secret

secret (positive)
more secret (comparative)
most secret (superlative)

We found her secret diary.


there

You use there to show that something exists.

There is a problem here.


there

We left for Ottawa and arrived there at 7:00.


there

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


nut

A nut is a kind of seed that usually grows on trees inside a hard shell and that people often eat.

Nuts are a good source of protein.

A metal ring that is screwed onto a bolt (thick screw).


nut

nut (canonical)
nuts (third-person singular)
nutted (past)
nutted (past participle)
nutting (present participle)


which

You use which to ask for the selection of one or more members of some set.

There are a lot of new books this year. Which ones do you like?

Excuse me, which way is the toilet?

Which of the two wines is cheaper?

Which of the following cheeses are usually made from sheep's milk? A. pecorino B. vaccino C. provolone D. chevre.

You use which to add a clause to explain what thing you're talking about.

For several seconds he sat in silence, during which time the tea and sandwiches arrived.

I'm thinking of getting a new car, in which case I'd get a red one.


which

You use which to add a clause to give more information about the thing you're talking about.

We've met some problems which are very difficult to handle.

He walked by a door with a sign which reads: PRIVATE OFFICE.

He had to leave, which was very difficult.

We have to protect the environment in which we live.

She appears to actually like the man, which I find incredible.

No art can be properly understood apart from the culture of which it is a part.


wine

Wine is an alcoholic drink made from grapes or other fruit.

I don't drink wine very often. Usually I prefer beer.


wine

wine (canonical)
wines (third-person singular)
wined (past)
wined (past participle)
wining (present participle)

If you wine and dine someone, you entertain them with dinner and wine.


asleep

Please be quiet. The baby's asleep.

I had trouble falling asleep last night.


grass

Grass is a green, leafy plant that often covers the ground.

We haven't got much rain, and the grass on the lawn is turning brown.


roof

roof (singular)
roofs or rooves (plural)

My five brothers, two sisters and seven cousins all live together under one roof.


roof

roof (canonical)
roofs (third-person singular)
roofed (past)
roofed (past participle)
roofing (present participle)

If you roof something, then you are putting a roof onto a building.

My father had to roof our house because it needed a roof.


part

A part of something is one piece of it or a small amount of it.

As a part of this team, you need to come to practice regularly.

Part of the page was gone, so I couldn't read it.

I don't have the right part to fix your computer, but we've ordered it.


part

part (canonical)
parts (third-person singular)
parted (past)
parted (past participle)
parting (present participle)

If A and B part, they were together and now they are not.

My wife and I parted after our son died.

We didn't want to part with the house, but we had to sell it.

He parted the leaves and looked up at the bird.


several

Several things is a small number of things. More than two, but not very many.

It rained for several days last week.

We changed several of them, but left others untouched.


several

Their several things is a number of their things.

They each went their several ways.


now

You use now when you want to say that something is true at this time. It is also used for things a short time in the future or a short time in the past.

I had many problems before, but I'm OK now.

What did you say just now?

The English teacher is at the library now.

You use now at the beginning of a sentence to get people's attention.

Now, I'd like to hear from other people too.

You use now to refer to the present time, often in contrast to a time in the past or the future.

Now is the time when we must all live as economically as possible.

Now is a good time to do it.

Mary should be home by now.

You use now to indicate that an event has occurred and as a result something else may or will happen.

I’m going to relax now the school year is over.


smoke

Smoke is the gray or black substance that goes up into the air when something burns.

The smoke from that factory is making me sick.


smoke

smoke (canonical)
smokes (third-person singular)
smoked (past)
smoked (past participle)
smoking (present participle)

If somebody is smoking, they are breathing in smoke, usually from a cigarette.

Excuse me, you can't smoke in the restaurant.

If something is smoking, it is making smoke.

The fire's still smoking. You'd better put some more water on it.


rat

Rats are medium-sized rodents. They often live near people and eat garbage. Rats can carry diseases. They are also kept as pets and can be very tame.

I caught the rat that was eating our food.


aside

If you put something aside, you put it to the side, often because you want to use it later.

We put some money aside for the children's education.

The fans were pushed aside by police to let the band go through.

Aside from the wine, which was terrible, the dinner was excellent.

You use something aside to leave that thing out of the topic.

The lies aside, they're good workers.


aside

An aside is something that you write or say that isn't part of your main idea.

And, just as an aside, I'd like to say that these ideas are not new...


Saturday

The seventh and last day of the week, first day of the weekend, and for Jews and some Christians, the day of rest.

Tomorrow is Saturday.


we

The person speaking and other people with him or her.

"Are you and Mia still going?" "No, we're finished."

We went to Paris together.

We ought to help.

Let's go. We need to talk to Mark.

We won our football game.

We need to think about other people more.


we

We Canadians don't act that way.


young

young (positive)
younger (comparative)
youngest (superlative)

If you are young, you have not lived a long time.

She was only a young girl.

The young lion plays with his brothers and sisters.

He is very young.

They were friends from his young manhood.


young

The lion caught a gnu to feed its young.

The lion's young are curious.


Christian

Christian (singular)
Christians (plural)

A Christian is a person who believes in salvation from sin through Jesus of Nazareth, called Jesus Christ or Jesus the Christ.

He is a conservative Christian.

To some religions, a Christian is someone who has a certain spiritual way of being. This is said to be from being spiritually born with the help of Jesus Christ. This is someone who has been saved from sin.

The Baptist preacher said that most Baptists are not really Christians.


Christian

Hans Christian Andersen is famous for writing books of fairy tales.


Christian

If you are Christian then you are a Christian. (See noun above.)

Yes, she is Christian.

If something is Christian, it has to do with Christianity.

Being saved from sin by Christ is a Christian idea.

Christmas is a Christian holiday.

They went to a Christian church.

If something you do is Christian it something Christians are supposed to do.

The way you forgave them was very Christian.

It is not Christian to steal from people.


alphabetical

In the order of the letters of the alphabet or related to the alphabet.

He made the list of names alphabetical.


ours

If something is ours it belongs to us; the possessive case of we, used without a following noun.

This land has been ours for years.

Is this bag yours or ours?


licence

A licence is an official piece of paper that allows you to do something, such as drive, open a business, etc.

I got my driver's licence when I was 16 years old.


licence

licence (canonical)
licences (third-person singular)
licenced (past)
licenced (past participle)
licencing (present participle)

Another spelling of license, usually thought to be wrong. The verb form should normally be spelt as license.


third

The third thing is the one that is number three (3) in order.

I have two older brothers. I'm the third child.


third

A third of something is one of three equal parts of that thing.

Four is one third of twelve.


loose

loose (positive)
looser (comparative)
loosest (superlative)

If something is loose, it moves easily or may come away from what it is attached to.

His tooth is loose and will probably come out in a day or two.

If something is loose, it does not fit closely.

My pants are so loose that they keep falling down.


significant

significant (positive)
more significant (comparative)
most significant (superlative)

If something is significant, it is important, or large, enough to pay attention to or to believe.

There was a significant drop in the price of gas today, causing drivers to line up at the pumps to fill up.

A significant look, movement, etc. is one that has a particular meaning.


sufficient

If something is sufficient, it means there is enough or that it is good enough.

We now have a sufficient number of people to do the job.

The food supplies should be sufficient to last the winter.

The factory was shut down because if didn't meet the necessary and sufficient conditions for safety.


sufficient

You use sufficient to identify the smallest amount needed.

Sufficient of us are against this idea that we should stop now.


alike

alike (positive)
more alike (comparative)
most alike (superlative)

If some things are alike, they are almost the same in some way.

My mother and I are very much alike.


alike

alike (positive)
more alike (comparative)
Superlativemost alike

If some things act alike, they act in almost the same way.

All the men in the office dress alike.

You use alike to show that what you say is true of both groups or individuals.

Teachers and students alike have to work harder to improve this school.


major

major (positive)
more major (comparative)
most major (superlative)

A major change, problem, event, etc. is a big and important one.

We expected the change to cause a lot of problems, but in the end it wasn't as major as we had thought.

Tom Cruise had a major part in the movie. He directed it and acted in it as the main character.

A major musical scale is the usual scale for music in western culture. The major scale starts two notes above the minor and more often sounds happy.

That music could be D minor or F major.


major

A major is a subject area that is the main study of a student at a college or university.

My major is Speech-Language Pathology, which is about problems people may have with talking.

A major is a military rank between captain and lieutenant-colonel.

A major is a person of the legal age of majority.


major

major (canonical)
majors (third-person singular)
majored (past)
majored (past participle)
majoring (present participle)

If you major in something, you concentrate on a single area of study as a student at a college or university.

My mother majored in English but I will major in psychology.


generation

generation (singular)
generations (plural)

A generation, is all the people or things of about the same age.

My father belonged to a generation of travellers who saw the world before there was a McDonalds on every corner.

A generation is the average time between one when group of people were born and when their children were born, roughly 20–30 years.

During previous generations, travel was not so easy.

A class or type of objects usually developed from an earlier type.

A new generation of personal computers is about to hit the stores.

Generation is the creation of something, often electricity.

The increase in new power generation has not kept up with demand for electricity.

/ˌʤɛnəˈreɪʃən/


century

My great grandfather came to Canada over a century ago.

The telephone was invented in the 19th century.

Centuries passed before the slaves were freed.


belt

A belt is a piece of clothing worn around a person's waist. They can be used to hold up trousers or skirts, or for carrying things in pockets, such as on a utility belt.

I think I've put on weight. My belt is too tight.

A belt is used to hold people down for safety, such as a seat belt


belt

belt (canonical)
belts (third-person singular)
belted (past)
belted (past participle)
belting (present participle)

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


plane

A plane is a vehicle with wings that flies.

Can we hurry? I have to catch a plane to Miami.

A plane is a surface that goes out in all directions indefinitely.


plane

plane (canonical)
planes (third-person singular)
planed (past)
planed (past participle)
planing (present participle)

If you plane a piece of wood, you smooth it with a plane.


noise

A noise is a sound, usually one that you don't want.

There's too much noise. I can't hear what she's saying.


resident

A resident is somebody who lives in a particular area.

The local residents like the tourism because it creates more jobs for them.

A resident is a doctor who is still training, and who works in a hospital.


resident

If you are resident somewhere, you live or work there.

If you are not resident in the town, you may not use the town pool.

The resident population at the school has grown each year, and now most of our students live here.

I am a resident of Thailand.


aunt

Your aunt is the sister of your mother or father.

After my parents died, we went to live with my aunt.


registration

registration (singular)
registrations (plural)

Registration is the process of registering something.

The soccer club has registration at the school this week.


various

various (positive)
more various (comparative)
most various (superlative)

Various ways, types, kinds, etc. are many different ones.

I've made the dish a number of times in various ways. It's never the same.

What are the differences between the various types of bottled water?


various

You use various to identify more than one thing without saying exactly which ones.

Various books have been taken.

There are various ways to fix the problem.

You have broken various of the rules.


uncle

Your uncle is the brother of your mother or father.

My father has a brother, Joe. Joe is my uncle.

My mother's brother, Jim, is another uncle.


parent

The parents of a person or animal are its father and mother.

Children may only enter the pool with a parent or guardian.


parent

parent (canonical)
parents (third-person singular)
parented (past)
parented (past participle)
parenting (present participle)


ideas

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

I had two ideas that day.

He told me his ideas on conservation.


murder

Murder is when one person plans to hurt or kill somebody and they kill somebody.

Police are looking into two murders at a club in Brazzaville last night.

A woman who lived in 1982 was walking into the woods, and was murdered by a man, who was into the woods, also, and her body was never found, so her family just had a memorial.


murder

murder (canonical)
murders (third-person singular)
murdered (past)
murdered (past participle)
murdering (present participle)

He murdered two people in the bar.


each other

To one another; one to the other; showing that each of two or more things does something to the other.

Maria and Robert loved each other.

The two monkeys picked the bugs off each other.


will

will (present)
would (past)
won't (negative)

You use will to say that you strongly expect something to happen in the future.

Don't worry. The sun will come up again tomorrow.

If you will do something, you make a plan to do it.

I will go to the store.


will

will (canonical)
wills (third-person singular)
willed (past)
willed (past participle)
willing (present participle)

If you will something to happen, you wish for it to happen.

If you will something to someone, you write down your plan to give it to them after your death.

He willed his coin collection to his son.


will

A will is a statement about what you want to happen after you die.

Will is the ability to push through difficulties.

His will states that the house will be inherited by his oldest son after his death.


cottage

A cottage is a small house, usually in the countryside.

When we were young, we spent the summers at a cottage on Canoe Lake.


improve

improve (canonical)
improves (third-person singular)
improved (past)
improved (past participle)
improving (present participle)

If something improves, it changes from bad to good.

The government is planning to improve the quality of rail service by adding new trains.


island

An island is a piece of ground that is completely surrounded by water.

The fisherman lived alone on a small island in James Bay.

An island of an object, person, or place, is one surrounded by things very different from itself.

An island of peace and silence in a noisy city.


many

many
more (comparative)
most (superlative)

There are many people in China.

How many times have I walked down this street?

It was so many years ago that we first met.

There are not many people like him.

As many as 30 per cent of the population carries this disease.

In too many cases, people don't get the care they need.

A great many questions still have no answers.

Some are good, but not very many.

Many of our teachers come from other countries.


many

You use many to indicate that you are talking about a large number of people or things.

The possibilities are many.


classical

classical (positive)
more classical (comparative)
most classical (superlative)

Classical ideas or styles are those that were very common at a time in the past and sometimes continue into the present.

Classical theories in physics can't explain certain observations, which has led scientists to come up with new theories.


cardboard

Cardboard is a material like paper, but thicker and stiffer.

Cardboard is used to make boxes.

I put all my furniture in cardboard boxes to move it.


no

Used to disagree or refuse; to say something different from what the other person said.

No, I do not fish.

No, I still have some things to do first.

Used to agree with the negative side of a negative question.

Isn't the door locked? No, the door is not locked. We can go in.


no

There is no water left.

No hot dogs were sold yesterday.

Not any possibility or allowance of (doing something). You can't.

No smoking.

There's no stopping her once she gets going.

Not (a); not properly, not really; not fully.

My mother's no fool.

Working nine to five every day is no life.

He's no better off.


body

A body is the main part of a person, animal, physical object, or organisation.

After falling out of the tree, his arm was broken and his body hurt all over.

The governing body of the UN meets in Geneva.

The police found her body after she had been missing for three days.

The senate is an important legislative body in the United States.

A body of something is a lot on it together in one place.

Lake Michigan is a large body of water.

A body is a thing that all moves together.

The moon is a body in orbit around Earth.


burst

burst (canonical)
bursts (third-person singular)
burst (past)
burst (past participle)
bursting (present participle)

If something bursts, it breaks open because of pressure from the inside.

I was driving west on the highway, when my front left tire burst.

When the bell rang, the school door burst open and the children came out running.

The past tense and past participle of burst.


burst

There was a burst of laughter from the audience when the clown slipped on the banana peel.

A burst of brilliant music greeted the newlyweds when they walked into the ball room.


management

management (singular)
managements (plural)

Management is the act of watching and controlling a business or situation.

This building uses a computerized energy management systems to save electricity.

The management is/are the people who control a business.

Management have received a 5% pay raise, but workers are only getting 3.5%.


tooth

A tooth is a hard, white thing in your mouth. You use your teeth to chew food.

A tooth is a sharp point sticking out of something and forms a row of sharp objects for cutting.

A tooth is a rounded point on a gear that is used to transmit or receive force and motion to other gears.


coal

Coal is a fuel which comes from under the ground. It is black, or sometimes brown. People often burn it for heat.


head

The head is the highest and most important part of the body.

He put his head on the desk and fell asleep.

After a series of problems, the head of the company left.

The bathroom on a ship is called the head.

The head is the function of the most important element in a phrase.


head

head (canonical)
heads (third-person singular)
headed (past)
headed (past participle)
heading (present participle)

Bill heads for the mall after work.


percent

You use percent show the number of parts out of a hundred. The symbol for percent is %.

The cost of gas has increased seven percent in the last month.


compare

compare (canonical)
compares (third-person singular)
compared (past)
compared (past participle)
comparing (present participle)

If you compare two things, you look at, talk about, or think about how they are the same and how they are different.

I compared all different kinds of computers before buying this one.

Compared to the sun, the moon is quite small.


birth

A birth is when a new baby comes out of its mother.

My mother gave birth to my brother at 12:00 on Dec. 31st.

The birth of the personal computer was in 1976.


birth

birth (canonical)
births (third-person singular)
birthed (past)
birthed (past participle)
birthing (present participle)

If a woman births a child, she bears or give birth to a child.


what

What is used to ask for information about things.

What did you see?

What do you mean?

What is used to add a clause with more information.

I don't know what you mean.

I'll tell you what to do.

I'll see what I can do to help.

The thing(s) which: a small amount of something.

Take what you can find.

What you made was great.

I am what I am.

The city is not what it used to be.

They kept blaming him for what he had done.


what

What is used to ask about the member(s) of a group.

What book did you buy?

What is used to talk about the member(s) of a group.

What gifts you can give are appreciated.

What ideas he has to offer are likely to be half-baked.

I gave him what money I had.


what

used to show that you feel strongly about something.

What a great book this is!


advertising

advertise (canonical)
advertises (third-person singular)
advertised (past)
advertised (past participle)
advertising (present participle)


advertising

Advertising is the business or study of using newspapers, TV, etc. to sell products or inform people.

Coke has a new advertising campaign for a new drink.

There's too much advertising on radio.


previous

If something happened at a previous time, it happened before a particular time.

Last year, we lived in Seoul, but the previous year we were in Moscow.


previous

You use previous to refer to a time before something else.

The history of this site previous to the seventeenth century is unknown.

Four years previous, he had been sick for a month.


slave

A slave is a person who is owned by a master and who works for that master, but receives no—or almost no—money.


slave

slave (canonical)
slaves (third-person singular)
slaved (past)
slaved (past participle)
slaving (present participle)

I've been slaving in the kitchen all day cooking food for Christmas dinner.


dirty

dirty (positive)
dirtier (comparative)
dirtiest (superlative)

If something is dirty, it has dirt on it, or it is not clean.

After playing outside all day, her hands were all dirty.

You shouldn't say damn, shit, and other dirty words.


adult

An adult is a person who is of the legal age of majority.

At age 18 years, he became an adult, so he could move out without his parents' consent.

Adult usually means a person who is in a legal sense either age 18 years or older.

An adult is a human who is sexually, physically and/or mentally mature.

The Harry Potter series was read mostly by young adults.

A person may be physically mature and a biological adult by age 16 or so.

An adult is a sexually mature nonhuman animal.

Adult female cows feed milk to their offspring.


mass noun

mass noun (singular)
mass nouns (plural)

A mass noun is a noun that refers to an amount, not an item.

"Water" is a mass noun, but "scissors" is not.


arrange

arrange (canonical)
arranges (third-person singular)
arranged (past)
arranged (past participle)
arranging (present participle)

If you arrange something, you put it in order or you organise it.

We have arranged a meeting between the president of the company and the new owner.

I will arrange for a car to meet you at the airport.


per cent

You use per cent show the number of parts out of one hundred. The symbol for per cent is %.

The cost of gas has increased seven per cent in the last month.


corner

A corner is the place where two lines or edges meet.

They live on the corner of Main Street and Dundas.

Just put it on the table in the corner of the room.


corner

corner (canonical)
corners (third-person singular)
cornered (past)
cornered (past participle)
cornering (present participle)

To corner someone is to get someone into a place where he or she cannot leave.

Jessy cornered him in the supply room and wouldn't let him leave.

The car really corners well. Turns are easy for it.


upper

upper (positive)
uppermost (superlative)

The upper thing is the one that is in a higher position.

The upper floors of the building are for offices and the lower floors for housing.


upper

A drug that stimulates a body. Uppers give a person energy and lower hunger.

He takes uppers so that he can stay awake all night studying.


library

A library is a place where books and other media are kept, usually on shelves. Most of the time, people are allowed to borrow these things.

I borrowed books at the public library today.

A library is a collection of books of other media. A person may call his/her collection of books a library.

The university's online classical music library is very large.


yard

The children went out to play in the yard.

A yard is an imperial measure of length. One yard is three feet or 91.44 centimeters.

A soccer field is 110 yards long.


move

move (canonical)
moves (third-person singular)
moved (past)
moved (past participle)
moving (present participle)

If you move, you go from one place to another.

Please stay in your seat until the plane stops moving.

If you move, you change the position of part of your body.

I was so afraid, I couldn't move.

If you move something, you change its position.

Can you move your chair so I can get by?


move

A move is something which is done to achieve a goal.

The move had not been expected.

is a change in your home or business to live or work somewhere else.

The move to the city was completed in a week.

A move, in a game such as chess, is when you put a piece in another place.

The move of the queen led to his loss.

I finished my turn. It's your move.


boat

A boat is a vehicle used to travel on water.

At the lake, the children learn about fishing and boat safety.

The waves rocked the boat back and forth.

I took the old man's hand, stepped down from the dock into the yellow boat.

We got wet on the boat ride.

We sailed the wooden boats by the side of the pool, the kids holding the strings.

He looked around and spotted the boat drifting away.

We left the hotel and quickly got aboard the boat.


boat

boat (canonical)
boats (third-person singular)
boated (past)
boated (past participle)
boating (present participle)


voice

The sounds a person makes with the throat.

His voice was deep and clear.

She had a lot of voice in the company.

You spoke in a low voice so that they would not hear.

Tells if the subject does or receives the action.

That sentence is in passive voice.


voice

voice (canonical)
voices (third-person singular)
voiced (past)
voiced (past participle)
voicing (present participle)

The president voiced her disagreement.


glove

A glove is a piece of clothing you wear on your hand to keep your hands warm or safe.

Police officers often wear gloves when working in crime scenes to avoid destroying evidence.

John is wearing gloves today because it's -5°C.


harmony

Harmony is when two or more notes sound good at the same time.

In art, harmony is using colors which look good together.

A feeling of harmony means a feeling of close understanding with no conflict.

After a month walking in the countryside, I really felt in harmony with nature.


him

he when used after a preposition or as the object of a verb.

Give it to him (after preposition)

She wrote him a letter (indirect object)

She treated him for a cold (direct object)


license

A license is an official piece of paper that allows you to do something, such as drive, open a business, etc.

I got my driver's license when I was 16 years old.


license

license (canonical)
licenses (third-person singular)
licensed (past)
licensed (past participle)
licensing (present participle)

The act of giving a formal (usually written) authorization.

It was decided to license Wikipedia under the GFDL.

I am licensed to practice law in this state.


empty

empty (positive)
emptier (comparative)
emptiest (superlative)

If something is empty, it has nothing inside it.

Hey! You finished my beer. It's empty.


empty

empty (canonical)
empties (third-person singular)
emptied (past)
emptied (past participle)
emptying (present participle)

If you empty something, you remove everything in that item.

I will empty the bins.


rent

Rent is the money you pay to borrow and use something, usually an apartment.

Have we paid this month's rent yet?


rent

rent (canonical)
rents (third-person singular)
rented (past)
rented (past participle)
renting (present participle)

If you rent something, you pay money to use something for a limited time, usually for a house or apartment.

I'm in Texas next week, so I'll have to rent a car.

The room was rented out last week.


unit

One of a measure of something; the amount of something that is counted as "one".

Measure five units to the left.

$4 is the unit price.

A pound is a useful unit for thinking about amounts of butter.

I prefer metric units.

Item, used when no other word for something exists.

He set up the A/C unit.


ticket

A ticket is a piece of paper that allows you to enter a train, airplane, show, etc.

I bought my ticket to Mexico last week, but now I can't find it.

A ticket is a piece of paper that shows that you have parked your car in the wrong place or committed some other driving offence.

The policeman gave me a ticket for going 125 km/h.


ticket

ticket (canonical)
tickets (third-person singular)
ticketed (past)
ticketed (past participle)
ticketing (present participle)

If you ticket someone, then you give someone a ticket for breaking a law.

The officer ticketed the driver after he drove through a red light.


loud

loud (positive)
louder (comparative)
loudest (superlative)

If a sound is loud, you can hear it very easily. If it's very loud, it might hurt your ears.

Can you turn down the music, please? It's too loud.

If a person is loud, they talk too much or too loudly.

After he has a few beers he gets really loud.

If colours, clothes, or other things you see are loud, they have too many bright colours or patterns and they don't look good.


hat

A hat is a piece of clothing that you wear on your head.

A poke bonnet is an old-fashioned woman's hat that covers the hair and shades the face with a rim.

Please take off your hat when you enter the church.

Men remove their hats when entering a church.

Women's hats are sold in a special store called a milliner's shop or a millinery.

Men's hats are sold in a special store called a haberdashery.


wool

Wool is the hair of a sheep. We often use it to make clothes.


push

push (canonical)
pushes (third-person singular)
pushed (past)
pushed (past participle)
pushing (present participle)

If you push something, you touch it with a force away from your body.

You have to push that door quite hard before it will open.

If you push this button, the machine will stop.


push

A push is the act of touching something with a force away from your body.

My car won't move. Can you give me a push?


mine

Give that back to me! It's mine!


mine

A mine is a large hole in the ground from which rocks and minerals are taken.

A mine is a device that explodes when it is touched, or when a ship, vehicle, or person comes close to it.


mine

mine (canonical)
mines (third-person singular)
mined (past)
mined (past participle)
mining (present participle)

If you mine rocks or minerals, you dig them out of the ground.

If you mine an area, you dig a mine there.

If you mine an area, you put exploding mines there.

The soldiers mined the field to help kill their enemies.


straw

Straw is dried grasses, such as wheat, without the seeds. Animals sleep on it, and people make hats and mats out of it.

A pale, yellowish-beige colour, like that of a dried straw.

A straw is a thin hollow tube that you drink through.


repair

repair (canonical)
repairs (third-person singular)
repaired (past)
repaired (past participle)
repairing (present participle)

If something is broken or damaged and you repair it, it's not broken anymore.

And workmen were out repairing damage to the lights from last night's wind.


repair

A repair is something you do to something to fix it.

Last night the car wouldn't start, so this morning I took it in for repairs.


bucket

A bucket is a container used for carrying things like water or sand.


boy

A boy is a male child or teenager; someone who is not a man yet.

He had a pretty wife and two little ones: a boy and a girl.

My oldest son was a Boy Scout in England.

The boys basketball team won five games in a row.

Two teenage boys died in the crash.

A 12-year-old boy stands at the window and watches two men outside.

"I am a grown man" "you are not a man, you are a little boy, you don't act like a man".

I told my mom I wanted a boy puppy, not a girl one.


boy

You use boy when you are surprised about something.

Boy, that's a big dog.


a little

We've only got a little time, so please be quick.

I need a little more room here.

You can do it with a little help from your friends.

He put a little water into the cup.

"Would you like some cake?" "Just a little, please."

Can we talk a little more?

You're walking a little too slowly.

I understand only a little of what you say.


cause

A cause is what leads to something happening.

The cause of the fire was lightning.

A cause is a goal, aim or principle that people support or fight for.

He is fighting for a just cause.


cause

cause (canonical)
causes (third-person singular)
caused (past)
caused (past participle)
causing (present participle)

To cause something is to make it happen.

His careless driving caused the car accident.


bone

Bones are the hard, white things inside your body. They give your body its shape.

How many bones did a dinosaur have?


bone

bone (canonical)
bones (third-person singular)
boned (past)
boned (past participle)
boning (present participle)


error

An error is something which is accidentally not correct.

The bank made an error and gave me too much money.

I keep getting errors on my computer program.


shirt

A shirt is a piece of clothing you wear on the upper part of your body. Shirts are not very thick.

I need a new shirt to go with my new pants.


remove

remove (canonical)
removes (third-person singular)
removed (past)
removed (past participle)
removing (present participle)

If you remove something, you take it out or away.

After he was shot, the doctor removed three bullets from his leg.


conversation

conversation (singular)
conversations (plural)

A conversation is when two or more people are talking informally.

I had a really interesting conversation at work about how to improve things.

She is very good at making conversation with people she meets.


consist

consist (canonical)
consists (third-person singular)
consisted (past)
consisted (past participle)
consisting (present participle)

If A consists of B, then B is the thing or things that, together, make A.

His letter consisted of only three words.

Preparation for the party consisted of inviting guests, buying food, cleaning, and hoping that the weather would be nice.


interpretation

interpretation (singular)
interpretations (plural)

An interpretation is an attempt to understand something.

Weather forecasters use a lot of data, but the interpretation of the data is very difficult.

In our interpretation the output data in Table 2 is an acceptable variation of that in Table 1.

An interpretation is one meaning that something might have, or one way that one person understands something.

I don't think your interpretation is what the writer meant.

One interpretation of the poem "Cross" by Langston Hughes is that "Cross" symbolize the speaker's mixed race.

The hospital offers interpretation services between English and French, Spanish, and Punjabi.

An interpretation expresses an individual’s opinion about artistic work.

One interpretation of "Alive" is that people will do anything to survive.


couple

A couple is two (2) things that go together.

Can you lend me a couple of dollars?

A couple is two people that love one another.

John and Susan make a nice couple, don't they?


couple

couple (canonical)
couples (third-person singular)
coupled (past)
coupled (past participle)
coupling (present participle)

If you couple two things, you join them together.


opposite

If A is opposite B, they are facing each other.

The bank is just opposite this hotel, right across the street there.


opposite

opposite (positive)
more opposite (comparative)
most opposite (superlative)

If two things are opposite, they are the same kind but completely different from each other.

"Go left. No, right!" "Do you want me to go left or right? I mean, they're opposite directions, aren't they?"

I don't think we can work together. We're too opposite.

Black is the opposite of white. "Yes" is the opposite of "no". Day is the opposite of night.


opposite

The opposite of something is something else of the same kind but completely different.

My kids always do the exact opposite of what I tell them.

The word dust is its own opposite, meaning both put on and take off dust.


clean

clean (positive)
cleaner (comparative)
cleanest (superlative)

If something is clean, it is free from dirt

The kids came back from the washroom with clean hands and faces.

Did you wash these dishes? They don't look very clean.

To keep the air clean, smoking is not allowed.

I clear our breakfast and wipe the table clean with a wet rag.

If a technology is clean, it doesn't produce much pollution.

We want to use wind as safe, clean, non-polluting energy.

There was a lot of pushing in their last game, but today's match was mostly clean.

No dirty jokes, please. Keep your language clean.

The police searched the car for drugs, but it was clean.

Her driving record was clean.

A clean piece of paper, start, etc. has nothing from before: no writing, no history, etc.

Why don't you get a clean piece of paper and start over.

I wanted a clean start, so I moved to LA.

If a something is clean, it is smooth, simple, and regular, without anything unwanted.

Your company website needs a clean design that makes it easy for consumers to understand what you're selling.

It's a clean cut, made with something sharp like a razor or a knife.


clean

clean (canonical)
cleans (third-person singular)
cleaned (past)
cleaned (past participle)
cleaning (present participle)

If you clean something, you take away the dirt and put everything in its place.

Tomo, will you clean up your room please. There are clothes all over the floor.


beautiful

beautiful (positive)
more beautiful (comparative)
most beautiful (superlative)

If something is beautiful, it is very good to look at it.

Look at that beautiful bird!

This magazine always has a picture of a beautiful woman on the front.


blood

Blood is a red liquid inside a person or animal's body that carries nutrients and oxygen to the other parts of the body.

I'm taking medication for high blood pressure.

These blood vessels bring oxygen to every part of your body.

He put his hand over the cut to stop the flow of blood.

Vitamin B12 helps maintain healthy red blood cells.

When you run, your heart works harder pumping blood up and down your body.

There was a knife lying by her body, covered in blood.

The police found six tiny drops of blood in the kitchen and in the garage.

The family that you were born in is your blood.


kiss

The act of placing your lips on something, usually to show love or affection.

She gave him a long kiss on the lips.

A cone-shaped piece of chocolate made by Hershey.

I will give you a chocolate kiss.


kiss

kiss (canonical)
kisses (third-person singular)
kissed (past)
kissed (past participle)
kissing (present participle)

To place your lips on something to show love or affection.

The man and the woman kissed each other.

His car kissed the bumper of the car in front of him.


issue

An issue is a particular topic or subject, often one that people are discussing and/or is a problem.

The students raised an important issue in my last class, and I hope we can discuss it today.

We'd like to hire you, but there are some legal issues that we have to consider first.

An issue of a magazine, newspaper, etc. is the version that is published at one time.

The March issue of The Walrus has an interesting article on healthcare.


issue

issue (canonical)
issues (third-person singular)
issued (past)
issued (past participle)
issuing (present participle)

If you issue something, such as a statement, guidelines or an order, you officially publish it.

The governments of Canada and the United States jointly issued a statement about the recent crash.


patience

If someone has patience, they can wait without feeling upset.

Andrew has so much patience with the children; I just get so angry with them.


bottle

A bottle is a container, usually made of glass that holds liquid and has a cap or stopper.

He drank cold water from a plastic bottle.

She brought two bottles of wine to the party.

We collected the empty beer bottles and took them back to the shop.

I filled up the bottle with water.

She cracked open four bottles and poured glasses for each of them.

The floor under the Rock was covered with trash: broken bottles, food wrappers, and ripped clothing.

The bottle had a long, thin neck.


bottle

bottle (canonical)
bottles (third-person singular)
bottled (past)
bottled (past participle)
bottling (present participle)

If you bottle your feelings up, you keep them inside and don't let them show.

You can tell he is still angry, but he's keeping it bottled up.

If you bottle somebody or something up, you keep them in a very small space, often under pressure.

We were bottled up in that plane for 32 hours.

If you bottle something, you put it in a bottle.

This plant bottles a lot of spring water every day.


goat

A goat is a mammal with horns, part of the sheep family.

The goat used to graze in the field.


widow

A widow is a woman whose husband has died.

The government supports the widows of dead soldiers.


flat

flat (positive)
flatter (comparative)
flattest (superlative)

If something is flat, it has a surface with no high places or low places.

There are a lot of mountains, and very little flat land for farming.


flat

A flat is a rented room or rooms in a building with other flats.

Would you like to come back to my flat and watch TV?

A flat makes a note one semitone lower than a natural: it is shown by the symbol ♭.


flat

flat (canonical)
flats (third-person singular)
flatted (past)
flatted (past participle)
flatting (present participle)


essential

essential (positive)
more essential (comparative)
most essential (superlative)

If something is essential, it is impossible to succeed without it.

Oxygen is essential for life on earth.

If something is essential, it is very important.

Cooked rice, is the essential element of the Chinese meal prepared south of the Yangtze River.

The essential part, idea, or feature is the most basic one.

The essential nature of skiing is sliding on two skis, but the sport is much more than that.


August

There are 31 days in August.


flower

A flower is part of a plant. Flowers are often very pretty. Plants make them so that they can make new seeds.

The flower of the plant is starting to wilt.

She was in the flower of her life.

Cherry blossoms are in flower this week.

The rose is my favorite flower.


flower

flower (canonical)
flowers (third-person singular)
flowered (past)
flowered (past participle)
flowering (present participle)

When something flowers, it starts to bloom.

Cherry blossoms are going to flower this week.


source

source (canonical)
sources (third-person singular)
sourced (past)
sourced (past participle)
sourcing (present participle)

If you source something, then you obtain or receive it.


source

The source of some material, an idea, a product, etc. is the place it came from originally.

XYZ company can't supply these parts anymore, so we need to find a new source.

Church sources said four people were injured and 100 to 200 were taken away by the police.

The paper comes primarily from British sources.

CO₂ is the main source of global warming.


row

A row of things is a line of them, usually going from side to side.

OK, students, can you please put your desks in five rows?


row

row (canonical)
rows (third-person singular)
rowed (past)
rowed (past participle)
rowing (present participle)

If you row a boat, you move the paddles (also called oars) in the water to move the boat.

Let's row our boat to the other side of the lake.


shout

shout (canonical)
shouts (third-person singular)
shouted (past)
shouted (past participle)
shouting (present participle)

Don't shout! I can hear you fine.

This is a big classroom, so please shout your name and answer.


shout

A shout is when somebody shouts one time.

His angry shouts and yelling woke me up.


circle

Please put your chairs in a circle.

The dog was running in circles.


circle

circle (canonical)
circles (third-person singular)
circled (past)
circled (past participle)
circling (present participle)

To circle something is to move around it.

The earth circles the sun once a year.

Using your pencil, please circle the correct answer.


May

May is the fifth (5th) month of the year.

There are 31 days in May.

May fell down and hurt her knee.


hungry

hungrier (comparative)
hungriest (superlative)
hungry (positive)
more hungry (comparative)
most hungry (superlative)

If you feel hungry, you want to eat something and your stomach feels empty.

There are too many poor children who are always hungry.


rude

rude (positive)
ruder (comparative)
rudest (superlative)

If someone is rude or does something rude, they act in a way that will likely upset people.

Don't interrupt me when I'm speaking. It's rude.


IP address

IP address (singular)
IP addresses (plural)

An IP address is a number that is used to identify a computer. It is short for Internet protocol address.

The IP address is 123.45.678.9.


or

A word used to link two alternative choices.

Would you like tea or coffee?


invent

invent (canonical)
invents (third-person singular)
invented (past)
invented (past participle)
inventing (present participle)

If you invent something, you make or design a new kind of thing.

Thomas Edison invented the electric light bulb.


weapon

A weapon is a tool that you use in a fight, such as a knife, a gun, or a bomb.

"Lay down your weapons and put your hands in the air," yelled the police.


proud

proud (positive)
prouder (comparative)
proudest (superlative)

If you are proud of or about something you have done, you feel good about it.

I feel proud that we fought in the war, even if most people think we should have stayed home.

If you are proud of someone, you feel happy for them because they have done something well.

If you are proud of something you own, you think it is valuable and you are happy about it.


march

A formal, rhythmic way of walking. A march is usually done by soldiers, bands and in ceremonies.

Any song in the genre of music written for marching (see Wikipedia's article on this type of music)

The march of time.


march

march (canonical)
marches (third-person singular)
marched (past)
marched (past participle)
marching (present participle)

To walk with long, regular strides, like a soldier does.

We saw the guards marching at Buckingham Palace.

To go to war; to make military advances.


bite

bite (canonical)
bites (third-person singular)
bit (past)
bitten (past participle)
biting (present participle)

If a person or animal bites something, they put it between their teeth and squeeze.

I'm afraid of dogs. I think they'll bite me.

If an insect bites someone, it puts a substance into your skin.


bite

One bite is the amount of food that can go in your mouth at one time.

An insect bite is the itchy mark on the skin of a person or animal where an insect has bitten them.


excellent

excellent (positive)
more excellent (comparative)
most excellent (superlative)

If something is excellent, it is very, very good.

The tea we had with lunch was excellent. Where did you get it?


alive

alive (positive)
more alive (comparative)
most alive (superlative)

If someone or something is alive, it is living or it continues to exist. If you are alive you have life.

The doctors tried to keep her alive, but she died an hour after arriving at the hospital.


bag

Bags are containers made of soft material like paper, plastic or leather.

I put the garbage in a black plastic bag.

She took her tennis shoes out of her sports bag.


bag

bag (canonical)
bags (third-person singular)
bagged (past)
bagged (past participle)
bagging (present participle)

When a person bags something, he catches or gets it.

I hope I bag me something good today from him.

When an animal is bagged, such as in hunting and fishing, the animal is killed or caught.

Last night on our hunting trip we bagged three deer.

Bagging objects means to put them into a bag.

The clerk bagged up the groceries as she took out her wallet.


fire

A chemical reaction that makes heat and flames or smoldering.

Something that has made or can make this chemical reaction, such as a campfire.

We sat around the fire singing songs and telling stories.

The, often accidental, occurrence of fire in a certain place which leads to its full or partial destruction.

There was a fire at the school last night and the whole place burned down.


fire

fire (canonical)
fires (third-person singular)
fired (past)
fired (past participle)
firing (present participle)

If an employee is fired, their employment is ended because of something they did.

She should fire the guy who stole that stuff.

He got fired from his job.

If you fire a gun, cannon or a similar weapon, you shoot it.

We will fire our guns at the enemy.

Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes.


clock

A clock is an instrument that tells you what the time is. A small clock which you carry is called a watch.

If a clock is fast, it shows a time after the real time.

He was sleepy, and the clock said 11:32.

The digital clock on the wall tells her that it is almost six-thirty.

She'd never before been in a house which did not have a clock ticking somewhere.

He looked at the clock and then at his watch: The clock was nine minutes fast. He still had some time.

If a clock is slow, it shows a time before the real time.

If something goes around the clock, it goes for 24 hours without stop.

His family stayed at Scott's bedside around the clock.

The museum is open around the clock from May 26 at 12:01 a.m. through May 28 at 11:59 p.m.


clock

clock (canonical)
clocks (third-person singular)
clocked (past)
clocked (past participle)
clocking (present participle)

If you clock something, you measure how long it takes or how fast it moves.

The police clocked the car at 137 km/h.

The drive took twenty-two minutes; he clocked it.

If something clocks a time or a speed, it takes that long or moves that fast.

The trip clocks in at about 12 hours.

He clocked 9.12 seconds, a new world record.

If you clock in or out at work, school, etc., you record the time they arrive or leave.

He clocked in at four a.m. for a twelve-hour shift.

If you clock up a number of things, you reach that total after some time.

Because I drive one hour to work, I'm clocking up a lot of miles.

If you clock someone, you hit them hard in the head.

He might take some time to wake up. He got clocked pretty good.


angle

When two straight lines come together, they make an angle.

A 90° angle is called a right angle.


angle

angle (canonical)
angles (third-person singular)
angled (past)
angled (past participle)
angling (present participle)

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


afraid

afraid (positive)
more afraid (comparative)
most afraid (superlative)

If you are afraid of something, you feel fear, or worry because you think something bad will happen.

I'm afraid of snakes. I can't even go near them.


violet

Violet is one of my favorite colors.

Maria sells violets.


violet

violet (positive)
more violet (comparative)
most violet (superlative)

He wears a violet tie.


export

export (canonical)
exports (third-person singular)
exported (past)
exported (past participle)
exporting (present participle)

If you export something, you send it out of the country, usually for business purposes.

Canada will export up to 450,000 barrels per day of crude oil to China.

The government is exporting its terrorist ideas to other countries in the area.


export

Export is the act or business of exporting things.

A shipment of computers is being loaded on the ship for export to Singapore.

An export is something that you send out of the country, usually for business purposes.

Bananas are Ecuador's largest export.


cousin

Your cousin is the son or daughter of your aunt or uncle.

Every year at Christmas, I got to play with all my cousins at my grandma's house.


operation

operation (singular)
operations (plural)

An operation is a medical process, often opening the human body.

The doctors performed the operation in three hours.

An operation is an action of a group of people working for a goal (often military).

The Army operation was a success.

An operation is part or all of a business. (often plural)

The company's East Coast operation was bigger than its West Coast operation.

An operation is a symbol that is used to perform a specific operation (addition, subtraction, multiplication or division) in maths.

The plus symbol is used to perform a specific operation in maths which is addition.

/ˌɒpəˈreɪʃən/

/ˌɑːpəˈreɪʃən/


speak

speak (canonical)
speaks (third-person singular)
spoke (past)
spoken (past participle)
speaking (present participle)

He speaks with him daily.


sheep

A sheep is an animal that people keep on farms and eat for food.

My grandfather has a sheep farm and we get all our wool there.

A sheep is a person who follows orders blindly and cannot think for themself.


violent

violent (positive)
more violent (comparative)
most violent (superlative)

If someone is violent, they act physically to hurt people or break things.

Police said he had a history of violent behavior.

The violent wind took the roof off of the house.


kettle

A container for boiling liquids or cooking food.

William cooked the beans in a kettle.

A container for boiling water for tea; a teakettle.

Stick the kettle on and we'll have a nice cup of tea.

The collective noun for a group of airborne hawks.


blade

A blade is something with a long, sharp edge. Things like knives, swords and razors have blades.


blade

blade (canonical)
blades (third-person singular)
bladed (past)
bladed (past participle)
blading (present participle)

If a person blades, they skate on rollerblades.

If you blade someone, you stab them with a blade.


greet

greet (canonical)
greets (third-person singular)
greeted (past)
greeted (past participle)
greeting (present participle)

If you greet someone or something, you meet them and say, "hello" or welcome them somehow.

The tour guide greeted us when we arrived at the airport.


decline

decline (canonical)
declines (third-person singular)
declined (past)
declined (past participle)
declining (present participle)

If something declines, it goes down in number, quality, slope, or value.

The Australian dollar has declined 3% against the Euro.

The number of students studying foreign languages continues to decline.

If someone declines an offer, they do not accept it.

We asked Josh to come with us to the restaurant, but he declined.


decline

A decline happens when the number, quality, slope, or value of something goes down.

There has been a 3% decline in the Australian dollar against the Euro.

Every year we see a larger decline in the number of students studying foreign languages.

A decline is a hill or line that goes down.

The truck crashed after picking up too much speed on the decline.


atheism

Atheism is the belief that there is no God.

Most atheists say atheism is not a religion.

Atheism is lacking a belief that God exists.

He explained that his view on god was atheism because there was no evidence of god's existence.


lucky

lucky (positive)
luckier (comparative)
luckiest (superlative)

If you are lucky, you have a lot of luck.

After getting married and winning $1 million on the same day, Susan felt very lucky.

If something is lucky, it gives you luck.

Today I have three tests, so I'm wearing my lucky hat.


much

much
more (comparative)
most (superlative)

a lot of; a large amount of; a high degree

I don't have much money.

I don't like the cider very much.

I know how much he loves everybody in the house.

You're not much better than he is.

She was much more fun after a few drinks.

This is almost as much fun as last week.

We bought another one, but the cost was much greater.

I don't think it matters much what you study.

Thank you very much!

Much attention has been given to the question of where the money should go.

They arrived much sooner than we had expected.

He's very much the Englishman.

If someone or something is very much alive, interested, open, etc., they are indeed so, contrary to expectations.

I thought the window was closed, but it was very much open.

If something is pretty much impossible, useless, perfect, etc. it is roughly so.

Your hair looks pretty much perfect the way it is.


humanist

Humanists are people who believe in "doing good" for all people.


luck

Someone who has good luck is someone who regularly has good things happen to them, almost as if by magic.

Many people believe the number 13 will bring you bad luck.


luck

luck (canonical)
lucks (third-person singular)
lucked (past)
lucked (past participle)
lucking (present participle)

He lucked into a great job.


contradiction

contradiction (singular)
contradictions (plural)

A contradiction is the act of contradicting.

He says that he was not there that night: that was a contradiction of his previous statement.

A contradiction is a statement which makes two (or more) claims which both cannot be true.

There is a contradiction in saying that she is a widow who never married.


profit

A profit is money made that is over the total amount spent on the thing being sold.


profit

profit (canonical)
profits (third-person singular)
profited (past)
profited (past participle)
profiting (present participle)

If someone profits from something, they benefit from it; they gain from it.


media

media or medium (singular)
media (plural)

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

The (mass) media is/are the news sources and the people behind them.

The media have been too accepting of the government's arguments.

The Japanese media often ignores international news.

A medium is a way of communicating information or art.

We have to use music, pictures and other media to sell the product.


hello

You say, "hello" in greeting when you meet someone new or someone you know.

"Good morning, James!" "Hello, Jimbo! How are you?"


host

A host is a person or animal who makes a place for others and usually provides food and drink.

The host of the party was so busy, she didn't have time to eat.

Some insects lay their eggs in a living host, which is eaten when the eggs hatch.


host

host (canonical)
hosts (third-person singular)
hosted (past)
hosted (past participle)
hosting (present participle)

If you host a party or event, you make a place for it and you help to organise it.

Germany hosted the 2006 World Cup of Soccer.


awake

awake (positive)
more awake (comparative)
most awake (superlative)

It was 1:00 AM and Gerard was still awake.


awake

awake (canonical)
awakes (third-person singular)
awoke (past)
awoken (past participle)
awaking (present participle)

She awoke with the dawn.

If something awakes a feeling, it makes it happen.

He awoke their resentment.


whatever

You use whatever when it doesn't matter which thing.

It's OK to take whatever bus comes first.

I'll take whatever help I can get.

You use whatever when there's a particular thing, but you can't remember what it was.

We took whatever bus came first, number 41 I think.

Whatever problem do you mean?


whatever

Whatever you choose, you'll be happy.

Whatever you do will be OK.

We took whatever came first.

Whatever do you mean?

Whatever is that strange thing on your head?

Whatever happened?

You use whatever as a reply showing that you do not care.

"Would you like coffee, tea, or water?" "Whatever."


card

A card is a small, often rectangular piece of paper or plastic, usually with information.

The police stopped me and asked to see my identity card.

"I don't have any money with me, can I pay with my credit card?"

The soccer player got a red card and left the game.

We spent the afternoon playing card games.

I think we sent them a Christmas card last year.


card

card (canonical)
cards (third-person singular)
carded (past)
carded (past participle)
carding (present participle)

If you card someone, you check their ID cards, usually to see if they are old enough to enter a place or drink alcohol.

They have to card anybody who looks 30 or younger.


Friday

The sixth day of the week, fifth and last of the secular and Christian work week, and the day of rest for Muslims. Friday afternoon is the beginning of the weekend.

We went to the mosque on Friday.


beg

beg (canonical)
begs (third-person singular)
begged (past)
begged (past participle)
begging (present participle)

If you beg someone for something or to do something, you ask them very strongly, but you are in a weak position.

He had a gun to my head. I begged him, "Please, don't shoot me."


April

April is the fourth (4th) month of the year.

There are 30 days in April.


danger

A danger is something that can hurt a person.

He was a danger to those around him. I am glad he was sent to jail.

When something is in danger, it is under threat and could be hurt.

She is in danger of being buried by that avalanche.


plate

A plate is a hard flat thing, especially round ones that we put food on.

He ate everything on his plate.

The name plate on the door said, "Tanaka".


plate

plate (canonical)
plates (third-person singular)
plated (past)
plated (past participle)
plating (present participle)

If you plate food, you place the food on a plate.

If you plate A with B, you cover the surface of A with a thin coat of B.

This ring is plated with a thin layer of gold.


certain

certain (positive)
more certain (comparative)
most certain (superlative)

If you are certain of something, you believe it to be true without doubt.

If something is certain, it will happen without doubt.

If you make certain of something, you check that it is true or correct.


certain

Used to talk about groups or individuals without saying exactly which ones.

Certain problems can be solved with very simple maths.

Certain of the members did not agree.


eye

Your eyes are the part of your head which you see with.

We saw the eyes of a big wolf.

An eye is a hole at the blunt end of a needle through which thread is passed.


eye

eying (present participle)
eye (canonical)
eyes (third-person singular)
eyed (past)
eyed (past participle)
eyeing (present participle)


amusing

amusing (positive)
more amusing (comparative)
most amusing (superlative)

If something is amusing, it makes you laugh or it entertains you.

We had a very amusing afternoon playing with the kids, but we didn't get anything done.


amusing

amuse (canonical)
amuses (third-person singular)
amused (past)
amused (past participle)
amusing (present participle)


adjustment

adjustment (singular)
adjustments (plural)

If you're gaining weight, you need to make slight adjustments to your food and exercise programme.


isn't

be (canonical)
am, is, are (present)
was, were (past)
been (past participle)
being (present participle)

He isn't my brother. He is my uncle.

It isn't raining; it's sunny.


online

If a system is online, it is connected (generally electronically) to a larger network.

I do a lot of shopping online, so I almost never have to leave the house.

If a machine is online, it is turned on and is ready to do work.

Since the printer is back online, you should be able to again print from it.


belief

A belief is an idea that is thought to be true.

It is a widely-accepted belief that the Earth revolves around the Sun.


acid

An acid is a liquid with a high number of hydrogen ions in it that can burn things.

Fruit often has a little acid in it.

The acid burned the table.

Acids taste sour but bases taste bitter.


acid

acid (positive)
more acid (comparative)
most acid (superlative)

If something is acid, it is like an acid, from an acid, or acidic.

The factories nearby have made the lake more acid.

If something has an acid taste, it is sour.

If something said or done to you was acid, it was hurtful.

Their acid comments are painful.


theory

A theory is an idea that tries to explain an observation.

The new information showed that his theory about growth was incorrect.

Nobody has disproved Einstein's theory of general relativity.


Monday

The second day of the week. The first day of the work week.

I hate Mondays.


atheist

An atheist is a person who does not believe in a god or gods.


thesaurus

thesaurus (singular)
thesauruses or thesauri (plural)

A thesaurus is a book which lists synonyms (different words which have the same meaning).

A thesaurus usually groups together synonymous words such as schadenfreude and epicaricacy together under a single heading.


one

We have one nose and one mouth.


one

One is the smallest whole number.


one

One is a singular pronoun which means someone or people. It is used more often in formal writing.

It is easy to see the difference if one looks closely enough.


sentence

In grammar, a sentence is a group of words that follow normal grammar rules, and that, in writing, begins with a capital letter and ends with a period '.', question mark '?', or exclamation mark '!'. Usually a sentence has a subject, verb, and object.

The first sentence in the Jewish holy book is, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

In law, a sentence is the punishment that a judge gives to a criminal.

He received a 15-year sentence for the murder of his friend.


sentence

sentence (canonical)
sentences (third-person singular)
sentenced (past)
sentenced (past participle)
sentencing (present participle)

If a judge sentences someone, they decide on a punishment for a crime.

He was sentenced to 15 years in jail for the murder of his friend.


December

December is the twelfth month of the year.

There are 31 days in December.


communicate

communicate (canonical)
communicates (third-person singular)
communicated (past)
communicated (past participle)
communicating (present participle)

If you communicate an idea, you make someone else understand your idea, usually by using words.

Parents have to work hard to communicate better with their children.


collar

He put up his collar because of the cold wind.

A circular piece of fabric that is put around the neck of an animal.

The collar on the dog had a tag that allowed the workers at the animal shelter to identify the owner.


collar

collar (canonical)
collars (third-person singular)
collared (past)
collared (past participle)
collaring (present participle)

To put a collar on someone or something.

Collar and leash your dog.

The police collared the burglar last night.


logic

Logic is a system of careful step by step thought or argument that tries to explain truth.

It wasn't easy to see the logic of her plan.


environment

environment (singular)
environments (plural)

The environment is the natural world: forests, rivers, grasslands, oceans, etc.

We have to do more to protect the environment from pollution.

Your environment is the situation or area that you live, work, or spend time in, including the people, buildings, vehicles, etc.

When we moved to the city, we found ourselves in a comepletely new social environment.

This course will prepare students for a career in a software engineering environment in industry or research.

The learning environment can have a large effect on your grades.


child

A child is a young person, usually older than a baby but younger than a teenager.

The children were playing in the park.

Most three-year-old children speak very well.

Even as a child of six, I knew what hard work was.

Taking care of young children is difficult work.

This kind of teaching is useful for all children, not just those children with learning disabilities.

We need to do a better job of educating our children.

We're collecting food for needy children.

A child is the son or daughter of someone.

I am my mother's child in every way.

My eldest child is now a doctor.

I drove a motorcycle until my children were born.

A child of a particular time, situation, or idea is a person who is strongly influenced by it.

As a child of the 90s, I grew up with computers.

There isn't actually that much anger among children of divorce.

A child is the product or result of something.

This book is the child of an earlier generation of grammatical theory.

Anthropology is the child of Western colonialism.

The very idea of a garden is the child of water.

If a woman is with child, she is pregnant.

She told no one about the sex, even when she realized she was with child.

A child in a tree structure is piece of data, process or object with a role or position closer to the root.


insult

insult (canonical)
insults (third-person singular)
insulted (past)
insulted (past participle)
insulting (present participle)

If you insult someone, you say or do something rude to them.

He insulted me by calling my country a dirty little city.


insult

The protesters yelled insults at the police.


above

If A is above B, A is higher than or before B, but not touching B.

In a newspaper, the title of a story is usually above the story.

Only children aged 5 and above may enter.

That office is on the floor above.

Our blessings come from above.

The passage above is easy to understand.

The above comment, discussion, argument, etc. is one higher than or coming before something.

Please see the above discussion of the problem.


option

He has the option to go to university or join the army.


policy

A policy is an official rule or idea that explain how to act in certain situations.

The government is suggesting a significant change in economic policy.

In at least one case there was a deliberate policy decision not to involve the police.

The policy at the movie theater said we should turn on phones off and be quiet, during the movie.


A/C

AC is a short version of "air conditioning" (cooling).

He turned on the AC to help cool the room.

AC is also a short version of alternating current.


thumb

A thumb is the part of your hand that looks like a short, fat finger. Most people have a thumb on each hand.

In many countries, pointing your thumb up means, "good".

A thumb or thumbnail is a small picture on a computer that you can click on to see a larger picture.


thumb

thumb (canonical)
thumbs (third-person singular)
thumbed (past)
thumbed (past participle)
thumbing (present participle)

If someone thumbs something, they touch it with the thumb.

When someone thumbs, they are standing by a road waiting for someone to give them a ride.

I thumbed down a pickup truck to take me to San Antonio.


portmanteau word

A portmanteau word is a word that is made by putting two words together.

"Pokémon" is a portmanteau word made from "pocket" and "monster".

"Smog" is a portmanteau word made from "smoke" and "fog".


assess

assess (canonical)
assesses (third-person singular)
assessed (past)
assessed (past participle)
assessing (present participle)

If you assess a person, idea, skill, process, etc., you judge or measure them.

In today's test, we will be assessing your ability to write clearly.


achieve

achieve (canonical)
achieves (third-person singular)
achieved (past)
achieved (past participle)
achieving (present participle)

If you achieve success or a goal, you have completed what you planned to do or have a good result.

She achieved a grade of 98% in her English class.


used to

If something used to happen, it happened often in the past, but it does not happen now.

I remember when we used to stop by the beach every Sunday.

She started the exercise program, which we didn't use to have.

We don't go there anymore, but we used to.

If something used to be true, it was true for a long time in the past, but it is not true now.

They're bigger than they used to be.

How bad did it used to be?


used to

If someone is used to something, they know it and do not find it surprising or difficult anymore.

It's hard at first, but after a while you get used to it.

He isn't used to being around children.

We get so used to seeing this that we don't even notice anymore.


place

A place is a point in space: a town, building, room, or even somewhere on a desk.

It's nice to see the whole family together in one place.

A place is an open space, courtyard, or marketplace.

A place is an area for someone to sit at.

We would like to sit at that table because it has three places open.

A place is a role or position; it is a station.

A place is the position in which you finish a competition in.

She finished the poker tournament in fifth place.


place

place (canonical)
places (third-person singular)
placed (past)
placed (past participle)
placing (present participle)

If you place something somewhere, you put it in a certain spot.

If you place, you earn a given spot in a competition.

If you place something somewhere, you remember the last time you encountered it.

She placed the last time we met each other at.


hand

Your hands are the parts of your body at the end of your arms. A hand has four fingers and a thumb.

Mother, I'm afraid, please hold my hand.

Clock hands are pointed needles that show what time it is.

The long hand is pointing to the 4, which refers to how many hours have passed. The short hand is pointing to the 7, which refers to how many groups of 5 minutes have passed. The time is therefore 4:35.

A hand is a group of things that fit in your hand, like playing cards.

He had a good hand but he still lost. He is not good at poker.


hand

hand (canonical)
hands (third-person singular)
handed (past)
handed (past participle)
handing (present participle)

If I hand you something, I give it to you.

Please hand me that tool. I can't reach it.


final

final (positive)
more final (comparative)
most final (superlative)

Today is the final day to register for university.


final

Last week Brazil beat Germany in the semi-final. Tonight they play Italy in the final.


formula

formula (singular)
formulas or formulae (plural)

A formula is a way to do something or solve a problem that does not change much.

There is no formula for making profit, yet many business people think there is.

The formula for converting from kilograms to pounds is xkg×2.2

Infant formula is a powder that you mix with water to make a drink for babies.


consistent

consistent (positive)
more consistent (comparative)
most consistent (superlative)

If something is consistent, it is regular and you can guess what it will be like in the future.

She makes a consistent effort to study hard.

My Math scores at my school show a consistent 80 to 95 percent.

My math scores are mostly consistent because I have had the same grades since grade 9.

If X is consistent with Y, then X fits or matches Y.

The theory is consistent with the data.

His behavior is consistent with his words.

always behaving or happening in a similar, especially positive, way

My Math scores are consistent because I always get an A on quizzes and exams.


nothing

I bought nothing in the shop, because it was closed.

Empty. An area has nothing in it if it has no objects in it.

An empty cup has nothing in it.

I looked for the book, but I could see nothing.


things

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

I packed my things.


market

A market is a place where many people come to buy and sell things.

It's time to take the cows to the market.

The market rose Tuesday on good results from the banking sector.

Cable stocks have lost an estimated market value of $ 6 to $ 8 billion.

A market is a group of people or businesses that might buy goods or services.

The government is trying to help farmers find a new market for their grain.

The financial and oil markets continued to react negatively to the news from the war.

A market is the total amount or value of a particular kind of goods or services bought or sold.

The company already has a 54-percent share of the commercial jet market.


market

market (canonical)
markets (third-person singular)
marketed (past)
marketed (past participle)
marketing (present participle)

If you market something, you make it available for sale and you try to get people to buy it.

Manufacturers who spend millions to develop new drugs heavily market their products.


ordinary

ordinary (positive)
more ordinary (comparative)
most ordinary (superlative)

If something is ordinary, it is normal and not special.

Today is an ordinary day, just like the last 256.


derive

derive (canonical)
derives (third-person singular)
derived (past)
derived (past participle)
deriving (present participle)

If X is derived from Y, X comes from Y in the way that one idea comes from another.

He derived a lot of pleasure from teaching.

Many current theories about learning are derived from Piaget's earlier theories.


procedure

procedure (singular)
procedures (plural)

A procedure is a particular way of doing something.

Because police did not follow procedure, the criminal was set free.

We have decided on new hiring procedures for employees.


thing

She sent her things to New York.


them

Other people; not you or the people you are talking to.

I saw my friends and said, "hi" to them.

I made a lot of things. This is one of them.

You use them to talk about one person, if you don't know who that person is.

If somebody comes, help them.


assessment

assessment (singular)
assessments (plural)

An assessment of a person, idea, skill, process, etc. is a judgement or measurement of them.

The results of your recent job assessment are excellent.

The buyers have to make their own assessment of the value.


piano

A piano is a large musical instrument that has hammers connected to 88 keys.


interrupt

interrupt (canonical)
interrupts (third-person singular)
interrupted (past)
interrupted (past participle)
interrupting (present participle)

If you interrupt someone, you stop them doing or saying one thing, and often ask them to do another.

Please, don't interrupt me when I'm thinking.


interrupt

interrupt (singular)
interrupts (plural)

:
 This short section needs someone to add to it.


income

Income is the money that you get from working.

Generally, teachers have a lower income than business people.

The company's income has dropped because of poor sales.

Income is what you get for selling products you make or grow.

He gets a lot of his income from the corn he grows.


establish

establish (canonical)
establishes (third-person singular)
established (past)
established (past participle)
establishing (present participle)

If you establish something, you start it with the idea that it will last for a long time.

A good doctor will not only care for each of the patients but will also be able to establish a good relationship with them.


concept

Italy has introduced the concept of "parental leave" – time off work given to either parent to look after the child.


pervious

pervious (positive)
more pervious (comparative)
most pervious (superlative)

If something is pervious it lets water pass through it.

This piece of tissue paper is pervious.

If someone is pervious they are open to accepting new ideas.


human

human (positive)
more human (comparative)
most human (superlative)

Human rights, life, nature, etc. belong or relate to people, not machines or animals.

Every person has human rights.

My dog doesn't like dog food, he likes to eat human food, such as meat, like us.


human

A human is a person; a member of the Homo sapiens species.

What effect are we humans having on the natural world?


annoyed

annoyed (positive)
more annoyed (comparative)
most annoyed (superlative)

If someone is annoyed, they are a little angry.

When Graham broke the glass, I was really annoyed, but the face he made was so funny, I had to laugh.


annoyed

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

The past tense and past participle of annoy.


web

A web is a series of lines, ideas, or thoughts connected.

Her web of thoughts is complex.

The spider is spinning a very large web.

Simple English Wiktionary is my favorite place on the web.


web

web (canonical)
webs (third-person singular)
webbed (past)
webbed (past participle)
webbing (present participle)

If you web something, you cover it with a web.

Spiders web their prey and then eat them.


constitutional

constitutional (positive)
more constitutional (comparative)
most constitutional (superlative)

If a law, a right, an action, etc. is constitutional, it is legal within the constitution of the particular country.

The court ruled that the new law was constitutional and that there was no need for the government to change it.

If something is constitutional it is related to a constitution.

I think freedom of speech should be a constitutional right for everyone because everyone should have right to speak out.

The government is planning some constitutional changes.

American has an elaborate system of constitutional checks and balances.


constitutional

constitutional (singular)
constitutionals (plural)

If you take a constitutional, you go for a walk for exercise or health. (old fashioned word)

He's nearly 80 and still takes a constitutional every morning.


context

Something's context is the situation that it happens in.

Sometime, we can't read someone's writing, but the message can be understood in context because human readers use their knowledge of language and the world to help us.

The actions of a business cannot be fully understood except in the context of a particular organisation.


mother

A mother is the woman who is one of a person or animal's parents.

My mother read me a story and put me to bed every night when I was a child.


mother

mother (canonical)
mothers (third-person singular)
mothered (past)
mothered (past participle)
mothering (present participle)

If you mother someone, you take care of them as if you were their mother.


expert

An expert is a person who knows more, or can do something better, than most people, usually because of special study or practice.

Zidane is an expert at penalty kicks.

The company has hired an expert in computer systems.

Today we heard an expert witness explain the details of the DNA analysis.


expert

expert (positive)
more expert (comparative)
most expert (superlative)

An expert skier, teacher, player, etc. is very skillful or experienced.

She's an expert skier, one of the fastest and most beautiful on the hill.

My dog has become quite expert at opening doors.


rain

Drops of water that fall out of clouds in the sky.

I do not like going outside in the rain.


rain

rain (canonical)
rains (third-person singular)
rained (past)
rained (past participle)
raining (present participle)

If it is raining, water is falling from the sky.


writing

write (canonical)
writes (third-person singular)
wrote (past)
written (past participle)
writing (present participle)

I'm writing a new book.


writing

A subject in school where you write stories and poems.

She is taking a class in creative writing.


end

end (canonical)
ends (third-person singular)
ended (past)
ended (past participle)
ending (present participle)

The movie ends after this scene.


end

The last one of a group. Or, the last part of a thing, the place where it stops.

I tied a knot in the end of the rope.


guest

A guest is a person who you welcome into your house, your office, etc.

There were over 200 guests at our wedding party.

All guests at the hotel receive a free breakfast in our restaurant.


to

To has no meaning. It is used with a bare infinitival clause.

It's important for you to understand.

She told them to be quiet.

You want me to do it, but I don't have to.

To finish quickly, we must work fast.

To continue like this would be foolish.

I don't know how to get there.

He got the keys to open the door.

It's too small to see.

You are all to be here at 7:30 tomorrow morning. Do you understand?

He arrived only to find that everyone had gone home.


to

To shows where something goes, the goal of movement.

He went to her house.

The train returned to the station.

I went to bed but could not rest.

They went to school together and played in the same soccer team.

A squad car took him to hospital where he died.

Many people came to me with suggestions.

I wonder why you keep going to sea when you know it's dangerous.

To shows the receivers of an action or object.

The goods were sold to customers at the downtown store.

To shows the result of a change or process.

It switched from red to black.

They came to the conclusion that I'm better than nothing.

He fell on the play, but quickly got to his feet.

He was crushed to death underneath the truck.

Methods have been used to overcome these problems to some degree.

The class is from 1:35 to 3:25.

It's just another week to the end of classes.

Right now it's ten minutes to four.

To shows that one thing is touching another.

They stood back to back to see who was taller.

He attached the printer to the computer.

She was married to a Canadian man.

She was assistant to the general manager.

We don't owe anything to anyone.

To whom does it belong?

It's a benefit to the whole school.

What's the answer to this problem?

I can't remember the password to this account?

To shows a comparison between two things.

Girls outnumber boys two to one.

Older cars get fewer kilometers to a liter of gasoline.

Right now you can get one Canadian dollar to $1.05 US.

To shows your feeling or opinion about something.

It feels good to me.

To their surprise, she got up and left.

To shows a timing relationship, often with a music.

He likes to exercise to music.


aeroplane

aeroplane (singular)
aeroplanes (plural)

An aeroplane is a vehicle with wings that can fly.

Can we hurry. I have to catch an aeroplane to London.


text

Text is written language (often academic).

The text is OK, but we need to change the graphics before we publish.

You can see the text of what they are saying there at the bottom of the screen.

A text is a textbook (American English).

Did you buy the text for the accounting course?

I'll give you a text on your phone about tonight's concert.


text

text (canonical)
texts (third-person singular)
texted (past)
texted (past participle)
texting (present participle)

If you text someone, you send them a text message on their cell phone.

Will you text me tomorrow?


constitution

constitution (singular)
constitutions (plural)

The constitution of a country or organization is the basic set of laws that explain how all the other laws and rules must be made and followed.

To change the constitution, the government must have the agreement of 2/3 of the members of parliament.

The constitution of a person or object is the qualities that best define that person or object.

His stubborn constitution led him into a number of conflicts he could have avoided.


security

Traditionally, Japanese workers have had good job security. In fact, they usually had a job for life.

Since the attack, many Americans have lost their feeling of security.

Security is the people and things that keep you safe.

After the bombing, the airport increased security.

If you see a problem, please call security.

A security is a proof of ownership of stocks and other investments.


holiday

A holiday is a day when people don't go to work or school, often because there is a religious celebration.

In North America, Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year.


holiday

holiday (canonical)
holidays (third-person singular)
holidayed (past)
holidayed (past participle)
holidaying (present participle)

If you holiday, you take a period of time away from work or study.


conclusion

conclusion (singular)
conclusions (plural)

A writer or speaker's conclusions are the ideas that they have after thinking about all the important information.

The study's main conclusion is that more money will not solve the problem.

At the conclusion of the story, we still don't know why he did it.


add

add (canonical)
adds (third-person singular)
added (past)
added (past participle)
adding (present participle)

If you add x to y, you put x and y together.

Cook for five minutes, then add the remaining spices to the soup.

If you add time, or price, you increase it.

A new kitchen would add value to the home.

We need to add five more waiters by next week.

If you add something to what you've said, you say something more.

I paused for a moment, then added, "Would you mind if I had some pudding?"


able

able (positive)
abler (comparative)
ablest (superlative)

If someone is able to do something, he can do it.

I'm busy tomorrow, so I won't be able to see you.

If a person is able, he is good or skillful at what he does.

She is an able teacher.


horse

A horse is a hoofed mammal. It walks on four (4) legs. People often ride on horses.

The horse likes to eat oats.


ignore

ignore (canonical)
ignores (third-person singular)
ignored (past)
ignored (past participle)
ignoring (present participle)

If you ignore someone or something, you don't listen to, look at, or pay attention to them.

He says he should be paid for fixing it, but he's ignoring the fact that it wasn't broken.


established

established (positive)
more established (comparative)
most established (superlative)

If an institution, system, etc. is established, it has existed for some time and is probably well known.

The established church leaders often do no wish to see changes that might reduce their power.

The fact that the earth is a ball is well established.


established

establish (canonical)
establishes (third-person singular)
established (past)
established (past participle)
establishing (present participle)

The past tense and past participle of establish.

Now that we've established what order we're presenting in, let's get started.


analysis

If you do an analysis, you study something carefully to understand it.

We performed a detailed analysis of the relationship between the two companies and believe that they could form a strong partnership.


investment

investment (singular)
investments (plural)

Investment is the use of money, time, or effort to make a profit.

The economic Development Board, set up in 1961 to promote foreign investment in Singapore, has attracted money from around the world.

Your investment is the money, time, or effort you use to make a profit.

Often you'll have to wait for years before you can get even part of your investment back.

Buying an old laptop is a bad investment because a new technology is better.


start

The beginning of something in place or time.

We went back to the start.

I surprised him and he gave a start.

She gave him quite a start.


start

start (canonical)
starts (third-person singular)
started (past)
started (past participle)
starting (present participle)

To begin; to do something for the first time.

They started the race in first place.

I will start the car.

When I touched his arm, he started.


strategy

A strategy is a planned way to do something.

The new government is likely to change the economic strategy because the old strategy clearly isn't working.

You can't just do whatever comes into your head. You need to have a strategy.


finger

A finger is a long thin part of your hand that bends. Most people have four fingers and one thumb on each hand.

He only uses one finger on the keyboard.


finger

finger (canonical)
fingers (third-person singular)
fingered (past)
fingered (past participle)
fingering (present participle)

If you finger something, you touch with your fingers it to see what it feels like.

If you finger someone, you tell the police that the person did something wrong.

If you finger a female, you use your fingers to penetrate or sexually stimulate their vulva or vagina.


basketball

basketball (singular)
basketballs (plural)

A ball game with two teams of five players. A goal is scored when a player throws the ball into a net (attached to a hoop) at each end of the court.

I play on my school's basketball team.

Throw the basketball to me.


across

I walked across the bridge.

I can see him across the street.

The bridge is across the stream.


quiet

quiet (positive)
quieter (comparative)
quietest (superlative)

Not loud; making no sound or making very little sound.

This young person is very quiet now because she is reading a book.

You should be quiet in a library or a movie theater.


quiet

quiet (canonical)
quiets (third-person singular)
quieted (past)
quieted (past participle)
quieting (present participle)

She quieted the cries of her baby.

The manager quieted their protest with a few words.

Her presence quiets his fears.


quiet

You like the quiet.


blues

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

Those two blues go well together.

I have the blues.

The blues is a type of music, created by African Americans.

He can play blues or jazz.


role

The role of a person or thing is the job that they do in a certain situation.

In the past twenty-five years the role of women on farms had changed dramatically.

Music plays an important role in the movie.

role is another word for a part in a theatrical work such as a play or a ballet

Tamara Karsavina was the first to dance the role of the Firebird.

I was cast in the role of the crazy old witch in the school play.


here

Why are you looking over there for the book? It's right here.

The woman here is my wife.

Here is where I met my spouse twelve years ago.

Where do we go from here?

Let's get out of here.


among

In or into. We say "between" 2 other things, but among 3 or more other things.

She was among her friends.

Divide the candy among yourselves.


occur

occur (canonical)
occurs (third-person singular)
occurred (past)
occurred (past participle)
occurring (present participle)

Over the summer a change occurred in my friend’s behaviour.

If something occurs to you, you suddenly think of it.

It occurred to me that I was in trouble.


joke

If you tell a joke, you say something to make people laugh.

Trevor's joke about the boring lexicographer was too funny.

If something is a joke, it is not considered seriously.

Don't listen to Joseph. He's a joke. Nobody pays any attention to him.


joke

joke (canonical)
jokes (third-person singular)
joked (past)
joked (past participle)
joking (present participle)

When you joke about something, you say something funny that you don't really mean.

Everyone joked about how bad his tennis was.

I wasn't joking about burning my shoes.

Because I have a dog, I joke with my friends about their boring cats.

The coach joked that he would fire his whole team.

You say "you must be joking" when somebody tells you something that's very hard to believe.

"She's forty three." "Forty three?! You must be joking. She looks like she's sixteen."


use

use (canonical)
uses (third-person singular)
used (past)
used (past participle)
using (present participle)

I use oil to cook.

This hammer is used to hit the nails.

To treat as unimportant, abuse; used about people.

She only uses him to do the house chores.


use

A way to apply something; an application.

They put it to good use.

This battery will last for 2000 uses.


cord

She tied the package with a cord.

Plug this cord into the outlet.

He can chop two cords each day.


let

let (canonical)
lets (third-person singular)
let (past)
let (past participle)
letting (present participle)

When you let someone do something, you allow them to do it.

I let him come with me.

When you let a building or a space in a building, you rent it.

I will let my extra room to him.


invention

invention (singular)
inventions (plural)

Nowadays, we can buy new inventions as soon as they are made.

It took quite a bit of invention to come up with the toothbrush.


range

A range of X is a number of different kinds of Xs

We offer you a whole range of clothes, from socks to hats.

The range is area between an upper and lower limit.

Most accidents affect children in the seven to 10 age range.

Something's range is the distance that it can travel.

The company's newest airplane has a range of 10,556 km.

In statistics, the range of results is highest result minus the lowest result.

The test results in the study had a range of 63; the highest was 100 and the lowest 37.

A (mountain) range is a group of mountains.

A shooting range is a place to practice using a gun.

A range is a large grassy area for farm animals to walk about freely.


range

range (canonical)
ranges (third-person singular)
ranged (past)
ranged (past participle)
ranging (present participle)

If something ranges from X to Y, it includes a number of different things and X and Y are different examples of those.

The police had stopped him for a variety of things ranging from stealing a book to having a gun.

If something ranges around an area, it moves around it.