txploring dictionary a
Page
* Exerc/se 65
F t a d a e ~ S t o t h e ~ - ^ h e
correspondent
2 someone w h o r e g u l a r l y w r i t e s letters o r emails t o
another person
correspondent 2 / . k D n ' s p D n d s n t / ad] formai suitable
for a p a r t i c u l a r s i t u a t i o n
correspondìng / .kDri'spondirj / adj [only betore noun]
1 related t o o r corrnected w i i h something: Investment
in the railways wìll bring a correspondìng improvement in
services. • c o r r e s p o n d ì n g increase / decrease I àecUne /
fall Rising prosperity has not been matched by any cor-
respondìng decrease in crime.
2 s i m i l a r t o o r t h e same as something: EQTJIVALENT:
Income from tourism is five per cent higher than in the
correspondìng period lastyear. tNurses smoke as much as
correspondìng groups in the general population.
correspondingly / k o n ' s p D n d i r j l i / adv used f o r
saying t h a t one t h i n g is related to another, or is caused
by another: The service is better and correspondingly more
expensive.
corridor / ' k D n . d o : / noun [c]
1 a l o n g passage inside a b u i l d i n g w i t h doors o n each
side: a hotel/hospital corridor • I went along the corridor
to her office. 1 a . a passage o n a t r a i n
2 a long n a r r o w area of l a n d t h a t people o r animals
t r a v e l t h r o u g h : A naturai corridor at thefoot of the Alps.
• wildlife corridors 2 a . used about a n area o f l a n d t h a t
belongs t o one c o u n t r y b u t is s u r r o u n d e d b y another
2 b . used about the l a n d near a major r i v e r , road, o r
r a i l w a y l i n e : the east Thames corridor
t h e c o r r i d o r s ( o f p o w e r ) mainly journalism the places
w h e r e people use t h e i r p o l i t i c a i influence a n d major
p o l i t i c a i decisions are made: the lobbyists who inhabit
the corridors of power in Washington
corroborate /k3'rDba,rert/ verb [T] formai t o support
w h a t someone says b y g i v i n g i n f o r m a t i o n o r evidence
t h a t agrees with t h e m : BEAR OUT: Details of the killings
were corroborated by officiai documents.
corroboration / k o . r D b s ' r e i f n / noun [U] formai evi-
dence o r i n f o r m a t i o n t h a t supports w h a t someone has
said
corroborative / k s ' r o b ^ r a t r v / adj formai
r o b o r a t i v e evidence supports w h a t someone has said
corroboree / k s ' r r j b a r i / noun [C] Australian a n ABO-
RIGINAL festival of s i n g i n g a n d dancing
corrode /ks'rzud/ verb 1 [l/T] i f m e t a l o r another
substance corrodes, o r i f something corrodes i t , i t is
gradually destroyed b y a c h e m i c a l reaction: Acid rain
poìsonsfish, destroys forests, and corrodes buildings. • The
metal structure is corroding badly and needs to be replaced.
2 [T] formai t o m a k e something weak b y causing
graduai damage: a society corroded byfear
corrosion fkQ'xsusa/noun [U] damage caused to m e t a l
or storie w h e n i t is corroded: corrosion-resistant metals
Whichof these words i , m „ ,
stress? 0 t h 3 p n m a r y a secondary
t o f o r m a t i o n
0 n t h i s dictionary page.
313 cosmonaut
bank was closed down amid allegations of corruptìon and
fraud. • the arrest of a number of officials on corruptìon
charges
2 t h e process o f CORRTJPTING someone o r something:
corruptìon of the morals of the young • corruptìon of the
database
3 literary t h e process o f decay, especially i n a dead
body
corsage /koi'sa:^/ noun [C] a decoration made o f
flowers t h a t a w o m a n wears o n a dress o r s u i t
corsaìr / ' k o i s e s / noun [C] a n old w o r d for a 'pirate'
corset / ' k o i s i t / noun [C] 1 a stiff piece of underwear
w o r n b y w o m e n t o make t h e i r waists look t h i n , espe-
c i a l l y i n t h e past 1 a . a piece o f c l o t h i n g t h a t looks
l i k e a corset 2 medicai a piece of c l o t h i n g designed t o
support y o u r back
corseted / ' k o i s i t i d / adj w e a r i n g a corset
cortège /koi'tei^f noun [C] a l i n e o f people a n d cars
t a k i n g p a r t i n a funeral
cortex / ' k o : t e k s / (plural cortices / ' k o i t i s k z / ) noun [C]
medicai the outer l a y e r of y o u r b r a i n o r another organ:
the cerebral cortex
cortisone / ' k o : t i , Z 3 u n / noun [U] a d r u g t h a t is a n
a r t i f ì c i a l HORMONE, used to i m p r o v e m e d i c a i conditions
s u c h as ARTHRITIS a n d A L L E R G I E S
coruscating /'kDra.skertirj/ adj very formai lxvely a n d
impressive: a coruscating performance
corvette / k o z ' v e t / noun [C] a s m a l l fast ship t h a t is
used for p r o t e c t i n g other ships
cos / k s z / conjunction BrE informai a w a y o f writìng
1
hecause' t h a t shows h o w i t sounds i n i n f o r m a i speech:
You'll have to pay, cos I've got no money.
c o s 2 abbrev cosine
Cosa Nostra, the /.kouzs 'nostra/ the MAFIA
COSATI! / k a ' s a r t u : / Congress of South A f r i c a n Trade
Unions: a large a n d p o w e r f u l organization. i n South.
A f r i c a t h a t represents m a n y different TRADE UNIONS
cor- cosh 1 / k D j / noun [C] BrE informai a weapon shaped
l i k e a short t h i c k s t i c k
u n d e r t h e cosh BrE informai experiencing diffìculty o r
c r i t i c i s m : The home team was soon under the cosh.
cosh / k D j V verb [T] BrE informai to h i t someone w i t h
2
a cosh
cosign / ' k s u . s a m / verb [T] t o sign a cheque, contract,
f o r m a i agreement etc together w i t h another person
cosine / 'ksu.sarn/ noun [ C ] i n a RIGHT-ANGLED TRIANGLE,
the measurement of a n ACUTE angle t h a t is equal to t h e
length of the side between the angle a n d the r i g h t angle
d i v i d e d b y t h e l e n g t h of the HYPOTENUSE
cos lettuce / ,kos 'letis/ noun [C/U] BrE a type of l o n g
t h i n LETTUCE
c Whati S C 0 S J a n a b b
olthe
noun cortex?
• E x e r c i s e 66 j What four compound nouns begin with corporate?
Look up pp^O"\n the dictionary. Study the page and
see how quickly you can fìnd theanswers to these
questions.
a Which syllable has the primary stress in these words?
1 corollari!
2 corona k In what subject areas are these compound nouns used?

3 coronari/
4 coroner 1 What is the name of a small typically English meat pie?

b What is a word for a small crown?

m What use of the word coni can refer to a hairstyle?

c What is the pronunciation of these words?

1 corps (singular) n Which two words have the same spelling and
pronunciation and can be used as a noun and an
2 corps (plural) adjective?
d What is the cerernony at which someone becomes king
or queen?

o Find a word on the page that is labelled:

e Which nouns are frequently used with the word
corporate? 1 British English
2 American English
3 formai
4 very formai

f Can the adjective corporate follow a noun? 5 old-fashioned

6 literary

g What word can refer to both a musical instrument and 7 technical

an ice cream? 8 science
9 medicai
h What are cornflakes made from? 10 business •

i What are two words with different spellings and

meanings that have the pronunciation /koin.flaus/

330 corporal punishrrve
have to do something that you want: Cornered, he.
her the letter. 2 [T] to get control of an area o f b t S ^ j ì
so that no one else can succeed i n it, for '
esÉ 1
because you own ali the supply of a particular
Hamden had managed to corner the entire grain supng:
corner t h e m a r k e t (in sth) Her company has corneredth
market in frozen vegetarian meals. 3 [ I ] i f a car corni?'il
it moves around a corner or bend i n the road = TUJ^ '
'corner shop noun [ c ] Brìtish a small shop that sei]
food and other products, often found on the corner tir-
Street "*
cornerstone /'ko:(r)na(r),st3Uii/ noun [C] 1 the basic
part of something, on which everything depei^
= BEDROCK: +of Trust is the cornerstone of their marriaet
2 the stone at one of the bottom corners of a ne* il
building, often put there during a special ceremony !
cor net /'ko:(r)nit/ noun [c] 1 a musical instrumentliltj I
a small TRUMPET 2 Brìtish old-fashioned a. CONE for IQ. \
CREAM
'corn ex.change noun
Brìtish a place where CORK
[c]
was bought and sold i n the past
cornflakes/'ko:(r)n fleiks/noun [plurali a breakfast food
1
made of small fiat dried pieces of MAIZE, eaten with
milk
cornflour /'ko:(r)n fiaua(r)/ noun [U] Brìtish white flour
1
made from MAIZE, used i n cooking to make liquids
thicker
cornflower / ko;(r)n,fiau3(r)/ noun [C] a small wild I
,
plant with bright blue fiowers | !i
cornice /'ko:(r)nis/ noun [C] a raised line of PLASTER, \
wood, or stone at the edge of a ceiling [ [ % .corporation ,tax noun [ U ] a tax that companies pay
Cornish /'ko:(r)mJ7 adj from or relating to Conrwall, \
an area i n the extreme southwest of England J - corporatism /'ko:(r)p(a)ra,tiz(3)m/ noun [ U ] BUSINESS a
.Cornish pasty noun [C] Brìtish a small PIE for one j
person, with meat and potatoes inside ; v
cornmeal /'ko:(r)n,mi:l/ noun [U] a type of flour made \
from MAIZE
.corn on the 'cob noun [C/U] the top part of a MAIZE I
plant, cooked and eaten as a vegetable —picture -» cu [
cornrow /'ko:(r)n,rau/ verb [T] to arrange hair i n a style
consisting of many rows of small tight PLAITS dose to
the head. These rows are called cornrows.
cornstarch /'ko:(r)n,stai(r)tJ/ noun [U] American CORN-
FLOUR
cornucopia /,ko:(r)nju'k3upÌ3/ noun [singular] literarya
large quantity and variety of something good
corny /'ko:(r)ni/ adj corny stories, jokes, songs etc have
been used so much that they seem silly: Iknow it sounds
corny, but it was love atfirstsight,
corollary/ka'roba/noun [C] formai something that will
also be true i f a particular idea or statement is true, or
something that w i l l also exist i f a particular situation
exists
corona /ks'reuna/ noun [ c ] ASTRONOMY 1 the circle of
light around the Sun or the Moon, seen especially
during an ECLIPSE 2 the outer atmosphere of the Sun
coronary /'kDran(a)ri/ adj MEDICAL relating to- your
1
heart: the risk of coronary heart disease
coronary /'kDran(a)ri/ noun [C] MEDICAL a HEART
2
ATTACK: He suffered a massive coronary.
.coronary 'artery noun [C] MEDICAL either of the two
ARTERIES that carry blood to the heart
.coronary throm'bosis noun [c/u] MEDICAL a HEART
ATTACK i n which the blood supply to the heart is blocked
coronation /,kDr3'neir(a)n/ noun [C] a ceremony at
which someone officiaìly becomes king or queen
coroner /'koranafr)/ noun [C] -k someone whose job is
to decide officiaìly how a person died, especially i f they
died i n a sudden or violent way: The coroner recorded a
verdict of suicide.
coronet / ' k D r a m t / noun [C] a small CROWN
Corp. abbrev 1 corporation 2 corporal
corpora a plural of corpus
corporal /'ko:(r)p(a)ral/ noun [C] a NON-COMMISSIONED
OFFICER of low rank i n the army
.corporal 'punishment noun [U] the physical pun-
ishment of someone by hitting them
corporate 331
corporate/'ko:(r)p(a)rat/ adj [onlybefore noun] -k-k-k
: 1 relating to large companies, or to a particular large
company: Our corporate headquarters are in Madrid. • a
• powerful group that represents corporate America (=big
; businesses in the US) • Some companies are introducing
ethics into their corporate culture in a big way.
- |||0^arti&r^
Nouns frequently used with c o r p o r a t e 1
• culture, identity, image, planning, strategy, structure
2 formai shared by or including ali the members of a
• group = COLLECTIVE: IS there a corporate identity shared
, by ali Asian countries?
i — c o r p o r a t e l y adv
^corporate 'bond noun [ c ] BUSINESS a type of BOND
s ' (=official document given to someone who has lent money,
? promising to pay that money back) that is provided by a
public company
^.corporate hospì'tality noun [U] entertainment pro-
vided by companies for their customers, for example at
fi
major sports events, i n order to get more business
| .corporate 'raider noun [ c ] BUSINESS a person or
i 4 organization that tries to take control of a company by
i £ buying a large number of its SHARES
= :$.corporate .social responsi'bility noun [ U ]
i i BUSINESS see CSR
: '•• corporation/,ko:(r)pa'rei|'(3)n/noun [C]-A:
:| l a large company or business organization: American
tobacco corporations
| * 2 Brìtish the locai goverrunent of a city
! on their profits
politicai and economie system i n which planning and
policy are controlied by large groups such as busi-
'•• nesses, TRADE UNIONS, and centrai government
[ — c o r p o r a t i s t adj
corporeal /ko:(r)'po:rial/ adj ver/ formai relating to the
• x physical world, and not to spiritual or emotionaL states
corps /ko:(r)/ (plural corps /ko:(r)z/) noun [C] k:
1 a part of an army that has particular responsibilities :
the Medicai Corps 1 a. a part of an army that consists of
T-i at least two divisions (=large units)
' f 2 a group of people who work together to do a particular
j 'S job: members of the press corps • the diplomatic corps
j „ corps de ballet /,ko:(r) ds "bselei/ noun [singular]
THEATRE ali the members of a group who perform i n a
BALLET, especially those who are not the main dancers
corpse /ko:(r)ps/ noun [C] -k the body of a dead person
; corpulent /'ko:(r)pjulant/ adj mainly literary fat
: corpus /'ko:(r)p3s/ (plural corpora /'korpars/ or corpuses)
|- noun [C] 1 formai a collection of writing, for example ali
the writings of one person 2 UNGUISTICS a collection of
written and spoken language stored on computer and
used for language research and writing dictionaries
corpuscle /'ko:(r)pAs(a)l/ noun [C] MEDICAI one of the
white or red cells i n your blood
: corrai /ka'rail/verb [T11 to move horses, cows etc into
1
a corrai 2 mainly journalism to move people into a place
and stop them from leaving i t 2 a . to organize a group
of people and persuade them to do something: We were
corralled into helping him.
corrai /ka'rail/ noun [C] an enclosed space where
2
horses, cows etc are kept temporarily
; correct /ka'rekt/ adj
: 1
i' 1 right according to the faets, w i t h no mistakes
l & INCORRECT: The first person to give the correct answer
; wins the contest. • Make sure you use the correct address.
l a . right according to your opinion or judgment of a
. situation: If my calculations are correct, we should arrive
{ in exactly 17 minutes. • a correct diagnosis 1 b . right
> according to the established rules or ways of doing
something: a grammatically correct sentence
." 2 [not usually before noun] behaving i n a way that is
| considered socially right or polite = PROPER: My father
i was always very formai and correct.
— correctly adv: She guessed my age correctly. • They
refused, quite correctly, to give us this information.
co r r e c t / ka 'rekt / ve rb -kkc
2
1 [T] to show that something is wrong, and make i t
 UZÀQAL Z

Register in language
ES Register labels
17.1 Read t h e information about labels inside the front cover of your dictionary to find out w h a t it
means if you see these labels with' a w o r d .

formai literary informai technical slang spoken humorous ironie

17.2 Now look up these expressi.ons and find out which of these labels applies to each of t h e m .

grizzled . .
culture vulture
big deal! . . .
execrable . .
get a lo ad of sili
recce
y° •
alluvial

QJ Formai and informai

17.3 Look up these words, which ali mean 'small', and decide, which of them are more formai and which
are less formai than s m a l l .
tiddly Ussjfawl ,
diminutive
teensy-weensy
titchy —
infìnitesimal. . .
wee . .
17.4 Put these words meaning 'good' in order of formality, starting w i t h t h e least formai ones and
ending w i t h the'most formai.

ace
cracking . .
wondrous
outstanding
mega
sublime . .
gnarly 1
brill
neat . .
excellent
17.5 Look at these sentences and decide whether the word in bold is appropriate for the context or not.
1 {In a company report) The new product has been a ginormous success.
2 {In an email to a friend) Wasn't that a calamitous storm last night?
3 {In a chat to a colleagué) John seems really fed up at the moment.
4 {In an article in a medicai journal) There were humongous lesions on the skin.
H Informai alternatìves
17.6 In these sentences, replace the formai word with a more informai one that has the same meaning.
1 I pass ed my mathematics exam.
2 I'd like to get a job i n administration
3 We saw chimpanzees, hippopotamuses and rhinoceroses at the zoo.
4 I'm going into hospital for a small operation
5 We need some information about the new arrivals.
6 Do you like my new sunglasses?
17.7 W h a t parts of the body do these informai expressions refer to?
pins — ^ hands
tootsies ear
choppers ^legs
ticker toes
mitts heart
shell-like teeth

• Attitude
17.8 Read these sentences and look up the w o r d in bo8d to help you decide w h e t h e r t h e w r i t e r had a
positive or a criticai attitude.
1 She to ok a childlike pleasure i n playing with the puppy.
2 He always found her manner infantile.
3 My grandmother was thrifty and always mended her old clothes.
4 He remembered his father's permy-pmching ways.
5 The antiquated equipment had been there since the factory opened.
6 There was an old-world feel to the hotel.
7 The newcomers were young and brash.
8 The warriors were fearless i n battle.
9 They've given the job to a computer whizz-kid.
10 My brother is a real computer nerd.

[3 Good or bad?
17.9 Do these expressions imply a positive or a criticai attitude?

1 This place rocks.

2 What a cool kid!
3 Her visit was a real downer. .
4 He's a top bloke.
5 I cook a mean curry!
6 That guy is frt.
7 You look buff i n those shorts.
8 She is a babe.
 C Informai alternatives
17.6 The words i n these exercises are r o u t i n e l y substituted for

17 Register in language
their m o r e f o r m a i equivalente, especially i n the spoken
Exploring a dictionary page language. I n some cases the i n f o r m a i variant is m o r e
• Exercise 65 c o m m o n t h a n the w o r d i t replaces. I n the first exercise,
a 2 b correspondent , correspondìng,
2
OALD gives i n f o r m a t i o n about the appropriacy o f a w o r d i n students s h o u l d use their dictionaries to f i n d any words
correspondingly, corridor, corroborate, particular situations: whether, for example, i t is m a i n l y used they are n o t familiar w i t h ; i n the second they s h o u l d guess
corroboration, cortisone, coruscating, the Cosa i n i n f o r m a i language suda as conversations w i t h friends o r before checking i n their dictionaries.
Nostra, cosign, cosine, cos lettuce letters to friends and family, or f o r m a i language, literary
KEY 1 maths ( m a t h in North American English)
c because d two style, or academic w r i t i n g . I n other words, i t gives y o u
2 a d m i n (Brìtish English)
e increase, decrease, decline, fall, cortices i n f o r m a t i o n about the register of a w o r d .
3 chimps, hippos and rhinos
4 op [Brìtish English)
• Exercise 66
a co'rollary, co'rona, 'coronary, 'coroner
A Register labels 5 info
6 shades
b coronet e corps (singular)/koi/ corps (plural) 17.1 Students s h o u l d w o r k i n pairs to research the meanings o f
17.7
/ko:z/ d coronation e culture, identity, image, tliese register labels.
KEY pins legs ticket heart
planning, strategy, str ucture f No, it can't. 17.2 To ensure that students also focus o n the m e a n i n g o f these tootsies toes mitts hands
g cornei h maize i cornflour, comflower expressions, discuss possible situations i n w h i c h mese choppers teeth shell-like ear
j corporate bond, corporate hospitality, corporate expressions m i g h t be used.
raider, corporate welfare
k business and journalism I Gornish pasty K E Y grizzled literary D Attitude.
m cornrow n coronary, corpora culture v u l t u r e humorous By choosing a particular w o r d , people often show w h a t t h e i r
o 1 cornstarch, cornsyrup, corporate welfare big deal! ironie, i n f o r m a i attitude is to the person or t h i n g that they are talking or
2 corner shop, cornet, cornflour, Cornish pasty, execrable formai w r i t i n g about. Some words t e n d to be used w h e n the speaker
corporation 3corolìary 4 corporal , corporeal
2
get a l o a d o f sth informai or w r i t e r feels positive towards somebody or something.
5 cornet 6 cornucopia 7 cornice 8 corona recce informai These words are labelled approvingin the dictionary. Other
9 coronary , coronary , coronary tbrombosis
1 2
yo slang words show t h a t the person talking or w r i t i n g has a m o r e
10 corporate bond, corporate raider, corporatism alluvial techrrical criticai attitude. These are labelled disapproving. Students
should tackle these exercises o n their o w n before using the
Formai and informai dictionary t o check their answers.

S m a l l and g o o d are adjectives t h a t can be used i n almost 17.8

any situation. They have no special label i n the dictionary. KEY 1 positive 5 criticai 9 positive
The words i n these exercises are m o r e restricted i n their use. 2 criticai 6 positive 10 criticai
Students s h o u l d w o r k o n the exercises i n pairs, using their 3 positive 7 criticai
dictionaries to check any words as they go. ' 4 criticai . 8 positive
17.3
KEY tiddly less f o r m a i E Good or bad?
diminutive more formai 17.9
teensy-weensy less formai KEY 1 positive 3 criticai 5 positive 7 positive
titchy less f o r m a i 2 positive 4 positive 6 positive 8 positive
infinitesimal m o r e formai
wee less f o r m a i
17.4
KEY In order offormality: gnarly mega, b r i l l , neat, ace, cracking
excellent, outstanding, wondrous, s u b l i m e
17.5
KEY 1 no 2 no 3 yes 4 no