# dict

Words: United Reformed Church
Meaning:
a Christian religious group that formed in 1972 when the  Presbyterian Church of England joined with the Congressional Church of England and Wales//


Words: United States of America
Meaning:
the  also the United States, the US, the USA   a country in North America, made up of 50 states and the District of Columbia, where the capital is. Population: 278,059,000 (2001). Capital: Washington, D.C. The United States is the world’s most important industrial nation, and one of its richest countries. With its powerful armed forces, it is the world’s only real military "superpower". The US is often called "America", but this is not really correct. //    American//


Words: United Way
Meaning:
a  charity organization in the US which collects money from the public, and then divides this money to give to many different charities//


Words: unity
Meaning:
W3   n   plural  unities //  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: unite, from  Latin unitas, from  unus  ’one’]//\n  1 [U] when a group of people or countries agree or are joined together:  --economic unity//  --European unity//\n  2 [U] the quality of having matching parts:  --His essays often lack unity.//\n  3 [C]  technical one of the three related principles that say a play should be about a single set of related events which take place in one place on one day:


Words: universal
Meaning:
W3   adj \n  1 involving everyone in the world or in a particular group:  --free universal health-care//  --These stories have universal appeal .//  --a topic of universal interest //  --a democracy based on universal suffrage  (=when every adult has the right to vote) //\n  2 true or suitable in every situation:  --a universal truth //  -- universally adv //  -- universality/ju[hA359]n[hA369]v[hA362][hA359]s[zB024]l[hA369]ti $ -[hA362][hA359]r-/ n  [U] //


Words: Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Meaning:
an official statement made by the  UN in 1948 which says all people in the world should have  human rights, such as the right to express their beliefs without being punished and the right to be treated fairly and according to the law//


Words: universal joint
Meaning:
n [C]   a part in a machine, at the point where two other parts join together, that can turn in all directions//


Words: universe
Meaning:
W3   n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: universum, from  universus  ’whole’, from  uni- +  versus  ’turned toward’]//\n  1  the universe:  all space, including all the stars and planets//  in the universe//  --everything in the universe//\n  2 [C] a world or an area of space that is different from the one we are in:  a parallel/an alternative universe //\n  3  be the centre of sb’s universe:  to be the most important person or thing to someone//\n  4  sb’s universe:  a person’s life, including all of the people, places, and ideas which affect them//


Words: university
Meaning:
W1S2   n   plural  universities  [U and C] //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: universite, from  Medieval Latin universitas, from  Late Latin,  ’society, association’, from  Latin,  ’the whole’,  from  universus;   UNIVERSE]//  an educational institution at the highest level, where you study for a degree//  go to university//   (=study at a university) //  at university//   BrE //  --He studied Physics at university.//  --Oxford University//  university of//  --the University of Texas//  university student/lecturer/professor etc //  --a university education //


Words: unjustifiable
Meaning:
adj   completely wrong and unacceptable//  --Poisoning the earth’s atmosphere is ecologically and morally unjustifiable.//  -- unjustifiably adv //


Words: unkempt
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: kempt  ’combed’ (11-21 centuries), from  Old English cemban  ’to comb’]//  unkempt hair or plants have not been cut and kept neat//


Words: unkind
Meaning:
adj   nasty, unpleasant, or cruel//  --A lot of unkind things were said.//  unkind to//  --Her husband is very unkind to her.//  -- unkindly adv //  -- unkindness n  [U] //  ----------//  WORD FOCUS: unkind //  similar words: nasty,  cruel,  mean,  inconsiderate,  thoughtless,  insensitive,  unsympathetic,  hard-hearted //  ----------//


Words: unknowing
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]    formal not realizing what you are doing or what is happening//   unaware//  -- unknowingly adv //  --She became ill after unknowingly taking an illegal drug.//


Words: unknown
Meaning:
W2   adj, adv \n  1 not known about:  --The murderer’s identity remains unknown .//  -- For some unknown reason , Mark quit his job and moved to Greece.//  --a voyage through unknown territory//  -- An unknown number of people were killed.//\n  2 not famous:  --an unknown artist//\n  3  unknown to sb:  without someone knowing//  --Unknown to his wife, Ron had been having an affair.//\n  4  be an unknown quantity:  if someone or something is an unknown quantity, you do not know what their abilities are or how they are likely to behave//\nunknown 2 n [C] \n  1 someone who is not famous:  --At that point in her career she was still an unknown.//\n  2 something that is not known:  --The long-term effects of the drug are still an unknown.//\n  3  the unknown:  a) a place that is not known about or that has not been visited by humans//  --The astronauts began their journey into the unknown.//  b) things that you do not know or understand//  --a fear of the unknown//


Words: Unknown Soldier
Meaning:
the   a soldier, whose name is not known, and whose body is buried in a national  monument, which is usually called the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. He represents all the soldiers of the same nation who died in a war, especially in World War I or World War II.//


Words: unlawful
Meaning:
adj  law   not legal//   illegal//  --The jury returned a verdict of unlawful killing.//  -- unlawfully adv //


Words: unleaded
Meaning:
adj   unleaded petrol does not contain any lead//  -- unleaded n  [U] //  --Ben’s car only takes unleaded.//


Words: unlearn
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  unlearned  or  unlearnt /-l[hA362][hA359]nt $ -l[hA362][hA359]rnt/ [T] //   informal to deliberately forget something you have learned, in order to change the way you do something//  --It’s difficult to unlearn bad driving habits.//


Words: unleash
Meaning:
v [T] \n  1 to suddenly let a strong force, feeling etc have its full effect:  --Lef[hA169]vre’s comments unleashed a wave of protest.//\n  2 to let a dog run free after it has been held on a leash:


Words: unless
Meaning:
conj   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: on less than  ’on a lower condition than’ (1400-1500)]//\n  1 used to say that something will happen or be true if something else does not happen or is not true:  --Unless some extra money is found, the theatre will close.//  --I think you should complain - unless, of course, you are happy with the way things are.//  --He won’t go to sleep unless you tell him a story.//  --I can’t leave her unless I know she’s all right. see usage note  except1 //\n  2  not unless:  only if//  --’Will you go with her?’ ’Not unless she wants me to.’//  ----------//  WORD CHOICE: unless, if ... not, in case, or (else) //  Use  unless to say that something will happen or be true if something else does not happen or is not true : Unless they get protection, they will not testify. //  !!  Do not use the future tense after  unless : I won’t go unless you go (NOT unless you will go). //  !! Do not say ’unless if’ : Don’t call him unless it’s urgent (NOT unless if it’s urgent). //  Use  if ... not when you know that something did not or will not happen : If he had not tripped, he would have won  (=but he didn’t win).| : I would go out if it wasn’t raining  (=but it is raining, so I am not going out). //  Use  in case when talking about something that is or should be done because something might happen : Take a sweater in case you get cold (NOT unless you get cold). //  Use  or  or  or else  to say what bad thing will definitely happen if something else does not happen : You’d better go, or else you’ll miss the train (NOT unless you miss the train). //  ----------//


Words: unlicensed
Meaning:
adj   without a licence (=official document that gives you permission to do or have something) //  --unlicensed guns//


Words: unlike
Meaning:
W3   prep \n  1 completely different from a particular person or thing:  --Tammy was unlike any other woman I have ever known.//\n  2 not typical of someone at all:  --It’s unlike Greg to be late.//\n  3 used when saying how one person or thing is different from another:  --Unlike most people in the office, I don’t come to work by car.//\n  4  not unlike:  similar to//  --In appearance John is not unlike his brother.//  --The landscape is not unlike that of Scotland.//\nunlike 2 adj  literary   not alike//   different//


Words: unlikely
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not likely to happen:  --Donna might be able to come tomorrow, but it’s very unlikely .//  unlikely to do sth//  --The weather is unlikely to improve over the next few days.//  it is unlikely (that)//  --It’s unlikely that the thieves will be caught.//  in the unlikely event of sth (=if something which is unlikely happens) //  --In the unlikely event of a fire, passengers should move to the top deck.//\n  2 an unlikely place, person, or thing is strange and not what you would expect:  --The quiet village of Brockhampton was an unlikely setting for such a crime.//\n  3 not likely to be true:  --an unlikely story//


Words: unlimited
Meaning:
adj \n  1 without any limit:  --The system can support an unlimited number of users.//  --unlimited access to information//  --The ticket offers unlimited travel on British Rail for seven days.//\n  2 very large in amount:  --an unlimited variety of cookies//


Words: unlisted
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not shown on an official stock exchange list:\n  2  AmE not in the list of numbers in the telephone directory:  British Equivalent:  ex-directory//


Words: unload
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 vehicle/ship:\n   2 get rid of something:\n   3 feelings:\n   4 camera:\n   5 gun:  ----------//\n  1 VEHICLE/SHIP:  a)  [T] to remove a load from a vehicle, ship etc//  unload sth from sth//  --The driver unloaded some boxes from the back of the truck.//  b)  [I] if a ship unloads, the goods that it carries are removed from it//\n  2 GET RID OF SOMETHING:   [T]  informal //  a) to get rid of something illegal or not very good by selling it quickly//  --Investors continued to unload technology stocks Thursday.//  unload sth on/onto sth//  --Hundreds of cheap videos were unloaded on the British market.//  b) to get rid of work or responsibility by giving it to someone else//  unload sth on/onto sb//  --Don’t let him unload his problems onto you.//\n  3 FEELINGS:   [I and T]  AmE to express strong feelings, especially anger, to someone when you are extremely upset//  --Koch unloaded his concerns over dinner one night.//  unload (sth) on sb//  --When he got back to the office, Green unloaded on his staff.//\n  4 CAMERA:   [T] to remove the film from a camera//\n  5 GUN:   [I and T] to remove the bullets from a gun//


Words: unlock
Meaning:
v [T] \n  1 to unfasten the lock on a door, box etc:\n  2  unlock the secrets/mysteries of sth:  to discover important facts about something//


Words: unlucky
Meaning:
adj   comparative  unluckier superlative  unluckiest //\n  1 having bad luck:  unlucky to do sth//  --Inter Milan were unlucky to lose the match.//  unlucky with//  --We were unlucky with the weather this weekend. It rained constantly.//  --Thierry Henry was desperately unlucky not to score when his shot hit the post.//\n  2 causing bad luck:  --Some people think black cats are unlucky.//\n  3 happening as a result of bad luck:  --an unlucky accident//  -- It was unlucky for Stephen that the boss happened to walk in just at that moment.//  -- unluckily adv //


Words: unmade
Meaning:
adj \n  1 an unmade bed has not been made tidy after someone has slept in it:\n  2 an unmade road is one whose surface has not been covered with a special hard material:


Words: unmanned
Meaning:
adj \n  1 an unmanned spacecraft does not have a person inside it:\n  2 if a place is unmanned, nobody is working there:  --an unmanned railway crossing//


Words: unmarked
Meaning:
adj   something that is unmarked has no words or signs on it to show where or what it is//  --an unmarked grave //  --an unmarked police car //


Words: unmask
Meaning:
v [T]   to make known the hidden truth about someone//  --He was one of the most high-ranking spies ever unmasked by the CIA.//


Words: unmistakable
Meaning:
unmistakeable/[hA356]nm[hA369]ste[hA366]k[hA353]b[hA368]l[hA36B]/ adj   easy to recognize//  --the unmistakable sound of gunfire//  -- unmistakably adv //


Words: unmoved
Meaning:
adj [not before noun]   feeling no pity, sympathy, or sadness//  unmoved by//  --Richard seemed unmoved by the tragedy.//


Words: unnatural
Meaning:
adj \n  1 different from what you would normally expect:  --It was very cold, which seemed unnatural for late spring.//\n  2 seeming false, or not real or natural:   fake//  --Julia’s laugh seemed forced and unnatural.//\n  3 different from normal human behaviour in a way that seems morally wrong:  --unnatural sexual practices//\n  4 different from anything produced by nature:   artificial, fake//  --Her hair was an unnatural orange.//  -- unnaturally adv //


Words: unnecessary
Meaning:
adj   not needed or more than is needed//  unnecessary expense/cost/extravagance etc //  --an unnecessary expense//  --There’s no point in taking unnecessary risks.//  --We can’t afford any unnecessary delays.//  --Williams was found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to animals//  -- unnecessarily/[hA356]nnes[hA353]s[hA368]r[hA353]li $ [hA356]n-nes[hA353]ser[hA369]li/ adv //  --I don’t want to worry you unnecessarily.//


Words: unnerve
Meaning:
v [T]   to upset or frighten someone so that they lose their confidence or their ability to think clearly//  --He was unnerved by the way Sylvia kept staring at him.//  -- unnerving adj //  --an unnerving experience //


Words: unnoticed
Meaning:
adj, adv   without being noticed//  --Elsa stood unnoticed at the edge of the crowd.//  go/pass unnoticed //  --His remark went unnoticed by everyone except me.//


Words: unnumbered
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not having a number:  --an unnumbered Swiss bank account//\n  2  literary too many to be counted:


Words: unoccupied
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a seat, house, room etc that is unoccupied has no one in it:\n  2 an unoccupied country or area is not controlled by the enemy during a war:


Words: unofficial
Meaning:
adj \n  1 done or produced without formal approval or permission:  --Hodges wrote an unofficial biography of the artist.//\n  2 not done as part of your job:  --The President made an unofficial visit to the Senator’s house.//  -- unofficially adv //


Words: unopened
Meaning:
adj   an unopened package, letter etc has not been opened yet//  --The letter was returned to us unopened.//


Words: unopposed
Meaning:
adj   without any opponent or opposition, especially in an election//  --Roberts was elected unopposed as president.//


Words: unorganized
Meaning:
also unorganised  BrE   adj \n  1  disorganized:\n  2 people who are unorganized do not have an organization, union, group etc to help or support them:


Words: unorthodox
Meaning:
adj   unorthodox opinions or methods are different from what is usual or accepted by most people//  unorthodox view/approach/theory etc //  --Her unorthodox views tend to attract controversy.//


Words: unpack
Meaning:
v \n  1 [I and T] to take everything out of a box, bag, suitcase etc:  --I haven’t had a chance to unpack yet.//  --She unpacked her suitcase and headed for the beach.//  --Maggie carefully unpacked the gifts she had bought.//\n  2 [T] to make an idea or problem easier to understand by considering all the parts of it separately:  --Some of the issues surrounding mental illness have been unpacked in Chapter 3.//


Words: unpaid
Meaning:
adj \n  1 an unpaid bill or debt has not been paid:\n  2 done without receiving payment:  --unpaid work//  --unpaid leave//


Words: unpalatable
Meaning:
adj \n  1 an unpalatable fact or idea is very unpleasant and difficult to accept:  --The unpalatable truth is that the team isn’t getting any better.//  unpalatable to//  --an idea that’s unpalatable to most people//\n  2 unpalatable food tastes unpleasant:


Words: unparalleled
Meaning:
adj  formal   bigger, better, or worse than anything else//  --an achievement unparalleled in sporting history//


Words: unpardonable
Meaning:
adj  formal   unpardonable behaviour is completely unacceptable//   unforgivable//  --an unpardonable offence//  -- unpardonably adv //


Words: unperturbed
Meaning:
adj   not worried or annoyed by something that has happened//  --John seemed unperturbed by the news.//


Words: unpick
Meaning:
v [T] \n  1 to take out stitches from a piece of cloth or knitting:\n  2 to examine the different parts of a subject, deal etc, especially in order to find faults:  --I didn’t want to unpick the past.//  --There are fears that the president might unpick the treaty.//


Words: unplayable
Meaning:
adj \n  1 in sport, a ball that is unplayable is difficult to hit because of its position or speed:\n  2 a sports field that is unplayable is in too bad a condition to play on:


Words: unpleasant
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not pleasant or enjoyable:  --an unpleasant experience//  --an extremely unpleasant smell//  --an unpleasant surprise//\n  2 not kind or friendly:  → nice//  --He said some very unpleasant things.//  --a thoroughly unpleasant man//  -- unpleasantly adv //


Words: unplug
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  unplugged present participle  unplugging  [T] //  to disconnect a piece of electrical equipment by pulling its plug out of a socket//  --Unplug the TV before you go to bed.//


Words: unpopular
Meaning:
adj   not liked by most people//  --an unpopular choice//  --an unpopular teacher//  unpopular with/among//  --a decision that was deeply unpopular with students//  -- unpopularity/[hA356]np[hA361]pj[hA36A]l[zB024]r[hA369]ti $ -p[hA35A][hA359]p-/ n  [U] //


Words: unprecedented
Meaning:
adj   never having happened before, or never having happened so much//  --He took the unprecedented step of stating that the rumours were false.//  --Crime has increased on an unprecedented scale. //  unprecedented in//  --an event that is unprecedented in recent history//  -- unprecedentedly adv //


Words: unpredictable
Meaning:
adj \n  1 changing a lot so it is impossible to know what will happen:  --unpredictable weather//  --the unpredictable nature of language//\n  2 someone who is unpredictable tends to change their behaviour or ideas suddenly, so that you never know what they are going to do or think:  -- unpredictably adv -- unpredictability/[hA356]npr[hA366]d[hA366]kt[hA353]b[hA366]l[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //


Words: unprepared
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not ready to deal with something:  unprepared for//  --I was totally unprepared for the challenge which faced me.//\n  2  unprepared to do sth:   formal not willing to do something//  --They were unprepared to accept the conditions of the contract.//


Words: unprepossessing
Meaning:
adj  formal   not very attractive or noticeable//  --Despite his unprepossessing appearance, he was very popular with women.//


Words: unpretentious
Meaning:
adj   not trying to seem better, more important etc than you really are - use this to show approval//  --an unpretentious hotel//  --an unpretentious woman//


Words: unprintable
Meaning:
adj   words or remarks that are unprintable are so rude or shocking that you do not want to say what they are//


Words: unprofessional
Meaning:
adj   behaving in a way that is not acceptable in a particular profession//  --Johnson was fired for unprofessional conduct.//  -- unprofessionally adv //


Words: unprofitable
Meaning:
adj \n  1 making no profit:  --unprofitable businesses//\n  2  formal producing no advantages:  --It would be unprofitable to pursue this argument any further.//


Words: unpromising
Meaning:
adj   not likely to be good or successful//  --Sales improved after an unpromising start .//  --an unpromising place for a picnic//


Words: unprompted
Meaning:
adj  formal   said or done without anyone asking you to//  --Quite unprompted, he offered to help.//


Words: unprotected
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not protected against possible harm or damage:  --Thieves often target unprotected vehicles.//  --Part-time workers are unprotected by this law.//\n  2 unprotected machines are not covered and could injure someone:  --Machinery was often unprotected and accidents were frequent.//\n  3  unprotected sex:  sex without using a condom//


Words: unprovoked
Meaning:
adj   unprovoked anger, attacks etc are directed at someone who has not done anything to deserve them//  --It was a totally unprovoked attack on an innocent man.//


Words: unpunished
Meaning:
adj   go unpunished//  if someone or something bad they have done goes unpunished, they are not punished//  --An attack like that cannot go unpunished.//


Words: unqualified
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not having the right knowledge, experience, or education to do something:  --unqualified staff//  unqualified for//  --He was unqualified for the job.//  unqualified to do sth//  --I feel unqualified to advise you.//\n  2 [usually before noun] used for emphasizing that a quality is complete and total:  --The experiment had not been an unqualified success. //  --He gave her his unqualified support .//  ----------//  HINT //  Do not confuse with disqualified , which means ’officially not allowed to do something’: She was disqualified from driving. //  ----------//


Words: unquenchable
Meaning:
adj   an unquenchable desire is one that is impossible to satisfy//  --the seemingly unquenchable thirst  (=desire) for Western art//


Words: unquestionably
Meaning:
adv   used to emphasize that something is certainly true//  --The Eiffel Tower is unquestionably one of Paris’s most familiar landmarks.//  -- unquestionable adj //  --a man of unquestionable integrity//


Words: unquestioned
Meaning:
adj   something that is unquestioned is accepted or believed by everyone//  --The whole approach is based on unquestioned assumptions.//  --an unquestioned right//


Words: unquestioning
Meaning:
adj   an unquestioning faith, attitude etc is very certain and without doubts//  --an unquestioning belief in God//  -- unquestioningly adv //


Words: unravel
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  unravelled present participle  unravelling  BrE //  past tense and past participle  unraveled present participle  unraveling  AmE //\n  1 [T] to understand or explain something that is mysterious or complicated:  --Detectives are still trying to unravel the mystery surrounding his death.//\n  2 [I and T] if you unravel threads, string etc, or if they unravel, they stop being twisted together:\n  3 [I] if a system, plan, organization etc unravels, it starts to fail:  --The company started to unravel when two of the directors were arrested.//


Words: unreadable
Meaning:
adj \n  1 if someone’s expression or face is unreadable, you cannot tell what they are thinking:\n  2 an unreadable book or piece of writing is difficult to read because it is boring or complicated:\n  3 unreadable writing is so untidy that you cannot read it:   illegible//


Words: unreal
Meaning:
adj \n  1 [not before noun] an experience, situation etc that is unreal seems so strange that you think you must be imagining it:  --It seemed unreal to be sitting and talking to someone so famous.//\n  2 not related to real things that happen:  --Many people go into marriage with unreal expectations.//\n  3  spoken very exciting:   excellent//  --Our trip to Disneyland was unreal.//  -- unreality/[hA356]nri[zB024]l[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //


Words: unrealistic
Meaning:
adj   unrealistic ideas or hopes are not reasonable or sensible//  it is unrealistic to do sth//  --It is unrealistic to expect these changes to happen overnight.//  --Some parents have totally unrealistic expectations of teachers.//  -- unrealistically/-kli/ adv //


Words: unrealized
Meaning:
also  unrealised BrE   adj \n  1 not achieved:  --unrealized potential//\n  2  technical unrealized profits, losses etc have not been changed into a form that can be used as money:


Words: unreasonable
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not fair or sensible:  --I think he’s being unreasonable.//  --Don’t let your boss make unreasonable demands on you.//  it is unreasonable to do sth//  --It’s unreasonable to expect you to work seven days a week.//  --It’s not unreasonable to ask him to help you.//\n  2 unreasonable prices, costs etc are too high:  -- unreasonably adv //  --unreasonably high prices//


Words: unrecognizable
Meaning:
also unrecognisable  BrE   adj   someone or something that is unrecognizable has changed or been damaged so much that you do not recognize them//  --I hadn’t been to the city for 20 years and it was almost unrecognizable.//


Words: unrecognized
Meaning:
also unrecognised  BrE   adj \n  1 not having received praise or respect for something good you have achieved:  --one of the great unrecognized jazzmen of the 1930s//\n  2 not noticed or not thought to be important:  --an illness that can go unrecognized for years//\n  3 an unrecognized group, meeting, agreement etc is not considered to be legal or acceptable by someone in authority:\n  4 doing something without people recognizing who you are:  --He was able to walk down the street totally unrecognized.//


Words: unrefined
Meaning:
adj \n  1 an unrefined substance is in its natural form:  --unrefined sugar//\n  2  formal not polite or educated:


Words: unrelated
Meaning:
adj \n  1 two things that are unrelated are not connected to each other in any way:  --The police think that the two incidents are unrelated.//  unrelated to//  --His illness is unrelated to the accident.//\n  2 people who are unrelated are not from the same family:


Words: unrelenting
Meaning:
adj  formal \n  1 an unpleasant situation that is unrelenting continues for a long time without stopping:  --the unrelenting pressures of the job//\n  2 continuing to do something in a determined way without thinking about anyone else’s feelings:  --an unrelenting opponent//


Words: unreliable
Meaning:
adj   unable to be trusted or depended on//  --The car’s becoming very unreliable.//  --an unreliable witness//


Words: unrelieved
Meaning:
adj   an unpleasant situation that is unrelieved continues for a long time because nothing happens to change it//  --unrelieved pain//


Words: unremitting
Meaning:
adj  formal   continuing for a long time and not likely to stop//  --unremitting poverty//  -- unremittingly adv //


Words: unrepeatable
Meaning:
adj \n  1 too rude or offensive to repeat:  --He said something unrepeatable.//\n  2 unable to be done again:


Words: unrepentant
Meaning:
adj   not ashamed of your behaviour or beliefs, even though other people disapprove//  --He remains unrepentant about his comments.//  -- unrepentantly adv //


Words: unreported
Meaning:
adj   not told to the public or to someone in authority//  --Rape is a crime that often goes unreported. //


Words: unrepresentative
Meaning:
adj   not typical of a particular group of things or people//  unrepresentative of//  --opinions that are unrepresentative of the population//


Words: unrequited
Meaning:
adj   unrequited love or other strong feeling is love etc that you feel for someone but that they do not feel for you//


Words: unreservedly
Meaning:
adv   if you express a feeling or opinion unreservedly, you do it completely and without any doubts//  --He apologized unreservedly .//  -- unreserved/-z[hA362][hA359]vd[hA36B] $ -[hA362][hA359]r-/ adj //


Words: unresolved
Meaning:
adj   an unresolved problem or question has not been answered or solved//  --the unresolved issue of who will pay for the project//  --an unresolved conflict//


Words: unresponsive
Meaning:
adj   not reacting to something or not affected by it//  unresponsive to//  --The disease is totally unresponsive to conventional treatment.//  --His warning fell on unresponsive ears  (=was not listened to) .//


Words: unrest
Meaning:
n [U]   a political situation in which people protest or behave violently//  --There is growing unrest throughout the country.//  political/social/industrial etc unrest //  --The protests were the biggest show of social unrest since the government came to power.//


Words: unrivalled
Meaning:
BrE  unrivaled AmE   adj  formal   better than any other//  --an unrivalled collection of Chinese art//


Words: unroll
Meaning:
v [I and T]   to open something that was in the shape of a ball or tube, and make it flat, or to become open in this way//  --He unrolled the carpet.//


Words: unruffled
Meaning:
adj   calm and not upset by a difficult situation - use this to show approval//  --Emily remained completely unruffled by the chaos.//


Words: unruly
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: ruly  ’behaving well’ (15-21 centuries), from  rule]//\n  1 violent or difficult to control:   wild//  --unruly children//  --unruly behaviour//\n  2 unruly hair is difficult to keep tidy:  -- unruliness n  [U] //


Words: unsafe
Meaning:
adj \n  1 dangerous or likely to cause harm:  --The building is unsafe.//  --water that’s unsafe to drink//\n  2 likely to be harmed:  --Many people feel unsafe walking alone at night.//\n  3  BrE an unsafe judgment in a court of law is based on facts that may be wrong:  --an unsafe conviction//\n  4  unsafe sex:  sex without using a condom//


Words: unsaid
Meaning:
adv   be left unsaid//  if something is left unsaid, you do not say it although you might be thinking it//  --Some things are better left unsaid  (=it is better not to mention them) .//


Words: unsatisfied
Meaning:
adj \n  1 an unsatisfied demand, request etc has not been dealt with:  --an unsatisfied demand for graduates//\n  2 not pleased because you want something to be better:  --unsatisfied consumers//    dissatisfied//


Words: unsaturated
Meaning:
adj   unsaturated fats or oils usually come from plants rather than animals and are better for your health//


Words: unsavoury
Meaning:
BrE  unsavory AmE   adj   unpleasant or morally unacceptable//  --The club has an unsavoury reputation.//  --There were a lot of unsavoury characters  (=unpleasant people) around the station.//


Words: unscathed
Meaning:
adj [not before noun]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: scathe;   SCATHING]//  not injured or harmed by something//  escape/emerge unscathed //  --He escaped unscathed from the accident.//  --The government was relatively unscathed by the scandal.//


Words: unscientific
Meaning:
adj   not based on facts or the usual scientific methods of doing something//  --unscientific ideas//


Words: Unscom
Meaning:
the United Nations Special Commission an organization that was set up after the Gulf War to find and destroy Iraq’s weapons that could kill many people at once//


Words: unscramble
Meaning:
v [T] \n  1 to change a television signal or a message that has been sent in code (=a deliberately confusing way)  so that it can be seen or read:\n  2 to make a confusing situation or confusing feelings easier to understand:


Words: unscrupulous
Meaning:
adj   behaving in an unfair or dishonest way//  --unscrupulous employers//  -- unscrupulously adv //


Words: unseasonably
Meaning:
adv   unseasonably warm/cold/hot etc//  used for saying that the weather is warmer, colder etc than usual at a particular time of year//  -- unseasonable adj //


Words: unseat
Meaning:
v [T] \n  1 to remove someone from a powerful job or position:  --an attempt to unseat the party leader//\n  2 if a horse unseats someone, it throws them off its back:


Words: unsecured
Meaning:
adj   an unsecured debt or loan is one that does not make you promise to give the bank something you own if you cannot pay it back//


Words: unseeded
Meaning:
adj   not chosen as a seed (=someone with a numbered rank in a competition) , especially in a tennis competition//


Words: unseeing
Meaning:
adj  literary   not noticing anything even though your eyes are open//  --Jack gazed unseeing out of the window.//  -- unseeingly adv //


Words: unseemly
Meaning:
adj  formal   unseemly behaviour is not polite or not suitable for a particular occasion//  --Ann thought it unseemly to kiss her husband in public.//


Words: unseen
Meaning:
adj  formal   not noticed or seen//  --Raj crept out of the house unseen.//  --unseen dangers//    sight unseen at sight1 (17)//\nunseen 2   n [C]    BrE a piece of writing that you must translate into your own language in an examination//


Words: unselfish
Meaning:
adj   caring about other people and thinking about their needs and wishes before your own//   selfless, generous//  -- unselfishly adv //  -- unselfishness n  [U] //


Words: unsettle
Meaning:
v [T]   to make someone feel slightly nervous, worried, or upset//  --The sudden changes unsettled Judy.//


Words: unsettled
Meaning:
adj   ----------//\n   1 situation:\n   2 feeling:\n   3 argument or disagreement:\n   4 weather:\n   5 land:\n   6 debt:\n   7 stomach:  ----------//\n  1 SITUATION:  making people feel uncertain about what will happen//  --difficult and unsettled times//\n  2 FEELING:  slightly worried, upset, or nervous//  --Children often feel unsettled if their parents divorce.//\n  3 ARGUMENT OR DISAGREEMENT:  still continuing without reaching any agreement//  --The dispute remains unsettled.//\n  4 WEATHER:  changing a lot in a short period of time//\n  5 LAND:  unsettled land has never had people living on it//    settler//\n  6 DEBT:  an unsettled debt or bill has not been paid//\n  7 STOMACH:  feeling slightly sick//  --My stomach’s a bit unsettled after all that rich food.//


Words: unshakeable
Meaning:
unshakable/[hA356]n[hA35D]e[hA366]k[hA353]b[hA368]l/ adj   an unshakeable faith, belief etc is very strong and cannot be changed or destroyed//


Words: unshaken
Meaning:
adj  formal   not having changed your attitude or belief//  unshaken in//  --He remained unshaken in his belief that she was wrong.//


Words: unsightly
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: sightly  ’pleasant to look at’ (15-21 centuries), from  sight]//  ugly or unpleasant to look at//  --unsightly buildings//  --unsightly marks//


Words: unsigned
Meaning:
adj \n  1 an unsigned letter or document has not been signed with someone’s name:\n  2 an unsigned sports player or musician has not yet signed a contract to play for a sports team or record music for a company:


Words: unskilled
Meaning:
adj \n  1 an unskilled worker has not been trained for a particular type of job:  --companies employing unskilled labour  (=people who have no special training) //\n  2 unskilled work, jobs etc do not need people with special skills:


Words: unsocial
Meaning:
adj  also unsociable   work unsocial hours//  to work during the night or early in the morning when most people do not have to work//


Words: unsolved
Meaning:
adj   a problem, mystery, or crime that is unsolved has never been solved//  --The murder still remains unsolved.//


Words: unsophisticated
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not having much knowledge or experience of modern and fashionable things:  --an unsophisticated audience//\n  2 unsophisticated tools, methods, or processes are simple and do not have all the features of more modern ones:   crude//


Words: unsound
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not based on facts or good reasons:  ideologically/scientifically/ecologically etc unsound //  --a test that’s scientifically unsound//\n  2 an unsound building or structure is in bad condition:  --The houses are structurally unsound .//\n  3  formal physically or mentally ill:  --people of unsound mind  (=people who are mentally ill) //


Words: unspeakable
Meaning:
adj \n  1 used for emphasizing how bad someone or something is:  --an unspeakable tragedy//\n  2  literary unspeakable feelings are so extreme that it is impossible to describe them:  --unspeakable joy//  -- unspeakably adv //


Words: unspecified
Meaning:
adj   not known or not stated//  --The meeting will take place at an unspecified date in the future.//


Words: unspoiled
Meaning:
BrE \n  1 an unspoiled place is beautiful because it has not changed for a long time and does not have a lot of new buildings:  --unspoiled countryside//\n  2 someone who is unspoiled has not changed in spite of the good or bad things that have happened to them:  --She remained unspoilt by her success.//


Words: unspoken
Meaning:
adj \n  1 an unspoken agreement, rule etc has not been discussed but is understood by everyone in a group:  --an unspoken assumption//\n  2 not said for other people to hear:  --unspoken questions//


Words: unstable
Meaning:
adj \n  1 likely to change suddenly and become worse:    instability//  --The political situation is still very unstable.//  --an unstable relationship//\n  2 something that is unstable is likely to move or fall:\n  3 someone who is unstable changes very suddenly so that you do not know how they will react or behave:  --a mentally unstable man//\n  4 an unstable chemical is likely to separate into simpler substances:


Words: unsteady
Meaning:
adj \n  1 shaking or moving in a way you cannot control:  --He poured the coffee with a very unsteady hand.//  --a baby’s first unsteady steps//  --She was quite unsteady on her feet  (=she might fall over) .//\n  2 showing that you are nervous:  --Her voice was unsteady .//  --She took a deep unsteady breath.//\n  3 an unsteady object is not balanced very well and could fall:  --an unsteady ladder//\n  4 an unsteady situation, relationship etc could change or end at any time:  --an unsteady peace//  -- unsteadily adv //  -- unsteadiness n  [U] //


Words: unstinting
Meaning:
adj  formal   unstinting support, help, praise etc is complete and given willingly//  -- unstintingly adv //


Words: unstructured
Meaning:
adj   not organized in a detailed way, and allowing people freedom to do what they want//  --unstructured interviews//


Words: unstuck
Meaning:
adj   come unstuck//  a)  BrE  informal if a person, plan, or system comes unstuck, they fail at what they were trying to achieve//  --a dangerous area of rock where many climbers come unstuck//  b) if something comes unstuck, it becomes separated from the thing that it was stuck to//


Words: unsuccessful
Meaning:
adj   not having a successful result or not achieving what you wanted to achieve//  --an unsuccessful attempt to climb Everest//  unsuccessful in (doing) sth//  --We have been unsuccessful in finding a new manager.//  -- unsuccessfully adv //  --He tried unsuccessfully to make them change their decision.//


Words: unsuitable
Meaning:
adj   not having the right qualities for a particular person, purpose, or situation//   inappropriate//  --unsuitable housing//  unsuitable for//  --The book is unsuitable for children .//


Words: unsuited
Meaning:
adj [not before noun] \n  1 not having the right qualities for a particular job or purpose:  unsuited to/for//  --He was unsuited for the job.//  --old school buildings unsuited to modern education//\n  2  BrE two people who are unsuited are unlikely to have a successful romantic relationship because they have very different characters and interests:  --I now realize that Tom and I were totally unsuited .//


Words: unsung
Meaning:
adj   not praised or famous for something you have done, although you deserve to be//  --one of the unsung heroes of French politics//


Words: unsure
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not certain about something or about what you have to do:  unsure of/about//  --I was unsure of the reaction I would get.//  --If you are unsure about anything, just ask.//  unsure whether/what etc//  --Peter was unsure what to do next.//\n  2  unsure of yourself:  not having enough confidence//  --Chris seemed nervous and unsure of herself.//


Words: unsurpassed
Meaning:
adj   better or greater than anyone or anything else//  --an unsurpassed knowledge of Greek history//


Words: unsurprising
Meaning:
adj   not making you feel surprised//  -- It’s unsurprising that the project failed.//  --an enjoyable but unsurprising album//  -- unsurprisingly adv //


Words: unsuspecting
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]   not knowing that something bad is happening or going to happen//  --unsuspecting victims//  --Fake designer clothes are being sold to an unsuspecting public.//


Words: unswerving
Meaning:
adj   an unswerving belief or attitude is one that is very strong and never changes//  unswerving loyalty/commitment/support etc //  --a politician with unswerving loyalty to the President//


Words: unsympathetic
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not kind or helpful to someone who is having problems:\n  2 not willing to support an idea, aim etc:  unsympathetic to/towards//  --a government that’s unsympathetic to public opinion//\n  3 an unsympathetic person in a book or play is unpleasant and difficult to like:  --an unsympathetic character //  -- unsympathetically/-kli/ adv //


Words: untainted
Meaning:
adj  formal   not affected or influenced by something bad//  untainted by//  --a politician untainted by corruption//


Words: untamed
Meaning:
adj \n  1 untamed land is still in its natural state and has not been developed by people:\n  2 an untamed animal has not been trained to live or work with people:   wild//


Words: untangle
Meaning:
v [T] \n  1 to separate pieces of string, wire etc that are twisted together:\n  2 to make something less complicated:  --The research attempts to untangle some of these issues.//


Words: untapped
Meaning:
adj   an untapped supply, market, or talent is available but has not yet been used//  --Older people are an untapped resource in the employment market.//  --We believe there is untapped potential.//


Words: untenable
Meaning:
adj  formal \n  1 an untenable situation has become so difficult that it is impossible to continue:  --The scandal put the President in an untenable position .//\n  2 an untenable argument, suggestion etc is impossible to defend:


Words: untested
Meaning:
adj \n  1 untested ideas, methods, or people have not been used in a particular situation so you do not know what they are like:  --an argument based on untested assumptions//\n  2 an untested drug, medical treatment etc has not been given any scientific tests to discover if it is safe to use:


Words: unthinkable
Meaning:
adj \n  1 impossible to accept or imagine:  -- It is unthinkable that a mistake like this could have happened.//  it would be unthinkable for sb to do sth//  --It would be unthinkable for me to stay anywhere but with the family.//\n  2  the unthinkable:  something that is impossible to accept or imagine//  --Then the unthinkable happened and the boat started to sink.//  --It was the job of the committee to think the unthinkable  (=plan for unexpected events or situations) .//


Words: untidy
Meaning:
adj  especially  BrE \n  1 not neat:   messy//  --an untidy desk//  --untidy hair//  --Her clothes were in an untidy heap on the floor.//\n  2 someone who is untidy does not keep their house, possessions etc neat:   messy//  -- untidily adv //  -- untidiness n  [U] //


Words: untie
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  untied present participle  untying  [T] //  to take the knots out of something, or unfasten something that has been tied//  --Peter untied his shoelaces.//


Words: until
Meaning:
prep, conj   [Date: 1100-1200; Origin: un-  ’unto, until’ +  till]//\n  1 if something happens until a particular time, it continues and then stops at that time:  --The ticket is valid until March.//  --He waited until she had finished speaking.//  --Until recently, Anna worked as a teacher in Japan.//  -- Up until last year, they didn’t even own a car.//\n  2  not until:  used to emphasize that something does not happen before a certain point in time or before something else has happened//  --’Can I go out and play now?’ ’Not until you’ve done your homework.’//  --It was not until 1972 that the war finally came to an end.//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Until and till have the same meaning. Till is more usual in spoken English, and is not used in formal writing: Tom waited until he saw the flag.| I’ll sit here till you get back. //  ----------//


Words: untimely
Meaning:
adj \n  1 happening too soon or sooner than you expected:  --the untimely death of a popular local man//  --The announcement brought the meeting to an untimely end .//\n  2 not suitable for a particular occasion or time:  --an untimely interruption//


Words: untiring
Meaning:
adj   working very hard for a long period of time in order to do something - used to show approval//   tireless//  --untiring efforts to help the homeless//


Words: untold
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1 used to emphasize how bad something is:  --The rumours will do untold damage to his reputation.//  --The floods have caused untold misery to hundreds of homeowners.//\n  2 used to emphasize that an amount or quantity is very large:  untold riches/wealth //  --a game that offers untold wealth to the most talented players//


Words: untouchable
Meaning:
adj \n  1 someone who is untouchable is in such a strong position that they cannot be defeated, affected, or punished:  --He was the boss’s husband and therefore untouchable.//\n  2 belonging to the lowest social group, especially in the Hindu caste system:  -- untouchable n  [C] //


Words: untouched
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not changed, damaged, or affected in any way:  untouched by//  --an island that has been untouched by time//\n  2 not touched, moved, or eaten:  --Several papers lay untouched on the desk.//


Words: untoward
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: toward  ’obedient’ (15-18 centuries)]//   formal unexpected, unusual, or not wanted//  anything/nothing untoward //  --I walked past but didn’t notice anything untoward.//


Words: untrained
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not trained to do something:  --untrained staff//\n  2  to the untrained eye/ear:  when someone who does not have special knowledge of a subject looks at something or listens to it//  --To the untrained eye, the two flowers look remarkably similar.//


Words: untrammelled
Meaning:
BrE  untrammeled AmE   adj  formal   not limited by anyone or anything//  untrammelled by//  --an organization untrammelled by legal restraints//


Words: untreated
Meaning:
adj \n  1 an untreated illness or injury has not had medical treatment:\n  2 harmful substances that are untreated have not been made safe:  --untreated sewage//\n  3 untreated wood has not had any substances put on it to preserve it:


Words: untried
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not having any experience of doing a particular job:  --a young and untried minister//\n  2 something that is untried has not been tested to see whether it is successful:  --untried and untested ways to make money//


Words: untrue
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not based on facts that are correct:   false//  --allegations that are totally untrue//  -- It’s untrue to say that the situation has not changed.//\n  2  literary someone who is untrue to their husband, wife etc is not faithful to them:   unfaithful//


Words: untutored
Meaning:
adj  formal   not having been taught to do something//  to the untutored eye/ear/mind //  --To the untutored ear, this music sounds as if it might have been written by Beethoven.//


Words: untypical
Meaning:
adj   not having the usual features or qualities that you would expect//    atypical//  untypical of//  --a building that is quite untypical of the period in which it was built//  --These problems are not untypical  (=they are normal) .//  -- untypically/-kli/ adv //


Words: unused
Meaning:
adj   not being used, or never used//  --unused land//\nunused 2   adj   unused to (doing) sth//  not experienced in dealing with something//  --a sensitive man unused to publicity//  --Maggie was unused to being told what to do.//


Words: unusual
Meaning:
W3S2   adj   different from what is usual or normal//  --an unusual feature//  --unusual circumstances//  -- It’s unusual for Dave to be late.//  -- It’s not unusual  (=it is quite common) to feel very angry in a situation like this.//  ----------//  WORD CHOICE: unusual, strange, odd, bizarre, extraordinary, exceptional, remarkable //  Unusual is neither approving nor disapproving : a suit made of unusual material |  an unusual name |  Her response was unusual. //  Strange and odd mean unusual in a way that you cannot understand. They are sometimes used to show slight disapproval or distrust : a very strange man |  I found his attitude a bit odd. //  Bizarre means very unusual, especially in a way that you think is amusing or that is hard to believe :  a bizarre haircut  //  Extraordinary can be approving or disapproving, but suggests approval when it is used to describe a person : What an extraordinary idea!  (can suggest you strongly disagree)| My mother was an extraordinary woman  (=very impressive, talented etc). //  Exceptional  and  remarkable often mean unusually good or impressive : a writer of exceptional talent |  a remarkable film //  ----------//


Words: unusually
Meaning:
adv \n  1  unusually high/large/quiet etc:  higher, larger etc than usual//  --unusually high levels of pollution//\n  2 used to say that something is not what usually happens:  --Unusually for me, I fell asleep very quickly.//


Words: unutterable
Meaning:
adj  literary   an unutterable feeling is too extreme to be expressed in words//  -- unutterably adv //


Words: unvarnished
Meaning:
adj \n  1 [only before noun] simple and without any additional descriptions or details:  --an unvarnished account of events//\n  2 not covered with varnish (=a transparent substance like paint, used to protect the surface of wood) :


Words: unveil
Meaning:
v [T] \n  1 to show or tell people about a new product or plan for the first time:  --The club has unveiled plans to build a new stadium.//\n  2 to remove the cover from something, especially as part of a formal ceremony:  --The statue was unveiled by the Queen.//  -- unveiling n  [C] //


Words: unvoiced
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not expressed in words:  --unvoiced fears//\n  2  technical unvoiced consonants are produced without moving your vocal cords. /d/ and /g/ are voiced consonants, and /t/ and /k/ are unvoiced.:


Words: unwary
Meaning:
adj  formal \n  1 not knowing about possible problems or dangers, and therefore easily harmed or deceived:  --unwary travellers//\n  2  the unwary [plural] people who are unwary:  --pitfalls that can trap the unwary//


Words: unwashed
Meaning:
adj \n  1 dirty and needing to be washed:  --unwashed cups//\n  2  the great unwashed:   humorous people who are poor and have not been educated//


Words: unwavering
Meaning:
adj   an unwavering attitude, belief, expression etc does not change//  --an unwavering stare//  --unwavering support//  -- unwaveringly adv //


Words: unwelcome
Meaning:
adj \n  1 something that is unwelcome is not wanted, especially because it might cause embarrassment or problems:  --unwelcome publicity//  --unwelcome news//\n  2 unwelcome guests, visitors etc are people who you do not want in your home:


Words: unwell
Meaning:
adj [not before noun]    formal ill, especially for a short time//  --She had been feeling unwell.//   see usage note  sick1 //


Words: unwieldy
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: wieldy  ’agile, easy to handle’ (14-20 centuries), from  wield]//\n  1 an unwieldy object is big, heavy, and difficult to carry or use:\n  2 an unwieldy system, argument, or organization is difficult to control or manage because it is too complicated:  --unwieldy bureaucracy//  -- unwieldiness n  [U] //


Words: unwilling
Meaning:
adj \n  1 [not before noun] not wanting to do something and refusing to do it:  unwilling to do sth//  --He was unwilling or unable to pay the fine.//\n  2 [only before noun] not wanting to do something but doing it:  --an unwilling helper//  -- unwillingly adv //  -- unwillingness n  [U] //


Words: unwind
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  unwound /-wa[hA35E]nd///\n  1 [I] to relax and stop feeling anxious:  --a beautiful country hotel that is the perfect place to unwind//\n  2 [I and T] to undo something that has been wrapped around something else, or to become undone after being wrapped around something:  --She started to unwind her scarf.//


Words: unwise
Meaning:
adj   not based on good judgment//  (it is) unwise to do sth//  --It’s unwise to keep medicines in a place that can be reached by children.//  -- unwisely adv //


Words: unwittingly
Meaning:
adv   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: wit  ’to know’ (11-20 centuries), from  Old English witan]//  in a way that shows you do not know or realize something//  --Friedmann had unwittingly broken the law.//  -- unwitting adj  [only before noun] //  --an unwitting accomplice//


Words: unworldly
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not interested in money or possessions:\n  2 not having a lot of experience of life:   naive//\n  3 unusual and having qualities that do not seem to belong to this world:  --unworldly beauty//


Words: unworthy
Meaning:
adj  formal \n  1 not deserving respect, attention etc:  unworthy of//  --an idea that’s unworthy of serious consideration//\n  2 unworthy behaviour, attitudes etc are not acceptable from someone who is respected or who has an important job:  unworthy of//  --a suggestion that’s unworthy of someone who hopes to become President//  -- unworthiness n  [U] //


Words: unwrap
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  unwrapped present participle  unwrapping  [T] //  to remove the paper, plastic etc that is around something//  --Brigitte was unwrapping her birthday presents.//


Words: unwritten
Meaning:
adj   an unwritten rule, law, agreement etc is one that everyone knows about although it is not official//  --unwritten rules of social behaviour//


Words: unyielding
Meaning:
adj \n  1  formal not willing to change your ideas or beliefs:  --an unyielding resistance to change//\n  2  literary very hard and not changing in shape or form:  --a harsh unyielding landscape//


Words: unzip
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  unzipped present participle  unzipping  [T] //\n  1 to unfasten the zip on a bag, piece of clothing etc:\n  2 to make a computer file its normal size again so that you can use it, after it has been made to use less space:


Words: up
Meaning:
adv, prep, adj   ----------//\n   1 to a higher position:\n   2 in a higher position:\n   3 to be upright:\n   4 along:\n   5 north:\n   6 close:\n   7 to more important place:\n   8 river:\n   9 more:\n  10 winning:\n  11 not in bed:\n  12 finishing:\n  13 cutting/dividing:\n  14 collecting:\n  15 part on top:\n  16 above a level:\n  17 up and down:\n  18 up to something:\n  19 be up to somebody:\n  20 finished time:\n  21 road repairs:\n  22 computer:\n  23 up against something/somebody:\n  24 up for something:\n  25 something is up:\n  26 be well up in/on something:\n  27 be up before something/somebody:\n  28 be up to here:\n  29 up the workers!/up the reds! etc:\n  30 up yours!:  ----------//\n  1 TO A HIGHER POSITION:  towards a higher place or position//  → down//  --We walked slowly up the hill.//  --She picked her jacket up off the floor.//  --paths leading up into the mountains//  --Tim had climbed up a tree to get a better view.//  --Put up your hand if you know the answer.//  --The water was getting up my nose.//  --Karen lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling.//\n  2 IN A HIGHER POSITION:  in a higher place or position//  → down//  --John’s up in his bedroom.//  --a plane flying 30,000 feet up//  --Her office is just up those stairs.//  --The doctor’s assistant was up a ladder in the stockroom.//\n  3 TO BE UPRIGHT:  into an upright or raised position//  --Everyone stood up for the national anthem.//  --Mick turned his collar up against the biting winds.//\n  4 ALONG:  in or to a place that is further along something such as a road or path//   down//  --She lives just up the street.//  --We walked up the road towards the church.//\n  5 NORTH:  in or towards the north//  --They live up north.//  --We’re driving up to Chicago for the conference.//  --a stormy voyage up the east coast from Miami to Boston//\n  6 CLOSE:  very close to someone or something//  --A man came up and offered to buy him a drink.//  up to//  --She drove right up to the front door.//  up against//  --The bed was up against the wall.//\n  7 TO MORE IMPORTANT PLACE:  used to show that the place someone goes to is more important than the place they start from//  --Have you been up to London recently?//\n  8 RIVER:  towards the place where a river starts//  → down//  --sailing up the Thames//  --The river steamers only went up as far as Mandalay.//\n  9 MORE:  at or towards a higher level or a greater amount//  → down//  --Turn up the radio.//  --Violent crime went up by 9% last year.//  --Inflation is up by 2%.//  up on//  --Profits are up on last year.//\n  10 WINNING:   BrE beating your opponent by a certain number of points//  → down//  two goals up/three points up etc //  --United were a goal up at half time.//\n  11 NOT IN BED:  not in bed//  --Are the kids still up?//  --They stayed up all night to watch the game.//  --It’s time to get up  (=get out of bed) .//  --It’s good to see you up and about again (=out of bed after an illness and moving around normally) .//\n  12 FINISHING:  used after certain verbs to show that something is completely finished, used, or removed//  --We’ve used up all our savings.//  --The children had to eat up all their food.//  --After a month, the wound had almost healed up.//\n  13 CUTTING/DIVIDING:  used after certain verbs to show that something is cut, broken etc into pieces or divided into parts//  --Why did you tear up that letter?//  --We still haven’t decided how to divide up the money.//\n  14 COLLECTING:  used after certain verbs to show that things are collected together//  --Let’s just add up these figures quickly.//  --Could you collect up the papers?//\n  15 PART ON TOP:  used to say which surface or part of an object should be on top//  --Put the playing cards right side up.//  --Isn’t that painting the wrong way up?//\n  16 ABOVE A LEVEL:  above and including a certain level, age, or amount//  --All the women were naked from the waist up.//  --Children aged 12 and up must pay the full fare.//\n  17  up and down:  a) backwards and forwards//  --Ralph paced up and down the room, looking worried.//  b) if someone is up and down, they sometimes feel well or happy and sometimes do not//  --Jason’s been very up and down since his girlfriend left him.//  c) to a higher position and then a lower position, several times//  --They were all jumping up and down and screaming excitedly.//  --Shivers ran up and down my body.//  look sb up and down (=look at someone in order to judge their appearance or character) //  --Maisie looked her rival up and down with a critical eye.//\n  18  up to sth:  a) as much or as many as a certain amount or number but not more//  --The Olympic Stadium will hold up to 80,000 spectators.//  --a process that can take anything up to ten days//  b)  also up till //  for the whole of a period until a certain time or date//  --She continued to care for her father up to the time of his death.//  --We’ve kept our meetings secret up to now.//  c)  [in questions and negatives] clever, good, or well enough to do something//  --I’m afraid Tim just isn’t up to the job (=he does not have the necessary ability) .//  --You don’t need to go back to school if you don’t feel up to it.//  up to doing sth//  --He’s not really up to seeing any visitors.//  d) if something is up to a particular standard, it is good enough to reach that standard//  --I didn’t think last night’s performance was up to her usual standard.//  e)  spoken doing something secret or something that you should not be doing//  --The children are very quiet. I wonder what they’re up to.//  --He knew Bailey was up to something. But what?//  --I always suspected that he was up to no good  (=doing something bad) .//\n  19  be up to sb:  a) used to say that someone can decide about something//  --You can pay weekly or monthly - it’s up to you.//  b) used to say that someone is responsible for a particular duty//  --It’s up to the travel companies to warn customers of any possible dangers.//\n  20 FINISHED TIME:  if a period of time is up, it is finished//  --I’m sorry, we’ll have to stop there. Our time is up.//\n  21 ROAD REPAIRS:  if a road is up, its surface is being repaired//\n  22 COMPUTER:  if a computer system is up, it is working//  → down//  --There could well be a few problems before your new computer is up and running properly.//\n  23  up against sth/sb:  having to deal with a difficult situation or opponent//  --He came up against a lot of problems with his boss.//  --Murphy will be really up against it when he faces the champion this afternoon.//\n  24  up for sth:  a) available for a particular process//  --The house is up for sale.//  --This week 14 of Campbell’s paintings were put up for auction.//  --Even the most taboo subjects were up for discussion.//  b) being considered for election or for a job//  --Senator Frank Church was coming up for re-election that year.//  --She is one of five candidates up for the chief executive’s job.//  c) appearing in a court of law because you have been accused of a crime//  --Ron’s up for drinking and driving next week.//  d)  spoken willing to do something or interested in doing something//  --We’re going to the pub later - are you up for it?//\n  25  sth is up:   spoken if something is up, someone is feeling unhappy because they have problems, or there is something wrong in a situation//  --I could tell by the look on his face that something was up.//  something is up with//  --Is something up with Julie? She looks really miserable.//  what’s up? //  --What’s up? Why are you crying?//\n  26  be well up in/on sth:   informal  also be up on sth  AmE //  to know a lot about something//  --I’m not all that well up in musical matters.//  --Conrad’s really up on his geography, isn’t he?//\n  27  be up before sth/sb:   informal to appear in a court of law because you have been accused of a crime//  --He was up before the magistrates’ court charged with dangerous driving.//\n  28  be up to here:   BrE  also have had it up to here //   spoken to be very upset and angry because of a particular situation or person//  be up to here with//  --I’m up to here with this job; I’m resigning!//\n  29  up the workers!/up the reds! etc:   BrE  spoken used to express support and encouragement for a particular group of people or for a sports team//\n  30  up yours!:   spoken  not polite used as a very rude and offensive reply to someone who has said something that annoys you//  --’You’re not allowed to park here.’ ’Up yours, mate!’//    not be up to much at much2 (8)//\nup 2 n \n  1  ups and downs:   informal the mixture of good and bad experiences that happen in any situation or relationship//  --We have our ups and downs like all couples.//\n  2  be on the up:   BrE  spoken to be improving or increasing//  --Business confidence is on the up.//\n  3  be on the up and up:  a)  BrE  informal to be becoming more successful//  --a brilliant young player who is on the up and up//  b)  AmE  spoken if a person or business is on the up and up, they are honest and do things legally//\nup 3   past tense and past participle  upped present participle  upping  v [T] //\n  1 to increase the amount or level of something:  --They’ve upped their offer by 5%.//\n  2  up and do sth:  to suddenly do something different or surprising//  --Without saying another word, he upped and left.//    up the ante at ante1 //    up sticks at stick2 (11)//


Words: up-
Meaning:
prefix \n  1 making something higher:  --to upgrade a job (=make it higher in importance) //\n  2 [especially in adverbs and adjectives] at or towards the top or beginning of something:  --uphill//  --upriver (=nearer to where the river starts) //\n  3 [especially in verbs] taking something from its place or turning it upside down:  --an uprooted tree//  --She upended the bucket.//\n  4 [especially in adjectives and adverbs] at or towards the higher or better part of something:  --upmarket (=attracting richer people) //    down-//


Words: up-country
Meaning:
adj  old-fashioned   from a place without many people or towns, especially in the middle of a country//  -- upcountry/[hA356]pk[hA356]ntri/ adv //


Words: up-to-date
Meaning:
adj \n  1 including all the latest information:  up-to-date information/data/figures/news etc //  --They have access to up-to-date information through a computer database.//  keep/bring sb up-to-date (=to give someone all the newest information about something) //  --Our magazine will keep you up-to-date with fashion.//\n  2 modern or fashionable:  up-to-date equipment/facilities/technology etc //  --up-to-date kitchen equipment//  keep/bring sth up-to-date (=to make something more modern) //  --The old system should be brought up-to-date.//


Words: up-to-the-minute
Meaning:
adj \n  1 including all the latest information:  --The general lacked up-to-the-minute information at the crucial moment.//\n  2 very modern or fashionable:  --beach resorts packed with up-to-the-minute facilities and entertainment//


Words: Upanishads
Meaning:
the  n [plural]   a collection of ancient holy books containing the main principles of Hindu religion and  philosophy//


Words: upbeat
Meaning:
adj   positive and making you feel that good things will happen//  → downbeat//  --an upbeat message//


Words: upbraid
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   [Language: Old English; Origin: upbregdan, probably from  up  ’up’ +  bregdan  ’to move suddenly, seize’]//  to tell someone angrily that they have done something wrong//


Words: upbringing
Meaning:
n [singular, U]   the way that your parents care for you and teach you to behave when you are growing up//  --Mike had had a strict upbringing.//


Words: upchuck
Meaning:
v [I]    AmE  informal to bring food or drink up from your stomach and out through your mouth because you are ill or drunk//   vomit//


Words: update
Meaning:
v [T] \n  1 to add the most recent information to something:  --The files need updating.//\n  2 to make something more modern in the way it looks or operates:  --plans to update manufacturing procedures//\n  3  spoken to tell someone the most recent information about a situation:  update sb on sth//  --Can you update me on what’s been happening?//\nupdate 2   n [C] \n  1 the most recent news or information about something:  --a news update//  update on//  --The report provides a brief update on the progress of the project.//\n  2 a change or addition to a computer file so that it has the most recent information:


Words: Updike
Meaning:
John   (1932- ) a US writer who has written several novels about the lives, relationships, and problems of  middle class people in the US, such as  Rabbit, Run and  Rabbit is Rich. His novel  The Witches of Eastwick was made into a successful film.//


Words: upfront
Meaning:
adj \n  1 [not before noun] behaving or talking in an honest way so that people know what you really think:  --Mo’s very upfront with him about their relationship.//\n  2 paid before any work has been done or before goods are supplied:  --an upfront fee of $500//\nupfront 2 adv \n  1 if you pay money upfront, you pay it before any work has been done or before any goods are supplied:  --He requires you to pay him upfront.//\n  2 in football, if you play upfront, you play in a forward position:


Words: upgrade
Meaning:
v \n  1 [I and T] to make a computer, machine, or piece of software better and able to do more things:  upgrade (sth) to sth//  --You’ll need to upgrade your hard drive to 4Mb before running this software.//\n  2 [T] to improve something and make it more modern, especially in order to provide a better service:  --The hotel has recently been refurbished and upgraded.//\n  3 [I and T] to give someone a better seat on a plane or a better room in a hotel than the one they paid for:  upgrade (sb) to sth//  --We can upgrade you to business class.//\n  4 [T] to give someone a more important job:\n  5 [T] to change the official description of something to make it seem better or more important:  → downgrade//  upgrade sth to sth//  --Four of the regions were upgraded to the status of republic.//\n  6  upgrade your skills:  to learn new and more modern ways of doing a particular job//  -- upgrade/[hA356]pgre[hA366]d/ n  [C] //


Words: upheaval
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: heave]//  a very big change that often causes problems//  --political upheaval//  --Moving house is a major upheaval .//


Words: uphill
Meaning:
adj \n  1 towards the top of a hill:  → downhill//  --an uphill climb//\n  2  an uphill struggle/battle/task etc:  something that is very difficult to do and needs a lot of effort and determination//\nuphill 2 adv   towards the top of a hill//  → downhill//  --The road twists uphill.//


Words: uphold
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  upheld /-held/ [T] //\n  1 to defend or support a law, system, or principle so that it continues to exist:  --a committee that aims to uphold educational standards//\n  2 if a court upholds a decision made by another court, it states that the decision was correct:  --The conviction was upheld by the Court of Appeal.//  -- upholder n  [C] //


Words: upholster
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: upholstery]//  to cover a chair with material//  -- upholstered adj //


Words: upholstery
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: upholster  ’dealer in small goods, upholsterer’ (15-18 centuries), from  uphold]//\n  1 material used to cover chairs:\n  2 the process of covering chairs with material:


Words: upkeep
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the process of keeping something in good condition:   maintenance//  upkeep of//  --Most of the money is spent on the upkeep of the building.//\n  2 the cost or process of looking after a child or animal and giving them the things they need:  --Poorer people find it hard to pay for their pet’s upkeep.//


Words: uplands
Meaning:
n [plural]   the parts of a country that are away from the sea and are higher than other areas//  -- upland adj //


Words: uplift
Meaning:
n \n  1 [singular] an increase in something:  uplift in//  --an uplift in sales//\n  2 [singular, U] a feeling of happiness and hope:\nuplift 2   v [T]  formal \n  1 to make someone feel happier:\n  2 to make something higher:


Words: uplifted
Meaning:
adj \n  1 feeling happier and more hopeful:  --He felt uplifted by her presence.//\n  2  literary raised upwards:


Words: upload
Meaning:
v [I and T]   if information, a computer program etc uploads, or if you upload it, you move it from a small computer to a computer network so that other people can see it or use it//    download//  --It might take a while for this to upload.//\nupload 2   n [C]   information, computer programs etc that have been uploaded, or the process of uploading them//    download//  --tips on handling file uploads//


Words: upmarket
Meaning:
adj  especially BrE   designed for or used by people who have a lot of money//    downmarket//  --an upmarket restaurant//  move/go upmarket //  --a brand that’s moved upmarket (=it is trying to attract richer people) //


Words: upon
Meaning:
prep  formal   [Date: 1100-1200; Origin: up +  on]//\n  1 used to mean ’on’ or ’onto’:  --an honour bestowed upon the association//  --We are completely dependent upon your help.//  --Brandon threw him upon the ground.//\n  2 if a time or event is upon you, it is about to happen:  --Winter is almost upon us.//\n  3  layer upon layer/mile upon mile etc:  used to emphasize that there are a lot of layers, miles etc//  --mile upon mile of golden sand//    once upon a time at once1 (14)//    take it upon yourself to do sth at take1 (27)//


Words: upper
Meaning:
W2   adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin: up]//\n  1 in a higher position than something else:  → lower//  --the upper lip//\n  2 near or at the top of something:  → lower//  --the upper floors of a building//  --There is an upper age limit for becoming a pilot.//\n  3  have/gain the upper hand:  to have more power than someone else, so that you are able to control a situation//  --Police have gained the upper hand over the drug dealers in the area.//\n  4 more important than other parts or ranks in an organization, system etc:  --the upper echelons  (=the most important members) of corporate management//\n  5 further from the sea or further north than other parts of an area:  --the upper reaches of the Nile//    a stiff upper lip at stiff1 (10)//\nupper 2 n [C]   heel, upper, toe, lace, lining, sole//\n  1 the top part of a shoe that covers your foot:  --leather uppers//\n  2  uppers [plural]  informal illegal drugs that make you feel happy and give you a lot of energy:   amphetamines//\n  3  be on your uppers:   BrE  old-fashioned to have very little money//


Words: upper class
Meaning:
n   the upper class//  the group of people who belong to the highest social class//  -- upper-class adj //  --upper-class families//


Words: upper crust
Meaning:
n [singular]    informal the group of people who belong to the highest social class//  -- upper-crust adj //


Words: Upper House
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   a group of representatives in a country’s parliament, that is smaller and less powerful than the country’s Lower House, for example the British House of Lords//


Words: upperclassman
Meaning:
n   plural  upperclassmen /-m[hA353]n/ [C] //   AmE a student in the last two years of a school or university//


Words: upperclasswoman
Meaning:
n   plural  upperclasswomen /-w[hA366]m[hA366]n/ [C] //   AmE a female student in the last two years of school or university//


Words: uppermost
Meaning:
adj \n  1  be uppermost in your mind:  if something is uppermost in your mind, you think about it a lot because it is very important to you//  --A feeling of pity for David was uppermost in her mind.//\n  2 [not before noun] more important than anything else:  --The one word which seems to be uppermost in every discussion is money.//\n  3 [usually before noun] higher than anything else:  --the uppermost windows of the house//  -- uppermost adv //  --She turned her hand over, palm uppermost.//


Words: uppity
Meaning:
informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: up]//  behaving as if you are more important than you really are, or not showing someone enough respect//  --uppity kids//


Words: upright
Meaning:
adj, adv \n  1 standing or sitting straight up:  sit/stand/walk upright //  --The chimpanzee stood upright and grasped the bars of its cage.//  --Katie was still awake, sitting bolt upright  (=sitting with her back very straight)  staring at the television.//  pull/push/draw etc yourself upright //  --He pulled himself upright and faced me.//\n  2 placed in a vertical position (=pointing in a line that is at an angle of 90[hA131] to a flat surface) :  --Your seat should be in the upright position when the plane is landing.//  --Keep the bottle upright.//\n  3 always behaving in an honest way:  --He was a good honest upright man.//  -- uprightness n  [U] //\nupright 2 n [C]   a long piece of wood or metal that stands straight up and supports something//


Words: uprising
Meaning:
n [C]   an attempt by a group of people to change the government, laws etc in an area or country//   rebellion//  --a popular uprising  (=by the ordinary people in a country) //  --an armed uprising //


Words: uproar
Meaning:
n [singular, U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Dutch; Origin: oproer, from  op  ’up’ +  roer  ’movement’; influenced by  English roar]//  a lot of noise or angry protest about something//  be in (an) uproar //  --The house was in an uproar, with babies crying and people shouting.//


Words: uproarious
Meaning:
adj   very noisy, because a lot of people are laughing or shouting//  --an uproarious party//  -- uproariously adv //  --uproariously funny//


Words: uproot
Meaning:
v [I and T] \n  1 to pull a plant and its roots out of the ground:\n  2 to make someone leave their home for a new place, especially when this is difficult or upsetting:  --He rejected the idea of uprooting himself and moving to America.//


Words: upscale
Meaning:
adj  AmE   relating to people from a high social class who have a lot of money//  British Equivalent:  upmarket//  --an affluent upscale audience//


Words: upset
Meaning:
adj \n  1 [not before noun] unhappy and worried because something unpleasant or disappointing has happened:  upset by/about/at etc//  --She was really upset about the way her father treated her.//  upset that//  --Debbie was upset that he didn’t spend more time with her.//\n  2  be upset with sb:  if you are upset with someone, you are angry and annoyed with them//  --You’re not still upset with me, are you?//\n  3  upset stomach:  an illness that affects the stomach and makes you feel sick//\nupset 2 S2   v   past tense and past participle  upset present participle  upsetting  [T] //  ----------//\n   1 make somebody unhappy:\n   2 change something:\n   3 make something fall:\n   4 defeat:\n   5 upset the apple cart:  ----------//  [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  Probably from  upset  ’to set up, raise’ (15-17 centuries)]//\n  1 MAKE SOMEBODY UNHAPPY:  to make someone feel unhappy or worried//  --Don’t do anything that would upset him.//\n  2 CHANGE SOMETHING:  to change a plan or situation in a way that causes problems//  --The chemicals upset the balance of the environment.//\n  3 MAKE SOMETHING FALL:  to push something over without intending to//  --He upset a bowl of soup.//\n  4 DEFEAT:  to defeat an opponent who is considered to be much better than you//  --Jones upset the 40th-ranked American, Cunningham.//\n  5  upset the apple cart:   informal to completely spoil someone’s plans//  -- upsetting adj //\nupset 3   n \n  1 [U and C] worry and unhappiness caused by an unexpected problem:  --If you are the victim of a burglary, the emotional upset can affect you for a long time.//\n  2 [C] when a person or team defeats an opponent who is considered to be much better than them:  --There was a major upset when the young skater took the gold medal.//\n  3  stomach upset:  an illness that affects the stomach and makes you feel sick//


Words: upshot
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: upshot  ’final shot in an archery competition’ (16-17 centuries)]//  the upshot (of sth)//  the final result of a situation//  --The upshot was that after much argument they all agreed to help her.//


Words: upside
Meaning:
n [singular]    especially  AmE the positive part of a situation that is generally bad//  → downside//  --The upside of the whole thing is that we got a free trip to Jamaica.//\nupside 2 prep   upside the head/face etc//   AmE  informal on the side of someone’s head etc//


Words: upside down
Meaning:
adv   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: up so down  ’up as if down’ (14-16 centuries)]//\n  1 with the top at the bottom and the bottom at the top:  --To get the plant out of the pot, turn it upside down and give it a gentle knock.//\n  2  turn sth upside down:  a) to make a place very untidy when you are looking for something//  --The burglars have turned our house upside down.//  b) to cause a lot of change and confusion in a situation or in someone’s life//  --the story of a young girl whose life was turned upside down//\n  3 disorganized or untidy:\nupside down 2 adj   in a position with the top at the bottom and the bottom at the top//  --an upside down U shape//  --The chairs were placed upside down on the tables.//


Words: upskilling
Meaning:
n [U]   improving the skills of workers, usually through training, so that they will be better at their jobs//


Words: upstage
Meaning:
v [T]   to do something that takes people’s attention away from someone else who is more important//  --All the big-name stars were upstaged by 12-year-old Katy Rochford.//\nupstage 2 adv   towards the back of the stage in a theatre//  -- upstage adj //


Words: upstairs
Meaning:
S2   adv   towards or on an upper floor in a building//  → downstairs//  --I went upstairs and had a shower.//  --She’s upstairs in bed feeling ill.//  -- upstairs adj  [only before noun] //  --an upstairs window//  --the upstairs rooms//    kick sb upstairs at kick1 (16)//\nupstairs 2 n   the upstairs//  one or all of the upper floors in a building//  --Would you like to see the upstairs?//


Words: upstanding
Meaning:
adj  formal \n  1 honest and responsible:  --upstanding young men and women//\n  2 standing upright or pointing upwards:\n  3  be upstanding:   BrE  spoken  formal used in a formal situation such as a law court to tell people to stand up as a sign of respect for an important person//


Words: upstart
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: upstart  ’to jump up suddenly’ (14-19 centuries)]//  someone who behaves as if they were more important than they really are and who shows a lack of respect towards people who are more experienced or older//  --a cheeky young upstart//  -- upstart adj //


Words: upstate
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  AmE   in the northern part of a particular state//  --upstate New York//  -- upstate adv //


Words: upstream
Meaning:
adv   along a river, in the opposite direction from the way the water is flowing//  → downstream//  --Fish instinctively fight their way upstream against the current.//  -- upstream adj //


Words: upsurge
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a sudden increase:  upsurge in//  --There was an upsurge in violence during June and July.//\n  2 a sudden strong feeling:  upsurge of//  --There was a genuine upsurge of religious feeling.//


Words: upswing
Meaning:
n [C]   an improvement or increase in the level of something//  upswing in/of//  --an upswing in economic growth//


Words: uptake
Meaning:
n   [Sense: 1; Date: 1800-1900; Language: Scottish English; Origin: uptake  ’to understand’ (18-20 centuries).]//  [Sense: 2-3; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: up +  take]//\n  1  be slow/quick on the uptake:   informal to be slow or fast at understanding something//\n  2 [singular] the number of people who use a service or accept something that is offered:  --The uptake of some vaccinations fell as the media stirred up fears of possible side effects.//\n  3 [U and C] the rate at which a substance is taken into the body, a system etc:  --the uptake of sugars by the blood//


Words: uptight
Meaning:
adj  informal \n  1 behaving in an angry way because you are feeling nervous and worried:  uptight about//  --You have to learn to laugh instead of getting uptight about things.//\n  2 having strict traditional attitudes and seeming unable to relax:


Words: uptime
Meaning:
n [U]   the period of time when a computer is working normally and is able to be used//    downtime//  --Some customers need 99% or better uptime from their mainframe computers.//


Words: uptown
Meaning:
adv  AmE   in or towards an area of a city that is away from the centre, especially one where the streets have larger numbers in their names and where people have more money//    downtown//  --He now lives in an apartment a little farther uptown.//  -- uptown adj //  --uptown neighborhoods//  -- uptown n  [U] //


Words: upturn
Meaning:
n [C]   an increase in the level of something, especially in business activity//  upturn in//  --an upturn in the housing market//  --an economic upturn //


Words: upturned
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun] \n  1 pointing or turning upwards:  --He smiled down into her upturned face .//\n  2 turned upside down:  --I sat on an upturned box.//  --an upturned boat//


Words: upward
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1 increasing to a higher level:  → downward//  upward trend/movement //  --an upward trend in sales//  --a sharp upward movement in property prices//  --upward pressure on bank interest rates//\n  2 moving or pointing towards a higher position:  → downward//  --Stroke the cream onto your skin in an upward direction.//


Words: upwardly mobile
Meaning:
adj   moving up through the social classes and becoming richer//  --the upwardly mobile middle classes//  -- upward mobility n  [U] //


Words: upwards
Meaning:
adv  also upward  especially AmE \n  1 moving or pointing towards a higher position:  → downwards//  --Pointing upwards, he indicated a large nest high in the tree.//  --The path began to climb steeply upwards.//\n  2 increasing to a higher level:  → downwards//  --The expected rate of inflation was revised upwards.//  --Prices are moving upwards again.//\n  3 more than a particular amount, time etc:  --children of 14 and upwards //  --The meeting was attended by upwards of  (=over) 500 people.//


Words: Ur
Meaning:
also Ur of the Chaldees   an city in ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), which existed from about 3500 BC to about the sixth century BC. According to the Old Testament of the Bible,  Abraham was born there.//


Words: Urals
Meaning:
the Urals//   also the Ural Mountains //  a group of mountains that stretch all the way down from the north to the south of Russia. Many people think of the Urals as the border between Europe and Asia//


Words: uranium
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Uranus; because the substance was discovered soon after the planet]//  a heavy white metal that is radioactive and is used to produce nuclear power and nuclear weapons. It is a chemical element: symbol U//


Words: Uranus
Meaning:
n   the planet that is seventh in order from the sun//  --William Herschel discovered Uranus in 1781.//


Words: urban
Meaning:
W2   adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: urbanus  ’urban, sophisticated’, from  urbs  ’city’]//  relating to towns and cities//  → rural//    suburban//  --unemployment in urban areas //  --the deprived sections of the urban population//


Words: urban myth urban legend
Meaning:
n [C]   a story about an unusual event which happened recently that a lot of people believe although it is probably not true//


Words: urban renewal
Meaning:
n [U]   the process of improving poor city areas by building new houses, shops etc//  --an urban renewal program//


Words: urban sprawl
Meaning:
n [U]   the spread of city buildings and houses into an area that used to be countryside, or the area in which this has happened//  --planning policies designed to limit the growth of urban sprawl//


Words: urbane
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: urbanus;   URBAN]//  behaving in a relaxed and confident way in social situations//  --Neil was urbane, witty, direct, and honest.//  -- urbanely adv //  -- urbanity/[hA362][hA359]b[zB024]n[hA369]ti $ [hA362][hA359]r-/ n  [U] //


Words: urbanized
Meaning:
also urbanised  BrE   adj \n  1 an urbanized country or area has a lot of houses, factories, shops, offices etc:  --the most heavily urbanized regions//\n  2 in an urbanized society, there are a lot of people who live and work in towns and cities:  --During the 19th century, Britain became the world’s first modern urbanized society.//  -- urbanization/[hA362][hA359]b[hA353]na[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ [hA362][hA359]rb[hA353]n[hA353]-/ n  [U] //  --the transformation of the social structure by urbanization//


Words: urchin
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: urchin  ’hedgehog’ (13-20 centuries), from  Old French herichon, from  Latin ericius]//   old-fashioned a poor dirty untidy child//    sea urchin//


Words: Urdu
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Hindi; Origin: urdu-zaban  ’camp language’]//  the official language of Pakistan, also used in India//


Words: urethra
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Late Latin; Origin: Greek ourethra, from  ourein  ’to urinate’]//   technical the tube through which waste liquid flows out of the body from the bladder and also through which the semen of males flows//


Words: urge
Meaning:
W3   v [T]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: urgere]//\n  1 to strongly suggest that someone does something:  urge sb to do sth//  --I got a note from Moira urging me to get in touch.//  urge that//  --He urged that a referendum should be held by December.//  urge sth on/upon sb//  --I have urged upon him the need for extreme secrecy.//  --The charity urged quick action.//\n  2 [always + adverb/preposition]  formal to make someone or something move by shouting, pushing them etc:  urge sb/sth forward//  --He urged her forward, his hand under her elbow.//  urge sb into/towards sth//  --She began urging him towards the front door.//  urge on [urge sb → on] phr v//  to encourage a person or animal to work harder, go faster etc//  --Urged on by the crowd, the Italian team scored two more goals.//\nurge 2 n [C]   a strong wish or need//   desire//  urge to do sth//  --He could no longer resist the urge to go and see Amanda.//  --Suddenly she had an overwhelming urge to be with her son.//


Words: urgent
Meaning:
S3   adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin, present participle of  urgere;   URGE1]//\n  1 very important and needing to be dealt with immediately:  --He was in urgent need of medical attention.//  --The report called for urgent action to reduce lead in petrol.//  --an urgent message//\n  2  formal done or said in a way that shows that you want something to be dealt with immediately:  --an urgent whisper//  -- urgency n  [U] //  -- a matter of great urgency //  -- urgently adv //


Words: urgh
Meaning:
interjection   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Natural sound]//  said when you have seen or tasted something that you think is extremely unpleasant//   ugh//


Words: urinary
Meaning:
adj  technical   relating to urine or the parts of your body through which urine passes//  --the urinary tract//


Words: urinate
Meaning:
v [I]    technical to get rid of urine from your body//  -- urination/j[hA35E][hA353]r[hA369]ne[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ j[hA35E]r-/ n  [U] //


Words: urine
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin urina]//  the yellow liquid waste that comes out of the body from the bladder//


Words: urn
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: urna]//\n  1 a decorated container, especially one that is used for holding the ashes of a dead body:\n  2 a metal container that holds a large amount of tea or coffee:


Words: urologist
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: ur- (from  Greek our-, from  ouron  ’urine’) +  English -ologist]//  a doctor who treats conditions relating to the urinary system and men’s sexual organs//  -- urology n  [U] //  -- urological/j[hA35E][hA353]r[hA353]l[hA361]d[hA360][hA366]k[hA368]l[hA36B] $ j[hA35E]r[hA353]l[hA35A][hA359]-/ adj //


Words: Ursa Major
Meaning:
also the Great Bear   a large  constellation (=group of stars) near the North Pole, which can easily be seen from Earth. The seven brightest stars in Ursa Major are called the Plough (in the UK) or the Big Dipper (in the US).//


Words: Ursa Minor
Meaning:
a group of stars in the northern sky, close to Ursa Major, which can easily be seen from Earth, and which includes the  Pole Star. It is also called the Little Bear or (in the US) the Little Dipper//


Words: Uruguay
Meaning:
a country in South America, between Argentina and Brazil. Population 3,360,000 (2001). Capital: Montevideo.//  -- Uruguayan n  adj //


Words: us
Meaning:
pron   [Language: Old English; Origin:]//\n  1 [the object form of ’we’] used by the person speaking or writing to refer to himself or herself and one or more other people:  --Please help us.//  --He arranged for us all to have a drink.//  --She’s invited us both.//  --My mother is coming to stay with us.//  --Send us a donation now.//  us women/men/teachers etc //  --Life is hard for us women.//\n  2 people in general:  --Global warming will affect all of us.//\n  3  BrE  spoken used instead of ’me’. Many people think this use is incorrect:  --Give us a kiss.//  n  U.S. also USA //  the United States of America//  -- US adj //  --the US Navy//


Words: US Geological Survey
Meaning:
a US government organization, part of the  Department of the Interior, which makes detailed maps of the US and lists of minerals found in the US. In the UK there is a similar organization called the  Ordnance Survey//


Words: US Open
Meaning:
the \n  1 an important  golf competition that takes place in the US each year:\n  2 an important  tennis competition that takes place in the US each year, in Forest Hills near New York City. The US Open is one of the  grand slam events in tennis.:


Words: USA Today
Meaning:
trademark   a newspaper that is sold in every state of the US and is also available in many countries around the world//


Words: usable
Meaning:
adj   something that is usable can be used//  --The computer language involved was readily usable.//  --usable information//


Words: usage
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U and C] the way that words are used in a language:  --a book on modern English usage//\n  2 [U] the way in which something is used, or the amount of it that is used:  --Water usage is increasing.//


Words: USB
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   universal serial bus a way of connecting equipment such as a mouse and printer to a computer using wires so that all the equipment can work together//  --Many USB devices come with their own built-in cable.//


Words: USDA
Meaning:
United States Department of Agriculture the US government organization which helps farmers and makes sure they follow the laws concerning food production//


Words: use
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 use something:\n   2 amount of something:\n   3 treat somebody unfairly:\n   4 an advantage:\n   5 could use something:\n   6 word:\n   7 drugs:  Phrasal verbs//   use something → up//  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: user, from  Latin usus, past participle of  uti  ’to use’]//\n  1 USE SOMETHING:   [T] if you use a particular tool, method, service, ability etc, you do something with that tool, by means of that method etc, for a particular purpose//  --Can I use your phone?//  --I’ll show you which room you can use.//  --I always use the same shampoo.//  --Use your imagination when planning meals.//  --She booked the flight using a false name.//  easy/difficult/simple etc to use //  --Drop-down menus make the program very easy to use.//  use sth for (doing) sth//  --They were using animals for scientific experiments.//  --Bob uses the van for picking up groceries.//  use sth as sth//  --My parents use the house as a holiday home.//  use sth to do sth//  --Most people now use their cars to go shopping.//  use force (=use violent methods) //\n  2 AMOUNT OF SOMETHING:   [T] to take an amount of something from a supply of food, gas, money etc//  --We use about [hA124]40 worth of electricity a month.//  --Standard washing machines use about 40 gallons of water.//\n  3 TREAT SOMEBODY UNFAIRLY:   [T] to make someone do something for you in order to get something you want//  --Can’t you see that Howard is just using you?//  --Gerald had been using her for his own ends .//\n  4 AN ADVANTAGE:   [T] to take advantage of a situation//  use sth to do sth//  --She used her position as manager to get jobs for her friends.//\n  5  could use sth:   spoken if you say you could use something, you mean you would really like to have it//  --I could use a drink.//\n  6 WORD:   [T] to say or write a particular word or phrase//  --We use the word ’hardware’ to describe the actual machine.//  --Don’t use bad language .//\n  7 DRUGS:   [I and T] to regularly take illegal drugs//    used to//  use up [use sth → up] phr v//  to use all of something//  --She’s used up all the hot water.//\nuse 2 W2S3   n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: us, from  Latin usus;   USE1]//\n  1 [singular, U] the action or fact of using something:  --an exit for use in emergencies//  use of//  --the increasing use of computers in education//\n  2 [C] a purpose for which something can be used:  --Robots have many different uses in modern industry.//  have/find a use for sth //  --The cupboard is full of things I can never find a use for.//\n  3  make use of sth:  to use something that is available in order to achieve something or get an advantage for yourself//  --We will make use of her vast experience.//  --There is an answering machine for you to make use of.//  --Try to make good use of your time.//\n  4  put sth to (good) use:  to use something such as knowledge or skills for a particular purpose//  --a job where her management skills can be put to good use//\n  5  the use of sth:  the ability or right to use something//  --Joe’s given me the use of his office till he gets back.//  --He lost the use of both legs as a result of the accident.//\n  6  be (of) no use (to sb):  to be completely useless//  --You needed blankets to keep warm because the heating was no use.//  --Take this - it’s of no use to me any more.//\n  7  it’s no use doing sth:   spoken used to tell someone not to do something because it will have no effect//  --It’s no use complaining.//\n  8  it’s no use!:   spoken used to say that you are going to stop doing something because you do not think it will be successful//  --Oh, it’s no use! I can’t fix it.//\n  9  what’s the use (of sth):   spoken used to say that something seems to be a waste of time//  --What’s the use of decorating the house if we are going to sell it?//\n  10  be in use:  a machine, place etc that is in use is being used//  --Electric vehicles built in 1920 were still in use in the 1950s.//\n  11  for the use of sb:  provided for a particular person or group of people to use//  --a bar for the use of the guests//\n  12  be of use (to sb/sth):  to be useful//  --He was charged with having information likely to be of use to terrorists.//\n  13  come into use:   also bring sth into use //  to start being used, or to start using something//  --Computers first came into use in the early 1950s.//\n  14  go/be out of use:  a machine, place etc that goes out of use or is out of use is not being used//  --Some 4,000 railway stations have gone out of use since the 1960s.//\n  15  have no use for sb/sth:  to have no respect for someone or something//  --She has no use for people who are always complaining.//\n  16  sth/sb has their uses:   spoken used, often humorously, to say that something or someone can sometimes be useful, even though it may not seem that way//  --Being stubborn can have its uses.//\n  17 [C] one of the meanings of a word, or the way that a particular word is used:


Words: used
Meaning:
adj   be/get used to (doing) sth//  to have experienced something so that it no longer seems surprising, difficult, strange etc//  --I do the dishes every day, so I’m used to it.//  --I can’t get used to the idea that you’re grown up now.//\nused 2   adj \n  1  used cars/clothes etc:  cars, clothes etc that have already had an owner//   second-hand//  --a used car salesman//\n  2 dirty or not in good condition any longer, as a result of being used:  --a used tissue//


Words: used to
Meaning:
modal v \n  1 if something used to happen, it happened regularly or all the time in the past, but does not happen now:  --He used to go to our school.//  --We’re eating out more often than we used to.//  did not use to do sth//  --You didn’t use to eat chips when you were younger.//  used not to do sth//   BrE //  --You used not to fuss like this.//  did sb use to do sth?//  --Did you use to go to church regularly?//\n  2 if a particular situation used to exist, it existed for a period of time in the past, but does not exist now:  --Jimmy used to be a friend of mine.//  --There used to be a large car park on this site.//  did not use to be/do sth//  --Why are you so bad-tempered? You didn’t use to be like this.//  did sb/sth use to be/do sth?//  --Did this building use to be a hotel?//  --Where did you use to live before you came to Manchester?//  ----------//  GRAMMAR //  If you  used to do something, you did it regularly or for a period of time in the past : She used to come here (NOT was used to come here) every week.|  I used to go to that school. //  !!  Do not say ’be used to’. This has a different meaning - see entry  used1 . //  !!  Use the infinitive after  used to , not the past tense : My dad used to grow vegetables (NOT used to grew vegetables). //  !!  For talking about a present habit, use  usually : We usually eat (NOT use to eat) around six. //  In questions, say  did  someone use to ...? : Did he use to fight with his brother? //  In negatives, say  didn’t/did not use to ... : He didn’t use to smoke. You can also say never used to : They never used to ask where I’d been. In formal British English you can also say used not to : Buses used not to stop here. //  ----------//


Words: useful
Meaning:
adj   helping you to do or get what you want//  → useless//  --The book is full of useful information.//  --Bar charts are a useful way of looking at sets of figures.//  --The Internet is becoming a useful tool for investors.//  useful for//  --Television is useful for making up your mind how to vote.//  useful to//  --information that may be useful to the enemy//  -- It may be useful to consider the data separately.//  --The research may prove useful for applications in medicine and biotechnology.//  --techniques that teachers have found useful //  --Sometimes he would make himself useful in the kitchen by cleaning and tidying.//  --She couldn’t bear to throw away anything that might come in useful one day.//  -- usefully adv //  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  useful information/advice/tip //  useful way of doing something //  useful tool (=useful method or thing that you can use) //  it is useful to do something //  prove useful //  find something useful //  make yourself useful (=be helpful) //  come in useful (=be useful) //  serve a useful purpose/function (=be useful) //  ----------//


Words: usefulness
Meaning:
n [U]   the state of being useful or the degree to which something is useful//  usefulness of//  --There are doubts as to the usefulness of this approach (=it may not be useful) .//  --As a commuter service, the ferry has outlived its usefulness  (=is no longer useful) .//


Words: useless
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not useful or effective in any way:  → useful//  --The doctor concluded that further treatment would be useless.//  --a website full of useless information //  virtually/completely/totally etc useless //  --Water had got into the radio, and now it was completely useless.//  useless for//  --The land is useless for growing crops.//  it is useless to do sth//  --It was useless to complain.//\n  2  informal unable or unwilling to do anything properly:  --Don’t ask Tim to fix it. He’s completely useless.//  -- uselessly adv //  -- uselessness n  [U] //


Words: user
Meaning:
W3   n [C] \n  1 someone or something that uses a product, service etc:  --road users//  --a computer user//  --library users//\n  2  informal someone who takes illegal drugs:    end user//


Words: user group
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a group of people who have the same interests and use a particular product or service:\n  2 a group of people who exchange information on the Internet about computers:


Words: user interface
Meaning:
n [C]   how a computer program looks on screen and how the user enters commands and information into the program//


Words: user name
Meaning:
also user ID  n [C]   a name or special word that proves who you are and allows you to enter a computer system or use the Internet//  --Please enter your user name and password and click ’OK’.//


Words: user-friendly
Meaning:
adj   easy to use, understand, or operate//  --a user-friendly guide to computing//  -- user-friendliness n  [U] //


Words: usher
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: ussier, from  Vulgar Latin ustiarius  ’door-guard’, from  Latin ostium  ’door’]//\n  1 someone who shows people to their seats at a theatre, cinema, wedding etc:\n  2  BrE someone who works in a law court whose job is to guide people in and out of the court rooms:\nusher 2 v [T always + adverb/preposition]   to help someone to get from one place to another, especially by showing them the way//  usher sb into/to sth//  --He ushered her into the room.//  usher sb in//  --She stood back and ushered him in.//  usher in [usher in → sth] phr v//  to cause something new to start, or to be at the start of something new//  --The discovery of oil ushered in an era of employment and prosperity.//


Words: usherette
Meaning:
n [C]    old-fashioned  especially BrE a woman who works in a cinema, showing people to their seats//


Words: USIA
Meaning:
the   United States Information Agency a government department which sends representatives abroad to provide information about the United States//


Words: USM
Meaning:
the   Unlisted Securities Market a part of the London Stock Exchange for smaller companies which cannot be listed officially with the Stock Exchange//


Words: USO
Meaning:
United Service Organization a US organization which arranges performances, builds libraries, and provides equipment such as telephones and televisions for people in the US armed forces//


Words: USP
Meaning:
n [C]   unique selling proposition a feature of a product that makes it different from other similar products, and therefore more attractive to people who might buy it//


Words: USS
Meaning:
United States Ship; letters which go before the name of a ship to show that it belongs to the American government//  --USS Arizona//


Words: usual
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Late Latin; Origin: usualis, from  Latin usus;   USE1]//\n  1 happening, done, or existing most of the time or in most situations:  --Make a cheese sauce in the usual way.//  --I’ll meet you at the usual time.//  longer/higher/worse etc than usual //  --It is taking longer than usual for orders to reach our customers.//  --She ate twice as much as usual .//  it is usual (for sb) to do sth//  --It’s usual to keep records of all expenses.//\n  2  as usual:  in the way that happens or exists most of the time//  --As usual, they’d left the children at home with Susan.//  --They didn’t invite any women, as usual.//\n  3  as per usual:   spoken used to say that something bad that often happens has just happened again//  --He just laughed at me, as per usual.//\n  4  the usual:   spoken //  a) used for talking about something that usually happens, is usually done etc//  --’What was he going on about this time?’ ’Oh, the usual.’//  b) the drink that you usually have, especially in a particular bar//  --A pint of the usual please, Paul.//\n  5  not your usual self:  behaving differently from the way you usually behave, especially by seeming worried or upset about something//  --Keith doesn’t seem his usual self these days.//


Words: usually
Meaning:
adv   used to talk about what happens on most occasions or in most situations//  --Women usually live longer than men.//  --Usually I wear black, grey, or brown.//  --The drive usually takes 15 or 20 minutes.//


Words: usurp
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: usurper, from  Latin usurpare  ’to take something by using it’,  from  usus (  USE1) +  rapere  ’to seize’]//   formal to take someone else’s power, position, job etc when you do not have the right to//  --There were a couple of attempts to usurp the young king.//  -- usurper n  [C] //  -- usurpation/ju[hA359]z[hA362][hA359]pe[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ -s[hA362][hA359]r-/ n  [U] //


Words: usury
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: usuria, from  Latin usura  ’use, interest’, from  usus;   USE1]//   formal  old-fashioned the practice of lending money to people and making them pay interest1(4)//  --In medieval times, it was illegal for Christians to practise usury.//


Words: Utah
Meaning:
UT a state in the west of the US, whose capital, Salt Lake City, is a centre of the  Mormon religion. Most of the people who live in Utah are Mormons.//


Words: utensil
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: utensile, from  Latin utensilis  ’useful’, from  uti;   USE1]//  a thing such as a knife, spoon etc that you use when you are cooking//  --kitchen utensils//


Words: uterus
Meaning:
n   plural  uteruses  [C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin]//  the organ in a woman or female mammal where babies develop//   womb//  -- uterine/-ra[hA366]n/ adj //


Words: utilitarian
Meaning:
adj \n  1  formal intended to be useful and practical rather than attractive or comfortable:  --ugly utilitarian buildings//\n  2 based on a belief in utilitarianism:    materialistic//


Words: utility
Meaning:
n   plural  utilities //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: utilite, from  Latin utilitas, from  utilis  ’useful’, from  uti;   USE1]//\n  1 [C usually plural] a service such as gas or electricity provided for people to use:  --Does your rent include utilities?//\n  2 [C] a piece of computer software that has a particular use:  --It’s a simple shareware utility that allows you to print signs and banners.//\n  3 [U]  formal the quality of being useful, or the degree to which something is useful:


Words: utilize
Meaning:
also utilise  BrE   v [T]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: utiliser, from  utile  ’useful’]//   formal to use something for a particular purpose//  --We must consider how best to utilize what resources we have.//  -- utilizable adj //  -- utilization/ju[hA359]t[hA369]la[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ -l[hA353]-/ n  [U] //


Words: utmost
Meaning:
adj  also  uttermost  [Language: Old English; Origin: utm[zB024]st  ’farthest out’, from  ut  ’out’]//  the utmost importance/respect/care etc//  the greatest possible importance etc//  --a matter of the utmost importance//  --I’ve got the utmost respect for her accomplishments.//  --Baldwin treated the matter with the utmost seriousness.//\nutmost 2 n [singular]   the most that can be done//  to the utmost//  --Both runners had pushed themselves to the utmost.//  --The medical staff did their utmost  (=tried as hard as they could) to save the patient’s life.//


Words: utopia
Meaning:
also Utopia   n [U and C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: Utopia imaginary perfect country in the book Utopia (1516) by Sir Thomas More, from  Greek ou  ’not, no’ +  topos  ’place’]//  an imaginary perfect world where everyone is happy//    dystopia//  -- utopian adj //  --a utopian society//  -- utopianism n  [U] //


Words: utter
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   [Language: Old English; Origin: utera  ’further out, outer’, from  ut  ’out’]//  used to emphasize how great or complete something is//  --That’s utter nonsense !//  --This company treats its employees with utter contempt .//  --I watched in complete and utter horror as he pulled out a gun.//  --fifteen years of utter confusion//\nutter 2 v [T]  formal   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Middle Dutch; Origin: uteren  ’to speak, make known’]//\n  1 to say something:  --’You fool!’ she uttered in disgust.//  --Cantor nodded without uttering a word .//\n  2 to make a sound with your voice, especially with difficulty:  --The wounded prisoner uttered a groan.//


Words: utterance
Meaning:
n  formal \n  1 [C] something you say:  --Politicians are judged by their public utterances.//\n  2 [U] the action of saying something:


Words: UVF
Meaning:
Ulster Volunteer Force an illegal  paramilitary organization in Northern Ireland which has used violence against people who want Northern Ireland to leave the UK and become part of the Irish Republic//


Words: uvula
Meaning:
n   plural  uvulae /-li[hA359]/ [C]  technical //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: Latin uva  ’grape, uvula’]//  a small soft piece of flesh which hangs down from the top of your mouth at the back//


Words: Uzbekistan
Meaning:
a country in central Asia between Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan. Population: 25,155,000 (2001). Capital: Tashkent. It was formerly part of the  Soviet Union. //  -- Uzbek n  adj //


Words: V
Meaning:
v/vi[hA359]/ n   plural  V’s, v’s //\n  1 [U and C] the 22nd letter of the English alphabet:\n  2 the number 5 in the system of roman numerals:\n  3 [C usually singular] something that has a shape like the letter V:  --She cut the material into a V.//


Words: V sign
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a sign meaning peace or victory, made by holding up the first two fingers of your hand with the front of the hand facing forwards:\n  2  BrE a rude sign made by holding up the first two fingers of your hand with the back of your hand facing towards another person:


Words: V-chip
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: violence chip]//  an electronic chip in a television that allows parents to prevent their children from watching programmes that are violent or have sex in them//


Words: V-E Day
Meaning:
Victory in Europe Day May 8th 1945, the day on which victory in Europe in World War II was celebrated//


Words: V-J Day
Meaning:
Victory over Japan Day; August 15th 1945, the day on which victory over Japan in World War II was celebrated//


Words: V-neck
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 an opening for the neck in a piece of clothing, shaped like the letter V:  --a V-neck sweater//\n  2 a piece of clothing with a V-neck:  -- V-necked/-nekt/ adj //


Words: v.
Meaning:
also  v BrE \n  1 a written abbreviation of verb :\n  2  BrE  informal the written abbreviation of very :\n  3 a written abbreviation of versus  (=against) , used in the names of legal trials, or in Britain when talking about games in which two teams or players play against each other:  --the Roe v. Wade case//  --England v Australia//\n  4 the written abbreviation of volt or volts:


Words: V8
Meaning:
trademark   a type of drink made from  tomato juice and other vegetable juices//\nVA 1   the written abbreviation of Virginia//


Words: vac
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: vacuum]//   BrE  informal a university vacation1(2)//


Words: vacancy
Meaning:
S3   n   plural  vacancies //\n  1 [C] a job that is available for someone to start doing:  --There are still two vacancies on the school board.//  vacancy for//  --We have no vacancies for photographers at the moment.//  --The council is making every effort to fill the vacancies .//  --information about job vacancies //\n  2 [C] a room in a hotel or building that is not being used and is available for someone to stay in:  --Let me see if we have a vacancy for tonight.//  --’ No vacancies ’, the sign read.//\n  3 [U]  written lack of interest or thought:  --His mouth fell open and the look of vacancy returned.//


Words: vacant
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin, present participle of  vacare  ’to be empty, be free’]//\n  1 a vacant seat, building, room or piece of land is empty and available for someone to use:  --Only a few apartments were still vacant.//  --There was only a vacant lot  (=empty unused area of land in a city) where her house used to be.//\n  2  formal a job or position in an organization that is vacant is available for someone to start doing:  fall vacant  BrE  (=become vacant) //  --He was offered the position of headmaster when it fell vacant.//  situations vacant  BrE  (=the part of a newspaper where jobs are advertised) //\n  3  vacant expression/look/stare etc:   written an expression that shows that someone does not seem to be thinking about anything//  --He gazed at me with vacant eyes.//  -- vacantly adv //  --Cindy was staring vacantly into space.//


Words: vacant possession
Meaning:
n [U]  BrE  technical   house/flat with vacant possession//  a home or other building whose previous owner has left, so that the new owner can move into it immediately//


Words: vacate
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  vacare;   VACANT]//\n  1 to leave a job or position so that it is available for someone else to do:  --Clay will vacate the position on June 19.//\n  2 to leave a seat, room etc so that someone else can use it:  --Guests must vacate their rooms by 11:00.//


Words: vacation
Meaning:
W3S2   n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin vacatio  ’freedom’, from  vacare;   VACANT]//\n  1 [U and C]  especially AmE a holiday, or time spent not working:  on vacation//  --They’re on vacation for the next two weeks.//  --I’m going on vacation tomorrow.//  --We’re hoping to take a vacation at the end of July.//  --his summer vacation at Martha’s Vineyard//  --Luke was forced to cancel the family vacation to Acapulco.//  --the Caribbean vacation spot of Cancun, Mexico//\n  2 [U]  especially AmE the number of days, weeks etc that you are allowed as paid holiday by your employer:  --How much vacation do you get at your new job?//  --I think I have four vacation days left.//  --Employees are entitled to four-weeks’ paid vacation annually.//\n  3 [C]  BrE one of the periods of time when universities are closed:  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  on (a) vacation //  go on (a) vacation //  take/have a vacation //  summer vacation //  Christmas vacation //  family vacation //  two-week/three-day etc vacation //  vacation spot (=a place where a lot of people go on vacation) //  ----------//\nvacation 2 v [I]  American English   to go somewhere for a holiday//  vacation in/at//  --The Bernsteins are vacationing in Europe.//


Words: vaccinate
Meaning:
v [T]   to protect a person or animal from a disease by giving them a vaccine//   immunize//  vaccinate sb against sth//  --All children should be vaccinated against measles.//  -- vaccination/v[zB024]ks[hA369]ne[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U and C] //  --a flu vaccination//


Words: vaccine
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: vaccinus  ’of a cow’, from  vacca  ’cow’; because the substance was originally obtained from sick cows]//  a substance which contains a weak form of the bacteria or virus that causes a disease and is used to protect people from that disease//  --a polio vaccine//  --Doctors worried that there would not be enough vaccine for everyone who needed it.//


Words: vacillate
Meaning:
v [I]  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  vacillare  ’to move from side to side, fail to decide’]//  to continue to change your opinions, decisions, ideas etc//   waver//  vacillate between//  --Her parents vacillated between different approaches to discipline.//  -- vacillation/v[zB024]s[hA369]le[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U and C] //


Words: VActor
Meaning:
n [C]  trademark   virtual actor an actor who seems like a real person, but who is an image made using a computer//   synthespian//


Words: vacuity
Meaning:
n [U]  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: vacuitas, from  vacuus;   VACUOUS]//  lack of intelligent, interesting, or serious thought//


Words: vacuous
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: vacuus  ’empty’]//  showing no intelligence or having no useful purpose//  --a vacuous expression//  --a vacuous romantic novel//


Words: vacuum
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: vacuus;   VACUOUS]//\n  1 [C] a space that is completely empty of all gas, especially one from which all the air has been taken away:\n  2 [C] a vacuum cleaner:\n  3 [singular] a situation in which someone or something is missing or lacking:  create/leave a vacuum (in sth) //  --Her husband’s death left a vacuum in her life.//  power/political/moral etc vacuum //  --the political vacuum caused by the ban on Communist Party activity//\n  4  in a vacuum:  existing completely separately from other people or things and having no connection with them//  --The process of learning a language does not take place in a vacuum.//\nvacuum 2 v [I and T]   to clean using a vacuum cleaner//


Words: vacuum-packed
Meaning:
adj   vacuum-packed food is in a container from which most of the air has been removed, so that the food will stay fresh for longer//


Words: vagabond
Meaning:
n [C]  especially literary   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin vagabundus, from  vagari  ’to wander’]//  someone who has no home and travels from place to place//   tramp//


Words: vagaries
Meaning:
n [plural]  formal   unexpected changes in a situation or someone’s behaviour, that you cannot control but which have an effect on your life//  vagaries of//  --the vagaries of the English weather//


Words: vagina
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: ’cover for a blade, vagina’]//  the passage between a woman’s outer sexual organs and her uterus//  -- vaginal/v[hA353]d[hA360]a[hA366]nl $ v[zB024]d[hA360][hA369]n[hA368]l/ adj //


Words: vagrant
Meaning:
n [C]  formal   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Probably from  Old French, present participle of  wacrer  ’to roll, wander’]//  someone who has no home or work, especially someone who begs//   tramp//


Words: vague
Meaning:
S3   adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: Latin vagus  ’wandering, vague’]//\n  1 unclear because someone does not give enough detailed information or does not say exactly what they mean:  --The governor gave only a vague outline of his tax plan.//  vague about//  --Julia was vague about where she had been and what she had been doing.//\n  2  have a vague idea/feeling/recollection etc (that):  to think that something might be true or that you remember something, although you cannot be sure//  --Larry had the vague feeling he’d done something embarrassing the night before.//\n  3 not having a clear shape or form:   indistinct//  --The vague shape of a figure loomed through the mist.//  -- vagueness n  [U] //


Words: vaguely
Meaning:
adv \n  1 slightly:  → clearly//  --I vaguely remember a woman in a red dress standing outside the door.//  --There was something vaguely familiar about him.//  --I was vaguely aware of another figure by the door.//\n  2 not clearly or exactly:  --His statement was very vaguely worded.//\n  3 in a way that shows you are not thinking about what you are doing:  --He smiled vaguely at the ceiling.//


Words: vain
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin vanus  ’empty, vain’]//\n  1 someone who is vain is too proud of their good looks, abilities, or position - used to show disapproval:   conceited//  --Men can be just as vain as women. see usage note  proud//\n  2  in vain:  a) without success in spite of your efforts//  --Police searched in vain for the missing gunman.//  b) without purpose or without positive results//  --Altman swore that his son’s death would not be in vain.//    take sb’s name in vain at name1 (12)//\n  3 a vain attempt, hope or search fails to achieve the result you wanted:  vain attempt/effort/bid //  --The young mother died in a vain attempt to save her drowning son.//\n  4  vain threat/promise etc:   literary a threat, promise etc that is not worrying because the person cannot do what they say they will//  -- vainly adv //  --The instructor struggled vainly to open his parachute.//


Words: valance
Meaning:
valence/v[zB024]l[hA353]ns/ n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Perhaps from  Valence town in southeastern France]//\n  1 a narrow piece of cloth that hangs from the edge of a shelf or from the frame of a bed to the floor:\n  2  especially AmE a narrow piece of cloth above a window, covering the rail the curtains hang on:  British Equivalent:  pelmet//


Words: vale
Meaning:
n [C]  literary   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: val, from  Latin valles]//\n  1 a broad low valley:\n  2  a/the/this vale of tears:  an expression used to mean the difficulties of life//


Words: valedictorian
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   the student who has received the best marks all the way through school, and usually makes a speech at the graduation ceremony//


Words: valedictory
Meaning:
n   plural  valedictories  [C]  formal //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: valedictus, past participle of  valedicere  ’to say goodbye’, from  vale  ’goodbye’ +  dicere  ’to say’]//  a speech or statement in which you say goodbye when you are leaving a school, job etc, especially on a formal occasion//  -- valedictory adj //  --a valedictory speech//


Words: valence
Meaning:
[C]  technical   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Late Latin; Origin: valentia  ’power, ability’, from  valere;   VALOR]//\n  1 a measure of the power of atoms to combine together to form compounds:\n  2 another spelling of valance:


Words: valentine
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Saint  Valentine 3rd-century Italian priest]//\n  1 someone you love or think is attractive, that you send a card to on St Valentine’s Day:  --Be my valentine.//\n  2 a card you send to someone on St Valentine’s Day:


Words: Valentino
Meaning:
Rudolph   (1895-1926) a US film actor, born in Italy, who appeared as romantic characters in  silent films (=films made with no sound) . He was famous for being sexually attractive, and for being loved by millions of women who watched his films. These films include  The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921) and  The Sheikh (1921).//


Words: valet
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: vaslet,  valet  ’young male servant’, from  Medieval Latin vassellittus,  from  vassus;   VASSAL]//\n  1 a male servant who looks after a man’s clothes, serves his meals etc:    maid//\n  2  also  valet parker:   AmE someone who parks your car for you at a hotel or restaurant//  --valet service//\n  3  BrE someone who cleans the clothes of people staying in a hotel:\nvalet 2 v [T]  BrE   to clean someone’s car//  --a valeting service//


Words: valet parking
Meaning:
also  valet service n [U]  AmE   the service of having someone else park your car for you at a restaurant, hotel etc//


Words: Valhalla
Meaning:
in Norse  mythology, a place in Asgard, the Norse heaven, to which the souls of those who died bravely in battle are taken by the Valkyries//


Words: valiant
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: , present participle of  valoir  ’to be of worth’, from  Latin valere;   VALOR]//  very brave, especially in a difficult situation//   courageous//  --Tarr threw himself in front of a train in a valiant effort to save the child.//


Words: valid
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: valide, from  Latin validus  ’strong, effective’, from  valere;   VALOR]//\n  1 a valid ticket, document, or agreement is legally or officially acceptable:  → invalid//  --a valid credit card//  --Your return ticket is valid for three months.//\n  2  valid reason/argument/criticism etc:  a reason, argument etc that is based on what is reasonable or sensible//  --Police officers must have a valid reason for stopping motorists.//\n  3 a valid  password,  ID etc is one that will be accepted by a computer system:  →  invalid//  -- validity/v[hA353]l[hA366]d[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //  --I would question the validity of that statement.//


Words: validate
Meaning:
v [T] \n  1  formal to prove that something is true or correct, or to make a document or agreement officially and legally acceptable:   confirm//  --The Supreme Court has validated the lower court’s interpretation of the law.//  --Many scientists plan to wait until the results of the study are validated by future research.//\n  2 to make someone feel that their ideas and feelings are respected and considered seriously:  --Talking with people who think like you helps validate your feelings.//\n  3  AmE if a business validates a ticket from a parking garage, it puts a special mark on it, showing that it will pay the parking costs:  -- validation/v[zB024]l[hA369]de[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U and C] //


Words: valise
Meaning:
n [C]  old-fashioned   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: French; Origin: Italian valigia]//  a small suitcase//


Words: Valjean
Meaning:
Jean   the main character in the book Les Miserables (1862) by the French writer Victor Hugo. Valjean is sent to prison for stealing bread to feed his sister’s family, but he escapes. Later, he becomes a successful man, but he is hunted by a detective, Javert, who wants to put him back in prison.//


Words: Valkyrie
Meaning:
in Norse  mythology, one of  Odin ’s female servants, who ride on their horses into battles and decide which brave soldiers will die. They then take the souls of the dead soldiers to  Valhalla.//


Words: valley
Meaning:
W3S3   n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: valee, from  val;   VALE]//  an area of lower land between two lines of hills or mountains, usually with a river flowing through it//  --the San Fernando valley//


Words: Valley Forge
Meaning:
a place in Pennsylvania in the US where George  Washington’s soldiers stayed during the winter in 1777-78 in the  American Revolutionary War. Many men died because of the cold and lack of food.//


Words: valour
Meaning:
BrE valor  AmE   n [U]  literary   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Old French; Origin: valour, from  Latin valor, from  valere  ’to be worth, be strong’]//  great courage, especially in war//  --medals awarded for valor//  --deeds of valour//


Words: valuable
Meaning:
W3   adj \n  1 worth a lot of money:  → worthless//  --a valuable painting//  --Their most valuable belongings were locked in a safe in the bedroom.//\n  2 valuable help, advice, information etc is very useful because it helps you to do something:  --Muriel has made a valuable contribution to our company’s success.//  --a job that gave him valuable experience//\n  3 important because there is only a limited amount available:  --I won’t waste any more of your valuable time.//


Words: valuables
Meaning:
n [plural]   things that you own that are worth a lot of money, such as jewellery, cameras etc//  --Guests should leave their valuables in the hotel safe.//


Words: valuation
Meaning:
n [U and C] \n  1 a professional judgment about how much something is worth:  --The property has a valuation of $1.6 billion.//\n  2 a judgment about how effective or useful a particular idea or plan will be:


Words: value
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 money:\n   2 worth the money paid:\n   3 importance/usefulness:\n   4 of value:\n   5 interesting quality:\n   6 ideas:\n   7 amount:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Vulgar Latin valuta, from  Latin valere;   VALOR]//\n  1 MONEY:   [U and C] the amount of money that something is worth//  value of//  --The alterations doubled the value of the house.//  --The dollar has been steadily increasing in value .//  --The share price has continued to fall in value over the past week.//  --It’s a beautiful carpet - it should hold its value .//  --Spices had a high value in proportion to their weight.//  -- low value household products//  --a mortgage that is larger than the market value of your house//  --Police seized drugs with a  street value  of [hA124]2.5 million.//\n  2 WORTH THE MONEY PAID:   [U and C] used to say that something is worth what you pay for it, or not worth what you pay for it//  good/poor value (for money)  BrE  //  a good/poor value  AmE //  --The lunch special is really good value.//  --At only [hA124]45 a night, the hotel is great value for money.//  value for money  BrE  (=good value, or the quality of being good value) //  --Every customer is looking for value for money.//\n  3 IMPORTANCE/USEFULNESS:   [U] the importance or usefulness of something//  value of//  --A group of athletes spoke to the students about the value of a college education.//  --the nutritional value of cereal//  be of great/little value //  --His research has been of little practical value.//  place/put a high value on sth //  --The Sioux Indians placed a high value on generosity.//  --The locket has great sentimental value  (=importance because it was a gift, it reminds you of someone etc) .//\n  4  of value:  a) worth a lot of money//  --The thieves took nothing of value.//  b) useful//  --I hope this book will be of value to both teachers and students.//\n  5 INTERESTING QUALITY:   shock/curiosity/novelty etc value//  a good or interesting quality that something has because it is surprising, different, new etc//  --After the initial curiosity value, the product’s sales dropped considerably.//\n  6 IDEAS:   values [plural] your ideas about what is right and wrong, or what is important in life//  --a return to traditional values //  --Your attitudes about sex are affected by your religious and moral values .//    family values//\n  7 AMOUNT:   [C]  technical a mathematical quantity shown by a letter of the alphabet or sign//  --Let x have the value 25.//   see usage note  worth1 //  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  increase/rise/go up in value //  drop/fall/go down/decrease in value //  hold its value (=continue to be worth the same amount) //  high/low value //  market value (=the amount that something can be bought or sold for) //  street value (=how much people pay on the street to buy illegal drugs) //  ----------//\nvalue 2 v [T] \n  1 to think that someone or something is important:  --Shelly valued her privacy.//  value sb/sth for sth//  --Mr. Yeo valued Jan for her hard work.//\n  2 [usually passive] to decide how much money something is worth, by comparing it with similar things:  --We decided to get the house valued.//  value sth at sth//  --Paintings valued at over $200,000 were stolen from her home.//  -- valued adj //  --a valued friend//


Words: value judgment
Meaning:
n [C]   a decision or judgment about how good something is, based on your personal opinions not facts//


Words: valueless
Meaning:
adj \n  1 worth no money or very little money:   worthless//  --valueless currency//\n  2 having no worth, importance, or good qualities:   worthless//  --On most political issues my own opinion was pretty well valueless.//


Words: valve
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: valva  ’part of a door’]//\n  1 a part of a tube or pipe that opens and shuts like a door to control the flow of liquid, gas, air etc passing through it:  --heart valves//  mouthpiece, valve//\n  2 the part on a trumpet or similar musical instrument that you press to change the sound of the note:\n  3  BrE a closed glass tube used to control the flow of electricity in old radios, televisions etc:  American Equivalent:  vacuum tube//


Words: vamp
Meaning:
n [C]  old-fashioned   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: vampire]//  a woman who uses her sexual attractiveness to make men do what she wants//


Words: vampire
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: German vampir, from  Serbo-Croat, perhaps from  Turkish uber  ’witch’]//  in stories, a dead person that sucks people’s blood by biting their necks//


Words: van
Meaning:
S3   n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: caravan]//\n  1 a vehicle used especially for carrying goods, which is smaller than a truck and has a roof and usually no windows at the sides:  --a delivery van//  --a van driver//\n  2  AmE a large box-like car that can carry a lot of people:\n  3  especially BrE a railway carriage with a roof and sides, used especially for carrying goods:  --a luggage van//


Words: Van Dyck
Meaning:
Sir Anthony   (1599-1641) a Flemish painter who lived for some time in England, and painted  portraits of the British king  Charles I and his family//


Words: Van Gogh
Meaning:
Vincent   (1853-90) a Dutch painter who went to live in southern France and who helped to develop the style of  post-impressionism. His paintings typically use bright colours and have thick lines of paint in circular patterns, and the most famous ones include ’Sunflowers’ and ’Irises’. He is also famous for being mentally ill and for cutting off one of his ears and later killing himself.//


Words: Vanbrugh
Meaning:
Sir John   (1664-1726) an English  architect and Restoration comedy writer. He designed large houses for  upper class people, including  Blenheim Palace, one of the best examples of the  baroque style in the UK, and Castle Howard. His plays include  The Relapse and  The Provok’d Wife.//


Words: Vancouver
Meaning:
1 a city in British Columbia, Canada, on the Pacific Ocean. Vancouver is Canada’s third largest city and is an important port and industrial and business centre.:\n  2  also Vancouver Island :  an island off the southwest coast of British Columbia, Canada//


Words: vandal
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: Vandal]//  someone who deliberately damages things, especially public property//


Words: vandalize
Meaning:
also vandalise  BrE   v [T]   to damage or destroy things deliberately, especially public property//  --The cemetery was vandalized during the night.//


Words: Vanderbilt
Meaning:
a US family famous for being very rich. Cornelius Vanderbilt(1794-1877) became extremely rich by building steamships and railways in the 19th century.//


Words: vane
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: fana  ’flag’]//  a flat blade that is moved by wind or water to produce power to drive a machine//


Words: vanguard
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: avangarde, from  avant-garde;   AVANT-GARDE]//\n  1  in/at the vanguard (of sth):  in the most advanced position of development//  --The shop has always been in the vanguard of London fashion trends.//\n  2  the vanguard:  the leading position at the front of an army or group of ships moving into battle, or the soldiers who are in this position//


Words: vanilla
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Spanish; Origin: vainilla, from  vaina  ’cover for a blade’, from  Latin vagina;   VAGINA]//  a substance used to give a special taste to ice cream, cakes etc, made from the beans of a tropical plant//\nvanilla 2 adj \n  1 having the taste of vanilla:  --vanilla ice cream//\n  2  also  plain-vanilla:  plain, ordinary, or uninteresting//  --There are no plans for an inexpensive vanilla version of the software.//


Words: vanish
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: evanir, from  Vulgar Latin exvanire, from  Latin evanescere;   EVANESCENT]//\n  1 to disappear suddenly, especially in a way that cannot be easily explained:  --My keys were here a minute ago but now they’ve vanished.//  vanish without (a) trace/vanish off the face of the earth (=disappear so that no sign remains) //  --The youngster vanished without a trace one day and has never been found.//  --The bird vanished from sight .//  --She seemed to have just  vanished into thin air . (=suddenly disappeared in a very mysterious way) //\n  2 to suddenly stop existing:   disappear//  vanish from//  --By the 1930s, the wolf had vanished from the American West.//  --Public support for the Prime Minister has now vanished.//


Words: vanishing point
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   the point in the distance, especially on a picture, where parallel lines seem to meet//


Words: vanishingly
Meaning:
adv   vanishingly small/improbable//  extremely small or unlikely//  --The chances of dying under anaesthetic are vanishingly small.//


Words: vanity
Meaning:
n   plural  vanities //  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: vanite, from  Latin vanitas, from  vanus;   VAIN]//\n  1 [U] too much pride in yourself, so that you are always thinking about yourself and your appearance:  --Sabrina had none of the vanity so often associated with beautiful women.//\n  2 [C]  also  vanity table:  a dressing table//\n  3  the vanity of sth:   literary the lack of importance of something compared to other things that are much more important//


Words: Vanity Fair
Meaning:
1  trademark a magazine sold in the US and UK that has articles on fashion, some news articles, and some articles or stories by well-known writers:\n  2 (1847-48) a novel by William  Thackeray about  upper class English society at the time of the war against Napoleon. The characters in the book, who include Becky  Sharp, are often shown to be stupid or to have no moral principles.:\n  3  literary a place where people have no serious thoughts or beliefs, and where only money, fashion, and entertainment are considered to be important. The name comes from an imaginary place like this in  The Pilgrim’s Progress by John  Bunyan.:


Words: vanity plate
Meaning:
n [C]   a car number plate that has a combination of numbers or letters chosen by the owner, so that they spell a word that is connected with or describes the owner//


Words: vanquish
Meaning:
v [T]  literary   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: venquis, past tense of  veintre  ’to defeat’, from  Latin vincere;   VICTOR]//  to defeat someone or something completely//


Words: vantage point
Meaning:
n  also  vantage [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  vantage  (1300-1400) from  Old French avantage;   ADVANTAGE]//\n  1 a good position from which you can see something:  --From my vantage point on the hill, I could see the whole procession.//\n  2 a way of thinking about things that comes from your own particular situation or experiences:   point of view//  --The whole dispute looked silly from my vantage point.//


Words: Vanuatu
Meaning:
a country in the southwest Pacific Ocean, East of Australia, made up of a chain of  volcanic islands. Population: 192,190 (2001). Capital: Vila. Vanuatu was formerly called the New Hebrides, and it is an independent member of the British  commonwealth.//


Words: vapid
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: vapidus  ’flat-tasting’]//  lacking intelligence, interest, or imagination//  --vapid conversation//


Words: vapor
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: vapeur, from  Latin vapor  ’steam, heat’]//  the American spelling of vapour//


Words: vaporize
Meaning:
also  vaporise BrE   v [I and T]   to change into a vapour, or to make something, especially a liquid, do this//


Words: vapour
Meaning:
BrE  vapor AmE   n   [U and C] a mass of very small drops of a liquid which float in the air, for example because the liquid has been heated//  --water vapour//


Words: variable
Meaning:
adj \n  1 likely to change often:  --Expect variable cloudiness and fog tomorrow.//  --Interest rates can be highly variable .//  variable in size/shape/colour etc //  --These fish are highly variable in color and pattern.//\n  2 sometimes good and sometimes bad:  --The quality of pork is often less variable than beef.//\n  3 able to be changed:  --The heater has variable temperature settings.//  -- variably adv //  -- variability/ve[hA353]ri[hA353]b[hA366]l[hA369]ti $ ver-/ n  [U] //\nvariable 2 n [C] \n  1 something that may be different in different situations, so that you cannot be sure what will happen:  --There are too many variables in the experiment to predict the result accurately.//\n  2  technical a mathematical quantity which can represent several different amounts:


Words: variance
Meaning:
n \n  1  be at variance (with sb/sth):   formal if two people or things are at variance with each other, they do not agree or are very different//  --Tradition and culture are often at variance with the needs of modern living.//\n  2 [U and C]  formal the amount by which two or more things are different or by which they change:  --a price variance of 5%//\n  3 [C]  law the official permission to do something different from what is normally allowed:  --The developer requested a variance to build a shopping center on the east side of town.//


Words: variant
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 something that is slightly different from the usual form of something:  variant of/on//  --This game is a variant of netball.//  --a variant on the typical Hollywood hero//\n  2  technical a slightly different form of a word or phrase:  --spelling variants in British and American English//  -- variant adj //  --a variant form of the word//


Words: variation
Meaning:
W2   n \n  1 [U and C] a difference between similar things, or a change from the usual amount or form of something:  variation of//  --White bread is really just a variation of French bread.//  variation in//  --variations in the quality of the rugs//  variation among//  -- There is a great deal of variation among the responses.//  variation between//  --The study concluded that the variation between the different CD players was very small.//\n  2 [C] something that is done in a way that is different from the way it is usually done:  --Most of his poems are variations on the theme of love.//\n  3 [C] one of a set of short pieces of music, each based on the same simple tune:  --Bach’s Goldberg variations//


Words: varicose veins
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: varicosus, from  varix  ’swollen vein’]//  a medical condition in which the veins in your leg become swollen and painful//


Words: varied
Meaning:
adj   consisting of or including many different kinds of things or people, especially in a way that seems interesting//  --a varied diet//  --The responsibilities of government are many, and they are varied.//  richly/extremely/widely etc varied //  --A good teacher is aware of the extremely varied needs of each student.//


Words: variegated
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  variegare, from  varius;   VARIOUS]//\n  1 a variegated plant, leaf etc has different coloured marks on it:  --variegated grasses//\n  2  formal consisting of a lot of different types of thing:


Words: variety
Meaning:
W1S2   n   plural  varieties //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: variete, from  Latin varietas, from  varius;   VARIOUS]//\n  1  a variety of sth:  a lot of things of the same type that are different from each other in some way//  --The girls come from a variety of different backgrounds.//  a wide/great/endless etc variety of sth //  --Cafe Artista offers a wide variety of sandwiches.//\n  2 [U] the differences within a group, set of actions etc that make it interesting:  --I really like the variety the store has to offer.//  give/add/bring variety (to sth) (=make something more interesting) //  --Occasionally working from home adds variety to a job.//\n  3 [C] a type of thing, such as a plant or animal, that is different from others in the same group:  variety of//  --The lake has more than 20 varieties of fish.//\n  4 [C usually singular] a particular type of person or thing - often used humorously:  of the ... variety//  --Lon has no patience with anything of the child variety.//\n  5  variety is the spice of life:  used to say that doing a lot of different things, meeting different people etc is what makes life interesting//


Words: Variety Club of Great Britain
Meaning:
the   a British  charity organization which gives money, holidays, vehicles etc to poor or sick children. Its members are people who work in television, films, and popular theatre.//


Words: variety show
Meaning:
n [C]   a television or radio programme or a performance that consists of many different shorter performances, especially musical and humorous ones//


Words: various
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: varius]//\n  1 if there are various things, there are several different types of that thing:  --The jacket is available in various colours.//  --There are various ways to answer your question.//  --He decided to leave school for various reasons .//\n  2  many and various:   BrE various and sundry  AmE many different types of something//  --The reasons why teenage girls get pregnant are many and various.//


Words: variously
Meaning:
adv   in many different ways//  variously described as/known as/called etc sth //  --the phenomena variously know as ’mass culture’, ’popular culture’, or the ’public arts’//  --His fortune has been variously estimated at between $1 and $2 billion.//


Words: varnish
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: vernis, from  Medieval Latin veronix type of resin used for making varnish]//  a clear liquid that is painted onto things, especially things made of wood, to protect them, or the hard shiny surface produced by this//\nvarnish 2 v [T]   to cover something with varnish//


Words: varsity
Meaning:
n   plural  varsities  [U and C] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: university]//\n  1  AmE the main team that represents a university, college, or school in a sport:  --the varsity football team//\n  2  BrE  old-fashioned a university, especially Oxford or Cambridge:


Words: vary
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  varied present participle  varying third person singular  varies //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: varier, from  Latin variare, from  varius;   VARIOUS]//\n  1 [I] if several things of the same type vary, they are all different from each other:   differ//  --Test scores vary from school to school .//  --The heights of the plants vary from 8 cm to 20 cm.//  vary in//  --flowers that vary in color and size//  --Medical treatment varies greatly from state to state.//  --Cooking times may vary slightly , depending on your oven.//  --Charges vary according to size.//  --She has tried different diets with varying degrees of success.//  --tests of varying levels of difficulty//\n  2 [I] if something varies, it changes depending on the situation:  --Quentin’s mood seems to vary according to the weather.//  --’What do you wear when you go out?’ ’Well, it varies .’//\n  3 [T] to change something to make it different:  --My doctor said I should vary my diet more.//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  vary from place to place/person to person etc //  vary from something to something //  vary considerably/greatly/widely/enormously //  vary slightly //  vary according to/depending on something //  varying degrees/levels/sizes/amounts //  ----------//


Words: vascular
Meaning:
adj  medical   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: vascularis, from  Latin vasculum  ’small container’, from  vas;   VASE]//  relating to the tubes through which liquids flow in the bodies of animals or in plants//  --vascular disease//


Words: vase
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: Latin vas  ’container’]//  a container used to put flowers in or for decoration//


Words: vasectomy
Meaning:
n   plural  vasectomies  [U and C] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: vas deferens  ’sperm-carrying tube’ (16-21 centuries) (from  Modern Latin,  ’carrying-away container’) +  -ectomy]//  a medical operation to cut the small tube through which a man’s sperm passes so that he is unable to produce children//


Words: vassal
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Medieval Latin vassallus, from  vassus  ’servant’]//\n  1 a man in the Middle Ages who was given land to live on by a lord in return for promising to work or fight for him:\n  2  formal a country that is controlled by another country:  --a vassal state//


Words: Vassar College
Meaning:
also Vassar   a college in the state of New York, US. It was established in 1861 as a college for women, but it has accepted male students since the late 1960s.//


Words: vast
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: vastus  ’empty, desolate, very large’]//\n  1 extremely large:   huge//  vast amounts/numbers/quantities/sums etc (of sth) //  --The government will have to borrow vast amounts of money.//  --The refugees come across the border in vast numbers .//  vast areas/expanses/tracts etc (of sth) //  --vast areas of rainforest//  --In the past five years, there has been a vast improvement in graduation rates.//\n  2  the vast majority (of sth):  used when you want to emphasize that something is true about almost all of a group of people or things//  --The vast majority of books on the subject are complete rubbish.//  -- vastness n  [U] //


Words: vat
Meaning:
W3   n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: f[zB024]t]//  a very large container for storing liquids in//


Words: Vatican
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: Vaticanus  ’Vatican Hill’ (in Rome)]//  the Vatican//  a) the large palace in Rome where the Pope (=head of the Roman Catholic Church) lives and works//  b) the government of the Pope//  --The Vatican is taking a hard line on birth control.//


Words: Vatican City
Meaning:
also Holy See   the independent state within Italy in the city of Rome which contains the Vatican and has its own  passports, money, etc. It has buildings which contain many of the greatest works of art in the world. Population: 1,000 (1995).//


Words: Vatican Council
Meaning:
the   either of two important series of meetings in the Roman Catholic Church, in which leading members of the church discussed questions of belief and practice. The First Vatican Council (1869-70) developed the idea that the Pope was  infallible (=always right when talking about matters of belief) . The Second Vatican Council (1962-65) discussed the relationship of the church with the modern world, and one of its results was that church services began to use modern languages instead of Latin.//


Words: vaudeville
Meaning:
n [U]  AmE   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: Old French vaudevire type of popular song, from  vau-de-Vire  ’valley of Vire’, town in northwest France where such songs were written]//  a type of theatre entertainment, popular from the 1880s to the 1950s, in which there were many short performances of different kinds, including singing, dancing, jokes etc//    music hall//


Words: Vaughan Williams
Meaning:
Ralph   (1872-1958) a British  composer who collected English  folk music and used it in his work. He is best known for his  Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis, his  violin music  The Lark Ascending, and his  symphonies.//


Words: vault
Meaning:
n [C]   [Sense: 1-2, 4; Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: voute, from  Vulgar Latin volvita  ’turn, vault’, probably from  volvitare;   VAULT2]//  [Sense: 3; Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  VAULT2]//\n  1 a room with thick walls and a strong door where money, jewels etc are kept to prevent them from being stolen or damaged:\n  2 a room where people from the same family are buried, often under the floor of a church:\n  3 a jump over something:\n  4 a roof or ceiling that consists of several  arches that are joined together, especially in a church:\nvault 2  also vault over  v [T]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Old French; Origin: volter, from  Vulgar Latin volvitare  ’to turn, jump’, from  Latin volvere  ’to roll’]//\n  1 to jump over something in one movement, using your hands or a pole to help you:  --The robber vaulted over the counter and took $200 in cash.//\n  2 to move quickly from a lower rank or level to a higher one:   leap//  vault from/to//  --On Sunday Michigan vaulted from No. 4 to the nation’s top team.//


Words: vaulted
Meaning:
adj   in the shape of or consisting of several arches joined together//  vaulted ceiling/roof etc //


Words: vaulting
Meaning:
n [U]    arches in a roof or ceiling//  --Gothic vaulting//\nvaulting 2 adj   vaulting ambition//   literary the desire to achieve as much as possible//  --a man of vaulting ambition with the talents to match//


Words: vaunted
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: vanter, from  Late Latin vanitare  ’to boast’, from  Latin vanitas;   VANITY]//  a plan, system, achievement etc that is vaunted is praised or talked about too much and in a way that is too proud//  --There’s little sign that the much-vaunted IT investment is pulling France out of recession.//


Words: VC
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 Victoria Cross a special  medal given to members of the British armed forces who have performed acts of very great bravery in war. The VC is the highest British military honour.:\n  2  AmE  informal an abbreviation of Viet Cong:


Words: vCJD
Meaning:
n [U]  medical   new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease a human form of the serious brain disease BSE//


Words: VCR
Meaning:
n [C]   video cassette recorder a machine you use to record television programmes or play videotapes//  British Equivalent:  video//


Words: VD
Meaning:
n [U and C]  old-fashioned   venereal disease any disease that passes from one person to another during sex//   STD//


Words: veal
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: veel, from  Latin vitellus  ’small calf’, from  vitulus  ’calf’]//  the meat of a calf (=a young cow) //


Words: vector
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: ’carrier’, from  vehere;   VEHICLE]//\n  1 a quantity such as force that has a direction as well as size:\n  2 an insect or animal that passes disease from one person to another:   carrier//  --Mosquitoes are feared as vectors of malaria.//\n  3 in biology, an animal or human cell that is used to carry DNA from one cell to another to produce a clone:


Words: veer
Meaning:
preposition]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: virer]//\n  1 to change direction:  veer off//  --A tanker driver died when his lorry veered off the motorway.//  --The plane veered off course .//  --Follow the path and veer left after 400m.//  --The wind was veering north.//\n  2 if opinions, ideas, attitudes etc veer in a particular direction, they gradually change and become quite different:  --This latest proposal appears to veer in the direction of Democratic ideals.//  --The conversation veered back to politics.//


Words: veg
Meaning:
n [U and C]  BrE  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: vegetable]//  vegetables//  --fruit and veg//\nveg 2 v   past tense and past participle  vegged present participle  vegging third person singular  vegges //  veg out phr v//  [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: vegetate]//  to be very lazy and spend time doing very little//  --Ralph vegged out in front of the TV all day again.//


Words: vegan
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: vegetarian]//  someone who does not eat any animal products at all, such as meat, fish, eggs, cheese, or milk//    vegetarian//  -- vegan adj //  --a strict vegan diet//


Words: Vegeburger
Meaning:
n [C]  trademark  BrE   a flat round cake made with vegetables and beans that looks like a burger but that does not contain meat//


Words: Vegemite
Meaning:
trademark   a type of soft, dark-brown salty food that can be spread, usually eaten on bread. Vegemite is similar to  Marmite and is especially popular in Australia.//


Words: vegetable
Meaning:
W3S3   n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: vegetabilis  ’growing’, from  vegetare  ’to grow’, from  Latin vegere  ’to cause to act, excite’]//\n  1 [C] a plant that is eaten raw or cooked, such as a cabbage, a carrot, or peas:  --fresh fruit and vegetables //  --organic methods of growing vegetables //  --vegetable soup//  --a neat vegetable garden //  --Vitamin A is found in liver and green vegetables .//  salad vegetables (=vegetables such as  lettuce or  tomato es  eaten raw ) //\n  2 [C]  not polite an offensive word for someone who is alive but who cannot talk or move because their brain is damaged:\nvegetable 2 adj [only before noun]    formal relating to plants in general, rather than animals or things that are not living//  --decomposing vegetable matter//


Words: vegetarian
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: vegetable +  -arian]//  someone who does not eat meat or fish//    vegan//  --Our youngest daughter is a vegetarian.//  --dishes suitable for vegetarians//  --I’m thinking about becoming a vegetarian .//  -- vegetarian adj //  --a vegetarian restaurant//


Words: vegetate
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: , past participle of  vegetare;   VEGETABLE]//  to live without doing much physical or mental activity and to feel bored as a result//  --I was determined when I retired that I wasn’t just going to vegetate.//


Words: vegetative
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1  technical relating to plants, and particularly to the way they grow or make new plants:  vegetative reproduction/propagation //\n  2  a vegetative state:  a condition in which someone cannot think or move because their brain has been damaged//


Words: veggie
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: vegetable]//\n  1 a vegetarian:\n  2  AmE a vegetable:  --fresh veggies//\nveggie 2 adj  informal   veggie food is made using vegetables, nuts, beans etc rather than meat or fish//  --veggie lasagne and chips//


Words: vehement
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin vehemens]//  showing very strong feelings or opinions//  vehement opposition/criticism/hostility etc //  --Despite vehement opposition, the Act became law.//  --Despite her vehement protests, he pulled her inside.//  -- vehemently adv //  --Dan vehemently denies the charges.//  -- vehemence n  [U] //  --The vehemence of her answer surprised them both.//


Words: vehicle
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: vehicule, from  Latin vehiculum, from  vehere  ’to carry’]//\n  1  formal a machine with an engine that is used to take people or things from one place to another, such as a car, bus, or truck:    motor vehicle//  --a description of the stolen vehicle//  --Have you locked your vehicle?//\n  2  formal something you use to express and spread your ideas, opinions etc:   medium//  vehicle for//  --The 1936 Olympics were used as a vehicle for Nazi propaganda.//  --’Eastern Eye’ is an important vehicle for Black British opinion.//\n  3 a film, television programme etc that is made to gain public attention for one of the people in it:  vehicle for//  --This is the perfect vehicle for Fleming to make his triumphant return to the stage.//  --MGM made the film as a star vehicle for Brando.//


Words: veil
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old North French; Origin: veile, from  Latin vela, plural of  velum  ’sail, curtain, cloth, veil’]//\n  1 a thin piece of material that women wear to cover their faces at formal occasions or for religious reasons:  --She lifted her veil with both hands.//  --a bridal veil//\n  2  the veil:  the system in Islamic countries in which women must cover their hair and faces in public//\n  3  draw a veil over sth:   formal to avoid talking about something that happened in the past because it is unpleasant or embarrassing//  --I think it best to draw a veil over the whole incident.//\n  4  veil of secrecy/deceit/silence etc:   formal something that hides the truth about a situation//  --Watson deserves credit for lifting the veil of secrecy surrounding Brenda’s death.//  --His pornography was covered by a veil of respectability.//\n  5  veil of mist/cloud/smoke etc:  a thin layer of mist, cloud etc that makes it difficult to see clearly//  --The moon was hidden behind a veil of clouds.//\n  6  take the veil:   old-fashioned to become a nun//\nveil 2 v [T] \n  1  be veiled in mystery/secrecy etc:   formal if something is veiled in mystery etc, people do not know the truth about it so it seems strange or mysterious//  --The details of the evacuation are veiled in secrecy.//\n  2 to cover something with a veil:  --A black kerchief modestly veiled her hair.//\n  3  literary to partly hide something so that it cannot be seen clearly:  --A fine rain was beginning to veil the hills.//


Words: veiled
Meaning:
adj   a veiled threat, warning, attack, reference etc is expressed so that its exact meaning is hidden or unclear//  --His speech is being seen as a veiled attack on asylum-seekers.//  --’I’m impressed,’ said Greg, with thinly veiled  (=only slightly hidden) sarcasm.//  --Jasper remained silent and his eyes were veiled  (=you could not guess what he was thinking) .//


Words: vein
Meaning:
n   artery, brain, fatty, tissue, heart, kidney, intestine, intestine2, small, large, liver, lung, muscles, stomach, vein, throat//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: veine, from  Latin vena]//\n  1 [C] one of the tubes which carries blood to your heart from other parts of your body:    artery//  --the pulmonary vein//  --She felt the blood racing through her veins as they kissed.//\n  2 [C] one of the thin lines on a leaf or on an insect’s wing:\n  3 [C] one of the thin lines on a piece of cheese or some types of stone:\n  4 [C] a thin layer of a valuable metal or mineral which is contained in rock:  vein of//  --veins of gold//\n  5  in a ... vein:  in a particular style of speaking or writing about something//  in the same vein/in a similar vein //  --There was more humour, in much the same vein.//  in a serious/light-hearted etc vein //  --poems in a lighter vein//\n  6  a vein of humour/malice etc:  a small amount of humour etc//  --In voicing our fear of old age, Rivers has discovered a rich vein of comedy.//    deep vein thrombosis,  varicose veins//


Words: veined
Meaning:
adj   having a pattern of thin lines on the surface//  --black-veined marble//  --He grasped her feeble veined hand.//


Words: velar
Meaning:
adj  technical   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: velaris, from  velum  ’back part of the top of the mouth’, from  Latin;   VEIL1]//  a velar consonant such as /k/ or /g/ is made by putting the back of your tongue close to the soft part at the top of your mouth//


Words: Velasquez
Meaning:
Diego Rodriguez de Silva y   (1599-1660) a Spanish painter famous for his  portraits of the Spanish royal family//


Words: Velcro
Meaning:
n [U]  trademark   a material used to fasten clothes, consisting of two pieces of material which stick to each other when you press them together//


Words: veldt
Meaning:
veld/velt/ n   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Afrikaans; Origin: veld, from  Middle Dutch,  ’field’]//  the veldt//  high flat land in South Africa that is covered in grass and has few trees//


Words: vellum
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: veelin, from  veel;   VEAL]//  a material used for covering books or writing on, made from the skin of young cows, sheep, or goats//  --medieval maps inscribed on vellum//


Words: velocity
Meaning:
n   plural  velocities //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: velocite, from  Latin velocitas, from  velox  ’fast’]//\n  1 [U and C]  technical the speed of something that is moving in a particular direction:  --the velocity of light//  --The speedboat reached a velocity of 120 mph.//  --a high velocity bullet//\n  2 [U] a high speed:  --Martinez had good velocity on his fastball.//


Words: velodrome
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: velodrome, from  velo  ’bicycle’ (from  velocip[hA169]de) +  -drome]//  a circular track used for bicycle racing//


Words: velour
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: velours  ’velvet, velour’, from  Latin villosus  ’hairy’, from  villus;   VELVET]//  a type of heavy cloth that is similar to velvet but cheaper//  --gold velour curtains//


Words: Velveeta
Meaning:
trademark   a type of soft  processed orange cheese which is sold in a box. Velveeta melts easily, and people in the US use it especially for  grilled cheese  sandwiches and on  hamburgers.//


Words: velvet
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: veluotte, from  velu  ’hairy’, from  Vulgar Latin villutus, from  Latin villus  ’rough hair’]//  a type of expensive cloth with a soft surface on one side//  --green velvet drapes//


Words: velvety
Meaning:
adj   looking, feeling, tasting, or sounding smooth and soft//  --the velvety texture of her skin//  --His voice was soft and velvety.//


Words: venal
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: venalis, from  venum  ’sale’]//  willing to use power and influence in a dishonest way in return for money//  --our venal politicians//  -- venality/vi[hA359]n[zB024]l[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //  --His venality has discredited Parliament.//


Words: vend
Meaning:
v [T]  law   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: vendere, from  venum dare  ’to give for sale’]//  to sell something//  -- vending n  [U] //  --street vending//


Words: vendetta
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Italian; Origin: ’vengeance’, from  Latin vindicta;   VINDICTIVE]//\n  1 [C] a situation in which one person or group tries for a long time to harm another person:  vendetta against//  --He accused the British media of pursuing a vendetta against him.//  --the victim of a political vendetta //\n  2 [U and C] a long violent argument between two groups or people, especially one that is about something that happened in the past:   feud//  --The two sides have been engaged in a bitter private vendetta .//  vendetta between//  --Vendettas between rival gangs are common.//


Words: vendor
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who sells things, especially on the street:  news vendor/ice-cream vendor etc //  --He bought a copy from a newspaper vendor.//  --the shouts of street vendors //\n  2  formal  or  law someone who is selling something:  --leading software vendors//


Words: veneer
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: German; Origin: furnier, from  furnieren  ’to veneer’, from  French fournir;   FURNISH]//\n  1 [U and C] a thin layer of wood or plastic that covers the surface of a piece of furniture made of cheaper material, to make it look better:  walnut/maple/oak etc veneer //\n  2  a veneer of politeness/sophistication etc:   formal behaviour that hides someone’s real character or feelings//  --A thin veneer of politeness hid Lady Bride’s growing anger.//


Words: venerable
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: venerabilis, from  venerari;   VENERATE]//\n  1 [usually before noun]  formal a venerable person or thing is respected because of their great age, experience etc - often used humorously:  -- venerable financial institutions //  --the venerable guitarist Pat Martino//  --a venerable tradition //\n  2  the Venerable ...:  a) in the Church of England, the title given to an archdeacon//  b) in the Roman Catholic religion, the title given to a dead person who is holy but not yet a saint//  c) in the Buddhist religion, the title given to a monk//


Words: venerate
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  venerari, from  venus  ’love, desire’]//  to honour or respect someone or something because they are old, holy, or connected with the past//  --a symbol of Arab courage, to be venerated for generations//  venerate sb as sth//  --These children are venerated as holy beings.//  -- veneration/ven[hA353]re[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U] //  --The sun was an object of veneration .//


Words: venereal disease
Meaning:
n [U and C]  old-fashioned   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  venereal  (1400-1500) from  Latin venereus, from  venus;   VENERATE]//   VD//


Words: Venetian blind
Meaning:
n [C]   a type of window covering made of long flat bars of plastic, wood, or metal that are fastened together and can be moved to change the amount of light that comes through the window//


Words: Venezuela
Meaning:
a country in the north of South America between Colombia and Brazil. Population: 23,917,000 (2001). Capital: Caracas. It is an important producer of oil and coffee. //  -- Venezuelan n  adj //


Words: vengeance
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: venger  ’to avenge’, from  Latin vindicare;   VINDICATE]//\n  1 [U] a violent or harmful action that someone does to punish someone for harming them or their family:   revenge//  --a desire for vengeance//  --a vow of vengeance//  --an act of vengeance//\n  2  with a vengeance:  with great force or more effort than before//  --The music started up again with a vengeance.//


Words: vengeful
Meaning:
adj  literary   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: venge  ’vengeance’ (16-17 centuries), from  venge  ’to avenge’ (13-20 centuries), from  Old French venger;   VENGEANCE]//  very eager to punish someone who has done something bad//  --a vengeful god//


Words: venial
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Late Latin venialis, from  Latin venia  ’act of forgiving’]//  a venial fault, mistake etc is not very serious and can be forgiven//  --a venial sin //


Words: Venice
Meaning:
a city in northeast Italy that is built on a system of  canals (=artificial rivers)  and famous for its many beautiful buildings and works of art. In former times, Venice was a powerful independent state and an important trading nation. It is now a popular place for tourists to visit.//  -- Venetian n  adj //


Words: venison
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: veneison  ’hunting, hunted animals’, from  Latin venatio, from  venari  ’to hunt’]//  the meat of a deer//


Words: Venn diagram
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  John  Venn (1834-1923), British logician]//  a picture showing the relationship between several things by using circles that partly cover each other//


Words: venom
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: venim, from  Latin venenum  ’use of magic power, drug, poison’]//\n  1 great anger or hatred:   malice//  --There was real venom in her voice.//  --a look of pure venom//\n  2 a liquid poison that some snakes, insects etc produce when they bite or sting you:  --The viper paralyses its prey by injecting it with venom.//


Words: venomous
Meaning:
adj \n  1 full of hatred or anger:  --Lisa shot him a venomous glance.//  --Reid reserved his most venomous attack for the Rail Authority.//\n  2 a venomous snake, insect etc produces poison:   poisonous//  -- venomously adv //


Words: venous
Meaning:
adj  medical   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: venosus, from  vena;   VEIN]//  relating to the veins (=tubes that carry blood) in your body//


Words: vent
Meaning:
n [C]   [Sense: 1-2, 4; Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  VENT2]//  [Sense: 3; Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: fente  ’long narrow hole’, from  fendre  ’to split’, from  Latin findere;   FISSION]//\n  1 a hole or pipe through which gases, liquid etc can enter or escape from an enclosed space or container:  --a blocked air vent //  --a volcanic vent//\n  2  give vent to sth:   formal to do something violent or harmful to express feelings of anger, hatred etc//  --Children give vent to their anger in various ways.//  --He knew that if he gave full vent to his feelings, it would upset Joanna.//\n  3 a thin straight opening at the bottom of the back or side of a jacket or coat:\n  4  technical the small hole through which small animals, birds, fish, etc pass waste matter out of their bodies:\nvent 2 v [T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: esventer  ’to put in the air’, from  vent  ’wind’,  from  Latin ventus]//  to express feelings of anger, hatred etc, especially by doing something violent or harmful//  vent sth on sb//  --If he’s had a bad day, Paul vents his anger on the family.//  vent sth by doing sth//  --I could hear mum venting her frustration by banging the pots noisily.//  --The meeting gave us a chance to vent our spleen  (=anger) .//


Words: ventilate
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  ventilare, from  ventus  ’wind’]//\n  1 to let fresh air into a room, building etc:  well-ventilated/poorly ventilated etc //  --a well-ventilated kitchen//\n  2 to pump air into and out of someone’s lungs, using a special machine:  --Both patients are sedated and ventilated.//\n  3  formal to express your opinions or feelings about something:  --The important thing is to ventilate your anger.//  -- ventilation/vent[hA369]le[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ -tle[hA366]-/ n  [U] //  --a ventilation system//  --artificial ventilation//


Words: ventilator
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a piece of equipment that puts fresh air into a room, building etc:    fan//\n  2 a piece of equipment that pumps air into and out of someone’s lungs:  on a ventilator//  --He was put on a ventilator but died two hours later.//


Words: ventricle
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: ventriculus, from  venter;   VENTRAL]//  one of the two spaces in the bottom of your heart through which blood pumps out to your body//    auricle//


Words: ventriloquist
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Late Latin; Origin: ventriloquus  ’ventriloquist’, from  Latin venter (  VENTRAL) +  loqui  ’to speak’; from the belief that the voice comes from the ventriloquist’s stomach]//  someone who entertains people by speaking without moving their lips and making it seem that the words are spoken by a model of a person called a dummy//  -- ventriloquism n  [U] //


Words: venture
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: adventure]//  a new business activity that involves taking risks//  business/commercial venture //  joint venture (=when two companies do something together) //\nventure 2 v \n  1 [I always + adverb/preposition] to go somewhere that could be dangerous:  --When darkness fell, he would venture out.//  --She paused before venturing up the steps to the door.//  --children who lack the confidence to venture into libraries//\n  2 [T] to say or do something in an uncertain way because you are afraid it is wrong or will seem stupid:  --’You’re on holiday here?’ he ventured.//  venture to do sth//  --I ventured to ask him what he was writing.//  venture an opinion/question/word etc //  --If we had more information, it would be easier to venture a firm opinion.//  --Roy ventured a tentative smile.//  venture that//  --I ventured that the experiment was not conclusive.//\n  3  nothing ventured, nothing gained:  used to say that you cannot achieve anything unless you take risks//  venture into [venture into sth] phr v//  to become involved in a new business activity//  --Banks are venturing into insurance.//  venture on/upon [venture on/upon sth] phr v//  to do or try something that involves risks//  --I thought I might venture on a new recipe.//


Words: venture capital
Meaning:
n [U]   money lent to someone so that they can start a new business//  -- venture capitalist n  [C] //


Words: Venture Scout
Meaning:
a member of the Venture Scouts, part of the British  Scout Association for boys and girls who are 16 to 20 years old//


Words: venue
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Old French; Origin: ’coming’, from  venir  ’to come’, from  Latin venire]//  a place where an organized meeting, concert etc takes place//  sporting/conference/concert etc venue //  --The first thing to do is book a venue .//  --The band will play  (=perform at) as many venues as possible.//  venue for//  --the venue for the latest round of talks//


Words: Venus de Milo
Meaning:
the   a Greek statue of the goddess  Venus that can be seen in the  Louvre in Paris. It is badly damaged and is famous for having no arms.//


Words: veracity
Meaning:
n [U]  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: veracite, from  Latin veracitas, from  verax;   VERY2]//  the fact of being true or correct//   truth//  veracity of//  --Has anyone checked the veracity of these allegations?//


Words: veranda
Meaning:
verandah/v[hA353]r[zB024]nd[hA353]/ n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Hindi; Origin: varanda]//  an open area with a floor and a roof that is attached to the side of a house at ground level//  American Equivalent:  porch//


Words: verb
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: verbe, from  Latin verbum  ’word, verb’]//  a word or group of words that describes an action, experience, or state, such as ’come’, ’see’, and ’put on’//    auxiliary verb,  linking verb,  modal verb,  phrasal verb//


Words: verbal
Meaning:
adj \n  1 spoken rather than written:  verbal agreement/instructions etc //\n  2 relating to words or using words:  --verbal skills//  -- verbal abuse  (=cruel words) from other kids on the street//\n  3 relating to a verb:  --verbal nouns//  -- verbally adv //  --Her boss failed to stop the other workers from verbally abusing her.//\nverbal 2 n \n  1 [C]  technical a word that has been formed from a verb, for example a gerund, infinitive, or participle:\n  2 [U] relating to criticism, complaints, or an attack that you express in speech:  --Maria was getting loads of verbal from her staff.//


Words: verbalize
Meaning:
also  verbalise BrE   v [I and T]  formal   to express something in words//   articulate//  --Urge your child to verbalize his feelings.//


Words: verbatim
Meaning:
adj, adv  formal   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: Latin verbum;   VERB]//  repeating the actual words that were spoken or written//   word-for-word//  verbatim account/quote/report etc //  --a verbatim account of our conversation//  --Their stories were taped and transcribed verbatim.//


Words: verbiage
Meaning:
n [U]  formal   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: Old French verbier  ’to talk a lot’, from  verbe;   VERB]//  speech or writing that has many unnecessary words in it//  --meaningless verbiage//


Words: verbose
Meaning:
adj   using or containing too many words//  --For once, his usually verbose wife was content to listen.//  --Legal writing is often unclear and verbose.//  -- verbosely adv //  -- verbosity/v[hA362][hA359]b[hA361]s[hA369]ti $ v[hA362][hA359]rb[hA35A][hA359]-/ n  [U] //


Words: verdant
Meaning:
adj  literary   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Old French; Origin: verdeant, present participle of  verdoier  ’to be green’, from  verd,  vert  ’green’]//  verdant land is thickly covered with fresh green plants//  --verdant fields//


Words: Verdi
Meaning:
Giuseppe   (1813-1901) an Italian  composer whose best-known works are his Requiem  and his operas, including La Traviata,  Aida, and Rigoletto//


Words: verdict
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: Old French ver  ’true’ +  dit  ’saying, judgment’]//\n  1 an official decision made in a court of law, especially about whether someone is guilty of a crime or how a death happened:  --The jury has retired to consider its verdict .//  --After a week the jury had still not reached a verdict .//  --I never doubted that they would deliver the correct verdict .//  --a majority verdict of 10 to 2//  --The unanimous verdict was ’guilty’.//  --There was not enough evidence for a guilty verdict .//  --The Coroner  recorded a verdict of accidental death.//\n  2 an official decision made by a person or group with authority:  --The players anxiously awaited the verdict of the umpire.//\n  3 someone’s opinion about something:  --The audience’s final verdict was encouraging.//  verdict on//  --What’s your verdict on the movie?//  give (sb) your verdict (on sth) //  --Trade unionists were quick to give their verdict on the proposals.//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  consider a verdict (=think about what decision to make) //  reach/arrive at a verdict (=make a decision) //  return/deliver/record a verdict (=tell the court your decision) //  majority verdict (=when most of thejury agrees) //  unanimous verdict (=when the wholejury agrees) //  guilty verdict/verdict of guilty //  not guilty verdict/verdict of not guilty //  verdict of accidental death/suicide/unlawful killing etc //  open verdict British English (=a decision that the cause of someone’s death is not known) //  ----------//


Words: verdigris
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: vert de Grice  ’green of Greece’]//  a greenish-blue substance that sometimes appears on copper or brass//


Words: verdure
Meaning:
n [U]  literary   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: verd;   VERDANT]//  green grass, plants etc//


Words: verge
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: ’long pole’, from  Latin virga; from  within the verge  ’within the area controlled by someone who carried a pole as a sign of authority’]//\n  1  be on the verge of sth:  to be at the point where something is about to happen//  --Jess seemed on the verge of tears .//  --an event which left her on the verge of a nervous breakdown //  --Mountain gorillas are on the verge of extinction.//  be on the verge of doing sth//  --The show was on the verge of being canceled due to low ratings.//\n  2  BrE the edge of a road, path etc:  --the grass verge//\nverge 2 v   verge on/upon [verge on/upon sth] phr v//  to be very close to a harmful or extreme state//  --Many of Lewis’s activities verged on the illegal.//  --Some of his ideas are verging on the dangerous.//  --His love of James Dean movies verged on fanaticism.//


Words: verify
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  verified present participle  verifying third person singular  verifies  [T]  formal //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: verifier, from  Medieval Latin verificare, from  Latin verus;   VERY2]//\n  1 to discover whether a something is correct or true:  verify that/whether//  --A computer program verifies that the system is working.//  --American forces will remain to verify compliance with the treaty.//\n  2 to state that something is true:   confirm//  --His statement was verified by several witnesses.//  -- verifiable adj //  --a verifiable fact//  -- verification/ver[hA369]f[hA369]ke[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U and C] //  --automatic signature verification//


Words: verisimilitude
Meaning:
n [U]  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: verisimilitudo, from  verisimilis  ’probable’, from  veri similis  ’like the truth’]//  the quality of being true or real//  --questions about the verisimilitude of the document//


Words: veritable
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  formal   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: verite;   VERITY]//  a word used to emphasize a description of someone or something//   real//  --The area is a veritable paradise for those who love walking and swimming.//


Words: verity
Meaning:
n   plural  verities  [C usually plural]  formal //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: verite, from  Latin veritas, from  verus;   VERY2]//  an important principle or fact that is always true//   truth//  --the eternal verities of life//


Words: Vermeer
Meaning:
Jan   (1632-75) a Dutch painter who painted ordinary scenes from daily life, and is famous especially for his pictures of rooms, often with one woman in them//


Words: vermilion
Meaning:
vermillion/v[hA353]m[hA366]lj[hA353]n $ v[hA353]r-/ n [U]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: vermeillon, from  vermeil  ’bright red’, from  Late Latin vermiculus type of insect from which red color is obtained, from  Latin vermis  ’worm’]//  a very bright red colour//  -- vermilion adj //


Words: vermin
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin vermen  ’worm’]//\n  1 small animals, birds, and insects that are harmful because they destroy crops, spoil food, and spread disease:  --The beds were filthy and full of vermin.//  --Foxes are considered vermin.//\n  2 unpleasant people who cause problems for society:


Words: Vermont
Meaning:
VT a state in the northeastern US, which is part of New England. Vermont produces many minerals, and also  maple syrup, and attracts many visitors for skiing, hunting, and fishing.//


Words: vermouth
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: vermout, from  German wermut  ’wormwood’]//  an alcoholic drink made from wine with herbs and spices//  --dry vermouth//


Words: vernacular
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: vernaculus  ’born in a place’, from  verna  ’slave born in his or her owner’s house’]//\n  1 a form of a language that ordinary people use, especially one that is not the official language:  in the vernacular //  --Galileo wrote in the vernacular to reach a larger audience.//  --He lapsed into the local vernacular  (=language spoken in a particular area) .//\n  2 a style of building, music, art etc that is suitable for ordinary people:  -- vernacular adj //  --vernacular American speech//  --vernacular architecture//


Words: vernal
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  literary  technical   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: vernalis, from  ver  ’spring’]//  relating to the spring//  --the vernal equinox//


Words: Verne
Meaning:
Jules   (1828-1905) a French writer who wrote  science fiction. His most famous books are  Journey to the Centre of the Earth, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, and Around the World in Eighty Days//


Words: verruca
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin]//  a small hard infectious lump that grows on the bottom of your foot//


Words: Versailles
Meaning:
a beautiful  palace with gardens outside the city of Versailles near Paris, France. It was built for King  Louis XIV and is now owned by the French state. Several peace agreements were signed there, including the one which formally ended World War I. //


Words: versatile
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: Latin versatilis  ’turning easily’, from  versare  ’to turn’, from  versus;   VERSE]//\n  1 someone who is versatile has many different skills:  --a very versatile performer//  --a more versatile workforce//\n  2 having many different uses:  --The potato is an extremely versatile vegetable.//  -- versatility/v[hA362][hA359]s[hA353]t[hA366]l[hA369]ti $ v[hA362][hA359]r-/ n  [U] //  --Hegley’s outstanding versatility as an all-round entertainer//


Words: verse
Meaning:
n   [Date: 900-1000; Language: Old French; Origin: vers, from  Latin versus  ’turning, verse’, from  vertere  ’to turn’]//\n  1 [C] a set of lines that forms one part of a song, poem, or a book such as the Bible or the Koran:  --Let’s sing the last verse again.//  --Learn the first two verses of the poem by heart.//  --Genesis chapter 3, verse 13//\n  2 [U] words arranged in the form of poetry:  --a book of comic verse//  in verse//  --Written in verse, the play was set in the Middle Ages.//


Words: versed
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: versatus, past participle of  versari  ’to be active, be busy with’, from  versare;   VERSATILE]//  be (well) versed in sth//  to know a lot about a subject, method etc//  --a woman well versed in the art of diplomacy//


Words: version
Meaning:
W1   n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: Medieval Latin versio  ’turning’, from  Latin versus;   VERSE]//\n  1 a copy of something that has been changed so that it is slightly different:  version of//  --a new version of the software//  new/modern/final etc version //  --the original version of the text//  English/German/electronic/film etc version (=presented in a different language or form) //  --a Japanese version of an English play//  --I think I preferred the television version.//  --the human version of mad cow disease//\n  2 someone’s version of an event is their description of it, when this is different from the description given by another person:  version of//  --according to the official version of events //  --Could Donna’s version of what happened that night be correct?//\n  3  the ... version of sth:  a way of explaining or doing something that is typical of a particular group or period of time//  the ... version of something of//  --the Marxist version of economics //  --Is the coffee break the adult version of recess?//    cover version at cover2 (10)//


Words: verso
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: verso (folio)  ’the page being turned’]//  a page on the left-hand side of a book//    recto//


Words: versus
Meaning:
prep   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: ’toward, against’, from  Latin vertere;   VERSE]//\n  1 v.  BrE vs.  AmE used to show that two people or teams are competing against each other in a game or court case:  --the New York Knicks versus the LA Lakers//  --the Supreme Court decision in Roe vs. Wade//\n  2 used when comparing the advantages of two different things, ideas etc:  --The finance minister must weigh up the benefits of a tax cut versus those of increased public spending.//


Words: vertebra
Meaning:
n   plural  vertebrae /-bri[hA359], -bre[hA366]/ [C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: ’joint, vertebra’, from  vertere;   VERSE]//  one of the small hollow bones down the centre of your back//  -- vertebral adj  [only before noun] //


Words: vertex
Meaning:
n   plural  vertices /-t[hA369]si[hA359]z/ or  vertexes  [C]  technical //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: vertex,  vortex  ’turning movement, whirlpool, top of the head, top’, from  vertere;   VERSE]//  the point where two lines meet to form an angle, especially the point of a triangle//


Words: vertical
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Late Latin; Origin: verticalis, from  Latin vertex;   VERTEX]//\n  1 pointing up in a line that forms an angle of 90[hA131] with a flat surface:  → horizontal//    diagonal//  --a vertical line //  --the vertical axis of a graph//  --vertical window blinds//  vertical cliff/climb/drop etc (=one that is very high or steep) //  --a gorge lined with vertical cliffs//\n  2 having a structure in which there are top, middle, and bottom levels:  --Formal communication channels are usually vertical.//  -- vertically/-kli/ adv //\nvertical 2 n   the vertical//  the direction of something that is vertical//  --The tower now leans about 15 degrees from the vertical.//


Words: vertical expansion
Meaning:
n [U]  technical   when a company starts to do or make some of the things that used to be done or made by companies it did business with//


Words: vertiginous
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: vertiginosus, from  vertigo;   VERTIGO]//  so high that you feel sick and dizzy//  --a vertiginous drop to the valley below//


Words: vertigo
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: vertere;   VERSE]//  a feeling of sickness and dizziness caused by looking down from a high place//


Words: verve
Meaning:
n [U]  literary   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: Latin verba, plural of  verbum;   VERB]//  energy, excitement, or great pleasure//  with verve//  --Cziffra played the Hungarian dances with great verve.//


Words: very
Meaning:
adv \n  1 [+ adjective/adverb] used to emphasize an adjective, adverb, or phrase:  --It feels very cold today.//  --The fishing industry is very important to the area.//  --The traffic’s moving very slowly this morning.//  --problems that are very similar to mine//  --I feel a lot better - thank you very much .//  --I’m very, very  (=used for emphasis) pleased you can come.//  --It’s very kind of you to help.//  --My sister and I were married on the very same  (=exactly the same) day.//  the very best/latest/worst etc //  --We only use the very best ingredients.//\n  2  not very good/happy/far etc:  a) not good etc at all//  --I’m just not very good at spelling.//  --The garden’s not very big, is it?//  --The assistant wasn’t very helpful.//  --’Was the talk interesting?’ ’Not very (=only slightly) .’//\n  3  your very own:  used to emphasize the fact that something belongs to one particular person and to no one else//  --She was thrilled at the idea of having her very own toys to play with.//  of your very own//  --At last, a home of her very own.//\n  4  informal used with adjectives to say that the quality something has is very noticeable or typical:  --It was a very male reaction, I thought.//  --His films are always very French.//\n  5  very much so:   spoken used to emphasize your agreement or approval//  --’Are you serious?’ ’Very much so.’//\n  6  very well:   old-fashioned spoken used to agree to something//\nvery 2 W1S2 adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: verai, from  Latin verax  ’truthful’, from  verus  ’true’]//  used to emphasize that you are talking exactly about one particular thing or person//  --He died in this very room.//  --I’ll start at the very beginning.//  --Those were his very words.//  --You’d better start doing some work this very minute (=now, not later) .//  --That might provoke a riot, the very thing he was trying to avoid.//  -- The very fact that you are reading this book suggests you want to improve your fitness.//  -- By its very nature , capitalism involves exploitation of the worker.//  --His life’s work was being destroyed before his very eyes  (=directly in front of him) .//  the very thought/idea/mention (of sth) (=just thinking about or suggesting something) //  --The very thought of food made me feel ill.//  --The very mention of his name excited her.//


Words: vespers
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: vespres, from  Latin vespera  ’evening’]//  the evening service in some types of Christian church//


Words: Vespucci
Meaning:
Amerigo   (1454-1512) an Italian sailor and  explorer who sailed to the Caribbean Sea and South America and discovered the place where the Amazon River flows into the sea. The name ’America’ comes from his name.//


Words: vessel
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: vaissel, from  Late Latin vascellum, from  Latin vas;   VASE]//\n  1  formal a ship or large boat:  --a fishing vessel//\n  2  technical a vein in your body:  --a burst blood vessel //\n  3  old use a container for holding liquids:


Words: vest
Meaning:
n [C]   vest, undershirt//  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: veste, from  Latin vestis  ’piece of clothing’]//\n  1  BrE a piece of underwear without sleeves that you wear on the top half of your body:  American Equivalent:  undershirt//\n  2 a piece of special clothing without sleeves that you wear over your clothes to protect your body:  --a bulletproof vest//\n  3  AmE a piece of clothing without sleeves and with buttons down the front that you wear as part of a suit:  British Equivalent:  waistcoat//\n  4 a sweater without sleeves:\nvest 2 v  law   vest in [vest sth in sb] phr v//  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: vestir  ’to clothe, invest’, from  Latin vestire  ’to clothe’, from  vestis;   VEST1]//  to give someone the official right to do or own something//  --Copyright is vested in the author for 50 years.//


Words: vested
Meaning:
adj \n  1  vested interest:  a strong reason for wanting something to happen because you will gain from it//  --Since he owns the strip of land, Cook has a vested interest in the project being approved.//\n  2  vested interests:  the groups of people who will gain from a plan, project, proposal etc//  --The proposal faces tough opposition from powerful vested interests.//\n  3 vested rights, powers, property etc belong to you and cannot be removed:  --Shareholders have a vested right to 10% per annum.//\n  4  technical having full rights to own or have something:  become/get vested (in sth) //  --He only took the job to get vested in the pension fund.//


Words: vestibule
Meaning:
n [C]  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: vestibulum]//\n  1 a space inside the front door of a public building:\n  2  AmE the space at each end of a railway carriage that connects it with the next carriage:


Words: vestige
Meaning:
n [C]  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: Latin vestigium  ’footprint, track’]//\n  1 a small part or amount of something that remains when most of it no longer exists:   trace//  vestige of//  --The new law removed the last vestiges of royal power.//\n  2 the smallest possible amount of a quality or feeling:  vestige of//  --There’s not a vestige of truth in the story.//


Words: vestigial
Meaning:
adj \n  1  technical a vestigial part of the body has never developed completely or has almost disappeared:  --The legs of snakes are vestigial or absent altogether.//\n  2  formal remaining as a sign that something existed after most of it has gone:  --his vestigial sense of pride//


Words: vestment
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: vestement, from  Latin vestimentum, from  vestire;   VEST2]//  a piece of clothing worn by priests during church services//


Words: vestry
Meaning:
n   plural  vestries  [C] //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: vestiarie, from  Medieval Latin vestiarium, from  Latin vestire;   VEST2]//  a small room in a church where a priest puts on his or her vestments and where holy plates, cups etc are kept//


Words: Vesuvius
Meaning:
also  Mount Vesuvius    a  volcano (=a mountain with a large hole at the top)  in southeast Italy. When Vesuvius  erupted in AD 79, sending out  ash and  lava (=hot liquid rock) , it buried the ancient Roman city of  Pompeii. Vesuvius is still an ’active’ volcano, which could erupt again at any time.//


Words: vet
Meaning:
S3   n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: veterinarian and  veteran]//\n  1  also veterinary surgeon  BrE  formal :  someone who is trained to give medical care and treatment to sick animals//  American Equivalent:  veterinarian//\n  2  AmE  informal a veteran(1):  --a Vietnam vet//\nvet 2   past tense and past participle  vetted present participle  vetting  v [T] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  VET11]//\n  1  BrE to check someone’s past activities, relationships etc in order to make sure that person is suitable for a particular job, especially an important one:  --All candidates are carefully vetted by Central Office.//\n  2 to check a report, speech etc carefully to make sure it is acceptable:  --The author vets every script for the new TV series.//


Words: veteran
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: veteranus, from  veteranus  ’old, of long experience’, from  vetus  ’old’]//\n  1 someone who has been a soldier, sailor etc in a war:  veteran of//  --a veteran of the Second World War//  --a Vietnam veteran//\n  2 someone who has had a lot of experience of a particular activity:  veteran of//  --a veteran of countless political campaigns//  veteran politician/campaigner/leader etc //  --the veteran leader of the socialist party//  veteran journalist/actor/goalkeeper etc //


Words: Veterans Affairs
Meaning:
the  also the Veterans Administration   the VA a US government organization which deals with things relating to former members of the armed forces, such as health care, education, and  pensions (=money given to someone when they stop working) //


Words: Veterans Day
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a holiday in the US on 11 November when people show special respect to people who fought in wars as soldiers,  sailors etc//


Words: Veterans of Foreign Wars
Meaning:
VFW a US organization for former soldiers who have fought in wars abroad. This organization sometimes works as a  pressure group to influence the US government when it makes military decisions.//


Words: veterinarian
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE someone who is trained to give medical care and treatment to sick animals//  British Equivalent:  vet//


Words: veterinary
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: veterinarius  ’of animals used for carrying loads’, from  veterinae  ’animals used for carrying loads’]//  relating to the medical care and treatment of sick animals//  --veterinary medicine//


Words: veto
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  vetoed present participle  vetoing third person singular  vetoes  [T] //\n  1 if someone in authority vetoes something, they refuse to allow it to happen, especially something that other people or organizations have agreed:  veto legislation/a measure/a proposal etc //  --President Bush vetoed the bill on July 6.//\n  2 to refuse to accept a particular plan or suggestion:  --Jenny wanted to invite all her friends, but I quickly vetoed that idea .//\nveto 2   plural  vetoes  n [U and C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: ’I refuse to allow’, from  vetare  ’to forbid’]//  a refusal to give official permission for something, or the right to refuse to give such permission//  veto on//  --de Gaulle’s veto on the British application to join the EEC//  veto over//  --The head teacher has the right of veto over management-board decisions.//  veto of//  --Washington’s veto of Seoul’s nuclear ambitions//  --The Senate had a sufficient majority to override the presidential veto  (=not accept his refusal) .//  exercise/use your veto //


Words: vex
Meaning:
v [T]  old-fashioned   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: vexer, from  Latin vexare]//  to make someone feel annoyed or worried//  -- vexing adj //  --a vexing problem//


Words: vexation
Meaning:
n  old-fashioned \n  1 [U] when you feel worried or annoyed by something:  in vexation//  --Erika stamped her foot in vexation.//\n  2 [C] something that worries or annoys you:


Words: vexed
Meaning:
adj \n  1  vexed question/issue/problem etc:  a complicated problem that has caused a lot of discussion and argument and is difficult to solve//  vexed question/issue/problem etc of//  --the vexed question of sexism//\n  2 [+ at/with]  old-fashioned annoyed or worried:


Words: VGA
Meaning:
n [U]  technical   video graphics array a standard of graphics (=pictures and letters) on a computer screen that has many different colours and is of a high quality//


Words: VH1
Meaning:
a  cable television station in the US which shows especially music  videos,  talk shows, and some films//


Words: VHF
Meaning:
n [U]  technical   very high frequency radio waves that move very quickly and produce good sound quality//


Words: via
Meaning:
W2   prep   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: ’by way of’, from  via  ’way’]//\n  1 travelling through a place on the way to another place:  --We flew to Athens via Paris.//\n  2 using a particular person, machine etc to send something:  --I sent a message to Kitty via her sister.//  --You can access our homepage via the Internet.//


Words: viable
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: vie  ’life’, from  Latin vita;   VITAL]//\n  1 a viable idea, plan, or method can work successfully:  viable alternative/proposition/option etc //  --The committee came forward with one viable solution.//  economically/commercially/financially viable //  --Will a hotel here be financially viable?//\n  2  technical able to continue to live or to develop into a living thing:  --viable seeds//  -- viably adv //  -- viability/va[hA366][hA353]b[hA366]l[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //  --the long-term economic viability of the company//


Words: viaduct
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: via  ’way, road’ +  English -duct (as in  aqueduct)]//  a long high bridge, especially one with arches, that crosses a valley and has a road or railway on it//


Words: vial
Meaning:
n  also phial  BrE  [C]  formal   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: phial]//  a very small bottle used for medicine, perfume etc//


Words: viands
Meaning:
n [plural]  old use   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: viande, from  Medieval Latin vivanda  ’food’, from  Latin vivere  ’to live’]//  food//


Words: vibes
Meaning:
n [plural]  informal \n  1 the good or bad feelings that a particular person, place, or situation seems to produce and that you react to:  good/bad etc vibes //  --I have good vibes about this contract.//\n  2 a vibraphone:


Words: vibrant
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  vibrare;   VIBRATE]//\n  1 full of activity or energy in a way that is exciting and attractive:   lively//  --Hong Kong is a vibrant, fascinating city.//  --She was sixteen, young and vibrant.//\n  2 a vibrant colour is bright and strong:  --a painting full of vibrant reds and blues//  -- vibrancy n  [U] //  -- vibrantly adv //


Words: vibraphone
Meaning:
n [C]  also vibes  [plural]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: vibration +  -phone]//  an electronic musical instrument that consists of metal bars that you hit with special sticks to produce a sound//


Words: vibrate
Meaning:
v [I and T]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  vibrare  ’to shake’]//  if something vibrates, or if you vibrate it, shakes quickly and continuously with very small movements//  --The floor was vibrating to the beat of the music.//  --As air passes over our vocal cords, it makes them vibrate.//   see usage note  shake1 //


Words: vibration
Meaning:
n [U and C] \n  1 a continuous slight shaking movement:  --the vibrations from the earthquake//  --The microscope must be free from vibration.//\n  2  vibrations [plural]  vibes(1):


Words: vibrato
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Italian; Origin: , past participle of  vibrare, from  Latin;   VIBRATE]//  a way of singing or playing a musical note so that it goes up and down very slightly in pitch//


Words: vibrator
Meaning:
n [C]   a piece of electrical equipment that produces a small shaking movement, used especially in massage or to get sexual pleasure//


Words: vicar
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: vicarius  ’deputy’, from  vicarius (adjective);   VICARIOUS]//  a priest in the Church of England who is in charge of a church in a particular area//


Words: vicarious
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: vicarius  ’acting in place of another’, from  vicis  ’change, alternation, position’]//  experienced by watching or reading about someone else doing something, rather than by doing it yourself//  vicarious pleasure/satisfaction/excitement etc //  --the vicarious pleasure that parents get from their children’s success//  -- vicariously adv //


Words: vice
Meaning:
S3   n   [Sense: 1-3; Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin vitium  ’fault, vice’]//\n  1 [U] criminal activities that involve sex or drugs:  --the fight against vice on the streets//  --The police have smashed a vice ring (=a group of criminals involved in vice) in Chicago.//    vice squad//\n  2 [C] a bad habit:  --Smoking is my only vice.//\n  3 [U and C] a bad or immoral quality in a person, or bad or immoral behaviour:  → virtue//  --Jealousy is a vice.//  --to reward virtue and punish vice//  4 [C]  usually vise  AmE //  a tool that holds an object very firmly so that you can work on it//  --He held my arm like a vice .//    vice-like//


Words: vice president
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 the person who is next in rank to the president of a country and who is responsible for the president’s duties if he or she is unable to do them:\n  2  AmE someone who is responsible for a particular part of a company:  --our vice president for marketing//


Words: vice squad
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   the part of the police force that deals with crimes involving sex or drugs//


Words: vice versa
Meaning:
adv   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: ’position turned’]//  used to say that the opposite of a situation you have just described is also true//  --The boys may refuse to play with the girls, and vice versa.//


Words: vice-
Meaning:
prefix   vice-president/chairman etc//  the person next in rank below someone in authority, who can represent them or act instead of them//  vice-president/chairman etc of//  --the vice captain of the cricket team//  --Vice-Chairman Derek Edwards//


Words: vice-chancellor
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who is the head of a British university, and responsible for the way it is organized:    chancellor//\n  2 someone who is responsible for a particular part of some universities in the US:  --the vice-chancellor for student affairs//


Words: vice-like vicelike
Meaning:
BrE viselike, vise-like  AmE   adj   a vice-like grip//  a very firm hold or a very strong pain//  --He grabbed my neck in a viselike grip.//


Words: viceroy
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Early  French  vice-roy, from  vice-  ’vice’ +  roy  ’king’]//  a man who was sent by a king or queen in the past to rule another country//  viceroy of//  --the viceroy of India//


Words: Vichy
Meaning:
a city in south central France where the government of France was based during World War II. The authority of the Vichy government was not accepted by many French people because it followed the rules and laws given to it by the Germans who had taken control of France. When people discuss this period of France’s history they sometimes call the country Vichy France.//


Words: vicinity
Meaning:
n  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: vicinitas, from  vicinus  ’near’, from  vicus  ’row of houses, village’]//\n  1  in the vicinity (of sth):  in the area around a particular place//  --The stolen car was found in the vicinity of the station.//  --There used to be a mill in the vicinity.//\n  2  in the vicinity of [hA124]3 million/$1,500/2 billion years etc:  close to a particular amount or measurement//  --All meteorites are of the same age, somewhere in the vicinity of 4.5 billion years old.//


Words: vicious
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: vicieux, from  Latin vitiosus  ’full of faults’, from  vitium;   VICE]//\n  1 violent and cruel in a way that hurts someone physically:  --a vicious murder//  --a vicious killer//  --Keep away from that dog, he can be vicious.//\n  2 very unkind in a way that is intended to hurt someone’s feelings or make their character seem bad:   malicious//  --Sarah can be quite vicious at times.//  --a vicious personal attack on the Duchess//  --She was shocked by the vicious tone in his voice.//\n  3 unpleasantly strong or severe:   violent//  --a vicious gust of wind//  --a vicious headache//  -- viciously adv //  --He twisted her arm viciously.//  -- viciousness n  [U] //


Words: vicious circle
Meaning:
also vicious cycle  n [singular]   a situation in which one problem causes another problem, that then causes the first problem again, so that the whole process continues to be repeated//


Words: vicissitudes
Meaning:
n [plural]  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: vicissitudo, from  vicissim  ’in turn’, from  vicis;   VICARIOUS]//  the continuous changes and problems that affect a situation or someone’s life//  vicissitudes of//  --the vicissitudes of married life//


Words: victim
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: victima  ’person or animal killed as a religious offering’]//\n  1 someone who has been attacked, robbed, or murdered:  --The victim received head injuries from which she died a week later.//  rape/murder etc victim //  --Most homicide victims are under 30.//  victim of//  --victims of crime//  --a credit card fraud ring that stole millions of dollars from unsuspecting victims //\n  2 someone who suffers because of something bad that happens or because of an illness:  victim of//  --victims of age discrimination//  --He was the victim of an administrative error.//  --a massive aid programme for the famine victims //  -- AIDS victims and other patients who are terminally ill//  --All these people are innocent victims .//  --He was used to being in charge, not being the victim of circumstance .//  --Saying that the unemployed ’don’t want to work’ is a classic case of blaming the victim .//\n  3  fall victim to sth:   written //  a) to be attacked, killed etc, or to get a particular illness, especially one that kills//  --One theory is that the hostages fell victim to bandits.//  b) to be badly affected or destroyed by a situation//  --Many small businesses have fallen victim to the recession.//\n  4  be a victim of its own success:  to be badly affected by some unexpected results of being very successful//  --There are now so many tourists that the area has become a victim of its own success.//\n  5  sacrificial victim:  a person or animal that is killed and offered as a sacrifice (=gift) to a god//\n  6  fashion/style victim:  someone who always wears the most fashionable clothes even if they do not look good in them//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 2 //  be the victim of something //  famine/earthquake/flood etc victim //  cancer/AIDS etc victim //  accident/crash victim //  innocent victim //  victim of circumstance (=someone who suffers because of something they cannot control) //  victim mentality (=when someone always thinks of themselves as a victim) //  blame the victim //  ----------//


Words: victimize
Meaning:
also victimise  BrE   v [T often passive]   to treat someone unfairly because you do not like them, their beliefs, or the race they belong to//   pick on//  --The men claim they have been victimized because of their political activity.//  -- victimization/v[hA366]kt[hA369]ma[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ -m[hA353]-/ n  [U] //


Words: victor
Meaning:
n [C]  formal   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: victus, past participle of  vincere  ’to defeat, win’]//  the winner of a battle, game, competition etc//  --After the game the victors returned in triumph.//


Words: Victoria
Meaning:
1 a large railway station in central London, from which trains go to various parts of southeast England :\n  2 the capital city of the Canadian  province of British Columbia:\n  3 a state in southeast Australia, which has a lot of industry. Capital: Melbourne.:


Words: Victoria and Albert Museum
Meaning:
the Victoria and Albert Museum//   also the V & A //  a  museum in central London that has valuable  decorative objects of all styles and periods and from all over the world, such as paintings, glass, clothes, and jewellery//


Words: Victoria Falls
Meaning:
a  waterfall on the Zambezi River between Zimbabwe and Zambia in southern Africa, which is about 1.5 kilometres/1 mile wide and about 120 metres/400 feet high. It is one of the most popular places in Africa for tourists to visit.//


Words: Victorian
Meaning:
adj \n  1 relating to or coming from the period from 1837-1901 when Victoria was Queen of England:  --a big Victorian house//\n  2 morally strict in a way that was typical in the time of Queen Victoria:  --Victorian values//\nVictorian 2 n [C]   an English person living in the period when Queen Victoria ruled//


Words: victorious
Meaning:
adj   having won a victory, or ending in a victory//  --the victorious team//  --We were confident that the Allies would emerge victorious  (=finally win) .//  -- victoriously adv //


Words: Victory
Meaning:
HMS   the British ship that Admiral  Nelson used in 1805 when his navy won the important sea battle against the French and Spanish near Cape  Trafalgar//


Words: victory
Meaning:
W2   n   plural  victories  [U and C] //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: victorie, from  Latin victoria, from  victus;   VICTOR]//  the success you achieve when you win a battle, game, election etc//  → defeat//  --Napoleon’s military victories//  victory over/against//  --the Raiders’ 35-17 victory over St Louis//  victory for//  --This ruling represents a victory for all women.//  --It was a surprisingly easy victory .//  --The United States gained a decisive victory under his command.//  --The result was a narrow victory for Smith.//  --The polls were predicting that Labour would win a landslide victory .//  --The government has won a very important victory .//  --Jordan led his team to victory .//  --Jesse Owens swept to victory in the Olympic Games of 1936.//    Pyrrhic victory//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  easy/comfortable victory //  great/decisive/resounding victory //  narrow victory (=a win, but only by a small amount) //  landslide victory (=a win by a very large amount in an election) //  moral victory (=when you show your beliefs are right and fair, even if you lose the argument) //  win/score a victory //  lead somebody to victory //  sweep/romp/storm to victory (=win easily) //  victory celebrations //  ----------//


Words: victuals
Meaning:
n [plural]  old use   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: vitaille, from  Late Latin victualia, from  Latin victus  ’food’, from  vivere  ’to live’]//  food and drink//


Words: vicu[hA172]a
Meaning:
n   [U and C] a large South American animal related to the llama, or the cloth that is made from its wool//  --a vicu[hA172]a coat//


Words: video
Meaning:
n   plural  videos //  1 [C] a copy of a film or television programme, or a series of events, recorded on videotape//  hire  BrE //  /rent  AmE //  a video //  --How much does it cost to hire videos?//  --Let’s stay at home and watch a video .//  -- Rewind the video right to the beginning.//  --The school will be making a video of the play.//  on video//  --The movie has not yet been released on video .//  --coming soon to a video store near you//\n  2 [C] a plastic box containing special tape for recording programmes and films on television:   videotape, video cassette//  --Have we got a blank video  (=one with nothing recorded on it yet) anywhere?//\n  3 [C]  British English a machine used to record television programmes or show videos:   VCR, video cassette recorder//  programme/set the video //  --Can you set the video to record the football match?//\n  4 [U] the process of recording or showing television programmes, films, real events etc on videotape:  --The course aims to help children learn through video.//\n  5 [C] a short film that is made to go with a particular piece of popular music:   music video//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  rent/get a video also hire a video British English //  watch a video //  rewind a video (=move to an earlier part of a video by pressing a button) //  fast-forward a video (=move to a later part of a video by pressing a button) //  pause a video (=stop a video for a short time) //  make a video //  home video (=a video of your family, a holiday etc that you make yourself) //  promotional video (=a video of a product etc that is intended to help sell it) //  on video //  video shop BrE  //  video store American English //  ----------//\nvideo 2   past tense and past participle  videoed present participle  videoing  v [T]  BrE //  to record a television programme, film, or a real event on a video//   videotape//  American Equivalent:  tape//  --Could you video the movie at 8.00?//  --A friend videoed the wedding.//\nvideo 3 adj   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Latin; Origin: videre  ’to see’ +  English -o (as in  audio)]//  [only before noun] relating to or used in the process of recording and showing pictures on television//    audio//  --video production//  --video materials for language teaching//


Words: video arcade
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   a public place where there are a lot of video games that you play by putting money in the machines//


Words: video conferencing
Meaning:
n [U]   a system that makes it possible to have meetings with people in different parts of the world by sending pictures and sound electronically//


Words: video diary plural
Meaning:
video diaries  n [C]   a record on video of someone’s activities during a day, or over a period of time//  make/keep a video diary //  --The group decided to make a video diary of the cycling trip.//


Words: videocard
Meaning:
n [C]   a circuit board that can be added to a computer so that it is able to show moving pictures//


Words: videodisc
Meaning:
also videodisk  AmE   n [C]   a round flat piece of plastic that you use to record and show films or programmes in the same way as a video//    DVD//


Words: videotape
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a video//  videotape of//  --a videotape of everyday life in Havana//\nvideotape 2  also video  BrE  v [T]   to record a television programme, film, event etc on a video//


Words: Videotex
Meaning:
n [U]    trademark a form of communication that allows information to be exchanged using a television system//


Words: vie
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  vied present participle  vying third person singular  vies  [I] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Old French; Origin: envier  ’to invite, challenge’, from  Latin invitare;   INVITE1]//  to compete very hard with someone in order to get something//  vie for//  --Simon and Julian were vying for her attention all through dinner.//  vie with//  --There are at least twenty restaurants vying with each other for custom.//  vie to do sth//  --All the photographers vied to get the best pictures.//


Words: Vienna
Meaning:
the capital city of Austria, famous as a centre for music since the 18th century, and the home of many famous  composers, including Mozart and  Beethoven.//  -- Viennese n  adj //


Words: Viet Cong
Meaning:
the  ,  Vietcong  the group of  guerillas (=unofficial soldiers)  who were supported by the Communist government of North Vietnam during the Vietnam War, and fought against US and South Vietnamese forces//


Words: Vietnam
Meaning:
a country in southeast Asia, next to Cambodia and China. Population: 79,939,000 (2001). Capital: Hanoi. Vietnam was ruled by France, as part of French Indochina, from the mid-19th century. It became independent in 1954 as two countries, the pro-western South Vietnam and the Communist North Vietnam. Attempts to unite the two countries led to the  Vietnam War and eventually succeeded in 1975. The war caused great suffering and serious economic problems. Since the war, Vietnam has gradually improved its economic position and it is now a member of ASEAN.//


Words: Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Meaning:
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial//  the Vietnam Memorial //  two long walls made of polished black stone which are arranged in a V-shape on the  Mall (=park area)  in Washington, D.C. The walls have more than 58,000 names carved on them, which is to remind people of all the US soldiers who died in the  Vietnam War or never returned from Vietnam.//


Words: Vietnam War
Meaning:
the   (1954-75) a long  civil war between the Communist forces of North Vietnam and the non-Communist forces of South Vietnam, which ended when South Vietnam was finally defeated in 1975, and Vietnam was united again as one country. Between 1965 and 1973, US soldiers fought in Vietnam to support the army of South Vietnam, and when people in the west talk about the Vietnam War, or simply about Vietnam they usually mean this period of US involvement.//


Words: view
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 opinion:\n   2 way of considering:\n   3 sight:\n   4 scenery:\n   5 picture:\n   6 chance to see something:\n   7 in view of something:\n   8 with a view to (doing) something:\n   9 in view:\n  10 take the long view (of something):  ----------//  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: veue,  vue, from  veeir,  voir  ’to see’, from  Latin videre;   VIDEO3]//\n  1 OPINION:   [C] what you think or believe about something//   opinion//  view on/about//  --What’s your view on the subject?//  --She has strong views about politics.//  --Everyone at the meeting had different views .//  --He was worried about working with people who did not share his views .//  --Not all executives share the view that participation in online discussions is good for business.//  --The views expressed in this book are purely those of the author.//  --The twins’ parents took the view that surgery would be wrong.//  --Freud’s work affected widely held views on sexual matters.//  -- In my view , the country needs a change of government.//  --Not all the evidence supports this view .//  --There was a frank exchange of views at the meeting.//  -- The general view was that you can’t overfeed a baby.//    point of view(2)//\n  2 WAY OF CONSIDERING:   [C usually singular] a way of thinking about or understanding something//  view of//  --Mum’s view of the situation was different to mine.//  optimistic/pessimistic/balanced etc view //  --a realistic view of human nature//  --traditional views of religion//  --You need to have a clear view  (=a definite idea) of the kind of book you want to write.//  take a dim/poor view of sth (=disapprove) //  --She took a pretty dim view of his behaviour.//\n  3 SIGHT:   [U and C] what you are able to see or whether you can see it//  view of//  --We’d like a room with a view of the sea.//  good/bad/wonderful etc view //  --The house has wonderful views over the valley.//  be in view/come into view //  --Suddenly the pyramids came into view.//  disappear/vanish/hide from view //  --The gun was hidden from view behind the door.//  --Fran hit him in full view of all the guests (=where they could see it clearly) .//  --During an eclipse, the moon blocks our view of the sun (=stops us from seeing it) .//  4 SCENERY//   [C] the whole area that you can see from somewhere, especially when it is very beautiful or impressive//  --From the top you get a panoramic view of the city.//  --A huge nuclear reactor now spoils the view .//\n  5 PICTURE:   [C] a photograph or picture showing a beautiful or interesting place//  view of//  --The book contains over fifty scenic views of Cambridge.//\n  6 CHANCE TO SEE SOMETHING:   [U and C] an occasion or time when it is possible for people to see something such as an art show//  view of//  --A private view of the Summer Exhibition will be held.//  on view//   (=being shown to the public) //  --The painting is currently on view at the Tate.//\n  7  in view of sth:   formal used to introduce the reason for a decision or action//  --In view of his conduct, the club has decided to suspend him.//\n  8  with a view to (doing) sth:  because you are planning to do something in the future//  --We bought the house with a view to retiring there.//\n  9  in view:   formal having something in your mind as an aim//  with this end/object/aim etc in view //  --Defence was all-important, and castles were designed with this end in view.//  --What sort of job did you have in view ?//\n  10  take the long view (of sth):   BrE to think about the effect that something will have in the future rather than what happens now//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  have strong views (about something) //  have different/conflicting/opposing views //  share somebody’s view/this view etc (=think the same as someone else) //  express a view //  take the view that (=think that) //  hold a view //  strongly/deeply/widely held views //  in somebody’s view (=used to show whose opinion it is) //  support a view (=help show that it is right) //  an exchange of views (=when people say what they think) //  the general view (=what most people think) //  ----------//\nview 2 v [T] \n  1 to think about something or someone in a particular way:   see//  view sth as sth//  --The law should be viewed as a way of meeting certain social goals.//  view sth from a ... perspective/standpoint //  --It’s an issue that can be viewed from several perspectives.//  view sth with caution/suspicion/scepticism etc //  --The local people viewed newcomers with suspicion.//\n  2  formal to look at something, especially because it is beautiful or you are interested in it:  view sth from sth//  --The mountain is best viewed from the north side.//  --Thousands of tourists come to view the gardens every year.//  view a house/an apartment/a property (=go to see a house etc that you are interested in buying) //\n  3  formal to watch a television programme, film etc:  --an opportunity to view the film before it goes on general release//


Words: viewer
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who watches television:  --The new series has gone down well with viewers.//\n  2 someone who looks at something:  --In the painting, the woman has her back to the viewer.//\n  3 a small box with a light in it used to look at slides (=colour photographs on special film) :


Words: viewfinder
Meaning:
n [C]   the small square of glass on a camera that you look through to see exactly what you are photographing//


Words: viewpoint
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a particular way of thinking about a problem or subject:   point of view//  from sb’s viewpoint/from the viewpoint of sb/sth//  --Try and think of it from the child’s viewpoint.//  --The islands were important from the viewpoint of American security.//  viewpoint on//  --the Church’s viewpoint on divorce//  political/scientific/feminist etc viewpoint //  --From an ecological viewpoint, the motorway has been a disaster.//\n  2 a place from which you can see something:  --Different viewpoints produce different images.//


Words: vigil
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: vigile, from  Latin vigilia  ’staying awake, keeping watch’, from  vigil  ’awake’]//\n  1 a period of time, especially during the night, when you stay awake in order to pray, remain with someone who is ill, or watch for danger:  --Eva and Paul kept a constant vigil by their daughter’s hospital bedside.//\n  2 a silent political protest in which people wait outside a building, especially during the night:  silent/candlelit vigil //  --2000 demonstrators held a candlelit vigil outside the embassy.//


Words: vigilance
Meaning:
n [U]   careful attention that you give to what is happening, so that you will notice any danger or illegal activity//  --the need for increased police vigilance//


Words: vigilant
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  vigilare  ’to stay awake, keep watch’, from  vigil;   VIGIL]//  giving careful attention to what is happening, so that you will notice any danger or illegal activity//  --Please remain vigilant at all times and report anything suspicious.//  -- vigilantly adv //


Words: vigilante
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Spanish; Origin: ’person who keeps watch, guard’, from  Latin vigilans;   VIGILANT]//  someone who illegally punishes criminals and tries to prevent crime, usually because they think the police are not doing this effectively//  -- vigilantism n  [U] //


Words: vignette
Meaning:
n [C]  formal   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: vigne (  VINE); because drawings in books often included vines]//\n  1 a short description in a book or play showing the typical features of a person or situation:\n  2 a small picture or design at the beginning or end of a book or chapter:


Words: vigorous
Meaning:
adj \n  1 using a lot of energy and strength or determination:  --Your dog needs at least 20 minutes of vigorous exercise every day.//  --Environmentalists have begun a vigorous campaign to oppose nuclear dumping in the area.//  --a vigorous debate//  --Vigorous efforts are being made to find a solution to the problem.//  --The measures provoked vigorous opposition in right-wing circles.//\n  2 strong and healthy:  --a vigorous young man//  -- vigorously adv //


Words: vigour
Meaning:
BrE  vigor AmE   n [U]   physical or mental energy and determination//  with vigour//  --He began working with renewed vigour .//


Words: Viking
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Old Norse; Origin: vikingr, perhaps from  vik  ’bay, inlet’ or from  Old English wic  ’camp’]//  a member of the group of Scandinavian people who sailed in ships to attack areas along the coasts of northern and western Europe from the 8th to 11th centuries//


Words: vile
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: vil, from  Latin vilis  ’worthless’]//\n  1  informal extremely unpleasant or bad:   horrible//  --This coffee tastes really vile .//  --a vile smell //  --She has a vile temper .//\n  2 evil or immoral:  --a vile act of betrayal//  -- vilely adv //  -- vileness n  [U] //


Words: vilify
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  vilified present participle  vilifying third person singular  vilifies  [T] //  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Late Latin; Origin: vilificare  ’to make less valuable’, from  Latin vilis (  VILE) +  facere  ’to make’]//   formal to say or write bad things about someone or something//  vilify sb/sth for (doing) sth//  --Johnson was vilified in the press for refusing to resign.//  -- vilification/v[hA366]l[hA369]f[hA369]ke[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U] //


Words: villa
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Italian; Origin: Latin,  ’country home, farm’]//\n  1  BrE a house that you use or rent while you are on holiday:\n  2 a big house in the country with a large garden:\n  3 a house in a town:  --Victorian villas//\n  4 an ancient Roman house or farm with land surrounding it:


Words: village
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: ville  ’farm, village’, from  Latin villa;   VILLA]//\n  1 a very small town in the countryside:  --a little fishing village//  village school/shop/church etc //\n  2  the village:  the people who live in a village//  --The whole village came to the meeting.//


Words: village idiot
Meaning:
n [C]   someone in the past who had mental difficulties and lived in a small village with the other people there//


Words: Village Voice
Meaning:
The   a weekly newspaper produced in  Greenwich Village, the artistic centre of New York City, which includes news and articles about politics, books, films etc, and  alternative entertainment//


Words: villain
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: vilain  ’peasant’, from  Medieval Latin vilanus, from  Latin villa;   VILLA]//\n  1 the main bad character in a film, play, or story:\n  2  the villain of the piece:  the person or thing that has caused all the trouble in a particular situation//\n  3  informal a bad person or criminal:


Words: villein
Meaning:
n [C]   a poor farm worker in the Middle Ages who was given a small piece of land in return for working on the land of a rich lord//


Words: vim
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: ’strength’]//   old-fashioned energy//  --She was full of vim and vigour .//


Words: vinaigrette
Meaning:
n [singular, U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: vinaigre;   VINEGAR]//  a mixture of oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper that you put on a salad//   salad dressing//


Words: vindicate
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  vindicare  ’to claim, avenge’, from  vindex  ’person who claims, avenger’]//\n  1 to prove that someone who was blamed for something is in fact not guilty:  --The charges are false, and we are sure we will be vindicated in court.//\n  2 to prove that someone or something is right or true:   justify//  --The decision to advertise has been vindicated by the fact that sales have grown.//  -- vindication/v[hA366]nd[hA369]ke[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [singular, U] //


Words: vindictive
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: vindicta  ’revenge’, from  vindicare;   VINDICATE]//  unreasonably cruel and unfair towards someone who has harmed you//  --a bitter and vindictive old man//  -- vindictively adv //  -- vindictiveness n  [U] //


Words: vine
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: vigne, from  Latin vinea  ’vine, vineyard’,  from  vinum;   WINE1]//\n  1  also grapevine :  a plant that produces grapes//\n  2 a plant with long thin stems that attach themselves to other plants, trees, buildings etc:


Words: vinegar
Meaning:
n [U]   vinegar, pepper, oil, salt//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: vinaigre, from  vin  ’wine’ +  aigre  ’sour’]//  a sour-tasting liquid made from malt or wine that is used to improve the taste of food or to preserve it//


Words: vintage
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1 vintage wine is good quality wine made in a particular year:\n  2 old, but high quality:  --vintage cars//\n  3 showing all the best or most typical qualities of something:  --a vintage performance from Bruce Springsteen//\n  4  vintage year:  a) a year when a good quality wine was produced//  b) a year when something of very good quality was produced//  vintage year for//  --2001 was not a vintage year for movies.//\nvintage 2 n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: vendenge, from  Latin vindemia, from  vinum  ’wine, grapes’ +  demere  ’to take off’]//\n  1 [C] a particular year or place in which a wine is made, or the wine itself:\n  2  of recent vintage:  having happened or started not very long ago//  --There are some classic songs on the album, but most are of more recent vintage.//


Words: vintner
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: vinetier, from  Latin vinetum  ’vineyard’, from  vinum;   WINE1]//   formal someone who buys and sells wines//


Words: vinyl
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: vinum;   WINE1]//\n  1 a type of strong plastic:\n  2 records that are played on a record player - used especially when comparing them to CDs:


Words: viola
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Italian; Origin: Old Proven[hA168]al, probably from  Medieval Latin vitula;   FIDDLE1]//\n  1 a wooden musical instrument that you play like a violin but that is larger and has a lower sound:\n  2 a plant related to the violet:


Words: violate
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  violare]//\n  1 to disobey or do something against an official agreement, law, principle etc:  --34 protesters were arrested for violating criminal law.//  --regimes that violate human rights//\n  2 to do something that makes someone feel that they have been attacked or have suffered a great loss of respect:  --Victims of burglaries often feel personally violated.//  --The media regularly violates people’s privacy .//\n  3  formal to break open a  grave, or force your way into a holy place without showing any respect:  --Vandals had violated the graveyard.//\n  4  literary to force a woman to have sex:   rape//  -- violator n  [C] //


Words: violation
Meaning:
n [U and C] \n  1 an action that breaks a law, agreement, principle etc:  --human rights violations//  violation of//  --a violation of international law//  in violation of sth//  --Troops crossed the border in violation of the agreement.//\n  2 something that causes harm or damage by treating someone or their possessions without respect:


Words: violence
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 behaviour that is intended to hurt other people physically:  --There is too much sex and violence on TV these days.//  violence against//  --violence against women//  --We condemn any act of violence .//  --threats of physical violence //  --refuges for women escaping from domestic violence //  --Neither side wants to resort to violence .//  --When marchers gathered on a third day of protest, violence erupted and buildings were burned.//\n  2 extreme force:  --the tremendous violence of a tornado//\n  3  do violence to sth:   formal to spoil something//\n  4  literary an angry way of speaking or reacting:  --She spoke with a violence that surprised them both.//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  act of violence //  physical violence //  domestic violence (=violence between a man and woman in their home) //  racial/ethnic violence (=violence between different groups of people) //  use/resort to violence (=behave violently) //  violence erupts/explodes (=there is suddenly a lot of violence) //  ----------//


Words: violent
Meaning:
W3S3   adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin violentus]//\n  1 involving actions that are intended to injure or kill people, by hitting them, shooting them etc:  --the increase in violent crime //  --violent clashes between the police and demonstrators//  --31 people have been injured in violent incidents throughout the day.//  --The riots ended in the violent deaths of three teenagers.//\n  2 someone who is violent is likely to attack, hurt, or kill other people:   aggressive//  --My father was a violent and dangerous man.//  --He had a reputation for turning violent  (=suddenly attacking people) .//\n  3 showing very strong angry emotions or opinions:  violent quarrel/argument/row etc //  --They had a violent quarrel and John stormed out.//\n  4 violent feelings are strong and very difficult to control:  --They took a violent dislike to each other.//  --She has a violent temper.//\n  5  violent headache/fit etc:  a physical feeling or reaction that is very painful or difficult to control//\n  6  violent film/play/drama:  a film etc that contains a lot of violence//\n  7  a violent storm/earthquake/explosion etc:  a storm etc that happens with a lot of force//\n  8 extremely bright:  --Her cheeks turned a violent red colour.//


Words: violently
Meaning:
adv \n  1 with a lot of force in a way that is very difficult to control:  tremble/shiver/shake etc violently //  --I was still trembling violently.//  violently sick/ill //  --He rushed to the bathroom, where he was violently sick.//\n  2 in a way that involves violence:  --Several people have been violently attacked in the subway.//\n  3 with a lot of energy or emotion, especially anger:  --Jenny protested violently.//


Words: violet
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: violete, from  viole  ’violet’, from  Latin viola]//\n  1 [C] a plant with small dark purple flowers, or sometimes white or yellow ones:\n  2 [U] a bluish-purple colour:  -- violet adj //  --beautiful violet eyes//


Words: violin
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Italian; Origin: violino, from  viola;   VIOLA]//  a small wooden musical instrument that you hold under your chin and play by pulling a bow (=special stick) across the strings//


Words: VIP
Meaning:
n [C]   very important person someone who is very famous or powerful and is treated with special care and respect//  --They treated us like VIPs.//  --We were given VIP treatment .//


Words: viper
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: vip[hA169]re, from  Latin vipera, probably from  vivus  ’alive’ +  parere  ’to give birth to’]//\n  1 a small poisonous snake:\n  2  literary someone who behaves in an unpleasant way and harms other people:


Words: virago
Meaning:
n   plural  viragos  [C] //  [Date: 1000-1100; Language: Latin; Origin: vir  ’man’]//   formal an offensive word for an angry woman who often argues with people//


Words: viral marketing
Meaning:
n [U]   a type of advertising used by Internet companies in which computer users receive and send out advertising messages or images through email without realizing that they are doing this//  --You can reach more potential customers by using viral marketing techniques.//


Words: Virgil
Meaning:
Vergil  (70-19 BC) an ancient Roman poet whose best-known poem is  The Aeneid, a long  epic poem telling the story of how Aeneas left the city of Troy and eventually arrived in Italy//


Words: virgin
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: virgine, from  Latin virgo  ’young woman, virgin’]//\n  1 someone who has never had sex:\n  2  the Virgin Mary:   also  the (Blessed) Virgin//  Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ//\n  3 someone who has never done a particular activity before:  --a snowboarding virgin//\nvirgin 2 adj [only before noun] \n  1  virgin land/forest/soil/snow etc:  land etc that is still in its natural state and has not been used or changed by people//\n  2 without sexual experience:  --a virgin bride //\n  3  virgin territory:  something new that you are experiencing for the first time//\n  4  (extra) virgin olive oil:  the highest quality of olive oil, made from the first pressing of the olives//


Words: virgin birth
Meaning:
n   the virgin birth//  the birth of Jesus, which Christians believe was caused by God, not by sex between a man and a woman//


Words: Virgin Islands
Meaning:
the Virgin Islands//  a group of about 100 small islands in the east Caribbean Sea, some of which are ruled by the US as the US Virgin Islands, and some by the UK, as the British Virgin Islands//


Words: Virgin Mary
Meaning:
the   in the Christian religion, the mother of Jesus Christ. According to the New Testament of the Bible, when Mary was a young woman an  angel came to her from God and told her that she was going to have a baby, although she had never had sex, and that the baby would be the son of God. She is especially important to Roman Catholics, who have pictures and  statues of her in their churches and homes, and who often pray to her for help.//


Words: virginals
Meaning:
n [plural]   a small square musical instrument like a piano with no legs, popular in the 16th and 17th centuries//


Words: Virginia
Meaning:
1 VA a state on the east coast of the US, south of Washington, D.C., which is one of the 13 original states of the US:    West Virginia//\n  2 [U] a type of tobacco grown originally in the US state of Virginia:


Words: virginia creeper
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a garden plant that grows up walls and has large leaves that turn deep red in autumn//


Words: virginity
Meaning:
n [U]   the condition of never having had sex//  lose your virginity (=have sex for the first time) //


Words: Virgo
Meaning:
n   plural  Virgos //  [Date: 900-1000; Language: Latin; Origin:  VIRGIN1]//\n  1 [U] the sixth sign of the zodiac, represented by a young woman, which some people believe affects the character and life of people born between August 24 and September 23:\n  2 [C] someone who was born between August 24 and September 23:


Words: virile
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: viril, from  Latin virilis, from  vir  ’man’]//  having or showing traditionally male qualities such as strength, courage etc - use this to show approval//    macho//


Words: virility
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the typically male quality of being strong, brave, and full of energy - used to show approval:\n  2 the ability of a man to have sex or make a woman pregnant:


Words: virology
Meaning:
n [U]   the scientific study of viruses or of the diseases caused by them//  -- virologist n  [C] //


Words: virtual
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: virtualis  ’having certain qualities or powers’, from  Latin virtus;   VIRTUE]//\n  1 very nearly a particular thing:  --Car ownership is a virtual necessity when you live in the country.//  --Finding a cheap place to rent is a virtual impossibility in this area.//\n  2 made, done, seen etc on the Internet or on a computer, rather than in the real world:  --The website allows you to take a virtual tour of the art gallery.//  --constructing virtual worlds//


Words: virtual office
Meaning:
n [C]   a situation in which a company’s workers do not go to an office to work, but instead use computers that are connected to the Internet to communicate with each other from different places//  --Does the virtual office equal freedom or isolation?//


Words: virtual reality
Meaning:
n [U]   an environment produced by a computer that looks and seems real to the person experiencing it//


Words: virtually
Meaning:
adv \n  1 almost:   practically//  --Virtually all the children come to school by bus.//  --He was virtually unknown before running for office.//\n  2 on a computer, rather than in the real world:


Words: virtue
Meaning:
W3   n   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: virtu, from  Latin virtus  ’strength, virtue’, from  vir  ’man’]//\n  1 [U]  formal moral goodness of character and behaviour:  → vice//  --Women have often been used as symbols of virtue.//\n  2 [C] a particular good quality in someone’s character:  → vice//  --Among her many virtues are loyalty, courage, and truthfulness.//\n  3 [U and C] an advantage that makes something better or more useful than something else:  virtue of//  --Adam Smith believed in the virtues of free trade.//  --Wilkins is now extolling  (=praising very much)  the virtues of organic farming.//\n  4  by virtue of sth:   formal by means of, or as a result of something//  --She became a British resident by virtue of her marriage.//\n  5  make a virtue of necessity:  to get an advantage out of doing something that you have to do//


Words: virtuoso
Meaning:
n   plural  virtuosos  [C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Italian; Origin: virtuoso  ’virtuous, skilled’, from  Latin virtus;   VIRTUE]//  someone who is a very skilful performer, especially in music//  --violin virtuoso Stephane Grappelli//  -- virtuoso adj  [only before noun] //  --a virtuoso performance //  --a virtuoso pianist//


Words: virtuous
Meaning:
adj \n  1  formal behaving in a very honest and moral way:  → wicked//  --a virtuous man//  --Natalie considered herself very virtuous because she neither drank nor smoked.//\n  2  old use not willing to have sex, at least until you are married:  -- virtuously adv //


Words: virulent
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: virulentus, from  virus;   VIRUS]//\n  1 a poison, disease etc that is virulent is very dangerous and affects people very quickly:  → mild//  --a particularly virulent form of influenza//\n  2  formal full of hatred for something, or expressing this in a strong way - used to show disapproval:  --virulent anti-Semitism//  -- virulence n  [U] //  -- virulently adv //


Words: virus
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: ’thick slippery liquid, poison, bad smell’]//\n  1 [U and C] a very small living thing that causes infectious illnesses:  --children infected with the Aids virus//  --a virus infection //\n  2 [C] a set of instructions secretly put onto a computer or computer program, which can destroy information. When a computer that has a virus makes a connection with another computer, for example by email, the virus can make copies of itself and move to the other computer:\n  3 [C] a program that sends a large number of annoying messages to many people’s mobile phones in an uncontrolled way:


Words: vis-a-vis
Meaning:
prep   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: ’face to face’;   VISAGE]//   formal in relation to or in comparison with something or someone//  --the bargaining position of the UK vis-a-vis the rest of Europe//


Words: visa
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: Latin,  ’things seen’, from  visus;   VISION]//  an official mark put on your passport that gives you permission to temporarily enter or leave a foreign country//  --I was still in New York, trying to get a visa for Russia.//  exit/entry/transit visa //  work/student/tourist etc visa //


Words: Visa card
Meaning:
also Visa  trademark   a type of  credit card (=plastic card used to obtain goods and services, which the buyer pays for later)  which can be used all over the world//


Words: visage
Meaning:
n [C]  literary   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: vis  ’face’, from  Latin visus  ’sight, appearance’, from  visus;   VISION]//  a face//


Words: viscera
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: , plural of  viscus  ’body organ’]//   medical the large organs inside your body, such as your heart, lungs, and stomach//


Words: visceral
Meaning:
adj \n  1  literary visceral beliefs and attitudes are the result of strong feelings rather than careful thought:  --his visceral hatred of the ruling class//\n  2  medical relating to the viscera:


Words: viscous
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Late Latin; Origin: viscosus, from  Latin viscum  ’mistletoe, sticky substance used for catching birds’]//   technical a viscous liquid is thick and sticky and does not flow easily//  --As the liquid cools, it becomes viscous.//  -- viscosity/v[hA366]sk[hA361]s[hA369]ti $ -sk[hA35A][hA359]-/ n  [U] //


Words: Vishnu
Meaning:
one of the three main gods in the Hindu religion. He is "the Preserver" and has many  Avatars (=different forms in which a god can actually be seen) , the most important of which is  Krishna.//    Brahma//    Siva//


Words: visibility
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the distance it is possible to see, especially when this is affected by weather conditions:  --Visibility on the roads is down to 20 metres due to heavy fog.//  good/poor visibility //  --The search for survivors was abandoned because of poor visibility.//\n  2 the situation of being noticed by people in general:  visibility of//  --The exhibition helped increase the visibility of women artists.//\n  3 the fact of being easy to see:  -- high visibility clothing//


Words: visible
Meaning:
W3   adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: visibilis, from  visus;   VISION]//\n  1 something that is visible can be seen:  → invisible//  clearly/highly/barely etc visible //  --The outline of the mountains was clearly visible.//  visible to//  --The sign was clearly visible to passing motorists.//  --The comet is visible to the naked eye  (=can be seen without using special equipment) .//  --Check the plant for any visible signs of disease.//\n  2 an effect that is visible is great enough to be noticed:   noticeable//  --There has been a visible change in his attitude.//\n  3 someone who is visible is in a situation in which a lot of people notice them:  -- highly visible politicians//


Words: visibly
Meaning:
adv   in a way that is easy to see or notice//  visibly shaken/shocked/upset etc //  --She was visibly shaken by the news.//


Words: vision
Meaning:
W2S3   n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin visio, from  visus, past participle of  videre  ’to see’]//\n  1 [U] ability to see:   sight//  --She suffered temporary loss of vision after being struck on the head.//  --Tears blurred her vision  (=made it difficult for her to see) .//  good/normal/poor etc vision //  --children who are born with poor vision//  twenty-twenty/20-20 vision (=the ability to see perfectly) //  night vision (=the ability to see when it is dark) //\n  2 [U] the area that you can see:  --a figure at the edge of her vision //  sb’s field/line of vision (=the area someone is able to see without turning their head) //  --As the cars overtake you, they are temporarily outside your field of vision.//\n  3 [C] an idea of what you think something should be like:  vision of//  --He had a clear vision of how he hoped the company would develop.//  vision for//  --The President outlined his vision for the future.//  grand/powerful/original etc vision //  --a grand vision for the country//\n  4  have visions of sth:  if you have visions of something happening, especially something bad, you imagine it happening//  --I had visions of the kids getting lost and getting abducted by some weirdo.//\n  5 [C] something that you seem to see as part of a powerful religious experience:  --She had a vision in which Jesus appeared before her.//  in a vision//  --He became a monk after seeing Saint Apollinaris in a vision.//\n  6 [U] the knowledge and imagination that are needed in planning for the future with a clear purpose:  --We need a leader with vision and strong principles.//  --his enthusiasm and breadth of vision //\n  7  a vision of beauty/loveliness etc:   literary someone who is very beautiful//\n  8 [U] the quality of a picture that you can see on a television:


Words: visionary
Meaning:
adj \n  1 having clear ideas of what the world should be like in the future:  --Under his visionary leadership, the city prospered.//\n  2 existing only in someone’s mind and unlikely to ever exist in the real world:\nvisionary 2   plural  visionaries  n [C] //\n  1 someone who has clear ideas and strong feelings about the way something should be in the future:\n  2 a holy person who has visions:


Words: visit
Meaning:
W1S2   v   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: visiter, from  Latin visitare, from  visere  ’to go to see’, from  videre;   VISION]//\n  1 [I and T] to go and spend time in a place or with someone, especially for pleasure or interest:  --Eric went to Seattle to visit his cousins.//  --I was really pleased that they came to visit me.//  --Which cities did you visit in Spain?//  --A recent trip to London gave me the opportunity to visit the Science Museum.//  --She doesn’t visit very often.//\n  2 [T] to go to a place as part of your official job, especially to examine it:  --The building inspector is visiting the new housing project.//  visit with//   AmE //  --The President’s first trip abroad will be to visit with troops in Bosnia.//\n  3 [T]  formal to go to see a doctor, lawyer etc in order to get treatment or advice:\n  4 [T] to look at a website on the Internet:  --Over 1,000 people visit our site every week.//\n  5 [I]  AmE to talk socially with someone:  visit with//  --Why don’t you kids play outside while we visit with each other?//  visit on / [visit sth on sb/sth] phr v//  to do something to punish someone or show them that you are angry//  --God’s wrath will be visited on sinners.//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  In spoken English it is more usual to say that you go to a place or go to see/go and see a person or place: We went to the Louvre.| I’m going to see my mother. //  ----------//\nvisit 2 W3 n [C] \n  1 an occasion when someone goes to spend time in a place or goes to see a person:  visit to//  --a visit to Chicago//  --We’re just here on a short visit .//  --Why don’t you come for a visit this summer?//  --I decided to pay him a visit at his office.//  --I’ve just had a visit from the police.//  --I’m only here for the weekend - just a flying visit this time.//  --his first official visit to Britain as Russian President//  --The town is well worth a visit .//\n  2 an occasion when you see a doctor, lawyer etc for treatment or advice:\n  3  AmE an occasion when you talk socially with someone:  --Barbara and I had a nice long visit.//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  on a visit //  for a visit //  pay somebody a visit (=visit someone) //  have a visit from somebody //  flying visit British English (=a very short visit) //  official visit //  be (well) worth a visit (=be interesting to go to) //  ----------//


Words: visitation
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U and C]  formal an official visit to a place or person:\n  2 [U and C]  law an occasion when a parent is allowed to spend time with the children after a divorce, or the right to do this:  --visitation rights//\n  3 [C] an occasion when God or a spirit is believed to appear to someone on earth:\n  4 [C]  literary an event that is believed to be God’s punishment for something:  --a visitation of plague//\n  5 [C] a long visit from someone that you do not want to see - used humorously:


Words: visiting card
Meaning:
n [C]   a small card with their name on it which people gave to someone they visited, in the past//  American Equivalent:  calling card//


Words: visitor
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who comes to visit a place or a person//  --Times Square attracts more than 30 million visitors annually.//  visitor to//  --Rina is a frequent visitor to the city.//  visitor from//  --visitors from overseas//    health visitor//


Words: visitors’ book
Meaning:
n [C]   a book, especially in a church or hotel, in which visitors write their names and addresses//


Words: visor
Meaning:
n [C]   visor//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: viser, from  Old French visiere, from  vis;   VISAGE]//\n  1 the part of a helmet (=protective hard hat)  that can be lowered to protect your face:\n  2  AmE the curved part of a cap that sticks out in front above your eyes:  British Equivalent:  peak//\n  3 a flat object fixed above the front window inside a car that can be moved down to keep the sun out of your eyes:\n  4 a curved piece of plastic that you wear on your head so that it sticks out above your eyes and protects them from the sun:


Words: vista
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Italian; Origin: ’sight’, from  visto, past participle of  vedere  ’to see’, from  Latin videre;   VISION]//\n  1  literary a view of a large area of beautiful scenery:  vista of//  --stunning vistas of the Norfolk coast//\n  2 the possibility of new experiences, ideas, events etc:  --Exchange programs open up new vistas for students.//


Words: visual
Meaning:
W3   adj [usually before noun]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Late Latin; Origin: visualis, from  Latin visus;   VISION]//  relating to seeing//  --Artists translate their ideas into visual images.//  --The tall tower adds to the visual impact of the building.//\nvisual 2 n [usually plural]   something such as a picture or the part of a film, video etc that you can see, as opposed to the parts that you hear//  --the film’s stunning visuals//


Words: visual aid
Meaning:
n [C]   something such as a map, picture, or film that helps people understand, learn, or remember information//


Words: visual arts
Meaning:
n [plural]   art such as painting, sculpture etc that you look at, as opposed to literature or music//


Words: visualize
Meaning:
also  visualise BrE   v [T]   to form a picture of someone or something in your mind//   imagine//  --I tried to visualize the house while he was describing it.//  visualize sb doing sth//  --Somehow I can’t visualize myself staying with this company for much longer.//  visualize how/what etc//  --It’s hard to visualize how these tiles will look in our bathroom.//  -- visualization/v[hA366][hA360]u[hA353]la[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ -l[hA353]-/ n  [U] //


Words: visually
Meaning:
adv \n  1 in appearance:  --Chairs should be visually attractive as well as comfortable.//\n  2  visually impaired:  unable to see normally - used especially when you want to be polite about this condition//    blind//\n  3 in a way that involves the eyes:  --The process is easy to understand when it is demonstrated visually.//


Words: vital
Meaning:
W2   adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin vitalis  ’of life’, from  vita  ’life’]//\n  1 extremely important and necessary for something to succeed or exist:   crucial//  --The work she does is absolutely vital .//  vital to//  --These measures are vital to national security.//  vital for//  --Regular exercise is vital for your health.//  it is vital (that)//  --It is vital that you keep accurate records.//  it is vital to do sth//  --It is vital to keep accurate records.//  --It is vital to be honest with your children.//  --The tourist industry is of vital importance to the national economy.//  --Richardson played a vital role in the team’s success.//  --The samples could give scientists vital information about long-term changes in the earth’s atmosphere.//\n  2 full of energy in a way that is exciting and attractive:  --Rodgers and Hart’s music sounds as fresh and vital as the day it was written.//\n  3 [only before noun] necessary in order to keep you alive:  --the body’s vital processes//  -- vital organs  (=heart, lungs etc) //\n  4  vital signs:   medical the signs that show someone is alive, for example breathing and body temperature//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  absolutely vital //  it is vital that //  it is vital to do something //  of vital importance (=very important) //  play a vital role/part (in something) //  vital part/piece/element/component/ingredient //  vital information/evidence/clue //  ----------//


Words: vital organ
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]   a part of your body that is necessary to keep you alive, for example your heart and lungs//


Words: vital statistics
Meaning:
n [plural] \n  1 figures giving information about the number of births, deaths, marriages etc within a population:\n  2  BrE  informal a woman’s chest, waist, and hip measurements:\n  3  informal important facts about something, especially its size:


Words: vitality
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 great energy and eagerness to do things:  --Despite her eighty years, Elsie was full of vitality.//\n  2 the strength and ability of an organization, country etc to continue:  --The process of restructuring has injected some much-needed vitality into the company.//  vitality of//  --The senator promised to restore the economic vitality of the region.//


Words: vitally
Meaning:
adv   in a very important or necessary way//  --A sensible diet is vitally important if you want to remain in good health.//


Words: vitals
Meaning:
n [plural]  old use   the parts of your body that are necessary to keep you alive, for example your heart and lungs//


Words: vitamin
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Latin; Origin: vita (  VITAL) +  English amine (  AMINO ACID); because it was at first believed to contain an amino acid]//\n  1 a chemical substance in food that is necessary for good health:  --Try to eat foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals.//  vitamin A/B/C etc (=a particular type of vitamin) //  --Lack of vitamin E can cause skin diseases and tiredness.//\n  2  also  vitamin pill:   also  vitamin supplement//  a pill containing vitamins//  --Perhaps I ought to take vitamins .//


Words: vitiate
Meaning:
v [T]  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  vitiare, from  vitium;   VICE]//  to make something less effective or spoil it//


Words: viticulture
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: vitis  ’vine’ +  English culture]//  the science or practice of growing grapes for making wine//


Words: vitreous
Meaning:
adj  technical   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: vitreus, from  vitrum  ’glass’]//  made of or looking like glass//


Words: vitrify
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  vitrified present participle  vitrifying third person singular  vitrifies  [I and T] //   technical if a substance vitrifies or is vitrified, it changes into glass//   n  [U] //


Words: vitriol
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Late Latin vitreolum, from  vitreolus  ’glassy’, from  Latin vitrum;   VITREOUS]//\n  1  formal very cruel and angry remarks that are intended to hurt someone’s feelings:\n  2  old use  sulphuric acid:


Words: vitriolic
Meaning:
adj  formal   vitriolic language, writing etc is very cruel and angry towards someone//  --vitriolic remarks//


Words: vituperation
Meaning:
n [U]  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin vituperatio, from  vituperare  ’to blame, criticize’, from  vitium (  VICE) +  parare  ’to make’]//  angry and cruel criticism//   invective//


Words: viva
Meaning:
n  also viva voce  [C]  BrE   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: viva voce]//  a spoken examination taken at the end of a university course//\nviva 2   interjection   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Italian; Origin: ’long live!’, from  vivere  ’to live’, from  Latin;   VIVID]//  used to show that you approve of someone and want them to continue to exist or be successful//


Words: viva voce
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: ’with the living voice’]//   BrE  formal a viva1//


Words: vivace
Meaning:
adj, adv   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Italian; Origin: Latin vivax;   VIVACIOUS]//  music//  that is vivace is played quickly and with a lot of energy//


Words: vivacious
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: vivax  ’living a long time, vivacious’, from  vivere;   VIVID]//  someone, especially a woman, who is vivacious has a lot of energy and a happy attractive manner - used to show approval//   lively//  --a vivacious personality//  -- vivaciously adv //  -- vivaciousness n  [U] //  -- vivacity/v[hA369]v[zB024]s[hA369]ti $ v[hA369]-, va[hA366]-/ n  [U] //


Words: Vivaldi
Meaning:
Antonio   (1678-1741) an Italian  composer who wrote many  operas and a lot of church music, but is most famous for  The Four Seasons, one of the most popular pieces of  classical music//


Words: vivarium
Meaning:
n [C]   a place indoors where animals are kept in conditions that are as similar as possible to their natural environment//


Words: vivid
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: vividus, from  vivere  ’to live’]//\n  1 vivid memories, dreams, descriptions etc are so clear that they seem real:  → vague//  --I’ve got vivid memories of that summer.//  --He had a vivid picture of her in his mind.//\n  2  vivid imagination:  an ability to imagine unlikely situations very clearly//\n  3 vivid colours or patterns are very bright:  --his vivid blue eyes//  -- vividly adv //  --I can vividly remember the day we met.//  -- vividness n  [U] //


Words: vivisection
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: vivus  ’alive’ +  English section  ’cutting’]//  the practice doing medical or scientific tests on live animals//  -- vivisectionist n  [C] //


Words: vixen
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: fixen  ’vixen’ (15-18 centuries), from  Old English fyxe  ’vixen’, from  fox]//\n  1 a female fox:\n  2  literary an offensive word for a woman who is bad-tempered or who fights:


Words: Viz
Meaning:
trademark   a British  comic (=magazine with stories told in pictures)  for adults, which is full of rude jokes and is popular especially with students and other young adults. Most of its characters are  stereotypes (=people who are supposed to be very typical representatives of a certain type of person) .//


Words: viz
Meaning:
adv  formal written   used before naming things that you have just referred to in a general way//  --three Greek cities viz Athens, Thessaloniki, and Patras//


Words: vizier
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Turkish; Origin: vezier, from  Arabic wazir]//  an important government official in some Muslim countries in the past//


Words: Vladivostok
Meaning:
a port and city on the east coast of Russia. The Trans-Siberian railway goes from Moscow to Vladivostok.//


Words: vocabulary
Meaning:
n   plural  vocabularies //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: vocabulaire, from  Medieval Latin vocabularium, from  Latin vocabulum  ’word, name’, from  vocare;   VOCATION]//\n  1 [U and C] all the words that someone knows or uses:  --Reading is one of the best ways of improving your vocabulary.//  --He has a wide vocabulary .//  active vocabulary (=the words someone can use) //  passive vocabulary (=the words someone can understand, but does not use) //\n  2 [C] all the words in a particular language:  --English has the largest vocabulary of any language.//\n  3 [U and C] the words that are typically used when talking about a particular subject:  --Most technical jobs use a specialized vocabulary.//  vocabulary of//  --the vocabulary of politics//\n  4 [U and C] the range of possible features, effects, actions etc, especially in a type of music or art:  vocabulary of//  --Charlie Parker expanded the vocabulary of jazz.//\n  5  (the word) failure/guilt/compromise etc is not in sb’s vocabulary:  used to say that someone never thinks of accepting failure etc//\n  6 [C]  old-fashioned a list of words with explanations of their meanings, especially in a book for learning a foreign language:


Words: vocal
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: vocalis, from  vox;   VOICE1]//\n  1 expressing strong opinions publicly, especially about things that you disagree with:   outspoken//  vocal in//  --Foley has been particularly vocal in his criticism of the government.//  vocal opponent/critic/supporter etc //  --She was a vocal opponent of the plan.//\n  2 [only before noun] relating to the voice or to singing:  --vocal music//  --Allison’s vocal style is influenced by country and blues music.//  --a female vocal group//  -- vocally adv //\nvocal 2 n [C usually plural]   the part of a piece of music that is sung rather than played on an instrument//  on vocals//  --The album features Jim Boquist on vocals.//


Words: vocalize
Meaning:
also  vocalise BrE   v [I and T]   to make a sound or sounds with your voice//  -- vocalization/v[hA353][hA35E]k[hA353]la[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ vo[hA35E]k[hA353]l[hA353]-/ n  [U and C] //


Words: vocation
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: vocatio  ’call, summons’, from  vocare  ’to call’]//\n  1 :  a) the feeling that the purpose of your life is to do a particular type of work, especially because it allows you to help other people//  vocation for//  --Jan has a vocation for teaching.//  --a strong sense of vocation //  --You missed your vocation  (=you would have been good at a particular job) .//  b) a particular type of work that you feel is right for you//  --At 17 she found her true vocation as a writer.//\n  2 a strong belief that you have been chosen by God to be a priest or a nun:


Words: vocational
Meaning:
adj   teaching or relating to the skills you need to do a particular job//  --vocational qualifications//


Words: vocative
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: vocatif, from  Latin vocativus, from  vocare;   VOCATION]//   technical a word or particular form of a word used to show that you are speaking or writing directly to someone//  -- vocative adj //


Words: vociferous
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: vociferari  ’to talk loudly’,  from  vox (  VOICE1) +  ferre  ’to carry’]//  expressing your opinions loudly and strongly//  --a vociferous opponent of the plan//  vociferous in//  --The minority population became more vociferous in its demands.//  -- vociferously adv //


Words: vodka
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Russian; Origin: voda  ’water’]//  a strong clear alcoholic drink originally from Russia, or a glass of this//


Words: Vogue
Meaning:
trademark   a fashion magazine for women, which includes photographs of expensive clothes and articles about new fashions, health, and beauty.//


Words: vogue
Meaning:
n [C usually singular, U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: ’act of rowing, course, fashion’, from  Old Italian voga, from  vogare  ’to row’]//  a popular and fashionable style, activity, method etc//   fashion//  vogue for//  --the vogue for large families in the pre-war years//  be in vogue/be the vogue //  --Short skirts are very much in vogue just now.//  --Suntanning first came into vogue in the mid-1930s.//


Words: voice
Meaning:
W1S2   n   ----------//\n   1 speaking:\n   2 singing:\n   3 opinion:\n   4 speak with one voice:\n   5 representative:\n   6 the voice of reason/experience etc:\n   7 feelings:\n   8 inner voice:\n   9 grammar:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: vois, from  Latin vox]//\n  1 SPEAKING:   [U and C] the sounds that you make when you speak, or the ability to make these sounds//  --He recognized her voice instantly.//  --I could hear angry voices in the next room.//  --He called out in a loud voice .//  --Angela has a really deep voice for a woman.//  --I could tell from his tone of voice that he wasn’t impressed.//  --Did he ever lose his temper, ever raise his voice ?//  --She lowered her voice so Alex couldn’t hear.//  -- Keep your voice down - the baby’s asleep!//  --Jack’s got a cold, and he’s lost his voice .//  --She banged on the door, yelling at the top of her voice .//  --Her voice trembled and tears rose to her eyes.//\n  2 SINGING:  a)  [U and C] the quality of sound you produce when you sing//  --Sophie’s got a lovely singing voice//  b)  [C] a person singing//  --a piece written for six voices and piano//\n  3 OPINION:  a)  [singular, U] the right or ability to express an opinion, to vote, or to influence decisions//  --Parents should have a voice in deciding how their children are educated.//  b)  [C] an opinion or wish that is expressed//  --The government needs to listen to the voice of middle-class Americans.//  --a fair, democratic society, in which individuals are able to make their voice heard  (=express their opinion so that people notice it) //  --Since the new program was introduced, there have been some dissenting voices  (=people expressing disagreement) .//  --Senator Prior spoke out, adding her voice to the call for new laws to protect the environment.//\n  4  speak with one voice:  if a group of people speak with one voice, they all express the same opinion//\n  5 REPRESENTATIVE:   [singular] a person, organization, newspaper etc that expresses the opinions or wishes of a group of people//  voice of//  --The senator is the voice of the religious right.//\n  6  the voice of reason/experience etc:  opinions or ideas that are reasonable, based on experience etc, or someone who has these ideas//  --Ben, as ever, has been the voice of reason throughout the whole crisis.//\n  7 FEELINGS:   give voice to sth//  to express your feelings or thoughts//  --Participants are encouraged to give voice to their personal hopes, fears and dreams.//\n  8  inner voice:  thoughts or feelings that you do not express but seem to warn, criticize, or advise you//  --My inner voice told me to be cautious.//\n  9 GRAMMAR:   active/passive voice//   technical the form of a verb that shows whether the subject of a sentence does an action or has an action done to it//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  in a ... voice //  loud voice //  quiet/soft/low/small voice //  deep/low voice //  high voice //  somebody’s tone of voice (=the quality of someone’s voice that shows how they feel) //  raise your voice (=speak more loudly) //  lower/drop your voice (=speak more quietly) //  keep your voice down (=used to tell someone to speak more quietly) //  lose your voice (=be unable to speak because you have a cold) //  at the top of your voice (=in a very loud voice) //  somebody’s voice breaks/cracks/shakes/trembles (=it sounds rough or unsteady because they are afraid, upset etc) //  somebody’s voice breaks (=a boy’s voice changes and becomes deep like a man’s) //  ----------//\nvoice 2 v [T] \n  1 to tell people your opinions or feelings about a particular subject:  --The senator voiced concern at how minorities and immigrants are treated in California.//  --She angrily voiced her objections.//\n  2  technical to produce a sound with a movement of the vocal cords as well as the breath:


Words: voice mail
Meaning:
n [U]   a system which lets people leave recorded messages for you on your telephone when you are unable to answer it//


Words: Voice of America
Meaning:
the   VOA a US radio station which broadcasts news and other programmes to other countries//    World Service, the//


Words: voice-over
Meaning:
n [C]   information or remarks that are spoken on a television programme or film by someone who is not seen on the screen//


Words: voiced
Meaning:
adj \n  1  deep-voiced/squeaky-voiced/husky-voiced etc:  having a voice that is deep, very high etc//\n  2  technical voiced sounds are made using the vocal cords. For example, /d/ and /g/ are voiced consonants:


Words: voiceless
Meaning:
adj \n  1 unable to get your opinions or concerns noticed by people in power:  --The vast majority of our people feel ignored and voiceless.//\n  2  technical voiceless sounds are made without using the vocal cords. For example, /p/ and /k/ are voiceless consonants:


Words: void
Meaning:
n [singular] \n  1 a feeling of great sadness that you have when someone you love dies or when something is taken from you:  --Running the business helped to fill the void after his wife died.//\n  2 a situation in which something important or interesting is needed or wanted, but does not exist:  --The amusement park will fill a void in this town, which has little entertainment for children.//\n  3  literary an empty area of space where nothing exists:  --She looked over the cliff into the void.//\nvoid 2 adj   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: voide, from  Vulgar Latin vocitus, from  Latin vacuus;   VACUOUS]//\n  1  technical a contract or official agreement that is void is not legal and has no effect:   null and void//\n  2  void of sth:   literary completely lacking something//   devoid//  --Her eyes were void of all expression.//\nvoid 3 v [T]    law to make a contract or agreement void so that it has no legal effect//


Words: voila
Meaning:
interjection   used when you are showing or telling someone something surprising//  --’Voila !’ she said, producing a pair of white shoes.//


Words: voile
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: ’veil’, from  Latin vela;   VEIL1]//  a very light almost transparent cloth made of cotton, wool, or silk//


Words: vol-au-vent
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a small round piece of pastry that is filled with chicken, vegetables etc and eaten at parties//


Words: volatile
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: Latin volatilis, from  volare  ’to fly’]//\n  1 a volatile situation is likely to change suddenly and without warning:  --an increasingly volatile political situation//  --the highly volatile stock and bond markets//\n  2 someone who is volatile can suddenly become angry or violent:\n  3  technical a volatile liquid or substance changes easily into a gas:  -- volatility/v[hA361]l[hA353]t[hA366]l[hA369]ti $ v[hA35A][hA359]-/ n  [U] //


Words: volcano
Meaning:
n   plural  volcanoes  or  volcanos  [C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Italian; Origin: vulcano, from  Latin Vulcanus  ’Vulcan’]//  a mountain with a large hole at the top, through which lava (=very hot liquid rock) is sometimes forced out//  --Pompeii was destroyed when the volcano erupted in 79AD.//  active volcano (=one that may explode at any time) //  dormant volcano (=one that is not active at the moment) //  extinct volcano (=one that is no longer active at all) //


Words: vole
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Norwegian; Origin: voll mus  ’field mouse’]//  a small animal like a mouse with a short tail that lives in fields and woods and near rivers//


Words: Volga
Meaning:
the Volga//  a river in Russia which flows into the Caspian Sea, and is the longest river in Europe//


Words: volition
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: Medieval Latin volitio, from  Latin velle;   VOLUNTARY1]//\n  1  of your own volition:   formal if you do something of your own volition, you do it because you want to, not because you are forced to//  --Helena left the company of her own volition.//\n  2  formal the power to choose or decide something without being forced to do it:


Words: volley
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: volee  ’flight’, from  voler  ’to fly’, from  Latin volare]//\n  1 a large number of bullets, rocks etc shot or thrown through the air at the same time:  volley of//  --a volley of bullets//\n  2 a lot of questions, insults, attacks etc that are all said or made at the same time:  volley of//  --a volley of abuse//\n  3 a hit in tennis, a kick in football etc when the player hits or kicks the ball before it touches the ground:\nvolley 2 v \n  1 [I and T] to hit or kick a ball before it touches the ground, especially in tennis or football:\n  2 [I] if a large number of guns volley, they are all fired at the same time:


Words: volt
Meaning:
n [C]  written abbreviation V  or verb   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Alessandro  Volta]//  a unit for measuring the force of an electric current//


Words: Voltaire
Meaning:
(1694-1778) a French writer and  philosopher who was one of the leaders of the  Enlightenment, and whose ideas influenced the French Revolution. He wrote  essays on many subjects, but his best-known work is the story  Candide.//


Words: volte-face
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]    formal a change to a completely opposite opinion or plan of action//   U-turn//


Words: voluble
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: ’changing, going around’, from  Latin volubilis, from  volvere  ’to roll’]//  talking a lot or talking quickly//  --Clarissa was extremely voluble on the subject of good manners.//  -- volubly adv //


Words: volume
Meaning:
W2   n   ----------//\n   1 sound:\n   2 amount of something:\n   3 space filled:\n   4 book:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin volumen  ’roll, scroll’, from  volvere;   VOLUBLE]//\n  1 SOUND:   [U] the amount of sound produced by a television, radio etc//  turn the volume up/down //  --Can you turn the volume up?//\n  2 AMOUNT OF SOMETHING:   [C usually singular, U] the total amount of something, especially when it is large or increasing//  volume of//  --The volume of traffic on the roads has increased dramatically in recent years.//  --the volume of trade//\n  3 SPACE FILLED:   [C usually singular] a measurement of the amount of space that a substance or object fills, or the amount of space in a container//  volume of//  --an instrument for measuring the volume of a gas//  --The volume of the container measures 10,000 cubic metres.//\n  4 BOOK:   [C] //  a) a book that is part of a set, or one into which a very long book is divided//  --The period from 1940-45 is in volume 9.//  b)  formal a book//  volume of//  --a volume of Keats’s poetry//  c) all the copies of a particular magazine printed in one particular year//    speak volumes at speak(9)//


Words: voluminous
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Late Latin; Origin: voluminosus, from  Latin volumen;   VOLUME]//\n  1 a voluminous piece of clothing is very large and loose - often used humorously:  --a voluminous cloak//\n  2 voluminous books, documents etc are very long and contain a lot of detail:  --He took voluminous notes during the lecture.//\n  3 a voluminous container is very large and can hold a lot of things:  --a voluminous suitcase//


Words: voluntarily
Meaning:
adv \n  1 if you do something voluntarily, you do it willingly, without anyone telling you to do it:  --She wasn’t fired - she left voluntarily//\n  2 if you do work voluntarily, you do it because you want to, and are not paid for it:  --Susan worked in the studios voluntarily, to gain experience.//


Words: voluntary
Meaning:
W3   adj   ----------//\n   1 without being paid:\n   2 without being forced:\n   3 movement of the body:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: voluntarius, from  voluntas  ’will’, from  velle  ’to will, wish’]//\n  1 WITHOUT BEING PAID:  a)  voluntary organization/association/agency etc//  an organization etc that is organized or supported by people who give their money, services etc because they want to and who do not intend to make a profit//  --a voluntary organization providing help for the elderly//  --environmental work carried out by the voluntary sector //  b)  voluntary work/service etc//  work etc that is done by people who do it because they want to, and who are not paid//  --She does a lot of voluntary work for the Red Cross.//  --a drop-in centre for homeless people, run on a voluntary basis //\n  2 WITHOUT BEING FORCED:  done willingly and without being forced//  --Workers are being encouraged to take voluntary redundancy.//    compulsory//\n  3 MOVEMENT OF THE BODY:   technical voluntary movements of your body are controlled by your conscious mind//  → involuntary//\nvoluntary 2   plural  voluntaries  n [C] //  a piece of music played in church, usually by the organ//


Words: Voluntary Euthanasia Society
Meaning:
the   an organization in the UK which aims to change the law that forbids helping seriously ill people to die if they wish to. There is a similar organization in the US called the  Hemlock Society.//


Words: volunteer
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: volontaire, from  Latin voluntarius;   VOLUNTARY1]//\n  1 someone who does a job willingly without being paid:  --Most of the relief work was done by volunteers.//\n  2 someone who is willing to offer help:  --I need some volunteers to help with the washing-up.//\n  3 someone who joins the army, navy, or air force without being forced to:    conscript//\nvolunteer 2 v \n  1 [I and T] to offer to do something without expecting any reward, often something that other people do not want to do:  volunteer to do sth//  --Helen volunteered to have Thanksgiving at her house this year.//  volunteer for//  --Sidcup volunteered for guard duty.//  --I volunteered my services as a driver.//\n  2 [T] to tell someone something without being asked:  --Michael volunteered the information before I had a chance to ask.//\n  3 [I] to offer to join the army, navy, or airforce:  --When war broke out, my father volunteered immediately.//\n  4 [T] to say that someone else will do a job even though they may not want to do it:  volunteer sb for sth//  --Mum volunteered Dave for washing-up duties.//


Words: Volunteers of America
Meaning:
a  non-profit organization that helps people in the US who need it, for example children who have been treated badly by their parents, families that do not have enough money, people who do not have a home, and old people who are too weak to take care of themselves. It also gives some medical care and helps people get homes that are not too expensive.//


Words: voluptuary
Meaning:
n   plural  voluptuaries  [C] //   literary someone who enjoys physical pleasure and having expensive possessions//


Words: voluptuous
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: voluptuosus, from  voluptas  ’pleasure’]//\n  1 a woman who is voluptuous has large breasts and a soft curved body:\n  2 expressing strong sexual feeling or sexual pleasure:  --a voluptuous gesture//\n  3  literary something that is voluptuous gives you pleasure because it looks, smells, or tastes good:  --the voluptuous fragrance of a summer garden//  -- voluptuously adv //  -- voluptuousness n  [U] //


Words: vomit
Meaning:
v [I and T]   to bring food or drink up from your stomach out through your mouth, because you are ill//  --He had swallowed so much sea water he wanted to vomit.//  --I knew I was really in trouble when I began vomiting blood.//  vomit up//  --I vomited up most of my dinner. see usage note  sick1 //\nvomit 2 n [U]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin vomitus, from  vomere  ’to vomit’]//  food or other substances that come up from your stomach and through your mouth when you vomit//


Words: Von Braun
Meaning:
Wernher   (1912-77) a  rocket engineer who was born in Germany and developed the  V-2 flying bomb for the Nazis. After World War II he went to the US and worked for NASA on the  Apollo Program to send spacecraft to the moon.//


Words: voodoo
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Louisiana French; Origin: voudou, from an  African language]//  magical beliefs and practices used as a form of religion, especially by people in Haiti//


Words: voodoo economics
Meaning:
n [U]    AmE economic ideas that seem attractive but that do not work effectively over a period of time//


Words: voracious
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: vorax, from  vorare;   DEVOUR]//\n  1 eating or wanting large quantities of food:  --Pigs are voracious feeders.//  --Kids can have voracious appetites .//\n  2 having an extremely strong desire to do or have a lot of something:  --a voracious reader //  --Her appetite for information was voracious .//  -- voraciously adv //  --Anne has always read voraciously .//  -- voracity/-r[zB024]s[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //


Words: vortex
Meaning:
n   plural  vortices /-t[hA369]si[hA359]z/ or  vortexes  [C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Latin vertex,  vortex;   VERTEX]//\n  1 a mass of wind or water that spins quickly and pulls things into its centre:\n  2 [usually singular]  written a situation that has a powerful effect on people’s lives and that influences their behaviour, even if they do not want it to:  vortex of//  --the vortex of emotions surrounding the case//


Words: votary
Meaning:
n   plural  votaries  [C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: votum;   VOTE2]//   old-fashioned someone who regularly practises a particular religion//


Words: vote
Meaning:
W3S3   v   ----------//\n   1 in election/to support:\n   2 vote somebody into/out of power/office/parliament etc:\n   3 choose for prize:\n   4 money:\n   5 vote something a success/the best etc:\n   6 I vote ...:\n   7 vote with your wallet:\n   8 vote with your feet:  Phrasal verbs//   vote something → down//   vote somebody → in//   vote somebody → out//   vote something → through//  ----------//\n  1 IN ELECTION/TO SUPPORT:   [I and T] to show by marking a paper, raising your hand etc which person you want to elect or whether you support a particular plan//  --In 1918 British women got the right to vote.//  vote for/against/in favour of//  --I voted for the Labour candidate in the last election.//  --53% of Danes voted in favour of the Maastricht treaty.//  vote on//  --The people of Ulster had finally been given a chance to vote on the issue.//  vote to do sth//  --Congress voted to increase foreign aid by 10%.//  --Shareholders voted to reject the offer.//  vote Democrat/Republican/Labour/Conservative etc //  --I’ve voted Democrat all my life.//    block voting at block1 (5)//\n  2  vote sb into/out of power/office/parliament etc:  to elect or dismiss someone by voting//  --The chances are that the government will be voted out of office.//\n  3 CHOOSE FOR PRIZE:   [T] to choose someone or something for a particular prize by voting for them//  vote sb/sth sth//  --In 1981 Henry Fonda was voted Best Actor for ’On Golden Pond’.//\n  4 MONEY:   [T] if a parliament, committee etc votes a sum of money for something, they decide by voting to provide money for that particular purpose//  vote sth for sth//  --Parliament has voted [hA124]20 million extra funding for road improvements.//\n  5  vote sth a success/the best etc:   BrE if people vote something a success etc, they all agree that it is a success//  --The evening was voted a great success.//\n  6  I vote ...:   spoken used to say that you prefer one particular choice or possible action//  vote (that)//  --I vote we go to the movies.//  I vote ... for//  --’What do you want to eat?’ ’I vote for Mexican.’//\n  7  vote with your wallet:   BrE vote with your pocketbook  AmE //  a)  also vote your pocketbook  AmE to vote for someone or something that you think will help you have the most money//  --People generally vote their pocketbooks against new taxes.//  b)  also vote with your dollars  AmE to show you like something by choosing to buy it//  --Readers vote with their wallets every day when they choose a newspaper.//\n  8  vote with your feet:  to show that you do not support a decision or action by leaving a place or organization//  vote down [vote sth → down] phr v//  to defeat a plan, law etc by voting//  --In 1999 the town had voted down a petition to close the school.//  vote in [vote sb → in] phr v//  to elect someone by voting//  --A new chairman was voted in.//  vote out [vote sb → out] phr v//  to remove someone from a position of power by voting//  --With policies like that, he’ll be voted out in the next election.//  vote through [vote sth → through] phr v//  to approve a plan, law etc by voting//  --The proposals were voted through yesterday.//\nvote 2 W3 n   ----------//\n   1 choice by voting:\n   2 occasion of voting:\n   3 the vote:\n   4 the ... vote:\n   5 result of voting:\n   6 somebody/something gets my vote:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Latin; Origin: votum  ’promise, wish’, from  vovere  ’to promise’]//\n  1 CHOICE BY VOTING:   [C] an act of voting in an election or meeting, or the choice that you make when you vote//  --A vote for us is not a wasted vote.//  --The proposal was rejected by 19 votes to 7.//  vote for/in favour (of)/against//  --The House of Representatives approved the budget, with 52 votes in favour, 16 against and 12 abstentions.//  cast your vote (=vote in a political election) //  --Harkin won 74 percent of the votes cast.//  --policies designed to win votes in the South//  --It’s the club secretary that counts the votes .//    casting vote//\n  2 OCCASION OF VOTING:   [C usually singular] an occasion when a group of people vote in order to decide something or choose a representative//   ballot//  --The results of the vote were surprising - 80% of workers favoured strike action.//  vote on//  --There will be a citywide vote (=all the voters in a particular city) on the matter.//  take/have a vote (on sth) //  --Unless anyone has anything to add, we’ll take a vote.//  --Let’s have a vote on it.//  put sth to the/a vote (=decide something by voting) //  --Let’s put it to the vote. All those in favor raise your hands.//    free vote//\n  3  the vote:  a) the total number of votes made in an election//  --Davis won the election with 57% of the vote.//  --The Greens increased their share of the vote from 2.9 to 4.9%.//  b) the right to vote in political elections//  --In France women didn’t get the vote until 1945.//  --At that time black people did not yet have the vote .//\n  4  the ... vote:  a)  the black/Jewish/middle-class etc vote//  black, Jewish etc voters, or their votes//  --The black vote is astonishingly loyal to the Democratic Party.//  b)  the Labour/Conservative/Green etc vote//   BrE the total number of votes the Labour Party, Conservative Party etc win in an election//  --The Green vote looks likely to increase again.//\n  5 RESULT OF VOTING:   [singular] the result of a vote//  --A close vote is expected.//  --The motion was passed by a vote of 215 to 84.//\n  6  sb/sth gets my vote:   spoken used to say that you are ready to support someone or something, or that you think that someone or something is the best of their kind//  --Anything that will mean a better deal for our children gets my vote.//


Words: vote of censure plural
Meaning:
votes of censure  n [C]   a process in which members of parliament vote in order to officially criticize the government for something//


Words: vote of confidence plural
Meaning:
votes of confidence  n [C] \n  1 a formal process in which people vote in order to show that they support someone or something, especially the government:  --On April 19 the new government won a vote of confidence by 339 votes to 207.//\n  2 something that you do or say that shows you support someone and approve of their actions:  vote of confidence in//  --The new investments are widely seen as a vote of confidence in the nation’s economic future.//


Words: vote of no confidence plural
Meaning:
votes of no confidence  n [C] \n  1 a formal process in which people vote in order to show that they do not support someone or something, especially the government:  vote of no confidence in//  --On April 22 the National Assembly passed a vote of no confidence in the government.//\n  2 something that you do or say that shows that you do not support someone:


Words: vote of thanks
Meaning:
n   propose a vote of thanks (to sb)//  to make a short formal speech in which you thank someone, especially at a public meeting or a formal dinner//


Words: vote-getter
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE  informal   someone who is voted for in an election//  --Pfeifer was the top vote-getter in last year’s election.//


Words: voter
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who has the right to vote in a political election, or who votes in a particular election:  --Voters overwhelmingly rejected the far right in the May elections.//  --In Ireland 83% of voters favoured EC membership in 1972.//  --Tory voters//\n  2  voter apathy:  a situation in which a lot of people who have the right to vote do not vote//  --Voter apathy is especially high among young people.//    floating voter//


Words: voting booth
Meaning:
n [C]   an enclosed place where you can make your vote secretly//  British Equivalent:  polling booth//


Words: votive
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  technical   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: votivus, from  votum;   VOTE2]//  given or done because of a promise made to God or to a saint//  -- votive offerings //


Words: vouch
Meaning:
v   vouch for / [vouch for sb/sth] phr v//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: vocher  ’to state, call as a witness’, from  Latin vocare;   VOCATION]//\n  1 to say that you firmly believe that something is true or good because of your experience or knowledge of it:  --I’ll vouch for the quality of the report. I read it last night.//  --’Where were you on the night of the murder?’ ’In bed with flu. My wife can vouch for that .’//\n  2 to say that you believe that someone will behave well and that you will be responsible for their behaviour, actions etc:  --Why don’t you phone my office? They’ll vouch for me.//


Words: voucher
Meaning:
S3   n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Old French; Origin: vocher;   VOUCH]//\n  1 a ticket that can be used instead of money for a particular purpose:  --The voucher can be used at most major supermarkets.//  --First prize is a [hA124]1000 travel voucher.//    gift voucher at gift token,  luncheon voucher//\n  2 an official statement or receipt that is given to someone to prove that their accounts are correct or that money has been paid:


Words: vouchsafe
Meaning:
v [T]  old-fashioned  formal   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: vouch +  safe]//  to promise or offer something, or tell someone something that they can be certain is the truth//


Words: vow
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: vou, from  Latin votum;   VOTE2]//\n  1 a serious promise:    oath//  --Jim made a vow that he would find his wife’s killer.//  keep/break a vow (=to do or not do what you promised) //\n  2 a religious promise that you will do something for God, the church etc:  vow of chastity/celibacy/silence etc (=a promise that you will not have sex, will remain poor etc) //  --a priest who had taken a vow of celibacy//\n  3  vows [plural] :  a)  also  marriage/wedding vows//  the promises you make during your wedding//  make/take your vows //  --The couple made their vows at St Paul’s Church in Hayes.//  b) the promises you make when you become a Catholic priest or nun//\nvow 2 v [T] \n  1 to make a serious promise to yourself or someone else:   promise//  vow to do sth//  --Supporters have vowed to continue the protest until Adams is released.//  vow (that)//  --I vowed that I would never drink again.//\n  2  formal to make a religious promise that you will do something for God, the church etc:


Words: vowel
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: vouel, from  Latin vocalis;   VOCAL1]//\n  1 one of the human speech sounds that you make by letting your breath flow out without closing any part of your mouth or throat:\n  2 a letter of the alphabet used to represent a vowel. In English the vowels are a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y.:


Words: vox pop
Meaning:
n [U and C]  BrE  informal   opinions expressed by ordinary people when they are asked questions about a particular subject during a television, radio, or newspaper report//


Words: voyage
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: voiage, from  Latin viaticum, from  via  ’way’]//\n  1 a long journey in a ship or spacecraft:  --The voyage from England to India used to take six months.//  --the Titanic’s maiden voyage  (=first journey) //  --I don’t want to make the voyage single-handed//  --These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. see usage note  travel2 //\n  2  voyage of discovery:  a situation in which you learn a lot of new things about something or someone//  --Writing a biography is an absorbing voyage of discovery.//  --a voyage of self-discovery (=when you learn more about yourself) //\nvoyage 2 v [I always + adverb/preposition]  literary   to travel to a place, especially by ship//


Words: Voyager also Voyager Program
Meaning:
the   a US government space programme which, in 1977, sent two spaceships without people on board, called Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, to collect information about Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune//


Words: voyeur
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: French; Origin: ’person who sees’, from  voir  ’to see’]//\n  1 someone who gets sexual pleasure from secretly watching other people’s sexual activities:\n  2 someone who enjoys watching other people’s private behaviour or suffering:  -- voyeurism n  [U] //  -- voyeuristic/vw[hA35A][hA359]j[hA353]r[hA366]st[hA366]k[hA36B]/ adj //  -- voyeuristically/-kli/ adv //


Words: VSO
Meaning:
Voluntary Service Overseas a British organization which sends people to developing countries for at least two years, to live and work there and to share their skills and knowledge with the local people//


Words: Vulcan
Meaning:
in Roman  mythology, the god of fire and of making things from metal. In Greek mythology his name is  Hephaestus.//


Words: vulcanize
Meaning:
also  vulcanise BrE   v [T]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: Vulcan]//  to make rubber stronger by using a special chemical treatment//  -- vulcanization/v[hA356]lk[hA353]na[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ -n[hA353]-/ n  [U] //


Words: vulgar
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: vulgaris, from  volgus,  vulgus  ’common people’]//\n  1 remarks, jokes etc that are vulgar deal with sex in a very rude and offensive way:\n  2 not behaving politely in social situations:   uncouth//  --vulgar behaviour//\n  3 not showing good judgment about what is beautiful or suitable:  --a vulgar check suit//  -- vulgarly adv //


Words: vulgar fraction
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE  old-fashioned a fraction that is written as one number above a line and one number below it, and not as a decimal//  American Equivalent:  common fraction//


Words: vulgarity
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] the state or quality of being vulgar:\n  2  vulgarities [plural] vulgar remarks, jokes etc:


Words: vulgarize
Meaning:
also  vulgarise BrE   v [T]  formal   to spoil the quality or lower the standard of something that is good//  -- vulgarization/v[hA356]lg[hA353]ra[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ -r[hA353]-/ n  [U] //


Words: vulnerable
Meaning:
W3   adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Late Latin; Origin: vulnerabilis, from  Latin vulnus  ’wound’]//\n  1 someone who is vulnerable can be easily harmed or hurt:  --He took advantage of me when I was at my most vulnerable.//  --We work mainly with the elderly and other vulnerable groups.//  be vulnerable to sth//  --Children are most vulnerable to abuse within their own home.//\n  2 a place, thing, or idea that is vulnerable is easy to attack or criticize:  vulnerable to//  --The fort was vulnerable to attack from the north.//  --Their theories were badly thought out and very vulnerable to ridicule.//  -- vulnerably adv //  -- vulnerability/v[hA356]ln[hA368]r[hA353]b[hA366]l[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //


Words: vulture
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: vultur]//\n  1 a large bird that eats dead animals:\n  2 someone who uses other people’s problems and suffering for their own advantage - used to show disapproval:  --He hadn’t been dead five minutes before those vultures from the media were after his widow.//


Words: vulva
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: volva,  vulva  ’covering, womb’]//  the outer part of a woman’s sexual organs//


Words: vying
Meaning:
the present participle of vie//\nW 1  w/d[hA356]b[hA368]lju[hA359]/ n   plural  W’s  w’s  [U and C] //  the 23rd letter of the English alphabet//\nW 2  w\n  1 the written abbreviation of west or western :\n  2 the written abbreviation of watt or watts :


Words: W-2
Meaning:
also W-2 form   a  form (=official document) that employers in the US prepare each year for their workers, showing how much a worker has earned that year and how much tax has been taken out of their wages. The worker then sends this form with his or her  income tax return to the  IRS.//    P60//


Words: WAC
Meaning:
1 the Women’s Army Corp the women’s part of the US Army:\n  2 a member of the Women’s Army Corp in the US:


Words: wacko
Meaning:
n   plural  wackos  [C]  informal //  [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: wacky]//  a crazy or strange person//  -- wacko adj //  --That guy’s completely wacko.//


Words: wacky
Meaning:
adj  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  WHACK1]//  silly in an exciting or amusing way//   crazy//  --a wonderfully wacky idea//  -- wackiness n  [U] //


Words: wad
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  Dutch watte or  French ouate  ’wadding’]//\n  1 a thick pile of pieces of paper or thin material:  wad of//  --a wad of dollar bills//\n  2 a thick soft mass of material that has been pressed together:  wad of//  --a wad of cotton wool//\nwad 2 v   past tense and past participle  wadded present participle  wadding //  wad up [wad sth → up] phr v//   AmE to press something such as a piece of paper or cloth into a small tight ball//


Words: waddle
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: wade]//  to walk with short steps, with your body moving from one side to another - used especially about people or birds with fat bodies and short legs//  waddle off/down/over etc//  --Half a dozen ducks waddled up the bank.//  -- waddle n  [singular] //


Words: wade
Meaning:
preposition, T]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wadan]//  to walk through water that is not deep//  wade in phr v//\n  1 to enter a discussion, argument etc in a forceful and annoying way, often without thinking about the possible results:  --I wish you wouldn’t always wade in with your opinion.//\n  2 to move forward and attack someone:  --The police waded into the crowd swinging sticks.//  wade through [wade through sth] phr v//  to read or deal with a lot of boring papers or written work//  --Each day Parkin wades through lengthy court reports.//


Words: wader
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  also  wading bird:  a bird that has long legs and a long neck, and that walks around in water to find its food//\n  2  waders [plural] high rubber boots that you wear for walking in deep water, usually when fishing:


Words: wading pool
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   a small pool filled with water that is not very deep, for small children to play in//  British Equivalent:  paddling pool//


Words: wafer
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old North French; Origin: waufre]//\n  1 a very thin biscuit:\n  2 a thin round piece of bread eaten with wine in the Christian communion ceremony:\n  3 a very thin flat piece of a hard substance:  wafer of//  --wafers of silicon//


Words: waffle
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Dutch; Origin: wafel]//\n  1 [C] a flat cake, marked with a pattern of deep squares:\n  2 [U]  BrE  informal talk or writing that uses a lot of words but says nothing important:\nwaffle 2 v [I]  informal   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: woff  ’to bark’ (17-19 centuries), from the sound]//\n  1  BrE  also waffle on :  to talk or write using a lot of words but without saying anything important//  --Stop waffling and get to the point.//\n  2  AmE  informal to be unable to decide what action to take:  --He cannot continue to waffle on this issue.//


Words: waft
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: waft  ’to guard a group of ships as they sail along’ (16-17 centuries), from  Middle Dutch wachten  ’to watch, guard’]//\n  1 [I,T always + adverb/preposition] if a smell, smoke, or a light wind wafts somewhere, or if something wafts it somewhere, it moves gently through the air:  waft up/through/over etc//  --Cooking smells wafted up from downstairs.//\n  2 [I always + adverb/preposition] if sounds waft somewhere, you hear them there and they are pleasant but not very loud:  waft up/through/over etc//  --The sound of laughter wafted through the open window.//   drift//


Words: wag
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  wagged present participle  wagging //  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old English; Origin: wagian  ’to shake’]//\n  1 [I and T] if a dog wags its tail, or if its tail wags, the dog moves its tail many times from one side to the other:\n  2 [T] to move your finger or head from side to side, especially to show disapproval:  --’You naughty girl!’ Mom said, wagging her finger at me.//    it’s (a case of) the tail wagging the dog at tail1 (11),  set tongues wagging at tongue1 (14)//\nwag 2 n   [Sense: 1; Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  waghalter  ’person likely to be hanged’ (16-17 centuries), from  wag +  halter  ’noose’]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  WAG1]//\n  1 [C]  old-fashioned someone who says or does something clever and amusing:  --Some wag had drawn a face on the wall.//\n  2 [C usually singular] a wagging movement:


Words: wage
Meaning:
W3   n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old North French; Origin: ’guarantee, wage’]//\n  1 [singular]  also wages :   [plural] money you earn that is paid according to the number of hours, days, or weeks that you work//    salary//  --He earns a good wage .//  wage increase  also //  wage rise  BrE //  --The wage increases will come into effect in June.//  daily/weekly etc wage //  --a weekly wage of $250//  wage levels/rates (=fixed amounts of money paid for particular jobs)  see usage note  pay2 //\n  2  a living wage:  money you earn for work that is enough to pay for the basic things that you need to live//  --The church no longer paid a living wage .//\n  3  wage freeze:  an action taken by a company, government etc to stop wages increasing//\n  4  wage claim:  the amount of money asked for by workers as an increase in wages//\nwage 2 v [T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old North French; Origin: wagier  ’to give as a guarantee’, from  wage;   WAGE1]//  to be involved in a war against someone, or a fight against something//  wage war (on sb/sth) //  --The police are waging war on drug pushers in the city.//  wage a campaign/struggle/battle etc //  --The council has waged a vigorous campaign against the proposal.//


Words: wage-earner
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone in a family who earns money for the rest of the family:\n  2 someone who works for wages:  --Both wage-earners and salaried officials were protected by the new regulations.//


Words: waged
Meaning:
adj \n  1 waged work or employment is work for which you get paid:  → unwaged//\n  2 someone who is waged has a job for which they earn money:  → unwaged//


Words: wager
Meaning:
n [C]  old-fashioned   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: wageure, from  Old North French wagier;   WAGE2]//  an agreement in which you win or lose money according to the result of something such as a race//   bet//\nwager 2 v [T]  old-fashioned \n  1 to agree to win or lose an amount of money on the result of something such as a race:   gamble//  wager sth on sth//  --Stipes wagered all his money on an unknown horse.//\n  2  I’ll wager:  used to say that you are confident that something is true//


Words: waggish
Meaning:
adj  BrE  old-fashioned   a waggish person makes clever and amusing jokes, remarks etc//  -- waggishly adv //  -- waggishness n  [U] //


Words: waggle
Meaning:
v [I and T]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: wag]//  to move something up and down or from side to side using short quick movements//   wiggle//  --Can you waggle your ears?//  -- waggle n  [singular] //


Words: Wagner
Meaning:
Honus   (1874-1955) a US  baseball player who became one of the first members of the baseball  Hall of Fame in 1936. He was called ’the Flying Dutchman’.//\n Richard   (1813-83) a German  composer who is most famous for his long  operas, which include  Tristram and Isolde, and especially his series of four operas based on German  mythology, called the  Ring of the Nibelung. His music is often in a very exciting,  dramatic style. He started his own theatre at  Bayreuth and his operas are still performed there every summer.//  -- Wagnerian adj //


Words: wagon
Meaning:
also  waggon BrE   n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Dutch; Origin: wagen]//\n  1 a strong vehicle with four wheels, used for carrying heavy loads and usually pulled by horses:    cart//\n  2  BrE a large open container pulled by a train, used for carrying goods:  American Equivalent:  freight car//\n  3  be/go on the wagon:   informal to not drink alcohol any more//\n  4  fall off the wagon:   informal to start drinking alcohol again after you have stopped//    paddy wagon//


Words: wagon train
Meaning:
n [C]   a long line of wagons and horses used by the people who moved to the West of America in the 19th century//


Words: waif
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old North French; Origin: , (adjective),  ’lost, unclaimed’, from a  Scandinavian language]//\n  1 someone, especially a child, who is pale and thin and looks as if they do not have a home:\n  2  waifs and strays:   BrE children or animals who do not have a home//  --She loved cats, and would take any waifs and strays into her home.//


Words: wail
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  From a  Scandinavian language]//\n  1 [T] to say something in a loud, sad, and complaining way:  --’But what shall I do?’ Bernard wailed.//\n  2 [I] to cry out with a long high sound, especially because you are very sad or in pain:  --Somewhere behind them a child began to wail.//\n  3 [I] to make a long high sound:  --The wind wailed in the chimney.//  -- wail n  [C] //  --the wail of police sirens//


Words: Wailing Wall
Meaning:
the Wailing Wall//  a high stone wall in Jerusalem where Jews go to pray. It is the only remaining part of the ancient Temple of Jerusalem, which was destroyed in AD70.//


Words: wainscot
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Middle Dutch; Origin: wagenschot  ’wagon-board’]//   BrE  old-fashioned a skirting board//  American Equivalent:  baseboard//


Words: waist
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 the narrow part in the middle of the human body:  --The skirt was too big around the waist.//  from the waist up/down (=in the top or bottom half of your body) //  --Lota was paralysed from the waist down.//  stripped to the waist (=not wearing any clothes on the top half of your body) //  slim-waisted/narrow-waisted/thick-waisted (=having a thin, thick etc waist) //\n  2 [usually singular] the part of a piece of clothing that goes around this part of your body:  ----------//  HINT //  Do not confuse with waste (used as a verb and noun to talk about using too much of something for unimportant or unnecessary things). //  ----------//


Words: waistcoat
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a piece of clothing without sleeves that has buttons down the front and is worn over a shirt, often under a jacket as part of a man’s suit//  American Equivalent:  vest//


Words: waistline
Meaning:
n \n  1 [singular] the amount you measure around the waist, especially used to judge how fat or thin you are:  --a trim waistline//\n  2 [C] the position of the waist of a piece of clothing:


Words: wait
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 not go/start something:\n   2 something has not happened:\n   3 wait a minute/second/moment etc:\n   4 somebody can’t wait/can hardly wait:\n   5 something can/can’t wait:\n   6 wait and see:\n   7 wait until/till ...:\n   8 be waiting (for somebody):\n   9 wait your turn:\n  10 something is (well) worth waiting for:\n  11 (just) you wait:\n  12 what are you waiting for?:\n  13 what are we waiting for?:\n  14 wait for it:\n  15 be waiting in the wings:\n  16 wait tables:\n  17 (play) a/the waiting game:  Phrasal verbs//   wait around//   wait behind//   wait in//   wait on somebody/something//   wait something → out//   wait up//  ----------//  [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old North French; Origin: waitier  ’to watch’]//\n  1 NOT GO/START SOMETHING:   [I] to stay somewhere or not do something until something else happens, someone arrives etc//  --Hurry up! Everyone’s waiting.//  --Would you mind waiting outside?//  wait for//  --a queue of people waiting for a bus//  --Wait for me!//  wait for sb/sth to do sth//  --She paused, waiting for Myles to say something.//  --I sat waiting patiently for the wedding to end.//  wait until/till//  --I’ll wait till you come back.//  wait (for) 3 hours/2 weeks etc //  --Can you wait for five minutes?//  --We’ve been waiting ages .//  wait to do sth//  --Are you waiting to use the phone?//  keep sb waiting (=make someone wait, especially by arriving late) //  --I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.//\n  2 SOMETHING HAS NOT HAPPENED:   [I] if you are waiting for something that you expect or hope will happen or arrive, it has not happened or arrived yet//  --’Have you heard about the job?’ ’No, I’m still waiting still waiting .’//  wait for//  --I’m still waiting for my results.//  wait for sb/sth to do sth//  --I’m waiting for him to realize how stupid he’s been.//\n  3  wait a minute/second/moment etc:   spoken //  a) used to ask someone not to leave or start doing something immediately//  --Wait a second, I’ll get my coat and come with you.//  --Wait a moment, just let me think.//  b) used to interrupt someone, especially because you do not agree with what they are saying//  --Wait a minute! That’s not what we agreed!//  c) used when you suddenly think of, remember, or notice something//  --Wait a minute, I’ve got a better idea.//\n  4  sb can’t wait/can hardly wait:   spoken //  a) used to emphasize that someone is very excited about something and is eager for it to happen//  --We’re going to Australia on Saturday - I can’t wait!//  can’t wait to do sth//  --I can’t wait to tell Gloria the good news.//  --Laura could hardly wait to see the twins again.//  somebody can’t wait/can hardly wait for//  --I can’t wait for the summer.//  b) used humorously to say that something seems likely to be very boring//  --A lecture on transformational grammar? I can hardly wait!//\n  5  sth can/can’t wait:   spoken if something can wait, it is not very urgent. If something can’t wait, it is very urgent//  --Go home. The report can wait till tomorrow.//\n  6  wait and see:   spoken used to say that someone should be patient because they will find out about something later//  --’What’s for dinner?’ ’Wait and see.’//  --We will just have to wait and see how things develop.//\n  7  wait until/till ...:   spoken used when you are excited about telling or showing someone something//  --Wait till you see Gaby’s new house!//\n  8  be waiting (for sb):  if something is waiting for you, it is ready for you to use, collect etc//  --There’ll be a rental car waiting for you at the airport.//  --Come round at eight and I’ll have dinner waiting .//\n  9  wait your turn:  to stay calm until it is your turn to do something, instead of trying to move ahead of other people//  --I’ve got two hands and there are three of you. So you’ll have to wait your turn !//\n  10  sth is (well) worth waiting for:   spoken used to say that something is very good, even though it takes a long time to come//  --Their new album was worth waiting for.//\n  11  (just) you wait:   spoken //  a)  BrE used to warn or threaten someone//  --I’ll get you back for what you’ve done, just you wait.//  b) used to tell someone you are sure something will happen//  --It’ll be a huge success. Just you wait.//\n  12  what are you waiting for?:   spoken used to tell someone to do something immediately//  --Well, what are you waiting for? Go and apologize.//\n  13  what are we waiting for?:   spoken used to say in a cheerful way that you think everyone should start doing something immediately//  --What are we waiting for? Let’s go eat.//\n  14  wait for it:   BrE  spoken //  a) used just before you tell someone something that is funny or surprising//  --His name was - wait for it - Mr Bacon.//  b) used to tell someone not to do something until the correct time because they seem very impatient to do it now//\n  15  be waiting in the wings:  to be ready to do something if it is necessary or if a suitable time comes//  --Other firms are waiting in the wings, ready to step in and make an offer should the current deal fall through.//\n  16  wait tables:   AmE to work in a restaurant serving food and drink to people at their tables//  --I spent the summer waiting tables.//\n  17  (play) a/the waiting game:  if you play a waiting game, you try to gain an advantage for yourself in a particular situation by deliberately doing nothing until you have seen what other people do//  wait around phr v//  to stay in the same place and do nothing while you are waiting for something to happen, someone to arrive etc//  --Movie-making involves acting for 10 minutes and then waiting around for two hours.//  --We’d better be going. We can’t wait about like this any longer.//  wait behind phr v//  to stay somewhere after other people have left//  --She waited behind to help Debbie with the clearing up.//  wait in phr v//  to stay at home and wait there for someone to arrive//  --I have to wait in for the repair man.//  wait on / [wait on sb/sth] phr v//\n  1 to serve food and drink to someone at their table, especially in a restaurant:\n  2 to wait for a particular event, piece of information etc, especially before doing something or making a decision:  --We’re waiting on the blood test results.//\n  3  wait on sb hand and foot:  to do everything for someone while they do nothing - used to show disapproval//  --His wife waits on him hand and foot.//  wait out [wait sth → out] phr v//  if you wait out an event, period, or time, especially an unpleasant one, you wait for it to finish//  --Let’s find a place where we can wait out the storm.//  wait up phr v//\n  1 to wait for someone to return before you go to bed:  wait up for//  --Don’t wait up for me; I may be late.//\n  2  Wait up!:   AmE used to tell someone to stop, so that you can talk to them or go with them//  --’Wait up!’ he called.//  ----------//  WORD CHOICE: wait, expect, look forward to, await //  Wait means to stay somewhere or not do something until something comes, happens etc : I’m waiting to hear from Dan before I arrange my trip. //  Expect means to believe that something will come, happen etc : The police are expecting (NOT waiting) trouble. //  Look forward to means to be excited and pleased about something that is going to happen : I’m looking forward to getting his letter. //  !! Wait  is never followed directly by a noun. You must say  wait for : She was waiting for a bus (NOT waiting a bus). //  In formal English, you can use  await , which is followed directly by a noun : We are awaiting your instructions. //  ----------//\nwait 2 n [singular]   a period of time in which you wait for something to happen, someone to arrive etc//  wait for//  --The average wait for an appointment at the clinic was eight weeks.//  long/three hour/two week etc wait //  --There was an hour wait before the next train departed.//  --They’ll have a long wait .//    lie in wait at lie1 (8)//


Words: Waiting for Godot
Meaning:
(1955) a play by the Irish writer Samuel  Beckett about two men, Vladimir and Estragon, waiting for a third man, Godot, who never comes. The play is a typical example of the  theatre of the absurd, and people use the phrase ’waiting for Godot’ to describe a situation where they are waiting for something to happen but it probably never will//  --I still haven’t had my refund from the tax department - it’s like waiting for Godot.//


Words: waiting list
Meaning:
n [C]   a list of people who have asked for something but who must wait before they can have it//  waiting list for//  --There is still a three-month waiting list for the cars.//  on a waiting list//  --I was then put on a waiting list to see a specialist at the local hospital.//


Words: waiting room
Meaning:
n [C]   a room for people to wait in, for example before they see a doctor, until their train arrives etc//


Words: waive
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old North French; Origin: weyver, from  waif;   WAIF]//  to state officially that a right, rule etc can be ignored//  --She waived her right to a lawyer.//


Words: waiver
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Anglo-French; Origin: weyver, from  Old North French;   WAIVE]//   technical an official written statement saying that a right, legal process etc can be waived//


Words: wake
Meaning:
W3S2   v  also wake up   past tense  woke /w[hA353][hA35E]k $ wo[hA35E]k///  past participle  woken /w[hA353][hA35E]k[hA353]n $ wo[hA35E]-/ [I and T] //  [Language: Old English; Origin: wacan  ’to wake up’ and  wacian  ’to be awake’]//  to stop sleeping, or to make someone stop sleeping//  --When she woke, the sun was streaming through the windows.//  --Try not to wake the baby.//  wake to//  --Nancy woke to the sound of birds outside her window (=she heard birds singing when she woke) .//  wake up phr v//\n  1 to stop sleeping, or to make someone stop sleeping:  --James usually wakes up early.//  wake sb → up//  --I’ll wake you up when it’s time to leave.//\n  2 to start to listen or pay attention to something:  -- Wake up  (=give me your attention) at the back there!//\n  3  wake up and smell the coffee:   AmE  spoken used to tell someone to recognize the truth or reality of a situation//  wake up to [wake up to sth] phr v//  to start to realize and understand a danger, an idea etc//  --It’s time you woke up to the fact that it’s a tough world.//\nwake 2 n [C]   [Sense: 1-2,4; Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Perhaps from  Dutch wak or  Middle Low German wake, from  Old Norse vok  ’hole in the ice, especially as made by a boat’]//  [Sense: 3; Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  WAKE1]//\n  1  in the wake of sth:  if something, especially something bad, happens in the wake of an event, it happens afterwards and usually as a result of it//  --Famine followed in the wake of the drought.//\n  2  in sb’s/sth’s wake:  behind or after someone or something//  --The car left clouds of dust in its wake.//\n  3 the time before or after a funeral when friends and relatives meet to remember the dead person:\n  4 [usually singular] the track made behind a boat as it moves through the water:


Words: wake-up call
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 an experience or event that shocks you and makes you realize that you must do something to change a situation:  --The success of extremist groups in the elections should be a wake-up call to all decent citizens.//\n  2 a telephone call that someone makes to you, especially at a hotel, to wake you up in the morning:   alarm call//


Words: wakeful
Meaning:
adj  literary   a) not sleeping or unable to sleep//  --She lay wakeful in her room for most of the night.//  b) a wakeful period of time is one when you cannot sleep//  -- wakefulness n  [U] //


Words: waken
Meaning:
v  also waken up  [I and T]   [Language: Old English; Origin: w[zB024]cnian]//   literary to wake up, or to wake someone up//  --She gently wakened the sleeping child.//


Words: waking
Meaning:
adj  written   waking hours/life/day etc//  all the time when you are awake//  --His face haunted her every waking moment!//


Words: Walden Pond
Meaning:
a small lake in Massachusetts in the US near the place where Henry David  Thoreau lived and after which he named his book ’Walden, or Life in the Woods’//


Words: Wales
Meaning:
a country in the United Kingdom, west of England, which was an independent country until it was brought under English rule in 1284. Population: 2,903,085 (2001). Capital: Cardiff. The country’s Welsh name is Cymru. Traditionally, its main industries were farming, especially sheep farming and, in South Wales, coal mining. The mines have now all closed. The Welsh language is spoken by many people, especially in the north. The Welsh  assembly gives the Welsh people more power to govern themselves while still being part of the UK. Some people, including the political party  Plaid Cymru, want Wales to be an independent country. The national  symbols of Wales are the  leek, the  daffodil, and the red  dragon. The  patron saint is Saint David.//\n the Prince of     Prince of Wales//


Words: Walesa
Meaning:
Lech   (1943- ) the President of Poland from 1990 to 1995. He was leader of the  trade union Solidarity during the 1980s and became popular in western countries for his opposition to Poland’s Communist government. After losing the 1995 elections, Walesa became an ordinary citizen again.//


Words: walk
Meaning:
v \n  1 [I and T] to move forward by putting one foot in front of the other:  --’How did you get here?’ ’We walked.’//  --Doctors said he’d never walk again.//  walk into/down/up etc//  --Carrie walked into the room and sat down in her chair.//  --He loved walking in the hills.//  walk a mile/200 metres/a short distance etc //  --We must have walked ten miles today.//  --I walked all the way to San Rafael.//  within (easy) walking distance (of sth) (=near enough to be able to walk to) //  --There are plenty of bars and restaurants within walking distance of the hotel.//  walking pace (=the speed that you normally walk at) //\n  2 [T] to walk somewhere with someone, especially in order to make sure that they are safe or to be polite:  --It’s late - I’ll walk you home .//  walk sb to sth//  --Schools are urging parents to walk their children to school.//  --She walked me to the front gate.//\n  3 [T] to take a dog for a walk for exercise:  --Grandma’s out walking the dog .//\n  4 [I]  BrE  informal if something has walked, it has disappeared and you think someone may have taken it:  --My pen seems to have walked.//\n  5  walk free:   also walk  AmE to leave a court of law without being punished or sent to prison//  --Ferguson walked free after the charges were dropped.//  --If more evidence isn’t found, Harris will walk.//\n  6  walk it:   BrE  spoken //  a) to make a journey by walking//  --If the last bus has gone, we’ll have to walk it.//  b) to succeed or win something easily//\n  7  be walking on air:  to be feeling extremely happy//\n  8  walk the streets:  a) to walk around the streets in a town or city//  --It was not safe to walk the streets at night.//  b)  old-fashioned to be a prostitute//\n  9  walk the beat:  when a police officer walks the beat, they walk around an area of a town or city in order to make sure nobody is committing a crime//\n  10  walk tall:  to be proud and confident because you know that you have not done anything wrong//\n  11  walk sb off their feet:   BrE  walk sb’s legs off//   AmE  informal to make someone tired by making them walk too far//\n  12  walk the walk:  to do the things that people expect or think are necessary in a particular situation//  --People are motivated by leaders who actually walk the walk.//    talk the talk at talk1 (18)//\n  13  walk the plank:  to be forced to walk along a board laid over the side of the ship until you fall off into the sea, used as a punishment in the past//  walk away phr v//\n  1 to leave a bad or difficult situation, instead of trying to make it better:  walk away from//  --You can’t just walk away from 15 years of marriage!//  --When the business started to have problems, it was very tempting to walk away.//\n  2 to come out of an accident or very bad situation without being harmed:  --Miraculously, both drivers walked away without a scratch.//  walk away with [walk away with sth] phr v//  to win something easily//  --And the lucky winner will walk away with a prize of [hA124]10,000.//  walk in on [walk in on sb] phr v//  to go into a room and accidentally interrupt someone who is doing something private that they would not want you to see//  walk into [walk into sth] //\n  1 to hit an object accidentally as you are walking along:  walk straight/right/bang etc into sth //  --Zeke wasn’t looking and walked straight into a tree.//\n  2 if you walk into an unpleasant situation, you become involved in it without intending to:  --He was fairly certain now that he was walking into a trap , and wished he’d come armed.//  walk straight/right into sth //  --I walked right into a mob of maybe 50 young white guys.//\n  3  BrE if you walk into a job, you get it very easily:  --You can’t expect to walk straight into a job .//\n  4 to make yourself look stupid when you could easily have avoided it if you had been more careful:  walk straight/right into sth //  --You walked right into that one!//  walk off phr v//\n  1 to leave someone by walking away from them, especially in a rude or angry way:  --Don’t just walk off when I’m trying to talk to you!//\n  2  walk sth → off:  if you walk off an illness or unpleasant feeling, you go for a walk to make it go away//  --Let’s go out - maybe I can walk this headache off.//  walk off dinner/a meal etc (=go for a walk so that your stomach feels less full) //\n  3  walk off (the/your etc job):   AmE to stop working as a protest//  --Without new contracts, mine workers will walk off their jobs Thursday.//  walk off with [walk off with sth] phr v//\n  1 to win something easily:  --Lottery winners can walk off with a cool [hA124]18 million.//\n  2 to steal something or take something that does not belong to you:  --Thieves walked off with two million dollars’ worth of jewellery.//  walk out phr v//\n  1 to leave a place suddenly, especially because you disapprove of something:  --The play was awful and we walked out after half an hour.//  walk out of//  --the issue that led to the US walking out of the trade talks this week//\n  2 to leave your husband, wife etc suddenly and go and live somewhere else:  --Her husband walked out, leaving her with three children to look after.//  walk out on//  --Five years later she walked out on Matthew and their two boys.//\n  3 to leave your job suddenly because you no longer want to do it:  --We’re so short-staffed. I can’t just walk out.//  walk out of//  --If you can afford to walk out of your job, why not?//\n  4 to stop working as a protest:  --Workers are threatening to walk out if an agreement is not reached.//  walk out on [walk out on sth] phr v//  to stop doing something you have agreed to do or that you are responsible for//  --’I never walk out on a deal,’ Dee said.//  walk over [walk over sb] phr v//  to treat someone badly by always making them do what you want them to do//  --It’s terrible - she lets her kids just walk all over her .//  ----------//  WORD FOCUS: words meaning walk //  stroll in a relaxed way for pleasure //  wander with no aim or direction //  stride in a confident or angry way //  march soldiers //  hike for long distances in the countryside or the mountains //  tiptoe very quietly //  wade through water //  stagger in an unsteady way because you are drunk or injured //  limp with difficulty because one leg is painful or injured //  See also:  on foot foot1 (4) , footstep//  ----------//\nwalk 2 n \n  1 [C] a journey that you make by walking, especially for exercise or enjoyment:  --It’s a long walk. Maybe we should get the bus.//  --Let’s go for a walk . I could do with some fresh air.//  long/short/five-mile/ten-minute etc walk //  --The beach is only a short walk away.//  take/have a walk //  --Why don’t we take a walk in the garden?//  take sb/a dog for a walk //  walk to/through/across etc//  --a short walk through the castle grounds//\n  2 [C] a particular journey that you make by walking, especially one that goes through an interesting or attractive area:  --He says he’s going on a long walk tomorrow.//  --Have you ever done the Three Peaks walk ?//  coastal/hill etc walk //  --There is a stunning 10-mile coastal walk from St Andrews to Crail.//\n  3 an organized event when people walk for pleasure:  --Let’s all go on the beach walk .//  --The local tourist office organises a number of guided walks .//\n  4 [singular] the way someone walks:   gait//  --You can often recognize people by their walk.//\n  5 [singular] when you walk rather than run:  --Breathless, she slowed to a walk .//    walk of life,  sponsored walk at sponsor2 (5)//


Words: walk of life
Meaning:
n [C]   the position in society someone has, especially the type of job they have//  from every walk of life/from all walks of life //  --Our volunteers include people from all walks of life.//


Words: walk-in
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1 big enough for a person to walk inside:  --a walk-in closet//\n  2  walk-in business/clinic/centre etc:  a business, doctor’s office etc that you can use or go to without having previously arranged a time to do this//


Words: walk-on
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  also walk-on part/role :  a small acting part with no words to say in a play or film, or an actor who has a part like this//\n  2  AmE someone who plays for a college sports team without having been given a sports scholarship:


Words: walk-up
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE  informal \n  1 a tall building with apartments in it that does not have an elevator:\n  2 an apartment, office etc in a building like this:


Words: walkabout
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE \n  1  informal an occasion when an important person walks through a crowd, talking informally to people:  --The press conference was followed by a walkabout and a factory visit.//\n  2  go walkabout:   spoken to get lost - used humorously//  --My watch seems to have gone walkabout again.//


Words: walker
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  especially BrE someone who walks for pleasure or exercise:    hiker//  --The area is popular with walkers and cyclists.//  --climbers and hill-walkers //\n  2  a fast/slow etc walker:  someone who walks fast, slowly etc//\n  3  especially AmE a metal frame on wheels that old or sick people use to help them walk:  British Equivalent:  zimmer frame trademark //\n  4 a frame on wheels that a baby can sit in and move around using its legs, before it can walk:  British Equivalent:  baby walker//


Words: Walker Cup
Meaning:
the   a  golf competition between two teams, one British and one American, of non-professional male golfers//


Words: walkie-talkie
Meaning:
n [C]   one of a pair of radios that you can carry with you, and use to speak to the person who has the other radio//


Words: walkies
Meaning:
n [plural]    BrE  spoken used to tell a dog that you are going to take it for a walk//  --Come on, Shep! Walkies!//


Words: walking
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1  especially BrE the activity or sport of going for walks, especially in the countryside or mountains:    hiking, rambling//  --We went walking in the hills.//  walking boots/shoes //  walking holiday/tour etc (=a holiday on which you walk a lot, especially in the countryside) //\n  2 the sport of walking long distances as fast as you can without actually running:\nwalking 2 adj [only before noun] \n  1  walking dictionary/encyclopedia:  someone who knows a lot, and always has the information that you want - used humorously//\n  2  walking disaster (area):  someone who always drops things, has accidents, makes mistakes etc - used humorously//    within walking distance at distance1 (1)//


Words: walking bus
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a group of children who walk to or from school together, with other children and their parents joining the group at different places along the way//


Words: walking papers
Meaning:
n [plural]   give sb their walking papers//   AmE to tell someone that they must leave a place or a job//    be given/get your marching orders at march1 (5)//


Words: walking stick
Meaning:
n [C]   a stick that is used to support someone, especially an old person, while they walk//   cane//


Words: Walkman
Meaning:
n   plural  Walkmans  [C] //   trademark a small cassette player with headphones, that you carry with you so that you can listen to music//   personal stereo//


Words: walkout
Meaning:
walk-out/w[hA350][hA359]k-a[hA35E]t $ w[hA361][hA359]k-/ n [C]   an occasion when people stop working or leave a meeting as a protest//  --Members of the Irish delegation staged a walk-out .//    walk out at walk1 //


Words: walkthrough
Meaning:
n [C]   written instructions that tell you all the details of how you should play a video game//  walkthrough for//  --the official walkthrough for ’Tomb Raider’//


Words: walkway
Meaning:
n [C]   an outdoor path built for people to walk along, often above the ground//  --The airport hotel will be linked to the terminal building by a covered walkway.//


Words: wall
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 around an area:\n   2 in a building:\n   3 body:\n   4 wall of fire/water etc:\n   5 wall of silence/secrecy:\n   6 up the wall:\n   7 off the wall:\n   8 go to the wall:\n   9 these four walls:\n  10 be/come up against a (brick) wall:\n  11 be climbing/crawling (up) the walls:\n  12 walls have ears:\n  13 hit the wall:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: weall]//\n  1 AROUND AN AREA:  an upright flat structure made of stone or brick, that divides one area from another or surrounds an area//    fence//  stone/brick/concrete wall //  --The estate is surrounded by high stone walls.//  city/garden etc wall //  --the ancient city walls//  --the Great Wall of China//  --We climbed over the wall into the orchard.//\n  2 IN A BUILDING:  one of the sides of a room or building//  on the wall//  --I put some pictures up on the walls .//  --Bob leaned against the wall .//  bedroom/kitchen etc wall //  --We decided to paint the bathroom walls blue.//\n  3 BODY:  the side of something hollow, especially within the body//  --The walls of the blood vessels had been damaged.//  --cell walls//\n  4  wall of fire/water etc:  a tall mass of something such as fire or water, that stops anything from getting past//  --The boat was hit by a wall of water.//\n  5  wall of silence/secrecy:  a situation in which nobody will tell you what you want to know//  --The police investigation was met with a wall of silence.//\n  6  up the wall:   spoken very angry or annoyed//  --That noise is driving me up the wall  (=making me annoyed) .//  go up the wall  BrE //  --I’ve got to be on time or Sarah will go up the wall.//\n  7  off the wall:   informal very strange or unusual, often in an amusing way//  --Some of Krista’s ideas are a little off the wall.//\n  8  go to the wall:   informal if a company goes to the wall, it fails, especially because of financial difficulties//  --Many small investors will go to the wall.//\n  9  these four walls:   spoken the room that you are in, especially considered as a private place//  --I don’t want anything repeated outside these four walls.//\n  10  be/come up against a (brick) wall:  to reach a point where you cannot make progress, especially because something or someone is stopping you//  --We seem to have come up against a brick wall in this investigation.//\n  11  be climbing/crawling (up) the walls:   informal to be feeling extremely anxious, unhappy, or annoyed, especially because you are waiting for something or are in a situation which you cannot get away from//  --The kids soon had him climbing the walls.//\n  12  walls have ears:  used to warn people to be careful what they say, because other people, especially enemies, could be listening//\n  13  hit the wall:   informal to reach the point when you are most physically tired when doing a sport//    have your back to/against the wall at back2 (21),  be (like) banging your head against a brick wall at head(31),  like talking to a brick wall at talk1 (15),  the writing is on the wall at writing(8),  off-the-wall//\nwall 2 v   wall in [wall sth → in] phr v//  to surround an open area with walls//  wall off [wall sth → off] phr v//  to keep one area or room separate from another, by building a wall//  --The control room is walled off by soundproof glass.//  wall up [wall sb/sth → up] phr v//\n  1 :  a) to fill in an entrance, window etc with bricks or stone//  --The entrance had long since been walled up.//  b) to fill in all the entrances and windows of a place so that someone cannot get out//\n  2 to keep someone as a prisoner in a building:


Words: Wall Street
Meaning:
n \n  1 a street in New York which is the most important financial centre in America:\n  2 the American stock market:  on Wall Street//  --a drop in share prices on Wall Street//


Words: Wall Street Crash
Meaning:
the   the sudden large fall in the value of company  shares on the US Stock Exchange in October 1929. For about two years before this, the price of shares had risen very fast, and when people realized that companies were therefore worth more than their true value, they lost confidence. The severe fall that followed led directly to the  Great Depression of the 1930s.//


Words: Wall Street Journal
Meaning:
The   a respected US daily newspaper, which is also sold in many other countries and which deals mainly with business and  economics//    Financial Times, The//


Words: wall-eyed
Meaning:
adj  AmE   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: wall-eyed  ’having an eye with a white spot in the center’ (14-20 centuries), from  Old Norse vagl-eygr, from  vagl  ’pole’ +  eygr  ’eyed’]//  having one or both eyes that seem to point to the side, rather than straight forwards//


Words: wall-to-wall
Meaning:
adj \n  1 [only before noun] covering the whole floor:  --wall-to-wall carpeting//\n  2  informal filling all the space or time available, especially in a way you do not like:  --wall-to-wall advertising on TV//


Words: wallaby
Meaning:
n   plural  wallabies  [C] //  [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Dharuk; Origin: walabi or  waliba]//  an Australian animal like a small kangaroo//


Words: Wallace
Meaning:
George   (1919-98) a US politician in the  Democratic Party who was Governor of Alabama for most of the period between 1963 and 1987. Many people consider him to be  racist because he supported  segregation. He was shot in 1972, when he was trying to be chosen to represent the Democratic Party in the election for President, and after that he had to use a  wheelchair.//\n Sir William   (1272-1305) a Scottish soldier and politician, who was a leader of the fight to keep Scotland independent of England. After being defeated in battle by the English king, Edward I, he was taken to London and hanged. In Scotland people regard him as a national  hero. //


Words: Wallace and Gromit
Meaning:
trademark   two characters in British  cartoon films made by Nick Park, which are extremely popular with both adults and children. Wallace is a man who is nice but rather stupid, who loves cheese, and who is always inventing new machines that do not work very well. Gromit, his dog, is extremely intelligent, and can read, fly a plane, and ride a  motorcycle. Together they catch criminals.//


Words: wallah
Meaning:
walla/w[hA361]l[hA353] $ w[hA35A][hA359]l[hA353]/ n [C]   someone who does a particular kind of job or duty - used in India and Pakistan//


Words: Waller
Meaning:
Fats   (1904-43) a US  jazz piano player, songwriter, and band leader, famous for his humorous performances. His songs include  Honeysuckle Rose and  Ain’t Misbehavin’.//


Words: wallet
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Probably from an unrecorded  Anglo-French walet  ’traveler’s bag’]//\n  1 a small flat case, often made of leather, that you carry in your pocket, for holding paper money, bank cards etc:  American Equivalent:  billfold//    purse//  in your wallet//  --I’ve only got about [hA124]10 in my wallet.//  --He took a credit card out of his wallet.//\n  2  BrE a case for documents, often made of leather or plastic:


Words: wallflower
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  informal someone at a party, dance etc who is not asked to dance or take part in the activities:\n  2 a sweet-smelling garden plant with yellow and red flowers:


Words: wallop
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old North French; Origin: waloper, from  Old French galoper;   GALLOP1]//   informal to hit someone or something very hard, especially with your hand//  -- wallop n  [singular] //


Words: walloping
Meaning:
n  spoken   give sb/get a walloping//  to hit someone hard several times as a punishment//\nwalloping 2 adj [only before noun]  BrE  spoken   very big//  walloping great/big //  --a walloping great house//


Words: wallow
Meaning:
v [I]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wealwian  ’to roll’]//\n  1  wallow in self-pity/despair/defeat etc:  to seem to enjoy being sad etc, especially because you get sympathy from other people - used to show disapproval//  --He’d been feeling sorry for himself, wallowing in self-pity.//\n  2 if an animal or person wallows, it rolls around in mud, water etc for pleasure or to keep cool:  --hippos wallowing in the mud//\n  3 if a ship or boat wallows, it moves with difficulty through a rough sea:  -- wallow n  [C] //


Words: wallpaper
Meaning:
n [U and C] \n  1 paper that you stick onto the walls of a room in order to decorate it:\n  2 the colour, pattern, or picture which you have as the background on the screen of a computer:    desktop//\nwallpaper 2 v [T]   to put wallpaper onto the walls of a room//   paper//  --I haven’t finished wallpapering the bedroom yet.//


Words: wally
Meaning:
n   plural  wallies  [C] //   BrE  informal someone who behaves in a silly way//  --Stop being such a wally!//


Words: walnut
Meaning:
n   [Language: Old English; Origin: wealhhnutu, from  Wealh  ’Welsh person, foreigner’ +  hnutu  ’nut’; because it was brought into Britain from abroad, probably by the Romans]//\n  1 [C] a nut that you can eat, shaped like a human brain:  --coffee and walnut cake//\n  2 [C]  also walnut tree :  a tree that produces this type of nut//\n  3 [U] the wood from a walnut tree, often used to make furniture:


Words: Walpole
Meaning:
Sir Robert   (1676-1745) a British politician in the  Whig party, who people usually regard as the first British Prime Minister. He held this position from 1721 to 1742.//


Words: walrus
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Dutch; Origin: , perhaps from  Old Norse hrosshvalr  ’horse-whale’]//  a large sea animal with two long tusks (=things like teeth) coming down from the sides of its mouth//    seal//


Words: waltz
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: German; Origin: walzer, from  walzen  ’to roll, dance’]//\n  1 a fairly slow dance with a regular pattern of three beats:\n  2 a piece of music intended for this type of dance:  --a Strauss waltz//\nwaltz 2 v \n  1 [I] to dance a waltz:  --They waltzed elegantly around the dance floor.//\n  2 [I always + adverb/preposition]  informal to walk somewhere calmly and confidently - used to show disapproval:  waltz in/into/up to//  --Jeff just waltzed up to the bar and helped himself to a drink.//  --She can’t waltz in here and start making changes.//  waltz off with [waltz off with sth] phr v//  to take something without permission or without realizing that you have done this//  --Joe must have waltzed off with my jacket.//  waltz through [waltz through sth] phr v//   informal to pass an examination, win a game etc very well and without any difficulty//


Words: Waltzing Matilda
Meaning:
a popular old Australian song which many Australians think of as their national song. It tells the story of a ’swagman’ (=a worker who travels around the country carrying his possessions with him) .//


Words: wampum
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: wampumpeag  ’wampum’, from  Narragansett, from  wampan  ’white’ +  api  ’string’ +  -ag (plural suffix)]//  shells put into strings, belts etc, used in the past as money by Native Americans//


Words: wan
Meaning:
adj  literary   [Language: Old English; Origin: ’dark’]//  looking pale, weak, or tired//  --She gave a wan smile.//  -- wanly adv //


Words: wand
Meaning:
n [C]   wand, cape, top hat//  [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old Norse; Origin: v[hA177]ndr]//\n  1 a thin stick you hold in your hand to do magic tricks:  wave a (magic) wand (=move a wand about to make something magical happen) //  --I can’t just wave a magic wand and make it all better.//\n  2 a tool that looks like a thin stick:  --a mascara wand//


Words: wander
Meaning:
S3   v   ----------//\n   1 without direction:\n   2 move away:\n   3 mind/thoughts:\n   4 conversation:\n   5 somebody’s mind is wandering:\n   6 eyes:\n   7 road/river:\n   8 hands:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: wandrian]//\n  1 WITHOUT DIRECTION:   [I and T] to walk slowly across or around an area, usually without a clear direction or purpose//  wander in/through/around etc//  --I’ll wander around the mall for half an hour.//  --She wandered aimlessly about the house.//  --Ana wandered off to get a drink.//  --He was found wandering the streets of New York.//\n  2 MOVE AWAY:   [I]  also wander off //  to walk away from where you are supposed to stay//  --Don’t let any of the kids wander off.//\n  3 MIND/THOUGHTS:   [I] if your mind, thoughts etc wander, you no longer pay attention to something, especially because you are bored or worried//  --Mrs Snell’s mind wandered and the voices went on and on.//\n  4 CONVERSATION:   [I] to start to talk about something not related to the main subject that you were talking about before//  wander from/off//  --Pauline started to wander from the point.//\n  5  sb’s mind is wandering:  used to say that someone has become unable to think clearly, especially because they are old//\n  6 EYES:   [I] if your eyes or your  gaze wanders, you look around slowly at different things or at all parts of something//  --His gaze wandered round the room.//\n  7 ROAD/RIVER:   [I] if a road or a river wanders somewhere, it does not go straight but in curves//  wander through/across/along//  --The Missouri River wanders across several states.//\n  8 HANDS:   [I] if a man’s hands wander, he touches the body of a woman he is with, especially where she does not want him to//  --Be careful, he’s got wandering hands .//\nwander 2 n [singular]  BrE   a short relaxed walk//  take/go for/have a wander //  --I had a bit of a wander round the shops.//


Words: wanderings
Meaning:
n [plural]    literary journeys to places where you do not stay for very long//  --his wanderings through the Australian outback//


Words: wanderlust
Meaning:
n [singular, U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: German; Origin: wandern  ’to wander’ +  lust  ’desire’]//  a strong desire to travel to different places//


Words: wane
Meaning:
v [I]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wanian]//\n  1 if something such as power, influence, or a feeling wanes, it becomes gradually less strong or less important:  --My enthusiasm for the project was waning.//  --The group’s influence had begun to wane by this time.//\n  2 when the moon wanes, you gradually see less of it:    wax//    wax and wane at wax2 (4)//\nwane 2 n   on the wane//  becoming smaller, weaker, or less important//  --By the 5th century, the power of the Roman Empire was on the wane.//


Words: wangle
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Perhaps from  waggle]//   informal to get something, or arrange for something to happen, by cleverly persuading or tricking someone//  wangle sth (out of sb)//  --In the end she wangled an invitation.//  wangle your way out of/into sth //  --I wangled my way into art school.//


Words: wank
Meaning:
v [I]    BrE  informal  not polite to masturbate//\nwank 2 n  BrE  informal  not polite \n  1 [singular] an act of masturbation:\n  2 [U] something which you think is very stupid, useless, or of bad quality:   rubbish//  --This music’s a load of wank.//


Words: wanker
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE  taboo  informal a very offensive word for a boy or man who you think is stupid or unpleasant. Do not use this word.//


Words: wannabe
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: want to be]//   informal someone who tries to look or behave like someone famous or like a particular type of successful person, because they want to be like them - usually used to show disapproval//    would-be//  --A load of Michael Schumacher wannabes trying to show what they can do on the track.//  --wannabe pop stars//


Words: want
Meaning:
v [not usually in progressive]   ----------//\n   1 desire:\n   2 need:\n   3 offer:\n   4 should:\n   5 what do you want?:\n   6 ask for somebody:\n   7 lack:\n   8 if you want:\n   9 who wants ...?:\n  10 I just wanted to say/know etc:\n  11 I don’t want to sound/be ..., but ...:\n  12 sex:  Phrasal verbs//   want for something//   want in//   want out//  ----------//  [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old Norse; Origin: vanta]//\n  1 DESIRE:   [T] to have a desire for something//  --I really want a drink.//  --What do you want for your birthday?//  --She’d always  wanted to  go to Thailand.//  --I don’t  want Linda  to  hear about this.//  --He didn’t want the holiday to  end.//  -- You can order  whatever you want . //  --This shampoo is mild enough to use every day  if you want .//  -- If she doesn’t  get what  she  wants , she’s not happy. //  --He  wanted that job so  badly  he was willing to kill for it.//  -- They  desperately wanted  a son. //  -- What I want to  know is when we’re going to get paid.//  -- All I want is the chance to prove myself.//  --Oh thank you, it’s just what I’ve always wanted . see usage note  wish1 //\n  2 NEED:   [T] used to say that you need something or to ask someone firmly to do something for you//  --Do you still want these magazines, or can I throw them out?//  want sth done//  --I want that letter typed today.//  want sb to do sth//  --I want you to find out what they’re planning.//  --Do you want me to pick you up at the airport?//  make you want to cry/throw up etc (=give you a strong feeling that you must do something) //  --It always makes me want to sneeze.//  -- What do you want with a tool kit (=what do you need it for) ?//  want doing//   BrE  informal  (=need to be done) //  --The carpet really wants cleaning.//\n  3 OFFER:   [T] used when offering or suggesting something to someone//  -- Do you want a drink?//  --Do you want me to come with you?//  -- Want a game of chess?//  -- Who wants  a cup of coffee (=used to offer something to a group of people) ?//\n  4 SHOULD:   [T]  spoken especially  BrE used to say that something is sensible or that someone should do it, especially when giving advice//  may/might want to do sth //  --You might want to install anti-virus software.//  wouldn’t want to do sth (=used to say something would not be a good idea) //  --I wouldn’t want to come here at night.//  want to do sth//  --You want to see a doctor about that cough.//  --You don’t want to leave that - it’ll get wet.//\n  5  what do you want?:  used to ask, often in a slightly rude way, what someone wants you to give them, do for them etc//  --What do you want now? I’m busy.//  --What do you want - chocolate or vanilla?//\n  6 ASK FOR SOMEBODY:   [T] to ask for someone to come and talk to you, or to come to a particular place//  --You’re wanted on the phone.//  --Christine wants you in her office now.//\n  7 LACK:   [I and T]  formal to suffer because you do not have something//  --In many poorer countries, people still want basic food and shelter.//\n  8  if you want:  a) used to offer to do something//  --I’ll come with you if you want.//  b) used to invite someone to do something or to give them permission//  --Join in if you want.//  --You can stay if you want to .//  c) used when someone suggests doing something, to say that you will do it, although you do not especially want to//  --’Hey, shall we go to the beach?’ ’If you want.’//\n  9  who wants ...?:  used to say that you do not like something or do not think that it is worth doing//  --Who wants to go to a noisy disco anyway?//\n  10  I just wanted to say/know etc:  used to politely say something, ask about something etc//  --I just wanted to check that the meeting is still on next week.//\n  11  I don’t want to sound/be ..., but ...:  used to be polite when you are going to tell someone something that may upset them//  --I don’t want to sound rude, but I think you’ve had too much to drink.//\n  12 SEX:   [T]  informal if you want someone, you want to have sex with them//  want for [want for sth] phr v//   not want for sth/want for nothing//  to have something you need, or everything you need//  --Say what you like, my kids never wanted for anything.//  want in phr v//\n  1  especially AmE to want to be involved in something:  --You want in, Mike?//\n  2  AmE to want to go into a place:  --The dog wants in.//  want out phr v//\n  1 to want to stop being involved in something:  --She was fed up and she wanted out.//\n  2  AmE to want to leave a place:  --I think the cat wants out.//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  want to do something //  want somebody to do something //  want something to happen //  whatever/anything you want //  whenever/wherever you want (to) //  if you want (to) //  get what you want //  do what you want //  want something badly //  desperately want something //  what I want (to do) is ... //  all I want is ... //  just what I(’ve) always wanted  (=used to thank someone for a present that you really like) //  ----------//\nwant 2 n   ----------//\n   1 for (the) want of something:\n   2 for want of a better word/phrase etc:\n   3 not for want of something:\n   4 for want of anything better (to do):\n   5 lack:\n   6 no food/money etc:\n   7 be in want of something:  ----------//\n  1  for (the) want of sth:  used to say that you do not have or cannot find what you need in a particular situation//  --The gallery closed down for want of funding.//\n  2  for want of a better word/phrase etc:  used to say that you cannot find an exact word or phrase to describe something//  --They should behave, for want of a better word, decently.//\n  3  not for want of sth:  used to say that even though something did not happen or succeed, it was not because you did not try hard enough or have what you needed//  not for want of (doing) sth//  --Well, if he doesn’t get the job it won’t be for want of trying !//\n  4  for want of anything better (to do):  if you do something for want of anything better, you do it only because there is nothing else you want to do//\n  5 LACK:   [U and C]  formal something that you need but do not have//  --The report said there had been a disgraceful want of proper care.//\n  6 NO FOOD/MONEY ETC:   [U] a situation in which you do not have enough food, money, clothes etc//  --the chronic want and deprivation in the townships//\n  7  be in want of sth:   formal to need something//  --The house is sadly in want of repair.//


Words: wanted
Meaning:
adj \n  1 someone who is wanted is being looked for by the police:  wanted for//  --He is wanted for the murder of a teenage girl.//  --one of the most wanted men in China//\n  2 someone, especially a child, who is wanted is loved and cared for:


Words: wanting
Meaning:
adj [not before noun]  formal   something that is wanting lacks or misses something that it needs or something that you expect it to have//  --Their security procedures were found wanting .//  wanting in//  --They were skilled, but wanting in discipline.//  --A certain humanity is wanting in big cities.//


Words: wanton
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: wan-  ’wrongly, badly’ (from  Old English wan  ’lacking’) +  towen, past participle of  tee  ’to pull, bring up, educate’ (11-16 centuries) (from  Old English teon)]//\n  1 deliberately harming someone or damaging something for no reason:  --an act of wanton aggression//  --a wanton disregard for life//\n  2  old-fashioned a wanton woman is considered immoral because she has sex with a lot of men:\n  3  formal uncontrolled:  --wanton growth//  -- wantonly adv //  -- wantonness n  [U] //


Words: WAP
Meaning:
n [U]   wireless application protocol a system that uses radio waves to allow electronic equipment that is not physically attached to a computer, for example a mobile phone, to use the Internet//


Words: Wapping
Meaning:
part of the Docklands area of East London, which has been a centre of the British newspaper industry since the 1980s, when several newspapers moved their offices there from Fleet Street.//


Words: war
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old North French; Origin: werre, from  Old French guerre]//\n  1 [U and C] when there is fighting between two or more countries or between opposing groups within a country, involving large numbers of soldiers and weapons:  → peace//  --America’s defeat in the Vietnam War//  --He served as a pilot during the war.//  war against/with/between//  --the war with Spain//  --They had no chance of winning the war .//  --Britain fought two wars in Europe in the last century.//  --My grandfather fought in the Second World War .//  --In 1920 Poland and Russia were still at war .//  --Quite a few women went to war , and quite a few were killed in action.//  --Congress has the power to declare war .//  -- War broke out in September 1939.//  --His career was interrupted by the outbreak of war .//  --the American Civil War //  --He led the nation out of a depression and guided it through a world war .//  --Both countries wanted to avoid a nuclear war .//  --He had spent the war years in Moscow.//  --a wounded war hero//\n  2 [U and C] a struggle over a long period of time to control something harmful:  war on/against//  --the State’s war on drugs//  --the war against racism//\n  3 [U and C] a situation in which a person or group is fighting for power, influence, or control:  --No one wants to start a trade war here.//  --a ratings war between the major TV networks//    price war//\n  4  be in the wars:   BrE  spoken used, often humorously, to say that someone has lots of injuries or health problems//  --You’ve really been in the wars lately, haven’t you?//\n  5  this means war:   spoken used humorously to say that you are ready to fight or argue about something//    cold war,  war of attrition,  war of nerves,  war of words,  warring//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  win/lose a war //  fight a war/wage (a) war (=used about countries or groups) //  fight in a war (=used about people) //  be at war (with somebody) //  go to war (with somebody) //  declare war (on somebody) //  war breaks out also the outbreak of war //  civil war (=a war between opposing groups within a country) //  world war //  nuclear war //  the war years //  ----------//


Words: War and Peace
Meaning:
(1863-69) a novel by the Russian writer Leo  Tolstoy, set during the  Napoleonic Wars and considered by many people to be one of the greatest novels ever written//


Words: war chest
Meaning:
n [C]  informal \n  1 the money that a government has available to spend on war:\n  2 the money that a politician or organization has available to spend on achieving something:  --The government’s huge war chest could be used to improve transport in time for the election.//


Words: war crime
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]   a cruel act done during a war which is illegal under international law//  --He was put on trial for war crimes.//  --an international war crimes tribunal  (=court judging war crimes) //  -- war criminal n  [C] //


Words: war cry
Meaning:
n [C]   a shout used by people fighting in a battle to show their courage and frighten the enemy//   battle cry//


Words: war game
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 an activity in which soldiers fight an imaginary battle in order to test military plans:\n  2 a game played by adults in which models of soldiers, guns, horses etc are moved around a table, or a similar game played on a computer:


Words: War of
Meaning:
812, the   a war between the US and the UK, which was fought from 1812 to 1815, and which was caused mainly by trade problems. During the war, British soldiers burned the  White House and other buildings in Washington, D.C.//


Words: war of attrition plural
Meaning:
wars of attrition  n [C]   a struggle in which you harm your opponent in a lot of small ways, so that they become gradually weaker//


Words: war of nerves
Meaning:
n [singular]   an attempt to make an enemy worried, and to destroy their courage by threatening them, spreading false information etc//


Words: War of the Worlds
Meaning:
The   (1898) a novel by H.G.  Wells about an attack against Earth by creatures from Mars, which is one of the first great works of  science fiction. A radio play based on the book, made by Orson  Welles in 1938, caused great fear and shock in the US, because many people thought that the events they heard on the radio were actually happening.//


Words: war paint
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 paint that some tribes put on their bodies and faces before going to war:\n  2  make-up(1) - used humorously:  --Josie’s just putting on her war paint.//


Words: warble
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old North French; Origin: werbler]//\n  1 [I] to sing with a high continuous but quickly changing sound, the way a bird does:\n  2 [I and T] to sing, especially not very well - used humorously:  --Mills warbled a few notes.//  -- warble n  [C] //


Words: warbler
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a bird that can make musical sounds:\n  2 a singer, especially one who does not sing very well - used humorously:


Words: ward
Meaning:
W3   n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: weard  ’guarding’]//\n  1 a large room in a hospital where people who need medical treatment stay:  maternity/general/geriatric etc ward (=a ward for people with a particular medical condition) //  on/in the ward//  --a young nurse in her first day on the wards//  --the other patients in the ward//\n  2 one of the small areas that a city has been divided into for the purpose of local elections:    constituency//\n  3  law someone, especially a child, who is under the legal protection of another person or of a law court:  --She was made a ward of court .//\nward 2 v   ward off [ward sth → off] phr v//  [Language: Old English; Origin: weardian  ’to guard, defend’]//  to do something to try to protect yourself from something bad, such as illness, danger, or attack//  --Don’t forget insect repellent to ward off the mosquitoes.//  --a spell to ward off evil spirits//


Words: warden
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old North French; Origin: wardein,  from  warder  ’to guard’]//\n  1 a person who is responsible for a particular place and whose job is to make sure its rules are obeyed:  warden of//  --the warden of the college//  forest/park etc warden //    churchwarden,  game warden,  traffic warden//\n  2  AmE the person in charge of a prison:  British Equivalent:  governor//\n  3  BrE someone who takes care of a building and the people in it, for example a place such as a home for old people:


Words: wardrobe
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old North French; Origin: warderobe,  from  warder (  WARDEN) +  robe  ’robe’]//\n  1 [C]  BrE a piece of furniture like a large cupboard that you hang clothes in:    closet//  --Can you hang these in the wardrobe, please?//  fitted/built-in wardrobes (=wardrobes built against a wall or fitted between two walls) //\n  2 [C] the clothes that someone has:  --You can win a complete new wardrobe.//  winter/summer etc wardrobe (=the clothes you have for a particular time of year) //\n  3 [singular]  also wardrobe department :  a department in a theatre, television company etc that deals with the clothes worn by actors//


Words: warehouse
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: ware (  -WARE) +  house]//  a large building for storing large quantities of goods//


Words: warehouse store
Meaning:
also warehouse club  n [C]  AmE   a type of store that sells things in large amounts, so that you can buy them at a lower price than at normal stores//


Words: warehousing
Meaning:
n [U]   the business or practice of storing large quantities of goods, especially in warehouses//  --warehousing costs//  --warehousing and distribution//


Words: wares
Meaning:
n [plural]  old-fashioned   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Plural of  ware;   -WARE]//  things that are for sale, usually not in a shop//  --craftspeople selling their wares //


Words: warfare
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: war +  fare  ’going, journey’]//\n  1 the activity of fighting in a war - used especially when talking about particular methods of fighting:  --the realities of modern warfare//  chemical/nuclear/germ etc warfare //  trench/jungle/mountain etc warfare //  guerrilla warfare (=fighting by small groups of fighters in mountains, forests etc) //\n  2 a continuous and often violent struggle or argument between different groups:  class/gang/internecine etc warfare //  --the problems of drugs and gang warfare//    psychological warfare at psychological(3)//


Words: Warhol
Meaning:
Andy   (1926-87) a US artist who had an important influence on modern art and music, especially in the 1960s. He is famous for his pictures in the  pop art style, which were of ordinary objects such as the ’Campbell’s Soup Can’, or of famous people such as Marilyn Monroe. He also made films such as ’The Chelsea Girls’ (1966) and ’Trash’ (1970). His films, which usually dealt with sex and drugs, did not try to tell stories and the actors often invented their words as they spoke.//


Words: warhorse
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  informal a soldier or politician who has been in their job a long time, and enjoys dealing with all the difficulties involved in it:\n  2 a horse used in battle:


Words: warlike
Meaning:
adj \n  1 liking war and being skilful in it:  --a warlike nation//\n  2 threatening war or attack:  --a warlike stance//


Words: warlock
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: w[zB024]rloga  ’someone who breaks faith, the Devil’, from  w[zB024]r  ’faith, truth’ +  leogan  ’to lie’]//  a man who has magical powers, especially evil powers//   sorcerer, wizard//


Words: warlord
Meaning:
n [C]   the leader of an unofficial military group fighting against a government, king, or different group//


Words: warm
Meaning:
adj   ----------//\n   1 be warm:\n   2 feel warm:\n   3 clothes/buildings:\n   4 friendly:\n   5 colour:\n   6 correct:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: wearm]//\n  1 BE WARM:  slightly hot, especially in a pleasant way//  → cool//    warmth//  --The house was lovely and warm.//  --I hope we get some warm weather soon.//  --I’ve put your dinner in the oven to keep it warm .//  --warm water//\n  2 FEEL WARM:  if you are warm, your body is at a comfortable temperature//  --Are you warm enough?//  keep/stay warm (=wear enough clothes not to feel cold) //  --Make sure you keep warm!//  --You’ll be as warm as toast in that sleeping bag.//\n  3 CLOTHES/BUILDINGS:  clothes or buildings that are warm can keep in heat or keep out cold//  --Here, put on your nice warm coat.//\n  4 FRIENDLY:  friendly or making someone feel comfortable and relaxed//  --a warm, reassuring smile//  --Please give a warm welcome to our special guest.//  --a warm glow of satisfaction//  --The Hungarian people are warm and friendly .//\n  5 COLOUR:  warm colours contain the colours red, yellow, and orange, which make you feel comfortable and happy//  → cool//\n  6 CORRECT:   [not before noun] used especially in games to say that someone is near to guessing the correct answer or finding a hidden object//  → cold//  --You’re getting warmer.//  -- warmness n  [U] //\nwarm 2  also warm up  v [I and T]   ----------//\n   1 :  Phrasal verbs//   warm to somebody/something//   warm up//  ----------//  to make someone or something warm or warmer, or to become warm or warmer//  --They gathered round the fire to warm their hands.//  warm yourself//  --Warm yourself by the fire.//  warm to / [warm to sb/sth] phr v//\n  1 to begin to like someone you have just met:  --Bruce didn’t warm to him as he had to Casey.//\n  2 to become more eager, interested, or excited about something:  warm to a theme/subject/topic etc //  --The more she spoke, the more she warmed to her subject.//  --Voters are starting to warm up to the idea.//  warm up phr v//\n  1 MAKE WARM:  to become warm, or to make someone or something warm//  --With the fire on, the room should soon warm up.//  --Once the weather warms up, you can move the plants outdoors.//  warm sth → up//  --I turned on the grill to warm it up.//  warm sb up//  --Come inside and have a drink. It’ll warm you up.//\n  2 FOOD:  to heat food, especially food that has already been cooked, so that it is hot enough to eat, or to become hot enough to eat//  warm sth → up//  --I’ll put the lasagne in the oven to warm it up.//\n  3 DO EXERCISES:  to do gentle physical exercises to prepare your body for dancing, sport etc//  --The runners began warming up.//    warm-up1 (1),  warm-up2 (2)//\n  4 MACHINE/ENGINE:  if a machine or engine warms up, or if you warm it up, it becomes ready to work properly after being switched on//  --He waited for the photocopier to warm up.//  warm sth → up//  --He started to warm up the aircraft’s engines.//\n  5 EVENT:  if a party, election etc warms up, it starts to become enjoyable or interesting, especially because more is happening//  --The race for governor is beginning to warm up.//\n  6 PRACTISE:  if musicians, singers, or performers warm up, they practise just before a performance//  --The band had little time to warm up before going on stage.//\n  7 PERFORM/SPEAK FIRST:  to perform or speak first at an event, so that the people listening are relaxed or excited before the main singer, speaker etc comes on//  warm sb → up//  --He warmed up the audience by telling them a few jokes.//  warm up for//  --They warmed up for U2 on one of their early tours.//    look/feel like death warmed up/over at death(8)//\nwarm 3 n   the warm//   BrE a place that is warm//  → the cold//  --Come into the warm!//\nwarm 4 adv   wrap up warm//  to put on enough clothes so that you do not feel cold//


Words: warm front
Meaning:
n [C]   an expression used especially in weather reports meaning the front edge of a mass of warm air//  → cold front//


Words: warm-blooded
Meaning:
adj   animals that are warm-blooded have a body temperature that remains fairly high whether the temperature around them is hot or cold//  → cold-blooded//


Words: warm-down
Meaning:
n [C]   exercises that you do to relax your body after playing a sport or dancing//    warm-up//  --A gentle walk can act as a warm-down after a race.//


Words: warm-hearted
Meaning:
adj   friendly, kind, and always willing to help//  → cold-hearted//  --a warm-hearted landlady//  -- warm-heartedness n  [U] //


Words: warmed-over
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]  AmE \n  1 warmed-over food has been cooked before and then heated again for eating:    reheat//\n  2 warmed-over ideas or arguments have been used before and are not interesting or useful any more:    look/feel like death warmed up/over at death(8)//


Words: warmed-up
Meaning:
adj   if you are warmed-up, you have done a set of gentle exercises to prepare your body for playing a sport, dancing etc//


Words: warmer
Meaning:
n [C]   something, especially a piece of equipment, that is used to make or keep things warm//  --a plate warmer//


Words: warming
Meaning:
adj   making you feel pleasantly warm//  --a warming cup of cocoa//\nwarming 2 n [singular] \n  1 an increase in the temperature of something:  warming of//  --the warming of the ocean currents in the Pacific//    global warming//\n  2 a situation in which a relationship becomes more friendly:  warming of//  --the warming of relations between Britain and Iran//


Words: warmly
Meaning:
adv \n  1 in a friendly way:  → coldly//  --Terry greeted the visitor warmly .//  --We were warmly welcomed by the villagers.//  --Jack smiled warmly .//\n  2 in a way that makes something or someone warm:  --Pat wrapped the baby up warmly .//  --Make sure that the children are dressed warmly. //\n  3 in a way that shows that you like something very much:  --His speech was warmly received.//


Words: warmonger
Meaning:
n [C]   someone, especially a politician, who wants people to start fighting or start a war - used to show disapproval//  -- warmongering adj //  -- warmongering n  [U] //


Words: warmth
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1100-1200; Origin: warm]//\n  1 the heat something produces, or when you feel warm:  warmth of//  --the warmth of the summer sun//  for warmth//  --The children huddled closely together for warmth.//\n  2 friendliness and happiness:  warmth of//  --the warmth of her smile//


Words: warn
Meaning:
W2S3   v [I and T]   [Language: Old English; Origin: warnian]//\n  1 to tell someone that something bad or dangerous may happen, so that they can avoid it or prevent it:  --’Be careful, the rocks are slippery,’ Alex warned.//  warn sb about sth//  --Travellers to Africa are being warned about the danger of HIV infection.//  warn (sb) of sth//  --Salmon farmers are warning of the severe crisis facing the industry.//  warn sb (not) to do sth//  --I warned you not to walk home alone.//  --Motorists are being warned to avoid the centre of London this weekend.//  warn sb (that)//  --We warned them that there was a bull in the field.//\n  2 to tell someone about something before it happens so that they are not worried or surprised by it:  warn sb (that)//  --Warn her you’re going to be back late.//  warn () against [warn (sb) against sth] phr v//  to advise someone not to do something because it may have dangerous or unpleasant results//  --Her financial adviser warned her against such a risky investment.//  warn (sb) against doing sth//  --The police have warned tourists against leaving the main tourist centres.//  warn away [warn sb → away] phr v//  to tell someone that they should not go near something, especially because it may be dangerous//  --The snake’s markings are intended to warn away predators.//  warn sb off [warn sb→ off] phr v//\n  1 to tell people that they should not go near something, especially because it might be dangerous:  --Some animals mark their territory to warn off rivals.//\n  2  especially BrE to tell someone that they should not do or use something because it might be dangerous:  warn sb off doing sth//  --Doctors should have warned people off using the drug much earlier than they did.//


Words: warning
Meaning:
W2S3   n \n  1 [U and C] something, especially a statement, that tells you that something bad, dangerous, or annoying might happen so that you can be ready or avoid it:  warning of//  --a warning of floods//  warning about//  --warnings about the dangers of smoking//  warning against//  --This experience should serve others as a warning against complacency.//  warning to//  --a warning to pregnant women not to drink alcohol//  --a warning that grey squirrels are threatening the existence of red squirrels//  -- Without warning , the soldiers started firing into the crowd.//  --The government have issued a warning that the fish may not be fit to eat.//  --Before he could give a warning , he slammed on the brakes.//  --The danger was there for all to see, but we failed to heed the warning .//  --Employers must provide advance warning of office closures.//  --the government health warning on packs of cigarettes//  -- A word of warning : don’t use a metal container.//\n  2 [C] a statement telling someone that if they continue to behave in an unsatisfactory way, they will be punished:  --The Surrey team were given a warning last year for repeated offences.//  --I’m giving you a final warning - don’t be late again.//  written/verbal warning //  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  warning that //  without (any) warning //  issue a warning //  give/sound a warning //  heed a warning (=take notice of it) //  advance/prior warning (=when you tell someone about something so they know it will happen) //  health warning (=a warning that something is bad for your health) //  a word of warning (=used before a warning when giving advice) //  ----------//\nwarning 2 adj [only before noun] \n  1 a warning action or thing tells you that something bad or dangerous might happen:  --He had intended only to fire a warning shot .//  --Do not ignore warning signs such as tiredness.//  --The brake warning light came on.//  a warning look/glance //  --Owen gave him a warning glance.//\n  2  warning bell/bells:  used to say that something makes someone start to be worried or careful about something//  a warning bell rings/sounds //  --As she read his letter, warning bells began to sound in her head.//


Words: warp
Meaning:
v   [Language: Old English; Origin: weorpan  ’to throw’]//\n  1 [I and T] if something warps, or if heat or cold warps it, it becomes bent or twisted, and loses its original shape:  --The door must be warped. It won’t close properly.//\n  2 [T] to influence someone in a way that has a harmful effect on how they think or behave:  --You mustn’t allow your dislike of her to warp your judgement .//\nwarp 2 n   [Sense: 1; Origin: Old English wearp]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  WARP1]//\n  1  the warp:   technical the threads used in weaving cloth that go from the top to the bottom of the machine//    weft//\n  2 [singular] a part of something that has become bent or twisted from its original shape:    time warp//


Words: warped
Meaning:
adj \n  1 someone who is warped has ideas or thoughts that most people think are unpleasant or not normal:  --a warped mind//  --You really have a warped sense of humour  (=think strange and unpleasant things are funny) .//\n  2 something that is warped is bent or twisted so that it is not the correct shape:


Words: warrant
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old North French; Origin: warant]//\n  1 [C] a legal document that is signed by a judge, allowing the police to take a particular action:  warrant for//  --The magistrate issued a warrant for his arrest.//    death warrant,  search warrant//\n  2 [C] an official document giving someone the right to do something, for example buy shares in a company:  --The company issued warrants for 300,000 shares of Common Stock.//\n  3  formal  no warrant for (doing) sth:  no good reason for doing something//  --There is no warrant for copying other people’s work.//    unwarranted//\nwarrant 2 v [T]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old North French; Origin: warantir, from  warant;   WARRANT1]//\n  1 to need or deserve:  --This tiny crowd does not warrant such a large police presence.//  warrant attention/consideration etc //  --Another area that warrants attention is that of funding for universities.//\n  2 to promise that something is true:  warrant that//  --The Author hereby warrants that the Publisher is the owner of the copyright.//\n  3  I’ll warrant (you):   old-fashioned used to tell someone that you are sure about something//  warrant (that)//  --I’ll warrant we won’t see him again.//


Words: warrant card
Meaning:
n [C]   an official card carried by British police officers to prove that they belong to the police//


Words: warranty
Meaning:
n   plural  warranties  [C] //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old North French; Origin: warantie, from  warantir;   WARRANT2]//  a written agreement in which a company selling something promises to repair it if it breaks within a particular period of time//  under warranty//  --The car is still under warranty.//  --a three-year warranty//   guarantee//


Words: warren
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old North French; Origin: warenne]//\n  1 the underground home of rabbits:\n  2 a place with so many streets, rooms etc that it is difficult to find the place that you want:  --a warren of tiny streets//


Words: Warren Report
Meaning:
the   an official US report about the murder of President John F.  Kennedy. Earl Warren and a special committee, called the Warren Commission, studied the facts relating to Kennedy’s murder and decided that the President was killed by a single person, and that there was no  conspiracy (=a secret plan involving several people) . Many people, however, do not accept this decision, and believe that Kennedy’s death was organized by political opponents//


Words: warring
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   at war or fighting each other//  warring factions/parties (=groups of people fighting each other) //


Words: warrior
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old North French; Origin: werreieur, from  werre;   WAR]//  a soldier or fighter who is brave and experienced - used about people in the past//  --a noble warrior//


Words: Wars of the Roses
Meaning:
the   the period of  civil war in England (1455-85), between two parts of the English royal family, which each wanted its own leader to be king. One family was called Lancaster, and was represented by a red rose, and the other was called York, and was represented by a white rose. The Wars of the Roses ended at the battle of  Bosworth Field.//


Words: Warsaw
Meaning:
the capital city of Poland, on the River Vistula. Much of the city was destroyed in World War II, but many of the old buildings were rebuilt after the war.//


Words: Warsaw Ghetto
Meaning:
the Warsaw Ghetto//  an area in the city of Warsaw in which almost half a million Jews were forced by the Nazis to live together during World War II, before they were taken to  concentration camps, where most of them died.//


Words: Warsaw Pact
Meaning:
the  also Warsaw Treaty Organization   a group of countries in eastern Europe, including Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland, and the former Soviet Union, which was established in 1955 to oppose  NATO during the  Cold War.The Warsaw Pact ended in 1991 when most of the Communist governments of eastern Europe lost power.//


Words: wart
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wearte]//\n  1 a small hard raised part on someone’s skin:    verruca//\n  2  warts and all:   informal including all the faults or unpleasant things//  --Well, you married him - warts and all.//  -- warty adj //  --warty skin//


Words: wartime
Meaning:
n [U]   the period of time when a country is fighting a war//  → peacetime//  in/during wartime//  --Even in wartime some people held concerts.//  -- wartime adj  [only before noun] //  --the hardships of wartime Britain//  --his wartime experiences//


Words: wary
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: ware  ’careful’ (11-20 centuries), from  Old English w[zB024]r]//  someone who is wary is careful because they think something might be dangerous or harmful//  be wary of (doing) sth//  --I’m a bit wary of driving in this fog.//  wary of//  --We must teach children to be wary of strangers.//  -- Keep a wary eye on the weather before you set sail.//  --She had a wary expression on her face.//  -- wariness n  [singular, U] //  --a wariness in her voice//  -- warily adv //  --She eyed him warily .//


Words: was
Meaning:
[Language: Old English; Origin: w[zB024]s]//  the first and third person singular of the past tense of be//


Words: wasabi
Meaning:
n [U]   a green strong-tasting Japanese food, which is added to sushi and other food in small amounts in order to make it taste hotter//


Words: Wash
Meaning:
the Wash//  a wide  bay (=an area of sea that curves inwards towards the land)  on the east coast of England between Norfolk and Lincolnshire//


Words: wash
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 wash something:\n   2 wash yourself:\n   3 flow:\n   4 something doesn’t/won’t wash (with somebody):\n   5 wash your hands of something:\n   6 wash your mouth out!:\n   7 wash well:  Phrasal verbs//   wash something → away//   wash something → down//   wash off//   wash out//   wash over somebody//   wash up//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: wascan]//\n  1 WASH SOMETHING:   [T] to clean something using water and a type of soap//  --This shirt needs washing.//  --It’s your turn to wash the dishes .//\n  2 WASH YOURSELF:   [I and T] to clean your body with soap and water//  --Amy washed and went to bed.//  --She had a hot bath and washed her hair.//  --I’m just going to wash my hands.//  wash yourself//  --When a cat has finished eating, it usually washes itself.//\n  3 FLOW:   [I,T always + adverb/preposition] if a river, sea etc washes somewhere, or if something carried by the river or sea is washed somewhere, it flows or moves there//  --The waves washed against the shore.//  --The sea washed over her.//  --The young man was washed overboard  (=pushed from a boat into the sea by the force of the water) in the storm.//  --The body was washed ashore  (=brought to the shore by waves) .//\n  4  sth doesn’t/won’t wash (with sb):   spoken used to say that you do not believe or accept someone’s explanation, reason, attitude etc//  --I’m sorry but all his charm just doesn’t wash with me.//\n  5  wash your hands of sth:  to refuse to be responsible for something any more//  --I’ve washed my hands of the whole affair.//\n  6  wash your mouth out!:   spoken  old-fashioned used to tell someone who has just sworn or said something rude that they should not have spoken that way//\n  7  wash well:  to be easy to clean using soap and water//  --Silk doesn’t wash well.//    wash/air your dirty linen/laundry (in public) at dirty1 (7)//  wash away [wash sth → away] phr v//\n  1 if water washes something away, it carries it away with great force:  --Floods in Bangladesh have washed hundreds of homes away.//\n  2 to get rid of unhappy feelings, thoughts, or memories:  --My anxiety was washed away.//  wash down [wash sth → down] phr v//\n  1 to clean something large using a lot of water:  --Can you wash down the driveway?//\n  2 to drink something with or after food or with medicine to help you swallow it:  wash something → down with//  --steak and chips washed down with red wine//  wash off phr v//\n  1  wash sth → off:  to clean dirt, dust etc from the surface of something with water//\n  2 if a substance washes off, you can remove it from the surface of something by washing:  --Will this paint wash off?//  wash out phr v//\n  1  wash sth → out:  to wash the inside of something quickly//  --I’ll just wash out this vase for flowers.//\n  2 if a substance washes out, you can remove it from a material by washing it:  --a dye that won’t wash out//\n  3  be washed out:  if an event is washed out, it cannot continue because of rain//  --The summer fair was washed out by the English weather.//    washed-out,  washout//  wash over [wash over sb] phr v//\n  1 if a feeling washes over you, you suddenly feel it very strongly:  --A feeling of relief washed over her.//\n  2 if you let something wash over you, you do not pay close attention to it:  --She was content to let the conversation wash over her.//  wash up phr v//\n  1  BrE to wash plates, dishes, knives etc:    washing-up//\n  2  AmE to wash your hands:  --Go wash up before dinner.//\n  3  wash sth → up:  if waves wash something up, they carry it to the shore//  wash something → up on//  --His body was washed up on the beach the next morning.//    washed-up//\nwash 2 n   ----------//\n   1 act of cleaning:\n   2 clothes:\n   3 skin:\n   4 boat:\n   5 colour:\n   6 area of land:\n   7 it will all come out in the wash:  ----------//\n  1 ACT OF CLEANING:   [C usually singular] an act of cleaning something using soap and water//  --Those jeans need a good wash  (=a thorough wash) .//  --I’ll just have a quick wash before we go out.//\n  2 CLOTHES:   [singular, U] clothes that are to be washed, are being washed, or have just been washed//  --You’d better put that shirt in the wash .//  --Do you need me to put another wash on?//\n  3 SKIN:   [C] a liquid used to clean your skin//  --an anti-bacterial facial wash//\n  4 BOAT:   the wash//  the movement of water caused by a passing boat//  --The wash of a large motorboat rocked the little dinghy.//\n  5 COLOUR:   [C] a very thin transparent layer of paint or colour//\n  6 AREA OF LAND:   the wash//  the area of land that is sometimes covered by the sea//\n  7  it will all come out in the wash:   spoken //  a) used to tell someone not to worry about a problem because it will be solved in the future//  b) used to say that the truth about something will be known in the end//


