A1 (Basic)

butter

but·ter [butter butters buttered buttering] noun, verb   [ˈbʌtə(r)]    [ˈbʌtər]

noun uncountable
a soft yellow food made from cream, used in cooking and for spreading on bread
• Fry the onions in butter.
• Do you want butter or margarine on your toast?
see also  bread and butter, peanut butter
more at like a knife through butter at  knife  _v.  
Word Origin:
Old English butere, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch boter and German Butter, based on Latin butyrum, from Greek bouturon.  
Example Bank:
• Cream the butter and icing sugar together until light and fluffy.
• He put a large knob of butter on the potatoes.
• He spread butter on the roll.
• Put some butter on the crackers, please.
• Rub the butter into the flour.
• The butter melted in the heat.
• This butter doesn't spread very well.
• You can make frosting out of half a stick of butter and two cups of powdered sugar.
• courgettes sautéed in butter
• If you're still hungry, have some bread and butter.
Idiom: butter wouldn't melt

Derived: butter somebody up 

salt

salt [salt salts salted salting] noun, verb, adjective   [sɔːlt]    [sɒlt]    [sɔːlt]

noun
1. uncountable a white substance that is added to food to give it a better flavour or to preserve it. Salt is obtained from mines and is also found in sea water. It is sometimes called common salt to distinguish it from other chemical salts.
Syn:  sodium chloride
• Pass the salt, please.
• a pinch of salt (= a small amount of it)
• Season with salt and pepper.
• sea salt

see also  rock salt

2. countable (chemistry) a chemical formed from a metal and an acid
• mineral salts

see also  acid salt, Epsom salts

3. salts plural a substance that looks or tastes like salt
• bath salts (= used to give a pleasant smell to bath water)
see also  smelling salts
more at like a dose of salts at  dose  _n., take sth with a pinch of salt at  pinch  _n., rub salt into the wound/sb's wounds at  rub  _v., worth your/its salt at  worth  _adj.  
Word Origin:
Old English sealt (noun), sealtan (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zout and German Salz (nouns), from an Indo-European root shared by Latin sal, Greek hals ‘salt’.  
Example Bank:
• Could you pass the salt, please?
• Don't put so much salt on your chips!
• He could taste the salt from the water in his mouth.
• He wants to reduce his salt intake.
• I could smell the salt air as it whipped through my hair.
• Most foodstuffs contain some salt.
• When salt is dissolved in water, it alters the properties of the water.
• a diet low in salt
• foods with a high salt content
Idiom: salt of the earth

Derived: salt something away 

meat

meat [meat meats]   [miːt]    [miːt]  noun
1. uncountable, countable the flesh of an animal or a bird eaten as food; a particular type of this
• a piece/slice of meat
• horse meat (= from a horse)
• dog meat (= for a dog)
• meat-eating animals
• There's not much meat on this chop.
• (figurative, humorous) There's not much meat on her (= she is very thin).

see also  luncheon meat, mincemeat, red meat, sausage meat, white meat

2. uncountable ~ (of sth) the important or interesting part of sth
Syn:  substance
• This chapter contains the real meat of the writer's argument.
more at dead meat at  dead, one man's meat is another man's poison at  man  _n.
Idiom: meat and drink to somebody  
Word Origin:
Old English mete ‘food’ or ‘article of food’ (as in sweetmeat), of Germanic origin.  
Example Bank:
• Britain's meat consumption
• Do you eat meat?
• Fry the meat in a little olive oil.
• He eventually found employment as a meat cutter.
• I'm not a great meat eater.
• It was so cold, it was like a meat locker.
• She always buys the cheaper cuts of meat.
• Simmer the meat for 30 minutes until tender.
• That meat smells rotten.
• The animals do not hunt and rarely consume meat.
• The meat has gone off.
• These pies have a low meat content.
• Turn the meat frequently to brown it.
• a plate of cold meats
• chewing on the tough meat

• recipes for simple meat dishes

bread

bread [bread breads breaded breading]   [bred]    [bred]  noun uncountable
1. a type of food made from flour, water and usually yeast mixed together and baked
• a loaf/slice/piece of bread
• white/brown/wholemeal bread

see also  crispbread, French bread, gingerbread

2. (old-fashioned, slang) money
more at your daily bread at  daily  _adj., half a loaf is better than no bread at  half  _det., know which side your bread is buttered at  know  _v., the best thing since sliced bread at sliced
Idiom: take the bread out of somebody's mouth  
Word Origin:
Old English brēad, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch brood and German Brot.  
Example Bank:
• He had to live on bread and water for two weeks.
• People started going up to receive the bread and wine.
• She tore off a large hunk of bread.
• This bread is going stale.
• What would you like on your bread?
• a plate of bread and butter
• bread thickly spread with peanut butter
• bread thickly spread with plum jam
• loaves of crusty French bread
• some nice crusty white bread

• the smell of freshly baked bread

juice

juice [juice juices juiced juicing] noun, verb   [dʒuːs]    [dʒuːs]

noun
1. uncountable, countable the liquid that comes from fruit or vegetables; a drink made from this
• Add the juice of two lemons.
• a carton of apple juice

• Two orange juices, please.

2. countable, usually plural, uncountable the liquid that comes out of a piece of meat when it is cooked

• Use the juices of the meat to make gravy.

3. countable, usually plural the liquid in the stomach that helps you to digest food

• digestive/gastric juices

4. uncountable (informal, especially BrE) petrol/gas

5. uncountable (NAmE, informal) electricity
see let sb stew in their own juice at  stew  _v.  
Word Origin:
Middle English: via Old French from Latin jus ‘broth, vegetable juice’.  
Example Bank:
• Sprinkle the avocado slices with lemon juice.
• The juice from the meat is used to make the sauce.
• the grated rind and juice of two lemons

Derived: juice something up 

tea

tea [tea teas teaed tea'd teaing]   [tiː]    [tiː]  noun
1. uncountable the dried leaves (called tea leaves) of the tea bush

see also  green tea

2. uncountable a hot drink made by pouring boiling water onto tea leaves. It may be drunk with milk or lemon and/or sugar added
• a cup/mug/pot of tea
• lemon/iced tea
• Would you like tea or coffee?

• Do you take sugar in your tea?

3. countable a cup of tea

• Two teas, please.

4. uncountable, countable a hot drink made by pouring boiling water onto the leaves of other plants
• camomile/mint/herb, etc. tea

see also  beef tea

5. uncountable, countable the name used by some people in Britain for the cooked meal eaten in the evening, especially when it is eaten early in the evening
• You can have your tea as soon as you come home from school.

compare  dinner, supper

6. uncountable, countable (BrE) a light meal eaten in the afternoon or early evening, usually with sandwiches and/or biscuits and cakes and with tea to drink
see also  cream tea, high tea
more at not sb's cup of tea at  cup  _n.
Idiom: not for all the tea in China  
Word Origin:
mid 17th cent.: probably via Malay from Chinese (Min dialect) te; related to Mandarin chá. Compare with char  (noun - sense 2).  
Culture:
meals
Americans and British people generally eat three meals a day though the names vary according to people’s lifestyles and where they live.
The first meal of the day is breakfast. The traditional full English breakfast served in many British hotels may include fruit juice, cereal, bacon and eggs, often with sausages and tomatoes, toast and marmalade, and tea or coffee. Few people have time to prepare a cooked breakfast at home and most have only cereal and/or toast with tea or coffee. Others buy coffee and a pastry on their way to work.
The traditional American breakfast includes eggs, some kind of meat and toast. Eggs may be fried, ‘over easy’, ‘over hard’ or ‘sunny side up’, or boiled, poached or in an omelette (= beaten together and fried). The meat may be bacon or sausage. People who do not have time for a large meal have toast or cereal and coffee. It is common for Americans to eat breakfast in a restaurant. On Saturday and Sunday many people eat brunch late in the morning. This consists of both breakfast and lunch dishes, including pancakes and waffles (= types of cooked batter) that are eaten with butter and maple syrup.
Lunch, which is eaten any time after midday, is the main meal of the day for some British people, though people out at work may have only sandwiches. Some people also refer to the midday meal as dinner. Most workers are allowed about an hour off work for it, called the lunch hour, and many also go shopping. Many schools offer a cooked lunch (school lunch or school dinner), though some students take a packed lunch of sandwiches, fruit, etc. Sunday lunch is special and is, for many families, the biggest meal of the week, consisting traditionally of roast meat and vegetables and a sweet course. In the US lunch is usually a quick meal, eaten around midday. Many workers have a half-hour break for lunch, and buy a sandwich from near their place of work. Business people may sometimes eat a larger lunch and use the time to discuss business.
The main meal of the day for most people is the evening meal, called supper, tea or dinner. It is usually a cooked meal with meat or fish or a salad, followed by a sweet course. In Britain younger children may have tea when they get home from school. Tea, meaning a main meal for adults, is the word used in some parts of Britain especially when the evening meal is eaten early. Dinner sounds more formal than supper, and guests generally receive invitations to ‘dinner’ rather than to ‘supper’. In the US the evening meal is called dinner and is usually eaten around 6 or 6.30 p.m. In many families, both in Britain and in the US, family members eat at different times and rarely sit down at the table together.
Many people also eat snacks between meals. Most have tea or coffee at mid-morning, often called coffee time or the coffee break. In Britain in the past this was sometimes also called elevenses. In the afternoon many British people have a tea break. Some hotels serve afternoon tea which consists of tea or coffee and a choice of sandwiches and cakes. When on holiday/vacation people sometimes have a cream tea of scones, jam and cream. In addition many people eat chocolate bars, biscuits (AmE cookies) or crisps (AmE chips). Some British people have a snack, sometimes called supper, consisting of a milk drink and a biscuit before they go to bed. In the US children often have milk and cookies after school. 
Culture:
Many British people have a cup of tea in the morning, and several more during the day. Some people stop work for a few minutes to have a tea break. Most people in Britain offer a cup of tea to anybody visiting their home or office. Tea also suggests comfort and warmth, and sitting down with a ‘nice cup of tea’ is a common response to problems and worries. 
More About:
meals
People use the words dinner, lunch, supper and tea in different ways depending on which English-speaking country they come from. In Britain it may also depend on which part of the country or which social class a person comes from.
A meal eaten in the middle of the day is usually called lunch. If it is the main meal of the day it may also be called dinner in BrE, especially in the north of the country.
A main meal eaten in the evening is usually called dinner, especially if it is a formal meal. Supper is also an evening meal, but more informal than dinner and usually eaten at home. It can also be a late meal or something to eat and drink before going to bed.
In BrE, tea is a light meal in the afternoon with sandwiches, cakes, etc. and a cup of tea: ▪ a cream tea. It can also be a main meal eaten early in the evening, especially by children: ▪ What time do the kids have their tea?
As a general rule, if dinner is the word someone uses for the meal in the middle of the day, they probably call the meal in the evening tea or supper. If they call the meal in the middle of the day lunch, they probably call the meal in the evening dinner.
Brunch, a combination of breakfast and lunch, is becoming more common, especially as a meal where your guests serve themselves. 
Example Bank:
• A lady comes round the office with a tea trolley in the afternoon.
• All rooms have tea-making facilities.
• Allow the tea to cool before you drink it.
• He stores his books in a tea chest.
• He tried to alleviate their disappointment by inviting them in for tea and sympathy.
• I cleared away the tea things.
• I decided to treat myself to a cream tea in the tea room next door.
• I don't drink tea.
• I'll bring you a cup of tea in a few minutes.
• I'll have tea— white, no sugar, please.
• I'll make you some tea.
• John rushed around dispensing tea and cakes to everyone.
• Pour me a cup of tea please.
• She sipped her hot tea slowly.
• The hospital tea bar is run by volunteers.
• There's some fresh tea in the pot.
• There's some fresh= just made tea in the pot.
• You haven't let the tea brew long enough.
• a bone china tea service
• an authentic Japanese tea house
• When we were on holiday we had cream teas every day.

• Would you like to come to tea on Sunday?

water

water [water waters watered watering] noun, verb   [ˈwɔːtə(r)]    [ˈwɔːtər]    [ˈwɑːtər] 

noun
1. uncountable a liquid without colour, smell or taste that falls as rain, is in lakes, rivers and seas, and is used for drinking, washing, etc
• a glass of water
• drinking water
• water pollution
• clean/dirty water
• water shortages
• There is hot and cold running water in all the bedrooms.
• The water (= the supply of water) was turned off for several hours each day during the drought.

see also  bathwater

2. uncountable an area of water, especially a lake, river, sea or ocean
• We walked down to the water's edge.
• She fell into the water.
• shallow/deep water
• In the lagoon the water was calm.

see also  backwater, breakwater

3. waters plural the water in a particular lake, river, sea or ocean
• the grey waters of the River Clyde

• This species is found in coastal waters around the Indian Ocean.

4. uncountable the surface of a mass of water
• She dived under the water.
• The leaves floated on the water.
• He disappeared under the water.
• I could see my reflection in the water.

see also  underwater

5. waters plural an area of sea or ocean belonging to a particular country
• We were still in British waters.
• fishing in international waters

see also  territorial waters

6. waters plural murky, uncharted, stormy, dangerous, etc. ~ used to describe a situation, usually one that is difficult, dangerous or not familiar
• The conversation got into the murky waters of jealousy and relationships.
• The government has warned of stormy waters ahead.
• I was going into uncharted waters.  There are many other compounds ending in water. You will find them at their place in the alphabet.
more at blood is thicker than water at  blood, blow sb/sth out of the water at  blow  _v., pour/throw cold water on sth at  cold  _adj., dead in the water at  dead  _adj., in deep water(s) at  deep  _adj., dip a toe in/into the water at  dip  _v., (take to sth) like a duck to water at  duck  _n., a fish out of water at  fish  _n., keep your head above water at  head  _n., (come) hell or high water at  hell, you can lead/take a horse to water, but you can't make it drink at  horse  _n., be in/get into hot water at  hot  _adj., pass water at  pass  _v., pour oil on troubled water(s) at  pour, still waters run deep at  still  _adj., test the waters at  test  _v., tread water at  tread  _adj.  
Word Origin:
Old English wæter (noun), wæterian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch water, German Wasser, from an Indo-European root shared by Russian voda (compare with vodka), also by Latin unda ‘wave’ and Greek hudōr ‘water’.  
Example Bank:
• Alexis filled the sink with soapy water.
• All the rooms have hot and cold running water.
• An abandoned town lies under the water of the reservoir.
• As the weather heats up, water evaporates.
• At last the boat reached safer waters.
• Avoid drinking the tap water when you first arrive in the country.
• Brown water gushed out of the rusty old tap.
• Building can be difficult where the water table lies close to the surface.
• Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water.
• Don't slosh too much water on the floor when you're having a bath.
• Goods were often transported by water in the 19th century.
• He kept sprinkling holy water on Mia.
• He twisted it to drain the excess water.
• How do you pump the water up here?
• I could feel the icy water entering my lungs.
• I saw something large floating in the water.
• Residents are being asked to boil their drinking water.
• She crouched at the water's edge to wash her hands.
• She dried off the excess water from her hair.
• Some fields have areas with standing water.
• That causes the moss to absorb water.
• The boat cut effortlessly through the water.
• The burst pipe was spurting water everywhere.
• The farmers draw their irrigation water from the Colorado.
• The flood water had caused tremendous damage.
• The ship had drifted into uncharted waters.
• The submarine had strayed into Russian waters.
• The surface water made the road treacherous for drivers.
• The swan landed gracefully on the water.
• The water is now receding after the floods.
• The water was rising fast.
• There was water dripping from a hole in the ceiling.
• These fish will quickly die in salt water.
• They climbed a tree to escape the rising water.
• They turned the water off for a few hours to do some work on the pipes.
• Water got into the boat and was sloshing around under our feet.
• a water-resistant watch
• a woman fetching water
• areas which are dependent on ground water
• household water heaters
• inland navigable waters
• large expanses of open water
• the ballast water of ocean-going freighters
• the calm waters of Lake Como
• the fast-flowing water of the river
• the freezing waters of the Irish Sea
• the icy waters of the North Atlantic
• the purest well water
• the region's most important fresh water source
• the shark-infested waters off the coast of Florida
• water-repellent leather
• Leaves floated on the water.
• We walked down to the water's edge.
Idioms: by water ▪ it's water under the bridge ▪ like water ▪ not hold water ▪ somebody's waters break ▪ water off a duck's back

Derived: water something down 

leg

leg [leg legs legged legging] noun, verb   [leɡ]    [leɡ]

noun  

PART OF BODY
1. countable one of the long parts that connect the feet to the rest of the body
• Sit on the floor, stretching your legs out in front of you.
• I broke my leg playing football.
• How many legs does a centipede have?
• front/back legs
• forelegs/hind legs
• a wooden leg

see also  bow legs, daddy-long-legs, inside leg, leggy, legroom, peg leg, sea legs  

MEAT

2. countable, uncountable the leg of an animal, especially the top part, cooked and eaten
• frogs' legs
• chicken legs

• ~ of sth roast leg of lamb  

OF TROUSERS/PANTS

3. countable the part of a pair of trousers/pants that covers the leg
• a trouser/pant leg

• These jeans are too long in the leg.  

OF TABLE/CHAIR

4. countable one of the long thin parts on the bottom of a table, chair, etc. that support it

• a chair leg  

-LEGGED

5.   [ˈleɡɪd]  ;   [ˈleɡɪd]    [leɡd]  ;   [leɡd]  (in adjectives) having the number or type of legs mentioned
• a three-legged stool
• a long-legged insect  When -legged is used with numbers, it is nearly always pronounced /[ˈleɡɪd] /; in other adjectives it can be pronounced /[ˈleɡɪd] / or /[leɡd] /.

see also  cross-legged  

OF JOURNEY/RACE

6. countable ~ (of sth) one part of a journey or race
Syn:  section, Syn: stage

• The final leg of the trip was by donkey.  

SPORTS GAME

7. countable (BrE) one of a pair of matches played between the same opponents in a sports competition, which together form a single round (= stage) of the competition
more at cost/pay an arm and a leg at  arm  _n., as fast as your legs can carry you at  fast  _adv., be on your/its last legs at  last  _adj., pull sb's leg at  pull  _v., shake a leg at  shake  _v., stretch your legs at  stretch  _v., with your tail between your legs at  tail  _n., talk the hind leg off a donkey at  talk  _v.
see also  leg-up  
Word Origin:
Middle English (superseding shank): from Old Norse leggr (compare with Danish læg ‘calf (of the leg)’), of Germanic origin.  
Collocations:
Physical appearance
A person may be described as having:
Eyes
(bright) blue/green/(dark/light) brown/hazel eyes
deep-set/sunken/bulging/protruding eyes
small/beady/sparkling/twinkling/(informal) shifty eyes
piercing/penetrating/steely eyes
bloodshot/watery/puffy eyes
bushy/thick/dark/raised/arched eyebrows
long/dark/thick/curly/false eyelashes/lashes
Face
a flat/bulbous/pointed/sharp/snub nose
a straight/a hooked/a Roman/(formal) an aquiline nose
full/thick/thin/pouty lips
dry/chapped/cracked lips
flushed/rosy/red/ruddy/pale cheeks
soft/chubby/sunken cheeks
white/perfect/crooked/protruding teeth
a large/high/broad/wide/sloping forehead
a strong/weak/pointed/double chin
a long/full/bushy/wispy/goatee beard
a long/thin/bushy/droopy/handlebar/pencil moustache/ (especially US) mustache
Hair and skin
pale/fair/olive/dark/tanned skin
dry/oily/smooth/rough/leathery/wrinkled skin
a dark/pale/light/sallow/ruddy/olive/swarthy/clear complexion
deep/fine/little/facial wrinkles
blonde/blond/fair/(light/dark) brown/(jet-)black/auburn/red/(BrE) ginger/grey hair
straight/curly/wavy/frizzy/spiky hair
thick/thin/fine/bushy/thinning hair
dyed/bleached/soft/silky/dry/greasy/shiny hair
long/short/shoulder-length/cropped hair
a bald/balding/shaved head
a receding hairline
a bald patch/spot
a side/centre/(US) center (BrE) parting/ (NAmE) part
Body
a long/short/thick/slender/(disapproving) scrawny neck
broad/narrow/sloping/rounded/hunched shoulders
a bare/broad/muscular/small/large chest
a flat/swollen/bulging stomach
a small/tiny/narrow/slim/slender/28-inch waist
big/wide/narrow/slim hips
a straight/bent/arched/broad/hairy back
thin/slender/muscular arms
big/large/small/manicured/calloused/gloved hands
long/short/fat/slender/delicate/bony fingers
long/muscular/hairy/shapely/(both informal, often disapproving) skinny/spindly legs
muscular/chubby/(informal, disapproving) flabby thighs
big/little/small/dainty/wide/narrow/bare feet
a good/a slim/a slender/an hourglass figure
be of slim/medium/average/large/athletic/stocky build  
Example Bank:
• Have you ever tried frogs' legs?
• He jumped to avoid the flailing leg of the defender.
• He lost a leg in a motorcycle accident.
• He put his back against the car, braced his legs and pushed.
• He rolled up his trouser legs.
• He rolled up the legs of his jeans.
• He rose to his feet on shaky legs.
• He sat down with his lame leg outstretched.
• He sat with his legs dangling off the bridge.
• He was shot in the leg by a sniper.
• He was wheeled out of the hospital with his leg in a cast/in plaster.
• He was wheeled out of the hospital with his leg in plaster.
• His legs buckled and he collapsed on the floor.
• I had a big bruise on my leg.
• I moved the chair away from the table so I could cross my legs.
• I was able to stand on my good leg.
• I'm getting my legs waxed tomorrow.
• It was good to get out of the car and stretch our legs.
• Leg extensions use the quadriceps muscles to extend the knee.
• Many birds are able to stand on one leg for hours at a time.
• She crossed the finish line on tired legs.
• She had her leg amputated below the knee.
• She sat with her legs drawn up underneath her.
• She started running, fat legs pumping.
• She stretched her legs under the table.
• She swung her legs over the side of the bed and reached for her crutches.
• The dog lifted its leg against the lamp post.
• The dog sloped off, its tail between its legs.
• The fastest runner often runs the anchor leg of a relay.
• The fastest runner often runs the anchor leg= the last part of a relay race.
• These jeans are too long in the leg.
• They don't train the day before a match to ensure they have fresh legs.
• They gazed at each other, their legs entwined under the table.
• They made him put his hands on the police car and spread his legs.
• They ran together, their legs moving in unison.
• We were on the last leg of our journey.
• a fine pair of legs
• an injury to his upper leg
• Hopefully, the next leg of the race will feature fewer icebergs and more dolphins.
• I really believe we can turn around that 4–2 first leg deficit and win this game.
• The Spanish team won the third leg.

Idioms: break a leg! ▪ get your leg over ▪ have legs ▪ leg it ▪ not have a leg to stand on 

choose

choose [choose chooses chose choosing chosen]   [tʃuːz]    [tʃuːz]  verb (chose   [tʃəʊz]  ;   [tʃoʊz]  , chosen   [ˈtʃəʊzn]  ;   [ˈtʃoʊzn]  )
1. intransitive, transitive to decide which thing or person you want out of the ones that are available
• You choose, I can't decide.
• There are plenty of restaurants to choose from.
• ~ between A and/or B She had to choose between staying in the UK or going home.
• ~ sth Sarah chose her words carefully.
• This site has been chosen for the new school.
• ~ A from B We have to choose a new manager from a shortlist of five candidates.
• ~ sb/sth as/for sth He chose banking as a career.
• We chose Phil McSweeney as/for chairperson.
• ~ whether, wat, etc… You'll have to choose whether to buy it or not.
• ~ to do sth We chose to go by train.

• ~ sb to be/do sth We chose Phil McSweeney to be chairperson.

2. intransitive, transitive to prefer or decide to do sth
• Employees can retire at 60 if they choose.
• ~ to do sth Many people choose not to marry.
see also  choice  _n.
more at pick and choose at  pick  _v.
Idiom: there is not much to choose between A and B
Verb forms:

 
Word Origin:
Old English cēosan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kiezen.  
Thesaurus:
choose verb I, T
1.
• We have to choose a new manager.
select • • decide • • opt • • single sb/sth out • • adopt • |informal pick • • go for sth •
choose/select/decide/pick between A and/or B
choose/select/opt for/single out/adopt/pick/go for sb/sth as sb/sth
choose/select/single out/pick sb/sth for sb/sth
choose/select/opt for/single out/adopt/pick/go for sb/sth to do sth
Choose, select or pick? When you select sth you usually choose it carefully, unless you actually say that it is selected randomly/at random. Pick is a more informal word that describes a less careful action. Choose is the most general of these words and the only one that can be used without an object:
• You choose— I can't decide
 ¤ You select/pick— I can't decide.
2. I, T
• Many people choose not to marry.
decide • • make up your mind • |formal determine • • elect • • resolve •
choose/decide/make up your mind/determine/elect/resolve to do sth
choose/decide/make up your mind whether/what/how…
be free to choose/decide/determine 
Synonyms:
choose
select • pick • decide • opt • go for
These words all mean to decide which thing or person you want out of the ones that are available.
choose • to decide which thing or person you want out of the ones that are available: ▪ You choose— I can't decide.
select • [often passive] to choose sb/sth, usually carefully, from a group of people or things: ▪ He was selected for the team. ◊ ▪ a randomly selected sample of 23 schools
pick • (rather informal) to choose sb/sth from a group of people or things: ▪ She picked the best cake for herself.
choose, select or pick?
Choose is the most general of these words and the only one that can be used without an object. When you select sth, you choose it carefully, unless you actually say that it is selected randomly/at random. Pick is a more informal word and often a less careful action, used especially when the choice being made is not very important.
decide • to choose between two or more possibilities: ▪ We're still trying to ▪ decide on ▪ a venue.
opt • to choose to take or not to take a particular course of action: ▪ After graduating she opted for a career in music. ◊ ▪ After a lot of thought, I ▪ opted against ▪ buying a motorbike.
go for sth • (rather informal) to choose sth: ▪ I think I'll go for the fruit salad.
to choose/select/pick/decide between A and/or B
to choose/select/pick A from B
to opt/go for sb/sth
to choose/decide/opt to do sth
to choose/select/pick sb/sth carefully/at random
randomly chosen/selected/picked 
Example Bank:
• She had to choose between giving up her job or hiring a nanny.
• There are several different models to choose from.
• They can choose freely from a wide range of courses.
• You are free to choose whichever courses you want to take.
• You have to take any job you can get— you can't pick and choose.
• We chose Paul Stubbs to be chairperson.
• We deliberately chose to stay in a cheap non-western hotel.
• With practice, you can consciously choose not to react in a stressed way.
• You choose— I can't decide.

• You'll have to choose whether to buy it or not.

museum

mu·seum [museum museums]   [mjuˈziːəm]    [mjuˈziːəm]  noun
a building in which objects of artistic, cultural, historical or scientific interest are kept and shown to the public
• a museum of modern art
• a science museum
 
Word Origin:
early 17th cent. (denoting a university building, specifically one erected at Alexandria by Ptolemy Soter): via Latin from Greek mouseion ‘seat of the Muses’, based on mousa ‘muse’.  
Culture:
art galleries and museums of art
In Britain, works of art are displayed in art galleries and, especially outside London, in museums. Shops that sell paintings are also called galleries. In the US public art collections are displayed in art museums, and a gallery is a place where people go to buy works of art.
Many galleries and museums in Britain and the US receive limited financial support from national or local government. Other money is raised through admission fees, although admission to many British museums is free, and the sale of postcards, calendars, etc. Some galleries obtain money through sponsorship. Many works of art are expensive and galleries can rarely buy them without organizing a public appeal or, in Britain, asking for money from the National Art Collections Fund.
Visiting an art gallery is a popular leisure activity. Galleries and museums are friendlier places than they used to be. Many try to encourage children’s interest in art by arranging school visits and many people make their first trip to an art museum with their school class.
The most popular galleries in Britain, all in London, are the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain and Tate Modern. The Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition of paintings sent in by the general public also receives a lot of visitors. Sculpture attracts less attention, and though the names of Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth are known to many people, few could describe any of their works. Well-known galleries outside London include the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh and the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
Important art museums in the US include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museum, all in New York, and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Most US cities and many smaller towns have art museums.
Galleries sometimes mount exhibitions of the paintings of one artist, e.g. Turner, that are brought together from all over the world. People are prepared to queue for a long time to see them. Many people admire old masters, famous works by great artists of the past, but have little interest in modern art. New works receive publicity in the media only when they are unusual or likely to shock people. Galleries and museums try to encourage a more positive attitude to modern art but many people remain doubtful. When the Tate displayed half a cow and its calf rotting in formaldehyde (= a chemical used to preserve it), the public criticized the artist, Damien Hirst. There is usually controversy about the winners of the Turner Prize 
Some exhibitions bring together all kinds of art, not only paintings, from a particular time or country so that people can learn about it. Exhibitions on subjects such as the Aztecs, art nouveau and the art of Turkey attract large crowds. 
Culture:
museums
Many people have a hobby that involves collecting things, e.g. stamps, postcards or antiques. In the 18th and 19th centuries wealthy people travelled and collected plants, animal skins, historical objects and works of art. They kept their collection at home until it got too big or until they died, and then it was given to a museum. The 80 000 objects collected by Sir Hans Sloane, for example, formed the core collection of the British Museum which opened in 1759.
The parts of a museum open to the public are called galleries or rooms. Often, only a small proportion of a museum’s collection is on display. Most of it is stored away or used for research. A person in charge of a department of a museum is called a keeper. Museum staff involved in the care and conservation of items are sometimes called curators.
Many museums are lively places and they attract a lot of visitors. As well as looking at exhibits, visitors can play with computer simulations and imagine themselves living at a different time in history or walking through a rainforest. At the Jorvik Centre in York, the city’s Viking settlement is recreated, and people experience the sights, sounds and smells of the old town. Historical accuracy is important but so also is entertainment. Museums must compete for people’s leisure time and money with other amusements. Most museums also welcome school groups and arrange special activities for children.
In Britain, the largest museums are the British Museum, the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Museums outside London also cover every subject and period. Homes of famous people sometimes become museums, such as the house where Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon.
The first public museum in the US was the Charlestown Museum in South Carolina, founded in 1773. The largest is the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, a group of 14 museums. The most popular of these is the National Air and Space Museum. Some US museums are art museums. Many describe a period of history. In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for example, a museum explains the Civil War and gives details of the battle of Gettysburg. Halls of Fame are museums that honour people who have been outstanding in a certain field, e.g. baseball or rock music.
National museums receive money from the government but not enough to cover their costs. Museums usually have a shop selling books, postcards and gifts, and often a cafe. Their profits help to fund the museum. Some museums have the support of a commercial sponsor. In small museums only a few people have paid jobs, and the rest are volunteers, called docents in the US, who lead tours and answer visitors’ questions. 
Example Bank:
• All the planes are museum pieces.
• Although the mill is no longer in commercial use, it is maintained as a working museum.
• He founded a museum of modern art in his home town.
• Los Angeles County Art Museum
• The first painting acquired by the museum was by Hopper.
• The museum houses a fine collection of textiles.
• The museum is housed in a converted church.
• The website's print gallery is a virtual museum.
• There's a gift shop in the museum.
• a museum devoted to children's toys
• a museum devoted to railway memorabilia
• an exhibition of Chinese ceramics at the Ashmolean Museum
• an open-air museum of farming and the countryside

• one of the world's great museums