adjective

cheap

I. cheap¹ S1 W2 /tʃiːp/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative cheaper, superlative cheapest)
[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: good cheap 'at a good price, cheaply', from cheap 'trade, price' (11-18 centuries), from Old English ceap]
1. LOW PRICE not at all expensive, or lower in price than you expected OPP expensive:
cheap rail fares
the cheapest TV on the market
Property is cheaper in Spain than here.
a cheap shop (=one that sells goods cheaply)
The equipment is relatively cheap and simple to use.
This coat was dirt cheap (= very cheap - an informal expression)
cheap and cheerful British English (=simple and not expensive, but of reasonable quality)
a cheap and cheerful Italian restaurant
2. BAD QUALITY low in price and quality:
Cheap wine gives me a headache.
cheap jewellery
The furniture looked cheap and nasty.
a cheap imitation of the real thing
3. NOT EXPENSIVE TO USE not costing much to use or to employ SYN inexpensive
cheap to run/use/maintain etc
Gas appliances are usually cheaper to run than electric ones.
For the employer, a part-time workforce means a cheap labour supply.
4. NOT DESERVING RESPECT showing a lack of honesty, moral principles, or sincere feelings, so that you do not deserve respect:
She felt cheap and stupid, like a naughty child caught stealing.
You’re lying, aren’t you? You’re so cheap.
His remark was a cheap shot at short people.
another cheap political stunt
It was nothing but a cheap trick (=unkind trick).
5. NOT GENEROUS American English not liking to spend money SYN mean British English:
She’s too cheap to take a cab.
6. cheap thrill excitement that does not take much effort to get:
Bella will sleep with anyone for a cheap thrill.
7. life is cheap used to say that it is not important if people die
8. cheap at the price/at any price British English, cheap at twice the price so good, useful, or desirable that the cost is not important
—cheaply adverb:
a cheaply furnished room
They lived as cheaply as possible.
—cheapness noun [uncountable]:
the relative cheapness of housing
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ cheap costing very little money, or less than you expected: My shoes were really cheap – they only cost £25. | The cheapest way to get to Chicago is to take the bus. | cheap flights
▪ low low prices, rents, and fees do not cost a lot of money. Do not use cheap with these words: Why is the share price so low? | You could get equally good accommodation elsewhere at a lower rent.
▪ inexpensive especially written not expensive – use this especially about things that are of good quality, even though they do not cost a lot: The furniture is inexpensive, but well made. | a simple inexpensive meal | a hotel that offers air-conditioned rooms at relatively inexpensive prices
▪ reasonable a reasonable price seems fair because it is not too high: The restaurant serves good food at reasonable prices. | Only £25 a night? That sounds reasonable.
▪ economical cheap because you do not need to use a lot of money or fuel: an economical car | It is usually more economical to buy in large quantities.
▪ affordable cheap enough for most people to be able to buy or pay for: affordable housing | Single mothers often have trouble finding affordable childcare. | The shop sells designer fashions at affordable prices.
▪ competitive competitive prices and rates are as low as those charged by other shops or companies: I think you’ll find our prices are extremely competitive. | The hotel offers a high standard of service at very competitive rates.
▪ budget [only before noun] budget flights, airlines, hotels etc have specially low prices: You can get a budget flight to Amsterdam for only £19. | a list of budget hotels for under $50 a night | budget accommodation for families with young children
▪ be good/great value to be worth at least the price you pay for it, so that you feel pleased and think you have spent your money well: The meals at Charlie’s Pizza are really good value. | The holiday is great value for money.
▪ be a bargain informal to be extremely cheap: I got this shirt when I was in Indonesia. It was a real bargain.
■ COLLOCATIONS CHECK
▪ low price/cost/rent/fee/charge
▪ reasonable price/cost
▪ economical car/way/method
▪ affordable accommodation/housing/price
▪ competitive price/rate
▪ budget flight/airline/hotel/accommodation

expensive

ex‧pen‧sive S1 W2 /ɪkˈspensɪv/ BrE AmE adjective
[Word Family: noun: ↑expenditure, ↑expense, expenses; verb: ↑expend; adverb: ↑expensively ≠ ↑inexpensively; adjective: ↑expensive ≠ ↑inexpensive]
costing a lot of money OPP cheap:
the most expensive restaurant in town
Petrol is becoming more and more expensive.
Photography is an expensive hobby.
expensive to buy/run/produce/maintain etc
The house was too big and expensive to run.
For low-income families, children’s safety equipment can be prohibitively expensive (=so expensive that most people cannot afford it).
Employing the wrong builder can be a horribly expensive mistake.
Her husband had expensive tastes (=liked expensive things).
—expensively adverb:
She’s always expensively dressed.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adverbs
▪ quite/fairly expensive The food’s quite expensive, but it’s really nice.
▪ rather/pretty expensive (=more expensive than you expect) I think £1000 for a bed is rather expensive.
▪ very/extremely expensive We ate at a very expensive restaurant.
▪ astronomically/phenomenally expensive (=used to emphasize how expensive something is) Some new medical treatments are phenomenally expensive.
▪ hugely expensive (=extremely expensive, especially when you think something is too expensive) The building is hugely expensive to maintain.
▪ ridiculously/outrageously/horrendously expensive (=extremely expensive, in a way that seems shocking) Room service in the hotel was ridiculously expensive.
▪ extortionately expensive (=extremely expensive, in a way that is not fair or reasonable) Houses in some parts of London are extortionately expensive.
▪ prohibitively expensive formal (=too expensive, with the result that most people cannot afford to buy something) HIV medicines are still prohibitively expensive for sufferers in Africa.
■ verbs
▪ look expensive All of her clothes look very expensive.
▪ prove expensive Their decision could prove expensive.
■ nouns
▪ expensive tastes (=a desire to have things that are very expensive) His wife has very expensive tastes and his kids always want the latest things.
▪ an expensive mistake (=a mistake which results in someone having to spend a lot of money) Choosing the wrong builder turned out to be an expensive mistake.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ expensive costing a lot of money: an expensive car | Apartments in the city are very expensive. | An underground train system is expensive to build.
▪ high costing a lot of money.You use high about rents/fees/prices/costs. Don’t use expensive with these words: Rents are very high in this area. | Lawyers charge high fees. | the high cost of living in Japan
▪ dear [not before noun] British English spoken expensive compared to the usual price: £3.50 seems rather dear for a cup of coffee.
▪ pricey /ˈpraɪsi/ informal expensive: The clothes are beautiful but pricey.
▪ costly expensive in a way that wastes money: Upgrading the system would be very costly. | They were anxious to avoid a costly legal battle.
▪ cost a fortune informal to be very expensive: The necklace must have cost a fortune!
▪ exorbitant /ɪɡˈzɔːbətənt, ɪɡˈzɔːbɪtənt $ -ɔːr-/ much too expensive: Some accountants charge exorbitant fees.
▪ astronomical astronomical prices, costs, and fees are extremely high: the astronomical cost of developing a new spacecraft | the astronomical prices which some people had paid for their seats | The cost of living is astronomical.
▪ overpriced too expensive and not worth the price: The DVDs were vastly overpriced.
▪ somebody can’t afford something someone does not have enough money to buy or do something: Most people can’t afford to send their children to private schools.

tight

I. tight¹ S2 W3 /taɪt/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative tighter, superlative tightest)
[Word Family: adverb: ↑tight, ↑tightly; verb: ↑tighten; noun: ↑tightness; adjective: ↑tight]
[Date: 1400-1500; Origin: thight 'closely packed, solid, thick' (14-19 centuries), probably from a Scandinavian language]
1. CLOTHES tight clothes fit your body very closely, especially in a way that is uncomfortable OPP loose:
tight jeans
My shoes were so tight that I could hardly walk.
The jacket is rather a tight fit (=it fits too tightly).
2. PULLED/STRETCHED FIRMLY string, wire, cloth etc that is tight has been pulled or stretched firmly so that it is straight or cannot move:
The bandage must be tight enough to stop the bleeding.
She tied the rope around the post and pulled it tight.
3. ATTACHED FIRMLY a screw, lid etc that is tight is firmly attached and difficult to move:
Check that the screws are tight.
4. HOLDING SOMETHING FIRMLY a tight hold/grip if you keep or have a tight hold on something, you hold it firmly:
His mother kept a tight hold on his hand.
5. STRICT controlling something very strictly or firmly:
The government is keeping tight control on immigration.
keep a tight grip/hold/rein on something (=control it very firmly)
The former dictator still keeps a tight grip on power.
Anna was determined to keep a tight hold on her feelings.
Security is always tight for the opening day of parliament.
run/keep a tight ship (=manage a company, organization etc strictly and effectively)
6. LITTLE MONEY if money is tight, you do not have enough of it
money is tight/things are tight
Money was tight and he needed a job badly.
As you know, I run the magazine on a pretty tight budget.
7. LITTLE TIME if time is tight, it is difficult for you to do everything you need to do in the time available:
Time is tight, and she has another meeting to go to this afternoon.
We should arrive on time, but it’ll be tight.
As usual, his schedule on Saturday was tight (=he had arranged to do several things in a short time).
I'm working to a very tight deadline (=I have to finish a piece of work very quickly).
8. LITTLE SPACE if space is tight, there is only just enough space to fit something into a place
be a tight squeeze/fit
Six in the car will be a tight squeeze.
9. NOT GENEROUS informal not generous, or trying hard to avoid spending money:
Don’t be so tight!
10. CLOSE TOGETHER placed or standing closely together:
The animal’s body was curled up in a tight little ball.
She wore her hair in a tight bun.
11. CLOSE RELATIONSHIP a tight group of people, countries etc have a close relationship with each other SYN tight-knit:
Together, the young film-makers formed a tight group.
the tight bonds that had grown between them
12. BEND/TURN a tight bend or turn is very curved and turns quickly in another direction:
Danny lost control on a tight bend, and the car ran off the road.
13. CHEST/STOMACH/THROAT if your chest, stomach, or throat feels tight, it feels painful and uncomfortable, because you are ill or worried:
Before she went on stage her chest felt tight and her throat hurt.
14. EXPRESSION/SMILE/VOICE a tight expression, smile, or voice shows that you are annoyed or worried SYN tight-lipped:
‘Look, I’m sorry ...,’ she said, forcing a tight smile.
15. DIFFICULT SITUATION in a tight corner/spot informal in a difficult situation:
He’s a good man to have around if ever you’re in a tight corner.
‘Did something go wrong?’ ‘Let’s just say I got into a bit of a tight spot.’
16. PLAY/PERFORMANCE playing a piece of music or giving a performance very exactly and well, without any pauses or mistakes:
The band gave a really tight performance.
a tight, well-rehearsed production
17. GAME/COMPETITION a tight game, competition etc is one in which the teams, players etc play equally well, and it is not easy to win:
The opening quarter of the game was very tight.
18. DRUNK [not before noun] old-fashioned informal drunk
—tightly adverb:
Marie held the baby tightly in her arms.
—tightness noun [uncountable]
⇨ ↑airtight, ↑watertight
• • •
THESAURUS
■ rule/law/system
▪ strict a strict order or rule is one that must be obeyed: There are strict rules about keeping tax records. | He had strict instructions to return the key to me.
▪ tight tight controls or limits are very strict about what is allowed and what is not allowed: The report recommends tighter controls on the advertising of alcohol. | There are tight regulations governing waste disposal.
▪ tough tough laws or rules are very strict: They want tougher laws against drinking and driving. | The federal government is introducing tough new rules on immigration.
▪ harsh harsh punishments or laws are very severe, often too severe: There are harsh penalties for drug trafficking. | The government has brought in harsh measures to combat the rioting taking place in many cities.
▪ stringent controlling what people can do with rules that have very high standards: There are now stringent controls on pollution from all power stations. | stringent new food safety regulations

clean

I. clean¹ S2 W2 /kliːn/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative cleaner, superlative cleanest)
[Word Family: noun: ↑cleaner, ↑cleaning, ↑cleanliness, ↑clean, ↑cleanser; verb: ↑clean, ↑cleanse; adverb: ↑clean, ↑cleanly; adjective: ↑clean ≠ ↑unclean]
[Language: Old English; Origin: clæne]
1. NOT DIRTY without any dirt, marks etc OPP dirty:
Are your hands clean?
clean towels
Make sure you keep the wound clean.
Wipe that sink clean when you’re done.
As usual, she left her room clean and tidy before going to school.
a spotlessly clean kitchen
I want you to get those plates as clean as a whistle.
2. PEOPLE/ANIMALS having a clean appearance and habits:
Cats are naturally clean.
3. ENVIRONMENT containing or producing nothing that is dirty or harmful ⇨ cleanly
clean air/water/energy etc
the Clean Air Act
cleaner fuels
4. FAIR OR LEGAL
a) done in a fair or legal way OPP dirty:
a clean fight
b) showing that you have followed the rules:
a clean driving licence
He’s got a clean record.
c) [not before noun] informal not hiding any weapons or illegal drugs:
They searched him, but he was clean.
d) [not before noun] no longer taking illegal drugs:
Dave’s been clean for two years now.
5. NOT OFFENSIVE talk, jokes, behaviour etc that are clean are not offensive or about sex OPP dirty:
Oh, don’t get mad – it’s just good clean fun!
Keep it clean (=do not offend people with what you say).
clean living (=a way of life which is healthy and moral)
6. come clean informal to finally tell the truth about something you have been hiding
come clean about
The government should come clean about its plans.
7. make a clean breast of it to admit that you have done something wrong so that you no longer feel guilty
8. a clean break
a complete and sudden separation from a person, organization, or situation:
Den left the next day, needing to make a clean break.
9. clean sheet/slate a record of someone’s work, behaviour, performance etc that shows they have not done anything wrong or made any mistakes:
Jed looked forward to starting life again with a clean sheet.
Lewis has kept a clean sheet in every game (=not let the other team score).
10. clean hands if a person, government, organization etc has clean hands, they have done something in a fair or legal way:
Neither side is coming to the negotiating table with completely clean hands.
11. PAPER a piece of paper that is clean has not yet been used SYN fresh
12. SMOOTH having a smooth or regular edge or surface ⇨ cleanly:
a clean cut
Use a clean simple typeface for signs.
13. a clean bill of health a report that says you are healthy or that a machine or building is safe:
Inspectors gave the factory a clean bill of health.
14. a clean sweep
a) a very impressive victory in a competition, election etc
a clean sweep for
All the polls had pointed to a clean sweep for the Democrats.
Hopes that the French would make a clean sweep at the Games were dashed.
b) a complete change in a company or organization, often by removing people
15. TASTE having a fresh pleasant taste:
Add a little lemon juice to give the pasta a cool clean taste.
16. clean copy a piece of writing without mistakes or other marks written on it
17. MOVEMENT a clean movement in sport is skilful and exact:
He steadied his arm, hoping for a clean shot.
—cleanness noun [uncountable]
⇨ ↑clean-cut, ⇨ keep your nose clean at ↑nose¹(9)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ nouns
▪ clean clothes He had a shower and changed into clean clothes.
▪ a clean shirt/sheet/towel etc Where are all my clean socks?
▪ clean hands Make sure you have clean hands before you eat.
■ verbs
▪ keep something clean You should always keep your kitchen clean.
▪ wipe something clean (=use a cloth to clean a surface) He started to wipe the blackboard clean.
▪ sweep/scrub something clean (=use a brush to clean something) She quickly swept the floor clean.
▪ leave something clean Please leave the apartment clean when you go.
■ adverbs
▪ spotlessly/scrupulously clean (=very clean) Hospitals must be kept scrupulously clean.
▪ squeaky clean (=completely clean) I like my hair to be squeaky clean.
■ phrases
▪ nice and clean (=clean) Their job is to keep the streets nice and clean.
▪ clean and tidy especially BrE: I insist my children keep their rooms clean and tidy.
▪ neat and clean especially AmE: Her kids were always neat and clean.
▪ clean as a whistle (=very clean) The place was clean as a whistle.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ clean without any dirt or marks: They need clean water to drink. | I don’t have any clean clothes.
▪ pure water or air that is pure does not contain any dirt, pollution, or bacteria: I breathed in the pure mountain air.
▪ sterile /ˈsteraɪl $ -rəl/ completely clean, with no bacteria, and therefore safe for medical or scientific use: Place a sterile bandage on the wound. | sterile needles
▪ spotless completely clean – used mainly about rooms and clothes: Her kitchen is always spotless.
▪ pristine /ˈprɪstiːn/ completely clean and new-looking: He wore a pristine white shirt.
▪ immaculate as clean and tidy as it is possible to be: The soldiers’ uniforms have to be immaculate.
▪ spick and span [not before noun] informal clean and tidy, especially after having just been cleaned: By the end of the day, the whole place was spick and span.

dirty

I. dirt‧y¹ S2 W3 /ˈdɜːti $ ˈdɜːr-/ BrE AmE adjective (comparative dirtier, superlative dirtiest)

1. NOT CLEAN covered in or marked by an unwanted substance OPP clean:
a stack of dirty dishes in the sink
How did you get so dirty?
dirty clothes/washing/laundry
She circled the bedroom, picking up dirty clothes.
2. SEX relating to sex, in a way that is considered immoral or unpleasant:
kids telling dirty jokes
a dirty magazine
She looked at me as if I had said a dirty word.
have a dirty mind British English (=think about sex a lot)
dirty weekend British English (=a weekend when a man and woman who are not married to each other go away to have sex)
3. BAD/IMMORAL used to emphasize that you think someone or something is bad, dishonest, or immoral:
You’re a dirty liar!
a dirty fighter
you and your dirty little deals
do the dirty on somebody British English (=treat someone in a way that is unfair or dishonest)
What a dirty trick!
4. something is a dirty word if something is a dirty word, people believe it is a bad thing even if they do not know or think much about it SYN swear word:
‘Liberal’ has somehow become a dirty word in America.
5. give somebody a dirty look to look at someone in a very disapproving way:
Susan gave her brother a dirty look.
6. dirty trick a dishonest or unfair action, especially done by a government, company, or organization:
political dirty tricks
7. wash your dirty linen/laundry (also air your dirty laundry American English) to discuss something embarrassing or bad about yourself where everyone can see, know, or hear:
The divorce has meant airing their dirty laundry in court.
8. do sb’s dirty work to do an unpleasant or dishonest action for someone, so that they do not have to do it themselves:
I’m not talking to him; you do your own dirty work!
9. it’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it used to say that something is unpleasant to do, but that it is necessary – often used humorously
10. DRUGS American English informal containing or possessing illegal drugs
11. dirty bomb a bomb that contains a ↑radioactive substance which makes the bomb more dangerous than bombs containing only traditional explosives
12. SPORT a dirty sports event is one in which people competing in the event have illegally used drugs to improve their performance:
Many people think that the race has been a dirty event for years.
—dirtily adverb
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ dirty not clean: His clothes were untidy and he had dirty hands.
▪ filthy very dirty: Each year filthy water causes millions of cases of illness.
▪ muddy covered with mud: It had been raining hard and the path was muddy.
▪ dusty covered with dust: the dusty shelves in the attic
▪ greasy covered with oil or grease: Greasy food is bad for your health.
▪ grubby (also mucky British English) informal fairly dirty and needing to be cleaned or washed: He was wearing a grubby white T-shirt. | mucky fingers
▪ grimy covered with thick dirt or dirt that has been there a long time: I couldn’t see much out of the grimy windows of the train.
▪ dingy /ˈdɪndʒi/ looking dark, dirty, and unpleasant. Used about rooms, houses, and buildings: We worked in a dingy little office behind the station.
▪ polluted used about land, water, or air that has been made dirty: 85% of city dwellers breathe heavily polluted air.
▪ contaminated made dirty by a dangerous substance or bacteria: The virus is mainly spread through contaminated food.
▪ squalid /ˈskwɒləd, ˈskwɒlɪd $ ˈskwɑː-/ formal extremely dirty and unpleasant. Used about the place or conditions in which someone lives: People are living in squalid conditions, with little water and no sanitation.
▪ unhygienic /ʌnhaɪˈdʒiːnɪk◂ $ -ˈdʒe-, -ˈdʒiː-/ formal used about dirty conditions that are likely to cause disease, especially conditions in kitchens, restaurants, and hospitals: The food was prepared under unhygienic conditions.
▪ unsanitary (also insanitary British English) formal used about dirty conditions that are likely to cause disease, especially because there is not a good system for getting rid of waste: People’s health is being threatened by overcrowded and insanitary homes. | They work for long hours in unsanitary conditions.
▪ soiled formal made dirty, especially by waste from your body: Soiled nappies should be changed as quickly as possible.

medium

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

small

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

brown

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

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

fourth

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