A1 (Basic)

early

I.   adjective

I. ear‧ly1 S1 W1 /ˈɜːli $ ˈɜːrli/ adjective (comparative earlier, superlative earliest)
 [Language: Old English; Origin: ærlice, from ær 'early, soon']
 1. FIRST PART  in the first part of a period of time, event, or process:
   • the early morning sunshine
   • an afternoon in early spring
   • In the early days, the railways mainly carried goods.
   • She is in her early twenties.
   • the recession of the early 1980s
   • The money could be paid as early as next week.
   • He spent the early part of his career at St John’s Hospital.
   • the experiences of early childhood
   • the early works of Shakespeare
   • My earliest memories are of fruit trees.
   • Early signs are encouraging.
 2. BEFORE USUAL  arriving or happening before the usual or expected time OPP late
  five minutes/three hours etc early
   • The bus was ten minutes early.
  early for
   • I was a few minutes early for my appointment.
   • David decided to take early retirement (=stop working before the normal age).
   • She drank herself into an early grave (=died younger than is normal).
 3. BEGINNING  used to emphasize that something has just begun, especially when you do not know how it will develop:
   • It’s too early to say what will happen.
   • It’s early days yet. I don’t want to make any predictions.
 4. NEW THING  [only before noun] being one of the first people, events, machines etc:
   • Early motor cars had very poor brakes.
   • fossil evidence of early man
 5. the early hours the time between midnight and morning:
   • I didn’t finally get to bed until the early hours.
  in the early hours of something
   • The attack happened in the early hours of Sunday morning.
 6. an early start a start made very early in the day because you have a lot to do, far to go etc:
   • We need to make an early start tomorrow.
 7. at/from an early age when you are very young, or starting when you were very young:
   • She’s played tennis from a very early age.
 8. an early night if you have an early night, you go to bed earlier than usual OPP a late night
  have/get an early night
   • I think I’ll get an early night.
 9. early bird/early riser someone who always gets up very early in the morning
 10. the early bird catches the worm used to say that if you do something early or before other people, you will be successful
 11. early potatoes/lettuces etc potatoes etc that are ready to be picked before any others
     • • •

COLLOCATIONS■ nouns

   ▪ early morning/afternoon/evening • The lake looked beautiful in the pale early morning light.
   ▪ early spring/summer etc • These plants produce flowers from early spring to late summer.
   ▪ early August/January etc • Italy is lovely in early June, before it gets too hot.
   ▪ the early days/months/years of something (=the period of time near the beginning of something) • In the early years of our marriage, we lived with my wife’s parents.
   ▪ in your early twenties/forties etc (=aged 20–23, 40–43 etc) • Both men are in their early twenties.
   ▪ the early 1920s/1970s etc (=1920–23, 1970–73 etc) • He lived in London in the early 1980s.
   ▪ sb’s early childhood/adolescence/life (=when someone is a young child, adolescent etc) • We’ve known each other since early childhood.
   ▪ an early stage (=near the beginning of a process) • Patients can be treated with drugs, especially at the early stage of the disease.
   ▪ the early part of something (=near the beginning of an event or period of time) • I was doing quite well in the early part of the race.
   ▪ sb’s earliest memory (=the first thing you can remember about something from your past) • One of my earliest memories is of being at a busy railway station, trying to find my mum.
     • • •

THESAURUS

   ▪ early arriving or happening before the usual or expected time: • For once, the train arrived early. | • Let’s have an early lunch before we go.
   ▪ in good time especially British English early enough, so that you do not have to rush, or so that you have time to get ready: • Everything was ready for the party in good time.
   ▪ on time arriving somewhere or happening at the right time: • The bus was on time. | • The project was finished on time.
   ▪ ahead of time earlier than the time when you have arranged to do something or than when you need something: • The building work was completed ahead of time. | • Some of the food can be prepared ahead of time.
   ▪ ahead of schedule earlier than the officially agreed time: • The Prime Minister called the elections early, five months ahead of schedule.
   ▪ with time to spare arriving somewhere or finishing something before the time when you have to arrive or finish: • We got to the airport with plenty of time to spare. | • I finished the test with time to spare.
   ▪ first thing especially spoken immediately after you get up, or as soon as you start work: • I’ll telephone her first thing tomorrow.

teacher

teach‧er S1 W1 /ˈtiːtʃə $ -ər/ noun [countable]
  [Word Family: noun: teacher, teaching, TEACHINGS; verb: teach]

  someone whose job is to teach, especially in a school:
   • a primary school teacher
  language/history/science etc teacher
  teacher training/education (=professional training to become a teacher)
     • • •

THESAURUS

   ▪ teacher someone who teaches as their job, especially in a school: • a high school teacher
   ▪ principal (also headteacher British English) the teacher who is in charge of a school or college: • The teacher sent him to the principal’s office.
   ▪ tutor someone who gives private lessons to one student or a small group of students. In Britain, a tutor is also a teacher in a university: • They hired a tutor to help him with his English. | • Your tutor will help you find a subject for your essay.
   ▪ lecturer someone who teaches in a university or college: • University lecturers aren’t very well paid.
   ▪ professor a teacher in a college or university. In Britain, a professor is a high-ranking university teacher, especially one who is head of a department: • She was professor of linguistics at Cambridge University.
   ▪ instructor someone who teaches a sport or a practical skill such as swimming or driving: • He works as a ski instructor in the winter. | • a driving instructor
   ▪ coach someone who helps a person or team improve in a sport: • a professional tennis coach
   ▪ educator especially American English formal someone whose job involves teaching people, or someone who is an expert on education: • Most educators agree that class sizes are still too big.
   ▪ trainer someone who teaches people particular skills, especially the skills they need to do a job: • a teacher trainer | • Many companies pay outside trainers to teach management skills to their staff.
   ▪ governess a woman who lived with a family and taught their children in past times: • As a governess, Charlotte Brontë received twenty pounds a year.

student

stu‧dent S1 W1 /ˈstjuːdənt $ ˈstuː-/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: student, study, studiousness; adjective: studious, studied; verb: study; adverb: studiously]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Latin; Origin: present participle of studere; ⇨ study1]
1. someone who is studying at a university, school etc ⇨ pupil
student at
a first-year student at the University of Oslo
law/science/medical etc student
There are plenty of job opportunities for engineering students.
student teacher/nurse etc (=someone who is studying to be a teacher, nurse etc)
A/B/C student (=a student who always gets A's, B's etc for their work) ⇨ mature student
2. be a student of something to be very interested in a particular subject:
He’s obviously an excellent student of human nature.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + student
▪ a law/medical/chemistry etc student Approximately 40% of law students are women.
▪ a university/college/school student How many college students are politically active?
▪ a high school/elementary school student American English Her son is a high school student.
▪ a first-year/second-year etc student (=in their first year, second year etc at college or university) First-year students have an exam at the end of term.
▪ an A/B/C student American English (=one who usually gets an A, B, or C for their work) He was an A student all the way through high school.
▪ an undergraduate student (=one who is studying for a first degree) Most undergraduate students rely on student loans for finance.
▪ a postgraduate student British English, a graduate student American English (=one who has already done a first degree) There is a separate university prospectus for postgraduate students.
▪ a research student (=doing research in a university) When I returned to Cambridge, I continued this work with two of my research students.
▪ a mature student especially British English (=a student who is over 25 years old) He took a degree as a mature student at Birmingham University.
▪ a foreign/overseas student The University welcomes applications from overseas students.
■ student + NOUN
▪ a student loan/grant (=money that is lent or given to a student) Some of them are still paying off student loans.
▪ student life (=the way of life of university and college students) Parties are an important part of student life.
▪ a student teacher/doctor/nurse (=someone who is learning to be a teacher, doctor, or nurse) Student teachers work alongside qualified teachers to gain classroom experience.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ student someone who is studying at a university or school. In British English, student is not usually used to refer to a child at primary school: a student at Moscow University | How many students are there in your class? | The university has a lot of overseas students. | Most schools have special classes for students with learning difficulties.
▪ pupil especially British English someone who is being taught in a particular school or by a particular teacher: The school has 300 pupils. | He received a letter from one of his former pupils.
▪ schoolchild a child who goes to school: The play was performed by a group of local schoolchildren.
▪ schoolboy/schoolgirl especially British English a boy or girl who goes to school – used especially when talking about how they behave, or that time in someone’s life: They were behaving like naughty schoolgirls. | When he was a schoolboy, no one had heard of computers. | He blushed at her like a schoolboy.
▪ learner someone who is learning a foreign language: Learners often have problems with pronunciation. | a book for foreign learners of English

Mr

Mr BrE AmE British English, Mr. American English /ˈmɪstə $ -ər/
1. used before a man’s family name to be polite when you are speaking to him, writing to him, or talking about him:
Mr Smith is the headteacher.
Mr. John Smith
Mr and Mrs Smith
2. used when speaking to a man in an official position:
Mr Chairman
Mr. President ⇨ ↑madam(3)
3. Mr Right a man who would be the perfect husband for a particular woman:
She’s finally found Mr. Right.
4. Mr Big informal the leader or most important person in a group, especially a criminal group
5. Mr Clean informal someone who is honest and always obeys the law
6. Mr Sarcasm/Mr Messy/Mr Forgetful etc spoken used humorously to say that someone has a particular quality or behaves in a particular way:
I don’t think we need any comments from Mr Sarcasm here.
⇨ no more Mr Nice Guy! at ↑guy(5)
 

Mr.

Mr BrE AmE British English, Mr. American English /ˈmɪstə $ -ər/
1. used before a man’s family name to be polite when you are speaking to him, writing to him, or talking about him:
Mr Smith is the headteacher.
Mr. John Smith
Mr and Mrs Smith
2. used when speaking to a man in an official position:
Mr Chairman
Mr. President ⇨ ↑madam(3)
3. Mr Right a man who would be the perfect husband for a particular woman:
She’s finally found Mr. Right.
4. Mr Big informal the leader or most important person in a group, especially a criminal group
5. Mr Clean informal someone who is honest and always obeys the law
6. Mr Sarcasm/Mr Messy/Mr Forgetful etc spoken used humorously to say that someone has a particular quality or behaves in a particular way:
I don’t think we need any comments from Mr Sarcasm here.
⇨ no more Mr Nice Guy! at ↑guy(5)

Mrs

Mrs BrE AmE British English, Mrs. American English /ˈmɪsəz, ˈmɪsɪz/
1. used before a married woman’s family name to be polite when you are speaking to her, writing to her, or talking about her ⇨ miss, Mr:
Mrs. Smith
Mrs Meddeman heads the fund-raising committee.
Mr and Mrs David Smith
► Some married women prefer to be addressed as Ms because it does not draw attention to whether or not they are married.
2. Mrs Tidy/Mrs Efficient/Mrs Nosy etc spoken used humorously to say that a woman has a particular quality or behaves in a particular way:
Mrs Superefficient has already taken care of it.
 

Mrs.

Mrs BrE AmE British English, Mrs. American English /ˈmɪsəz, ˈmɪsɪz/
1. used before a married woman’s family name to be polite when you are speaking to her, writing to her, or talking about her ⇨ miss, Mr:
Mrs. Smith
Mrs Meddeman heads the fund-raising committee.
Mr and Mrs David Smith
► Some married women prefer to be addressed as Ms because it does not draw attention to whether or not they are married.
2. Mrs Tidy/Mrs Efficient/Mrs Nosy etc spoken used humorously to say that a woman has a particular quality or behaves in a particular way:
Mrs Superefficient has already taken care of it.

II. miss2 S2 BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: verb: ↑miss; noun: ↑miss; adjective: ↑missing]
[Sense 1-4, 7: Date: 1600-1700; Origin: mistress]
[Sense 5-6: Date: 1200-1300; Origin: ⇨ ↑miss1]
1. Miss used in front of the family name of a woman who is not married to address her politely, to write to her, or to talk about her ⇨ Mrs, Mr:
I’d like to make an appointment with Miss Taylor.
► Some unmarried women prefer to be addressed as Ms because it does not draw attention to whether or not they are married.
2. Miss Italy/Ohio/World etc used to refer to a woman who represents a country, city etc in a beauty competition
3. YOUNG WOMAN spoken used as a polite way of speaking to a young woman when you do not know her name ⇨ madam, sir:
Excuse me, miss, you’ve dropped your umbrella.
4. TEACHER British English spoken used by children when speaking to a female teacher, whether she is married or not ⇨ sir:
I know the answer, Miss.
5. give something a miss British English informal to decide not to do something:
I’d better give the coffee a miss. I’m due at a meeting in half an hour.
6. NOT HIT/CATCH [countable] an occasion when you fail to hit, catch, or hold something:
Will he score a goal this time? No, no it’s a miss.
7. YOUNG GIRL [countable] British English spoken a young girl, especially one who has been bad or rude:
She’s a cheeky little miss.