noun

experience

I. ex‧pe‧ri‧ence¹ S1 W1 /ɪkˈspɪəriəns $ -ˈspɪr-/ BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: verb: ↑experience; noun: ↑experience ≠ ↑inexperience; adjective: ↑experienced ≠ ↑inexperienced]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: French; Origin: Latin experientia 'act of trying', from experiri 'to try out']
1. KNOWLEDGE/SKILL [uncountable] knowledge or skill that you gain from doing a job or activity, or the process of doing this
experience of/in/with
You’ve got a lot of experience of lecturing.
my experience in many areas of the music business
He had no previous experience of managing a farm.
The advice in the booklet reflects the practical experience we have gained (=experience gained by actually doing something, rather than knowledge from books etc).
I had some experience in fashion design.
She was turned down on the grounds of lack of experience.
I have first-hand experience (=experience gained by doing something myself) of running a school.
gain/get experience
The programme enables pupils to gain some experience of the world of work.
2. KNOWLEDGE OF LIFE [uncountable] knowledge that you gain about life and the world by being in different situations and meeting different people, or the process of gaining this
in sb’s experience
In his experience, women did not like getting their feet wet and muddy.
know/learn/speak from experience
Being a parent isn’t easy, as I know from experience.
All animals appear to have some capacity to learn from experience.
I speak from bitter experience (=having learnt something because something unpleasant happened).
personal/previous/past experience
From personal experience, she knew and understood the problems of alcohol addiction.
experience shows/suggests that
Beth’s experience suggests that people don’t really change deep down.
3. SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS [countable] something that happens to you or something you do, especially when this has an effect on what you feel or think:
childhood experiences
experience of/with
This was my first experience of living with other people.
experience for
Failing an exam was a new experience for me.
I had a similar experience last year.
The two children in this story have been through a lot of bad experiences.
Parachuting is quite an experience.
memorable/unforgettable experience
This romantic evening cruise is a memorable experience.
religious experience (=a situation in which you feel, hear, or see something that affects you strongly and makes you believe in God)
This kind of religious experience was a sign of God’s special favour.
4. the black/female/Russian etc experience events or knowledge shared by the members of a particular society or group of people:
No writer expresses the black experience with such passion as Toni Morisson.
5. work experience British English a system in which a student can work for a company in order to learn about a job, or the period during which a student does this:
Ella is about to do work experience with a clothing manufacturer.
on work experience
students on work experience
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ verbs
▪ have experience Applicants must have experience of working with children.
▪ get/gain experience He suggested that I should gain some experience in a related industry like travel.
▪ lack experience (=not have enough experience) Some students lack experience writing essays.
▪ broaden/widen your experience (=increase the amount of different experience you have) After six years with the bank, he went to work in New York to broaden his experience.
■ adjectives
▪ considerable experience (=a lot of experience) Margaret has considerable experience of hospital work.
▪ long experience (=experience gained over a long period of time) New prison officers are partnered by officers with long experience of dealing with violent prisoners.
▪ useful/valuable experience (=useful experience) That summer he got some valuable experience working in a tax office.
▪ invaluable experience (=extremely useful experience) Playing in the under-21 squad gives these young players invaluable experience.
▪ relevant experience (=experience that directly relates to a job, subject, or problem) Applicants need a degree and two years of relevant experience.
▪ past/previous experience His only previous experience of broadcasting consisted of a job hosting a local radio station.
▪ practical experience (=experience gained from doing something, not from books or study) The classes provide students with some practical experience of computers.
▪ first-hand experience (=experience gained by doing something yourself) She has no first-hand experience of running a school.
■ phrases
▪ a wealth of experience (=a lot of useful experience) Between them, the management team have a wealth of experience.
▪ lack of experience My colleagues kept making comments about about my lack of experience.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ adjectives
▪ personal experience He spoke from personal experience about the harmful effects of taking drugs.
▪ life experience (=experience that comes from life) As an older parent, your life experience is one of your greatest assets.
▪ first-hand experience (=experience gained from doing something yourself) As a journalist living in Iraq, he had first-hand experience of coping with terror on his doorstep.
▪ bitter experience (=experience that makes you feel disappointed or upset) I knew from bitter experience how unreliable she could be.
▪ everyday experience (=experience of normal life) Hunger is part of everyday experience for these children.
■ verbs
▪ know/learn from experience Janet knew from experience that love doesn't always last.
▪ speak from experience The miners spoke from experience about the dangers of their work.
▪ lack experience Many men in their twenties lack experience and social skills.
▪ experience suggests/shows something Experience suggests that children who commit crimes will continue to offend as adults.
■ phrases
▪ lack of experience He was embarrassed about his lack of experience with women.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 3)
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + experience
▪ a good/bad experience On the whole, going to boarding school was a good experience for him. | I've had some bad experiences when I've been travelling on my own.
▪ positive/negative The entire experience has been very positive. | Many people reported having negative experiences when dealing with their local council.
▪ enjoyable/pleasant We want to make the experience as enjoyable as possible. | She recalled pleasant experiences from her past.
▪ memorable/unforgettable (=a good experience that you will remember for a long time) Meeting the queen was a memorable experience.
▪ painful (=one that is very upsetting) Her family supported her through the painful experience.
▪ traumatic/harrowing (=one that is shocking and upsetting, and affects you for a long time) Having an operation can be a traumatic experience for a child.
▪ new The club scene was a whole new experience for me.
▪ a formative experience (=one that has an important influence on the way someone develops) The trip was probably the most formative experience of my life.
▪ childhood experiences Our childhood experiences make us what we are as adults.
▪ a religious experience (=one that makes someone believe strongly in God) As a young man he had a profound religious experience.
▪ an everyday/commonplace experience (=one that is typical of normal life) The sound of gunfire is an everyday experience in the city.

fence

I. fence¹ S3 /fens/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1300-1400; Origin: defense]
1. a structure made of wood, metal etc that surrounds a piece of land
2. a wall or other structure that horses jump over in a race or competition
3. informal someone who buys and sells stolen goods
4. sit/be on the fence to avoid saying which side of an argument you support
⇨ mend (your) fences at ↑mend¹(4)
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ wall an upright flat structure made of stone or brick, that divides one area from another or surrounds an area: The estate is surrounded by high stone walls. | a brick wall
▪ fence a structure made of wood, metal etc that surrounds a piece of land: The garden was surrounded by an old wooden fence. | the chain link fence around the school
▪ railings a metal fence that is made of a series of upright bars: the iron railings in front of the house | The boy was leaning over the railing on the side of the boat.
▪ barrier a type of fence or gate that prevents people from moving in a particular direction: A guard stood near the barrier. | The police had put up barriers to keep the crowd under control.
▪ screen a piece of furniture like a thin wall that can be moved around and is used to divide one part of a room from another: the screen around his hospital bed | a Japanese bamboo screen | a fire screen (=that you put near a fire)
▪ partition a thin wall that separates one part of a room from another: The room was divided into two by a thin partition. | The offices are separated by partitions and you can hear everything that is said in the next office.
▪ barricade a line of objects that people have put across a road, to prevent people getting past, especially as part of a protest: The soldiers used tanks to smash through the barricades.

species

spe‧cies W2 /ˈspiːʃiːz/ BrE AmE noun (plural species) [countable]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Latin; Origin: 'appearance, kind', from specere 'to look (at)']
a group of animals or plants whose members are similar and can breed together to produce young animals or plants ⇨ genus:
Seven species of birds of prey have been observed.
pandas and other endangered species (=ones that may soon no longer exist)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + species
▪ endangered (=used about a species of which there are very few still alive, so that it may soon not exist) The park is a sanctuary for 41 endangered species.
▪ protected Elephants are a protected species in Indonesia.
▪ rare The area contains many rare species of plants.
▪ common Here you will see most of the common species of African wildlife.
▪ extinct (=no longer existing) About a hundred species are becoming extinct every day.
▪ new (=not known about before, or not existing before ) A new species of spider has been discovered in a field in Cambridgeshire.
▪ native (=having always been in a particular country) Desert broom is a species native to Arizona.
▪ bird/animal/plant species You can see many different bird species on the canal.
■ verbs
▪ a species is found somewhere This species is found only in the Southern Hemisphere.
▪ a species lives somewhere (=used about animals) Many rainforest species cannot live anywhere else.
▪ a species grows somewhere (=used about plants) The species grows wild in Europe.

opportunity

op‧por‧tu‧ni‧ty S1 W1 /ˌɒpəˈtjuːnəti, ˌɒpəˈtjuːnɪti $ ˌɑːpərˈtuː-/ BrE AmE noun (plural opportunities)
1. [uncountable and countable] a chance to do something or an occasion when it is easy for you to do something
opportunity to do something
a rare opportunity to see inside this historic building
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all.
opportunity for
Games and songs provide an opportunity for classroom interaction.
2. [countable] a chance to get a job or improve your situation at work:
There are fewer opportunities for new graduates this year. ⇨ equal opportunities at ↑equal¹(2)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have opportunity I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to travel.
▪ take/use opportunity (=do something you have a chance to do) Several employees took the opportunity to retire early.
▪ seize/grasp an opportunity (=do something very eagerly when you have the chance) She saw an opportunity to speak to him, and seized it.
▪ miss/lose an opportunity (=not do something you have a chance to do) Dwyer never missed an opportunity to criticize her.
▪ give somebody opportunity The children should be given the opportunity to make their own choices.
▪ get an opportunity I decided to go, as I might never get this opportunity again.
▪ provide/present/open up an opportunity The course also provides an opportunity to study Japanese.
▪ an opportunity comes (along/up) We had outgrown our house when the opportunity came up to buy one with more land.
▪ an opportunity arises Perhaps she would explain later, if the opportunity arose.
■ adjectives
▪ a good/great/wonderful etc opportunity It's a great opportunity to try new things.
▪ the ideal/perfect opportunity I'd been wanting to try sailing, and this seemed like the ideal opportunity.
▪ a golden opportunity (=a very good opportunity) The council has missed a golden opportunity to improve the town centre.
▪ a rare/unique opportunity a unique opportunity to stay in a real castle
▪ a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity (=a very good opportunity that you will only get once) For many athletes, the Olympics are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
▪ a wasted/lost/missed opportunity (=one you do not use) Many people see the failed talks as a missed opportunity for peace.
▪ ample opportunity/plenty of opportunity (=a number of chances to do something) There will be ample opportunity for shopping.
▪ limited/little opportunity (=not many chances) They had little opportunity to discuss the issue beforehand.
■ nouns
▪ a photo opportunity (=a chance to take a good photograph, especially of a particular person) Parents will always look for good photo opportunities at their kid's graduation ceremony.
■ phrases
▪ at the first/earliest opportunity (=as soon as possible) He decided to leave school at the earliest opportunity.
▪ at every (possible) opportunity (=whenever possible) She went to the museum at every opportunity.
▪ a window of opportunity (=a time when you can do something) The other team started making mistakes, but we didn't take advantage of this window of opportunity.
▪ a land of opportunity (=a country where people have a lot of good opportunities) America was then seen as a land of opportunity.
▪ the opportunity of a lifetime (=a very good opportunity that you will only get once) The winner of the contest got the opportunity of a lifetime – the chance to work with a top fashion designer.

toenail

toe‧nail /ˈtəʊneɪl $ ˈtoʊ-/ noun [countable]
  the hard part that covers the top of each of your toes

toe

I. toe¹ S3 /təʊ $ toʊ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: ta]
1. one of the five movable parts at the end of your foot ⇨ finger:
He stubbed his toe (=hurt it by kicking it against something) on a rock.
big toe (=the largest of your toes)

the part of a shoe or sock that covers the front part of your foot
3. tread on sb’s toes British English, step on sb’s toes American English to offend someone, especially by becoming involved in something that they are responsible for
4. keep somebody on their toes to make sure that someone is ready for anything that might happen:
They do random checks to keep workers on their toes.
5. make sb’s toes curl to make someone feel very embarrassed or uncomfortable
6. touch your toes to bend downwards so that your hands touch your toes, without bending your knees
7. put/dip a toe in the water to try a little of something or try an activity for a short time to see if you like it
⇨ from head to toe at ↑head¹(1), ⇨ from top to toe at ↑top¹(22)

II. secret² S3 W3 BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑secrecy, ↑secret, ↑secretiveness; adverb: ↑secretly, ↑secretively; adjective: ↑secret, ↑secretive; verb: ↑secrete]
1. something that is kept hidden or that is known about by only a few people ⇨ secrecy:
I can’t tell you. It’s a secret.
It was no secret that the two men hated each other.
Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me (=I won’t tell anyone about it).
2. in secret in a private way or place that other people do not know about:
The negotiations were conducted in secret.
3. the secret a particular way of achieving a good result, that is the best or only way
the secret to (doing) something
The secret to making good pastry is to use very cold water.
Your hair always looks so great – what’s your secret?
What do you think is the secret of her success?
4. make no secret of something to make your opinions about something clear:
Louise made no secret of her dislike for John.
5. the secrets of life/nature/the universe etc the things no one yet knows about life, nature etc
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ have a secret We have no secrets from each other.
▪ know a secret (=about someone else) You can tell Tom that I know his secret.
▪ keep a secret (=not tell it to anyone) Can you keep a secret?
▪ tell somebody a secret Shall I tell you a secret?
▪ let somebody in on a secret (=tell them a secret) Frank let me in on the secret.
▪ reveal/divulge a secret formal (=tell it to someone) He was accused of revealing state secrets.
▪ give away a secret (=tell it to someone carelessly or by mistake) I had to be careful not to give away any secrets.
▪ share a secret (=tell it to someone because you trust them) I trusted Alexander, so I decided to share my secret with him.
▪ discover/find out a secret He was afraid that someone would discover his secret.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + secret
▪ a big secret (=an important secret or one that very few people know) The event was supposed to be a big secret, but everyone knew about it.
▪ a little secret (=a personal secret that very few people know) You must promise me that this will be our little secret.
▪ a closely guarded/well-kept secret (=a secret that few people are allowed to know) The recipe is a closely guarded secret.
▪ an open secret (=something that a lot of people know, but do not talk about because it is supposed to be a secret) It was an open secret that he was having an affair.
▪ a dark/terrible secret (=a secret about something bad) I’m sure every family has a few dark secrets.
▪ a dirty secret (=a shameful secret) The exclusion of black people from the film industry is one of Hollywood’s dirty little secrets.
▪ a guilty secret (=a secret that someone feels guilty about) He had finally discovered Jo’s guilty secret.
▪ sb’s innermost secrets (=very private or personal secrets) She wasn’t confident enough to share her innermost secrets with him.
▪ a family secret Their normally strong relationship is threatened when he has to reveal a family secret.
▪ a state/official secret (=a government secret) He was accused of passing on state secrets to a foreign power.
▪ a trade secret (=a company or business secret) They must not betray their employer 's trust, for instance by giving away trade secrets.
▪ military secrets He was sent to prison for five years in 1933 for selling military secrets to Germany.
■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say ˈsay a secretˈ or ˈsay your secretsˈ. Say tell somebody a secret or tell somebody your secrets.

plate

I. plate¹ S2 W2 /pleɪt/ BrE AmE noun
[Sense 1,3,7: Date: 1400-1500; Language: French; Origin: plat 'plate, dish', from plat 'flat', from Vulgar Latin plattus, probably from Greek platys 'broad, flat']
[Sense 2, 4-5,8-11: Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: plat 'flat']
[Sense 6: Date: 1300-1400; Origin: Partly from Old French plat 'plate, piece of silver', partly from Old Spanish plata 'silver']
1. FOOD [countable]
a) a flat and usually round dish that you eat from or serve food on:
The plates were piled high with rice.
a dinner plate
b) (also plateful) the amount of food that is on a plate
plate of
He’s eaten a whole plate of french fries.
► Do not use plate when you mean ‘food cooked in a particular way as a meal’. Use dish: the chef who created this dish (NOT this plate)
2. SIGN [countable] a flat piece of metal with words or numbers on it, for example on a door or a car:
The brass plate on the door said ‘Dr Rackman’.
number/license/registration plate (=on a car)
Did anyone see the car’s license plate? ⇨ ↑L-plate, ↑nameplate
3. have a lot/enough on your plate informal to have a lot of problems to deal with or problems to worry about
4. PROTECTIVE COVERING [countable]
a) technical one of the thin sheets of bone, horn etc that covers and protects the outside of some animals
b) a thin sheet of metal used to protect something
metal/steel/iron plates
The shoes had metal plates attached to the heels.
5. EARTH’S SURFACE [countable] technical one of the very large sheets of rock that form the surface of the Earth ⇨ ↑plate tectonics
6. GOLD/SILVER
a) gold/silver plate ordinary metal with a thin covering of gold or silver
b) [uncountable] things such as plates, cups, forks, or knives made of gold or silver
7. hand/give/offer somebody something on a plate to let someone get or achieve something easily, without much effort from them:
I worked hard for what I’ve got. It wasn’t handed to me on a plate.
8. PICTURES/PHOTOS [countable]
a) a sheet of metal that has been cut or treated in a special way so that words or pictures can be printed from its surface:
copper printing plates
b) a picture in a book, printed on good-quality paper and usually coloured
c) a thin sheet of glass used especially in the past in photography, with chemicals on it that are sensitive to light
9. BASEBALL [countable usually singular] the place where the person hitting the ball stands
10. COMPETITION the ... Plate used in the names of sports competitions or races in which the winner gets a silver plate:
This horse won the Galway Plate.
11. TEETH [countable]
a) a thin piece of plastic shaped to fit inside a person’s mouth, into which ↑false teeth are fixed
b) British English a thin piece of plastic with wires fixed to it, that some people wear in their mouth to make their teeth straight SYN brace British English
⇨ ↑hotplate

arrow

ar‧row  /ærəʊ $ ˈæroʊ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: arwe]

1. a weapon usually made from a thin straight piece of wood with a sharp point at one end, that you shoot with a ↑bow
2. a sign in the shape of an arrow, used to show direction:
Follow the arrows to the X-ray department.