ray

A ray is a line of light or energy, coming out from where it starts.

Some rays of light from the sun shone between the leaves of the tree and lighted the top of his head.

A ray in math is a line that starts at one point and goes on forever in one direction.

Two rays that start at the same point make an angle.

A ray is a type of fish which lives on the bottom of the ocean.


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.


servant

A servant is someone who works for a person or for a family, doing things like cooking and washing. Often the servant lives in the house where they work. A servant works for the same family all day.

This rich family has three servants working for them in their big house.


property

Property is a thing or things that belong to someone; things that someone owns.

This house is now my property. I've finished paying for it.

A property is a quality that something has; a way that something is.

One good property of this coat is that it keeps rain out.


diversity

diversity (singular)
diversities (plural)

Diversity is the property of having many different kinds of things or people.

Racial diversity is very low in Japan and very high in Toronto.

The discussion was wide-ranging, reflecting a diversity of views.

Doctors are finding a greater diversity in the kinds of infections they see.


north

North is the direction towards the top of the Earth, opposite to south; If you are looking north, the sun sets on your left.

Canada is the biggest country in North America.

North is the end of a magnet that points north.

The north is the area of land north of the speaker; Also the Arctic.


north

In the direction north; towards the north

The place you want is two miles north of here.

It's colder here because we're further north.


sign

A flat thing with a few words or pictures on it to tell people something.

I saw a stop sign, so I stopped the car.


sign

sign (canonical)
signs (third-person singular)
signed (past)
signed (past participle)
signing (present participle)

When someone signs a piece of paper, they write their signature on it.

They signed a contract saying exactly who would do the work and how much money they would be paid.

If a company signs someone, they hire them to work.


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.


conviction

conviction (singular)
convictions (plural)

A conviction is when a court finds a person guilty of doing a crime.

There was a conviction in his case, so he went to jail.

A conviction is a strong belief that you think is true.

Because of their strong conviction, I begin to feel that they may be right.


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.


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.


nerve

A nerve is a cell in the body that sends signals. The brain is made of nerves.

She can't feel anything with this arm, and can't move her arm, because the nerves were cut in an accident.

Nerve is confidence: a feeling of being able to do something.

He didn't have the nerve to ask her to dance.

You had a lot of nerve, saying that to me! Go away!


rough

rough (positive)
rougher (comparative)
roughest (superlative)

The wooden table felt rough until he rubbed it with sandpaper to make it smooth.

Stone roads are rough and make my bicycle go up and down.

I quickly drew a rough map to help him find the place.

Life can be rough sometimes.


rough

rough (canonical)
roughs (third-person singular)
roughed (past)
roughed (past participle)
roughing (present participle)

If you rough something, you create it in an approximate form.

Rough in the shape first, then polish the details.


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.


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.


news

News is information about things that happened a short time ago, especially on the radio, TV or in newspapers.

Did you hear the news that the war just ended?

Do you have any news about Paul's sickness?


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.


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.


sense

Sense is any basic ability or understanding.

She has a great sense of fashion.

She uses good sense when choosing her friends.

Why did you do that?! Where's your common sense?!


sense

sense (canonical)
senses (third-person singular)
sensed (past)
sensed (past participle)
sensing (present participle)

Sense is the ability to understand a situation or emotions.

I sensed you were upset before you said anything.

I sense you don't want to be with me.

Do I sense a chance for success in your game plan?


generate

generate (canonical)
generates (third-person singular)
generated (past)
generated (past participle)
generating (present participle)

If you generate something, you create it.

On the hottest summer days, we are unable to generate enough electricity.

Apple is great at generating interest in their computers and other products.

They gave away 100 per cent of the income generated by their songs.


federal

federal (positive)
more federal (comparative)
most federal (superlative)

The federal government is the main country-wide government in a country where there are also state or provincial governments.

The federal government has said that it will not increase payments to the provinces.

While education is a federal issue in countries like Japan, it is more local in countries like Canada or the U.S.

Federal taxes will increase next year.


edition

An edition of a book, computer program, etc. is a copy that has been or will be published with changes or in another form.

It was first published in 1857, with a second slightly amended edition in 1858.

The new paperback edition of the dictionary is coming out next week.

The author corrected it in later editions.


conjunction

conjunction (singular)
conjunctions (plural)

/kənˈdʒʌŋkʃən/

A conjunction is a word used to join words, phrases, clauses, or sentences.

The word or is a conjunction because it can join two words: Tell me if you see a red or blue car.

The word that can be used as a conjunction: I think that you are right.


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.


seem

seem (canonical)
seems (third-person singular)
seemed (past)
seemed (past participle)
seeming (present participle)

The way something seems to be is the way you think it is when you look at it, hear about it, think about it, etc.

It seems unlikely that they will remember your name after meeting you once.

As odd as it may seem, the girl's best friend is an eighty year old man.

It was a terrible night, but somehow it doesn't seem so bad this morning.

It is still raining on him, but he doesn't seem to notice.

The bad smells did not seem to bother them.

The young man seemed to have forgotten all his promises.

They really seemed to be enjoying what they were doing.

The changes seem to suggest that the police have new information.

It seems to me that we ought to try again.

It seemed like forever, but I think it got there in about 12 to 15 minutes.

It seemed like a crazy idea; it had never been done before.

You seem like a very nice guy.

The very air he was breathing seemed as if it were on fire.


existence

existence (singular)
existences (plural)

The existence of a thing is the quality of being real, of being in the world, of just being.

Do you believe in the existence of God?

The existence of a mark on my shirt is the reason I didn't go to the party.


shade

A shade is a shadow of a tree or another big thing that blocks some of the light and heat of the Sun.

She rested in the shade of the tree because she felt hot.

A shade is the slight difference between colors.


shade

shade (canonical)
shades (third-person singular)
shaded (past)
shaded (past participle)
shading (present participle)

If something is shaded, it is shielded from light.

The old tree shaded the animals from the sun.

If something is shading, it is approaching something slightly.

The grassland was green, shading towards brown in the drier areas.

If you shade something in a drawing, you darken it.

Mary started shading in the outlines of the house in her drawing.


owner

The owner of a thing is the person who owns the thing: who has the thing or who should have the thing. A thing belongs to its owner.

Who is the owner of this coat that was left on a chair?

You have to give it back to me. I'm the owner.


see

see (canonical)
sees (third-person singular)
saw (past)
seen (past participle)
seeing (present participle)

You see something when you look at it with your eyes.

She turned her head up and saw clouds in the sky.

I can't see the words in this book because the writing is too small and I don't have my glasses.

If you are seeing someone, you are dating them.

Me and Katie have been seeing each other for a few months.


see

A diocese; a region of a church, generally headed by a bishop, an archbishop or a cardinal

The office of a bishop or archbishop or cardinal.

Venice is the see of a cardinal.

The Pope is the bishop of the see of Rome.


terminal

A terminal is the end of a train track or bus route. It is the station or the last stop.

The bus drove into the terminal and all the people got off.

A computer screen and keyboard, which are at the end of a wire joining them to a computer.

She sat at the computer terminal and typed some words.

A terminal is a building in an airport where passengers transfer to the facilities that allow them to board airplanes.


terminal

The last. At the end, in time or in space. A terminal illness is a sickness that will make the person die.


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.


horn

A horn is a long, sharp thing that grows on the head of some animals such as goats and sheep.

The goat used its horn to break the fence.

They used a cow's horn as a cup to drink out of.

A horn is a musical instrument that you blow and usually made of metal.


seventeen

next word stressed near the first syllable

next word stressed after the first syllable

ordinal seventeenth) Seventeen is the number that is after sixteen and before eighteen. It can also be written as 17.

Seventeen birds sit on the roof.


seventeen

seventeen (singular)
seventeens (plural)

seven and ten makes seventeen.

The seventeen were leaving the city.

In some countries, you may vote when you are seventeen


enable

enable (canonical)
enables (third-person singular)
enabled (past)
enabled (past participle)
enabling (present participle)

If you enable something or someone, you make make it able to do something or you help it.

The program enables users to share data, collaborate and automate tasks without writing any extra code.

Night or instrument flying enabled us to fly twenty-four hours a day and in poor weather.

The data will not enable the identification of individuals to take place.

This switch will enable the song-sharing function.


rate

Speed. A rate is how fast something happens. Something can go at a fast rate or a slow rate.

The rate of water pouring out of the lake into the river is enough to make the lake empty in a year if it doesn't rain.

Her heart rate is 70 beats every minute.

If we keep writing pages at this rate we might have 2000 Simple English Wiktionary words by August 4.


rate

rate (canonical)
rates (third-person singular)
rated (past)
rated (past participle)
rating (present participle)

Someone rates something when they decide how much its value is (how much it's worth).

I rate this book at six out of ten: it was not the best book.


give

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

If you give something to someone else, you had the thing and you let the other person have it. Maybe you use your hands to put the thing in the other person's hands. Usually after that, the thing is the other person's thing.

Give me that book, please; I want to read it.

My mother gave me this stone when I was young.

If you give a speech, you talk to a group of people.


from

When something is from someone, the person gave or sent it.

I got a gift from my grandmother today.

When someone is from a place, that's where they started.

I am Chinese. I come from Hunan province.

Sorry I'm late. I just came from school.

You use from to talk about distances between thing in space or time.

Saturn is far from earth.

School is 5km from my home.

The year 2515 is a long time from now.


antique

An antique is something that is old for its type.

This lamp is an antique, it is 200 years old.


antique

If something is antique, it is older than most things similar to it.

He had his antique car refinished.


fourteen

ordinal fourteenth) Fourteen is the even number that is after thirteen and before fifteen. In numerals, it is 14.

Fourteen apples lie on the table.


fourteen

four and ten makes fourteen.

The fourteen are never alone.

This boy is fourteen.


hadith

A written record of a saying or action of the Prophet Muhammad. Used as a basis for conduct in Islamic practices.


transition

transition (singular)
transitions (plural)

A transition is a change from one place or situation to another.

Diana has made the transition from girl to woman.

The transition from ice to water occurs at 0°C.

They want at least a five-year transition period.


transition

transition (canonical)
transitions (third-person singular)
transitioned (past)
transitioned (past participle)
transitioning (present participle)

If something transitions, it changes from one place or situation to another.


other

The other people or things, are those apart from the ones we have or were talking about.

No, don't put it on this table. Put it on the other table.

The people inside are OK, but the other people are getting wet.

He sat on the other side of the table.

There are many other kinds of problems.

Do you have any other questions?

There were some other cars at their house the other day.


other

Others are those apart from the ones we have or were talking about.

Thanks for the books. I'll get the others tomorrow.

Wow, this is a lot. How many others are there?

We need this one and one other.


public

public (positive)
more public (comparative)
most public (superlative)

Something is public if it is about or for all the people.

You can't tell me to go away. This is a public place.


public

All of the people in a big place like a country.

I'm going to write this in the newspaper because the public needs to know it.

Getting Western publics to understand the nature of the war is hard enough.

The dress rehearsal was opened to the general public as well as celebrities.


utility

Utilities are the basic services that come to your house, such as electricity, phone, and water.

The government is raising prices on drugs, beer and most public utilities.

A utility is a basic computer program that handles things like copying disks and setting up printers.

Something's utility is how useful it is.

The design was to maximise the utility of the book as a whole.


evolution

evolution (singular)
evolutions (plural)

Evolution is the process of slow change. It is most used in biology to refer to the way living things change over long periods of time in order to adapt to their surroundings.

The theory of evolution is the basis of modern biology.

For the first time, the evolution of some bacteria has been observed.

Evolution is the reason animals and plants of today are different from those of long ago.

He believed that the evolution of society followed certain laws.

Creationists are people who deny that evolution is real, because it contradicts their religious beliefs, which are that God made everything.

An evolution is a change that happens over time.

Over the last ten years, there has been an evolution in the way we think about this disease.


someone

I heard someone at the door.

You should ask someone who knows more about it.

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


capable

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


linen

Linen is a material that some cloth is made of. It comes from the flax plant, and in the past, bed sheets were often made from it, before cotton was used.

This shirt is made of linen.

Linens are something made from linen, especially bed sheets.

Would you like to change the linens on your bed?


veterinarian

veterinarian (singular)
veterinarians (plural)

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

The veterinarian treated the dog.


sell

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

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

I sell good shoes for a small amount money.


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.


eighteen

ordinal eighteenth) Eighteen is the number that is after seventeen and before nineteen. It can also be written as 18.

Eighteen chickens sat on the roof.


eighteen

two nines is eighteen.

The eighteen were leaving the city.

You have to be eighteen to vote in some countries.


gal

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


please

We say "please" when we want to ask someone politely to do something.

Pass the salt, please.


please

please (canonical)
pleases (third-person singular)
pleased (past)
pleased (past participle)
pleasing (present participle)

Someone pleases someone else when they do what that person likes or wants.

Giving her these flowers will please her.


sixteen

ordinal sixteenth) Sixteen is the number that is after fifteen and before seventeen. It can also be written as 16.

Sixteen persons fit in this small bus.


sixteen

six and ten makes sixteen.

These sixteen are very beautiful stones.

In some countries, you may vote when you are sixteen


pull

pull (canonical)
pulls (third-person singular)
pulled (past)
pulled (past participle)
pulling (present participle)

Someone pulls something when they use their hands to move the thing closer to themselves.

Pull the handle if you want to open the door.


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.


respect

respect (canonical)
respects (third-person singular)
respected (past)
respected (past participle)
respecting (present participle)

When someone respects another person that means they think the other person is worthy, responsible, strong or other good qualities.

I have great respect for him and I'm sure he'll do well in life.

Respect is to treat someone in a considerate, genuine and nice manner or to treat one thing or one person with highest regard.

He always respects my feelings.

When someone respects a thing or a person it means they follow rules and don't touch things they shouldn't touch.

Please respect things that belong to other people when you're in their house.


respect

If you have respect for someone, that means you have high regard for them; you are considerate towards them.

I have great respect for all of my classmates.


mind

Someone's mind is the part of them that thinks.

In my mind I know I must go, but in my heart I want to stay here.

We will solve this problem. We have the best minds in the country working on it.


mind

mind (canonical)
minds (third-person singular)
minded (past)
minded (past participle)
minding (present participle)

If you mind some action or thing, you feel negatively about it.

"Do you mind if I sit here?" "No, not at all"

"It's raining outside. You should take an umbrella" "It's OK, I don't mind the rain"

If you mind someone or something, you look after it.

"Could you mind the children while I go to the bathroom?"


network

A network is a group of connections between a number of points.

Electronic systems control the busiest parts of the rail network.

This is the first national TV network that is 100% sports.

We conduct much of our overseas banking business through a network of some 3,500 worldwide branches.

You can connect to the Internet through a wireless local network system.

I don't have a good social network in my new job.


network

network (canonical)
networks (third-person singular)
networked (past)
networked (past participle)
networking (present participle)

If you network, you make or use social connections, usually for business purposes.

I spent most of my time at the conferences networking with other sales people.


loss

A loss happens when something goes where people can't find it. People don't know where the thing is or they don't have it any more.

The loss of my keys means I can't go into my house today.

Loss is when someone's loved one dies. When someone dies, they are no longer with you.

I loss both of my grandparents from old age.

A loss (shown as L) is charged to the pitcher of the losing team.


natural

natural (positive)
more natural (comparative)
most natural (superlative)

Something is natural if people didn't make it.

animals, plants and rocks are natural things.

Something is natural if it's the way it usually is, without people changing it, or is a way that is not a surprise.

It's only natural for you to think that.


shock

A shock is the way it feels when a heavy thing suddenly hits another thing.

A shock is a sudden change that surprises people.

Shock is the way a person is when the person has lost some blood or has been hurt, and their heart is beating very fast and weakly.

A shock is some electricity that suddenly hurts someone.


shock

shock (canonical)
shocks (third-person singular)
shocked (past)
shocked (past participle)
shocking (present participle)

You are shocked when you are surprised at something

He was shocked at how much she had changed since he had last met her.

If you have been shocked, you were hit by electricity.


payment

A payment is some money that someone is giving to someone else when they're buying something.

I sent the things they wanted, but I haven't gotten the payment for them yet.

I usually use my credit card for payment.

Late payment of fees will end the contract.


necessary

necessary (positive)
more necessary (comparative)
most necessary (superlative)

Something is necessary if people need it. It must happen or there will be a big problem.

It's necessary to stop when you see a red light.


necessary

necessary (singular)
necessaries (plural)


healthy

healthy (positive)
healthier (comparative)
healthiest (superlative)

A healthy person is someone who is not sick. They are strong and will probably live a long time.

I need three young, healthy people to help me.

She gets sick frequently. She's never very healthy.

Healthy food is full of vitamins and minerals.


industry

An industry is a kind of work that makes things.

Many people in this country have jobs in the clothing industry.

Industry is the quality of working hard, trying hard and doing it well.

Because of her industry, she made a lot of money.


nineteen

ordinal nineteenth) Nineteen is the number that is after eighteen and before twenty. It can also be written as 19.

Nineteen ducks swim on the lake.


nineteen

nine and ten makes nineteen.

The nineteen are the fastest runners in their school.

Paul is nineteen, but he looks older


flight

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

Birds have had flight for millions of years.

The flight of the bird was beautiful.

The flight to Boston leaves soon.

This flight is going to New York.

Flight is the act of running away and hiding.

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


compliment

compliment (singular)
compliments (plural)

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

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


compliment

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

She complimented him on his clothes because they looked good.


full

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

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

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

My life is full of problems.

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

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

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

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

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


drop

A drop is a very small amount of a liquid.

A drop of water weighs 0.1 grams.

There was a drop in the prices last week.


drop

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

He dropped from the roof when he was running.


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.


cite

cite (canonical)
cites (third-person singular)
cited (past)
cited (past participle)
citing (present participle)

If you cite people or facts, you write or talk about them to support your point or show where you got your information.

Larkin (1979) cites cases of families who have moved out of regular homes into mobile homes or campers.

Two thirds of the people cited unemployment as the `main issue'.

If someone is cited by the police, they are ordered to appear before the court.

You might cite who you got words, ideas, or information from. This would tell other people where to look to see those people did say it.

He cites Deffenbacher (1985) as suggesting that many of the outcomes are negative.


predicate

predicate (singular)
predicates (plural)

A predicate is the head of a clause and says something about the subject.


predicate

predicate (canonical)
predicates (third-person singular)
predicated (past)
predicated (past participle)
predicating (present participle)

If you predicate something, you state or assert it.

If you predicate that something is true, you state that it is true.

The article predicates that the market collapse was caused by weakness of the dollar.


compound

A compound is a material made of a number of other materials.

The new chemical compound has far less smell than the original substance.

There is a group of gases that do not easily form chemical compounds.

The new CD is a compound of North American rock music and Middle Eastern religious songs.

A compound is a group of buildings surrounded by a fence or wall.


compound

compound (canonical)
compounds (third-person singular)
compounded (past)
compounded (past participle)
compounding (present participle)

If something is compounded, it is added to.

Her troubles were now compounded by the rain.

If interest is compounded, it is paid on earlier interest payments.

Interest is compounded monthly.


incorporate

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

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

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

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

Please incorporate these changes into the final book.

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

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

Mona Doyle was hired as president of Consumer Network Inc.


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.


nobody

Nobody would do something like that.

Almost nobody lives on Greenland.


nobody

A nobody is a person who is not important.

Bob called Alice a nobody.

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


read

read (canonical)
reads (third-person singular)
read (past)
read (past participle)
reading (present participle)

Someone is reading when they are looking at a book or other writing and understanding what it says.

Have you read this book?


read

That last book was a great read.

This is a great book. You should give it a read.


roll

roll (canonical)
rolls (third-person singular)
rolled (past)
rolled (past participle)
rolling (present participle)

To roll is to move by turning over many times. round things like balls can roll.

The snowball rolled down the hill faster and faster.

To roll something is to make it round by bending it around many times.

She rolled the newspaper into a long, thin rod.


roll

A roll is something round that was made by rolling.

The cloth in the store is in big rolls.

A roll is a bun: a small, round piece of bread.

I like jelly rolls!


comparison

comparison (singular)
comparisons (plural)

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

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

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


friend

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

I only have three close friends.

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

Some friends are coming to our house for dinner tonight.

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

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


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.


inhibition

inhibition (singular)
inhibitions (plural)

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

He threw off his inhibitions and went dancing.

Alcohol can take away inhibition.

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

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

I feel an inhibition about going onto an airplane.

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

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


relation

A relation is the way two things are towards each other or in comparison with each other.

This building looks too big in relation to the size of the houses on the street.

The children sitting in the boat were moving in relation to their parents who were sitting on the shore because the boat was going away from shore.

There is a relation between eating good food and being healthy.

I have an uncle, two aunts and three cousins but no other relations.

A relation is a statement of equality between two products of generators that are used when showing a group.


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.


pleasure

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

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


pleasure

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

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


bassist

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

The bassist sat his guitar down.


pump

pump (canonical)
pumps (third-person singular)
pumped (past)
pumped (past participle)
pumping (present participle)

To make water or any other liquid move using a machine.

We pumped water from the river onto the field to help the plants grow.

The heart pumps blood through the body.


pump

A pump is a machine for making water move.

There was water on the floor of the house, so we had to buy a pump.

A pump is a machine that gives a liquid, often fuel.

Before a car journey, go to the gas station and fill up your tank at the pump.


objective

objective (singular)
objectives (plural)

An objective is something that you are trying to do.

The main objective of our visit was to climb Mount Kenya.

I share the objective of everyone in Britain who want our soldiers home.

Sometimes a team is more successful than an individual in achieving challenging objectives.

We plan to extend the network with the objective of connecting up 3 million more homes by 1990.

An objective is a place you want to get to.


objective

objective (positive)
more objective (comparative)
most objective (superlative)

If something is objective, it is based on facts and things we can see and touch without using people's feelings.

It is hard to find objective measures of artistic ability.

Newspapers try hard to publish objective stories.

If someone is objective, they are thinking about things logically based on facts.

Watching the play on TV can help an actor to be more objective about his performance.


humor

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

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


humor

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

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


minute

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

He ran the race in 1 minute and ten seconds.

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


minute

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

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


memory

When someone remembers something, we call the thing they remember a memory.

I have very nice memories of the time when my children were young.

The part of the mind that remembers; the act of remembering.

When we get older, our memory isn't as good.

The part of a computer that holds information.


regret

regret (canonical)
regrets (third-person singular)
regretted (past)
regretted (past participle)
regretting (present participle)

If you regret something that you have done, you feel sorry about it.

I really regret forgetting to buy him a birthday present.

He said he regretted the delay in delivery.


regret

Regret is the feeling of wishing something hadn't happened, especially something you did.

She left her job without any regrets.

The regret she felt about not helping would not go away.


flash

He used the flash on his camera.

The tall man disappeared in a flash.


flash

flash (canonical)
flashes (third-person singular)
flashed (past)
flashed (past participle)
flashing (present participle)

If something flashes, it shines brightly and suddenly.

The fountain flashed in the sunshine.

It rained hard. lightning flashed and we heard thunder.

The light from the car flashed through the window into the house for a second when the car drove past.


flash

flash (positive)
more flash (comparative)
most flash (superlative)

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


delicate

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

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

Flower petals are delicate.

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

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


establishment

establishment (singular)
establishments (plural)

The establishment of a country, an organization or a building is its creation, or coming to be.

The establishment of the United States of America took place in 1776.

The senator was proud of his establishment of animal rights in 1967.

Establishment is the state of being established.

1987 was the fifth year of the company's establishment.

Something that is established. This can be a government, an organization, business or force.

Pedro's is a fine establishment that serves Spanish food.

The establishment is the ruling class in a society. A person using this word often thinks that the establishment does not want to change the way things are.

Janet does not like the establishment, she wants to change things.


plant

A plant is something that lives and grows in one place. Plants usually have green leaves and roots. Flowers and trees are plants. Plants and animals are the main kinds of life.


plant

plant (canonical)
plants (third-person singular)
planted (past)
planted (past participle)
planting (present participle)

To put a seed or plant in soil for it to grow.

I planted some flowers last week and I hope they will grow and blossom.


protest

protest (canonical)
protests (third-person singular)
protested (past)
protested (past participle)
protesting (present participle)

Someone protests something when they say loudly or strongly that the thing is bad.

The people walked in the street holding signs to protest the war.

That's mine. I protest your taking it away.


protest

There will be a protest in the street tomorrow.


sixty

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

ordinal sixtieth) Sixty is the number that is after 59 and before 61.

There are sixty seconds in a minute and sixty minutes in an hour.


sixty

Sixty is ten less than seventy and ten more than fifty.

My father is sixty.


ornament

An ornament is something that is put onto something or someone just to look beautiful and for no other reason.

One ring on her finger was the only ornament she wore.

We put ornaments on the Christmas tree.


ornament

ornament (canonical)
ornaments (third-person singular)
ornamented (past)
ornamented (past participle)
ornamenting (present participle)

If you ornament something, you decorate or add to it.

Let's ornament the tree with lights to make it more festive.


tape

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

We can fix the tear with some tape.

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

The band put three songs on tape.

The tape is peeling off my hockey stick.


tape

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

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

It is not known who taped the conversation or how.

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

If you tape something, you put tape on it.

Can you tape this closed for me?

Her coach taped her knee before the game.


scale

The scale of something is its size or level.

It's hard to understand the scale of the change.

A scale is a small machine for measuring (finding out) how much something weighs (how heavy the thing is.)

She stood on the scale and found out she weighed 150 pounds.


scale

scale (canonical)
scales (third-person singular)
scaled (past)
scaled (past participle)
scaling (present participle)

If you scale something, then you climb up it.


meeting

A meeting is when a group of people come together to talk about something important.

The meeting will be in the green room after lunch. I hope you'll be there.


meeting

meet (canonical)
meets (third-person singular)
met (past)
met (past participle)
meeting (present participle)


instrument

instrument (singular)
instruments (plural)

An instrument is any thing people hold in their hand and use to do something.

A hammer is a heavy instrument.

An instrument is something used to play music.

I enjoy playing music, my favorite instrument is the guitar.


explicit

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

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

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

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

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


paste

Paste is a thick liquid for sticking (attaching) things together. Paste is like glue, but glue is more liquid and paste is more solid.

He mixed flour and water to make a paste for sticking the paper together.

Tomato paste is good in sauce to put on rice or spaghetti.


paste

paste (canonical)
pastes (third-person singular)
pasted (past)
pasted (past participle)
pasting (present participle)

If you paste something in a computer program, you cut or copy it from one place and put a copy of it somewhere else.

She pasted the pictures onto the wall.


position

The position of something is the place where the thing is.

The position of the table is two metres from the wall.

You're in my way. Please move to a different position.


position

position (canonical)
positions (third-person singular)
positioned (past)
positioned (past participle)
positioning (present participle)

If you position something somewhere, you put or move it there.

The players positioned themselves on the field.

If you position something in a situation, you make changes so that it can work in that situation.

The company is now well positioned to take advantage of popularity of online music.


monkey

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

We saw Vervet monkeys in the Zoo.


monkey

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

If you monkey something, you make changes to it.

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


polish

polish (canonical)
polishes (third-person singular)
polished (past)
polished (past participle)
polishing (present participle)

Someone polishes something when they rub it with a cloth to make it smooth and shiny. Sometimes wax or a special liquid is used.

A wooden floor should be polished with floor wax.

Silver needs to be polished to make it shiny.


polish

Polish is a special liquid used for polishing things.

I need to buy some polish for polishing my wooden table.


destruction

destruction (singular)
destructions (plural)

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

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

The earthquake caused a lot of destruction.


pin

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


pin

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

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

We should pin this poster to that wall.

She pinned the dress pattern to the fabric.

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

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

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


challenge

challenge (singular)
challenges (plural)

A challenge is something difficult that you want or have to do.

Many churches overseas are struggling to meet the AIDS challenge.

After 25 years in the same job, this move will allow me to take on new challenges.

A challenge is an offer to compete or fight.

The president issued a challenge to his critics to appear in a public debate.


challenge

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

If you challenge somebody, you give them something very difficult to do.

The job challenges his computer skills.

If you challenge somebody, you offer to compete or fight.

He challenged me to a game of chess.


hook

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


hook

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

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

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


project

A project is a complex job or assignment, often involving research or construction.

Shell is also working on projects to help find training and work experience for some of Brazil's 13 million street children.

The paper summarizes fifty research projects on the relationship between unemployment and crime.

She's a project manager with British construction company John Mowlem.

At college, I did this project on images of Black women in the media because it bothered me.


project

project (canonical)
projects (third-person singular)
projected (past)
projected (past participle)
projecting (present participle)

If you project, you plan for or estimate something in the future.

We have projected the loss of income forward for five years.

Projecting into the future, wondering what may or may not happen and being afraid of it, is a common danger.

If something projects out or beyond something else, it stands out.

During flight, the legs of this bird project beyond the tail.

If you project an image somewhere, you use light to make it appear there.

During the presentation, she projected various graphs on the screen behind her.

If you project an image, you try to give people a particular feeling about something.

The program will project a modern image of workers.


elastic

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

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

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

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


attached

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

The past tense and past participle of attach.


attached

attached (positive)
more attached (comparative)
most attached (superlative)

If you are attached to something or someone, you like it and do not want to lose it; you have an emotional connection to it.

Many young adults are still as attached to their parents as they were when they were small.

Marjorie was surprised at how attached Bill became to Lizzie, as if Lizzie were his daughter.

Farmers tend to be very attached to their land.


parenthesis

parenthesis (singular)
parentheses (plural)

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

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


kidney

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

Our kidneys are very important organs in our body.

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

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


round

If x is round y, y is in the middle and x is on all sides.

Everyone stood round the fire to keep warm.

If you turn or look round, you are now facing the opposite direction.

She turned round to see what had made the noise.

You round 28 up to 30.


round

round (positive)
rounder (comparative)
roundest (superlative)

Something is round if it's like a circle or like part of a circle. It is curved, not straight.


round

round (canonical)
rounds (third-person singular)
rounded (past)
rounded (past participle)
rounding (present participle)

If you round something, you make it round, like a circle or a sphere.


understand

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

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

He understood what I said to him.

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


observation

observation (singular)
observations (plural)

/ˌɑbzɚˈveɪʃən/

Observation is the act of carefully seeing things that happen.

To learn, you must be good at observation.

An observation is something someone saw, heard etc.

In science, we record our observations so we can think about them later.


how

The word how is used to ask about the way something happens or the way people do things.

How will we ever solve this problem?

The word how is used to tell about the way something happens or the way people do things.

I know how we can solve this problem.

This is how to make this machine work.

The word how is used to show that you feel strongly about something.

How old he looks!


how

You use how to ask if something was good or bad, or what qualities it has.

How was the movie?

How are you feeling?


how

You use how to tell that something happens, is done, or is true.

She told him how it wasn't fun anymore.


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.


net

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

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

The tennis player hit the ball into the net.


net

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

To net something is to catch it in a net.

He netted a big fish.


net

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


monitor

A monitor is part of a computer or other similar machine, and it looks like a TV.

The engineers stood around the monitor making suggesting about how the drawing could be improved.

A monitor is a person or group whose job is to watch for problems, changes, etc.

During the test, a monitor caught me copying off the guy sitting next to me.

A monitor is a speaker that helps musicians hear what they are playing or helps people listen to an area that they are interested in.

We put the baby to sleep, closed the door, and turned on the monitor in the kitchen.


monitor

monitor (canonical)
monitors (third-person singular)
monitored (past)
monitored (past participle)
monitoring (present participle)

If you monitor something, you watch or listen to it for problems, changes, etc.

The army was sent in to monitor the police.

Parents should monitor their children's computer use.


precede

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

A precedes B in the alphabet.

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

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


screw

A screw is a small metal thing for holding pieces of wood together. You turn it to move it in or out of the wood.

I need some screws to hold the shelf to the wall.


screw

screw (canonical)
screws (third-person singular)
screwed (past)
screwed (past participle)
screwing (present participle)

If you screw in a screw, you put it into a piece of wood by turning it.

I screwed the hinge into the door.

If you say, "screw this", you decide not to do it because you are frustrated.

Screw this, I will just sit here and do nothing all day.

If you screw someone, you have sex with them.


stress

Stress is emotional pressure that makes you worry because things are not going well.

Death is a time of great stress for family and friends.

Plants under stress from lack of water or disease are the most likely to attract problem insects.

Stress is physical pressure that gradually can cause things to break

Sitting puts an unnatural stress on the back and shortens the neck.

Stress is extra attention or importance that you put on something.

Psychology has put a lot of stress on the childhood roots of adult problems.

Stress is extra loudness that you use in a word or in music.

Put more stress on the first syllable of the word.


stress

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

If you stress something, you say that it is very important.

I have repeatedly stressed the importance of hard work, but luck is also helpful.

If you stress a word, part of a word, or a note in music, you make it louder than other words or notes.


justice

Justice is the morally fair and right state of everything. To have justice as a person's character trait means that they are just and treat everyone the same, or how they would like to be treated.

Making fun of someone or not letting them do something others can do because of the way someone looks, where they come from, their religion, or other things that are not wrong and a part of a person naturally or by birth is not just.


married

A man and a woman are married if they are husband and wife to each other. Usually when two people are married they live in the same house and they often have children. Two people have a special day to become married.

I don't need to meet more young men—I'm already married.

If two things are married they have been made into one thing.

Music and television are married in music videos.


married

marry (canonical)
marries (third-person singular)
married (past)
married (past participle)
marrying (present participle)


light

The energy that our eyes sense is light.

And dance by the light of the moon.—Buffalo Gals, American folksong

If someone talks about a light, he or she means something bright that can be seen.

The lights of the city shine all over the valley.

When you leave the room, turn off the light.


light

light (positive)
lighter (comparative)
lightest (superlative)

Something that is light in color is close to white.

The morning sky was very light.

Something that is light in weight does not weigh much.

I lifted her easily because she was so light.

Light may also mean that something is not serious.

The light bruise on my leg didn't hurt much.

I enjoy light comedy, where lots of funny things happen.


light

lighted (past)
lighted (past participle)
light (canonical)
lights (third-person singular)
lit (past)
lit (past participle)
lighting (present participle)

If someone lights a fire, the fire starts to burn.

Let's light the wood in the fireplace.

The match lit and I could see around me.

Something that lights a place makes it less dark.

The moon lighted the forest path.


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.


lift

lift (canonical)
lifts (third-person singular)
lifted (past)
lifted (past participle)
lifting (present participle)

Someone lifts something when they use their hands to make the thing go up.

He lifted the little boy onto his shoulders.

She lifted the heavy box from the floor onto the table.

He is lifting some suitcases.


lift

If you give someone a lift, you drive them somewhere, usually in your car.

A lift is a machine that lifts people up or down to different parts of a building.


case

A case is a container to hold something.

He opened the case and pulled out his violin.

A case is a matter for police or in court.

The judge did not accept his case.

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

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

That man is sure a hard case.


case

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

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

We were casing a house all night in Brooklyn.


enhance

enhance (canonical)
enhances (third-person singular)
enhanced (past)
enhanced (past participle)
enhancing (present participle)

If you enhance something, you make it bigger or better.

He can greatly enhance his reputation by winning tonight.

Our aim is to enhance the quality of life for the British people.


acknowledge

acknowledge (canonical)
acknowledges (third-person singular)
acknowledged (past)
acknowledged (past participle)
acknowledging (present participle)

If you acknowledge a fact or a situation, you accept or admit that it is true or that it exists.

The government yesterday acknowledged the need for more money.

I should be grateful if you would acknowledge receipt of this letter.

Britain's science is widely acknowledged to be in very bad shape.

He left the game in 1984, acknowledged as the best player in the world.

If you acknowledge something, you say publicly that it is good.

She isn't very good at acknowledging the work of her staff.


gun

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

John F. Kennedy was shot by a gun.


gun

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

To make an engine work fast by opening its throttle.

I gunned the engine and passed his car.

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

He was gunned down by a hitman.


shoe

Two shoes are two things that someone wears on their feet. Shoes have a hard, flat bottom.


shoe

shod (past participle)
shod (past)
shodden (past participle)
shoe (canonical)
shoes (third-person singular)
shoed (past)
shoed (past participle)
shoeing (present participle)

If you shoe, you put shoes on your feet. We usually use this verb as a past participle: We say say someone is shod if they have shoes on their feet.

He was dressed and shod, ready to go out.

If you shoe a horse, you put horseshoes on the horse.

To put protection on something so that it does not get worn down.

Let's shoe that cane before you get a splinter in your hand!


fowl

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

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


learning

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

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

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


learning

Learning is the action of someone learning something.

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


fifteen

ordinal fifteenth) Fifteen is the number that is after fourteen and before sixteen. It can also be written as 15.

Fifteen ducks swim on the lake.


fifteen

five and ten makes fifteen.

The fifteen were leaving the city.

Paul is fifteen, but he looks older


nonetheless

/ˌnʌnðəˈlɛs/

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

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

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


muscle

A muscle is a part of the body of a person or animal. It's a part that pulls to make parts of the body move.

He can lift heavy things because he has strong muscles.


muscle

muscle (canonical)
muscles (third-person singular)
muscled (past)
muscled (past participle)
muscling (present participle)

To muscle is to use strength or muscles to do something.

He muscled his way into the room between the people who were trying to stop him.


humour

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

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


humour

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

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


grip

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

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

He gripped the rope and pulled.


grip

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

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

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


moon

The moon is the shining white and grey object in the sky at night. It appears to change shape from round (a full moon) to a crescent and back again. It's like a small planet that goes around the Earth.

I was able to see the road because there was a full moon that night.

A moon is a thing like a small planet that goes around another planet.

Galileo saw four moons of Jupiter: Callisto, Europa, Ganymede and Io.


moon

moon (canonical)
moons (third-person singular)
mooned (past)
mooned (past participle)
mooning (present participle)

If you moon someone, you show them your bare buttocks.

Someone in the car pulled down their pants and mooned us as they drove past.


foolish

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

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

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

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

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


nephew

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

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


reading

read (canonical)
reads (third-person singular)
read (past)
read (past participle)
reading (present participle)


reading

A reading is a spoken performance of something written.

The author was giving a reading of his new book.


name

A name is what a person, place, or thing is called or how it is identified.

My name is Jack.


name

name (canonical)
names (third-person singular)
named (past)
named (past participle)
naming (present participle)

To name is to give a name to someone, someplace, or something.

She named her cat Fluffy.


help

help (canonical)
helps (third-person singular)
helped (past)
helped (past participle)
helping (present participle)

If you help another person do something, you do things to make it easier for them to do the thing, or you do part of it for them.

Will you please help me wash the dishes?

If you can't help doing something or can't help but do it, you cannot avoid it. You do it even without wanting or planning to.

When I look at the class, I can not help feeling that something has gone wrong.

They agreed that it was good, but I can't help wondering, "good for who?"


help

Will you please give me some help? This is hard for just one person to do.

The help is people who work in a home cooking, cleaning, etc.

The help arrives as 9 o' clock.


go

go (canonical)
goes (third-person singular)
went (past)
gone (past participle)
going (present participle)

If you go, you move in space, especially to or through a place.

I go to the seashore every summer.

Kathy goes to the seashore every summer, too.

I went to the seashore last year.

She's gone to the seashore.

I'm going to the seashore next year.

If you go, you move in time, often in your mind.

You have to go back to 1911 to find a wetter day.

Marty McFly jumped in the time machine and went to 1965.

If you go, you move on the computer, the internet, or in the memory.

Then go to the C: drive.

His mind went to the last time he saw her.

If you go, you move a certain distance or a certain way.

We've gone 10 kilometers today.

Sandra is going in circles.

Please don't go.

People have been coming and going all day.

If you go bad, wild, blind, etc., you become like that.

Jim went blind.


line

A line is a mark that is long, straight and very thin.

She drew a line down the middle of the page to divide the page into two parts.

Put the buttons in a straight line on the front of the shirt.

A line is a row of people who are waiting for something in order; a queue.

You got here last, so you have to stand at the back of the line.


line

line (canonical)
lines (third-person singular)
lined (past)
lined (past participle)
lining (present participle)

Someone lines things up when they put them in a straight line or row.

Someone lines something up when they put it just in the right place or at the edge of something.

Line up the end of the piece of wood with the edge of the table.

Someone lines up when they start waiting in a line (queue) with other people.

Everyone line up here, please, and I'll help you one at a time.

Someone lines something when they mark it with one or more lines.

Please line the pitch before the match.

Someone lines something when they add an inside layer of material (liner) to it.


crack

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

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

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


crack

A crack is the line where something is breaking.

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

A loud sound like the sound of something breaking.

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

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

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


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.


growth

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

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

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

There was a healthy growth of bushes near the house.

He died of a growth in his brain.


drawer

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

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

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

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

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


subsidiary

subsidiary (singular)
subsidiaries (plural)

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

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


subsidiary

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

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

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

At some point work became subsidiary to music for her.


modify

modify (canonical)
modifies (third-person singular)
modified (past)
modified (past participle)
modifying (present participle)

If you modify something, you change it, often only in small ways, and often because you want to use it in a different situation.

Both penalties and rewards can be used to modify children's behaviour.

It is also possible to modify the original by adding or removing parts.

We found some new problems and modified the program accordingly.

If a word, phrase, or clause modifies another, it is an optional word, phrase, or clause that gives more information about the other.

The adjective "big" modifies the noun "bridge" in the expression "big bridge".


powder

Powder is the small parts that are made from any dry substance that is pounded, or ground into dust.

Flour is a powder.

When it's very cold, the snow is like powder.

A powder is an explosive mixture used in blasting.


powder

powder (canonical)
powders (third-person singular)
powdered (past)
powdered (past participle)
powdering (present participle)

If you powder something, you reduce something to small parts.

If you powder something, you put powder on it.


only

There are only three schools in this town.

You can get this only in Canada.

I'm only able to go on Monday.

He comes only once a year.

She only eats vegetables.

This is only what we got.

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

We will stop only to rest.

Things will only get worse.

Only call me if you have to.


only

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

She is the only woman doctor in this city.

These are the only coins I have.

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


only

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

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


reward

A reward is something good that is given after an act.

He gave the dog a small thing to eat to reward it for sitting still.

I got extra money as a reward for working hard.

A reward is a prize that is given for doing certain things.

A reward is the result of an action, no matter if it is good or bad.


reward

reward (canonical)
rewards (third-person singular)
rewarded (past)
rewarded (past participle)
rewarding (present participle)

If you reward someone, you give something to them as a reward.

If you reward someone, you give a reward to or for.

Why did you reward the kid for not behaving?


comb

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

Joe always had a comb in his pocket.


comb

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

I washed and combed my hair.

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


incentive

incentive (singular)
incentives (plural)

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

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

The government is cutting taxes to provide incentives for investment.

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


cooperative

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

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

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

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

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


cooperative

cooperative (singular)
cooperatives (plural)

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

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


laugh

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

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

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


laugh

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

We had lots of good laughs at the party.

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


lock

A lock is a metal thing on a door (or on a window, drawer, etc.) that stops people from opening the door unless they have the right key to open it.

No one will take things from my house. I have a very strong lock on the door.

A lock is two or more gates (doors) in water to let boats move from lower water to higher water or the other way.


lock

lock (canonical)
locks (third-person singular)
locked (past)
locked (past participle)
locking (present participle)

Someone locks a door when they close the lock with a key so that no one can come in.

Remember to lock the door when you leave the house.


miner

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

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


feeble

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

The old man is feeble.

I was very feeble that day because I was sick.

That's a feeble excuse.

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


express

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

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

Sam expressed his feelings.


express

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

To mail the letter, Anna used the express service.


produce

produce (canonical)
produces (third-person singular)
produced (past)
produced (past participle)
producing (present participle)

Someone or something produces something when they make it or create it or make it come out.

This tree produces a lot of fruit every year.

He produced the paper out of his bag.

If you produce a play, TV show, or movie, you are its main business manager.

If you produce a recording, you are in charge of its arrangement, recording, and mixing.


produce

Food from plants when they're being sold in a store.

There are carrots and apples in the produce part of the store.


driving

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

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

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

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

The driving wind blew the rain sideways.


note

In this song, every word is on a different note.

A note is a short letter; something written on a small piece of paper.

If you go out, leave me a note to tell me where you went.


note

note (canonical)
notes (third-person singular)
noted (past)
noted (past participle)
noting (present participle)

You note that something happened when you see that it happened and remember it.

I noted that you weren't wearing shoes.


mark

A mark is a single line left by a pen or pencil, or any small bit of color that got onto something.

You have a mark on your shirt from that tomato sauce you were eating.


mark

mark (canonical)
marks (third-person singular)
marked (past)
marked (past participle)
marking (present participle)

If you mark something, you put a mark on it.

The big rock marked the side of the car a little when she drove too close to it.

I marked the boxes so we would know which ones are mine.

If you mark something, you notice it or pay attention to it.

Mark my words!


control

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

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

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

The country fell under the direct control of the army.

They are trying to keep tighter control over spending.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Suddenly the airplane went out of control and started diving.

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

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

She touched the volume control and the sound dropped.


control

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

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

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

The company is controlled by a New York businessman.

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

The new plan should control inflation.


too

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

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

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

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

I speak Japanese and Korean too.

I like it, and she likes it too.


order

Order is when things are where they should be.

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

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

The children will take turns in order of age.


order

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

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

At the restaurant, she ordered chicken and potatoes.

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

The father ordered his children to be quiet.


rational

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

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

Driving without a seatbelt is simply not rational.

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

Science is more linear, logical and rational than art.

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

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

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


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.


live

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

He's not expected to live for more than a few months.

I live at 256 Oak Avenue.

Her memory lives in that song.


live

The post office will not ship live animals.

A live firearm or explosive is able to cause harm.

The air force practices dropping live bombs on the uninhabited island.

charged or energized with electricity, usually meaning that the item may cause electrocution if it is touched.

Use caution when working near live wires.

A live bet is a bet that can be raised by the person betting.

Tommy's blind was live, so he was given the option to raise.


live

A live event is an event that happens in real time; direct.

The concert was broadcast live by radio.


incidence

incidence (singular)
incidences (plural)

The incidence of something is how often it happens.

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

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


look

look (canonical)
looks (third-person singular)
looked (past)
looked (past participle)
looking (present participle)

Someone looks at something when they move their head or move their eyes so that they can see the thing.

Look at this picture! Isn't it beautiful?

The way that something looks is the way that it appears.

A new car looks very nice until it gets dirty.

That doughnut looks delicious.


nail

A nail is a small, long, thin sharp metal thing for holding wood together. People put it into the wood by hitting it with a hammer.

I need some nails to fix the roof.

A nail is the thick, hard part at the ends of fingers and toes.

I broke the top off my finger nail and it was very painful.


nail

nail (canonical)
nails (third-person singular)
nailed (past)
nailed (past participle)
nailing (present participle)

If you nail something to something else, you use a nail to join them.

He nailed the set of shelves onto the wall.

When someone gets an idea just right, we say they nailed it or "hit the nail on the head".

I think you've nailed the reason why this isn't working.


slip

slip (canonical)
slips (third-person singular)
slipped (past)
slipped (past participle)
slipping (present participle)

When something slides, or moves a small distance while touching what it's on, we say it slips.

The hat slipped down until it covered her eyes.

When someone or something moves without wanting to move, we say it slips.

My foot slipped when I stepped on some ice, and I almost fell.

When someone moves quickly and quietly so that other people won't see them move, we say the person slips.

I slipped into the kitchen to start washing dishes while people were talking.


slip

A slip is a piece of clothing like a small white skirt, that a woman sometimes wears hidden under her skirt or dress.


event

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

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

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

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


love

love (canonical)
loves (third-person singular)
loved (past)
loved (past participle)
loving (present participle)

When someone loves another person, they feel good about the person and want the person to be happy.

I love Colin.

Mothers love their children very deeply.


love

The feeling of loving someone and caring for them.

Is my love for him a real love that will last a long time?

The feeling of liking something very much.

I love the simple English Wikipedia.

A tennis player who has scored love has a score of zero.

(From a sports commentator) Fifteen-love!


reject

reject (canonical)
rejects (third-person singular)
rejected (past)
rejected (past participle)
rejecting (present participle)

If you reject an idea or belief, you decide that you do not believe it.

We reject the idea that English is somehow "better" than other languages.

The court rejected his arguments that he should be set free.

If you reject a person, you refuse to care for that person.

Often people who are infected with AIDS are rejected by family and friends.

If you reject an object, you refuse to take it or keep it.

Consumers have the right to reject problem goods and demand a refund.


reject

A reject is something that has been rejected.


level

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

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

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


level

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

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


level

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

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

A tool for finding out whether a surface is level.


level

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

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


underlie

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

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

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

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

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


input

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

The input is the information that is put into something.

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

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

The input to the amplifier should be digital.

Teachers should welcome input from their students.

It is important to avoid errors during data input.


input

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

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

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

The past tense and past participle of input.


given

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

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


given

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

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

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

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

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


given

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

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

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

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

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


given

A given is something that you accept as true.

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


increase

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

The amount of money in my bank account is increasing.


increase

There was an increase in movie releases last year.


favourite

My favourite brand is the brand I like most.

Ford is my favourite brand of truck.


favourite

favourite (singular)
favourites (plural)

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

chocolate ice cream is my favourite.

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

He was a favourite of the king.


draft

A draft is a piece of writing which has been or may be edited.

In the first draft of the story the characters names are all different.

Check final drafts for misspellings, using a dictionary or computer spelling checker.

A draft is when the military or a sport team chooses its members.

Many Americans moved to Canada to avoid the draft during the war.

The Tigers' first choice in yesterday's draft was pitcher George Berlin.

Depth of water needed to float a ship; depth below the water line to the bottom of a vessel's hull. (UK spelling: draught)

The ship had a draft of 6 feet.

Draft is beer that is served from a large container called a keg. (UK spelling: draught)

A draft is a wind that blows inside a building. (UK spelling: draught)

Close the window! That cold draft is making me sneeze.


draft

draft (canonical)
drafts (third-person singular)
drafted (past)
drafted (past participle)
drafting (present participle)

If you draft a letter, memo, agreement, etc., you write one that has been or may be edited.

You should have the contract drafted by a lawyer.

If a state drafts someone, it chooses them to be in the military.

I was drafted when I was 20 and spent two years fighting in France.

If a team drafts someone, it chooses them to play on the team.


needle

A needle is a small, long, thin sharp metal thing with a hole in it, used for sewing.

She used a needle and blue thread to fix the hole in the shirt.

A needle is a long, thing, sharp metal thing for putting drugs into a person through the skin.

The doctor used the needle to inject the medicine into the patient.


needle

needle (canonical)
needles (third-person singular)
needled (past)
needled (past participle)
needling (present participle)

Billy needled his sister incessantly about her pimples.