Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

accelerate verb
1. [I] When a vehicle or its driver accelerates, the speed of the vehicle increases
I accelerated to overtake the bus.
2. [I] If a person or object accelerates, it goes faster.
3. [I or T] to happen or make something happen sooner or faster
Inflation is likely to accelerate this year, adding further upward pressure on interest rates.
They use special chemicals to accelerate the growth of crops.

artificial adjective
1. made by people, often as a copy of something natural
clothes made of artificial fibres
an artificial heart
an artificial lake
artificial fur/sweeteners/flowers
2. DISAPPROVING not sincere
Their cheerfulness seemed rather strained and artificial.

ˌartificial inˈtelligence noun [U ] (ABBREVIATION AI)

the study of how to produce machines that have some of the qualities that the human mind has, such
as the ability to understand language, recognize pictures, solve problems and learn

aspiration noun
[C usually plural U] something that you hope to achieve
I've never had any political aspirations.
It's a story about the lives and aspirations of poor Irish immigrants.

asˈsembly ˌline noun [C usually singular ]

a line of machines and workers in a factory which a product moves along while it is being built or
produced. Each machine or worker performs a particular job, which must be finished before the
product moves to the next position in the line
assembly-line workers

augment verb [T ] FORMAL

to increase the size or value of something by adding something to it
He would have to find work to augment his income.

capacity noun AMOUNT

1. [C or S or U] the total amount that can be contained or produced, or (especially of a person or
organization) the ability to do a particular thing
The stadium has a seating capacity of 50 000.
The game was watched by a capacity crowd/audience of 50 000 (= the place was completely
full).
She has a great capacity for hard work.
The purchase of 500 tanks is part of a strategy to increase military capacity by 25% over the next
five years.
[+ to infinitive] It seems to be beyond his capacity to (= He seems to be unable to) follow simple
instructions.
Do you think it's within his capacity to (= Do you think he'll be able to) do the job without making
a mess of it?

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 Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

The generators each have a capacity of (= can produce) 1000 kilowatts.

The larger cars have bigger capacity engines (= the engines are bigger and more powerful).
All our factories are working at (full) capacity (= are producing goods as fast as possible).
We are running below capacity (= not producing as many goods as we are able to) because of
cancelled orders.
He suffered a stroke in 1988, which left him unable to speak, but his mental capacity (= his
ability to think and remember) wasn't affected.

cerebellum noun [C ] (plural cerebella or cerebellums) SPECIALIZED

a large part at the back of the brain that controls your muscles, movement and balance

comprise verb [T L only + noun not continuous ] FORMAL

to have as parts or members, or to be those parts or members
The course comprises a class book, a practice book and an audio tape.
The class is comprised mainly of Italian and French students.
Italian students comprise 60% of the class.

confine verb
1. [T] to limit an activity, person or problem in some way
Let's confine our discussion to the matter in question, please!
Please confine your use of the telephone to business calls.
By closing the infected farms we're hoping to confine the disease to the north of the region (= stop
it from spreading to other areas).
2. [T usually passive] to keep someone closed in a place, often by force
The hostages had been confined for so long that they couldn't cope with the outside world.
3. be confined to somewhere/sth
to exist only in a particular area or group of people
We know that the illness is not confined to any one group in society.
This attitude seems to be confined to the upper classes.

convert verb CHANGE

1. [I or T] to (cause something or someone to) change in form, character, or opinion
Could we convert the small bedroom into a second bathroom?
What's the formula for converting pounds into kilos?
He converted to (= started believing in) Catholicism when he got married.
I used not to like exercise, but my sister has converted me (to it).

coordination noun [U ]
1. the act of making all the people involved in a plan or activity work together in an organized way
There's absolutely no coordination between the different groups - nobody knows what anyone
else is doing.
2. the ability to make your arms, legs and other body parts move in a controlled way
Gymnastics is a sport that requires a considerable level of coordination.

-dimensional suffix
having measurements in the stated directions
a three-dimensional figure

dominant adjective
1. more important, strong or noticeable than anything else of the same type

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 Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

a dominant military power

Unemployment will be a dominant issue at the next election.
2. dominant gene
SPECIALIZED a gene which always produces a particular characteristic in a person, plant or animal

dramatist noun [C ]
a person who writes plays

echo verb SIMILAR DETAILS

2. [T] to repeat details that are similar to, and make you think of, something else
The design of the church echoes that of St. Paul's Cathedral.
I've heard the Prime Minister's view echoed throughout the party.

emulate verb [T ] FORMAL

to copy something achieved by someone else and try to do it as well as they have
They hope to emulate the success of other software companies.
Fitzgerald is keen to emulate Martin's record of three successive world titles.

escape verb GET FREE

1. [I or T] to get free from something, or to avoid something
Two prisoners have escaped.
A lion has escaped from its cage.
She was lucky to escape serious injury.
He narrowly (= only just) escaped a fine.
His name escapes me (= I have forgotten his name).
Nothing important escapes her notice/attention.

exhaustive adjective
complete or thorough
an exhaustive study/report

exponential adjective INCREASE

1. FORMAL describes a rate of increase which becomes quicker and quicker as the thing that increases
becomes larger
We are looking for exponential growth in our investment.
There has been an exponential increase in the world population this century.

exponential adjective NUMBER

2. SPECIALIZED containing an exponent (= number or sign which shows how many times another
number is to be multiplied by itself)
6 4 is an exponential expression.

exponentially adverb FORMAL

Malthus wrote about the risks involved in the world's population increasing exponentially.

exquisite adjective BEAUTIFUL

1. very beautiful; delicate
an exquisite piece of china
Look at this exquisite painting

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 Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

She has exquisite taste.

be a far cry from sth

to be completely different from something
This flat is a far cry from the house they had before.

frailty noun
1. [U] weakness and lack of health or strength
Though ill for most of her life, physical frailty never stopped her from working.
2. [C or U] moral weakness
Most of the characters in the novel exhibit those common human frailties - ignorance and greed.
Tolerant of human frailty in whatever form, she almost never judged people.

grasp verb [T ] UNDERSTAND

3. to understand something, especially something difficult
I think I managed to grasp the main points of the lecture.
The Government has acknowledged that homelessness is a problem but it has failed to grasp the
scale of the problem.

grip noun HOLD

2. [C usually singular] a tight hold on something or someone
She tightened her grip on my arm.
She would not loosen her grip on my arm.

ignorance noun [U ]
lack of knowledge, understanding or information about something
Public ignorance about the disease is still a cause for concern.
Patients, it is claimed, were kept/left in ignorance of what was wrong with them.

imitation adjective
made to look like something else
an imitation leather watch-strap
It's not real silk - it's just imitation.

inventor noun [C ]
someone who has invented something or whose job is to invent things

lever noun [C ] BAR/HANDLE

1. a bar or handle which moves around a fixed point, so that one end of it can be pushed or pulled in
order to control the operation of a machine or move a heavy or stiff object

mandolin , mandoline noun [C ]

a musical instrument with four pairs of metal strings and a round back

neurotransmitter noun [C ] , []
a chemical that carries messages between nerve cells or between nerve cells and muscles

notion noun [C or U ]

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 Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

(a) belief or idea

[+ that] The programme makers reject the notion that seeing violence on television has a harmful
effect on children.
I have only a vague notion of what she does for a living.

obey verb
1. [I or T] to act according to what you have been asked or ordered to do by someone in authority
or to behave according to a rule, law or instruction
The soldiers refused to obey (orders).
to obey the rules of international law
Falling objects obey the law of gravity.
2. [T] If your body or part of your body does not obey you, it does not work in the way it should
She was so tired her legs just wouldn't obey her any longer.

obligatory adjective
1. describes something you must do because of a rule or law, etc
The medical examination before you start work is obligatory.
[+ to infinitive] The statute made it obligatory for all fit males between 12 and 60 to work.
2. expected because it usually happens
Some secret service agents turned up, all wearing the obligatory raincoat and hat.

pensive adjective
thinking in a quiet way, often with a serious expression on your face
She became withdrawn and pensive, hardly speaking to anyone.

pervasive adjective FORMAL

present or noticeable in every part of a thing or place
The influence of Freud is pervasive in her books.
a pervasive smell of diesel
Reforms are being undermined by the all-pervasive corruption in the country.

phenomenon noun [C ] (plural phenomena) EXISTING THING

1. something that exists and can be seen, felt, tasted, etc., especially something which is unusual or
interesting
Gravity is a natural phenomenon.
Do you believe in the paranormal and other psychic phenomena?
There's evidence to suggest that child abuse is not just a recent phenomenon.

proceed verb [I ]
1. SLIGHTLY FORMAL to continue as planned
His lawyers have decided not to proceed with the case.
Preparations for the festival are now proceeding smoothly.
2. proceed to do sth
to do something after you have done something else
She sat down and proceeded to tell me about her skiing holiday.
HUMOROUS He told me he was on a diet and then proceeded to eat a plateful of chips!
3. FORMAL to move forward or travel in a particular direction
Passengers for Madrid should proceed to gate 26 for boarding.

quest noun [C ] LITERARY

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 Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

a long search for something that is difficult to find, or an attempt to achieve something difficult
Nothing will stop them in their quest for truth.
She went to India on a spiritual quest.
[+ to infinitive] She does aerobics four times a week in her quest to achieve the perfect body.

rational adjective
showing clear thought or reason
He was too upset to be rational.
a rational course of action/argument/explanation

rationality noun [U]

refusal noun [C or U ]
when someone refuses to do or accept something
Our request for permission to travel met with/received a flat/point-blank (= complete)
refusal from the authorities.
[+ to infinitive] The government's refusal to see that the protection of the environment must be
our first priority today is a great tragedy.

region noun [C ]
1. a particular area or part of the world, of the body, etc., or any of the large official areas into
which a country is divided
the semi-desert regions of Australia
the Birmingham region
He said he had sharp pains in the stomach region/the region of the stomach.
2. in the region of
approximately
They estimate that the temperature yesterday was (somewhere) in the region of -30°C.

scornful adjective
showing or feeling scorn for someone or something
a scornful look/remark/laugh/tone
They are openly scornful of the new plans.

scurry verb [I usually + adv/prep ]

to move quickly, with small short steps
The mouse scurried across the floor.
The noise of the explosion sent the villagers scurrying back into their homes.

sensitive adjective REACTING EASILY

4. easily influenced, changed or damaged, especially by a physical activity or effect
Some people's teeth are highly sensitive to cold.
sensitive skin
5. Sensitive equipment is able to record small changes
The patient's responses are recorded on a sensitive piece of equipment which gives extremely
accurate readings.

shrink verb (shrank, shrunk) BECOME SMALLER

1. [I or T] to become smaller, or to make something smaller
Your sweater will shrink if you wash it at too high a temperature.

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 Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

The company's profits have shrunk from £5.5 million to £1.25 million.
The productivity improvements have shrunk our costs by 25%.

speculate verb [I ] GUESS

1. to guess possible answers to a question when you do not have enough information to be certain
I don't know why she did it - I'm just speculating.
A spokesperson declined to speculate on the cause of the train crash.
Journalists are speculating about whether interest rates will be cut.
[+ that] The newspapers have speculated that they will get married next year.

stride noun DEVELOPMENT

1. [C] an important positive development
The West made impressive strides in improving energy efficiency after the huge rises in oil prices
during the seventies.
The group has made strides to expand internationally.

substitute noun [C ]
1. a thing or person that is used instead of another thing or person
Tofu can be used as a meat substitute in vegetarian recipes.
Vitamins should not be used as a substitute for a healthy diet.
2. (INFORMAL sub) in sports, a player who is used for part of a game instead of another player
Johnson came on as a substitute towards the end of the match.
The manager brought on ( US ALSO sent in) another substitute in the final minutes of the game.
3. there is no substitute for sth
nothing is as good as the stated thing
You can work from plans of a garden, but there's no substitute for visiting the site yourself.
4. (ALSO substitute teacher , INFORMAL sub) US FOR supply teacher

surpass verb [T ] FORMAL

to do or be better than
His time for the 100 metres surpassed the previous world record by one hundredth of a second.
The book's success has surpassed everyone's expectations.
[R] The director has really surpassed himself (= done better than he has done before) with this
new film.

transcend verb [T ] FORMAL

to go further, rise above or be more important or better than something, especially a limit
The best films are those which transcend national or cultural barriers.
The underlying message of the film is that love transcends everything else.

tremendous adjective
very great in amount or level, or extremely good
They were making the most tremendous amount of noise last night.
She's been a tremendous (= very great) help to me over the last few months.
You won? That's tremendous!

ultimate adjective [before noun ]

most extreme or important because either the original or final, or the best or worst
Of course the ultimate responsibility for the present conflict without doubt lies with the aggressor.
The ultimate decision about who to employ lies with Andrew.

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 Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 3rd Edition

Infidelity is the ultimate betrayal.

the ultimate luxury cruiser

utilitarian adjective
designed to be useful rather than decorative
Like many factories it's a very ugly utilitarian building.

vision noun MENTAL IMAGE

1. [C] an idea or mental image of something
We see in his novels his sinister, almost apocalyptic, vision of the future.
Johnny was late home and, as usual, I had visions of him lying dead in some alley.
2. [C] an experience in which you see things which do not exist physically, when your mind is affected
powerfully by something such as deep religious thought or drugs or mental illness
She had visions in which the angel Gabriel appeared to her.

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