --You leave me with no choice but to fire you.//  leave sb to do sth//   BrE //  --Clive moved to London, leaving Edward to run the Manchester office.//\n  11 HUSBAND/WIFE ETC:   [I and T] to stop living with or having a relationship with your husband, partner etc//  --Martha was always threatening to leave, but I never believed her.//  leave sb for sb//  --Mr Rushworth left his partner of 10 years for a younger woman.//\n  12 WHEN YOU DIE:   [T] //  a) to arrange for someone to receive your money, property, etc after you die//   bequeath//  --Aunt Alice died, leaving almost $5 million.//  leave sb sth//  --Hugo left me his mother’s ring.//  --In his will, he had left all his children a small sum of money.//  leave sth to sb/sth//  --Have you thought of leaving a gift to charity after you die?//  b)  leave a wife/children etc//  used when someone dies before their wife, children etc//  --PC Davis leaves a wife and three small children.//\n  13 MARK:   [T] to make a mark that remains afterwards//  leave a mark/stain/scar etc //  --The wine had left a permanent mark on the tablecloth.//  --He staggered to the door,  leaving a trail  of blood.//  --Make sure that you don’t leave any footprints.//\n  14 NOT EAT/DRINK:   [T] if you leave food or drink that you have been given, you do not eat or drink it//  --’I’m really hungry now.’ ’That’s because you left half your lunch.’//  --He rose from the table, leaving his brandy untouched .//\n  15  leave sb/sth standing:   also leave sb/sth in the dust  AmE //   informal to be much better, quicker, more successful etc than someone or something else//  --In terms of fitness, he discovered that Kate left him standing.//\n  16  leave a lot/sth/much to be desired:  to be very unsatisfactory//  --Inspectors say health and safety procedures at the factory leave a lot to be desired.//\n  17 MATHEMATICS:   [T] in a sum, to have a particular amount remaining//  --Three from seven leaves four.//\n  18  leave sth aside/to one side:  to not think about or consider one part of something for a time, so that you can consider another part of it//  -- Leaving aside for a moment the question of expense, what would your view be of the suggested changes?//\n  19  leave sb/sth be:   old-fashioned to not upset, speak to, or annoy someone or to not touch something//\n  20  leave go/hold of sth:   BrE  spoken  informal to stop holding something//\n  21  leave it to sb (to do sth):   AmE  spoken  informal used to say that no one should be surprised that someone does something, because it is typical or expected of them//  --Leave it to you to have the whole day planned out!//    sb can take it or leave it at take1 (21)//    be left holding the baby/bag at hold1 (26)//  leave behind [leave sb/sth → behind] phr v//\n  1 to not take someone or something with you when you leave a place:  --I think I might have left my wallet behind.//  --He departed for Washington, leaving the children behind with their mother.//\n  2 if a person, country, or organization is left behind, they do not develop as quickly or make as much progress as other people, countries etc:  --In class, a child with poor eyesight can soon get left behind.//  --a fear of being left behind by better-organized rivals//\n  3  also  leave sb/sth behind you :  to permanently stop being involved with a place, person, or situation//  --It’s time to leave the past behind .//  --Although Armstrong overcame the circumstances of his birth, he never really left New Orleans behind.//\n  4  also  leave sb/sth behind you :  to move away from someone or something//  --They had left the city behind and were heading into open country.//  --Sarah, with her long legs, soon left the rest of us far behind .//\n  5  also  leave sth behind you :  to produce a thing or situation that remains after you have gone//  --He drove off, leaving behind him a trail of blue smoke.//  --the mess the previous government left behind//  leave off phr v//\n  1 to stop doing something:  take up/pick up/continue (sth) etc where sb left off (=continue something that has stopped for a short time) //  --Barry took up the story where Justine had left off.//  leave off doing sth//   BrE  informal //  --’Will you leave off nagging?’ he snarled.//\n  2  leave sb/sth off (sth):  to not include something such as someone’s name in a list or other document//  --Why was her name left off the list?//  leave out [leave sb/sth →  out] phr v//\n  1 to not include someone or something:  --She outlined the case to him, being careful not to leave anything out.//  leave sb/sth out of sth//  --Kidd has been left out of the team.//\n  2  be/feel left out:  to feel that you are not accepted or welcome in a situation//  --New fathers often feel left out when baby arrives.//\n  3  leave it out!:   BrE  spoken used to tell someone to stop lying, pretending, or being annoying//\nleave 2 W2S3 n   ----------//\n   1 holiday:\n   2 maternity/sick/compassionate leave:\n   3 leave of absence:\n   4 permission:\n   5 without so much as a by your leave:\n   6 take leave of your senses:\n   7 take leave of somebody/take your leave:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: l[zB024]f]//\n  1 HOLIDAY:   [U] time that you are allowed to spend away from your work, especially in the armed forces//  --I’ve applied for three days’ leave.//  on leave//  --navy officers home on leave//  --Your basic annual leave is 20 days.//\n  2  maternity/sick/compassionate leave:  time that you are allowed to spend away from work because you have had a baby, because you are ill, or because of a personal problem such as the death of a relative//\n  3  leave of absence:  a period of time that you are allowed to spend away from work for a particular purpose//  --She’s been given leave of absence to attend a computer course.//\n  4 PERMISSION:   [U]  formal permission to do something//  --All this was done entirely without my leave.//  leave to do sth//  --a petition for leave to appeal to the European court//  grant/obtain/ask/seek etc leave (to do sth) //  --He asked leave to speak to her in private.//\n  5  without so much as a by your leave:   old-fashioned without asking permission, in a way that seems very rude//  --He marched into my office without so much as a by your leave.//\n  6  take leave of your senses:  to suddenly start behaving in a strange way//  --You want to marry him? Have you taken leave of your senses?//\n  7  take leave of sb/take your leave:   formal to say goodbye to someone//


Words: leaven
Meaning:
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: levain, from  Vulgar Latin levamen, from  Latin levare  ’to raise’]//\n  1 [U]  technical a substance, especially yeast, that is added to a mixture of flour and water so that it will swell and can be baked into bread:    unleavened//\n  2 [singular, U]  literary something that makes an event or situation less boring, serious, or sad:\nleaven 2 v [T]    formal to make something less boring, serious, or sad//


Words: Leavenworth
Meaning:
a town in the American state of Kansas, famous for its prison//  --He’s serving time at Leavenworth.//


Words: Leaves of Grass
Meaning:
(1855) a collection of poems by Walt  Whitman, written in  free verse (=poetry without regular patterns) , which strongly express his love of nature and his respect for freedom. These poems are important because they made free verse more acceptable and influenced later US writers.//


Words: Lebanon the Lebanon
Meaning:
a country in the Middle East on the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria. Population: 3,628,000 (2001). Capital: Beirut. There was a long civil war in the 1970s and 1980s which did a lot of damage to the country. The economic and political situation improved during the 1990s.//  -- Lebanese n  adj //


Words: lech
Meaning:
letch/let[hA35D]/ v   lech after/over [lech after/over sb] phr v//  [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: lecher]//  to show sexual desire for someone in a way that is unpleasant or annoying//  --a middle-aged man leching after young girls//


Words: lecher
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: lecheor, from  lechier  ’to lick’]//  a man who shows his sexual desire for women in a way that is unpleasant or annoying//


Words: lecherous
Meaning:
adj   a lecherous man shows his sexual desire for women in a way that is unpleasant or annoying//  --a lecherous old man//  -- lecherously adv //


Words: lechery
Meaning:
n [U]  old-fashioned   sexual desire or pleasure that is considered bad because it is not part of a romantic relationship//  --There was a hint of lechery in his eyes.//


Words: Lecter
Meaning:
Dr Hannibal   the main character in the book and film Silence of the Lambs, written by the US novelist Thomas Harris. Dr Lecter is a very intelligent, evil, and dangerous serial killer who eats people.//


Words: lectern
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: letrun, from  Medieval Latin lectorinum, from  Latin lector  ’reader’]//  an object with a sloping surface that you put an open book or notes on while you are speaking to people in public//


Words: lecture
Meaning:
W3S3   n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Late Latin; Origin: lectura  ’act of reading’, from  Latin legere  ’to read’]//\n  1 a long talk on a particular subject that someone gives to a group of people, especially to students in a university:    speech//  lecture on/about//  --a lecture on medieval art//  --a series of lectures about the British legal system//  give/deliver a lecture //  --He regularly gives lectures on modern French literature.//  go to/attend a lecture //  --Very few students ever attended his lectures.//  lecture hall/theatre/room //\n  2 an act of criticizing someone or warning them about something in a long, serious talk, in a way that they think is unfair or unnecessary:  lecture on/about//  --My father caught me and gave me a long lecture about the dangers of drink.//\nlecture 2 v \n  1 [T] to talk angrily or seriously to someone in order to criticize or warn them, in a way that they think is unfair or unnecessary:  --I wish you’d stop lecturing me!//  lecture sb about/on sth//  --He began to lecture us about making too much noise.//\n  2 [I] to talk to a group of people on a particular subject, especially to students in a university:  lecture on//  --He lectures on European art at Manchester University.//


Words: lecturer
Meaning:
n [C]   a) someone who gives lectures, especially in a university//  --She’s a brilliant lecturer.//  b) a teacher in a British university or college//  lecturer in//  --a lecturer in medieval studies at Edinburgh University//   see usage note  teacher//


Words: lectureship
Meaning:
n [C]   a teaching job at a university or college in Britain, in which you give lectures to students//  lectureship in//  --He was offered a lectureship in mathematics at Bristol University.//


Words: Leda
Meaning:
in Greek  mythology, the wife of the king of  Sparta, who had a sexual relationship with the god  Zeus, when he changed himself into a  swan (=a large white bird)  to visit her secretly//


Words: ledge
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  legge, an early form of   LAY1]//\n  1 a narrow flat piece of rock that sticks out on the side of a mountain or cliff:  --We crept carefully along the narrow ledge.//  --He leapt onto a ledge of rock.//\n  2 a narrow shelf:  --There’s some money on the window ledge  (=narrow shelf below the window) .//


Words: ledger
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  legge, an early form of   LAY1]//  a book in which a business, bank etc records how much money it receives and spends//


Words: Lee
Meaning:
Bruce   (1941-73) a Chinese actor, born in the US, who was famous for his skill at  kung fu (=an ancient Chinese style of fighting) , and who appeared in films such as  Enter the Dragon (1973)//\n General Robert E.   (1807-70) a US soldier who was the commander of the  Confederate army during the American Civil War. Many people consider him the best military leader in that war.//\n Laurie   (1914-97) a British writer and poet, who wrote  Cider with Rosie, which describes English country life when he was a child//\n Spike   (1957- ) a black US film  director who makes films about the lives of black people in the US, including  She’s Gotta Have It (1986),  Do The Right Thing (1989), and  Malcolm X (1992)//


Words: lee
Meaning:
n   [Sense: 1; Origin: Old English hleo]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: lie, from  Medieval Latin lia]//\n  1  in/under the lee of sth:  next to something, and protected from the wind by that thing//  --We sat in the lee of a tall hedge.//\n  2  the lees:   technical the thick substance that collects at the bottom of a bottle of wine//


Words: leech
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: l[zB024]ce]//\n  1 a small soft creature that fixes itself to the skin of animals in order to drink their blood:\n  2 someone who takes advantage of other people by taking their money, food etc:  --The family began to see him as a leech.//


Words: Leeds
Meaning:
a city in West Yorkshire, in the north of England, which is an important industrial and business centre//


Words: leek
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: leac]//  a vegetable with a long white stem and long flat green leaves, which tastes like an onion//


Words: leer
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  leer  ’cheek, face’ (11-19 centuries), from  Old English hleor]//  to look at someone in an unpleasant way that shows that you think they are sexually attractive//  leer at//  --She was sick of old men leering at her.//  -- leer n  [C] //


Words: leery
Meaning:
adj  informal   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  Perhaps from  leer  ’cheek’;   LEER]//  careful in the way that you deal with something or someone because you do not trust them//   wary//  leery of//  --I was very leery of him after I found out he had lied to Jennifer.//


Words: leeward
Meaning:
adj, adv \n  1 the leeward side of something is the side that is sheltered from the wind:  → windward//  --We camped on the leeward side of the mountain.//\n  2  technical a leeward direction is the same direction as the wind is blowing:  → windward//  to leeward//   (=in a leeward direction) //  --The ship cruised slowly to leeward.//


Words: Leeward Islands
Meaning:
the Leeward Islands//  a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, between Puerto Rico and Martinique, which includes the islands of Antigua, Montserrat, and Guadeloupe, and the Virgin Islands//


Words: leeway
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 freedom to do things in the way you want to:  leeway in//  --The government does not have much leeway in foreign policy.//  leeway to do sth//  --Try to give teenagers more leeway to make their own decisions.//\n  2  make up leeway:   BrE if you have to make up leeway, you have to do extra work because you have not done as much work as you should have done//  --We’ve got quite a lot of leeway to make up.//


Words: left
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   [Language: Old English; Origin: ’weak’]//\n  1 your left side is the side of your body that contains your heart:  → right//  --She held out her left hand.//  --a scar on the left side of his face//\n  2 on the same side of something as your left side:  → right//  --Take the next left turn.//  --the left bank of the river//  --a pile of papers on the left side of the desk//\n  3  have two left feet:   informal to move in an awkward way when you are running or doing a sport//  --a tall, clumsy-looking boy with two left feet//\n  4  the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing:  used to say that one part of a group or organization does not know what the other parts are doing//\nleft 2 adv   towards the direction or side that is on the left//  → right//  --Turn left just after the school.//\nleft 3 n \n  1  the left/sb’s left:  the side of your body that contains your heart//  → right//  on/to the left (of sth)//  --Take the next road on the left.//  --Our house is just to the left of the school.//  on/to sb’s left//  --On your left you can see the Houses of Parliament.//\n  2  (from) left to right:  from the left side to the right side of something//  --The photo shows, from left to right, his daughters Molly, Fiona, and Anne.//\n  3  the left/the Left:  political parties and groups that support the ideas and beliefs of socialism. They usually want large industries to be owned by the state, and to use taxes to help solve social problems//  → right//  --He has support from the Left.//  --politicians on the left of the party//  --The party is moving further to the left.//\n  4 [C] a hit made with your left hand:  → right//\n  5  take a left:   also hang a left  AmE //  to turn left//  --Take the next left (=turn left at the next road) .//\nleft 4 v   the past tense and past participle of leave1//


Words: Left Bank
Meaning:
the Left Bank//  an area of Paris on the south bank of the River Seine, famous from the 1890s for being popular with artists, writers, and students//


Words: left field
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 a position in baseball in the left side of the outfield:    right field//\n  2  out of/from left field:   informal something that comes out of left field is unexpected//  --People don’t know how to react when a question like that comes at them out of left field.//


Words: left luggage office
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a place in a station, airport etc where you can pay to leave your bags and collect them later//


Words: left-hand
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   on the left side of something//  → right-hand//  --We live about halfway down the street on the left-hand side .//


Words: left-handed
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a left-handed person uses their left hand for writing, throwing etc:  → right-handed//\n  2 [only before noun] left-handed tools have been made for left-handed people to use:  --left-handed scissors//\n  3  left-handed compliment:   AmE a statement that seems to express admiration or praise, but at the same time is insulting//  British Equivalent:  backhanded compliment//


Words: left-of-centre
Meaning:
adj  BrE  left-of-center AmE   supporting ideas and aims that are between the centre and the left in politics//  → right-of-centre//  --a modern left-of-centre party with wide appeal//


Words: left-wing
Meaning:
adj   a left-wing person or group supports the political aims of groups such as Socialists and Communists//  → right-wing//  --a left-wing newspaper//  --a left-wing political organization.//  --She’s got very left-wing views.//  -- left wing n  [singular] //  --the left wing of the Labour party//  -- left-winger n  [C] //  --She is supported by left-wingers in the party.//


Words: leftist
Meaning:
adj   supporting left-wing ideas or groups//  → rightist//  --a coalition of leftist parties//  -- leftist n  [C] //  --a group of radical leftists//


Words: leftover
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   remaining after all the rest has been used, taken, or eaten//  --leftover vegetables//  --a few pieces of leftover carpet//\nleftover 2 n \n  1  leftovers [plural] food that has not been eaten at the end of a meal:  --Give the leftovers to the dog.//\n  2 [singular] something from an earlier time that still remains, even though it is not really useful or important any more:   hangover//  leftover from//  --The headmaster was a leftover from the Victorian era.//


Words: lefty
Meaning:
leftie/lefti/ n   plural  lefties  [C] //\n  1  informal  especially BrE someone who has left-wing political ideas - used to show disapproval,:  --a group of liberals and lefties//\n  2  informal  especially AmE someone who uses their left hand for writing, throwing etc:  -- lefty adj //  --I don’t get on with his lefty friends.//


Words: leg
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 body part:\n   2 meat:\n   3 furniture:\n   4 clothing:\n   5 journey/race:\n   6 sport:\n   7 not have a leg to stand on:\n   8 get your leg over:\n   9 have legs:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old Norse; Origin: leggr]//\n  1 BODY PART:   [C] one of the long parts of your body that your feet are joined to, or a similar part on an animal or insect//  --a young boy with skinny legs//  --She fell and broke her leg.//  four-legged/long-legged etc //  --four-legged animals//\n  2 MEAT:   [U and C] the leg of an animal when it is cooked and eaten as food//  --roast leg of lamb//  arm, cushion, leg//\n  3 FURNITURE:   [C] one of the upright parts that support a piece of furniture//  --One of the legs on the table was a bit wobbly.//  --a chair leg//  --a three-legged stool//\n  4 CLOTHING:   [C] the part of your trousers that covers your leg//  --The legs of my jeans were covered in mud.//  --He rolled up his trouser legs and waded out into the stream.//\n  5 JOURNEY/RACE:   [C] one part of a long journey or race//  leg of//  --the final leg of the Tour de France//\n  6 SPORT:   [C]  BrE one of the series of games in a football competition played between two teams//  --Leeds will have to win the second leg if they are to go forward to the finals.//\n  7  not have a leg to stand on:   informal to be in a situation where you cannot prove or legally support what you say//  --If you didn’t sign a contract, you won’t have a leg to stand on.//\n  8  get your leg over:   BrE  informal  not polite to have sex with someone//\n  9  have legs:   AmE  informal if a piece of news has legs, people continue to be interested in it and talk about it//    on its last legs at last1 (9),  on your last legs at last1 (8),  pull sb’s leg at pull1 (11),  leg-pull,  leg-up,  peg leg,  sea legs//    shake a leg at shake1 (9)//    show a leg at show1 (23)//    stretch your legs at stretch1 (7)//\nleg 2 v   past tense and past participle  legged present participle  legging  BrE  informal //  leg it//  to run in order to escape from someone or something//  --We saw him coming, and legged it out of the house.//


Words: leg room
Meaning:
n [U]   space for your legs in front of the seats in a car, theatre etc//  --There wasn’t enough leg room.//


Words: leg-pull
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]    BrE a joke in which you make someone believe something that is not true//  --My first reaction was that this must be a leg-pull.//    pull sb’s leg at pull1 (11)//


Words: leg-up
Meaning:
n   give sb a leg-up//   informal //  a) to help someone to get up to a high place by joining your hands together so they can use them as a step//  b)  BrE to help someone succeed in their job//


Words: legacy
Meaning:
n   plural  legacies  [C] //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: legacie  ’position of a legate’, from  Latin legatus;   LEGATE]//\n  1 something that happens or exists as a result of things that happened at an earlier time:  legacy of//  --The invasion left a legacy of hatred and fear.//  legacy from//  --a legacy from the colonial period//\n  2 money or property that you receive from someone after they die:   inheritance//  --She received a small legacy from her aunt.//


Words: legal
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: Latin legalis, from  lex  ’law’]//\n  1 if something is legal, you are allowed to do it or have to do it by law:  → illegal//  --What the company has done is perfectly legal.//  --plans to make the carrying of identity cards a legal requirement//  --He had twice the legal limit of alcohol in his bloodstream.//  --a pressure group that is campaigning to make cannabis legal .//\n  2 [only before noun] concerned with or relating to the law:  --free legal advice //  --a costly legal dispute//  --the Scottish legal system //  the legal profession (=lawyers) //\n  3  legal action/proceedings:  the use of the legal system to settle an argument, put right an unfair situation etc//  --She threatened to take legal action against the hospital.//    legally//


Words: legal aid
Meaning:
n [U]   a system in which a government gives money to people who need a lawyer but cannot afford to pay for one//  --They have been granted legal aid and now intend to take their case to court.//


Words: legal holiday
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   an official holiday on which most government offices and banks are closed//  British Equivalent:  bank holiday//


Words: legal pad
Meaning:
n [C]   a book containing sheets of yellow writing paper with lines on it, of a type sold in the US//


Words: legality
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] the fact of being allowed by law:  legality of//  --Several ministers have questioned the legality of the ban.//\n  2  legalities [plural] the formal, legal parts of an agreement:  --We’ve sold the house and are just waiting to complete all the legalities.//


Words: legalize
Meaning:
also  legalise BrE   v [T]   to make something legal so that people are allowed to do it//  → criminalize//  --Abortion was legalized in the 1960s.//  -- legalization/li[hA359]g[hA353]la[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ -l[hA353]-/ n  [U] //  --a campaign calling for the legalization of certain drugs//


Words: legally
Meaning:
adv \n  1 according to the law:  --They are still legally married.//  --Which of them is legally responsible for the accident?//  --a legally binding agreement//\n  2 if you can do something legally, you are allowed to do it by law:  → illegally//  --The station can now broadcast legally.//


Words: legate
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: legat, from  Latin legatus, from the past participle of  legare  ’to send as a representative, leave after your death’, from  lex;   LEGAL]//  an important official representative, especially an official representative of the Pope//


Words: legatee
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: legate  ’to leave after death’ (16-21 centuries), from  Latin legatus;   LEGATE]//   law someone who receives money or property from a person who has died//


Words: legation
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a group of government officials who work in a foreign country and represent their own government in that country:  --a member of the British legation in Peking//\n  2 the building or office where a legation works:


Words: legato
Meaning:
adj, adv  technical   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Italian; Origin: ’tied’]//  music that is played legato is played very smoothly, so that each note connects to the next one without a pause//


Words: legend
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: legende, from  Medieval Latin legenda, from  Latin legere  ’to gather, choose, read’]//\n  1 [U and C] an old, well-known story, often about brave people, adventures, or magical events:    myth//  legend of//  --the legend of St George and the dragon//  --ancient Greek legends//  according to legend//  --According to legend, he escaped by leaping from the cliffs into the sea.//  -- Legend has it that prisoners were brought here to be executed.//\n  2 [C] someone who is famous and admired for being extremely good at doing something:  tennis/footballing/music etc legend //  --We must put more money into the sport if we want to create the tennis legends of the future.//  --a marvellous player who was a legend in his own lifetime .//    living legend at living1 (6)//\n  3 [C]  literary words that have been written somewhere, for example on a sign:  --A sign above the door bore the legend `patience is a virtue’.//\n  4 [C]  technical the words that explain a picture or map:


Words: Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Meaning:
The   (1820) a popular story by Washington  Irving in which the main character, Ichabod  Crane, rides quickly through a frightening place called Sleepy Hollow because he thinks he is being chased by a Headless Horseman//


Words: legendary
Meaning:
adj \n  1 very famous and admired:  --Lonnie Johnson, the legendary blues guitarist//  --Her singing was legendary.//\n  2 [only before noun] talked about in a legend:    mythical//  --The cave is the home of a legendary giant.//


Words: legerdemain
Meaning:
n [U]  old-fashioned   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: leger de main  ’light of hand’]//  when you deceive people cleverly//  --economic legerdemain//


Words: leggings
Meaning:
n [plural] \n  1 tight trousers for women, which stretch to fit the shape of your body:\n  2 a pair of trousers that you wear over other clothes to protect your legs:


Words: leggy
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a woman or child who is leggy has long legs:  --a leggy fifteen-year old blonde//\n  2 a leggy plant has grown too tall very quickly and its stem cannot support its weight very well:


Words: legible
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Late Latin; Origin: legibilis, from  Latin legere;   LEGEND]//  written or printed clearly enough for you to read//  → illegible//  --Her handwriting was so tiny it was barely legible.//  -- legibly adv //  -- legibility/led[hA360][hA369]b[hA366]l[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //


Words: legion
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin legio, from  legere;   LEGEND]//\n  1 a large group of soldiers, especially in ancient Rome:\n  2  literary a large number of people:\nlegion 2 adj [not before noun]    literary very many//   numerous//  --The stories of her adventures were legion.//


Words: legionnaire
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: legionnaire, from  legion;   LEGION1]//  a member of a legion, especially the French Foreign Legion//


Words: legislate
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: legislator]//\n  1 to make a law about something:  legislate on//  --Only Parliament has the power to legislate on constitutional matters.//  legislate for/against//  --The government has promised to legislate against discrimination.//  --We must legislate for equal pay.//  legislate to do sth//  --We must legislate to control these drugs.//\n  2  legislate for sth:  to think about how something may affect what you are doing, and do something to prepare for it//  --You can’t legislate for bad luck.//


Words: legislation
Meaning:
W2   n [U]   a law or set of laws//  --This is a very important piece of legislation  (=law) .//  legislation on//  --the legislation on abortion//  legislation to do sth//  --new legislation to protect children//  introduce/bring in legislation //  --The government has promised to bring in new legislation to combat this problem.//  under new/existing/current etc legislation//  --Both individuals and companies can be prosecuted under the new legislation.//


Words: legislative
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   concerned with making laws//  --The new assemblies will have no legislative power .//  legislative assembly/council/body etc (=one with the power to make laws) //  --the main legislative body of the EC//  --new legislative measures to stem the flow of drugs into the US//  -- legislative elections //


Words: legislator
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: legis lator  ’suggester of a law’]//  someone who has the power to make laws or belongs to an institution that makes laws//


Words: legislature
Meaning:
n [C]   an institution that has the power to make or change laws//  state/national/federal etc legislature //  --the state legislature of Virginia//


Words: legit
Meaning:
adj [not before noun]  spoken  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: legitimate]//\n  1 legal or allowed by official rules:  --Don’t worry, the deal’s strictly legit.//\n  2 honest and not trying to deceive people:  --Are you sure he’s legit?//


Words: legitimate
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: , past participle of  legitimare  ’to legitimize’, from  Latin legitimus  ’legitimate’, from  lex  ’law’]//\n  1 fair or reasonable:  --That’s a perfectly legitimate question.//  --Most scientists believe it is legitimate to use animals in medical research.//\n  2 acceptable or allowed by law:  --Their business operations are perfectly legitimate.//\n  3 a legitimate child is born to parents who are legally married to each other:  → illegitimate//  -- legitimately adv //  --a legitimately elected government//  --He complained quite legitimately about his treatment.//  -- legitimacy n  [U] //  --Opponents have questioned the legitimacy of the ruling.//\nlegitimate 2   v [T]   the usual American form of legitimize//


Words: legitimize
Meaning:
also  legitimise BrE   v [T]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: legitimus;   LEGITIMATE]//\n  1 to make something that is unfair or morally wrong seem acceptable and right:  --There is a danger that these films legitimize violence.//\n  2 to make something official or legal:  --Acceptance by the UN would effectively legitimize the regime.//\n  3 when parents legitimize a child, they get married so that the child becomes legitimate1(3):


Words: legume
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: legume, from  Latin legumen, from  legere;   LEGEND]//  a plant such as a bean plant that has seeds in a pod (=a long thin case) //  -- leguminous/l[hA366]gju[hA359]m[hA369]n[hA353]s/ adj //


Words: legwork
Meaning:
n [U]    informal the hard boring work that has to be done in order to achieve something//  --He has a team of volunteers who do most of the legwork for him.//


Words: Leibniz
Meaning:
Gottfried Wilhelm, Baron von   (1646-1716) a German  philosopher and  mathematician who invented  calculus at the same time as  Newton//


Words: Leicester Square
Meaning:
a  square in central London which has several cinemas, restaurants, shops, and  amusement arcades. It is a popular place for tourists and young people.//


Words: Leigh
Meaning:
Vivien   (1913-67) a British actress, famous for her beauty and for appearing as the characters Scarlett  O’Hara in the film  Gone With The Wind (1939) and Blanche Dubois in the film  A Streetcar Named Desire (1951). She was married to Laurence  Olivier for many years.//


Words: Leipzig
Meaning:
a city in eastern central Germany, which has a famous university and is an important centre for business//


Words: leisure
Meaning:
W3   n [U]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: leisir, from  leisir  ’to be allowed’, from  Latin licere;   LICENSE1]//\n  1 time when you are not working or studying and can relax and do things you enjoy:  --Most people now enjoy shorter working hours and more leisure time .//  --Watching television is now the nation’s most popular leisure activity .//  --The hotel offers various leisure facilities such as a swimming pool and sauna.//  --The leisure industry  (=the business of providing leisure activities) is now an important part of the economy.//\n  2  at (your) leisure:  if you do something at your leisure, you do it slowly and without hurrying//  --Come round for lunch and then we can discuss it at leisure.//  --Take the leaflets home and read them at your leisure.//\n  3  gentleman/lady of leisure:  someone who does not have to work - used humorously//


Words: leisured
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1 leisured people do not have to work because they are rich:  --the leisured aristocracy//\n  2 doing things slowly because you feel relaxed and are enjoying yourself:  --They seemed to live a very leisured life.//


Words: leisurely
Meaning:
adj   if you do something in a leisurely way, you do it in a slow, relaxed way, without hurrying//  --After lunch we went for a leisurely stroll.//  --working at a leisurely pace//  -- leisurely adv //  --He sipped leisurely at his drink.//


Words: leitmotif
Meaning:
leitmotiv/la[hA366]tm[hA353][hA35E]ti[hA359]f $ -mo[hA35E]-/ n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: German; Origin: leitmotiv, from  leiten  ’to lead’ +  motiv  ’motive’ (from  French motif)]//\n  1  technical a musical phrase that is repeated several times during a long musical work and represents a particular character or idea:\n  2 something that is seen or heard very many times and so becomes a typical feature of a place, time, or person:  --Her designs in clothing became a leitmotif of the 1970s.//


Words: lemming
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Norwegian]//  a small animal that looks like a rat. Lemmings are known for following each other in large numbers and killing themselves by jumping off cliffs into the sea.//


Words: lemon
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: limon, from  Medieval Latin limo, from  Arabic laymun]//\n  1 [U and C] a fruit with a hard yellow skin and sour juice:  --a slice of lemon//  --Add a few drops of lemon juice.//\n  2 [U]  BrE a drink that tastes of lemons:  --a glass of fizzy lemon//\n  3  also  lemon yellow:   [U] a pale yellow colour//\n  4 [C]  especially AmE  informal something that is useless because it fails to work or to work properly:  --I soon realized the van was a lemon.//\n  5 [C]  BrE  informal a silly person:  --He just stood there looking like a real lemon.//\nlemon 2 adj  also lemon yellow   pale yellow in colour//


Words: lemon sole
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  lemon from  French limande type of flat fish]//  a type of flat fish that is cooked and eaten//


Words: lemonade
Meaning:
S3   n [U and C] \n  1  BrE a sweet fizzy drink that tastes of lemons:  --a glass of lemonade//  --Would you like a lemonade?//\n  2 a drink made from lemons, sugar, and water:


Words: lemur
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: lemures  ’ghosts’]//  an animal that looks like a monkey and has a long thick tail//


Words: lend
Meaning:
W3S3   v   past tense and past participle  lent /lent///  [Language: Old English; Origin: l[zB024]nan, from  l[zB024]n;   LOAN1]//\n  1 :  a)  [T] to let someone borrow money or something that belongs to you for a short time//    borrow//  lend sth to sb//  --I lent my CD player to Dave and I haven’t got it back yet.//  lend sb sth//  --The hospital agreed to lend us a wheelchair.//  --Can you lend me [hA124]10 until tomorrow?//  b)  [I and T] if a bank or financial institution lends money, it lets someone have it on condition that they pay it back later, often gradually, with an additional amount as interest//  --The government is trying to encourage the banks to lend more.//  lend sth to sb//  --A lot of banks are unwilling to lend money to new businesses.//  lend sb sth//  --The building society agreed to lend us [hA124]60,000.//\n  2  lend (sb) a hand:  to help someone do something, especially something that needs physical effort//  --Can you lend me a hand with this?//\n  3 [T]  formal to give a situation, event etc a particular quality:  lend sth to sth//  --The presence of members of the royal family lent a certain dignity to the ceremony.//\n  4  lend an ear:  to listen to someone, especially in a sympathetic way//  --He’s always prepared to lend a sympathetic ear.//\n  5  lend itself to sth:  to be suitable for being used in a particular way//  --None of her books really lends itself to being made into a film.//\n  6  lend (your) support (to sth):  to support or help someone//  --The government has now lent its support to the campaign.//\n  7  lend weight/support to sth:  to make an opinion or belief seem more likely to be correct//  --The police have new evidence which lends weight to their theory.//\n  8  lend your name to sth:  to announce publicly that you support something that someone is trying to do//  --The French prime minister has now lent his name to the protest.//


Words: lender
Meaning:
n [C]   a person or organization that lends money to people on condition that they pay it back//  --Several lenders are offering very attractive rates of interest at the moment.//


Words: lending rate
Meaning:
n [C]   the rate of interest1(4) that you have to pay to a bank or other financial institution when you borrow money from them//   interest rate//


Words: length
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 size:\n   2 time:\n   3 books/films etc:\n   4 run/stretch/walk etc the (full) length of something:\n   5 shoulder-length/knee-length etc:\n   6 go to some/great/any lengths (to do something):\n   7 at (some/great etc) length:\n   8 the length and breadth of the area/country/land etc:\n   9 piece:\n  10 in races:\n  11 swimming:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: lengthu, from  lang;   LONG1]//\n  1 SIZE:   [U and C] the measurement of how long something is from one end to the other//    breadth, width//  --We measured the length and width of the living room.//  a length of 1 metre/2 feet etc //  --Some fish can grow to a length of four feet.//\n  2 feet/10 metres etc in length :  --The hotel pool is 15 metres in length.//  --You’ll need several pieces of string of different lengths.//\n  2 TIME:   [U and C] the amount of time that you spend doing something or that something continues//    duration//  length of//  --Your pension will depend on your length of employment.//  --What’s the average length of stay in hospital?//  (not) for any length of time (=not for very long) //  --He wasn’t left alone for any length of time.//\n  3 BOOKS/FILMS ETC:   [U and C] the amount of writing in a book, or the amount of time that a film, play etc continues//  length of//  --We had to cut the length of the book by one third.//  of this length//  --Films of this length (=as long as this) are pretty unusual.//\n  4  run/stretch/walk etc the (full) length of sth:  to go or move from one end to the other of something//  --The wall ran the full length of the garden.//  --They walked the length of the pier.//\n  5  shoulder-length/knee-length etc:  reaching down as far as your shoulders etc//  --shoulder-length hair//  --an ankle-length dress//\n  6  go to some/great/any lengths (to do sth):  to try very hard or to do whatever is necessary to achieve something that is important to you//  --He went to great lengths to keep their name out of the papers.//  --Bella would go to any lengths to fulfil her ambition.//\n  7  at (some/great etc) length:  a) if you talk at length about something, you talk about it for a long time//  speak/talk etc at length //  --The young people spoke at length about their experiences.//  --We’ve already discussed the subject at great length.//  b)  literary after a long time//  --’I don’t agree,’ she said at length.//\n  8  the length and breadth of the area/country/land etc:  in or through every part of a large area//  --The police searched the length and breadth of the country.//\n  9 PIECE:   [C] a piece of something long and thin//  a length of rope/pipe/wire etc //\n  10 IN RACES:   [C] the measurement of a horse, boat etc from one end to the other - used when saying how far the horse, boat etc is ahead of another//  by a/one/two etc lengths//  --The horse won by three lengths.//\n  11 SWIMMING:   [C] the distance from one end of a swimming pool to the other//  do/swim a length //  --She does at least 20 lengths a day.//    hold sth at arm’s length at arm1 (8),  keep/hold sb at arm’s length at arm1 (9),  full-length1 //


Words: lengthen
Meaning:
v [I and T]   to make something longer or to become longer//  → shorten//  --Can you lengthen this skirt for me?//  --The days lengthened as summer approached.//


Words: lengthy
Meaning:
adj   comparative  lengthier superlative  lengthiest  [usually before noun] //\n  1 continuing for a long time, often too long:  → brief//  --A lengthy period of training is required.//  --An accident is causing some lengthy delays.//\n  2 a speech, piece of writing etc that is lengthy is long and often contains too many details:  --a lengthy report//


Words: lenient
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  lenire  ’to soften’]//  not strict in the way you punish someone or in the standard you expect//  --the lenient sentences handed down by some judges//  --School examiners say that marking has become more lenient in recent years.//  -- leniently adv //  -- leniency also lenience //   n  [U] //  --the trend towards greater leniency for most offenders//


Words: Lenin
Meaning:
Vladimir Ilyich   (1870-1924) a Russian Marxist  revolutionary and writer who was leader of the Bolshevik party and first leader of the Soviet Union (1918-24)//


Words: Leningrad
Meaning:
the name of the Russian city of  St Petersburg during the time when Russia was part of the former  Soviet Union. It was named after  Lenin, the first leader of the  Soviet Union.//


Words: Leninism
Meaning:
the teachings of Lenin, based on those of Karl Marx, regarding political, economic, and social matters //   Marxism-Leninism//


Words: Lennon
Meaning:
John   (1940-80) a British singer and songwriter, who was a member of The  Beatles, and wrote most of their songs with Paul  McCartney. After The Beatles separated, he continued to write and sing songs, especially about peace and love, including  Give Peace a Chance and  Imagine. He was married to the artist Yoko Ono. He was shot and killed outside his home in New York City.//


Words: lens
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: ’lentil’; because of its shape]//\n  1 the part of a camera through which the light travels before it reaches the film:  --a standard 50mm lens//\n  2 a piece of curved glass or plastic which makes things look bigger, smaller, or clearer when you look through it:  --glasses with powerful lenses//  --the lens of the microscope//\n  3 the clear part inside your eye that focuses so you can see things clearly:\n  4 a contact lens:


Words: Lent
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin: Lenten  ’springtime, Lent’ (11-17 centuries), from  Old English lengten; because the days get longer in spring]//  the 40 days before Easter when some Christians eat less food or stop doing something that they enjoy//  -- Lenten adj //


Words: lentil
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: lentille, from  Latin lenticula, from  lens;   LENS]//  a small round seed like a bean, dried and used for food//


Words: Leo
Meaning:
n   plural  Leos //  [Date: 900-1000; Language: Latin; Origin: ’lion’]//\n  1 [U] the fifth sign of the zodiac, represented by a lion, which some people believe affects the character and life of people born between July 24 and August 23:\n  2 [C] someone who was born between July 24 and August 23:


Words: Leonardo da Vinci
Meaning:
(1452-1519) an Italian painter, inventor, and scientist of the  Renaissance period, who is one of the greatest artists and  geniuses who ever lived. His most famous paintings are ’The Mona Lisa’ and ’The Last Supper’. As a scientist and engineer, he made many important discoveries and designed and invented many machines, including one that looks similar to a modern helicopter.//


Words: Leone
Meaning:
Sergio   (1921-89) an Italian film  director famous for his  spaghetti westerns (=films about the American West in the 19th century, made in Europe by Italian directors) , such as  A Fistful of Dollars (1964) and  The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)//


Words: leonine
Meaning:
adj  literary   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: leoninus, from  leo;   LEO]//  like a lion in character or appearance//


Words: leopard
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: leupart, from  Late Latin leopardus, from  Greek, from  leon  ’lion’ +  pardos  ’leopard’]//\n  1 a large animal of the cat family, with yellow fur and black spots, which lives in Africa and South Asia:\n  2  a leopard can’t change its spots:  used to say that people cannot change their character//


Words: leotard
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Jules  Leotard (1830-70), French trapeze artist who invented it]//  a tight piece of clothing that looks a little like a woman’s swimsuit and is worn for exercise or dancing, especially by women//


Words: LEP
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  AmE  technical   limited English proficient relating to someone whose first language is not English and who cannot communicate very well in English//  --The number of LEP students has risen since 1993.//


Words: leper
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: leper  ’leprosy’ (13-16 centuries), from  Old French, from  Late Latin lepra, from  Greek, from  lepein  ’to remove skin’]//\n  1 someone who has leprosy:\n  2 someone that people avoid because they have done something that people disapprove of:  --They treated me as if I was a leper.//


Words: leprechaun
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Irish Gaelic; Origin: leipreachan, from  Middle Irish luchorpan  ’small body’]//  an imaginary creature in the form of a little old man, in old Irish stories//


Words: leprosy
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: leprous  (12-21 centuries), from  Late Latin leprosus, from  lepra;   LEPER]//  a very serious infectious disease in which the flesh and nerves are gradually destroyed//  -- leprous adj //


Words: Lerwick
Meaning:
a town and port which is the capital of the Shetland Islands. Lerwick is on Mainland island and is a centre of the fishing industry.//


Words: Les Miserables
Meaning:
also Les Miz  informal   a  musical (=a play that uses song and dance to tell a story)  which is one of the most popular stage shows ever and has been performed all over the world. It is based on a novel by Victor  Hugo, and tells the story of a failed  revolution in 19th century France.//


Words: lesbian
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: Lesbian  ’of the Greek island Lesbos’ (17-21 centuries), home of the 7th-century BC female poet Sappho, who was said to be homosexual]//  a woman who is sexually attracted to other women//  -- lesbian adj //  -- lesbianism n  [U] //


Words: lesion
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: Latin laesio, from  laedere  ’to injure’]//  damage to someone’s skin or part of their body such as their stomach or brain, caused by injury or illness//  --acute gastric lesions//


Words: Lesotho
Meaning:
a country in South Africa that has a lot of mountains, and is completely surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is a member of the British  Commonwealth. Population: 2,177,000 (2001). Capital: Maseru.//


Words: less
Meaning:
adv \n  1 not so much or to a smaller degree:  → more//  --Maybe he would worry less if he understood the situation.//  --In recent years she has appeared in public less frequently.//  less (...) than//  --Tickets were less expensive than I had expected.//  much/a lot/far less //  --Social class matters a lot less than it used to.//  not ... any the less/no less (=not less) //  --Your second point is no less important.//  --It’s a common problem but this doesn’t make it any the less disturbing.//  --I know he’s done a dreadful thing, but I don’t love him any the less.//  be less a... than a... (=be not so much like one thing as another) //  --’Will you please come with me?’ It was less a request than a command.//\n  2  less than helpful/honest/enthusiastic etc:  not at all helpful, honest etc//  --He was less than enthusiastic about the idea.//\n  3  less and less:  used to say that a quality, situation etc gradually decreases//  → more and more//  --As the years went by, he seemed to care less and less about his reputation.//  --Smoking in the workplace is becoming less and less acceptable.//\n  4  much/still less:  used to say that a greater thing is even less true, likely, or possible than the thing you have just mentioned//  --These people can scarcely afford to buy food, still less luxury goods like perfume.//  --I didn’t think Dave would ever read a book, much less write one himself.//\nless 2 determiner, pron \n  1 :  a) a smaller amount or not as much//  → more//  --Doctors recommend eating less salt.//  --People today seem to have less time for each other.//  --Most of us got [hA124]4 an hour, but some received even less.//  less of//  --The map covered less of the area than I’d thought.//  --Flying is less of a risk than driving.//  less (...) than//  --She knows less than I do about it.//  less than 10/100 etc //  --a distance of less than 100 metres//  much/a lot less //  --It costs much less to go by bus.//  b) used to mean ’fewer’ or ’not as many’, although many people think this use is incorrect//  → more//  --There were less people there than we expected. see usage note  few//\n  2  no less:  a) used to emphasize that an amount or number is large//  no less than//  --By 1977, the USA was importing no less than 45% of its oil.//  b) used to emphasize that the person or thing you are talking about is important or impressive//  --Our awards were presented by the mayor, no less.//  --The message came from no less a person than the prime minister.//\n  3  nothing less than sth:  used to emphasize how important, serious, or impressive something is//  --His appearance in the show was nothing less than a sensation.//\n  4  less and less:  a decreasing amount of something//  → more and more//  --They began spending less and less time together.//  less and less of//  --The band was doing less and less of that kind of music.//\n  5  in less than no time:  very quickly or very soon//  --In less than no time they found that they owed over $10,000.//\n  6  less of sth:   BrE  spoken used to tell a child to stop doing something//  --Less of that noise, please!//\nless 3 prep  formal   taking away or not including a particular amount//  --What is 121 less 36?//  --He gave us our money back, less the $2 service charge.//


Words: lessee
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: , from the past participle of  lesser;   LEASE2]//   law someone who is allowed to use a house, building, land etc for a period of time in return for payment to the owner//    lessor//


Words: lessen
Meaning:
v [I and T]   to become smaller in size, importance, or value, or make something do this//   reduce//  lessen the risk/chance/possibility etc (of sth) //  --Exercise lessens the risk of heart disease.//  lessen the impact/effect/importance (of sth) //  --The new project will lessen the effects of car pollution.//  --Gradually her anxiety lessened.//


Words: lesser
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1  formal not as large, as important, or as much as something else:  → greater//  --They originally asked for $5 million, but finally settled for a lesser sum.//  to a lesser extent/degree //  --This was true in Madrid, and to a lesser extent, Valencia and Seville.//    lesser mortals at mortal2 ,  to a greater or lesser extent at extent(1)//\n  2  the lesser of two evils:   also  the lesser evil//  the less unpleasant or harmful of two unpleasant choices//\n  3  technical used in the names of some types of animal, bird, or plant that are slightly smaller than the main type:  -- lesser adv //  --the lesser-known artists of the period//  --one of Glasgow’s lesser used venues//


Words: Lessing
Meaning:
Doris   (1919- ) a British writer of novels and short stories, born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). She wrote  The Grass is Singing,  The Golden Notebook, and a set of five novels,  The Children of Violence, concerning politics and  feminism.//


Words: lesson
Meaning:
W3S2   n [C]   ----------//\n   1 learning a skill:\n   2 in school:\n   3 experience:\n   4 book:\n   5 church:  ----------//  [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: le[hA168]on, from  Latin lectio  ’act of reading’, from  legere;   LEGEND]//\n  1 LEARNING A SKILL:  a period of time in which someone is taught a particular skill, for example how to play a musical instrument or drive a car//  --piano lessons//  have/take lessons //  --She’s started taking driving lessons.//  lesson in/on//  --lessons in First Aid//  --lessons in road safety//\n  2 IN SCHOOL:   BrE a period of time in which school students are taught a particular subject//  American Equivalent:  class//  --Lessons start at 9 o’clock.//  French/physics/art etc lesson //  --I’ve got a double maths lesson next.//  lesson in/on//  --Andrew gives private lessons in Spanish.//\n  3 EXPERIENCE:  something that provides experience or information that you can learn from and use//  learn a lesson (=gain useful experience or information) //  --There were important lessons to be learned from these discoveries.//  --The government has failed to learn the lessons of history .//  lesson to//  --The men’s courage and faith is a lesson to us all.//  --Now let that be a lesson to you all (=be careful to avoid having the same bad experience again) .//  --Her fate should be a salutary lesson  (=one that teaches or warns you about something) .//\n  4 BOOK:  a part of a book that is used for learning a particular subject, especially in school//  --Turn to lesson 25.//\n  5 CHURCH:  a short piece that is read from the Bible during a religious ceremony//    sb has learned their lesson at learn(5)//    teach sb a lesson at teach(6)//


Words: lessor
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: lessour, from  lesser;   LEASE2]//   law someone who allows someone else to use their house, building, land etc for a period of time for payment//    lessee//


Words: lest
Meaning:
conj  literary   [Language: Old English; Origin: thy l[zB024]s the  ’by which less that’]//\n  1 in order to make sure that something will not happen:  --She turned away from the window lest anyone see them.//\n  2 used to show that someone is afraid or worried that a particular thing might happen:  worried/concerned/anxious etc lest ... //  --He paused, afraid lest he say too much.//  --She worried lest he should tell someone what had happened.//


Words: let
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  let present participle  letting //  ----------//\n   1 allow:\n   2 not stop something happening:\n   3 let go:\n   4 let somebody go:\n   5 suggest/offer:\n   6 let’s see:\n   7 let me think:\n   8 let him/her/them etc:\n   9 let’s face it/let’s be honest:\n  10 let’s just say (that):\n  11 let yourself go:\n  12 let something go:\n  13 wish:\n  14 let alone:\n  15 let something drop/rest/lie:\n  16 let slip:\n  17 rent:\n  18 mathematics:\n  19 let yourself in for something:\n  20 never let a day/week/year etc go by without doing something:\n  21 let the good times roll:\n  22 let somebody have it:  Phrasal verbs//   let  somebody/something → down//   let somebody in on something//   let somebody/something into something//   let  somebody/something off//   let on//   let out//   let up//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: l[zB024]tan]//\n  1 ALLOW:   [T not in passive] to allow someone to do something//    permit//  --I can’t come out tonight - my dad won’t let me.//  let sb do sth//  --Let Johnny have a go on the computer now.//  --Some people seem to let their kids do whatever they like.//  --Let me have a look at that letter.//  let sb have sth//   (=give something to someone) //  --I can let you have another [hA124]10, but no more.//\n  2 NOT STOP SOMETHING HAPPENING:   [T not usually in passive] to not stop something happening, or to make it possible for it to happen//  let sb/sth do sth //  --Jenny let the note fall to the ground.//  --Don’t let anyone know it was me who told you.//  --Max let the door swing open.//  --Let the cookies cool down before you try them.//  let yourself be beaten/persuaded/fooled etc //  --I stupidly let myself be persuaded to take part in a live debate.//\n  3  let go:  a) to stop holding something or someone//  --Let go! You’re hurting me.//  let go of//  --The guard let go of the lead, and the dog lunged forward.//  b) to accept that you cannot change something and stop thinking or worrying about it//  --Sometimes you just have to learn to let go.//\n  4  let sb go:  a) to allow someone to leave a place where they have been kept//   release//  --The police had to let him go through lack of evidence.//  --The hijackers were persuaded to let hostages go.//  b) to make someone leave their job - used in order to avoid saying this directly//  --I’m afraid we had to let several of our staff go.//\n  5  spoken SUGGEST/OFFER:   [T not in passive] used to make a suggestion or to offer help//  let’s do sth//  --Let’s make a start, shall we?//  --Let’s all get together over Christmas.//  -- Let’s not jump to conclusions - he might have been delayed.//  let sb do sth//  --Let me help you with those bags.//  --Let me give you a piece of advice.//  let’s hope (that) //  --Let’s hope he got your message in time.//  don’t let’s do sth  BrE  informal //  --Don’t let’s argue like this.//\n  6  spoken  let’s see:   also let me see //  used when you are thinking about or trying to remember something//  --Today’s date is - let me see, March 20th.//  --Now, let’s see, where did I put your application form?//\n  7  spoken  let me think:  used to say that you need time to think about or remember something//  --What was his name, now? Let me think.//\n  8  spoken  let him/her/them etc:  used to say that you do not care if someone does something they are threatening to do//  --’She says she’s going to sell her story to the newspapers!’ ’Well, let her!’//\n  9  spoken  let’s face it/let’s be honest:  used to say that someone must accept an unpleasant fact or situation//  --Let’s face it, no one’s going to lend us any money.//\n  10  spoken  let’s just say (that):  used to say that you are not going to give someone all the details about something//  --’So who did it?’ ’Let’s just say it wasn’t anyone in this family.’//\n  11  let yourself go:  a) to relax completely and enjoy yourself//  --For goodness sake, Peter, why don’t you just let yourself go for once?//  b) to stop looking after yourself properly, for example by not caring about your appearance//  --Poor Dad. He’s really let himself go since Mum died.//\n  12  let sth go:  a) to not punish or criticize someone for something they have done wrong//  --OK, I’ll let it go this time.//  b) to stop worrying or thinking too much about something//  --It’s time to let the past go.//  c)  informal to sell something for a particular amount//  let sth go for [hA124]20/$200 etc //  --I couldn’t let it go for less than [hA124]300.//\n  13 WISH:   [T not in passive] used to say that you wish or hope that something happens, or does not happen//  (not) let sb/sth do sth//  --Don’t let him be the one who died, she prayed.//\n  14  let alone:  used after a negative statement to say that the next thing you mention is even more unlikely//  --The baby can’t even sit up yet, let alone walk!//\n  15  let sth drop/rest/lie:  to stop talking about or trying to deal with something//  --It seems the press are not going to let the matter rest.//\n  16  let slip:  to accidentally tell someone something that should have been kept secret//  let slip that//  --Liz let slip that she’d seen him quite recently.//\n  17 RENT:   [T]  especially BrE to charge someone an amount of money for the use of a room or building//   lease//    hire, rent//  --Interhome has over 20,000 houses to let across Europe.//  let sth to sb//  --I’ve let my spare room to a student.//  let sb sth//  --Would you consider letting me the garage for a few months?//  let sth out to sb//  --We let the smaller studios out to local artists.//  To Let  written  (=written on a sign outside a building to show that it is available for renting) //\n  18 MATHEMATICS:   let sth be/equal/represent sth//   technical used in mathematics to mean that you give something a particular measurement or value in order to make a calculation//  --Let angle A equal the sum of the two opposite sides.//\n  19  let yourself in for sth:   informal to do something that will cause you a lot of trouble//  --I don’t think Carol realizes what she’s letting herself in for.//\n  20  never let a day/week/year etc go by without doing sth:  used to say that someone does a particular thing very regularly//  --They never seem to let a year go by without introducing a new version of their software.//\n  21  let the good times roll:   informal used to say that it is time for people to start having fun//\n  22  let sb have it:   informal to attack someone//    let fly (sth) at fly1 (17),  let it all hang out at hang out(3),  live and let live at live1 (21),  let it/her rip at rip1 (5),  let rip at rip1 (4)//  let down [let  sb/sth → down] phr v//\n  1 to not do something that someone trusts or expects you to do:  --She had been let down badly in the past.//  --The worst feeling is having let our fans down.//  let the side down  BrE  (=disappoint a group of people that you belong to) //\n  2 to make someone or something less successful or effective:  --McKenzie’s judgement rarely lets him down.//\n  3 to move something or someone to a lower position:  --Let down a rope so that I can climb up.//  --Carefully, she let herself down into the water.//\n  4  let your hair down:   informal to relax and enjoy yourself, especially after working hard//  --Visitors young and old let their hair down and enjoyed the show.//\n  5  let your guard/defences down:  to relax and stop worrying about what might happen or what someone might find out about you//  --Maggie never really lets her guard down, does she?//\n  6  let sb down lightly/gently:  to give someone bad news in a way that will not upset them too much//  --I get lots of offers, but I try to let them down gently.//\n  7  BrE to allow the air to escape from something so that it loses its shape and becomes flat:  --Someone’s let my tyres down!//\n  8 to make a piece of clothing longer by unfolding a folded edge:  → take up//  let in on [let sb in on sth] phr v//  to tell something that is secret or only known by a few people//  --TV chef Raymond Blanc lets us in on the secrets of his kitchen.//  --Would someone mind letting me in on the joke?//  let into [let sb/sth into sth] phr v//\n  1 to tell someone something that is secret or private:  --It was time to let the rest of the family into the secret.//\n  2 [usually passive]  technical to put something such as a window or a decoration into a wall:  --Two large windows were let into the wall each side of the door.//  let off [let  sb/sth off] phr v//\n  1 to not punish someone:  --I’ll let you off this time, but don’t do it again.//  let somebody/something off with//  --After checking our identities, the customs men let us off with a warning.//  let sb off the hook (=allow someone to escape punishment or criticism) //  --He’d decided to make Sandra wait before letting her off the hook.//  let sb off lightly/easily (=give someone a less serious punishment than they deserve) //  --I think young criminals are let off far too lightly.//\n  2  let sb off (sth):  if someone in authority lets you off something you should do, they give you permission not to do it//  --You’ve worked hard all week, so I’ll let you off today.//\n  3  let sth → off:  to make something explode//  --One boy had let off a firework in class.//    let/blow off steam at steam1 (4)//  let on phr v//  to tell someone something, especially something you have been keeping secret//  let on (that)//  --Don’t let on that I told you.//  let on who/why/how etc//  --We never did let on how we found out.//  --I’m sure he knows more than he’s letting on.//  let out phr v//\n  1  let out sth:  to suddenly make a loud sound such as a shout or cry//  let out a scream/cry/roar etc //  --He let out a cry of disbelief.//\n  2  let sth → out:  to make a piece of clothing wider or looser, especially because it is too tight//\n  3  let sth → out:   BrE to charge someone an amount of money for the use of a room or building//  --We’re letting out our son’s old room to a student.//\n  4  AmE if a school, college, film etc lets out, it ends and the people attending it can leave:  --What time does the movie let out?//    let the cat out of the bag at cat(2)//  let up phr v//\n  1 to become less severe or harmful:  --The wind had dropped and the rain gradually let up.//\n  2 to be less severe, unkind, or violent towards someone:  --Even when the crowd had scattered, the police didn’t let up.//\n  3 to stop working as hard as you were:  --You’re doing really well, but you can’t afford to let up now.//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Do not say ’be let to do something’, because let has no passive form. Use the active form, or use be allowed to do: They let me leave OR I was allowed to leave. //  ----------//\nlet 2 n \n  1 [C]  BrE an arrangement in which a house or flat is rented to someone:  --An agency is managing the let.//  --a long-term let//\n  2  without let or hindrance:   law happening freely without being prevented in any way//


