noun

Folk

folk [noun] (MUSIC)

modern music and songs that are written in a style similar to that of traditional music

/foʊk/

/fəʊk/

Example:

I enjoy listening to folk (music) .

Oxford Essential Dictionary

folk

noun (plural) (British) (American folks)
people:
There are a lot of old folk living in this village.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

folk

I. ˈfolk ˌmusic BrE AmE (also folk) noun [uncountable]
1. traditional music that has been played by ordinary people in a particular area for a long time
2. a style of popular music in which people sing and play ↑guitars, without any electronic equipment

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

folk [folk folks] noun, adjective [fəʊk] [foʊk]

noun
1. (also folks especially in NAmE) plural (informal) people in general
• ordinary working-class folk
• I'd like a job working with old folk or kids.

• the folks back home (= from the place where you come from)

2. folks plural (informal) a friendly way of addressing more than one person

• Well, folks, what are we going to do today?

3. folks plural (informal, especially NAmE) the members of your family, especially your parents

• How are your folks?

4. plural people from a particular country or region, or who have a particular way of life
• country folk
• townsfolk

• farming folk

5. (also ˈfolk music) uncountable music in the traditional style of a country or community

• a folk festival/concert

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

folk / fəʊk / / foʊk / noun [ U ] (MUSIC)

B1 modern music and songs that are written in a style similar to that of traditional music:

I enjoy listening to folk (music) .

folk singers

a folk club/festival

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

folk

[fo͟ʊk]
♦♦♦
folks
(folk can also be used as the plural form for meaning 1.)
1) N-PLURAL: usu with supp You can refer to people as folk or folks.
  Country folk can tell you that there are certain places which animals avoid...
  These are the folks from the local TV station.
  ...old folks.
  Syn:
  people
2) N-PLURAL: usu poss N You can refer to your close family, especially your mother and father, as your folks. [INFORMAL]
  I've been avoiding my folks lately.
3) N-VOC You can use folks as a term of address when you are talking to several people. [INFORMAL]
  `It's a question of money, folks,' I announced...
  This is it, folks: the best record guide in the business.
4) ADJ: ADJ n Folk art and customs are traditional or typical of a particular community or nation.
  ...South American folk art.
  ...traditional Chinese folk medicine.
5) ADJ: ADJ n Folk music is music which is traditional or typical of a particular community or nation.
  ...Irish folk music.
N-UNCOUNT
Folk is also a noun. ...a variety of music including classical, jazz, and folk.
6) ADJ: ADJ n Folk can be used to describe something that relates to the beliefs and opinions of ordinary people.
  Jack was a folk hero in the Greenwich Village bars...
  Folk psychology comes closer to the obvious truth than the most sophisticated theories.
  Syn:
  popular

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

¹folk /ˈfoʊk/ noun
1 folks [plural]
a chiefly US informal : people in general
• Folks say that house is haunted.
• Some folks think the law should be changed.
b
- used to talk to a group of people in a friendly and informal way
• Do you folks need any help?
• That's all for today, folks—see you tomorrow!
2 or chiefly US folks [plural] informal : a certain kind of people
• a home for old folks
• He doesn't much care for city folk. [=people who live in a city]
• country folk
• the distinctive speech of folks from the South
3 folks [plural] chiefly US informal : family members
• I'll be spending the holidays with my folks. especially; : parents
• His folks gave him everything a kid could want.
4 [noncount] : folk music
• My favorite kind of music is folk.

Salsa

salsa [noun] (MUSIC/DANCE)

a type of South American music with a strong beat, or a dance done to this music

/ˈsɑːl.sə/

/ˈsæl.sə/

Example:

A band played salsa, and spectators danced wildly.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

salsa

sal‧sa /ˈsælsə $ ˈsɑːl-/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[Date: 1900-2000; Language: Spanish; Origin: 'sauce', from Latin; ⇨ ↑sauce]
1. a type of Latin American dance music
2. a sauce made from onions, tomatoes, and ↑chillies, that you put on Spanish or Mexican food

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

salsa [salsa salsas] [ˈsælsə] [ˈsɑːlsə] noun

1. uncountable a type of Latin American dance music

2. countable, uncountable a dance performed to this music

3. uncountable a sauce eaten with Mexican food
Word Origin:

Spanish, literally sauce, extended in American Spanish to denote the dance.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

salsa / ˈsæl.sə / / ˈsɑːl- / noun [ S or U ] (MUSIC/DANCE)

a type of South American music with a strong beat, or a dance done to this music

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

salsa

[sæ̱lsə, AM sɑ͟ːlsə]
salsas
1) N-MASS Salsa is a hot, spicy sauce made from onions and tomatoes, usually eaten with Mexican or Spanish food.
2) N-UNCOUNT Salsa is a type of dance music especially popular in Latin America.
A band played salsa, and spectators danced wildly.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

salsa

sal·sa /ˈsɑːlsə/ noun, pl -sas
1 : a spicy sauce made with tomatoes, onions, and hot peppers that is commonly served with Mexican food

[noncount]

• a jar of salsa
• chips and salsa

[count]

• a delicious salsa
2 [count, noncount]
a : a type of popular Latin-American music
• The band was playing salsa.
• a salsa band
b : dancing that is done to salsa music
• We're taking classes in salsa.

Jazz

jazz [noun]

a type of modern music developed by black people in the US, with a rhythm in which the strong notes often come before the beat

/dʒæz/

Example:

a jazz orchestra

Oxford Essential Dictionary

jazz

noun (no plural)
a kind of music with a strong beat:
a jazz band

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

jazz

I. jazz¹ /dʒæz/ BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
[Date: 1900-2000; Origin: Perhaps from Bantu jas 'to cause to dance, excite']
1. a type of music that has a strong beat and parts for performers to play alone:
a jazz band
a jazz club
modern jazz
2. and all that jazz spoken and things like that:
I’m fed up with work, meetings, and all that jazz.
II. jazz² BrE AmE verb
jazz something ↔ up phrasal verb
informal to make something more attractive or exciting:
Jazz up your everyday meals with our new range of seasonings.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

jazz

jazz [jazz jazzes jazzed jazzing] noun, verb [dʒæz] [dʒæz]

noun uncountable
a type of music with strong rhythms, in which the players often improvise (= make up the music as they are playing), originally created by African American musicians
• a jazz band/club
• traditional/modern jazz
• jazz musicians
see also acid jazz
Word Origin:
early 20th cent.: of unknown origin.
Culture:
jazz
Jazz is one of the greatest forms of music originating in the US. The names of its stars are known around the world. Most people have heard of stars like Ella Fitzgerald, ‚Count’ Basie, ‚Duke’ Ellington and Louis Armstrong. Wynton Marsalis, who plays in the traditional style, is one of the best-known jazz musicians today.
Jazz was begun in the South by African Americans. Many of its rhythms came from the work songs and spirituals (= religious songs) of black slaves. New Orleans street bands first made jazz popular. Early forms of jazz created at the beginning of the 20th century were ragtime and the blues. Ragtime musicians included the singer ‚Jelly Roll’ Morton and the composer and piano player Scott Joplin. Famous blues singers included Bessie Smith and later Billie Holiday. Dixieland developed from ragtime and the blues and made a feature of improvisation (= making up the music as it is being played), especially on the trumpet and saxophone. Dixieland stars included Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet.
In the 1920s many African Americans moved north, taking jazz with them, and Chicago and New York became centres for the music. This was the beginning of the big band era. In the 1930s swing music came into fashion and people danced to jazz. Radio and the new recording industry helped to make it even more popular. The big bands were led by Basie, Ellington, Woody Herman, Glenn Miller, and ‚the King of Swing’, Benny Goodman. In the 1940s there were new styles such as bebop, developed by ‚Dizzy’ Gillespie, Charlie ‚Bird’ Parker and Thelonious Monk. Freer forms like progressive jazz and free jazz developed in the 1950s with stars including Stan Getz, John Coltrane and Dave Brubeck. Cool jazz followed in the 1960s, led by Getz and Miles Davis. More recent styles have included funky jazz, jazz-rock and hip-hop jazz.
In Britain jazz attracts a small but enthusiastic audience. The height of its popularity was in the 1940s and 1950s, when large crowds gathered to hear big bands. British jazz has always been heavily influenced by US jazz. In the 1960s pop and rock music replaced jazz as the music of the young generation. There are now few jazz bands, although smaller combos (= groups) continue to play a wide range of trad (= traditional), bebop, cool and avant-garde jazz. The most famous British jazz musicians have included Johnny Dankworth and Cleo Laine, George Melly, Humphrey Lyttleton and Courtney Pine. The home of jazz in Britain is Ronnie Scott's club in London.
Collocations:
Music
Listening
listen to/enjoy/love/be into music/classical music/jazz/pop/hip-hop, etc.
listen to the radio/an MP3 player/a CD
put on/play a CD/a song/some music
turn down/up the music/radio/volume/bass
go to a concert/festival/gig/performance/recital
copy/burn/rip music/a CD/a DVD
download music/an album/a song/a demo/a video
Playing
play a musical instrument/the piano/percussion/a note/a riff/the melody/a concerto/a duet/by ear
sing an anthem/a ballad/a solo/an aria/the blues/in a choir/soprano/alto/tenor/bass/out of tune
hum a tune/a theme tune/a lullaby
accompany a singer/choir
strum a chord/guitar
Performing
form/start/get together/join/quit/leave a band
give a performance/concert/recital
do a concert/recital/gig
play a concert/gig/festival/venue
perform (BrE) at/in a concert/(especially NAmE) a concert
appear at a festival/live
go on/embark on a (world) tour
Recording
write/compose music/a ballad/a melody/a tune/a song/a theme song/an opera/a symphony
land/get/sign a record deal
be signed to/be dropped by a record company
record/release/put out an album/a single/a CD
be top of/top the charts
get to/go straight to/go straight in at/enter the charts at number one
Example Bank:
• the rising stars of the New York jazz scene
Idiom: and all that jazz

Derived: jazz something up

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

jazz / dʒæz / noun [ U ]

A2 a type of modern music developed by black people in the US, with a rhythm in which the strong notes often come before the beat. Jazz is usually improvised (= invented as it is played) .

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

jazz

[ʤæ̱z]
♦♦♦
jazzes, jazzing, jazzed
N-UNCOUNT: oft N n
Jazz is a style of music that was invented by African American musicians in the early part of the twentieth century. Jazz music has very strong rhythms and often involves improvisation.
The pub has live jazz on Sundays.
...the great American jazz pianist George Shearing.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

jazz

²jazz verb jazz·es; jazzed; jazz·ing
jazz up [phrasal verb] jazz up (something) or jazz (something) up informal : to make (something) more interesting, exciting, or attractive
• The company wants to jazz up its image.
• She tried to jazz the room up with a new rug.

Hip-Hop

hip-hop [noun]

a type of popular music in which the subject of the songs is often politics or society and the words are spoken rather than sung

/ˈhɪp.hɑːp/

/ˈhɪp.hɒp/

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

hip hop

ˈhip hop BrE AmE, hip-hop noun [uncountable]
1. a type of popular dance music with a regular heavy beat and spoken words ⇨ rap
2. a type of popular ↑culture that began among young African-Americans in big cities, which includes hip hop music, dancing, and ↑graffiti art

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

hip hop

ˈhip hop noun uncountable

1. a type of popular music with spoken words and a steady beat played on electronic instruments, originally played by young African Americans

2. the culture of the young African Americans and others who enjoy this type of music, including special styles of art, dancing, dress, etc.
Word Origin:

[hip hop] 1980s: reduplication probably based on hip ‘fashionable’.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

ˈ hip-hop / ˈhɪp.hɒp / / -hɑːp / noun [ U ]

A2 a type of popular music in which the subject of the songs is often politics or society and the words are spoken rather than sung

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

hip-hop

N-UNCOUNT: oft N n
Hip-hop is a form of popular culture which started among young black people in the United States in the 1980s. It includes rap music and graffiti art.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

hip-hop

hip–hop /ˈhɪpˌhɑːp/ noun [noncount] : rap music
• I listen to hip-hop and reggae.
• a hip-hop artist also; : the culture associated with rap music

Pop

pop [noun] (MUSIC)

modern popular music, usually with a strong beat, created with electrical or electronic equipment, and easy to listen to and remember

/pɑːp/

/pɒp/

Example:

a pop concert

Oxford Essential Dictionary

noun

1 (no plural) (also pop music) modern music that is most popular among young people:
What's your favourite pop group?
a pop singer

2 (plural pops) a short sharp sound:
The cork came out of the bottle with a loud pop.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

II. pop² S3 W3 BrE AmE noun
[Sense 1,7: Date: 1800-1900; Origin: popular]
[Sense 2-5: Date: 1400-1500; Origin: ⇨ ↑pop¹]
[Sense 6: Date: 1800-1900; Origin: poppa]
1. MUSIC [uncountable] modern music that is popular, especially with young people, and usually consists of simple tunes with a strong beat ⇨ pop music:
a new pop record
a pop star
a pop festival
2. SOUND [countable] a sudden short sound like a small explosion:
the pop of a champagne cork
The balloon went pop (=made a sudden short sound).
3. DRINK [uncountable and countable] informal a sweet drink with bubbles but no alcohol, or a glass or can of this drink SYN soda:
a bottle of pop
Can you get me a pop while you’re up?
4. take a pop at somebody British English informal to criticize someone in public:
When you’re a professional footballer, you expect people to take a pop at you now and again.
5. $7/$50/25¢ etc a pop American English spoken used when each of something costs a particular amount of money:
Tickets for the show are a hundred bucks a pop.
6. FATHER [countable] (also Pops) American English old-fashioned father – used especially when you are talking to your father
7. pops American English ↑classical music that most people know, especially people who do not usually like this type of music:
a pops concert
the Boston Pops Orchestra
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ father a male parent: My father’s a doctor. | He’s a father of three.
▪ dad informal used when talking to your father, or about someone's father: Can I borrow your car, Dad? | Her dad retired ten years ago. | My dad was in the army.
▪ daddy a name for father, which is used especially by young children or when you are talking to young children: Where’s your daddy? | Daddy, can I have a drink, please?
▪ pop American English informal (also pa old-fashioned) used when talking to your father, or about someone's father: I helped Pop fix the gate this morning. | Can I help, Pa? | He is in New York with his Pop's credit card, eating all the ice cream and pizza the city has to offer.
▪ papa old-fashioned informal used when talking to your father, or about someone's father: Papa had forbidden me to go. | She saw her papa 's face change at this news.
▪ sb’s old man informal someone's father – used when talking about him in a way that is not very respectful: His old man wouldn’t let him use the car.
▪ stepfather (also stepdad informal) a man who is married to your mother, who is not your father but often acts as your parent: Her stepfather is really nice.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

pop

pop [pop pops popped popping] noun, verb, adjective, adverb [pɒp] [pɑːp]

noun

MUSIC
1. (also ˈpop music) uncountable popular music of the sort that has been popular since the 1950s, usually with a strong rhythm and simple tunes, often contrasted with rock, soul and other forms of popular music

• rock, pop and soul

SOUND

2. countable a short sharp explosive sound

• The cork came out of the bottle with a loud pop.

DRINK

3. uncountable (old-fashioned, informal) a sweet fizzy drink (= with bubbles) that is not alcoholic

FATHER
4. singular (informal, especially NAmE) used as a word for ‘father’, especially as a form of address
• Hi, Pop!
Word Origin:
n. senses 3 to 4 and v. adv. and late Middle English ‘a blow, knock’ ‘to strike’
n. sense 1 and adj. late 19th cent. popular
n. sense 2 mid 19th cent. poppa

Collocations:
Music
Listening
listen to/enjoy/love/be into music/classical music/jazz/pop/hip-hop, etc.
listen to the radio/an MP3 player/a CD
put on/play a CD/a song/some music
turn down/up the music/radio/volume/bass
go to a concert/festival/gig/performance/recital
copy/burn/rip music/a CD/a DVD
download music/an album/a song/a demo/a video
Playing
play a musical instrument/the piano/percussion/a note/a riff/the melody/a concerto/a duet/by ear
sing an anthem/a ballad/a solo/an aria/the blues/in a choir/soprano/alto/tenor/bass/out of tune
hum a tune/a theme tune/a lullaby
accompany a singer/choir
strum a chord/guitar
Performing
form/start/get together/join/quit/leave a band
give a performance/concert/recital
do a concert/recital/gig
play a concert/gig/festival/venue
perform (BrE) at/in a concert/(especially NAmE) a concert
appear at a festival/live
go on/embark on a (world) tour
Recording
write/compose music/a ballad/a melody/a tune/a song/a theme song/an opera/a symphony
land/get/sign a record deal
be signed to/be dropped by a record company
record/release/put out an album/a single/a CD
be top of/top the charts
get to/go straight to/go straight in at/enter the charts at number one
Example Bank:
• The cork came out with a loud pop.
• The eight compilations range from teen pop to classical.
Idioms: go pop ▪ have a pop ▪ pop the question ▪ pop your clogs ▪ … a pop

Derived: pop off ▪ pop something on

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

pop / pɒp / / pɑːp / noun [ U ] ( formal popular music ) (MUSIC)

A2 modern popular music, usually with a strong beat, created with electrical or electronic equipment, and easy to listen to and remember:

pop music

a pop concert/song

What do you want to listen to - jazz, classical or pop?

The song reached No. 32 in the pop charts .

She wants to be a pop singer/star like Madonna.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

pop

[pɒ̱p]
♦♦♦
pops, popping, popped
1) N-UNCOUNT: oft N n Pop is modern music that usually has a strong rhythm and uses electronic equipment.
  ...the perfect combination of Caribbean rhythms, European pop, and American soul...
  Which great British pop band had a hit with `In the Army Now'?
  ...a life-size poster of a pop star...
  I know nothing about pop music.
2) N-UNCOUNT You can refer to fizzy drinks such as lemonade as pop. [mainly BRIT, INFORMAL]
  He still visits the village shop for buns and fizzy pop.
  ...glass pop bottles.(in AM, usually use soda pop)
3) N-COUNT; SOUND Pop is used to represent a short sharp sound, for example the sound made by bursting a balloon or by pulling a cork out of a bottle.
  Each corn kernel will make a loud pop when cooked...
  His back tyre just went pop on a motorway.
4) VERB If something pops, it makes a short sharp sound.
  He untwisted the wire off the champagne bottle, and the cork popped and shot to the ceiling.
5) VERB If your eyes pop, you look very surprised or excited when you see something. [INFORMAL]
  My eyes popped at the sight of the rich variety of food on show.
6) VERB If you pop something somewhere, you put it there quickly. [BRIT, INFORMAL]
  [V n prep/adv] Marianne got a couple of mugs from the dresser and popped a teabag into each of them...
  [V n prep/adv] He plucked a purple grape from the bunch and popped it in his mouth.
7) VERB If you pop somewhere, you go there for a short time. [BRIT, INFORMAL]
  [V adv/prep] He does pop down to the pub, but he seldom stays longer than an hour...
  [V adv/prep] Wendy popped in for a quick bite to eat on Monday night.
8) N-FAMILY Some people call their father pop. [mainly AM, INFORMAL]
  I looked at Pop and he had big tears in his eyes...
  Yes, Pop, I made a big mistake - you and Mark made me realize that.(in BRIT, usually use dad)
9) to pop the question → see question

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

pop

⁵pop noun, pl pops US informal + old-fashioned
1 [count] : a person's father - usually singular
• Hey Pop, can I borrow one of your ties?
• My pop likes watching football.
2 pops often humorous
- used as a form of address for an old man
• Need help with that package, pops?
- see also mom-and-pop

- compare ²pop, ⁴pop

⁴pop noun, pl pops
1 [noncount] : music that is popular
• The radio station plays pop.
2 Pops [noncount] US : an orchestra that plays popular music - used in names
• the Boston/Cincinnati Pops

- compare ²pop ⁵pop

³pop adj always used before a noun
1 : of or relating to things that are popular and often talked about on television, in newspapers, etc.
• pop culture/psychology/fiction
2 : of or relating to popular music
• pop rock
• a pop artist/singer/star [=a person who sings popular music]

²pop noun, pl pops
1 [count] : a short, loud sound
• We heard a loud pop when the lights went out.
2 informal : soda pop

[noncount]

• a bottle of pop [=soda]

[count]

• Two pops, please.
3 [count] baseball : pop fly
a pop US informal : for each one : apiece
• The tickets are selling at $50 a pop.
take a pop at informal
1 : to try to hit (someone)
• Some drunk took a pop at me.
2 chiefly Brit : to criticize (someone) publicly
• He took a pop at his rival.

- compare ⁴pop ⁵pop

rock

rock [noun] (MUSIC)

a type of popular music with a strong, loud beat that is usually played with electric guitars and drums

/rɑːk/

/rɒk/

Example:

a rock star

Oxford Essential Dictionary

rock

verb (rocks, rocking, rocked )
to move slowly backwards and forwards or from side to side; to make somebody or something do this:
The boat was rocking gently on the lake.
I rocked the baby until she went to sleep.

noun

1 (no plural) the very hard material that is in the ground and in mountains

2 (plural rocks) a big piece of rock:
The ship hit the rocks.

3 (no plural) (also rock music) a sort of modern music with a strong rhythm:
a rock concert

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

rock

I. rock¹ S2 W2 /rɒk $ rɑːk/ BrE AmE noun
[Sense 1, 3-10: Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old North French; Origin: roque, from Vulgar Latin rocca]
[Sense 2: Date: 1900-2000; Origin: ⇨ ↑rock²]

1. STONE
a) [uncountable] the hard substance that forms the main surface of the Earth ⇨ stone:
To build the tunnel, they had to cut through 500 feet of solid rock.
Most of the country is desert and bare rock.
massive rock formations (=shapes made naturally from rock)
ancient dark volcanic rock
b) [countable] a piece of rock, especially a large one that sticks up from the ground:
Jack stood on a rock for a better view.
During the storm a ship had been driven onto the rocks (=a line of rocks under or next to the sea).
2. MUSIC [uncountable] (also rock music) a type of popular modern music with a strong loud beat, played using ↑guitars and drums
rock band/group
Komuro formed a rock band with some friends while in college.
the late rock star, Freddie Mercury
The stadium has hosted numerous rock concerts. ⇨ ↑hard rock, ⇨ punk rock at ↑punk(1)
3. (as) solid/steady as a rock
a) very strongly built or well supported and not likely to break or fall:
a large sofa, solid as a rock
b) someone who is as solid or steady as a rock is very strong and calm in difficult situations and you can depend on them ⇨ ↑rock-solid
4. [singular] someone who always gives you support and who you can depend on:
My sister has always been my rock.
5. be on the rocks informal a relationship or business that is on the rocks is having a lot of problems and is likely to fail soon SYN in trouble:
I’m afraid Tim’s marriage is on the rocks.
6. scotch/vodka etc on the rocks informal an alcoholic drink that is served with ice but no water
7. SWEET FOOD [uncountable] British English a hard sweet made in long round pieces:
a stick of rock
8. DRUG
a) [uncountable] a very pure form of the illegal drug ↑cocaine that some people use for pleasure
b) [countable] a small amount of this drug
9. be (stuck) between a rock and a hard place to have a choice between two things, both of which are unpleasant or dangerous
10. get your rocks off informal not polite if a man gets his rocks off, he has sex
11. JEWEL [countable usually plural] old-fashioned informal a ↑diamond or other jewel
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ solid rock Steps had been carved out of the solid rock.
▪ bare rock (=not covered by soil) Here there was only bare rock and gravel.
▪ volcanic rock The fossils are sandwiched between two layers of volcanic rock.
▪ molten rock (=rock that is so hot it is liquid) Molten rock flowed into these cracks.
■ rock + NOUN
▪ a rock formation There are marvellous views of impressive rock formations.
■ verbs
▪ rock forms/is formed From the texture of the rock we can tell how it was formed.
▪ something erodes rock (=it gradually removes the surface of the rock) Rainwater drained away, forming streams and rivers that began to erode the rock.
▪ rock erodes (away) (=its surface is gradually removed because of the action of water, wind etc ) The rocks had eroded away over the years.
■ phrases
▪ a lump/piece of rock His leg was trapped under a large lump of rock.
▪ a layer of rock You can see six layers of rock in the cliff.
▪ an outcrop of rock (=a mass of rock that sticks up above the ground) The gulls nested on a outcrop of rock.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ rock a piece of the hard substance that forms the main surface of the Earth. In British English, rocks are too large to pick up, but in American English, they can either be large or small: the rocks along the riverbanks
▪ stone a small piece of rock, found on the ground or near the surface of the ground. Speakers of American English are more likely to use the word rock than stone: The children were throwing stones into the water.
▪ boulder a large round piece of rock: She climbed over a few boulders at the edge of the sea.
▪ pebble a small smooth stone found especially on a beach or on the bottom of a river: The beach was covered with smooth white pebbles.
▪ fossil a rock which has the shape of an animal or plant that lived many thousands of years ago: fossils of early reptiles
II. rock² BrE AmE verb
[Language: Old English; Origin: roccian]
1. [intransitive and transitive] to move gently backwards and forwards or from side to side, or to make something do this ⇨ sway:
She covered her face, rocking to and fro in her grief.
The waves rocked the boat from side to side.
Paul sat gently rocking the child in his arms.
Jim rocked with laughter when he heard what had happened.
2. [transitive]
a) to make the people in a place or organization feel very shocked – used in news reports SYN shake:
The scandal rocked the nation.
b) to make the future of something seem less certain or steady than it was before, especially because of problems or changes SYN shake:
Another financial blow has rocked the industry.
The theory rocked the foundations of social and moral life.
3. rock the boat informal to cause problems for other members of a group by criticizing something or trying to change the way something is done:
He kept his feelings to himself, not wanting to rock the boat.
4. [transitive] if an explosion or ↑earthquake rocks an area, it makes it shake:
Residents had only a few minutes to escape before the blast rocked their houses.
5. somebody/something rocks spoken informal said to show that you strongly approve of someone or something
6. rock sb’s world informal to cause someone to think about something or someone in a completely new way

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

rock

rock [rock rocks rocked rocking] noun, verb [rɒk] [rɑːk]

noun

HARD MATERIAL
1. uncountable, countable the hard solid material that forms part of the surface of the earth and some other planets
• They drilled through several layers of rock to reach the oil.
• a cave with striking rock formations (= shapes made naturally from rock)
• The tunnel was blasted out of solid rock.

• volcanic/igneous/sedimentary, etc. rocks

2. countable a mass of rock standing above the earth's surface or in the sea/ocean
• the Rock of Gibraltar
• The ship crashed into the infamous Sker Point rocks and broke into three pieces.

3. countable a large single piece of rock
• They clambered over the rocks at the foot of the cliff.

• The sign said ‘Danger: falling rocks’.

STONE

4. countable (NAmE) a small stone

• Protesters pelted the soldiers with rocks.

MUSIC

5. (also ˈrock music) uncountable a type of loud popular music, developed in the 1960s, with a strong beat played on electric guitars and drums
• punk rock

• a rock band/star

SWEET/CANDY

6. (BrE) uncountable a type of hard sweet/candy made in long sticks, often sold in places where people go on holiday/vacation by the sea/ocean

• a stick of Brighton rock

JEWEL

7. countable, usually plural (NAmE, informal) a precious stone, especially a diamond

PERSON
8. countable, usually singular a person who is emotionally strong and who you can rely on
• He is my rock.
more at (as) steady as a rock at steady _adj.
Word Origin:
n. senses 1 to 4 and n. senses 6 to 7 Middle English Old French rocque medieval Latin rocca
n. sense 5 and v. late Old English roccian Germanic ‘remove, move’ Dutch rukken ‘jerk, tug’ German rücken ‘move’

Culture:
Rock (= the sweet) is usually flavoured with peppermint and coloured (usually bright pink) on the outside. In Britain, rock is sold especially in seaside towns, and has the name of the town all through the length of the stick on the inside.
See also Edinburgh rock

Culture:
Rock music developed in the 1960s from rock and roll. Rock later developed into forms such as folk rock and heavy metal.
Thesaurus:
rock noun U, C
• They drilled through several layers of rock to reach the oil.
stone • • boulder • • pebble •
solid rock/stone
throw a rock/stone/boulder/pebble
Rock or stone? Rock U is still a part of the ground; stone U has been dug up from the ground:
• houses built of stone
¤ houses built of rock:
• the rock walls of the cave
¤ the stone walls of the cave In British English people throw stones and a rock is sth too big to pick up and throw. In American English rock is the usual word for a small piece of rock that you can pick up.
Example Bank:
• A great rock jutted out into the water.
• Ahead the vegetation broke into bare rock.
• Children were looking for crabs in the rock pools.
• Lars taught me to skip rocks.
• Ryan changed the radio to a rock station.
• She was a rock chick through and through.
• Signs warn of the perils of falling rock.
• Solid rock is broken down by weathering.
• The castle is perched on a massive outcrop of rock.
• The path had been blocked by a rock fall.
• The river runs between walls of sheer rock.
• The rocks were slippery as I tried to climb them.
• They used to throw rocks at neighborhood dogs.
• You slept like a rock last night.
• an avalanche of loose rock
• influential rock critics
• one of the biggest bands on the rock circuit
• rocks that formed beneath the sea
• the king of rock and roll
• Demonstrators threw rocks at the police.
• a sea cave with striking rock formations
• volcanic/igneous/sedimentary rocks

Idioms: between a rock and a hard place ▪ get your rocks off ▪ on the rocks ▪ rock the boat

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

rock / rɒk / / rɑːk / noun [ U ] (MUSIC)

A2 a type of popular music with a strong, loud beat that is usually played with electric guitars and drums:

a rock group

a rock star

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

rock

[rɒ̱k]
♦♦
rocks, rocking, rocked
1) N-UNCOUNT Rock is the hard substance which the Earth is made of.
  The hills above the valley are bare rock...
  A little way below the ridge was an outcrop of rock that made a rough shelter.
2) N-COUNT A rock is a large piece of rock that sticks up out of the ground or the sea, or that has broken away from a mountain or a cliff.
  She sat cross-legged on the rock.
  ...the sound of the sea crashing against the rocks...
  He and two friends were climbing a rock face when they heard cries for help.
3) N-COUNT A rock is a piece of rock that is small enough for you to pick up.
  She bent down, picked up a rock and threw it into the trees.
  Syn:
  stone
4) V-ERG When something rocks or when you rock it, it moves slowly and regularly backwards and forwards or from side to side.
  [V prep/adv] His body rocked from side to side with the train...
  [V prep/adv] He stood a few moments, rocking back and forwards on his heels...
  [V n] She sat on the porch and rocked the baby. [Also V]
5) V-ERG If an explosion or an earthquake rocks a building or an area, it causes the building or area to shake. [JOURNALISM]
  [V n] Three people were injured yesterday when an explosion rocked one of Britain's best known film studios.
  [V n] ...a country that's rocked by dozens of earthquakes every year...
  As the buildings rocked under heavy shell-fire, he took refuge in the cellars.
  Syn:
  shake
6) VERB If an event or a piece of news rocks a group or society, it shocks them or makes them feel less secure. [JOURNALISM]
  [V n] His death rocked the fashion business.
  [V n] ...the latest scandal to rock the monarchy...
  [V n] Wall Street was rocked by the news and shares fell 4.3 per cent by the end of trading.
  Syn:
  shake
7) N-UNCOUNT: oft N n Rock is loud music with a strong beat that is usually played and sung by a small group of people using instruments such as electric guitars and drums.
  He once told an interviewer that he didn't even like rock music.
  ...a rock concert.
  ...famous rock stars.
8) N-UNCOUNT Rock is a sweet that is made in long, hard sticks and is often sold in towns by the sea in Britain.
  ...a stick of rock.
9) PHRASE: PHR after v If you are caught between a rock and a hard place, you are in a difficult situation where you have to choose between two equally unpleasant courses of action.
10) PHRASE: usu n PHR If you have an alcoholic drink such as whisky on the rocks, you have it with ice cubes in it.
  I could do with a Scotch on the rocks.
  Syn:
  with ice
11) PHRASE: v-link PHR If something such as a marriage or a business is on the rocks, it is experiencing very severe difficulties and looks likely to end very soon.
  She confided to her mother six months ago that her marriage was on the rocks...
  Our film industry is on the rocks.
12) to rock the boat → see boat

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

rock

³rock noun [noncount] : a kind of popular music with a strong beat that is played on instruments that are made louder electronically
• My favorite types of music are jazz and rock.
- often used before another noun
• rock music
• a rock concert/band/star
- see also hard rock, soft rock

- compare ²rock

²rock noun, pl rocks
1 a [noncount] : the hard, solid material that the surface of the Earth is made of
• They drilled through several layers of solid rock.
• Moss can grow on bare rock.
• The miners made a tunnel through the rock.
• volcanic rock
- often used before another noun
• The mountain had many amazing rock formations.
- see also bedrock, sheetrock
b [count] : a piece of rock
• a flat rock
• (US) We threw rocks [=stones] into the water.
• a pile of rocks
c [count] : a large piece of rock that sticks up from the surface of the Earth
• She climbed the rock.
• The ship crashed into the rocks.
2
- used in phrases to say that something is very hard, steady, etc.
• This bread is (as) hard as a rock. = The bread is rock-hard. [=the bread is very hard]
• Her hand was steady as a rock. [=her hand was very steady]
• His muscles are solid as a rock. [=very strong/solid]
• The frozen chicken is rock-solid.
• The beat of the drum was rock-steady.
3 [singular] informal
a : a strong person who can be relied on
• We could always count on him—he was our rock.
b : someone whose ideas, values, ways of doing things, etc., do not change
• Once she makes up her mind, she's (like) a rock. [=nobody can change her mind once she decides something]
4 [count] informal : a diamond or other jewel
• Look at the size of that rock on her finger.
5 [noncount] Brit : hard candy that is made in a stick
• a stick of rock
- compare rock candy
6 [count] informal : a small hard piece of a drug
• a rock of crack cocaine
between a rock and a hard place informal : in a very difficult or bad position or situation with no good way of getting out of it
• He is caught/stuck between a rock and a hard place.
get your rocks off informal
1 of a man : to have an orgasm
2 : to feel great pleasure or satisfaction
• He gets his rocks off bossing everyone around.
live under a rock : to be unaware of things that most people know about
• How could you have not heard about it? Do you live under a rock?
on the rocks
1 : having a lot of problems and likely to fail
• Their marriage is on the rocks. [=in trouble]
2 of an alcoholic drink : with ice cubes
• He ordered a whiskey/Scotch on the rocks.

- compare ³rock

hometown

hometown [noun]

The town or city that a person is from, especially the one in which they were born and lived while they were young.

/ˈhoʊm.taʊn/

/ˈhəʊm.taʊn/

Example:

He was born in Bristol, but he considers London his hometown since he's lived there most of his life.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

home town

home ˈtown BrE AmE especially British English, home‧town especially American English /ˌhəʊmˈtaʊn $ ˌhoʊm-/ noun [countable]
the place where you were born and spent your childhood
sb’s home town
He hired a car and drove up to his home town.
She’s written for her hometown newspaper.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

hometown

home·town 7 [hometown] [ˈhəʊmtaʊn] [ˈhoʊmtaʊn] noun
the place where you were born or lived as a child
Example Bank:

• He married a girl from his hometown and they went back there to live.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

hometown / ˈhəʊm.taʊn / / ˈhoʊm- / noun [ C ]

the town or city that a person is from, especially the one in which they were born and lived while they were young:

He was born in Bristol, but he considers London his hometown since he's lived there most of his life.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

hometown

[ho͟ʊmta͟ʊn]
hometowns
also home town
N-COUNT: with poss
Someone's hometown is the town where they live or the town that they come from.
I went to work as a painter in my hometown, Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

hometown

home·town /ˈhoʊmˈtaʊn/ noun, pl -towns [count] : the city or town where you were born or grew up
• She returned to her hometown to stay after college.
• hometown friends

birthplace

birthplace [noun]

the house, town, etc. where a person was born

/ˈbɝːθ.pleɪs/

/ˈbɜːθ.pleɪs/

Example:

My parents' birthplace is Kashan.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

birthplace

birth‧place /ˈbɜːθpleɪs $ ˈbɜːrθ-/ BrE AmE noun [countable usually singular]
1. the place where someone was born, used especially when talking about someone famous:
Stratford-upon-Avon was Shakespeare’s birthplace.
2. the place where something first started to happen or exist:
New Orleans is the birthplace of jazz.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

birthplace

birth·place [birthplace birthplaces] [ˈbɜːθpleɪs] [ˈbɜːrθpleɪs] noun

1. the house or area where a person was born, especially a famous person

2. the place where sth first happened
• Hawaii was the birthplace of surfing.
Example Bank:

• Shrewsbury is famous for being the birthplace of Charles Darwin.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

birthplace / ˈbɜːθ.pleɪs / / ˈbɝːθ- / noun [ C usually singular ]

the house, town, etc. where a person was born

birthplace

birthplace /ˈbɜːθ.pleɪs/ US /ˈbɝːθ-/
noun [C usually singular]
the house, town, etc. where a person was born

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

birthplace

[bɜ͟ː(r)θpleɪs]
birthplaces
1) N-COUNT Your birthplace is the place where you were born. [WRITTEN]
2) N-COUNT: usu N of n The birthplace of something is the place where it began.
...Athens, the birthplace of the ancient Olympics.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

birthplace

birth·place /ˈbɚɵˌpleɪs/ noun, pl -plac·es [count] : the place where someone was born or where something began
• He visited his grandmother's birthplace.
• New Orleans is regarded as the birthplace of jazz.

nationality

nationality [noun]

the official right to belong to a particular country

/ˌnæʃ.ənˈæl.ə.t̬i/

/ˌnæʃ.ənˈæl.ə.ti/

Example:

She has British nationality.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

nationality

noun (plural nationalities)
the state of belonging to a certain country:
'What nationality are you?' 'I'm Australian.'

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

nationality

na‧tion‧al‧i‧ty /ˌnæʃəˈnæləti, ˌnæʃəˈnælɪti/ BrE AmE noun (plural nationalities)
[Word Family: noun: ↑nation, ↑national, ↑multinational, ↑nationalism, ↑nationalist, ↑nationality, ↑nationalization, ↑nationhood, ↑international, ↑internationalism, ↑internationalist, ↑internationalization; adjective: ↑national, ↑international, ↑multinational, ↑nationalist, ↑nationalistic, nationalized, ↑internationalist; verb: ↑nationalize, ↑internationalize; adverb: ↑nationally, ↑internationally]
1. [uncountable and countable] the state of being legally a citizen of a particular country ⇨ citizenship:
people of the same nationality
French/Brazilian etc nationality
He has British nationality.
dual nationality (=the state of being a citizen of two countries)
2. [countable] a large group of people with the same race, origin, language etc:
the different nationalities within the former USSR

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

nationality

na·tion·al·ity [nationality nationalities] [ˌnæʃəˈnæləti] [ˌnæʃəˈnæləti] noun (pl. na·tion·al·ities)
1. uncountable, countable the legal right of belonging to a particular nation
• to take/have/hold French nationality
• All applicants will be considered regardless of age, sex, religion or nationality.
• The college attracts students of all nationalities.

• She has dual nationality (= is a citizen of two countries).

2. countable a group of people with the same language, culture and history who form part of a political nation
• Kazakhstan alone contains more than a hundred nationalities.
Example Bank:
• He accused them of discrimination on the grounds of nationality.
• He has dual British and South African nationality.
• He recently received the Spanish passport which grants him dual nationality.
• She is hoping to adopt Australian nationality.
• The pupils are of mixed nationality.
• a German-born composer who took British nationality
• cultural differences among various nationalities
• All applicants will be considered, regardless of age, sex, religion or nationality.
• She has dual nationality.
• The city is home to more than a hundred nationalities.

• to take/have/hold French nationality

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

nationality / ˌnæʃ. ə nˈæl.ə.ti / / ˌnæʃˈnæl- / / -t̬i / noun

A1 [ C or U ] the official right to belong to a particular country:

She has British nationality.

What nationality are you?

[ C ] a group of people of the same race, religion, traditions, etc.:

At the International School they have pupils of 46 different nationalities.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

nationality

[næ̱ʃənæ̱lɪti]
nationalities
1) N-VAR If you have the nationality of a particular country, you were born there or have the legal right to be a citizen.
  Asked his nationality, he said British...
  The crew are of different nationalities and have no common language.
2) N-COUNT You can refer to people who have the same racial origins as a nationality, especially when they do not have their own independent country.
  ...the many nationalities that comprise Ethiopia.
  Syn:
  race

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

nationality

na·tion·al·i·ty /ˌnæʃəˈnæləti/ noun, pl -ties
1 [count] : a group of people who share the same history, traditions, and language, and who usually live together in a particular country
• The country is home to five nationalities and seven languages.
• people of all races and nationalities
2 formal : the fact or status of being a member or citizen of a particular nation

[noncount]

• She's American, but her parents are of Japanese nationality.
• He has held French nationality for the past 20 years.

[count]

• The university has students of over 50 nationalities.

failure

failure [noun] (NO SUCCESS)

the fact of someone or something not succeeding

/ˈfeɪ.ljɚ/

/ˈfeɪ.ljər/

Example:

The meeting was a complete/total failure.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

failure

noun

1 (no plural) lack of success:
The search for the missing children ended in failure.

2 (plural failures) a person or thing that does not do well:
I felt that I was a failure because I didn't have a job.
opposite success

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

failure

fail‧ure S3 W2 /ˈfeɪljə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: noun: ↑fail, ↑failure, ↑failing; adjective: ↑failed, ↑unfailing; verb: ↑fail; adverb: unfaillingly]
1. LACK OF SUCCESS [uncountable and countable] a lack of success in achieving or doing something OPP success:
Successful people often aren’t very good at dealing with failure.
failure to do something
the conference’s failure to reach an agreement
2. UNSUCCESSFUL PERSON/THING [countable] someone or something that is not successful OPP success:
I always felt a bit of a failure at school.
3. failure to do something an act of not doing something which should be done or which people expect you to do:
Failure to produce proof of identity could result in prosecution.
4. BUSINESS [uncountable and countable] a situation in which a business has to close because of a lack of money:
Business failures in Scotland rose 10% last year.
5. MACHINE/BODY PART [uncountable and countable] an occasion when a machine or part of your body stops working properly:
The cause of the crash was engine failure.
heart/kidney/liver etc failure
He died from kidney failure.
failure in
a failure in the computer system
6. CROPS [uncountable and countable] an occasion when crops do not grow or produce food, for example because of bad weather:
a series of crop failures
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1 & 2)
■ verbs
▪ end in/result in failure A series of rescue attempts ended in failure.
▪ be doomed to failure (=be certain to fail) The rebellion was doomed to failure from the start.
▪ admit failure He was too proud to admit failure.
▪ accept failure Being able to accept failure is part of life.
▪ avoid failure She was anxious to avoid failure.
■ adjectives
▪ complete/total/utter failure The project ended in total failure.
▪ abject/dismal failure (=used to emphasize how bad a failure is) The experiment was considered a dismal failure.
▪ a personal failure (=a failure that is someone's personal fault) He considered his inability to form long-term relationships to be a personal failure.
▪ economic failure Economic failure drove the government out of office.
■ phrases
▪ fear of failure Fear of failure should not deter you from trying.
▪ the risk/possibility of failure The risk of failure for a new product is very high. | The possibility of failure was sufficiently high for the auditors to warn investors.
▪ an admission of failure Dropping out of college would be an admission of failure.
▪ a history of failure (=a situation in which someone has failed many times in the past) Some children have a history of failure at school.
▪ a string of failures (=a series of failures) The team has had a string of failures in recent games.
▪ a sense of failure People may feel a sense of failure if they admit they have ended up in a job they hate.
▪ the consequences of failure The political consequences of failure would be defeat at the next election.
■ failure + NOUN
▪ a failure rate There is a high failure rate in the restaurant industry.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ failure noun [countable] someone or something that is not successful: The book was a complete failure. | I felt a complete failure.
▪ flop noun [countable] informal something that is not successful because people do not like it – used especially about a film, play, product, or performance: Despite the hype, the movie was a flop at the box office. | Their next computer was a flop.
▪ disaster noun [countable] used when saying that something is extremely unsuccessful: Our first date was a disaster. | Their marriage was a total disaster.
▪ fiasco noun [countable usually singular] something that is completely unsuccessful and goes very badly wrong – used especially about things that have been officially planned, which go very wrong: The baggage system broke down on the first day the airport was open. It was a complete fiasco. | The fiasco came close to ending de Gaulle's political career.
▪ debacle noun [countable usually singular] formal an event or situation that is a complete failure, because it does not happen in the way that it was officially planned: the banking debacle that has put our economy at risk
▪ shambles noun [singular] especially British English if a situation or event is a shambles, it is completely unsuccessful because it has been very badly planned or organized, and no one seems to know what to do: The first few shows were a shambles, but things soon got better.
▪ washout noun [singular] informal a failure – used when something is so bad that it would be better if it had not happened: The play wasn’t a complete washout; the acting was okay. | His most recent and ambitious project, a big-budget Hollywood film, was a washout with both critics and audiences alike.
▪ turkey noun [countable] informal something that is so bad and unsuccessful that you think the people involved should be embarrassed about it – a very informal use: At the time most people thought the car was a complete turkey. | Since then he has appeared in a string of turkeys.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

failure

fail·ure [failure failures] [ˈfeɪljə(r)] [ˈfeɪljər] noun

NOT SUCCESSFUL
1. uncountable lack of success in doing or achieving sth
• The success or failure of the plan depends on you.
• The attempt was doomed to failure.
• All my efforts ended in failure.
• the problems of economic failure and increasing unemployment
• She is still coming to terms with the failure of her marriage.

Opp: success

2. countable a person or thing that is not successful
• The whole thing was a complete failure.
• He was a failure as a teacher.
• A team learns from experience, both successes and failures.

Opp: success

NOT DOING STH

3. uncountable, countable ~ to do sth an act of not doing sth, especially sth that you are expected to do
• the failure of the United Nations to maintain food supplies
• Failure to comply with the regulations will result in prosecution.

• His confession followed repeated failures to appear in court.

OF MACHINE/PART OF BODY

4. uncountable, countable the state of not working correctly or as expected; an occasion when this happens
• patients suffering from heart/kidney, etc. failure
• Production has been hampered by mechanical failure.
• A power failure plunged everything into darkness.

• The cause of the crash was given as engine failure.

OF BUSINESS

5. countable, uncountable business ~ a situation in which a business has to close because it is not successful

• an alarming increase in business failures

OF CROP/HARVEST

6. uncountable, countable crop/harvest ~ a situation in which crops do not grow correctly and do not produce food
• Bad weather has resulted in crop failure.
Word Origin:
mid 17th cent. (originally as failer, in the senses ‘non-occurrence’ and ‘stopping of supply’): from Anglo-Norman French failer for Old French faillir, based on Latin fallere ‘deceive’.
Thesaurus:
failure noun
1.
• The marriage ended in failure.
collapse • • breakdown •
Opp: success
a failure/collapse/breakdown in sth
contribute to/lead to/result in/cause/avoid the failure/collapse/breakdown (of sth)
end in failure/breakdown (of sth)
2. C
• The whole thing was a complete failure.
disaster • • catastrophe • • debacle • |informal fiasco • • washout • • flop •
Opp: success
a failure/disaster/catastrophe for sb
a total failure/disaster/catastrophe/debacle/fiasco/washout/flop
a financial failure/disaster/debacle/fiasco
3. C
• He was a failure as a teacher.
disappointment • |disapproving incompetent • |informal, disapproving loser • • disaster • • no-hoper •
Opp: success
be a failure/disappointment/disaster as sth
a complete failure/loser/disaster/no-hoper
Example Bank:
• All her efforts were doomed to failure.
• Business failures rose by 30% in 2001.
• Children who are doing badly tend to expect failure and criticism.
• Fear of failure should not deter you from trying.
• He attributes the failure of the project to lack of government support.
• He lamented his failure to formulate a satisfactory theory.
• He was too proud to admit failure.
• Her ideas were large: if she could not succeed, she would at least be a heroic failure.
• Her parents had long since branded her a failure.
• I blame the failure of our relationship on my husband.
• I felt (like) a complete failure.
• I will not tolerate failure.
• Initial failure was followed by unexpected, if modest, success.
• John had a long history of academic failure.
• Nothing can excuse your failure to ask my permission.
• The aircraft seems to have experienced an engine failure.
• The attempt ended in abject failure.
• The decision to withdraw funding represents a failure of imagination.
• The film was one of the rare failures in his career.
• The venture proved a costly failure.
• There is a high failure rate with this treatment.
• This breach constitutes a serious failure in performance.
• War is the ultimate failure of public communication.
• a failure in the computer system
• a rare viral infection that can lead to heart failure
• economic failure and increasing unemployment
• failures arising from circumstances beyond your control
• government failure to listen to the voice of the electorate
• patients with chronic renal failure
• seeking to excuse his failure to ask her permission
• the commonest cause of acute liver failure
• to learn from past failures
• All my efforts ended in failure.
• Failure to comply with the regulations will result in prosecution.
• His confession followed repeated failures to appear in court.
• The attempt was doomed to failure.
• The project was considered a failure in both technical and economic terms.
• The rebellion was a dismal failure.
• There has been an alarming increase in business failures.

• patients suffering from heart/kidney failure

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

failure / ˈfeɪ.ljə r / / -ljɚ / noun [ C or U ] (NO SUCCESS)

B2 the fact of someone or something not succeeding:

The meeting was a complete/total failure.

I'm a bit of a failure at making (= I cannot make) cakes.

I feel such a failure (= so unsuccessful) .

Their attempt to climb the Eiger ended in failure.

The whole project was doomed to failure right from the start (= it could never have succeeded) .

Word partners for failure

an abject / complete / humiliating / total failure • be / feel a failure • end in / result in failure • admit failure • be doomed to failure • a fear / sense of failure

failure / ˈfeɪ.ljə r / / -ljɚ / noun [ U + to infinitive ] (NOT DO)

B2 the fact of not doing something that you must do or are expected to do:

His failure to return her phone call told her that something was wrong.

Failure to keep the chemical at the right temperature could lead to an explosion.

Word partners for failure

an abject / complete / humiliating / total failure • be / feel a failure • end in / result in failure • admit failure • be doomed to failure • a fear / sense of failure

failure / ˈfeɪ.ljə r / / -ljɚ / noun [ C or U ] (STOP)

B2 the fact of something not working, or stopping working as well as it should:

He died of heart/liver failure.

The accident was caused by the failure of the reactor's cooling system.

The number of business failures rose steeply last year.

After three crop failures in a row, the people face starvation.

Word partners for failure

an abject / complete / humiliating / total failure • be / feel a failure • end in / result in failure • admit failure • be doomed to failure • a fear / sense of failure

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

failure

[fe͟ɪljə(r)]
♦♦
failures
1) N-UNCOUNT Failure is a lack of success in doing or achieving something, especially in relation to a particular activity.
  This policy is doomed to failure...
  Three attempts on the British 200-metre record also ended in failure.
  ...feelings of failure.
  Ant:
  success
2) N-COUNT If something is a failure, it is not a success.
  The marriage was a failure and they both wanted to be free of it...
  His six-year transition programme has by no means been a complete failure.
  Ant:
  success
3) N-COUNT If you say that someone is a failure, you mean that they have not succeeded in a particular activity, or that they are unsuccessful at everything they do.
  Elgar received many honors and much acclaim and yet he often considered himself a failure...
  I just felt I had been a failure in my personal life.
  Ant:
  success
4) N-UNCOUNT: N to-inf, oft poss N Your failure to do a particular thing is the fact that you do not do it, even though you were expected to do it.
  She accused the Foreign Office of disgraceful failure to support British citizens arrested overseas...
  They see their failure to produce an heir as a curse from God.
5) N-VAR: with supp, oft n N If there is a failure of something, for example a machine or part of the body, it goes wrong and stops working or developing properly.
  There were also several accidents mainly caused by engine failures on take-off...
  He was being treated for kidney failure...
  Researchers found an almost total crop failure and a severe shortage of drinking water.
6) N-VAR: with supp If there is a failure of a business or bank, it is no longer able to continue operating.
  Business failures rose 16% last month.
  Syn:
  collapse
7) N-VAR: N of n If you say that someone has a failure of a particular quality or ability, you mean that they do not have enough of it.
  There is, too, a simple failure of imagination...
  He remained on his knees for a long time afterwards, ashamed by his failure of nerve.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

failure

fail·ure /ˈfeɪljɚ/ noun, pl -ures
1 : the act or result of failing: such as
a : a lack of success in some effort

[count]

• He became discouraged by his repeated failures in business.

[noncount]

• He was often crippled by his fear of failure.
• He was trying to rescue the business from failure. [=bankruptcy]
- opposite success
b : a situation or occurrence in which something does not work as it should

[count]

• The storm caused power failures [=outages] in many parts of the city.
• a failure [=lapse] of memory

[noncount]

• The accident was caused by engine failure.
• The patient was suffering from heart/kidney failure.
c : an occurrence in which someone does not do something that should be done - followed by to + verb;

[count]

• The accident was caused by a failure to use proper procedures.

[noncount]

• She was criticized for failure to follow directions.
d : an occurrence in which crops do not grow and produce food in the normal way

[noncount]

• The drought caused crop failure.

[count]

• a serious crop failure
2 [count] : a person or thing that has failed
• He felt like a failure when he wasn't accepted into law school.
• The scheme was a complete failure.
- opposite success

American English

British English

failures

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