noun

experience

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

fence

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

species

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

opportunity

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

toenail

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

toe

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

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

foot

I. foot¹ S1 W1 /fʊt/ BrE AmE noun (plural feet /fiːt/) [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: fot]
1. BODY PART the part of your body that you stand on and walk on:
My foot hurts.
I had blisters on the soles of my feet.
I dropped a glass earlier, so don’t walk around in bare feet.
The vet examined the horse’s hind feet.
Don’t wipe your feet on the carpet!
She stood on the platform, her suitcase at her feet.
2. MEASUREMENT (plural feet or foot) (written abbreviation ft) a unit for measuring length, equal to 12 ↑inches or about 30 centimetres:
He’s six feet tall, with blonde hair.
Mark was standing just a few feet away from me.
I’d say she’s about five foot three (=five feet and three inches).
a one/two/three etc foot something
a four foot wall
square feet/cubic feet
15,000 square feet of office space
3. BOTTOM PART the foot of something the lowest or bottom part of something
the foot of the stairs/ladder etc
He walked to the foot of the stairs.
the foot of a mountain/cliff etc
a small cottage at the foot of the hill
at the foot of something
a large wooden trunk at the foot of his bed
The date is shown at the foot of the page.
4. on foot if you go somewhere on foot, you walk there:
It takes about 30 minutes on foot, or 10 minutes by car.
5. get/jump/rise etc to your feet to stand up after you have been sitting:
He leapt to his feet and ran outside.
6. on your feet
a) to be standing for a long time without having time to sit down:
The worst thing about working in the shop is that you’re on your feet all day. ⇨ dead on your feet at ↑dead¹(8)
b) to be standing up:
As soon as the bell rang the class were on their feet and out of the door.
c) to feel better again after being ill and in bed:
We’ll soon have you on your feet again.
7. be/get back on your feet to have enough money again, or to be successful again after having problems:
I need to get back on my feet again and forget all this.
8. off your feet sitting or lying down, rather than standing or walking:
The doctor told me to stay off my feet for a few days.
9. knock/lift etc somebody off their feet to make someone fall over:
They were blown off their feet by the force of the explosion.
10. be rushed/run off your feet to be very busy:
Before Christmas, most salespeople are rushed off their feet.
11. set foot in something to go to or enter a place:
She swore she would never set foot in his house again.
12. be/get under your feet to annoy you by always being in the same place as you and preventing you from doing what you want:
I hate summer vacation. The kids are under my feet all day long.
13. put your foot down
a) to say very firmly that someone must do something or must stop doing something:
You’ll just have to put your foot down and tell him he can’t stay out on school nights.
b) informal to make a car go faster
14. put your feet up informal to relax, especially by sitting with your feet supported on something
15. put your foot in it especially British English, put your foot in your mouth especially American English to say something without thinking carefully, so that you embarrass or upset someone:
I’ve really put my foot in it this time. I didn’t realize that was her husband!
16. start/get off on the wrong/right foot to start a relationship badly or well:
Simon and I got off on the wrong foot but we’re good friends now.
17. not put a foot wrong British English to do everything right and make no mistakes, especially in your job
18. have/keep both feet on the ground to think in a sensible and practical way and not have ideas or aims that will be impossible to achieve:
It was a great result, but we have to keep our feet firmly on the ground.
19. fall/land on your feet to get into a good situation because you are lucky, especially after being in a difficult situation:
Don’t worry about Nina, she always falls on her feet.
20. get/have/keep your foot in the door to get your first opportunity to work in a particular organization or industry
21. have a foot in both camps to be involved with or connected with two opposing groups of people
22. have somebody/something at your feet used to say that people admire or respect someone very much:
All Paris was at his feet. ⇨ have the world at your feet at ↑world¹(24)
23. have two left feet informal to be very ↑clumsy
24. have one foot in the grave to be very old or very ill – used humorously
25. ... my foot! British English old-fashioned used to show that you do not believe something that someone has just said:
£50 my foot! It’ll cost £200 at least.
26. leave feet first to die before you leave a place or job – used humorously:
If you keep fooling around with that gun you’ll be leaving this camp feet first.
27. feet of clay someone that you admire who has feet of clay has faults and weaknesses that you did not realize they had
28. foot soldier/patrol a soldier or group of soldiers that walks and does not use a horse or a vehicle
29. foot passenger a passenger on a ship who has not brought a car with them
30.
a) left-footed/right-footed using your left foot or right foot when you kick a ball
b) flat-footed/four-footed having a particular type or number of feet
31. foot pedal/brake/pump etc a machine or control that you operate using your feet
32. SOCK the foot the part of a sock that covers your foot
33. POETRY technical a part of a line of poetry in which there is one strong ↑beat and one or two weaker ones
⇨ the boot is on the other foot at ↑boot¹(6), ⇨ get/have cold feet at ↑cold¹(6), ⇨ ↑underfoot, ⇨ drag your feet/heels at ↑drag¹(8), ⇨ find your feet at ↑find¹(18), ⇨ from head to foot at ↑head¹(1), ⇨ stand on your own (two) feet at ↑stand¹(31), ⇨ sweep somebody off their feet at ↑sweep¹(14), ⇨ have itchy feet at ↑itchy(3), ⇨ not let the grass grow under your feet at ↑grass¹(6), ⇨ vote with your feet at ↑vote¹(8)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ left foot My left foot ached a bit.
▪ right foot He has broken a bone in his right foot.
▪ front foot (=of an animal) The tiger has five claws in each of its front feet.
▪ back/hind foot (=of an animal) The horse lifted its back foot.
▪ big/small He had small neat feet.
▪ bare (=without any socks or shoes) The marble floor felt cold under his bare feet.
▪ flat (=having a medical condition in which someone’s feet rest flat on the ground, with no curved part) We’ve both got slightly flat feet.
▪ booted/sandalled feet (=wearing boots or sandals) He put down his rucksack and stretched out his booted feet.
■ verbs
▪ injure/hurt your foot Simon injured his foot while playing rugby.
▪ sb’s foot hurts She complained that her foot was hurting.
▪ raise/lift your feet He raised his foot off the floor and rested it on a chair.
▪ drag your feet (=walk slowly in an unwilling way) I was dragging my feet because I didn’t want to get there.
▪ wipe your feet (=wipe your shoes on a mat to remove dirt) Be sure to wipe your feet before coming into the house.
▪ stamp your feet (=bang them noisily on the ground) He stamped his feet in an attempt to keep warm.
▪ tap your feet (=bang them gently on the ground) She was tapping her feet in time with the music.
▪ shuffle your feet (=make small movements with them, because you are nervous or impatient) Ken shuffled his feet and looked down at the floor.
■ foot + NOUN
▪ a foot injury He suffered a foot injury during the match against Sporting Lisbon.
▪ a foot massage Would you like a foot massage?
■ phrases
▪ the sole of your foot (=the base of your foot, that you walk on)The soles of her feet were aching from the long walk.
▪ the ball of your foot (=the rounded part of your foot at the base of the toes) He has a blister on the ball of his foot.
▪ the heel of your foot (=the curved back part of your foot ) He kicked his opponent with the heel of his foot.
▪ at sb’s feet (=on the ground, near your feet) The dog was sitting at his master’s feet.
▪ in your stockinged/stocking feet (=not wearing shoes) She stood 5ft 6 inches tall in her stockinged feet.
▪ my feet are killing me informal (=my feet are hurting)

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

plate

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

arrow

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

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