British English

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.

pepper

pep·per [pepper peppers peppered peppering] noun, verb  [ˈpepə(r)]    [ˈpepər]

noun

1. uncountable a powder made from dried berries (called peppercorns), used to give a hot flavour to food

• Season with salt and pepper

• freshly ground pepper

see also  black pepper, cayenne, white pepper

2. (BrE) (also ˌsweet ˈpepper BrE, NAmE) (NAmE ˈbell pepper) countable, uncountable a hollow fruit, usually red, green or yellow, eaten as a vegetable either raw or cooked

Word Origin:

Old English piper, pipor, of West Germanic origin; related to Dutch peper and German Pfeffer; via Latin from Greek peperi, from Sanskrit pippalī ‘berry, peppercorn’.

Example Bank:

• Add salt and pepper to taste.

• He gave me a great recipe for stuffed peppers.

• He put some pepper on his steak.

• freshly ground black pepper

• peppers stuffed with meat and rice

Derived: pepper somebody with something ▪ pepper something with something 

define

de·fine AW [define defines defined defining]   [dɪˈfaɪn]    [dɪˈfaɪn]  verb
1. to say or explain what the meaning of a word or phrase is
• ~ sth The term ‘mental illness’ is difficult to define.

• ~ sth as sth Life imprisonment is defined as 60 years under state law.

2. to describe or show sth accurately
• ~ sth We need to define the task ahead very clearly.
• The difficulty of a problem was defined in terms of how long it took to complete.

• ~ what, how, etc… It is difficult to define what makes him so popular.

3. ~ sth to show clearly a line, shape or edge
• The mountain was sharply defined against the sky.
Derived Word: definable
 
Word Origin:
late Middle English (also in the sense ‘bring to an end)’: from Old French definer, from a variant of Latin definire, from de- (expressing completion) + finire ‘finish’ (from finis ‘end’).  
Thesaurus:
define verb T
• The term ‘mental illness’ is difficult to define.
explain • • interpret • • spell sth out • |formal clarify • • expound •
define/explain/spell out/clarify how/what…
define/explain/clarify the position/role/nature/meaning of sth
clearly define/explain/spell out/expound sth 
Language Bank:
define
Defining terms
It is important to clarify what is meant by ▪ climate change.
▪ Climate change can ▪ / may be defined as ▪ ‘the long-term fluctuations in temperature, precipitation, wind and other aspects of the earth's climate’.
A generally accepted definition of ▪ global warming is ▪ the gradual increase in the overall temperature of the earth's atmosphere due to the greenhouse effect.
▪ The greenhouse effect is defined ▪ by the author as ▪ the process by which heat from the sun is trapped in the earth's atmosphere, causing the temperature of the earth to rise.
▪ The author uses the term ▪ climate change to refer to ▪ any significant change in measures of climate lasting for an extended period.
The term ▪ ‘carbon footprint’ refers to ▪ the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere as a result of the activities of an individual or organization.
▪ Scientists suggest that increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will result in an increase in global temperatures, and the term ▪ ‘global warming’ is used ▪ to describe this phenomenon.
Language Bank at first  
Example Bank:
• Social values are not easy to define.
• There may be problems if responsibilities are not adequately defined.
• This type of lymphoma is defined by the presence of specific malignant cells.
• Thread count is defined as the number of threads in one square inch of fabric.
• We have chosen to define the scope of our study quite broadly.

• the culturally defined role of women

remould

re·mould f25 [remould remoulds remoulded remoulding] (especially US re·mold)  [ˌriːˈməʊld]    [ˌriːˈmoʊld]  verb ~ sth (formal)
to change sth such as an idea, a system, etc
• attempts to remould policy to make it more acceptable

See also: remold