A1 (Basic)

sunny

sun‧ny /ˈsʌni/ BrE AmE adjective
1. having a lot of light from the sun SYN bright:
a warm sunny day
a sunny morning
a nice sunny room
I hope it’s sunny tomorrow.
sunny periods/spells/intervals (=periods when it is sunny)
Tuesday will be dry with sunny spells.
2. informal happy and friendly:
a sunny smile
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ sunny if the weather is sunny, the sun is shining: When we arrived in Hong Kong, it was warm and sunny. | a lovely sunny afternoon
▪ fine especially British English not raining, and with no clouds or only a few clouds in the sky: a period of fine weather | Next week will be fine but a little cooler.
▪ nice (also lovely especially British English) spoken pleasantly warm and sunny: It’s a lovely day – why don’t we go for a walk? | If it’s nice, we’ll go to the beach.
▪ bright if the weather is bright, the sun is shining and there is plenty of light: a bright sunny morning | It was bright earlier on in the day.
▪ beautiful/glorious used when the weather is very good and there is a lot of sunshine: a glorious autumn day | The weather has been beautiful all week.
▪ clear with no clouds or mist: It was a clear June morning. | a clear blue sky
▪ cloudless especially literary with no clouds: The sun shone from a cloudless sky. | It was a beautiful cloudless morning.
▪ dry with no rain: a period of dry weather | Tomorrow will be mostly dry.

snowy

snow‧y /ˈsnəʊi $ ˈsnoʊi/ BrE AmE adjective
1. with a lot of snow:
the snowy fields
one snowy January day
2. literary pure white, like snow:
snowy hair

ear

ear S2 W2 /ɪə $ ɪr/ BrE AmE noun
[Sense 1,2: Language: Old English; Origin: eare]
[Sense 3: Language: Old English; Origin: ear]

1. PART OF YOUR BODY [countable] one of the organs on either side of your head that you hear with:
She tucked her hair behind her ears.
long-eared/short-eared etc
a long-eared rabbit
2. GRAIN [countable] the top part of a plant such as wheat that produces grain
ear of
an ear of corn
3. smile/grin etc from ear to ear to show that you are very happy or pleased by smiling a lot:
She came out of his office, beaming from ear to ear.
4. reach somebody's ears if something reaches someone's ears, they hear about it or find out about it:
The news eventually reached the ears of the king.
5. to somebody's ears used when saying how something sounds to someone:
It sounds odd to the ears of an ordinary English speaker.
6. [singular] the ability to learn music, copy sounds etc
ear for
She has no ear for languages at all.
a good ear for dialogue
7. a sympathetic ear used to say that someone listens sympathetically to what someone is saying:
He’s always prepared to lend a sympathetic ear.
8. close/shut your ears to something to refuse to listen to bad or unpleasant news:
You can’t just close your ears to their warnings. ⇨ turn a deaf ear at ↑deaf(4), ⇨ fall on deaf ears at ↑deaf(5)
9. be all ears informal to be very keen to hear what someone is going to tell you:
As soon as I mentioned money, Karen was all ears.
10. be out on your ear informal to be forced to leave a job, organization etc, especially because you have done something wrong:
You’d better start working harder, or you’ll be out on your ear.
11. be up to your ears in work/debt/problems etc to have a lot of work etc
12. have something coming out (of) your ears informal to have too much of something:
We’ve got pumpkins coming out our ears this time of year.
13. keep your/an ear to the ground to make sure that you always know what is happening in a situation
14. keep your ears open to always be listening in order to find out what is happening or to hear some useful information:
I hope you’ll all keep your eyes and ears open for anything unusual.
15. go in (at) one ear and out (at) the other informal if information goes in one ear and out the other, you forget it as soon as you have heard it:
I don’t know why I tell her anything. It just goes in one ear and out the other.
16. give somebody a thick ear British English informal to hit someone on the ear:
Behave yourself or I’ll give you a thick ear!
17. have sb’s ear to be trusted by someone so that they will listen to your advice, opinions etc:
He claimed to have the ear of several top ministers.
18. play something by ear to play music that you have heard without having to read written music ⇨ play it by ear at ↑play¹(11)
19. sb’s ears are burning used to say that someone thinks that people are talking about them
20. sb’s ears are flapping British English spoken used to say that someone is trying to listen to your private conversation
⇨ ↑dog-eared, ⇨ bend sb’s ear at ↑bend¹(7), ⇨ send somebody off with a flea in their ear at ↑flea(2), ⇨ make a pig’s ear of at ↑pig¹(5), ⇨ prick (up) your ears at ↑prick¹(5), ⇨ wet behind the ears at ↑wet¹(7)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ big African elephants' ears are bigger than those of Indian elephants.
▪ floppy (=soft and hanging down loosely, rather than being stiff) a rabbit with big floppy ears
▪ pointy/pointed The dog has short pointy ears.
▪ pierced (=with a hole in the skin where an earring can be put) Her new boyfriend's got long hair and pierced ears.
▪ somebody's left/right ear She is deaf in her right ear.
▪ inner/middle ear (=the parts inside your ear, which you use to hear sounds) I've got an infection in my middle ear.
■ verbs
▪ say/whisper something into somebody's ear He whispered something into his wife's ear.
▪ have your ears pierced (=have a hole put into the skin, so that you can wear an earring) I had my ears pierced when I was quite young.
▪ somebody's ears stick out (=they are noticeable because they do not lie flat against someone's head) If my hair is too short, you can see that my ears stick out.
▪ somebody's ears pop (=the pressure in them changes suddenly, for example when you go up or down quickly in a plane) My ears finally popped when the plane landed.

wash

I. wash¹ S1 W3 /wɒʃ $ wɒːʃ, wɑːʃ/ BrE AmE verb
[Word Family: noun: ↑wash, ↑washer, ↑washing; adjective: ↑washable, ↑unwashed; verb: ↑wash]
[Language: Old English; Origin: wascan]
1. WASH SOMETHING [transitive] to clean something using water and a type of soap:
This shirt needs washing.
It’s your turn to wash the dishes.
2. WASH YOURSELF [intransitive and transitive] to clean your body with soap and water:
Amy washed and went to bed.
She had a hot bath and washed her hair.
I’m just going to wash my hands.
wash yourself
When a cat has finished eating, it often washes itself.
REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say that someone has a wash (BrE) or washes up (AmE) rather than washes.
3. FLOW [intransitive, transitive always + adverb/preposition] if a river, sea etc washes somewhere, or if something carried by the river or sea is washed somewhere, it flows or moves there:
The waves washed against the shore.
The sea washed over her.
The young man was washed overboard (=pushed from a boat into the sea by the force of the water) in the storm.
The body was washed ashore (=brought to the shore by waves).
4. something doesn’t/won’t wash (with somebody) spoken used to say that you do not believe or accept someone’s explanation, reason, attitude etc:
I’m sorry but all his charm just doesn’t wash with me.
5. wash your hands of something to refuse to be responsible for something any more:
I’ve washed my hands of the whole affair.
6. wash your mouth out! spoken old-fashioned used to tell someone who has just sworn or said something rude that they should not have spoken that way
7. wash well to be easy to clean using soap and water:
Silk doesn’t wash well.
⇨ wash/air your dirty linen/laundry (in public) at ↑dirty¹(7)
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ wash to clean something with soap and water: Our car needs washing. | Make sure that you wash your hands.
▪ do the washing British English, do the laundry American English to wash clothes that need to be washed: Did you do the laundry this morning? | I do the washing on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
▪ do the washing up British English (also wash up British English), do the dishes American English to wash all the cups, plates, knives etc that you have used during a meal: If you do the cooking tonight, I’ll do the washing up. | Who’s going to do the dishes?
▪ cleanse formal to make something completely clean, especially using a special substance: Carefully cleanse the cut to get rid of any grit or dirt.
▪ rinse to wash something with water in order to remove soap or dirt: I’ll just rinse the lettuce under the tap.
▪ scrub to make something very clean, using a stiff brush and water, or soap and water: Lou was on her knees, scrubbing the kitchen floor.
▪ mop to wash a floor with a wet ↑mop (=special stick with thick threads on the end): A cleaner mopped the floor between the beds.
wash something ↔ away phrasal verb
1. if water washes something away, it carries it away with great force:
Floods in Bangladesh have washed hundreds of homes away.
2. to get rid of unhappy feelings, thoughts, or memories:
My anxiety was washed away.
wash something ↔ down phrasal verb
1. to clean something large using a lot of water:
Can you wash down the driveway?
2. to drink something with or after food or with medicine to help you swallow it
wash something ↔ down with
steak and chips washed down with red wine
wash off phrasal verb
1. wash something ↔ off to clean dirt, dust etc from the surface of something with water
2. if a substance washes off, you can remove it from the surface of something by washing:
Will this paint wash off?
wash out phrasal verb
1. wash something ↔ out to wash the inside of something quickly:
I’ll just wash out this vase for flowers.
2. if a substance washes out, you can remove it from a material by washing it:
a dye that won’t wash out
3. be washed out if an event is washed out, it cannot continue because of rain:
The summer fair was washed out by the English weather.
⇨ ↑washed-out, ↑washout
wash over somebody phrasal verb
1. if a feeling washes over you, you suddenly feel it very strongly:
A feeling of relief washed over her.
2. if you let something wash over you, you do not pay close attention to it:
She was content to let the conversation wash over her.
wash up phrasal verb
1. British English to wash plates, dishes, knives etc ⇨ ↑washing-up
2. American English to wash your hands:
Go wash up before dinner.
3. wash something ↔ up if waves wash something up, they carry it to the shore
wash something ↔ up on
His body was washed up on the beach the next morning. ⇨ ↑washed-up

Brazil

I. Bra‧zil /brəˈzɪl/ BrE AmE
a country in South America, the largest country in South America. Population: 191,800,000 (2007). Capital: Brasilia. The Brazilian ↑rainforest is a large and very important area of trees and plants.

blender

blend‧er /ˈblendə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]

an electric machine that you use to mix liquids and soft foods together SYN liquidizer British English

change

I. change¹ S1 W1 /tʃeɪndʒ/ BrE AmE verb
[Word Family: adjective: changeable, interchangeable, changed ≠ UNCHANGED, changing ≠ unchanging, changeless; noun: change, interchange, interchangeability; verb: change, interchange; adverb: interchangeably]
[Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: changier, from Latin cambiare 'to exchange']
1. BECOME DIFFERENT/MAKE SOMETHING DIFFERENT [intransitive and transitive] to become different, or to make something become different:
Susan has changed a lot since I last saw her.
Changing your eating habits is the best way to lose weight.
The leaves on trees change colour in the autumn.
change (from something) to something
He changed from being a nice lad to being rude and unhelpful.
change into
The hissing sound gradually changed into a low hum.
change somebody/something into something
A witch had changed him into a mouse.
change something to something
Mueller changed his name to Miller when he became a U.S. citizen.
2. START DOING/USING SOMETHING DIFFERENT [intransitive and transitive] to stop doing or using one thing, and start doing or using something else instead SYN switch:
She changed jobs in May.
change (from something) to something
The company has recently changed to a more powerful computer system.
The ship changed course and headed south.
The company has had to change direction because of developments in technology.
Piper awkwardly tried to change the subject (=talk about something else).
3. REPLACE SOMETHING [transitive] to put or use something new or different in place of something else, especially because it is old, damaged, or broken:
Three boys were changing a tyre by the side of the road.
When I lost my keys, we had to change all the locks.
change something (from something) to something
The time of the meeting has been changed from 11 a.m. to 10:30.
How often do you change cars (=buy a new car and sell the old one)?
4. change your mind to change your decision, plan, or opinion about something:
Her father tried to get her to change her mind.
change your mind about
If you change your mind about the job, just give me a call.
5. change sides to leave one party, group etc and join an opposing party, group etc:
It’s quite rare for politicians to change sides.
6. CLOTHES
a) [intransitive and transitive] to take off your clothes and put on different ones:
Francis came in while Jay was changing.
Change your dress – that one looks dirty.
change into/out of
Sara changed into her swimsuit and ran out for a quick swim.
You’d better go and get changed.
b) [transitive] to put a clean ↑nappy on a baby, or to put clean clothes on a baby or small child:
I bathed him and changed his diaper.
Can you change the baby?
7. BED [transitive] to take the dirty ↑sheets off a bed and put on clean ones
8. EXCHANGE GOODS [transitive] British English
a) to take back to a shop something that you have bought and get something different instead, especially because there is something wrong with it SYN exchange American English
change something for something
I bought these gloves for my daughter, but they’re too large. Can I change them for a smaller size?
b) to give a customer something different instead of what they have bought, especially because there is something wrong with it SYN exchange American English:
I’m sure the shop will change them for you.
9. EXCHANGE MONEY [transitive]
a) to get smaller units of money that add up to the same value as a larger unit:
Can you change a £20 note?
b) to get money from one country for the same value of money from another country
change something into/for something
I want to change my dollars into pesos, please.
10. TRAINS/BUSES/AIRCRAFT [intransitive and transitive] to get off one train, bus, or aircraft and into another in order to continue your journey
change at
Passengers for Liverpool should change at Crewe.
change trains/buses/planes etc
I had to change planes in Denver.
all change! (=used to tell passengers to get off a train because it does not go any further)
11. change hands if property changes hands, it starts to belong to someone else:
The house has changed hands three times in the last two years.
12. change places (with somebody)
a) to give someone your place and take their place:
Would you mind changing places with me so I can sit next to my friend?
b) to take someone else’s social position or situation in life instead of yours:
She may be rich, but I wouldn’t want to change places with her.
13. GEAR [intransitive and transitive] to put the engine of a vehicle into a higher or lower ↑gear in order to go faster or slower
change (into/out of) gear
Change into second gear as you approach the corner.
change up/down British English:
Change down before you get to the hill.
14. change your tune informal to start expressing a different attitude and reacting in a different way, after something has happened:
The question is, will the president change his tune on taxes?
15. WIND [intransitive] if the wind changes, it starts to blow in a different direction
16. change your spots to change your character completely:
US business has changed its spots in recent years.
⇨ chop and change at ↑chop¹(3)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adverbs
▪ dramatically/drastically/radically (=a lot) People’s work environment has changed dramatically in the past twenty years.
▪ completely His life had completely changed since he met Anya.
▪ considerably He has changed considerably in four years.
▪ significantly The legal system has changed significantly since the rule was established.
▪ fundamentally The political situation has fundamentally changed.
▪ rapidly/quickly The market for phones is changing rapidly.
▪ slowly/gradually Things are gradually changing.
▪ change overnight (=very quickly) Old habits cannot be changed overnight.
■ nouns
▪ changing circumstances/conditions The human brain adapts quickly to changing conditions.
▪ changing attitudes Changing attitudes cause traditional ways of life to disappear.
▪ the changing role of somebody the changing role of women in society
▪ changing patterns of work/behaviour etc Changing patterns of work mean that more people are able to work from home.
▪ a changing environment In order to survive, you must adapt to a changing environment.
▪ a changing world Children are growing up in a changing world.
▪ changing times (=a period of time when a lot is changing) We live in changing times.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ to change something
▪ change to make someone or something different: Unfortunately, there’s nothing we can do to change the situation. | Being at college has changed her – she’s much more confident now.
▪ alter especially written tochange something so that it is better or more suitable: You can alter the colour and size of the image using a remote control. | Can we alter the date of the meeting?
▪ adapt to change something slightly in order to improve it or make it more suitable: How much would it cost to adapt the existing equipment? | You can adapt the recipe to suit your own requirements.
▪ adjust to make small changes in the position or level of something in order to improve it or make it more suitable: How do you adjust the volume on the television? | He adjusted his tie in the mirror.
▪ modify especially written to make small changes to something such as a piece of equipment, a set of ideas, or a way of behaving in order to improve it or use it in a different way: He’s modified his opinions since then. | a modified version of the original program.
▪ reform to change a law, system, organization etc so that it is fairer or more effective: plans to reform the tax system | Health care needs to be completely reformed.
▪ revise to change a plan, idea, law etc because of new information and ideas: In July, China revised the rules for foreign investment. | The findings could force the scientists to revise their ideas about climate change.
▪ reorganize to change the way that a system or organization works: We’ve had to reorganize our database | During the 1980s, the government reorganized the civil service.
▪ restructure to make big changes to the way something is organized, especially a large political or economic system or a big company, in order to make it more effective: The company has been restructured from top to bottom.
■ to change something completely
▪ transform to change something completely, especially so that it is much better: Well, you’ve certainly transformed this place – it looks great! | Putin transformed the Russian economy.
▪ revolutionize to completely and permanently change the way people do something or think about something, especially because of a new idea or invention: Computers have revolutionized the way we work. | This important discovery revolutionized our understanding of the universe.
■ to change something in order to deceive people
▪ distort to explain facts, statements etc in a way that makes them seem different from what they really are: The judge said that she had deliberately tried to distort the facts. | Don’t try to distort the truth.
▪ twist to dishonestly change the meaning of a piece of information or of something that someone has said, in order to get an advantage for yourself or to support your own opinion: He accused reporters of twisting his words. | In her article she twisted the meaning of what I said.
▪ misrepresent to give people a wrong idea about someone or their opinions, by what you write or say: I hope I have not misrepresented her opinion. | He’s taking legal action to stop the film, claiming it grossly misrepresents him.
change something ↔ around phrasal verb
to move things into different positions:
When we’d changed the furniture around, the room looked bigger.
change over phrasal verb
to stop doing or using one thing and start doing or using another ⇨ changeover:
Complete all the exercises on one leg, then change over.
change over to
We hope to change over to the new software by next month.

wait

I. wait¹ S1 W1 /weɪt/ BrE AmE verb
[Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old North French; Origin: waitier 'to watch']
1. NOT GO/START SOMETHING [intransitive] to stay somewhere or not do something until something else happens, someone arrives etc:
Hurry up! Everyone’s waiting.
Would you mind waiting outside?
wait for
a queue of people waiting for a bus
Wait for me!
wait for somebody/something to do something
She paused, waiting for Myles to say something.
I sat waiting patiently for the wedding to end.
wait until/till
I’ll wait till you come back.
wait (for) three hours/two weeks etc
Can you wait for five minutes?
We’ve been waiting ages.
wait to do something
Are you waiting to use the phone?
keep somebody waiting (=make someone wait, especially by arriving late)
I’m sorry to have kept you waiting.
► Do not say that you ‘are waiting’ someone or something. Say that you are waiting for someone or something.
2. SOMETHING HAS NOT HAPPENED [intransitive] if you are waiting for something that you expect or hope will happen or arrive, it has not happened or arrived yet:
‘Have you heard about the job?’ ‘No, I’m still waiting.’
wait for
I’m still waiting for my results.
wait for somebody/something to do something
I’m waiting for him to realize how stupid he’s been.
3. wait a minute/second/moment etc spoken
a) used to ask someone not to leave or start doing something immediately:
Wait a second, I’ll get my coat and come with you.
Wait a moment, just let me think.
b) used to interrupt someone, especially because you do not agree with what they are saying:
Wait a minute! That’s not what we agreed!
c) used when you suddenly think of, remember, or notice something:
Wait a minute, I’ve got a better idea.
4. somebody can’t wait/can hardly wait spoken
a) used to emphasize that someone is very excited about something and is eager for it to happen:
We’re going to Australia on Saturday – I can’t wait!
can’t wait to do something
I can’t wait to tell Gloria the good news.
Laura could hardly wait to see the twins again.
somebody can’t wait/can hardly wait for
I can’t wait for the summer.
b) used humorously to say that something seems likely to be very boring:
A lecture on transformational grammar? I can hardly wait!
5. something can/can’t wait spoken if something can wait, it is not very urgent. If something can’t wait, it is very urgent:
Go home. The report can wait till tomorrow.
6. wait and see spoken used to say that someone should be patient because they will find out about something later:
‘What’s for dinner?’ ‘Wait and see.’
We will just have to wait and see how things develop.
7. wait until/till ... spoken used when you are excited about telling or showing someone something:
Wait till you see Gaby’s new house!
8. be waiting (for somebody) if something is waiting for you, it is ready for you to use, collect etc:
There’ll be a rental car waiting for you at the airport.
Come round at eight and I’ll have dinner waiting.
9. wait your turn to stay calm until it is your turn to do something, instead of trying to move ahead of other people:
I’ve got two hands and there are three of you. So you’ll have to wait your turn!
10. something is (well) worth waiting for spoken used to say that something is very good, even though it takes a long time to come:
Their new album was worth waiting for.
11. (just) you wait spoken
a) British English used to warn or threaten someone:
I’ll get you back for what you’ve done, just you wait.
b) used to tell someone you are sure something will happen:
It’ll be a huge success. Just you wait.
12. what are you waiting for? spoken used to tell someone to do something immediately:
Well, what are you waiting for? Go and apologize.
13. what are we waiting for? spoken used to say in a cheerful way that you think everyone should start doing something immediately:
What are we waiting for? Let’s go eat.
14. wait for it British English spoken
a) used just before you tell someone something that is funny or surprising:
His name was – wait for it – Mr Bacon.
b) used to tell someone not to do something until the correct time because they seem very impatient to do it now
15. be waiting in the wings to be ready to do something if it is necessary or if a suitable time comes:
Other firms are waiting in the wings, ready to step in and make an offer should the current deal fall through.
16. wait tables American English to work in a restaurant serving food and drink to people at their tables:
I spent the summer waiting tables.
17. (play) a/the waiting game if you play a waiting game, you try to gain an advantage for yourself in a particular situation by deliberately doing nothing until you have seen what other people do
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adverbs
▪ wait two hours/ten minutes etc William waited an hour for his sister to arrive.
▪ wait long (=wait a long time – used especially in questions or negative sentences) She did not have to wait long for a train.
▪ wait ages informal especially British English (=wait a long time) I had to wait ages for a bus.
▪ patiently They patiently waited for the rain to stop.
▪ impatiently He waited impatiently for a reply.
▪ anxiously All his friends were waiting anxiously for their exam results.
▪ wait expectantly (=hoping that something good or exciting will happen soon) He took out his camera and waited expectantly.
■ phrases
▪ keep somebody waiting He kept us waiting for half an hour.
▪ wait with bated breath (=while feeling very anxious or excited) She waited with bated breath to see what he would say.
▪ wait in vain (=wait for something that never happens) They waited in vain for their son to come home.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ wait to stay somewhere or not do something until something else happens, someone arrives etc: I’ll wait here while you call him. | He said he was waiting for a friend.
▪ hang around (also hang about British English) informal to wait in a place not doing anything, especially so that you are wasting time: They kept us hanging around for hours at the hospital.
▪ hold on/hang on to wait because you are hoping that something will happen: The captain decided it was best to hold on and wait for the other ship to arrive. | We hung on until the very last moment.
▪ can you hold on/hang on? spoken used when telling someone to wait: Can you hang on a minute? I just want to finish this email.
▪ stand by/be on standby to wait and be ready to do something if needed – used especially about soldiers, police, medical teams etc: The army are standing by. | Emergency services were on standby after someone called to say there was a bomb in the city centre.
▪ await formal to wait for something – used about something that you know will happen or arrive: I will await your reply (=in a formal letter). | In February, nearly 200,000 prisoners were awaiting trial. | The soldiers awaited the order to advance.
wait around (also wait about British English) phrasal verb
to stay in the same place and do nothing while you are waiting for something to happen, someone to arrive etc:
Movie-making involves acting for ten minutes and then waiting around for two hours.
We’d better be going. We can’t wait about like this any longer.
wait behind phrasal verb British English
to stay somewhere after other people have left:
She waited behind to help Debbie with the clearing up.
wait in phrasal verb British English
to stay at home and wait there for someone to arrive:
I have to wait in for the repair man.
wait on somebody/something phrasal verb
1. to serve food and drink to someone at their table, especially in a restaurant
2. to wait for a particular event, piece of information etc, especially before doing something or making a decision:
We’re waiting on the blood test results.
3. wait on somebody hand and foot to do everything for someone while they do nothing – used to show disapproval:
His wife waits on him hand and foot.
wait something ↔ out phrasal verb
if you wait out an event, period, or time, especially an unpleasant one, you wait for it to finish:
Let’s find a place where we can wait out the storm.
wait up phrasal verb
1. to wait for someone to return before you go to bed
wait up for
Don’t wait up for me; I may be late.
2. Wait up! American English used to tell someone to stop, so that you can talk to them or go with them:
‘Wait up!’ he called.

travel

I. trav‧el¹ S2 W2 /ˈtrævəl/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle travelled, present participle travelling British English, traveled, traveling American English)
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: travaillier; ⇨ ↑travail]
1. JOURNEY
a) [intransitive] to go from one place to another, or to several places, especially ones that are far away:
Someday I’d like to travel abroad.
travel to/across/through/around etc
We’re planning to travel across America this summer.
travel widely/extensively
He has travelled extensively in China.
travel by train/car/air etc
We travelled by train across Eastern Europe.
He’d travelled far, but he’d travelled light (=without taking many possessions).
b) travel the world/country to go to most parts of the world or of a particular country
2. DISTANCE [intransitive and transitive] to go a particular distance or at a particular speed
travel at
The train was travelling at 100 mph.
They travelled 200 miles on the first day.
3. well-travelled
a) (also widely-travelled) having travelled to many different countries:
a well-travelled businesswoman
b) having been travelled on by many people:
a well-travelled road
4. NEWS [intransitive] to be passed quickly from one person or place to another:
News travels fast.
5. travel well to remain in good condition or be equally successful when taken to another country:
Exporters have to find wines that travel well.
Many British television programmes don’t travel well.
6. EYES [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] written if your eyes travel over something, you look at different parts of it:
His gaze travelled over her face.
7. LIGHT/SOUND [intransitive] to move at a particular speed or in a particular direction:
Light travels faster than sound.
8. SPORT [intransitive] to take more than three steps while you are holding the ball in ↑basketball
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adverbs
▪ travel abroad Only the affluent could afford to take vacations or to travel abroad.
▪ travel widely/extensively He travelled extensively in Europe studying geology.
▪ travel light (=not take many things with you) The idea was to travel light, so Travis allowed her to pack only one change of clothing.
■ phrases
▪ travel by train/car/air etc Emily hated travelling by train.
▪ travel the world/country They travelled the world together.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ to travel
▪ travel to go from one place to another, especially places that are far apart: We travelled to Russia by train. | I love to travel.
▪ go to go somewhere – often used instead of travel: We’re going to Greece for our holidays this year. | He’s gone to London on business. | It’s quicker to go by plane.
▪ commute to travel to work or school: She commutes to work by bicycle.
▪ cross to travel across a very large area, for example a desert or ocean: The slaves crossed the Atlantic in the holds of the ships.
▪ tour to travel in order to visit many different places, especially as part of a holiday: They’re touring Europe by coach.
▪ go trekking to do a long and difficult walk in a place far from towns and cities: They went trekking in the mountains. | She’s been trekking in Nepal a couple of times.
▪ go backpacking to travel to a lot of different places, carrying your clothes with you in your ↑rucksack: He went backpacking in Australia.
▪ roam especially written to travel or move around an area with no clear purpose or direction, usually for a long time: When he was young, he roamed from one country to another. | The tribes used to roam around freely, without any fixed territory.
▪ journey literary to travel, especially a long distance: He journeyed on horseback through Palestine.
■ people who travel
▪ traveller British English, traveler American English someone who is travelling a long distance: Weary travellers waited at the airport. | My aunt was a great traveller. (=she travelled a lot).
▪ tourist someone who is travelling somewhere for a holiday: During the summer, over a million tourists visit the island each year.
▪ passenger someone who is travelling in a vehicle, plane, ship etc but not driving it or working on it: The driver and two passengers were killed in the crash.
▪ commuter someone who travels to work every day: commuters on the train to London
▪ backpacker someone who travels to a lot of different places, carrying their clothes etc in a ↑rucksack: The hostels are great for backpackers.
▪ explorer someone who travels to places that people have not visited before: Potatoes were brought to England by explorers such as Sir Francis Drake and Sir Walter Raleigh.

see

I. see¹ S1 W1 /siː/ BrE AmE verb (past tense saw /sɔː $ sɒː/, past participle seen /siːn/)
[Language: Old English; Origin: seon]
1. NOTICE/EXAMINE [transitive not in progressive] to notice or examine someone or something, using your eyes:
The moment we saw the house, we knew we wanted to buy it.
He crouched down so he couldn’t be seen.
Can I see your ticket, please?
I saw the offer advertised in the newspaper.
can/can’t see
You can see the Houses of Parliament from here.
see where/what/who etc
Can you see where the marks are on the wall?
see (that)
He saw that she was crying.
see somebody/something do something
I saw him leave a few minutes ago.
see somebody/something doing something
The suspect was seen entering the building.
As you can see, the house needs some work doing on it.
Have you seen Chris (=do you know where he is)?
The accommodation was so awful it had to be seen to be believed (=you would not believe it if you did not see it yourself).
2. NOTICE SOMETHING IS TRUE [transitive not in progressive] to notice that something is happening or that something is true:
More money must be invested if we are to see an improvement in services.
After a month’s practice, you should see a difference in your playing.
Seeing his distress, Louise put her arm around him.
I would like to see changes in the way the course is run.
‘You’re not denying it, I see,’ he said coldly.
see (that)
I can see you’re not very happy with the situation.
3. ABILITY TO SEE [intransitive, transitive not in progressive] to be able to use your eyes to look at things and know what they are
can/can’t see
From the tower, you can see for miles.
I can’t see a thing without my glasses.
not see to do something
His eyes are so bad that he can’t see to read anymore.
4. FIND OUT INFORMATION [intransitive and transitive] to find out information or a fact
see what/how/when etc
I’ll call him and see how the job interview went.
She went outside to see what was happening.
see if/whether
I’ve just come to see if you want to go out for a drink.
These chocolates are gorgeous. Try some and see for yourself (=find out if it is true).
By looking at this leaflet, you can see at a glance (=find out very easily) how much a loan will cost.
it can be seen that/we can see that
From this graph, it can be seen that some people are more susceptible to the disease.
As we have seen in chapter four, women’s pay is generally less than men’s.
5. IN THE FUTURE [intransitive and transitive] to find out about something in the future
see if/whether
It will be interesting to see if he makes it into the team.
see how/what/when etc
I might come – I’ll see how I feel tomorrow.
Let’s try it and see what happens.
‘Can we go to the zoo, Dad?’ ‘We’ll see.’ (=used when you do not want to make a decision immediately)
‘How long can you stay?’ ‘I’ll have to see. It depends (=used when you cannot make a decision immediately).’
We’ll just have to wait and see.
see how it goes/see how things go (=used when you are going to do something and will deal with problems if they happen)
I don’t know. We’ll just have to see how it goes on Sunday.
Things will work out, you’ll see (=you will find out that I am right).
6. WHERE INFORMATION IS [transitive only in imperative] especially written used to tell you where you can find information:
See p. 58.
See press for details.
see above/below
The results are shown in Table 7a (see below).
7. UNDERSTAND [intransitive and transitive] to understand or realize something
see why/what/how etc
I can’t see why he’s so upset.
I see what you mean (=I understand what you are saying).
‘He lives here but works in London during the week.’ ‘Oh, I see (=I understand).’
You see, the thing is, I’m really busy right now (=used when you are explaining something).
You mix the flour and eggs like this, see (=used to check that someone is listening and understands)?
I can’t see the point of (=I do not understand the reason for) spending so much money on a car.
Do you see the point I’m making (=do you understand what I’m trying to say)?
The other officers laughed, but Nichols couldn’t see the joke.
see reason/sense (=realize that you are wrong or doing something stupid)
I just can’t get her to see reason!
8. WATCH [transitive] to watch a television programme, play, film etc:
Did you see that programme on monkeys last night?
We’re going to see ‘Romeo and Juliet’ tonight.
9. CONSIDER SOMEBODY/SOMETHING [transitive] to think about or consider someone or something in a particular way, or as having particular qualities:
Having a child makes you see things differently.
Violence is seen in different ways by different people.
as somebody sees it/the way somebody sees it (=used to give someone’s opinion)
As I see it, you don’t have any choice.
The way I see it, we have two options.
see somebody/something as something
I see the job as a challenge.
see yourself as something
He saw himself as a failure.
be seen as (being) something
The peace talks are seen as a sign of hope.
This type of work is often seen as boring.
be seen to be (doing) something
Teachers need to be seen to be in control.
The government must be seen to be doing something about the rise in violent crime.
10. see what somebody/something can do spoken
a) to find out if someone can deal with a situation or problem
see what somebody/something can do about
I’ll call them again and see what they can do about it.
b) to find out how good someone or something is at what they are supposed to be able to do:
Let’s take the Porsche out to the racetrack and see what it can do!
11. I’ll see what I can do spoken used to say that you will try to help someone:
Leave the papers with me and I’ll see what I can do.
12. see you spoken used to say goodbye when you know you will see someone again
see you tomorrow/at three/Sunday etc
See you Friday – your place at 8:30.
see you later (=see you soon, or later in the same day)
see you in a bit British English (=see you soon)
see you in a while (=see you soon)
(I’ll) be seeing you! (=see you soon)
13. VISIT [transitive] to visit or meet someone:
I’ll be seeing her tomorrow night.
I haven’t seen her since we left school.
She’s too sick to see anyone right now.
14. MEET BY CHANCE [transitive not in progressive] to meet someone by chance:
I saw Jane while I was out.
15. HAVE A MEETING [transitive] to have an arranged meeting with someone:
Mr Thomas is seeing a client at 2:30.
She was seen by a doctor but didn’t need hospital treatment.
see somebody about something (=see someone to discuss something)
I have to see my teacher about my grades.
16. SPEND TIME WITH SOMEBODY [transitive] to spend time with someone:
They’ve been seeing a lot of each other.
see more/less of somebody (=see someone more or less often)
They’ve seen more of each other since Dan moved to London.
17. be seeing somebody to be having a romantic relationship with someone:
Is she seeing anyone at the moment?
18. IMAGINE [transitive not in progressive] to imagine that something may happen in the future:
He could see a great future for her in music.
can’t see somebody/something doing something
I can’t see him winning, can you?
She’s got a new book coming out, but I can’t see it doing very well.
see somebody as something (=be able to imagine someone being something)
I just can’t see her as a ballet dancer.
19. seeing as (how) informal (also seeing that) used before giving a reason for what you are saying:
‘I might as well do something useful, seeing as I’m back,’ she said.
20. see something for what it is (also see somebody for what they are) to realize that someone or something is not as good or nice as they seem:
They are unimpressed with the scheme and rightly see it for what it is.
21. MAKE SURE [transitive not in progressive] to make sure or check that something is done
see (that)
It’s up to you to see that the job’s done properly.
Please see that the lights are switched off before you leave.
Don’t worry – I’ll see to it.
The hotel’s owners see to it that their guests are given every luxury.
22. EXPERIENCE SOMETHING [transitive not in progressive] to experience something:
She was so sick that doctors didn’t think she’d live to see her first birthday.
I never thought I’d live to see the day when women became priests.
She’s seen it all before (=has experienced so much that nothing surprises her) in her long career. ⇨ been there, seen that, done that at ↑been(3)
23. TIME/PLACE [transitive] if a time or place has seen a particular event or situation, it happened or existed in that time or place:
This year has seen a big increase in road accidents.
The city has seen plenty of violence over the years.
24. let me see (also let’s see) spoken used when you are trying to remember something:
Let me see ... where did I put that letter?
25. I don’t see why not spoken used to say ‘yes’ in answer to a request:
‘Can we go to the park?’ ‘I don’t see why not.’
26. GO WITH SOMEBODY [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to go somewhere with someone to make sure they are safe:
My mother used to see me across the road.
I’ll get Nick to see you home.
Let me see you to the door (=go with you to the door, to say goodbye).
27. be seeing things to imagine that you see someone or something which is not really there:
There’s no one there – you must be seeing things.
28. see double if you see double, something is wrong with your eyes, so that you see two things when there is only one
29. have seen better days informal to be in a bad condition:
Her hat had seen better days.
30. be glad/pleased etc to see the back of somebody/something British English spoken to be pleased when someone leaves or when you get rid of something, because you do not like them:
I’ll be glad to see the back of him.
31. see the last of somebody/something
a) to not see someone or something again, especially someone or something you do not like:
I thought we’d seen the last of him.
It was a relief to see the last of them.
b) to not have to deal with something any more:
Police hoped they’d seen the last of the joyriding.
We may not have seen the last of this controversy.
32. see the light
a) to realize that something is true:
She finally saw the light and ended the relationship.
b) to have a special experience that makes you believe in a religion
33. see the light of day
a) if something sees the light of day, it is brought out so that people can see it:
This decision will ensure that the Pentagon Papers never see the light of day.
b) to start to exist:
This type of PC first saw the light of day in 1981.
34. see red to become very angry:
The thought of Pierre with Nicole had made her see red.
35. not see somebody for dust British English informal if you do not see someone for dust, they leave a place very quickly in order to avoid something
36. see eye to eye [usually in negatives] if two people see eye to eye, they agree with each other:
We didn’t exactly see eye to eye.
see eye to eye with
I don’t always see eye to eye with my father.
see eye to eye on/about
We don’t see eye to eye on business issues.
37. seen one ... seen them all informal used to say that something is boring because it is very similar to other things:
When you’ve seen one of these programmes, you’ve seen them all.
38. see your way (clear) to doing something formal to be able and willing to do something:
Small companies cannot see their way to taking on many trainees.
39. (see and) be seen to look at or be noticed by important or fashionable people:
Royal Ascot is the place to see and be seen.
40. not see the wood for the trees (also not see the forest for the trees American English) to be unable to understand what is important in a situation because you are thinking too much about small details rather than the whole situation
41. see something coming to realize that there is going to be a problem before it actually happens:
John’s going to have a lot of trouble with him. You can see it coming.
42. see somebody coming (a mile off) British English spoken to recognize that someone will be easy to trick or deceive:
You paid £500 for that! They must have seen you coming!
43. see somebody right British English spoken to make sure that someone gets what they need or want, especially money:
Just do this for me and I’ll see you right.
Tell the landlord I sent you and he’ll see you right.
44. not see that it matters spoken to think that something is not important:
I can’t see that it matters what I think.
45. GAME OF CARDS [transitive] to risk the same amount of money as your opponent in a ↑card game ⇨ it remains to be seen at ↑remain(5), ⇨ see fit (to do something) at ↑fit²(3), ⇨ wouldn’t be seen dead at ↑dead¹(12)
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ see to notice something with your eyes, usually without planning to. Also used when saying that you watched a particular programme, film, game etc: Have you seen my keys anywhere? | Did you see the basketball game last night?
▪ look at somebody/something to keep your eyes pointed toward someone or something, especially someone or something that is not moving: I looked at the map. | She was looking at him in a strange way.
▪ notice to see something interesting or unusual: I noticed a police car outside their house.
▪ spot to suddenly see something, especially something you are looking for: Nick spotted the advertisement in the paper.
▪ catch sight of/catch a glimpse of (also glimpse formal) to suddenly see someone or something for a short time, usually not clearly: I caught sight of him in the hotel lobby, and followed him out the door. | He glimpsed her face as she went into the courtroom.
▪ make out somebody/something to see something, but only with difficulty: Ahead, I could just make out the figure of a woman.
▪ witness to see something happen, especially a crime or an accident: The police are asking anyone who witnessed the attack to come forward.
▪ observe formal to see and pay attention to something: Officers observed him driving at 100 mph.
▪ sight especially written to suddenly see something or someone from a long distance, especially when you have been looking for a long time: The missing boys were sighted by a rescue helicopter. | The crew finally sighted land.
■ Unable to see
▪ blind unable to see anything: She has been blind from birth.
▪ partially-sighted not able to see things very well, although not completely blind: Good lighting can be very important for partially sighted people.
▪ visually handicapped/impaired completely blind or not able to see very much – used especially in official reports, forms etc: a special school for visually impaired children
see about something phrasal verb
1. to make arrangements or deal with something:
I’d better see about dinner.
see about doing something
Claire’s gone to see about getting tickets for the concert.
2. we’ll see about that spoken
a) (also we’ll have to see about that) used to say that you do not know if something will be possible:
‘I want to go to Joshua’s tonight.’ ‘Well, we’ll have to see about that.’
b) (also we’ll soon see about that) used to say that you intend to stop someone from doing what they were planning to do
see something against something phrasal verb [usually passive]
to consider something together with something else:
The unemployment data must be seen against the background of world recession.
see around phrasal verb
1. see somebody around to notice someone regularly in places you go to, but not talk to them:
I don’t know who he is, but I’ve seen him around.
2. see you around spoken used to say goodbye to someone when you have not made a definite arrangement to meet again
3. see around/round something British English to visit a place and walk around looking at it:
Would you like to see round the house?
see in phrasal verb
1. not know what somebody sees in somebody (also what does somebody see in somebody?) used to say that you do not know why someone likes someone else:
I don’t know what she sees in him.
2. see something in somebody/something to notice a particular quality in someone or something that makes you like them:
He saw a gentleness in Susan.
3. see somebody in to go with someone to make sure they arrive at a building or room:
He took her home and, after seeing her in, drove off without a word.
4. see in the New Year to celebrate the beginning of a new year
see somebody/something ↔ off phrasal verb
1. to defeat someone or stop them from competing against you:
To see off the threat, the company will have to cut its prices still further.
The team saw off their old rivals in last night’s championship game.
2. to go to an airport, train station etc to say goodbye to someone:
They’ve gone to the airport to see their son off.
3. (also see somebody off something) to force someone to leave a place:
Security guards saw him off the premises.
see somebody/something out phrasal verb
1. to go to the door with someone to say goodbye to them when they leave:
I’ll see you out.
Don’t worry, I can see myself out (=leave the building without anyone coming with me).
2. see something ↔ out to continue doing something or being somewhere until a particular period of time or an unpleasant event is finished:
Connolly has promised to see out the remaining 18 months of his contract.
She saw out her last years at Sudeley Castle.
see over something phrasal verb British English
to look at something large such as a house, especially in order to decide if you want to buy it
see through phrasal verb
1. see through somebody/something to realize that someone is trying to deceive you:
I saw through his excuses.
I could never lie to her because I know she’d see through me straight away.
I can’t bluff – she’d see right through me.
2. see something through to continue doing something until it is finished, especially something difficult or unpleasant:
It’ll take a lot of effort to see the project through.
3. see somebody through (something) to give help and support to someone during a difficult time:
Setting goals should help see you through.
I’ve got enough money to see me through six months of unemployment.
4. see something through sb’s eyes to see something or think about it in the way that someone else does:
The world is very different when seen through the eyes of a child.
see to somebody/something phrasal verb
to deal with something or do something for someone:
Go on, you go out. I’ll see to the washing-up.
have/get something seen to
You should get that tooth seen to by a dentist.