A1 (Basic)

reggae

reg‧gae /ˈreɡeɪ/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[Date: 1900-2000; Language: Jamaican English; Origin: rege 'rags']
a kind of popular music originally from Jamaica, with a strong regular beat

ticket

I. tick‧et¹ S1 W2 /ˈtɪkət, ˈtɪkɪt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: Early French etiquet 'notice attached to something', from Old French estiquier 'to attach', from Middle Dutch steken 'to stick']
1. CINEMA/BUS/TRAIN ETC a printed piece of paper which shows that you have paid to enter a cinema, travel on a bus, plane etc
ticket for
How much are tickets for the concert?
ticket to
I’d like two tickets to Berlin.
a ticket to do something
a ticket to watch the US Open ⇨ ↑season ticket
2. FOR A PRIZE a printed piece of paper with a number on it that you buy because you will get a prize if that number is chosen
raffle/lottery ticket
3. DRIVING OFFENCE a printed note ordering you to pay money because you have done something illegal while driving or parking your car
parking/speeding ticket
4. IN SHOPS a piece of paper fastened to something in a shop that shows its price, size etc SYN tag American English:
How much does it say on the price ticket?
5. ELECTION [usually singular] especially American English a list of the people supported by a particular political party in an election:
He ran for governor on the Republican ticket.
6. ticket to success/fame/stardom etc especially American English a way of becoming successful, famous etc:
Michael thought an MBA would be a ticket to success.
7. be (just) the ticket old-fashioned to be exactly what is needed
⇨ ↑dream ticket, ↑meal ticket
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + ticket
▪ a train/bus/coach ticket I’ve lost my train ticket.
▪ an airline/plane/air ticket You can pick up your airline tickets at the check-in desk.
▪ a theatre/concert ticket The special rate includes theatre tickets and transport from the hotel to the theatre.
▪ a one-way ticket (also a single ticket British English) (=a ticket to a place but not back again) I bought a one-way ticket to London.
▪ a return ticket British English, a round-trip ticket American English (=a ticket to a place and back) How much is a round trip ticket to Boston?
▪ a season ticket (=one that allows you to make a journey or go to a sports stadium, theatre etc as often as you like during a fixed time period) He has a season ticket for Manchester United.
▪ a valid ticket (=one that is legally or officially acceptable) You cannot travel without a valid ticket.

buy

I. buy¹ S1 W1 /baɪ/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle bought /bɔːt $ bɒːt/)
[Language: Old English; Origin: bycgan]
1.
a) [intransitive and transitive] to get something by paying money for it OPP sell:
Where did you buy that dress?
Ricky showed her the painting he’d bought that morning.
buy somebody something
Let me buy you a drink.
buy something for somebody/something
The money will be used to buy equipment for the school.
buy (something) from somebody
It’s cheaper to buy direct from the manufacturer.
buy something for $10/£200 etc
Dan bought the car for $2,000.
It’s much cheaper to buy in bulk (=buy large quantities of something).
b) [transitive] if a sum of money buys something, it is enough to pay for it:
$50 doesn’t buy much these days.
buy somebody something
$15 should buy us a pizza and a drink.
2. buy (somebody) time to deliberately make more time for yourself to do something, for example by delaying a decision:
‘Can we talk about it later?’ he said, trying to buy a little more time.
3. [transitive] informal to believe something that someone tells you, especially when it is not likely to be true:
‘Let’s just say it was an accident.’ ‘He’ll never buy that.’
4. [transitive] informal to pay money to someone, especially someone in a position of authority, in order to persuade them to do something dishonest SYN bribe:
People say the judge had been bought by the Mafia.
5. buy something at the cost/expense/price of something to get something that you want, but only by losing something else:
The town has been careful not to buy prosperity at the expense of its character.
6. somebody bought it old-fashioned informal someone was killed
7. buy off-plan if you buy property off-plan, you buy a house, flat etc that is just starting to be built, with an arrangement to pay part of the cost of the property at that time and the balance when the property is finished
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ buy to pay money for something so that you can own it: I’ve just bought a new car. | The painting was bought by a museum in New York.
▪ purchase formal to buy something, especially something large or expensive, in a business deal or by a legal contract: They purchased 5,000 acres of land.
▪ acquire formal to become the owner of something large or expensive such as property, a company, or a valuable object: In 2007 the business was acquired by a Dutch company. | Television companies were then allowed to acquire more stations.
▪ get especially spoken to buy something, especially ordinary things such as food, clothes, or things for your house: Did you remember to get some bread? | I never know what to get Dad for his birthday.
▪ snap something up informal to buy something immediately, especially because it is very cheap, or because you want it very much and you are worried that someone else might buy it first: Real estate in the area is being snapped up by developers.
▪ pick something up informal to buy something, especially something ordinary such as food or a newspaper, or something that you have found by chance and are pleased about owning: Could you pick up some milk on your way home? | It’s just a little thing I picked up when I was in Kathmandu.
▪ stock up to buy a lot of something you use regularly, because you may not be able to buy it later, or because you are planning to use more of it than usual: The supermarkets are full of people stocking up for the New Year’s holiday. | We always stock up on cheap wine when we go to France. | Before the blizzard, we stocked up on food.
▪ splash out British English informal, splurge American English informal to buy something you would not usually buy, because it is too expensive, in order to celebrate an event or make yourself feel good: Why don’t you splash out on a new dress for the party? | We splurged on an expensive hotel for the last night of the vacation.
buy something ↔ in phrasal verb
to buy something in large quantities:
Companies are buying in supplies of paper, in case the price goes up.
buy into something phrasal verb
1. informal to accept that an idea is right and allow it to influence you:
I never bought into this idea that you have to be thin to be attractive.
2. to buy part of a business or organization, especially because you want to control it:
Investors were invited to buy into state-owned enterprises.
buy somebody ↔ off phrasal verb
to pay someone money to stop them causing trouble or threatening you SYN bribe
buy out phrasal verb
1. buy somebody/something ↔ out to buy someone’s share of a business or property that you previously owned together, so that you have complete control ⇨ ↑buyout
2. buy somebody out of something to pay money so that someone can leave an organization such as the army before their contract has ended
buy something ↔ up phrasal verb
to quickly buy as much of something as possible, for example land, tickets, or goods:
Much of the land was bought up by property developers.

find

I. find¹ S1 W1 /faɪnd/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle found /faʊnd/) [transitive]
[Language: Old English; Origin: findan]
1. GET BY SEARCHING to discover, see, or get something that you have been searching for:
I can’t find the car keys.
Hold on while I find a pen.
Her body was later found hidden in the bushes.
I have to find somewhere else to live.
She had almost given up hope of finding a husband.
find somebody something
Tony asked us to find him office facilities in New York.
Her mother went to the shops, and on her return, Kathleen was nowhere to be found (=could not be found).
2. SEE BY CHANCE to discover something by chance, especially something useful or interesting:
I found a purse in the street.
We found a nice pub near the hotel.
3. DISCOVER STATE OF SOMEBODY/SOMETHING to discover that someone or something is in a particular condition or doing a particular thing when you see or touch them:
I’m sure we’ll find her hard at work when we get home.
He tried the door and found it unlocked.
She woke to find a man by her bed.
find somebody/something doing something
Often he found her quietly weeping alone.
find (that)
She looked at her glass and was amazed to find it was empty.
4. DO SOMETHING WITHOUT MEANING TO to be in a particular state or do a particular thing, or to realize that this is happening, especially when you did not expect or intend it:
After wandering around, we found ourselves back at the hotel.
find yourself/your mind etc doing something
When he left, Karen found herself heaving a huge sigh of relief.
She tried to concentrate, but found her mind drifting back to Alex.
find (that)
He found he was shivering.
5. LEARN SOMETHING BY STUDY to discover or learn something by study, tests, sums etc:
The federal government isn’t doing enough to find a cure.
How do you find the square root of 20?
be found to do something
The liquid was found to contain 7.4g of phenylamine.
find that
His study found that married men and women had similar spending patterns.
6. THINK/FEEL to have a particular feeling or opinion, or to have a particular feeling or opinion about someone or something:
Will Gary and Gail find happiness together?
find something/somebody easy/useful/interesting etc
She found the work very dull.
Lots of women I know find him attractive.
I found them quite easy to use.
find it hard/easy/difficult etc (to do something)
Hyperactive children find it difficult to concentrate.
7. EXPERIENCE to have the experience of discovering that something happens or is true
find (that)
You might find that his work improves now he’s at a new school.
I find people are often surprised at how little it costs.
find somebody/something doing something
I think you’ll find more women entering the film business now.
find somebody/something to be something
I found the people to be charming and very friendly.
8. EXIST IN A PLACEbe found somewhere if something is found somewhere, it lives or exists there naturally:
This species is only found in West Africa.
9. GET ENOUGH MONEY/TIME ETC to succeed in getting enough of something, especially money, time, or energy, to be able to do something:
He’s struggling to find the money for the trip.
Where are we going to find the time, the support, and the resources to do all this?
10. IN A COURT OF LAW to make an official decision in a court of law
find somebody guilty/not guilty (of something)
Both men were found guilty of illegally entering the country.
find in sb’s favour
The tribunal found in favour of the defendant.
11. find your way (somewhere) to reach a place by discovering the right way to get there:
Will you be able to find your way back?
12. find its way somewhere informal if something finds its way somewhere, it arrives or gets there after some time:
Her invention has found its way into the shops.
13. find comfort/pleasure/fulfilment etc in something to experience a good feeling because of something:
He eventually found solace in religion.
14. find fault with somebody/something to criticize someone or something, often unfairly and frequently:
He could always find fault with something, either in my writing or in my personality.
15. find it in your heart/yourself to do something literary to feel able or willing to do something:
Seb could not find it in his heart to tell Nahum.
16. find yourself informal to discover what you are really like and what you want to do – often used humorously:
She went to India to find herself.
17. find favour (with somebody/something) formal to be liked or approved of by someone:
The recipes rapidly found favour with restaurant owners.
18. find your feet to become confident in a new situation, especially one that is difficult at first:
Rob is still finding his feet as a coach.
19. find its mark/target
a) if a bullet, ↑arrow etc finds its mark etc, it hits what it is supposed to hit
b) if a remark, criticism etc finds its mark etc, it has the effect that you intended it to have:
She soon saw that her accusation had found its mark.
20. find your voice
a) (also find your tongue) to manage to say something after being too nervous to talk
b) if a writer, musician etc finds their voice, they are able to express their views, ideas, art etc in the way they want to:
a young film-maker who has finally found his voice
21. be found wanting formal to not be good enough:
Their defence was found wanting.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ find to get or see something that you have been searching for: Have you found your passport yet? | Police later found the car abandoned in a wood.
▪ discover to find something that was hidden or that people did not know about before: A second bomb has been discovered in south London.
▪ locate formal to find the exact position of something: The airline are still trying to locate my luggage. | Online maps make it easy to locate almost any place in the world.
▪ come across something to find something unexpectedly when you are not looking for it: I came across some old letters from my father in my drawer.
▪ stumble on/across something to find something unexpectedly, especially something very important: They may have stumbled across some vital evidence. | Completely by chance we had stumbled on the biggest hit of the year.
▪ trace to find someone or something that has disappeared, especially by a careful process of collecting information: She had given up all hope of tracing her missing daughter.
▪ track somebody/something down to find someone or something that is difficult to find by searching in different places: I’ve been trying to track down a book that’s out of print. | The police managed to track down the killer.
▪ unearth to find something that has been hidden or lost for a long time, by digging or searching for it: In 1796, a carved stone was unearthed near the burial mound.
find against somebody phrasal verb law
to judge that someone is wrong or guilty:
The inspectors are likely to find against the company.
find for somebody phrasal verb law
to judge that someone is right or not guilty:
The judge found for the plaintiff.
find out phrasal verb
1. to get information, after trying to discover it or by chance
find out who/what/how etc
Has anyone bothered to find out how much all this is going to cost?
find out if/whether
Did you find out whether there are any seats left?
find out (that)
I found out that my parents had never been married.
find something ↔ out
To find out more, visit our website.
find out (something) about something
I need to find out more about these night courses.
find out from
We could find out from the local council.
I thought it best to let you find out for yourself.
REGISTER
In written English, people usually say that someone discovers something rather than finds out something:
▪ Scientists soon discovered that this was false.
2. find somebody out [usually passive] if you are found out, someone discovers that you have been doing something dishonest or illegal ⇨ catch:
What happens if we get found out?

important

im‧por‧tant S1 W1 /ɪmˈpɔːtənt $ -ɔːr-/ BrE AmE adjective
[Word Family: noun: ↑importance; adverb: ↑importantly; adjective: ↑important ≠ ↑unimportant]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: Old Italian importante 'carrying a meaning, significant', from Latin importare; ⇨ ↑import²]
1. an important event, decision, problem etc has a big effect or influence on people’s lives or on events in the future:
a very important meeting
The accident taught him an important lesson.
Happiness is more important than money.
‘What did you say?’ ‘Oh, nothing important.’
it is important (to do something)
It’s important to explain the procedure to the patient.
It’s vitally important that you understand the danger.
important for
It was important for the president to continue his schedule, regardless of the bomb threat.
important to
Nothing could be more important to me than my family.
► When you mean that you care about something a lot, say that it is important to you, not that it is ‘important for’ you.
2. people who are important have a lot of power or influence:
a very important customer
They carry guns because it makes them feel important.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ important having a big effect on people’s lives or on events in the future: an important decision | Good qualifications are increasingly important.
▪ big important or serious: It’s a big decision. | a big problem
▪ significant important enough to be noticeable or have a big effect: There is no significant difference between the performance of male and female students. | The Internet has brought about significant changes in people’s lives.
▪ noteworthy formal important or interesting enough to deserve your attention: The castle is the island’s most noteworthy feature. | The jury’s verdict was noteworthy for a number of reasons.
■ very important
▪ essential very important, especially for the success, health, or safety of someone or something: It is essential to speak the local language. | essential supplies of food and clothing
▪ vital/crucial extremely important, because without it there could be serious problems: His evidence was vital to the case. | The US plays a crucial role in the region. | The media are a vital part of the political system.
▪ key extremely important and having a big effect: Wheeler had a key role in the development of the atom bomb. | Timing is key.
▪ of great/considerable importance very important: In the construction industry, health and safety are of considerable importance.
▪ momentous very important because it has a very great effect on the future: Momentous events were taking place in Russia. | a momentous decision
■ most important
▪ main/chief/principal [only before noun] most important: What was your main aim? | the principal reason for their decision | the chief cause of the recession
▪ major [usually before noun] one of the most important or serious things: Smoking is a major cause of heart disease. | Street crime is a major problem.
▪ central/primary [usually before noun] most important – used especially when talking about the main thing that people are discussing, worried about, or trying to do: Education will be the central issue in the election. | Our primary concern is passenger safety.
▪ paramount /ˈpærəmaʊnt/ formal more important than anything else, so that you must consider it when deciding what to do: Airport security is of paramount importance. | The needs of the students are paramount.

place

I. place¹ S1 W1 /pleɪs/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑place, ↑placement, ↑placing, ↑displacement, ↑replacement; verb: ↑place, ↑displace, ↑misplace, ↑replace; adjective: ↑displaced, ↑misplaced, ↑replaceable]
[Date: 900-1000; Language: Old French; Origin: 'open space', from Latin platea 'broad street', from Greek plateia (hodos), from platys 'broad, flat']
1. AREA/SPACE/BUILDING ETC a space or area, for example a particular point on a surface or in a room, building, town, city etc:
Make sure you keep the key in a safe place.
I’ve spent the day dashing about from place to place.
The place was full of screaming children.
He was threatening to burn the place down.
She had never been back to the place where the accident happened.
The theatre bar was our usual meeting place.
We were living then in a place called Alberiga.
The wall was quite damp in places (=in some places).
place for
This is a great place for a holiday.
a place to do something
I couldn’t find a place to park.
Did the accident happen at your place of work (=the place where you work)?
The Great Mosque has been a place of worship for Muslims for centuries.
2. HOME informal a house or apartment where someone lives:
They’ve got quite a big place on the outskirts of Leeds.
sb’s place
Do you want to come back to my place for coffee?
It took us ages to find a place to live.
He’s staying with us until he can find a place of his own.
3. take place to happen, especially after being planned or arranged:
The next meeting will take place on Thursday.
Talks between the two sides are still taking place.
Major changes are taking place in society.
4. SPACE TO SIT OR PUT SOMETHING a space where someone can sit, or a space where you can put something:
I might arrive a bit late, so could you save me a place?
There are still a few places left on the coach.
Make sure you put everything back in its proper place.
place for
Can you find a good place for this vase?
5. POINT IN BOOK/SPEECH a point that you have reached in a book or a speech:
This would be a good place to stop and answer any questions that people have.
I used a bookmark so that I wouldn’t lose my place (=forget the point that I had reached).
6. OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOMETHING if someone has a place somewhere, they have the opportunity to go there or join in an activity
place in
If you don’t come to training you might lose your place in the team.
We’ve been trying to find her a place in a residential home.
place on
He was offered a place on the management committee.
There are still a couple of places left on the course.
place at
I’ve been offered a place at York University.
7. ROLE/POSITION the ↑role or important position that someone or something has in a situation or in society
sb’s place
the old idea that a woman’s place is in the home
place in
He finally reached the summit of Everest and secured his place in history.
Working has a very important place in all our lives.
8. in place
a) in the correct position:
The chairs for the concert were nearly all in place.
The glass was held in place by a few pieces of sellotape.
b) existing and ready to be used:
Funding arrangements are already in place.
9. in place of somebody/something (also in sb’s/sth’s place) instead of someone or something else:
In place of our advertised programme, we will have live coverage of the special memorial service.
The company flag had been taken down and in its place hung the Union Jack.
If I refused to go, they would send someone else in my place.
10. take the place of somebody/something (also take sb’s/sth’s place) to exist or be used instead of someone or something else SYN replace:
Natural methods of pest control are now taking the place of chemicals.
I had to find someone to take Jenny’s place.
11. in sb’s place used to talk about what you would do if you were in someone else’s situation:
What would you do in my place?
Try to put yourself in my place and think how you would feel.
12. be no place for somebody to be a completely unsuitable place for someone:
This is no place for a child.
13. first/second/third etc place first, second etc position in a race or competition:
He took second place in the long jump.
in first/second etc place
I finished in third place.
14. in the first place
a) used to introduce a series of points in an argument, discussion etc:
In the first place, I’m too busy, and in the second I don’t really want to go.
b) used to talk about what someone did or should have done at the start of a situation:
I wish I’d never got involved in the first place!
15. take second place (to somebody/something) to be less important than someone or something else:
She wasn’t prepared to take second place in his life.
16. take your places used to tell people to go to the correct place or position that they need to be in for an activity:
If you would like to take your places, the food will be served shortly.
17. all over the place informal
a) everywhere:
There was blood all over the place.
b) in a very untidy state:
She came in with her hair all over the place.
18. put somebody in their place to show someone that they are not as clever or important as they think they are:
I soon put him in his place.
19. out of place
a) not suitable for a particular situation or occasion:
He never seemed to feel out of place at social functions.
The paintings looked strangely out of place.
b) not in the correct or usual position:
The kitchen was spotlessly clean, with nothing out of place.
20. it is not sb’s place (to do something) if it is not your place to do something, you do not have the duty or right to do it:
It’s not your place to criticize me!
21. have no place formal to be completely unacceptable
have no place in
Capital punishment has no place in a modern society.
22. fall into place
a) if things fall into place in your mind, you suddenly realize and understand what is really happening:
Things were beginning to fall into place in my mind.
Everything suddenly fell into place.
b) if plans or events fall into place, they start to happen in the way that you hoped they would:
Eventually I got a job, and my life began to fall into place.
23. be going places informal to start becoming successful in your life:
William is a young man who is definitely going places.
24. be in a good/bad etc place American English informal to be in a good, bad etc situation
⇨ a/my/your etc happy place at ↑happy(10), ⇨ have/take pride of place at ↑pride¹(6)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ phrases
▪ a meeting place The club was a meeting place for musicians.
▪ a hiding place He had watched the farm workers from his hiding place.
▪ a resting place (=a place where someone or something stays or is buried) This tomb is the last resting place of the Davison family.
▪ sb’s place of birth formal I need to know his date of birth, and his place of birth.
▪ sb’s place of work/employment formal Please give the address of your place of work.
▪ sb’s place of residence formal By law, you must inform us if you change your place of residence.
▪ sb’s/sth’s place of origin formal (=the place where someone or something first came from) I believe my mother's place of origin was Sierra Leone.
▪ a place of safety His young son had been sent away to a place of safety.
▪ a place of refuge (=somewhere safe to go or hide) If ever you need a place of refuge, come to us.
▪ a place of worship The church is much more than a place of worship.
▪ a place of pilgrimage (=one that people visit because it is special, usually for a religious reason) Her grave became a place of pilgrimage.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ place a point or area, especially one that you visit or use for a particular purpose: He’s been to lots of places. | a good meeting place
▪ position the exact place where someone or something is, in relation to other things: She showed me the position of the village on the map. | I changed the position of the mirror slightly. | Jessica moved to a position where she could see the stage better.
▪ point a particular place on a line or surface: At this point the path gets narrower. | No cars are allowed beyond this point.
▪ spot a place, especially a particular kind of place, or a place where something happens. Spot sounds rather informal: She chose a sunny spot. | The area is a favourite spot for windsurfers. | This is the exact spot where I asked her to marry me.
▪ location a place where someone or something is, or where something happens. Location sounds more formal than place: your exact location | The prisoners were taken to an undisclosed location. | an ideal location for a winter break
▪ site a place, especially one that will be used for a particular purpose, or where something important happened: the site of a great battle | There are plans to develop the site for housing. | The area has become a dumping site for nuclear waste.
▪ venue a place where something such as a meeting, concert, game etc takes place: the venue for the next Olympic Games | The hotel is a popular wedding venue.
▪ scene the place where something bad such as an accident or crime happened: the scene of the crime | Ambulance crews were at the scene within minutes.
▪ setting the place and the area around it, where something is or where something happens: The hotel is in a beautiful setting. | the setting for the film ‘A Room With a View’ | Beautiful gardens provide the perfect setting for outdoor dining.
▪ somewhere used for talking about a place when you are not sure exactly which place: She came from somewhere in London.
▪ whereabouts the place where someone or something is – used especially when you do not know this or do not want to tell people: The whereabouts of the painting is unknown. | He refused to disclose his whereabouts. | I’m not sure about her whereabouts.

soup

I. soup¹ S3 /suːp/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
[Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: soupe 'piece of bread dipped in liquid, soup']
1. cooked liquid food, often containing small pieces of meat, fish, or vegetables:
homemade tomato soup
2. be in the soup informal to be in trouble
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + soup
▪ chicken/tomato etc soup We both had chicken soup.
▪ hot They serve hot soup from mobile kitchens.
▪ thick Lunch consisted of a thick vegetable soup.
▪ creamy A rich creamy potato soup starts the meal.
▪ homemade Homemade soup can be had for $2.50 a bowl.
▪ canned (also tinned British English) She heated up some tinned soup.
■ phrases
▪ a bowl of soup Could I have a bowl of soup?
▪ a cup/mug of soup He got a cup of soup from the machine.
▪ a can of soup (also a tin of soup British English) I opened a can of mushroom soup.
■ soup + NOUN
▪ a soup bowl/plate Russell pushed his empty soup bowl away.
▪ a soup spoon (=a spoon with a rounder part that you eat from than an ordinary spoon)
▪ a soup tureen (=a large bowl with a lid, from which soup is served) She lifted the lid of the soup tureen.
■ verbs
▪ eat/drink soup We chatted as we ate our spinach soup.
▪ ladle soup out/into a bowl (=serve it using a large spoon) Ladle the soup into warm bowls and garnish with

fruit

I. fruit¹ S2 W3 /fruːt/ BrE AmE noun (plural fruit or fruits)
[Word Family: noun: ↑fruit, ↑fruition, ↑fruiterer; adjective: ↑fruitful ≠ ↑fruitless, ↑fruity; verb: ↑fruit; adverb: ↑fruitfully ≠ ↑fruitlessly]
[Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: Latin fructus, from frui 'to enjoy, have the use of']
1. [uncountable and countable] something that grows on a plant, tree, or bush, can be eaten as a food, contains seeds or a stone, and is usually sweet:
Try to eat plenty of fresh fruit.
fruit and vegetables
a glass of fruit juice
a large garden with fruit trees ⇨ ↑dried fruit, ↑soft fruit
GRAMMAR
Fruit is usually uncountable:
▪ Fruit is inexpensive here. It is used as a countable noun mainly to refer to one or more types of fruit:
▪ oranges and other citrus fruits
2. [uncountable and countable] technical the part of a plant, bush, or tree that contains the seeds
3. the fruit(s) of something the good results that you have from something, after you have worked very hard:
I’m looking forward to retirement and having time to enjoy the fruits of my labour (=the results of my hard work).
4. in fruit technical trees, plants etc that are in fruit are producing their fruit
5. the fruits of the earth literary all the natural things that the earth produces, such as fruit, vegetables, or minerals
⇨ bear fruit at ↑bear¹(9)
II. fruit² BrE AmE verb [intransitive] technical
[Word Family: noun: ↑fruit, ↑fruition, ↑fruiterer; adjective: ↑fruitful ≠ ↑fruitless, ↑fruity; verb: ↑fruit; adverb: ↑fruitfully ≠ ↑fruitlessly]
if a tree or a plant fruits, it produces fruit

vegetable

I. vege‧ta‧ble¹ S3 W3 /ˈvedʒtəbəl/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Medieval Latin; Origin: vegetabilis 'growing', from vegetare 'to grow', from Latin vegere 'to cause to act, excite']
1. a plant that is eaten raw or cooked, such as a ↑cabbage, a ↑carrot, or ↑peas:
fresh fruit and vegetables
organic methods of growing vegetables
vegetable soup
a neat vegetable garden
Vitamin A is found in liver and green vegetables.
salad vegetables (=vegetables such as ↑lettuce or ↑tomatoes eaten raw)
GRAMMAR
Vegetable is a countable noun, not an uncountable noun:
▪ They grew their own vegetables (NOT their own vegetable).
2. not polite an offensive word for someone who is alive but who cannot talk or move because their brain is damaged
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + vegetable
▪ fresh Fresh vegetables taste best immediately after they've been picked.
▪ raw Some vegetables are better eaten raw.
▪ organic (=grown without using chemicals) Most supermarkets sell organic fruit and vegetables.
▪ tinned/canned Do canned vegetables have as many vitamins as fresh ones?
▪ frozen packets of frozen vegetables
▪ green vegetables Eat plenty of green vegetables.
▪ leafy vegetables Leafy vegetables contain iron, which is good for the blood.
▪ root vegetables (=vegetables whose roots you eat, such as carrots) Excellent soups can be made from root vegetables.
▪ a salad vegetable (=a vegetable that is eaten raw in a salad) You can buy ready-prepared salad vegetables.
▪ baby vegetables (=vegetables that have not grown to their full size) Baby vegetables, especially carrots and corn, appeal to youngsters.
■ vegetable + NOUN
▪ vegetable soup I think I'll have the vegetable soup.
▪ vegetable stock (=a liquid in which vegetables have been cooked) Gently cook the mushrooms and onions in the vegetable stock.
▪ vegetable oil She uses vegetable oil instead of lard.
▪ a vegetable garden/patch/plot Anna was digging in the vegetable garden.
■ verbs
▪ grow vegetables If we had a garden, we could grow our own vegetables.

look

I. look¹ S1 W1 /lʊk/ BrE AmE verb
[Language: Old English; Origin: locian]
1. SEE [intransitive] to turn your eyes towards something, so that you can see it:
We sneaked out while Jessie’s mom wasn’t looking.
If you look carefully you can see that the painting represents a human figure.
Gina covered her eyes, afraid to look.
look at
‘It’s time we left,’ Ian said, looking at his watch.
The men all turned to look at her as she entered the room.
look away/over/down etc
Dad looked up from his paper and smiled.
‘We can’t go out in this weather,’ said Bob, looking out of the window.
2. SEARCH [intransitive] to try to find something:
I looked everywhere but Jimmy was nowhere to be found.
look for
Could you help me look for my contact lens?
If you’re looking for a bargain, try the local market.
look in/under/between etc
Try looking under the bed.
3. SEEM [linking verb] to seem:
From the way things look at the moment, the Republicans are unlikely to win this election.
look good/bad etc
The future’s looking good.
it looks as if/as though/like (=it seems likely that)
It looks as if it might rain later.
It looks like they won’t be needing us any more.
You made me look really stupid in front of all my friends!
4. APPEARANCE [linking verb] to have a particular appearance:
How do I look?
look tired/happy/sad etc
You look tired. You should go to bed.
look as if/as though/like
He looked as if he hadn’t washed for a week.
What did the man look like?
My sister doesn’t look anything like me. ⇨ look like a million dollars at ↑million(4)
5. look daggers at somebody informal to look at someone with a very angry expression on your face
6. look somebody up and down to look at someone carefully from their head to their feet, as if you were forming an opinion about them
7. look somebody in the eye to look directly at someone when you are speaking to them, especially to show that you are not afraid of them or that you are telling the truth:
Owen didn’t dare look his father in the eye.
8. look down your nose at somebody/something to behave as if you think that someone or something is not good enough for you:
He looks down his nose at anyone foreign.
9. look the other way to ignore something bad that is happening and not try to stop it:
Prison guards looked the other way as the man was attacked by fellow prisoners.
10. look no further used to say that something you are offering is exactly what someone has been trying to find:
Want a quiet country retreat for your weekend break? Then look no further!
11. FACE A DIRECTION [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if a building looks in a particular direction, it faces that direction:
The cabin looks east, so we get the morning sun.
12. look before you leap used to say that it is sensible to think about the possible dangers or difficulties of something before doing it
13. be looking to do something informal to be planning or expecting to do something:
We’re looking to buy a new car early next year.
• • •
SPOKEN PHRASES
14. look
a) used to tell someone to look at something that you think is interesting, surprising etc:
Look! There’s a fox!
b) used to get someone’s attention so that you can suggest something or tell them something:
Look. Why don’t you think about it and give me your answer tomorrow?
Look, I’ve had enough of this. I’m going home.
15. look out! used to warn someone that they are in danger SYN watch out:
Look out! There’s a car coming.
16. look at that! used to tell someone to look at something that you think is interesting, bad etc:
Look at that! What a horrible mess!
17. look who’s here! used when someone arrives unexpectedly:
Well, look who’s here! It’s Jill and Paul!
18. don’t look now used to say that you have seen someone but do not want them to know you have noticed them:
Oh no! Don’t look now but here comes Tony.
19. look what you’re doing/look where you’re going etc used to tell someone to be careful:
Look where you’re putting your feet! There’s mud all over the carpet!
20. look what you’ve done! used to angrily tell someone to look at the result of a mistake they have made or something bad they have done:
Look what you’ve done – my jacket’s ruined!
21. look here old-fashioned used to get someone’s attention in order to tell them something, especially when you are annoyed with them:
Look here, you can’t say things like that to me!
22. (I’m) just looking used when you are in a shop, to say that you are only looking at things, but do not intend to buy anything now:
‘Can I help you?’ ‘No, thanks. I’m just looking.’ ⇨ look kindly on somebody/something at ↑kindly¹(3)
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ look to turn your eyes towards someone or something, so that you can see them: You should never look directly at the sun. | After a while, he turned and looked at me.
▪ have/take a look especially spoken to look at something quickly, especially in order to find or check something: I’ll have a look in my desk. | Take a look at this!
▪ glance to look at someone or something for a short time and then look quickly away: Damien glanced nervously at his watch.
▪ peek/peep (also take a peek/peep) to look quickly at something. Used especially when you are not supposed to look, or when you are looking through a small gap: The door was open so he peeked inside. | Katy peeped at her birthday present on the table.
▪ peer to look very carefully, especially because you cannot see well: Kenji was peering at the screen.
▪ glare to look at someone in an angry way: She glared at me as I got up to leave.
▪ stare to look at someone or something for a long time without moving your eyes: It’s rude to stare. | She stared straight into the camera.
▪ gaze to look at someone or something for a long time, often without realizing that you are doing it: She gazed out of the window. | He lay on his bed gazing at the ceiling.
▪ gape to look at someone or something for a long time, usually with your mouth open, because you are very shocked or surprised: People gaped at him with wide-open mouths.
▪ regard formal to look at someone or something, especially in a particular way: He regarded her steadily.
look after somebody/something phrasal verb especially British English
1. to take care of someone by helping them, giving them what they need, or keeping them safe SYN take care of:
Don’t worry, I’ll look after the kids tomorrow.
Susan looked after us very well. She’s an excellent cook.
You could tell that the horse had been well looked after.
2. to be responsible for dealing with something SYN take care of:
I’m leaving you here to look after the business until I get back.
3. look after yourself especially British English spoken used when you are saying goodbye to someone in a friendly way
4. can look after yourself to not need anyone else to take care of you:
Don’t worry about Maisie – she can look after herself.
look ahead phrasal verb
to think about and plan for what might happen in the future:
Looking ahead, we must expect radical changes to be made in our system of government.
look around (also look round British English) phrasal verb
1. to try to find something
look around for
Jason’s going to start looking around for a new job.
2. look around/round (something) to look at what is in a place such as a building, shop, town etc, especially when you are walking:
Do we have to pay to look around the castle?
Let’s look round the shops.
look at somebody/something phrasal verb
1. to turn your eyes towards someone or something, so that you can see them:
The twins looked at each other and smiled.
2. to read something quickly in order to form an opinion of it:
I really can’t comment on the report – I haven’t had time to look at it yet.
3. to examine something and try to find out what is wrong with it:
You should get the doctor to look at that cut.
Can you look at my car? There’s a strange noise coming from the front wheel.
4. to study and think about something, especially in order to decide what to do:
We need to look very carefully at ways of improving our efficiency.
5. look at somebody/something spoken used to mention someone or something as an example:
You don’t have to be smart to be good at music – look at Gary.
6. to think about something in a particular way SYN see:
I’d like to be friends again, but Richard doesn’t look at it that way.
7. not much to look at informal if someone or something is not much to look at, they are not attractive
look back phrasal verb
1. to think about something that happened in the past
look back on/to
When I look back on those days I realize I was desperately unhappy.
Looking back on it, I still can’t figure out what went wrong.
2. never look back to become more and more successful, especially after a particular success:
After winning the scholarship he never looked back.
look down on something/somebody phrasal verb
to think that you are better than someone else, for example because you are more successful, or of a higher social class than they are:
Mr Garcia looks down on anyone who hasn’t had a college education.
look for somebody/something phrasal verb
1. to try to find something that you have lost, or someone who is not where they should be SYN search for:
I’m looking for Steve – have you seen him?
Detectives are still looking for the escaped prisoner. ⇨ ↑search²(1)
2. be looking for somebody/something to be trying to find a particular kind of thing or person:
I’m sorry, we’re really looking for someone with no family commitments.
be (just) what/who you are looking for
‘Salubrious’! That’s just the word I was looking for.
3. be looking for trouble informal to be behaving in a way that makes it likely that problems or violence will happen:
They walked into a bar looking for trouble.
look forward to something phrasal verb
to be excited and pleased about something that is going to happen:
I’m really looking forward to our vacation.
look forward to doing something
My mother says she’s looking forward to meeting you.
look in phrasal verb informal
to make a short visit to someone, while you are going somewhere else, especially if they are ill or need help SYN drop in, call in
look in on
I promised to look in on Dad and see if he’s feeling any better.
look into something phrasal verb
to try to find out the truth about a problem, crime etc in order to solve it SYN investigate:
Police are looking into the disappearance of two children.
look on phrasal verb
1. to watch something happening, without being involved in it or trying to stop it ⇨ onlooker:
Only one man tried to help us, the rest just looked on in silence.
2. look on somebody/something (also look upon somebody/something) to consider someone or something in a particular way, or as a particular thing
look on as
I look on him as a good friend.
look on with
Strangers to the village are looked upon with a mixture of fear and suspicion.
look something ↔ out phrasal verb
to search for and find a particular thing among your possessions:
I’ll look out some of my old books for you.
look out for somebody/something phrasal verb
1. to pay attention to what is happening around you, so that you will notice a particular person or thing if you see them ⇨ lookout:
Look out for your Aunt while you’re at the station.
He’s looking out for a nice apartment downtown.
2. to try to make sure that someone is treated well:
My older brother always looked out for me when we were kids.
look out for yourself/number one (=think only of the advantages you can get for yourself)
look something/somebody ↔ over phrasal verb
to examine something or someone quickly, without paying much attention to detail:
Do you have a few minutes to look these samples over?
look round phrasal verb British English
to ↑look around
look through somebody/something phrasal verb
1. to look for something among a pile of papers, in a drawer, in someone’s pockets etc SYN go through:
I’ve looked through all my papers but I still can’t find the contract.
2. to not notice or pretend to not notice someone you know, even though you see them
look straight/right through somebody
I saw Fiona in the street yesterday and she looked straight through me.
look to somebody/something phrasal verb
1. to depend on someone to provide help, advice etc
look to somebody/something for
We look to you for support.
look to somebody to do something
They’re looking to the new manager to make the company profitable.
2. to pay attention to something, especially in order to improve it:
We must look to our defences.
look up phrasal verb
1. if a situation is looking up, it is improving SYN improve, get better:
Now the summer’s here things are looking up!
2. look something ↔ up if you look up information in a book, on a computer etc, you try to find it there:
Look the word up in your dictionary.
I’ll just look up the train times.
3. look somebody ↔ up to visit someone you know, especially when you are in the place where they live for a different reason:
Don’t forget to look me up when you come to Atlanta.
look up to somebody phrasal verb
to admire or respect someone:
I’ve always looked up to Bill for his courage and determination.