NEW tthhee Essential iinnffoorrmmaattiioonn tthhaatt yyoouu nneeeedd ttoo wwrriittee

aanndd ssppeeaakk EEnngglliisshh ttooddaayy

NEW tthhee 33,,550000 mmoosstt ccoommmmoonn wwoorrddss aarree hhiigghhlliigghhtteedd iinn rreedd

NEW oovveerr 3366,,000000 eexxaammpplleess sshhooww hhooww wwoorrddss aarree uusseedd

NEW ‘‘mmeennuuss’’ gguuiiddee yyoouu ttoo tthhee mmeeaanniinngg yyoouu nneeeedd –– fast!!

NEW 2244--ppaaggee Language Study sseeccttiioonn hheellppss yyoouu ttoo

iimmpprroovvee yyoouurr vvooccaabbuullaarryy aanndd pprroonnuunncciiaattiioonn

NEW mmoorree tthhaann 770000 ccoolloorr iilllluussttrraattiioonnss

NEW CCDD--RROOMM wwiitthh ggaammeess aanndd aaccttiivviittiieess

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This brochure contains the following pages

from the Macmillan Essential Dictionary:

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● 2 pages of full color illustrations

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with additional pages on:

● how to use the dictionary

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iii.....................................................................................................................

CONTENTS

Grammar Codes inside front coverIntroduction viUsing the Dictionary vii–ixEntries That Are Numbers x

The Dictionary 1–821

Color Illustrations between pages 278 and 279House C1Kitchen C2Office C3Clothes C4Car C6Transportation C7Shapes C8

Language Study between pages 464 and 465Collocation LS2Topic Vocabulary:

Entertainment LS6People and Relationships LS7Travel and Tourism LS8Work LS9New Technology:

Communication LS10Computers and the Internet LS10

Media:Newspapers LS12Television LS12

Pronunciation LS14Metaphor LS16Word Formation LS18Register LS20Text Types LS22

Color Illustrations between pages 566 and 567Trees and Flowers C9Fruit C10Vegetables C11Animals C12Body C14Sports C15Gym and Games C16

Geographical Names and Nationalities 822–825Capital Letters and Punctuation 826–827Phrasal Verbs 828Labels 829Pronunciation Guide inside back cover

12clot..........................................................clot1 /klAt/ verb [I] if blood or another liquidclots, it becomes thick and stops flowingclot2 /klAt/ noun [C] a lump consisting of thickblood or another liquidcloth /klAT/ noun ���1 [C/U]material used for making things suchas clothes and curtains: linen/cotton cloth2 [C] a piece of cloth that is used for aparticular purpose such as cleaning orcovering a tableclothe /kloUD/ verb [T] to provide someonewith clothesclothed /kloUDd/ adj dressed in a particularwayclothes /kloUDz/ noun [plural] ��� shirts,dresses, pants, and other things that youwear: a pile of dirty clothes � I’m going toput on some clean clothes. � Why don’t youtake those wet clothes off?

� Clothes is a general word meaning “thingsthat you wear.” It is always plural: His clotheswere dirty. � I bought some new clothes. If youwant to talk about “one thing that you wear”use a piece/an item of clothing.

� Dress is a less common word and refers tospecial clothes that are typical of a particularcountry or time:men in national dress

� A dress is a single piece of clothing worn by awoman.

clothes•line / "kloUDzÆlaIn/ noun [C] a rope forhanging wet clothes on, so that they drycloth•ing / "kloUDIN/ noun [U] � clothes: apiece/item/article of clothing � waterproofclothing � the clothing industrycloud1 /klaUd/ noun [C] ���1 a white or gray mass of drops of water inthe sky: a few white clouds in the sky2 a large amount of something such assmoke or dust in the air: a huge cloud ofblack smoke3 something unpleasant that spoils asituation: Violent protests cast a cloud overthe president’s visit.PHRASE under a cloud with your reputationdamagedcloud2 /klaUd/ verb 1 [T] to affect your abilityto think in a sensible way: Make sure thatyour feelings do not cloud your judgment.2 [T] to make something more complicatedor confusing: Unanswered questions havefurther clouded the issue. 3 [T] to spoil anevent 4 [I/T] if something such as glassclouds, or if something clouds it, it becomesdifficult to see throughPHRASAL VERB Æcloud "over to become darkerbecause gray clouds are forming in the skycloud•less / "klaUdlEs/ adj a cloudless sky hasno clouds in itcloud•y / "klaUdi/ adj 1 full of clouds 2 a cloudyliquid is not clearclout /klaUt/ noun [U] informal the authority tomake decisions, or the power to influenceevents: political/financial/economic cloutclove /kloUv/ noun [C] 1 a brown dried flowerBUD used for flavoring food 2 a section of aBULB of GARLICclo•ver / "kloUvEr/ noun [U] a small plant withleaves that have three round partsclown1 /klaUn/ noun [C] 1 a performer in aCIRCUS who wears funny clothes and does

Frequent collocations are shown in

examples

How to use the MACMILLAN

The most useful words for intermediate

learners are graded, based on a corpus of

over 200 million words

The 3,500 most important words for

intermediate learners to write and

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Common grammar patterns for

students to learn are featured

Simple, clear definitions are written

using just over 2,000 of the most

common words of the language

Phrases and phrasal verbs are given at

the end of the entry

Special vocabulary and grammar boxes

for building vocabulary and avoiding

common mistakes: categories include

‘word families’, ‘words that avoid

giving offence’, ‘other ways of saying

the word’, ‘words that should not be

confused’

25 clutch...........................................................silly things 2 someone who is stupid orannoyingclown2 /klaUn/ or Æclown a"round verb [I] todo funny or annoying thingsclub1 /klVb/ noun ���

1 society for activity 4 for hitting ball in golf2 sports team& staff 5 suit of playing cards3 place for dancing

1 [C] an organization for people who takepart in a particular activity, or the buildingthat they use: a sailing club � Why don’tyou join a chess club? � Are you a memberof the club?2 [C] a team of sports players and the staffwho work with them: the Watervillebaseball club3 [C] a place where you go in the evening todance and drinkCNIGHTCLUB4 [C] an object used for hitting the ball ingolfCGOLF CLUB5 clubs [plural] the suit (=group) of playingcards that has a pattern of three black ballson a black stem: the king of clubs —picture➔ C16club2 /klVb/ verb [T] to hit someone with aheavy objectclub•house / "klVbÆhaUs/ noun [C] the buildingused by members of a sports club

Æclub "soda noun [U]Americana clear drink madeby adding a gas to watercluck /klVk/ verb [I] if a chicken clucks, itmakes its usual short low sound —clucknoun [C]clue /klu/ noun [C] �1 an object or fact that helps someone tosolve a crime or mystery: Detectives werebrought in to help search for clues. � Policestill have no clues as to the identity of thekiller.2 a piece of information that helps you tounderstand something: His face gave her noclue to what he was thinking.3 a word or phrase provided to help you toguess the answer in a CROSSWORDPHRASE not have a clue informal to not knowor understand something: “What’s wrongwith him?” “I don’t have a clue.”clue•less / "klulEs/ adj informal someone who isclueless knows nothing or is stupidclump /klVmp/ noun [C] a group of trees orplants growing very close togetherclum•sy / "klVmzi/ adj 1 a clumsy person oftenhas accidents because they are not careful2 showing a lack of skill in judging peopleor situations 3 a clumsy object is too largeand heavy to be useful —clum•si•ly adv,clum•si•ness noun [U]clung the past tense and past participle of clingclus•ter1 / "klVstEr/ noun [C] a small group ofthings that are very close to one anotherclus•ter2 / "klVstEr/ verb [I] to form a smallclose groupclutch1 /klVtS/ verb [T] to hold someone orsomething firmlyclutch2 /klVtS/ noun 1 [C] a piece of equipmentin a vehicle that you press with your footwhen you change GEAR —picture ➔ C62 clutches [plural] power or control oversomeone: They left the country to escape theclutches of the secret police.

C

ESSENTIAL DICTIONARY

‘Menus’ in longer entries help you to

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Each meaning is numbered with the

most common sense shown first

Cross references to related words,

phrases and illustrations for developing

vocabulary

Thousands of synonyms and opposites

Comprehensive coverage of American

and British English spellings,

pronunciation and meaning

Helpful example sentences, based on

real-life spoken and written English,

show how and when the word is used

Stress patterns are shown where no

separate pronunciation is given

Up-to-date, learner-centered

pronunciations

C

160 crazycramp.....................................................................................................................study hard in order to learn a lot in a shorttimecramp /krœmp/ noun 1 [C] a sudden severepain in a tired muscle that becomes verytight 2 cramps [plural] American pains that awoman sometimes gets during her PERIODcramped /krœmpt/ adj small and crowded:cramped officescran•ber•ry / "krœnÆberi/ noun [C] a small sourred fruit: a glass of cranberry juicecrane1 /kreIn/ noun [C] 1 a very tall machinethat is used for moving heavy objects andfor building tall buildings 2 a large waterbird with long legs and a long neckcrane2 /kreIn/ verb [I/T] to stretch your neckout to try to see somethingcra•ni•um / "kreIniEm/ noun [C]medical yourSKULL

crank1 /krœNk/ noun [C] a piece of equipmentthat turns to make something move or startcrank2 /krœNk/

PHRASAL VERBS Æcrank "out informal toproduce things in large numbers withoutcaring about quality: He cranked out one hitsong after another.Æcrank sth "up informal to increase the level oramount of somethingcrank•y / "krœNki/ adj American informal easilyannoyedC IRRITABLE

craps /krœps/ noun [U] a game of DICE inwhich you risk moneycrash1 /krœS/ verb �

1 hit sth noisily 4make sudden noise2when vehicle hits sth 5when computer fails3when plane falls 6 of stock market

1 [I/T] to hit something hard and make aloud noise: A ball came crashing throughthe window. � The waves crashed againstthe rocks.2 [I] if a vehicle crashes, it hits something:Three people were killed when their carcrashed into a tree.3 [I/T] if a plane crashes, or if someonecrashes it, it falls from the sky4 [I] to make a sudden loud noise, as ifsomething is being hit5 [I] if a computer or a computer programcrashes, it suddenly stops working6 [I] if the STOCK MARKET crashes, its valuefalls suddenlycrash2 /krœS/ noun [C] �1 an accident that happens when a vehiclehits somethingCWRECK: He was seriouslyinjured in the crash. � It was the worst traincrash in thirty years.2 an occasion when a computer or acomputer program suddenly stops working3 a loud noise like the sound of thingshitting each other and breaking4 a sudden fall in prices or in the value ofthe STOCK MARKET

"crash Æcourse noun [C] a course of study inwhich you are taught a lot about a subjectin a short time

"crash Æhelmet noun [C] a hard round hat thatyou wear to protect your head while drivinga MOTORCYCLE or RACE CAR

Æcrash "landing noun [C] an occasion when anaircraft has to land in a sudden anddangerous way

crass /krœs/ adj offensive and not sensitiveto other people’s feelings —crass•ly advcrate /kreIt/ noun [C] a container for storingor moving thingscra•ter / "kreItEr/ noun [C] 1 the round hole atthe top of a VOLCANO 2 a large round holein the ground that is caused by an explosioncrave /kreIv/ verb [I/T] to feel a very strongneed that is hard to control: As a child hecraved attention.crav•ing / "kreIvIN/ noun [C] a very strongfeeling of wanting something: a craving forchocolatecrawl1 /krOl/ verb [I] 1 to move along theground on your hands and knees: Wecrawled through the bushes. 2 to moveforward very slowly: Traffic crawled alongthe main road. 3 if an insect crawls, it movesforward using its legs 4 if time crawls by,it seems to pass very slowlyPHRASE be crawling with 1 to be too full ofpeople: The town was crawling with police.2 to be full of unpleasant insects or animals

crawlcrawl2 /krOl/ noun [singular] 1 a very slowspeed 2 a style of swimming in which youmove one arm over your head and then theother while you are kicking your legscray•fish / "kreIÆfIS/ noun [C] a creature like asmall LOBSTERcray•on / "kreIÆAn/ noun [C] a stick of coloredWAX that is used for drawingcraze /kreIz/ noun [C] something thatsuddenly becomes very popular for a shorttimecrazed /kreIzd/ adj completely crazy anduncontrolledcra•zy / "kreIzi/ adj informal �� not at allsensible or practical: It’s crazy. Who woulddo a thing like that? � be crazy to do sth Sheknew she would be completely crazy torefuse.PHRASES crazy about sb very much in lovewith someonecrazy about sth very enthusiastic aboutsomethingdrive/make sb crazy to make someone veryannoyedgo crazy 1 to become very angry aboutsomething 2 to become very bored andupset 3 to become very excitedlike crazy to a very great degree: The gamesare selling like crazy.—cra•zi•ly advWords that may cause offense: crazyAvoid using words like crazy, and insane aboutpeople who have mental illnesses or mentalhealth problems. Instead, use an expressionsuch as mentally ill.

161 creepcreak.....................................................................................................................creak /krik/ verb [I] if something creaks, itmakes a high noise when it moves, or whenyou put weight on it —creak noun [C],creak•y adjcream1 /krim/ noun ��1 [C/U] a thick smooth substance that youput on your skin, for example when it isdry. Some medicines are in the form of acream.2 [U] a yellow-white color3 [U] a thick yellow-white liquid that istaken from the top of milkPHRASE the creamof the crop the best peopleor things of a particular type—cream•y adjcream2 /krim/ adj yellow-white in colorÆcream "cheese noun [U] a soft smooth whitecheese that you spread on bread and similarfoodscrease1 /kris/ noun [C] 1 a line made on clothor paper when it is folded or crushed 2 aline on someone’s skinCWRINKLE

crease2 /kris/ verb [I/T] to make lines on clothor paper by folding or crushing it, or tobecome covered in these linescreased /krist/ adj creased cloth or paper ismarked with a creasecre•ate /kri"eIt/ verb [T] ��� to makesomething new exist or happen: Hiscomments have created a lot of confusion. �

How do I create a new file? � In the last week,170 new jobs have been created. � He wasonly 22 when he created this masterpiece.cre•a•tion /kri"eIS(E)n/ noun ��1 [U] the act of creating something: Thegovernment is to provide more money for jobcreation. � the creation of new industries2 [C] something that has been created usingskill or imagination: Have you seen mylatest creation?cre•a•tive /kri"eItIv/ adj �1 involving a lot of imagination and newideas: Painting is a creative process. � thecreative use of technology in everyday life2having a lot of imagination and new ideas:The program offers children the chance tobe creative.—cre•a•tive•ly advcreÆative "writing noun [U] the activity ofwriting stories and poemscre•a•tiv•i•ty / ÆkrieI"tIvEti/ noun [U] the abilityto create new ideas or things using yourimagination: We want to encouragecreativity in our employees.cre•a•tor /kri"eItEr/ noun 1 [C] someone whohas created something 2 the Creator Godcrea•ture / "kritSEr/ noun [C] ��1 anything that lives except plants: a smallfurry creature2 an imaginary living thing that is strangeor frightening: The Gorgon was a mythicalcreature.cre•dence / "krid(E)ns/ noun give/lend/add

credence to sth formal to make people thinkthat something is likely to be truecre•den•tials /krE"denS(E)lz/ noun [plural]1 personal qualities, achievements, orexperiences that make someoneappropriate for something: His credentialsas a football coach are impressive.

2 documents that prove who you are, orthat show your qualificationscred•i•bil•i•ty / ÆkredI"bIlEti/ noun [U] qualitiesthat someone or something has that makepeople believe them or trust them: Thegovernment is losing credibility by its failureto act quickly.cred•i•ble / "kredIb(E)l/ adj 1 able to bebelieved or trusted: credible evidence2 considered likely to happen or likely tobe successful: a credible opponent/candidate —cred•i•bly advcred•it1 / "kredIt/ noun ��

1when you pay later 5money you pay in2money you can use 6whomade movie etc.3 praise for sth you did + PHRASES4 at college/university

1 [U] an arrangement to receive money froma bank, or receive goods from a store, andto pay for them later A DEBIT: I don’t likebuying things on credit. � Some supplierswill not offer credit to their customers.2 [C] an amount of money that you have aright to use: tax credits3 [U] praise for something that you havedone: He always takes the credit for myideas. � You deserve credit for all the helpyou gave us.4 [C] a part of a college or universityprogram that you have completedsuccessfully5 [C] an amount of money that you add toan account6 the credits [plural] a list at the beginning orend of a movie or television show thatshows the people who were involved inmaking itPHRASES be a credit to sb if you are a creditto someone, they should be proud of yougive sb credit for sth to believe that someoneis good at something, or that they have aparticular good qualityto sb’s credit used for saying that someonedeserves praise: Jane, to her credit, helpedthe woman without knowing the situation.cred•it2 / "kredIt/ verb [T] to add an amount ofmoney to an account A DEBIT: The moneywill be credited to your account.PHRASE credit sb with sth to believe thatsomeone has achieved something, or thatthey have particular good qualitiescred•it•a•ble / "kredItEb(E)l/ adj good enoughto deserve some praise or admiration

"credit Æcard noun [C] a small plastic card thatyou use to buy things now and pay for themlater

"credit Ælimit noun [C] the maximum amount ofmoney that a customer can borrow using aparticular credit cardcred•i•tor / "kredItEr/ noun [C] a person orcompany that is owed money by anotherperson or company A DEBTOR

creed /krid/ noun [C] formal a set of beliefscreek /krik, krIk/ noun [C] 1 a narrow stream2 a long narrow area of ocean that stretchesinto the landPHRASE be up the creek (without a paddle)informal to be in a difficult situationcreep1 /krip/ (past tense and past participle crept/krept/) verb [I] 1 to move slowly and quietly:

C

C

162 crisiscreep.....................................................................................................................Sue crept up the stairs. � The fog wascreeping across the bay. 2 to graduallyhappen or start: A smile crept over her face.PHRASAL VERB Æcreep "up on sb 1 if somethingcreeps up on you, it happens so graduallythat you do not notice it 2 to move towardsomeone quietly and slowly, so that theydo not hear youcreep2 /krip/ noun [C] informal an unpleasantpersonPHRASE give sb the creeps to make someonefeel nervous or frightenedcreep•y / "kripi/ adj informal unpleasant in away that makes you feel frightenedcre•mate /krE"meIt, "kriÆmeIt/ verb [T] to burnthe body of a dead person —cre•ma•tion/krE"meIS(E)n/ noun [C/U]cre•ma•to•ri•um / ÆkremE"tOriEm/ noun [C] abuilding where the bodies of dead peopleare crematedcrepe /kreIp/ noun 1 [C] a light thin PANCAKE2 [U] a light type of rubber 3 [U] a soft thincloth with small folds in its surface

Æcrepe "paper noun [U] thin paper thatstretches easily and is often used formaking decorationscrept the past tense and past participle ofcreep1cres•cen•do /krE"SendoU/ noun [C] a gradualincrease in sound in a piece of musiccres•cent / "krez(E)nt/ noun [C] a curved shapethat is wide in the middle and pointed atthe ends —picture ➔ C8crest /krest/ noun [C] 1 a set of feathers on thetop of the heads of some birds 2 the top of ahill, mountain, or wavecrest•fall•en / "krestÆfOlEn/ adj sad anddisappointedcre•vasse /krE"vœs/ noun [C] a very deep crackin rock or icecrev•ice / "krevIs/ noun [C] a narrow crack inrock or in a wallcrew /kru/ noun ��1 [C] the people who work on a ship, aircraft,etc.: All the passengers and crew on boardthe jet were killed.2 [C] the people on a military ship or aircraftwho are not officers3 [C] a group of people with a particularskill who work together: a movie crew � anambulance crew4 [C/U] the sport of ROWING boats in races,or a team of people who do thiscrew•man / "krumEn/ (plural crew•men/ "krumEn/) noun [C] a man who is a memberof the CREW of a ship, aircraft, etc.

"crew Æneck noun [C] a SWEATER with a roundneck —picture ➔ NECKLINE

crib /krIb/ noun [C] American a bed for a babywith tall bars at the sidescrick /krIk/ noun [C] a sudden pain in yourneck or back that you get when the musclesbecome stiffcrick•et / "krIkIt/ noun 1 [C] a brown insectthat makes a loud noise at night 2 [U] agame in which teams get points by hittinga ball with a bat and running between twosets of stickscried the past tense and past participle of cry1crime /kraIm/ noun ���1 [C] an illegal activity or action: She was

unaware that she had committed a crime.� It took police eight years to solve the crime(=find out who did it).2 [U] illegal activities in general: new lawsto help fight crime � The crime rate (=thenumber of crimes) in the city has risensharply. � Rising crime (=crime that isincreasing) is a key election issue.3 [singular] something that is bad, wrong, orunfair: It’s not a crime to be curious.

"crime Æwave noun [C] a sudden increase in thenumber of crimes in a particular areacrim•i•nal1 / "krImIn(E)l/ noun [C] �� someonewho has committed a crime: The programis designed to help former criminals findjobs.

Words often used with criminalAdjectives often used with criminal (noun)� habitual, hardened, known, notorious +

CRIMINAL: used about someone who hascommitted many crimes

crim•i•nal2 / "krImIn(E)l/ adj ��1 relating to illegal acts, or to the parts ofthe legal system that deal with crime:criminal behavior � a criminal investigation(=one that is dealing with a crime) � thecriminal justice system � a criminal offense2 bad, wrong, or unfair in a way that makesyou angry: That’s a criminal waste ofresources.crim•i•nal•ize / "krImIn(E)lÆaIz/ verb [T] to makean activity illegal by making a new law

Æcriminal "law noun [U] the system of laws thatdeals with crimes and the punishment ofcriminalscrim•i•nal•ly / "krImIn(E)li/ adv according tocriminal law: criminally insane

Æcriminal "record noun [C] an official list ofcrimes that someone has committedcrimp /krImp/ verb [T] 1 to make small foldsor wave shapes in something 2 Americaninformal to prevent something fromincreasing or developingcrim•son / "krImz(E)n/ adj dark purple-red incolorcringe /krIndZ/ verb [I] 1 to move back slightlyfrom something that is unpleasant orfrightening 2 to feel embarrassed orashamed about somethingcrin•kle / "krINk(E)l/ verb [I/T] if skin or clothcrinkles, or if you crinkle it, a lot of smallfolds appear in it —crin•kled / "krINk(E)ld/adj, crin•kly / "krINkli/ adjcrip•ple1 / "krIp(E)l/ verb [T] 1 to make someonephysically disabled 2 to destroy somethingor damage it severelycrip•ple2 / "krIp(E)l/ noun [C] offensive anoffensive word for someone who isphysically disabledcrip•pling / "krIplIN/ adj 1 causing severedamage or problems: crippling taxes2making someone physically disabled, orcausing them to have severe healthproblems: a crippling diseasecri•sis / "kraIsIs/ (plural cri•ses / "kraIÆsiz/) noun

[C/U] �� an urgent and difficult ordangerous situation: political crisis � Thenursing profession is in crisis. � the currentcrisis in the farming industry

163 cropcrisp.....................................................................................................................crisp1 /krIsp/ adj 1 crisp food is firm in apleasant way: a crisp apple/carrot 2 crispweather is pleasant because it is cold anddry: crisp night air 3 crisp cloth or paper issmooth, clean, and fresh: crisp sheetscrisp2 /krIsp/ noun [C] British a POTATO CHIP

crisp•y / "krIspi/ adj food that is crispy is firmin a pleasant waycriss•cross / "krIsÆkrOs/ verb 1 [I/T] to form apattern of straight lines that cross eachother 2 [T] to go across a place and backagain many times, taking a different patheach timecri•te•ri•a /kraI"tIriE/ (singular cri•te•ri•on/kraI"tIriEn/) noun [plural] � standards thatare used for judging something or formaking a decision about something:Everyone whose qualifications meet ourcriteria will be considered. � What criteriado you have for selecting patients fortreatment?crit•ic / "krItIk/ noun [C] �1 someone whose job is to give theiropinions about things such as books,movies, or plays2 someone who does not like something andstates their opinion about it: a critic of thegovernment’s tax proposalscrit•i•cal / "krItIk(E)l/ adj ��

1 saying sth is wrong 4 according to critics2 very important 5 considering carefully3 seriously sick/injured

1 expressing your opinion when you thinksomething is wrong or bad: Her father wasa very critical man. � Warren was criticalof the way she handled the affair.2 an event, time, or issue that is critical isvery important, often because it affects thefuture: a critical moment � Winning theaward is critical to our success.3 very seriously sick or injured: Six of thepatients were in critical condition.4 according to the book, movie, or theaterCRITICS: The show has won much criticalacclaim.5 considering something carefully anddeciding what is good or bad about it: acritical look at modern lifecrit•i•cal•ly / "krItIkli/ adv 1 extremely andseriously: critically ill 2 carefully judgingsomething: We teach children to thinkcritically. 3 in a way that shows that you donot like something: Nobody spoke criticallyof the government. 4 if a book, movie, orplay is critically acclaimed, it is said to begood by people whose job is to give theiropinion

Æcritical "mass noun [singular/U] the smallestnumber of people or things that are neededfor something to happencrit•i•cise / "krItIÆsaIz/ a British spelling ofcriticizecrit•i•cism / "krItIÆsIzEm/ noun ��1 [C/U] a comment or comments that showthat you think something is wrong or bad:a valid/fair criticism � criticism of theteam’s performance � The new plans drewfierce criticism from local people.2 [U] the activity of giving your professionalopinion about things such as new books,movies, or plays

Words often used with criticismAdjectives often used with criticism (sense 1)� fierce, outspoken, severe, strong +

CRITICISM: showing that you think thatsomething is very bad

crit•i•cize / "krItIÆsaIz/ verb [I/T] �� to say whatyou think is wrong or bad about something:We were told not to criticize the policypublicly. � criticize sb/sth for (doing) sth Thenew proposals have been criticized for notgoing far enough to change the system.

Word family: criticizeWords in the same family as criticize� critic n � criticism n� critical adj � uncritical adj� critically adv

cri•tique /krI"tik/ noun [C] a careful writtenexamination of a subject that includes thewriter’s opinions —cri•tique verb [T]crit•ter / "krItEr/ noun [C] American informal acreaturecroak /kroUk/ verb 1 [I] when a FROG croaks,it makes a low loud rough sound 2 [I/T] tospeak or say something in a low rough voice3 [I] very informal to die —croak noun [C]cro•chet /kroU"SeI/ verb [I/T] to makesomething with YARN using a large needlewith a hook on the endcroc•o•dile / "krAkEÆdaIl/ noun [C] a largeREPTILE with many sharp teeth that livesin water in hot countries —picture ➔ C13cro•cus / "kroUkEs/ noun [C] a small yellow,white, or purple flower that appears earlyin springcrois•sant /krwA"sAnt, krwA"sA/ noun [C] atype of light bread with a curved shapecro•ny / "kroUni/ noun [C] showing disapproval afriend or supporter of someone who ispowerfulcro•ny•ism / "kroUniÆIzEm/ noun [U] showingdisapproval the practice of giving jobs andother advantages to friendscrook /krUk/ noun [C] 1 informal someone whois dishonest or is a thief 2 the place wheresomething bends inward: the crook of yourarmcrook•ed / "krUkEd/ adj1not straight 2 informaldishonestCCORRUPT —crook•ed•ly advcroon /krun/ verb [I/T] to sing slowly in a softvoice —croon•er noun [C]crop1 /krAp/ noun �1 [C] a plant that is grown for food: They’reall out planting the crops today. � Japanbought large amounts of rice overseasbecause of a crop failure (=the crops didnot grow).2 [C] the amount of crops that are grown ina particular year: a good crop of potatoes �

Last year we had a bumper crop ofstrawberries (=a very large crop).3 [singular] several things that happen orexist at the same time: this summer’s cropof Hollywood movies � the current crop ofyoung playerscrop2 /krAp/ verb [T] to make somethingshorter or smaller by cutting itPHRASAL VERB Æcrop "up informal to appear orhappen suddenly or unexpectedlyCCOMEUP

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SHAPES• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

circle square triangle rectangle

diamond star crescent heart

oval parallelogram trapezoid trapezium

rhombus pentagon hexagon octagon

sphere

right angle obtuse angle

diam

eter

radius

circumference

horizontal

diagonal

parallel

vertical

acute angle

cone pyramid cylinder cube

palm tree

willow

holly

sycamore

chestnutoak

magnoliafir

redwood

pine

carnationdandelion

daisy

buttercup

fuchsia

hyacinth

geranium

lilyrose

daffodil

chrysanthemum

lupine

sunflower

orchid

irispoppy

tulip

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TREES AND FLOWERS• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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164 crowbarcroquet.....................................................................................................................cro•quet / "kroUki/ noun [U] a game in whichplayers hit balls through curved pieces ofmetal using long wooden hammerscross1 /krOs/ verb ���1 [I/T] to go from one side of something tothe other: She watched the children crossthe road. � It was dark when we crossed theFrench border.2 [I] if things such as roads or lines cross,they go across each otherC INTERSECT: thepoint where the two paths cross3 [T] to combine one type of animal or plantwith another to produce a genetic mix4 [T] if an expression crosses someone’s faceor lips, it appears there for a short timePHRASES cross your arms to put one armover the other in front of your body, so thateach hand is on the opposite elbowcross your fingers to put your middle fingerover your first finger as a wish for goodluckcross your legs to sit with one leg placed overthe other at the kneecross the line to go beyond accepted limitsor standards of behaviorcross sb’s mind if something crosses yourmind, you think of it, but not for very long:It suddenly crossed his mind that maybeStephanie had been right.PHRASAL VERBS Æcross sth "off to draw a linethrough something on a list to show thatyou have dealt with itÆcross sth "out to draw an X or a line throughwriting because it is wrong, or because youwant to write something else

crosscross2 /krOs/ noun ��1 [C] a shape or an object with one longstraight upright part and another shorterone across it, used as a symbol ofChristianity ➔ CRUCIFIXION

2 the Cross [singular] the structure on whichJesus Christ died according to the Bible3 [C] a mixture of two different types ofanimals, plants, or things: Most of theirmusic is a cross between jazz and rock.4 [C] British the symbol Xcross3 /krOs/ adj angrycross•bar / "krOsÆbAr/ noun [C] 1 the bar thatjoins the two upright posts of a goal 2 themetal bar between the seat and the front ofa bicyclecross•bow / "krOsÆboU/ noun [C] a weapon usedfor firing short heavy pointed sticks

Æcross-"country adj 1 going across thecountryside, not using tracks or roads2 from one side of a country to the other— Æcross-"country adv

Æcross-exami"nation noun [C] an occasionwhen someone is asked a lot of questions

by a lawyer during a trial — Æcross-ex"amineverb [T]cross-eyed / ÆkrOs "aId/ adj someone who iscross-eyed has eyes that look toward eachother slightlycross•fire / "krOsÆfaIr/ noun [U] 1 bullets thatcome from two directions 2 arguments orviolence that might affect people who arenot directly involvedcross•ing / "krOsIN/ noun [C] 1 a trip across ariver or ocean: a transatlantic crossing 2 aplace where you are allowed to crosssomething such as a road or border: apedestrian crossingcross-leg•ged / ÆkrOs "legEd/ adj, adv in asitting position on the floor, with yourknees bent and your lower legs crossingeach other —picture ➔ POSTURE

cross•o•ver / "krOsÆoUvEr/ noun [C] a changefrom one situation or style to another

Æcross "reference noun [C] a note in a book thattells you to look at another page for moreinformationcross•roads / "krOsÆroUdz/ (plural cross•roads)noun [C] 1 a place where one road crossesanother 2 a point in time when you have tomake an important decision about what todo next

"cross Æsection noun 1 [C/U] the inside of anobject that you can see by cutting throughthe middle of it, or a picture of this 2 [C] agroup that contains an example of mosttypes of people or things: a cross section ofthe city’s population

Æcross-"trainer noun [C] a piece of exerciseequipment that you stand on and moveyour legs and arms backward andforward —picture ➔ C16

"cross-Ætraining noun [U] the activity oftraining in more than one sport — Æcross-"train verb [I]cross•walk / "krOsÆwOk/ noun [C] American apainted path that people use for crossing astreetcross•word / "krOsÆw3rd/ or "crosswordÆpuzzle noun [C] a word game in which theanswers to questions are written in rows ofsquares that cross each othercrotch /krAtS/ noun [C] the area between yourlegs where they join your body, or the partof a piece of clothing that covers this areacrotch•et•y / "krAtSEti/ adj informal easilyannoyedcrouch /kraUtS/ verb [I] 1 to move your bodyclose to the ground by bending your kneesand leaning forward slightly: She croucheddown and spoke to the little boy. —picture➔ POSTURE 2 to lean forward with your headand shoulders bent: Five or six men werecrouched over the desk.crou•ton / "kruÆtAn/ noun [C] a small piece ofbread that is served on soup and in saladscrow1 /kroU/ noun [C] a large black bird thatmakes a loud soundcrow2 /kroU/ verb [I] 1 if a ROOSTER (=malechicken) crows, it makes a loud high noise2 to talk very proudly about something thatyou have doneCBOAST

crow•bar / "kroUÆbAr/ noun [C] a metal barwith a curved end, used for forcing thingsopen

165 crutchcrowd.....................................................................................................................crowd1 /kraUd/ noun ���1 [C] a large number of people in the sameplace: The boys disappeared into the crowd.� Crowds of people began making their wayto the station.2 [C] the audience at an event: He takes offhis shirt and the crowd goes wild.3 [singular] informal a group of friends: I spentan evening out with the usual crowd.crowd2 /kraUd/ verb 1 [I] to move to a placeat the same time as a lot of other people:We crowded into the kitchen. 2 [T] to fill aplace: Hundreds of people crowded thestreets.PHRASAL VERB Æcrowd sth "out to becomemore successful than another group so thatthey can no longer competecrowd•ed / "kraUdEd/ adj � containing a lotof people or things: a crowded street/train/restaurant � Was the pool crowded? � acrowded schedulecrown1 /kraUn/ noun [C]

1 on king’s/queen’s head 4 cover for tooth2 position of winner 5 unit of money3 top part of head/hat

1 a circular decoration that a king or queenwears on their head 2 the position of beingthe winner of an important sportscompetition: France lost their World Cupcrown. 3 the top part of your head or of ahat 4 a cover that is used to repair a tooth5 a unit of money used in some Europeancountriescrown2 /kraUn/ verb [T] 1 to make someone aking or queen: James III was crowned atKelso Abbey. 2 to give someone a title forwinning an important sports competition:Schumacher went on to be crowned worldchampion. 3 to put a cover on a tooth inorder to repair itcrown•ing / "kraUnIN/ adj better or greaterthan anything else: The garden is the hotel’scrowning glory.cru•cial / "kruS(E)l/ adj � extremely important:Your involvement is crucial to the successof the project. � The talks are consideredcrucial for ending the violence. � it is crucialthat It is crucial that all students developthese basic skills. —cru•cial•ly advcru•ci•fix / "krusIÆfIks/ noun [C] a model ofJesus Christ dying on a CROSS

cru•ci•fix•ion / ÆkrusI"fIkS(E)n/ noun [C/U] amethod of killing someone by crucifyingthemcru•ci•fy / "krusIÆfaI/ verb [T] 1 to kill someoneby fastening them to a CROSS with nails orrope 2 informal to criticize someone in a verycruel waycrude1 /krud/ adj 1 done or made using verysimple methodsCBASIC: a crude home-madebomb2 referring to sex in a way that offendspeople: crude languagecrude2 /krud/ or Æcrude "oil noun [U] oil thatis still in its natural statecru•el / "kruEl/ adj ��1 causing pain to people or animals: I can’tstand to see people being cruel to animals.2making someone unhappy or upset:Closing the school would be a cruel blow tothis community.—cru•el•ly adv

cru•el•ty / "kruElti/ noun [C/U] cruel behavior:cruelty to children/animals � the cruelties hewitnessed during the warcruise1 /kruz/ noun [C] a trip on a ship forpleasure, often visiting a series of placescruise2 /kruz/ verb [I] 1 to travel at a steadyspeed in a car or airplane 2 to sail in a shipfor pleasure 3 to achieve success easily in arace, game, or competition: The Ramscruised to victory this afternoon.

Æcruise "missile noun [C] a missile that iscontrolled by a computer and can travelvery long distancescruis•er / "kruzEr/ noun [C] 1 a fast militaryship 2 a large boat with a motor that is usedfor sailing in for pleasure 3 American informala police carcrumb /krVm/ noun [C] 1 a very small piecethat falls off a dry food such as bread orcake 2 a very small amount of somethingcrum•ble / "krVmb(E)l/ verb 1 [I/T] to break intovery small pieces, or to make somethingdo this: The soft earth crumbled under hisfeet. 2 [I] to stop existing or being effective:My determination crumbled as soon as I sawher.crum•ple / "krVmp(E)l/ verb 1 [I/T] to crushsomething so that it forms messy folds, orto be crushed in this way: I quickly crumpledup the letter and put it in my pocket. 2 [I] tofall to the ground suddenly, with your body,legs, and arms bent, because you areinjured, sick, or upsetPHRASAL VERB Æcrumple (sth) "up same ascrumple 1

crunch1 /krVntS/ verb 1 [I/T] to bite hard food,causing it to make a loud noise 2 [I] to makea noise like something being crushedcrunch2 /krVntS/ noun 1 [singular] the noisethat something makes when you crunch it2 [C] informal a situation that is very difficultbecause you do not have enough ofsomething, especially time or money: acredit/budget crunchcrunch•y / "krVntSi/ adj crunchy foods make aloud noise when you bite themcru•sade /kru"seId/ noun [C] an effort over along time to achieve something that youstrongly believe is rightCCAMPAIGN—cru•sad•er /kru"seIdEr/ noun [C]crush1 /krVS/ verb [T] 1 to press something sohard that you damage it or break it intosmall pieces —picture ➔ C2 2 to injure or killsomeone by pressing on them very hard3 to completely defeat an opponentcrush2 /krVS/ noun 1 [C] informal a strongfeeling of love for someone 2 [singular] acrowd of people in an area that is too smallfor themcrush•ing / "krVSIN/ adj 1 complete andachieved very easily: a crushing defeat/victory 2 very severe: It’s a crushing blowfor the president’s foreign policy.crust /krVst/ noun [C/U] 1 the hard brownedges of a piece of bread, or the outer partof a PIE 2 a hard layer on the surface ofsomethingcrust•y / "krVsti/ adj covered with a hardCRUST

crutch /krVtS/ noun 1 [C] a stick that fits underyour arm and that helps you to walk when

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166 cultivatedcrux.....................................................................................................................your leg or foot is injured 2 [singular] showingdisapproval something that you depend onfor support or helpcrux /krVks/ noun the crux (of sth) the mostimportant aspect of somethingcry1 /kraI/ (past tense and past participle cried/kraId/) verb [I/T] ���1 to have tears coming from your eyesbecause you are sad or hurt: I’m sorry –please don’t cry. � She was crying for hermother. � Don’t waste time crying over him.2 to shout something: “That’s not what Imeant,” Polly cried. � Ted could hear awoman crying for help.PHRASAL VERBS Æcry "out to make a loud noisebecause you are in pain or because you areafraid or shocked: The girl cried out inalarm.Æcry (sth) "out same as cry1 2: “Be careful!”Miss Lee cried out.Æcry "out for sth to need something a lot in away that is obvious: This room is cryingout for some new furniture.cry2 /kraI/ noun [C] 1 a loud expression ofemotion: a cry of pain 2 something thatsomeone shouts: There was a cry of “Fire!”3 the noise that an animal or bird makesPHRASE be a far cry from informal to be verydifferent from someone or somethingcrypt /krIpt/ noun [C] a room where deadpeople are buried, usually under a churchcryp•tic / "krIptIk/ adj expressing somethingin a mysterious or indirect waycrys•tal / "krIst(E)l/ noun 1 [U] very goodquality glass 2 [C] a regular shape withmany sides that is formed when a substancebecomes solid: ice/salt/sugar crystals 3 [C/U]a clear rock that looks like glass

Æcrystal "ball noun [C] a glass ball that somepeople believe can show the future

Æcrystal "clear adj 1 completely transparent andvery bright 2 extremely obvious or easy tounderstandcrys•tal•lize / "krIst(E)lÆaIz/ verb [I/T]1 to changeinto CRYSTALS, or to make somethingchange into CRYSTALS 2 to become definiteor easily understood, or to make somethingdefinite or easily understoodC-sec•tion / "si ÆsekS(E)n/ noun [C/U] a CESAREANCT abbrev Connecticutcub /kVb/ noun [C] a young bear, lion, or otherwild animalcube1 /kjub/ noun [C] 1 an object like a boxwith six square sides that are all the samesize —picture ➔ C8 2 the cube of sth technicalthe result of multiplying a number by itselftwice: The cube of 2 is 8.cube2 /kjub/ verb [T] 1 technical to multiply anumber by itself twice 2 to cut somethinginto cubesCDICE

cu•bic / "kjubIk/ adj cubic units are used formeasuring VOLUME (=the amount of spacein an object)cu•bi•cle / "kjubIk(E)l/ noun [C] a smallenclosed area in a room

"Cub ÆScouts, the noun American the division ofthe BOY SCOUTS for the youngest boyscuck•oo / "kUÆku/ noun [C] a bird that leavesits eggs in other birds’ NESTS and makes acall that sounds like its namecu•cum•ber / "kjuÆkVmbEr/ noun [C/U] a long,

dark green vegetable that is usually eatenraw in salads —picture ➔ C11cud•dle1 / "kVd(E)l/ verb [I/T] to put your armsaround someone and hold them close toshow that you like or love themPHRASAL VERB Æcuddle "up to sit or lie withyour body against someone else’s becauseyou want to feel warm or lovedcud•dle2 / "kVd(E)l/ noun [C] an act of cuddlingsomeonecud•dly / "kVdli/ adj soft and pleasant tocuddlecue /kju/ noun [C] 1 an event, action, orstatement that shows someone what theyshould do: Greg’s arrival seemed to be thecue for everyone to get up and start dancing.2 something that an actor does or says as asignal to another actor to do or saysomething 3 a long thin stick that you usefor hitting the ball in games such as POOLPHRASES (right) on cue often humorous atexactly the right moment, or exactly whenyou expecttake your cue from sb to behave in the sameway as someone elsecuff1 /kVf/ noun [C] the part of a sleeve thatfits around your wrist ➔ OFF-THE-CUFFcuff2 /kVf/ verb [T] informal to HANDCUFFsomeonecui•sine /kwI"zin/ noun [C/U] a particular styleof cooking: Thai/Italian cuisinecul-de-sac / ÆkVl dE "sœk, ÆkUl dE "sœk/ noun [C]a short street that is closed at one endcu•li•nar•y / "kjulIÆneri, "kVlIÆneri/ adj relatingto food and how to cook itcull1 /kVl/ verb [T] 1 to collect something suchas information from different places 2 tokill animals in order to stop the populationfrom becoming too largecull2 /kVl/ noun [C] an act of culling animalscul•mi•nate / "kVlmIÆneIt/ PHRASAL VERB"culminate in sth to have or lead to animportant result: A series of financialdisasters culminated in the collapse of thecountry’s largest bank.cul•mi•na•tion / ÆkVlmI"neIS(E)n/ noun [singular]the final result of a process or situationcul•pa•ble / "kVlpEb(E)l/ adj formal responsiblefor doing something bad or illegalcul•prit / "kVlprIt/ noun [C] 1 someone who isresponsible for doing something bad orillegal 2 the cause of something bad thathappenscult1 /kVlt/ noun [C] 1 a religious group withbeliefs that most people consider strangeor dangerous 2 extreme admiration forsomeone or something: the cult of beautycult2 /kVlt/ adj very popular with a particulargroup of people: a cult figure/hero/moviecul•ti•vate / "kVltIÆveIt/ verb [T] 1 to prepareland for growing crops or plants 2 to growcrops or plants: Rice is cultivated throughoutthe coastal regions. 3 to develop something:He’s trying to cultivate a more caringimage. —cul•ti•va•tion / ÆkVltI"veIS(E)n/ noun[U]cul•ti•vat•ed / "kVltIÆveItEd/ adj 1 a cultivatedperson is well educated and knows how tobehave politely 2 cultivated land is used forgrowing crops or plants 3 cultivated plants

167 curlcultural.....................................................................................................................are developed from wild plants and grownon farms or in gardenscul•tur•al / "kVltSErEl/ adj ��1 relating to the culture of a particulargroup, country, or society: culturaldiversity � the cultural traditions of oursociety2 relating to music, literature, and otherarts: During the summer New York offers avariety of cultural events. � The countryenjoys a rich cultural life.—cul•tur•al•ly advcul•ture / "kVltSEr/ noun ���1 [U] activities involving music, literature,and other arts: If you’re looking for culture,then Paris is the place for you. � Mexico’sliterary culture2 [C/U] science a group of bacteria or cells thathave been grown in a scientific experiment,or the process by which they are grown3 [C/U] a set of ideas, beliefs, and ways ofbehaving: societies that share the samelanguage and culture � The two firms havevery different corporate cultures. � Someorganizations encourage a culture ofsecrecy.4 [C] a society that has its own set of ideas,beliefs, and ways of behaving: people fromdifferent cultures � ancient culturescul•tured / "kVltSErd/ adj well educated andpoliteCREFINED

cum•ber•some / "kVmbErsEm/ adj1 complicated, slow, and difficult to use2 large, heavy, and difficult to move or carrycu•mu•la•tive / "kjumjEÆleItIv, "kjumjElEtIv/ adjdeveloping or increasing gradually as aresult of more and more additions: Westudied the cumulative effect of long periodsof stress on the body.cun•ning1 / "kVnIN/ adj good at tricking orcheating people —cun•ning•ly advcun•ning2 / "kVnIN/ noun [U] the use of clevermethods for tricking or cheating peoplecup1 /kVp/ noun [C] ���1 a small round container for a drink,usually with a handle: She filled my cupwith hot tea.2 the drink contained in a cup: I’ve alreadyhad two cups. � Would you like a cup ofcoffee?3 the amount that a cup contains, used inthe U.S. as a unit for measuring quantitiesof food when you are cooking: Mix one cupof sugar with three cups of flour.4 a large round metal container with twohandles given as a prize to the winner of acompetition, or the competition for whichthis prize is given: the winners of the WorldCup

teacupmug

coffee cup

cups

cup2 /kVp/ verb [T] to hold something in yourhands, with your hands in a curved shapecup•board / "kVbErd/ noun [C] a piece offurniture that is used for storing things,with shelves inside and one or two doors atthe frontcup•cake / "kVpÆkeIk/ noun [C] a small roundcakecup•ful / "kVpÆfUl/ noun [C] the amount ofsomething that a cup containscur•a•ble / "kjUrEb(E)l/ adj possible to cureA INCURABLE

cu•ra•tor /kjE"reItEr/ noun [C] someone whosejob is to take care of the objects in amuseumcurb1 /k3rb/ noun [C] 1 American the edge of aSIDEWALK (=path built beside a road) thatis closest to the road 2 a rule or control thatstops or limits somethingcurb2 /k3rb/ verb [T] to control or limitsomething that is harmful or may causeproblems: efforts to curb inflationcurd /k3rd/ noun [C/U] the solid substance thatforms in milk when it becomes sourcur•dle / "k3rd(E)l/ verb [I/T] if milk or anotherliquid curdles, or if something makes itcurdle, lumps begin to form in itcure1 /kjUr/ noun [C] �1 a medicine or treatment that makes a sickperson healthy: Doctors say there areseveral possible cures. � There’s no cure forthe disease.2 a solution to a problem: It’s the onlypossible cure for high unemployment.cure2 /kjUr/ verb [T] 1 to stop someone frombeing affected by an illness: Only anoperation will cure her. � The disease is easyto prevent but almost impossible to cure. 2 tosolve a problem 3 to preserve meat, fish, orother foods by drying them, or by usingsmoke or saltcur•few / "k3rÆfju/ noun [C] a period of timeduring which people must not go outsideaccording to an order from the governmentcu•ri•os•i•ty / ÆkjUri"AsEti/ noun 1 [U] a strongfeeling of wanting to find out aboutsomething 2 [C] something that is unusualand interestingcu•ri•ous / "kjUriEs/ adj �1wanting to find out about something:People were curious to know why theaccident happened. � Children are curiousabout animals and how they live.2 unusual and interesting: He felt a curiousmixture of happiness and fear. � It is curiousthat you’ve never mentioned this before.—cu•ri•ous•ly / "kjUriEsli/ advcurl1 /k3rl/ verb 1 [I/T] to form a curved orround shape, or to give something thisshape: As she talked, she curled a strand ofhair on one finger. 2 [I] to move in a curvingor twisting way: Smoke curled from tallchimneys. 3 [I] to curve up or down at theedges: The pages had begun to yellow andcurl.PHRASAL VERB Æcurl "up to sit or lie in acomfortable position, with your legs bentand close to your bodycurl2 /k3rl/ noun [C] 1 a section of hair thatforms a curved shape 2 something long andthin that has a curved shape: a curl of smoke

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168 cutcurler.....................................................................................................................curl•er / "k3rlEr/ noun [C] a plastic or metaltube that you wrap your hair around inorder to curl itCROLLER

curl•y / "k3rli/ adj forming curves: curly haircur•rant / "kVrEnt/ noun [C] a small round fruitthat may be red, black, or whitecur•ren•cy / "kVrEnsi/ noun ��1 [C/U] the money that is used in a particularcountry: Russian currency2 [U] the state of being accepted or used bymany people: The idea of withdrawing fromthe war has gained wide currency.cur•rent1 / "kVrEnt/ adj ���1 happening or existing now: Production islikely to remain at current levels. � Thereare several reasons for the current politicalsituation.2 believed or used by many people now:current thinking on prison reform � currentmethods of funding research3 correct or legal now: Is this your currentaddress? � a current licensecur•rent2 / "kVrEnt/ noun 1 [C] a strongmovement of water or air in one direction2 [C/U] a flow of electricity

Æcurrent af "fairs noun [plural] political, social,and economic events that are happeningnowcur•rent•ly / "kVrEnt(E)li/ adv ��� at thepresent time: Davis is currently appearingin a Broadway play. � the largest memorychips currently availablecur•ric•u•lum /kE"rIkjElEm/ noun [C] �� thesubjects that students study at a particularschool or college: the science curriculum �

curriculum planning/developmentcur•ry / "kVri/ noun [C/U] an Indian foodconsisting of meat, fish, or vegetablescooked in a sauce with a hot flavorcurse1 /k3rs/ verb 1 [I] to use offensive orimpolite language: She looked at her watch,cursed, and ran for a taxi. 2 [T] to say orthink offensive or impolite words aboutsomeone or something: She cursed herselffor being such a fool. 3 [T] to use magicpowers to make bad things happen tosomeonecurse2 /k3rs/ noun [C] 1 an offensive orimpolite word or phrase 2 the words thatare used for causing bad luck 3 anunpleasant situation or influencecur•sor / "k3rsEr/ noun [singular] a smallflashing line on a computer screen that youmove to mark the point where you are goingto type or do somethingcur•so•ry / "k3rsEri/ adj formal quick and notthoroughC SUPERFICIAL: a cursoryexamination/searchcurt /k3rt/ adj using few words in a way thatshows that you are impatient or angryCBRUSQUE —curt•ly advcur•tail /k3r"teIl/ verb [T] formal to reduce orlimit somethingcur•tain / "k3rt(E)n/ noun ���1 [C] a long piece of cloth that hangs downto cover a window: She closed the curtains.� Open the curtains and let some light in.2 [C] a large piece of cloth that hangs infront of the stage in a theater, or thatdivides one part of a room from another:

The audience cheered wildly as the curtainrose.3 [singular/U] a large amount of a substancethat is too thick to see through: A darkcurtain of cloud hung over the valley.curt•sy or curt•sey / "k3rtsi/ noun [C] a formalgreeting in which a woman bends herknees with one leg behind the other—curt•sy verb [I]curve1 /k3rv/ noun [C] a shape or line with agradual smooth bendcurve2 /k3rv/ verb [I/T] to form a curve, or tomake something form a curvecurved /k3rvd/ adj forming a curvecush•ion1 / "kUS(E)n/ noun [C] 1 a cloth bagfilled with something soft, used for makinga seat more comfortable 2 something thatgives protection against the effects ofsomething badcush•ion2 / "kUS(E)n/ verb [T] to protect aperson or thing from the harmful effects ofsomethingcuss /kVs/ verb [I/T] informal to swearcus•tard / "kVstErd/ noun [C/U] a soft firm sweetfood made from milk, eggs, and sugarcus•to•di•al sen•tence /kVÆstoUdiEl"sent(E)ns/ noun [C] legal a punishment thatinvolves sending someone to prisoncus•to•di•an /kV"stoUdiEn/ noun [C] 1 Americansomeone whose job is to clean a buildingand to fix things that are broken 2 someonewho is responsible for something valuablecus•to•dy / "kVstEdi/ noun [U] 1 the protectionor care of someone or something, especiallygiven by a court: The father was givencustody of the children.2a situation in whichsomeone is kept in prison: One of the menis still in custody.cus•tom / "kVstEm/ noun [C/U] �� somethingthat people do that is traditional or usual:local customs and traditions ➔ HABIT

➔ CUSTOMS

cus•tom•ar•y / "kVstEÆmeri/ adj usual—cus•tom•ar•i•ly /kVstE"merEli/ adv

Æcustom-"built adj designed and built for oneparticular personcus•tom•er / "kVstEmEr/ noun [C] ���1 a person or company that buys goods orservices: Supermarkets use a variety oftactics to attract customers. � customerservices/relations/support � Discounts areavailable for our regular customers.2 informal a particular type of person: a coolcustomer � a tricky/awkward/toughcustomercus•tom•ize / "kVstEÆmaIz/ verb [T] to changethe way that something looks or works sothat it is exactly what you want or need

Æcustom-"made adj designed and made for oneparticular personcus•toms / "kVstEmz/ noun [plural] 1 the placeat a port, airport, or border where officialscheck that people are not bringing anythinginto a country illegally 2 a governmentdepartment that collects taxes on goods thatpeople bring into a countrycut1 /kVt/ (past tense and past participle cut) verb

[T] ���

1 use knife/sharp tool 5 stop sth working2 injure part of body + PHRASES3 reduce sth + PHRASAL VERBS4 remove parts of sth

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WORD FORMATIONWord Families

Look at this group of words anddecide what they have in common:

ability disabilitydisabled enableinability unable

All of the above words are formedfrom—and are related to—theadjective able. So we can call able the“root word” from which all theseother words are developed. Can youguess which word is the root word forthis next group?

destroyer destructivedestruction indestructible

All these words are formed from theroot word destroy. We call thesegroups of related words “wordfamilies.” Like members of realfamilies, the words that make up aword family share some of the samefeatures: they all share some of theletters of the root word, and theirmeanings are related too.

ACTIVITYLook at the following groups of wordsand try to decide in each case whatthe root word is. The answers are onpage LS19. Then try to guess themeaning of each word. Check in thedictionary to see if you are right.

discomfort uncomfortablecomfortable comforting

decision decisiveundecided indecisiveindecision

impure purifypurist impurity

How Are Words Formed?

Many English words are formed fromcombinations of other words, or fromcombinations of words and prefixes orsuffixes. So if you know what each ofthe parts means, you will often be ableto guess the meaning of a new word.

What Are Prefixes andSuffixes?A prefix is added to the beginning of aword to make another word. A prefixcan be either a short word, or a groupof letters that is not a word. Anexample of the first type is self-.Self- means “yourself” or “itself,” soif you are self-employed, you workfor yourself, and if something self-destructs, it destroys itself. Anexample of the second type is non-,which means “not.” So a nonviolentprotest is a protest that does notinvolve violence.

A suffix is added to the end of a wordto make another word. A suffix can beeither a short word, or a group ofletters that is not a word. An exampleof the first type is -rich, which isadded to nouns to make adjectives fordescribing something that “contains alot” of something. So oil-rich rocksare full of oil, and vitamin-rich foodscontain a lot of vitamins. An exampleof the second type is -ish, whichmeans “slightly” or “rather.” Sogreenish water looks slightly green.

ACTIVITYLook at the words in bold in thefollowing sentences and see if you canguess what they mean. After you haveguessed, you can check the meaningsin the dictionary. All the prefixes andsuffixes used in these sentences (andshown here in red) have their ownentries in the dictionary.

The software is overpriced anddoesn’t offer anything more than itsrivals.

Local residents are calling for thepolice to crack down on antisocialbehavior by troublemakers, some ofwhom are as young as ten.

E-commerce now accounts for 84percent of the company’s sales.

The machines are very user-friendly and they tell you how hardyou are working and how manycalories you have used up.

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Language Study LS19.....................................................................................................................The new district health boards willbe required to act in an efficient andbusinesslike way.

ACTIVITYSee if you can make some more wordsusing these prefixes and suffixes.Check in the dictionary to see if yourwords are there.

CompoundsUsing prefixes and suffixes is not theonly way to form new words. ManyEnglish words are compounds.Compounds are formed by combiningtwo or three words. Sometimes thesecombinations remain as two or threeseparate words and sometimes theycombine to form one new word. Forexample, the word troublemakers inthe second example above has beenformed by combining the two nounstrouble and maker. This has createda new word meaning “someone whomakes (=causes) trouble.”

Most compounds are treated asseparate entries in this dictionary, sothat you can see immediately that theyhave a meaning of their own that isdifferent from the meanings of thewords from which they are formed.Sometimes these meanings are easyto guess. For example, a bus stop isa place where buses stop to pick uppassengers, and a bookstore is aplace where you buy books. However,a soap opera does not contain anysinging and has nothing to do withsoap: it is a television or radio showthat is broadcast several times a week,and tells the story of the lives of agroup of ordinary people.

Other Ways of FormingWordsSome new words are formed bycombining part of one word with partof another. For example, brunch is ameal you eat in the late morning thatcombines breakfast and lunch, andedutainment is something such as avideo, television program, or softwareprogram that combines educationand entertainment.

ACTIVITYCan you guess which words havecombined to form the followingcomputer terms: emoticon,netiquette, netizen, technophobe?

And can you guess their meaningsfrom the words that have combinedto form them? The answers are at thebottom of this page.

Other new words are formed from thefirst letters of the words in acompound or phrase. Examples of thisare CD-ROM (compact disc read-onlymemory), FAQs (frequently-askedquestions), and IT (informationtechnology). These new words arecalled acronyms.

ACTIVITYThink about how new words areformed in your own language. Arethey formed mainly by using prefixesand suffixes, by combining words toform compounds, by means ofacronyms, or in other ways?

Spelling Note:Words that are formedfrom combinations of other words,whether these are compounds orwords formed from prefixes orsuffixes, are often written in severaldifferent ways. You may see themwritten as separate words, or withhyphens, or as single words. Forexample: hard hat, hard-hat, orhardhat. Although one form is oftenmore frequent than others, youshouldn’t worry too much aboutwhich is correct. If you want to besure, write the word using the formthat you find in this dictionary.

ANSWERS

Therootwordsarecomfort,decide,pureemoticon:emotion+icon(=asymbolsuchas:-)or:-(thatyoutypeinane-mailortextmessagetoshowhowyouarefeeling)netiquette:Internet+etiquette(=therulesofpolitebehavior,usedwhencommunicatingwithpeopleontheInternet)netizen:Internet+citizen(=someonewhospendsalotoftimeusingtheInternet)technophobe:technology+-phobe(=someonewhodoesnotliketousenewtechnology,especiallycomputers)

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