# dict

Words: plunger
Meaning:
n [C]   1 a tool for clearing waste that is blocking a kitchen or bathroom pipe. It consists of a straight handle with a rubber cup on the end.//\n  2  technical a part of a machine that moves up and down:


Words: plunging neckline
Meaning:
n [C]   if a woman’s dress or shirt has a plunging neckline, the top part at the front is very low//


Words: plunk
Meaning:
preposition]  AmE  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  From the sound]//\n  1  also plunk sth down :  to put or place something somewhere, especially in a noisy, sudden, or careless way//  British Equivalent:  plonk//  plunk sth in/on etc sth//  --plans to plunk a theme park on the island//\n  2  plunk (yourself) down:  to sit down suddenly or heavily and then relax//  British Equivalent:  plonk//  --Why don’t you plunk yourself down with a good book?//  plunk down [plunk sth → down] phr v//  to spend an amount of money on something//  --She plunked down $250 for a silver necklace.//


Words: pluperfect
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Late Latin; Origin: plusquamperfectus  ’more than perfect’]//  the pluperfect//   technical the past perfect tense of a verb//


Words: plural
Meaning:
n [C]   a form of a word that shows you are talking about more than one thing, person etc. For example, ’dogs’ is the plural of ’dog’//  in the plural//  --’Sheep’ remains the same in the plural.//  plural of//  --What’s the plural of ’mouse’?//\nplural 2 adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: plurel, from  Latin pluralis, from  plus;   PLUS1]//\n  1 a plural word or form shows you are talking about more than one thing, person etc. For example ’we’ is a plural  pronoun:\n  2  formal a plural society, system, or culture is one with people from many different religions, races etc:  --Britain has developed into a plural society.//


Words: pluralism
Meaning:
n [U]  formal   when people of many different races, religions, and political beliefs live together in the same society, or the belief that this can happen successfully//  --a nation characterized by cultural pluralism //  -- pluralist n  [C] //  -- pluralistic/pl[hA35E][hA353]r[hA353]l[hA366]st[hA366]k[hA36B] $ pl[hA35E]r-/-- pluralist adj //  --a pluralist society //


Words: plurality
Meaning:
n   plural  pluralities //\n  1 [C usually singular]  formal a large number of different things:  plurality of//  --the plurality of factors affecting the election//\n  2 [U and C]  especially AmE  technical if one person or party receives a plurality in an election, they receive more votes than any of the other people or parties, but fewer votes than the total number of votes that all the others receive together:  --The Democrats won only a plurality of the votes cast.//\n  3 [U]  technical when a noun is plural:


Words: plus
Meaning:
prep   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: ’more’ (adjective and adverb)]//\n  1 used to show that one number or amount is added to another:  → minus//  --Three plus six equals nine. (3 + 6 = 9)//  --The total cost was $10, 000, plus 14% interest.//\n  2 and also:  --There are numerous clubs, plus a casino.//\n  3  plus or minus:  used to say that a number may be more or less by a certain amount//  --There may be a variation of plus or minus 5% in the prices that are quoted.//\nplus 2 n [C] \n  1  informal something that is an advantage:  major/definite/big etc plus //  --Some knowledge of Spanish is a definite plus in this job.//\n  2 a plus sign:  → minus//\nplus 3 adj \n  1 [only before noun] used to talk about an advantage or good feature of a thing or situation:  → minus//  --Another of the Beach Club’s plus points is that it’s right in the middle of town.//  --This is not an exciting car to drive, but on the plus side it is extremely reliable.//\n  2 used after a number to mean an amount which is more than that number:  --an income of $50,000 plus//  --Most children start school when they’re five plus.//\n  3 more than zero - used especially when talking about temperatures:  → minus//  --Daytime temperatures barely reached plus 5[hA13B].//\n  4  A plus/B plus etc:  a mark used in a system of judging students’ work. An ’A plus’ is slightly higher than an ’A’.//\nplus 4 conj  informal   used to add more information//  --He’s been studying hard for exams. Plus he’s been working in a bar at night.//


Words: plus fours
Meaning:
n [plural]   short loose trousers that are fastened just below the knee. Men wore them in the past, especially when playing golf.//


Words: plus sign
Meaning:
also plus  especially BrE  n [C]   the sign (+), showing that you should add two or more numbers together, or that a number is more than zero//


Words: plush
Meaning:
adj  informal   very comfortable, expensive, and of good quality//  --a plush hotel//  --Their casino is the plushest in town.//\nplush 2 n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: pluche, from  Latin pilus  ’hair’]//  a silk or cotton material with a thick soft surface//  --plush curtains//


Words: Plutarch
Meaning:
(?46-?120 AD) an ancient Greek  historian who wrote about famous Greek and Roman politicians and military leaders in a book known as  Plutarch’s Lives. Plays by William  Shakespeare that are set in ancient times, such as  Julius Caesar, are based on Plutarch’s writings.//


Words: Pluto
Meaning:
n   the planet that is furthest from the sun and is the smallest in the solar system//  --the discovery of Pluto in 1930//


Words: plutocracy
Meaning:
n   plural  plutocracies  [C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Greek; Origin: ploutokratia, from  ploutos  ’wealth’ +  -kratia  ’-cracy’]//  a ruling class or government that consists of rich people, or a country that is governed by rich people//


Words: plutocrat
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who has power because they are rich - used to show disapproval//  --champagne-drinking plutocrats//  -- plutocratic/plu[hA359]t[hA353]kr[zB024]t[hA366]k[hA36B]/ adj //


Words: plutonium
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Pluto]//  a radioactive metal that is used in the production of nuclear power, and in nuclear weapons. It is a chemical element: symbol Pu//


Words: ply
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  plied present participle  plying third person singular  plies //  [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: apply]//\n  1  ply your trade:   literary to work at your business, especially buying and selling things on the street//  --In some areas, drug dealers openly ply their trade on street corners.//\n  2 [I,T always + adverb/preposition]  written if a ship, bus etc plies between two places or across a place, it does that journey regularly:  ply between/across etc//  --Two ferries ply between Tripoli and Malta every day.//\n  3  ply for hire/trade:   BrE to try and get customers or passengers, in order to do business//  --Continental airlines ply for trade in the UK.//\n  4 [T]  old use or literary to use a tool skilfully:  ply with [ply sb with sth] phr v//\n  1 to keep giving someone large quantities of food or drink:  --The local people plied me with beer, until I could barely move.//\n  2  ply sb with questions:  to keep asking someone questions//\nply 2   plural  ply  n [C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: pli, from  Old French plier;   PLIERS]//  a unit for measuring the thickness of thread, rope, plywood etc, based on the number of threads or layers that it has//  --a sweater in 4-ply yarn//\nPlymouth 1   a port and base for the British navy, in Devon, southwest England. In the UK people think of it in connection with Francis  Drake, the 16th century  explorer and navy commander. People in the US think of it as the place from which the  Pilgrim Fathers sailed to America.//\nPlymouth 2  trademark   a type of US car made by the Chrysler company//


Words: Plymouth Brethren
Meaning:
n [plural]   a Christian organization that has very strict moral rules and is opposed to religious ceremony//


Words: Plymouth Colony
Meaning:
the second English town to be built in North America, in 1620,in what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts.The first town was in Jamestown in Virginia. The settlers, known as the  Pilgrim Fathers, were  Puritans who sailed on the ship  Mayflower from Plymouth, England. Only half of them were still alive after the first winter in America, but the town grew. According to old stories, the settlers’ first steps when they landed in America were on a large rock, today called  Plymouth Rock.//


Words: Plymouth Rock
Meaning:
a large rock on the coast at Plymouth, Massachusetts. According to old stories, the  Pilgrim Fathers took their first steps in America when they landed there in 1620.//


Words: plywood
Meaning:
n [U]   a material made of several thin layers of wood that are stuck together to form a strong board//


Words: PMS
Meaning:
n [U]   premenstrual syndrome the unpleasant physical and emotional feelings that many women have before their period starts//


Words: PMT
Meaning:
n [U]  BrE   premenstrual tension the unpleasant physical and emotional feelings that many women have before their period starts//


Words: pneumatic
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: pneumaticus, from  Greek, from  pneuma  ’air, breath, spirit’]//\n  1  technical filled with air:  --pneumatic tyres//\n  2 worked by air pressure:  --a pneumatic pump//


Words: pneumatic drill
Meaning:
n [C]    especially BrE a large powerful tool worked by air pressure and used for breaking up hard materials, especially road surfaces//  American Equivalent:  jackhammer//


Words: pneumonia
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: Greek, from  pneumon  ’lung’]//  a serious illness that affects your lungs and makes it difficult for you to breathe//  --She was taken to hospital, suffering from pneumonia.//


Words: PO
Meaning:
BrE  P.O. AmE \n  1 the written abbreviation of post office :    PO Box//\n  2  BrE the written abbreviation of postal order :


Words: PO Box
Meaning:
BrE  P.O. Box AmE   n [C]   post office box used before a number as an address at a post office where letters to you can be sent//  --Write to P.O. Box 714, Key Largo, Florida.//


Words: po-faced
Meaning:
adj  BrE  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Perhaps from  po  ’chamber pot’ (19-20 centuries), from  French pot, influenced by  poker-faced]//  having an unfriendly disapproving expression on your face//


Words: poach
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 cook:\n   2 animals:\n   3 people:\n   4 steal ideas:\n   5 poach on somebody’s territory/preserve:  ----------//  [Sense: 1; Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: pochier, from  poche  ’bag, pocket’]//  [Sense: 2-5; Date: 1600-1700; Language: Old French; Origin: pocher]//\n  1 COOK:   [T] //  a) to cook an egg in or over gently boiling water, without its shell//  --poached eggs on toast//  b) to gently cook food, especially fish, in a small amount of boiling water, milk etc//  --Poach the salmon in white wine and water.//\n  2 ANIMALS:   [I and T] to illegally catch or shoot animals, birds, or fish, especially on private land without permission//  --Deer have been poached here for years.//\n  3 PEOPLE:   [T] to persuade someone who belongs to another organization, team etc to leave it and join yours, especially in a secret or dishonest way//  --That company’s always poaching our staff.//  poach from//  --Several of their reporters were poached from other papers.//\n  4 STEAL IDEAS:   [T] to take and use someone else’s ideas unfairly or illegally//  poach from//  --characters poached from Shakespeare//\n  5  poach on sb’s territory/preserve:   BrE to do something that is someone else’s responsibility, especially when they do not want you to do it//  -- poaching n  [U] //  --the poaching of elephants for their ivory tusks//


Words: poacher
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who illegally catches or shoots animals, birds, or fish, especially on private land without permission:\n  2  poacher turned gamekeeper:   BrE someone who used to do illegal things or have a bad attitude to authority, and who has now changed completely - used especially of someone who is now in a position of authority//\n  3  BrE a pan with small containers shaped like cups used for poaching eggs:


Words: Pocahontas
Meaning:
(1595-1617) a Native American woman, who was the daughter of Chief Powhatan of the Powhatan tribe. Pocahontas saved the life of Captain John Smith, leader of the English people who had gone to live in  Jamestown, Virginia, when he was about to be killed by her father. She then helped to develop friendly relations between the English and the Native Americans. Later Pocahontas married an Englishman and went to England, where she died of  smallpox.//


Words: pocked
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: pock;   POX]//  covered with small holes or marks//   pockmarked//  pocked with//  --His face was pocked with scars.//


Words: pocket
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 in clothes:\n   2 money:\n   3 small container:\n   4 small area/amount:\n   5 be in somebody’s pocket:\n   6 have something in your pocket:\n   7 out of pocket:\n   8 be/live in each other’s pockets:\n   9 game:  ----------//  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old North French; Origin: pokete, from  poke  ’bag’]//\n  1 IN CLOTHES:  a type of small bag in or on a coat, trousers etc that you can put money, keys etc in//  --Luke came in with his hands in his pockets.//  jacket/trouser etc pocket //  --The keys are in my trouser pocket.//  pocket of//  --the inside pocket of his jacket//  --The policeman told me to turn out my pockets  (=take everything out of them) .//\n  2 MONEY:  the amount of money that you have to spend//  --There are eight hotels, with a price range to suit every pocket .//  from/out of/into your own pocket//  --Dan had to pay for the repairs out of his own pocket.//  --He was accused of diverting some of the firm’s money into his own pocket.//  --The deepening recession has hit people’s pockets .//  --For investors with deep pockets  (=a lot of money) , the Berlin property market is attractive.//\n  3 SMALL CONTAINER:  a small bag or piece of material fastened to something so that you can put things into it//  --Please read the air safety card in the pocket of the seat in front.//\n  4 SMALL AREA/AMOUNT:  a small area or amount of something that is different from what surrounds it//  pocket of//  --In some parts, there are still pockets of violence and unrest.//  --pockets of air inside the hull of the ship//\n  5  be in sb’s pocket:  to be controlled or strongly influenced by someone in authority, and willing to do whatever they want//  --The judge was in the defense lawyer’s pocket.//\n  6  have sth in your pocket:  to be certain to win something such as a competition or election//  --The Democrats had the election in their pocket.//\n  7  out of pocket:   especially BrE  informal if you are out of pocket, you have less money than you should have, especially as a result of making a mistake or being unlucky//  --If he loses the deal, he’ll be badly out of pocket.//\n  8  be/live in each other’s pockets:   BrE  informal if two people are in each other’s pockets, they are together too much//  baize, cue, pocket//\n  9 GAME:  a small net on a pool, snooker, or billiard table, which you try to hit balls into//    air pocket//    burn a hole in your pocket at burn1 (17)//    line your own pockets at line2 (4)//    pick sb’s pocket at pick1 (14)//\npocket 2 v [T] \n  1 to put something into your pocket:  --Maggie locked the door and pocketed the keys.//\n  2 to steal money, especially money that you are responsible for:  --One inspector had pocketed up to $500,000 in bribes.//\n  3 to get a large amount of money, win a prize etc, especially in a way that seems very easy or slightly dishonest:  --Johnston pocketed $2,500 in prize money.//\n  4 to hit a ball into a pocket in the game of pool, snooker and billiards:   pot//\npocket 3 adj [only before noun]   small enough to be carried in your pocket//  --a pocket dictionary//


Words: pocket change
Meaning:
n [U]  AmE \n  1 a small or unimportant amount of money:  --The money is nothing - pocket change to them.//\n  2 coins that you carry in your pocket:


Words: pocket knife plural
Meaning:
pocket knives  n [C]   a small knife with one or more blades that fold into the handle//   penknife//


Words: pocket money
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1  BrE a small amount of money that parents give regularly to their children, usually every week or month:  American Equivalent:  allowance//  --How much pocket money do you get?//\n  2  informal a small amount of extra money that you earn in order to spend it on things you want:  --I give a few private lessons too, for pocket money.//


Words: pocket veto
Meaning:
n [C]   a method used by the US President to stop a bill (=proposal for a new law) . The President keeps the proposal without signing it until Congress is not working any more.//


Words: pocket-handkerchief
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  BrE  informal   a pocket-handkerchief garden or area of land is very small and usually square//


Words: pocket-sized
Meaning:
also pocket-size  adj [usually before noun]  BrE   small enough to fit into your pocket or be carried easily//  --pocket-sized dictionaries//


Words: pocketbook
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  AmE the amount of money that you have, or your ability to pay for things:  British Equivalent:  pocket//  --The aim was to provide a car for every age and pocketbook .//  --Older voters are most concerned about pocketbook issues  (=that concern money) .//\n  2  AmE  old-fashioned a handbag:\n  3  AmE  old-fashioned a wallet:\n  4  BrE  old-fashioned a notebook:


Words: pockmark
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: pock (  POX) +  mark]//  a hollow mark on someone’s skin or on the surface of something//


Words: Poconos
Meaning:
the Poconos//   also the Pocono Moun[hA17B]tains //  a group of mountains in Pennsylvania, US, which are part of the  Appalachians. The mountains are a popular place for short holidays, especially  honeymoons, and many people from New York City and New Jersey go there to get away from their busy cities.//


Words: pod
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Probably from  cod  ’bag’;   CODPIECE]//\n  1 a long narrow seed container that grows on various plants, especially peas and beans:  --a pea pod//    like two peas in a pod at pea(2)//\n  2 a part of a space vehicle that can be separated from the main part:  --a space pod//\n  3 a long narrow container for petrol or other substances, especially one carried under an aircraft wing:\n  4 a group of sea animals, such as whales or dolphins, that swim together:\n  5 a container which holds the eggs of some types of insects:


Words: podiatrist
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Greek; Origin: pous  ’foot’]//   especially AmE a doctor who takes care of people’s feet and treats foot diseases//  British Equivalent:  chiropodist//  -- podiatry n  [U] //


Words: podium
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: Greek podion, from  pous  ’foot’]//\n  1 a small raised area for a performer, speaker, or musical conductor to stand on:\n  2  AmE a high sloping surface for putting an open book or notes on while you are giving a speech to a lot of people - some people think that this use is incorrect:   lectern//  --Several speakers took the podium  (=spoke from it) that night.//


Words: podunk
Meaning:
adj  AmE  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: Podunk, village in Massachusetts or area in Connecticut]//  a podunk place is small and unimportant//  --Bob’s from some podunk town in Iowa.//


Words: Poe
Meaning:
Edgar Allan   (1809-49) a US poet and writer of short stories. He is most famous for his strange, frightening stories about death and evil powers such as  The Fall of the House of Usher.  Another story, The Murders in the Rue Morgue, was one of the first detective stories. His most famous poem is  The Raven.//


Words: poem
Meaning:
S3   n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: po[hA169]me, from  Latin, from  Greek poiema, from  poiein  ’to make, create’]//  a piece of writing that expresses emotions, experiences, and ideas, especially in short lines using words that rhyme (=end with the same sound) //    poet, poetry//  poem about//  --I decided to write a poem about how I felt.//


Words: poet
Meaning:
W3   n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: poete, from  Latin, from  Greek poietes, from  poiein;   POEM]//  someone who writes poems//    poem, poetry//


Words: poet laureate plural
Meaning:
poets laureate  n [C]   a poet who is chosen by a king, queen, president etc to write poems on important national occasions//


Words: poetic
Meaning:
1 relating to poetry, or typical of poetry:  --poetic expression//\n  2 having qualities of deep feeling or graceful expression:  --poetic language//  -- poetically/-kli/ adv //


Words: poetic justice
Meaning:
n [U]   a situation in which someone suffers, and you think they deserve it because they did something bad//  --After the way she treated Sam, it’s only poetic justice that Dave left her.//


Words: poetic licence
Meaning:
BrE  poetic license AmE n [U]   the freedom that poets and other artists have to change facts, ignore grammar rules etc, because what they are making is poetry or art//


Words: poetry
Meaning:
W3   n [U] \n  1 poems in general, or the art of writing them:    poem, poet//  --He reads a lot of poetry.//  --a poetry magazine//  modern/lyric/love etc poetry //  --a selection of religious poetry//\n  2 a quality of beauty, gracefulness, and deep feeling:  pure/sheer poetry //  --The way she moves on the court is sheer poetry.//  --His golf swing is poetry in motion .//


Words: Poets’ Corner
Meaning:
a part of  Westminster Abbey in London where many famous English poets are buried, including  Chaucer and Shakespeare//


Words: pogo stick
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: Pogo, a trademark]//  a toy used for jumping, that consists of a pole with a spring near the bottom, a bar across the pole that you stand on, and a handle at the top//


Words: pogrom
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Yiddish; Origin: Russian,  ’great destruction’]//  a planned killing of large numbers of people, usually done for reasons of race or religion//


Words: poignant
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: , present participle of  poindre  ’to prick, sting’, from  Latin pungere;   PUNGENT]//  making you feel sad or full of pity//  poignant reminder/image/moment etc //  --a poignant reminder of our nation’s great sacrifices//  -- poignancy n  [U] //  -- poignantly adv //  --a poignantly expressed tribute to his father//


Words: poinsettia
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Joel R.  Poinsett (1775-1851), U.S. diplomat and plant scientist]//  a tropical plant with groups of large red or white leaves that look like flowers//


Words: point
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 idea:\n   2 main meaning/idea:\n   3 purpose:\n   4 place:\n   5 in time/development:\n   6 quality/feature:\n   7 games/sport:\n   8 sharp end:\n   9 boiling point/freezing point/melting point etc:\n  10 the point of no return:\n  11 point of departure:\n  12 be on the point of (doing) something:\n  13 up to a point:\n  14 to the point:\n  15 make a point of doing something:\n  16 when/if it comes to the point:\n  17 in point of fact:\n  18 not to put too fine a point on it:\n  19 numbers:\n  20 measure on a scale:\n  21 small spot:\n  22 direction:\n  23 piece of land:\n  24 electricity:\n  25 railways:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  Partly from  Old French point  ’small hole or spot, point in time or space’, from  Latin punctum, from  pungere (  PUNGENT); partly from  Old French pointe  ’sharp end’, from  Vulgar Latin puncta, from  Latin pungere]//\n  1 IDEA:   [C] a single fact, idea, or opinion that is part of an argument or discussion//  --That’s a very interesting point.//  --That’s a good point .//  --There are three important points we must bear in mind.//  --This brings me to my next point.//  point about//  --I agree with John’s point about keeping the costs down.//  --I’d like to make one final point before I stop.//  --Some simple examples will illustrate the point .//  --He showed me some of the original documents to prove his point .//  --I can see your point  (=I understand it) and in general I agree with you.//  --You have a point there (=I agree with your idea or opinion) .//  --I take your point  (=understand it) about waiting until the spring.//  --OK, Sam, point taken  (=I understand your idea or opinion) .//  --They spent the evening discussing the finer points of  (=the small details of) world politics.//\n  2 MAIN MEANING/IDEA:   the point//  the most important fact or idea//  -- The point is , at least we’re all safely back home.//  --Nobody knows exactly how it works. That’s the whole point .//  --He may not have stolen the money himself, but that’s not the point .//  --I wish you’d get to the point  (=talk about the most important thing) .//  --I’ll come straight to the point  (=talk about the most important thing first) .//  --I need to find out who killed Alf, and more to the point  (=what is more important) I need to do it before anyone else gets killed.//  --We all like him, but that’s beside the point  (=not the most important thing) .//  --I think you’ve missed the point  (=you have not understood the most important thing) .//\n  3 PURPOSE:   [U] the purpose or aim of something//  --I suppose we could save one or two of the trees, but what’s the point ?//  point of//  --What’s the point of this meeting anyway?//  -- The whole point of this legislation is to protect children.//  -- There’s no point in worrying.//  --We’re going to lose anyway, so I can’t see the point of playing.//  --I didn’t see the point in moving to London.//\n  4 PLACE:   [C] a particular place or position//  --The accident happened at the point where the A15 joins the M1.//  --No cars are allowed beyond this point.//  --a border crossing point//  --Cairo is a convenient departure point for tours.//  --Dover is a point of entry into Britain.//\n  5 IN TIME/DEVELOPMENT:   [C] an exact moment, time, or stage in the development of something//  --I had reached a point in my career where I needed to decide which way to go.//  --She had got to the point where she felt that she could not take any more.//  --Their win over old rivals Manchester United was the high point  (=best part) in their season.//  --Sales reached a low point in 1996.//  --We will take last week’s riots as a starting point for our discussion.//  -- At one point , I thought he was going to burst into tears.//  --Maybe at this point we should move onto some of the practical experiments.//  -- At that point , I was still living at home and had no job.//  --You will probably sell the car at some point in the future.//  --It is impossible to give a definite answer at this point in time .//  --Some children are bullied to the point of suicide (=until they reach this stage) .//\n  6 QUALITY/FEATURE:   [C usually plural] a particular quality or feature that something or someone has//  sb’s/sth’s good/bad points //  --Sometimes she had to remind herself of his good points.//  point of//  --They would spend hours discussing the finer points  (=small details about qualities and features) of various cars.//  --The low price is one of its main selling points  (=features that will help to sell it) .//  --Driving was not one of Baxter’s strong points .//  --One of the club’s plus points is that it is central.//  --There were some weak points in his argument.//\n  7 GAMES/SPORT:   [C] one of the marks or numbers that shows your score in a game or sport//  --He is three points behind the leader.//  --Leeds United are now six points clear at the top of the table.//  --She had to win this point .//  --You get three points for a win and one point for a draw.//  --You lose a point if you do not complete the puzzle on time.//  --The fight went the full fifteen rounds, and in the end the American won on points .//  point, compass//\n  8 SHARP END:   [C] a sharp end of something//  --the sharp point of a spear//\n  9  boiling point/freezing point/melting point etc:  the temperature at which something boils, freezes, melts etc//  --Heat the water until it reaches boiling point.//\n  10  the point of no return:  a stage in a process or activity when it becomes impossible to stop it or do something different//  reach/pass the point of no return //  --I was aware that we had passed the point of no return.//\n  11  point of departure:  an idea which you use to start a discussion//  --He takes the idea of personal freedom as his point of departure.//\n  12  be on the point of (doing) sth:  to be going to do something very soon//  --I was on the point of giving up the search when something caught my eye in the bushes.//  --The country’s economy is on the point of collapse.//\n  13  up to a point:  partly, but not completely//  --I agree with you up to a point.//  --That is true, but only up to a point.//\n  14  to the point:  dealing only with the important subject or idea, and not including any unnecessary discussions//  --Her comments were brief and to the point.//\n  15  make a point of doing sth:  to do something deliberately, even when it involves making a special effort//  --He made a point of spending Saturdays with his children.//  --I always make a point of being early.//\n  16  when/if it comes to the point:   BrE used to talk about what happens when someone is in a difficult situation and has to make a difficult decision//  --I’m sure that if it came to the point, he would do what is expected of him.//\n  17  in point of fact:   formal used when saying that something is true, although it may seem unlikely//  --We were assured that the prisoners were being well treated, when in point of fact they were living in terrible conditions.//\n  18  not to put too fine a point on it:   especially BrE used when you are saying something in a very direct way//  --She’s lying, not to put too fine a point on it.//\n  19 NUMBERS:   [C] a sign (. ) used to separate a whole number from any decimals that follow it//\n  20 MEASURE ON A SCALE:   [C] a mark or measure on a scale//  --The stock market has fallen by over 200 points in the last week.//\n  21 SMALL SPOT:   [C] a very small spot of light or colour//  --The stars shone like points of light in the sky.//\n  22 DIRECTION:   [C] one of the marks on a compass that shows direction//  --Soldiers were advancing on us from all points of the compass.//\n  23 PIECE OF LAND:   [C] a long thin piece of land that stretches out into the sea//  --We sailed round the point into a small, sheltered bay.//\n  24 ELECTRICITY:   [C]  BrE a piece of plastic with holes in it which is attached to a wall and to which electrical equipment can be connected//  --a telephone point//  --an electrical point//\n  25 RAILWAYS:   points [plural]  BrE a piece of railway track that can be moved to allow a train to cross over from one track to another//  --The train rattled over the points.//    pointe//\npoint 2 v   ----------//\n   1 show something with your finger:\n   2 aim something:\n   3 face in one direction:\n   4 show somebody where to go:\n   5 suggest what somebody should do:\n   6 suggest that something is true:\n   7 walls/buildings:\n   8 point your toes:\n   9 point the/a finger at somebody:\n  10 point the way:  Phrasal verbs//   point something → out//   point to something//   point something → up//  ----------//\n  1 SHOW SOMETHING WITH YOUR FINGER:   [I and T] to show something to someone by holding up one of your fingers or a thin object towards it//  --’Look!’ she said and pointed.//  point at//  --I could see him pointing at me and telling the other guests what I had said.//  point to/towards//  --She was pointing to a small boat that was approaching the shore.//  point with//  --The driver pointed with his whip.//  --She pointed in the direction of the car park.//  --He stood up and pointed his finger at me.//\n  2 AIM SOMETHING:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to hold something so that it is aimed towards a person or thing//  point sth at sb/sth//  --He stood up and pointed his gun at the prisoner.//  --She produced a camera and pointed it at me.//\n  3 FACE IN ONE DIRECTION:   [I always + adverb/preposition] to face or be aimed in a particular direction//  --The arrow always points north.//  --There were flashlights all around us, pointing in all directions.//  point at//  --There were TV cameras pointing at us.//  point to/towards//  --The hands of the clock pointed to a quarter past one.//  --We found footprints pointing towards the back door.//\n  4 SHOW SOMEBODY WHERE TO GO:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to show someone which direction they should go in//  --She pointed me towards an armchair.//  --Could you point me in the direction of the bathroom, please?//\n  5 SUGGEST WHAT SOMEBODY SHOULD DO:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to suggest what someone should do//  --My teachers were all pointing me towards university.//  --A financial adviser should be able to point you in the right direction .//\n  6 SUGGEST THAT SOMETHING IS TRUE:   [I always + adverb/preposition] to suggest that something is true//  --Everything seemed to point in one direction.//  point to/towards//  --All the evidence pointed towards Blake as the murderer.//  --Everything points to her having died from a drugs overdose.//\n  7 WALLS/BUILDINGS:   [T]  BrE to put new cement between the bricks of a wall//\n  8  point your toes:  to stretch the ends of your feet downwards//\n  9  point the/a finger at sb:  to blame someone or say that they have done something wrong//  --I knew that they would point the finger at me.//  --I don’t want to point a finger of blame at anyone.//\n  10  point the way:  a) to show the direction that something is in//  point the way to/towards//  --An old-fashioned signpost pointed the way to the restaurant.//  b) to show how something could change or develop successfully//  point the way forward/forwards//  --This report points the way forward for the water industry.//  point the way to/towards//  --a government paper which points the way towards reform//  point out [point sth → out] phr v//\n  1 to tell someone something that they did not already know or had not thought about:  --He was always very keen to point out my mistakes.//  --The murder was obviously well planned, as the inspector had pointed out.//  point out that//  --Some economists have pointed out that low inflation is not necessarily a good thing.//  point sth out to sb//  --Thank you for pointing this out to me.//\n  2 to show something to someone by pointing at it:  --Luke pointed out two large birds by the water’s edge.//  point sb/sth out to sb//  --I’ll point him out to you if we see him.//  point to [point to sth] phr v//  to mention something because you think it is important//  --Many politicians have pointed to the need for a written constitution.//  point up [point sth → up] phr v//  to make something seem more important or more noticeable//  --These cases point up the complete incompetence of some government departments.//


Words: point man
Meaning:
n  AmE \n  1 [singular] someone with a very important job or a lot of responsibility for a particular subject in a company or organization:  point man on//  --the administration’s point man on health care//\n  2 [C] a soldier who goes ahead of a group to see if there is any danger:


Words: point of order plural
Meaning:
points of order  n [C]  formal   a rule used to organize an official meeting//  on a point of order//   (=according to a rule) //  --One MP raised an objection on a point of order.//


Words: point of reference plural
Meaning:
points of reference  n [C]   something you already know about that helps you understand a situation//


Words: point of sale
Meaning:
also point of purchase  n [singular]   the place or shop where a product is sold//  --Under the new law, cigarette advertising will only be allowed at the point of sale.//


Words: point of view plural
Meaning:
points of view  n [C] \n  1 a particular way of thinking about or judging a situation:  scientific/technical/business etc point of view //  -- From an economic point of view , the new development will benefit the town greatly.//\n  2 someone’s own personal opinion or attitude about something:  --I respect your point of view, but I’m not sure I agree with you.//  from sb’s point of view//  --From my point of view, there is no way they can win.//


Words: point-blank
Meaning:
adv \n  1 if you say or refuse something point-blank, you do it directly and without trying to explain your reasons:  --He refused point-blank to identify his accomplices.//  --I told him point-blank that I didn’t want to get involved.//\n  2 a gun fired point-blank is fired very close to the person or thing it is aimed at:  --The victim was shot point-blank in the chest.//  -- point-blank adj //  --a point-blank refusal //  --The bullet was fired at point-blank range .//


Words: pointe
Meaning:
also  pointes/pw[zB024]nt $ pw[hA35A][hA359]nt/ n [U]   if ballet dancers are on pointe, they are dancing on the ends of their toes with their feet in a vertical position//


Words: pointed
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun] \n  1 having a point at the end:  --a pointed beard//\n  2  a pointed question/look/remark:  a direct question, look etc that deliberately shows that you are annoyed, bored, or disapprove of something//  --a pointed remark about my being late//


Words: pointedly
Meaning:
adv   in a way that is deliberately meant to show that you are annoyed, bored, or disapprove of something//  --She looked pointedly at the clock on the kitchen wall.//  say/add/ask etc pointedly //  --’I thought you were leaving,’ she said pointedly.//


Words: pointer
Meaning:
n [C]   ----------//\n   1 advice:\n   2 sign:\n   3 computer:\n   4 stick:\n   5 shows number/direction etc:\n   6 dog:  ----------//\n  1 ADVICE:  a useful piece of advice or information that helps you to do or understand something//   tip//  pointer on//  --Ralph gave me some pointers on my golf swing.//  practical/useful/helpful pointers //  --a few useful pointers about using the technique//\n  2 SIGN:   BrE something that shows how a situation is developing, or is a sign of what might happen in the future//   indicator//  pointer to//  --an encouraging pointer to an improvement in the economy//  --The local elections were seen as a pointer to teh general elections.//\n  3 COMPUTER:  the small symbol, usually an arrow, that you move using a computer’s mouse to point to the place on the screen where you want to work, start a program etc//  --Position the mouse pointer and click.//\n  4 STICK:  a long stick used to point at things on a map, board etc//\n  5 SHOWS NUMBER/DIRECTION ETC:  a thin piece of metal that points to a number or direction on a piece of equipment, for example on a measuring instrument//  --The pointer was between 35 and 40 pounds.//\n  6 DOG:  a hunting dog that stands very still and points with its nose to where birds or animals are hiding//


Words: pointillism
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: French; Origin: pointillisme, from  point  ’spot’]//  a style of painting popular in the late 19th century that uses small spots of colour all over the painting, rather than brush strokes//  -- pointillist adj //  -- pointillist n  [C] //


Words: pointing
Meaning:
n [U]  BrE   the substance that is put in the spaces between the bricks or stones in a wall, or the way that this substance is put in the spaces//


Words: pointless
Meaning:
adj   worthless or not likely to have any useful result//  --Life just seemed pointless to me.//  --a pointless quarrel//  it is pointless doing sth//  --It’s pointless telling her to clean her room - she’ll never do it.//  it is pointless to do sth//  --I think it would be pointless to discuss this issue again.//  -- pointlessly adv //  -- pointlessness n  [U] //


Words: Poirot
Meaning:
Hercule   a character in books by Agatha  Christie. He is a clever Belgian  detective (=someone whose job is to solve crimes and catch criminals) , who always discovers who the criminal is by using the "little grey cells" (=his brain) .//


Words: poise
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: pois  ’weight, heaviness’, from  Latin pensum, from  pendere  ’to weigh’]//\n  1 a calm, confident way of behaving, combined with an ability to control your feelings or reactions in difficult situations:  --Louisa seems to have much more poise and confidence.//\n  2 a graceful way of moving or standing, so that your body seems balanced and not awkward:  --the poise of a dancer//  --She’s pretty, but lacks poise.//\npoise 2 v [T always + adverb/preposition]   to put or hold something in a carefully balanced position, especially above something else//  poise sth over/above sth//  --He poised the bottle over her glass. ’More wine?’//


Words: poised
Meaning:
adj   [Sense: 1-3; Date: 1600-1700; Origin: poise  ’to weigh, balance’ (14-21 centuries), from  Old French peser, from  Latin pensare]//  [Sense: 4; Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  POISE]//\n  1 [not before noun] not moving, but ready to move or do something at any moment:  poised for//  --She waited by the door like a small animal poised for flight.//  poised on//  --His finger was poised on the camera’s shutter release.//  poised to do sth//  --He stood on the edge of the roof, poised to jump.//\n  2 [not before noun] completely ready to do something or for something to happen, when it is likely to happen soon:  poised to do sth//  --Spain was poised to become the dominant power in Europe.//  poised on the brink/edge of sth //  --The economy is poised on the edge of collapse.//\n  3  poised between sth and sth:  to be in a position or situation in which two things have an equally strong influence//  --The world stood poised between peace and war.//\n  4 behaving in a calm, confident way, and able to control your feelings and reactions:  --Abigail walked to the microphone, poised and confident.//


Words: poison
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: ’drink, poisonous drink, poison’, from  Latin potio;   POTION]//\n  1 [U and C] a substance that can cause death or serious illness if you eat it, drink it etc:  --Belladonna and red arsenic are deadly poisons .//  --a box of rat poison  (=poison to kill rats) //  --He swallowed some type of poison.//\n  2 [C] something such as an emotion or idea that makes you behave badly or become very unhappy:  --Hatred is a poison that will destroy your life.//\n  3  what’s your poison?:   old-fashioned  spoken a humorous way of asking which alcoholic drink someone would like//    one man’s meat is another man’s poison at meat(4)//\npoison 2 v [T] \n  1 to give someone poison, especially by adding it to their food or drink, in order to harm or kill them:  --She was accused in 1974 of poisoning her second husband, Charles.//  --He killed several people by poisoning their tea.//  poison sb with sth//  --Helms attempted to poison his whole family with strychnine.//\n  2 if a substance poisons someone, it makes them sick or kills them:  --Thousands of children were poisoned by radiation.//\n  3 to make land, rivers, air etc dirty and dangerous, especially by the use of harmful chemicals:  --Pesticides are poisoning our rivers.//\n  4 to have very harmful and unpleasant effects on someone’s mind, emotions, or a situation:  --Her childhood had been poisoned by an abusive stepfather.//  --The law will only serve to poison relations between the US and Mexico.//  --Television violence is poisoning the minds of young people.//  -- poisoner n  [C] //


Words: poison gas
Meaning:
n [U]   gas that causes death or serious injury, used especially against an enemy in a war//  --There are reports that poison gas is being used against the rebels.//


Words: poison ivy
Meaning:
n [U]   a North American plant that has an oily substance on its leaves that makes your skin hurt and itch if you touch it//


Words: poison oak
Meaning:
n [U]   a North American plant with leaves similar to an oak tree’s, that makes your skin hurt and itch if you touch it//


Words: poison pill
Meaning:
n [C]  technical  informal   something in a company’s financial or legal structure that is intended to make it difficult for another company to take control of it//


Words: poisoning
Meaning:
n [U and C] \n  1 illness caused by swallowing, touching, or breathing in a poisonous substance:  alcohol/lead/radiation etc poisoning (=caused by a particular substance) //  --a case of alcohol poisoning//\n  2 the act of giving poison to someone:  --An autopsy revealed no evidence of poisoning.//    food poisoning//


Words: poisonous
Meaning:
adj \n  1 containing poison or producing poison:  --Some mushrooms are extremely poisonous.//  --poisonous gases such as hydrogen sulfide//  --poisonous substances//  --She was bitten on the ankle by a poisonous snake .//  poisonous to//  --The berries are poisonous to birds.//\n  2 full of bad and unfriendly feelings:  --the poisonous atmosphere of the office//\n  3  BrE someone who is poisonous seems to get pleasure from causing arguments, unhappiness etc:  --That poisonous bastard Lucett told Morris I was seeing his wife.//  -- poisonously adv //


Words: Poitier
Meaning:
Sidney   (1924- ) a US film actor and  director, who was one of the first black actors to appear in films playing serious characters. His films include The Blackboard Jungle (1955),  In the Heat of the Night (1967), and  Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967).//


Words: poke
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 with a finger/stick etc:\n   2 through a space/hole:\n   3 be seen:\n   4 poke a hole:\n   5 poke holes in something:\n   6 poke fun at somebody:\n   7 poke your nose into something:\n   8 poke the fire:\n   9 sex:  Phrasal verbs//   poke along//   poke around//   poke into something//  ----------//\n  1 WITH A FINGER/STICK ETC:   [I and T] to quickly push your finger or some other pointed object into something or someone//  poke sb/sth with sth//  --Andy poked the fish with his finger to see if it was still alive.//  poke sb in the eye/arm/ribs etc //  --Be careful with that umbrella or you’ll poke someone in the eye.//  poke at//  --He was poking at the dust with a stick, making little patterns.//\n  2 THROUGH A SPACE/HOLE:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to move or push something through a space or opening//  poke sth in/into/through sth//  --He poked a hand into one of his pockets.//  --One of the nurses poked her head around the door.//\n  3 BE SEEN:   [I always + adverb/preposition] if something is poking through or out of something else, you can see part of it but not all of it//  poke out//  --Ella looked at the tiny face poking out of the blanket.//  poke through//  --Weeds had started poking through the cracks in the patio.//\n  4  poke a hole:  to make a hole or hollow area in something by pushing something pointed into or through it//  poke a hole into/in/through//  --Poke a hole in the dough, and then form it into a rounded shape.//\n  5  poke holes in sth:  to find mistakes or problems in a plan or in what someone has said//  --Defense attorneys tried to poke holes in Rodger’s story.//\n  6  poke fun at sb:  to make fun of someone in an unkind way//  --Some of the kids were poking fun at Judy because of the way she was dressed.//\n  7  poke your nose into sth:   informal to take an interest or get involved in someone else’s private affairs, in a way that annoys them//  --I’m sick of your mother poking her nose into our marriage.//\n  8  poke the fire:  to move coal or wood in a fire with a stick to make it burn better//\n  9 SEX:   [T]  spoken  not polite to have sex with a woman//  poke along phr v//  to move very slowly//  --He kept the car in the slow lane, poking along at about 40 miles an hour.//  poke around phr v//\n  1 to look for something, especially by moving a lot of things around:  poke around in//  --James began poking about in the cupboard, looking for the sugar.//\n  2 to try to find out information about other people’s private lives, business etc, in a way that annoys them:  poke around in//  --Stop poking around in my business!//\n  3  poke around (sth):  to spend time in shops, markets etc looking at nothing in particular//   browse//  --I spent Sunday afternoon poking around an old bookshop.//  poke into [poke into sth] phr v//  to try to find out information about other people’s private lives, business etc, in a way that annoys them//\npoke 2 n [C] \n  1  give sb/sth a poke:  to quickly push your fingers, a stick etc into something or someone//  --Vanessa gave me a playful poke in the ribs.//\n  2  AmE  informal a criticism of someone or something:  --Bennett took a poke at the President’s refusal to sign the bill.//


Words: poker
Meaning:
n   [Sense: 1; Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Probably from  French poque, card game like poker.]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1500-1600; Origin: poke]//\n  1 [U] a card game that people usually play for money:  --Can you play poker ?//  2 [C] a metal stick used to move coal or wood in a fire to make it burn better//


Words: poker-faced
Meaning:
adj   showing no expression on your face//  --a poker-faced officer//  -- poker face n  [singular] //


Words: pokerwork
Meaning:
n [U]   pictures or patterns burned onto the surface of wood or leather with hot tools, or the art of making these pictures//


Words: pokey
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE  old-fashioned  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Probably from  pogey  ’prison’;   POGEY]//  a prison//


Words: poky
Meaning:
pokey/p[hA353][hA35E]ki $ po[hA35E]-/ adj  informal \n  1  BrE too small and not very pleasant or comfortable:  --The whole family was crammed into two poky little rooms.//\n  2  AmE doing things very slowly, especially in a way that is annoying:  --I got behind some poky driver on the freeway.//


Words: pol
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: politician]//  a politician - used in newspapers//  --He’s just another Washington pol.//


Words: Pol Pot
Meaning:
(1926-98) the leader of the Communist  Khmer Rouge group, and Prime Minister of Cambodia from 1975 to 1979, during which time about 3 million people were killed. Pol Pot was taken prisoner by government soldiers in 1997.//


Words: Polack
Meaning:
,  Polak/p[hA353][hA35E]l[zB024]k $ po[hA35E]-/ n [C]  AmE  taboo   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Polish; Origin: Polak]//  a very offensive word for someone from Poland. Do not use this word.//


Words: Poland
Meaning:
a country in central Europe, east of Germany and west of Belarus. Population: 38,634,000 (2001). Capital: Warsaw. Poland was an important European power between the 14th and 17th centuries. After World War II, Poland became a Communist country, and its government was strongly influenced by the former Soviet Union. It is now a democracy. Poland’s main industries traditionally include coal, shipbuilding, and farming. People from Poland are called Poles.//    Polish//


Words: polar
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: polaris, from  Latin polus;   POLE1]//\n  1 close to or relating to the North Pole or the South Pole:  --As our climate warms up, the polar ice caps will begin to melt.//\n  2  polar opposite/extreme:  something that is the complete or exact opposite of something else//  --Ortega’s cheerful landscapes are the polar opposites of Miller’s dark, troubled portraits.//\n  3  technical relating to one of the poles of a magnet:


Words: polar bear
Meaning:
n [C]   a large white bear that lives near the North Pole//\nPolaris 2   another name for the  pole star//


Words: polarity
Meaning:
n   plural  polarities  [U and C] //\n  1  formal a state in which people, opinions, or ideas are completely different or opposite to each other:  polarity between//  --the polarity between the intellect and the emotions//\n  2  technical the state of having either a positive or negative electric charge:


Words: polarize
Meaning:
also polarise  BrE   v [I and T]  formal   to divide into clearly separate groups with opposite beliefs, ideas, or opinions, or to make people do this//  --The issue has polarized the country.//  -- polarization/p[hA353][hA35E]l[hA353]ra[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ po[hA35E]l[hA353]r[hA353]-/ n  [U] //


Words: Polaroid
Meaning:
n [C]  trademark \n  1 a camera that uses a special film to produce a photograph very quickly:\n  2 a photograph taken with a Polaroid camera:  --Why don’t you send us a few Polaroids of the new house?//


Words: Pole
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: German; Origin: Polish Poljane  ’people who live in fields, Poles’, from  pole  ’field’]//  someone from Poland//


Words: pole
Meaning:
W3   n [C]   ----------//\n   1 stick/post:\n   2 :\n   3 be poles apart:\n   4 opposite ideas/beliefs:\n   5 electrical:  ----------//  [Sense: 1; Origin: Old English pal, from  Latin palus;   PALE3]//  [Sense: 2-5; Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: polus, from  Greek polos]//\n  1 STICK/POST:  a long stick or post usually made of wood or metal, often set upright in the ground to support something//  --a telephone pole//\n  2 the most northern or most southern point on a planet, especially the Earth:  --the distance from pole to equator//  the North/South Pole //  --Amundsen’s expedition was the first to reach the South Pole.//\n  3  be poles apart:  two people or things that are poles apart are as different from each other as it is possible to be//  --Both are brilliant pianists, though they’re poles apart in style.//\n  4 OPPOSITE IDEAS/BELIEFS:  one of two situations, ideas, or opinions that are the complete opposite of each other//  at a/one/opposite poles //  --We have enormous wealth at one pole, and poverty and misery at the other.//  --Washington and Beijing are at opposite poles (=think in two completely different ways) on this issue.//\n  5 ELECTRICAL:  a) one of two points at the ends of a magnet where its power is the strongest//  b) one of the two points at which wires can be attached to a battery in order to use its electricity//\npole 2 v [I and T]  BrE   to push a boat along in the water using a pole//


Words: Pole Star
Meaning:
n   the Pole Star//  a star that is almost directly over the North Pole and that can be seen from the northern part of the world//


Words: pole vault
Meaning:
n   the pole vault//  the sport of jumping over a high bar using a long pole//  -- pole vaulter n  [C] //  -- pole vaulting n  [U] //


Words: poleaxed
Meaning:
adj [not before noun]  especially BrE \n  1  informal very surprised and shocked:  --I was poleaxed when I heard I’d passed the exam.//\n  2 unable to stand because something has hit you very hard:  --He staggered and collapsed as if poleaxed.//


Words: polecat
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Probably from  Old French poul  ’chicken’ +  English cat]//\n  1 a small dark brown wild animal that lives in northern Europe and can defend itself by producing a bad smell:\n  2  AmE  informal a skunk:


Words: polemic
Meaning:
n  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: polemique, from  Greek polemikos  ’liking to fight’, from  polemos  ’war’]//\n  1 [C] a written or spoken statement that strongly criticizes or defends a particular idea, opinion, or person:  --Before long, the dispute degenerated into fierce polemics.//\n  2 [U]  also polemics :  the practice or skill of making written or spoken statements that strongly criticize or defend a particular idea, opinion, or person//


Words: polemical
Meaning:
adj  also polemic  formal   using strong arguments to criticize or defend a particular idea, opinion, or person//  --The reforms were attacked in a highly polemical piece in the ’New Yorker’.//  -- polemically/-kli/ adv //


Words: police
Meaning:
n [plural]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: Late Latin politia  ’government’, from  polites;   POLITIC]//\n  1 the people who work for an official organization whose job is to catch criminals and make sure that people obey the law:  --Police surrounded the courthouse.//  --Several police were injured during the rioting.//  -- Armed police  stormed the building.//\n  2  the police:  the official organization whose job is to catch criminals and make sure that people obey the law//  --Quick!  Call the police !//  --Did you  report the robbery  to the police ?//  --He was  arrested  by  the police  for dangerous driving.//  --a  police car //    military police,  secret police//  ----------//  HINT //  Police is a plural noun. Do not say ’a police’. Say a police officer, a policeman, or a  policewoman: The police were called.| A police officer came. //  WORD FOCUS: police //  people in the police force: police officer,  policeman,  policewoman,  detective,  cop (informal) //  the building where the police work: police station //  what the police do: investigate crimes, find/collect evidence,  arrest  people who they think are guilty of a crime, question/interrogate  people about crimes, hold/detain  people  in custody,  charge  people with crimes, release  people if they are innocent //  ----------//\npolice 2 v [T] \n  1 to keep control over a particular area in order to make sure that laws are obeyed and that people and property are protected, using a police or military force:  --The army was brought in to police the city centre.//\n  2 to control a particular activity or industry by making sure that people follow the correct rules for what they do:  --The agency was set up to police the nuclear power industry.//    policing//


Words: police force
Meaning:
n [C]   the official police organization in a country or area//  --Jones joined the police force in 1983.//


Words: police state
Meaning:
n [C]   a country where the government strictly controls people’s freedom to meet, write, or speak about politics, travel etc//


Words: policing
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the way that the police are used to keep control over a particular area and to protect people and property:  --The community is demanding a less aggressive style of policing.//  policing of//  --the policing of the city//\n  2 the way that an industry or activity etc is controlled in order to make sure that people obey the rules:  --In the last twenty years the industry has had no oversight or policing.//    police//


Words: policy
Meaning:
n   plural  policies //  [Sense: 1,3; Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: policie, from  Late Latin politia;   POLICE1]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: police  ’document, certificate’, from  Old Italian polizza, from  Greek apodeixis  ’proof’]//\n  1 [U and C] a way of doing something that has been officially agreed and chosen by a political party, business, or other organization:  foreign/economic/public etc policy //  --a foreign policy adviser//  --The company has adopted a strict no-smoking policy.//  policy on/towards//  --government policy on higher education//  --US policy towards China//  it is (sb’s) policy to do sth//  --It is hospital policy to screen all mothers with certain risk factors.//\n  2 [C] a contract with an insurance company, or an official written statement giving all the details of such a contract:  --an insurance policy //  --There’s a clause in the policy that I’d like to discuss.//  --I’ve just renewed the policy  (=arranged for it to continue) .//  --Does the policy cover theft and fire?//  --You can take out a policy  (=buy one) for as little as $11.00 a month.//\n  3 [C] a particular principle that you believe in and that influences the way you behave:  it is sb’s policy to do sth//  --It’s always been my policy not to gossip.//


Words: polio
Meaning:
technical  [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: poliomyelitis, from  Greek polios  ’gray’ +  myelos  ’bone marrow’]//  a serious infectious disease of the nerves in the spine, that often results in someone being permanently unable to move particular muscles//


Words: Polish
Meaning:
adj   relating to Poland, its people, or its language//\npolish 2 n \n  1 [U and C] a liquid, powder, or other substance that you rub into a surface to make it smooth and shiny:  furniture/shoe/floor etc polish //    French polish//\n  2 [singular]  especially BrE an act of polishing a surface to make it smooth and shiny:  --An occasional polish will keep wall tiles looking good.//\n  3 [U] a high level of skill or style in the way someone performs, writes, or behaves:  --Carla’s writing has potential, but it lacks polish.//\n  4 [singular] the smooth shiny appearance of something produced by polishing:    spit and polish at spit2 (5)//\nPolish 2 n \n  1  the Polish [plural] people from Poland:\n  2 [U] the language used in Poland:


Words: polish
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: polir, from  Latin polire]//\n  1 to make something smooth, bright, and shiny by rubbing it:  --I spent all afternoon polishing the silver.//  polish sth with sth//  --Polish the lenses with a piece of tissue.//\n  2 to improve a piece of writing, a speech etc by making slight changes to it before it is completely finished:  --Your essay is good, you just need to polish it a bit.//  -- polishing n  [U] //  polish off [polish sb/sth → off] phr v//  a) to finish food, work etc quickly or easily//  --Sam polished off the rest of the pizza.//  b)  AmE to kill or defeat a person or animal when they are weak or wounded//  --He was polished off with a shotgun blast to the face.//  polish up [polish sth → up] phr v//\n  1  also polish up on sth :  to improve a skill or an ability by practising it//  --You should polish up your Spanish before you go to Chile.//\n  2 to make something seem better or more attractive to other people:  --The company needs to polish up its image.//\n  3 to polish something:


Words: polished
Meaning:
adj \n  1 shiny because of being rubbed, usually with polish:  --highly polished boots//\n  2 done with great skill and style:  --a polished performance//  --a polished piece of writing//\n  3 polite, confident, and graceful:  --a polished and confident man//


Words: politburo
Meaning:
n   plural  politburos  [C] //  [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Russian; Origin: politbyuro, from  politicheskoye byuro  ’political bureau’]//  the most important decision-making committee of a Communist party or Communist government//


Words: polite
Meaning:
S3   adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  polire;   POLISH1]//\n  1 behaving or speaking in a way that is correct for the social situation you are in, and showing that you are careful to consider other people’s needs and feelings:  → rude, impolite//  --She’s always very polite.//  --polite, well-behaved children//  --a clear but polite request//  it is polite (of sb) to do sth//  --We left the party as soon as it was polite to do so.//  --It’s not polite to talk with your mouth full.//\n  2 you make polite conversation, remarks etc because it is considered socially correct to do this, but not necessarily because you believe what you are saying:  polite remarks/conversation/interest etc //  --While they ate, they made polite conversation about the weather.//  --Jan expressed polite interest in Edward’s stamp collection.//  --I know Ian said he liked her singing, but he was only being polite .//\n  3  in polite society/circles/company:  among people who are considered to have a good education and correct social behaviour - often used humorously//  --You can’t use words like that in polite company.//  -- politely adv //  --’Can I help you?’ she asked politely.//  -- politeness n  [U] //


Words: politic
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: politique, from  Latin politicus, from  Greek politikos, from  polites  ’citizen’, from  polis  ’city’]//  sensible and likely to gain you an advantage//   prudent//  it is politic to do sth//  --It would not be politic to ignore the reporters.//    politics,  body politic//


Words: political
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: politicus;   POLITIC]//\n  1 relating to the government, politics, and public affairs of a country:    politically//  --Education is now a major political issue.//  --a time of political and social change//  political party/system/institutions //  --The U.S. has two main political parties.//  --The UN is seeking a political solution rather than a military one.//  --political jokes//  --the workers’ struggle for political power//\n  2 relating to the ways that different people have power within a group, organization etc:  --a purely political decision//  --The appointment was given to Wellington, mainly for political reasons.//\n  3 [not before noun] interested in or active in politics:  --Most students aren’t very political.//\n  4  political football:  a difficult problem which opposing politicians argue about or which each side deals with in a way that will bring them advantage//  --Funding of the health service has become a political football.//


Words: political action committee
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE PAC an organization formed by a business, union, or interest group to help raise money for politicians who support their ideas//


Words: political asylum
Meaning:
n [U]   the right to stay in another country if you cannot live safely in your own country because of the political situation there//  --Refugees were seeking political asylum in Britain.//  --No country would grant  (=give) him political asylum .//


Words: political correctness
Meaning:
n [U]   language, behaviour, and attitudes that are carefully chosen so that they do not offend or insult anyone - used especially when you think someone is too careful in what they say or how they behave//    PC, politically correct//  --Political correctness has had an impact on the language people use to describe women.//


Words: political geography
Meaning:
n [U]   the study of the way the Earth’s surface is divided up into different countries, rather than the way it is marked by rivers, mountains etc//    physical geography//


Words: political machine
Meaning:
n [singular]    AmE the system used by people with the same political interests to make sure that political decisions give advantages to themselves or to their group//  --the Chicago mayor’s political machine//


Words: political prisoner
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country//


Words: politically
Meaning:
adv   in a political way//  --Women were becoming more politically active.//  --a politically sensitive issue//  [sentence adverb] //  --Politically, raising the minimum wage is good for the Democrats.//


Words: politically correct
Meaning:
adj   PC language, behaviour, and attitudes that are politically correct are carefully chosen so that they do not offend or insult anyone//  → politically incorrect//  --politically correct textbooks//


Words: politically incorrect
Meaning:
adj   language, behaviour, or attitudes that are politically incorrect might offend or insult someone//  --politically incorrect jokes//


Words: politician
Meaning:
W2   n [C] \n  1 someone who works in politics, especially an elected member of the government:  --politicians who are trying to get the minority vote//  --a British Labour politician//\n  2 someone who is skilled at dealing with people or using the situation within an organization to gain an advantage:  --the office politician//


Words: politicize
Meaning:
also  politicise BrE   v [T] \n  1 to make a subject or a situation more political:  --The Olympic Games should not be politicized.//\n  2 to make someone become more involved in political activities:  --He became politicised during his years in prison.//  -- politicized adj //  --Abortion is a highly politicized issue.//  -- politicization/p[hA353]l[hA366]t[hA369]sa[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ -s[hA353]-/ n  [U] //


Words: politicking
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: politics]//  political activity, usually done to gain support for yourself or your political group//  --the politicking at the party conference//


Words: politico
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Italian; Origin: Spanish, from  Latin politicus;   POLITIC]//  a politician or someone who is active in politics - usually used to show disapproval//  --a slick politico//


Words: politico-
Meaning:
prefix [used in adjectives]   [Language: Latin; Origin: politicus;   POLITIC]//  relating to both politics and something else//  --politico-economic factors//


Words: politics
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Greek; Origin: politika (plural), from  politikos;   POLITIC]//\n  1 [U also + plural verb British English] ideas and activities relating to gaining and using power in a country, city etc:    political, politician//  --a good understanding of politics in China//  --modern American politics//  --Politics have always interested Anita.//  national/local etc politics //  --Brooke’s been involved in city politics since college.//  --The president should stand above party politics  (=working only for your politicalparty) .//\n  2 [U] the profession of being a politician:  --Flynn retired from politics in 1986.//  --Her father’s trying to enter politics .//  --Smith went into politics in his early twenties.//\n  3 [plural] the activities of people who are concerned with gaining personal advantage within a group, organization etc:  --I’m tired of dealing with all of the office politics .//  --Her art examines sexual politics  (=how power is shared between men and women) .//  politics of//  --the politics of race and class at American universities//\n  4 [plural] someone’s political beliefs and opinions:  --I assume her politics must be fairly conservative.//\n  5 [U]  especially BrE the study of political power and systems of government:   political science//  --Tom is studying for a degree in politics.//


Words: polity
Meaning:
n   plural  polities  [U and C] //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Late Latin; Origin: politia;   POLICE1]//   formal a particular form of political or government organization, or a condition of society in which political organization exists//


Words: polka
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin:  and  German, from  Czech pulka  ’half-step’, from  pul  ’half’]//  a very quick, simple dance for people dancing in pairs, or a piece of music for this dance//  -- polka v  [I] //


Words: polka dot
Meaning:
n [C]   one of a number of round spots that form a pattern, especially on cloth used for clothing//  --a white scarf with red polka dots//  -- polka-dot adj //  --a polka-dot dress//


Words: poll
Meaning:
W3   n   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: poll  ’head’ (13-19 centuries), from  Middle Low German; from the idea of counting heads]//\n  1 [C] the process of finding out what people think about something by asking many people the same question, or the record of the result:   opinion poll, survey//  --A recent poll found that 80% of Californians support the governor.//  --Polls indicate that education is the top issue with voters.//  --Labour is ahead in the polls.//  --The latest public opinion poll showed that 25% of us consider ourselves superstitious.//  conduct/carry out/do a poll //  --a poll conducted by USA Today//  poll on//  --a poll on eating habits//  poll of//  --a poll of 1000 people//\n  2  go to the polls:  to vote in an election//  --10 million voters went to the polls.//\n  3 [singular]  BrE the process of voting in an election, or the number of votes recorded:  --Labour won the election with 40% of the poll.//  --The result of the poll won’t be known until around midnight.//\n  4  the polls:  the place where you can go to vote in an election//  --The polls will close in an hour.//\npoll 2 v [T] \n  1 to ask a lot of people the same questions in order to find out what they think about a subject:  --18% of the women we polled said their husbands had a drinking problem.//\n  2 to get a particular number of votes in an election:  --Labour polled just 4% of the vote.//


Words: poll tax
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: poll  ’head’;   POLL1]//  [C] a tax of a particular amount that is collected from every citizen of a country//


Words: pollard
Meaning:
v [T usually passive]  BrE   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  POLL1 in its original sense  ’head’]//  to cut the top off a tree in order to make the lower branches grow more thickly//


Words: pollen
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: ’flour in very small grains, dust’]//  a fine powder produced by flowers, which is carried by the wind or by insects to other flowers of the same type, making them produce seeds//


Words: pollen count
Meaning:
n [C]   a measure of the amount of pollen in the air, usually given as a guide for people who are made ill by it//  --The pollen count was high yesterday.//


Words: pollinate
Meaning:
v [T]   to give a flower or plant pollen so that it can produce seeds//  --flowers pollinated by bees//  -- pollination/p[hA361]l[hA369]ne[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ p[hA35A][hA359]-/ n  [U] //


Words: polling
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 when people vote in a political election:  --Polling started at 8.00 this morning.//  heavy/light polling (=with many or few people voting) //\n  2 when a person or an organization asks a lot of people the same questions in order to find out what they think about a subject:


Words: polling booth
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a small partly enclosed place in a polling station where you can vote secretly in an election//


Words: Pollock
Meaning:
Jackson   (1912-56) a US artist famous for his very large  abstract paintings which are full of colour. He often made them by putting the painting on the floor and then walking around it, letting the paint drip from sticks.//


Words: pollster
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who works for a company that prepares and asks questions to find out what people think about a particular subject//


Words: pollutant
Meaning:
n [C]   a substance that makes air, water, soil etc dangerously dirty, and is caused by cars, factories etc//  air/environmental/water etc pollutants //  --New regulations will reduce hazardous air pollutants.//  --a dumping ground for toxic pollutants //  chemical/industrial etc pollutants //  --industrial pollutants in the lake//


Words: pollute
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  polluere]//\n  1 to make air, water, soil etc dangerously dirty and not suitable for people to use:  --beaches polluted by raw sewage//  --The factory pollutes the air and water.//  heavily/severely/badly etc polluted //  --The island has been seriously polluted by a copper mine.//  pollute sth with sth//  --The rivers had been polluted with aluminium.//\n  2 to spoil or ruin something that used to be good:  --an artist spiritually polluted by money and fame//\n  3  pollute sb’s mind:  to give someone immoral thoughts and spoil their character//  --Violence on television is polluting the minds of our children.//


Words: polluted
Meaning:
adj   dangerously dirty and not suitable for people to use//  --one of the most polluted areas in the world//  polluted air/water/rivers etc //  --The project’s aim is to clean up polluted land.//  heavily/seriously/severely polluted //  --The lake is seriously polluted.//


Words: polluter
Meaning:
n [C]   a person or organization that causes pollution//  --The polluter should pay for the cost of the clean-up.//  big/major/main etc polluter //  --a list of Canada’s worst polluters//


Words: pollution
Meaning:
W2   n [U] \n  1 the process of making air, water, soil etc dangerously dirty and not suitable for people to use, or the state of being dangerously dirty:  --California’s tough anti-pollution laws//  air/water/soil pollution //  --air pollution from traffic fumes//  pollution prevention/standards/control //  --The costs of pollution control must be considered.//\n  2 substances that make air, water, soil etc dangerously dirty:  --a plan to reduce pollution //  industrial/chemical etc pollution //  --the effects of industrial pollution on the population//  --The chemicals have been identified as a source of pollution .//


Words: Pollyanna
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: Pollyanna, main character in the book Pollyanna (1913) by Eleanor Porter]//  someone who is always happy and always thinks something good is going to happen//


Words: Polo
Meaning:
Marco   (?1254-1324) an Italian traveller whose writings gave Europeans their first knowledge of life in the  Far East. He went to India, southeast Asia, and China, and spent several years working for the Chinese  emperor Kublai Khan.//


Words: polo
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Balti; Origin: ’ball’]//  a game played between two teams of players who ride on horses and hit a small ball with long-handled wooden hammers//    water polo//


Words: polo neck
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a shirt or sweater that has a high collar that folds down and fits closely around the neck//  American Equivalent:  turtleneck//  --a polo-neck sweater//


Words: Polonius
Meaning:
an old man who is the father of  Ophelia and Laertes in the play  Hamlet by William  Shakespeare. Hamlet accidentally kills Polonius when Polonius is hiding behind the "arras" (=a sort of thick curtain) .//


Words: poltergeist
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: German; Origin: poltern  ’to knock’ +  geist  ’spirit’]//  a ghost that makes objects move around and causes strange noises//


Words: poly-
Meaning:
prefix   [Language: Latin; Origin: Greek, from  polys  ’much’]//  many//  --polysyllabic (=with three or moresyllables) //


Words: polyester
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: poly- +  ester type of chemical compound  (19-21 centuries) (from  German essig[hA165]ther  ’acid ether’)]//  an artificial material used to make cloth//  --a blue polyester shirt//


Words: polyethylene
Meaning:
n [U]    AmE a strong light plastic used to make bags, sheets for covering food, small containers etc//  British Equivalent:  polythene//


Words: polygamy
Meaning:
n [U]   the practice of having more than one husband or wife at the same time//    bigamy, monogamy//  -- polygamous adj //  --polygamous societies//


Words: polyglot
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Greek; Origin: polyglottos, from  glottos  ’tongue, language’]//  speaking or using many languages//   multilingual//  --a polyglot population//  -- polyglot n  [C] //


Words: polygon
Meaning:
n [C]    technical a flat shape with three or more sides//  -- polygonal/p[hA353]l[hA366]g[hA353]n[hA368]l/ adj //


Words: polygraph
Meaning:
n [C]   a piece of equipment that is used by the police to find out whether someone is telling the truth//   lie detector//  --The suspect was given a polygraph test .//


Words: polyhedron
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Greek; Origin: polyedron, from  hedra  ’base’]//  a solid shape with many sides//


Words: polymath
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Greek; Origin: polymathes  ’having much knowledge’, from  manthanein  ’to learn’]//   formal someone who has a lot of knowledge about many different subjects//


Words: polymer
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Greek; Origin: polymeres  ’having many parts’, from  meros  ’part’]//  a chemical compound that has a simple structure of large molecules//


Words: Polynesia
Meaning:
the islands in the central and southern Pacific Ocean, including the Hawaiian islands, Tonga, Samoa, and the islands of French Polynesia//


Words: polynomial
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: poly- +  -nomial (as in  binomial)]//  an statement in algebra that contains several different numbers and signs which are equal to a specific amount//  --polynomial equations//


Words: polyp
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: polype, from  Latin polypus  ’octopus’, from  Greek, from  poly- (  POLY-) +  pous  ’foot’]//\n  1 a small lump that grows inside your body because of an illness, but is not likely to harm you:\n  2 a very simple sea animal that has a body like a tube:  --a coral polyp//


Words: polyphony
Meaning:
n [U]   a type of music in which several different tunes or notes are sung or played together at the same time//  -- polyphonic/p[hA361]l[hA366]f[hA361]n[hA366]k[hA36B] $ p[hA35A][hA359]l[hA366]f[hA35A][hA359]-/ adj //


Words: polypropylene
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: poly- +  propylene type of gas  (19-21 centuries)]//  a hard light plastic material//


Words: polysemous
Meaning:
adj  technical   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Late Latin; Origin: polysemus, from  Greek, from  sema  ’sign’]//  a polysemous word has two or more different meanings//  -- polysemy/p[hA353]l[hA366]s[hA369]mi, p[hA361]l[hA369]si[hA359]mi $ p[hA35A][hA359]l[hA369]si[hA359]mi, p[hA353]l[hA366]s[hA369]mi/ n  [U] //


Words: polystyrene
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: poly- +  styrene type of chemical compound  (19-21 centuries) (from  Latin styrax type of plant)]//   BrE a soft light plastic material that prevents heat or cold from passing through it, used especially for making containers//   Styrofoam//


Words: polysyllabic
Meaning:
adj    technical a polysyllabic word has three or more syllables//  -- polysyllable/p[hA361]lis[hA366]l[hA353]b[hA368]l $ p[hA35A][hA359]-/ n  [C] //


Words: polytechnic
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a type of British college similar to a university, which provided training and degrees in many subjects, and existed until 1993:\n  2 a word used in the names of high schools or colleges in the US, where you can study technical or scientific subjects:  --Baltimore Polytechnic Institute//


Words: polytheism
Meaning:
n [U]   the belief that there is more than one god//    monotheism//  -- polytheistic/p[hA361]l[hA366][hA35F]i[hA366]st[hA366]k[hA36B] $ p[hA35A][hA359]-/ adj //


Words: polythene
Meaning:
n [U]    BrE a strong light plastic used to make bags, sheets for covering food, small containers etc//  American Equivalent:  polyethylene//


Words: polyunsaturated
Meaning:
adj   polyunsaturated fats or oils come from vegetables and plants, and are considered to be better for your health than animal fats//    saturated fat//  -- polyunsaturate/-r[hA369]t/ n  [C] //


Words: polyurethane
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: poly- +  urethane type of chemical compound  (19-21 centuries) (from  Latin urea substance found in urine)]//  a plastic used to make paints and varnish//


Words: pom
Meaning:
n  also pommy  or pommie  [C]  not polite   an offensive word for someone from Britain, used in Australia and New Zealand//


Words: pomade
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: pommade  ’substance originally made from apples’, from  Late Latin pomum  ’apple’]//  a sweet-smelling oily substance men used to rub on their hair to make it smooth, especially in the past//


Words: pomander
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: pome d’ambre  ’apple of amber’]//  a box or ball that contains dried flowers and herbs and is used to make clothes or a room smell pleasant//


Words: pomegranate
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: pome grenate  ’seedy apple’]//  a round fruit that has a lot of small juicy red seeds that you can eat and a thick reddish skin//


Words: pommel
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: pomel, from  Vulgar Latin pomellum  ’ball, knob’, from  Late Latin pomum;   POMADE]//\n  1 the high, rounded part at the front of a horse’s saddle:\n  2 the round end of a sword handle:


Words: pommel horse
Meaning:
n [C]   a piece of equipment used in gymnastics that has two handles on top, which you hold on to when you jump or swing over it//


Words: pomp
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: pompe, from  Greek,  ’procession’]//   formal all the impressive clothes, decorations, music etc that are traditional for an important official or public ceremony//  --The queen’s birthday was celebrated with great pomp and ceremony .//  --all the pomp and circumstance  (=an impressive ceremony) of a treaty signing//


Words: Pompadour
Meaning:
Madame de   (1721-64) the lover of King Louis XV of France from 1745 until her death. She often influenced the king, especially when he had to choose government officials and make political decisions.//


Words: Pompeii
Meaning:
an ancient city in southern Italy, southeast of Naples, which was buried under the  ash and  lava (=hot liquid rock)  from the  volcano Mount  Vesuvius when it suddenly erupted in 79AD. Everything was preserved exactly as it was then, because the ash and lava covered it completely. When scientists started to dig the city up in the 18th century, they learned a lot about how ordinary people lived in Roman times.//


Words: Pompey
Meaning:
(106-48 BC) a Roman  general (=military leader)  and politician who opposed Julius Caesar but was defeated by him in 48 BC//


Words: Pompidou Centre
Meaning:
the Pompidou Centre//  a  museum in central Paris which has paintings by important 20th century artists. The building, which is very modern, is made of glass and has metal tubes in bright colours on the outside.//


Words: pompom
Meaning:
[C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: pompon, from  Old French pompe  ’bunch of ribbons’]//\n  1 a small soft ball used as a decoration on clothing, especially hats:  pompom//\n  2 a large round ball of loose plastic strings connected to a handle, used by cheerleaders:


Words: pompous
Meaning:
adj   someone who is pompous thinks that they are important, and shows this by being very formal and using long words - used to show disapproval//  --He seems rather pompous.//  --the book’s pompous style//  -- pompously adv //  -- pomposity/p[hA361]mp[hA361]s[hA369]ti $ p[hA35A][hA359]mp[hA35A][hA359]-, / also pompousness //  /p[hA361]mp[hA353]sn[hA369]s p[hA35A][hA359]m-/ n  [U] //


Words: ponce
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE  informal \n  1  taboo an offensive word for a man who dresses or behaves in a way that is typical of women or who people think is a homosexual. Do not use this word.:\n  2 a pimp:\nponce 2 v   ponce about/around phr v//  to waste time doing silly things//  --He’s been poncing about all day.//


Words: Ponce de Leon
Meaning:
Juan   (1460-1521) a Spanish  explorer who took control of Puerto Rico for Spain in 1508. He discovered  Florida in 1513, when he was searching for the  Fountain of Youth, a flow of water coming from the ground which was supposed to make anyone who drank it stay young for ever.//


Words: poncho
Meaning:
n   plural  ponchos  [C] //  [Date: 1700-1800; Language: American Spanish; Origin: Araucanian pontho  ’woolen cloth’]//  a type of coat consisting of one large piece of cloth, with a hole in the middle for your head//


Words: poncy
Meaning:
poncey/p[hA361]nsi $ p[hA35A][hA359]-/ adj  BrE  informal  not polite   an offensive word used about people or things that seem typical of homosexual men//  --a poncy suit//


Words: pond
Meaning:
S3   n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  POUND12]//\n  1 a small area of fresh water that is smaller than a lake, that is either natural or artificially made:\n  2  across the pond:   also on the other side of the pond //   informal on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean in the US or in Britain//  --my cousins from across the pond//


Words: pond scum
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1  AmE  informal someone that you do not like, respect, or trust:  --He’s lower than pond scum.//\n  2  algae:


Words: ponder
Meaning:
v [I and T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: ponderer  ’to weigh’, from  Latin ponderare, from  pondus  ’weight’]//   formal to spend time thinking carefully and seriously about a problem, a difficult question, or something that has happened//   consider//  --He continued to ponder the problem as he walked home.//  ponder on/over/about//  --The university board is still pondering over the matter.//  ponder how/what/whether//  --Jay stood still for a moment, pondering whether to go or not.//


Words: ponderous
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: pondereux, from  Latin ponderosus, from  pondus;   PONDER]//\n  1 slow or awkward because of being very big and heavy:  --an elephant’s ponderous walk//\n  2 boring, very serious, and seeming to progress very slowly:  --a ponderous and difficult book//  --The system, though ponderous, works.//  -- ponderously adv //  -- ponderousness n  [U] //


Words: pong
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]    BrE  informal an unpleasant smell//  --an awful pong in the fridge//  -- pong v  [I] //


Words: pontiff
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: pontif, from  Latin pontifex  ’member of the council of priests in ancient Rome’, probably from  pons  ’bridge’ +  facere  ’to make’]//   formal the Pope//


Words: pontifical
Meaning:
adj  formal \n  1 relating to the Pope:\n  2 speaking as if you think your judgment or opinion is always right:


Words: pontificate
Meaning:
v [I]   to give your opinion about something in a way that shows you think you are always right//  pontificate about/on//  --Politicians are always pontificating about education.//\npontificate 2   n [C]   the position or period of being Pope//


Words: pontoon
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: ponton  ’floating bridge’, from  Latin ponto, from  pons  ’bridge’]//\n  1 [C] one of several metal containers or boats that are fastened together to support a floating bridge:\n  2 [C] one of two hollow metal containers fastened to the bottom of a plane so that it can come down onto water and float:\n  3 [U]  BrE a card game, usually played for money:  American Equivalent:  blackjack//


Words: pony
Meaning:
n   plural  ponies  [C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Probably from early  French poulenet, from  Latin pullus  ’young animal, young horse’]//  a small horse//    pit pony,  Shetland pony//\npony 2 v   past tense and past participle  ponied present participle  ponying third person singular  ponies //  pony up () [pony up (sth)] phr v//  to find or produce a particular amount of money//  --All investors had to pony up a minimum of $5000.//


Words: poo
Meaning:
n  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: pooh used when you smell a bad smell]//\n  1 [U and C] solid waste from the bowels:  American Equivalent:  poop//\n  2 [C usually singular] the act of passing waste from the bowels:  American Equivalent:  poop//  -- poo v  [I and T]  informal //


Words: poodle
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: German; Origin: pudel, from  pudelhund  ’dog that splashes in water’]//\n  1 a dog with thick curly hair:\n  2  be sb’s poodle:   BrE  informal if someone is another person’s poodle, they always do what the other person tells them to do//


Words: poof
Meaning:
[C]    BrE  taboo  informal a very offensive word for a homosexual man. Do not use this word.//\npoof 2 interjection   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Natural sound]//  used when talking about something that happened suddenly//  --Then poof! She was gone.//


Words: poofy
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Perhaps from  puffy]//\n  1  AmE poofy hair or clothes look big and soft or filled with air:  --a blouse with big poofy sleeves//\n  2  BrE  informal  not polite an offensive word meaning typical of a homosexual man:


Words: pooh
Meaning:
interjection   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Natural sound]//\n  1  BrE used when there is a very unpleasant smell:  American Equivalent:  pew//\n  2  old-fashioned used when you think an idea, suggestion, effort etc is stupid or not very good:  --Pooh! You can’t finish that paper by tomorrow.//


Words: pooh-bah
Meaning:
n [C]  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: Pooh-Bah, character with the title "Lord-High-Everything-Else" in the operetta The Mikado by W.S.Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan]//  someone who is important or powerful - used to show that you do not respect them very much//  --the pooh-bahs of the technology industry//


Words: pooh-pooh
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin: pooh]//   informal to say that you think that an idea, suggestion, effort etc is silly or not very good//  --He pooh-poohed herbal remedies at first.//


Words: Poohsticks
Meaning:
a game played especially by children, in which each child throws a stick into a stream whose current is flowing towards a bridge. The winner of the game is the one whose stick appears first at the other side of the bridge. The name comes from the stories about Winnie the Pooh by A. A.  Milne, in which the game is described.//


Words: pool
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 for swimming:\n   2 area of water:\n   3 pool of water/blood/light etc:\n   4 game:\n   5 group of people:\n   6 shared money/things:\n   7 the pools:\n   8 sports:  ----------//  [Sense: 1-3; Origin: Old English pol]//  [Sense: 4, 5-8; Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: poule  ’hen’; perhaps because a chicken was the target or prize in a game]//\n  1 FOR SWIMMING:   [C] a hole or container that has been specially made and filled with water so that people can swim or play in it//   swimming pool//  --They have a nice pool in their backyard.//  --a shallow pool suitable for children//\n  2 AREA OF WATER:   [C] a small area of still water in a hollow place//  --pools of water with tiny fish in them//  --Mosquitoes breed in stagnant pools of water.//\n  3  pool of water/blood/light etc:  a small area of liquid or light on a surface//  --A guard found him lying in a pool of blood.//  --a pool of light formed by the street lamp above//\n  4 GAME:   [U] a game in which you use a stick to hit numbered balls into holes around a table, which is often played in bars//  shoot/play pool //  --We went to the pub and played pool.//\n  5 GROUP OF PEOPLE:   [C] a group of people who are available to work or to do an activity when they are needed//  pool of//  --a pool of talented applicants to choose from//  --The region has a large and talented labour pool .//\n  6 SHARED MONEY/THINGS:   [C usually singular] a number of things or an amount of money that is shared by a group of people//  --Both partners put money into a common pool.//\n  7  the pools:  a system in Britain in which people try to win money each week by guessing the results of football games//  --I do the pools sometimes.//  --Dad won [hA124]40 on the pools .//\n  8 SPORTS:   [C]  AmE a game in which people try to win money by guessing the result of a sports game, or the money that is collected from these people for this//  --the office basketball pool//\npool 2 v [T]   to combine your money, ideas, skills etc with those of other people so that you can all use them//  --Investors agreed to pool their resources to develop the property.//  --The students worked together, pooling their knowledge.//


Words: poolside
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   near or on the side of a swimming pool//  --a poolside bar//  -- poolside n  [singular] //  --We met down at the poolside.//


Words: poop
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Perhaps from  poo-poo, or from  poop copying the sound of farting  (18-20 centuries).]//\n  1 [U]  AmE  informal solid waste from the bowels:  British Equivalent:  poo//\n  2 [singular]  AmE  informal the act of passing waste from the bowels:  British Equivalent:  poo//\npoop 2 v [I]  AmE  informal   to pass solid waste from the bowels//   poo//    party pooper//  poop out phr v//\n  1 to stop trying to do something because you are tired, bored etc:  --Dan pooped out about halfway through the race.//\n  2 to decide not to do something you have already said you would do, because you are tired or not interested:  poop out on//  --’Is Bill coming along?’ ’Nah, he’s pooping out on us.’//\n  3 if a machine or piece of equipment poops out, it stops working:  --The laptop’s battery pooped out after only two hours.//


Words: pooped
Meaning:
adj  also pooped out  [not before noun]    AmE  informal very tired//   exhausted//  --I was really pooped by the end of the day.//


Words: pooper scooper
Meaning:
n [C]    informal a small spade and a container, used by dog owners for removing their dogs’ solid waste from the streets//


Words: poor
Meaning:
adj   comparative  poorer superlative  poorest //  ----------//\n   1 no money:\n   2 not good:\n   3 sympathy:\n   4 not good at something:\n   5 health:\n   6 poor in something:\n   7 a poor second/third etc:\n   8 the poor man’s somebody:\n   9 the poor man’s something:\n  10 poor relation:  ----------//  [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: povre, from  Latin pauper]//\n  1 NO MONEY:  a) having very little money and not many possessions//  → rich//  --Her family were so poor they couldn’t afford to buy her new clothes.//  --an area where poor people lived//  --one of the poorest countries in the world//  --a poor part of Chicago (=where a lot of poor people live) //  --My grandparents grew up dirt poor  (=very poor) .//  desperately/extremely poor //  --Many of the families are desperately poor.//  b)  the poor [plural] people who are poor//  --It’s the government’s responsibility to help the poor.//  the rural/urban/working poor //  --tax relief for the working poor//\n  2 NOT GOOD:  not as good as it could be or should be//  --The soil in this area is very poor.//  --poor rates of pay//  --He blames himself for the team’s poor performance .//  of poor quality (=not made well or not made of good materials) //  --The jacket was of very poor quality.//  poor hearing/eyesight/memory //  --Her hearing is poor, so speak fairly loudly.//  make/do a poor job of doing sth //  --The builders did a really poor job of fixing our roof.//\n  3 SYMPATHY:   [only before noun]  spoken used to show sympathy for someone because they are so unlucky, unhappy etc//  --Poor kid, he’s had a rough day.//  --You poor thing , you’ve had a hard time of it, haven’t you?//  -- Poor old Ted was sick for weeks.//\n  4 NOT GOOD AT SOMETHING:  not good at doing something//  --a poor public speaker//  poor at//  --He’s poor at sports.//\n  5 HEALTH:  someone whose health is poor is ill or weak for a long period of time//  --My parents are both in rather poor health .//\n  6  poor in sth:  lacking something that is needed//  --The country is poor in natural resources.//\n  7  a poor second/third etc:  the act of finishing a race, competition etc a long way behind the person ahead of you//  --McLean won easily, and Benson was a poor second.//  come (in) a poor second/third etc  BrE //  --The Socialists came a poor second with 26.5% of the vote.//\n  8  the poor man’s sb:  used to say that someone is like a very famous performer, writer etc but is not as good as they are//  --He was the poor man’s Elvis Presley.//\n  9  the poor man’s sth:  used to say that something can be used for the same purpose as something else, and is much cheaper//  --Herring is the poor man’s salmon.//\n  10  poor relation:   BrE someone or something that is not treated as well as other members of a group or is much less successful than they are//  poor relation of//  --Theatre musicians tend to be the poor relations of the musical profession.//    be in bad/poor taste at taste1 (6),  poorly//  ----------//  WORD FOCUS: words meaning poor //  be hard up/be broke also be skint (BrE informal) to have very little money at the present time and be unable to buy the things that you want //  destitute having no money and nowhere to live, especially because something terrible has happened  //  poverty-stricken very poor //  ----------//


Words: poor boy
Meaning:
also po’ boy   n [C]  AmE   a sandwich made with a long bread roll - used especially in the southern US//   submarine sandwich//


Words: poorhouse
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 the state of not having any money:  --If Jimmy keeps spending like this, he’s going to end up in the poorhouse .//\n  2 a building where very poor people in the past could live and be fed, which was paid for with public money:   workhouse//


Words: poorly
Meaning:
adv   badly//  --Jana’s doing poorly in school.//  --poorly educated workers//  --The article was poorly written.//\npoorly 2 adj  BrE  informal   ill//  --Matt’s wife’s been very poorly.//


Words: poorly off
Meaning:
adj [not before noun]  BrE   someone who is poorly off does not have very much money//  → well off//


Words: Pooter
Meaning:
Mr   the main character in the humorous book  The Diary of a Nobody (1892). Mr Pooter is a very ordinary man, and he describes his daily life in the book. He is sometimes not sure about the socially correct way to behave, and he often makes mistakes that make him feel very embarrassed. //


Words: pootle
Meaning:
around]  BrE  spoken   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Perhaps from  potter +  tootle]//  to spend time pleasantly, doing things that are not very important//


Words: pop
Meaning:
S3   v   past tense and past participle  popped present participle  popping //  ----------//\n   1 come out/off:\n   2 go quickly:\n   3 quickly put something:\n   4 short sound:\n   5 burst:\n   6 ears:\n   7 somebody’s eyes popped (out of their head):\n   8 pop into your head/mind:\n   9 pop the question:\n  10 pop pills:\n  11 hit:\n  12 popcorn:\n  13 pop your clogs:  Phrasal verbs//   pop off//   pop something → on//   pop out//   pop up//  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  From the sound]//\n  1 COME OUT/OFF:   [I always + adverb/preposition] to come suddenly or unexpectedly out of or away from something//  pop out/off/up etc//  --The top button popped off my shirt.//  --The ball popped out of Smith’s hands and onto the ground.//  out/up popped sth//  --The egg cracked open and out popped a tiny head.//  --The lid popped open and juice spilled all over the floor.//\n  2 GO QUICKLY:   [I always + adverb/preposition]  especially BrE  spoken to go somewhere quickly, suddenly, or in a way that you did not expect//  pop in/out/by etc//  --Why don’t you pop by the next time you’re in town?//  --I need to pop into the drugstore for a second.//  pop round//   BrE //  --Could you pop round to the shop for some bread?//\n  3 QUICKLY PUT SOMETHING:   [T always + adverb/preposition]  especially BrE  informal to quickly put something somewhere, usually for a short time//  pop sth in/around/over etc//  --I’ll just pop these cakes into the oven.//  pop sth round sth//   BrE //  --Barry popped his head round the door to say hello.//\n  4 SHORT SOUND:   [I and T] to make a short sound like a small explosion, or to make something do this//  --The wood sizzled and popped in the fire.//\n  5 BURST:   [I and T] to burst, or to make something burst, with a short explosive sound//  --A balloon popped.//\n  6 EARS:   [I] if your ears pop, you feel the pressure in them suddenly change, for example when you go up or down quickly in a plane//\n  7  sb’s eyes popped (out of their head):   especially BrE  spoken used to say that someone looked extremely surprised or excited//\n  8  pop into your head/mind:  to suddenly think of something//  --All at once an idea popped into her head.//\n  9  pop the question:   informal to ask someone to marry you//  --Hasn’t Bill popped the question yet?//\n  10  pop pills:   informal to take pills too often, or to take too many at one time//\n  11 HIT:   [T]  AmE  spoken to hit someone//  --If you say that again, I’ll pop you one .//\n  12 POPCORN:   [I and T] to cook popcorn until it swells and bursts open, or to be cooked in this way//\n  13  pop your clogs:   BrE  humorous to die//  pop off phr v//  to die suddenly//  pop on [pop sth → on] phr v//\n  1 to quickly put on a piece of clothing:  --Here, pop on your pyjamas and then we’ll read a story.//\n  2 to quickly turn on a piece of electrical equipment:  --Pop the kettle on, would you?//  pop out phr v//  if words pop out, you suddenly say them without thinking first//  --I didn’t mean to say it like that - it just popped out .//  pop up phr v//  to appear, sometimes unexpectedly//  --Click here, and a list of files will pop up.//  --Her name keeps popping up in the newspapers.//    pop-up//\npop 2 W3S3 n   ----------//\n   1 music:\n   2 sound:\n   3 drink:\n   4 take a pop at somebody:\n   5 $7/$50/25[hA123] etc a pop:\n   6 father:\n   7 pops:  ----------//  [Sense: 1,7; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: popular]//  [Sense: 2-5; Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  POP1]//  [Sense: 6; Date: 1800-1900; Origin: poppa]//\n  1 MUSIC:   [U] modern music that is popular, especially with young people, and usually consists of simple tunes with a strong beat//    pop music//  --a new pop record//  --a pop star//  --a pop festival//\n  2 SOUND:   [C] a sudden short sound like a small explosion//  --the pop of a champagne cork//  --The balloon went pop  (=made a sudden short sound) .//\n  3 DRINK:   [U and C]  informal a sweet drink with bubbles but no alcohol, or a glass or can of this drink//   soda//  --a bottle of pop//  --Can you get me a pop while you’re up?//\n  4  take a pop at sb:   BrE  informal to criticize someone in public//  --When you’re a professional footballer, you expect people to take a pop at you now and again.//\n  5  $7/$50/25[hA123] etc a pop:   AmE  spoken used when each of something costs a particular amount of money//  --Tickets for the show are a hundred bucks a pop.//\n  6 FATHER:   [C]  also  Pops//   AmE  old-fashioned father - used especially when you are talking to your father//\n  7  pops:   AmE  classical music that most people know, especially people who do not usually like this type of music//  --a pops concert//  --the Boston Pops Orchestra//


Words: pop art
Meaning:
n [U]   a type of art that was popular in the 1960s, which shows ordinary objects, such as advertisements, or things you see in people’s homes//


Words: pop culture
Meaning:
n [U]   music, films, products etc in a particular society that are familiar to and popular with most ordinary people in that society//


Words: Pop Goes the Weasel
Meaning:
an old British song for children. It begins: Half a pound of tuppenny rice,/Half a pound of treacle;/That’s the way the money goes,/Pop goes the weasel! In the US, children also know this song, but the words are: Round and round the mulberry bush,/ the monkey chased the weasel/ The monkey said ’twas all in fun/ Pop goes the weasel!//


Words: pop music
Meaning:
n [U]   modern music that is popular, especially with young people, and usually consists of simple tunes with a strong beat//


Words: pop psychology
Meaning:
n [U]   ways of dealing with personal problems that are made popular on television or in books, but are not considered scientific//


Words: pop quiz
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   a short test that a teacher gives without any warning, in order to check whether students have been studying//


Words: Pop Tarts
Meaning:
trademark   a type of square, flat  pastry filled with fruit or chocolate, which you heat in a  toaster and eat for breakfast//


Words: Pop Warner
Meaning:
a US organization that teaches children to play American football in teams. It was named after Pop  Warner, a famous football  coach.//


Words: pop-eyed
Meaning:
adj  informal \n  1 having your eyes wide open, because you are surprised, excited, or angry:\n  2 having eyes that stick out slightly:


Words: popcorn
Meaning:
n [U]   a kind of corn that swells and bursts open when heated, and is usually eaten warm with salt or sugar as a snack//


Words: Pope
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 800-900; Language: Late Latin; Origin: papa, from  Greek pappas,  papas  ’father’, used as a title of bishops]//\n  1 the leader of the Roman Catholic church:    papal//  --The Pope will visit El Salvador this year.//  --Pope John XXIII//\n  2  Is the Pope (a) Catholic?:   informal used to say that something is clearly true or certain - used humorously//  --’Do you think they’ll win?’ ’Is the Pope Catholic?’//\n Alexander   (1688-1744) a British poet and  satirist. Many people consider him the most important poet of his time, and admire his use of the  heroic couplet. His best known works are  The Rape of the Lock and  The Dunciad. He also produced very popular translations of the poems of Homer.//


Words: popery
Meaning:
n [U]  taboo  especially BrE   an offensive word for the Roman Catholic religion. Do not use this word.//


Words: Popeye
Meaning:
a character also called Popeye the Sailorman, in a US  cartoon strip and  cartoon films. Popeye is a sailor who smokes a pipe, and when he eats cans of  spinach (=a vegetable with large dark green leaves)  his muscles immediately grow much bigger and he becomes very strong.//


Words: popish
Meaning:
adj  taboo  especially BrE   an offensive word for something that is related to the Roman Catholic religion. Do not use this word.//


Words: poplar
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: poplier, from  Latin populus]//  a very tall straight thin tree that grows very fast//


Words: poplin
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  Early  French papeline, perhaps from  Italian papalina  ’of the Pope’; because it was made in the French town of Avignon, where the Popes once lived]//  a strong shiny cotton cloth//


Words: poppadom
Meaning:
poppadum/p[hA361]p[hA353]d[hA353]m $ p[hA35A][hA359]-/ n [C]   a large circular piece of very thin flat Indian bread cooked in oil//


Words: Popper
Meaning:
Sir Karl   (1902-94) a British  philosopher, born in Austria, who believed that ideas about the world must be proved scientifically. His best known book,  The Open Society and its Enemies, is an attack on political systems in which the state has too much control, especially Communism.//


Words: popper
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C]  BrE  informal a small metal thing that is used to fasten clothes, which works when you press its two parts together:  American Equivalent:  snap//\n  2  poppers [plural]  informal an illegal drug in the form of a liquid, which people take for pleasure by breathing it in:


Words: poppet
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE  spoken   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Perhaps from  French poupette  ’small doll’]//  used to talk to or about a child or animal you like very much//  --Come here, poppet.//


Words: poppy
Meaning:
n   plural  poppies  [C] //  [Language: Old English; Origin: pop[zB024]g,  popig, from  Latin papaver]//  a plant that has brightly coloured, usually red, flowers and small black seeds//


Words: poppycock
Meaning:
n [U]  old-fashioned   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Dutch dialect; Origin: pappekak  ’soft excrement’]//  nonsense//


Words: Popsicle
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE  trademark   a food made of juice that is frozen onto sticks//  British Equivalent:  ice lolly//


Words: populace
Meaning:
n [singular also + plural verb British English]  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: Italian popolaccio  ’crowd’, from  popolo  ’people’]//  the people who live in a country//  --the effects of the war on the local populace//


Words: popular
Meaning:
W1S2   adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: popularis, from  populus  ’people’]//\n  1 liked by a lot of people:  → unpopular//  --Hilary was popular at school.//  --a popular holiday resort//  --Coffee is probably the most popular drink in the world.//  hugely/enormously/immensely etc popular //  --Guerrero’s music is hugely popular in Latin America.//  popular with/among//  --The President is very popular with Jewish voters.//\n  2 [only before noun] done by a lot of people in a society, group etc:  --the closest popular vote in U.S. presidential history//  --The government has little popular support among women voters.//  --Kaplan’s latest recording has received considerable popular acclaim  (=it is liked by a lot of people) .//  popular belief/opinion/view (=a belief, opinion etc that a lot of people have) //  --a survey of Hispanic-American popular opinion//  -- Contrary to popular belief  (=in spite of what many people believe) , gorillas are basically shy, gentle creatures.//  --a popular movement for democracy//\n  3 [only before noun] relating to ordinary people, or intended for ordinary people:  --Wintour’s writing is full of references to American popular culture .//  --Steele was ridiculed by the popular press.//    pop music//


Words: popularity
Meaning:
n [U]   when something or someone is liked or supported by a lot of people//  popularity of//  --The popularity of the Internet has soared.//  --The president’s popularity has declined considerably.//  gain/grow/increase in popularity (=start to be liked by many people) //  --Country music is growing in popularity.//


Words: popularize
Meaning:
also  popularise BrE   v [T] \n  1 to make something well known and liked:  --Bob Marley popularized reggae music in the 1970s.//\n  2 to make a difficult subject or idea able to be easily understood by ordinary people who have no special knowledge about it:  --Skinner was the psychologist who popularized behavior modification.//  -- popularization/p[hA361]pj[hA36A]l[hA353]ra[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ p[hA35A][hA359]pj[hA36A]l[hA353]r[hA353]-/ n  [U] //


Words: popularly
Meaning:
adv   by most or many people//  --The President of Korea is popularly elected every five years.//  popularly believed/thought/called etc //  --Vitamin C is popularly believed to prevent colds.//  --The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is popularly known as the Mormon Church.//


Words: populate
Meaning:
v [T usually passive]   if an area is populated by a particular group of people, they live there//  --The highlands are populated mainly by peasant farmers.//  densely/heavily/highly/thickly populated (=with a lot of people) //  --one of the most densely populated areas in the world//  sparsely/thinly/lightly populated (=with very few people) //


Words: population
Meaning:
W1S2   n \n  1 [C] the number of people living in a particular area, country etc:  population of//  --India has a population of more than 1 billion.//  population explosion/boom (=a quick increase in the population of an area) //\n  2 [C usually singular] all of the people who live in a particular area:  --Most of the world’s population doesn’t get enough to eat.//  white/French/urban etc population (=part of the group of people who live in a particular area who are white, French etc) //  --South Florida has a large Jewish population.//\n  3  centre of population/population centre:  a city, town etc//  --Cromer is the main centre of population in this area.//


Words: populist
Meaning:
adj   relating to or representing ordinary people, rather than rich or very highly educated people//  --a populist campaign//  -- populist n  [C] //  -- populism n  [U] //


Words: populous
Meaning:
adj  formal   a populous area has a large population in relation to its size//  --Hong Kong is one of the most populous areas in the world.//


Words: porcelain
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: porcelaine, from  Italian porcellana  ’type of shell, porcelain’]//\n  1 a hard shiny white substance that is used for making expensive plates, cups etc:    china//  --a porcelain vase//\n  2 plates, cups etc made of this:


Words: porch
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: porche, from  Latin porticus, from  porta  ’gate’]//\n  1  BrE an entrance covered by a roof outside the front door of a house or church:\n  2  AmE a structure built onto the front or back entrance of a house, with a floor and a roof but no walls:


Words: porcine
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: porcinus, from  porcus;   PORK]//  looking like or relating to pigs//


Words: porcupine
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: porc espin, from  Latin porcus (  PORK) +  spina  ’sharp point’]//  an animal with long, sharp parts growing all over its back and sides//


Words: pore
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin porus, from  Greek poros  ’way through’]//  one of the small holes in your skin that liquid, especially sweat, can pass through, or a similar hole in the surface of a plant//\npore 2 v   pore over [pore over sth] phr v//  [Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  Origin unknown]//  to read or look at something very carefully for a long time//  --She was poring over a book.//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  Do not confuse pore with the verb pour, which has the same pronunciation but means ’to make liquid flow’. //  ----------//


Words: pork
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: porc  ’pig’, from  Latin porcus]//\n  1 the meat from pigs:  --pork chops//\n  2  AmE  informal government money spent in a particular area in order to get political advantages - used to show disapproval:  --a bill filled with pork projects//


Words: pork barrel n [singular
Meaning:
U]  AmE  informal   a government plan to increase the amount of money spent in a particular area, done in order to gain a political advantage - used to show disapproval//  --pork-barrel spending//


Words: pork rinds
Meaning:
n [plural]  AmE   small pieces of pig fat that have been cooked in hot oil and are eaten as a snack//


Words: porker
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a young pig that is made fat before being killed for food:\n  2  informal a fat person - often used humorously:


Words: porky
Meaning:
adj  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: pork]//  fat - often used humorously//\nporky 2  also porky pie   plural  porkies  n [C]  BrE  informal //  [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Rhyming slang]//  a lie//  --Was he telling porkies again?//


Words: porn
Meaning:
[U]  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: pornography]//  pornography//  --the porn industry//  --a porno movie//    hard porn,  soft porn//


Words: pornography
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Greek; Origin: pornographos, from  porne  ’prostitute’ +  graphein  ’to write’]//  magazines, films etc that show sexual acts and images in a way that is intended to make people feel sexually excited//  -- pornographer n  [C] //  -- pornographic/p[hA350][hA359]n[hA353]gr[zB024]f[hA366]k[hA36B] $ p[hA350][hA359]r-/ adj //  --pornographic websites//


Words: porous
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: poreux, from  pore;   PORE1]//\n  1 allowing liquid, air etc to pass slowly through many very small holes:  --porous material//\n  2 easy to pass through or get into something:  --the porous border between Haiti and the Dominican Republic//


Words: porpoise
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: porpois, from  Medieval Latin porcopiscis, from  Latin porcus (  PORK) +  piscis  ’fish’]//  a sea animal that looks similar to a dolphin and breathes air//


Words: porridge
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: pottage  ’soup’ (12-20 centuries), from  Old French potage, from  pot  ’pot’]//\n  1  oats that are cooked with milk or water and served hot for breakfast:  American Equivalent:  oatmeal//\n  2  BrE  informal a period of time spent in prison:  do porridge (=spend time in prison) //


Words: port
Meaning:
W2   n   ----------//\n   1 where ships stop:\n   2 town:\n   3 computer:\n   4 wine:\n   5 side of ship:\n   6 any port in a storm:  ----------//  [Sense: 1-2, 6; Date: 800-900; Language: Latin; Origin: portus]//  [Sense: 3; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: port  ’ship’s porthole’ (13-21 centuries), from  Old French porte  ’gate, door’, from  Latin porta]//  [Sense: 4; Date: 1600-1700; Origin: Oporto, city in Portugal.]//  [Sense: 5; Date: 1500-1600; Origin: port side, from   PORT1; because it was the side from which ships were unloaded.]//\n  1 WHERE SHIPS STOP:   [U and C] a place where ships can be loaded and unloaded//  be in port//  --We’ll have two days ashore while the ship is in port.//  come into port/leave port //  --The ferry was about to leave port.//\n  2 TOWN:   [C] a town or city with a harbour or docks where ships can be loaded or unloaded//  --Britain’s largest port//\n  3 COMPUTER:   [C] a part of a computer where you can connect another piece of equipment, such as a printer//\n  4 WINE:   [U] strong sweet Portuguese wine that is usually drunk after a meal//  --a glass of port//\n  5 SIDE OF SHIP:   [U] the left side of a ship or aircraft when you are looking towards the front//  → starboard//  --on the port side//  to port//  --The plane tilted to port.//\n  6  any port in a storm:   spoken used to say that you should take whatever help you can when you are in trouble, even if it has some disadvantages//    port of call//\nport 2 v [T]   to move software from one computer system to another//  port sth from/to sth//  --Can Windows applications be ported to Unix?//  -- porting n  [U] //


Words: port of call plural
Meaning:
ports of call  n [C usually singular] \n  1  informal one of a series of places that you visit:  --My first port of call will be the post office.//\n  2 a port where a ship stops on a journey from one place to another:


Words: port of entry plural
Meaning:
ports of entry  n [C]   a place, such as a port or airport, where people or goods can enter a country//


Words: Port Stanley
Meaning:
the capital of the Falkland Islands, and the place where the  Falklands War of 1982 began and ended//


Words: Porta Potti
Meaning:
porta-potty/p[hA350][hA359]t[hA353] p[hA361]ti $ p[hA350][hA359]rt[hA353] p[hA35A][hA359]ti/ n [C]  AmE  trademark   a toilet that is in a small plastic building that can be moved//


Words: portable
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Late Latin portabilis, from  Latin portare  ’to carry’]//\n  1 able to be carried or moved easily:  --a portable radio//\n  2 a portable computer program can be used on different computer systems:\n  3  portable benefits:   AmE health insurance, pension plans etc that workers can keep when they move from one job to another//  -- portability/p[hA350][hA359]t[hA353]b[hA366]l[hA369]ti $ p[hA350][hA359]r-/ n  [U] //\nportable 2 n [C]   a piece of electronic equipment that can be easily carried or moved//  --Get a portable, not a big TV.//


Words: portage
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: porter  ’to carry’]//  when people carry small boats over land from one river to another//


Words: Portakabin
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE  trademark   a very small building that can be used as a temporary office, classroom etc, and can be moved by truck//


Words: portal
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Medieval Latin portale  ’city gate’, from  Latin porta;   PORT]//\n  1 a website that helps you find other websites:\n  2 [usually plural]  literary a tall and impressive gate or entrance to a building:


Words: portend
Meaning:
v [T]  literary   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: portendere  ’to stretch forward’, from  tendere  ’to stretch’]//  to be a sign that something is going to happen, especially something bad//  --strange events that portend disaster//


Words: portent
Meaning:
n [C]  literary   a sign or warning that something is going to happen//   omen//  portent of//  --Some people believe the raven is a portent of death.//


Words: portentous
Meaning:
adj \n  1  literary showing that something important is going to happen, especially something bad:  --Recent developments are as portentous as the collapse of the Berlin Wall.//\n  2 trying to appear important and serious:  --a portentous film//


Words: Porter
Meaning:
Cole   (1891-1964) a US musician who wrote many popular songs and  musicals (=plays or films that use singing and dancing to tell a story) . His songs are still popular, and are admired for their clever and amusing words. They include  Night and Day,  Let’s Do It, and  I’ve Got You Under My Skin.//


Words: porter
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: porteur, from  Late Latin portator, from  Latin portare;   PORTABLE1]//\n  1 [C] someone whose job is to carry people’s bags at railway stations, airports etc:\n  2 [C]  BrE someone in charge of the entrance to a hotel, hospital etc:\n  3 [C]  BrE someone whose job is to carry heavy goods at markets:\n  4 [C]  AmE someone whose job is to look after the part of a train where people sleep:\n  5 [C]  AmE someone whose job is to look after a building by cleaning it, repairing things etc:\n  6 [U]  old-fashioned a dark brown bitter beer:


Words: portfolio
Meaning:
n   plural  portfolios  [C] //  [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Italian; Origin: portafoglio, from  portare  ’to carry’ +  foglio  ’leaf, sheet’]//\n  1 a large flat case used especially for carrying pictures, documents etc:\n  2 a set of pictures or other pieces of work that an artist, photographer etc has done:  --You’ll need to prepare a portfolio of your work.//\n  3 a group of stocks owned by a particular person or company:  --an investment portfolio//\n  4  BrE the work that a particular government official is responsible for:  --the foreign affairs portfolio//


Words: porthole
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: port (  PORT5) +  hole]//  a small round window on the side of a ship or plane//


Words: portico
Meaning:
n   plural  porticoes  or  porticos  [C] //  [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Italian; Origin: Latin porticus;   PORCH]//  a covered entrance to a building, consisting of a roof supported by pillars//


Words: portion
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin portio]//\n  1 [C] a part of something larger, especially a part that is different from the other parts:  portion of//  --The front portion of the rocket breaks off.//  --The rent on his portion of the apartment was $500 a month.//  significant/substantial/major/good portion //  --The main character’s childhood takes up a good portion of the film.//\n  2 [C] an amount of food for one person, especially when served in a restaurant:   serving, helping//  --Do you have any children’s portions?//  portion of//  --a huge portion of roast beef//  --He served generous portions  (=large portions) of soup from a black pot.//\n  3 [usually singular] a share of something, such as responsibility, blame, or a duty, that is divided between a small number of people:  portion of//  --The other driver must bear a portion of the blame for the accident.//\nportion 2 v   portion out [portion sth → out] phr v//  to divide something into parts and give it to several people//  portion something → out among//  --The money was portioned out among them.//


Words: Portland
Meaning:
a port on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, in northern Oregon in the northwestern US, which is the largest city in the Oregon//


Words: portly
Meaning:
adj  written   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin: port  ’behavior, deportment’ (14-19 centuries), from  French, from  porter;   PORTAGE]//  someone who is portly, especially an old man, is fat and round//  --a portly old gentleman//


Words: portmanteau
Meaning:
n   plural  portmanteaus  or  portmanteaux /-t[hA353][hA35E]z $ -to[hA35E]z/ [C]  old-fashioned //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: porter (  PORTAGE) +  manteau  ’cloak’]//  a very large suitcase that opens into two parts//


Words: portmanteau word
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   a portmanteau word is made by combining the sound and meaning of two other words, for example ’edutainment’ combines ’education’ and ’entertainment’//


Words: Portmeirion
Meaning:
a small village on the coast of North Wales, designed and built by Clough Williams-Ellis. It is based on an Italian fishing village and is popular with tourists. It is also the place where the popular 1960s British television programme ’The Prisoner’ was filmed.//


Words: Portobello Road
Meaning:
a street in West London, where a market is held every Friday and Saturday and  antiques (=valuable old furniture, jewellery etc)  are sold//


Words: Porton Down
Meaning:
a place in the south of England where there is a government  laboratory used for studying chemical weapons and  biological weapons (=weapons that use  bacteria to kill people by giving them diseases)//


Words: portrait
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: portraire;   PORTRAY]//\n  1 a painting, drawing, or photograph of a person:  --a family portrait//  portrait of//  --the artist’s portrait of his mother//  --She’s been commissioned to paint Jackson’s portrait .//\n  2 a description or representation of something:  portrait of//  --a portrait of working life in America//    self-portrait//\nportrait 2 adj   if a piece of paper, a page, a photograph etc is in a portrait position, it is placed on a surface or hung on a wall with its longer edges at the sides//  → landscape//


Words: portray
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: portraire, from  Latin protrahere  ’to draw out, show’]//\n  1  portray sb/sth as sth:  to describe or show someone or something in a particular way, according to your opinion of them//   depict//  --Romantic artists portrayed nature as wild and powerful.//  --The President likes to portray himself as a friend of working people.//\n  2 to describe or represent something or someone:   depict//  --His most famous painting portrayed the death of Nelson.//  --Religion was portrayed in a negative way.//\n  3 to act the part of a character in a play, film, or television programme:   play//  --She portrays a dancer in the hit film.//


Words: portrayal
Meaning:
n [U and C]   the way someone or something is described or shown in a book, film, play etc//  portrayal of//  --the newspapers’ portrayal of Islamic culture//  accurate/realistic etc portrayal //  --The film is not an accurate portrayal (=correct portrayal) of his life.//


Words: Portsmouth
Meaning:
a town and port on the south coast of England. it is an important navy base and a place from which ferries take cars and passengers to France//


Words: Portugal
Meaning:
a country in southwest Europe, west of Spain. It is a member of the  EU. Population: 10,066,000 (2001). Capital: Lisbon. Portugal’s traditional industries include fishing and wine, and its more modern industries include clothing and car parts. Portugal’s southern coast, the Algarve, is a popular place for holidays.//


Words: Portuguese
Meaning:
adj   relating to Portugal, its people, or its language//\nPortuguese 2 n \n  1  the Portuguese [plural] people from Portugal:\n  2 [U] the language used in Portugal, Brazil, and some other countries:


Words: pose
Meaning:
W3   v   ----------//\n   1 cause problem:\n   2 picture:\n   3 pose a question:\n   4 pose as somebody:\n   5 to impress people:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: poser, from  Late Latin pausare  ’to stop, rest’, from  Latin pausa;   PAUSE2]//\n  1 CAUSE PROBLEM:   [T] to exist in a way that may cause a problem, danger, difficulty etc//  pose a threat/danger/risk //  --Officials claim the chemical poses no real threat.//  pose sth to/for sb/sth//  --The events pose a challenge to the church’s leadership.//  --Rising unemployment is posing serious problems for the administration.//  2 PICTURE//   [I] to sit or stand in a particular position in order to be photographed or painted, or to make someone do this//  pose for//  --We posed for photographs.//\n  3  pose a question:  to ask a question, especially one that needs to be carefully thought about//  --In her book she poses the question,’How much do we need to be happy?’//\n  4  pose as sb:  to pretend to be someone else, in order to deceive people//  --Bryce was caught posing as a lawyer.//\n  5 TO IMPRESS PEOPLE:   [I] to dress or behave like a rich and fashionable person in order to make other people notice you or admire you//\npose 2 n [C] \n  1 the position in which someone stands or sits, especially in a painting, photograph etc:  in a pose//  --a painting of the Duchess in a dramatic pose//  --Ann struck a pose  (=stood or sat in a particular position) and smiled for the camera.//\n  2 behaviour in which someone pretends to have a quality or social position they do not really have, usually in order to make other people notice them or admire them:  --Her confidence was merely a pose to hide her uncertainty.//


Words: poser
Meaning:
n [C]  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: poser;   POSE1]//\n  1  BrE  also  poseur/p[hA353][hA35E]z[hA362][hA359] $ po[hA35E]z[hA362][hA359]r/:  someone who pretends to have a quality or social position they do not really have, usually in order to make people notice or admire them//  --You meet a lot of posers in this job.//\n  2 a difficult question:  --That’s a real poser.//


Words: posh
Meaning:
adj  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  Perhaps from  posh  ’money, showy man’ (19-20 centuries)]//\n  1 a posh restaurant, hotel, car etc is expensive and looks as if it is used or owned by rich people:  --a posh private school//\n  2  BrE upper class:  --Her parents are terribly posh.//\nposh 2 adv  BrE  informal   talk posh//  to talk in an upper class way//


Words: posit
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: positus;   POSITION1]//   formal to suggest that a particular idea should be accepted as a fact//  posit that//  --He posited that each planet moved in a perfect circle.//


Words: position
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 way of standing/sitting etc:\n   2 situation:\n   3 place where somebody/something is:\n   4 correct place:\n   5 direction:\n   6 opinion:\n   7 job:\n   8 level/rank:\n   9 be in a position to do something:\n  10 be in no position to do something:\n  11 race/competition:\n  12 sports:\n  13 jockey/manoeuvre/jostle for position:\n  14 army:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin positio, from  positus, past participle of  ponere  ’to put’]//\n  1 WAY OF STANDING/SITTING ETC:   [C] the way someone is standing, sitting, or lying//  --Lie in a comfortable position .//  --Frankie shifted his position so that his knees would not become cramped.//  sitting/kneeling/standing position //  --I struggled up into a sitting position.//\n  2 SITUATION:   [C usually singular] the situation that someone is in, especially when this affects what they can and cannot do//  --I’m not sure what I would do if I were  in  your  position . //  -- We’re  in a strong position , but we mustn’t take victory for granted. //  -- Next week we will be  in a  much  better position to  comment. //  -- She is  in the enviable position of  having three job offers. //  -- You’re putting me  in  rather  a difficult position .//  -- We must negotiate from a  position of strength  .//  -- the company’s precarious  financial position  //\n  3 PLACE WHERE SOMEBODY/SOMETHING IS:   [C] the place where someone or something is, especially in relation to other objects and places//  position of//  --the position of the sun in the sky//  --Our hotel was in a superb central position near St Mark’s Square.//  --the strategic position  (=useful or important position) of Egypt in relation to the Arabian peninsula//\n  4 CORRECT PLACE:   [U and C] the place where someone or something is needed or supposed to be//  into position//  --He pulled the ladder into position.//  in/out of position//  --All parking signs have now been placed in position.//\n  5 DIRECTION:   [C] the direction in which an object is pointing//  vertical/upright/horizontal position //  --Make sure the container remains in an upright position.//  --She turned the switch to the ’on’ position.//\n  6 OPINION:   [C] an opinion or judgment on a particular subject, especially the official opinion of a government, a political party, or someone in authority//   attitude//  position on//  --What’s the party’s position on tax reform?//  --The principal took the position that the students didn’t need music classes.//  --I hope you’ll reconsider your position .//\n  7 JOB:   [C]  formal a job//  sb’s position as sth//  --Bill took up his new position as Works Director in October.//  position of//  --She has held the position of Chief Financial Officer since 1992.//  --Bruce is thinking of applying for the position .//  --I’m sorry, the position has been filled  (=someone has been found to do the job) . see usage note  job//\n  8 LEVEL/RANK:   [U and C] someone’s or something’s level, authority, or importance in a society or organization//  the position of sb//  --the position of women in society//  position of power/authority/influence etc //  --Many of his supporters used their positions of power for personal advantage.//  --As a priest, he was in a position of trust .//  abuse your position as sth (=use your authority wrongly) //\n  9  be in a position to do sth:  to be able to do something because you have the ability, money, or power to do it//  --When I know all the facts, I’ll be in a position to advise you.//\n  10  be in no position to do sth:  to be unable to do something because you do not have the ability, money, or power to do it//  --You’re unemployed and in no position to support a family.//  --Ned says I’m always late? He’s in no position to talk  (=should not criticize because he does the same thing) .//\n  11 RACE/COMPETITION:   [U and C] the place of someone or something in a race or competition in relation to the other people or things//  (in) 2nd/3rd/4th etc position //  --Alesi finished in third position .//\n  12 SPORTS:   [C] the area where someone plays in a sport, or the type of actions they are responsible for doing//  --What position do you play ?//\n  13  jockey/manoeuvre/jostle for position:  to try to get an advantage over other people who are all trying to succeed in doing the same thing//  --Firms adopt different strategies as they jockey for position.//\n  14 ARMY:   [C usually plural] a place where an army has put soldiers, guns etc//  --an attack on the enemy positions//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 2 //  in somebody’s position //  in the same/a similar position //  in a good/strong position (to do something) //  in an enviable position  (=in a situation that other people would like to be in) //  in a difficult/awkward/impossible position //  a position of strength (=a situation in which you can get what you want) //  financial/legal position //  strengthen/weaken somebody’s position  (=put someone in a better or worse situation) //  WORD CHOICE: position, place, location, where, there //  Place is a very general word for talking about where something or someone is : the place where they live |  Put this in a safe place. //  Position can be used to talk about the place where something is in relation to other things or places : the position of the table in the room //  Location  is used mainly in formal or business English to talk about where a building is : a house in a central location |  the location of the new headquarters //  In ordinary spoken English, it is more usual to use words like  where, there, somewhere, anywhere to talk about the place where something or someone is : This is where (NOT the place where) I live. |  My shoes were in the hall but they’re not there (NOT in that place) now.| Let’s have lunch somewhere different (NOT in a different place) today. //  ----------//\nposition 2 v [T always + adverb/preposition]   to carefully put something in a particular position//  --Position the cursor before the letter you want to delete.//  position yourself//  --I positioned myself where I could see the door.//


Words: position paper
Meaning:
n [C]   a written statement that shows how a department, organization etc intends to deal with something//


Words: positional
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   relating to the position or job of someone or something//  --positional power or authority//


Words: positive
Meaning:
adj   ----------//\n   1 attitude:\n   2 good thing:\n   3 action:\n   4 support:\n   5 sure:\n   6 sign:\n   7 proof:\n   8 scientific test:\n   9 emphasis:\n  10 number:\n  11 electricity:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: positif, from  Latin positivus, from  positus;   POSITION1]//\n  1 ATTITUDE:  if you are positive about things, you are hopeful and confident, and think about what is good in a situation rather than what is bad//  → negative//  positive about//  --You’ve got to be more positive about your work.//  positive attitude/approach/outlook etc //  --She’s got a really positive attitude to life.//  --the power of positive thinking //  --’ Think positive !’ she advised herself.//\n  2 GOOD THING:  good or useful//  → negative//  --At least  something positive  has come out of the situation. //  -- Write down all the  positive things  about your life. //  -- The rural environment was having a  positive effect  on the children’s health. //  -- It’s been a very  positive experience  for her. //  --TV can be a positive influence .//  -- the  positive contribution  to the community  made  by many older people //  --It’s been a difficult time but,  on the positive side , I feel physically fine. //  -- Women should be portrayed  in a  more  positive light .//\n  3 ACTION:  if you take positive action, you do something definite in order to try and achieve something//  --We need to take positive steps to improve the situation of families in poverty.//  -- Positive action was required.//  --It’s a relief to know that something positive is being done.//\n  4 SUPPORT:  expressing support, agreement, or approval//  → negative//  positive response/reaction //  --The response we’ve had from the public has been very positive.//  --We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from the people of this city.//  positive about//  --Most people have been very positive about the show.//\n  5 SURE:   [not before noun] very sure, with no doubt at all that something is right or true//   certain//  positive (that)//  --Are you absolutely positive you locked the door?//  --’Are you sure about that?’ ’Positive.’//\n  6 SIGN:  showing that something is likely to succeed or improve//  --The fact that he’s breathing on his own again is a positive sign .//\n  7 PROOF:   positive proof/evidence/identification etc//  proof etc that shows that there is no doubt that something is true//  --The witness made a positive identification.//\n  8 SCIENTIFIC TEST:  showing signs of the medical condition or chemical that is being looked for//  → negative//  --The test results came back positive.//  --athletes who had tested positive for banned substances//  --children who are HIV positive//\n  9 EMPHASIS:   [only before noun]  spoken used to emphasize how good or bad something is//   total//  --The journey was a positive nightmare.//\n  10 NUMBER:   technical a positive number is more than zero//  → negative//\n  11 ELECTRICITY:   technical having the type of electrical charge that is carried by protons//  → negative//  --a positive charge //  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 2 //  something positive //  positive thing/aspect //  positive effect/result/outcome //  positive experience //  be/have a positive influence (on somebody) //  positive role model (=someone good or successful that people want to be like) //  make a positive contribution  (=do something good in a situation) //  on the positive side/on a positive note  (=used when saying what is good about a situation) //  in a positive light  (=showing the good things about something) //  ----------//\npositive 2 n [C]   a quality or feature that is good or useful//  → negative//  --You can find positives in any situation.//  --Always emphasise the positive .//    false positive//


Words: positive discrimination
Meaning:
n [U]  BrE   the practice of giving a particular number of jobs, places at university etc to people who are often treated unfairly because of their race, sex etc//  American Equivalent:  affirmative action//


Words: positively
Meaning:
adv \n  1 used to emphasize that something is true, especially when this seems surprising:  --Some holiday destinations are positively dangerous .//\n  2 in a way that shows you agree with something or want it to succeed:  → negatively//  --It is hoped that the industry will respond positively to this new initiative.//\n  3 in a way that shows you are thinking about what is good in a situation rather than what is bad:  --They’re encouraged to think positively about themselves and their future.//  --Change should be accepted and be viewed positively.//\n  4 in a way that leaves no doubt:  --’You certainly won’t!’ Katherine said positively.//  --The blood was never positively identified as the victim’s.//\n  5  spoken used to emphasize that you really mean what you are saying:   definitely//  --This is positively the last time you’ll hear me say this.//\n  6  positively charged:   technical having the type of electrical charge that is carried by protons//


Words: positivism
Meaning:
n [U]   a type of philosophy based only on facts which can be scientifically proved, rather than on ideas//  -- positivist adj, n  [C] //


Words: positron
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: positive +  -tron (as in  electron)]//  a very small piece of matter that has the same mass as an electron but has a positive electrical charge//


Words: poss
Meaning:
adj  BrE  informal \n  1  if poss:  if possible//  --Please send a photo if poss.//\n  2  as soon as poss:  as soon as possible//  --I need them back as soon as poss.//


Words: posse
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: posse comitatus  ’power of the county’]//\n  1  informal a group of the same kind of people:  posse of//  --I was surrounded by a posse of photographers.//\n  2 a group of men gathered together by a sheriff (=local law officer)  in the US in past times to help catch a criminal:\n  3  AmE  informal :  a) someone’s group of friends - used especially by young people//  b) a group of friends from a particular place who share an interest in rap, hip-hop, or house music//  British Equivalent:  massive//


Words: possess
Meaning:
W3   v [T not in progressive]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: possesser, from  Latin possidere]//\n  1  formal to have a particular quality or ability:  --Different workers possess different skills.//  --He no longer possessed the power to frighten her.//\n  2  formal  or  law to have or own something:  --Neither of them possessed a credit card.//  --Campbell was found guilty of possessing heroin.//\n  3  what possessed sb (to do sth)?:   spoken used to say that you cannot understand why someone did something stupid//  --What on earth possessed her to do it?//\n  4  literary if a feeling possesses you, you suddenly feel it very strongly and it affects your behaviour:  --A mad rage possessed her.//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  In spoken English it is much more usual to use have or have got: He has a lot of talent. //  ----------//


Words: possessed
Meaning:
adj \n  1 if someone is possessed, their mind is controlled by something evil:  --She was convinced he was possessed by the devil .//  like a man/woman possessed  literary  (=with a lot of energy or violence) //\n  2  be possessed of sth:   literary to have a particular quality, ability etc//  --She was possessed of a fine and original mind.//    self-possessed//


Words: possession
Meaning:
W3   n   ----------//\n   1 having something:\n   2 something you own:\n   3 crime:\n   4 sport:\n   5 country:\n   6 evil spirits:\n   7 in (full) possession of your faculties/senses:\n   8 possession is nine-tenths of the law:  ----------//\n  1 HAVING SOMETHING:   [U]  formal if something is in your possession, you own it, or you have obtained it from somewhere//  in sb’s possession//  --The house has been in the family’s possession since the 1500s.//  --That information is not in our possession.//  in possession of sth//  --She was found in possession of stolen goods.//  --How did the painting come into your possession  (=how did you get it) ?//  --The finance company now has possession of the house.//  --We didn’t take possession of  (=get and start using) the car until a few days after the auction.//\n  2 SOMETHING YOU OWN:   [C usually plural] something that you own or have with you at a particular time//   belongings//  --He had sold all his possessions and left the country.//  --I packed my remaining possessions into the trunk.//  treasured/prized/precious possession (=one that is very important to you) //  --This old violin had been her father’s most treasured possession.//  --Prisoners were allowed no personal possessions .//\n  3 CRIME:   [U]  law the crime of having illegal drugs or weapons with you or in your home//  possession of//  --He was arrested and charged with possession of cocaine.//\n  4 SPORT:   [U] when a person or team has control of the ball in some sports//  win/lose/gain etc possession //  --Pittsburgh got possession and scored.//\n  5 COUNTRY:   [C usually plural] a country controlled or governed by another country//  --France’s former colonial possessions //\n  6 EVIL SPIRITS:   [U] a situation in which someone’s mind is being controlled by something evil//  --Was it a case of demonic possession?//\n  7  in (full) possession of your faculties/senses:  able to think in a clear and intelligent way, and not crazy or affected by old age//\n  8  possession is nine-tenths of the law:  used to say that if you have something, you are likely to be able to keep it, even if it is not yours//


Words: possessive
Meaning:
adj \n  1 wanting someone to have feelings of love or friendship for you and no one else:  possessive of/about//  --She was terribly possessive of our eldest son.//\n  2 unwilling to let other people use something you own:  possessive of/about//  --He’s so possessive about his new car.//\n  3  technical used in grammar to show that something belongs to someone or something:  possessive pronoun/form/case etc //  --the possessive pronouns ’ours’ and ’mine’//  -- possessively adv //  -- possessiveness n  [U] //\npossessive 2 n [C]    technical an adjective,  pronoun, or form of a word that shows that something belongs to someone or something//


Words: possessor
Meaning:
n [C]    formal someone who owns or has something - often used humorously//  possessor of//  --He’s now the proud possessor of two satellite dishes.//


Words: possibility
Meaning:
n   plural  possibilities //\n  1 [U and C] if there is a possibility that something is true or that something will happen, it might be true or it might happen:  --There’s always  a possibility that  he might go back to Seattle.//  --the  possibility of  an enemy attack//  --There was no possibility of changing the voting procedure.//  --A peace settlement now looks like  a real possibility .//  --Tomorrow, there’s a remote possibility of snow on high ground.//  --They might get married - it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility .//  --The study raises the possibility that dieting is bad for your health.//\n  2 [C usually plural] an opportunity to do something, or something that can be done or tried:  possibilities for/of (doing) sth//  --exciting possibilities for reducing costs//  --Archer began to explore the possibilities of opening a club in the city.//  --The US has not yet exhausted all diplomatic possibilities  (=tried everything possible) .//  --the range of possibilities offered to students//\n  3  have possibilities:  if something has possibilities, it could be made into something much better//   have potential//  --The house has great possibilities.//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  possibility (that) //  possibility of (doing) something //  a strong/real/distinct possiblity (=something that is quite likely to happen) //  a remote/faint possiblity (=something that is very unlikely to happen) //  not beyond the bounds/realms of possibility (=not impossible, but unlikely) //  within the bounds/realms of possibility (=possible) //  raise the possibility (=say or show that something may be possible) //  HINT //  Possibility or opportunity? See also:  opportunity//  ----------//


Words: possible
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin possibilis, from  posse  ’to be able’]//\n  1 if something is possible, it can be done or achieved:  → impossible//  -- Is it possible to  get tickets for the game?//  -- It might be possible for the documents  to  be sent over.//  --Computer technology  makes it possible for  many people  to  work from home.//  -- I want to avoid the rush hour traffic  if possible . //  --I walk or use public transport whenever possible .//  -- We are doing  everything possible to track down the killer. //  --Our staff will help you  in every way possible . //  --Even if it were technically possible  , we do not have the money to do it.//  --She decided to stay as far away from him as was humanly possible .//\n  2  as soon/quickly/much etc as possible:  as soon, quickly etc as you can//  --I need the money as soon as possible.//  --Sharon always does as little work as possible.//  --The original features of the house have been preserved as far as possible  (=as much as possible) .//\n  3 a possible answer, cause etc might be true:  --There seem to be only two possible explanations .//  --the possible causes of a child’s learning difficulties//  it is possible (that)//  --It’s possible that the letter got lost in the post.//\n  4 a possible event or thing might happen or exist:  --Heavy rain is possible later in the day.//  --the possible effect on the health of local people//  --You need to look at the possible consequences of your actions.//  --In Hollywood, anything is possible  (=anything can happen, even though it may seem very unlikely) .//\n  5  the best/biggest/fastest etc possible:  the best etc that can exist or be achieved//  --Try to get the best possible price.//  --What is the worst possible thing that could happen?//\n  6  would it be possible (for sb) to do sth?:   spoken used when asking politely if you can do or have something//  --Would it be possible to speak to Oliver?//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  it is possible (for somebody) to do something //  make it possible (for somebody) to do something //  if (at all) possible  (= if it is possible to do it) //  where/whenever/wherever possible  (=every time you have an opportunity) //  do everything possible //  (in) every way possible //  technically possible (=possible using the scientific knowledge available) //  theoretically possible (=possible but difficult and unlikely to be done) //  humanly possible (=possible for anyone) //  ----------//\npossible 2 n [C]   someone or something that might be suitable or acceptable for a particular purpose//  --Frank’s a possible for the job.//


Words: possibly
Meaning:
adv \n  1 used when saying that something may be true or likely, although you are not completely certain:   perhaps, maybe//  --This last task is possibly the most difficult.//  --It will take three weeks, possibly longer.//  --’Will you be here tomorrow?’ ’Possibly.’//  --’Was it murder?’ ’ Quite possibly  (=it is very likely) .’//\n  2  spoken used to emphasize that you are very surprised or shocked by something, or you cannot understand it:  -- How could anyone possibly do such a thing?//\n  3  could/can you possibly:   spoken used when making a polite request//  --Could you possibly close that window?//\n  4 used to emphasize that someone will do or has done everything they can to help or to achieve something:  --We shall be contributing as much as we possibly can to the campaign.//  --Doctors did everything they possibly could to save his life.//\n  5 used to emphasize that you cannot do something, or that something cannot or could not happen or be done:  can’t/couldn’t possibly //  --I can’t possibly allow you to go home in this weather.//  --She couldn’t possibly have heard what was said.//


Words: possum
Meaning:
n  also  opossum [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: opossum]//\n  1 one of various types of small furry animals that climb trees and live in America or Australia:\n  2  play possum:   informal to pretend to be asleep or dead so that someone will not annoy or hurt you//


Words: post
Meaning:
W3S3   n   ----------//\n   1 job:\n   2 postal system:\n   3 letters:\n   4 collection/delivery:\n   5 piece of wood/metal:\n   6 football/hockey etc:\n   7 newspaper:\n   8 soldier/guard etc:\n   9 border/military/customs/police post:\n  10 race:\n  11 internet message:  ----------//\n  1 JOB:   [C]  formal a job, especially an important one in a large organization//   position//  --I applied for the post and was asked to attend an interview.//  --She was offered the post of ambassador to India.//  --He will take up his post as Head of Modern Languages in September.//  --Goddard has held the post since 1998.//  --Unfortunately they were unable to find a suitable person to fill the post .//  --Mr Thomson resigned his [hA124]50,000 a year post in April.//  --She now holds a senior post in the Department of Education.//  --the creation of 4000 new teaching posts  see usage note  job//\n  2 POSTAL SYSTEM:   the post//   BrE the official system for carrying letters, packages etc from one place to another//   mail//  by post//  --The winners will be notified by post.//  in the post//  --Your letter must have got lost in the post .//  --I’ll put a copy of the book in the post  (=send it) .//  through the post//  --A parcel arrived through the post.//\n  3 LETTERS:   [U]  BrE letters, packages etc that are sent and delivered//   mail//  --Was there any post for me today?//  --Emma was opening her post .//\n  4 COLLECTION/DELIVERY:   [singular,U]  BrE when letters are collected or delivered//   mail//  --What time does the post go  (=get collected) ?//  (the) first/second/last post (=the first, second etc collection or delivery of letters each day) //  --Applications must arrive by first post on September 23.//  catch/miss the post (=post your letter in time for it to be collected, or not in time) //    by return (of post) at return2 (11)//\n  5 PIECE OF WOOD/METAL:   [C] a strong upright piece of wood, metal etc that is fixed into the ground, especially to support something//  --a fence post //    bedpost,  gatepost(1),  lamp-post,  signpost1 (1)//\n  6 FOOTBALL/HOCKEY ETC:   [C] one of the two upright pieces of wood between which players try to kick or hit the ball in football, hockey etc//   goalpost//  --The ball hit the post and bounced off.//\n  7 NEWSPAPER:   [singular] used in the names of some newspapers//  --the Washington Post//\n  8 SOLDIER/GUARD ETC:   sb’s post//  the place where a soldier, guard etc is expected to be in order to do their job//  at sb’s post//  --By 5 am the soldiers were already at their posts.//  --No one was allowed to leave their post .//\n  9  border/military/customs/police post:  a place, especially one on a border, where soldiers or police are guarding, checking etc something//\n  10 RACE:   the post//   also the finishing post //  the place where a race finishes, especially a horse race//  --Mr Magic was first past the post .//\n  11 INTERNET MESSAGE:   [C]  also posting //  a message sent to an Internet discussion group so that all members of the group can read it//  --There was post after post criticizing the Minister.//    as deaf as a post at deaf(1)//    be driven/passed from pillar to post at pillar(4)//    pip sb at the post at pip2 (1)//    first-past-the-post//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  apply for a post //  offer somebody a post //  appoint somebody to a post //  take up a post (=start a new job) //  hold a post (=have a job) //  fill a post //  resign (from) a post/leave a post //  senior/junior post //  teaching/administrative/government post //  ----------//\npost 2 S3 v [T]   ----------//\n   1 letter:\n   2 post something through somebody’s door/letter box:\n   3 job:\n   4 public notice:\n   5 guard:\n   6 keep somebody posted:\n   7 profit/loss etc:\n   8 internet message:\n   9 be posted missing:\n  10 post bail:  ----------//\n  1 LETTER:   BrE to send a letter, package etc by post//   mail//  --She’s just gone to post a letter .//  post sth (off) to sb//  --Did you remember to post the card to my parents?//  post sb sth//  --I posted Barry the cheque last Friday.//\n  2  post sth through sb’s door/letter box:   BrE to push something through someone’s letterbox//  --I’ll post the key through your letterbox when I leave.//\n  3 JOB:   [usually passive] if you are posted somewhere, your employer sends you to work there, usually for several years//  post sb to France/London etc //  --He joined the British Army and was posted to Germany.//  post sb abroad/overseas //\n  4 PUBLIC NOTICE:   also post up //  to put up a public notice about something on a wall or notice board//  --The exam results were posted on the bulletin board yesterday.//\n  5 GUARD:  to make someone be in a particular place in order to guard a building, check who enters or leaves a place, watch something etc//   station//  --Guards were to be posted around nuclear power stations.//\n  6  keep sb posted:   spoken to regularly tell someone the most recent news about something//  keep somebody posted on//  --I’ll keep you posted on his progress.//\n  7 PROFIT/LOSS ETC:   especially AmE to officially record and announce information about a company’s financial situation or a country’s economic situation//  --Cisco Systems posted record profits and sales for the third fiscal quarter.//\n  8 INTERNET MESSAGE:  to put a message or computer document on the Internet so that other people can see it//  --Could you post those new flyers on David’s website?//\n  9  be posted missing:   BrE if a soldier is posted missing, it is announced officially that they have disappeared//\n  10  post bail:   law  especially AmE to pay a specific amount of money in order to be allowed to leave prison before your trial//


Words: post office
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C] a place where you can buy stamps, send letters and packages etc:\n  2  the Post Office:  the national organization which is responsible for collecting and delivering letters//


Words: Post Office Counters
Meaning:
the part of the British  Post Office that deals with sales of stamps to the public, and provides other services such as the payment of state  pensions and  social security payments, and the selling of road  tax discs for people’s cars//


Words: post-
Meaning:
prefix   [Language: Latin; Origin: post  ’after’]//  later than or after something//  --the postwar years (=the years after a particular war) //  --the post-1979 Conservative government//


Words: post-industrial
Meaning:
adj   relating to the period in the late 20th century when the older types of industry became less important, and computers became more important//  --the post-industrial information-based society //


Words: Post-it
Meaning:
also  Post-it note n [C]    trademark a small piece of coloured paper that sticks to things, used for leaving notes for people//


Words: post-mortem
Meaning:
,  postmortem/p[hA353][hA35E]stm[hA350][hA359]t[hA353]m $ po[hA35E]stm[hA350][hA359]r-/ n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: post mortem  ’after death’]//\n  1  also postmortem examination :  an examination of a dead body to discover why the person died//   autopsy//  post-mortem on//  --A post-mortem on the body revealed that the victim had been strangled.//  do/carry out/conduct a post-mortem //\n  2  especially BrE an examination of a plan or event that failed, done to discover why it failed:  post-mortem on//  --a post-mortem on the company’s poor results//


Words: post-operative
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   relating to the time after someone has had a medical operation//  --post-operative care//


Words: post-traumatic stress disorder
Meaning:
n [U]    medical PTSD a mental illness which can develop after a very bad experience such as a plane crash//


Words: post-war
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   happening or existing after a war, especially the Second World War//  → pre-war//  --post-war Britain//  post-war period/years/era //  --food rationing in the immediate post-war years//  -- post-war adv //


Words: postage
Meaning:
n [U]   the money charged for sending a letter, package etc by post//  --How much is the postage for a postcard?//  postage and packing  BrE  //  /postage and handling  AmE  (=the charge for packing and sending something you have bought) //  --It’s yours for [hA124]13.99, including postage and packing.//


Words: postage meter
Meaning:
n [C]    AmE a machine used by businesses which puts a mark on letters and packages to show that postage has been paid//  British Equivalent:  franking machine//


Words: postal
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1 relating to the official system which takes letters from one place to another:  --the U.S. postal service //  -- postal workers //  --an increase in postal charges//\n  2 relating to sending things by post:  --Candidates are chosen by a postal ballot of all party members.//  postal vote  BrE //  --Housebound voters should register early for a postal vote.//\n  3  go postal:   AmE  informal to become very angry and behave in a violent way//


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


Words: Postal Service
Meaning:
the  also the US Postal Service   the official name for the US government department responsible for collecting and delivering mail//


Words: postbag
Meaning:
n  BrE \n  1 [singular] all the letters received by an important person, television programme etc on a particular occasion:  --We’ve had an enormous postbag on the recent programme changes.//\n  2 [C] a bag for carrying letters, used by the person who delivers them:  American Equivalent:  mailbag//


Words: postbox
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a box in a public place, into which you put letters that you want to send//  British Equivalent:  letter boxAmerican Equivalent:  mailbox//


Words: postcard
Meaning:
n [C]   a card that can be sent in the post without an envelope, especially one with a picture on it//  --Don’t forget to send us a postcard!//


Words: postcode
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a group of numbers and letters that you write at the end of an address on an envelope, package etc. The postcode shows the exact area where someone lives and helps the post office deliver the post more quickly//  American Equivalent:  zip code//


Words: postdate
Meaning:
v [T] \n  1 if you postdate a cheque, you write it with a date that is later than the actual date, so that it will not become effective until that time:    backdate//\n  2 to happen, live, or be made later in history than something else:    predate//  --Some of the mosaics postdate this period.//


Words: poste restante
Meaning:
n [U]    BrE a post office department which keeps letters for people who are travelling, until they arrive to collect them//


Words: poster
Meaning:
S3   n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  POST21]//  a large printed notice, picture, or photograph, used to advertise something or as a decoration//  --A team of volunteers were putting up posters .//  --a poster campaign for the election//  poster for//  --the poster for the exhibition//  poster of//  --posters of old movie stars//


Words: poster child
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]  AmE \n  1 a child with a particular illness or physical problem whose picture appears on a poster advertising the work of an organization that helps children with that problem:\n  2 someone or something that represents a particular quality, idea etc - often used humorously:  --Dillon is the poster child for wasted talent.//


Words: poster paint
Meaning:
n [U and C]   brightly coloured paint that contains no oil, used especially by children to paint pictures//


Words: posterior
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: ’further behind’, from  posterus  ’coming after’, from  post;   POST-]//   technical near or at the back of something//  → anterior//  --the posterior part of the brain//\nposterior 2 n [C]   the part of the body you sit on - used humorously//   buttocks, bottom//


Words: posterity
Meaning:
n [U]  formal   all the people in the future who will be alive after you are dead//  preserve/record/keep etc sth for posterity //  --a priceless work of art that must be kept for posterity//


Words: postgraduate
Meaning:
n [C]  especially  BrE   someone who is studying at a university to get a master’s degree or a PhD//  American Equivalent:  graduate student//\npostgraduate 2 adj [only before noun] \n  1  especially BrE relating to studies done at a university after completing a first degree:  American Equivalent:  graduate//  --postgraduate degrees//\n  2  AmE relating to studies done after completing a PhD:   post doctoral//


Words: posthumous
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Late Latin; Origin: posthumus, from  Latin postumus  ’late-born’, from  posterus;   POSTERIOR1]//  happening, printed etc after someone’s death//  --a posthumous collection of his articles//  -- posthumously adv //  --He was posthumously awarded the Military Cross.//


Words: posting
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 if a soldier, a representative of a country etc gets a posting somewhere, they are sent there to do their job:  posting to//  --shortly before his posting to South Africa//  --a diplomatic posting //\n  2  also post :  a message sent to an Internet discussion group so that all members of the group can read it//\n  3  AmE a public notice, especially one advertising a job:  --job postings//


Words: postman
Meaning:
n   plural  postmen /-m[hA353]n/ [C] //   BrE someone whose job is to collect and deliver letters//  American Equivalent:  mailman//


Words: Postman Pat
Meaning:
a character in British books and television programmes for children. Postman Pat is a happy postman who drives around in his  van delivering letters and packages with his black and white cat, Jess.//


Words: postmark
Meaning:
n [C]   an official mark made on a letter, package etc to show when and where it was posted//  -- postmark v  [T] //  --The letter was postmarked Iowa.//


Words: postmenopausal
Meaning:
adj   a postmenopausal woman has gone through the menopause (=when she stops having her monthly flow of blood) //


Words: postmodern
Meaning:
adj \n  1 relating to or influenced by postmodernism:  --postmodern architecture//\n  2 used to describe styles, attitudes etc that are typical of the social life that is found in many western countries now, in which television, video, the buying of goods and services etc are very important:  --postmodern culture//


Words: postmodernism
Meaning:
n [U]   a style of building, painting, writing etc, developed in the late 20th century, that uses a mixture of old and new styles as a reaction against modernism//  -- postmodernist adj //  --postmodernist fiction//  -- postmodernist n  [C] //


Words: postnatal
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   relating to the time after a baby is born//  --postnatal care//  -- postnatal depression  (=an illness in which a woman feels very unhappy and tired after her baby is born) //


Words: postpaid
Meaning:
adj   costing nothing to send because the amount has already been paid//  --The kit costs $33.95 postpaid.//


Words: postpartum
Meaning:
adj  technical   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: post partum  ’after birth’]//  relating to the time immediately after a woman has a baby//   postnatal//


Words: postpone
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: postponere, from  ponere;   POSITION1]//  to change the date or time of a planned event or action to a later one//   put back//  → bring forward//  --The match had to be postponed until next week.//  postpone doing sth//  --They’ve decided to postpone having a family for a while.//  --His trial has been postponed indefinitely  (=no one knows when it will happen) .//  -- postponement n  [U and C] //


Words: postprandial
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  formal  especially BrE   happening immediately after a meal - often used humorously//  --a postprandial nap//


Words: postscript
Meaning:
n [C] PS   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: postscriptum, from  Latin postscribere  ’to write after’]//\n  1 a message written at the end of a letter after you have signed your name:\n  2 extra details or information that you add after a story or account:  postscript to//  --There’s an interesting postscript to this tale.//


Words: postseason
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  AmE   relating to the time after the usual sports season is over//  → preseason//  --a postseason game//  -- postseason n  [singular] //


Words: postulate
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  postulare, from  poscere  ’to ask’]//   formal to suggest that something might have happened or be true//  postulate that//  --It has been postulated that the condition is inherited.//  -- postulation/p[hA361]stj[hA36A]le[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ p[hA35A][hA359]st[hA35D][hA353]-/ n  [U and C] //\npostulate 2   n [C]    formal something believed to be true, on which an argument or scientific discussion is based//  postulate of//  --the basic postulates of Marxism//


Words: posture
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: Italian positura, from  Latin positus;   POSITION1]//\n  1 [U and C] the way you position your body when sitting or standing:  good/bad etc posture //  --Poor posture can lead to muscular problems.//  --her upright posture //\n  2 [singular] the way you behave or think in a particular situation:  posture towards//  --He tends to adopt a defensive posture towards new ideas.//


Words: posturing
Meaning:
n [U and C]  formal \n  1 when someone pretends to have a particular opinion or attitude:  --He dismissed the Senator’s comments as ’ political posturing ’.//\n  2 when someone stands or moves in a way that they hope will make other people notice and admire them:  -- posture v  [I] //


Words: pot
Meaning:
W3S2   n   ----------//\n   1 cooking:\n   2 for a plant:\n   3 tea/coffee:\n   4 for food, paint etc:\n   5 bowl/dish etc:\n   6 go to pot:\n   7 pots of money:\n   8 money:\n   9 drug:\n  10 (a case of) the pot calling the kettle black:\n  11 stomach:\n  12 hit a ball:\n  13 toilet:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: pott]//\n  1 COOKING:   [C] a container used for cooking which is round, deep, and usually made of metal//  -- pots and pans //  pot of//  --There was a big pot of soup on the stove.//\n  2 FOR A PLANT:   [C] a container for a plant, usually made of plastic or baked clay//  --herbs growing in pots//\n  3 TEA/COFFEE:   [C] a container with a handle and a small tube for pouring, used to make tea or coffee//  --Is there any tea left in the pot?//  pot of//  --I’ll make a pot of coffee.//    coffee pot,  teapot//\n  4 FOR FOOD, PAINT ETC:   [C]  BrE a round container for storing foods such as  jam that are slightly liquid, or for substances such as glue or paint//  pot of//  --a pot of blue paint//  jam/paint/yoghurt etc pot //\n  5 BOWL/DISH ETC:   [C] a dish, bowl, plate, or other container that is made by shaping clay and then baking it//    pottery//  --an earthenware pot//\n  6  go to pot:   informal if something such as a place or an organization goes to pot, it becomes much worse or fails because no one is taking care of it//  --The government has let the whole country go to pot .//\n  7  pots of money:   BrE  informal a lot of money//  --They’ve got pots of money in the bank.//  --He’s hoping to make pots of money from the deal.//\n  8 MONEY:   the pot//  a) money that is available to do something, especially money that people have collected//  in the pot//  --So far we’ve got [hA124]150 in the pot.//  b) all the money that people have risked in a card game, and which can be won//  in the pot//  --There was $1000 in the pot.//\n  9 DRUG:   [U]  old-fashioned  informal  marijuana//  --Michael was smoking pot with some friends.//\n  10  (a case of) the pot calling the kettle black:   informal used humorously to say that you should not criticize someone for something, because you have done the same thing or have the same fault//\n  11 STOMACH:   [C] a potbelly//\n  12 HIT A BALL:   [C]  BrE the act of hitting a ball into one of the pockets (=holes at the edge of the table) in games such as billiards, pool, and snooker//\n  13 TOILET:   [C]  informal a toilet//    chamber pot,  chimney pot,  flowerpot,  lobsterpot,  melting pot//\npot 2   past tense and past participle  potted present participle  potting  v [T] //  ----------//\n   1 plants:\n   2 ball:  ----------//\n  1 PLANTS:   also  pot up BrE //  to put a plant into a pot filled with soil//  --Pot the seedlings after 2-3 weeks.//\n  2 BALL:   BrE to hit a ball into one of the pockets (=holes at the edge of the table)  in games such as billiards, pool, and snooker//   pocket//


Words: pot luck
Meaning:
BrE  potluck AmE   n \n  1  take pot luck:  a) to choose something without knowing very much about it, and hope that it will be what you want//  --We hadn’t booked a hotel so we had to take pot luck.//  b) to have a meal at someone’s home in which you eat whatever they have available, rather than food which has been specially bought for the occasion//  --I’m not sure what there is in the fridge - you’ll have to take pot luck.//\n  2 [C]  AmE a meal in which everyone who is invited brings something to eat:  --Can you bring a salad? It’s a potluck.//  potluck meal/dinner etc //  --a potluck supper at the church//


Words: Pot Noodle
Meaning:
trademark   a dish sold in the UK, consisting of dried  pasta, meat, and vegetables. You mix it with boiling water and it is ready to eat almost immediately.//


Words: pot roast
Meaning:
n [C]   a dish that consists of a piece of meat cooked slowly in a pan with potatoes and other vegetables//


Words: pot shot
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: pot +  shot; from the idea of shooting something to cook it and eat it]//  take a pot shot at sb/sth//  a) to shoot at someone or something without aiming very carefully//  --The boy took a pot shot at a pigeon with his air gun.//  b) to criticize someone or something unfairly without thinking carefully about it//  --He enjoys taking pot shots at the government whenever the opportunity arises.//


Words: potable
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Late Latin; Origin: potabilis, from  Latin potare  ’to drink’]//  potable water is safe to drink//


Words: potash
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: pot +  ash; because it was made by putting ash in water and letting it dry out in pots]//  a type of potassium used especially in farming to make the soil better//


Words: potassium
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: English potash]//  a common soft silver-white metal that usually exists in combination with other substances, used for example in farming. It is a chemical element: symbol K//


Words: potato
Meaning:
S2   n   plural  potatoes //  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Spanish; Origin: batata, from  Taino]//\n  1 [U and C] a round white vegetable with a brown, red, or pale yellow skin, that grows under the ground:  roast/fried/boiled/mashed potato //  jacket potato (=cooked in its skin) //  --Marie stood at the sink, peeling potatoes  (=cutting off the skin) .//\n  2 [C] a plant that produces potatoes:


Words: potato crisp
Meaning:
BrE potato chip  AmE n [C]   a very thin round piece of potato cooked in oil and eaten cold, sold in packages//


Words: Potato Famine
Meaning:
the   a  famine in Ireland in 1845-46, caused when the failure of the potato crop led to a serious lack of food all over the country. As a result, many people died of hunger and many others left Ireland to go to live in the US. The British government, which at that time ruled Ireland, did very little to help people who were suffering, and some Irish people still feel upset and angry about this.//


Words: potbellied stove
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   a small round metal stove that you burn wood or coal in for heating or cooking, used especially in the past//


Words: potbelly
Meaning:
n   plural  potbellies  [C] //  a large round unattractive stomach that sticks out//  -- potbellied [adjective] //


Words: potboiler
Meaning:
n [C]   a book or film that is produced quickly to make money and which is not of very high quality, especially one that is exciting or romantic//


Words: potbound
Meaning:
adj  BrE   a plant that is potbound cannot grow any more because its roots have grown to fill the pot it is in//


Words: potency
Meaning:
n [singular,U] \n  1 the power that something has to influence people:  potency of//  --the potency of his arguments//  --The myth of male superiority was losing its potency.//\n  2 the strength of something, especially a drug, on your mind or body:  potency of//  --the potency of the drug//\n  3  also sexual potency :  the ability of a man to have sex//  --loss of potency after age 40//


Words: potent
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  potere  ’to be powerful’]//\n  1 having a very powerful effect or influence on your body or mind:   powerful//  --potent drugs//  --a potent symbol of oppression//  --Advertising is a potent force in showing smoking as a socially acceptable habit.//  --A good company pension scheme remains a potent weapon for attracting staff.//\n  2 powerful and effective:  --The treaty requires them to get rid of their most potent weapons.//\n  3 a man who is potent is able to have sex or able to make a woman pregnant:  → impotent//  -- potently adv //


Words: potential
Meaning:
W2S3   adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Late Latin; Origin: potentialis, from  Latin potentia  ’power’, from  potere;   POTENT]//  likely to develop into a particular type of person or thing in the future//   possible//  potential customer/buyer/client //  --new ways of attracting potential customers//  potential benefit/problem //  --the potential benefits of the new system//  potential danger/threat/risk //  --the potential risks to health associated with the drug//\npotential 2 W3 n [U] \n  1 the possibility that something will develop in a particular way, or have a particular effect:  potential for//  --The company certainly has the potential for growth.//  potential of//  --the potential of the Internet to create jobs//\n  2 if people or things have potential, they have a natural ability or quality that could develop to make them very good:  have/show potential //  --She has the potential to become a champion.//  with potential//  --a young player with great potential//  achieve/fulfil/realize your (full) potential (=succeed as well as you possibly can) //\n  3  technical the difference in voltage between two points on an electrical circuit:


Words: potentiality
Meaning:
n   plural  potentialities  [C] //   formal an ability or quality that could develop in the future//


Words: potentially
Meaning:
adverb]   something that is potentially dangerous, useful etc is not dangerous etc now, but may become so in the future//  --a potentially dangerous situation//


Words: potholder
Meaning:
n [C]   a piece of thick material that you use to protect your hands when you pick up a hot cooking pan//


Words: pothole
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a large hole in the surface of a road, caused by traffic and bad weather, which makes driving difficult or dangerous:\n  2  BrE a long hole that goes deep under the ground, formed by natural processes:  -- potholed adj //


Words: potholing
Meaning:
n [U]  BrE   the sport of climbing down potholes and underground caves//   caving//  -- potholer n  [C] //


Words: potion
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin potio  ’drink’, from  potare  ’to drink’]//\n  1  literary a drink intended to have a special or magical effect on the person who drinks it, or which is intended to poison them:  --a magic potion//  --a love potion//\n  2 a medicine, especially one that seems strange or old-fashioned:


Words: Potomac
Meaning:
the Potomac//  a river in the east of the US which separates Maryland and Washington, D.C. from Virginia and West Virginia//


Words: potpourri
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: pot pourri  ’decayed pot’]//\n  1 [U] a mixture of pieces of dried flowers and leaves kept in a bowl to make a room smell pleasant:\n  2 [singular] a mixture of things that are not usually put together, for example different pieces of music or writing:  potpourri of//  --a potpourri of literary styles//


Words: Potsdam Agreement
Meaning:
the   an agreement by the countries that won World War II (the US, Britain, the USSR, and France) to divide control of Germany between them//


Words: potted
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1 growing indoors in a pot:  --a potted plant //\n  2  potted history/biography/version:   BrE a short and simple explanation or description that gives only the most important facts about someone or something//\n  3  BrE potted meat or fish has been cooked and stored in a container, usually in the form of a paste for spreading on bread:


Words: Potter
Meaning:
Beatrix   (1866-1943) a British writer who wrote stories for young children and also drew the pictures for her books. The characters in her stories are animals who dress and behave like humans, and they include Peter Rabbit, Tom Kitten, and Mrs Tiggy-Winkle (a  hedgehog). Her stories are still very popular today.//\n Dennis   (1935-94) a British writer of plays for television, whose many plays include  Pennies from Heaven and  The Singing Detective. He is one of the most important and original writers of plays for television, which often use popular songs as part of serious stories.//\n Harry   a boy  magician (=person who uses magic)  who is the main character in a very successful series of books by the British writer J.K.  Rowling. Harry goes to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and he has an evil enemy, Lord Voldemort. //


Words: potter
Meaning:
n [C]   [Sense: 1; Date: 1000-1100; Origin: pot]//  [Sense: 2; Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  POTTER2]//  someone who makes pots, dishes etc out of clay//\npotter 2  also potter about/around  v [I]  BrE   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: pote  ’to push’ (OE-C19)]//  to spend time doing pleasant things that are not important without hurrying//  American Equivalent:  putter//  --I spent the morning pottering about in the garden.//  -- potterer n  [C] //


Words: potter’s wheel
Meaning:
n [C]   a piece of equipment that turns around, onto which wet clay is placed so that it can be shaped by hand into a pot//


Words: Potteries
Meaning:
the Potteries//  a part of Staffordshire in the  Midlands of England which is a centre for the  china and  pottery industry//


Words: pottery
Meaning:
n   plural  potteries //\n  1 [U] objects made out of baked clay:  --Native American pottery//\n  2 [U] clay that has been shaped and baked in order to make pots, dishes etc:  --a pottery bowl//\n  3 [U] the activity of making pots, dishes etc out of clay:  --a pottery class//\n  4 [C] a factory where pottery objects are made:


Words: potty
Meaning:
adj  BrE  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Origin unknown]//\n  1 crazy or silly:  --What a potty idea!//  --You must be potty!//\n  2  drive sb potty:  if something or someone is driving you potty, they are annoying you, especially if they are making it difficult for you to continue what you are doing//\n  3  be potty about sb/sth:  to like someone very much, or be very interested in something//  --She’s potty about riding.//  -- pottiness n  [U] //\npotty 2   plural  potties  n [C] //  [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: pot]//\n  1 a container used by very young children as a toilet:\n  2  go potty:   AmE to use the toilet - used by young children or when speaking to them//  --Do you need to go potty?//\n  3  potty mouth:   AmE  spoken someone who has or is a potty mouth uses offensive words//\n  4  potty break:   AmE  informal a time when you stop what you are doing, especially when driving a car, so that you can use the toilet - used humorously//


Words: potty-training
Meaning:
n [U]   the process of teaching a very young child to use a potty or toilet//  -- potty-train v  [T] //  -- potty-trained adj //


Words: pouch
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old North French; Origin: pouche]//\n  1 a small leather, cloth, or plastic bag that you can keep things in, and which is sometimes attached to a belt:  pouch of//  --a leather pouch of tobacco//  --a money pouch//\n  2  especially AmE a large bag for carrying letters or papers:  --a mail pouch//\n  3 a pocket in the side of a bag such as a rucksack:  pouch//\n  4 a pocket of skin on the stomach which marsupials such as kangaroos use for carrying their babies:\n  5 a fold of skin like a bag which animals such as hamsters or squirrels have inside each cheek to carry and store food:


Words: pouffe
Meaning:
,  pouf/pu[hA359]f/ n [C]  BrE   a soft piece of furniture like a large cushion, which you can sit on or rest your feet on//


Words: Poulenc
Meaning:
Francis   (1899-1963) a French composer of modern music who wrote  operas, piano music, songs, and  ballet music. His works include Mouvements Perpetuels, Les Biches, and  Dialogue des Carmelites.//


Words: poultice
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: pultes  ’soft material’, from  Latin puls  ’porridge’]//  something that is put on someone’s skin to make it less swollen or painful, often made of a wet cloth with milk, herbs, or clay on it//


Words: poultry
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: pouleterie, from  polet  ’young chicken’]//\n  1 [plural] birds such as chickens and ducks that are kept on farms in order to produce eggs and meat:\n  2 [U] meat from birds such as chickens and ducks:


Words: pounce
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin: pounce  ’claw’ (15-19 centuries), probably from  puncheon  ’pointed weapon’ (14-20 centuries), from  Old French poinchon]//  to suddenly move forward and attack someone or something, after waiting to attack them//  --The cat was hiding in the bushes, ready to pounce.//  pounce on//  --Kevin pounced on Liam and started hitting him.//  -- pounce n  [C] //  pounce on / [pounce on sb/sth] phr v//\n  1 to criticize someone’s mistakes or ideas very quickly and eagerly:  --Teachers are quick to pounce on students’ grammatical errors.//\n  2 to eagerly take an opportunity as soon as it becomes available:  --When they offered O’Leary the chance to become manager, he pounced on it.//


Words: Pound
Meaning:
Ezra   (1885-1972) a US poet who lived mostly in Europe, and whose poems include the  Cantos. He broadcast on the radio in support of  fascism and  Mussolini during World War II. As a result, after the war the US government charged him with  treason, but he was judged to be mentally ill and sent to a mental hospital until 1958. //


Words: pound
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 weight:\n   2 money:\n   3 for dogs and cats:\n   4 for cars:\n   5 get/take/demand etc your pound of flesh:\n   6 telephone:  ----------//  [Sense: 1-2, 5-6; Origin: Old English pund, from  Latin pondo]//  [Sense: 3-4; Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Perhaps from  Old English pund-, found only in compound words]//\n  1 WEIGHT:   [C]  written abbreviation lb //  a unit for measuring weight, equal to 16 ounces or 0.454 kilograms//  pound of//  --a pound of apples//  --Moira weighs about 130 pounds .//  --The grapes cost $2 a pound .//\n  2 MONEY:   also pound sterling //   [C] //  a) [hA124] the standard unit of money in Britain, which is divided into 100 pence//  --They spent over a thousand pounds.//  --a multi-million pound business//  --a five pound note//  b)  the (British) pound//  the value of British money compared with the value of the money of other countries//  --The pound was up against the dollar.//  c) the standard unit of money in various other countries, such as Egypt and the Sudan//\n  3 FOR DOGS AND CATS:   [C usually singular] a place where dogs and cats that have been found on the street are kept until their owners come to get them//\n  4 FOR CARS:   [C] a place where cars that have been illegally parked are kept until their owners pay money to get them back//\n  5  get/take/demand etc your pound of flesh:  to get the full amount of work, money etc that someone owes you, even though it makes them suffer and you do not really need it//\n  6 TELEPHONE:   [U]  AmE the pound key//\npound 2 v   ----------//\n   1 hit:\n   2 heart:\n   3 head:\n   4 move:\n   5 attack with bombs:  Phrasal verbs//   pound something → out//  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: punian]//\n  1 HIT:   [I and T] to hit something very hard several times and make a lot of noise, damage it, break it into smaller pieces etc//  --He began pounding the keyboard of his computer.//  pound against/on//  --Thomas pounded on the door with his fist.//  --Waves pounded against the pier.//  pound sth against/on sth//  --Green pounded his fist on the counter.//\n  2 HEART:   [I] if your heart or blood is pounding, your heart is beating very hard and quickly//  pound with//  --Patrick rushed to the door, his heart pounding with excitement.//  --She ran, her heart pounding in her chest .//\n  3 HEAD:   [I] if your head is pounding, it feels painful, especially because you have a headache or you have been using a lot of effort//\n  4 MOVE:   [I always + adverb/preposition, T] to walk or run quickly with heavy loud steps//  pound along/through/down etc//  --I could hear him pounding up the stairs.//  --a policeman pounding his beat//  --Runners will be pounding the pavement this weekend during the London Marathon.//\n  5 ATTACK WITH BOMBS:   [T] to attack a place continuously for a long time with bombs//  --Enemy forces have been pounding the city for over two months.//  pound out [pound sth → out] phr v//  to play music loudly//  --The Rolling Stones were pounding out one of their old numbers.//


Words: pound cake
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  Because it was made of a pound of each of the things in it]//  a heavy cake made from flour, sugar, and butter//


Words: pound sign
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1  BrE the symbol ([hA124]), used for a pound in British money:\n  2  AmE the symbol (#), used especially on a telephone:  British Equivalent:  hash//


Words: poundage
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1  technical an amount charged for every pound in weight, or for every British [hA124]1 in value:\n  2  informal weight:


Words: pounder
Meaning:
n   a 3-pounder/24-pounder/185-pounder etc//  a) an animal, fish, or person that weighs 3 pounds, 24 pounds etc//  b) a gun that fires a shell that weighs 3 pounds, 24 pounds etc//


Words: pounding
Meaning:
n \n  1 [singular,U] the action or the sound of something hitting a surface very hard many times:  pounding of//  --the pounding of the waves on the rocks below//\n  2 [singular,U] the action or sound of your heart beating:\n  3  take a pounding:  a) to be completely defeated//  --Manchester United took a real pounding.//  b) to be hit or attacked many times and often badly damaged//  --The ship had taken a pounding on the rocks.//


Words: pour
Meaning:
W3S2   v   cup, saucer, teapot//  ----------//\n   1 liquid:\n   2 liquid/smoke:\n   3 rain:\n   4 people or things:\n   5 light:\n   6 pour cold water over/on something:\n   7 pour scorn on somebody/something:\n   8 pour oil on troubled waters:\n   9 pour it on:\n  10 pour on the charm:  Phrasal verbs//   pour something into something//   pour something → out//  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  Perhaps from  French dialect purer, from  Latin purus;   PURE]//\n  1 LIQUID:   [T] to make a liquid or other substance flow out of or into a container by holding it at an angle//  --She poured coffee for everyone.//  pour sth into/out/down etc (sth)//  --Pour the oil into a frying pan and heat.//  pour sth away//   (=get rid of something) //  --The wine was so bad I just poured it away.//  pour sb sth//  --Why don’t you pour yourself another drink ?//\n  2 LIQUID/SMOKE:   [I always + adverb/preposition] if a lot of liquid or smoke pours out, it comes out from somewhere in very large amounts//  pour from/down/out//  --Smoke was pouring out of the upstairs windows.//  --Blood was pouring from his nose.//\n  3 RAIN:   also pour down //   [I] to rain heavily without stopping//  -- It’s pouring now.//  -- It poured all night.//  it’s pouring with rain/it poured with rain  BrE //  --It was pouring down with rain at three o’clock.//\n  4 PEOPLE OR THINGS:   [I always + adverb/preposition] if lot of people or things pour into or out of a place, a lot of them arrive or leave at the same time//  pour into/out of/from etc//  --The crowds began pouring out of the stadium.//  --Offers of help poured in from all over the country.//\n  5 LIGHT:   [I always + adverb/preposition] if light is pouring into or out of a place, a lot of light is coming in or out//  pour into/out of//  --Light was pouring into the courtyard.//\n  6  pour cold water over/on sth:  to criticize someone’s plan, idea, or desire to do something so much that they no longer feel excited about it//\n  7  pour scorn on sb/sth:  to say that something or someone is stupid and not worth considering//\n  8  pour oil on troubled waters:  to try to stop a quarrel, for example by talking to people and making them calmer//\n  9  pour it on:  a) to behave or talk in a particular way in order to make people like you or feel sorry for you//  b)  AmE  informal to try very hard in order to do something, especially in order to win a game//  --The Raiders really poured it on in the second quarter.//\n  10  pour on the charm:  to behave in a very nice and polite way, in order to make someone like you//  pour into [pour sth into sth] phr v//  if people pour money into something, they provide a lot of money for it over a period of time, in order to make it successful//  --They’ve poured thousands of pounds into developing the business.//  pour out [pour sth → out] phr v//  if you pour out your thoughts, feelings etc, you tell someone all about them, especially because you feel very unhappy//  --She poured out all her troubles to him.//  pour out your heart/soul (=tell someone all your feelings, including your most secret ones) //


Words: Poussin
Meaning:
Nicolas   (1594-1665) a French painter whose most important works are his  landscapes (=paintings showing an area of countryside or land) //


Words: pout
Meaning:
v [I and T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin:  Perhaps from a  Scandinavian language]//  to push out your lower lip because you are annoyed or unhappy, or in order to look sexually attractive//  --He sounded like a pouting child.//  --Her full lips pouted slightly.//  -- pout n  [C] //  -- pouty adj //


Words: poverty
Meaning:
W3   n   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: poverte, from  Latin paupertas, from  pauper;   POOR]//\n  1 [U] the situation or experience of being poor:    poor, impoverished//  --Millions of elderly people  live in poverty . //  -- We need an effective strategy to  fight poverty . //  -- continued efforts to  alleviate poverty  and raise living standards //  --scenes of  abject poverty  //  --the causes of  urban poverty //\n  2  the poverty line:   also the poverty level  AmE the income below which a person or a family is officially considered to be very poor and in need of help//  --20% of the population now live below the poverty line .//\n  3  the poverty trap:  a situation in which a poor person without a job cannot afford to take a low paying job because they would lose the money they receive from the government//\n  4 [singular,U]  formal a lack of a particular quality:  poverty of//  --The novel shows a surprising poverty of imagination.//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  live/grow up/die in poverty //  fight/combat poverty  (=try to end poverty) //  alleviate/relieve poverty  (=improve poverty) //  extreme/severe poverty //  abject/grinding/dire poverty  (=extreme poverty) //  urban/rural poverty (=poverty of people in cities or the countryside) //  ----------//


Words: pow
Meaning:
interjection   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  From the sound]//  used to represent the sound of a gun firing, an explosion, or someone hitting another person hard, especially in children’s comics//


Words: pow-wow
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Narragansett; Origin: powwaw  ’magician’]//\n  1 a meeting or discussion - used humorously:\n  2 a meeting or council of Native Americans:


Words: powder
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: poudre, from  Latin pulvis  ’dust’]//\n  1 [U and C] a dry substance in the form of very small grains:  --curry powder//  --talcum powder//  -- Grind the sugar into a powder .//  --The paint is supplied in powder form .//  milk/custard etc powder (=a powder that you add water to in order to change it into a liquid) //\n  2 [U]  also face powder :  a type of powder that you put on your face in order to make it look smoother and to give it more colour//\n  3  a powder keg:  a dangerous situation or place where violence or trouble could suddenly start//  --Since the riot, the city has been a powder keg waiting to explode.//\n  4 [U]  also powder snow :  dry light snow//  --There’s a foot of powder on the slopes.//\n  5 [U]  gunpowder:\n  6  keep your powder dry:  to wait calmly until you see how a situation develops before deciding what to do//\npowder 2 v \n  1 [T] to put powder on something, especially your skin:  --She was powdering her face .//\n  2  powder your nose:  an expression meaning to go to the toilet, used by women to avoid saying this directly//  --She’s just gone to powder her nose.//


Words: powder room
Meaning:
n [C]   a room with a toilet for women, especially in a public place - used to avoid saying this directly//


Words: Powell
Meaning:
Anthony   (1905-2000) a British writer who wrote a series of 12  novels A Dance to the Music of Time, which describes the lives of a group of  upper-class friends over a long period.//\n Colin   (1937- ) a US military leader who became famous during the  Gulf War and who was the first black person to become Chairman of the  Joint Chiefs of Staff (=leader of all the US military forces) . In 2001 President George W Bush made him US  Secretary of State.//\n Enoch   (1912-98) a British politician in the  Conservative Party, who was a government minister in the early 1960s, and later left the Conservative Party and became an MP in Northern Ireland. He made a speech in 1968 in which he said that if the UK allowed too many black people to come and live there, there would be fighting and "rivers of blood" in the streets. Many people criticized him for this speech, because they believed that it encouraged  racist attitudes.//\n Michael   (1905-1990), a British film director, who made most of his important films with the Hungarian-born director Emeric Pressburger (1902-1988). They included The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943), A Matter of Life and Death (1946), The Red Shoes (1948), and The Battle of the River Plate (1956). Powell also directed Peeping Tom (1960), the controversial film of a murderer who filmed his victims as he killed them.//


Words: power
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 control:\n   2 government:\n   3 influence:\n   4 right/authority:\n   5 ability:\n   6 energy:\n   7 earning/purchasing/bargaining etc power:\n   8 strength:\n   9 electricity:\n  10 air/sea power:\n  11 strong country:\n  12 be in/within somebody’s power (to do something):\n  13 be beyond somebody’s power (to do something):\n  14 be in somebody’s power:\n  15 do somebody a power of good:\n  16 mathematics:\n  17 the powers that be:\n  18 lens:\n  19 the powers of good/evil/darkness:\n  20 a power in the land:\n  21 the power behind the throne:\n  22 power trip:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: poeir, from  poeir  ’to be able’, from  Latin potere;   POTENT]//\n  1 CONTROL:   [U] the ability or right to control people or events//    powerful, powerless//  --We all felt that the chairman had too much power.//  power over//  --People should have more power over the decisions that affect their lives.//  --the enormous economic power of the US//  --Workers had little political power .//  --the balance of power between management and unions//  --He was engaged in a bitter power struggle with the director (=a situation in which groups or leaders try to get control) .//  --Nothing will change until there are more women in positions of power. //  power-mad/power-crazy/power-hungry //  --power-hungry politicians//  --The bishops had almost absolute power .//  --the power wielded by unelected civil servants (=which they have and use) //\n  2 GOVERNMENT:   [U] the position of having political control of a country or government//  in power//  --The dictator had been in power for seven years.//  --the party in power//  come/rise to power (=start having political control) //  --De Gaulle came to power in 1958.//  --They seized power in a military coup.//\n  3 INFLUENCE:   [U] the ability to influence people or give them strong feelings//    powerful, powerless//  power of//  --the power of his writing//  --the immense power of television//  --the pulling power  (=ability to attract people or attention) of major celebrities//  student/black/consumer etc power (=the political or social influence a particular group has) //\n  4 RIGHT/AUTHORITY:   [U and C] the right or authority to do something//  --The police have been given special powers to help them in the fight against terrorism.//  power to do sth//  --The committee has the power to order an enquiry.//  power of arrest/veto etc //  --The chairman has the power of veto on all decisions.//\n  5 ABILITY:   [U and C] a natural or special ability to do something//  --After the accident she lost the power of speech  (=ability to speak) .//  powers of observation/concentration/persuasion //  --a writer’s powers of observation//  --your mental powers//  --a stone with magical powers//\n  6 ENERGY:   [U] energy that can be used to make a machine work or to make electricity//  nuclear/wind/solar etc power //  --Many people are opposed to the use of nuclear power.//  --the search for renewable sources of power //  under power//  --The ship was able to leave port under its own power  (=without help from another machine, ship etc) .//\n  7  earning/purchasing/bargaining etc power:  the ability to earn money, buy things etc//  --Property in the city is beyond the purchasing power of most people.//  --your bargaining power in pay negotiations//\n  8 STRENGTH:   [U] the physical strength or effect of something//    powerful//  --the power of a cheetah’s long legs//  --The power of the explosion smashed windows across the street.//\n  9 ELECTRICITY:   [U] electricity that is used in houses, factories etc//  --Make sure the power is switched off first.//  power cut/failure/outage (=a short time when the electricity supply is not working) //  --Parts of the country have had power cuts because of the storms.//  --The power came back on.//\n  10  air/sea power:  the number of planes or ships that a country has available to use in a war//\n  11 STRONG COUNTRY:   [C] a country that is strong and important and can influence events, or that has a lot of military strength//    powerful, powerless//  --Egypt is still a major power in the Middle East.//  world power (=a country that can influence events in different parts of the world) //\n  12  be in/within sb’s power (to do sth):  if it is in someone’s power to do something, they have the authority or ability to do it//  --I wish it was within my power to change the decision.//  do everything/all in your power //  --The ambassador promised to do everything in his power to get the hostages released.//\n  13  be beyond sb’s power (to do sth):  if it is beyond someone’s power to do something, they do not have the authority or ability to do it//  --It’s beyond the power of the court to make such a decision.//\n  14  be in sb’s power:   literary to be in a situation in which someone has complete control over you//\n  15  do sb a power of good:   BrE  informal to make someone feel more healthy, happy, and hopeful about the future//  --It looks as if your holiday has done you a power of good.//\n  16 MATHEMATICS:   [C] if a number is increased to the power of three, four, five etc, it is multiplied by itself three, four, five etc times//\n  17  the powers that be:  the unknown people who have important positions of authority and power, and whose decisions affect your life//  --The powers that be don’t want the media to get hold of the story.//\n  18 LENS:   [U]  technical the ability of a lens, for example in a pair of glasses or a microscope, to make things look bigger//\n  19  the powers of good/evil/darkness:  unknown or magical forces that people believe can influence events in a good or evil way//\n  20  a power in the land:   old-fashioned someone who has a lot of power and influence in a country//\n  21  the power behind the throne:  someone who secretly controls and influences decisions made by the leader or government of a country, but who does not have an official government position//\n  22  power trip:   informal if you are on a power trip, you are enjoying your power or authority in a way that other people think is unpleasant//    staying power,  balance of power,  high-powered//\npower 2 v \n  1 [T usually passive] to supply power to a vehicle or machine:  --It’s powered by a Ferrari V12 engine.//\n  2 [I always + adverb/preposition] to move with a lot of force and speed:  --His strong body powered through the water.//    high-powered//  power up [power sth → up] phr v//  to make a machine start working//  --Never move a computer while it is powered up.//\npower 3 adj [only before noun] \n  1 driven by an electric motor:  --power tools//  --power shower//\n  2  power breakfast/lunch etc:   informal a meal at which people meet to discuss business//\n  3  power suit:   informal clothes which you wear at work to make you look important or confident//


Words: power base
Meaning:
n [C]   an area or group of people whose support makes a politician or leader powerful//  --the party’s traditional power base//


Words: power broker
Meaning:
power-broker n [C]   someone who controls or influences which people get political power in an area//  -- power-broking n  [U] //


Words: power cut
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a period of time when there is no electricity supply//   power failure//  American Equivalent:  power outage//


Words: power dressing
Meaning:
n [U]   when you wear a particular style of clothes in order to emphasize how important or powerful you are, especially at work//


Words: power of attorney plural
Meaning:
powers of attorney  n [U and C]    law the legal right to make financial decisions, sign documents etc for another person//


Words: power outage
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   a period of time when there is no electricity supply//   power failure//  British Equivalent:  power cut//


Words: power pack
Meaning:
n [C]   something that is easily carried from which a piece of electrical equipment can get power, for example a  battery//


Words: power plant
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a building where electricity is produced to supply a large area:   power station//\n  2 the machine or engine that supplies power to a factory, plane, car etc:


Words: power point
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a place on a wall where electrical equipment can be connected to the electricity supply//   socket//


Words: power politics
Meaning:
n [U]   when a country or person attempts to get power and influence by using or threatening to use force or other actions, especially against another country//


Words: power station
Meaning:
n [C]    especially BrE a building where electricity is produced to supply a large area//  --Chernobyl nuclear power station//  coal-fired/gas-fired power station //


Words: power steering
Meaning:
also power assisted steering  n [U]   a system for steering a vehicle which uses power from the vehicle’s engine and so needs less effort from the driver//  --Most new cars now have power steering.//


Words: power structure
Meaning:
n [C]   the way in which the group of people who control a country, society, or organization are organized//  --There have been significant changes in the power structure of the company.//


Words: power-nap
Meaning:
n [C]   a short sleep in the middle of the day that helps you to have more energy, do your job better, and make better decisions//


Words: power-sharing
Meaning:
n [U]   an arrangement in which different groups, such as political parties, share the power to make decisions//  --proposals for power-sharing between Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland//


Words: powered
Meaning:
adj   working or moving using a means of power such as electricity, a motor etc//  --a powered wheelchair//  battery-powered/nuclear-powered/mains powered //  --a nuclear-powered submarine//  high-powered/low-powered //  --a high-powered engine//    high-powered//


Words: powerful
Meaning:
W2   adj   ----------//\n   1 important:\n   2 speech/film etc:\n   3 feeling/effect:\n   4 machine/weapon etc:\n   5 physically strong:\n   6 a lot of force:\n   7 medicine:\n   8 team/army etc:\n   9 quality:  ----------//\n  1 IMPORTANT:  a powerful person, organization, group etc is able to control and influence events and other people’s actions//    powerless//  --He was one of the most powerful men in Bohemia.//  --a very influential and powerful family//  --rich and powerful nations//\n  2 SPEECH/FILM ETC:  having a strong effect on someone’s feelings or opinions//  --a powerful speech//  powerful reasons/arguments (=reasons that make you think that something must be true) //  --Good teamwork is a powerful tool  (=very effective method) for effective management.//\n  3 FEELING/EFFECT:  a powerful feeling or effect is very strong or great//  --Immigrants have had a powerful influence on the local culture.//  --a powerful sense of tradition//\n  4 MACHINE/WEAPON ETC:  a powerful machine, engine, weapon etc is very effective and can do a lot//  --a new generation of more powerful PCs//  --a machine that is immensely powerful //  --a powerful 24 valve engine//  --a powerful telescope//\n  5 PHYSICALLY STRONG:  physically strong//  --Jed was a powerful, well-built man.//  --The females are smaller and less powerful than the males.//\n  6 A LOT OF FORCE:  a powerful blow, explosion etc has a lot of force//  --an explosion ten times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb//  --a powerful right-foot shot on goal//  --winds powerful enough to uproot trees//\n  7 MEDICINE:  a powerful medicine or drug has a very strong effect on your body//\n  8 TEAM/ARMY ETC:  a powerful team, army etc is very strong and can easily defeat other teams or armies//  --a powerful fighting force//\n  9 QUALITY:  very strong, bright, loud etc//  --a powerful singing voice//  --the powerful headlights//  -- powerfully adv //  --Christie is very powerfully built.//    all-powerful//


Words: powerhouse
Meaning:
n [C]  informal \n  1 an organization or place where there is a lot of activity or where a lot of things are produced:  --Europe’s industrial powerhouse//\n  2 someone who is very strong or has a lot of energy:  --a powerhouse of a man//


Words: powerless
Meaning:
adj   unable to stop or control something because you do not have the power, strength, or legal right to do so//    powerful//  --He felt so powerless.//  powerless to do sth//  --Local police were powerless to stop them doing it again.//  powerless against//  --The villagers were powerless against the rising flood water.//  -- powerlessly adv //  -- powerlessness n  [U] //  --a sense of frustration and powerlessness//


Words: pox
Meaning:
n  old use   [Date: 1300-1400; Origin: pocks, plural of  pock  ’mark on the skin’, from  Old English pocc]//\n  1  the pox:  a) the disease syphilis//  b) the disease smallpox//\n  2  a pox on sb:  used to show that you were angry or annoyed with someone//    chicken pox//


Words: poxy
Meaning:
adj  BrE  informal   used to show that you do not like something, or do not think it is big or important//  --We’ve had such poxy weather lately.//  --a poxy little room//


Words: pp.
Meaning:
also  pp BrE \n  1 the written abbreviation of pages :  --See pp 15 - 17.//\n  2 written before the name of another person when you are signing a letter instead of them:


Words: PPP
Meaning:
n [U]   public-private partnership a system of providing money for transport systems, hospitals, schools etc where the government pays some money and private investors provide the rest of it//


Words: PPS
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: post-postscriptum]//\n  1  also  P.P.S. AmE a note added after a PS in a letter or message:\n  2 Parliamentary Private Secretary a member of the British parliament whose job is to help a minister:


Words: PR
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 public relations the work of explaining to the public what an organization does, so that they will understand it and approve of it:  PR agency/firm/consultant //  --a large PR firm//  --The band have been getting a lot of good PR recently.//  --Many say it was no more than a PR exercise  (=something done to make people think something is good) .//\n  2  BrE the abbreviation of proportional representation :


Words: practicable
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: praticable, from  pratiquer  ’to put into practice’]//  a practicable way of doing something is possible in a particular situation//  --The only practicable course of action is to sell the company.//  --It is their duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that the equipment is safe.//  it is practicable (for sb) to do sth//  --It may not always be practicable to follow exactly the recommendations.//  -- practicably adv //  -- practicability/pr[zB024]kt[hA366]k[hA353]b[hA366]l[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //


Words: practical
Meaning:
W2S3   adj   ----------//\n   1 real:\n   2 effective:\n   3 clear thinking:\n   4 suitable:\n   5 using your hands:\n   6 for/to all practical purposes:\n   7 practical certainty/disaster/sell-out etc:  ----------//  [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Late Latin; Origin: practicus, from  Greek praktikos, from  prassein  ’to do’]//\n  1 REAL:  relating to real situations and events rather than ideas, emotions etc//    theoretical//  --Candidates should have training and practical experience in basic electronics.//  --the practical problems of old age//  --They provide financial and practical help for disabled students.//  --a combination of theoretical and practical training//  --They haven’t thought about the practical consequences of the new regulations.//  -- In practical terms , this means spending more time with each student.//\n  2 EFFECTIVE:  practical plans, methods etc are likely to succeed or be effective in a situation//  → impractical//  --It doesn’t sound like a very practical solution.//  --a practical way of achieving greater efficiency//  --Unfortunately, there’s no practical alternative to driving.//  --a practical guide to buying and selling a house//\n  3 CLEAR THINKING:  a practical person is good at dealing with problems and making decisions based on what is possible and what will really work//  → impractical//  --She’s a very practical person .//  --I was very shocked, but tried to be practical and think what to do.//\n  4 SUITABLE:  useful or suitable for a particular purpose or situation//  → impractical //  --Skirts aren’t very practical in my kind of work.//\n  5 USING YOUR HANDS:  good at repairing or making things//  --I’m not very practical - I can’t even change a light bulb.//\n  6  for/to all practical purposes:  used to say what the real effect of a situation is//  --The time you spend on it doesn’t, for all practical purposes, affect the final result.//\n  7  practical certainty/disaster/sell-out etc:  something that is almost certain, almost a disaster etc//  --Sampras looks a practical certainty to win Wimbledon this year.//\npractical 2 n [C]    BrE a lesson or examination in science, cooking etc in which you have to do or make something yourself rather than write or read about it//  --a chemistry practical//


Words: practical joke
Meaning:
n [C]   a trick that is intended to give someone a surprise or shock, or to make them look stupid//  -- practical joker n  [C] //


Words: practical nurse
Meaning:
n [C]  AmE   someone who has been trained and is allowed to do some of the same work as a nurse, but who has less training than a registered nurse//


Words: practicality
Meaning:
n \n  1  practicalities [plural] the real facts of a situation rather than ideas about how it might be:  practicalities of//  --the practicalities of everyday life for someone in a wheelchair//\n  2 [U] how suitable something is, or whether it will work:  --doubts about the practicality of your suggestion//  --You need to think about comfort and practicality when choosing walking shoes.//\n  3 [U] the quality of being sensible and basing your plans on what you know will work:


Words: practically
Meaning:
adv \n  1  especially spoken almost:  --I’ve read practically all of his books.//  --She sees him practically every day.//  --It’s practically impossible to predict what will happen.//  --The two designs were practically identical.//\n  2 in a sensible way which takes account of problems:  --’But how can we pay for it?’ said John practically.//


Words: practice
Meaning:
W1S2   n   ----------//\n   1 a skill:\n   2 in practice:\n   3 something done often:\n   4 doctor/lawyer:\n   5 be common/standard/normal practice:\n   6 good/best/bad practice:\n   7 put something into practice:\n   8 be out of practice:\n   9 practice makes perfect:  ----------//\n  1 A SKILL:   [U and C] when you do a particular thing, often regularly, in order to improve your skill at it//  --It takes hours of practice to learn to play the guitar.//  --With a little more practice you should be able to pass your test.//  --We have choir practice on Tuesday evening.//  in practice for sth//  --Schumacher crashed out in practice for the Australian grand prix.//  football/rugby/basketball etc practice //  --John’s at baseball practice.//\n  2  in practice:  used when saying what really happens rather than what should happen or what people think happens//  --In practice women receive much lower wages than their male colleagues.//  --The journey should only take about 30 minutes, but in practice it usually takes more like an hour.//\n  3 SOMETHING DONE OFTEN:   [U and C] something that people do often, especially a particular way of doing something or a social or religious custom//  --religious beliefs and practices//  --dangerous working practices //  the practice of doing sth//  --the practice of dumping waste into the sea see usage note  habit//\n  4 DOCTOR/LAWYER:   [C] the work of a doctor or lawyer, or the place where they work//  medical/legal practice //  --Mary Beth had a busy legal practice in Los Angeles.//    general practice,  private practice//\n  5  be common/standard/normal practice:  to be the usual and accepted way of doing something//  -- It’s common practice in many countries for pupils to repeat a year if their grades are low.//  -- It’s standard practice to seek parents’ permission wherever possible.//\n  6  good/best/bad practice:  an example of a good or bad way of doing something, especially in a particular job//  --It’s not considered good practice to reveal clients’ names.//\n  7  put sth into practice:  if you put an idea, plan etc into practice, you start to use it and see if it is effective//  --It gave him the chance to put his ideas into practice.//\n  8  be out of practice:  to have not done something for a long time, so that you are not able to do it well//\n  9  practice makes perfect:  used to say that if you do an activity regularly, you will become very good at it//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  In British English the verb is always spelled practise ( > see separate entry). In American English both noun and verb are spelled practice. //  ----------//


Words: practise
Meaning:
W3S3  BrE  practice AmE   v \n  1 [I and T] to do an activity, often regularly, in order to improve your skill or to prepare for a test:  --They moved the furniture back to practise their dance routine.//  --It gives students the opportunity to practice their speaking skills.//  practise doing sth//  --Today we’re going to practise parking.//  practise for//  --She’s practicing for her piano recital.//  practise sth on sb//  --Everybody wants to practise their English on me.//\n  2 [T] to use a particular method or custom:  --a technique not widely practised in Europe//\n  3 [I and T] to work as a doctor or lawyer:  --medical graduates who intend to practise in the UK//  practise as//  --Gemma is now practising as a dentist.//\n  4 [T] if you practise a religion, system of ideas etc, you live your life according to its rules:  --They are free to practice their religion openly.//\n  5  practise what you preach:  to do the things that you advise other people to do//  --She didn’t always practise what she preached.//


Words: practised
Meaning:
BrE  practiced AmE   adj \n  1 someone who is practised in a particular job or skill is good at it because they have done it many times before:  --a practised performer//  practised in (doing) sth//  --He was already well practiced in giving acceptance speeches.//  to the practised eye (=to someone who has seen something many times and knows a lot about it) //\n  2 [only before noun] a practised action has been done so often that it now seems very easy:  --He faced the television cameras with practised ease. //


Words: practising
Meaning:
BrE  practicing AmE   adj \n  1  a practising Catholic/Muslim/Jew etc:  someone who follows the rules and customs of a particular religion//  → lapsed//\n  2  a practising doctor/lawyer/teacher etc:  someone who is working as a doctor, lawyer etc//  --Few practicing teachers have time for such research.//


Words: practitioner
Meaning:
W3   n [C] \n  1 someone who works as a doctor or a lawyer:  medical/legal practitioner //  --a practitioner of alternative medicine//    general practitioner//\n  2 someone who regularly does a particular activity:  --one of golf’s most experienced practitioners//  practitioner of//  --a practitioner of Taoist philosophy//


Words: Prado
Meaning:
the Prado//  the national Spanish  museum of painting and  sculpture, in Madrid, which has many very important works of art by painters such as  El Greco,  Goya,  Velasquez, and  Rubens//


Words: pragmatic
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: pragmaticus  ’skilled in law or business’, from  Greek, from  pragma  ’thing done’]//  dealing with problems in a sensible, practical way instead of strictly following a set of ideas//    dogmatic//  --Williams took a more pragmatic approach to management problems.//  -- pragmatically/-kli/ adv //


Words: pragmatics
Meaning:
n [U]    technical the study of how words and phrases are used with special meanings in particular situations//


Words: pragmatism
Meaning:
n [U]   a way of dealing with problems in a sensible, practical way instead of following a set of ideas//  --a politician known for his pragmatism//  -- pragmatist n  [C] //


Words: Prague
Meaning:
the capital city of the  Czech Republic, which is an important industrial centre. It has many beautiful buildings and is visited by many tourists.//


Words: Prague spring
Meaning:
the   a short time in 1968 when the Communist government of Czechoslovakia, under Alexander Dubcek, allowed people to have more freedom than before. The Soviet Union did not agree with these changes and  invaded Czechoslovakia and forced the government to return to the way things were before.//


Words: prairie
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: Latin pratum  ’field’]//  a wide open area of fairly flat land in North America which is covered in grass or wheat//


Words: praise
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: preisier, from  Late Latin pretiare  ’to value highly’, from  Latin pretium;   PRICE1]//\n  1 to say that you admire and approve of someone or something, especially publicly:  → criticize//  --Jane was praised by her teacher.//  praise sb/sth for (doing) sth//  --The Mayor praised the rescue teams for their courage.//  --a highly praised novel//  praise sb/sth to the skies (=praise someone or something very much) //\n  2 to give thanks to God and show your respect to Him, especially by singing in a church:\n  3  God/Heaven be praised:   also Praise the Lord //  used to say that you are pleased something has happened and thank God for it//  ----------//  WORD FOCUS: praise //  similar words: compliment (v, n),  say good things about //  to praise someone a lot: rave about,  gush,  sing somebody’s praises //  to praise someone in an insincere way: flatter,  butter up //  ----------//\npraise 2 n [U] \n  1 words that you say or write in order to praise someone or something:  → criticism//  -- Give plenty of praise and encouragement.//  --Mrs. George was full of praise for her nurses (=she praised them a lot) .//  --His first novel received high praise. //  in praise of sb/sth//  --a poem in praise of his hero//  --Gregory was singled out for special praise. //  --There were words of praise for the girls.//  --The film has won praise from audiences and critics alike.//\n  2 the expression of respect and thanks to God:  --Let us give praise unto the Lord.//  --songs of praise//\n  3  praise be!:   old-fashioned used when you are very pleased about something that has happened//    sing sb’s praises at sing(4)//


Words: praiseworthy
Meaning:
adj   something that is praiseworthy deserves praise, even though it may not have been completely successful//  --the council’s praiseworthy attempts to improve efficiency//  -- praiseworthiness n  [U] //


Words: praline
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  Count Plessis- Praslin (1598-1675), French soldier whose cook invented praline]//  a sweet food made of nuts cooked in boiling sugar//


Words: pram
Meaning:
S3   n [C]    BrE a small vehicle with four wheels in which a baby can lie down while it is being pushed//  American Equivalent:  baby carriage//    buggy//  --a young woman pushing a pram //


Words: prance
Meaning:
v [I] \n  1 [always + adverb/preposition] to walk or dance with high steps or large movements, especially in a confident way:  prance around//  --We used to prance around our bedroom pretending to be pop stars.//\n  2 if a horse prances, it moves with high steps:


Words: prank
Meaning:
n [C]   a trick, especially one which is played on someone to make them look silly//  --a childish prank//


Words: prate
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Middle Dutch; Origin: praten]//   old use to talk in a meaningless, boring way about something//


Words: pratfall
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: prat  ’buttocks’ (16-20 centuries) +  fall]//\n  1 an embarrassing accident or mistake:  --another one of the Vice-President’s pratfalls//\n  2 an act of falling down, especially when this is funny or embarrassing:


Words: prattle
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Low German; Origin: pratelen]//  to talk continuously about silly and unimportant things//  prattle away/on//  --What’s Sarah prattling on about ?//  -- prattle n  [U] //  -- prattler n  [C] //


Words: Pravda
Meaning:
a Russian newspaper, which was formerly the official newspaper of the  Communist Party of the  Soviet Union//


Words: prawn
Meaning:
n [C]  especially BrE   a small pink shellfish that can be eaten//  American Equivalent:  shrimp//  --a prawn sandwich//  --prawn cocktail (=a small dish of prawns in a sauce with some salad) //


Words: pray
Meaning:
W3S3   v [I and T]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: preier, from  Latin precari, from  prex  ’request, prayer’]//\n  1 to speak to God in order to ask for help or give thanks:    prayer//  --They went to the mosque to pray.//  pray for//  --Let us pray for peace.//  pray to//  --Martha prayed to God for help.//  pray (that)//  --He prayed that his sight might be restored.//\n  2 to wish or hope very strongly that something will happen or is true:  pray (that)//  --Paul was praying that no one had noticed his absence.//  --I hope and pray that this is a misunderstanding.//  pray for//  --We’re praying for good weather tomorrow.//\npray 2 adv [sentence adverb]    old-fashioned used when politely asking a question or telling someone to do something//   please//  --Pray be seated.//  --And who, pray tell , is this?//


Words: prayer
Meaning:
W3S3   n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: preiere, from  Latin precaria, from  prex;   PRAY1]//\n  1 [C] words that you say when praying to God or gods:  --Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this difficult time.//  --The children said their prayers and got into bed.//  --God has answered your prayer .//  prayer for//  --a prayer for the dead//    lord’s prayer//\n  2 [U] when someone prays, or the regular habit of praying:  --the power of prayer//  --a prayer meeting //  in prayer//  --The congregation knelt in prayer.//\n  3 [C] a wish or hope that something will happen:  --Her prayer was that she would pass her exams.//\n  4  prayers [plural] a regular religious meeting in a church, school etc, at which people pray together:  --Prayers are at 8 o’clock.//\n  5  not have a prayer (of doing sth):   informal to have no chance of succeeding//  --He tried hard, but he didn’t have a prayer.//  --They don’t have a prayer of winning.//\n  6  an/the answer to sb’s prayers:   informal something that someone wants or needs very much//  --The job was an answer to my prayers.//    on a wing and a prayer at wing1 (10)//


Words: prayer wheel
Meaning:
n [C]   a drum-shaped object with prayers on it or inside it, which Tibetan Buddhists turn on a pole as a way of praying//


Words: pre-
Meaning:
prefix   [Language: Old French; Origin: Latin prae-, from  prae  ’in front of, before’]//\n  1 before someone or something:    ante-//  --prewar (=before a war) //\n  2 in preparation:  --a prearranged signal//  --Preset the video.//


Words: pre-eminent
Meaning:
preeminent/priem[hA369]n[hA353]nt/ adj   much more important, more powerful, or better than any others of its kind//  --his pre-eminent position in society//  -- pre-eminently adv //  -- pre-eminence n  [U] //


Words: pre-empt
Meaning:
preempt/priempt/ v [T]   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: preemption  (17-21 centuries), from  Medieval Latin praeemere  ’to buy before’]//\n  1 to make what someone has planned to do or say unnecessary or ineffective by saying or doing something first:  --The deal pre-empted a strike by rail workers.//\n  2  AmE to replace a television show with a special programme or report:  --Regular programming was preempted by a report on the war.//  -- pre-emption/-emp[hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U] //


Words: pre-emptive
Meaning:
preemptive/priempt[hA366]v/ adj   a pre-emptive action is done to prevent something from happening, especially something that will harm you//  pre-emptive strike/attack //  --a series of pre-emptive strikes on guerilla bases//


Words: pre-existing
Meaning:
preexisting/pri[hA359][hA366]gz[hA366]st[hA366][hA26E][hA36B]/ adj [only before noun]    formal existing before a particular time or event//  --Inform your doctor of any pre-existing medical condition .//


Words: pre-loved
Meaning:
adj   a pre-loved house, pet etc has already been owned by someone else - used especially in advertisements to suggest the previous owner cared strongly about the object, animal etc//


Words: pre-owned
Meaning:
adj   if something that is for sale is pre-owned, it has been owned and used by someone else before - used especially in advertisements to make something not sound old//  British Equivalent:  second-handAmerican Equivalent:  used//  --pre-owned cars//


Words: pre-pay
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   pre-pay mobile phone systems make you pay before you use the service, rather than sending you a demand for money after you have been using it//


Words: Pre-Raphaelite
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin: Raphael (Raffaello Santi) (1483-1520), Italian painter]//\n  1 relating to the members of a group of late 19th century English painters and artists:  --a Pre-Raphaelite painting//\n  2 used to describe a woman’s hair that is long and curly:  -- Pre-Raphaelite n  [C] //


Words: pre-set
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]   decided or set at an earlier time//  --The heating automatically switches on and off at pre-set temperatures.//


Words: pre-shrunk
Meaning:
adj   pre-shrunk clothes are sold after they have been made smaller by being washed//    shrink//  --pre-shrunk jeans//


Words: pre-tax
Meaning:
adj   pre-tax profits or losses are the profits or losses of a company before tax has been taken away//  -- Pre-tax profits fell 26.6% to [hA124]3.1 million.//  -- pre-tax adv //


Words: pre-verbal
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  technical   happening before a child has learned to speak//  --the pre-verbal stages//


Words: pre-war
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]   happening or existing before a war, especially the Second World War//  → post-war//  --pre-war Britain//


Words: preach
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: prechier, from  Late Latin praedicare, from  Latin dicare  ’to say publicly’]//\n  1 [I and T] to talk about a religious subject in a public place, especially in a church during a service:  preach to//  --Christ began preaching to large crowds.//  preach on/about//  --The vicar preached a sermon about the prodigal son.//  --He traveled the southern states, preaching the gospel .//\n  2 [T] to talk about how good or important something is and try to persuade other people about this:  --Alexander has been preaching patience.//  preach the virtues/merits/benefits of sth //  --a politician preaching the virtues of a free market//\n  3 [I] to give someone advice, especially about their behaviour, in a way that they think is boring or annoying:  preach about//  --grown-ups preaching about the evils of drugs//\n  4  preach to the converted/choir:  to talk about what you think is right or important to people who already have the same opinions as you//    practise what you preach at practise(5)//


Words: preachy
Meaning:
adj  informal   trying too much to persuade people to accept a particular opinion - used to show disapproval//  --a preachy TV show//


Words: preamble
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: preambule, from  Late Latin praeambulus  ’walking in front’]//   formal a statement at the beginning of a book, document, or talk, explaining what it is about//  preamble to//  --the preamble to the American Constitution//  --Harding gave him the news without preamble  (=without saying anything else before it) .//


Words: prearranged
Meaning:
adj   planned or decided before//  --At a prearranged signal, everyone stood up.//  -- prearrangement n  [U] //


Words: prebuttal
Meaning:
n [C]   a statement that a politician makes saying that a criticism of them is false or unfair, before the criticism has been made//    rebuttal//  --Wiggins issued a prebuttal against his opponent’s speech, even before the text was delivered to reporters.//


Words: precarious
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: precarius  ’got by asking, uncertain’]//\n  1 a precarious situation or state is one which may very easily or quickly become worse:  --Her health remained precarious, despite the treatment.//  --the company’s precarious financial position //\n  2 likely to fall, or likely to cause someone to fall:  --a precarious mountain trail//  -- precariously adv //  --a cup of tea balanced precariously on her knee//  -- precariousness n  [U] //


Words: precaution
Meaning:
n [C usually plural]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: precaution, from  Latin, from  praecavere  ’to guard against’]//  something you do in order to prevent something dangerous or unpleasant from happening//  --Fire precautions were neglected.//  as a precaution//  --The traffic barriers were put there as a safety precaution. //  precaution against//  --Save your work often as a precaution against computer failure.//  wise/sensible precaution //  --The trails are well marked, but carrying a map is a wise precaution.//  --Vets took precautions to prevent the spread of the disease.//  take the precaution of doing sth //  --I took the precaution of insuring my camera.//


Words: precautionary
Meaning:
adj   done in order to prevent something dangerous or unpleasant from happening//  --More troops were sent to the area as a precautionary measure .//


Words: precede
Meaning:
W3   v [T]  formal   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: preceder, from  Latin praecedere  ’to go in front’]//\n  1 to happen or exist before something or someone, or to come before something else in a series:    preceding//  --a type of cloud that precedes rain//  --Lunch will be preceded by a short speech from the chairman.//\n  2 to go somewhere before someone else:  --The guard preceded them down the corridor.//


Words: precedence
Meaning:
n [U]   when someone or something is considered to be more important than someone or something else, and therefore comes first or must be dealt with first//   priority//  precedence over//  --Do we want a society where appearance takes precedence over skill or virtue?//  --Guests were seated in order of precedence .//  --Safety must be given precedence .//


Words: precedent
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C] an action or official decision that can be used to give support to later actions or decisions:  --a legal precedent //  set/create a precedent //  --UN involvement in the country’s affairs would set a dangerous precedent.//  precedent for//  --precedents for what courts will accept as ’fair’//\n  2 [U and C] something of the same type that has happened or existed before:  precedent for//  --There’s not much precedent for men taking leave when their baby is born.//  without precedent//  --An epidemic on this scale is without precedent.//\n  3 [U] the way that things have always been done:  break with precedent (=do something in a new way) //


Words: preceding
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]    formal happening or coming before the time, place, or part mentioned//   previous//  → following//  preceding days/weeks/months/years //  --income tax paid in preceding years//  preceding chapter/paragraph/page etc //  --the diagram in the preceding chapter//


Words: precept
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: praeceptum, from  praecipere  ’to take beforehand, give instruction to’]//   formal a rule on which a way of thinking or behaving is based//  --basic moral precepts//


Words: precinct
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: praecinctum, from  Latin praecingere  ’to put a belt around’]//\n  1 [C]  shopping/pedestrian precinct:   BrE an area of a town where people can walk and shop, and where cars are not allowed//\n  2 [C]  AmE one of the areas that a town or city is divided into, so that elections or police work can be organized more easily:\n  3 [C]  AmE the main police station in a particular area of a town or city:\n  4  precincts [plural] the area that surrounds an important building:  --the precincts of the cathedral//


Words: precious
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: precios, from  Latin pretiosus, from  pretium;   PRICE1]//\n  1 something that is precious is valuable and important and should not be wasted or used without care:  precious seconds/minutes/hours/time //  --We cannot afford to waste precious time.//  --planes delivering precious supplies of medicine and food//  --our planet’s precious resources //\n  2 rare and worth a lot of money:  precious gem/stone/jewel //  --a statue covered with precious jewels//\n  3 precious memories or possessions are important to you because they remind you of people you like or events in your life:  precious to//  --The doll is cracked and worn, but it’s precious to me because it was my mother’s.//\n  4 [only before noun]  spoken used to show that you are annoyed that someone seems to care too much about something:  --I never touched your precious car!//\n  5  spoken used to speak to someone you love, especially a baby or small child:  --Come sit by me, precious.//\n  6  AmE  spoken used in order to describe someone or something that is small and pretty:   cute//  --The kids gave me that ornament. Isn’t it precious?//\n  7  formal too concerned about style or detail in your writing or speech, so that it does not seem natural:  --His early work is rather precious and juvenile.//  -- preciously adv //  -- preciousness n  [U] //\nprecious 2 adv  informal   precious little/few//  very little or very few//  --I had precious little time for reading.//


Words: precipice
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: Latin praecipitium, from  praeceps  ’headfirst’, from  caput  ’head’]//\n  1 a very steep side of a high rock, mountain or cliff:  --A loose rock tumbled over the precipice.//\n  2 a dangerous situation in which something very bad could happen:  --The stock market is on the edge of a precipice .//


Words: precipitate
Meaning:
v   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  praecipitare, from  praeceps;   PRECIPICE]//\n  1 [T]  formal to make something serious happen suddenly or more quickly than was expected:   hasten//  --The riot was precipitated when four black men were arrested.//\n  2 [I,T + out]  technical to separate a solid substance from a liquid by chemical action, or to be separated in this way:  precipitate into [precipitate sb into sth] phr v//  to force someone or something into a particular state or condition//  --The drug treatment precipitated him into a depression.//\nprecipitate 2   n [C]    technical a solid substance that has been chemically separated from a liquid//\nprecipitate 3 adj  formal   happening or done too quickly, and not thought about carefully//   hasty//  --a precipitate decision//  -- precipitately adv //


Words: precipitation
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U]  technical rain, snow etc that falls on the ground, or the amount of rain, snow etc that falls:\n  2 [U and C]  technical a chemical process in which a solid substance is separated from a liquid:\n  3 [U]  formal the act of doing something too quickly in a way that is not sensible:


Words: precipitous
Meaning:
adj \n  1 very sudden:  --a precipitous decline in stock prices//\n  2 dangerously high or steep:  --a precipitous path//\n  3  formal happening or done too quickly, and not thought about carefully:  --a precipitous marriage//  -- precipitously adv //


Words: precis
Meaning:
n   plural  precis /-si[hA359]z $ -si[hA359]z/ [C] //  [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: precis;   PRECISE]//   especially BrE a statement which gives the main idea of a piece of writing, speech etc//   summary//  American Equivalent:  abstract//  --a precis of the report//  -- precis v  [T] //


Words: precise
Meaning:
W3   adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: precis, from  Latin praecisus, from  praecidere  ’to cut off’]//\n  1 precise information, details etc are exact, clear, and correct:   exact//  --precise sales figures//  --It was difficult to get precise information.//  --’She’s a lot older than you, isn’t she?’ ’Fifteen years, to be precise .’//\n  2 [only before noun] used to emphasize that you are referring to an exact thing:   exact//  --At that precise moment, her husband walked in.//  --The precise cause of the disease is unknown.//  --the precise location of the ship//  --the precise nature of their agreement//\n  3 someone who is precise is very careful about small details or about the way they behave:  --a precise, careful woman//  --with precise movements of his hands//


Words: precisely
Meaning:
W3S2   adv \n  1 exactly and correctly:   exactly//  --Temperature can be measured precisely.//  --He arrived at precisely 4 o’clock.//  precisely what/how/where etc//  --It is difficult to know precisely how much impact the changes will have.//  --What, precisely, does that mean?//  --Lathes make wheels, or, more precisely , they make cylindrical objects.//\n  2 used to emphasize that a particular thing is completely true or correct:  --Women in these jobs are paid less precisely because most of the jobs are held by women rather than men.//  --She’s precisely the kind of person we’re looking for.//\n  3  spoken  formal used to say that you agree completely with someone:  --’It needs to be dealt with now.’ ’Precisely, before it gets any worse.’//


Words: precision
Meaning:
n [U]   the quality of being very exact or correct//  with precision//  --The work was carried out with military precision  (=the work was done in a carefully planned and exact way) .//\nprecision 2 adj [only before noun] \n  1 made or done in a very exact way:  --precision engineering//  --precision bombing//\n  2  precision tool/instrument:  a precision tool or instrument is used for making or measuring something in a very exact way//


Words: preclude
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: praecludere  ’to block up’, from  claudere  ’to close’]//   formal to prevent something or make something impossible//  --rules that preclude experimentation in teaching methods//  preclude sb from doing sth//  --Age alone will not preclude him from standing as a candidate.//


Words: precocious
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: praecox  ’becoming ripe early’, from  coquere  ’to cook, ripen’]//  a precocious child shows intelligence or skill at a very young age, or behaves in an adult way - sometimes used to show disapproval in British English//  --a precocious child who walked and talked early//  -- precociously adv //  -- precociousness also precocity //  /pr[hA366]k[hA361]s[hA369]ti $ -k[hA35A][hA359]-/ n  [U] //


Words: preconceived
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   preconceived ideas, opinions etc are formed before you really have enough knowledge or experience//  --preconceived notions about art//  --We started from scratch with no preconceived ideas.//


Words: preconception
Meaning:
n [C]   a belief or opinion that you have already formed before you know the actual facts, and that may be wrong//  preconception about/of//  --I had the same preconceptions about life in South Africa that many people have.//


Words: precondition
Meaning:
n [C]   something that must happen or exist before something else can happen//  precondition of/for//  --A ceasefire is a precondition for talks.//


Words: precooked
Meaning:
adj   precooked food has been partly or completely cooked before it is sold so that it can be quickly heated up later//  -- precook v  [T] //


Words: precursor
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: praecursor, from  praecurrere  ’to run in front’]//   formal something that happened or existed before something else and influenced its development//  precursor of/to//  --a precursor of modern jazz//


Words: predate
Meaning:
v [T]   to happen or exist earlier in history than something else//  --The kingdom predates other African cultures by over 3,000 years.//


Words: predator
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Latin; Origin: praedator, from  praedari;   PREDATORY]//\n  1 an animal that kills and eats other animals:    prey//\n  2 someone who tries to use another person’s weakness to get advantages:  --a sexual predator//


Words: predatory
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: praedatorius, from  praedari  ’to seize and take away’, from  praeda  ’stolen things’]//\n  1 a predatory animal kills and eats other animals for food:\n  2 trying to use someone’s weakness to get advantages for yourself - used to show disapproval:  --predatory pricing//


Words: predecessor
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: predecesseur, from  Late Latin, from  Latin decedere  ’to go away, leave your job’]//\n  1 someone who had your job before you started doing it:  → successor//  --Kennedy’s predecessor as president was the war hero Dwight Eisenhower.//\n  2 a machine, system etc that existed before another one in a process of development:  → successor//  --The new BMW has a more powerful engine than its predecessor.//


Words: predestination
Meaning:
n [U]   the belief that God has decided everything that will happen and that people cannot change this//


Words: predestined
Meaning:
adj   something that is predestined is certain to happen because it has been decided by God or fate//  predestined to do sth//  --They believed that kings were predestined to rule.//


Words: predetermined
Meaning:
adj  formal   decided or arranged before something happens, so that it does not happen by chance//  predetermined level/limit/amount etc //  --a predetermined level of spending//  -- predetermine v  [T] //  --The colour of your eyes is predetermined by the colours of your parents’ eyes.//  -- predetermination/pri[hA359]d[hA366]t[hA362][hA359]m[hA369]ne[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ -[hA362][hA359]r/ n  [U] //


Words: predeterminer
Meaning:
n [C]    technical a word that is used before a determiner (=a word such as ’the’, ’that’, ’his’ etc) . In the phrases ’all the boys’ and ’both his parents’, the words ’all’ and ’both’ are predeterminers.//


Words: predicament
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Late Latin; Origin: praedicamentum, from  praedicare;   PREDICATE2]//  a difficult or unpleasant situation in which you do not know what to do, or in which you have to make a difficult choice//  --the country’s economic predicament//  --She went to the office to explain her predicament .//  in a predicament//  --Other married couples are in a similar predicament.//


Words: predicate
Meaning:
n [C]    technical the part of a sentence that makes a statement about the subject, such as ’swim’ in ’Fish swim’ and ’is an artist’ in ’She is an artist’//    subject//\npredicate 2   v   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Late Latin; Origin: , past participle of  praedicare;   PREACH]//  be predicated on/upon sth//   formal if an action or event is predicated on a belief or situation, it is based on it or depends on it//  --The company’s expansion was predicated on the assumption that sales would rise.//


Words: predicative
Meaning:
adj    technical a predicative adjective or phrase comes after a verb, for example ’happy’ in the sentence ’She is happy.’//  -- predicatively adv //


Words: predict
Meaning:
W3S3   v [T]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  praedicere  ’to say beforehand’]//  to say that something will happen, before it happens//    prediction//  --Sales were five percent lower than predicted.//  predict (that)//  --Newspapers predicted that Davis would be re-elected.//  predict whether/what/how etc//  --It is difficult to predict what the long-term effects of the accident will be.//  -- As Liz had predicted , the rumours were soon forgotten.//  be predicted to do sth//  --Unemployment is predicted to increase to 700,000 by the end of the year.//


Words: predictable
Meaning:
adj   if something or someone is predictable, you know what will happen or what they will do - sometimes used to show disapproval//  --The snow had a predictable effect on traffic.//  --an entertaining but predictable film//  --Logan’s reaction was predictable.//  -- predictably adv  [sentence adverb] //  --Predictably, no one was home when I called.//  -- predictability/pr[hA366]d[hA366]kt[hA353]b[hA366]l[hA369]ti/ n  [U] //


Words: prediction
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a statement about what you think is going to happen, or the act of making this statement//  prediction of//  --predictions of a Republican victory//  --The data can be used to make useful economic predictions .//


Words: predictive
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]    formal relating to the ability to show what is going to happen in the future//  --Dreams, even vivid ones, have little predictive value.//


Words: predictor
Meaning:
n [C]    formal something that shows what will happen in the future//  predictor of//  --High blood pressure is a strong predictor of heart attacks.//


Words: predilection
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: predilection, from  Medieval Latin praediligere  ’to love more, prefer’, from  Latin diligere;   DILIGENT]//   formal if you have a predilection for something, especially something unusual, you like it very much//  predilection for//  --Mrs Lane’s predilection for gossip//


Words: predispose
Meaning:
v [T] \n  1 to make someone more likely to suffer from a particular health problem:  predispose sb to sth//  --Diabetes predisposes patients to infections.//\n  2 to make someone more likely to behave or think in a particular way:  predispose sb to sth//  --Parents who smoke predispose children to smoking.//  -- predisposed adj //  --genetically predisposed to gain weight//


Words: predisposition
Meaning:
n [C]   a tendency to behave in a particular way or suffer from a particular illness//  predisposition to/towards//  --a predisposition towards alcoholism//


Words: predominance
Meaning:
n \n  1 [singular] if there is a predominance of one type of person or thing in a group, there are more of that type than of any other type:  predominance of//  --a predominance of boys in the class//\n  2 [U] someone or something that has predominance has the most power or importance in a particular group or area:  --Britain’s naval predominance//


Words: predominant
Meaning:
adj   more powerful, more common, or more easily noticed than others//  --the predominant group in society//  --In this painting, the predominant colour is black.//


Words: predominate
Meaning:
v [I]  formal \n  1 if one type of person or thing predominates in a group or area, there are more of this type than any other:  --Pine trees predominate in this area of forest.//\n  2 to have the most importance or influence, or to be most easily noticed:  --In this type of case, the rights of the parent predominate.//


Words: preen
Meaning:
v [I and T]   [Date: 1400-1500; Origin:  Probably from  Old French proignier;   PRUNE1]//\n  1 if a bird preens or preens itself, it cleans itself and makes its feathers smooth using its beak:\n  2 to spend time making yourself look tidier and more attractive:  preen yourself//  --a girl preening herself in the mirror//\n  3 to look proud and feel pleased because of something you have done:  preen yourself//  --He enjoyed the applause, preening himself like a pop star.//


Words: prefabricated
Meaning:
adj   built from parts which are made in standard sizes so that they can be put together anywhere//  --a prefabricated house//  -- prefabrication/pri[hA359]f[zB024]br[hA366]ke[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U] //


Words: preface
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: preface, from  Latin praefatio, from  praefari  ’to say before’]//  an introduction at the beginning of a book or speech//\npreface 2 v [T]    formal to say or do something before the main part of what you are going to say//  --The book is prefaced by a quotation from Faulkner.//


Words: prefect
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin praefectus, from  praeficere  ’to put in front’]//\n  1 an older student in some British schools, who has special duties and helps to control younger students:\n  2 a public official in some countries etc who is responsible for a particular area:


Words: prefer
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  preferred present participle  preferring  [T not in progressive] //  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: preferer, from  Latin praeferre  ’to put in front, prefer’]//\n  1 to like someone or something more than someone or something else, so that you would choose it if you could:    preference//  --This type of owl prefers a desert habitat.//  --She prefers her coffee black.//  --the government’s preferred option//  prefer sb/sth to sb/sth//  --a child that prefers his imaginary world to reality//  --Employees said they would prefer more flexible working hours.//  prefer to do sth//  --I prefer to wear clothes made of natural fibers.//  --Or, if you prefer , you can email us.//  prefer doing sth//  --Chantal prefers travelling by train.//  prefer that//  --We prefer that our teachers have a degree in early childhood education.//\n  2  I would prefer it if:   spoken //  a) used to say that you wish a situation was different//  --Sales have gone down, and obviously we’d prefer it if that didn’t happen.//  b) used when telling someone politely not to do something//  --I’d prefer it if you didn’t smoke in front of the children.//\n  3  prefer charges:   BrE  law to make an official statement that someone has done something illegal//


Words: preferable
Meaning:
adj   better or more suitable//  --For this dish, fresh herbs and garlic are preferable.//  --In warm weather, clothes made of natural fabrics are infinitely preferable  (=much better) .//  preferable to (doing) sth//  --Being taught in a small group is far preferable to being in a large, noisy classroom.//


Words: preferably
Meaning:
adv   used in order to show which person, thing, place, or idea you think would be the best choice//  --Students must take two years of a foreign language, preferably Spanish.//


Words: preference
Meaning:
W3   n \n  1 [U and C] if you have a preference for something, you like it more than another thing and will choose it if you can:    prefer//  --Do you have a colour preference ?//  preference for//  --a cultural preference for boy babies//  --Parents may be able to express a preference as to the school their child will attend.//  --The amount of sugar you add will depend on personal preference .//  --Many elderly people expressed a strong preference to live in their own homes.//  in preference to sth//   (=rather than something) //  --Use clear English in preference to technical language.//\n  2 [U and C] when someone is treated more favourably than other people, often when he or she has been treated unfairly in the past:  --Racial preferences are a way to make up for years of discrimination against minorities.//  give/show preference (to sb) //  --In allocating housing, preference is given to families with young children.//\n  3  sexual preference:  someone’s sexual preference is whether they want to have sex with men or women//


Words: preferential
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   preferential treatment, rates etc are deliberately different in order to give an advantage to particular people//  --preferential credit terms for reliable borrowers//  -- preferentially adv //


Words: prefigure
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Late Latin; Origin: praefigurare, from  Latin figurare  ’to shape, picture’]//   formal to be a sign that something will happen later//


Words: prefix
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Modern Latin; Origin: praefixum, from  Latin praefigere  ’to fasten before’]//\n  1  technical a group of letters that is added to the beginning of a word to change its meaning and make a new word, such as ’un’ in ’untie’ or ’mis’ in ’misunderstand’:    affix, suffix//\n  2 a number or letter that comes before other numbers or letters, especially a group of numbers that comes before a telephone number when you are calling someone in a different area:\n  3  old-fashioned a title such as ’Ms’ or ’Dr’ used before someone’s name:   title//\nprefix 2 v [T]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: prefixer, from  fixer  ’to fix’]//\n  1 to add a prefix to a word, name, or set of numbers:\n  2  formal to say something before the main part of what you have to say:


Words: pregnancy
Meaning:
n   plural  pregnancies  [U and C] //  when a woman is pregnant (=has a baby growing inside her body) //  --This drug should not be taken during pregnancy.//  --her third pregnancy//  --teenage pregnancies//  --a pregnancy test //


Words: pregnant
Meaning:
S3   adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: praegnans, from  praegnas, from  prae- (  PRE-) +  gnatus  ’born’]//\n  1 if a woman or female animal is pregnant, she has an unborn baby growing inside her body:    pregnancy//  --medical care for pregnant women//  --I knew right away that I was pregnant.//  --I thought I was too old to get pregnant .//  twenty weeks/three months etc pregnant //  --She’s about five months pregnant.//  pregnant with//  --Maria was pregnant with her second child.//  --I didn’t mean to get her pregnant  (=make her pregnant) .//  --His wife was heavily pregnant  (=almost ready to give birth) .//\n  2  pregnant pause/silence:  a pause or silence which is full of meaning or emotion//  --He stopped, and there was a pregnant pause.//\n  3  pregnant with sth:   formal containing a lot of a quality//  --Every phrase in this poem is pregnant with meaning.//


Words: preheat
Meaning:
v [T]   to heat an oven to a particular temperature before it is used to cook something//  -- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.//


Words: prehensile
Meaning:
adj  technical   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: prehensile, from  Latin prehendere  ’to seize’]//  a prehensile tail, foot etc can curl around things and hold on to them//


Words: prehistoric
Meaning:
adj \n  1 relating to the time in history before anything was written down:  --prehistoric burial grounds//  --prehistoric animals//\n  2 very old-fashioned - used humorously:  --a prehistoric attitude towards women//


Words: prejudge
Meaning:
v [T]   to form an opinion about someone or something before you know or have considered all the facts - used to show disapproval//  --Shepherd’s case was prejudged by the media before her trial.//  -- prejudgment n  [U and C] //


Words: prejudice
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin praejudicium, from  judicium  ’judgment’]//\n  1 [U and C] an unreasonable dislike and distrust of people who are different from you in some way, especially because of their race, sex, religion etc - used to show disapproval:  --Women still face prejudice in the workplace.//  --It takes a long time to overcome these kinds of prejudices.//  prejudice against//  --a cultural prejudice against fat people//  racial/sexual prejudice //  --Asian pupils complained of racial prejudice at the school.//\n  2  without prejudice (to sth):   law without harming or affecting something//  --He was able to turn down the promotion without prejudice, and applied again several years later.//\n  3  to the prejudice of sth:   formal in a way that has a harmful effect or influence on something//\nprejudice 2 v [T] \n  1 to influence someone so that they have an unfair or unreasonable opinion about someone or something:  --There was concern that reports in the media would prejudice the jury.//  prejudice sb against sth//  --My own schooldays prejudiced me against all formal education.//\n  2 to have a bad effect on the future success or situation of someone or something:  --A criminal record will prejudice your chances of getting a job.//  --He refused to comment, saying he did not wish to prejudice the outcome of the talks.//


Words: prejudiced
Meaning:
adj \n  1 having an unreasonable dislike of someone or something, especially a dislike of a group of people who belong to a different race, sex, or religion - used to show disapproval:  --Some officers were racially prejudiced .//  --an intolerant and prejudiced man//  prejudiced against//  --The early Christian church was prejudiced against the Jews.//  --Environmentalists are prejudiced against the dam.//\n  2 seriously affected by a bad situation:  --The council must provide housing for young people whose welfare is seriously prejudiced.//


Words: prelate
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Medieval Latin praelatus  ’someone preferred, someone given a job’, from the past participle of  Latin praeferre;   PREFER]//  a bishop, cardinal, or other important priest in the Christian church//


Words: preliminary
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: preliminaire, from  Medieval Latin praeliminaris, from  Latin limen  ’threshold’]//  happening before something that is more important, often in order to prepare for it//  --the preliminary stages of the competition//  --a preliminary draft//  preliminary to//  --The discussions were preliminary to preparing a policy paper.//\npreliminary 2   plural  preliminaries  n [C usually plural] //\n  1 something that is said or done first, to introduce or prepare for something else:  preliminary to//  --Pilot studies are a useful preliminary to large research projects.//  --After the usual preliminaries , the chairman made his announcement.//\n  2 one of the games in the first part of a competition, when it is decided who will go on to the main competition:  --Four teams will be eliminated in the preliminaries.//


Words: prelude
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: prelude, from  Medieval Latin praeludium, from  Latin praeludere  ’to play before’]//\n  1  a prelude to sth:  if an event is a prelude to a more important event, it happens just before it and makes people expect it//  --Living together as a prelude to marriage is now considered acceptable in many countries.//\n  2 a short piece of music, especially one played at the beginning of a longer musical piece or before a church ceremony:  --Chopin’s preludes//  --an organ prelude//


Words: premature
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: praematurus, from  maturus;   MATURE1]//\n  1 happening before the natural or proper time:  --his premature death due to cancer//  --premature ageing of the skin//\n  2 a premature baby is born before the usual time of birth:  --a premature birth//  --The baby was six weeks premature.//\n  3 done too early or too soon:  --a premature order to attack//  --Any talk of a deal is premature.//  it is premature (for sb) to do sth//  --It would be premature to accuse anyone until the investigation is complete.//  -- prematurely adv //  --The baby was born prematurely.//


Words: premed
Meaning:
pre-med/pri[hA359]med/ adj  AmE   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: premedical]//  relating to classes that prepare a student for medical school, or to the students who are taking these classes//  --a premed student//  -- premed, pre-med//  /pri[hA359]med/ n  [U] //


Words: premeditated
Meaning:
adj   a premeditated crime or attack is planned in advance and done deliberately//  --premeditated murder//


Words: premenstrual
Meaning:
adj   happening or relating to the time just before a woman’s period (=the time each month when blood flows from her body) //


Words: premenstrual syndrome
Meaning:
n [U]   PMS //  the tiredness, headache, bad temper etc experienced by some women in the days before their period//  British Equivalent:  premenstrual tension//


Words: premenstrual tension
Meaning:
BrE  n [U]   PMT //  the tiredness, headache, bad temper etc experienced by some women in the days before their period//


Words: premier
Meaning:
n [C]   a Prime Minister - used in news reports//  --the Irish Premier//\npremier 2 adj [only before noun]  formal   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: ’first’, from  Latin primarius;   PRIMARY1]//  best or most important//  --one of Dublin’s premier hotels//


Words: Premier Division
Meaning:
the   the top group of professional football clubs in Scotland, consisting of 10 teams who play against each other//


Words: premiere
Meaning:
premi[hA169]re/premie[hA353] $ pr[hA366]m[hA366]r/ n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: French; Origin: , feminine form of  premier;   PREMIER2]//  the first public performance of a film, play, or piece of music//  --Rossini’s work had its premiere at the Paris Opera.//  --a movie premiere//  --the play’s world premiere  (=the first performance in the world) //  -- premiere v  [I and T] //  --The movie premiered on December 21, 1937.//


Words: Premiership
Meaning:
the  also the Premier League   the top group of professional football clubs in England and Wales, consisting of 20 teams who play against each other//


Words: premise
Meaning:
W3   n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: premisse, from  Medieval Latin praemissa, from  Latin praemittere  ’to place ahead’]//\n  1  premises [plural] the buildings and land that a shop, restaurant, company etc uses:  --Schools may earn extra money by renting out their premises.//  --business premises//  off the premises//  --The manager escorted him off the premises.//  on the premises//  --The wonderful desserts are made on the premises.//\n  2 [C]  also  premiss BrE a statement or idea that you accept as true and use as a base for developing other ideas:  --The idea that there is life on other planets is the central premise of the novel.//  premise that//  --the premise that an accused person is innocent until they are proved guilty//


Words: premised
Meaning:
adj   be premised on/upon sth//  to be based on a particular idea or belief//  --The program is premised on the idea that drug addiction can be cured.//


Words: premium
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: praemium  ’profit, reward’, from  emere  ’to take, buy’]//\n  1 [C] the cost of insurance, especially the amount that you pay each year:  --insurance premiums//\n  2 [C] an additional amount of money, above a standard rate or amount:  --Consumers are prepared to pay a premium for organically grown vegetables.//  --Top quality cigars are being sold at a premium .//\n  3  be at a premium:  if something is at a premium, people need it or want it, but there is little of it available or it is difficult to get//  --During the Olympic Games, accommodation will be at a premium.//  space/time is at a premium //  --Foldaway furniture is the answer where space is at a premium.//\n  4  put/place a premium on sth:  to consider one quality or type of thing as being much more important than others//  --Modern economies place a premium on educated workers.//\n  5 [U]  especially  AmE good quality petrol:\npremium 2 adj \n  1 of very high quality:  --premium ice cream//  --the current consumer trend for premium products//  -- premium quality British potatoes//\n  2  premium price/rate:  premium prices and rates are higher than usual ones//  --People are prepared to pay premium prices for quality products.//  --Calls are charged at the premium rate of 60p per minute.//


Words: premium bond
Meaning:
n [C]   a document that you buy from the government in Britain, which gives you the chance to win a large amount of money each month//


Words: premium rate
Meaning:
adj  BrE   premium rate number/line/service//  a telephone connection to a particular service or company that costs a lot more than the usual rate when you call it because the company you are calling takes some of the money that you pay//


Words: premonition
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: French; Origin: Late Latin praemonitio, from  Latin praemonere  ’to warn before’]//  a strange feeling that something, especially something bad, is going to happen//  premonition of//  --a premonition of death//  premonition that//  --When Anne didn’t arrive, Paul had a premonition that she was in danger.//


Words: premonitory
Meaning:
adj  formal   giving a warning that something unpleasant is going to happen//  --premonitory symptoms of the disease//


Words: prenatal
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   relating to unborn babies and the care of pregnant women//  British Equivalent:  antenatal//  --prenatal care//  --prenatal screening//  -- prenatally adv //


Words: prenuptial agreement
Meaning:
informal  [C]   a legal document that is written before a man and a woman get married, in which they agree things such as how much money each will get if they divorce//


Words: preoccupation
Meaning:
n \n  1 [singular,U] when someone thinks or worries about something a lot, with the result that they do not pay attention to other things:  preoccupation with//  --the current preoccupation with sex and scandal//  --The management’s preoccupation with costs and profits resulted in a drop in quality and customer service.//\n  2 [C] something that you give all your attention to:  main/chief/central etc preoccupation //  --Their main preoccupation was how to feed their families.//


Words: preoccupied
Meaning:
adj   thinking about something a lot, with the result that you do not pay attention to other things//  --What’s wrong with Cindy? She seems a little preoccupied.//  preoccupied with//  --He’s completely preoccupied with all the wedding preparations at the moment.//


Words: preoccupy
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  preoccupied present participle  preoccupying third person singular  preoccupies  [T] //   formal if something preoccupies someone, they think or worry about it a lot//


Words: preoperative
Meaning:
adj  medical   relating to the time before a medical operation//  → postoperative//  --the patient’s preoperative assessment//


Words: preordained
Meaning:
adj    formal if something is preordained, it is certain to happen in the future because God or fate has decided it//  --Is everything we do preordained?//


Words: prep
Meaning:
n [U]    BrE  informal work that is done by students on their own, after classes have finished - used in private schools//   homework//\nprep 2 v   past participle  prepped present participle  prepping  AmE  informal //  [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: prepare]//\n  1 [T] to prepare someone for an operation or an examination:\n  2 [T] to prepare food for cooking in a restaurant:\n  3 [I] to prepare for something that you are going to do:  --I have to prep for my afternoon class.//


Words: prepackaged
Meaning:
adj   prepackaged foods have already been prepared when you buy them, so that they are ready to eat, or only have to be heated//  --prepackaged microwave meals//


Words: prepacked
Meaning:
adj   prepacked food or other goods are wrapped before they are sent to the shop where they are sold//  --prepacked vegetables//


Words: prepaid
Meaning:
adj   if something is prepaid, it is paid for before it is needed or used//  --The shipping charges are prepaid.//  --a prepaid envelope//


Words: preparation
Meaning:
W3S2   n \n  1 [U] the process of preparing something:  --This dish is good for dinner parties because much of the preparation can be done ahead of time.//  preparation for//  --Business training is a good preparation for any career.//  preparation of//  --the preparation of the budget//  do sth in preparation for sth//   (=in order to prepare for something) //  --He is practising every day, in preparation for the ice-skating championship.//  --Plans for the new school are now in preparation .//  --a course in food service and food preparation //\n  2  preparations [plural] arrangements for something that is going to happen:  preparations for//  --Preparations for the upcoming Olympic Games are nearing completion.//  -- Preparations are being made for the President’s visit.//  --The festival was a great success, and preparations are underway  (=have started) for another one next summer.//\n  3 [C]  formal a mixture that has been prepared and that is used for a particular purpose, especially as a medicine or to make your skin more attractive:  --a new preparation for cleansing the skin//


Words: preparatory
Meaning:
adj \n  1 [only before noun] done in order to get ready for something:  --preparatory talks to clear the way for a peace settlement//  --preparatory drawings//  --A lot of preparatory work still needs to be done.//\n  2  preparatory to sth:   formal before something else and in order to prepare for it//  --The partners held several meetings preparatory to signing the agreement.//


Words: preparatory school
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a private school in Britain for children between the ages of 8 and 13:\n  2 a private school in the US that prepares students for college:


Words: prepare
Meaning:
v   ----------//\n   1 make something:\n   2 make plans/arrangements:\n   3 make something ready:\n   4 make yourself ready:\n   5 make somebody ready:\n   6 prepare the way/ground for somebody/something:  ----------//  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: preparer, from  Latin praeparare, from  parare  ’to get, prepare’]//\n  1 MAKE SOMETHING:   [T] //  a) to make a meal or a substance//  --Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking.//  --When we got home, Stephano was busy preparing dinner.//  b) to write a document, make a programme etc//  --Health and safety officers will investigate the site and prepare a report.//  --Green set himself the task of preparing a map of this remote area.//\n  2 MAKE PLANS/ARRANGEMENTS:   [I and T] to make plans or arrangements for something that will happen in the future//   get ready//  prepare for//  --The 45 year-old explorer has been preparing for his latest expedition to the Arctic.//  prepare to do sth//  --Her parents were busy preparing to go on holiday.//  --The prosecution wanted more time to prepare their case.//\n  3 MAKE SOMETHING READY:   [T] to make something ready to be used//  --Prepare the soil, then plant the seedlings 8 inches apart.//  prepare sth for sb/sth//  --Coulthard’s team were up all night preparing the car for the race.//\n  4 MAKE YOURSELF READY:   [T] to make yourself mentally or physically ready for something that you expect to happen soon//  prepare yourself (for sth)//  --The letter arrived, and we prepared ourselves for bad news.//  --Can you just give me a couple more moments to prepare myself?//  prepare yourself for a race/fight etc //  --The Chicago Bears are busy preparing themselves for the big game.//  prepare to do sth//  --Buy the album, and prepare to be amazed.//\n  5 MAKE SOMEBODY READY:   [T] to provide someone with the training, skills, experience etc that they will need to do a job or to deal with a situation//  prepare sb for sth//  --a course that prepares students for English examinations//  --Schools should do more to prepare children for the world of work.//  --What does a coach do to prepare his team for the Superbowl?//\n  6  prepare the way/ground for sb/sth:  to make it possible for something to be achieved, or for someone to succeed in doing something//  --Curie’s research prepared the way for the work of modern nuclear scientists.//  ----------//  HINT sense 1 //  It is fairly formal to say that someone prepares a meal. It is more usual to say that they make or cook a meal: Bella was making dinner. //  ----------//


Words: prepared
Meaning:
S2   adj   ----------//\n   1 be prepared to do something:\n   2 ready to deal with something:\n   3 I’m not prepared to do something:\n   4 made earlier:  ----------//\n  1  be prepared to do sth:  to be willing to do something, especially something difficult or something that you do not usually do//  --You have to be prepared to take risks in this kind of work.//  --How much is she prepared to pay?//\n  2 READY TO DEAL WITH SOMETHING:   [not before noun] ready to do something or deal with a situation//  prepared for//  --I wasn’t prepared for all their questions.//  well/fully/inadequately etc prepared //  --Luckily, we were well prepared for the storm.//  ill-prepared (=not ready to deal with a difficult situation) //  --The country was ill-prepared to fight another war.//  --There was no news and we were prepared for the worst  (=expected something very bad) .//\n  3  I’m not prepared to do sth:   spoken used when saying strongly that you refuse to do something//  --I’m not prepared to sit here and listen to this rubbish!//\n  4 MADE EARLIER:  planned, made, or written at an earlier time, so that it is ready when it is needed//  --The president read out a prepared statement .//


Words: preparedness
Meaning:
n [U]  formal \n  1 when someone is ready for something:  --the country’s lack of military preparedness//\n  2 when someone is willing to do something:  --their preparedness to break the law//


Words: prepay
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  prepaid  [I and T] //  to pay for something before you need it or use it//  -- prepayment n  [U and C] //


Words: preponderance
Meaning:
n  formal \n  1  a preponderance of sth:  if there is a preponderance of people or things of a particular type in a group, there are more of that type than of any other//  --There is a preponderance of female students in the music department.//\n  2  a preponderance of the evidence:   law most of the evidence in a law case//


Words: preponderant
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  praeponderare  ’to weigh more than’]//  main, most important, or most frequent//  -- preponderantly adv //  --the preponderantly female staff at the factory//


Words: preposition
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: praepositio, from  praeponere  ’to put in front’]//  a word that is used before a noun, pronoun, or gerund to show place, time, direction etc. In the phrase ’the trees in the park’, ’in’ is a preposition//  -- prepositional adj //


Words: preposterous
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: praeposterus  ’with the back part in front’, from  prae- (  PRE-) +  posterus (  POSTERIOR1)]//  completely unreasonable or silly//   absurd//  --The whole idea sounds absolutely preposterous!//  -- preposterously adv //  -- preposterousness n  [U] //


Words: preppy
Meaning:
adj  AmE  informal   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: prep (school)]//  preppy clothes or styles are very neat, in a way that is typical of students who go to expensive private schools in the US//


Words: prequel
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: pre- +  -quel (as in  sequel)]//  a book, film etc that tells you what happened before the story told in a previous popular book or film//    sequel//  prequel to//  --’The Phantom Menace’ is a prequel to ’Star Wars’.//


Words: prerecord
Meaning:
v [T]   to record music, a radio programme etc on a machine so that it can be used later//  --a prerecorded interview//  -- prerecording n  [U and C] //


Words: prerequisite
Meaning:
n [C]    formal something that is necessary before something else can happen or be done//  prerequisite for/of/to//  --A reasonable proficiency in English is a prerequisite for the course.//


Words: prerogative
Meaning:
n [C usually singular]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: prerogative, from  Latin praerogativus  ’voting first in a Roman election’, from  rogare  ’to ask’]//  a right that someone has, especially because of their importance or social position//  prerogative of//  --Education was once the prerogative of the elite.//  --Arriving late is a woman’s prerogative .//  -- the royal prerogative  (=the rights of kings and queens) //


Words: pres.
Meaning:
also  pres BrE \n  1 the written abbreviation of present :\n  2 the written abbreviation of president :


Words: presage
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: presage  ’something that shows the future’ (14-21 centuries), from  Latin praesagium, from  praesagire, from  sagire  ’to understand clearly’]//   formal to be a sign that something is going to happen, especially something bad//  --The large number of moderate earthquakes that have occurred recently could presage a larger quake soon.//  -- presage n  [C] //  --a presage of doom//


Words: Presbyterian
Meaning:
n [C]   a member of a Protestant church, which is one of the largest churches in the US, and is the national church of Scotland//  -- Presbyterian adj //  -- Presbyterianism n  [U] //


Words: presbytery
Meaning:
n   plural  presbyteries  [C] //  [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: presbiterie, from  Late Latin presbyterium, from  Greek, from  presbyteros;   PRIEST]//\n  1 a local court or council of the Presbyterian church or the area controlled by that church:\n  2 a house in which a Roman Catholic priest lives:\n  3 the eastern part of a church, behind the area where the choir (=singers)  sits:\npreschool 1  pre-school/pri[hA359]sku[hA359]l/ adj   relating to the time in a child’s life before they are old enough to go to school//  --preschool children//\npreschool 2 n [U and C]  AmE   a school for children between two and five years of age//  British Equivalent:  kindergarten//


Words: prescient
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  praescire  ’to know before’]//  able to imagine or know what will happen in the future//  -- prescience n  [U] //


Words: prescribe
Meaning:
v [T]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: praescribere  ’to write at the beginning, order’]//\n  1 to say what medicine or treatment a sick person should have:    prescription//  prescribe sb sth//  --If these don’t work I may have to prescribe you something stronger.//  prescribe sth for sth//  --the drugs prescribed for his stomach pains//\n  2  formal to state officially what should be done in a particular situation:  --What punishment does the law prescribe for this crime?//


Words: prescript
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  praescribere;   PRESCRIBE]//   formal an official order or rule//


Words: prescription
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a piece of paper on which a doctor writes what medicine a sick person should have, so that they can get it from a pharmacist:    prescribe//  prescription for//  --a prescription for sleeping pills//  --We are trying to cut the price of prescription drugs .//  --a repeat prescription  (=one that you have regularly) //  fill a prescription  AmE  (=get the drugs a doctor has written that you need) //  --I got the prescription filled on the way home.//\n  2 a particular medicine or treatment ordered by a doctor for a sick person:  --If you’re pregnant, you can get free prescriptions.//\n  3  on prescription:   BrE by prescription  AmE //  a drug that you get on prescription can only be obtained with a written order from the doctor//    over the counter//\n  4 an idea or suggestion about how you should behave, or how to make a situation, activity etc successful:  prescription for//  --The party’s main prescription for educational problems was to give schools more money.//


Words: prescriptive
Meaning:
adj \n  1 saying how something should or must be done, or what should be done:  --prescriptive teaching methods//\n  2 stating how a language should be used, rather than describing how it is used:  → descriptive//  --prescriptive grammar//\n  3  prescriptive right:   BrE  law a right that has existed for so long that it is as effective as a law//  -- prescriptively adv //


Words: preseason
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   preseason matches, training etc happen in the time immediately before a sport’s normal season//  --preseason training//


Words: presence
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 :\n   2 in the presence of somebody:\n   3 appearance/manner:\n   4 official group:\n   5 business:\n   6 spirit:\n   7 make your presence felt:  ----------//\n  1 [U] when someone or something is present in a particular place:  → absence//  --Your presence is requested at the club meeting on Friday.//  presence of//  --Tests revealed the presence of poison in the blood.//\n  2  in the presence of sb:   also in sb’s presence //   formal with someone or in the same place as them//  --He was determined not to complain in the presence of the nurse.//  --I asked you not to smoke in my presence.//\n  3 APPEARANCE/MANNER:   [U] the ability to appear impressive to people because of your appearance or the way you behave//  --a man of great presence//\n  4 OFFICIAL GROUP:   [singular] a group of people, especially soldiers, who are in a place to control what is happening//  --We will increase police presence in local communities.//  --Soldiers still maintain a military presence in the area.//\n  5 BUSINESS:   [C usually singular] the ability to gain sales because your business is strong or noticeable//  --a company with a strong presence in all major world markets//\n  6 SPIRIT:   [C usually singular] a spirit or influence that cannot be seen but is felt to be near//  --They felt a strange presence in the deserted house.//\n  7  make your presence felt:  to have a strong and noticeable effect on the people around you or the situation you are in//  --She was a very pretty girl and made her presence felt almost at once.//


Words: presence of mind
Meaning:
n [U]   the ability to deal with a dangerous situation calmly and quickly//  have the presence of mind to do sth//  --I’m glad she had the presence of mind to take down the car’s registration number.//


Words: present
Meaning:
adj   ----------//\n   1 place:\n   2 memory:\n   3 time:\n   4 the present day:\n   5 the present:\n   6 all present and correct:\n   7 present company excepted:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin praesens, present participle of  praeesse  ’to be before’]//\n  1 PLACE:   [not before noun] in a particular place//  → absent//  present at/in//  --Foreign observers were present at the elections.//  --the gases present in the earth’s atmosphere//\n  2 MEMORY:   [not before noun] to be felt strongly or remembered for a long time//  present in//  --The memory of her brother’s death is still present in her mind.//\n  3 TIME:   [only before noun] happening or existing now//  --the present situation of the millions of people who are suffering poverty and disease//  -- At the present time we have no explanation for this.//\n  4  the present day:   also the present //  in the time now, or modern times//  --The practice has continued from medieval times to the present day.//\n  5  the present:   also the present tense //   technical the form of the verb that shows an existing state or action//  --the present tense of the verb ’to be’//\n  6  all present and correct:   BrE all present and accounted for //   AmE used to say that everyone who is supposed to be in a place, at a meeting etc is now here//\n  7  present company excepted:   spoken used when you are criticizing a group of people and you want to tell the people you are with that they are not included in the criticism//  --Women are never satisfied with anything! Present company excepted, of course.//    presently//\npresent 2 W1S2   v   ----------//\n   1 give:\n   2 cause something to happen:\n   3 present yourself:\n   4 description:\n   5 speech:\n   6 document/ticket:\n   7 theatre/cinema:\n   8 television/radio:\n   9 appearance:\n  10 something presents itself:\n  11 formally introduce somebody:\n  12 present your apologies/compliments etc:\n  13 illness:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: presenter, from  Latin praesentare, from  praesens;   PRESENT1]//\n  1 GIVE:   [T] to give something to someone, for example at a formal or official occasion//  present sb with sth//  --He was presented with a bottle of champagne.//  --She was presented with an award .//  present sth to sb/sth//  --The computer centre presented a cheque for [hA124]500 to cancer research.//\n  2 CAUSE SOMETHING TO HAPPEN:   [T] to cause something to happen or exist//  present sb with sth//  --I knew I had presented her with an impossible task.//  present a problem/difficulty //  --Large classes present great problems to many teachers.//\n  3  present yourself:  to talk and behave in a particular way when you meet people//  --He presents himself well.//\n  4 DESCRIPTION:   [T] to show or describe someone or something//  --The artist was determined to present an accurate picture.//  --We’ll present the information using a chart.//  present sb as sth//  --Shakespeare presents the hero as a noble man doomed to make mistakes.//  present yourself as sth//  --The government presents itself as being sensitive to environmental issues.//\n  5 SPEECH:   [T] to give a speech in which you offer an idea, plan etc to be considered or accepted//  --Our manager is due to present the report at the end of the month.//  present sth to sb//  --On January 3 the company will present its plans to the bank.//\n  6 DOCUMENT/TICKET:   [T] to show something such as an official document or ticket to someone in an official position//  --You must present your passport to the customs officer.//\n  7 THEATRE/CINEMA:   [T] to give a performance in a theatre, cinema etc, or broadcast a programme on television or radio//  --Edinburgh Theatre Company presents ’The Wind in the Willows’//\n  8 TELEVISION/RADIO:   [T]  BrE if you present a television or radio programme, you introduce its different parts//  American Equivalent:  host//  --Thursday’s The Late Show was presented by Cynthia Rose.//\n  9 APPEARANCE:   [T] to give something or someone a particular appearance or style//  --The restaurant likes to present food with style.//\n  10  sth presents itself:  if a situation, opportunity etc presents itself, it suddenly happens or exists//  --I’ll tell her as soon as the opportunity presents itself .//\n  11 FORMALLY INTRODUCE SOMEBODY:   [T] to formally introduce someone to another person, especially to someone of a very high rank//  --I was presented to the Queen in 1964.//\n  12  present your apologies/compliments etc:   formal used to greet someone, say sorry to them etc very politely//  --Mrs. Gottlieb presents her apologies and regrets she will not be able to attend.//\n  13 ILLNESS:   [I and T]  medical to show an illness by having a particular symptom (=sign of an illness) //  --The doctor asked whether any of the children had been presenting any unusual symptoms.//  --Three of the five patients presented with fever and severe headaches.//\npresent 3   n   [Sense: 1; Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: presenter;   PRESENT2]//  [Sense: 2-4; Date: 1200-1300; Origin:  PRESENT1]//\n  1 [C] something you give someone on a special occasion or to thank them for something:   gift//  --I was searching for a present for Mark.//  birthday/Christmas present //  --I gave her a very special present for her birthday.//\n  2  the present:  a) the time that is happening now//  --Stop worrying about the past and live in the present.//  --The film is set sometime between 1995 and the present.//  --’When do you want to start?’ ’Well, there’s no time like the present  (=used to say that if you are going to do something at all, you should do it now) .’//  b)  technical the form of the verb that shows what exists or is happening now//   the present tense//\n  3  at present:  at this time//   now//  --The item you want is not available at present.//  --At present, the airport handles 110 flights a day.//\n  4  for the present:  something that exists or will be done for the present exists now and will continue for a while, though it may change in the future//  --The company is still in business, at least for the present.//


Words: present participle
Meaning:
n [C]  technical   a participle that is formed in English by adding ’ing’ to the verb, as in ’sleeping’. It can be used in compound forms of the verb to show continuous tenses, as in ’she’s sleeping’, or as an adjective, as in ’the sleeping child’.//


Words: present perfect
Meaning:
n   the present perfect//  the form of a verb that shows what happened during a period of time up to and including the present, formed in English with the present tense of the verb ’have’ and a past participle, as in ’he has gone’//


Words: present tense
Meaning:
n   the present tense//   technical the form of the verb that shows what exists or is happening now//   the present//


Words: presentable
Meaning:
adj   tidy and attractive enough to be seen or shown to someone//  --She’s a presentable young woman.//  --Let’s tidy up and make the house a bit more presentable .//  --I must go and make myself presentable .//  -- presentably adv //


Words: presentation
Meaning:
W3S2   n   ----------//\n   1 give prize:\n   2 talk:\n   3 way of saying/showing:\n   4 proof:\n   5 performance:\n   6 baby:\n   7 presentation copy:  ----------//\n  1 GIVE PRIZE:   [C] the act of giving someone a prize or present at a formal ceremony//  --the presentation ceremony//  --Dr Evans thanked him for coming to make the presentations .//  presentation of//  --the presentation of prizes//  2 TALK//   [C] an event at which you describe or explain a new product or idea//  --We will begin a series of presentations to help the public fully understand our system.//  make/give a presentation //  --I’m going to ask each of you to make a short presentation.//\n  3 WAY OF SAYING/SHOWING:   [U] the way in which something is said, offered, shown, or explained to others//  presentation of//  --desktop devices for the presentation of information//  --the presentation of evidence//\n  4 PROOF:   [U] when you show something to someone so that it can be checked or considered//  presentation of//  --the presentation of the identity documents//  on presentation of sth//  --Club members will be admitted on presentation of their membership cards.//\n  5 PERFORMANCE:   [C] the act of performing a play//  presentation of//  --I went to see the National Theatre’s presentation of Arthur Miller’s ’The Last Yankee’.//\n  6 BABY:   [U and C]  medical the position in which a baby is lying in its mother’s body just before it is born//  --a breech presentation//\n  7  presentation copy:  a book that is given to someone, especially by the writer or publisher//  -- presentational adj //


Words: presenteeism
Meaning:
n [U]   a situation when people spend a lot of time at work, even if they are ill or could take a holiday, because they want their employers to see that they are working very hard//    absenteeism//


Words: presenter
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE someone who introduces the different parts of a television or radio show//  American Equivalent:  host//  --the presenter of BBC 2’s Newsnight//


Words: presentiment
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: pressentiment, from  Latin praesentire  ’to feel before’]//   formal a strange feeling that something is going to happen, especially something bad//   premonition//  presentiment of//  --a presentiment of disaster//


Words: presently
Meaning:
adv  formal \n  1 in a short time:   soon//  --The doctor will be here presently.//  --Presently, I fell asleep.//\n  2  especially  AmE at the present time:   now//  --The range of courses presently available has grown.//  --Your case is presently being investigated.//


Words: preservation
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 when something is kept in its original state or in good condition:    preserve//  preservation of//  --Eliot campaigned for the preservation of London’s churches.//  --We are working for the preservation of the environment.//  --the preservation of our cultural heritage//  --methods of food preservation//\n  2 the act of making sure that a situation continues without changing:  preservation of//  --the preservation of peace in the region//\n  3 the degree to which something has remained unchanged or unharmed by weather, age etc:  --The arena is in an exceptionally fine state of preservation .//    self-preservation//


Words: preservation order
Meaning:
n [C]   in Britain, an official order that something, especially an area of countryside or an old building, must be preserved and not damaged//  --a tree preservation order//


Words: preservative
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a chemical substance that is used to prevent things from decaying, for example food or wood//  --food that contains no artificial preservatives //


Words: preserve
Meaning:
W3   v [T]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: preserver, from  Late Latin praeservare, from  Latin servare  ’to keep, guard, watch’]//\n  1 to save something or someone from being harmed or destroyed:    preservation//  --We must encourage the planting of new trees and preserve our existing woodlands.//\n  2 to make something continue without changing:  --the responsibility of the police to preserve the peace//  --Norma tried to preserve a normal family life in difficult circumstances.//\n  3 to store food for a long time after treating it so that it will not decay:  --black olives preserved in brine//  -- preservable adj //  -- preserver n  [C] //    well-preserved//\npreserve 2 n \n  1 [C usually plural] a substance made from boiling fruit or vegetables with sugar, salt, or vinegar:  --homemade fruit preserves//\n  2 [singular] an activity that is only suitable or allowed for a particular group of people:  --Banking used to be a male preserve .//  preserve of//  --The civil service became the preserve of the educated middle class.//\n  3 [C] an area of land or water that is kept for private hunting or fishing:


Words: preside
Meaning:
v [I]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: praesidere  ’to sit in front of, guard, preside over’, from  sedere  ’to sit’]//  to be in charge of a formal event, organization, ceremony etc//  --I shall be pleased to preside at your meetings.//  --Mr Justice Waller, presiding judge for the north east//  preside over [preside over sth] phr v//\n  1 to be in a position of authority at a time when important things are happening:  --The government seemed to be presiding over large-scale unemployment.//\n  2 to be the head of a company or organization:  --Finch presided over the company for 30 years.//\n  3 to be in charge of a meeting or activity:  --The chairman will preside over an audience of architects and developers.//


Words: presidency
Meaning:
n   plural  presidencies  [C] //  the position of being the president of a country or organization, or the period of time during which someone is president//  --Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the US.//  --There were few real improvements during his presidency.//


Words: president
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: president, from  Latin, present participle of  praesidere;   PRESIDE]//\n  1 the official leader of a country that does not have a king or queen:  president of//  --the President of France//  --President Bush//\n  2 the person who has the highest position in a company or organization:  president of//  --the president of General Motors//


Words: president-elect
Meaning:
n [singular]   someone who has been elected as a new president, but who has not yet started the job//


Words: presidential
Meaning:
adj [usually before noun]   relating to a president//  --a presidential election//  --the party’s presidential candidate//


Words: Presidents’ Day
Meaning:
a US public holiday on the third Monday in February, which celebrates the birthdays of Presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln//


Words: Presiding Officer
Meaning:
the person who officially controls the meetings and discussions in the Scottish Parliament or the Welsh Assembly. The Presiding Officer’s position is the same as that of the Speaker of the House of Commons.//


Words: presidium
Meaning:
praesidium/pr[hA366]s[hA366]di[hA353]m, -z[hA366]-/ n   plural  presidia /-di[hA353]/ [C] //  [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Russian; Origin: prezidium, from  Latin praesidium  ’military guards’, from  praesidere;   PRESIDE]//  a committee chosen to represent a large political organization, especially in a communist country//


Words: Presley
Meaning:
Elvis   (1935-77) a US singer and  guitar player, who first became popular as a  rock ’n’ roll singer in the mid-1950s, and became one of the most successful and popular singers ever. His many records had a great influence on popular music, and they include  Heartbreak Hotel,  Blue Suede Shoes, and  Are you Lonesome Tonight?. He also appeared in many films, such as  Jailhouse Rock (1957) and  G.I. Blues (1960). He is often called "The King", and some people say that they do not believe that he is dead. Millions of people go to visit his home in Memphis, Tennessee, which is called Graceland.//


Words: press
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 news:\n   2 get/be given a bad press:\n   3 get/have a good press:\n   4 printing:\n   5 machine:\n   6 push:\n   7 go to press:\n   8 crowd:  ----------//\n  1 NEWS:  a)  the press [also + plural verb British English] people who write reports for newspapers, radio, or television//  --the freedom of the press //  --The press have been very nasty about him.//  b) reports in newspapers and on radio and television//  --To judge from the press, the concert was a great success.//  -- press reports //  --The band has received good press coverage  (=the reports written about something in newspapers) .//  local/national etc press //  --The story was widely covered in the national press.//  tabloid/popular etc press //\n  2  get/be given a bad press:  to be criticized in the newspapers or on radio or television//  --The government ’s policy on mental health care is getting an increasingly bad press.//\n  3  get/have a good press:  to be praised in the newspapers or on radio or television//  --Our recycling policy is getting a good press.//\n  4 PRINTING:   [C] //  a) a business that prints and sometimes also sells books//  --the Clarendon Press//  b)  also printing press //  a machine that prints books, newspapers, or magazines//\n  5 MACHINE:   [C] a piece of equipment used to put weight on something in order to make it flat or to force liquid out of it//  --a trouser press//  --a flower press//\n  6 PUSH:   [C, usually singular]  especially BrE a light steady push against something small//  --Give the button another press.//\n  7  go to press:  if a newspaper, magazine, or book goes to press, it begins to be printed//  --All information was correct at the time we went to press.//\n  8 CROWD:   [singular + of]  especially BrE a crowd of people pushing against each other//\npress 2 v   ----------//\n   1 against something:\n   2 button:\n   3 clothes:\n   4 crowd:\n   5 persuade:\n   6 heavy weight:\n   7 hold somebody/something close:\n   8 press somebody’s hand/arm:\n   9 press charges:\n  10 be pressed for time/cash etc:\n  11 give:\n  12 exercise:\n  13 press somebody/something into service:\n  14 press the flesh:\n  15 press something home:\n  16 press home your advantage:\n  17 record:  Phrasal verbs//   press on//  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: presser, from  Latin pressare, from  premere  ’to press’;   PRINT2]//\n  1 AGAINST SOMETHING:   [T always + adverb/preposition] to push something firmly against a surface//   push//  --Manville kept his back pressed flat against the wall.//  --She pressed the gas pedal and the car leapt forwards.//  --He pressed a card into her hand before leaving.//\n  2 BUTTON:   [T] to push a button, switch etc to make a machine start, a bell ring etc//   push//  --Lily pressed the switch and plunged the room into darkness.//  --Press control, alt, delete to log on to the computer.//\n  3 CLOTHES:   [T] to make clothes smooth using a hot iron//   iron//  --I’ll need to press my suit.//\n  4 CROWD:   [I always + adverb/preposition] to move in a particular direction by pushing//  --The car rocked as the crowd pressed hard against it.//\n  5 PERSUADE:   [I and T] to try hard to persuade someone to do something, especially by asking them many times//  --I felt that if I had pressed him he would have lent me the money.//  press sb to do sth//  --The police pressed her to remember all the details.//  press sb for sth//  --The manufacturers are pressing the government for action.//  press for//  --We must continue to press for full equality.//  --I was pressing my claim for custody of the child.//\n  6 HEAVY WEIGHT:   [T] to put pressure or a weight on something to make it flat, crush it etc//  --pressed flowers//  --At this stage the grapes have to be pressed.//\n  7 HOLD SOMEBODY/SOMETHING CLOSE:   [T] to hold someone or something close to you//  press sb/sth to you//  --He reached out and pressed her to him.//\n  8  press sb’s hand/arm:  to hold someone’s hand or arm tightly for a short time, to show friendship, sympathy etc//  --Sometimes he was too ill to speak, and just pressed my hand.//\n  9  press charges:  to say officially that someone has done something illegal and must go to court//\n  10  be pressed for time/cash etc:  to not have enough time, money etc//  --a government department that is pressed for both time and money//\n  11 GIVE:   [T] to offer something to someone and try to make them take it//  press sth on sb//  --I pressed money on him, but he refused to take it.//\n  12 EXERCISE:   [T] to push a weight up from your chest using only your arms, without moving your legs or feet//\n  13  press sb/sth into service:  to persuade someone to help you, or to use something to help you do something because of an unexpected problem or need//  --The army was pressed into service to fight the fires.//\n  14  press the flesh:  to shake hands with a lot of people - used humorously//  --The President reached into the crowd to press the flesh.//\n  15  press sth home:  a) to push something into its place//  --Jane slammed the door and pressed the bolt home.//  b) to repeat or emphasize something, so that people remember it//  --He decided it was the time to press his point home.//\n  16  press home your advantage:  to try to succeed completely, using an advantage that you have gained//\n  17 RECORD:   [T] to make a copy of a record, CD etc//    be hard pressed to do sth at hard2 (5)//  press on phr v//   also press ahead //  to continue doing something, especially working, in a determined way//  --We’ll talk about your suggestion later - now let’s just press on.//  press on with//  --Shall we press ahead with the minutes of the last meeting?//


Words: press agency
Meaning:
n [C]   an organization that gets news from a country and supplies it to newspapers, television news etc all over the world//


Words: press agent
Meaning:
n [C]   someone whose job is to supply photographs or information about a particular actor, musician etc to newspapers, radio, or television//


Words: Press Association
Meaning:
the   PA the main UK  news agency (=an organization that collects news and supplies it to newspapers, radio, and television) . As well as news, the Press Association also supplies sports and business reports and information about the weather.//


Words: Press Complaints Commission
Meaning:
the   a British organization which tries to make sure that the British  press (=newspapers and magazines)  give professional, high quality news reports, and which deals with complaints about the press.//


Words: press conference
Meaning:
n [C]   a meeting held by a person or group at which they answer questions from people who write or present news reports//  --The Green Party held a press conference the next day.//


Words: press corps
Meaning:
n [C]   a group of news  reporters working at the place where something important is happening//  --the White House press corps//


Words: press cutting
Meaning:
also press clipping  n [C]   a short piece of writing or a picture, cut out from a newspaper or magazine//


Words: press office
Meaning:
n [C]   the office of an organization or government department which gives information to the newspapers, radio, or television//  -- press officer n  [C] //


Words: press secretary
Meaning:
n [C]   a secretary to an important organization or person, who gives information about them to the newspapers, radio, or television//


Words: press-up
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a type of exercise in which you lie facing the ground, and push your body up with your arms//  American Equivalent:  push-up//


Words: Pressburger
Meaning:
Emeric   (1902-88) a Hungarian-born film director who made films together with Michael Powell, including A Matter of Life and Death (1946)//


Words: pressing
Meaning:
adj   needing to be discussed or dealt with very soon//   urgent//  pressing problem/matter/need etc //  --Poverty is a more pressing problem than pollution.//\npressing 2 n \n  1 [C] a thing or group of things, especially records or CDs, that have been made by pressing plastic or metal into shape:  --The CD, released in October, sold out a first pressing of 1,500 in just four months.//\n  2 [U and C] the act of pressing something:  --The olives are heat treated during the second pressing.//


Words: pressure
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 persuade:\n   2 anxiety/overwork:\n   3 causing change:\n   4 weight:\n   5 gas/liquid:\n   6 weather:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: pressura, from  premere;   PRESS2]//\n  1 PERSUADE:   [U] an attempt to persuade someone by using influence, arguments, or threats//  --They are putting pressure on people to vote yes.//  be/come under pressure to do sth //  --The minister was under pressure to resign.//  be/come under pressure from sb (to do sth) //  --I was under pressure from my parents to become a teacher.//  --The Labour government came under pressure from the trade unions.//  pressure for//  --Pressure for change has become urgent.//  pressure on//  --the pressure on all of us to keep slim//  --He exerts pressure on his kids to get them to do as he wants.//  --You must never give in to pressure .//\n  2 ANXIETY/OVERWORK:   [U and C] a way of working or living that causes you a lot of anxiety, especially because you feel you have too many things to do//  pressure of//  --I feel I’m not able to cope well with the pressures of life.//  pressure on//  --The pressure on doctors is increasing steadily.//  under pressure//  --I’m under constant pressure at work.//  --The pressures of work can make you ill.//  --a high pressure job//  --athletes who show grace under pressure  (=who behave well when they are anxious) //\n  3 CAUSING CHANGE:   [U and C] events or conditions that cause changes and affect the way a situation develops, especially in  economics or politics//  --inflationary pressures//  --Analysts expect the pound to come under pressure .//  relieve/reduce pressure (on sb/sth) //  --Slowing the arms race relieved pressure on the Soviet economic system.//  --The 1990s brought increased economic pressure to bear on all business activities.//\n  4 WEIGHT:   [U] the force or weight that is being put on to something//  pressure of//  --The pressure of the water turns the wheel.//  --the pressure of his hand on my arm//\n  5 GAS/LIQUID:   [U and C] the force produced by the quantity of gas or liquid in a place or container//  --The gas containers burst at high pressure .//\n  6 WEATHER:   [U and C] a condition of the air in the Earth’s atmosphere, which affects the weather//  high/low pressure //  --A ridge of high pressure is building up strongly over the Atlantic.//    peer pressure//\npressure 2 v [T]    especially AmE to try to make someone do something by making them feel it is their duty to do it//  British Equivalent:  pressurize//  pressure sb into doing sth//  --You want to enjoy food, not to be pressured into eating the right things.//  pressure sb to do sth//  --Don’t feel we are pressuring you to give what you can’t afford.//


Words: pressure cooker
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a tightly-covered cooking pot in which food is cooked very quickly by the pressure of hot steam:\n  2 a situation or place that causes anxiety or difficulties:  --the pressure cooker of soccer management//


Words: pressure group
Meaning:
n [C]   a group or organization that tries to influence the opinions of ordinary people and persuade the government to do something//    interest group//  --environmental pressure groups//


Words: pressure point
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a place or situation where there may be trouble:  --a pressure point for racial tension//\n  2 a place on the body that can be pressed, either to stop bleeding or to help make you feel better:


Words: pressured
Meaning:
adj   feeling worried, or making you feel worried, because of the number of things you have to do//  British Equivalent:  pressurized//  --a highly pressured job//


Words: pressurize
Meaning:
also  pressurise BrE   v [T]   to persuade someone to do something by making them feel it is their duty to do it//   pressure//  pressurize sb into doing sth//  --It is not a good idea to pressurize children into playing a musical instrument.//  pressurize sb to do sth//  --Everyone is being pressurized to vote.//


Words: pressurized
Meaning:
also  pressurised BrE   adj \n  1 if a container or space is pressurized, the air, gas, or liquid inside it is kept at a controlled pressure:  --a pressurized aircraft cabin//  --a pressurized water reactor//\n  2  BrE feeling worried, or making you feel worried, because of the number of things you have to do:   pressured//  --I feel very pressurized at the moment.//


Words: prestige
Meaning:
n [U]   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: ’deceiving or magic tricks, prestige’, from  Latin praestigiae  ’magic tricks’, from  praestringere  ’to tie up, cover the eyes of’]//  the respect and admiration that someone or something gets because of their success or important position in society//  prestige of//  --the prestige of having your work shown at a top London gallery//  --The king wanted to enhance his prestige through war.//  --This little-known British firm has now gained considerable prestige .//  --the personal prestige attached to owning a large property//\nprestige 2 adj [only before noun]   a prestige project, product etc is one of high quality that people respect you for having or being involved in//  --tiny roles in prestige films//  --a prestige car//


Words: prestigious
Meaning:
adj   admired as one of the best and most important//  --a prestigious literary award//  --a highly prestigious university//


Words: presto
Meaning:
adj, adv  technical   played or sung very quickly//\npresto 2   plural  prestos  n [C] //   technical a piece of music, or part of one, that is played or sung very quickly//\npresto 3 interjection  AmE   said when something happens suddenly in a way that seems unbelievable or magical//  British Equivalent:  hey presto//  --You just press a button and presto! A drink appears.//


Words: presumably
Meaning:
adv   used to say that you think something is probably true//  --It’s raining, which presumably means that your football match will be cancelled.//  [sentence adverb] //  --He’s dead now, presumably?//


Words: presume
Meaning:
S3   v   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: presumer, from  Latin praesumere, from  sumere  ’to take’]//\n  1 [T] to think that something is true, although you are not certain:   assume//  --Each of you will make a speech, I presume?//  --’Are his parents still alive?’ ’I presume so .’//  presume that//  --I presume we’ll be there by six o’clock.//  presume sb/sth to be sb/sth//  --From the way he talked, I presumed him to be your boss.//  be presumed to do sth//  --The temple is presumed to date from the first century BC.//\n  2 [T] to accept something as true until it is shown to not be true, especially in law:   assume//  --We must presume innocence until we have evidence of guilt.//  be presumed dead/innocent etc //  --Their nephew was missing, presumed dead.//\n  3 [I]  formal to behave without respect or politeness by doing something that you have no right to do:  presume to do sth//  --I would never presume to tell you what to do.//\n  4 [T usually in present tense]  formal to accept something as being true and base something else on it:   presuppose//  --The Ancient History course presumes some knowledge of Greek.//  presume that//  --I presume that someone will be there to meet us when we arrive.//\n  5  presume on/upon sb’s friendship/generosity etc:  to unfairly ask someone for more than you should, because they are your friend, are generous etc//  --It would be presuming on his generosity to ask him for money.//


Words: presumption
Meaning:
n \n  1 [C] something that you think is true because it is very likely:  presumption that//  --the presumption that their wealth is the result of crime//  on the presumption that//  --On the presumption that the doctor knows best, I took the medicine.//\n  2 [U and C]  law the act of thinking something is true, bad, or good until it is shown to not be true, bad, or good:  presumption of//  --the presumption of innocence//  presumption against/in favour of//  --a strong presumption against development in national parks//\n  3 [U]  formal behaviour that seems rude and too confident:  --She was enraged by his presumption.//


Words: presumptive
Meaning:
adj  formal  or  technical   based on a reasonable belief about what is likely to be true//  --a presumptive diagnosis//  -- presumptively adv //


Words: presumptuous
Meaning:
adj  formal   doing something that you have no right to do and that seems rude//  is it presumptuous (of sb) to do sth//  --Would it be presumptuous of me to ask why you are so miserable?//  -- presumptuously adv //  -- presumptuousness n  [U] //


Words: presuppose
Meaning:
v [T]  formal \n  1 to depend on something that is believed to exist or to be true:   assume//  --The idea of heaven presupposes the existence of God.//  presuppose that//  --Your argument presupposes that Dickens was a social reformer.//\n  2 to have to happen if something is true:  --Without struggle there can be no progress, and struggle presupposes winners and losers.//


Words: presupposition
Meaning:
n  formal \n  1 [C] something that you think is true, although you have no proof:   assumption//  presupposition that//  --Hick’s presupposition is that all religions believe in the same God.//\n  2 [U] when you think something is true even though you have no proof:


Words: preteen
Meaning:
adj   relating to or made for children who are 11 or 12 years old//  --preteen clothing//  -- preteen/pri[hA359]ti[hA359]n/ n  [C] //


Words: pretence
Meaning:
BrE  pretense AmE   n [singular,U] \n  1 a way of behaving which is intended to make people believe something that is not true:  pretence that//  --the pretence that the old system could be made to work//  pretence of/at (being/doing) sth//  --a pretence at seriousness//  --Tollitt made no pretense of being surprised.//  --How long are you going to keep up the pretence of being ill?//  abandon/give up/drop a pretence //  --Abandoning any pretense at politeness, they ran for the door.//  under the pretence of (doing) sth//  --John waited for her under the pretence of tying his shoelaces.//  --It was all an elaborate pretence .//\n  2  under/on false pretences:  without telling the truth about yourself or your intentions//  --You brought me here under false pretences!//


Words: pretend
Meaning:
W3S2   v   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: praetendere  ’to stretch out in front, make an excuse’, from  tendere  ’to stretch’]//\n  1 [I and T] to behave as if something is true when in fact you know it is not, in order to deceive people or for fun:  pretend (that)//  --We can’t go on pretending that everything is OK.//  --Let’s pretend we’re on the moon.//  pretend to do sth//  --She pretended not to notice.//  --He’s not asleep - he’s just pretending.//  --To pretend ignorance of the situation would be irresponsible.//  --I can’t marry her and to pretend otherwise would be wrong.//\n  2 [T usually in negatives] to claim that something is true, when it is not:  pretend (that)//  --I can’t pretend I understand these technical terms. (=I admit I do not understand them) //  pretend to do/be sth//  --The book doesn’t pretend to be for beginners.//\npretend 2 adj   imaginary or not real - used especially by children//  --We sang songs around a pretend campfire.//


Words: pretended
Meaning:
adj   something that is pretended appears to be real but is not//  --Her eyes widened in pretended astonishment.//


Words: pretender
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who claims to have a right to be king, leader etc, when this is not accepted by many people//  pretender to//  --the pretender to the English throne//


Words: pretense
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: pretensse, from  Latin praetendere;   PRETEND1]//  the American spelling of pretence//


Words: pretension
Meaning:
n [>C usually plural, U] \n  1 an attempt to seem more important, more intelligent, or of a higher class than you really are:  pretension to//  --Lilith resented Adam’s pretensions to superiority.//  --the humbleness and lack of pretension of Jordan’s cafe//\n  2 a claim to be or do something:  pretension(s) to be sth//  --The group don’t have any pretensions to be pop stars.//  pretension to//  --a large village with pretensions to the status of a small town//


Words: pretentious
Meaning:
adj   if someone or something is pretentious, they try to seem more important, intelligent, or high class than they really are in order to be impressive//  → unpretentious//  --a pretentious film//  -- pretentiously adv //  -- pretentiousness n  [U] //


Words: preterite
Meaning:
also  preterit AmE   n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: preterit, from  Latin praeteritus, past participle of  praeterire  ’to go past’]//  the preterite//   technical the tense or verb form that expresses a past action or condition//  -- preterite adj //


Words: preternatural
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: praeternaturalis, from  Latin praeter naturam  ’beyond nature’]//\n  1 beyond what is usual or normal:  --He felt possessed of a preternatural strength and fearlessness.//\n  2 strange, mysterious, and unnatural:  --the preternatural green light//  -- preternaturally adv //  --The town was preternaturally quiet.//


Words: pretext
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: praetextus, from  praetexere  ’to weave in front, make an excuse’]//  a false reason given for an action, in order to hide the real reason//  pretext for//  --The incident provided the pretext for war.//  on/under the pretext of doing sth//  --Tom called at her apartment on the pretext of asking for a book.//  on/under the pretext that//  --He left immediately on the pretext that he had a train to catch.//  --He’ll phone on some pretext or other.//


Words: Pretoria
Meaning:
a city in the northern part of South Africa, where the government departments are based. It is one of South Africa’s two capital cities. The other, where the parliament is based, is Cape Town.//


Words: prettify
Meaning:
v   past tense and past participle  prettified present participle  prettifying third person singular  prettifies  [T] //  to change something with the intention of making it more attractive, but often with the effect of spoiling it//  --attempts to prettify the harbour//


Words: pretty
Meaning:
W3S2  adverb]  spoken \n  1 fairly or more than a little:  --I’m pretty sure he’ll say yes.//  --She still looks pretty miserable. see usage note  rather//\n  2 very:  --Dinner at Luigi’s sounds pretty good to me.//\n  3  pretty well/much:  almost completely//  --He hit the ball pretty well exactly where he wanted it.//  --The guard left us pretty much alone.//  --They’re all pretty much the same.//\n  4  pretty nearly:   also pretty near  AmE //  almost//  --The shock of Pat’s death pretty near killed Roy.//    be sitting pretty at sit(9)//\npretty 2 W3S3 adj   comparative  prettier superlative  prettiest //  [Language: Old English; Origin: pr[zB024]ttig  ’tricky’, from  pr[zB024]tt  ’trick’]//\n  1 a woman or child who is pretty has a nice, attractive face:  --a pretty little girl//  --Maria looks much prettier with her hair cut short. see usage note  beautiful//\n  2 something that is pretty is pleasant to look at or listen to but is not impressive:  --a pretty dress//  --The tune is pretty.//  --What a pretty little garden!//\n  3  not a pretty sight:  very unpleasant to look at - sometimes used humorously//  --After a night’s drinking, Al was not a pretty sight.//\n  4  not just a pretty face:   spoken used humorously to say that someone is intelligent, when people think this is surprising//  --I’m not just a pretty face, you know!//\n  5  come to a pretty pass:   old-fashioned used to say that a very bad situation has developed//  -- Things have come to a pretty pass , if you can’t say what you think without causing a fight.//\n  6  cost a pretty penny:   old-fashioned to cost a lot of money//\n  7  pretty as a picture:   old-fashioned very pretty//  -- prettily adv //  --Charlotte sang very prettily.//  -- prettiness n  [U] //


Words: pretzel
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: German; Origin: pretzel,  bretzel, from  Latin brachiatus  ’having branches like arms’]//  a hard salty type of bread baked in the shape of a stick or a loose knot//


Words: prevail
Meaning:
v [I not in progressive]  formal   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: praevalere, from  valere  ’to be strong’]//\n  1 if a belief, custom, situation etc prevails, it exists among a group of people at a certain time:  prevail in/among etc//  --the economic conditions which prevail in England and Wales//  --I admired the creativity which prevailed among the young writers.//\n  2 if a person, idea, or principle prevails in a fight, argument etc, they are successful in the end:  --Justice will prevail.//  common sense prevails/reason prevails (=a sensible decision is made) //  --He considered lying, but then common sense prevailed.//  prevail over/against//  --Your inner strength will enable you to prevail over life’s obstacles.//  prevail on/upon [prevail on/upon sb] phr v//  to persuade someone//  prevail on/upon sb to do sth//  --She prevailed upon her father to say nothing.//


Words: prevailing
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1 existing or accepted in a particular place or at a particular time:   current//  --The prevailing mood of public opinion remained hostile.//  --the prevailing economic conditions in Northern Ireland//\n  2  prevailing wind:  a wind that blows over a particular area most of the time//


Words: prevalent
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , present participle of  praevalere;   PREVAIL]//  common at a particular time, in a particular place, or among a particular group of people//  prevalent in/among etc//  --Solvent abuse is especially prevalent among younger teenagers.//  --the prevalent belief in astrology//  -- prevalence n  [singular,U] //  --the prevalence of deafness in older age groups//


Words: prevaricate
Meaning:
v [I and T]  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  praevaricari  ’to leave a straight course’, from  varicari  ’to spread the legs apart’]//  to try to hide the truth by not answering questions directly//  --’I’m not sure,’ he prevaricated.//  -- prevarication/pr[hA366]v[zB024]r[hA369]ke[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n/ n  [U and C] //


Words: prevent
Meaning:
W1S2   v [T]   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: , past participle of  praevenire  ’to come before’]//  to stop something from happening, or stop someone from doing something//  --The rules are intended to prevent accidents.//  prevent sb/sth (from) doing sth//  --His back injury may prevent him from playing in tomorrow’s game.//  --We were prevented from entering the site.//  --Wrap small ornaments in paper to prevent them being damaged.//  -- preventable adj //  --preventable diseases//  --Every one of these deaths is preventable.//


Words: prevention
Meaning:
n [U]   when something bad is stopped from happening//  prevention of//  --Educating new drivers is important for the prevention of accidents. //  crime/accident/fire etc prevention //  --Effective crime prevention must be our main goal.//  --a fire prevention officer//  --You know what they say, prevention is better than cure  (=it is better to stop something bad from happening than to remove the problem once it has happened) .//


Words: Prevention of Terrorism Act
Meaning:
the   a British law made in 1989 which gives the army, police, and government more powers to deal with  terrorists, such as being able to keep someone in prison for 7 days without charging them with a crime//


Words: preventive
Meaning:
adj  also preventative  [only before noun]   intended to stop something you do not want to happen, such as illness, from happening//  --preventive health programs//  preventive action/measure //  --While travelling abroad, take preventive measures to avoid illness.//  -- preventively adv //


Words: preventive detention
Meaning:
n [U]    BrE  law a system in which people who are guilty of many crimes are kept in prison for a long time//


Words: preventive medicine
Meaning:
n [U]   medical treatment, advice, and health education that is designed to prevent disease happening rather than cure it//


Words: preview
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 an occasion when you can see a film, play, painting etc before it is shown to the public:  preview of//  --a sneak preview of the new fashions for autumn//  --the press preview of the show (=when people who write for newspapers, television etc could see it) //\n  2 a description of a film, television programme, show etc that people will be able to see soon:\npreview 2 v [T] \n  1 to see or describe something before it is shown to the public:  --Journalists will be able to preview the exhibition tomorrow.//\n  2 to show or perform something before it is shown to the public:  --The band will preview their new album on 2nd March.//


Words: previous
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: praevius  ’leading the way’, from  via  ’way’]//\n  1 [only before noun] having happened or existed before the event, time, or thing that you are talking about now:  --I’ve met him before on two previous occasions.//  --She has two children from a previous marriage.//  --Do you have any previous experience of this type of work?//  --The lawyer told the judge that Kennedy had no previous convictions.//\n  2  the previous day/chapter/owner etc:  the one that came immediately before the one you are talking about now//  --I had met them the previous day.//  --as we said in the previous chapter//  --The trees had been planted by the previous owner.//\n  3  previous to sth:   formal before a particular time or event//  --There were almost no women MPs previous to 1945.//


Words: previously
Meaning:
W2S3   adv   before now or before a particular time//  --Almost half the group had previously been heavy smokers.//  two days/three years etc previously (=two days, three years etc before) //  --Six months previously he had smashed up his car.//   see usage note  ago//


Words: prey
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: preie, from  Latin praeda  ’something seized’]//\n  1 [singular,U] an animal, bird etc that is hunted and eaten by another animal:   predator//  --a tiger stalking its prey//\n  2  bird/beast of prey:  a bird or animal which lives by killing and eating other animals//\n  3  be/fall prey to sb/sth:  if someone falls prey to someone or something bad, they are harmed or affected by them//  --Street children in this part of the world often fall prey to drug dealers.//  --They are prey to nameless fears.//\n  4  easy prey:  a) someone who can easily be deceived or harmed//  --He was easy prey for the two conmen who called at his house.//  b) an animal which is easily caught by another//  --Fish at the surface of the water are easy prey for eagles.//\nprey 2 v   prey on / [prey on sb/sth] phr v//\n  1 if an animal or bird preys on another animal or bird, it hunts and eats it:    predator//  --Cats prey on birds and mice.//\n  2 to try to deceive or harm weaker people:  --religious cults that specialize in preying on young people//\n  3  prey on sb’s mind:  to make someone worry continuously//  --The accident has been preying on my mind all week.//


Words: Priam
Meaning:
in ancient Greek stories, the king of  Troy and the father of  Hector and  Paris.//    Iliad, the//    Trojan War, the//


Words: Price
Meaning:
Vincent   (1911-1993), a US film actor famous for appearing in horror films, including  House of Wax (1953), The Mad Magician (1954), The Fly (1958), The Pit and the Pendulum (1961), Witchfinder General (1968), and Edward Scissorhands (1990).//


Words: price
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: pris, from  Latin pretium  ’price, money’]//\n  1 [U and C] the amount of money you have to pay for something:  --People are prepared to pay high prices for designer clothes.//  price of//  --The price of fuel keeps going up .//  --House prices in this area are falling .//  --Oil prices fluctuated significantly during October.//  --fears of massive electricity price increases //  --a sharp rise in food prices //  --a drop in the price of coal//  --They have cut the price of their products by almost 30 per cent.//  price for//  --We agreed on a price for the bike.//  --Tesco is selling two bottles of champagne for the price of one ! see usage note  cost1 //    asking price,  cost price,  list price,  market price//\n  2 [singular] the unpleasant things that you must suffer in order to be successful, free etc:  price of//  --He’s never at home, but that’s the price of success.//  --The awful boat journey was a small price to pay for freedom.//  --They may pay a high price for their few years of glory.//  --She was finally made senior executive, but at what price !//\n  3  half/full price:  used to talk about half the usual price of something, or the actual usual price//  --I bought these jeans at half price in the sale.//\n  4  at a price:  for a lot of money//  --You can get goat’s cheese at the local delicatessen - at a price!//\n  5  at any price:  whatever the cost and difficulties may be//  --She was determined to have a child at any price.//\n  6  not at any price:  used to say that you would not do something, even for a lot of money//  --Sorry, that painting’s not for sale at any price.//\n  7  put a price on sth:  to give something a financial value//  --You can’t put a price on what a mother does for her children.//\n  8  What price fame/glory etc?:   usually spoken used to suggest that something was not worth achieving because too many bad things have happened as a result//  --What price progress?//\n  9  be beyond price:  to be extremely valuable or important//\n  10  price on sb’s head:  a reward for catching or killing someone//\n  11  everyone has their price:  used to say that you can persuade people to do anything if you give them what they want//    cheap at the price at cheap1 (8)//    name your price at name2 (7)//    pay the price at pay1 (9)//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  high/low price //  prices go up/rise/increase/soar //  prices go down/fall/drop //  prices fluctuate (=prices go up and down) //  a price rise/increase //  a reduction/fall/drop in prices //  put up/increase/raise prices //  cut/lower/slash prices (=make them lower) //  agree (on) a price/fix a price //  price freeze (=when prices are kept at the same level) //  price war (=when shops try to have the lowest prices) //  ----------//\nprice 2 v [T] \n  1 [usually in passive] to decide the price of something that is for sale:  --a reasonably priced apartment//  be priced at sth//  --Tickets are priced at [hA124]75 each.//\n  2 to put the price on goods to show how much they cost:\n  3 to compare the prices of things:  --We spent Saturday morning pricing microwaves.//\n  4  price yourself out of the market:  to demand too much money for the services or goods that you are selling//


Words: price fixing
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 a system in which the government decides the prices of things:   price control//\n  2 an agreement between producers and sellers of a product to set its price at a high level:


Words: price index
Meaning:
n [C]   a list of particular goods and services and how much their prices change each month//    retail price index//


Words: price support
Meaning:
n [U]   a system in which the government keeps the price of a product at a particular level by giving the producer money or buying the product itself//


Words: price tag
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a piece of paper with a price on it that is attached to something in a shop:\n  2 the amount that something costs:  --It’s difficult to put a price tag on such a project (=say how much it costs) .//


Words: price war
Meaning:
n [C]   a situation in which several companies reduce the prices of what they sell, because they are all trying to get the most customers//


Words: priceless
Meaning:
adj \n  1 extremely valuable:  --priceless antiques//\n  2 a quality or skill that is priceless is extremely important or useful:  --The ability to motivate people is a priceless asset.//\n  3  informal extremely funny or silly:  --The look on his face was priceless.//


Words: pricing
Meaning:
n [U]   the act of deciding the price of something that you sell//  --a competitive pricing policy //


Words: prick
Meaning:
v \n  1 [T] to make a small hole in something using something sharp:  --Prick the sausages before you grill them.//  prick yourself/prick your finger (=accidentally make a hole in your skin) //  --She had pricked her finger on a rose thorn.//\n  2 [I and T] if something pricks a part of your body, or if it pricks, you feel small sharp pains:    prickle//  --Angry tears pricked her eyes.//  --a curious pricking sensation//\n  3  prick sb’s conscience:  if something pricks someone’s conscience or their conscience pricks them, they feel guilty or ashamed//  --Her conscience pricked her as she told the lie.//\n  4  prick (up) its ears:  if an animal pricks up its ears, it raises them to listen to a sound//  --The rabbit stopped suddenly, pricking up its ears.//\n  5  prick (up) your ears:  if you prick up your ears or your ears prick up, you listen carefully because you have heard something interesting//  --Jay pricked up his ears when I mentioned a vacation.//  prick sth out [prick sth→ out] phr v//  to place young plants in soil after you have grown them from seed//\nprick 2 n [C]   ----------//\n   1 person:\n   2 sex organ:\n   3 point entering:\n   4 emotion:\n   5 prick of conscience:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: prica]//\n  1 PERSON:   spoken  not polite a very offensive word for a stupid unpleasant man//\n  2 SEX ORGAN:   informal  not polite a penis//\n  3 POINT ENTERING:  a) a slight pain you get when something sharp goes into your skin//  --I didn’t feel the prick of the needle.//  b)  BrE an act of pricking something//  --Give the sausages a prick.//    pinprick//\n  4 EMOTION:  a sudden slight feeling you get when you are unhappy about something//  prick of//  --She felt a prick of resentment when she saw them together.//\n  5  prick of conscience:  an uncomfortable feeling that you have done something wrong//


Words: prickle
Meaning:
n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: pricle]//\n  1 a long thin sharp point on the skin of some animals or the surface of some plants:\n  2 if you feel a prickle of fear, anger, or excitement, you feel slightly afraid, angry, or excited in a way that makes your skin feel slightly cold and uncomfortable:  prickle of//  --She felt a prickle of fear as she realized that she was alone.//\nprickle 2 v \n  1 [I and T] if something prickles your skin, it makes it sting slightly:  --A cold breeze prickled his face.//  --His hair prickled my neck.//  prickle on//  --He felt sweat prickle on his forehead.//\n  2 [I] if your skin prickles, it begins to sting slightly:  --Her skin was prickling uncomfortably.//\n  3 [I]  BrE if your eyes prickle, they sting slightly because you are going to cry:  --She felt her eyes prickle. ’It was awful,’ she whispered.//  --My eyes prickled with tears .//\n  4 [I] if you prickle, you feel slightly angry, excited, or afraid:  prickle with//  --The thought of meeting him made her prickle with excitement.//  prickle at//  --She felt herself prickle (=become angry) at his tone of voice.//


Words: prickly
Meaning:
adj \n  1 covered with thin sharp points:  --a plant with prickly leaves//\n  2 if your skin feels prickly, it stings slightly:  --His skin felt painful and prickly.//  --The base of my neck was prickly with sweat.//\n  3 something that is prickly makes your skin sting slightly:  --a prickly woollen sweater//\n  4  informal someone who is prickly gets annoyed or offended easily:  --She was prickly and sharp with me.//  --As she got older, she became more prickly and forgetful.//\n  5 a prickly subject causes a lot of disagreements and difficulties:  --We finally turned to the prickly question of who was going to pay.//  -- prickliness n  [U] //


Words: prickly heat
Meaning:
n [U]   a skin condition in which you get uncomfortable red spots on your skin. Prickly heat is caused by too much strong sun on your skin.//


Words: prickly pear
Meaning:
n [U and C]   a type of cactus that has yellow flowers and red fruit. The fruit is also called a prickly pear.//


Words: pride
Meaning:
W3S3   n   ----------//\n   1 feeling of pleasure:\n   2 respect:\n   3 too much pride:\n   4 take pride in your work/appearance etc:\n   5 somebody’s pride and joy:\n   6 the pride of something:\n   7 have/take pride of place:\n   8 lions:  ----------//  [Language: Old English; Origin: pryde, from  prud  ’proud’]//\n  1 FEELING OF PLEASURE:   [U] a feeling that you are proud of something that you or someone connected with you has achieved//    proud//  --He wore his medals with pride.//  pride in//  --He takes great pride in his children’s achievements.//  --The people have a sense of pride in their community.//  --His heart swelled with pride when his daughter came in.//  --She felt a glow of pride when her name was announced for the prize.//  --Success in sport is a source of national pride .//\n  2 RESPECT:   [U] a feeling that you like and respect yourself and that you deserve to be respected by other people//    proud//  sb’s pride//  --It hurt his pride when his wife left him.//  --I think that getting a job would give him his pride back .//  --She didn’t try to hide her anger and injured pride .//  -- It’s a matter of pride for some men that their wives don’t have to work.//\n  3 TOO MUCH PRIDE:   [U] a belief that you are better than other people and do not need their help or support//    proud//  sb’s pride//  --His pride wouldn’t allow him to ask for help.//  --She ought to swallow her pride  (=ignore or forget her feelings of pride) and call him.//\n  4  take pride in your work/appearance etc:  to do something very carefully and well, in a way that gives you a lot of satisfaction//  --Your should take more pride in your work.//  --She took great pride in her appearance.//\n  5  sb’s pride and joy:  a person or thing that someone is very proud of//  --His garden is his pride and joy.//\n  6  the pride of sth:  a) the thing or person that the people in a particular place are most proud of//  --Wigan’s rugby team was the pride of the town.//  b) the best thing in a group//  --a beautiful Japanese sword that is the pride of our collection//\n  7  have/take pride of place:  if something has or takes pride of place, it is put in the best place for people to see because it is the thing you are most proud of//  --A large photograph of the children had pride of place on the sitting room wall.//\n  8 LIONS:   [C] a group of lions//  --A young lion had strayed some distance from the pride.//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  with pride //  great/immense pride //  take pride in something (=feel proud of something) //  a sense of pride //  glow with pride/feel a glow of pride/your heart swells with pride (=feel very proud) //  national pride (=a feeling that you are proud of your country) //  civic pride (=a feeling that you are proud of your town or city) //  ----------//\npride 2 v   pride yourself on (doing) sth//  to be especially proud of something that you do well, or of a good quality that you have//  --a restaurant that prides itself on speed of service//  --She prides herself on being a good listener.//


Words: Pride and Prejudice
Meaning:
(1813) a novel by Jane  Austen about Mr and Mrs Bennet and their daughters. The most important characters are Elizabeth Bennet, a clever and amusing young woman, and the rich, attractive Mr  Darcy, who finally realize that they love each other, although previously Elizabeth thought that Darcy was too proud, and he thought that she disliked him without any good reason. The first sentence of  Pride and Prejudice is one of the most famous sentences in English literature: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife".//


Words: priest
Meaning:
W3   n [C]   [Language: Old English; Origin: preost, from  Late Latin presbyter, from  Greek presbyteros  ’older man, priest’, from  presbys  ’old man’]//\n  1 someone who is specially trained to perform religious duties and ceremonies in the Christian church:\n  2 a man with religious duties and responsibilities in some non-Christian religions:


Words: priesthood
Meaning:
n \n  1  the priesthood:  if someone is in the priesthood, they are a Christian priest//  --He is celebrating 30 years in the priesthood.//  --There has been a decline in the number of people joining the priesthood.//\n  2 [>C usually singular, U] all the priests of a particular religion or country:  --an attempt to reduce the influence of the priesthood in the country//


Words: Priestley
Meaning:
J. B.   (1894-1984) a British writer of novels, such as  The Good Companions, and plays, such as  An Inspector Calls and  Dangerous Corner//


Words: prig
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1600-1700; Origin:  Probably from  prig  ’showy man’ (17-19 centuries), perhaps from  prig  ’tinker, thief’ (16-19 centuries)]//  someone who behaves in a morally good way and shows that they disapprove of the way other people behave - used to show disapproval//  --Don’t be such a prig! It’s only a bit of harmless fun!//  -- priggish adj //  --a rather priggish, old-fashioned man//  -- priggishness n  [U] //


Words: prim
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1700-1800; Origin:  Perhaps from  Old French prin  ’excellent, fine’, from  Latin primus;   PRIME1]//\n  1 very formal and careful in the way you speak and behave, and easily shocked by anything rude:  --She looked prim and nervous in her best hat and coat.//  --a very prim and proper young lady//\n  2 prim clothes are neat and formal:  --a prim suit//  -- primly adv //


Words: prima ballerina
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Language: Italian; Origin: ’first female dancer’]//  the main woman dancer in a group of ballet dancers//


Words: prima donna
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Italian; Origin: ’first lady’]//\n  1 the most important woman singer in an opera company:\n  2 someone who thinks that they are very good at what they do, and demands a lot of attention and praise from other people:  --In my view, football players are a bunch of over-paid prima donnas.//


Words: prima facie
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  law   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: ’at first appearance’]//  based on what seems to be true when you first consider a situation, even though it may later be proved to be untrue//  --prima facie evidence//  --a prima facie case of professional misconduct//


Words: primacy
Meaning:
n [singular,U]    formal if someone or something has primacy, they are the best or most important person or thing//  primacy of//  --the primacy of the family//  --We must give primacy to education.//


Words: primal
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]  formal   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: primalis, from  Latin primus;   PRIME1]//  primal feelings or actions seem to belong to a part of people’s character that is ancient and animal-like//  --a primal fear of the unknown//


Words: primary
Meaning:
W2S3   adj   [Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: primarius, from  primus;   PRIME1]//\n  1 [usually before noun] most important:   main//  --Our primary concern is to provide the refugees with food and healthcare.//  --Many of the villagers rely on fishing as their primary source of income.//  primary purpose/aim/objective //  --Their primary objective is to make money.//  --Personal safety is of primary importance .//\n  2 [only before noun]  especially BrE relating to the education of children between five and eleven years old:  American Equivalent:  elementary//    secondary//  --a primary teacher//  --primary education//  --teaching at primary level//\n  3 happening or developing before other things:  --a primary tumour//  --Counselling was given as a primary therapy for depression.//\nprimary 2   plural  primaries  n [C] //\n  1 a primary election:\n  2  BrE a primary school:


Words: primary care
Meaning:
n [U]   basic medical treatment that you receive from a doctor who is not a  specialist//  --a primary care physician (=a doctor who provides primary care) //


Words: primary colour
Meaning:
n [C]   one of the three colours red, yellow, and blue, which you can mix together to make any of the other colours//


Words: primary election
Meaning:
n [C]   an election in the US at which people vote to decide who will be a party’s candidate for a political position in the main election//


Words: primary health care
Meaning:
also primary care  n [U]   the medical care that someone receives first when they become ill or have an accident//


Words: primary school
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE a school for children between five and 11 years old in England and Wales//  American Equivalent:  elementary school//


Words: primary source
Meaning:
n [C]   a document, book etc that contains information that has been obtained by people’s experiences and not taken from other documents, books etc//    secondary source//


Words: primary stress
Meaning:
n [U and C]    technical the strongest force that is put on a part of a long word when you say it, like the force given to ’pri’ in ’primary’. It is shown in this dictionary by the mark ( ’ ).//


Words: Primate
Meaning:
n [C]   the most important priest in a country, especially in the Church of England//   archbishop//


Words: primate
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: primat, from  Medieval Latin primas  ’archbishop’, from  Latin,  ’leader’, from  primus;   PRIME1]//  a member of the group of animals that includes humans and monkeys//


Words: prime
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin primus  ’first’]//\n  1 most important:   main//  --Smoking is the prime cause of lung disease.//  --Our prime concern is providing jobs for all young school leavers.//  --He was named as the prime suspect in the murder investigation.//  --Good management is of prime importance in business.//\n  2 of the very best quality or kind:  --prime rib of beef//  --prime agricultural land//  --The hotel is in a prime location overlooking the valley.//\n  3  be a prime candidate/target (for sth):  to be the person or thing that is most suitable or most likely to be chosen for a particular purpose//  --The school is a prime candidate for closure.//  --Old people are a prime target for thieves.//\n  4  prime example:  a very typical example of something//  --Blakey Hall is a prime example of a 19th century building.//\nprime 2 n [singular]   the time in your life when you are strongest and most active//  in your prime//  --She’s now forty and still in her prime.//  --He is now past his prime .//  --a man in the prime of life //  --a young singer who was tragically cut off in her prime  (=died while she was in her prime) //\nprime 3 v [T]   ----------//\n   1 prepare somebody:\n   2 a gun:\n   3 paint:\n   4 prime the pump:\n   5 water:  ----------//\n  1 PREPARE SOMEBODY:  to prepare someone for a situation so that they know what to do//  prime sb with sth//  --Did you prime her with what to say?//  prime sb for sth//  --He had a shower and primed himself for action.//  prime sb to do sth//  --He had been primed to say nothing about it.//\n  2 A GUN:  to prepare a gun or bomb so that it can fire or explode//\n  3 PAINT:  to put a special layer of paint on a surface, in order to prepare it for the next layer//  --All metal surfaces will have to be primed.//\n  4  prime the pump:   informal to encourage a business, industry, or activity to develop by putting money or effort into it//\n  5 WATER:  to pour water into a water pump in order to make it ready to work//


Words: Prime Meridian
Meaning:
the imaginary line drawn from north to south on the earth, from which east and west are measured in degrees on a map//


Words: Prime Minister
Meaning:
prime minister abbreviation PM  n [C]   the most important minister and leader of the government in some countries which have a parliament//  --the British Prime Minister//  --He first became prime minister in 1982.//  Prime Minister of//  --the Prime Minister of Turkey//


Words: Prime Minister’s Question Time
Meaning:
a period of time each week when any member of the British  House of Commons may ask the  Prime Minister questions. There are often loud and angry disagreements during Question Time, which are broadcast on radio and television.//


Words: prime mover
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 someone who helps to make something happen and has great influence in the way it develops:  prime mover in/of/behind//  --He was a prime mover in the bid to get better pay for West Indian cricketers.//  --She was a prime mover of social change in the nineteenth century.//\n  2  Prime Mover:  a way of referring to God//


Words: prime number
Meaning:
n [C]   a number that can be divided only by itself and the number one. For example, three and seven are prime numbers.//


Words: prime rate
Meaning:
n [C]   the lowest rate of interest at which companies can borrow money from a bank//    base rate//


Words: prime time
Meaning:
n [U]   the time in the evening when the largest number of people are watching television//  --a prime time entertainment programme//  --prime time television//  --prime time audiences//  --a speech that was broadcast live during prime time//


Words: primer
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U and C] paint that you put on the surface of wood, metal etc before you put on the main layer of paint:\n  2 [C] a tube that contains explosive and is used to fire a gun or explode a bomb:\n  3 [C]  AmE a book that contains basic information about something:  primer on/of//  --a primer on Italian wines//  --a primer of good management techniques//\n  4 [C]  old-fashioned a school book that contains very basic facts about a subject:


Words: primeval
Meaning:
also primaeval  BrE   adj   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Latin; Origin: primaevus, from  primus (  PRIME1) +  aevum  ’age’]//\n  1 belonging to the earliest time in the existence of the universe or the Earth:  --Primeval clouds of gas formed themselves into stars.//\n  2 very ancient:  --primeval forests//\n  3 primeval feelings are very strong and seem to come from a part of people’s character that is ancient and animal-like:  --the primeval urge to reproduce//


Words: primitive
Meaning:
adj   ----------//\n   1 way of life:\n   2 not modern:\n   3 animals/plants:\n   4 feelings:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: primitivus, from  primus;   PRIME1]//\n  1 WAY OF LIFE:  belonging to a simple way of life that existed in the past and does not have modern industries and machines//  → advanced, modern//  --a primitive society//  --a primitive nomadic tribe//  --the tools used by primitive man//  --primitive art//\n  2 NOT MODERN:  something that is primitive is very simple and does not have the extra modern parts that would make it faster, better, more comfortable etc//  → advanced, modern//  --The first station buildings were quite primitive.//  --The local hospital care is primitive and unreliable.//  --Conditions at the camp are very primitive.//  --a primitive steam engine//\n  3 ANIMALS/PLANTS:  a primitive animal or plant has a simple structure or body//  --primitive life-forms that live deep in the ocean//  --a primitive single-celled creature//\n  4 FEELINGS:  primitive feelings are not based on reason, and seem to come from a part of people’s character that is ancient and animal-like//  --the primitive instinct of survival//  --primitive desires//  -- primitively adv //  -- primitiveness n  [U] //\nprimitive 2 n [C]   an artist who paints simple pictures like those of a child//


Words: primogeniture
Meaning:
n [U]  law   [Date: 1600-1700; Language: Late Latin; Origin: primogenitura, from  Latin primus (  PRIME1) +  genitura  ’birth’]//  the system by which property that is owned by a man goes to his oldest son after his death//


Words: primordial
Meaning:
adj  formal   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Late Latin; Origin: primordialis, from  Latin primordium  ’origin’, from   primus (  PRIME1) +  ordiri  ’to begin’]//\n  1 existing at the beginning of time or the beginning of the Earth:  --the primordial seas//\n  2 primordial feelings are very strong and seem to come from the part of people’s character that is ancient and animal-like:  --He was driven on by a primordial terror.//\n  3  the primordial soup:  the mixture of gases and other substances that people believe existed before the beginning of life on Earth//


Words: primp
Meaning:
v [I and T]  old-fashioned   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin:  Perhaps from  prim]//  to make yourself look attractive by arranging your hair, putting on make-up etc//  --She spends hours primping in front of the mirror.//


Words: primrose
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: primerose, probably from  prime  ’first’ +  rose  ’rose’]//\n  1 [C] a small wild plant with pale yellow flowers, or the flower from this plant:  --a bunch of primroses//\n  2  also primrose yellow :   [U] a pale yellow colour//\n  3  the primrose path:   literary a way of life that is full of pleasure but causes you harm after a period of time//


Words: Primus
Meaning:
n  also Primus stove  [C]    trademark  BrE a small stove (=a piece of equipment for cooking)  that burns oil and can be easily carried around, used especially when camping//


Words: Prince
Meaning:
The   (1532) a book by  Machiavelli which discusses what a ruler should do in order to gain and keep power and be an effective ruler, even if this means being cruel, dishonest, or immoral//


Words: prince
Meaning:
W3   n [C]   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin princeps  ’leader’, from  primus (  PRIME1) +  capere  ’to take’]//\n  1 the son of a king, queen, or prince:    princess//  --Prince William//\n  2 a male ruler of a small country or state:  --Prince Rainier of Monaco//\n  3  the prince of sth/a prince among sth:   literary the man who is best at something//  --the prince of sculptors//


Words: Prince Charming
Meaning:
n [C]    informal a perfect man who a young woman might dream about meeting - often used humorously//  --She is still waiting to find her Prince Charming.//


Words: Prince Regent
Meaning:
the   the son of the British king George III, who was also called George and acted as king from 1811 to 1820 because his father was mentally ill. This period of British history is called "the Regency". When George III died in 1820, the Prince Regent became King George IV.//


Words: princely
Meaning:
adj [only before noun] \n  1 a princely amount of money is very large - often used humorously to mean a very small amount of money:  --My savings had now reached the princely sum of [hA124]30.//  --a far from princely salary//\n  2  formal impressive or generous:  --princely buildings//  --A princely welcome awaited them.//\n  3 belonging or relating to a prince:  --a princely state//


Words: Princes in the Tower
Meaning:
the   the English boy king Edward V and his brother Richard, who in 1483 were put in prison in the Tower of London by their  uncle, who later became King Richard III. Many people believe that Richard ordered the two boys to be murdered.//


Words: princess
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a close female relation of a king and queen, especially a daughter:    prince//  --Princess Anne//\n  2 the wife of a prince:


Words: Princess and the Pea
Meaning:
The   a  fairy tale by Hans Christian  Andersen in which a young woman proves that she is a princess by noticing that there is a  pea (=a small round green vegetable)  under the pile of  mattresses she has been sleeping on. A queen has put the pea under her bed as a test to see if the young woman will feel it, because only a real princess would be so delicate that she would notice a small pea. As a result, the queen allows the young woman to marry her son, a prince.//


Words: Princess Royal
Meaning:
the   a title that is given to the eldest daughter of a British king or queen. Princess  Anne was given the title by her mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in 1987.//


Words: Princeton University
Meaning:
a private university in Princeton, New Jersey which is one of the oldest and most respected universities in the US and is part of the  Ivy League//


Words: principal
Meaning:
W2   adj [only before noun]   [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin principalis, from  princeps;   PRINCE]//  most important//   main//  --His principal reason for making the journey was to visit his family.//  --Teaching is her principal source of income.//  --the principal character in the book//    principally//\nprincipal 2 n   ----------//\n   1 school:\n   2 university/college:\n   3 business:\n   4 performer:\n   5 money:  ----------//\n  1 SCHOOL:   [C]  AmE someone who is in charge of a school//  British Equivalent:  headteacher//  --a small school with just three teachers and the principal//\n  2 UNIVERSITY/COLLEGE:   [C]  BrE someone who is in charge of a university or college//\n  3 BUSINESS:   [C]  AmE the main person in a business or organization, who can make important business decisions and is legally responsible for them//  --The principal of the business has an office in New York.//\n  4 PERFORMER:   [C] the main performer in a play or in a group of musicians, dancers etc//  --She later became a principal with the Royal Ballet.//\n  5 MONEY:   [singular]  technical the original amount of money that is lent to someone, not including any of the interest//


Words: principality
Meaning:
n   plural  principalities  [C] //\n  1 a country that is ruled by a prince:\n  2  the Principality:   BrE Wales//


Words: principally
Meaning:
adv   mainly//  --The money is principally invested in stocks and shares.//  --He was principally a landscape painter.//  --We met principally to discuss the future of the school.//


Words: principle
Meaning:
n   ----------//\n   1 moral rule:\n   2 idea behind something:\n   3 in principle:\n   4 rules of a process:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: principe, from  Latin principium  ’beginning’, from  princeps;   PRINCE]//\n  1 MORAL RULE:   [U and C] a moral rule or belief about what is right and wrong, that influences how you behave//  --Schools try to teach children a set of principles .//  --He prided himself on his high moral principles  (=strong ideas about how it is right or wrong to behave) //  --He’s got no principles at all!//  --He refused to give me any more money as a matter of principle .//  against sb’s principles//  --It’s against my principles to accept gifts from clients.//  man/woman of principle (=a man or woman with strong moral ideas) //  --He considered himself to be a man of principle.//\n  2 IDEA BEHIND SOMETHING:   [C] the basic idea that a plan or system is based on//  --The general principle is that education should be available to all children up to the age of 16.//  basic/fundamental/guiding principle //  --the basic principles of business management//  principle of//  --the principles of French law//  principle that//  --Reflexology is based on the principle that specific areas on the feet correspond to different parts of the body.//  on a principle//  --The project worked on the principle that each person’s experience was equally valuable.//  principle behind//  --the principles behind government policies//  --He called for a return to first principles  (=the most important ideas) of road safety for children.//  --Similar principles apply in the case of older children (=the principles are the same as others that have been mentioned) .//\n  3  in principle:  a) if something is possible in principle, there is no good reason why it should not happen, but it has not actually happened yet//  --In principle, the new software should make the accounting system a lot simpler.//  b) if you agree to something in principle, you agree about a general plan or idea but have not yet considered the details//  --They have accepted the idea in principle.//  --The government has agreed in principle to a referendum.//\n  4 RULES OF A PROCESS:   [C] a rule which explains the way something such as a machine works, or which explains a natural force in the universe//  --Archimedes’ principle//  principle of//  --the basic principles of physics//  ----------//  HINT //  Do not confuse the noun principle (=a basic rule) with the noun and adjective principal , which have the same pronunciation but different meanings. //  ----------//


Words: principled
Meaning:
adj  formal \n  1 someone who is principled has strong opinions about what is morally right and wrong:  principled stand/opposition/objection etc //  --He took a principled stand against the legislation.//\n  2 based on clear and definite ideas:  --an attempt to reduce prison sentences in a principled way//


Words: print
Meaning:
W3S2   v   ----------//\n   1 words:\n   2 books/newspapers:\n   3 in a newspaper:\n   4 photograph:\n   5 cloth:\n   6 write:\n   7 make a mark:  Phrasal verbs//   print something → off/out//  ----------//\n  1 WORDS:  a)  [I and T] to produce words, numbers, or pictures on paper, using a machine which puts ink onto the surface//  --I need to make a few changes before I print the document.//  --The company’s name was printed in bold letters across the top of the page.//  --a printed letter//  --The printer’s switched on but it won’t print.//  --As a newspaper publisher he understood the power of the printed word  (=words that are printed on paper) .//  b)  [I] when a computer document prints, a printed copy of it is produced//  --Press return, then the document should print.//\n  2 BOOKS/NEWSPAPERS:   [T] to produce many printed copies of a book, newspaper etc//  --Over five million copies of the paper are printed every day.//  --When the book was first written no publisher would print it.//\n  3 IN A NEWSPAPER:   [T] to print a report of something or a letter, speech etc in a newspaper or magazine//   publish//  --The Express was the first paper to print the story.//  --The Telegraph has printed numerous articles on this subject over the last three years.//  --I wrote to the newspaper but my letter wasn’t printed.//\n  4 PHOTOGRAPH:   [T] to produce a photograph from a photographic film//  --It usually takes a couple of hours for the pictures to be developed and printed.//\n  5 CLOTH:   [T] to decorate cloth with a pattern that is put all over its surface by a machine//  --a skirt printed with brightly coloured flowers//  --a printed silk shirt//\n  6 WRITE:   [I and T] to write words by hand without joining the letters//  --Please print your name clearly in the top right hand corner of the page.//\n  7 MAKE A MARK:   [T] to make a mark on a surface or in a soft substance by pressing something on to it//  print sth on/in sth//  --The mark of the man’s shoe was printed in the mud.//    a licence to print money at licence(6)//  print off/out [print sth → off/out] phr v//  to produce a printed copy of a computer document//  --Could you print a copy off for me?//  --I’ll print the file out and then we can look at it.//\nprint 2 W3 n   ----------//\n   1 books/newspapers:\n   2 be in print:\n   3 be out of print:\n   4 letters:\n   5 the small/fine print:\n   6 mark:\n   7 prints:\n   8 cloth:\n   9 photograph:\n  10 picture:  ----------//  [Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: preinte, from  preint, past participle of  preindre  ’to press’, from  Latin premere]//\n  1 BOOKS/NEWSPAPERS:   [U] writing that has been printed, for example in books or newspapers//  --There was no print at all on the backs of the tickets.//  in print//   (=printed in a book, newspaper etc) //  --It must be really exciting to see your work in print.//  --the pleasure of seeing my name in print//  --Very little of his poetry actually got into print  (=was printed) .//\n  2  be in print:  if a book is in print, new copies of it are still being printed//  --After fifty years, the book is still in print.//\n  3  be out of print:  if a book is out of print, it is no longer being printed and you cannot buy new copies//\n  4 LETTERS:   [U] the letters in which something is printed//  --The book is also available in large print .//  --The print quality of the new printer is excellent.//\n  5  the small/fine print:  the details of a legal document, which are often printed in very small writing//  --Always read the small print before signing anything.//\n  6 MARK:   [C] a mark that is made on a surface by something that has been pressed onto it//  --His feet left deep prints in the soft soil.//\n  7  prints [plural] the marks that are made by the pattern of lines on the ends of your fingers:   fingerprints//  --The police found a set of prints on the car door.//\n  8 CLOTH:   [U and C] cloth, especially cotton, on which a coloured pattern has been printed//  --a lovely selection of floral prints//  --She was wearing a cotton print dress.//\n  9 PHOTOGRAPH:   [C] a photograph that has been produced from a film//  --Why don’t you order an extra set of prints ?//  --a colour print//\n  10 PICTURE:   [C] //  a) a picture that is made by cutting lines onto a piece of metal or wood and then printing it onto paper//  b) a copy of a painting that is produced by taking a photograph of it and printing it onto paper//


Words: printable
Meaning:
adj   suitable to be printed and read by everyone//  → unprintable//  --Her remarks were scarcely printable (=were very rude) .//


Words: printed circuit
Meaning:
n [C]   a set of connections in a piece of electrical equipment consisting of thin lines of metal on a board//


Words: printed matter
Meaning:
n [U]   printed articles - used especially about advertisements that can be sent by post at a cheap rate//


Words: printer
Meaning:
W3   n [C] \n  1 a machine which is connected to a computer and can make a printed record of computer information:  --a laser printer//  --a colour printer//\n  2 someone who is employed in the trade of printing:


Words: printing
Meaning:
n \n  1 [U] the act or process of making a book, magazine, etc using a machine that puts ink onto paper:  --the invention of printing//  --the printing industry//  --a printing error//\n  2 [C] an act of printing a number of copies of a book:  --The first printing of her book was 10,000 copies.//\n  3 [U] a method of writing when you write each letter separately rather than joining the letters of a word:


Words: prion
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1900-2000; Origin: proteinaceous  ’containing protein’ (19-21 centuries) +  infectious particle]//  a very small piece of protein that is thought to cause some brain diseases such as BSE//


Words: prior
Meaning:
W3   adj   [Date: 1700-1800; Language: Latin; Origin: ’earlier, older, higher in rank’, from  Latin pri  ’before’]//\n  1 existing or arranged before something else or before the present situation:   previous//  --You do not need any prior knowledge of the subject.//  --Changes may not be made without the prior approval of the council.//  --Vegetarian meals are provided by prior agreement.//  --Some prior experience with the software is needed.//\n  2  prior warning/notice:  a warning or announcement made before something happens//  --The society must give customers prior notice before changing the cost.//  --The bomb exploded without any prior warning .//\n  3  prior to sth:   formal before//  --All the arrangements should be completed prior to your departure.//\n  4  prior claim:  a person’s right to something which is considered more important than another person’s right to the same thing//  --His own children have a prior claim to the business.//\nprior 2 n [C]   [Sense: 1-2; Date: 1900-2000; Origin:  PRIOR1]//  [Sense: 3; Date: 1000-1100; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: Latin (adjective);   PRIOR1]//\n  1 the man in charge of a priory:\n  2 the priest next in rank to the person in charge of an abbey:\n  3  informal a previous occasion when someone was found guilty of a crime:  --two priors for homicide//


Words: prioritize
Meaning:
also  prioritise BrE   v [T] \n  1 to put several things, problems etc in order of importance, so that you can deal with the most important ones first:  --You need to prioritize your tasks.//\n  2 to deal with one thing first, because it is the most important:  --The public wants to see the fight against crime prioritized.//  -- prioritization/pra[hA366][hA361]r[hA369]ta[hA366]ze[hA366][hA35D][hA368]n $ -[hA350][hA359]r[hA369]t[hA353]-/ n  [U] //


Words: priority
Meaning:
n   plural  priorities //\n  1 [U and C] the thing that you think is most important and that needs attention before anything else:  --The club’s priority is to win the League.//  first/top/main priority //  --The children are our first priority.//  --After several burglaries in the area, security is now a high priority  (=very important and needing attention soon) .//  --With so little money available, repairs must remain a low priority  (=not important and not needing attention soon) .//  --The customer is high on our list of priorities .//  --List your tasks in order of priority  (=most important first) .//\n  2 [U] the right to be given attention first and before other people or things:  priority over//  --Buses should have priority over other road users.//  --A young person who has finished the course will be given priority over one who has not.//  --I want to start work on the garden but the house must take priority .//\n  3  get your priorities right:   also get your priorities straight  AmE to know what is most important and needs attention first//  --We need to get our priorities right.//\npriority 2 adj   before other people or things//  --Members receive priority bookings and reduced ticket prices to all concerts.//


Words: priory
Meaning:
n   plural  priories  [C] //  a building where a group of monks or nuns, (=men or women living a religious life) live which is smaller and less important than an abbey//


Words: prise
Meaning:
BrE  prize AmE  preposition]   to move or lift something by pushing it away from something else//  --I tried to prise the lid off.//  prise out of [prise sth out of sb] phr v//  to get something such as information or money from someone when they do not want to give it to you//  --I more or less had to prise it out of him.//


Words: prism
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Late Latin; Origin: prisma, from  Greek,  ’something cut with a saw’; because of its shape]//\n  1 a transparent block of glass that breaks up white light into different colours:\n  2  technical a solid object with matching ends and several sides which are the same width all the way up:


Words: prismatic
Meaning:
adj \n  1 using or containing a prism:  --a prismatic compass//\n  2 a prismatic colour is very clear and bright:


Words: prison
Meaning:
n   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin prehensio  ’act of seizing’, from  prehendere;   PREHENSILE]//\n  1 [U and C] a building where people are kept as a punishment for a crime, or while they are waiting to go to court for their trial:   jail//    prisoner, imprison//  --He visits his Dad  in prison  every week.//  --Ricky has been  out of prison  for 3 years now.//  --They’ll probably put him in prison for a long time.//  --Helen was sent to prison for attacking a man with a knife.//  --The two men were arrested only a week after they were  released from prison .//  --Three terrorists escaped from Brixton Prison .//  --an increase in the number of women going to prison //  --Mr Gunn received a ten year prison sentence .//\n  2 [U] the system that deals with keeping people in a prison:  --the prison service //  --Does prison deter criminals from offending again?//\n  3 [C] an unpleasant place or situation which it is difficult to escape from:  --The farm felt like a prison for her.//  ----------//  COLLOCATES for sense 1 //  in prison //  out of prison //  put somebody in prison/send somebody to prison //  release somebody from prison/let somebody out of prison //  get out of prison //  escape from prison //  go to prison //  prison sentence (=a punishment which consists of a period of time in prison) //  prison officer/warder (=someone who works in a prison and guards the prisoners) //  prison cell (=a prisoner’s room in a jail) //  HINT sense 1 //  Do not say ’the prison’ unless you are referring to a particular building: She was sent to prison.| He spent five years in prison.| They live opposite the prison. //  ----------//


Words: prisoner
Meaning:
W2S3   n [C]   1 someone who is kept in a prison as a legal punishment for a crime or while they are waiting for their trial//    guard, imprison//  --Relationships between the staff and the prisoners are good.//  --Prisoners here only serve short sentences.//  remand prisoner  BrE  (=someone who is in prison waiting for their trial) //  --The organization is arguing for the release of political prisoners  (=people in prison because of their political opinions) .//\n  2 someone who is taken by force and kept somewhere:   captive//  hold/keep sb prisoner //  --The guerillas kept her prisoner for three months.//  --He was being held prisoner.//  --Our pilot was taken prisoner .//  --The army advanced, taking 200,000 prisoners .//\n  3 someone who is in a place or situation from which they cannot escape:  --He is a prisoner of his own past.//


Words: prisoner of war
Meaning:
n [C]   a soldier, member of the navy etc who is caught by the enemy during a war and kept as a prisoner//


Words: Prisoner of Zenda
Meaning:
The   (1894) a novel by Anthony  Hope, which has been made into several films, about the adventures of an Englishman in the imaginary country of  Ruritania//


Words: prissy
Meaning:
adj  informal   [Date: 1800-1900; Origin:  Probably from  prim +  sissy]//  behaving very correctly and easily shocked by anything rude - used to show disapproval//  -- prissily adv //  -- prissiness n  [U] //


Words: pristine
Meaning:
adj   [Date: 1500-1600; Language: Latin; Origin: pristinus]//\n  1 extremely fresh or clean:  --a pristine white shirt//\n  2 something that is pristine is in the same condition as when it was first made:  --The car has been restored to pristine condition .//\n  3 not spoiled or damaged in any way:  --pristine African rainforest//


Words: privacy
Meaning:
n [U] \n  1 the state of being able to be alone, and not seen or heard by other people:  --With seven people squashed in one house, you don’t get much privacy.//\n  2 the state of being free from public attention:  --each individual’s right to privacy//


Words: private
Meaning:
adj   ----------//\n   1 not for the public:\n   2 not government:\n   3 for only a few:\n   4 secret:\n   5 not publicly known:\n   6 not work:\n   7 quiet place:\n   8 person:\n   9 private joke:  ----------//  [Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: privatus, past participle of  privare;   DEPRIVE]//\n  1 NOT FOR THE PUBLIC:  for use by one person or group, not for everyone//  → public//  --Morris has a private jet.//  --He made some notes for his private use.//  --Many communists objected to any form of private property .//\n  2 NOT GOVERNMENT:   [only before noun] not related to, owned by, or paid for by the government//  → public//  --a private hospital//  --There is private ownership of property in a market economy.//  --private education//  go private  BrE  (=pay for medical treatment instead of getting it free at a public hospital) //\n  3 FOR ONLY A FEW:  a private meeting, conversation etc involves only two people or a small number of people, and is not for other people to know about//  --I need to have a private discussion with you.//  --Are you alone? I just wanted a private word.//\n  4 SECRET:  private feelings, information, or opinions are personal or secret and not for other people to know about//  --Jack’s private opinion was that she was selfish.//  --Don’t read that - it’s private.//\n  5 NOT PUBLICLY KNOWN:  used about someone who is not known to the public or not working for the government or another organization//  --a private citizen//  --The painting was sold to a private collector.//  --Seven police and three private individuals needed medical attention.//\n  6 NOT WORK:  separate from and not related to your work or your official position//  --The president is paying a private visit to Europe.//  --He enjoys everything he does in both his professional and his private life .//\n  7 QUIET PLACE:  quiet and without a lot of people//  --Why don’t we go upstairs where it’s more private?//\n  8 PERSON:   [only before noun] a private person is one who likes being alone, and does not talk much about their thoughts or feelings//  --He’s a very private man.//\n  9  private joke:  a joke made between friends, family members etc that other people do not understand//   privately//\nprivate 2 n \n  1  in private:  without other people being present//  --I need to speak to you in private.//\n  2 [C] a soldier of the lowest rank:\n  3  privates [plural]  informal  private parts:


Words: private detective
Meaning:
n [C]   someone who can be employed to look for information or missing people, or to follow people and report on what they do//


Words: private enterprise
Meaning:
n   [U] the economic system in which private businesses are allowed to compete freely with each other, and the government does not control industry//    private sector//


Words: Private Eye
Meaning:
a British  satirical magazine which criticizes and makes jokes about famous people, and prints stories about dishonest or embarrassing behaviour by people in public life. Many people have taken  Private Eye to court because they say its articles about them are untrue or unfair.//


Words: private income
Meaning:
n [U and C]   money that someone gets regularly, not from working but because they own part of a business or have money which earns interest//


Words: private limited company
Meaning:
n [C]   a company whose shares are not bought and sold on the stock market and can only pass to another person with the agreement of other shareholders//


Words: private medicine
Meaning:
n [U]    BrE the system in which medical treatment and advice is not provided by the government but is paid for by the patient or their insurance company//    NHS//


Words: private member’s bill
Meaning:
n [C]   a law introduced to the British parliament by a member of parliament who is not a minister in the government//


Words: private patient
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE someone who pays for medical treatment or advice, rather than receiving it free through the government’s system//


Words: private practice
Meaning:
n [U and C] \n  1 the business of a professional person that is independent of a bigger or government-controlled organization:  --Richard set up in private practice.//\n  2  AmE the business of a professional person, especially a doctor, who works alone rather than with others:


Words: private school
Meaning:
n [C]   a school that is not supported by government money, where education must be paid for by the children’s parents//    public school, state school//


Words: private secretary
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 a secretary who is employed to help one person, especially with personal business:\n  2  BrE a civil servant whose job is to help a government minister:  --a parliamentary private secretary//


Words: private sector
Meaning:
n   the private sector//  the industries and services in a country that are owned and run by private companies, and not by the government//    public sector//  --pay increases in the private sector//


Words: private view
Meaning:
also private viewing  n [C]   an occasion when a few people are invited to see a show of paintings before the rest of the public//


Words: privateer
Meaning:
n [C] \n  1 an armed ship in the past that was not in the navy but attacked and robbed enemy ships carrying goods:\n  2 someone who sailed on a privateer:


Words: privately
Meaning:
adv \n  1 with no one else present:   in private//  --I must talk to you privately.//\n  2 if you feel or think something privately, you do not tell anyone about it:  --Laura praised the pictures, though she privately thought they were rather ordinary.//  [sentence adverb] //  --Privately, Harriet had to agree.//\n  3 not publicly or as part of your work:  [sentence adverb] //  --Privately, senior officials agreed that not many people had voted.//\n  4  especially BrE using or involving private rather than government institutions:  --Both children are privately educated.//  --a privately-owned company//


Words: privation
Meaning:
n [U and C]   [Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin privatio, from  privare;   DEPRIVE]//   formal a lack or loss of the things that everyone needs, such as food, warmth, and shelter//  --the privations of wartime//


Words: privatize
Meaning:
also  privatise BrE   v [T]   if a government privatizes an organization, industry, or service that it owns or controls, it sells it//    nationalize//


Words: privilege
Meaning:
W3   n   [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin privilegium  ’law for or against a private person’, from  privatus (  PRIVATE1) +  lex  ’law’]//\n  1 [C] a special advantage that is given only to one person or group of people:  --He had no special privileges and was treated just like every other prisoner.//  privilege of//  --the privilege of a good education//\n  2 [singular] something that you are lucky to have the chance to do, and that you enjoy very much:  the privilege of doing sth//  --Today, we have the privilege of listening to two very unusual men.//  the privilege to do sth//  --I had the great privilege to play for Yorkshire.//  --It is a privilege to hear her play.//\n  3 [U] a situation in which people who are rich or of a high social class have many more advantages than other people:  --wealth and privilege//\n  4 [U] a situation in which doctors, lawyers etc are allowed to keep information about their discussions with their patients or  clients secret from other people:\n  5 [U and C] the right to do or say something unacceptable without being punished, especially in parliament:  breach of privilege (=a breaking of the rules about what a member of parliament can do or say) //\nprivilege 2 v [T]  formal   to treat some people or things better than others//


Words: privileged
Meaning:
adj \n  1 :  a) having advantages because of your wealth, social position etc//  → underprivileged//  --Students from a privileged background have an advantage at university.//  --Only the privileged few can afford private education.//  b)  the privileged [plural] people who are privileged//\n  2 having a special advantage or a chance to do something that most people cannot do:  --Kylie feels fortunate to be in such a privileged position because of her successful TV career.//  be privileged to do sth//  --I was privileged to lead the team.//\n  3  law privileged information is private and is not allowed to be made public by law:


Words: privy
Meaning:
adj \n  1  be privy to sth:  sharing in the knowledge of facts that are secret//  --Colby was privy to the committee’s decisions.//\n  2  old use secret and private:  -- privily adv //\nprivy 2   plural  privies  n [C] //  [Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: prive, from  Latin privatus;   PRIVATE1]//  a toilet, especially one outside a house in a small separate building//


Words: Privy Council
Meaning:
n   the Privy Council//  a group of important people in Britain who advise the king or queen on political affairs//  -- Privy Councillor n  [C] //


Words: privy purse n
Meaning:
Privy Purse  the privy purse//  money given by the British government to the king or queen for their personal use//


Words: prix fixe
Meaning:
adj  AmE   [Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: ’fixed price’]//  a prix fixe meal is a complete meal served for a fixed price//


Words: prize
Meaning:
n [C]   [Date: 1500-1600; Origin: prise, an earlier form of  price;   PRICE1]//\n  1 something that is given to someone who is successful in a competition, race, game of chance etc:  --In this month’s competition you could win a prize worth [hA124]3000.//  --The first prize has gone to Dr John Gentle.//  prize for//  --The prize for best photography has been won by a young Dutch photographer.//  --Scientists from Oxford shared the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1945.//  --The prizes are awarded  (=given) every year to students who have shown original thinking in their work.//\n  2 something that is very valuable to you or that it is very important to have:  --Fame was the prize.//\n  3  no prizes for guessing sth:   spoken used to say that it is very easy to guess something//  --No prizes for guessing what she was wearing.//\nprize 2 adj [only before noun] \n  1 good enough to win a prize or having won a prize:  --He has spent months cultivating what he hopes are prize flowers.//    prize-winning//\n  2 very good or important:  --The Picasso painting is a prize exhibit in the museum.//\n  3  prize money:  money that is given to the person who wins a competition, race etc//\n  4  a prize idiot/fool:   informal a complete idiot, fool etc//\nprize 3 v [T] \n  1 to think that someone or something is very important or valuable:  --He is someone who prizes truth and decency above all things.//  --The company’s shoes are highly prized by fashion conscious youngsters.//\n  2 the American spelling of prise:


Words: prize day
Meaning:
n [C]    BrE an occasion at a school, usually once a year, when prizes are given to children who have done well in particular subjects//


Words: prize-giving
Meaning:
n [C]  BrE   a ceremony at which people are given prizes, especially at a school//  --the annual school prize-giving//  --a glittering prize-giving ceremony//


Words: prize-winning
Meaning:
adj [only before noun]   a prize-winning thing or person has won a prize//  --a prize-winning novel//  --a prize-winning pianist//  -- prize winner n  [C] //


