crack

crack (canonical)
cracks (third-person singular)
cracked (past)
cracked (past participle)
cracking (present participle)

When something cracks it breaks along a line, maybe not a straight line. It might break into two pieces, or it might break but the two pieces are still attached.

She cracked an egg and put the inside of the egg into a bowl.


crack

A crack is the line where something is breaking.

There is a crack from the edge of this plate to the middle. It will break soon.

A loud sound like the sound of something breaking.

It was raining, and she saw a flash of lightning and heard the crack of thunder.

A strong, fairly cheap form of cocaine; crack often comes in the form of a rock and it is usually smoked in a crack-pipe.

"I wouldn't use it, if I was going to use it I can afford real cocaine. Crack is wack." - Whitney Houston


grip

grip (canonical)
grips (third-person singular)
gripped (past)
gripped (past participle)
gripping (present participle)

Someone grips a thing by holding it tightly in their hand.

He gripped the rope and pulled.


grip

It's good to have a firm grip when shaking hands.

The ball will move differently depending on the grip used when throwing it.

There are several good grips on the northern face of this rock.


bassist

A bassist is someone who plays a bass instrument or sings bass.

The bassist sat his guitar down.


nobody

Nobody would do something like that.

Almost nobody lives on Greenland.


nobody

A nobody is a person who is not important.

Bob called Alice a nobody.

Don't worry. People won't listen to him. He's a nobody.


humour

Humour is ideas that make people laugh: jokes, funny things.

I like the stories she tells because they're full of humour.


humour

humour (canonical)
humours (third-person singular)
humoured (past)
humoured (past participle)
humouring (present participle)

To humour someone is to agree with them only to make the them happy.


harbour

A harbour is some water in a curve of land where it's safe for boats because there are no big waves.

A ship in the harbour is safe -- but that is not what ships are for.


harbour

harbour (canonical)
harbours (third-person singular)
harboured (past)
harboured (past participle)
harbouring (present participle)

To provide a harbour or safe place for something or someone.

The old docks once harboured all kinds of ships, but they have been closed for years now.

The ships harbour in the bay during the winter months.

Sam has harboured resentment against Joe since Joe got the job they both applied for.


incorporate

incorporate (canonical)
incorporates (third-person singular)
incorporated (past)
incorporated (past participle)
incorporating (present participle)

All the Wilsons ladies' clubs incorporate features designed to help women players improve and enjoy their game.

The systems would try to incorporate some of the ideas of Hayes and others.

If you incorporate x into y, you make x part of y.

Please incorporate these changes into the final book.

An incorporated company is a corporation. Often written Inc. as part of a company name.

We were a partnership for many years, but we incorporated last year.

Mona Doyle was hired as president of Consumer Network Inc.


given

give (canonical)
gives (third-person singular)
gave (past)
given (past participle)
giving (present participle)

On any given day, you're likely to see her there.


given

Given x means if x is true, happened, exists, etc.

Given our current problems, I don't think we can spend any more.

Given a number, we can find another number that is bigger.

Given that-clause means in consideration of the fact that-clause.

Given that they are inexperienced, they've done a good job.


given

given (positive)
more given (comparative)
most given (superlative)

If someone is given to doing something, they do it regularly.

My father's given to making long speeches about when he was a boy.

If someone is given to something, they wear, use, or do it often.

When she got older, she was given to elegant clothes and long speeches.


given

A given is something that you accept as true.

We need to make a decision about where we will live after this, but selling this house is a given.


subsidiary

A subsidiary is a company that is owned by a larger company. {[ant|parent}}

This company owns three subsidiaries that make different kinds of machines.


subsidiary

subsidiary (positive)
more subsidiary (comparative)
most subsidiary (superlative)

If something is subsidiary, it is connected, but lower in importance, rank, or level, etc.

Surprisingly, the subsidiary company became more successful than the parent company.

At some point work became subsidiary to music for her.


input

The input is the information that is put into something.

Everyone who is affected should have a chance to provide input.

You can put a mask over your eyes and plugs in your ears, but it's impossible to block out all sensory input.

The input to the amplifier should be digital.

Teachers should welcome input from their students.

It is important to avoid errors during data input.

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


input

inputted (past)
inputted (past participle)
input (canonical)
inputs (third-person singular)
input (past)
input (past participle)
inputting (present participle)

If you input something (often into a computer) you put it in.

If the text has been correctly input to the computer, there should be no problems.

The past tense and past participle of input.


abstract

abstract (positive)
more abstract (comparative)
most abstract (superlative)

If something is abstract, you cannot touch it, and it is difficult to imagine or think about.

A lot of abstract painting uses harsh shapes and most people do not like it.

More abstract ideas like "democracy" are not possible for animals.

Houses and books are things you can touch. Honesty, patience and courage are abstract.

If something is abstract, it is general.

If something is abstract, it is thought of as apart from any other use with an object; it is removed from it; it is separate or abstracted.

If something is abstract, it is not practical or realistic; it is not concrete; it is theoretical; it is vague.

If something is abstract, it does not have all of the facts; it is not factual.


abstract

An abstract is a short text that tells you the main ideas of a longer text, especially of scientific papers; it is a summary of something longer.

The abstract of Isaac Newton's laws of gravity may be no more than 150 words.

An abstract is an abstraction; it is an abstract word.

An abstract is a piece of art that is made in the abstract fashion of art.

An abstract is a powdered solid extract of a vegetable that is then mixed with the sugar of milk.


abstract

abstract (canonical)
abstracts (third-person singular)
abstracted (past)
abstracted (past participle)
abstracting (present participle)

If you abstract something, you summarize it; you abridge it.

If you abstract something, you separate it; you remove it.

If you abstract something, you withdraw it.

If you abstract something, you make abstractions of it in art.

If you abstract something, you take it away from someone without permission; you steal it.

If you abstract something, you think about it separate from everything else; you consider it abstractly.

If you abstract something, you go through the process or abstraction.


capable

capable (positive)
more capable (comparative)
most capable (superlative)

If someone or something is capable of something, they can do it.

This system is capable of providing food for about 400 people.

I'm quite capable of looking after myself and I don't need you to tell me how.

If someone is capable, they can do a particular thing well.

I'm confident I can leave everything in your capable hands.

I may be young but I can assure you I'm quite capable.


learning

learn (canonical)
learns (third-person singular)
learned (past)
learned (past participle)
learning (present participle)

Someone is learning ideas if they didn't know the ideas before and they are starting to know them.

I'm learning to speak French by reading lots of French books.


learning

Learning is the action of someone learning something.

Lots of learning happens at school. That's what school is for.


have

have (canonical)
has (third-person singular)
had (past)
had (past participle)
having (present participle)

Someone has something if the thing is in their hands. The person is holding or gripping it.

Do you have a spoon, or do you need me to give you one so you can eat the soup?

If you have to do something, you must do it.

I have to go.

John had to pay a fine.

Someone has something if the thing is that person's thing: the person owns it; it belongs to the person.

The rich family has a big house.

If you have you hold something in the mind.

I have a doubt about him.

We have lunch at 13:00.

You use have to say that you suffer from something or to tell the experience.

I have a defective vision. (I don't see well.)

He had a wonderful time with his friends.


have

have (canonical)
have (present)
has (third-person singular)
had (past)
having (present participle)
haven't (present negative)
hasn't (third-person singular negative)
hadn't (past negative)

I have closed the window. (Also: I've closed the window.)

I had already eaten before. (Also: I'd already eaten before.)


gal

Gal is an abbreviation for gallon, which is a unit of measurement for volume.


save

save (canonical)
saves (third-person singular)
saved (past)
saved (past participle)
saving (present participle)

If you save something, you keep it; you do not give it or toss it away.

Please save that book for me.

If you save someone, you keep them safe or help them survive.

You saved my life.

If you save information, you put it on a disk or into some kind of long-term memory.

He saved the resumé on the floppy disk.


save

A save is when something was saved. This term is used in sports.

Due to a great save at the end, the game ended 0:0.


save

All of x save y describes only that part of x that is not y.

The night air was still and silent save for the voice of a female dispatcher over his police radio.

All my cats are white, save one.

We know little of her background, save that she was born in Mississauga.


sell

sell (canonical)
sells (third-person singular)
sold (past)
sold (past participle)
selling (present participle)

When you sell something to someone, you give something to someone and the person will give you money for it.

I sell good shoes for a small amount money.


someone

I heard someone at the door.

You should ask someone who knows more about it.

I'm hoping to meet someone special at the dance.


understand

understand (canonical)
understands (third-person singular)
understood (past)
understood (past participle)
understanding (present participle)

To hear and then fully know what was said, know enough to do it. To know the meaning of something.

He understood what I said to him.

She didn't understand. She thought I meant the meeting was today.


comb

A person moves a comb through their hair many times to make their hair look nice.

Joe always had a comb in his pocket.


comb

comb (canonical)
combs (third-person singular)
combed (past)
combed (past participle)
combing (present participle)

I washed and combed my hair.

The police combed the forest for the person but didn't find him.


full

full (positive)
fuller (comparative)
fullest (superlative)

A container is full of things if there are many of the things in the container and no more can go in.

The cup is full of water. If you try to put more water in, the water will fall onto the table.

My life is full of problems.

A full moon is when the moon is a round circle because the sun is shining on the side we can see.

I can see the road, because there's a full moon tonight.

A person is full when they are satisfied, usually with food.

The meal was so large that I was full all day.

Something is full when it is total and completed, does not need any additions


destruction

The destruction of a thing is the act of breaking the thing; the end of existence of the thing. Before the destruction, the thing is there. After the destruction, there is no thing any more.

The destruction of the house was necessary because the walls were not strong and people were not safe from falling bricks.

The earthquake caused a lot of destruction.


precede

precede (canonical)
precedes (third-person singular)
preceded (past)
preceded (past participle)
preceding (present participle)

A precedes B in the alphabet.

More change has happened in the last 20 years than in the preceding 100.

Each of the above exercises should be immediately preceded by taking a deep breath.


display

A display is an exhibition, an arrangement, or a show.

Mom thought the department store's display of lingerie was indecent.

Little Jimmie toppled the display of model airplanes.

The ceramic, wood, and fabric art displays are very attractive.

Too many displays will confuse our customers.

The output is visible on the display.


display

display (canonical)
displays (third-person singular)
displayed (past)
displayed (past participle)
displaying (present participle)

If you display something, you arrange it so that people can see it. Display means to exhibit, or to show.

The players will display their best skills at tonight's game.


friend

Two people are friends of each other if they like being together and they like helping each other, but are not related.

I only have three close friends.

She's been a friend of mine for many years.

Some friends are coming to our house for dinner tonight.

I stayed awake until the middle of the night talking with some friends.

Our house burned down, but some friends helped us build a new one.


cushion

A cushion is a pillow; a soft item that people can sit on or put their head on when they lie down.

Here's a bed with sheets, a cushion and a blanket.

Here's a soft chair with two cushions to make it even softer.


cushion

cushion (canonical)
cushions (third-person singular)
cushioned (past)
cushioned (past participle)
cushioning (present participle)

To stop one item from making hard contact with another item.

Mats were laid down to cushion the gymnast's fall.


favourite

My favourite brand is the brand I like most.

Ford is my favourite brand of truck.


favourite

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

Chocolate ice cream is my favourite.

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

He was a favourite of the king.


express

express (canonical)
expresses (third-person singular)
expressed (past)
expressed (past participle)
expressing (present participle)

If you express yourself, you say something about how you feel.

Sam expressed his feelings.


express

express (positive)
more express (comparative)
most express (superlative)

To mail the letter, Anna used the express service.


incentive

An incentive is something that makes you feel like you want to do something.

Companies should give their workers financial incentives to take the bus to work.

The government is cutting taxes to provide incentives for investment.

Doctors have a lot of incentive to see many patients and little incentive to spend much time with each one.


comparison

When someone makes a comparison between two things, the person thinks about how the two things are the same and how they are different, which one is bigger etc.

I need to make some comparisons between different houses before I make a decision about which house to buy.

A careful comparison will show that this cup has a little more water than the other cup.


inhibition

An inhibition is a feeling that makes you want to avoid (stay away from) something.

He threw off his inhibitions and went dancing.

Alcohol can take away inhibition.

When the cat was absent, the mouse showed no such inhibition.

She stays home all day—she has a lot of inhibitions.

I feel an inhibition about going onto an airplane.

Inhibition is the act of stopping or reducing a process, especially a natural or chemical process.

When there is no sugar, there is inhibition of cell growth.


curve

A curve is a line that is not straight. It is like part of a circle. It starts in one direction and turns.

The edge of the flower petal is a beautiful curve.


curve

curve (canonical)
curves (third-person singular)
curved (past)
curved (past participle)
curving (present participle)

The car curved around the corner.

This piece of wood is not good. It is curved.


copper

Copper is a metal that is a red-brown colour. Sometimes coins of small value are made from copper. The symbol for copper is Cu with an atomic number of 29.

Water comes into our house through copper pipes.

A copper is a penny, a coin of small value made of copper.

Could you give me a copper? I have almost enough money to buy that thing.

The copper arrested him for stealing.

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


copper

The copper statue has turned green.

Having the reddish-brown colour/color of copper

The copper couch will look really nice with that wallpaper.


floor

The floor is the flat part at the bottom of a room. People stand on the floor.

Don't drop your milk on the floor.

The children are sitting on the floor to play.

To get to room 302 you have to go up three floors.


floor

floor (canonical)
floors (third-person singular)
floored (past)
floored (past participle)
flooring (present participle)

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


trace

A trace of something is a very small amount, almost too small to find.

We've found traces of an earlier painting underneath this one.

No trace of the original material remains.

The last trace of cloud had disappeared from the sky.

He said it without a trace of sadness.

The fact that each coin has different trace elements provides clear evidence that they were made at different places.

A trace is a line on a paper drawn by a machine that shows the ups and downs of something.

The trace shows a very irregular heartbeat.

A trace is a path that tells you where something came from.

We've got a trace on the call.

The fox was able to follow the trace the rabbit left on the ground.


trace

trace (canonical)
traces (third-person singular)
traced (past)
traced (past participle)
tracing (present participle)

If you trace something, you follow information to find where it came from or where it went.

Also, both the church and the farm can trace their origins back to the 1500s.

The police soon traced the couple's movements and found they had made a number of telephone calls to Paris.

The disease has been traced back to some bad eggs.

He traced a line in the sand.

If you trace a picture or a shape, you draw it by putting a piece of paper over it and drawing what you see underneath.

She traced the Chinese characters carefully, the way you do before you learn to read.


exchange

exchange (canonical)
exchanges (third-person singular)
exchanged (past)
exchanged (past participle)
exchanging (present participle)

An exchange is when a person or a group of people trade an item or service with another person or group of people.

The children can exchange toys so that each child has a new toy to play with.


exchange

I did well in that exchange. Now I have three good new books, and I only paid a little money.


distance

The distance between two things is how far apart they are. A short distance means they're close to each other, and a long distance means they're far apart.

The distance from the Earth to the Sun is 93 million miles.

The distance from my house to the store is 2 kilometres.

The two girls were sitting a short distance apart, so they could hear each other whisper.


distance

distance (canonical)
distances (third-person singular)
distanced (past)
distanced (past participle)
distancing (present participle)

If you distance yourself from someone, you move away from something or someone.


flight

Flight is the act of flying: moving through the air using wings.

Birds have had flight for millions of years.

The flight of the bird was beautiful.

The flight to Boston leaves soon.

This flight is going to New York.

Flight is the act of running away and hiding.

The flight of the man just after the crime made the police think he was guilty.


flame

We saw the flames burning the house.

The firefighter's hat is as bright as a flame.

A flame is a lover that only lasts for a short time.

He brought his flame to yesterday's party.

A flame is a strong comment on the internet to insult (hurt) someone else, making them angry.

Today, someone in our forum started posting very mean flames.

I posted that someone's idea was a bad idea, and I got a lot of flames for that.


flame

flame (canonical)
flames (third-person singular)
flamed (past)
flamed (past participle)
flaming (present participle)

The pot in the kitchen started to flame when it was left to cook for too long.

To write an insulting (hurtful) message on the internet to make people angry.

My school peer started flaming in my email.

Everybody in the newsgroup flamed me for saying that.


fear

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

He was struck with fear when he thought he saw a ghost.

She has a fear of spiders.

Fear is the chance that something might happen.

There's no fear of her being on time. She's always late.

Fear is a feeling of very high respect, usually towards a god.

Christians who worship in churches have a fear of God.


fear

fear (canonical)
fears (third-person singular)
feared (past)
feared (past participle)
fearing (present participle)

If a person fears something, they are afraid of it; a person who is scared of something.

I fear the worst will happen.

She feared for his safety.

A person fears something when they’re giving someone bad news.

I fear that I am last on Earth.

If a person fears something, usually a god, you show great respect towards it.

Christians in churches fear God.


foolish

foolish (positive)
more foolish (comparative)
most foolish (superlative)

Unwise. A person who is foolish does not have good sense or judgement. They do things without thinking carefully; they do things that are bad ideas.

The person who saw and copied my homework today is being foolish.

Foolish means someone who is usually foolish. They have the characteristic (quality) of being foolish.

Being foolish once in a while does not make a person a foolish one.


fall

fall (canonical)
falls (third-person singular)
fell (past)
fallen (past participle)
falling (present participle)

When something or someone falls, it moves down quickly down through the air because nothing is holding it. It moves to a lower position because of gravity.

The apple fell from the tree.

The bridge is falling down.

He tripped on a banana peel and fell down, hurting his leg.

When someone falls, they can mean coming down to the ground on purpose, lying with the face down.

He fell to the floor and begged for mercy.

Falling is when someone or something has been defeated.

The Romans fell to the Goths in 410 AD.


fall

Fall is the name for autumn used only in North America, named after the falling of leaves during the season. It is the season when the weather is getting colder, after summer and before winter.

These plants are growing big and they will be ready to eat in the fall.

A fall or falls or waterfall is a part of a river where water is falling.

We went to the falls to eat lunch outside and watch the water falling.

A fall is when people suffered a loss of greatness or status, such as the fall of Rome.


fan

A fan is a thing that moves air to help people stay cool; either a small paper thing a person holds in their hand, or a machine with a part that turns fast to push the air.

She held the fan in front of her face so people wouldn't see her smile.

Turn on the fan! It's hot here!

A fan is a person who supports another person or team.

John is a fan of that soccer club.

When he kicked the ball into the goal, all his fans cheered loudly.


fan

fan (canonical)
fans (third-person singular)
fanned (past)
fanned (past participle)
fanning (present participle)

To blow air on something, often with a fan.

We had to fan ourselves with our programs because it was so hot and crowded in the auditorium.

We enjoyed standing at the edge of the cliff, being fanned by the wind.

usually to fan out) To move or spread in many directions from one point, similar to the shape of a hand-held fan.


fold

fold (canonical)
folds (third-person singular)
folded (past)
folded (past participle)
folding (present participle)

If you fold something thin such as paper, you bend it so it touches itself.

A type of art where paper is folded to make different models is called origami.

She folded the letter and put it into the envelope to mail it.

In poker, if you fold, you stop betting and withdraw.

After three people folded, there were only two people left in the game, betting against each other.

If you fold on ingredient into another, you stir it gently and carefully with a folding action.

Fold the egg whites into the batter.


fold

There was a fold down the middle of the paper.

A fold is a small place with a fence around it where people keep sheep.

After the sheep eat grass all day in the fields, they come home to the fold where it's safe for the night.


form

Form is the shape or structure of a person or a thing.

A thing that makes shapes to other things, as in a mold.

A form is a blank document which is to be filled in by a person.

To join with the club, please fill in this application form.


form

form (canonical)
forms (third-person singular)
formed (past)
formed (past participle)
forming (present participle)

If you form something, you give it shape or structure.


delicate

delicate (positive)
more delicate (comparative)
most delicate (superlative)

A delicate thing is something that can break easily. It is usually beautiful but people need to be careful if they touch it.

Flower petals are delicate.

I don't want a child to hold my delicate glasses.

The things in this box are delicate. Please don't drop them.


detail

A detail is a small part of something that is not as important as the whole thing.

I've written a book, but I still need to change some details in it.

Writing your name at the top of the page is a small detail, but it's important.

This is a very clear picture. You can see every detail.

He's on floor-cleaning detail today.


detail

detail (canonical)
details (third-person singular)
detailed (past)
detailed (past participle)
detailing (present participle)

When someone details something, they tell all the details about it, or record the details.

Would you please detail this project for me?


fight

fight (canonical)
fights (third-person singular)
fought (past)
fought (past participle)
fighting (present participle)

When two people fight against each other, they hit each other and try to hurt each other.

Two children were fighting over a toy, and one child got hurt and started to cry.

When two people fight against each other, they want different things and they try to get what they want. They might yell, or they might just try hard.

When that husband and wife fight with each other, they don't hit. They just yell at each other.

I'm fighting to get more money for the work I do.


fight

There was a fight in the bar last night and three people had to go to the hospital.


frequent

frequent (positive)
more frequent (comparative)
most frequent (superlative)

An event is frequent if it happens many times in a short time.

Broken toys is the most frequent reason children ask for help here.

Seeing a lion is not a frequent event around here.


frequent

frequent (canonical)
frequents (third-person singular)
frequented (past)
frequented (past participle)
frequenting (present participle)

Someone frequents a place if they go there regularly.

I frequent some of the restaurants on this street.


incidence

The incidence of something is how often it happens.

Regular blood pressure checks would reduce the incidence of heart disease and sudden heart attacks.

There is a surprisingly high incidence of theft in book stores.


hearing

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

If you hear something, you use your ears to get a sound from it.

Are you hearing the music clearly enough, or must I make it louder?


hearing

The act of hearing or the quality of being able to hear.

I'm worried about my son's hearing -- maybe his ears were hurt by music that was too loud.

Hearing is necessary to be a sign language interpreter.

A trial in a court of law or another kind of event where a group listens to people and makes a formal decision.

Next week I have an immigration hearing to decide whether I can stay in this country.


fowl

A fowl is a bird: an animal with feathers that can fly, especially a kind that people eat.

This farmer keeps sheep and two kinds of fowl: chickens and ducks.


feeble

feeble (positive)
feebler (comparative)
feeblest (superlative)

The old man is feeble.

I was very feeble that day because I was sick.

That's a feeble excuse.

Don't listen to her; she's feeble-minded.


parenthesis

A parenthesis is a symbol that looks like ( or ). A person may see parentheses when reading books. Most of the time, they are not used to tell the main story, but gives the reader extra information so they can understand.

Billy and Bob wrote their papers (Billy wrote about karate, and Bob wrote about dogs).

*The quote inside the parentheses, "Billy wrote about karate, and Bob wrote about dogs", is put inside parentheses because it would be a run-on sentence if there were no parentheses.

*You can also use commas as parentheses, but you need to write the sentence differently.


massacre

A massacre is when many people are killed. This is especially true when those killed appear to be innocent civilians not linked to the war in progress. Very often, the term is also applied if the killings were done in a brutal way.

Many people were killed in the My Lai Massacre during the Vietnam War.


massacre

massacre (canonical)
massacres (third-person singular)
massacred (past)
massacred (past participle)
massacring (present participle)

To kill many innocent people without much resistance; to slaughter people.


elastic

elastic (positive)
more elastic (comparative)
most elastic (superlative)

Something is elastic if it can stretch or bend and go back to the way it was.

She held the papers together by putting an elastic (rubber) band around them.

A metal spring is elastic: it gives back the energy that was put into it when it was pushed.


cooperative

cooperative (positive)
more cooperative (comparative)
most cooperative (superlative)

In a cooperative effort, project, etc., a number of people work together to do something.

Development of the machine became a cooperative effort between university and industry in the UK.

If someone is cooperative, they listen and try to help or work with you.

He was very hard to work with, but recently has become much more cooperative.


cooperative

A cooperative is a type of business that is owned by the people working there or by its customers.

Mountain Equipment Co-op (MEC), a retail co-operative, is Canada's largest supplier of outdoor equipment and has more than two million members.


reveal

reveal (canonical)
reveals (third-person singular)
revealed (past)
revealed (past participle)
revealing (present participle)

If you reveal something, it was hidden and you show it or make it known.

A new study reveals that car makers have made little or no gains in fuel economy.

It was revealed yesterday that the president has decided to step down.


index

An index is an alphabetical (A to Z) list, usually at the back of a book, where you can find the pages in a book that talk about particular things or words.

Look in the index to see where they talk about Chomsky.

An index shows the level of prices, wages, etc. so you can compare them with those of an earlier date.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones index closed 10 points up at 2,731.23.


index

index (canonical)
indexes (third-person singular)
indexed (past)
indexed (past participle)
indexing (present participle)

If you index something, you make an index (guide) for it.

If you index something to a certain price level, you make it go up or down with that level.


discrimination

Discrimination is the act of treating someone unfairly just because of their skin colour, religion, sex, etc.

Even in 2007, there's still too much sex discrimination at the higher levels of big business.

Discrimination is the ability to notice differences.

At this small size, discrimination is very difficult.

Discrimination is the ability to recognise high levels of quality.

The clothes were chosen by someone with discrimination.


overseas

If something is overseas, it is in a different country, usually across the ocean.

After university she went overseas to teach.

The overseas markets, students, etc. are in or from a different country, usually across an ocean.

Wang is an overseas student from China.

Canada needs to do more for overseas development, especially in Africa.

With the college taking in more overseas students, more attention is being put on language issues.

/ˌəʊvəˈsiːz/


foul

Something that goes against the rules in a sport.

After a bad foul, a soccer player has to leave the game


foul

foul (positive)
fouler (comparative)
foulest (superlative)

We left the meat too many days, and now it is foul and we can't eat it.

There's a foul smell in the bathroom.


event

The event of her walking into the room happened before the event of the book falling off the table, so she saw it fall.

In the event that the machine breaks, read this to know what to do.

An event is when many people come together at a time they choose for a reason or for fun.

At the event tomorrow we're going to have balloons and music.


drain

A drain is a hole, sometimes in the bottom of a basin, to let water flow out, and a pipe attached to the hole.

After you wash, you should drain the water from the bath.


drain

drain (canonical)
drains (third-person singular)
drained (past)
drained (past participle)
draining (present participle)

Someone drains something when they take the water or other liquid out of it.

She drained her cup in one gulp.

The workers drained the wet land to make it a dry place to build houses.


drawer

A drawer is a box made of wood that is part of a piece of furniture (such as a desk); drawers can slide in and out so that people can put things into them.

I keep my socks in the top drawer of the chest.

Did you draw this picture? Wow, you're a really good drawer.

A person who writes a bank draft, check, or promissory note.

We'll have to have a drawer draw up the promissory note.


company

A company is an organization for doing work for money.

He works for a big company.

I own this company, so it's a problem for me if people don't buy what we make.

Company is people who are visiting other people; people who are in other peoples' house so that they can talk to the other people, or people who are walking with other people or being somewhere with other people.

I can't talk to you on the phone right now, because I have company. (people in the house.)

When someone keeps someone else company, they stay with the person.

Will you keep me company while I go to mail this letter?

A company' is a unit of an army, it usually consists of two or three platoons to form a battalion.


force

A force is the act of a thing pushing on another thing, or how strongly it pushes.

The force of the hammer hitting the nail pushes the nail into the wood.

In science, energy is force times distance.

He pushed his shoulder against the door with great force, but was not able to open the locked door.

A group that aims to attack, control, or constrain.

police force


force

force (canonical)
forces (third-person singular)
forced (past)
forced (past participle)
forcing (present participle)

Someone forces something to happen when they make it happen.

He forced his way into the room.

The large size of our family forced me to buy a bigger house.


cruel

crueller (comparative)
cruellest (superlative)
cruel (positive)
crueler (comparative)
cruelest (superlative)

Someone who is cruel is mean. They hurt other people and don't care, or they like hurting other people.

The cruel guard pushed the prisoners so hard that some of them fell down.

An action is cruel if only cruel people would do it.

It's cruel to make children work 10 hours a day.


miner

A miner is a person who works in a mine. They go into a deep tunnel in the earth to get diamonds, coal, silver, gold or other minerals.

It was difficult for the miners to come out of the mine after some rocks fell in the tunnel.


minus

You use x minus y to show that y is taken away from x.

Five minus three is two. (5-3=2)

The TV is $299 minus a 10% discount.

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


minus

A minus sign, negative sign, or minus is the symbol "－". It is used in more than one situation:

before a number, to indicate that it is a negative number.

in a math problem 3-1=2 to indicate subtraction.

A minus is a problem or some negative aspect.

He's nice, but the way he dresses is a real minus.


nephew

A nephew is the male child of someone's sister or brother, and is a part of their extended family.

My sister just had a baby boy. He is my nephew.


justice

You need justice when you have been treated unfairly, cheated, hurt, or denied your basic rights by others.

Justice means fairness in how people are treated and how rules are applied. It is the idea that everyone should get what they truly deserve.

To have justice means treating every single person the same way, no matter how they look, where they come from, or what they believe.

When someone does something bad to another person, justice ensures the wrong is corrected and the person who caused harm faces the consequences.


explicit

explicit (positive)
more explicit (comparative)
most explicit (superlative)

If something is explicit, it is clearly said or shown, not hidden or just suggested.

It is very important that the company write an explicit statement of workers' responsibilities.

Sometimes it helps to be more explicit when speaking to children.

The problem is made explicit in the letter sent last July.


aggregate

The aggregate is the number or amount when everything is put together.

Although demand was up in certain areas, aggregate demand was down.

When each day's time is put together, he's been running for an aggregate of over 762 hours.

Aggregate is the small stones that are used to make concrete.


aggregate

aggregate (canonical)
aggregates (third-person singular)
aggregated (past)
aggregated (past participle)
aggregating (present participle)

If you aggregate something, you put or bring it together.

You shouldn't aggregate the various costs. Look at them individually.

The students' income should be aggregated with the parents'.


flag

A flag is a piece of cloth, usually marked with a colourful symbol or sign.

A flag flown by a ship is to show the presence on board of the admiral (the leader of a group of ships); the admiral himself; or his flagship.

The use of a flag, especially to show the start of a race or other event.

Be ready to start running immediately at the flag.

On a computer, a flag is a variable or place in the computer's memory that keeps a true-or-false, yes-or-no value, usually either recording the fact that a certain event has happened or asking for a certain action to happen if it's an action that doesn't always happen.

In a command line interface (a place on a computer screen for people to type commands for a computer to do), a sign telling the computer to do something it does only sometimes, or a sign changing in some other way the action of the command being typed.


flag

flag (canonical)
flags (third-person singular)
flagged (past)
flagged (past participle)
flagging (present participle)

If you mark with a flag, it shows the importance of something.

(often with down) To signal to, especially to stop a car that's driving past, etc.

Please flag a taxi down for me.

When a person flags, the person becomes weak, tired or feeble.

His strength flagged toward the end of the race.

To signal or mark something that happened.

The compiler flagged three errors.

To set the value of a variable in a computer program to true.

Flag the debug option before running the program.


gender

A living thing's gender is its sex: male (man, boy), female (woman, girl), both, or neither.

There are gender differences in everything from physical size to play style.

The effects vary considerably according to such factors as class, race and gender.

Gender is a way of grouping nouns in some languages, for example: masculine, feminine & neuter.

In French, the gender affects everything from the choice of le or la to the adjective endings.

Someone's gender is whether they behave like a boy or girl. This is called masculine or feminine, and not the same as male or female.

His gender was not traditional, he was a very feminine boy.

The gender of a cord, cable, or plug tells how it connects. If it has a hole (a socket) that can be plugged into, it is female. If it plugs into a hole, it is male.

The microphone was the wrong gender for the computer's sound card.


underlie

underlie (canonical)
underlies (third-person singular)
underlay (past)
underlain (past participle)
underlying (present participle)

If x underlies y, x causes y; x is the reason for y.

Poor education underlies much of the crime and violence in our society.

If x underlies y, x is the basis for y or the most important part of y.

The basic principle underlying the argument is that we can know what each of the parts is.


brief

brief (positive)
briefer (comparative)
briefest (superlative)

If something is brief, it is for a short time.

Today there will be brief periods of rain.

Today's meeting should be very brief.

The ceremony included a brief speech by the president.

She arrived when she was 13 months old and, except for one brief period, she never left.

During the brief interview I was asked why I wanted to work for UPS.

If a piece of clothing such as shorts or a skirt is brief, it is short.

One of them was naked, the other wore only a pair of brief shorts.


brief

A brief is a short piece of writing or a short talk.

They've been asked to file briefs, stating why they think the case should not be heard.

My father was at work, reading through a pile of legal briefs.

Could you tell whether he was wearing briefs or boxers under his trousers?

You use in brief to show that you will speak or write in a short way.

In brief, the results suggest that coffee is not harmful in small amounts.


brief

brief (canonical)
briefs (third-person singular)
briefed (past)
briefed (past participle)
briefing (present participle)

If you brief someone, you tell them the most important information about something.

Army General David Petraeus briefed the president on the progress of the plan.


dear

dear (positive)
dearer (comparative)
dearest (superlative)

Dear is something that is precious or greatly valued to someone. They love the thing or the person.

My large stamp collection is very dear to me.

Dear George, Thank you for your letter of August 1.

Dear is something very expensive. It has a higher price; costs a lot of money.

That diamond ring is too dear -- we can't buy it.


dear

My cousin is my dear because she gives me flowers very often.


domain

A domain is a field or area of knowledge or skill, or of where a rule is in force.

The question of whether there is a god or not is not within the domain of science.

The copyright is expired and the book is now in the public domain.

A domain is a large area owned by a person or controlled by a government.

The Royal Domain of Drottningholm stands on an island in Lake Mälar in a suburb of Stockholm.

A domain (name) is a group of internet addresses or URLs that share the same last section (e.g., http://simple.wiktionary.org/wiki/domain is in the wiktionary.org domain.)

If you want to set up a web site, the first step is probably to register a domain name such as amazon.com or google.com.


sacrifice

A sacrifice is something that a person gives up in order to help him or somebody else. A person who makes a sacrifice for a friend will do something that he might not want to do in order to help his friend.

A sacrifice is an offer given as a gift to a god.

People in the Old Testament offered a lamb as a sacrifice to God for forgiveness.


sacrifice

sacrifice (canonical)
sacrifices (third-person singular)
sacrificed (past)
sacrificed (past participle)
sacrificing (present participle)

If you sacrifice someone or something, you give them up for other things.


rational

rational (positive)
more rational (comparative)
most rational (superlative)

If something is rational, it makes sense and is based on reason.

Driving without a seatbelt is simply not rational.

Use of clean fuels is a healthier and more rational approach to meeting our energy needs.

Science is more linear, logical and rational than art.

I don't know what happened, but I'm sure there's a perfectly rational explanation.

If someone is rational, they are calm and not emotional.

It's often difficult to remain rational when people are telling you you're terrible.


coat

An outer piece of clothing that covers the upper part of the body and the arms.

The woman wore a fur coat.

It's cold today, so you need to wear a coat when you go outside.

He applied a thin coat of paint to the wood.

The bear's coat was thick for the winter.

Around the mast or bowsprit of a ship, some canvas painted with thick tar to keep water from running down the sides into the hold (now made of rubber).


coat

coat (canonical)
coats (third-person singular)
coated (past)
coated (past participle)
coating (present participle)

To cover with a coat (2) of some material

A person can buy coated frying pans, which are much easier to wash up than normal ones.

Thick paint coated the wall.


frame

The parts of a building that are strong and that hold the other parts up.

Now that the frame is done, we can start on the walls.

The strong parts (bones) of a person's body.

His starved flesh hung on his frame.

Something, often made of wood, around the outside of a picture.

The painting was in a beautifully carved frame.

The outer part of a stamp's image, usually decorated.

A part of a strip of photographic film, the size of one image.

A film projector shows many frames in a single second.

A way of understanding, a point of view.

In this frame, it's easy to ask the question that the investigators missed.

A game of snooker, from break-off until all the balls have been potted.

A chunk of data sent over the wires of a network.

In bowling, a set of balls whose results are added for scoring.

A division of time on a multimedia timeline, such as 1/30th of a second.


frame

frame (canonical)
frames (third-person singular)
framed (past)
framed (past participle)
framing (present participle)

People frame a building when they put together the strong parts while they're building or constructing it.

Once we finish framing the house, we'll hang tin on the roof.

Someone frames a picture such as a painting or photograph when they add a decorative border.

Someone who is taking a picture with a camera frames something when they carefully put it inside the edges of the picture in a nice way.

The director frames the fishing scene very well.

To put together words to make a point of view (way of thinking) for understanding or interpretation.

How would you frame your accomplishments?

The way the opposition has framed the argument makes it hard for us to win.

Someone frames someone else of a crime such as murder that they didn't do when they make things seem as if the person did the crime.

He put the gun in her car to try to frame her.


condition

A condition is a logical clause or phrase that a conditional statement uses. The phrase can either be true or false.

The doctor will check my condition.

A problem, especially a medical problem.

I told the doctor about my heart condition. My heart is very weak.

The state of something, meaning how much wear it has.

The tires were flat, the windows were broken, and the paint was peeling. The car was in poor condition.

A condition is something that must be true, happen, or exist before something else can.


condition

condition (canonical)
conditions (third-person singular)
conditioned (past)
conditioned (past participle)
conditioning (present participle)

To become accustomed to changes in the environment.

I became conditioned to the weather in San Diego.

To subject to different conditions, especially as an exercise.

They were conditioning their shins in their karate class.


kidney

Kidney is an organ that is part of the human body. It cleans the blood and makes urine (pee) which is the dirty water that needs to leave the body.

Our kidneys are very important organs in our body.

When you drink more water, your kidneys can clean the blood better and make more urine.

The organ that does the same thing in the body of other animals.


division

Division is the act of dividing a whole thing into parts.

The division of the pie by the children happened with very little fighting.

Division is the process or calculation of dividing a number by another number.

I've got ten divisions to do for my homework.

Divisions are the parts of something after division.

There are four divisions (or sections) in a classical pas de deux.

A division is a large military unit (group of soldiers)

A division is a section of a large company.

This division of GenericTech specializes in the manufacturing of routers.

When scientists are grouping kinds of animals, a division is a kind of group (Latin divisio) below kingdom and above class.

Magnolias belong to the division Magnoliophyta.

A division is a difference of viewpoint between two sides of an argument.

There is a division in the Senate between politicians who support abortions and politicians who do not.

A division is a piece of music (melody), played with musical instruments, in the 17th and 18th centuries based on another piece.

A division is a set of pipes in a pipe organ.

A division is a concept where a common group of debtors (people who owe money) are only responsible for part of the total debt.


close

close (canonical)
closes (third-person singular)
closed (past)
closed (past participle)
closing (present participle)

If you close something, you change it from being open to not open.

She watched TV for a while, and then closed her eyes.

He left the room and softly closed the door behind him.

He opened his mouth and closed it again without saying anything.

If something closes, it goes out of business for a short time or permanently.

The supermarket closes at 5 o'clock on Saturday.

Sadly, we have decided to close the shop.

If the distance or time between two different things closes, they get closer together.

The government will use the $15 million to close a budget gap.

With only three games left in the season, Milan is closing in on Hamburg.

The storm was closing in, and she wanted to get home.

The book closes with the man alone in the house where he started.

I'd like to close this talk by asking for your help.

If a stock, bond, or currency closes at a certain price, it is at the price at the end of the trading day.

The EAP Emerging Growth Fund lost half a dollar, closing at just over $38.

Again today, cigarette company stocks closed up.

If you close a deal/sale/contract, both people make a final agreement.

It took five months, many phone calls, and an extra $89,000 to close the deal.

If you close up, you stop talking about something.

Every time I asked about the cost everybody would close right up.


close

When two things are close, they are near each other; the distance or time between them is small.

The bank is close to the store.

I walk to my university because it is very close.

It's close to nine o'clock.

Closer to the end, I'll come and get you.

Put it close to the door.

She left an hour ago, and he was very close behind.

I like to keep my phone close at hand so I can get it quickly.

They stood close together.


close

close (positive)
closer (comparative)
closest (superlative)

If two people are close, they have a good relationship, like friends, family or lovers.

She was quite close to her dad before he died.

If a game or contest is close, you can't easily see which side is better.

The race has been very close up until now.

If two things are close, they are similar.

This is the closest thing I could find to that colour.

Close range/contact/ties etc. is near, not far.

They tell us the gun was fired at close range.

Most Norwegians live in close contact with the wilderness, the sea, the mountains, or the forests.

A close look, watch, or eye means careful attention.

Keep a close eye on the money.

In a close game/race/competition, etc., the difference between the scores/times/abilities, etc is small.

One or two points can win or lose a close race .

The winner earned 13.8 percent of the vote, but she was a close second (13.5 percent).

If something was close, something bad/dangerous/embarrassing, etc. almost happened.

Wow, that was close. She almost saw us.

Thirty years ago this week, our country had a very close call.


close

I will be surprised if the company is still running by close of business tomorrow.

The book was written around the close of the 14th century.

As our first week came to a close, we were getting very tired.


fixed

fix (canonical)
fixes (third-person singular)
fixed (past)
fixed (past participle)
fixing (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of fix.

The mechanic fixed my car.

The mother fixed the broken toy.

The meeting of Congress is fixed on January 3.

The mechanic has fixed all of the problems.

Something is fixed if it didn't work before, but now it works or has been repaired.

Is your car fixed yet?

If an animal has been fixed, it had an operation to stop it from having babies.

After a male cat is fixed, it doesn't fight with other cats as much.

If a game, contest, or election is fixed, somebody unfairly controls what will happen before it is over.

Don't go to that casino, the roulette wheel is fixed.

When we find out who squealed on our roulette wheel, they're going to get fixed.

Don't go into my room, or I'll fix you!

Don't worry about it, we're fixed with the cops.


fixed

Not changing, not able to be changed, staying the same.

fixed assets

fixed cost


degree

We measure an angle using degrees. All the way around a circle is 360 degrees. Often, ° is written instead of "degrees".

A right-angled triangle has an angle of 90 degrees.

We measure how hot or how cold it is (temperature) using degrees on a scale, such as Celsius or Fahrenheit.

It's going to be 35 degrees Celsius today.

The amount that an object has of a certain quality.

To what degree do the two accounts of the accident agree?

Any units used to measure specific gravity, bitterness, darkness, etc. in manufacturing commodities.

An award (usually better than a diploma but not as good as a doctorate) given by a university or, in some countries, a college

After four years at university, she got her degree.

The number of edges that a vertex is part of.

The corner of a cube is of degree 3, but the corners of an eight-sided solid have degree 4.


growth

The act of growing (getting bigger); an increase in size, number, value, or strength.

I'm pleased with the growth in value of our house in the years after we bought it.

Something that grows or has grown; a mass that is not normal, such as a tumor.

There was a healthy growth of bushes near the house.

He died of a growth in his brain.


disgust

A strong dislike someone feels for something. Disgust is an emotion. People feel it, for example, when they find something dirty or not fit to eat.

With an air of disgust, she stormed out of the room.

When she saw the meat that was ten days old, she felt a strong disgust.


disgust

disgust (canonical)
disgusts (third-person singular)
disgusted (past)
disgusted (past participle)
disgusting (present participle)

To cause a strong dislike for something.

It disgusts me, to see her chew with her mouth open.


dependent

dependent (positive)
more dependent (comparative)
most dependent (superlative)

If you are dependent on something, you need it or rely on it.

Ocean divers are dependent on their oxygen masks for air.


dependent

A dependent is a person who relies on another person for support.

With two children and an ailing mother, she had three dependents in all ... (In British English, this meaning is spelt dependant.)

A dependent is an element in a phrase or clause that is not the head.


driving

drive (canonical)
drives (third-person singular)
drove (past)
driven (past participle)
driving (present participle)

The man driving the truck went to the run-down weigh station.

In the European Union, driving on the right side of the road is normal.

If something is driving, it is moving quickly and strongly.

The driving wind blew the rain sideways.


guide

a document or book that offers information or instruction; guidebook.

any marking or object that catches a person's attention for quick reference.

a device that guides part of a machine, or guides motion or action.

a spirit thought to speak through a medium.

a member of a group marching in formation who sets the pattern of movement for the rest.


guide

guide (canonical)
guides (third-person singular)
guided (past)
guided (past participle)
guiding (present participle)

to serve as a guide for someone or something.

to use control or influence over someone or something.


development

The development of this story has been slow.

The organism has reached an important part in its development.

Our news team brings you the latest developments.

Our development department has created three new adhesives this year.

The active placement of the pieces, or the process of doing it

White's development is good, but black's has been hampered by the pawn on e5.


minimum

The minimum is the lowest number, size, amount, etc. that exists, that is allowed, or that is possible.

Try to keep drinking to a minimum at school.

A minimum of three workers is needed to do the job.


interval

There is a ten-minute interval between classes.

In music, an interval is the difference in pitch between two notes.

In mathematics, an interval is a connected section of the real line.

In the game of cricket, either of the two breaks, at lunch and tea, between the three sessions of a day's play.


rigid

rigid (positive)
more rigid (comparative)
most rigid (superlative)

It's possible to use flexible materials to form a rigid structure.


flexibility

Flexibility is the quality of being able to give yourself a blowjob.

Current technology allows for greater flexibility in how we do our jobs.


author

An author is the creator of a work; a writer.

I am the author of this article. I was the one who wrote it.


author

author (canonical)
authors (third-person singular)
authored (past)
authored (past participle)
authoring (present participle)

If you author something, you create a work as its author.

Did you read that article that John authored? It was poorly written.


initiative

If you have or take the initiative, you are in control and can decide what to do next.

It's good to see someone take the initiative and start doing something about this problem.

It appears that the army was acting on its own initiative and not on orders from the president.

If you have initiative, you do things without needing to be told to do them.

We're looking to hire somebody with initiative because I won't be able to supervise them much.

An initiative is an effort to start doing something to solve a problem.

The town has no new initiatives to deal with garbage.


eventually

If something will happen eventually, it will happen but it will be in the future, not soon. Some day it will happen.

I'll clean out my closet eventually.

Eventually we'll find a better way to do this.


forthcoming

forthcoming (positive)
more forthcoming (comparative)
most forthcoming (superlative)

An event that is forthcoming is something that will happen soon. It's coming in a short time.

The forthcoming publication of her book will help her get status and respect.

A person who is forthcoming is someone who tells what they're thinking.

I asked him what his plans are for next year but he wasn't very forthcoming.

/fɔːθˈkʌmɪŋ/

/fɔrθˈkʌmɪŋ/


crucial

crucial (positive)
more crucial (comparative)
most crucial (superlative)

When something is crucial, it is very important. It will make a big difference. You cannot succeed without it.

To write a great book, it's crucial to have the person in the book change and develop.

It was a crucial time in the battle when the king dropped his sword.

The development of this company is at a crossroads, and we need to make some crucial decisions.

Iron plays a crucial role in moving oxygen around the body.

The new doctor was crucial to the success of the operation.


allocation

An allocation is the amount that is given out or shared.

Our department's allocation of computer time is too small.

We need to increase the allocation of funds to fix the roads problem.

Allocation is the act of giving out or sharing something.

The budget allocations are becoming less and less frequent.

With the new focus on the environment, governments are rethinking their resource allocation plans.

The broad allocation of contracts means that we don't depend on any one company.

/æləˈkeɪʃən/


exceed

exceed (canonical)
exceeds (third-person singular)
exceeded (past)
exceeded (past participle)
exceeding (present participle)

If x exceeds y, x is or becomes larger or better than y.

The company's 2005 revenue exceeds that of 2004.

The quality of her essay exceeded my expectation.

If you exceed something, you go beyond (farther than) the limits, beyond the regular level or beyond what is allowed.

Your user name may not exceed eight characters.

The length of the soldier's hair exceeds the allowed length.


intervention

An intervention is an activity designed to change or stop a situation.

To prevent government intervention, the companies agreed to stop advertising cigarettes.

The teachers planned a reading intervention for the students who were having trouble.


definite

definite (positive)
more definite (comparative)
most definite (superlative)

Someone is definite if they are sure. They have no doubt about what they're saying.

She was definite that this is the right place.

Something is definite if it has defined limits.


voluntary

voluntary (positive)
more voluntary (comparative)
most voluntary (superlative)

Acting of one's own free will. Something that somebody does is voluntary if the person is doing it because they want to do it, not because someone orders them to do it.

Helping to wash the dishes is voluntary.

I have a voluntary position helping children learn to read.


release

release (canonical)
releases (third-person singular)
released (past)
released (past participle)
releasing (present participle)

If someone releases something, they let go of it; they stop holding it and set it free (let it be free).

He released his grasp on the lever.

He was released after two years in prison.

Someone releases something when they put it out into the world (discharge it).

They released thousands of gallons of water into the river each month.

A company releases something when they let the public start using it.

They released the new product later than they wanted to.

To lease again; to agree to a new lease of; to let back, sublet or rent again.

I leased the house from the owner, and released it for a year to another person.


release

In software, a version of something that is put up for sale or that the public can use.

The video store advertised that it had all the latest "releases".

That which is released, untied or let go.

They marked the occasion with a release of butterflies.


wealth

Wealth is when one has a lot of money. Wealth is a lot of money or a lot of things of high value like land, houses, factories, jewelry, etc.

His wealth is so great that he wears new shoes every day.


holy war

A holy war is a war fought for religious reasons. Examples include jihad and crusades.


scizzors


collapse

collapse (canonical)
collapses (third-person singular)
collapsed (past)
collapsed (past participle)
collapsing (present participle)

Something collapses when all its parts fall down loosely. A building or a bridge collapses when it breaks and all its parts fall down. A person collapses when they are tired and they fall into a chair or onto a bed and are too tired to get up.

He was so tired, he just collapsed onto that chair.

The bridge collapsed, but no one was hurt.


collapse

The collapse of the bridge means we can't go over the river any longer.


colleague

A colleague is a person who works together with another person or who does the same kind of work.

I like to talk about the science with my colleagues from the other university.


levy

levy (canonical)
levies (third-person singular)
levied (past)
levied (past participle)
levying (present participle)

If you levy a charge or a tax, you legally make people pay it.

The government levies a tax on all wood entering the country.


levy

A levy is an extra charge on top of the basic price, usually a tax.

The levy on fuel went up this year.

Someone drafted or conscripted into military service.


nonetheless

When x is true, and nonetheless y is true, then x being true didn't stop y from being true.

It's raining, but we're going to eat outside nonetheless.

The British were very interested in starting talks. Nonetheless, it was the Americans who actually got things organised.

/ˌnʌnðəˈlɛs/


integrity

Integrity is the quality of being honest and of doing only good things.

I liked the integrity she showed when she wouldn't let someone from the other company pay for her lunch.

Integrity is the quality of being whole, not broken.

We need to test the integrity of the bridge.


tonight

Tonight is the night that comes between today and tomorrow.

Tonight is when the party is scheduled.

We will talk tonight.


seconds

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

The clock shows the seconds.

A second serving of food for one person.

I'm so hungry that I'm going back for seconds.

This tastes so good. I hope there's enough for us to have seconds.


seconds

second (canonical)
seconds (third-person singular)
seconded (past)
seconded (past participle)
seconding (present participle)

Seconds is the present third person singular of second.

If Bill seconds the motion, I'll vote for it.


today

Today is the current day, the day that is happening now, the day between yesterday and tomorrow.

Today is the first day of the rest of your life.

I have classes today.

Today's meeting should be short.

Today is modern times; the present in general.

Today we don't have many of the old problems but we have many new ones.


too

If you say I am too tall, I am taller than I should be.

You can't come in. You are too dirty.

After someone says something, you can use too to say that something else is the same.

"It's nice to meet you." "It's nice to meet you, too."

I speak Japanese and Korean too.

I like it, and she likes it too.


ordinal

If something is ordinal, it tells the order.

"Fifth" is an ordinal number.


ordinal

An ordinal number such as first, second and third.


assembly

A group of people who came together for an event.

She stood in front of the assembly and started to talk.

The act of people or things coming together.

It took a few minutes for the assembly of everything she needed to bring with her.

The act of making something by putting parts together.

We bought a desk, but we didn't know it needed assembly at home.


adjacent

If x has adjacent y, there is no other thing between x and y.

The house has an adjacent garage.

It's a lovely room, complete with adjacent shower and rest area.

In the word "house", the letters "h" and "o" are adjacent.


adjacent

If x is adjacent to y, there is no other thing between x and y.

The cinema was immediately adjacent to our house, so that every night we could hear the film.


cent

A small coin of little value, also called a penny; 100 cents make a dollar.

This gum only costs five cents.


straightforward

straightforward (positive)
more straightforward (comparative)
most straightforward (superlative)

If something is straightforward, it is simple. It is easy to understand and easy to know how to do it.

The instructions for how to put this desk together are straightforward.

What we need to do now is straightforward.

Making tea is pretty straightforward.


enormous

enormous (positive)
more enormous (comparative)
most enormous (superlative)

That's the most enormous watermelon I've ever seen.

Elephants are enormous animals.


intrinsic

intrinsic (positive)
more intrinsic (comparative)
most intrinsic (superlative)

x is intrinsic to y if x is an important part of y. y must always have x as a part.

Being able to think is intrinsic to being human.

Finding a way to stop being angry is intrinsic to the problem of making your life better.

Food has intrinsic value, while gold only has value because other people want it.


duration

The time something takes, or how much time it takes.

In the duration of his speech, ten more people came into the room

The duration of this event will be three hours.

For the duration of the work painting the rooms, you'll have to sleep in a different room.


whereby

This hammer is the tool whereby I hammered in that nail.

Learning is the method whereby we improve our minds.


inclination

Someone has an inclination to do something if the person wants to do it or often does it.

I have an inclination to eat some ice cream right now.

He has an inclination to forget his umbrella at other peoples' houses.

Something has an inclination if it's on a slant or angle.

The inclination of the road was just enough to make the car roll by itself.


fifth

The fifth thing is something that is number five (5) in order.


fifth

A fifth of something is one of five equal parts of that thing.

Three is one fifth of fifteen.

A fifth of an alcoholic drink is a bottle of it.

They drank a fifth of vodka last night.


user

A user is someone with an account and username that lets them log in to a computer and do things on the computer.


motto

A motto is a favorite phrase or saying, often telling a principle or belief. Individuals and groups can have mottos.

"Early to bed and early to rise" is a motto.


protocol

A protocol is a rule, guideline, or document about how certain activities are done.

I don't know the protocol for talking to the President.

A protocol is a set of rules that describes how data is transmitted.

To get the domain name from the domain name server, the other computer has to send the right protocol.


overlap

overlap (canonical)
overlaps (third-person singular)
overlapped (past)
overlapped (past participle)
overlapping (present participle)

Something overlaps on another thing if part of it is on top of, or at the same time as, the other thing.

The shingles of a roof need to overlap to keep rain out.

The shifts of the two workers (periods of time when they're working) need to overlap so that one worker can tell the other one what is happening.


overlap

The act of overlapping. The amount that two things overlap on each other.

More overlap keeps the rain out better, but needs more shingles to cover the roof.


attain

attain (canonical)
attains (third-person singular)
attained (past)
attained (past participle)
attaining (present participle)

Someone attains a status if they reach it and start to have that status.

My brother attained first place in the race.

After 4 years at university, she attained her degree.

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


sphere

A sphere is a shape that is round in all directions, like a ball. Every point on a sphere is the same distance from the centre (a point in the middle) of the sphere.

The Earth is almost exactly a sphere.

A drop of water can be a sphere while it's falling.


route

A route is the way someone goes from one place to another place.

Could you tell me a route to the store from here?

The road was rough. I should have taken a different route.


route

route (canonical)
routes (third-person singular)
routed (past)
routed (past participle)
routing (present participle)

To send something or someone on a specific route.

While the road was being fixed, the workers routed the cars along a different road.

This computer routes email to the main computer.


arrogance

Arrogance is an attitude that someone may have that he/she is better than other people.

He treats us so badly because he is full of arrogance.


background

The background is what can be seen or heard behind other things that are closer or louder.

I was talking to Mary, but I heard the phone ringing in the background.

The play was good, and I especially liked the backgrounds that were used.

The background of a person is his/her history.

The police checked his background to see if he had been in jail.


background

background (canonical)
backgrounds (third-person singular)
backgrounded (past)
backgrounded (past participle)
backgrounding (present participle)


blank

blank (canonical)
blanks (third-person singular)
blanked (past)
blanked (past participle)
blanking (present participle)

If you blank something, you make it empty.


blank

blank (positive)
blanker (comparative)
blankest (superlative)

If a piece of paper or something else is blank, it has nothing written on it.

I asked Bill for a blank piece of paper, but he gave me one with writing on it.

I thought he would sign the check, but he left it blank.

The computer screen was completely blank because the computer was off.


blank

A blank is a space or line on a piece of paper or somewhere else where a word or phrase is supposed to be.

Fill in the blanks on the legal form.

A blank is a cartridge that contains gunpowder but does not have a bullet. It used usually used for training or as a signal.


controversy

When there is a controversy about something, people don't agree about it and there is a lot of talking about it.

There's a controversy about whether cars should be allowed to drive in this part of the city.

Newspapers love to write about controversies.


simulation

A simulation of an event is when people make something that looks like the event happening, but it isn't real.

Before we watched them land on the moon, we watched a simulation so we would know what it would look like.

Doctors sometimes learn surgery in a simulation of a real operation.

To make movies you have to set up a lot of simulations.


inherent

inherent (positive)
more inherent (comparative)
most inherent (superlative)

A part of something that is natural and cannot be separated from it.

There may be problems inherent in hiring part-time staff.

Everybody understands the inherent value of education.

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


afternoon

I didn't finish that work in the morning, so I had to do it in the afternoon.


awful

awful (positive)
more awful (comparative)
most awful (superlative)

Very bad. So bad that people don't want to think about it.

When all the children were crying, it was just awful.


agree

agree (canonical)
agrees (third-person singular)
agreed (past)
agreed (past participle)
agreeing (present participle)

When two people agree about something, they have the same ideas. They both think the same things are true.

We agree that it will probably rain this afternoon.

When two people agree to do some things, they say something like "if you do this, then I will do that." After they agree, then they must do the things they said.

We agreed to pay him $100 to paint the walls.


away

When something moves away from something else, the distance between them gets bigger. They are no longer near or close.

Go away! You're bothering me.

Keep the machine away from water.

The store is far away from my house.


arrogant

arrogant (positive)
more arrogant (comparative)
most arrogant (superlative)

If Dan is arrogant, he thinks he is better or more important than other people.

He is arrogant and that is why he is rude.

When you walked past her without talking to her, she thought you were being arrogant.


deaf

deaf (positive)
deafer (comparative)
deafest (superlative)

Somebody who is deaf, cannot hear or cannot hear well.

She did not hear what I was saying because she's deaf.


deafness

Someone with deafness cannot hear or cannot hear well.

My mother's deafness keeps her from hearing me.

Getting sick with the measles can cause deafness.


niece

A niece is the female child of someone's sister or brother and is a part of their extended family.

My brother has a daughter. She is my niece.


partisan

A partisan is a person who is a supporter of a political party, or of an idea. He or she may also be militant, ready to use force to fight for his or her cause.


savoury

savoury (positive)
savourier (comparative)
savouriest (superlative)

Savoury means "not sweet". Food that is savoury does not taste sweet. The savoury course of a meal may have meat or fish and vegetables. This may be followed by a sweet course (called "pudding" or "dessert").

"Savour" can also mean the characteristic taste of something. It can also mean to enjoy something: "He savoured every moment of it".


purge

purge (canonical)
purges (third-person singular)
purged (past)
purged (past participle)
purging (present participle)

To purge an organization or an object means to clean it up of something bad.

His attempt to purge our country of minorities was met with international criticism.


purge

When a purge occurs, an organization or an object is cleaned up of something bad.

His purge of our country's minorities was met with international criticism.


visible

visible (positive)
more visible (comparative)
most visible (superlative)

If something is visible, it can be seen.

The car had no visible signs of damage.

Many stars that are not visible in the city are still visible from the countryside.

Mount Fuji is clearly visible from Tokyo after a rain storm.

Italy has an active and highly visible environmental movement.


finite

finite (positive)
more finite (comparative)
most finite (superlative)

If something is finite, it has a limit. It doesn't keep going forever.

This problem has a finite number of correct answers.

There is a finite amount of energy in the universe.


publication

Publication is the act of making a book or other thing publicly known or available where the public can use it.

The Report itself and the debate that followed its publication have been useful.

This letter is personal and not for publication.

A publication is a book, magazine, paper, song, etc. that has been or will be published.

Women's Strategies from Around the World, is a new publication from the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).


disturbance

To disturb means to stop someone or something by interrupting them.


clumsiness

Clumsiness is a lack of coordination; it is the condition of being clumsy.


thesis

A thesis is a long paper that university students at the masters or doctoral level write.

I finished my coursework and have been working on my thesis for about a year now.

She's writing her thesis on the effects of TV on children.

A thesis is a main idea or argument that is developed or explained.

This book has three major theses.

If you're going to write about this, you're going to have trouble supporting your thesis.


knives

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

I keep all my knives in the kitchen.

Which of these knives should I use to chop the onions?


set

set (canonical)
sets (third-person singular)
set (past)
set (past participle)
setting (present participle)

If you set something somewhere, you put something into a place.

She sets the lamp on the floor.

I was setting glasses on the table when I heard a noise.

If you set something, you put it into some state or condition.

After changing the batteries, you have to set the clock again.

They set the house on fire

His utter naturalness at once set me at ease.

He sets the CD player to play.

The guard had never set a prisoner free before.

If you set something, you define it or to fix its value.

The teacher set a time limit of two minutes for this exercise.

The date for the exam was set to next Thursday.

The microwave was set to 400 watts.

If you set the table, you put dishes, forks and knives on it.

I set the table for five people, but only three came.

When the sun or moon sets, it moves toward the horizon.

The sun sets every evening.

If something sets, it dries and becomes solid.

The concrete needs to set before a car can drive on it.

This glue needs two hours to set.

The past tense and past participle of set.


set

Something that is set is fixed. It cannot be changed easily.

Don't argue! The rules are set.

The time for the race is set.

Are you set?


set

The set is the scenery for a theatrical work such as a play, ballet, musical, etc.

The Metropolitan Opera's set for Aida is spectacular.

I was painting a wall on the set when the director arrived.

A set is a group of things that are similar or can be used together.

This chess set is too expensive to play chess with it.

I have a set of porcelain figurines depicting characters from Shakespeare's plays.

A set is a group of things, where every single one of them has a certain purpose. All of them are needed to perform a certain operation.

To play poker, you need a set of playing cards and chips.

A mason has a set of tools.

Persons that have something in common may be called a set.

That rich chick is a member of the Jet Set.

Girls who wear sweaters on Wednesday in my school belong to the sweater set.

The Long Island Horsey Set plays polo on weekends.

A set is a machine which gets radio or television programs.

This television set is broken.

This radio set can receive programs from Australia.

In many sports, a number of sets make up a game. An example of this would be in tennis or table tennis.

The tennis player won the first two sets, but lost the game.


khaki

A dull yellowish-brown color, the color of dust.

A strong cloth that is made of wool or cotton; khaki is often used for making military uniforms.


khaki

khaki (positive)
more khaki (comparative)
most khaki (superlative)


invoke

invoke (canonical)
invokes (third-person singular)
invoked (past)
invoked (past participle)
invoking (present participle)

When someone invokes a rule, they use the rule in a specific situation.

For the government to do that legally, they would have to invoke the "notwithstanding" clause of the constitution.


invoked

The past tense and past participle of invoke.

When a rule is invoked, it is being used in a specific situation.

That rule was not invoked during that meeting.


likewise

When someone does something likewise, they do it the same way someone else did it. Sometimes people say likewise to mean that they're saying the same thing someone else just said.

I used one of the little spoons to eat my soup, and my friend did likewise.

"I'm happy to see you!" "Likewise!"


so-called

When someone uses the word "so-called" to talk about something, they mean that other people talk about the thing that way, but they don't agree.

When are we going to leave this so-called party? (The person saying this thinks it should not be called a party. Probably they think the party is not fun.)


brilliant

brilliant (positive)
more brilliant (comparative)
most brilliant (superlative)

If something is brilliant, it gives off a lot of light.

It was evening with the brilliant colors of sunset shining through the trees.

The sun's light was so brilliant that I needed to close my eyes.

The sky was a brilliant blue that day, and the air was cold.

He noticed a brilliant star in the sky.

If something is brilliant, it is very good.

Truly brilliant ideas can sound crazy at first.

She wrote a book about her brilliant career in television.

If a person is brilliant, they are very intelligent.

He was a brilliant teacher.


disposal

Disposal is the act of getting rid of or throwing out something.

There is no long-term plan for nuclear waste disposal.

After a strange package was found, bomb disposal workers were called in.

If you have something at your disposal, it is available for you to use.

Some of the students seem to have a lot of money at their disposal.

[dɪsˈpəʊzəɫ]


solely

You use solely to say that somebody or something is the only one like that or that did it.

It is not good for a country to rely solely on one energy source.

You are solely responsible for this problem.


deny

deny (canonical)
denies (third-person singular)
denied (past)
denied (past participle)
denying (present participle)

If you deny something, you say it didn't happen or isn't true.

He denied charges that Vietnamese troops participated in the fighting.

There can be no denying that the Cobra is an extremely exciting car to drive.

The report that came out earlier today has been denied by the White House.

If you deny somebody something, you stop them from having or doing it.

A quick dive by the goal keeper denies Beckham the goal.

Why would you go to work and deny yourself a little rest?


bear

A bear is a big animal with a short tail. They either eat only meat or meat and plants. There are many different types of bears, for example brown bears and polar bears.

Polar bears are white.

Grizzly bears live in North America.

Someone who acts rough and lacks manners could be called a bear.

A large, hairy, homosexual man is called a bear.


bear

born (past participle)
bear (canonical)
bears (third-person singular)
bore (past)
borne (past participle)
bearing (present participle)

This wall bears half the weight of the roof.

The chieftain bears a spear.

If someone bears something bad, they accept it or deal with it.

He has to bear insults because of his appearance.

I cannot bear looking at the news.

The pain is so bad, I can hardly bear it.

If a baby is born, it comes out of its mother.

The woman bore a little boy.

He was born on October 22, 1983.

If something is born, it is newly created.

This idea was born out of boredom.

If something bears fruit, flowers, etc., it grows them.

This apple tree is 100 years old, it does not bear apples anymore.

Peter bears a small scar on his forehead.

The flag bore a white lion.

The sign bears the words "Hey there!".


big

big (positive)
bigger (comparative)
biggest (superlative)

If something is big, it is large in size; tall, wide, long, or fat.

He's bigger than me.

I would like a big glass of milk.

The tree was so big that you could see it over the top of the house.

That's a big problem!

Someone's big brother or a big sister is one who is older than the person.

I have a big brother who's stronger than you!


large

large (positive)
larger (comparative)
largest (superlative)

Big; of great size; broad, tall, wide, long, or fat.

I would like a large glass of milk.

I need a larger piece of paper to fit all these pictures onto it.


compile

compile (canonical)
compiles (third-person singular)
compiled (past)
compiled (past participle)
compiling (present participle)

Someone compiles some things or ideas when they bring them together into one place.

I need to compile a list of reasons not to go ahead with the project.

She compiled a good set of books to read about the history of that place.


panel

A panel is a flat piece of wood or other material, used as part of a wall or on the side of something.

The house has aluminium panels covering the outside.

A panel is a group of people who come together at a table to talk or to judge, usually in front of many other people.

The panel made a decision that Paul had won the dance contest.

I went to listen to a panel talking about global warming.


panel

panelled (past)
panelled (past participle)
panelling (present participle)
panel (canonical)
panels (third-person singular)
paneled (past)
paneled (past participle)
paneling (present participle)


device

She has a device in her kitchen for cutting garlic.

A device is a machine or part attached to a computer, such as a keyboard, mouse, printer etc.

The mouse is an important device for using the computer.

A device is a clever way of doing something.


yet

When something hasn't happened yet, it didn't happen, but it might happen in the future.

Is she there yet?


yet

Used to join words, phrases, and clauses that contrast.

It's cold outside, yet I don't see you wearing a coat.

I've never tried so hard yet accomplished so little.


ambiguous

ambiguous (positive)
more ambiguous (comparative)
most ambiguous (superlative)

If something is ambiguous, it has more than one possible meaning, state, or explanation.

I think he fills his speeches with ambiguous words on purpose.

The goal of the challenge remains rather ambiguous.


ongoing

ongoing (positive)
more ongoing (comparative)
most ongoing (superlative)

Something is ongoing if it's continuing to happen without stopping in one long period of time.

The growth of bones is still ongoing at age 12.

The development of the new way of doing this is ongoing.


conceive

conceive (canonical)
conceives (third-person singular)
conceived (past)
conceived (past participle)
conceiving (present participle)

If you can conceive of a certain situation, you can imagine it.

I just can't conceive of life without you.

Can you conceive what life would have been like in that time?

Someone conceives of an idea when they think of the idea for the first time, and it's their idea: they thought of it themselves, no one told them.

The planners first conceived of the idea of making a large, curved building here in 1998.

I can't conceive of any way of getting there before 5:00.

A woman conceives a baby when she becomes pregnant (starts to carry a tiny baby inside her).

The baby was conceived the day we went to Niagara Falls.


notwithstanding

If something is true notwithstanding something else, it is true in spite of that other thing.

We're going ahead with the event as planned, notwithstanding the heavy rain and wind.

He's really a terrible man, his excellent work notwithstanding.

Notwithstanding, the problem is a significant one.

You live an eternal life notwithstanding that your seat of consciousness is currently physical.

/ˌnɑːtwɪθˈstændɪŋ/


submit

submit (canonical)
submits (third-person singular)
submitted (past)
submitted (past participle)
submitting (present participle)

If you submit something, usually a piece of writing, you give it to somebody to be checked or accepted.

They submitted their final report together with recommendations to the president.

Students will submit their application with examples of work already done by March 31.

If you submit to some authority, you accept that they have power over you.

At least up to 1985, the British government submitted to the threat of violence from the terrorists.

Although most people submit willingly to this process, very few of them have any choice in the matter.


trill

A consonant sound made by vibrating the tongue against the part of the mouth where the sound is being made, looser than a fricative such as "s" in "sit", but tighter than an approximant such as "w" in "well".

The word arroz, meaning "rice", contains the alveolar trill (trill made on the roof of the mouth).


somewhat

What happens in the classroom can be somewhat different from the lesson plan.

She was somewhat surprised to find her name in the morning paper.

His guitar playing has changed somewhat since the band's first CD.

That's somewhat of a problem.


empirical

empirical (positive)
more empirical (comparative)
most empirical (superlative)

If something is empirical, it is based on or can be checked by observation or experience.

Simply because there is no empirical evidence to support this does not mean it's wrong. It simply means we haven't looked hard enough.

This hypothesis has been challenged on both theoretical and empirical grounds.


phenomenon

phenomenon
phenomena or phenomenons (plural)

A phenomenon is a fact or event that you can observe (see or hear or sense), especially one that is not fully understood.

But this explanation is not enough to explain the observed phenomena.

Football violence is not a particularly new phenomenon, and it isn't only a British problem.

These scientists study such phenomena as storms and changing climate.

A phenomenon is a person, show, book, etc. that is very popular.

'N Sync was something of a pop music phenomenon in the late 90s.

Snakes as pets are not a new phenomenon, but they do seem to be growing more popular.


patriarchy

A patriarchy is a society where the oldest male is considered to be the leader of the household.


italics

Italics are a style of letters written slanted. In English, they are usually used for stressing a word in a sentence or for foreign words.

The sentences written in italics have been added or changed.


via

You use via to mean the path that something takes when it goes somewhere (the places it goes through before it gets there).

We can send video, audio and data from any point in the UK, via satellite.

This became part of our route from Liverpool to Manchester via Runcorn.

John sent the message to Yoko via Hamid.

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


et cetera

Et cetera means "and more of the same kind of thing". It is often written etc.

There are pens, pencils, paper, etc., in the bag.

1, 2, 3, et cetera.

/ˌɛt ˈsɛtərə/


etc


centimeter

A hundredth of a meter; 100 centimeters is one meter.

This pencil is 18 centimeters long.


break

break (canonical)
breaks (third-person singular)
broke (past)
broken (past participle)
breaking (present participle)

If you break something, you make it come apart in a way that cannot easily be put back together, usually by force.

He injured his leg and broke his foot during the crash.

When my brother died, my family broke apart.

The airplane broke apart in the sky over Hawai'i.

When the ice broke underneath me, I said to myself, I'm in trouble.

If something such as a machine breaks, it stops working because something is wrong.

My car breaks down about once a week.

If you break a law, rule, promise, etc. you do something that you should not do.

The police can't do anything if no laws are broken.

These are the rules. Don't break the rules and I won't send you home.

If you break a surface, limit, record, etc., you go beyond it.

In 1954 he set a new record of 3:59.4, breaking the old record by more than five minutes.

Wilson broke barriers for women in journalism at a time when newsrooms were mostly male.

If you break free or out of something, you could not leave but now you leave.

The police are looking for some prisoners who broke out of the jail.

One of the dogs broke loose and ran at her.

When she closed the door, everyone broke into laughter.

If you break, you stop for a short time to rest.

We break for coffee at 10:00 every morning.

The day was breaking as they packed up the tent.

Dawn was just breaking when Helga Schneider climbed out of bed.

If you break something, you stop it suddenly.

The sound of the door closing broke the silence.

I didn't know my father, but with my son, I want to break that cycle of fathers leaving their sons.

The show had been so magical that people didn't want to leave the theater, didn't want to break the spell.

Smoking is such a hard habit to break.

Mike had to leave to break up a fight between Ronni and Bridget.

The rain finally broke on Monday evening.

If your voice breaks, it changes because you are almost crying.

"I wanted to say goodbye before he died", she said, her voice breaking.

If you break some money, you change a note into coins.

I don't want to break a twenty just to buy matches.


break

A break is a time when something stops before starting again.

We get a 15-minute break in the middle of the morning.

I'll phone you during my lunch break.

We're going to take a one-minute commercial break and we'll be right back.

A break (up) is an end of a relationship.

We didn't see each other for years after the break up.

A break is a space between something continuous.

The sun shone through a break in the clouds.

A break is a situation in which things are not as difficult.

That job opening up just when she finished school was a lucky break for her.

Give me a break.

The new law would give middle-income families a $2,000 tax break.

A break is a place where something is broken.

The break in his leg could be seen clearly on the x-ray.


people

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

Who are these people at the party?

A people is a group of men, women, and children with a shared culture, history, and language.

Although Lebanon and Syria are two countries they are one people.

This people shares some characteristics with the aborigines.


people

people (canonical)
peoples (third-person singular)
peopled (past)
peopled (past participle)
peopling (present participle)

If a place is peopled, people live there.

It's a wonderful country peopled with amazing cooks and dancers.

If you people a story, movie, etc. you fill it with people.

He liked to people his books with simple folk.


cathedral

The new bishop took control of his cathedral.


fifty

There were fifty people in my class.


fifty

Five tens is fifty.


forty

He was forty minutes late.


forty

Four tens is forty.


registry

A registry is an official list of names.


paradigm

A system of beliefs, ideas, values, and habits that is a way of thinking about the real world.

At the time, this way of thinking was the dominant paradigm for social scientists.

A paradigm is an example, model or pattern, especially the most basic or central one.

For fifteen centuries Aristotle remained the paradigm of knowledge itself.

It provides paradigms of action and role models through which we interpret `real life'.

(Grammar) A paradigm is the set of all word forms.

The complete paradigm for boy is: boy, boy’s, boys, boys’, boyish.