# dict

Words: washable
Meaning:
adj \n  1 something that is washable can be washed without being damaged:  --washable cushion covers//  --The gloves are machine washable .//\n  2 paint or ink that is washable will come out of cloth when you wash it:


Words: washboard
Meaning:
n [C]   a piece of metal with a slightly rough surface, used in the past for rubbing clothes on when washing them//


Words: washcloth
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE a small square cloth used for washing your hands and face//  British Equivalent:  facecloth//


Words: washed-out
Meaning:
adj \n  1 not brightly coloured any more, usually as a result of being washed many times:  --a washed-out shade of blue//\n  2 [not before noun] feeling weak and looking unhealthy because you are very tired:  --Debbie’s looking a bit washed-out.//\n  3  AmE a washed-out road has been damaged by rain or floods and cannot be driven on:


Words: washed-up
Meaning:
adj   if a person or an organization is washed-up, they will never be successful again//  --a washed-up movie star//


Words: washer
Meaning:
n [C]   [Sense: 1; Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Origin unknown]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: wash]//\n  1 a thin flat ring of plastic, metal, rubber etc that is put over a bolt before the nut is put on, or between two pipes, to make a tighter joint:\n  2  informal a washing machine:


Words: washerwoman
Meaning:
n   plural  washerwomen /-w[hA366]m[hA366]n/ [C] //  a woman in the past whose job was to wash other people’s clothes//


Words: washing
Meaning:
S2   n [singular, U]    BrE clothes that need to be washed, are being washed, or have just been washed//  American Equivalent:  wash//  --I really must do the washing  (=wash the dirty clothes) this afternoon.//  --Could you put the washing out  (=hang it on a washing line) for me?//


Words: washing line
Meaning:
n [U and C]    BrE a piece of string stretched between two poles that you hang wet clothes on so that they can dry outside//   clothesline//


Words: washing-up
Meaning:
n [U]  BrE \n  1 the washing of plates, dishes, knives etc:  --It’s your turn to do the washing-up , Sam.//\n  2 the dirty pans, plates, dishes, knives etc that have to be washed:  American Equivalent:  dishes//  --a pile of washing-up//


Words: Washington
Meaning:
1  also Washington, D.C. :  the District of Columbia //  D.C. //  the capital city of the US, on the Potomac River close to the country’s east coast. Washington’s many government buildings include the  White House, and the  Capitol, and the Supreme Court. It has no industry. D.C. stands for District of Columbia, meaning that Washington is a special area that governs itself and is not contained in any of the 50 states. //\n  2 the US president and his advisers in the  White House:  --Washington is expected to resist pressure to lift trade sanctions on Myanmar.//\n  3  also Washington State :  WA a state in the northwestern US. Its largest cities are Seattle and Tacoma.//\n Booker T.   (1856-1915) a US teacher whose parents had been slaves, who started the  Tuskegee Institute, one of the first US colleges for black people. He also wrote a book about his life called  Up from Slavery.//\n George   (1732-99) the first President of the US, from 1789 to 1797. Washington was a respected officer in the British army before he became commander of the  colonial armies during the  American Revolutionary War. After the war he became the leader of the  Constitutional Convention and influenced the states to officially accept the new  Constitution of the United States. He was elected President of the US twice, but he refused to be president for a third time.//


Words: Washington Monument
Meaning:
the Washington Monument//  a tall  obelisk (=stone structure)  on the  Mall (=park area)  in Washington, D.C., which was built to show respect and admiration for George  Washington, the first president of the US//


Words: washout
Meaning:
n [C]  informal \n  1 a failure:  --The picnic was a total washout - nobody turned up!//\n  2 an occasion when heavy rain causes damage or stops an event from happening:    wash out at wash1 //


Words: washstand
Meaning:
n [C]   a table in a bedroom, used in the past for holding the things needed for washing your face//


Words: WASP
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE White Anglo-Saxon Protestant an American whose family was originally from northern Europe and who is therefore considered to be part of the most powerful group in society//


Words: wasp
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: w[zB024]ps,  w[zB024]sp]//  a thin black and yellow flying insect that can sting you//


Words: wassail
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old Norse; Origin: ves heill!  ’be well!’]//   old use to enjoy yourself eating and drinking at Christmas//


Words: wastage
Meaning:
n [U]  formal \n  1 when something is lost or destroyed, especially in a way that is not useful or reasonable, or the amount that is lost or destroyed:  --The system used to result in a great deal of food wastage.//  wastage of//  --wastage of ability among working class children//\n  2  natural wastage:   BrE a reduction in the number of workers because of people leaving, retiring etc and not because they have lost their jobs//


Words: waste
Meaning:
W3S2   n   ----------//\n   1 bad use:\n   2 go to waste:\n   3 be a waste of time/money/effort etc:\n   4 unwanted materials:\n   5 a waste of space:\n   6 land:  ----------//  [Sense: 1-5; Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  WASTE2]//  [Sense: 6; Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old North French; Origin: wast, from  wast (adjective);   WASTE3]//\n  1 BAD USE:   [singular, U] when something such as money or skills are not used in a way that is effective, useful, or sensible//  waste of//  --Being unemployed is such a waste of your talents.//  --Many believe that state aid is a waste of taxpayers’ money.//  -- What a waste of all that good work!//  --excessive waste in state spending//\n  2  go to waste:  if something goes to waste, it is not used//  --Don’t let all this food go to waste.//\n  3  be a waste of time/money/effort etc:  to be not worth the time, money etc that you use because there is little or no result//  --We should never have gone - it was a total waste of time.//\n  4 UNWANTED MATERIALS:   [U] unwanted materials or substances that are left after you have used something//  --The emphasis now is on recycling household waste .//  industrial/chemical etc waste //  --proposals to end the dumping of industrial waste into rivers and seas//  --waste pipes//  --The disposal of hazardous waste is a serious problem.//\n  5  a waste of space:   spoken someone who has no good qualities//\n  6 LAND:   wastes [plural]  literary a large area of land where there are very few people, plants, or animals//  wastes of//  --the icy wastes of Antarctica//  icy/frozen/snowy etc wastes //    waste ground,  wasteland//\nwaste 2 W3S2 v [T]   ----------//\n   1 not use sensibly:\n   2 not use fully:\n   3 be wasted on somebody:\n   4 waste your breath:\n   5 waste no time (in) doing something:\n   6 waste not, want not:\n   7 harm somebody:  Phrasal verbs//   waste away//  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old North French; Origin: waster, from  Latin vastare;   DEVASTATE]//\n  1 NOT USE SENSIBLY:  to use more money, time, energy etc than is useful or sensible//  --Leaving the heating on all the time wastes electricity.//  waste sth on sb/sth//  --Don’t waste your money on that junk!//\n  2 NOT USE FULLY:   [usually passive] to not make full use of someone or something//  --Hannah’s wasted in that clerical job.//  --His talents were obviously being wasted as a lawyer.//\n  3  be wasted on sb:  if something is wasted on someone, they do not understand how good or useful it is//  --Her good advice was wasted on the children.//\n  4  waste your breath:   spoken to say something that has no effect//  --Don’t try to reason with Paul - you’re wasting your breath.//\n  5  waste no time (in) doing sth:  to do something as quickly as you can because it will help you//  --He wasted no time in introducing himself.//\n  6  waste not, want not:   spoken used to say that if you use what you have carefully, you will still have some of it if you need it later//\n  7 HARM SOMEBODY:   informal  AmE to kill someone, severely injure them, or defeat them//  waste away phr v//  to gradually become thinner and weaker, usually because you are ill//\nwaste 3 W3 adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old North French; Origin: wast, from  Latin vastus;   VAST]//\n  1 waste materials, substances etc are unwanted because the good part of them has been removed:\n  2 waste land is empty or not looked after by anyone:    wasteland//    lay waste at lay2 (11)//


Words: waste disposal
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] the process of getting rid of unwanted materials or substances:  --the problem of radioactive waste disposal//\n  2  also waste disposal unit :   [C]  BrE a small machine under the kitchen  sink that cuts food waste into small pieces so that it can be washed down the drain//  American Equivalent:  garbage disposal//


Words: waste ground
Meaning:
n [U]   an empty, unattractive piece of land that is not used for anything//  --a piece of waste ground//


Words: Waste Land
Meaning:
The   (1922) a long poem by T.S.  Eliot. It is written in a style that was new and unusual at that time, and it has had a great influence on modern poetry.//


Words: waste product
Meaning:
n [C]   a useless material or substance that is produced during the process of making something else//    by-product//  --nuclear waste products//


Words: wastebasket
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE a small container for holding paper, cans etc that are not wanted//  British Equivalent:  wastepaper basket//


Words: wasted
Meaning:
adj \n  1  wasted journey/trip/effort etc:  a journey etc that does not achieve anything//  --I’m sorry you’ve had a wasted trip. Mr. Newton isn’t here.//\n  2 very thin and weak because of illness, old age etc:  --her thin, wasted body//\n  3  informal very drunk or affected by drugs:


Words: wasteful
Meaning:
adj   using more of something than you should, especially money, time, or effort//  --a wasteful use of resources//  wasteful of//  --The software is very wasteful of memory.//  -- wastefully adv //  --Lily had wastefully left the light on.//  -- wastefulness n  [U] //


Words: wasteland
Meaning:
n [U and C] \n  1 an unattractive area, often with old ruined buildings, factories etc on it:  urban/industrial wasteland //  --the restoration of industrial wasteland//\n  2 a place, situation, or time that has no excitement or interest:   desert//  --The 70s were a cultural wasteland.//


Words: wastepaper basket
Meaning:
n [C]   a small container for holding paper, cans etc that are not wanted//  American Equivalent:  wastebasket//


Words: waster
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  BrE  informal someone who you think will never achieve any success in life:  --All her friends are drunks or wasters.//\n  2  time/money/energy waster:  someone or something that does not use time etc carefully or well//


Words: wasting
Meaning:
adj \n  1  wasting disease/illness:   formal a disease that gradually makes you thinner and weaker//\n  2  wasting asset:   technical a property, business etc that is losing money//  --The airline is clearly a wasting asset.//


Words: wastrel
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: waste +  -rel (as in  scoundrel)]//   literary a lazy person who does not try to achieve anything in life//


Words: watch
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 look:\n   2 be careful:\n   3 pay attention:\n   4 care for:\n   5 secretly:\n   6 watch your step:\n   7 watch your back:\n   8 watch the clock:\n   9 watch the time:\n  10 watch it:\n  11 watch this space:\n  12 one to watch:\n  13 watch the world go by:\n  14 you watch:  Phrasal verbs//   watch (out) for something//   watch out//   watch over somebody//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: w[zB024]ccan]//\n  1 LOOK:   [I and T] to look at someone or something for a period of time, paying attention to what is happening//  --Do you mind if I watch?//  --We sat and watched the sunset.//  watch carefully/closely/intently etc //  --He watched helplessly as Paula fell into the icy water.//  --Watch carefully. You may learn something.//  watch (sb/sth) with interest/amusement/delight etc //  --Harriet watched him with interest.//  watch sb/sth do/doing sth//  --I watched him go, then went home.//  --Ruth could not bear to watch her parents arguing.//  watch to do sth//  --I watched to see how he’d react.//  watch television/a film etc //  --The debate was watched by 97 million viewers.//  --Most parents don’t know what their kids are watching on TV .//  watch what/how/when etc//  --It’s useful to watch how other pilots handle the glider. see usage note  see1 //\n  2 BE CAREFUL:   [T] to act carefully in order to avoid an accident or unwanted situation//  watch (that)//  --Watch he doesn’t run into the road.//  --She’s a student and has to watch her budget closely.//  --Watch your head on the shelf.//  watch what/how/where etc//  --Silly old fool! Why doesn’t he watch where he’s going ?//  -- Watch what you’re doing ! It’s spilling everywhere!//  -- Watch yourself  (=be careful) in Madrid; there are some rough areas.//  watch what you say/your tongue/your language/your mouth etc (=be careful not to hurt or offend people by what you say) //  --Employees should watch what they say in personal emails.//  watch your weight/watch what you eat (=be careful not to get fat) //  --He may be a former athlete, but he still has to watch his weight.//\n  3 PAY ATTENTION:   [T] to pay attention to a situation that interests or worries you to see how it develops//  watch closely/carefully //  --American companies are watching Japanese developments closely.//  --The government will watch the progress of these schemes with interest.//\n  4 CARE FOR:   [T] to stay with someone or something so that nothing bad happens to them//  --She watches the kids for us occasionally.//\n  5 SECRETLY:   [T] to secretly watch a person or place//  --I feel like I’m being watched.//\n  6  watch your step:   informal to be careful, especially about making someone angry//  --He soon saw he’d have to watch his step with some of these guys.//\n  7  watch your back:   informal to be careful because other people may try to harm you//\n  8  watch the clock:   informal to keep looking at the time because you are worried or bored//  --anxious mums watching the clock//\n  9  watch the time:  to make sure you know what time it is to avoid being late//\n  10  watch it:   spoken used to warn someone to be careful//  --Watch it, there’s a car.//\n  11  watch this space:   informal used to tell people to pay attention in the future because things are going to develop further - used especially in newspapers//\n  12  one to watch:  someone or something that people should pay attention to because they are interesting or exciting//  --In the tournament so far, Italy’s Stefania Croce looks like the one to watch.//\n  13  watch the world go by:  to relax outside by just looking at the people around you//  --lingering in a pavement cafe, watching the world go by//\n  14  you watch:   informal used to tell someone that you know what will happen//  --He’ll win this time, you watch.//    watch sb like a hawk at hawk1 //  watch (out) for [watch (out) for sth] phr v//  to pay close attention in a particular situation because you are expecting something to happen or you want to avoid something bad//  --She stepped outside to watch for the cab.//  --What problems should I watch out for when buying an old house?//  watch out phr v//  used to tell someone to be careful//  --You’ll become an alcoholic if you don’t watch out .//  watch over [watch over sb] phr v//  to protect someone so that they are not harmed//  --There must have been an angel watching over me that day.//\nwatch 2 W3S3 n   date, face, hand, strap//\n  1 [C] a small clock that you wear on your wrist or keep in your pocket:  --My watch has stopped .//  look at/glance at/consult your watch //  --She glanced nervously at her watch.//  --How do you keep track of time if you don’t wear a watch ?//\n  2 [singular, U] when you watch someone or something carefully, or pay careful attention to them, so that you are ready to act if necessary:  --The police arrived to  keep watch  on the mouth of the tunnel.//  watch on/over//  --He and his wife  maintained a  24-hour  watch  over their son.//  --Security forces  kept a close watch  on our activities.//\n  3  keep a watch out for sb/sth:   also be on the watch for sb/sth //  to be looking and waiting for something that might happen or someone you might see, especially so that you can avoid danger, trouble etc//  --Be on the watch for anything suspicious.//\n  4 [C] a group of people whose job is to guard or protect someone or something:  --We were arrested and held until the arrival of the night watch  (=people responsible for keeping the streets safe at night, especially in past times) .//    neighbourhood watch//\n  5 [U and C] a period of time when it is someone’s duty to stay somewhere and look for signs of danger:  --The first watch is from now until midnight.//  on watch//  --Who’s on watch tonight?//


Words: watchable
Meaning:
adj  informal   if a film, television programme etc is watchable, it is interesting and enjoyable//  --a highly watchable film//


Words: watchband
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE a piece of leather or metal for fastening your watch on your wrist//  British Equivalent:  watchstrap//


Words: watchdog
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a person or group of people whose job is to protect the rights of people who buy things and to make sure companies do not do anything illegal or harmful:  --a consumer watchdog //\n  2  old-fashioned a guard dog:


Words: watcher
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who watches someone or something for pleasure or as part of their job//  bird/whale/royal etc watcher //  --Fifteen thousand bird watchers visit annually.//  --Industry-watchers hailed the takeover as a triumph.//


Words: watchful
Meaning:
adj \n  1 very careful to notice what is happening, and to make sure that everything is all right:  --The entrances are guarded by watchful security staff.//  --His eyes were watchful .//  -- Keep a watchful eye on  elderly residents.//\n  2  under sb’s watchful eye:  following someone’s instructions or with someone’s help//  --Learn the basics under the watchful eye of a qualified instructor.//  -- watchfully adv //  -- watchfulness n  [U] //


Words: watching brief
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   instructions to someone to watch a situation carefully but not to become involved in it//  --One of his responsibilities is to keep a watching brief on foreign broadcasts.//


Words: watchman
Meaning:
n   plural  watchmen /-m[hA353]n/ [C] //   old-fashioned someone whose job is to guard a place//   security guard//    night watchman//


Words: watchstrap
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a piece of leather or metal for fastening your watch on your wrist//  American Equivalent:  watchband//


Words: Watchtower
Meaning:
The   a magazine produced by the religious group the  Jehovah’s Witnesses, who go to people’s houses and try to persuade them to buy it//


Words: watchword
Meaning:
n [singular]   a word or phrase that expresses an attitude or belief//  --Environmental quality will be the watchword for the 21st century.//


Words: water
Meaning:
n [U]   ----------//\n   1 liquid:\n   2 area of water:\n   3 waters:\n   4 high/low water:\n   5 uncharted/troubled/murky waters:\n   6 be (all) water under the bridge:\n   7 like water:\n   8 like water off a duck’s back:\n   9 somebody’s waters break:\n  10 water on the brain/knee:\n  11 take the waters:\n  12 make/pass water:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: w[zB024]ter]//\n  1 LIQUID:  the clear liquid without colour, smell, or taste that falls as rain and that is used for drinking, washing etc//  --There’s water all over the bathroom floor.//  --Does anyone want a drink of water ?//  --a glass of sparkling mineral water //  --All rooms have hot and cold running water .//  --Pour boiling water over the rice and let it soak.//  --a fresh water spring//  --When dealing with a burst pipe, always turn off the water first.//  --contamination of the local water supply//\n  2 AREA OF WATER:  a) an area of water such as the sea, a lake etc//  shallow/deep water //  --Rangoon is surrounded on three sides by water.//  --Denzil dived into the water.//  --He stepped down to the water’s edge.//  by water//   (=by boat) //  --The temple can only be reached by water.//  b) the surface of a lake, river etc//    underwater//  on the water//  --something floating on the water//\n  3  waters [plural] a large area of water, especially an ocean that is near or belongs to a particular country:  --the coastal waters of Alaska//  Korean/Mexican/Pacific etc waters //  --The ship drifted into Turkish territorial waters .//  --a species found in inland waters  (=not the sea, but rivers, lakes etc) //\n  4  high/low water:  the highest or lowest level of the sea and some rivers//   tide//\n  5  uncharted/troubled/murky waters:   formal a situation that is difficult, dangerous, or unfamiliar//  --the uncharted waters of the 21st century//\n  6  be (all) water under the bridge:   informal used to say that what happened in the past should be forgotten//\n  7  like water:  if you use something or spend money like water, you use or spend large amounts of it when you should try to save it - used to show disapproval//  --Some of the companies were spending money like water.//\n  8  like water off a duck’s back:   informal if criticism, warnings etc are like water off a duck’s back, they have no effect on the person you are saying them to//\n  9  sb’s waters break:  when a pregnant woman’s waters break, liquid comes from her body just before her baby is born//\n  10  water on the brain/knee:   old-fashioned  informal liquid around the brain or knee as the result of a disease//\n  11  take the waters:   old-fashioned to wash yourself in or drink special water that is thought to make you healthy//\n  12  make/pass water:   formal to urinate//    soda water,  toilet water,  in deep water at deep1 (15),  take to sth like a duck to water at duck1 (4),  of the first water at first1 (18),  (be/feel) like a fish out of water at fish1 (3),  not hold water at hold1 (37),  in hot water at hot1 (10),  muddy the waters at muddy2 (2),  pour cold water over/on sth at pour(6),  still waters run deep at still2 (5),  test the water at test2 (7),  tread water at tread1 (5),  troubled waters at troubled(3)//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  glass/drink of water //  tap water (=water that comes out of a tap) //  drinking water //  spring/mineral/bottled water (=water to drink that you buy in bottles) //  running water (=water that comes out of a system of pipes) //  stagnant water (=still water in a lake, pool etc) //  seawater/bathwater/rainwater //  hot/cold/boiling/tepid etc water //  soapy water //  hard/soft water (=water that contains a lot of or a littlecalcium ) //  salt/fresh water (=water that contains salt or does not contain salt) //  turn on/turn off the water (=turn a tap to let water come out or to stop it coming out) //  ----------//\nwater 2 S3 v   ----------//\n   1 plant/land:\n   2 your eyes water:\n   3 animal:\n   4 river:\n   5 weaken:  Phrasal verbs//   water something → down//  ----------//\n  1 PLANT/LAND:   [T] if you water plants or the ground they are growing in, you pour water on them//  --Will you water my houseplants while I’m away?//  --The garden needs watering daily.//\n  2  your eyes water:  if your eyes water, tears come out of them//  --Chopping onions makes my eyes water.//    mouth-watering,  make your mouth water at mouth1 (11)//\n  3 ANIMAL:   [T] to give an animal water to drink//  --Have the horses been fed and watered?//\n  4 RIVER:   [T usually passive]  technical if an area is watered by a river, the river flows through it and provides it with water//  --Colombia is watered by several rivers.//\n  5 WEAKEN:   also  water down//   [T] to add water to a drink to make it less strong//  water down [water sth → down] phr v//\n  1 to make a statement, report etc less forceful by changing it or removing parts that may offend people - used to show disapproval:  --The report of the investigation had been watered down.//    watered-down//\n  2 to add water to a drink to make it less strong:   dilute//


Words: Water Babies
Meaning:
The   (1863) a book for children by Charles  Kingsley about a young boy called Tom, who is a  chimney-sweep. Tom falls into a river and magically changes into a ’water-baby’, and he learns all about good and evil from the good and evil creatures under the water.//


Words: water boy
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE \n  1 someone whose job is to give the members of a sports team water to drink:\n  2  informal someone who has a very unimportant job:


Words: water buffalo plural
Meaning:
water buffaloes  or  water buffalo  n [C]   a large animal like a cow with long horns, used to work on farms in Asia//


Words: water cannon
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a machine that sends out a powerful stream of water, used by police to control violent crowds//


Words: water cooler
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a piece of equipment, used especially in offices, from which you can get a cup of cold water to drink:\n  2  water cooler gossip:  conversation about other people’s behaviour or lives that happens in offices when people meet each other by the water cooler//


Words: water feature
Meaning:
n [C]   a small pool, stream, or other structure that has water in it or running through it, built in a garden to make it more interesting and attractive//


Words: water jump
Meaning:
n [C]   an area of water that you have to jump over during a competition, race etc//  --Her horse fell at the water jump.//


Words: water main
Meaning:
n [C]   a large underground pipe that carries the public supply of water to buildings//  --a burst water main//


Words: water pipe
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 an underground pipe used to carry the public water supply:  2 a pipe used for smoking, consisting of a long tube and a container of water//   hookah//


Words: water resistant
Meaning:
adj   something that is water resistant does not allow water to enter easily//  --Is this watch water resistant?//


Words: water skiing
Meaning:
n [U]   a sport in which you ski over water while being pulled by a boat//  -- water ski v  [I] //  -- water skier n  [C] //  --Tracy was a keen swimmer and water skier.//


Words: water softener
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] a chemical used for removing unwanted minerals from water:\n  2 [C] a piece of equipment used for removing unwanted minerals from water:


Words: water-repellent
Meaning:
adj   material that is water-repellent has been covered with a substance that makes water run off it, so that it does not become wet//  -- water-repellent n  [C] //


Words: waterborne
Meaning:
adj   spread or carried by water//    airborne//  waterborne disease/illness etc //  --waterborne diseases such as cholera//  --waterborne traffic//


Words: watercolour
Meaning:
BrE  watercolor AmE   n   1 [C usually plural, U] a type of paint that you mix with water//  --Margaret began experimenting with watercolor.//\n  2 [C] a picture painted using watercolours:  --a watercolour of the castle//


Words: watercourse
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a place where water flows, for example a river or  canal:  --chemicals that pollute the local watercourse//\n  2 a long thin hole for water to flow through:


Words: watercress
Meaning:
n [U]   a small green plant with strong-tasting leaves that grows in water//  --a bunch of watercress//


Words: watered-down
Meaning:
adj   a watered-down plan, report etc has been changed so that it is less extreme or forceful than when it was first written - used to show disapproval//  --a watered-down version of the original//


Words: Waterford crystal
Meaning:
trademark   a type of valuable glass, made into such things as wine glasses and  vases, that is made from  crystal (=a high quality type of glass)  in Waterford in Ireland //


Words: waterfowl
Meaning:
n   plural  waterfowl  [U and C] //  a wild bird that swims and lives near water//  --the varied waterfowl of North America//


Words: waterfront
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   the part of a town or an area of land next to the sea, a river etc//  --Most of the hotels are down on the waterfront.//


Words: Watergate
Meaning:
also the Watergate Affair   a famous political  scandal in the US in the early 1970s that caused President  Nixon to leave his job before  Congress could  impeach him (=charge him with a serious crime) . It was discovered that Nixon had agreed to an attempt to obtain information about the Democratic Party’s plans for the next election, by secretly going into their offices in the Watergate hotel in Washington D.C. Nixon later tried to prevent this information from being discovered. The Senate asked to hear recordings that Nixon had made of conversations in his office, but when they received them, parts of conversations seemed to have been deliberately removed. These recordings became known as the ’Watergate tapes’.The Watergate Affair shocked people in the US, and made them less willing to trust their political leaders. Because of these events, other political scandals are often given a name ending in ’-gate’, for example Irangate.//


Words: watering hole
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  informal a bar or other place where people drink alcohol:  --What’s your favorite watering hole?//\n  2 a waterhole:


Words: watering place
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a waterhole:\n  2 a town which people visited in the past because the water there was thought to be good for your health:   spa//


Words: waterless
Meaning:
adj   a waterless place has no water for people or animals to drink//  --a barren, waterless desert//


Words: waterline
Meaning:
n \n  1  the waterline:  the level that water reaches on the side of a ship etc//  --Two torpedoes struck below the waterline.//\n  2 [singular] the edge of a large area of water, especially the sea, where it joins the land:  --As the waterline advanced, the vegetation was swamped.//


Words: waterlogged
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: water +  log  ’to cause to become like a log’ (17-20 centuries)]//\n  1 a waterlogged area of land is flooded with water and cannot be used:  waterlogged ground/soil //  --Heavy rain meant the pitch was waterlogged.//\n  2 a waterlogged boat is full of water and may sink:  -- waterlogging n  [U] //  --The race was cancelled due to waterlogging.//


Words: Waterloo
Meaning:
1 the Battle of Waterloo :  an important battle fought in 1815 near Brussels, Belgium, in which the Duke of  Wellington, leading the British and the Prussians, defeated  Napoleon and the French. It was Napoleon’s final defeat, and he never regained power after this.//\n  2 one of the main railway stations in London, just south of the River Thames. Trains from Waterloo go to the south and southwest of England.:\n  3  meet your Waterloo:  to be finally defeated after a long period of success//  --Despite widespread unpopularity, the party did not meet its Waterloo until the election of 1997.//


Words: watermark
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a special design put onto paper, especially bank notes, that can only be seen when you hold it up to the light:  bear/carry a watermark //  --The sheet bears the watermark ’1836’.//\n  2 a special mark contained in electronic documents, pictures, music etc that is used to stop people from copying them:  --The card has a digital watermark detectable only to electronic cash dispensers.//\n  3  high watermark:   especially AmE the high watermark of a particular process is its most successful time or achievement//   high point//  high watermark of//  --Reagan’s presidency may prove to have been the high watermark of the US-Israeli alliance.//\n  4  high/low watermark:   AmE a line showing the highest or lowest levels of the sea//  British Equivalent:  tide-mark//


Words: waterproof
Meaning:
adj   not allowing water to enter//  --a waterproof jacket//  --waterproof adhesive//  --Rub the wax in to make the shoe waterproof .//  -- waterproof v  [T] //  --Plastic sheeting was used to waterproof the shed.-- waterproofed adj  [only before noun] //  --a waterproofed sack.//\nwaterproof 2 n [C usually plural]   a jacket or coat that does not allow rain and water through it//  waterproofs (= a waterproof jacket and trousers) //


Words: Waters
Meaning:
Muddy   (1915-83) a US  blues singer, songwriter, and  guitar player, who greatly influenced many other singers of popular music//


Words: watershed
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: water +  shed  ’line of high ground’ (16-21 centuries) (from  Old English scead  ’separation’); suggested by  German wasserscheide]//\n  1 an event or time when important changes happen in history or in your life:   turning point//  watershed in//  --The 1932 election represented a watershed in American politics.//  watershed decision/case etc //  --a watershed case on pension rights//\n  2  the (9 o’clock) watershed:   BrE the time in the evening after which television programmes that are not considered suitable for children may be shown in Britain//\n  3  technical the high land separating two river systems:


Words: waterside
Meaning:
n [singular]   the area at the edge of a lake, river etc//  -- waterside adj //  --a waterside restaurant//


Words: waterspout
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a tall stream of water that the wind pulls up from the sea during a violent storm:    tornado//\n  2  old-fashioned a pipe that carries water:


Words: watertight
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a watertight container, roof, door etc does not allow water to get in or out:    airtight//\n  2 an argument, plan etc that is watertight is made very carefully so that people cannot find any mistakes in it:  --Lucky for him, his alibi is watertight.//  --Unless the ban is watertight, EU laws will overturn it.//


Words: waterworks
Meaning:
n [plural] \n  1 the system of pipes and water supplies in a town or city:\n  2 a building from which water is cleaned and pumped to houses, buildings etc:\n  3  turn on the waterworks:   informal to start crying in order to get sympathy//  --’Don’t turn on the waterworks,’ he sighed.//\n  4  informal the organs in your body through which urine (=liquid waste)  is removed:


Words: watery
Meaning:
adj \n  1 full of water or relating to water:  --Her eyes were red and watery from crying.//  --Snakes lay eggs in a watery environment.//\n  2 very weak or pale:  --a watery sun//  --She gave him a watery smile .//\n  3 watery food or drink contains too much water and has little taste:  --a bowl of watery stew//\n  4  a watery grave:   literary if someone has a watery grave, they drown (=die by breathing in water) //


Words: Watling Street
Meaning:
a long  Roman road that started in Dover in the southeast of England, passed through London, and then went northwest to end near the modern town of Shrewsbury//


Words: Watson
Meaning:
Dr   one of the main characters in Sir Arthur  Conan Doyle ’s stories about Sherlock  Holmes. Watson is Holmes’s friend and helps him in his work, but he is much less intelligent than Holmes. //\n James   (1928- ) a US scientist who, together with Francis  Crick, discovered the structure of  DNA, the substance that carries  genetic information in the cells of plants, animals and humans. They won a  Nobel Prize for their work.//


Words: Watt
Meaning:
James   (1736-1819) a British engineer who made important improvements to the  steam engine. The measure of electrical power, the watt, is named after him.//


Words: watt
Meaning:
n  written abbreviation W  or w  [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  James  Watt]//  a unit for measuring electrical power//  --a 100- watt bulb //


Words: wattle
Meaning:
n   [Language: Old English; Origin: watel]//\n  1 [U] a frame made from sticks woven together:  --a wattle fence//  --walls made of wattle and daub  (=this frame covered with clay) //\n  2 [C] the red flesh that grows on the head or neck of some birds, such as chickens:


Words: Waugh
Meaning:
Evelyn   (1903-66) a British writer who wrote novels about  upper-class English people in the period between World War I and World War II. His early books, such as  Decline and Fall, are very funny  satires on English  upper-class society, but his later books, such as  Brideshead Revisited are much more serious.//


Words: wave
Meaning:
W2S3   n   ----------//\n   1 sea:\n   2 increase:\n   3 people and things:\n   4 light and sound:\n   5 signal:\n   6 :\n   7 hair:\n   8 make waves:\n   9 new wave:\n  10 :\n  11 the waves:  ----------//\n  1 SEA:   [C] a line of raised water that moves across the surface of the sea//  --Dee watched the waves breaking on the shore.//  --a ship riding the ocean waves //  --A powerful tidal wave  (=very large wave) struck Jamaica, killing 2000.//  --the white crests of the waves//\n  2 INCREASE:   [C usually singular] a sudden increase in a particular type of behaviour, activity, or feeling//  a wave of anger/sympathy/relief etc //  --There was a wave of public sympathy for her when she died.//  a wave of terror/fear/panic //  --A wave of panic spread through the crowd.//  a wave of nausea/dizziness/tiredness //  --A wave of nausea swept over me.//  a wave of violence/attacks/bombings //  --the recent wave of terrorist bombings//  --the latest crime wave to hit New York//\n  3 PEOPLE AND THINGS:   [C] a sudden increase in the number of people or things arriving at the same time//  wave of//  --a new wave of immigrants//  --They faced wave after wave of fresh troops.//\n  4 LIGHT AND SOUND:   [C] the form in which some types of energy such as light and sound travel//  sound/light/radio wave //    long wave,  medium wave,  short wave//\n  5 SIGNAL:   [C usually singular] a movement in which you raise your arm and move your hand from side to side//  --He dismissed her with a wave of the hand .//\n  6 [C] a feeling or activity that happens again and again in a series:  --The pain swept over him  in waves .//  -- Wave after wave of  aircraft passed overhead.//\n  7 HAIR:   [C usually plural] a loose curl in your hair//\n  8  make waves:   informal to cause problems, especially when you should not//  --With so many jobs already cut, he didn’t want to make waves.//\n  9  new wave:  a new style of music, art, film etc that is very different and unusual//  --new wave music//  new wave of//  --the new wave of Black feminist theorists//\n  10 [C usually singular]  AmE an occasion when many people who are watching an event stand up, move their arms up and down, and sit down again one after another in a continuous movement that looks like a wave moving on the sea:  British Equivalent:  Mexican wave//\n  11  the waves:   literary the sea//    airwaves,  shock wave//\nwave 2 W3S3 v   ----------//\n   1 hand:\n   2 move:\n   3 signal:\n   4 wave something goodbye/wave goodbye to something:\n   5 wave a magic wand:\n   6 hair:  Phrasal verbs//   wave something → aside//   wave somebody/something → down//   wave somebody → off//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: wafian  ’to wave with the hands’]//\n  1 HAND:   [I and T] to raise your arm and move your hand from side to side in order to make someone notice you//  wave to/at//  --She turned to wave to the approaching soldiers.//  --Enid waved at us and we waved back.//  wave (sb) goodbye (=say goodbye to someone by waving to them) //  --The nurses came out to wave Grandad goodbye.//\n  2 MOVE:   [I and T] if you wave something, or if it waves, it moves from side to side//  --The starter waved a green flag to indicate that the race would begin.//  --a tree waving in the breeze//  --He waved a hand in the air to attract her attention.//  wave sth under/at etc sb/sth//  --Trudie waved a $50 bill under his nose.//  wave sth around/about//  --The stranger spoke rapidly, waving his arms around.//\n  3 SIGNAL:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to show someone which way to go by waving your hand in that direction//  wave sb through/on/away etc//  --The border guards waved us through.//  --Peter waved them back to their seats.//\n  4  wave sth goodbye/wave goodbye to sth:   informal to be forced to accept that something you want will not happen//  --If you’re not careful, you can wave goodbye to any pay rise this year.//\n  5  wave a magic wand:  to make a bad situation better, even though this is impossible//  --I can’t wave a magic wand and change what happened.//\n  6 HAIR:   [I and T] if hair waves, or if it is waved, it forms loose curls//  wave aside [wave sth → aside] phr v//  to ignore someone’s opinion or ideas because you do not think they are important//  --He waved her protests aside.//  wave down [wave sb/sth → down] phr v//  to signal to the driver of a car to stop by waving at them//  --People in passing cars tried waving him down.//  wave off [wave sb → off] phr v//  to wave goodbye to someone as they leave//  --Are you coming to the station to wave me off?//


Words: wavelength
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 the size of a radio wave used to broadcast a radio signal:\n  2  technical the distance between two points on energy waves such as sound or light:\n  3  be on the same/a different wavelength:   informal to have the same or different opinions and feelings as someone else//  --Dad is just on a different wavelength from me.//


Words: waver
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old Norse; Origin: vafra]//\n  1 to become weaker or less certain:  --Her voice wavered uncertainly.//  --The students’ attention did not waver .//  waver in//  --Harris never wavered in his loyalty.//  waver from//  --We were determined not to waver from our goals.//\n  2 to not make a decision because you have doubts:  --Shareholders who were wavering met the directors.//  waver between sth and sth//  --The party wavered between free trade and protectionism.//\n  3 to move gently in several different directions:  --The candle flame wavered, throwing shadows on the wall.//


Words: waverer
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who cannot make a decision, especially in a vote//  --a final push to win over the waverers//


Words: Waverley Novels
Meaning:
thirty-two books and stories by the British writer Sir Walter Scott. The first book, Waverley, published in 1814, gave the series its name. //


Words: wax
Meaning:
n [U]   flame, wax, wick//  [Language: Old English; Origin: weax]//\n  1 a solid substance made of fat or oil and used to make candles, polish etc:  --wax crayons//\n  2 a natural sticky substance in your ears:    beeswax//\nwax 2 v   [Sense: 1,5; Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  WAX1]//  [Sense: 2-4; Origin: Old English weaxan  ’to grow’]//\n  1 [T] to rub a layer of wax into a floor, surface etc to protect it or make it shine:\n  2  wax sentimental/eloquent/lyrical etc:  to talk with extreme feeling, liking or pleasure about something - used humorously//  wax sentimental/eloquent/lyrical etc about//  --Journalists wax lyrical about the band.//\n  3 [I] when the moon waxes, it seems to get bigger each night:  → wane//\n  4  wax and wane:  to increase and decrease over time//  --Interest in the show has waxed and waned.//\n  5 [T] if you wax your legs, arms etc, you remove the hair from them using wax:


Words: waxed paper
Meaning:
also wax paper  n [U]  AmE   paper covered with a thin layer of wax, used to wrap food//  British Equivalent:  greaseproof paper//


Words: waxen
Meaning:
adj  literary \n  1 pale and shiny like wax:  --his pale, waxen face//\n  2 made from wax:  --waxen images//


Words: waxwork
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  waxworks:   BrE a place where you can see models of famous people made of  wax//  American Equivalent:  wax museum//\n  2 a  wax model of a person:


Words: waxy
Meaning:
adj   like  wax, or made of wax//  --the waxy blossoms of the water lily//  --young men with waxy faces//


Words: way
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 method:\n   2 manner:\n   3 direction/how to go somewhere:\n   4 part of something that is true:\n   5 distance/time:\n   6 the space in front of you:\n   7 make way (for something/somebody):\n   8 out of the way:\n   9 on the/your/its way:\n  10 be under way:\n  11 make your way:\n  12 push/grope/inch etc your way somewhere:\n  13 give way:\n  14 clear/pave/open/prepare etc the way (for something):\n  15 a/the way forward:\n  16 state/condition:\n  17 fact/event:\n  18 behaviour:\n  19 development/progress:\n  20 go some way towards doing something:\n  20 go a long way towards doing something:\n  21 choices/possibilities:\n  22 within two feet/ten years etc either way:\n  23 (in) one way or another:\n  23 one way or the other:\n  24 way around/round/up:\n  25 by way of something:\n  26 get in the way of something:\n  27 go out of your way to do something:\n  28 get/have your (own) way:\n  29 go your own way:\n  30 go somebody’s way:\n  31 come somebody’s way:\n  32 in a big/small way:\n  33 by a long way:\n  34 talk/buy etc your way into/past etc something/somebody:\n  35 work/munch/smoke etc your way through something:\n  36 be on the/your way out:\n  37 across/over the way:\n  38 have a way of doing something:\n  39 get into the way of doing something:\n  40 not in any way, shape, or form:\n  41 split something two/three etc ways:\n  42 have a way with somebody/something:\n  43 the way of the world:\n  44 every which way:\n  45 Way:\n  46 by the way:\n  47 no way!:\n  48 the way I see it:\n  48 to my way of thinking:\n  49 that’s the way:\n  50 that’s (just) the way something/somebody is:\n  50 that’s (just) the way something goes:\n  51 be with somebody all the way:\n  52 if I had my way:\n  53 have it your (own) way:\n  54 (there are) no two ways about it:\n  55 you can’t have it both ways:\n  56 way to go!:\n  57 (that’s/it’s) always the way!:\n  58 down your/London etc way:\n  59 go all the way (with somebody):  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: weg]//\n  1 METHOD:   [C] a method that you use to do or achieve something//  --There are several different ways we can tackle this problem.//  way of doing sth//  --Evening classes are one way of meeting new people.//  -- There’s no way of knowing if the treatment will work.//  way to do sth//  --What’s the best way to learn a language?//  in the same way/in different ways etc //  --Make the drink with boiling water in the same way as tea.//  --Animals communicate in various ways.//  (in) the right/wrong way //  --I think you’re going about this the wrong way .//  ways and means (=methods of doing something, especially ones that are secret or not yet decided) //  --There are ways and means of raising the money that we need.//  way out/out of/around//  --One way around the problem (=method of dealing with it) is recycling.//  --There seems to be no way out of the current economic crisis.//  way into television/publishing/finance etc (=a method of getting involved in a particular activity or type of work) //  --companies eager for a way into business in Europe//\n  2 MANNER:   [C] the manner or style in which someone does something or in which something happens//  --Look at the way he’s dressed!//  in a ... way//  --’Hello,’ he said in a friendly way.//  --Maria got up and took a shower in a leisurely way.//  (in) this/that way //  --I find it easier to work in this way (=like this) .//  --Sorry, I didn’t know you felt that way (=had that feeling or opinion) .//  --The drugs didn’t seem to affect Anna in the same way .//  that’s no way to do sth (=used to tell someone that they should not be doing something in a particular manner) //  --That’s no way to speak to your father!//  in more ways than one (=in a number of ways) //  --The changes will benefit the company in more ways than one.//  in sb’s (own) way (=in a personal way that other people may not recognize) //  --I’m sure he does love you, in his own way.//\n  3 DIRECTION/HOW TO GO SOMEWHERE:   [C] //  a) a road, path, direction etc that you take in order to get to a particular place//  the way to/from/out etc //  --Which is the quickest way to the sea from here?//  --There are several ways through the woods.//  ask/tell/show sb the way //  --Could you tell me the way to the station?//  --Does anyone know the way from here?//  --I was afraid of losing my way in the dark.//  --Can you find your way back to the car park?//  the way out (=the door, path etc which you can use to leave a building or area) //  --Which is the way out?//  the way in (=the door, path etc which you can use to enter a building or area) //  --She looked all around, but she couldn’t seem to find the way in.//  on sb’s way//   (=in the same direction as someone is going) //  --Want a lift? It’s on my way.//  out of sb’s way//   (=not in the same direction as someone is going) //  --I live miles out of your way.//  b) a particular direction from where you are now//  -- Which way is north?//  --Walk this way .//  --A big Mercedes was coming the other way  (=from the opposite direction) .//  --He left the house, looking carefully both ways.//\n  4 PART OF SOMETHING THAT IS TRUE:   [C] used to say that there is a fact or a feature of something that makes a statement or description true//  in a/one way //  --In one way you’re right, I suppose.//  in some/many ways //  --Working at home makes sense, in many ways.//  --Ben is a perfectly normal child in every way .//  --He never got mad at me. He was great in that way .//  in no way (=used to emphasize that something is not true) //  --This should in no way be seen as a defeat.//\n  5 DISTANCE/TIME:   [singular] a distance or a length of time, especially a long one//  --I was still a long way from home.//  some way/quite a way (=quite a long distance) //  --She had to park some way from the restaurant.//  a long way off/away/ahead etc (=far away in distance or in time) //  --A peace settlement now seems a long way off.//  --I don’t want to go all that way and not see him.//  all the way down/across/through etc (sth) (=the full distance or length of something) //  --Did you really swim all the way across?//  --I was awake all through the night.//  a (long) ways  AmE //  --That’s quite a ways from here, isn’t it?//\n  6 THE SPACE IN FRONT OF YOU:   [C usually singular] if someone or something is in the way, they are blocking the space in front of you, and you cannot move forward//  be in the way/be in sb’s way//   (=be blocking a road, someone’s path etc so that they cannot move forward easily) //  --There was a big truck in the way.//  --Sorry, am I in your way?//  --A policeman yelled at the crowds to get out of the way .//  --The way ahead was blocked.//\n  7  make way (for sth/sb):  a) to move to the side so that there is space for someone or something to pass//  --The crowd stepped aside to make way for the procession.//  b) to make it possible for something newer or better to be built, organized etc//  --Several houses were demolished to make way for a new road.//\n  8  out of the way:  a)  also out of sb’s way //  if someone or something is out of the way, they are somewhere where they are not likely to cause a problem, need attention, be annoying etc//  move/put/push etc sth out of the way //  --Why don’t you tie your hair back, out of the way?//  --If Uncle Tom had been drinking, I kept out of his way .//  --When Mac was safely out of the way , Peter came round.//  b) if a particular matter, job etc is out of the way, it has been done or dealt with//  --I’d rather get the interview out of the way in the morning.//  --As soon as the contract’s out of the way, we can start.//  c) a place that is out of the way is far from any towns//\n  9  on the/your/its way:  a) arriving or happening soon//  --There’s a letter on its way to you.//  --More changes are on the way.//  b) travelling towards a particular place//  --She should be on the way here by now.//  on the/your/its way to//  --The ships were already on their way to the gulf//  c) while going from one place to another//  on the/your/its way to/out/home etc//  --I ran out of gas on my way to the airport.//  --Guess who I bumped into on the way home.//  d)  also along the way //  while moving from one situation or part of your life to another//  --Don’s had to change jobs several times along the way.//  e) if someone has a baby on the way, they are pregnant//\n  10  be under way:  a) to have started to happen or be done//  --Plans are well under way for a new shopping centre.//  --The tournament got under way on Friday.//  b) to have started to move or travel somewhere//  --Our train was already under way.//\n  11  make your way:  a) to go towards something, especially when this is difficult or takes a long time//  make your way to/through/towards etc//  --The team slowly made their way back to base.//  make your own way (home/to sth etc) (=go somewhere without the help or company of other people) //  --Don’t worry. I can make my own way to the beach.//  b) to gradually become successful in a particular job, activity, profession etc//  --young people who are making their way in industry//\n  12  push/grope/inch etc your way somewhere:  to get somewhere by using force or moving carefully//  --She elbowed her way to the front of the queue.//  --He drank some water, then groped his way back to the bedroom.//\n  13  give way:  a) to be replaced by something else//  give way to//  --Stone has given way to glass and concrete.//  --My anger gave way to depression.//  b) to agree to do what someone else wants, instead of what you want, especially after a lot of discussion or argument//  --Despite growing pressure, the Minister of State refused to give way.//  give way to//  --Maria seemed to despise him for giving way to her.//  c) to break because of too much weight or pressure//  --The floor’s rotten and likely to give way.//  d)  BrE to stop or slow down when you are driving, in order to allow other vehicles to go first//  American Equivalent:  yield//  --In Britain, give way to cars coming from the right.//\n  14  clear/pave/open/prepare etc the way (for sth):  to make it possible for something to happen or develop later//  --a study that paved the way for further research//  --The Queen’s death opened the way for him to return.//\n  15  a/the way forward:  an action, plan etc that seems a good idea because it is likely to lead to success//  --A way forward lies in developing more economic links.//  a/the way forward for//  --This treatment may be the way forward for many inherited disorders.//\n  16 STATE/CONDITION:   [singular] a particular state or condition//  --My family was in a bad way financially.//  --The chicken’s nice and crispy - just the way I like it .//  --It’s worth thinking how you can improve the way things are .//  sb was born/made that way (=used to say that someone’s character is not likely to change) //  --He’ll always be mean - he was born that way.//\n  17 FACT/EVENT:   [singular] used to refer to something that happens//  --I hate the way you always give in to him.//\n  18 BEHAVIOUR:   [C] someone’s typical style of behaving, especially when it seems different or unusual//  be (just) sb’s way//  --Don’t worry if she’s quiet - that’s just her way.//  --Esther quickly changed the subject, as was her way .//  strange/funny/odd etc ways //  --We all have our funny little ways.//  change/mend your ways (=stop behaving badly) //    see the error of your ways at error(6),  be set in your ways at set3 (6)//\n  19 DEVELOPMENT/PROGRESS:   [singular] used in expressions about developing and improving//  --The team has a long way to go  (=needs to develop or improve a lot) before it can match that performance.//  --Microwave ovens have come a long way  (=have developed or improved a lot) since they first appeared in our kitchens.//  --Jen is now well on the way to recovery (=she has improved and will be well soon) .//\n  20  go some way towards doing sth:   also  go a long way towards doing sth//  to help a little or a lot to make something happen//  --ideas that go some way towards reducing environmental problems//\n  21 CHOICES/POSSIBILITIES:   [C] used when talking about two choices someone could make, or two possibilities that could happen//  --I’m not sure which way he’ll decide.//  --The election could go either way  (=both results are equally possible) .//  --Make your mind up one way or the other .//  either way (=used to say that something will be the same, whichever of two things happens) //  --Either way, it’s going to be expensive.//\n  22  within two feet/ten years etc either way:  no more than two feet etc more or less than a particular amount//  --Your answer must be within a centimetre either way.//\n  23  (in) one way or another:   also  one way or the other//  used to say that someone does or will do something somehow, although you are not sure how//  --One way or the other he always seems to win.//  --We’ll find the money, one way or another.//\n  24  way around/round/up:  a particular order or position that something should be in//  --Which way around does this skirt go?//  the other way around/round/up (=in the opposite order or position) //  --The picture should be the other way up.//  --Art reflects life, or is it the other way around (=is it ’life reflects art’) ?//  the right/wrong way around/round/up //  --Are the batteries in the wrong way round?//\n  25  by way of sth:  a)  also in the way of sth //  as a form or means of something//  --I’d like to say something by way of introduction.//  little in the way of sth  also //  not much/enough in the way of sth (=not much of something) //  --The town has little in the way of leisure facilities.//  b) if you travel by way of a place, you go through it//   via//  --We went by way of London.//\n  26  get in the way of sth:  to prevent someone from doing something, or prevent something from happening//  --Your social life must not get in the way of your studies.//\n  27  go out of your way to do sth:  to do something with more effort than is usual or expected//  --She went out of her way to make me feel welcome.//\n  28  get/have your (own) way:  to do what you want to, even though someone else wants something different//  --Don’t let the children always get their own way.//\n  29  go your own way:  to do what you want, make your own decisions etc//  --At 18, most young people are ready to go their own way.//\n  30  go sb’s way:  a) if an event goes your way, it happens in the way you want//  --The government are hopeful that the vote will go their way.//  everything/things/nothing goes sb’s way (=used to talk about events in general) //  b)  literary to continue a journey, or to leave and do what you want to do next//  --She said goodbye and went her way.//  c) to travel in the same direction as someone//  --I can take you - I’m going your way.//\n  31  come sb’s way:  if something comes your way, you get or experience it, especially by chance//  --Luck had come her way at the very last moment.//\n  32  in a big/small way:  used to talk about the degree to which something happens, or how important it is//  --The business was a success, in a small way.//\n  33  by a long way:  by a large amount//  --He was the best in the group by a long way.//\n  34  talk/buy etc your way into/past etc sth/sb:  to get where you want or achieve something you want by saying or doing something//  --Caroline managed to talk her way past the guard.//\n  35  work/munch/smoke etc your way through sth:  to deal with, eat, smoke etc a large amount of things//  --He worked his way through the pile of documents.//  --She had munched her way through a packet of biscuits.//\n  36  be on the/your way out:  to be becoming less popular, important, powerful etc//  --Is the royal family on the way out?//\n  37  across/over the way:  on the opposite side of the street//  --They live across the way from us at number 23.//\n  38  have a way of doing sth:  used to say that something often or usually happens//  --Cheer up - these problems have a way of working out.//\n  39  get into the way of doing sth:   BrE to start to do something regularly//  --He’d got into the way of smoking first thing in the morning.//\n  40  not in any way, shape, or form:  used to emphasize that something is not true//  --I am not responsible for his actions in any way, shape, or form.//\n  41  split sth two/three etc ways:   also divide sth two/three etc ways //  to divide something into two, three etc equal parts//  --We’ll split the cost between us five ways.//\n  42  have a way with sb/sth:  to be especially good at dealing with people or things of a particular type//  --David seems to have a way with children.//  --She’s always had a way with words  (=been good at using words effectively) .//\n  43  the way of the world:  how things always happen or are done, especially when this is not easy to change//  --In those days these policies favoured men. That was the way of the world.//\n  44  every which way:   informal //  a) in all directions//  --Bullets were flying every which way.//  b)  BrE every possible method//  --I tried every which way to avoid it.//\n  45  Way:  used in the names of roads//  --Church Way//\n  46  spoken  by the way:  used when saying something that is not related to the main subject you were talking about before//  --By the way, have you seen my keys anywhere?//\n  47  spoken  no way!:  a) used to say that you will definitely not do or allow something//  --’Can I borrow your car?’ ’No way!’//  -- There’s no way I’ll ever get married again.//  no way Jose! (=used to emphasize that you will not do something) //  b)  especially AmE used to say that you do not believe something or are very surprised by it//  --She’s 45? No way!//\n  48  spoken  the way I see it:   also  to my way of thinking//  used before telling someone your opinion//  --The way I see it, it was a fair trade.//\n  49  spoken  that’s the way:  used to tell someone that they are doing something correctly or well, especially when you are showing them how//  --Now bring your foot gently off the clutch - that’s the way.//\n  50  spoken  that’s (just) the way sth/sb is:   also  that’s (just) the way sth goes//  used to say that a particular situation or person cannot be changed//  --Don’t try to fight it. That’s just the way it is.//  --Sometimes Tim needs to be alone. That’s the way he is.//\n  51  spoken  be with sb all the way:  to agree with someone completely//  --I’m with you all the way on this salary issue, Joe.//\n  52  spoken  if I had my way:  used when telling someone what you think it would be best to do//  --If I had my way, we’d leave this place tomorrow.//\n  53  spoken  have it your (own) way:  used to tell someone in an annoyed way that you will agree to what they want//\n  54  spoken  (there are) no two ways about it:  used to say that something is definitely true, especially something unpleasant//\n  55  spoken  you can’t have it both ways:  used to say that you cannot have the advantages from both of two different possible decisions or actions//  --It’s a choice between the time and the money - you can’t have it both ways!//\n  56  spoken  way to go!:   AmE used to tell someone that they have done something very well or achieved something special//\n  57  spoken  (that’s/it’s) always the way!:   BrE used to say that things always happen in the way that is least convenient//  --The train was late - always the way when you’re in a hurry!//\n  58  spoken  down your/London etc way:  in your area, the area of London etc//\n  59  spoken  go all the way (with sb):  to have sex with someone//    halfway,  one-way,  right of way,  two-way,  that’s the way the cookie crumbles at cookie(3),  cut both ways at cut1 (36),  in the family way at family(7),  go the way of all flesh at flesh1 (9),  go your separate ways at separate1 (4),  know your way around (sth) at know1 (10),  be laughing all the way to the bank at laugh1 (8),  lead the way at lead1 (7),  look the other way at look1 (9),  out of harm’s way at harm1 (6),  parting of the ways at parting1 (3),  pay your way at pay1 (13),  to put it another way at put(4),  rub sb up the wrong way at rub1 (7),  see which way the wind is blowing at wind1 (6),  see your way (clear) to doing sth at see1 (39),  any way you slice it at slice2 ,  stand in sb’s way at stand1 (30),  where there’s a will there’s a way at will2 (5)//    work your way to/through etc sth at work1 (12)//\nway 2 S2 adv \n  1 very far:  way ahead/behind/out etc//  --The other cyclists were way behind.//  --She lives way out of town.//\n  2 by a large amount:  way above/below/past etc//  --Her IQ is way above average.//  way out//  --Your guess was way out (=completely incorrect) , he’s actually thirty-eight.//  way back//  --We first met way back (=a long time ago) in the 70s.//  way heavier/smarter/bigger etc (=much heavier etc) //  --The tickets were way more expensive than I thought.//\n  3  AmE  informal very:  --I think she’s way cool, man.//


Words: way of life plural
Meaning:
ways of life  n [C] \n  1 the behaviour, habits, customs etc that are typical of a particular society or person:  --The tribe’s traditional way of life is under threat.//  the American/British etc way of life //\n  2 a job or interest that is so important that it affects everything you do:  --For Mark, travelling has become a way of life .//


Words: way out plural
Meaning:
ways out  n [C] \n  1  BrE a door or passage through which you leave a building:   exit//\n  2 a way to escape a difficult or bad situation:  --He was in a dilemma, and could see no way out.//\n  3  on the/your way out:  a) if you do something on the way out, you do it as you leave a place//  --Pick up your mail on the way out.//  b) soon to be replaced by someone or something else//  --The old type of passport is on its way out.//    take the easy way out at easy1 (6)//    way out at way1 (3)//


Words: way station
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE \n  1  old-fashioned a place to stop between the main stations of a railway:\n  2 a place where you can stop before going on somewhere else:  way station to//  --The refugee camps, however dreadful, were a way station to their dream.//


Words: waybill
Meaning:
n [C]   a document sent with goods that says where the goods are to be delivered, how much they are worth, and how much they weigh//


Words: wayfarer
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: way +  farer  ’traveler’ (15-19 centuries) (from   FARE1)]//   literary someone who travels from one place to another on foot//


Words: waylay
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  waylaid  [T] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: way +  lay  ’to set a trap for’ (13-19 centuries)]//\n  1 if someone waylays you, they stop you when you are going somewhere, for example to attack you or talk to you:  --They used to waylay him as he came out of the factory.//\n  2 [usually passive] if you are waylaid, you are delayed when you are doing something - often used humorously to say why you are late:  --Sorry, we got waylaid at the bar.//


Words: Wayne
Meaning:
John   (1907-79) a US film actor who was famous especially for appearing in  westerns (=films about the American west in the 19th century) , such as  Stagecoach (1939) and  True Grit (1969). The characters he played were usually brave, strong, honest men who loved their country, and people think of him as representing typical American values. //


Words: Ways and Means Committee
Meaning:
a group of representatives in the government of a US state or in Congress who must find money for the government to spend//


Words: wayward
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: awayward  ’turned away’ (13-16 centuries), from  away +  -ward]//  behaving badly, in a way that is difficult to control//  --a wayward teenager//  -- waywardness n  [U] //


Words: wazoo
Meaning:
n  AmE   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: wazoo  ’anus’ (1900-2000)]//  out/up the wazoo//   informal in a large amount, or to a great degree//\nWBA 1   World Boxing Association one of the organizations responsible for controlling professional boxing. A boxer who holds a WBA title is described as a world champion.//


Words: WBC
Meaning:
the   World Boxing Council one of the organizations responsible for controlling professional  boxing. It was formed in 1963.//


Words: WBO
Meaning:
the   World Boxing Organization one of the organizations responsible for controlling professional boxing. The WBO began in 1998.//


Words: WBU
Meaning:
World Boxing Union one of the organizations responsible for controlling professional boxing, although it is not as well known as the four main controlling organizations, the  IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO.//


Words: we
Meaning:
pron [used as the subject of a verb]   [Language: Old English; Origin:]//\n  1 used by the person speaking or writing to refer to himself or herself and one or more other people:  --’Did you go into the supermarket?’ ’No, we didn’t.’//  --Shall we stop for a coffee?//  --So we all travelled down to Brighton together.//  --We declare our support for a government of national unity.//  --We Italians are proud of our history.//\n  2 used by a writer or speaker to include themselves and their readers or listeners:  --As we saw in Chapter 4, slavery was not the only cause of the Civil War.//\n  3 people in general:  --We live on a complex planet.//\n  4  formal used by a king or queen to refer to himself or herself:\n  5  spoken sometimes used to mean ’you’ when speaking to children or people who are ill:  --How are we feeling today, Mr. Robson?//


Words: We Plough the Fields and Scatter
Meaning:
a  hymn (=a song of praise to God)  sung in the UK at  Harvest Festivals. It begins:  We plough the fields and scatter/The good seed on the land,/But it is fed and watered/By God’s almighty hand...//


Words: We Shall Overcome
Meaning:
a  protest song written in 1960 by Pete  Seeger to an old traditional tune, which was especially popular during the  civil rights movement in the US, when it was often sung by large crowds at meetings and on protest marches. It is still sung by groups of people who are fighting against unfair laws or unfair governments.//


Words: We Three Kings
Meaning:
a Christmas carol (=a traditional religious song)  about the Three Kings or Wise Men who came from the East to visit the baby Jesus. It begins: We three kings of Orient are./Bearing gifts we travel afar...//


Words: we’d
Meaning:
1 the short form of ’we had’:  --We’d already eaten.//\n  2 the short form of ’we would’:  --We’d rather stay.//


Words: WEA
Meaning:
the   Workers’ Educational Association a British organization that arranges classes for adults, especially adults who started working at a young age and may not have had a good education//


Words: weak
Meaning:
W2S3   adj   ----------//\n   1 physical:\n   2 likely to break:\n   3 character:\n   4 without power:\n   5 without interest:\n   6 without energy:\n   7 not good at doing something:\n   8 money:\n   9 argument/idea:\n  10 drink:\n  11 light/sound:\n  12 weak points/spots:\n  13 weak at the knees:\n  14 weak moment:\n  15 the weak/weakest link:\n  16 weak verb:\n  17 weak consonant/syllable:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old Norse; Origin: veikr]//\n  1 PHYSICAL:  not physically strong//  --The illness left her feeling weak .//  --Poor light produces weak plants.//  be too weak to do sth //  --She’s too weak to feed herself.//  weak with/from//  --Nina was  weak with hunger .//  --The animal was weak from loss of blood.//  weak heart/lungs etc //  --My grandfather had a weak heart.//\n  2 LIKELY TO BREAK:  unable to support much weight//  --a weak bridge//  too weak to do sth //  --The branch was too weak to support his weight.//\n  3 CHARACTER:  easily influenced by other people - used to show disapproval//  --a weak indecisive man//\n  4 WITHOUT POWER:  not having much power or influence//  weak leader/ruler/king etc //  --a weak and ineffective president //  --The party was left weak and divided. //  --The country is in a weak position economically.//\n  5 WITHOUT INTEREST:  without the power to interest or amuse people//  --The play is well acted but the plot is weak.//  --a weak joke //\n  6 WITHOUT ENERGY:  done without energy or confidence//  --He managed a weak smile .//\n  7 NOT GOOD AT DOING SOMETHING:  not good at a particular skill or subject, or in a particular area of activity or knowledge//  weak in//  --New Zealand was weak in defense.//  weak on//  --She speaks quite fluently but she’s weak on grammar.//  --Be honest about your  weak points  (=your faults or the things you do not do well) .//\n  8 MONEY:  not financially successful//  weak currency/economy etc //  --The pound was weak against the dollar.//\n  9 ARGUMENT/IDEA:  not likely to make people believe that something is true or right//  --She’s washing her hair? That sounds like a  weak excuse !//  --There are some  weak points  in her argument.//  --The defence lawyer clearly knew that his case was weak.//\n  10 DRINK:  weak tea, beer etc contains a lot of water and has little taste//  → strong//\n  11 LIGHT/SOUND:  difficult to see or hear//   faint//  --a weak radio signal //  --He had only a weak light to see by.//\n  12  weak points/spots:  the parts of something that can easily be attacked or criticized//  --Check your house for weak spots where a thief could enter.//\n  13  weak at the knees:  feeling strange because of strong emotions//  --His smile made her go weak at the knees .//\n  14  weak moment:  a time when you can be persuaded more easily than usual//  --Dave caught me at a weak moment and I lent him [hA124]10.//\n  15  the weak/weakest link:  the person or thing in a situation that is less strong, skilful etc than the others//  --Goalkeeper Gouter proved to be the weakest link.//\n  16  weak verb:   technical a verb that forms regular past tenses//  → strong verb//\n  17  weak consonant/syllable:  one that is not emphasized//  -- weakly adv //  --"I’m sorry," she said, smiling weakly.//  --He sank down weakly beside her.//  ----------//  WORD FOCUS: weak //  person: puny,  feeble,  weedy (BrE),  frail,  fragile,  powerless,  vulnerable //  thing: fragile,  delicate,  flimsy,  rickety,  badly made,  jerry-built //  ----------//


Words: weaken
Meaning:
v [I and T] \n  1 to make someone or something less powerful or less important, or to become less powerful:  → strengthen//  --Over the last two years the president’s position has weakened.//  --Changes in policy have weakened the power of the trade unions.//  --The absence of this witness has weakened the case against the accused.//\n  2 to make someone lose their physical strength, or to become physically weak:  --Julia was weakened by her long illness.//\n  3 to make someone less determined, or to become less determined:  --Such policies weaken the resolve of potential troublemakers.//  --When she begged him to let her stay, he weakened.//\n  4 to make a building, structure etc less strong, or to become less strong:  --The earthquake in Cairo weakened a number of structures.//\n  5 if a particular country’s money or a company’s share prices weaken, or if they are weakened, their value is reduced:  weaken against//  --The pound has weakened against the dollar.//


Words: weaker sex
Meaning:
n   the weaker sex//   old-fashioned used to refer to women as a group, in a way that is now considered offensive//


Words: weakness
Meaning:
W3   n   ----------//\n   1 fault:\n   2 lack of power:\n   3 body:\n   4 character:\n   5 money:\n   6 a weakness for something:  ----------//\n  1 FAULT:   [C] a fault in someone’s character or in a system, organization, design etc//  --The legislation has a fundamental weakness.//  --The plan has strengths and weaknesses .//\n  2 LACK OF POWER:   [U] lack of strength, power, or influence//  weakness in//  --weakness in the economy//  weakness of//  --the growing weakness of local government//\n  3 BODY:   [U] the state of being physically weak//  --muscular weakness//  weakness in//  --weakness in the right arm//\n  4 CHARACTER:   [U] lack of determination shown in someone’s behaviour//  --He couldn’t explain his weakness in giving in to her demands.//  --I dared not cry or show any sign of weakness .//  weakness of//  --his weakness of character//\n  5 MONEY:   [U] the condition of not being worth a lot of money//  weakness of//  --the weakness of the pound against the dollar//\n  6  a weakness for sth:  if you have a weakness for something, you like it very much even though it may not be good for you//  --I have a real weakness for fashionable clothes.//


Words: weal
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: wale  ’weal’ (11-21 centuries), from  Old English walu]//  a red swollen mark on the skin where someone has been hit//


Words: wealth
Meaning:
W3   n   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin: weal  ’good condition of life, prosperity’ (11-19 centuries), from  Old English wela]//\n  1 [U] a large amount of money, property etc that a person or country owns:  --The country’s wealth comes from its oil.//  --the distribution of wealth  (=the way wealth is divided among the people of a country or society) //  --The purpose of industry is to create wealth .//\n  2  a wealth of sth:  a lot of something useful or good//  --There is a wealth of information available about pregnancy and birth.//


Words: wealthy
Meaning:
adj   comparative  wealthier superlative  wealthiest //\n  1 having a lot of money, possessions etc:   rich//  very/extremely/immensely/fabulously etc wealthy //  --He left as a poor, working class boy and returned as an extremely wealthy man.//  --the wealthy nations of the world see usage note  rich//\n  2  the wealthy [plural] people who have a lot of money, possessions etc:


Words: wean
Meaning:
v [T]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wenian]//  to gradually stop feeding a baby or young animal on its mother’s milk and start giving it ordinary food//  wean sb onto sth//  --It’s time to start weaning her onto solid foods.//  wean off/from [wean sb off/from sth] phr v//  to make someone gradually stop doing something you disapprove of//  --advice on how to wean yourself off nicotine//  be weaned on [be weaned on sth] phr v//  to be influenced by something from a very early age//  --I was weaned on a diet of Hollywood fantasy.//


Words: weapon
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: w[zB024]pen]//\n  1 something that you use to fight with or attack someone with, such as a knife, bomb, or gun:  nuclear/chemical/biological/atomic etc weapons //  --The police are still looking for the murder weapon .//  offensive weapon (=one that can be used to attack someone) //  --He was convicted of carrying an offensive weapon .//  --a debate calling for the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction //  lethal/deadly weapon (=one that can kill) //\n  2 an action, piece of information, piece of equipment etc that you can use to win or be successful in doing something:  --a new weapon in the fight against AIDS//  --Right now, she felt the need of every weapon in her armoury  (=weapon that she had) , including surprise.//


Words: weaponry
Meaning:
n [U]   weapons of a particular type or belonging to a particular country or group//  --nuclear weaponry//


Words: wear
Meaning:
v   past tense  wore /w[hA350][hA359] $ w[hA350][hA359]r///  past participle  worn /w[hA350][hA359]n $ w[hA350][hA359]rn///  ----------//\n   1 on your body:\n   2 hair:\n   3 damage:\n   4 wear well:\n   5 expression:\n   6 something is wearing thin:\n   7 wear the trousers:\n   8 wear your heart on your sleeve:  Phrasal verbs//   wear away//   wear down//   wear off//   wear on//   wear out//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: werian]//\n  1 ON YOUR BODY:   [T] to have something such as clothes, shoes, or jewellery on your body//  --Susanna was wearing a black silk dress.//  --He wore glasses for reading.//  wear a seat belt (=have it around yourself) //  wear black/white/red etc //  --Usually I wear black, grey, or brown.//  wear sth to a party/a dance/an interview etc //  --I’m wearing a scarlet dress to the party.//\n  2 HAIR:   [T] to have your hair or beard in a particular style or shape//  --She wore her hair loose.//\n  3 DAMAGE:   [I and T] to become thinner or weaker after continuous use, or to make something do this//  --The cushions are starting to wear a little.//  --His jeans have worn thin at the knees.//  --You’ve worn a hole in your sock.//\n  4  wear well:  a) to remain in good condition after a period of time//  --The tyres on the car seem to be wearing well.//  b) if someone is wearing well, they look younger than they really are//  --He must have been around his mid-forties at least, but he’d worn well.//\n  5 EXPRESSION:   [T] to have a particular expression on your face//  wear a smile/frown/grin etc //  --His face wore a welcoming smile.//\n  6  sth is wearing thin:  a) if something is wearing thin, you are bored with it because it is not interesting any more, or has become annoying//  --The film begins well but the joke wears thin after about ten minutes.//  b) if your patience is wearing thin, you have very little left, because of a delay or problem//\n  7  wear the trousers:   BrE wear the pants  AmE  informal to be the person in a family who makes the decisions//\n  8  wear your heart on your sleeve:   informal to show your true feelings openly//  -- wearable adj //  wear away phr v//  to gradually become thinner or smoother, or to make something become like this, because of rubbing or touching//  --The leather is starting to wear away at the seams.//  wear sth → away//  --Most of the grass had already been worn away by the spectators.//  wear down phr v//\n  1 to gradually become flatter or smoother, or to make something become like this, because of rubbing or use:  --My shoes have worn down at the heel.//  wear sth → down//  --Its teeth were worn down.//\n  2  wear sb → down:  to gradually make someone physically weaker or less determined//  --It was clear he was being worn down by the rumours over his future.//  wear off phr v//\n  1 if pain or the effect of something wears off, it gradually stops:  --The effects of the anaesthetic were starting to wear off.//\n  2  the novelty wears off:  used to say that you stop feeling interested or excited about something because it is no longer new//  --It was funny for a while but the novelty soon wore off.//  wear on phr v//  if time wears on, it passes very slowly, especially when you are waiting for something to happen//  --I was feeling more tired as the night wore on .//  wear out phr v//\n  1 to become damaged and useless, or to make something like this by using it a lot or for a long time:  --My boots are beginning to wear out.//  wear sth → out//  --He travels so much he actually wears out suitcases.//\n  2  wear sb out:  to make someone feel extremely tired//   exhaust//  --All this shopping has worn us out.//  wear yourself out//  --Illness and death came suddenly; over the years she had simply worn herself out.//\n  3  wear out your welcome:  to stay with someone longer than they want you to//    worn out//\nwear 2 n [U] \n  1 the clothes worn for a particular occasion or activity, or by a particular group of people:  evening/casual/leisure etc wear //  --a new range of casual wear//  --bridal wear//  --the children’s wear department//    footwear,  menswear//\n  2 damage caused by continuous use over a long period:  --Replace your trainers when they start to show signs of wear .//  --Check the equipment for wear and tear .//\n  3 the amount of use an object, piece of clothing etc has had, or the use you can expect to get from it:  --The dress stood up to the wear small children give their clothes.//  --You’ll get years of wear out of that coat.//    the worse for wear at worse1 (7)//


Words: wearer
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who wears a particular type of clothing, jewellery etc//  --Bicycle helmets offer wearers protection against head injury.//  --hearing aid wearers//


Words: weary
Meaning:
adj   [Language: Old English; Origin: werig]//\n  1 very tired or bored, especially because you have been doing something for a long time:  --She found Rachel in the kitchen, looking old and weary.//  --She sat down with a weary sigh.//  weary of (doing) sth//  --He was weary of the constant battle between them.//\n  2  especially literary very tiring:  --a long and weary march//  -- wearily adv //  -- weariness n  [U] //\nweary 2   past tense and past participle  wearied present participle  wearying third person singular  wearies  v [I and T] //   formal to become very tired or make someone very tired//  --Amanda wouldn’t admit how much the children wearied her.//  weary of (doing) sth//  --As the day wore on, we wearied of the journey.//  -- wearying adj //


Words: weasel
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: weosule]//  a small thin furry animal that kills and eats rats and birds//\nweasel 2 v   past tense and past participle  weaselled present participle  weaselling  BrE //  past tense and past participle  weaseled present participle  weaseling  AmE //  weasel out phr v//   informal to avoid doing something you should do by using clever or dishonest excuses//  weasel out of//  --He’s now in court trying to weasel out of $25 million in debts.//


Words: weasel word
Meaning:
n [C]    informal a word used instead of another word when someone wants to be less direct, honest, or clear//


Words: weather
Meaning:
n   [Language: Old English; Origin: weder]//\n  1 [singular, U] the temperature and other conditions such as sun, rain, and wind:  -- What’s the weather like  today?//  --a period of unusually hot weather//  --The weather turned bitterly cold.//  -- The weather forecast  said it would fine all day.//  --The weather map shows a ridge of high pressure coming in from the Atlantic.//  --The climbers reached the top, in spite of bad weather conditions .//  --changes in weather patterns  caused by global warming//  --I’m playing golf this afternoon - weather permitting .//\n  2  the weather:   informal a description on radio or television, in newspapers etc of what the weather will be like in the near future//   the weather forecast//  --I always watch the weather after the news.//\n  3  in all weathers:  in all types of weather, even when it is very hot or cold//  --There are homeless people sleeping on the streets in all weathers.//\n  4  under the weather:   informal slightly ill//  --You look a bit under the weather.//\n  5  keep a weather eye on sth:  to watch a situation carefully so that you notice anything unusual or unpleasant//  --Keep a weather eye on your finances.//    make heavy weather of sth at heavy1 (10)//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  what’s the weather like? //  good/bad weather //  the weather forecast (=a description of what the weather is expected to be like in the near future) //  weather map //  weather conditions //  weather patterns (=what the weather is usually like in a particular area ) //  weather permitting (=if the weather is good enough) //  weather centre British English //  /weather bureau American English (=a place where information about the weather is collected and where reports are produced) //  weather station (=a place or building used for studying and recording weather conditions) //  WORD FOCUS: weather //  good weather: sunny/fine used to describe weather or a day when there is a lot of sunshine //  nice/lovely/glorious very sunny and good //  bright if the weather is bright, the sun shines strongly //  there isn’t a cloud in the sky the sky is completely clear //  dry if the weather is dry, it does not rain //  fair sunny and not windy or rainy - used especially in weather forecasts //  rain: wet/rainy/damp used to describe weather or a day when there is a lot of rain //  unsettled if the weather is unsettled, it keeps changing and it often rains //  drizzle light rain which consists of very small drops of water //  shower a short period of rain //  downpour a short period when it suddenly rains very heavily //  it’s pouring down (BrE) it’s pouring rain (AmE) it is raining very hard //  it’s drizzling it is raining a little, with very small drops of rain //  snow: snowy used to describe weather or a day when there is a lot of snow //  sleet a mixture of snow and rain //  slush a mixture of partly melted snow and ice //  hail/hailstones frozen drops of rain, that fall as drops of ice //  blizzard a storm with a lot of snow and strong wind //  frost white powder that covers the ground when it is cold //  wind: windy used to describe a day or weather when there is a lot of wind //  blustery very windy //  breeze a gentle pleasant wind //  hurricane (in the Atlantic Ocean) /typhoon (in the Pacific Ocean) a violent storm with extremely strong winds //  cloudy: cloudy used to describe weather or a day when there are a lot of clouds in the sky  //  grey/dull cloudy and not bright //  overcast if the sky is overcast, it is very cloudy and dark, and it is likely to rain //  hazy not clear, especially because there is a slight mist caused by heat or smoke See also:  fog, mist//  hot: boiling/scorching/sizzling/blazing/burning/baking/broiling (hot) extremely hot //  sweltering very hot and humid //  warm a little hot, in a way that is pleasant //  balmy pleasantly warm, with a gentle wind blowing //  heatwave a period of unusually hot weather  //  cold: freezing (cold) extremely cold //  arctic extremely cold, usually with a lot of ice and snow //  wintry cold and snowy or rainy, like the weather in winter //  crisp if the air is crisp, it feels cold but pleasantly fresh and clear //  chilly a little too cold, in a way that makes you feel uncomfortable //  cool a little cold, in a way that is pleasant //  cold snap/cold spell a period of unusually cold weather //  ----------//\nweather 2 v \n  1 [T] to come through a very difficult situation safely:  --The company weathered the storm of objections to the scheme.//  --Northern Ireland weathered the recession better than any other region in the UK.//\n  2 [I and T] if rock, wood, or someone’s face is weathered by the wind, sun, rain etc, or if it weathers, it changes colour or shape over a period of time:  --The brick has weathered to a lovely pinky-brown.//  --Her face was weathered by the sun.//


Words: weather vane
Meaning:
n [C]   a metal object fixed to the top of a building that blows around to show the direction the wind is coming from//


Words: weather-beaten
Meaning:
adj   weather-beaten buildings, skin, clothing etc look old and damaged because they have been out in bad weather//  --his weather-beaten face//


Words: weatherboard
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U]  BrE boards covering the outer walls of a house:  American Equivalent:  clapboard//\n  2 [C] a board fixed across the bottom of a door, to prevent water from getting inside:


Words: weatherman
Meaning:
n   plural  weathermen /-men/ [C] //  a man on television or radio who tells you what the weather will be like//


Words: weave
Meaning:
v   past tense  wove /w[hA353][hA35E]v $ wo[hA35E]v///  past participle  woven /w[hA353][hA35E]v[hA368]n $ wo[hA35E]-///  ----------//\n   1 cloth etc:\n   2 story:\n   3 weave your magic/weave a spell:\n   4 move:  ----------//  [Sense: 1-3; Origin: Old English wefan]//  [Sense: 4; Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  Old Norse veifa  ’to wave’]//\n  1 CLOTH ETC:   [I and T] to make cloth, a carpet, a basket etc by crossing threads or thin pieces under and over each other by hand or on a loom//  --hand-woven scarves//  --Only a few of the women still weave.//  --traditional basket weaving//\n  2 STORY:   [T] to put many different ideas, subjects, stories etc together and connect them smoothly//  --She weaves a complicated plot of romance and intrigue.//  weave sth together//  --the complex patterns which evolve when individuals’ lives are woven together//\n  3  weave your magic/weave a spell:  to attract or interest someone very much//\n  4 MOVE:  past tense and past participle  weaved  [I always + adverb/preposition] to move somewhere by turning and changing direction a lot//  --cyclists weaving in and out of the traffic//  weave your way through/to etc sth//  --Lori spotted them as they weaved their way through the tables.//\nweave 2 n [C]   the way in which a material is woven, and the pattern formed by this//  --a fine weave//


Words: web
Meaning:
n   [Language: Old English; Origin:]//\n  1 [singular]  the Web:  the system on the Internet that allows you to find and use information that is held on computers all over the world//   the World Wide Web//  on the web//  --a guide to the best education-related sites on the Web//  2 [C] a net of thin threads made by a spider to catch insects//  --He watched a spider spinning its web .//    cobweb//\n  3 [C usually singular] a closely related set of things that can be very complicated:  a web of intrigue/deceit/deception/lies etc //  --a tangled web of relationships//\n  4 [C] a piece of skin that connects the toes of ducks and some other birds, and helps them to swim well:


Words: web browser
Meaning:
n [C]   a computer program that finds information on the Internet and shows it on your computer screen//


Words: web ring
Meaning:
webring/webr[hA366][hA26E]/ n [C]   a group of similar websites which are connected to each other by links, so that it is easy for people to find a lot of information on a particular subject on the Internet//  --a classical music web ring//


Words: webcast
Meaning:
n [C]   an event such as a musical performance which you can listen to or watch on the Internet//\nwebcast 2   past tense and past participle  webcast  v [I and T] //  to broadcast an event on the Internet, at the time the event happens//  --Various local news sites plan to webcast each of the mayoral debates.//


Words: webcasting
Meaning:
n [U]   the use of the Internet to send information, especially news or entertainment, to many people at the same time//


Words: weblog
Meaning:
web log/webl[hA361]g $ -l[hA361][hA359]g, -l[hA35A][hA359]g / n [C]   a website that is owned by a particular person or group of people rather than by an organization or company, and that has information about one or more subjects//    blog//


Words: webpage
Meaning:
web page/webpe[hA366]d[hA360]/ n [C]   all the information that you can see in one part of a website//


Words: website
Meaning:
n [C]   a place on the Internet where you can find information about something, especially a particular organization//  --For more information, visit our website .//  on a website//  --Responses will be posted  (=put)  on the Website .//


Words: Webster
Meaning:
Daniel   (1782-1852) a US politician who was Secretary of State from 1841 to1843 and from 1850 to 1852. He was also an important lawyer in the  Supreme Court and was especially famous for his skill at public speaking. He strongly believed that the  federal (=national)  government was more important than the individual governments in each US state. //\n Noah   (1758-1843) a US  lexicographer (=someone who writes dictionaries)  who produced his famous  American Dictionary of the English Language in 1828. His name is used for a series of dictionaries called  Webster’s dictionaries, which are the best-known English dictionaries produced in the US.//


Words: wed
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  wedded  or  wed  [I,T not in progressive] //  [Language: Old English; Origin: weddian]//  to marry - used especially in literature or newspapers//


Words: wedded
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1  formal married:  --a newly-wedded couple//  --my lawfully wedded wife//\n  2  wedded bliss:  the happiness that comes when you are married - used humorously//\n  3  be wedded to sth:  to believe strongly in a particular idea or way of doing things//  --On the whole the working class is still wedded to the Labour Party.//


Words: wedding
Meaning:
W3S2   n [C]   1 a marriage ceremony, especially one with a religious service//  --Do come to our wedding.//  wedding party/reception/breakfast etc (=a special meal or party that is held after a wedding) //  --a wedding present //  --cutting the wedding cake //  --We celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary  (=the date on which we were married in a previous year) next week.//  --a wedding dress  (=the dress worn by a woman who is getting married) //\n  2  (hear the sound of) wedding bells:   spoken used to say that you think it is likely that two people will get married//


Words: Wedding March
Meaning:
the   a piece of music that is traditionally played after a marriage ceremony when the  bride and  groom start to walk down the  aisle (=a passage between rows of seats)  of the church//    Here Comes the Bride//


Words: wedge
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wecg]//\n  1 a piece of wood, metal etc that has one thick edge and one pointed edge and is used especially for keeping a door open or for splitting wood:\n  2 a piece of food shaped like a wedge:  --Garnish with lemon wedges.//  wedge of//  --a wedge of cheese//\n  3  drive a wedge between sb:  to make the relationship between two people or groups worse//  --Their divorce has driven a wedge between the two families.//    the thin end of the wedge at thin1 (11)//\nwedge 2 v [T always + adverb/preposition] \n  1 to force something firmly into a narrow space:  --The phone was wedged under his chin.//  --Victoria wedged herself into the passenger seat.//\n  2  wedge sth open/shut:  to put something under a door, window etc to make it stay open or shut//


Words: wedge heels
Meaning:
also wedges   n [plural]   shoes worn by women, with high heels that are a solid block from the front of the shoe to the back//  -- wedge-heel adj  [only before noun] //


Words: Wedgwood
Meaning:
trademark   a type of fine  china, such as plates or bowls, made by the British company Wedgwood, which was established in the 18th century. Wedgwood china is often pale blue or pale green, with white designs or figures on it. The blue colour used in Wedgwood china is sometimes called Wedgwood blue.//


Words: wedlock
Meaning:
n [U]  old use   [Language: Old English; Origin: wedlac, from  wedd  ’something given to show that a promise will be kept’ +  -lac  ’actions, activity’]//\n  1  born out of wedlock:  if a child is born out of wedlock, its parents are not married when it is born//\n  2 the state of being married:


Words: Wednesday
Meaning:
n  written abbreviation Wed.  or Wed  [U and C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wodnesd[zB024]g, from  Woden  ’Odin’ +  d[zB024]g  ’day’]//  the day between Tuesday and Thursday//  on Wednesday//  --The sale starts on Wednesday.//  --We can go Wednesday. AmE//  Wednesday morning/afternoon etc //  --I saw Vicky on Wednesday evening.//  last Wednesday //  --They left last Wednesday.//  this Wednesday //  --Come down this Wednesday.//  next Wednesday (=Wednesday of next week) //  --I can let you know next Wednesday.//  a Wednesday//   (=one of the Wednesdays in the year) //  --’Are you free on the 19th?’ ’Is that a Wednesday?’//


Words: wee
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: wee  ’small amount, short time’ (13-20 centuries), from  Old English w[zB024]ge  ’weight’]//\n  1  informal very small - used especially in Scottish English:  --My wee boy is three.//\n  2  a wee bit:   informal to a small degree//  --She looked a wee bit confused.//\n  3  the wee (small) hours:   AmE the early hours of the morning, just after 12 o’clock at night//  British Equivalent:  the small hours//  --The party continued into the wee small hours.//\nwee 2 v [I]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Probably from the sound of urinating]//   BrE  spoken to pass water from your body - used by or to children//   urinate//  -- wee n  [singular] //  --Do you want a wee?//


Words: Wee Frees
Meaning:
the   a humorous name for the members of the  Free Church of Scotland, a small Christian group with churches mainly in the Highlands of Scotland//


Words: Wee Willie Winkie
Meaning:
a character in a  nursery rhyme (=an old song or poem for young children) . The rhyme goes: Wee Willie Winkie runs through the town,/Upstairs and downstairs in his nightgown.//


Words: wee-wee
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  WEE2]//   spoken to pass water from your body - used by or to children//   urinate//  -- wee-wee n  [singular] //


Words: weed
Meaning:
n   [Language: Old English; Origin: weod]//\n  1 [C] a wild plant growing where it is not wanted that prevents crops or garden flowers from growing properly:  --the constant battle against weeds//\n  2 [U] a plant without flowers that grows on water in a large green floating mass:    seaweed//\n  3 [C]  BrE  informal someone who is weak:  --Nigel’s such a weed, isn’t he?//\n  4  like weeds:  in large numbers//  --Cars clogged the roads like weeds.//\n  5  the weed:   informal cigarettes or tobacco//\n  6 [U]  old-fashioned  cannabis:\n  7  (widow’s) weeds:   old use black clothes worn by a woman whose husband has died//\nweed 2 v [I and T]   to remove unwanted plants from a garden or other place//  -- weeding n  [U] //  weed out [weed sb/sth → out] phr v//  to get rid of people or things that are not very good//  --The research will help governments to weed out ineffective aid schemes.//


Words: weedy
Meaning:
adj  informal \n  1 full of unwanted wild plants:\n  2  BrE physically weak or having a weak character:


Words: week
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wicu]//\n  1 a period of seven days and nights, usually measured in Britain from Monday to Sunday and in the US from Sunday to Saturday:  once/twice/three times etc a week //  --Letters were delivered twice a week only.//  --I can’t see you this week .//  last/next week (=the week before or after this one) //  --See you next week.//\n  2 any period of seven days and nights:  for a week/two weeks etc //  --I’ve been living here for six weeks.//  in a week/two weeks etc (=one, two etc weeks from now) //  --If he hasn’t phoned in a week, I’ll phone him.//  --It will cost you an estimated [hA124]10 per week to feed one dog.//  --The training program lasts three weeks.//\n  3 the part of the week when you go to work, usually from Monday to Friday:   working week//  --a 35-hour week//  during the week//  --I don’t see her during the week.//\n  4  Monday week/Tuesday week etc:   BrE a week after the day that is mentioned//  --We’re off to Spain Sunday week.//\n  5  a week on Monday etc:   BrE a week from Monday etc  AmE a week after the day that is mentioned//  --The Reids are coming for dinner a week from Sunday.//  --Keith’s coming home two weeks on Saturday (=two weeks after next Saturday) .//\n  6  week after week:   also week in week out //  continuously for many weeks//  --I just seem to do the same things week in week out.//


Words: weekend
Meaning:
n [C]   Saturday and Sunday, especially considered as time when you do not work//  --Are you doing anything nice this weekend ?//  last/next weekend (=the weekend before or after this one) //  at the weekend  BrE //  on the weekend  AmE //  --I never work at the weekend.//  --What are you doing on the weekend?//  at weekends  BrE //  on weekends  AmE //  --I only see him at weekends.//  --Tony has been unwell over the weekend  (=during the weekend) .//  --We’re going to Paris for a long weekend  (=Saturday and Sunday, and also Friday or Monday, or both) .//  weekend cottage/cabin etc (=a place in the country where you spend your weekends) //    dirty weekend at dirty1 (2)//\nweekend 2 v [I always + adverb/preposition]   to spend the weekend somewhere//  --We’re weekending on the coast.//


Words: weekly
Meaning:
S3   adj [only before noun]   happening or done every week//  --a weekly current affairs programme//  --twice-weekly flights//  -- weekly adv //  --The magazine is published weekly.//\nweekly 2   plural  weeklies  n [C] //  a magazine that appears once a week//  --a popular news weekly//


Words: weenie
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: wiener]//\n  1 a type of sausage:   wiener, hot dog//  --a weenie roast//\n  2 someone who is weak, afraid, or stupid - used especially by children:   wimp//


Words: weep
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  wept /wept///  [Language: Old English; Origin: wepan]//\n  1 [I and T]  formal  or  literary to cry, especially because you feel very sad:  --James broke down and wept.//  weep for//  --She wept for the loss of her mother.//  --He wept bitterly  (=cried a lot) when it was time for us to leave.//\n  2  I could have wept:   spoken used to say that you felt very disappointed about something//  --I could have wept thinking what I’d missed.//\n  3 [I] if a wound weeps, liquid comes out of it:  -- weep n  [singular] //


Words: weepy
Meaning:
adj  informal   tending to cry a lot//\nweepy 2  weepie  plural  weepies  n [C]  informal //  a film or story that is intended to make people cry//


Words: weevil
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wifil]//  a small insect that feeds on grain, flour etc and spoils it//


Words: weft
Meaning:
n   [Language: Old English; Origin:]//  the weft//   technical the threads in a piece of cloth that are woven across the threads that go from top to bottom//   woof//    warp//


Words: weigh
Meaning:
S3   v   ----------//\n   1 be a particular weight:\n   2 measure weight:\n   3 consider/compare:\n   4 influence:\n   5 weigh your words:\n   6 weigh anchor:  Phrasal verbs//   weigh somebody → down//   weigh in//   weigh on somebody/something//   weigh something → out//   weigh somebody/something → up//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: wegan  ’to move, carry, weigh’]//\n  1 BE A PARTICULAR WEIGHT:   [linking verb] to have a particular weight//  --The young birds weigh only a few grams.//  --Do you know how much it weighs ?//  -- What  (=how much) do you weigh ?//  --The box was full of books and weighed a ton  (=was very heavy) .//\n  2 MEASURE WEIGHT:   [T] to use a machine to discover how much something or someone weighs//  --He weighed some potatoes on the scales.//  weigh yourself//  --Have you weighed yourself lately?//\n  3 CONSIDER/COMPARE:   also  weigh up//   [T] to consider something carefully so that you can make a decision about it//  --It is my job to weigh the evidence.//  weigh sth against sth//  --We have to weigh the benefits of the scheme against the costs.//\n  4 INFLUENCE:   [I always + adverb/preposition]  formal to influence someone’s opinion and the decision that they make//  weigh against//  --This unfortunate experience will weigh heavily against further investment in the area.//  weigh in sb/sth’s favour//  --These facts will weigh in your favour.//  weigh with//  --Her evidence weighed strongly with the judge.//\n  5  weigh your words:  to think very carefully about what you say because you do not want to say the wrong thing//  --He was weighing his words carefully.//\n  6  weigh anchor:  to raise an anchor and sail away//  weigh down [weigh sb → down] phr v//\n  1 if something weighs you down, it is heavy and difficult to carry:  be weighed down with sth//  --Sally was weighed down with shopping bags.//\n  2 if a problem weighs you down, it makes you feel worried and upset:  be weighed down by/with sth//  --He felt weighed down by his responsibilities.//  --a family weighed down with grief//  weigh in phr v//\n  1 to have your weight measured before taking part in a competition:  weigh in at//  --Higgins weighed in at just over 100 kilos.//    weigh-in//\n  2  informal to join in an argument or fight:  weigh in with//  --The chairman then weighed in with his views.//  weigh on / [weigh on sb/sth] phr v//  to make someone feel worried and upset//  --The desire for peace will weigh heavily on the negotiators.//  --I’m sure there’s something weighing on his mind .//  --The burden of responsibility weighed heavily on his shoulders .//  weigh out [weigh sth → out] phr v//  to measure an amount of something by weighing it//  --She weighed out half a kilo of rice.//  weigh up [weigh sb/sth → up] phr v//\n  1 to consider something carefully so that you can make a decision about it:  --We’re still weighing up the pros and cons  (=the advantages and disadvantages) of the two options.//\n  2 to watch someone and listen to them carefully so that you can form an opinion about what they are like:  --I could see that he was weighing me up.//


Words: weigh-in
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   a check on the weight of a boxer or jockey before a competition//    weigh in(1)//


Words: weight
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 amount somebody/something weighs:\n   2 how fat:\n   3 heaviness:\n   4 heavy thing:\n   5 worry:\n   6 importance:\n   7 amount:\n   8 for measuring quantities:\n   9 for sport:\n  10 throw your weight about/around:\n  11 throw your weight behind somebody/something:\n  12 pull your weight:\n  13 take the weight off your feet:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: wiht]//\n  1 AMOUNT SOMEBODY/SOMETHING WEIGHS:   [U and C] how heavy something is when you measure it//  --The average weight of a baby at birth is just over seven pounds.//  in weight//  --fish that are over two kilos in weight//  by weight//  --Fruit and vegetables are sold by weight.//\n  2 HOW FAT:   [U] how heavy and fat someone is//  --You shouldn’t worry about your weight.//  --He put on weight when he was at university.//  --She’s lost a lot of weight recently.//  --He was having to watch his weight for the first time in his life.//  --How have you kept your weight down ?//  --Sara’s convinced she has a weight problem .//  --a sudden large weight gain //    overweight,  underweight//\n  3 HEAVINESS:   [U] the fact that something is heavy//  --The weight of her boots made it hard for Sue to run.//  --I didn’t know if the bridge would support our weight .//  under the weight of sth//  --Karen staggered along under the weight of her backpack.//\n  4 HEAVY THING:   [C] something that is heavy//  --I can’t lift heavy weights because of my bad back.//\n  5 WORRY:   [C] something that causes you a lot of worry because you have to deal with it//  weight of//  --She felt a great weight of responsibility.//  --families who are crumbling under the weight of increasing debt//  --Selling the house is a weight off my mind  (=something that no longer causes a lot of worry) .//\n  6 IMPORTANCE:   [U] if something has weight, it is important and influences people//  --She knew that her opinion carried very little weight .//  give/add weight to sth //  --This scandal adds more weight to their arguments.//\n  7 AMOUNT:   weight of sth//  a large amount of something//  --The weight of evidence is that unemployment leads to all sorts of health problems.//  --The weight of public opinion is behind the teachers.//  --They won the battle by sheer weight of numbers  (=very large numbers of people) .//\n  8 FOR MEASURING QUANTITIES:   [C] a piece of metal that weighs an exact amount and is balanced against something else to measure how much the other thing weighs//  9 FOR SPORT//   [C] a piece of metal that weighs an exact amount and is lifted by people as a sport//  --I’ve been lifting weights since I was 18.//    weightlifting//\n  10  throw your weight about/around:   informal to use your position of authority to tell people what to do in an unpleasant and unreasonable way//\n  11  throw your weight behind sb/sth:  to use all your power and influence to support someone or something//  --The US has thrown its weight behind the new leader.//\n  12  pull your weight:  to do your full share of work//  --He accused me of not pulling my weight.//\n  13  take the weight off your feet:   informal used to tell someone to sit down//  --Come in, take the weight off your feet.//    deadWEIGHT//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 2 //  put on/gain weight (=get fatter) //  lose weight (=get thinner) //  watch your weight  (=try not to get fatter, by eating the correct foods) //  get/keep your weight down also get/keep the weight off (=become thinner or stay thin) //  weight problem (=a tendency to be too fat) //  weight gain/loss //  weight control (=ways of not getting too fat) //  somebody’s ideal weight //  ----------//\nweight 2 v [T] \n  1  also  weight down:  to fix a heavy object to something in order to keep it in place//  weight sth (down) with sth//  --The fishing nets are weighted down with lead.//\n  2 to change something slightly so that you give more importance to particular ideas or people:  weight sth in favour of sb/sth//  --There is always a temptation to weight the report in favour of the option you want.//


Words: weight training
Meaning:
n [U]   the activity of lifting specially shaped pieces of metal that weigh an exact amount, as a form of exercise//  --He does weight training at the gym twice a week.//


Words: Weight Watchers
Meaning:
trademark   an international organization that helps people who want to become thinner. Its members go to regular meetings, where they get advice about how to  diet and where they all support each other and praise members who have succeeded in losing weight.//


Words: weighted
Meaning:
adj   giving an advantage or disadvantage to one particular group or activity//    biased//  weighted against//  --The voting system is weighted against the smaller parties.//  weighted in favour of sb/sth //  --This year’s pay increase is heavily weighted in favour of the lower paid staff.//  weighted towards//  --The course is weighted towards language skills.//


Words: weighting
Meaning:
n [singular, U]    BrE additional money that you get paid because of the high cost of living in a particular area//  --salary [hA124]24,000 plus [hA124]2,400 London weighting//


Words: weightless
Meaning:
adj   something that is weightless seems to have no weight, especially when it is floating in space or water//  -- weightlessness n  [U] //


Words: weightlifting
Meaning:
n [U]   the sport of lifting specially shaped pieces of metal that weigh an exact amount//  -- weightlifter n  [C] //


Words: weighty
Meaning:
adj \n  1 important and serious:  --She didn’t feel like discussing weighty matters over dinner.//\n  2  literary heavy:  --a weighty tome (=a big and heavy book) //


Words: Weill
Meaning:
Kurt   (1900-50) a German  composer, who wrote the music for  The Threepenny Opera, for which Bertolt  Brecht wrote the words//


Words: Weimar
Meaning:
a city in central Germany, where many important writers, such as  Goethe and  Schiller, lived in the 18th and 19th centuries//


Words: Weimar Republic
Meaning:
the   the first German  republic, which was established in 1919 at a meeting in the city of  Weimar. It faced difficult economic problems, including very high  inflation, and ended when Hitler took control of the country in 1933.//


Words: weir
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wer]//  a low fence or wall that is built across a river or stream to control the flow of water, or to make a pool where people can catch fish//


Words: weird
Meaning:
S2   adj   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: weird  ’what happens to a person in life, fate, (bad) luck’ (11-18 centuries), from  Old English wyrd]//   informal very strange and unusual, and difficult to understand or explain//  --A really weird thing happened last night.//  --He’s a weird bloke.//  --They sell all sorts of weird and wonderful  (=very strange) products.//  -- weirdly adv //  --a weirdly shaped rock//  -- weirdness n  [U] //


Words: weirdo
Meaning:
n   plural  weirdos  [C] //   informal someone who wears strange clothes or behaves strangely//  --Jenny’s going out with a real weirdo.//


Words: welcome
Meaning:
W2S3   v [T] \n  1 to say hello in a friendly way to someone who has just arrived:   greet//  --I must be there to welcome my guests.//  --They welcomed us warmly .//  --His family welcomed me with open arms  (=in a very friendly way) .//\n  2 to be glad to accept something:  --The college welcomes applications from people of all races.//  --We would welcome any advice or suggestions with open arms .//\n  3 to be glad that something has happened because you think it is a good idea:  --Economists have welcomed the decision to raise interest rates.//\nwelcome 2 W3S2 adj \n  1 if someone is welcome in a place, other people are glad that they are there:  --I had the feeling I wasn’t really welcome.//  --I didn’t feel welcome in the club.//  --Mary made us very welcome .//  --We try to make the new students feel welcome .//\n  2 if something is welcome, you enjoy it because you feel that you need it:  --The weekend was a welcome break from the pressures of work.//  --Six months in Scotland would make a welcome change from London.//  --A cup of tea would be very welcome.//\n  3 if something is welcome, you are glad that it has happened:  --The increase in interest rates is welcome news for investors.//  --This new funding will come as a welcome boost for the industry.//\n  4  be welcome to sth:   spoken used to say that someone can have something if they want it, because you certainly do not want it//  --If you want to take the job you’re welcome to it!//\n  5  be welcome to do sth:   spoken used to invite someone to do something if they would like to//  --You’re welcome to stay for lunch.//\n  6  you’re welcome!:   spoken a polite way of replying to someone who has just thanked you for something//  --’Thanks for the coffee.’ ’You’re welcome.’//\nwelcome 3 n [singular] \n  1 the way in which you greet someone when they arrive at a place:  warm/friendly welcome //  --His colleagues gave him a very warm welcome when he returned to work.//  --You can be sure of a friendly welcome at all our hotels.//  --The president got a tremendous welcome at the airport.//\n  2 the way in which people react to an idea, and show that they like it or do not like it:  --Politicians have given an enthusiastic welcome to the Queen’s speech.//  --The proposals have so far received a cautious welcome from government ministers.//\n  3  outstay/overstay your welcome:  to stay at someone’s house longer than they want you to//\nwelcome 4 interjection   [Language: Old English; Origin: wilcume, from  wilcuma  ’person you are glad to have as a guest’, from  willa (  WILL2) +  cuma  ’someone who comes’; influenced by  well]//  used to greet someone who has just arrived//  welcome to//  --Welcome to London!//  -- Welcome back - it’s good to see you again.//  --Hello, welcome home .//


Words: welcome wagon
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE an event that is organized to welcome someone who has just arrived in a new place//  --The company is bringing out the welcome wagon for the new sales recruits.//


Words: welcoming
Meaning:
adj \n  1 someone who is welcoming is friendly when you arrive in a place:  --Everyone was very welcoming.//  --Stephanie was standing at the door with a welcoming smile.//\n  2 a welcoming place is pleasant and makes you feel relaxed:  --a restaurant with a welcoming atmosphere//\n  3 [only before noun] done or organized in order to welcome someone to a place:  welcoming committee/party //  --I was met by a welcoming committee.//  --a welcoming speech//


Words: weld
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: well  ’to weld’ (15-19 centuries), from  Old English wellan;   WELL5]//\n  1 [T] to join metals by melting their edges and pressing them together when they are hot:  --The new handle will have to be welded on.//\n  2 [T always + adverb/preposition] to join or unite people into a single strong group:  --His job is now to weld the players into a single team.//    arc welding//\nweld 2 n [C]   a joint that is made by welding two pieces of metal together//


Words: welfare
Meaning:
W2S3   n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: well fare  ’to fare well’]//\n  1 someone’s welfare is their health and happiness:  --Our only concern is the children’s welfare.//\n  2 help that is provided for people who have personal or social problems:  welfare benefits/services/programmes etc //  --the provision of education and welfare services//  --The company’s welfare officer deals with employees’ personal problems.//\n  3  AmE money that is paid by the government in the US to people who are very poor or unemployed:  British Equivalent:  benefit//  on welfare//  --Most of the people in this neighborhood are on welfare.//


Words: welfare state
Meaning:
n \n  1  the welfare state:  a system in which the government provides money, free medical care etc for people who are unemployed, ill, or too old to work//    social security//\n  2 [C] a country with such a system:


Words: well
Meaning:
adv   comparative  better /bet[hA353] $ -[hA353]r/superlative  best /best///  ----------//\n   1 satisfactorily:\n   2 thoroughly:\n   3 a lot:\n   4 do well:\n   5 as well:\n   6 as well as something/somebody:\n   7 may/might/could well:\n   8 may/might/could (just) as well:\n   9 can’t very well (do something):\n  10 know full/perfectly well:\n  11 speak/think well of somebody:\n  12 well done!/well played!:\n  13 well said!:\n  14 be well away:\n  15 be well in with somebody:\n  16 be well out of something:\n  17 be well up in/on something:\n  18 as well somebody might/may:\n  19 do well by somebody:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: wel]//\n  1 SATISFACTORILY:  in a successful or satisfactory way//  --Did you sleep well?//  --James reads quite well for his age.//  --All the team played very well today.//  --Simon doesn’t work well under pressure.//  --The festival was very well organized.//  --The concert went very well .//\n  2 THOROUGHLY:  in a thorough way//  --Mix the flour and butter well.//  --I know Birmingham quite well.//\n  3 A LOT:  a) a lot, or to a great degree//  well before/after/above/below etc//  --Stand well back from the bonfire.//  --It was well after 12 o’clock when they arrived.//  --The village is well below sea level.//  --The amphitheatre is well worth a visit.//  --I’m well aware of the problems involved.//  --I went out and got well and truly  (=completely) drunk.//  b)  [+ adjective]  BrE  informal very//  --That was well funny!//\n  4  do well:  a) to be successful, especially in work or business//  --He’s doing very well at college.//  --Elizabeth’s done well for herself since she moved to London.//  b) if someone who has been ill is doing well, they are becoming healthy again//  --He had the operation yesterday, and he’s doing very well.//\n  5  as well:  in addition to something or someone else//  --Why don’t you come along as well? see usage note  also//\n  6  as well as sth/sb:  in addition to something or someone else//  --They own a house in France as well as a villa in Spain.//  as well as doing sth//  --The organization gives help and support to people in need, as well as raising money for local charities.//\n  7  may/might/could well:  used to say that something is likely to happen or is likely to be true//  --What you say may well be true.//  --You could try the drugstore, but it might well be closed by now.//\n  8  may/might/could (just) as well:  a)  informal used when you do not particularly want to do something but you decide you should do it//  --I suppose we may as well get started.//  b) used to mean that another course of action would have an equally good result//  --The taxi was so slow we might just as well have gone on the bus.//\n  9  can’t very well (do sth):  used to say that you cannot do something because it would be unacceptable//  --I can’t very well tell him we don’t want him at the party!//\n  10  know full/perfectly well:  used to say that someone does know something even though they are behaving as if they do not//  --You know full well what I mean.//\n  11  speak/think well of sb:  to talk about someone in an approving way or to have a favourable opinion of them//  --Sue has always spoken well of you.//\n  12  well done!/well played!:   spoken used to praise someone when you think they have done something very well//\n  13  well said!:   spoken used to say that you agree with what someone has just said, or that you admire them for saying it//\n  14  be well away:   BrE  informal //  a) to be making good progress//  --If we can get that grant from the local authority, we’ll be well away.//  b) to be very drunk//\n  15  be well in with sb:   informal to have a friendly relationship with someone, especially someone important//  --She’s very well in with members of the management committee.//\n  16  be well out of sth:   BrE  spoken to be lucky to no longer be involved in a particular situation//\n  17  be well up in/on sth:   informal  especially BrE to know a lot about a particular subject//  --Geoff’s always been well up on the lnternet.//\n  18  as well sb might/may:   formal used to say that there is a good reason for someone’s feelings or reactions//  --Marilyn looked guilty, as well she might.//\n  19  do well by sb:   informal to treat someone generously//  ----------//  GRAMMAR: well, good //  Good is an adjective : a good attempt | Her English is very good. //  !! Good is not used as an adverb in standard English. Use  well : He speaks English extremely well. //  The comparative form of both  good  and  well  is  better : His first book was better. (adj)| We’ll play better next time. (adv) //  The superlative form of both  good  and  well  is  best : Who is the best singer? (adj)| You can use brown or white sugar, but brown works best. (adv) //  ----------//\nwell 2 interjection   ----------//\n   1 emphasizing something:\n   2 pausing:\n   3 accepting a situation:\n   4 showing surprise:\n   5 showing anger:\n   6 final remark:\n   7 expressing doubt:\n   8 changing something:\n   9 agreeing:\n  10 continuing a story:\n  11 asking a question:  ----------//\n  1 EMPHASIZING SOMETHING:  used to emphasize something you are saying//  --Well, I think it’s a good idea anyway.//  --Well, I’ve had enough and I’m going home!//  --’James doesn’t want to come to the cinema with us.’ ’ Well then , let’s go on our own.’//\n  2 PAUSING:  used to pause or give yourself time to think before saying something//  --Well, let’s see now, I could meet you on Thursday.//\n  3 ACCEPTING A SITUATION:   also oh well //  used to show that you accept a situation even though you feel disappointed or annoyed about it//  --Well, I did my best - I can’t do any more than that.//  --Oh well, we’ll just have to cancel the holiday, I suppose.//\n  4 SHOWING SURPRISE:   also well, well, (well) //  used to express surprise or amusement//  --Well, so Steve got the job?//  --Well, well, well, I didn’t think I’d see you here.//\n  5 SHOWING ANGER:  used to express anger or disapproval//  --Well, she could at least have phoned to say she wasn’t coming!//\n  6 FINAL REMARK:  used to show that you are about to finish speaking or doing something//  --Well, that’s all for today.//  --Well, that’s the last one done.//\n  7 EXPRESSING DOUBT:  used to show that you are not sure about something//  --’Will you be in on Friday evening?’ ’Well, it depends.’//\n  8 CHANGING SOMETHING:  used to slightly change something that you have said//  --He’s rolling in money! Well, he’s got a lot more than me, anyway.//\n  9 AGREEING:   very well//   formal used to show that you agree with an idea or accept a suggestion//  --’Very well,’ he said. ’I accept.’//\n  10 CONTINUING A STORY:  used to continue a story you are telling people, especially in order to make it seem more interesting//  --You know that couple I was telling you about the other day? Well, last night I saw a police car in front of their house!//\n  11 ASKING A QUESTION:   Well?//  used to ask someone to answer a question you have asked them, when you are angry with them//  --Well? What have you got to say for yourself?//\nwell 3 S1 adj   comparative  better superlative  best //\n  1 healthy:  --’How are you?’ ’Very well, thanks.’//  --I don’t feel very well .//  --You’re looking very well .//  --I hope you get well again soon.//\n  2  it is just as well (that):   spoken used to say that things have happened in a good or fortunate way//  --It’s just as well I kept some money aside for emergencies.//\n  3  it’s/that’s all very well, but ...:   spoken used to say that something seems to be a good idea, but is not really possible or helpful//  --It’s all very well the doctors telling me I’ve got to rest, but who’s going to look after my children?//\n  4  that’s/it’s all well and good:   spoken  especially BrE used to say that something is good or enjoyable, but it also has some disadvantages//  --Going off on foreign holidays is all well and good, but you’ve got to get back to reality sometime.//\n  5  it might/would be as well:   spoken used to give someone advice or make a helpful suggestion//  --It might be as well to make him rest for a few days.//\n  6  all is well/all is not well:   formal used to say that a situation is satisfactory or not satisfactory//  --All is not well with their marriage.//\n  7  all’s well that ends well:  used after a situation has ended in a satisfactory way//\nwell 4 n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: welle]//\n  1 a deep hole in the ground from which people take water:  --She lowered her bucket into the well.//\n  2 an oil well:\n  3 the space in a tall building where the stairs are:\nwell 5  also well up  v [I]  literary   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: well  ’to cause to boil’ (11-15 centuries), from  Old English wellan]//\n  1 if a liquid wells or wells up, it comes to the surface of something and starts to flow out:  --I felt tears well up in my eyes.//\n  2 if a feeling wells or wells up in you, you start to feel it strongly:  --Anger welled up within him.//


Words: Well of Loneliness
Meaning:
The   a novel by British writer Radclyffe Hall about a lesbian relationship. It upset many people when it was published in 1928, and selling it was illegal for about 20 years.//


Words: well trodden
Meaning:
adj \n  1  well-trodden path/track/route etc:   BrE a path that is used a lot by people//  --Follow the very well-trodden path to the summit.//\n  2 used to describe an idea or a course of action that has been used many times in the past:  well-trodden path/road/ground etc //  --Andrew was on his well-trodden path to conquering another willing lady.//


Words: well-adjusted
Meaning:
adj   emotionally healthy and able to deal well with the problems of life//  --a happy, well-adjusted child//


Words: well-advised
Meaning:
adj   you would be well-advised to do sth//  used when you are strongly advising someone to do something that will help them avoid trouble//  --You would be well-advised to accept his offer.//


Words: well-appointed
Meaning:
adj  formal   a well-appointed room, house, or hotel has attractive furniture and all the equipment that you need//  --He showed me to a large, well-appointed room.//


Words: well-balanced
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a well-balanced meal or diet contains all the different things you need to keep you healthy:\n  2 a well-balanced person is sensible and does not allow strong emotions to control their behaviour:


Words: well-behaved
Meaning:
adj   behaving in a calm polite way, and not being rude or violent//  --a well-behaved child//  --a very well-behaved dog//  --The crowd was noisy but well-behaved.//


Words: well-being
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 a feeling of being comfortable, healthy, and happy:  well-being of//  --We are responsible for the care and well-being of all our patients.//  a sense/feeling of well-being //  --A good meal promotes a feeling of well-being.//  physical/psychological/material etc well-being //  --the physical and emotional well-being of the children//\n  2 the well-being of a country is the state in which it is strong and doing well:  --We are now concerned for the economic well-being of the country.//


Words: well-bred
Meaning:
adj  old-fashioned   someone who is well-bred is polite, and behaves as if they come from a family of high social class//  --a well-bred, courteous young man//


Words: well-chosen
Meaning:
adj   chosen carefully and so very suitable//  --good food and well-chosen wines//  --He encouraged us with a few well-chosen words .//


Words: well-developed
Meaning:
adj   fully developed or formed and able to function very well//  --well-developed back muscles//  --well-developed reading skills//


Words: well-disposed
Meaning:
adj   feeling friendly towards a person or positive about an idea or plan//  well-disposed to/towards//  --I did not feel particularly well-disposed towards him.//


Words: well-documented
Meaning:
adj   if something is well-documented, people have written a lot about it and so the facts about it are clear//  --His life is remarkably well-documented.//  --These are all well-documented facts.//


Words: well-earned
Meaning:
adj   something that is well-earned is something you deserve because you have worked hard//  --a well-earned rest//  --a well-earned drink//


Words: well-educated
Meaning:
adj   someone who is well-educated has had a lot of education and has a lot of knowledge about many different things//


Words: well-endowed
Meaning:
adj  informal \n  1 a woman who is well-endowed has large breasts - often used humorously:\n  2 a man who is well-endowed has a large penis - often used humorously:


Words: well-established
Meaning:
adj   something that is well-established has existed for a long time and is respected or trusted by people//  --a well-established law firm//  --a well-established scientific theory//


Words: well-founded
Meaning:
adj   a belief or feeling etc that is well-founded is based on facts or good judgment//  --My suspicions proved to be well-founded.//


Words: well-grounded
Meaning:
adj \n  1  well-grounded in sth:  fully trained in an activity or skill//  --The soldiers were well-grounded in survival skills.//\n  2  well-founded:  --My fears were well-grounded.//


Words: well-informed
Meaning:
adj   someone who is well-informed knows a lot about one particular subject or about many subjects//  well-informed about//  --Most people are not very well-informed about the disease.//  --We had a serious and well-informed debate.//


Words: well-intentioned
Meaning:
adj   trying to be helpful to people, but actually making things worse for them//  --well-intentioned grandparents who interfere between parents and children//


Words: well-kept
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a well-kept building or garden is very well cared for and looks neat and clean:\n  2 a well-kept secret is known only to a few people:


Words: well-known
Meaning:
adj   comparative  better-known superlative  best-known //  known by a lot of people//  it is well-known (that)//  --It’s a well-known fact that smoking can cause lung cancer.//  --This is probably their best-known song.//  --a well-known TV presenter//  well-known for//  --He was well-known for his extreme political views.//


Words: well-meaning
Meaning:
adj   intending to be helpful, but not succeeding//  --A lot of problems can be caused by well-meaning friends.//  --He’s very well-meaning, but he doesn’t really understand what’s going on.//


Words: well-meant
Meaning:
adj   something you say or do that is well-meant is intended to be helpful, but does not have the result you intended//  --His comments were well-meant but a little tactless.//


Words: well-off
Meaning:
adj   comparative  better-off superlative  best-off //\n  1 having a lot of money, or enough money to have a good standard of living:  → badly-off//  --children from well-off families//  --Many pensioners are less well-off  (=have less money) than they used to be. see usage note  rich//\n  2  be well-off for sth:  having plenty of something, or as much of it as you need//  --We’re well-off for public transport here.//\n  3  you don’t know when you’re well-off:   BrE  spoken used to tell someone that they are more fortunate than they realize//


Words: well-preserved
Meaning:
adj \n  1 someone who is well-preserved is getting old, but does not look as old as they are:\n  2 a well-preserved building or object is old but still in good condition:  --the remarkably well-preserved ruins of the church//


Words: well-rounded
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a well-rounded person has a range of interests and skills and a variety of experience:  --well-rounded graduates//\n  2 well-rounded education or experience of life is complete and varied:  --She has a well-rounded background in management.//\n  3 a woman who is well-rounded has a pleasantly curved figure:   shapely//


Words: well-stocked
Meaning:
adj   having a large supply and variety of things, especially food or drink//  --a well-stocked supermarket//


Words: well-thought-out
Meaning:
adj   carefully and thoroughly planned//  --a well-thought-out design//  --All the menus are well-thought-out.//


Words: well-timed
Meaning:
adj   said or done at the most suitable moment//   timely//  --a well-timed remark//  --My arrival wasn’t very well timed.//


Words: well-to-do
Meaning:
adj \n  1 rich and with a high social position:  --well-to-do families//\n  2  the well-to-do:  people who are rich//


Words: well-tried
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   a well-tried method or principle has been used many times before and has always been successful//   tried and tested//  --a well-tried formula for success//


Words: well-turned-out
Meaning:
adj   someone who is well-turned-out wears nice, good quality clothes//  --Our customers want to be served by people who are well-turned-out.//


Words: well-versed
Meaning:
adj   knowing a lot about something//  well-versed in//  --countries not so well-versed in technological advances as our own//


Words: well-wisher
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who shows by their behaviour that they like someone and want them to succeed, be happy etc//  --The prince waved at the crowd of 600 well-wishers.//


Words: well-woman
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   providing medical care and advice for women, to make sure that they stay healthy//  --a well-woman clinic //


Words: well-worn
Meaning:
adj \n  1 worn or used for a long time:  --a well-worn jacket//\n  2 a well-worn expression, phrase etc has been repeated so often that it is no longer interesting or effective:  --well-worn excuses//


Words: Weller
Meaning:
Sam   a character in The Pickwick Papers by Charles  Dickens. Sam is Mr Pickwick’s servant, and when Mr Pickwick is sent to prison, Sam goes with him to look after him.//


Words: Welles
Meaning:
Orson   (1915-85) a US actor, film  director,  producer, and writer, famous especially for the film  Citizen Kane (1941), which many people consider to be one of the greatest films ever made, and for his radio play  The  War of the Worlds, which in 1938 made thousands of people in the US believe that the Earth was really being attacked by creatures from Mars. Other films include  The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) and  The Third Man (1949).//


Words: Wellington
Meaning:
the capital city of New Zealand, on the  North Island, the country’s second-largest city and an important port//\n Duke of     Duke of Wellington, the//


Words: wellington
Meaning:
n  also wellington boot  [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Duke of  Wellington (1769-1852), English soldier who wore long boots]//   BrE a rubber boot that stops your foot getting wet//


Words: wellness
Meaning:
n [U]    AmE the state of being healthy//  --The college has established a wellness program for its students.//


Words: Wells
Meaning:
H.G.   (1866-1946) a British writer of  novels and political essays. His best-known works are his  science fiction novels such as  The Time Machine and  The War of the Worlds.//


Words: wellspring
Meaning:
n [C]  literary \n  1 a large amount of a personal quality:  wellspring of//  --There was a wellspring of courage within her.//\n  2 the situation or place where something begins:  wellspring of//  --Las Vegas became the wellspring of a new style of family values.//


Words: welly
Meaning:
n   plural  wellies  [C]  BrE  informal //  [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: wellington]//  a wellington (=kind of boot) //


Words: Welsh
Meaning:
adj   relating to Wales, its people, or its original language//\nWelsh 2 n   [Language: Old English; Origin: w[zB024]lisc,  welisc  ’Celtic, Welsh, foreign’, from  Wealh  ’Celt, Welsh person, foreigner’]//\n  1  the Welsh [plural] people from Wales:\n  2 [U] the original language used in Wales:


Words: welsh
Meaning:
welch/wel[hA35D] $ wel[hA35D], welt[hA35D]/ v [I]  informal   to not do something you have promised to do, such as paying someone money that you owe//  --I never welch on my bets.//


Words: Welsh Assembly
Meaning:
the parliament for Wales which was established in 1999 and has the power to make laws in Wales. The leader of the parliament is the First Secretary, and its 60 members are called AMs - Assembly Members. They are elected by a system of  proportional representation.//


Words: Welsh dresser
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a piece of wooden furniture consisting of drawers and cupboards in the lower part and shelves on top//  American Equivalent:  hutch//


Words: Welsh Office
Meaning:
the   the British government department responsible for carrying out the government’s policies in Wales. It is led by the Secretary of State for Wales, who is a member of the British  cabinet.//


Words: welt
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Perhaps from an unrecorded  Old English wealt,  w[zB024]lt]//  a painful raised mark on someone’s skin, for example where they have been hit//


Words: welter
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: welter  ’state of confusion’ (16-19 centuries), from  welter  ’to roll about, be in a state of confusion’ (14-20 centuries), from  Middle Dutch welteren or  Middle Low German weltern]//  a welter of sth//  a large and confusing amount or number of something//  --There is a welter of information on the subject.//


Words: welterweight
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: welter  ’heavy rider or boxer’ (19-20 centuries) (probably from  welt  ’to hit’ (19-20 centuries)) +  weight]//  a boxer who weighs less than 66.68 kilograms, and who is heavier than a lightweight but lighter than a middleweight//


Words: wench
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin: wenchel  ’child’ (11-14 centuries), from  Old English wencel]//   old use a girl or young woman, especially a servant//


Words: wend
Meaning:
v   [Language: Old English; Origin: wendan]//  wend your way//   literary to move or travel slowly from one place to another//  wend your way through/towards/home etc//  --The procession wended its way through the streets.//


Words: Wendy
Meaning:
one of the children visited by  Peter Pan in the children’s story  Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie. The name Wendy was invented by Barrie.//


Words: werewolf
Meaning:
n   plural  werewolves /-w[hA35E]lvz/ [C] //  [Language: Old English; Origin: werwulf, from  wer  ’man’ +  wulf  ’wolf’]//  a person who, in stories, changes into a wolf every month when the moon is full//


Words: Wesley
Meaning:
John   (1703-91) an English religious leader who started a new type of Christianity called  Methodism. He travelled around the country speaking to large numbers of people, and held his meetings outside rather than in churches.//


Words: Wesleyan
Meaning:
n [C]   a member of the Christian group established by John  Wesley//   Methodist//  -- Wesleyan adj //  --a Wesleyan chapel//


Words: Wessex
Meaning:
an ancient  Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the south and southwest of England, which continued until England became united in the 9th century. The writer Thomas Hardy used the name Wessex in his novels to mean the southwestern  counties of England, especially Dorset.//


Words: West
Meaning:
n \n  1  the West:  the western part of the world and the people that live there, especially Western Europe and North America//  --the industrial countries of the West//\n  2 the western part of the US:    Midwest,  West Coast//\nwest 1  West n [singular, U] \n  1 the direction towards which the sun goes down, and which is on the left if you are facing north:  from/towards the west//  --A damp wind blew from the west.//  to the west (of sth)//  --a village to the west of Brussels//\n  2  the west:  the western part of a country or area//  --There’s a slight chance of some sunshine in the west.//  the west of//  --the west of the island//\nwest 2  West written abbreviation W  adj [only before noun]   [Language: Old English; Origin:]//\n  1 in the west or facing the west:  --the west door of the church//  --farmers in West Africa//\n  2 a west wind comes from the west:\nwest 3 adv  written abbreviation W \n  1 towards the west:  --The route then heads west over Gerrick Moor.//  west of//  --The walk starts at Alnham, six miles west of Bridge of Aln.//  --a west-facing window//\n  2  out west:  to or in the western part of a country or area, especially the US//  --The family moved out west to Kansas.//\n  3  go west:   BrE  old-fashioned //  a) to die - used humorously//  b) to be damaged or ruined - used humorously//


Words: West Bank
Meaning:
the West Bank//  the land west of the Jordan River and the Dead Sea between Israel and Jordan, which the Israelis took control of in 1967 in the  Arab-Israeli War, but which the Palestinian Arabs consider to be their land..//


Words: West Country
Meaning:
n   the West Country//  the parts of England that are furthest south and west, especially Devon and Cornwall//


Words: West End
Meaning:
n   the West End//  the western part of central London, where there are large shops, theatres, expensive hotels etc//


Words: West Germany
Meaning:
also the Federal Republic of Germany   a former country in western Europe, between France and East Germany, whose capital city was Bonn. In 1949 Germany was split into two countries: the western part became West Germany or the Federal Republic of Germany, and the eastern part became  East Germany or the  German Democratic Republic, a communist country. The two countries joined together again in 1990 to become Germany, after the fall of the  Berlin Wall.//  -- West German n  adj //


Words: West Ham
Meaning:
a British football club from east London, officially called ’West Ham United’ and informally called ’the Hammers’//


Words: West Indies
Meaning:
the West Indies//  a) the islands of the Caribbean Sea, between the southeast of the US and the north of South America, including the Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Barbados, and Dominica//  b) an international  cricket team made up of players from the islands of the West Indies that formerly belonged to the UK//


Words: West Point
Meaning:
another name for the United States Military Academy, where officers of the US Army are given a university education and trained//


Words: West Side Story
Meaning:
a  musical (=a play that uses singing and dancing to tell a story)  by Leonard  Bernstein, based on the play  Romeo and Juliet by William  Shakespeare, in which a boy and a girl in New York City fall in love, although they come from different gangs, one of which consists of Puerto Rican people. The original stage musical, produced in 1957, was made into a successful film in 1961.//


Words: West Virginia
Meaning:
WV a state in the eastern central US, that has many mountains. Its capital and largest city is Charleston, and its industries include coal, steel, and farming.//


Words: westbound
Meaning:
adj   travelling or leading towards the west//  --Westbound traffic is moving very slowly.//  --an accident on the westbound carriageway of the motorway//


Words: westerly
Meaning:
adj \n  1 towards or in the west:  --We set off in a westerly direction .//\n  2 a westerly wind comes from the west:\nwesterly 2   plural  westerlies  n [C] //  a wind that comes from the west//\nwestern 1  Western/west[hA353]n $ -[hA353]rn/ adj  written abbreviation W \n  1 in or from the west of a country or area:  --the western end of the bay//  --Western Australia//\n  2 relating to ideas and ways of doing things that come from Europe and the Americas:  --Western philosophies//    country and western//\nwestern 2 n [C]   a film about life in the 19th century in the American West, especially the lives of cowboys//


Words: Western Conference
Meaning:
the   a group of professional  basketball teams from the western part of the US, which play against one another. Together with the  Eastern Conference, a similar group from the eastern US, these teams form the  NBA.//


Words: Western Europe
Meaning:
the western part of Europe or the countries in it, especially the ones that did not have Communist governments, such as France or the Netherlands//


Words: Western Front
Meaning:
the Western Front//  an area in northern France and Belgium where many battles of World War I were fought. The armies of the Allies (=Britain, France etc)  and of Germany were based in  trenches (=long, deep holes in the ground)  and suffered terrible conditions and great loss of life.//


Words: Western Isles
Meaning:
the Western Isles//  a  region in northwest Scotland consisting of the Outer Hebrides islands of Harris, Lewis, North and South Uist, and Barra. Its main town is Stornoway.//


Words: western medicine
Meaning:
n [U]   the type of medical treatment that is standard in Europe and North America//    alternative medicine//


Words: Western Sahara
Meaning:
a country on the coast of west Africa, south of Morocco and east of Mauritania. Population: 250,559 (2001). Capital: El Aai[hA17B]n.//


Words: Westerner
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone from the western part of the world:\n  2  AmE someone from the western part of the US:


Words: westernize
Meaning:
also  westernise BrE   v [T usually passive]   to bring customs, business methods etc that are typical of Europe and the US to other countries//  --Tunisian culture has been westernized.//  -- westernization/west[hA353]na[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ -t[hA353]rn[hA353]-/ n  [U] //


Words: westernized
Meaning:
also  westernised BrE   adj   using the customs, behaviour etc typical of the US or Europe//  --westernised economies//


Words: Westminster
Meaning:
1  also the City of Westminster :  a  borough (=a part of a city which is responsible for managing its own schools, roads etc)  which contains a large part of west central London, including  Westminster Abbey, the  Houses of Parliament, and  Buckingham Palace//\n  2 the British  Houses of Parliament:  --Westminster was buzzing with anticipation today as MPs gathered for tonight’s crucial vote.//


Words: Westminster Abbey
Meaning:
a very large  gothic church in Westminster, London, first built in the 11th century. Almost all British kings and queens since  William the Conqueror have been crowned in the Abbey and many famous people are buried there.//


Words: Westminster Cathedral
Meaning:
the main Roman Catholic church in England and Wales, famous especially for its Byzantine design and stations of the Cross//


Words: westward
Meaning:
towards the west//  --The ship turned westward, away from the coast.//  -- westward adj //  --westward flights//


Words: wet
Meaning:
W3S2   adj   comparative  wetter superlative  wettest //  ----------//\n   1 water/liquid:\n   2 weather:\n   3 paint/ink etc:\n   4 person:\n   5 baby:\n   6 somebody is all wet:\n   7 be wet behind the ears:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: w[zB024]t]//\n  1 WATER/LIQUID:  covered in or full of water or another liquid//  → dry//  --I’ve washed your shirt but it’s still wet.//  --wet grass//  get (sth) wet //  --Take an umbrella or you’ll get wet.//  wet with//  --His face was wet with sweat.//  --The man in the boat was wet through  (=completely wet) .//  soaking/dripping/sopping wet (=very wet) //  --The towel was soaking wet.//\n  2 WEATHER:  rainy//  --There’s more wet weather on the way.//  -- It’s very wet outside.//  --the wettest summer on record//\n  3 PAINT/INK ETC:  not yet dry//  --The paint’s still wet.//\n  4 PERSON:   BrE  informal someone who is wet does not have a strong character, or is not willing to do something that you think they should do - used to show disapproval//  --Don’t be so wet! Just tell them you don’t want to go.//\n  5 BABY:  if a child or its  nappy is wet, the nappy is full of  urine//\n  6  sb is all wet:   AmE  informal someone is completely wrong//\n  7  be wet behind the ears:   informal very young and without much experience of life//  -- wetly adv //  -- wetness n  [U] //  ----------//  WORD FOCUS: wet //  very wet: soaked,  drenched //  a little wet: damp,  moist //  wet and soft: soggy //  when the air feels wet: humid,  damp,  muggy //  ----------//\nwet 2   past tense and past participle  wet  or  wetted present participle  wetting  v [T] //\n  1 to make something wet:  --Wet your hair and apply the shampoo.//\n  2 to make yourself, your clothes, or your bed wet because you pass water from your body by accident:  wet yourself//  --I nearly wet myself I was so scared.//  --Sam’s wet his bed again.//\nwet 3 n \n  1  the wet:  the rain//  in the wet//  --The path is steep and dangerous in the wet.//\n  2 [C]  BrE a politician who belongs to the conservative party, and who supports very moderate ideas - used to show disapproval:  --Tory wets//\n  3 [C]  BrE  informal someone who does not have a strong character, or is not willing to do something that you think they should do - used to show disapproval:  --Go on! Don’t be such a wet!//


Words: wet blanket
Meaning:
n [C]    informal someone who seems to want to spoil other people’s fun, for example by refusing to join them in something enjoyable that they are doing//


Words: wet suit
Meaning:
n [C]   surfboard, wetsuit//  a tight piece of clothing, usually made of rubber, worn by people who are swimming, surfing etc in the sea//


Words: wet-look
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   wet-look clothes have a shiny surface so that they look as if they are wet//


Words: wetback
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE  taboo   a very offensive word for someone from Mexico who has come to the US illegally. Do not use this word.//


Words: wetland
Meaning:
n [>C often plural, U]   an area of land that is partly covered with water, or is wet most of the time//


Words: wetting solution
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a liquid used for storing  contact lenses in, or for making them more comfortable to wear//


Words: Wexford
Meaning:
1 a  county in the southeast of the Republic of Ireland:\n  2 the  county town of Wexford, where the Wexford Festival, an international  festival of  opera, takes place every autumn:


Words: whack
Meaning:
v [T]  informal   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  Probably from the sound of hitting]//\n  1 to hit someone or something hard:  whack sb/sth with sth//  --He kept whacking the dog with a stick.//\n  2  BrE  spoken to put something somewhere:  whack sth in/on/under etc sth//  --Just whack the bacon under the grill for a couple of minutes.//\nwhack 2 n [C]  especially spoken \n  1 the act of hitting something hard, or the noise this makes:  --She gave the ball a whack and it flew into the air.//  --Singleton took a whack at  (=tried to hit) Miller’s head.//\n  2  BrE an amount of something:  (the) full whack //  --If you’re unemployed, you don’t have to pay the full whack  (=the full amount) .//  --There’s still a fair whack  (=quite a large amount) of work to be done.//  --These agencies charge top whack for tickets.//\n  3  do your whack (of sth):   BrE to do a fair or equal share of a job or activity//  --I’ve done my whack of the driving - it’s your turn.//\n  4  have a whack at sth:   BrE take a whack at sth  AmE to try to do something//  --’Are you any good at doing maths?’ ’I’ll have a whack at it.’//\n  5  in one whack:   AmE all on one occasion//  --Steve lost $500 in one whack.//\n  6  out of whack:   AmE if a system, machine etc is out of whack, the parts are not working together correctly//  --The printer’s out of whack again.//


Words: whacked
Meaning:
adj [not before noun]  informal \n  1  also whacked out :  very tired//  --You look absolutely whacked.//\n  2  whacked out:   AmE behaving strangely, especially because of having too much alcohol or drugs//\n  3  also whack :   AmE  informal a whacked situation is very strange, especially in an unacceptable way//  --Everyone was running around naked. It was totally whacked.//


Words: whacking
Meaning:
adj   whacking great//   BrE  spoken very big//   whopping//  --We got a whacking great gas bill this morning.//


Words: whale
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: hw[zB024]l]//\n  1 a very large animal that lives in the sea and looks like a fish, but is actually a mammal:\n  2  have a whale of a time:   informal to enjoy yourself very much//\nwhale 2 v [I]  AmE   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  Perhaps from  wale  ’to mark someone’s skin by hitting them’ (15-20 centuries), from  wale  ’weal’;   WEAL]//  whale into/on sb/sth//  to start hitting someone or something//


Words: whalebone
Meaning:
n [U]   a hard substance taken from the upper jaw of whales, used in the past for making women’s clothes stiff//


Words: wham
Meaning:
interjection \n  1 used to describe the sound of something suddenly hitting something else very hard:  --Wham! The car hit the wall.//\n  2 used to express the idea that something very unexpected suddenly happens:  --Life is going along nicely and then, wham, you lose your job.//  -- wham n  [C] //


Words: whammy
Meaning:
n [singular]  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Probably from  wham]//\n  1  double/triple whammy:  two or three unpleasant things that happen at or around the same time and cause problems or difficulties for someone or for people in general//  --The government’s policy is higher tax and higher interest rates. It’s a double whammy.//\n  2  put the whammy on sb:   AmE to use magic to make someone have bad luck//


Words: wharf
Meaning:
n   plural  wharves /w[hA350][hA359]vz $ w[hA350][hA359]rvz/ [C] //  [Language: Old English; Origin: hwearf]//  a structure that is built out into the water so that boats can stop next to it//


Words: Wharton
Meaning:
Edith   (1862-1937) a US writer of  novels, several of which have been made into films. Her novels include The Age of Innocence, The House of Mirth, and Ethan Frome.//


Words: whassup
Meaning:
wassup/w[hA361]s[hA356]p $ w[hA35A][hA359]-/ informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: what’s up]//  used to say ’hello’ to people you know very well - used especially by young people//


Words: what
Meaning:
pron, determiner, predeterminer   [Language: Old English; Origin: hw[zB024]t]//\n  1 used to ask for information or for someone’s opinion:  --What are you doing?//  --What subjects did you enjoy most?//  --What colour is the new carpet?//  --What’s your new boss like?//  --What do you think of my painting?//  --What do you mean, you want to spend Christmas alone?//  what on earth/in the world/in heaven’s name etc (=used for emphasis when you are surprised, angry etc) //  --What on earth’s going on?//\n  2 used to introduce a clause about something that is or was not known or not certain:  --No one knows exactly what happened.//  --It is not clear to what extent these views were shared.//  what to do/say/expect etc //  --They’re discussing what to do next.//\n  3 the thing which:  --Show me what you bought.//  --I believe what he told me.//  --I could get you a job here if that’s what you want.//  --What he did was morally wrong.//  --She gave him what money she had (=all the money she had, although she did not have much) .//\n  4 used at the beginning of a statement to emphasize what you are going to say:  --What that kid needs is some love and affection.//  --What we’ll do is leave a note for Mum to tell her we won’t be back till late.//  --What matters is the British people and British jobs.//\n  5  spoken  what?:  a) used to ask someone to repeat something they have just said because you did not hear it properly//  --’Could you turn the music down a bit?’ ’What?’//  b) used when you have heard someone calling to you and you are asking them what they want//  --’Elaine!’ ’What?’ ’Come on!’//  c) used to show that you are surprised or shocked by something that someone has just said//  --’I think I’ve lost my passport.’ ’What?’//\n  6  spoken used at the beginning of a sentence to emphasize that you think something or someone is very good, very bad etc:  --What a lovely day!//  --What a horrible thing to do!//  --What nice people they are!//\n  7  spoken used to ask someone to complete a name when they have only given you the first part of it:  --’Do you know his name?’ ’It’s David.’ ’David what?’//\n  8  spoken  what about ...?:  a) used to make a suggestion//  --What about dinner at my place next week?//  what about doing sth//  --What about going to a movie?//  b)  also what of ...?  formal //  used to introduce a new subject into a conversation, or to mention something or someone else that also needs to be considered//  --What about Patrick? What’s he doing nowadays?//  --What about me? Aren’t I coming too?//  --So that’s the food - now what about the wine?//  --And what of her other job? How is that progressing?//\n  9  spoken  what (...) for?:  a) used to ask why someone does something//  --’She’s decided to work part-time.’ ’What for?’//  --What did you do that for?//  b) used to ask what purpose or use something has//  --What’s this gadget for?//\n  10  spoken used to give yourself time to think before guessing a number or amount:  --You’re looking at, what, about [hA124]4000 for a decent second-hand car.//\n  11  spoken  what’s his/her/its name:   also what d’you call him/her/it //  used when talking about a person or thing whose name you cannot immediately remember//  --The hospital have just got a, what d’you call it, er... a scanner.//  --Is what’s his name still working there?//\n  12  spoken  (and) what’s more:  used when adding information that emphasizes what you are saying//  --Gas is a very efficient fuel. And what’s more, it’s clean.//\n  13  spoken  what’s what:  the real facts about a situation that are important to know//  --She’s been working here long enough to know what’s what.//\n  14  spoken  what’s it to you?:  used to tell someone angrily that something does not concern them//  --That’s right, I didn’t pass. What’s it to you, anyway?//  --’How did he die?’ Suddenly Emily was angry. ’What’s it to you?’//\n  15  spoken  ... or what:  a) used at the end of a question to show that you are impatient with someone or something//  --Are you afraid of him, or what?//  --Is that work going to be finished by Friday, or what?//  b) used after mentioning one or more possibilities to show that you are not certain about something//  --I don’t know whether it was an accident or on purpose or what.//  c) used after a description of someone or something to emphasize it//  --Nearby are the remains of a deserted village. Spooky or what?//  --Is that madness or what?//\n  16  spoken  so what?:   also what of it? //  used to say that you do not care about something or think it is important//  --’Your room looks a real mess, Tracey.’ ’So what?’//  --’But, Paul, she’s so much older than you?’ ’What of it?’//\n  17  spoken  you what?:  a)  BrE used to ask someone to repeat something they have just said. It is more polite to say pardon//  --’I want to tell you something.’ ’You what? I can’t hear what you’re saying.’//  b) used to show that you are surprised//  --’So I resigned.’ ’You what?’//\n  18  spoken  what if...?:  a) used to ask what you should do or what the result will be if something happens, especially something unpleasant//  --What if this plan of yours fails, what then?//  --’What if it rains tomorrow?’ ’We’ll just have to postpone it.’//  b) used to make a suggestion//  --What if we moved the sofa over here? Would that look better?//\n  19  spoken  ...and what have you:  used at the end of a list of things to mean other things of a similar kind//  --The shelves were crammed with books, documents, and what have you.//\n  20  spoken  what with sth:  used to introduce a list of reasons that have made something happen or made someone feel in a particular way//  --She couldn’t get to sleep, what with all the shooting and shouting.//\n  21  spoken  what’s with sb?:   AmE used to ask why a person or group of people is behaving strangely//  --What’s with you people?//\n  22  spoken  what’s with sth?:   AmE used to ask the reason for something//  --What’s with all the sad faces?//\n  23  spoken  now what?:  used to ask what is going to happen next, what you should do etc//    what does it matter? at matter2 (3)//    what does sb care at care2 (6)//    have what it takes at take1 (4)//    I/I’ll tell you what at tell(13)//    guess what at guess1 (6)//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  When there is a limited number of possible things or people, use which: Which leg (NOT what leg) did he break?| It was one of his sisters. I can’t remember which (NOT what). //  ----------//


Words: What’s On
Meaning:
trademark   a British magazine which gives details of all the films, plays, sports games, and other events and activities taking place in the current week or month. Many cities in the UK have a What’s On.//


Words: what-if
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]  informal   something that could happen in the future or could have happened in the past//  --If I thought about all of the what-ifs in my life, I would go crazy.//


Words: whatchamacallit
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: what you may call it]//   spoken a word you use when you cannot remember the name of something//  --I’ve broken the whatchamacallit on my bag.//


Words: whatever
Meaning:
determiner, pron \n  1 any or all of the things that are wanted, needed, or possible:  --Help yourself to whatever you want.//  --The children were allowed to do whatever they liked.//  --He’ll be ready to accept whatever help he can get.//  --I am willing to pay whatever price you ask.//\n  2 used to say that it is not important what happens, what you do etc because it does not change the situation:  --Whatever I suggest, he always disagrees.//  --The building must be saved, whatever the cost.//  --If you are unable to attend the interview, for whatever reason, you should inform us immediately.//\n  3  whatever you do:   spoken used to tell someone that it is very important that they do a particular thing, or do not do it//  --Don’t miss the train, whatever you do.//  --Whatever you do, slow down and take your time.//\n  4  spoken used to say that you do not know the exact meaning of something or the exact name of someone or something:  --The doctor says she’s got fibrositis, whatever that is.//  --Why don’t you invite Seb, or whatever he’s called, to supper?//\n  5  ... or/and whatever (else):   spoken used after mentioning one or two things to mean other things of the same kind//  --You could put an advert in some magazine, journal, newspaper, or whatever.//\n  6  spoken used when asking a question to emphasize that you are surprised or slightly angry about something:  --Whatever can he mean?//  --’Did you know she’s dyed her hair orange?’ ’ Whatever next? ’//\n  7  spoken used as a reply to say that you do not care what is done or chosen, or that the exact details of something do not matter:  --’What flavour do you want? Strawberry, vanilla ...?’ ’Whatever.’//  --’It was Monday, not Tuesday.’ ’Whatever.’//\n  8  whatever you say/think/want:   spoken used to tell someone that you agree with them or will do what they want, especially when you do not really agree or want to do it//  --’How about camping, just for a change?’ ’OK, whatever you want.’//  --’I think we’d better discuss this with your parents.’ ’Whatever you think best.’//\nwhatever 2 adv   used to emphasize a negative statement//   whatsoever//  --She has shown no interest whatever in anything scientific.//  --This is just a stupid argument that has nothing whatever to do with your job.//


Words: whatnot
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: what not?]//  and whatnot//   spoken an expression used at the end of a list of things when you do not want to give the names of everything//  --Put your bags, cases and whatnot in the back of the car.//


Words: whatsit
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: what’s it?]//   spoken a word you use when you cannot think of the word you want//  --Try and undo the screw to get the whatsit off.//


Words: whatsoever
Meaning:
S2   adv   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin: whatso  ’whatever’ (12-20 centuries) (from  what so) +  ever]//  used to emphasize a negative statement//   whatever//  --He’s had no luck whatsoever.//


Words: wheat
Meaning:
n [U]   [Language: Old English; Origin: hw[zB024]te]//\n  1 the grain that bread is made from, or the plant that it grows on:  --a field of wheat//\n  2  separate the wheat from the chaff:  to choose the good and useful things or people and get rid of the others//


Words: whee
Meaning:
interjection   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Natural sound]//  used to express happiness or excitement, especially by or to children//


Words: wheedle
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Perhaps from  German wedeln  ’to wag the tail, be willing to do what others want’]//  to persuade someone to do or give you something, for example by saying nice things to them that you do not mean - used to show disapproval//  wheedle sth from/out of sb//  --She even managed to wheedle more money out of him.//  wheedle sb into doing sth//  --You have to be able to wheedle your client into buying.//  wheedle your way in/into/out of etc//  --Don’t think you can just wheedle your way in here!//


Words: wheel
Meaning:
W3S2   n [C]   ----------//\n   1 on a vehicle:\n   2 for controlling a vehicle:\n   3 in a machine:\n   4 the wheels of something:\n   5 the wheel of fortune/life/time etc:\n   6 (set of) wheels:\n   7 wheels within wheels:\n   8 set the wheels in motion/set the wheels turning:\n   9 a/the big wheel:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: hweogol,  hweol]//\n  1 ON A VEHICLE:  one of the round things under a car, bus, bicycle etc that turns when it moves//  front/rear/back wheel //  --The car slid sideways, its rear wheels spinning .//  on wheels//  --a trolley on wheels//  two-wheeled/three-wheeled/four-wheeled (=having two, three etc wheels) //  --a three-wheeled car//  two-wheeler/three-wheeler (=a bicycle with two or three wheels) //\n  2 FOR CONTROLLING A VEHICLE:   [usually singular] the round piece of equipment that you turn to make a car, ship etc move in a particular direction//  at/behind the wheel//   (=driving a car) //  --The driver must have fallen asleep at the wheel .//  --Shall I take the wheel  (=drive instead of someone else) ?//    steering wheel//\n  3 IN A MACHINE:  a flat round part in a machine that turns round when the machine operates//  --a gear wheel//\n  4  the wheels of sth:  the way in which a complicated organization, system etc works//  --We hope that the next government will do more to keep the wheels of industry turning (=help it to work smoothly and easily) .//  oil/grease the wheels (of sth) (=help something to work more smoothly and easily) //  --The money people spend at Christmas oils the wheels of the economy.//\n  5  the wheel of fortune/life/time etc:  the way in which things change in life, or in which the same things seem to happen again after a period of time//  --We are powerless to stop the wheel of history.//\n  6  (set of) wheels:   spoken a car//  --Do you like my new wheels?//\n  7  wheels within wheels:   spoken used to say that a situation is complicated and difficult to understand because it involves processes and decisions that you know nothing about//\n  8  set the wheels in motion/set the wheels turning:  to make a particular process start//  --It only took one phone call to set the wheels in motion.//\n  9  a/the big wheel:   informal an important person//  --He became a big wheel in the East India Company.//    put your shoulder to the wheel at shoulder1 (8),  put a spoke in sb’s wheel at spoke2 (2),  reinvent the wheel at reinvent(3)//\nwheel 2 v \n  1 [T always + adverb/preposition] :  a) to push something that has wheels somewhere//  --Kate wheeled her bike into the garage.//  b) to move someone or something that is in or on something that has wheels//  --Two nurses were wheeling him into the operating theatre.//\n  2 [I] if birds or planes wheel, they fly around in circles:\n  3 [I] to turn around suddenly:  wheel around//  --She wheeled around and started yelling at us.//\n  4  wheel and deal:  to do a lot of complicated and sometimes dishonest deals, especially in politics or business//  wheel in/out [wheel sb/sth → in/out] phr v//  to publicly produce someone or something and use them to help you achieve something//  --Then the prosecution wheeled in a surprise witness.//  --The government wheeled out the same old arguments to support its election campaign.//


Words: wheel clamp
Meaning:
also clamp  n [C]   a metal object that is fastened to the wheel of an illegally parked car so that it cannot be driven away//  American Equivalent:  denver boot//  -- wheel-clamp v  [T] //


Words: wheelbarrow
Meaning:
n [C]   a small cart with one wheel and two handles that you use outdoors to carry things, especially in the garden//


Words: wheelchair
Meaning:
n [C]   a chair with wheels, used by people who cannot walk//  in a wheelchair//  --He’ll be in a wheelchair for the rest of his life.//  --Lynn has been confined to a wheelchair  (=has had to use a wheelchair) for the last year.//  --special parking for wheelchair users //


Words: wheeler-dealer
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who does a lot of complicated, often dishonest deals, especially in business or politics//


Words: wheelie
Meaning:
n  informal   do a wheelie//   also  pop a wheelie//   AmE to lift the front wheel of a bicycle that you are riding off the ground, so that you are balancing on the back wheel//


Words: wheelie bin
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a large container with wheels, that you keep outside your house for putting waste into//


Words: wheeling and dealing
Meaning:
n [U]   activities that involve a lot of complicated and sometimes dishonest deals, especially in business or politics//


Words: wheelwright
Meaning:
n [C]   someone whose job was to make and repair the wooden wheels of vehicles pulled by horses in the past//


Words: wheeze
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Probably from a  Scandinavian language]//  to breathe with difficulty, making a noise in your throat and chest//\nwheeze 2 n [C] \n  1 the act or sound of wheezing:\n  2  BrE  old-fashioned a clever and amusing idea or plan:\n  3  AmE an old joke that no one thinks is funny now:


Words: wheezy
Meaning:
adj   making a noisy sound in your throat or chest, because you cannot breathe easily//  --You sound wheezy.//  --a wheezy cough//  -- wheezily adv //  -- wheeziness n  [U] //


Words: whelk
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: hweoloc]//  a small sea animal that has a shell and can be eaten//


Words: whelp
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: hwelp]//  a young animal, especially a dog or lion//\nwhelp 2 v [I]    old-fashioned if a dog or lion whelps, it gives birth//


Words: when
Meaning:
adv, conj, pron   [Language: Old English; Origin: hwanne,  hwenne]//\n  1 at what time:  --When are we leaving?//  --When did you first meet Dr Darnall?//  --When will the work be finished?//  --I don’t know when I’ll see her again.//  when to do sth//  --I’ll tell you when to stop.//\n  2 at or during the time that something happens:  --Leonard was nine when his father died.//  --When the family came here from Russia, they were penniless.//  --When he was in the airforce he flew Tornado jets.//\n  3 after or as soon as something happens:  --When the meal was finished, Rachel washed up and made coffee.//  --I’ll phone you again when I get home.//\n  4 used to mention a type of event or situation when talking about what happens on occasions of that type:  --When lead is added to petrol, it improves the car’s performance.//  --When mixed with water the powder forms a smooth paste.//  --He always wears glasses except when playing football.//\n  5 used to show which particular time or occasion you are talking about:  --The best moment was when Barnes scored the winning goal.//  --There are times when I hate him.//  the day/time/afternoon etc when //  --She remembered the day when Paula had first walked into her office.//\n  6  by/since when:  before or since which time//  --The baby is due in May, by when the new house should be finished.//  --That was written in 1946, since when the education system has undergone great changes.//\n  7  since when ...?:   spoken used to show that you are very surprised or angry//  --Since when have you been interested in my feelings?//\n  8 even though something is true:  --Why does she steal things when she could easily afford to buy them?//\n  9 used to introduce a fact or statement that makes something seem surprising:  --When you consider that the airline handled 80 million passengers last year, the accident figures are really very small.//


Words: whence
Meaning:
adv, pron   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old English; Origin: whanon  ’from which place’]//   old use from where//  --I walked to Rainbagh, whence I could complete the journey by car.//    whither//


Words: whenever
Meaning:
W3S2   adv, conj \n  1 every time that a particular thing happens:  --Larry always blames me whenever anything goes wrong.//  --Whenever I hear that tune, it makes me think of you.//\n  2 at any time:  --You can come and visit me whenever you want.//  --a policy of using recycled paper whenever possible //\n  3  spoken used as a reply to say that it does not matter what time something happens:  --’I’ll call you tomorrow or the day after.’ ’ Okay. Whenever.’//


Words: where
Meaning:
adv, conj, pron   [Language: Old English; Origin: hw[zB024]r]//\n  1 in or to which place:  --Where are you going?//  --Where do they live?//  --Do you know where my glasses are?//  --Where would you like to sit?//  where (...) to/from//  --Where have you come from?//  --’We’re going on a long journey.’ ’Where to?’//  where to do sth//  --They’re easy to find, if you know where to look.//  where on earth/in the world etc (=used for emphasis when you are surprised, angry etc) //  --Where on earth have you been all this time? see usage note  position1 //\n  2 used to talk about a particular place:  --She was standing exactly where you are standing now.//  --Stay where you are.//  --This is the place where I hid the key.//  --In 1963 we moved to Boston, where my grandparents lived.//\n  3 used to talk about a particular stage in a process, conversation, story etc:  --The treatment will continue until the patient reaches the point where he can walk correctly and safely.//  --You are saying that everyone should be equal, and this is where I disagree.//  --Now, where were we? Oh yes, we were talking about John.//\n  4 used to ask or talk about the origin of something or someone:  --Where does the word ’super’ come from?//  --Where does this man get the money to keep two houses?//  --I wonder where he gets these strange ideas.//\n  5 used to say that one person, thing, opinion etc is different from another:  --Where others might have been satisfied, Dawson had higher ambitions.//\n  6 in or to any place:   wherever//  --You can sit where you like.//  --You’re free to go where you please.//


Words: whereabouts
Meaning:
adv  spoken   used to ask in what general area something or someone is//  --Whereabouts do you live?//\nwhereabouts 2   n [plural]   the place or area where someone or something is//  --He showed great reluctance to reveal his whereabouts.//  whereabouts of//  --The police want to know the whereabouts of his brother.//


Words: whereas
Meaning:
conj \n  1  formal used to say that although something is true of one thing, it is not true of another:  --The old system was fairly complicated whereas the new system is really very simple.//  --Whereas the city spent over $1 billion on its museums and stadium, it failed to look after its schools.//\n  2  law used at the beginning of an official document to mean ’because of a particular fact’:


Words: whereby
Meaning:
S3   adv  formal   by means of which or according to which//  --a proposal whereby EU citizens would be allowed to reside anywhere in the EU//


Words: wherefore
Meaning:
adv, conj   [Date: 1100-1200; Origin: where +  for]//   old use used to ask why//  --Wherefore art thou Romeo?//    whys and wherefores at why3 //


Words: wherein
Meaning:
adv, conj  formal   in which place or part//  --Wherein lies the difference between conservatism and liberalism?//


Words: wheresoever
Meaning:
adv, conj  literary   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: whereso  ’wherever’ (12-20 centuries) (from  where so) +  ever]//  another word for wherever//


Words: whereupon
Meaning:
conj    formal used when something happens immediately after something else, or as a result of something happening//  --She refused to hand over her money, whereupon there was a fight.//


Words: wherever
Meaning:
S2   adv \n  1 to or at any place, position, or situation:  --Children will play wherever they happen to be.//  --Sit wherever you like.//  ... or wherever (=used to emphasize that you are talking about any place and not a specific place) //  --Dublin people dress more individually than people in London or wherever.//\n  2 in all places that:  --She is shadowed by detectives wherever she goes.//  --I feel I ought to be nice to them wherever possible  (=at all times when it is possible) .//\n  3 used at the beginning of a question to show surprise:  --’Wherever did she find that?’ Daisy wondered.//\n  4  wherever that is/may be:  used to say that you do not know where a place or town is or have never heard of it//  --She wants to move to Far Flatley, wherever that is.//


Words: wherewithal
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: wherewithal  ’with which (to buy ...)’ (16-19 centuries), from  where +  withal]//  the wherewithal to do sth//  the money, skill etc that you need in order to do something//   means//  --Does Cath have the creative wherewithal to make it as a solo act?//


Words: whet
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  whetted present participle  whetting  [T] //  [Language: Old English; Origin: hwettan]//\n  1  whet sb’s appetite (for sth):  if an experience whets your appetite for something, it increases your desire for it//  --The view from the Quai bridge had whetted my appetite for a trip on the lake.//\n  2  literary to make the edge of a blade sharp:


Words: whether
Meaning:
conj   [Language: Old English; Origin: hw[zB024]ther,  hwether]//\n  1 used when talking about a choice you have to make or about something that is not certain:  --Maurice asked me whether I needed any help.//  --There were times when I wondered whether or not we would get there.//  whether to do sth//  --She was uncertain whether to stay or leave.//  --I didn’t know whether to believe him or not .//  --The question arose as to whether this behaviour was unlawful.//\n  2 used to say that something definitely will or will not happen whatever the situation is:  --It seemed to me that she was in trouble whether Mahoney lived or died.//  --Look, Kate, I’m calling the doctor, whether you like it or not .//  --Poor farmers, whether owners or tenants, will be worst affected.//  ----------//  HINT //  Do not confuse with weather (=conditions outside such as rain, snow, sun, wind etc) //  ----------//


Words: whew
Meaning:
interjection   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Natural sound]//  used when you are surprised, very hot, or feeling glad that something bad did not happen//   phew//  --Whew, it was hot.//


Words: whey
Meaning:
n [U]   [Language: Old English; Origin: hw[zB024]g]//  the watery liquid that is left after the solid part has been removed from sour milk//


Words: which
Meaning:
determiner, pron   [Language: Old English; Origin: hwilc]//\n  1 used to ask or talk about one or more members of a group of people or things, when you are uncertain about it or about them:  --Which book are you looking for?//  --Which are the most important crops?//  --Miranda was sure it was one of them, but was not sure which.//  which of//  --I don’t know which of us was the more scared.//\n  2 used after a noun to show what thing or things you mean:  --Did you see the letter which came today?//  --Now they were driving by the houses which Andy had described.//\n  3 used, after a comma in writing, to add more information about the thing, situation, or event you have just mentioned:  --The house, which was completed in 1856, was famous for its huge marble staircase.//  --One of the boys kept laughing, which annoyed Jane intensely.//  --He was educated at the local grammar school, after which he went on to Cambridge.//  --She may have missed the train, in which case  (=if this happens) she won’t arrive for another hour.//\n  4  don’t know/can’t tell etc which is which:  if you do not know which is which, you cannot see the difference between two very similar people or things//  --The twins are so alike I can never tell which is which.//  ----------//  HINT sense 2 //  In informal and spoken English, it is more usual to use that : This is the one that I wanted. //  ----------//


Words: Which?
Meaning:
trademark   a British magazine that tests products made by different companies and provides reports on them to help people decide which one to buy.  There is a similar magazine in the US called  Consumer Reports.//


Words: whichever
Meaning:
determiner, pron \n  1 used to say that it does not matter which thing or person is chosen because the result will be the same:  --It will be a difficult operation, whichever method you choose.//  --Whichever way you look at it, things are pretty bad.//\n  2 used to refer to the member of a group of people or things that does something, is wanted, is possible etc:  --Whichever player scores the highest number of points will be the winner.//  --You can either have the double room or the family room, whichever you want.//  --’Do you want tea or coffee?’ ’I don’t mind - whichever one you’re making.’//


Words: whiff
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  From the sound of a light movement of air carrying a smell]//\n  1 a very slight smell of something:  whiff of//  --a whiff of tobacco//  get/catch a whiff of sth //  --As she walked past, I caught a whiff of her perfume.//\n  2  a whiff of danger/adventure/freedom etc:  a slight sign that something dangerous, exciting etc might happen//  --The whiff of danger filled her with excitement.//


Words: Whig
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: Whiggamore  ’member of a 17th-century Scottish group opposed to the king’ (17-20 centuries), probably from  Scottish English whig  ’to drive’ +  more  ’horse, mare’]//  a member of a British political party of the 18th and early 19th centuries which wanted to limit royal power, and later became the Liberal Party//


Words: while
Meaning:
conj \n  1 during the time that something is happening:  --They arrived while we were having dinner.//  --While she was asleep, thieves broke in and stole her handbag.//  --She met Andy while working on a production of Carmen. see usage note  during//\n  2 all the time that something is happening:  --Would you look after the children while I do the shopping?//\n  3 used to emphasize the difference between two situations, activities etc:  --Schools in the north tend to be better equipped, while those in the south are relatively poor.//\n  4 in spite of the fact that:   although//  --While never a big eater, he did snack a lot.//  --While there was no conclusive evidence, most people thought he was guilty.//\n  5  while I’m/you’re etc at/about it:   spoken used to suggest that someone should do something at the same time that they do something else//  --Print out what you’ve written, and while you’re at it make a copy for me.//\nwhile 2 n   [Language: Old English; Origin: hwil]//\n  1  a while:  a period of time, especially a short one//  --It takes a while to recover from the operation.//  in a while//  --Mr Thomas will be with you in a while.//  for a while//  --At last, he could relax for a while.//  a little/short while //  --Wait a little while before deciding.//  --We talked for quite a while  (=a fairly long time) on the phone.//\n  2  all the while:  all the time that something is happening//  --He examined her thoroughly, talking softly all the while.//  --She continued working, all the while keeping an eye on the clock.//    (every) once in a while at once1 (8),  be worth sb’s while (to do/doing sth) at worth1 (5),  make it worth sb’s while at worth1 (6)//\nwhile 3 v   while away the hours/evening/days etc//  to spend time in a pleasant and lazy way//  --The evenings were whiled away in endless games of cards.//


Words: whim
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: whim-wham  ’decorative object, whim’ (16-19 centuries), of unknown origin]//  a sudden feeling that you would like to do or have something, especially when there is no important or good reason//  on a whim//  --I didn’t leave just on a whim (=for no good reason) .//  at the whim of sb//  --At work they are at the whim of the boss.//  sb’s every whim //  --Their father had always indulged her every whim.//  at whim//  --He appeared and disappeared at whim.//


Words: whimper
Meaning:
v [I and T]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  From the sound]//  to make low crying sounds, or to speak in this way//  --He heard the dog whimper.//  --’It’s not my fault,’ she whimpered.//  -- whimper n  [C] //


Words: whimsical
Meaning:
adj   unusual or strange and often amusing//  --He has a wonderful whimsical sense of humour.//  -- whimsically/-kli/ adv //


Words: whimsy
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: whim-wham;   WHIM]//  [U] a way of thinking, behaving, or doing something that is unusual, strange, and often amusing//  --a sense of fancy and whimsy//


Words: whine
Meaning:
v   [Language: Old English; Origin: hwinan  ’to move through the air with a loud sound’]//\n  1 [I and T] to complain in a sad, annoying voice about something:   moan//  --Oh Charlotte, please stop whining.//  --’I don’t understand,’ whined Rose.//  whine about//  --The sergeant was whining about how hard he had been forced to work recently.//\n  2 [I] to make a long high sound because you are in pain or unhappy:  --He could hear the dog whining behind the door.//\n  3 [I] if a machine whines, it makes a continuous high sound:  -- whine n  [C] //  --The baby’s howl turned to a high-pitched whine.//  --the whine of a vacuum cleaner//


Words: whinge
Meaning:
v   present participle  whingeing  or  whinging  [I] //   BrE to keep complaining in an annoying way//  whinge about//  --Stop whingeing about the situation and accept it.//  -- whinge n  [C] //  --His tale is one long whinge about his own suffering.//  -- whinger n  [C] //


Words: whinny
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  whinnied present participle  whinnying third person singular  whinnies  [I] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  From the sound]//  if a horse whinnies, it makes a high sound//  -- whinny n  [C] //


Words: whip
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  whipped present participle  whipping //  [Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  Probably from  Middle Dutch or  Middle Low German wippen  ’to swing’]//\n  1 [T] to hit someone or something with a whip:  --He whipped the horse into a canter.//\n  2 [I,T always + adverb/preposition] to move quickly and violently, or to make something do this:  --The wind whipped her hair into her eyes.//  whip across/around/past etc//  --Rain whipped across the window pane.//  whip sth about/around//  --The branches were being whipped about in the storm.//  whip round/around//  --He whipped round to face them.//\n  3 [T always + adverb/preposition] to move or remove something with a quick sudden movement:  whip sth off/out/back etc//  --Annie whipped off her apron and put it into the drawer.//  --He whipped back the sheets.//\n  4 [T] to mix cream or the clear part of an egg very hard until it becomes stiff:    beat, whisk//  --Whip the cream until thick.//\n  5 [T]  BrE  informal to steal something:  whip through [whip through sth] phr v//  to finish a job very quickly//  --He whipped through his routine paperwork before going home.//  whip up [whip sb/sth → up] phr v//\n  1 to try to make people feel strongly about something:  whip up interest/opposition/support etc //  --They’ll do anything to whip up a bit of interest in a book.//  --an attempt to whip up the masses//\n  2 to quickly make something to eat:  --Mother was in the kitchen whipping up a batch of cakes.//\nwhip 2 n   1 [C] a long thin piece of rope or leather with a handle, that you hit animals with to make them move or that you hit someone with to punish them//  --The coachman cracked his whip and the carriage lurched forward.//\n  2 [C] a member of the US Congress or the British Parliament who is responsible for making sure that the members of their party attend and vote:\n  3 [C] a written order sent to members of the British Parliament telling them when and how to vote:    three-line whip//\n  4 [U and C]  BrE a sweet dish made from the white part of eggs and chocolate or fruit, beaten together to make a smooth light mixture:  --pineapple whip//\n  5  have the whip hand:  to have power and control over someone//    crack the whip at crack1 (14),  give sb a fair crack of the whip at fair1 (9)//


Words: whip-round
Meaning:
n   have a whip-round//   BrE  informal if a group of people have a whip-round, they all give some money so that they can buy something together//  --We had a whip-round to pay for a taxi to the railway station.//


Words: whiplash
Meaning:
n [U]   a neck injury caused when your head moves forward and back again suddenly and violently, especially in a car accident//  --One officer suffered whiplash injuries.//


Words: whippersnapper
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Probably from  snipper-snapper  ’whippersnapper’ (16-19 centuries), probably from  snip +  snap]//   old-fashioned a young person who is too confident and does not show enough respect to older people//


Words: whippet
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Probably from  whip  ’to move quickly’]//  a small thin racing dog like a greyhound//


Words: Whipsnade
Meaning:
an open-air  zoo in Bedfordshire, southern England, where the animals are given a lot of freedom and are kept in natural surroundings//


Words: whirl
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  Probably from a  Scandinavian language]//\n  1 [I and T] to turn or spin around very quickly, or to make someone or something do this:  --We watched the seagulls whirling and shrieking over the harbour.//  whirl about/around/toward etc//  --She whirled around and her look shook him.//  whirl sb/sth about/around/away etc//  --He whirled her round in his arms.//\n  2 [I] if your head is whirling, or if thoughts are whirling in your head, your mind is full of thoughts and ideas, and you feel very confused or excited:  --His head was whirling with excitement.//  --The implications began to whirl around her head.//\nwhirl 2 n \n  1  give sth a whirl:   informal to try something that you are not sure you are going to like or be able to do//  --Why don’t you give golf a whirl?//\n  2 [singular] a lot of activity of a particular kind:  --the social whirl of New York publishing//  whirl of//  --The next two days passed in a whirl of activity .//\n  3  be in a whirl:  to feel very excited or confused about something//  --His mind was in a whirl and he was worried.//\n  4 [C usually singular] a spinning movement or the shape of something that is spinning:  whirl of//  --A car rumbled over the bumpy dirt road, leaving behind a whirl of white dust.//


Words: whirligig
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: whirl +  gig  ’something that turns around very quickly’ (  GIG1)]//  a toy that spins//   top//


Words: whirlpool
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a powerful current of water that spins around and can pull things down into it:\n  2  also  whirlpool bath:  a large bathtub that makes hot water move in strong currents around your body//\n  3  a whirlpool of emotion/activity etc:  a very busy situation or a strong emotion, from which it is difficult to escape//  --people who are caught in a whirlpool of grief//


Words: whirlwind
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 an extremely strong wind that moves quickly with a circular movement, causing a lot of damage:   tornado//  American Equivalent:  twister//\n  2  a whirlwind of emotions/activity etc:  a situation in which you experience a lot of different emotions or a lot of different things happen, one after another//\nwhirlwind 2 adj [only before noun]   a whirlwind situation or event happens very quickly//  --a whirlwind romance//


Words: whirr
Meaning:
whir/w[hA362][hA359] $ w[hA362][hA359]r/ v   past tense and past participle  whirred present participle  whirring  [I] //  [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Probably from a  Scandinavian language]//  to make a fairly quiet regular sound, like the sound of a bird or insect moving its wings very fast//  --Helicopters whirred overhead.//  -- whirr n  [C usually singular] //  --the whirr of an electric motor//


Words: whisk
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Probably from a  Scandinavian language]//\n  1 to mix liquid, eggs etc very quickly so that air is mixed in, using a fork or a whisk:\n  2 [always + adverb/preposition] to take someone or something quickly away from a place:  whisk sb/sth away/off//  --The waitress whisked our coffee cups away before we’d had a chance to finish.//\nwhisk 2 n [C]   a small kitchen tool made of curved pieces of wire, used for mixing air into eggs, cream etc//


Words: whisker
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: whiskers  ’mustache’ (16-20 centuries), from  whisker  ’something that whisks or sweeps’ (15-19 centuries), from  whisk; because the mustache looks like a small brush]//\n  1 [usually plural] one of the long stiff hairs that grow near the mouth of a cat, mouse etc:\n  2 [usually plural] one of the hairs that grow on a man’s face:\n  3  win/lose by a whisker:   informal to win or lose by a very small amount//  --Schmidt finished second, losing by a whisker in the final event.//\n  4  come within a whisker (of doing) sth:  to almost succeed or fail at doing something//  --Doctors say he came within a whisker of dying on the operating table.//


Words: whisky
Meaning:
S3  BrE  also whiskey  especially AmE   n   plural  whiskies  or  whiskeys  [U and C] //  [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Irish Gaelic; Origin: uisce beathadh and  Scottish Gaelic uisge beatha  ’water of life’]//  a strong alcoholic drink made from grain, or a glass of this//


Words: whisper
Meaning:
W3   v   [Language: Old English; Origin: hwisprian]//\n  1 [I and T] to speak or say something very quietly, using your breath rather than your voice:  --You don’t have to whisper, no one can hear us.//  whisper about//  --What are you two whispering about over there?//  whisper sth to sb//  --James leaned over to whisper something to Michael.//  --’I’ve missed you,’ he whispered in her ear .//\n  2 [T] to say or suggest something privately or secretly:  whisper that//  --Staff were whispering that the company was about to go out of business.//\nwhisper 2 n [C] \n  1 a very quiet voice you make using your breath and no sound:  in a whisper//  --’Where are we going?’ he asked in a whisper.//\n  2 a piece of news or information that has not been officially announced and may or may not be true:   rumour//  whisper of//  --The first whisper of the redundancies came from the newspapers.//  whisper that//  --There are whispers that the actor was seen checking into a hospital last week.//\n  3  whisper of sth:   literary a low soft sound made by something such as the wind//


Words: whispering campaign
Meaning:
n [C]   a situation in which someone privately spreads criticism about another person in order to make people have a bad opinion of them//


Words: whist
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: whisk  ’whist’ (17-19 centuries); perhaps because the cards are  ’whisked’ or taken away quickly]//  a card game for four players in two pairs, in which each pair tries to win the most tricks//


Words: whistle
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 high sound:\n   2 use a whistle:\n   3 go/move fast:\n   4 steam train/kettle:\n   5 bird:\n   6 be whistling in the dark:\n   7 somebody can whistle for something:  ----------//\n  1 HIGH SOUND:   [I and T] to make a high or musical sound by blowing air out through your lips//  --Adam whistled happily on his way to work.//  --I heard this song on the radio and I’ve been whistling it all day.//  --He whistled a tune as he strolled down the corridor.//  whistle to sb//   (=whistle to get someone’s attention) //  --Dad whistled to us to come home for dinner.//  whistle at sb//   (=whistle to let someone know that you think they are attractive) //  --Men are always whistling at Heidi on the street.//\n  2 USE A WHISTLE:   [I] to make a high sound by blowing into a whistle//  --The referee whistled and the game began.//\n  3 GO/MOVE FAST:   [I always + adverb/preposition] to move quickly, making a whistling sound//  --Bullets and shells were whistling overhead.//  --They listened to the wind whistling through the trees.//\n  4 STEAM TRAIN/KETTLE:   [I] if a steam train or kettle whistles, it makes a high sound when air or steam is forced through a small hole//\n  5 BIRD:   [I] if a bird whistles, it makes a high musical sound//\n  6  be whistling in the dark:   informal to be trying to show that you are brave when you are afraid, or that you know about something when you do not//  --Does he know what he’s talking about or is he just whistling in the dark?//\n  7  sb can whistle for sth:   BrE  spoken used to tell someone that there is no chance of them getting what they have asked for//\nwhistle 2 n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: hwistle]//\n  1 a small object that produces a high whistling sound when you blow into it:  --The lifeguard blew his whistle .//\n  2 a high sound made by blowing a whistle, by blowing air out through your lips, or when air or steam is forced through a small opening:  --Larsson scored just minutes before the final whistle.//  low/shrill/high-pitched etc whistle //  --Sanders gave a low whistle when he saw the contents of the box.//\n  3 a piece of equipment on a train or boat that makes a high noise when air is forced through it:\n  4 the sound of something moving quickly through the air:  whistle of//  --We could hear the whistle of the jets as they passed overhead.//    blow the whistle on sth at blow1 (17),  clean as a whistle at clean1 (1),  penny whistle,  wolf whistle//


Words: whistle-blower
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who tells people in authority or the public about dishonest or illegal practices at the place where they work//  -- whistle-blowing n  [U] //


Words: whistle-stop
Meaning:
adj  AmE   whistle-stop tour/trip//  a trip during which someone, especially a politician, visits many different places in a short period of time//  --a whistle-stop tour of Texas//


Words: whit
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: wight  ’creature, thing, bit’ (11-19 centuries), from  Old English wiht]//  not a whit//   old-fashioned not at all//  --Sara had not changed a whit.//


Words: Whit Monday
Meaning:
the day after Whit Sunday, which used to be a public holiday in the UK. There is now a holiday around the same time called the "Spring Bank Holiday", but it is not always on Whit Monday.//


Words: Whitaker’s Almanack
Meaning:
trademark   a book produced every year in the UK since 1868, which provides useful information about the UK and its government, and about other countries//


Words: white
Meaning:
adj   ----------//\n   1 colour:\n   2 people:\n   3 pale:\n   4 coffee:\n   5 wine:\n   6 a white Christmas:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: hwit]//\n  1 COLOUR:  having the colour of milk, salt, or snow//  --a white dress//  pure/snow white (=completely white) //  --snow white hair//\n  2 PEOPLE:  a) belonging to the race of people with pale skin//    black//  --young white males//  b) relating to white people//  --a white neighborhood//\n  3 PALE:  looking pale, because of illness, strong emotion etc//  --Are you OK? You’re white as a sheet  (=extremely pale) .//  white with anger/fear etc //  --Her voice shook, and her face was white with anger.//\n  4 COFFEE:   [usually before noun]  BrE white coffee has milk or cream in it//\n  5 WINE:  white wine is a pale yellow colour//    red//\n  6  a white Christmas:  a Christmas when there is snow//  -- whiteness n  [U] //\nwhite 2 S3 n   ----------//\n   1 colour:\n   2 people:\n   3 wine:\n   4 eye:\n   5 egg:\n   6 whites:  ----------//\n  1 COLOUR:   [U] the colour of milk, salt, and snow//\n  2 PEOPLE:   [C]  also White //  someone who belongs to the race of people with pale skin//    black//  --The mayor is very popular among whites.//\n  3 WINE:   [U and C] wine that is pale yellow in colour//  --a nice bottle of white//  --California has some of the finest whites in the world.//\n  4 EYE:   [C + of] the white part of your eye//  eggcup, shell, white, yolk//\n  5 EGG:   [U and C] the part of an egg that surrounds the yolk (=yellow part)  and becomes white when cooked//\n  6  whites [plural] :  a) white clothes, sheets etc, which are separated from dark colours when they are washed//  b) white clothes that are worn for some sports, such as tennis//\nwhite 3 v   white out [white sth → out] phr v//  to cover something written on paper, especially a mistake, with a special white liquid so that it cannot be seen any more//


Words: White Cliffs of Dover
Meaning:
1  the White Cliffs of Dover:  the white cliffs made of  chalk, which are the first part of England that you see when crossing the  English Channel from France//\n  2 a popular song sung by British singer Vera  Lynn during World War II:


Words: white dwarf
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   a hot star, near the end of its life, that is more solid but less bright than the sun//    red giant//


Words: white elephant
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  From the supposed practice of the King of Siam, who gave to people he did not like a white elephant, which cost a very large amount of money to keep]//  something that is completely useless, although it may have cost a lot of money//  --When the theatre first opened it was widely regarded as a white elephant.//


Words: white flag
Meaning:
n [C]   a sign that you accept that you have failed or been defeated//    surrender//  wave/raise/show etc the white flag //  --Despite the loss, the team refuses to wave the white flag and give up on the season.//


Words: white flour
Meaning:
n [U]   wheat flour from which the bran (=outer layer)  and wheatgerm (=inside seed)  have been removed//


Words: white goods
Meaning:
n [plural]  BrE   equipment used in the home, for example washing machines and refrigerators//    brown goods//


Words: white horses
Meaning:
n [plural]  BrE   waves in the sea or on a lake that are white at the top//  American Equivalent:  whitecaps//


Words: White House
Meaning:
n \n  1  the White House:  the official home in Washington DC of the President of the US//\n  2 the President of the US and the people who advise him:  --claims that  the White House  had received warnings of a possible terrorist attack before September 11th//  --White House officials refused to comment on the story.//


Words: white knight
Meaning:
n [C]   a person or company that puts money into a business in order to save it from being controlled by another company//


Words: white lie
Meaning:
n [C]  informal   a lie that you tell someone in order to protect them or avoid hurting their feelings//


Words: white meat
Meaning:
n [U]   the pale-coloured meat from the breast, wings etc of a cooked chicken, turkey, or other bird//    redmeat//


Words: White Nile
Meaning:
the White Nile//  a river which flows from Lake Victoria in East Africa to Khartoum in Sudan, where it joins the Blue Nile. Both rivers then become the Nile, which flows through Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea.//


Words: White Pages
Meaning:
n   the White Pages//  the white part of a telephone directory in the US with the names, addresses, and telephone numbers of people with telephones//    Yellow Pages//


Words: White Paper
Meaning:
n [C]   an official report from the British government, explaining their ideas and plans concerning a particular subject before a new law is introduced//    Green Paper//


Words: white pepper
Meaning:
n [U]   a white powder made from the crushed inside of a peppercorn, which gives a slightly spicy taste to food//    black pepper//


Words: White Rabbit
Meaning:
the   a character from  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. He keeps looking at his watch because he is late, and disappearing down rabbit holes.//    Alice in wonderland//


Words: white sauce
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a thick white liquid made of flour, milk, and butter, which can be eaten with meat and vegetables//


Words: white spirit
Meaning:
n [U]  BrE   a clear liquid made from petrol, used for making paint thinner, removing marks on clothes etc//   turpentine//


Words: white supremacist
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who believes that white people are better than people of other races//  -- white supremacy n  [U] //


Words: white trash
Meaning:
n [U]  AmE  informal   an insulting expression used to talk about white people who are poor and uneducated//


Words: white van man
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE  informal   a man who drives a white van, especially when delivering goods in a city, in an aggressive and dangerous way//


Words: white-bread
Meaning:
adj  AmE  informal   relating to white people who are considered traditional and boring in their opinions and way of life//  --a white-bread family//


Words: white-collar
Meaning:
adj \n  1 [only before noun] white-collar workers have jobs in offices, banks etc rather than jobs working in factories, building things etc:    blue-collar, pink-collar//  --white-collar jobs//\n  2  white-collar crime:  crimes involving white-collar workers, for example when someone secretly steals money from the organization they work for//


Words: white-hot
Meaning:
adj \n  1 white-hot metal is so hot that it shines white:\n  2 involving a lot of activity or strong feelings:  --white-hot passion//


Words: white-knuckle
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   a white-knuckle ride at a fairground makes you feel excited and afraid at the same time//


Words: white-knuckled
Meaning:
adj   if you have white-knuckled hands, your hands are held tightly in a fist because you are anxious or afraid//


Words: white-tie
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   a white-tie social occasion is a very formal one at which the men wear white bow ties and tails//    black-tie//


Words: whiteboard
Meaning:
n [C]   a large board with a white smooth surface that you can write on, used, for example, in rooms where classes are taught//    blackboard//


Words: Whitehall
Meaning:
n \n  1 the British government, especially the government departments rather than parliament or the Prime Minister:\n  2 the street in London where many of the government departments are:


Words: whiten
Meaning:
v [I and T]   to become more white, or to make something do this//  --This stuff is supposed to whiten your teeth.//


Words: whitewash
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U and C] a report or examination of events that hides the true facts about something so that the person who is responsible will not be punished:   cover-up//  --The official report into the cause of the fire was labeled a whitewash.//\n  2 [U] a white liquid mixture used especially for painting walls:\n  3 [C] an occasion in sport when one player or team defeats an opponent easily, without the opponent getting any points,  goals etc:\nwhitewash 2 v [T] \n  1 to cover something with whitewash:  --The walls were whitewashed and covered with bullfighting posters.//\n  2 to hide the true facts about a serious accident or illegal action:  --Investigators are accused of whitewashing the governor’s record.//\n  3 to defeat an opponent in sport easily, without the opponent getting any points,  goals etc:


Words: whitewater white water
Meaning:
n [U]   a part of a river that looks white because the water is running very quickly over rocks//  --whitewater canoeing//


Words: whither
Meaning:
adv   [Language: Old English; Origin: hwider]//\n  1  old use to which place:   where//  --the place whither he went//\n  2  formal used to ask what the future of something will be or how it will develop:  --Whither socialism?//    whence//


Words: whiting
Meaning:
n   plural  whiting  [C] //  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Middle Dutch; Origin: witinc, from  wit  ’white’]//  a black and silver fish that lives in the sea and can be eaten//


Words: Whitman
Meaning:
Walt   (1819-92) a US writer who wrote poetry about the beauty of nature and the value of freedom. He is one of the greatest and most influential US poets, and his best-known work is  Leaves of Grass.//


Words: Whitsun
Meaning:
n [U and C]  BrE \n  1  also Whit Sunday :  the seventh Sunday after Easter, when Christians celebrate the Holy Spirit coming down from heaven//   pentecost//\n  2  also Whitsuntide /w[hA366]ts[hA368]nta[hA366]d/:  the period around Whitsun//


Words: Whittington
Meaning:
Dick   (?1385-1423) an English businessman who was Lord Mayor of London. Although he was a real person, there are also many stories about his life. According to old stories, he went to London with his cat when he was a young man because he believed ’the streets were paved with gold’ (=he thought it was easy to become rich there.) At first he was very unsuccessful and decided to leave London. But as he was leaving, he thought he heard the words ’Turn again, Whittington, Lord Mayor of London’ in the sound of the church bells. So he went back, and later became Lord Mayor of London three times.//


Words: whittle
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: whittle  ’large knife’ (15-19 centuries), from  thwittle  (14-19 centuries), from  thwite  ’to whittle’ (11-19 centuries), from  Old English thwitan]//\n  1  also  whittle down:   [T] to gradually make something smaller by taking parts away//  --We need to whittle down the list of guests for the party.//\n  2 [I and T] to cut a piece of wood into a particular shape by cutting off small pieces with a knife:    carve//  whittle away phr v//  to gradually reduce the amount or effectiveness of something, especially something that you think should not be reduced//  whittle sth → away//  --The museum is worried that government funding will be whittled away.//  whittle away at//  --Congress is whittling away at our freedom of speech.//


Words: whizz
Meaning:
BrE  whiz AmE   v [I] \n  1 [always + adverb/preposition]  informal :  a) to move very quickly, often making a sound like something rushing through the air//  --An ambulance whizzed past.//  --I saw a big piece of metal whizzing through the air.//  b) to do something very quickly//  whizz through//  --Let’s just whizz through it one more time.//\n  2  AmE  spoken to urinate:\nwhizz 2 n  BrE  whiz AmE \n  1 [C]  informal someone who is very fast, intelligent, or skilled in a particular activity:  --a math whiz//\n  2  take a whiz:   AmE  spoken to urinate//\n  3 [U and C]  informal  amphetamine:    gee whiz//


Words: whizzkid
Meaning:
BrE  whiz kid AmE   n [C]  informal   a young person who is very skilled or successful at something//  --financial whizzkids in the City//


Words: who
Meaning:
pron   [Language: Old English; Origin: hwa]//\n  1 used to ask or talk about which person is involved, or what the name of a person is:  --Who locked the door?//  --Who do you work for?//  --Who’s that guy with your wife?//  --They never found out who the murderer was.//  --She wondered who had sent the flowers.//  who to ask/contact/blame etc//  --He doesn’t know who to vote for.//  who on earth/in the world etc (=used for emphasis when you are surprised, angry etc) //  --Who on earth would live in such a lonely place?//  --Who the hell are you?//\n  2 used after a noun to show which person or which people you are talking about:  --Do you know the people who live over the road?//  --the woman who was driving//  --She was the one who did most of the talking.//\n  3 used, after a comma in writing, to add more information about a particular person or group of people that you have just mentioned:  --I discussed it with my brother, who is a lawyer.//  --Alison Jones and her husband David, who live in Hartlepool, are celebrating their golden wedding anniversary.//\n  4  informal used to introduce a question that shows you think something is true of everyone or of no one:  --We have the occasional argument. Who doesn’t? (=everyone does) //  --Who wants to come second? (=no one does) //\n  5  who is sb to do sth?:   spoken used to say that someone does not have the right or the authority to say or do something//  --Who is she to order me around?//\n  6  who’s who:  a) if you know who is who within a particular organization or group, you know what each person’s name is and what job they do or what position they have//  --I’m just getting to know who’s who in the department.//  b)  a who’s who of sth//  a list of the important people within a particular organization or group - often used to emphasize that many important people are involved in something//  --The list of competitors reads like a who’s who of international tennis players.//


Words: Who’s Who
Meaning:
trademark a book produced every year in the UK that contains an alphabetical list of famous and important people, such as politicians, writers, and entertainers, and provides information about their achievements, their families etc//  --In Who’s Who, Mortimer lists his hobbies as gardening and listening to opera.//


Words: whoa
Meaning:
interjection   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: ho]//\n  1 used to tell someone to become calmer or to do something more slowly:  --Whoa! You’re driving too fast.//\n  2 said to show that you are surprised or that you think something is impressive:  --Whoa. That’s a lot of money.//\n  3 used to tell a horse to stop:


Words: whodunit
Meaning:
whodunnit/hu[hA359]d[hA356]n[hA369]t/ n [C]  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: who done it?  ’who did it?’]//  a book, film etc about a murder case, in which you do not find out who killed the person until the end//


Words: whoever
Meaning:
S2   pron \n  1 used to say that it does not matter who does something, is in a particular place etc:  --I’ll take whoever wants to go.//  --When you’re done with the book, just give it to Kristin or Shelley or whoever.//\n  2 used to talk about a specific person or people, although you do not know who they are:  --Whoever is responsible for this will be punished.//\n  3  whoever he/she is:   also  whoever he/she may be//  used to say that you do not know who someone is//  --You’ve got a message from Tony Gower, whoever he is.//\n  4 used to mean ’who’ at the beginning of a question to show surprise or anger:  --Whoever would do a thing like that to an old woman?//


Words: whole
Meaning:
adj   [Language: Old English; Origin: hal  ’healthy, unhurt, complete’]//\n  1 [only before noun] all of something:   entire//  --You have your whole life ahead of you!//  --His whole attitude bugs me.//  --We ate the whole cake in about ten minutes.//  -- The whole thing  (=everything about the situation) just makes me sick.//  --We just sat around and watched TV the whole time  (=the only thing we did was watch television) .//  --I don’t believe she’s telling us the whole story  (=all the facts) .//  --It was months before the whole truth came out.//  the whole school/country/village etc (=all the people in a school, country etc) //  --The whole town came out for the parade.//\n  2  whole lot:   informal //  a)  a whole lot//  very much//  --I’m feeling a whole lot better.//  --I don’t cook a whole lot anymore.//  b)  a whole lot (of sth)//  a large quantity or number//  --We’re going to have a whole lot of problems if we don’t finish this by tomorrow.//  --You can find a nice house in this neighborhood, and you don’t have to spend a whole lot.//  c)  the whole lot//   especially BrE all of something//  --She said she’d give me the whole lot for 20 pounds.//\n  3  a whole range/series/variety etc (of sth):  used to emphasize that there are a lot of things of a similar type//  --There are a whole range of sizes to choose from.//\n  4 complete and not divided or broken into parts:  --Place a whole onion inside the chicken.//  --a snake swallowing a mouse whole  (=swallowing it without chewing) //\n  5  the whole point (of sth):  used to emphasize the purpose for doing something, especially when you believe this is unclear or has been forgotten//  --I thought the whole point of the meeting was to decide which offer to accept.//\n  6  in the whole (wide) world:   informal an expression meaning ’anywhere’ or ’at all’, used to emphasize a statement//  --I have the best job in the whole wide world.//\n  7  go the whole hog:   also  go whole hog AmE  informal to do something as completely or as well as you can, without any limits//  --I’m gonna go whole hog and have a live band at the barbecue.//\n  8  the whole nine yards:   AmE  spoken including everything that is typical of or possible in an activity, situation, set of things etc//  --Our new apartment complex has a tennis court, swimming pool, playground - the whole nine yards.//  -- wholeness n  [U] //    a whole new ball game at ball game(3),  the whole shebang at shebang,  the whole shooting match at shooting match,  the whole enchilada at enchilada(3),  wholly//\nwhole 2 W2S3 n \n  1  the whole of sth:  all of something, especially something that is not a physical object//  --The whole of the morning was wasted trying to find the documents.//\n  2  on the whole:  used to say that something is generally true//  --On the whole, I thought the film was pretty good.//\n  3  as a whole:  used to say that all the parts of something are being considered together//  --This project will be of great benefit to the region as a whole.//\n  4 [C usually singular] something that consists of a number of parts, but is considered as a single unit:  --Two halves make a whole.//


Words: whole note
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   a musical note which continues for as long as two half notes//  British Equivalent:  semibreve//


Words: whole wheat
Meaning:
adj  AmE   whole wheat flour or bread uses all of the grain, including the outer layer//  British Equivalent:  wholemeal//


Words: whole-hearted
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]   involving all your feelings, interest etc//  wholehearted support/acceptance/cooperation etc //  --Montgomery’s new style of leadership met with Leslie’s wholehearted approval.//  -- whole-heartedly adv //  --I agree whole-heartedly with the mayor on this issue.//


Words: wholefood
Meaning:
n [U and C]   food that is considered healthy because it only contains natural things rather than anything artificial//


Words: wholemeal
Meaning:
adj  BrE   wholemeal flour or bread uses all of the grain, including the outer layer//  American Equivalent:  whole wheat//


Words: wholesale
Meaning:
n [U]   the business of selling goods in large quantities at low prices to other businesses, rather than to the general public//    retail//\nwholesale 2 adj \n  1 relating to the business of selling goods in large quantities at low prices to other businesses, rather than to the general public:    retail//  --wholesale prices//\n  2 [usually before noun] affecting almost everything or everyone, and often done without any concern for the results:  --the capture and wholesale destruction of a city//  --This company will not be successful until there are wholesale changes.//  -- wholesale adv //  --I can get it for you wholesale.//


Words: wholesome
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1100-1200; Origin: whole  ’healthy, whole’ +  -some]//\n  1 likely to make you healthy:  wholesome food/fare/meal etc //  --well-balanced wholesome meals//\n  2 considered to have a good moral effect:  --The food is fresh, wholesome and imaginative.//  --good wholesome fun//  -- wholesomeness n  [U] //


Words: wholly
Meaning:
adv  formal   completely//  --a wholly satisfactory solution//  --The report claimed that the disaster was wholly unavoidable.//


Words: whom
Meaning:
W1   pron   [Language: Old English; Origin: hwam]//  the object form of ’who’, used especially in formal speech or writing//  --Desperate for money, she called her sister, whom she hadn’t spoken to in 20 years.//  --She brought with her three friends, none of whom I had ever met before.//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Whom is very formal. It is more usual to use who : Who did you send it to?| This is Liz, who I work with. //  ----------//


Words: whoop
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: houpper, from the sound.]//\n  1 to shout loudly and happily:  --Hundreds of people ran past them, whooping joyously.//\n  2  whoop it up:   informal to enjoy yourself very much, especially in a large group//  -- whoop n  [C] //  --whoops of victory//


Words: whoop-de-do
Meaning:
interjection  AmE  spoken   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Perhaps from  whoop +  to-do]//  used to show that you do not think something that someone has told you is as exciting or impressive as they think it is//  --’He says he’ll give me a $20 raise.’ ’Well, whoop-de-do.’//


Words: whoopee
Meaning:
interjection   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: whoop]//  a shout of happiness//\nwhoopee 2   n  old-fashioned   make whoopee//  a)  BrE to go out and enjoy yourself//  b)  AmE to have sex//


Words: whooping cough
Meaning:
n [U]   an infectious disease that especially affects children, and makes them cough and have difficulty breathing//


Words: whoops
Meaning:
interjection   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Probably from  oops]//\n  1 said when someone has fallen, dropped something, or made a small mistake:  --Whoops! I nearly dropped it.//\n  2  whoops-a-daisy:  said when someone, usually a child, falls down//


Words: whoosh
Meaning:
preposition]  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  From the sound]//  to move very fast with a soft rushing sound//  -- whoosh n  [C usually singular] //  --a sudden whoosh of flame and then a big bang//


Words: whop
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  whopped present participle  whopping  [T]  spoken //  [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: wap  ’to throw violently, hit’ (14-20 centuries)]//   whup//


Words: whopper
Meaning:
n [C]  informal   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: whop]//\n  1 a lie:  --She tells one whopper after another.//\n  2 something unusually big:  --The fish Mike caught was a whopper.//


Words: whore
Meaning:
n [C]  informal   [Language: Old English; Origin: hore]//\n  1  taboo an offensive word for a woman who has many sexual partners. Do not use this word.:\n  2 a female prostitute:


Words: whoring
Meaning:
n [U]  old-fashioned   the activity of having sex with a prostitute//  --drinking, gambling and whoring//


Words: whorl
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Probably from  whirl]//\n  1 a pattern made of a line that curls out in circles that get bigger and bigger:\n  2  technical a circular pattern of leaves or flowers on a stem:


Words: whose
Meaning:
W1S2   determiner, pron   [Language: Old English; Origin: hw[zB024]s, from  hwa;   WHO]//\n  1 used to ask which person or people a particular thing belongs to:  --Whose is this?//  --Whose keys are on the kitchen counter?//\n  2 used to show the relationship between a person or thing and something that belongs to that person or thing:  --That’s the man whose house has burned down.//  --Solar energy is an idea whose time has come.//\n  3 used to give additional information about a person or thing:  --Jurors, whose identities will be kept secret, will be paid $40 a day.//


Words: whosoever
Meaning:
pron  old use   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin: whoso  ’whoever’ (12-20 centuries) (from  who so) +  ever]//   whoever//


Words: whup
Meaning:
v  also  whop  past tense and past participle  whupped present participle  whupping   [T]  informal  especially AmE //  [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: whip]//\n  1 to defeat someone easily in a sport or fight:  --I’m gonna whup your ass  (=defeat you very easily) .//\n  2 to hit someone and hurt them very badly, especially using something such as a belt:


Words: why
Meaning:
adv, conj \n  1 used to ask or talk about the reason for something:  --Why are you crying?//  --Why do we have to take all these tests?//  --’She wants to meet you.’ ’Why?’//  --’I won’t be able to come into work tomorrow.’ ’ Why not ?’//  --I have no idea why the television isn’t working.//  --Simon loves you - that’s why he wants to be with you.//  --He’s angry with me and I don’t know why.//  --There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be friends.//  why on earth/why ever etc (=used for emphasis when you are surprised, angry etc) //  --Why on earth didn’t you ask me to help?//  --’I don’t want us to be seen together.’ ’Why ever not?’//\n  2 used to introduce a question that shows you do not think it is necessary to do something:  --Why worry? You can’t do anything about it.//  --Why waste time going to the bank when you can do it all over the Internet?//\n  3  spoken  why not?:  used to say that you agree with a suggestion//  --’We could invite John and Barbara.’ ’Yes, why not?’//\n  4  spoken  why doesn’t sb do sth?:  a)  also why not do sth? //  used to make a suggestion//  --Why don’t you bring over a video for us to watch?//  --Why not relax and enjoy the atmosphere?//  b) used to say angrily that someone should do something//  --Why don’t you mind your own business?//\n  5  spoken  why sb?:  used to ask why a particular person has been chosen or is suffering//  --Why me? Why can’t someone else drive you?//\n  6  spoken  why oh why ...?:  used to show that you are very sorry or angry about something//  --Why oh why did I say those horrible things?//\nwhy 2 interjection  old-fashioned   used when you are surprised or have suddenly realized something//  --Why, look who’s here!//  --And I thought to myself, why, I can do that.//\nwhy 3 n   the whys and (the) wherefores//  the reasons or explanations for something//  --The whys and the wherefores of these procedures need to be explained.//\nWI 1   the abbreviation of the Women’s Institute//\nWI 2   the written abbreviation of Wisconsin//


Words: Wichita
Meaning:
the largest city in the US state of Kansas. Wichita was on the  Chisholm Trail, the main route used by cowboys moving cattle from Texas to the north of the US. Today the city is one of the main aircraft manufacturing centres in the US. //


Words: wick
Meaning:
n [C]   flame, wax, wick//  [Language: Old English; Origin: weoce]//\n  1 the piece of thread in a candle, that burns when you light it:\n  2 a long piece of material in an oil lamp, that sucks up oil so that the lamp can burn:\n  3  get on sb’s wick:   BrE  spoken  informal to annoy someone//


Words: wicked
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin: wick  ’wicked’ (12-20 centuries), perhaps from  Old English wicca;   WITCH]//\n  1 behaving in a way that is morally wrong:   evil//  --the wicked stepmother in ’Hansel and Gretel’//\n  2  informal behaving badly in a way that is amusing:  --Carl had a wicked grin on his face as he crept up behind Ellen.//  --Tara hasn’t lost her wicked sense of humour .//\n  3  spoken  informal very good:  --That’s a wicked bike!//  -- wickedly adv //  -- wickedness n  [U] //


Words: wicker
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  From a  Scandinavian language]//  thin dry branches or reeds that are woven together//  --a wicker basket//


Words: wicket
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old North French; Origin: wiket]//  one of two sets of three wooden sticks that are stuck in the ground in a game of cricket, which the bowler tries to hit with the ball//    stump, bail//    be on a sticky wicket at sticky//


Words: wide
Meaning:
adj   ----------//\n   1 distance:\n   2 variety:\n   3 in many places:\n   4 a wide variation/difference/gap etc:\n   5 the wider context/issues/picture etc:\n   6 eyes:\n   7 give somebody/something a wide berth:\n   8 not hit something:\n   9 the (big) wide world:\n  10 nationwide/city-wide etc:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: wid]//\n  1 DISTANCE:  a) measuring a large distance from one side to the other//   broad//  → narrow//  --a wide tree-lined road//  --a hat with a wide brim//  wide smile/grin //  --As he ran toward me, his face broke into a wide grin.//  b) measuring a particular distance from one side to the other//  --How wide is the door?//  --The boat was nearly as wide as the canal.//  five metres/two miles etc wide //  --The river is more than fifty yards wide.//\n  2 VARIETY:   [usually before noun] including or involving a large variety of different people, things, or situations//  --a man with a wide experience of foreign affairs//  --Our aim is to bring classical music to a wider audience.//  a wide range/variety/choice etc (of sth) //  --This year’s festival includes a wide range of entertainers.//  --holidays to a wide choice of destinations//\n  3 IN MANY PLACES:   [usually before noun] happening among many people or in many places//  --The radio and newspapers gave the trial wide coverage.//\n  4  a wide variation/difference/gap etc:  a large and noticeable difference//  --the ever-wider gap between the richest and poorest countries//\n  5  the wider context/issues/picture etc:  the more general features of a situation, rather than the specific details//  --We hope that by the end of the course students will be able to see their subject in a wider context.//\n  6 EYES:   literary wide eyes are fully open, especially when someone is very surprised, excited, or frightened//  --Her eyes grew wide in anticipation.//\n  7  give sb/sth a wide berth:  to avoid someone or something//\n  8 NOT HIT SOMETHING:  not hitting something you were aiming at//  wide of//  --His shot was just wide of the goal.//\n  9  the (big) wide world:   especially spoken places outside the small familiar place where you live//  --Soon you’ll leave school and go out into the big wide world.//\n  10  nationwide/city-wide etc:  affecting all the people in a nation, city etc//  --a country-wide revolt against the government//  ----------//  WORD CHOICE: wide, thick, broad //  Wide  is used to talk about the distance across something such as a road or river. It is also used to talk about the distance from one side to the other of an object : a doorway two metres wide //  Thick is usually used to talk about the distance between the two largest surfaces of an object : The steel doors are four inches thick. //  Broad can often be used instead of  wide , but it is slightly literary : broad, graceful avenues //  Broad  is always used with  shoulders  and  back : a big man with broad (NOT wide) shoulders //  Wide  is used with nouns such as  range , variety , and choice to say that something includes a lot of different things. //  Broad  is used with nouns such as  outline , picture , and description to say that a description is general rather than specific. //  ----------//\nwide 2 W3S3 adv \n  1  wide open/awake/apart:  completely open, awake, or apart//  --Someone left the back door wide open.//  --At 2 a.m. I was still wide awake.//  --Sandy stood with his back to the fire, legs wide apart.//\n  2 opening or spreading as much as possible:  open/spread (sth) wide //  --Spiro spread his arms wide in a welcoming gesture.//  --Leonora’s eyes opened wide in horror.//  --The windows had been opened wide and she could feel a slight breeze.//\n  3  wide open:  if a competition, election etc is wide open, it is possible for anyone to succeed//  --Most experts agree that the election is wide open at this point.//\n  4 not hitting something you were aiming at, and missing it by a large distance:  --His throw to first base went wide .//\n  5  wide of the mark:  a) not correct about something, by a large amount//  --The opinion polls were hopelessly wide of the mark.//  b) not hitting something you were aiming at, and missing it by a large distance//  --One of the bombs fell wide of the mark.//    far and wide at far1 (11)//


Words: wide boy
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE  informal a man who makes money in dishonest ways and uses it to buy expensive clothes, cars etc - used to show disapproval//


Words: wide-eyed adj
Meaning:
adv  written \n  1 with your eyes wide open, especially because you are surprised or frightened:  --He stood there wide-eyed at the appalling scene.//\n  2 too willing to believe, accept, or admire things because you do not have much experience of life:   naive//


Words: wide-ranging
Meaning:
adj  written   including a wide variety of subjects, things, or people//  --a wide-ranging discussion//  --wide-ranging proposals to improve the rail network//


Words: widely
Meaning:
W2   adv \n  1 in a lot of different places or by a lot of people:  --Organic food is now widely available.//  --an author who had travelled widely in the Far East//  --a widely used method//  --These laws were widely regarded as too strict.//  --This view was not widely held.//\n  2 to a large degree - used when talking about differences:  --The quality of the applicants varies widely .//\n  3  widely read:  a) read by a lot of people//  --a widely read magazine//  b) having read many different books//


Words: widen
Meaning:
v \n  1 [I and T] to become wider, or to make something wider:  → narrow//  --They’re widening the road.//  --The river widens and splits.//\n  2 [I and T] to become larger in degree or range, or to make something do this:  → narrow//  --The gap between income and expenditure has widened to 11%.//  --They are trying to widen the discussion to include environmental issues.//\n  3 [I] if your eyes widen, they open more, especially because you are surprised or frightened:


Words: widespread
Meaning:
W3   adj   existing or happening in many places or situations, or among many people//  --the widespread use of chemicals in agriculture//  widespread support/acceptance/criticism/condemnation etc //  --There was widespread support for the war.//  --The storm caused widespread damage.//


Words: widget
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: gadget]//\n  1  spoken a small piece of equipment that you do not know the name for:\n  2  informal used to refer to an imaginary product that a company might produce:  --Company A produces 6000 widgets a month at a unit price of $0.33.//


Words: widow
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wuduwe]//\n  1 a woman whose husband has died and who has not married again:  --an elderly widow who was attacked and robbed last month//  --a wealthy widow//\n  2  football/golf etc widow:  a woman whose husband spends all his free time watching football, playing golf etc - used humorously//


Words: widowed
Meaning:
v   be widowed//  if someone is widowed, their husband or wife dies//  --She was widowed at the age of 25.//  -- widowed adj //  --his widowed mother//


Words: widower
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: widow  ’widower’ (11-19 centuries), from  Old English wuduwa]//  a man whose wife has died and who has not married again//


Words: width
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: wide]//\n  1 [U and C] the distance from one side of something to the other:    breadth, length//  width of//  --What’s the width of the desk?//\n  3 feet/2 metres etc in width :  --It’s about six metres in width.//\n  2  run/extend the (full) width of sth:  to exist from one side of something to the other//  --a covered terrace extending the full width of the house//\n  3 [C] the distance from one side of a swimming pool to the other:  --I swam 10 widths .//\n  4 [C] a piece of cloth that has been measured and cut:  width of//  --four widths of curtain material//


Words: widthways
Meaning:
adv   across, between the two long sides of something//  --Cut each rectangular cake in half widthways.//


Words: wield
Meaning:
v [T]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wieldan]//\n  1  wield power/influence/authority etc:  to have a lot of power or influence, and to use it//  --The Church wields immense power in Ireland.//\n  2 to hold a weapon or tool that you are going to use:  --She had her car windows smashed by a gang wielding baseball bats.//


Words: wiener
Meaning:
[C]  AmE   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: wienerwurst  ’wiener’ (19-21 centuries), from  German, from  wiener  ’Viennese’ +  wurst (  WURST)]//\n  1 a type of sausage:\n  2  spoken someone who is silly or stupid:\n  3  spoken a penis - used by children:


Words: Wiesenthal
Meaning:
Simon   (1908- ) a Jewish man who spent many years after World War II trying to catch Nazi officers so that they could be officially punished for their violent crimes against the Jews during the war//


Words: wife
Meaning:
n   plural  wives /wa[hA366]vz/ [C] //  [Language: Old English; Origin: wif  ’woman, wife’]//  the woman that a man is married to//    husband, spouse//  --Have you met my wife?//  --a refuge for battered wives//  --his second wife//  ex-wife/former wife //  --He threatened to kill his ex-wife’s boyfriend.//


Words: Wife of Bath
Meaning:
the   a character in the poem  The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey  Chaucer. She has been married five times, and she enjoys talking about sex in a humorous way//


Words: wifely
Meaning:
adj  old-fashioned   wifely qualities or actions are supposed to be typical of a good wife - sometimes used humorously way//


Words: wig
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: periwig type of wig  (16-21 centuries), from  Old French perruque, from  Old Italian perrucca  ’hair, wig’]//  artificial hair that you wear on your head//    toupee//


Words: wiggle
Meaning:
v [I and T]   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  Probably from  Middle Dutch or  Middle Low German wiggelen  ’to walk unsteadily’]//  to move with small movements from side to side or up and down, or to make something move like this//  --Henry wiggled his toes.//  -- wiggle n  [C] //


Words: wigwam
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Abnaki; Origin:  and  Massachusett wikwam]//  a structure with a round or pointed roof used as a home by some Native American tribes in the past//


Words: Wilberforce
Meaning:
William   (1759-1833) a British politician who is played an important part in stopping the British trade in  slaves, and later stopping the practice of  slavery in all parts of the British Empire//


Words: wild
Meaning:
W2S3   adj   ----------//\n   1 plants/animals:\n   2 land:\n   3 emotions:\n   4 behaviour:\n   5 go wild:\n   6 enjoyable:\n   7 be wild about something/somebody:\n   8 without careful thought:\n   9 beyond somebody’s wildest dreams:\n  10 not/never in your wildest dreams:\n  11 weather/sea:\n  12 card games:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: wilde]//\n  1 PLANTS/ANIMALS:   [usually before noun] living in a natural state, not changed or controlled by people//  → tame//  -- wild animals //  --a field full of wild flowers //  wild horse/dog/pig etc //  --animals both wild and domesticated//  wild mushroom/garlic/rose etc //\n  2 LAND:  not used by people for farming, building etc//  --Nepal is stunning, with its wild, untamed landscape.//  --the wild and lonely Scottish hills//\n  3 EMOTIONS:  feeling or expressing strong uncontrolled emotions, especially anger, happiness, or excitement//  --wild laughter//  wild with//  --He was wild with rage.//\n  4 BEHAVIOUR:  behaving in an uncontrolled, sometimes violent way//  --She was completely wild in high school.//  --Donny could be wild and crazy .//  --There was a wild look about her (=she seemed a little crazy) .//\n  5  go wild:  a) to behave in a very excited uncontrolled way//  --The crowd went wild as soon as the singer stepped onto the stage.//  b) to get very angry//  --When Tony heard how much it was going to cost, he just went wild.//\n  6 ENJOYABLE:   informal very enjoyable and exciting//  --’How was the party?’ ’It was wild!’//\n  7  be wild about sth/sb:   informal to like something or someone very much//  --My son’s wild about football.//  --I’m not that wild about rap music, to be honest.//\n  8 WITHOUT CAREFUL THOUGHT:  done or said without much thought or care, or without knowing all the facts//  --wild accusations//  --I’m just making a wild guess here, so correct me if I’m wrong.//\n  9  beyond sb’s wildest dreams:  beyond anything that someone imagined or hoped for//  --an invention that was to change our lives beyond our wildest dreams//\n  10  not/never in your wildest dreams:  used to say that you did not expect or imagine that something would happen, especially after it has happened//  --Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to win first place.//\n  11 WEATHER/SEA:  violent and strong//  --a wild and angry sea//\n  12 CARD GAMES:  a card that is wild can be used to represent any other card in a game//  -- wildness n  [U] //    wild card,  sow your wild oats at sow1 (3)//\nwild 2 adv \n  1  run wild:  a) if children or animals run wild, they behave in an uncontrolled way because there is no one to control them//  b) if something runs wild, it is not controlled and operates in an extremely free way//  --Be creative - allow your imagination to run wild .//  c) if plants run wild, they grow a lot in an uncontrolled way//\n  2  grow wild:  if plants grow wild somewhere, they have not been planted by people//\nwild 3 n \n  1  in the wild:  in natural and free conditions, not kept or controlled by people//  --There are very few pandas living in the wild now.//\n  2  the wilds of Africa/Alaska etc:  areas where there are no towns and not many people live//


Words: wild card
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a playing card that can represent any other card:\n  2 someone whose behaviour or effect on a situation is difficult to guess:\n  3 a player who is a wild card or who is given a wild card is chosen for a competition although they have not previously done well enough to take part:\n  4  technical a symbol that can represent any letter in some computer instructions:


Words: wild goose chase
Meaning:
n [C]   a situation where you are looking for something that does not exist or that you are very unlikely to find, so that you waste a lot of time//  --It looks like they’ve sent us on a wild goose chase.//


Words: Wild West
Meaning:
n   the Wild West//  the western part of the US in the 19th century - used especially when referring to the time before there were many laws there//


Words: wildcat
Meaning:
n [C]   a type of cat that looks similar to a pet cat and lives in mountains, forests etc//\nwildcat 2   past tense and past participle  wildcatted present participle  wildcatting  v [I] //   AmE to look for oil in a place where nobody has found any yet//  -- wildcatter n  [C] //


Words: wildcat strike
Meaning:
n [C]   an occasion when workers suddenly stop working in order to protest about something, usually without the support of a trade union//


Words: Wilde
Meaning:
Oscar   (1854-1900) an Irish writer of poems, stories, and especially humorous plays. His works include the play  The Importance of Being Earnest and the novel  The Picture of Dorian Gray. He was also famous for the clever and funny things he said in conversations. //


Words: wildebeest
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Afrikaans; Origin: wildebees (plural  wildebeeste), from  wilde  ’wild’ +  bees  ’ox’]//  a large Southern African animal with a tail and curved horns//   gnu//


Words: Wilder
Meaning:
Billy   (1906-2002 ) a US film  director, who was born in Austria, who made both serious and humorous films, including  Sunset Boulevard (1950) and  Some Like it Hot (1959)//\n Laura Ingalls   (1867-1957) a US writer who wrote a series of novels for children known as the ’Little House’ books, that are based on her life as a child in the  Midwest, when her family were among the first white people to live there. //\n Thornton   (1897-1975) a US writer famous especially for his plays  Our Town and  The Skin of Our Teeth//


Words: wilderness
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wildeornes  ’land where wild animals live’, from  wild deor  ’wild animal’]//\n  1 a large area of land that has never been developed or farmed:  --the Alaskan wilderness//\n  2 a place that seems no longer used or cared for by anyone:  --The garden was a wilderness.//  --The south side of the city had become a lawless wilderness.//\n  3  in/from/out of the wilderness:  someone who is in the wilderness does not have power or is not involved in something in an important way at a particular time//  --the re-emergence of Richard Nixon from the political wilderness in 1968//


Words: wildfire
Meaning:
n [U and C]  especially AmE   a fire that moves quickly and cannot be controlled//    spread like wildfire at spread1 (2)//


Words: wildlife
Meaning:
n [U]   animals and plants growing in natural conditions//  --measures to protect the area’s wildlife//  --the destruction of wildlife habitats //


Words: wildly
Meaning:
adv \n  1 in a very uncontrolled or excited way:  --The audience cheered wildly.//\n  2 extremely:  --The band is wildly popular in Cuba.//  --wildly inaccurate statements//


Words: wiles
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Date: 1100-1200; Origin:  Perhaps from an unrecorded  Old North French wile (singular), from  Old French guile;   GUILE]//  clever talk or tricks used to persuade someone to do what you want//  --It was impossible to resist her feminine wiles .//


Words: wilful
Meaning:
BrE  willful AmE   adj \n  1 continuing to do what you want, even after you have been told to stop - used to show disapproval:  --a wilful child//\n  2  wilful damage/disobedience/exaggeration etc:  deliberate damage etc, when you know that what you are doing is wrong//  -- wilfully adv //  -- wilfulness n  [U] //


Words: will
Meaning:
modal v    negative short form  won’t //  ----------//\n   1 future:\n   2 willing to do something:\n   3 requesting:\n   4 what generally happens:\n   5 possibility:\n   6 belief:\n   7 giving orders:\n   8 offering/inviting:\n   9 annoying habit:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: wille, from  wyllan  ’to wish for, want, intend to’]//\n  1 FUTURE:  used to make future tenses//  --A meeting will be held next Tuesday at 3 p.m.//  --What time will she arrive?//  --I hope they won’t be late.//  --Maybe by then you will have changed your mind.//\n  2 WILLING TO DO SOMETHING:  used to show that someone is willing or ready to do something//  --Dr Weir will see you now.//  --The baby won’t eat anything.//\n  3 REQUESTING:   spoken used to ask someone to do something//  --Will you phone me later?//  --Shut the door, will you?//\n  4 WHAT GENERALLY HAPPENS:  used to say what always happens in a particular situation or what is generally true//  --Oil will float on water.//  --Accidents will happen.//\n  5 POSSIBILITY:  used like ’can’ to show what is possible//  --This car will hold five people comfortably.//\n  6 BELIEF:  used to say that you think something is true//  --That will be Tim coming home now.//  --As you will have noticed, there are some gaps in the data.//\n  7 GIVING ORDERS:   spoken used to give an order or to state a rule//  --Will you be quiet!//  --You will do as I say.//  --Every employee will carry an identity card at all times.//\n  8 OFFERING/INVITING:   spoken used to offer something to someone or to invite them to do something//  --Will you have some more tea?//  --Won’t you have a seat?//\n  9 ANNOYING HABIT:   spoken used to describe someone’s habits, especially when you think they are annoying//  --Trish will keep asking damn silly questions.//\nwill 2 n   ----------//\n   1 determination:\n   2 legal document:\n   3 what somebody wants:\n   4 with the best will in the world:\n   5 where there’s a will there’s a way:\n   6 at will:\n   7 with a will:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: willa  ’will, desire’]//\n  1 DETERMINATION:   [U and C] determination to do something that you have decided to do, even if this is difficult//  --Children sometimes have strong wills .//  the will to live/fight/succeed etc //  --Even though she was in terrible pain, Mary never lost the will to live.//  --What is lacking is the political will to get anything done about global warming.//  an iron will/a will of iron (=very strong determination) //  a battle/clash/test etc of wills (=when two people who both have strong wills oppose each other) //    strong-willed,  weak-willed//\n  2 LEGAL DOCUMENT:   [C] a legal document that says who you want your money and property to be given to after you die//  --Have you made a will yet?//  in sb’s will//  --My grandfather left me some money in his will.//  --the senator’s last will and testament //\n  3 WHAT SOMEBODY WANTS:   [singular] what someone wants to happen in a particular situation//  --He accused her of trying to impose her will on others.//  against your will//  --Collier claims the police forced him to sign a confession against his will.//  will of//  --the will of the people//  --obedience to God’s will//    free will//\n  4  with the best will in the world:   BrE  spoken used to say that something is not possible, even if you very much want to do it//  --With the best will in the world, I don’t see what more I can do.//\n  5  where there’s a will there’s a way:   spoken used to say that if you really want to do something, you will find a way to succeed//\n  6  at will:  whenever you want and in whatever way you want//  --He can’t just fire people at will, can he?//\n  7  with a will:   written in an eager and determined way//    goodwill,  ill will//\nwill 3 v   [Sense: 1; Origin: Old English willian, from  willa;   WILL2]//  [Sense: 2; Origin: Old English wyllan;   WILL1]//\n  1 [T] to try to make something happen by thinking about it very hard:  will sb to do sth//  --She was willing herself not to cry.//\n  2 [T + to] to officially give something that you own to someone else after you die:\n  3 [I and T]  old use to want something to happen:  --The King wills it.//


Words: will o’ the wisp
Meaning:
n [C usually singular] \n  1 someone that you can never completely depend on, or something that you can never achieve:\n  2 a blue moving light caused by natural gases, that can be seen over wet ground at night:


Words: William II
Meaning:
King   (?1056-1100) the king of England from 1087 until his death He was sometimes called William Rufus. He was the son of William the Conqueror, and was killed in a hunting accident.//


Words: William of Orange
Meaning:
King   (1650-1702) the king of Britain and Ireland from 1689 until his death. He was also called William III. He was married to the daughter of King James II, and was asked by James’s enemies to become king instead of him. William and his Protestant army beat James and his Catholic army at the Battle of the  Boyne, and for this reason Protestants still admire him in Northern Ireland and sometimes call him ’King Billy’. William’s wife, Queen Mary II, had equal power, and people usually talk about the  reign of William and Mary.//


Words: William the Conqueror
Meaning:
(1027-1087) the king of England from 1066 until his death. He was also called William I. William was the Duke of Normandy (in northern France), and became king of England by defeating King Harold at the Battle of  Hastings in 1066. His arrival brought great changes in English society, and people see it as the end of the Anglo-Saxon period and the beginning of the Middle Ages.//


Words: Williams
Meaning:
Hank   (1923-53) a US  country and western singer and songwriter, who greatly influenced the development of country and western music, and whose songs include Your Cheatin’ Heart and  I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry//\n Ralph Vaughan     Vaughan Williams, Ralph//\n Tennessee   (1911-83) a US writer whose plays are mainly about the emotional problems of people living in the  South of the US. His plays include  A Streetcar Named Desire,  The Glass Menagerie, and  Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.//\n William Carlos   (1883-1963) a US poet and medical doctor who wrote mainly about ordinary life. His best known poems include Paterson. He also wrote plays and essays, and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1963 for  Pictures from Breughel.//


Words: willie
Meaning:
n  informal   [Sense: 1; Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Origin unknown.]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: Willie male name, from  William]//\n  1  the willies:  a nervous or frightened feeling//  --All this talk about ghosts is giving me the willies .//\n  2 another spelling of willy:


Words: willing
Meaning:
W3S2   adj \n  1 [not before noun] prepared to do something, or having no reason to not want to do it:  willing to do sth//  --How much are they willing to pay?//  quite/perfectly willing //  --I told them I was perfectly willing to help.//\n  2  willing helper/volunteer/partner etc:  someone who is eager to help etc and does not have to be persuaded//  --I soon had an army of willing helpers.//  -- willingly adv //  --Sixty percent of voters said they would willingly pay higher taxes for better health care.//  -- willingness n  [U] //


Words: willow
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: welig]//  a type of tree that has long thin branches and grows near water, or the wood from this tree//


Words: willpower
Meaning:
n [U]   the ability to control your mind and body in order to achieve something that you want to do//  --It took all his willpower to remain calm.//


Words: willy-nilly
Meaning:
adv   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: will I nill I  ’(whether) I am willing (or) I am unwilling’; nill  ’to be unwilling’ (11-19 centuries), from  Old English nyllan, from  ne  ’not’ +  wyllan (  WILL1)]//\n  1 if something happens willy-nilly, it happens whether you want it to or not:  --He found himself drawn, willy-nilly, into the argument.//\n  2 without planning, organization, or control:  --Companies were accused of raising prices willy-nilly.//


Words: Wilson
Meaning:
Harold   (1916-95) a British politician in the Labour Party, who was Prime Minister from 1964 to 1970, and 1974 to 1976, when he gave up his position. He then became Lord Wilson. When he first became Prime Minister, people saw him as someone with modern ideas and an informal manner, who understood ordinary people, at a time when many politicians were very  upper-class and formal. The  Open University was established by Harold Wilson.//\n Woodrow   (1856-1924) a US politician in the  Democratic Party who was President of the US from 1913 to 1921. During his time as president, the US became involved in World War I, women were given the right to vote, and  Prohibition started. He also helped to establish the  League of Nations.//


Words: wilt
Meaning:
v [I] \n  1 if a plant wilts, it bends over because it is too dry or old:    droop//\n  2  informal to feel weak or tired, especially because you are too hot:\nwilt 2 v  old use   thou wilt//  you will//


Words: wily
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin: wile;   WILES]//  clever at getting what you want, especially by tricking people//   cunning//  --a wily politician//  -- wiliness n  [U] //


Words: Wimbledon
Meaning:
a  tennis competition that takes place every year in Wimbledon, south London, and is one of the most important international tennis events//


Words: wimp
Meaning:
n [C]  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Perhaps from  whimper]//\n  1 someone who has a weak character and is afraid to do something difficult or unpleasant:  --Don’t be such a wimp!//\n  2 a man who is thin and physically weak:  -- wimpish, wimpy adj //\nwimp 2 v   wimp out phr v//  to not do something that you intended to do, because you do not feel brave enough, strong enough etc//   cop out//


Words: wimple
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wimpel]//  a piece of cloth that a nun wears over her head//


Words: Wimsey
Meaning:
Lord Peter   the main character in the books by Dorothy L.  Sayers. He is an English lord who is also a  detective, and he is very good at solving crimes.//


Words: win
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  won /w[hA356]n///  present participle  winning //  ----------//\n   1 competition/race:\n   2 prize:\n   3 get/achieve:\n   4 make somebody win something:\n   5 you win:\n   6 you can’t win:\n   7 you can’t win them all:\n   8 win or lose:\n   9 win (something) hands down:\n  10 win the day:  Phrasal verbs//   win somebody/something → back//   win out//   win somebody → over//   win through//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: winnan  ’to work, fight’]//\n  1 COMPETITION/RACE:   [I and T] to be the best or most successful in a competition, game, election etc//  → lose//  win a race/a game/an election etc //  --Who do you think will win the next election?//  --He won the Tour de France last year.//  win a war/battle //  --the young pilots who won the Battle of Britain//  --Who’s winning (=who is most successful at this point in the game) ?//  win at//  --I never win at cards.//  win by 10 points/70 metres etc //  --We won by just one point.//  --He predicted the French would win hands down  (=win very easily) in the play-offs.//\n  2 PRIZE:   [T] to get something as a prize for winning in a competition or game//  --How does it feel to have won the gold medal ?//  --She won [hA124]160 on the lottery.//  win sth for sb//  --the man who helped win the Cup for Manchester United//\n  3 GET/ACHIEVE:   [T] to get something that you want because of your efforts or abilities//   gain//  win sb’s approval/support/trust etc //  --The proposal has won the approval of the city council.//  --Kramer has certainly won the respect of his peers.//  win sb’s heart (=make them love you or feel sympathy for you) //  --The company has won a contract to build a new power plant outside Houston.//  win sth from sb//  --Davis hopes to win financial backing from a London investment firm.//\n  4 MAKE SOMEBODY WIN SOMETHING:   [T] if something, usually something that you do, wins you something, you win it or get it because of that thing//  win sb sth//  --That performance won Hanks an Oscar.//  --That kind of behaviour won’t win you any friends.//\n  5  you win:   spoken used to agree to what someone wants after you have tried to persuade them to do something else//  --OK, you win - we’ll go to the movies.//\n  6  you can’t win:   spoken used to say that there is no satisfactory way of dealing with a particular situation//  --You can’t win, can you? You either work late and upset your family, or go home early and risk your job.//\n  7  you can’t win them all:   also you win some, you lose some //   spoken used to show sympathy when someone has had a disappointing experience//\n  8  win or lose:   informal no matter whether you win or lose//  --Win or lose, I love competitive sports.//\n  9  win (sth) hands down:   informal to win a game or competition or defeat someone very easily//  --If the election had been free and fair, the democratic candidate would have won hands down.//\n  10  win the day:  to finally be successful in a discussion or argument//   triumph//  --Common sense won the day, and the plans were dropped.//    win the toss at toss2 (1),  winner,  winning//  win back [win sb/sth → back] phr v//  to succeed in getting back something or someone that you had before//  --How can I win back her trust?//  win out phr v//  to finally succeed or defeat other people or things//  win out over//  --Often presentation wins out over content (=is treated as more important than content) .//  win over [win sb → over] phr v//  to get someone’s support or friendship by persuading them or being nice to them//  --We’ll be working hard over the next ten days to win over the undecided voters.//  win through phr v//  to finally succeed in spite of problems//  --As in most of his films, it’s the good guys who win through in the end.//\nwin 2 W3 n [C]   a success or victory, especially in sport//  --We’ve had two wins so far this season.//  win over//  --In the under-16 event England had their first win over Germany.//    no-win,  win-win//


Words: win-win
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   a win-win situation, solution etc is one that will end well for everyone involved in it//    no-win situation//  --It’s a win-win situation all around.//  -- win-win n  [C] //  --The agreement is a win-win for everyone.//


Words: wince
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old North French; Origin: wenchier  ’to be impatient, move about suddenly’]//\n  1 to suddenly change the expression on your face as a reaction to something painful or upsetting:  --Sandra winced as the dentist started to drill.//\n  2 to suddenly feel very uncomfortable or embarrassed because of something that happens, something you remember etc:   cringe//  wince at the memory/thought/idea //  --I still wince at the thought of that terrible evening.//  -- wince n  [singular] //


Words: winch
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wince]//  a machine with a rope or chain for lifting heavy objects//\nwinch 2 v [T always + adverb/preposition]   to lift something or someone up using a winch//  --The two men were winched out of the sinking boat by an RAF helicopter.//


Words: Winchester
Meaning:
an ancient city in southern England, famous for its  cathedral and for its public school (=a school that is paid for by the parents and not by the government) , Winchester College. Winchester was England’s capital city in the 9th and 10th centuries.//


Words: wind
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 air:\n   2 get/have wind of something:\n   3 breath:\n   4 in your stomach:\n   5 take the wind out of somebody’s sails:\n   6 see which way the wind is blowing:\n   7 something is in the wind:\n   8 winds of change/freedom/public opinion etc:\n   9 put the wind up somebody/get the wind up:\n  10 music:\n  11 like the wind:\n  12 talk:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin:]//\n  1 AIR:   [U and C]  also the wind //  moving air, especially when it moves strongly or quickly in a current//    windy//  -- The wind blew from the northeast.//  --A sudden gust of wind  (=a short strong wind) blew the door shut.//  blowing/flapping/swaying etc in the wind //  --branches swaying in the wind//  strong/high winds //  --The forecast is for strong winds and heavy rain.//  gale/hurricane force winds (=strong enough to cause a lot of damage) //  --a 70-mile-an-hour wind//  --The light wind ruffled the water.//  east/west/north/south wind (=coming from the east etc) //  a cold/an icy/a chill/a biting etc wind //  the wind picks/gets up (=blows more strongly) //  --The wind was getting up and it was becoming cloudy.//  --We’ll wait till the wind drops  (=blows less strongly) before we put the tent up.//  --the side of the building most exposed to prevailing winds  (=the winds blowing over a particular area most of the time) //  --a machine measuring wind speed //    crosswind,  downwind,  headwind,  tailwind,  trade wind,  upwind//\n  2  get/have wind of sth:   informal to hear or find out about something secret or private//  --You better hope the press doesn’t get wind of this.//\n  3 BREATH:   [U] your ability to breathe normally//  get your wind (back) (=be able to breathe normally again, for example after running) //  knock the wind out of sb (=hit someone in the stomach so that they cannot breathe for a moment) //    second wind at second1 (12),  windpipe//\n  4 IN YOUR STOMACH:   [U]  BrE the condition of having air or gas in your stomach or intestines, or the air or gas itself//  American Equivalent:  gas//  --I can’t drink beer - it gives me wind.//  --’What’s wrong with the baby?’ ’Just a little wind.’//\n  5  take the wind out of sb’s sails:   informal to make someone lose their confidence, especially by saying or doing something unexpected//\n  6  see which way the wind is blowing:  to find out what the situation is before you do something or make a decision//\n  7  sth is in the wind:  used to say that something is happening or going to happen, but the details are not clear//  --If there was a merger in the wind, I’m sure we’d hear about it.//\n  8  winds of change/freedom/public opinion etc:  used to refer to things that have important effects, and that cannot be stopped//  --The winds of change are blowing through the entire organization.//\n  9  put the wind up sb/get the wind up:   BrE  informal if you put the wind up someone, you make them feel anxious or frightened. If you get the wind up, you become anxious or frightened//  --The threat of legal action will be enough to put the wind up them.//\n  10 MUSIC:   the winds/the wind section//  the people in an orchestra or band who play musical instruments that you blow through, such as a flute//\n  11  like the wind:  if someone or something moves or runs like the wind, they move or run very quickly//  --She ran like the wind down the stairs to escape.//\n  12 TALK:   [U]  BrE  informal talk that does not mean anything//    break wind at break1 (31)//    it’s an ill wind (that blows nobody any good) at ill1 (4)//    sail close to the wind at sail1 (6),  straw in the wind at straw(5)//\nwind 2   v   past tense and past participle  wound /wa[hA35E]nd///\n  1 [T always + adverb/preposition] to turn or twist something several times around something else:  wind sth around/round sth//  --The hair is divided into sections and wound around heated rods.//\n  2 [T]  also wind up :  to turn part of a machine around several times, in order to make it move or start working//  --Did you remember to wind the clock?//\n  3 [I always + adverb/preposition] if a road, river etc winds somewhere, it has many smooth bends and is usually very long:  wind (its way) through/along etc sth//  --Highway 99 winds its way along the coast.//  --a winding path//\n  4 [T] to make a tape move in a machine:  wind sth forward/back//  --Can you wind the video back a little way - I want to see that bit again.//    rewind//  -- wind n  [C] //  wind down phr v//\n  1  wind sth → down:  to gradually reduce the work of a business or organization so that it can be closed down completely//\n  2 to rest and relax after a lot of hard work or excitement:  --I find it difficult to wind down after a day at work.//\n  3  wind sth → down:   BrE to make something, especially a car window, move down by turning a handle or pressing a button//  wind up phr v//\n  1 to bring an activity, meeting etc to an end:  --OK, just to wind up, could I summarize what we’ve decided?//  wind sth → up//  --It’s time to wind things up - I have a plane to catch.//\n  2  wind sth → up:  to close down a company or organization//  --Our operations in Jamaica are being wound up.//\n  3 [linking verb]  informal to be in an unpleasant situation or place after a lot has happened:   end up//  wind up in/at/with etc//  --You know you’re going to wind up in court over this.//  wind up doing sth//  --I wound up wishing I’d never come.//\n  4  wind sb → up:   BrE to deliberately say or do something that will annoy or worry someone, as a joke//    tease//  --They’re only winding you up.//    wound up//\n  5  wind sth → up:  to turn part of a machine around several times, in order to make it move or start working//\n  6  wind sth → up:   BrE to make something, especially a car window, move up by turning a handle or pressing a button//  --Could you wind the window up, please?//  ----------//  HINT //  Do not confuse with the noun wind , which has a different pronunciation. //  ----------//\nwind 3   v   past tense and past participle  winded  [T] //  to make someone have difficulty breathing, as a result of falling on something or being hit//  --The fall winded him and he lay still for a moment.//


Words: wind chill
Meaning:
n [U]  technical   the cooling effect of the wind//  --It must have been minus 5 with the wind chill factor .//


Words: wind chimes
Meaning:
n [plural]   long thin pieces of metal, wood etc hanging together in a group, that make musical sounds when the wind blows them against each other//


Words: Wind in the Willows
Meaning:
The   (1908) a famous book for children by Kenneth  Grahame. It describes the adventures of a group of animals who talk and behave like humans, and the main characters include Mole and Ratty, who live on the river bank, and  Toad of Toad Hall, who is very rich and lives in a large house.//


Words: wind instrument
Meaning:
n [C]   a musical instrument made of wood or metal that you play by blowing, such as a flute, or one that air is passed through, such as an organ//    brass, percussion, stringed instrument//    the winds/the wind section at wind1 (10),  woodwind//


Words: wind-surfing
Meaning:
n [U]   the sport of sailing across water by standing on a surfboard and holding on to a large sail attached to the surfboard//  -- wind-surfer n  [C] //  -- wind-surf v  [I] //


Words: windfall
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 an amount of money that you get unexpectedly:  --his [hA124]2 million windfall in the lottery//  windfall gain/profit etc (=high profits that you did not expect to make) //\n  2 a piece of fruit that has fallen off a tree:


Words: windfall tax
Meaning:
n [C]   an additional amount of tax that the British government sometimes takes from a company that has suddenly earned a large amount of money that it did not expect to earn//


Words: winding sheet
Meaning:
n [C]   a cloth that is wrapped around a dead person’s body before it is buried, used especially in the past//   shroud//


Words: windjammer
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Because the large sails  ’jam’ or block the wind]//  a large sailing ship of the type that was used for trade in the 19th century//


Words: windlass
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old Norse; Origin: vindass, from  vinda  ’to wind’ +  ass  ’pole’]//  a machine for pulling or lifting heavy objects//


Words: windmill
Meaning:
n [C]   1 a building or structure with parts that turn around in the wind, used for producing electrical power or crushing grain//\n  2  BrE a toy consisting of a stick with curved pieces of plastic at the end that turn around when they are blown:  American Equivalent:  pinwheel//


Words: window
Meaning:
n [C]   shutter//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old Norse; Origin: vindauga, from  vindr  ’wind’ +  auga  ’eye’]//\n  1 a space or an area of glass in the wall of a building or vehicle that lets in light:  open/close/shut a window //  --Do you mind if I open the window?//  out of/from/through the window//  --She looked out of the window to see if it was raining.//  --The sun was shining through the windows.//  in the window//   (=just inside a window) //  --We were looking at the Christmas displays in the shop windows .//  bedroom/kitchen etc window //    bay window,  dormer window,  french windows,  picture window,  sash window//\n  2 one of the separate areas on a computer screen where different programs are operating:\n  3  also window of opportunity :  a short period of time that is available for a particular activity//  --Delay might open a window of opportunity for their rivals.//\n  4 an area on an envelope with clear plastic in it which lets you see the address written on the letter inside the envelope:\n  5  a window on/to the world:  something that makes it possible to see and learn about what is happening in other parts of the world//  --Television provides us with a useful window on the world.//\n  6  go out (of) the window:   informal to disappear completely or no longer have any effect//  --One glass of wine, and all my good intentions went out the window.//


Words: window dressing
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 something that is intended to make people like your plans or activities, and to stop them seeing the true situation - used to show disapproval:  --All these glossy pamphlets are just window dressing - the fact is that the new mall will ruin the neighborhood.//\n  2 the art of arranging goods in a shop window so that they look attractive to customers:


Words: window-shopping
Meaning:
n [U]   the activity of looking at goods in shop windows without intending to buy them//  -- window-shopper n  [C] //


Words: Windows
Meaning:
trademark   a type of  operating system for computers, produced by the  Microsoft Corporation, which allows users to run several programs at the same time in separate areas of the computer screen. Windows systems include Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows 98and Windows XP//


Words: windscreen wiper
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a long thin piece of metal with a rubber edge that moves across a windscreen to remove rain//  American Equivalent:  windshield wiper//


Words: windshield
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  AmE a windscreen:\n  2 a piece of glass or clear plastic fixed at the front of a motorcycle that protects the rider from wind:


Words: Windsors
Meaning:
the   a name used especially by newspapers for the present British royal family, whose family name is Windsor//


Words: windswept
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a place that is windswept is often windy because there are not many trees or buildings to protect it:  --windswept moors//\n  2 hair, clothes etc that are windswept have been blown around by the wind:


Words: windward
Meaning:
adj, adv   towards the direction from which the wind is blowing//  → leeward//  --the windward side of the boat//


Words: Windward Islands
Meaning:
the Windward Islands//  a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea, which includes Martinique, Grenada and St Lucia//


Words: windy
Meaning:
S3   adj   comparative  windier superlative  windiest //\n  1 if it is windy, there is a lot of wind:  --It’s too windy for a picnic.//  --a cold, windy day//  --a windy hillside//\n  2 windy talk is full of words that sound impressive but do not mean much:  --politicians’ windy generalizations//


Words: wine
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: win, from  Latin vinum]//\n  1 an alcoholic drink made from grapes, or a type of this drink:  --a glass of wine//  --a delicious Californian wine//  red/white wine //  --a bottle of red wine//  dry/sweet/sparkling wine //  --a dry white wine//\n  2 an alcoholic drink made from another fruit or plant:\nwine 2 v   wine and dine sb//  to entertain someone well with a meal, wine etc//  --Companies spend millions wining and dining clients.//


Words: wine tasting
Meaning:
n [U and C]   the activity or skill of tasting and comparing different wines to see if they are good, or an event where this happens//


Words: wing
Meaning:
n [C]   antenna, wing//  ----------//\n   1 bird/insect:\n   2 plane:\n   3 building:\n   4 politics:\n   5 sport:\n   6 car:\n   7 take somebody under your wing:\n   8 (waiting/lurking) in the wings:\n   9 theatre:\n  10 on a wing and a prayer:\n  11 be on the wing:\n  12 take wing:\n  13 get your wings:  ----------//\n  1 BIRD/INSECT:  a) one of the parts of a bird’s or insect’s body that it uses for flying//  --a butterfly with beautiful markings on its wings//  --The pheasant flapped its wings vigorously.//  b) the meat on the wing bone of a chicken, duck etc, eaten as food//  --spicy chicken wings//  cockpit, wing, tail//\n  2 PLANE:  one of the large flat parts that stick out from the side of a plane and help to keep it in the air//\n  3 BUILDING:  one of the parts of a large building, especially one that sticks out from the main part//  north/east etc wing //  --the east wing of the palace//  --She works in the hospital’s maternity wing.//\n  4 POLITICS:  a group of people within a political party or other organization who have a particular opinion or aim//  --the moderate wing of the Republican Party//    left-wing,  right-wing//\n  5 SPORT:  a) a winger//  b) the far left or right part of a sports field//\n  6 CAR:   BrE the part of a car that is above a wheel//  American Equivalent:  fender//\n  7  take sb under your wing:  to help and protect someone who is younger or less experienced than you are//\n  8  (waiting/lurking) in the wings:  ready to do something or be used when the time is right//  --Several junior managers are waiting in the wings for promotion.//\n  9 THEATRE:   the wings [plural] the parts at either side of a stage where actors are hidden from people who are watching the play//\n  10  on a wing and a prayer:  if you do something on a wing and a prayer, you do not have much chance of succeeding//\n  11  be on the wing:   literary if a bird is on the wing, it is flying//\n  12  take wing:   literary to fly away//\n  13  get your wings:  to pass the examinations you need to become a pilot//    clip sb’s wings at clip2 (6),  spread your wings at spread1 (10)//\nwing 2 v \n  1 [I always + adverb/preposition]  literary to fly somewhere:  --a flock of geese winging down the coast//  wing its/their way to/across etc sth //  --planes winging their way to exotic destinations//\n  2  wing its/their way:  to go or be sent somewhere very quickly//  wing its/their way to//  --A bottle of champagne will soon be winging its way to 10 lucky winners.//\n  3  wing it:   spoken to do something without planning or preparing it//  --We’ll just have to wing it .//


Words: wing chair
Meaning:
n [C]   a comfortable chair with a high back and pieces pointing forward on each side where you can rest your head//


Words: winger
Meaning:
n  also wing  [C]   someone who plays in the far left or far right of the field in games such as football//


Words: wingtip
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 the point at the end of a bird’s or a plane’s wing:\n  2  AmE a type of man’s shoe with a pattern of small holes on the toe:


Words: wink
Meaning:
v   [Language: Old English; Origin: wincian]//\n  1 [I and T] to close and open one eye quickly to communicate something or show that something is a secret or joke:  wink at//  --He winked mischievously at Erica.//  --He winked an eye at his companion.//\n  2 [I] to shine with a light that flashes on and off:   blink//  --a Christmas tree with lights winking on and off//  wink at [wink at sth] phr v//  to pretend not to notice something bad or illegal, in a way that suggests you approve of it//\nwink 2 n \n  1 [C] a quick action of opening and closing one eye, usually as a signal to someone else:  --He gave her a wink .//  --’You look tired,’ he said with a knowing wink .//\n  2  not get a wink of sleep/not sleep a wink:  not be able to sleep at all//  --I didn’t get a wink of sleep last night.//    forty winks,  a nod’s as good as a wink at nod2 (4),  tip sb the wink at tip2 (11)//


Words: winkle
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  PERIWINKLE 2]//  a small sea animal that lives in a shell and is eaten as food//\nwinkle 2 v   winkle out [winkle sb/sth → out] phr v//\n  1 to make someone leave a place:  --Government critics were winkled out of their positions of influence.//\n  2 to get information from someone who does not want to give it to you:  --Candy was very good at winkling out secrets.//


Words: winner
Meaning:
W2S3   n \n  1 [C] a person or animal that has won something:  winner of//  --the winner of the Ladies’ Championship//  --Five lucky winners will each receive a signed copy of the album.//  --As a jockey he rode 10 winners.//  prize/award/medal etc winner //  --a Nobel prize winner//\n  2 [C]  informal someone or something that is or is likely to be very popular and successful:  --The book has proved to be a winner with young children.//  --The company seems to be onto a winner  (=doing something that is likely to be successful) .//\n  3 [singular] a goal or point that makes someone win a game such as football or tennis:  --Moran scored the winner with only two minutes left.//\n  4 [C usually plural] the person who gets most of the advantages from a situation:  --In a capitalist society there will always be winners and losers .//  --The real winners this summer have been the suncream manufacturers.//


Words: Winnie the Pooh
Meaning:
(1926) a famous book for children by A.A.  Milne, about a boy called Christopher Robin and his  teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh, who is also called Pooh or Pooh Bear. Pooh is not very clever or brave, but he is very happy and helpful and has lots of friends, including  Eeyore,  Piglet, and Tigger. He likes inventing songs and poems and his favourite food is  honey.//


Words: winning
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1 the winning person or thing is the one that wins or makes you win a competition or game:  --the winning team//  --The winning design came from an architect in Glasgow.//  --Beckham scored the winning goal.//\n  2 making you very successful or likely to be successful:  --a winning combination//  --As a business, they have found a winning formula.//\n  3 a winning quality or way of doing something is one that makes other people like you:   attractive//  --a winning smile //\n  4  a winning streak:  a period of time when you win every game or competition//  --The team are on a winning streak .//


Words: winnow
Meaning:
v  also winnow down   [Language: Old English; Origin: windwian]//  [T] to make a list, group, or quantity smaller by getting rid of the things that you do not need or want//   whittle down//  --We need to winnow the list of candidates to three.//  winnow out [winnow sb/sth → out] phr v//  to get rid of the things or people that you do not need or want from a group//


Words: wino
Meaning:
n   plural  winos  [C] //  [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: wine]//   informal someone who drinks a lot of alcohol and lives on the streets//


Words: winsome
Meaning:
adj  literary   [Language: Old English; Origin: wynsum, from  wynn  ’great happiness’]//  behaving in a pleasant and attractive way//  --a winsome smile//


Words: Winston Smith
Meaning:
the main character in the book  1984 (1949) by George  Orwell, who lives in a time when the government controls everything that people do. Smith is punished by the government because he tries to have a romantic relationship with a woman. //


Words: winter
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Language: Old English; Origin:]//  the season after autumn and before spring, when the weather is coldest//    summer//  --the cold Canadian winters//  --the dark winter months//  in (the) winter//  --It usually snows here in the winter .//  this/last/next winter //  --Fuel supplies could be seriously disrupted this winter.//  mild/severe/hard etc winter //  --the severe winter of 1951//  winter coat/shoes etc (=designed for cold weather) //\nwinter 2 v [I always + adverb/preposition]  formal   to spend the winter somewhere//  --Last year, over 11,000 Canadians wintered in Arizona.//


Words: winter solstice
Meaning:
n   the winter solstice//  the shortest day of the year in the northern  hemisphere, usually around December 22nd//    summer solstice//


Words: wintertime
Meaning:
n [U]   the time when it is winter//    summertime//  in (the) wintertime//  --The hills look very bleak in wintertime.//


Words: wintry
Meaning:
1 cold or typical of winter:    summery//  --a wintry day//  --wintry showers//\n  2 a wintry smile or expression is not very friendly:


Words: wipe
Meaning:
S3   v   ----------//\n   1 clean/rub:\n   2 remove dirt:\n   3 computer/tape:\n   4 wipe something from your mind/memory:\n   5 wipe the floor with somebody:\n   6 wipe the slate clean:\n   7 wipe the smile/grin off somebody’s face:\n   8 wipe something off the face of the earth/wipe something off the map:\n   9 plates/cups etc:  Phrasal verbs//   wipe something → away//   wipe something → down//   wipe something off something//   wipe out//   wipe something → up//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: wipian]//\n  1 CLEAN/RUB:   [T] //  a) to rub a surface with something in order to remove dirt, liquid etc//  wipe sth with sth//  --Wipe the table with a damp cloth.//  --Bill wiped his eyes  (=wiped the tears from his face) and apologized.//  --He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his nose .//  b) to clean something by rubbing it against a surface//  wipe sth on sth//  --He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.//\n  2 REMOVE DIRT:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to remove liquid, dirt, or marks by wiping//  wipe sth off/from etc sth//  --Kim wiped the sweat from her face.//\n  3 COMPUTER/TAPE:   [T] to remove all the information that is stored on a tape, video, or computer disk//\n  4  wipe sth from your mind/memory:  to try to forget an unpleasant experience//\n  5  wipe the floor with sb:   informal to defeat someone completely in a competition or argument//\n  6  wipe the slate clean:  to agree to forget about mistakes or arguments that happened in the past//\n  7  wipe the smile/grin off sb’s face:   informal to make someone feel less happy or confident, especially someone who is annoying because they think they are clever//  --Tell him how much it’ll cost - that should wipe the smile off his face!//\n  8  wipe sth off the face of the earth/wipe sth off the map:  to destroy something completely//  --Another few years and this species could be wiped off the face of the earth.//\n  9 PLATES/CUPS ETC:   [I and T] to dry plates, cups etc that have been washed//   dry//  --You wash, I’ll wipe.//  wipe away [wipe sth → away] phr v//  to stop something existing//  --A frown quickly wiped away her smile.//  wipe down [wipe sth → down] phr v//  to completely clean a surface using a wet cloth//  wipe off [wipe sth off sth] phr v//  to reduce the value of shares or prices by a particular amount//  --Nearly [hA124]7 billion has been wiped off share prices worldwide.//  wipe out phr v//\n  1  wipe sb/sth → out:  to destroy, remove, or get rid of something completely//  --Whole villages were wiped out by the floods.//  --Nothing could wipe out his bitter memories of the past.//\n  2  wipe sb → out:   informal to make you feel extremely tired//  --The heat had wiped us out.//    wiped out//\n  3  AmE to fall or hit another object when driving a car, riding a bicycle etc:  wipe up [wipe sth → up] phr v//  to remove liquid from a surface using a cloth//  --I hastily wiped up the milk I had spilled.//\nwipe 2 n [C] \n  1 a wiping movement with a cloth:  --An occasional wipe with a soft cloth will keep the surface shiny.//  -- Give the baby’s nose a wipe, would you?//\n  2 a special piece of wet material that you use to clean someone or something and then throw away:  --a pack of baby wipes//


Words: wire
Meaning:
W3S3   n   [Language: Old English; Origin: wir]//\n  1 [U and C] thin metal in the form of a thread, or a piece of this:  --copper wire//  --a wire fence//    barbed wire,  high wire,  tripwire//\n  2 [C] a piece of metal like this, used for carrying electrical currents or signals:  --a telephone wire//\n  3  get your wires crossed:  to become confused about what someone is saying because you think they are talking about something else//\n  4  go/come/be down to the wire:   informal  especially AmE to be finished or achieved with very little time left//  --The game was very close and went right down to the wire.//\n  5 [C]  AmE a piece of electronic recording equipment, usually worn secretly on someone’s clothes:\n  6 [C]  AmE a telegram:    wiry//\nwire 2 v [T] \n  1  also wire up :  a) to connect wires inside a building or piece of equipment so that electricity can pass through//  --Check that the plug has been wired up properly.//  b) to connect electrical equipment to the electrical system using wires//  wire sth to sth//  --The CD player had been wired up to the car’s cigarette lighter.//\n  2 to send money electronically:\n  3 to attach a piece of recording equipment to a person or room, especially secretly:\n  4  be wired for sth:  to have all the necessary wires and connections for an electrical system to work//  --All the rooms have been wired for cable TV.//\n  5  AmE to send a telegram to someone:\n  6 to fasten two or more things together using wire:  wire sth together//  --The poles had all been wired together.//    wiring//


Words: wire netting
Meaning:
BrE wire mesh  AmE n [U]   wires that have been woven together to form a net, used especially for fences//


Words: wired
Meaning:
adj \n  1  AmE  informal feeling very active and excited, especially because you have drunk a lot of coffee or taken a drug:    high//\n  2  informal connected to, and able to use the Internet:    link, linkup//\n  3 wired glass, cloth etc has wire in it to make it strong or stiff:  --wired ribbon//


Words: wireless communications
Meaning:
n [plural]   a system of sending and receiving electronic signals that does not use electrical or telephone wires, for example the system used by mobile phones//


Words: wiretapping
Meaning:
n [U]   the action of secretly listening to other people’s telephone conversations, by connecting something to the wires of their telephone//  -- wiretap n  [C] //  -- wiretap v  [T] //


Words: wiring
Meaning:
n [U]   the network of wires that form the electrical system in a building, vehicle, or piece of equipment//  --The wiring needs to be replaced.//


Words: Wirral
Meaning:
the Wirral//  an area between the River Dee and the River Mersey, near Liverpool in northwest England. It is a mainly  middle class area, and many of the people who live there work in Liverpool.//


Words: wiry
Meaning:
adj \n  1 someone who is wiry is thin but has strong muscles:\n  2 wiry hair or grass is stiff and strong:


Words: Wisconsin
Meaning:
WI a state in the north central US, to the west of Lake Michigan. It is an important area for producing milk, cheese, and butter.//


Words: Wisden Wisden’s Cricketers’ Almanack
Meaning:
trademark   a book about  cricket which is produced every year in the UK and which contains the results of all the important games, the  scores (=points won)  of all the players etc//


Words: wisdom
Meaning:
n [U]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wis;   WISE1]//\n  1 good sense and judgment, based especially on your experience of life:  --a man of great wisdom//  question/doubt the wisdom of (doing) sth //  --Local people are questioning the wisdom of spending so much money on a new road.//  --You can always expect a few words of wisdom from Dave.//    pearls of wisdom at pearl(3)//\n  2 knowledge gained over a long period of time through learning or experience:  --the collected wisdom of many centuries//\n  3  (the) conventional/received/traditional etc wisdom:  a belief or opinion that most people have//  --The conventional wisdom is that boys mature more slowly than girls.//\n  4  in sb’s (infinite) wisdom:   humorous used to say that you do not understand why someone has decided to do something//  --The boss, in her infinite wisdom, has decided to reorganize the whole office yet again.//


Words: wisdom tooth
Meaning:
n [C]   one of the four large teeth at the back of your mouth that do not grow until you are an adult//


Words: wise
Meaning:
S3   adj   ----------//\n   1 decision/idea etc:\n   2 person:\n   3 be none the wiser/not be any the wiser:\n   4 get/be wise to somebody/something:\n   5 wise guy:\n   6 be wise after the event:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: wis]//\n  1 DECISION/IDEA ETC:  wise decisions and actions are sensible and based on good judgment//   sensible//  it is wise to do sth//  --It’s wise to check whether the flight times have changed before you leave for the airport.//  be wise to do sth//  --I think you were wise to leave when you did.//  --a wise precaution//  --I don’t think that would be a very wise move  (=not be a sensible thing to do) .//\n  2 PERSON:  someone who is wise makes good decisions, gives good advice etc, especially because they have a lot of experience of life//  --a wise old man//  --At the time I thought he was wonderful, but I’m older and wiser now.//  --As a manager, Sanford was wise in the ways of  (=knew a lot about) company politics.//\n  3  be none the wiser/not be any the wiser:  a) to not understand something even after it has been explained to you//  --Charlie explained how the system works, but I’m still none the wiser.//  b) used for saying that no one will find out about something bad that someone has done//  --He could easily have taken the money and no one would have been any the wiser.//\n  4  get/be wise to sb/sth:   informal to realize that someone is being dishonest//  --Teachers quickly get wise to students who are cheating.//    wise up at wise2 //\n  5  wise guy:   informal especially  AmE an annoying person who thinks they know more than they really do//  --OK, wise guy, shut up and listen!//\n  6  be wise after the event:  to realize what you should have done in a situation after it has happened//  --It’s easy to be wise after the event.//  -- wisely adv //  --Invest the money wisely.//  --He nodded wisely.//    wisdom//    sadder but wiser at sad(6)//\nwise 2 v   wise up phr v//  to realize the truth about a bad situation//  --Wise up, Vic - he’s cheating you!//  wise up to//  --Consumers need to wise up to the effect that advertising has on them.//\nwise 3  -wise/wa[hA366]z/ suffix   [Language: Old English; Origin: -wisan, from  wise  ’way, method’]//\n  1  price-wise/time-wise etc:   informal used for saying which feature of a situation you are referring to//  --Time-wise we’re not doing too badly.//\n  2  crosswise/lengthwise etc:  in a direction across something, along the length of something etc//  --Cut the carrots lengthwise.//    clockwise,  streetwise//


Words: wish
Meaning:
v   [Language: Old English; Origin: wyscan]//\n  1 [I and T]  formal if you wish to do something or you wish to have it done for you, you want to do it or want to have it done:   like//  wish to do sth//  --I wish to make a complaint.//  --If you wish to discuss this matter further please do not hesitate to contact me.//  --You may leave now, if you wish .//  (just) as you wish (=used in formal situations to tell someone you will do what they want) //  --’I’d like it to be ready by six.’ ’Just as you wish, sir.’//  --The cook will prepare whatever you wish.//\n  2 [T] to want something to be true although you know it is either impossible or unlikely:    if only//  wish (that)//  --I wish I didn’t have to go to work today.//  --I wish that I could afford a new car.//  --He wished Emily were with him.//  --Sometimes I wish I had never been born.//\n  3 [T] to say that you hope someone will have good luck, a happy life etc:  wish sb sth//  --We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!//  --We wish them every happiness in their new home.//  --He shook my hand and wished me luck .//  wish sb well (=say that you hope that good things will happen to someone) //  --My friends wished me well in my new job.//\n  4  I couldn’t wish for a nicer/better etc ...:   also the nicest/best etc ... I could wish for //  used to emphasize that you are very happy with what you have and cannot imagine anyone or anything better//  --I couldn’t wish for a better husband.//  --It’s the best birthday present I could have wished for.//\n  5  I wish (that) sb would do sth:   spoken used to say that you find someone’s behaviour annoying and want them to change//  --I wish you’d stop treating me like a child!//\n  6 [I] :  a) to want something to happen or to want to have something, especially when it seems unlikely or impossible//    long for//  wish for//  --It was no use wishing for the impossible.//  --She was like the sister I never had but always wished for.//  b) to silently ask for something you want and hope that it will happen by magic or good luck - used especially in children’s stories//  wish for//  --One day she found a magic ring that brought her whatever she wished for.//\n  7  I wish!:   spoken used to say that something is not true, but you wish it was//  --’I think he really likes you.’ ’I wish!’//\n  8  you wish!:   spoken used to tell someone that what they want to happen or be true will definitely not happen or become true//  --’I’m going to be famous one day.’ ’You wish!’//\n  9  wouldn’t wish sth on/upon sb:   spoken used to say that something is very unpleasant and that you would not like anyone to have to experience it//  --Having your house broken into is terrible. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.//\n  10  I don’t wish to interfere/be nosy etc:   BrE  spoken  formal used to show you are sorry if what you are going to say upsets or annoys someone//  --I don’t wish to seem ungrateful, but it’s not quite what I expected.//\n  11  I (only) wish I knew:   BrE  spoken used to emphasize that you do not know something, and you wish you did know//  --’Where on earth have they gone?’ ’I wish I knew!’//  wish away [wish sth → away] phr v//\n  1 to make something unpleasant disappear by wanting it to disappear, without doing anything about it:  --You can’t just wish your problems away, you know!//\n  2  wish your life away:  to always be thinking about the future, so that you do not do or enjoy things now - used to show disapproval//  --Don’t wish your life away.//  ----------//  WORD CHOICE: wish, hope, want, would like //  Use  wish to talk about things that are not true, not possible, or very unlikely : I wish I knew more about science. | She wished she hadn’t said anything.| I wish I could win the lottery. //  Use  hope to talk about things that could happen, could have happened, or could be true : I hope you have a happy birthday. |  I hope they got there in time.  //  !!  Do not use  wish + (that)  to say that you want something to happen in the future. Use  hope : I hope (NOT wish) that we’ll all meet again soon.| I hope you have a great time. //  You can use  wish + noun in polite expressions meaning that you want someone to have something : We wish you a safe journey. |  I wish you lots of luck. //  !! Wish to  is very formal. Use  want to  or  would like to to say what you want to happen : I want to write to him but I don’t know his address. |  I would like to run my own restaurant. //  GRAMMAR:tenses with ’wish’ //  Things that you want to happen in the present or future //  Use  wish + past tense or wish + would : I wish I didn’t have to go.| I wish they would stop arguing. //  You can use  that or leave it out : I wish that he would help more. //  !! In British English, you can either say ’I wish I was’ or ’I wish I were’, which is rather formal. In American English, you should use  were : I wish I were ten years younger. //  Things that you want to have happened in the past //  Use  wish + past perfect tense : I wish I had paid more attention in class. //  ----------//\nwish 2 S3 n [C] \n  1 a desire to do something, to have something, or to have something happen:  wish of//  --It’s important to respect the wishes of the patient.//  --politicians who ignore the public’s wishes//  wish to do sth//  --Despite her wish to continue working, she was forced to retire at the age of 62.//  --She had expressed a wish to see the children.//  --Jenny’s always wanted to live in the country. Now she’s finally got her wish  (=she has got what she wanted) .//  sb’s wish is granted/fulfilled (=someone gets what they want) //  sb’s wish comes true (=someone gets what they want, especially in a surprising or unexpected way) //  sb’s last/dying wish (=something that someone says they want just before they die) //  --His last wish was that he should be buried back home in California.//  sb’s greatest wish  also //  sb’s dearest wish  BrE  (=what you want most of all) //  --His dearest wish was to become a father.//    death wish//\n  2  against sb’s wishes:  if you do something against someone’s wishes, you do it even though you know they do not want you to//  --She’d left school against her mother’s wishes.//  go against sb’s wishes (=do something against their wishes) //\n  3  best/good/warmest etc wishes:  used, especially in cards and letters, to say that you hope someone will be happy, successful, or healthy//  best/good/warmest etc wishes for//  --Best wishes for a long and happy retirement!//  --She asked me to pass on her good wishes to all her friends and colleagues.//  (With) best wishes (=used at the end of a letter before you sign your name) //  --With best wishes, Celia.//\n  4  have no wish to do sth:   formal used to emphasize that you do not want or intend to do something//  --I have no wish to speak to her ever again.//\n  5 a silent request for something to happen as if by magic:  --Close your eyes and make a wish .//\n  6  your wish is my command:  used humorously to say that you will do whatever someone asks you to do//


Words: wish list
Meaning:
n [C]    informal all the things that you would like to have or would like to happen in a particular situation//  on sb’s wish list//  --Another player on Coach Beane’s wish list is center fielder Jeffrey Hammonds.//


Words: wishbone
Meaning:
n [C]   the V-shaped bone from a cooked chicken, duck etc, which two people pull apart to decide who will make a wish//


Words: wishful thinking
Meaning:
n [U]   when you believe that what you want to happen will happen, when in fact it is not possible//  --I think she rather likes me. But maybe that’s just wishful thinking.//


Words: wishy-washy
Meaning:
adj  informal   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: washy  ’thin, watery’ (16-20 centuries), from  wash]//\n  1 someone who is wishy-washy does not have firm or clear ideas and seems unable to decide what they want - used to show disapproval:  --a bunch of wishy-washy liberals//\n  2 colours that are wishy-washy are pale and unexciting, not strong or dark - used to show disapproval:


Words: wisp
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Perhaps from  whisk]//\n  1 a wisp of hair, grass, hay etc is a thin piece of it that is separate from the rest:  wisp of//  --A wisp of hair had escaped from under her hat.//\n  2 a wisp of smoke, cloud, mist etc is a small thin line of it that rises upwards:  wisp of//  --Wisps of smoke rose into the air.//    will o’ the wisp//  -- wispy adj //


Words: wisteria
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Caspar  Wistar (1761-1818), U.S. medical scientist]//  a climbing plant with purple or white flowers//


Words: wistful
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: wistly  ’with close attention’ (15-18 centuries), probably from  whist  ’quiet’ (15-20 centuries); influenced by  wishful]//  thinking sadly about something you would like to have but cannot have, especially something that you used to have in the past//  --a wistful smile//  -- wistfully adv //  --’That’s the house where I was born,’ she said wistfully.//  -- wistfulness n  [U] //


Words: wit
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 amusing:\n   2 amusing person:\n   3 wits:\n   4 frighten/scare/terrify somebody out of their wits:\n   5 gather/collect/recover etc your wits:\n   6 pit your wits against somebody:\n   7 be at your wits’ end:\n   8 have the wit to do something:\n   9 not be beyond the wit of somebody:\n  10 to wit:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: ’knowledge, intelligence’]//\n  1 AMUSING:   [U] the ability to say things that are clever and amusing//  --a woman of great wit and charm//  quick/dry/sharp etc wit //  --His sharp wit had them all smiling.//\n  2 AMUSING PERSON:   [C] someone who is able to say clever and amusing things//\n  3  wits [plural] your ability to think quickly and make the right decisions:  --Alone and penniless, I was forced to live on my wits .//  keep/have your wits about you (=be ready to think quickly and do what is necessary in a difficult situation) //\n  4  frighten/scare/terrify sb out of their wits:   informal to frighten someone very much//  --I was terrified out of my wits at the very idea.//\n  5  gather/collect/recover etc your wits:  to make yourself think about what you are going to do next after you have been surprised by something//  --I felt helpless, but tried to gather my wits.//\n  6  pit your wits against sb:  to compete against someone in a test of knowledge or intelligence//\n  7  be at your wits’ end:  to be very upset and not know what to do, because you have tried everything possible to solve a problem//\n  8  have the wit to do sth:   formal to be clever enough to know the right thing to do//  --Thankfully, Reid had the wit to see what was wrong with the plan.//\n  9  not be beyond the wit of sb:   formal not be too difficult for someone to do//  -- It’s surely not beyond the wit of man to come up with a solution.//\n  10  to wit:   old use or  formal used to introduce additional information which makes it clear exactly who or what you are talking about//   namely//  --This does not stop me giving you a little treat. To wit, an invitation to dine at Brown’s.//    battle of wits at battle1 (5),  half-wit//    live by your wits at live1 (15),  outwit,  quick-witted,  witty//


Words: witch
Meaning:
n [C]   broomstick//  [Language: Old English; Origin: wicca  ’wizard’ and  wicce  ’witch’]//\n  1 a woman who is supposed to have magic powers, especially to do bad things:    wizard//\n  2  informal an insulting word for a woman who is old or unpleasant:


Words: witch-doctor
Meaning:
n [C]   a man who is believed to have magic powers and the ability to cure diseases, especially in parts of Africa//    medicine man//


Words: witch-hazel
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: witch-hazel type of elm tree  (16-19 centuries), from  witch  ’tree with bendy branches’ (11-19 centuries), from  Old English wice,  wic]//  a substance used for treating small wounds on the skin, or the tree that produces it//


Words: witch-hunt
Meaning:
n [C]   an attempt to find and punish people in a society or organization whose opinions are regarded as wrong or dangerous - used to show disapproval//  --anti-Communist witch-hunts//


Words: with
Meaning:
prep   [Language: Old English; Origin: ’against, from, with’]//\n  1 used to say that two or more people or things are together in the same place:  --I saw Bob in town with his girlfriend.//  --Put this bag with the others.//  --I always wear these shoes with this dress.//  --Mix the powder with boiling water.//  have/bring/take sb/sth with you //  --She had her husband with her.//  --You’d better bring your passport with you.//\n  2 having, possessing, or carrying something:  --a tall gentleman with a grey beard//  --a book with a green cover//  --a man with a gun//  --We need someone with bright new ideas.//  --Only people with plenty of money can afford to shop here.//  --She came back with a letter in her hand.//\n  3 using something or by means of something:  --Chop the onions with a sharp knife.//  --What will you buy with the money?//  --I amused myself with crossword puzzles.//  --a hat decorated with brightly coloured feathers see usage note  by1 //\n  4 because of a particular feeling or physical state:  --They were trembling with fear.//  --Jack beamed with pleasure when he heard the news.//  --I was too weak with hunger to cry.//  --Mother became seriously ill with pneumonia.//\n  5 including:  --Two nights’ accommodation with breakfast and evening meal cost us just over [hA124]250.//\n  6 used to say what covers or fills something:  --Her boots were covered with mud.//  --Fill the bowl with sugar.//  --In summer Venice is crammed with tourists.//\n  7 used to say what an action or situation is related to:  --We have a problem with parking in this area.//  --Be careful with that glass.//  --Is there something wrong with your phone?//  --How are you getting on with your studies, David?//  --Compared with other children of the same age, Robert is very tall.//\n  8 used to say which person or thing someone has a particular feeling or attitude towards:  --I hope you’re not angry with me.//  --He thinks he’s in love with Diana.//  --She’s delighted with her new car.//  --Don’t get too friendly with your students.//\n  9 supporting someone or sharing their opinion:    for//  --Some opposition MPs voted with the Government.//  --You’re either with me or against me.//  --I’m with Harry all the way on this one.//\n  10 used when talking about an action or activity to say which other person, group, or country is involved:  --Stop fighting with your brother!//  --I used to play chess with him.//  --It’s a good idea to discuss the problem with a sympathetic teacher.//  --We’re competing with foreign businesses.//  --Britain’s trade with Japan//  --She left home after an argument with her parents.//\n  11 used to say how someone does something or how something happens:  --He prepared everything with great care.//  --A rocket exploded with a blinding flash.//  --’Oh, I’m not in a hurry,’ I said with a smile.//  --The day starts with a great American breakfast.//\n  12 used to say what position or state someone or something is in, or what is happening, when someone does something:  --She stood with her back to me.//  --We lay in bed with the window open.//  --She was knitting, with the television on.//  with sb/sth doing sth//  --We jumped into the water with bullets whizzing past our ears.//\n  13 at the same rate as something else and because of it:  --a skill which improves with practice//  --The risk of cancer increases with the number of cigarettes you smoke.//\n  14 because of a situation that exists:  --With John away there’s more room in the house.//  with sth doing sth//  --I can’t do my homework with all this noise going on.//\n  15 employed by someone:  --The manager is Stuart Walker, who has been with the company since 1970.//\n  16 used to say who is looking after something:  --I left your keys with the janitor.//\n  17 used to say who or what someone becomes separated from:  --Joan doesn’t want to part with the money.//  --a complete break with tradition//\n  18 in the same direction as something:  --We sailed with the wind.//\n  19 in spite of:  --With all his faults, I still like him.//\n  20 used to show who or what a strong wish or order concerns:  --Down with school!//  --Off to bed with you!//\n  21  be with you/me:  to understand what someone is telling you or explaining to you//  --Sorry, I’m not with you - which room do you mean?//  --So that’s how the system works. Are you with me?//\n  22  with it:   informal //  a) wearing fashionable clothes and knowing about new ideas//   trendy//  b) able to understand clearly what is happening around you//  --I’m sorry, I’m not feeling very with it today.//    with-it//\n  23  with that:  immediately after doing or saying something//  --He gave a little wave and with that he was gone.//


Words: with-it
Meaning:
adj   fashionable and modern in the way that you dress, think etc//   trendy//    with it at with(22)//


Words: withdraw
Meaning:
W2   v   past tense  withdrew /-dru[hA359]///  past participle  withdrawn /-dr[hA350][hA359]n $ -dr[hA361][hA359]n///  ----------//\n   1 not take part:\n   2 stop supporting:\n   3 change your mind:\n   4 say something is not true:\n   5 product/service:\n   6 leave a place:\n   7 money:\n   8 move:\n   9 take out:\n  10 stop communicating:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Origin: with  ’from’ +  draw  ’to pull’]//\n  1 NOT TAKE PART:  a)  [I and T] to stop taking part in an activity, belonging to an organization etc, or to make someone do this//  withdraw from//  --A knee injury forced her to withdraw from the competition.//  --calls for Britain to withdraw from the European Union//  withdraw sth/sb from sth//  --Parents have the right to withdraw their children from religious education lessons if they wish.//\n  2 STOP SUPPORTING:   [T] to stop giving support or money to someone or something, especially as the result of an official decision//  --One of the minority parties had withdrawn its support for Chancellor Kohl.//  --Union members will vote on whether to withdraw their labour  (=stop working) .//  --a government decision to withdraw funding//\n  3 CHANGE YOUR MIND:   [T] if you withdraw a threat, offer, request etc, you say that you no longer will do what you said//  --After much persuasion he agreed to withdraw his resignation.//\n  4 SAY SOMETHING IS NOT TRUE:   [T]  formal if you withdraw a remark, criticism, statement etc, you say that what you said earlier was completely untrue//   retract//  --He refused to withdraw his remarks and was expelled from the Party.//  --The newspaper has agreed to withdraw its allegations.//\n  5 PRODUCT/SERVICE:   [T] if a product or service is withdrawn, it is no longer offered for sale or use//  withdraw sth from sale/from the market //  --The drug has been withdrawn from the market for further tests.//\n  6 LEAVE A PLACE:  a)  [I and T] if an army withdraws, or if it is withdrawn, it leaves a place//   pull out//  --the USA’s decision to withdraw 40,000 troops from western Europe//  b)  [I] to leave a place, especially in order to be alone or go somewhere quiet//  withdraw to//  --We withdrew to the garden for a private talk.//\n  7 MONEY:   [T] to take money out of a bank account//  withdraw sth from sth//  --I’d like to withdraw [hA124]500 from my current account.//\n  8 MOVE:   [T] if you withdraw your hand, arm, finger etc from somewhere, you move it from there to where it was before//  --Claudia withdrew her hand from his.//\n  9 TAKE OUT:   [T]  literary to take an object out from inside something//  withdraw sth from sth//  --She withdrew a document from her briefcase.//\n  10 STOP COMMUNICATING:   [I] to become quieter, less friendly, and only concerned about your own thoughts//  withdraw into/from//  --Ralph has withdrawn from the other kids.//  --Many depressed people just withdraw into themselves.//


Words: withdrawal
Meaning:
W3   n   ----------//\n   1 army:\n   2 removal/ending:\n   3 money:\n   4 stop taking part:\n   5 drugs:\n   6 statement:  ----------//\n  1 ARMY:   [U and C] the act of moving an army, weapons etc away from the area where they were fighting//  withdrawal of//  --the withdrawal of UN forces//  withdrawal from//  --the Russian withdrawal from Afghanistan//  --large-scale troop withdrawals //\n  2 REMOVAL/ENDING:   [U] the removal or stopping of something such as support, an offer, or a service//  withdrawal of//  --withdrawal of government aid//\n  3 MONEY:   [U and C] the act of taking money from a bank account, or the amount you take out//  --Customers can use the machine to make withdrawals of up to [hA124]250 a day.//\n  4 STOP TAKING PART:   [U] the act of no longer taking part in an activity or being a member of an organization//  withdrawal from//  --Germany’s withdrawal from the talks//\n  5 DRUGS:   [U] the period after someone has given up a drug that they were dependent on, and the unpleasant mental and physical effects that this causes//\n  6 STATEMENT:   [U] the act of saying that something you previously said was in fact untrue//   retraction//  withdrawal of//  --the withdrawal of all allegations//


Words: withdrawal symptoms
Meaning:
n [plural]   the painful or unpleasant feelings someone has after they have stopped taking a drug that they were dependent on//


Words: withdrawn
Meaning:
adj   very shy and quiet, and concerned only about your own thoughts//  --After his wife’s death he became more and more withdrawn .//


Words: wither
Meaning:
v  also wither away  [I and T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Probably from  weather  ’to affect with sun, wind, rain, etc.’]//  if plants wither, they become drier and smaller and start to die//


Words: withered
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a withered plant has become drier and smaller and is dead or dying:\n  2 a withered person looks thin and weak and old:\n  3 a withered arm or leg has not developed properly and is thin and weak:


Words: withering
Meaning:
adj   a withering look/remark etc//  a look, remark etc that makes someone feel stupid, embarrassed, or lose confidence//  -- witheringly adv //


Words: withers
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Probably from  wither-  ’against’, from  Old English]//  the highest part of a horse’s back, above its shoulders//


Words: withhold
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  withheld /-held/ [T] //  [Date: 1200-1300; Origin: with  ’from’ +  hold]//  to refuse to give someone something//  --I withheld payment until they had completed the work.//  --Ian was accused of withholding vital information from the police.//


Words: within
Meaning:
W1S2   prep, adv   [Language: Old English; Origin: withinnan]//\n  1 :  a) before a certain period of time has passed//  --We should have the test results back within 24 hours.//  --He fell sick and died within a matter of weeks.//  --Within an hour of our arrival Caroline was starting to complain.//  b) during a certain period of time//  --the enormous success of televised sport within the last twenty years//  --Within the space of a year, three of the town’s factories have closed down.//\n  2 less than a certain distance from a particular place:  --The invading troops came within 50 miles of Paris.//  --Within a five mile radius of Ollerton there are several pubs and restaurants.//  --We live within easy reach of  (=close to) the shops.//  --Adjust the driver’s seat so that all the controls are within reach  (=close enough to touch) .//  within sight/earshot (of sth) (=close enough to see or hear) //  --As she came within sight of the house, she saw two men getting out of a car.//\n  3 inside a particular building or area:  → outside//  --Prisoners who died were buried within the walls of the prison.//  --public footpaths within the national park//  --The rooms within were richly furnished.//  apply/enquire within (=used on notices on the outside of buildings) //  --Baby rabbits for sale. Enquire within.//\n  4 inside a society, organization, or group of people:  → outside//  --There have been a lot of changes within the department since I joined.//  --an attempt to reform the system from within //\n  5 if something stays within a particular limit or set of rules, it does not go beyond that limit:  --We have to operate within a very tight budget.//  --Private security firms have to work strictly within the law.//  --You can go anywhere you want within reason  (=within reasonable limits) .//\n  6  literary  or  formal inside a person’s body or mind:  → outside//  --Elaine felt a pain deep within her.//  --I’m feeling more relaxed within myself.//


Words: without
Meaning:
prep, adv   [Language: Old English; Origin: withutan]//\n  1 not having something, especially something that is basic or necessary:  --After the storm we were without electricity for five days.//  --a house without a garden//  --We passed two ruined abbeys, one with a tower and one without.//  --I’m getting used to managing without a car.//    do without at do2 //    go without at go1 //\n  2 used to say that a particular thing has not happened when someone does something:  --Suddenly and without any warning, the army opened fire.//  --He had gone out without his parents’ permission.//  --I accepted his offer without a moment’s hesitation.//  --I got to my destination without too much difficulty.//  without doing sth//  --’What do you expect?’ he said, without looking at her.//  -- Without so much as a word of thanks, Ben turned and went back into the office (=he did not even say thank you as he should have done) .//\n  3 not feeling or showing that you feel a particular emotion:  --He told his story without anger or bitterness.//\n  4 not being with someone, or not having them to help you, especially someone you like or need:  --I don’t know what I’d do without you.//  --Won’t you be lonely without her?//  --The rest of the group set off without him.//\n  5  without wanting/wishing to do sth:  used before a criticism, complaint, or other statement to make it less strong//  --Without wanting to sound too boastful, I think we have the best television programmes in the world.//\n  6  old use outside:    reckon without at reckon//


Words: withstand
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  withstood /-st[hA35E]d/ [T] //  [Language: Old English; Origin: withstandan, from  with  ’against’ +  standan  ’to stand’]//\n  1 to be strong enough to remain unharmed by something such as great heat, cold, pressure etc:   resist, stand up to//  --This fabric can withstand steam and high temperatures.//\n  2 to defend yourself successfully against people who attack, criticize, or oppose you:   stand up to//  --The Chancellor has withstood the criticism and held firm.//


Words: witless
Meaning:
adj \n  1  be scared witless:  feeling very frightened//\n  2 not very intelligent or sensible:   stupid//  -- witlessly adv //  -- witlessness n  [U] //


Words: witness
Meaning:
W3S2   n   ----------//\n   1 crime/accident:\n   2 in a court of law:\n   3 signing a document:\n   4 be witness to something:\n   5 christian belief:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: witnes  ’knowledge, account, witness’, from  wit;   WIT]//\n  1 CRIME/ACCIDENT:   [C] someone who sees a crime or an accident and can describe what happened//  --Police have appealed for witnesses to come forward.//  witness to//  --One witness to the accident said the driver appeared to be drunk.//  --an eye witness  (=someone who sees an event) to the robbery//    eyewitness//\n  2 IN A COURT OF LAW:   [C] someone who appears in a court of law to say what they know about a crime or other event//  key/star/principal witness //  --the key witness in the case against the brothers//  --The defense is expected to call them as witnesses .//  witness for the prosecution/defence  also //  prosecution/defence witness (=someone the prosecution or defence lawyers choose as a witness in order to help prove their case) //    expert witness//\n  3 SIGNING A DOCUMENT:   [C] someone who is present when an official document is signed, and who signs it too, to say that they saw it being signed//  witness to//  --a witness to a will//\n  4  be witness to sth:   formal to be present when something happens, and watch it happening//  --We were witness to the worst excesses of the military.//\n  5 CHRISTIAN BELIEF:   [U and C]  AmE a public statement of strong Christian belief, or someone who makes such a statement//    bear witness at bear1 (15)//\nwitness 2 v   ----------//\n   1 crime/accident:\n   2 experience something:\n   3 time/place:\n   4 official document:\n   5 witness something:\n   6 religion:  ----------//\n  1 CRIME/ACCIDENT:   [T] to see something happen, especially a crime or accident//  --Several residents claim to have witnessed the attack.//\n  2 EXPERIENCE SOMETHING:   [T] to experience important events or changes//  --Priests have witnessed an increase in religious intolerance.//\n  3 TIME/PLACE:   [T] if a time or place witnesses an event, the event happens during that time or in that place//  --Recent years have witnessed the collapse of the steel industry.//\n  4 OFFICIAL DOCUMENT:   [T] if you witness the signing of an official document, you are there when it is signed, and sign it yourself to prove this//  --Will you witness my signature ?//\n  5  witness sth:   also ..., as witnessed by sth //  used to introduce an example that proves something you have just mentioned//  --Bad economic times can result in political dictatorships. Witness Germany in the 1930s.//\n  6 RELIGION:   [I] to speak publicly about your Christian beliefs//


Words: witness box
Meaning:
BrE witness stand  AmE n [C]   the place in a court of law where a witness stands to answer questions//


Words: witter
Meaning:
v  also witter on  [I]    BrE  informal to talk a lot in a boring way or about something unimportant//   ramble on//  witter about//  --I’m sick of her wittering on about her boyfriend.//


Words: Wittgenstein
Meaning:
Ludwig   (1889-1951) an Austrian  philosopher, who studied and taught at Cambridge in the UK. His interests included the relationship between language and the physical world, and his best known works are  Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus and  Philosophical Investigations.//


Words: witty
Meaning:
adj   using words in a clever and amusing way//  --witty remarks//  --Laura’s very witty.//  -- wittily adv //  -- wittiness n  [U] //


Words: wizard
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: wise]//\n  1 a man who is supposed to have magic powers:    witch//\n  2 someone who is very good at something:  --a financial wizard//  wizard at//  --Ben’s a real wizard at chess.//


Words: Wizard of Oz
Meaning:
The   (1939) a very popular US  musical (=a film that uses singing and dancing to tell a story) , based on a children’s book by L. Frank Baum. In the film Judy  Garland appears as a girl called Dorothy who, with her dog Toto, is carried by a very powerful storm from the farm where she lives in Kansas to the magic land of Oz. There they travel along the Yellow Brick Road, meet the Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and the Tin Man, and have many adventures before they meet the Wizard of Oz himself and finally get home. The film contains many well-known songs, including ’Over the Rainbow’.//


Words: wizardry
Meaning:
n [U]   impressive ability at something or an impressive achievement//  --high-speed Internet connections and other technical wizardry//


Words: wizened
Meaning:
adj   [Language: Old English; Origin: wisnian  ’to become wizened’]//  a wizened person, fruit etc is small and thin and has skin with a lot of lines and wrinkles//


Words: wobble
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Probably from  Low German wabbeln]//\n  1 [I and T] to move unsteadily from side to side, or make something do this:  --The pile of bricks wobbled and fell.//  --Tom stopped, wobbling from the weight of his load. see usage note  shake1 //\n  2 [I always + adverb/preposition] to go in a particular direction while moving unsteadily from side to side:  wobble down/along/towards etc//  --Cindy wobbled along the street on her bike.//\n  3 [I] to be unsure whether to do something:   waver//  --The President appeared to wobble over sending the troops in.//  -- wobble n  [C] //


Words: wobbly
Meaning:
adj \n  1 moving unsteadily from side to side:  --a wobbly table//\n  2  informal if you or your legs feel wobbly, you feel weak and unable to keep your balance:   shaky//\n  3 a wobbly voice is weak and shakes, especially because you feel frightened or upset:   shaky//\n  4 not very good or not likely to be successful:   shaky//  --The meeting got off to a wobbly start.//\nwobbly 2 n   throw a wobbly//   BrE  informal to suddenly become very angry or frightened//


Words: Wodehouse
Meaning:
P. G.   (1881-1975) a British writer who later moved to the US, who wrote many humorous novels about  upper class English people. His best-known stories are about a rich and stupid young man called Bertie  Wooster, who does not work and spends most of his time visiting other rich people. He depends on his clever servant  Jeeves to get him out of trouble. //


Words: wodge
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE  informal a thick solid piece or large amount of something//  wodge of//  --a wodge of ten pound notes//


Words: woe
Meaning:
n   [Language: Old English; Origin: wa]//\n  1  woes [plural]  formal the problems and troubles affecting someone:  --the country’s economic woes//\n  2 [U]  literary great sadness:\n  3  woe is me:   spoken  humorous used to say that you are extremely unhappy or in a difficult situation//\n  4  woe betide sb:   BrE used to warn someone that there will be trouble if they do something - especially used humorously//  --Woe betide anyone who smokes in our house!//


Words: woebegone
Meaning:
adj  literary   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin: woe +  begone  ’affected’ (from  bego  ’to surround, affect’ (11-16 centuries), from  Old English began, from  gan  ’to go’)]//  looking very sad//  --her woebegone expression//


Words: woeful
Meaning:
adj \n  1 very bad or serious:   deplorable//  --a woeful lack of information//\n  2  literary very sad:   pathetic//  --woeful eyes//  -- woefully adv //  --woefully inadequate facilities//


Words: wok
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Chinese]//  a wide pan shaped like a bowl, used in Chinese cooking//


Words: wolds
Meaning:
n [plural]    BrE a word for an area of hilly countryside, especially used in the names of places//  --the Lincolnshire Wolds//


Words: wolf
Meaning:
n   plural  wolves /w[hA35E]lvz/ [C] //  [Language: Old English; Origin: wulf]//\n  1 a wild animal that looks like a large dog and lives and hunts in groups:  --a pack of wolves //\n  2  a wolf in sheep’s clothing:  someone who seems to be friendly or harmless but is in fact dangerous, dishonest etc//\n  3  keep the wolf from the door:  to earn just enough money to buy the basic things you need//  --I work part-time in a coffee shop just to keep the wolf from the door.//    cry wolf at cry1 (7),  lone wolf at lone(3)//  -- wolfish adj //  --a wolfish grin//\nwolf 2  also wolf down  v [T]    informal to eat something very quickly, swallowing it in big pieces//   gobble//


Words: wolf whistle
Meaning:
n [C]   a way of whistling that men sometimes use to show that they think a woman is attractive//  -- wolf-whistle v  [I] //


Words: Wolfe
Meaning:
General James   (1727-59) a British  general who died leading the army which took Quebec from the French and gave the British control of Canada//


Words: Wollstonecraft
Meaning:
Mary   (1759-97) a British writer who was one of the first  feminists. In her book  A Vindication of the Rights of Women, she wrote that women should have the same education and opportunities as men. She was the mother of Mary  Shelley.//


Words: Wolsey
Meaning:
Cardinal Thomas   (?1475-1530) an English  cardinal (=a high-ranking Catholic priest)  and politician who was very rich and powerful, but who lost power after failing to persuade the Pope to allow King  Henry VIII to end his marriage to Catherine of Aragon//


Words: Womad
Meaning:
a music  festival, held for three days every year in fields near Reading in southern England, where people camp and many musicians from all over the world give performances//


Words: Woman
Meaning:
trademark   a British weekly magazine for women, especially popular with married women who have families//


Words: woman
Meaning:
n   plural  women /w[hA366]m[hA366]n///  ----------//\n   1 female person:\n   2 any woman:\n   3 businesswoman/spokeswoman etc:\n   4 another woman/the other woman:\n   5 be your own woman:\n   6 partner:\n   7 form of address:\n   8 servant:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: wifman, from  wif (  WIFE) +  man  ’person’]//\n  1 FEMALE PERSON:   [C] an adult female person//  --I was talking to a woman I met on the flight.//  --married women//  --a popular women’s magazine//  --When a woman is pregnant, the levels of hormones in her body change.//  woman priest/doctor etc (=a priest etc who is a woman) //  --Ireland’s first woman president//  --women artists//\n  2 ANY WOMAN:   [singular]  formal women in general//  --A woman’s work is never done (=used to say that women have a lot to do) .//\n  3  businesswoman/spokeswoman etc:  a woman who has a particular kind of job//  --Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher//\n  4  another woman/the other woman:   informal a woman that a man is having a sexual relationship with, even though he is married to someone else//  --I’m sure he’s got another woman.//\n  5  be your own woman:  to make your own decisions and be in charge of your own life, without depending on anyone else//\n  6 PARTNER:   [singular]  spoken a word meaning a wife or girlfriend, which many women find offensive//  --Did he bring his new woman with him?//    kept woman//\n  7 FORM OF ADDRESS:   old-fashioned  not polite a rude way of speaking to a woman when you are angry, annoyed etc//\n  8 SERVANT:   [C] a female servant or person who does cleaning work for you in your house//    cleaner, daily help//    old woman,  make an honest woman (out) of sb at honest(8),  be a woman of the world at world1 (21)//


Words: Woman’s Hour
Meaning:
a British radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio, which has news,  interviews, and discussions on subjects considered to be of special interest to women//


Words: womanhood
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the state of being a woman, not a man or a girl:\n  2  formal women in general:    manhood//


Words: womanish
Meaning:
adj   a womanish man looks or behaves in a way that is thought to be typical of women//    mannish//


Words: womanizer
Meaning:
also  womaniser BrE   n [C]   a man who has sexual relationships with many different women - used to show disapproval//    man-eater//  -- womanize v  [I] //  -- womanizing n  [U] //


Words: womanly
Meaning:
adj   behaving, dressing etc in a way that is thought to be typical of or suitable for a woman - used to show approval//   feminine//    manly//  --her soft womanly figure//  -- womanliness n  [U] //


Words: womb
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wamb,  womb]//  the part of a woman’s or female animal’s body where her baby grows before it is born//   uterus//


Words: wombat
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Dharuk; Origin: wambaty]//  an Australian animal like a small bear whose babies live in a pocket of skin on its body//


Words: Women in Love
Meaning:
(1921) a novel by D. H.  Lawrence about two sisters, Ursula and Gudrun Brangwen, and their difficult relationships with men//


Words: Women’s Institute
Meaning:
the   the WI a British organization for women, especially women in country areas, who meet for social and educational activities//


Words: women’s lib
Meaning:
also women’s liberation  n [U]    old-fashioned all the ideas, actions, and politics relating to giving women the same rights and opportunities as men//    men’s lib//  -- women’s libber n  [C] //


Words: women’s movement
Meaning:
n   the women’s movement//  all the women who are involved in the aim of improving the social, economic, and political position of women and of ending sexual discrimination//


Words: won
Meaning:
the past tense and past participle of win1//\nwon 2   n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Korean; Origin: w[hA166]n]//  the standard unit of money in South Korea and North Korea//


Words: Wonder
Meaning:
Stevie   (1950- ) a US  soul singer, songwriter, and piano player who was born blind. He started making records with the  Motown record company when he was 12, and became one of the most successful popular musicians in the world. He is also famous for his political support for black people in the US and Africa. His songs include  Superstition and  I Just Called To Say I Love You.//


Words: wonder
Meaning:
v [I and T] \n  1 to think about something that you are not sure about and try to guess what is true, what will happen etc:  wonder who/what/how etc//  --I wonder how James is getting on.//  --What are they going to do now, I wonder ?//  wonder if/whether//  --I wonder if I’ll recognize Philip after all these years.//  --He’s been leaving work early a lot - it makes you wonder , doesn’t it?//\n  2  I wonder if/whether:   spoken used to ask politely for something//   may I//  --I wonder if I might have a drink?//\n  3  I was wondering if/whether:  a)  spoken used to politely ask someone to help you//  --I was wondering if I could borrow your car?//  b) used to ask someone politely if they would like to do something//  --I was wondering if you’d like to come to dinner.//\n  4 to feel surprised and unable to believe something:  wonder about/at//  --Sometimes I wonder about his behaviour.//  wonder how//  --I wonder how he dares to show his face!//  I don’t wonder  BrE  (=I am not surprised) //  --I don’t wonder you’re tired.//  I shouldn’t wonder  BrE  (=I would not be surprised about something) //  --He’ll come back soon enough, I shouldn’t wonder.//\n  5 to doubt or question whether something is true:  --’Is she serious?’ ’I wonder.’//  wonder if/whether//  --Sometimes I wonder if he’s got any sense at all!//\nwonder 2 n   ----------//\n   1 admiration:\n   2 (it’s) no/small/little wonder (that):\n   3 surprising:\n   4 do/work wonders:\n   5 wonders will never cease:\n   6 clever person:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: wundor]//\n  1 ADMIRATION:  a)  [U] a feeling of surprise and admiration for something very beautiful or new to you//   awe//  --The sight of the Taj Mahal filled us with wonder.//  b)  [C] something that makes you feel surprise and admiration//  --technological wonders//  --the Seven Wonders of the World//\n  2  (it’s) no/small/little wonder (that):   especially spoken used to say that you are not surprised by something//  --No wonder you’ve got a headache, the amount you drank last night.//\n  3 SURPRISING:   it’s a wonder (that)//   especially spoken used to say that something is very surprising//  --It’s a wonder no one got hurt.//\n  4  do/work wonders:  to be very effective in solving a problem//\n  5  wonders will never cease:   spoken used humorously to show you are surprised and pleased about something//\n  6 CLEVER PERSON:   [singular]  BrE someone who is good at doing difficult things//    nine days wonder at nine(3)//\nwonder 3 adj [only before noun]   very good and effective//  --a new wonder drug //


Words: Wonderbread
Meaning:
trademark   a type of soft white bread which is sold in the US. It is sold in a plastic bag and is already cut into  slices, and is typically used for making  sandwiches.//


Words: wonderful
Meaning:
adj \n  1 making you feel very happy:   great//  --We had a wonderful time in Spain.//\n  2 making you admire someone or something very much:   amazing//  --It’s wonderful what doctors can do nowadays.//


Words: wonderfully
Meaning:
adv   very well or to a very great degree, in a way that makes you feel happy//  --All of the performers played wonderfully.//  --a wonderfully rich sauce//


Words: wondrous
Meaning:
adj  literary   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: wonders  ’wondrous’ (13-17 centuries), from the possessive form of  wonder; influenced by  marvelous]//  good or impressive in a surprising way//


Words: wont
Meaning:
n  old-fashioned   as is sb’s wont//  used to say that it is someone’s habit to do something//  --He spoke for too long, as is his wont.//\nwont 2 adj  formal   [Date: 1100-1200; Origin:  Past participle of  wone  ’to be used to doing something’ (11-17 centuries), from  Old English wunian  ’to live in a place, be used to’]//  be wont to do sth//  to be likely to do something//


Words: woo
Meaning:
v [T]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wogian]//\n  1 to try to persuade someone to do something such as buy something from you, vote for you, or work for you - used in news reports:  --the Party’s efforts to woo working class voters//\n  2  old-fashioned to try to persuade a woman to love you and marry you:   court//


Words: wood
Meaning:
n   goggles, saw, wood//  [Language: Old English; Origin: wudu]//\n  1 [U and C] the material that trees are made of:    wooden, woody//  --Put some more wood on the fire.//  --a polished wood floor//  soft/hard wood //  --Pine is a soft wood.//  --Her house was made of wood .//  --a piece of wood //\n  2 [C]  also the woods :  a small forest//  --a walk in the woods//\n  3  touch wood:   BrE knock on wood  AmE said just after you have said that things are going well for you, when you want your good luck to continue//\n  4 [C] one of a set of four golf clubs with wooden heads:\n  5  not be out of the wood(s) yet:   informal used to say that there are likely to be more difficulties before things improve//\n  6  not see the wood for the trees:  to not notice what is important about something because you give too much of your attention to small details//    dead wood//


Words: woodblock
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a piece of wood with a shape cut on it, used for printing:\n  2 a block of wood used in making a floor:


Words: woodcarving
Meaning:
n [U and C]   the process of shaping wood with special tools, or a piece of art produced in this way//


Words: woodchuck
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Ojibwa; Origin: otchig  ’fisher, marten’, or  Cree otcheck; influenced by  wood]//  a groundhog//


Words: wooded
Meaning:
adj   having woods or covered with trees//  --the wooded hills of Northern Virginia//  thickly/heavily/densely etc wooded //  --a thickly wooded area//


Words: wooden
Meaning:
W3S3   adj   1 made of wood//  --a wooden bench//\n  2 not showing enough expression, emotion, or movement, especially when performing in public:  -- woodenly adv //  -- woodenness n  [U] //


Words: wooden spoon
Meaning:
n [C]   1 a large spoon made of wood, used to mix things when cooking//\n  2  win/collect/take etc the wooden spoon:   BrE to come last in a competition//


Words: woodlouse
Meaning:
n   plural  woodlice /-la[hA366]s/ [C] //  a small grey creature like an insect that lives under wood, stones etc//


Words: Woods
Meaning:
Tiger   (1975- ) a US  golfer who, in 1997, became the youngest person ever to win the US  Masters Tournament. In 2000 he won the US Open and The Open (in Britain). This made him the youngest player to have won all four Majors (=the two Opens, the US Masters, and the PGA) . In 2001 he won the US Masters to complete a   grand slam of holding all four major titles at the same time.//


Words: woodsman
Meaning:
n   plural  woodsmen /-m[hA353]n/ [C] //  someone who works in a forest taking care of, planting, and cutting down trees//


Words: Woodstock
Meaning:
a music  festival, held over three days in 1969 near the town of Woodstock in New York State, where about 500,000 young people went to see  rock,  pop, and  folk singers and bands, such as Janis  Joplin, Jimi  Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and  The Who. It is famous especially for the  hippies who attended it, and people see it as a very typical example of the hippie  culture.//


Words: woodwind
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Because originally the instruments were all made of wood]//\n  1 [U] musical instruments made of wood or metal that you play by blowing and that usually have finger holes or keys:    brass, percussion, stringed instrument, wind instrument//  -- woodwind instruments such as the flute or saxophone//\n  2  woodwinds [plural]  also the woodwind (section) :  the people in an orchestra or band who play woodwind instruments//


Words: woodwork
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1  BrE woodworking  AmE /w[hA35E]dw[hA362][hA359]k[hA366][hA26E] $ -[hA362][hA359]r-/:  the skill or activity of making wooden objects//    carpentry//\n  2 the parts of a house or room that are made of wood:\n  3  crawl/come out of the woodwork:  if someone crawls out of the woodwork, they suddenly and unexpectedly appear in order to take advantage of a situation, express their opinion etc - used to show disapproval//\n  4  fade/blend into the woodwork:  to seem to disappear, or to behave in such a way that no one notices you//


Words: woodworm
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C] a small insect that makes holes in wood:\n  2 [U] the damage that is caused to wood by this creature:


Words: woody
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a woody plant has a stem like wood:\n  2 a woody area of land has a lot of trees growing on it:


Words: woof
Meaning:
interjection   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  From the sound]//  a word used for describing the sound a dog makes//    bark//  -- woof n  [C] //  -- woof v  [I] //\nwoof 2   n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: owef, from  o-  ’on’ +  wefan (  WEAVE1)]//   weft//


Words: Wookey Hole
Meaning:
a place in southwest England that is popular with tourists, with a  cave where, according to an old story, a  witch (=a woman with magic powers)  used to live//


Words: wool
Meaning:
n [U]   [Language: Old English; Origin: wull]//\n  1 the soft thick hair that sheep and some goats have on their body:    lambswool//\n  2 material made from wool:  --a pure wool skirt//  --a mix of 80% wool and 20% man-made fibres//  knitting needle, wool//\n  3 thread made from wool that you use to knit clothes:  American Equivalent:  yarn//  --a ball of pink wool//\n  4  pull the wool over sb’s eyes:  to deceive someone by not telling the truth//    cotton wool,  dyed-in-the-wool,  steel wool,  wire wool//


Words: Woolf
Meaning:
Virginia   (1882-1941) a British writer and  critic who was an important member of the  Bloomsbury Group and is admired by  feminists. Her novels, such as  To the Lighthouse and  The Waves, use the style called  stream of consciousness.//


Words: woollen
Meaning:
BrE  woolen AmE   adj [only before noun] \n  1 made of wool:   wool//  --a woollen scarf//\n  2 relating to making cloth from wool:  --the woollen industry//  --a woollen mill//


Words: woollens
Meaning:
BrE  woolens AmE   n [plural]   clothes made from wool, especially knitted clothes such as sweaters etc//\nwoolly 1  BrE  wooly/w[hA35E]li/ adj AmE \n  1 made of or feeling like wool:  --a woolly hat//\n  2 not showing clear thinking:   vague//  --He gave a rather woolly argument.//  -- woolliness n  [U] //\nwoolly 2   plural  woollies  n [C] //  ski boot, hat, woolly//   BrE  informal a sweater or similar piece of knitted clothing//  --You’ll need your winter woollies!//


Words: Wooster
Meaning:
Bertie   a character in the many humorous stories by P. G.  Wodehouse. He is a rich, rather stupid  upper class English man, who depends on his servant  Jeeves to get him out of trouble.//


Words: woozy
Meaning:
adj  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Perhaps from  woolly +  dizzy]//  feeling weak and unsteady//   dizzy//  --Giving blood makes me feel really woozy.//


Words: wop
Meaning:
n [C]  taboo   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Italian dialect; Origin: guappo  ’person who talks noisily and proudly’, from  Spanish guapo]//  a very offensive word for someone who is Italian. Do not use this word.//


Words: Worcester
Meaning:
a city in west central England, famous for its  china (=plates, cups etc made from baked clay)  and for its  cathedral//


Words: Word
Meaning:
trademark   a popular type of computer  software used for word processing (=typing letters, reports etc and storing information) , produced by the  Microsoft Corporation//


Words: word
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 unit of language:\n   2 somebody’s words:\n   3 have a word:\n   4 want a word:\n   5 not hear/understand/believe a word:\n   6 without (saying) a word:\n   7 say a word/say a few words:\n   8 a word of warning/caution/advice/thanks etc:\n   9 not say a word:\n  10 put your feelings/thoughts etc into words:\n  11 have/exchange words (with somebody):\n  12 a harsh/a cross/an angry etc word:\n  13 news/information:\n  14 the last/final word:\n  15 my/his/your etc word:\n  16 word for word:\n  17 in a word:\n  18 in words of one syllable:\n  19 in so many words:\n  20 take the words (right) out of somebody’s mouth:\n  21 put words into somebody’s mouth:\n  22 an order:\n  23 (right) from the word go:\n  24 too silly/complicated/ridiculous etc for words:\n  25 (have/drop) a word in somebody’s ear:\n  26 get a word in (edgeways):\n  27 put in a (good) word for somebody:\n  28 words fail me:\n  29 word!:\n  30 (Upon) my word!:\n  31 surprised/angry/pleased etc isn’t the word for it:\n  32 a man/woman etc of few words:\n  33 the Word (of God):  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin:]//\n  1 UNIT OF LANGUAGE:   [C] the smallest unit of language that people can understand if it is said or written on its own//  --Write an essay of about five hundred words.//  --I know the tune, but not the words.//  --’Vater’ is the German word for  (=word that means) ’father’.//  --Perhaps ’lucky’ is not exactly the right word .//  search for/find etc a word (=try to choose words that express what you want to say) //  --She was having difficulty finding the right words to tell him.//    buzzword,  four-letter word,  swear word//\n  2  sb’s words:  the things that someone says or writes//  --Those are his words, not mine.//  in sb’s words//  --Jones was, in the judge’s words, ’an evil man’.//  -- In your own words , explain the term ’personal service’.//\n  3  have a word:   especially spoken to talk to someone quickly, especially because you need their advice about something or you want to tell them to do something//  --Could I have a word?//  have a word with//  --I’ll have a word with him and see if he’ll help.//  have a quick/brief word //  --I was hoping to have a quick word with you.//  have/exchange a few words //  --Could I have a few words with you?//\n  4  want a word:   spoken to want to talk to someone, especially in order to criticize them//  want a word with//  --Wait a minute! I want a word with you!//\n  5  not hear/understand/believe a word:  used to emphasize that you cannot hear, understand etc what someone says or writes//  --No one could hear a word because someone had cut the amplifier cable.//  not hear/understand/believe a word of//  --I can’t understand a word of Russian.//\n  6  without (saying) a word:  if you do something without a word, you do not say anything while you do it//  --He left without a word.//\n  7  say a word/say a few words:  to make a short speech about something//  --I’d like to say a few words about the plans.//\n  8  a word of warning/caution/advice/thanks etc:  something you say that warns someone, thanks them etc//  --It’s a beautiful city, but a word of warning: street robberies are very common.//  --He left without a word of apology.//\n  9  not say a word:  a)  also not breathe a word //  to not say anything about something because it is a secret//  --Promise you won’t say a word to anyone?//  b) to not say anything//  --What’s wrong? You haven’t said more than two words since you got here.//\n  10  put your feelings/thoughts etc into words:  to express what you want to say clearly//  --He found it difficult to put ideas into words.//\n  11  have/exchange words (with sb):  to argue - use this when you do not want to make the argument seem serious//  --I was in a bad mood and he kept pestering me, so we had words.//\n  12  a harsh/a cross/an angry etc word:  something you say that shows you are angry or want to criticize someone//  --Mountain rescue teams have harsh words to say to people who climb without proper equipment.//  --They were married for 50 years and she says there was never an angry word between them.//\n  13 NEWS/INFORMATION:   [singular, U] a piece of news or a message//  --Word came that our duties would be changed.//  --’Have you heard from Ann?’ ’No, not a word.’//  --There was still no word from John.//  word gets out/around (=people hear about something) //  --It’s a very small town and if you do something bad, word gets around.//  the word is (that)/word has it (that) (=people are saying that) //  --The word is that the two companies are planning a merger.//  spread/pass the word (=tell other people some information or news) //  --Health officials are encouraging people to spread the word about the benefits of exercise.//  send/bring word  old-fashioned  formal  (=send or bring a message) //  --The mayor sent word he’d be late.//  -- Word of mouth  (=information you get by someone telling you) is one of the best ways of getting business.//  by word of mouth//  --Much of this information is picked up by word of mouth from previous students.//\n  14  the last/final word:  a) the power to decide whether or how to do something//  the last/final word on//  --The final word on policy determination belongs to the committee.//  --She has the final word on whether policies are put into action or not.//  b) the last statement or speech in a discussion or argument//  --The last word must go to Nick, who has organized the whole project.//  --Why must you always have the last word in any argument?//  c) in sports, the last hit or kick in a game, especially when it is successful//  --Adams had the final word with a last-minute goal.//\n  15  my/his/your etc word:  a sincere promise to do something, or a promise that what you say is true//  --I trust him to keep his word .//  --I give you my word  (=I promise) that it won’t happen again.//  --We only have his word for it that he has already paid.//  --Delors claimed that Johnson had gone back on his word  (=not done what he had promised to do) .//  --The business is doing very well. You can take my word for it  (=accept that what I say is true) .//  --I never know whether to take him at his word  (=believe what he says) .//  --His word is his bond  (=he always does what he promises to do) .//  be true to your word/be as good as your word (=do what you promise to do) //  a man of his word/a woman of her word (=a man or woman who does what they have promised to do) //\n  16  word for word:  a) in exactly the same words//  --The newspaper printed his speech more or less word for word.//  b)  also word by word //  if you translate a piece of writing word for word, you translate the meaning of each single word rather than the meaning of a whole phrase or sentence//\n  17  in a word:  used before giving a very simple answer or explanation//  --We are, in a word, busy. Ridiculously busy.//\n  18  in words of one syllable:  saying something in a way that is very easy to understand, especially because the person you are talking to is stupid//  --You have to put everything in words of one syllable for her.//\n  19  in so many words:   also in as many words //   [usually negative] in a direct way, or in a way that makes it very clear what you mean//  --Aunt Fay was angry and said so in as many words.//\n  20  take the words (right) out of sb’s mouth:   spoken if someone takes the words out of your mouth, they have just said what you were going to say//\n  21  put words into sb’s mouth:   spoken to tell someone what you think they are trying to say, in a way that annoys them//  --Will you stop putting words into my mouth - I never said I disliked the job.//\n  22 AN ORDER:   [singular] an order to do something//  -- On the word ’go’ everyone has to run to the end of the room and back.//  --When I give the word, grab him.//\n  23  (right) from the word go:   spoken from the beginning of something//  --The marriage was a disaster from the word go.//\n  24  too silly/complicated/ridiculous etc for words:   spoken extremely silly, complicated etc//  --His behaviour has been too pathetic for words.//\n  25  (have/drop) a word in sb’s ear:  to say something to someone privately, especially to give them advice or a warning//  --If I were you, I’d have a word in his ear before it’s too late.//\n  26  get a word in (edgeways):  to get a chance to say something//  --Once George starts talking it’s difficult to get a word in edgeways.//\n  27  put in a (good) word for sb:  to try to help someone get or achieve something by saying good things about them to someone else//  --I got the job because Paul put in a good word for me.//\n  28  words fail me:   spoken used to say that you are so surprised, angry, or shocked that you do not know what to say//  --I ... words fail me.//\n  29  word!:   AmE  informal used to say that you understand or agree with what someone has just said//\n  30  (Upon) my word!:   spoken  old-fashioned used when you are very surprised//  --My word! Hasn’t she grown?//\n  31  surprised/angry/pleased etc isn’t the word for it:   spoken used to say you are extremely surprised, angry etc//\n  32  a man/woman etc of few words:  someone who does not say very much//  --My father was a man of few words.//\n  33  the Word (of God):  the religious ideas and messages in the Bible//    eat your words at eat(3),  four-letter word,  a good word for sb/sth at good1 (31),  in other words at other(11),  be the last word in sth at last1 (10),  be lost for words at lost2 (10),  mark my words at mark2 (12),  not mince your words at mince1 (3),  play on words at play2 (6),  say the word at say1 (26),  the spoken word at spoken2 (2),  the written word at written2 (3)//\nword 2 v [T]   to use words that are carefully chosen in order to express something//   phrase//  --How can we word the letter so as not to offend the parents?//  carefully/strongly/vaguely etc worded //  --a carefully worded statement//  --a strongly worded letter//


Words: word processor
Meaning:
n [C]   computer software or a small computer that you use for writing letters and other documents//   WP//  on a word processor//  --Most reports are produced on a word processor.//  -- word processing n  [U] //  --I mostly use my computer for word processing.//  -- word processed adj //  --a word processed document//


Words: word-perfect
Meaning:
adj  BrE   able to remember and say every word of something correctly//  --She rehearsed her speech until she was word-perfect.//


Words: worded
Meaning:
adj   carefully/clearly/strongly etc worded//  using words that express an idea carefully or clearly//  --a carefully worded question//  --a strongly worded letter//


Words: wording
Meaning:
n [U]   the words and phrases used to express something//   phrasing//  wording of//  --the exact wording of the contract//


Words: wordless
Meaning:
adj   without using words//   silent//  --a wordless prayer//  --She threw her arms around him in wordless grief.//


Words: Wordperfect
Meaning:
trademark   a popular type of computer  software used for  word processing, produced by the Canadian Corel company//


Words: Wordsworth
Meaning:
William   (1770-1850) a British  Romantic poet whose poems are mainly about the beauty of nature. They often describe the countryside in the  Lake District in northwest England, where he went to live in the village of Grasmere with his sister, Dorothy Wordsworth (1771-1855), who was also a writer. His best-known book of poetry is  Lyrical Ballads, which was written with Samuel Taylor  Coleridge, and his most famous poems include  Daffodils and  The Prelude.//


Words: work
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 do a job for money:\n   2 do your job:\n   3 help:\n   4 do an activity:\n   5 try to achieve something:\n   6 machine/equipment:\n   7 be effective/successful:\n   8 have an effect:\n   9 art/style/literature:\n  10 shape/cut something:\n  11 use a substance:\n  12 work your way to/through etc something:\n  13 work your way through school/college/university etc:\n  14 move gradually:\n  15 exercise:\n  16 move:\n  17 work in an area:\n  18 work the door:\n  19 entertain a crowd:\n  20 land/soil:\n  21 mine:\n  22 work like magic/work like a charm:\n  23 mind/brain:\n  24 work on the principle/assumption/basis etc that:\n  25 work yourself into a frenzy/panic/state etc:\n  26 work it/things:\n  27 work the system:\n  28 work somebody hard:\n  29 work your fingers to the bone:\n  30 work your butt/ass/arse off:\n  31 calculate:\n  32 work to rule:  Phrasal verbs//   work around somebody/something//   work around to something//   work at something//   work somebody/something in//   work something → off//   work on somebody/something//   work out//   work somebody over//   work through//   work  up//   work up to something//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: wyrcan]//\n  1 DO A JOB FOR MONEY:   [I] to do a job that you are paid for//  --Where do you work?//  --Many young people in the area have never worked.//  --The injury means he’ll probably never work again.//  work for//  --He works for a law firm.//  work at/in//  --I work at the university.//  work as//  --She works as a consultant for a design company.//  work in industry/education/publishing etc //  --The studies were undertaken by people working in education.//  work part-time/full-time //  --I work part-time in a library.//\n  2 DO YOUR JOB:   [I and T] to do the activities and duties that are part of your job//  --Sally isn’t working tomorrow.//  --Staff will have to get used to a new way of working.//  work with//  --One of the women I work with is getting married this weekend.//  work under sb//   (=have someone who is in charge of you) //  --Each site has a fully trained team who work under a site manager.//  work days/nights/weekends etc //  --I get paid more if I work nights.//  --We’re sometimes expected to work twelve-hour days.//  --Are you working late  (=working after the time you usually finish) again tonight?//  --Forty police officers are working round the clock  (=working day and night without stopping) to find Murray’s killer.//  --Nowadays, many people are able to work from home .//\n  3 HELP:   [I] if you work with someone or a group of people, your job involves trying to help them//  work with/among//  --She’s just retired after 38 years working with children.//  --He has worked among some of the world’s poorest people.//\n  4 DO AN ACTIVITY:   [I] to spend time and effort doing something//  --I’ve been working in the garden all afternoon.//  --I’m going to have to work really hard to pass these exams.//  --We’re working together to develop a new system.//\n  5 TRY TO ACHIEVE SOMETHING:   [I] to try continuously to achieve a particular thing//  work towards//  --They are working towards a solution to their problems.//  work for//  --We will work for the release of the hostages.//  work to do sth//  --The police are working to provide more help for victims of crime.//  --The company is working hard to improve its image.//  --He worked tirelessly  (=worked very hard in a determined way) for the charity throughout his life.//\n  6 MACHINE/EQUIPMENT:  a)  [I] if a machine or piece of equipment works, it does what it is supposed to do//  --You should check that the smoke alarm is working properly.//  --The delete key doesn’t work.//  get sth to work //  --I can’t get the heater to work.//  b)  [T] to make a machine or piece of equipment do what it is supposed to do//  --My parents can’t even work the video.//\n  7 BE EFFECTIVE/SUCCESSFUL:   [I] to be effective or successful//  --Making a marriage work can take a lot of effort.//  --I’ve never found a diet that works.//  --The recipe works just as well if you use margarine instead of butter.//  --The cream works immediately to relieve sore skin.//  work for//  --You need to find which method works best for you.//  work against//  --a drug that works against some types of cancer//\n  8 HAVE AN EFFECT:   [I always + adverb/preposition] if something such as a fact, situation, or system works in a particular way, it has a particular effect on someone or something//  --The arrangement works well for everyone involved.//  --The French team are the heavier crew, which should work in their favour  (=help them) .//  --Sexism still works against  (=harms or causes problems for) women in many professions.//\n  9 ART/STYLE/LITERATURE:   [I] if a painting, design, piece of writing etc works, it is successful because it has the effect on you that the painter, writer etc intended//  --I don’t think the scene with the horses really works, do you?//  work for//  --The colour combination just doesn’t work for me.//\n  10 SHAPE/CUT SOMETHING:   [T] if you work a material such as metal, leather, or clay, you cut, sew, or shape it in order to make something//\n  11 USE A SUBSTANCE:   [I] to use a particular material or substance in order to make something such as a picture, design, jewellery etc//  work in/with//  --a sculptor who works in steel//  --a jeweller who works with silver//\n  12  work your way to/through etc sth:  a) to move somewhere slowly and with difficulty//  --From here, we worked our way carefully across the rock base.//  b) to achieve something gradually by working//  --He had worked his way up to head of department.//\n  13  work your way through school/college/university etc:  to do a job while you are a student because you need the money to pay for your courses, books etc//\n  14 MOVE GRADUALLY:   [I,T always + adverb/preposition] to move into a particular state or position very gradually, either in a series of small movements or after a long time//  --Slowly he worked the screwdriver into the crack.//  work (its way) loose //  --One of the screws must have worked loose.//\n  15 EXERCISE:   [T] to use and exercise a muscle or part of your body//  --Swimming is a form of exercise that works every muscle in your body.//\n  16 MOVE:   [I and T]  formal if a part of your body works or you work it, it moves//  --She was trembling and her mouth was working.//\n  17 WORK IN AN AREA:   [T] if you work a particular area or type of place, you travel around the area for your job, or work in that type of place//  --Markowitz works the Tri-State area.//\n  18  work the door:  to take tickets from people as they enter a club, theatre etc//  --Binns worked the door at various Manhattan clubs.//\n  19 ENTERTAIN A CROWD:   [T] if an entertainer or politician works a crowd of people, they entertain them and get their interest or support//  --She really knew how to work a crowd.//\n  20 LAND/SOIL:   [T] if you work the land, soil etc, you do all the work necessary to grow crops on it//  --He was left to work the farm alone.//\n  21 MINE:   [T] to remove a substance such as coal, gold, or oil from under the ground//\n  22  work like magic/work like a charm:   also work a treat  BrE to be very effective//  --a polish that works a treat on windows//\n  23 MIND/BRAIN:   [I] if your mind or brain is working, you are thinking or trying to solve a problem//\n  24  work on the principle/assumption/basis etc that:  to base ideas, plans etc on a particular fact that you think is true//  --We’re working on the assumption that the conference will take place in Canada, as planned.//\n  25  work yourself into a frenzy/panic/state etc:  to make yourself become very nervous, angry etc//  --He seemed to be working himself into a rage.//\n  26  work it/things:   spoken to make arrangements for something to happen, especially by behaving in a clever or skilful way//  --We should try and work it so that we can all go together.//\n  27  work the system:  to understand how a system works so that you can get advantages for yourself, often in a slightly dishonest way//  --Lynn could show the rest of us how to work the system.//\n  28  work sb hard:   also work sb into the ground  informal //  to make someone work very hard//  --The coach has been working us really hard this week.//  --People have complained that they are being worked into the ground.//  work yourself into the ground//  --I’ve worked myself into the ground setting up this interview.//\n  29  work your fingers to the bone:   also work your socks off //   informal to work very hard//\n  30  work your butt/ass/arse off:   not polite to work very hard//\n  31 CALCULATE:   [T]  AmE  formal to calculate the answer to a mathematical problem//\n  32  work to rule:   BrE to protest about a situation at work by doing your job slowly, with the excuse that you must obey all the rules exactly//    work wonders at wonder2 (4),  work miracles at miracle(4),  work your magic at magic1 (5)//  work around / [work around sb/sth] phr v//  to arrange or organize something so that you avoid problems that may stop you from doing something//  --John won’t be here on the 15th so we’ll have to work round that.//  work around to [work around to sth] phr v//  to gradually mention a subject in a conversation or piece of writing, especially because it is embarrassing//  --You’ll have to work round to the subject gradually.//  work at [work at sth] phr v//  to try hard to improve something or achieve something//  --Learning a language isn’t easy. You have to work at it.//  work at doing sth//  --couples who want to work at improving their relationship//  work in [work sb/sth in] phr v//\n  1  work sth → in:   also work sth into sth //  to include something in a speech, piece of writing, activity etc//  --He managed to work in a few references to his new book.//  --Here are a few goodies you can work into your daily diet.//\n  2  work sth → in:   also work sth into sth //  to add one substance to another and mix them together in a very thorough way//  --Work the butter into the flour.//\n  3  AmE  spoken to arrange to meet someone, even though you are very busy:  British Equivalent:  fit somebody in//  --My schedule’s pretty full, but I think I can work you in.//  work off [work sth → off] phr v//\n  1 to get rid of something, especially a feeling such as anger, nervousness etc, by doing something that uses a lot of your energy:  --Walking is excellent for working off tension.//  --I need to go and work off a few of these calories.//\n  2 to do a job for someone else because you owe them money or because they have helped you in the past:  --She hasn’t worked off her debts to me yet.//  work on / [work on sb/sth] phr v//\n  1 to spend time working in order to produce or repair something:  --He has spent the last two years working on a book about childcare.//  --Every weekend you see him working on his car.//\n  2 to try very hard to improve or achieve something:  --A trainer has been brought in to work on her fitness.//  work on doing sth//  --We need to work on ensuring that the children feel safe and confident.//\n  3 to try continuously to influence someone or persuade them to do something:  --You leave him to me. I’ll work on him.//  work out phr v//\n  1 PLAN:   work sth → out//  to think carefully about how you are going to do something and plan a good way of doing it//  --UN negotiators have worked out a set of compromise proposals.//  work out what/where/how etc//  --We need to work out how we’re going to get there.//  --I had it all worked out  (=had made very careful plans) .//\n  2 CALCULATE:   work sth → out//  to calculate an answer, amount, price etc//  --See if you can work this bill out.//  work out how much/how many etc//  --We’ll have to work out how much food we’ll need for the party.//\n  3 UNDERSTAND:   work sth → out//   especially BrE to think about something and manage to understand it//  --The plot is very complicated - it’ll take you a while to work it out.//  work sth out for yourself//  --I’m sure you can work it out for yourself.//\n  4 COST:  if a cost or amount works out at a particular figure, it is found to be that much when you calculate it//  work out at/to [hA124]10/$500 etc //  --The bill works out at [hA124]15 each.//  work out expensive/cheap etc (=be expensive or cheap) //  --If we go by taxi, it’s going to work out very expensive.//\n  5 GET BETTER:  if a problem or complicated situation works out, it gradually gets better or gets solved//  --Things will work out, you’ll see.//  --I hope it all works out for Gina and Andy.//  work itself out//  --I’m sure everything will work itself out.//\n  6 HAPPEN:  if a situation works out in a particular way, it happens in that way//   turn out//  work out well/badly //  --Financially, things have worked out well for us.//\n  7 EXERCISE:  to make your body fit and strong by doing exercises//  --He works out with weights twice a week.//    workout//\n  8  I can’t work sb out:   BrE  spoken used to say that you cannot understand what someone is really like or why they behave in the way they do//  --I couldn’t work her out at all.//\n  9  be worked out:  if a mine is worked out, all the coal, gold etc has been removed from it//  work over [work sb over] phr v//  to attack someone by hitting them several times//  work through phr v//\n  1  work sth → through:  to deal with problems or unpleasant feelings//  --After someone dies, it can take a long time to work though your grief.//\n  2 if the result or effect of something works through, it becomes noticeable:  --The positive effect on businesses may take up to three years to work through.//  work up [work   up] phr v//\n  1  work up enthusiasm/interest/courage etc:  to make yourself feel interested, brave etc//  --I’m trying to work up enough courage to go to the dentist.//\n  2  work up an appetite/a thirst/a sweat:  to make yourself hungry or thirsty, or make yourself sweat, especially by doing physical exercise//  --You can work up a really big thirst playing tennis.//\n  3  work sb up:  to make someone very angry, excited, or upset about something//  work yourself up//  --You’re working yourself up again.//  --She had worked herself up into a state .//    worked up//\n  4  work sth → up:  to develop and improve something such as a project or a piece of writing//  --Jack took notes which he would work up into a report later.//  work up to [work up to sth] phr v//  to gradually prepare yourself to do something difficult//  work up to doing sth//  --He’d been working up to asking her for a date all week.//\nwork 2 n   ----------//\n   1 job:\n   2 place:\n   3 duties:\n   4 result:\n   5 papers etc:\n   6 book/painting/music:\n   7 activity:\n   8 study:\n   9 at work:\n  10 the (whole) works:\n  11 nice work/quick work:\n  12 something is in the works/pipeline:\n  13 works:\n  14 the works:\n  15 have your work cut out (for you):\n  16 make short/light work of something:\n  17 make heavy/hard work of something:\n  18 force:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: werc,  weorc]//\n  1 JOB:   [U] a job or activity that you do regularly, especially in order to earn money//    employment//  --There isn’t a lot of work at this time of the year.//  --My father started work when he was just 14.//  --He’s been out of work  (=without a job) for two years.//  --More people are in work  (=have a job) than ten years ago.//  --There has been an increase in the number of people looking for work .//  --She found work with an engineering firm.//  --I’m planning to return to work  (=start a job again after a long period of time) when the children are a little older.//  before/after work (=before a day of work or at the end of a day of work) //  --Do you want to go for a drink after work?//  part-time/full-time work //  --The new law will benefit people in part-time work.//  --I need to find paid work  (=a job you are paid to do) .//  voluntary work  BrE //  /volunteer work  AmE  (=a job you are not paid for) //  --He does voluntary work in a hospital.//  --In my line of work  (=the type of work someone does) , I meet lots of interesting people. see usage note  job//\n  2 PLACE:   [U] a place where you do your job, which is not your home//  --I had an accident on the way to work.//  --He left work at the usual time.//  --I went out with the girls from work last night.//  at work//  --Dad’s at work right now.//\n  3 DUTIES:   [U] the duties and activities that are part of your job//  --A large part of the work we do involves using computers.//  --He starts work at 4am.//  secretarial/legal/clerical etc work //  --He’s started a business doing gardening and roofing work.//\n  4 RESULT:   [U] something that you produce as a result of doing your job or doing an activity//  --Send a resume and examples of your work.//  --The building is the work of architect Rafael Moneo.//  --The teacher should make sure that each child has a piece of work displayed on the wall.//  --The standard of work has declined.//\n  5 PAPERS ETC:   [U] the papers and other materials you need for doing work//  --Can you move some of your work off the kitchen table?//  --I often have to take work home with me.//\n  6 BOOK/PAINTING/MUSIC:   [C] something such as a painting, play, piece of music etc that is produced by a painter, writer, or musician//  --the Collected Works of Shakespeare//  --It is another accomplished work by the artist.//    work of art//\n  7 ACTIVITY:   [U] when you use physical or mental effort in order to achieve something//  work on//  --Work will start next month on a new swimming pool in the centre of the city.//  --Looking after children can be hard work .//  carry out/ do work //  --You should not allow unqualified people to carry out work on your house.//  set to work/get down to work (=start work) //  --He set to work immediately.//\n  8 STUDY:   [U] study or research, especially for a particular purpose//  carry out/do work //  --The centre carries out work to monitor trends in housing management.//  --He did his postgraduate work in Sociology.//\n  9  at work:  a) doing your job or a particular activity//  --He spent most of his time watching the fishermen at work.//  b) having a particular influence or effect//  --Volcanoes display some of nature’s most powerful forces at work.//\n  10  the (whole) works:   spoken used after mentioning several things, to emphasize that someone or something has everything you can think of//  --The hotel had everything - sauna, swimming pool, the works.//\n  11  nice work/quick work:   spoken used to praise someone for doing something well or quickly//  --That was quick work!//\n  12  sth is in the works/pipeline:   informal used to say that something is being planned or developed//  --Upgrades to the existing software are in the works.//\n  13  works [plural, U] :  a) activities involved in building or repairing things such as roads, bridges etc//  engineering works/irrigation works/roadworks //  --the official in charge of the engineering works//    public works//  b) a building or group of buildings in which goods are produced in large quantities or an industrial process happens//  ironworks/gasworks/cement works //  --The brick works closed last year.//\n  14  the works:  the moving parts of a machine//   mechanism//\n  15  have your work cut out (for you):   informal used to say that it will be very difficult to do something//  --The team will have their work cut out if they are to win the competition.//\n  16  make short/light work of sth:  to do something very quickly and easily//  --A microwave oven can make light work of the cooking.//\n  17  make heavy/hard work of sth:  to do something with difficulty//  --They made hard work of what should have been an easy game.//\n  18 FORCE:   [U]  technical force multiplied by distance//    be all in a day’s work at day(21),  do sb’s dirty work at dirty1 (8),  a nasty piece of work at nasty(7),  nice work if you can get it at nice(12)//


Words: work ethic
Meaning:
n [singular]   a belief in the moral value and importance of work//  --They instilled the work ethic into their children.//


Words: work experience
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the experience you have had of working in a particular type of job:  --She’s well qualified but has no relevant work experience.//\n  2  BrE a period of time that a young person spends working in a particular place, as a form of training:  on work experience//  --The teenagers spend two weeks on work experience in local businesses.//  --Why do I have to do work experience ?//  work experience placement/programme/scheme etc //


Words: work of art plural
Meaning:
works of art  n [C] \n  1 a painting, sculpture etc of high quality:\n  2 something that is very attractive and skilfully made - often used humorously:  --That cake’s a real work of art!//


Words: work-surface
Meaning:
also worktop   n [C]    especially BrE a flat surface for working on, especially in a kitchen//  American Equivalent:  counter//


Words: work-to-rule
Meaning:
n [singular]   a situation in which people in a particular job refuse to do any additional work as a protest//    strike//    work to rule at work1 (32)//


Words: workable
Meaning:
adj \n  1 a workable system, plan etc will be practical and effective:  --a workable solution to the problem//  --a workable timetable//\n  2 a substance that is workable can be shaped with your hands:  --workable clay for making pots//


Words: workaday
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: workyday  (16-19 centuries), from  workyday  ’working day’ (16-19 centuries), from  workeday  (12-16 centuries), from  work +  day]//  ordinary and not interesting//   everyday//  --He promised to tackle the workaday matters affecting people’s daily lives.//


Words: workaholic
Meaning:
n [C]    informal someone who chooses to work a lot, so that they do not have time to do anything else//


Words: workday
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE \n  1 the amount of time that you spend working in a day:   working day//  --a 10 hour workday//\n  2 a day of the week when most people work:   working day//  --He commutes three hours on workdays.//  --workday traffic//


Words: worked up
Meaning:
adj [not before noun]    informal very upset or excited about something//  worked up about/over//  --You shouldn’t get so worked up about it.//    work up at work1 //


Words: worker
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who does a job, especially a particular type of job:  --part-time, low-paid workers//  --workers in the tourist industry//  factory/farm/office etc worker //  --new health and safety regulations for factory workers//  research/rescue/healthcare etc worker //  --reports from local aid workers //  skilled/unskilled worker (=someone who has or does not have special skills) //  manual/blue-collar worker (=someone who does practical or physical work) //  white-collar worker (=someone who works in an office) //    guest worker,  social worker//\n  2 [usually plural] someone who works in an organization and who is not a manager:  --conflicts between workers and management//  --attacks on workers’ rights//\n  3  good/hard/quick etc worker:  someone who works very well or quickly//\n  4  the workers:  the members of the working class//  --the workers’ revolution//


Words: workfare
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: work +  -fare (as in  welfare)]//  a system in which unemployed people have to work before they are given money for food, rent etc by the government//


Words: workflow
Meaning:
n [U]   the way that a particular project is organized by a company, including which part of a project someone is going to do, and when they are supposed to do it//


Words: workforce
Meaning:
n [singular]   all the people who work in a particular industry or company, or are available to work in a particular country or area//    staff//  --Women now represent almost 50% of the workforce.//  --The company is cutting its workforce.//  skilled/educated/flexible etc workforce //


Words: workhorse
Meaning:
n [C]   a person, machine, or vehicle that does a lot of work, especially when it is hard or boring//  --The Hercules aircraft has been the workhorse of the airforce for over 25 years.//


Words: workhouse
Meaning:
n [C]   a building in Britain in the past where very poor people lived if they had nowhere else to go//   poorhouse//


Words: working
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1 :  a) having a job that you are paid for//    employed//  --a working mother //  --Many working women rely on relatives for childcare.//  --A smaller working population will have to support a growing number of retired people.//  b)  old-fashioned having a physical or practical job//  working man/people/folk //  --the ordinary working man//\n  2  working hours/day/week:  the time that people spend doing their job//  --In a normal working day, I see around 6 or 7 clients.//  during/outside working hours//  --Telephone at any time during normal working hours.//  --Many mothers prefer flexible working hours .//  --We do a 37-hour working week.//\n  3  working day:  a day of the week when most people work. In Britain and the US this is usually Monday to Friday//   workday//  --It will be returned within three working days (=three days, not including weekends or public holidays) .//\n  4  working conditions/environment etc:  the situation in which you work, especially the physical things such as pay or safety//  --improvements in working conditions//\n  5  working practices/methods:  the way in which you do your job//  --training in up-to-date working practices//\n  6  working life:  the part of your adult life when you have a paid job//  --He spent all his working life in a factory.//\n  7  (in) working order:  working properly and not broken//  be in good/perfect/full etc working order //  --The car was old, but the engine was still in good working order.//  --the amount of exercise needed to keep your body in working order //\n  8  working relationship:  the way that people work together//  working relationship with/between//  --They want to establish a better working relationship between medical and nursing staff.//  good/close/effective etc working relationship //  --We have a close working relationship with other voluntary groups.//\n  9  a working knowledge of sth:  enough knowledge of a system, subject, language etc to be able to use it or to do a particular job//  --A good working knowledge of the Building Regulations is necessary for the job.//\n  10  working clothes:   also  work clothes//  clothes which you wear for work or are designed for people to work in//\n  11  working model:  a model that has parts that move//\n  12  working parts:  the parts of a machine that move//\n  13  working definition/theory/title:  a definition, idea etc that may not be exactly right but is good enough to use when you start working on something//\n  14  working majority:   BrE enough support in parliament for a government to continue making laws and ruling a country//\n  15  working breakfast/lunch/dinner:  a breakfast, lunch etc which is also a business meeting//\n  16  working memory:   technical the part of a person’s or computer’s memory which stores information about the thing being worked on now//\nworking 2 n \n  1 [singular]  also workings :  the way something such as a system, piece of equipment, or organization works//  working of//  --his knowledge of the inner workings of the department//  --I shall never understand the workings of his mind  (=how he thinks) .//\n  2  flexible/short-time etc working:  a particular way of working, especially relating to the hours which someone works//\n  3 [C usually plural] a mine or part of a mine where soil has been dug out in order to remove metals or stone:    quarry//


Words: working class
Meaning:
n [singular also + plural verb]  BrE  also  working classes  the group of people in society who traditionally do physical work and do not have much money or power//  --Marx wrote about the political struggles of the working class.//  -- working class adj //  --working class women //  --the traditional working class occupations//  --He is proud of his working class background.//    lower class,  middle class,  upper class//


Words: working girl
Meaning:
n [C]  old-fashioned   a woman who has sex for money - used when you want to avoid saying this directly//   prostitute//


Words: working group
Meaning:
n [C]   a group that is formed to examine a particular situation or problem and suggest ways of dealing with it//   working party//  set up/establish a working group (to do sth) //  --The commission has set up a special working group to look at the problem.//  working group on//  --a working group on constitutional reform//


Words: working papers
Meaning:
n [plural]   an official document that you need in the US in order to get a job if you are young or were born in a different country//


Words: workload
Meaning:
n [C]   the amount of work that a person or organization has to do//  --She’s struggling to cope with the heavy workload .//  increase/reduce/add to etc sb’s workload //  --We’ve got to find ways of reducing Gail’s workload next year.//


Words: workman
Meaning:
n   plural  workmen /-m[hA353]n/ [C] //  someone who does physical work such as building, repairing things etc//


Words: workmanlike
Meaning:
adj   done in a way which shows skill and hard work, but may not be exciting//  --The team put up a good workmanlike performance to win 1-0.//


Words: workout
Meaning:
n [C]   a period of physical exercise, especially as training for a sport//  --a daily workout in the gym//    work out at work1 //


Words: workplace
Meaning:
n [C]   the room, building etc where you work//  in the workplace//  --a report into discrimination in the workplace//


Words: workshop
Meaning:
W3S3   n [C] \n  1 a room or building where tools and machines are used for making or repairing things:\n  2 a meeting at which people try to improve their skills by discussing their experiences and doing practical exercises:  writers’/drama/music etc workshop //  --They held a number of workshops and seminars.//


Words: workstation
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a computer that is part of an office computer system:\n  2 the desk where an office worker works:


Words: workweek
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE the total amount of time that you spend working during a week//  British Equivalent:  working week//  --a 40-hour workweek//


Words: world
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 our planet/everyone on it:\n   2 in the world:\n   3 the society we live in:\n   4 group of countries :\n   5 time in history:\n   6 somebody’s life and experiences:\n   7 area of activity/work:\n   8 nature/animals/plants:\n   9 place/situation:\n  10 another planet:\n  11 something is very different:\n  12 the outside world:\n  13 the material world:\n  14 for all the world as if/as though/like:\n  15 out of this world:\n  16 do somebody a world of good:\n  17 in a world of your own/in your own little world:\n  18 mean the world to somebody/think the world of somebody:\n  19 somebody would give the world to do something:\n  20 be/feel on top of the world:\n  21 be a man/woman of the world:\n  22 not for the world:\n  23 the world is your oyster:\n  24 have the world at your feet:\n  25 go up/come down in the world:\n  26 set the world on fire/alight:\n  27 set/put the world to rights:\n  28 the Michael Jacksons/Mother Teresas/Microsofts etc of this world:\n  29 think the world owes you a living:\n  30 (think that) the world revolves around you:\n  31 the world and his wife:\n  32 come into the world:\n  33 bring a child into the world:\n  34 somebody is not long for this world:\n  35 normal life:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: woruld  ’human existence, this world, age’]//\n  1 OUR PLANET/EVERYONE ON IT:   the world//  the planet we live on, and all the people, cities, and countries on it//    earth//  -- Tuberculosis is still common in some  parts of the world . //  -- At that time China was  the most  powerful country  in the world .//  -- the world’s tallest  building//  --The Taj Mahal attracts visitors from  around the world . //  -- Students from  all over the world  come to study at Oxford. //  -- Children are the same  the world over . //  -- The book has been published  throughout the world . //  -- There is nothing quite like it  anywhere in the world . //  -- Europe’s relationship with  the rest of the world //  -- I decided to take a year off to  travel the world . //  --a crime that shocked the world//\n  2  in the world:  used to emphasize what you are saying//  the happiest/most exciting etc ... in the world //  --I’m the luckiest man in the world!//  --Bali is my favourite place in the whole world .//  --Off he went, without a care in the world  (=not be worried about anything at all) .//  -- Nothing in the world  (=nothing at all) can save them now.//  --Don’t worry, we’ve got all the time in the world  (=plenty of time so you do not need to hurry) .//  what/who/where/how etc in the world ...? (=used when you are very surprised or annoyed) //  --What in the world are you doing here at seven in the morning?//\n  3 THE SOCIETY WE LIVE IN:   [singular] the society that we live in, the way people behave, and the kind of life we have//  --Parents want a better world for their children.//  the world //  --The world is being transformed by information technology.//  --You had to go into politics if you wanted to change the world.//  in an ideal/perfect world (=used to say how you would like things to be) //  --In an ideal world, we would be able to recycle everything.//  the real world (=the way life really is, not how people would like it to be or imagine it) //  --In the real world, things are never quite so simple.//  what is the world coming to? (=used to say that you do not like the way society is changing) //  --Five pounds just to park your car! I don’t know what the world’s coming to.//\n  4 GROUP OF COUNTRIES :   [singular] a particular group of countries//  the Western/Arab etc world //  --the highest unemployment rate in the Western world//  --the English-speaking world//  --agricultural practices in  the developing world //  --the economies of the industrialized world //\n  5 TIME IN HISTORY:   [singular] a particular period in history//  the modern/ancient world //  --the peoples of the ancient world//  the world of ... //  --the world of the Ancient Greeks//\n  6 SOMEBODY’S LIFE AND EXPERIENCES:   [C] the life and experiences of a particular person or group of people//  world of//  --the world of children//  --The diary gives us an insight into Hemingway’s world.//\n  7 AREA OF ACTIVITY/WORK:   [C usually singular] a particular area of activity or work, and the people who are involved in it//  the world of politics/business/work etc //  --She knew little about the world of politics.//  the art/business/academic etc world //  --personalities from the sporting world//\n  8 NATURE/ANIMALS/PLANTS:   the natural/animal/plant world//  all of nature, or all animals or plants considered as a group//  --the wonders of the natural world//\n  9 PLACE/SITUATION:   [C usually singular] a particular kind of place or situation, especially one that someone describes or which you imagine//  world of//  --the nightmare world of Orwell’s novel 1984//  --a world of lies and secrecy//\n  10 ANOTHER PLANET:   [C] a place like the Earth in another part of the universe where other things may live//  --strange creatures from  another world //\n  11 SOMETHING IS VERY DIFFERENT:   [C] used in the following phrases to emphasize that something is very different//  --There’s a world of difference between the US and Europe.//  --I realized we were still  worlds apart  (=very different, especially concerning your ideas, opinions etc ) .//  --It was a world away from  (=completely different from) the grand hotels she was used to.//\n  12  the outside world:  the people who live outside a particular place or country - used when the people of that place or country do not often meet other people//  --Prisoners have little contact with the outside world.//  be cut off from/closed to/isolated from the outside world //  --Parts of the country have been virtually closed to the outside world for 20 years.//\n  13  the material world:  real things, rather than ideas and beliefs//  --Is the material world all that exists?//\n  14  for all the world as if/as though/like:   literary exactly as if or exactly like//  --She sat reading her paper, looking for all the world as if nothing had happened.//\n  15  out of this world:   informal extremely good, enjoyable etc//  --The graphics and sounds are out of this world.//\n  16  do sb a world of good:  to be very good for someone’s health or mental state//  --A bit of fresh air and exercise will do her a world of good.//\n  17  in a world of your own/in your own little world:  used to say that someone seems to spend a lot of time thinking or imagining things, and does not seem to notice what is happening around them//  --She was a shy child who seemed to  live in a world of her own .//\n  18  mean the world to sb/think the world of sb:  if someone or something means the world to you, or if you think the world of them, they are very important to you and you love or respect them very much//  --Lee thinks the world of that dog.//\n  19  sb would give the world to do sth:  used to say that someone would like to do something very much //  --He would give the world to see her again.//\n  20  be/feel on top of the world:   informal to feel extremely happy//\n  21  be a man/woman of the world:  to be someone who has had many experiences and is not easily shocked//\n  22  not for the world:  used to emphasize that you would not do something//  --I wouldn’t hurt her for the world .//  --I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.//\n  23  the world is your oyster:  there is no limit to the opportunities that someone has//  --If you’ve got a good education, the world is your oyster.//\n  24  have the world at your feet:  a) to be very famous, popular, or successful//  --In those days the band had the world at their feet.//  b) to be in a position where you have the chance to become very successful//  --a bright young lad with the world at his feet//\n  25  go up/come down in the world:  to move to a higher or lower position in society//  --He’s gone up in the world a bit since I knew him at college.//\n  26  set the world on fire/alight:   spoken to have a big effect or be very successful//  --Her last film didn’t exactly set the world on fire.//\n  27  set/put the world to rights:  to discuss or say how the world should be changed to make people’s lives better//  --We were having a few beers and generally putting the world to rights.//\n  28  the Michael Jacksons/Mother Teresas/Microsofts etc of this world:   spoken used to talk about a particular kind of person or group, by using one person or group as an example//  --The US team is new to the soccer scene, and can’t expect to beat the Brazils of the world.//\n  29  think the world owes you a living:  to think that you should not have to work and that other people will provide you with everything you need - used to show disapproval //\n  30  (think that) the world revolves around you:  to think that you are the most important person and everyone else should only be interested in making sure that you have what you want - used to show disapproval//\n  31  the world and his wife:   BrE everyone or anybody - used when you want to emphasize that a lot of people do something or anyone can do something//  --It seemed that the world and his wife had come to Madrid.//\n  32  come into the world:   literary to be born//\n  33  bring a child into the world:   literary to have a baby, or help a baby to be born//\n  34  sb is not long for this world:   literary used to say that someone is likely to die soon//\n  35 NORMAL LIFE:   the world//  normal life in society, as opposed to a religious way of life, especially in a monastery etc//  --She renounced the world and entered a convent.//    best of both worlds at best3 (7)//    be dead to the world at dead1 (9)//    it’s not the end of the world at end1 (19)//    New World,  Third World//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  a part of the world //  the highest/most powerful etc in the world //  the world’s oldest/tallest etc ... //  around the world //  all over the world/the world over  (=everywhere in the world) //  throughout/across the world  (=everywhere in the world) //  anywhere in the world //  the rest of the world //  the whole/entire world //  see/travel the world  (=travel to many different countries) //  ----------//\nworld 2 adj [only before noun] \n  1 existing in, involving, or affecting all or most countries in the world:  the World Cup/Championships etc (=a competition involving people from many countries) //  --He won the world title in 2001.//  --the reigning Formula One world champion //  world trade/economy etc //  --the impact of the crisis on the world economy//    world war//\n  2 a world figure is one of the most important people in the world:  --a meeting of world leaders //  --a world authority on climate change//    world power//


