NTC’s Super-Mini ENGLISH Dictionary This page intentionally left blank NTC’s Super-Mini ENGLISH Dictionary Chicago New York San Francisco Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan New Delhi San Juan Seoul Singapore Sydney Toronto Copyright © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc All rights reserved Manufactured in the United States of America Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher 0-07-143406-2 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: 0-07-138748-X All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners Rather than put a trademark symbol after every occurrence of a trademarked name, we use names in an editorial fashion only, and to the benefit of the trademark owner, with no intention of infringement of the trademark Where such designations appear in this book, they have been printed with initial caps McGraw-Hill eBooks are available at special quantity discounts to use as premiums and sales promotions, or for use in corporate training programs For more information, please contact George Hoare, Special Sales, at george_hoare@mcgrawhill.com or (212) 904-4069 TERMS OF USE This is a copyrighted work and The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc (“McGraw-Hill”) and its licensors reserve all rights in and to the work Use of this work is subject to these terms Except as permitted under the Copyright Act of 1976 and the right to store and retrieve one copy of the work, you may not decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, reproduce, modify, create derivative works based upon, transmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish or sublicense the work or any part of it without McGraw-Hill’s prior consent You may use the work for your own noncommercial and personal use; any other use of the work is strictly prohibited Your right to use the work may be terminated if you fail to comply with these terms THE WORK IS PROVIDED “AS IS” McGRAW-HILL AND ITS LICENSORS MAKE NO GUARANTEES OR WARRANTIES AS TO THE ACCURACY, ADEQUACY OR COMPLETENESS OF OR RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM USING THE WORK, INCLUDING ANY INFORMATION THAT CAN BE ACCESSED THROUGH THE WORK VIA HYPERLINK OR OTHERWISE, AND EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE McGraw-Hill and its licensors not warrant or guarantee that the functions contained in the work will meet your requirements or that its operation will be uninterrupted or error free Neither McGraw-Hill nor its licensors shall be liable to you or anyone else for any inaccuracy, error or omission, regardless of cause, in the work or for any damages resulting therefrom McGraw-Hill has no responsibility for the content of any information accessed through the work Under no circumstances shall McGraw-Hill and/or its licensors be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, consequential or similar damages that result from the use of or inability to use the work, even if any of them has been advised of the possibility of such damages This limitation of liability shall apply to any claim or cause whatsoever whether such claim or cause arises in contract, tort or otherwise DOI: 10.1036/0071434062 For more information about this title, click here Contents Introduction vii Useful Spelling Rules Pronunciation ix xiv Terms, Abbreviations, and Symbols Entries xvii Important Lists of Words 595 Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, I nc Click Here for Terms of Use v This page intentionally left blank Introduction NTC’s Super-Mini English Dictionary is for persons who are seeking to improve their ability to speak, read, write, and understand American English It is a small, portable dictionary that will help with spelling, pronunciation, part of speech, meaning, irregular forms, and the appropriate use of 8,200 senses of 7,600 common words This dictionary defines words using the smallest possible vocabulary, but when necessary, uses additional words to define difficult concepts In many cases, more than one definition is given to help in figuring out the meaning of a word or expression Many of the entry words in the dictionary have more than one sense Please study all the relevant senses to make sure you have found the right one Nominals (n.) that not follow the regular spelling or pronunciation rules in the formation of the plural are marked irreg., and the form of the plural is given in the entry Verbs (tv., iv.) that not follow the regular rules for the formation of the past tense and past participle are marked irreg., and the proper forms are given in the entry The comparative and superlative forms of adjectives (adj.) and adverbs (adv.) are listed when there are forms—as with red, redder, reddest—that replace, or that exist in addition to, the comparatives and superlatives formed with more and most After many of the definitions, you will find comments, enclosed in parentheses, containing further information about the entry word Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, I nc Click Here for Terms of Use vii This page intentionally left blank Useful Spelling Rules The following basic spelling rules equip the learner to create and identify the most important derived and inflected forms of regular English nouns and verbs Words that have important irregular forms that not follow these rules are identified in the dictionary Regular Verb Forms Note: Many verbs that have irregular past-tense forms or irregular past participles nevertheless form the present tense and the present participle regularly For the third-person singular (the form used with he, she, it, and singular nouns) in the present tense: ■ Add -s to the bare verb If the bare verb ends in y preceded by a consonant, change y to ie and then add -s If the bare verb ends in s, z, x, ch, or sh, add -es like > Bill likes cry > the baby cries walk > Anne walks buy > the man buys carry > a truck carries fix > she fixes pass > it passes notify > he notifies catch > she catches Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, I nc Click Here for Terms of Use ix wrinkle aux a form used to express something that happened many times in the past aux a form used instead of will Q to make commands more polite by turning them into questions (Contraction: -’d See also will Q; using would is usually more polite than using will.) wouldn’t ["wUd nt] cont would not would’ve ["wUd @v] cont would have, where have is an auxiliary wound ["waUnd] pt/pp of wind R and T ["wund] n an injury where the skin is torn or punctured ["wund] n an injury to one’s feelings (Fig on W.) ["wund] tv to injure someone; to cause someone to have W or E wove ["wov] pt of weave woven ["wo v@n] pp of weave wrath ["rAT] n severe anger, especially from someone with a lot of power (No pl.) wreath ["riT] n., irreg a decoration of flowers and leaves arranged in a certain shape, especially a circle (Pl: ["riTs] or ["riDz].) wreathe ["riD] tv to make a circle around something wreck ["rEk] n a serious accident, especially where something is destroyed n a ruined vehicle that remains after a serious accident n someone or something that is a mess (Fig on W.) tv to destroy something wreckage ["rEk IdZ] n whatever remains after a serious accident or disaster (No pl Treated as sg.) wrench ["rEntS] n a tool that turns nuts, bolts, pipes, and other objects into or out of position tv to twist or pull something with force tv to injure a part of the body by twisting it or pulling it wrestle ["rEs @l] tv to force someone or something loose, down, away, etc., with force iv to participate in a sport in which one wrestles one’s opponent down as in Q wring ["rIN] tv., irreg to squeeze or twist something very forcefully (Pt/pp: wrung.) ϳ out to squeeze and twist something to remove liquid ϳ out of to remove water from something by twisting and squeezing it very forcefully wringer ["rIN #] n an old-fashioned washing machine that removes water from clothes by pressing them as the clothes are passed between two rollers wrinkle ["rIN k@l] n a crease; a small fold or line, such as in clothing that has not been ironed or on the skin of an old person iv to 587 wrist become creased; to get small lines in one’s skin or on the surface of something tv to cause someone’s skin or the surface of something to have Q; to cause creases, folds, or lines to form on the surface of someone or something wrist ["rIst] n the part of the body where the hand joins the lower part of the arm write ["raIt] tv., irreg to make words or symbols on a surface with a pen, pencil, chalk, etc (Pt: wrote; pp: written.) tv., irreg to put thoughts or ideas into writing; to organize words or symbols into meaningful prose iv., irreg to mark on a surface with a pen, pencil, chalk, etc., as with W iv., irreg to work by creating the content for books, articles, movies, plays, or other texts; to be an author; to be a writer iv., irreg to prepare and send [a letter or note to someone] (E.g., Please write when you can.) writer ["raIt #] n an author who writes for a living; someone who has written something writhe ["raID] iv to twist and turn in pain or as though in pain writing ["raIt IN] n making sentences, words, or letters with a pen, a pencil, chalk, or other writing instrument (No pl.) n sentences, words, or letters made with a pen, a pencil, chalk, or other writing instrument (No pl.) n something that is written; a book, poem, or other document (Sometimes pl with the same meaning.) written ["rIt n] pp of write adj placed in writing; printed or spelled out in writing wrong ["rON] adj not correct; not true; mistaken; in error (Adv: wrongly.) adj bad; evil; illegal; immoral; not lawful (Adv: wrongly.) adj not desired; not wanted; incorrect (Adv: wrongly.) adj out of order; not working properly; faulty adv in a way that is E n a bad, illegal, improper, or immoral action tv to treat someone badly or unfairly wrote ["rot] pt of write wrung ["r^N] pt/pp of wring 588 X Xerox™ ["zIr aks] n a copy of a document, especially one made on a copier manufactured by Xerox™ (A protected trade name for a process used to make copies of documents.) X-ray ["Eks re] n a ray of energy that can pass through solid or nearly solid matter, such as the body (Used especially to take pictures of the insides of people or objects.) n a picture of the inside of a person or an object, made by passing Q through the person or object onto film tv to take a picture of the inside of a person or an object using Q xylophone ["zaI l@ fon] n a musical instrument made of a series of wooden bars of different sizes, each of which makes a different note when struck with a small wooden hammer Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, I nc Click Here for Terms of Use 589 Y yacht ["jat] n a large boat or ship used for pleasure or racing (Powered by sails, engines, or both.) iv to travel somewhere on water in Q yam ["jAm] n a vegetable similar to the potato, grown in tropical areas n a sweet potato, which is orange and does not taste like a potato yank ["jANk] tv to pull someone or something quickly, with force n a quick pull; a sharp tug yard ["jard] n a unit of measurement of length equal to 36 inches, feet, or about 91.44 centimeters n the land that surrounds a house or other dwelling yardstick ["jard stIk] n a ruler that is 36 inches—that is, one yard—long n something that other things are compared with; a standard (Fig on Q.) yarn ["jarn] n thick, soft thread that is used for things like knitting or weaving (Number is expressed with ball(s) or skein(s) of yarn.) n a tale; a story that is not completely true yawn ["jOn] iv to stretch one’s mouth open and breathe in and out slowly and deeply, especially when one is tired or bored iv [for something like a hole] to have a very wide opening (Fig on Q.) n an act of opening one’s mouth, as in Q year ["jIr] n 12 months; 365.25 days; the time it takes for earth to revolve around the sun n a full or partial Q spent doing a certain activity n a particular level of study in a school, college, or university yearly ["jIr li] adj happening once a year; occurring each year adv once a year; each year; every year yeast ["jist] n a very small fungus that causes bread to rise and is also used to make alcohol (Pl only for types and instances.) yell ["jEl] tv to say something loudly; to scream something; to shout something iv to speak loudly; to scream; to shout n a loud cry; a shout yellow ["jEl o] n the color of a ripe lemon or of the yolk of an egg (Pl only for types and instances.) the adj use of Q (Comp: yel590 Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, I nc Click Here for Terms of Use you’ll lower; sup: yellowest.) adj timid; scared to something (Informal Comp: yellower; sup: yellowest.) yelp ["jElp] n a short, high-pitched bark; a short, high-pitched shout of pain or emotion iv to make Q yen ["jEn] n a strong desire; a strong feeling of wanting something (No pl.) n., irreg the basic unit of money in Japan (Also ¥ Pl: yen.) yes ["jEs] n a statement showing that someone agrees with something or gives permission to something n an act of voting showing that one agrees with the proposal adv a word showing approval, consent, or willingness adv a word emphasizing a positive statement, especially when denying a negative one (E.g., Yes, it is!) yesterday ["jEs t# de] n the day before today adv on the day before today yet ["jEt] adv up to a certain point in time; by a certain point in time; as of a certain point in time adv eventually, even with barriers and delays adv still; even; even more adv and in spite of that; however; nevertheless conj but; however; nevertheless; although yield ["jild] iv to bend, break, or move out of the way because of someone or something that is stronger or more powerful iv to surrender to someone or something, especially someone or something that is stronger or more powerful; to submit to someone or something iv to allow other traffic or people to have the right of way; to allow another vehicle or person to move first tv [for plants or animals] to supply or produce something such as food n the amount of something that is produced yoke ["jok] n a frame of wood that fits around the necks of animals so they can pull something heavy that is attached to the frame (Compare this with yolk.) tv to put Q on oxen or other strong animals yolk ["jok] n the round, yellow part inside an egg (Compare this with yoke E.g., use four egg yolks.) n the substance of Q (No pl E.g., spilled some egg yolk.) yonder ["jan d#] adv over there you ["ju] pron the second-person pronoun, sg and pl you’d ["jud] cont you would cont you had, where had is an auxiliary you’ll ["jul] cont you will 591 young young ["j^N] adj in the early part of life; not old; having been alive for a short period of time as compared with an average age (Comp: younger; sup: youngest.) adj new; in an early stage of development; recently formed or started (Comp: younger; sup: youngest.) n the offspring of an animal or a human (No pl Treated as pl Countable, but not usually used for one offspring.) youngster ["j^N st#] n a young person; a child your ["jU#] pron the possessive form of you, the second-person sg and pl pronoun; belonging to the person(s) being spoken or written to (Used as a modifier before a noun Compare this with you’re.) you’re ["jU#] cont you are (Compare this with your.) yours ["jU#z] pron the possessive form of you, the second-person sg and pl pronoun; the one or ones belonging to the person(s) being spoken or written to (Used in place of a noun.) yourself [jU# "sElf] pron the reflexive form of the sg form of you pron a strong form of you [sg] yourselves [jU# "sElvz] pron the reflexive form of the pl of you pron a strong form of you [pl] youth ["juT] n the quality of being young (No pl.) n the period of time when one is a child or teenager (No pl.) n children or teenagers, as a group (No pl Treated as pl, but not countable.) n someone who is young, especially a male; a child or teenager you’ve ["juv] cont you have, where have is an auxiliary yummy ["j^m i] adj having a good taste; delicious (Informal Comp: yummier; sup: yummiest.) 592 Z zeal ["zil] n a strong passion for a belief or cause; excitement (No pl.) zebra ["zi br@] n., irreg a horselike mammal that has a whitish hide with dark brown or black stripes (Pl: zebra or zebras.) zenith ["zi n@T] n the highest possible point zephyr ["zEf #] n a gentle wind; a breeze zero ["zi ro] n the number (Pl ends in -s or -es.) n nothing (No pl.) ϳ in to aim directly at someone or something zest ["zEst] n enjoyment, especially for life; excitement (No pl.) zinc ["zINk] n a metallic element (No pl.) zip ["zIp] tv to open or close something, using a zipper iv to move somewhere very quickly n energy; vigor (Informal No pl.) zip code ["zIp kod] n one of the five-digit or nine-digit numbers that is part of the United States Postal Service’s postal coding system (An acronym for Zoning Improvement Plan.) zipper ["zIp #] n a fastener made of two strips of tiny teeth that lock together when a sliding piece is moved over them tv to zip something; to open or close something using Q zone ["zon] n an area, especially one that is different in some way from nearby areas tv to divide a city into different areas limited only to certain uses; to limit an area to certain uses zoo ["zu] n a place where wild animals are kept so that they can be seen by people zookeeper ["zu kip #] n someone who takes care of animals at a zoo Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, I nc Click Here for Terms of Use 593 This page intentionally left blank Important Lists of Words These are important lists of words that can be consulted quickly For further information or definitions, each word should be looked up in this dictionary List A Nouns defined in this dictionary that never take the plural s See the entry heads listed for details admiration advice anybody anyone anything applause appreciation arctic arrogance assistance attendance aviation awe baggage bathwater blackness bliss bloodshed bookkeeping bowling bulk carelessness cash Catholicism cattle Centigrade chaos chatter chess citizenship clothing confusion consent conservation contempt courage cowardice dark darkness daybreak daylight decay destruction devout digestion diplomacy dirt disgust dishwater distress distrust drainage dust ease east electricity elegance employment endurance equipment esteem estimation evidence excellence Fahrenheit fame few filth flesh former freight frostbite fun furniture fuzz glamour gloom golf gratitude greed grief grime guilt happiness health hockey homework housework hypnotism importance independence indigestion information insurance intelligence interference isolation jazz jewelry knowledge laughter leakage left legislation leisure lighting lightning likelihood lint literacy livestock logic Copyright 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, I nc Click Here for Terms of Use 595 Important Lists of Words loot luck luggage machinery magic magnetism maintenance malice mankind math mayonnaise menstruation merchandise Midwest might mirth misconduct mistrust moderation moisture molasses moonlight morale morality more most motherhood much mucus nausea needlework neglect nightlife nonsense north northeast northwest nothing now nutrition obedience occult 596 offspring ooze opposition overkill overtime ownership oxygen ozone pantyhose paradise parsley participation patience peace pep perfection perjury personnel persuasion petroleum photography pity plenty plumbing poetry police poor pork postage poultry poverty precision preservation prevention prey produce progress propaganda prose prosperity prudence psychiatry psychology publicity punctuation quickness quiet racism ransom rapidity readiness realism reasoning recklessness recognition recreation redness refuse rejoicing relief research revenge ridicule rot rubbish rudeness running rust sadness safekeeping safety sameness sanitation sanity sarcasm say scenery schoolwork science scrutiny scuba seafood seaside seclusion secrecy segregation self-confidence self-control self-discipline self-esteem self-respect self-service selfishness senility seniority serenity seriousness several severity sewage shame shelving shipping shopping shrewdness shrubbery shyness sightseeing significance silence silver silverware simplicity sincerity sizzle skepticism skiing slander slavery sleep sleet slime slush smuggling soccer software Important Lists of Words some something sorcery south southeast southwest spaghetti spinach starvation static stationery storage strife stuff stupidity sunlight sunshine supervision surf suspense tact teamwork tennis terrorism thunder tourism traction traffic transportation trash twilight underclothing underwear undoing unrest upkeep uranium valor vanilla veal vegetation vigor violence vomit warmth wastepaper wealth wealthy wear weather welfare west wetness wilderness willpower wisdom woodwork worship worth wrath wreckage young zeal zest zinc List B Nouns defined in this dictionary that can take the plural s resulting in the meaning “kinds, types, instances, or varieties of.” See the entry heads listed for details action addition adhesive adoption adventure agony alcohol amputation appointment architecture ash bacon bait ballet bark beer behavior bleach blue brass bronze broth brown butter buzz cake cancer candy canvas caramel cardboard cargo cement cereal chalk champagne change charcoal charm cheese cherry chocolate choice cider clay cleaner cloth coal coffee combination comparison concern confession conflict conquest contraction conversation copulation cord cork cost cotton court crime cruelty crystal debt defense denial depth destiny detention 597 Important Lists of Words dew difference difficulty dip disagreement discipline discomfort disgrace division divorce dough duck dynamite elm enjoyment escape evaluation evil examination explanation exposure fabric failure fantasy fashion fat fate fear feed felt fiber fiction film fire flight flour foam foil food force friendship frost 598 frosting fruit fur future gas gasoline gauze glass glue gold grain grammar grass gravel gravy gray green gum ham harmony honey horror hurt identification immersion increase indentation infection influence injection ink inspection intensity irritation ivy jam jelly juice ketchup landscape language leather length liquor lotion loyalty lubrication luxury marble margarine meal meat meatloaf medicine membership mesh metal meter mileage misfortune mold mortar moss motion mousse movement mulch mustard mystery mythology noise notepaper novelty number oak oil opinion orange pain paint pardon passion pasta paste pastry payment pecan pepper performance perfume philosophy pick pie pigment pine pink pitch pizza plaster plastic pleasure poison polish pollen popcorn poplar posture powder power prejudice primer privilege prohibition promotion pronunciation prophecy protection pudding purple quarantine race reality rebellion red redwood regularity Important Lists of Words regulation religion repetition resignation responsibility rhythm rice rope routine sacrifice salt sand sandpaper satin satisfaction sauce scripture seaweed separation shampoo sherbet shortening silk sin skin smell soap soil soup speculation speed stain starch stew stock stone stool stress substitution subtraction success sugar sunblock sunburn sunscreen syrup tape tea technology tension terror theft theology theory thread tile tissue tobacco toil toothpaste torment tradition translation triumph twine use utterance vacation vaccination variation variety varnish velocity velvet victory volume walnut war wax whiskey white wine wood wool worry yeast yellow List C Nouns defined in this dictionary that have irregular or variable plurals Plural variants are separated by “/” The asterisk “*” means there is a unique feature of pronunciation See the entry heads listed for details aircraft, aircraft antenna, antennas/ antennae aquarium, aquaria/ aquariums basis, bases bath* beaver bookshelf, bookshelves booth* buffalo cactus, cactuses/cacti calf, calves chairman, chairmen child, children cloth* cod courthouse* craftsman, craftsmen crisis, crises deer die, dice doghouse* dwarf, dwarves elf, elves elk emphasis, emphases fish fisherman, fishermen focus, focuses/foci foot, feet footpath* formula, formulae/ formulas fowl fungus, funguses/ fungi 599 Important Lists of Words gentleman, gentlemen goldfish* goose, geese grandchild, grandchildren greenhouse* half, halves hippopotamus, hippopotamuses/ hippopotami hoof, hooves house* index, indexes/indices knife, knives leaf, leaves life, lives lighthouse* loaf, loaves man, men medium, mediums/ media mink moose moth* mouse, mice mouth* nucleus, nuclei oasis, oases oath* octopus, octopuses/ octopi ox, oxen parenthesis, parentheses path* penthouse* perch policeman, policemen policewoman, policewomen radius, radiuses/radii rhinoceros, rhinoceros/ rhinoceroses salesman, salesmen salesperson, salespeople/ salespersons saleswoman, saleswomen salmon scarf, scarves schoolchild, schoolchildren sheath* sheep shelf, shelves shellfish shrimp snowman, snowmen sole sportsman, sportsmen thief, thieves tooth, teeth trout tuna, tuna/tunas warehouse* washcloth* wharf, wharves wife, wives wolf, wolves woman, women wreath* yen zebra, zebra/zebras List D Transitive verbs defined in this dictionary that can take a clause beginning with that as an object [As with I know that you can it!] These verbs can also take other forms of direct objects See the entry heads listed for details accept admit advertise advise announce answer anticipate 600 appreciate argue ask assume believe calculate claim confess confirm consider decide declare demand deny determine detest discover dream establish estimate expect Important Lists of Words explain feel find foresee forget guarantee guess hear imagine indicate know learn legislate maintain mention murmur note notice observe ordain parrot petition plead pledge preach predict prefer prescribe proclaim profess prophesy propose protest prove realize recognize recommend regret relate remark remember report request require resent reveal say scream scribble see sense shout show signal signify state stress suggest suspect think threaten urge vow wail whimper whine whisper wire List E Transitive verbs defined in this dictionary that have a clause beginning with that as an object [As with I agree that you should go.] See the entry heads listed for details agree believe bet brag comment conclude exclaim fear feel figure grant guess hint hope imagine imply indicate joke judge move note observe pray pretend promise provide reason reply respond rule suppose trust understand wager wish worry 601 [...]... An Important Note on the English Plural The English plural makes English very difficult for adults to learn Many English nouns cannot be made plural, unlike their counterparts in other languages Nothing sounds more “non -English than advice, information, or baggage with the plural s on the end Among the American English nouns in this dictionary, there are many that the learner should not attempt to... In this dictionary, each entry for a noun ending in o specifies the correct plural form or forms for that word radio > radios potato > potatoes tornado > tornados or tornadoes xii Useful Spelling Rules ■ For all other regular nouns, add -s to the singular form to make the plural table > tables boy > boys television > televisions valley > valleys An Important Note on the English Plural The English plural... stress is marked for most words The dictionary user should expect to hear variation in the pronunciation of most of the words listed in this or any dictionary, but should remain confident that the model provided here is understood and accepted in all parts of the country The chart on the next page shows the symbols used here and what they correspond to in some simple English words xiv Copyright 2002 by... of butter; a spread for bread (Pl only for types and instances.) Many American English nouns can take the plural s while only referring to different kinds, types, instances, or varieties of the noun xiii Pronunciation The symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet are used to show the pronunciation of the words in this dictionary The speech represented here is that of educated people, but it is not... or overly precise It is more representative of the West and the middle of the country than of the East, South, or upper Midwest Pronunciation of American English is variable in different regions of the country, but most native speakers of American English can understand one another quite well The goal of the pronunciation scheme is to provide the student with one acceptable model of pronunciation for... vowels, becomes looking Within the dictionary, forms that do not follow these doubling rules are noted in individual entries The most typical exceptions to the doubling rules are words with a final c that becomes ck rather than doubling (e.g., picnicking), verbs that are compounds, and verbs with closely related noun senses or more than one pronunciation Outside the dictionary, learners will encounter... adapt to someone or something adjustable [@ "dZ^st @ b@l] adj changeable; able to be changed in small amounts (Adv: adjustably.) administer [Ad "mIn Is t#] 1 tv to manage something 2 tv to give or dispense something, such as medicine, medical care, or justice, to someone administration [Ad mIn I "stre S@n] 1 n the work of managing and directing (No pl.) 2 n the office and staff of a high-ranking elected... the same being as the subject refers to, as in one must apply oneself xviii Terms, Abbreviations, and Symbols sg singular subjective of the form of a pronoun that serves as the sub- ject of a verb sup superlative taboo of an offensive word or phrase usually avoided in polite speaking or writing tv transitive verb xix This page intentionally left blank A a 1 ["e] n the first in a series; the highest... senses or more than one pronunciation Outside the dictionary, learners will encounter other exceptions Variation also occurs, because sometimes another option is correct, although less familiar in American English than the option given here xi Useful Spelling Rules Regular Noun Plurals To form the plural of a regular noun: ■ If the singular form ends in s, z, x, ch, or sh, add -es kiss > kisses box > boxes... heavier-than-air vehicle that flies through the air airport ["er port] n a place where airplanes land and take off aisle ["aIl] n a walkway between rows of seats, as in a theater, or between rows of shelves, as in a supermarket alarm [@ "larm] 1 n a warning sound or signal 2 n a device that makes a warning sound or signal 3 n excitement, anxiety, or shock (No pl.) 4 n a clock that has a bell or other signal that is ...NTC’s Super-Mini ENGLISH Dictionary This page intentionally left blank NTC’s Super-Mini ENGLISH Dictionary Chicago New York San Francisco Lisbon London... Introduction NTC’s Super-Mini English Dictionary is for persons who are seeking to improve their ability to speak, read, write, and understand American English It is a small, portable dictionary that... televisions valley > valleys An Important Note on the English Plural The English plural makes English very difficult for adults to learn Many English nouns cannot be made plural, unlike their counterparts