→ have a vested interest in something → in someone’s (own) (best) interests → in the interest(s) of something → of interest (to someone ) → pique someone’s interest interesting ["In tr@s tIN] adj. caus- ing interest or curiosity; worthy of interest; keeping someone’s inter- est. (Adv: interestingly.) interestingly ["In tr@s tIN li] 1. adv. in a way that causes or keeps someone’s interest. 2. adv. strangely; curiously. interfere [In t# "fIr] iv. to get involved [with something that is private or restricted]. interfere with someone or some- thing to create an interruption; to disturb someone; to disturb the operation of something. interference [In t# "fIr @ns] 1. n. interfering; serving as a problem; getting involved and making one- self a bother. (No plural.) 2. n. an electronic disturbance that pre- vents the clear reception of a radio or television signal. (No plural.) interim n. the time in between events; the meantime; the mean- while; an interval. → in the interim (between things ) interior [In "tIr i #] 1. n. a part or surface that is within something; a part or surface that is inside of something. 2. n. the area within something; the space that is inside something. 3. the adj. use of Q or W. interj. an abbreviation of interjec- tion. interjection [In t# "dZEk S@n] n. a word, expression, or phrase that is used to express something with force or emotion. (Abbreviated interj. here.) intermediate [In t# "mid i It] adj. between two stages, levels, sizes, weights, etc. (Adv: intermediately.) intermission [In t# "mI S@n] n. a pause between the parts of a play, movie, opera, or other perform- ance. international [In t# "nAS @ n@l] 1. adj. of or about two or more countries; between two countries; among three or more countries. (Adv: internationally.) 2. adj. global; in all nations. (Adv: inter- nationally.) Internet ["In t# nEt] n. a digital system of high-speed global com- munication and data transfer. (No plural. Not a proper noun, but usually capitalized. Can be short- ened to Net.) interrog. an abbreviation of inter- rogative. interrogative [In t@ "rag @ tIv] n. a word or expression used to ask a question. ( Who, what, when, where, why, and how are the most common interrogatives. Abbrevi- ated interrog. here.) interrupt [In t@ "r^pt] 1. iv. to break into a conversation; to start talking while someone else is talk- ing. 2. tv. to stop the flow or movement of something; to stop something temporarily. interruption [In t@ "r^p S@n] 1. n. interrupting; stopping and inter- fering in a conversation or an activity. 2. n. a break in the flow of something. interesting 296 04 7/23/03 8:49 AM Page 296 TLFeBOOK intersection [In t# "sEk S@n] 1. n. a junction of two or more roads, streets, highways, etc.; a place where roads or streets come together or cross. 2. n. the point at which two or more things join. interval ["In t# v@l] 1. n. a period of time between two events. 2. n. the distance between two points in a series of points. 3. n. the dis- tance between two musical tones. → at regular intervals intervene in something to get involved in something. interview ["In t# vju] 1. n. a meet- ing between an employer and a job seeker, where the employer asks questions of the job seeker. 2. n. a meeting where a reporter asks questions of someone. 3. tv. to ask questions of someone, possibly about employment; to make direct inquiries of someone. 4. tv. to ask questions of someone for a televi- sion or radio program, a newspa- per or magazine article, etc. intestine [In "tEs tIn] n. the tube or channel between the stomach and the rectum. (Often plural with the same meaning.) into ["In tu] 1. prep. to the inner part of something; to the interior of something. 2. prep. up against someone or something. 3. prep. interested in something. (Infor- mal.) in(to) a jam in(to) a difficult situa- tion. into being into existence. into someone’s clutches in(to) the control of someone who has power or authority over someone else. intransitive verb [In "trAn s@ tIv "v#b ] n. a verb not taking a direct object. (Abbreviated iv. here.) introduce [In tr@ "dus] tv. to estab- lish something; to bring some- thing into use; to make something known or familiar to someone. introduce someone (to someone ) to present someone to someone else when they meet for the first time. introduce someone to something to show someone something for the first time. introduction [In tr@ "d^k S@n] 1. n. an instance of presenting one per- son to another person. 2. n. mak- ing the availability of something known to people. 3. n. the part of a book, chapter, or lecture that comes at the beginning and explains its purpose. 4. n. the basic and important information about a subject. intrude (up)on someone or some- thing to encroach on someone or something or on matters that con- cern only someone or something. intrusion [In "tru Z@n] 1. n. enter- ing into a situation where one is not wanted; a visit that is not wel- come. 2. n. breaking into a house or other building. invasion [In "ve Z@n] 1. n. a mili- tary attack. 2. n. the attack and spread of something bad or dan- gerous. (Figurative on Q.) an invasion of privacy an intru- sion that results in the loss of someone’s privacy. invasion of privacy 297 04 7/23/03 8:49 AM Page 297 TLFeBOOK invent [In "vEnt] 1. tv. to create something that has never been made before. 2. tv. to make up a story, an excuse, or a lie. (Figura- tive on Q.) invention [In "vEn S@n] 1. n. the creation of a new device; the pro- duction of a new machine or a new process. (No plural.) 2. n. a new device; something that has been created for the first time. inventor [In "vEn t#] n. someone who invents Q something; some- one who has invented something. inventory ["In v@n tor i] 1. n. goods and supplies on hand or stored in a warehouse; stock waiting to be sold. (No plural form.) 2. n. a list showing the number of each item that has been packed, received, shipped, etc. → take inventory invest in someone or something to put resources into someone or something in hopes of increasing the value of the person or thing. invest someone with something to endow someone with something, such as power or privilege. invest ( someone’s ) time in some- thing to put one’s time, effort, or energy into a project. invest ( something in someone or something to give something such as money or guidance to someone or something. investment [In "vEst m@nt] n. money that is assigned to a proj- ect, stocks, a bank account, etc., with the hope and expectation of profit. investor [In "vEs t#] n. someone who puts money into an invest- ment. invitation [In vI "te S@n] n. a writ- ten, printed, or spoken statement asking someone to attend an event or to do something. invite someone in(to someplace ) to bid or request someone to enter a place. invite someone out to ask someone out on a date. invite someone over (for some- thing ) to bid or request someone to come to one’s house for some- thing, such as a meal, party, chat, cards, etc. invoice ["In voIs] 1. n. a bill; a doc- ument showing how much money is owed for goods or services. 2. tv. to present someone or a business firm with Q. irk ["#k] tv. to annoy, upset, or irri- tate someone. iron ["aI#n] 1. n. an element that is a common metal, used to make steel. (No plural.) 2. n. a small device with a flat metal bottom, heated and used to press the wrin- kles out of cloth. 3. adj. made from Q. 4. tv. to smooth the wrinkles out of clothes with W. → have too many irons in the fire → strike while the iron is hot iron something out 1. to use an iron to make cloth flat or smooth. 2. to ease a problem; to smooth out a problem. (Figurative. Here problem is synonymous with wrinkle.) irony ["aI r@ ni] 1. n. using words in a funny or sarcastic way to create a invent 298 04 7/23/03 8:49 AM Page 298 TLFeBOOK meaning opposite from their com- bined literal meaning in a funny or sarcastic way. (No plural.) 2. n. an event that has the opposite result of what was planned or expected. irradiate [I "red i et] tv. to treat something with radiation; to treat food with radiation to keep it from spoiling. irreg. an abbreviation of irregular R. irregular [Ir "rEg j@ l#] 1. adj. not regular; oddly shaped; uneven. (Adv: irregularly.) 2. adj. happen- ing at differing intervals of time; not happening regularly. (Adv: irregularly.) 3. adj. different from what is normal, and therefore unacceptable. (Euphemistic.) 4. adj. [of the form of a noun, verb, adjective, or adverb] not regular in the way it changes form, such as with the plural, past tense, comparative, or superlative. (Abbreviated irreg. here. Adv: irregularly.) irritate ["Ir I tet] 1. tv. to cause a part of the body to become red or swollen. 2. tv. to bother or annoy someone or something. irritation [Ir I "te S@n] 1. n. a bother; something that irritates. 2. n. the condition of being sore or itchy; soreness or tenderness of skin or other body tissues. (Plural only for types and instances.) is [Iz] iv. a form of be, used in the present tense of the third-person singular, that is, with he, she, it, and singular nouns. (Reduced to ’s in contractions.) island ["aI l@nd] 1. n. a piece of land surrounded by water and smaller than a continent. 2. n. something that is completely sur- rounded by something else. (Figu- rative on Q.) → desert island isle ["aIl] n. an island. isn’t ["Iz @nt] cont. is not. isolate ["aI s@ let] tv. to keep some- one or something separate from other people or things; to separate someone or something from other people or things. isolation [aI s@ "le S@n] n. the state of being isolated; keeping some- one or something away from other people or things. (No plural.) issue ["I Su] 1. n. one of a set of publications that are available reg- ularly. 2. n. the number of stamps or magazines printed at one time. 3. n. a topic; the topic being dis- cussed; a concern. 4. tv. to assign something to someone; to supply something to someone. 5. tv. to speak or utter a command; to deliver or publish a written com- mand or order. 6. tv. to publish a magazine, bulletin, newsletter, or newspaper. issue a call for something to make an invitation or request for some- thing. it [It] 1. pron. a form referring to something that is not human; a form referring to a plant, an ani- mal, or something that is not liv- ing. (However, it is sometimes used to refer to a baby or a small child. See also its and itself. The plural is they.) 2. pron. a form used as the subject of a sentence it 299 04 7/23/03 8:49 AM Page 299 TLFeBOOK where there is no real actor or doer. (Usually with the verb be, but with others also.) 3. n. the player who must find or chase everyone else in various children’s games. itch ["ItS] 1. n. a feeling on the skin that makes one want to scratch. 2. iv. [for the skin] to have Q. → have an itch for something → have an itching palm → have an itch to do something itchy ["ItS i] adj. with the feeling of itching; constantly itching. (Comp: itchier; sup: itchiest.) → have an itchy palm it’d ["It Id] 1. cont. it would. 2. cont. it had, where had is an auxiliary. item ["aI t@m] n. one thing that is part of a list or a series; a unit; a piece of information; a piece of news. it’ll ["It @l] cont. it will. it’s ["Its] 1. cont. it is. (Compare this with its.) 2. cont. it has. (This has is an auxiliary. Compare this with its.) its ["Its] pron. the possessive form of it; belonging to it. (Compare this with it’s.) itself [It "sElf] 1. pron. the reflexive form of it. 2. pron. an emphatic form of it. (Follows the nominal that is being emphasized.) → blow itself out → burn (itself) out → by itself → an end in itself → lend oneself or itself to something → speaks for itself iv. an abbreviation of intransitive verb . I’ve ["aIv] cont. I have. (This have is an auxiliary.) ivory ["aI vri] 1. n. the hard, white substance of which an elephant’s tusk is made. (No plural.) 2. n. the color of Q. 3. the adj. use of Q or W. → live in an ivory tower ivy ["aIv i] n. a plant that holds onto walls, trees, etc., and climbs as it grows. (Plural only for types and instances.) itch 300 04 7/23/03 8:49 AM Page 300 TLFeBOOK jack ["dZAk] 1. n. a device used to lift heavy things off the ground, especially to push up a car wheel in order to change a tire. 2. n. [in a deck of playing cards] a card that has a picture of a young man on it and is signified by the letter J. jack something up to push some- thing up with a jack. jacket ["dZAk It] 1. n. a light coat; the light coat that is part of a suit. 2. n. a covering for a book or a sound recording. → life jacket jack-of-all-trades someone who can do several different jobs instead of specializing in one. jail ["dZel] 1. n. a building where criminals are locked up or where people are locked up while waiting for a trial. 2. tv. to put someone in Q; to order someone to spend time in Q. jam ["dZAm] 1. n. a sweet food made by boiling fruit and sugar until it is thick. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. tv. to cause something to become stuck; to force something to fit some- place. 3. iv. to become stuck; to be unable to work properly because something is stuck; to be unable to move because something is stuck. → in(to) a jam → traffic jam janitor ["dZAn I t#] n. someone who cleans and takes care of a building. January ["dZAn ju Er I] Go to month. jar ["dZar] 1. n. a container with a wide, circular top, usually made of glass or clay, and usually without handles. 2. n. the contents of Q. 3. tv. to hit (lightly) or shake someone or something. jaw ["dZO] 1. n. the upper or lower bones that form the mouth and support the teeth. 2. n. one of the two parts of a device that holds something tight, such as a vise or pliers. jawbone ["dZO bon] n. the upper or especially, the lower bones that form the mouth and support the teeth. jazz ["dZAz] 1. n. a style of music characterized by its rhythms, har- mony, and the creative ways its players work together while it is being played. (No plural.) 2. the adj. use of Q. jazz something up to make some- thing more exciting or livelier. jealous ["dZEl @s] adj. not liking anyone who, one believes, might try to take away one’s things or the people one loves. (Adv: jealously.) jealousy ["dZEl @ si] n. the condi- tion of being jealous; not liking someone who has something one wants. (No plural.) jeans ["dZinz] n. a pair of cloth pants, often dark blue, made of sturdy material. (Treated as plural. Number is expressed by pair(s) of jeans.) jelly ["dZEl i] 1. n. a soft food that is made by boiling fruit juice and sugar together and is often spread on bread. (Plural only for types 301 J 05 7/23/03 8:49 AM Page 301 Copyright 2003 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc . Click Here for Terms of Use. TLFeBOOK and instances.) 2. adj. made with Q. jeopardy ["dZEp # di] phr. a state of risk or hazard. → in jeopardy jerk ["dZ#k] 1. n. a sudden push or pull of the muscles; a movement made when something starts or stops quickly. 2. tv. to push or pull someone or something suddenly. 3. iv. to move with Q; make a movement like Q. jerk something away (from some- one or something ) to grab some- thing away or pull something back from someone or some creature. jerk something off ((of) someone or something ) to grab something off someone or something. jerk something out (of someone or something ) to pull something out of someone or something, quickly. jerk something up 1. to pull some- thing up quickly. 2. to lift up something, such as ears, quickly. jet ["dZEt] 1. n. a stream of air, water, steam, or another fluid that is shot out from a small opening at high pressure. 2. n. an airplane that moves at high speed using engines similar to a rocket. (Short for jet plane.) 3. iv. [for water, steam, or another fluid] to form a stream by being forced out of a small opening under pressure. 4. iv. to travel by W. 5. tv. to cause water, steam, or another fluid to form a stream by forcing it out of a small opening under pressure. jet engine ["dZEt "En dZ@n] n. an engine powered by jet propulsion. jet plane ["dZEt "plen] n. a high- speed plane; a plane that has one or more jet engines. (Can be shortened to jet.) jet propulsion ["dZEt pr@ "p^l S@n] n. a means of pushing something forward by forcing a jet out of the back. (No plural.) jet-black ["dZEt "blAk] adj. deep, shiny black in color. jewel ["dZu @l] n. a gem; a valuable stone; a piece of jewelry. jeweler ["dZu (@) l#] n. someone who deals in watches, valuable gems, and precious metals. jewelry ["dZu (@)l ri] n. objects usu- ally made of valuable metals or stones, such as rings, earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and pins. (No plural. Treated as singular. Num- ber is expressed with piece(s) of jewelry.) jiggle ["dZIg @l] 1. tv. to move someone or something up and down or from side to side. 2. iv. to move up and down or from side to side. jingle ["dZIN g@l] 1. n. the ringing noise of metal objects gently hit- ting together; the noise of a small bell being struck. 2. n. a tune or song used in advertising. 3. tv. to make ringing noises by hitting metal objects together. 4. iv. [for metal objects] to make noises when struck together; [for a small bell] to make a noise when shaken. job ["dZab] 1. n. a career; an occu- pation; regular employment. 2. n. a task; a duty; a responsibility; a piece of work. 3. n. the perform- ance or result of one’s work. jeopardy 302 05 7/23/03 8:49 AM Page 302 TLFeBOOK → fall down on the job job lot a mixed collection of vary- ing quality. (Informal.) jockey for position to try to push or work one’s way into an advanta- geous position at the expense of others. jockey someone or something into position to manage to get some- one or something into a chosen position. jog ["dZOg] 1. n. a slow, gentle run usually done for exercise; a [human] trot. 2. n. a bend to the right or the left; something that causes a line not to be straight. 3. iv. to exercise by running slowly. jog someone’s memory to stimu- late someone’s memory to recall something. jogger ["dZOg #] n. someone who exercises by jogging. Johnny-come-lately someone who joins in (something) after it is already under way. Johnny-on-the-spot someone who is in the right place at the right time. join ["dZoIn] 1. iv. to come together; to connect; to unite. 2. tv. to connect someone or something to someone or some- thing else; to unite people or things into a single unit. 3. tv. to enroll in a club, class, the military, or some other organization; to become a member of an organiza- tion. join hands [for people] to hold hands so that each person is hold- ing the hands of two other people; [for two people] to hold each other’s hands. Join the club! an expression indi- cating that the person spoken to is in the same, or a similar, unfortu- nate state as the speaker. (Infor- mal.) join the fray and jump into the fray to join the fight or argument. join up to become part of some organization. join ((up) with someone or some- thing ) to bring oneself into associ- ation with someone or something. joint ["dZoInt] 1. n. a place where two things, especially bones, join. 2. adj. (Adv: jointly.) done or owned together; joined; united. → put someone’s nose out of joint joke ["dZok] 1. n. something said or done to make people laugh, espe- cially a short story told to make people laugh. 2. tv. to say some- thing in a teasing or playful man- ner; to say something that is meant to be funny. (The object is a clause with that U.) 3. iv. to tell Q; to kid or tease [someone]; to say or do things that are meant to be funny. → all joking aside → crack a joke → no joke → play a joke on someone → a standing joke jolt someone out of something to startle someone out of a period of relaxation or distraction. jot something down to make a note of something. journal ["dZ# nl] 1. n. a diary; a book where one writes down one’s feelings, thoughts, or activities. journal 303 05 7/23/03 8:49 AM Page 303 TLFeBOOK 2. n. a magazine, periodical, or scholarly publication. journey ["dZ#n i] 1. n. a trip; a voy- age. 2. iv. to travel. joy ["dZoI] 1. n. extreme pleasure or happiness. (No plural.) 2. n. someone or something that causes extreme pleasure or happiness. → burst with joy → leap for joy joyful ["dZoI f@l] 1. adj. [of some- one] full of joy; extremely happy; very glad. (Adv: joyfully.) 2. adj. [for something] causing joy; caus- ing extreme happiness. joyous ["dZoI @s] adj. full of joy; extremely happy; very glad. (Adv: joyously.) judge ["dZ^dZ] 1. n. an official who hears and settles cases in a court of law and who presides over trials. 2. n. someone who helps decide the winner of a contest or compe- tition. 3. tv. to hear and settle a case in a court of law; to preside over a trial in a court of law. 4. tv. to help decide the winner of a con- test or competition. 5. tv. to state an opinion about someone or something; to evaluate someone or something. 6. tv. to estimate something; to make a guess that something will happen. (The object is a clause with that U.) → (as) sober as a judge judgment ["dZ^dZ m@nt] 1. n. the ability to make the proper deci- sions; the ability to judge. (No plu- ral.) 2. n. the result of judging; the decision made by a judge or a jury. 3. n. an opinion. (No plural.) juggle ["dZ^g @l] 1. tv. to keep three or more objects moving through the air by catching and throwing them in a circle. 2. tv. to deal with several things at the same time. 3. iv. to toss objects in the air as in Q. juice ["dZus] n. the liquid part of fruit, vegetables, or meat. (Plural only for types and instances.) → stew in one’s own juice July [dZ@ "laI] Go to month. jumbo ["dZ^m bo] adj. extra large; larger than regular. jump ["dZ^mp] 1. iv. to leap up; to spring up; to push off the ground with one’s legs. 2. iv. to move sud- denly, as if surprised or scared. 3. iv. to go up sharply; to increase sharply; to rise sharply. (Figurative on Q.) 4. tv. to start a car by con- necting its battery to another car’s battery. 5. n. a leap off the ground; a leap off the ground and over, through, or across something. 6. n. a sudden rise; an increase. (Figurative on T.) → get the jump on someone jump in((to) something ) to leap into something, such as water, a bed, a problem, etc. jump into the fray Go to join the fray. jump off ((of) something ) to leap off something. jump off the deep end Go to go off the deep end. jump off the deep end (over someone or something ) to get deeply involved with someone or something. (Often refers to romantic involvement.) jump on the bandwagon Go to get on the bandwagon. journey 304 05 7/23/03 8:49 AM Page 304 TLFeBOOK jump out of one’s skin to react strongly to a shock or surprise. jump out of something to leap from something. jump over something to leap over or across something. jump the gun to start before the starting signal. jump the track 1. [for something] to fall or jump off its rails or guides. (Usually said about a train.) 2. to change suddenly from one thing, thought, plan, or activ- ity to another. jump to conclusions to move too quickly to a conclusion; to form a conclusion from too little evi- dence. (Idiomatic.) jump up (on someone or some- thing ) to leap upward onto some- one or something. jumping-off point a point or place from which to begin a venture. junction ["dZ^Nk S@n] n. a place where two or more things come together, especially the place where roads or train tracks come together or cross. June ["dZun] Go to month. jungle ["dZ^N g@l] n. a tropical for- est of thick, lush plant growth, usually near the equator. junior ["dZun j#] 1. n. someone who is younger or who has a lower rank or position than someone else. 2. n. a student in the third year of high school (11th grade) or the third year of college. 3. adj. of or about someone who is younger or who has a lower rank or position. 4. adj. of or about the third year of high school or col- lege. (Prenominal only.) junk ["dZ^Nk] 1. n. things that are worthless; things that should be thrown away. (No plural.) 2. tv. to throw something away. jury ["dZ# i] 1. n. a group of people who listen to evidence at a trial in a court of law and make a decision about the truth of the facts of the case. 2. the adj. use of Q. just ["dZ^st] 1. adj. fair; not biased; honest; right; in accordance with the law. (Adv: justly.) 2. adj. as someone deserves; appropriate. (Adv: justly.) 3. adv. only. 4. adv. barely; by a small amount. 5. adv. exactly [the right amount and no more]. → get one’s just deserts → get one’s just reward(s) → stop (just) short (of something ) Just a minute! Wait only a short time!; Wait a short period of time! just so 1. in perfect order; neat and tidy. 2. Just so! Precisely right!; Quite right! just what the doctor ordered exactly what is required, especially for health or comfort. justice ["dZ^s tIs] 1. n. the quality or condition of being just; fairness, especially in a court of law. (No plural.) 2. n. the administration of law; the practice of law within the court system. (No plural.) 3. n. a judge. (Also a title and term of address.) → a travesty of justice → miscarriage of justice → poetic justice justice 305 05 7/23/03 8:49 AM Page 305 TLFeBOOK . to become a member of an organiza- tion. join hands [for people] to hold hands so that each person is hold- ing the hands of two other people; [for two people] to hold each other’s hands. Join the. 1. n. an official who hears and settles cases in a court of law and who presides over trials. 2. n. someone who helps decide the winner of a contest or compe- tition. 3. tv. to hear and settle. etc. jump into the fray Go to join the fray. jump off ( (of) something ) to leap off something. jump off the deep end Go to go off the deep end. jump off the deep end (over someone or something )