breakfast

Breakfast is the first meal that we eat in the morning.

I'm late for school. I don't have time for breakfast today.

"What time do you usually eat breakfast?" "Oh, I don't know, usually about 6:30."


item

An item is a particular thing that is separate from other things.

The first item to discuss at today's meeting is the noise from the new road.

There are a number of items here that belonged to your father.


for instance

You say, for instance when you plan to give an example of something.

When the United States doesn't like what a country is doing, it sends in its army. For instance, Vietnam was a problem, America started a war.


element

An element is one part of something bigger, such as a plan, an engine, or a business.

He's the best salesman on our team, but he's only one element in our success.

An element is one basic kind of substance, such as iron (Fe), oxygen (O), or sodium (Na).

Water is made up of two elements: Hydrogen and Oxygen.


identical

If two ore more things are identical, they are exactly the same.

The teachers teach from identical textbooks, but the ways they teach are quite different.


category

A category is a group of people or things that are the same in some way.

The music business tries to put music into various categories, such as rock, pop, jazz, etc.


chemical

A chemical is a basic substance that is used in or produced by mixing elements or other chemicals.

When you burn plastics, you put dangerous chemicals into the air.

The chemical industry in China is producing more and more useful paints, glues, and other products.


chemical

This test can detect small changes in the chemical composition of water.


topic

A topic is a general idea that someone is speaking (reading, thinking, etc.) about at a specific time.

We were talking about my problems. Don't change the topic.

Our library has books on a wide range of topics.

When you're writing for school, it's important to stay on topic, and not start talking about other things.


smoke

Smoke is the gray or black substance that goes up into the air when something burns.

The smoke from that factory is making me sick.


smoke

smoke (canonical)
smokes (third-person singular)
smoked (past)
smoked (past participle)
smoking (present participle)

If somebody is smoking, they are breathing in smoke, usually from a cigarette.

Excuse me, you can't smoke in the restaurant.

If something is smoking, it is making smoke.

The fire's still smoking. You'd better put some more water on it.


tour

A tour is a planned walk, bus trip, or flight, to look at a particular place.

Last year we took a wonderful tour to Rome.


tour

tour (canonical)
tours (third-person singular)
toured (past)
toured (past participle)
touring (present participle)

If you tour a place, you go around it to look at it, often with a guide.

The president gave a short tour around the new factory.

The opera company was touring Europe and Africa.

The Grammy winner toured several cities on the East Coast last year.

Many country western singers tour during the summer months.


complain

complain (canonical)
complains (third-person singular)
complained (past)
complained (past participle)
complaining (present participle)

If you complain about someone or something, you say or write that you are not happy about it.

We complained to the manager about the service after waiting one hour for our food.


will

will (present)
would (past)
won't (negative)

You use will to say that you strongly expect something to happen in the future.

Don't worry. The sun will come up again tomorrow.

If you will do something, you make a plan to do it.

I will go to the store.


will

will (canonical)
wills (third-person singular)
willed (past)
willed (past participle)
willing (present participle)

If you will something to happen, you wish for it to happen.

If you will something to someone, you write down your plan to give it to them after your death.

He willed his coin collection to his son.


will

A will is a statement about what you want to happen after you die.

Will is the ability to push through difficulties.

His will states that the house will be inherited by his oldest son after his death.


must

Must is usually used to tell someone they have no choice about doing something because it is important or because of a rule or law.

She must get her medicine soon or she will die.

If you say something must be true, you say you have come to believe that it is true.

I must have left my phone at the restaurant.

She must not have the note if you've got it.


shall

shall (present)
should (past)
shan't (negative)

Shall is usually used to make a suggestion about your own actions.

Shall I get that for you?

Shall we go?

Where shall I put the plates?

Shall is used like will to make a promise.

We shall send your order immediately.


should

shall (present)
should (past)
shouldn't (negative)

You use should to say that it is a good idea to do something.

If you have a test, you should be studying.

Who should we call to fix this?


seldom

If you seldom do something, you almost never do it.

"How often did you meet?" "Well, we saw her quite often, but we seldom saw her husband. In fact, I'm not even sure what he looks like."


motion

A motion is a movement, often not a big movement.

She made a small motion with her hand to get his attention.

The light turned green and he put the car into motion.


motion

motion (canonical)
motions (third-person singular)
motioned (past)
motioned (past participle)
motioning (present participle)

If you motion a person, you direct or command them with a movement.


tall

tall (positive)
taller (comparative)
tallest (superlative)

If something is tall, there is a long distance from the bottom to the top.

The man was so tall that he hit his head coming in the door.

There are too many tall buildings in Toronto.


wine

Wine is an alcoholic drink made from grapes or other fruit.

I don't drink wine very often. Usually I prefer beer.


wine

wine (canonical)
wines (third-person singular)
wined (past)
wined (past participle)
wining (present participle)

If you wine and dine someone, you entertain them with dinner and wine.


corner

A corner is the place where two lines or edges meet.

They live on the corner of Main Street and Dundas.

Just put it on the table in the corner of the room.


corner

corner (canonical)
corners (third-person singular)
cornered (past)
cornered (past participle)
cornering (present participle)

To corner someone is to get someone into a place where he or she cannot leave.

Jessy cornered him in the supply room and wouldn't let him leave.

The car really corners well. Turns are easy for it.


hotel

A hotel is a place where people pay to stay in a room overnight, usually for only a few days.

We fly to Taipei and stay at the Hilton hotel for three days and two nights.


map

A map is an image of a place, usually with place names written in.

I think we're lost. Do you have a map?

I've got a good street map of London.


map

map (canonical)
maps (third-person singular)
mapped (past)
mapped (past participle)
mapping (present participle)

If you map something, you create a visual representation of it.

John mapped out his idea so that his friends could understand it.


straight

If something goes straight, it continues to move in one direction without turning.

No not that road. Just keep driving straight.


straight

straight (positive)
straighter (comparative)
straightest (superlative)

If something is straight, it does not bend, or turn. It continues in one direction.

He had had too much to drink and couldn't walk in a straight line.

Someone who is straight is heterosexual; being attracted to those of the opposite sex.


straight

In the card game of poker, a straight hand has five sequential cards.

A 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 is considered a straight hand.


empty

empty (positive)
emptier (comparative)
emptiest (superlative)

If something is empty, it has nothing inside it.

Hey! You finished my beer. It's empty.


empty

empty (canonical)
empties (third-person singular)
emptied (past)
emptied (past participle)
emptying (present participle)

If you empty something, you remove everything in that item.

I will empty the bins.


rare

rare (positive)
rarer (comparative)
rarest (superlative)

If something is rare, you seldom see it or there are only a few.

It's rare to have snow in June.

The vory-billed woodpecker is a very rare bird, and has only been seen by a few people.

If a meat is cooked rare, it is cooked very lightly so that the meat is still red when it is done.


confusion

Confusion is a feeling you get when things are unclear or you don't understand.

The snow storm caused great confusion at the airport where many planes were unable to take off or land.

The confusion in the last act of "The Marriage of Figaro" usually makes the audience laugh.


violence

Violence is an action done to hurt somebody or something.

I don't watch boxing, because I don't like all the fighting and violence.


murder

Murder is when one person plans to hurt or kill somebody and they kill somebody.

Police are looking into two murders at a club in Brazzaville last night.

A woman who lived in 1982 was walking into the woods, and was murdered by a man, who was into the woods, also, and her body was never found, so her family just had a memorial.


murder

murder (canonical)
murders (third-person singular)
murdered (past)
murdered (past participle)
murdering (present participle)

He murdered two people in the bar.


guess

guess (canonical)
guesses (third-person singular)
guessed (past)
guessed (past participle)
guessing (present participle)

If you guess at something, you try to imagine what it might be, but you don't know the answer.

"What happened? Why has play stopped?" "I don't know. I guess a player's hurt, maybe."


guess

A guess is an answer that you give when you don't know the real answer.

"Wow, what a great car! How much do you think it costs?" "My guess is around $80,000."


plane

A plane is a vehicle with wings that flies.

Can we hurry? I have to catch a plane to Miami.

A plane is a surface that goes out in all directions indefinitely.


plane

plane (canonical)
planes (third-person singular)
planed (past)
planed (past participle)
planing (present participle)

If you plane a piece of wood, you smooth it with a plane.


airplane

An airplane is a vehicle with wings that can fly.

Can we hurry? I have to catch an airplane to Miami.


block

A block is a hard piece of material, usually with six smooth sides.

When I was young, I liked building things with wooden blocks.

A city block is the distance from one road to the next.

We have to walk about three blocks to the restaurant.

In computers, a block is a restriction that prevents access to something.

I could not start a page on Wikipedia because of a block.


block

block (canonical)
blocks (third-person singular)
blocked (past)
blocked (past participle)
blocking (present participle)

If X is blocking Y, then Y can't go past X.

The water in the bath won't go down. There's something blocking the drain.

The road was blocked by police.

Excuse me! You're blocking my view. I can't see.


hit

hit (canonical)
hits (third-person singular)
hit (past)
hit (past participle)
hitting (present participle)

If you hit someone or something, then you touch them hard and fast.

The bully got suspended for hitting the boy in the face.

The red car was turning when the blue car hit it.

The past tense and past participle of hit.

If you hit on someone, you flirt with them.

I'm just gonna be hitting on chicks tonight


hit

The hit almost knocked me out.

A great success, especially in the entertainment industry.

His new musical comedy was a hit with audiences and critics.

He had so many hits last year that he was elected to the Musical Comedy Hall of Fame.


offender

An offender is someone or something that does something wrong, usually someone who breaks the law.

The boy who took the car is a young offender, so we can't use his real name.


offense

An offense is an action that breaks the law.

Murder is a serious criminal offense.

When you give offense to someone, you do something that they don't like.

I didn't mean to give offense, but I didn't know that you don't do that in China.

The offense is the person or team who is attacking.

For the first time in the game, Arsenal goes on the offense.


sorry

sorry (positive)
sorrier (comparative)
sorriest (superlative)

You say "I'm sorry" when you have done something wrong and you feel bad.

I'm sorry that I lost your jacket last night.


my

Is this my book, or is it yours?


your

Your things are things which belong to you.

Can I eat some of your ice-cream please?


its

Its thing is the thing that belongs to it.

We bought the old car and fixed up its engine.

The moon doesn't make its own light.

"Where's the coffee?" "It's on its way.


our

Our things are things that belong to us.

We've come in our new car.

Our daughter got a new job.


their

If something belongs to them it is their thing.

That's not their car, it's ours.


mine

Give that back to me! It's mine!


mine

A mine is a large hole in the ground from which rocks and minerals are taken.

A mine is a device that explodes when it is touched, or when a ship, vehicle, or person comes close to it.


mine

mine (canonical)
mines (third-person singular)
mined (past)
mined (past participle)
mining (present participle)

If you mine rocks or minerals, you dig them out of the ground.

If you mine an area, you dig a mine there.

If you mine an area, you put exploding mines there.

The soldiers mined the field to help kill their enemies.


yours

If something is yours, it belongs to you.

Excuse me, is this yours? I found it on the desk.


hers

If something is hers, it belongs to her.

Please give this to Susan. It's hers.


ours

If something is ours it belongs to us; the possessive case of we, used without a following noun.

This land has been ours for years.

Is this bag yours or ours?


theirs

If something is theirs, it belongs to them.

This book isn't mine, it's theirs.

"Whose laptop is this?" "It's theirs."


myself

You use myself when you are the doer and the receiver of an action.

I taught myself.

If you do something by yourself, you do it without any help or alone.

I taught him myself.

You use myself to emphasize that it is you and not somebody else.

I know a lot of people love coffee, but I myself don't really like it.


yourself

You use yourself when the person doing an action and receiving an action are both you.

Be careful. You'll hurt yourself.

Are you happy with yourself.

I heard you got yourself a new pet.

Don't pretend you don't know. You yourself have seen these kinds of problems.

If you do something by yourself, you do it alone.

That's beautiful, son. Did you make it by yourself?

If you don't feel yourself, you are different from usual, because you are sick, scared, stressed, etc.


himself

Third person masculine singular reflexive pronoun.

He went by himself to the store.


herself

Third person singular feminine reflexive pronoun

She went by herself to the store.


itself

Third person neutral singular reflexive pronoun.

No person did a thing, but the car started all by itself.


ourselves

The reflexive case of we, the first-person plural personal pronoun.

us (referring to us, when we have already been mentioned)

We should keep this for ourselves.

We did it ourselves.


themselves

You use themselves when the people doing an action and the people receiving an action are the same people, but they are not you or the person you're talking to.

They've hurt themselves.

They're very happy with themselves.

They've got themselves a new pet.

Use for emphasis, when talking about more than one person or about one person when you don't know who that person is.

The classes are as different as the students themselves.

If somebody or some people do something by themselves, they do it alone.

The children earned $500 by themselves. I didn't help.

If somebody or some people don't feel themselves, they are different from usual, because they are sick, scared, stressed, etc.


part

A part of something is one piece of it or a small amount of it.

As a part of this team, you need to come to practice regularly.

Part of the page was gone, so I couldn't read it.

I don't have the right part to fix your computer, but we've ordered it.


part

part (canonical)
parts (third-person singular)
parted (past)
parted (past participle)
parting (present participle)

If A and B part, they were together and now they are not.

My wife and I parted after our son died.

We didn't want to part with the house, but we had to sell it.

He parted the leaves and looked up at the bird.


body

A body is the main part of a person, animal, physical object, or organisation.

After falling out of the tree, his arm was broken and his body hurt all over.

The governing body of the UN meets in Geneva.

The police found her body after she had been missing for three days.

The senate is an important legislative body in the United States.

A body of something is a lot on it together in one place.

Lake Michigan is a large body of water.

A body is a thing that all moves together.

The moon is a body in orbit around Earth.


animal

An animal is any living thing that can move. People are not animals, but are said to be animals, under the scientific definition. .

Dogs, elephants, and horses are all animals.


ticket

A ticket is a piece of paper that allows you to enter a train, airplane, show, etc.

I bought my ticket to Mexico last week, but now I can't find it.

A ticket is a piece of paper that shows that you have parked your car in the wrong place or committed some other driving offence.

The policeman gave me a ticket for going 125 km/h.


ticket

ticket (canonical)
tickets (third-person singular)
ticketed (past)
ticketed (past participle)
ticketing (present participle)

If you ticket someone, then you give someone a ticket for breaking a law.

The officer ticketed the driver after he drove through a red light.


belt

A belt is a piece of clothing worn around a person's waist. They can be used to hold up trousers or skirts, or for carrying things in pockets, such as on a utility belt.

I think I've put on weight. My belt is too tight.

A belt is used to hold people down for safety, such as a seat belt


belt

belt (canonical)
belts (third-person singular)
belted (past)
belted (past participle)
belting (present participle)

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


third

The third thing is the one that is number three (3) in order.

I have two older brothers. I'm the third child.


third

A third of something is one of three equal parts of that thing.

Four is one third of twelve.


flower

A flower is part of a plant. Flowers are often very pretty. Plants make them so that they can make new seeds.

The flower of the plant is starting to wilt.

She was in the flower of her life.

Cherry blossoms are in flower this week.

The rose is my favorite flower.


flower

flower (canonical)
flowers (third-person singular)
flowered (past)
flowered (past participle)
flowering (present participle)

When something flowers, it starts to bloom.

Cherry blossoms are going to flower this week.


engine

An engine is the part of a machine which gives it power.


fire

A chemical reaction that makes heat and flames or smoldering.

Something that has made or can make this chemical reaction, such as a campfire.

We sat around the fire singing songs and telling stories.

The, often accidental, occurrence of fire in a certain place which leads to its full or partial destruction.

There was a fire at the church last night and the whole place burned down.


fire

fire (canonical)
fires (third-person singular)
fired (past)
fired (past participle)
firing (present participle)

If an employee is fired, their employment is ended because of something they did.

She should fire the guy who stole that stuff.

He got fired from his job.

If you fire a gun, cannon or a similar weapon, you shoot it.

We will fire our guns at the enemy.

Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes.


winter

Winter is the coldest season of the year. In northern countries, December, January and February are winter months.

We like to go to Mexico in the winter.


camp

A camp is a place, usually outside of cities, where people stay for a short time.

I don't think I can walk anymore today. Let's set up camp for the night.


camp

camp (canonical)
camps (third-person singular)
camped (past)
camped (past participle)
camping (present participle)

If you camp, you stay in a place, usually outside of the city for a short time.

I hope we can go camping in the mountains this summer.


flat

flat (positive)
flatter (comparative)
flattest (superlative)

If something is flat, it has a surface with no high places or low places.

There are a lot of mountains, and very little flat land for farming.


flat

A flat is a rented room or rooms in a building with other flats.

Would you like to come back to my flat and watch TV?

A flat makes a note one semitone lower than a natural: it is shown by the symbol ♭.


flat

flat (canonical)
flats (third-person singular)
flatted (past)
flatted (past participle)
flatting (present participle)


hat

A hat is a piece of clothing that you wear on your head.

A poke bonnet is an old-fashioned woman's hat that covers the hair and shades the face with a rim.

Please take off your hat when you enter the church.

Men remove their hats when entering a church.

Women's hats are sold in a special store called a milliner's shop or a millinery.

Men's hats are sold in a special store called a haberdashery.


sheep

A sheep is an animal that people keep on farms and eat for food.

My grandfather has a sheep farm and we get all our wool there.

A sheep is a person who follows orders blindly and cannot think for themself.

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


resident

A resident is somebody who lives in a particular area.

The local residents like the tourism because it creates more jobs for them.

A resident is a doctor who is still training, and who works in a hospital.


resident

If you are resident somewhere, you live or work there.

If you are not resident in the town, you may not use the town pool.

The resident population at the school has grown each year, and now most of our students live here.

I am a resident of Thailand.


illustrate

illustrate (canonical)
illustrates (third-person singular)
illustrated (past)
illustrated (past participle)
illustrating (present participle)

If you illustrate something, you draw a picture of it, or you explain it.

"I'm sorry, can you explain again?" "OK, let me illustrate with an example."

This graph illustrates the change in price.

If you illustrate a book, magazine, poster, etc., you put pictures in it.

Have you tried reading these illustrated books for adults?


location

When you're opening a new business, the choice of location is very important.

A site outside of a studio used for shooting all or part of a movie or television show.

The show was filmed on location in Hawaii.

/ləʊˈkeɪʃən/


licence

A licence is an official piece of paper that allows you to do something, such as drive, open a business, etc.

I got my driver's licence when I was 16 years old.


licence

licence (canonical)
licences (third-person singular)
licenced (past)
licenced (past participle)
licencing (present participle)

Another spelling of license, usually thought to be wrong. The verb form should normally be spelt as license.


license

A license is an official piece of paper that allows you to do something, such as drive, open a business, etc.

I got my driver's license when I was 16 years old.


license

license (canonical)
licenses (third-person singular)
licensed (past)
licensed (past participle)
licensing (present participle)

The act of giving a formal (usually written) authorization.

It was decided to license Wikipedia under the GFDL.

I am licensed to practice law in this state.


parent

The parents of a person or animal are its father and mother.

Children may only enter the pool with a parent or guardian.


parent

parent (canonical)
parents (third-person singular)
parented (past)
parented (past participle)
parenting (present participle)


century

My great grandfather came to Canada over a century ago.

The telephone was invented in the 19th century.

Centuries passed before the slaves were freed.


widow

A widow is a woman whose husband has died.

The government supports the widows of dead soldiers.


rent

Rent is the money you pay to borrow and use something, usually an apartment.

Have we paid this month's rent yet?


rent

rent (canonical)
rents (third-person singular)
rented (past)
rented (past participle)
renting (present participle)

If you rent something, you pay money to use something for a limited time, usually for a house or apartment.

I'm in Texas next week, so I'll have to rent a car.

The room was rented out last week.


roof

My five brothers, two sisters and seven cousins all live together under one roof.


roof

roof (canonical)
roofs (third-person singular)
roofed (past)
roofed (past participle)
roofing (present participle)

If you roof something, then you are putting a roof onto a building.

My father had to roof our house because it needed a roof.


grand

grand (positive)
grander (comparative)
grandest (superlative)

If something is grand, it's large and impressive.

As she got out of the car, she saw that the house was very grand.


bottle

A bottle is a container, usually made of glass that holds liquid and has a cap or stopper.

He drank cold water from a plastic bottle.

She brought two bottles of wine to the party.

We collected the empty beer bottles and took them back to the shop.

I filled up the bottle with water.

She cracked open four bottles and poured glasses for each of them.

The floor under the Rock was covered with trash: broken bottles, food wrappers, and ripped clothing.

The bottle had a long, thin neck.


bottle

bottle (canonical)
bottles (third-person singular)
bottled (past)
bottled (past participle)
bottling (present participle)

If you bottle your feelings up, you keep them inside and don't let them show.

You can tell he is still angry, but he's keeping it bottled up.

If you bottle somebody or something up, you keep them in a very small space, often under pressure.

We were bottled up in that plane for 32 hours.

If you bottle something, you put it in a bottle.

This plant bottles a lot of spring water every day.


head

The head is the highest and most important part of the body.

He put his head on the desk and fell asleep.

After a series of problems, the head of the company left.

The bathroom on a ship is called the head.

The head is the function of the most important element in a phrase.

To give a person head is to give them fellatio.


head

head (canonical)
heads (third-person singular)
headed (past)
headed (past participle)
heading (present participle)

Bill heads for the mall after work.


throat

Your throat is a tube inside your neck. It takes air from your mouth to your lungs.

My throat hurts from singing too much.


these

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

I am going to take these sandwiches for my lunch.

These paintings around me are not to be touched.

These are the simple rules you have to follow.

I have always wanted to own books like these.


those

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

Those bolts go with these parts.

I don't want those oranges because they are too sour.


no

Used to disagree or refuse; to say something different from what the other person said.

No, I do not fish.

No, I still have some things to do first.

Used to agree with the negative side of a negative question.

Isn't the door locked? No, the door is not locked. We can go in.


no

There is no water left.

No hot dogs were sold yesterday.

Not any possibility or allowance of (doing something). You can't.

No smoking.

There's no stopping her once she gets going.

Not (a); not properly, not really; not fully.

My mother's no fool.

Working nine to five every day is no life.

He's no better off.


some

Used to mean an amount or number of something when the amount or number is not exact or specific.

Would you like some grapes?

Every government is ill-disposed to the press, all or some of the time.

He had edited the paper for some years.

I've just met some man who said he knew you.

You use some before a number to say that it may be a little more or a little less.

Some 200 people attended the event.


sufficient

If something is sufficient, it means there is enough or that it is good enough.

We now have a sufficient number of people to do the job.

The food supplies should be sufficient to last the winter.

The factory was shut down because if didn't meet the necessary and sufficient conditions for safety.


sufficient

You use sufficient to identify the smallest amount needed.

Sufficient of us are against this idea that we should stop now.


what

What is used to ask for information about things.

What did you see?

What do you mean?

What is used to add a clause with more information.

I don't know what you mean.

I'll tell you what to do.

I'll see what I can do to help.

The thing(s) which: a small amount of something.

Take what you can find.

What you made was great.

I am what I am.

The city is not what it used to be.

They kept blaming him for what he had done.


what

What is used to ask about the member(s) of a group.

What book did you buy?

What is used to talk about the member(s) of a group.

What gifts you can give are appreciated.

What ideas he has to offer are likely to be half-baked.

I gave him what money I had.


what

used to show that you feel strongly about something.

What a great book this is!


we

The person speaking and other people with him or her.

"Are you and Mia still going?" "No, we're finished."

We went to Paris together.

We ought to help.

Let's go. We need to talk to Mark.

We won our football game.

We need to think about other people more.


we

We Canadians don't act that way.


many

many
more (comparative)
most (superlative)

There are many people in China.

How many times have I walked down this street?

It was so many years ago that we first met.

There are not many people like him.

As many as 30 per cent of the population carries this disease.

In too many cases, people don't get the care they need.

A great many questions still have no answers.

Some are good, but not very many.

Many of our teachers come from other countries.


many

You use many to indicate that you are talking about a large number of people or things.

The possibilities are many.


few

few
fewer (comparative)
fewest (superlative)

I found very few problems.

There are so few good books.

I can't believe how few people are here.

There are so many problems and few are easy.


much

much
more (comparative)
most (superlative)

a lot of; a large amount of; a high degree

I don't have much money.

I don't like the cider very much.

I know how much he loves everybody in the house.

You're not much better than he is.

She was much more fun after a few drinks.

This is almost as much fun as last week.

We bought another one, but the cost was much greater.

I don't think it matters much what you study.

Thank you very much!

Much attention has been given to the question of where the money should go.

They arrived much sooner than we had expected.

He's very much the Englishman.

If someone or something is very much alive, interested, open, etc., they are indeed so, contrary to expectations.

I thought the window was closed, but it was very much open.

If something is pretty much impossible, useless, perfect, etc. it is roughly so.

Your hair looks pretty much perfect the way it is.


little

little (positive)
littler (comparative)
littlest (superlative)

If something is little, its size is not big.

I just ate a tiny little piece of the cake.

A little while, distance, etc. is not long.

Could you just wait a little while more?

Two little boys were fighting on the playground.


little

little
less (comparative)
least (superlative)

Little money, room, help, etc. is a small amount of it; not much.

They understood little or no French.

He was busy and had little time for children.

Try to spend as little of your money as possible.

We saw little of her after the first day.

Little is known about the problem.

The building was destroyed leaving little more than rock and glass.

She's a quiet person with little to say about these things.

This has little to do with him and a lot to do with you.

We saved what little was left.


which

You use which to ask for the selection of one or more members of some set.

There are a lot of new books this year. Which ones do you like?

Excuse me, which way is the toilet?

Which of the two wines is cheaper?

Which of the following cheeses are usually made from sheep's milk? A. pecorino B. vaccino C. provolone D. chevre.

You use which to add a clause to explain what thing you're talking about.

For several seconds he sat in silence, during which time the tea and sandwiches arrived.

I'm thinking of getting a new car, in which case I'd get a red one.


which

You use which to add a clause to give more information about the thing you're talking about.

We've met some problems which are very difficult to handle.

He walked by a door with a sign which reads: PRIVATE OFFICE.

He had to leave, which was very difficult.

We have to protect the environment in which we live.

She appears to actually like the man, which I find incredible.

No art can be properly understood apart from the culture of which it is a part.


neither

Not one or the other; not either; none of two things.

Neither definition seems correct.

Neither Sarah nor John is going to the concert on Saturday.

Fresia and Lydia sat on either side of the bed, but neither spoke.

Neither of his two kids wants to work for him.

He only has two friends, and neither one is interesting.

In the first game neither side scored.

Neither Darwin nor Huxley worked at Oxford.

This helps neither you nor me.

We are neither saying that it's wrong, nor are we saying you should try it.


neither

Neither is used to show that a something that is not true in one case is also not true in another case.

She didn't have one, and neither did I.

If you don't go, then neither will I.

"I can't touch it." "Neither can I."


him

he when used after a preposition or as the object of a verb.

Give it to him (after preposition)

She wrote him a letter (indirect object)

She treated him for a cold (direct object)


us

You use us to talk or write about yourself and other people together with you.

She said hello to us.

Can you tell us where it is?

We think this is important for all of us.


us

You use us to refer to yourself and other people together with you.

It's OK for you guys, but it's different for us women.


them

Other people; not you or the people you are talking to.

I saw my friends and said, "hi" to them.

I made a lot of things. This is one of them.

You use them to talk about one person, if you don't know who that person is.

If somebody comes, help them.


they

"They" is used to talk about two or more people, not you or the person you are speaking to.

I love Josie and Reg. They are nice people.

"They" is used to talk about two or more things.

Can you get the books for me? They're over there.

"They" is used to talk about one or more person when you don't know the sex or number.

If a person is fast, they can get there early.

"They" is used to talk about people in general.

When are they going to finish that new building?

They say you should drink eight glasses of water a day.

"They" is used to talk about a person that is not a man and not a woman.

I love Alex. They are my partner.


one

We have one nose and one mouth.


one

One is the smallest whole number.


one

One is a singular pronoun which means someone or people. It is used more often in formal writing.

It is easy to see the difference if one looks closely enough.


there

You use there to show that something exists.

There is a problem here.


there

We left for Ottawa and arrived there at 7:00.


there

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


each other

To one another; one to the other; showing that each of two or more things does something to the other.

All those people loved each other.

The two of them picked the bugs off each other.


one another

Each of a group of more than two people or things to the others.

The army recruits helped one another get through the first few difficult days.


whose

Whose is used to ask what person something belongs to.

Whose is this? There's no name on it.

Whose coat did you take?

Whose is used to join a relative clause about a person or thing.

Children whose parents smoke are more likely to smoke themselves.

This is a country whose language is dying.

The girl in the picture, whose name is Marion Russell, was from my home town.


who

You use who to add a clause to explain more about the person or people you're talking about.

They are good people who are working hard.

We saw Kim, who was in his car.

We asked everybody who was there.

It was you who lost the keys, not me.

You use who to ask about a person or people.

Who was on the phone?

Who's your new teacher?

Who did you meet today?

He told me who was there.

I'll ask who can help us.


whom

Whom do you agree with?

I have a sister, whom I wrote to last week.


a little

We've only got a little time, so please be quick.

I need a little more room here.

You can do it with a little help from your friends.

He put a little water into the cup.

"Would you like some cake?" "Just a little, please."

Can we talk a little more?

You're walking a little too slowly.

I understand only a little of what you say.


enough

I've already had enough coffee today.

Do you think this is enough?

Is this good enough?

I'm not tall enough to reach it.

The noise was enough to wake her.

You should be bold and tell them that enough is enough.


another

Another of something means that there is one more of it.

Is there another way to do this?

Mike and another man came to our house.

I can't do this now. Let's do it another time.

Another of the things you can't ask is "how old are you?"

I've got this shirt, and another just like it.

That's another one of those things I have to do.

Can I just sleep for another five minutes?

I've been very busy with one thing and another.

I'll do it one way or another.

And another thing: clean this up!

I hope we don't get another George Bush.

Oh no! Not another problem!


every

I work every day from 6:00 to 9:30.

I believe every single word she says.

Our members are involved in almost every aspect of teaching.

The Earth goes around the sun once every year.

Every time I go to see him, like, he's happy.

Not every person can do this.

We get together every other week.

They're watching her every move.

There's every reason to believe that she will get better.


whatever

You use whatever when it doesn't matter which thing.

It's OK to take whatever bus comes first.

I'll take whatever help I can get.

You use whatever when there's a particular thing, but you can't remember what it was.

We took whatever bus came first, number 41 I think.

Whatever problem do you mean?


whatever

Whatever you choose, you'll be happy.

Whatever you do will be OK.

We took whatever came first.

Whatever do you mean?

Whatever is that strange thing on your head?

Whatever happened?

You use whatever as a reply showing that you do not care.

"Would you like coffee, tea, or water?" "Whatever."


whichever

You use whichever when it doesn't matter which thing.

Whichever colour you choose, you'll be happy.

It's OK to take whichever bus comes first.

Whichever of these two wins will take first prize.

"Would you like the blue or the green?" "Oh, whichever colour, it doesn't matter."

You use whichever when there's a particular thing, but you can't remember what it was.

We took whichever bus came first, number 41 I think.


whichever

Whichever you choose, you'll be happy.

It's OK to take whichever comes first.

"Would you like the blue or the green?" "Oh, whichever, it doesn't matter."

We took whichever came first, number 41 I think.


both

When there are two things, both is the first thing and the second thing.

Jim took both the apple and the orange.

Both Anne and Jane agreed to eat the pear.

Give me one. You can't have both.

Both of my parents were from Canada.

They found problems at both the schools.

The room had windows at both ends.

Working in the city and living in the country, you get the best of both worlds.

There were cars coming from both directions.


certain

certain (positive)
more certain (comparative)
most certain (superlative)

If you are certain of something, you believe it to be true without doubt.

If something is certain, it will happen without doubt.

If you make certain of something, you check that it is true or correct.


certain

Used to talk about groups or individuals without saying exactly which ones.

Certain problems can be solved with very simple maths.

Certain of the members did not agree.


several

Several things is a small number of things. More than two, but not very many.

It rained for several days last week.

We changed several of them, but left others untouched.


several

Their several things is a number of their things.

They each went their several ways.


various

various (positive)
more various (comparative)
most various (superlative)

Various ways, types, kinds, etc. are many different ones.

I've made the dish a number of times in various ways. It's never the same.

What are the differences between the various types of bottled water?


various

You use various to identify more than one thing without saying exactly which ones.

Various books have been taken.

There are various ways to fix the problem.

You have broken various of the rules.


ugly

ugly (positive)
uglier (comparative)
ugliest (superlative)

If someone or something is ugly, it's not nice to look at.

Hughie had the same ugly face as his father and brother.


grass

Grass is a green, leafy plant that often covers the ground.

We haven't got much rain, and the grass on the lawn is turning brown.


terrible

terrible (positive)
more terrible (comparative)
most terrible (superlative)

If something is terrible, it's very bad.

He said she was ugly. Wasn't that a terrible thing to say to anyone?

If something is terrible, it causes people to feel terror or fear.

The witch laid a terrible curse on him.


goat

A goat is a mammal with horns, part of the sheep family.

The goat used to graze in the field.


wool

Wool is the hair of a sheep. We often use it to make clothes.


rat

Rats are medium-sized rodents. They often live near people and eat garbage. Rats can carry diseases. They are also kept as pets and can be very tame.

I caught the rat that was eating our food.


advertising

advertise (canonical)
advertises (third-person singular)
advertised (past)
advertised (past participle)
advertising (present participle)


advertising

Advertising is the business or study of using newspapers, TV, etc. to sell products or inform people.

Coke has a new advertising campaign for a new drink.

There's too much advertising on radio.


asleep

Please be quiet. The baby's asleep.

I had trouble falling asleep last night.


burst

burst (canonical)
bursts (third-person singular)
burst (past)
burst (past participle)
bursting (present participle)

If something bursts, it breaks open because of pressure from the inside.

I was driving west on the highway, when my front left tire burst.

When the bell rang, the school door burst open and the children came out running.

The past tense and past participle of burst.


burst

There was a burst of laughter from the audience when the clown slipped on the banana peel.

A burst of brilliant music greeted the newlyweds when they walked into the ball room.


improve

improve (canonical)
improves (third-person singular)
improved (past)
improved (past participle)
improving (present participle)

If something improves, it changes from bad to good.

The government is planning to improve the quality of rail service by adding new trains.


birth

A birth is when a new baby comes out of its mother.

My mother gave birth to my brother at 12:00 on Dec. 31st.

The birth of the personal computer was in 1976.


birth

birth (canonical)
births (third-person singular)
birthed (past)
birthed (past participle)
birthing (present participle)

If a woman births a child, she bears or give birth to a child.


boy

A boy is a male child or teenager; someone who is not a man yet.

He had a pretty wife and two little ones: a boy and a girl.

My oldest son was a Boy Scout in England.

The boys basketball team won five games in a row.

Two teenage boys died in the crash.

A 12-year-old boy stands at the window and watches two men outside.

"I am a grown man" "you are not a man, you are a little boy, you don't act like a man".

I told my mom I wanted a boy puppy, not a girl one.


boy

You use boy when you are surprised about something.

Boy, that's a big dog.


repair

repair (canonical)
repairs (third-person singular)
repaired (past)
repaired (past participle)
repairing (present participle)

If something is broken or damaged and you repair it, it's not broken anymore.

And workmen were out repairing damage to the lights from last night's wind.


repair

A repair is something you do to something to fix it.

Last night the car wouldn't start, so this morning I took it in for repairs.


management

Management is the act of watching and controlling a business or situation.

This building uses a computerized energy management systems to save electricity.

The management is/are the people who control a business.

Management have received a 5% pay raise, but workers are only getting 3.5%.


push

push (canonical)
pushes (third-person singular)
pushed (past)
pushed (past participle)
pushing (present participle)

If you push something, you touch it with a force away from your body.

You have to push that door quite hard before it will open.

If you push this button, the machine will stop.


push

A push is the act of touching something with a force away from your body.

My car won't move. Can you give me a push?


aside

If you put something aside, you put it to the side, often because you want to use it later.

We put some money aside for the children's education.

The fans were pushed aside by police to let the band go through.

Aside from the wine, which was terrible, the dinner was excellent.

You use something aside to leave that thing out of the topic.

The lies aside, they're good workers.


aside

An aside is something that you write or say that isn't part of your main idea.

And, just as an aside, I'd like to say that these ideas are not new...


arrange

arrange (canonical)
arranges (third-person singular)
arranged (past)
arranged (past participle)
arranging (present participle)

If you arrange something, you put it in order or you organise it.

We have arranged a meeting between the president of the company and the new owner.

I will arrange for a car to meet you at the airport.


collection

A collection is a group of things of the same type. They are usually special in some way.

He has one of the biggest collections of paintings by Van Gogh.

If you take a collection, you ask many people for money, for a particular reason.

The school took a collection for new books.


sister

Your sister is the daughter of your mother and father, except yourself.

My parents have three children: me, my brother, and my sister.

The Sister said that I must rest more.

A sister of a thing is something that has a special or affectionate connection to it, specifically one that is non-hierarchical.

Wikipedia is a sister project of Wiktionary.


tooth

A tooth is a hard, white thing in your mouth. You use your teeth to chew food.

A tooth is a sharp point sticking out of something and forms a row of sharp objects for cutting.

A tooth is a rounded point on a gear that is used to transmit or receive force and motion to other gears.


boat

A boat is a vehicle used to travel on water.

At the lake, the children learn about fishing and boat safety.

The waves rocked the boat back and forth.

I took the old man's hand, stepped down from the dock into the yellow boat.

We got wet on the boat ride.

We sailed the wooden boats by the side of the pool, the kids holding the strings.

He looked around and spotted the boat drifting away.

We left the hotel and quickly got aboard the boat.


boat

boat (canonical)
boats (third-person singular)
boated (past)
boated (past participle)
boating (present participle)


ball

A ball is a round thing. People often use them to play games.

The croquet ball was hit through the wicket and the game was over.

A ball is hit with a racquet in tennis.

There is an inaugural ball following the swearing-in of the new President.

Cinderella lost her glass slipper at the Prince's ball.

John's balls ached because he hadn't had sex in two days.

John didn't have the balls to quit his job, divorce his wife, and start a new life in Tahiti.


ball

ball (canonical)
balls (third-person singular)
balled (past)
balled (past participle)
balling (present participle)

If you ball something up, you make it into a ball shape.

Ball the cookie dough, wrap it in paper, then freeze it.


compare

compare (canonical)
compares (third-person singular)
compared (past)
compared (past participle)
comparing (present participle)

If you compare two things, you look at, talk about, or think about how they are the same and how they are different.

I compared all different kinds of computers before buying this one.

Compared to the sun, the moon is quite small.


clock

A clock is an instrument that tells you what the time is. A small clock which you carry is called a watch.

If a clock is fast, it shows a time after the real time.

He was sleepy, and the clock said 11:32.

The digital clock on the wall tells her that it is almost six-thirty.

She'd never before been in a house which did not have a clock ticking somewhere.

He looked at the clock and then at his watch: The clock was nine minutes fast. He still had some time.

If a clock is slow, it shows a time before the real time.

If something goes around the clock, it goes for 24 hours without stop.

His family stayed at Scott's bedside around the clock.

The museum is open around the clock from May 26 at 12:01 a.m. through May 28 at 11:59 p.m.


clock

clock (canonical)
clocks (third-person singular)
clocked (past)
clocked (past participle)
clocking (present participle)

If you clock something, you measure how long it takes or how fast it moves.

The police clocked the car at 137 km/h.

The drive took twenty-two minutes; he clocked it.

If something clocks a time or a speed, it takes that long or moves that fast.

The trip clocks in at about 12 hours.

He clocked 9.12 seconds, a new world record.

If you clock in or out at work, school, etc., you record the time they arrive or leave.

He clocked in at four a.m. for a twelve-hour shift.

If you clock up a number of things, you reach that total after some time.

Because I drive one hour to work, I'm clocking up a lot of miles.

If you clock someone, you hit them hard in the head.

He might take some time to wake up. He got clocked pretty good.


dirty

dirty (positive)
dirtier (comparative)
dirtiest (superlative)

If something is dirty, it has dirt on it, or it is not clean.

After playing outside all day, her hands were all dirty.

You shouldn't say damn, shit, and other dirty words.


cousin

Your cousin is the son or daughter of your aunt or uncle.

Every year at Christmas, I got to play with all my cousins at my grandma's house.


loose

loose (positive)
looser (comparative)
loosest (superlative)

If something is loose, it moves easily or may come away from what it is attached to.

His tooth is loose and will probably come out in a day or two.

If something is loose, it does not fit closely.

My pants are so loose that they keep falling down.

If a woman is has loose morals, she is sexually unrestrained.

a loose woman


noise

A noise is a sound, usually one that you don't want.

There's too much noise. I can't hear what she's saying.


upper

upper (positive)
uppermost (superlative)

The upper thing is the one that is in a higher position.

The upper floors of the building are for offices and the lower floors for housing.


upper

A drug that stimulates a body. Uppers give a person energy and lower hunger.

He takes uppers so that he can stay awake all night studying.


aunt

Your aunt is the sister of your mother or father.

After my parents died, we went to live with my aunt.


cause

A cause is what leads to something happening.

The cause of the fire was lightning.

A cause is a goal, aim or principle that people support or fight for.

He is fighting for a just cause.


cause

cause (canonical)
causes (third-person singular)
caused (past)
caused (past participle)
causing (present participle)

To cause something is to make it happen.

His careless driving caused the car accident.


cottage

A cottage is a small house, usually in the countryside.

When we were young, we spent the summers at a cottage on Canoe Lake.


bone

Bones are the hard, white things inside your body. They give your body its shape.

How many bones did a dinosaur have?


bone

bone (canonical)
bones (third-person singular)
boned (past)
boned (past participle)
boning (present participle)


circle

Please put your chairs in a circle.

The dog was running in circles.


circle

circle (canonical)
circles (third-person singular)
circled (past)
circled (past participle)
circling (present participle)

To circle something is to move around it.

The earth circles the sun once a year.

Using your pencil, please circle the correct answer.


now

You use now when you want to say that something is true at this time. It is also used for things a short time in the future or a short time in the past.

I had many problems before, but I'm OK now.

What did you say just now?

The English teacher is at the library now.

You use now at the beginning of a sentence to get people's attention.

Now, I'd like to hear from other people too.

You use now to refer to the present time, often in contrast to a time in the past or the future.

Now is the time when we must all live as economically as possible.

Now is a good time to do it.

Mary should be home by now.

You use now to indicate that an event has occurred and as a result something else may or will happen.

I’m going to relax now the school year is over.

Now that I know the truth, I've changed my mind.


row

A row of things is a line of them, usually going from side to side.

OK, students, can you please put your desks in five rows?


row

row (canonical)
rows (third-person singular)
rowed (past)
rowed (past participle)
rowing (present participle)

If you row a boat, you move the paddles (also called oars) in the water to move the boat.

Let's row our boat to the other side of the lake.


slave

A slave is a person who is owned by a master and who works for that master, but receives no—or almost no—money.


slave

slave (canonical)
slaves (third-person singular)
slaved (past)
slaved (past participle)
slaving (present participle)

I've been slaving in the kitchen all day cooking food for Christmas dinner.


straw

Straw is dried grasses, such as wheat, without the seeds. Animals sleep on it, and people make hats and mats out of it.

A pale, yellowish-beige colour, like that of a dried straw.

A straw is a thin hollow tube that you drink through.


uncle

Your uncle is the brother of your mother or father.

My father has a brother, Joe. Joe is my uncle.

My mother's brother, Jim, is another uncle.


yard

The children went out to play in the yard.

A yard is an imperial measure of length. One yard is three feet or 91.44 centimeters.

A soccer field is 110 yards long.


couple

A couple is two (2) things that go together.

Can you lend me a couple of dollars?

A couple is two people that love one another.

John and Susan make a nice couple, don't they?


couple

couple (canonical)
couples (third-person singular)
coupled (past)
coupled (past participle)
coupling (present participle)

If you couple two things, you join them together.


tree

I'm going to climb a tree.

A tree is a map or a diagram of ideas that looks like the plant.

My family tree shows how I am related to all my family members.


tree

tree (canonical)
trees (third-person singular)
treed (past)
treed (past participle)
treeing (present participle)

(uncommon) If you tree something, you chase it up into a tree.


library

A library is a place where books and other media are kept, usually on shelves. Most of the time, people are allowed to borrow these things.

I borrowed books at the public library today.

A library is a collection of books of other media. A person may call his/her collection of books a library.

The university's online classical music library is very large.

In computing, a library or standard library (STL) is a collection of code and functions that can be used for software development and to make computer programs.


cardboard

Cardboard is a material like paper, but thicker and stiffer.

Cardboard is used to make boxes.

I put all my furniture in cardboard boxes to move it.


sentence

In grammar, a sentence is a group of words that follow normal grammar rules, and that, in writing, begins with a capital letter and ends with a period '.', question mark '?', or exclamation mark '!'. Usually a sentence has a subject, verb, and object.

The first sentence in the Jewish holy book is, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

In law, a sentence is the punishment that a judge gives to a criminal.

He received a 15-year sentence for the murder of his friend.


sentence

sentence (canonical)
sentences (third-person singular)
sentenced (past)
sentenced (past participle)
sentencing (present participle)

If a judge sentences someone, they decide on a punishment for a crime.

He was sentenced to 15 years in jail for the murder of his friend.


place

A place is a point in space: a town, building, room, or even somewhere on a desk.

It's nice to see the whole family together in one place.

A place is an open space, courtyard, or marketplace.

A place is an area for someone to sit at.

We would like to sit at that table because it has three places open.

A place is a role or position; it is a station.

A place is the position in which you finish a competition in.

She finished the poker tournament in fifth place.


place

place (canonical)
places (third-person singular)
placed (past)
placed (past participle)
placing (present participle)

If you place something somewhere, you put it in a certain spot.

If you place, you earn a given spot in a competition.

If you place something somewhere, you remember the last time you encountered it.

She placed the last time we met each other at.


traditional

traditional (positive)
more traditional (comparative)
most traditional (superlative)

If something is traditional, it has been done in the same way for a long time.

I learned traditional Japanese cooking from my grandmother.

It is traditional to give gifts at Christmas time.


nuclear

nuclear (positive)
more nuclear (comparative)
most nuclear (superlative)

Nuclear weapons, power, waste, etc. is produced by the collision of more than one nucleus, the central part of an atom.

Japan relies mainly on nuclear power (atomic energy) generation for its energy needs.

The US has more nuclear weapons than any other country. Many of them are called atomic bombs.

Most Canadians live in a nuclear family: the husband, wife, and children.


decade

The 1960s was a decade of great change in North America.


previous

If something happened at a previous time, it happened before a particular time.

Last year, we lived in Seoul, but the previous year we were in Moscow.


previous

You use previous to refer to a time before something else.

The history of this site previous to the seventeenth century is unknown.

Four years previous, he had been sick for a month.


consist

consist (canonical)
consists (third-person singular)
consisted (past)
consisted (past participle)
consisting (present participle)

If A consists of B, then B is the thing or things that, together, make A.

His letter consisted of only three words.

Preparation for the party consisted of inviting guests, buying food, cleaning, and hoping that the weather would be nice.


generation

A generation, is all the people or things of about the same age.

My father belonged to a generation of travellers who saw the world before there was a McDonalds on every corner.

Generation X

A generation is the average time between one when group of people were born and when their children were born, roughly 20–30 years.

During previous generations, travel was not so easy.

A class or type of objects usually developed from an earlier type.

A new generation of personal computers is about to hit the stores.

Generation is the creation of something, often electricity.

The increase in new power generation has not kept up with demand for electricity.

/ˌʤɛnəˈreɪʃən/


adult

An adult is a person who is of the legal age of majority.

At age 18 years, he became an adult, so he could move out without his parents' consent.

Adult usually means a person who is in a legal sense either age 18 years or older.

An adult is a human who is sexually, physically and/or mentally mature.

The Harry Potter series was read mostly by young adults.

A person may be physically mature and a biological adult by age 16 or so.

An adult is a sexually mature nonhuman animal.

Adult female cows feed milk to their offspring.


partner

Partners are people, usually two, who are together for a particular purpose, such as for business, sports, or a romantic relationship.

My partner, Tom, looks after the administrative parts of the business.


partner

partner (canonical)
partners (third-person singular)
partnered (past)
partnered (past participle)
partnering (present participle)

If you partner someone, you be their partner.


percent

You use percent show the number of parts out of a hundred. The symbol for percent is %.

The cost of gas has increased seven percent in the last month.


registration

Registration is the process of registering something.

The soccer club has registration at the school this week.


remove

remove (canonical)
removes (third-person singular)
removed (past)
removed (past participle)
removing (present participle)

If you remove something, you take it out or away.

After he was shot, the doctor removed three bullets from his leg.


per cent

You use per cent show the number of parts out of one hundred. The symbol for per cent is %.

The cost of gas has increased seven per cent in the last month.


child

A child is a young person, usually older than a baby but younger than a teenager.

The children were playing in the park.

Most three-year-old children speak very well.

Even as a child of six, I knew what hard work was.

Taking care of young children is difficult work.

This kind of teaching is useful for all children, not just those children with learning disabilities.

We need to do a better job of educating our children.

We're collecting food for needy children.

A child is the son or daughter of someone.

I am my mother's child in every way.

My eldest child is now a doctor.

I drove a motorcycle until my children were born.

A child of a particular time, situation, or idea is a person who is strongly influenced by it.

As a child of the 90s, I grew up with computers.

There isn't actually that much anger among children of divorce.

A child is the product or result of something.

This book is the child of an earlier generation of grammatical theory.

Anthropology is the child of Western colonialism.

The very idea of a garden is the child of water.

If a woman is with child, she is pregnant.

She told no one about the sex, even when she realized she was with child.

A child in a tree structure is piece of data, process or object with a role or position closer to the root.


error

An error is something which is accidentally not correct.

The bank made an error and gave me too much money.

I keep getting errors on my computer program.


sibling

I think I know your sibling.


shirt

A shirt is a piece of clothing you wear on the upper part of your body. Shirts are not very thick.

I need a new shirt to go with my new pants.


eye

Your eyes are the part of your head which you see with.

We saw the eyes of a big wolf.

An eye is a hole at the blunt end of a needle through which thread is passed.


eye

eying (present participle)
eye (canonical)
eyes (third-person singular)
eyed (past)
eyed (past participle)
eyeing (present participle)


harmony

Harmony is when two or more notes sound good at the same time.

In art, harmony is using colors which look good together.

A feeling of harmony means a feeling of close understanding with no conflict.

After a month walking in the countryside, I really felt in harmony with nature.


blood

Blood is a red liquid inside a person or animal's body that carries nutrients and oxygen to the other parts of the body.

I'm taking medication for high blood pressure.

These blood vessels bring oxygen to every part of your body.

He put his hand over the cut to stop the flow of blood.

Vitamin B12 helps maintain healthy red blood cells.

When you run, your heart works harder pumping blood up and down your body.

There was a knife lying by her body, covered in blood.

The police found six tiny drops of blood in the kitchen and in the garage.

The family that you were born in is your blood.


bucket

A bucket is a container used for carrying things like water or sand.


coal

Coal is a fuel which comes from under the ground. It is black, or sometimes brown. People often burn it for heat.


blade

A blade is something with a long, sharp edge. Things like knives, swords and razors have blades.


blade

blade (canonical)
blades (third-person singular)
bladed (past)
bladed (past participle)
blading (present participle)

If a person blades, they skate on rollerblades.

If you blade someone, you stab them with a blade.


bag

Bags are containers made of soft material like paper, plastic or leather.

I put the garbage in a black plastic bag.

She took her tennis shoes out of her sports bag.


bag

bag (canonical)
bags (third-person singular)
bagged (past)
bagged (past participle)
bagging (present participle)

When a person bags something, he catches or gets it.

I hope I bag me something good today from him.

When an animal is bagged, such as in hunting and fishing, the animal is killed or caught.

Last night on our hunting trip we bagged three deer.

Bagging objects means to put them into a bag.

The clerk bagged up the groceries as she took out her wallet.


blow

blow (canonical)
blows (third-person singular)
blew (past)
blown (past participle)
blowing (present participle)

The wind is blowing and the trees are moving.

The wind blew the paper down the street.

His hat blew off.

I could see some grass where the snow had blown away.

Her gray hair blew across her face in the wind.

Last fall, a storm blew through this town tearing up trees.

If you blow, you push air out of your mouth or nose.

She blew her nose into a tissue.

He put his mouth in the water and blew bubbles for a few seconds.

He hopes to celebrate his 25th birthday by blowing out the candles.

If a horn, whistle, etc. blows, it makes a sound.

When the final whistle blew, Arsenal had won the game 2 -- 0.

The car blew up as it drove over the bomb.

If something blows you away, it surprises or impresses you.

We were blown away. We couldnt believe that a ten-year-old could do that.

I dropped the cake and she totally blew up on me.

Can you blow that picture up a bit more? I can't see it clearly.

If something is blown off, away, or out, apart, etc., it is damaged by an explosion or a bullet.

BANG! The shot blew off one of his fingers.

The truck he was driving was blown apart by a roadside bomb.

They put the guns to their heads and blew their brains out.

The blast had blown a hole in the wall.

If you blow something, you do not do it successfully.

I can't believe it. You almost had it, but you blew it.

If you blow money, you spend it, often without being careful.

If a piece of equipment blows, it stops working because there is an electrical problem.

If a tire blows, it gets a hole, letting out its air quickly.

His little joke had been blown out of proportion and he'd gotten in a lot of trouble.

The car blew a tire on the way to our campsite.

If something is blown out of proportion, it is exaggerated.

If you blow by something, you move past it very quickly.

If you blow someone, you perform oral sex on them.


blow

He spent two days in hospital after a serious blow to the head.

The thought struck like a blow to the chest.

The team was dealt a terrible blow when goalie Ryan Francis was killed.

The final blow came when his wife left.

To soften the blow, the government will send one-time payments to everyone involved.

The town suffered a severe blow when the car factory shut down.

He gave a quick blow on the whistle.


angle

When two straight lines come together, they make an angle.

A 90° angle is called a right angle.


angle

angle (canonical)
angles (third-person singular)
angled (past)
angled (past participle)
angling (present participle)

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


collar

He put up his collar because of the cold wind.

A circular piece of fabric that is put around the neck of an animal.

The collar on the dog had a tag that allowed the workers at the animal shelter to identify the owner.


collar

collar (canonical)
collars (third-person singular)
collared (past)
collared (past participle)
collaring (present participle)

To put a collar on someone or something.

Collar and leash your dog.

The police collared the burglar last night.


hand

Your hands are the parts of your body at the end of your arms. A hand has four fingers and a thumb.

Mother, I'm afraid, please hold my hand.

Clock hands are pointed needles that show what time it is.

The long hand is pointing to the 4, which refers to how many hours have passed. The short hand is pointing to the 7, which refers to how many groups of 5 minutes have passed. The time is therefore 4:35.

A hand is a group of things that fit in your hand, like playing cards.

He had a good hand but he still lost. He is not good at poker.


hand

hand (canonical)
hands (third-person singular)
handed (past)
handed (past participle)
handing (present participle)

If I hand you something, I give it to you.

Please hand me that tool. I can't reach it.


glove

A glove is a piece of clothing you wear on your hand to keep your hands warm or safe.

Police officers often wear gloves when working in crime scenes to avoid destroying evidence.

John is wearing gloves today because it's -5°C.


market

A market is a place where many people come to buy and sell things.

It's time to take the cows to the market.

The market rose Tuesday on good results from the banking sector.

Cable stocks have lost an estimated market value of $ 6 to $ 8 billion.

A market is a group of people or businesses that might buy goods or services.

The government is trying to help farmers find a new market for their grain.

The financial and oil markets continued to react negatively to the news from the war.

A market is the total amount or value of a particular kind of goods or services bought or sold.

The company already has a 54-percent share of the commercial jet market.


market

market (canonical)
markets (third-person singular)
marketed (past)
marketed (past participle)
marketing (present participle)

If you market something, you make it available for sale and you try to get people to buy it.

Manufacturers who spend millions to develop new drugs heavily market their products.


card

A card is a small, often rectangular piece of paper or plastic, usually with information.

The police stopped me and asked to see my identity card.

"I don't have any money with me, can I pay with my credit card?"

The soccer player got a red card and left the game.

We spent the afternoon playing card games.

I think we sent them a Christmas card last year.


card

card (canonical)
cards (third-person singular)
carded (past)
carded (past participle)
carding (present participle)

If you card someone, you check their ID cards, usually to see if they are old enough to enter a place or drink alcohol.

They have to card anybody who looks 30 or younger.


beautiful

beautiful (positive)
more beautiful (comparative)
most beautiful (superlative)

If something is beautiful, it is very good to look at it.

Look at that beautiful bird!

This magazine always has a picture of a beautiful woman on the front.


horse

A horse is a hoofed mammal. It walks on four (4) legs. People often ride on horses.

The horse likes to eat oats.


feather

Feathers are the things which cover birds.

The bird was covered in feathers.


decline

decline (canonical)
declines (third-person singular)
declined (past)
declined (past participle)
declining (present participle)

If something declines, it goes down in number, quality, slope, or value.

The Australian dollar has declined 3% against the Euro.

The number of students studying foreign languages continues to decline.

If someone declines an offer, they do not accept it.

We asked Josh to come with us to the restaurant, but he declined.


decline

A decline happens when the number, quality, slope, or value of something goes down.

There has been a 3% decline in the Australian dollar against the Euro.

Every year we see a larger decline in the number of students studying foreign languages.

A decline is a hill or line that goes down.

The truck crashed after picking up too much speed on the decline.


conversation

A conversation is when two or more people are talking informally.

I had a really interesting conversation at work about how to improve things.

She is very good at making conversation with people she meets.


plate

A plate is a hard flat thing, especially round ones that we put food on.

He ate everything on his plate.

The name plate on the door said, "Tanaka".


plate

plate (canonical)
plates (third-person singular)
plated (past)
plated (past participle)
plating (present participle)

If you plate food, you place the food on a plate.

If you plate A with B, you cover the surface of A with a thin coat of B.

This ring is plated with a thin layer of gold.


host

A host is a person or animal who makes a place for others and usually provides food and drink.

The host of the party was so busy, she didn't have time to eat.

Some insects lay their eggs in a living host, which is eaten when the eggs hatch.


host

host (canonical)
hosts (third-person singular)
hosted (past)
hosted (past participle)
hosting (present participle)

If you host a party or event, you make a place for it and you help to organise it.

Germany hosted the 2006 World Cup of Soccer.


finger

A finger is a long thin part of your hand that bends. Most people have four fingers and one thumb on each hand.

He only uses one finger on the keyboard.


finger

finger (canonical)
fingers (third-person singular)
fingered (past)
fingered (past participle)
fingering (present participle)

If you finger something, you touch with your fingers it to see what it feels like.

If you finger someone, you tell the police that the person did something wrong.

If you finger a female, you use your fingers to penetrate or sexually stimulate their vulva or vagina.


loud

loud (positive)
louder (comparative)
loudest (superlative)

If a sound is loud, you can hear it very easily. If it's very loud, it might hurt your ears.

Can you turn down the music, please? It's too loud.

If a person is loud, they talk too much or too loudly.

After he has a few beers he gets really loud.

If colours, clothes, or other things you see are loud, they have too many bright colours or patterns and they don't look good.


invent

invent (canonical)
invents (third-person singular)
invented (past)
invented (past participle)
inventing (present participle)

If you invent something, you make or design a new kind of thing.

Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb.


thumb

A thumb is the part of your hand that looks like a short, fat finger. Most people have a thumb on each hand.

In many countries, pointing your thumb up means, "good".

A thumb or thumbnail is a small picture on a computer that you can click on to see a larger picture.


thumb

thumb (canonical)
thumbs (third-person singular)
thumbed (past)
thumbed (past participle)
thumbing (present participle)

If someone thumbs something, they touch it with the thumb.

When someone thumbs, they are standing by a road waiting for someone to give them a ride.

I thumbed down a pickup truck to take me to San Antonio.


interrupt

interrupt (canonical)
interrupts (third-person singular)
interrupted (past)
interrupted (past participle)
interrupting (present participle)

If you interrupt someone, you stop them doing or saying one thing, and often ask them to do another.

Please, don't interrupt me when I'm thinking.


interrupt

:
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exciting

exciting (positive)
more exciting (comparative)
most exciting (superlative)

If something is exciting, it makes you feel happy and very awake.

The first time I went on a plane, it was so exciting that I almost couldn't breathe.

Star Wars is the most exciting movie ever.


exciting

excite (canonical)
excites (third-person singular)
excited (past)
excited (past participle)
exciting (present participle)


guest

A guest is a person who you welcome into your house, your office, etc.

There were over 200 guests at our wedding party.

All guests at the hotel receive a free breakfast in our restaurant.


shout

shout (canonical)
shouts (third-person singular)
shouted (past)
shouted (past participle)
shouting (present participle)

Don't shout! I can hear you fine.

This is a big classroom, so please shout your name and answer.


shout

A shout is when somebody shouts one time.

His angry shouts and yelling woke me up.


lucky

lucky (positive)
luckier (comparative)
luckiest (superlative)

If you are lucky, you have a lot of luck.

After getting married and winning $1 million on the same day, Susan felt very lucky.

If something is lucky, it gives you luck.

Today I have three tests, so I'm wearing my lucky hat.


luck

Someone who has good luck is someone who regularly has good things happen to them, almost as if by magic.

Many people believe the number 13 will bring you bad luck.


luck

luck (canonical)
lucks (third-person singular)
lucked (past)
lucked (past participle)
lucking (present participle)

He lucked into a great job.


alive

alive (positive)
more alive (comparative)
most alive (superlative)

If someone or something is alive, it is living or it continues to exist. If you are alive you have life.

The doctors tried to keep her alive, but she died an hour after arriving at the hospital.


hungry

hungrier (comparative)
hungriest (superlative)
hungry (positive)
more hungry (comparative)
most hungry (superlative)

If you feel hungry, you want to eat something and your stomach feels empty.

There are too many poor children who are always hungry.


rude

rude (positive)
ruder (comparative)
rudest (superlative)

If someone is rude or does something rude, they act in a way that will likely upset people.

Don't interrupt me when I'm speaking. It's rude.


beg

beg (canonical)
begs (third-person singular)
begged (past)
begged (past participle)
begging (present participle)

If you beg someone for something or to do something, you ask them very strongly, but you are in a weak position.

He had a gun to my head. I begged him, "Please, don't shoot me."


greet

greet (canonical)
greets (third-person singular)
greeted (past)
greeted (past participle)
greeting (present participle)

If you greet someone or something, you meet them and say, "hello" or welcome them somehow.

The tour guide greeted us when we arrived at the airport.


insult

insult (canonical)
insults (third-person singular)
insulted (past)
insulted (past participle)
insulting (present participle)

If you insult someone, you say or do something rude to them.

He insulted me by calling my country a dirty little city.


insult

The protesters yelled insults at the police.


hall

A hall is a large space with a roof and walls. It can be a kind of large building, or a room or part of a building. Most commonly, it is the area just inside the front door.

Please leave your boots in the front hall.


invite

invite (canonical)
invites (third-person singular)
invited (past)
invited (past participle)
inviting (present participle)

If you invite someone to something, you ask them to be there.

Rasheed invited me to his house on Friday, but I don't think I can go.


weapon

A weapon is a tool that you use in a fight, such as a knife, a gun, or a bomb.

"Lay down your weapons and put your hands in the air," yelled the police.


holiday

A holiday is a day when people don't go to work or school, often because there is a religious celebration.

In North America, Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year.


holiday

holiday (canonical)
holidays (third-person singular)
holidayed (past)
holidayed (past participle)
holidaying (present participle)

If you holiday, you take a period of time away from work or study.


patience

If someone has patience, they can wait without feeling upset.

Andrew has so much patience with the children; I just get so angry with them.


afraid

afraid (positive)
more afraid (comparative)
most afraid (superlative)

To be afraid of someone or something means to be scared of someone or something; to have a fear of someone or something.

I'm afraid of snakes. I can't even go near them.


tool

A tool is an object that you use to do a specific job, such as a hammer.

I used to fix my own car, but I sold all my tools.

A tool is a person being used by another person or organization.

He is such a tool. He should think for himself, instead of doing everything they tell him to do.


tool

tool (canonical)
tools (third-person singular)
tooled (past)
tooled (past participle)
tooling (present participle)

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


bite

bite (canonical)
bites (third-person singular)
bit (past)
bitten (past participle)
biting (present participle)

If a person or animal bites something, they put it between their teeth and squeeze.

I'm afraid of dogs. I think they'll bite me.

If an insect bites someone, it puts a substance into your skin.


bite

One bite is the amount of food that can go in your mouth at one time.

An insect bite is the itchy mark on the skin of a person or animal where an insect has bitten them.


essential

essential (positive)
more essential (comparative)
most essential (superlative)

If something is essential, it is impossible to succeed without it.

Oxygen is essential for life on earth.

If something is essential, it is very important.

Cooked rice, is the essential element of the Chinese meal prepared south of the Yangtze River.

The essential part, idea, or feature is the most basic one.

The essential nature of skiing is sliding on two skis, but the sport is much more than that.


time

"What time do you finish work?" "At four o'clock (4:00)."

I don't have time to talk to you right now. Can we do it later?

If you do something one time, you do it once.


time

time (canonical)
times (third-person singular)
timed (past)
timed (past participle)
timing (present participle)

If you time something, you measure how long it takes in seconds, minutes, hours, etc.

Take out your watch and time yourself during the test.


mother

A mother is the woman who is one of a person or animal's parents.

My mother read me a story and put me to bed every night when I was a child.


mother

mother (canonical)
mothers (third-person singular)
mothered (past)
mothered (past participle)
mothering (present participle)

If you mother someone, you take care of them as if you were their mother.


work

work (canonical)
works (third-person singular)
worked (past)
worked (past participle)
working (present participle)

If you work, you do a job, usually for money.

My father works at Microsoft.

I got to work at 7:30 each morning.

If you work you are doing something that needs effort.

I worked on my school paper all night long.

If somethings works it has done what it was supposed to do.

If my computer didn't work I couldn't type this.

I'm glad our plan worked.

How something works is how it does what it does.

I would like to know more about how cars work.

The rules here just do not work that way.


work

Work is effort it takes to do something. That is, its what makes you tired when you do something hard.

Moving heavy logs takes a lot of work.

Work is force through a distance (force times distance). This is how much energy you used to move something.

A work is the product of something, the result of working on it. That is, its something someone has made.

The painting was a great work of art.

Shakespeare wrote many literary works.


move

move (canonical)
moves (third-person singular)
moved (past)
moved (past participle)
moving (present participle)

If you move, you go from one place to another.

Please stay in your seat until the plane stops moving.

If you move, you change the position of part of your body.

I was so afraid, I couldn't move.

If you move something, you change its position.

Can you move your chair so I can get by?


move

A move is something which is done to achieve a goal.

The move had not been expected.

is a change in your home or business to live or work somewhere else.

The move to the city was completed in a week.

A move, in a game such as chess, is when you put a piece in another place.

The move of the queen led to his loss.

I finished my turn. It's your move.


proud

proud (positive)
prouder (comparative)
proudest (superlative)

If you are proud of or about something you have done, you feel good about it.

I feel proud that we fought in the war, even if most people think we should have stayed home.

If you are proud of someone, you feel happy for them because they have done something well.

If you are proud of something you own, you think it is valuable and you are happy about it.


zero

Zero is a count of nothing, the number before one. It is often written 0.

It's zero degrees.

Zero is also used with an uncountable noun.

I have zero food left.


zero

The symbol for the number zero, that is "0."

The new job added a zero to my pay, from $20,000 to $200,000.

A person or thing that is worth nothing.

I'm not inviting him, he's total zero.


zero

zero (canonical)
zeroes (third-person singular)
zeroed (past)
zeroed (past participle)
zeroing (present participle)

To zero is to make a small change to reset a piece of equipment.

I had to zero the counter on my tape player.

To zero in is to make small changes that bring you closer to something.

I was able to zero in on the source of bad smell in the shed.


amusing

amusing (positive)
more amusing (comparative)
most amusing (superlative)

If something is amusing, it makes you laugh or it entertains you.

We had a very amusing afternoon playing with the kids, but we didn't get anything done.


amusing

amuse (canonical)
amuses (third-person singular)
amused (past)
amused (past participle)
amusing (present participle)


annoyed

annoyed (positive)
more annoyed (comparative)
most annoyed (superlative)

If someone is annoyed, they are a little angry.

When Graham broke the glass, I was really annoyed, but the face he made was so funny, I had to laugh.


annoyed

annoy (canonical)
annoys (third-person singular)
annoyed (past)
annoyed (past participle)
annoying (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of annoy.


excellent

excellent (positive)
more excellent (comparative)
most excellent (superlative)

If something is excellent, it is very, very good.

The tea we had with lunch was excellent. Where did you get it?


hello

You say, "hello" in greeting when you meet someone new or someone you know.

"Good morning, James!" "Hello, Jimbo! How are you?"


joke

If you tell a joke, you say something to make people laugh.

Trevor's joke about the boring lexicographer was too funny.

If something is a joke, it is not considered seriously.

Don't listen to Joseph. He's a joke. Nobody pays any attention to him.


joke

joke (canonical)
jokes (third-person singular)
joked (past)
joked (past participle)
joking (present participle)

When you joke about something, you say something funny that you don't really mean.

Everyone joked about how bad his tennis was.

I wasn't joking about burning my shoes.

Because I have a dog, I joke with my friends about their boring cats.

The coach joked that he would fire his whole team.

You say "you must be joking" when somebody tells you something that's very hard to believe.

"She's forty-three." "Forty-three?! You must be joking. She looks like she's sixteen."


diverse

diverse (positive)
more diverse (comparative)
most diverse (superlative)

A diverse group of things is a group in which the things are very different from each other.

Toronto has one of the most culturally diverse populations in the world.


contradiction

A contradiction is the act of contradicting.

He says that he was not there that night: that was a contradiction of his previous statement.

A contradiction is a statement which makes two (or more) claims which both cannot be true.

There is a contradiction in saying that she is a widow who never married.


ignore

ignore (canonical)
ignores (third-person singular)
ignored (past)
ignored (past participle)
ignoring (present participle)

If you ignore someone or something, you don't listen to, look at, or pay attention to them.

He says he should be paid for fixing it, but he's ignoring the fact that it wasn't broken.


significant

significant (positive)
more significant (comparative)
most significant (superlative)

If something is significant, it is important, or large, enough to pay attention to or to believe.

There was a significant drop in the price of gas today, causing drivers to line up at the pumps to fill up.

A significant look, movement, etc. is one that has a particular meaning.


expert

An expert is a person who knows more, or can do something better, than most people, usually because of special study or practice.

Zidane is an expert at penalty kicks.

The company has hired an expert in computer systems.

Today we heard an expert witness explain the details of the DNA analysis.


expert

expert (positive)
more expert (comparative)
most expert (superlative)

An expert skier, teacher, player, etc. is very skillful or experienced.

She's an expert skier, one of the fastest and most beautiful on the hill.

My dog has become quite expert at opening doors.


media

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

The (mass) media is/are the news sources and the people behind them.

The media have been too accepting of the government's arguments.

The Japanese media often ignores international news.

A medium is a way of communicating information or art.

We have to use music, pictures and other media to sell the product.


communicate

communicate (canonical)
communicates (third-person singular)
communicated (past)
communicated (past participle)
communicating (present participle)

If you communicate an idea, you make someone else understand your idea, usually by using words.

Parents have to work hard to communicate better with their children.


communication

Communication is the process of sending and receiving ideas between two or more people.

Teachers must regularly practice their communication skills to make sure students understand them easily.

Communications are the ways of sending and receiving information.

The army is setting up a new communications network to improve communication.

Each time he sent a communication to Bidault it was held up by d'Argenlieu.


classical

classical (positive)
more classical (comparative)
most classical (superlative)

Classical ideas or styles are those that were very common at a time in the past and sometimes continue into the present.

Classical theories in physics can't explain certain observations, which has led scientists to come up with new theories.


achieve

achieve (canonical)
achieves (third-person singular)
achieved (past)
achieved (past participle)
achieving (present participle)

If you achieve success or a goal, you have completed what you planned to do or have a good result.

She achieved a grade of 98% in her English class.


logic

Logic is a system of careful step by step thought or argument that tries to explain truth.

It wasn't easy to see the logic of her plan.


contract

A contract is a legal agreement to trade goods, services and/or property. It's usually written down.

If you would just sign this contract, the car will be yours.

In Japan, most worker's employment contracts last until the age of sixty.

My father's employment contract is for forty years.

You must look over the contract before you sign it.


contract

contract (canonical)
contracts (third-person singular)
contracted (past)
contracted (past participle)
contracting (present participle)

If something contracts, it gets smaller.

As the wood dries out, it contracts.

If you contract someone to do a job, you enter into a contract with them.

We've contracted a cleaning company to take care of the office.

When there's too much work, there are a number of small firms to which we will contract it out.

If you contract a disease, you become sick with it.

It's hard to understand why people risk contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

He contracted the flu.


atheist

An atheist is a person who does not believe in a god or gods.


humanist

Humanists are people who believe in "doing good" for all people.


environment

The environment is the natural world: forests, rivers, grasslands, oceans, etc.

We have to do more to protect the environment from pollution.

Your environment is the situation or area that you live, work, or spend time in, including the people, buildings, vehicles, etc.

When we moved to the city, we found ourselves in a comepletely new social environment.

This course will prepare students for a career in a software engineering environment in industry or research.

The learning environment can have a large effect on your grades.


export

export (canonical)
exports (third-person singular)
exported (past)
exported (past participle)
exporting (present participle)

If you export something, you send it out of the country, usually for business purposes.

Canada will export up to 450,000 barrels per day of crude oil to China.

The government is exporting its terrorist ideas to other countries in the area.


export

Export is the act or business of exporting things.

A shipment of computers is being loaded on the ship for export to Singapore.

An export is something that you send out of the country, usually for business purposes.

Bananas are Ecuador's largest export.


source

source (canonical)
sources (third-person singular)
sourced (past)
sourced (past participle)
sourcing (present participle)

If you source something, then you obtain or receive it.


source

The source of some material, an idea, a product, etc. is the place it came from originally.

XYZ company can't supply these parts anymore, so we need to find a new source.

Church sources said four people were injured and 100 to 200 were taken away by the police.

The paper comes primarily from British sources.

CO₂ is the main source of global warming.


assess

assess (canonical)
assesses (third-person singular)
assessed (past)
assessed (past participle)
assessing (present participle)

If you assess a person, idea, skill, process, etc., you judge or measure them.

In today's test, we will be assessing your ability to write clearly.


policy

A policy is an official rule or idea that explain how to act in certain situations.

The government is suggesting a significant change in economic policy.

In at least one case there was a deliberate policy decision not to involve the police.

The policy at the movie theater said we should turn on phones off and be quiet, during the movie.


derive

derive (canonical)
derives (third-person singular)
derived (past)
derived (past participle)
deriving (present participle)

If X is derived from Y, X comes from Y in the way that one idea comes from another.

He derived a lot of pleasure from teaching.

Many current theories about learning are derived from Piaget's earlier theories.


factor

A factor is one of a number of things that causes a result.

The main factor in the success of our program is our excellent teachers.

The factor is a number that is multiplied with another to form a larger number.

2 x 3 = 6; 2 and 3 are factors of 6.


factor

factor (canonical)
factors (third-person singular)
factored (past)
factored (past participle)
factoring (present participle)

If you factor a number, you find all of its factors.


procedure

A procedure is a particular way of doing something.

Because police did not follow procedure, the criminal was set free.

We have decided on new hiring procedures for employees.


assessment

An assessment of a person, idea, skill, process, etc. is a judgement or measurement of them.

The results of your recent job assessment are excellent.

The buyers have to make their own assessment of the value.


assume

assume (canonical)
assumes (third-person singular)
assumed (past)
assumed (past participle)
assuming (present participle)

If you assume something, you think or believe something without having enough information to know that it's true.

Oh, hello. I assume you're the new student, are you?

If I saw a man dressed all in black, holding a gun, and walking toward me, I would assume that the man is really a dangerous guy and I would run away from him.

I saw your car in the garage, so I assumed you were at home.

If you assume a role of office, you take on a new position that has more power or responsibility.


theory

A theory is an idea that tries to explain an observation.

The new information showed that his theory about growth was incorrect.

Nobody has disproved Einstein's theory of general relativity.


benefit

A benefit is something good that comes from something else.

It was her idea, but she received no benefit from the new program.

With the new job comes many new benefits, such as dental and medical insurance.


benefit

benefited (past)
benefited (past participle)
benefiting (present participle)
benefit (canonical)
benefits (third-person singular)
benefitted (past)
benefitted (past participle)
benefitting (present participle)

If you benefit from something, you get something good from it.

My health has really benefited from all the exercise I'm getting.