difference

difference (singular)
differences (plural)

You need to learn to accept differences in people.

A characteristic of something that makes it different from something else.

There are three differences between these two pictures.

The people had to settle their differences before they could work together.


status

Your status is your level, role, or situation in a group or society.

Mike Hooper has retained his status as Liverpool's current No 1 goalkeeper.

With the change in employment status came changes in responsibilities and pay.

In many countries, the ability to speak English is a sign or high social status.

The status of something is its situation at a particular time.

What is the status of the repairs?


comfortable

comfortable (positive)
more comfortable (comparative)
most comfortable (superlative)

If a piece of furniture, clothing, a room, etc. is comfortable, you feel comfortable in it (see 2.)

There were a few old but comfortable chairs in the meeting area.

If you feel comfortable, you are not hot or cold; you are relaxed, and you feel no pain or worry.

The nurse put a blanket on me to make me more comfortable.

She doesn't feel comfortable with a dog in the house.


exception

exception (singular)
exceptions (plural)

The act of excepting or excluding; exclusion

Something that is taken out from others; something said to be distinct or not included.

Almost every rule has its exceptions.


immigration

immigration (singular)
immigrations (plural)

Immigration is the movement of people or animals into an area, usually a country.

Immigration from the Caribbean makes up only 2 per cent of all immigrants.

The government wants to tighten immigration controls, but it does not want to be seen as anti-foreign.

In 1924 US legislation effectively placed a ban on Japanese immigration.

/ˌɪmɪˈɡreɪʃən/

/ɪmɪˈɡreɪʃn/


brittle

brittle (positive)
more brittle (comparative)
most brittle (superlative)

Not flexible; easy to break under stress or pressure


brittle

A candy made from boiled sugar and nuts.


criteria

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

Criteria are a set of principles that you use to judge something or decide about something.

One of the criteria for measuring the success of a democracy is the percentage of people that vote in that society .

The project proposal does not meet current criteria for approval.


internal

internal (positive)
more internal (comparative)
most internal (superlative)

Doctors had to operate to stop the internal bleeding.

Grammar is mostly concerned with the internal structure of words and sentences.

The company has been weakened by ongoing internal conflict.

The police are conducting an internal investigation after officers shot two people.

They've painted the internal walls but left the outside as it was.


implication

implication (singular)
implications (plural)

An implication is a result that may be expected or predicted.

This change has big implications for health planners and for those caring for people with AIDS.

It seems a very technical matter, but it is one with important practical implications.

She said all that, and the implications was that she didn't want to go.

An implication is a meaning that can be understood but is not given directly.

Even if you did not call me a liar, the implication is there.

When I say gold is a metal, I say by implication that gold must resemble any other metals.

An implication is when somebody appears to be involved in something, usually something bad or illegal.

The implication of Judge Lyman in the affair of Green and young Hammond has raised many questions.


reaction

A reaction is an action that happens because of another action.

When he asked her to lunch, her first reaction was to say no.

In part, McKenna sees the move to smaller cars as a natural reaction to rising gasoline prices.

Fast reaction times are common in athletes.

When oxygen is added, a chemical reaction begins and heat is released.

A severe allergic reaction to the drug has killed five Americans.


recursion

recursion (singular)
recursions (plural)

Recursion is the act or process of going back and happening again.

Recursion is the use of a function inside itself to generate an infinite number of results.

The following function exhibits recursion.

Recursion is the use of one kind of linguistic unit inside itself.

An example of recursion is when a clause appears inside a larger clause, as in the following:


coordination

coordination (singular)
coordinations (plural)

The ability of the muscles in a body to work together.

Young children lack the coordination to walk or even to pick up small objects.

Alcohol can affect your balance and coordination.

The planning or timing of actions so that they work together.

The result of opening the new building was a lack of coordination between different departments.

There has been an improvement in coordination of the various government programs to deal with poverty.


belly

The soft part of the body below the chest.

He got punched in the belly.


prison

Her brother is in prison.

He is in a prison of his own mind.


conference

conference (singular)
conferences (plural)

A conference is a large organised meeting to discuss a particular topic or area.

FMBRA will be holding a conference on diet, health, and the food industry on 19 March in Barcelona.

Some of the world's top scientists attended an important conference in 1983, to study the effects of nuclear weapons.

Contact the teacher or coach and ask for a private conference without your child's presence.


explore

explore (canonical)
explores (third-person singular)
explored (past)
explored (past participle)
exploring (present participle)

If you explore a possibility, plan, idea, etc. you think about it carefully.

As they were learning about wine, they were exploring the possibilities of setting up their own winery.

This is just an introduction. We will explore the ideas further in the next chapter.

If you explore something, you look around it to try to find new places, things, parts, etc.

Stories like this about the old house made him want to go and explore for himself.

The oil company is exploring the ocean floor, looking for new sources.


annoying

annoy (canonical)
annoys (third-person singular)
annoyed (past)
annoyed (past participle)
annoying (present participle)


annoying

annoying (positive)
more annoying (comparative)
most annoying (superlative)

Someone or something that annoys is annoying.

He is so annoying!

The noise from that radiator is annoying.


rages

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


rages

rage (canonical)
rages (third-person singular)
raged (past)
raged (past participle)
raging (present participle)


example

If I give an example of something, I name one of that type of thing.

A baseball, a softball, a football, and a soccer ball are examples of balls.

An example is a model of what something else of the same type should be like.

Look at the example of a model airplane to see how your model airplane should be built.

/ɪɡˈzɑːmpl̩/


despite

If x happens despite y, it is surprising that x happens because y usually stops it.

Despite their best efforts, the ministers have not been able to come to an agreement.

Despite all the problems, I think this project is a success.

We hope that there will soon be changes despite the fact that the leaders are still the same old people.

If you do something despite yourself, you didn't plan or want to do it.

She hated him, but when he spoke she laughed despite herself.


mist

There was a mist over the water.


corporate

corporate (positive)
more corporate (comparative)
most corporate (superlative)

Corporate finance, planning, management, etc. is related to business or a company.

We have accounts for both individual and corporate clients.

There is a big difference between local managers and corporate leaders.

There is a trend in large corporate structures to remove layers of management.


uncomfortable

uncomfortable (positive)
more uncomfortable (comparative)
most uncomfortable (superlative)

If a piece of furniture, clothing, a room, etc. is uncomfortable, you feel uncomfortable in it (see 2.)

The chairs looked so uncomfortable that he didn't sit down.

If you feel uncomfortable, you are hot or cold; you are not relaxed, or you feel pain or worry..

I still had this uncomfortable feeling that I should know her.

She felt very uncomfortable with his arm touching hers.


chin

The chin is the lowest part of the face. It is the point of the jaw and the part of the face where beards grow.

My chin is below my mouth.


rage

Losing his game sent him into a fit of rage.


rage

When a person rage, they get very angry.


proof

Proof is evidence which shows something is correct.

He has proof that he was not at the crime scene. A witness says that they were somewhere else.

A proof can show how a theorem is correct.


girl

A girl is a female child or teenager; someone who is not a woman yet.

Many girls like to play with dolls.

I have two children: a boy and a girl.

A female person of any age (even a woman).

The girls are going out tonight, do you want to come?

I really love that girl.

My cat is a girl.

She is a girl cat.


mechanism

mechanism (singular)
mechanisms (plural)

This research should help us to understand the mechanisms of memory.

This agreement sets out detailed mechanisms for solving disagreement between the two countries.

These two features combine to create a new data retrieval mechanism.

A mechanism is one moving system within a larger, more complex machine or organism.

The body has a control mechanism to bring down blood-sugar level when it begins to reach unhealthy peaks.


partial

partial (positive)
more partial (comparative)
most partial (superlative)

A partial list, solution, payment etc. is just a part of the whole and not complete.

The dinner was only a partial success – everyone loved the dessert, but nobody liked the soup.

If you are partial to something, you like it.

I'm rather partial to a beer or two on Friday nights.

If you are partial, you treat people or things differently, unfairly preferring one to another.

The students accused the teacher of being partial in her grading.


representative

representative (singular)
representatives (plural)

A representative is a person who represents a group or company.

The ambassador is our representative.


representative

This is a representative sample.


digestion

digestion (singular)
digestions (plural)

Digestion is what happens to food once it is eaten. It changes the food into substances your body can use.

Eating fruits and vegetables is good for your digestion.


regime

A regime is a government, especially a bad or illegal one.

Washington ended rule by the Taliban and established a new client regime in Afghanistan.

Questions about how Jews had been treated under the Nazi regime troubled him after he had settled in Germany.

Under Labour's new tax regime, families will be worse off.


impartial

impartial (positive)
more impartial (comparative)
most impartial (superlative)

A good teacher must be impartial.


ruins

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


ruins

ruin (canonical)
ruins (third-person singular)
ruined (past)
ruined (past participle)
ruining (present participle)


alternative

alternative (positive)
more alternative (comparative)
most alternative (superlative)

An alternative approach, way, source, etc. is not the usual one.

Do you have some alternative transportation in case the car breaks down.

They're not really a pop band. They're more alternative than that.

I recommend an alternative lifestyle.


alternative

alternative (singular)
alternatives (plural)

An alternative is something else that you can choose.

We only have two alternatives: stay here or go back.

St Mungo's shelter for the homeless offers a new alternative to sleeping on the streets.


explanation

explanation (singular)
explanations (plural)

An explanation is the words used to tell somebody how to do something or the reason for something.

The explanation was long and drawn-out.

An explanation is the cause of something.

The explanation for his bad mood was a lack of sleep.


civil

civil (positive)
more civil (comparative)
most civil (superlative)

About the citizens of a country, especially as opposed to the government, army, police, religion, etc.

One of the most important civil rights is freedom of speech.

In the Civil War, the Red Army had blocked off the northern part of Ukraine from the hungry south.

The state is connected to civil society through aspects other than its role in administration

The government had run out of money to pay civil servants.

This comes under civil, rather than criminal, law.

The bridge would be one of the largest civil engineering projects in the country.

If someone is civil, they are polite but not friendly.

Mum had been civil to me since the fight but something had gone between us.


odd

odd (positive)
odder (comparative)
oddest (superlative)

If something is odd, it is not normal and usually you don't like it or don't understand it.

The neighbours thought him very odd, because he would leave his doors open all night.

She liked him, but there was something odd about the way he spoke.

The odd time, drink, problem, etc. is one that happens sometimes, but not often.

I don't really drink – just the odd beer at the weekend.

An odd sock, boot, etc. is one without its pair.

The clown was wearing odd socks.

An odd number is one that does not divide evenly by 2 (e.g., 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, etc.)

Fifty-one is an odd number.

A count of (number)-odd is just a little more than the number.

I've got fifty-odd students in the class.


wife

Bill just married his second wife.


scheme

A scheme is a plan, sometimes a bad or dishonest one.

The new training scheme will be targeted at recent graduates.

Employees still participate in the company's pension scheme during the duration of their break.

The management had various schemes to control the workers.

The color scheme for the bedroom is blue and white.


scheme

scheme (canonical)
schemes (third-person singular)
schemed (past)
schemed (past participle)
scheming (present participle)

If you scheme against someone, you make an evil plan against someone.


exclude

exclude (canonical)
excludes (third-person singular)
excluded (past)
excluded (past participle)
excluding (present participle)

If you exclude someone or something, you keep them out.

During play time, she was excluded from the group.

The rules specifically exclude the use of drugs.


impulse

The impulse to learn led me to study day and night.

Pushing an object gives it an impulse.

The effect (integral) of force over time.

The total impulse from the impact will depend on the kinetic energy of the bullet.


considerable

considerable (positive)
more considerable (comparative)
most considerable (superlative)

A considerable amount, time, degree, etc. is a fairly large or important one.

He had given it a considerable amount of thought before deciding.

Many part-time farmers traveled considerable distances each day to their work.

The time needed to do it properly is considerable.


subsequent

When he came the first time, he was very quiet, but on subsequent visits, he was much more talkative.

The child began to walk early but subsequent development, such as speech, was unusually late.


subsequent

If x is subsequent to y, x happens after y.

The government called a press conference subsequent to the agreement.

Subsequent to her appearance on TV she received many bookings.


dance

dance (canonical)
dances (third-person singular)
danced (past)
danced (past participle)
dancing (present participle)

If you dance, you move your body to music.

He danced with the princess to the music of Mozart.

The performers danced and sang.


dance

He has an interesting dance he does while listening to that song.

A dance is an event where people come together to dance.

Are you going to the dance?


ruin

To wreck something, to make it useless, to break something.

You've ruined my painting!

You've ruined my screwdriver!

You will ruin your pencil if you press that hard.


ruin

The standing parts of a broken building or construction.

Our only look at Mayan culture is the ruins.


comment

A comment is a short statement about something; usually it is an opinion.

I'm afraid I can't make any comment on the case right now.

Her comments were misunderstood.


comment

comment (canonical)
comments (third-person singular)
commented (past)
commented (past participle)
commenting (present participle)

If you comment on or about something, you say something about it.

Commenting on the changes in Peru, the president said he would be watching the situation.

He commented that it was good news.


implement

implement (canonical)
implements (third-person singular)
implemented (past)
implemented (past participle)
implementing (present participle)

If you implement a plan, you put it into action; you do it.

To reduce poverty, it is essential for the government to fully implement the new education policy.


implement

implement (singular)
implements (plural)

An implement is a tool, usually a hand tool (e.g., a shovel).

The garage held all sorts of items - lamps, bicycle frames, farm and garden implements and dozens of other things.


short

short (positive)
shorter (comparative)
shortest (superlative)

If something is short then there is a small distance from the bottom to the top. The opposite is tall.

I can't reach the table because I'm too short.

The more I use the pencil, the shorter it becomes.

If something is short then there is a small distance from the one end to the other. The opposite is long.

The city centre and shops are only a short distance away.

If something is short then it takes a little time.

I'm going to Chengdu for a short break.


short

Short of (doing) sth is equal to unless sth happens.

Nothing short of help from god will save him.

Short of giving them the answers, there's nothing we can do.

If you're running short of something, you don't have enough.

We're running short of time, so can you hurry up?

If something is short of it's target, it isn't all the way there.

The plane touched down just short of the landing area.

If you cut something short, you end it before the planned time.

They cut short their vacation when the weather changed.

Jackson cut short his trip to Africa.


common

more common (comparative)
most common (superlative)
common (positive)
commoner (comparative)
commonest (superlative)

The two teams have the common goal of winning the game.

occurring regularly or frequently; usual.

It is common to find sharks off this coast.

found in large numbers or in a large quantity.

Sharks are common in these waters.

If two people or things have something in common they, are the same in some way.

University students have a lot in common with high-school students.


common

A common is an area that is shared by many people.


complete

complete (canonical)
completes (third-person singular)
completed (past)
completed (past participle)
completing (present participle)

He completed the assignment on time.

She completed the race in 12 minutes

The last chapter completes the book nicely.

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Nattes à chat-complete.wav


complete

complete (positive)
more complete (comparative)
most complete (superlative)

With everything included; entire, total.

It was a complete shock when he turned up on my doorstep.

The complete works of an author includes everything the author has written.


amateur

An amateur is a person who does something for fun, not as a job.

An amateur in sports, is a person who does not play for money.

An amateur is someone who is not very good at what they are doing.


amateur

amateur (positive)
more amateur (comparative)
most amateur (superlative)

If something is amateur, it is not very good.

If something is amateur, it is created or done by amateurs


make

make (canonical)
makes (third-person singular)
made (past)
made (past participle)
making (present participle)

He made pancakes by combining the ingredients and frying the mixture.

They made a petition to the governor.

Félix makes his bed every morning.


hypothesis

hypothesis (singular)
hypotheses (plural)

A hypothesis is a guess about what will happen, usually in scientific experiments.

We will test the hypothesis that the change will have no effect.

The results of the experiment support the hypothesis.

This idea is purely a hypothesis. It has not been proven


parameter

parameter (singular)
parameters (plural)

The machine should run only within operational parameters; temperature, water flow, etc.

The federal government sets financial parameters within which local authorities will have to work.


adequate

adequate (positive)
more adequate (comparative)
most adequate (superlative)

If something is adequate, it is good enough.

It is very hard to provide a simple but adequate explanation.

She left her other job so that she could devote adequate time to the school.

A small knife is adequate for this purpose.

By 1922, the single school-room was no longer adequate to meet the needs of the town.


emphasis

Emphasis is the giving of particular attention or importance to something.

Microsoft has placed great emphasis on its Windows software programme.

He's a very kind man and always good to me,' she said with more emphasis.


task

A task is a specific piece of work, often unpleasant.

Come here, young man. I have a task for you to do.

Telecommunications systems for hotels now perform many more tasks than just allowing people to make telephone calls.

When I was young, I had the task of milking the cows.

If you take someone to task, you criticise them strongly.

Father took her to task for taking the car without asking.


task

task (canonical)
tasks (third-person singular)
tasked (past)
tasked (past participle)
tasking (present participle)

If you task someone with doing something, you give them that job.


obvious

obvious (positive)
more obvious (comparative)
most obvious (superlative)

If something is obvious, it is easy to see it, think of it, or understand it.

It is obvious that you can't spend a lot of money and save at the same time.

For obvious reasons, the people of Hong Kong have long been reluctant to speak their minds.

Jason & Maria were always together, and it was obvious to family and friends that they would be married some day.

There's an obvious crack in the wall of the house.


glass

Glass is a transparent solid and is usually clear. Windows and eyeglasses are made from it, as well as drinking glasses.

Through the window glass I could see the trees bend in the wind, but I was warm indoors.

A glass is a drinking cup with no handle.

As soon as I finished drinking, he filled up my glass again.


picture

A picture is marks on a flat object, like paper, that show shapes, people, or things.

Mommy, I drew a picture of a cat.

Susan looked at the picture on the wall.

Everyone stand there together and I'll take your picture.

A picture is a still or moving image on a screen.

A picture is an idea or image that have inside your head.

A picture is an understanding of a situation.

What's the picture like in Somalia?


picture

picture (canonical)
pictures (third-person singular)
pictured (past)
pictured (past participle)
picturing (present participle)

If you picture something, you make an image of it in your head.

If something is pictured, it is shown in a picture.

If something is pictured a certain way, it is described that way.


cotton

Cotton is a plant that produces a soft fiber also called cotton. This fiber is used to make fabric.

My shirt is made of cotton.


effect

An effect is something that is caused by something else.

His comments had a visible effect on those who heard it.

The effect of the change was small.

If a law, agreement, change, etc. takes effect, it officially begins.

The closing of the company takes effect at midnight.

The new rules have been in effect since January.

A sound effect is a way to make a sound for a performance artificially.

The used a lot of normal materials to create the sound effects for the show.

A special effect is a way to make an image for a performance artificially.

They didn't really cut his hand off, but the special effect made it look real.


effect

effect (canonical)
effects (third-person singular)
effected (past)
effected (past participle)
effecting (present participle)

If you effect a change, you make it happen.

I will effect the change without your help.


hurt

hurt (canonical)
hurts (third-person singular)
hurt (past)
hurt (past participle)
hurting (present participle)

If you hurt someone or something, you damage them or make them feel pain.

Don't hurt your brother or I'll send you to your room.

I've been hurting ever since I fell from the roof.

The past tense and past participle of hurt.


hurt

hurt (positive)
more hurt (comparative)
most hurt (superlative)

If you are hurt, you are wounded or in pain.

He got hurt skiing last week when he fell.


hurt

A hurt is a wound or some other damage that causes pain.


apparent

apparent (positive)
more apparent (comparative)
most apparent (superlative)

If something is apparent, it is easy to see, realise or understand.

When she was nine, for no apparent reason, she began to dislike the classes.

They had found many useful ideas, some immediately apparent but others that took more time to think through.

appearing or seeming to be a certain way.

The difference was more apparent than real.

The government's apparent lack of concern for the poor is very upsetting.


demonstrate

demonstrate (canonical)
demonstrates (third-person singular)
demonstrated (past)
demonstrated (past participle)
demonstrating (present participle)

If you demonstrate something, you show that it is true or that it exists.

In this job, you must demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively.

Various studies have clearly demonstrated that very few people have not broken laws.

If you demonstrate something, you show how to do it or use it.

At the sales meeting she demonstrated the new software.

If a group of people demonstrate, they protest something publicly.

The workers began demonstrating for safer conditions outside the factory.


past

In the past, many years ago, I was a good doctor.

Stuff in the past is a lot different than it is now.


past

The harvest is past. It finished in October.


past

I watched as he walked past the museum window from north to south.


road

A long and narrow piece of land between two places. Usually, cars drive on it, and it is often paved.

The taxi is parked on the side of the road.

The road between the two villages is made of sand.

The path which one takes to reach a certain place.

It is a long road to the top.

The road from Warsaw to Paris leads through half of Europe.


copy

A copy of something looks or acts like it.

They took the diamond and replaced it with a cheap copy.

A copy of a book, newspaper, painting, etc. is one of many that are exactly the same.

Please bring me the copies of those reports.


copy

copy (canonical)
copies (third-person singular)
copied (past)
copied (past participle)
copying (present participle)

If you copy something, you make something look exactly the same as it.

Good artists copy. Great artists steal.

She copies the tests on the photocopier.


office

An office is a room or building where people sit at desks and work.

Her office is in the third door on the left side of the hall.

We're meeting at the office after work.

A position held by public election is an office.

They both decided to run for office.

He holds the office of senator.


faith

Faith is the belief that that something is true without proof.

A faith is a system of religious belief.

Hinduism is a faith.


energy

Energy is the ability to do work: move, give off heat, give off light, etc.

Unlike coal or oil, atomic energy production creates little air pollution.

Higher electricity prices should help promote energy efficiency.

The amount of energy in 100 g or 100 ml of food is much higher for foods with a lot of sugar.

She's all full of energy and she can't sit still.

This problem has taken up most of her time and energy for over a year.


minor

minor (positive)
more minor (comparative)
most minor (superlative)

A minor change, problem, injury, etc. is not very important.

We still have to make a few minor changes, but it's mostly done.

A minor musical scale is a scale that starts two notes before the major scale. Music in a minor scale often sounds sad.

That music could be A minor or C major.


minor

A minor is a person who is younger than the legal age of adulthood.

In Indiana, a person younger than 18 years old is considered a minor.

A minor is a person below a legal age of privilege, right or responsibility, such as the legal drinking age or legal age for sexual activity.

The high school teacher was convicted of a crime for having sex with a minor.

The bar got in trouble for serving alcohol to a minor.

A minor is a subject area that is not the main study of a student at a college or university, but is their second most important focus.

I had so many credit hours of English, it became my minor.


minor

minor (canonical)
minors (third-person singular)
minored (past)
minored (past participle)
minoring (present participle)

Minor means to minor in a subject at a college or university.

I had so many credit hours of English that I decided to minor in it.


goal

A goal is something you want to do or be able to do.

I want to go to university and this will help me achieve that goal.

Scientists' ultimate goal is a theory of everything.

A goal is a place that you want to be or that you are moving towards.

Our goal is Paris.

A goal is the area where you want to put the ball in certain games such as soccer or hockey.

It's unclear whether the regular keeper will start in goal.

A goal is scored when the ball enters the goal.

They beat second-placed Cambridge 2-1 with Mutch scoring the winning goal in the 82nd minute.


correspond

correspond (canonical)
corresponds (third-person singular)
corresponded (past)
corresponded (past participle)
corresponding (present participle)

If x corresponds to y, there is a close relationship between x and y.

The current situation in Sri Lanka corresponds closely to the situation in Thailand in 1982.

Check that this number corresponds with the one on the document.

If two people correspond, they write letters to each other.

She corresponded with him for three years before they finally met in 1917.


component

component (singular)
components (plural)

A component is one part that connects to other parts.

Some components may be cleaned by methods different to those used on the main body.

The main component of any budget will be the cost of staff.

The main components of the package are shown again in Fig 14.

Throughout the world, oxygen increasingly became a major component of the atmosphere.

The components of healthy diet are exercising, not just fasting and balancing nutrients in the meal.


vertical

A line that is upright is called a vertical.

Please draw a vertical that intersects the circle.

The fully upright position is the vertical.

The builder used a string to make sure the frame was on the vertical.

When the plane lands all seats should be on the vertical.


vertical

vertical (positive)
more vertical (comparative)
most vertical (superlative)

Something that is standing straight is vertical. In a vertical direction means straight up or down.

The radio mast was vertical on the horizon.

A vertical shaft went down to the mine.

Vertical stripes on a shirt make a person look thinner.


stressed

stressed (positive)
more stressed (comparative)
most stressed (superlative)

If someone is stressed, they are worried and tired.

I've got these three tests tomorrow and I'm feeling so stressed that I can't sleep.


stressed

stress (canonical)
stresses (third-person singular)
stressed (past)
stressed (past participle)
stressing (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of stress.


maximum

A maximum is the largest or highest value or amount.

The maximum number of people we can accept is 25.

They pay $50 a day up to a maximum of $300 per week.


volume

The volume of sound or music is how loud it is.

Teens listening to their MP3 players at high volume can damage their hearing.

Hey! Turn down the volume. It's too loud.

The volume of something is the amount of it.

The traffic volume on Ontario highways jumped 12% last year.

The story usually experiences a high customer volume around Christmas.

The volume of a material or a container is the amount of space it takes.

The volume of water of a typical shower is about 43 litres.

Use of newer cars can reduce the volume of CO₂ produced.

A volume is a book, magazine, or other printed material, usually part of a series.

He has published a second volume of autobiography, in which he deals with his years as a student.

The research can be found in the most recent volume of The Canadian Journal of Language and Linguistics.


annual

If something is annual, it happens every year.

The 1992 Annual General Meeting will be held at Bristol University, on Saturday April 11 and Sunday April 12.


annual

An annual is a kind of plant that only lives for one year.


professional

professional (positive)
more professional (comparative)
most professional (superlative)

About a job such as doctor, lawyer, accountant, etc.

The group offers free professional advice on legal matters and housing.

The government has established a new professional body to regulate doctors.

If someone is professional, they do their job seriously and with much skill.

We employ friendly, professional staff who can offer the benefit of many years' experience.

If someone is professional, they are paid for their job, sport, art, etc.

After playing amateur tennis for years, he turned professional at the age of 25.


professional

professional (singular)
professionals (plural)

A professional is a person who is paid for doing their job, sport, art, etc.

More and more the Olympics are allowing professionals to compete.

A professional is a person who does a job such as doctor, lawyer, accountant, etc.

Professionals often spend years and hundreds of thousands of dollars in school.

A professional is a person who is serious and skilled in their work.

You should get him to fix your car. He's a real professional.


ready

ready (positive)
readier (comparative)
readiest (superlative)

Let's get ready to rumble!

He was ready when they called him.


ready

ready (canonical)
readies (third-person singular)
readied (past)
readied (past participle)
readying (present participle)

Ready the car for the race.

He readied himself.


salt

Salt is a strong-tasting white powder used to improve the flavor of food or to preserve it. Salt is made from sodium and chlorine (chemical formula: NaCl).

I added salt to my food.


salt

salt (canonical)
salts (third-person singular)
salted (past)
salted (past participle)
salting (present participle)

When you salt something, you add salt to it.

Please help me salt the fish for tonight's dinner.


aware

aware (positive)
more aware (comparative)
most aware (superlative)

If you are aware of something, you know about it.

I am fully aware of the need for security, and will make the necessary changes.

I'm quite aware of the fact that you're here. You don't have to keep reminding me.


cookie

A cookie is a small baked cake. It is usually round and flat. Cookies are sweet.

When I want to have something sweet, I'll usually eat a cookie.

A cookie is data that is put on and read from your computer by a website.

The website stored a cookie on my computer so I could keep playing my game from where I stopped.


society

A society is a large number of people and the way they live, talking together, working with each other and making rules and ways to live. A society can be a town, country or more than one country together, with many people living the same ways.

A society is an organization or club that people can join.


revenge

Revenge is the act of hurting someone because they have hurt you.


revenge

revenge (canonical)
revenges (third-person singular)
revenged (past)
revenged (past participle)
revenging (present participle)

If you revenge yourself on someone, you hurt them because they have hurt you.


emerge

emerge (canonical)
emerges (third-person singular)
emerged (past)
emerged (past participle)
emerging (present participle)

If you emerge, you come out of something.

Black, who was wanted by police, emerged from hiding yesterday.

If a pattern or picture emerges, it becomes clear.

It was only many months afterwards that a complete picture began to emerge of what had happened.

Details of the operation to remove the boat people are now emerging.


fly

fly (canonical)
flies (third-person singular)
flew (past)
flown (past participle)
flying (present participle)

To move through the air without touching the ground

The bird will fly away in the winter.

The airplane flies very high in the air.

He was the first person to fly a plane around the world.


fly

A fly is a type of small insect with wings

I won't eat my soup because there's a fly in it.

There are many flies near the garbage.

In baseball a ball that goes high in the air.

The piece of cloth hiding the zipper, buttons at the front of a pair of trousers, pants, or underpants.


copies

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

I need 100 copies of the form.


copies

copy (canonical)
copies (third-person singular)
copied (past)
copied (past participle)
copying (present participle)

She always copies someone else's homework.


ruined

ruin (canonical)
ruins (third-person singular)
ruined (past)
ruined (past participle)
ruining (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of ruin.


ruined

ruined (positive)
more ruined (comparative)
most ruined (superlative)

:
 This short entry needs someone to make it better. You can help Wiktionary by adding to it.


shoulder

The part of the body where an arm attaches or joins.

The side of the road. It can be used to stop on in emergencies.

He stopped the car on the shoulder of the highway to change the flat tire.


shoulder

shoulder (canonical)
shoulders (third-person singular)
shouldered (past)
shouldered (past participle)
shouldering (present participle)

To push something or someone out of the way using one's shoulder.

He shouldered his way in through the crowd.

To carry some weight on one's shoulders, literally or figuratively.

The task was hard, but she shouldered it as best she could.


circumstance

circumstance (singular)
circumstances (plural)

The circumstances surrounding an action or event includes all the information that helps you understand the action or event.

Though war is a terrible thing, it is necessary under certain circumstances.

Given the circumstances, I think we need to be flexible.

Circumstance is the events that affect you but that you cannot control.

We hadn't planned it, but we ended up together by circumstance.


prior

If something happens prior to something else, it happens before it.

In this recipe, most of the work is actually done prior to cooking.

Prior to 1917 most people had lived on private farms.


prior

We learned that police had prior knowledge of the attack.

Few of these workers have any substantial prior experience in industry.


dispute

A dispute is an argument or disagreement which continues over a period of time. A dispute may escalate into violence, or it may be a long verbal and legal struggle.

The taxi driver and the passenger had a dispute over the fee. (here the word argument might be used instead)

India and Pakistan have a dispute over Kasmir.


dispute

dispute (canonical)
disputes (third-person singular)
disputed (past)
disputed (past participle)
disputing (present participle)

To argue against something; to discuss or debate.

He disputed what she said, claiming she was lying


match

A match is a game of football, tennis, etc.

We lost the first match, but hope to win our next two.

A match is something that goes with something else because they are similar.

I can't find a match for this sock.

There are a number of matches for your search words.

A match is a small stick that has a chemical on one end of it. You use it to make a fire.

He lit a match for some light in the dark room.

A match is a situation in which two things go together well.


match

match (canonical)
matches (third-person singular)
matched (past)
matched (past participle)
matching (present participle)

If two things match, they go together because they are similar in some way.

Look around for a table you like or one which most closely matches your room.

I'll ask you some questions to see how you match up to the job.

The wish for changes has not been matched by actions.

Her intelligence was matched by her kindness.

Your two socks don't match.

If you are matched against someone, you are their opponent in a competition.


consent

You can't publish a picture of a child without the consent of one parent.

The treatment was explained to and understood by the patient before he gave his consent.


consent

consent (canonical)
consents (third-person singular)
consented (past)
consented (past participle)
consenting (present participle)

If you consent to something, you agree to it.

Dr. Briant has kindly consented to give us some of his valuable time.


sand

grains of rock that make beaches and deserts.

In the summer, Jane goes to the beach, lies on the sand and listens to the waves.


sand

sand (canonical)
sands (third-person singular)
sanded (past)
sanded (past participle)
sanding (present participle)

If you sand wood, you rub rough paper on it to make it smooth.

I sand the wood until it is nice and smooth.


summary

A summary is a short explanation of a longer idea, article, story, etc.

In this short time, I can provide only a summary of the work we have done.

So, in summary, our research shows that exercise is most efficient in the late afternoon.

Two things are clear from this very brief summary of the content of the Convention.


summary

summary (positive)
more summary (comparative)
most summary (superlative)

done quickly and without following standard procedures


proportion

proportion (singular)
proportions (plural)

The proportion is the relationship in size between one part and another.

Health care spending is taking up a much larger proportion of the government budget.

The proportion of water to sugar should be two to one.

/prəˈpɔːʃən/


proportion

proportion (canonical)
proportions (third-person singular)
proportioned (past)
proportioned (past participle)
proportioning (present participle)

If you proportion something, you divide it into equal portions.

/prəˈpɔːʃən/


occupation

occupation (singular)
occupations (plural)

Nursing has been described as a skilled occupation rather than a profession.

An occupation is when a people, especially an army, take over and stay in a country, area, building, etc.

Everything he owned was taken during the German occupation of Paris in 1940.

The areas under occupation contained rich farm lands as well as the industrialized sectors of Russian Poland.

The house on the hill had no lights and no signs of occupation.

An occupation is a hobby or something else that you do to pass the time.

Her favorite occupation is reading.


ass

Ass is another word for butt, referring to the buttocks or anus.

That girl has a nice ass.

If you call someone an ass, you are insulting him/her by comparing him/her to buttocks. Usually meaning that he/she is rude.

My boss is really mean. He is a real ass.

Don't be an ass. Be nice.

Ox and ass before Him bow/And He is in the manger now....

alternative Commonwealth pronunciation in sense of "stupid person" only


commitment

commitment (singular)
commitments (plural)

A commitment is a formal promise or agreement.

Actually I can't come on Saturday, I have family commitments.

You don't have to make a firm commitment but we would like to know when you can probably start work.

Police management retain their commitment to improving community relations.

Both men have demonstrated their great commitment to Wales over the last nine months.


sum

A sum is an amount of money, usually a large amount.

The company had been spending large sums on publicity and advertising.

It allows the corporation to pay its workers a lump sum of up to £37,000 on leaving.

The sum is the total of adding or subtracting several numbers or amounts.

The total output doesn't equal the sum of the inputs because the system is not 100% efficient.

The sum of the three numbers will always equal 10.


sum

sum (canonical)
sums (third-person singular)
summed (past)
summed (past participle)
summing (present participle)

If you sum up, you conclude or bring together the main points.

She sums up the situation by saying that the new family is never the same as the biological family.


small

small (positive)
smaller (comparative)
smallest (superlative)

A small person or thing is not big. It doesn't have much size.

A mouse is a small animal. A baby mouse is very small.


seat

Pull up a seat and sit down.

The seat is a part of the clothes covering the buttocks.

The seat of your pants is muddy.

Seat is where something is, at the centre of things.

The town was the county seat, where the county council met.

Canberra is the seat of the Australian Government.


seat

seat (canonical)
seats (third-person singular)
seated (past)
seated (past participle)
seating (present participle)

Follow me. I will seat you near the stage.

I will pull out your chair to seat you.


beam

A beam of sunlight came through the window making a rectangle on the floor.

A beam is a long straight piece of wood or metal used in building to support weight.

Inside, the ceiling of the tunnel was held up with beams and was high enough that we could stand.


beam

beam (canonical)
beams (third-person singular)
beamed (past)
beamed (past participle)
beaming (present participle)

If you beam a signal from one place to another, you send it through the air.

If you beam, you smile and look very happy.


print

print (canonical)
prints (third-person singular)
printed (past)
printed (past participle)
printing (present participle)

If you print a picture, book, newspaper, etc., you make a copy of it on paper with a machine using ink or toner.

The book was printed in December.

A brief history of the church is printed in `Here and There' on page 20.

Can you print off a copy for me so I can read it on the train?

If you print words or letters, you write them by hand in a block style, not a cursive style.

Please print your name here and then sign underneath.


print

Print is letters, numerals, punctuation and other similar written symbols.

The print size in the newspaper is too small for me to read.

Most people still get their news both in broadcast and print forms.

A print is a copy that you make with a machine using ink or toner.

There were only fifty prints made of this painting.

With the digital camera, we don't have prints of many photos; we just keep them all on the computer.


principal

The principal thing is the main or most important one.

Canada's principal trading partner is the USA.

Presumably most of us work for the same principal reason – in order to live.


principal

principal (singular)
principals (plural)

In American English, a principal is the head of a school. (headmaster in British English)

The principal is the most important person in a business, or an artistic group such as a dancers.

Principal is the money that you borrow and must pay back. It does not include interest.


hollow

hollow (positive)
hollower (comparative)
hollowest (superlative)

If something has nothing inside of it, it is hollow.

The box is hollow.

If the inside of a tree or log has rotted away so the middle is empty, it is hollow.

The rabbit ran through the hollow log.

"He let out a hollow laugh"


hollow

hollow (canonical)
hollows (third-person singular)
hollowed (past)
hollowed (past participle)
hollowing (present participle)

If you hollow out something, you make a hole in it.


sequence

A sequence is a set of things in a specific order.

The sequence of feelings is: anger followed by sadness and finally calm.

We read through several lines in sequence, but I kept missing my turn.

Unless the data is sent in the correct sequence, it will not be usable.

I read the books out of sequence, so I got confused.

A sequence is a part of a movie or a story.

In this sequence, you'll hear him tell her what really happened.


sequence

sequence (canonical)
sequences (third-person singular)
sequenced (past)
sequenced (past participle)
sequencing (present participle)

:
 This short entry needs someone to make it better. You can help Wiktionary by adding to it.


whole

whole (positive)
more whole (comparative)
most whole (superlative)

Whole is used to describe every part of an object.

I ate the whole meal, leaving nothing left.


whole

The whole of something means the entire part of it.

The whole of the Middle East is pretty messy at the moment.


fund

A fund is an amount of money kept for a specific purpose.

GM cannot afford to keep paying into the company pension fund.

Our fund-raising campaign has a target of $100,000.

An organisation's funds are the money that it has.

The school is raising funds to pay for the new library.

The sports centre closed because of a lack of funds.


fund

fund (canonical)
funds (third-person singular)
funded (past)
funded (past participle)
funding (present participle)

If you fund something, you give it money for its activities.

The project is jointly funded by the Government of Canada and the International Red Cross.

The university will no longer fund research into this drug.


providence

providence (singular)
providences (plural)

Providence is the careful management of resources.

His providence in saving for his old age is a good example for everyone.

Providence also means God's will, or a power that some people think to be controlling our lives and the things that happen to us.


implementation

implementation (singular)
implementations (plural)

Implementation is the process or result of putting a plan into action.

Full implementation of the debt relief plans would remove up to US$6 billion from outstanding debt.


contribution

contribution (singular)
contributions (plural)

A contribution is something that you give or add.

Technology to reduce pollution could make a significant contribution to the solution.

Some of his most important early contributions were his detailed descriptions and illustrations.

Their contribution in October has been revised down from £300million to the same level.

The money you give to someone, especially for a donation, is your contribution.

The amount of work you did on a project.

His contribution was very low. He did almost nothing.


stability

stability (singular)
stabilities (plural)

Stability is the property of being firm and constant.

Investors, especially foreign ones, want political stability to go with economic growth.

He may need handrails on either side for stability and safety.

People began to wonder and talk about the stability of the fairy-tale marriage.


validity

The validity of a licence, ticket, document, etc. depends on whether it is official and acceptable.

The validity of a passport depends on who carries it.

The validity of evidence, a statement, a reason, etc. is the level to which it is true or reasonable.

Due to the doubts about the validity of the evidence presented, the case cannot go forward.

In testing, the validity of a test is the level to which it is tests what it is supposed to test.

The validity of many IQ tests has been questioned.

A validity is a quality of measurement that shows the degree by which the measurement reflects the thing beneath it.


debate

A debate is an exchange of ideas looking at different sides of an issue.

We will explore this idea through an analysis of the public debate on marriage and divorce.

The government's spending programme is the subject of much heated debate.


debate

debate (canonical)
debates (third-person singular)
debated (past)
debated (past participle)
debating (present participle)

If you debate something, you consider its positive and negative points, often by talking with other people in a formal situation such as government.

The AHA had in fact been debating the issue of the future of the hospital for some years.

Few subjects are more hotly debated in curriculum committees.


village

He lives in a village in the middle of nowhere.


ring

The students sat in a ring.

A piece of metal in a circle usually worn in the ear or on the finger or toe.

She wore a ring on each finger.

A piece of material with the shape of a circle.

The O-rings went bad on my truck.

A high sound, especially of a telephone.

The ring of the phone woke me up.

The square area between four poles where people fight.

He climbed into the ring, ready to fight.


ring

ring (canonical)
rings (third-person singular)
rang (past)
rung (past participle)
ringing (present participle)

The phone rang.

He rings me every Thursday.


ring

ring (canonical)
rings (third-person singular)
ringed (past)
ringed (past participle)
ringing (present participle)

They ringed the pair.


predict

predict (canonical)
predicts (third-person singular)
predicted (past)
predicted (past participle)
predicting (present participle)

If you predict something, you say that it will happen before anyone observes it.

It is still difficult to accurately predict the weather more than two days in advance.

As predicted by analysts, Toyota has increased the price of the Lexus LS400 by £3000 for 1993.

Darwin's theory predicts that animals will try to maximise the number of their children.


negative

negative (positive)
more negative (comparative)
most negative (superlative)

If something is negative, it is harmful, sad, or otherwise not good.

You can believe or not believe, that there's a positive and negative side to everything.

If a word, sentence, answer, etc. is negative, it uses a word like no, not, never, etc.

Can't is the negative form of can.

If someone is a negative person or has a negative attitude, they mainly think about bad things.

Her negative attitudes were the result of a hard life.

We were all depressed by his negative comments.

If a test result is negative, the test did not find what it was testing for.

There's nothing to worry about. The HIV test is negative.

A negative electrical charge is one carried by an electron.

Attach the wire to the negative pole of the battery.

A negative number or value is less than zero.

A positive number multiplied by a negative number results in a negative.

The Celsius scale of temperature is not absolute since negative values are possible.

A negative symptom is one where something is missing. Usually this is for schizophrenia.

His negative symptoms included not speaking and not showing emotion.

Based on something not being there, not being true, or being reversed, in some other way.

I tie-bleached my shirt to make a negative image, then tie-dyed it to add a positive image.

There were negative rules, telling us what not to do, as well as positive ones telling us what to do.


negative

A negative is a photographic image with reversed colours (e.g., black instead of white).

Prints are then made from the negatives, and in the case of the B&W I may either tint or tone the final print.

A negative is a word, sentence, answer, etc. that means no.

When I asked if we could go next week, the answer was a negative.

A negative is something that is harmful, sad, or otherwise not good.

Right now in Korea there is a negative connected with anything Japanese.

A negative is a test result that did not find what it was testing for.

In out test group there were 20 negatives and only one positive.

A negative is a small picture with the colors inverted. Negatives are made on film, then photographs are made from the negatives.

We saved the negatives and used to make more pictures later.


punishment

punishment (singular)
punishments (plural)

A punishment is a response to bad actions; it is used to try to stop another bad action.

Punishment is hard to accept.

His punishments were financial and verbal.


moderate

moderate (positive)
more moderate (comparative)
most moderate (superlative)

If someone or something is moderate, it is balanced and not extreme.

The weather in Hawai'i tends to be quite moderate.

The moderate views in much of Canada are quite different from the extreme beliefs in some other countries.


moderate

moderate (canonical)
moderates (third-person singular)
moderated (past)
moderated (past participle)
moderating (present participle)

If something moderates, it becomes more moderate.

As he grew older, his ideas began to moderate.

If someone moderates a meeting or discussion, they organise and control it.


moderate

A moderate is a person who has moderate (political) views.


attribute

attribute (canonical)
attributes (third-person singular)
attributed (past)
attributed (past participle)
attributing (present participle)

If you attribute x to y, you say that x is the creation or result of y.

He attributes his success to the love of his parents.

The famous phrase is usually attributed to Winston Churchill, though some believe he never actually said it.


attribute

attribute (singular)
attributes (plural)

An attribute is a part, feature, or characteristic.

A good sense of humour is an essential attribute for a doctor to have.


comfort

Comfort is a feeling in your body that there are no problems.

Enjoying the comfort of his own bed, he soon fell asleep.

This temperature may be too cold for comfort in a regularly used living room.

If you give comfort, you help someone to feel better.

Though it is a difficult time, you can at least take comfort in the fact that you are not alone.

He thought that he should touch her and offer her comfort.

A comfort is something that makes you feel good.

The comforts of home are not available when you're camping.


comfort

comfort (canonical)
comforts (third-person singular)
comforted (past)
comforted (past participle)
comforting (present participle)

If you comfort a person or animal, you help them to feel better.

Jane tried to comfort Flora by telling her about her own problems at school.

The night was dark, but the child was comforted by the sound of the TV in the other room.


boyfriend

boyfriend (singular)
boyfriends (plural)

Boyfriend normally describes a boy or a young man, who is in a love relationship with another person, when they aren't married yet.

I didn't have a boyfriend, and I thought that it was because I was too fat.

Boyfriend can also simply mean a friend who is male.


veterinarian

veterinarian (singular)
veterinarians (plural)

A veterinarian (sometimes shortened to vet) is a doctor that treats animals.

The veterinarian treated the dog.


impose

impose (canonical)
imposes (third-person singular)
imposed (past)
imposed (past participle)
imposing (present participle)

If you impose something on someone, you force it on them, even if they don't want it.

Egypt has imposed travel restrictions which will make it harder to enter the country.

The law imposes a duty on all employers to provide safety training.

If you impose on someone, you ask or expect them to do something for you that is difficult or inconvenient.

Could we impose on you to explain that again more slowly?

I'd like to visit her, but I don't want to impose.


music

sounds that are played on musical instruments or sung with a certain rhythm and harmony, and forming melodies.

You cannot make any music with this trumpet, it is broken.

Written rules on how to play a piece of music, also called sheet music.

This book has the lyrics and the music to many children songs.

Anything that sounds nice or interesting.

The music of the wind reached his ear.

Your words are music to my ears.


dimension

dimension (singular)
dimensions (plural)

A dimension is a part of a problem, issue, or situation.

We need to consider some of the dimensions of the likely future needs for health care among older people.

The baby has added a new dimension to our lives.

A dimension is a direction of measurement in space time, usually width, depth, and height.

The new viewer lets you examine the image in three dimensions.

The dimensions of the football pitch can actually vary quite considerably with the length being anywhere from 90 m to 120 m.


girlfriend

girlfriend (singular)
girlfriends (plural)

A girlfriend is a girl or young woman who is in a romantic relationship with another person.

Jeremy had been having trouble with his girlfriend.

Koo Stark, a former girlfriend of the Duke of York, was being kept in hospital last night.

A girlfriend can be any friend who is female.


result

The solution of a mathematical equation.

The result of 1 + 1 is 2.

The situation at the end of a process, its outcome.

The result of losing the presents was that everyone was sad.

The result of the race was that Peter won.


result

result (canonical)
results (third-person singular)
resulted (past)
resulted (past participle)
resulting (present participle)

If x results in y, it leads to or causes y.

A lot of digging results in a deep hole.

If x results from y, it comes for or is caused by y.

A deep hole resulted from all the digging.


silk

A strong soft material that cloth is made of. A certain type of silk worms make it.

This shirt is made of silk.


overall

An overall effect, strategy, picture, etc., is one that covers everything but may not go into detail.

The play has many Christian elements, but the overall effect is not necessarily Christian.


overall

If you look at something overall, you look at the whole of it.

Despite losing a few games, the team achieved greater successes overall than in previous years.

Overall the book works well.

Fewer people came out locally, but there was an overall greater response at a national level.


overall

An overall is a large, loose protective coat.

Overalls are pants with a front that comes up to your chest and straps over your shoulders.

Overalls are a loose protective trouser and shirt in one.


sky

The sky is what you see when you look up when you're not inside. It's blue with clouds in it. At night it's black with stars in it.

The night sky was full of stars.


whale

A whale is a large animal that lives in the ocean.

Some whales with teeth eat fish, but many whales don't have teeth.

Dolphins and small whales have also been hunted in the waters of the Caribbean for many years.


whale

whale (canonical)
whales (third-person singular)
whaled (past)
whaled (past participle)
whaling (present participle)

If you whale on something, you beat it hard repeatedly.


granted

You use granted to say that you accept that something is true, often before you adding contrasting information.

He's a good student and usually does well. Granted, he did fail that one test, but I think there were good reasons for that.

"You haven't been a very good father." "Granted."

You use granted that x, y to mean y is true because of x.

Granted that he has done nothing wrong, he should be set free.


granted

If you take something for granted, you believe it without really knowing or thinking about it.


granted

grant (canonical)
grants (third-person singular)
granted (past)
granted (past participle)
granting (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of grant.


sort

sort (canonical)
sorts (third-person singular)
sorted (past)
sorted (past participle)
sorting (present participle)

To sort is to divide one group of things into smaller groups of things, so that the things in one smaller group are the same as each other in some way.

He sorted the apples, putting red apples in one basket and green apples in the other basket.


sort

Red and green are two sorts of apple.


phase

We will look at very basic ideas during the first phase of training.

As the war enters its final phase, the role of the UN will probably become more important.

Teenagers often go through a phase of being attracted to someone of the same sex.

If things are in phase, they are working, moving, or changing together.


phase

phase (canonical)
phases (third-person singular)
phased (past)
phased (past participle)
phasing (present participle)

If you phase something in, you introduce it step by step.

Over the next few years, all farm support was slowly phased out.


cycle

A cycle is a number of regular things that happen again and again.

Right now we are in an upward-moving part of the business cycle.

Although women's monthly cycles vary in length from person to person, the average length is about 28 days.

Most car engines have a 4-part cycle.

A cycle is a short way of saying bicycle or motorcycle.


cycle

cycle (canonical)
cycles (third-person singular)
cycled (past)
cycled (past participle)
cycling (present participle)

If you cycle somewhere, you go there by bicycle or motorcycle.

The rain was falling harder than ever as I cycled home down the Banbury Road.

It took me less than 7 minutes to cycle the whole trail.

If you cycle a machine, you run it through one cycle.

The test will cycle the computer through ten start ups.


symbolic

symbolic (positive)
more symbolic (comparative)
most symbolic (superlative)

If something is symbolic, it has or is used as a symbol.

In many religions, the number 3 has a symbolic value.

The apology was purely symbolic and did nothing to change the situation.

It was dirty and dark in a way that was very symbolic of New York.


half

Sales were down from January to June but jumped in the second half of the year.

Half a year later, the baby was born.

A half minute after the game started, the rain began.

It took us an hour and a half to get the bike working again.

The city was about half the size of Vancouver.

More than half the money came from the government.

It's cost us three and a half thousand dollars.

We'll meet at half past two.

It's two and a half times as big as the old one.

The coach changed the goal keeper at half time.

The same car might cost about half as much again as in Britain.

These cookies are not half as good as the ones your mum makes.

The apples are half price today.

When I phoned, he was still half asleep.

The glass was half full.

Since the early 1980s the army's strength and budget have been cut in half .

The car was half on the road when it was hit.

A half is one part of a game that is divided into two parts.

At the end of the first half, Japan is leading Iran by two points.

He kicked the ball deep into New England's half.

A half is a player who plays in the middle part of the field in sports like football, rugby, etc.


enforcement

Enforcement is the act of making people follow a law, rule, or decision.

It is not a problem which can be solved by law enforcement alone.

There simply hasn't been enough enforcement of the rules during this tournament.


undertake

undertake (canonical)
undertakes (third-person singular)
undertook (past)
undertaken (past participle)
undertaking (present participle)

If you undertake something, you take responsibility for doing it and you start to do it.

He is in charge of this project and has undertaken this work largely single-handed since July.

After a common two years, some students undertake industrial or professional placement in their third year.

Britain has apparently undertaken to review its own aid to Vietnam.


precise

precise (positive)
more precise (comparative)
most precise (superlative)

If something is precise it is correct and exact.

Young children are often unable to give a precise definition for words they know very well.

The precise nature of the tax changes has not been decided.

If someone is precise they always act and speak very carefully.


series

A series of events, meetings, experiments, etc. is several of them that happen one after the other and are related.

Three weeks ago troops and helicopters launched a series of attacks on Kurds in the region.

There has been a series of changes at the newspaper that began with the new editor.

The school will be hosting a series of lectures relating to poverty.

A TV or Radio series is a number of programs usually with the same setting and characters.

A series is a sporting event in which many teams compete for a championship.

Tonight is the final game of the Stanley Cup series.

If something is connected in series, electricity passes through each point before going to the next point.


discover

discover (canonical)
discovers (third-person singular)
discovered (past)
discovered (past participle)
discovering (present participle)

To find a new idea that was not known before, or to find a thing that was not known about before.

doctors want to discover a cure for cancer.

Einstein discovered that E=mc²

Christopher Columbus is famous for discovering the Americas.


experience

experience (singular)
experiences (plural)

An experience is an event that happens to you or that you are a part of.

The spelling bee was a horrible experience.

Experience is the amount of time you have been doing something (especially, a job).

He has ten years of experience in law.


experience

experience (canonical)
experiences (third-person singular)
experienced (past)
experienced (past participle)
experiencing (present participle)

If I experience something, it happens to me or I am involved in it.

We are experiencing technical difficulties.

We will never experience poverty because we are so rich.


target

A target is an area to shoot at. It is usually used for practice or to test the accuracy of a gun.

We didn't hit our sales targets this week.


target

target (canonical)
targets (third-person singular)
targeted (past)
targeted (past participle)
targeting (present participle)

To target is to aim at something, usually with a gun.


resolution

resolution (singular)
resolutions (plural)

A resolution is a formal decision, often after a vote.

The U.S. may be willing to support a Security Council resolution backing the return of inspectors to Iraq.

Resolution is the amount of detail that you can see in an image.

This camera is cheaper, but, of course, the resolution is much lower.

A resolution is a solution to a disagreement or difficult situation.

The school holds classes in nonviolent conflict resolution.

A resolution is a personal decision (not) to do something.

My New Year's resolution was to quit smoking.

Resolution is the power to try even when things are difficult.

Her resolution to be honest never weakened.


front

The side of something that faces the direction it normally moves.

The side of a building with the building's main entrance.

In meteorology, the area where cold and warm air meet. When they meet it often causes rain to form.

In military usage:
The direction of the enemy.

In military usage:
An area where armies are fighting.


front

When leaving the house, it is important to lock the front door.


front

front (canonical)
fronts (third-person singular)
fronted (past)
fronted (past participle)
fronting (present participle)

The singer Bono fronts the band U2.

To give something to someone before they can pay for it.

Since Tom did not have any money, Bill fronted him dinner and Tom paid him back the next day.


approximate

approximate (positive)
more approximate (comparative)
most approximate (superlative)

An approximate number, length, time, etc. is close to the real one but may not be equal to it.

"How many people are on the team?" "I'm not sure, but I can give you an approximate number."

If we knew when he left here, it might help us identify the approximate time of death.


approximate

approximate (canonical)
approximates (third-person singular)
approximated (past)
approximated (past participle)
approximating (present participle)

be or become near a value, position, or characteristic.

Computers are getting better at approximating human speech.

Women's salaries in the company have approximated to male salaries.


pursue

pursue (canonical)
pursues (third-person singular)
pursued (past)
pursued (past participle)
pursuing (present participle)

If you pursue a job or hobby, you do it for a long time.

The band motivated her to pursue a career in music.

If you pursue someone or something, you try to reach, catch or get it.


hard

hard (positive)
harder (comparative)
hardest (superlative)

I kicked the wall and hurt my foot. The wall is hard.

If something is hard, it takes a lot of work to do or understand.

Only two people passed the test because it was so hard.

If something is hard, it is sudden and sharp.

He took a hard hit to his arm.

Hard liquor

If something is hard, it cannot be questioned; it is not questionable.

Hard evidence

If someone is hard, they are severe; they are unfriendly.


hard

If something is done hard, it is done with a lot of effort.

He works hard, all day and all night.


hard

A hard is a beach or slope that is firm that is a good place to take a boat out of the water.


station

A station is a place where many trains or buses stop and people buy tickets and get on.

A station is a place where a person stays in one place and works.


station

station (canonical)
stations (third-person singular)
stationed (past)
stationed (past participle)
stationing (present participle)

If you station someone, you place them to do a task.


complement

complement (canonical)
complements (third-person singular)
complemented (past)
complemented (past participle)
complementing (present participle)

If x complements y, x makes y complete or whole.

We believe your addition will complement the team.

If two people or things complement each other, each has what the other is missing or needs.

The flavors of the pepper and garlic complement each other, giving a very rich taste in combination.

I believe our talents really complement each other.

To change a voltage, number, color, etc. to its complement.


complement

complement (singular)
complements (plural)

We believe you will make a good complement to our team.

A complement is a word or phrase that is needed to make another word grammatical.

In he seems nice, nice is the complement of seem.

an angle which, together with a given angle, makes a right angle.

The color which, when mixed with the given color, gives black (for mixing pigments) or white (for mixing light).

The complement of blue is orange.

In boating: The full number of people needed to man a ship (esp. a ship of war)

The ship's complement is 35 people. 35 people are needed to sail the ship


promote

promote (canonical)
promotes (third-person singular)
promoted (past)
promoted (past participle)
promoting (present participle)

If you promote someone or something, you help it to get bigger, higher, or more popular.

The environment provided by the school promotes the reading development of all students.

Remember too that sleepiness is promoted by a warm, quiet environment.

She became assistant manager and was then promoted to general manager within two years.
Antonym: demote

She's on tour promoting sales of her new book.


alter

alter (canonical)
alters (third-person singular)
altered (past)
altered (past participle)
altering (present participle)

If you alter something, you change it, usually in a small way.

The design can be easily altered by selecting new colours, materials, etc.

But not even a good cleaning would alter the fact that the room was dark and unfriendly.

Because he was so short, he always needed to have his pants altered to fit him.


slow

slow (positive)
slower (comparative)
slowest (superlative)

Something is slow if it takes a long time to move. It is not fast.

A snail is a very slow animal. It moves slowly.

If something is slow, it does not happen in a short time.

If someone is slow, it takes them a while to understand something.


slow

slow (canonical)
slows (third-person singular)
slowed (past)
slowed (past participle)
slowing (present participle)

If you slow someone or something, he, she, or it does not move as quickly as he, she, or it did before; you lower the speed of something.

If you slow, you do not progress as quickly as you did before.


ratio

A ratio is the comparison in size or number between two things. It is written x:y and read x to y. It is the same as the fraction x/y.

The ratio of men's jobs to women's is 8 to 1.

But Germany now has one of the highest ratios of spending to GDP in the European Community.

The low student/teacher ratio makes this a great school.


slant

slant (canonical)
slants (third-person singular)
slanted (past)
slanted (past participle)
slanting (present participle)

A long thing is slanting when one end is higher up than the other end and also further along. To be on an angle or sloping.

The piece of wood is slanting from the ground up to the door so that a cart with wheels can roll up it.


slant

A slant is the way a long thing is when one end is higher up and further along than the other end. The way a ramp is.


shelf

A shelf is a flat thing that people can put books or other things on when they are not using them.


code

Children usually learn their parents' moral code.

Section 244(1) (a) of the Canadian Criminal Code defines assault.

A code is a way of storing or sending information, often secretly or in a way that is readable by computers.

Microsoft has also licensed Windows source code to companies such as Citrix Systems.

In World War II, mathematicians and scientists broke the enemy's secret code.


code

code (canonical)
codes (third-person singular)
coded (past)
coded (past participle)
coding (present participle)

If something is coded, it is written or stored in a code.

The completed questionnaires were coded by two people.

The wide variety of proteins in the cells are all coded for by the genes in the nucleus.


fragment

The glass broke into hundreds of fragments.


fragment

fragment (canonical)
fragments (third-person singular)
fragmented (past)
fragmented (past participle)
fragmenting (present participle)

To break or cause to be broken into pieces


shut

shut (canonical)
shuts (third-person singular)
shut (past)
shut (past participle)
shutting (present participle)

When someone moves a door so that people can't go through it, the person is shutting the door. When someone puts their lips together so that no air or food can go in or out of their mouth, the person is shutting their mouth.

The wind was too cold, so I shut the window.


graduate

graduate (canonical)
graduates (third-person singular)
graduated (past)
graduated (past participle)
graduating (present participle)

If you graduate you get a degree or diploma from a school or university.

Tom graduated from Yale University in 2006.

If you graduate, you change to a new level of skill or activity.

After learning to do front flips, Sally graduated to learning back flips.

To arrange or divide into categories or groups

To divide into intervals, especially for use in measurement


graduate

A graduate is someone who has graduated (usually from a school or university).

Tom is a graduate of Yale University.

A graduated container, such as a cylinder or beaker.


access

If you have access to something, you can use it, look at it, enter it, etc.

As a student, you have access to all our facilities including the library and computers.

We will seek to provide greater access to personal records held by government.


access

access (canonical)
accesses (third-person singular)
accessed (past)
accessed (past participle)
accessing (present participle)

If you access something, you get information from it, usually using a computer.

The product enables multiple systems to access a single database.

Users of PCs can access images from the photo CDs using any CD-ROM input device.


document

A document is a written record, often official.

They stopped her at the airport and checked all her documents.

A number of Chinese documents from 1000 BCE were recently discovered.

On March 28, 1990, the government published a document listing the companies which it intended to privatize.

A document is a kind of computer text file.

Can you send me that document by e-mail or fax?

We should be able to edit your document using MS Word.


document

document (canonical)
documents (third-person singular)
documented (past)
documented (past participle)
documenting (present participle)

If you document something, you make a record of it, usually in writing.

It's important for newspaper reporters to be there to document the war.

We have documented number cases in which he has broken company policy.


float

Something which stays on or near the surface of water or another liquid.

A buoyant used to help balance in water or another liquid.

Attach the float and the weight to the fishing line, above the hook.

A nicely decorated vehicle, to show in a parade or pageant.

That float covered in roses is very pretty.


float

float (canonical)
floats (third-person singular)
floated (past)
floated (past participle)
floating (present participle)

When you float, it means that your density is lower than the density of the liquid you are in, which makes you be at the surface of the liquid.

As I have a light body, I always float when I go swimming.


marginal

marginal (positive)
more marginal (comparative)
most marginal (superlative)

If something is marginal, it is not very large, important or central.

But this discussion is marginal to the real issue.

(in finance) The marginal profit, tax rate, etc. is the percent earned or paid on one more unit of production or income.

Large scale economies tend to mean that the marginal cost of serving an additional customer is either zero or very small.

If something is marginal, it is low quality, almost unacceptable.

His writing is marginal at best. I don't think he'll pass.

If something is marginal, it is written in a margin.

I can't read the marginal notes.


size

These shirts come in four sizes: small, medium, large, and extra large.


size

size (canonical)
sizes (third-person singular)
sized (past)
sized (past participle)
sizing (present participle)

They sized him for a new suit. His shoulders measured 25 inches across.


clause

A clause is a section in a contract or other legal document.

The author's contract contained a clause giving him creative control over the films.

A clause is a group of words that usually includes a subject and a predicate. In English, the subject usually comes before the predicate.

The last clause in the sentence is hard to understand without knowing some background.


club

A club is an organisation of people who share a similar sport, interest, or hobby.

He was a member of his high school drama club.

Every town in Europe has its own football club.

A club is a place where people go to drink, dance, talk, and listen to music.

I didn't get home from the club until 2:30 in the morning; it was so much fun.

A club is a place where members go to do sports or exercise.

I try to work out at the gym club three days a week.

A club is a heavy stick used to hit things or people.

The police in London used to carry clubs instead of guns.

A club is a suit in playing cards. It is a black design with a base and three round leaves.


club

club (canonical)
clubs (third-person singular)
clubbed (past)
clubbed (past participle)
clubbing (present participle)

If you club a person or animal, you hit them with something big and heavy.

They clubbed him to death with a baseball bat.

usually clubbing) If you go clubbing, you go to a club to dance, drink, and meet people.

She enjoys going clubbing with friends in Oxford every Friday.


versus

When we say one thing versus another thing, it means the two things are on different sides, going in different directions, or against each other.

Tonight's game has Toronto versus Montreal.

A lot of people see America as poor versus rich versus a middle class.

It's a simple story of good versus evil.

The difference between students with high versus low levels of English is growing every year.

We had to talk about how much time I spent doing homework versus how much time I spent playing games.

What do you think of going to a movie versus to a restaurant?

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


off

I got ready and by 7:00 I was off to school.

There's a nice restaurant just off the main road.

Bye, I'll be off now.

He was standing about 50 m off.

Your birthday's only a few days off now.

He pushed the book off the table, and it fell to the floor.

She took the hat off his head.

Keep your feet off the desk, please.

Out of a vehicle such as a train, bus, etc.

As the train stopped, he jumped off and ran to her.

If something that uses energy is off, it is not working.

It was dark in the room because the light was off.

He turned the TV off and went to bed.

If you are off, you do not have to go to work or to school.

I work evenings, but I have my afternoons off.

They've taken 30% off the price.

We cut off a few pieces.

If a plan, event, etc. is off, it will not happen.

Tonight's game is off because of the rain.

They've called off the meeting.


off

If you're off something, you don't like or want something you wanted before.

That article really put me off meat.

If you're off some medicine, you are not using it any more.

He's been off the pain killers for a few weeks.


off

If food is off, it is not good to eat anymore.

The meat smells off.


off

off (canonical)
offs (third-person singular)
offed (past)
offed (past participle)
offing (present participle)

If a person offs someone, they kill him or her.

I heard they offed Jimmy by drowning.


external

external (positive)
more external (comparative)
most external (superlative)

Something that is external is not on the inside.

Both internal and external stairs need to be modified to allow wheelchairs into the building.

There are many influences upon the child external to life in school.

I wondered if there were any external pressures that led your husband to make the change.

Other sources of external debt arise where non-residents purchase local bonds.


forward

If something goes forward, it moves in the direction of its front, not its back.

If something goes forward, it gets better.

If something goes forward, it moves into the future.


forward

forward (positive)
more forward (comparative)
most forward (superlative)

If someone is forward, they are too friendly when talking to strangers.


forward

forward (canonical)
forwards (third-person singular)
forwarded (past)
forwarded (past participle)
forwarding (present participle)

If you forward a letter, message, etc., you send it.

If you forward your career, you make it more successful or better.


forward

A forward is a player whose position plays closer to the other team's end in games like soccer.


retain

retain (canonical)
retains (third-person singular)
retained (past)
retained (past participle)
retaining (present participle)

After the election, the government retained control of the lower house, but lost the upper house.

The company retains the right to change the price at any time.

They joined the group but still managed to retain their independence at the same time.

If you retain someone (usually a professional), you pay them to do a job.

Since being charged by police, Black has retained a lawyer.

With better wages abroad it is becoming increasingly difficult to retain employees.


out

Polly opened the door and went out.

If something using electricity is out, it is turned off or the electricity is not flowing..

Turn the light out before you leave.

The power's out so nothing's working.

I'm trying to find which light went out.

Oh, no! The fire's gone out again.

Something that moves out moves from the inside to a place that is not inside.

He took the pen out of his pocket.

Please, close the door as you go out.

If you walk out that door, you can't come back.

The car stopped and out came two men.

We live out in the country.

He's about half an hour out of Toronto.

If someone is out, they are not in the place where someone is looking for them.

You can't see the doctor now. He is out.

We'll give out the books after everyone has arrived.

Don't throw that out. I'm still using it.

If something is out, you can look at or see it.

the sun is out

the flowers are out

If something comes out of something, it comes from it.

If something is out, it is available for sale.

If something is out, it is not in fashion.

If someone is out, they are not conscious.

If a you are out of something, you had it before but you've used or sold all of it.

If x is made out of y, y is the material that x is made of.


out

out (canonical)
outs (third-person singular)
outed (past)
outed (past participle)
outing (present participle)

If you out somebody, you make public something they don't want others to know, especially that they are homosexual.

The media recently outed a conservative politician.


out

If someone is prevented from scoring in baseball, they make an out.

There were two men on base and two outs.


fundamental

fundamental (positive)
more fundamental (comparative)
most fundamental (superlative)

If something is fundamental, it is basic and important.

The loss of her legs has caused her to undergo a fundamental change in how she looks at life.

Respect is fundamental to a strong education system.

There is no more fundamental question than "why are we here?"


fundamental

fundamental (singular)
fundamentals (plural)

The fundamentals of something, are the main ideas or parts that it is built on.


surrender

surrender (canonical)
surrenders (third-person singular)
surrendered (past)
surrendered (past participle)
surrendering (present participle)

When an army stops fighting and lets the other side win, we say that the army surrenders. Sometimes people wave a white flag to show that they are surrendering.

To submit to a person who has more power.


surrender

surrender (singular)
surrenders (plural)

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


takeoff

The takeoff is when an airplane moves from the ground into the air.

Put on your seat belt to be ready for takeoff.


capacity

The capacity of a container, room, etc. is how much it can hold.

The capacity of the bottle is 500 ml.

The capacity of the hard drive is 120 GB.

I'm sorry, this pool only has a capacity of 100 people and I can't let any more in.

If you fill it to capacity, you won't be able to carry it.

The capacity of someone or something to do something is the ability to do it.

I was impressed by his energy and capacity for hard work.

Since the head injury he has lost his capacity to learn new names.

The capacity of a factory or business is how much it can produce.

It will soon be necessary to increase capacity at our Toronto plant to meet Canadian demand for the product.

If someone does something in a particular capacity, they are doing it in that role.

I am not writing to you in my capacity as your doctor, but as a friend.

Sometimes I make decisions in my capacity as father that I don't like in my capacity as husband.

He's been hired in a temporary capacity.


shake

shake (canonical)
shakes (third-person singular)
shook (past)
shaken (past participle)
shaking (present participle)

To shake is to move from side to side many times quickly.

She shook the bottle to mix the drink.


shake

They were known for their shakes.


version

A version is something that exists in different forms.

Tomorrow, IBM is launching OS/2 2.0, the new version of its OS/2 operating software for personal computers.

The North American version of the car will have a larger engine.


deep

deep (positive)
deeper (comparative)
deepest (superlative)

A hole or body of water is deep if it goes down a long way.

Do not dive into this swimming pool because it is not deep enough.

Some oil wells must be drilled deeper than others to reach the oil.

Something is deep if it is far below or inside.

The Earth's iron core is deep beneath its crust.

The Japanese style of poetry called haiku is simple on the surface, but it should also have a deeper emotional meaning.

In opera, the bass singer has the deepest voice.

With actions that make something smaller, we say deep to mean they make them much smaller.

This furniture store offers deep discounts on beds.

The new budget makes deep spending cuts in education.

An idea is called deep if it has an important meaning that is not easy to see.

A: 'I think you like heavy metal music because your parents don't approve of it.' B:'Wow, that's deep!'


welfare

Someone's welfare is their health, safety, and other things the make them happy.

Children need to exercise each day, for both their physical and psychological welfare.

This group has tried to promote the welfare of old people throughout the United Kingdom.

It is clear that the issues the environment and animal welfare have become very important recently.

Few countries have the same level of social welfare that we have in Canada.

Welfare is money paid by the government to poor people.

The government is reviewing the welfare benefits which single parents receive.

He lost his job and his home and has had to go on welfare.


output

Output is what is produced by a worker, machine, computer, etc.

We have increased our total output from 4,500 to 7,500 barrels per day of oil.

Of course, any problems with the program will affect the output.


output

output (past)
output (past participle)
output (canonical)
outputs (third-person singular)
outputted (past)
outputted (past participle)
outputting (present participle)

If you output something, you produce it.

The past tense and past participle of output.


core

The core is the centre part of something.

I bit into the apple core and spit out the seeds.

The ideas in it still form the core of the government's economic plan.

A core group of fans follow the team to every game.

I was shaken to the core when I heard the terrible news.


core

core (canonical)
cores (third-person singular)
cored (past)
cored (past participle)
coring (present participle)

If you core something, you remove the centre from it.

lemon juice • 4 eating apples, peeled, halved and cored • 1 tbsp of...


whereas

You use whereas to show a contrast between two things or ideas.

Many kinds of roses have little or no scent, whereas others are well known for their beautiful smell.

School A has about 25 percent Asian students, whereas for school B the Asian students make up over 60 percent of the school population.

Whereas only about a third of local residents paid full rates in the past, now most adults will pay the charge.


slope

We will have to climb up this slope to get to the top of the hill.

The slope of a line is how far up it goes divided by how far along it goes.

A slope is a person that is Chinese or of a race in East Asia.


slope

slope (canonical)
slopes (third-person singular)
sloped (past)
sloped (past participle)
sloping (present participle)

If something slopes, it goes either up or down.

The hill slopes down at this point.


shame

Someone feels shame when they know they did something wrong.

The boy felt shame and gave back the candy he had taken.


shame

shame (canonical)
shames (third-person singular)
shamed (past)
shamed (past participle)
shaming (present participle)

If you shame someone, you make them feel shame.


initial

(usually before the noun) The initial period, stages, etc. come near the beginning.

They send most workers to the US after an initial training period of three months.

With these cars, the initial cost is high, but you save money in the long run.

My initial reaction when I saw the bear was to run and hide.


initial

An initial is the first letter of a name.

He found a bag with the initials D.B.R.

His name is Daniel Jr., His initial is D.J.


initial

initialed (past)
initialed (past participle)
initialing (present participle)
initial (canonical)
initials (third-person singular)
initialled (past)
initialled (past participle)
initialling (present participle)

If you initial something, you write the first letter of each of your names on it (or sometimes just your first and last name), usually to show approval.

Can you initial this form here, please?


rule

A rule is a statement that tells whether something is right or wrong.

Peter picked up the football, which was against the rules, so the other team got a throw-in.

A king's rule is the time he controls the country.

The next king had a very short rule: only two years.

A rule is another name for a ruler, a measuring device.


rule

rule (canonical)
rules (third-person singular)
ruled (past)
ruled (past participle)
ruling (present participle)

When someone rules, he or she is in charge, like a king or queen.

The king has ruled for 33 years.


layer

A layer is a covering material or substance.

When we got up in the morning, everything was covered by a thin layer of snow.

The cream forms a germ-fighting layer over the skin.

How many layers of clothing do you have to wear in the winter?

The company is trying to reduce the number of management layers.

A layer is a person who lays something, (e.g., carpet, bricks, etc.).


layer

layer (canonical)
layers (third-person singular)
layered (past)
layered (past participle)
layering (present participle)

If you layer something, you make layers.

Layer the pasta in an ovenproof dish with the tomatoes, bacon and peas, seasoning each layer.


register

register (canonical)
registers (third-person singular)
registered (past)
registered (past participle)
registering (present participle)

If you register someone or something, you put their name on a list.

I haven't registered for September classes yet.

Please take a moment to register your software with the company.

Our dog is registered with the city.

If you register a complaint, protest, etc. you make your opinion known formally.

If something doesn't register, you don't notice it.

I knew I had something else on, but I guess it just didn't register when I made the appointment.

If a measuring instrument registers a value, it shows that value.

The thermometer registered 42.5°.

The change was so small that it didn't register.


register

A register is an official list of names.

On voting day, I found my name was not on the register and I couldn't vote.

The government is reviewing the national register of births, deaths, and marriages.

A register is a particular style of language used by a certain group of people or in certain situations.

Speeches are usually given in a very formal, almost written register.

A register is a particular range of notes.

The piano plays arpeggi in higher registers, accompanying the clarinet that plays the melody in full-blooded lower middle registers.

A cash register is a machine in a shop that calculates total payment and holds money.