UNITS 7&8 • TOPIC Flashcards
accelerate
uk |əkˈsel.ə.reɪt| us |ekˈsel.ɚ.eɪt|
verb
1. When a vehicle or its driver accelerates, the speed of the vehicle increases [I]
* “I accelerated to overtake the bus.”
2. If a person or object accelerates, he, she, or it goes faster. [I]
3. to happen or make something happen sooner or faster [I/T]
* “Inflation is likely to accelerate this year, adding further upward pressure on interest rates.”
* “They use special chemicals to accelerate the growth of crops.”
approach
uk |əˈprəʊtʃ| us |əˈproʊtʃ|
verb
1. to come near or nearer to something or someone in space, time, quality, or amount [I/T]
* “We could just see the train approaching in the distance.”
* “If you look out of the window on the left, you’ll see that we’re now approaching the Eiffel Tower.”
* “I see it’s approaching lunchtime, so let’s take a break.”
* “In my opinion, no other composers even begin to approach (= come near in quality to) Mozart.”
* “The total amount raised so far is approaching (= almost) $1,000.”
* “He’s very active for a man approaching 80 (= who is almost 80 years old).”
2. to deal with something [T]
* “I’m not sure how to approach the problem.”
3. to speak to, write to, or visit someone in order to do something such as make a request or business agreement [T]
* “We’ve just approached the bank for/about a loan.”
* “She’s been approached by a modelling agency.”
approach
uk |əˈprəʊtʃ| us |əˈproʊtʃ|
noun
1. a way of considering or doing something [C]
* “Since our research so far has not produced any answers to this problem, we need to adopt a different approach to it.”
* “I’ve just read an interesting book which has a new approach to Shakespeare.”
* “Michael is always very logical in his approach.”
2. the fact of getting nearer in distance or time [C/U]
* “The siren signalled the approach of an ambulance.”
* “Many kinds of birds fly south at the approach of winter.”
* “Please fasten your seat belts, the plane is now making its final approach (in)to (= is coming near to and preparing to land at) Heathrow.”
3. a route that leads to a place
* “There is a very steep approach to the house.”
* “[UK] We got stuck in a traffic jam on the approach road.”
ascend
uk |əˈsend| us |əˈsend|
verb
1. to move up or climb something [I/T]
* “They slowly ascended the steep path up the mountain.”
* “There’s a long flight of steps ascending (= leading up) to the cathedral doors.”
2. to rise to a position of higher rank [I]
* “He eventually ascended to the position of chief executive.”
bounce
uk |baʊns| us |baʊns|
verb
1. to (cause to) move up or away after hitting a surface [I/T]
* “[bounce off] The ball bounced off the goalpost and into the net.”
* “[figurative] Television pictures from all over the world are bounced off satellites (= are sent to and returned from them).”
* “She bounced the ball quickly.”
* “Her bag bounced (= moved up and down) against her side as she walked.”
* “[bounce someone/something on something] He bounced the baby on his knee.”
* “The children had broken the bed by bouncing (= jumping up and down) on it.”
2. to move in an energetic and enthusiastic manner [I usually + adv/prep]
* “[bounce in] Tom bounced in, smiling broadly.”
3. to (cause a cheque to) not be paid or accepted by a bank because there is no money in the account [I/T informal]
* “I had to pay a penalty fee when my cheque bounced.”
* “To my horror the bank bounced the cheque.”
4. If an email that you send bounces or is bounced, it comes back to you because the address is wrong or there is a computer problem. [I/T]
bounce
uk |baʊns| us |baʊns|
noun
1. the act of bouncing, or the quality that makes something able to bounce [C/U]
* “In tennis you have to hit the ball before its second bounce.”
* “[figurative] This shampoo will give your hair bounce (= make it look attractively thick) and shine.”
2. an improvement or change to a higher level, for example in how popular a politician or party is [C usually singular]
* “His speech to the convention may have given him a bounce.”
* “The city has seen a bounce in homicide.”
clamber
uk |ˈklæm.bər| us |ˈklæm.bɚ|
verb
1. to climb up, across, or into somewhere with difficulty, using the hands and the feet
* “They clambered over/up the rocks.”
* “I clambered into/onto the bus.”
* “She clambered into bed.”
clamber
uk |ˈklæm.bər| us |ˈklæm.bɚ|
noun
1. a climb up, across, or into somewhere that is difficult, so that you have to use your hands to help you
* “I was worn out after my clamber up the hillside.”
* “Drop into old-fashioned tearooms for a cream tea, then work it off with a clamber over the rocks.”
clench
uk |klentʃ| us |klentʃ|
verb
1. to close or hold something very tightly, often in a determined or angry way
* “The old man clenched his fist and waved it angrily at us.”
* “[be clenched in] With a knife clenched in his teeth, he climbed up the tree to cut some coconuts.”
* “[be clenched between] He was still able to paint, learning to use a brush clenched between his toes.”
* "”Get out of here,” she said through clenched teeth.”
clutch
uk |klʌtʃ| us |klʌtʃ|
verb
1. to take or try to take hold of something or someone tightly, usually in fear, worry, or pain
* “[clutch onto] Silent and pale, she clutched onto her mother’s hand.”
* “[clutch something to something] Clutching the money to his chest, he hurried to the bank.”
* “He collapsed, clutching his stomach.”
clutch
uk |klʌtʃ| us |klʌtʃ|
noun
1. a device that allows turning movement to be sent from one part of a machine to another [C usually singular]
* “[clutch slips] I’ve booked the car into the garage because the clutch is slipping.”
2. the pedal or handle in a vehicle that is used to operate the engine’s clutch [C usually singular]
* “[push the clutch in] Push the clutch in, put the car into gear, rev the engine, and then gently let the clutch out.”
* “[let the clutch out] Push the clutch in, put the car into gear, rev the engine, and then gently let the clutch out.”
* “[pop the clutch] Try pushing the vehicle and popping the clutch (= releasing it suddenly and completely) if it will not start.”
3. a small group of eggs produced by the same bird, especially in a nest [C]
4. a small group of people or things [S]
* “[clutch of] a fresh clutch of students”
clutch
uk |klʌtʃ| us |klʌtʃ|
adjective
1. able to do something when it is especially difficult or especially needed [before noun]
* “Moose, always reliable under pressure, was an amazing clutch hitter.”
* “[clutch performer] He developed the reputation for being the big winner, the clutch performer.”
2. done successfully when this is especially difficult or especially important [before noun]
* “It was his leadership and clutch play that made him special.”
* “The team managed only three hits after falling behind, but came up with the clutch hit when it needed it the most.”
crawl
uk |krɔːl| us |krɑːl|
verb
1. to move along on hands and knees or with your body stretched out along a surface [I]
* “[crawl across] The child crawled across the floor.”
* “Megan has just learned to crawl.”
* “The injured soldier crawled to safety.”
* “He had to crawl along a ledge and get in through a window.”
2. to move or progress slowly or with difficulty [I]
* “The lorry crawled noisily up the hill.”
* “[crawl along] There’s a lot of work to be done and we’re crawling along at a snail’s pace.”
3. to try hard to please in order to get an advantage [I UK informal disapproving]
* “I don’t like people who crawl.”
* “[crawl to] He crawled to the group leader because he wanted a promotion.”
crawl
uk |krɔːl| us |krɑːl|
noun
1. a fast style of swimming in which the body faces down and you move your arms over and past your head one after the other in a circular movement, and kick with straight legs [S/U (also front crawl)]
* “[do the crawl] She can do the crawl, backstroke, and breaststroke, which is amazing for someone so young.”
* “I tend to swim breaststroke — I can barely swim one width of the crawl.”
* “When you swim front crawl you put your face in the water.”
* “Their backstroke is superb but their front crawl still needs a lot of work.”
* “He ploughed up and down the length of the pool in a faultless front crawl.”
2. a very slow speed [S]
* “[at a crawl] Traffic moved forward at a crawl.”
creep
uk |kriːp| us |kriːp|
verb
1. to move slowly, quietly, and carefully, usually in order to avoid being noticed
* “[creep through] She turned off the light and crept through the door.”
* “[creep around] Someone was creeping around outside my window.”
* “The spider crept up the wall.”
* “[creep along] The traffic was creeping along at a snail’s pace.”
creep
uk |kriːp| us |kriːp|
noun
1. someone who tries to make someone more important like them by being very polite and helpful in a way that is not sincere [C UK]
* “Making coffee for the boss again? You creep!”
2. an unpleasant person, especially a man [C]
* “He was such a creep - he was always staring at me in the canteen.”
* “[as form of address] Leave me alone, creep!”
3. the gradual growth or increase of something in a way that was not expected or wanted [U]
* “There is growing evidence that labour cost creep is becoming a problem.”
dash
uk |dæʃ| us |dæʃ|
verb
1. to go somewhere quickly [I]
* “The dog ran off, and she dashed after him.”
* “I’ve been dashing around all day.”
* “[UK] I must dash - I’ve got to be home by seven.”
2. to hit something with great force, especially causing damage [I/T, usually + prep]
* “[dash someone/something against something] The tsunami dashed the ship against the rocks.”
* “[dash against] Waves dashed against the cliffs.”
dash
uk |dæʃ| us |dæʃ|
noun
1. the act of running somewhere very quickly [S]
* “[make a dash for] I made a dash for the bathroom.”
* “[mad dash] There was a mad dash for the exit.”
* “[make a dash for it] As soon as the rain dies down I’m going to make a dash for it (= run somewhere very fast).”
2. a race over a short distance [C usually singular mainly US]
* “Who won the 100-yard dash?”
3. the symbol – used to separate parts of a sentence [C]
descend
uk |dɪˈsend| us |dɪˈsend|
verb
1. to go or come down [I/T formal]
* “The path descended steeply into the valley.”
* “Jane descended the stairs.”
2. If darkness or night descends, it becomes dark and day changes to night. [I literary]
3. If a negative or bad feeling descends, it is felt everywhere in a place or by everyone at the same time [I literary]
* “[descend on] A feeling of despair descended on us as we realized that we were lost.”
* “Gloom descended yesterday as the news was announced.”
4. If a condition, usually a negative condition, descends, it quickly develops in every part of a place [I literary]
* “Silence descended on the room.”
* “[descend over] An eerie calm descended over the city.”
* “The babble of voices ceased, and a hush descended.”
drift
uk |drɪft| us |drɪft|
verb
1. to move slowly, especially as a result of outside forces, with no control over direction [I usually + adv/prep]
* “[drift out to sea] No one noticed that the boat had begun to drift out to sea.”
* “[drift out] Many vehicle fatalities are caused by drunken, distracted, or tired drivers drifting out of their lanes.”
* “[drift in] A mist drifted in from the marshes.”
* “[drift away] After the band stopped playing, people drifted away in twos and threes.”
* “[figurative] The talk drifted aimlessly from one subject to another.”
2. in car racing, to use a driving technique (= a method needing skill) that means the car’s tyres lose their traction (= their firm hold on the ground) but the driver still has control of the car’s direction, used for example when going around a corner fast [I/T sports specialized]
* “She has always been interested in cars and at the age of 21 she learned how to drift.”
* “The image shows him drifting his car around a race track bend.”
drift
uk |drɪft| us |drɪft|
noun
1. the general meaning without the details [S]
* “[general drift of] The general drift of the article was that society doesn’t value older people.”
emigrate
uk |ˈem.ɪ.ɡreɪt| us |ˈem.ə.ɡreɪt|
verb
1. to leave a country permanently and go to live in another one
* “[emigrate from/to] Millions of Germans emigrated from Europe to America in the 19th century.”
* “Thousands of Britons emigrate every year.”
float
uk |fləʊt| us |floʊt|
verb
1. to stay on the surface of a liquid and not sink [I]
* “An empty bottle will float.”
* “[float in] You can float very easily in the Dead Sea because it’s so salty.”
* “[float on] Lily pads float on the surface of the pond.”
2. to (cause to) move easily through, or along the surface of a liquid, or to (cause to) move easily through air [I/T, usually + adv/prep]
* “[float down] We spent a lazy afternoon floating down the river.”
* “[float along] It feeds by simply floating along the water and scooping up fish.”
* “[float out to] He tossed the bottle into the waves and watched it float out to sea.”
* “[float something on something] The children enjoy floating their boats on the pond in the park.”
* “Fluffy white clouds were floating across the sky.”
* “[figurative] The sound of piano-playing floated out through the open window.”
3. to move smoothly and attractively [I usually + adv/prep literary]
* “She sort of floats around, like a ballet dancer.”
4. to move or act without purpose [I usually + adv/prep]
* “[float around/about] Since he lost his job, he’s just floated around/about doing nothing.”
5. to suggest a plan or an idea to be considered [T]
* “[float an idea] Laura has floated the idea that we should think about expanding into Europe next year.”
6. to allow the value of a country’s money to change according to the value of other countries’ money [I/T finance & economics specialized]
* “Argentina decided to let its currency float freely against the dollar.”
7. to start selling shares in a business or company for the first time [T]
float
uk |fləʊt| us |floʊt|
noun
1. a small amount of money kept by someone who works in a bar, etc., used for giving customers their change [S UK]
2. a large vehicle with a flat surface that is decorated and used in festivals [C]
* “carnival floats”
3. a light object that floats on the surface of the water and is used to keep a fishing net, or the bait on a fishing line, in a particular position [C]
* “Fishing nets are often held in position by floats.”
4. a light object that floats on water and that you hold onto when learning to swim [C UK (US kickboard)]
* “Hold the float in front of you and kick your legs.”
5. a toy animal or other object that is filled with air and played with or sat on in swimming pools [C]
* “A pool float has now become a holiday essential.”
6. a drink with ice cream on the top [C]
* “I’ll have a root beer float, please.”
flow
uk |fləʊ| us |floʊ|
verb
1. (especially of liquids, gases, or electricity) to move in one direction, especially continuously and easily
* “[flow down] Lava from the volcano was flowing down the hillside.”
* “[flow into] Many short rivers flow into the Pacific Ocean.”
* “[flow through] The river flows through three counties before flowing into the sea just south of here.”
* “[traffic flows] With fewer cars on the roads, traffic is flowing (= moving forward) more smoothly than usual.”
flow
uk |fləʊ| us |floʊ|
noun
1. the movement of something in one direction [C usually singular]
* “[flow of] the flow of a river”
* “the flow of traffic”
* “the flow of blood”
fumble
uk |ˈfʌm.bəl| us |ˈfʌm.bəl|
verb
1. to do something awkwardly, especially when using your hands [I usually + adv/prep]
* “[fumble with] I fumbled with the lock.”
* “[fumble in something for something] He fumbled in his pockets for some change.”
* “[fumble around] She fumbled around in her handbag, looking for her key.”
* “[UK] [fumble about] She fumbled about in her handbag, looking for her key.”
* “They fumbled about (= moved awkwardly) in the dark, trying to find their way out of the cinema.”
2. in sport, to fail to hold on to the ball [I,T]
* “[fumble a catch] If Wilson hadn’t fumbled that catch, we might have won the match.”
3. to have difficulty saying or thinking of suitable words [I usually + adv/prep]
* “[fumble for] I was fumbling for the right word.”
fumble
uk |ˈfʌm.bəl| us |ˈfʌm.bəl|
noun
1. an act of doing something awkwardly, especially when using your hands
* “After a brief fumble in her handbag, she produced a clean handkerchief.”
2. especially in football, an occasion when someone fails to hold on to the ball
* “Austin recovered the fumble and ran into the end zone for a touchdown.”
gesture
uk |ˈdʒes.tʃər| us |ˈdʒes.tʃɚ|
noun
1. a movement of the hands, arms, or head, etc. to express an idea or feeling
* “[gesture of] The prisoner raised his fist in a gesture of defiance as he was led out of the courtroom.”
* “[make a gesture] She made a rude gesture at the other driver.”
2. an action that expresses your feelings or intentions, although it might have little practical effect
* “[gesture of] The government donated £500,000 as a gesture of goodwill.”
* “Eating boiled potatoes instead of chips was his only gesture towards healthy eating.”
gesture
uk |ˈdʒes.tʃər| us |ˈdʒes.tʃɚ|
verb
1. to use a gesture to express or emphasize something
* “When he asked where the children were, she gestured vaguely in the direction of the beach.”
* “[gesture for someone to do something] He made no answer but walked on, gesturing for me to follow.”
glide
uk |ɡlaɪd| us |ɡlaɪd|
verb
1. to move easily without stopping and without effort or noise [I usually + adv/prep]
* “She came gliding gracefully into the ballroom in a long, flowing gown.”
* “I love my new pen - it just glides across/over the paper.”
2. to move or progress without difficulty or effort [I usually + adv/prep]
* “Some people glide effortlessly through life with no real worries.”
3. to fly by floating on air currents instead of using power from wings or an engine [I]
* “We saw a condor gliding high above the mountains.”
* “[glide through] Unlike other spacecraft, the shuttle can glide back through the atmosphere, land safely, and be reused.”
4. In cricket, if a batter glides the ball, they hit it quickly and lightly at an angle so that it goes behind them with only a small change of direction [T sports specialized]
* “He glided the delivery for four.”
* “She glided a short-pitched delivery down to fine leg for a single.”
5. to move from one musical note to another in a smooth and connected manner [I usually + adv/prep]
* “The pianos glided up and down the scale effortlessly.”
* “They practised gliding from their lowest note to their highest note.”
glide
uk |ɡlaɪd| us |ɡlaɪd|
noun
1. a long, easy, smooth movement across a surface that makes no noise
* “Every dancer wants the glorious glide of a Fred Astaire or a Ginger Rogers.”
2. the action of floating on air currents, rather than using power from wings or an engine
* “He reached the canyon’s edge and went into his glide.”
3. a sound that is similar to a vowel but marks the start of a syllable [phonetics specialized]
* “In English, the sound /j/ in “yes” or “due” is a glide.”
4. a movement from one musical note to another in a smooth and connected manner, or a curved line written over or under musical notes to show that they must be played in this way
* “The children were asked to distinguish between upward and downward glides.”
* “A glissando is a glide from one pitch to another.”
grab
uk |ɡræb| us |ɡræb|
verb
1. to take hold of something or someone suddenly and roughly [I/T]
* “A mugger grabbed her handbag as she was walking across the park.”
* “[grab (hold of)] He grabbed (hold of) his child’s arm to stop her from running into the road.”
2. to take the opportunity to get, use, or enjoy something quickly [T informal]
* “If you don’t grab this opportunity, you might not get another one.”
* “We’d better get there early, or someone else will grab the best seats.”
* “Let’s just grab a quick bite.”
grab
uk |ɡræb| us |ɡræb|
noun
1. a sudden attempt to hold, get, or take something
* “[make a grab for] The two children both made a grab for the same cake.”
grasp
uk |ɡrɑːsp| us |ɡræsp|
verb
1. to quickly take something in your hand(s) and hold it firmly
* “Rosie suddenly grasped my hand.”
2. If you grasp an opportunity, you take it eagerly
* “We must grasp every opportunity to strengthen economic ties with other countries.”
3. to understand something, especially something difficult
* “I think I managed to grasp the main points of the lecture.”
* “The government has acknowledged that homelessness is a problem but it has failed to grasp the scale of the problem.”
grasp
uk |ɡrɑːsp| us |ɡræsp|
noun
1. the act of holding onto someone or something [S]
* “He shook my hand with a very firm grasp.”
2. the ability to get, achieve, or keep something [U]
* “[within your grasp] The presidency at last looked within her grasp (= it looked possible that she might become president).”
* “[beyond your grasp] Why is success always beyond my grasp (= impossible to get)?”
* “[slip from your grasp] The gold medal slipped from his grasp (= he was unable to get it) in the last moments of the race.”
* “[lose your grasp on something] I sometimes think that he’s losing his grasp on reality (= his ability to judge what is real and what is not).”
3. understanding [S/U]
* “He has a good grasp of the issues.”
hop
uk |hɒp| us |hɑːp|
verb
1. to jump on one foot or to move about in this way [I]
* “I tried to hop on my good foot while holding onto Jim.”
2. to go somewhere quickly or to get into or out of a vehicle quickly [I + adv/prep informal]
* “We hopped over to Bruges for the weekend.”
* “I hopped on the bus at the traffic lights.”
3. If a small animal, bird, or insect hops, it moves by jumping on all or two of its feet at the same time [I]
* “The rabbit/bird hopped across the grass.”
hop
uk |hɒp| us |hɑːp|
noun
1. a short jump by a person on one foot, or by a small animal, bird, or insect on all or two of its feet at the same time [C]
* “With his feet tied together he could only move in little hops.”
hop
uk |hɒp| us |hɑːp|
adjective
1. relating to hops
* “a hop plant”
immigrant
uk |ˈɪm.ɪ.ɡrənt| us |ˈɪm.ə.ɡrənt|
noun
1. a person who has come to a different country in order to live there permanently
* “[immigrant population] The surrounding area has a large immigrant population.”
* “[illegal immigrant] Illegal immigrants are sent back across the border if they are caught.”
jog
uk |dʒɒɡ| us |dʒɑːɡ|
verb
1. to run at a slow, regular speed, especially as a form of exercise [I]
* "”What do you do to keep fit?” “I jog and go swimming.””
* “He was walking at a very quick pace and I had to jog to keep up with him.”
2. to push or knock someone or something slightly, especially with your arm [T]
* “A man rushed past and jogged her elbow, making her drop the bag.”
3. to move forward slowly with a lot of shaking or movement up and down [I + adv/prep]
* “The horse and cart jogged down the rough track towards the farm.”
* “We were getting more and more uncomfortable as we jogged along in the back of the truck.”
jog
uk |dʒɒɡ| us |dʒɑːɡ|
noun
1. a run that you do at a slow, regular speed, especially as a form of exercise
* “I haven’t done much exercise all week, so I think I’ll go for a jog this morning.”
leap
uk |liːp| us |liːp|
verb
1. to make a large jump or sudden movement, usually from one place to another
* “He leaped out of his car and ran towards the house.”
* “I leaped up to answer the phone.”
* “The dog leaped over the gate into the field.”
2. to provide help, protection, etc. very quickly
* “He leaped to his friend’s defence.”
* “Scott leapt to the rescue when he spotted the youngster in difficulty.”
* “Mr Davies leaped in to explain.”
3. to achieve something suddenly, usually fame, power, or importance
* “He leapt to fame after his appearance in a Broadway play.”
4. to increase, improve, or grow very quickly
* “Shares in the company leaped 250 percent.”
leap
uk |liːp| us |liːp|
noun
1. a big change, increase, or improvement
* “a leap in profits”
* “It takes quite a leap of the imagination to believe that it’s the same person.”
2. a large jump or sudden movement
* “With one leap he crossed the stream.”
march
uk |mɑːtʃ| us |mɑːrtʃ|
noun
1. an event in which a large number of people walk through a public place to express their support for something, or their disagreement with or disapproval of something [C]
* “She’s going on a march on Saturday in protest over the closure of the hospital.”
2. a piece of music with a strong, regular beat, written for marching to [C]
* “a funeral march”
* “Mendelssohn’s Wedding March”
3. a walk, especially by a group of soldiers all walking with the same movement and speed [C/U]
* “It had been a long march and the soldiers were weary.”
* “The border was within a day’s march (= distance measured in time taken to walk it).”
march
uk |mɑːtʃ| us |mɑːrtʃ|
verb
1. to walk somewhere quickly and in a determined way, often because you are angry [I]
* “She marched into my office and demanded to know why I hadn’t written my report.”
2. to walk through a public place as part of a public event to express support for something, or disagreement with or disapproval of something [I]
* “Over four thousand people marched through London today to protest against the proposed new law.”
3. to walk with regular steps and keeping the body stiff, usually in a formal group of people who are all walking in the same way [I/T]
* “The band marched through the streets.”
* “The soldiers marched 90 miles in three days.”
4. to forcefully make someone go somewhere by taking hold of that person and pulling them there or going there together [T + adv/prep]
* “Without saying a word, she took hold of my arm and marched me off to the headmaster’s office.”
* “The police marched a gang of youths out of the building.”
March
uk |mɑːtʃ| us |mɑːrtʃ|
noun
1. the third month of the year, after February and before April
* “The next meeting will be in March.”
* “He left on 26 March.”
* “She is retiring next March.”
migrate
uk |maɪˈɡreɪt| us |ˈmaɪ.ɡreɪt|
verb
1. When an animal migrates, it travels to a different place, usually when the season changes [I]
* “These animals migrate annually in search of food.”
* “In September, these birds migrate 2,000 miles south to a warmer climate.”
2. If people migrate, they travel in large numbers to a new place to live temporarily [I]
* “Mexican farm workers migrate into the US each year to find work at harvest time.”
3. to move from one place to another [I]
* “Trade has migrated from local shops to the larger chain stores.”
4. to begin using a new computer system, or to move information from one type of system to another [I/T computing specialized]
* “Migrating to Windows XP shouldn’t cause you any problems.”
punch
uk |pʌntʃ| us |pʌntʃ|
noun
1. a forceful hit with a fist (= closed hand) [C]
* “[punch in] He was knocked out by a punch in the face.”
* “She gave him a punch on the nose.”
* “[throw a punch] Some of the crowd started getting aggressive and threw a punch or two (= hit people).”
* “[land a punch] The former champion hardly landed a punch in rounds four and five.”
punch
uk |pʌntʃ| us |pʌntʃ|
verb
1. to hit someone or something with your fist (= closed hand)
* “[punch someone in something] He punched him in the stomach.”
refugee
uk |ˌref.juˈdʒiː| us |ˌref.jʊˈdʒiː|
noun
1. a person who has escaped from their own country for political, religious, or economic reasons or because of a war
* “Thousands of refugees fled across the border.”
roam
uk |rəʊm| us |roʊm|
verb
1. to move about or travel, especially without a clear idea of what you are going to do [I + adv/prep, T]
* “After the bars close, gangs of youths roam the city streets.”
* “She roamed around America for a year, working in bars and restaurants.”
roll
uk |rəʊl| us |roʊl|
verb
1. to (cause something to) move somewhere by turning over and over or from side to side [I/T, usually + adv/prep]
* “The vase rolled off the edge of the table and smashed.”
* “The dog rolled over onto its back.”
* “I rolled the wheel along the side of the road back to the car.”
2. to move somewhere easily and without sudden movements [I/T, usually + adv/prep]
* “A tear rolled down his cheek.”
* “A wave of cigarette smoke rolled towards me.”
* “The piano’s on wheels, so we can roll it into the room.”
3. If an aircraft or a ship rolls, it leans to one side and then to the other because of the wind or waves. [I]
4. If a machine is rolling, it is operating [I]
* “[cameras roll] Just as the television cameras started rolling, it began to pour down with rain.”
5. If you roll your eyes, you move them so that you are looking up, to show that you consider someone or something stupid or silly [T]
* “[roll in] When he suggested they should buy a new car, she rolled her eyes in disbelief.”
6. to (cause something to) turn over onto itself to form the shape of a ball or a tube [T usually + adv/prep]
* “[roll something into something] He rolled the clay into a ball in his hands.”
* “[roll something (up) into something] As I got closer, the hedgehog rolled itself (up) into a ball.”
7. to make a cigarette by wrapping a piece of paper around some tobacco [T]
8. to fold over a piece of clothing or material to make it shorter [I/T, + adv/prep]
* “[roll back] We rolled back the carpet to see the floorboards.”
9. to make something smooth and flat [T]
* ”[+ obj + adj] She borrowed a garden roller to roll the grass flat.”
* “[roll (out)] When you have rolled (out) the pastry, place it in a pie dish.”
10. to make a continuous, repeated, deep sound [I]
* “[drums roll] The drums rolled as the acrobat walked along the tightrope.”
11. If you roll your r’s, you pronounce them with your tongue moving quickly and repeatedly against the top of the mouth [T]
* “When you speak Spanish you roll your r’s.”
roll
uk |rəʊl| us |roʊl|
noun
1. a piece of film, paper, or cloth that is rolled into the shape of a tube [C]
* “a roll of carpet”
* “a toilet roll (= a roll of toilet paper)”
2. If a person or animal has rolls of fat on their body, that person or animal is very fat [C]
* “The dog had rolls of fat along its neck.”
3. a small round loaf of bread for one person [C (also bread roll)]
* “Would you like a roll and butter with your soup?”
* “[UK] [cheese/ham/tuna roll] I bought a cheese/ham/tuna roll (= a sandwich made with a roll) for lunch.”
4. an official list of names [C]
* “[electoral roll] Is your name on the electoral roll (= the list of people who can vote)?”
rotate
uk |rəʊˈteɪt| us |ˈroʊ.teɪt|
verb
1. to turn or cause something to turn in a circle, especially around a fixed point [I/T]
* “Rotate the handle by 180° to open the door.”
* “The wheel rotates around an axle.”
* “The satellite slowly rotates as it circles the earth.”
2. If a job rotates or if a group of people rotate their jobs, the jobs are done at different times by different people. [I/T]
3. When farmers rotate crops, they regularly change which crops they grow in a particular field. [T]
route
uk |ruːt| us |ruːt| |raʊt|
noun
1. a particular way or direction between places
* “The route we had planned took us right across Greece.”
* “I live on a bus route so I can easily get to work.”
2. a method of achieving something
* “A college education is often the best route to a good job.”
3. a set of regular visits that you make to a number of places or people, especially in order to take products as part of your job [US (UK round)]
route
uk |ruːt| us |ruːt| |raʊt|
verb
1. to send something somewhere using a particular way or direction
* “Deliveries are routed via/by way of London.”
2. to send information from one computer network to another [internet & telecoms]
* “When a customer buys, the purchase order is routed via the internet to each supplier’s personal Web page.”
sink
uk |sɪŋk| us |sɪŋk|
verb
1. to (cause something or someone to) go down below the surface or to the bottom of a liquid or soft substance [I/T]
* “The Titanic was a passenger ship which sank (to the bottom of the ocean) in 1912.”
* “The legs of the garden chair sank into the soft ground.”
* “Enemy aircraft sank two battleships.”
* “The dog sank her teeth into (= bit) the ball and ran off with it.”
2. to (cause something or someone to) fall or move to a lower level [I]
* “The sun glowed red as it sank slowly below the horizon.”
* “Student numbers have sunk considerably this year.”
* “[UK informal] We sank (= drank) a bottle of wine each last night.”
* “The wounded soldier sank (= fell) to the ground.”
* “She sank back in her chair and closed her eyes.”
* “He sank into deep despair (= became very unhappy) when he lost his job.”
3. to hit a ball into a hole or pocket, especially in golf or snooker [T]
4. to dig a hole in the ground, or to put something into a hole dug into the ground [T]
* “Sinking more wells is the best way of supplying the population with clean drinking water.”
* “The first stage of building the fence is sinking the posts into the ground.”
sink
uk |sɪŋk| us |sɪŋk|
noun
1. a bowl that is attached to the wall in a kitchen or bathroom in which you wash dishes or your hands, etc.
* “a bathroom/kitchen sink”
skid
uk |skɪd| us |skɪd|
verb
1. (especially of a vehicle) to slide along a surface so that you have no control
* “Tony’s car skidded on some ice and hit a tree.”
skid
uk |skɪd| us |skɪd|
noun
1. a sliding movement that cannot be controlled
* “She was riding too fast on a wet road, and the motorbike went into a skid.”
2. one of two long flat pieces under some aircraft, such as helicopters, that help the aircraft to land
3. a support, often made of wood, for raising heavy objects off the ground or for moving them
skip
uk |skɪp| us |skɪp|
verb
1. to move lightly and quickly, making a small jump after each step [I usually + adv/prep]
* “[skip down] She watched her little granddaughter skip down the path.”
* “[skip about] The lambs were skipping about in the field.”
2. to jump lightly over a rope that is held in both your hands, or by two other people, and turned repeatedly under your legs and over your head [I UK (US jump rope, skip rope)]
* “Sports players often train by skipping.”
skip
uk |skɪp| us |skɪp|
noun
1. a large metal container into which people put unwanted objects or building or garden waste, and which is brought to and taken away from a place by a special truck when people ask for it [UK]
slide
uk |slaɪd| us |slaɪd|
verb
1. to (cause to) move easily and without interruption over a surface [I/T]
* “When I was little I used to like sliding on the polished floor in my socks.”
* “We have one of those doors in the kitchen that slides open.”
* “He slid the letter into his pocket while no one was looking.”
* “[sliding doors] There is a dining room with sliding glass doors that lead onto a balcony.”
2. in baseball, to reach one of the bases (= the places that players much reach in order to score) by throwing yourself forwards along the ground, usually with your feet in front of you [I]
* “He slid into second base to avoid being thrown out.”
* “Katz managed to slide under the third baseman’s tag.”
3. If music slides, the sound moves smoothly from one note to another, so that the individual notes are not heard separately [I music specialized]
* “The music slides and quivers.”
* “The effect comes from one note sliding into another.”
4. to go into a worse state, often through lack of control or care [I]
* “The dollar slid against other major currencies.”
* “Car exports slid by 40 percent this year.”
* “[slide back] He was improving for a while, but I think he’s sliding back into his old habits.”
* “[let it slide] I was doing really well with my diet, but I’ve let it slide (= not tried so hard) recently.”
slide
uk |slaɪd| us |slaɪd|
noun
1. an act of moving easily and without interruption over a surface [C]
* “The car went into a slide when I put my foot on the brake.”
* “Getting into this section requires a head-first slide down a chute.”
2. a sudden movement of a large mass of mud (= wet earth) or rock down a hill [C]
* “[mud/rock slide] The storm brought devastating floods and mud/rock slides.”
slip
uk |slɪp| us |slɪp|
verb
1. to slide without intending to [I]
* “She slipped on the ice.”
* “Careful you don’t slip - there’s water on the floor.”
* “The razor slipped while he was shaving and he cut himself.”
2. to move out of the correct position [I]
* “Her hat had slipped over one eye.”
* “He could feel the rope slipping out of his grasp.”
3. to go somewhere or put something somewhere quickly, often so that you are not noticed [I/T, usually + adv/prep]
* “[slip out of] Just slip out of the room while nobody’s looking.”
* “[slip between] She slipped between the cool cotton sheets and was soon asleep.”
* “[slip something into something] He slipped a piece of paper into my hand with his address on it.”
* ”[+ two objects] If you slip the waiter some money/slip some money to the waiter he’ll give you the best table.”
4. to go into a worse state, often because of lack of control or care [I]
* “Productivity in the factory has slipped noticeably in the last year.”
* “The schedule has started to slip (= things are happening later than planned).”
* “I don’t know what went wrong, I must be slipping.”
5. to get free from, leave, or escape something [T]
* “The ship slipped its moorings.”
6. in boxing, to avoid a punch (= hit) by quickly moving your body or head [T]
* “[slip a punch] He knew how to slip punches beautifully.”
* “Ruiz slipped a left jab and blasted Petrov in the temple with a perfect right hand.”
7. to go down in value [I]
* “[slip against] The dollar slipped against the Japanese yen.”
slip
uk |slɪp| us |slɪp|
noun
1. a small piece of paper [C]
* “[slip of paper] When I have an idea, I write it on a slip of paper and put it in this box.”
* “If you want to order a book fill out the green slip.”
2. a small mistake [C]
* “[make a slip] She’s made one or two slips - mainly spelling errors - but it’s basically well written.”
3. an act of falling or sliding [C]
* “One slip meant a long tumble to the rocks below.”
4. an occasion when something becomes worse [C]
* “A slip in the value of the U.S. dollar helped push prices higher.”
* “a slip in standards”
5. a piece of underwear that is like a dress or skirt [C]
6. a place where a boat or ship can be parked, between two piers [C (US boat slip)]
7. in cricket, a position of a fielder (= a player who tries to stop the other team from scoring by stopping or catching the ball) who is close to and behind the batter (= the player who tries to hit the ball) [U sports specialized]
* “He edged an off-cutter and the catch was well taken at first slip.”
8. in cricket, a player who fields (= tries to stop the other team from scoring by stopping or catching the ball) at the position of slip [C sports specialized]
* “It was a very attacking field with three slips and two gullies.”
stride
uk |straɪd| us |straɪd|
noun
1. an important positive development [C]
* “[make strides in] The West made impressive strides in improving energy efficiency after the huge rises in oil prices during the 70s.”
* “[make strides to] The group has made strides to expand internationally.”
2. a long step when walking or running [C]
* “She attributes her record-breaking speed to the length of her stride.”
stride
uk |straɪd| us |straɪd|
verb
1. to walk somewhere quickly with long steps
* “[stride purposefully] She strode purposefully up to the desk and demanded to speak to the manager.”
* “[stride across/into/out of] He strode across/into/out of the room.”
trip
uk |trɪp| us |trɪp|
noun
1. a journey in which you go somewhere, usually for a short time, and come back again [C]
* “[trip from somewhere to somewhere] The trip from York to Newcastle takes about an hour by train.”
* “[on a trip] We’re going on a trip to Norway this summer.”
* “[trip round] I thought we might hire a motorboat and take a trip round the bay.”
* “[mainly UK] [trip abroad] We can’t afford another trip abroad this year.”
* “It’s a ten-mile trip from the airport to the hotel.”
* “[business trip] She’s away on a business trip and won’t be back until next week.”
* “[school trip] Do you want to go on the school trip to France this year?”
* “[shopping trip] I was thinking we could go on a shopping trip to New York this weekend.”
trip
uk |trɪp| us |trɪp|
verb
1. to lose your balance after knocking your foot against something when you are walking or running, or to cause someone to do this [I/T]
* “He tripped and fell down, grazing his knee.”
* “[trip over] That cable is dangerous. Someone might trip over it.”
* “He was sent off for deliberately tripping Robson when he was about to score.”
2. to move with quick, gentle steps [I usually + adv/prep]
* “[trip down] She looked stunning as she tripped down the stairs in her ball gown.”
3. to move a switch that operates an electrical system, or to cause such a system to start or stop working by moving a switch [T]
* “A special system prevents the circuitry from being tripped accidentally by a power surge or lightning strike.”
4. to experience the effects of taking an illegal drug that causes the user to see, hear, or feel things that do not exist [I slang]
* “[trip out on] As a student he spent a lot of time tripping out on LSD.”
velocity
uk |vəˈlɒs.ə.ti| us |vəˈlɑː.sə.t̬i|
noun
1. the speed at which an object is travelling
* “Light travels at the highest achievable velocity in the universe.”
* “[high-velocity] He always used high-velocity lead bullets in his rifle.”
wander
uk |ˈwɒn.dər| us |ˈwɑːn.dɚ|
verb
1. to walk around slowly in a relaxed way or without any clear purpose or direction [I/T, I/T]
* “We spent the morning wandering around the old part of the city.”
* “She was found several hours later, wandering the streets, lost.”
* “He was here a minute ago but he’s wandered off somewhere.”
2. If someone’s hands or eyes wander, they touch or look in many different places, especially in a sexual way or when they should not do this [I, I/T]
* “If his hands start to wander, tell him firmly, “No, I’m not ready for this.””
* “He was cruelly described as a creepy old man with wandering hands.”
* “Her gaze wandered around the flat.”
3. to have sexual relationships or experiences outside of your marriage or usual relationship [I, I/T]
* “She wrote an article about infidelity called “Wives who wander”.”
* “She had enough problems dealing with a wandering husband.”
4. to start talking about a different subject from the one you were originally discussing [I]
* “We’ve wandered off/from the point somewhat.”
5. If your mind or your thoughts wander, you stop thinking about the subject that you should be giving your attention to and start thinking about other matters [I]
* “Halfway through the meeting my mind started to wander.”
6. If you say that an old person’s mind is beginning to wander, you mean that they are starting to get very confused because of their age [I]
* “Her mind is beginning to wander and she doesn’t always know who I am.”
wander
uk |ˈwɒn.dər| us |ˈwɑːn.dɚ|
noun
1. a walk done in a slow relaxed way or without any clear purpose or direction
* “While you’re at your meeting I can go for/have/take a wander around the city.”
* “After a wander around the park, we returned home.”
wave
uk |weɪv| us |weɪv|
verb
1. to raise your hand and move it from side to side as a way of greeting someone, telling someone to do something, or adding emphasis to an expression
* “[wave to/at] I waved to/at him from the window but he didn’t see me.”
* “I was waving my hand like mad but he never once looked in my direction.”
* “She was so annoyed she wouldn’t even wave us goodbye/wave goodbye to us.”
* “[wave your hand about/around] She waves her hands about/around a lot when she’s talking.”
wave
uk |weɪv| us |weɪv|
noun
1. a raised line of water that moves across the surface of an area of water, especially the sea
* “[wave breaks/crashes] At night, I listened to the sound of the waves breaking/crashing against the shore.”
2. the action of raising your hand and moving it from side to side as a way of greeting someone, etc.
* “[give (someone) a wave] We gave Grandpa a wave from the window.”
airline
uk |ˈeə.laɪn| us |ˈer.laɪn|
noun
1. a business that operates regular services for carrying passengers and/or goods by aircraft
* “What airline did you fly with?”
cargo
uk |ˈkɑː.ɡəʊ| us |ˈkɑːr.ɡoʊ|
noun
1. the goods carried by a ship, aircraft, or other large vehicle
* “a cargo ship/plane”
* “The ship was carrying a cargo of wood.”
carriage
uk |ˈkær.ɪdʒ| us |ˈker.ɪdʒ|
noun
1. a vehicle with four wheels that is usually pulled by horses and was used mainly in the past [C]
* “a horse-drawn carriage”
2. any of the separate parts of a train in which the passengers sit [C UK (UK also coach); (US car)]
* “a railway carriage”
3. (the cost of) transporting goods [U UK]
* “That will be £150, carriage included.”
4. the way in which a person moves or keeps their body when they are standing, sitting, or walking [U formal]
charter
uk |ˈtʃɑː.tər| us |ˈtʃɑːr.t̬ɚ|
noun
1. a formal statement of the rights of a country’s people, or of an organization or a particular social group, that is agreed by or demanded from a ruler or government [C]
* “a charter of rights”
* “Education is one of the basic human rights written into the United Nations Charter.”
* “The government has produced a Citizen’s/Parents’/Patients’ Charter.”
2. the renting of a vehicle [U]
* “[for charter] boats for charter”
* “a charter flight”
* “[charter operator] a major charter operator”
charter
uk |ˈtʃɑː.tər| us |ˈtʃɑːr.t̬ɚ|
verb
1. to rent a vehicle, especially an aircraft, for a special use and not as part of a regular service
* “They’ve chartered a plane to take delegates to the conference.”
2. to officially start a new organization by giving it a charter
* “Cambridge University Press was chartered in 1534.”
commute
uk |kəˈmjuːt| us |kəˈmjuːt|
verb
1. to make the same journey regularly between work and home [I]
* “It’s exhausting commuting from Brighton to London every day.”
2. to change one thing into another [T formal]
* “People used to believe that you could commute base metals into gold.”
3. to exchange one type of payment for a different type [T finance & economics specialized]
* “I think I’ll commute my life insurance into an annuity.”
4. to change a punishment to one that is less severe [T law specialized]
* “Her sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.”
commute
uk |kəˈmjuːt| us |kəˈmjuːt|
noun
1. a regular journey between work and home
* “It’s at least an hour’s commute to work.”
destination
uk |ˌdes.tɪˈneɪ.ʃən| us |ˌdes.təˈneɪ.ʃən|
noun
1. the place where someone is going or where something is being sent or taken
* “[arrive at your destination] We arrived at our destination tired and hungry.”
* “[reach its destination] His letter never reached its destination.”
* “[UK] [holiday destination] The Caribbean is a popular holiday destination.”
destination
uk |ˌdes.tɪˈneɪ.ʃən| us |ˌdes.təˈneɪ.ʃən|
adjective
1. worth making a special journey for
* “a destination restaurant”
* “a destination wedding”
hiker
uk |ˈhaɪ.kər| us |ˈhaɪ.kɚ|
noun
1. a person who goes for a long walk in the countryside
* “On sunny days the trails are full of hikers.”
hitchhiker
uk |ˈhɪtʃ.haɪ.kər| us |ˈhɪtʃ.haɪ.kɚ|
noun
1. someone who travels by getting free rides in someone else’s vehicle
* “[pick up a hitchhiker] Jack often picks up hitchhikers.”
* “We let the two hitchhikers out at the border.”
jet lag
uk |ˈdʒet ˌlæɡ| us |ˈdʒet ˌlæɡ|
noun
1. the feeling of tiredness and confusion that people experience after making a long journey by plane to a place where the time is different from the place they left
* “Every time I fly to the States, I get really bad jet lag.”
legroom
uk |ˈleɡ.ruːm| |leɡ.rʊm| us |ˈleɡ.ruːm| |leɡ.rʊm|
noun
1. the amount of space available for your legs when you are sitting behind another seat
* “a car with plenty of legroom”
load
uk |ləʊd| us |loʊd|
noun
1. the amount of weight carried, especially by a vehicle, a structure such as a bridge, or an animal [C]
* “The maximum load for this elevator is eight persons.”
* “[load of] They delivered two loads of wood to the site.”
* “[carry a load] One truck involved in the accident was carrying a heavy load of coal.”
load
uk |ləʊd| us |loʊd|
verb
1. to put a lot of things into a vehicle or machine [I/T]
* “[load something onto something] How long will it take to load this sand onto the lorry?”
* “[load something up] Let’s load up the car and then we can go.”
* “to load the dishwasher/washing machine”
pedestrian
uk |pəˈdes.tri.ən| us |pəˈdes.tri.ən|
noun
1. a person who is walking, especially in an area where vehicles go
* “A few pedestrians sheltered from the rain in doorways.”
* “The death rate for pedestrians hit by cars is unacceptably high.”
pedestrian
uk |pəˈdes.tri.ən| us |pəˈdes.tri.ən|
adjective
1. not interesting; showing very little imagination
* “Her books, with few exceptions, are workmanlike but pedestrian.”
* “His speech was long and pedestrian.”
pier
uk |pɪər| us |pɪr|
noun
1. a long structure sticking out from the land over the sea, where people can walk or large boats can be tied, sometimes with restaurants and places of entertainment on it
2. a low structure built at the edge of water, used especially for getting into and out of boats
3. a strong thick column used to support a wall, roof, or other structure [architecture specialized]
pilot
uk |ˈpaɪ.lət| us |ˈpaɪ.lət|
noun
1. a person who flies an aircraft
* “a fighter/helicopter/bomber/airline pilot”
2. a person with detailed knowledge of an area of water, such as that around a port, who goes onto a ship to direct it safely
3. a programme that is made to introduce a new radio or television series and test how popular it is
* “If you’d seen the pilot, you’d know why they decided not to make a complete series of programmes!”
4. a small flame that burns all the time in a gas device, such as a cooker or a device for heating water, and that starts the main flame burning when the gas is turned on (also pilot light)
pilot
uk |ˈpaɪ.lət| us |ˈpaɪ.lət|
adjective
1. A pilot plan, product, or system is used to test how good something is before introducing it
* “If the pilot scheme is successful, many more homes will be offered the new television service.”
pilot
uk |ˈpaɪ.lət| us |ˈpaɪ.lət|
verb
1. to fly an aircraft
* “She piloted the aircraft to safety after one of the engines failed.”
2. to test a new product before it is sold
* “We shall pilot several new cosmetic products to selected potential purchasers.”
3. to be responsible for introducing a new law or system and making certain it is established [usually + adv/prep mainly UK]
* “20 years ago he piloted a bill through Parliament on working conditions.”
4. to direct a ship into a port or through an area of water
quay
uk |kiː| us |kiː|
noun
1. a long structure, usually built of stone, where boats can be tied up to take on and off their goods
return fare
uk |rɪˌtɜːn ˈfeər| us |rɪˌtɝːn ˈfer|
noun
1. the amount you pay for travelling somewhere and then returning to the same place that you started from
* “The airline operates daily flights with return fares from £100.”
round trip
uk |ˌraʊnd ˈtrɪp| us |ˌraʊnd ˈtrɪp|
noun
1. If you make a round trip, you go on a journey and return to where you started from.
steer
uk |stɪər| us |stɪr|
verb
1. to control the direction of a vehicle [I/T]
* “She carefully steered the car around the potholes.”
* “This car is very easy to steer.”
2. If a vehicle steers, it follows a particular route or direction [I/T]
* “The ship passed Land’s End, in Cornwall, then steered towards southern Ireland.”
3. to take someone or something or make someone or something go in the direction in which you want him, her, or it [T usually + adv/prep]
* “She steered her guests into the dining room.”
* “I’d like to steer our discussion back to our original topic.”
* “The main task of the new government will be to steer the country towards democracy.”
steer
uk |stɪər| us |stɪr|
noun
1. a young male of the cattle family that has had its sex organs removed, usually kept for meat
steward
uk |ˈstjuː.əd| us |ˈstuː.ɚd|
noun
1. a person whose job it is to organize a particular event, or to provide services to particular people, or to take care of a particular place
* “Stewards will be inspecting the race track at 9.00.”
* “If you need help at any time during the conference, one of the stewards will be pleased to help you.”
2. a person who serves passengers on a ship or aircraft (female stewardess)
3. a person who organizes the supply and serving of food at a club [UK]
* “He’s the steward of the City of Wakefield’s Working Men’s Club.”
cordon something off
uk |ˈkɔː.dən| us |ˈkɔːr.dən|
verb
1. If people in authority, such as the police, cordon off a building or area, they put something around it in order to stop people from entering it
* “They’ve cordoned off the whole area because of a suspected bomb.”
creep up on/behind someone
uk |kriːp| us |kriːp|
verb
1. to surprise someone and move closer to them without being seen or heard
* “Don’t creep up on me like that!”
* “We crept up behind her and yelled “Boo!””
fall behind
uk |fɔːl| us |fɑːl|
verb
1. to fail to do something fast enough or on time
* “[fall behind with] He was ill for six weeks and fell behind with his schoolwork.”
* “[fall behind on] I’ve fallen behind on the mortgage payments.”
astray
uk |əˈstreɪ| us |əˈstreɪ|
adverb
1. away from the correct path or correct way of doing something
* “The letter must have gone astray in the post.”
* “I was led astray by an out-of-date map.”
* “Her parents worried that she might be led astray (= encouraged to behave badly) by her unsuitable friends.”
head off
uk |hed| us |hed|
verb
1. to start a journey or leave a place
* “What time are you heading off?”
head someone/something off
uk |hed| us |hed|
verb
1. to force someone or something to change direction
* “I tried to head the dog off by running towards it.”
head something off
uk |hed| us |hed|
verb
1. to prevent a difficult or unpleasant situation from happening
* “The company is putting up wages to head off a strike.”
hold back
uk |həʊld| us |hoʊld|
verb
1. to not do something, often because of fear or because you do not want to make a bad situation worse
* “He held back, terrified of going into the dark room.”
hold someone/something back
uk |həʊld| us |hoʊld|
verb
1. to stop someone or something developing or doing as well as they should
* “She felt that having children would hold her back.”
2. If you hold someone or something back, you stop him, her, or it from coming or moving forward
* “Sandbags will hold the flood waters back for a while.”
hold something back
uk |həʊld| us |hoʊld|
verb
1. to keep information secret from someone deliberately
2. to stop yourself showing an emotion
* “He spoke slowly, to hold back his growing anger.”
move someone/something in
uk |muːv| us |muːv|
verb
1. If the police, army, or any group of people in authority move in, or if someone moves them in, they take control or attack, in order to deal with a difficult or dangerous situation
* “When a company goes out of business, officials usually move in to take control.”
* “The decision has been made to move UN troops in to try and stop the fighting.”
move on
uk |muːv| us |muːv|
verb
1. to leave the place where you are staying and go somewhere else
* “I’ve lived in this town long enough - it’s time to move on.”
2. to start a new activity
* “I’d done the same job for years and felt it was time to move on.”
3. to accept that a situation has changed and be ready to deal with new experiences
* “Since he and his girlfriend broke up, he’s been finding it difficult to move on.”
move out
uk |muːv| us |muːv|
verb
1. to stop living in a particular home
* “Her landlord has given her a week to move out.”
pull over
uk |pʊl| us |pʊl|
verb
1. If a vehicle pulls over, it moves to the side of the road and stops
* “Just pull over here, and I’ll get out and walk the rest of the way.”
slip away
uk |slɪp| us |slɪp|
verb
1. to leave secretly
* “He slipped away while we were all sleeping.”
2. If a period of time slips away, it passes quickly
* “Time was slipping away and she had to make a decision soon.”
3. If someone’s power or the possibility of someone winning or achieving something slips away, it disappears
* “Political power was really in their hands and they let it slip away.”
step aside
uk |step| us |step|
verb
1. to step sideways to make a space for someone else
* “Step aside, please - this lady needs a doctor.”
stop off somewhere
uk |stɒp| us |stɑːp|
verb
1. to visit or stay at a place for a short time when you are going somewhere else
* “[stop off at somewhere] I’ll stop off at the shops on my way home and get some wine.”
* “[stop off in somewhere] We’re going to stop off in Denver for a couple of days before heading south.”
tip
uk |tɪp| us |tɪp|
verb
1. to (cause to) move so that one side is higher than another side [I/T]
* “The table tipped, and all our drinks fell on the floor.”
* “[tip up] If you put too many books on one end of the shelf, it’ll tip up.”
* “[tip something back] Don’t tip your chair back like that, you’ll fall.”
walk out
uk |wɔːk| us |wɑːk|
verb
1. to leave an event such as a meeting or performance because you are angry or disapprove of something
* “[walk out (of)] All the parents walked out (of the meeting) in protest.”
2. to suddenly leave your husband, wife, or partner and end your relationship with them
* “[walk out on] He walked out on his wife and two kids.”
3. to stop working or leave your job because of a disagreement with your employer
* “Workers are threatening to walk out.”
