cart

A small, open vehicle on wheels, pulled or pushed by a person or an animal and usually used for carrying things, not people.

Harry put his trunk in a cart and pushed it through the station.

A small motor vehicle like a car; a go cart.

Sophie squealed as she raced through the race course on the cart.


cart

cart (canonical)
carts (third-person singular)
carted (past)
carted (past participle)
carting (present participle)

If you cart something to somewhere, you move it there.


stereophonic

stereophonic (positive)
more stereophonic (comparative)
most stereophonic (superlative)

Using two headphones with almost the same sound so the sound seems to be coming from a direction.

This stereophonic machine is very good! It seems as if the music is coming from this room!


potential

A potential customer, benefit, problem, etc. is one that might happen in the future.

Realistic goals can then be set to prevent potential problems from becoming actual ones.

To grow, a business must identify potential customers and their needs.


potential

potential (singular)
potentials (plural)

If x has potential for y, then it might change toward y or cause y.

Technology has the potential for improvement as well as for harm.

If something has or shows potential, they will likely be very good in the future.

The potential is the difference in voltage between two points on an electrical circuit.


button

A button is a round object that can be pushed through clothing so that the clothing stays on.

Sarah's sweater doesn't work anymore because the buttons popped off.

A button is a switch that is turned on by pressing it.

I pressed the button to turn on the television.

A button is a badge that can be worn of clothing and is put onto the clothing with a pin to hold it in place.

I have a "Vote for Bush" button.

If a poker player has the button, he is the last person to act on that hand.


button

button (canonical)
buttons (third-person singular)
buttoned (past)
buttoned (past participle)
buttoning (present participle)

If you button something, you fasten it with a button.

Button up your coat!


impact

An impact is the act of one object hitting another.

In tests, the driver was unhurt, even in high-speed impacts.

Many buildings were destroyed as the plane exploded on impact.

The impact is the effect of an act, statement, change, etc.

The report noted that most teachers feel that IT has made little impact on formal education.

The environmental impact of such increases in efficiency, however, depends on how you generate the power.


impact

impact (canonical)
impacts (third-person singular)
impacted (past)
impacted (past participle)
impacting (present participle)

If something impacts you, it has an effect on you.

It is obvious how bad movies will impact on children.

If you impact something, you press (or pack) its together.

There is a special tool to impact the road when it is under construction so the base is solid.


fornication

fornication (singular)
fornications (plural)

Fornication is sexual intercourse between two people who are not married.


board

A board is a group of people who govern something.

The school board has chosen new textbooks for all the schools.

Bret Stephens is a member of the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal.

School boards are supposed to make sure students get the best education possible.

Copies also should be sent to the chairman of the licensing board.

I have a meeting coming up with the Community Advisory Board.

The outside of the house was made of wooden boards.

The knives should be used on a wooden cutting board only.

He pinned his poster in the center of the bulletin board.

There were two diving boards at the deep end of the pool.

If something is true across the board, it is true in all cases.

He was number one across the board. Nobody was better.

If something is on the drawing board, it is being planned.

The designs for the car is still on the drawing board.

I think those students need to go back to the drawing board.

A message board is a place for people to share ideas publicly, often over the internet.

These days churches are using e-mail, message boards, and blogs to communicate.

A circuit board is flat, usually green, piece of electronic equipment.

He opened the computer so we could get a look at the circuit board.

A sounding board is a person or group of people who will listen to your ideas and tell you if they're good or not.

I often discuss company matters with him, and use him as a sounding board.


board

board (canonical)
boards (third-person singular)
boarded (past)
boarded (past participle)
boarding (present participle)

If you board a boat, plane, train, or other vehicle, you get onto it.

Sarah boarded the plane.

If a boat, plane, train, or other vehicle is boarding, passengers are allowed to get on it.

Flight AC002 is now boarding at gate two.

If you board in a school or in someone's house, you pay to live there.

In Paris, I boarded with a nice family in Le Alle.

If you board a building or a business up, you close it for a long time.

Number 1 Strand Street was finally cleaned out, boarded up, and offered for sale by the city.


calm

calm (positive)
calmer (comparative)
calmest (superlative)

If a person, place or situation is calm, it is peaceful and quiet.

There's no wind and the lake is calm.

I was angry a minute ago, but now I am calm.


calm

I felt a calm come over me.

The calm before a storm.


calm

calm (canonical)
calms (third-person singular)
calmed (past)
calmed (past participle)
calming (present participle)

He was yelling and running around but I calmed him.

The lake calmed after the storm.


wide

wide (positive)
wider (comparative)
widest (superlative)

If something is wide, it is long from one side to the other side.

This box is 30 cm long and 20 cm wide, but only 10 cm high.

It's a very wide river, but not very deep.

The road was built wide enough to fit four lanes of traffic.

He cast a wide net into the sea.

If there is a wide range, variety, or world, there is a lot of it.

The store offers a wide range of products.

He has traveled to wide and varied places.

The news received wide coverage across all media platforms.

There is a wide variety of choices available.

If you give something or someone a wide berth, you avoid them by a lot.

He gave the barking dog a wide berth.


wide

wide (positive)
wider (comparative)
Superlativewidest

If something is wide open, it is open to its full extent.

She opened her eyes wide in surprise.

The door was pushed wide open.

If you are wide awake, you are completely awake and alert, often when you would prefer to be asleep.

Despite the late hour, the children were wide awake and eager to open their presents.

After drinking three cups of coffee, I was wide awake all night.

If two things are wide apart, there is a lot of space between them.

"It was this big," she said, spreading her hands as wide apart as she could.

He was a big man with dark eyes placed wide apart.

He spread his arms wide to embrace her.


wide

If something goes wide of the target, it misses the target.

The soccer ball went wide of the goal.

Her first shot was wide, but the second struck his shoulder.

He put it wide of the mark.

If the ball or a player is/plays/goes wide, they are near the sides of the field or court.

He ran wide and got tackled near the sideline.


parallel

When a line is parallel to another line, the two lines do not meet and they are the same distance from each other at every point.

The two cars ran parallel to each other.

trains run along parallel rails.


parallel

I see a parallel between John and Beth – they both like to play with toy cars.


parallel

paralleled (past)
paralleled (past participle)
paralleling (present participle)
parallel (canonical)
parallels (third-person singular)
parallelled (past)
parallelled (past participle)
parallelling (present participle)

John parallels Beth when he plays with toy cars.

To be the same distant apart from each other at every point.

Line A parallels line B.


sexual intercourse

Sexual intercourse is an act done usually by a male and a female and usually to make babies.

Most men in our survey say they definitely would not have sexual intercourse with a new partner without using a condom.


put

put (canonical)
puts (third-person singular)
put (past)
put (past participle)
putting (present participle)

When you put a thing someplace, you move a thing to a place.

I always put my books on the table when I get home from school.

The past tense and past participle of put.

The person stopped reading the book and put it on the table.


watch

A watch is a little clock on a person's arm near the person's hand, to measure time.

The person looks at his watch and has a thought that he is late.


watch

watch (canonical)
watches (third-person singular)
watched (past)
watched (past participle)
watching (present participle)

To watch is to look for a long time or to look at somebody doing something.

yesterday I watched the person cook the food and now I know how to cook the food.


appropriate

appropriate (positive)
more appropriate (comparative)
most appropriate (superlative)

If something is appropriate, it matches the situation.

We suggest ways in which teachers may change their materials to make them more appropriate for bilingual students.

It is the job of management to look at the problems and take appropriate action.


appropriate

appropriate (canonical)
appropriates (third-person singular)
appropriated (past)
appropriated (past participle)
appropriating (present participle)

If you appropriate something, you take it from somebody else and make it your own.

By the end of this year, the total funds appropriated will be nearly $600 billion.


while

If x happens while y happens, they happen at the same time.

He fell asleep while sitting at his desk.


while

After a while I will stop working and cook food for us.


while

while (canonical)
whiles (third-person singular)
whiled (past)
whiled (past participle)
whiling (present participle)

If you while away the time, you spend it doing something not very productive.

On Sundays, I like to while away the hours by reading.


economic

economic (positive)
more economic (comparative)
most economic (superlative)

/ˌɛkəˈnɒmɪk/

/ˌɛkəˈnɑmɪk/

About or relating to the economy, business, money, etc.

The reduction in unemployment and continued economic growth are good news for workers.

As our two countries do more and more business, we must begin to match our economic policies.

Some people are in economic trouble and have difficulty paying their bills.

If you start saving money while you’re young, then you are setting yourself up for economic success.

If a business activity is economic, it makes enough money.

As a small business, do you think it would be economic for us to advertise on TV?


whip

A whip is a long, thin leather instrument. A person uses it, with very quick motion, to give pain. A person uses it on a horse or another person as punishment.

When the horse sees the whip in the person's hand, the horse gets scared and runs far away.

A whip is a member of a political party who is in charge of enforcing the party's policies in votes.


whip

whip (canonical)
whips (third-person singular)
whipped (past)
whipped (past participle)
whipping (present participle)

If you whip something, you hit it with a whip.

Jockeys whip horses to make them go faster.


mass

A measure of how much material is in something.

The Earth has much more mass than the moon.

The spacesuit weighed 75 pounds on Earth but here in outer space it weighed nothing, although its mass was exactly the same.

A mass of dirty branches stopped the river.

A Christian ceremony in memory of the Last Supper.

He goes to mass every Sunday.

A mass of protesters gathered at city hall.


chalk

Chalk is a soft, white, powder-like limestone.

The men mine chalk in the hills near my house.

Chalk is a piece of chalk, or more usually, processed compressed chalk, that is used for drawing and for writing on a blackboard; teachers at school may use chalk to write on a blackboard.

John wrote his name on the blackboard with chalk.

There are many pieces of chalk on the floor.

The shop at the corner of the street sells many chalks.


chalk

chalk (canonical)
chalks (third-person singular)
chalked (past)
chalked (past participle)
chalking (present participle)

To put chalk on something, such as the tip of a billiards cue.

To write something using chalk; this is often done on a blackboard.

To use powdered chalk to put the lines on a sports field.


idea

It was a good idea.

An idea is something abstract (not concrete).

Love is just an idea.

An idea is a way to see something, a view.

He changed her ideas on religion.


wound

A wound is a cut in skin with pain and blood, a burn, or other similar mark on someone's body.

I dropped a knife on my foot, but the wound was minor, so I didn't need to go to the hospital.


wound

wound (canonical)
wounds (third-person singular)
wounded (past)
wounded (past participle)
wounding (present participle)

When you wound someone, you cause an injury (a wound) to the person.

The sharp blade wounded the man.


wound

wind (canonical)
winds (third-person singular)
wound (past)
wound (past participle)
winding (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of wind.

He wound the rope around the post.


cloth

Cloth is a thin, flat material, often made from cotton or polyester.

A cloth is a piece of cloth, usually for cleaning things.

The person used a wet cloth to wash the table.


commission

commission (singular)
commissions (plural)

A commission is a group of people who work together to research or manage something for a government.

She was recently appointed to head the European commission on climate change.

A commission is money that a salesperson receives for each sale.

You may have to pay commission to convert the dollars into local currency on your travels.

The official appointment of an officer in a nation's armed forces.

Brummell resigned his commission when his regiment was posted to Manchester.

A commission is a task to be undertaken.

My commission was only to deliver this message.


commission

commission (canonical)
commissions (third-person singular)
commissioned (past)
commissioned (past participle)
commissioning (present participle)

If you commission someone to do or create something, you formally ask them to do it.

The report commissioned by the Department of Health in 1989, contains guidelines on how best to manage and organise waiting lists.


headphone

headphone (singular)
headphones (plural)

A headphone is a very little machine near a person's ear that makes sound.

The music on the person's headphones was so loud that he didn't know I was talking to him.


canvas

canvas (singular)
canvasses or canvases (plural)

A canvas is a type of hard, rough cloth used for making sails, tents, and painted on.

John prepared the canvas for the sail.

Canvas that is stretched out on a frame to be painted on.

A good artist chooses his or her own canvas.

Canvas is something that is a basis for a creative work.

The life in rural France served as a canvas for Ted F. Adams' Around the Tree.


canvas

canvas (canonical)
canvases (third-person singular)
canvased (past)
canvased (past participle)
canvasing (present participle)

If you canvas something, you cover an area or object with canvas.


so

The box was so wide that the person was not able to take it through the door.


so

The gravestones were covered with moss, so that it was impossible to read the names on them.

The person locks the door so no one is able to come in and take things.

We help them so that they can get better.

He asked me to write the equations on the blackboard so he could see how they developed.


so

We had been on a boat like that before, so knew the general layout.

It was cheap, so it seemed like a deal.

Our son is at school near here, so that's another reason for not moving.


tail

A tail is a long, thin part on the back end of an animal.

The dog wags his tail (moves his tail quickly from side to side) when he sees his friend.


tail

tail (canonical)
tails (third-person singular)
tailed (past)
tailed (past participle)
tailing (present participle)

If you tail someone, you follow them without them noticing; you observe them.


banana

A yellow colour, like the colour of a banana.


where

Where do you live?

Where did the man go?

I wonder where they will take us to.

(In or to) the place or situation in which.

The room where the people cook the food is not cold.

Where I'm from, we don't eat much fish.

I'll go where you go.

Where people were concerned, his threshold of boredom was low.

This is where I live.

That's where you are wrong.

Stand over here where the light is good.

Sit where I can see you.

You'll be right here where you belong.

You use where to introduce a clause that contrasts with the other parts of the sentence.

Where Nixon was secretive and suspicious, Ford was relaxed, open and candid.


survey

A survey is a broad look at a topic or place.

Before looking for a job, he did a survey of the companies in the area.

A survey is a formal way to gather data by asking question of people: a questionnaire.

The Architects' Journal conducted a survey of its readers to find what were considered the best modern buildings in Britain.

The results of a recent survey by Lianhe Zaobao show that 70% of all respondents think that Singapore is an ideal place for retirement.

A land survey involves photographing and measuring the land to make a map of it.

Before building the train tunnel, extensive geological surveys were carried out on the British side of the Channel.

A survey paper/book is a general description of a topic, often introductory.

A survey is the act of reading a broad range of books and articles on a particular subject.


survey

survey (canonical)
surveys (third-person singular)
surveyed (past)
surveyed (past participle)
surveying (present participle)

If you survey something, you look at it to try to see or understand the whole of it.

If you survey people about their thoughts or personal information, you ask a large number of people in a formal way, often using a questionnaire.

If you survey a place, you look at every part of it, often from a high spot.

If you survey books and articles, you read a large number on a particular topic.


skirt

A skirt is a loose cloth that a woman uses to cover her legs; the lower part of a dress.

She has a blue skirt and a red shirt on.


skirt

skirt (canonical)
skirts (third-person singular)
skirted (past)
skirted (past participle)
skirting (present participle)

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


care

Care is the act of helping someone, especially sick people, the very young or the very old.

He decided not to seek health care from a hospitals.

We take the kids to child care during the week.

If you take care of someone, you watch them so that there is no trouble.

You're going to need someone to take care of you when you get older.

We'll be taking real good care of you. I promise.

If you take care of a problem, you fix it or arrange it.

Don's worry. Pearl and Edward will take care of things.

We go in, do our job, and take care of what we need to take care of.

You say "Take care!" when you are leaving somebody.

That's it. All right. Jim, good to see you. Take care.

You say "Take care!" when you want somebody to do something safely.

Go slowly and take care not to touch anything.

Care should be taken when holding eggs.

Care is the act of keeping something in a good condition.

I'm caring for the house while they're away.

A Care is a worry, concern, or something that you think about often.

I don't have a care in the world.


care

care (canonical)
cares (third-person singular)
cared (past)
cared (past participle)
caring (present participle)

If you don't care about something, you don't think about it often or have a concern for it; it doesn't matter.

I don't care what happens to my car.

If you care about something, you think it is important.

He only cares about his car.

Young children can learn to care for a pet.


way

The committee made a good decision about which way to make the machine.

One way to cook food is to put it in an oven; another way is with a flame.

I do things my own way.

That way of thinking will not solve the problem.

Farming is a great way of life.

A car crash was the same way my dad died.

She dresses that way every day.

I started to see things in a different way.

A way is a path, a road, or a route; how you get to a certain place.

Do you know the way to the lunch room?

I was on my way to Paris when I got lost.

He went out of his way to bring me the coffee.

It's a long way from where I started.

Could you move your car out of my way?


way

I think that it's way too early to tell what the result will be.

We missed. In fact we were way way off.


room

A room is a place which is part of a building. Someone is able to see other people who are in the same room.

We need a long, wide room because many people will be at the meeting.

Room can mean some space; a place with nothing, only air.

I need room to be able to move my arms and not touch people.


room

room (canonical)
rooms (third-person singular)
roomed (past)
roomed (past participle)
rooming (present participle)

I roomed with Ryan all four years of college.


get

got (past participle)
get (canonical)
gets (third-person singular)
got (past)
gotten (past participle)
getting (present participle)

The woman goes to the store and gets a new dress.

The problem got worse.

He got hit by a car.


wave

A wave is the motion of water up and down.

The wind blew strongly on the water and made high waves.


wave

wave (canonical)
waves (third-person singular)
waved (past)
waved (past participle)
waving (present participle)

To move from side to side again and again.

When she saw her friend, she waved her hand so her friend would see her.

The flag waved in the wind.


hammer

A hammer is a heavy tool for pushing a nail into wood.

When you have only a hammer, all things seem like nails.

A hammer is a moving part of a gun that hits the firing pin to make the gun fire.


hammer

hammer (canonical)
hammers (third-person singular)
hammered (past)
hammered (past participle)
hammering (present participle)

If you hammer something, you push a nail into wood using a hammer.

He hammered so hard that the building moved a little.


walk

walk (canonical)
walks (third-person singular)
walked (past)
walked (past participle)
walking (present participle)

If you walk, you go on foot, step by step. Walking is slower than running.

No train goes to that town, so people need to walk to go there.

If an object walks, it goes missing or is stolen.

If you walk, you travel some distance by walking.

I walk two miles to school every day.

If you walk someone, you go for a walk with them.

Please walk the dog.

Will you walk me home?


walk

A walk is what we do when we go on foot.

Are you taking the dog for a walk?

The walk to work gives me time to think.


test

A test is writing that many learners do in a room at the same time so that people are able to see how much knowledge the learners have.

I'm happy because I got a high mark on the test.

A test is something someone does to see if something works.

The person did a good test of the machine by pushing all the buttons and watching the machine.


test

test (canonical)
tests (third-person singular)
tested (past)
tested (past participle)
testing (present participle)

The action of testing; to try something out to see whether it works.

He tested the software many times.


wax

Wax is a solid material made of animal fat.

A candle is made of wax and a thick thread and has a flame on top.


wax

wax (canonical)
waxes (third-person singular)
waxed (past)
waxed (past participle)
waxing (present participle)

If you wax something, you put wax on it, for example, a car.

She waxed her car to make the paint shine brightly.

When something waxes, it means that it gets bigger and becomes more full.

As the moon changes from a new moon to a full moon, it is said to be waxing.


spoon

A spoon is a little, long, thin, metal thing with a round end for putting food in one's mouth.

Put a knife, a fork and a spoon near the plate on the table.


spoon

spoon (canonical)
spoons (third-person singular)
spooned (past)
spooned (past participle)
spooning (present participle)

When two people spoon, they lie next to each other with one person's back against the other person's front, similar to the way two spoons are stacked together.


administration

administration (singular)
administrations (plural)

Administration is the process of running and organising an organisation such as a business or government.

The mayor is responsible for the administration of the town.

He wanted to go into politics, so he studied public administration at university.

The administration are the people who run and organise an organisation such as a business or government.

In short, the administration does not actually know why it wants a space station.

The Bush administration has one of the worst records of any American government.


regulation

regulation (singular)
regulations (plural)

/ˌrɛɡjʊˈleɪʃən/

The company has recently imposed new safety rules and regulations to reduce accidents.

Regulation is the process of controlling something, usually with rules.

The government is reducing regulation of the airlines.


regulation

/ˌrɛɡjʊˈleɪʃən/

If something is regulation, it is made or done according to the rules.

This isn't a regulation soccer ball. It's too small.


old

older (comparative)
oldest (superlative)
old (positive)
elder (comparative)
eldest (superlative)

If someone or something is old, they are not young; they have been in existence for a long time.

An old man has gray hair.

This old book was written a hundred years ago.

"Ashley, how old are you?" "I'm only 16 years old."

Your old school, boss, address, etc. is one that you no longer use or are no longer together with.

I didn't have many friends at my old school.


cork

A cork is a small, round piece of wood which people put in the top of a bottle to close it.

I took the cork out of the wine bottle with a corkscrew.

Cork is a type of wood. It is quite soft and light. It is often used to make corks (sense 1).


cork

cork (canonical)
corks (third-person singular)
corked (past)
corked (past participle)
corking (present participle)

If you cork a bottle, you seal it with a cork.

If you cork something, you blacken it with a burnt cork.


dress

A dress is a loose cloth covering a woman's body. The lower part is like a skirt. The top part is like a shirt.

She looked beautiful because she had a very nice dress.

Ball gowns and party frocks are dresses for special occasions.


dress

dress (canonical)
dresses (third-person singular)
dressed (past)
dressed (past participle)
dressing (present participle)

I dressed my little sister for school this morning.

I just need to dress and then we can go.

To prepare the surface of a material (usually stone or lumber).

That cut looks really bad. Here, let me dress it

To prepare food for cooking, especially by seasoning it.


chance

We have the chance.

Poker is a game of chance.

How much something is likely to be true.

There is a 30% chance of rain tomorrow.


chance

chance (canonical)
chances (third-person singular)
chanced (past)
chanced (past participle)
chancing (present participle)

If you chance upon something, you discover it even though you were not looking for it.

If you chance something, you try it, even though it may not work.


well

He washed the table very well, so now it is very clean.

I had the flu, but then I got well.


well

You use well to tell others that you're going to say something, that you're going to continue speaking, or that you're going to change the topic.

Well, I guess I'm leaving now.


well

A hole in the ground for getting water or oil.

There was no river nearby, so they dug a well to get water.


well

well (canonical)
wells (third-person singular)
welled (past)
welled (past participle)
welling (present participle)

If a liquid, feeling, or idea wells up, it rises gradually to the surface.

The tears welled up in her eyes.

Blood welled in the cut.

She'd been trying so hard to contain the emotion welling up inside her.


perceive

perceive (canonical)
perceives (third-person singular)
perceived (past)
perceived (past participle)
perceiving (present participle)

If you perceive something, you notice it through one of your senses (you see it, touch it, smell it, hear it, or taste it); to be aware of something.

He was unable to perceive any difference at all in the room after the changes.

If you perceive something, you believe it or understand it.

Education is widely perceived as a powerful way to improve the quality of life.


journal

A journal is a record of what is happening, usually written regularly (e.g., daily, weekly, monthly, etc.), often scientific.

They published their study in the British Medical Journal.

She wrote in her journal on New Year's Day 1922, "The weather is bad and I'm too tired to write today."


journal

journal (canonical)
journals (third-person singular)
journaled (past)
journaled (past participle)
journaling (present participle)

If you journal, you regularly record what is happening, usually in writing.


accept

accept (canonical)
accepts (third-person singular)
accepted (past)
accepted (past participle)
accepting (present participle)

If you accept something, you take it when somebody gives it to you.

She accepted the award.

If you accept something, you believe it as true or valid.

I accept your plan.


wheel

A wheel is a round thing (circle) on a cart or carriage or train or other machine that moves. A cart has four wheels that touch the road and turn.

The cart needs a very smooth road because it has little wheels.


wheel

wheel (canonical)
wheels (third-person singular)
wheeled (past)
wheeled (past participle)
wheeling (present participle)

If you wheel something somewhere, you transport it in or on a vehicle that has wheels.

The nurses wheeled her into the operating theatre.

If something is wheeling, it is travelling in circles.

The eagle wheeled and dived towards the ground to catch its prey.


maintenance

maintenance (singular)
maintenances (plural)

Maintenance is the process of regularly fixing things and keeping something in good shape.

After 8,000 km, you should take the car in for maintenance.

Wood houses can be a problem because they require regular maintenance.


organisation

organisation (singular)
organisations (plural)

/ˌɔrgənɪˈzeɪʃən/

An organisation is a group of people with a particular purpose (e.g., teams, clubs, churches, etc.)

The daycare is operated by a voluntary organisation of parents and teachers.

It is often difficult for women to join these organisations that have always been for men.

Organisation is the way that something is put together.

The organisation of the book is very difficult to understand.

The organisation of the event took three months.


wall

One side of a house; a high, flat part of a building.

All four walls of the room are painted in blue.

There is a wall between the two gardens.

Peter fell from the wall.


select

select (canonical)
selects (third-person singular)
selected (past)
selected (past participle)
selecting (present participle)

Students follow a general course in their first year, and in the final year they select one of three specialist areas of study.

It wouldn't be too difficult to make the computer select for vague general features like, say, tall-thinness or short-fatness.


select

select (positive)
more select (comparative)
most select (superlative)

If something is select it is special in a good way—high quality.

His skill and efforts took him into the select group of men who have scored over 50 League goals for our club.


focus

focus (canonical)
focuses (third-person singular)
focused (past)
focused (past participle)
focusing (present participle)

If you focus on something, you pay special attention to it.

A small company will probably focus its attention on each artist's project more than a major label.

Class, please focus on your assignment and stop talking.

If you focus a lens, you adjust it to make a clear picture.

Most digital cameras automatically focus on the object in the centre.

You know, without my glasses, my eyes just can't focus well enough to read.


focus

The focus is the main thing or person that people are paying attention to.

If your focus is on something, your attention is on it.

If something is in focus, the image is clear.


credit

Credit is an agreement to buy something and pay later.

We bought the new dining room table on credit.

I only use my credit card when I know I'll have the money the next week.

He gave credit to local management and to the unions for the improvements at the factory.

The children here should take credit for a job well done.

A credit is a course or part of a course that you complete at college or university.

I just need five more credits to finish my degree.

A credit is record of money put in an account.


credit

credit (canonical)
credits (third-person singular)
credited (past)
credited (past participle)
crediting (present participle)

If you credit an account, you add money to it.

I called the bank about the mistake and they credited my account with the missing $50.

If you credit somebody with something, you say that they did it.

Most people have credited Churchill with this saying, but there is no proof that he actually said it.

If you credit something, you believe it.


organization

organization (singular)
organizations (plural)

/ˌɔrgənɪˈzeɪʃən/

An organization is a group of people with a particular purpose (e.g., teams, clubs, churches, etc.)

The daycare is operated by a voluntary organization of parents and teachers.

It is often difficult for women to join these organizations that have always been for men.

Organization is the way that something is put together.

The organization of the book is very difficult to understand.

The organization of the event took three months.


withdraw

withdraw (canonical)
withdraws (third-person singular)
withdrew (past)
withdrawn (past participle)
withdrawing (present participle)

If you withdraw (something) from somewhere, you take (it) out.

The conservatives have withdrawn support from the government.

He withdrew $50 from his bank account.

After the battle, the soldiers withdrew from the town.


twist

twist (canonical)
twists (third-person singular)
twisted (past)
twisted (past participle)
twisting (present participle)

If you twist something, you turn one part of it in one direction and another part in the other direction at the same time.


true

true (positive)
truer (comparative)
truest (superlative)

If something is true, it is correct or real, not imagined or made up.

She says she didn't take the money, but what she says is not true.

My wife is my one true love.


waste

waste (canonical)
wastes (third-person singular)
wasted (past)
wasted (past participle)
wasting (present participle)

To use something for no reason, or for bad reasons or only little reasons, and after it is used no one can use it again.

He wasted the food by making it dirty.


waste

Things that are not useful; things that people want to take out of their house.


tray

A big plate for many people; a wide, long, flat thing that people put food on.

Take some food from the tray and put it on your plate.

Put the plates on the tray and move them to the other room.


war

War is when armies or countries fight against each other.

Those two countries are always at war.


war

war (canonical)
wars (third-person singular)
warred (past)
warred (past participle)
warring (present participle)

If you war with someone or something, you fight or battle with them.


restrict

restrict (canonical)
restricts (third-person singular)
restricted (past)
restricted (past participle)
restricting (present participle)

If you restrict something, you limit it.

This room is restricted to company employees. Other people may not enter.

This law restricts the freedom of businesses to set their own prices.


purchase

purchase (canonical)
purchases (third-person singular)
purchased (past)
purchased (past participle)
purchasing (present participle)

A licence needs to be purchased from the local authority and printing of tickets also adds to the costs.

JEB Fasteners purchased all the shares in the private company for just under $900,000.


purchase

A purchase is something that you have bought.

Since the purchase of Columbia Pictures by Sony, the US has been very afraid of Japan.

With a building purchase price of £200,000, the total cost of the project would be £1 million.

A purchase is a strong hold on something.

He wasn't able to get a purchase on his bag before it was pulled away from him.


design

Design is how something looks and works.

Honda has a new engine in design.

The new ski design made them 4% faster than his old skis.

After graduating from Art & Design at university, he started his own fashion company.


design

design (canonical)
designs (third-person singular)
designed (past)
designed (past participle)
designing (present participle)

If you design something, you plan and show how it will look and work.

The team was asked to design a new video game controller.


manufacture

manufacture (canonical)
manufactures (third-person singular)
manufactured (past)
manufactured (past participle)
manufacturing (present participle)

If you manufacture something, you make it, usually in a factory.

The goods were manufactured in China and shipped to Canada for sale.


manufacture

Manufacture is the process of making something.

The company specializes in the manufacture of small industrial motors.


rush

rush (canonical)
rushes (third-person singular)
rushed (past)
rushed (past participle)
rushing (present participle)

After the accident, they rushed him to the hospital.

I woke up late and rushed through breakfast.


rush

As the movie finished, there was a rush to the toilets.

A rush of air blew the papers off the desk.

I was in a rush and knocked the glass onto the floor.


like

like (canonical)
likes (third-person singular)
liked (past)
liked (past participle)
liking (present participle)

To be happy about someone or something; to think that someone or something is good.

I like good food.


like

Like those days, things are changing.

My mother's eye's are green like mine.

We don’t get along like we used to.

It looks like it’s going to rain.


like

A like is something that you think is good.

Our own likes and dislikes are shaped by what our parents liked.

At the end of a list of things, and the like means: and other similar things.

She's good at science, math, and the like.

You use the likes of someone to show that you don't think that person is a good person.

You shouldn't be hanging around with the likes of him.


like

You use like, when you are trying to think about the right words.

He's really, like you know, uh... difficult.

You use like when the information isn't exactly true.

We went there when we were like five years old.

You use like when you are trying to make something sound softer.

OK, like, why don't you try going there.

So, I'm like, "What do you mean." And he's like, "you know what I mean."


like

like (positive)
more like (comparative)
most like (superlative)

She's very like her mother.

Japan is becoming more like the U.S.

They were dressed in like manner.


transfer

transfer (canonical)
transfers (third-person singular)
transferred (past)
transferred (past participle)
transferring (present participle)

If you transfer (something), you move (it) to a different place.

After he became the top salesman he was transferred to the head office.

If you learn to be organized in the classroom, then you can transfer that skill to your career later on.

We dug up the tree and transferred it to the front of the house.


transfer

A transfer is the act of transferring something from one form to another.

international trades involve the transfer of currency from one country to another.

A transfer is the act of moving something from one location to another.

You will get a transfer at the third stop.


expand

expand (canonical)
expands (third-person singular)
expanded (past)
expanded (past participle)
expanding (present participle)

If something expands, it becomes bigger.

The company is looking at expanding into new products.

The airline plans to expand its service into Ireland.

With rapidly expanding population in India, business is booming.

He later expanded on his initial statement, giving more details.


turn

turn (canonical)
turns (third-person singular)
turned (past)
turned (past participle)
turning (present participle)

The car turned the corner and went north.

Walk down the street and turn left at the lights.

The dancers turned round and around.

If something turns a certain way, it becomes that way.

The sky turned dark and cloudy.

The game turned into a fight.


frequently

If you do something frequently, you do it often.

The library is frequently used by students.

I don't like the roads, but I have to drive frequently.


trick

trick (canonical)
tricks (third-person singular)
tricked (past)
tricked (past participle)
tricking (present participle)

To make someone think something that is not true.

He tricked her into thinking he had much money.


trick

Something you do to fool (trick) someone.

I did a trick that the children thought was magic.

I know a few tricks with a computer.

I taught my dog several tricks, like shaking hands with me.

Something clever you do that might solve a problem.

I know just the trick for this.


raw

raw (positive)
rawer (comparative)
rawest (superlative)

If something is raw, it has not been cooked, processed, prepared, etc.

You should wash your hands after touching raw meat.

Computers take the raw information and make it easier to understand.

When something is raw, it is in a natural state.


detective

detective (singular)
detectives (plural)

A detective is a person who tries to find information to help people or solve crimes, usually a non-patrol police officer.

He hired a private detective to find the missing art.

Police detectives were examining the house where the body was found.


trouble

difficult or bad things happening; problems.


trouble

trouble (canonical)
troubles (third-person singular)
troubled (past)
troubled (past participle)
troubling (present participle)


train

A long vehicle with many cars that are joined together. A train runs on a track.

I took the train from Paris to Frankfurt.


train

train (canonical)
trains (third-person singular)
trained (past)
trained (past participle)
training (present participle)

If you train someone, you teach them a particular skill.

In school we had computer training and sex education.


obtain

obtain (canonical)
obtains (third-person singular)
obtained (past)
obtained (past participle)
obtaining (present participle)

The newspaper was able to obtain the information from police.

After obtaining permission from the town, they built the new trail.

If something obtains, it is true or it exists.

His argument is therefore compatible only in cases where class difference does not obtain.


performance

performance (singular)
performances (plural)

A performance is a show of acting or music.

We went to see a performance by local musicians last night.

The acting was good, but the noise made it difficult to enjoy the performance.

The performance of a person, machine, company, etc. is how well it does its job.

After a year of losing money, the company needs to improve performance.

This car is a high performance vehicle.


toe

A toe is a little part of a foot, like a finger. A foot has 5 toes.

This shoe is too small -- it gives me pain in my toes.


become

become (canonical)
becomes (third-person singular)
became (past)
become (past participle)
becoming (present participle)

If x becomes y, it changes into y or changes to be more y.

The boy has become a man.

After she explained the ideas, they became clear.

If something becomes someone, it suits them or looks good on them.

Nice hat! It really becomes you.


police officer

police officer (singular)
police officers (plural)

A police officer is an official person who stops criminals and helps people.

A young police officer was shot on patrol last night.

The police officer asked to see my driver's license.


conduct

conduct (canonical)
conducts (third-person singular)
conducted (past)
conducted (past participle)
conducting (present participle)

If you conduct an activity or process, you do it or carry it out.

The war made it very difficult to conduct business.

The university makes sure that research is conducted properly.

If you conduct music, you stand in front of the musicians and show them how to sing or play.

The way you conduct yourself is the way you act or treat others.

I hope the children will be able to conduct themselve well at the party.

If something conducts energy, it lets the energy move through or along it.

Glass is a good insulator because it will not conduct electricity.

If you conduct somebody or a tour, you show people around a place.

Please conduct him to the waiting room.


conduct

A person's conduct is the way they act or treat others.

Killing a person, for any reason, is a criminal act and such conduct must not be allowed.

This teacher clearly broke the school's rules for professional conduct.


inside

He locked his keys inside his car.

Outside was cold, but he was warm inside the house.

I put my pen inside my bag.

Let's look inside here.

Don't stand out here. Come on inside.


inside

The inside of something is the part that you can't see or can't touch because other parts are around it.

The inside of my mouth hurts.

Outside, the building was dark and grey, but the inside was bright and beautiful.


tin

The kind of metal that cans are frequently made with. It is the chemical element Sn.


though

You use though to introduce a fact which you regard as less important than the fact in the main clause.

Though he talked very loudly, she did not hear him.

She did not hear him, though he talked very loudly.

There was a real, though small, problem.

You use though to add a fact or an opinion that makes the previous statement less strong or less important.

Our team lost. It was a good game though.

He went to school in Paris. His French, though, isn’t very good.


touch

touch (canonical)
touches (third-person singular)
touched (past)
touched (past participle)
touching (present participle)

If you touch something, you feel it with your hand.

Don't touch the oven -- it's hot and you will get a burn.

If you touch something, you move so near to it that there is no space between you and it.


touch

Touch is the act of feeling or coming into physical contact with something.

A gentle touch of the fabric told her it was silk.

Touch is ability to feel through the skin by physical contact.

After the accident, he lost his sense of touch.

A touch of something is a small amount of it.

There was a touch of sadness in his voice.


police

The police are the government force who enforce laws, prevent crime, stop and arrest criminals, regulate traffic, help maintain public order, and help with emergencies.

When we saw the man take the money, we called the police.

The police car stopped the truck that was driving too fast.

New Zealand Police took stolen guns, money, and cars, after searching a homes in the city of Auckland.

The police means the city government department that is concerned with enforcing laws and helping with emergencies.

The Police Department there replaced the previous system of having volunteers keep the city safe.


police

police (canonical)
polices (third-person singular)
policed (past)
policed (past participle)
policing (present participle)

If you police an area or activity, you watch it to make sure no laws are being broken.

There are fewer crimes in the countryside, but it's difficult to police such a big area.


passenger

passenger (singular)
passengers (plural)

A passenger is a person who is riding a vehicle—not the driver.

The boat can carry 101 passengers at more than 80 km/h across waves 1.5 m high.

The driver was killed in the car accident, but the two passengers were unharmed.

Both passenger trains and freight trains use the same tracks.


then

Then she was little. Now she is big.

The then president did a lot of developmental activities.

We will arrive before then.

I'm going to see you next month; by then you will have finished your thesis.

Your life since then must have seemed very ordinary.

First, I cook the food; then I eat it, and then I wash the plates.

If she is happy, then I'm happy too.


teach

teach (canonical)
teaches (third-person singular)
taught (past)
taught (past participle)
teaching (present participle)

To help someone learn something. To tell someone how to do something.

Most parents try to teach their children to be nice.

She taught in a high school for 25 years.

Mr. Smith teaches grade-five English and history.


sample

A sample is a small amount of something to try or test it.

The nurse took a small blood sample.

The data come from a study of a random sample of adult (aged 15 and over) deaths.


sample

sample (canonical)
samples (third-person singular)
sampled (past)
sampled (past participle)
sampling (present participle)

If you sample something, you try or test a small amount of it.

After sampling each of the wines, she bought the one she liked best.


together

Near; close; in the same place; not far; in a family or group.

I put all the books about food together on one shelf.

Together with everyone else, I'd like to thank you.

Putting parts of something into one thing. Organizing

He put together a meeting.

She put her computer back together herself.


together

together (positive)
more together (comparative)
most together (superlative)

If you say that someone is together, you mean he or she is well organized and focused.

I really admire how together she is.


mail

Mail is the messages and packages that you send to other people.

There's no mail today because the post office is closed.

The new book arrived in the mail.


mail

mail (canonical)
mails (third-person singular)
mailed (past)
mailed (past participle)
mailing (present participle)

If you mail something, you send it through the post.

I mailed a birthday card to him last week.


steel

A very strong metal made of iron and other substances mixed together.

All my pots for cooking are made of steel.


globe

A globe is a solid shaped like a ball, often with a map on it.

He spun the globe on his desk, looking for Japan.

People all around the globe love soccer.


sudden

sudden (positive)
more sudden (comparative)
most sudden (superlative)

Very quick; taking no time or almost no time, and being a surprise.

Not expecting the sudden change in the weather, he got rained on.

The car crash was very sudden.


tight

tight (positive)
tighter (comparative)
tightest (superlative)

If x is tight, it fits closely and strongly to y.

The bandage on your finger should not be too tight or your finger may turn blue.

The police kept tight control during the speech.

If a string is tight its ends are as far apart as possible.

A tight rope is in a straight line.


tight

If you close or tie something tight, you do it strongly or closely so that it won't change easily.

He closed the door tight behind them.

Hold on tight and I'll pull you up.


substance

substance (singular)
substances (plural)

What a thing is made of; the essential or most important part of anything. Everything is made of substances.

milk has water, sugar, fat and other substances in it.


depressed

depressed (positive)
more depressed (comparative)
most depressed (superlative)

If someone is depressed, they have the condition called depression--they are very sad and cannot imagine being happy in the future.

No one knows why it happened, but last year, Jay became depressed.

If someone is depressed, they are very sad and unhappy.

"I heard Katie lost the race." "Yes, she is a bit depressed about it."

If the economy is depressed, it is doing badly.

In 2008, the economy was severely depressed

If something that has many levels--like a surface, the ground, or something that moves up and down--is depressed, it is low.

The ground is depressed where the rock used to be.

The company was worried the depressed prices would make them loose money


depressed

depress (canonical)
depresses (third-person singular)
depressed (past)
depressed (past participle)
depressing (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of depress.


street

A road in a city with buildings on the sides and places where people can walk.

I saw a woman with a dog walking down the street.


than

Used to compare two things that are not equal.

The tree is higher than the house.

He is better than me.

It was much better than I'd expected.


chest

A type of box with a lid that you can lock.

He put his things in the chest


smooth

smooth (positive)
smoother (comparative)
smoothest (superlative)

Smooth feels pleasant and flat when you touch it; not rough.

He felt the smooth skin on her cheek.

A smooth liquid would have no lumps in it.

He mixed the flour and water until it was smooth.


furthermore

You use furthermore to add more information to what was already said or written.

We believe that the project is possible. Furthermore, we believe that we can do it within a few months.


different

different (positive)
more different (comparative)
most different (superlative)

If two or more things are different, they are not like each other, not the same. The two things have two sizes, not both the same size; or they have two shapes, they don't both have one shape; or they each have a color, not just one color for both things; or they are not the like each other in some other way.

The day and night are quite different.

My brother's bike is different from mine.


false

false (positive)
falser (comparative)
falsest (superlative)

If something is false, it is not true or not real.

It is false that 2 + 2 = 5.

My grandfather takes out his false teeth at night.


explode

explode (canonical)
explodes (third-person singular)
exploded (past)
exploded (past participle)
exploding (present participle)

If something explodes, it breaks apart quickly and strongly.

A bomb exploded in the market, killing five people.

She was so angry, she exploded.


thick

thick (positive)
thicker (comparative)
thickest (superlative)

If something is thick, there is some distance from one side to the other.

He was a workman with big hands and thick fingers.

The tree was too thick to put his arms around.

The ice on the lake is about 40cm thick in the winter.

If something is thick it has a lot of stuff in it.

I am warm because I have a thick coat.

The dog has beautiful, thick hair.

The oil moved slowly because it was so thick.

If a liquid is thick, it can't flow very quickly.


statement

statement (singular)
statements (plural)

A statement is a claim someone makes that is true or false.

I don't agree with that statement.


meantime

The meantime is the time between two things.

Police are checking his story. In the meantime, he remains in jail.


suggestion

suggestion (singular)
suggestions (plural)

/səˈd͡ʒɛstʃən/

/səɡˈd͡ʒɛstʃən/

An idea for something to do, that someone says to another person. The other person is free to do the thing or not do the thing.

I have a suggestion for you: have more fruit and you will be healthier.


in a hurry

If you are in a hurry you are rushing or you don't have much time.

She ran down the steps in a hurry and dropped her books.


top

The highest part of something; the upper part; the part people can put things on.

The top of the table is flat.

A toy for children to play with. It is shaped like a funnel, and it spins on its narrowest point.


top

top (canonical)
tops (third-person singular)
topped (past)
topped (past participle)
topping (present participle)

If you top something, you add toppings or cover with it a top.

I like my ice cream topped with chocolate sauce.

If A tops B, A beats B by an amount or value.


Christmas

Christmas is a Christian holiday to celebrate the birth of Christ, usually on Dec. 25.

Santa put lots of presents under the Christmas tree.

I've got a week's holiday around Christmas time.


soft

soft (positive)
softer (comparative)
softest (superlative)

cotton is a soft cloth.

When metal is heated it gets soft.


hospital

A building for sick people, with doctors and nurses.

Mary had an accident. She will be in hospital for a week.


sweet

sweet (positive)
sweeter (comparative)
sweetest (superlative)

If something is sweet, it tastes like sugar or fruit.

This cake is very sweet. I think you put much sugar in it.

A sweet person or thing pleases or is nice.

Thank you! It's very sweet of you to give me this.


ten

We have ten fingers and ten toes.


ten

two fives is ten.


stairs

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

Stairs are steps to help you go to a different level; stairs can help you get up to another level or can help you get down to another level.

She climbed the stairs up to her bedroom.

The ball rolled down the stairs and into the basement.


a bit

I like to put a bit of sugar in my coffee.

A bit can be used to mean some or slightly.

That hat is a bit small for him.

Could you move that up a bit?


tradition

tradition (singular)
traditions (plural)

A tradition is something that has been done in the same way for a long time.

Despite a long tradition of education, there is still a lack of qualified teachers

They continue the tradition of winter football which started in the 1800s.

Tradition says that we need a drink before the speech.


statistic

statistic (singular)
statistics (plural)

Statistics are numbers about information.

New crime statistics that show the number of crimes is decreasing.

That statistic about the number of unemployment this month must be wrong.


soap

Soap is a solid or liquid that you use to wash things.

The soap slipped out of her hand in the shower.

We washed the dog with soap and water.

The soap bubbles filled the sink.


soap

soap (canonical)
soaps (third-person singular)
soaped (past)
soaped (past participle)
soaping (present participle)

If you soap something, you put soap on it.

I soaped her hair while my daughter splashed in the bath.


song

A song is some music with words in verse.

That song sounds beautiful.


sticky

sticky (positive)
stickier (comparative)
stickiest (superlative)

Able to join to things; hard to wash off. When you touch a sticky thing, some of it goes on your finger. People are able to use a sticky material to join things together.


tendency

A tendency is an inclination of something to behave in a particular way or to go in a particular direction.

He has a tendency to talk too much.

There's a general tendency for males to be bigger than females.


summer

The part of the year when the weather is hot.

There is no school in the summer.


thread

A thread is a long, very thin, soft material used to join or make cloth.

She pushed the thread through the hole in the needle.

There were loose threads at the bottom of his pants.

A thread is a group of messages from a discussion on an Internet forum.

A thread is a structure that allows a screw to be fastened.


thread

thread (canonical)
threads (third-person singular)
threaded (past)
threaded (past participle)
threading (present participle)

If you thread something, then you make a string or thread out of it.


hidden

hide (canonical)
hides (third-person singular)
hid (past)
hidden (past participle)
hiding (present participle)

If something is hidden, it is hard to see or find.

We are trying to make parents more aware of the hidden dangers of TV.

One of those islands, half hidden in the mist, was the Lake Isle of Innisfree.


outcome

An outcome is the result of a situation or action.

The outcome of the race was different from what most people were expecting.

The most likely outcome of the war is a broken country with no leader.


plenty

Plenty of something is a lot of it; more than enough of it.

Don't give up straight away darling. You've still got plenty of time to go yet.

The new ideas give me plenty to think about.

I lost one, but I've still got plenty more teeth in my mouth.

Here! Take some more; there's plenty here.


juice

Juice is the liquid that you get when you squeeze a fruit or vegetable.

I usually have orange juice and toast for breakfast.


juice

juice (canonical)
juices (third-person singular)
juiced (past)
juiced (past participle)
juicing (present participle)

If you juice a fruit or a vegetable, you get the juice out of it.

I had to juice five oranges just to get one glass of juice.


holy

holy (positive)
holier (comparative)
holiest (superlative)

If something is holy, it is very religious or good and important in a religion.

They believe the birthplace of their is holy land.


system

A system is a group of things that work together; a way of doing something.

This coloured paper is part of my system for keeping lists of people.


suspicion

suspicion (singular)
suspicions (plural)

A suspicion is a feeling that something, often bad, might be true.

She had a growing suspicion that he had forgotten to lock his door.

He was arrested on suspicion of murder.

Deep suspicion towards foreigners is sadly common here.


six

ordinal sixth) Six is the number that is after five and before seven. In numerals, it is 6.

Most people sleep from six to nine hours a night.


six

Three and three is six.


adverb

An adverb is a kind of word that generally modifies verbs and other words (but not nouns); adverbs usually answer questions such as how?, why? and to what extent?.

In the clause Jane ran quickly, quickly is an adverb because it tells you how Jane ran.


metal

Metal is a hard material, often shiny. Gold, silver, and steel are examples of metals.

We replaced out our wood door with a stronger metal one.


tobacco

Tobacco is a plant that is used to make cigarettes.

Tobacco advertising is illegal to help reduce smoking.


self-

by or related to the individual person or animal

I didn't like working for somebody, so now I'm self-employed.

If she played more sports, it would improve her self-esteem.


bottom

The bottom of something is its lowest part.

Lucy took a pen and wrote her name at the bottom of the page.

He was wet from top to bottom.

it was wider at the top than the bottom.

Add wine to the pan and scrape up anything stuck to the pan bottom.

He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and looked back up.

I thought this ship was going to the bottom of the ocean.

I dropped it in the water and it quickly sank to the bottom.

She came downstairs and sat down on the bottom step.

If you are at the bottom, you are at the social lowest position.

Chicago still ranks near the bottom among major cities.

You don't have to wait until you've hit rock bottom to get help.

Your bottom is the round part between your legs and your back.

She ran into the tree and sat down hard on her bottom.

A bottom is the part of a set of clothing that you put your legs through.

Her pink top was perfect, but I didn't like how the bottom fit.

The bottom of an inning in baseball is its second half.

It's the bottom of the ninth inning and the score is tied.


bottom

bottom (canonical)
bottoms (third-person singular)
bottomed (past)
bottomed (past participle)
bottoming (present participle)

If something bottoms (out), it stops going down.

When do you think the housing problems are going to bottom out?

Home prices have yet to bottom out.


trade

trade (canonical)
trades (third-person singular)
traded (past)
traded (past participle)
trading (present participle)

When two people trade, one gives something to the other and the other gives something to the first one. They make an exchange. Sometimes money is one of the things.


trade

Trade is the buying and selling of goods.

Trade between Canada and the US is at its highest level in years.

I think I made a good trade.

A trade is a job that needs a special skill to do.

The carpenters trade involves making things from wood.

He went to trade school to become a plumber.


self

Your self is the type of person you are, particularly the way you usually act, look or feel.

He looked so happy compared to his usual down self that Walter wondered if something was wrong.

Someone's self is their personality or character that makes them individual.

As the baby grows older, it begins to develop a sense of self.

Please bring your wife and your good self.


holy shit

/ˌhəʊli ˈʃɪt/

You use holy shit when you are surprised.

Holy shit! That was a big explosion.


south

The direction opposite to north. For a person looking at the setting sun, the south is on their left hand.

The wind usually comes from the south.


south

One of the four compass directions: 180º from north. If you face south, the sun rises on your left.

Africa is South of Europe.


interference

interference (singular)
interferences (plural)

Interference is something, especially an action, that makes it difficult to achieve a goal.

The police were unable to arrest him because of government interference.

The manager should let his workers make these decisions without any interference at all.

Iran passes the ball without any interference from England.


publish

publish (canonical)
publishes (third-person singular)
published (past)
published (past participle)
publishing (present participle)

If you publish a book, an article, a song, etc. you make it available for other people to buy, read, listen to, etc.

The study was published in the British Medial Journal.

She publishes a monthly magazine.

The government published the results on the Internet.


take

take (canonical)
takes (third-person singular)
took (past)
taken (past participle)
taking (present participle)

I took a walk with my dog. = I walked with my dog.

I'm going to take a rest. = I'm going to rest.

I go out after I take a shower. = I'll go out after I shower.

If you take something or someone, you bring them from one place to another.

I don't want this. Can you take it away, please?

My son was sick, so I took him to the doctor.

If x takes money, time, etc., you need to use that for x.

If we go to your house, it will take one hour.

That was fun, and it didn't take too much money.


take

A person's take is his view of something.

What is your take on that recent movie? Did you enjoy it?

A take is the reward or profit you get from doing something.

If help you with this task, I demand you give me part of your take.

A take is part of a performance which is recorded without a break.

The director was not happy with the first take, so we had to do it again.


valid

valid (positive)
more valid (comparative)
most valid (superlative)

If something is valid, it is correct, appropriate, and acceptable.

I'm sorry sir, your driver's license is not valid.

I think we should listen to her. She makes a valid argument.

To log in, you need a valid password.


slightly

The two pictures look very similar, but they are slightly different.

Sales for June were slightly higher than last year at £5.2m against £5.08m.


statistics

Statistics are numbers about information.

New crime statistics that show the number of crimes is decreasing.

The government published new unemployment statistics for the month of June.

Statistics is the science of using and understanding those numbers.

To do research, it's important to understand simple statistics such as averages and standard deviations.

Statistics is a kind of mathematics.


honest

honest (positive)
more honest (comparative)
most honest (superlative)

If you are honest, you do not hide the truth; you don't lie, cheat, or steal.

My parents were quite honest with me about things to do with sex.

My father is a very straight, very honest man; everyone trusts him.


instant

She looked at me and for an instant, I thought she was her mother.

Instant x is x that is ready, or happens, very quickly (in an instant).

I don't like instant coffee, but that's usually what I drink.

With his first book, he was an instant success.


unique

unique (positive)
more unique (comparative)
most unique (superlative)

If something is unique, it is one of a kind; it is unmatched.

When the school for the deaf opened, it was unique in Europe.

Of course, the problem is not unique to this country.

If something is unique, it is rare or unusual.

Oh, thank you! What a unique gift!

Living in Japan was a unique experience.


competition

competition (singular)
competitions (plural)

/ˌkɒmpəˈtɪʃən/

/ˌkɑːmpəˈtɪʃən/

Competition is a situation or event in which people or groups try to succeed over each other.

With increasing international competition, companies are cutting costs to survive.

Brazil is playing in this year's World Cup competition in Italy.

The competition is the individual or group that is trying to succeed against you.

Because the competition has lowered prices, we have to do the same.

The competition has been preparing for this game all year.


stone

A stone is a hard, solid piece of earth.

I do not have a hammer but I will use a stone to hammer the nail.


stone

stone (canonical)
stones (third-person singular)
stoned (past)
stoned (past participle)
stoning (present participle)

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


thousand

Julius Caesar lived about two thousand years ago.


thousand

Ten hundreds is a thousand.


classic

classic (positive)
more classic (comparative)
most classic (superlative)

Richard Branson is a classic example of success without schooling.

If something is classic, it has a long history and it is liked.

His clothes were a mixture of classic and modern styles.


classic

A classic is a book, play, song, etc. that has a long history and is liked.

Every time a classic like that comes on the radio, I just have to stop and listen.

This book has become a classic of Canadian fiction.

The classics are the language and art from ancient Rome and Greece.

You've never read Homer? Schools don't teach the classics these days.


ethnic

ethnic (positive)
more ethnic (comparative)
most ethnic (superlative)

An ethnic group is a group related by race, culture, and/or nationality.

The Irish are the largest, but least visible, ethnic minority in Britain.

The school has students from over 20 different ethnic backgrounds.


recovery

A recovery is the process of getting better after an illness or a problem.

She made a good recovery from a knee injury and may play this game.

The budget is critical to Hungary's hopes for economic recovery.

A recovery is the process of getting something back after it was lost or taken.

They hired a lawyer to help with the recovery of the money.


coexistence

coexistence (singular)
coexistences (plural)

When two or more things live together in the same space, with or without mutual interaction.


stupid

stupider (comparative)
stupidest (superlative)
stupid (positive)
more stupid (comparative)
most stupid (superlative)

If something or someone is stupid, it shows a lack of clear thought.

I'm so angry. That was a stupid mistake.

Don't be stupid. Of course it's true.


hurry

hurry (canonical)
hurries (third-person singular)
hurried (past)
hurried (past participle)
hurrying (present participle)

After the speech, he had to hurry out the door to the waiting car.

I woke up late and had to hurry through breakfast.

My mother urged me to hurry. "You'll be late", she cried, "If you don't hurry!


dramatic

dramatic (positive)
more dramatic (comparative)
most dramatic (superlative)

If something is dramatic, it is large and sudden.

The increase in foreign students has meant a dramatic change in the number of schools.

After the new teacher came, there was a dramatic increase in the test results.

If something is dramatic, it is connected with acting and theatre.

In a highly dramatic speech, he brought everyone to his side.

He studied dramatic arts in university.


attitude

Your attitude is your feelings and opinions, especially when your actions show how you feel.

He has a really bad attitude towards work.

A positive attitude can make life a lot easier.

The attitude of an aircraft is the orientation of it that is relative to the horizon or direction of motion.


entertainment

entertainment (singular)
entertainments (plural)

Entertainment is things that you do, watch, read, or listen to for fun (e.g., movies, TV, music, games, etc.)

Stories provide entertainment, but they also can teach you things.

Most people in town go to the bar for entertainment.


severe

severe (positive)
severer (comparative)
severest (superlative)

He has a severe wound from dropping a big knife on his foot.

Someone who is severe gets angry easily or frequently punishes people; they are harsh or strict.

The teacher had a severe way of making the learners sit still.


motive

The man says he has no motive for killing his wife.

What are the motives behind this change?


deduction

deduction (singular)
deductions (plural)

Deduction is the process or result of thinking about information to find an answer or opinion.

A detective must uncover the murderer by logical deduction from facts.

Deduction is the amount or process of taking something away, usually money.

The average worker takes home about $500 per week after tax and other deductions.


leap year

leap year (singular)
leap years (plural)

A leap year is a year with 366 days in the most commonly used Gregorian calendar. Leap years happen every four years.

The Summer Olympics is always held during a leap year.

A year with 13 months in certain lunisolar calendars


dominant

dominant (positive)
more dominant (comparative)
most dominant (superlative)

If something is dominant, it is larger, stronger, or more powerful than other things.

In society, the dominant class holds power by using the lower classes.

Microsoft is still dominant in operating systems and other software.


dominant

A dominant is the fifth note of a musical scale of eight notes.

In the C Major scale, the dominant is the G.


surprise

surprise (canonical)
surprises (third-person singular)
surprised (past)
surprised (past participle)
surprising (present participle)

To do something that another person didn't think you were going to do.

You surprised me by coming here. I thought you were going to Jimmy's house.


surprise

A thing that surprises someone, mostly something good.

The number of apples on the tree this year is a surprise.


seven

There are seven days in one week.


seven

Three and four is seven.


continuous

Something that is continuous happens without stopping.

The water flowed through the pipe continuously.

If a surface is continuous, it is long and doesn't have anything in the middle.

The railway line was continuous.


steam

A substance like air, made of water that is very hot.

The food is hot -- I see steam coming from the pot.


steam

steam (canonical)
steams (third-person singular)
steamed (past)
steamed (past participle)
steaming (present participle)


support

support (canonical)
supports (third-person singular)
supported (past)
supported (past participle)
supporting (present participle)

To keep something up; to be a base for something.

The four legs are supporting the table.

To give someone food and other things the person needs.

She has money, so she can support her children.


support

Support is something that keeps something up.

The posts in the house help support the roof.


three

A triangle has three sides.


three

one and two is three.


law

Laws are the official rules of a government or organisation.

We have defined crime as behaviour which breaks the criminal law.

We believe that this law is wrong and we are not prepared to obey such a law.

The Kyoto treaty became law in 2005.


instance

An instance of something is a time or situation when it happens.

In this particular instance, the computer was the problem, not the user.

There have been many instances of cheating that were not caught.


visual

visual (positive)
more visual (comparative)
most visual (superlative)

Visual things are those related to sight and seeing.

The visual part of the play was beautiful, but the voices were too quiet.


store

A store is a building with many things in it, where people can exchange money for things.

He went to the store to get some milk.


store

store (canonical)
stores (third-person singular)
stored (past)
stored (past participle)
storing (present participle)

To store something is to put something away, usually if it is not being used.

John stored his broken computer in his closet, to make room for his new computer.


nine

ordinal ninth) Nine is the number that is after eight and before ten. It can be written as 9.

Children study in school about nine months a year.


nine

ten minus one is nine.


thin

thin (positive)
thinner (comparative)
thinnest (superlative)

If something is thin, there's a short distance from one side to the other.

I can hear the people in the other room because the wall is thin.

The man was very tall and thin as a stick.

If something is thin it doesn't have a lot of stuff in it.

The soup is too thin. It needs more flavour.

His hair is quite thin on top.


thin

thin (canonical)
thins (third-person singular)
thinned (past)
thinned (past participle)
thinning (present participle)

If something thins, there is less of it.

After the show, the crowd thinned out quickly and only a few people stayed.

My hair started thinning when I was 25.


still

No one has fixed the oven -- It is still broken.


still

more still (comparative)
most still (superlative)
still (positive)
stiller (comparative)
stillest (superlative)

If something is still, it is not moving and resting in one place.

Sit still when you are in school.


compilation

compilation (singular)
compilations (plural)

The act of collecting or gathering things from various sources and putting them together.

I enjoy the compilation that is required when writing an article.

A collection of things that were compiled (taken from different places and put together). A compilation is usually a book or official paper made of materials from other books or official papers.

The band was lazy, so instead of making new songs, they just made a compilation of old songs.


oranges

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

I bought five oranges from the store.


symbol

A symbol is a letter or simple picture with a particular meaning.

Most language now use the same set of symbols to represent numbers.

These symbols represent the phone's various functions.

A symbol is a person or object that represents a group or idea.

These dead trees have become a symbol of pollution.

After a long, cold winter flowers are a symbol of hope for the new season.


compute

compute (canonical)
computes (third-person singular)
computed (past)
computed (past participle)
computing (present participle)

If you compute an answer, you calculate it or find it, usually using mathematics.

They computed the exact time of death using the blood.

The network is built on a distributed computing environment.


habitation

habitation (singular)
habitations (plural)

The habitation of animals in that forest is currently threated by logging.


bake

bake (canonical)
bakes (third-person singular)
baked (past)
baked (past participle)
baking (present participle)

If you bake something, you cook it with dry heat all around it, usually in an oven.

Bake the cake at 325 °F for 25 minutes.


devil

A devil is an evil monster, god, or mythological being.

If you say someone is a poor devil, you mean a poor person.


devil

The Devil is the enemy or God and all people. The devil is the leader or source of evil.

If someone is called the Devil it means they are a bad person. Usually this is used playfully and not seriously.


patronizing

patronizing (positive)
more patronizing (comparative)
most patronizing (superlative)

If x is patronizing towards y, x treats y as if y were less intelligent.

Often the tourist is hated for his patronizing attitude towards the locals.


patronizing

patronize (canonical)
patronizes (third-person singular)
patronized (past)
patronized (past participle)
patronizing (present participle)


hair

Hair is long, very thin, soft material that grows on people and animals.

She had never seen him with his hair cut short.


lazy

lazy (positive)
lazier (comparative)
laziest (superlative)

If someone is lazy, they do not want to work or do anything difficult.

He went to a restaurant because he was too lazy to cook.

I had a lazy dog who just slept on the sofa all day.

A lazy day or time is a time for relaxing.

We finished school and looked forward to the lazy days of summer.


vehicle

A vehicle is something that moves people or things from one place to another, for example: cars, planes, boats, etc.

Bicycles and wheelchairs are allowed. All other vehicles must stay off the path.


stitch

A stitch is a little circle of thread, used to join cloth together.

A stitch in time saves nine. (Fix a little hole in cloth with one stitch now, or the hole will be big and will need many stitches.)


stitch

stitch (canonical)
stitches (third-person singular)
stitched (past)
stitched (past participle)
stitching (present participle)

If you stitch something, you make stitches in it.


motivation

motivation (singular)
motivations (plural)

Someone's motivation is their feeling that they want to do something.

Students' motivation is falling because the lessons are not interesting.

There isn't a simple link between pay and employee motivation.

Your motivation is the reason you do something.

The main motivation behind the deal was money.

What was your motivation for leaving home?


patron

John, a well known patron of the arts, donated a large sum of money to the local museum last summer.

A patron refers to a regular customer of a business.

A property owner who hires a contractor for construction works


stem

A stem is a long, thin thing joining parts of a plant.

Put the stems of the flowers in this cup of water.

A stem is a narrow part of certain man-made objects, such as a tobacco pipe, a spoon.


stem

stem (canonical)
stems (third-person singular)
stemmed (past)
stemmed (past participle)
stemming (present participle)

If you stem soemthing, you remove the stem from it.

to stem cherries; to stem tobacco leaves

If a problem stems from an action, it is caused by or originates from the action.

The current crisis stems from the short-sighted politics of the previous government.


attractive

attractive (positive)
more attractive (comparative)
most attractive (superlative)

If people or things are attractive, you like them because you think they are good, beautiful, etc.

People buy the make-up and stuff they see on television to make them appear more attractive.

I think that howard is a very attractive-looking man.

The offer was very attractive, but he couldn't agree.


meanwhile

You use meanwhile to introduce a new topic happening at the same time as the old topic.

Sutton Coldfield won 2-0 away at Chelmsford. Meanwhile, Hightown were 3-0 winners against Clifton.

International students are here only to study English. Meanwhile, many immigrant students must also work and take care of their families.


meanwhile

The meanwhile is the time between two things.

Police are checking his story. In the meanwhile, he remains in jail.


spring

A spring is a twisted metal thing that can stretch and push.

Spring is the part of the year before summer; the part of the year when it is getting warmer.

A spring is a place where water comes up out of the ground.


spring

spring (canonical)
springs (third-person singular)
sprang (past)
sprung (past participle)
springing (present participle)

If something springs, it jumps quickly and far.


four

ordinal fourth) The number 4. Four is one more than three and one less than five.

We have four fingers and one thumb on each hand.


four

Two and two is four.


manager

A manager is someone who manages or organizes people or things together.

Ask the manager of this project. He knows what to do next.

A manager is a program that allows the user to control a part of the computer/software.

If a program is not responding, please use the task manager to end the program forcefully.


desk

A desk is a table for studying and writing, usually with drawers.

The students sat at their desks quietly while the teacher walked around the room.

The phone on her desk buzzed; Gillian picked it up.


cure

cure (canonical)
cures (third-person singular)
cured (past)
cured (past participle)
curing (present participle)

If you cure something that is wrong, you fix or solve it.

Time and honest feedback usually cure the problem by teaching the poor leader a better way of achieving goals.

The treatment mostly cured her of the cancer.

If you cure a piece of meat, you preserve it by salting.


cure

A cure is something that will fix something that is wrong.

We still have no cure for the common cold.

I think I have a cure for the problem.


eight

ordinal eighth) The number eight is one more than seven and one less than nine.

Most people work about eight hours a day.


eight

Four and four is eight.


conscious

conscious (positive)
more conscious (comparative)
most conscious (superlative)

If you are conscious of something, you notice or realize it.

Soon after I walked into the room, I became conscious of many eyes looking at me.

I was conscious of being rude, but I couldn't stop myself.

I'll make a conscious effort to be on time.

If a person or animal is conscious, it knows what's happening around it.

He fell and hit his head, but he is still conscious.

She was conscious during the operation.


competitive

competitive (positive)
more competitive (comparative)
most competitive (superlative)

If someone is competitive, they want very much to be the best at everything.

I don't enjoy working with her because she's so competitive.

If something is competitive, there is competition.

There is now a competitive market for telephone services because there are more choices of companies.

If someone or something is competitive, they have a good chance of winning or being chosen.

The shoe comes in sizes 6-11 and retails for the very competitive price of £34.99.

The right product and marketing mix can give the company a competitive advantage over its rivals.


sponge

A sponge is a soft thing with many holes that can keep much water in it. (One that grows in water, or one that is made by people and used for washing things.)

Use the sponge to clean up the water.


sponge

sponge (canonical)
sponges (third-person singular)
sponged (past)
sponged (past participle)
sponging (present participle)

Sponge means to take advantage of someone's kindness


neck

The part of the body between the head and the torso.


play

play (canonical)
plays (third-person singular)
played (past)
played (past participle)
playing (present participle)

Children like to play all day.

If you play a musical instrument, you make music using it.

He plays guitar in a rock and roll band.


play

Something a group of actors does, in a theatre, for people to watch.

The actors on the stage had clothes with bright colors.


teeth

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


accident

An accident is something that happens without a plan, usually something bad.

I dropped the glass by accident and it broke.

Two people were hurt in a road traffic accident between a car and a motorcycle last night.


woods

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


patronising

patronising (positive)
more patronising (comparative)
most patronising (superlative)

If x is patronising towards y, x treats y as if y were less intelligent.

Often the tourist is hated for his patronising attitude towards the locals.


patronising

patronise (canonical)
patronises (third-person singular)
patronised (past)
patronised (past participle)
patronising (present participle)


sink

sink (canonical)
sinks (third-person singular)
sank (past)
sunk (past participle)
sinking (present participle)

If something sinks, it goes down, usually into water.

During the storm, two ships sank.

When he heard the news of the accident, his heart sank.

Stock prices sank 10% on the news of the loss.

She sank her teeth into the meat.


sink

A sink is a container for water to wash things in, usually with a drain.

The kitchen sink was always full of dirty dishes.

A sink is a device that removes heat or energy.

(technical) A liquid heat sink was developed for cooling electronic circuit.


smile

smile (canonical)
smiles (third-person singular)
smiled (past)
smiled (past participle)
smiling (present participle)

To put one's mouth in a form which shows that one is happy; to have the sides of one's mouth higher than the middle.

She smiled at me. I think she likes me!


smile

The act of smiling; the form of one's mouth when one is smiling.

A visit to the fair always brings a smile to my face.


grateful

grateful (positive)
more grateful (comparative)
most grateful (superlative)

If you are grateful for or about something, you want to say, "thank you" because of it.

I'm very grateful for your kindness during this difficult time.


solve

solve (canonical)
solves (third-person singular)
solved (past)
solved (past participle)
solving (present participle)

If you solve a problem, you fix it or deal with it.

"My kids always make a mess of my computer." "Well, you can easily solve the problem by not allowing them to use it."

If you solve a question, you find a correct answer.

In the equation 3x²+x-2=0 we can solve for x.


I looked to see how many coins I had, but I had none.

There was no food on the table, and there was none in the kitchen either.


hole

A hole is an empty space in an object or material.

He fell into the water through a hole in the ice.

They dug a hole in the ground for the tree.


confused

confused (positive)
more confused (comparative)
most confused (superlative)

If a person or situation is confused, things are unclear or you do not understand.

The teacher tried to explain it, but now I feel more confused than before.

The book is terrible. It's full of bad writing and confused examples.


confused

confuse (canonical)
confuses (third-person singular)
confused (past)
confused (past participle)
confusing (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of confuse.

You confused me when you said you're "dead tired".


low

low (positive)
lower (comparative)
lowest (superlative)

If cost, value, amount, sound, temperature, etc. is low, it is small.

My pay is very low, so it's hard to live here.

Poor people need low-cost apartments.

The temperature will go down over night and tomorrow it will be lower than it was today.

If something is low, it (or its top) is close to the ground.

The bridge is too low for the truck to go under it.

I bought a low-quality bag and it already has a hole in it.

If a sound is low, it is small in frequency or quiet.

On the piano, the left hand plays the low notes and the right hand plays the high notes.

If a person is feeling low, they are not happy.


two

ordinal second) The number 2. Two means more than one and less than three.

We have two eyes and two ears.


two

One and one is two.


grave

grave (positive)
graver (comparative)
gravest (superlative)

If a problem or situation is grave, it is bad and serious.

She's in danger, Frank. Grave danger. Aren't you willing to do anything to help her?

If a person looks or acts grave, they look serious and worried.

He looked very grave indeed, and sat staring quiety at his table-full of papers.

A grave accent is the mark over the e shown here: è.


grave

A grave is the place where a dead body is buried in the earth.

If your pet has died, you may be too upset to dig the grave.


situation

situation (singular)
situations (plural)

A situation is the conditions at a time and place.

If you can stay calm, it will help you to handle difficult situations.

Can you describe the situation in Iraq during the war?

Under the new government, the political situation is changing rapidly.


theatre

A theatre is a building with a big room with a stage and places for many people to sit, so that people can watch a play with actors in it.

The Nutcracker is playing at the theatre tonight.


intelligence

intelligence (singular)
intelligences (plural)

Intelligence is the ability to think clearly and understand easily.

The school has special classes for student of low intelligence.

Intelligence is information that a government gets from its spies.

US intelligence indicates changes in North Korea's military.


stocking

A piece of clothing made of thin cloth to cover the legs.

One of my stockings has a hole in it.


stocking

stock (canonical)
stocks (third-person singular)
stocked (past)
stocked (past participle)
stocking (present participle)


combination

combination (singular)
combinations (plural)

A combination is an item or group made of different things or kinds of things.

Any combination of these factors increases the risk dramatically.

Combination is the process of putting two or more things together.


machine

A machine is a man-made object with moving parts.

I'm putting the clothes in the washing machine. Is there anything you want washed?

This new machine is the fastest computer I've ever had.


machine

machine (canonical)
machines (third-person singular)
machined (past)
machined (past participle)
machining (present participle)

If you machine something you fasten or shape it with a machine.


envelope

An envelope is a paper cover that you put a letter in to send it.

She put the letter into the envelope, addressed it to Charles, and put a stamp on it.

An envelope is a covering that goes all the way around something.

Each virus has a special envelope of protein surrounding it.


thank

thank (canonical)
thanks (third-person singular)
thanked (past)
thanked (past participle)
thanking (present participle)

To say a good word after someone gives something to you or after someone does something good for you.

She thanked him very much for the beautiful food he cooked for her.

"I would like a drink, please." "Here is your drink." "Thank you."


newer

new (positive)
newer (comparative)
newest (superlative)

Here, wear these shoes; they're newer and cleaner than those.


extreme

extreme (positive)
more extreme (comparative)
most extreme (superlative)

If something is extreme it is very different from normal.

This disease usually causes mild illness, but in extreme cases can cause death.

Few animals can live in the extreme cold of the far north.


extreme

An extreme is a situation or idea taken to its limit, especially with two opposites.

When there is a crime, you have a range of choices. At one extreme you can do nothing. At the other extreme, you can kill the person.


swallowed

swallow (canonical)
swallows (third-person singular)
swallowed (past)
swallowed (past participle)
swallowing (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of swallow.

The boy did not always bite his food before he swallowed.


special

special (positive)
more special (comparative)
most special (superlative)

If something is special, it is not usual; it is different or important in some way.

She is the most special person in my life.

particularly interesting; dear; beloved; favored


collect

collect (canonical)
collects (third-person singular)
collected (past)
collected (past participle)
collecting (present participle)

If you collect some things, you bring them together as a group.

The study collected data from 562 mothers in the hospital.

The rain collected in a pool.


constituency

constituency (singular)
constituencies (plural)

A constituency is a specific area that is represented by an official who is elected by the voters of that area.

The prime minister represented their constituency.


replaced

replace (canonical)
replaces (third-person singular)
replaced (past)
replaced (past participle)
replacing (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of replace.

We replaced our old printer with a new one last week.

She replaced the light bulb after it burnt out.


sour

sour (positive)
sourer (comparative)
sourest (superlative)

A sour taste is like the taste of an acid.

The old milk is bad: it tastes sour.

A sour person is mean to other people because they are unhappy.

He was a sour old man who wouldn't even say "hello" to anyone.


random access memory

Random access memory or RAM is a type of short-term computer memory that is usually used to hold the software and data for currently running programs.


direction

direction (singular)
directions (plural)

"Where is the post office?" "I think it's that direction."

Which direction is north?

We were walking up Queen St. when she suddenly turned and starting walking in the opposite direction.

Directions are steps that tell you what to do or how to do something.

Your doctors directions are to take two of these with water before eating.

The company is now under the direction of new owners.


obsolete

obsolete (positive)
more obsolete (comparative)
most obsolete (superlative)

If something is not used anymore, or if something newer replaced it, it is obsolete.


puppies

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

I bought 5 puppies.


tension

No one said anything, but I could feel the tension in the room.

Tensions between the two countries have been rising.

There is too much tension in the rope. It might break.


stolen

steal (canonical)
steals (third-person singular)
stole (past)
stolen (past participle)
stealing (present participle)

I've never stolen anything in my life.


hi

You say "hi" in greeting when you meet or see somebody.

Hi, how are you?


theater

A theater is a building with a big room with a stage and places for many people to sit, so that people can watch a play with actors in it.

We went to the theater to watch a play by Shakespeare.

A theater is a place where movies are shown.

We'll make it to the theater on time, there's twenty-nine minutes left before the movie starts.


expansion

expansion (singular)
expansions (plural)

The expansion of metals and plastics in response to heat is well understood.

My new office is in the expansion behind the main building.

A product to be used with a previous product.

This expansion requires the original game-board.