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n. an African mammal with a long nose and large ears which lives underground and eats insects:

interjection. used to show you are disappointed, hurt, or annoyed: ~, the lid won’t close.

adv. to be shocked or surprised by somebody/something: She was completely taken ~ by his

anger. For a moment, I was completely taken ~ by her request. I was rather taken ~by her
honesty.

n. a frame with small balls which slide along wires. It is used as a tool or toy for counting:.

a shellfish that can be eaten and whose shell contains mother-of-pearl:

v. 1 to leave somebody, especially somebody you are responsible for, with no intention of
returning: The baby had been ~ed by its mother. People often simply ~ their pets when they go
abroad. The study showed a deep fear among the elderly of being ~ed to the care of strangers.
2 to leave a thing or place, especially because it is impossible or dangerous to stay: Snow
forced many drivers to abandon their vehicles. He gave the order to abandon ship (= to leave
the ship because it was sinking). They had to abandon their lands to the invading forces. to stop
doing something, especially before it is finished; to stop having something: They abandoned the
match because of rain. She abandoned hope of any reconciliation. We had to abandon any
further attempt at negotiation. 4 to stop supporting or helping somebody; to stop believing in
something: The country abandoned its political leaders after the war. By 1930 he had
abandoned his Marxist principles. 5 to feel an emotion so strongly that you can feel nothing
else: He abandoned himself to despair.
aardvark aargh aback abacus abalone abandon
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n. 1 the act of leaving a person, thing or place with no intention of returning: their childhood ~
by their mother 2 the act of giving up an idea or stopping an activity with no intention of
returning to it: the government's ~ of its new economic policy.

n. an uncontrolled way of behaving that shows that somebody does not care what other people
think: He signed cheques with careless ~. They drank and smoked wit reckless ~.

a. 1 left and no longer wanted, used or needed: an ~ car/house. The child was found ~ but
unharmed. There was an ~ supermarket trolley in the middle of the road. 2 (of people or their
behaviour) wild; not following accepted standards:

v. to behave in a way that shows you accept that someone has compete power over you: ~
yourself in front of the God.

n. the act of abasing, humbling, or bringing low; the state of being abased or humbled;
humiliation: The pilgrims knelt in self-~.

v. to make embarrassed and ill at ease; make self-conscious; disconcert: He was a man whom
no check could ~.

a. embarrassed and ashamed because of something that you have done: He said nothing but
looked ~. She looked rather ~. He was a little ~ by her regal composure.

v. to become less strong; to make something less strong: The storm showed no signs of ~ing.
They waited for the crowd's fury to ~. Steps are to be taken to ~ pollution. The fighting in the
area shows no sign of ~ing. We waited for the storm to ~. The storm/wind/rain has started to
~.

n. a place where animals are killed for their meat [= slaughterhouse]:

n. a long black piece of clothing worn by Muslim women in some countries, which covers the
body and is usually worn with a separate head covering [↪ burqa, chador]:

n. a woman who is the head of a convent (=place where a group of NUNs live):

n. a large church together with a group of buildings in which monks or nuns live or lived in the
past:
Westminster Abbeya ruined abbey. Westminster Abbey

n. a man who is the head of a monastery MONASTERY or an abbey:

v. to make a word, phrase or name shorter by leaving out letters or using only the first letter of
each word [=shorten]: 'Daniel' is often ~ed to 'Dan'. 'Chief Executive Officer' is ~ed as 'CEO'.
'Information technology' is usually ~ed to 'IT'. the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (usually ~ed to
JPL).

a. made shorter: Orders were passed to the commander at the front in an ~ form. 'Di' is the ~
form of 'Diane'. Where appropriate, ~ forms are used.

n. 1 a short form of a word or expression: 'ITV' is the ~ for 'Independent Television'. What's the
~ for ‘Saint’? 'Dr' is the written ~ of 'Doctor'. 2 the act of abbreviating something:

n. 1 all the letters of the alphabet, especially as they are learnt by children: He's learning his ~
at school. 2 the basic facts about a subject: What I need is a book that contains the ~of
carpentry. the ~s of your computer. the ~ of gardening

v. 1 to give up the position of being king or queen: He ~ed in favour of his son. She was forced
to ~ the throne of Spain. King Alfonso XIII ~ed in favour of his eldest son. The king was forced
to ~ the throne. King Edward VIII ~ed (the British throne) in 1936 so that he could marry Mrs.
Simpson, a divorced woman. 2 to refuse to be responsible for something, when you should be or
were before: She was accused of ~ing all responsibility for the project. The government has
largely ~ed its responsibility in dealing with housing needs.

n. the act of abdicating; the renunciation of a high office, dignity, or trust, by its holder;
commonly the voluntary renunciation of sovereign power: ~ of the throne, government, power,
authority.

n. the lower part of a person's or animal's body, which contains the stomach, bowels and other
organs, or the end of an insect's body:

a. of or pertaining to the abdomen: ~ pains. acute ~ pains

v. to force someone to go somewhere with you, often using threats or violence: The company
director was ~ed from his car by terrorists. He had attempted to ~ the two children. She was
~ed late last night.

n. 1 a person who abducts somebody, a kidnapper: She was tortured by her ~s. 2 a muscle that
moves a body part away from the middle of the body or from another part:

n. The act of abducing or abducting: There has been a series of ~s of young children from
schools in the area. He was charged with ~. child ~

n. a person who has been abducted:

adv. in bed

a. different from what is typical or usual, especially in an unacceptable way [= abnormal]: ~

behaviour /sexuality

n. a fact, an action or a way of behaving that is not usual, and that may be unacceptable: a
temporary ~ of his exhausted mind. A childless woman was regarded as an ~, almost a social
outcast. In a moment of ~, she agreed to go with him. I'm sorry I'm late - I had a mental ~ and
forgot we had a meeting today. a temporary ~ in US foreign policy. a mental ~

v. to help or encourage somebody to do something wrong or illegal: His accountant had aided
and ~ted him in the fraud. He was ~ted in the deception by his wife.

n. something such as a custom, rule, or system that is in abeyance is not being used at the
present time: Legal proceedings are in ~, while further enquiries are made. Hostilities between
the two groups have been in ~ since last June. The project is being held in ~ until agreement is
reached on funding it.

v. to hate something, for example a way of behaving or thinking, especially for moral reasons or
because you think it is morally wrong: I ~ discrimination of any kind. I ~ all forms of racism.

n. a feeling of strong hatred, especially for moral reasons: He had an ~ of waste of any kind.
She looked at him in/with ~. She has an ~ of change.

a. causing hatred, especially for moral reasons; something that is abhorrent is completely
unacceptable because it seems morally wrong [= repugnant]: Racism is ~ to a civilized society.
The practice of killing animals for food is utterly ~ to me. Racism of any kind is ~ to me. an ~
crime

v. 1 to dislike somebody/something so much that you hate having to be with or deal with them:
I can't ~ people with no sense of humour. He couldn't ~ the thought of being cooped up in an
office.
I can't ~ that man - he's so self-satisfied. I can't ~ her. He couldn't abide laziness. 2 to live or
stay somewhere: He ~ed in the wilderness for forty days. May joy and peace ~ in us all.

phrasal verb. to accept and obey a decision, rule, agreement etc, even though you may not
agree with it: You'll have to ~ ~ the rules of the club. We will ~ ~ their decision. You have to ~
~ the referee's decision. Competitors must ~ by the judge's decision.

a. lasting for a long time and not changing; an abiding feeling or belief continues for a long time
and is not likely to change [= lasting]: He is an artist with an ~ing concern for humanity. Phil
has a deep and ~ing love for his family. My ~ing memory is of him watering his plants in the
garden.

a. obeying and respecting the law: ~ citizens. Such actions against ~ citizens will not be
tolerated.

n. the fact that somebody/something is able to do something or a level of skill or intelligence:

The system has the ~ to run more than one program at the same time. Everyone has the right
to good medical care regardless of their ~ to pay. A gentle form of exercise will increase your ~
to relax. There's no doubting her ~. She had the ~ to explain things clearly and concisely. She's
a woman of considerable ~ies. I have children in my class of very mixed ~ies (= different levels
of skill or intelligence). a mixed ability class. the ability to walk. The health center serves all
patients, regardless of their ability to pay. I don't have the ability to say 'no'. Almost everyone
has some musical ability. He was a man of extraordinary abilities. students of mixed abilities. A
woman of her ability will easily find a job.

idiom. as well as you can: He completed the job ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~. I try to do my job ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~.

Just do the job ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~.

a. 1 terrible and without hope; when someone is extremely unhappy, poor, frightened, etc: They
live in ~ poverty. This policy has turned out to be an ~ failure. 2 showing no pride or respect for
yourself: He is almost ~ in his respect for his boss. an ~ apology

adv. with great shame, desperately; in an abject fashion: I ~ apologise for the damage I have
done.

v. to promise publicly that you will give up or reject a belief or a way of behaving [= renounce]:
He ~ed his religion/his life of dissipation.

a. 1 burning quickly and strongly: The whole building was soon ~. Cars and buses were set
~during the riot. Within minutes the whole house was ~. The factory had been set ~ (=made to
burn). The house was ~, and the flames and smoke could be seen for miles around. 2 full of
bright light or colours: There were lights still ~ as they drove up to the house. Her yard was ~
with summer flowers. The trees were ~ with the colours of autumn. The ballroom was ~ with
lights. The field was ~ with poppies and wild flowers. Her yard was ~ with summer flowers. a
passing pleasure-boat, with all its lights ~. 3 full of strong emotion, excitement, interest, or
anger: He turned to her, his eyes ~ with anger. Her eyes were ~ with excitement. His eyes
were ~ with fury.

a. 1 to have the necessary physical strength, mental power, skill, time, money or opportunity to
do something; to be in a situation in which it is possible for you to do something: You must be
~ to speak French for this job. A viral illness left her barely ~ to walk. I didn't feel ~ to disagree
with him. Will you be ~ to come? Will she be ~ to cope with the work? He's never been ~ to
admit to his mistakes. I'm sorry that I wasn't ~ to phone you yesterday. It's so wonderful being
~ to see the sea from my window. I've always wanted to be ~ to speak Japanese. I'd like to do
more gardening, but I never seem ~ to find the time. I haven't been ~ to read that report yet. 2
clever or good at what you do: We aim to help the less ~ in society to lead an independent life.
This problem is now being looked at by some of the ablest minds/scientists in the country. an
able child/student/secretary. one of my more able students. the ablest student in the class.

abandonment abandon abandoned abase yourself abasement abash abashed abate abattoir
abaya abbess abbey abbot abbreviate abbreviated abbreviation ABC abdicate abdication
abdomen abdominal abduct abductor abduction abductee abed aberrant aberration abet
abeyance abhor abhorrence abhorrent abide abide by abiding law-abiding ability to the best of
one’s ability abject abjectly abjure ablaze able
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suffix. 1 added to verbs to form adjectives which mean that you can do something to: ~(=it can
be washed). ~ (=it cannot be broken). ~ (=easy to love) 2 having a particular quality or
condition or quality of: ~ (=knowing a lot). comfortable. fashionable. changeable

a. physically healthy, fit and strong in contrast to somebody who is weak or disabled: Military
service is compulsory for every ~ male between 18 and 27.Disabled and ~ children can enrol on
the athletics course. All ~ young men were forced to join the army. Every ~ man had to fight
for his country.

n. [plural] people who are able-bodied: It is hard for ~ ~ to understand the difficulties that
disabled people encounter in their daily lives.

n. a low rank in the navy, or someone who has this rank:

n. the act of washing yourself - sometimes used humorously: I must just perform my ~!

adv. cleverly, skillfully or well: She was ~ assisted by her team of researchers. He performs his
duties very ~. We were ~ assisted by a team of volunteers.

n. the act of not allowing yourself to have something that you want; the act of rejecting
something: Aside from its obvious idiocy—George Bush is al Qaida’s recruitment poster boy—it
is a complete ~ of the station’s journalistic responsibilities.

a. different from what is usual or expected, especially in a way that is worrying, harmful or not
wanted: They thought his behaviour was ~. The ship was blown off course by ~ weather
conditions. ~ levels of sugar in the blood. My parents thought it was ~ for a boy to be interested
in ballet. an ~ level of cholesterol. ~ behaviour/weather/conditions. Tests revealed some ~ skin
cells.

adv. in a way that deviates from a standard or norm.; in an abnormal manner: The success rate
was ~ high. an ~ high pulse rate. ~ high blood pressure
n. a feature or characteristic in a person's body or behaviour that is not usual and may be
harmful, worrying or cause illness: An increasing number of tests are available for detecting
foetal ~ies. The X-rays showed some slight ~. genetic/congenital ~ies. tests that can detect
genetic ~ies in the foetus. ~ies of the heart. congenital/foetal ~

n. an extremely offensive word for an Aborigine:

adv. on or onto a ship, plane, bus or train: We went ~. He was already ~ the plane. The plane
crashed, killing all 157 passengers ~. Welcome ~! (= used to welcome passengers or a person
joining a new organization, etc.). The flight attendant welcomed us ~. Welcome ~ flight BA345
to Tokyo. We spent two months ~ ship (= on the ship). The boat swayed as he stepped ~.

idiom. used to tell passengers of a ship, bus, or train that they must get on because it will leave
soon：~ ~! (= the bus, boat, etc. is leaving soon). The train's about to leave. ~ ~!

prep. on or onto a ship, plane, or train: They finally went ~ the plane.

n. the place where somebody lives: You are most welcome to my humble ~. homeless people of
no fixed ~ (= with no permanent home). The defendant is of no fixed ~ (= has no permanent
home). [humorous] Welcome to my humble ~! a homeless person with no fixed ~ (=no
permanent home).

n. official permission that allows a person to live in a particular country: The island's citizens will
not be given the ~ ~ ~ in Britain when the new legislation comes into force.

v. to officially end a law, a system or an institution: Slavery was ~ed in the US in the 19th
century. This tax should be ~ed. I think bullfighting should be ~ed.　National Service was ~ed
in Britain in 1962.

n. the ending of a law, a system or an institution: the abolition of slavery. the ~ of the death
penalty

n. a person who is in favour of the abolition of something:

n. a bomb that explodes using the energy that is produced when an atom or atoms are split:

a. extremely unpleasant and causing disgust　or of very bad quality [= terrible]: The judge
described the attack as an ~ crime. We were served the most ~ coffee. ~ cruelty. The prisoners
are forced to live in ~ conditions. The weather's been ~ all week.

adv. in an abominable manner; very odiously; detestably: She treated him ~. Mavis behaved ~.
He behaved ~ towards her.
n. a yeti:

v. not used in the progressive tenses) to feel hatred or disgust for something/somebody: He ~s
cruelty of all kinds.

n. a thing that causes disgust and hatred, or is considered extremely offensive: Foxhunting is an
~. Slavery was an ~. a concrete ~ masquerading as a hotel

a. 1 relating to the original people living in Australia: the issue of ~ land rights. 2 relating to the
original people, animals, etc. of a place and to a period of time before Europeans arrived: ~
forests. ~ inhabitants. the ~ peoples of Canada. ~ art/culture/traditions

n. a member of a race of people who were the original people living in a country, especially
Australia:

n. 1 a member of a race of people who were the original people living in a country 2 a member
of the race of people who were the original people of Australia：

v. 1 to end a pregnancy early in order to prevent a baby from developing and being born alive:
Do you think it's wrong to use ~ed foetuses for medical research? to ~ a child/pregnancy/foetus
2 to give birth to a child or young animal too early for it to survive：The virus can cause
pregnant animals to ~. The disease causes pregnant animals to ~. 3 to end or cause something
to end before it has been completed, especially because it is likely to fail: (COMPUTING) If the
wrong password is given the program ~s. The rescue mission had to be ~ed. The plan/flight had
to be ~ed at the last minute.

n. 1 the deliberate ending of a pregnancy at an early stage [= termination]: to support/oppose

~. a woman's right to ~. ~ laws. I've always been anti-~. She decided to have an ~. anti-~
campaigners. She decided to have/get an ~. ~ is restricted in some American states. 2 a
medical operation to end a pregnancy at an early stage: She decided to have an ~. This project
is a complete ~.

n. a person who performs abortions to end unwanted pregnancies, often illegally and for money:

a. (OF AN ACTION) not successful; failed: He made two ~ attempts on the French throne. an ~
military coup. ~ attempts to divert the course of the river. an ~ attempt to reform local
government

v. to exist in great numbers or quantities: Stories about his travels ~. Rumours ~ as to the

reasons for his resignation. Examples of this ~ in her book. Theories ~ about how the Earth

began.　
phrase verb. to have something in great numbers or quantities: The lakes ~ ~ fish. The forests
~ ~ deer, birds and squirrels. The coast here ~s ~ rare plants.

adv. 1 a little more or less than; a little before or after: It costs ~$10.They waited (for) ~ an
hour. He arrived (at) ~ ten. 2 nearly; very close to: I'm just ~ ready. This is ~ the best we can
hope for. 3 (ESPECIALLY BRITISH ENGLISH) in many directions; here and there: The children were
rushing ~ in the garden. 4 (ESPECIALLY BRITISH ENGLISH) in no particular order; in various places: Her
books were lying ~ on the floor. 5 (ESPECIALLY BRITISH ENGLISH) doing nothing in particular: 6
(ESPECIALLY BRITISH ENGLISH) able to be found in a place: There was nobody ~. There's a lot of flu ~.
She's somewhere ~ — I saw her a few minutes ago. People were standing ~ in the road. 7
(TECHNICAL or FORMAL) facing the opposite direction: He brought the ship ~.

idiom. used to say that you have finished telling somebody about something and there is
nothing to add: ‘Anything else?’ ‘No, ~~~ for now.’

prep. 1 on the subject of somebody/something; in connection with somebody/something: a

book ~ flowers. Tell me all ~ it. What's she so angry ~? There's something strange ~ him. I
don't know what you're on ~ (= talking ~).There's nothing you can do ~ it now. 2 used to
describe the purpose or an aspect of something: Movies are all ~ making money these days.
What was all that ~? (= what was the reason for what has just happened?) 3 busy with
something; doing something: Everywhere people were going ~ their daily business. And while
you're ~ it … (= while you're doing that) 4 (ESPECIALLY BRITISH ENGLISH) in many directions in a
place; here and there: We wandered ~ the town for an hour or so. He looked ~ the room. 5
(ESPECIALLY BRITISH ENGLISH) in various parts of a place; here and there: The papers were strewn ~
the room. 6 (ESPECIALLY BRITISH ENGLISH) next to a place or person; in the area mentioned: She's
somewhere ~ the office. 7 (LITERARY) surrounding somebody/something: She wore a shawl ~ her
shoulders.

idiom. 1 used when asking for information about somebody/something: ~ ~ Ruth? Have you
heard from her? I'm having fish. ~ ~ you? 2 used to make a suggestion: ~ ~ going for a walk?
(ESPECIALLY NORTH AMERICAN ENGLISH) ~ ~ we go for a walk? What about a break?
-able able-bodied the able-bodied able seaman ablutions ably abnegation abnormal abnormally
abnormality abo aboard All aboard aboard abode abode right of abode abolish abolition
abolitionist A-bomb abominable abominably abominable snowman abominate abomination
aboriginal aboriginal aborigine abort abortion abortionist abortive abound abound in/with about
that’s about all/it about What/How about…?
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a. 1 be ~ to do something = to be close to doing something; to be going to do something very
soon: I was just ~ to ask you the same thing. 2 to not be willing to do something; to not intend
to do something: I've never done any cooking and I'm not ~ to start now.

n. 1 a complete change in the way someone thinks or behaves: The administration seems to
have done a complete ~ on gun-control. This is the Government's second ~ on the issue. 2 a
change of direction: I'd only gone a little way down the street when I remembered I hadn't
locked the door, so I made/did a quick ~ and ran back to the house.

prep. 1 at or to a higher place or position than something/somebody: The water came ~ our
knees. We were flying ~ the clouds. the people in the apartment ~ mine. A captain in the navy
ranks a~ a captain in the army. They finished the year six places ~ their local rivals. 2 more
than something; greater in number, level or age than somebody/something: Inflation is ~
6%.Temperatures have been ~ average. We cannot accept children ~ the age of 10. 3 of
greater importance or of higher quality than somebody/something: I rate her ~ most other
players of her age. 4 too good or too honest to do something: She's not ~ lying when it suits
her. He's ~ suspicion (= he is completely trusted). 5 (OF A SOUND) louder or clearer than another
sound: I couldn't hear her ~ the noise of the traffic.

adv. 1 at or to a higher place: Put it on the shelf ~. Seen from ~ the cars looked tiny. They
were acting on instructions from ~ (= from somebody in a higher position of authority). 2
greater in number, level or age: increases of 5% and above. A score of 70 or ~ will get you an
‘A’. children aged 12 and ~. 3 earlier in something written or printed: As was stated ~…See
above, page 97.
a. [ONLY BEFORE NOUN] mentioned or printed previously in a letter, book, etc: Please write to us at
the ~ address.

n. [SINGULAR + SINGULAR OR PLURAL VERB] Please notify us if the above is not correct. All ~ ~ (= people
mentioned above) have passed the exam.

a. legal and honest; in a legal and honest way: Don't worry; the deal was completely ~~. If you
do everything ~ ~, you will have to pay tax on your earnings. [If card players keep their hands
above the table (the board), other players can see what they are doing.]

a. refers to things or people in a document or book that have been mentioned earlier: All of the
~ films won Oscars.

a. word that people say when they do a magic trick, in order to make it successful:

v. to rub the surface of something, such as rock or skin, and damage it or make it rough: A stiff
brush can harm gum tissue, remove enamel and ~ the teeth.

n. 1 [COUNTABLE] damaged area of the skin where it has been rubbed against something hard and
rough: He suffered cuts and ~s to the face. She had a small ~ on her knee. She was treated for
cuts and ~s. 2 [UNCOUNTABLE] damage to a surface caused by rubbing something very hard against
it: Diamonds have extreme resistance to ~. There seems to have been some ~ of the surface.
extra protection against ~.

a. 1 having a rough surface, especially one that can be used to clean something or make it
smooth: Smooth down with a fine ~ paper. an abrasive cleaner/powder/liquid. ~ kitchen
cleaners. Rub down with fine ~ paper. 2 (OF A PERSON OR THEIR MANNER) rude and unkind; acting in a
way that may hurt other people's feelings: an ~ style/tone/comment. Throughout his career he
was known for his ~ manner. She was a tough girl with rather an ~ manner. She has a rather ~
manner. He can be quite ~ in meetings.

n. a substance used for rubbing away the surface of something, usually to clean it or make it
shiny: You'll need a strong ~ for cleaning this sink.

adv. in a rude and unkind manner; acting in a way that may hurt other people's feelings; In an
abrasive manner: Whitehouse said in a statement, "Every day, millions of Americans are
barraged with ~ loud television commercials. With the digital transition complete and new
broadcast ...

adv. describes two or more people who are next to each other and moving in the same
direction: cycling two ~. We were running/cycling two ~. The motorcyclist came ~ of her car
and shouted abuse at her. The planes were flying four ~. As the car drew ~ of him, Jack
suddenly recognised the driver.
idiom. to make sure you know all the most recent facts about a subject or situation: I try to
~~~ any developments. It is almost impossible to ~~~ all the latest developments in
computing. It's important to ~~~ the latest developments in computers.

a. cut or shortened, especially of a literary work: The novel was ~ by the author to make the
audio recording a more manageable length. I've only read the ~ edition/version of her novel. an
~ edition/version. The ~ edition was published in 1988.

v. to make a book, play, etc. shorter by leaving parts out: She has been asked to ~ the novel
for radio. The book was ~d for children.

n. 1 a shortened version 2 a reduction of rights: I believe there are more instances of the ~ of
the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by
violent and sudden usurpations - James Madison

adv. 1 in or to a foreign country: She worked ~ for a year. imports of cheap food from ~. He
was famous, both at home and ~ (= in his own country and in other countries).For a holiday ~
you need a valid passport. 2 (FORMAL; AFTER VERB) if a feeling, piece of news etc is abroad, a lot of
people feel it or know about it: There was news ~ that a change was coming. There's a rumour
~ that she intends to leave the company. commercial secrets which we did not want to be
spread ~ 3 (OLD USE; AFTER VERB) outside; outdoors: Not a soul was ~ that morning.

v. to officially end a law, an agreement, etc.: The rule has been ~d by mutual consent. Both
governments voted to ~ the treaty. The treaty was ~d in 1929.

a. 1 sudden and unexpected, often in an unpleasant way: an ~ change/halt/departure. The

accident brought his career to an ~ end. The road ended in an ~ (= sudden and very steep)
slope down to the sea. The bus came to an ~ halt. 2 speaking or acting in a way that seems
unfriendly and rude; not taking time to say more than is necessary: an ~ manner/reply. She
was very ~ with me in our meeting. Sorry, I didn't mean to be so ~. He is sometimes very ~
with clients.

adv. without giving notice, or without the usual forms; suddenly; in an abrupt manner: The
interview ended ~.

n. 1 the state of being abrupt or broken; craggedness; ruggedness; steepness 2 suddenness;

unceremonious haste or vehemence: ~ of style or manner. The ~ of her announcement and the
mystery surrounding her plans has fed widespread speculation. Miera's sister, Elizabeth, said
her family was "astonished" at the ~ of his discharge and that authorities provided no direction
for dealing with his illness.

n. the muscles on your ABDOMEN (=stomach): exercises that improve your legs and ~. exercises
to tone/build up your ~.

n. ~ for anti-lock braking system: a brake fitted to some road vehicles that prevents skidding (=
uncontrolled sliding) by reducing the effects of stopping suddenly

n. a swollen and infected area on your skin or in your body, full of a thick yellowish liquid (called
PUS): a painful ~ on the gum. She had an ~ on her gum.

about about-face/turn above above above the above above board above-mentioned abracadabra
abrade abrasion abrasive abrasive abrasively abreast keep abreast of something abridged
abridge abridgement abroad abrogation abrupt abruptly abruptness abs ABS abscess
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v. 1 (from something) to escape from a place where you are being kept: She ~ed from every
children's home they placed her in. The boy ~ed from a children's home. Two prisoners ~ed last
night. She ~ed from boarding school with her boyfriend. 2 (with something) to leave secretly
and take with you something, especially money, that does not belong to you: He ~ed with the
company funds. He has to convince a judge that he wasn't going to ~ with the money. They
~ed with £10 000 of the company's money.

n. a person who absconds: A 14 year-old ~ from a children's home in Bristol was found alive
and well in London this morning

v. (down, off, etc. something) to go down a steep cliff or rock while attached to a rope, pushing
against the slope or rock with your feet: She ~ed down the rock face.

n. 1 [UNCOUNTABLE, COUNTABLE] the fact of somebody being away from a place where they are usually
expected to be; the occasion or period of time when somebody is away: The decision was made
in my ~ (= while I was not there). We did not receive any news during his long ~. absence from
work. repeated ~s from school. Ms Leighton will be in charge during my ~ (=while I am away).
Her work involved repeated ~s from home. A new manager was appointed during/in her ~. She
has had repeated ~s from work this year. 2 [UNCOUNTABLE] the fact of somebody/something not
existing or not being available; a lack of something: The case was dismissed in the ~ of any
definite proof. the ~ of any women on the board of directors. a complete ~ of any kind of
planning. In the ~ of any evidence, the police had to let Myers go. He drew attention to the ~ of
concrete evidence against the defendant. In the ~ of (= because there were not) more suitable
candidates, we decided to offer the job to Mr. Conway.

idiom. used to say that when you are away from somebody that you love, you love them even
more

a. 1 (from …) not in a place because of illness, etc: to be ~ from work. students who are
regularly ~ from school. John has been ~ from school/work for three days now. We drank a
toast to ~ friends. 2 (from something) not present in something: Love was totally ~ from his
childhood. Any sign of remorse was completely ~ from her face. plans to force ~ fathers to pay
child maintenance. Local women were conspicuously ~ (=obviously not there) from the
meeting. 3 [only before noun] showing that you are not really looking at or thinking about what
is happening around you: an ~ expression. The dull, ~ look on her face implied boredom.

v. ~ yourself (from something) to not go to or be in a place where you are expected to be: He
had ~ed himself from the office for the day. You cannot choose to ~ yourself (from
work/school) on a whim.

prep. without: ~ a detailed plan, the project was doomed from the start.

n. a person who is not at a place where they were expected to be: There are several ~s in the
school this week, because a lot of people have got flu.

n. a vote in an election that you can send when you cannot be present: The Burlington County
Board of Elections had raised concerns over the lack of required signatures on many of the ~ ~
applications, which had information filled in that was not in the applicants' handwriting. Online
write-in ballots could provide a backup option for voters abroad who haven't yet received their
~ ~.

n. the fact of being frequently away from work or school, especially without good reasons: The
high rate of ~ is costing the company a lot of money.

n. a person who rents their property to somebody, but does not live in it and rarely visits it: He
was an a~ ~.

n. a piece of paper which voters who are unable to be present at an election can vote on and
send in by post: She points to Oregon as an example of an ~ voting system which works well.

adv. while not present at the event being referred to: Two foreign suspects will be tried in
absentia. An Italian court convicted him ~ ~ for his terrorist activities.

adv. in a way that shows you are not looking at or thinking about what is happening around you:
He nodded ~, his attention absorbed by the screen. Laura gazed ~ out of the window. He stared
~ at his food.

adj. tending to forget things, perhaps because you are not thinking about what is around you,
but about something else [= forgetful]: Grandpa's becoming quite ~. Grandad's been getting
rather ~ lately.

adv. preoccupiedly ; in an absent-minded manner: She ~ twisted a strand of hair around her
fingers. She ~ left her umbrella on the bus.

n. The characteristic or state of being easily distracted or preoccupied: I don't mean to make
mistakes; it's just ~.

n. a very strong green alcoholic drink that tastes of aniseed:

a. 1 total and complete: a class for ~ beginners. ~ confidence/trust/silence/truth. ‘You're

wrong,’ she said with ~ certainty. Around them the darkness was ~, the silence oppressive. I

have ~ confidence in her. We don't know with ~ certainty that the project will succeed. a man

of ~ integrity/discretion. I have ~ faith in her judgment. There was no ~ proof of fraud. 2 [ONLY

BEFORE NOUN] used, especially in spoken English, to give emphasis to what you are saying: There's

~ rubbish on television tonight. He must earn an ~ fortune.110 MB is the ~ minimum you need

to run the program. What an ~ idiot I've been ! Some of the stuff on TV is ~ rubbish. How did

you do that? You're an ~ genius. That meal last night cost an ~ fortune. He's an ~ idiot! That's

~ rubbish! 3 definite and without any doubt or confusion: There was no ~ proof. He taught us

that the laws of physics were ~. The divorce became ~ last week. We need ~ proof that he took

the money. an ~ law/principle/doctrine. Do you think there's such a thing as ~ truth/beauty?

Her contribution was better than most, but in ~ terms (= without comparing it with anything

else) it was still rather poor. 4 not limited or restricted: ~ power/authority. an ~

ruler/monarchy (= one with no limit to their power). an ~ monarch. Parents used to have ~

power over their children. 5 true, correct, and not changing in any situation: You have an ~

right to refuse medical treatment. 6 existing or measured independently and not in relation to

something else: Although prices are falling in ~ terms, energy is still expensive. Beauty cannot

be measured by any ~ standard. In ~ terms wages have risen, but not in comparison with the

cost of living.

n. an idea or a principle that is believed to be true or valid in any circumstances: Right and
wrong are, for her, moral ~s. She believed in the importance of moral ~s.
adv. 1 used to emphasize that something is completely true: You're absolutely right. He made it
~ clear. I'm not ~ certain I posted it. It was ~ pouring with rain. He made his reasons for
resigning ~ clear. Are you ~ sure? This cake is ~ delicious. I believed/trusted him ~. You must
be ~silent or the birds won't appear. We've achieved ~ nothing today. 2 used with adjectives or
verbs that express strong feelings or extreme qualities to mean ‘extremely’: I was ~ furious
with him. She ~ adores you. He's an ~ brilliant cook. The burglars took ~ everything. Jim knew
~ nothing about the business when he joined the firm. He has ~ no experience of marketing.
She did ~ no work. There's ~ nothing more the doctors can do. 3 used to emphasize that you
agree with somebody, or to give somebody permission to do something: ‘They could have told
us, couldn't they?’ ‘~!’‘ / Can we leave a little early?’ ‘~!’ "It was an excellent film, though." "~!"
4 used to emphasize that you strongly disagree with somebody, or to refuse permission: ‘Was it
any good?’ ‘No, ~ not.’ / 'Do you let your kids travel alone at night?' '~ not!' / Are you too tired
to continue?" "~ not!"

n. more than half of the total number of votes or winning candidates: 280 seats are needed for
an ~ ~ in the National Assembly.

n. the lowest temperature possible, which is -273.15°C

n. (especially in the Christian Church) a formal statement that a person is forgiven for what he
or she has done wrong: Pope Leo gave him ~. She was granted/given ~.

n. 1 a political system in which a ruler or government has total power at all times 2 belief in a
political, religious or moral principle which is thought to be true in all circumstances: I think
what these things have in common though is that element of ~ that once you're out there and
you're saying "I'm right. You're wrong.

v. 1 ~ somebody (of/from something) to state formally that somebody is not guilty or

responsible for something: The court ~ed him of all responsibility for the accident. He cannot be
~ed of all responsibility for the accident. The report ~ed her from/of all blame for the accident.
The priest ~ed him (of all his sins). 2 absolve somebody (from/of something) to give absolution
to somebody: I ~ you from all your sins.

v. 1 to take in a liquid, gas or other substance from the surface or space around: Plants ~
oxygen. Let the rice cook until it has ~ed all the water. The cream is easily ~ed into the skin.
Plants ~ nutrients from the soil. Water and salts are ~ed into our blood stream. Plants ~ carbon
dioxide. In cold climates, houses need to have walls that will ~ heat. Towels ~ moisture. The
drug is quickly ~ed into the bloodstream. Our countryside is increasingly being ~ed by/into the
large cities. 2 [OFTEN PASSIVE] to make something smaller become part of something larger: The
country simply cannot ~ this influx of refugees. The surrounding small towns have been ~ed
into the city. California ~s many of the legal immigrants to the US. We were soon ~ed into local
village life. 3 to take something into the mind and learn or understand it [=take in]: It's a lot of
information to ~ all at once. It took me several days to ~ the fact of her death. They spent a
week in Paris just ~ing the atmosphere. Her capacity to ~ information is amazing. 4 to interest
somebody very much so that they pay no attention to anything else: This work had ~ed him for
several years. The movement and noise of the machines ~ed him completely. Judith lay on the
settee, ~ed in her book. 5 to take in and keep heat, light, energy, etc. instead of reflecting it:
Black walls ~ a lot of heat during the day. Darker surfaces ~ heat. 6 to reduce the effect of a
blow, hit, etc: This tennis racket ~s shock on impact. The bats have graphite shafts that ~ the
vibration. A well-designed sports shoe should ~ the impact on your feet. The barrier ~ed the
main impact of the crash. 7 to use up a large supply of something, especially money or time:
The new proposals would ~ $80 billion of the federal budget. Defence spending ~s almost 20%
of the country's wealth. 8 to deal with changes, effects, costs, etc: The company is unable to ~
such huge losses. The beer industry had ~ed a doubling of federal tax in 1991.

abscond absconder abseil absence Absence makes the heart grow fonder. absent absent absent
absentee absentee ballot absenteeism absentee landlord absentee vote in absentia absently
absent-minded absent-mindedly absent-mindedness absinth(e) absolute absolute absolutely
absolute majority absolute zero absolution absolutism absolve absorb
Page 6
a. able to take in something easily, especially liquid: ~ paper/materials. ~ kitchen paper

a. interesting and enjoyable and holding your attention completely: an ~ book/game/hobby.

Chess can be an extremely ~ game. I read her last novel and found it very ~.

n. the ability to absorb liquid: Cotton has high absorbency.

n. 1 the process of a liquid, gas or other substance being taken in: Vitamin D is necessary to aid
the ~ of calcium from food. the body's ~ of iron. Some poisonous gases can enter the body by
~ through the skin. 2 the process of a smaller group, country, etc. becoming part of a larger
group or country: the~ of immigrants into the host country. the ~ of Soviet immigrants into
Israel. 3 ~ (in something) the fact of somebody being very interested in something so that it
takes all their attention: His work suffered because of his total ~ in sport. I don't understand
James' ~ with military history. Her ~ in her work is so great that she thinks about nothing else.

v. 1~ (from something) to decide not to do or have something, especially something you like or
enjoy, because it is bad for your health or considered morally wrong: to ~ from
alcohol/sex/drugs. Pilots must ~ from alcohol for 24 hours before flying. He took a vow to ~
from alcohol/smoking/sex. 2 ~ (from something) to choose not to use a vote, either in favour of
or against something: Ten people voted in favour, five against and two ~ed. 63 members voted
in favour, 39 opposed and 5 ~ed. Six countries voted for the change, five voted against, and
two ~ed.

n. 1 a person who chooses not to vote either in favour of or against something 2 a person who
never drinks alcohol

a. not allowing yourself to have much food or alcohol, or to do things that are enjoyable: He was
a hard-working man with ~ habits.

n. the quality of being abstemious, temperate, or sparing in the use of food and strong drinks:
It expresses a greater degree of ~ than temperance.

n. 1 [COUNTABLE, UNCOUNTABLE] ~ (from something) an act of choosing not to use a vote either in
favour of or against something: The voting was 15 in favour, 3 against and 2 ~s. Voter ~ is
seen as the only real form of dissent in elections. The draft law was passed by 134 votes to 19,
with 5 ~s. There were high levels of ~ (from voting) in the last elections. There were ten votes
in favour, six against, and three ~s. 2 [UNCOUNTABLE] the act of not allowing yourself to have or do
something enjoyable or something that is considered bad: The Church insisted on ~ from all
luxuries. fasting and ~ from intoxicating drinks. ~ from alcohol is essential while you are taking
this medication.

n. [UNCOUNTABLE] ~ (from something) the practice of not allowing yourself something, especially
food, alcoholic drinks or sex, for moral, religious or health reasons: total ~ from strong drink.
The best way to avoid pregnancy is total ~ from sex.

a. not allowing yourself something, especially alcoholic drinks, for moral, religious or health
reasons: sexually ~

a. 1 based on general ideas and not on any particular real person, thing or situation
[≠ concrete]: ~ knowledge/principles. The research shows that pre-school children are capable
of thinking in ~ terms. the ~ nature of beauty. Truth and beauty are ~ concepts. 2 existing in
thought or as an idea but not having a physical reality [= theoretical]: We may talk of beautiful
things but beauty itself is ~. the ability to translate ~ ideas into words. By the age of seven,
children are capable of thinking in ~ terms. Human beings are the only creatures capable of ~
thought (=thinking about ideas). This debate is becoming too ~ - let's have some hard facts! 3
(OF ART) not representing people or things in a realistic way, but expressing the artist's ideas
about them: the work of American ~ expressionists like Mark Rothko. ~ art. an ~ painter.
n. 1 an abstract work of art: Kandinsky's first pure ~s are marked by their wild colour. 2 a short
piece of writing containing the main ideas in a document: There is a section at the end of the
magazine which includes ~s of recent articles/books.

v. 1 ~ something (from something) to remove something from somewhere: She ~ed the main
points from the argument. a plan to ~ 8 million gallons of water from the river 2 to make a
written summary of a book, etc.

n. general ideas: I have difficulty dealing with ~ ~ - let's discuss particular cases. So far we've
only discussed the question in ~ ~ (= without referring to any real examples).

adv. in a general way, without referring to a particular real person, thing or situation: Legal
questions rarely exist ~ ~ ~; they are based on real cases. I'm just talking ~ ~ ~ now. Talking
about crime ~ ~ ~ just isn't enough.

a. thinking deeply about something and not paying attention to what is around you: He was
listening to music and had an ~ expression. He gave her an ~ glance, then returned to his book.

adv. in an abstracted manner; separately; with absence of mind

n. 1 [COUNTABLE, UNCOUNTABLE] a general idea not based on any particular real person, thing or
situation; the quality of being abstract: He's always talking in ~s. 2 [UNCOUNTABLE] the state of
thinking deeply about something and not paying attention to what is around you: She was
gazing in ~ at the far corner of the room. She rocked the baby gently, gazing in ~ at the
flickering fire. 3 [UNCOUNTABLE, COUNTABLE] (TECHNICAL) the action of removing something from
something else; the process of being removed from something else: water ~ from rivers

a. difficult to understand: an abstruse argument. Maths is a mix of ~ theory and detailed

calculations. an ~ philosophical essay

a. completely ridiculous; not logical and sensible [= ridiculous]: That uniform makes the guards
look ~. Of course it's not true, what an ~ idea. It seems quite ~ to expect anyone to drive for 3
hours just for a 20 minute meeting. It seems an ~ idea. What an ~ thing to say! Don't be so ~!
Of course I want you to come. It's an ~ situation - neither of them will talk to the other. Do I
look ~ in this hat?

n. things that happen that are stupid or unreasonable: He has a good sense of the ~. Some of
the stories he tells verge on the ~. The whole situation borders on the ~. She has a keen sense
of the ~.

n. the quality of being absurd or inconsistent with obvious truth, reason, or sound judgment: It
was only later that she could see the ~ of the situation. Duncan laughed at the ~ of the
situation. Standing there naked, I was suddenly struck by the ~ of the situation. There are all
sorts of ~ies in the proposal.

adv. to an extreme degree: The paintings were sold for ~ high prices. You're behaving ~. It was
~ expensive. The critics were ~ extravagant with their praise.

n. a large quantity that is more than enough: an abundance of wavy red hair. There was an ~ of
wine at the wedding.

adv. in large quantities: Fruit and vegetables grew ~ ~ on the island. One quality the team
possessed ~ ~was fighting spirit. We had wine ~ ~.

a. existing in large quantities; more than enough: Fish are ~ in the lake. We have ~ evidence to
prove his guilt. an ~ supply of fresh water. ~ opportunities for well qualified staff. an ~ supply
of food. There is ~ evidence that cars have a harmful effect on the environment. Cheap
consumer goods are ~ (= exist in large amounts) in this part of the world.

adv. 1 in large quantities: Calcium is found most ~ in milk. The plant grows ~ in woodland.
Melons grow ~ in this region. 2 very clear: She made her wishes ~ clear. She'd made her
feelings towards him ~ clear. You've made your feelings ~ clear (= very clear).

n. 1 [UNCOUNTABLE, SINGULAR] the use of something in a way that is wrong or harmful [=misuse]:
alcohol/drug ~ (=the practice of drinking too much or taking illegal drugs). solvent ~. The
system of paying cash bonuses is open to ~ (= might be used in the wrong way). He was
arrested on charges of corruption and ~ of power. What she did was an ~ of her position as
manager. an ~ (= wrong use) of privilege/power/someone's kindness. Drug and alcohol ~ (=
Using these substances in a bad way) contributed to his early death. government officials' ~ of
power. A self-monitoring tax system is clearly open to ~ (=able to be used wrongly). 2
[UNCOUNTABLE, PLURAL] unfair, cruel or violent treatment of somebody: child ~. sexual ~. reported ~s
by the secret police. She suffered years of physical ~. several cases of child ~. Many children
suffer racial ~ at school. An independent committee will look into alleged human rights ~es.
sexual/physical/mental ~ (= bad treatment). She claimed to have been a victim of child ~ (=
the treatment of children in a bad, esp. sexual, way). 3 [UNCOUNTABLE] rude and offensive remarks,
usually made when somebody is very angry: to scream/hurl/shout ~. a stream/torrent of ~.
The man burst into a torrent of foul-mouthed racist ~. vandalism and verbal ~ directed at old
people. The other driver started hurling ~ at me. He had apparently experienced a lot of verbal
~ from his co-workers. He hurled (a stream/torrent of) ~ at her (= He said a lot of rude and
offensive things to her). 'Idiot!' is a term of ~ (= an insulting expression).

v. 1 to make bad use of something, or to use so much of something that it harms your health:

to ~ alcohol/drugs. He systematically ~d his body with heroin and cocaine. The proportion of
drinkers who ~ alcohol is actually quite small. 2 to use power or knowledge unfairly or wrongly:

Williams ~d his position as Mayor to give jobs to his friends. Morris ~d the trust the firm had

shown in him. people who ~ the system. She ~d her position as principal by giving jobs to her

friends. He felt they had ~d his trust by talking about him to the press (= tricked him, although

he had trusted them). She is continually ~ing her position/authority by getting other people to

do things for her. I never expected that he would ~ the trust I placed in him. 3 to treat a person

or an animal in a cruel or violent way, especially sexually: All the children had been physically

and emotionally ~ed. He had ~d his own daughter (= had sex with her).The boy had been

sexually ~d. She was sexually ~d as a child. Several of the children had been

sexually/physically/emotionally ~d. 4 to make rude or offensive remarks to or about somebody:

The referee had been threatened and ~d. Many soldiers in Belfast are verbally ~d. He came to

the help of another driver who was being racially ~d by three white passengers. The crowd

started ~ing him after he failed to save a goal. 5 to treat something so badly that you start to

destroy it: James ~ed his body for years with heroin and cocaine.

n. one who abuses: a child ~. a drug/solvent ~

a. 1 (OF SPEECH OR OF A PERSON) rude and offensive; criticizing rudely and unfairly: ~

language/remarks. He became ~ when he was drunk. an ~ letter/telephone call. He was

apparently ~ to the flight attendants. Smith denies using ~ language to the referee. He became

~ and his wife was injured in the struggle. 2 (OF BEHAVIOUR) involving violence: an ~ relationship

adv. in an abusive manner; rudely; with abusive language: Boys who engaged in sex acts with
Perlitz understood they would face little or no punishment if they behaved ~ to other children,
while those who refused sex acts with ...

n. the quality of being abusive; rudeness of language, or violence to the person: Scoble is
talking specifically about how women are treated in tech culture, but even in the broader
context of online ~, I don't see how it gets fixed.

v. ~ (on/onto) something (OF LAND OR A BUILDING) to be next to something or to have one side
touching the side of something: His land ~s onto a road. Mexico ~s (on) some of the richest
parts of the United States. Their house ~ted (onto) the police station.

a. extremely bad or of a very low standard: His manners are ~. The reunion was an ~ failure. ~
working conditions. The food was ~. The standard of the students' work is ~.

adv. vry; incredibly; profoundly: an ~ poor book

absorbent absorbing absorbency absorption abstain abstainer abstemious abstemiousness

abstention abstinence abstinent abstract abstract the abstract in the abstract abstract abstracted
abstractedly abstraction abstruse absurd the absurd absurdity absurdly abundance in abundance
abundant abundantly abuse abuse abuser abusive abusively abusiveness abut abysmal
abysmally
Page 7
n. 1 a very deep wide space or hole that seems to have no bottom: Ahead of them was a gaping
~. (FIGURATIVE) an ~ of ignorance/despair/loneliness. They took a long look into the ~ before
deciding whether to jump. (FIGURATIVE) The country is stepping back from the edge of an ~. 2 a
very dangerous or frightening situation: The country might plunge into the ~ of economic ruin.
At that time Bosnia was standing on the edge of an ~. The country is sinking/plunging into an ~
of violence and lawlessness. She found herself on the edge of an ~. 3 a very big difference that
separates two people or groups: the gaping ~ between these grand buildings and my own
miserable home
n. 1 air conditioning 2 alternating current

n. the written abbreviation of ACCOUNT

n. a tree with yellow or white flowers. There are several types of acacia tree, some of which
produce a sticky liquid used in making glue.

n. 1 the work that university teachers and students do - often used humorously 2 the scholarly
life

n. the world of learning, teaching, research, etc. at universities, and the people involved in it:
leading figures from ~ and industry. A graduate of law and economics from Moscow State
University, he had spent his life in ~.

a. 1 [USUALLY BEFORE NOUN] connected with education, especially studying in schools and
universities: The students return in October for the start of the new ~ year. high/low ~
standard. san academic career. The enrolment criteria are geographical rather than ~. ~
subjects/qualifications/books. an ~ institution. the ~ year (= the time, usually from September
to June, during which students go to school or college). ~ standards. He possessed no ~
qualifications. a program to raise ~ standards 2 [USUALLY BEFORE NOUN] involving a lot of reading and
studying rather than practical or technical skills: ~ subjects/qualifications. the study of art as an
~ discipline 3 good at subjects involving a lot of reading and studying: She wasn't very ~ and
hated school. He's not very ~. I was never a particularly ~ child. 4 if a discussion about
something is academic, it is a waste of time because the speakers cannot change the existing
situation: It is a purely ~ question. The whole thing's ~ now—we can't win anyway. purely ~
argument/question. The question of where we go on holiday is purely ~ since we don't have any
money.

n. a person who teaches and/or does research at a university or college; a teacher in a college
or university

adv. in an academic style or way; in terms of educational achievement; from an academic

perspective: She's always done well ~. It may be that a child is bright, but not ~ inclined

n. a member of an academy [US for academic]: In 1823 he became professor and academician
at Munich.

n. the period of the year during which students go to school or university

n. 1 a school or college for special training: police/military ~. a military/police ~. 2 (usually

Academy) a type of official organization which aims to encourage and develop art, literature,
science, etc: the Royal ~ of Musica. the Royal ~ of Dramatic Art. the Royal ~ of Arts. the Royal
~ of Music. the American ~ of Arts and Letters 3 a secondary school in Scotland 4 a private
school in the US a secondary school in England which receives some of its money from a private
business or person instead of from the government

a. adv. for singing voices alone, without musical instruments: Groups of teens singing ~~ on
street corners got recording contracts.

v. 1 ~ (to something) to agree to a request, proposal, etc: He ~d to demands for his

resignation. Japan had little choice but to ~. the doctor's refusal to ~ to his patient's request.
He graciously ~d to our request. It is doubtful whether the government will ever ~ to the
nationalists' demands for independence. 2 to achieve a high position, especially to become king
or queen: Queen Victoria ~d to the throne in 1837. The diaries were written in 1837 when
Queen Victoria ~d to the throne.

adv. gradually increasing in speed

v. 1 [INTRANSITIVE, TRANSITIVE] to happen or to make something happen faster or earlier than

expected: Inflation continues to ~. measures to ~ the rate of economic growth. Inflation is
likely to ~ this year, adding further upward pressure on interest rates. They use special
chemicals to ~ the growth of crops. 2 [INTRANSITIVE] (OF A VEHICLE OR PERSON) to start to go faster: The
runners ~ed smoothly around the bend. The car ~ed to overtake me. The car ~ed smoothly
away. I ~ed to overtake the bus.

n. 1 [UNCOUNTABLE] ~ (in something) an increase in how fast something happen: san ~ in the rate
of economic growth. an ~ in the rate of inflation. the rapid ~ of economic progress in South
East Asia. The ~ in the decline of manufacturing industry is being blamed on the high value of
sterling. 2 [UNCOUNTABLE] the rate at which a vehicle increases speed: a car with good ~. The
latest model has excellent ~. An older car will have poor ~. High winds significantly hampered
the plane's ~. 3 [UNCOUNTABLE] (PHYSICS) the rate at which the velocity (= speed in a particular
direction) of an object changes: ~ caused by gravity

n. 1 (BRITISH ENGLISH) (also gas pedal - NORTH AMERICAN ENGLISH, BRITISH ENGLISH) the pedal in a car or
other vehicle that you press with your foot to control the speed of the engine 2 (PHYSICS) a
machine for making elementary particles move at high speeds

n. 1 a way of pronouncing the words of a language that shows which country, area or social
class a person comes from: a northern/Dublin/Indian/Scottish ~. a strong/broad ~ (= one that
is very noticeable) She spoke English with an ~. He noticed that I spoke Polish with an ~. a
broad Irish ~. He's got a strong French/Scottish ~. She's French but she speaks with an
impeccable English ~. He speaks with a broad/heavy/strong/thick Yorkshire ~. I thought I could
detect a slight West Country ~. 2 the emphasis that you should give to part of a word when
saying it: In ‘today’ the ~ is on the second syllable. The ~ falls on the final syllable. In the word
'dinner' the ~ is on the first syllable. 3 a mark on a letter to show that it should be pronounced
in a particular way: Canapé has an ~ on the ‘e’. a grave ~. There's an acute ~ on the 'e' of
'café'.

idiom. great importance is given to a particular thing or quality: This season ~ ~ ~ definitely ~
long, flowing romantic clothes. In all our products ~ ~ ~ ~ quality. accommodation with the
accent on comfort

v. 1 to make something more noticeable so that people will pay attention to it [= highlight]: The
women ~ their eyes with make-up. Use make-up to ~ your cheekbones and eyes. In any
advertising campaign, you must ~ the areas where your product is better than the competition.
~ the first note of every bar. 2 to emphasize a part of a word in speech

a. 1 spoken with a foreign accent: He spoke heavily ~ English. He spoke heavily ~ English. 2
(TECHNICAL) spoken with particular emphasis: ~ vowels/syllables. 3 emphasized or given special
importance: ~ lighting 3 (TECHNICAL) (OF A LETTER OF THE ALPHABET) written or printed with a special
mark on it to show it should be pronounced in a particular way: ~ characters

v. to emphasize something or make it more noticeable: Her short hair ~d her huge eyes. The
fundamental patterns of inequality have remained and have been ~d by the war. The
photograph seemed to ~ his large nose. Her dress was tightly belted, ~ing the slimness of her
waist. The new policy only serves to ~ the inadequacy of provision for the homeless.

n. act of accentuating: 'Social categorization' will often leads ~ effect which result an
overestimation of perceptual similarities among people in the same category and overestimation
of ...

v. 1 [INTRANSITIVE, TRANSITIVE] to take willingly something that is offered; to say ‘yes’ to an offer,
invitation, etc [≠ refuse]: He asked me to marry him and I ~ed. Please ~ our sincere apologies.
He ~ed a glass of water from Helen. He readily ~ed her invitation (=accepted it quickly). It was
pouring with rain so I ~ed his offer of a lift. She's decided not to ~ the job. Please ~ this small
token of my appreciation. Rick ~ed her offer of coffee. He ~ed the invitation to stay with us. His
school reports said that he is always ready to ~ a challenge (=agree to do something difficult).
Please ~ this small gift. They offered me a job and I ~ed. He is charged with ~ing bribes from a
firm of suppliers. She was in London to ~ an award for her latest novel. I offered her an
apology, but she wouldn't ~ it. I ~ full responsibility for the failure of the plan. We've offered
her the job, but I don't know whether she'll ~ it. I've just ~ed an invitation to the opening-night
party. I've been invited to their wedding but I haven't decided whether to~. 2 [TRANSITIVE] to
receive something as suitable or good enough: This machine only ~s coins. Will you ~ a
cheque? My article has been ~ed for publication. Do you ~ credit cards? She said she'd ~ $15
for it. The new telephones will ~ coins of any denomination. 3 [TRANSITIVE] to agree to or approve
of something: They ~ed the court's decision. He ~ed all the changes we proposed. Everything
about the child's adoption was against ~ed practice. She won't ~ advice from anyone. The
government has ~ed the resignation of a senior army commander. Please ~ my sincere
apologies. Sorry, we don't ~ travellers' cheques. The manuscript was ~ed for publication last
week. She was ~ed as a full member of the society.
His fellow workers refused to ~ him (= to include him as one of their group). 4 [TRANSITIVE] to
admit that you are responsible or to blame for something: He ~s full responsibility for what
happened. You have to ~ the consequences of your actions. The University will not ~
responsibility for items lost or stolen. 5 [TRANSITIVE] to believe that something is true [≠ reject]:
The police refused to ~ her version of the story. He still hasn't ~ed the situation (= realized that
he cannot change it). I can't ~ that there's nothing we can do. She has ~ed your explanation as
to why you didn't attend the meeting. I don't ~ his version of events. Can we ~ his account as
the true version? I ~ that this will not be popular. I am not prepared to ~ that this decision is
final. It is generally ~ed that people are motivated by success. The workforce is generally ~ed
to have the best conditions in Europe. 6 [TRANSITIVE] to continue in a difficult situation without
complaining, because you realize that you cannot change it: He's not going to change, and you
just have to ~ it. We have to ~ that this is not an ideal world. You need to ~ the fact that most
of your problems are caused by jealousy. You just have to ~ the fact that we're never going to
be rich. Nothing will change as long as the workers continue to ~ these appalling conditions.
They ~ the risks as part of the job. He just refused to ~ that his father was no longer there. 7
[TRANSITIVE] to make somebody feel welcome and part of a group [≠ reject]: It may take years to
be completely ~ed by the local community. She had never been ~ed into what was essentially a
man's world. He never really ~ed her as his own child. The children gradually began to ~ her as
one of the family. It often takes years for immigrants to be ~ed into the host community. 8
[TRANSITIVE] to allow somebody to join an organization, attend an institution, use a service, etc
[≠ reject]: The college he applied to has ~ed him. She was disappointed not to be ~ed into the
club. The landlord was willing to ~ us as tenants. She was ~ed to study music.

abyss AC a/c acacia academe academia academic academic academically academician academic
year academy a cappella accede accelerando accelerate acceleration accelerator accent the
accent is on sth accent accented accentuate accentuation accept