British English

kindness

kindness [noun]

the quality of being kind

/ˈkaɪnd.nəs/

Example:

I can’t thank you enough for your kindness.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

kindness

noun
the quality of being kind:
Thank you for your kindness.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

kindness

kind‧ness /ˈkaɪndnəs, ˈkaɪndnɪs/ BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: adjective: ↑kind ≠ ↑unkind, ↑kindly; noun: ↑kindness ≠ ↑unkindness; adverb: ↑kindly ≠ ↑unkindly]
1. [uncountable] kind behaviour towards someone:
I can’t thank you enough for your kindness.
REGISTER
In everyday English, when you are thanking people for helping you, the normal phrase to use is Thanks for (all) your help. The phrase Thank you for your kindness sounds very polite and slightly old-fashioned.
2. [countable] a kind action
do somebody a kindness
It would be doing him a kindness to tell him the truth.
⇨ kill somebody with kindness at ↑kill¹(16)

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

kindness

kind·ness [kindness kindnesses] [ˈkaɪndnəs] [ˈkaɪndnəs] noun
1. uncountable the quality of being kind

• to treat sb with kindness and consideration

2. countable a kind act
• I can never repay your many kindnesses to me.
see kill sb/sth with kindness at kill _v., the milk of human kindness at milk _n.
Example Bank:
• I don't deserve your kindness.
• I really appreciate your kindness.
• I tried to think of a way to repay his kindness.
• I went with her out of kindness.
• I'll never forget your kindness to me.
• She has always been kindness itself to me.
• Show your appreciation by little acts of kindness.
• Small kindnesses meant a lot to her.
• They had shown him great kindness.
• They treated us with kindness and courtesy.
• They volunteer out of the kindness of their hearts.
• This unexpected kindness touched her deeply.
• We met with much kindness and help.
• He was overwhelmed by their kindness.

• She wanted to thank him for his kindness.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

kindness / ˈkaɪnd.nəs / noun

B2 [ U ] the quality of being kind:

love and kindness

[ C ] a kind action:

I wanted to thank them for all their kindnesses.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

kindness

[ka͟ɪndnəs]
kindnesses
1) N-UNCOUNT Kindness is the quality of being gentle, caring, and helpful.
We have been treated with such kindness by everybody.
2) N-COUNT A kindness is a helpful or considerate act.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

kindness

kind·ness /ˈkaɪndnəs/ noun, pl -ness·es
1 [noncount] : the quality or state of being kind
• You should treat your elders with kindness and respect. = You should show kindness and respect to your elders.
• They did it out of the kindness of their hearts. [=they did it because they are kind people and not because they wanted something in return]
- see also the milk of human kindness at ¹milk
2 [count] : a kind act
• We thanked her for her many kindnesses.
• You would be doing me a great kindness if you agreed to help.
kill (someone) with kindness
- see ¹kill

American English

British English

kind and thoughtful

B2 (Upper-intermediate)

noun

drive

drive [verb] (FORCE)

to force someone or something to go somewhere or do something

/draɪv/

Example:

They used dogs to drive the sheep into a pen.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

verb (drives, driving, drove /, has driven )

1 to control a car, bus, etc. and make it go where you want to go:
Can you drive?
She usually drives to work.

2 to take somebody to a place in a car:
My parents drove me to the airport.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

drive

I. drive¹ S1 W1 /draɪv/ BrE AmE verb (past tense drove /drəʊv $ droʊv/, past participle driven /ˈdrɪvən/)
[Word Family: noun: ↑drive, ↑driver, ↑driving; verb: ↑drive; adjective: ↑driving]
[Language: Old English; Origin: drifan]
1. VEHICLE
a) [intransitive and transitive] to make a car, truck, bus etc move along
drive to/down/off etc
I am planning to drive to Morocco next year.
the man driving the car
Can you drive?
So when did you learn to drive?
Bye! Drive carefully!
He drives 12 miles to work.
He drives (=has) a BMW estate.
b) [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if a car, truck etc drives somewhere, it moves there:
After the accident, the other car just drove off.
c) [intransitive] if people drive somewhere, they travel somewhere in a car:
Shall we drive or take the bus?
drive to/down/off etc
They drove back to Woodside.
d) [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to take someone somewhere in a car, truck etc:
She drove Anna to London.
I’ll drive you home.
drive yourself
I drove myself to hospital.
2. MAKE SOMEBODY MOVE [transitive] to force a person or animal to go somewhere:
Torrential rain drove the players off the course.
With a few loud whistles, they drove the donkeys out of the enclosure.
3. MAKE SOMEBODY DO SOMETHING [transitive] to strongly influence someone to do something
drive somebody to do something
The detective wondered what had driven Christine to phone her.
drive somebody to/into something
The noises in my head have nearly driven me to suicide.
Phil, driven by jealousy, started spying on his wife.
4. MAKE SOMEBODY/SOMETHING BE IN A BAD STATE [transitive] to make someone or something get into a bad or extreme state, usually an emotional one
drive somebody crazy/nuts/mad/insane (=make someone feel very annoyed)
This cough is driving me mad!
drive somebody crazy/wild (=make someone feel very sexually excited)
drive somebody up the wall/out of their mind (=make someone feel very annoyed)
drive somebody to distraction/desperation
The mosquitoes drive me to distraction.
drive somebody/something into something
The factory had been driven into bankruptcy.
5. HIT/PUSH SOMETHING INTO SOMETHING [transitive] to hit or push something into something else
drive something into something
We watched Dad drive the posts into the ground.
She drove her heels into the sand.
6. MAKE SOMEBODY WORK [transitive] to make a person or animal work hard
drive yourself
Don’t drive yourself too hard.
7. SPORTS [intransitive and transitive]
a) to move a ball etc forward in a game of baseball, football, golf etc by hitting or kicking it hard and fast:
He drove the ball into the corner of the net.
b) to run with the ball towards the ↑goal in sports such as ↑basketball and American football
8. PROVIDE POWER [transitive] to provide the power for a vehicle or machine
petrol-driven/electrically-driven/battery-driven etc
a petrol-driven lawn mower
9. RAIN/WIND ETC [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] if rain, snow, wind etc drives somewhere, it moves very quickly in that direction:
The rain was driving down hard.
10. drive a coach and horses through something to destroy an argument, plan etc completely:
The new bill will drive a coach and horses through recent trade agreements.
11. MAKE A HOLE [transitive always + adverb/preposition] to make a large hole in something using heavy equipment or machinery:
They drove a tunnel through the mountains.
12. drive something home to make something completely clear to someone:
He didn’t have to drive the point home. The videotape had done that.
13. drive a wedge between somebody to do something that makes people disagree or start to dislike each other:
I don’t want to drive a wedge between you and your father.
⇨ drive/strike a hard bargain at ↑hard¹(18)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 4)
■ phrases
▪ drive somebody crazy/mad/insane spoken (also drive somebody nuts spoken informal) (=make someone feel very annoyed) The continuous noise was driving me crazy.
▪ drive somebody crazy/wild (=make someone feel very sexually excited) He drives women wild.
▪ drive somebody up the wall/round the bend/out of their mind spoken informal (=make someone feel very annoyed) That voice of hers drives me up the wall.
▪ drive somebody to distraction (=make someone feel very upset or annoyed) She was being driven to distraction by her husband’s bad habits.
▪ drive somebody to despair/desperation (=make someone despair) Escalating personal debts have driven many people to despair.
▪ drive somebody to drink (=make someone so annoyed or upset that they depend on alcohol) His problems had almost driven him to drink.
drive at something phrasal verb
what somebody is driving at the thing someone is really trying to say SYN get at:
I still couldn’t understand what Toby was driving at.
drive somebody ↔ away phrasal verb
to behave in a way that makes someone leave:
He was cruel because he wanted to drive me away.
drive something ↔ down phrasal verb
to make prices, costs etc fall quickly:
We have to drive down costs.
drive somebody/something ↔ in phrasal verb
to hit the ball so that another player can score a ↑run in baseball
drive off phrasal verb
1. to hit the ball to begin a game of golf
2. drive somebody ↔ off to force a person or animal to go away from you:
We keep dogs in the yard to drive off intruders.
drive somebody/something ↔ out phrasal verb
1. to force someone or something to leave:
Downtown stores are being driven out by crime.
2. written to make something stop existing:
As we went forward, our fear was driven out by horror.
drive something ↔ up phrasal verb
to make prices, costs etc rise quickly:
The oil shortage drove gas prices up by 20 cents a gallon.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

drive

drive [drive drives drove driving driven] verb, noun [draɪv] [draɪv]

verb (drove [drəʊv] ; [droʊv] , driven [ˈdrɪvn] ; [ˈdrɪvn] )

VEHICLE
1. intransitive, transitive to operate a vehicle so that it goes in a particular direction
• Can you drive?
• Don't drive so fast!
• I drove to work this morning.
• Shall we drive (= go there by car) or go by train?

• ~ sth He drives a taxi (= that is his job).

2. transitive ~ sb (+ adv./prep.) to take sb somewhere in a car, taxi, etc

• Could you drive me home?

3. transitive ~ sth to own or use a particular type of vehicle

• What car do you drive?

MACHINE

4. transitive, usually passive ~ sth to provide the power that makes a machine work

• a steam-driven locomotive

MAKE SB DO STH

5. transitive ~ sb (+ adv./prep.) to force sb to act in a particular way
• The urge to survive drove them on.

• You're driving yourself too hard.

6. transitive to make sb very angry, crazy, etc. or to make them do sth extreme
• ~ sb + adj. to drive sb crazy/mad/insane
• ~ sb to do sth Hunger drove her to steal.
• ~ sb to sth Those kids are driving me to despair.

• (humorous) It's enough to drive you to drink (= to make you start drinking too much alcohol).

MAKE SB/STH MOVE

7. transitive ~ sb/sth + adv./prep. to force sb/sth to move in a particular direction
• to drive sheep into a field

• The enemy was driven back.

CAUSE STH TO MAKE PROGRESS

8. transitive ~ sth to influence sth or cause it to make progress

• This is the main factor driving investment in the area.

HIT/PUSH

9. transitive ~ sth + adv./prep. to force sth to go in a particular direction or into a particular position by pushing it, hitting it, etc

• to drive a nail into a piece of wood

MAKE A HOLE

10. transitive ~ sth + adv./prep. to make an opening in or through sth by using force

• They drove a tunnel through the solid rock.

IN SPORT

11. transitive, intransitive ~ (sth) (+ adv./prep.) to hit a ball with force, sending it forward

• to drive the ball into the rough (= in golf )

WIND/WATER

12. transitive ~ sth (+ adv./prep.) to carry sth along

• Huge waves drove the yacht onto the rocks.

13. intransitive (+ adv./prep.) to fall or move rapidly and with great force
• The waves drove against the shore.
more at run/drive/work yourself into the ground at ground _n., drive/strike a hard bargain at hard _adj., needs must (when the devil drives) at need _n., as clean, pure, etc. as the driven snow at snow _n.
Verb forms:

Word Origin:
Old English drīfan ‘urge (a person or animal) to go forward’, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch drijven and German treiben.
Thesaurus:
drive verb
1. I, T
• I learned to drive at 17.
steer • • handle • |BrE manoeuvre • |AmE maneuver •
drive/steer/handle/manoeuvre a car
2. I, T
• We've driven over 200 miles today.
travel • • go • • come • • do •
drive/travel/go/come from/to sth
drive/travel/go/come/do 50 miles/10 kilometres, etc.
drive/travel/come a long distance
3. T (sometimes disapproving)
• You're driving yourself too hard.
work • |disapproving overwork • |usually approving push •
drive/work/push sb hard
drive/push sb too far/to the limit
drive/work sb into the ground
Collocations:
Driving
Having a car
have/own/ (BrE) run a car
ride a motorcycle/motorbike
drive/prefer/use an automatic/a manual/(NAmE, informal) a stick shift
have/get your car serviced/fixed/repaired
buy/sell a used car/(especially BrE) a second-hand car
take/pass/fail a (BrE) driving test/(both NAmE) driver's test/road test
get/obtain/have/lose/carry a/your (BrE) driving licence/(NAmE) driver's license
Driving
put on/fasten/ (NAmE) buckle/wear/undo your seat belt/safety belt
put/turn/leave the key in the ignition
start the car/engine
(BrE) change/ (NAmE) shift/put sth into gear
press/put your foot on the brake pedal/clutch/accelerator
release the clutch/(especially BrE) the handbrake/(both NAmE) the emergency brake/the parking brake
drive/park/reverse the car
(BrE) indicate left/right
(especially NAmE) signal that you are turning left/right
take/miss (BrE) the turning/(especially NAmE) the turn
apply/hit/slam on the brake(s)
beep/honk/ (especially BrE) toot/ (BrE) sound your horn
Problems and accidents
a car skids/crashes (into sth)/collides (with sth)
swerve to avoid an oncoming car/a pedestrian
crash/lose control of the car
have/be in/be killed in/survive a car crash/a car accident/(NAmE) a car wreck/a hit-and-run
be run over/knocked down by a car/bus/truck
dent/hit (BrE) the bonnet/(NAmE) the hood
break/crack/shatter (BrE) the windscreen/(NAmE) the windshield
blow/ (especially BrE) burst/puncture (BrE) a tyre/(NAmE) a tire
get/have (BrE) a flat tyre/a flat tire/a puncture
inflate/change/fit/replace/check a tyre/tire
Traffic and driving regulations
be caught in/get stuck in/sit in a traffic jam
cause congestion/tailbacks/traffic jams/gridlock
experience/face lengthy delays
beat/avoid the traffic/the rush hour
break/observe/ (NAmE) drive the speed limit
be caught on (BrE) a speed camera
stop sb for/pull sb over for/ (BrE, informal) be done for speeding
(both informal) run/ (BrE) jump a red light/the lights
be arrested for/charged with (BrE) drink-driving/(both US) driving under the influence (DUI)/driving while intoxicated (DWI)
be banned/ (BrE) disqualified from driving
Synonyms:
take
lead • escort • drive • show • walk • guide • usher • direct
These words all mean to go with sb from one place to another.
take • to go with sb from one place to another, for example in order to show them sth or to show them the way to a place: ▪ It's too far to walk— I'll take you by car.
lead • to go with or go in front of sb in order to show them the way or to make them go in the right direction: ▪ Firefighters led the survivors to safety.
escort • to go with sb in order to protect or guard them or to show them the way: ▪ The president arrived, escorted by twelve bodyguards.
drive • to take sb somewhere in a car, taxi, etc: ▪ My mother drove us to the airport.
show • to take sb to a particular place, in the right direction, or along the correct route: ▪ The attendant showed us to our seats.
walk • to go somewhere with sb on foot, especially in order to make sure that they get there safely; to take an animal, especially a dog, for a walk or make an animal walk somewhere: ▪ He always walked her home. ◊ ▪ Have you walked the dog yet today?
guide • to show sb the way to a place, often by going with them; to show sb a place that you know well: ▪ She guided us through the busy streets. ◊ ▪ We were guided around the museums.
usher • (rather formal) to politely take or show sb where they should go, especially within a building: ▪ She ushered her guests to their seats.
direct • (rather formal) to tell or show sb how to get somewhere or where to go: ▪ A young woman directed them to the station.
to take/lead/escort/drive/show/walk/guide/usher/direct sb to/out of/into sth
to take/lead/escort/drive/show/walk/guide sb around/round
to take/lead/escort/drive/walk sb home
to take/lead/escort/guide sb to safety
to lead/show the way
Example Bank:
• He was arrested for driving recklessly.
• I'll drive you home.
• She drove quickly back to the office.
• She got into the car and drove away.
• We drove from Quebec to Ottawa.
• You shouldn't drive so fast!
• driving from London to Manchester
• Driving lessons can be expensive.
• Have you ever driven a racing car?
• He drives a taxi.
• He took a wooden peg and drove it into the ground.
• Hunger drove them to steal.
• I asked the man to drive me home.
• I learned to drive when I was 25.
• It's enough to drive you to drink.
• It's the story of a teenager driven to despair by the hypocrisy of the adult world.
• My mother drove us to the airport.
• Shall we drive or go by train?
• Someone had driven a nail deep into the wood.
• The knife had been driven through his heart.
• They run a driving school in Birmingham.
• They were driven to an unknown place in the hills.
• They're intending to drive from Seattle down to San Diego.
• We drove the rest of the way in silence.
• We must have driven over 600 kilometres today.
• What type of car do you drive?
• You need a special licence to drive a heavy goods vehicle.
• You're driving yourself too hard.
Idioms: drive a coach and horses through something ▪ drive something home ▪ what somebody is driving at

Derived: drive away ▪ drive off ▪ drive on ▪ drive somebody away ▪ drive somebody off ▪ drive somebody out ▪ drive something up

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

drive / draɪv / verb ( drove , driven ) (FORCE)

C1 [ T ] to force someone or something to go somewhere or do something:

They used dogs to drive the sheep into a pen.

A post had been driven (= hit hard) into the ground near the tree.

By the end of the year, most of the occupying troops had been driven from the city.

[ + to infinitive ] In the end, it was his violent behaviour that drove her to leave home.

C1 [ T ] to force someone or something into a particular state, often an unpleasant one:

In the course of history, love has driven men and women to strange extremes.

For the second time in ten years, the government has driven the economy into recession.

drive sb mad, crazy, etc. B2 informal to make someone extremely annoyed:

My mother-in-law has been staying with us this past week and she's driving me crazy.

He leaves dirty clothes all over the floor and it's driving me mad.

drive sb wild informal to make you very excited, especially sexually:

When he runs his fingers through my hair, it drives me wild!

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

drive

[dra͟ɪv]

drives, driving, drove, driven
1) VERB When you drive somewhere, you operate a car or other vehicle and control its movement and direction.
  [V prep/adv] I drove into town and went to a restaurant for dinner...
  [V prep/adv] He put the bags in the car and drove off...
  She never learned to drive...
  [V n] Mrs Glick drove her own car and the girls went in Nancy's convertible. [Also V n prep/adv]
  Derived words:
  driving N-UNCOUNT ...a qualified driving instructor... It was an outrageous piece of dangerous driving.
2) VERB If you drive someone somewhere, you take them there in a car or other vehicle.
  [V n prep/adv] His daughter Carly drove him to the train station. [Also V n]
3) N-COUNT A drive is a journey in a car or other vehicle.
  I thought we might go for a drive on Sunday.
4) N-COUNT A drive is a wide piece of hard ground, or sometimes a private road, that leads from the road to a person's house.
  Syn:
  driveway
5) VERB If something drives a machine, it supplies the power that makes it work.
  [V n] The current flows into electric motors that drive the wheels.
6) N-UNCOUNT: usu n N Drive is the power supplied by the engine to particular wheels in a car or other vehicle to make the vehicle move.
  He put the jeep in four-wheel drive and splashed up the slope.
7) N-COUNT: usu supp N You use drive to refer to the mechanical part of a computer which reads the data on disks and tapes, or writes data onto them.
→ See also disk drive
  The firm specialised in supplying pieces of equipment, such as terminals, tape drives or printers.
8) VERB If you drive something such as a nail into something else, you push it in or hammer it in using a lot of effort.
  [V n prep] I had to use our sledgehammer to drive the pegs into the side of the path...
  [V n with adv] We managed to hold a strip of lead along it long enough for me to drive in a nail.
9) VERB In games such as cricket, golf, soccer, or football, if a player drives a ball somewhere, they kick or hit it there with a lot of force.
  [V n prep/adv] The clearance fell to Armstrong, who drove the ball into the roof of the Liverpool net. [Also V n]
10) N-COUNT In golf, a drive is the first stroke a player makes from the tee.
  Woosnam sliced his drive into the bushes.
11) VERB If the wind, rain, or snow drives in a particular direction, it moves with great force in that direction.
  [V prep/adv] Rain drove against the window.
  Derived words:
  driving ADJ ADJ n He crashed into a tree in driving rain. ...rescuers battling through driving snow.
12) VERB If you drive people or animals somewhere, you make them go to or from that place.
  [V n prep] The last offensive drove thousands of people into Thailand...
  [V n prep] Every summer the shepherds drive the sheep up to pasture...
  [V n with adv] The smoke also drove mosquitoes away.
13) VERB To drive someone into a particular state or situation means to force them into that state or situation.
  [V n into/to n] The recession and hospital bills drove them into bankruptcy...
  [V n adj] He nearly drove Elsie mad with his fussing.
14) VERB The desire or feeling that drives a person to do something, especially something extreme, is the desire or feeling that causes them to do it.
  [V n to-inf] More than once, depression drove him to attempt suicide...
  [V n to n] Jealousy drives people to murder...
  [be V-ed] If we are driven by guilt, resentment and anxiety, our children will absorb these feelings and express them too.
  [V-ed] ...a man driven by a pathological need to win. [Also V n]
15) N-UNCOUNT If you say that someone has drive, you mean they have energy and determination.
  John will be best remembered for his drive and enthusiasm.
16) N-COUNT A drive is a very strong need or desire in human beings that makes them act in particular ways.
  ...compelling, dynamic sex drives.
  Syn:
  campaign
17) N-SING: with supp A drive is a special effort made by a group of people for a particular purpose.
  The ANC is about to launch a nationwide recruitment drive...
  The Church in Haiti has played an important role in the drive towards democracy.
18) N-IN-NAMES Drive is used in the names of some streets.
  ...23 Queen's Drive, Malvern, Worcestershire.
19) → See also driving
20) PHRASE: V inflects If you ask someone what they are driving at, you are asking what they are trying to say or what they are saying indirectly.
  It was clear Cohen didn't understand what Millard was driving at.
21) to drive a hard bargain → see bargain
to drive a point home → see home
  Phrasal Verbs:
  - drive away
  - drive off
  - drive out

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

¹drive /ˈdraɪv/ verb drives; drove /ˈdroʊv/; driv·en /ˈdrɪvən/; driv·ing
1 a : to direct the movement of (a car, truck, bus, etc.)

[+ obj]

• He drove the car down a bumpy road.
• She drives a taxi. [=her job is driving a taxi]

[no obj]

• Do you want to drive or should I?
• He is learning to drive.
b always followed by an adverb or preposition [no obj] of a car, truck, etc. : to move in a specified manner or direction
• The car stopped and then drove off.
• A car drove by us slowly.
• The bus slowly drove away.
c : to travel in a car

[no obj]

• We drove all night and arrived at dawn.
• Are you driving or flying to Canada? [=will you travel to Canada by car or airplane?]
• We drove (for) eight hours yesterday.
• We drove 160 miles to get here.
• I drive on/along this route every day.

[+ obj]

• I drive this route every day.
d [+ obj] : to take (someone or something) to a place in a car, truck, etc.
• I drove her to the train station this morning.
• I had to drive myself to the hospital.
• Her mom drove us home.
e [+ obj] : to own and use (a vehicle of a specified kind)
• He drives a pickup/motorcycle.
• She drives a Ford.
2 [+ obj] : to move (people or animals) to or from a place by using force
• Cowboys drove the herds across the prairie.
• They drove the invaders back across the border.
• Thousands of people have been driven from their homes. [=have been forced to leave their homes]
3 [+ obj] : to push (something) with force
• drive a nail with a hammer
- often + into
• He drove a nail into the wall.
• She drove the sword into her enemy's side.
4 [+ obj] : to make (a machine or vehicle) work or move : to provide power for (something)
• Electricity drives the machinery.
• a steam-driven turbine [=a turbine that gets its power from steam]
- often used figuratively
• What drives the economy?
• a market-driven industry
5 [+ obj]
a : to cause (someone) to behave in a particular way
• They were driven [=motivated] by hunger to steal.
• Poverty drove them to a life of crime.
• Ambition drove her to succeed.
b : to force (someone) to work very hard
• The sergeant drove the recruits.
• The team was driven hard by the coach.
• He's been driving himself too hard. [=he's been working too hard]
6 [+ obj] : to bring (someone) into a particular condition
• That noise is driving me insane/crazy.
• The new store drove him out of business. [=caused him to go out of business]
• Her perfume drives me wild. [=gets me sexually excited]
7 [+ obj] : to cause (a price, number, etc.) to increase or decrease - + up or down
• The government report drove stock prices up.
• An increase in investments is driving down interest rates.
8 [no obj] sports : to move toward or through something with a lot of force or speed
• He took a pass and drove to/toward the basket/net.
• The running back drove through the line of scrimmage.
9 [+ obj] sports : to hit or kick (a ball or puck) with a lot of force or speed
• She drove the (golf) ball down the fairway.
• He drove the puck into the net.
- see also driving range
10 [no obj] of rain, wind, etc. : to fall or blow with great force
• The rain drove against the windows.
- see also driving
drive a hard bargain
- see ¹bargain
drive at [phrasal verb] drive at (something) : to attempt to say or do (something) - usually used as (be) driving at
• I have no idea what he was driving at.
• I think I see what you're driving at.
drive away [phrasal verb] drive (someone) away or drive away (someone) : to cause or force (someone) to leave especially by making a situation unpleasant or unattractive
• The store's high prices are driving away customers.
drive a wedge between
- see ¹wedge
drive in [phrasal verb] drive (someone or something) in or drive in (someone or something) baseball : to cause (a run or runner) to score
• He drove in another run.
• The hit drove him in for a 5–4 lead.
drive off [phrasal verb] drive (someone or something) off or drive off (someone or something) : to cause or force (someone or something) to leave
• They drove off the invaders.
drive out [phrasal verb] drive (someone or something) out or drive out (someone or something) : to cause or force (someone or something) to leave
• They drove out the invaders.
• The family was driven out of the neighborhood by rising real estate prices.
drive (someone) up a/the wall
- see ¹wall
drive your point home
- see ²home

English translation unavailable for drive.

entrée

entrée [noun] (FOOD)

US the main dish of a meal

UK at very formal meals, a small dish served just before the main part

/ˈɑːn.treɪ/

/ˈɒn.treɪ/

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

entrÃ©e

en‧trée /ˈɒntreɪ $ ˈɑːn-/ BrE AmE noun
[Date: 1700-1800; Language: French; Origin: ⇨ ↑entry]
1. [countable] the main dish of a meal, or a dish served before the main course – used in restaurants or on formal occasions:
an entrée of roast duck
2. [uncountable and countable] formal the right or freedom to enter a place or to join a social group
entrée to/into
My family name gave me an entrée into upper class Boston society.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

entrée

en·trée [entrée entrées] [ˈɒntreɪ] [ˈɑːntreɪ] noun (from French)

1. countable (in a restaurant or at a formal meal) the main dish of the meal or a dish served before the main course

2. uncountable, countable ~ (into/to sth) (formal) the right or ability to enter a social group or institution

• Her wealth and reputation gave her an entrée into upper-class circles.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

entrée / ˈɒn.treɪ / / ˈɑːn- / noun (FOOD)

[ C ] US the main dish of a meal [ C ] UK at very formal meals, a small dish served just before the main part

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

entrée

[ɒ̱ntreɪ]
entrées
also entree
1) N-COUNT: oft N into n If you have an entrée to a social group, you are accepted and made to feel welcome by them.
She had an entree into the city's cultivated society.
2) N-COUNT At restaurants or formal dinners, the entrée is the main course, or sometimes a dish before the main course.
Dinner features a hot entrée of chicken, veal, or lamb.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

entree

en·trée or en·tree /ˈɑːnˌtreɪ/ noun, pl -trées or -trees
1 [count] : the main dish of a meal especially in a restaurant
• We had steak as an entrée.
2 formal
a [count] : the act or manner of entering something
• She made a graceful entrée [=entrance] into the ballroom.
• His entrée [=entry] into the restaurant business was unexpected.
b [noncount] : the right to enter something
• His family connections have given him entrée [=entry] into the most exclusive clubs in the city.

American English

British English

meals and parts of meals

C1 (Advanced)

noun

men‧u S3 /ˈmenjuː/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Date: 1800-1900; Language: French; Origin: menu 'small, full of details', from Latin minutus; ⇨ ↑minute²]
1. a list of all the kinds of food that are available for a meal, especially in a restaurant:
Could we have the menu, please?
on the menu
Is there any fish on the menu?
a three course set menu (=dishes which you do not choose for yourself)
2. a list of things on a computer screen which you can ask the computer to do:
Select PRINT from the main menu.
pull-down/drop-down menu (=a list of choices which appears when you CLICK ON a place on the screen)
menu-driven (=operated by using a menu)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ read/study the menu Sandy read the menu, but didn’t see anything he wanted to eat.
▪ look at/see the menu (=read the menu) He looked at the menu and decided to have the salad.
▪ plan a menu (=decide what foods will be served) Erika began planning a menu for the dinner party.
▪ choose/order something from the menu He ordered a chicken dish from the menu.
▪ offer a menu The restaurant is offering a three-course menu for New Year’s Eve.
▪ have a good/long/unusual etc menu The new restaurant on Fifth Street has an excellent menu.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + menu
▪ extensive (=with many different dishes on it) The menu is extensive and adventurous.
▪ a dinner/lunch/breakfast menu There is an extensive dinner menu, and seafood is a speciality.
▪ a set/fixed menu (=when the cook decides which dishes will be served to you, rather than you choosing for yourself) Dinner is three courses from a set menu.
▪ an à la carte menu (=a menu listing many separate dishes which you choose from) In the evening there is a full à la carte menu.
▪ a children’s menu I asked the waiter if there was a children’s menu.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

menu [menu menus] [ˈmenjuː] Click to play [ˈmenjuː] noun
1. a list of the food that is available at a restaurant or to be served at a meal
• to ask for/look at the menu

• What's on the menu (= for dinner) tonight?

2. (computing) a list of possible choices that are shown on a computer screen
• a pull-down menu
see also drop-down menu
Word Origin:
mid 19th cent.: from French, detailed list (noun use of menu ‘small, detailed’), from Latin minutus ‘very small’.
Collocations:
Restaurants
Eating out
eat (lunch/dinner)/dine/meet at/in a restaurant
go (out)/take sb (out) for lunch/dinner/a meal
have a meal with sb
make/have a reservation (in/under the name of Yamada)
reserve/ (especially BrE) book a table for six
ask for/request a table for two/a table by the window
In the restaurant
wait to be seated
show sb to their table
sit in the corner/by the window/at the bar/at the counter
hand sb/give sb the menu/wine list
open/read/study/peruse the menu
the restaurant has a three-course set menu/a children's menu/an extensive wine list
taste/sample/try the wine
the waiter takes your order
order/choose/have the soup of the day/one of the specials/the house (BrE) speciality/(especially NAmE) specialty
serve/finish the first course/the starter/the main course/dessert/coffee
complain about the food/the service/your meal
enjoy your meal
Paying
pay/ask for (especially BrE) the bill/(NAmE) the check
pay for/treat sb to dinner/lunch/the meal
service is (not) included
give sb/leave (sb) a tip
Example Bank:
• Chef Nigel Crowther will expand the menu to include several vegetarian options.
• Go to the topic menu in the upper right hand corner.
• Many menus now list ingredients.
• Many restaurants do a very reasonable set menu at lunchtime.
• May we have the menu?
• Passengers are offered a daily choice of menu.
• She completely changes her seasonal menus every few months.
• The chef was chalking the daily specials on the menu board.
• The menu changes daily.
• The restaurant changes its menu every six months.
• What's on the menu this evening?
• You'll find it in the topic menu.
• a menu offering many vegetarian dishes
• a ten-course tasting menu

• buttons that make it easy to navigate the on-screen menu

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

menu / ˈmen.juː / noun [ C ] (FOOD)

A2 a list of the food that you can eat in a restaurant:

The waiter brought the menu and the wine list.

What's on the menu today?

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

[me̱njuː]
menus
1) N-COUNT: usu sing In a restaurant or café, or at a formal meal, the menu is a list of the meals and drinks that are available.
  A waiter offered him the menu...
  Even the most elaborate dishes on the menu were quite low on calories.
2) N-COUNT A menu is the food that you serve at a meal.
  Try out the menu on a few friends...
  The menu is all-important. Every component of every meal should create contrasts.
3) N-COUNT On a computer screen, a menu is a list of choices. Each choice represents something that you can do using the computer.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

menu /ˈmɛnˌjuː/ noun, pl men·us [count]
1 a : a list of the foods that may be ordered at a restaurant
• I'd like to see your lunch menu, please.
• What's good on the menu today?
• There are two chicken dishes under eight dollars listed on the menu.
b : the foods that are served at a meal
• When you're planning a dinner party, the choice of (the/your) menu is very important.
2 : a list of things that you can choose from
• a menu of television programs especially; computers : a list shown on a computer from which you make choices to control what the computer does
• You can save your work by choosing “Save” from the “File” menu.
- see also drop-down menu, pull-down menu

American English

British English

restaurants and cafes

A2 (Elementary)

noun

only child

only child [noun]

a child who has no sisters or brothers

/ˌoʊn.li ˈtʃaɪld/

/ˌəʊn.li ˈtʃaɪld/

Example:

I'm an only child.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

only child

noun (plural only children)
a child who has no brothers or sisters:
I'm an only child.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

only child

ˌonly ˈchild [only child] noun
a child who has no brothers or sisters
• I'm an only child.

• Only children often relate well to adults.

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

ˌ only ˈ child noun [ C ] ( plural only children )

a child who has no sisters or brothers

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

only child

only child noun, pl ~ children [count] : a person who never had a brother or sister
• I was an only child.
• As an only child, it was her duty to take care of her aging parents.

twin

twin [noun]

either of two children born to the same mother on the same occasion

/twɪn/

Example:

My sister has twin sons.

Oxford Essential Dictionary

twin

noun

1 one of two people who have the same mother and were born at the same time:
David and John are twins.
I have a twin sister.

2 one of two things that are the same:
a room with twin beds

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

twin

I. twin¹ /twɪn/ BrE AmE noun [countable]

one of two children born at the same time to the same mother:
The twins are now eight months old.
⇨ ↑identical twin, ↑Siamese twin

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

twin

twin [twin twins twinned twinning] noun, verb, adjective [twɪn] [twɪn]

noun
1. one of two children born at the same time to the same mother
• She's expecting twins.

see also conjoined twin, fraternal twin, identical twin, Siamese twin

2. one of two similar things that make a pair
• The plate was one of a pair but I broke its twin.
Word Origin:
late Old English twinn ‘double’, from twi- ‘two’; related to Old Norse tvinnr. Current verb senses date from late Middle English.
Collocations:
Children
Having a baby/child
want a baby/a child/kids
start a family
conceive/be expecting/be going to have a baby/child
miss your period
become/get/ be/find out that you are pregnant
have a baby/a child/kids/a son/a daughter/twins/a family
have a normal/a difficult/an unwanted pregnancy; an easy/a difficult/a home birth
be in/go into/induce labour (especially US) labor
have/suffer/cause a miscarriage
give birth to a child/baby/daughter/son/twins
Parenting
bring up/ (especially NAmE) raise a child/family
care for/ (especially BrE) look after a baby/child/kid
change (BrE) a nappy/(NAmE) a diaper/a baby
feed/breastfeed/bottle-feed a baby
be entitled to/go on maternity/paternity leave
go back/return to work after maternity leave
need/find/get a babysitter/good quality affordable childcare
balance/combine work and childcare/child-rearing/family life
educate/teach/home-school a child/kid
punish/discipline/spoil a child/kid
adopt a baby/child/kid
offer a baby for/put a baby up for adoption
(especially BrE) foster a child/kid
be placed with/be raised by foster parents
Example Bank:
• His long-lost twin was searching for him.
• I was the older twin.
• My sister had twins.
• She had twin girls.
• The twins were separated at birth.
• a pair of identical twins
• adult twins who were raised apart
• an operation to separate conjoined twins

• the plot device of giving a character an evil twin

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

twin / twɪn / noun [ C ]

B1 either of two children born to the same mother on the same occasion:

My sister has twin sons.

a twin sister

one of two very similar things:

The two countries are often regarded as economic twins.

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

twin

[twɪ̱n]

twins, twinning, twinned
1) N-COUNT: oft N n If two people are twins, they have the same mother and were born on the same day.
  Sarah was looking after the twins...
  I think there are many positive aspects to being a twin...
  She had a twin brother and a younger brother.
2) ADJ: ADJ n Twin is used to describe a pair of things that look the same and are close together.
  ...the twin spires of the cathedral.
  ...the world's largest twin-engined aircraft.
3) ADJ: ADJ n Twin is used to describe two things or ideas that are similar or connected in some way.
  ...the twin concepts of liberty and equality...
  Nothing was done to save these women from the twin evils of begging or the workhouse.
4) VERB: usu passive When a place or organization in one country is twinned with a place or organization in another country, a special relationship is formally established between them. [BRIT]
  [be V-ed with n] Five Polish banks are to be twinned with counterparts in Western Europe...
  [V-ed] The borough is twinned with Kasel in Germany.
  Derived words:
  twinning N-UNCOUNT The twinning of Leeds and St Mary was formalised at a function held last week.
5) ADJ: ADJ n Twin towns or cities are twinned with each other. [BRIT]
  This led Zagreb's twin town, Mainz, to donate ₤70,000-worth of high-quality equipment.(in AM, use sister cities)
6) → See also identical twin, Siamese twin

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

twin

³twin verb twins; twinned; twin·ning [+ obj]
1 : to bring (two things) together in close association - usually used as (be) twinned
• Research is twinned [=coupled] with technology.
• They will be twinned [=paired] in the pages of history.
• two cultures with a twinned destiny
2 Brit : to form a relationship between (two towns in two countries) - usually used as (be) twinned
• Our town is twinned with a town of roughly the same size in France.

adopted

adopted [adjective] (CHILD)

an adopted child has been legally taken by another family to be taken care of as their own child

/əˈdɑːp.tɪd/

/əˈdɒp.tɪd/

Example:

They've got two adopted children and one of their own.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

adopted

a‧dopt‧ed /əˈdɒptəd, əˈdɒptɪd $ əˈdɑːp-/ BrE AmE adjective
1. an adopted child has been legally made part of a family that he or she was not born into:
his adopted son
2. your adopted country is one that you have chosen to live in permanently

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

adopted

adopt·ed [adopted] [əˈdɒptɪd] [əˈdɑːptɪd] adjective
1. an adopted child has legally become part of a family which is not the one in which he or she was born

• Danny is their adopted son.

2. an adopted country is one in which sb chooses to live although it is not the one they were born in

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

adopted / əˈdɒp.tɪd / / -ˈdɑːp- / adjective (CHILD)

B2 an adopted child has been legally taken by another family to be taken care of as their own child:

They've got two adopted children and one of their own.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

- adopted adj
• an adopted child [=a child who has been adopted]
• She is their adopted daughter.
• “Mark Twain” was the adopted name of Samuel Clemens.
• Canada is his adopted country.

American English

British English

parenting and caring for children

B2 (Upper-intermediate)

adjective

half-brother

half-brother [noun]

a brother who is the son of only one of your parents

/ˈhæfˌbrʌð.ɚ/

/ˈhɑːfˌbrʌð.ər/

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

half-brother

ˈhalf-ˌbrother BrE AmE noun [countable]
a brother who is the son of only one of your parents ⇨ half-sister

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

half-brother

ˈhalf-brother [half-brother half-brothers] noun
a person's half-brother is a boy or man with either the same mother or the same father as they have

compare stepbrother

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

ˈ half- ˌ brother / ˈhɑːfˌbrʌð.ə r / / ˈhæfˌbrʌð.ɚ / noun [ C ]

a brother who is the son of only one of your parents

Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

half-brother

half-brothers
N-COUNT
Someone's half-brother is a boy or man who has either the same mother or the same father as they have.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary:

half brother

half brother noun, pl ~ -ers [count] : a brother with the same father but a different mother or the same mother but a different father
• George is my half brother.

American English

British English

non-blood relations

B2 (Upper-intermediate)

noun

half-sister

half-sister [noun]

a sister who is the daughter of only one of your parents

/ˈhæfˌsɪs.tɚ/

/ˈhɑːfˌsɪs.tər/

Example:

She is my half sister.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

half-sister

ˈhalf-ˌsister BrE AmE noun [countable]
a sister who is the daughter of only one of your parents ⇨ half-brother

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

half-sister

ˈhalf-sister [half-sister half-sisters] noun
a person's half-sister is a girl or woman who has either the same mother or the same father as them

compare stepsister

half sister noun, pl ~ -ters [count] : a sister with the same father but a different mother or the same mother but a different father
• Emily is my half sister.

American English

British English

non-blood relations

B2 (Upper-intermediate)

noun

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British English

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