A1 (Basic)

party

party [party parties partied partying] noun, verb   [ˈpɑːti]    [ˈpɑːrti] 

noun (pl. parties)
1. (also Party) countable + singular or plural verb a political organization that you can vote for in elections and whose members have the same aims and ideas
• the Democratic and Republican Parties in the United States
• She belongs to the Labour Party.
• the ruling/opposition party

• the party leader/manifesto/policy

2. countable (especially in compounds) a social occasion, often in a person's home, at which people eat, drink, talk, dance and enjoy themselves
• a birthday/dinner/garden, etc. party
• to give/have/throw a party
• Did you go to the party?
• party games

3. countable + singular or plural verb a group of people who are doing sth together such as travelling or visiting somewhere
• The school is taking a party of 40 children to France.
• The theatre gives a 10% discount to parties of more than ten.

4. countable (formal) one of the people or groups of people involved in a legal agreement or argument
• the guilty/innocent party
• The contract can be terminated by either party with three months' notice.
• The judge's decision satisfied most of the parties concerned.

Word Origin:
Middle English (denoting a body of people united in opposition to others, also in sense 1): from Old French partie, based on Latin partiri ‘divide into parts’. Sense 2 dates from the early 18th cent.  
Thesaurus:
party noun
1. C+sing./pl. v.
• the Democratic Party
faction • • camp • • lobby •
rival/opposing parties/factions/camps
the socialist party/camp
belong to a party/faction/camp
2. C
• They threw a huge party to celebrate the end of term.
celebration • • reception • • dance • • ball • • rave • |BrE disco • |AmE shower • |informal, especially journalism bash •
at a party/celebration/reception/dance/ball/rave/disco/shower/bash
have/hold/go to/attend a party/celebration/reception/dance/ball/rave/disco/shower/bash
3. C+sing./pl. v.
• a coach party of tourists
group • • band • • contingent • • team • • crew • • squad • • gang • • detachment • |formal company • |often disapproving pack •
a party/group/band/contingent/team/crew/squad/gang/detachment/pack of sth
in (a) party/group/band/team/crew/squad/gang/company/pack
join a party/band/team/crew/gang 
Collocations:
Politics
Power
create/form/be the leader of a political party
gain/take/win/lose/regain control of Congress
start/spark/lead/be on the brink of a revolution
be engaged/locked in an internal power struggle
lead/form a rival/breakaway faction
seize/take control of the government/power
bring down/overthrow/topple the government/president/regime
abolish/overthrow/restore the monarchy
establish/install a military dictatorship/a stable government
be forced/removed/driven from office/power
resign/step down as party leader/an MP/president/prime minister
enter/retire from/return to political life
Political debate
spark/provoke a heated/hot/intense/lively debate
engage in/participate in/contribute to (the) political/public debate (on/over sth)
get involved in/feel excluded from the political process
launch/start/lead/spearhead a campaign/movement
join/be linked with the peace/anti-war/feminist/civil rights movement
criticize/speak out against/challenge/support the government
lobby/put pressure on the government (to do sth)
come under fire/pressure from opposition parties
Policy
call for/demand/propose/push for/advocate democratic/political/land reform(s)
formulate/implement domestic economic policy
change/influence/shape/have an impact on government/economic/public policy
be consistent with/be in line with/go against/be opposed to government policy
reform/restructure/modernize the tax system
privatize/improve/deliver/make cuts in public services
invest (heavily) in/spend sth on schools/education/public services/(the) infrastructure
nationalize the banks/the oil industry
promise/propose/deliver/give ($80 billion in/significant/substantial/massive) tax cuts
a/the budget is approved/ (especially NAmE) passed by parliament/congress
Making laws
have a majority in/have seats in Parliament/Congress/the Senate
propose/sponsor a bill/legislation/a resolution
introduce/bring in/draw up/draft/adopt/pass a bill/a law/legislation/measures
amend/repeal an act/a law/legislation
veto/vote against/oppose a bill/legislation/a measure/a proposal/a resolution
get/require/be decided by a majority vote
more collocations at economy, voting  
Example Bank:
• By now the party was in full swing.
• First we must notify all the interested parties.
• From 1991 new political parties emerged to challenge the governing party.
• Gordon Brown's speech at the Labour party conference
• He loves throwing lavish parties.
• He was accused of having strong links with the Communist Party.
• I was at a party in London that night.
• I'm organizing a surprise party for my sister.
• It was time for us to join the coach party.
• Most MPs will follow the party line.
• Mr Cameron was cheered by the party faithful.
• On moving in they threw a huge house-warming party.
• She arrived with a party of helpers.
• She became the leader of the party in 2008.
• She is a hard-drinking, non-stop party girl.
• She left the party in 2000.
• She refused to follow the party line= the official view of the party.
• She turned up at her fiancé's bachelor party.
• The Labour Party was returned to power in 2001.
• The Labour party lost the vote on this important issue.
• The Liberal party controlled the Senate at this time.
• The captain told the crew to prepare to receive a boarding party.
• The girls were having a slumber party.
• The party broke up around midnight.
• The party was officially dissolved in 1927.
• The wedding party climbed into the carriages.
• There was a party going on next door.
• They are now the majority party in Parliament.
• They attended the launch party for the new film.
• This agreement binds both parties.
• This agreement is binding on both parties.
• This agreement shall be binding upon both parties.
• We had a farewell party for Michelle when she left the company.
• You must sign the document in the presence of an independent third party
• a bitter dispute which finally split the party
• a surprise birthday party
• both main political parties
• members of the parliamentary party
• policies that would be out of place in the Republican party platform
• the majority party in both Houses
• the parties contesting the elections
• A rescue party immediately set off by boat.
• Did you go to their party?
• He gave a dinner party for some old friends.
• It was decided to send out a search party to look for the missing climbers.
• Several members of the England cricket touring party were robbed outside the team hotel.
• The theatre gives a 10% discount to parties of more than 10.
• There were fizzy drinks, cake and party games.
• They threw a party to celebrate the end of term.
• We're going to have a housewarming party next weekend.
• a coach party of German tourists
• the party leader/manifesto/policy
• the ruling/opposition party

Idioms: bring something to the party ▪ party to something

Word Origin:
Middle English (denoting a body of people united in opposition to others, also in sense 1): from Old French partie, based on Latin partiri ‘divide into parts’. Sense 2 dates from the early 18th cent.  
Example Bank:

• That guy Jake— he really knows how to party!

school

school [school schools schooled schooling] noun, verb   [skuːl]    [skuːl] 

noun  

WHERE CHILDREN LEARN
1. countable a place where children go to be educated
• My brother and I went to the same school.
• (formal) Which school do they attend?
• I'm going to the school today to talk to Kim's teacher.
• We need more money for roads, hospitals and schools.

• school buildings

2. uncountable (used without the or a) the process of learning in a school; the time during your life when you go to a school: (BrE) to start/leave school
• (NAmE) to start/quit school
• Where did you go to school?
• (BrE) All my kids are still at school.
• (NAmE) All my kids are still in school.
• (NAmE) to teach school (= teach in a school)

• The transition from school to work can be difficult.

3. uncountable (used without the or a) the time during the day when children are working in a school
• Shall I meet you after school today?
• School begins at 9.
• The kids are at/in school until 3.30.

• after-school activities  

STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

4. the school singular all the children or students and the teachers in a school

• I had to stand up in front of the whole school.  

FOR PARTICULAR SKILL

5. countable (often in compounds) a place where people go to learn a particular subject or skill

• a drama/language/riding, etc. school  

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY

6. countable, uncountable (NAmE, informal) a college or university; the time that you spend there
• famous schools like Yale and Harvard
• Where did you go to school?

7. countable a department of a college or university that teaches a particular subject
• the business/medical/law school

• the School of Dentistry  

OF WRITERS/ARTISTS

8. countable a group of writers, artists, etc. whose style of work or opinions have been influenced by the same person or ideas

• the Dutch school of painting  

OF FISH

9. countable a large number of fish or other sea animals, swimming together
• a school of dolphins
compare  shoal  There are many compounds ending in school. You will find them at their place in the alphabet.
more at one of the old school at  old  
Word Origin:
n. senses 1 to 8 and v. Old English scōl scolu Latin Greek skholē ‘leisure, philosophy, lecture-place’ Middle English Old French escole
n. sense 9 late Middle English Middle Low German Middle Dutch schōle West Germanic Old English scolu ‘troop’ shoal
 
Thesaurus:
school noun C
• My sister and I went to the same school.
academy • • college • • university • • seminary •
at/in school/college/university
at a/the school/academy/college/university/seminary
go to/attend school/an academy/college/university/a seminary 
British/American:
at / in school
In BrE somebody who is attending school is at school: ▪ I was at school with her sister. In NAmE in school is used: ▪ I have a ten-year-old in school. In school in NAmE can also mean ‘attending a university’. 
Collocations:
Education
Learning
acquire/get/lack (an) education/training/(BrE) (some) qualifications
receive/provide sb with training/tuition
develop/design/plan a curriculum/(especially BrE) course/(NAmE) program/syllabus
give/go to/attend a class/lesson/lecture/seminar
hold/run/conduct a class/seminar/workshop
sign up for/take a course/classes/lessons
School
go to/start preschool/kindergarten/nursery school
be in the first, second, etc. (NAmE) grade/(especially BrE) year (at school)
study/take/drop history/chemistry/German, etc.
(BrE) leave/finish/drop out of/ (NAmE) quit school
(NAmE) graduate high school/college
Problems at school
be the victim/target of bullying
(BrE) play truant from/ (both BrE, informal) bunk off/skive off school (= not go to school when you should)
(both especially NAmE) skip/cut class/school
(BrE) cheat in/(NAmE) cheat on an exam/a test
get/be given a detention (for doing sth)
be expelled from/be suspended from school
Work and exams
do your homework/(BrE) revision/a project on sth
work on/write/do/submit an essay/a dissertation/a thesis/an assignment/(NAmE) a paper
finish/complete your dissertation/thesis/studies/coursework
hand in/ (NAmE) turn in your homework/essay/assignment/paper
study/prepare/ (BrE) revise/ (NAmE) review/ (NAmE, informal) cram for a test/an exam
take/ (both BrE) do/sit a test/an exam
(especially BrE) mark/ (especially NAmE) grade homework/a test
(BrE) do well in/ (NAmE) do well on/ (informal, especially NAmE) ace a test/an exam
pass/fail/ (informal, especially NAmE) flunk a test/an exam/a class/a course/a subject
University
apply to/get into/go to/start college/(BrE) university
leave/graduate from law school/college/(BrE) university (with a degree in computer science)
study for/take/ (BrE) do/complete a law degree/a degree in physics
(both NAmE) major/minor in biology/philosophy
earn/receive/be awarded/get/have/hold a master's degree/a bachelor's degree/a PhD in economics 
Grammar Point:
school
When a school is being referred to as an institution, you do not need to use the: ▪ When do the children finish school? When you are talking about a particular building, the is used: ▪ I’ll meet you outside the school. Prison, jail, court, and church work in the same way: ▪ Her husband spent three years in prison.
note at college, hospital  
Example Bank:
• Are the children still in school?
• Eric is off school again.
• He runs a karate school in San Jose, California.
• He was expelled from school for verbally abusing his teacher.
• His mum kept him off school for two weeks when he was ill.
• It is a failing school with some of the worst results in the city.
• It was just a typical school day.
• My parents let me stay home from school yesterday.
• She attends a special school for children with learning difficulties.
• She didn't do very well at school.
• She teaches elementary school in Atlanta.
• She's a middle-school teacher.
• She's got four children of school age.
• The next day was Monday, a school day.
• Their son's at the school near the station.
• We're going to play football after school.
• You don't need to keep your child home from school because of a cough.
• a range of after-school activities
• school-age children
• the cleverest child in the school
• An announcement was made to the whole school
• His parents went to the school to talk to his teacher.
• I'll meet you outside the school.
• In Britain children start school when they are five.
• More money is needed for roads, hospitals and schools.
• My sister and I went to the same school.
• My younger son is still at school.
• She wants to go to drama school.
• The university has a school of dentistry.
• a language/riding school
• an elementary/a junior high/a high school
• an infant/a junior/a primary/a secondary school
• to teach school
• He had very little schooling.

Idiom: school of thought 

friend

friend [friend friends friended friending]   [frend]    [frend]  noun

 
PERSON YOU LIKE
1. a person you know well and like, and who is not usually a member of your family
• This is my friend Tom.
• Is he a friend of yours?
• She's an old friend (= I have known her a long time).
• He's one of my best friends.
• a close/good friend
• a childhood/family/lifelong friend
• I heard about it through a friend of a friend.
• She has a wide circle of friends.

see also  befriend, boyfriend, fair-weather, false friend, girlfriend, penfriend, school friend  

SUPPORTER

2. a person who supports an organization, a charity, etc, especially by giving or raising money; a person who supports a particular idea, etc
• the Friends of St Martin's Hospital
• a friend of democracy

• Theatre tickets are 10% cheaper for Friends.  

NOT ENEMY

3. a person who has the same interests and opinions as yourself, and will help and support you
• You're among friends here— you can speak freely.

• His eyes were moving from face to face: friend or foe?  

SILLY/ANNOYING PERSON

4. (ironic) used to talk about sb you do not know who has done sth silly or annoying

• I wish our friend at the next table would shut up.  

IN PARLIAMENT/COURT

5. (in Britain) used by a member of parliament to refer to another member of parliament or by a lawyer to refer to another lawyer in a court of law
• my honourable friend, the member for Henley (= in the House of Commons)
• my noble friend (= in the House of Lords)

• my learned friend (= in a court of law)  

IN RELIGION

6. Friend a member of the Society of Friends
Syn:  Quaker 
more at man's best friend at  man  _n.
Idioms: friend in need ▪ friends ▪ good friends ▪ have friends in high places  
Word Origin:
Old English frēond, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vriend and German Freund, from an Indo-European root meaning ‘to love’, shared by free.  
Thesaurus:
friend noun C
• He's one of my best friends.
companion • • acquaintance • • confidant • • ally • |BrE, informal mate • |AmE, informal buddy • |informal, old-fashioned pal • |often disapproving crony •
Opp: enemy
a friend/mate/buddy/pal of mine/yours/his/hers/ours/theirs/my mother's/Diana's, etc.
an old friend/acquaintance/ally/mate/buddy/pal
a good friend/companion/mate/buddy/pal
have friends/acquaintances/allies/mates/buddies/pals 
Example Bank:
• Does your sister have any single friends?
• Even his own friends don't believe him.
• He finds it difficult to make friends.
• He introduced me to his circle of friends.
• He was last seen leaving a restaurant with a female friend.
• He won't win any friends if he carries on talking like that.
• Her best friend at school was called Anna.
• I was given this necklace by a good friend of mine.
• I'm inviting only my closest friends to the party.
• If you need a friend, just call me.
• It was so relaxing to be among old friends.
• My so-called friends are making fun of me because of my weight.
• People he had trusted turned out to be only fair-weather friends.
• She doesn't have many good friends.
• She's made friends with the little girl who lives next door.
• They became friends after meeting at college.
• We met each other through a mutual friend.
• We stayed friends even after we grew up and left home.
• a friend from high school
• He's one of my best friends.
• I heard about it through a friend of a friend.
• Is he a friend of yours?
• She has a wide circle of friends.
• She met up with some of her old school friends.
• She's an old friend.

• a childhood/family/lifelong friend

restaurant

res·taur·ant [restaurant restaurants]   [ˈrestrɒnt]    [ˈrestrɑːnt]    [ˈrestərɑːnt]  noun
a place where you can buy and eat a meal
• an Italian restaurant
• We had a meal in a restaurant.
• We went out to a restaurant to celebrate.
• a restaurant owner
• a self-service restaurant
compare  cafe  
Word Origin:
early 19th cent.: from French, from restaurer ‘provide food for’ (literally ‘restore to a former state’).  
Collocations:
Restaurants
Eating out
eat (lunch/dinner)/dine/meet at/in a restaurant
go (out)/take sb (out) for lunch/dinner/a meal
have a meal with sb
make/have a reservation (in/under the name of Yamada)
reserve/ (especially BrE) book a table for six
ask for/request a table for two/a table by the window
In the restaurant
wait to be seated
show sb to their table
sit in the corner/by the window/at the bar/at the counter
hand sb/give sb the menu/wine list
open/read/study/peruse the menu
the restaurant has a three-course set menu/a children's menu/an extensive wine list
taste/sample/try the wine
the waiter takes your order
order/choose/have the soup of the day/one of the specials/the house (BrE) speciality/(especially NAmE) specialty
serve/finish the first course/the starter/the main course/dessert/coffee
complain about the food/the service/your meal
enjoy your meal
Paying
pay/ask for (especially BrE) the bill/(NAmE) the check
pay for/treat sb to dinner/lunch/the meal
service is (not) included
give sb/leave (sb) a tip 
Example Bank:
• If you're too tired to cook, let's go to a restaurant.
• It operates 79 restaurants in 26 states.
• Restaurant workers are often badly paid.
• She decided to open her own restaurant.
• She eats at the hotel restaurant when she travels on business.
• She frequented the restaurant on almost a weekly basis.
• She runs a family fish restaurant on the seafront.
• The hotel restaurant serves a buffet breakfast.
• They argued the whole time we were at the restaurant.
• They walked out of the restaurant without paying.
• We don't do a lot of restaurant dining.
• We had a quick meal in a small local restaurant.
• We would recommend this restaurant to anyone.
• We're going to try this Italian restaurant that just opened.
• a little restaurant I know in Paris
• a restaurant offering a wide variety of local specialities
• an Asian restaurant specializing in Thai cuisine
• hygiene standards in the restaurant industry
• some of the hottest restaurants in New York
• the country's most successful chain restaurants
• the few local shops and restaurants catering to summer visitors

• the increasing cost of restaurant meals

station

sta·tion [station stations stationed stationing] noun, verb   [ˈsteɪʃn]    [ˈsteɪʃn]

noun  

FOR TRAINS/BUSES
1. a place where trains stop so that passengers can get on and off; the buildings connected with this
• I get off at the next station.
• the main station
• Penn Station
• a train station
• (BrE also) a railway station
• (BrE) a tube/an underground station

• (NAmE) a subway station

2. (usually in compounds) a place where buses stop; the buildings connected with this
• a bus/coach station  In Britain, the word station on its own usually refers to the train station
• Can you tell me the way to the station? In the US it is usual to say which station you are talking about
• the train station

• the Greyhound Bus station  

FOR WORK/SERVICE

3. (usually in compounds) a place or building where a service is organized and provided or a special type of work is done
• a police station
• (BrE) a petrol station
• (NAmE) a gas station
• an agricultural research station
• a pollution monitoring station

compare  space station  

RADIO/TV COMPANY

4. (often in compounds) a radio or television company and the programmes it broadcasts
• a local radio/TV station

• He tuned to another station.  

SOCIAL POSITION

5. (old-fashioned or formal) your social position

• She was definitely getting ideas above her station.  

POSITION

6. a place where sb has to wait and watch or be ready to do work if needed
• You are not to leave your station without permission.

see also  docking station  

LARGE FARM

7. (usually in compounds) a large sheep or cattle farm in Australia or New Zealand  

FOR ARMY/NAVY
8. a small base for the army or navy; the people living in it
• a naval station
see also  action stations, see panic stations at  panic  _n.  
Word Origin:
Middle English (as a noun): via Old French from Latin statio(n-), from stare ‘to stand’. Early use referred generally to “position”, especially ‘position in life, status’, and specifically, in ecclesiastical use, to ‘a holy place of pilgrimage (visited as one of a group)’. The verb dates from the late 16th cent.  
Thesaurus:
station noun
1. C
• Get off at the next station.
stop • • bus stop • • terminus • • terminal • • destination • |AmE depot •
a rail/railway/railroad station/terminus/terminal
a train station/terminus/depot
a bus station/terminus/terminal/depot
arrive at the station/stop/bus stop/terminal/your destination
2. C (often in compounds)
• a local radio/TV station
channel • • network • |technical frequency •
a television station/channel/network
a radio station/network/frequency
tune to a station/channel/frequency 
Example Bank:
• I can pick up a lot of foreign stations on this radio.
• I went into a polling station and cast my vote.
• The UK post was a way station to retirement.
• The bus leaves the station at 09.00 hours.
• The meeting had to be abandoned after local fire station officer, Dave Temple, was called away to a fire.
• The police led me into the station house.
• The station airs 14 hours of local news per week.
• The train arrived at Oxford Station twenty minutes late.
• There's a newspaper kiosk in the station.
• We get off at the next station.
• We got to the station just as the train was pulling out.
• We stopped for a break at a motorway service station.
• We waited for him at the bus station.
• a digital radio station
• a gas station attendant
• the CIA station chief in Vietnam
• I bought a newspaper at the bus station.
• I'll get a coffee at the station.
• I'll give you a lift to the station.
• I'm getting off at the next station.
• Temple is the name of both a London tube station and a Paris metro station.
• The train left the station on time.
• The train was just arriving at the station.
• There was an explosion in a subway station.
• They met on the station platform.
• a local radio/TV station

• the railroad/train/subway/bus station

news-stand

ˈnews-stand [news-stand news-stands] (US ˈnewsstand)      noun
a place on the street, at a station, etc. where you can buy newspapers and magazines

• The first issue of the magazine hit the news-stands (= went on sale) today.

tomato

to·mato [tomato tomatoes]   [təˈmɑːtəʊ]    [təˈmeɪtoʊ]  noun

countable, uncountable (pl. to·matoes)
a soft fruit with a lot of juice and shiny red skin that is eaten as a vegetable either raw or cooked
• a bacon, lettuce and tomato sandwich
• sliced tomatoes
• tomato plants  
Word Origin:
early 17th cent.: from French, Spanish, or Portuguese tomate, from Nahuatl tomatl.  
Example Bank:

• Demonstrators threw rotten tomatoes at the car.

rice

rice [rice rices riced ricing]   [raɪs]    [raɪs]  noun

uncountable
short, narrow white or brown grain grown on wet land in hot countries as food; the plant that produces this grain
• a grain of rice
• boiled/steamed/fried rice
• long-/short-grain rice
• brown rice (= without its outer covering removed)
• rice paddies (= rice fields)  
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French ris, from Italian riso, from Greek oruza.  
Example Bank:

• a spicy rice dish

bank

bank [bank banks banked banking] noun, verb   [bæŋk]    [bæŋk] 

noun  

FOR MONEY
1. an organization that provides various financial services, for example keeping or lending money
• My salary is paid directly into my bank.
• I need to go to the bank (= the local office of a bank).
• a bank loan
• a bank manager

see also  investment bank, merchant bank  

IN GAMBLING

2. a supply of money or things that are used as money in some games, especially those in which gambling is involved  

STH COLLECTED/STORED
3. an amount of sth that is collected; a place where sth is stored ready for use
• a bank of knowledge
• a blood/sperm bank

see also  databank  

OF RIVER/CANAL

4. the side of a river, canal, etc. and the land near it
• He jumped in and swam to the opposite bank.
• It's on the north bank of the Thames.

• a house on the banks of the River Severn (= on land near the river)  

SLOPE

5. a raised area of ground that slopes at the sides, often at the edge of sth or dividing sth
• There were low banks of earth between the rice fields.

• The girls ran down the steep grassy bank.

6. an artificial slope built at the side of a road, so that cars can drive fast around bends  

OF CLOUD/SNOW, ETC.
7. a mass of cloud, snow, etc, especially one formed by the wind

• The sun disappeared behind a bank of clouds.  

OF MACHINES, ETC.

8. a row or series of similar objects, especially machines
• a bank of lights/switches/computers
more at laugh all the way to the bank at  laugh  _v.  
Word Origin:
n. senses 4 to 8 and v. senses 3 to 5 Middle English Old Norse bakki Germanic bench ‘set of things in rows’ French banc
n. senses 1 to 3 and v. senses 1 to 2 late 15th cent. French banque Italian banca medieval Latin banca bancus Germanic bank bench
 
Culture:
banks and banking
In Britain, the central bank, which acts as banker for the state and commercial banks, is the Bank of England. The Governor of the Bank of England advises the government on financial matters. The bank sets national interest rates (= the cost of borrowing money) and is responsible for issuing banknotes.
The main commercial banks, called clearing banks or high-street banks, are NatWest, Barclays, Lloyds TSB and HSBC. These are known as the ‘big four’ and have branches in most towns. Former building societies that became banks in the mid 1990s, such as Abbey and the Halifax, now compete with them for customers. People can use a current account and. for savings, a deposit account.The high-street banks offer bank loans for individuals and small businesses. Merchant banks deal with company finance on a larger scale.
In the US there are thousands of banks. This is because banks are prevented by law from operating in more than one state. Some banks get round this rule by forming holding companies which own banks with the same names in different states. Unlike British banks, American banks are banks of deposit and credit and do not build up capital. Banking is dominated by large money center banks, such as Chase, which raise money by dealing in the international money markets and lend it to businesses and other banks.
The US central bank is the Federal Reserve Bank, often called the Fed. In addition to the national Fed in Washington, DC, there are 12 regional ones. The Fed tells commercial banks how much money they must keep in reserve and decides what rate of interest to charge when lending them money. This affects the rate of interest the commercial banks charge their customers.
In the US people keep their accounts in commercial banks which must have a charter (= permission to operate) from the US or a state government. Each state decides whether to allow branch banking, i.e. to allow customers to do business at any branch of a bank, not just the one where they have their account. People also keep money in savings and loans organizations. The most common accounts are checking and savings accounts. 
Collocations:
Finance
Income
earn money/cash/(informal) a fortune
make money/a fortune/(informal) a killing on the stock market
acquire/inherit/amass wealth/a fortune
build up funds/savings
get/receive/leave (sb) an inheritance/a legacy
live on a low wage/a fixed income/a pension
get/receive/draw/collect a pension
depend/be dependent on (BrE) benefits/(NAmE) welfare/social security
Expenditure
spend money/your savings/(informal) a fortune on…
invest/put your savings in…
throw away/waste/ (informal) shell out money on…
lose your money/inheritance/pension
use up/ (informal) wipe out all your savings
pay (in) cash
use/pay by a credit/debit card
pay by/make out a/write sb a/accept a (BrE) cheque/(US) check
change/exchange money/currency (BrE) traveller's cheques/(US) traveler's checks
give/pay/leave (sb) a deposit
Banks
have/hold/open/close/freeze a bank account/an account
credit/debit/pay sth into/take money out of your account
deposit money/funds in your account
withdraw money/cash/£30 from an ATM, etc.
(formal) make a deposit/withdrawal
find/go to/use (especially NAmE) an ATM/(BrE) a cash machine/dispenser
be in credit/in debit/in the black/in the red/overdrawn
Personal finance
manage/handle/plan/run/ (especially BrE) sort out your finances
plan/manage/work out/stick to a budget
offer/extend credit (to sb)
arrange/take out a loan/an overdraft
pay back/repay money/a loan/a debt
pay for sth in (especially BrE) instalments/(NAmE usually) installments
Financial difficulties
get into debt/financial difficulties
be short of/ (informal) be strapped for cash
run out of/owe money
face/get/ (informal) be landed with a bill for £…
can't afford the cost of…/payments/rent
fall behind with/ (especially NAmE) fall behind on the mortgage/repayments/rent
incur/run up/accumulate debts
tackle/reduce/settle your debts 
Example Bank:
• A group of ten international banks is to underwrite and sell the bonds.
• He got a large loan from the bank.
• I need to get some money out of the bank.
• I'll put half the money in the bank and spend the rest.
• Investors lost millions when the bank crashed.
• Many of these banks issue both credit and debit cards.
• She has her money in one of the largest savings banks.
• The River Frome had burst its banks after torrential rain.
• The bank charged him a monthly $5 fee.
• The bank lent her money to buy a car.
• The bond will be priced by the issuing bank.
• The central bank has put up interest rates.
• The children rolled down the grassy bank.
• The company owes the bank more than €4 million.
• The government has refused to bail out the bank.
• We could see them waving on the opposite bank.
• We strolled along the river bank.
• a huge bank of switches and buttons
• a picnic on the banks of the Thames
• a vast bank of cloud
• They intend to establish a bank of information which will be accessible to the public.
• a blood/sperm bank
Idiom: not break the bank

Derived: bank on somebody ▪ bank up 

swim

swim [swim swims swam swimming swum] verb, noun   [swɪm]    [swɪm] 

verb (swim·ming, swam   [swæm]  ;   [swæm]  swum   [swʌm]  ;   [swʌm]  )
1. intransitive, transitive (of a person) to move through water in a horizontal position using the arms and legs
• I can't swim.
• The boys swam across the lake.
• We swam out (= away from land) to the yacht.
• They spent the day swimming and sunbathing.
• ~ sth Can you swim backstroke yet?

• How long will it take her to swim the Channel?

2. intransitive go swimming to spend time swimming for pleasure

• I go swimming twice a week.

3. intransitive (+ adv./prep.) (of a fish, etc.) to move through or across water
• A shoal of fish swam past.

• Ducks were swimming around on the river.

4. intransitive (usually be swimming) to be covered with a lot of liquid
• ~ (in sth) The main course was swimming in oil.

• ~ (with sth) Her eyes were swimming with tears.

5. intransitive (of objects, etc.) to seem to be moving around, especially when you are ill/sick or drunk

• The pages swam before her eyes.

6. intransitive to feel confused and/or as if everything is spinning around
• His head swam and he swayed dizzily.
see sink or swim at  sink  _v.
Verb forms:

 
Word Origin:
Old English swimman (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zwemmen and German schwimmen.  
Which Word?:
bath / bathe / swim / sunbathe
When you wash yourself you can say that you bath (BrE) or bathe (NAmE), but it is much more common to say have a bath (BrE) or take a bath (NAmE).
You can also bath (BrE) or bathe (NAmE) another person, for example a baby.
You bathe a part of your body, especially to clean a wound.
When you go swimming it is old-fashioned to say that you bathe, and you cannot say that you bath or take a bath. It is more common to swim, go for a swim, have a swim or go swimming: ▪ Let’s go for a quick swim in the pool. ◊ ▪ She goes swimming every morning before breakfast. What you wear for this activity is usually called a swimming costume in BrE and a bathing suit in NAmE.
When you lie in the sun in order to go brown you sunbathe. 
Example Bank:
• A beaver swam vigorously upstream.
• A water vole swam vigorously upstream.
• Exhausted, they swam ashore.
• He can't swim well.
• She swam back towards the shore.
• We swam out to the boat.
• swimming across the river
• swimming in the sea
• to swim across the river
• to swim in the sea

Idiom: in the swim