American English

amendment

amend·ment AW [amendment amendments]   [əˈmendmənt]    [əˈmendmənt]  noun
1. countable, uncountable a small change or improvement that is made to a law or a document; the process of changing a law or a document
• to introduce/propose/table an amendment (= to suggest it)
• Parliament passed the bill without further amendment.

• ~ to sth She made several minor amendments to her essay.

2. Amendment countable a statement of a change to the Constitution of the US
• The 19th Amendment gave women the right to vote.  
Word Origin:
Middle English (in the sense ‘improvement, correction’): from Old French amendement, from amender, based on Latin emendare, from e- (variant of ex-) ‘out of’ + menda ‘a fault’.  
Culture:
In the US the first ten amendments to the Constitution are called the Bill of Rights. Each amendment to the US Constitution needs a two-thirds majority in each House and must be approved by 75% of the states. 
Example Bank:
• He is simply exercising his First-Amendment rights.
• He moved an amendment limiting capital punishment to certain very serious crimes.
• In total 217 MPs backed the rebel amendment opposing the government.
• On a free vote, the amendment was carried by 292 votes to 246.
• Parliament accepted the amendment and the bill was passed.
• She withdrew her amendment and left the meeting.
• The Senate added numerous amendments to the bill.
• The amendment passed in 2001.
• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments.
• The new clause was accepted without amendment.
• The programme is subject to amendment.
• They have proposed an amendment to the federal constitution.
• a call to repeal the 22nd amendment to the Constitution
• a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage

• an amendment to the Clean Water Act

revolution

revo·lu·tion AW [revolution revolutions]   [ˌrevəˈluːʃn]    [ˌrevəˈluːʃn]  noun
1. countable, uncountable an attempt, by a large number of people, to change the government of a country, especially by violent action
• a socialist revolution
• the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1789
• to start a revolution
• a country on the brink of revolution

see also  counter-revolution, revolt

2. countable a great change in conditions, ways of working, beliefs, etc. that affects large numbers of people
• a cultural/social/scientific, etc. revolution
• ~ in sth A revolution in information technology is taking place.

see also  Industrial Revolution

3. countable, uncountable ~ (around/on sth) a complete circular movement around a point, especially of one planet around another
• the revolution of the earth around the sun

see also  revolve

4. (also informal rev) countable a circular movement made by sth fixed to a central point, for example in a car engine
• rotating at 300 revolutions per minute
See also: rev  
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French, or from late Latin revolutio(n-), from revolvere ‘roll back’, from re- ‘back’ (also expressing intensive force) + volvere ‘roll’.  
Thesaurus:
revolution noun
1. C, U
• The shooting of 30 people started a revolution.
coup • • uprising • • revolt • • rebellion • • mutiny • |formal insurgency •
a/an revolution/coup/uprising/revolt/rebellion against sb/sth
(a) violent revolution/uprising/rebellion
stage/lead a/an revolution/coup/revolt/rebellion/mutiny
2. C
• A technological revolution is taking place.
reversal • • turnaround • • a change of heart • |written sea change • |informal, especially journalism U-turn •
a revolution/reversal/turnaround/sea change /U-turn in sth
undergo a revolution/change of heart/sea change
represent a revolution/reversal/turnaround/change of heart
bring about a revolution/reversal/change of heart 
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:
• As the 18th century wore on, an agricultural revolution took place.
• Doctors have welcomed the fitness revolution.
• He achieved a virtual revolution in the way music is recorded.
• How long does it take for the planet Jupiter to make a complete revolution around the sun?
• Jupiter makes a complete revolution around the sun every 12 years.
• Marketing has undergone a revolution in recent years.
• One full revolution of the knob will open the hatch.
• Some Marxists still believe that socialism will one day triumph through world revolution.
• The activists were charged with fomenting revolution.
• The coming of television brought about a revolution in people's leisure activities.
• The computer revolution has transformed the workplace.
• The earth turns through one complete revolution approximately every twenty-four hours.
• The last decade has seen a revolution in telecommunications.
• There has been a quiet revolution in the way writing is taught.
• There has been a revolution going on in farming during the last five years.
• Thousands of people were killed in the bloody revolution that toppled the government.
• a revolution against communist rule
• the failed 1911 revolution
• the revolution which overthrew the old regime
• The French Revolution brought about great changes in the society and government of France.
• The country appears to be on the brink of revolution.
• The disk rotates at up to 500 revolutions per minute.
• The revolution of the earth around the sun takes one year.
• The shooting and killing of thirty people started a revolution.

• a cultural/social/scientific revolution

metamorphosis

meta·mor·phosis [metamorphosis metamorphoses]   [ˌmetəˈmɔːfəsɪs]    [ˌmetəˈmɔːrfəsɪs]  noun (pl. meta·mor·phoses   [ˌmetəˈmɔːfəsiːz]  ;   [metəˈmɔːrfəsiːz]  ) countable, uncountable (formal)
a process in which sb/sth changes completely into sth different
Syn:  transformation
• the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly
• She had undergone an amazing metamorphosis from awkward schoolgirl to beautiful woman.  
Word Origin:
late Middle English: via Latin from Greek metamorphōsis, from metamorphoun ‘transform, change shape’.  
Example Bank:

• We studied the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly.

transformation

trans·form·ation AW [transformation transformations]   [ˌtrænsfəˈmeɪʃn]    [ˌtrænsfərˈmeɪʃn]  noun
1. countable, uncountable a complete change in sb/sth
• The way in which we work has undergone a complete transformation in the past decade.
• What a transformation! You look great.

• ~ (from sth) (to/into sth) the country's transformation from dictatorship to democracy

2. uncountable used in South Africa to describe the process of making institutions and organizations more democratic
• a lack of transformation in the private sector
Derived Word: transformational  
Word Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French, or from late Latin transformatio(n-), from the verb transformare (see trans-, form).  
Example Bank:
• Going to college brought about a dramatic transformation in her outlook.
• He was struggling to make the transformation from single man to responsible husband.
• Japan's transformation into an economic superpower
• Russia's transformation to a market economy
• The transformation from disused docks into city-centre cultural venue took three years.
• The way we work has undergone a radical transformation in the past decade.
• This decision marked a fundamental transformation in policy.

• The country's transformation from dictatorship to democracy has been peaceful.

modification

modi·fi·ca·tion AW [modification modifications]   [ˌmɒdɪfɪˈkeɪʃn]    [ˌmɑːdɪfɪˈkeɪʃn]  noun uncountable, countable ~ (of/to/in sth)
the act or process of changing sth in order to improve it or make it more acceptable; a change that is made
Syn:  adaptation
• Considerable modification of the existing system is needed.
• It might be necessary to make a few slight modifications to the design.  
Word Origin:
late 15th cent. (in Scots law, denoting the assessment of a payment): from French, or from Latin modificatio(n-), from modificare, from modus ‘measure’, from an Indo-European root shared by mete.  
Example Bank:
• A modification in the law has not led to an increase in prosecutions.
• The design requires considerable modification.
• The original plan had undergone fairly extensive modifications.
• These bikes are designed for racing and cannot be used on the road without modification.
• We need to make a few modifications to the proposals.
• a modification in smoking behaviour among older men

• people opposed to the genetic modification of plants

seed

seed [seed seeds seeded seeding] noun, verb   [siːd]    [siːd]

noun

OF PLANTS/FRUIT
1. countable, uncountable the small hard part produced by a plant, from which a new plant can grow
• a packet of wild flower seeds
• sesame seeds
• Sow the seeds outdoors in spring.
• These vegetables can be grown from seed.
• seed potatoes (= used for planting)

see also  birdseed

2. countable (NAmE) =  pip  (²) 

BEGINNING
3. countable, usually plural ~ (of sth) the beginning of a feeling or a development which continues to grow
• the seeds of rebellion

• This planted the seeds of doubt in my mind.  

IN TENNIS

4. countable (especially in tennis) one of the best players in a competition. The seeds are given a position in a list to try and make sure that they do not play each other in the early parts of the competition
• The top seed won comfortably.

• the number one seed  

OF A MAN

5. uncountable (old-fashioned or humorous)  semen

6. uncountable (literary) all the people who are the children, grandchildren, etc. of one man
more at sow the seeds of sth at  sow  _v.  
Word Origin:
Old English sǣd, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zaad, German Saat, also to sow¹.  
Collocations:
The living world
Animals
animals mate/breed/reproduce/feed (on sth)
fish/amphibians swim/spawn (= lay eggs)
birds fly/migrate/nest/sing
insects crawl/fly/bite/sting
insects/bees/locusts swarm
bees collect/gather nectar/pollen
spiders spin/weave a web
snakes/lizards shed their skins
bears/hedgehogs/frogs hibernate
insect larvae grow/develop/pupate
an egg/a chick/a larva hatches
attract/find/choose a mate
produce/release eggs/sperm
lay/fertilize/incubate/hatch eggs
inhabit a forest/a reef/the coast
mark/enter/defend (a) territory
stalk/hunt/capture/catch/kill prey
Plants and fungi
trees/plants grow/bloom/blossom/flower
a seed germinates/sprouts
leaves/buds/roots/shoots appear/develop/form
flower buds swell/open
a fungus grows/spreads/colonizes sth
pollinate/fertilize a flower/plant
produce/release/spread/disperse pollen/seeds/spores
produce/bear fruit
develop/grow/form roots/shoots/leaves
provide/supply/absorb/extract/release nutrients
perform/increase/reduce photosynthesis
Bacteria and viruses
bacteria/microbes/viruses grow/spread/multiply
bacteria/microbes live/thrive in/on sth
bacteria/microbes/viruses evolve/colonize sth/cause disease
bacteria break sth down/convert sth (into sth)
a virus enters/invades sth/the body
a virus mutates/evolves/replicates (itself)
be infected with/contaminated with/exposed to a new strain of a virus/drug-resistant bacteria
contain/carry/harbour (especially US) harbor bacteria/a virus
kill/destroy/eliminate harmful/deadly bacteria 
Example Bank:
• Cutting weeds before they go to seed will greatly reduce future weed problems.
• Each fruit usually contains a single seed.
• He argued that capitalism contained the seeds of its own destruction.
• Most seeds are spread by the wind.
• Peel the peppers and remove the seeds.
• She grew all the broccoli plants from seed.
• She was the top seed at the US Open this year.
• The catalogue has hundreds of different varieties of seeds.
• The plant will set seed in June.
• This tree produces very hard seeds.
• Venus Williams was the top seed at Wimbledon this year.
• the transformation of Tracy from good girl to bad seed
• I bought some seeds to plant in the garden.
• She hesitated, not wishing to sow the seeds of rebellion.
• Sow the seeds outdoors in spring.
• Those vegetables can be grown from seed.
• You can buy seed potatoes from garden centres or by mail order.
• apple/orange seeds
• coriander/cumin/mustard/poppy/pumpkin/sesame/sunflower seeds

Idiom: go to seed 

remaining

re·main·ing 7 [remaining]   [rɪˈmeɪnɪŋ]    [rɪˈmeɪnɪŋ]  adjective only before noun
still needing to be done or dealt with
• The remaining twenty patients were transferred to another hospital.

• Any remaining tickets for the concert will be sold on the door.

bike

bike [bike bikes biked biking] noun, verb   [baɪk]    [baɪk] 

noun
(informal)
1. a bicycle
• She got on her bike and rode off.
• I usually go to work by bike.

see also  mountain bike, pushbike, quad bike

2. a motorcycle 
Word Origin:
late 19th cent.: abbreviation.  
Example Bank:
• He got on his bike and rode off.
• She came off her bike when it skidded on some wet leaves.
• She pedalled her bike up the track.
• She tried to pedal her bike up the track.
• We had to push our bikes up the hill.
• We watched the boys on their bikes.
Idiom: on your bike!

Derived Word: biking 

beach

beach [beach beaches beached beaching] noun, verb   [biːtʃ]    [biːtʃ] 

noun
an area of sand or small stones (called shingle), beside the sea or a lake
• tourists sunbathing on the beach
• a sandy/pebble/shingle beach
• a beach bar
 
Word Origin:
mid 16th cent. (denoting shingle on the seashore): perhaps related to Old English bæce, bece ‘brook’ (an element that survives in place names such as Wis bech and Sand bach), assuming an intermediate sense ‘pebbly river valley’.  
Culture:
seaside and beach
In the 18th century British people started going to the seaside for pleasure and for their health. Seaside towns such as Brighton, Lyme Regis and Scarborough became fashionable with the upper class. Bathing in the sea became popular and bathing machines were invented for people to get changed in. Later, towns like Blackpool, Clacton-on-Sea and Margate, which were close to industrial areas or to London, developed into large seaside resorts to which workers went for a day out or for their holiday. Long piers were built stretching out to sea and soon had a wide range of amusements built on them. Promenades were built along the shore for people to walk along. Rows of beach huts and chalets (= buildings where people could get changed or sit and have tea) took the place of bathing machines, and deckchairs were for hire on the beach. There were ice-cream sellers, whelk stalls, stalls selling buckets and spades for children to build sandcastles, and the occasional Punch and Judy show. In the early 1900s it became popular to send seaside postcards to friends. Children bought seaside rock, a long sugary sweet with the name of the place printed through it.
Most British people like to go to the sea for a day out or for a weekend. Resorts like Blackpool are still popular, but others are run-down and rather quiet. British people now prefer to go on holiday to beach resorts in Spain, Greece or the Caribbean because the weather is more likely to be sunny and warm.
Americans talk of going to the ocean or the beach, rather than the seaside. Some places, especially on the East coast, have very popular beaches and people travel long distances to go there. Florida is especially popular and at spring break (= a holiday in the spring for high school and college students) it is full of students.
Beach activities include swimming, surfing and windsurfing, also called sailboarding. Many people go to the beach but never go into the water. They spend their time playing games like volleyball (= hitting a large ball backwards and forwards over a net) and Frisbee (= throwing a flat plastic disc). Other people go to the beach to get a tan and spend all their time sunbathing. Many people worry about getting skin cancer if they get burnt by the sun and so put on sun cream or sun block to protect their skin. A day at the beach often also involves a picnic meal or, especially in the US, a barbecue (= meat cooked over an open fire). 
Thesaurus:
beach noun C
• They were sunbathing on the beach.
seashore • • sand • • shoreline • • lakeside • • shore • • coast • • coastline • |especially BrE seaside • • sea • |AmE ocean •
on the beach/seashore/sand/shoreline/lakeside/shore/coast/coastline
at the beach/seashore/coast/seaside
by the seashore/lakeside/shore/coast/seaside/sea/ocean
go to the beach/seashore/coast/seaside/sea/ocean
Beach or seashore? Beach is usually used about a sandy area next to the sea, where people lie in the sun or play. Seashore is used more to talk about the area by the sea where people walk for pleasure
• He liked to look for shells on the seashore.
 
Synonyms:
coast
beach • seaside • coastline • sand • seashore
These are all words for the land beside or near to the sea, a river or a lake.
coast • the land beside or near to the sea or ocean: ▪ a town on the south coast of England ◊ ▪ The coast road is closed due to bad weather.
It is nearly always the coast, except when it is uncountable: ▪ That's a pretty stretch of coast.
beach • an area of sand, or small stones, beside the sea or a lake: ▪ She took the kids to the beach for the day. ◊ ▪ sandy beaches
seaside • (especially BrE) an area that is by the sea, especially one where people go for a day or a holiday: ▪ a trip to the seaside
It is always the seaside, except when it is used before a noun: ▪ a seaside resort. The seaside is British English; in American English seaside is only used before a noun.
coastline • the land along a coast, especially when you are thinking of its shape or appearance: ▪ California's rugged coastline
sand • a large area of sand on a beach: ▪ We went for a walk along the sand. ◊ ▪ a resort with miles of golden sands
the seashore • the land along the edge of the sea or ocean, usually where there is sand and rocks: ▪ He liked to look for shells on the seashore.
beach or seashore?
Beach is usually used to talk about a sandy area next to the sea where people lie in the sun or play, for example when they are on holiday/vacation. Seashore is used more to talk about the area by the sea in terms of things such as waves, sea shells, rocks, etc, especially where people walk for pleasure.
along the coast/beach/coastline/seashore
on the coast/beach/coastline/sands/seashore
at the coast/beach/seaside/seashore
by the coast/seaside/seashore
a(n) rocky/unspoiled coast/beach/coastline
to go to the coast/beach/seaside/seashore 
Example Bank:
• He walked along the beach.
• She lay on the beach and read her book.
• The island group has over 230 miles of pristine tropical beaches.
• They met at the beach.
• They sat on a grassy hill overlooking the beach.
• a beautiful golden beach stretching for miles
• She met him in a beach bar.
• She took the kids to the beach for the day.
• There are miles of beautiful sandy beaches.
• To the south is West Bay, a small port with a shingle beach.

• We could see tourists sunbathing on the beach.