A1 (Basic)

dress

I. dress¹ S2 W2 /dres/ BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: noun: ↑dress, ↑dresser, ↑dressing; adjective: ↑dressed ≠ ↑undressed, ↑dressy; verb: ↑dress ≠ ↑undress]
1. [countable] a piece of clothing worn by a woman or girl that covers the top of her body and part or all of her legs ⇨ skirt:
Sheila wore a long red dress.
a summer dress
2. [uncountable] clothes for men or women of a particular type or for a particular occasion:
a gentleman in evening dress (=formal clothes worn especially at important social events)
The play was performed in modern dress (=clothes from the present time).
dress code (=a standard of what you should wear for a particular situation)
This restaurant has a strict dress code – no tie, no service.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + dress
▪ a wedding dress Have you chosen your wedding dress yet?
▪ an evening dress (=a formal dress to wear in the evening) She arrived in a red evening dress.
▪ a cocktail dress (=a formal dress but not usually a long one) She wore a little black cocktail dress.
▪ a silk/cotton/velvet etc dress Ellie chose a green silk dress.
▪ a long dress (=that goes down to your ankles) Most of the women were wearing long dresses.
▪ a party dress (=for parties) I need a new party dress for Christmas.
▪ a summer dress a cool blue summer dress
▪ a strapless dress (=that does not have straps on your shoulders) She was wearing a strapless cream dress and matching shoes.
▪ a sleeveless dress (=without any sleeves) She was photographed wearing a figure-hugging sleeveless dress.
■ dress + NOUN
▪ a dress shop (=selling women’s dresses and other clothes) It was an expensive dress shop.
▪ a dress designer (=someone whose job is designing women’s clothes) She’s a former royal dress designer.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ clothes noun [plural] things you wear to cover your body or keep you warm. Clothes is always plural: I like your clothes! | Don’t throw your dirty clothes on the floor! | a clothes shop
▪ clothing noun [uncountable] used when talking in general about a type of clothes, or about making or selling clothes. Also used in the phrase a piece/item/article of clothing (=one of the things that someone wears): You’ll need to take some warm clothing. | It is important to wear protective clothing at all times. | a clothing manufacturer | a clothing retailer | Police found a piece of clothing in the bushes. | I took a change of clothing with me.
▪ garment noun [countable] formal one thing that you wear. Also used when talking about buying and selling clothes: a long velvet garment | the garment industry | garment workers | garment factories
▪ dress noun [uncountable] a particular style of clothes. Don’t use dress on its own: Casual dress is not appropriate for an interview. | men in evening dress
▪ wear noun [uncountable] used about types of clothes sold in a shop, in the following phrases. Don’t use wear on its own: children’s wear | sports wear | casual wear
▪ gear noun [uncountable] /ɡɪə $ ɡɪr/ informal clothes for a particular sport or activity: She was wearing her running gear. | Have you got all your gear?
▪ wardrobe noun [singular] all the clothes that you own, or all the clothes that you wear at a particular time of year: Her wardrobe consisted mainly of smart clothes for work. | I will need a new summer weardrobe. | You could win a complete new wardrobe!

shoe

I. shoe¹ S1 W3 /ʃuː/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: scoh]

1. something that you wear to cover your feet, made of leather or some other strong material:
I sat down and took off my shoes and socks.
What size shoe do you take? ⇨ ↑boot¹(1), ↑sandal, ↑slipper
2. in sb’s shoes in someone else’s situation, especially a bad one:
I wouldn’t like to be in his shoes when his wife finds out what happened.
Anyone in her shoes would have done the same thing.
Don’t be cross with them. Try to put yourself in their shoes (=imagine what it would feel like to be in their situation).
3. step into/fill sb’s shoes to do a job that someone else used to do, and do it as well as they did:
It’ll be hard to find someone to fill Pete’s shoes.
4. a curved piece of iron that is nailed onto a horse’s foot SYN horseshoe
⇨ if the shoe fits, (wear it) at ↑fit¹(8)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ wear shoes He was wearing smart black shoes.
▪ put your shoes on Put your shoes on and get your coat.
▪ take your shoes off They took off their shoes in the hallway.
▪ tie your shoes He tied his shoes in a double knot.
▪ slip your shoes on/off (=put them on or take them off quickly or gently) She slipped off her shoes and curled her feet up under her on the sofa.
▪ kick your shoes off (=take them off by moving your legs) Maria kicked off her shoes and sat down.
▪ clean/polish your shoes We used to clean our shoes every evening before we went to bed.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + shoe
▪ black/brown etc Her shoes and handbag were brown.
▪ high-heeled shoes You can’t walk round town all day in high-heeled shoes!
▪ sensible shoes (=flat shoes that are not very fashionable) They were the kind of sensible shoes my mother used to make me wear.
▪ flat shoes (=with no high heel) Flat shoes are much more comfortable for walking in.
▪ platform shoes (=with a thick base) I found an old pair of platform shoes from the 1970s.
▪ lace-up shoes (=fastened with laces) He bought a pair of brown leather lace-up shoes.
▪ leather/suede shoes a pair of dark leather shoes
▪ running/jogging/training etc shoes Get yourself a good pair of running shoes if you want to take up running.
■ phrases
▪ a pair of shoes I need a new pair of shoes.
■ shoe + NOUN
▪ a shoe shop British English, a shoe store American English
▪ shoe polish
▪ shoe laces
■ COMMON ERRORS

► Do not say 'put off your shoes'. Say take off your shoes.

skirt

I. skirt¹ S3 /skɜːt $ skɜːrt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old Norse; Origin: skyrta 'shirt']
1. a piece of outer clothing worn by women and girls, which hangs down from the waist like the bottom part of a dress:
She wore a white blouse and a plain black skirt.
leather/pleated/cotton etc skirt
a green velvet skirt
short/long skirt
a short skirt and high heels
2. (also skirts [plural]) old-fashioned the part of a dress or coat that hangs down from the waist
3. the skirts of a forest/hill/village etc British English the outside edge of a forest etc SYN outskirts
4. a bit of skirt British English informal not polite an offensive expression meaning an attractive woman
II. skirt² BrE AmE (also skirt around/round) verb [transitive]
1. to go around the outside edge of a place or area:
The old footpath skirts around the village.
2. to avoid talking about an important subject, especially because it is difficult or embarrassing – used to show disapproval:
a disappointing speech that skirted around all the main issues

jacket

jack‧et S2 W3 /ˈdʒækət, ˈdʒækɪt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: jaquet, from jaque 'short coat', probably from jacque 'poor farmer', from the male name Jacques 'James']

1. a short light coat
a leather/denim/linen etc jacket
a suede jacket ⇨ ↑bomber jacket, ↑dinner jacket, ↑life jacket, ↑straitjacket(1)
2. the part of a suit that covers the top part of your body:
Gene has to wear a jacket and tie to work.
tweed jackets ⇨ ↑sports jacket
3. a stiff piece of folded paper that fits over the cover of a book to protect it SYN dust jacket
4. American English a stiff paper cover that protects a record SYN sleeve British English
5. a cover that surrounds and protects some types of machines

shirt

shirt S2 W3 /ʃɜːt $ ʃɜːrt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: scyrte]

1. a piece of clothing that covers the upper part of your body and your arms, usually has a collar, and is fastened at the front by buttons ⇨ blouse:
I have to wear a shirt and tie to work.
a check shirt
2. keep your shirt on spoken used to tell someone who is becoming angry that they should stay calm
3. put/bet/stake your shirt on something British English informal to risk all your money on something
⇨ ↑stuffed shirt

young

I. young¹ S1 W1 /jʌŋ/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative younger, superlative youngest)
[Word Family: noun: ↑young, ↑youngster, ↑youth, ↑youthfulness; adjective: ↑young, ↑youthful; adverb: ↑youthfully]
[Language: Old English; Origin: geong]

1. a young person, plant, or animal has not lived for very long:
a young child
He’s younger than me.
You’re too young to get married.
young trees
When I was young, I wanted to be a model.
John was a great footballer in his younger days (=when he was younger).
2. a young country, organization, or type of science has existed for only a short time:
At that time, America was still a young nation.
Psychology is a young science.
3. young lady/man spoken used to speak to a girl or boy when you are angry with them:
Now, you listen to me, young man!
4. seeming or looking younger than you are SYN youthful:
Val is incredibly young for her age.
5. young at heart thinking and behaving as if you were young, even though you are old
6. 65/82/97 etc years young spoken used humorously to give the age of an old person who seems or feels much younger:
Next week, Bessie will be 84 years young.
7. designed or intended for young people:
I’m looking for something in a younger style.
8. young gun/Turk a young person who has just started doing a job or being involved in something, and is eager to achieve things or make changes
9. somebody is not getting any younger used to say that someone is no longer young, especially when they may soon be too old to do something
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ young not old: a young man of about 22 | My dad died when I was young. | There are excellent facilities for young children. | Young people are often unable to get jobs.
▪ small/little a small child is very young. Little sounds more informal than small, and is used especially in spoken English: They have two small children. | We used to go camping a lot when the kids were little.
▪ teenage [only before noun] between the ages of 13 and 19: a group of teenage boys | They have three teenage children.
▪ adolescent especially written at the age when you change from being a child into an adult – used especially when talking about the problems that young people have at this age: Sudden mood changes are common in adolescent girls. | adolescent behaviour
▪ juvenile /ˈdʒuːvənaɪl $ -nəl, -naɪl/ [only before noun] formal connected with young people who commit crime: juvenile crime | a special prison for juvenile offenders | juvenile deliquents (=young people who commit crimes)
▪ youthful especially written seeming young, or typical of someone who is young – often used about someone who is no longer young: a youthful 55 year old | youthful enthusiasm | Andrew still has a slim youthful look about him. | The photograph showed a youthful, smiling Rose.
▪ junior connected with sports played by young people rather than adults: the junior championships | the junior champion
■ COLLOCATIONS CHECK
▪ small/little child/girl/boy
▪ teenage girl/boy/daughter/mother/pregnancy
▪ juvenile crime/offence/court/offender/delinquent
▪ youthful enthusiasm/energy/face/look/appearance
■ when you are young
▪ childhood the time when you are a child, especially a young child: I had a wonderful childhood in the country. | childhood illnesses
▪ girlhood/boyhood the time when you are a young girl or boy: The two men had been friends in boyhood. | the transition from girlhood to womanhood
▪ youth the time when you are young, especially between about 15 and 25 when you are no longer a child: He was a great sportsman in his youth. | She revisited all the places where she had spent her youth.
▪ adolescence the time when you are changing from being a child into an adult – used especially when you are talking about the problems people have at this age: During adolescence, boys are often lacking in self-confidence.
▪ infancy formal the time when you are a baby: In the past, many more babies died in

old

old S1 W1 /əʊld $ oʊld/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative older, superlative oldest)
[Language: Old English; Origin: eald]
1. NOT NEW something that is old has existed or been used for a long time OPP new:
a pair of old shoes
Some of the houses around here are very old.
one of our oldest traditions
The car’s getting old now, and things are starting to go wrong with it.
That story’s as old as the hills (=extremely old).
2.
NOT YOUNG
a) someone who is old has lived for a very long time OPP young:
an old man
a home for old people
get/grow old
I can’t run around like I used to – I must be getting old.
b) the old [plural] people who are old:
the care of the old and sick
3. AGE used to talk about how long a person or thing has lived or existed
five/ten/fifty etc years old
I can’t believe you’re nearly forty years old!
a house that’s 300 years old
How old are you?
Are you older than Sally?
You’re old enough to get your own breakfast now.
I’m not coming skating. I’m too old for that now.
five-year-old/ten-year-old etc somebody/something
a six-week-old baby
a 500-year-old sword
somebody is old enough to know better (=used to say that you think someone should behave more sensibly)
somebody is old enough to be his/her/your mother/father (=used to say that someone is too old to be having a sexual relationship with someone else)
4. THAT YOU USED TO HAVE [only before noun] your old house, job, girlfriend etc is one that you used to have SYN former:
I met up with one of my old girlfriends at the weekend.
My old car was always breaking down.
That happened when we were still in the old house.
My old boss was awful!
old flame (=someone with whom you used to have a romantic relationship)
5. FAMILIAR [only before noun] old things are things that are familiar to you because you have seen them or experienced them many times before:
It’s good to get back into the old routine.
I enjoyed seeing all the old familiar faces.
He comes out with the same old excuses every time! ⇨ it’s the same old story at ↑story(9)
6. VERY WELL KNOWN [only before noun] an old friend, enemy etc is someone you have known for a long time:
Bob’s an old friend of mine.
an old colleague
They’re old rivals.
7. the old days times in the past
in the old days
In the old days people used to fetch water from the pump.
8. the good old days/the bad old days an earlier time in your life, or in history, when things seemed better or worse than now:
We like to chat about the good old days.
9. be/feel/look like your old self to feel or look better again after you have been ill or very unhappy:
It’s good to see you looking more like your old self again.
10. any old thing/place/time etc spoken used to say that it does not matter which thing, place etc you choose:
Oh, just wear any old thing.
Phone any old time – I’m always here.
11. any old how/way spoken in an untidy or careless way:
The papers had been dumped on my desk any old how.
12. good/poor/silly old etc somebody spoken used to talk about someone you like:
Good old Keith!
You poor old thing!
13. a good old something (also a right old something British English) spoken used to talk about something you enjoy:
We had a good old talk.
14. old devil/rascal etc spoken used to talk about someone you like and admire:
You old devil! You were planning this all along!
15. old fool/bastard/bat etc spoken not polite used to talk very rudely about someone you do not like:
the stupid old cow
16. the old guard a group of people within an organization or club who do not like changes or new ideas:
He’ll never manage to persuade the old guard.
17. be an old hand (at something) to have a lot of experience of something:
I’m an old hand at this game.
18. be old before your time to look or behave like someone much older than you, especially because of difficulties in your life
19. for old times’ sake if you do something for old times’ sake, you do it to remind yourself of a happy time in the past
20. the old country especially American English the country that you were born in, but that you no longer live in, used especially to mean Europe
21. an old head on young shoulders British English a young person who seems to think and behave like an older person
22. pay/settle an old score to punish someone for something wrong that they did to you in the past
23. of/from the old school old-fashioned and believing in old ideas and customs:
a doctor of the old school
24. old wives’ tale a belief based on old ideas that are now considered to be untrue
25. of old literary from a long time ago in the past:
the knights of old
26. Old English/Old Icelandic etc an early form of English, Icelandic etc
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 3)
■ phrases
▪ be 5/10/50 etc years old My dad is 45 years old.
▪ a five-year-old/fifteen-year-old etc somebody/something a three-year-old boy
▪ how old is …? ‘How old is your daughter?’ ‘She’s ten.’
▪ be too old for something He was too old for military service.
▪ be old enough to do something You’re old enough to help with the cooking.
▪ somebody is old enough to know better (=used when you think someone should behave more sensibly) He’s old enough to know better, but he went and did it anyway!
▪ somebody is old enough to be sb’s mother/father (=used when you think that someone is much too old to be having a relationship with another person ) Why would she want to go out with someone who was old enough to be her father?
• • •
THESAURUS
■ person
▪ old having lived for a long time: an old man | I’m too old to learn a new language.
▪ elderly a polite word for old: an elderly lady | a home for the elderly (=elderly people) | If you are elderly, you may be eligible for financial assistance.
▪ aging (also ageing British English) [only before noun] becoming old: an ageing rock star | the problems of an ageing population
▪ aged /ˈeɪdʒəd, ˈeɪdʒɪd/ [only before noun] written aged relatives are very old: aged parents | She had to look after her aged aunt.
▪ elder brother/sister especially British English [only before noun] an older brother or sister. Elder sounds more formal than older: I have two elder brothers.
▪ ancient [not usually before noun] informal very old – used humorously: I’ll be 30 next year – it sounds really ancient!
▪ be getting on (in years) informal to be fairly old: He’s 60 now, so he’s getting on a bit.
▪ be over the hill (also be past it British English) informal to be too old to do something: Everyone thinks you’re past it when you get to 40.
▪ geriatric [only before noun] relating to medical care and treatment for old people: a geriatric hospital | geriatric patients
■ thing
▪ old: an old car | an old Chinese saying
▪ ancient very old – used about things that existed thousands of years ago, or things that look very old: ancient civilisations | an ancient Rolls Royce
▪ antique antique furniture, clocks, jewellery etc are old and often valuable: an antique writing desk
▪ age-old used about traditions, problems, or situations that have existed for a very long time: the age-old tradition of morris dancing | the age-old prejudice against women in positions of power | the age-old problem of nationalism | age-old hatreds between religious groups

game

I. game¹ S1 W1 /ɡeɪm/ BrE AmE noun
[Language: Old English; Origin: gamen]
1. ACTIVITY OR SPORT [countable]
a) an activity or sport in which people compete with each other according to agreed rules:
We used to love playing games like chess or backgammon.
b) an occasion when a game is played ⇨ match:
Did you see the game on TV last night?
a game of tennis/football etc
Would you like to have a game of tennis?
game against/with
England’s World Cup game against Holland ⇨ ball game, board game, video game, war game
2. games [plural]
a) a large organized sports event:
the Olympic Games
b) British English organized sports as a school subject or lesson SYN PE:
We have games on Thursdays.
a games lesson
3. PART OF A MATCH [countable] one of the parts into which a single match is divided, for example in tennis or bridge¹(4):
Graf leads, two games to one.
4. CHILDREN [countable] a children’s activity in which they play with toys, pretend to be someone else etc
game of
a game of hide-and-seek
The boys were playing a game in the backyard.
5. SKILL sb’s game how well someone plays a particular game or sport
improve/raise your game
Liam’s taking lessons to improve his game.
the strongest aspect of his game
6. give the game away to spoil a surprise or secret by doing or saying something that lets someone guess what the secret is:
Lynn gave the game away by laughing when Kim walked in.
7. beat somebody at their own game (also play somebody at their own game British English) to beat someone or fight back against them by using the same methods that they use
8. NOT SERIOUS be a game to be something that you do to enjoy yourself rather than for a serious purpose:
It’s just a game to them. They don’t care what happens.
9. play games (with somebody)
a) to behave in a dishonest or unfair way in order to get what you want:
Are you sure he’s really interested, and not just playing silly games with you?
b) to not be serious about doing something:
We want a deal. We’re not interested in playing games.
10. ANIMALS/BIRDS [uncountable] wild animals, birds, and fish that are hunted for food, especially as a sport:
game birds ⇨ ↑big game
11. the only game in town used to say that something is the only possible choice in a situation:
The Church of England is no longer the only game in town.
12. BUSINESS [singular] informal an area of work or business:
I’ve been in this game for over ten years.
13. what’s her/your etc game? British English spoken used to ask what the true reason for someone’s behaviour is:
Reg is being very nice all of a sudden. What’s his game?
14. the game’s up spoken used to tell someone that something wrong or dishonest that they have done has been discovered:
Come out, Don. The game’s up.
15. a game of chance a game in which you risk money on the result:
Poker is a game of chance.
16. somebody got game American English informal used to say that someone is very skilful at doing something, especially a sport
17. be on the game British English informal to be a ↑prostitute
18. game on spoken said when the balance of a sports match or competition changes, and both sides suddenly have a chance of winning
19. game over informal said to emphasize that an event or activity is completely finished
20. make game of somebody old-fashioned to make fun of someone
⇨ fair game, ⇨ fun and games at fun¹(5), ⇨ the name of the game at name¹(10), ⇨ a mug’s game at mug¹(5)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ play a game They explained how to play the game.
▪ see/watch a game Did you see the game last night?
▪ have a game British English They were having a game of pool.
▪ win/lose a game A.C. Milan won the game with a last-minute goal. | Arsenal lost the game because of a mistake by their goalkeeper.
▪ the game is tied (=both teams or players had the same score) The game was tied 10-10 at halftime.
▪ draw a game British English (=end the game with the same score as the opposing team or player) We played badly and were lucky to draw the game.
■ NOUN + game
▪ a computer/video game He was up all night playing computer games.
▪ a card game Bridge is a card game for four people.
▪ a board/ball game board games such as Monopoly and Scrabble
▪ a team game I wasn't very good at team games when I was at school.
▪ a party game What's your favourite party game?
▪ a basketball/baseball etc game He was watching a baseball game on TV.
▪ a home game (=played at a team's own sports field) Next Saturday Liverpool have a home game against Manchester United.
▪ an away game (=played at an opposing team's sports field) We didn't win any away games last season.
▪ a league game (=played as part of a league competition) There's a big league game against Chelsea on Saturday.
▪ a cup game (=played as part of a cup competition) He hopes to play in the cup game on Wednesday.
▪ a playoff game American English (=one of a series of games played by the best teams in a competition to decide the final winner ) This is the first of their five playoff games.
▪ a play-off game British English (=played to decide the winner after a previous game ended with both teams having equal points)
▪ an indoor game There is a hall for indoor games and social functions.
▪ an outdoor game Outdoor games are affected by the weather.
■ phrases
▪ the rules of the game It's against the rules of the game to pick up the ball.

tall

tall S2 W2 /tɔːl $ tɒːl/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative taller, superlative tallest)
[Language: Old English; Origin: getæl 'quick, ready']
1. a person, building, tree etc that is tall is a greater height than normal:
He was young and tall.
a house surrounded by tall trees
This bush grows tall very quickly.
2. you use ‘tall’ to say or ask what the height of something or someone is
6ft/2m/12 inches etc tall
He’s only 5 feet tall.
How tall is that building?
She’s a little taller than her sister.
3. American English a tall drink contains a small amount of alcohol mixed with a large amount of a non-alcoholic drink
4. a tall order informal a request or piece of work that is almost impossible:
Finding a replacement is going to be a tall order.
5. tall story/tale a story that is so unlikely that it is difficult to believe
—tallness noun [uncountable]
⇨ stand tall at ↑stand¹(39), ⇨ walk tall at ↑walk¹(10)
• • •
THESAURUS
■ buildings/mountains etc
▪ high measuring a long distance from the bottom to the top – used about mountains, walls, and buildings: the highest mountain in the world | The castle was surrounded by high walls. | a high cliff | The council told the architects the tower was too high.
▪ tall high – used about people, trees, plants, and buildings. Tall is used especially about things that are high and narrow: tall marble columns | A cat was hiding in the tall grass. | a tall modern building
▪ majestic especially written very impressive because of being very big and tall – used about mountains, buildings, trees, and animals: the majestic mountains of the Himalayas | The abbey is noted for its majestic arches, fine doorways and elegant windows. | The cathedral looked majestic in the evening light.
▪ soaring [only before noun] especially written used about a building or mountain that looks extremely tall and impressive: a soaring skyscraper | the soaring towers of the palace
▪ towering [only before noun] especially written extremely high, in a way that seems impressive but also often rather frightening: The sky was shut out by the towering walls of the prison. | towering trees
▪ lofty [usually before noun] literary very high and impressive – used in literature: the lofty peaks in the far distance
▪ high-rise [usually before noun] a high-rise building is a tall modern building with a lot of floors containing apartments or offices: a high-rise apartment block | He works in a high-rise office in New York.

short

I. short¹ S1 W1 /ʃɔːt $ ʃɔːrt/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative shorter, superlative shortest)
[Word Family: noun: ↑short, ↑shortage, ↑shortness, shorts, ↑shorty; verb: ↑shorten, ↑short; adverb: ↑short, ↑shortly; adjective: ↑short]
[Language: Old English; Origin: scort]
1. TIME happening or continuing for only a little time or for less time than usual OPP long:
a short meeting
Morris gave a short laugh.
a short course on business English
Winter is coming and the days are getting shorter.
I’ve only been in Brisbane a short time.
For a short while (=a short time), the city functioned as the region’s capital.
I learned a lot during my short period as a junior reporter.
Germany achieved spectacular economic success in a relatively short period of time.
They met and married within a short space of time.
I promise to keep the meeting short and sweet (=short in a way that is good, especially not talking for a long time).
For a few short weeks (=they seemed to pass very quickly), the sun shone and the fields turned gold.
2. LENGTH/DISTANCE measuring a small amount in length or distance OPP long:
a short skirt
Anita had her hair cut short.
They went by the shortest route, across the fields.
Carol’s office was only a short distance away, and she decided that she would walk there.
a short walk/flight/drive
It’s a short drive to the airport.
The hotel is only a short walk from the beach.
3. NOT TALL someone who is short is not as tall as most people OPP tall:
a short plump woman
Chris was short and stocky, with broad shoulders.
He’s a bit shorter than me.
4. BOOK/LETTER a book, letter etc that is short does not have many words or pages OPP long:
a short novel
I wrote a short note to explain. ⇨ ↑short story
5. NOT ENOUGH
a) if you are short of something, you do not have enough of it
be short (of something)
Can you lend me a couple of dollars? I’m a little short.
be short of money/cash/funds
Our libraries are short of funds.
be 5p/$10 etc short
Have you all paid me? I’m about £9 short.
I’m a bit short British English spoken (=I haven’t got much money at the moment)
somebody is not short of something British English (=they have a lot of it)
Your little girl’s not short of confidence, is she?
They’re not short of a few bob (=they are rich).
b) if something is short, there is not enough of it:
Money was short in those days.
It’s going to be difficult – time is short.
Gasoline was in short supply (=not enough of it was available) after the war.
6. be short on something to have less of something than you should have:
He’s a nice guy, but a little short on brains.
The president’s speech was long on colorful phrases but short on solutions.
7. LESS THAN a little less than a number
short of
Her time was only two seconds short of the world record.
just/a little short of something
She was just short of six feet tall.
8. short notice if something is short notice, you are told about it only a short time before it happens:
I can’t make it Friday. It’s very short notice.
at short notice British English on short notice American English:
The party was arranged at short notice.
9. in the short term/run during the period of time that is not very far into the future ⇨ short-term:
These measures may save money in the short term, but we’ll end up spending more later.
10. have a short memory if someone has a short memory, they soon forget something that has happened:
Voters have very short memories.
11. be short for something to be a shorter way of saying a name:
Her name is Alex, short for Alexandra.
12. be short of breath to be unable to breathe easily, especially because you are unhealthy:
He couldn’t walk far without getting short of breath.
13. be short with somebody to speak to someone using very few words, in a way that seems rude or unfriendly:
Sorry I was short with you on the phone this morning.
14. have a short temper/fuse to get angry very easily:
Mr Yanto, who had a very short fuse, told her to get out.
15. get/be given short shrift if you or your idea, suggestion etc is given short shrift, you are told immediately that you are wrong and are not given any attention or sympathy:
McLaren got short shrift from all the record companies when he first presented his new band to them in 1976.
16. be nothing/little short of something used to emphasize that something is very good, very surprising etc:
Her recovery seemed nothing short of a miracle.
The results are little short of astonishing.
17. draw/get the short straw to be given something difficult or unpleasant to do, especially when other people have been given something better:
Giles drew the short straw, and has to give us a talk this morning.
18. make short work of (doing) something to finish something quickly and easily, especially food or a job:
The kids made short work of the sandwiches.
Computers can make short work of complex calculations.
19. have/get somebody by the short and curlies (also have/get somebody by the short hairs) British English informal not polite to put someone in a situation in which they are forced to do or accept what you want:
I signed the contract – they’ve got me by the short and curlies.
20. be one ... short of a ... spoken used humorously to say that someone is a little crazy or stupid:
Lady, are you a few aces short of a deck?
He’s one sandwich short of a picnic.
21. short time British English when workers work for fewer hours than usual, because the company cannot afford to pay them their full wage:
Most of the workers were put on short time.
22. in short order formal in a short time and without delay
23. give somebody short measure British English old-fashioned to give someone less than the correct amount of something, especially in a shop
24. SOUND technical a short vowel is pronounced quickly without being emphasized, for example the sound of a in ‘cat’, e in ‘bet’, and i in ‘bit’ OPP long
—shortness noun [uncountable]:
He was suffering from shortness of breath.
Shirley was very conscious of her shortness and always wore high heels.
⇨ life’s too short at ↑life(27)
• • •
THESAURUS
■ time
▪ short not long: I lived in Tokyo for a short time. | Smokers have a shorter life expectancy than non-smokers.
▪ brief especially written lasting only for a short time. Brief is more formal than short, and is used especially in written English: The President will make a brief visit to Seattle today. | He coached Hingis for a brief period in the 1990s.
▪ quick [only before noun] taking a short time to do something: I had a quick look at the map. | He had a quick shower and then went out.
▪ short-lived lasting only for a short time – used especially when someone wishes that a good situation had been able to last for longer: short-lived success | The ceasefire was short-lived. | a short-lived romance | short-lived optimism about the economy
▪ fleeting lasting only for an extremely short time – used especially when someone wishes that something had been able to last for longer: a fleeting visit | a fleeting smile | She caught a fleeting glimpse of him. | a fleeting moment of happiness | a fleeting thought
▪ momentary lasting for a very short time – used especially about feelings or pauses: There was a momentary pause in the conversation. | The momentary panic ended when he found his two-year-old son waiting happily outside the store.
▪ passing [only before noun] lasting only for a short time – used especially when people are only interested in something or mention something for a short time: passing fashions | He made only a passing reference to war. | It’s just a passing phase (=it will end soon).
▪ ephemeral formal lasting only for a short time, and ending quickly like everything else in this world: Beauty is ephemeral. | the ephemeral nature of our existence | His wealth proved to be ephemeral.
■ person
▪ short someone who is short is not as tall as most people: He was a short fat man.
▪ not very tall quite short. This phrase sounds more gentle than saying that someone is short: She wasn’t very tall – maybe about 1.60 m.
▪ small short and with a small body: My mother was a small woman. | The girl was quite small for her age (=smaller than other girls of the same age).
▪ petite used about a woman who is attractively short and thin: She was a petite woman with blonde hair.
▪ stocky used about a boy or man who is short, heavy, and strong: Harry was stocky and middle-aged.
▪ dumpy short and fat: a dumpy girl with red hair
▪ diminutive formal literary very short or small – used especially in descriptions in novels: a diminutive figure dressed in black
▪ stubby stubby fingers or toes are short and thick: the baby’s stubby little fingers