noun

noun
1. countable an empty space on a printed form or document for you to write answers, information, etc. in
• Please fill in the blanks.

• If you can't answer the question, leave a blank.

2. singular a state of not being able to remember anything

• My mind was a blank and I couldn't remember her name.

3. countable (also ˌblank ˈcartridge) a cartridge in a gun that contains an explosive but no bullet
• The troops fired blanks in the air.
see draw a blank at  draw  _v.  
Word Origin:
Middle English (in the sense ‘white, colourless’): from Old French blanc ‘white’, ultimately of Germanic origin.  
Example Bank:
• If you don't know the answer, just leave a blank.
• In the test, we had to fill in the blanks.

• Soldiers fired blanks into the sky.

jacket

jacket [jacket jackets jacketed jacketing]   [ˈdʒækɪt]    [ˈdʒækɪt]  noun

1. a piece of clothing worn on the top half of the body over a shirt, etc. that has sleeves and fastens down the front; a short, light coat
• a denim/tweed jacket
• I have to wear a jacket and tie to work.

see also  bomber jacket, dinner jacket, donkey jacket, flak jacket, life jacket, smoking jacket, sports jacket, straitjacket

2. (also ˈdust jacket) a loose paper cover for a book, usually with a design or picture on it

3. an outer cover around a hot water pipe, etc, for example to reduce loss of heat

4. (BrE) the skin of a baked potato

• potatoes baked in their jackets

5. (especially NAmE) =  sleeve  (³)
See also: dust jacket  
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French jaquet, diminutive of jaque; origin uncertain, perhaps based on Arabic.  
Thesaurus:
jacket noun C
• His jacket hung over the back of the chair.
coat • • blazer • • tails • • raincoat • |BrE anorak • • mac • |especially AmE tuxedo • |especially AmE, informal tux •
a long/short/heavy/light jacket/coat
wear/put on/take off/remove a jacket/coat/blazer/tails/raincoat/anorak/mac/tuxedo/tux
do up/undo a jacket/coat/blazer/raincoat/anorak/mac
Jacket or coat? Jacket can describe a piece of clothing worn indoors or one worn outdoors; a coat is usually only worn outdoors. A jacket usually comes down to the waist or hips, but not below; a coat is usually hip-length or longer.  
Example Bank:
• A light cotton jacket was draped over her shoulders.
• Gentlemen are requested to wear a jacket and tie for dinner.
• He pulled his passport from his inside jacket pocket.
• He wore a tweed sports jacket.
• His jacket hung over the back of his chair.
• She shrugged her shoulders into her jacket.
• a linen/suede/tweed jacket
• a padded sleeveless jacket
• bomber jacket
• dinner jacket

• ski jacket

shirt

shirt [shirt shirts]   [ʃɜːt]    [ʃɜːrt]  noun

a piece of clothing (usually for men), worn on the upper part of the body, made of light cloth, with sleeves and usually with a collar and buttons down the front
• to wear a shirt and tie
• a short-sleeved shirt
• a football shirt
see also  nightshirt, polo shirt, stuffed shirt, sweatshirt, T-shirt 
Idioms: keep your shirt on ▪ put your shirt on somebody ▪ shirt off somebody's back  
Word Origin:
Old English scyrte, of Germanic origin; related to Old Norse skyrta (compare with skirt), Dutch schort, German Schürze ‘apron’, also to short; probably from a base meaning ‘short garment’.  
Example Bank:
• He tucked his shirt into his pants.
• He wears a crisp white shirt to the office every day.
• a footballer's shirt number

• replica football shirts with Beckham's famous number 7

stuffed shirt

ˌstuffed ˈshirt f22 [stuffed shirt]       noun (informal, disapproving)
a person who is very serious, formal or old-fashioned

• The club members are not just a bunch of stuffed shirts.

film

film [film films filmed filming] noun, verb   [fɪlm]    [fɪlm] 

noun  

MOVING PICTURES
1. countable (especially BrE) (NAmE usually movie) a series of moving pictures recorded with sound that tells a story, shown on television or at the cinema/movie theater
• Let's go to the cinema— there's a good film on this week.
• Let's stay in and watch a film.
• a horror/documentary/feature film
• a silent film (= one recorded without sound)
• an international film festival
• The film was shot on location in France.
• a film crew/critic/director/producer
• the film version of the novel

• to make/shoot a film

2. uncountable (especially BrE) (NAmE usually the movies plural) (BrE also the cin·ema) the art or business of making films/movies
• to study film and photography
• the minister responsible for film and the theatre
• the film industry

compare  cinema

3. uncountable moving pictures of real events, shown for example on television
Syn:  footage
• television news film of the riots

• The accident was captured/caught on film.  

IN CAMERAS

4. uncountable, countable thin plastic that is sensitive to light, used for taking photographs and making films/movies; a roll of this plastic, used in cameras
• a roll of film
• a 35mm film
• She put a new film in her camera.

• to have a film developed  

THIN LAYER

5. countable, usually singular ~ (of sth) a thin layer of sth, usually on the surface of sth else
Syn:  coat, Syn: coating, Syn: layer
• Everything was covered in a film of dust.

Word Origin:
Old English filmen ‘membrane’, of West Germanic origin.  
Culture:
Hollywood
Hollywood, more than any other place in the world, represents the excitement and glamour of the film industry. The world’s major film companies have studios in Hollywood and many famous film/movie stars live in its fashionable and expensive Beverly Hills district. But Hollywood is also Tinseltown, where money can buy an expensive lifestyle but the pressure to succeed can ruin lives, as in the case of Marilyn Monroe and River Phoenix. Both the British and Americans have mixed feelings about Hollywood: they are fascinated by the excitement of the film world and by the lives of the stars, but also see Hollywood as a symbol of trashy, commercial culture.
Hollywood is now surrounded by Los Angeles. In 1908, when film companies began moving west from New York, it was a small, unknown community. The companies were attracted to California by its fine weather, which allowed them to film outside for most of the year, but they also wanted to avoid having to pay money to a group of studios led by Thomas Edison which were trying to establish a monopoly. Most of the companies were run by people from Jewish families who had come to America from Europe. By the 1920s, companies such as Universal and United Artists had set up studios around Hollywood. During this period Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks¹, and John Barrymore became famous in silent films (= films without sound). Mack Sennett, a Canadian, began making comedy films, including those featuring the Keystone Kops, in which Charlie Chaplin and ‚Fatty’ Arbuckle became stars. D W Griffith directed expensive ‚epic’ films like Birth of a Nation, and William S Hart made westerns popular. Hollywood also created its first sex symbol, Theda Bara (1890–1955).
The 1920s saw big changes. The first film in Technicolor was produced in 1922. Warner Brothers was formed in 1923 and four years later produced Hollywood’s first talkie (= film with spoken words), Jazz Singer. Huge numbers of Americans were now attracted to the movies. Stars like Pickford and Chaplin reached the height of their fame, and new stars were discovered, such as Rudolph Valentino, Laurel and Hardy and Buster Keaton.
The 1930s and 1940s were Hollywood’s ‚Golden Age’ and films became popular around the world. Hollywood even made successes out of America’s worst times: Prohibition led to the gangster films of Edward G Robinson and James Cagney, and the Great Depression to films like Grapes of Wrath. World War II featured in successful films like Casablanca. The great Hollywood studios, MGM, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Pictures and Columbia Pictures, controlled the careers of actors. Famous directors of the time included Orson Welles and John Ford and screen stars included Clark Gable, John Wayne, Katharine Hepburn, Errol Flynn, Henry Fonda, Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, Bette Davis, Gregory Peck, Kirk Douglas and Robert Mitchum.
New words were invented to keep up with Hollywood’s development: cliffhanger, tear jerker, spine-chiller and western describe types of film. Villains became baddies or bad guys. As equipment became more sophisticated more people were needed to manage it. New jobs, still seen on lists of film credits today, included gaffer (= chief electrician) and best boy, his chief assistant.
In the 1950s large numbers of people abandoned the movies in order to watch television. The film industry needed something new to attract them back. This led to the development of Cinerama and 3-D films, which gave the audience the feeling of being part of the action. These proved too expensive but the wide screen of CinemaScope soon became standard throughout the world. The stars of the 1950s, including Marilyn Monroe, Rock Hudson, James Dean and Steve McQueen, also kept the film industry alive.
In the 1960s many companies began making films in other countries where costs were lower, and people said Hollywood would never again be the centre of the film industry. But the skills, equipment and money were still there, and Hollywood became important again in the 1980s. The old studios were bought by new media companies: 20th Century Fox was bought by Rupert Murdoch, and Columbia by the Sony Corporation. New energy came from independent directors and producers like Steven Spielberg, Robert Redford and Martin Scorsese. Rising stars included Meryl Streep, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Kevin Costner and Tom Hanks.
Now, more than ever, Hollywood leads the world’s film industry, producing the most expensive and successful films ever made, such as Jurassic Park (1993), Forrest Gump, Independence Day (1996), Titanic, Gladiator (2000) and Troy (2004). Companies like MGM own their own movie theaters in the US and elsewhere. Studios make extra profits from selling films to television companies and from selling videos and DVDs. The Oscars, presented by Hollywood’s Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, are the most valued prizes in the industry. 
Thesaurus:
film noun
1. C (especially BrE)
• I watched a film on TV.
DVD • • video • |especially AmE movie •
in a film/video/movie
make/produce/direct a film/video/movie
see/watch a film/DVD/video/movie
Film or movie? In British English movie can suggest that a film is just entertainment without any artistic value; in American English film can suggest that a film has artistic value:
• an art film
 ¤ an art movie
2. U
• a film and photography course
especially BrE cinema • |especially AmE movies •
work in film/cinema/movies
the film/cinema/movie industry  
Collocations:
Cinema/the movies
Watching
go to/take sb to (see) a film/movie
go to/sit in (BrE) the cinema/(NAmE) the (movie) theater
rent a film/movie/DVD
download a film/movie/video
burn/copy/rip a DVD
see/watch a film/movie/DVD/video/preview/trailer
Showing
show/screen a film/movie
promote/distribute/review a film/movie
(BrE) be on at the cinema
be released on/come out on/be out on DVD
captivate/delight/grip/thrill the audience
do well/badly at the box office
get a lot of/live up to the hype
Film-making
write/co-write a film/movie/script/screenplay
direct/produce/make/shoot/edit a film/movie/sequel/video
make a romantic comedy/a thriller/an action movie
do/work on a sequel/remake
film/shoot the opening scene/an action sequence/footage (of sth)
compose/create/do/write the soundtrack
cut/edit (out) a scene/sequence
Acting
have/get/do an audition
get/have/play a leading/starring/supporting role
play a character/James Bond/the bad guy
act in/appear in/star in a film/movie/remake
do/perform/attempt a stunt
work in/make it big in Hollywood
forge/carve/make/pursue a career in Hollywood
Describing films
the camera pulls back/pans over sth/zooms in (on sth)
the camera focuses on sth/lingers on sth
shoot sb/show sb in extreme close-up
use odd/unusual camera angles
be filmed/shot on location/in a studio
be set/take place in London/in the '60s
have a happy ending/plot twist 
Example Bank:
• Fast film is best for action shots.
• Fast film would be best for such action shots.
• He spliced the two lengths of film together.
• He was killed when a film stunt went wrong.
• His film credits as director include ‘Mood Music’ and ‘Lies’.
• His film credits= the films he has made as director include ‘Mood Music’ and ‘Lies’.
• I get my film developed locally.
• I get my films developed at a local shop.
• In the darkroom they found that only half the film had been exposed.
• She makes children's films.
• She thought the film far too violent to show to children.
• The books were covered in a thin film of dust.
• The film came out last week.
• The film contains explicit scenes of violence.
• The film depicts immense courage amid the horrors of war.
• The film has plenty of what film people call ‘bankability’.
• The film manages to capture the mood of the times.
• The film opens with a bird's-eye shot of London.
• The film stars Nicole Kidman as a nightclub singer.
• The film was finally released after weeks of protest by religious groups.
• The film was heavily edited for screening on television.
• The film was shot on location in Kenya.
• The news always contains several film reports.
• The scramble for the film rights to her next novel has already begun.
• There is a great car chase in the film.
• There was a fine film of sweat on her forehead.
• There's an interesting film on at the local cinema.
• They built a massive film set of an airport.
• They captured the incident on film.
• They've just started shooting a film of the novel.
• This film tells the remarkable story of a disabled actor.
• Tyrannical Hollywood film moguls ruled their stars' lives.
• We stayed for the film credits to see who the music was by.
• We went to an awful film last night.
• a film about Nelson Mandela
• a film about Queen Victoria
• a film based on the novel by Charles Potter
• a film dealing with old age
• a film entitled ‘Bitter Moon’
• a film from Spanish director Luis Eduardo Aute
• a film recording the first powered flight
• a film with an all-star cast
• a roll of 35 millimetre film
• film taken by security cameras
• the ‘Star Wars’ film series
• the film classic ‘Fantasia’
• the film version of the best-selling novel
• He directed his first feature film in 1994.
• Let's go to the cinema— there's a good film on this week.
• Let's stay in and watch a film.
• She wants to study film and photography.
• The film of water left by the tide shimmered in the sun.
• The leaves were still covered with a film of dew.
• There was a film of soot everywhere.
• a film crew/critic/director/producer
• a horror/documentary film
• a silent film
• an international film festival

Derived Word: filming 

game

game [game games gamed gaming gamer gamest] noun, adjective   [ɡeɪm]    [ɡeɪm] 

noun  

ACTIVITY/SPORT
1. countable an activity or a sport with rules in which people or teams compete against each other
• card games
• board games
• a game of chance/skill
• ball games, such as football or tennis
• (NAmE) We're going to the ball game (= baseball  game).

2. countable an occasion of playing a game
• to play a game of chess
• Saturday's League game against Swansea
• Let's have a game of table tennis.

• They're in training for the big game.

3. singular sb's ~ the way in which sb plays a game
• Maguire raised his game to collect the £40 000 first prize.

• Stretching exercises can help you avoid injury and improve your game.  

SPORTS

4. games plural a large organized sports event

• the Olympic Games

5. games plural (old-fashioned, BrE) sport as a lesson or an activity at school

• I always hated games at school.  

PART OF SPORTS MATCH

6. countable a section of some games, such as tennis, which forms a unit in scoring

• two games all (= both players have won two games)  

CHILDREN'S ACTIVITY

7. countable a children's activity when they play with toys, pretend to be sb else, etc

• a game of cops and robbers  

FUN

8. countable an activity that you do to have fun

• He was playing games with the dog.  

ACTIVITY, BUSINESS

9. countable a type of activity or business
• How long have you been in this game?
• the game of politics
• I'm new to this game myself.
• Getting dirty was all part of the game to the kids.

SECRET PLAN

10. countable (informal) a secret and clever plan; a trick

• So that's his game (= now I know what he has been planning).  

WILD ANIMALS/BIRDS

11. uncountable wild animals or birds that people hunt for sport or food

more at beat sb at their own game at  beat  _v., play (a game of) cat and mouseplay a cat-and-mouse game with sb at  cat, fun and games at  fun  _n., a mug's game at  mug  _n., the name of the game at  name  _n., numbers game at  number  _n., the rules of the game at  rule  _n., have skin in the game at  skin  _n., talk a good game at  talk  _v., (the game is) not worth the candle at  worth  _adj.  
Word Origin:
Old English gamen ‘amusement, fun’, gamenian ‘play, amuse oneself’, of Germanic origin.  
Culture:
toys and games
Most young children are given toys for their birthday or at Christmas. Many regularly spend their pocket money or allowance on smaller toys. Popular toys include building bricks such as Lego, plastic farm animals, toy cars, model railways and dressing-up costumes. Girls especially have dolls, and several sets of clothes to dress them in. Action Man figures are mainly for boys and Barbie dolls for girls. Babies are given rattles, soft cuddly toys and a teddy bear. Action figures, small plastic models of characters from television shows or films, are also popular. Some parents do not allow their children to have guns or other ‘violent’ toys because they do not want them to think it is fun to kill people.
Among traditional games that are still popular are marbles, which is played with small, coloured glass balls, board games such as snakes and ladders and ludo, card games such as Happy Families, and word games such as hangman. Board and card games are played with family or friends, but children play alone with computer games or video games.
Many children collect objects, such as shells, model animals, stamps or picture cards. In the US baseball cards, cards with a picture of a baseball player on them, are sold with bubblegum. In Britain picture cards are often given free in packets of breakfast cereal.
Children play outside with skipping ropes, bicycles, skateboards and Rollerblades™. In playgrounds there are often swings, a slide, a see-saw and a climbing frame (AmE jungle gym) to climb on. Traditional games played outside include hopscotch, a game in which children hop over squares drawn on the ground to try to pick up a stone, and tag, in which one child chases the others until he or she catches one of them and then that child has to chase the rest.
Toys are often expensive and, even if they can afford them, many parents are unwilling to spend a lot of money on something that they know their children will soon get bored with. Children want toys they see advertised on television or in comics, or toys that their friends already have. There are sometimes crazes for toys connected with characters from a film.
Few people give up toys and games completely when they become adults. Many keep their old teddy bear for sentimental reasons. There are now also executive toys, made specially for adults to keep on their desks. Many people play card games like bridge and poker, and board games such as Scrabble, Monopoly, backgammon and chess. 
Thesaurus:
game noun
1. C
• Chess is a game of skill.
sport •
play/take part in a game/sport
team/competitive games/sports
2. C
• The team is in training for the big game.
especially BrE match • |BrE fixture • • tie • • test (match) •
a game/match/fixture/tie/test against/between/with sb
a/an international/friendly game/match/fixture
a home game/match/fixture/tie/test
an away game/match/fixture/tie
win/lose a game/match/fixture/test/tie
Game or match? Game has a wider range of uses than match. In British English match is used to talk about individual or team sports. In American English match is used for individual sports, but game is used for team sports:
• (BrE) a football match
• (BrE, AmE) a tennis match
• a football game
• a game of football
 ¤ a match of football  
Synonyms:
interest
hobby • game • pastime
These are all words for activities that you do for pleasure in your spare time.
interest • an activity or a subject that you do or study for pleasure in your spare time: ▪ Her main interests are music and gardening.
hobby • an activity that you do for pleasure in your spare time: ▪ His hobbies include swimming and cooking.
game • a children's activity when they play with toys, pretend to be sb else, etc; an activity that you do to have fun: ▪ a game of cops and robbers ◊ ▪ He was playing games with the dog.
pastime • an activity that people do for pleasure in their spare time: ▪ Eating out is the national pastime in France.
interest, hobby or pastime?
A hobby is often more active than an interest: ▪ His main hobby is football ▪ (= he plays football) ▪. ◊ ▪ His main interest is football ▪ (= he watches and reads about football, and may or may not play it) ▪. Pastime is used when talking about people in general; when you are talking about yourself or an individual person it is more usual to use interest or hobby: Eating out is the national interest/hobby in France. ◊ Do you have any pastimes?
a popular interest/hobby/pastime
to have/share interests/hobbies
to take up/pursue a(n) interest/hobby 
Example Bank:
• Chicago's bid to host the Olympic Games
• Children love learning new games.
• Don't let him talk to anybody or he'll give the game away.
• He pitched a perfect game at Atlanta.
• He was unwittingly caught up in a dangerous game of lies and betrayals.
• He's hoping to be fit before next week's game with Liverpool.
• Hendry raised his game to become the champion.
• Hendry raised his game to collect the £40 000 first prize.
• How I hated team games at school!
• I realized that he had been playing a stupid game with me.
• I'll soon put an end to her silly little games.
• It's going to be a close game.
• It's hard to find indoor games for children.
• Last night he played the final game of his career.
• Lufthansa entered the game with a 25% stake in the company.
• Shall we have a game of chess?
• She's hoping to participate in the next Olympic Games.
• That girl plays a great game of bridge.
• The Olympic Games are held every four years.
• The company is developing games to play on mobile phones.
• The early stages of the game were dominated by the home team.
• The guys are in training for their big game.
• The team fought back to level the game.
• This is a good game for getting people to mix.
• To pass the time, we played a game of cards.
• Trescothick had a good game and was man of the match.
• Trevor had a good game.
• United are playing a home game this week.
• We won the first game and drew the second.
• a game of tennis
• children's party games like Musical Chairs
• competitive games in which there is always a winner and a loser
• finding good indoor games for children
• the game of life/politics
• their first League game of the season
• this week's game against the Titans
• Chess is a game of skill.
• Davenport won the opening game of the third set.
• Discipline is the rock on which the game of golf is built.
• He's levelled the second set at two games all.
• Predicting the outcome of the election is a game of chance.
• She broke Sharapova's serve in the fourth game of the third set.
• So that's his little game.
• The children invented a new game.
• The defence are coming under pressure for the first time in this game.
• Will he be available for Saturday's game against the Bears?
• ball/card/board/computer/video games

Idioms: a game ▪ back in the game ▪ game is up ▪ game on ▪ give the game away ▪ on the game ▪ only game in town ▪ out of the game ▪ play games ▪ play somebody's game ▪ play the game ▪ two can play at that game ▪ what's your game? 

Word Origin:

Old English gamen ‘amusement, fun’, gamenian ‘play, amuse oneself’, of Germanic origin.

party

party [party parties partied partying] noun, verb   [ˈpɑːti]    [ˈpɑːrti] 

noun (pl. parties)
1. (also Party) countable + singular or plural verb a political organization that you can vote for in elections and whose members have the same aims and ideas
• the Democratic and Republican Parties in the United States
• She belongs to the Labour Party.
• the ruling/opposition party

• the party leader/manifesto/policy

2. countable (especially in compounds) a social occasion, often in a person's home, at which people eat, drink, talk, dance and enjoy themselves
• a birthday/dinner/garden, etc. party
• to give/have/throw a party
• Did you go to the party?
• party games

3. countable + singular or plural verb a group of people who are doing sth together such as travelling or visiting somewhere
• The school is taking a party of 40 children to France.
• The theatre gives a 10% discount to parties of more than ten.

4. countable (formal) one of the people or groups of people involved in a legal agreement or argument
• the guilty/innocent party
• The contract can be terminated by either party with three months' notice.
• The judge's decision satisfied most of the parties concerned.

Word Origin:
Middle English (denoting a body of people united in opposition to others, also in sense 1): from Old French partie, based on Latin partiri ‘divide into parts’. Sense 2 dates from the early 18th cent.  
Thesaurus:
party noun
1. C+sing./pl. v.
• the Democratic Party
faction • • camp • • lobby •
rival/opposing parties/factions/camps
the socialist party/camp
belong to a party/faction/camp
2. C
• They threw a huge party to celebrate the end of term.
celebration • • reception • • dance • • ball • • rave • |BrE disco • |AmE shower • |informal, especially journalism bash •
at a party/celebration/reception/dance/ball/rave/disco/shower/bash
have/hold/go to/attend a party/celebration/reception/dance/ball/rave/disco/shower/bash
3. C+sing./pl. v.
• a coach party of tourists
group • • band • • contingent • • team • • crew • • squad • • gang • • detachment • |formal company • |often disapproving pack •
a party/group/band/contingent/team/crew/squad/gang/detachment/pack of sth
in (a) party/group/band/team/crew/squad/gang/company/pack
join a party/band/team/crew/gang 
Collocations:
Politics
Power
create/form/be the leader of a political party
gain/take/win/lose/regain control of Congress
start/spark/lead/be on the brink of a revolution
be engaged/locked in an internal power struggle
lead/form a rival/breakaway faction
seize/take control of the government/power
bring down/overthrow/topple the government/president/regime
abolish/overthrow/restore the monarchy
establish/install a military dictatorship/a stable government
be forced/removed/driven from office/power
resign/step down as party leader/an MP/president/prime minister
enter/retire from/return to political life
Political debate
spark/provoke a heated/hot/intense/lively debate
engage in/participate in/contribute to (the) political/public debate (on/over sth)
get involved in/feel excluded from the political process
launch/start/lead/spearhead a campaign/movement
join/be linked with the peace/anti-war/feminist/civil rights movement
criticize/speak out against/challenge/support the government
lobby/put pressure on the government (to do sth)
come under fire/pressure from opposition parties
Policy
call for/demand/propose/push for/advocate democratic/political/land reform(s)
formulate/implement domestic economic policy
change/influence/shape/have an impact on government/economic/public policy
be consistent with/be in line with/go against/be opposed to government policy
reform/restructure/modernize the tax system
privatize/improve/deliver/make cuts in public services
invest (heavily) in/spend sth on schools/education/public services/(the) infrastructure
nationalize the banks/the oil industry
promise/propose/deliver/give ($80 billion in/significant/substantial/massive) tax cuts
a/the budget is approved/ (especially NAmE) passed by parliament/congress
Making laws
have a majority in/have seats in Parliament/Congress/the Senate
propose/sponsor a bill/legislation/a resolution
introduce/bring in/draw up/draft/adopt/pass a bill/a law/legislation/measures
amend/repeal an act/a law/legislation
veto/vote against/oppose a bill/legislation/a measure/a proposal/a resolution
get/require/be decided by a majority vote
more collocations at economy, voting  
Example Bank:
• By now the party was in full swing.
• First we must notify all the interested parties.
• From 1991 new political parties emerged to challenge the governing party.
• Gordon Brown's speech at the Labour party conference
• He loves throwing lavish parties.
• He was accused of having strong links with the Communist Party.
• I was at a party in London that night.
• I'm organizing a surprise party for my sister.
• It was time for us to join the coach party.
• Most MPs will follow the party line.
• Mr Cameron was cheered by the party faithful.
• On moving in they threw a huge house-warming party.
• She arrived with a party of helpers.
• She became the leader of the party in 2008.
• She is a hard-drinking, non-stop party girl.
• She left the party in 2000.
• She refused to follow the party line= the official view of the party.
• She turned up at her fiancé's bachelor party.
• The Labour Party was returned to power in 2001.
• The Labour party lost the vote on this important issue.
• The Liberal party controlled the Senate at this time.
• The captain told the crew to prepare to receive a boarding party.
• The girls were having a slumber party.
• The party broke up around midnight.
• The party was officially dissolved in 1927.
• The wedding party climbed into the carriages.
• There was a party going on next door.
• They are now the majority party in Parliament.
• They attended the launch party for the new film.
• This agreement binds both parties.
• This agreement is binding on both parties.
• This agreement shall be binding upon both parties.
• We had a farewell party for Michelle when she left the company.
• You must sign the document in the presence of an independent third party
• a bitter dispute which finally split the party
• a surprise birthday party
• both main political parties
• members of the parliamentary party
• policies that would be out of place in the Republican party platform
• the majority party in both Houses
• the parties contesting the elections
• A rescue party immediately set off by boat.
• Did you go to their party?
• He gave a dinner party for some old friends.
• It was decided to send out a search party to look for the missing climbers.
• Several members of the England cricket touring party were robbed outside the team hotel.
• The theatre gives a 10% discount to parties of more than 10.
• There were fizzy drinks, cake and party games.
• They threw a party to celebrate the end of term.
• We're going to have a housewarming party next weekend.
• a coach party of German tourists
• the party leader/manifesto/policy
• the ruling/opposition party

Idioms: bring something to the party ▪ party to something

Word Origin:
Middle English (denoting a body of people united in opposition to others, also in sense 1): from Old French partie, based on Latin partiri ‘divide into parts’. Sense 2 dates from the early 18th cent.  
Example Bank:

• That guy Jake— he really knows how to party!

colleague

col·league AW [colleague colleagues]   [ˈkɒliːɡ]    [ˈkɑːliːɡ]  noun
a person that you work with, especially in a profession or a business
• a colleague of mine from the office
• We were friends and colleagues for more than 20 years.
• the Prime Minister and his Cabinet colleagues  
Word Origin:
early 16th cent.: from French collègue, from Latin collega ‘partner in office’, from col- ‘together with’ + legare ‘depute’.  
Thesaurus:
colleague noun C
• a colleague of mine from the office
partner • • contact • • co-worker • • collaborator • • teammate • • ally • • associate • |especially BrE workmate •
a business colleague/partner/contact/ally/associate
a political colleague/contact/ally/associate
a junior/senior colleague/partner/associate
Colleague or associate? Colleague is the most frequently used, and is the general word for sb you work with; associate is used to describe sb you have a business connection with.  
Example Bank:

• I'd like you to meet a colleague of mine from the office.

boss

boss [boss bosses bossed bossing] noun, verb, adjective   [bɒs]    [bɔːs]    [bɑːs] 

noun
1. a person who is in charge of other people at work and tells them what to do
• I'll ask my boss if I can have the day off.
• I like being my own boss (= working for myself and making my own decisions).

• Who's the boss (= who's in control) in this house?

2. (informal) a person who is in charge of a large organization
• the new boss at IBM
• Hospital bosses protested at the decision.
see show sb who's boss at  show  _v.  
Word Origin:
early 19th cent. (originally US): from Dutch baas ‘master’.  
Thesaurus:
boss noun C (informal)
• Ask your boss for a rise.
• huge bonuses paid to company bosses
manager • • employer • • supervisor • • director • • head • • chief executive • • chairman • • chair • • chairwoman • • leader • • president • |BrE managing director • • governor • |especially journalism chief •
a company boss/manager/director/chairman/chairwoman/president/chief
a party/union boss/chief/chairman/chairwoman/leader/president 
Example Bank:
• I'll ask my boss if I can have the day off.
• The Renault team boss later apologized for his comments.
• There's been criticism of bonuses paid to top oil company bosses.

• Who's the boss in this house?

school

school [school schools schooled schooling] noun, verb   [skuːl]    [skuːl] 

noun  

WHERE CHILDREN LEARN
1. countable a place where children go to be educated
• My brother and I went to the same school.
• (formal) Which school do they attend?
• I'm going to the school today to talk to Kim's teacher.
• We need more money for roads, hospitals and schools.

• school buildings

2. uncountable (used without the or a) the process of learning in a school; the time during your life when you go to a school: (BrE) to start/leave school
• (NAmE) to start/quit school
• Where did you go to school?
• (BrE) All my kids are still at school.
• (NAmE) All my kids are still in school.
• (NAmE) to teach school (= teach in a school)

• The transition from school to work can be difficult.

3. uncountable (used without the or a) the time during the day when children are working in a school
• Shall I meet you after school today?
• School begins at 9.
• The kids are at/in school until 3.30.

• after-school activities  

STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

4. the school singular all the children or students and the teachers in a school

• I had to stand up in front of the whole school.  

FOR PARTICULAR SKILL

5. countable (often in compounds) a place where people go to learn a particular subject or skill

• a drama/language/riding, etc. school  

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY

6. countable, uncountable (NAmE, informal) a college or university; the time that you spend there
• famous schools like Yale and Harvard
• Where did you go to school?

7. countable a department of a college or university that teaches a particular subject
• the business/medical/law school

• the School of Dentistry  

OF WRITERS/ARTISTS

8. countable a group of writers, artists, etc. whose style of work or opinions have been influenced by the same person or ideas

• the Dutch school of painting  

OF FISH

9. countable a large number of fish or other sea animals, swimming together
• a school of dolphins
compare  shoal  There are many compounds ending in school. You will find them at their place in the alphabet.
more at one of the old school at  old  
Word Origin:
n. senses 1 to 8 and v. Old English scōl scolu Latin Greek skholē ‘leisure, philosophy, lecture-place’ Middle English Old French escole
n. sense 9 late Middle English Middle Low German Middle Dutch schōle West Germanic Old English scolu ‘troop’ shoal
 
Thesaurus:
school noun C
• My sister and I went to the same school.
academy • • college • • university • • seminary •
at/in school/college/university
at a/the school/academy/college/university/seminary
go to/attend school/an academy/college/university/a seminary 
British/American:
at / in school
In BrE somebody who is attending school is at school: ▪ I was at school with her sister. In NAmE in school is used: ▪ I have a ten-year-old in school. In school in NAmE can also mean ‘attending a university’. 
Collocations:
Education
Learning
acquire/get/lack (an) education/training/(BrE) (some) qualifications
receive/provide sb with training/tuition
develop/design/plan a curriculum/(especially BrE) course/(NAmE) program/syllabus
give/go to/attend a class/lesson/lecture/seminar
hold/run/conduct a class/seminar/workshop
sign up for/take a course/classes/lessons
School
go to/start preschool/kindergarten/nursery school
be in the first, second, etc. (NAmE) grade/(especially BrE) year (at school)
study/take/drop history/chemistry/German, etc.
(BrE) leave/finish/drop out of/ (NAmE) quit school
(NAmE) graduate high school/college
Problems at school
be the victim/target of bullying
(BrE) play truant from/ (both BrE, informal) bunk off/skive off school (= not go to school when you should)
(both especially NAmE) skip/cut class/school
(BrE) cheat in/(NAmE) cheat on an exam/a test
get/be given a detention (for doing sth)
be expelled from/be suspended from school
Work and exams
do your homework/(BrE) revision/a project on sth
work on/write/do/submit an essay/a dissertation/a thesis/an assignment/(NAmE) a paper
finish/complete your dissertation/thesis/studies/coursework
hand in/ (NAmE) turn in your homework/essay/assignment/paper
study/prepare/ (BrE) revise/ (NAmE) review/ (NAmE, informal) cram for a test/an exam
take/ (both BrE) do/sit a test/an exam
(especially BrE) mark/ (especially NAmE) grade homework/a test
(BrE) do well in/ (NAmE) do well on/ (informal, especially NAmE) ace a test/an exam
pass/fail/ (informal, especially NAmE) flunk a test/an exam/a class/a course/a subject
University
apply to/get into/go to/start college/(BrE) university
leave/graduate from law school/college/(BrE) university (with a degree in computer science)
study for/take/ (BrE) do/complete a law degree/a degree in physics
(both NAmE) major/minor in biology/philosophy
earn/receive/be awarded/get/have/hold a master's degree/a bachelor's degree/a PhD in economics 
Grammar Point:
school
When a school is being referred to as an institution, you do not need to use the: ▪ When do the children finish school? When you are talking about a particular building, the is used: ▪ I’ll meet you outside the school. Prison, jail, court, and church work in the same way: ▪ Her husband spent three years in prison.
note at college, hospital  
Example Bank:
• Are the children still in school?
• Eric is off school again.
• He runs a karate school in San Jose, California.
• He was expelled from school for verbally abusing his teacher.
• His mum kept him off school for two weeks when he was ill.
• It is a failing school with some of the worst results in the city.
• It was just a typical school day.
• My parents let me stay home from school yesterday.
• She attends a special school for children with learning difficulties.
• She didn't do very well at school.
• She teaches elementary school in Atlanta.
• She's a middle-school teacher.
• She's got four children of school age.
• The next day was Monday, a school day.
• Their son's at the school near the station.
• We're going to play football after school.
• You don't need to keep your child home from school because of a cough.
• a range of after-school activities
• school-age children
• the cleverest child in the school
• An announcement was made to the whole school
• His parents went to the school to talk to his teacher.
• I'll meet you outside the school.
• In Britain children start school when they are five.
• More money is needed for roads, hospitals and schools.
• My sister and I went to the same school.
• My younger son is still at school.
• She wants to go to drama school.
• The university has a school of dentistry.
• a language/riding school
• an elementary/a junior high/a high school
• an infant/a junior/a primary/a secondary school
• to teach school
• He had very little schooling.

Idiom: school of thought 

neighbour

neigh·bour [neighbour neighbours neighboured neighbouring] (especially US neigh·bor)  [ˈneɪbə(r)]    [ˈneɪbər]  noun
1. a person who lives next to you or near you
• We've had a lot of support from all our friends and neighbours.

• Our next-door neighbours are very noisy.

2. a country that is next to or near another country

• Britain's nearest neighbour is France.

3. a person or thing that is standing or located next to another person or thing
• Stand quietly, children, and try not to talk to your neighbour.

• The tree fell slowly, its branches caught in those of its neighbours.

4. (literary) any other human
• We should all love our neighbours.  
Word Origin:
Old English nēahgebūr, from nēah ‘nigh, near’ + gebūr ‘inhabitant, peasant, farmer’ (compare with boor).  
Example Bank:
• He's having a barbecue and he's inviting all the neighbours.
• I've just met our new neighbours.
• My nearest neighbour lives a few miles away.
• Our new neighbours moved in today.
• She could hear her downstairs neighbour moving around.
• She leaned over to her nearest neighbour and whispered something.
• She's been a very good neighbour to me.
• Shh! You'll wake the neighbours.
• The country is vulnerable to attack from hostile neighbours.
• The neighbours complained about his loud music.
• The two men became neighbours.

• They are near neighbours of ours.