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abate
- to become less strong:
- The storm/wind/rain has started to abate.
- The fighting in the area shows no sign of abating.
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entrepreneur
- someone who starts their own business, especially when this involves risks:
- He was one of the entrepreneurs of the eighties who made their money in property.
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villainous
- describes a person or an action that is evil:
- a villainous dictator
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failure to act correctly or legally when doing your job, often causing injury or loss:
They are accused of medical/financial/electoral malpractice.
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extremely important or urgent; needing to be done or given attention immediately:
- [+ that] The president said it was imperative that the release of all hostages be secured.
- [+ to infinitive] It's imperative to act now before the problem gets really serious.
- Getting the unemployed back to work, said the minister, is a moral imperative.
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to decide that something or someone is not important and not worth considering:
- I think he'd dismissed me as an idiot within five minutes of meeting me.
- Let's not just dismiss the idea before we've even thought about it.
- Just dismiss those thoughts from your mind - they're crazy and not worth thinking about.
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reunification
when a country that was temporarily divided into smaller countries is joined together again as one country: the reunification of Germany
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strongly believing in religion, and living in a way which shows this belief: She is a pious follower of the faith, never missing her prayers.
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1 to behave as if something is true when you know that it is not, especially in order to deceive people or as a game: [+ (that)] He pretended (that) he didn't mind, but I knew that he did. The children pretended (that) they were dinosaurs. [+ to infinitive] Were you just pretending to be interested? She's not really hurt - she's only pretending. Of course I was angry - I can't pretend otherwise.
2 FORMAL not pretend to do sth to not claim something that is false: I don't pretend to be an expert on the subject.
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ablution
- the act of washing yourself:
- Ablution is part ofsome religious ceremonies.
- I must just perform myablutions (= wash
- myself)!
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mumble
- to speak unclearly and quietly so that the words are difficult to understand:
- She mumbled something about being too busy.
- [+ speech] "I'm sorry, " he mumbled.
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fracture verb
- 1 If something hard, such as a bone, fractures or is fractured, it cracks or breaks:
- She fractured her skull in the accident.
- Two of her ribs fractured when she was thrown from her horse.
- A fractured pipe at a steelworks has leaked 20 tons of oil into the Severn estuary.
- 2 FORMAL
- to divide an organization or society, or (of an organization or society) to be divided:
- Intense disagreement over economic policy risks fracturing the coalition government.
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wield /wi:ld/ verb [T]
- 1 to hold a weapon or tool and look as if you are going to use it:
- She was confronted by a man wielding a knife.
- 2 wield influence/power, etc. to have a lot of influence or power over other people:
- He still wields enormous influence within the party.
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decree /dI"kri:/ noun [C or U] FORMAL
- an official statement that something must happen:
- The decree stopped short of a full declaration of independence.
- More than 200 people were freed by military decree.
- They decreed an end to discrimination on grounds of age.
- [+ that] The local council has decreed that the hospital should close.
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afoul /@"faUl/ adverb
- run/fall afoul of sth/sb to
- experience problems, punishment or harm because you disobey a rule or disagree
- with a powerful organization, group or person:
- He was fifteen when he first ran afoul of the law.
- At one point Seeger fell afoul of the US government for his antiwar actions.
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rig (DISHONESTLY ARRANGE) /rIg/ verb [T] -gg-
- to arrange dishonestly for the result of something, for example an election, to be changed:
- Previous elections in the country have been rigged by the ruling party.
- rig the market
- to make the price of shares go up or down in order to make a profit
- rigging /"rIg.IN/ noun
- [U]
- when a vote or result,
- etc. is rigged:
- ballot rigging
- Opposition parties have protested over alleged vote rigging in the election.
- See also rigging at rig (FIX IN PLACE).
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fracture /"fr{k.tS@r/ US/-tS@`/ verb [I or T]
- 1 If something hard, such as a bone, fractures or is fractured, it cracks or breaks:
- She fractured her skull in the accident.
- Two of her ribs fractured when she was thrown from her horse.
- A fractured pipe at a steelworks has leaked 20 tons of oil into the Severn estuary.
- 2 FORMAL
- to divide an organization or society, or (of an organization or society) to be divided:
- Intense disagreement over economic policy risks fracturing the coalition government.
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wield /wi:ld/ verb [T]
- 1 to hold a weapon or tool and look asif you are going to use it:
- She was confronted by a man wielding a knife.
- 2 wield influence/power, etc. tohave a lot of influence or power over other people:
- He still wields enormous influence within the party.
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decree /dI"kri:/ noun [C or U] FORMAL
- an official statement that something must happen:
- The decree stopped short of a full declaration of independence.
- More than 200 people were freed by military decree.
- decree /dI"kri:/ verb[T]
- They decreed an end to discrimination on grounds of age.
- [+ that] The local council has decreed that the hospital should close.
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rampage /r{m"peIdZ/ verb [I]
- to go through an area making a lot of noise and causing damage:
- The demonstratorsrampaged through the town, smashing windows and setting fire to cars.
- Several villages weredestroyed by rampaging soldiers.
- rampage/"r{m.peIdZ/ noun[C or U]
- violent and usually wildbehaviour: Rioters went ona/the rampage through the city.
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suffuse /s@"fju:z/ verb
- [T often passive] LITERARY
- to spread through or oversomething completely:
- His voice was low andsuffused with passion.
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exacerbate verb
- to make something which isalready bad worse:
- This attack willexacerbate the already tense relations between the two communities.
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mitigate verb [T]
- to make something lessharmful, unpleasant or bad:
- It is unclear how tomitigate the effects of tourism on the island.
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shabby (BAD CONDITION)
- looking old and in badcondition because of long use or lack of care:
- He wore a shabby oldovercoat.
- Her home is a rentedone-bedroom flat in a shabby part of town.
- The refugees wereshabby (= woreold clothes in bad condition) and hungry.
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flunkey (ALSO flunky) OLD-FASHIONED
a male servant wearing a uniform
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nemesis /"nem.@.sIs/ noun
[C] plural
nemeses LITERARY
- 1 Someone's nemesis is a person orthing that is very difficult for them to defeat.
- 2 (a cause of) punishment or defeatthat is deserved and cannot be avoided:
- The tax increases proved to be the President's politicalnemesis at the following election.
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menace /"men.Is/ noun
- 1 [C usually singular] something that is likely to cause harm:
- Drunk drivers are a menace to everyone.
- Dogs running loose are a public menace. the menace of industrial pollution
- 2 [U] adangerous quality that makes you think someone is going to do something bad:
- He had a slight air of menace which I found unsettling.
- He spoke with a hint of menace.
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linger verb [I]
- to take a long time toleave or disappear:
- After the play hadfinished, we lingered for a while in the bar hoping to catch sight of theactors.
- The smell from thefire still lingered days later.It's impossible toforget such horrific events - they linger (on) in the memory forever.
- lingering /"lIN.g@r.IN/ US/-g@`.IN/adjective [before noun]
- lasting a long time: She gave him a long,lingering kiss.
- She's says she'sstopped seeing him, but I still have lingering doubts.
- The defeat ends anylingering hopes she might have had of winning the championship.
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instil UK (-ll-), US instill /In"stIl/ verb
- to put a feeling, idea orprinciple gradually into someone's mind, so that it has a strong influence on the way they think or behave:
- It is part of ateacher's job to instil confidence in/into his or her students.
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bland adjective USUALLY DISAPPROVING
- lacking a strong taste orcharacter or lacking in interest or energy:
- I find chicken alittle bland.Pop music these daysis so bland.
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pin (PREVENT MOVEMENT) /pIn/ verb
[T + adverb or
preposition] -nn-
- to force someone orsomething to stay in a particular place by putting weight on them:
- She was pinned (down)under a pile of rubble.
- A huge guy leapt outat Chris and pinned him (up) against the wall.
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badge
- a small piece of metal,plastic, cloth, etc., with words or a picture on it, that is pinned or sewn toyour clothing, often to show your support for a political organization orbelief, or your rank, or membership of a group, etc:
- Everyone at theconference wore a badge with their name on.
- bea badge of sthto be something whichshows that you have achieved a particular thing:
- For Tony, owning abig car was a badge of success.
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mastermind
- to plan a difficultactivity, often a crime, in detail and make certain that it happenssuccessfully:
- He's believed to havemasterminded the attacks
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inflict /In"flIkt/ verb
- to force someone toexperience something very unpleasant:
- These new bullets arecapable of inflicting massive injuries.
- The sufferinginflicted on these children was unimaginable.
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faux /f@U/ US
/foU/
adjective [before noun]
- not real, but made to lookor seem real; false:
- faux fur a faux-brick wall
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defy /dI"faI/ verb
[T]
- 1 to refuse to obey, or to act or beagainst, a person, decision, law, situation, etc:
- children openly defying their teachers
- A few workers have defied the majority decision and goneinto work despite the strike.
- The fact that aircraft don't fall out of the sky alwaysseems to me to defy (= act against) the lawof gravity.
- A forest fire raging in the south of France is defying (= is not changed by) all attempts to control it.
- 2 defybelief/description/explanation to be extreme or very strange and thereforeimpossible to believe/describe/explain:
- The chaos at the airport defies description.
- 3 defy sb to do sth totell someone to do something that you think will be impossible:
- I defy you to prove your accusations.
- I defy you to tell where I've painted over the scratch onmy car.
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defiance
- when you refuse to obeysomeone or something:
- The demonstration is apointless act/gesture of defiance against the government.
- In defiance of the ceasefire,rebel troops are again firing on the capital.
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defiant /dI"faI.@nt/ adjective
- 1 proudly refusing to obey authority:a defiant attitude/gesture
- The protesters blocking the entrance to the officesremained defiant this morning.
- 2 not willing to accept criticism ordisapproval:
- The Prime Minister was in defiant mood in the House ofCommons yesterday.
- defiantly /dI"faI.@nt.li/ adverb
- A group of prisonersstood on the roof, defiantly waving banners and throwing stones.
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within /wI"DIn/ preposition, adverb
- inside or not beyond an area or period of time:
- Two-thirds of Californians live within 15 miles of thecoast.
- In 1992 cross-border controls within the EU were dismantled.
- For orders within the UK, please enclose £2.50 for post andpacking.
- The resort lies within easy reach of (=not far from) the ski slopes.
- We recommend that this wine should be consumed within sixmonths.
- Within hours of the tragedy happening, an emergency rescueteam had been assembled.
- The tickets should reach you within the week (=before the end of this week).
- He's very highly regarded within his profession.
- She managed to complete her last film well within budget.
- The target was now within range and so she took aim andfired.
- He could sense that his goal was within reach (=it could be reached).
- The cathedral spire was now within sight (=it could be seen).
- I was acting within the law (=legally).
- We came within five points of beating them (=We would have beaten them if we had had five more points).
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from within
- by the people who belong to an organization and not by people from outside it:
- If things are to change, the company must be reformed fromwithin.
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decay /dI"keI/ verb [I or T]
- to(cause something to) become gradually damaged, worse or less:
- Sugar makes your teeth decay.
- The role of the extended family has been decaying for sometime.
- Pollution has decayed the surface of the stonework on thefront of the cathedral. the smell of decaying meat
- decay /dI"keI/ noun [U]
- whensomething decays:environmental/industrial/moral/urban decay dental/tooth decay
- The buildings had started to fall into decay.
- This industry has been in decay for some time.
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offence (CRIME), US USUALLY offense /@"fents/ noun [C] LEGAL
- an illegal act; a crime:
- a serious/minor offence a criminal/drink-driving offence
- Driving without a licence is an offence.
- He committed several serious offences.
- It's the third time that he's been convicted ofa drug offence
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lexicon / noun [C] SPECIALIZED
(alist of) all the words used in a particular language or subject, or adictionary
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mild-mannered / adjective
- describes a person who is gentle and does not show extreme emotions:
- a mild-mannered philosophy professor
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torment / verb [T]
- to cause a person or animal to suffer:
- The animals are tormented mercilessly by flies andmosquitoes.
- The camera focused on a group of women whose faces weretormented by/with (= showed that they were suffering)grief.
- It tormented me (= caused me toworry) all day - did I remember to lock the door when I left the house?
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correspondent / noun [C] FORMAL
- someonewho writes letters:I'm a terrible correspondent - I never seem to get the timeto write.
- correspondent / noun [C]
- a person employed by a newspaper, a television station, etc. to report on aparticular subject or send reports from a foreign country:
- a war correspondent the education correspondent for the Guardian
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satire
- a way of criticizing people or ideas in a humorous way, or a piece of writing orplay which uses this style:
- political satire
- Her play was a biting/cruel satire on life in the80s.
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squeeze (MOVE)
/skwi:z/ verb [I
+ adverb or preposition]
- toget in, through, under, etc. with difficulty:
- She squeezed through the crowd and found a seat atthe front.
- They managed to squeeze under the fence and get intothe festival without paying. squeeze
- (sb/sth) in/squeeze (sb/sth)into sth(SPACE) phrasal verb [M] to succeed in getting someone or something into a small space or object, often bypushing or forcing:
- The car's quite full, but we could manage to squeeze anothercouple of people in.I must have put on a lot of weight over Christmas because Ican only just squeeze into my jeans.
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cacophony
- an unpleasant mixture of loud sounds:
- What a cacophony!
- As we entered the farmyard we were met with acacophony of animal sounds.
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pilgrim / noun [C]
- a person who makes a journey, which is often long and difficult, to a special place for religious reasons
- pilgrimage /"pIl.grI.mIdZ/ noun [Cor U]
- 1 aspecial journey made by a pilgrim: Most Muslims try to make a pilgrimage/go on apilgrimage to Mecca at least once in their life.
- 2 ajourney to a place which is considered special, and which you visit to showyour respect:For many football fans, the national ground is a place ofpilgrimage.
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munificent /mju:"nIf.I.s@nt/ adjective FORMAL
- very generous with money:
- A former student has donated a munificent sum of money to the college.
- munificence / noun [U] FORMAL
- I thanked them for their munificence.
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thwart / verb [T]
- to stop something from happening or someone from doing something:
- My holiday plans have been thwarted by the strike.
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