I have beautiful fingernails.
Any of the hard smooth parts that cover the ends of your fingers
I have beautiful fingernails.
fingernail
noun
the thin hard part at the end of your finger
fingernail
fin‧ger‧nail /ˈfɪŋɡəneɪl $ -ɡər-/ noun [countable]
the hard flat part that covers the top end of your finger SYN nail
fingernail
fin·ger·nail [fingernail fingernails] [ˈfɪŋɡəneɪl] [ˈfɪŋɡərneɪl] noun
the thin hard layer that covers the outer tip of each finger
Example Bank:
• ‘Actually, I'm leaving you’, she said, continuing to examine her fingernails.
• ‘Actually, I'm leaving,’ she said, examining her fingernails.
• I noticed I had dirt under my fingernails.
• She dug her fingernails into my neck.
• She tapped her fingernails against the table impatiently.
• the horrible sound of fingernails scraping across a blackboard
• the sound of fingernails being dragged down a blackboard
fingernail
fingernail /ˈfɪŋ.gə.neɪl/ US /-gɚ-/
noun [C] (ALSO nail)
the hard slightly curved part that covers and protects the top of the end of a finger:
dirty fingernails
She had long red fingernails.
fingernail
/fɪŋgə(r)neɪl/
also finger-nail
(fingernails)
Your fingernails are the thin hard areas at the end of each of your fingers.
= nail
N-COUNT
fingernail
fin·ger·nail /ˈfɪŋgɚˌneɪl/ noun, pl -nails [count] : the hard covering at the end of your fingers
• I trimmed and filed my fingernails.
• He had dirt under his fingernails.
• Quit biting/chewing your fingernails.
He has short hair.
the mass of thin fibres that grows on your head
He has short hair.
hair
noun
1 (no plural) all the hairs on a person's head:
She's got long black hair.
2 (plural hairs) one of the long thin things that grow on the skin of people and animals:
There's a hair in my soup.
word building
You wash your hair with shampoo and make it tidy with a hairbrush or a comb. Some words that you can use to talk about the colour of a person's hair are black, dark, brown, ginger, red, fair, blonde and grey.
hair S1 W1 /heə $ her/ noun
[Word Family: noun: hair, hairiness; adjective: hairless ≠ hairy]
[Language: Old English; Origin: hær]
1. [uncountable] the mass of things like fine threads that grows on your head:
• Her hair was short and dark.
• a short fat man with no hair on his head
fair-haired/dark-haired/long-haired etc
• He’s a tall fair-haired guy.
GRAMMAR
In this meaning, hair is an uncountable noun:
▪ • He has black hair (NOT black hairs).
2. [countable] one of the long fine things like thread that grows on people’s heads and on other parts of their bodies, or similar things that grow on animals:
• The cat has left white hairs all over the sofa.
• I’m starting to get a few grey hairs.
long-haired/short-haired
• long-haired cats
3. be tearing/pulling your hair out to be very worried or angry about something, especially because you do not know what to do:
• Anyone else would have been tearing their hair out trying to work it out.
4. let your hair down informal to enjoy yourself and start to relax, especially after working very hard:
• The party gave us all a chance to really let our hair down.
5. bad hair day a day when your hair does not look tidy or neat even when you try to arrange it carefully – used humorously:
• I’m having a bit of a bad hair day.
6. keep your hair on British English spoken used to tell someone to keep calm and not get annoyed:
• All right, all right, keep your hair on! I’m sorry.
7. get in sb’s hair informal to annoy someone, especially by always being near them
8. make sb’s hair stand on end to make someone very frightened
9. make sb’s hair curl if a story, experience etc makes your hair curl, it is very surprising, frightening, or shocking:
• tales that would make your hair curl
10. not have a hair out of place to have a very neat appearance
11. not turn a hair to remain completely calm when something bad or surprising suddenly happens
12. not harm/touch a hair of/on sb’s head to not harm someone in any way
13. the hair of the dog (that bit you) alcohol that you drink to cure a headache caused by drinking too much alcohol the night before – used humorously
⇨ have a good/fine/thick etc head of hair at head1(14), ⇨ not see hide nor hair of at hide2(5), ⇨ split hairs at split1(8)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ colour
▪ dark • He’s about six feet tall, with dark hair and blue eyes.
▪ black • his long black hair
▪ jet black literary (=completely black) • She had shiny jet black hair, and skin as white as snow.
▪ fair • Her long fair hair fell untidily over her shoulders.
▪ blond/blonde (=yellowish-white in colour) • long blonde hair and blue eyes
▪ golden • the beautiful girl with the long golden hair
▪ brown • Her hair was pale brown.
▪ chestnut literary (=dark brown) • She had a fine head of chestnut hair.
▪ sandy (=yellowish-brown) • He wore his long, sandy brown hair in a ponytail.
▪ mousy (=an unattractive dull brown) • I have pale, mousy hair that is dull and lacks shine.
▪ red • The whole family had red hair.
▪ ginger British English (=orange-brown in colour) • a cheeky little boy with ginger hair
▪ auburn literary (=orange-brown in colour) • He gazed at her long neck and beautiful auburn hair.
▪ white • an old man with white hair
▪ grey British English, gray American English • She was about 70, with grey hair.
▪ silver • Her father’s hair was starting to turn silver.
■ length
▪ short • I like your hair when it’s short like that.
▪ long • A few of the boys had long hair.
▪ shoulder-length/medium-length • He had shoulder-length reddish hair.
■ type
▪ straight • a girl with long straight hair
▪ curly • When he was young, his hair was thick and curly.
▪ frizzy (=tightly curled) • She had dark frizzy hair which might have been permed.
▪ wavy (=with loose curls) • Her golden wavy hair fell around her shoulders.
▪ thick • She had thick hair down to her waist.
▪ fine (=thin) • Her hair is so fine, it’s difficult to style.
▪ spiky (=stiff and standing up on top of your head) • Billy had black spiky hair.
■ condition
▪ in good/bad/terrible etc condition • How do you keep your hair in such perfect condition?
▪ out of condition (=no longer in good condition) • If your hair is out of condition, this may be because you are eating the wrong foods.
▪ glossy/shiny • She combed her hair until it was all glossy.
▪ lustrous literary (=very shiny and attractive) • her lustrous dark hair flowing on to her shoulders
▪ dull (=not shiny) • a shampoo for dull hair
▪ greasy (=containing too much oil) • This shampoo is ideal for greasy hair.
▪ dry (=lacking oil) • a shampoo for dry hair
▪ lank especially literary (= thin, straight, and unattractive) • a scruffy young man with lank hair
▪ thinning (=becoming thinner because you are losing your hair) • His dark hair was thinning on top.
▪ receding (=gradually disappearing, so that it is high on your forehead) • The man was in his late thirties, and his hair was receding slightly.
▪ dishevelled especially literary (=very untidy) • His face was bright red and his hair looked dishevelled.
▪ tousled especially literary (=a little untidy, in a way that looks attractive) • his youthfully handsome face and tousled hair that hung untidily over his collar
▪ windswept especially literary (=blown around by the wind) • Her hair was all windswept when they came off the beach.
■ verbs
▪ have ... hair • She has beautiful blonde hair.
▪ brush/comb your hair • He cleaned his teeth and brushed his hair.
▪ wash your hair • He showered and washed his hair.
▪ do your hair (also fix your hair American English) (=arrange it in a style) • She’s upstairs doing her hair.
▪ have your hair cut/done/permed (also get your hair cut etc) (=by a hairdresser) • I need to get my hair cut.
▪ cut sb’s hair • My Mum always cuts my hair.
▪ dye your hair (blonde/red etc) (=change its colour, especially using chemicals) • Craig has dyed his hair black.
▪ wear your hair long/in a ponytail etc (=have that style of hair) • He wore his hair in a ponytail.
▪ grow your hair (long) (=let it grow longer) • I’m growing my hair long, but it’s taking forever.
▪ lose your hair (=become bald) • He was a small, round man who was losing his hair.
▪ run your fingers through sb’s hair (=touch someone’s hair in a loving way) • He ran his fingers through her smooth silky hair.
▪ ruffle sb’s hair (=rub it in a kind friendly way) • He patted me on the back and ruffled my hair.
■ hair + NOUN
▪ hair loss • The drug can cause hair loss.
▪ hair colour British English, hair color American English • Genes control characteristics such as hair colour and eye colour.
▪ hair dye • The survey showed that 75% of women have used hair dye.
■ phrases
▪ a strand/wisp of hair (=a thin piece of hair) • She brushed away a strand of hair from her eyes.
▪ a lock of hair (=a fairly thick piece of hair) • She tossed a stray lock of hair back off her forehead.
▪ a mop of hair (=a large amount of thick untidy hair) • He had an unruly mop of brown hair.
■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say 'I cut my hair' if another person cut your hair for you. Say I had my hair cut'.
hair
hair [hair hairs] [heə(r)] [her] noun
1. uncountable, countable the substance that looks like a mass of fine threads growing especially on the head; one of these threads growing on the body of people and some animals
• fair/dark hair
• straight/curly/wavy hair
• to comb/brush your hair
• She often wears her hair loose.
• (informal) I'll be down in a minute. I'm doing (= brushing, arranging, etc.) my hair.
• I'm having my hair cut this afternoon.
• He's losing his hair (= becoming bald ).
• body/facial/pubic hair
• There's a hair in my soup.
• The rug was covered with cat hairs.
see also camel hair, horsehair
2. -haired (in adjectives) having the type of hair mentioned
• dark-haired
• long-haired
3. countable a thing that looks like a fine thread growing on the leaves and stems of some plants
more at hang by a hair/thread at hang v., not see hide nor hair of sb/sth at hide n., split hairs at split v., tear your hair out at tear1 v.
Idioms: get in somebody's hair ▪ hair of the dog ▪ keep your hair on ▪ let your hair down ▪ make somebody's hair stand on end ▪ not harm a hair of somebody's head ▪ not have a hair out of place ▪ not turn a hair
Word Origin:
Old English hǣr, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch haar and German Haar.
Thesaurus:
hair noun C
• There's a hair in my soup.
strand • • thread • |BrE fibre • |AmE fiber •
a long/single hair/strand/thread/fibre
a fine hair/strand/thread
Collocations:
Clothes and fashion
Clothes
be wearing a new outfit/bright colours/fancy dress/fur/uniform
be (dressed) in black/red/jeans and a T-shirt/your best suit/leather/silk/rags (= very old torn clothes)
be dressed for work/school/dinner/a special occasion
be dressed as a man/woman/clown/pirate
wear/dress in casual/designer/second-hand clothes
wear jewellery/(especially US) jewelry/accessories/a watch/glasses/contact lenses/perfume
have a cowboy hat/red dress/blue suit on
put on/take off your clothes/coat/shoes/helmet
pull on/pull off your coat/gloves/socks
change into/get changed into a pair of jeans/your pyjamas/(especially US) your pajamas
Appearance
change/enhance/improve your appearance
create/get/have/give sth a new/contemporary/retro look
brush/comb/shampoo/wash/blow-dry your hair
have/get a haircut/your hair cut/a new hairstyle
have/get a piercing/your nose pierced
have/get a tattoo/a tattoo done (on your arm)/a tattoo removed
have/get a makeover/cosmetic surgery
use/wear/apply/put on make-up/cosmetics
Fashion
follow/keep up with (the) fashion/the latest fashions
spend/waste money on designer clothes
be fashionably/stylishly/well dressed
have good/great/terrible/awful taste in clothes
update/revamp your wardrobe
be in/come into/go out of fashion
be (back/very much) in vogue
create a style/trend/vogue for sth
organize/put on a fashion show
show/unveil a designer's spring/summer collection
sashay/strut down the catwalk/(NAmE also) runway
be on/do a photo/fashion shoot
Collocations:
Physical appearance
A person may be described as having:
Eyes
(bright) blue/green/(dark/light) brown/hazel eyes
deep-set/sunken/bulging/protruding eyes
small/beady/sparkling/twinkling/(informal) shifty eyes
piercing/penetrating/steely eyes
bloodshot/watery/puffy eyes
bushy/thick/dark/raised/arched eyebrows
long/dark/thick/curly/false eyelashes/lashes
Face
a flat/bulbous/pointed/sharp/snub nose
a straight/a hooked/a Roman/(formal) an aquiline nose
full/thick/thin/pouty lips
dry/chapped/cracked lips
flushed/rosy/red/ruddy/pale cheeks
soft/chubby/sunken cheeks
white/perfect/crooked/protruding teeth
a large/high/broad/wide/sloping forehead
a strong/weak/pointed/double chin
a long/full/bushy/wispy/goatee beard
a long/thin/bushy/droopy/handlebar/pencil moustache/ (especially US) mustache
Hair and skin
pale/fair/olive/dark/tanned skin
dry/oily/smooth/rough/leathery/wrinkled skin
a dark/pale/light/sallow/ruddy/olive/swarthy/clear complexion
deep/fine/little/facial wrinkles
blonde/blond/fair/(light/dark) brown/(jet-)black/auburn/red/(BrE) ginger/grey hair
straight/curly/wavy/frizzy/spiky hair
thick/thin/fine/bushy/thinning hair
dyed/bleached/soft/silky/dry/greasy/shiny hair
long/short/shoulder-length/cropped hair
a bald/balding/shaved head
a receding hairline
a bald patch/spot
a side/centre/(US) center (BrE) parting/ (NAmE) part
Body
a long/short/thick/slender/(disapproving) scrawny neck
broad/narrow/sloping/rounded/hunched shoulders
a bare/broad/muscular/small/large chest
a flat/swollen/bulging stomach
a small/tiny/narrow/slim/slender/28-inch waist
big/wide/narrow/slim hips
a straight/bent/arched/broad/hairy back
thin/slender/muscular arms
big/large/small/manicured/calloused/gloved hands
long/short/fat/slender/delicate/bony fingers
long/muscular/hairy/shapely/(both informal, often disapproving) skinny/spindly legs
muscular/chubby/(informal, disapproving) flabby thighs
big/little/small/dainty/wide/narrow/bare feet
a good/a slim/a slender/an hourglass figure
be of slim/medium/average/large/athletic/stocky build
Example Bank:
• He ran both hands through his thinning hair.
• He went to the barber's to have his hair cut.
• Her blond hair fell over her eyes.
• Her only hair accessory was a headband.
• His hair curls naturally.
• His hair was shaved close to his head.
• His hair was tousled and he looked as if he'd just woken up.
• I don't like the way she's arranged her hair, do you?
• I'll be down in a minute, I'm just doing my hair.
• I'm trying to grow my hair.
• I've decided to have my hair permed.
• Kyle reached out to stroke her hair.
• She had beautiful auburn hair.
• She had shoulder-length black hair.
• She pushed a stray hair behind her ear.
• She showered, fixed her hair, and applied make up.
• She tossed her long hair out of her eyes.
• She wore her long hair loose on her shoulders.
• They had styled my hair by blowing it out straight.
• Why don't you let your hair grow?
• Why don't you put your hair up for this evening?
• a new shampoo for dull or dry hair
• a stylist specializing in hair extensions
• how to cope with hair loss
• waxing, and the other hair removal methods available for men
• There's a hair in my soup.
hair
hair /heəʳ/ US /her/
noun [C or U]
the mass of thin thread-like structures on the head of a person, or any of these structures that grow out of the skin of a person or animal:
He's got short dark hair.
I'm going to have/get my hair cut.
She brushed her long red hair.
He had lost his hair by the time he was twenty-five.
He's starting to get a few grey hairs now.
I found a hair in my soup.
-haired/-heəd/ US /-herd/
suffix
with the hair described:
dark-haired
short-haired
hairless /ˈheə.ləs/ US /ˈher-/
adjective
without hair:
To my mind, a hairless armpit looks unnatural.
hair
/heə(r)/
(hairs)
Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.
1.
Your hair is the fine threads that grow in a mass on your head.
I wash my hair every night...
...a girl with long blonde hair...
I get some grey hairs but I pull them out.
N-VAR: usu supp N
2.
Hair is the short, fine threads that grow on different parts of your body.
The majority of men have hair on their chest...
It tickled the hairs on the back of my neck.
N-VAR
3.
Hair is the threads that cover the body of an animal such as a dog, or make up a horse’s mane and tail.
I am allergic to cat hair.
...dog hairs on the carpet.
N-VAR
4.
If you let your hair down, you relax completely and enjoy yourself.
...the world-famous Oktoberfest, a time when everyone in Munich really lets their hair down.
PHRASE: V inflects
5.
Something that makes your hair stand on end shocks or frightens you very much.
This was the kind of smile that made your hair stand on end.
PHRASE: V inflects
6.
If you say that someone has not a hair out of place, you are emphasizing that they are extremely smart and neatly dressed.
She had a lot of make-up on and not a hair out of place.
PHRASE [emphasis]
7.
If you say that someone faced with a shock or a problem does not turn a hair, you mean that they do not show any surprise or fear, and remain completely calm.
No one seems to turn a hair at the thought of the divorced Princess marrying.
PHRASE: V inflects
8.
If you say that someone is splitting hairs, you mean that they are making unnecessary distinctions between things when the differences between them are so small they are not important.
Don’t split hairs. You know what I’m getting at.
PHRASE: V inflects
hair
hair /ˈheɚ/ noun, pl hairs
1 a [count] : a thin threadlike growth from the skin of a person or animal
• He plucked a hair from his arm.
• There are dog/cat hairs all over my coat.
b [noncount] : a covering or growth of hairs
• The hair on her arms is blond.
• He has a lot of hair on his chest.
• facial/pubic hair
c [noncount] : the covering of hairs on a person's head
• He got his hair cut last week.
• Your hair looks nice.
• She has long/black/straight hair.
• He has a thick/full head of hair.
• a balding man who is losing his hair
• a lock/strand of hair
• hair conditioners/curlers
• a hair dryer
• I'm having a bad hair day. [=my hair does not look nice today]
2 [singular] informal : a very small distance or amount
• He won the race by a hair.
• He was a hair off on the count.
hair of the dog (that bit you) informal : an alcoholic drink that is taken by someone to feel better after having drunk too much at an earlier time
hide or hair, hide nor hair
- see 2hide
in your hair informal
✦Someone who is in your hair is bothering or annoying you.
• His wife says that since he retired he's in her hair all day because he's at home so much.
keep your hair on Brit informal
- used to tell someone not to become too excited or upset;
let your hair down informal : to relax and enjoy yourself
• We work hard all week, so when Friday comes we like to let our hair down a little and have some fun.
make your hair curl informal
✦If something makes your hair curl, it frightens, shocks, or surprises you.
• I've heard stories about that guy that would make your hair curl.
make your hair stand on end informal
✦If something makes your hair stand on end, it frightens you.
• Just hearing his voice makes my hair stand on end.
not have a hair out of place informal : to have a very neat appearance
• a politician who never has a hair out of place
not turn a hair informal : to remain calm even though something frightening or shocking has happened
• Most people would have been very nervous in that situation, but she never turned a hair.
out of your hair informal
✦Someone who is out of your hair is no longer bothering or annoying you.
• Let me take the children out of your hair while you cook dinner.
pull your hair out or tear your hair out informal : to be very worried or upset about something
• We've been tearing our hair out trying to decide what to do.
split hairs : to argue about small details or differences that are not important
• His lawyers are splitting hairs over the wording of his contract.
- see also hairsplitting
- haired /ˈheɚd/ adj
• a long-haired cat
• a dark-haired person
- hair·less /ˈheɚləs/ adj
• a hairless breed of cat
A broad hairy chest
The upper front part of your body between your neck and your stomach
A broad hairy chest
chest
noun
1 the top part of the front of your body
2 a large strong box with a lid that you use for storing or carrying things
chest
chest S2 W3 /tʃest/ noun [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: cest, from Latin cista 'box, basket', from Greek kiste 'basket']
1. the front part of your body between your neck and your stomach ⇨ breast:
• Her heart was pounding in her chest.
• a hairy chest
chest pain/infection/injury
• He collapsed with severe chest pains. ⇨ flat-chested
2. a large strong box that you use to store things in or to move your personal possessions from one place to another:
• a large wooden chest ⇨ chest of drawers, tea chest, war chest
3. get something off your chest to tell someone about something that has been worrying or annoying you for a long time, so that you feel better afterwards
• • •
COLLOCATIONS■ adjectives
▪ broad • a tall man with a broad chest and shoulders
▪ powerful • His arms were folded across his powerful chest.
▪ muscular (=with big muscles) • His chest was tanned and muscular.
▪ hairy • His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a hairy chest.
▪ bare (=not covered by clothes) • The workmen all had bare chests.
▪ bad (=one that is making you cough or giving you pain) • I'm not going running today - my chest is bad.
▪ weak (=one that often gets infections) • As a child her chest was weak.
■ chest + NOUN
▪ a chest pain • There are a number of causes of chest pain.
▪ a chest infection • Every time I get a cold I get a chest infection too.
▪ a chest complaint/problem (=something wrong with your chest and causing you pain) • Older people often suffer from chest complaints.
▪ a chest injury/wound • He suffered serious chest injuries in the accident.
▪ a chest X-ray (=a photograph of the inside of your chest, to see if it is healthy) • A chest X-ray showed that there was damage to his lungs.
chest
chest [chest chests] [tʃest] [tʃest] noun
1. the top part of the front of the body, between the neck and the stomach
• The bullet hit him in the chest.
• She gasped for breath, her chest heaving.
• a chest infection
• chest pains
• a hairy chest
2. -chested (in adjectives) having the type of chest mentioned
• flat-chested
• broad-chested
3. a large strong box, usually made of wood, used for storing things in and/or moving them from one place to another
• a medicine chest
• a treasure chest
see also hope chest, tea chest, war chest
more at hold/keep/play your cards close to your chest at card n.
Idiom: get something off your chest
Word Origin:
Old English cest, cyst, related to Dutch kist and German Kiste, based on Greek kistē ‘box’.
Collocations:
Physical appearance
A person may be described as having:
Eyes
(bright) blue/green/(dark/light) brown/hazel eyes
deep-set/sunken/bulging/protruding eyes
small/beady/sparkling/twinkling/(informal) shifty eyes
piercing/penetrating/steely eyes
bloodshot/watery/puffy eyes
bushy/thick/dark/raised/arched eyebrows
long/dark/thick/curly/false eyelashes/lashes
Face
a flat/bulbous/pointed/sharp/snub nose
a straight/a hooked/a Roman/(formal) an aquiline nose
full/thick/thin/pouty lips
dry/chapped/cracked lips
flushed/rosy/red/ruddy/pale cheeks
soft/chubby/sunken cheeks
white/perfect/crooked/protruding teeth
a large/high/broad/wide/sloping forehead
a strong/weak/pointed/double chin
a long/full/bushy/wispy/goatee beard
a long/thin/bushy/droopy/handlebar/pencil moustache/ (especially US) mustache
Hair and skin
pale/fair/olive/dark/tanned skin
dry/oily/smooth/rough/leathery/wrinkled skin
a dark/pale/light/sallow/ruddy/olive/swarthy/clear complexion
deep/fine/little/facial wrinkles
blonde/blond/fair/(light/dark) brown/(jet-)black/auburn/red/(BrE) ginger/grey hair
straight/curly/wavy/frizzy/spiky hair
thick/thin/fine/bushy/thinning hair
dyed/bleached/soft/silky/dry/greasy/shiny hair
long/short/shoulder-length/cropped hair
a bald/balding/shaved head
a receding hairline
a bald patch/spot
a side/centre/(US) center (BrE) parting/ (NAmE) part
Body
a long/short/thick/slender/(disapproving) scrawny neck
broad/narrow/sloping/rounded/hunched shoulders
a bare/broad/muscular/small/large chest
a flat/swollen/bulging stomach
a small/tiny/narrow/slim/slender/28-inch waist
big/wide/narrow/slim hips
a straight/bent/arched/broad/hairy back
thin/slender/muscular arms
big/large/small/manicured/calloused/gloved hands
long/short/fat/slender/delicate/bony fingers
long/muscular/hairy/shapely/(both informal, often disapproving) skinny/spindly legs
muscular/chubby/(informal, disapproving) flabby thighs
big/little/small/dainty/wide/narrow/bare feet
a good/a slim/a slender/an hourglass figure
be of slim/medium/average/large/athletic/stocky build
Example Bank:
• ‘You've got to have courage,’ he said, thumping his chest.
• Clutching his chest in agony, he fell to the ground.
• He puffed out his chest proudly.
• He suffered burns to the chest and neck.
• Her chest tightened with fear.
• His chest puffed out with indignation at the suggestion.
• His chest swelled with pride as he accepted the award.
• She clutched her baby tightly to her chest.
• She ran until her chest ached.
• She was hit in the chest by two of the bullets.
• She wears loose clothes to hide her flat chest.
• the hairs on his chest
• The documents were kept in an ancient oak chest with a brass lock.
• We packed all the china in tea chests.
• a pirate's treasure chest
war chest
ˈwar chest [war chest] noun
an amount of money that a government or an organization has available to spend on a particular plan, project, etc.
chest
chest (BOX) /tʃest/
noun [C]
a large strong box, usually made of wood, which is used for storing valuable goods or possessions or for moving possessions from one place to another:
Her books and clothes were packed into chests and shipped across to Canada.
chest (BODY PART) /tʃest/
noun [C]
the upper front part of the body of humans and some animals, between the stomach and the neck, enclosing the heart and lungs:
He was shot in the chest at point blank range.
He folded his arms across his chest.
His shirt was open to the waist revealing a very hairy chest.
She went to the doctor complaining of chest pains.
chest
/tʃest/
(chests)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
Your chest is the top part of the front of your body where your ribs, lungs, and heart are.
He crossed his arms over his chest...
He was shot in the chest...
He complained of chest pain.
N-COUNT: oft poss N
2.
A chest is a large, heavy box used for storing things.
At the very bottom of the chest were his carving tools.
...a treasure chest.
...a medicine chest.
= trunk
N-COUNT
3.
If you get something off your chest, you talk about something that has been worrying you.
I feel it’s done me good to get it off my chest.
≠ bottle up
PHRASE: V inflects
chest
chest /ˈʧɛst/ noun, pl chests [count]
1 : a container (such as a box or case) for holding things or moving them from place to place
• a linen chest
• a tool chest
• a treasure chest
• a medicine chest [=a cabinet on a bathroom wall that is used for storing medicine and small items]
- see also chest of drawers, hope chest, war chest
2 : the front part of the body between the neck and the stomach
• He has a broad chest.
• The pain is in my upper chest.
- often used before another noun
• the chest cavity
• a chest X-ray
• She's been complaining of chest pains.
- see picture at human
close to your chest
- see 2close
get (something) off your chest : to tell someone about something that has been making you upset or unhappy
• You've been a little cold to me lately. Is there something you'd like to get off your chest?
- chest·ed /ˈʧɛstəd/ adj
- used in combination
• flat-chested
• bare-chested
Her long, black eyelashes
Any of the short hairs that grow along the edges of the eye
Her long, black eyelashes
eyelash
(also lash) noun (plural eyelashes)
one of the hairs that grow in a line on your eyelid:
She's got beautiful long eyelashes.
eyelash
eye‧lash /ˈaɪlæʃ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
1. one of the small hairs that grow along the edge of your ↑eyelids
2. flutter your eyelashes if a woman flutters her eyelashes, she moves them up and down very quickly, in order to look sexually attractive
eyelash
eye·lash [eyelash eyelashes] [ˈaɪlæʃ] [ˈaɪlæʃ] (also lash) noun usually plural
one of the hairs growing on the edge of the eyelids
• false eyelashes
• She just flutters her eyelashes and the men come running!
see bat your eyes/eyelashes at bat v.
See also: lash
Collocations:
Physical appearance
A person may be described as having:
Eyes
(bright) blue/green/(dark/light) brown/hazel eyes
deep-set/sunken/bulging/protruding eyes
small/beady/sparkling/twinkling/(informal) shifty eyes
piercing/penetrating/steely eyes
bloodshot/watery/puffy eyes
bushy/thick/dark/raised/arched eyebrows
long/dark/thick/curly/false eyelashes/lashes
Face
a flat/bulbous/pointed/sharp/snub nose
a straight/a hooked/a Roman/(formal) an aquiline nose
full/thick/thin/pouty lips
dry/chapped/cracked lips
flushed/rosy/red/ruddy/pale cheeks
soft/chubby/sunken cheeks
white/perfect/crooked/protruding teeth
a large/high/broad/wide/sloping forehead
a strong/weak/pointed/double chin
a long/full/bushy/wispy/goatee beard
a long/thin/bushy/droopy/handlebar/pencil moustache/ (especially US) mustache
Hair and skin
pale/fair/olive/dark/tanned skin
dry/oily/smooth/rough/leathery/wrinkled skin
a dark/pale/light/sallow/ruddy/olive/swarthy/clear complexion
deep/fine/little/facial wrinkles
blonde/blond/fair/(light/dark) brown/(jet-)black/auburn/red/(BrE) ginger/grey hair
straight/curly/wavy/frizzy/spiky hair
thick/thin/fine/bushy/thinning hair
dyed/bleached/soft/silky/dry/greasy/shiny hair
long/short/shoulder-length/cropped hair
a bald/balding/shaved head
a receding hairline
a bald patch/spot
a side/centre/(US) center (BrE) parting/ (NAmE) part
Body
a long/short/thick/slender/(disapproving) scrawny neck
broad/narrow/sloping/rounded/hunched shoulders
a bare/broad/muscular/small/large chest
a flat/swollen/bulging stomach
a small/tiny/narrow/slim/slender/28-inch waist
big/wide/narrow/slim hips
a straight/bent/arched/broad/hairy back
thin/slender/muscular arms
big/large/small/manicured/calloused/gloved hands
long/short/fat/slender/delicate/bony fingers
long/muscular/hairy/shapely/(both informal, often disapproving) skinny/spindly legs
muscular/chubby/(informal, disapproving) flabby thighs
big/little/small/dainty/wide/narrow/bare feet
a good/a slim/a slender/an hourglass figure
be of slim/medium/average/large/athletic/stocky build
Example Bank:
• She smiled and fluttered her eyelashes at the ticket inspector.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
eyelash / ˈaɪ.læʃ / noun [ C ]
B2 any of the short hairs that grow along the edges of the eye:
long eyelashes
false eyelashes
See picture head
© Cambridge University Press 2013
eyelash
/aɪlæʃ/
(eyelashes)
Your eyelashes are the hairs which grow on the edges of your eyelids.
N-COUNT: usu pl
eyelash
eye·lash /ˈaɪˌlæʃ/ noun, pl -lash·es [count] : any one of the hairs that grow along the top of the eyelid
• She has beautiful dark eyelashes. [=lashes]
• false eyelashes
- see picture at eye
not bat an eyelash
Arched eyebrows
The line of hair above an eye
Arched eyebrows
eyebrow
noun
one of the two lines of hair above your eyes
eyebrow
eye‧brow /ˈaɪbraʊ/ noun [countable]
1. the line of hair above your eye:
• thick bushy eyebrows
2. raise your eyebrows to move your eyebrows upwards in order to show surprise or disapproval:
• ‘Really?’ she said, raising her eyebrows.
• This decision caused a few raised eyebrows (=surprised some people).
3. be up to your eyebrows in something spoken to have more of something than you can deal with:
• I’m absolutely up to my eyebrows in work.
eyebrow
eye·brow [eyebrow eyebrows] [ˈaɪbraʊ] [ˈaɪbraʊ] (also brow) noun usually plural
the line of hair above the eye
more at raise your eyebrows at raise v.
Idiom: up to your eyebrows in something
See also: brow
Collocations:
Physical appearance
A person may be described as having:
Eyes
(bright) blue/green/(dark/light) brown/hazel eyes
deep-set/sunken/bulging/protruding eyes
small/beady/sparkling/twinkling/(informal) shifty eyes
piercing/penetrating/steely eyes
bloodshot/watery/puffy eyes
bushy/thick/dark/raised/arched eyebrows
long/dark/thick/curly/false eyelashes/lashes
Face
a flat/bulbous/pointed/sharp/snub nose
a straight/a hooked/a Roman/(formal) an aquiline nose
full/thick/thin/pouty lips
dry/chapped/cracked lips
flushed/rosy/red/ruddy/pale cheeks
soft/chubby/sunken cheeks
white/perfect/crooked/protruding teeth
a large/high/broad/wide/sloping forehead
a strong/weak/pointed/double chin
a long/full/bushy/wispy/goatee beard
a long/thin/bushy/droopy/handlebar/pencil moustache/ (especially US) mustache
Hair and skin
pale/fair/olive/dark/tanned skin
dry/oily/smooth/rough/leathery/wrinkled skin
a dark/pale/light/sallow/ruddy/olive/swarthy/clear complexion
deep/fine/little/facial wrinkles
blonde/blond/fair/(light/dark) brown/(jet-)black/auburn/red/(BrE) ginger/grey hair
straight/curly/wavy/frizzy/spiky hair
thick/thin/fine/bushy/thinning hair
dyed/bleached/soft/silky/dry/greasy/shiny hair
long/short/shoulder-length/cropped hair
a bald/balding/shaved head
a receding hairline
a bald patch/spot
a side/centre/(US) center (BrE) parting/ (NAmE) part
Body
a long/short/thick/slender/(disapproving) scrawny neck
broad/narrow/sloping/rounded/hunched shoulders
a bare/broad/muscular/small/large chest
a flat/swollen/bulging stomach
a small/tiny/narrow/slim/slender/28-inch waist
big/wide/narrow/slim hips
a straight/bent/arched/broad/hairy back
thin/slender/muscular arms
big/large/small/manicured/calloused/gloved hands
long/short/fat/slender/delicate/bony fingers
long/muscular/hairy/shapely/(both informal, often disapproving) skinny/spindly legs
muscular/chubby/(informal, disapproving) flabby thighs
big/little/small/dainty/wide/narrow/bare feet
a good/a slim/a slender/an hourglass figure
be of slim/medium/average/large/athletic/stocky build
Example Bank:
• ‘Really?’ she said, raising a sardonic eyebrow.
• Ellen looked at me with a raised eyebrow.
• He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.
• Her eyebrows arched quizzically.
• His dark eyebrows lifted in surprise.
• She had short blonde hair and an eyebrow ring.
• She spent hours in front of the mirror, plucking her eyebrows.
eyebrow
eyebrow /ˈaɪ.braʊ/
noun [C]
the line of short hairs above each eye in humans:
Do you pluck your eyebrows (= remove some of the hairs to change their shape)?
He's got really bushy (= thick) eyebrows.
eyebrow
/aɪbraʊ/
(eyebrows)
1.
Your eyebrows are the lines of hair which grow above your eyes.
N-COUNT: usu pl, oft poss N
2.
If something causes you to raise an eyebrow or to raise your eyebrows, it causes you to feel surprised or disapproving.
An intriguing item on the news pages caused me to raise an eyebrow over my morning coffee...
PHRASE: V inflects
eyebrow
eye·brow /ˈaɪˌbraʊ/ noun, pl -brows [count] : the line of hair that grows over your eye - see picture at face
✦To raise an/your eyebrow is to move your eyebrow up in a way that shows surprise or mild disapproval. To raise eyebrows is to cause other people to react in this way. These phrases are often used figuratively.
• No one raised an eyebrow [=no one expressed surprise] when he announced that he was planning to run for governor.
• His recent public statements have raised (a few) eyebrows. [=people have reacted with surprise and disapproval to his recent public statements]
He has a protruding chin.
The centre of the bottom part of your face, below your mouth and above your neck
He has a protruding chin.
chin
noun
the part of your face below your mouth
chin
chin /tʃɪn/ noun [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: cinn]
1. the front part of your face below your mouth:
• He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
2. (keep your) chin up! spoken used to tell someone to make an effort to stay brave and confident when they are in a difficult situation:
• Chin up! It’ll be over soon.
3. take something on the chin to accept a difficult or unpleasant situation without complaining – used to show approval:
• One of our great strengths is our ability to take it on the chin and come out fighting.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS■ adjectives
▪ a double chin (=loose skin under your chin that looks like a second chin) • Frank was much fatter now and he had a double chin.
▪ a pointed chin • She had a narrow face and a pointed chin.
▪ a weak chin (=small in proportion to the face, and not square in shape) • He’s grown a beard to cover his weak chin.
▪ a determined chin literary (=giving a face a determined appearance) • She had short hair and a determined chin.
▪ a square chin • A square chin may be taken as a sign of a stubborn character.
▪ a receding chin (=sloping backwards in an unattractive way) • Half the boys in my college seemed to have receding chins.
▪ an unshaven chin (=with short hairs on because a man has not shaved) • His combed hair looked oddly neat against his unshaven chin.
■ verbs
▪ stroke/rub your chin (=stroke it in a way that shows you are thinking about something) • He stroked his chin and then seemed to come to a decision.
chin
chin [chin chins] [tʃɪn] [tʃɪn] noun
the part of the face below the mouth and above the neck
• A strap fastens under the chin to keep the helmet in place.
see also double chin
more at chuck sb under the chin at chuck v.
Idioms: chin up ▪ take something on the chin
Word Origin:
Old English cin, cinn, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kin, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin gena ‘cheek’ and Greek genus ‘jaw’.
Collocations:
Physical appearance
A person may be described as having:
Eyes
(bright) blue/green/(dark/light) brown/hazel eyes
deep-set/sunken/bulging/protruding eyes
small/beady/sparkling/twinkling/(informal) shifty eyes
piercing/penetrating/steely eyes
bloodshot/watery/puffy eyes
bushy/thick/dark/raised/arched eyebrows
long/dark/thick/curly/false eyelashes/lashes
Face
a flat/bulbous/pointed/sharp/snub nose
a straight/a hooked/a Roman/(formal) an aquiline nose
full/thick/thin/pouty lips
dry/chapped/cracked lips
flushed/rosy/red/ruddy/pale cheeks
soft/chubby/sunken cheeks
white/perfect/crooked/protruding teeth
a large/high/broad/wide/sloping forehead
a strong/weak/pointed/double chin
a long/full/bushy/wispy/goatee beard
a long/thin/bushy/droopy/handlebar/pencil moustache/ (especially US) mustache
Hair and skin
pale/fair/olive/dark/tanned skin
dry/oily/smooth/rough/leathery/wrinkled skin
a dark/pale/light/sallow/ruddy/olive/swarthy/clear complexion
deep/fine/little/facial wrinkles
blonde/blond/fair/(light/dark) brown/(jet-)black/auburn/red/(BrE) ginger/grey hair
straight/curly/wavy/frizzy/spiky hair
thick/thin/fine/bushy/thinning hair
dyed/bleached/soft/silky/dry/greasy/shiny hair
long/short/shoulder-length/cropped hair
a bald/balding/shaved head
a receding hairline
a bald patch/spot
a side/centre/(US) center (BrE) parting/ (NAmE) part
Body
a long/short/thick/slender/(disapproving) scrawny neck
broad/narrow/sloping/rounded/hunched shoulders
a bare/broad/muscular/small/large chest
a flat/swollen/bulging stomach
a small/tiny/narrow/slim/slender/28-inch waist
big/wide/narrow/slim hips
a straight/bent/arched/broad/hairy back
thin/slender/muscular arms
big/large/small/manicured/calloused/gloved hands
long/short/fat/slender/delicate/bony fingers
long/muscular/hairy/shapely/(both informal, often disapproving) skinny/spindly legs
muscular/chubby/(informal, disapproving) flabby thighs
big/little/small/dainty/wide/narrow/bare feet
a good/a slim/a slender/an hourglass figure
be of slim/medium/average/large/athletic/stocky build
Example Bank:
• He cupped her chin with his hand.
• He had bits of food on his chin.
• He put his hand under her chin and lifted her face to his.
• He stroked his chin thoughtfully.
• Her chin was resting on his shoulder.
• His chin quivered and a tear ran down his cheek.
• His chin rose in a proud gesture.
• Maria jutted her chin defiantly.
• She caught him with a hard blow on the chin.
• She sat resting her chin on her hands.
• She sat with her elbows on the table, resting her chin on her cupped hands.
• She tilted her chin at him defiantly.
• Slowly lower the bar to around chin level.
• The juice dribbled down his chin.
chin
chin /tʃɪn/
noun [C]
the part of a person's face below their mouth:
To keep the helmet in position, fasten the strap beneath the chin.
She sat behind the table, her chin resting in her hands.
-chinned/-tʃɪnd/
suffix
having a particular type of chin:
square-chinned
chin
/tʃɪn/
(chins)
Your chin is the part of your face that is below your mouth and above your neck.
...a double chin...
He rubbed the gray stubble on his chin.
N-COUNT
chin
chin /ˈʧɪn/ noun, pl chins [count] : the part of the face below the mouth and above the neck - see picture at face; see also double chin
keep your chin up : to stay cheerful and hopeful during difficult times
• He's still keeping his chin up despite all his health problems.
• (Keep your) chin up! Everything will work out for the best.
take it on the chin informal
1 US : to be badly damaged or affected by something : to be hit hard by something
• Many investors took it on the chin yesterday as the stock market dropped sharply.
2 Brit : to accept something difficult or unpleasant without complaining
• The criticism was harsh but he took it on the chin and didn't try to blame anyone else.
last year
a period of 365 days, or 366 in a leap year , divided into 12 months
five years from now
year
noun
1 a period of 365 or 366 days from 1 January to 31 December. A year has twelve months and 52 weeks:
Where are you going on holiday this year?
'What year were you born?' '1973.'
I left school last year.
2 any period of twelve months:
I've known Chris for three years.
My son is five years old.
I have a five-year-old son.
I've got a two-year-old.
grammar
Be careful! You can say She's ten or She's ten years old (BUT NOT 'She's ten years').
3 (British) the level that a student is at in school or university:
I'm in year nine.
They're third-year students.
all year round for the whole year:
The swimming pool is open all year round.
Look also at leap year and new year.
year
year S1 W1 /jɪə, jɜː $ jɪr/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑year; adverb: ↑yearly; adjective: ↑yearly]
[Language: Old English; Origin: gear]
1. 12 MONTHS a period of about 365 days or 12 months, measured from any particular time:
I arrived here two years ago.
We’ve known each other for over a year.
It’s almost a year since Sue died.
Jodi is 15 years old.
a three-year business plan
a four-year-old child
be 12/21 etc years of age (=be 12/21 etc years old) ⇨ ↑financial year, ↑fiscal year, ↑light year, ↑tax year
2. JANUARY TO DECEMBER (also calendar year) a period of 365 or 366 days divided into 12 months beginning on January 1st and ending on December 31st:
the year that Kennedy died
in the year 1785
this/last/next year
They moved here at the beginning of this year.
last year’s cup final
She goes there every year.
The museum attracts 100,000 visitors a year.
in the early years of last century ⇨ ↑leap year, ↑New Year
3. years
a) informal a very long period of time SYN ages:
It’s years since I rode a bike.
in/for years
I haven’t been there for years.
It was the first time in years I’d seen her.
b) age, especially old age
a man/woman/person etc of his/her etc years
Gordon is very active for a man of his years.
getting on in years (=no longer young)
4. all (the) year round during the whole year:
It’s warm enough to swim all year round. ⇨ ↑year-round
5. year by year as each year passes:
Business has steadily increased year by year.
6. year after year/year in, year out every year for many years:
Many birds return to the same spot year after year.
7. PERIOD OF LIFE/HISTORY years [plural] a particular period of time in someone’s life or in history:
the difficult years following the war
Sheila enjoyed her years as a student in Oxford.
8. the school/academic year the time within a period of 12 months when students are studying at a school or university
9. SCHOOL/UNIVERSITY LEVEL especially British English a particular level that a student stays at for one year:
a group of year seven students
in a year
He was in my year at school.
10. first/second etc year British English someone who is in their first etc year at school or university:
The department offers a study skills programme for all first years.
11. musician/player/car etc of the year the musician etc who was voted the best in a particular year
vote/name something ... of the year
The new Renault was voted car of the year.
12. year on year compared with the previous year:
Sales rose by 39 per cent year on year.
13. never/not in a million years spoken used to say that something is extremely unlikely:
Never in a million years did I think we’d lose.
14. the year dot British English informal a very long time ago:
Scientists have been involved in war since the year dot.
15. put years on somebody/take years off somebody to make someone look or feel older or younger:
Tina’s divorce has put years on her.
⇨ donkey’s years at ↑donkey(2)
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ adjectives
▪ this year She will be eight this year.
▪ next year I might go to law school next year.
▪ last year Last year we spent a lot on the house.
▪ every year They go back to the same resort every year.
▪ the current year The budget for the current year was £13 million.
▪ the coming year (=the year that is about to start) Here are some events to look out for in the coming year.
▪ the past year Over the past year everyone has worked extremely hard.
▪ the previous year They had married the previous year.
▪ the following year The following year he was made captain of the team.
▪ the new year (=used to talk about the beginning of the next year) The report is due at the beginning of the new year.
■ phrases
▪ the beginning/start of the year They moved here at the beginning of last year.
▪ the end of the year Work should finish around the end of the year.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 7)
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + years
▪ early years Little is known about his early years. | He remembers the early years of television.
▪ the last/latter/closing years of something He changed his opinion during the last years of his life.
▪ somebody's childhood/teenage years the home in which she spent her childhood years
▪ the war years She worked for the BBC during the war years.
▪ the boom years (=when an economy or industry is very successful) In the boom years, things weren't too bad.
▪ somebody's retirement years He enjoyed his retirement years in Wales.
▪ the Bush/Blair etc years (=when Bush, Blair etc was leader) The rich did very nicely during the Thatcher years.
■ phrases
▪ in recent years The number of cases has risen dramatically in recent years.
▪ in later years In later years he regretted their argument.
▪ in years gone by (=in the past) The old fort defended the island in years gone by.
■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say 'in ancient years' or 'in the ancient years'. Say in ancient times or long ago.
year
year [year years] [jɪə(r)] [jɜː(r)] [jɪr] noun (abbr. yr)
1. (also ˌcalendar ˈyear) countable the period from 1 January to 31 December, that is 365 or 366 days, divided into 12 months
• in the year 1865
• I lost my job earlier this year.
• Elections take place every year.
• The museum is open all (the) year round (= during the whole year).
see also leap year, new year
2. countable a period of 12 months, measured from any particular time
• It's exactly a year since I started working here.
• She gave up teaching three years ago.
• in the first year of their marriage
• the pre-war/war/post-war years (= the period before/during/after the war)
• I have happy memories of my years in Poland (= the time I spent there).
see also gap year, light year, off year
3. countable a period of 12 months connected with a particular activity
• the academic/school year
• the tax year
see also financial year
4. countable (especially BrE) (at a school, etc.) a level that you stay in for one year; a student at a particular level
• We started German in year seven.
• a year-seven pupil
• The first years do French.
• She was in my year at school.
5. countable, usually plural age; time of life
• He was 14 years old when it happened.
• She looks young for her years.
• They were both only 20 years of age.
• a twenty-year-old man
• He died in his sixtieth year.
• She's getting on in years (= is no longer young).
6. years plural (informal) a long time
• It's years since we last met.
• They haven't seen each other for years.
• That's the best movie I've seen in years.
• We've had a lot of fun over the years.
more at of advanced years at advanced, sb's declining years at decline v., donkey's years at donkey, the seven year itch at seven, the turn of the century/year at turn n.
Idioms: man/woman/car of the year ▪ not in a hundred years ▪ put years on somebody ▪ take years off somebody ▪ year after year ▪ year by year ▪ year dot ▪ year in, year out ▪ year of grace ▪ year of our Lord ▪ year on year
See also: calendar year ▪ year one
Word Origin:
Old English gē(a)r, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch jaar and German Jahr, from an Indo-European root shared by Greek hōra ‘season’.
Culture:
the calendar
Britain and the US follow the Gregorian calendar, which replaced the Roman Julian calendar in 1752. The year is divided into 12 months, with 30 or 31 days in each month, except February, which has 28 days. An extra day is added to February every fourth year, called a leap year, to keep the calendar in time with the moon. A well-known verse helps people remember how many days there are in each month: Thirty days hath September, April, June and November. All the rest have thirty-one, Excepting February alone, Which hath twenty-eight days clear, and twenty-nine in each leap year.
The calendar year starts on 1 January, New Year's Day. The number of each year (2003, 2004, et c. ) represents the number of years that have passed since the birth of Jesus Christ. The year 2000 marked the end of the second millennium (= a period of 1 000 years) since Christ was born. The years before Christ are described as BC (= before Christ), e.g. 55 BC, or BCE (= before the Common Era). The abbreviations AD (Latin Anno Domini, meaning ‘in the year of the Lord’) or CE (= Common Era) are put before or after the date for the years after Christ’s birth, e.g. AD 44 or 44 AD, but they are not used with years after about 200 AD. Some cultural and religious groups use different calendars: the year 2000 in the Gregorian calendar began during the year 5760 in the Jewish calendar, 1420 in the Islamic calendar and 1921 in the Hindu calendar.
The academic year used by schools and colleges in Britain runs from September to July, with short holidays at Christmas and in the spring and a long summer vacation. In the US the academic year runs from August or September to May or June. Many business companies have a financial year (= a period of accounting) that runs from April to the following March. The tax year in the US is the same as the calendar year but the tax year in Britain begins on 5 April. The reason is that in medieval times the calendar year began on 25 March, not 1 January. When the Gregorian Calendar was introduced, an adjustment was needed and 11 days were removed from September 1752. To avoid being accused of collecting a full year’s taxes in a short year, the government extended the end of the tax year 1752–3 to 4 April.
Many festivals are celebrated during the year. Christmas and Easter are the main Christian festivals. Jews remember Passover and Yom Kippur. Ramadan, a month of fasting, and Eid ul-Fitr are celebrated by Muslims. Diwali, the Hindu festival of light, takes place in October or November, and the Chinese celebrate their new year in January or February. Special occasions such as Bonfire Night in Britain and Thanksgiving in the US are enjoyed by almost everyone.
Example Bank:
• Britain was invaded in the year 1066.
• Careful make-up and styling can take years off you.
• He soon realized that a lot had changed in the intervening years.
• He spent his sabbatical year doing research in Moscow.
• He spent last year trying to get a new job.
• He was on a gap year before going to university.
• His early years were spent in San Francisco.
• His wife's death has put years on him.
• I hope to retire in a year/in a year's time.
• I paint the house every single year.
• I visited Morocco 20-odd years ago.
• I've been waiting for this moment all year long.
• In his later years, he drifted away from politics.
• In the past few years, she has become one of our top-selling authors.
• It happened during the Clinton years.
• It took him ten years to qualify as a vet.
• It's the first time we've met in years.
• It's usually much colder at this time of year.
• Next month, they celebrate fifty years of marriage.
• Over 10 000 people per year are injured in this type of accident.
• Over the past few years, we've made significant changes.
• She died the following year.
• She was born in Spain but spent her formative years in Italy.
• She won the race for the third successive year.
• She's only ten years old.
• That was in the year of the great flood.
• That year saw the explosion of the Internet.
• The academic year runs from October to June.
• The book represents three years of hard work.
• The chart shows our performance over the past year.
• The children spent the war years abroad.
• The city tour runs all the year round.
• The death rate in any given year.
• The event has not proved popular in past years.
• The global economy means that all types of fruit and vegetables are available throughout the year.
• The last year went by in flash.
• The new range puts us light years ahead of the competition.
• The reforms will be fully implemented by the year 2007.
• The team has suffered a loss of form since the turn of the year.
• They had met once the previous year.
• They're still friends after all these years.
• This year marks the 10th anniversary of her death.
• We aim to do even better in future years.
• We have high hopes for the coming year.
• We lived there for ten years.
• We worked for five long years on this project.
• We're going skiing early in the new year.
• We've been friends for over twenty years.
• a peak year for exports
• children of tender years
• during the next academic year
• final-year university students
• in the next tax year
• profit for the current year to 31 December
• the boom years from 1993 to 2000
• the early years of the 21st century
• the golden years of motoring
• First and second years usually live in college.
• The language students go abroad in their third year.
• The project is the work of a group of year-seven pupils.
• We didn't start Latin until year nine.
• Year seven is the first year of secondary school.
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
year / jɪə r / / jɪr / noun
A1 [ C ] a period of twelve months, especially from 1 January to 31 December :
Annette worked in Italy for two years.
1988 was one of the worst years of my life.
We went to Egypt on holiday last year.
At this time of year the beaches are almost deserted.
This species keeps its leaves all (the) year ( round ) (= through the year) .
[ C ] a period of twelve months relating to a particular activity:
The financial/tax year begins in April.
A2 [ C ] the part of the year, in a school or university, during which courses are taught:
the academic/school year
She's now in her final/first/second year at Manchester University.
[ C , + sing/pl verb ] UK a group of students who start school, college, university, or a course together:
Kathy was in the year above me at college.
Word partners for year
each / every / last / next year • the past year • [3/20] years old • [2/5] years ago
© Cambridge University Press 2013
year
[jɪ͟ə(r)]
♦
years
1) N-COUNT A year is a period of twelve months or 365 or 366 days, beginning on the first of January and ending on the thirty-first of December.
The year was 1840...
We had an election last year.
...the number of people on the planet by the year 2050.
2) N-COUNT A year is any period of twelve months.
The museums attract more than two and a half million visitors a year...
She's done quite a bit of work this past year...
The school has been empty for ten years.
3) N-COUNT: num N adj/prep Year is used to refer to the age of a person. For example, if someone or something is twenty years old or twenty years of age, they have lived or existed for twenty years.
He's 58 years old...
I've been in trouble since I was eleven years of age...
This column is ten years old today.
4) N-COUNT: usu adj/ord N A school year or academic year is the period of time in each twelve months when schools or universities are open and students are studying there. In Britain and the United States, the school year starts in September.
...the 1990/91 academic year...
The twins didn't have to repeat their second year at school.
5) N-COUNT: ord N You can refer to someone who is, for example, in their first year at school or university as a first year. [BRIT]
The first years and second years got a choice of French, German and Spanish.
6) N-COUNT: with supp A financial or business year is an exact period of twelve months which businesses or institutions use as a basis for organizing their finances.
He announced big tax increases for the next two financial years...
The company admits it will make a loss for the year ending September.
7) N-PLURAL (emphasis) You can use years to emphasize that you are referring to a long time.
I haven't laughed so much in years...
It took him years to get up the courage...
People hold onto letters for years and years.
Syn:
ages
8) N-PLURAL: poss N, usu N prep You can refer to the time you spend in a place or doing an activity as your years there or your years of doing that activity.
The joy turned to tragedy during his years in Cyprus.
...his years as Director of the Manchester City Art Gallery.
9) → See also calendar year, fiscal year
10) PHRASE: PHR after v If something happens year after year, it happens regularly every year.
Regulars return year after year...
You keep on amazing me, year after year, the same old ways.
11) PHRASE: PHR after v If something changes year by year, it changes gradually each year.
This problem has increased year by year...
The department has been shrinking year by year because of budget cuts.
12) PHRASE: PHR with cl If something happens year in, year out, it happens every year without changing and is often boring.
Year in, year out, nothing changes...
With stockbroking it was the same thing, year in year out.
13) PHRASE You can say a man of his years or a woman of her years to refer to that person's age in relation to something else you are talking about.
He was moving with surprising speed for a man of his years...
A young man of his years needed to have a separate room.
14) PHRASE: V inflects If you say that something such as an experience or a way of dressing has put years on someone, you mean that it has made them look or feel much older. [INFORMAL]
I always turn adversity and defeat into victories, but it's probably put ten years on me.
15) PHRASE: PHR after v, PHR with cl If you say something happens all year round or all the year round, it happens continually throughout the year.
Town gardens are ideal because they produce flowers nearly all year round...
Drinking and driving is a problem all the year round.
16) PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n If you say that something such as an experience or a way of dressing has taken years off someone, you mean that it has made them look or feel much younger. [INFORMAL]
Changing your hairstyle can take ten years off you.
17) donkey's years → see donkey
year
year /ˈjiɚ/ noun, pl years [count]
1 : a unit of time that is equal to 12 months or 365 or sometimes 366 days
• I haven't seen her in a year.
• He quit smoking six years ago.
• The job pays $45,000 a/per year.
• She renews her lease every year.
• We see them once or twice a year.
• It feels like we've been standing in line for a year.
• That team hasn't won in years.
• It's been years since I've been on an airplane.
• The camp has changed a lot over the years. [=during several/some/many years]
• The tree grows taller year by year. = The tree grows taller each year. = The tree grows taller as the years go by.
• The park is open all year round. = The park is open the entire year.
- see also calendar year, donkey's years, fiscal year, gap year, leap year
2 : the regular period of 12 months that begins in January and ends in December
• The work should be done by the end of the year.
• She was born in the year 1967.
• The volcano erupted in the year 44 B.C.
• In what year was the car made?
• They got married last year. [=during the year before this one]
• He will retire next year. [=during the year after this one]
• the movie/teacher/rookie of the year [=the best movie/teacher/rookie in a specific year]
3
- used to refer to the age of a person
• She is 14 years old.
• the teenage years [=the ages 13 through 19]
• a six-year-old boy
• He is getting on in years. [=he is getting old]
• She looks young/old for her years. [=she looks younger/older than she is]
4 : a period of time when a particular event, process, activity, etc., happens or is done
• The school year runs from September to June. [=the school operates from September to June]
• The fiscal year begins in October and ends in September.
• This will be a great year [=harvest season] for peaches.
• The pitcher is having his best year [=season] ever.
• She took geometry (during) her sophomore year.
• first- and second-year students
glory years
- see 1glory
in the year of our Lord formal
- used before a year to say that it is after the birth of Jesus Christ
• The couple married on this day in the year of our Lord 2005.
never/not in a thousand/million/billion years informal
- used as a strong way of saying that something is extremely unlikely or impossible
• Never in a million years did I think she would quit her job. [=I never thought that she would quit her job]
• He will never change his mind. Not in a million years.
put years on : to cause (someone) to look or feel older
• That job has really put some years on him.
since (the) year one US or Brit since the year dot informal : for a very long time : since a time in the distant past
• That monument has been there since the year one.
take years off : to cause someone to look or feel younger
• Not only has the diet improved how she feels, but it's also taken years off (her appearance).
vintage year
- see 1vintage
His innovations surprised everyone.
a new idea, method, piece of equipment etc
His innovations surprised everyone.
innovation
in‧no‧va‧tion W3 AC /ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən/ noun
[Word Family: adjective: innovative, innovatory; verb: innovate; noun: innovation]
1. [countable] a new idea, method, or invention
innovation in
• recent innovations in English teaching
2. [uncountable] the introduction of new ideas or methods:
• We must encourage innovation if the company is to remain competitive.
innovation in
• We need to encourage innovation in industry.
• Many people feel bewildered by the speed of technological innovation.
innovation
in·nov·ation AW [innovation innovations] [ˌɪnəˈveɪʃn] [ˌɪnəˈveɪʃn] noun
1. uncountable ~ (in sth) the introduction of new things, ideas or ways of doing sth
• an age of technological innovation
• The company is very interested in product design and innovation.
2. countable ~ (in sth) a new idea, way of doing sth, etc. that has been introduced or discovered
• recent innovations in steel-making technology
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Latin innovatio(n-), from the verb innovare, from in- ‘into’ + novare ‘make new’ (from novus ‘new’).
Example Bank:
• Many innovations were introduced by the 1919 Act.
• Mathematical astronomy was the great innovation by the Greeks of the 5th century BC.
• She believed she had come up with one of the greatest innovations of modern times.
• Technical innovation may occur directly in the factory.
• Too strict a regulatory system will stifle innovation.
• industries where constant product innovation is a criterion for survival
• innovation in engineering
• innovations in machinery and instruments
• technological innovations designed to save energy
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
innovation / ˌɪn.əˈveɪ.ʃ ə n / noun [ C or U ]
C1 (the use of) a new idea or method:
the latest innovations in computer technology
innovation
/ɪnəveɪʃ(ə)n/
(innovations)
1.
An innovation is a new thing or a new method of doing something.
The vegetarian burger was an innovation which was rapidly exported to Britain.
N-COUNT
2.
Innovation is the introduction of new ideas, methods, or things.
We must promote originality and encourage innovation.
N-UNCOUNT
innovation
in·no·va·tion /ˌɪnəˈveɪʃən/ noun, pl -tions
1 [count] : a new idea, device, or method
• She is responsible for many innovations in her field.
• the latest innovation in computer technology
2 [noncount] : the act or process of introducing new ideas, devices, or methods
• Through technology and innovation, they found ways to get better results with less work.
• the rapid pace of technological innovation
Do you take sugar in your coffee?
a sweet substance consisting of very small white or brown pieces that is added to food or drinks to make them taste sweet
Do you take sugar in your coffee?
sugar
noun
1 (no plural) a sweet substance that comes from certain plants:
Do you take sugar in your coffee?
2 (plural sugars) the amount of sugar that a small spoon can hold:
Two sugars, please.
sugar
I. noun
I. sug‧ar1 S2 W3 /ˈʃʊɡə $ -ər/ noun
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: çucre, from Medieval Latin zuccarum, from Arabic sukkar, from Persian shakar, from Sanskrit sarkara]
1. [uncountable] a sweet white or brown substance that is obtained from plants and used to make food and drinks sweet:
• Do you take sugar in your coffee?
2. [countable] British English the amount of sugar that a small spoon can hold:
• How many sugars do you want in your tea?
3. [countable] technical one of several sweet substances formed in plants
4. spoken used to address someone you like very much
• • •
COLLOCATIONS■ phrases
▪ a teaspoon/spoonful of sugar • The drink contains seven teaspoons of sugar per can.
▪ a lump of sugar (also a sugar lump) (=a small block of sugar) • He put three lumps of sugar in his coffee.
■ verbs
▪ take sugar (=have sugar in your tea or coffee) • ‘Do you take sugar?’ ‘No, thank you.’
▪ sprinkle something with sugar • Sprinkle the cake with sugar.
▪ sugar dissolves (=becomes part of a liquid) • Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
sugar
sugar [sugar sugars sugared sugaring] noun, verb, exclamation [ˈʃʊɡə(r)] [ˈʃʊɡər]
noun
1. uncountable a sweet substance, often in the form of white or brown crystals, made from the juices of various plants, used in cooking or to make tea, coffee, etc. sweeter
• a sugar plantation/refinery/bowl
• This juice contains no added sugar.
• Do you take sugar (= have it in your tea, coffee, etc.)?
see also brown sugar, cane sugar, caster sugar, granulated sugar, icing sugar
2. countable the amount of sugar that a small spoon can hold or that is contained in a small cube, added to tea, coffee, etc
• How many sugars do you take in coffee?
3. countable, usually plural (technical) any of various sweet substances that are found naturally in plants, fruit, etc
• fruit sugars
• a person's blood sugar level (= the amount of glucose in their blood)
4. uncountable (informal, especially NAmE) a way of addressing sb that you like or love
• See you later, sugar.
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old French sukere, from Italian zucchero, probably via medieval Latin from Arabic sukkar.
Example Bank:
• Add 1 cup of white sugar and boil until dissolved.
• Add one cup of soft brown sugar.
• Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar.
• Do you take sugar in your tea?
• Fructose is a fruit sugar.
• Fruit juices contain natural sugars.
• He stirred another spoonful of sugar into his tea.
• Most junk food is high in sugar.
• a high sugar intake
• apple juice with no added sugar
• simple sugars, such as glucose
• to raise blood sugar levels
sugar
sugar /ˈʃʊg.əʳ/ US /-ɚ/
noun
1 [C or U] a sweet substance which is obtained especially from the plants sugar cane and sugar beet and used to sweeten food and drinks:
I don't take sugar in my coffee, thanks.
How many sugars (= spoonfuls or lumps of sugar) do you take in your tea?
2 [C] SPECIALIZED A sugar is any of several types of simple carbohydrate that dissolves in water:
Glucose and lactose are sugars.
3 [as form of address] MAINLY US an affectionate way of addressing someone that you know:
Hi, sugar, did you have a good day at school?
sugar /ˈʃʊg.əʳ/ US /-ɚ/
exclamation
POLITE WORD FOR shit, used when something annoying happens:
Oh sugar, I've just spilt coffee all down my jacket!
sugar /ˈʃʊg.əʳ/ US /-ɚ/
verb [T]
to put sugar in something:
Oh, I forgot to sugar your coffee.
sugary /ˈʃʊg.ər.i/ US /-ɚ-/
adjective
1 containing sugar:
all those sugary snacks that kids eat
2 DISAPPROVING too good or kind or expressing feelings of love in a way that is not sincere:
It's that sugary smile of his that I can't bear - it makes me want to puke!
sugar
/ʃʊgə(r)/
(sugars, sugaring, sugared)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
Sugar is a sweet substance that is used to make food and drinks sweet. It is usually in the form of small white or brown crystals.
...bags of sugar...
Ice cream is high in fat and sugar.
N-UNCOUNT
see also caster sugar, confectioners’ sugar, demerara sugar, granulated sugar, icing sugar
2.
If someone has one sugar in their tea or coffee, they have one small spoon of sugar or one sugar lump in it.
How many sugars do you take?
...a mug of tea with two sugars.
N-COUNT
3.
If you sugar food or drink, you add sugar to it.
He sat down and sugared and stirred his coffee.
VERB: V n
4.
Sugars are substances that occur naturally in food. When you eat them, the body converts them into energy.
Plants produce sugars and starch to provide themselves with energy.
N-COUNT: usu pl
1sug·ar /ˈʃʊgɚ/ noun, pl -ars
1 a [noncount] : a sweet substance usually in the form of white or brown crystals or white powder that comes from plants and is used to make foods sweeter
• Would you pass the sugar, please?
• Do you take sugar in your coffee?
• a lump/cube/packet of sugar
- see also brown sugar, cane sugar, confectioners' sugar, maple sugar, powdered sugar
b [count] : the amount of sugar in one spoonful, lump, packet, etc.
• Coffee with two sugars and milk, please.
2 [count] technical : any one of various substances that are found in plants and that your body uses or stores for energy - usually plural
• Everyone's body metabolizes sugars differently.
• Simple sugars are easier to digest than complex sugars.
3 [noncount] informal : the amount of sugar present in a person's blood at a particular time
• Her sugar (level) is very high.
- called also blood sugar,
4 chiefly US informal
- used to address someone you like or love
• “Hey, sugar [=honey], how are you doing?”
vegetable oil
A thick smooth liquid used in cooking and preparing food, and in medicines
vegetable oil
oil
noun (no plural)
1 a thick liquid that comes from under the ground or the sea. We use oil for energy and to make machines work smoothly.
2 a thick liquid that comes from plants or animals and that we use in cooking:
Fry the onions in oil.
oil
I. noun
I. oil1 S2 W1 /ɔɪl/ noun
[Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: oile, from Latin oleum 'olive oil', from Greek elaia 'olive']
1. NATURAL SUBSTANCE UNDER THE GROUND [uncountable] the thick dark liquid from under the ground from which petrol is produced ⇨ crude:
• a rise in the price of oil
• the importance of protecting our oil supplies
• an oil refinery (=factory where oil is made purer)
2. FUEL [uncountable] a smooth thick liquid that is used to make machines run easily or is burned to produce heat:
• Check the oil level in your car every week.
• The heating system runs on oil.
3.
LIQUID FROM PLANTS [uncountable and countable] a smooth thick liquid made from plants or some animals, used especially in cooking or for making beauty products:
• cooking oil
olive/vegetable/sunflower etc oil
• coconut oil shampoo
• Fish oils are supposed to help relieve arthritis. ⇨ castor oil, cod-liver oil, linseed oil
4. PAINT oils [plural] paints that contain oil SYN oil paints
in oils
• I usually paint in oils (=using oils).
⇨ burn the midnight oil at burn1(20), ⇨ pour oil on troubled waters at pour(8)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS■ verbs
▪ discover/find oil • Oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia in 1938. | • How does a company go about finding oil and getting it from the ground?
▪ hit/strike oil (=to find oil when you are digging for it) • The engineers drilled down a few hundred metres until they hit oil. | • The Ohio Oil Company struck oil on May 3rd.
▪ drill for oil • Plans to drill for oil off the New South Wales coast have recently been revived.
▪ produce oil (=to have natural areas of oil, and take it out of the ground) • The US does not produce enough oil to meet its own needs.
▪ extract oil formal (=to take oil out of an area) • the difficult process of extracting the oil
■ adjectives
▪ crude oil (=oil in its natural state) • the price of crude oil
▪ refined oil (=oil that has been treated by an industrial process) • They had exported refined oil.
▪ offshore oil (=found under the sea, not far from the coast) • The company has the technical capabilities to produce offshore oil.
▪ heavy/light oil • 2,000 barrels of heavy oil are produced a day. | • The oil corporation announced the discovery of another field of light oil.
■ oil + NOUN
▪ oil prices • The increase in oil prices has prompted warnings of a global recession.
▪ the oil industry • He works in in the oil industry.
▪ an oil company • YPF was the state oil company in Argentina.
▪ an oil producer (=a country which produces oil) • The Soviet Union is the world's largest oil producer.
▪ an oil refinery (=a place where oil is treated by an industrial process) • an oil refinery in Perth
▪ oil production • a fall in US oil production
▪ an oil spill (=situation in which oil comes out of a ship or other container into the sea) • a terrible oil spill near the Shetland Islands
▪ an oil crisis (=situation in which there is not enough oil, and the price of oil is very high) • The world is facing an oil crisis.
▪ an oil rig (=structure on land or in the sea with equipment for getting oil out of the ground) • an oil rig in the North Sea
oil
oil [oil oils oiled oiling] noun, verb [ɔɪl] [ɔɪl]
noun
1. uncountable a thick liquid that is found in rock underground
Syn: petroleum
• drilling for oil
2. uncountable a form of petroleum that is used as fuel and to make parts of machines move smoothly
• engine oil
• an oil lamp/heater
• Put some oil in the car.
3. uncountable, countable a smooth thick liquid that is made from plants or animals and is used in cooking
• olive oil
• vegetable oils
4. uncountable, countable a smooth thick liquid that is made from plants, minerals, etc. and is used on the skin or hair
• lavender bath oil
• suntan oil
see also essential oil
5. uncountable (also oils plural) coloured paint containing oil used by artists
• a painting done in oils
• landscapes in oil
see also oil paint
6. countable = oil painting
• Among the more important Turner oils was ‘Venus and Adonis’.
see also oily, castor oil, cod liver oil, linseed oil, see burn the midnight oil at burn v., pour oil on troubled water at pour
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old Northern French olie, Old French oile, from Latin oleum ‘(olive) oil’; compare with olea ‘olive’.
Thesaurus:
oil noun U
• Several companies are drilling for oil in the region.
petroleum • • diesel • • fuel • • fossil fuel • |BrE petrol • |AmE gas • • gasoline •
sth runs on oil/diesel/fuel/petrol/gas/gasoline
the oil/petroleum/fuel industry
oil/petroleum/fuel/fossil fuel reserves
a/an oil/fuel/petrol/gas/gasoline tanker
Collocations:
Fine arts
Creating art
make a work of art/a drawing/a sketch/a sculpture/a statue/engravings/etchings/prints
do an oil painting/a self-portrait/a line drawing/a rough sketch
create a work of art/an artwork/paintings and sculptures
produce paintings/portraits/oil sketches/his most celebrated work/a series of prints
paint a picture/landscape/portrait/mural/in oils/in watercolours/(especially US) in watercolors/on canvas
draw a picture/a portrait/a cartoon/a sketch/a line/a figure/the human form/in charcoal/in ink
sketch a preliminary drawing/a figure/a shape
carve a figure/an image/a sculpture/an altarpiece/reliefs/a block of wood
sculpt a portrait bust/a statue/an abstract figure
etch a line/a pattern/a design/a name into the glass
mix colours/(especially US) colors/pigments/paints
add/apply thin/thick layers of paint/colour/(especially US) color/pigment
use oil pastels/charcoal/acrylic paint/a can of spray paint
work in bronze/ceramics/stone/oils/pastels/watercolour/a wide variety of media
Describing art
paint/depict a female figure/a biblical scene/a pastoral landscape/a domestic interior
depict/illustrate a traditional/mythological/historical/religious theme
create an abstract composition/a richly textured surface/a distorted perspective
paint dark/rich/skin/flesh tones
use broad brush strokes/loose brushwork/vibrant colours/a limited palette/simple geometric forms
develop/adopt/paint in a stylized manner/an abstract style
Showing and selling art
commission an altarpiece/a bronze bust of sb/a portrait/a religious work/an artist to paint sth
frame a painting/portrait
hang art/a picture/a painting
display/exhibit modern art/sb's work/a collection/original artwork/ drawings/sculptures/a piece
be displayed/hung in a gallery/museum
install/place a sculpture in/at/on sth
erect/unveil a bronze/marble/life-size statue
hold/host/mount/open/curate/see (especially BrE) an exhibition/(NAmE usually) exhibit
be/go on (BrE) exhibition/(NAmE) exhibit
feature/promote/showcase a conceptual artist/contemporary works
collect African art/modern British paintings/Japanese prints
restore/preserve a fresco/great works of art
Example Bank:
• ‘Four Women on a Bench’, oil on canvas, 1991
• A daily dose of omega-3 fish oil will help children to concentrate better.
• Fry the potato in a little sunflower oil.
• She rubbed a scented oil into her hair.
• The company is drilling for oil in the North Sea.
• The place smelled of oil.
• The sick were anointed with oil.
• Toast the bread, rub with garlic and drizzle over a little olive oil.
• Use a rag soaked in linseed oil.
• a bottle of extra virgin olive oil
• a rod coated with a film of oil
• a seven-mile-long oil slick off the Alaskan coast
• essential oils extracted from flowers
• oil of rosemary
• Acid rain from the burning oil wells could cause severe environmental damage.
• At the time, oil was trading at around $18 per barrel.
• Drizzle the salad with olive oil and top it with flakes of fresh Parmesan.
• Heat a little olive oil in a non-stick frying pan.
• Several companies are drilling for oil in the region.
• The well produced oil at a rate of 2 000 barrels of oil a day.
• Vegetable oils are better for you than animal fats.
Idiom: oil the wheels
Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
oil / ɔɪl / noun (FUEL)
B1 [ U ] petroleum (= the black oil obtained from under the Earth's surface from which petrol comes) :
drilling for oil
the oil industry
B1 [ U ] a thick liquid that comes from petroleum, used as a fuel and for making parts of machines move easily:
diesel/lubricating oil
oil / ɔɪl / noun [ C or U ] (FOR COOKING)
A2 a smooth thick liquid produced from plants or animals that is used in cooking:
olive/corn/vegetable/sunflower oil
oil / ɔɪl / noun [ C or U ] (FOR BODY/HAIR)
a smooth thick liquid that is used to improve the appearance or quality of the skin or hair:
bath oil
oil / ɔɪl / noun (PAINT)
oils [ plural ] thick paints with an oil base, used for painting pictures:
Do you paint in oils or watercolours?
© Cambridge University Press 2013
oil
/ɔɪl/
(oils, oiling, oiled)
Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English.
1.
Oil is a smooth, thick liquid that is used as a fuel and for making the parts of machines move smoothly. Oil is found underground.
The company buys and sells about 600,000 barrels of oil a day.
...the rapid rise in prices for oil and petrol.
...a small oil lamp.
N-MASS
2.
If you oil something, you put oil onto or into it, for example to make it work smoothly or to protect it.
A crew of assistants oiled and adjusted the release mechanism until it worked perfectly...
VERB: V n
3.
Oil is a smooth, thick liquid made from plants and is often used for cooking.
Combine the beans, chopped mint and olive oil in a large bowl...
N-MASS: usu n N
4.
Oil is a smooth, thick liquid, often with a pleasant smell, that you rub into your skin or add to your bath.
Try a hot bath with some relaxing bath oil...
N-MASS: usu supp N
5.
Oils are oil paintings.
Her colourful oils and works on paper have a naive, dreamlike quality.
N-COUNT: usu pl
6.
When an artist paints in oils, he or she uses oil paints.
When she paints in oils she always uses the same range of colours.
N-PLURAL
7.
see also castor oil, crude oil, olive oil
8.
If someone or something oils the wheels of a process or system, they help things to run smoothly and successfully.
On all such occasions, the king stands in the wings, oiling the wheels of diplomacy.
PHRASE: V inflects
1oil /ˈojəl/ noun, pl oils
1 [noncount]
a : a thick, black liquid that comes from the ground and that is used in making various products (such as gasoline)
• The price of crude oil is expected to rise.
• drilling for oil
- often used before another noun
• oil prices/companies/wells/refineries
• the oil industry
• The world's oil supplies/reserves are diminishing.
b : a type of oil that is used as a fuel to produce heat or light
• We heat our house with oil.
• heating oil
• an oil lamp
c : a type of oil that makes the different parts in an engine, machine, etc., run smoothly
• I asked the mechanic to check the oil. [=to make sure that there was enough oil to make the car engine run smoothly]
• A little bit of oil will help lubricate the chain.
2 [count, noncount] : a liquid substance that comes from a plant or animal, that contains fat, and that is used in cooking
• Add a little oil to the pan and stir-fry the onions.
• The dressing is made with oil, vinegar, and a pinch of herbs.
- see also castor oil, coconut oil, cod-liver oil, corn oil, essential oil, linseed oil, olive oil, palm oil
3 [count, noncount] : a smooth substance that is used on the skin, hair, or body to make it soft or healthy
• scented bath oils
4 a oils [plural] : oil paints
• He works mostly in oils. [=he mostly uses oil paints]
b [count] : an oil painting
• The exhibit includes oils and watercolors.
• an oil on canvas
a/the squeaky wheel gets the oil
- see 1wheel
burn the midnight oil
