channel

A channel is a path that carries or directs flow or movement, especially of TV & radio signals and water.

He only watches two television news channels.

The bottom and sides ("banks") of a river or other place where water moves.

The natural or man-made deeper course through a reef, bar, bay, or any shallow body of water.

The part of a river where boats can pass.

We have to keep our boat in the channel.

A narrow body of water between two land masses.

The English Channel lies between France and England.

A connection between initiating and terminating nodes of a circuit.

The guard-rail provided the channel between the downed wire and the tree.

The part that connects a data source to a data sink.

A channel stretches between them.

A path for conveying electrical or electromagnetic signals.

We are using one of the 24 channels.

A path provided by a transmission medium via physical separation, such as by multipair cable.

The channel is created by bonding the signals from these four pairs.

A single path provided by a transmission medium via spectral or protocol separation, such as by frequency or time-division multiplexing.

Their call is being carried on channel 6 of the T-1 line.

A specific radio frequency or band of frequencies, usually in conjunction with a predetermined letter, number, or codeword, and allocated by international agreement.

KNDD is the channel at 107.7 MHz in Seattle.

A specific radio frequency or band of frequencies used for transmitting television.

NBC is on channel 11 in San Jose.

The portion of a storage medium, such as a track or a band, that is accessible to a given reading or writing station or head.

This chip in this disk drive is the channel device.

The way in a turbine pump where the pressure is built up.

The liquid is pressurized in the lateral channel.


channel

channeled (past)
channeled (past participle)
channeling (present participle)
channel (canonical)
channels (third-person singular)
channelled (past)
channelled (past participle)
channelling (present participle)

If you channel something, you direct its flow.

We will channel the cars to the left.

To take on the personality of another person.

When it is my turn to sing Karaoke, I am going to channel Ray Charles.


pose

What kind of pose is best for this photograph?


pose

pose (canonical)
poses (third-person singular)
posed (past)
posed (past participle)
posing (present participle)

The emcee will pose the tie-breaking question.

Will you pose for a photograph?

Have you posed for your portrait?

Some celebs spend too much time posing for photographs.


encounter

An encounter is a meeting, usually one that you don't expect.

I had a pleasant encounter yesterday: an old friend of mine visited me.

My job was really the result of a chance encounter with an old friend, now my boss.

An encounter is when two people or groups meet to play a game or fight a battle.

I hope there will be no encounter with other soldiers tomorrow.

This is the fifth World Cup encounter between these two teams.


encounter

encounter (canonical)
encounters (third-person singular)
encountered (past)
encountered (past participle)
encountering (present participle)

If you encounter problems, difficulties, etc., you experience them.

When he did encounter problems, he always knew how to fix them.

If you encounter someone, you meet someone, usually unexpectedly.

In the store I encountered my teacher.

If you encounter someone, you meet them to play a game or fight a battle.

At night the battle ship encountered enemy planes.


persistent

persistent (positive)
more persistent (comparative)
most persistent (superlative)

If someone or something is persistent, they continue and do not give up quickly.

She has had a persistent cough for weeks.

There was a persistent knocking on the door.

Many youth who spend time in jail actually become persistent offenders.

There have been persistent rumors for years.

Lasting past maturity without falling off.

Pine cones have persistent scales.


undergo

undergo (canonical)
undergoes (third-person singular)
underwent (past)
undergone (past participle)
undergoing (present participle)

If you undergo something, it happens to you; often it is not nice.

The country has undergone great changes in the last decade.

She had to undergo surgery because of her broken leg.

The bridge is currently undergoing tests to see if it can be reopened.


convince

convince (canonical)
convinces (third-person singular)
convinced (past)
convinced (past participle)
convincing (present participle)

To make someone believe, or feel sure about something.

We have to convince her that the world is a sphere.


disambiguation

If I work on disambiguation, I am helping to get rid of things that are so similar that they cause confusion.

This page is a disambiguation page.

/dɪsæmˌbɪɡjuːˈeɪʃən/


absolute

An absolute is something that will always exist.

Death is considered to be an absolute.


absolute

absolute (positive)
more absolute (comparative)
most absolute (superlative)

If something is absolute, it is complete or total.

The light went out and he was in absolute darkness.

The sergeant has absolute power. His soldiers must obey him.


active

active (positive)
more active (comparative)
most active (superlative)

Something is active if it is turned on or started.

One of the computers was active: its screen was bright.

If someone is active, he or she does exercise often or participates often.

She was such an active 80-year-old that she ran the Boston Marathon.

Jenkins is an active member of the Rotary Club since he goes to all the meetings.

A sentence is active if its subject does the action.

"Athena helped Odysseus" is an active sentence because Athena is the one who helped.


banyan

A banyan is a tropical Indian fig tree, Ficus benghalensis, that has many aerial roots.


ultimately

We will all help, but it is you who are ultimately responsible.

The events of 1962 ultimately lead to the end of his government.

Ultimately, the choice depends on what you like.


extract

An extract is something that has been taken out of something else, usually something that it was part of.

Just because a cream contains plant extracts doesn't mean it's good for your skin.

I'll read a short extract from his speech.

Many scientists were interested in other tissue extracts.


extract

extract (canonical)
extracts (third-person singular)
extracted (past)
extracted (past participle)
extracting (present participle)

If you extract something, you take it out of something else.

Computers are becoming more useful in helping us extract useful information from the data.

The dentist will have to extract two of my teeth.

The roots of the plant extract water from the earth.


survive

survive (canonical)
survives (third-person singular)
survived (past)
survived (past participle)
surviving (present participle)

If you survive something, you experience it and you did not die.

They survived the war but died two years later.

Some of the factory's equipment from 1827 still survives.

I went to a lecture on surviving in dangerous situations.

These last few months have been hard, but we'll survive.


convert

convert (canonical)
converts (third-person singular)
converted (past)
converted (past participle)
converting (present participle)

If you convert something, you change it so that it has a different function or form.

They wanted to convert the room into a study.

The factory was powered originally by water, then converted to steam in 1811.

The electric engine is extremely efficient at converting electrical energy into movement.


convert

A convert is a person who changed their beliefs or religion.

Mr Kinnock is a relatively recent convert to Buddhism.

And we must not discount those who became converts to the new religion.


transmission

Transmission is the sending of something from one place to another, usually something like electricity, a message or a disease.

Washing before touching food can prevent the transmission of disease in food and drink.

The new communication lines and will be able to support data transmission at speeds four times faster than today.

The National Transmission System is a network of thousands of kilometres of wire.

A transmission is a signal, such as TV or radio, that is sent from one place to another.

Radio stations have promised live transmission from the concert.

A transmission in a machine is the parts that transfer the engine's movement to the wheels or other moving parts.

The car comes with a four-speed automatic transmission.


infer

infer (canonical)
infers (third-person singular)
inferred (past)
inferred (past participle)
inferring (present participle)

If you infer something, you begin to believe it based on indirect information.

We can infer from the old bones that this animal probably walked on two feet.

From the evidence, we can infer the existence of a third child.


guarantee

A guarantee is a formal promise that a product will be fixed or replaced or money will be repaid if it breaks or doesn't work.

The phone is covered by a six-month guarantee on parts and labour.

A guarantee is a formal promise that something will happen or be done.

The builders will now give performance and completion guarantees and will cover the costs of any problems.

Constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech are common in democracies.

The plan only operates for five years, with no guarantee of continuation.

/ˌɡærənˈtiː/

/ˌɡɛərənˈtiː/


guarantee

guarantee (canonical)
guarantees (third-person singular)
guaranteed (past)
guaranteed (past participle)
guaranteeing (present participle)

If you guarantee something, you promise to fixed or replace it or repay money if it breaks or doesn't work.

All of our products are guaranteed against defects in materials and workmanship for 3yrs from date of purchase.

If you guarantee something, you make a formal promise that something will happen or be done.

the European Convention on Human Rights, guarantees the right to give and receive information.

When you put your money with us, your savings are 100% guaranteed.

The Americans said they could not guarantee his safety in Iraqi airspace.

If you go fishing with me, you're almost guaranteed success.

/ˌɡærənˈtiː/

/ˌɡɛərənˈtiː/


guaranty

A guaranty is a formal promise that a product will be fixed or replaced or money will be repaid if it breaks or doesn't work.

The phone is covered by a six-month guaranty on parts and labour.

A guaranty is a formal promise that something will happen or be done.

The builders will now give performance and completion guaranties and will cover the costs of any problems.

Constitutional guaranties of freedom of speech are common in democracies.

The plan only operates for five years, with no guaranty of continuation.

/ˌɡærənˈtiː/

/ˌɡɛərənˈtiː/


guaranty

guaranty (canonical)
guaranties (third-person singular)
guarantied (past)
guarantied (past participle)
guarantying (present participle)

If you guaranty something, you promise to fixed or replace it or repay money if it breaks or doesn't work.

All of our products are guarantied against defects in materials and workmanship for 3yrs from date of purchase.

If you guaranty something, you make a formal promise that something will happen or be done.

the European Convention on Human Rights, guaranties the right to give and receive information.

When you put your money with us, your savings are 100% guarantied.

The Americans said they could not guaranty his safety in Iraqi airspace.

If you go fishing with me, you're almost guarantied success.

/ˌɡærənˈtiː/

/ˌɡɛərənˈtiː/


advocate

An advocate is someone who recommends something.

She is a strong advocate for children's right to education.

An advocate is someone who speaks for someone else, especially a lawyer in court.

Volunteers are needed to act as advocates for people with mental health problems.

Only qualified lawyers may act as advocates in the Crown Court.


advocate

advocate (canonical)
advocates (third-person singular)
advocated (past)
advocated (past participle)
advocating (present participle)

If you advocate something, you recommend it.

We wish for freedom, but cannot advocate the use of violence.

The Government wants to adopt the approach advocated by Professor David Pearce.


dynamic

dynamic (positive)
more dynamic (comparative)
most dynamic (superlative)

If something is dynamic, it is changing, usually quickly.

Communication is a dynamic process in which the changing situation affects what you say and how you say it.

If someone is dynamic, they take charge and get things done; they have a lot of energy.

He was a good worker, but often unnoticed because of his more dynamic coworkers.

Picasso obviously had a more forceful and dynamic personality than Braque.

We tested the bar's strength in both static and dynamic tests.

A dynamic verb describes an action with a clear end point.

Dynamic, but not stative, verbs can take progressive aspect.


dynamic

The dynamics of a situation or group are the ways in which everything effects everything else.

We talk about what doctor should do without any real understanding of the dynamics of the doctor-patient relationship.

Team dynamics also have an influence on the outcomes and the contribution of members.

Dynamics is a kind of mathematics that deals with motion and forces that cause changes in a system.

They built a computer model based on the mathematics of fluid dynamics.

Dynamics are changes in the loudness of music.

The dynamics of the performance are lost in this poor recording.

A dynamic is a force that causes change.

This is where we need the dynamic of God's transforming presence.

This view puts the dynamic of police racism in the norms and values through which the police define their roles.


dynamics

Work includes full-scale experiments, wind tunnel studies and computational fluid dynamics.


insert

insert (canonical)
inserts (third-person singular)
inserted (past)
inserted (past participle)
inserting (present participle)

The company inserted a new clause into the contract.

Insert a wood screw into each hole.

Doctors removed part of his brain and inserted a silver plate.

A song was inserted into the opening ceremonies.


insert

An insert is something that is put into something else.

The bathing suit top comes with foam inserts to make your breasts look bigger.

The three-page advertisement was included as an insert in today's newspaper.


reverse

reverse (canonical)
reverses (third-person singular)
reversed (past)
reversed (past participle)
reversing (present participle)

If you reverse something, you make it act or move opposite to before (in the other direction).

The new president reversed the decision to expand the factory.

There were many new jobs in the early 90s, but then the cycle was completely reversed, and thousands of people were out of work.

She reversed the car into the parking space.

When my mom got sick, our roles were reversed and I began to care for her.

Now reverse your position by raising your right hand and lowering your left.


reverse

The reverse of something is its opposite.

Female professors are often married to male professors, but the reverse is not as common.

In a machine, reverse is a setting that makes it act or move opposite to before.

As the plane landed, the engines went into reverse, helping us to stop.

When the Chinese started selling cars, the Japanese automobile industry went into rapid reverse.

The reverse of something is it's other side.

Details can be found on the reverse of this paper.


comprise

comprise (canonical)
comprises (third-person singular)
comprised (past)
comprised (past participle)
comprising (present participle)

The United States comprises Hawaii and Alaska.

If x comprises y, y is all the things that, together, make x.

The United States comprises 50 states.

If x comprises y, x is all the things that, together, make y.

Fifty states comprise The United States.

The United States is comprised of 50 states.


assertive

assertive (positive)
more assertive (comparative)
most assertive (superlative)

self-confident; having a habit of talking strongly about, and asking for what one wants, needs, deserves etc.

Very confident; the person who is assertive is clear and direct.


self-confident

self-confident (positive)
more self-confident (comparative)
most self-confident (superlative)

Being self-confident is being confident about one's self.

Sally is self-confident, and she thinks that she can do anything.


confidence

Confidence is the state of trusting something, and being sure that something is going to happen.

I know you're trying to gain confidence in what you're doing.


state

I am worried about her. She is in a constant state of depression.

Any sovereign nation (nation that rules itself) is a state.

The United States is a country with many sovereign nations united with each other.


state

state (canonical)
states (third-person singular)
stated (past)
stated (past participle)
stating (present participle)

To state something is to say it as a fact.

He stated that he hasn't slept in 2 days.

To state something is to let it be known.

Please state your name and place of business.


hierarchical

hierarchical (positive)
more hierarchical (comparative)
most hierarchical (superlative)

If something is hierarchical, it has levels, with higher levels being larger, more important, more powerful, etc.

The rules show the hierarchical structure of the company.

The society was rigidly hierarchical with priests, nobles and slaves, and a highly organised army.

/ˌhaɪərˈɑːkɪkəl/


comprehensive

comprehensive (positive)
more comprehensive (comparative)
most comprehensive (superlative)

If something is comprehensive, it includes everything that is related.

The book includes the most comprehensive list of existing government programs.

This chapter is not intended to provide a detailed and comprehensive documentation of the aids available in the UK.


mode

A mode is a specific way of doing something.

The study combines two different research modes: oral history and written history.

The machine is in warm-up mode right now.

A modern city offers many different modes of transport from bicycle lanes to high speed trains.

Modern medicine must be seen as part of the capitalist mode of production.

There is a difference in English between casual and formal modes of speech.

She was always dressed in the latest mode.

A mode is a specific type or form of something.

Heat is a mode of energy transfer, like work, not a substance or other seawater property.

The Mixolydian mode is a good way for inducing a bluesey kind of mood.

The mode is the number that occurs most often in a group of numbers.

In a normal distribution, with large sets, the mean, median and mode will typically be the same value.

A mode is specific a kind of clause that shows how the speaker feels about it. Modes show whether something is true, probably true, a wish, etc. Usually called mood.

In Finnish, for example, the conditional mode is used both in the main clause and the subordinate.

The mode of a rock is the different minerals in it.

A mode is a specific pattern of wave movement.

Under normal circumstances, there is no coupling between the two modes, which have different propagation constants.


differentiation

Differentiation finding or showing the differences between things.

In the shop, there was no differentiation between product from Asia and product from Europe.

Differentiation is the process of becoming or making something different.

As the cells grow and divide, differentiation takes place. You can begin to see some as muscle cells, some as blood cells, etc.

Differentiation is acting different towards different people or situations.

Schools tend to have little formal curricular differentiation between the sexes, except in physical education.

Differentiation is the process of obtaining the derivative of a function.


eliminate

eliminate (canonical)
eliminates (third-person singular)
eliminated (past)
eliminated (past participle)
eliminating (present participle)

If you eliminate something, you make it go away or disappear, or you kill it.

The recent fixes have eliminated the problems we were having.

Canada was eliminated in the first round of the world cup.

He was at risk of being eliminated by the other gang members.


priority

A priority is something that is important; you want to do it first or spend more time or money on it than other things.

Learning the language is a high priority for all people who move to the country.

The nineteen national priority areas will receive 70 per cent of the funding.

If something has or is given priority, it should go before other things.

The Government needs to give a higher priority to the quality of life.

Teachers need to give priority to science over less important subjects.


ideology

An ideology is the set of beliefs behind a movement, religion, political group, etc.

Schools reflect clearly the dominant political ideologies of their countries.

For many years the ideology of the Catholic church had a crushing effect on science.


foundation

The foundation of something is the basic ideas or work behind it.

These early inventions laid the foundations of modern radio technology.

Her education gave her a solid foundation in all the major subjects.

The foundation of a building is the solid base that is under it and that supports it.

They dug solid foundations, spending a lot of time pouring concrete into four pits.

A foundation is an organisation that collects money to do good things.

The Open Software Foundation has opened up laboratories to test software.

The foundation of a group, business, country, etc. is the act of starting it.

The company has double in size every year since its foundation.

Foundation is the first layer of cream or makeup.

Dot the foundation over the face-on the nose, the cheeks, the chin and spread working from the face outwards.


depravity

The state or condition of being depraved; moral debasement.

He was a very bad man, lost in depravity.

Susan's depravity was her husband's murder.

Evil that is part of human nature, contamination by sin.

Our depravity is the result of Adam's fall.


ductile

ductile (positive)
more ductile (comparative)
most ductile (superlative)

If something is ductile, it can be stretched into wire, usually metal.

If something is ductile, it can easily be molded into a new shape.

If someone is ductile, they are easily lead; they are prone to follow.


adaptation

An adaptation is a change to fit a different situation or the result of that change, especially when a story goes from book to TV or movie.

The new film adaptation of the classic book Little Women is quite wonderful.

He is also disabled and requires special adaptations to his home.

Adaptation is the process of changing to fit a different situation.

These products undergo a constant process of change and adaptation.

/ˌædæpˈteɪʃən/


edible

edible (positive)
more edible (comparative)
most edible (superlative)

Something is called edible if it can be eaten by humans and animals without danger to their health.

These mushrooms are edible.


edible

An edible is something that you can eat.

The apple is an edible.


quotation

A quotation is a sentence or phrase that was said by someone and is now being used or referred to by somebody else. Quotations can be from books, movies, speeches, television shows, songs, etc.

This chapter began with a quotation from Monica Furlong.

Consider the following quotation from the Bible: Job 16:18: "O earth, cover not thou my blood."

Quotation is the act of using somebody else's exact words.

A quotation is a report of the cost or value of something.


quote

quote (canonical)
quotes (third-person singular)
quoted (past)
quoted (past participle)
quoting (present participle)

Did he quote me in the newspaper?


quote

A quote is somebody's exact words used by somebody else.

In the following quote, a young woman describes her experience with drugs.

I might also include a quote from Shakespeare: "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players".

A quote is a report of the cost or value of something.


absent

If something is absent, it means to be not in a place or missing.

John is absent from school today.


absent

absent (canonical)
absents (third-person singular)
absented (past)
absented (past participle)
absenting (present participle)

When you absent yourself from something, you do not turn up for it and not appear.

John absented himself from the meeting as he had something on.


absent

Absent any problems, we should be finished in two hours.


effective

effective (positive)
more effective (comparative)
most effective (superlative)

An effective strategy, treatment, method, etc is one that works well as planned.

Teachers are using instructional strategies that are most effective in helping students learn.

If you have effective command, consent, control, etc., you have it in practice but not officially.

The students had effective control over what the teacher would include on the test.

If a law, agreement, change, etc. becomes effective, it officially begins.

The new rules about ball size are effective next season.


effective

You use effective to tell when something starts officially.

Effective next week, all employees will wear the new uniform.


preliminary

preliminary (positive)
more preliminary (comparative)
most preliminary (superlative)

If something is preliminary, it is a preparation for a main matter.


preliminary

A preliminary is a preparation for a main matter.


preliminary

Preliminary to the main discussions, perhaps we could introduce ourselves.


regardless

If x happens regardless of y, y does not change x.

She left, regardless of him asking her to stay.


contrary

If an act or idea is contrary to something, it is against it.

The president's actions are contrary to the constitution and therefore illegal.

You use contrary to x when x is different from the truth.

Contrary to popular belief, the oil companies cannot control the price of crude.

What she told me was contrary to everything I had ever heard.

Contrary to popular myth, women are not worse drivers than men.


contrary

contrary (positive)
more contrary (comparative)
most contrary (superlative)

A contrary view, sentence, etc. is opposite to other ones.

The contrary view is that these kind of projects are a waste of money.

The only thoughts he had were contrary ones.

A contrary person tries to be different from other people or does not often agree with others.

The contrary is the opposite of an idea, sentence, etc.

It is best to believe people are good, at least until the contrary is shown.

This is not necessarily bad; on the contrary, it is sometimes quite useful.


successive

Successive things follow in order, one after another.

Successive governments have refused to make the changes.

Edward Kawak won in four successive years (1982–1985).

Cancers were developing at younger and younger ages with each successive generation in each family.


innovation

Innovation is the process of making something new and original.

Our company has stayed in the lead largely by encouraging innovation.

An innovation is something new and original.

The number of technical innovations is growing at a faster and faster rate.

/ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən/


prohibit

prohibit (canonical)
prohibits (third-person singular)
prohibited (past)
prohibited (past participle)
prohibiting (present participle)

If you prohibit something, you say that it must not be done.

The laws were changed to prohibit the use of certain tools.

Company policy is to prohibit dogs from entering the store.

If x prohibits y, y is not possible because of x.

The use of a password prohibits access to outsiders.


isolate

isolate (canonical)
isolates (third-person singular)
isolated (past)
isolated (past participle)
isolating (present participle)

If you isolate something, you make it so that it does not or cannot contact certain other things.

We want to isolate ourselves from everyday worries.

The prisoner was isolated to protect him from attack.

Britain is isolated from the rest of Europe by the Channel.


isolate

An isolate is something that does not or cannot contact certain other things.

A total of 296 isolates were recovered from 105 patients, 79 (75%) of whom were infected with mycobacteria.

An isolate is a language that has no known relatives.


isolated

We went to isolate ourselves from everyday worries.


isolated

isolated (positive)
more isolated (comparative)
most isolated (superlative)

As she got older and her friends moved away, she became more and more isolated.


problem

A problem is something that is difficult to do, understand, or believe.

If you have a problems with the computer, I can probably help.

You should see your doctor if you think you have a health problem.

This book tells you how to deal with drinking problems.

If you are regularly late, it can cause problems.

Today, we are concerned with some serious problems with the product.

I solved the problem by replacing a broken part.

It's a good idea to discuss your problems with a friend.

Problems like these arise from a lack of care.

We've identified a number of problem areas that need to be looked at.

Most students got the right answer for the first problem.

You say "no problem" to agree to do something.

"Could you open the door for me?" "Sure, no problem!"

You say "no problem" after somebody thanks you or apologises to you.

"Thank you so much for all your help." "No problem! Any time!"


eat

eat (canonical)
eats (third-person singular)
ate (past)
eaten (past participle)
eating (present participle)

If you eat something, usually food, you put it in your mouth, chew it, and swallow it.

I always eat too much good when it's Thanksgiving.

My 2 year old accidentally ate chalk that she found on the table.

If you eat the cost of something, you pay for it.

The supplier will have to eat the cost of returning the goods.

If you eat someone, you give them sex with your mouth (oral sex)


sarcasm

Humor that is not serious but is meant to mimic. Saying something you don't mean, to be funny or to make someone feel bad.

"No, I don't want any food, I'm just standing here holding an empty plate to make my fingers stronger," he said with sarcasm.


think

think (canonical)
thinks (third-person singular)
thought (past)
thought (past participle)
thinking (present participle)

If you think that something is or may be true, you feel that it is or may be true.

You know you can't do that. What were you thinking?

Some people think this is a good idea, but I don't think so.

I think the best thing to do now is to go home.

I just thought you might want some coffee.

I really think you should stop seeing her.

What do you think about the new teacher?

Vancouver is thought to be a good place to live.

I think he's a doctor.

I think she wants us to go that way.

I thought I saw something.

"Is this right?" "I think so."

If you think about something, you use your mind to give it your attention.

"What's the best way?" "I'm not sure. Let me think."

All day I was thinking about my sister in Lisbon.

I don't want to think about that right now.

Just think how nice it will be when we're finished.

You use think when you have words or ideas in your mind without saying them out loud.

"It's no good," she thought.

You use think in suggestions and requests.

I was thinking we could go out tonight.

Do you think you could help me here?

If you don't think to do something, you don't remember to do it.

I didn't think to ask her.

I can't think where my keys are.


think

If you say you'll have a think about something, it means you'll give it your attention.


highlight

highlight (canonical)
highlights (third-person singular)
highlighted (past)
highlighted (past participle)
highlighting (present participle)

If you highlight something, you make it more noticeable or obvious.

I usually use a pen to highlight the important section in my textbook.

Let me just highlight this point since many people misunderstand it.

If you highlight your hair, you make some parts a lighter colour.


highlight

A highlight is a particularly good part.

The chicken was the highlight of the dinner, just amazing.

I didn't see the game, but I watched the highlights on the news.

The shirt was blue with yellow highlights.


inspection

An inspection is a careful look at something, usually for problems.

Before the flight, the pilot did a complete inspection of the airplane.

It seemed that he had not been paid, but upon closer inspection it was found that he had indeed.

An inspection of the prison was planned for next week.


termination

Termination is the act of ending something.

We will continue to do business in Asia after termination of the Japan program.

The termination is the end point, time or limit of something.

Three years after the termination of war in 1945, France was fighting another war in Indo-China.

The company will cut costs through the termination of 150 employees.

Termination is the act of killing something.

The group is against the termination of these sick babies.

A termination is a suffix or the end of a word.

The termination of a verb in the past tense is usually "ed".


displacement

Displacement is when something is made to move out of its place.

The war has caused the displacement of tens of thousands of people.

The displacement of folk music by western pop music has happened in many countries.

Displacement is the amount of liquid or gas that is moved when something floats in it.


restraint

Restraint is the quality people show when they don't do something they shouldn't do.

You already ate too much cake. Now please show some restraint.

A restraint is a strap or other thing that holds a person in place, like a seatbelt in a car or handcuffs that the police use to hold someone.

A baby needs the right kind of restraint to ride safely in a car.

A restraint is something that stops people from doing something.

A legal restraint prevents him from going to meet his ex-girlfriend.


reinforce

reinforce (canonical)
reinforces (third-person singular)
reinforced (past)
reinforced (past participle)
reinforcing (present participle)

If you reinforce something, you make it stronger.

Recent mistakes only reinforce the view that nobody cares.

Hitting a child can reinforce his tendency to use violence.

This meeting has helped to further reinforce the links between the colleges.

The steel is used to reinforce the building's walls.

The extra men will reinforce the army in Iraq.


denote

denote (canonical)
denotes (third-person singular)
denoted (past)
denoted (past participle)
denoting (present participle)

If x denotes y, x is a sign of or has the meaning of y.

The term "sales mix" is used to denote the percentage of total sales of each product.

In this text, ungrammatical sentences are denoted by an asterisk (*).


offset

offset (canonical)
offsets (third-person singular)
offset (past)
offset (past participle)
offsetting (present participle)

If x offsets y, the loss (because) of y is balanced by x.

The school will provide limited scholarships to offset the cost of tuition.

Increases in efficiency partially offset the increased costs.

The few problems are more than offset by the relatively large number of successes.

If you offset x against y, you compare of contrast them.

All this solid colour is offset by the tiny yellow green flowers.

The past tense and past participle of offset.


offset

An offset is something that balances (the loss of) something else.

A particular way of printing where the ink moves from surface A to B and then from B to the final C.

The image produced by this kind of printing.

An offset is the distance that something moves away from where it is supposed to be or where it was.


obedience

Obedience is very important in any army.

behavior in which you do what good person, father, boss, teacher, tells you to do.


cowardice

Someone who shows cowardice is being afraid, not having courage, not doing something they should do because they are afraid.

He showed cowardice when he ran away and left his friend to fight the other children.


exploitation

Exploitation is the use of something, usually for profit.

The commercial exploitation of Alaska for oil could lead to serious environmental problems.

Exploitation is the use or treatment of someone unfairly.

Today, most countries have laws against the exploitation of children in factories.


detect

detect (canonical)
detects (third-person singular)
detected (past)
detected (past participle)
detecting (present participle)

If you detect something, you use your senses to find or notice it.

Some insects can detect changes in temperature as small as 0.003 degrees Celsius.

These animals have a smell that even a human nose can easily detect.

The chemical has been detected in lakes and rivers, in fish and birds, and in human breast milk.

Our instruments are not sensitive enough to detect it.


abandon

abandon (canonical)
abandons (third-person singular)
abandoned (past)
abandoned (past participle)
abandoning (present participle)

If you abandon something, you go away from it with no plan to return.

Many teens abandon all chances of a successful future when they drop out of school.

After much thought, they abandoned the idea as being too difficult.

The government abandons after-school programs when money is tight.

If you abandon something, you give up control of it.

They danced wildly down the street, abandoning themselves to the night and the moon.

The woodcutter and his wife considered abandoning Hansel and Gretel in the forest.


abandon

Abandon is a state where you do not control yourself.

In these games, kids shoot and blow each other up with reckless abandon.

The man dove into the pool with reckless abandon.


RAM

RAM is the acronym for random access memory.


random

random (positive)
more random (comparative)
most random (superlative)

If something is random, there is no purpose, reason, or pattern.

I have to sit there like typing in random keywords to see if it's a keyword.

Why don't you get organised instead of just contacting random people.

If a process is random, every option has an equal chance of happening.

20 per cent of the random sample of the libraries were public in any normal sense of the word.

Banks use random numbers to make codes to keep your computer banking safe and secret.


revision

A revision is a change or edit a to language, a plan, etc.

This book needs a lot of revision before it can be published.

She revised what she said so that she was not saying something bad about him.

The plan has undergone a number of complete revisions.

A revision is a piece of writing or plan that has changed or will change.

The software includes the latest revisions to the HTML standards.

In the UK, revision is the process of studying something again.

I need to do more revision for the test.


virtually

Once you put it on, it is virtually impossible to remove.

Car theft became so common that private cars virtually disappeared from the area.


devote

devote (canonical)
devotes (third-person singular)
devoted (past)
devoted (past participle)
devoting (present participle)

If someone devotes time or energy to something, they feel that it is important and they spend a lot of time or energy on it.

I devoted ten years of my life to writing that book.

She decided to devote her life to nursing.


refine

refine (canonical)
refines (third-person singular)
refined (past)
refined (past participle)
refining (present participle)

When someone refines something, they make it better.

We need to refine our way of organizing this office.

When people refine a food or other thing, they make it purer.

They take sugar cane and refine it to make white sugar.

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-refine.wav


insight

A very good understanding of something; a clear idea about how something works.

We need to get some insight into the causes of this problem.

I just had a flash of insight about why she does that.


violation

A violation of a rule is an act of breaking the rule: going past the limits of the rule.

The speed you were driving your car was a violation of the speed limit.

Walking into my house like that was a violation of my privacy.

The new finding seems to be in violation of our understanding of physics.

This violation of our trust cannot be forgiven.

The violation of these young girls by a man their uncle is hard to understand.

/ˌvaɪɵˈleɪʃən/


coincide

coincide (canonical)
coincides (third-person singular)
coincided (past)
coincided (past participle)
coinciding (present participle)

Two things coincide with each other if they're both in the same place or at the same time.

The time of your party coincides with my niece's wedding, so I can't come.

The end of one side of a triangle coincides with the end of another side, making a corner.


medium

A medium amount is an amount that is not small and not large, but in the middle.

Would you like a small, medium or large drink?


medium

A medium is stuff that something moves through.

Light can go through different media: air, water, glass.

Sound waves slow down when they go through this kind of medium.

A medium is a person who hears ideas that come from people who are dead. (plural mediums)

We all closed our eyes, and the medium said "I hear your father speaking."

I don't believe those mediums can really hear anything.


portion

We need to put more signs up in this portion of the city.

A portion is an amount of food for one person.

Each portion has six meatballs.


portion

portion (canonical)
portions (third-person singular)
portioned (past)
portioned (past participle)
portioning (present participle)

If you portion something out, you give parts of it to different people.

They portioned out the water among them.


qualitative

qualitative (positive)
more qualitative (comparative)
most qualitative (superlative)

A reason, idea or writing is qualitative if it is about the way something is, or about the thing's qualities, but not about amounts.

I have a qualitative idea of what his work is like, but I don't know how much work he's done.

Qualitative differences between advertisements are likely to be far more important than quite large differences in the number of advertisements.


trigger

A trigger is the part of a gun that you push with one finger when you want to make the gun shoot.

I didn't want to make him angry, because he had his finger on the trigger.

A trigger is a little thing that makes something bigger happen.

Bad smells are one of the triggers for my headaches.


trigger

trigger (canonical)
triggers (third-person singular)
triggered (past)
triggered (past participle)
triggering (present participle)

A little thing triggers a big thing to happen when it causes it.

Those angry words triggered the beginning of the war.


format

The format of some writing is the way it is organized: the size and colour of the letters, the way it is divided into parts, the kind of words used.

What format do you want the report written in?

The format of some writing is the kind of computer program you need to be able to read it.

I can't read that page you sent me. My computer doesn't read that format.

Something's format is its style, type, organisation, etc.

The format of the meeting will be quite casual.


format

format (canonical)
formats (third-person singular)
formatted (past)
formatted (past participle)
formatting (present participle)

Someone formats some writing when make it have a particular format.

How should I format the report?

Someone formats a computer disk when they prepare a disk for writing and reading.

You need to format the disk before you can copy those files onto it.


mediation

Mediation is the process of helping two people or groups who are not in agreement to come to an agreement.

When I was separated from my wife, we had mediation to help decide who got to keep the house.


mature

mature (positive)
more mature (comparative)
most mature (superlative)

Someone is mature if they act like an adult.

You're not mature enough to do this job.

A living thing is mature if it has stopped growing physically.

A mature female is about 30 kg.

Some kinds of food, such as wine, cheese, or fruit are mature when they are ready to eat or drink.

Colleges are accepting more mature students and fewer kids out of high school.

If something is mature, it is fully developed.

Television is a mature technology.

If movies, books, etc. are mature, they are meant for adults because they contain violence, sex, etc.


mature

mature (canonical)
matures (third-person singular)
matured (past)
matured (past participle)
maturing (present participle)

If something matures, it becomes fully developed.

Along the way she has also matured into a beautiful young woman.

These problems have been solved as the technology has matured.


diminish

diminish (canonical)
diminishes (third-person singular)
diminished (past)
diminished (past participle)
diminishing (present participle)

When something diminishes it gets smaller or less important or makes something that way.

The way you talked just now diminished my respect for you.

The amount of water in the lake is diminishing because there has been no rain.


analogous

analogous (positive)
more analogous (comparative)
most analogous (superlative)

When x is analogous to y, it is similar to y.

Using that little broom to sweep this big floor is analogous to using a candle to cook dinner for 40 people.

The development of the new DVD with multiple formats is analogous to the video wars between beta and VHS.


temporary

temporary (positive)
more temporary (comparative)
most temporary (superlative)

Something is temporary if it's only for a short time.

A tent was our temporary home after our house burned down in the fire.

The middle of the floor is a temporary place for these books until I find room for them on the shelf.


fluctuation

A fluctuation is when something changes back and forth quickly.

The price of wheat stayed the same, but there were a lot of fluctuations in the price of rice.

Every time a cloud goes past, there is a fluctuation in the amount of sunshine.


minimal

When something is minimal, it is very small or small enough to not be important, especially the smallest.

We had a minimal amount of rain yesterday, so we still need to water the plants.

Don't worry -- any problems from this will be minimal.


wage

Wages is the money a person is paid for doing their job.

Only 6 percent of the wage earners in this country earn more than $ 100,000.

They are working for minimum wage or $5 an hour.

The workers were demanding higher wages.

The average hourly wage rose only 2.8% last year.


wage

wage (canonical)
wages (third-person singular)
waged (past)
waged (past participle)
waging (present participle)

If you wage a battle, war, or campaign for or against something, you fight or work hard for or against it.

After his death in 1990, a five-year battle was waged in court for control of the $72 million estate.

The Iranians hate Iraq for the war that they waged against them for eight years.

This is the beginning of a long legal battle, similar to the campaign waged against the tobacco industry.


incompatible

incompatible (positive)
more incompatible (comparative)
most incompatible (superlative)

Two things are incompatible with each other if they don't fit together or don't work well together.

The husband and wife were not happy together because they were incompatible.

I can't fit this wire into my computer because the end is incompatible with the part of the computer for plugging things in.

/ˌɪŋkəmˈpætɪbəl/


eighty

ordinal eightieth) Eighty is the number 80.

There were about eighty people at the party.


eighty

Seventy plus ten is eighty.


commence

commence (canonical)
commences (third-person singular)
commenced (past)
commenced (past participle)
commencing (present participle)

The school year commenced on Sept. 4.


vision

Vision is being able to see with your eyes.

Now I'm old and my vision is not very good, so I don't drive a car any more.

Vision is being able to think of good ideas for the future.

This woman will be a good leader of our company because she has great vision about the future of our company.

The president needs to create ideas, to create a vision for the country.


endemic

endemic (positive)
more endemic (comparative)
most endemic (superlative)

Endemic means that a species (or other taxon) belongs to something else. If an animal is endemic to a place (or habitat), it only exists in that habitat.

Some trout are endemic to Lake Baikal.


significantly

The price of gas dropped significantly today, causing drivers to line up at the pumps to fill up.

His face looked significantly different.

He was, significantly, at the shop just before the accident.

He looked at her significantly.


favorite

My favorite brand is the brand I like most.

Ford is my favorite brand of truck.


favorite

A favorite is a thing or person that someone likes the most. It is a thing that someone prefers, or likes more than any other.

Chocolate ice cream is my favorite.

When kings and other royalty have favorites, these are people they trust.

He was a favorite of the king.


foreign

foreign (positive)
more foreign (comparative)
most foreign (superlative)

Foreign means something that comes from a different place or country. Foreign people are known as foreigners.

Sven has a foreign accent.

Foreign can mean something that is not familiar or not characteristic.

Greed was as foreign to him as a Frenchman in China.


horizontal

horizontal (positive)
more horizontal (comparative)
most horizontal (superlative)

Something that is lying down or "straight across" is horizontal. In a horizontal direction means straight across.

The road across the Nullabor plain is horizontal.

Dad hung a swing from a horizontal branch.

Horizontal stripes on a shirt make a person look wider.

To be horizontal means to have something to do with the horizon.

/ˌhɔːrəˈzɑːntəl/


vertically

The cliffs fell vertically down to the sea.

The rocket shot vertically into the sky.


horizontally

more horizontally (comparative)
Superlativemost horizontally

The pictures were arranged horizontally around the room.

Johnnie's hat sailed horizontally out the window.


write

write (canonical)
writes (third-person singular)
wrote (past)
written (past participle)
writing (present participle)

If you write a book, an article, a computer program, a piece of music, etc., you create it.

My dream is to write a children's book.

Mozart wrote over 600 pieces of music during his lifetime.

He can't write. He's a terrible writer.

In the article, the author writes that these things need to change.

If you write, you use letters, numbers, or other marks on paper or on a computer to show words.

Can you write your name and phone number here for me?

Our teacher taught us to write beautifully.

It's amazing how many people can't read and write.

Do you have any paper to write on?

Listen to what I say and write it down.

If you write, you send a letter to someone.

Please, phone or write me when you have some time.

She would write to Mom every week and give her all the details.

(computer) If a computer writes, it records something in its memory or on a disk.

Old computers were much slower at writing files.


thereby

He pulled it closer to him, thereby making it far easier to get up.

Food product quality is more easily maintained thereby reducing spoilage losses.

Water reflects less light than ice, thereby allowing the oceans to absorb more heat from the sun.

I'm concerned by attempts to limit this right and thereby to limit our freedom.

Having missed the first bit, he listened closely to catch the rest, hoping thereby to reply sensibly.

This change would prevent the team (and thereby the school) from advancing.


uniform

A uniform is clothing that is very similar and worn by a group of people.

All the young army men wore identical uniforms and badges of rank.

School uniform was always worn, which for the boys meant khaki shirts and trousers.

When I was a child, I was afraid of men in uniform: policemen, firemen, even the milkman.


uniform

uniform (positive)
more uniform (comparative)
most uniform (superlative)

If something is uniform, there is no variation in it.

It was designed to be uniform from one end to the other.

The increase in grades has been uniform across all subjects except math.


predominantly

The predominantly male, white judges treat men and women differently.

Her work during this period was predominantly concerned with children learning to read.


implicit

implicit (positive)
more implicit (comparative)
most implicit (superlative)

A meaning that is implicit is understood or given but not directly.

There is an implicit assumption that women should be acting more like men.

Though teachers may not formulate aims consciously, they will be implicit in the teaching.

A belief that is implicit is complete and without question.

Jonadab was used to implicit obedience from his children and was surprised at his son's answer.


clarity

She dreamed, with great clarity, that she had seen her own death.

Lack of clarity on the part of the teacher will cause confusion among the students.


conformity

Conformity is the state of being or becoming similar to other members of a group.

In high school, students who do not show a high degree of conformity are often not accepted by other students.

Often the teaching of writing is really the teaching of social conformity: students must write like everyone else.

Conformity is the state of following rules or expectations.

The army is there to ensure conformity with the UN resolutions.


giant

A giant is a very big man or woman, often in fairy tales.

Jack climbed the beanstalk and found a land ruled by a giant.


giant

He bought a giant doll at the fair.


contemporary

contemporary (positive)
more contemporary (comparative)
most contemporary (superlative)

If something is contemporary it is related to this time (now). Technically, this is an incorrect usage; better is to use "modern", "now" or "present-day".

The artist has a great knowledge of the sources of historical and contemporary art.

If x is contemporary with y, they happened at about the same time.

They are sources that are contemporary or near contemporary with the period being studied.


contemporary

Somebody's contemporary is a person who lived at or near the same time.

This is what made Marx so different from his socialist contemporaries.


breach

breach (canonical)
breaches (third-person singular)
breached (past)
breached (past participle)
breaching (present participle)

If you breach a duty, you do something that you should not do.

If an army or the police breach a barrier, a wall, etc., they were not able to enter it before but now they can.

The police breached the front door and searched the house.


breach

A breach is the act of breaching; for example, a breach of contract may occur when somebody does not do what they promised.

Water entered through a breach in the levee.


enter

enter (canonical)
enters (third-person singular)
entered (past)
entered (past participle)
entering (present participle)

I entered the building through the side door.

Please pay the fare before you enter.

I entered all the necessary information but it still won't work.


enter

"Enter" is a key on a computer keyboard.


fare

A fare is money that you pay for public transportation; that is, to ride on a bus, taxi, train or airplane.

The city is planning to increase its bus fares again.


duty

Parents have the duty to educate their children.

A tax placed on imports or exports; a tariff, customs duty, excise duty.

Import duty and taxes are due when importing goods into the United States.


violate

violate (canonical)
violates (third-person singular)
violated (past)
violated (past participle)
violating (present participle)

To violate means to break something like a law.

A person violated the copyright of a book.


neglect

neglect (canonical)
neglects (third-person singular)
neglected (past)
neglected (past participle)
neglecting (present participle)

If you neglect someone, you do not take care of them.


neglect

Neglect is the failure of somebody to do a duty.


batter

A batter is somebody who is supposed to hit a ball with a bat.

A batter is a mixture of flour and liquid (usually eggs and water).


batter

batter (canonical)
batters (third-person singular)
battered (past)
battered (past participle)
battering (present participle)

If you batter someone or something, you hit or beat it.

The battered child was brought to the attention of the police.


beat

beat (canonical)
beats (third-person singular)
beat (past)
beaten (past participle)
beating (present participle)

If you beat someone or something, you hit it, usually many times.

It made a loud noise when he beat the drum.

I had to leave and divorce my husband, because he kept beating and choking me.

If you beat a person or a team, you win and they lose.

The best team usually beats the worst one.


automatically

If something happens automatically, it happens without the need for a person to start it or do anything more.

The door closed and locked automatically behind him.

If you sign up for this, you'll automatically be entered in a contest to win a car.

If you do something automatically, you do it without thinking about it.

If a man and woman spend time together, you shouldn't automatically assume they're lovers.

"You're welcome," she said automatically.


handshake

A handshake is when two people hold hands for a few seconds and move them up and down before letting go. It is often used like a greeting (like saying "hello" or "goodbye" when people meet) or to say that two people have agreed on something.

When I meet someone, I give a firm handshake.


heir

An heir is the person who gets the property or money when someone dies.

Jack was his only heir, so he will get all the money.


increasing

increase (canonical)
increases (third-person singular)
increased (past)
increased (past participle)
increasing (present participle)

His money is increasing because he makes good business deals.

He is worried about his increasing debt: it keeps getting bigger and bigger.


grandchild

A grandchild is the grandson or granddaughter of someone. It is the child of someone's child.

Jemima is my grandmother. She is my father's mother. I am her grandchild.


incumbent

An incumbent is a person who currently holds a type of position, often in politics.

She was an incumbent in the last election for the office she holds.


incumbent

If someone is incumbent, they are in a political position now.

They are incumbent in this election because they are in office.


intersect

intersect (canonical)
intersects (third-person singular)
intersected (past)
intersected (past participle)
intersecting (present participle)

When lines intersect, it means they meet at one point.

Main Street intersects 10th Avenue here.

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-intersect.wav


intersect

The place where two lines or segments meet is called an intersect.

The intersect of line A and line B is at point X.


daughter-in-law

daughter-in-law
daughters-in-law or daughter-in-laws (plural)

The wife of a person's son. The opposite of a daughter-in-law would be a son-in-law, or a daughter's husband.


plus

Two plus two is four. (2+2=4)

The TV is $299 plus tax.

The margin of error is plus or minus one per cent.

The farm has over 5,000 horses, plus a few cats and dogs.

You use plus after a number to mean more than or over.

The country has a population of 3 million plus.

He got a B+ on his test.


plus

I know you don't like it, but there are big pluses about living here.

On the plus side though, it is small and easy to use.

You don't have to write the plus in front of positive numbers, but always write the minus in front of negative numbers.


plus

I like singing, reading, and tennis plus playing soccer.

used to show what happened after something else

The alarm went off plus I woke up.


invisible

Something is invisible when we can not see it.

Infrared light is invisible to animals and humans.

The magician made the woman invisible.


jihad

A jihad is a personal fight with yourself to become a better person.

A jihad is a holy war by Muslims to stop people from keeping down other people by force.

The Muslims have started a jihad against the Israelis.


pay

pay (canonical)
pays (third-person singular)
paid (past)
paid (past participle)
paying (present participle)

If you pay, you give money for something.

Bess worked for eight hours and they paid her a hundred dollars.


pay

Your pay is money you receive after doing something.

Go to the office to receive your pay.


restore

restore (canonical)
restores (third-person singular)
restored (past)
restored (past participle)
restoring (present participle)

If you restore a state, feeling, or ability that has been lost, you make that possible or normal again.

Police were sent to restore order after an attack on May 4.

The government attempted to restore confidence by announcing tougher laws.

With a simple operation, doctors were able to restore his hearing.

If you restore something, you make it go back to the way it was.

The school is restoring the buildings that were damaged in the fire.

Art experts are working to restore the painting to its original condition.

If you restore something, you put or give it back.

The lost child was restored to her parents by police.

Management has restored the extra vacation time.


accumulation

An accumulation of something, is a number or amount of it that has come together over time.

The failure to pump leads to an accumulation of blood in the heart.

There was an accumulation of dirt on the part of the floor people were walking on.

Accumulation is the process of bringing things together.

The process of salt accumulation in the soil speeds up under poor watering conditions.

Private investment helped to boost capital accumulation.


appendix

appendix
appendices or appendixes (plural)

An appendix is a part at the back of a book that has extra information.

See Appendix B for a list of irregular verbs.

An appendix lists all 221 equations used by the program.

Your appendix is a small part of your body that is attached to your large intestine.

It was common for children to die from a burst appendix.


widespread

widespread (positive)
more widespread (comparative)
most widespread (superlative)

If something is widespread, it happens or exists in many situations or places.

This particular bird is only found here, but similar species are very widespread.

There is a widespread belief that when we are born we are like a blank sheet of paper.


accompany

accompany (canonical)
accompanies (third-person singular)
accompanied (past)
accompanied (past participle)
accompanying (present participle)

If one thing accompanies something else, it comes or goes with it, or they happen together.

She accompanied me to the hospital after my accident.

Children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

The text accompanying the illustrations is brief but helpful.

If person A accompanies person B on a musical instrument, B sings or plays the main part while A plays along.

Joe Falcon sings and plays the accordion and is accompanied by Cleoma Breaux on guitar.


prospect

A prospect is what you think will happen in the future.

There's a good prospect of this building being converted into a school.

Immigrants face the prospect of having to accept unskilled jobs at lower wages.

There is little or no prospect of a new station being opened up on the east coast.

Your prospects are your chances of moving forward in your job or in your life.

So I would congratulate her on her good prospects as a teacher.

A new place offered some prospect of new beginnings.

We are very worried about her prospects.

A prospect is somebody that think will do well in the future.

At 18, she is one of Britain's best prospects for an Olympic medal in Barcelona this summer.

A prospect is somebody who might be a customer or worker in the future.

Your best prospects are your previous customers.


prospect

prospect (canonical)
prospects (third-person singular)
prospected (past)
prospected (past participle)
prospecting (present participle)

If you prospect for something valuable, such as gold or oil, you search an area for it.

Anglo-United was not the only company prospecting for gold in the early eighties.


post

Post is the letters and parcels that you send to other people.

There's no post today because it's a Sunday.

The new book arrived in the post.

A post is a tall rod or stick. Examples are a sign post, a lamp post, and a goal post.


post

post (canonical)
posts (third-person singular)
posted (past)
posted (past participle)
posting (present participle)

If you post something, you send it through the post.

I posted a birthday card to him last week.

If you post a message, you add it to a website or discussion board.

I posted a reply to your comment on the website.


post

Post the test results becoming public, there were many complaints.


penny

A penny is a small coin of little value; 100 pennies (or 100 pence) make a pound, a dollar, a euro, etc.

This sweet only costs a penny.

If you have two pennies, you have two pence.


hear

hear (canonical)
hears (third-person singular)
heard (past)
heard (past participle)
hearing (present participle)

If you hear a sound, you notice it with your ear.

I heard music coming from the next room.

Speak louder, I cannot hear you!


paragraph

A paragraph is one or more sentences that are written together with no line breaks separating them. Usually they are connected by a single idea.

She knew what it would say after reading the first paragraph.

The crash was reported in a single paragraph in the Edinburgh Evening News.


paragraph

paragraph (canonical)
paragraphs (third-person singular)
paragraphed (past)
paragraphed (past participle)
paragraphing (present participle)

If you paragraph something, you break it into paragraphs.

It's hard to read with no breaks. Can you paragraph it out a bit?


spic

Spic is an insulting word for a Latino or Hispanic person.


petition

A petition is a written request to change something.

A petition is a list of signatures showing support for something or opposition against it.

Please sign our petition to get a new snack machine in the school cafeteria.

A petition is a written document that people sign to show that they want a person or organization to do or change something.

In honor of his memory, a petition has been sent to persuade the Postal Services Stamp Advisory Committee to put Willis Conover on a U.S. postage stamp.


petition

petition (canonical)
petitions (third-person singular)
petitioned (past)
petitioned (past participle)
petitioning (present participle)

To petition for something is to make a request for it, usually in writing.

You should petition for a shorter work week.


infrastructure

A place's infrastructure is the basic public works such as roads, electricity & water supply, and schools, that allow it to function.

The construction of the BAM railway will provide an infrastructure for exports to Japan and the US.

The new bridge will be one of Europe's largest ever infrastructure projects.

The infrastructure is the basic ideas and systems that support an organisation or a project.

The hardware-software system provides an infrastructure for messaging applications across the company.


deviation

A deviation is difference or movement away from a standard.

They insist that there must be no deviation from that style.

Any deviations from the contract would have to be agreed by both parties.

A deviation is the difference between a number and the average of a set of values.


guideline

A guideline is a formal suggestion about how something should be done, but it is not a rule.

If you are a new driver you should try to follow these basic safety guidelines.

Our new guidelines will also say that we must be careful treat everyone equally.

The general guidelines for healthy eating stay the same.

A guideline is a line on a page that helps you see where to write or how to draw something.

A guideline is a rope or string that shows you where to go.


commodity

A commodity is something that is bought or sold.

The price of corn and other farming commodities has dropped by 10%.

There have been big changes in commodity prices and exchange rates over the past decade.

Margaret had regarded her body as a tradeable commodity.

A commodity is a valuable quality or thing.

Hope may become a very rare commodity.


minimise

minimise (canonical)
minimises (third-person singular)
minimised (past)
minimised (past participle)
minimising (present participle)

If you minimise something, you make it as small as possible.

We should take all steps to minimise the risk of disease.

We are trying to minimise pollution by using bikes instead of our car.

These steps will help us to minimise the time and cost of transporting materials.


minimize

minimize (canonical)
minimizes (third-person singular)
minimized (past)
minimized (past participle)
minimizing (present participle)

If you minimize something, you make it as small as possible.

We should take all steps to minimize the risk of disease.

We are trying to minimize pollution by using bikes instead of our car.

These steps will help us to minimize the time and cost of transporting materials.


philanthropy

Philanthropy is the giving away of money for charity.

The man that lived in that mansion was admired for his philanthropy. He would often donate millions to charities.


practitioner

A practitioner is a person who works in a profession or following a particular style or belief, especially related to health care.

Acupuncture practitioners use fine needles to stimulate specific points of the body.

The book should be useful for new and experienced practitioners of yoga.


challenging

challenging (positive)
more challenging (comparative)
most challenging (superlative)

If something is challenging, it is not easy but it can be done.

For a longer, wilder and more challenging route, you can explore the beautiful mountains around Goatfell.

All actors will agree that Hamlet is a very challenging role.

/ˈtʃæləndʒɪŋ/


challenging

challenge (canonical)
challenges (third-person singular)
challenged (past)
challenged (past participle)
challenging (present participle)

/ˈtʃæləndʒɪŋ/


nominate

nominate (canonical)
nominates (third-person singular)
nominated (past)
nominated (past participle)
nominating (present participle)

To name someone for a role or position, including that of an office.

Jim nominated Tom to be the leader of their group

To name something for an award or prize.

The movie was nominated for an Academy Award.


radical

radical (positive)
more radical (comparative)
most radical (superlative)

A radical change, difference, etc. is very big and important; from the roots.

The plan will not be easy and requires a radical change in the culture of the city.

Many voices are calling for a more radical move away from the current situation.

A radial idea, policy, etc. is one that is new and different; not standard.

More radical organisations like Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth have brought attention to these issues.

In a totalitarian society there is no more radical emotion than disbelief.

Of or about a root (e.g., √=2, the roots of plants, the root of a word, etc.)

Dude, that outfit is rad!


radical

A radical is a person whose views are very different from most people.

Leading radicals have called for a two-hour general strike on Monday.

These were young radicals, overturning the post war consensus, rolling back the state, liberalising markets, and transforming the political economy.

A quantity expressed as a root of another quantity. (e.g., √)

An atom or a group of atoms with at least one unpaired electron.

The basic part of a word to which other parts can be added (e.g., runner)

A radical is one part of a Chinese or Japanese written character that can be combined with other parts to form a whole character.


chart

A chart is information that is organised in rows and columns or as a picture.

In India as a whole the figure is about 40% (see chart).

This week's bar chart shows the correct figures.

You can write your weight in a diary or on a chart.

(often plural) A chart is a list of most popular songs, movies, etc. that is published regularly.

This week, the newest Star Wars movie is topping the charts.


chart

chart (canonical)
charts (third-person singular)
charted (past)
charted (past participle)
charting (present participle)

If you chart something, you record it in a chart.

If something charts, it is on a list of most popular things.

If you "chart a course" you find out how to get somewhere.


librarian

A librarian is a person who manages a library.

You can ask the librarian to help you find the book.


buy

buy (canonical)
buys (third-person singular)
bought (past)
bought (past participle)
buying (present participle)

If you buy something, you give money and the thing becomes yours.

Could you buy some milk at the store?

We sold the house and bought a small apartment near Lincoln Center.

I stood in line all night to buy tickets for the show.

My kids don't want to wear the clothes I buy for them.

I can't afford to buy a new house.

In 1960, Willard bought the business from his father.

He bought the guitar for $150 on the internet.

If money buys something, it is enough money to pay for it.

$10 doesn't even buy a case of beer.

$100 buys a nice dinner or a hotel for the night.

If you buy (somebody) time, you stop something from happening soon so that you have time to prepare for it.

She went to the washroom to buy time. She didn't want to answer before Kate arrived.

Your mother won't buy the story about getting lost.

I can buy that your way works, but other ways might work too.


buy

A buy is something that someone has bought, usually for a cheap price.

This dress was a good buy. It was on sale.


opinionated

opinionated (positive)
more opinionated (comparative)
most opinionated (superlative)

If you are opinionated, you have opinions, especially strong opinions.

She has strong feelings about many topics; she is an opinionated person.


opinionated

opinionate (canonical)
opinionates (third-person singular)
opinionated (past)
opinionated (past participle)
opinionating (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of opinionate.


homophone

A word that sounds like another word, even though they have different meanings.

"Right" and "write" are homophones.

/ˈhɒməfəʊ̯n/


liver

A large organ in the body that makes bile, and controls chemicals in the blood.

The liver is one of the most important organs in our body.

We're having beef liver for dinner.


livers

The plural form of liver; more than one (kind of) liver.

Livers produce bile.


appreciation

An appreciation of something is the ability to see it's value and understand it.

He now has a far greater appreciation of dogs and the people who handle them professionally.

The problems may have been due to a lack of appreciation of the different cultures.

Art appreciation can be learned, but it is very difficult to teach.

Appreciation is the feeling of being thankful.

I just wanted to send you this card to show my appreciation for your kindness last week.

"You look lovely," he said, and she laughed with appreciation.

Appreciation is the rise in value of something.

The appreciation of the Japanese yen against the US dollar has helped the American automobile industry.


currency

A currency is the money from a particular country.

A person going abroad can obtain foreign currency notes and travellers' cheques from his own bank.

The US dollar ended lower against most other currencies in London.

Since then the exchange value of the currency has fallen by 78%.

If something has currency, it is generally accepted.

After the war, these new ideas began to gain currency.

A book's bibliography can be a good indicator of currency in the text.


labor

Labor is the work that people do, usually lifting, moving, building, etc. rather than desk work.

The cost of labor is higher than the cost of building materials.

Labor are the people who do this kind of work.

There's a big labor shortage in the construction industry.

Labor is the process a pregnant woman goes through when she is giving birth.

She was in labor for more than 12 hours before her baby was born.

Her labor was painful and slow. The doctors had to give her medicines to speed up her labor.

Labor is the name of a big political party in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Labor won the election.


labor

labor (canonical)
labors (third-person singular)
labored (past)
labored (past participle)
laboring (present participle)

He labored over the food all afternoon to get ready for dinner.

If you labor the point, you keep talking about it after people understand it well.


inevitably

(also a sentence adverb) You use this to say that something cannot be avoided.

A drop in the number of worker in a country inevitably leads to higher wages.

Inevitably, if you practice less, you will be less good.


rumour

A rumour is a story about somebody or something, that is told by other people, most of the time it is not true.

There is a rumour going around that John's been fired. Is it true?


rumour

rumour (canonical)
rumours (third-person singular)
rumoured (past)
rumoured (past participle)
rumouring (present participle)

If you rumour, you gossip; you tell someone a rumor.

It has been rumoured that John's moving soon. Is this true?


induce

induce (canonical)
induces (third-person singular)
induced (past)
induced (past participle)
inducing (present participle)

If you induce something, you make it happen.

Soft lighting is often used for in restaurants to induce a feeling of relaxation.

He was given a drug which would normally induce sleep, but it had no effect on him.


schedule

A schedule is a plan of things that are happening and the times when they happen.

He visits each village in his or her area on a weekly schedule.

The train is right on schedule.

The meeting was running 10 minutes ahead of schedule.

His doctors told him to cut down on his work schedule.

A schedule is a list, usually one with prices.

Please see the enclosed schedule of costs for facilities and activities.


schedule

schedule (canonical)
schedules (third-person singular)
scheduled (past)
scheduled (past participle)
scheduling (present participle)

If you schedule something, you make a plan for when and where it will happen.

The party was originally scheduled for June 5th.


androgyny

Androgyny is having both masculine and feminine characteristics.

Androgyny is looking neither masculine nor feminine.


intensity

The intensity of something is the amount of it in a given time or space.

These flowers suffer from high intensity of sunlight.

It all depends on the intensity of the work, not the amount.

Intensity is a high level of power, strength, feeling, etc.

Marie understood the intensity of the old woman's hatred.

The intensity of the pain made him scream.

She spoke with a new intensity.


exhibit

exhibit (canonical)
exhibits (third-person singular)
exhibited (past)
exhibited (past participle)
exhibiting (present participle)

You exhibit something when you show it to others.

He exhibited the new product to the audience.


exhibit

An exhibit is something that is shown to others.

There is a new exhibit at the museum on the subject of Chinese history.


bias

A bias is a preference in one direction that makes things unequal.

There is strong evidence of a bias towards the death penalty for black rather than white murderers.

They had plans for an international centre, with a strong political bias.

The bias is the diagonal direction, especially in cloth.

The neckline was cut on the bias to improve the drape of the fabric.


bias

biases (third-person singular)
biased (past)
biased (past participle)
biasing (present participle)
bias (canonical)
biasses (third-person singular)
biassed (past)
biassed (past participle)
biassing (present participle)

If you bias something, you unfairly make one result more likely than another.

Sexism in language biases experience constantly towards the male sex.

By not providing this information, you bias the results.


manipulation

Manipulation is the act of controlling someone or something, usually through pressure or in dishonest ways.

The political manipulation of statistics to confuse people is common.

In data manipulation on a parallel computer all bits of a word are processed at the same time.

All too often, guilt is also a form of manipulation – a way of hurting or punishing others.

Manipulation is the act of using your hands skillfully to move, play or operate something.

He tried to remove the piece by gentle manipulation from the outside.


theme

A theme is a general idea that runs through a conversation, story, group of images, piece of music, etc.

For Mr Giuliani, crime is a main campaign theme.

The topic did not seem related to the main themes of his studies.

The American novel focusses on themes of male companionship and confrontation with death.

They became a household name in 1982 with the theme music for the hit TV series, "Harry's Game".


theme

theme (canonical)
themes (third-person singular)
themed (past)
themed (past participle)
theming (present participle)

If you theme something, you give it a theme.


bulk

The bulk of something is the largest part of it.

The bulk of the shipment was headed for Toronto.

The great bulk of crime has always involved stealing of one kind or another.

Someone or something's bulk is its size or amount, especially if it is large.

She took a deep breath, and, enormously grateful for the solid bulk of Leo at her back, she stepped inside.

If you sell something in bulk, it is not individually packaged.

I usually buy nuts at the bulk food store.

If you buy something in bulk, you buy large amounts.

The store offers discounts for buying in bulk.

A bulk is an item that is moved about like cargo.


bulk

bulk (canonical)
bulks (third-person singular)
bulked (past)
bulked (past participle)
bulking (present participle)

If something bulks, it appears to be big in size.

If you bulk something, you increase its' size; you expand it.


behalf

If you do something on someone's behalf, you do it for them or as their representative.

We give you this award on behalf of a grateful nation.

We have to leave, but would you please apologize to Steve on our behalf?

If you're not there, they'll make the decision on your behalf.


unify

unify (canonical)
unifies (third-person singular)
unified (past)
unified (past participle)
unifying (present participle)

If you unify something or a group of things, you bring them together as one.

When she explained it, all the different pieces of information and ideas came together for me in a unified whole.

There are many cultural, ethnic, historical, and geographical reasons why Ireland should be unified politically.

Music serves to identify and unify members of the group.


erosion

Erosion is the loss of land because of water and wind.

Farming increases soil erosion by breaking up soil structure, and reducing the number of plants.

Footpath erosion is a significant problem in all the UK's national parks.

The new plan should stop the erosion of support for the idea.

An erosion is a shallow lesion that is usually found on the skin or in tissue of the epithelium.


anticipate

anticipate (canonical)
anticipates (third-person singular)
anticipated (past)
anticipated (past participle)
anticipating (present participle)

If you anticipate something, you think or do something about it before it happens.

The seasonal changes in temperature are anticipated by birds through the changes of day length.

The airport will be expanded to meet anticipated growth in air traffic.

We do not anticipate any major problems with the new system.


cease

cease (canonical)
ceases (third-person singular)
ceased (past)
ceased (past participle)
ceasing (present participle)

If you cease something, you stop doing it.

Around the time of the First World War, Clark brothers ceased operations, and the mill finally fell silent.

Beyond the window, the rain ceased, giving way to sunshine.


mutual

mutual (positive)
more mutual (comparative)
most mutual (superlative)

If something is mutual x does it to y, and y does it to x.

The working relationship between the two men was based on a mutual respect.

She hated him, and the feeling was mutual.

A mutual friend, agreement, etc. is one that is shared between two or more people.

I learned of her accident through a mutual friend.


norm

A norm is the usual situation, amount, level, etc.

CDs are dying out and MP3s are becoming the norm.

His income is slightly above the norm for someone in his position.

Many teens find it very important to conform to group norms.


intermediate

intermediate (positive)
more intermediate (comparative)
most intermediate (superlative)

If something is intermediate, it is between other things.

Most people who get beyond the beginner stage get stuck being intermediate.

These sounds can represent an intermediate stage between animal communication and language.

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-intermediate (adj, noun).wav


intermediate

An intermediate is someone who acts between other people.

An intermediate is something that is intermediate.


manual

manual (positive)
more manual (comparative)
most manual (superlative)

If something is manual, it is done with the hands or through physical work.

Unskilled manual workers are the most likely to lose their job when the economy changes.

One quarter of the accidents at work arise from manual lifting, handling and carrying.

Manual dexterity, detergents, etc. are for or related to hands.

Video games increase your manual dexterity and hand to eye co-ordination.


manual

I need to fix this machine, but I can't find the manual.


supplementary

supplementary (positive)
more supplementary (comparative)
most supplementary (superlative)

If something is supplementary, it is added on; it is not needed, but it is often useful.

Many immigrants are employed but also feel the need to seek supplementary income.

These software solutions are more supplementary than basic.


speaking

speak (canonical)
speaks (third-person singular)
spoke (past)
spoken (past participle)
speaking (present participle)


spoken

I have spoken to her about the car.


spoke

One of many rods that are between the center and outer surface of a wheel.


spoke

John spoke to me about his idea.


speaks

speak (canonical)
speaks (third-person singular)
spoke (past)
spoke (past participle)
speaking (present participle)

The third-person singular form of speak.

I find it difficult to understand him because he speaks with such a heavy accent.


concurrent

concurrent (positive)
more concurrent (comparative)
most concurrent (superlative)

If two things are concurrent, they happen at the same time.

The software can handle up to 500 concurrent users.

He was given six concurrent three-month jail sentences for the attacks.

Concurrent with the war in Iraq the Americans was the war in Afghanistan.

If two things are concurrent, they agree in meaning.

The police got concurrent stories from five witnesses.

If three or more lines are concurrent, they are alongside one another (parallel).


ethical

ethical (positive)
more ethical (comparative)
most ethical (superlative)

An ethical issue, problem, etc. relates to questions of good or bad, right or wrong.

Doctors have to think about both the medical and ethical parts of the problem.

If something is ethical, it is good, not bad or wrong. Often, this is based on formal philosophy. Often, what is ethical is based on rules of a group or profession (kind of job).

Is it really ethical to eat meat?


integral

integral (positive)
more integral (comparative)
most integral (superlative)

Integral parts, elements, etc. belong to a larger whole, often being necessary.

The parks and green spaces are an integral part of the city.

Regular training is regarded as integral to management.

Integral to this research was how the healthy body defends itself against bacteria.


integral

An integral is the result of a particular mathematical function.

F(x) is the integral of f(x) if (d[F(x)])/(dx)=f(x) .


conversely

Conversely is used to say that one idea is the opposite of the other idea.

The over-confident driver may drive too fast. Conversely the under-confident person may also cause problems by driving too slowly.


household

A group of people who live together; the group may or may not be a family. A household may also be an individual living alone.

How many people are there in your household?


confine

confine (canonical)
confines (third-person singular)
confined (past)
confined (past participle)
confining (present participle)

If you confine someone or something to a particular topic or activity, you do not let them do other topics or activities.

Humphrey did not confine his activities just to the factory.

Her relatively short life was largely confined to Copenhagen.

If you confine somebody or something, you put them in a place that they cannot leave.

For the first twenty years he was confined in prison-like conditions.

The disease was confined to a small area within the Camperdown district.


accommodation

(usually accommodations in American English) Accommodation is a place to stay or live.

The hotel provides high quality accommodation, mostly for foreign visitors.

After long years of living in rented accommodations, Jack could finally afford to buy a house.

Accommodation is the process or result of changing something to fit a particular need or situation.

During the 1990s Iran tried twice to reach an accommodation with its long time rival.


unnamed

If something is unnamed, it does not have a name.


distort

distort (canonical)
distorts (third-person singular)
distorted (past)
distorted (past participle)
distorting (present participle)

If something is distorted, its shape or meaning is changed, often in a bad or unnatural way.

Christina backed away from Michael, whose handsome face was twisted and distorted by hatred.

A small change in wording can completely distort the meaning of the speaker.

These import taxes can distort the market.


passive

passive (positive)
more passive (comparative)
most passive (superlative)

If someone is passive, they do not normally respond or take action.

Watching TV is a much more passive activity than reading.

After his injury, he was forced to play a more passive role on the team.

A passive clause has the natural object as its subject.

While "she hit me" is an active clause, "I was hit (by her)" is passive.


meetings

The plural form of meeting; more than one (kind of) meeting.

The group gets together in many meetings.


allow

allow (canonical)
allows (third-person singular)
allowed (past)
allowed (past participle)
allowing (present participle)

If you allow something, you let it happen; you say it's OK.

We were not allowed to enter the building.

I allow food in my car.


bank

A building where you can keep and borrow money.

I have to stop at the bank to deposit my check and get money for tonight.

blood bank

sperm bank

data bank


bank

bank (canonical)
banks (third-person singular)
banked (past)
banked (past participle)
banking (present participle)

The act of a plane turning left or right while in flight.

The plane banks right to line up with the runway.


nature

We went on a nature walk.

Things that people did not make. The world or universe.

Nature contains many beautiful things.

The way something is without people causing it, or a quality people did not cause. Often, this is a part of your personality that is natural to you.

She has a very gentle nature.

It is the nature of dogs to eat meat.

Our natures don't match, we are just too different.


student

A student is person who studies a subject, especially in a school.

I am a student at the school.

She is a straight-A student from a good family.

He teaches learning-disabled (LD) students from kindergarten through twelfth grade.

Many first-year law students don't make it to second year.

It became the most popular course on campus, enrolling 1400 students.

Teachers try to help each student, whether they are a gifted student or a student having trouble.

Thousands of academically strong students are rejected by universities every year.

The program is open to all undergraduates and graduate students at the university.

The school can deal with students with a variety of disabilities.

The faculty, staff and students need to work together.

They worries about the lack of achievement demonstrated by the students.

Learning takes place between students through interaction with one another.

A student person who is very interested in a subject.

He's a student of the game and can answer any baseball question you ask.


study

A study is a formal effort to learn about something, usually with a written report at the end.

A recent study of New Mexico, completed using national survey data, indicates that many older New Mexicans are returning to school.


study

study (canonical)
studies (third-person singular)
studied (past)
studied (past participle)
studying (present participle)

If you study something, you make an effort to learn it.

We study math at the school.


elect

elect (canonical)
elects (third-person singular)
elected (past)
elected (past participle)
electing (present participle)

If you elect to do something, you choose to do it or make a decision to do it.

I elected to take Geography this semester but I'll be taking Chemistry next semester.

If you elect someone, especially a candidate, you choose them in an election.

We elect a president every four years.

The new mayor was elected in last year.


president

A president is the person in charge of a country.

The president stopped the war.

The president signed the bill into law.

A president is the leader of a business.

The president of the company stepped down yesterday.


once

We go to the house once a year.

She had only seen him once.

It's nice to be understood for once.

We get together once a month for coffee.

Not once have I said that.

It was hard to believe that once we had been friends.

The once great city had be destroyed.


once

Once I've finished cleaning up, we can leave.


age

Something's age is how long it has existed or been alive; how old something is.

The boy said he was age five.

Scott is showing his age.

The 1960s was a new age in music.


age

age (canonical)
ages (third-person singular)
aged (past)
aged (past participle)
aging (present participle)

Lillian has aged gracefully.


video

We watched a video in class.


video

video (canonical)
videos (third-person singular)
videoed (past)
videoed (past participle)
videoing (present participle)

If you video something, you record it with a camera or camcorder.


subordinate

subordinate (positive)
more subordinate (comparative)
most subordinate (superlative)

If something is subordinate, it is less important than someone or something else.

Keeping our natural world healthy remains subordinate to the health of the economy.

In society a dominant group often ignores the wishes of subordinate groups.


subordinate

A subordinate is someone who is at a lower position in an organization.

A good manager will talk with her subordinates before making most decisions.


subordinate

subordinate (canonical)
subordinates (third-person singular)
subordinated (past)
subordinated (past participle)
subordinating (present participle)

If you subordinate x to y, you give less importance to x and more to y.

When he fell in love, everything else was subordinated to it.


scenario

A scenario is a possible or imagined future, often with detailed plans.

The worst scenario for Nicky, I imagined, would be if Enya suddenly fell in love with another producer.

If the first part can be completed, then two possible scenarios present themselves.

/sɛˈnɑːriəʊ/


assurance

An assurance is a strong promise, usually given when the listener has doubts.

She had been here before and could give assurance that they were on the right course.

Despite assurances from the contractor that everything was going well, we still felt nervous.

Assurance is the feeling of self confidence.

Cocteau in his trademark suit stared with absolute assurance into the camera.


coherence

Coherence is the property of being connected, especially of ideas.

Even if the story lacks logical coherence, it is still a fun film to watch.

Teachers need to help the learner to achieve a genuine sense of coherence across the subjects.

We studied loneliness and coherence among Children with learning problems.


suspend

suspend (canonical)
suspends (third-person singular)
suspended (past)
suspended (past participle)
suspending (present participle)

If you suspend something, you stop it for a time.

The army suspended all operations in the north until the weather has changed.

The conversation was temporarily suspended while everyone watched the TV.

If you suspend someone from a job or from school, you stop them from going for a time.

Crang was suspended for five games for punching another player.

If you suspend an object, you attach it above and hang it down.

Two lamps were suspended above the room and gave off a gentle light.


henna

Henna is a reddish plant used for making tattoos and hair coloring.

People in north Africa and nearby regions often use henna in festivities and celebrations.

On her wedding day, Sam will wear henna on her hands and feet.


exercise

Exercise is a physical activity to make your body stronger.

Losing some weight and doing more exercise will improve your looks.

The doctor gave me some exercises to strengthen my back.

Roll over and repeat the whole exercise with the other leg.

Exercise is an activity that helps develop a skill.

The next exercise is on page 57 in the textbook.

My piano teacher gave me a number of new exercises for the left hand.

An exercise is an activity for a specific purpose.

Her speech the next day was an exercise in damage control.


exercise

exercise (canonical)
exercises (third-person singular)
exercised (past)
exercised (past participle)
exercising (present participle)

If you exercise your power, your rights, etc. you use them.

It's no longer true that men exercise all the power, and women just follow.

The police are to continue to exercise control over the crowd.

If you exercise, you do physical activity to make your body stronger.

We exercised in the gym.

I've been exercising my back regularly and it doesn't hurt anymore.

She exercised the horses in the yard all morning.