American English

I. me‧di‧um¹ S3 AC /ˈmiːdiəm/ BrE AmE adjective
1. of middle size, level, or amount:
What size shirt does he wear – small, medium or large?
(of) medium height/length/build
She’s of medium height.
hair of medium length
Fry the onions over a medium heat until they are golden.
medium to large companies
► Use average, not ‘medium’, when you want to say that someone’s level of skill or ability is neither high nor low: students of average ability (NOT students of medium ability)
2. (also medium rare) meat that is medium or medium rare is partly cooked but still slightly pink inside ⇨ rare, well-done
3. medium dry medium dry wine is slightly sweeter than dry wine
4. medium brown/blue etc a colour which is neither light nor dark:
His jacket’s a medium brown colour.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

medium

me·dium AW [medium mediums] adjective, noun [ˈmiːdiəm] [ˈmiːdiəm]

adjective usually before noun (abbr. M)
in the middle between two sizes, amounts, lengths, temperatures, etc.
Syn: average
• a medium-size car/business/town
• a man of medium height/build
• There are three sizes— small, medium and large.
• a medium steak (= one cooked quite well but not too much)
• Cook over a medium heat for 15 minutes.
• a medium dry white wine
• Choose medium to large tomatoes.
see in the long/short/medium term at term
Word Origin:

late 16th cent. (originally denoting something intermediate in nature or degree): from Latin, literally middle, neuter of medius.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

medium / ˈmiː.di.əm / adjective (MIDDLE)

B1 being in the middle between an upper and lower amount, size, degree, or value:

a girl of medium height

a medium-sized book

medium / ˈmiː.di.əm / adjective (MEAT)

(of meat) cooked so that it is no longer red in the middle:

Would you like your steak rare, medium, or well-done?

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

medium

/mi:diəm/
(mediums, media)

Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.

Note: The plural of the noun can be either 'mediums' or 'media' for meanings 4 and 5. The form 'mediums' is the plural for meaning 6.

1.
If something is of medium size, it is neither large nor small, but approximately half way between the two.
A medium dose produces severe nausea within hours...
He was of medium height with blond hair and light blue eyes.
ADJ: usu ADJ n

2.
You use medium to describe something which is average in degree or amount, or approximately half way along a scale between two extremes.
Foods that contain only medium levels of sodium are bread, cakes, milk, butter and margarine.
...a sweetish, medium-strength beer.
ADJ: usu ADJ n
•
Medium is also an adverb.
Cook under a medium-hot grill.
ADV: ADV adj

3.
If something is of a medium colour, it is neither light nor dark, but approximately half way between the two.
Andrea has medium brown hair, grey eyes and very pale skin...
COMB in COLOUR

4.
A medium is a way or means of expressing your ideas or of communicating with people.
In Sierra Leone, English is used as the medium of instruction for all primary education...
But Artaud was increasingly dissatisfied with film as a medium.
N-COUNT

5.
A medium is a substance or material which is used for a particular purpose or in order to produce a particular effect.
Blood is the medium in which oxygen is carried to all parts of the body...
Hyatt has found a way of creating these qualities using the more permanent medium of oil paint.
N-COUNT

6.
A medium is a person who claims to be able to contact and speak to people who are dead, and to pass messages between them and people who are still alive.
N-COUNT

7.
see also media

8.
If you strike or find a happy medium between two extreme and opposite courses of action, you find a sensible way of behaving that is somewhere between the two extremes.
I still aim to strike a happy medium between producing football that’s worth watching and getting results...
PHRASE: PHR after v

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

medium

²medium adj
1 : in the middle of a range of possible sizes, amounts, etc.
• These T-shirts are available in three sizes: small, medium, and large.
• a person of medium build/height/weight
• a medium blue [=a blue that is neither very light nor very dark]
2 of meat : cooked to a point that is between rare and well-done
• How would you like your steak, sir: rare, medium, or well-done?
✦Meat that is medium rare is cooked to a point between rare and medium, while meat that is medium well is cooked to a point between medium and well-done.
- medium adv
• He likes his steak cooked medium.

small

small [adjective] (LITTLE)

/smɑːl/

/smɔːl/

Example:

The T-shirt was too small for him.

not large in size or amount

Persian equivalent:

Click here.

Example:

The T-shirt was too small for him.

Theme, CEFR level & Tags

Theme:

Level:

Region:

Oxford Essential Dictionary

small

adjective (smaller, smallest)

1 not big; little:
This dress is too small for me.
My house is smaller than yours.

2 young:
They have two small children.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

small

I. small¹ S1 W1 /smɔːl $ smɒːl/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative smaller, superlative smallest)
[Language: Old English; Origin: smæl]
1. SIZE not large in size or amount:
a small piece of paper
a small car
a small town
a small dark woman
The T-shirt was too small for him.
The sweater comes in three sizes – small, medium, and large.
Only a relatively small number of people were affected.
a small amount of money
A much smaller proportion of women are employed in senior positions.
2. NOT IMPORTANT a small problem, job, mistake etc is not important or does not have a large effect SYN minor:
We may have to make a few small changes.
There’s been a small problem.
There’s only a small difference between them.
It was good to feel we had helped in some small way.
3. no small degree/achievement/task etc a large degree, achievement etc:
The success of the project is due in no small measure to the work of Dr Peterson.
That is no small achievement in the circumstances.
4. YOUNG a small child is young:
She has three small children.
I’ve known him since he was a small boy.
5. small business/firm/farmer etc a business that does not involve large amounts of money or does not employ a large number of people:
grants for small businesses
6. LETTER small letters are letters in the form a, b, c etc rather than A, B, C etc SYN lower case OPP capital
7. conservative with a small 'c'/democrat with a small 'd' etc informal someone who believes in the principles you have mentioned, but does not belong to an organized group or political party
8. VOICE a small voice is quiet and soft:
‘What about me?’ she asked in a small voice.
9. look/feel small to seem or feel stupid, unimportant, or ashamed:
She jumped at any opportunity to make me look small.
10. (it’s a) small world especially spoken used to express surprise when you unexpectedly meet someone you know or find out that someone has an unexpected connection to you:
Did you know David went to school with my brother? It’s a small world, isn’t it?
11. a small fortune a large amount of money
cost/spend/pay a small fortune
It must have cost him a small fortune.
12. small change coins of low value:
I didn’t have any small change for the parking meter.
13. be thankful/grateful for small mercies/favours to be pleased that a bad situation is not even worse:
She wasn’t too badly hurt, so we should be thankful for small mercies.
14. the small hours (also the wee small hours British English) the early morning hours, between about one and four o'clock
in/into the small hours
He finally fell exhausted into bed in the small hours.
The party continued into the wee small hours.
15. small arms guns that you hold with one or both hands when firing them
16. something is small potatoes (also something is small beer British English) informal used to say that someone or something is not important, especially when compared to other people or things:
Even with £10,000 to invest, you are still small beer for most investment managers.
—small adverb:
He writes so small I can’t read it.
—smallness noun [uncountable]
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ small not large in size, amount, or effect: a small boat | small businesses | a small amount of money | small changes
▪ little [usually before noun] small – used about objects, places, and living things. Used especially with other adjectives to show how you feel about someone or something: It’s a very pretty little town. | The poor little dog has hurt its leg. | The cake was decorated with little flowers.
▪ low used about prices, rents, levels, or standards: People on low incomes are finding it difficult to pay fuel bills. | The crime rate in the area is relatively low.
▪ slight [usually before noun] small and not very important or not very noticeable: a slight problem | There’s been a slight improvement in his health. | a slight increase in sales
▪ minor small and not important or not serious: minor injuries | We’ve made some minor changes to the program.
▪ compact small – used about places, buildings etc in which space is used effectively, or about phones, cameras, cars etc which are designed to be much smaller than usual: The apartments are very compact. | a compact camera | It is a pleasant and compact city.
▪ poky especially British English used about a room, house etc that is too small: a poky bedroom | a poky flat
▪ cramped used about a space, room, or vehicle that is too small because people do not have enough room to move around: They all lived together in a cramped apartment. | The car feels cramped with four adults in it.
■ very small
▪ tiny very small – used about objects, numbers, or amounts: a tiny island | Dairy foods provide your body with a tiny amount of vitamin D.
▪ teeny informal very small - used for emphasis: I'll just have a teeny bit of cream. | There's just one teeny little problem. | a teeny little house
▪ minute extremely small and extremely difficult to see or notice: They found minute traces of poison in his body. | The differences are minute. | minute creatures
▪ miniature a miniature camera, watch, railway etc is made in a very small size. A miniature horse, dog etc is bred to be a very small size: The spy used a miniature camera. | the fashion for miniature pets
▪ microscopic extremely small and impossible to see without special equipment: microscopic organisms | microscopic particles of dust
▪ minuscule /ˈmɪnəskjuːl, ˈmɪnɪskjuːl/ extremely small in a surprising way: She was wearing a minuscule bikini. | The threat from terrorism is minuscule compared to other risks in our lives.
▪ itty-bitty/itsy-bitsy [only before noun] American English informal very small: An itty-bitty little bug crawled across his forehead. | We stayed at some itty-bitty hotel in a back street.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

small

small [small smalls smaller smallest] adjective, adverb, noun [smɔːl] [smɔːl]

adjective (small·er, small·est)

NOT LARGE
1. not large in size, number, degree, amount, etc
• a small house/town/car/man
• A much smaller number of students passed than I had expected.
• They're having a relatively small wedding.
• That dress is too small for you.

• ‘I don't agree,’ he said in a small (= quiet) voice.

2. (abbr. S) used to describe one size in a range of sizes of clothes, food, products used in the house, etc.
• small, medium, large

• This is too big— have you got a small one?

3. not as big as sth else of the same kind

• the small intestine

YOUNG

4. young
• They have three small children.
• We travelled around a lot when I was small.

• As a small boy he had spent most of his time with his grandparents.

NOT IMPORTANT

5. slight; not important
• I made only a few small changes to the report.
• She noticed several small errors in his work.
• Everything had been planned down to the smallest detail.
• It was no small achievement getting her to agree to the deal.

• Don't worry. It's only a small problem.

BUSINESS

6. usually before noun not doing business on a very large scale
• a small farmer

• The government is planning to give more help to small businesses.

LETTERS

7. usually before noun not written or printed as capitals
• Should I write ‘god’ with a small ‘g’ or a capital?

• She's a socialist with a small ‘s’ (= she has socialist ideas but is not a member of a socialist party).

NOT MUCH

8. only before noun (used with uncountable nouns) little; not much
• The government has small cause for optimism.
• They have small hope of succeeding.
more at a big fish (in a small pond) at big _adj., great and small at great _adj., the small/early hoursthe wee small hours at hour, a/the still small voice at still _adj., don't sweat the small stuff at sweat _v., in a big/small way at way _n., (it's) no/little/small wonder (that)… at wonder _n.
Word Origin:
Old English smæl, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch smal and German schmal.
Thesaurus:
small adj.
1.
• That dress is too small for you.
little • • tiny • • miniature • • compact • • minute • • microscopic •
Opp: large, Opp: big
a small/little/tiny/miniature house/town/room
a small/little/tiny/minute/microscopic detail
a small/little/tiny baby/child
Small or little? Small is the most usual opposite of big or large. Little is often used to show how you feel about sb/sth, especially after other adjectives such as ugly, nice or cute.
2. usually before noun
• I've made a few small changes to the report.
slight • • minor • • modest • • minimal • • marginal • |especially spoken little • |especially written negligible • • unimportant •
Opp: big, Opp: major
a small/slight/minor/modest/minimal/marginal/little change/difference/improvement
a small/modest/minimal/negligible amount
a small/slight/minor/little error/mistake/defect/accident/problem
Small or slight? Use either word to talk about changes or problems. Use slight but not small to talk about medical problems, feelings or things that affect the senses; use small but not slight to talk about amounts
• a slight cold/headache/movement/touch
• a small amount/number/quantity, etc.

Example Bank:
• Choose plants that will stay small.
• Employers, large and small, face massive fines.
• My coat was rather small for Bob.
• Technology has made the world smaller.
• The gap seemed to be getting smaller.
• The kite grew smaller and smaller and finally disappeared altogether.
• The phones are getting smaller and smaller.
• Add a small amount of liquid to the mixture.
• Can I ask you a small favour?
• Don't worry. It's only a small problem.
• He has incredibly small handwriting.
• He would try anything to make her even the smallest degree happier.
• She comes from a small town in the Mid-West.
• The T-shirts come in small, medium and large.
• The candidate with the smallest number of votes has to stand down.
• Their apartment's pretty small.
• These shoes are too big. Do you have some in a smaller size?
• They're having a relatively small wedding.
• You can grow a stunning display of flowers even in the smallest garden.
• a slight/small adjustment/alteration/amendment/change/improvement/reduction/rise/variation
• a slight/small mistake/error/defect/flaw/blemish/discrepancy/problem/snag/accident
• a small amount/number/quantity/degree/proportion/minority

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

small / smɔːl / / smɑːl / adjective (LITTLE)

A1 little in size or amount when compared with what is typical or average:

a small dog/house/car/country

I'd rather live in a small town than a big city.

Would you like a large or small cola with your burger?

Ella is the smallest girl in her class.

That jacket's too small for you.

He's small for his age.

Only a small number of applicants are successful.

The number of women in parliament is pitifully (= extremely) small.

Liqueurs are usually drunk in small quantities .

smallness / ˈsmɔːl.nəs / / ˈsmɑːl- / noun [ U ]

The smallness of the city often surprises first-time visitors.

small / smɔːl / / smɑːl / adjective (YOUNG)

A1 describes a very young child that is older than a baby:

Looking after small children can be very tiring.

smallness / ˈsmɔːl.nəs / / ˈsmɑːl- / noun [ U ]

The smallness of the city often surprises first-time visitors.

small / smɔːl / / smɑːl / adjective [ before noun ] (LIMITED ACTIVITY)

limited in the amount of an activity:

The government should give more help to small businessmen (= people whose businesses are of a limited size) .

Chris is quite a small eater so he won't want much.

If you can help us in a small way (= to a limited degree) it would be greatly appreciated.

small / smɔːl / / smɑːl / adjective (NOT IMPORTANT)

A2 not very important or not likely to cause problems:

She just made a couple of small mistakes in the test.

I have a small problem I would like to discuss with you.

small / smɔːl / / smɑːl / adjective (ASHAMED)

ashamed or weak:

Talking to her makes me feel small.

He's always trying to make me look small in front of my boss.

smallness / ˈsmɔːl.nəs / / ˈsmɑːl- / noun [ U ]

The smallness of the city often surprises first-time visitors.

small / smɔːl / / smɑːl / adjective (LETTER SIZE)

[ before noun ] describes letters that are not capital letters:

The poet e. e. cummings wrote his name with small letters, not capital letters.

UK A conservative with a small 'c' is someone who has traditional values, such as disliking change in society, rather than being a member or supporter of the Conservative Party. We can use this structure with other words to say something is more general or less extreme than the usual meaning:

Management is all about politics with a small 'p'.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

small

/smɔ:l/
(smaller, smallest)

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.

1.
A small person, thing, or amount of something is not large in physical size.
She is small for her age...
The window was far too small for him to get through...
Stick them on using a small amount of glue.
≠ large
ADJ
• small‧ness
Amy had not mentioned the smallness and bareness of Luis’s home.
≠ largeness
N-UNCOUNT

2.
A small group or quantity consists of only a few people or things.
A small group of students meets regularly to learn Japanese...
Guns continued to be produced in small numbers.
≠ large
ADJ

3.
A small child is a very young child.
I have a wife and two small children...
What were you like when you were small?
= young, little
ADJ

4.
You use small to describe something that is not significant or great in degree.
It’s quite easy to make quite small changes to the way that you work...
No detail was too small to escape her attention...
= minor
≠ major
ADJ

5.
Small businesses or companies employ a small number of people and do business with a small number of clients.
...shops, restaurants and other small businesses...
ADJ

6.
If someone makes you look or feel small, they make you look or feel stupid or ashamed.
This may just be another of her schemes to make me look small...
ADJ: v-link ADJ

7.
The small of your back is the bottom part of your back that curves in slightly.
Place your hands on the small of your back and breathe in.
N-SING: the N of n

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

¹small /ˈsmɑːl/ adj small·er; -est [also more ~; most ~]
1 : little in size
• They live in a small house.
• a small glass of soda
• She moved to a smaller town.
• The toy is small enough to fit in my pocket.
• He has small hands.
• This room is a little smaller than that one.
2 : few in number or little in amount
• a small crowd/group/company/party/school
• a small supply/number
• The movie was a small success.
• There is a small [=slight] chance that they can still win.
- see also small hours at hour
3 : not very important : minor
• a small matter
• There are still a few small details we have to deal with.
• It's only a small mistake.
• The change had only a small impact on the community.
4 : very young
• I loved the playground when I was small.
• a small boy
• They have two small children.
5 : involving or including few people, things, etc.
• She works for a small company.
• small businesses/dealers/investors
• a small advertising campaign
• a small fund-raiser
6 : lowercase
• The first letter is a capital, but the rest are small.
7 : very soft and quiet
• a small voice
8 : foolish or ashamed
• He's just trying to make you feel small.
• He felt very small to be caught cheating.
a big fish in a small pond
- see ¹fish
in no small measure : to a great degree : largely or mostly
• A child's happiness is due in no small measure [=in no small part] to its parents.
(it's a) small world
- see ¹world
not (in) the smallest bit
- see ¹bit
- small·ish /ˈsmɑːlɪʃ/ adj
- small·ness /ˈsmɑːlnəs/ noun [noncount]

brown

brown [adjective]

/braʊn/

Example:

brown eyes

having the colour of earth, wood, or coffee

Persian equivalent:

Click here.

Example:

brown eyes

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Oxford Essential Dictionary

brown

adjective, noun (browner, brownest)
having the colour of earth or wood:
brown eyes
I go brown (= my skin becomes brown) as soon as I sit in the sun.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

brown

I. brown¹ S2 W2 /braʊn/ BrE AmE adjective
[Language: Old English; Origin: brun]
1. having the colour of earth, wood, or coffee:
dark brown hair
2. having skin that has been turned brown by the sun:
He’d been on vacation and looked very brown.
He was as brown as a berry after two weeks in the sun.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ types of brown
▪ light/pale brown a light brown jacket
▪ dark/deep brown dark brown eyes
▪ warm brown a warm brown shade
▪ rich brown a rich brown colour
▪ reddish brown The earth was reddish brown.
▪ golden brown Cook until the cheese is golden brown.
▪ rusty brown (=an orange-brown colour) It was autumn and the leaves were already rusty brown.
▪ muddy brown the muddy brown water of the river
▪ chestnut brown (=a red-brown colour) a beautiful chestnut brown horse
▪ chocolate brown He was wearing a chocolate brown pullover.
II. brown² BrE AmE noun [uncountable and countable]
the colour of earth, wood, or coffee:
This particular model is available in brown, white, or grey.
the browns and greens of the landscape

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

brown

brown [brown browns browned browning browner brownest] adjective, noun, verb [braʊn] [braʊn]

adjective (brown·er, brown·est)
1. having the colour of earth or coffee
• brown eyes
• brown bread
• dark brown shoe polish

• a package wrapped in brown paper

2. having skin that is naturally brown or has been made brown by the sun: (BrE) I don't go brown very easily.
• After the summer in Spain, the children were brown as berries.
Word Origin:
Old English brūn, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch bruin and German braun.
Example Bank:
• The once-green fields were now uniformly brown.
• a lovely warm brown colour
• her dark brown eyes
• monkeys with bright brown fur
• He looked very brown after the cruise.
• bright brown eyes

• lovely warm browns and golds

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

brown / braʊn / noun [ C or U ]

A1 the colour of chocolate or soil:

dark/light brown

brown adjective

Both my parents have curly brown hair.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

brown

/braʊn/
(browner, brownest, browns, browning, browned)

Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.

1.
Something that is brown is the colour of earth or of wood.
...her deep brown eyes...
The stairs are decorated in golds and earthy browns.
COLOUR

2.
You can describe a white-skinned person as brown when they have been sitting in the sun until their skin has become darker than usual.
I don’t want to be really really brown, just have a nice light golden colour.
= tanned
ADJ: usu v-link ADJ

3.
A brown person is someone who belongs to a race of people who have brown-coloured skins.
...a slim brown man with a speckled turban.
ADJ: usu ADJ n

4.
Brown is used to describe grains that have not had their outer layers removed, and foods made from these grains.
...brown bread.
...spicy tomato sauce served over a bed of brown rice.
≠ white
ADJ: usu ADJ n

5.
When food browns or when you brown food, you cook it, usually for a short time on a high flame.
Cook for ten minutes until the sugar browns...
He browned the chicken in a frying pan.
VERB: V, V n

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

¹brown /ˈbraʊn/ adj -er; -est
1 : having a color like coffee or chocolate
• a brown cow
• The door was brown.
2 : having dark or tanned skin
• workers whose backs are brown from long hours in the sun

purple

purple [adjective] (COLOUR)

/ˈpɝː.pəl/

/ˈpɜː.pəl/

Example:

A purple flower

having a dark colour that is a mixture of red and blue

Persian equivalent:

Click here.

Example:

A purple flower

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Oxford Essential Dictionary

purple

adjective
with a colour between red and blue

>> purple noun:
She often wears purple.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

II. purple² BrE AmE adjective
1. having a dark colour that is a mixture of red and blue
2. purple with rage/purple in the face etc with a face that is dark red, caused by anger:
His face turned purple with rage.
3. purple patch a time when you are very successful – used especially in news reports:
Steve’s purple patch continued with a second victory on Tuesday.
4. purple prose/passage writing that uses difficult or unusual words – used in order to show disapproval

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

purple

▪ I. pur·ple [purple purples purpled purpling] [ˈpɜːpl] [ˈpɜːrpl] adjective
1. having the colour of blue and red mixed together
• a purple flower

• His face was purple with rage.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

purple / ˈpɜː.pl̩ / / ˈpɝː- / adjective (COLOUR)

A2 of a dark reddish-blue colour:

purple plums

a dark purple bruise

purple in the face/purple with rage

dark red in the face because of anger

purpleness / -nəs / noun [ U ]

purple / ˈpɜː.pl̩ / / ˈpɝː- / adjective UK (STYLE)

describes a piece of writing that is complicated or sounds false because the writer has tried too hard to make the style interesting:

Despite occasional patches of purple prose , the book is mostly clear and incisive.

purpleness / -nəs / noun [ U ]

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

purple

/pɜ:(r)p(ə)l/
(purples)

Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.

1.
Something that is purple is of a reddish-blue colour.
She wore purple and green silk.
...sinister dark greens and purples.
COLOUR

2.
Purple prose or a purple patch is a piece of writing that contains very elaborate language or images.
...passages of purple prose describing intense experiences.
ADJ: usu ADJ n

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

purple

²purple adj pur·pler; pur·plest
1 : of the color purple
• purple grapes/tulips
2 disapproving : using many fancy words
• The book contains a few purple passages.
• Her writing was full of purple prose.

ignore

ignore [verb]

/ɪɡˈnɔːr/

Example:

She can be really irritating but I try to ignore her.

to deliberately pay no attention to something that you have been told or that you know about

Persian equivalent:

Click here.

Example:

Never ignore the cry of help from the poor!

Theme, CEFR level & Tags

Theme:

neglecting and ignoring

Level:

B2 (Upper-intermediate)

Region:

American English

British English

Oxford Essential Dictionary

ignore

verb (ignores, ignoring, ignored )
to know about somebody or something, but to not do anything about it:
He completely ignored his doctor's advice.
I said hello to her, but she ignored me!

which word?
Be careful! Ignore and be ignorant are not the same.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

ignore

ig‧nore S2 W2 AC /ɪɡˈnɔː $ -ˈnɔːr/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: ignorer 'not to know', from Latin, from ignarus 'not knowing, unknown', from in- 'not' + gnoscere 'to know']
1. to deliberately pay no attention to something that you have been told or that you know about:
You can’t ignore the fact that many criminals never go to prison.
problems which we can’t afford to ignore
2. to behave as if you had not heard or seen someone or something:
The phone rang, but she ignored it.
Sam rudely ignored the question.
completely/totally ignore somebody/something
He had completely ignored her remark, preferring his own theory.
REGISTER
In everyday British English, people often say take no notice of something or not take any notice of something rather than ignore something:
▪ There are signs telling you not to smoke, but people don’t take any notice of them.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

ignore

ig·nore AW [ignore ignores ignored ignoring] [ɪɡˈnɔː(r)] [ɪɡˈnɔːr] verb
1. ~ sth to pay no attention to sth
Syn: disregard
• He ignored all the ‘No Smoking’ signs and lit up a cigarette.
• I made a suggestion but they chose to ignore it.
• We cannot afford to ignore their advice.

• She deliberately ignored my question and changed the subject.

2. ~ sb to pretend that you have not seen sb or that sb is not there
Syn: take no notice of
• She ignored him and carried on with her work.
• If he tries to start an argument, just ignore him.
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
late 15th cent. (in the sense ‘be ignorant of’): from French ignorer or Latin ignorare ‘not know, ignore’, from in- ‘not’ + gno-, a base meaning ‘know’. Current senses date from the early 19th cent.
Thesaurus:
ignore verb T
• She ignored him and carried on with her work.
take no notice • • overlook • • neglect • • turn a blind eye • • gloss over sth • |formal disregard •
Opp: pay attention to sb/sth
ignore/overlook/neglect/turn a blind eye to/gloss over/disregard the fact that…
ignore/overlook/neglect/disregard the importance/need/possibility of sth
ignore/disregard sb's advice/rules/wishes
Example Bank:
• He blithely ignored her protests and went on talking as if all were agreed between them.
• He continued eating, deciding to ignore her.
• He preferred to ignore these comments.
• Her mother's opinions on how babies should be cared for were freely given and duly ignored.
• Hill wilfully ignored the conventions of the banking world.
• I shrugged, pretending to ignore him.
• I've learned to ignore all of my sister's hurtful comments.
• It would be foolish to ignore them completely.
• Jason had managed to ignore a lot of the pressure for most of his career.
• People seem very willing to ignore the risks.
• Safety guidelines had been blatantly ignored.
• Safety standards are widely ignored in the industry.
• Scientists have tended to ignore these creatures.
• She sat at her desk and studiously ignored me.
• Shona basically ignored her.
• Social services routinely ignore the problems facing at-risk young women.
• The diesel fumes from Oxford's buses are not easily ignored.
• The government has simply ignored the problem altogether.
• The group politely ignored her remark.
• The judge chose to ignore the views of the doctors.
• The managers have conveniently ignored these statistics.
• The pernicious effect of this advertising on children is a problem that we ignore at our peril.
• The press typically ignores a problem until it causes a crisis.
• These people occupy such a marginal position in society that the authorities think they can be safely ignored.
• a look of disapproval which he promptly ignored

• a warning the president cannot afford to ignore

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

ignore / ɪɡˈnɔː r / / -ˈnɔːr / verb [ T ]

B2 to intentionally not listen or give attention to:

She can be really irritating but I try to ignore her.

Safety regulations are being ignored by company managers in the drive to increase profits.

How can the government ignore the wishes of the majority?

I smiled at her but she just ignored me.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

ignore

[ɪgnɔ͟ː(r)]
♦♦
ignores, ignoring, ignored
1) VERB If you ignore someone or something, you pay no attention to them.
  [V n] She said her husband ignored her...
  [V n] The government had ignored his views on the subject...
  [V n] She ignored legal advice to drop the case...
  [V n] For two decades her theatrical talents were ignored by the film industry.
  Syn:
  disregard
2) VERB If you say that an argument or theory ignores an important aspect of a situation, you are criticizing it because it fails to consider that aspect or to take it into account.
  [V n] Such arguments ignore the question of where ultimate responsibility lay.
  Syn:
  overlook

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

ignore

ig·nore /ɪgˈnoɚ/ verb -nores; -nored; -nor·ing [+ obj]
1 : to refuse to show that you hear or see (something or someone)
• She tried to ignore him but he wouldn't leave her alone.
• I'll ignore that last remark.
2 : to do nothing about or in response to (something or someone)
• If we continue to ignore these problems they will only get worse.
• They ignored the warning signs.
• ignoring the poor

American English

British English

B2 (Upper-intermediate)

ignore

verb

fourth

fourth [ordinal number]

/fɔrθ/

Example:

The fourth month of the year

coming after three other things in a series

Persian equivalent:

Click here.

Example:

The fourth month of the year

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Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

fourth

I. fourth¹ /fɔːθ $ fɔːrθ/ BrE AmE adjective
[Language: Old English; Origin: feortha, from feower 'four']
coming after three other things in a series:
in the fourth century
her fourth birthday
—fourthly adverb
II. fourth² BrE AmE pronoun
the fourth thing in a series:
the fourth of July

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

fourth

fourth [fourth fourths] ordinal number, noun [fɔːθ] [fɔːrθ]

ordinal number

4th There are examples of how to use ordinal numbers at the entry for fifth.

noun (especially NAmE) = quarter
Example Bank:
• a fourth of the city population

• one fourth of total sales

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

fourth / fɔːθ / / fɔːrθ / ordinal number

A2 4th written as a word:

My birthday is on the fourth ( of December).

Daniel was/came fourth in the race.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

fourth

[fɔ͟ː(r)θ]
♦♦
fourths
1) ORD The fourth item in a series is the one that you count as number four.
Last year's winner Greg Lemond of the United States is in fourth place.
2) FRACTION A fourth is one of four equal parts of something. [AM]
Three-fourths of the public say they favor a national referendum on the issue.(in BRIT, use quarter)

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

fourth

²fourth adj
1 : occupying the number four position in a series
• on the fourth day
• the book's fourth edition
• her fourth goal of the season
2
- used to refer to one of the forward gears or speeds of a vehicle
• fourth gear
- fourth adv
• She finished fourth in the race.
• the fourth highest mountain

third

third [ordinal number]

Example:

The third of Mordad

coming after two other things in a series

Persian equivalent:

Click here.

Example:

The third of Mordad

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Oxford Essential Dictionary

third

pronoun, adjective, adverb

1 3rd

2 one of three equal parts of something;

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

third

I. third¹ /θɜːd $ θɜːrd/ BrE AmE adjective
[Language: Old English; Origin: thridda, thirdda]
1. coming after two other things in a series:
in the third century
her third birthday
2. third time lucky British English, (the) third time’s the charm American English spoken used when you have failed to do something twice and hope to be successful the third time
—third pronoun:
I’m planning to leave on the third (=the third day of the month).
—thirdly adverb

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

third

third [third thirds] ordinal number, noun [θɜːd] [θɜːrd]

ordinal number
3rd There are examples of how to use ordinal numbers at the entry for fifth.
Word Origin:
Old English thridda, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch derde and German dritte, also to three. The spelling thrid was dominant until the 16th cent. (but thirdda is recorded in Northumbrian dialect as early as the 10th cent.).

Idiom: third time lucky

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

third / θɜːd / / θɝːd / ordinal number [ S ]

A2 3rd written as a word:

the third road on the right

the third time

"What's the date today?" "It's the third ( of July)."

She was/came third in the competition.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

third

[θɜ͟ː(r)d]
♦♦
thirds
1) ORD The third item in a series is the one that you count as number three.
  I sleep on the third floor...
  It was the third time one of his cars had gone up in flames...
  He came third in the poll with 149 votes...
  The attack was the third so far this year.
2) FRACTION A third is one of three equal parts of something.
  A third of the cost went into technology and services...
  Only one third get financial help from their fathers...
  He divided their kingdom into thirds.
3) ADV: ADV with cl (not last in cl) You say third when you want to make a third point or give a third reason for something.
  First, interest rates may take longer to fall than is hoped. Second, in real terms, lending may fall. Third, bad loans could wipe out much of any improvement.
  Syn:
  thirdly
4) N-COUNT: usu sing A third is the lowest honours degree that can be obtained from a British university.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

¹third /ˈɵɚd/ adj always used before a noun
1 a : occupying the number three position in a series
• We sat in the third row.
• the third house on the left
• the author's third novel
• C is the third letter in the alphabet.
• That's the third time I've seen him today.
• The office is on the third floor.
b : next to the second in importance or rank
• I won third prize.
• Do you have a third choice?
2 : equal in size, value, amount, etc., to one third of something
• a third share in the profits
• a third pound of cheese
3 : used to refer to the third forward gear or speed of a vehicle
• shift into third gear
the third time is the charm US or Brit third time lucky
- used to say that two efforts at something have already failed but perhaps the third will be successful;
- third adv
• She finished third in the race.
• the third highest mountain

second

second [ordinal number, determiner]

/ˈsek.ənd/

Example:

She doesn't like her father's second wife.

the second person, thing, event etc is the one that comes after the first

Persian equivalent:

Click here.

Example:

She doesn't like her father's second wife.

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Oxford Essential Dictionary

adjective, adverb
next after first:
February is the second month of the year.
She came second in the race.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

second

I. sec‧ond¹ S1 W1 /ˈsekənd/ BrE AmE number
1. the second person, thing, event etc is the one that comes after the first:
the Second World War
the second of August
a second year student
his second wife
Clinton’s second term in office
the second half of the year
the second time in three days
2. the position in a competition or scale that comes after the one that is the best, most successful etc:
She won second prize.
They climbed to second place in the League.
second largest/most successful etc
Africa’s second highest mountain
be second only to something (=used to emphasize that something is nearly the largest, most important etc)
The euro will have a circulation second only to that of the dollar.
3. another example of the same thing, or another in addition to the one you have:
We advertised for a second guitarist.
There was a second reason for his dismissal.
I asked the doctor for a second opinion (=when you ask another person to repeat an examination, test etc for you).
4. every second year/person/thing etc
a) the second, then the fourth, then the sixth year etc:
The nurse comes every second day.
b) used to emphasize that, in a group of similar things, there is too much of one particular thing:
Every second house seemed to be boarded up.
5. be second to none to be the best:
The quality of Britain’s overseas aid programme is second to none.
6. second chance help given to someone who has failed, in the hope that they will succeed this time:
I just want to give these kids a second chance.
7. have second thoughts to start having doubts about a decision you have made:
You’re not having second thoughts, are you?
have second thoughts about
She’d had second thoughts about the whole project.
8. on second thoughts British English, on second thought American English spoken used to say that you have changed your mind about something:
I’ll call her tomorrow – no, on second thought, I’ll try now.
9. not give something a second thought/without a second thought used to say that someone does not think or worry about something:
She dismissed the rumour without a second thought.
10. not give something a second glance/look (also without a second glance/look) to not look at something again, because you have not really noticed it or because it does not seem important:
No one gave the woman in the grey uniform a second glance.
11. be/become second nature (to somebody) something that is second nature to you is something you have done so often that you do it almost without thinking:
Driving becomes second nature after a while.
12. second wind a new feeling of energy after you have been working or exercising very hard, and had thought you were too tired to continue:
He got his second wind and ran on.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

II. sec·ond 1 [second seconds seconded seconding] determiner, ordinal number, adverb, noun, verb [ˈsekənd] [ˈsekənd]

see also second²

determiner, ordinal number
1. happening or coming next after the first in a series of similar things or people; 2nd
• This is the second time it's happened.
• Italy scored a second goal just after half-time.
• the second of June/June 2nd
• He was the second to arrive.

• We have one child and are expecting our second in July.

2. next in order of importance, size, quality, etc. to one other person or thing
• Osaka is Japan's second-largest city.
• Birmingham, the UK's second city
• The spreadsheet application is second only to word processing in terms of popularity.

• As a dancer, he is second to none (= nobody is a better dancer than he is).

3. only before noun another; in addition to one that you already own or use
• They have a second home in Tuscany.
• teachers of English as a second language (= to people who already speak one or more other languages)
Word Origin:

early 19th cent. French en second ‘in the second rank (of officers)’

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

second / ˈsek. ə nd / ordinal number , determiner

A1 immediately after the first and before any others:

Is Brian her first or second child?

This is the second time I've had flu this winter.

Today is the second ( of March).

A1 the position in which a person finishes a race or competition if they finish immediately behind the winner:

First prize is a fortnight in Barbados and second prize is a weekend in Rome.

Jones took second place in the long jump.

B1 Second is used to show that only one thing is better, bigger, etc. than the thing mentioned:

St Petersburg is Russia's second (biggest/largest) city.

Iraq's oil reserves are second only to Saudi Arabia's.

B1 another:

She is often described as the second Marilyn Monroe.

You really ought to make the most of the opportunity, because you won't get a second chance .

Richard and Liz have a second home in France.

Pay attention to what she's saying because she won't explain it a second time .

happening only once out of every two possible times:

We've decided to hold the conference every second year.

→ Compare alternate adjective

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

second

I PART OF A MINUTE
♦
seconds
N-COUNT
(Pronounced [se̱kənd] in second 1 and 2, and [sɪkɒ̱nd] in second 3.)
A second is one of the sixty parts that a minute is divided into. People often say `a second' or `seconds' when they simply mean a very short time.
  For a few seconds nobody said anything...
  It only takes forty seconds...
  Her orbital speed must be a few hundred meters per second...
  Within seconds the other soldiers began firing too...
  Seconds later, firemen reached his door.II COMING AFTER SOMETHING ELSE
♦
seconds, seconding, seconded
(Pronounced [se̱kənd] in second 1 and 2, and [sɪkɒ̱nd] in second 3.)
1) ORD The second item in a series is the one that you count as number two.
  ...the second day of his visit to Delhi.
  ...their second child...
  My son just got married for the second time.
  ...the Second World War...
  She was the second of nine children.
  ...King Charles the Second...
  Britain came second in the Prix St Georges Derby.
2) ORD: ORD adj-superl Second is used before superlative adjectives to indicate that there is only one thing better or larger than the thing you are referring to.
  The party is still the second strongest in Italy.
  ...the second-largest city in the United States.
3) ADV: ADV cl You say second when you want to make a second point or give a second reason for something.
  First, the weapons should be intended for use only in retaliation after a nuclear attack. Second, the possession of the weapons must be a temporary expedient.
4) N-COUNT In Britain, an upper second is a good honours degree and a lower second is an average honours degree.
  I then went up to Lancaster University and got an upper second.
5) N-PLURAL If you have seconds, you have a second helping of food. [INFORMAL]
  There's seconds if you want them.
6) N-COUNT: usu pl Seconds are goods that are sold cheaply in shops because they have slight faults.
  It's a new shop selling discounted lines and seconds.
7) N-COUNT: usu pl The seconds of someone who is taking part in a boxing match or chess tournament are the people who assist and encourage them.
  He shouted to his seconds, `I did it! I did it!'
8) VERB If you second a proposal in a meeting or debate, you formally express your agreement with it so that it can then be discussed or voted on.
  [V n] ...Bryan Sutton, who seconded the motion against fox hunting...
  [V n] Your application must be proposed and seconded by current members.
  Derived words:
  seconder plural N-COUNT Candidates need a proposer and seconder whose names are kept secret.
9) VERB If you second what someone has said, you say that you agree with them or say the same thing yourself.
  [V n] The Prime Minister seconded the call for discipline and austerity in a speech to the assembly last week.
10) PHRASE: PHR after v If you experience something at second hand, you are told about it by other people rather than experiencing it yourself.
→ See also second-hand
  Most of them, after all, had not been at the battle and had only heard of the massacre at second hand.
11) PHRASE: v-link PHR (emphasis) If you say that something is second to none, you are emphasizing that it is very good indeed or the best that there is.
  Our scientific research is second to none.
12) PHRASE: usu v-link PHR If you say that something is second only to something else, you mean that only that thing is better or greater than it.
  As a major health risk hepatitis is second only to tobacco.
13) second nature → see nature
in the second place → see placeIII SENDING SOMEONE TO DO A JOB
seconds, seconding, seconded
VERB: usu passive
(Pronounced [se̱kənd] in second 1 and 2, and [sɪkɒ̱nd] in second 3.)
If you are seconded somewhere, you are sent there temporarily by your employer in order to do special duties. [BRIT]
  [be V-ed prep/adv] In 1937 he was seconded to the Royal Canadian Air Force in Ottawa as air armament adviser...
  [be V-ed to-inf] Several hundred soldiers have been seconded to help farmers.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

¹sec·ond /ˈsɛkənd/ adj always used before a noun
1 a : occupying the number two position in a series
• We sat in the second row.
• the second house on the left
• the author's second novel
• B is the second letter in the alphabet.
• That's the second time I've seen him today.
• The office is on the second floor. [=(US) the floor just above the lowest floor; (Brit) the floor that is two floors above the lowest floor]
b : next to the first in importance or rank
• Chocolate is my first choice; vanilla is my second choice.
• I won second prize.
c : another of the same kind
• They needed a second car. [=they needed two cars]
• The chair needs a second coat of paint.
• The word has a second meaning. [=the word has two meanings]
• She took a second helping [=she took another serving] of carrots.
• English as a second language [=a language that you learn in addition to the language you first learned when you were a young child]
• I could have fired him, but I gave him a second chance. [=I gave him another chance]
• I recommend you get a second opinion. [=advice from another doctor to make sure the first advice is right]
• He passed her by without (giving her) a second glance. [=he didn't notice her]
• She liked the house enough to give it a second look. [=she looked at the house again]
2
- used to refer to the forward gear or speed of a vehicle that is next to the lowest forward gear
• You should put the car in second gear when you go up the hill.
- sometimes used figuratively
• The movie never really gets out of second gear.
• The program is shifting into second gear now that all the proposals have been approved.
3 : having or playing the part in a group of instruments that is one level lower than the first
• She plays second violin in the city orchestra.
- see also play second fiddle at ¹fiddle
every second
- used to indicate how often a repeated activity happens or is done
• We elect a mayor every second year. [=in alternate years; every other year]
second only to : only less important than (something or someone)
• Rice is second only to corn as the state's major crop.
second to none
- see ¹none

first

first [ordinal number, determiner]

/ˈfɝːst/

/ˈfɜːst/

Example:

I am the first child in the family.

coming before all the other things or people in a series

Persian equivalent:

Click here.

Example:

I am the first child in the family.

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Oxford Essential Dictionary

adjective
before all the others:
January is the first month of the year.
You've won first prize!

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

first

I. first¹ S1 W1 /fɜːst $ fɜːrst/ BrE AmE adjective
[Language: Old English; Origin: fyrst]
1. IN A SERIES coming before all the other things or people in a series:
Ella was his first girlfriend.
the first thing/time/day etc
The first time I flew on a plane I was really nervous.
In the first year, all students take five courses.
He said the first thing that came into his head.
the first step towards achieving a peace agreement
There’s a meeting on the first Monday of every month.
the first two/three/few etc
I only read the first two chapters of the book.
It rained during the first few days of the trip.
The first and last mountain I climbed was Mount Rundle (=it was the only mountain I ever climbed).
2. for the first time used to say that something has never happened or been done before:
For the first time in his life he felt truly happy.
The survey revealed that, for the first time, there are more women in the workplace than men.
Not for the first time she wondered how he coped with so many children.
3. MAIN most important:
Our first priority is to maintain the standard of work.
As I see it, my first responsibility is to my family.
4. in the first place
a) used to talk about the beginning of a situation, or the situation before something happened:
Why did you agree to meet her in the first place?
He wouldn’t have given you the job in the first place if he didn’t think you could do it.
b) written used to give the first in a list of reasons or points:
Her success was secured by two factors. In the first place, she had the support of managers.
5. in the first instance formal at the start of a situation or series of actions:
The appointment of research officer will be for two years in the first instance.
Enquiries should be made in the first instance to the Human Resources Director.
6. at first glance/sight the first time that you look at someone or something, before you notice any details:
At first glance the twins look identical.
At first sight, there didn’t appear to be much damage. ⇨ love at first sight at ↑love²(2)
7. first things first used to say that something should be done or dealt with first because it is the most important
8. (at) first hand if you see, experience, hear etc something at first hand, you see, experience etc it yourself, not through other people:
Many people have seen the horrors of war at first hand. ⇨ ↑first-hand
9. first prize/place the prize that is given to the best person or thing in a competition
win/take first prize
She won first prize in a painting competition.
first prize/place of
There is a first prize of £10,000.
10. first choice the thing or person you like best:
John was our first choice as a name for the baby.
11. first thing as soon as you get up in the morning, or as soon as you start work:
I’ll call you first thing tomorrow.
We’re leaving first thing.
12. at first light literary very early in the morning:
The search will resume at first light tomorrow.
13. make the first move to be the person who starts to do something when someone else is too nervous, embarrassed etc to do it:
He was glad she had made the first move and kissed him.
14. not have the first idea about something (also not know/understand the first thing about something) to not know anything about a subject, or not know how to do something:
I wouldn’t have the first idea about what to do in that situation.
I don’t know the first thing about cars.
15. the first flush of something the beginning of a good period of time when you are young, successful etc
be in the first flush of passion/youth etc
He was no longer in the first flush of youth.
The first flush of enthusiasm had passed.
16. JOB TITLE used in the title of someone’s job or position to show that they have a high rank:
the first officer
the First Lord of the Admiralty
17. first among equals officially on the same level as other people but really having more power
18. of the first water old-fashioned of the highest quality

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

first

first [first firsts] determiner, ordinal number, adverb, noun [fɜːst] [fɜːrst]

determiner, ordinal number
1. happening or coming before all other similar things or people; 1st
• his first wife
• It was the first time they had ever met.
• I didn't take the first bus.
• students in their first year at college
• your first impressions
• She resolved to do it at the first (= earliest) opportunity.
• King Edward I (= pronounced ‘King Edward the First’)
• the first of May/May 1st

• His second book is better than his first.

2. the most important or best
• Your first duty is to your family.
• She won first prize in the competition.

• an issue of the first importance

Rem: Most idioms containing first are at the entries for the nouns and adjectives in the idioms, for example on first acquaintance is at acquaintance.
Word Origin:
Old English fyr(e)st; of Germanic origin, related to Old Norse fyrstr and German Fürst ‘prince’, from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit prathama, Latin primus, and Greek prōtos.
Thesaurus:
first det., adj.
1.
• It was the first time they had ever met.
initial • • original • • earliest • • opening • • introductory • • preliminary • |especially BrE, formal preparatory • |formal technical primary •
Opp: last
the first/initial/earliest/opening/introductory/preliminary/preparatory/primary stage
a/an first/initial/original/preliminary estimate/draft/version
a/an first/initial/preliminary step/appointment/visit
2.
• She won first prize in the competition.
top • • main • • key • • highest • • primary • • prime • |informal number one • |especially written foremost • |especially written journalism premier •
Opp: last
the/our first/top/main/key/highest/number one/foremost priority
the/our first/top/main/key/primary/prime/foremost/number one concern
(the) first/top/premier division/prize
Language Bank:
first
Ordering your points
▪ This study has the following ▪ aims: first ▪, to investigate how international students in the UK use humour; second ▪, to examine how jokes can help to establish social relationships; and, third ▪, to explore the role that humour plays in helping overseas students adjust to life in the UK.
Let us begin by ▪ identifying some of the popular joke genres in the UK.
Next, let us turn to ▪ / Next, let us consider ▪ the question of gender differences in the use of humour.
Finally ▪ / Lastly ▪, let us briefly examine the role of humour in defining a nation's culture.
notes at firstly, lastly
Language Banks at conclusion, process
Example Bank:
• First impressions can be misleading.
• I didn't take the first bus.
• If he wants to see me, he should make the first move.
• Local voters gave Steven Hughes first preference.
• My first impulse was to run away.
• She resolved to do it at the first opportunity.
• She's in her first year at college
• This is an issue of the first importance.
• We're having chicken for the first course.
• When the first settlers moved into the area they faced immense hardship.
• You can have first choice of all the rooms.

Idioms: at first ▪ come first ▪ first among equals ▪ first and foremost ▪ first and last ▪ first come, first served ▪ first of all ▪ first off ▪ first up ▪ from first to last ▪ from the first ▪ put somebody first ▪ there's a first time for everything

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

first / ˈfɜːst / / ˈfɝːst / ordinal number , determiner

A1 (a person or thing) coming before all others in order, time, amount, quality, or importance:

This is my first visit to New York.

I fell in love with him the first time I saw him.

I'm always nervous for the first few minutes of an exam.

Today is the first ( of August).

in the first place B2 in or at the beginning (of a series of events):

The trousers shrank when I washed them, but they weren't really big enough in the first place.

Thankfully, he wasn't hurt, but he never should have been there in the first place.

in the first instance UK as the first attempt or effort:

Enquiries about the post should be addressed in the first instance to the personnel manager.

first thing at the earliest time in the day:

He said he'd phone back first thing tomorrow.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

first

[fɜ͟ː(r)st]
♦
firsts
1) ORD The first thing, person, event, or period of time is the one that happens or comes before all the others of the same kind.
  She lost 16 pounds in the first month of her diet.
  ...the first few flakes of snow...
  Two years ago Johnson came first in the one hundred metres at Seoul.
  Ant:
  last
PRON
First is also a pronoun. The second paragraph startled me even more than the first... He put me through a series of exercises to improve my car control. The first was to drive on simulated ice.
2) ADV: ADV with v, ADV with cl/group If you do something first, you do it before anyone else does, or before you do anything else.
  I do not remember who spoke first, but we all expressed the same opinion...
  First, tell me what you think of my products...
  Routine questions first, if you don't mind.
3) ORD When something happens or is done for the first time, it has never happened or been done before.
  This is the first time she has experienced disappointment...
  It was the first occasion when they had both found it possible to keep a rendezvous.
ADV: ADV with v
First is also an adverb. Anne and Steve got engaged two years after they had first started going out... I met him first at his house where we had a chat.
4) N-SING: a N, oft N for n An event that is described as a first has never happened before and is important or exciting.
  It is a first for New York. An outdoor exhibition of Fernando Botero's sculpture on Park Avenue.
5) PRON: the PRON that The first you hear of something or the first you know about it is the time when you first become aware of it.
  We heard it on the TV last night - that was the first we heard of it...
  When Mark arrived home that afternoon, it was the first he knew for sure of the surprise party.
6) ADV: ADV before v You use first when you are talking about what happens in the early part of an event or experience, in contrast to what happens later.
  When he first came home he wouldn't say anything about what he'd been doing.
  Syn:
  initially
ORD: usu poss ORD
First is also an ordinal. She told him that her first reaction was disgust... My first feeling on getting into the cabin was one of dislike to everything I saw.
7) ADV: ADV after v (emphasis) In order to emphasize your determination not to do a particular thing, you can say that rather than do it, you would do something else first.
  Marry that fat son of a fat cattle dealer? She would die first!
8) ADV: ADV with cl/group You use first when you are about to give the first in a series of items.
  Certain basic guidelines can be given. First, have a heating engineer check the safety of the heating system.
  Syn:
  firstly
9) ORD The first thing, person, or place in a line is the one that is nearest to you or nearest to the front.
  Before him, in the first row, sat the President...
  First in the queue were two Japanese students.
  Ant:
  last
10) ORD You use first to refer to the best or most important thing or person of a particular kind.
  The first duty of any government must be to protect the interests of the taxpayers...
  Imagine winning the local lottery first prize of ₤5,000.
  ...first team football.
11) ORD First is used in the title of the job or position of someone who has a higher rank than anyone else with the same basic job title.
  ...the First Lord of the Admiralty.
  ...the first mate of a British tanker.
12) N-COUNT: oft N in n In British universities, a first is an honours degree of the highest standard.
  ...an Oxford Blue who took a First in Constitutional History.
13) PHRASE: PHR with cl/group You use first of all to introduce the first of a number of things that you want to say.
  The cut in the interest rates has not had very much impact in California for two reasons. First of all, banks are still afraid to loan.
14) PHRASE: PHR with cl You use at first when you are talking about what happens in the early stages of an event or experience, or just after something else has happened, in contrast to what happens later.
  At first, he seemed surprised by my questions...
  I had some difficulty at first recalling why we were there.
  Syn:
  initially
15) PHRASE: V inflects If you say that someone or something comes first for a particular person, you mean they treat or consider that person or thing as more important than anything else.
  There's no time for boyfriends, my career comes first.
16) PHRASE You say `first come first served' to indicate that a group of people or things will be dealt with or given something in the order in which they arrive.
  There will be five buses, first come first served.
17) PHRASE: PHR with cl From the first means ever since something started.
  You knew about me from the first, didn't you?...
  I thought from the first that she was a little unsure about that marriage.
18) PHRASE: PHR after v If you learn or experience something at first hand, you experience it yourself or learn it directly rather than being told about it by other people.
  He arrived in Natal to see at first hand the effects of the recent heavy fighting.
  Syn:
  from the outset
19) PHRASE: V inflects (emphasis) If you say that you do not know the first thing about something, you are emphasizing that you know absolutely nothing about it.
  You don't know the first thing about farming.
20) PHRASE: PHR with cl You use first off to introduce the first of a number of things that you want to say. [INFORMAL]
  First off, huge apologies for last month's confusing report.
21) PHRASE: V inflects If you put someone or something first, you treat or consider them as more important than anything else.
  Somebody has to think for the child and put him first.
  Syn:
  firstly
22) PHRASE You say `first things first' when you are talking about something that should be done or dealt with before anything else because it is the most important.
  Let's see if we can't find something to set the mood. First things first; some music.
23) first and foremost → see foremost

[-fɜ͟ː(r)st]
COMB in ADV: ADV after v
-first combines with nouns like `head' and `feet' to indicate that someone moves with the part that is mentioned pointing in the direction in which they are moving.
He overbalanced and fell head first.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

¹first /ˈfɚst/ adj
1 : coming before all others in time, order, or importance
• She won first prize.
• We sat in the first row.
• his first wife
• her first book/child
• in the first century
• his first offense
• her first kiss
• She succeeded on her first attempt/try.
• He was (the) first in line.
• We will correct these errors at the first opportunity. [=as soon as it is possible to do so]
• English is not my first [=native] language. [=it is not the language I learned first; I learned to speak another language before I learned to speak English]
• She's in first grade. [=the first level in school after kindergarten]
• I still remember the first time I saw her.
• You should leave at the first [=earliest] hint of trouble.
• My first [=initial] impulse was to say no.
• This is a matter of the first [=highest] importance.
• Your first [=main] concern should be to get well.
• the captain and the first mate [=the officer on a ship who is most important after the captain]
• She was accused of murder in the first degree. [=first-degree murder; the most serious kind of murder]
2
- used to refer to the lowest forward gear or speed of a vehicle
• I couldn't get the car out of first gear.
3 : having or playing the main part in a group of instruments
• first violin
at first blush or at first glance also at first sight : when first seen or considered
• At first blush, the proposal seems ridiculous.
• It appears at first glance/sight to be a simple matter of hiring more people.
at first hand : in a direct way : firsthand
• I had a chance to verify his claims at first hand.
first among equals
✦A person who is first among equals is the leader of a group of people but is officially considered equal in rights and status to the other members of the group.
• As a director, he encourages collaboration and considers himself only (the) first among equals.
first thing
1 the first thing : anything at all - used in negative statements
• He doesn't know/understand the first thing about the problems we've been having.
2 : before anything else : right away : very early
• I'll be back first thing (on) Monday morning.
• She promised to call first thing in the morning.
first things first
- used to say that you should do the things that are most important before doing other things
• I know you're eager to start shopping for a car, but first things first—you need to find out how much you can afford to spend.
• You must set priorities and learn how to put first things first.
in the first flush of
- see ¹flush
in the first instance
- see instance
in the first place
- see ¹place
love at first sight
- see ¹love

home

home [noun] (HOUSE/APARTMENT)

/hoʊm/

/həʊm/

Example:

I return home every day at five.

the house, apartment, or place where you live

Persian equivalent:

Click here.

Example:

I return home every day at five.

Theme, CEFR level & Tags

Theme:

Level:

Region:

Oxford Essential Dictionary

1 the place where you live:
Simon left home (= stopped living in his parents' house) at the age of 18.

2 a place where they look after people, for example children who have no parents, or old people:
My grandmother lives in an old people's home.

at home in your house or flat:
I stayed at home yesterday.
Is Sara at home?

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

home

I. home¹ S1 W1 /həʊm $ hoʊm/ BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: adjective: homeless, homely, homeward; noun: home, homelessness; adverb: home, HOMEWARDS; verb: home]
[Language: Old English; Origin: ham 'village, home']
1. PLACE WHERE YOU LIVE [uncountable and countable] the house, apartment, or place where you live:
They have a beautiful home in California.
Good luck in your new home!
at home
Last night we stayed at home and watched TV.
away from home
He was spending more and more time away from home.
work from/at home (=do your work at home instead of at a company office)
A family of birds made their home (=started living) under the roof.
2. FAMILY [uncountable and countable] the place where a child lived with his or her family:
Jack left home when he was 16.
Were you still living at home (=with your parents)?
Carrie moved out of the family home a year ago.
3. WHERE YOU CAME FROM/BELONG [uncountable and countable] the place where you came from or where you usually live, especially when this is the place where you feel happy and comfortable:
She was born in Italy, but she’s made Charleston her home.
back home
The folks back home don’t really understand what life is like here.
4. YOUR COUNTRY [uncountable] the country where you live, as opposed to foreign countries
at home
auto sales at home and abroad
back home
He’s been travelling, but he’s kept up with what’s going on back home.
5. be/feel at home
a) to feel comfortable in a place or with a person
be/feel at home in/with
I’m already feeling at home in the new apartment.
After a while we began to feel at home with each other.
b) to feel happy or confident about doing or using something
be/feel at home with/in
Practise using the video until you feel quite at home with it.
6. PROPERTY [countable] a house, apartment etc considered as property which you can buy or sell:
Attractive modern homes for sale.
7. FOR TAKING CARE OF SOMEBODY [countable] a place where people who are very old or sick, or children who have no family, are looked after:
an old people’s home
I could never put Dad into a home. ⇨ CHILDREN’S HOME, ↑nursing home, ↑rest home
8. make yourself at home spoken used to tell someone who is visiting you that they should relax:
Sit down and make yourself at home.
9. make somebody feel at home to make someone feel relaxed by being friendly towards them:
We like to make our customers feel at home.
10. the home of something
a) the place where something was first discovered, made, or developed:
America is the home of baseball.
b) the place where a plant or animal grows or lives:
India is the home of elephants and tigers.
11. SPORTS TEAM at home if a sports team plays at home, they play at their own sports field OPP away
at home to
Birmingham Bullets are at home to Kingston.
12. home from home British English, home away from home American English a place that you think is as pleasant and comfortable as your own house
13. home sweet home used to say how nice it is to be in your own home
14. dogs’/cats’ home British English a place where animals with no owners are looked after
15. find a home for something British English to find a place where something can be kept:
Can you find a home for the piano?
16. what’s that when it’s at home? British English spoken used humorously to ask what a long or unusual word means
17. GAMES [uncountable] a place in some games or sports which a player must try to reach in order to win a point
⇨ ↑home plate, ↑home run
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1 & 2)
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + home
▪ a secure/stable home (=a caring family without a lot of changes) He had grown up in a stable home.
▪ a happy home (=a happy family) We had a happy home.
▪ a broken home (=a family in which the parents have separated) Many of the youngsters came from broken homes.
▪ the family home (=where a family lives) The house was once the family home of the O'Dare family.
▪ the marital home (=where a husband and wife live) He left the marital home to move in with his lover.
▪ sb’s childhood/boyhood etc home (=where you lived as a child) I had not been back to my childhood home for ten years.
▪ a permanent/temporary home Flood victims were offered temporary homes.
■ verbs
▪ live at home (=live with your parents) More people in their twenties are still living at home because housing is so expensive.
▪ leave home (=stop living with your parents at home) Lisa had left home at age 16.
▪ work from/at home (=do your work at home instead of at an office) I work at home three days a week.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ home the house, apartment, or place where you live: More and more people are working from home. | It was past midnight by the time I got home.
▪ house a building that someone lives in, especially a building intended for one person, couple, or family: Shall we meet at your house? | Have you seen Dave’s new house – it’s huge!
▪ place spoken informal the house, apartment, or room where someone lives: We went to Sara’s place after the movie. | He’s just bought a fantastic place right by the sea.
▪ residence formal the house or apartment where someone lives, especially a large or official one: The Prime Minister’s official residence is 10 Downing Street. | His wife transferred her main residence to Spain.
▪ holiday home British English, vacation home American English a house that someone owns by the sea, in the mountains etc, where they go for their holidays: They bought a luxury holiday home in Spain.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

home

home [home homes homed homing] noun, adjective, adverb, verb [həʊm] [hoʊm]

noun

HOUSE, ETC.
1. countable, uncountable the house or flat/apartment that you live in, especially with your family
• We are not far from my home now.
• Old people prefer to stay in their own homes.
• She leaves home at 7 every day.
• the family home
• While travelling she missed the comforts of home.
• He left home (= left his parents and began an independent life) at sixteen.
• Nowadays a lot of people work from home.
• I'll call you from home later.
• (figurative) We haven't found a home for all our books yet (= a place where they can be kept).
• stray dogs needing new homes

see also stay-at-home

2. countable a house or flat/apartment, etc, when you think of it as property that can be bought and sold
• a holiday/summer home
• A lot of new homes are being built on the edge of town.
• Private home ownership is increasing faster than ever.
• They applied for a home improvement loan.

see also mobile home, second home, stately home

TOWN/COUNTRY

3. countable, uncountable the town, district, country, etc. that you come from, or where you are living and that you feel you belong to
• I often think about my friends back home.
• Jane left England and made Greece her home.

• Jamaica is home to over two million people.

FAMILY

4. countable used to refer to a family living together, and the way it behaves
• She came from a violent home.
• They wanted to give the boy a secure and loving home.
• He had always wanted a real home with a wife and children.

see also broken home

FOR OLD PEOPLE/CHILDREN

5. countable a place where people who cannot care for themselves live and are cared for by others
• a children's home
• an old people's home
• a retirement home
• a home for the mentally ill
• She has lived in a home since she was six.

see also nursing home, rest home

FOR PETS

6. countable a place where pets with no owner are taken care of

• a dogs'/cats' home

OF PLANT/ANIMAL

7. singular, uncountable the place where a plant or animal usually lives; the place where sb/sth can be found
• This region is the home of many species of wild flower.
• The tiger's home is in the jungle.
• The Rockies are home to bears and mountain lions.
• Arizona is home to the Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest.

• Beverly Hills is the home of the stars.

WHERE STH FIRST DONE

8. singular the ~ of sth the place where sth was first discovered, made or invented
• New Orleans, the home of jazz
• Greece, the home of democracy
more at charity begins at home at charity, close to home at close²_adj., eat sb out of house and home at eat, an Englishman's home is his castle at Englishman, your spiritual home at spiritual
Word Origin:
Old English hām, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch heem and German Heim.
Thesaurus:
home noun
1. C, U
• My home is very near here.
house • • address • |BrE flat • |especially AmE apartment • |informal place • |formal dwelling • • residence • |formal humorous abode •
at home/sb's house/an address/sb's flat/sb's apartment/sb's place/sb's residence
in a home/sb's house/sb's flat/sb's apartmentsb's place/a dwelling/a residence
have a/an home/house/address/flat/apartment/place of your own
2. C
• 200 new homes are being built in the town.
house • • cottage • |BrE flat • • bungalow • |especially AmE apartment • • townhouse • • condominium • |AmE ranch house •
a detached/semi-detached home/house/cottage/bungalow
a one-/two-/three-bedroom home/house/cottage/flat/bungalow/apartment/townhouse/ranch house
rent a home/house/cottage/flat/bungalow/apartment
3. C, U
• She left England and made her home in Spain.
homeland • • hometown • • birthplace •
a/an beloved/adopted home/homeland/hometown
a tribal/traditional/spiritual home/homeland
return to your home/homeland/hometown/birthplace
4. C
• a child from a secure and loving home
family • • household • • house •
a low-income/poor/high-income/wealthy/rich home/family/household
come from a …home/family
sb's home/family life/background/situation
Collocations:
Decorating and home improvement
Houses
refurbish/renovate/ (BrE) do up a building/a house
convert a building/house/room into homes/offices/(especially NAmE) apartments/(BrE) flats
extend/enlarge a house/building/room/kitchen
build (BrE) an extension (to the back/rear of a house)/(NAmE) an addition (on/to sth)/(BrE) a conservatory
knock down/demolish a house/home/building/wall
knock out/through the wall separating two rooms
Decoration
furnish/paint/ (especially BrE) decorate a home/house/apartment/flat/room
be decorated in bright colours/(especially US) colors/in a traditional style/with flowers/with paintings
paint/plaster the walls/ceiling
hang/put up/strip off/remove the wallpaper
install/replace/remove the bathroom fixtures/(BrE) fittings
build/put up shelves
lay wooden flooring/timber decking/floor tiles/a carpet/a patio
put up/hang/take down a picture/painting/poster/curtain
DIY/home improvement
do (BrE) DIY/carpentry/the plumbing/the wiring
make home improvements
add/install central heating/underfloor heating/insulation
fit/install double-glazing/a smoke alarm
insulate your house/your home/the walls/the pipes/the tanks/(especially BrE) the loft
fix/repair a roof/a leak/a pipe/the plumbing/a leaking (especially BrE) tap/(NAmE usually) faucet
block/clog (up)/unblock/unclog a pipe/sink
make/drill/fill a hole
hammer (in)/pull out/remove a nail
tighten/untighten/loosen/remove a screw
saw/cut/treat/stain/varnish/paint wood
Collocations:
Moving house
Renting
live in a rented/(especially NAmE) rental property
rent/share/move into a furnished house/(BrE) flat/(especially NAmE) apartment
rent a studio/(BrE) a studio flat/(especially NAmE) a studio apartment/(BrE) a bedsit
find/get a housemate/(BrE) a flatmate/(NAmE) a roommate
sign/break the lease/rental agreement/contract
extend/renew/terminate the lease/(BrE) tenancy
afford/pay the rent/the bills/(NAmE) the utilities
(especially BrE) fall behind with/ (especially NAmE) fall behind on the rent
pay/lose/return a damage deposit/(NAmE) security deposit
give/receive a month's/two-weeks' notice to leave/vacate the property
Being a landlord
have a flat/apartment/room (BrE) to let/(especially NAmE) for rent
rent (out)/lease (out)/ (BrE) let (out)/sublet a flat/apartment/house/property
collect/increase/raise the rent
evict the existing tenants
attract/find new/prospective tenants
invest in rental property/(BrE) property to let/(BrE) the buy-to-let market
Buying
buy/acquire/purchase a house/(a) property/(especially NAmE) (a piece of) prime real estate
call/contact/use (BrE) an estate agent/(NAmE) a Realtor™/(NAmE) a real estate agent/broker
make/ (BrE) put in an offer on a house
put down/save for (BrE) a deposit on a house
make/put/save for (especially NAmE) a down payment on a house/home
apply for/arrange/take out a mortgage/home loan
(struggle to) pay the mortgage
make/meet/keep up/cover the monthly mortgage payments/(BrE also) repayments
(BrE) repossess/ (especially NAmE) foreclose on sb's home/house
Selling
put your house/property on the market/up for sale/up for auction
increase/lower your price/the asking price
have/hold/hand over the deed/(especially BrE) deeds of/to the house, land, etc.
Example Bank:
• Andalusia, the home of flamenco
• Fitting a burglar alarm is the most effective way to increase home security.
• He came from an appalling home background.
• He claimed he had bought the cigarettes for home consumption, not to sell them.
• He didn't leave home until he was 24.
• He supplements his income with part-time or home work.
• He used to spend the summer painting at his country home.
• He went missing while on home leave from prison.
• He'd always dreamed of owning his own home.
• Her job means she's away from home for weeks at a time.
• I arranged to meet her in her office, as she seemed more relaxed on her home territory.
• I've tried all the home remedies for headaches without success.
• It's unusual for young people over 25 to still live in the family home.
• Let's go home— I'm tired.
• Make sure you insure your home contents for an adequate amount.
• More and more children in the school are from single-parent homes.
• My grandmother has a home help who comes and cleans twice a week.
• On the home front, the fuel crisis continues to worsen.
• Perhaps we could find a home for the kitten.
• Placing a child in public care is sometimes the only solution to ill-treatment in the natural home.
• Priceless antique furniture was destroyed in the fire at the stately home.
• She desperately missed her home comforts while camping.
• She had never had a stable home life.
• She left her native home in Ireland and went to America.
• She missed her mother's home cooking.
• The banner said ‘Welcome home dad!’
• The course is suitable for classroom or home study.
• The doctor was assaulted on a home visit.
• The first time he visited New Orleans he knew he had found his spiritual home.
• The hill is the legendary home of King Arthur.
• The hotel's friendly atmosphere makes it a real home (away) from home.
• The lock-up garage provides a secure home for your car.
• The mudflats offer a winter home to thousands of migrating swans.
• The newspaper gives priority to home news over international news.
• The people abandoned their homes and headed for the hills.
• The show gives home-grown musical talent the chance to show what they can do.
• The storm wrecked the family's caravan home.
• The team are playing away from home.
• The team's home form has slumped in recent weeks.
• These birds are in danger of becoming extinct as their forest home disappears.
• These children badly need a stable and secure home life.
• They also have a holiday home in Spain.
• They also have a weekend home in the Catskills.
• They are a difficult team to beat on their home ground.
• They designed and built their own home.
• They found their dream home on the shore of a lake.
• They hope to sell as many computers on the home market as they export.
• They run a retirement home for the elderly.
• This computer is marketed for home use.
• Try calling me on my home number after six o'clock.
• We are offering a free 15-day home trial on our software.
• We have a home movie of my dad teaching me to swim.
• We have to provide a good home for the children.
• Work begins this week on a purpose-built home for the city's homeless.
• a laser printer aimed at the home user
• a shelter for people with no permanent home
• a temporary home for the paintings
• children from a broken home
• home-grown vegetables
• home-made bread
• seamen serving in home waters
• the market for home entertainment systems
• the party's spokesman for home affairs
• A family of four was rescued early this morning when fire ripped through their terraced home.
• Eventually she had to give up her house and go into a nursing home.
• He refused to give up his house and garden and go into a retirement home.
• His children were upset when he sold the family home.
• I had always thought of India as my spiritual home.
• I often think about my friends back home.
• I'll call you from home later.
• Juliet left England and made Spain her home.
• My grandmother moved into an old people's home two years ago.
• Nora's parents lost custody, and she was placed in a children's home.
• Nowadays a lot of people work from home.
• She comes from a broken home.
• She had to move to a residential care home when her health deteriorated.
• She left home and began an independent life at sixteen.
• She made her home in Spain.
• The centre provides an adoption programme for pets needing new homes.
• The tiger's home is in the jungle.
• We bought a holiday home in France.
• We haven't found a home for all my father's books yet.
Idioms: at home ▪ away from home ▪ bring home the bacon ▪ bring something home to somebody ▪ come home to somebody ▪ hit home ▪ home and dry ▪ home from home ▪ home is where the heart is ▪ home sweet home ▪ set up home ▪ something comes home to roost ▪ when he's/it's at home

Derived: home in on something

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

home / həʊm / / hoʊm / noun (HOUSE/APARTMENT)

A1 [ C or U ] the house, apartment, etc. where you live, especially with your family:

The senator has two homes - an apartment in Washington and a house in Colorado.

He was living on the streets for three months, and his home was a cardboard box.

Phone me at home after four o'clock.

I took home a couple of books to read.

He left home (= stopped living with his parents) when he was 23.

More and more couples are setting up home together without getting married.

[ C ] a house, apartment, etc. when it is considered as property that you can buy or sell:

luxury/starter homes

[ C ] the type of family you come from:

We had a happy home.

children from a broken home (= from a family in which the parents had separated)

C1 [ C ] a place where people or animals live and are cared for by people who are not their relations or owners:

a children's home/an old people's home/a dogs' home

He spent his early years in a home.

home / həʊm / / hoʊm / noun [ C or U ] (ORIGIN)

A1 someone's or something's place of origin, or the place where a person feels they belong:

I live in London, but my home (= where I was born) is in Yorkshire.

I was actually born in New Zealand, but I've lived in England for so long that it feels like home now.

home / həʊm / / hoʊm / noun (COUNTRY)

[ C or U ] your own country or your own area:

I wonder what they're doing back home.

be/play at home

If a sports team are/play at home, they play on their own sports field.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

home

I [ho͟ʊm]NOUN, ADJECTIVE, AND ADVERB USES
♦
homes
1) N-COUNT: oft poss N, also at N Someone's home is the house or flat where they live.
  Last night they stayed at home and watched TV...
  The General divided his time between his shabby offices in Carlton Gardens and his home in Hampstead.
  ...the allocation of land for new homes.
2) N-UNCOUNT You can use home to refer in a general way to the house, town, or country where someone lives now or where they were born, often to emphasize that they feel they belong in that place.
  She gives frequent performances of her work, both at home and abroad...
  His father worked away from home for much of Jim's first five years...
  At seventeen, Daniele was told to leave home by her father...
  Ms Highsmith has made Switzerland her home...
  Warwick is home to some 550 international students...
  Brian decided to leave the UK and set up home in Southern Spain...
  He has moved back to his home town of Miami.
3) ADV: ADV after v, be ADV Home means to or at the place where you live.
  His wife wasn't feeling too well and she wanted to go home...
  I'll telephone you as soon as I get home...
  Hi, Mom, I'm home!...
  Company officials say striking union members should stay home today.
4) ADJ: ADJ n Home means made or done in the place where you live.
  ...cheap but healthy home cooking...
  All you have to do is make a home video.
5) ADJ: ADJ n Home means relating to your own country as opposed to foreign countries.
  Europe's software companies still have a growing home market.
  ...the Guardian's home news pages.
  Syn:
  domestic
6) N-COUNT A home is a large house or institution where a number of people live and are looked after, instead of living in their own houses or flats. They usually live there because they are too old or ill to look after themselves or for their families to care for them.
  It's going to be a home for handicapped children.
  ...an old people's home.
7) N-COUNT You can refer to a family unit as a home.
  She had, at any rate, provided a peaceful and loving home for Harriet...
  Single-parent homes are commonplace.
8) N-SING: with supp, usu N of n If you refer to the home of something, you mean the place where it began or where it is most typically found.
  This south-west region of France is the home of claret.
9) N-COUNT: oft N for n If you find a home for something, you find a place where it can be kept.
  The equipment itself is getting smaller, neater and easier to find a home for.
10) ADV: ADV after v If you press, drive, or hammer something home, you explain it to people as forcefully as possible.
  It is now up to all of us to debate this issue and press home the argument.
11) N-UNCOUNT: usu at N When a sports team plays at home, they play a game on their own ground, rather than on the opposing team's ground.
  I scored in both games against Barcelona; we drew at home and beat them away.
  Ant:
  away
ADJ: ADJ n
Home is also an adjective. All three are Chelsea fans, and attend all home games together.
12) PHRASE: v-link PHR If you feel at home, you feel comfortable in the place or situation that you are in.
  He spoke very good English and appeared pleased to see us, and we soon felt quite at home...
  I am not completely at home in any Protestant Church.
13) PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR to n To bring something home to someone means to make them understand how important or serious it is.
  Their sobering conversation brought home to everyone present the serious and worthwhile work the Red Cross does.
14) PHRASE: v-link PHR If you say that someone is, in British English home and dry, or in American English home free, you mean that they have been successful or that they are certain to be successful.
  The prime minister and the moderates are not yet home and dry.
15) PHRASE: V inflects If a situation or what someone says hits home or strikes home, people accept that it is real or true, even though it may be painful for them to realize.
  Did the reality of war finally hit home?...
  Israeli officials say that message struck home.
16) PHRASE: usu v-link PHR (approval) You can say a home from home in British English or a home away from home in American English to refer to a place in which you are as comfortable as in your own home.
  Many cottages are a home from home, offering microwaves, dishwashers, tvs and videos.
17) CONVENTION (politeness) If you say to a guest `Make yourself at home', you are making them feel welcome and inviting them to behave in an informal, relaxed way.
18) PHRASE: v-link PHR If you say that something is nothing to write home about, you mean that it is not very interesting or exciting. [INFORMAL]
  So a dreary Monday afternoon in Walthamstow is nothing to write home about, right?
19) PHRASE: V inflects If something that is thrown or fired strikes home, it reaches its target. [WRITTEN]
  Only two torpedoes struck home.II [ho͟ʊm]PHRASAL VERB USES
homes, homing, homed
  Phrasal Verbs:
  - home in

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

¹home /ˈhoʊm/ noun, pl homes
1 : the place (such as a house or apartment) where a person lives

[count]

• Right now his home is a small apartment.
• People are concerned about protecting their homes.
• (chiefly US) The neighborhood is filled with expensive new homes. [=houses]
• They've started on a major home-improvement project. [=a project to make their house better, bigger, more modern, etc.]
• They have a second/vacation home on the lake.

[noncount]

• There's no place like home.
• Let's stay at home tonight. [=let's not go out tonight]
• I must have left my notes at home.
• We're a long way from home. [=we are not close to our house]
• I will be away from home [=I will not be at my house] for two weeks.
• He has no place to call home. [=he does not have a place to live]
• He works at/from home. [=he does his work in his house and not in an office building]
- see also at home (below), mobile home, motor home
2 [count] : a family living together in one building, house, etc.
• She made a good home for her husband and children.
• She came from a troubled home. [=a family with many problems]
• He comes from a broken home. [=a family in which the parents have divorced]
• She lived at home [=she lived with her parents or family] until she got married.
• He left home [=left his parent's house and lived in his own house] after graduating from high school.
3 a : a place where something normally or naturally lives or is located

[count]

• Australia is the home [=habitat] of the kangaroo.

[noncount]

• The islands are home to many species of birds.
b [count] : the place where something began or was created - usually + of
• The restaurant advertises itself as the home of the “Big Burger.”
c [count] : a place where something is placed, stored, etc.
• Can you find homes for these files in your office?
4 : the place where someone lives or originally comes from : the place to which you feel most strongly attached

[noncount]

• New York will always be home to me.
• They made their home [=they settled] on the banks of the Mississippi.
• People back home [=in his hometown; in the place he is from] would never believe how much he has changed.

[count]

• He has fond memories of his boyhood home. [=the place where he lived as a boy]
5 [count] : the place where an organization, a company, etc., is located and operates
• This building will be the orchestra's new home.
• The big television networks have their homes in the same city.
6 [count] : a place where people who are unable to care for themselves live and are cared for
• an orphan's home
• an old people's home
• She doesn't want to put her mother in a home.
- see also nursing home, rest home
7 [noncount] : a place that you try to reach in some games (such as baseball)
• He was tagged out at home.
- see also home plate
at home
1 : in your own country and not a foreign country
• We face serious threats both at home and abroad.
2 sports : in a team's own stadium, park, etc. : in the place where a team is based
• The team's next six games are at home. [=in its own stadium]
• The team has done much better at home [=in its home games] than on the road.
- see also ¹home 1 (above)
3 : relaxed and comfortable
• She feels at home on the stage.
• They made me feel (right) at home my first day at the new job.
• Come on in and make yourself at home. [=do what you need to do to feel relaxed and comfortable]
• The professor is equally at home in politics and history. [=knows a lot about both politics and history]
• I've never really felt/been completely at home with [=comfortable and confident about using] all these new-fangled machines.
charity begins at home
- see charity
home away from home US or Brit home from home : a place that is as pleasant and comfortable as your own home
• Whenever he came to the city, his brother's place was like a home away from home.
home sweet home
✦You say home sweet home to show that you are happy when you return to your home after being away from it.
- home·like /ˈhoʊmˌlaɪk/ adj [more ~; most ~] chiefly US
• an inn with a homelike atmosphere

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