Collins Easy Learning English Vocabulary

Collins Easy Learning English Vocabulary is designed to help learners of all ages build their vocabulary. This easytouse, topicbased book is an invaluable resource for students and teachers, and is ideal for use in the classroom and for home study. Collins Easy Learning English Vocabulary is a topicbased vocabulary book, covering over 50 topics, from everyday themes such as family, friends, and hobbies, to topics for travel, work, business and study. The words within each theme are listed alphabetically so that they are easy to find. Each word has a definition, written in simple language, and phonetics, to help the user learn how to say the word. An Examples section has corpus examples from real English showing important collocations, as well as useful phrases and idioms. Collins Easy Learning English Vocabulary contains all the vocabulary a learner needs to communicate effectively in English, and is the perfect resource for users who want to build their vocabulary in a methodical way.

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time

tools

trains

weather

geographical place names irregular verbs

measurements

numbers/ordinal numbers people of the world

times and dates

Index

Collins Easy Learning English Vocabulary is designed for anyone

who wants to broaden their knowledge of English words in key everyday situations Whether you need English at work, at

school or university, or for a holiday, Collins Easy Learning

English Vocabulary offers you the information you require in a

clear and accessible format.

This book is divided into 50 subject areas These cover such topics as ‘air travel’, ‘business’, ‘food and drink’ and ‘science’, arranged in alphabetical order This arrangement by subject area helps you to learn related words and phrases together In this way, you can always be sure of using the right word in the right context.

Within each topic, vocabulary is divided into nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, phrases and idioms Each word is defined

in relation to the topic in question For example, in ‘air travel’,

the meaning that is given for the word connection is:

‘a plane that leaves after another one arrives and allows you tocontinue your journey by changing from one to the other’

In ‘computers and the internet’, on the other hand, connection is

defined in terms of its computer-related sense:

‘a link between a computer and a network’

For each topic, there are plenty of authentic example sentences from the Collins corpus These show you how words and phrases are used in real English.

At the end of the book, there are additional sections on place names and people, numbers, measurements, times and dates There is also an alphabetical index, and a list of irregular verbs.

We hope that this book will help you to expand your knowledge of English vocabulary in a wide range of situations For more information about Collins dictionaries, visit us at

www.collinslanguage.com

guide to entries

In this dictionary the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is used to show how the words are pronounced The symbols used in the International Phonetic Alphabet are shown in the table below.

the word abbreviation,/ə,briːviˈeɪʃən/, the second syllable has

secondary stress and the fourth syllable has primary stress.

We do not normally show pronunciations for compound words (words which are made up of more than one word) Pronunciations for the words that make up the compounds are usually found at their entries at other parts of the dictionary However, compound words do have stress markers.

aisle [aɪl] the long narrow passage between the rows

of seats on a plane

arrivals [əˈraɪvəlz] the part of an airport where passengers get

off planes; wait in arrivals

We went to a bureau de change to change the Euros back into Sterling.

We had seats in business class on the flight from London to Los Angeles.

customs [ˈkʌstəmz] the place at an airport where you have to

show certain goods that you have bought

in another country, and, if necessary, paytax on them

customs duty [ˈkʌstəmz

ˌdjuːti]

tax that you pay when bringing certaingoods into a country from another country

departures [dɪˈpaːtʃəz] the part of an airport where you wait

before you get on a plane; He was standing

exit

[ɪˈmɜ:dʒənsiˌegzɪt]

a place where you leave a plane if there is

an emergency, such as a crash or a fire

entrance [ˈentrəns] the door or gate where you go into a place

escalator [ˈeskəˌleɪtə] a set of moving stairs

e-ticket [ˈiː-ˌtɪkɪt] short for ‘electronic ticket’: a ticket that is

a person whose job it is to look afterpassengers on a plane and to give themfood and drink

the bags that you take with you in thecabin, rather than the bags that are put in

the hold; lots of hand luggage

helicopter [ˈhelikɒptə] an aircraft with long blades on top that go

ID card [ˌaɪ ˈdiː kaːd] a card with your name, date of birth and

photograph on it that shows who you are

information

desk

[ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃənˌdesk]

a place where you can ask for informationabout your flight

jet lag [ˈdʒet læg] the feeling of being very tired when you

parachute [ˈpærəˌʃuːt] a large piece of thin material that a person

attaches to their body when they jumpfrom an aircraft to help them float safely

to the ground

passenger [ˈpæsɪndʒə] a person who is travelling in a plane, but

passport [ˈpaːspɔːt] an official document that you have to

show when you enter or leave a country

pilot [ˈpaɪlət] a person who controls an aircraft

plane [pleɪn] a vehicle with wings and engines that can

reservation [ˌrezəˈveɪʃən] a seat on a flight that an airline keeps

ready for you

runway [ˈrʌnweɪ] a long road that a plane travels on before

it starts flying

seat [siːt] something that you can sit on

seat belt [ˈsiːt belt] a long belt that you fasten around your

body to keep you safe when you are on aplane

security [sɪˈkjʊərɪti] 1 everything that is done to protect a

agency

[ˈtrævəlˌeɪdʒənsi]

What time is take-off?

We left the airport terminal and looked for the taxi rank.

Terminal 1 will handle Air Canada’s domestic flights.

tray table [ˈtreɪ ˌteɪbəl] a small table that is attached to the back

fly [flaɪ] 1 to travel somewhere in an aircraft

hijack [ˈhaɪdʒæk] to illegally take control of a plane

land [lænd] 1 when a plane lands, it comes down to

the ground after moving through the air

2 when a pilot lands a plane, it comes

down to the ground after moving throughthe air

on time [ɒn ˈtaɪm] not late or early; at the expected time; The

bat [bæt] a small animal, like a mouse with wings,

that sleeps upside down during the dayand comes out to fly at night

bear [beə] a large, strong wild animal with thick fur

and sharp claws

bee [biː] a yellow and black striped flying insect

that makes a sweet food (called honey)and can sting you

bird [bɜːd] an animal with feathers and wings

bull [bʊl] 1 a male animal of the cow family

2 a male animal of some other animal

deer

[dɪə] a large wild animal that eats grass and

leaves Male deer usually have antlers (= large horns that look like branches)

dog [dɒg] an animal that people in some countries

keep as a pet, or use to guard buildings

donkey [ˈdɒŋki] an animal like a small horse with long ears

duck [dʌk] a bird that lives near water

eagle [ˈiːgəl] a large bird that eats small animals

eel [iːl] a long, thin fish that looks like a snake

elephant [ˈelɪfənt] a very large grey animal with a long nose

giraffe [dʒɪˈraːf] a large African animal with a very long

EXAMPLES

Where did you catch the fish?

hippopotamus [ˌhɪpə

ˈpɔtəməs]

a very large animal with short legs andthick skin, that lives in and near rivers

puppy [ˈpʌpi] a young dog

shark [ʃaːk] a very large fish that often has very sharp

whale [weɪl] a very large mammal that lives in the sea

one of the two long, thin parts attached tothe head of an insect, that it uses to feelthings with

snout [snaʊt] the long nose of an animal such as a pig

tail [teɪl] the long thin part at the end of an animal’s

field [fiːld] a piece of land where animals are kept

kennel [ˈkenəl] a small house for a dog

nest [nest] the place where a bird, a small animal or

collar [ˈkɒlə] a band of leather or plastic that you can

put around the neck of a dog or a cat

egg [eg] a round object that contains a baby bird,

hop [hɒp] when a bird or an animal hops, it moves

by jumping on both of its feet or all four ofits feet together

bite [baɪt] if a snake or an insect bites you, it makes a

mark or a hole in your skin with a sharppart of its body

feed [fiːd] 1 when you feed an animal, you give it

hibernate [ˈhaɪbəneɪt] when an animal hibernates, it spends the

hunt [hʌnt] to chase and kill wild animals for food or

as a sport

sting [stɪŋ] if an insect stings you, a pointed part of it

is pushed into your skin so that you feel asharp pain

ADJECTIVES

stray [streɪ] far away from home, or not having a

home; a stray dog

tame [teɪm] not afraid of humans

wild [waɪld] living in nature, and not taken care of by

art gallery [ˈaːt ˌgæləri] a place where people go to look at art

artist [ˈaːtɪst] someone who draws, paints or creates

easel [ˈiːzəl] a stand that supports a picture while an

exhibition [ˌeksɪˈbɪʃən] a public event where you can see art or

oil paint [ˈɔɪl ˌpeɪnt] a thick paint that artists use

oil painting [ˈɔɪl ˌpeɪntɪŋ] a picture that has been painted using oil

paints

paint [peɪnt] a coloured liquid that you put onto a

surface with a brush

painter [ˈpeɪntə] an artist who paints pictures

painting [ˈpeɪntɪŋ] 1 a picture that someone has painted; a

famous painting

2 the activity of painting pictures; I enjoy

painting.

pattern [ˈpætən] an arrangement of lines or shapes that

one of the three colours (red, yellow andblue) that you can mix together to produceother colours

paint [peɪnt] to produce a picture using paint

sketch [sketʃ] to make a quick drawing, without a lot of

details

EXAMPLES

Monet painted hundreds of pictures of water lilies.

NOUNS

back light [ˈbæk laɪt] a red light on the back of a bicycle

bell [bel] a metal object on a bicycle that makes a

ringing sound

bicycle [ˈbaɪsɪkəl] a vehicle with two wheels that you ride by

sitting on it and using your legs to makethe wheels turn

bike [baɪk] 1 a bicycle

2 a motorcycle brake [breɪk] the part of a bicycle that makes it go more

cycling [ˈsaɪklɪŋ] the activity of riding a bicycle

cyclist [ˈsaɪklɪst] someone who rides a bicycle

flat tyre [flæt ˈtaɪə] a tyre that has no air in it

frame [freɪm] the metal part of a bicycle between the

wheels, handlebars and saddle

front light [ˈfrʌnt laɪt] a white light on the front of a bicycle

gears [gɪəz] the system of wheels with teeth that are

driven by a chain on a bicycle, making iteasier or more difficult to pedal

handlebars [ˈhændəlbaːz] a curved metal bar with handles at each

a type of bicycle with a strong frame andthick tyres

mudguard [ˈmʌdgaːd] a curved piece of metal or plastic above a

bicycle wheel that protects the cyclist fromdirt or water

the tools and materials you need to repair

a puncture

reflector [rɪˈflektə] a small piece of special plastic on the front

of a bicycle that becomes bright whenlight shines on it

ride [raɪd] a journey on a bicycle; go for a ride

tyre [ˈtaɪə] a thick round piece of rubber that fits

VERBS

brake [breɪk] to make a vehicle go more slowly or stop

change gear to make the chain of a bicycle move to

another gear wheel; change into first gear

cycle [ˈsaɪkəl] to ride a bicycle

pedal [ˈpedəl] to push the pedals of a bicycle around

shiny [ˈʃaɪni] bright and reflecting light

rusty [ˈrʌsti] covered with rust (= a red-brown

substance that can form on metal when itgets wet)

deck [dek] one of the floors of a ship

kayak [ˈkaɪæk] a covered canoe

lake [leɪk] a large area of water with land around it

lifebelt [ˈlaɪfbelt] a large ring that you can hold onto to stop

mouth [maʊθ] the place where a river goes into the sea

navy [ˈneɪvi] the people who fight for a country at sea

seaside [ˈsiːsaɪd] an area that is close to the sea, especially

where people go for their holidays; at the

seaside

seaweed [ˈsi:wiːd] a plant that grows in the sea

shell [ʃel] the hard part of a small sea creature that

shore [ʃɔː] the land along the edge of the sea or a lake

speedboat [ˈspiːdbəʊt] a boat that can go very fast because it has

a powerful engine

stream [striːm] a small narrow river

submarine [ˌsʌbməˈriːn] a type of ship that can travel below the

yacht [jɒt] a large boat with sails or a motor, used for

drown [draʊn] to die under water because you cannot

sandy [ˈsændi] covered with sand

seasick [ˈsiːsɪk] feeling ill on a boat

EXAMPLES

Rubbish floated on the surface of the river The Titanic was launched in 1911.

back [bæk] the part of your body from your neck to

your waist that is on the opposite side toyour chest

breast [brest] one of the two soft, round parts on a

woman’s chest that can produce milk tofeed a baby

eyebrow [ˈaɪbraʊ] one of the two lines of hair that grow

face [feɪs] the front part of your head

feature [ˈfiːtʃə] any part of your face, such as your eyes,

hip [hɪp] one of the two areas or bones at the sides

of your body between the tops of your legsand your waist

nail [neɪl] the thin hard part that grows at the end of

each of your fingers and toes

neck [nek] the part of your body between your head

skeleton [ˈskelɪtən] all the bones in your body

waist [weɪst] the middle part of your body

freckles [ˈfrekəlz] small light-brown spots on someone’s skin

gesture [ˈdʒestʃə] a movement that you make with a part of

hairstyle [ˈheəstaɪl] the way that your hair is cut or arranged;

size [saɪz] how big or small something is

smile [smaɪl] an expression on your face when you

curve up the corners of your mouthbecause you are happy or you think that

He had tears in his eyes.

She has put on weight.

He has lost weight.

shrug [ʃrʌg] to move your shoulders up to show that

you do not know or care about something

smile [smaɪl] to curve up the corners of your mouth

because you are happy or you think thatsomething is funny

wave at

someone

to hold your hand up and wave it from

side to side in order to say hello orgoodbye to someone

smell [smel] 1 to have a quality that you notice by

beautiful [ˈbjuːtɪfʊl] very attractive to look at

blonde [blɒnd] 1 blonde hair is pale or yellow; She has

blonde hair.

2 someone who is blonde has pale or

yellow hair; She is blonde.

curly [ˈkɜːli] shaped in curves; curly hair

dark [daːk] black or brown; dark hair; dark eyes

deaf [def] unable to hear anything or unable to hear

fair [feə] fair hair is pale or yellow; fair skin is very

A slim young girl was standing in the middle of the room.

boom [buːm] an increase in the number of things that

The government is not doing enough to help small and medium-CEO [ˌsi: iː ˈəʊ] short for ‘chief executive officer’: the

person who is responsible for themanagement of the whole company

chair [tʃeə] the person in charge of a company or an

director [daɪˈrektə] one of the people who control a company

or an organization, and meet regularly tomake important decisions

executive [ɪgˈzekjʊtɪv] someone who has an important job at a

growth [grəʊθ] increase in profits or sales

management [ˈmænɪdʒmənt] 1 the control of a business

2 the people who control a business manager [ˈmænɪdʒə] someone who runs a business or part of a

meeting [ˈmiːtɪŋ] an event in which a group of people come

together to discuss things or makedecisions

PR [ˌpiː ˈaː] short for ‘public relations’: the part of a

company’s work that is concerned withgetting people to like the company