American English

wisdom

wis·dom[wisdomwisdoms] [ˈwɪzdəm] [ˈwɪzdəm]noununcountable

1. the ability to make sensible decisions and give good advice because of the experience and knowledge that you have

• a woman of great wisdom

• words of wisdom

2. ~ of sth/of doing sth how sensible sth is

• I question the wisdom of giving a child so much money.

3. the knowledge that a society or culture has gained over a long period of time

• the collective wisdom of the Native American people

more at pearl of wisdom at  pearl

Idioms: in his wisdom ▪ received wisdom 

Word Origin:

Old English wīsdōm (see wise, -dom).

Example Bank:

• Consultants are too often seen as the source of all wisdom.

• Contrary to conventional wisdom, stress is not a bad thing.

• Conventional wisdom has it that higher oil prices are bad for economic growth.

• Do you have any wisdom to impart on this subject?

• He entertained the audience for two hours with his wit and wisdom.

• He is too lacking in worldly wisdom to be a politician.

• His journals are full of dubious pearls of homespun wisdom.

• In their infinite wisdom, the council closed the swimming pool for the school holidays.

• In their infinite wisdom, they closed the swimming pool at the busiest time of year.

• It's easy enough to see what we should have done, with the wisdom of hindsight.

• Many commentators doubted the political wisdom of introducing a new tax.

• Popular wisdom dictates that a father is essential in raising a son.

• She devoted her life to the pursuit of wisdom.

• The former world champion imparted a few words of wisdom to the young runners.

• The latest unemployment figures prove the wisdom of the government's policy.

• The received wisdom is that the book is always better than the film.

• Those who seek wisdom at the shrine will find it.

• students eager to catch pearls of wisdom from the professor's lips

• the accumulated wisdom of generations

• All the religions of the past contain vast amounts of wisdom that can be of service to mankind.

• Children need to feel that their parents are in control; they don't have the experience or wisdom to know best.

• Conventional wisdom has it that all sense of community has gone, but that is not the case where I live.

• Do you have any more words of wisdom for us?

• He was known to be a man of great wisdom.

• I was not quite so lacking in worldly wisdom as to accept this invitation from a complete stranger.

• I would hardly regard him as a fount/source of all wisdom.

• In their infinite wisdom they have decided to close the main road during the holiday season.

• Native American wisdom was passed on from generation to generation.

• Several people questioned the wisdom of building in that particular spot.

• The monks dedicate their lives to prayer and the pursuit of wisdom.

• They would go to the holy shrines to seek wisdom.

• They would treat these pearls of wisdom with some scepticism.

• We need to combine ancient wisdom and modern knowledge.

• You cannot just ignore the accumulated wisdom of a whole culture.

live

▪ I. live 1 [live lives lived living]   [lɪv]    [lɪv]  verb

see also  live2  

IN A PLACE

1. intransitive + adv./prep. to have your home in a particular place

• to live in a house

• Where do you live?

• She needs to find somewhere to live.

• We used to live in London.

• Both her children still live at home.

• (BrE, informal) Where do these plates live (= where are they usually kept)?  

BE ALIVE

2. intransitive to remain alive

• The doctors said he only had six months to live.

• Spiders can live for several days without food.

• ~ to do sth She lived to see her first grandchild.

3. intransitive to be alive, especially at a particular time

• When did Handel live?

• He's the greatest player who ever lived.  

TYPE OF LIFE

4. intransitive, transitive to spend your life in a particular way

• He lived in poverty most of his life.

• ~ sth She lived a very peaceful life.

• They lived their lives to the full.

• + noun She lived and died a single woman. 

BE REMEMBERED

5. intransitive to continue to exist or be remembered

Syn:  remain

• This moment will live in our memory for many years to come.

• Her words have lived with me all my life. 

HAVE EXCITEMENT

6. intransitive to have a full and exciting life

• I don't want to be stuck in an office all my life— I want to live!

Rem: or

more at be (living) on borrowed time at  borrow, be/live in clover at  clover, how the other half lives at  half  n., lead/live the life of Riley at  life, long live sb/sth at  long  adv., people (who live) in glass houses shouldn't throw stones at  people  n., be/live in each other's pockets at  pocket  n., live/sleep rough at  rough  adv.

Idioms: live a lie ▪ live and breathe something ▪ live and let live ▪ live by your wits ▪ live hand to mouth ▪ live in sin ▪ live in the past ▪ live it up ▪ live off the fat of the land ▪ live off the land ▪ live to fight another day ▪ you haven't lived ▪ you live and learn

Derived: live by doing something ▪ live by something ▪ live for somebody ▪ live in ▪ live off somebody ▪ live off something ▪ live on ▪ live on something ▪ live out ▪ live out something ▪ live something down ▪ live through something ▪ live together ▪ live up to something ▪ live with somebody ▪ live with something

See also: live with somebody

Word Origin:

Old English libban lifian Germanic Dutch leven German leben life leave

Thesaurus:

live verb

1. I (always used with an adverb or preposition)

• I live in a small house near the station.

formal inhabit • • occupy • • reside • |written people •

live/reside in/among/near sth

live in/inhabit/occupy/reside in a house

live in/inhabit/people the world

2. I

• Spiders can live for days without food.

survive • • come through (sth) • • make it • • pull through •

Opp: die

live/survive on (a diet of) sth

live/survive for a few days/many years, etc.

live/survive without food/money, etc.

live/survive/come/make it/pull through sth

3. I (not usually used in the progressive tenses)

• He's the greatest painter who ever lived.

exist • • be found •

Example Bank:

• All she wanted was to get married and live happily ever after.

• He lives in Cape Town.

• He was living quietly with his family.

• He's now living a life of luxury in Australia.

• He's still living at home.

• I absolutely could not live without my cell phone!

• I did want to live more fully.

• I shall remember this day for as long as I live.

• I still live with my mum.

• I'm not going to live here permanently.

• Many of the people live in poverty and misery.

• Most of the people live very well, with nice houses and plenty to eat.

• She disapproves of unmarried couples living together.

• She lived through two world wars.

• She lived to the age of 95.

• She lives quite near here.

• She tried to live vicariously through her children.

• She's lived at this same address for four years.

• The couple have lived apart for two years.

• They lived among the people of this remote island.

• They lived frugally off a diet of beans and lentils.

• They'll have enough money to live comfortably.

• Tonight she felt like living dangerously.

• We went to live in Canada when I was three.

• Who wants to live forever? I don't.

• Women live longer than men in general.

• You can live there quite cheaply.

• children living separately from their parents

• learning to live with disability

• living with Aids

• older people still living independently

• teaching children about the world we live in

• the need to live as harmoniously as possible with everyone else

• young couples looking for a place to live

• He's the greatest player who ever lived.

• I don't want to be stuck in an office all my life— I want to live!

• I live in an old farmhouse.

• She needs to find somewhere to live.

• Where do these plates live?

• to live (on) for decades/many years/all my life/the rest of my life

violin

vio·lin[violinviolins] [ˌvaɪəˈlɪn] [ˌvaɪəˈlɪn]noun
 

a musical instrument with strings, that you hold under your chin and play with a bow

• Brahms' violin concerto

compare  viola 

see also  fiddle 

Word Origin:

late 16th cent.: from Italian violino, diminutive of viola (see viola).

Example Bank:

• Bach's sonatas and partitas for solo violin

• The cello is a member of the violin family.

verb

1. transitive ~ sth to pour water on plants, etc

• to water the plants/garden

2. intransitive (of the eyes) to become full of tears

• The smoke made my eyes water.

3. intransitive (of the mouth) to produce saliva

• The smells from the kitchen made our mouths water.

4. transitive ~ sth to give water to an animal to drink

• to water the horses

• (humorous) After a tour of the grounds, the guests were fed and watered.

5. transitive, usually passive ~ sth (technical) (of a river, etc.) to provide an area of land with water

• The valley is watered by a stream.

6. transitive ~ sth to add water to an alcoholic drink

• watered wine

Word Origin:

Old English wæter (noun), wæterian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch water, German Wasser, from an Indo-European root shared by Russian voda (compare with vodka), also by Latin unda ‘wave’ and Greek hudōr ‘water’.

Example Bank:

• Keep the area well watered.

• Once we were fed and watered, she showed us up to our rooms.

• The proposals got somewhat watered down at committee stage.

• The roses need watering.

• The smell of the meat made her mouth water.

• Water your houseplants well before you go on holiday.

mail

mail [mail mails mailed mailing] noun, verb   [meɪl]    [meɪl]

noun uncountable
1. (BrE also post) the official system used for sending and delivering letters, packages, etc
• a mail service/train/van
• the Royal Mail
• Your cheque is in the mail.
• We do our business by mail.

see also  airmail, snail mail, voicemail

2. (BrE also post) letters, packages, etc. that are sent and delivered
• There isn't much mail today.
• I sat down to open the mail.
• Is there a letter from them in the mail?
• hate mail (= letters containing insults and threats)

see also  junk mail, surface mail

3. messages that are sent or received on a computer
• Check regularly for new mail.

see also  electronic mail, email

4. used in the title of some newspapers

• the Mail on Sunday

5. =  chain mail
• a coat of mail  
Word Origin:
Middle English (in the sense ‘travelling bag’): from Old French male ‘wallet’, of West Germanic origin. The sense “by post” dates from the mid 17th cent.  
Culture:
postal services
Most letters and packages posted in Britain are dealt with by the Royal Mail, which is part of the Royal Mail Group Ltd, together with Parcelforce, which delivers larger packages, and the Post Office, which manages the country’s many post offices. As well as selling stamps, post offices take in letters and packages that are to be sent by special delivery. Post offices also sell vehicle licences and often greetings cards and stationery. In villages they are often combined with a newsagent’s and general store. In recent years, many smaller post offices have been closed because they do not make a profit, though this often led to protests from local people.
Mail (= letters, bills, etc.) is often called post in British English. When sending a letter, people can choose between two levels of service, first class or the cheaper second class. Normally, first-class mail is delivered the day after it is posted and second-class mail within two or three days. Every address in Britain includes a postcode of letters and numbers, for example OX1 2PX for an address in Oxford, that makes it possible to sort the post by machine. Letters are posted in red postboxes, also called letter boxes. Each has a sign giving times of collections. Postmen and women deliver mail each morning direct to homes and businesses. They put the mail through a flap in the door, which is also called a letter box. In the country they travel round in red vans, but in towns and villages they often ride bicycles.
The system that deals with mail in the US, the US Postal Service (USPS), is an independent part of the government. Its head is the Postmaster General. Mail carriers, sometimes called mailmen though many are women, deliver mail to homes and businesses once a day. Most homes have mailboxes fixed outside, near the door. It is very uncommon for a house to have a letter box in the door for letters. People whose houses are a long way from the road have a special rural mailbox by the road. This has a flag which the mail carrier raises so that the people in the house can see when they have mail. To mail (= send) a letter, people leave it on top of their own mailbox or put it in one of the many blue mailboxes in cities and towns. Every address in the US includes an abbreviation for the name of the state and a ZIP code, which is used to help sort the mail. Post offices sell stamps and deal with mail that has to be insured. Most cities have one post office which stays open late. Americans complain about the Postal Service, but it usually does an efficient job at a reasonable price.
In the US only Postal Service can deliver mail to letter boxes and the Service has a monopoly on first-class mail that is not urgent.In Britain the post office lost its monopoly on delivery of post in 2006. In both countries there are many companies who provide courier and messenger services for urgent mail. The largest of these include FedEx and DHL. In Britain private companies may also deliver mail to letter boxes. 
Thesaurus:
mail noun U
• There isn't any mail for you today.
letter • • email • • message • • note • • memo • • fax • • text • |BrE post • |formal correspondence • • communication • • memorandum •
(a/an) mail/letter/email/message/note/memo/fax/text/post/correspondence/communication/memorandum from/to sb
(a) personal/private mail/letter/email/message/note/correspondence/communication
send/receive (a/an) mail/letter/email/message/note/memo/fax/text/post/correspondence/communication/memorandum 
British/American:
post / mail
Nouns
In BrE the official system used for sending and delivering letters, parcels/packages, etc. is usually called the post. In NAmE it is usually called the mail: ▪ I’ll put an application form in the post/mail for you today. ◊ ▪ Send your fee by post/mail to this address. Mail is sometimes used in BrE in such expressions as ▪ the Royal Mail. Post occurs in NAmE in such expressions as ▪ the US Postal Service.
In BrE post is also used to mean the letters, parcels/packages, etc. that are delivered to you. Mail is the usual word in NAmE and is sometimes also used in BrE: ▪ Was there any post/mail this morning? ◊ ▪ I sat down to open my post/mail. Verbs
Compare: ▪ I’ll post the letter when I go out. (BrE) and ▪ I’ll mail the letter when I go out. (NAmE)Compounds
Note these words: postman (BrE), mailman/mail carrier (both NAmE); postbox (BrE), mailbox (NAmE) Some compounds are used in both BrE and NAmE: post office, postcard, mail order. 
Example Bank:
• Has the mail come yet?
• He has received death threats and hate mail from angry fans.
• I throw away junk mail without reading it.
• I throw junk mail straight in the bin without reading it.
• If we want to send something to another department, we use the internal mail.
• Is there anything interesting in the mail?
• My reply is in the mail.
• Send it by first-class mail.
• She checked her mail before leaving the hotel.
• Some people let their assistants handle the mail.
• The mail carrier didn't deliver the mail on Friday.
• The mail is collected twice a day.
• The postcode allows the mail to be sorted automatically.
• We got the Post Office to redirect our mail when we moved.
• We had our mail redirected when we moved out.
• direct mail advertising
• the strange piece of fan mail she'd received two days earlier
• Half a million tonnes of junk mail is generated every year in the UK.
• I sat down to open the mail.
• Is there a letter from them in the mail?
• She's received a lot of hate mail for speaking out about it.
• There isn't much mail today.
• You've got mail.

Derived: mail something out 

camping

camp·ing [camping]   [ˈkæmpɪŋ]    [ˈkæmpɪŋ]  noun uncountable

living in a tent, etc. on holiday/vacation

• Do you go camping?

• a camping trip

• camping equipment

Example Bank:

• We go camping every weekend.

camp

camp [camp camps camped camping camper campest] noun, verb, adjective   [kæmp]    [kæmp] 

noun 

IN TENTS

1. countable, uncountable a place where people live temporarily in tents or temporary buildings

• Let's return to camp.

• to pitch/make camp (= put up tents)

• to break camp (= to take down tents)

see also  holiday camp  

HOLIDAY/VACATION

2. countable, uncountable a place where young people go on holiday/vacation and take part in various activities or a particular activity

• a tennis camp

• He spent two weeks at camp this summer.

• summer camp

see also  fat camp  

PRISON, ETC.

3. countable (used in compounds) a place where people are kept in temporary buildings or tents, especially by a government and often for long periods

• a refugee camp

• a camp guard

see also  concentration camp, prison camp, transit camp  

ARMY

4. countable, uncountable a place where soldiers live while they are training or fighting

• an army camp  

GROUP OF PEOPLE

5. countable a group of people who have the same ideas about sth and oppose people with other ideas

• the socialist camp

• We were in opposing camps.

• People are split into two camps on this issue.

6. countable one of the sides in a competition and the people connected with it

• There was an air of confidence in the England camp.

see have/keep a foot in both camps at  foot  n.

Word Origin:

n. and v. early 16th cent. French camp champ Italian campo Latin campus ‘level ground’
adj. early 20th cent.

Example Bank:

• Militants raided an army camp.

• She spent five years in a labour camp.

• The children are spending a week at a summer camp.

• The kids were at basketball camp most of the summer.

• The mountaineers set up their base camp at the foot of the mountain.

• The region split into two armed camps.

• There are opportunities for children to attend summer camps.

• They established a base camp by the river.

• We broke camp early the next morning.

• We pitched camp just outside the woods.

• a politician who switches camp when it suits him

• concentration camp survivors

• people in both main political camps

• the appalling conditions in the refugee camps

• Concentration camps were first used during the Boer War.

• He spent the rest of the war in a prison camp.

• Nearly a year after the disaster, many people are still living in refugee camps.

• The scientists split into two camps over the validity of animal studies.

• They were repeatedly beaten by camp guards.

Derived: camp it up ▪ camp out 

born

born verb, adjective   [bɔːn]    [bɔːrn] 

verb be born (used only in the passive, without by)
1. (abbr. b.) to come out of your mother's body at the beginning of your life
• I was born in 1976.
• He was born in a small village in northern Spain.
• She was born with a weak heart.
• ~ into sth She was born into a very musical family.
• ~ of/to sb He was born of/to German parents.
• + adj. Her brother was born blind (= was blind when he was born).

• + noun John Wayne was born Marion Michael Morrison (= that was his name at birth).

2. (of an idea, an organization, a feeling, etc.) to start to exist
• the city where the protest movement was born

• ~ (out) of sth She acted with a courage born (out) of desperation.

3. -born (in compounds) born in the order, way, place, etc. mentioned
• firstborn
• nobly-born
• French-born
see also  newborn 
more at not know you are born at  know  v., to the manner born at  manner, be/be born/be made that/this way at  way  n.  
Word Origin:
Old English boren, past participle of beran ‘to bear’, of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit bharati, Greek pherein, and Latin ferre.  
Collocations:
The ages of life
Childhood/youth
be born and raised/bred in Oxford; into a wealthy/middle-class family
have a happy/an unhappy/a tough childhood
grow up in a musical family/an orphanage; on a farm
be/grow up an only child (= with no brothers or sisters)
reach/hit/enter/go through adolescence/puberty
be in your teens/early twenties/mid-twenties/late twenties
undergo/experience physical/psychological changes
give in to/succumb to/resist peer pressure
assert your independence/individuality
Adulthood
leave school/university/home
go out to work (at sixteen)
get/find a job/partner
be/get engaged/married
have/get a wife/husband/mortgage/steady job
settle down and have kids/children/a family
begin/start/launch/build a career (in politics/science/the music industry)
prove (to be)/represent/mark/reach a (major) turning point for sb/in your life/career
reach/be well into/settle into middle age
have/suffer/go through a midlife crisis
take/consider early retirement
approach/announce/enjoy your retirement
Old age
have/see/spend time with your grandchildren
take up/pursue/develop a hobby
get/receive/draw/collect/live on a pension
approach/save for/die from old age
live to a ripe old age
reach the grand old age of 102/23 (often ironic)
be/become/be getting/be going senile (often ironic)
die (peacefully)/pass away in your sleep/after a brief illness 
Example Bank:
• I was born and bred in Texas.
• She was born into a wealthy family.
• The part is played by an American-born actress.
• Their child was born with a serious medical problem.
• babies who are born to very young mothers
• to be born of noble parents

Idioms: born and bred ▪ born to be something ▪ born with a silver spoon in your mouth ▪ in all my born days ▪ not be born yesterday ▪ there's one born every minute 

adjective only before noun
having a natural ability or skill for a particular activity or job
• a born athlete/writer/leader
• a born loser (= a person who always loses or is unsuccessful)  
Word Origin:

[born] Old English boren, past participle of beran ‘to bear’, of Germanic origin; from an Indo-European root shared by Sanskrit bharati, Greek pherein, and Latin ferre.

charity

char·ity [charity charities]   [ˈtʃærəti]    [ˈtʃærəti]  noun (pl. char·ities)

1. countable an organization for helping people in need

• Many charities sent money to help the victims of the famine.

• The concert will raise money for local charities.

2. uncountable the aim of giving money, food, help, etc. to people who are in need

• Most of the runners in the London Marathon are raising money for charity.

• Do you give much to charity?

• a charity concert (= organized to get money for charity)

• to live on/off charity (= to live on money which other people give you because you are poor)

3. uncountable (formal) kindness and sympathy towards other people, especially when you are judging them

• Her article showed no charity towards her former friends.

Idiom: charity begins at home 

Word Origin:

late Old English (in the sense ‘Christian love of one's fellows’): from Old French charite, from Latin caritas, from carus ‘dear’.

Culture:

charities

Charities are independent organizations that help the poor, the homeless, children, old people and animals. They are involved with human rights, education, medical research and conservation of the environment. Many of them began in the time before governments provided any social services, when poor people had to turn to charitable organizations for help. Charities rely on money given by the public, and on help from volunteers in fund-raising and carrying out their activities.

In 2003 there were about 187 000 charities in Britain, with a total income of £30 billion. The charity with the highest income was Cancer Research UK. Many charities that are now well known throughout the world, such as Oxfam and Amnesty International, began in Britain. Americans are also enthusiastic supporters of charities. In 2002 they gave over $240 billion. The Salvation Army received the most money.

In Britain organizations qualify for charitable status if they are established for the ‘public good’. Many charities ask well-known people, including members of the royal family, to become their patrons. Charities do not pay tax on the money they receive, but they are not allowed to make a profit.

Charities in Britain are not allowed to take part in political activity, so some set up a separate pressure group which campaigns on related issues. The Charity Commission keeps a list of charities and advises them. Well-known charities working in Britain include Oxfam, the British Heart Foundation, which pays for research into heart disease, Barnardo's, Age Concern, Help the Aged and Shelter

In the US religious organizations receive most money from the public, followed by those concerned with social services, education and health. Well-known charities include the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, the United Negro College Fund, which helps African Americans get an education, and the American Cancer Society. Local charities operate shelters for the homeless and soup kitchens where poor people can eat free.

A lot of the work done by charities in the US, such as caring for the poor or providing education, is done in other countries by the government. Americans have a strong belief that, if possible, private groups, not the government, should do this work.

The traditional method of raising money is to organize a flag day. Volunteers stand in busy streets asking members of the public to put money in a collecting tin. In exchange, they are given a paper sticker, formerly a small paper flag with a pin through it, with the charity’s name on it. This is sometimes called ‘tin-rattling’. The British Legion's flag day, called Poppy Day, has become a feature of British life.

Nearly every town in Britain has several charity shops. These are run by volunteer staff and sell second-hand clothes, books and household goods at low prices in aid of charity. Some shops, e.g. Oxfam shops, also sell goods made by people who are benefiting from the charity’s work. At Christmas, people often buy charity cards, cards sold in aid of charity. Charity shops

(AmE thrift shops). are less common in the US, but include shops run by the Salvation Army and Goodwill.

In recent years, the telethon has proved an effective method of fund-raising. During an evening of popular television programmes, television stars ask the public to telephone and pledge (= promise) money to the charities involved. The Comic Relief evening in Britain and the muscular dystrophy telethon in the US are the most famous. Other fund-raising activities include fêtes (= outdoor sales of craftwork, plants, etc.) and jumble sales (= sales of second-hand goods). Sponsored walks, cycle rides, even parachute jumps, where people agree to give money to a person completing a task, are also popular. At Christmas or Thanksgiving, schools and churches organize collections of food, called food drives in the US, for old people and the poor.

An important source of funds for charities in Britain is the National Lottery, which gives a proportion of its income to ‘good causes’.

In both Britain and the US many workers have money taken from their pay and sent to charity. This is called payroll giving. Some companies in the US hold fund-raising drives, in which different parts of the company compete to see which of them pledges the most money. The United Way, a national organization that collects money to give to small local charities, benefits from this. As in Britain, many people leave money to charity in their will. It is also common, when somebody dies, for the family to ask people to send a contribution to a charity instead of sending flowers to the funeral.

Thesaurus:

charity noun

1. C

• helping local charities

cause • • foundation • |law trust •

a charity/foundation/trust for sth

a national/private/independent/family/educational/medical/conservation/housing charity/foundation/trust

help/support a charity/cause/foundation/trust

2. U

• raising money for charity

aid • • relief • • welfare • |sometimes disapproving handout •

ask for/get/receive charity/aid/relief/welfare

give (sb) charity/aid/relief/handouts

rely/depend on charity/welfare/handouts

Example Bank:

• She runs a charity for homeless young people.

• The school raised a lot of money for charity.

• The school raised over a hundred pounds for charity.

• They are proud people who don't accept charity.

• They have no money and are forced to live on charity.

• a charity for sick children

• He refused to live off charity.

• He replied patiently, with more charity than I deserved.

• Most of the runners in the London Marathon are raising money for charity.

fishing

fish·ing   [ˈfɪʃɪŋ]    [ˈfɪʃɪŋ]  noun uncountable

the sport or business of catching fish

• They often go fishing.

• deep-sea fishing

• a fishing boat

• fishing grounds

• We enjoyed a day's fishing by the river.

Culture:

field sports [field sports fishing]

The main field sports are hunting, shooting and fishing. They are often also called blood sports because they involve killing animals. In Britain all three sports were traditionally associated with the upper classes, although today they all, especially fishing, attract a much wider group of people.

Fox-hunting, usually called just ‘hunting’ in Britain, was until recently the most common form of hunting. A pack of specially trained dogs (called foxhounds) chase after and kill a fox while a group of people follow on horseback, traditionally wearing pink (= red jackets) and blowing horns. Fox-hunting was once a popular subject for painting and some English country pubs display sets of prints. Fox-hunting, together with stag-hunting (= the hunting of male deer), hare coursing, in which greyhounds chase after a hare (= a type of rabbit) are now illegal, as are other blood sports such as badger-baiting and cockfighting.

The ban on hunting was an important political issue in Britain. Many people believe hunting is cruel and should be stopped, but some people living in the country see the ban as an attack on their way of life. The ban finally came into effect in 2005. Organizations opposed to hunting with dogs include the League Against Cruel Sports and the RSPCA ( Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals). The main organization in favour is the Countryside Alliance.

Shooting game birds, such as pheasant and grouse, is a sport mainly of the upper and middle classes. Grouse shooting begins each year on 12 August, the Glorious Twelfth, and takes place mainly in Scotland. The hunters often employ beaters to drive the birds towards their guns. Those who object to shooting at live birds for sport do clay pigeon shooting (= shooting at clay discs fired into the air).

Fishing, often called angling, is a very popular sport and there are many angling clubs. Three main types of angling take place: fly-fishing, coarse fishing and sea fishing. Fly-fishing, which is expensive, is fishing for salmon, trout and other fish in fast-flowing rivers, using specially disguised hooks. Coarse fishing in rivers and lakes for fish other than salmon and trout, most of which are thrown back after being caught, is more widely popular. On the coast people may fish with a rod and line from a boat or from the shore.

The US probably has more hunting organizations than any other country. This is mainly because of two strong traditions: the Constitution gives all Americans the right to own guns, and Americans have always hunted animals for food. The first Europeans who settled America hunted deer, bear, foxes, turkeys and ducks to survive, and many Americans still eat what they shoot. For these reasons, hunting is a sport for all classes and many people own hunting rifles. Americans do not use the name field sports. Instead they say outdoor sports or, because that can include camping, walking and boating, simply hunting and fishing. Bird hunting is often used instead of shooting, because that can also mean shooting at targets made of wood.

Many other Americans are against hunting, but animal rights groups have little power against organizations like the National Rifle Association, which has more than 4 million members, and other politically active groups that support hunting and fishing. Conservation organizations like the Colorado Wildlife Coalition also use their influence to protect the rights of people to hunt and fish.

The first US hunting club, the Gloucester Fox Hunting Club, was established in 1766 in Philadelphia. Fox-hunting now only takes place in a few eastern states where it is associated with the upper class and has little opposition. Americans generally hunt deer, elk, bear, antelope, mountain lion, raccoon and wild birds. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is in charge of fishing and hunting laws. States have their own wildlife departments and sometimes both national and state permission is needed to hunt.

Fishing is the most popular outdoor sport in America. Freshwater (= river) fish caught in the US include trout, bass and salmon. Saltwater (= sea) fish include flounder, mackerel, shark, snapper and tuna.

Example Bank:

• Ecuador announced a ban on fishing for shrimp.

• Fishing rights are held by the local angling club.

• He goes fishing every weekend.

• Just below that bridge is a good fishing spot.

• One of his hobbies was fly-fishing.

• She has been big game fishing off the coast of Kenya.

• The two countries have signed a new fishing agreement.

• This stretch of the river is renowned for its good fishing.

• You need a fishing licence to fish in the lake.

• controls on fishing activity

• the rich fishing grounds off the coast of Namibia

x

fish

fish [fish fishes fished fishing] noun, verb   [fɪʃ]    [fɪʃ]

noun (pl. fish or fishes) Fish is the usual plural form. The older form, fishes, can be used to refer to different kinds of fish.

1. countable a creature that lives in water, breathes through gills, and uses fins and a tail for swimming

• They caught several fish.

• tropical/marine/freshwater fish

• shoals (= groups) of fish

• a fish tank/pond

• There are about 30 000 species of fish in the world.

• The list of endangered species includes nearly 600 fishes.

• Fish stocks in the Baltic are in decline.

• In the pool she could see little silvery fish darting around.

see also  coarse fish, flatfish, sea fish, shellfish, wet fish

2. uncountable the flesh of fish eaten as food

• frozen/smoked/fresh fish

• fish pie

• The chef's fish dishes are his speciality.

• Fish forms the main part of their diet.

more at a big fish (in a small pond) at  big  adj., a cold fish at  cold  adj., a different kettle of fish at  different, drink like a fish at  drink  v., be like shooting fish in a barrel at  shoot  v.

Word Origin:

Old English fisc (as a noun denoting any animal living exclusively in water), fiscian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vis, vissen and German Fisch, fischen.

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:

• He landed a big fish.

• He landed one very big fish.

• I cleaned and filleted the fish.

• Remove the skin and flake the cooked fish.

• The fish aren't biting today.

• The fish aren't biting= taking the bait today.

• This fish tastes funny.

• fish farmed in Canada

• the depletion of fish stocks

Idioms: a queer fish ▪ fish out of water ▪ have other fish to fry ▪ neither fish nor fowl ▪ there are plenty more fish in the sea

Derived: fish for something ▪ fish somebody out 

tired

tired [tired tireder tiredest]   [ˈtaɪəd]    [ˈtaɪərd]  adjective

1. feeling that you would like to sleep or rest; needing rest

Syn:  weary

• to be/look/feel tired

• I'm too tired even to think.

• They were cold, hungry and tired out (= very tired).

• tired feet

2. feeling that you have had enough of sb/sth because you no longer find them/it interesting or because they make you angry or unhappy

• ~ of sb/sth I'm sick and tired of all the arguments.

• ~ of doing sth She was tired of hearing about their trip to India.

3. boring because it is too familiar or has been used too much

• He always comes out with the same tired old jokes.

see also  dog-tired

Derived Words: tiredly ▪ tiredness 

Example Bank:

• He looked tired and drawn.

• I'm sick and tired of listening to you complain.

• I'm still a bit tired from the journey.

• Of course I'm not ill. I'm just tired.

• Polly suddenly felt awfully tired.

• She had grown heartily tired of his company.

• The walk left me quite tired out.

• He began with a few tired old jokes.

• I'm too tired even to think.

• It's a tired cliché-ridden definition of leadership.

• It's the same tired advice that was given to my mother.

• The word ‘empowering’ is tired and overused.

• The words danced on the page before his tired eyes.

• They were cold, hungry and tired out.

tire

tire [tire tires tired tiring] verb, noun   [ˈtaɪə(r)]    [ˈtaɪər]

verb intransitive, transitive ~ (sb)

to become tired and feel as if you want to sleep or rest; to make sb feel this way

• Her legs were beginning to tire.

• He has made a good recovery but still tires easily.

Word Origin:

v. Old English tēorian ‘fail, come to an end’, also ‘become physically exhausted’, of unknown origin.

Example Bank:

• She found herself tiring more quickly these days.

• The long walk had really tired me out.

• He has made a good recovery but he still tires easily.

• Long conversations tired her.

Idiom: never tire of doing something

Derived: tire of somebody ▪ tire somebody out 

noun (NAmE) (BrE tyre)

a thick rubber ring that fits around the edge of a wheel of a car, bicycle, etc

• a front tire

• a back/rear tire

• to pump up a tire

• a flat/burst/punctured tire

• bald/worn tires

• to check your tire pressure

• He drove off with a screech of tires.

see also  spare tyre 

Word Origin:

v. Old English tēorian ‘fail, come to an end’, also ‘become physically exhausted’, of unknown origin.

See also: tyre