alternative

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

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

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

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

I recommend an alternative lifestyle.


alternative

alternative (singular)
alternatives (plural)

An alternative is something else that you can choose.

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

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


short

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

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

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

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

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

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

If something is short then it takes a little time.

I'm going to Chengdu for a short break.


short

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

Nothing short of help from god will save him.

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

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

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

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

The plane touched down just short of the landing area.

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

They cut short their vacation when the weather changed.

Jackson cut short his trip to Africa.


compensation

compensation (singular)
compensations (plural)

Compensation is money, or something of value, given to somebody who has lost something or been harmed.

He was ordered to pay £600 compensation after being found guilty of assault.

They are asking for compensation for the damage to their car.

After the injury, Worker's Compensation began sending him a weekly cheque.

If I'm hurt an accident that is not my fault, I would ask for compensation for damages.

Compensation is everything that a company gives to someone for doing their job, including money, company car, stocks, etc.

My compensation package at the old job was better, but I enjoy it more here.


river

We go swimming in the river.

The river bends there.

He won a river of votes.


proportion

proportion (singular)
proportions (plural)

/prəˈpɔːʃən/

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

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

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


proportion

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

/prəˈpɔːʃən/

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


moderate

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

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

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

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


moderate

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

If something moderates, it becomes more moderate.

As he grew older, his ideas began to moderate.

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


moderate

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


political

political (positive)
more political (comparative)
most political (superlative)

Something is political if it is related to politics.

He supports the Democratic political party.


comfort

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

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

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

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

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

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

A comfort is something that makes you feel good.

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


comfort

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

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

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

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


mist

There was a mist over the water.


negative

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

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

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

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

Can't is the negative form of can.

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

Her negative attitudes were the result of a hard life.

We were all depressed by his negative comments.

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

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

A negative electrical charge is one carried by an electron.

Attach the wire to the negative pole of the battery.

A negative number or value is less than zero.

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

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

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

His negative symptoms included not speaking and not showing emotion.

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

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

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


negative

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


prison

Her brother is in prison.

He is in a prison of his own mind.


picture

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

Mommy, I drew a picture of a cat.

Susan looked at the picture on the wall.

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

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

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

A picture is an understanding of a situation.

What's the picture like in Somalia?


picture

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

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

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

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


exception

exception (singular)
exceptions (plural)

The act of excepting or excluding; exclusion

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

Almost every rule has its exceptions.


defeat

defeat (canonical)
defeats (third-person singular)
defeated (past)
defeated (past participle)
defeating (present participle)

If you defeat someone, you win against them in a game, battle, or contest.

South Africa defeated Zimbabwe (170) by four wickets with four balls to spare.

American forces defeated a small band of fighters in a three-hour street battle last night.

When I was in school, I was good at English, but science always defeated me.


defeat

A defeat is a loss in a game, battle, or contest.

Dole went down in defeat in last night's elections.


reliance

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

If x has a reliance on y, x needs y. {{ant|independence}

North Korea's reliance on foreign aid, mainly from China, isn't likely to end soon.

The new economy has a great reliance on the Internet.


common

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

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

occurring regularly or frequently; usual.

It is common to find sharks off this coast.

found in large numbers or in a large quantity.

Sharks are common in these waters.

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

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


common

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


criteria

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

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

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

The project proposal does not meet current criteria for approval.


fly

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

To move through the air without touching the ground

The bird will fly away in the winter.

The airplane flies very high in the air.

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


fly

A fly is a type of small insect with wings

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

There are many flies near the garbage.

In baseball a ball that goes high in the air.

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


representative

representative (singular)
representatives (plural)

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

The ambassador is our representative.


representative

This is a representative sample.


difficult

difficult (positive)
more difficult (comparative)
most difficult (superlative)

When something is difficult, it is not easy.

It'll be difficult to get him to change his mind; he's really stubborn.

It's more difficult to learn another language when you're older than when you're young.

The most difficult thing I've ever had to do was get over my fear of flying.


ready

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

Let's get ready to rumble!

He was ready when they called him.


ready

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

Ready the car for the race.

He readied himself.


partial

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

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

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

If you are partial to something, you like it.

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

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

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


faith

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

A faith is a system of religious belief.

Hinduism is a faith.


validity

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

The validity of a passport depends on who carries it.

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

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

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

The validity of many IQ tests has been questioned.

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


minor

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

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

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

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

That music could be A minor or C major.


minor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


minor

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

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

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


target

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

We didn't hit our sales targets this week.


target

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

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


shit

shit (positive)
shitter (comparative)
shittest (superlative)


shit

You use "shit" when you are surprised, afraid, or angry.

Shit! I forgot my keys in my car.


shit

Shit is waste that comes out of the anus.

The yard in front of their house was always covered with dog shit.

I drank that shit one time and was sick as hell.

Shit is stuff in general, physical things, actions, ideas, etc.

Stop that shit, it's bugging me.

Get your shit out of my room.


shit

shitted (past)
shitted (past participle)
shit (past)
shit (past participle)
shit (canonical)
shits (third-person singular)
shat (past)
shat (past participle)
shitting (present participle)

When you shit, you push feces out of your anus.

Your dog should stop shitting on my lawn!


complement

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

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

We believe your addition will complement the team.

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

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

I believe our talents really complement each other.

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


complement

complement (singular)
complements (plural)

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

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

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

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

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

The complement of blue is orange.

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

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


label

A label is a small sign, usually on something, to tell you about it.

Please read the label before using the product.

There are washing instructions on the label.

A label is a brand (mainly for fashion and music companies).

Her favorite label is Gucci.


label

labelled (past)
labelled (past participle)
labelling (present participle)
label (canonical)
labels (third-person singular)
labeled (past)
labeled (past participle)
labeling (present participle)

If you label something, you write information on it or attach information to it.

Please be sure to label your bags before getting on the airplane.

He labelled the tree with its name and date.

If you label somebody or something as being some way, you categorize them that way.

After the way he acted, the other children labeled him as weird.


task

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

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

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

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

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

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


task

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

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


hunt

hunt (canonical)
hunts (third-person singular)
hunted (past)
hunted (past participle)
hunting (present participle)

If you hunt for something, you look for it very carefully.

We hunted for new clothing at the mall.

If you hunt for animals, you look for them to catch or kill them.

My father hunted rabbits when I was a child.


hunt

A hunt is a search for something or someone.

The police were on a hunt to find the murderer.

A hunt is a search for animal(s) to catch or kill.


forward

If something goes forward, it moves in the direction of its front, not its back.

If something goes forward, it gets better.

If something goes forward, it moves into the future.


forward

forward (positive)
more forward (comparative)
most forward (superlative)

If someone is forward, they are too friendly when talking to strangers.


forward

forward (canonical)
forwards (third-person singular)
forwarded (past)
forwarded (past participle)
forwarding (present participle)

If you forward a letter, message, etc., you send it.

If you forward your career, you make it more successful or better.


forward

A forward is a player whose position plays closer to the other team's end in games like soccer.


size

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


size

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

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


explanation

explanation (singular)
explanations (plural)

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

The explanation was long and drawn-out.

An explanation is the cause of something.

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


dispute

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

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

India and Pakistan have a dispute over Kasmir.


dispute

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

To argue against something; to discuss or debate.

He disputed what she said, claiming she was lying


correspond

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

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

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

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

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

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


radio

A radio is piece of electronic equipment that sends or receives signals though the air and plays voice, music, or other sounds.

I used to carry a small radio, but now I have an MP3 player.

When I'm in the car, I usually listen to the radio.

The news will be on the radio in about five minutes.

CBC 99.1 FM is my favorite radio station.

The pilot tried to contact the airport over the radio.


radio

radio (canonical)
radios (third-person singular)
radioed (past)
radioed (past participle)
radioing (present participle)

If you radio someone, you send a message to them using a radio.

If you radio a message, you send it to someone using a radio.


exact

exact (positive)
more exact (comparative)
most exact (superlative)

If something is exact, it completely agrees with a statement, fact, or a truth; it fits perfectly.

If something is exact, it is clearly thought of or stated.

If someone is exact, they are careful to follow a rule, guideline, or promise; they are accurate; they are methodical.


exact

exact (canonical)
exacts (third-person singular)
exacted (past)
exacted (past participle)
exacting (present participle)

If someone exacts a payment from someone, they demand and enforce it.

If someone exacts something, they make it desirable; they need it.

If someone exacts something from someone, they get or make it by force.


impulse

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

Pushing an object gives it an impulse.

The effect (integral) of force over time.

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


hard

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

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

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

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

If something is hard, it is sudden and sharp.

He took a hard hit to his arm.

Hard liquor

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

Hard evidence

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


hard

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

He works hard, all day and all night.


hard

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


sequence

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


sequence

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

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


fragment

The glass broke into hundreds of fragments.


fragment

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

To break or cause to be broken into pieces


consent

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

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


consent

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

If you consent to something, you agree to it.

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


initial

(usually before the noun) The initial period, stages, etc. come near the beginning.

They send most workers to the US after an initial training period of three months.

With these cars, the initial cost is high, but you save money in the long run.

My initial reaction when I saw the bear was to run and hide.


initial

An initial is the first letter of a name.

He found a bag with the initials D.B.R.

His name is Daniel Jr., His initial is D.J.


initial

initialed (past)
initialed (past participle)
initialing (present participle)
initial (canonical)
initials (third-person singular)
initialled (past)
initialled (past participle)
initialling (present participle)

If you initial something, you write the first letter of each of your names on it (or sometimes just your first and last name), usually to show approval.

Can you initial this form here, please?


effect

An effect is something that is caused by something else.

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

The effect of the change was small.

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

The closing of the company takes effect at midnight.

The new rules have been in effect since January.

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

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

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

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


effect

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

If you effect a change, you make it happen.

I will effect the change without your help.


demonstrate

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

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

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

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

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

At the sales meeting she demonstrated the new software.

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

The workers began demonstrating for safer conditions outside the factory.


fund

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

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

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

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

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

The sports centre closed because of a lack of funds.


fund

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

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

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

The university will no longer fund research into this drug.


punishment

punishment (singular)
punishments (plural)

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

Punishment is hard to accept.

His punishments were financial and verbal.


shoulder

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

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

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


shoulder

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

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

He shouldered his way in through the crowd.

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

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


considerable

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

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

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

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

The time needed to do it properly is considerable.


fuck

fuck (canonical)
fucks (third-person singular)
fucked (past)
fucked (past participle)
fucking (present participle)

You say "fuck you" or "fuck that" to show that you are very angry or that you don't care.

Fuck you too, asshole.

Fuck that!

Look at that one. I'd like to fuck her.

If you say fuck off, you strongly want someone to leave you alone.

Fuck off, you!

If someone says they fuck with something, they mess with it. (Often someone says they "don't fuck with" something, which means they don't like or interact with it.)

I'm not going to fuck with the settings.


fuck

You say fuck when you are very angry or surprised about something.

Fuck! That hurts. Be careful with that shit.


fuck

You use the fuck to emphasise what you are saying.

What the fuck do you think you're doing? Get the fuck out of my stuff.

Gimme that, you stupid little fuck.

I gave her flowers and we had a great fuck.

A fuck is a person that you have sex with.

Is she your current fuck?

If you don't give a fuck, you don't care.

Look, don't tell me about your fucking problems. I couldn't give a fuck.


maximum

A maximum is the largest or highest value or amount.

The maximum number of people we can accept is 25.

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


match

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

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

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

I can't find a match for this sock.

There are a number of matches for your search words.

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

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

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


match

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

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

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

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

The wish for changes has not been matched by actions.

Her intelligence was matched by her kindness.

Your two socks don't match.

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


interaction

interaction (singular)
interactions (plural)

/ˌɪntərˈækʃən/

An interaction is when two or more things affect each other or work together.

Poor health can harm older people's participation in everyday life and social interaction.

It is necessary to understand the interactions between the plant and its surroundings.

She should have a lot of interaction with other students, or with the teacher.


club

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

He was a member of his high school drama club.

Every town in Europe has its own football club.

A club is a place where people go to drink, dance, talk, and listen to music.

I didn't get home from the club until 2:30 in the morning; it was so much fun.

A club is a place where members go to do sports or exercise.

I try to work out at the gym club three days a week.

A club is a heavy stick used to hit things or people.

The police in London used to carry clubs instead of guns.

A club is a suit in playing cards. It is a black design with a base and three round leaves.


club

club (canonical)
clubs (third-person singular)
clubbed (past)
clubbed (past participle)
clubbing (present participle)

If you club a person or animal, you hit them with something big and heavy.

They clubbed him to death with a baseball bat.

usually clubbing) If you go clubbing, you go to a club to dance, drink, and meet people.

She enjoys going clubbing with friends in Oxford every Friday.


corporation

corporation (singular)
corporations (plural)

A corporation is a large company or a group of companies that work together.

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is Canada's national radio and TV broadcaster.

The funding will come from government, schools, individuals and corporations.


check

check (canonical)
checks (third-person singular)
checked (past)
checked (past participle)
checking (present participle)

If you check something, you look at it to see if there is a problem, or something new or different.

Hi, I heard some noises, so I'm just checking to see if you were O.K.

Can you check that the lights are off?

Please check your test before handing it to the teacher.

I just checked my e-mail and found 50 new messages.

He checked the mirror to see if the police car was still behind him.

If you check something out, you look at it because it might be interesting.

I found this great video online. Check it out.

When you're in Toronto, you should check out the CN tower.

If you check an answer, or choice, you make a check mark (✓) beside it.

If you want to get mail from us, check the box at the bottom of the page.

If you check out of a hotel, you pay your bill and leave.

I called the hotel, but they said you had already checked out.

If you check in to a hotel, you go to the front desk to tell them you've arrived and you get your key.

After we checked in, we went to our room and unpacked our bags.

If you check something, usually something bad, you stop it.

He put out his hands but could not check his fall.

Senegal, which acted early, was able to check the spread of the disease.

If you check your coat or bags, you give them to a worker to take care of.

Reid was traveling alone without any checked luggage.

You can check your luggage inside and show them your passport with your ticket.


check

A check is a piece of paper that gives someone else the right to receive some money from your bank account. (Other spelling: cheque)

She wrote him a personal check for $250.

Could you please pay in cash instead of checks?

I found out about the problem when I tried to cash her bad checks.

A check is something you do to make sure that there is no problem.

The town must conduct regular checks on drinking water quality.

They did background checks on all the teachers before hiring them.

We stood in line at the airport for the extra security checks.

I want to get a quick check of the weather before going.

A reality check is an opportunity to think about reality and make sure your hopes and thoughts are reasonable.

I think this injury is a real reality check for him. He can't keep working like this.

If you keep something in check, you stop it from getting bigger or worse.

There aren't enough birds to keep the insects in check.

I had difficulty keeping my anger in check.

A check is something that controls or stops something else.

The company didn't have the right checks and balances, and that's why they lost all the money.

Waiter, can you bring us the check please?

Put a check next to today's date and sign here.

He finished it up and put a check mark in the box.

Check is a pattern of squares, especially on cloth.

Michael was a big man in a red wool check shirt.

A coat check is a place where you can give your coat, bags, etc. to a worker to take care of.

The lines were long at the coat check, so we put our jackets on the backs of our chairs.

In chess, check the position of the king where it can be directly attacked by the opponent's pieces but from which it may escape.

You can't move that piece because your king is in check.


drive

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

If you drive a car or other vehicle, you control its movement and direction.

I've been learning how to drive a bus.

If you drive somewhere, you go there by car.

The bus is too slow. Let's drive to school instead.

Mom, can you drive me to Cindy's house?

If you drive someone or something, you make them move.

The dogs drove the cows into the field.

If you drive someone to do something, you make them do something.

The death of her son drove her to drink.


drive

Let's go for a drive down to the lake.

Drive is the feeling that you want or need to do something.

She has a strong drive to succeed.

If you're tired, it often affects your sex drive.

A (disk) drive is part of a computer that reads and writes information to a disk.

A drive is the short road outside a house to put a car on.

A drive is a short strong effort to do something.

Drive is the power that makes a vehicle move.

In sports, a drive a ball that has been hit hard.

A drive is when people direct a group of animals to move in a particular direction.


past

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

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


past

The harvest is past. It finished in October.


past

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


circumstance

circumstance (singular)
circumstances (plural)

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

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

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

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

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


ring

The students sat in a ring.

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

She wore a ring on each finger.

A piece of material with the shape of a circle.

The O-rings went bad on my truck.

A high sound, especially of a telephone.

The ring of the phone woke me up.

The square area between four poles where people fight.

He climbed into the ring, ready to fight.


ring

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

The phone rang.

He rings me every Thursday.


ring

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

They ringed the pair.


contribution

contribution (singular)
contributions (plural)

A contribution is something that you give or add.

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

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

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

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

The amount of work you did on a project.

His contribution was very low. He did almost nothing.


front

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

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

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

In military usage:
The direction of the enemy.

In military usage:
An area where armies are fighting.


front

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


front

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

The singer Bono fronts the band U2.

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

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


music

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

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

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

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

Anything that sounds nice or interesting.

The music of the wind reached his ear.

Your words are music to my ears.


ruin

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

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

You've ruined my painting!

You've ruined my screwdriver!

You will ruin your pencil if you press that hard.


ruin

The standing parts of a broken building or construction.

Our only look at Mayan culture is the ruins.


immigration

immigration (singular)
immigrations (plural)

/ˌɪmɪˈɡreɪʃən/

/ɪmɪˈɡreɪʃn/

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

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

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

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


emphasis

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

Microsoft has placed great emphasis on its Windows software programme.

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


component

component (singular)
components (plural)

A component is one part that connects to other parts.

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

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

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

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

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


revenge

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


revenge

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

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


graduate

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

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

Tom graduated from Yale University in 2006.

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

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

To arrange or divide into categories or groups

To divide into intervals, especially for use in measurement


graduate

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

Tom is a graduate of Yale University.

A graduated container, such as a cylinder or beaker.


constraint

constraint (singular)
constraints (plural)

Perhaps the main constraint is lack of money.

Financial constraints have forced hospitals to treat more patients more rapidly.

In the Middle East, there are often tight constraints on women's activities.


hollow

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

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

The box is hollow.

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

The rabbit ran through the hollow log.

"He let out a hollow laugh"


hollow

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

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


complete

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

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

He completed the assignment on time.

She completed the race in 12 minutes

The last chapter completes the book nicely.


complete

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

With everything included; entire, total.

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

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


volume

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

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

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

The volume of something is the amount of it.

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

The story usually experiences a high customer volume around Christmas.

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

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

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

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

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

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


proof

Proof is evidence which shows something is correct.

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

A proof can show how a theorem is correct.


scheme

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

The new training scheme will be targeted at recent graduates.

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

The management had various schemes to control the workers.

The color scheme for the bedroom is blue and white.


scheme

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

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


digestion

digestion (singular)
digestions (plural)

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

Eating fruits and vegetables is good for your digestion.


chin

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

My chin is below my mouth.


cookie

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

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

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

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


layer

A layer is a covering material or substance.

When we got up in the morning, everything was covered by a thin layer of snow.

The cream forms a germ-fighting layer over the skin.

How many layers of clothing do you have to wear in the winter?

The company is trying to reduce the number of management layers.

A layer is a person who lays something, (e.g., carpet, bricks, etc.).


layer

layer (canonical)
layers (third-person singular)
layered (past)
layered (past participle)
layering (present participle)

If you layer something, you make layers.

Layer the pasta in an ovenproof dish with the tomatoes, bacon and peas, seasoning each layer.


hence

You are the government and hence have responsibility for this mess.

We shall meet again two months hence.


document

A document is a written record, often official.

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

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

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

A document is a kind of computer text file.

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

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


document

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

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

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

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


glass

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

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

A glass is a drinking cup with no handle.

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


core

The core is the centre part of something.

I bit into the apple core and spit out the seeds.

The ideas in it still form the core of the government's economic plan.

A core group of fans follow the team to every game.

I was shaken to the core when I heard the terrible news.


core

core (canonical)
cores (third-person singular)
cored (past)
cored (past participle)
coring (present participle)

If you core something, you remove the centre from it.

lemon juice • 4 eating apples, peeled, halved and cored • 1 tbsp of...


wife

Bill just married his second wife.


ever

If I ask you if you have ever been to France, I am asking if you have been to France at any time in your life.

Have you ever met a king or queen?

I will love you forever and ever.


regime

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

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

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

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


salt

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

I added salt to my food.


salt

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

When you salt something, you add salt to it.

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


example

/ɪɡˈzɑːmpl̩/

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

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

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

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


implementation

implementation (singular)
implementations (plural)

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

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


internal

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

Doctors had to operate to stop the internal bleeding.

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

The company has been weakened by ongoing internal conflict.

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

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


make

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

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

They made a petition to the governor.

Félix makes his bed every morning.


village

He lives in a village in the middle of nowhere.


status

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

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

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

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

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

What is the status of the repairs?


occupational

occupational (positive)
more occupational (comparative)
most occupational (superlative)

Their income is: state pension £83.25 occupational pension £45.20 Total £128.45.

The specialised language of certain occupational groups (for example, builders, doctors, lawyers, mechanics and scientists) is often unknown to other people.

This industry has some of the highest standards of occupational health and safety.


despite

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

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

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

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

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

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


parameter

parameter (singular)
parameters (plural)

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

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


mechanism

mechanism (singular)
mechanisms (plural)

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

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

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

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

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


obvious

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

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

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

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

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

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


dimension

dimension (singular)
dimensions (plural)

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

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

The baby has added a new dimension to our lives.

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

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

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


boyfriend

boyfriend (singular)
boyfriends (plural)

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

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

Boyfriend can also simply mean a friend who is male.


silk

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

This shirt is made of silk.


apparent

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

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

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

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

appearing or seeming to be a certain way.

The difference was more apparent than real.

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


series

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tonight is the final game of the Stanley Cup series.

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


overall

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

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


overall

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

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

Overall the book works well.

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


overall

An overall is a large, loose protective coat.

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

Overalls are a loose protective trouser and shirt in one.


precise

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

If something is precise it is correct and exact.

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

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

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


cotton

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

My shirt is made of cotton.


implement

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

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

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


implement

implement (singular)
implements (plural)

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

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


subsequent

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

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


subsequent

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

The government called a press conference subsequent to the agreement.

Subsequent to her appearance on TV she received many bookings.


whole

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

Whole is used to describe every part of an object.

I ate the whole meal, leaving nothing left.


whole

The whole of something means the entire part of it.

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


external

external (positive)
more external (comparative)
most external (superlative)

Something that is external is not on the inside.

Both internal and external stairs need to be modified to allow wheelchairs into the building.

There are many influences upon the child external to life in school.

I wondered if there were any external pressures that led your husband to make the change.

Other sources of external debt arise where non-residents purchase local bonds.


ratio

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

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

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

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


implication

implication (singular)
implications (plural)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


office

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

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

We're meeting at the office after work.

A position held by public election is an office.

They both decided to run for office.

He holds the office of senator.


road

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

The taxi is parked on the side of the road.

The road between the two villages is made of sand.

The path which one takes to reach a certain place.

It is a long road to the top.

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


register

register (canonical)
registers (third-person singular)
registered (past)
registered (past participle)
registering (present participle)

If you register someone or something, you put their name on a list.

I haven't registered for September classes yet.

Please take a moment to register your software with the company.

Our dog is registered with the city.

If you register a complaint, protest, etc. you make your opinion known formally.

If something doesn't register, you don't notice it.

I knew I had something else on, but I guess it just didn't register when I made the appointment.

If a measuring instrument registers a value, it shows that value.

The thermometer registered 42.5°.

The change was so small that it didn't register.


register

A register is an official list of names.

On voting day, I found my name was not on the register and I couldn't vote.

The government is reviewing the national register of births, deaths, and marriages.

A register is a particular style of language used by a certain group of people or in certain situations.

Speeches are usually given in a very formal, almost written register.

A register is a particular range of notes.

The piano plays arpeggi in higher registers, accompanying the clarinet that plays the melody in full-blooded lower middle registers.

A cash register is a machine in a shop that calculates total payment and holds money.


girlfriend

girlfriend (singular)
girlfriends (plural)

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

Jeremy had been having trouble with his girlfriend.

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

A girlfriend can be any friend who is female.


civil

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

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

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

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

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

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

This comes under civil, rather than criminal, law.

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

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

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


providence

providence (singular)
providences (plural)

Providence is the careful management of resources.

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

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


stability

stability (singular)
stabilities (plural)

Stability is the property of being firm and constant.

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

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

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


symbolic

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

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

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

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

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


aware

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

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

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

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


shelf

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


adequate

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

If something is adequate, it is good enough.

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

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

A small knife is adequate for this purpose.

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


versus

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

When we say one thing versus another thing, it means the two things are on different sides, going in different directions, or against each other.

Tonight's game has Toronto versus Montreal.

A lot of people see America as poor versus rich versus a middle class.

It's a simple story of good versus evil.

The difference between students with high versus low levels of English is growing every year.

We had to talk about how much time I spent doing homework versus how much time I spent playing games.

What do you think of going to a movie versus to a restaurant?


discretion

discretion (singular)
discretions (plural)

Discretion is the ability and power to decide.

The judge made a mistake in exercising his discretion to end the trial early.

The money will be offered at the discretion of the Environmental Health Department.

Discretion is the ability to do something in a way that does not upset people.

Discretion is the ability to keep a secret.


goal

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

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

Scientists' ultimate goal is a theory of everything.

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

Our goal is Paris.

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

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

A goal is scored when the ball enters the goal.

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


annual

If something is annual, it happens every year.

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


annual

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


enforcement

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

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

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


slant

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

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

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


slant

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


marginal

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

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

But this discussion is marginal to the real issue.

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

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

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

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

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

I can't read the marginal notes.


ninety-nine

ordinal ninety-ninth) Ninety-nine (99) is the odd number that comes before one hundred.

Ninety-nine apples lay on the table.


sustainable

sustainable (positive)
more sustainable (comparative)
most sustainable (superlative)

If something is sustainable, it can be continued for a long time, especially without using up resources.

The oil-based lifestyle of today is not sustainable.

The government is trying to balance sustainable development with economic growth.


hypothesis

hypothesis (singular)
hypotheses (plural)

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

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

The results of the experiment support the hypothesis.

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


half

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

Half a year later, the baby was born.

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

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

The city was about half the size of Vancouver.

More than half the money came from the government.

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

We'll meet at half past two.

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

The coach changed the goal keeper at half time.

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

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

The apples are half price today.

When I phoned, he was still half asleep.

The glass was half full.

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

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

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

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

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

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


vertical

A line that is upright is called a vertical.

Please draw a vertical that intersects the circle.

The fully upright position is the vertical.

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

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


vertical

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

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

The radio mast was vertical on the horizon.

A vertical shaft went down to the mine.

Vertical stripes on a shirt make a person look thinner.


takeoff

The takeoff is when an airplane moves from the ground into the air.

Put on your seat belt to be ready for takeoff.


exposure

If x has exposure to y, x is not hidden or protected from y.

Staying out of the sun between 11am and 3pm can reduce exposure by 60 per cent.

Prolonged exposure to cold and wet may increase the chance of disease.

As a child of a Canadian father and Japanese mother, he had exposure to many different viewpoints.

The exposure of his crimes was the end of his career.

She had multiple exposures to the gas before becoming ill.

The campers died of exposure after two weeks in the cold.

The exposure is the amount of time that a film is hit by light.

One exposure is one section of film that is hit by light at one time.


rhythm

A rhythm is the part of music that drums do. It's the way music goes in time, without thinking about higher or lower notes.

A healthy heart beats with a steady rhythm.

She followed the rhythm of the music by tapping the floor with her foot.


prose

Prose is words which are not poetry. They can be spoken or written, but they don't have rhythm or rhyme. Most of the time when people use words, it is prose.

The pictures in this book are good, but the prose is too hard to read.


rod

A rod is a long, thin round thing, usually made of metal.

They put rods on the window to keep people out.


rail

A rail is a long and thin piece of metal.

A rail is a long and thin bar along a stairway or path for people to slide their hand along while they walk.

She put her hand on the railing beside the stairs so she wouldn't fall.

A rail is a surface where trains run on.

The railway stretches across the country.


shake

shake (canonical)
shakes (third-person singular)
shook (past)
shaken (past participle)
shaking (present participle)

To shake is to move from side to side many times quickly.

She shook the bottle to mix the drink.


shake

They were known for their shakes.


retain

retain (canonical)
retains (third-person singular)
retained (past)
retained (past participle)
retaining (present participle)

After the election, the government retained control of the lower house, but lost the upper house.

The company retains the right to change the price at any time.

They joined the group but still managed to retain their independence at the same time.

If you retain someone (usually a professional), you pay them to do a job.

Since being charged by police, Black has retained a lawyer.

With better wages abroad it is becoming increasingly difficult to retain employees.


whereas

You use whereas to show a contrast between two things or ideas.

Many kinds of roses have little or no scent, whereas others are well known for their beautiful smell.

School A has about 25 percent Asian students, whereas for school B the Asian students make up over 60 percent of the school population.

Whereas only about a third of local residents paid full rates in the past, now most adults will pay the charge.


version

A version is something that exists in different forms.

Tomorrow, IBM is launching OS/2 2.0, the new version of its OS/2 operating software for personal computers.

The North American version of the car will have a larger engine.


float

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

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

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

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

That float covered in roses is very pretty.


float

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

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

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


liberal

liberal (positive)
more liberal (comparative)
most liberal (superlative)

If something is liberal, it allows for change, flexibility, and free thought.

The Church should take a more liberal view of sex.

Japanese schools are quite different from what you see in our more liberal education system.

Any attempt to put a liberal democracy in Iraq will fail.

If something is liberal, it has few limits.

He was quite liberal with his kindness.


liberal

A liberal is a person who believes in liberal ideas.


entity

An entity is a whole thing, independent from other things, often an institution or something alive.

The idea of church and state as separate entities is quite new.

When you start a company, you create a new legal entity.


deep

deep (positive)
deeper (comparative)
deepest (superlative)

A hole or body of water is deep if it goes down a long way.

Do not dive into this swimming pool because it is not deep enough.

Some oil wells must be drilled deeper than others to reach the oil.

Something is deep if it is far below or inside.

The Earth's iron core is deep beneath its crust.

The Japanese style of poetry called haiku is simple on the surface, but it should also have a deeper emotional meaning.

In opera, the bass singer has the deepest voice.

With actions that make something smaller, we say deep to mean they make them much smaller.

This furniture store offers deep discounts on beds.

The new budget makes deep spending cuts in education.

An idea is called deep if it has an important meaning that is not easy to see.

A: 'I think you like heavy metal music because your parents don't approve of it.' B:'Wow, that's deep!'


transparent

transparent (positive)
more transparent (comparative)
most transparent (superlative)

Something that can be seen through is transparent.

The transparent window let much sun in.

Something that is easy to understand is transparent.

It was such a transparent lie that nobody believed him.

More transparent idioms are easier to learn than others.


send

send (canonical)
sends (third-person singular)
sent (past)
sent (past participle)
sending (present participle)

To send something is to make the thing go somewhere without the person. A person sends a letter by putting it in a mailbox. A person can send another person somewhere by telling the person to go there.

She needed to send a letter to her mother to say she had arrived safely.

Could you send Roger into see me please?


serious

serious (positive)
more serious (comparative)
most serious (superlative)

A problem or situation is serious if it is not funny or comical, but important.

This is a serious problem. We must do something.

A person is serious if the person is not laughing or joking, but saying what they mean.

I see. When you said the room was empty, you were serious!

The woman's face looked serious, so I knew she was saying something important.


responsible

responsible (positive)
more responsible (comparative)
most responsible (superlative)

If you are responsible for something, you did it or it happened because of something that you did.

Are you saying that he was responsible for the death of your wife?

The company was partly responsible for the success of the original product.

This diet is largely responsible for our fatter population.

it is unfair to hold one football coach responsible for the school's partying problems.

If you are responsible, you make good decisions and make sure that important things get done.

She will be a good leader for this organization because she is very responsible.

We need to come up with environmentally responsible energy sources.

Many products claim to be socially responsible, such as "fair trade" coffee.

If you are responsible for something, you are the person who must fix things that go wrong.

I'm responsible for looking after these three buildings.

Parents are responsible for their children.

He understands the need to be personally responsible for the changes.


substitution

substitution (singular)
substitutions (plural)

A substitution is the act of replacing one person or thing with another.

The accidental substitution of one medicine for another can be deadly.

They had no extra players, so were unable to make any substitutions.


clause

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

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

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

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


scissors

A pair of scissors is a tool for cutting, with two parts like two knives that move. Scissors are usually used for cutting paper.


transformation

transformation (singular)
transformations (plural)

A transformation is a change in the form or shape, often into something completely different.

She seems to have undergone a total physical transformation - her hair is cut short and she is over 20kg heavier.

We look forward to the transformation of the bedroom into a library and office.

This kind of transformation can only be done by magic.


sort

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

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

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


sort

Red and green are two sorts of apple.


peaceful

peaceful (positive)
more peaceful (comparative)
most peaceful (superlative)

A place or person is peaceful when there is silence or quiet. There is no noise and nothing happening suddenly.


shut

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

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

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


selection

selection (singular)
selections (plural)

A person makes a selection when a person chooses a smaller number of things from a larger group of things.

A selection of things is different things that have been chosen or that you can choose from.

The window of the store shows a selection of the things you can buy in the store.

Selection is a process where the best adapted life forms survive and the others die out.

Charles Darwin was a scientist who wrote about natural selection.

In Australia, a selection was an area of land which a farmer could choose to buy.

The first thing he had to do was clear the trees of his selection.


society

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

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


small

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

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

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


equivalent

equivalent (positive)
more equivalent (comparative)
most equivalent (superlative)

If two things are equivalent, they are of equal value or acceptability.

Dolphins have very large brains, roughly equivalent to the size of a human brain.


equivalent

equivalent (singular)
equivalents (plural)

An equivalent is something of equal value of acceptability.

Living in Thailand costs the equivalent of just £10 per day.


conference

conference (singular)
conferences (plural)

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

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

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

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


oven

An oven is for cooking food. It's hot and people put food inside it.

Leave the cake in the oven for thirty minutes.


fundamental

fundamental (positive)
more fundamental (comparative)
most fundamental (superlative)

If something is fundamental, it is basic and important.

The loss of her legs has caused her to undergo a fundamental change in how she looks at life.

Respect is fundamental to a strong education system.

There is no more fundamental question than "why are we here?"


fundamental

fundamental (singular)
fundamentals (plural)

The fundamentals of something, are the main ideas or parts that it is built on.


prior

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

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

Prior to 1917 most people had lived on private farms.


prior

We learned that police had prior knowledge of the attack.

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


shame

Someone feels shame when they know they did something wrong.

The boy felt shame and gave back the candy he had taken.


shame

shame (canonical)
shames (third-person singular)
shamed (past)
shamed (past participle)
shaming (present participle)

If you shame someone, you make them feel shame.


ampersand

ampersand (singular)
ampersands (plural)

An ampersand is a symbol (&) that usually means "and".

Billy & Bobby went fishing near the pond. They caught tuna & bass.


station

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

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


station

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

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


sky

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

The night sky was full of stars.


amendment

amendment (singular)
amendments (plural)

An amendment is an addition or change to a document; also the process of making this change.

This law can only be changed by constitutional amendment.

We are considering an amendment to the Water Bill which required compliance with EC rules by 1993.

He agreed to accept amendments to reduce the standard rate of income tax in his Finance Bill.


porter

A porter is someone whose work is to carry things.

The porter will take your things up to your room for you.


capacity

The capacity of a container, room, etc. is how much it can hold.

The capacity of the bottle is 500 ml.

The capacity of the hard drive is 120 GB.

I'm sorry, this pool only has a capacity of 100 people and I can't let any more in.

If you fill it to capacity, you won't be able to carry it.

The capacity of someone or something to do something is the ability to do it.

I was impressed by his energy and capacity for hard work.

Since the head injury he has lost his capacity to learn new names.

The capacity of a factory or business is how much it can produce.

It will soon be necessary to increase capacity at our Toronto plant to meet Canadian demand for the product.

If someone does something in a particular capacity, they are doing it in that role.

I am not writing to you in my capacity as your doctor, but as a friend.

Sometimes I make decisions in my capacity as father that I don't like in my capacity as husband.

He's been hired in a temporary capacity.


arbitrary

arbitrary (positive)
more arbitrary (comparative)
most arbitrary (superlative)

If a rule, decision, or act is arbitrary, there is no logical reason for it.

You are protected from arbitrary arrest by police.


consultation

consultation (singular)
consultations (plural)

Consultation is the process of getting advice or opinions from other people.

The city went through the planning process with very little public consultation.

The group announced the price per kilo of grapes after consultation with the growers.

Many consultations took place between the doctors before the decision was made.


peace

Peace is the way a country is when there is no war.

The people lived in peace for thirty years.

Peace is when there is silence or quiet. There is no noise and nothing happening suddenly.

Will you please go away and leave me in peace?


presumption

presumption (singular)
presumptions (plural)

A presumption is a belief that something is true without knowing for sure.

The presumption that he is the father of his wife's children turned out to be wrong.

The strong presumption of guilt has changed to a stronger presumption of innocence.

Presumption is behaviour that is too friendly or too confident.


commitment

commitment (singular)
commitments (plural)

A commitment is a formal promise or agreement.

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

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

Police management retain their commitment to improving community relations.

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


debate

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

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

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


debate

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

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

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

Few subjects are more hotly debated in curriculum committees.


notion

The film questions the standard notions of right and wrong.

We have to reject this strange notion that some languages are better than others.

I made my way home each night with at least some notion of hope.


twelve

ordinal twelfth) Twelve is the number that is after eleven and before thirteen. In numerals, it is 12.

Twelve eggs make a big omelette.


twelve

two and ten makes twelve.

The twelve are never alone.

This girl is twelve.


pot

A metal container for cooking. People can cook food by putting the food in a pot and putting the pot on a stove.


potato

A potato is a food that grows under the ground, which is round and white inside.

We usually eat meat and potatoes.


orientation

orientation (singular)
orientations (plural)

Someone's or something's orientation is the way they face, physically or psychologically.

As homosexuality becomes more accepted, sexual orientation becomes a more common topic.

An arrow is usually used to indicate the orientation of the map.

The program gives you complete control over the size and orientation of the letters on the page.

An orientation to something is when somebody is first introduced to a place or a machine.

Library orientation and instruction should be available when the user feels an interest or need.

A quick orientation to the software is available for new users.


emerge

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

If you emerge, you come out of something.

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

If a pattern or picture emerges, it becomes clear.

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

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


occupation

occupation (singular)
occupations (plural)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Her favorite occupation is reading.


middle

The place that is between two things; the place that is halfway between two ends of something.

Cut the wood exactly in the middle to get two pieces of equal size.

The middle of the three books is the one you want.


perspective

perspective (singular)
perspectives (plural)

A perspective is a way of looking at or thinking about something.

The British media give a completely different perspective from CNN.

He has to look at everything from an international perspective.

The book provides a fresh perspective on the lives of young airmen during the war.

Perspective is the ability to think about things in a reasonable way.

He's lost all perspective when it comes to this job.

Perspective is a way to show three dimensions in a two-dimensional image.


sum

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

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

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

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

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

The sum of the three numbers will always equal 10.


sum

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

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

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


ninety

ordinal ninetieth) Ninety is an even number. In numerals, it is 90.

Ninety years ago, things were different.


ninety

Ninety is ten less than hundred and forty more than fifty.

My grandfather is ninety.


off

I got ready and by 7:00 I was off to school.

There's a nice restaurant just off the main road.

Bye, I'll be off now.

He was standing about 50 m off.

Your birthday's only a few days off now.

He pushed the book off the table, and it fell to the floor.

She took the hat off his head.

Keep your feet off the desk, please.

Out of a vehicle such as a train, bus, etc.

As the train stopped, he jumped off and ran to her.

If something that uses energy is off, it is not working.

It was dark in the room because the light was off.

He turned the TV off and went to bed.

If you are off, you do not have to go to work or to school.

I work evenings, but I have my afternoons off.

They've taken 30% off the price.

We cut off a few pieces.

If a plan, event, etc. is off, it will not happen.

Tonight's game is off because of the rain.

They've called off the meeting.


off

If you're off something, you don't like or want something you wanted before.

That article really put me off meat.

If you're off some medicine, you are not using it any more.

He's been off the pain killers for a few weeks.


off

If food is off, it is not good to eat anymore.

The meat smells off.


off

off (canonical)
offs (third-person singular)
offed (past)
offed (past participle)
offing (present participle)

If a person offs someone, they kill him or her.

I heard they offed Jimmy by drowning.


energy

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

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

Higher electricity prices should help promote energy efficiency.

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

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

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


eleven

ordinal eleventh) Eleven is the number that is after ten and before twelve. It can also be written as 11.

Eleven trees stood on the hill.


eleven

Eleven is a prime number.

Ocean's eleven are a group of thieves.

The girl looked young, no older than eleven.


granted

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

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

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

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

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


granted

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


granted

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

The past tense and past participle of grant.


private

private (positive)
more private (comparative)
most private (superlative)

Private is for only one person or a small number of people to see or know.

I don't want to tell you how much money I have; that's private.

Close the curtains so people can't look into our house, to make it private.


private

A private is a soldier in the lowest rank of the army.

Put down your gun, private, and report to the general.


impose

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


surrender

surrender (canonical)
surrenders (third-person singular)
surrendered (past)
surrendered (past participle)
surrendering (present participle)

When an army stops fighting and lets the other side win, we say that the army surrenders. Sometimes people wave a white flag to show that they are surrendering.

To submit to a person who has more power.


surrender

surrender (singular)
surrenders (plural)

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


ass

alternative Commonwealth pronunciation in sense of "stupid person" only

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

That girl has a nice ass.

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

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

Don't be an ass. Be nice.

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


access

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

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

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


access

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

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

The product enables multiple systems to access a single database.

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


summary

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

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

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

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


summary

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

done quickly and without following standard procedures


receipt

A receipt is a little piece of paper that records how much money someone paid.

Keep the receipt when you buy something at that store.

The receipt of something is the act or situation of receiving something.


code

Children usually learn their parents' moral code.

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

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

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

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


code

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

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

The completed questionnaires were coded by two people.

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