American English

suit

suit [suit suits suited suiting] noun, verb   [suːt]    [sjuːt]    [suːt]

noun

1. a set of clothes made of the same cloth, including a jacket and trousers/pants or a skirt
• a business suit
• a pinstripe suit
• a two-/three-piece suit (= of two/three pieces of clothing)

see also  dinner suit, jumpsuit, leisure suit, lounge suit, sailor suit, shell suit, sweatsuit, tracksuit, trouser suit

2. a set of clothing worn for a particular activity
• a diving suit
• a suit of armour

see also  boiler suit, spacesuit, swimsuit, wetsuit

3. any of the four sets that form a pack of cards

• The suits are called hearts, clubs, diamonds and spades.

4. =  lawsuit
• to file/bring a suit against sb
• a divorce suit

see also  paternity suit

5. usually plural (informal) a person with an important job as a manager in a company or organization, especially one thought of as being mainly concerned with financial matters or as having a lot of influence
• We can leave the detailed negotiations to the suits.
• He's a ‘suit’, not a ‘creative’.
see in your birthday suit at  birthday, follow suit at  follow, be sb's strong suit at  strong  
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French siwte, from a feminine past participle of a Romance verb based on Latin sequi ‘follow’. Early senses included ‘attendance at a court’ and ‘legal process’; senses 1 to 3 derive from an earlier meaning ‘set of things to be used together’. The verb sense ‘make appropriate’ dates from the late 16th cent.  
Example Bank:
• All the cards have to be from the same suit.
• He wore his one good suit to the interview.
• His parents had bought him a new suit of clothes for the occasion.
• She plans to defend the suit vigorously.
• The cavalry wore a suit of light armour and carried a shield.
• The company now faces several suits over its failure to protect its employees.
• The suit changed to diamonds.
• The two companies have settled the suit.
• They have agreed to drop their suit against the Dutch company.
• They won't let you into the restaurant without a suit and tie.
• Two men in suits came out of the hotel.
• We bought the baby a couple of suits of clothes.
• Which suit is trumps?
• a suit against her former husband
• a suit over a disputed estate
• His former business associate filed a suit against him claiming £5 million damages.
• Their arguments grew worse and worse and ended with a divorce suit.
Idioms: suit somebody down to the ground ▪ suit your book ▪ suit yourself

Derived: suit something to somebody

dress

dress [dress dresses dressed dressing] noun, verb   [dres]    [dres]

noun  

CLOTHES
1. countable a piece of women's clothing that is made in one piece and covers the body down to the legs, sometimes reaching to below the knees, or to the ankles
• a long white dress
• a wedding dress

see also  cocktail dress, evening dress, sundress

2. uncountable clothes for either men or women
• to wear casual/formal dress
• He has no dress sense (= no idea of how to dress well).
see also  evening dress, fancy dress, headdress, morning dress  
Word Origin:
Middle English (in the sense ‘put straight’): from Old French dresser ‘arrange, prepare’, based on Latin directus ‘direct, straight’.  
Thesaurus:
dress noun U
• All the guests were in evening dress.
clothes • • clothing • • costume • • wear • • wardrobe • |AmE apparel • |informal gear • |formal garment •
casual dress/clothes/clothing/apparel/wear/gear
evening/formal dress/clothes/wear
wear …dress/clothes/costume/gear/garments 
Example Bank:
• He was wearing traditional Scottish dress.
• He's got poor dress sense.
• She appeared in a slinky satin dress.
• She hitched up her long dress so it wouldn't drag in the mud.
• She looked elegant in a simple black dress.
• She sat down and smoothed her dress over her legs.
• The club has a strict dress code.
• The hat went with her new dress wonderfully.
• a performance of ‘Hamlet’ in modern dress
• in full dress uniform
• the costumes worn at the fancy-dress ball
• All the guests were in evening dress.
• Everyone was expected to wear fancy dress.
• He has no dress sense.
• The company has a strict dress code — all male employees are expected to wear suits.

• We were allowed to wear casual dress on Fridays.

shoe

shoe [shoe shoes shod shoeing] noun, verb   [ʃuː]    [ʃuː] 

noun

1. one of a pair of outer coverings for your feet, usually made of leather or plastic
• a pair of shoes
• He took his shoes and socks off.
• What's your shoe size?
• a shoe brush
• shoe polish

see also  snowshoe

2. =  horseshoe 
more at fill sb's shoes/boots at  fill  _v., shake in your shoes at  shake  _v., step into sb's shoes at  step  _v.  
Word Origin:
Old English scōh (noun), scōg(e)an (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch schoen and German Schuh.  
Example Bank:
• I've had my shoes resoled.
• She wore a dark blue dress with matching shoes.
• The shoes, though elegant, pinched her feet terribly.
• a sturdy pair of walking shoes
• to break in a new pair of shoes

Idioms: if I were in your shoes ▪ if the shoe fits ▪ in somebody's shoes ▪ put yourself in somebody's shoes ▪ shoe is on the other foot 

skirt

skirt [skirt skirts skirted skirting] noun, verb   [skɜːt]    [skɜːrt] 

noun

1. countable a piece of clothing for a woman or girl that hangs from the waist

• a long/short/straight/pleated, etc. skirt

2. countable (also skirts plural) the part of a dress, coat, etc. that hangs below the waist

3. countable an outer covering or part used to protect the base of a vehicle or machine
• the rubber skirt around the bottom of a hovercraft  
Word Origin:
Middle English: from Old Norse skyrta ‘shirt’; compare with synonymous Old English scyrte, also with short. The verb dates from the early 17th cent.  
Example Bank:
• Her skirt rode up her thighs when she sat down.
• I lifted the hem of my skirt.
• I've worn both skirt suits and pant suits to interviews.
• She sat down, smoothing her skirt.
• She sat down, smoothing the skirt of her dress.
• She tucked up her voluminous skirts to make room for Jane beside her.
• She was wearing a short denim skirt.
• She wore the plaid skirt that was the uniform of her private school.
• The skirt falls just above the knee.

• a green jacket with a matching skirt

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.

handsome

hand·some [handsome handsomer handsomest]   [ˈhænsəm]    [ˈhænsəm]  adjective (hand·somer, hand·som·est) more handsome and most handsome are more common
1. (of men) attractive
Syn:  good-looking
• a handsome face
• He's the most handsome man I've ever met.

• He was aptly described as ‘ tall, dark, and handsome ’.

2. (of women) attractive, with large strong features rather than small delicate ones
• a tall, handsome woman

• The bride and groom made a handsome couple.

3. beautiful to look at
• a handsome horse/house/city

• The two of them made a handsome couple.

4. large in amount or quantity
• a handsome profit
• He was elected by a handsome majority (= a lot of people voted for him).

• a handsome cheque

5. generous
• She paid him a handsome compliment.
• It was very handsome of him to pay for the meal.
Derived Words: handsomely ▪ handsomeness  
Word Origin:
Middle English: from hand  + -some. The original sense was ‘easy to handle or use’, hence ‘suitable’ and ‘apt, clever’ (mid 16th cent.), giving rise to the current appreciatory senses (late 16th cent.).  
Synonyms:
beautiful
pretty • handsome • attractive • lovely • good-looking • gorgeous
These words all describe people who are pleasant to look at.
beautiful • (especially of a woman or girl) very pleasant to look at: ▪ She looked stunningly beautiful that night.
pretty • (especially of a girl or woman) pleasant to look at: ▪ She's got a very pretty face.
Pretty is used most often to talk about girls. When it is used to talk about a woman, it usually suggests that she is like a girl, with small, delicate features.
handsome • (of a man) pleasant to look at; (of a woman) pleasant to look at, with large strong features rather than small delicate ones: ▪ He was described as ‘ ▪ tall, dark and handsome ▪ ’.
attractive • (of a person) pleasant to look at, especially in a sexual way: ▪ She's a very attractive woman.
lovely • (of a person) beautiful; very attractive: ▪ She looked particularly lovely that night.
When you describe sb as lovely, you are usually showing that you also have a strong feeling of affection for them.
good-looking • (of a person) pleasant to look at, often in a sexual way: ▪ She arrived with a very good-looking man.
gorgeous • (informal) (of a person) extremely attractive, especially in a sexual way: ▪ You look gorgeous!
attractive or good-looking?
If you describe sb as attractive you often also mean that they have a pleasant personality as well as being pleasant to look at; good-looking just describes sb's physical appearance.
a(n) beautiful/pretty/handsome/attractive/lovely/good-looking/gorgeous girl/woman
a(n) beautiful/handsome/attractive/good-looking/gorgeous boy/man
a(n) beautiful/pretty/handsome/attractive/lovely/good-looking face  
Example Bank:
• a tall, dark, handsome stranger
• his ruggedly handsome features
• He had an interesting and rather handsome face.
• He was elected by a handsome majority ().
• He's the most handsome man I've ever met.
• I enjoyed the job, and was paid a handsome salary too.
• She was a tall, handsome woman.

• They sold the house two years later at a handsome profit.

adjective (pret·tier, pret·ti·est)
1. (especially of a woman, or a girl) attractive without being very beautiful
• a pretty face
• a pretty little girl

• You look so pretty in that dress!

2. (of places or things) attractive and pleasant to look at or to listen to without being large, beautiful or impressive
• pretty clothes
• a pretty garden
• a pretty name
more at come to a pretty pass at  pass  _n.  
Word Origin:
Old English prættig; related to Middle Dutch pertich ‘brisk, clever’, obsolete Dutch prettig ‘humorous, sporty’, from a West Germanic base meaning ‘trick’. The sense development ‘deceitful, cunning, clever, skilful, admirable, pleasing, nice’ has parallels in adjectives such as canny, fine, nice, etc.  
Thesaurus:
pretty adj.
1.
• She's a very pretty girl.
beautiful • • attractive • • good-looking • • striking • • handsome • |especially BrE lovely • |informal gorgeous • • stunning • |especially AmE, informal cute •
Opp: plain
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/good-looking/striking/handsome/lovely/gorgeous/stunning/cute girl/woman
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/good-looking/handsome/lovely/gorgeous/cute boy
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/good-looking/striking/handsome/lovely/cute face
2.
• Lydia— what a pretty name!
beautiful • • attractive • • picturesque • • scenic • • charming • • exquisite • |especially BrE lovely •
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/picturesque/charming place/town/village
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/exquisite/lovely design
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/charming/exquisite/lovely voice  
Synonyms:
beautiful
pretty • handsome • attractive • lovely • good-looking • gorgeous
These words all describe people who are pleasant to look at.
beautiful • (especially of a woman or girl) very pleasant to look at: ▪ She looked stunningly beautiful that night.
pretty • (especially of a girl or woman) pleasant to look at: ▪ She's got a very pretty face.
Pretty is used most often to talk about girls. When it is used to talk about a woman, it usually suggests that she is like a girl, with small, delicate features.
handsome • (of a man) pleasant to look at; (of a woman) pleasant to look at, with large strong features rather than small delicate ones: ▪ He was described as ‘ ▪ tall, dark and handsome ▪ ’.
attractive • (of a person) pleasant to look at, especially in a sexual way: ▪ She's a very attractive woman.
lovely • (of a person) beautiful; very attractive: ▪ She looked particularly lovely that night.
When you describe sb as lovely, you are usually showing that you also have a strong feeling of affection for them.
good-looking • (of a person) pleasant to look at, often in a sexual way: ▪ She arrived with a very good-looking man.
gorgeous • (informal) (of a person) extremely attractive, especially in a sexual way: ▪ You look gorgeous!
attractive or good-looking?
If you describe sb as attractive you often also mean that they have a pleasant personality as well as being pleasant to look at; good-looking just describes sb's physical appearance.
a(n) beautiful/pretty/handsome/attractive/lovely/good-looking/gorgeous girl/woman
a(n) beautiful/handsome/attractive/good-looking/gorgeous boy/man
a(n) beautiful/pretty/handsome/attractive/lovely/good-looking face  
Example Bank:
• She's very attractive, though not conventionally pretty.
• ‘I didn't know you could play the piano.’ ‘I'm not just a pretty face, you know!’
• A pretty little girl was standing in the doorway.
• Lydia— what a pretty name!
• She's got a very pretty face.
• That's a pretty flower— what's it called?

• You should have seen him in his swimming trunks— not a pretty sight!

young

young [young younger youngest] adjective, noun   [jʌŋ]    [jʌŋ] 

adjective (young·er   [ˈjʌŋɡə(r)]  ;   [ˈjʌŋɡər]  young·est   [ˈjʌŋɡɪst]  ;   [ˈjʌŋɡɪst]  )
1. having lived or existed for only a short time; not fully developed
• young babies
• a young country
• Caterpillars eat the young leaves of this plant.
• a young wine
• The night is still young (= it has only just started).

Opp:  old
2. not yet old; not as old as others
• young people
• talented young football players
• I am the youngest of four sisters.
• In his younger days he played rugby for Wales.
• I met the young Michelle Obama at Princeton.
• Her grandchildren keep her young.
• My son's thirteen but he's young for his age (= not as developed as other boys of the same age).
• They married young (= at an early age).
• My mother died young.

Opp:  old

3. consisting of young people or young children; with a low average age
• They have a young family.

• a young audience

4. suitable or appropriate for young people
Syn:  youthful
• young fashion

• The clothes she wears are much too young for her.

5. ~ man/lady/woman used to show that you are angry or annoyed with a particular young person

• I think you owe me an apology, young lady!

6. the younger used before or after a person's name to distinguish them from an older relative
• the younger Kennedy
• (BrE, formal) William Pitt the younger
compare  elder  at elder  _adj., junior  _adj. (³)
more at (have) an old head on young shoulders at  old, you're only young once at  only  _adv.  
Word Origin:
Old English g(e)ong, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch jong and German jung, also to youth; from an Indo-European root shared by Latin juvenis.  
Example Bank:
• He seemed quite young to have so much responsibility.
• He still looks young for his age.
• He's over 70, but he's young at heart.
• I felt young again.
• She looked young enough to be his daughter.
• She still looks very young.
• Fruit Fresh is a young company that is growing fast.
• I met the young Bill Clinton at Oxford.
• In his younger days he played rugby for Wales.
• It's a young wine, not really up to drinking yet.
• It's quite a young orchestra.
• My son's thirteen but he's young for his age.
• The composer died tragically young, just three days before her thirtieth birthday.
• The night is still young.
• The team is full of talented young players.
• They married young.
• This cottage would be perfect for a couple with a young family.
• This story is about a handsome young prince who falls in love with a village girl.
• Young babies need to be wrapped up warmly.
• young babies/children/animals

Idioms: getting younger ▪ not be getting any younger ▪ young at heart  

noun plural
1. the young young people considered as a group
• It's a movie that will appeal to the young.

• It's a book for young and old alike.

2. young animals of a particular type or that belong to a particular mother
• a mother bird feeding her young  
Word Origin:
Old English g(e)ong, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch jong and German jung, also to youth; from an Indo-European root shared by Latin juvenis.  
Example Bank:
• It carries its young on its back.
• The females stay close to their offspring/young.
• They catch insects to feed their hungry young.

• the lion's offspring/young

old

old [old older oldest]   [əʊld]    [oʊld]  adjective (old·er, old·est)

 
AGE
1. be… years, months, etc. ~ of a particular age
• The baby was only a few hours old.
• In those days most people left school when they were only fifteen years old.
• At thirty years old, he was already earning £40 000 a year.
• two fourteen-year-old boys
• a class for five-year-olds (= children who are five)
• I didn't think she was old enough for the responsibility.
• How old is this building?
• He's the oldest player in the team.

• She's much older than me.  

NOT YOUNG

2. having lived for a long time; no longer young
• to get/grow old
• The old man lay propped up on cushions.
• She was a woman grown old before her time (= who looked older than she was).

Opp:  young

3. the old noun plural old people

• The old feel the cold more than the young.  

NOT NEW

4. having existed or been used for a long time
• old habits
• He always gives the same old excuses.
• This carpet's getting pretty old now.

Opp:  new

5. only before noun former; belonging to past times or a past time in your life
• Things were different in the old days.
• I went back to visit my old school.

• Old and Middle English

6. only before noun used to refer to sth that has been replaced by sth else
• We had more room in our old house.

Opp:  new

7. only before noun known for a long time
• She's an old friend of mine (= I have known her for a long time).
• We're old rivals.

compare  recent  

GOOD OLD/POOR OLD

8. only before noun (informal) used to show affection or a lack of respect
• Good old Dad!
• You poor old thing!

• I hate her, the silly old cow!

Rem: or
more at a chip off the old block at  chip  _n., (there's) no fool like an old fool at  fool  _n., a/the grand old agea/the grand old man (of sth) at  grand  _adj., give sb the (old) heave-ho at  heave-ho, have a high old time at  high  _adj., money for jam/old rope at  money, a/the ripe old age (of…) at  ripe, settle an old score at  settle  _v., (you can't) teach an old dog new tricks at  teach, (as) tough as old boots at  tough  _adj., be up to your (old) tricks at  trick  _n.
Idioms: any old how ▪ any old … ▪ as old as the hills ▪ bad old days ▪ for old times' sake ▪ of old ▪ old boy/chap/man ▪ old enough to be somebody's father ▪ old enough to know better ▪ old head on young shoulders ▪ old story ▪ old wives' tale ▪ one of the old school  
Word Origin:
Old English ald, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch oud and German alt, from an Indo-European root meaning ‘adult’, shared by Latin alere ‘nourish’.  
Thesaurus:
old adj.
1.
• He's getting old— he's 75 next year.
elderly • • mature • • long-lived • |formal aged •
Opp: young
a/an old/elderly/mature/long-lived/aged man/woman
a/an old/elderly/mature/aged gentleman/lady/couple
sb's old/elderly/aged father/mother/aunt/uncle/relative
2.
• It's one of the oldest parts of the castle.
ancient • • historic • • antique • • long-standing •
Opp: new
a/an old/ancient/historic building/monument
an old/ancient/antique chair/clock/coin
a/an old/ancient/long-standing tradition/belief/method/problem
an old/ancient custom/way/ritual/city/civilization
3.
• We had more room in our old house.
former • • then • • ex- •
Opp: new
sb's old/former/then/ex-partner/boyfriend/girlfriend
a/an old/former/ex-lover/colleague/member
a/an old/former/ex-student/colony  
Synonyms:
old
elderly • aged • long-lived • mature
These words all describe sb/sth that has lived for a long time or that usually lives for a long time.
old • having lived for a long time; no longer young: ▪ She's getting old— she's 75 next year.
elderly • (rather formal) used as a polite word for ‘old’: ▪ She is very busy caring for two elderly relatives.
aged • (formal) very old: ▪ Having aged relatives to stay in your house can be quite stressful.
long-lived • having a long life; lasting for a long time: ▪ Everyone in my family is exceptionally long-lived.
mature • used as a polite or humorous way of saying that sb is no longer young: ▪ clothes for the mature woman
a(n) old/elderly/aged/long-lived/mature man/woman
a(n) old/elderly/aged/mature gentleman/lady/couple  
Which Word?:
older / elder
The usual comparative and superlative forms of old are older and oldest: ▪ My brother is older than me. ◊ ▪ The palace is the oldest building in the city. In BrE you can also use elder and eldest when comparing the ages of people, especially members of the same family, although these words are not common in speech now. As adjectives they are only used before a noun and you cannot say ‘elder than’: ▪ my older/elder sister ◊ ▪ the elder/older of their two children ◊ ▪ I’m the eldest/oldest in the family.  
Example Bank:
• Good old Dad!
• He was beginning to look old.
• He's a silly old fool!
• He's old enough by now to manage his own affairs.
• It's a funny old world.
• It's a very old tradition.
• It's always the same old faces.
• It's one of the oldest remaining parts of the church.
• It's the world's oldest surviving ship.
• She was fairly old when she got married.
• She's a silly old cow!
• The way the young people rushed about made her feel old.
• These are some of the oldest known fossil remains.
• We're all getting older.
• Why drink plain old water when you can have something better?
• You are as old as you feel.
• boring old history books
• I met up with some old school friends.
• It's not easy to break old habits.
• She was a woman grown old before her time.
• She's getting old— she's 75 next year.
• These are some of the oldest trees in the world.
• Things were different in the old days.

• This carpet's getting pretty old now.