noun

I. pain¹ S2 W2 /peɪn/ BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: adjective: ↑pained, ↑painful ≠ painless; verb: pain; noun: pain; adverb: painfully ≠ painlessly]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: peine, from Latin poena, from Greek poine 'payment, punishment']
1. [uncountable and countable] the feeling you have when part of your body hurts:
The pain is getting worse.
pain in
She felt a sharp pain in her leg.
Greg was in a lot of pain. ⇨ growing pains(2)
2. [uncountable and countable] the feeling of unhappiness you have when you are sad, upset etc:
the pain and grief of bereavement
cause (somebody) pain/inflict pain on somebody
She hated to say the words, for fear of causing pain.
3. be a pain (in the neck) (also be a pain in the ass/arse/backside/butt not polite) spoken to be very annoying:
There were times when Joe could be a real pain in the neck.
It’s a pain, having to go upstairs to make the coffee every time.
4. take/go to (great) pains to do something (also take pains with/over something) to make a special effort to do something:
He’s taken great pains to improve his image.
5. be at pains to do something to be especially careful to make sure people understand what you are saying or what you plan to do:
Roy was at pains to point out that English was the only exam he’d ever failed.
6. for your pains as a reward for something you worked to achieve – used especially when this is disappointing:
I fetched the file, and all I got for my pains was a dirty look from Simon.
7. no pain, no gain used to say that you can only achieve something, for example become fitter, by suffering or working hard
8. on/under pain of death at the risk of being killed as punishment, if you do not obey:
Communist activity was prohibited on pain of death.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ bad Later that evening, the pain was really bad.
▪ terrible/awful I woke up with a terrible pain in my side.
▪ severe/intense Ever since the accident, Mike’s suffered from severe back pain.
▪ excruciating (=very severe) The pain in my eye was excruciating.
▪ a sharp pain (=short but severe) She felt a sharp pain in the back of her throat.
▪ a slight pain (=not severe) I’ve got a slight pain in my side.
▪ a dull pain (=a slight but continuous pain) There was a dull pain in his lower jaw.
▪ a nagging pain (=felt all the time) Rob felt fine, apart from a nagging pain in his left wrist.
▪ chronic pain (=pain that you suffer from for long periods of time) Many of the elderly patients suffer chronic pain.
▪ a shooting pain (=a severe pain that goes from one part of your body to another) The shooting pains in her arms and legs slowly began to die away.
▪ a searing pain (=very severe, as if you have been burnt) His elbow struck the side of the table, sending a searing pain through his arm.
▪ a stabbing pain (=sharp and sudden) Marcus heard a shot and felt a stabbing pain at the back of his ankle.
▪ a throbbing pain (=a pain that gets stronger and then weaker, in a steady continuous beat) I’ve still got this throbbing pain in my leg.
▪ back/chest/stomach etc pain Many people suffer from back pain.
▪ abdominal pain Several of the hotel’s guests had persistent abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
▪ physical pain He couldn’t stand physical pain.
▪ labour pains British English, labor pains American English (=felt by a woman at the time she is having a baby) Becky was at work when labour pains began.
■ verbs
▪ have a pain I’ve got a terrible pain in my stomach.
▪ feel pain The dentist told me that I wouldn’t feel any pain.
▪ be in pain Despite being in great pain, he managed to call for help.
▪ suffer (from) pain She suffers from chronic pain in her legs.
▪ inflict pain The guards enjoyed inflicting pain on them.
▪ relieve/ease pain (also alleviate pain formal) (=make it less severe) Exercise can help to relieve lower back pain.
▪ experience pain formal Animals caught in the trap experience great pain before they die.
▪ complain of pain (=say that you have a pain in a part of your body) After we finished our run, Tom complained of pains in his chest.
▪ the pain gets worse If the pain gets any worse, see your doctor.
▪ the pain goes away (also the pain subsides formal) (=becomes less severe) He lay still until the pain had subsided to a dull ache.
▪ the pain comes and goes (=keeps starting and stopping) The pain comes and goes but it’s never too severe.
■ pain + NOUN
▪ pain relief (=a drug or treatment that makes pain less severe) These drugs offer effective pain relief for the very sick.
▪ sb’s pain threshold (=their ability to bear pain) Everyone has a different pain threshold.
■ phrases
▪ aches and pains Everyone has a few aches and pains when they get older.
■ COMMON ERRORS
► Do not say 'big pain'. Say terrible pain or severe pain.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ pain noun [uncountable and countable] the feeling when part of your body hurts: A broken leg can cause a lot of pain. | He felt a sharp pain in his chest.
▪ ache noun [uncountable and countable] a continuous pain, especially one that is not very bad. Most commonly used in compounds such as headache, toothache, and backache: I felt an ache in my back after decorating all day. | Driving gives me a headache. | I’ve got stomach ache. | Do you have earache?
▪ twinge noun [countable] a sudden slight pain that comes and then disappears quickly: When I bent down I felt a twinge in my back.
▪ discomfort noun [uncountable] formal an uncomfortable feeling in your body, or a slight pain: The procedure takes five minutes and only causes slight discomfort.
▪ agony noun [uncountable] a feeling of great pain, or a situation in which you feel a lot of pain: the agony of childbirth | I was in agony by the time I got to the hospital. | It was agony (=very painful)getting up out of bed.
▪ suffering noun [uncountable] continuous physical or mental pain, which makes someone very unhappy: I just wanted someone to put an end to my suffering. | the suffering of the earthquake victims
II. pain² BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[Word Family: adjective: ↑pained, ↑painful ≠ ↑painless; verb: ↑pain; noun: ↑pain; adverb: ↑painfully ≠ ↑painlessly]
it pains somebody to do something formal used to say that it is very difficult and upsetting for someone to have to do something

a‧quar‧i‧um /əˈkweəriəm $ əˈkwer-/ BrE AmE noun (plural aquariums or aquaria /-riə/) [countable]
[Date: 1800-1900; Language: Latin; Origin: aquarius 'of water', from aqua; ⇨ ↑aquatic]
1. a clear glass or plastic container for fish and other water animals
2. a building where people go to look at fish and other water animals

ap‧ple S2 W3 /ˈæpəl/ BrE AmE noun
[Language: Old English; Origin: æppel]

1. [uncountable and countable] a hard round fruit that has red, light green, or yellow skin and is white inside:
apple pie
an apple tree
roast pork and apple sauce (=a thick sauce made from cooked apples) ⇨ ↑cooking apple, ↑eating apple
2. be the apple of sb’s eye to be loved very much by someone:
Ben was always the apple of his father’s eye.
3. bob/dunk/dip for apples to play a game in which you must use your teeth to pick up apples floating in water
4. be as American as apple pie used to describe something that is typically American
5. the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree American English used to say that children are usually similar to their parents, especially in a bad way
⇨ upset the apple cart at ↑upset¹(4), ⇨ a rotten apple at ↑rotten¹(7), ⇨ ADAM’S APPLE, ↑Big Apple
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ juicy a juicy green apple
▪ sweet This apple’s really sweet and delicious.
▪ sour/tart (=not at all sweet) Some people prefer a slightly sour apple.
▪ rotten (=bad, so that the skin goes brown) There were a few rotten apples lying on the ground.
▪ an eating/dessert apple (=one which is sweet enough to eat) Use dessert apples for this recipe.
▪ a cooking apple
▪ a baked apple (=one that has been cooked in the oven)
■ verbs
▪ eat an apple Some people say that you should eat an apple every day.
▪ bite into an apple Sue bit into her apple with a loud crunch.
▪ munch on an apple (=eat it) He was munching on an apple.
▪ peel an apple (=remove the skin) Peel the apples and slice them finely.
▪ core an apple (=remove the middle part containing the seeds) Core the apples and cut into quarters.

frog

frog /frɒɡ $ frɑːɡ, frɒːɡ/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Language: Old English; Origin: frogga]

amusement park

aˈmusement ˌpark BrE AmE noun [countable]
a large park with many special machines that you can ride on, such as roller coasters and merry-go-rounds
 

accountant

ac‧coun‧tant /əˈkaʊntənt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
someone whose job is to keep and check financial accounts, calculate taxes etc

doorway

door‧way /ˈdɔːweɪ $ ˈdɔːr-/ noun [countable]
the space where a door opens into a room or building
in the doorway
There was Paolo, standing in the doorway.

shore

I. shore¹ /ʃɔː $ ʃɔːr/ BrE AmE noun
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Middle Dutch; Origin: Middle Low German schore]
1. [uncountable and countable] the land along the edge of a large area of water such as an ocean or lake:
We could see a boat about a mile from shore.
Only a few survivors reached the shore.
She began to swim to shore.
on the shores of something
a holiday resort on the shores of the Adriatic
on shore
We had a couple of hours on shore (=not on a ship).
off shore
The island is about three miles off shore (=away from the coast).
rocky/sandy shore
2. these/British/our etc shores written a country that has a border on the sea:
Millions of immigrants flocked to these shores in the 19th century.
growing fears that English football players will be lured away to foreign shores
⇨ ↑ashore, ↑offshore, ↑onshore
• • •

THESAURUS
▪ shore the area of sand, mud, or low land along the edge of the sea, a lake etc: I went down to the shore to meet him. | The fish is commonly found off the shores of Australia. | They had planned to take a picnic on the shores of Lake Havel.
▪ coast the land next to the sea: He lives on the Sussex coast. | one of the most luxurious hotels on the south coast | the Draugen oil field, off the West coast of Norway | the East Coast of the United States
▪ beach an area of sand or small stones at the edge of the sea: Let's go to the beach. | Brighton beach
▪ the seashore the land at the edge of the sea, consisting of sand or rocks: He walked with her along the seashore. | You can hear the waves breaking on the seashore.
▪ the seaside British English the areas or towns next to the sea where people go to enjoy themselves: We went on day trips to the seaside. | Oh I do love to be beside the seaside (=a line from a well-known song). | a seaside town | a seaside resort
▪ bank the land along the side of a river: a journey along the banks of the River Ganges | He swam over to the other bank. | The river burst its banks.
▪ the waterfront the part of a town or an area of land next to the sea, a river etc – used especially when talking about buildings near the water: The restaurant is down on the waterfront. | a waterfront bar in Montreal called The Neptune
▪ the waterside (also the lakeside, the riverside) the area at the edge of a lake, river etc: The mountains almost come down to the waterside. | a rented villa on the lakeside | A number of barges were hidden in the trees along the riverside. | beautiful riverside views
II. shore² BrE AmE verb
[Date: 1300-1400; Origin: shore 'piece of wood used as a support' (15-20 centuries), from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German schore 'prop']
shore something ↔ up phrasal verb
1. to support a wall or roof with large pieces of wood, metal etc to stop it from falling down:
The roof had been shored up with old timbers.
2. to help or support something that is likely to fail or is not working well SYN bolster:
attempts to shore up the struggling economy

I. coast¹ S3 W2 /kəʊst $ koʊst/ BrE AmE noun
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: coste, from Latin costa 'rib, side']
1. [countable] the area where the land meets the sea ⇨ coastal
coast of
the west coast of Africa
We drove along the Pacific coast to Seattle.
on the coast
I used to live in a small village on the coast (=on the land near the sea).
off the coast
a small island off the coast (=in the sea near the land) of Scotland
the first European to cross Africa coast to coast
a deserted stretch of coast
2. the coast is clear informal if the coast is clear, it is safe for you to do something without being seen or caught
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + coast
▪ rocky the rocky coast of Maine
▪ rugged (=rough and uneven) There are sandy beaches in the west and a rugged coast in the east.
▪ the east/west/north/south coast We stayed on the south coast of the island.
▪ the Atlantic/Pacific/Mediterranean etc coast the Mediterranean coast of Spain
■ coast + NOUN
▪ a coast road In summer the coast road is very crowded.
▪ a coast path There were wonderful sea views from the coast path.
▪ the coast route (=the way that follows the coast) I’d prefer to take the coast route.
■ verbs
▪ follow the coast (=stay close to the coast) The path follows the coast.
▪ hug the coast (=follow it very closely) A small railway hugs the coast.
■ phrases
▪ a stretch of coast (=a long area of coast) The 13th century chapel lies on a spectacular stretch of coast.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ coast noun [countable] the part of a country that is close to the sea: The hurricane struck Florida’s coast. | St Andrew’s is on the east coast of Scotland.
▪ shore noun [uncountable and countable] the land along the edge of the sea or along the edge of a lake: The children managed to swim to shore but their father was swept out to sea. | Vevey is a pretty town on the shores of Lake Geneva.
▪ the seashore the land along the edge of the sea, especially where there is sand and rocks: Waves were crashing onto the seashore.
▪ coastline noun [countable] the edge of the land next to the sea. Used especially about a long length of land or the shape it makes, for example as seen from the air: The road follows the rugged coastline of northern France for nearly 100 miles. | Environmentalists are concerned about possible damage to some of the most beautiful stretches of Welsh coastline.
▪ seaboard noun [countable] the part of a country that is close to the sea. Used mainly about very large countries such as the US or Australia: western/eastern etc seaboard: Australia’s eastern seaboard | Atlantic/Pacific etc seaboard: the Atlantic seaboard of the US
▪ the seaside British English a place at the edge of the sea where people go for a holiday: The children love going to the seaside.
▪ by the sea British English, by the ocean American English on land next to the sea: We bought a small cottage by the sea. | He always walks by the ocean in the early morning.
II. coast² BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
1. [usually + adverb/preposition] if a car or bicycle coasts, it moves without any effort from you or any power from the engine
coast down/around/along etc
Bev coasted downhill on her bicycle.
2. to not try very hard to do something well – used to show disapproval:
Janey’s teacher says she’s just coasting at school.
3. to be successful at something without much effort:
They scored three goals in the first half and from then on United were coasting.
coast to/through
The Ugandan relay team are coasting to victory.
4. to sail along the coast while staying close to land

courage

cour‧age S3 /ˈkʌrɪdʒ $ ˈkɜːr-/ noun [uncountable]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: corage, from cuer 'heart', from Latin cor]
1. the quality of being brave when you are facing a difficult or dangerous situation, or when you are very ill ⇒ bravery OPP cowardice:
Sue showed great courage throughout her illness.
courage to do something
Gradually I lost the courage to speak out about anything.
He did not have the courage to tell Nicola that he was ending their affair.
summon/pluck up the courage (to do something) (=find the courage to do something)
I plucked up the courage to go out by myself.
Driving again after his accident must have taken a lot of courage (=needed courage).
2. have the courage of your (own) convictions to continue to say or do what you think is right even when other people may not agree or approve
⇒ Dutch courage
 

▪ have courage She certainly has a lot of courage.
▪ show courage The pilot showed great skill and courage.
▪ summon (up)/muster your courage (=make yourself feel brave) Summoning all her courage, she got up to see what the noise was.
▪ bolster your courage (=make it stronger) They sang and whistled as they marched, to bolster their courage.
▪ sb’s courage fails (=is not great enough to do something) I was going to jump but my courage failed at the last moment.
▪ something gives you courage (=makes you feel that you have courage) My mother nodded, which gave me the courage to speak up.

▪ have the courage to do something I didn’t have the courage to say what I really thought.
▪ find the courage to do something You must find the courage to deal with the problem.
▪ pluck up/screw up the courage to do something (=try to find it) He was trying to pluck up the courage to end their relationship.
▪ lack the courage to do something He lacked the courage to look her full in the face.
▪ It takes courage to do something/sth takes courage (=needs courage) It takes courage to make a big change in your life like that.

▪ great courage The men had fought with great courage.
▪ enough/sufficient courage Harry plucked up enough courage to ask her out.
▪ personal courage (=the courage of one particular person) Her recovery owed a great deal to her personal courage.
▪ moral courage (=the courage to do the right thing) He said his faith gave him the moral courage to survive his ordeal.
▪ physical courage (=the courage to do something physically dangerous or difficult) It seemed strange that someone of great physical courage could be so unsure of himself in other ways.
▪ political courage (=the courage to take risks in politics) Do our politicians have the political courage to make unpopular decisions?
• • •

▪ courage the quality of being brave when you are facing a difficult or dangerous situation, or when you are very ill: the courage of the soldiers | She showed great courage throughout her illness. | He finally plucked up the courage (=found the courage) to ask her for a date.
▪ bravery courage in a dangerous or frightening situation, especially when you are fighting in a war: He won a medal for bravery during the Iraq war.
▪ guts informal the courage and determination to do something difficult or unpleasant: It must have taken a lot of guts for him to say that.
▪ heroism very great courage in a dangerous situation: The President praised the heroism of the firefighters.

Crow

I. Crow BrE AmE noun
1. the Crow [P] a Native American tribe that now lives in southern Montana
2. [countable] a member of this tribe ⇨ ↑Native American
—Crow adjective:
a Crow chief
II. Crow, Jim BrE AmE
⇨ ↑Jim Crow

crow

I. crow¹ /krəʊ $ kroʊ/ BrE AmE noun
[Sense 1,3: Language: Old English; Origin: crawe]
[Sense 2: Date: 1200-1300; Origin: ⇨ ↑crow²]
1. [countable] a large shiny black bird with a loud cry
2. [singular] the loud sound a ↑cock makes
3. as the crow flies in a straight line:
ten miles from here as the crow flies
⇨ eat crow at ↑eat(7)
II. crow² BrE AmE verb [intransitive]
[Language: Old English; Origin: crawan]
1. if a ↑cock crows, it makes a loud high sound
2. to talk about what you have done in a very proud way – used to show disapproval
crow over/about
He was crowing over winning the bet.
3. written if someone, especially a baby, crows, they make a noise that shows they are happy:
Ben rushed to his father, crowing with pleasure.
• • •
THESAURU
▪ boast to talk too proudly about your abilities, achievements, or possessions because you want other people to admire you: She’s always boasting about how good she is at languages.
▪ brag to boast in a way that annoys other people. Brag is more informal than boast: He was bragging about how many girlfriends he had had. | I don’t think they have anything to brag about. | The rebels have repeatedly bragged that their fighters have been responsible for the mounting attacks on policemen, 226 of whom were killed last year.
▪ blow your own trumpet British English, blow your own horn American English spoken to talk a lot about your achievements – used especially when you want to mention your achievements but do not want to sound as if you are boasting: I don’t want to blow my own trumpet, but it was me who came up with the idea for the project in the first place.
▪ crow to boast about something you have achieved, when other people have been less lucky or successful: Nordstrom and his supporters are still crowing about winning the lawsuit.
▪ gloat to behave in a way that shows that you are proud of your own success and happy about someone else’s failure: The Australians are still gloating over their victory over England. | The liberals are gloating and celebrating all over town. | I haven’t come to gloat! We all have to lose sometimes.
▪ be full of yourself informal to show by your words and behaviour that you are very proud of your abilities and achievements - used when you dislike someone because of this: ‘He’s so full of himself,’ Constance complained. ‘He thinks he can get away with anything.’ | After the game she was really full of herself.