Easier English basic dictionary

385 Pages·2004·9.392 MB·370 p.\385

by  P H Collin

EASIER
ENGLISH
BASIC
DICTIONARY
SECOND EDITION
Dictionary Titles in the Series
English Language:
Easier English Basic Synonyms 0 7475 6979 7
English Study Dictionary 1 9016 5963 1
Easier English Student Dictionary 0 7475 6624 0
English Thesaurus for Students 1 9016 5931 3
Specialist Dictionaries:
Dictionary of Accounting 0 7475 6991 6
Dictionary of Banking and Finance 0 7475 6685 2
Dictionary of Business 0 7475 9680 0
Dictionary of Economics 0 7475 6632 1
Dictionary of Environment and Ecology 0 7475 7201 1
Dictionary of Hotels, Tourism and Catering Management 1 9016 5999 2
Dictionary of Human Resources and Personnel Management 0 7475 6623 2
Dictionary of ICT 0 7475 6990 8
Dictionary of Marketing 0 7475 6621 6
Dictionary of Medical Terms 0 7475 6987 8
Dictionary of Military Terms 1 9038 5620 5
Dictionary of Nursing 0 7475 6634 8
Dictionary of Science and Technology 0 7475 6620 8
Check your English Vocabulary Workbooks:
Business 0 7475 6626 7

Computing 1 9016 5928 3
English for Academic Purposes 0 7475 6691 7
PET 0 7475 6627 5
FCE + 0 7475 6981 9
IELTS 0 7475 6982 7
TOEFL® 0 7475 6984 3
Visit our website for full details of all our books
http://www.bloomsbury.com/reference
EASIER
ENGLISH
BASIC
DICTIONARY
SECOND EDITION

General editor
P.H. Collin
A BLOOMSBURY REFERENCE BOOK
www.bloomsbury.com
Second edition published 2004
First published in Great Britain 2001
© Copyright P.H. Collin, F. Collin, S.M.H. Collin 2001
This edition © Copyright Bloomsbury Publishing 2004
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
38 Soho Square
London W1D 3HB
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may
be reproduced in any form or by any means without the
permission of the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 0 7475 6644 5
eISBN-13: 978-1-4081-0202-2
Text processing and computer typesetting by Bloomsbury Publishing
Printed and bound in Italy by Legoprint

All papers used by Bloomsbury Publishing are natural, recyclable
products made from wood grown in well-managed forests.
The manufacturing processes conform to the
environmental regulations of the country of origin.
GENERAL EDITOR
P. H. Collin
Editorial Contributors
Penelope Hands, Howard Sargeant
Text Production and Proofreading
Katy McAdam, Joel Adams,
Daisy Jackson, Sarah Lusznat

Preface
ThisdictionarycontainsthemostfrequentlyusedwordsinEnglishandprovidesthe
basicvocabularyneededforeverydaycommunicationbyanyonestartingtolearnthe
language.Itisespeciallyusefulforelementaryandpre-intermediatestudentsofall
ages and would be suitable for those working towards an elementary level English
examination such as KET or PET.
Each word is individually defined, and no words, not even adverbs, are given with-
out a definition. Examples are included for many words to provide patterns for the
user’s own production of English sentences.
Each word, including compound words and phrasal verbs, has its own easy-to-find
main entry in bold type. Each word has a pronunciation in the International
Phonetic Alphabet. Common phrases and idioms associated with the main term are
shown in bold type and separately defined within the entry.
The meanings of the main common senses of each word are given clearly and sim-
ply, using a limited and easily understood vocabulary. Meanings are grouped
together by their part of speech.
Extra help is offered in Notes at the end of some entries. These include warnings
about words which can confused with each other, unusual inflected forms and
regularly collocating prepositions. The major differences in US and British
spelling are noted.
A useful companion to this dictionary isEasier English Basic Synonymswhich
compares and contrasts words with similar meanings, showing the similarities and
differences in usage.
Symbols
(cid:1) before a new part of speech
(cid:2) before examples
(cid:3) before a phrase or collocation
(cid:1) before an idiom
(cid:1) a definition of the word will be found at the place indicated
(cid:2) extra information will be found at the place indicated
Pronunciation
Thefollowingsymbolshavebeenusedtoshowthepronunciationofthemain
wordsinthedictionary.
Stresshasbeenindicatedbyamainstressmark((cid:1))andasecondarystress
mark((cid:2)).Notethattheseareonlyguides,asthestressofthewordchanges
accordingtoitspositioninthesentence.
Vowels Consonants
(cid:3) back b buck
ɑ(cid:7) harm d dead
ɒ stop ð other
a type d(cid:16) jump
aυ how f fare
aə hire (cid:20) gold
aυə hour h head
ɔ(cid:7) course j yellow
ɔ annoy k cab
e head l leave
eə fair m mix
e make n nil
eυ go ŋ sing
(cid:28)(cid:7) word p print
i(cid:7) keep r rest
i happy s save
ə about ʃ shop
 fit t take
ə near tʃ change
u annual θ theft
u(cid:7) pool v value
υ book w work
υə tour x loch
’ shut (cid:16) measure
z zone
Basic.fm Page 1 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM
A
aa1 /e/, A noun the first letter of the alpha- very able manager. (cid:1) There are special
bet, followed by B (cid:1) Do you mean ‘de- activities for able children.
pendant’ spelt with an ‘a’ or ‘depend- aaboutbout /ə(cid:12)baυt/ preposition 1. referring to
ent’ with an ‘e’? (cid:1) from A to Z com- someth(cid:11)ing (cid:1) He told me all about his
pletely, all the way through operation. (cid:1) What do you want to speak
aa2 /ə, e/, an /ən, (cid:7)n/ article 1. one (cid:1) an to the doctor about? 2. (cid:2) to be about to
enormous hole (cid:1) a useful guidebook (cid:1) do something to be going to do some-
She’s bought a new car. (cid:1) I want a cup thing very soon (cid:1) We were about to go
of tea. (cid:1) We had to wait an hour for the home when you arrived. 3. not exactly (cid:1)
bus. (NOTE: an is used before words I’ve been waiting for about four hours.
beginning with a, e, i, o, u and with h if (cid:1) She’s only about fifteen years old. (cid:1)
the h is not pronounced: an apple or how about? 1. what do you think
an hour. a is used before words begin- about? (cid:1) We can’t find a new chairper-
ning with all other letters and also be- son for the club – What about Sarah? 2.
fore u where u is pronounced /ju(cid:10)/ : a would you like a cup of tea? (cid:1) while
useful guidebook) 2. for each or to each you’re about it at the same time as the
(cid:1) Apples cost £1.50 a kilo. (cid:1) The car thing you are doing (cid:1) While you’re
was travelling at 50 kilometres an hour. about it, can you post this letter?
(cid:1) He earns £100 a day. aabovebove /ə(cid:12)b(cid:24)v/ preposition 1. higher than
(cid:11)
aabandbonandon /ə(cid:12)b(cid:7)ndən/ verb 1. to leave (cid:1) The plane was flying above the
someone or (cid:11)something in an unkind way clouds. (cid:1) The temperature in the street
(cid:1) The dog had been abandoned by its was above 30 degrees. (cid:1) At prices
owner. 2. to give up or stop doing some- above £20, nobody will buy it. 2. older
thing (cid:1) The company has decided to than (cid:1) If you are above 18, you have to
abandon the project. (cid:1) We abandoned pay the full fare. 3. louder than (cid:1) I
couldn’t hear the telephone above the
the idea of setting up a London office.
aabbrebviatibonreviation /ə(cid:15)bri(cid:10)vi(cid:12)eʃ (ə)n/ noun a noise of the drills.
short form of a w(cid:11) ord (cid:11) aabroabd road /ə(cid:11)(cid:12)brɔ(cid:10)d/ adverb in or to another
country (cid:1) They’ve gone abroad on holi-
aabilibtyility /ə(cid:11)(cid:12)blti/ noun 1. a natural tenden- day. (cid:1) I lived abroad for three years.
cy to do something well (cid:1) I admire his
ability to stay calm in difficult situa- aabsenbcesence /(cid:12)(cid:7)bsəns/ noun the fact of be-
ing away from a place (cid:1) She did not ex-
tions. (cid:1) We can develop their natural
plain her absence from the meeting. (cid:1)
abilities. (NOTE: The plural is abilities.)
(cid:2) I’ll do it to the best of my ability I’ll The former president was sentenced in
his absence. (cid:2) in the absence of be-
do it as well as I can 2. the fact of being
cause someone or something is not there
clever (cid:1) suitable for different levels of
(cid:1) In the absence of the chairman, his
ability (NOTE: no plural)
deputy took over. (cid:1) In the absence of
aableble /(cid:12)eb(ə)l/ adjective 1. (cid:2) to be able to any official support, we had to raise our
do something to be capable of some- own funds.
thing or have the chance to do some-
aabsenbt sent /(cid:12)(cid:7)bsənt/ adjective not there (cid:1)
thing (cid:1) They weren’t able to find the
Ten of the staff are absent with flu.
house. (cid:1) Will you be able to come to the
meeting? 2. good at doing something, or aabsolbutesolute /(cid:12)(cid:7)bsəlu(cid:10)t/ adjective com-
good at doing many things (cid:1) She’s a plete or total