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1.

analogous  adjective /əˈnæləɡəs/ /əˈnæləɡəs/(formal)

. analogous (to/with something) similar in some way to another thing or situation and


therefore able to be compared with it
 Sleep has often been thought of as being in some way analogous to death.
 The two processes are not analogous.
 The national debt is analogous with private debt.
 The two situations are roughly analogous.

2. nimbleadjective /ˈnɪmbl//ˈnɪmbl/(comparative nimbler/ˈnɪmblə(r)//ˈnɪmblər/
, superlative nimblest /ˈnɪmblɪst//ˈnɪmblɪst/able to move quickly and easily
SYNONYM agile

 You need nimble fingers for that job.


 She was extremely nimble on her feet.
. able to think, react and adapt quickly

 As a comedian, she has a quick ear and a nimble mind.


 The company has been outsmarted by more nimble competitors.

3. fumble  verb/ˈfʌmbl//ˈfʌmbl/

. [intransitive, transitive] to use your hands in a way that is not smooth or steady or careful
when you are doing something or looking for something
  fumble (at/with/in something) (for something) She fumbled in her pocket for a
handkerchief.
 He fumbled with the buttons on his shirt.
  fumble around She was fumbling around in the dark looking for the light switch.
  fumble something + adv./prep. He fumbled the key into the ignition.
  fumble to do something I fumbled to zip up my jacket.
. [intransitive, transitive] to have difficulty speaking clearly or finding the right words to say

  fumble (for something) During the interview, she fumbled helplessly for words.
  fumble something to fumble an announcement

. [transitive] fumble something (especially in sport) to drop a ball or to fail to stop or kick it

4. proliferate  verb /prəˈlɪfəreɪt//prəˈlɪfəreɪt/[intransitive]

. to increase rapidly in number or amountSYNONYM multiply


 Books and articles on the subject have proliferated over the last year.
 Time passed and animal life proliferated.

5. Dendrite: a short branch at the end of a nerve cell that receives signals from other
cells.
6. Axon: The long thin part of a nerve which signals are sent to other cells
7. Cerebral: 1) relating to the brain. 2) ( formal) relating to the mind rather than the
feeling.
8. haemorrhage  noun /ˈhemərɪdʒ//ˈhemərɪdʒ/(British English)
(North American English hemorrhage)

. [countable, uncountable] a medical condition in which there is severe loss of blood from a
damaged blood vessel inside a person’s body
 a massive brain/cerebral haemorrhage
 He was checked for any signs of haemorrhage.
 The patient died from acute cerebral haemorrhage.
. [countable, usually singular] haemorrhage (of somebody/something) a serious loss of
people, money, etc. from a country, a group or an organization

 Poor working conditions have led to a steady haemorrhage of qualified teachers


from our schools.
 The newspaper sold its websites in a bid to stem the haemorrhage of cash from
the business.

9. Cortex: the oyter layer of an organ in the body, especially the brain

 the cerebral/renal cortex (= around the brain/ kidney)

10. profound  adjective/prəˈfaʊnd//prəˈfaʊnd/

. very great; felt or experienced very strongly


 profound changes in the earth’s climate
 My father's death had a profound effect on us all.
 The news came as a profound shock.
 The report has profound implications for schools.
 Her sense of disappointment was profound.
. showing great knowledge or understanding

 profound insights
 a profound book

. needing a lot of study or thought

 profound questions about life and death


 She always claimed there was nothing profound about her artwork.

. (medical) very serious; complete

 profound disability

11. Semantic: [ usally before noun } connected with the meaning of words and
sentences. Semantic field

12. semanteme  noun /sɪˈmæntiːm//sɪˈmæntiːm/(also seme)


(linguistics)

. the smallest possible unit of meaning


morpheme  noun/ˈmɔːfiːm//ˈmɔːrfiːm/(grammar)

. the smallest unit of meaning that a word can be divided into


 The word ‘like’ contains one morpheme but ‘un-like-ly’ contains three.

sememe  noun /ˈsemiːm/,  /ˈsiːmiːm/ /ˈsemiːm/(linguistics)a unit of meaning


carried by a morpheme

13. episodic  adjective/ˌepɪˈsɒdɪk//ˌepɪˈsɑːdɪk/(formal)

. happening occasionally and not at regular intervals


 her episodic acting career
 Volcanic activity is highly episodic in nature.
. (of a story, etc.) containing or consisting of many separate and different events

 My memories of childhood are hazy and episodic.


 The film is an episodic account of the effect of the war on a small community.

14. residue  noun/ˈrezɪdjuː//ˈrezɪduː/

. a small amount of something that remains at the end of a process


 pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables
. (law) the part of the money, property, etc. of a person who has died that remains after all
the debts, gifts, etc. have been paid

 The residue of the estate was divided equally among his children.

15. accrue  verb /əˈkruː/ /əˈkruː/(formal)

. [intransitive] to increase over a period of time


 Interest will accrue if you keep your money in a savings account.
  accrue (to somebody) (from something) economic benefits accruing to the
country from tourism
. [transitive] accrue something to allow a sum of money or debts to grow over a period of
timeSYNONYM accumulate

 The firm had accrued debts of over $6m.


 The money was placed in a special account to accrue interest.

degenerative  adjective dɪˈdʒenərətɪv//dɪˈdʒenərətɪv/(specialist)

. (of an illness) getting or likely to get worse as time passes


 degenerative diseases such as arthritis

16. deficit  noun  /ˈdefɪsɪt//ˈdefɪsɪt/


. (economics) the amount by which money spent or owed is greater than money
earned in a particular period of time
 a budget/trade deficit
  in deficit The trade balance has been in deficit for the past five years.
. (formal) the amount by which something, especially an amount of money, is too
small or smaller than something else

 There's a deficit of $3 million in the total needed to complete the project.


 The team has to come back from a 2–0 deficit in the first half.

trade deficit noun/ˈtreɪd defɪsɪt//ˈtreɪd defɪsɪt/(also trade gap)


[usually singular]a situation in which the value of a country’s imports is greater than the value of its
exports

deficit spending  noun /ˈdefɪsɪt spendɪŋ/ /ˈdefɪsɪt spendɪŋ/


[uncountable] (economics)government spending of money that comes from borrowing rather than
from taxes

 Many are worried about deficit spending and public debt.


 As the government borrows more to pay for its deficit spending, interest rates rise
and businesses suffer.

attention deficit disorder  noun /əˌtenʃn ˈdefɪsɪt


dɪsɔːdə(r)//əˌtenʃn ˈdefɪsɪt dɪsɔːrdər/(also attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
[uncountable](abbreviation ADD, ADHD)

. a condition, usually beginning in childhood, that makes it difficult for somebody to pay
attention and concentrate, and may make it difficult for them to control their behaviour

dementia  noun /dɪˈmenʃə/ /dɪˈmenʃə/[uncountable] (psychology)

. a brain condition, mostly affecting older people, in which a person has difficulties with
memory, thinking, control of the body, etc. that are severe enough to affect daily life
 patients with dementia
 She was diagnosed with dementia.
 a dementia sufferer/patient
 111 people in the study subsequently developed dementia.
 The staff have specialist training in dementia care.

Alzheimer’s  noun /ˈæltshaɪməz/,  /ˈɔːltshaɪməz/ /ˈɑːltshaɪmərz/(also 
Alzheimer’s disease  
/ˈæltshaɪməz dɪziːz/, /ˈɔːltshaɪməz dɪziːz//ˈɑːltshaɪmərz dɪziːz/[uncountable]

. a serious disease, especially affecting older people, that prevents the brain from
functioning normally and causes loss of memory, loss of ability to speak clearly,
etc. Alzheimer's is a form of dementia.

Collocations[edit]
Term do make take have notes
A[edit]
 To take action means
action take action to act positively and decisively to
resolve a problem. (light)

 To take advantage of something


take or someone means to profit from
advantage,  the momentary situation of the
have
advantage take person or thing.
an advantage
advantage  To have an advantage means to
of be in a better position than
someone else.

amends make amends


 To make amends means to
compensate for a loss or injury.

 To make an application means
to apply for something. Usually a
take job, or a bank account, etc. (light).
make
application an applicati  To take an application from
an application
on someone means to allow
someone to apply to you or to a
party whom you are representing.

 To make an appointment means
to organise a meeting with other
make have
people.
appointment an appointme an appointme
nt nt  To have an appointment means
you are to participate in a meeting
with other people.

 To have an argument with
someone means to argue with
make have that person. (light)
argument
an argument an argument  To make an argument for
something means to present a
logical argument in its favor.

 To make arrangements means
to organise or arrange. (light)
arrangement make arrange
s ments

attempt
make  To make an attempt means to try,
an attempt to attempt. (light)

B[edit]
 To make a baby is, informally, to
engage in sexual intercourse,
baby make a baby have a baby leading to impregnation.
 To have a baby is to give birth, to
produce a child.

 To take or have a bath is
to bathe oneself. (light)
bath make a bath take a bath have a bath
 To make a bath is to prepare a
bath to the right temperature.

 To make the or one's bed is


make the to arrange its sheets and covers
bed bed, make nicely
one's bed and rectify any disorder that was
caused by sleeping in it.

 If you do your best, it means you


have acted correctly and that no-
do one's make the best
best have the best one can expect more from you.
best, best of
 To make the best of a situation
means to take as much
advantage as possible from a bad
situation. See take advantage.
 To have the best is to be in
possession of the best of
something.

 To make a bid means to bid, to


make
a monetary or economic offer. (lig
ht)
bid make a bid take bids
 To take bids is to solicit offers
from several competitors, with the
intention of accepting the best
bid.
To take a bite means to bite. (light)

To take a bite and
bite take a bite have a bite

To have a bite both mean to eat a


quick, light snack.

 To make a bow means
to bow. (light)
bow make a bow take a bow  To take a bow means
to bow (light) or to accept
applause. See take a bow.

 To make a break means to try


to escape, to break. (light)
take a
 To take and have a break means
break make a break have a break to rest from work for a short while,
break
to break. (light)
 To have a break (more often get
a break) also means to be lucky.

 To make a breakthrough means
make have
breakthroug to make an important discovery.
a breakthroug a breakthrou
h  To have a breakthrough means to
h gh
realize something about oneself.

 To do business means to agree


a commercial contract.
 To have business with someone
means to have matters to be
make busines take busine have busines settled with that person.
business do business
s ss s  To take business is to deprive a
competitor of a customer by
acquiring that customer.
 To make business is
to create a business opportunity

C[edit]
 To make a cancellation means to
contact the person you have an
appointment with and to be the
person who cancels it.
 To have a cancellation means
have that a person who had an
make appointment with you told you
cancellation a cancellatio
a cancellation they would not attend the
n
appointment. The phrase often
implies that the appointment time
will then be available to someone
else so they can be seen sooner
than they would have been
otherwise.
take
care
care, take
have a care  To take care means to be careful.
 To take care of someone or
something means to look after it.
See also take care.
care of
 To have a care means to
be careful because you
are upsetting someone.

 To make certain of something


certain make certain means to check that something is
correct. See also make sure.

 To take a chance means to try


take a something risky. See take a
have
chance chance, tak chance.
a chance
e chances  To have a chance means to have
some possibility of success.

 To make a charge for something


means to request money for an
make item or service; it can also mean
charge take charge
a charge to make an accusation.
 To take charge of something is to
assume authority over it.

 To make a claim is usually


applied to legal court cases
where damages and retribution
payments are claimed from the
accused.
claim make a claim take a claim have a claim
 To take a claim is to have
someone submit a claim to you.
 To have a claim
to or on something is to be
entitled or potentially entitled to it.

 To do a class means to teach a


single class as an instructor.
 To take a class means to attend a
class as a student for a semester
have a class, or year or the like;
class do a class take a class  To have (a) class refers to either
have class
attending a single class session
as a student or teaching it as an
instructor. (Note that to have
class can also mean "to be
classy, sophisticated".)

 To make a complaint means
to complain about bad service or
faulty goods (light).
make take
complaint  To take a complaint means to
a complaint a complaint
have
someone submit a complaint to
you.

 To do a concert means to
do undertake a musical
concert performance. The register is
a concert
informal; to give a concert is a
more typical collocation.

 To make a concession means
make to concede, to yield to, or grant a
concession request even though it is not in
a concession
agreement with the normal
rules. (light)

 To make contact with someone


means to establish
make contact  have contact 
contact communication with them
(with) (with)
or contact them. (light)
 To have contact with someone
simply means to communicate
with them.

 To make conversation means to
start a conversation with
have
make someone with no other aim than
conversation a conversatio
conversation to talk and break the silence.
n
 To have a conversation means
to converse. (light)

D[edit]
 To do (UK) or make (both US and
UK) a deal means to make
a contract with someone.
deal do a deal make a deal take a deal
 To take a deal means to accept a
contract or agreement that
someone offers to you.

 To make or take a decision is
make a take to decide. (light) Make is about 50
decision
decision a decision times more common in the US; 7
times in the UK.

 To make demands on someone


make deman means to give them a lot of work
demands
ds on to do or to impose a burden on
them.

 To make a difference is to have a


significant impact, or to matter.
take
make a  To take the difference (always
difference the differen
difference with the) means to calculate the
ce
difference between two
quantities.

discovery
make  To make a discovery is
a discovery to discover something. (light)

do
 To do the dishes is to wash dirty
dishes dishes, cutlery and so on by
the dishes
hand.

dump
take  To take a dump is
a dump to defecate (vulgar slang).

E[edit]
 To make or put forth an effort is
to try.
make an take (a lot
effort  An activity takes a lot of effort
effort of) effort
when it is very difficult to do, or
is strenuous.

enquiry
make  To make an enquiry means to ask
an enquiry or inquire. (light)

error make an error


 To make or commit an error is
to err. (light)

 When students take, complete, sit
for (UK), or sit (UK) an
exam, test, or quiz, they are
tested to demonstrate knowledge
take have or competency;
exam
an exam an exam educators (UK) set or (US) write it
(create it for students to take) and
then (US) give it (have the
students complete it).
 To have an exam is to be given it.

of
make an  To make an example of someone
example of is to punish someone
to disuade others from repeating
the offense. See make an
example of.

 To make an exception is
to grant a request even though it
is not in agreement with the
normal rules.
make
take  To make an exception for is
exception, t to except. (light) See also make a
exception an exception (
ake concession.
for)
exception to  To take exception to something
means to be offended by
something, usually something
that is said. See also take
exception.

 To make an excuse means


to excuse, to justify or explain the
make reason for
an excuse, have an an incorrect action. (light)
excuse
make excuse excuse  To have an excuse means to
s have a good reason for an
incorrect action, whether it is
stated or not.

 To take (some) exercise means


to exercise the
body. (light) Do needs
do a quantifier.
some exerc
exercise ise, do
take exercis  To do some or an
e exercise means to exercise the
some exerc
ises body.
 To do an exercise can also mean
to resolve a problem set in a
class.

 Generally, one does an
do make experiment in a laboratory, and
experiment an experim an experimen one makes an experiment when
ent t one tries out an idea to see if it
works. (light)

F[edit]
do
a (UK) favo
 To do a favour means to help
favour someone with no thought
ur, (US) fav
or of reward or payment.

fortune
make  To make a fortune means
a fortune to amass wealth.
make
a friend;
 To make friends is to strike
friend up or start a
make friends 
with new friendship or become friends.

 To make fun of something or


someone is
fun make fun of have fun
to mock or belittle them.
 To have fun is to enjoy oneself.

G[edit]
 To do good or do some
do good means to do
good (some) goo make good something constructive or helpful.
d  To make good has a number of
meanings, including to put right.

grudge
have  To have a grudge (also to hold a
a grudge grudge or bear a grudge) is to
maintain a negative feeling
against someone or something
because of a previous wrong
against oneself by that someone
or something.

H[edit]
do
 To do harm or some harm means
harm (some) har to harm, to do
m something destructive, or hurtful,
or unhelpful. (light)

make headwa
 To make headway means
headway to progress in the desired
y
direction.

 To make a heart is to create the


shape of a heart.
 To take heart is to be cheered up.
have a heart,
heart make a heart take heart  To have a heart is to be
have heart
generous.
 To have heart is to be
courageous or persistent.

 To take (a person or group)


hostage is to detain that person
take or people until a
hostage someone h specific demand is met. The
ostage demand is often addressed to
someone other than the people
who are held hostage.

I[edit]
inquiry
make  To make an inquiry means to ask,
an inquiry to inquire. (light)

investment
make  To make an investment means
an investment to invest time or money. (light)

L[edit]
 To have a laugh is to laugh (light),
make or to enjoy laughing with friends.
have a
laugh someone laug  To make someone laugh is to do
(good) laugh
h or say something that causes that
person to laugh.

 To take the lead /li:d/ means to be


the leader, or to demonstrate the
correct way to do something. Also
take have
lead to gain the lead position in a
the lead a/the lead
competition. (light)
 To have a lead means to have
the lead position. (light)

list make a list


 To make a list means to write a
list.

 To take or have a look at
look take a look have a look something means to look at it
(with purpose). (light)

 To make or take a loss means


loss make a loss take a loss to lose money on
an investment or a bet.

 To do lunch is to have a


lunchtime meeting with someone,
lunch do lunch make lunch have lunch
typically at a restaurant.
 To make lunch is to prepare food
for lunch.
 To have lunch is to eat lunch.

M
 To make a meal (breakfast,
lunch, dinner, etc) means
to prepare the food for that meal.
 To make a meal of means to
spend more time and energy on
make a meal, some task than it warrants.
meal make take a meal have a meal  To take a meal and to have a
a meal of
meal mean to eat the food.
(Note: do lunch with
someone or have a working
lunch means to eat lunch with
someone while working at the
same time.)

 To make (a) mention


make of something is to mention it,
mention
(a) mention of to say it or talk about it
briefly. (light)

 To do the messages is an


expression used in Scotland,
Ireland and Northern England
meaning to do the shopping, to
buy groceries.
 To take a message is to write
down or record a message given
have
(e.g. by a telephone caller) for
do a message,
take someone who is absent.
messages the messag have a
a message  To have a message for someone
es message for
s/o is to wish to convey a message to
someone (or to be in possession
of a message one is to give to
someone on another person's
behalf).
 To have a message means that a
message taken in one's absence
is awaiting one.
make a
mistake
mistake
 To make a mistake is to err.

make
 To make a mockery of something
mockery or someone is
a mockery of
to mock or belittle them. (light)

 To make a model means


to fabricate or build a
make model structure.
model
a model (of)  To make a model of {something}
means to model it, to build a
model of it. (light)

money make money
 To make money means to
gain monetary income.

N[edit]
 To take or have a nap means
nap take a nap have a nap to nap, sleep for a short
while. (light)

 To make a noise is the act


noise make a noise of creating a sound that can
be heard.

note
make note (of take note (o  To make note or take note is
) f) to note or notice (something).
 To make or take notes is
notes make notes take notes to write the notes, usually to
record on paper what someone is
saying.

 To do a number is to perform an


act, usually a song.
do
a number,
 To do a number on someone is
take a to cheat or trick them.
number do
number  To take a number is, literally, to
a number o
n someone physically take a ticket containing
a number that determines your
position in a queue.

O[edit]
 To do an operation means
to operate medically on someone.
do
an operatio make have
 To make an operation means to
operation conclude a business transaction.
n on an operation an operation
someone  To have an operation means for
someone to medically operate on
you.

 To take an opportunity means to
the same as take advantage of a
situation.
make take have  To make an opportunity means to
opportunity an opportunit an opportun an opportunit arrange things to your advantage.
y ity y  To have an opportunity means to
be at the right place at the right
time to do something
advantageous.

P[edit]
 To have a party is to organise an
party have a party informal event with friends, or to
enjoy oneself.

 To make a telephone call is to


initiate a call to another person, In
make take technical usage, initiating a call is
phone call a (tele)phone a (tele)phon referred to as placing a call.
call e call  To take a telephone call is to
answer a call, to pick up the
phone in response to a call.
take
a picture (al  To take a picture means to
picture so photogra capture an image using
ph, video, a photographic camera.
etc.)

 To make a plan is to develop an


idea.
plan make a plan have a plan  To have a plan is possess,
generally in one's mind, an idea
that is ready.

 To make a point means to state a


logical argument.
 To make a point of doing
something means to be sure not
make a point,
take to forget to do it, to do it
make a point
point someone's  have a point consciously to ensure one does
of doing
point not forget.
something
 To take someone's point means
to accept or at least acknowledge
someone's argument.
 To have a point means to have a
valid argument.
make progres
progress
s
 To make progress is to advance.

 To make a promise to someone is


to affirm, or vow, to do something
make take without fail.
promise a promise to someone's   To take someone's promise
someone promise means to accept at their word that
they will keep their promise and
act accordingly.

R[edit]
 To do research is to try
to discover something new
research do research by doing experiments, or to
discover information by checking
through factual resources such as
books or scientific journals.

rest take a rest have a rest


 To take or have a rest is to rest,
or to stop doing something.

S[edit]
 To make sense means
to communicate clearly
and understandably.
make sense (
sense
of)
 To make sense of something
means to understand it.
 To have sense means to
be sensible.

 To do the shopping means to go


do to the local shops to
shopping the shoppin buy household needs such as
g food, clothes, cleaning things,
and so on.

stop make a stop


 To make a stop means to take a
break in the middle of a journey.

 To have store of means to store


store have store of something or to have something
in storage.

take have
 To take or have a shower means
shower to wash one's body under a
a shower a shower
shower to get clean.

 To make a suggestion means to


present an idea to another person
or group for their consideration.
take
 To take someone's suggestion
make have means to accept the idea they
suggestion someone's 
a suggestion a suggestion have presented.
suggestion
 To have a suggestion means to
have an idea to present. In the
past tense it can mean the same
as made a suggestion.

T[edit]
 To do a talk means to give
an oral presentation or lecture.
talk do a talk have a talk  To have a talk with someone
means to speak with them
seriously.

tea make tea take tea have tea  To make tea (or coffee, etc) is


to prepare the drink.
 To take tea and
 To have tea both mean to drink
some tea (or coffee, etc),
with taking tea suggesting a more
formal event. To have tea with
someone implies that it is a social
meeting or break, accompanied
by conversation.
 In the UK, to have (one's) tea can
also mean to have the evening
meal.

 To do a test is the same as to do


test do a test take a test have a test an experiment.
For take and have, see the notes
for exam.

 To do time means to be
a prisoner in prison.
 To make time for an activity
means to arrange one's agenda
so that there is enough time to do
take that activity. If something takes
time do time make time have time
(one's) time time it means it is not quick to do.
 To take one's time means to be
slow and careful in doing
something. If one has time it
means one does not need
 To make time to do an activity.

 To make trouble means
to cause or provoke problems for
other people, especially conflict or
fighting.
 To take trouble means to
be meticulous or careful in how
take trouble
one does an activity.
trouble make trouble , take the have trouble
trouble to  To take the trouble to do
something is to do something,
especially generously for another
person, that one did not
necessarily have to do.
 To have trouble means
to suffer from errors or problems.

W[edit]
 To make war means to start
war make war a war against someone or
something.

do
 To do the washing-up means to
washing-up the washin wash the dirty plates,
g-up dishes, cutlery, and so on after a
meal.

 If you do well, it means you have


well do well acted correctly and the best you
can, or that you are prospering.
See also do one's best.

 If you make a wish, it means you


wish make a wish express, often silently,
a desire for some particular
outcome.

 To have a word or words with
have words / someone is to tell them off or to
words
a word argue with them.
 To have a word with someone
could be a gentle rebuke or
request without hostility, but
to have words means there is
hostility and quarrelling. You can
request Can I have a word with
you? but not Can I have words
with you?

 If you do some work, you are


working.
 You make work (for someone
else, or for yourself) when the
do task is needless or
work (some) wor make work have work your efforts are counterproductive
k .
 To have work is to be employed,
or (also to have work to do) to
have tasks that require
completion.
do homewo
compounds Most derivations of work collocate
rk, housew
of work with do.
ork etc.

17. put something into practice: to use (something) in actual situations. Her advice is
good, but it's hard to put into practice.

18. complementary  adjective/ˌkɒmplɪˈmentri//ˌkɑːmplɪˈmentri/


complementary (to something) two people or things that are complementary are different
but together form a useful or attractive combination of skills, qualities or physical features

 The school's approach must be complementary to that of the parents.


 We provide a service that is essentially complementary to that of the banks.

19. salute  verb səˈluːt//səˈluːt/

. [intransitive, transitive] to touch the side of your head with the fingers of your right hand to
show respect, especially in the armed forces
 The sergeant stood to attention and saluted.
  salute somebody/something to salute the flag/an officer
. [transitive] salute somebody/something (formal) to show that you respect and admire
somebody/somethingSYNONYM acknowledge

 The players saluted the fans before leaving the field.


 The president saluted the courage of those who had fought for their country.
 He saluted Pippa with a graceful bend of his head.

salutation  noun/ˌsæljuˈteɪʃn//ˌsæljuˈteɪʃn/

. [countable, uncountable] (formal) something that you say to welcome or say hello to


somebody; the action of welcoming or saying hello to somebody
 They greeted the newcomers with friendly salutations.
 He raised his hand in salutation.
. [countable] (specialist) the words that are used in a letter to address the person you are
writing to, for example ‘Dear Sir’
salutary  adjective/ˈsæljətri//ˈsæljəteri/having a good effect on
somebody/something, though often seeming unpleasant

 a salutary lesson/experience/warning
 The accident was a salutary reminder of the dangers of climbing.
 This would have a salutary effect upon the health of the family.

salubrious  adjective/səˈluːbriəs//səˈluːbriəs/formal)(of a place) pleasant to


live in; clean and healthy

 We had to move to a house in a less salubrious area. OPPOSITE insalubrious

salutation  nounˌsæljuˈteɪʃn//ˌsæljuˈteɪʃn/

. [countable, uncountable] (formal) something that you say to welcome or say hello to


somebody; the action of welcoming or saying hello to somebody
 They greeted the newcomers with friendly salutations.
 He raised his hand in salutation.
. [countable] (specialist) the words that are used in a letter to address the person you are
writing to, for example ‘Dear Sir’

take the salute: when an officer or important person takes the salute, soldiers walk past him or
her saluting and the officer salutes back

 The Queen took the salute as the guardsmen marched past.

be rushed/run off your feetto be extremely busy; to have too many things to do

 Weekdays are slow in the restaurant, but at weekends the staff are rushed off
their feet.

bind/tie somebody hand and footto tie somebody’s hands and feet together so that they cannot
move or escape

. to prevent somebody from doing what they want by creating rules, limits, etc.

the boot is on the other foot(British English)


(North American English the shoe is on the other foot)

. used to say that a situation has changed so that somebody now has power or authority
over the person who used to have power or authority over them

cut the ground from under somebody’s feetto suddenly cause somebody’s idea or plan to fail
by doing something to stop them from continuing with it
drag your feet/heelsto be deliberately slow in doing something or in making a decisionRELATED
NOUN foot-draggingTOPICS Preferences and decisionsC2
fall/land on your feetto be lucky in finding yourself in a good situation, or in getting out of a
difficult situation

 You landed on your feet, getting such a well-paid job with so little experience.
 Jim’s always getting himself in trouble, but he usually seems to fall on his feet.
feet firstwith your feet touching the ground before any other part of your body

 He landed feet first.

. (humorous) if you leave a place feet first, you are carried out after you are dead

 You'll have to carry me out feet first!

find your feetto become able to act independently and with confidence

 I only recently joined the firm so I'm still finding my feet.

…my foot!(old-fashioned, informal, humorous) a strong way of saying that you disagree
completely with what has just been said

 ‘Ian can't come because he's tired.’ ‘Tired my foot! Lazy more like!’

from head to foot/toecovering your whole body

 We were covered from head to foot in mud.


 She was dressed from head to toe in red.

get/have cold feet(informal) to suddenly become nervous about doing something that you had
planned to do

 He was going to ask her but he got cold feet and said nothing.

get your feet wet(especially North American English, informal) to start doing something that is
new for you

 At that time he was a young actor, just getting his feet wet.

get/have a/your foot in the doorto manage to enter an organization, a field of business, etc. that
could bring you success

 I always wanted to work in TV but it took me two years to get a foot in the door.

get/have itchy feet(informal) to want to travel or move to a different place; to want to do


something different

 After a few years in one place, I get itchy feet.

get/start off on the right/wrong foot (with somebody)(informal) to start a relationship well/badly

 I seem to have got off on the wrong foot with the new boss.

have feet of clayto have a fault or weakness in your character

 When the actor was imprisoned for drug offences, his fans were upset to find that
their hero had feet of clay.

have/keep your feet on the groundto have a sensible and realistic attitude to life

 In spite of his overnight stardom he still manages to keep his feet on the ground.
have/keep a foot in both campsto be involved in or connected with two different groups,
especially ones that oppose each other
have one foot in the grave(informal) to be so old or ill that you are not likely to live much
longerTOPICS Health problemsC2
have two left feet(informal) to be very awkward in your movements, especially when you are
dancing or playing a sport
have the world at your feetto be very successful and admiredTOPICS SuccessC2
in your stocking(ed) feetwearing socks or stockings but not shoes
not let the grass grow under your feetto not delay in getting things done
(put/catch somebody) on the back foot(to put somebody) at a disadvantage or in difficulty

 Advances in drone technology have caught lawmakers on the back foot.


 The side that’s on the back foot, struggling to defend, will usually give away more
penalties.
 We'd like to put the fossil fuel industry on the back foot.

on your feetcompletely well or in a normal state again after an illness or a time of trouble

 Sue's back on her feet again after her operation.


 The new chairman hopes to get the company back on its feet within six months.

the front foot(especially British English)

. at an advantage

 They allowed the home side to get on the front foot right at the start.

OPPOSITE (putcatch somebody) on the back foot

. taking positive steps to achieve something

 He has been firmly on the front foot, calling for politicians and police to intervene.

the patter of tiny feet(informal or humorous) a way of referring to children when somebody wants,
or is going to have, a baby

 We can't wait to hear the patter of tiny feet.

pull the rug (out) from under somebody’s feet(informal) to take help or support away from
somebody suddenly
put your best foot forwardto make a great effort to do something, especially if it is difficult or you
are feeling tired
put your feet upto sit down and relax, especially with your feet raised and supported

 After a hard day's work, it's nice to get home and put your feet up.

put your foot downto be very strict in opposing what somebody wishes to do

 You've got to put your foot down and make him stop seeing her.

. (British English) to drive faster

 She put her foot down and roared past them.

put your foot in it(British English)


(also put your foot in your mouth North American English, British English)
. to say or do something that upsets, offends or embarrasses somebody

 I really put my foot in it with Ella—I didn't know she'd split up with Tom.

put a foot wrong(usually used in negative sentences)to make a mistake

 In the last two games he has hardly put a foot wrong.

set foot in/on somethingto enter or visit a place

 the first man to set foot on the moon


 I vowed never to set foot in the place again.

set somebody/something on their/its feetto make somebody/something independent or


successful

 His business sense helped set the club on its feet again.

shoot yourself in the foot(informal) to do or say something that will cause you a lot of trouble or
harm, especially when you are trying to get an advantage for yourself
sit at somebody’s feetto admire somebody very much, especially a teacher or somebody from
whom you try to learn
stand on your own (two) feetto be independent and able to take care of yourself

 When his parents died he had to learn to stand on his own two feet.

sweep somebody off their feetto make somebody fall suddenly and deeply in love with you

 She’s waiting for some hero to come and sweep her off her feet.

take the weight off your feet(informal) to sit down and rest, especially when you are tired

 Come and sit down and take the weight off your feet for a while.

think on your feetto be able to think and react to things very quickly and effectively without any
preparation
under your feetin the way; stopping you from working, etc.

 I don't want you kids under my feet while I'm cooking.

vote with your feetto show what you think about something by going or not going somewhere

 Shoppers voted with their feet and avoided the store.

wait on somebody hand and foot(disapproving) to take care of somebody’s needs so well that
they do not have to do anything for themselves

 He seems to expect me to wait on him hand and foot.

walk somebody off their feet(informal) to make somebody walk so far or so fast that they are
very tired

 I hope I haven’t walked you off your feet.

20. set/put your mind to somethingC1


to decide you are going to do something and to put a lot of effort into doing it:If
you'd just put your mind to it, I'm sure you could do it.

screw  noun/skruː//skruː/Idioms

[countable] a thin pointed piece of metal like a nail with a raised spiral line (called a thread) along it
and a line or cross cut into its head. Screws are turned and pressed into wood, metal, etc. with
a screwdriver in order to fasten two things together.

 One of the screws is loose.


 Now tighten all the screws.

[countable] an act of turning a screw

. [singular] (taboo, slang) an act of having sex


. [singular] (taboo, slang) a partner in sex

 a good screw

. [countable] a propeller on a ship, a boat or an aircraftTOPICS [countable] (British English,


slang) a prison officer

Idioms
have a screw loose

. (informal) to be slightly strange in your behaviour

put the screws on (somebody)

. to force somebody to do something by frightening and threatening them

a turn of the screw

. an extra amount of pressure, cruelty, etc. added to a situation that is already difficult to


bear or understand

gear  noun/ɡɪə(r)//ɡɪr/

in vehicle [countable, usually plural] equipment in a vehicle that


changes the relation between engine speed (or pedal speed on a bicycle) and the
speed of the wheels moving forwards or backwards

 Careless use of the clutch may damage the gears.


 The car pulled up with a screech of brakes and a grinding of gears.

. [uncountable, countable] a particular position of the gears in a vehicle that gives a


particular range of speed and power

 first/second, etc. gear


 reverse gear
 low/high gear
  (British English) bottom/top gear
  (British English) to change gear
  (North American English) to shift gear
  in gear When parking on a hill, leave the car in gear.
 What gear are you in?
 He drove wildly, crashing through the gears like a maniac.

equipment/clothes[uncountable] the equipment or clothing needed


for a particular activity

 climbing/fishing/sports gear

. [uncountable] (informal) clothes

 Her friends were all wearing the latest gear.


 She was the only one wearing expensive designer gear.

possessions[uncountable] (informal) the things that a person owns


 I've left all my gear at Dave's house.

machinery[uncountable](often in compounds)a machine used for a


particular purpose

 lifting/towing/winding gear

speed/effort[uncountable, countable] used to talk about the speed or


effort involved in doing something

  (British English) The party organization is moving into top gear as the election
approaches.
  (North American English) to move into high gear
 Coming out of the final bend, the runner stepped up a gear to overtake the rest
of the pack.
 He found it hard to switch gears when he retired.

drugs[uncountable] (slang) illegal drugs
Idioms
get your ass in gear | move your ass(North American English)
(British English get your arse in gear, move your arse )

. (offensive, slang) a rude way of telling somebody to hurry

 If you get your ass in gear, we can make it out of here tonight.

get into gear | get something into gear

. to start working, or to start something working, in an efficient way


(slip/be thrown) out of gear

. (of emotions or situations) (to become) out of control

 She said nothing in case her temper slipped out of gear.

21. budding  adjective/ˈbʌdɪŋ//ˈbʌdɪŋ/[only before noun]beginning to develop or


become successful

 a budding artist/writer
 our budding romance
 The budding young star is now hot property in Hollywood.

flowering  noun/ˈflaʊərɪŋ//ˈflaʊərɪŋ/

. [uncountable] the time when a plant has flowers


 Plant bulbs in September for spring flowering.
. [countable, usually singular] flowering of something the time when something,
especially a period of new ideas in art, music, science, etc., reaches its most complete
and successful stage of development

 the flowering of Viennese intellectual life


 the flowering of democracy

22.industrial park  noun/ɪnˈdʌstriəl pɑːk//ɪnˈdʌstriəl pɑːrk/(North


American English)(British English industrial estate)

. an area especially for factories, on the edge of a town

23. estate  noun/ɪˈsteɪt//ɪˈsteɪt/ [countable] (British English) an area of land with


a lot of houses or factories of the same type on it

  on an estate She lives in a tower block on an estate in London.


.  [countable] a large area of land, usually in the country, that is owned by one
person or family

 a 3 000-acre estate
  on an estate The poet's childhood was spent on a country estate.
 She receives rent from all the people whose cottages are on estate land.

. (law) [countable, uncountable] all the money and property that a person owns, especially
everything that is left when they die

 Her estate was left to her daughter.


 He left estate valued at a million dollars.

. [countable]

(also estate car (both British English), North American English station wagon)


. a car with a lot of space behind the back seats and a door at the back for loading
large items

The fourth estate  noun/ðə ˌfɔːθ ɪˈsteɪt//ðə ˌfɔːrθ ɪˈsteɪt/


[singular]

. newspapers and journalists in general and the political influence that they have

fourth-generation  adjective /ˌfɔːθ dʒenəˈreɪʃn//ˌfɔːrθ dʒenə


ˈreɪʃn/(abbreviation 4G)

. used to describe technology that has been developed to send data to mobile phones, etc.
at higher speeds than third-generation devices
 I’ve just upgraded to a fourth-generation phone.

===> third, fifth generation

fifthly  adverb/ˈfɪfθli//ˈfɪfθli/

. used to introduce the fifth of a list of points you want to make in a speech or piece
of writing
 Fifthly, we need to consider the effect on the local population.

estate car  noun /ɪˈsteɪt kɑː(r)/ /ɪˈsteɪt kɑːr/(also estate)(both British


English)(North American English station wagon)

. a car with a lot of space behind the back seats and a door at the back for loading
large items

24. entrepreneur  noun/ˌɒntrəprəˈnɜː(r)//ˌɑːntrəprəˈnɜːr/a person who


makes money by starting or running businesses, especially when this involves taking
financial risks

 A creative entrepreneur, he was continually dreaming up new projects.


 a recent MBA graduate and budding entrepreneur

entrepôt  noun /ˈɒntrəpəʊ//ˌɑːntrəˈpəʊ/(from French)

. a port or other place where goods are brought for import and export

entrepreneurial  adjective /ˌɒntrəprəˈnɜːriəl/ /ˌɑːntrəprəˈnɜːriəl/

. connected with making money by starting or running businesses, especially when this
involves taking financial risks
 entrepreneurial skills
entrenchment  noun/ɪnˈtrentʃmənt//ɪnˈtrentʃmənt/[uncountable] the fact
of something being strongly established
[countable, usually plural] a system of trenches (= long narrow holes dug in the ground by
soldiers to provide defence)

entrée  noun /ˈɒntreɪ/ /ˈɑːntreɪ/(from French)[countable] (North American


English) (in a restaurant) the main dish of a mealTOPICS 

. (British English) a dish served between the first and main courses at a formal dinner
[uncountable, countable] entrée (into/to something) (formal) the right or ability to enter a
social group or institution
 Her wealth and reputation gave her an entrée into upper-class circles.

25. overthrow  verb /ˌəʊvəˈθrəʊ/ /ˌəʊvərˈθrəʊ/

. overthrow somebody/something to remove a leader or a government from a position of


power by force
 The president was overthrown in a military coup.

26. annul  verb/əˈnʌl//əˈnʌl/

. annul something to state officially that something is not legally recognized


 Their marriage was annulled after just six months.
 Amid renewed protests, the regime annulled the elections.

=====> annulment

annular  adjective /ˈænjələ(r)/ /ˈænjələr/(specialist)

. having a shape like a ring

27. blot out  phrasal verbblot something  out

. to cover or hide something completely


 Clouds blotted out the sun.
. to deliberately try to forget an unpleasant memory or thought

 He tried to blot out the image of Helen's sad face.


 She just wanted to sleep and blot out the terrifying events of the day.

paper over  phrasal verb paper over something

. to cover a wall with wallpaper in order to hide something


 The previous owners had obviously papered over any damp patches.
. to try to hide a problem in a way that is temporary and not likely to be successful
 The government is trying to paper over the cracks in the cabinet.
 We can't just paper over the problem.

blotch  noun /blɒtʃ/ /blɑːtʃ/a mark, usually not regular in shape, on skin, plants,


material, etc.

 He had come out in (= become covered in) dark red blotches.

28. stow away  phrasal verbstow away

. to hide in a ship, plane, etc. in order to travel secretly


 At the age of 13 he had stowed away on a ship bound for Rio.

stowaway  oun ˈstəʊəweɪ//ˈstəʊəweɪ/: a person who hides in a ship or plane


before it leaves, in order to travel without paying or being seen

29. eradicate  verb/ɪˈrædɪkeɪt//ɪˈrædɪkeɪt/to destroy or get rid of something


completely, especially something badSYNONYM wipe out

  eradicate something Diphtheria has been virtually eradicated in the United


States.
  eradicate something from something We are determined to eradicate racism
from our sport.

annihilate  verb/əˈnaɪəleɪt//əˈnaɪəleɪt/

. annihilate somebody/something/yourself to destroy somebody/something/yourself


completely
 The human race has enough weapons to annihilate itself.
. annihilate somebody/something to defeat somebody/something completely

 She annihilated her opponent, who failed to win a single game.

30. dismissive  adjective/dɪsˈmɪsɪv//dɪsˈmɪsɪv/

. dismissive (of somebody/something) showing that you do not believe a person or thing


to be important or worth consideringSYNONYM disdainful
 a dismissive gesture/tone
 She was always dismissive of other women in the office.
 Other critics were equally dismissive.
 She was very dismissive of his achievements.

disdainful  adjective/dɪsˈdeɪnfl//dɪsˈdeɪnfl/
. disdainful (of somebody/something) showing the feeling that somebody/something is
not good enough to deserve your respect or
attentionSYNONYM contemptuous, dismissive
 She's always been disdainful of people who haven't been to college.

contemptuous  adjective/kənˈtemptʃuəs//kənˈtemptʃuəs/

. feeling or showing that you have no respect for somebody/somethingSYNONYM scornful


 She gave him a contemptuous look.
 The company has shown a contemptuous disregard for Henry’s complaints.
 Her voice sounded almost contemptuous.
  contemptuous of somebody/something He was contemptuous of everything I
did.

disdain  noun/dɪsˈdeɪn//dɪsˈdeɪn/[uncountable, singular]

. the feeling that somebody/something is not good enough to deserve your respect or
attentionSYNONYM contempt
  with disdain She treated him with disdain.
  in disdain He turned his head away in disdain.
  disdain for somebody/something a disdain for the law

disdain  verb/dɪsˈdeɪn//dɪsˈdeɪn/(formal)disdain somebody/something to think


that somebody/something does not deserve your respect or interest

 She disdained his offer of help.


 He disdains experts and gets his information from popular media.
 She is a disruptive artist who disdains convention.
 He disdained all people less well educated than himself.
. disdain to do something to refuse to do something because you think that you are too
important to do it

 He disdained to turn to his son for advice.

Worksheet 10

etch
 verb
 
/etʃ/
 
/etʃ/
[usually passive]
Verb Forms
Idioms

. to cut lines into a piece of glass, metal, etc. in order to make words or a picture
  A (is) etched in/into/on B a glass tankard with his initials etched on it
 A security number had been etched on the car window as a protection against
theft.
  B (is) etched with A a glass tankard etched with his initials

TOPICS ArtC2
Definitions on the go

Look up any word in the dictionary offline, anytime, anywhere with the Oxford Advanced
Learner’s Dictionary app.

. (literary) if a feeling is etched on somebody’s face, or somebody’s face is etched with a


feeling, that feeling can be seen very clearly

  A is etched in/into/on B Tiredness was etched on his face.


  B is etched with A His face was etched with tiredness.

. to make a strong clear mark or pattern on something

  (be) etched + adv./prep. a mountain etched (= having a clear outline) against


the sky

Word Origin
Idioms
be etched on your heart/memory/mind

. if something is etched on your heart, memory, etc. you remember it because it has made
a strong impression on you

etching
 noun
 
/ˈetʃɪŋ/
 
/ˈetʃɪŋ/
[countable, uncountable]

. a picture that is printed from an etched piece of metal; the art of making these pictures
 The exhibition features a selection of his early etchings and drawings.
 the delicate work of engraving and etching

A roll of paper towels ;Blame +on

prob noun(informal)a problem


no probs
(also no prob especially in North American English)
(informal)used to mean ‘there is no problem’

 I can let you have it by next week, no probs.

probing
 adjective
 
/ˈprəʊbɪŋ/
 
/ˈprəʊbɪŋ/

. intended to discover the truth


 They asked a lot of probing questions.
. examining somebody/something closely

She looked away from his dark probing eyes. ==>probing noun

The determining factor

crystallized
 adjective
 
/ˈkrɪstəlaɪzd/
 
/ˈkrɪstəlaɪzd/
(British English also crystallised)

. (especially of fruit) preserved in and covered with sugar

crystallize
 verb
 
/ˈkrɪstəlaɪz/
 
/ˈkrɪstəlaɪz/
(British English also crystallise)
Verb Forms

. [intransitive, transitive] (of thoughts, plans, beliefs, etc.) to become clear and fixed; to
make thoughts, beliefs, etc. clear and fixed
 Our ideas began to crystallize into a definite plan.
  crystallize something The final chapter crystallizes all the main issues.

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. [intransitive, transitive] crystallize (something) (specialist) to form or make something


form into crystals

 The salt crystallizes as the water evaporates.

intelligence noun[uncountable]
.  secret information that is collected, for example about a foreign country,
especially one that is an enemy; the people that collect this information

 the head of military intelligence


 the collection of foreign intelligence
 the director of national intelligence
  intelligence on somebody/something They hope
to gather more intelligence on any further plots.
  intelligence about somebody/something We've obtained secret intelligence
about enemy plans.
  intelligence from somebody/something The government had intelligence from
several different sources.
 intelligence agencies/services
 an intelligence officer/official/agent
 the intelligence community (= all the people that collect this information)
 intelligence sources (= people who give this information)
 intelligence reports

framework
 noun
 OPAL WOPAL S
 
/ˈfreɪmwɜːk/
 
/ˈfreɪmwɜːrk/

. the parts of a building or an object that support its weight and give it shape
 built on a wooden framework
 The ship's elaborate metal framework was exposed.
. a set of beliefs, ideas or rules that is used as the basis for making judgements,
decisions, etc.

 a theoretical/conceptual framework
  framework for something The report provides a framework for further
research.
  framework of something We are currently exploring new approaches within
existing frameworks of practice and thinking.

. the structure of a particular system

 the basic framework of society


 a regulatory/legislative framework
  framework for something We need to establish a legal framework for the
protection of the environment.

CEFR abbreviation : Common European Framework of Reference for languages


.  (a description of the language abilities of students at different levels of learning
that can be used to help different countries to compare standards and create
teaching programmes)
 The course is suitable for students at CEFR level B1.

by-product
 noun
 
/ˈbaɪ prɒdʌkt/
 
/ˈbaɪ prɑːdʌkt/

. a substance that is produced during the process of making or destroying something else
 When burnt, plastic produces dangerous by-products.
. a thing that happens, often unexpectedly, as the result of something else
. One of the by-products of unemployment is an increase in crime.

elaborate
 adjective

 
/ɪˈlæbərət/
 
/ɪˈlæbərət/
[usually before noun]

. very complicated and detailed; carefully prepared and organized


 elaborate designs
 She had prepared a very elaborate meal.
 an elaborate computer system

elaborate
 verb
 
/ɪˈlæbəreɪt/
 
/ɪˈlæbəreɪt/
Verb Forms

. [intransitive, transitive] to explain or describe something in a more detailed way


  elaborate (on/upon something) He said he was resigning but did not elaborate
on his reasons.
  elaborate something She went on to elaborate her argument.

Extra Examples
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
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. [transitive] elaborate something to develop a plan, an idea, etc. and make it complicated


or detailed

 In his plays he takes simple traditional tales and elaborates them.

elaborateness nounthe fact of being very complicated and detailed or of


being carefully prepared and organized

elaboration noun[uncountable, countable]

. a detailed explanation or description of something


 the elaboration of an idea
 The importance of the plan needs no further elaboration.
. the development of a complicated or detailed plan, idea, etc.

 Further discussion led to the elaboration of new policy principles.

Ability tied with experience

solidly adverb/ˈsɒlɪdli/in a strong way

 a large, solidly-built house


 He stood solidly in my path.
. continuously; without stopping

 It rained solidly for three hours.


 I worked solidly all morning.

. agreeing with or supporting somebody/something completely

 Her colleagues were solidly behind her.


 The state is solidly Republican.

firmly
 adverb

 
/ˈfɜːmli/
 
/ˈfɜːrmli/

. in a strong or definite way


 ‘I can manage,’ she said firmly.
 It is now firmly established as one of the leading brands in the country.
 Keep your eyes firmly fixed on the road ahead.
 He held her firmly but gently.
 Make sure the cover is firmly fixed in place.

soundly
 adverb
 
/ˈsaʊndli/
 
/ˈsaʊndli/

. if you sleep soundly, you sleep very well and very


deeply

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.
. in a way that is sensible or can be relied on
 Your information is soundly based.
 a soundly based conclusion
. completely and by a large amount

 The team was soundly defeated.

. strongly

 These houses are soundly built.

. very well, but not in an excellent way

 He played soundly throughout the first half of the match.

. (of physical punishment) severely

 He was soundly beaten by his mother.


sharply
 adverb
 
/ˈʃɑːpli/
 
/ˈʃɑːrpli/

. in a critical, rough or severe way


 The report was sharply critical of the police.
 ‘Is there a problem?’ he asked sharply.

Questions about grammar and vocabulary?


Find the answers with Practical English Usage online, your indispensable guide to
problems in English.

. suddenly and by a large amount

 Profits fell sharply following the takeover.


 The road fell sharply to the sea.
 The temperature drops sharply at night.

. in a way that clearly shows the differences between two things

 Their experiences contrast sharply with those of other children.


 sharply contrasting attitudes to work

. quickly and suddenly or loudly

 She moved sharply across the room to block his exit.


 He rapped sharply on the window.
 He drew his breath in sharply.

. used to emphasize that something has a sharp point or edge

 sharply pointed
 The spring jutted sharply through the mattress.

fiercely
 adverb
 
/ˈfɪəsli/
 
/ˈfɪrsli/

. in a way that shows strong feelings; with a lot of activity or determination


 ‘Let go of me,’ she said fiercely.
 a fiercely competitive market
 They remain fiercely opposed to outside intervention.
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. very strongly in a way that could cause damage

 The aircraft was burning fiercely.

crossly
 adverb
 
/ˈkrɒsli/
 
/ˈkrɔːsli/

. in an annoyed or slightly angry way


 ‘Well what did you expect?’ she said crossly.

principally
 adverb
 
/ˈprɪnsəpli/
 
/ˈprɪnsəpli/

. mainlySYNONYM chiefly
 The book is aimed principally at beginners.
 No new power stations have been built, principally because of the cost.

 The farms are principally arable.


 Change management is principally concerned with people, their attitudes and skills.
 The measures were principally designed to tackle the problem of homelessness.
 The sportswear range is aimed principally at the skiing market.
 The tax was very unpopular, principally because it hit the poor hardest.

vastly
 adverb
 
/ˈvɑːstli/
 
/ˈvæstli/

. very much
 I'm a vastly different person now.
 The quality of the training has vastly improved.
 This candidate is vastly more experienced than the others.
Vastly is used with these adjectives: Amused,better, different…

thoroughly
 adverb

 
/ˈθʌrəli/
 
/ˈθɜːrəli/

. very much; completely


 We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
 I'm thoroughly confused.
 a thoroughly professional performance
 I can thoroughly recommend it.
 I felt thoroughly ashamed of myself.
. completely and with great attention to detail

 Wash the fruit thoroughly before use.


 The work had not been done very thoroughly.

Definition of finely adverb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

finely
 adverb
 
/ˈfaɪnli/
 
/ˈfaɪnli/
. into very small grains or pieces
 finely chopped herbs

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. in a beautiful or impressive way


 a finely furnished room

. in a very careful or exact way

 a finely tuned engine


 The match was finely balanced throughout.

grip
 noun

 
/ɡrɪp/
 
/ɡrɪp/
Idioms

holding tightly
.

. [countable, usually singular] grip (on somebody/something) an act of holding


somebody/something tightly; a particular way of doing thisSYNONYM grasp

 Keep a tight grip on the rope.


 to loosen/release/relax your grip
 She tried to get a grip on the icy rock.
 The climber slipped and lost her grip.
 She struggled from his grip.
 Try adjusting your grip on the racket.

Extra Examples
TOPICS Sports: ball and racket sportsC1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
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the Oxford Collocations Dictionary app.

control/power
.


. [singular] grip (on somebody/something) control or power over
somebody/something

 The home team took a firm grip on the game.


 We need to tighten the grip we have on the market.
 The Prime Minister needs to keep a tight grip on his party.

Extra Examples
Oxford Collocations Dictionary

understanding
.

. [singular] grip (on something) an understanding of somethingSYNONYM grasp

 I couldn't get a grip on what was going on.


 You need to keep a good grip on reality in this job.

Extra Examples

moving without slipping


.

. [uncountable, singular] the ability of something to move over a surface without


slipping

 These tyres give the bus better grip in slippery conditions.


 This type of sole gives a good grip on snow and ice.

part of object
. [countable] a part of something that has a special surface so that it can be held without
the hands slipping

 the grip on a golf club

for hair
.

(also hairgrip (both British English), North American English bobby pin)

.  [countable] a small thin piece of metal or plastic folded in the middle, used by
women for holding their hair in place
job in the movies
. [countable] a person who prepares and moves the cameras, and sometimes the lighting
equipment, when a film is being madeSEE ALSO key gripTOPICS Film and theatreC2

bag
. [countable] (old-fashioned) a large soft bag, used when travelling

Word Origin
Idioms
come/get to grips with something

. to begin to understand and deal with something difficult

 I'm slowly getting to grips with the language.


 They have so far failed to come to grips with the ecological problems.

get/take a grip (on yourself)

. to improve your behaviour or control your emotions after being afraid, upset or angry

 I have to take a grip on myself, he told himself firmly.


  (informal) Get a grip! (= make an effort to control your emotions)

in the grip of something

. experiencing something unpleasant that cannot be stopped

 a country in the grip of recession

lose your grip (on something)

. to become unable to understand or control a situation

 Sometimes I feel I'm losing my grip.

rape
 noun

 
/reɪp/
 
/reɪp/


. [uncountable, countable] the crime of forcing somebody to have sex when they
do not want it or are not able to agree to it
 He was charged with rape.
 a rape charge
 an increase in the number of reported rapes
 Rape has often been used as a weapon of war.

SEE ALSO acquaintance rape, date rape, gang rape, rapist, statutory


rapeTOPICS Crime and punishmentC1
Oxford Collocations Dictionary

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. [singular] rape (of something) (literary) the act of destroying an area or damaging its


beauty in a way that seems unnecessary
.

(also oilseed rape)

.  [uncountable] a plant with bright yellow flowers, grown as food for farm animals
and for its seeds that are used to make oil

 a field of rape
 refined rape oil

mortally
 adverb
 
/ˈmɔːtəli/
 
/ˈmɔːrtəli/
(literary)

. causing or resulting in deathSYNONYM fatally


 mortally wounded/ill
. extremely

 mortally afraid/offended

mortality
 noun
 
/mɔːˈtæləti/
 
/mɔːrˈtæləti/
(plural mortalities)

. [uncountable] the state of being human and not living forever


 After her mother's death, she became acutely aware of her own mortality.

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. [uncountable] the number of deaths in a particular situation or period of time

 Mortality from lung cancer is still increasing.

SEE ALSO infant mortality


Extra Examples

 Poor hygiene led to high mortality among children.


 The disease has caused widespread mortality.
 a condition that often results in premature mortality
 a lower annual mortality from cancer

Oxford Collocations Dictionary

. [countable] (specialist) a death

 hospital mortalities (= deaths in hospital)

infant mortality
 noun
 
/ˌɪnfənt mɔːˈtæləti/
 
/ˌɪnfənt mɔːrˈtæləti/
[uncountable]

. the death of children under the age of one year


 the decline of infant mortality in the 20th century
 the infant mortality rate

displace
 verb

 
/dɪsˈpleɪs/
 
/dɪsˈpleɪs/
[often passive] (formal)
Verb Forms

.

. to take the place of somebody/somethingSYNONYM replace


  be displaced (by somebody/something) Gradually factory workers have been
displaced by machines.
. to force people to move away from their home to another place

  be displaced (by something) Around 10 000 people have been displaced by


the fighting.
  displace somebody If the dam is built it will displace 100 000 people.

SEE ALSOTOPICS Social issuesC1

. to move something from its usual position

  be displaced (by something) Check for roof tiles that have been displaced by
the wind.

. displace somebody (especially North American English) to remove somebody from a job


or position

 displaced workers

. displace something (physics) (especially of a ship) to take the place of an amount of


liquid when put or floating in it, used as a way of measuring size

 The ship displaces 58 000 tonnes.

ecstatic
 adjective
 
/ɪkˈstætɪk/
 
/ɪkˈstætɪk/

. very happy, excited and enthusiastic; feeling or showing great


enthusiasmSYNONYM delighted
 Sally was ecstatic about her new job.
 ecstatic applause/praise/reviews
 He gave an ecstatic sigh of happiness.
. (in religion) involving feelings of great emotion, especially through prayer and meditation,
that take somebody beyond the limits of the individual self

 an ecstatic vision of God

blissful
 adjective
 
/ˈblɪsfl/
 
/ˈblɪsfl/
Idioms

. extremely happy; showing happiness


 We spent three blissful weeks away from work.
 a blissful smile

Synonyms happy
TOPICS FeelingsC2
Oxford Collocations DictionaryBlissful is used with these nouns:

 ignorance
 moment
 unconsciousness
 …

See full entry
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Idioms
blissful ignorance

. the state of not knowing about something and so being unable to worry about it

 We preferred to remain in blissful ignorance of what was going on.

bliss out
 phrasal verb
bliss out
(also be blissed out)

. to reach a state of perfect happiness, when you are not aware of anything else

litchy
 adjective
 
/ˈɡlɪtʃi/
 
/ˈɡlɪtʃi/
(glitchier, glitchiest)
(informal)

. (of a machine or system) tending to glitch (= suffer a sudden fault and fail to work
correctly)
 The game is so buggy and glitchy it is barely playable.
. (of music) in the style of electronic glitch music
 her combination of raw, bluesy vocals and glitchy electronics

narrowly
 adverb
 
/ˈnærəʊli/
 
/ˈnærəʊli/

. only by a small amount


 The car narrowly missed a cyclist.
 She narrowly escaped injury.
 The team lost narrowly.
. (sometimes disapproving) in a way that is limited

 a narrowly defined task


 a narrowly specialized education

. closely; carefully She looked at him narrowly.

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