cover

cover (canonical)
covers (third-person singular)
covered (past)
covered (past participle)
covering (present participle)

Something that is covering another thing is on top of (or over) the other thing in a way that stops people from seeing it.

I cover myself in two blankets at night to stay warm.

Remember to cover the pot with a lid while you're cooking something.


cover

A cover is something that usually covers something else.

The cover of the book has a picture on it under the name of the book.


minimum

minimum (singular)
minimums or minima (plural)

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.


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


incentive

incentive (singular)
incentives (plural)

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.


compliment

compliment (singular)
compliments (plural)

A compliment is a few words of praise: saying that someone or something is good in some way.

William gave me a compliment and that made me feel good. He told me my hair was nice.


compliment

compliment (canonical)
compliments (third-person singular)
complimented (past)
complimented (past participle)
complimenting (present participle)

She complimented him on his clothes because they looked good.


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.


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.


attach

attach (canonical)
attaches (third-person singular)
attached (past)
attached (past participle)
attaching (present participle)

If you attach x to y, you put x on y so that they will not come apart.

Warnings and instruction should be firmly attached to the container.

Attach the wire to the speaker with the red clip.

Look for spaces where the tire attaches to the rim.

If you are attached to an office, department, location, etc. you work for that part of the organisation.

If a quality such as importance is attached to something, people think the thing has that quality.

There was a great deal of importance attached to being well dressed.

If something is attached to something else, there is a strong connection between them.

The promise of more money for the school is attached to better results from the students?

There is also something called ground rent, which is attached to these apartments.


gun

A gun is a weapon that sends bullets through its metal tube.

John F. Kennedy was shot by a gun.


gun

gun (canonical)
guns (third-person singular)
gunned (past)
gunned (past participle)
gunning (present participle)

To make an engine work fast by opening its throttle.

I gunned the engine and passed his car.

If someone is gunned down, they are shot by something, usually a gun.

He was gunned down by a hitman.


level

level (positive)
more level (comparative)
most level (superlative)

Even, flat, straight, smooth, horizontal. Having all parts equally as high as all other parts.

This table is not level: things are rolling off it.


level

If one thing is level with another, they are at the same height.

The bookshelf is level with the top of the door frame.


level

A level is a place that is higher or lower than some other places.

The room you want is on the third level of this building.

A tool for finding out whether a surface is level.


level

leveled (past)
leveled (past participle)
leveling (present participle)
level (canonical)
levels (third-person singular)
levelled (past)
levelled (past participle)
levelling (present participle)

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


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.


need

need (canonical)
needs (third-person singular)
needed (past)
needed (past participle)
needing (present participle)

If you need something, you want it and must have it.

Everyone needs food and water.

If you need to do something, it is very important that you do it.

Sir, you need to leave now.


need

need (present)
needed (past)
needn't (negative)

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

Need you do that all the time?

You needn't keep telling me. I heard you the first time.


need

If you have a need for something, you must have it; something necessary or required.

I've always tried to have few needs beyond food, clothing and shelter.


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.


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.


only

There are only three schools in this town.

You can get this only in Canada.

I'm only able to go on Monday.

He comes only once a year.

She only eats vegetables.

This is only what we got.

He's not only nice, but also good looking.

We will stop only to rest.

Things will only get worse.

Only call me if you have to.


only

Just one or just a few; this and no other; no more than this.

She is the only woman doctor in this city.

These are the only coins I have.

An only child, son, girl, etc. has no brothers or sisters.


only

You use only to introduce a fact that prevents a statement from being completely true.

They probably could do it, only you never let them try.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


living

live (canonical)
lives (third-person singular)
lived (past)
lived (past participle)
living (present participle)


living

What do you do for a living?


living

A living thing is a person, animal or plant that is not dead—it is still able to function and grow.

Living things grow and make more living things like themselves.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


holy war

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


tape

Tape is a long thin material, often with glue on one side or used for recording.

We can fix the tear with some tape.

The reporters surrounded the president with their cameras, tape recorders and notebooks.

The band put three songs on tape.

The tape is peeling off my hockey stick.


tape

tape (canonical)
tapes (third-person singular)
taped (past)
taped (past participle)
taping (present participle)

If you tape music, a speaker, a TV program, etc., you record it on tape or film.

It is not known who taped the conversation or how.

I didn't want to stay up to watch the show, so I taped it so I could watch it tomorrow.

If you tape something, you put tape on it.

Can you tape this closed for me?

Her coach taped her knee before the game.


garden

A garden is a place where flowers and other plants grow where people want them to. Frequently it is a small place with a wall around it, near a house. It may have rocks and other things in it to look beautiful.

She spends a lot of time taking care of the flowers in her garden.


garden

garden (canonical)
gardens (third-person singular)
gardened (past)
gardened (past participle)
gardening (present participle)

If you garden, you work in a garden, especially your own garden around your house.

He joined his mother when she gardened and talked to her flowers.


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.


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.


initiative

initiative (singular)
initiatives (plural)

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.


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.


index

index (singular)
indexes or indices (plural)

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.


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.


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.


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.


limit

The limit is the edge of how far something can go. It can go up to the limit but no farther.

This fence is at the limit of my property.

The heater sets a limit to how cold it can be in the house; it can't get colder than that.

There is no limit to what we can do.


limit

limit (canonical)
limits (third-person singular)
limited (past)
limited (past participle)
limiting (present participle)

The fence limits the cows from going out of the field.

If you limit someone, you reduce or take away their freedom.


history

China has many old books about its history.

The restaurant is close to the city's history and art museums.

History is the study of what happened in the past.

He is a professor of history.

If somebody or something makes history, they do something very important that will not be forgotten.

She made history by becoming Africa's first elected female president.

If somebody or something goes down in history, they are remembered by people because they were very important or well known.

She'll go down in history as one of our greatest writers.

A history is a book recording things that have happened.

He was reading a history of Ancient Rome.

If somebody or something has a history of something, it's very common for them.

She has a history of cheating on tests.

If you say something is history, you mean it's finished, over, dead, or not important any more.

OK, that game's history.

If you say the rest is history, you mean you don't have to tell about because everyone already knows.

They just happened to run into each other at the right time, and the rest is history.


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?


pin

A pin is a small, sharp thing used for holding things together.


pin

pin (canonical)
pins (third-person singular)
pinned (past)
pinned (past participle)
pinning (present participle)

When you pin something, you are fastening it with a pin.

We should pin this poster to that wall.

She pinned the dress pattern to the fabric.

Joey pinned the tail on the donkey and won the prize.

If you pin someone, you force someone firmly onto the ground to prevent them from moving.

A term in wrestling meaning to force an opponent's shoulders to the mat and holding them there for three seconds.


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.


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


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.


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.


harbor

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

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


harbor

harbor (canonical)
harbors (third-person singular)
harbored (past)
harbored (past participle)
harboring (present participle)

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

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

The ships harbor in the bay during the winter months.

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


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.


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.


point

A point is a position with no size, or a small dot.

These two lines meet at this point.

A point is the sharp end of a knife or other sharp thing.

He used the point of the knife to make a hole in the can.

The point of something is the reason or purpose for it.

The whole point of coming here was to plant this tree, so let's not go home without doing it.

A point is a dot between two numbers. To the dot's right, you find a decimal.

You need a point between the one and the zero.


point

point (canonical)
points (third-person singular)
pointed (past)
pointed (past participle)
pointing (present participle)

To point at something is to hold one finger (or a stick, arrow or other long, thin thing) in the direction of the thing so that people will look at the thing.

He pointed her toward the gate.


point

You use point to introduce decimals in a number that is not an integer.

The price has gone up by two point five percent (2.5%).


interest

When someone wants to know more about something or likes to do something, we say the person has an interest in it.

She has a strong interest in art. She is going to go to an art school.

What are your interests?

When something is important to a person, or if good things happening to the thing are good for the person, we say that the person has an interest in the thing.

Because I own a house on this street, I have an interest in keeping the street clean.

I'm doing this to look after my own interests.

When someone borrows money, they have to give back more money than they borrowed. The extra money they have to pay is called interest.

The bank gives me two percent interest per year on the money in my account.


interest

interest (canonical)
interests (third-person singular)
interested (past)
interested (past participle)
interesting (present participle)

If someone is interested, they are curious and want to find out about something.

I am interested in researching flowers.

Does maths interest you?


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.


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.


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.)


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.


control

If you have control over someone or something, you can make it do what you want.

He should try to take control and tell the other handlers what to do.

driving in the rain, he had lost control on the wet surface and spun off the road.

The country fell under the direct control of the army.

They are trying to keep tighter control over spending.

The government will demand improved pollution control systems for all factories.

Most companies devote some resources to quality control and product testing.

Unless birth control methods are used, sooner or later the woman is likely to get pregnant.

The continuing Soviet desire for arms control led to a SALT II treaty.

The brain's control systems tend to decline with age so that, for instance, our balance gets less good.

The experimental group took the medicine while the control group took a sugar pill.

Suddenly the airplane went out of control and started diving.

A control is a button, switch, dial, etc. that lets you make a machine do what you want.

If you turn off your TV with the remote control, it continues to use a quarter of normal power.

She touched the volume control and the sound dropped.


control

control (canonical)
controls (third-person singular)
controlled (past)
controlled (past participle)
controlling (present participle)

If you control something, you make it do what you want.

Too many people are overweight because they can't control their eating behaviour.

The company is controlled by a New York businessman.

If you control something, you do not let its numbers or size grow too much.

The new plan should control inflation.


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.


allocation

allocation (singular)
allocations (plural)

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/


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


minute

A minute is a short time equal to sixty seconds. There are sixty minutes in one hour.

He ran the race in 1 minute and ten seconds.

Please wait a minute while I get my coat and then I will come with you.


minute

minute (positive)
more minute (comparative)
most minute (superlative)

The pictures appear similar, with only a few, minute differences.


humor

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

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


humor

humor (canonical)
humors (third-person singular)
humored (past)
humored (past participle)
humoring (present participle)

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development

development (singular)
developments (plural)

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.


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

dependent (singular)
dependents (plural)

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.


pleasure

Pleasure is a nice feeling we have when we do something that's fun or that feels good.

Being at this party and seeing my friends again is a real pleasure.


pleasure

pleasure (canonical)
pleasures (third-person singular)
pleasured (past)
pleasured (past participle)
pleasuring (present participle)

If you pleasure someone, you do something for someone to make them feel good.


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.


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.


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.


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.


case

A case is a container to hold something.

He opened the case and pulled out his violin.

A case is a matter for police or in court.

The judge did not accept his case.

A case is the form of a noun showing how it is used in a sentence.

The word "he" is in the subject or nominative case.

That man is sure a hard case.


case

case (canonical)
cases (third-person singular)
cased (past)
cased (past participle)
casing (present participle)

If a police officer cases a house, he or she watches it until something happens.

We were casing a house all night in Brooklyn.


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.


hook

A hook is a curved, sharp thing, usually made of metal and often small. Someone can put the hook through a hole in something to grip it so that they can pull the thing.


hook

hook (canonical)
hooks (third-person singular)
hooked (past)
hooked (past participle)
hooking (present participle)

If you are hooking something, you are attaching it to a hook.

Hook the bag here, and the conveyor will carry it away.


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.


laugh

laugh (canonical)
laughs (third-person singular)
laughed (past)
laughed (past participle)
laughing (present participle)

Someone laughs when they make a sound with their mouth because they think something is funny. It can sound like "ha ha", "ho ho", "hee hee", etc.

That was a really good joke. I've never laughed so hard!


laugh

The sound of someone laughing, or the action of laughing.

We had lots of good laughs at the party.

I heard a laugh in the other room and went to see what they were laughing at.


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.


intervention

intervention (singular)
interventions (plural)

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.


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.


colleague

colleague (singular)
colleagues (plural)

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.


bond

A bond is a connection between two people because of love or friendship.

War can often build strong bonds between people who suffered or fought together.

A bond is a connection between two or more things, for example using glue.

The heat created a bond between the plastic and the metal.

A bond is a financial document promising to pay a certain amount of money. These are often bought and sold.

The new benchmark ten-year government bond yielded 6.3%.

Most large international banks have issued floating rate bonds as a source of medium-term funding.

It took her many years to break free of the bonds of guilt.

A bond is the force that holds atoms together.


bond

bond (canonical)
bonds (third-person singular)
bonded (past)
bonded (past participle)
bonding (present participle)

If you bond two things, you connect them, for example using glue.

The melting wax bonded to the table.

He bonded the wood to the plastic to make it look more natural.

The individual carbon atoms in a diamond are bonded together extremely strongly.

If you bond with someone, you form a special relationship.

Breastfeeding helps the baby bond with its mother.


monkey

A monkey is a primate with a long tail that climbs trees.

We saw Vervet monkeys in the Zoo.


monkey

monkey (canonical)
monkeys (third-person singular)
monkeyed (past)
monkeyed (past participle)
monkeying (present participle)

If you monkey something, you make changes to it.

I foolishly monkeyed with the control panel and it ended up exploding.


order

Order is when things are where they should be.

I need to take some time to put my things in order.

The order of some things means which thing is first, which one is second, which one is last, etc.

The children will take turns in order of age.


order

order (canonical)
orders (third-person singular)
ordered (past)
ordered (past participle)
ordering (present participle)

To order something is to ask someone to sell it to you.

At the restaurant, she ordered chicken and potatoes.

To order someone to do something is to tell the person that they must do it.

The father ordered his children to be quiet.


net

A net is a thing made of ropes or string that lets small things through but keeps big things in.

I forgot my fishing net. What will we use to catch fish now?

The tennis player hit the ball into the net.


net

net (canonical)
nets (third-person singular)
netted (past)
netted (past participle)
netting (present participle)

To net something is to catch it in a net.

He netted a big fish.


net

A company's net income is its profits minus its expenses.


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.


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.


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.


drop

A drop is a very small amount of a liquid.

A drop of water weighs 0.1 grams.

There was a drop in the prices last week.


drop

drop (canonical)
drops (third-person singular)
dropped (past)
dropped (past participle)
dropping (present participle)

He dropped from the roof when he was running.


aggregate

aggregate (singular)
aggregates (plural)

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'.


fear

Fear is a bad feeling usually caused by a danger or a worry that something bad might happen.

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 you fear something, you are afraid of it.

I fear the worst will happen.

She feared for his safety.

You say you fear something when you're giving someone bad news.

I fear that she has left already.

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

Christians in churches fear God.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


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/


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.


last

Happening or coming after all other similar things or people.

I was the last person to go there: when I went, the others were all already there.

My house is the last house at the end of the street.

At last, after twenty hours on the boat, they arrived at their destination.


last

last (canonical)
lasts (third-person singular)
lasted (past)
lasted (past participle)
lasting (present participle)

Summer seems to last longer each year.

To hold out, continue undefeated or entire.

I don't know how much longer we can last without reinforcements.


last

Last week, month, year, etc. is the one that comes before this one.

I didn't see you last week.

I haven't seen him since the summer before last.


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.


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.


whereby

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

Learning is the method whereby we improve our minds.


condition

condition (singular)
conditions (plural)

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.


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.


etc


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.


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.


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.


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.)


cent

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

This gum only costs five cents.


simulation

simulation (singular)
simulations (plural)

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.


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!"


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.


inclination

inclination (singular)
inclinations (plural)

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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


controversy

controversy (singular)
controversies (plural)

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.


ordinal

If something is ordinal, it tells the order.

"fifth" is an ordinal number.


ordinal

An ordinal number such as first, second and third.


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/


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?


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.


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).


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.


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.


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.


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.


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.


arrogance

arrogance (singular)
arrogances (plural)

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.


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.


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.


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.


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


italic

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.


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.


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!


cathedral

cathedral (singular)
cathedrals (plural)

The new bishop took control of his cathedral.


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.


banyan

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


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]


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.


confidence

confidence (singular)
confidences (plural)

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

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


hierarchical

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

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

The rules show the hierarchical structure of the company.

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

/ˌhaɪərˈɑːkɪkəl/


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.


centimeter

centimeter (singular)
centimeters (plural)

A hundreth of a meter; 100 centimeters is one meter.

This pencil is 18 centimeters long.


savoury

savoury (positive)
more savoury (comparative)
most savoury (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".


clumsiness

clumsiness (singular)
clumsinesses (plural)

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


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.


registry

A registry is an official list of names.


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.


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.


ideology

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

Schools reflect clearly the dominant political ideologies of their countries.

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


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.


disturbance

disturbance (singular)
disturbances (plural)

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


afternoon

afternoon (singular)
afternoons (plural)

The time after 12:00 (after noon, after lunch) and before the evening meal.

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


dynamics

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

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


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)


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.


active

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

Something is active if it is turned on or started.

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

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

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

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

A sentence is active if its subject does the action.

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


convince

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

To make someone believe, or feel sure about something.

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


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/


patriarchy

patriarchy (singular)
patriarchies (plural)

A patriarchy is a society where the oldest male is considered to be the leader of the household.


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.


class

The history class is interesting.

Class today will be about whole numbers.

The number of students attending class is increasing.

I'd better go. I've got a class to teach.

They are my best class because they are always here on time.

Class sizes are usually larger in high school.

You could tell by here clothes that she was a woman of class.

A class is a group of members with similar characteristics.

A class is a group of people in a society with similar jobs, education, history, and money.

They were both from the upper class and both knew the queen personally.

We treat everyone the same regardless of race, class, sex, or age.

The British class system doesn't work in Canada.

She bought a first-class ticket because she wanted to have the best quality.

An organism's class is its group: mammals, reptiles, insects, arachnids, etc.

A word's class is its syntactic group: noun, verb, adjective, adverb, etc.

Shall belongs to the class of words called "modal auxiliary verbs".


class

class (canonical)
classes (third-person singular)
classed (past)
classed (past participle)
classing (present participle)

If something is classed as a member of a group, it belongs to that group because of some characteristics shared by the group's members.

Although it looks like a motorcycle, it is officially classed as a car.


class

Most high school coaches are class individuals, and they should get our thanks.


invoked

invoke (canonical)
invokes (third-person singular)
invoked (past)
invoked (past participle)
invoking (present participle)

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.


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.


assertive

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

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

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


persistent

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

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

She has had a persistent cough for weeks.

There was a persistent knocking on the door.

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

There have been persistent rumors for years.

lasting past maturity without falling off.

Pine cones have persistent scales.


RAM

RAM is the acronym for random access memory.


undergo

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

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

The country has undergone great changes in the last decade.

She had to undergo surgery because of her broken leg.

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


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.


transmission

transmission (singular)
transmissions (plural)

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

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

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

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

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

Radio stations have promised live transmission from the concert.

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

The car comes with a four-speed automatic transmission.


self-confident

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

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

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


minimal

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

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

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


analogous

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

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

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

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


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.


comprehensive

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

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

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

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


insight

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

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

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


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.


invoke

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.


fifty

There were fifty people in my class.


fifty

five tens is fifty.


infer

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

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

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

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


priority

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

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

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

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

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

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


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.


violation

violation (singular)
violations (plural)

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

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

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

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

This violation of our trust cannot be forgiven.

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

/ˌvaɪɵˈleɪʃən/


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.


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.


qualitative

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

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

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

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


adaptation

adaptation (singular)
adaptations (plural)

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

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

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

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

These products undergo a constant process of change and adaptation.

/ˌædæpˈteɪʃən/


mediation

mediation (singular)
mediations (plural)

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

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


disambiguation

disambiguation (singular)
disambiguations (plural)

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

This page is a disambiguation page.

/dɪsæmˌbɪɡjuːˈeɪʃən/


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.


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.


problem

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

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

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

This book tells you how to deal with drinking problems.

If you are regularly late, it can cause problems.

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

I solved the problem by replacing a broken part.

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

Problems like these arise from a lack of care.

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

Most students got the right answer for the first problem.

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

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

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

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


differentiation

differentiation (singular)
differentiations (plural)

Differentiation finding or showing the differences between things.

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

Differentiation is the process of becoming or making something different.

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

Differentiation is acting different towards different people or situations.

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

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