EASIER ENGLISH BASIC DICTIONARY 12 pps

N n n /en/, N noun the fourteenth letter of the alphabet, between M and O nail nail /nel/ noun 1. a small thin metal object which you use for attaching two pieces of a hard material such as wood ć Hit the nail hard with the hammer. ć You need a hammer to knock that nail in. 2. the hard part at the end of your fingers and toes ć She painted her nails red. í verb to attach something with nails ć He nailed the notice to the door. naked naked /nekd/ adjective not wearing clothes ć The little children were play- ing in the river stark naked. ć A naked man was standing on the balcony. name name /nem/ noun a way of calling someone or something ć Hello! My name’s James. ć What’s the name of the shop next to the post office? í verb to call someone or something by a name ć They named him Nicholas. ć They have a black cat named Jonah. narrow narrow /nrəυ/ adjective not wide ć Why is your bicycle seat so narrow? ć We went down a narrow passage to the shop. í verb to become less wide ć The road narrows suddenly, and there is hardly enough room for two cars to pass. nasty nasty /nɑsti/ adjective unpleasant nation nation /neʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a country ć the member nations of the EU 2. the people living in a country ć The whole nation was shocked by the terrible events. national national /nʃ(ə)nəl/ adjective belonging to a country ć This is in our national interest. ć The story even appeared in the national newspapers. ć We need to protect our national culture. native native /netv/ noun 1. a person born in a place ć She’s a native of Cornwall. 2. something such as a flower or a bird, which has always been in a particular place í adjective belonging to a country ć The tiger is native to India. natural natural /ntʃ(ə)rəl/ adjective 1. ordinary, not unusual ć Her behaviour at the meeting was quite natural. ć It’s natural to worry about your first baby. 2. coming from nature, and not pro- duced or caused by people ć Do you think the colour of her hair is natural? ć Yes, she’s a natural blonde. ć The in- quest decided that he died from natural causes. naturally naturally /ntʃ(ə)rəli/ adverb of course ć Naturally the top team beat the bottom team. ć Do you want to watch the game? – Naturally! nature nature /netʃə/ noun 1. plants and animals ć We must try to protect nature and the environment. 2. the character of a person, thing, animal ć He has a very aggressive nature. naughty naughty /nɔti/ adjective ( usually of a child ) a naughty child causes trouble and is not obedient ć Children who are naughty should be punished. ć It was very naughty of you to put glue on your daddy’s chair. (NOTE: naughtier – naughtiest) navy navy /nevi/ noun a military force which fights battles at sea ć He left school and joined the navy. ć The navy has many ships. í adjective ˽ navy (blue) of a dark blue colour ć She was wearing a navy skirt. ć He’s bought a navy blue pullover. near near /nə/ adverb , preposition , adjective 1. close to, not far away from ć Our house is near the post office. ć Bring your chair nearer to the table. ć He lives quite near or quite near here. ć Which is the nearest chemist’s? 2. soon, not far off in time ć Her birthday is on December 21st – it’s quite near to Christmas. ć Can you phone again nearer the day and I’ll see if I can find a Basic.fm Page 206 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM nearby 207 neither few minutes to see you? í verb to get closer to a place or time ć We’re near- ing the end of the year. nearby nearby /nə  ba/ adverb , adjective not far away ć He lives just nearby. ć They met in a nearby restaurant. nearly nearly /nəli/ adverb almost ć He’s nearly 18 – he’ll be going to university next year. ć The film lasted nearly three hours. ć The book isn’t nearly as good as the last one I read. ć Hurry up, it’s nearly time for breakfast. ć We haven’t got nearly enough time to get to London. neat neat /nit/ adjective tidy, without any mess ć a blouse with a neat lace collar ć Leave your bedroom neat and tidy. ć Her handwriting is very neat. necessarily necessarily /nes  serli/ adverb which cannot be avoided ć Going to Newcas- tle from here necessarily means chang- ing trains twice. necessary necessary /ness(ə)ri/ adjective which has to be done ć Don’t phone me in the evening unless it’s absolutely necessary. ć Is it necessary to finish the work today? neck neck /nek/ noun 1. a part which joins your head to your body ć She was sitting in a draught and got a stiff neck. ć The mayor wears a gold chain round his neck. 2. the part of a piece of clothing which goes round your neck ć I can’t wear this shirt – the neck is too tight. necklace necklace /nekləs/ noun a piece of jew- ellery which you wear round your neck need need /nid/ verb 1. to require something, or have to have something ć We shall need some euros for our holiday in Spain. ć Painting needs a lot of skill. ć I need someone to help me with the cooking. 2. to want something ć Does anyone need any more coffee? í modal verb used with other verbs meaning to be necessary ć Need you make so much noise in the bath? ć Need you go now? ć The living room needs painting or needs to be painted. ć You don’t need to come if you have a cold. ć The police need to know who saw the accident. ć You needn’t bother waiting for me. í noun what is necessary or wanted ć There’s no need for you to wait – I can find my own way. needle needle /nid(ə)l/ noun 1. a long thin sharp object with a hole at one end, used for sewing ć This needle hasn’t got a very sharp point. ć You must try to put the piece of wool through the hole in the needle. ˽ knitting needle a thin pointed plastic or metal stick used for knitting 2. a long thin sharp piece of medical equipment, used for putting medicine into your body 3. a small thin part on a piece of equipment, which points to something such as a number ć He looked at the dial and saw the needle was pointing to zero. 4. one of the thin leaves of a pine tree ć She had lots of pine needles stuck in her hair. negative negative /neətv/ noun developed film with an image where the light parts are dark and dark parts light ć Don’t touch the negatives with your dirty fingers. í adjective showing that something is not there ć Her blood test was negative. negotiation negotiation /n  əυʃi  eʃ(ə)n/ noun the process of discussing something neighbor neighbor /nebə/ noun US spelling of neighbour neighbour neighbour /nebə/ noun 1. a person who lives near you ć He doesn’t get on with his neighbours. 2. a person who is sitting next to you ć Help yourself and then pass the plate on to your neighbour. 3. another person ( old ) ć ‘Love of your neighbour’ is one of the essentials of Christian doctrine. neighbouring neighbouring /nebərŋ/ adjective which is close to you (NOTE: The US spelling is neighboring.) neither neither /naðə, niðə/ adjective , pronoun not either of two people or things ć Neither car or neither of the cars passed the test. ć Neither sister is dark or neither of the sisters is dark. í adverb not either; used for showing that a negative statement applies to two things or people ć He doesn’t eat meat and neither does his wife. ć She isn’t fat but neither is she really very thin. Basic.fm Page 207 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM nephew 208 next nephew nephew /nefju/ noun a son of your sister or brother, or a son of your husband’s or wife’s brother or sister nerve nerve /nv/ noun 1. one of the fibres in your body which take messages to and from the brain ć Nerves are very deli- cate and easily damaged. 2. over-confi- dence or rude behaviour ć He’s got a nerve to ask for a day off, when he was away all last week. 3. the ability to keep your fear under control in order to achieve something ć It takes a lot of nerve to disagree with your friends. ć He went over to speak to her but at the last minute he lost his nerve. nervous nervous /nvəs/ adjective 1. worried and easily frightened ć She gets nervous if she is alone in the house at night. ć He’s nervous about driving in Lon- don. 2. referring to the nerves ć the nervous system nervousness nervousness /nvəsnəs/ noun a state of worry and tension nervous system nervous system /nvəs sstəm/ noun the system of nerves in the body nest nest /nest/ noun a structure built by birds, and by some animals and insects, to lay their eggs in ć an ants’ nest ć The birds built their nests among the trees. ć The blackbirds have laid three eggs in their nest. net net /net/ noun 1. a woven material with large holes ć A long skirt made of pink net. 2. a piece of this material used for a special purpose ć a fishing net 3. same as Internet í adjective after all pay- ments such as tax have been considered ć That figure is net, not gross. network network /netwk/ noun 1. a system of things such as roads or railways con- necting different places ć the British rail network ć a satellite TV network ć There is a network of tunnels under the castle. 2. a system of computers which are connected together ć How does this network operate? ć You can book at any of our hotels throughout the country us- ing our computer network. 3. a group of people connected with each other ć His rapidly developing network of contacts in government. í verb to connect two or more computers in order to allow them to exchange information ć Workstations within an office are usually networked and share resources. never never /nevə/ adverb not at any time; not ever ć We’ll never forget that restaurant. ć I’ve never bought anything in that shop although I’ve often been inside it. ć He never eats meat. nevertheless nevertheless /nevəðə  les/ adverb although a particular situation exists ć I know it is raining, but nevertheless I’d like to go for a walk along the beach. ć She had a cold, but went to the meeting nevertheless. new new /nju/ adjective 1. made very recently, or never used before ć Put some new paper in the printer. ć The new version of the software is now available. 2. which arrived recently ć There are two new secretaries in the office. 3. completely different from what was before ć We need someone with new ideas. ć They put some new wallpaper in the bedroom. news news /njuz/ noun spoken or written information about what has happened ć What’s the news of your sister? ć She told me all the latest news about the office. ć He was watching the 10 o’clock news on TV. ć I don’t want to hear any bad news. newspaper newspaper /njuzpepə/ noun a set of loose folded sheets of paper, containing news of what has happened, especially in the last 24 hours ć He was so ab- sorbed in his newspaper that he didn’t notice that the toast had burnt. ć We saw your picture in the local newspaper. ć The newspapers are full of news of the election. New Year’s Day New Year’s Day /nju jəz de/ noun 1st January New Year’s Eve New Year’s Eve /nju jəz iv/ noun 31st December next next /nekst/ adjective , adverb 1. coming after in time ć On Wednesday we go to Paris, and the next day we travel to Italy. ć First you put the eggs into a bowl and next you add some sugar. ć Don’t forget to give me a call when you’re next in town. ć Next week is the start of our holiday. ć The next time you go to the su- permarket, can you get some coffee? 2. Basic.fm Page 208 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM nibble 209 noise nearest in place ć The ball went over the fence into the next garden. ć She took the seat next to mine. í pronoun the thing or person following ć After two buses went past full, the next was almost empty. ć I’ll be back from holiday the week after next. ć (asking the next person in the queue to come) Next, please! nibble nibble /nb(ə)l/ verb to take small bites from something ć She was nibbling a biscuit. ć The mice have nibbled into the flour sacks. nice nice /nas/ adjective 1. pleasant, enjoya- ble ć We had a nice time at the seaside. ć If the weather’s nice let’s have a pic- nic. ć The nicest thing about the town is that it is on the sea. 2. pleasant, polite ć That wasn’t a very nice thing to say. ć Try and be nice to your grandfather. (NOTE: nicer – nicest) nickname nickname /nknem/ noun a short or informal name given to someone ć Her real name’s Henrietta, but everyone calls her by her nickname ‘Bobbles’. í verb to give a nickname to someone ć He was nicknamed ‘Camel’ because of his big nose. niece niece /nis/ noun a daughter of a brother or sister, or a daughter of your husband’s or wife’s brother or sister night night /nat/ noun the time when it is dark ć It’s dangerous to walk alone in the streets at night. ć Burglars got into the office during the night. ć He is on night duty three days a week. ć They’re planning to have a night out tomorrow. nightmare nightmare /natmeə/ noun a very frightening dream ć I had a nightmare that I was drowning. nine nine /nan/ noun the number 9 ć She’s nine (years old) tomorrow. ć The shop opens at 9 o’clock. nineteen nineteen /nan  tin/ noun the number 19 ć He’s nineteen (years old) tomorrow. nineteenth nineteenth /nan  tinθ/, 19th adjective relating to number 19 in a series ć It’s his nineteenth birthday tomorrow. ć The nineteenth of August or August the nineteenth (August 19th). í noun number nineteen in a series ć He’s the nineteenth in the queue. ninetieth ninetieth /nantiəθ/, 90th adjective relating to number 90 in a series ć It’s his ninetieth birthday tomorrow. í noun number ninety in a series ć I’ve had so many calls – this is the ninetieth. ninety ninety /nanti/ noun number 90 ć My old aunt will be ninety (years old) next week and her husband is ninety-two: they are both in their nineties. ninth ninth /nanθ/, 9th adjective relating to number 9 in a series ć You’re the ninth person in the queue. í noun number nine in a series ć A lot of people have cancelled – he’s the ninth. no no /nəυ/ adjective , adverb 1. used for giving a negative answer ć I asked my mother if we could borrow her car but she said ‘no’. ć Do you want another cup of coffee? – No, thank you. 2. not any ć There’s no milk left in the fridge. ć We live in a little village, and there’s no post office for miles around. ć We had no reply to our fax. ȣ no entry you may not go in this way ȣ no exit you may not go out this way ȣ no parking you may not park ȣ no smoking you may not smoke nobody nobody /nəυbədi/ pronoun same as no one nocturnal nocturnal /nɒk  tn(ə)l/ adjective relating to the night ć The nocturnal hab- its of the badger. nod nod /nɒd/ verb to move the head slightly up and down, meaning ‘yes’ ć When he asked her if she understood, she nodded (her head ). ć He nodded to show his agreement. (NOTE: The opposite is to shake your head, meaning ‘no’. Note also: nods – nodding – nodded.) í noun a movement of the head up and down, meaning ‘yes’ ć He gave me a nod as I came in. noise noise /nɔz/ noun 1. a loud or unpleasant sound ć The workmen are making such a lot of noise that we can’t use the telephone. ć Let’s not invite the children – I can’t stand noise. 2. a sound ć The baby made a little gurgling noise. ć Is there anything the matter with the washing machine? It’s making a funny noise. ć There was a noise of running water in the bathroom. ć He woke up when he heard a noise in the kitchen. ć Don’t Basic.fm Page 209 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM noisily 210 nose make a noise – the guards might hear you. noisily noisily /nɔzli/ adverb making a lot of noise noisy noisy /nɔzi/ adjective who or which makes a lot of noise ć a crowd of noisy little boys ć Unfortunately, the hotel overlooks a noisy crossroads. (NOTE: noisier – noisiest) none none /nn/ pronoun 1. not any ć How many dogs have you got? – None. ć Can you buy some milk? We’ve none left in the fridge? ć A little money is better than none at all. 2. not one ć None of my friends smokes. ć None of the group can speak Chinese. nonsense nonsense /nɒnsəns/ noun silly ideas ć I’m too fat – nonsense! ć He talked a lot of nonsense. ć It’s nonsense to expect people to pay money for that. (NOTE: no plural) non-stop non-stop /nɒn stɒp/ adjective which does not stop ć a non-stop train to Paris ć They took a non-stop flight to Austral- ia. ć All our flights to Toronto are non- stop. í adverb without stopping ć The planes flies to Hong Kong non-stop. ć They worked non-stop to finish the job on time. noon noon /nun/ noun twelve o’clock in the middle of the day no one no one /nəυ wn/ pronoun no person ć We met no one we knew. ć No one here takes sugar in their tea. ć There was nobody in the café. ć Nobody wants to do her job. ˽ no one else no other person ć No one else’s child behaved as badly as ours on the plane! nor nor /nɔ/ conjunction and not ć ‘I don’t want to go’ – ‘Nor me!’ ć I did not meet him that year nor in subsequent years. ć I never went there again, nor did my wife. ı neither normal normal /nɔm(ə)l/ adjective usual or expected ć We hope to restore normal service as soon as possible. ć Look at the rain – it’s just a normal British sum- mer. ć What’s the size of a normal swimming pool? ć At her age, it’s only normal for her to want to go to parties. normally normally /nɔm(ə)li/ adverb usually ć The bus is normally late. ć She doesn’t normally drink wine. north north /nɔθ/ noun the direction to your left when you are facing the direction in which the sun rises ć There will be snow in the north of the country. ć It’s cold when the wind blows from the north. í adjective relating to the north ć We went on holiday to the north coast of Scotland. ć The north side of our house never gets any sun. ć When the north wind blows, you can expect snow. í adverb towards the north ć They were travelling north at the time. ć Go north for three miles and then you’ll see the road to London. ć Our office windows face north. north-east north-east /nɔθ ist/ adverb the direction between north and east ć They were travelling north-east at the time. ć Go north-east for three miles and then you’ll come to our village. ć Our office windows face north-east. í noun the part of a country to the north and east ć The North-East of England will have snow showers. ć It’s cold when the wind blows from the north-east. northern northern /nɔð(ə)n/ adjective relating to the north ć Northern countries have more rain. ć They live in the northern part of the country. north-west north-west /nɔθ west/ adverb the direction between west and north ć They were travelling north-west at the time. ć Go north-west for a few miles and then you’ll come to our house. í noun the part of a country to the north and west ć The North-West of England is wetter than the east coast. ć We can expect rain when the wind blows from the north-west. ć The old castle stood to the north-west of the cathedral. nose nose /nəυz/ noun a part of the body on your face which you breathe through and smell with ć He has a cold, and his nose is red. ć Dogs have wet noses. ć She’s got flu – her nose is running. ć Don’t wipe your nose on your sleeve, use a tissue. ȣ under his, her, etc. very nose in front of him, her, etc. ć I did it under his very nose and he didn’t notice a thing. Basic.fm Page 210 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM nostril 211 novice nostril nostril /nɒstrl/ noun one of the two holes in your nose, which you breathe through not not /nɒt/ adverb used with verbs to show the negative ć A service charge is not included. ć It isn’t there. ć She can’t come. ć He didn’t want any meat. ć We couldn’t go home because of the fog. ć Don’t you like coffee? ȣ not exactly 1. not completely ć Was it a disaster? – Not exactly a disaster, but it didn’t go very well. ć It’s not exactly the colour I wanted. 2. used for emphasising a negative ć He’s not exactly pleased at having to pay out so much money. ȣ not…either and not…also ć She doesn’t eat meat, and she doesn’t eat fish either. ć It wasn’t hot, but it wasn’t very cold either. ȣ not only…but also not just this…but this as well ć The film wasn’t only very long, but it was also very bad. note note /nəυt/ noun 1. a few words that you write to tell someone something or to help you to remember something ć She made a few notes before she gave her speech. ć She made a note of what she needed to buy before she went to the su- permarket. ć He left us a note before he went out. 2. a piece of paper money ć I tried to pay with a £10 note. 3. a musical sound, or a written sign representing a musical sound ć He can’t sing high notes. í verb to write down something in a few words ć The policeman noted in his notebook all the details of the accident. ȣ to take note of to pay attention to ć We have to take note of public opinion. notebook notebook /nəυtbυk/ noun a small book for making notes ć The policeman wrote down the details in his notebook. nothing nothing /nθŋ/ pronoun not anything ć There’s nothing interesting on TV. ć She said nothing about what she had seen. ć There’s nothing more we can do. ȣ for nothing free, without having to pay ć We’re friends of the woman running the show and she got us in for nothing. notice notice /nəυts/ noun 1. a piece of writing giving information, usually put in a place where people can see it ć He pinned up a notice about the staff tennis match. 2. an official warning that something has to be done, or that something is going to happen ć They gave us five minutes’ notice to leave the office. ć If you want to resign, you have to give a month’s notice. ć The train times were changed without notice. í verb to see and take note of something ć I wore one blue and one white sock all day and nobody noticed. ć I didn’t notice you had come in. ć Did you notice if John was sitting next to Sarah? ȣ at short notice with very little warning ć It had to be done at short notice. ć The bank manager will not see anyone at such short notice. ȣ until further notice until different instructions are given ć You must pay £200 on the 30th of each month until further notice. noticeable noticeable /nəυtsəb(ə)l/ adjective which is easily noticed notion notion /nəυʃ(ə)n/ noun an idea ć She has this strange notion that she ought to be a TV star. notorious notorious /nəυ  tɔriəs/ adjective well known for bad qualities, or for doing bad things noun noun /naυn/ noun ( in grammar ) a word which can be the subject or object of a verb and is used to refer to a person, thing or animal ć nouns such as ‘brick’ and ‘elephant’ ć In ‘the cat caught a mouse’, ‘cat’ and ‘mouse’ are both nouns. novel novel /nɒv(ə)l/ noun a long story with imaginary characters and events ć ‘Pickwick Papers’ was Dickens’ first major novel. í adjective new and unusual ć Visiting New York is a novel experience for me. November November /nəυ  vembə/ noun the elev- enth month of the year, the month after October and before December ć No- vember 5 ć Today is November 5th. ć She was born in November. ć We never go on holiday in November. (NOTE: No- vember 5th or November 5: say ‘No- vember the fifth’ or ‘the fifth of Novem- ber’ or in US English: ‘November fifth’.) novice novice /nɒvs/ noun a person who has very little experience or skill, e.g. in a job or sport ć He’s still a novice at row- Basic.fm Page 211 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM now 212 nut ing. ć A competition like this is not for novices. now now /naυ/ adverb at or around this point in time ć I can hear a train coming now. ć Please can we go home now? ć The flight is only two hours – he ought to be in Berlin by now. ć Now’s the best time for going skiing. ć A week from now we’ll be sitting on the beach. í interjection showing a warning ć Now then, don’t be rude to the teacher! ć Come on now, work hard! ć Now, now! Nobody wants to hear you crying. ȣ now and then from time to time, not continuous- ly ȣ until now, up to now until this point in time ć Until now, I’ve never had to see a doctor. nowhere nowhere /nəυweə/ adverb not in or to any place ć My wallet was nowhere to be found. ć Where are you going? – No- where. ć There is nowhere else for them to live. ȣ to get nowhere not to have any success ć I rang six shops to try and find a spare part, but got nowhere. nuclear nuclear /njukliə/ adjective relating to energy made from parts of atoms ć a nuclear power station nude nude /njud/ adjective not wearing clothes, especially in situations where people are expected to wear some clothes ć Nude sunbathing is not al- lowed on this beach. ć She has appeared nude on stage several times. nudge nudge /nd/ noun a little push, usually with the elbow ć She gave me a nudge to wake me up. í verb to give a little push, usually with the elbow ć He nudged me when it was my turn to speak. nuisance nuisance /njus(ə)ns/ noun a thing which annoys people ȣ to make a nuisance of yourself to do something an- noying ć The children made a nuisance of themselves running round the restaurant and throwing bits of bread. numb numb /nm/ adjective not able to feel things that you touch ć The tips of his fingers went numb. ć His hands were numb with cold. number number /nmbə/ noun 1. a sign that represents an amount ć 13 is not a lucky number. ć They live on the opposite side of road at number 49. ć Can you give me your telephone number? ć A number 6 bus goes to Oxford Street. ć Please quote your account number. 2. a quantity of people or things ć The number of tickets sold was disappoint- ing. ć A large number of children or large numbers of children will be sitting the exam. ć There were only a small number of people at the meeting. í verb to give something a number ć The raffle tickets are numbered 1 to 1000. ć I refer to our invoices numbered 234 and 235. ć All the seats are clearly numbered. numerous numerous /njum(ə)rəs/ adjective very many ć He has been fined for speeding on numerous occasions. nun nun /nn/ noun a woman member of a re- ligious group who live together (NOTE: Do not confuse with none. Note: the equivalent men are monks.) nurse nurse /ns/ noun a person who looks after sick people ( woman or man ) ć She has a job as a nurse in the local hospi- tal. í verb to look after people who are ill ć When she fell ill her daughter nursed her until she was better. nursery nursery /ns(ə)ri/ noun a school for very young children, or a place where very young children are looked after ć My sister went to a nursery every day from the age of 18 months. (NOTE: The plural is nurseries.) nut nut /nt/ noun 1. a dry fruit with a hard shell, that grows on trees 2. a metal ring which screws on a bolt to hold it tight ć Screw the nut on tightly. Basic.fm Page 212 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM O o o /əυ/, O noun the fifteenth letter of the alphabet, between N and P oak oak /əυk/ noun 1. a type of large tree which loses its leaves in winter ć a for- est of oak trees ć Oaks produce thou- sands of acorns each year. 2. wood from this tree ć an oak table obedient obedient /ə  bidiənt/ adjective doing what you are told to do ć Our old dog is very obedient – he always comes when you call him. obese obese /əυ  bis/ adjective someone who is obese is so fat that it is dangerous for their health obey obey /ə  be/ verb to do what someone tells you to do ć If you can’t obey orders you shouldn’t be a policeman. ć Every- one must obey the law. object object 1 /ɒbdekt/ noun 1. a thing ć They thought they saw a strange object in the sky. 2. an aim ć Their object is to take control of the radio station. 3. a noun, pronoun or phrase which follows directly from a verb or preposition ć In the phrase ‘the cat caught the mouse’, the word ‘mouse’ is the object of the verb ‘caught’. object object 2 /əb  dekt/ verb to say that you do not like something or you do not want something to happen ć He object- ed that the pay was too low. objective objective /əb  dektv/ adjective con- sidering things from a general point of view and not from your own ć You must be objective when planning the future of your business. í noun an aim ć Our long-term objective is to make the company financially sound. ć The company has achieved its main objectives. obligation obligation /ɒbl  eʃ(ə)n/ noun something that you must do, e.g. for legal rea- sons ć You have an obligation to attend the meeting. oblong oblong /ɒblɒŋ/ noun a shape with two pairs of equal sides, one pair being long- er than the other ć The screen is an oblong, approximately 30cm by 40cm. observation observation /ɒbzə  veʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the act of observing ć By careful observation, the police found out where the thieves had hidden the money. 2. a remark ć He made several observations about the government. observe observe /əb  zv/ verb 1. to follow or to obey something such as a law, rule or custom ć His family observes all the re- ligious festivals strictly. ć The local laws must be observed. 2. to watch something with a lot of attention ć They observed and recorded all the changes carefully. 3. to make a remark ć I mere- ly observed that the bus was late as usual. obtain obtain /əb  ten/ verb to manage to get something ć She obtained a copy of the will. ć He obtained control of the business. obvious obvious /ɒbviəs/ adjective clear; easily seen ć It’s obvious that we will have to pay for the damage. ć It was obvious to everyone that the shop was not making any money. obviously obviously /ɒbviəsli/ adverb clearly ć Obviously we will need to borrow vari- ous pieces of equipment. occasion occasion /ə  ke(ə)n/ noun 1. ˽ a special occasion a special event such as a wedding ć The baby’s first birthday was a special occasion. 2. a happening, a time when something happens ć She claimed that she hadn’t seen anything on that particular occasion. ȣ on occasion from time to time ć On occasion, we spend a weekend in the country. occasional occasional /ə  ke(ə)n(ə)l/ adjective happening sometimes, but not very often ć He was an occasional visitor to my parents’ house. ć We make the occasional trip to London. Basic.fm Page 213 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM occasionally 214 of course occasionally occasionally /ə  ke(ə)nəli/ adverb sometimes, not very often ć Occasion- ally he has to work late. ć We occasionally go to the cinema. occupation occupation /ɒkjυ  peʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. the act of taking control of a place, or the fact of being in such a situation ć the occupation of the country by enemy soldiers ć The city had been under enemy occupation for a week. 2. a job, position, employment ć What is her occupation? ć His main occupation is running a small engineering works. occupied occupied /ɒkjupad/ adjective 1. being used ć All the rooms in the hotel are occupied. ć All the toilets are occupied, so you’ll have to wait. 2. busy ć The manager is occupied just at the moment. ć Keeping a class of 30 little children occupied is difficult. occupy occupy /ɒkjυpa/ verb 1. to live in or work in ć They occupy the flat on the first floor. ć The firm occupies offices in the centre of town. 2. ( of time, thoughts or attention ) to use or fill ć Dealing with the office occupies most of my time. 3. to keep someone busy ć Could you occupy him for five minutes while I wrap his present? (NOTE: occupies – occupying – occupied) occur occur /ə  k/ verb 1. to happen ć When did the accident occur? 2. to come to your mind ć Did it never occur to you that she was lying? (NOTE: occurs – occurring – occurred) ocean ocean /əυʃ(ə)n/ noun a very large area of sea surrounding the large areas of land on the Earth ć Ocean currents can be very treacherous. o’clock o’clock /ə  klɒk/ adverb used with numbers to show the time ć Get up – it’s 7 o’clock. ć We never open the shop before 10 o’clock. ć By 2 o’clock in the morning everyone was asleep. (NOTE: O’clock is only used for the exact hour, not for times which include minutes. It can also be omitted: We got home before eight. or We got home before eight o’clock .) October October /ɒk  təυbə/ noun the tenth month of the year, between September and November ć October 18 ć Do you ever go on holiday in October? ć Today is October 18th. ć Last October we moved to London. (NOTE: October 18th or October 18: say ‘October the eighteenth’ or ‘the eighteenth of October’; in US English: ‘October eighteenth’.) octopus octopus /ɒktəpəs/ noun a sea animal with eight long arms called ‘tentacles’ (NOTE: The plural is octopuses.) odd odd /ɒd/ adjective 1. unusual and not normal ć It’s odd that she can never remember how to get to their house. ć He doesn’t like chocolate – Really, how odd! 2. ˽ odd numbers numbers such as 17 or 33 which cannot be divided by two ć The buildings with odd numbers are on the opposite side of the street. 3. ( of an amount ) almost, not exact or ac- curate ć She had 200 odd records in cardboard boxes 4. one forming part of a pair 5. done only rarely or occasionally ć I’ve only been to the odd concert in the last few years. ć On the odd occasions I’ve met him, he’s seemed very nice. odour odour /əυdə/ noun a smell, especially an unpleasant smell ć the odour of rot- ten eggs (NOTE: The US spelling is odor.) of of /əv, ɒv/ preposition 1. used for showing a connection ć She’s the sister of the girl who you met at the party. ć Where’s the top of the jam jar? ć What are the names of Henry VIII’s wives? 2. used for showing a part or a quantity ć a litre of orange juice ć How much of the cloth do you need? ć Today is the sixth of March. ć There are four boys and two girls – six of them altogether. ć Half of the staff are on holiday. 3. used for giving a specific age, amount, etc ć The school takes children of ten and over. ć He earns a salary of over £30,000. 4. showing position, material, cause ć He lives in the north of the town. ć The jumper is made of cotton. ć She died of cancer. (NOTE: Of is often used after verbs or adjectives: to think of , to be fond of , to be tired of , to smell of , to be afraid of , etc.) of course of course /əv kɔs/ adverb 1. used to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’ more strongly ć Are you coming with us? – Of course I am! ć Do you want to lose all your money? Basic.fm Page 214 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM off 215 OK – Of course not! 2. used for stating something that is not surprising ć He is rich, so of course he lives in a big house. off off /ɒf/ adverb , preposition 1. showing movement or position away from a place ć We’re off to the shops. ć The office is just off the main road. ć They spent their holiday on an island off the coast of Wales. ć The children got off the bus. ć Take your boots off before you come into the house. 2. away from work ć She took the week off. ć It’s my day off today. ć Half the staff are off with flu. 3. not switched on ć Is the TV off? off and on off and on /ɒf ənd ɒn/ adverb not con- tinuously, with breaks in between offence offence /ə  fens/ noun 1. the state of being offended ć He took offence when I said he looked bigger than before. 2. a crime, an act which is against the law ć He was charged with committing an offence. ć Since it was his first offence, he was let off with a fine. offend offend /ə  fend/ verb 1. to be or to go against public opinion, someone’s feel- ings ć He offended the whole village by the article he wrote in the paper. ć That wallpaper offends my sense of taste. 2. to commit a crime ć He was released from prison and immediately offended again. offense offense /ə  fens/ noun US spelling of offence offensive offensive /ə  fensv/ adjective 1. unpleasant ć What an offensive smell! 2. not polite; rude ć The waiter was quite offensive. offer offer /ɒfə/ noun a suggestion to someone that you will give them something or do something for them ć He turned down her offer to drive him to the station. ć She accepted his offer of a job in Paris. í verb to suggest doing something for someone or giving someone something ć She offered to drive him to the station. ȣ on offer which has been offered ć There are several good holiday bargains on offer. office office /ɒfs/ noun a room or building where you do work such as writing, tel- ephoning and working at a computer ć I’ll be working late at the office this evening. ć We bought some new office furniture. ć Dad has his office at the top of the house. officer officer /ɒfsə/ noun a person who holds an official position ć The customs officer asked me to open my suitcase. official official /ə  fʃ(ə)l/ adjective 1. relating to an organisation, especially one which is part of a government or some other authority ć He left official papers in his car. ć We had an official order from the local authority. ć He represents an official body. 2. done or approved by someone in authority ć She received an official letter of explanation. ć The strike was made official by the union head- quarters. í noun a person holding a rec- ognised position ć They were met by an official from the embassy. ć I’ll ask an official of the social services depart- ment to help you. officially officially /ə  fʃ(ə)li/ adverb 1. in an official way ć He has been officially named as a member of the British team. ć She has been officially named as our repre- sentative at the meeting. 2. according to what is said in public ć Officially, you are not supposed to go in through this door, but everyone does. ć Officially he knows nothing about the problem, but unofficially he has given us a lot of ad- vice about it. often often /ɒf(ə)n/ adverb on many occasions ć I often have to go to town on business. ć Do you eat beef often? ć How often is there a bus to Richmond? ȣ every so often from time to time ć We go to the cinema every so often. oil oil /ɔl/ noun 1. a liquid taken from plants and animals, which flows smoothly and is used in cooking ć Cook the vegeta- bles in hot oil. 2. a thick mineral liquid found mainly underground and used as a fuel or to make something move smoothly ć The door squeaks – it needs some oil. ć Some of the beaches are covered with oil. ć The company is drilling for oil in the desert. OK OK /əυ  ke/, okay interjection 1. used for answering ’yes’ to a question ć Would you like a coffee? – OK! 2. used for starting to talk about something after a pause ć ‘It’s ten o’clock’ – ‘OK, let’s Basic.fm Page 215 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM [...].. .Basic. fm Page 216 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM old 216 get going’ í adjective all right ć He was off ill yesterday, but he seems to be OK now ć Is it OK for me to bring the dogs? old /əυld/ adjective... got ten pounds between us ć This lift is for staff only 2 as recently as ć We saw her only last week ć Only yesterday the bank phoned for information í conjunction but, except ć I would have arrived on Basic. fm Page 217 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM onto 217 time, only the train was late ȣ only just almost not ȣ only too very much onto / ɒntə, ɒntυ, ɒntu / preposition on or to something ć The speaker... party or group which opposes the government ć The leader of the opposition rose to speak ć The party lost the election and is now in opposition opponent opportunity oppose opposed to opposite opposition Basic. fm Page 218 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM optician 218 optician /ɒp tʃ(ə)n/ noun a person who optician tests your eyes and sells glasses option / ɒpʃən/ noun a choice ć One opoption tion would... working efficiently and according to a plan 2 (of an activity) planned carefully, and involving many different people or elements ordinary organ organic organisation organisational organise organised Basic. fm Page 219 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM organiser organiser organiser 219 / ɔ ənazə/, noun a person who arranges things origin / ɒrd n/ noun where something origin or someone comes from ć... held outdoors if the weather is good (NOTE: You ought can also say out of doors.) outer / aυtə/ adjective on the outside ć outer Though the outer surface of the pie was hot, the inside was still cold Basic. fm Page 220 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM outfit 220 outfit / aυtft/ noun a set of clothes, ofoutfit ten worn for a particular purpose ć She bought a new outfit for the wedding ć For the fancy... cover part overlap of something else ć Try not to let the pieces of wallpaper overlap (NOTE: overlaps – overlapping – overlapped) overlap2 / əυvə l p/ noun an amount overlap by which something overlaps Basic. fm Page 221 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM overlook 221 overlook / əυvə lυk/ verb not to notice overlook something ć She overlooked several mistakes when she was correcting the exam papers overseas1... is present in the air and is essential for plant and animal life ozone / əυzəυn/ noun a harmful form of ozone oxygen, which is found in the atmosphere and which is poisonous to humans when concentrated Basic. fm Page 222 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM P p /pi /, P noun the sixteenth letter of the p alphabet, between O and Q pace /pes/ noun 1 the distance covered by one step ć Walk thirty paces to the... page but on page 50.) í verb to call someone by radio, over a loudspeaker, etc ć Mr Smith isn’t in his office at the moment – I’ll page him for you paid /ped/ past tense and past participle of pay paid Basic. fm Page 223 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM pail 223 pail /pel/ noun an old-fashioned word pail for a bucket (NOTE: Do not confuse with pale.) pain /pen/ noun a feeling in your body pain of being... newspapers and magazines ć He got a letter written on pink paper ć I need another piece of paper or sheet of paper to finish my letter ć There was a box of paper handkerchiefs by the bed (NOTE: no paper Basic. fm Page 224 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM parade 224 plural for this meaning: some paper, a piece of paper, a sheet of paper) 2 a newspaper ć I buy the paper to read on the train every morning... My photo was on the front page of today’s paper ć Our local paper comes out on Fridays ć The Sunday papers are so big that it takes me all day to read them (NOTE: The plural is papers.) 3 an exam ć The English paper was very difficult (NOTE: The plural is papers.) parade /pə red/ noun a public display of soldiers ć A sergeant inspects the men before they go on parade paragraph / p rə rɑ f/ noun a section . Novem- ber’ or in US English: ‘November fifth’.) novice novice /nɒvs/ noun a person who has very little experience or skill, e.g. in a job or sport ć He’s still a novice at row- Basic. fm Page 211. trees 2. a metal ring which screws on a bolt to hold it tight ć Screw the nut on tightly. Basic. fm Page 212 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM O o o /əυ/, O noun the fifteenth letter of the alphabet,. start of our holiday. ć The next time you go to the su- permarket, can you get some coffee? 2. Basic. fm Page 208 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM nibble 209 noise nearest in place ć The ball