American English

laundry

laun·dry [laundry laundries]   [ˈlɔːndri]    [ˈlɔːndri]  noun (pl. laun·dries)
1. uncountable clothes, sheets, etc. that need washing, that are being washed, or that have been washed recently
Syn:  washing
• a pile of clean/dirty laundry

• a laundry basket/room

2. uncountable, singular the process or the job of washing clothes, sheets, etc
• to do the laundry

• The hotel has a laundry service.

3. countable a business or place where you send sheets, clothes, etc. to be washed
• the hospital laundry
• a laundry van  
Word Origin:
early 16th cent.: contraction of Middle English lavendry, from Old French lavanderie, from lavandier ‘person who washes linen’, based on Latin lavanda ‘things to be washed’, from lavare ‘to wash’.  
Example Bank:
• Here's a brief laundry list of what needs fixing.
• The hotel offers a free laundry service.
• The housekeeper cooks, does the laundry and cleans.
• There was a pile of clean laundry on her bed.

• Have you done the laundry yet?

leg

leg [leg legs legged legging] noun, verb   [leɡ]    [leɡ]

noun  

PART OF BODY
1. countable one of the long parts that connect the feet to the rest of the body
• Sit on the floor, stretching your legs out in front of you.
• I broke my leg playing football.
• How many legs does a centipede have?
• front/back legs
• forelegs/hind legs
• a wooden leg

see also  bow legs, daddy-long-legs, inside leg, leggy, legroom, peg leg, sea legs  

MEAT

2. countable, uncountable the leg of an animal, especially the top part, cooked and eaten
• frogs' legs
• chicken legs

• ~ of sth roast leg of lamb  

OF TROUSERS/PANTS

3. countable the part of a pair of trousers/pants that covers the leg
• a trouser/pant leg

• These jeans are too long in the leg.  

OF TABLE/CHAIR

4. countable one of the long thin parts on the bottom of a table, chair, etc. that support it

• a chair leg  

-LEGGED

5.   [ˈleɡɪd]  ;   [ˈleɡɪd]    [leɡd]  ;   [leɡd]  (in adjectives) having the number or type of legs mentioned
• a three-legged stool
• a long-legged insect  When -legged is used with numbers, it is nearly always pronounced /[ˈleɡɪd] /; in other adjectives it can be pronounced /[ˈleɡɪd] / or /[leɡd] /.

see also  cross-legged  

OF JOURNEY/RACE

6. countable ~ (of sth) one part of a journey or race
Syn:  section, Syn: stage

• The final leg of the trip was by donkey.  

SPORTS GAME

7. countable (BrE) one of a pair of matches played between the same opponents in a sports competition, which together form a single round (= stage) of the competition
more at cost/pay an arm and a leg at  arm  _n., as fast as your legs can carry you at  fast  _adv., be on your/its last legs at  last  _adj., pull sb's leg at  pull  _v., shake a leg at  shake  _v., stretch your legs at  stretch  _v., with your tail between your legs at  tail  _n., talk the hind leg off a donkey at  talk  _v.
see also  leg-up  
Word Origin:
Middle English (superseding shank): from Old Norse leggr (compare with Danish læg ‘calf (of the leg)’), of Germanic origin.  
Collocations:
Physical appearance
A person may be described as having:
Eyes
(bright) blue/green/(dark/light) brown/hazel eyes
deep-set/sunken/bulging/protruding eyes
small/beady/sparkling/twinkling/(informal) shifty eyes
piercing/penetrating/steely eyes
bloodshot/watery/puffy eyes
bushy/thick/dark/raised/arched eyebrows
long/dark/thick/curly/false eyelashes/lashes
Face
a flat/bulbous/pointed/sharp/snub nose
a straight/a hooked/a Roman/(formal) an aquiline nose
full/thick/thin/pouty lips
dry/chapped/cracked lips
flushed/rosy/red/ruddy/pale cheeks
soft/chubby/sunken cheeks
white/perfect/crooked/protruding teeth
a large/high/broad/wide/sloping forehead
a strong/weak/pointed/double chin
a long/full/bushy/wispy/goatee beard
a long/thin/bushy/droopy/handlebar/pencil moustache/ (especially US) mustache
Hair and skin
pale/fair/olive/dark/tanned skin
dry/oily/smooth/rough/leathery/wrinkled skin
a dark/pale/light/sallow/ruddy/olive/swarthy/clear complexion
deep/fine/little/facial wrinkles
blonde/blond/fair/(light/dark) brown/(jet-)black/auburn/red/(BrE) ginger/grey hair
straight/curly/wavy/frizzy/spiky hair
thick/thin/fine/bushy/thinning hair
dyed/bleached/soft/silky/dry/greasy/shiny hair
long/short/shoulder-length/cropped hair
a bald/balding/shaved head
a receding hairline
a bald patch/spot
a side/centre/(US) center (BrE) parting/ (NAmE) part
Body
a long/short/thick/slender/(disapproving) scrawny neck
broad/narrow/sloping/rounded/hunched shoulders
a bare/broad/muscular/small/large chest
a flat/swollen/bulging stomach
a small/tiny/narrow/slim/slender/28-inch waist
big/wide/narrow/slim hips
a straight/bent/arched/broad/hairy back
thin/slender/muscular arms
big/large/small/manicured/calloused/gloved hands
long/short/fat/slender/delicate/bony fingers
long/muscular/hairy/shapely/(both informal, often disapproving) skinny/spindly legs
muscular/chubby/(informal, disapproving) flabby thighs
big/little/small/dainty/wide/narrow/bare feet
a good/a slim/a slender/an hourglass figure
be of slim/medium/average/large/athletic/stocky build  
Example Bank:
• Have you ever tried frogs' legs?
• He jumped to avoid the flailing leg of the defender.
• He lost a leg in a motorcycle accident.
• He put his back against the car, braced his legs and pushed.
• He rolled up his trouser legs.
• He rolled up the legs of his jeans.
• He rose to his feet on shaky legs.
• He sat down with his lame leg outstretched.
• He sat with his legs dangling off the bridge.
• He was shot in the leg by a sniper.
• He was wheeled out of the hospital with his leg in a cast/in plaster.
• He was wheeled out of the hospital with his leg in plaster.
• His legs buckled and he collapsed on the floor.
• I had a big bruise on my leg.
• I moved the chair away from the table so I could cross my legs.
• I was able to stand on my good leg.
• I'm getting my legs waxed tomorrow.
• It was good to get out of the car and stretch our legs.
• Leg extensions use the quadriceps muscles to extend the knee.
• Many birds are able to stand on one leg for hours at a time.
• She crossed the finish line on tired legs.
• She had her leg amputated below the knee.
• She sat with her legs drawn up underneath her.
• She started running, fat legs pumping.
• She stretched her legs under the table.
• She swung her legs over the side of the bed and reached for her crutches.
• The dog lifted its leg against the lamp post.
• The dog sloped off, its tail between its legs.
• The fastest runner often runs the anchor leg of a relay.
• The fastest runner often runs the anchor leg= the last part of a relay race.
• These jeans are too long in the leg.
• They don't train the day before a match to ensure they have fresh legs.
• They gazed at each other, their legs entwined under the table.
• They made him put his hands on the police car and spread his legs.
• They ran together, their legs moving in unison.
• We were on the last leg of our journey.
• a fine pair of legs
• an injury to his upper leg
• Hopefully, the next leg of the race will feature fewer icebergs and more dolphins.
• I really believe we can turn around that 4–2 first leg deficit and win this game.
• The Spanish team won the third leg.

Idioms: break a leg! ▪ get your leg over ▪ have legs ▪ leg it ▪ not have a leg to stand on 

mall

mall [mall malls]   [mɔːl]    [mæl]    [mɔːl]  noun
(also shopping mall) (both especially NAmE) a large building or covered area that has many shops/stores, restaurants, etc. inside it
• Let's go to the mall.
• Some teenagers were hanging out at the mall.
compare  arcade
See also: shopping mall  
Word Origin:
mid 17th cent.: probably a shortening of pall-mall, a 16th and 17th cent. game. The current sense dates from the 1960s.  
Collocations:
Shopping
Shopping
go/go out/be out shopping
go to (especially BrE) the shops/(especially NAmE) a store/(especially NAmE) the mall
do (BrE) the shopping/(especially NAmE) the grocery shopping/a bit of window-shopping
(NAmE, informal) hit/hang out at the mall
try on clothes/shoes
indulge in some retail therapy
go on a spending spree
cut/cut back on/reduce your spending
be/get caught shoplifting
donate sth to/take sth to/find sth in (BrE) a charity shop/(NAmE) a thrift store
buy/sell/find sth at (BrE) a car boot sale/(BrE) a jumble sale/a garage sale/(NAmE) a yard sale
find/get/pick up a bargain
At the shop/store
load/push/wheel (BrE) a trolley/(NAmE) a cart
stand in/wait in (BrE) the checkout queue/(NAmE) the checkout line
(NAmE) stand in line/ (BrE) queue at the checkout
bag (especially NAmE) (your) groceries
pack (away) (especially BrE) your shopping
stack/stock/restock the shelves at a store (with sth)
be (found) on/appear on supermarket/shop/store shelves
be in/have in/be out of/run out of stock
deal with/help/serve customers
run a special promotion
be on special offer
Buying goods
make/complete a purchase
buy/purchase sth online/by mail order
make/place/take an order for sth
buy/order sth in bulk/in advance
accept/take credit cards
pay (in) cash/by (credit/debit) card/(BrE) with a gift voucher/(NAmE) with a gift certificate
enter your PIN number
ask for/get/obtain a receipt
return/exchange an item/a product
be entitled to/ask for/demand a refund
compare prices
offer (sb)/give (sb)/get/receive a 30% discount 
Example Bank:
• The website is a virtual shopping mall.
• They hit the mall for a wild shopping spree.
• They reported him to mall security.
• They spend a lot of time at the mall.
• teenagers hanging out at the mall
• ‘Where'd you get those earrings?’ ‘At the mall.’

• Let's go to the mall.

verb (ski·ing, skied, skied)
1. intransitive (+ adv./prep.) to move over snow on skis, especially as a sport
• How well do you ski?

• We skied down the slope one by one.
2. go skiing intransitive to spend time skiing for pleasure
• We went skiing in France in March.
see also  skiing, waterski
 
Word Origin:

mid 18th cent.: from Norwegian, from Old Norse skíth ‘billet, snowshoe’.

rainy

rainy [rainy rainier rainiest]   [ˈreɪni]    [ˈreɪni]  adjective (rain·ier, rain·iest)
having or bringing a lot of rain
• a rainy day
• the rainy season
• the rainiest place in Britain
Idiom: save/keep something for a rainy day 
Word Origin:
Old English rēnig (see rain, -y).  
Example Bank:
• I went there during the rainy season.
• This valley is said to be the rainiest place in Britain.

• We woke up to a rainy day.

choose

choose [choose chooses chose choosing chosen]   [tʃuːz]    [tʃuːz]  verb (chose   [tʃəʊz]  ;   [tʃoʊz]  , chosen   [ˈtʃəʊzn]  ;   [ˈtʃoʊzn]  )
1. intransitive, transitive to decide which thing or person you want out of the ones that are available
• You choose, I can't decide.
• There are plenty of restaurants to choose from.
• ~ between A and/or B She had to choose between staying in the UK or going home.
• ~ sth Sarah chose her words carefully.
• This site has been chosen for the new school.
• ~ A from B We have to choose a new manager from a shortlist of five candidates.
• ~ sb/sth as/for sth He chose banking as a career.
• We chose Phil McSweeney as/for chairperson.
• ~ whether, wat, etc… You'll have to choose whether to buy it or not.
• ~ to do sth We chose to go by train.

• ~ sb to be/do sth We chose Phil McSweeney to be chairperson.

2. intransitive, transitive to prefer or decide to do sth
• Employees can retire at 60 if they choose.
• ~ to do sth Many people choose not to marry.
see also  choice  _n.
more at pick and choose at  pick  _v.
Idiom: there is not much to choose between A and B
Verb forms:

 
Word Origin:
Old English cēosan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kiezen.  
Thesaurus:
choose verb I, T
1.
• We have to choose a new manager.
select • • decide • • opt • • single sb/sth out • • adopt • |informal pick • • go for sth •
choose/select/decide/pick between A and/or B
choose/select/opt for/single out/adopt/pick/go for sb/sth as sb/sth
choose/select/single out/pick sb/sth for sb/sth
choose/select/opt for/single out/adopt/pick/go for sb/sth to do sth
Choose, select or pick? When you select sth you usually choose it carefully, unless you actually say that it is selected randomly/at random. Pick is a more informal word that describes a less careful action. Choose is the most general of these words and the only one that can be used without an object:
• You choose— I can't decide
 ¤ You select/pick— I can't decide.
2. I, T
• Many people choose not to marry.
decide • • make up your mind • |formal determine • • elect • • resolve •
choose/decide/make up your mind/determine/elect/resolve to do sth
choose/decide/make up your mind whether/what/how…
be free to choose/decide/determine 
Synonyms:
choose
select • pick • decide • opt • go for
These words all mean to decide which thing or person you want out of the ones that are available.
choose • to decide which thing or person you want out of the ones that are available: ▪ You choose— I can't decide.
select • [often passive] to choose sb/sth, usually carefully, from a group of people or things: ▪ He was selected for the team. ◊ ▪ a randomly selected sample of 23 schools
pick • (rather informal) to choose sb/sth from a group of people or things: ▪ She picked the best cake for herself.
choose, select or pick?
Choose is the most general of these words and the only one that can be used without an object. When you select sth, you choose it carefully, unless you actually say that it is selected randomly/at random. Pick is a more informal word and often a less careful action, used especially when the choice being made is not very important.
decide • to choose between two or more possibilities: ▪ We're still trying to ▪ decide on ▪ a venue.
opt • to choose to take or not to take a particular course of action: ▪ After graduating she opted for a career in music. ◊ ▪ After a lot of thought, I ▪ opted against ▪ buying a motorbike.
go for sth • (rather informal) to choose sth: ▪ I think I'll go for the fruit salad.
to choose/select/pick/decide between A and/or B
to choose/select/pick A from B
to opt/go for sb/sth
to choose/decide/opt to do sth
to choose/select/pick sb/sth carefully/at random
randomly chosen/selected/picked 
Example Bank:
• She had to choose between giving up her job or hiring a nanny.
• There are several different models to choose from.
• They can choose freely from a wide range of courses.
• You are free to choose whichever courses you want to take.
• You have to take any job you can get— you can't pick and choose.
• We chose Paul Stubbs to be chairperson.
• We deliberately chose to stay in a cheap non-western hotel.
• With practice, you can consciously choose not to react in a stressed way.
• You choose— I can't decide.

• You'll have to choose whether to buy it or not.

mustache

mus·tache [mustache mustaches] (NAmE) (BrE mous·tache)  [məˈstɑːʃ]    [məˈstɑːʃ]  noun

1. a line of hair that a man allows to grow on his upper lip

2. mustaches plural a very long mustache

museum

mu·seum [museum museums]   [mjuˈziːəm]    [mjuˈziːəm]  noun
a building in which objects of artistic, cultural, historical or scientific interest are kept and shown to the public
• a museum of modern art
• a science museum
 
Word Origin:
early 17th cent. (denoting a university building, specifically one erected at Alexandria by Ptolemy Soter): via Latin from Greek mouseion ‘seat of the Muses’, based on mousa ‘muse’.  
Culture:
art galleries and museums of art
In Britain, works of art are displayed in art galleries and, especially outside London, in museums. Shops that sell paintings are also called galleries. In the US public art collections are displayed in art museums, and a gallery is a place where people go to buy works of art.
Many galleries and museums in Britain and the US receive limited financial support from national or local government. Other money is raised through admission fees, although admission to many British museums is free, and the sale of postcards, calendars, etc. Some galleries obtain money through sponsorship. Many works of art are expensive and galleries can rarely buy them without organizing a public appeal or, in Britain, asking for money from the National Art Collections Fund.
Visiting an art gallery is a popular leisure activity. Galleries and museums are friendlier places than they used to be. Many try to encourage children’s interest in art by arranging school visits and many people make their first trip to an art museum with their school class.
The most popular galleries in Britain, all in London, are the National Gallery, the National Portrait Gallery, Tate Britain and Tate Modern. The Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition of paintings sent in by the general public also receives a lot of visitors. Sculpture attracts less attention, and though the names of Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth are known to many people, few could describe any of their works. Well-known galleries outside London include the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh and the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery.
Important art museums in the US include the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art and the Guggenheim Museum, all in New York, and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. Most US cities and many smaller towns have art museums.
Galleries sometimes mount exhibitions of the paintings of one artist, e.g. Turner, that are brought together from all over the world. People are prepared to queue for a long time to see them. Many people admire old masters, famous works by great artists of the past, but have little interest in modern art. New works receive publicity in the media only when they are unusual or likely to shock people. Galleries and museums try to encourage a more positive attitude to modern art but many people remain doubtful. When the Tate displayed half a cow and its calf rotting in formaldehyde (= a chemical used to preserve it), the public criticized the artist, Damien Hirst. There is usually controversy about the winners of the Turner Prize 
Some exhibitions bring together all kinds of art, not only paintings, from a particular time or country so that people can learn about it. Exhibitions on subjects such as the Aztecs, art nouveau and the art of Turkey attract large crowds. 
Culture:
museums
Many people have a hobby that involves collecting things, e.g. stamps, postcards or antiques. In the 18th and 19th centuries wealthy people travelled and collected plants, animal skins, historical objects and works of art. They kept their collection at home until it got too big or until they died, and then it was given to a museum. The 80 000 objects collected by Sir Hans Sloane, for example, formed the core collection of the British Museum which opened in 1759.
The parts of a museum open to the public are called galleries or rooms. Often, only a small proportion of a museum’s collection is on display. Most of it is stored away or used for research. A person in charge of a department of a museum is called a keeper. Museum staff involved in the care and conservation of items are sometimes called curators.
Many museums are lively places and they attract a lot of visitors. As well as looking at exhibits, visitors can play with computer simulations and imagine themselves living at a different time in history or walking through a rainforest. At the Jorvik Centre in York, the city’s Viking settlement is recreated, and people experience the sights, sounds and smells of the old town. Historical accuracy is important but so also is entertainment. Museums must compete for people’s leisure time and money with other amusements. Most museums also welcome school groups and arrange special activities for children.
In Britain, the largest museums are the British Museum, the Science Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum. Museums outside London also cover every subject and period. Homes of famous people sometimes become museums, such as the house where Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon.
The first public museum in the US was the Charlestown Museum in South Carolina, founded in 1773. The largest is the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, a group of 14 museums. The most popular of these is the National Air and Space Museum. Some US museums are art museums. Many describe a period of history. In Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, for example, a museum explains the Civil War and gives details of the battle of Gettysburg. Halls of Fame are museums that honour people who have been outstanding in a certain field, e.g. baseball or rock music.
National museums receive money from the government but not enough to cover their costs. Museums usually have a shop selling books, postcards and gifts, and often a cafe. Their profits help to fund the museum. Some museums have the support of a commercial sponsor. In small museums only a few people have paid jobs, and the rest are volunteers, called docents in the US, who lead tours and answer visitors’ questions. 
Example Bank:
• All the planes are museum pieces.
• Although the mill is no longer in commercial use, it is maintained as a working museum.
• He founded a museum of modern art in his home town.
• Los Angeles County Art Museum
• The first painting acquired by the museum was by Hopper.
• The museum houses a fine collection of textiles.
• The museum is housed in a converted church.
• The website's print gallery is a virtual museum.
• There's a gift shop in the museum.
• a museum devoted to children's toys
• a museum devoted to railway memorabilia
• an exhibition of Chinese ceramics at the Ashmolean Museum
• an open-air museum of farming and the countryside

• one of the world's great museums

laptop

lap·top [laptop laptops]   [ˈlæptɒp]    [ˈlæptɑːp]  noun

a small computer that can work with a battery and be easily carried

Syn:  notebook 

sunny

sunny [sunny sunnier sunniest]   [ˈsʌni]    [ˈsʌni]  adjective (sun·nier, sun·ni·est)
1. with a lot of bright light from the sun
• a sunny day
• sunny weather
• The outlook for the weekend is hot and sunny.
• a sunny garden

• Italy was at its sunniest.

2. cheerful and happy
• a sunny disposition  
Example Bank:
• a brilliantly sunny day
• a gloriously sunny morning
• He had a sunny disposition and was always fun to be with.
• She flashed him her sunniest smile.
• The outlook for the weekend is warm and sunny.
• These plants grow best in a sunny spot.

• Throughout the week, the weather was fine and sunny.