American English

treat

I. treat¹ S2 W1 /triːt/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[Word Family: noun: ↑treat, ↑treatment, ↑mistreatment; verb: ↑treat, ↑mistreat; adjective: ↑untreated, ↑treatable]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Old French; Origin: traitier, from Latin tractare; ⇨ ↑tractable]
1. BEHAVE TOWARDS SOMEBODY/SOMETHING [always + adverb/preposition] to behave towards someone or something in a particular way ⇨ treatment
treat somebody like/as something
She treats me like one of the family.
Penny doesn’t think her co-workers treat her as an equal.
He treated his automobiles almost as tenderly as he did his wife.
badly treated/well treated
The prisoners were well treated by their guards.
treat somebody with respect/contempt/courtesy etc
Despite her seniority, Margot was never treated with much respect.
treat somebody like dirt/a dog (=treat someone unkindly and without respect)
I don’t know why he stays with her – she treats him like dirt.
2. DEAL WITH SOMETHING [always + adverb/preposition] to deal with, regard, or consider something in a particular way ⇨ treatment
treat something as something
Please treat this information as completely confidential.
She treats everything I say as a joke.
treat something favourably/seriously/carefully etc
Any complaint about safety standards must be treated very seriously.
3. ILLNESS/INJURY to try to cure an illness or injury by using drugs, hospital care, operations etc ⇨ treatment:
It was difficult to treat patients because of a shortage of medicine.
treat somebody/something with something
Nowadays, malaria can be treated with drugs.
4. BUY SOMETHING FOR SOMEBODY to buy or do something special for someone that you know they will enjoy
treat somebody to something
We treated Mom to lunch at the Savoy.
I treated myself to a new dress.
5. PROTECT/CLEAN to put a special substance on something or use a chemical process in order to protect, clean, or preserve it ⇨ treatment:
sewage treated so that it can be used as fertilizer
⇨ ↑trick or treat
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adverbs
▪ well The majority of workers are well treated.
▪ badly Why did he treat me so badly?
▪ fairly/unfairly I just want to be treated fairly.
▪ equally All people should be treated equally, whatever their age.
▪ differently Should girls be treated differently from boys in school?
▪ harshly The guards treated the prisoners harshly.
▪ kindly The world had not treated him kindly.
■ phrases
▪ treat somebody with respect/contempt/suspicion etc When you treat the kids with respect, they act responsibly.
▪ treat somebody like dirt informal (=very badly and with no respect) He treated this wife like dirt.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ behave to do and say things that are good, bad, normal, strange etc: His teacher said he’d been behaving badly at school. | I’m not going to talk to her until she starts behaving reasonably. | Oh, be quiet! You’re behaving like a two-year-old.
▪ act to behave in a particular way, especially in a way that seems unusual, surprising, or annoying to other people: Tina’s been acting very strangely lately. | What makes grown people act like that?
▪ treat to behave towards someone or deal with someone in a particular way: She said that he’d treated her really badly throughout their two-year marriage. | I’m sick of my parents treating me like a child.
▪ conform to behave in the way that most other people in your group or society behave: Young people sometimes want to rebel and therefore they refuse to conform. | Society typically brings pressure on individuals and groups to conform to civilised norms.
▪ conduct yourself formal to behave in a particular way, especially in a situation where people will notice and judge the way you behave: Public figures have a duty to conduct themselves responsibly, even in their private lives. | By the end of the course, you should be able to conduct yourself with confidence in any meeting.

rhythm and blues

ˌrhythm and ˈblues BrE AmE noun [uncountable]
↑R & B (=a type of popular music)

appearance

ap‧pear‧ance W2 /əˈpɪərəns $ əˈpɪr-/ BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: verb: ↑appear ≠ ↑disappear, ↑reappear; noun: ↑appearance ≠ ↑disappearance, ↑reappearance]
1. WAY SOMEBODY/SOMETHING LOOKS [uncountable and countable] the way someone or something looks to other people:
He was always criticising his wife’s appearance.
appearance of
They’ve changed the appearance of the whole building.
We are often attracted to somebody first by their physical appearance.
Women, in general, tend to be more concerned than men about their personal appearance.
She had an outward appearance of calm, but deep down she was really worried.
The metal posts spoiled the appearance of the garden.
A garnish helps to enhance the appearance of any dish.
She’s the kind of woman who takes pride in her appearance.
You shouldn’t judge by appearances.
They work hard at school without giving the appearance of being particularly hard-working.
The case had all the appearances of a straightforward murder.
The pupils looked angelic – but appearances can be deceptive.
He was, to all appearances, a respectable, successful businessman.
2. SOMEBODY TAKES PART IN A PUBLIC EVENT [countable] when a famous person takes part in a film, concert, or other public event:
It was his first public appearance since the election.
He made his last appearance for the club in the Cup Final.
appearance money/fee (=money paid to a famous person to attend an event)
3. SOMETHING NEW STARTS TO EXIST [singular] when something new begins to exist or starts being used
appearance of
The industry has changed greatly with the appearance of new technologies.
the appearance of buds on the trees
4. ARRIVAL [countable usually singular] the unexpected or sudden arrival of someone or something
appearance of
Eileen was deep in concentration, and the sudden appearance of her daughter startled her.
5. keep up appearances to dress and behave in the way in which people expect you to, especially to hide your true situation:
She just wanted to keep up appearances for the kids.
6. for appearances’ sake/for the sake of appearances if you do something for appearances’ sake, you are trying to behave how people expect you to, especially to hide your true situation or feelings
7. put in an appearance/make an appearance to go to an event for a short time, because you think you should rather than because you want to:
At least Marc managed to put in an appearance at the party.
8. AT A LAW COURT/MEETING [countable] an occasion when someone goes to a court of law or official meeting to give information, answer questions etc:
He is due to make another court appearance on Monday.

reveal

re‧veal W1 AC /rɪˈviːl/ BrE AmE verb [transitive]
[Word Family: adjective: ↑revealing, ↑revelatory; verb: ↑reveal; noun: ↑revelation; adverb: ↑revealingly]
[Date: 1300-1400; Language: Old French; Origin: reveler, from Latin revelare 'to uncover', from velum; ⇨ ↑veil¹]
1. to make known something that was previously secret or unknown OPP conceal:
He may be prosecuted for revealing secrets about the security agency.
a test that can reveal a teacher’s hidden skills
reveal (that)
He revealed that he had been in prison twice before.
reveal yourself (as/to be something)
The violinist revealed himself as a talented interpreter of classical music.
2. to show something that was previously hidden OPP conceal:
The curtain opened to reveal the grand prize.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ reveal to let someone know about something that is secret or has not been known until now: Doctors are not allowed to reveal confidential information. | It was revealed that he had smoked marijuana at college.
▪ tell to talk about something to someone, so that they know about it: Don’t tell anyone about this just yet. | Shall I tell you a secret?
▪ disclose formal to publicly reveal something such as a fact or a name that has been kept secret: The terms of the agreement have not yet been disclosed. | The agent did not disclose that there had been a violent crime in the house.
▪ divulge \daɪˈvʌldʒ, də-\ formal to reveal important or personal information which was previously secret or unknown: The bank has refused to divulge its plans. | I’m afraid I cannot divulge what was said to me.
▪ make something public to tell people about important information, especially after it has been kept secret: Apparently they were engaged for some time before making it public. | The government has agreed that sources of financing should in future be made public.
▪ leak to deliberately give secret information to a newspaper, television company etc, when a government or other organization wants to keep it secret: The contents of the email were leaked to the press. | A man was charged today with leaking official secrets.
▪ give something away (also spill the beans informal) to tell someone something that you want to keep secret: He was careful not to give away any trade secrets. | I’m not going to give away how much I paid for it!
▪ let slip informal to accidentally tell someone about something: He let slip that he was envious of his older brother.

grateful

grate‧ful S3 W3 /ˈɡreɪtfəl/ BrE AmE adjective
[Word Family: noun: ↑gratitude ≠ ↑ingratitude, ↑ingrate; adverb: ↑gratefully; adjective: ↑grateful ≠ ↑ungrateful]
[Date: 1500-1600; Origin: grate 'pleasing, thankful' (16-17 centuries), from Latin gratus]
1. feeling that you want to thank someone because of something kind that they have done, or showing this feeling OPP ungrateful
grateful for
I’m so grateful for all your help.
grateful to
I am very grateful to all those who took the trouble to write to me.
grateful (that)
She should be grateful that he was making things easier for her.
extremely/deeply/eternally etc grateful
I am extremely grateful for the assistance your staff have provided.
Our grateful thanks go to all who participated.
She gave me a grateful look.
REGISTER
In everyday English, people usually say I appreciate it rather than I’m grateful:
▪ Thanks, I’m really grateful. ➔ Thanks, I really appreciate it.
▪ | I’m grateful for everything you've done. ➔ I appreciate everything you've done.
2. I would be grateful if you could/would ... formal used to make a request:
I would be most grateful if you could send me an invoice in due course.

II. play² S1 W2 BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: noun: ↑play, ↑interplay, ↑replay, ↑player, ↑playfulness; verb: ↑play, ↑outplay, ↑replay; adjective: ↑playful, ↑playable; adverb: ↑playfully]
[Language: Old English; Origin: plega]
1. THEATRE [countable] a story that is written to be performed by actors, especially in a theatre:
a play by Chekhov
This is a major theme of Miller’s plays.
play about
Edward Bond’s play about class war
2. AMUSEMENT [uncountable] things that people, especially children, do for amusement rather than as work:
Play is very important to a child’s development.
a play area
through play
The program aims to teach road safety through play.
at play
the happy shouts of children at play
3. EFFECT [uncountable] the effect or influence of something:
the free play of competition in the building industry
at play
There are a number of factors at play (=having an effect) in the current recession.
bring/put something into play (=use something or make it have an effect)
A complex system of muscles is brought into play for each body movement.
Political considerations do come into play (=have an effect) when making policy.
4. ACTION IN A GAME OR SPORT
a) [uncountable] the actions of the people who are playing a game or sport:
Rain stopped play after only an hour.
b) [countable] one particular action or set of actions during a game:
On the next play, Johnson ran 15 yards for a touchdown.
5. in play/out of play if a ball is in play or out of play, it is inside or outside the area in which the rules of the game allow you to hit, kick, catch etc the ball:
He kicked the ball out of play.
6. play on words a use of a word that is interesting or amusing because it can be understood as having two very different meanings SYN pun
7. play of light patterns made by light as it moves over a surface:
the play of light on the water
8. make a play for something to make an attempt to gain something:
He made a play for the leadership last year.
9. make a play for somebody to try to begin a romantic or sexual relationship with someone:
It’s obvious he was making a play for her.
10. LOOSENESS [uncountable] if there is some play in something, it is loose and can be moved:
There’s too much play in the rope.
⇨ ↑fair play, ↑foul play

II. exhibit² AC BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑exhibition, ↑exhibitor, ↑exhibit; verb: ↑exhibit]
1. something, for example a painting, that is put in a public place so that people can go to see it:
The exhibits date from the 17th century.
2. an object that is shown in court to prove whether someone is guilty or not:
Exhibit A is the hammer found next to the victim.
3. American English an exhibition:
a big exhibit in Milan

lecture

I. lec‧ture¹ S2 W3 /ˈlektʃə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[Word Family: noun: ↑lecture, ↑lecturer, ↑lectureship; verb: ↑lecture]
[Date: 1200-1300; Language: Late Latin; Origin: lectura 'act of reading', from Latin legere 'to read']
1. a long talk on a particular subject that someone gives to a group of people, especially to students in a university ⇨ speech
lecture on
He regularly gives lectures on modern French literature.
2. an act of criticizing someone or warning them about something in a long serious talk, in a way that they think is unfair or unnecessary
lecture on/about
My father caught me and gave me a long lecture about the dangers of drink.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ give a lecture (also deliver a lecture formal) She gave a fascinating lecture on crime in the 1800s. | He delivered the lecture at the London School of Economics.
▪ do a lecture informal: He’s doing a lecture on modern poetry.
▪ go to a lecture (also attend a lecture formal) Have you been to any of Professor MacPherson’s lectures? | I recently attended a lecture by a noted historian.
▪ listen to a lecture Most students spend about a quarter of their time listening to lectures.
■ lecture + NOUN
▪ a lecture hall/room (also a lecture theatre British English) The lecture hall was packed.
▪ lecture notes Can I borrow your lecture notes?
▪ a lecture tour (=a trip that someone takes to many different places to give a lecture) He’s on a lecture tour of the US.
■ phrases
▪ a series of lectures (also a course of lectures British English) a series of lectures on the history of art
■ adjectives
▪ a public lecture (=a lecture which the general public are allowed to go to) He’s going to deliver a public lecture on politics in the Middle East.
▪ an illustrated lecture (=a lecture with pictures such as slides) Mrs Robinson gave a fascinating illustrated lecture on Spanish history.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ speech a talk, especially a formal one about a particular subject, given to a group of people: The bridegroom usually makes a speech after the wedding. | In her speech, she proposed major changes to the welfare system. | the opening speech of the conference
▪ address formal a speech that a very important person gives to a large group of people: the President's address to the nation | He was surrounded by security officers as he made his address.
▪ talk an occasion when someone speaks to a group of people giving them information about a particular subject or about their experiences: I went to an interesting talk on the wildlife of Antarctica. | He's been asked to give a talk about his trip to India.
▪ lecture a talk, especially on an ↑academic subject and given to students in a university: a lecture on 17th century French literature | Professor Black is giving the lecture.
▪ presentation a talk in which you describe or explain a new product or idea, especially one you give for your company: I had to give a presentation to the board of directors. | He's making a presentation to the management of a well-known manufacturing company.
▪ sermon a talk given by a priest or a religious leader: The vicar preached a sermon about the need for forgiveness.
▪ statement a spoken or written announcement that someone makes in public, often to ↑journalists: The minister issued a short statement in which he said he had no plans to resign.

real

I. real¹ S1 W1 /rɪəl/ BrE AmE adjective
[Word Family: noun: ↑realism, ↑realist, ↑reality, ↑unreality, ↑realization; adverb: ↑real, ↑really, ↑realistically ≠ ↑unrealistically; adjective: ↑real, ↑unreal, ↑realistic ≠ ↑unrealistic; verb: ↑realize]
[Date: 1400-1500; Language: Old French; Origin: Medieval Latin realis 'of things (in law)', from Latin res 'thing']
1. IMPORTANT something that is real exists and is important:
There is a real danger that the disease might spread.
We need to tackle the real problems of unemployment and poverty.
There is no real reason to worry.
2. NOT ARTIFICIAL something that is real is actually what it seems to be and not false or artificial OPP fake:
a coat made of real fur
She had never seen a real live elephant before.
Artificial flowers can sometimes look better than the real thing.
3. NOT IMAGINARY something that is real actually exists and is not just imagined:
The children know that Santa Claus isn’t a real person.
Dreams can sometimes seem very real.
Things don’t happen quite that easily in real life.
4. the real world used to talk about the difficult experience of living and working with other people, rather than being protected at home, at school, or at college:
the shock of leaving university and going out into the real world
5. TRUE [only before noun] actual and true, not invented:
That’s not her real name.
What was the real reason you quit your job?
6. FEELINGS a real feeling or emotion is one that you actually experience and is strong SYN genuine:
There was a look of real hatred in her eyes.
I got a real sense of achievement when my work was first published.
7. RIGHT QUALITIES [only before noun] a real thing has all the qualities you expect something of that type to have:
I remember my first real job.
Simon was her first real boyfriend.
• • •
SPOKEN PHRASES
8. FOR EMPHASIS [only before noun] used to emphasize how stupid, beautiful, terrible etc someone or something is:
Thanks – you’ve been a real help.
The house was a real mess.
9. for real seriously, not just pretending:
After two trial runs we did it for real.
10. are you for real? American English used when you are very surprised or shocked by what someone has done or said
11. get real! used to tell someone that they are being very silly or unreasonable
12. keep it real to behave in an honest way and not pretend to be different from how you really are
13. MONEY [only before noun] a real increase or decrease in an amount of money is one you calculate by including the general decrease in the value of money over a period of time:
a real increase of 6% in average wages
The average value of salaries has fallen in real terms (=calculated in this way).
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ genuine used about a feeling, thing, or person that really is what they seem to be: genuine concern | Experts believe that the painting is genuine. | genuine refugees | a genuine reason for taking time off work | If a student has genuine religious objections to a school activity, they do not have to participate.
▪ real not false or artificial: real wood | His real name is Reginald. | It looks just like the real thing. | Are those flowers real or artificial?
▪ authentic authentic food, music, clothes etc are correct for the place or the period in history that they are supposed to be from: It’s a friendly restaurant offering authentic Greek food. | authentic medieval instruments | The dancers wore authentic Native American designs.
▪ true [only before noun] having all the qualities you would expect a particular type of person or thing to have: a true friend | She is a true professional. | Being a true Red Sox fan, he never missed a game. | True Christians believe that Jesus is the Son of God.
▪ bona fide /ˌbəʊnə ˈfaɪdi $ ˈbəʊnə faɪd/ [usually before noun] bona fide people or things are really what they say they are, especially when this can be checked by looking at official documents: a bona fide medical qualification | a bona fide company | This club is only open to bona fide members.
▪ hard evidence/facts evidence or facts that are genuine and can be proved: There was no hard evidence to support the theory.

tune

I. tune¹ S3 /tjuːn $ tuːn/ BrE AmE noun
[Date: 1300-1400; Origin: tone]
1. [countable] a series of musical notes that are played or sung and are nice to listen to SYN melody:
That’s a nice tune.
She sang some old classics and a few new tunes.
to the tune of something (=using the same tune as another song)
The song was sung to the tune of "Amazing Grace".
2. in tune playing or singing the correct musical note:
They sang perfectly in tune.
3. out of tune playing or singing higher or lower than the correct musical note:
Greg’s bass guitar was out of tune.
4. in tune with somebody/something, out of tune with somebody/something able or unable to realize, understand, or agree with what someone else thinks or wants:
The industry is changing in tune with changing demand.
5. to the tune of $1,000/£2 million etc informal used to emphasize how large an amount or number is:
Canada is funding the programme to the tune of $30 million.
⇨ call the tune at ↑call¹(9), ⇨ change your tune at ↑change¹(14), ⇨ dance to sb’s tune at ↑dance²(4), ⇨ ↑fine-tune, ↑signature tune
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ play a tune He played a tune on the piano.
▪ hum/whistle a tune She was humming a little tune to herself.
▪ write/compose a tune They wrote many great tunes together in the 80s.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + tune
▪ catchy/memorable (=one that is easy to remember) His songs have simple words and catchy tunes.
▪ the theme tune/signature tune (=the tune at the beginning or end of a television programme etc) the theme tune from the movie 'Titanic'
▪ a show tune (=a tune from a musical) Broadway show tunes
▪ a dance tune The DJ played some bouncy dance tunes.
▪ a hymn tune a rousing hymn tune