UNITS 3&4 • PAT Flashcards
gain access to someone/something
collocation
1. to be able to arrive at or get inside a place
* “People could not gain access to the town because the bridge had been washed away in the floods.”
* “To gain access to the site, festival-goers have to pass through security.”
2. to be able to see or speak to a person
* “Some non-custodial parents struggle to gain access to their children after a divorce or separation.”
* “If you want to gain access to her, you’ll need to talk to her publicist first.”
3. to be able to use or obtain something
* “They have now gained access to safe drinking water.”
* “The thief gained access to her credit card.”
4. to open a computer file, a website, etc. in order to look at or change information in it
* “They were told that a firewall would stop hackers gaining access to their computer network.”
wheelchair access
noun
1. a method by which someone can enter or leave a place in a wheelchair
* “The Disability Discrimination Act requires businesses to provide ramps for wheelchair access.”
make a break
phrase
1. to stop having a close relationship with someone, especially stop living with them, or to change a course of action that you have had for a long time
* “You’ve been in your job for years - it’s time you made a break.”
* “She promised that her presidency would make a break with the past.”
* “For anyone looking to make a break from city life, this must be the perfect place.”
coffee break
uk |ˈkɒf.i ˌbreɪk| us |ˈkɑː.fi ˌbreɪk|
noun
1. a short rest from work in the morning or afternoon
change your mind
phrase
1. to form a new opinion or make a new decision about something that is different from your old one
* “If you change your mind about coming tonight, just give me a call.”
* “When I first met him I didn’t like him but I’ve changed my mind.”
* “George didn’t want to come, but we persuaded him to change his mind.”
* “I’m thinking of studying psychology, but I keep changing my mind.”
* “They had planned to go ahead with the court hearings that week, but lack of space forced them to change their minds.”
undergo
uk |ˌʌn.dəˈɡəʊ| us |ˌʌn.dɚˈɡoʊ|
verb
1. to experience something that is unpleasant or something that involves a change
* “She underwent an operation on a tumour in her left lung last year.”
* “Playing board games is undergoing a revival in popularity.”
clockwork
uk |ˈklɒk.wɜːk| us |ˈklɑːk.wɝːk|
noun
1. a system of springs and wheels that you wind (= turn) with a key or handle to make some clocks, toys, and other devices operate
* “a clockwork train/mouse”
date from something
uk |deɪt| us |deɪt|
verb
1. to have existed since a particular time
* “This map dates from the 14th century.”
date back to something
collocation
1. to have existed since a particular time
* “The house is said to date back to the seventeenth century.”
* “This method of calculation dates back to the days before computers.”
demand
uk |dɪˈmɑːnd| us |dɪˈmænd|
verb
1. to ask for something forcefully, in a way that shows that you do not expect to be refused
* “I demanded an explanation.”
* “The union is demanding a seven percent pay rise this year.”
* “[demand something from someone] He has always demanded the highest standards of behaviour from his children.”
* ”[+ speech] “And where do you think you’re going?” demanded the police officer.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] I demand to see the manager.”
* ”[+ that] She demanded that he return the books he borrowed from her.”
2. to need something such as time, effort, or a particular quality
* “This is a very difficult piece of music to play - it demands a lot of concentration.”
* “[demanded of] He seems to lack many of the qualities demanded of (= needed by) a successful politician.”
demand
uk |dɪˈmɑːnd| us |dɪˈmænd|
noun
1. a strong request [C]
* “You can’t give in to children’s demands all the time.”
* “[demand for] The government is unlikely to agree to the rebels’ demands for independence.”
* “They received a demand for payment.”
in demand
collocation
1. If someone or something is in demand, many people want or need to have or to buy them
* “Good teachers are always in demand.”
* “With salt stocks extremely low, these shipments are in great demand.”
* “Specialists find their services in high demand.”
on demand
idiom
1. at any time that someone wants or needs something
* “We tend to watch movies on demand via streaming services.”
* “It is now possible to print books on demand.”
* “The heat-controlled implant delivers insulin on demand.”
* “Information in any organization should be available on demand.”
* “Many fertility clinics offer embryo screening on demand.”
on-demand
uk |ˌɒn.dɪˈmɑːnd| us |ˌɑːn.dɪˈmænd|
adjective
1. available when a customer wants or asks for something
* “They will sell a voice recognition product as an add-on, on-demand service for their users.”
* “In the library’s warehouse, robots would manage stock and fetch books on an on-demand basis.”
2. involved in or relating to providing services when a customer wants or asks for them
* “The on-demand economy works by taking a service, such as meal delivery or taxis, and using technology to connect suppliers with consumers.”
* “HBO says that its on-demand business is not dominated by its hit shows but by the niche interests of its audience.”
3. able to be watched at any time
* “Most people in this region do not even have television, let alone on-demand movies.”
on-demand
uk |ˌɒn.dɪˈmɑːnd| us |ˌɑːn.dɪˈmænd|
noun
1. a service for watching films or TV programmes at any time
* “Cable customers pay an extra $6.95 a month for on-demand.”
energy
uk |ˈen.ə.dʒi| us |ˈen.ɚ.dʒi|
noun
1. the power and ability to be physically and mentally active [U]
* “Since I started eating more healthily I’ve got so much more energy.”
* “[have the energy] I was going to go out this evening, but I just haven’t got the energy.”
* ”[+ to infinitive] I didn’t even have the energy to get out of bed.”
* “[approving] Her writing is full of passion and energy (= enthusiasm).”
know
uk |nəʊ| us |noʊ|
verb
1. to have information in your mind [I/T, not continuous]
* "”Where did he go?” “I don’t know.””
* "”What does it cost?” “Ask Kate. She’ll know.””
* “She knows the name of every kid in the school.”
* “I don’t know anything about this.”
* ”[+ question word] We don’t know when he’s arriving.”
* “I don’t know (= understand) what all the fuss is about.”
* ”[+ (that)] I just knew (that) it was going to be a disaster.”
* “She knew (= was aware) (that) something was wrong.”
* ”[+ obj + to infinitive] Even small amounts of these substances are known to cause skin problems.”
* “[formal] The authorities know him to be (= know that he is) a cocaine dealer.”
2. used to ask someone to tell you a piece of information [T not continuous]
* “Do you know the time?”
* ”[+ question word] Do you know where the Post Office is?”
3. to be certain [I/T, not continuous]
* ”[+ (that)] I know (that) she’ll be really pleased to hear the news.”
* ”[+ question word] I don’t know whether I should tell her or not.”
* “The party is at Sarah’s house as/so far as I know (= I think but I am not certain).”
4. to be familiar with or have experience and understanding of [T not continuous]
* “I’ve known Daniel since we were at school together.”
* “She grew up in Paris so she knows it well.”
* “I’ve seen the film “Casablanca” so many times that I know a lot of it by heart (= I know it in my memory).”
* “Knowing Karen (= from my experience of her in the past), she’ll have done a good job.”
* “[formal] I have known (= experienced) great happiness in my life.”
5. If you know a subject, you are familiar with it and understand it [I/T, not continuous (also know about)]
* “Do you know about computers?”
* “She knows her subject inside out (= very well).”
6. If you know a language, you can speak and understand it [T not continuous]
* “Do you know any French?”
7. to recognize someone or something [T not continuous]
* “That’s Peter alright - I’d know him anywhere!”
* “I know a bargain when I see one.”
know all there is to know about something
idiom
1. to know a lot about a subject or activity, or be very good at it
lead off
uk |liːd| us |liːd|
verb
1. to begin to speak, usually as the first person to speak
* “I want to lead off by thanking everyone for coming.”
2. in baseball, to be the first player to try to hit the ball in a match or an inning (= period of play)
* “He will play second base and lead off.”
* “He led off the third inning with a home run.”
3. in a relay race, to be the person who starts the race for your team
* “They chose their strongest swimmer to lead off.”
* “Williams will lead off for the strong Canadian sprint relay team.”
lead-off
uk |ˈliːd.ɒf| us |ˈliːd.ɑːf|
adjective
1. first in a series of things
* “Who swam the lead-off leg of the race?”
* “the lead-off topic/question”
lead
uk |liːd| us |liːd|
verb
1. to control a group of people, a country, or a situation [I/T]
* “I think we’ve chosen the right person to lead the expedition.”
* “I’ve asked Gemma to lead the discussion.”
* “Who will be leading the inquiry into the accident?”
2. (especially in sports or other competitions) to be in front, to be first, or to be winning [I/T]
* “[lead by] After 30 minutes the challengers were leading by two goals.”
* “With two laps to go Ngomo led by less than two seconds.”
* “The Lions are leading the Hawks 28–9.”
3. to cause someone to do something, especially something bad [T]
* ”[+ to infinitive] The brochure led me to believe that the price included home delivery.”
* “[be easily led] It’s worrying that such a prominent politician is so easily led.”
* “[lead someone astray] He was a weak man, led astray by ambition.”
4. to show the way to a group of people, animals, vehicles, etc. by going in front of them [I]
* “I don’t know the way, so you’d better lead.”
* “If you lead in the jeep, we’ll follow behind on the horses.”
5. To lead a group of moving people or vehicles is to walk or drive in front of them [T]
* “The local youth band will lead the parade this weekend.”
* “A large black hearse led the funeral procession.”
6. to take someone somewhere, by going with them [T usually + adv/prep]
* “She led them down the hall.”
* “[lead someone to something] The waiter led us to our table.”
* “Our guide led us through the mountains.”
7. to take hold of a person or animal and take him, her, or it somewhere [T usually + adv/prep]
* “She took the child by the hand and led him upstairs to bed.”
* “He led the horse out of the stable.”
lead
uk |liːd| us |liːd|
noun
1. a winning position during a race or other situation where people are competing [S uk Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio /liːd/ us Your browser doesn’t support HTML5 audio /liːd/]
* “[in the lead] For the first time in the race, Harrison is in the lead.”
* “[move into the lead] With a final burst of speed she moved into the lead.”
* “[go into the lead] United almost went into the lead in the first five minutes.”
* “[take the lead] After last night’s win, Johnson has taken the lead in the championship table.”
* “[lead of] By the end of the day’s play Davies had a lead of three points.”
2. the act of showing a person or group of people what to do [C usually singular]
* “[follow someone’s lead] We’ll go through the dance routine again - follow my lead (= do what I do).”
3. a piece of information that allows a discovery to be made or a solution to be found [C]
* “A lead from an informer enabled the police to make several arrests.”
lead
uk |liːd| us |liːd|
adjective
1. used to describe the main performer or part in a performance
* “[lead role] Who played the lead role in the film?”
* “The lead guitarist was good.”
link
uk |lɪŋk| us |lɪŋk|
noun
1. a connection between two people, things, or ideas
* “There’s a direct link between diet and heart disease.”
* “Their links with Mexico are still strong.”
* “diplomatic links between the two countries”
2. a connection between documents on the internet
* “Click on this link to visit our online bookshop.”
3. one of the rings in a chain
link
uk |lɪŋk| us |lɪŋk|
verb
1. to make a connection between two or more people, things, or ideas [T]
* “The explosions are not thought to be linked in any way.”
* “The use of CFCs was linked to the depletion of the ozone layer.”
2. to connect two objects or places physically [T]
* “It can play MP3 music files and can be linked to an iPod with an extra lead.”
* “Turkey, because of its location linking the European and Asian continents, has become a primary transit point for the efforts.”
3. to make a connection with a website, social media post, video, etc. on the internet [I/T]
* “We will link to this post from the project website.”
* “She linked a video about finding work on social media.”
take the place of someone/something
phrase
1. to be used instead of someone or something
* “These portable machines can take the place of your desktop PC.”
* “Virtual reality should never take the place of real imagination.”
* “In providing a role model for boys, these gangs took the place of fathers.”
* “These automated systems will never fully take the place of human doctors.”
* “The books are intended to be supplements, not to take the place of the core curriculum.”
out of place
phrase
1. in the wrong place or looking wrong
* “The boy looked uncomfortable and out of place among the adults.”
* “The guitar looked out of place in a small study crammed with books.”
* “The gallery in this tiny town would not be out of place in Sydney or Melbourne.”
* “His shorts and T-shirt looked out of place in the office.”
* “I always felt out of place among my sporty peers.”
in place of someone/something
phrase
1. instead of someone or something
* “You can use margarine in place of butter in some recipes.”
* “That evening, he had a glass of wine in place of his usual beer.”
* “Frisbee kickball is a game that uses a disk in place of a ball.”
* “The hospital uses electronic tablets in place of paper charts.”
* “I sometimes use a tinted moisturizer in place of foundation.”
be in the process of doing something
idiom
1. to have started doing something
* “We’re still in the process of decorating the house.”
by a process of elimination
phrase
1. by removing from several possible answers the ones that are unlikely to be correct until only one is left
* “We eventually found the answer by a process of elimination.”
* “There is no fail-safe test for Alzheimer’s, so doctors use a process of elimination to make their diagnosis.”
* “Injuries meant that the gymnastics coaches picked their teams less by selection than by a process of elimination.”
* “By a process of elimination, they decided that the cause of the fire was arson.”
* “By a process of elimination, I worked out that the flowers had come from Adam.”
serve a purpose
phrase
1. to have a use
* “These small village shops serve a very useful purpose.”
* “These tall herbs serve a dual purpose of providing nectar as well as a place for the butterflies to perch.”
* “School uniforms also serve a useful purpose by identifying who belongs on campus.”
* “Do these ridiculous rules serve any purpose at all?”
* “Public information advertisements serve a valuable public purpose.”
reality
uk |riˈæl.ə.ti| us |riˈæl.ə.t̬i|
noun
1. the state of things as they are, rather than as they are imagined to be [S/U]
* “The reality of the situation is that unless we find some new funding soon, the youth centre will have to close.”
* “He escaped from reality by going to the cinema every afternoon.”
* “He seemed very young, but he was in reality (= in fact) older than all of us.”
2. a fact [C]
* “The book confronts the harsh social and political realities of the world today.”
* “Her childhood ambition became a reality (= happened in fact) when she was made a judge.”
3. television programmes about ordinary people who are filmed in real situations, rather than actors (also reality TV)
* “There’s too much reality on TV.”
* “She’s famous as a reality star.”
toolbar
uk |ˈtuːl.bɑːr| us |ˈtuːl.bɑːr|
noun
1. on a computer screen, a row of icons (= small pictures that you choose in order to make the computer do something)
tool of the trade
phrase
1. A tool of the trade is something you need to use to do your job
* “The artist was surrounded by paints, brushes, and other tools of the trade.”
* “These are the essential tools of the trade.”
* “The award-winning baker is surrounded by a vast array of icing nozzles, the vital tools of the trade.”
* “Stealth is one of the basic tools of the trade in my line of work.”
* “With great pride, Martha shows me all her cameras and lenses - the tools of the trade.”
webmaster
noun
1. someone whose job is to manage a website
* “Please address any technical questions to the webmaster.”
behind the wheel
idiom
1. driving a motor vehicle
* “I’m a different person when I’m behind the wheel.”
on wheels
phrase
1. Something that is on wheels has wheels under it so that it can be pulled or pushed along
* “My suitcase is on wheels so that makes life a little easier.”
* “I bought my niece one of those toy dogs on wheels.”
* “He has a leaf blower that’s on wheels and it’s so much easier to use.”
* “I hadn’t noticed that the chair was on wheels.”
* “We need some of those storage drawers on wheels.”
* “It’s described as a five-drawer storage cart on wheels.”
mod cons
uk |ˌmɒd ˈkɒnz| us |ˌmɑːd ˈkɑːnz|
noun
1. the machines and devices, such as washing machines and fridges, that make the ordinary jobs in a home easier
* “The kitchen is fully equipped with all mod cons including a dishwasher.”
break the mould
idiom
1. to be new and different
* “Their approach to sports teaching broke the mould.”
change your tune
idiom
1. to change your opinion completely, especially because you know it will bring you an advantage
* “He was against the idea to start with, but he soon changed his tune when he realized how much money he’d get.”
change of heart
idiom
1. If you have a change of heart, you change your opinion or the way you feel about something
* “She was going to sell her house but had a change of heart at the last minute.”
know something inside out
idiom
1. to know everything about a subject
* “He knows the system inside out.”
reinvent the wheel
idiom
1. to waste time trying to create something that someone else has already created
stick to your guns
idiom
1. to continue to have your beliefs or continue with a plan of action, even if other people disagree with you
* “[stick to your guns on something] Despite harsh criticism, she’s sticking to her guns on this issue.”
tricks of the trade
idiom
1. methods that help you to do a job better or faster
* “Journalists have to learn the tricks of the trade quickly if they want to get the good stories.”
turn over a new leaf
idiom
1. to start behaving in a better way
* “Apparently he’s turned over a new leaf and he’s not smoking any more.”
