British English

noun  

FOOD
1. countable (BrE) a small piece of sweet food, usually made with sugar and/or chocolate and eaten between meals
Syn:  candy
• a packet of boiled sweets

• a sweet shop

2. countable, uncountable (BrE) a sweet dish eaten at the end of a meal
Syn:  afters, Syn: dessert, Syn: pudding
• I haven't made a sweet today.

• Would you like some more sweet?  

PERSON

3. uncountable (old-fashioned) a way of addressing sb that you like or love
• Don't you worry, my sweet.  
Word Origin:
Old English swēte, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zoet, German süss, from an Indo-European root shared by Latin suavis and Greek hēdus.  
Example Bank:

• I was sucking a boiled sweet.

adjective
1. not moving; calm and quiet
• still water
• Keep still while I brush your hair.
• The kids found it hard to stay still.
• Can't you sit still?

• We stayed in a village where time has stood still (= life has not changed for many years).

2. with no wind
• a still summer's day

• the still night air

3. (BrE) (of a drink) not containing bubbles of gas; not fizzy
• still mineral water  
Word Origin:
adv. and adj. v. and n. sense 1 Old English stille stillan West Germanic ‘be fixed, stand’
n. sense 2 mid 16th cent. still ‘extract by distillation’ distil
 
Thesaurus:
still adj.
• Stay absolutely still.
stationary • • at a standstill • |formal inert • |written motionless • • immobile •
Opp: moving
remain still/stationary/inert/motionless/immobile
stay/lie still/inert/motionless/immobile
sit/stand still/motionless/immobile 
Example Bank:
• He stood stock-still, hardly daring to breathe.
• Hold still a minute while I pin your dress up.
• I held the cat still while the vet gave the injection.
• It was a completely still, warm evening.
• Please sit still!
• Suddenly everything went still.
• The air was strangely still and silent.
• A fallen tree floated in the still water.
• Her voice carried on the still air.
• Hold the ladder still while I try to get over the wall.
• I sat stock still, hardly breathing.
• I wish you'd keep still.
• It was a still night and the tall trees stood silently against the stars.
• Keep your head still.
• Stand still when I'm talking to you!
• Stay absolutely still.
• The cat remained perfectly still.

• The surface of the lake was calm and still.

talent

tal·ent [talent talents]   [ˈtælənt]    [ˈtælənt]  noun
1. countable, uncountable a natural ability to do sth well
• to have great artistic talent
• a man of many talents
• ~ (for sth/for doing sth) She showed considerable talent for getting what she wanted.

• a talent competition/contest/show (= in which people perform, to show how well they can sing, dance, etc.)

2. uncountable, countable people or a person with a natural ability to do sth well
• There is a wealth of young talent in British theatre.

• He is a great talent.

3. uncountable (BrE, slang) people who are sexually attractive
• He likes to spend his time chatting up the local talent.  
Word Origin:
Old English talente, talentan (as a unit of weight), from Latin talenta, plural of talentum ‘weight, sum of money’, from Greek talanton. The current sense is a figurative use based on the parable of the talents in the Bible (Matt. 25:14–30).  
Example Bank:
• Hard work is important, but it is no substitute for raw talent.
• He has been putting his artistic talents to good use.
• He is a violinist of exceptional talent.
• Her talents lay in organization.
• His parents accused him of wasting his talents and abilities.
• Hollywood directors have a marvellous pool of acting talent to draw from.
• It takes real talent to write a great pop song.
• She has a keen eye for spotting talent.
• The banquet gave the chef a chance to flaunt his talents.
• The boy has undoubted talent.
• The company is always looking out for new talent.
• The festival attracts talent from all over the world.
• The theatre visits schools to tap young talent.
• There is a shortage of new comedy talent coming through.
• There is a wealth of talent out there in our schools.
• United have unearthed a real talent in this young defender.
• We are losing our top talent to other countries who pay more.
• Where does her musical talent come from?
• You have a natural talent for storytelling.
• an effort to develop his creative talents to the full
• kids with musical talent
• one of the few teams that relies on home-grown talent
• As a boy, Elvis was entered for a talent contest at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair.
• He's a man of many talents.

• She has great artistic talent.

noodle

noo·dle [noodle noodles]   [ˈnuːdl]    [ˈnuːdl]  noun
1. usually plural a long thin strip of pasta, used especially in Chinese and Italian cooking
• chicken noodle soup

• Would you prefer rice or noodles?

2. countable (old-fashioned, NAmE, slang) =  noddle  
Word Origin:

sense 1 late 18th cent.: from German Nudel, of unknown origin.

coconut

co·co·nut [coconut coconuts]   [ˈkəʊkənʌt]    [ˈkoʊkənʌt]  noun
 

1. countable the large nut of a tropical tree called a coconut palm. It grows inside a hard shell and contains a soft white substance that can be eaten and juice that can be drunk.

2. uncountable the soft white substance inside a coconut, used in cooking
• desiccated coconut
• coconut biscuits/cookies
• coconut oil  
Example Bank:
• She broke open the coconut and drank its sweet milk.
• a bay fringed with swaying coconut palms

• huge bunches of fresh coconuts

olive

olive [olive olives] noun, adjective   [ˈɒlɪv]    [ˈɑːlɪv] 

noun

1. countable a small green or black fruit with a strong taste, used in cooking and for its oil

2. (also ˈolive tree) countable a tree on which olives grow

• olive groves

3. (also ˌolive ˈgreen) uncountable a yellowish-green colour 
Word Origin:

Middle English: via Old French from Latin oliva, from Greek elaia, from elaion ‘oil’.

adjective

1. (also ˌolive-ˈgreen) yellowish-green in colour

2. (of skin) yellowish-brown in colour
• an olive complexion  
Word Origin:
Middle English: via Old French from Latin oliva, from Greek elaia, from elaion ‘oil’.  
Example Bank:
• The thin straps revealed the pale olive tone of her shoulders.

• a dark olive green carpet

See also: olive green ▪ olive tree

corn

corn [corn corns]   [kɔːn]    [kɔːrn]  noun

1. (BrE) uncountable any plant that is grown for its grain, such as wheat; the grain of these plants
• a field of corn
• ears/sheaves of corn

• corn-fed chicken

2. (NAmE) (BrE maize) uncountable a tall plant grown for its large yellow grains that are used for making flour or eaten as a vegetable; the grains of this plant

see also  corncob, corn on the cob

3. (NAmE) (BrE sweet·corn) uncountable the yellow seeds of a type of corn ( maize ) plant, also called corn, which grow on thick stems and are cooked and eaten as a vegetable

4. countable a small area of hard skin on the foot, especially the toe, that is sometimes painful
See also: maize ▪ sweetcorn  
Word Origin:
senses 1 to 3 Old English Germanic Dutch koren German Korn
sense 4 late Middle English Anglo-Norman French Latin cornu ‘horn’
 
Collocations:
Farming
Growing food and raising animals
plant trees/seeds/crops/vines/barley
grow/produce corn/wheat/rice/fruit
plough/ (NAmE) plow land/a field
sow/harvest seeds/crops/fields
spread manure/fertilizer on sth
cultivate/irrigate/water/contaminate crops/plants/fields/land
damage/destroy/lose your crop
ripen/pick fruit/berries/grapes
press/dry/ferment grapes
grind/thresh grain/corn/wheat
raise/rear/keep chickens/poultry/cattle/pigs
raise/breed/feed/graze livestock/cattle/sheep
kill/slaughter livestock
preserve/smoke/cure/salt meat
Modern farming
run a fish farm/an organic dairy
engage in/be involved in intensive (pig/fish) farming
use/apply (chemical/organic) fertilizer/insecticides/pesticides
begin/do/conduct field trials of GM (= genetically modified) crops
grow/develop GM crops/seeds/plants/foods
fund/invest in genetic engineering/research
improve/increase crop yields
face/suffer from/alleviate food shortages
label food that contains GMOs (= genetically modified organisms)
eliminate/reduce farm subsidies
oppose/be against factory farming/GM food
promote/encourage/support organic/sustainable farming 
Example Bank:
• The corn is still green.

• a field of standing corn

corn oil

ˈcorn oil 7 [corn oil]       noun uncountable

oil produced from maize ( corn ), used in cooking

olive oil

ˌolive ˈoil 7 [olive oil]       noun uncountable
oil produced from olives, used in cooking and on salad

see also  extra virgin

justice

just·ice [justice justices]   [ˈdʒʌstɪs]    [ˈdʒʌstɪs]  noun
1. uncountable the fair treatment of people
• laws based on the principles of justice
• They are demanding equal rights and justice.
Opp:  injustice 

see also  poetic justice, rough justice

2. uncountable the quality of being fair or reasonable
• Who can deny the justice of their cause?
• He demanded, not without justice, that he should be allowed to express his views.

Opp:  injustice

3. uncountable the legal system used to punish people who have committed crimes
• the criminal justice system
• The European Court of Justice
• (BrE) They were accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
• (NAmE) They were accused of attempting to obstruct justice.

see also  miscarriage of justice

4. (also Just·ice) countable (NAmE) a judge in a court (also used before the name of a judge)

see also  chief justice

5. Just·ice countable (BrE, CanE) used before the name of a judge in a court of appeal
• Mr Justice Davies
more at pervert the course of justice at  pervert  _v.
Idioms: bring somebody to justice ▪ do justice to somebody do somebody justice ▪ do yourself justice  
Word Origin:
late Old English iustise ‘administration of the law’, via Old French from Latin justitia, from justus, from jus ‘law, right’.  
Culture:
the legal system
In Britain, for historical reasons, the system of law used in Scotland is different from that in England and Wales, with the law in Northern Ireland similar to that in England. When making decisions Scottish courts look for an appropriate general principle and apply it to a particular situation. English law relies on case law, a collection of previous decisions, called precedents. English courts look at precedents for the case being tried and make a similar judgement. A basic principle of law in Britain is that anyone accused is innocent until proven guilty, so it is the job of the prosecution to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant (= the person accused) has broken the law as stated in the charge. If this cannot be proved the person must be acquitted (= allowed to go free, with no blame attached).
British law is divided into civil law which concerns disagreements between individuals about matters such as business contracts, and criminal law which deals with offences that involve harm to a person resulting from somebody breaking the law. In civil cases, the plaintiff (= the person who claims to have been wronged) brings an action against the defendant in the hope of winning damages (= a financial payment) or an injunction (= a court order preventing the defendant from doing something). Criminal cases are brought against criminals by the state, in England and Wales by the Director of Public Prosecutions and in Scotland through procurators fiscal.
In England and Wales most towns have a Magistrates' Court where minor cases are judged and more serious cases are passed to higher courts by three magistrates called Justices of the Peace, specially trained members of the public. The more serious cases are heard in a Crown Court by a judge and a jury. Minor civil cases, such as divorce and bankruptcy, are heard in the county courts and more serious ones in the High Court of Justice. Appeals against decisions from the Crown Court or the High Court go to the Court of Appeal and a few cases, where a question of law is in doubt, are passed to the House of Lords.
In Scotland, criminal cases are heard in District Courts by members of the public called lay justices. More serious cases go to regional sheriff courts and are heard by the sheriff and a jury. Appeals go to the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh. Civil cases begin in the sheriff court and may go on appeal to the Court of Session.
In the US, the judicial system is one of the three branches of the federal government, but the legal system operates at many levels with state, county and city courts as well as federal courts. The right to trial by jury is provided by the Constitution. Each type of court has its own jurisdiction, that is it deals with certain kinds of cases. Both civil and criminal cases are first heard in trial courts and there is a right to appeal against the court’s decision in a court of appeals. Many states have family courts where people get divorced and small claims courts which deal with small amounts of money. States also have trial courts, which hear a wider range of cases, and courts of appeal called superior courts or district courts. Most states have a supreme court where the most serious appeals are held. States have their own criminal code, but some crimes are federal offences, i.e. against federal law, and crimes may fall under federal jurisdiction if more than one state is involved.
Most courts have only one judge, but some higher courts have several. In the US Supreme Court, the nine judges are called justices. The people on either side of a case are represented by lawyers, also called attorneys-at-law. In a criminal trial the defendant is represented by a defense attorney, or if he or she is too poor to pay a lawyer, the court will appoint a public defender. The prosecution is led by an assistant district attorney or, in federal cases, by a federal attorney. 
Thesaurus:
justice noun U
• Our laws must be based on principles of justice.
fairness • • fair play • • equality • |formal equity •
Opp: injustice
justice/fairness/fair play/equality/equity for sb
social/economic justice/fairness/equality/equity
ensure justice/fairness/fair play/equality/equity
guarantee justice/fairness/equality/equity 
Collocations:
Criminal justice
Breaking the law
break/violate/obey/uphold the law
be investigated/arrested/tried for a crime/a robbery/fraud
be arrested/ (especially NAmE) indicted/convicted on charges of rape/fraud/(especially US) felony charges
be arrested on suspicion of arson/robbery/shoplifting
be accused of/be charged with murder/(especially NAmE) homicide/four counts of fraud
face two charges of indecent assault
admit your guilt/liability/responsibility (for sth)
deny the allegations/claims/charges
confess to a crime
grant/be refused/be released on/skip/jump bail
The legal process
stand/await/bring sb to/come to/be on trial
take sb to/come to/settle sth out of court
face/avoid/escape prosecution
seek/retain/have the right to/be denied access to legal counsel
hold/conduct/attend/adjourn a hearing/trial
sit on/influence/persuade/convince the jury
sit/stand/appear/be put/place sb in the dock
plead guilty/not guilty to a crime
be called to/enter (BrE) the witness box
take/put sb on the stand/(NAmE) the witness stand
call/subpoena/question/cross-examine a witness
give/hear the evidence against/on behalf of sb
raise/withdraw/overrule an objection
reach a unanimous/majority verdict
return/deliver/record a verdict of not guilty/unlawful killing/accidental death
convict/acquit the defendant of the crime
secure a conviction/your acquittal
lodge/file an appeal
appeal (against)/challenge/uphold/overturn a conviction/verdict
Sentencing and punishment
pass sentence on sb
carry/face/serve a seven-year/life sentence
receive/be given the death penalty
be sentenced to ten years (in prison/jail)
carry/impose/pay a fine (of $3 000)/a penalty (of 14 years imprisonment)
be imprisoned/jailed for drug possession/fraud/murder
do/serve time/ten years
be sent to/put sb in/be released from jail/prison
be/put sb/spend X years on death row
be granted/be denied/break (your) parole
more collocations at crime  
Example Bank:
• Civilians were not subject to summary justice.
• He saw it as rough justice when he got food poisoning from the stolen meat.
• He spent twenty years in prison as a result of a miscarriage of justice.
• Justice must be done in every case.
• Maybe there's a sort of poetic justice to it.
• Restorative justice can only work when all parties agree.
• She was charged with perverting the course of justice after admitting to burning vital evidence.
• So far the robbers have escaped justice.
• Some people saw the epidemic as divine justice.
• Somebody out there needs to make sure justice is served.
• The teacher's system of punishments appealed to the children's sense of justice.
• They saw the reform proposals as a way to promote social justice.
• They were accused of attempting to obstruct justice.
• They were accused of attempting to pervert the course of justice.
• We have been denied justice for too long.
• the battle for Taylor to face justice before the High Court
• the deadliest episode of vigilante justice in American history
• those who are ultimately responsible for dispensing justice
• victims seeking retributive justice
• Children often have a highly developed sense of justice.
• Our laws must be based on the principles of justice.
• Sometimes I feel that there's no justice in the world.
• They're demanding equal rights and social justice.

• We will not get social order until we have economic justice.