A1 (Basic)

dinner

din‧ner S1 W2 /ˈdɪnə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: diner, from diner 'to eat'; ⇨ ↑dine]
1. [uncountable and countable] the main meal of the day, eaten in the middle of the day or the evening:
What time do you usually have dinner?
We’re having fish for dinner tonight.
What's for dinner?
2. [countable] a formal occasion when an evening meal is eaten, often to celebrate something:
the Club’s annual dinner
⇨ dog’s dinner at ↑dog¹(9), ⇨ more something than you’ve had hot dinners at ↑hot¹(30)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have/eat dinner Why don't you come and have dinner with us?
▪ make/cook dinner I offered to cook dinner.
▪ have something for dinner I thought we might have pasta for dinner tonight.
▪ have somebody for/to dinner We're having a few friends round to dinner.
▪ ask/invite somebody to dinner Let's ask Kate and Mike to dinner.
▪ come for/to dinner Mark is coming over for dinner.
▪ go out for/to dinner (=go and eat in a restaurant) Would you like to go out for dinner on Saturday?
▪ serve dinner (=start giving people food) Dinner is served between 7 and 11 pm in the hotel restaurant.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + dinner
▪ a three-course/four-course etc dinner The cost of the hotel includes a three-course dinner.
▪ Sunday/Christmas/Thanksgiving dinner (=a special meal eaten on Sunday etc) We usually have a walk after Christmas dinner.
▪ a romantic dinner (=for two people in a romantic relationship) Clive and Denise were enjoying a romantic dinner for two in a quiet French restaurant.
▪ a candle-lit dinner (=with only candles for lighting) Chris treated his girlfriend to a candle-lit dinner.
▪ a leisurely dinner (=not hurried) I enjoy having a leisurely dinner with some friends at the weekend.
▪ a black-tie dinner (=where people wear special formal clothes) He was invited to a black-tie dinner at one of the Oxford colleges.
▪ a slap-up dinner British English informal (=with a lot of good food) Mum always makes a slap-up dinner for me when I go home.
▪ school dinners British English (=meals provided at school in the middle of the day) School dinners are served in the canteen.
▪ TV dinners (=meals that you eat while watching TV) TV dinners in aluminium containers can be found in the freezer departments of many supermarkets.
■ dinner + NOUN
▪ a dinner party (=when someone's friends are invited for a special evening meal) We are having a dinner party on Saturday.
▪ a dinner guest The dinner guests began arriving at about seven o'clock.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ types of meal
▪ breakfast a meal that you eat in the morning
▪ brunch a meal that you eat in the late morning, instead of breakfast or lunch
▪ lunch a meal that you eat in the middle of the day
▪ tea British English a meal that you eat in the afternoon or evening
▪ dinner the main meal of the day, which most people eat in the evening
▪ supper a small meal that you eat in the evening, in British English; the main meal that you eat in the evening, in American English
▪ picnic a meal that you eat outdoors, consisting of food that you cooked or prepared earlier
▪ barbecue a meal that you cook outdoors over hot coals or wood and eat outdoors
▪ snack a small amount of food that is eaten between main meals or instead of a meal
▪ side dish food eaten with the main course, such as vegetables: I’ll have the salad as a side dish.
▪ course one of the separate parts of a meal, such as the starter or the dessert: a three-course meal
 

dinner table

ˈdinner ˌtable BrE AmE noun
the dinner table
a) an occasion when people are eating dinner together:
It wasn’t a very suitable conversation for the dinner table.
b) the table at which people eat dinner
⇨ ↑dining table
 

Cook

I. Cook, Captain James BrE AmE
(1728–79) a British sailor and ↑explorer who sailed to Australia and New Zealand, and claimed the eastern coast of Australia for Britain. He also discovered several islands in the Pacific Ocean, including Hawaii, where he was killed.
II. Cook, Peter BrE AmE
(1937–95) a British ↑comedian, who had a great influence on British ↑comedy and who is known especially for making humorous television programmes with Dudley Moore, with whom he first appeared in Beyond the Fringe when they were both at university. He also owned the humorous magazine Private Eye.
III. Cook, Robin BrE AmE
(1946–2005) a British politician in the Labour Party, who was Foreign Secretary (=the minister in charge of the UK's relations with other countries) from 1997 to 2001. He was leader of the House of Commons from 2001 to 2003 until he ↑resigned because he did not support the government's decision to go to war with Iraq.
 

cook

I. cook¹ S1 W3 /kʊk/ BrE AmE verb
[Word Family: noun: ↑cook, ↑cooker, ↑cookery, ↑cooking; adjective: cooked ≠ ↑uncooked, overcooked ≠ UNDERCOOKED, ↑cooking; verb: ↑cook, ↑overcook ≠ UNDERCOOK]
1. [intransitive and transitive] to prepare food for eating by using heat:
Where did you learn to cook?
Cook the sauce over a low heat for ten minutes.
cook a meal/dinner/breakfast etc
I’m usually too tired to cook an evening meal.
cook something for supper/lunch/dinner etc
He was cooking rice for supper.
cook somebody something
She cooked them all a good dinner every night.
cook (something) for somebody
I promised I’d cook for them.
slices of cooked ham
a cooked breakfast
2. [intransitive] to be prepared for eating by using heat:
He could smell something delicious cooking.
Hamburgers were cooking in the kitchen.
3. cook the books to dishonestly change official records and figures in order to steal money or give people false information:
The Government was cooking the books and misleading the public.
4. be cooking informal to be being planned in a secret way:
They’ve got something cooking, and I don’t think I like it.
5. be cooking (with gas) spoken used to say that someone is doing something very well:
The band’s really cooking tonight.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ nouns
▪ cook a meal Shall I cook the meal tonight?
▪ cook breakfast/lunch/dinner Kate was in the kitchen cooking dinner.
▪ cook food The book also gives advice on healthy ways of cooking food.
▪ cook rice/pasta/sausages etc Cook the pasta for about 8 minutes.
■ adverbs
▪ cook something gently/slowly (=on a low heat) Reduce the heat and cook gently for 20 minutes.
▪ cook something well/thoroughly (=until it has definitely cooked for a long enough time) Beans should always be cooked well.
▪ be cooked through (=in the middle as well as on the outside) Fry the fish until golden and cooked through.
▪ cook something evenly (=until all of it is equally well cooked ) Turn the pie several times to cook it evenly.
■ phrases
▪ be cooked to perfection (=be cooked exactly the right amount, so it is perfect) All the dishes were cooked to perfection by the French chef.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ to cook something
▪ cook to prepare a meal or food for eating by using heat: I offered to cook a meal for her. | Cook in a hot oven for 25 minutes.
▪ make to make a meal or a particular dish by cooking it or getting all the parts ready: John was making dinner. | I think I’ll make a salad for lunch.
▪ prepare to make a meal or a particular dish by getting all the parts ready. Prepare is more formal than make: The children helped to prepare the evening meal. | The dish takes a long time to prepare.
▪ rustle up /ˈrʌsəl/ informal to cook a meal or dish quickly using whatever is available: She soon rustled up a tasty soup.
▪ fix especially American English to cook or prepare a meal – used about meals you make quickly: Why don’t you take a nap while I fix dinner?
▪ do British English informal to make a particular type of food: I could do you an omelette. | I was thinking of doing a fish pie when Michael comes.
■ ways of cooking something
▪ bake to cook things such as bread or cakes in an oven: Tom baked a cake for my birthday.
▪ roast to cook meat or vegetables in an oven: Roast the potatoes for an hour.
▪ fry to cook food in hot oil: She was frying some mushrooms.
▪ stir-fry to fry small pieces of food while moving them around continuously: stir-fried tofu and bean sprouts
▪ sauté /ˈsəʊteɪ $ soʊˈteɪ/ to fry vegetables for a short time in a small amount of butter or oil: Sauté the potatoes in butter.
▪ grill to cook food over or under strong heat: grilled fish
▪ broil American English to cook food under heat: broiled fish
▪ boil to cook something in very hot water: He doesn’t even know how to boil an egg. | English people seem to love boiled vegetables.
▪ steam to cook vegetables over hot water: Steam the rice for 15 minutes.
▪ poach to cook food, especially fish or eggs, slowly in hot water: poached salmon
▪ toast to cook the outside surfaces of bread: toasted muffins
▪ barbecue to cook food on a metal frame over a fire outdoors: I thought we could barbecue some mackerel.
▪ microwave to cook food in a microwave oven: The beans can be microwaved.
cook something ↔ up phrasal verb
1. to prepare food, especially quickly:
Every night he cooked up a big casserole.
2. informal to invent an excuse, reason, plan etc, especially one that is slightly dishonest or unlikely to work:
the plan that Graham and Dempster had cooked up
II. cook² BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑cook, ↑cooker, ↑cookery, ↑cooking; adjective: cooked ≠ ↑uncooked, overcooked ≠ UNDERCOOKED, ↑cooking; verb: ↑cook, ↑overcook ≠ UNDERCOOK]
[Language: Old English; Origin: coc, from Latin coquus, from coquere 'to cook']
1. someone who prepares and cooks food as their job SYN chef:
He works as a cook in a local restaurant.
2. be a good/wonderful/terrible etc cook to be good or bad at preparing and cooking food
3. too many cooks (spoil the broth) used when you think there are too many people trying to do the same job at the same time, so that the job is not done well
⇨ chief cook and bottle-washer at ↑chief¹(3)

late

I. late¹ S1 W1 /leɪt/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative later, superlative latest)
[Language: Old English; Origin: læt]
1. AFTER EXPECTED TIME arriving, happening, or done after the time that was expected, agreed, or arranged OPP early:
Sorry I’m late – I overslept.
ten minutes/two hours etc late
You’re half an hour late.
The train was even later than usual.
We apologize for the late departure of flight AZ709.
There are penalties if loan repayments are late.
late for
Cheryl was late for school.
late with
We’ve never been late with the rent.
2. NEAR THE END [only before noun] used to refer to the part near the end of a period of time OPP early:
a late eighteenth century building
Paul’s in his late forties.
in the late 1980s
By late afternoon, she had done 10 drawings.
3. be too late to arrive or do something after the time when something could or should have been done:
He shouted a warning but it was too late.
too late to do something
Are we too late to get tickets?
It was too late to turn back.
4. AFTER USUAL TIME happening or done after the usual or normal time:
a late breakfast
The harvest was late this year because of the rain.
She looked tired – too many late nights (=nights when she went to bed after the normal time).
5. EVENING near the end of a day:
the late movie
It’s late – I’d better go home.
6. DEAD [only before noun] dead
late husband/wife
Mrs. Moore’s late husband
7. late developer/bloomer
a) a child who develops socially, emotionally, or physically at a later age than other children
b) someone who does not become successful until they are older
8. it’s (a little/bit) late in the day (to do something) used to show disapproval because someone has done something too late:
It’s a bit late in the day to start having objections.
9. late of something formal used about someone who has died fairly recently:
Billy Hicks, late of this parish
—lateness noun [uncountable]:
penalties for lateness at work
despite the lateness of the hour
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ late arriving or happening after the time that was expected or arranged: Sorry I’m late. | The bus was late. | Spring seems to be very late this year.
▪ not on time not arriving or doing something at the time that was expected or arranged: He never hands his homework in on time. | If we don’t leave on time, we’ll miss the flight.
▪ overdue not done or happening by the expected time – used especially about payments that are late or library books that should have been returned: Your rent is three weeks overdue. | I had to pay a £3 fine on some overdue library books.
▪ be behind with something British English, be behind on something American English to be late in doing something that you have to do: I can’t come out because I’m behind with my English essay.
▪ be held up to be made late for a meeting, appointment etc by something that happens, especially by bad traffic: I was held up by a traffic jam.
▪ be delayed to be prevented from arriving, leaving, or happening at the expected time – often used about public transport: The flight was delayed by bad weather.
▪ belated /bɪˈleɪtəd, bɪˈleɪtɪd/ given or done late – used especially about something that someone has forgotten or failed to do: a belated birthday card | I’m still hoping for a belated apology from him.
▪ tardy especially American English formal arriving or happening late: a habitually tardy person | a tardy decision
▪ be in arrears /əˈrɪəz $ əˈrɪrz/ formal to have not made one or more regular payments at the time when you should: One in eight mortgage payers are in arrears.
II. late² S2 W3 BrE AmE adverb (comparative later, superlative no superlative)
1. after the usual time:
The stores are open later on Thursdays.
Ellen has to work late tonight.
Can you stay late?
2. after the arranged or expected time OPP early
ten minutes/two hours etc late
The bus came ten minutes late.
3. too late after the time when something could or should have been done:
The advice came too late.
4. near to the end of a period of time or an event
late in
The wedding took place late in May.
It was not a place to walk in late at night.
5. as late as something used to express surprise that something considered old-fashioned was still happening so recently:
Capital punishment was still used in Britain as late as the 1950s.
6. of late formal recently:
Birth rates have gone down of late.
7. late in life if you do something late in life, you do it at an older age than most people do it
8. better late than never used to say that you are glad someone has done something, or to say that they should do something even though they are late
⇨ run late at ↑run¹(39)

walk

I. walk¹ S1 W1 /wɔːk $ wɒːk/ BrE AmE verb
1. [intransitive and transitive] to move forward by putting one foot in front of the other:
‘How did you get here?’ ‘We walked.’
Doctors said he’d never walk again.
walk into/down/up etc
Carrie walked into the room and sat down in her chair.
He loved walking in the hills.
walk a mile/200 metres/a short distance etc
We must have walked ten miles today.
I walked all the way to San Rafael.
within (easy) walking distance (of something) (=near enough to be able to walk to)
There are plenty of bars and restaurants within walking distance of the hotel.
walking pace (=the speed that you normally walk at)
2. [transitive] to walk somewhere with someone, especially in order to make sure that they are safe or to be polite:
It’s late – I’ll walk you home.
walk somebody to something
Schools are urging parents to walk their children to school.
She walked me to the front gate.
3. [transitive] to take a dog for a walk for exercise:
Grandma’s out walking the dog.
4. [intransitive] British English informal if something has walked, it has disappeared and you think someone may have taken it:
My pen seems to have walked.
5. walk free (also walk American English) to leave a court of law without being punished or sent to prison:
Ferguson walked free after the charges were dropped.
If more evidence isn’t found, Harris will walk.
6. walk it British English spoken
a) to make a journey by walking:
If the last bus has gone, we’ll have to walk it.
b) to succeed or win something easily
7. be walking on air to be feeling extremely happy
8. walk the streets
a) to walk around the streets in a town or city:
It was not safe to walk the streets at night.
b) old-fashioned to be a ↑prostitute
9. walk the beat when a police officer walks the beat, they walk around an area of a town or city in order to make sure nobody is committing a crime
10. walk tall to be proud and confident because you know that you have not done anything wrong
11. walk somebody off their feet British Englishwalk sb’s legs off American English informal to make someone tired by making them walk too far
12. walk the walk to do the things that people expect or think are necessary in a particular situation:
People are motivated by leaders who actually walk the walk. ⇨ talk the talk at ↑talk¹(18)
13. walk the plank to be forced to walk along a board laid over the side of the ship until you fall off into the sea, used as a punishment in the past
14. walk on eggshells (also walk on eggs American English) to be very careful about how you behave with someone because they are easily upset or made angry
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ walk to move forward by putting one foot in front of the other: I missed the bus so I decided to walk. | We’ve walked about eight miles today.
▪ wander to walk without any clear purpose or direction: They wandered around the narrow streets of the old city.
▪ stride to walk with long steps in a determined, confident, or angry way: A man in a suit came striding purposefully into the hall. | She strode onto the stage and began to address the audience.
▪ pace to walk first in one direction and then in another many times, especially because you are nervous: Nick was pacing up and down, waiting for the phone to ring.
▪ march to walk quickly with firm regular steps – used especially about soldiers or someone who is angry: The troops marched past with smart uniform and good discipline. | Sheila marched into the office and demanded an apology.
▪ wade to walk through deep water: We had to wade across the river.
▪ stomp to walk putting your feet down very hard, especially because you are angry: She turned and stomped off without looking back.
■ to walk quietly
▪ tiptoe to walk quietly and carefully on your toes because you do not want to make a noise: I tiptoed out trying not to wake the baby.
▪ creep to walk quietly and slowly because you do not want anyone to see or hear you: Stella crept up the stairs, hoping not to wake her parents.
▪ sneak to walk quietly so that no-one notices you, especially because you are doing something you should not do: They sneaked off without paying. | I quickly sneaked out to have a cigarette.
▪ pad to walk quietly without wearing shoes – also used about cats and dogs walking quietly: Michelle got up and padded barefoot down to the kitchen. | The cat padded in, asking for her food.
■ to walk slowly
▪ trudge /trʌdʒ/ to walk in a slow tired way because it is difficult to continue walking, or you do not want to go somewhere: The men trudged along the road, heads bent against the wind. | I’ve spent hours trudging around the shops looking for a present.
▪ plod to walk slowly in a tired way – often used about a horse, donkey etc: The donkey was plodding slowly along under its heavy load. | I plodded on growing thirstier and hungrier.
▪ shuffle to walk very slowly and noisily without lifting your feet off the ground: The old man got up and shuffled to the door.
■ to walk with difficulty
▪ limp to walk with difficulty because one leg hurts, so that you put most of your weight on the other leg: Jake was limping because of the injury to his knee.
▪ stagger to walk or move unsteadily, almost falling over, especially because you are drunk or have been injured: They finally staggered back to the hotel at 4 o'clock in the morning. | He hit her and she staggered and fell.
▪ hobble to walk with difficulty in a slow and unsteady way because your legs or feet hurt or have been injured: My new shoes were so painful I could only hobble along. | She hobbled out to the car on crutches.
■ to walk for pleasure
▪ take a walk (also go for a walk) to walk somewhere for pleasure: We went for a walk in the park.
▪ stroll (also go for a stroll) to walk in a relaxed way, especially for pleasure: People were strolling along beside the river. | On Sunday, they went for a stroll in the park.
▪ hike (also go hiking) to walk a long way in the mountains or countryside as an activity you enjoy: We’re going hiking in Scotland this summer. | They hiked around the Lake District. | Pat likes doing active things like hiking and horse-riding.
▪ trek (also go trekking) to go for a walk lasting several days or weeks in a faraway place, carrying your clothes with you: I’ve always wanted to go trekking in Nepal. | They trekked up to Everest Base Camp.
walk away phrasal verb
1. to leave a bad or difficult situation, instead of trying to make it better
walk away from
You can’t just walk away from 15 years of marriage!
When the business started to have problems, it was very tempting to walk away.
2. to come out of an accident or very bad situation without being harmed:
Miraculously, both drivers walked away without a scratch.
walk away with something phrasal verb informal
to win something easily:
And the lucky winner will walk away with a prize of £10,000.
walk in on somebody phrasal verb
to go into a room and accidentally interrupt someone who is doing something private that they would not want you to see
walk into something phrasal verb
1. to hit an object accidentally as you are walking along
walk straight/right/bang etc into something
Zeke wasn’t looking and walked straight into a tree.
2. if you walk into an unpleasant situation, you become involved in it without intending to:
He was fairly certain now that he was walking into a trap, and wished he’d come armed.
walk straight/right into something
I walked right into a mob of maybe 50 young white guys.
3. British English if you walk into a job, you get it very easily:
You can’t expect to walk straight into a job.
4. to make yourself look stupid when you could easily have avoided it if you had been more careful
walk straight/right into something
You walked right into that one!
walk off phrasal verb
1. to leave someone by walking away from them, especially in a rude or angry way:
Don’t just walk off when I’m trying to talk to you!
2. walk something ↔ off if you walk off an illness or unpleasant feeling, you go for a walk to make it go away:
Let’s go out – maybe I can walk this headache off.
walk off dinner/a meal etc (=go for a walk so that your stomach feels less full)
3. walk off (the/your etc job) American English to stop working as a protest:
Without new contracts, mine workers will walk off their jobs Thursday.
walk off with something phrasal verb informal
1. to win something easily:
Lottery winners can walk off with a cool £18 million.
2. to steal something or take something that does not belong to you:
Thieves walked off with two million dollars’ worth of jewellery.
walk out phrasal verb
1. to leave a place suddenly, especially because you disapprove of something:
The play was awful and we walked out after half an hour.
walk out of
the issue that led to the US walking out of the trade talks this week
2. to leave your husband, wife etc suddenly and go and live somewhere else:
Her husband walked out, leaving her with three children to look after.
walk out on
Five years later she walked out on Matthew and their two boys.
3. to leave your job suddenly because you no longer want to do it:
We’re so short-staffed. I can’t just walk out.
walk out of
If you can afford to walk out of your job, why not?
4. to stop working as a protest:
Workers are threatening to walk out if an agreement is not reached.
walk out on something phrasal verb
to stop doing something you have agreed to do or that you are responsible for:
‘I never walk out on a deal,’ Dee said.
walk over somebody phrasal verb
to treat someone badly by always making them do what you want them to do:
It’s terrible – she lets her kids just walk all over her.
II. walk² S2 W2 BrE AmE noun
1. [countable] a journey that you make by walking, especially for exercise or enjoyment:
It’s a long walk. Maybe we should get the bus.
walk to/through/across etc
a walk through the castle grounds
2. [countable] a particular journey that you make by walking, especially one that goes through an interesting or attractive area:
He says he’s going on a long walk tomorrow.
Have you ever done the Three Peaks walk?
coastal/hill etc walk
There is a stunning 10-mile coastal walk from St Andrews to Crail.
3. [countable] an organized event when people walk for pleasure:
Let’s all go on the beach walk.
The local tourist office organises a number of guided walks.
4. [singular] the way someone walks SYN gait:
You can often recognize people by their walk.
5. [singular] when you walk rather than run:
Breathless, she slowed to a walk.
⇨ ↑walk of life, ⇨ sponsored walk at ↑sponsor²(5)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ go for a walk Let’s go for a walk on the beach.
▪ take/have a walk She took a walk through the town.
▪ take somebody/a dog for a walk Could you take the dog for a walk?
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + walk
▪ a long walk We went for a long walk in the woods.
▪ a short walk The house is only a short walk from local shops.
▪ a little walk I just felt like a little walk.
▪ a brisk walk A brisk walk will improve your circulation.
▪ an easy walk From here it is an easy walk to the summit.
▪ a five-mile/ten-kilometre etc walk He began the five-mile walk back to town.
▪ a five-minute/two-hour etc walk There’s a good restaurant a five-minute walk away.
■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say 'go a walk' or 'make a walk'. Say go for a walk.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ walk noun [countable] a journey that you make on foot, especially for exercise or enjoyment: I took the dog out for a long walk in the fresh air. | We went for some lovely walks. | Do you fancy going out for a walk?
▪ hike noun [countable] a long walk in the mountains or countryside: We went for a hike in the woods. | There are some good hikes nearby.
▪ stroll noun [singular] a slow, relaxed walk: Let’s take a stroll in the park. | We went for a stroll along the river.
▪ wander British English a short relaxed walk, especially to look around a place: We had a wander round the town and then went to the beach.
▪ trek noun [singular] used when talking about a long walk in the mountains, countryside etc which lasts for several days and which you do for pleasure. Also used about a long tiring walk somewhere, which you do not want to have to do : They went on a three week trek in the Atlas Mountains. | We then had a long trek back to our hotel with all our luggage.
▪ slog [singular] a long, tiring, and unpleasant walk, which continues for several hours: It was a dreary slog over bleak and windswept hills.
▪ march noun [countable] an occasion when a group of people walk somewhere together, in order to protest about something: Demonstrators are planning a march through the capital. | a peace march
 

walk out

walk out phrasal verb (see also ↑walk)
1. to leave a place suddenly, especially because you disapprove of something:
The play was awful and we walked out after half an hour.
walk out of
the issue that led to the US walking out of the trade talks this week
2. to leave your husband, wife etc suddenly and go and live somewhere else:
Her husband walked out, leaving her with three children to look after.
walk out on
Five years later she walked out on Matthew and their two boys.
3. to leave your job suddenly because you no longer want to do it:
We’re so short-staffed. I can’t just walk out.
walk out of
If you can afford to walk out of your job, why not?
4. to stop working as a protest:
Workers are threatening to walk out if an agreement is not reached.

train

I. train¹ S1 W2 /treɪn/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: 'something that is pulled along behind', from trainer; ⇨ ↑train²]

1. RAILWAY a set of several carriages that are connected to each other and pulled along a railway line by an engine
train to
the train to Munich
We went all the way to Inverness by train. ⇨ ↑boat train
2. SERIES a train of something a series of events or actions that are related:
The decision set off a train of events which led to his resignation.
3. train of thought a related series of thoughts that are developing in your mind:
The phone interrupted my train of thought.
I’ve lost my train of thought.
4. bring something in its train formal if an action or event brings something in its train, that thing happens as a result of it:
a decision that brought disaster in its train
5. set something in train British English formal to make a process start happening:
Plans to modernize have been set in train.
6. PEOPLE/ANIMALS a long line of moving people, animals, or vehicles:
a camel train
7. DRESS a part of a long dress that spreads out over the ground behind the person wearing it:
a wedding dress with a long train
8. SERVANTS a group of servants or officers following an important person, especially in the past
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ take/get a train I took the first train home.
▪ catch a train He was in a hurry to catch a train.
▪ go by/travel by train We decided to go by train.
▪ get on/board a train At Stoke, another passenger boarded the train.
▪ get off a train He got off the train at Flushing.
▪ wait for a train She sat on the railway platform for half an hour, waiting for a train.
▪ miss a train (=be too late to get on a train) I just missed the last train.
▪ trains run (=take people from one place to another at fixed times) Trains run from two main London stations, Victoria and Charing Cross, every hour.
▪ a train arrives The train arrived on time.
▪ a train leaves/departs Trains depart from Rugby at half-hourly intervals until 4.00 pm.
▪ a train pulls into/out of a station The train pulled into Euston station and I got off.
▪ a train derails/is derailed (=comes off the rails) Most of the passengers escaped injury when their train was derailed.
■ adjectives/NOUN + train
▪ a freight/goods train a freight train carrying hazardous chemicals
▪ a passenger train a passenger train bound for Geneva
▪ a commuter train (=a train that people going to work use) a crash involving two crowded commuter trains
▪ an express train/a fast train (=one that does not stop at many places) He boarded the express train to London.
▪ a slow train (also a stopping train British English) (=one that stops at a lot of places) We got on the stopping train by mistake and it took hours to get home.
▪ a steam train Railway enthusiasts have the opportunity to take a nostalgic trip on a steam train.
▪ a tube/underground train (=one that runs under London) The condition of many tube trains is a disgrace.
■ train + NOUN
▪ a train journey British English, a train trip American English They were not looking forward to the long train journey.
▪ a train fare How much is the train fare to Derby?
▪ a train driver The train driver apologized for the late departure.
▪ a train crash (also a train wreck American English) Ten people were killed in the train crash.
■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say 'go by the train' or 'travel by the train'. Say go by train or travel by train.
II. train² S1 W2 BrE AmE verb
[Word Family: noun: ↑trainee, ↑trainer, ↑training, ↑retraining; verb: ↑train, ↑retrain; adjective: trained ≠ ↑untrained]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: trainer 'to pull, drag', from Vulgar Latin traginare, probably from Latin trahere 'to pull']
1. TEACH SOMEBODY [intransitive and transitive] to teach someone the skills of a particular job or activity, or to be taught these skills ⇨ training
train somebody in something
All staff will be trained in customer service skills.
train to do something
She’s training to be a doctor.
train somebody to do something
Employees are trained to deal with emergency situations.
train as
Nadia trained as a singer.
a highly trained workforce
Trained staff will be available to deal with your queries.
2. TEACH AN ANIMAL [transitive] to teach an animal to do something or to behave correctly:
a well-trained puppy
train something to do something
These dogs are trained to detect drugs.
3. PREPARE FOR SPORT [intransitive and transitive] to prepare for a sports event or tell someone how to prepare for it, especially by exercising ⇨ training
train for
Brenda spends two hours a day training for the marathon.
4. AIM SOMETHING [transitive] to aim something such as a gun or camera at someone or something
train something on/at somebody/something
She trained her binoculars on the bird.
5. DEVELOP SOMETHING [transitive] to develop and improve a natural ability or quality:
You can train your mind to relax.
To the trained eye the difference between these flowers is obvious (=the difference is clear to someone who has developed skills to notice something).
6. PLANT [transitive] to make a plant grow in a particular direction by bending, cutting, or tying

subway

sub‧way /ˈsʌbweɪ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑way, ↑subway; adverb: ↑midway, ↑way; adjective: ↑midway]
1. American English a railway system that runs under the ground below a big city SYN underground British English:
the New York City subway
a crowded subway station
Boston has the oldest subway system in the US.
2. British English a path for people to walk under a road or railway SYN underpass
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ the subway American English the railway system that runs under the ground below a big city. British people use the underground when talking about the railway system in London, and many systems outside the US: the New York subway | We got on the next subway train.
▪ the underground British English the railway system that runs under the ground below a big city: the London underground | an underground map | It’s quickest to travel by underground.
▪ the tube British English informal the railway system that runs under London: We took the tube to Trafalgar Square. | a crowded tube train
▪ the metro used especially to talk about the railway system that runs under Paris. Also used about some other city's systems, for example Moscow, Washington DC and Newcastle: the Paris Metro | Moscow’s metro stations

bus

I. bus¹ S1 W2 /bʌs/ BrE AmE noun (plural buses or busses especially American English) [countable]
[Date: 1800-1900; Origin: omnibus]

1. a large vehicle that people pay to travel on
on a bus
There were a lot of people on the bus.
by bus
The best way to get there is by bus.
I took a bus to San Francisco.
Buses run at 15 and 30 minutes past the hour.
2. a ↑circuit that connects the main parts of a computer so that signals can be sent from one part of the computer to another
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ go/travel by bus I usually go to work by bus.
▪ go on the bus/use the bus (=travel by bus) It's easier to go on the bus than to drive.
▪ get/take/catch a bus Can we get a bus from here to Reading?
▪ ride a bus American English It was the first time Craig had ridden a bus downtown by himself.
▪ get on/off a bus Several more passengers got on the bus.
▪ wait for a bus We were waiting for the bus for half an hour.
▪ miss the bus (=be too late to get on a bus) He woke up late and missed the bus.
▪ a bus goes/leaves The last bus went ten minutes ago.
▪ a bus comes/arrives I waited and waited but the bus didn't come.
▪ buses run (=go at regular times) The buses run less frequently on a Sunday.
■ bus + NOUN
▪ a bus ride/journey/trip It's a 20-minute bus ride into town.
▪ a bus stop (=a place where a bus stops for passengers) She got off at the next bus stop.
▪ a bus shelter (=a small covered area where you wait for a bus) Some kids had vandalized the bus shelter.
▪ a bus service (=a service that provides regular buses) It's a small village but there is a good bus service.
▪ a bus route We live very near a main bus route.
▪ a bus fare (=the money you pay for a bus journey) Can you lend me 50p for my bus fare?
▪ a bus ticket She lost her bus ticket.
▪ a bus pass (=a card that allows you to make several bus journeys) Most of the students have a termly bus pass.
▪ a bus station (=a place where buses start and finish their journeys) Dad met me at the bus station.
▪ a bus lane (=a part of the road where only buses are allowed to drive) You can be fined for driving in a bus lane.
▪ a bus driver She asked the bus driver where to get off for the Botanical Gardens.
▪ a bus timetable The bus timetable changes on January 31st.
▪ a bus queue British English (=a line of people waiting for a bus) We were chatting while we stood in the bus queue.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + bus
▪ a school bus Hurry up or you'll miss the school bus!
▪ a shuttle bus (=one that makes regular short journeys between two places) There's a shuttle bus between the hotel and the beach.
▪ a double-decker bus (=one with two levels for passengers) London used to be famous for its double-decker buses.
▪ an open-topped bus (=one without a roof, used for showing tourists a town etc) We took a tour on an open-topped bus.
▪ a regular bus (=one that goes at regular times) Regular buses run to the airport.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ bus a large vehicle that people pay to travel on: There were a lot of people on the bus.
▪ coach British English a bus with comfortable seats used for long journeys: Taking the coach is cheaper than the train.
▪ minibus a small bus with seats for six to twelve people: The school uses a minibus to take teams to matches.
▪ double-decker a bus with two levels: the red double-deckers in London
▪ articulated bus (also bendy bus British English) a very long bus that has a joint in the middle that allows it to go around corners: Articulated buses have been used in Europe for many years.
▪ tram British English, streetcar American English, trolley/trolley car American English a vehicle for passengers, which travels along metal tracks in the street, and usually gets power from electric lines over the vehicle: We waited at the stop for the tram. | San Diego has a well-used trolley system.
▪ tram American English a vehicle with many different parts for people to sit in, and which usually has open sides. A tram runs on wheels and is used to take tourists from place to place within a particular area: The tram takes visitors around the backlot of Universal Studios, where many famous movies were once made.
II. bus² BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle bused or bussed, present participle busing or bussing)
[Sense 1: Date: 1900-2000; Origin: ⇨ ↑bus¹]
[Sense 2: Date: 1900-2000; Origin: busboy]
1. [transitive usually passive] to take a person or a group of people somewhere in a bus
bus somebody to/in/into something
Casey was bussed to the school.
2. [transitive] American English to take away dirty dishes from the tables in a restaurant:
Shelley had a job bussing tables.

taxi

I. tax‧i¹ S3 /ˈtæksi/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1900-2000; Origin: taxicab]

a car and driver that you pay to take you somewhere SYN cab:
They sent me home in a taxi.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ take/get a taxi We took a taxi to the hotel.
▪ go/come/arrive by taxi I went back home by taxi.
▪ hail a taxi (=wave or call to a taxi to stop for you to get in) I rushed outside and hailed a taxi.
▪ phone for/call a taxi (=telephone for a taxi to come) Can you phone for a taxi and I'll get our coats.
▪ call somebody a taxi (=telephone for a taxi to come for someone else) Call me a taxi, would you?
▪ get into/out of a taxi He got into a taxi outside the station.
■ taxi + NOUN
▪ a taxi ride The centre of town is a five minute taxi ride away.
▪ a taxi fare She couldn't afford the £18 taxi fare.
▪ a taxi driver He paid the taxi driver and got out.
▪ a taxi service We operate a taxi service to and from the airport.
▪ a taxi rank British English, a taxi stand American English (=a place where taxis wait for customers) There's a taxi rank just outside the hotel.
■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say 'get on a taxi'. Say get in a taxi.
II. taxi² BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle taxied, present participle taxiing, third person singular taxis or taxies) [intransitive]
if a plane taxis, it moves along the ground before taking off or after landing:
The plane taxied to a halt.

ride

I. ride¹ S2 W2 /raɪd/ BrE AmE verb (past tense rode /rəʊd $ roʊd/, past participle ridden /ˈrɪdn/)
[Word Family: noun: ↑ride, ↑rider, ↑riding, ↑override; verb: ↑ride, ↑override; adjective: ↑overriding]
[Language: Old English; Origin: ridan]
1. ANIMAL [intransitive and transitive] to sit on an animal, especially a horse, and make it move along:
She learned to ride when she was seven.
He was riding a large grey mare.
ride on
She arrived riding on a white horse.
ride away/across/through etc
He rode away across the marshes.
2. BICYCLE/MOTORBIKE [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] to travel on a bicycle or ↑motorbike:
He had never learned to ride a bicycle.
They mounted their bikes and rode off.
3. VEHICLE [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] especially American English to travel in a bus, car, or other vehicle that you are not driving:
We got onto the bus and rode into San Francisco.
ride in
The kids were riding in the back.
ride a bus American English:
Ann rides the bus to work.
► Do not use ride to talk about someone controlling a car or other vehicle. Use drive: the man who was driving the stolen car
4. IN A LIFT [intransitive always + adverb/preposition, transitive] American English to travel up or down in a ↑lift
ride up/down
He rode the elevator down to the first floor.
I rode up to the tenth floor.
5. WATER/AIR
a) [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to be floating in water or in the air:
The smaller boat was lighter and rode higher in the water.
The moon was riding high in the sky.
There was a large ship riding at anchor in the bay.
b) ride a wave to float on a wave and move forward with it:
surfboarders riding the waves
6. be riding high to feel very happy and confident:
They were still riding high after their election victory.
7. let something ride spoken to take no action about something that is wrong or unpleasant:
What he had said was wrong, and I knew I shouldn’t just let it ride.
8. ride roughshod over something to ignore someone else’s feelings or ideas because you have the power or authority to do this:
The planning authorities should not ride roughshod over the wishes of local people.
9. ANNOY SOMEBODY [transitive] American English spoken to annoy someone by often criticizing them or asking them to do things:
Why are you riding her so hard?
10. ride on sb’s shoulders/back if a child rides on someone’s shoulders or back, they are carried in that way
11. ride a punch/blow to move back slightly when someone hits you, so that you are not hit with so much force:
He managed to ride the punch.
12. be riding for a fall informal to be doing something unwise which could result in failure:
I had a feeling he was riding for a fall, and tried to tell him so.
ride on something phrasal verb
if one thing is riding on another, it depends on it:
He knew he had to win – his reputation was riding on it.
There’s a lot riding on this match.
ride something ↔ out phrasal verb
1. if a ship rides out a storm, it manages to keep floating until the storm has ended
2. if you ride out a difficult situation, you are not badly harmed by it:
Most large companies should be able to ride out the recession.
ride up phrasal verb
if a piece of clothing rides up, it moves upwards so that it is no longer covering your body properly
II. ride² S3 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑ride, ↑rider, ↑riding, ↑override; verb: ↑ride, ↑override; adjective: ↑overriding]
1. CAR/TRAIN ETC a journey in a vehicle, when you are not driving ⇨ lift
ride in
He invited me to go for a ride in his new car.
Can you give me a ride back to town?
Sammy had promised to take me for a ride in his truck.
I managed to get a ride down to the station.
We hitched a ride (=got a free ride from a passing vehicle) into town.
car/bus/train etc ride
A fifteen minute taxi ride will take you to the airport.
a smooth/comfortable/bumpy etc ride
The new model offers a lovely smooth, comfortable ride.
2. HORSE/BICYCLE a journey on a bicycle, a horse, or a similar animal
ride on
Can I have a ride on your bike?
a bike/bicycle ride
Shall we go for a bike ride this afternoon?
3. a rough/easy ride informal if people give someone, especially someone in authority, a rough or an easy ride, they make a situation difficult or easy for them:
Journalists gave the Prime Minister a rough ride at the press conference.
The chairman will face a rough ride from shareholders.
The President will not have an easy ride when he gives his account of events.
4. a bumpy ride informal if something has a bumpy ride, it experiences a lot of problems:
Shares had a bumpy ride yesterday, falling by an average of 15%.
The new bill could be in for a bumpy ride when it is put before parliament.
5. take somebody for a ride spoken to trick someone, especially in order to get money from them:
I’d just begun to realise he was taking me for a ride.
6. come/go along for the ride spoken to join what other people are doing just for pleasure, not because you are seriously interested in it:
A couple of friends had come along for the ride.
7. MACHINE a large machine that people ride on for fun at a ↑fair:
We went on loads of rides.
8. PATH literary a path for riding on a horse in the countryside:
a grassy ride
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ take/have a ride Visitors can take a ride on a steam train.
▪ go for a ride He went for a ride in a private plane piloted by a friend.
▪ give somebody a ride Ellie gave us a ride to school.
▪ get a ride AmE: I left the farm that night, and got a ride into town.
▪ hitch a ride (=get a free ride from a passing vehicle) He hitched a ride to Denver on a truck.
▪ take somebody for a ride Hugh took me for a ride in his new car.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + ride
▪ a car/bus/train etc ride The resort is a short bus ride away from the hotel.
▪ a short/long ride I climbed slowly aboard the bus for the long ride to Hawkesworth.
▪ a smooth/comfortable ride The new suspension produces a smoother ride.
▪ a bumpy ride Part of the flight had been a bumpy ride through a thunderstorm.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ by plane/boat/car/bicycle etc
▪ flight a journey by air: You should check in at the airport two hours before your flight.
▪ voyage /ˈvɔɪ-ɪdʒ/ a long journey over the sea: MacArthur’s epic round-the-world voyage
▪ crossing a short journey by boat from one piece of land to another: A 30-minute ferry crossing takes you to the island.
▪ cruise a journey by boat for pleasure: a Mediterranean cruise | a cruise down the Nile
▪ drive a journey in a car, often for pleasure: The drive through the mountains was absolutely beautiful.
▪ ride a short journey in a car, or on a bicycle or horse: It’s a twenty-minute taxi ride to the station. | a bike ride