stable 304 stammer stable stable /steb(ə)l/ adjective which does not change ć The hospital said his con- dition was stable. í noun a building for keeping a horse ć My horse is not in his stable, who’s riding him? stack stack /stk/ noun a pile or heap of things one on top of the other ć a stack of books and papers í verb to pile things on top of each other ć The skis are stacked outside the chalet. ć She stacked up the dirty plates. ć The ware- house is stacked with boxes. stadium stadium /stediəm/ noun a large build- ing where crowds of people watch sport, with seats arranged around a sports field (NOTE: The plural is stadiums or sta- dia.) staff staff /stɑf/ noun all the people who work in a company, school, college, or other organisation ć She’s on the school staff. ć Only staff can use this lift. ć A quarter of our staff are ill. ć That firm pays its staff very badly. ć He joined the staff last Monday. ć Three members of staff are away sick. (NOTE: staff refers to a group of people and so is often fol- lowed by a verb in the plural.) stage stage /sted/ noun 1. a raised floor, es- pecially where the actors perform in a theatre ć The pop group came onto the stage and started to sing. 2. one of sev- eral points of development ć the differ- ent stages of a production process ć The first stage in the process is to grind the rock to powder. 3. a section of a long journey ć Stage one of the tour takes us from Paris to Bordeaux. í verb to put on or arrange a play, a show, a musical or other performance or event ć The exhi- bition is being staged in the college li- brary. stagger stagger /stə/ verb 1. to walk in way that is not steady or controlled, almost falling down ć She managed to stagger across the road and into the police sta- tion. ć Three men staggered out of the pub. 2. to surprise someone very much ć I was staggered at the amount they charge for service. 3. to arrange some- thing such as holidays or working hours, so that they do not all begin and end at the same time ć We have to stagger the lunch hour so that there is always some- one on the switchboard. í noun the movement of someone who is stagger- ing ć He walked with a noticeable stag- ger. stain stain /sten/ noun a mark which is diffi- cult to remove, e.g. ink or blood ć It is difficult to remove coffee stains from the tablecloth. ć There was a round stain on the table where he had put his wine glass. í verb to make a mark of a differ- ent colour on something ć If you eat those berries they will stain your teeth. ć His shirt was stained with blood. stair stair /steə/ noun one step in a series of steps, going up or down inside a build- ing ć He was sitting on the bottom stair. staircase staircase /steəkes/ noun a set of stairs which go from one floor in a building to another stake stake /stek/ noun a strong pointed piece of wood or metal, pushed into the ground to mark something, or to hold something up ć They hammered stakes into the ground to put up a wire fence. ć The apple trees are attached to stakes. stale stale /stel/ adjective food which is stale is old and no longer fresh stalk stalk /stɔk/ noun the stem of a plant which holds a leaf, a flower or a fruit ć Roses with very long stalks are more ex- pensive. í verb to stay near someone and watch him or her all the time, espe- cially in a way that is frightening or up- setting ć She told the police that a man was stalking her. ć The hunters stalked the deer for several miles. stall stall /stɔl/ noun a place in a market where one person sells his or her goods ć He has a flower stall at Waterloo Sta- tion. ć We wandered round the market looking at the stalls. í verb ( of a car en- gine ) to stop unintentionally, often when trying to drive off without acceler- ating ć If he takes his foot off the accel- erator, the engine stalls. ć The car stalled at the traffic lights and he couldn’t restart it. stammer stammer /stmə/ verb to repeat sounds when speaking, e.g. because of feeling nervous ć He stammers badly when making speeches. ć She rushed into the police station and stammered Basic.fm Page 304 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com stamp 305 star out ‘he’s – he’s – he’s after me, he’s got – got – a knife’. í noun a speech prob- lem that involves hesitating and repeat- ing sounds when speaking ć Because of his stammer he was shy and reserved at school. stamp stamp /stmp/ noun 1. a little piece of paper with a price printed on it which you stick on a letter to show that you have paid for it to be sent by post ć a first-class stamp ć She forgot to put a stamp on the letter before she posted it. ć He wants to show me his stamp col- lection. 2. a mark made on something ć The invoice has the stamp ‘received with thanks’ on it. ć The customs officer looked at the stamps in his passport. í verb 1. to mark something with a stamp ć They stamped my passport when I en- tered the country. 2. to walk, or to put your feet down, with loud or forceful steps ć They stamped on the ants to kill them. ć He was so angry that he stamped out of the room. stand stand /stnd/ verb 1. to be upright on your feet and not sitting or lying down ć She stood on a chair to reach the top shelf. ć They were so tired they could hardly keep standing. ć If there are no seats left, we’ll have to stand. ć Don’t just stand there doing nothing – come and help us. 2. to be upright ć Only a few houses were still standing after the earthquake. ć The jar was standing in the middle of the table. 3. to accept something bad that continues ć The of- fice is filthy – I don’t know how you can stand working here. ć She can’t stand all this noise. ć He stopped going to French lessons because he couldn’t stand the teacher. (NOTE: stands – standing – stood / stυd/) í noun something which holds something up ć The pot of flowers fell off its stand. stand for phrasal verb to have a mean- ing ć What do the letters BBC stand for? stand out phrasal verb to be easily seen ć Their house stands out because it is painted pink. ć Her red hair makes her stand out in a crowd. stand up phrasal verb to get up from sitting ć When the teacher comes into the room all the children should stand up. ć He stood up to offer his seat to the old lady. stand up for phrasal verb to try to de- fend someone or something in a diffi- cult situation ć He stood up for the rights of children. stand up to phrasal verb 1. to oppose someone bravely ć No one was pre- pared to stand up to the head of depart- ment. 2. to be able to resist difficult conditions ć A carpet in a shop has to stand up to a lot of wear. standard standard /stndəd/ noun 1. the level of quality something has ć The stand- ard of service in this restaurant is very high. ć This piece of work is not up to your usual standard. 2. an excellent quality which something or someone is expected to achieve ć This product does not meet our standards. ć She has set a standard which it will be difficult to match. 3. a large official flag ć The roy- al standard flies over Buckingham Pal- ace. í adjective 1. usual, not special ć She joined on a standard contract. ć You will need to follow the standard pro- cedure to join the association. 2. on a tall pole stank stank /stŋk/ past tense of stink staple staple /step(ə)l/ noun a piece of wire which is pushed through papers and bent over to hold them together ć He used some scissors to take the staples out of the papers. í verb to fasten pa- pers together with a staple or with sta- ples ć Don’t staple the cheque to the or- der form. star star /stɑ/ noun 1. a bright object which can be seen in the sky at night like a very distant bright light ć On a clear night you can see thousands of stars. ć The pole star shows the direction of the North Pole. 2. a shape that has several points like a star ć Draw a big star and colour it red. 3. a famous person who is very well known to the public ć football stars ć Who is your favourite film star? í verb to appear as a main character in a film or play ć She starred in ‘Gone with the Wind’. ć He has a starring role in the new play. (NOTE: stars – starring – starred) Basic.fm Page 305 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com stare 306 stay stare stare /steə/ verb to look at someone or something for a long time ć She stared sadly out of the window at the rain. í noun a long fixed look ć He gave her a stare and walked on. start start /stɑt/ noun the beginning of some- thing ć Building the house took only six months from start to finish. ć Things went wrong from the start. ć Let’s forget all you’ve done up to now, and make a fresh start. í verb 1. to begin to do something ć The babies all started to cry or all started crying at the same time. ć He started to eat or he started eating his dinner before the rest of the family. ć Take an umbrella – it’s start- ing to rain. ć When you learn Russian, you have to start by learning the alpha- bet. 2. ( of a machine ) to begin to work ć The car won’t start – the battery must be flat. ć The engine started beautifully. ȣ to start with first of all ć We have lots to do but to start with we’ll do the washing up. start off phrasal verb 1. to begin ć We’ll start off with soup and then have a meat dish. 2. to leave on a journey ć You can start off now, and I’ll follow when I’m ready. startle startle /stɑt(ə)l/ verb to make someone suddenly surprised starve starve /stɑv/ verb not to have enough food ć Many people starved to death in the desert. state state /stet/ noun 1. the way something or someone is at a specific time ć The children are in a state of excitement. ć They left the flat in a terrible state. ć She’s not in a fit state to receive visitors. 2. the government of a country ć We all pay taxes to the state. ć The state should pay for the upkeep of museums. 3. an in- dependent country ć The member states of the European Union. 4. one of the parts into which some countries are di- vided ć the State of Arizona ć New South Wales has the largest population of all the Australian states. í verb to give information clearly ć Please state your name and address. ć It states in the instructions that you must not open the can near a flame. ć The document states that all revenue has to be declared to the tax office. ȣ in a state 1. in a very un- happy, worried or upset condition ć She’s in such a state that I don’t want to leave her alone. ć He was in a terrible state after the phone call. 2. in a dirty or bad condition ć Look at the state of your trousers. ć They left our flat in a terrible state. statement statement /stetmənt/ noun 1. some- thing that is spoken or written publicly ć a statement about or on the new pro- cedures ć She refused to issue a state- ment to the press. 2. a written document from a bank showing how much money is in an account station station /steʃ(ə)n/ noun 1. a place where trains stop and passengers get on or off ć The train leaves the Central Station at 14.15. ć This is a fast train – it doesn’t stop at every station. ć We’ll try to get a sandwich at the station buf- fet. 2. a large main building for a service ć The fire station is just down the road from us. ć He was arrested and taken to the local police station. stationary stationary /steʃ(ə)n(ə)ri/ adjective not moving (NOTE: Do not confuse with stationery.) stationery stationery /steʃ(ə)n(ə)ri/ noun things such as paper, envelopes, pens and ink which you use for writing (NOTE: no plural. Do not confuse with station- ary.) statue statue /sttʃu/ noun a solid image of a person or animal made from a substance such as stone or metal status status /stetəs/ noun 1. social impor- tance when compared to other people ć He has a low-status job on the Under- ground. ć His status in the company has been rising steadily. 2. a general posi- tion stay stay /ste/ verb 1. not to change ć The temperature stayed below zero all day. ć In spite of the fire, he stayed calm. ć I won’t be able to stay awake until mid- night. 2. to stop in a place ć They came for lunch and stayed until after mid- night. ć I’m rather tired so I’ll stay at home tomorrow. ć He’s ill and has to stay in bed. 3. to stop in a place as a vis- itor ć They stayed two nights in Edin- burgh on their tour of Scotland. ć Basic.fm Page 306 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com steadily 307 stew Where will you be staying when you’re in New York? ć My parents are staying at the Hotel London. stay up phrasal verb not to go to bed steadily steadily /stedli/ adverb regularly or continuously steady steady /stedi/ adjective 1. firm and not moving or shaking ć You need a steady hand to draw a straight line without a ruler. ć He put a piece of paper under the table leg to keep it steady. 2. contin- uing in a regular way ć There is a steady demand for computers. ć The car was doing a steady seventy miles an hour. ć She hasn’t got a steady boyfriend. (NOTE: steadier – steadiest) í verb to keep something firm ć He put out his hand to steady the ladder. (NOTE: steadies – steadying – steadied) steak steak /stek/ noun 1. a thick piece of meat, usually beef ć He ordered steak and chips. ć I’m going to grill these steaks. 2. a thick piece of a big fish ć A grilled salmon steak for me, please! (NOTE: Do not confuse with stake.) steal steal /stil/ verb 1. to take and keep something that belongs to another per- son without permission ć Someone tried to steal my handbag. ć He was ar- rested for stealing cars. 2. to move qui- etly ć He stole into the cellar and tried to find the safe. (NOTE: Do not confuse with steel. Note also: steals – steal- ing – stole / stəυl/ – stolen /stəυlən/) steam steam /stim/ noun the substance like clouds which comes off hot or boiling water ć Clouds of steam were coming out of the kitchen. steel steel /stil/ noun a strong metal made from iron and carbon ć Steel knives are best for the kitchen. ć The door is made of solid steel. steep steep /stip/ adjective 1. which rises or falls quickly ć The car climbed the steep hill with some difficulty. ć The steps up the church tower are steeper than our stairs at home. 2. very sharply increasing or falling ć a steep increase in interest charges ć a steep fall in share prices steer steer /stə/ verb to make a vehicle go in a particular direction ć She steered the car into the garage. stem stem /stem/ noun the tall thin part of a plant which holds a leaf, a flower or a fruit ć Trim the stems before you put the flowers in the vase. step step /step/ noun 1. a movement of your foot when walking ć I wonder when the baby will take his first steps. ć Ta ke a step sideways and you will be able to see the castle. 2. a regular movement of feet at the same time as other people 3. one stair in a set of stairs ć There are two steps down into the kitchen. ć I counted 75 steps to the top of the tower. ć Be careful, there’s a step up into the bath- room. 4. an action which is done or has to be done out of several ć The first and most important step is to find out how much money we can spend. í verb to move forwards, backwards or sideways on foot ć He stepped out in front of a bi- cycle and was knocked down. ć She stepped off the bus into a puddle. ć Don’t step back, there’s a child behind you. (NOTE: steps – stepping – stepped) ȣ in step moving your feet at the same rate as everybody else ć I tried to keep in step with him as we walked along. ć The recruits can’t even march in step. ȣ out of step moving your feet at a different rate from everyone else ć One of the squad always gets out of step. ȣ to take steps to to act to encourage or prevent something ć We should take steps to encourage female applicants. ć The museum must take steps to make sure that nothing else is stolen. stereo stereo /steriəυ/ noun a machine which plays music or other sound through two different loudspeakers ć I bought a new pair of speakers for my stereo. ˽ in ster- eo using two speakers to produce sound stern stern /stn/ adjective serious and strict ć The judge addressed some stern words to the boys. stew stew /stju/ noun a dish of meat and veg- etables cooked together for a long time ć This lamb stew is a French recipe. í verb to cook food for a long time in liq- uid ć Stew the apples until they are completely soft. Basic.fm Page 307 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com stick 308 stitch stick stick /stk/ noun 1. a thin piece of wood ć He jabbed a pointed stick into the hole. ć I need a strong stick to tie this plant to. 2. a thin branch of a tree 3. an- ything long and thin ć carrots cut into sticks í verb 1. to attach something with glue ć Can you stick the pieces of the cup together again? ć She stuck the stamp on the letter. ć They stuck a post- er on the door. 2. to be fixed or not to be able to move ć The car was stuck in the mud. ć The door sticks – you need to push it hard to open it. ć The cake will stick if you don’t grease the tin. ć He was stuck in Italy without any money. 3. to push something into something ć He stuck his hand into the hole. ć She stuck her finger in the jam to taste it. ć She stuck the ticket into her bag. ć She stuck a needle into her finger. 4. to stay in a place ć Stick close to your mother and you won’t get lost. 5. to accept some- thing bad that continues ć I don’t know how she can stick working in that office. ć I’m going, I can’t stick it here any longer. (NOTE: sticks – sticking – stuck / stk/) ȣ to stick together to stay together ć If we stick together they should let us into the club. stick out phrasal verb 1. to push some- thing out 2. to be further forward or fur- ther away from something ć Your wallet is sticking out of your pocket. ć The balcony sticks out over the road. sticker sticker /stkə/ noun a small piece of pa- per or plastic which you can stick on something to show a price, as a decora- tion or to advertise something sticky sticky /stki/ adjective 1. covered with something which sticks like glue ć My fingers are all sticky. ć This stuff is ter- ribly sticky – I can’t get it off my fingers. 2. with glue on one side so that it sticks easily (NOTE: stickier – stickiest) stiff stiff /stf/ adjective 1. which does not move easily ć The lock is very stiff – I can’t turn the key. ć I’ve got a stiff neck. ć She was feeling stiff all over after run- ning in the race. 2. with hard bristles ć You need a stiff brush to get the mud off your shoes. stiffness stiffness /stfnəs/ noun 1. having mus- cle pains after doing exercise, or being unable to move easily because of dam- aged joints ć Arthritis accompanied by a certain amount of stiffness in the joints. 2. the quality of being stiff ć The stiffness of the material makes it unsuit- able for a dress. still still /stl/ adjective not moving ć Stand still while I take the photo. ć There was no wind, and the surface of the lake was completely still. í adverb 1. continuing until now or until then ć I thought he had left, but I see he’s still there. ć They came for lunch and were still sitting at the table at eight o’clock in the evening. ć Weeks afterwards, they’re still talking about the accident. 2. in spite of every- thing ć It wasn’t sunny for the picnic – still, it didn’t rain. ć He still insisted on going on holiday even though he had broken his leg. stimulus stimulus /stmjυləs/ noun an encour- agement or incentive that leads to great- er activity sting sting /stŋ/ noun a wound made by an in- sect or plant ć Bee stings can be very painful. ć Have you anything for wasp stings? í verb 1. to wound someone with an insect’s or plant’s sting ć I’ve been stung by a wasp. ć The plants stung her bare legs. 2. to give a burning feeling ć The antiseptic may sting a lit- tle at first. (NOTE: stings – stinging – stung / stŋ/) stink stink /stŋk/ ( informal ) noun a very un- pleasant smell ć the stink of cigarette smoke í verb to make an unpleasant smell ć The office stinks of gas. (NOTE: stinks – stinking – stank / stŋk/ – stunk / stŋk/) stir stir /st/ verb to move a liquid or powder or something which is cooking, to mix it up ć He was stirring the sugar into his coffee. ć Keep stirring the porridge, or it will stick to the bottom of the pan. (NOTE: stirs – stirring – stirred) stirring stirring /strŋ/ adjective making you feel strong emotions, especially pride or enthusiasm stitch stitch /sttʃ/ noun 1. a little loop of thread made with a needle in sewing or with knitting needles when knitting ć She used very small stitches in her em- broidery. ć Very fine wool will give you Basic.fm Page 308 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com stock 309 stop more stitches than in the pattern. 2. a small loop of thread used by a surgeon to attach the sides of a wound together to help it to heal ć She had three stitches in her arm. ć Come back in ten days’ time to have the stitches removed. í verb to attach something with a needle and thread ć She stitched the badge to his jacket. stock stock /stɒk/ noun 1. a supply of some- thing kept to use when needed ć I keep a good stock of printing paper at home. ć Our stocks of food are running low. ć The factory has large stocks of coal. 2. a liquid made from boiling bones in wa- ter, used as a base for soups and sauces ć Fry the onions and pour in some chicken stock. í verb to keep goods for sale in a shop or warehouse ć They don’t stock this book. ć We try to stock the most popular colours. stocking stocking /stɒkŋ/ noun a long light piece of women’s clothing which covers all of a leg and foot stole stole /stəυl/ past tense of steal stolen stolen /stəυlən/ past participle of steal stomach stomach /stmək/ noun 1. a part of the body shaped like a bag, into which food passes after being swallowed and where it continues to be digested ć I don’t want anything to eat – my stomach’s up- set or I have a stomach upset. ć He has had stomach trouble for some time. 2. the front of your body between your chest and your waist ć He had been kicked in the stomach. stone stone /stəυn/ noun 1. a very hard mate- rial, found in the earth, used for building ć All the houses in the town are built in the local grey stone. ć The stone carv- ings in the old church date from the 15th century. ć Stone floors can be very cold. (NOTE: no plural: some stone , a piece of stone , a block of stone ) 2. a small piece of stone ć The children were play- ing at throwing stones into the pond. ć The beach isn’t good for bathing as it’s covered with very sharp stones. 3. a British measure of weight equal to 14 pounds or 6.35 kilograms ć She’s trying to lose weight and so far has lost a stone and a half. ć He weighs twelve stone ten (i.e. 12 stone 10 pounds). (NOTE: no plu- ral in this sense: He weighs ten stone . In the USA, human body weight is al- ways given only in pounds.) stony stony /stəυni/ adjective made of lots of stones ć They walked carefully across the stony beach. stood stood /stυd/ past tense and past partici- ple of stand stool stool /stul/ noun a small seat with no back ć When the little girl sat on the pi- ano stool her feet didn’t touch the floor. stoop stoop /stup/ verb to bend forward ć She stooped and picked something up off the carpet. ć I found him standing at the ta- ble, stooped over a spreadsheet. stop stop /stɒp/ verb 1. not to move any more ć The motorcycle didn’t stop at the red lights. ć This train stops at all stations to London Waterloo. 2. to make some- thing not move any more ć The police- man stopped the traffic to let the lorry back out of the garage. ć Stop that boy! – he’s stolen my purse. 3. not to do something any more ć The office clock has stopped at 4.15. ć At last it stopped raining and we could go out. ć She spoke for two hours without stopping. ć We all stopped work and went home. ć The restaurant stops serving meals at midnight. 4. ˽ to stop someone or something (from) doing something to make someone or something not do something any more ć The rain stopped us from having a picnic. ć How can the police stop people stealing cars? ć Can’t you stop the children from making such a noise? ć The plumber couldn’t stop the tap dripping. 5. to stay as a vis- itor in a place ć They stopped for a few days in Paris. ć I expect to stop in Rome for the weekend. (NOTE: stops – stop- ping – stopped) í noun 1. the end of something, especially of movement ć The police want to put a stop to car crimes. 2. a place where you break a journey ć We’ll make a stop at the next service station. 3. a place where a bus or train lets passengers get on or off ć We have been waiting at the bus stop for twenty minutes. ć There are six stops between here and Marble Arch. Basic.fm Page 309 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com stopper 310 strap stopper stopper /stɒpə/ noun an object that you put into the mouth of a bottle or jar to close it store store /stɔ/ noun a shop, usually a big shop ć You can buy shoes in any of the big stores in town. ć Does the store have a food department? í verb 1. to keep food etc. to use later ć We sto re (away) all our vegetables in the garden shed. 2. to keep something in a compu- ter file ć We store all our personnel records on computer. storey storey /stɔri/ noun a whole floor in a building storm storm /stɔm/ noun a high wind and very bad weather ć Several ships got into dif- ficulties in the storm. ć How many trees were blown down in last night’s storm? stormy stormy /stɔmi/ adjective when there are storms ć They are forecasting stormy weather for the weekend. (NOTE: stormier – stormiest) story story /stɔri/ noun 1. a description that tells things that did not really happen but are invented by someone ć The book is the story of two children during the war. ć She writes children’s stories about animals. 2. a description that tells what really happened ć She told her sto- ry to the journalist. (NOTE: The plural is stories.) stout stout /staυt/ adjective 1. ( of a person ) quite fat ć He has become much stouter and has difficulty going up stairs. 2. ( of material ) strong or thick ć Take a few sheets of stout paper. ć Find a stout branch to stand on. stove stove /stəυv/ noun a piece of equipment for heating or cooking straight straight /stret/ adjective 1. not curved ć a long straight street ć The line isn’t straight. ć She has straight black hair. ć Stand up straight! 2. not sloping ć Is the picture straight? ć Your tie isn’t straight. í adverb 1. in a straight line, not curving ć The road goes straight across the plain for two hundred kilome- tres. ć She was sitting straight in front of you. 2. immediately ć Wait for me here – I’ll come straight back. ć If there is a problem, you should go straight to the manager. 3. without stopping or changing ć She drank the milk straight out of the bottle. ć The cat ran straight across the road in front of the car. ć He looked me straight in the face. ć The plane flies straight to Washington. straighten straighten /stret(ə)n/ verb to make something straight straightforward straightforward /stret  fɔwəd/ ad- jective easy to understand or carry out ć The instructions are quite straightfor- ward. strain strain /stren/ noun 1. nervous feelings caused by a busy or difficult situation ć Can she stand the strain of working in that office? 2. a variety of a living thing ć They are trying to find a cure for a new strain of the flu virus. ć He crossed two strains of rice to produce a variety which is resistant to disease. í verb 1. to injure part of your body by pulling too hard ć He strained a muscle in his back or he strained his back. ć The ef- fort strained his heart. 2. to make great efforts to do something ć They strained to lift the piano into the van. 3. to pour liquid through a sieve to separate solid parts in it ć Boil the peas for ten minutes and then strain. strange strange /strend/ adjective 1. not usual ć Something is the matter with the en- gine – it’s making a strange noise. ć She told some very strange stories about the firm she used to work for. ć It felt strange to be sitting in the office on a Saturday afternoon. ć It’s strange that no one spotted the mistake. 2. which you have never seen before or where you have never been before ć I find it difficult getting to sleep in a strange room. ć We went to Korea and had lots of strange food to eat. stranger stranger /strendə/ noun 1. a person whom you have never met ć He’s a complete stranger to me. ć Children are told not to accept lifts from strangers. 2. a person in a place where he or she has never been before ć I can’t tell you how to get to the post office – I’m a stranger here myself. strap strap /strp/ noun a long flat piece of material used to attach something ć Can you do up the strap of my bag for me? ć I put a strap round my suitcase to Basic.fm Page 310 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com strategy 311 stretch make it more secure. í verb to fasten something with a strap ć He strapped on his rucksack. ć The patient was strapped to a stretcher. ć Make sure the baby is strapped into her seat. (NOTE: straps – strapping – strapped) strategy strategy /strtədi/ noun the deci- sions you make about how you are go- ing to do something ć Their strategy is to note which of their rival’s models sells best and then copy it. ć The gov- ernment has no long-term strategy for dealing with crime. (NOTE: The plural is strategies.) straw straw /strɔ/ noun 1. dry stems and leaves of crops, used for animals to sleep on ć You’ve been lying on the ground – you’ve got bits of straw in your hair. ć The tractor picked up bundles of straw and loaded them onto a truck. 2. a thin plastic tube for sucking up liquids ć She was drinking orange juice through a straw. strawberry strawberry /strɔb(ə)ri/ noun a com- mon soft red summer fruit which grows on low plants (NOTE: The plural is strawberries.) stray stray /stre/ verb to move away from the usual or expected place ć The sheep strayed onto the golf course. ć The chil- dren had strayed too far and couldn’t get back. í noun a pet animal which is lost or without a home ć We have two female cats at home and they attract all the strays in the district. í adjective 1. not where it should be ć He was killed by a stray bullet from a sniper. 2. ( (of a pet animal) ) lost or without a home ć We found a stray cat and brought it home. stream stream /strim/ noun 1. a small river ć Can you jump across that stream? 2. a number of things which pass in a contin- uous flow ć Crossing the road is diffi- cult because of the stream of traffic. ć We had a stream of customers on the first day of the sale. ć Streams of refu- gees tried to cross the border. street street /strit/ noun 1. a road in a town, usually with houses on each side ć It is difficult to park in our street on Satur- day mornings. ć Her flat is on a noisy street. ć The school is in the next street. 2. used with names ć What’s your office address? – 16 Cambridge Street. ć Ox- ford Street, Bond Street and Regent Street are the main shopping areas in London. (NOTE: When used in names, street is usually written St: Oxford St .) strength strength /streŋθ/ noun the fact that something or someone is physically strong ć She hasn’t got the strength to lift it. ć You should test the strength of the rope before you start climbing. strenuous strenuous /strenjuəs/ adjective re- quiring a lot of physical effort or energy ć The doctor has told him to avoid strenuous exercise. ć It’s a very strenu- ous job. stress stress /stres/ noun 1. nervous strain caused by an outside influence ć the stresses of working in a busy office ć She’s suffering from stress. 2. the force or pressure on something ć Stresses in- side the earth create earthquakes. í verb to put emphasis on something ć I must stress the importance of keeping the plan secret. stretch stretch /stretʃ/ verb 1. to spread out for a great distance ć The line of cars stretched for three miles from the acci- dent. ć The queue stretched from the door of the cinema right round the cor- ner. ć White sandy beaches stretch as far as the eye can see. 2. to push out your arms or legs as far as they can go ć The cat woke up and stretched. ć The monkey stretched out through the bars and grabbed the little boy’s cap. 3. to pull something out so that it becomes loose, or to become loose by pulling ć Don’t hang your jumper up like that – you will just stretch it. ć These trousers are not supposed to stretch. í noun 1. a long piece of land, water or road ć Stretches of the river have been so pol- luted that bathing is dangerous. 2. a long period of time ć For long stretches we had nothing to do. ȣ at a stretch without a break ć He played the piano for two hours at a stretch. ȣ to stretch your legs to go for a short walk after sitting for a long time ć In the coffee break I went out into the garden to stretch my legs. Basic.fm Page 311 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com strict 312 structure strict strict /strkt/ adjective 1. which must be obeyed ć I gave strict instructions that no one was to be allowed in. ć The rules are very strict and any bad behaviour will be severely punished. 2. expecting people to obey rules ć Our parents are very strict with us about staying up late. strictly strictly /strktli/ adverb in a strict way ć All staff must follow strictly the proce- dures in the training manual. stride stride /strad/ noun a long step ć In three strides he was across the room and out of the door. í verb to walk with long steps ć He strode into the room. ć We could see him striding across the field to take shelter from the rain. (NOTE: strides – striding – strode / strəυd/) strike strike /strak/ noun the stopping of work by workers because of lack of agree- ment with management or because of orders from a trade union ć They all vot- ed in favour of a strike. ć A strike was avoided at the last minute. í verb 1. to stop working because of disagreement with management ć The workers are striking in protest against bad working conditions. 2. to hit something hard ć He struck her with a bottle. ć She struck her head on the low door. ć He struck a match and lit the fire. 3. ( of a clock ) to ring to mark an hour ć The clock had just struck one when she heard a noise in the corridor. 4. to come to someone’s mind ć A thought just struck me. ć It suddenly struck me that I had seen him somewhere before. (NOTE: strikes – striking – struck / strk/) string string /strŋ/ noun 1. a strong thin fibre used for tying up things such as parcels ć This string isn’t strong enough to tie up that big parcel. ć She bought a ball of string. ć We’ve run out of string. (NOTE: no plural in this sense: some string; a piece of string ) 2. one of the long pieces of fibre or wire on a musical instrument which makes a note when you hit it ć a guitar has six strings ć He was playing the violin when one of the strings broke. 3. one of the strong pieces of fibre which form the flat part of a ten- nis racket ć One of the strings has snapped. strip strip /strp/ noun a long narrow piece of something ć He tore the paper into strips. ć Houses are to be built along the strip of land near the church. í verb to take off your clothes ć Strip to the waist for your chest X-ray. ć He stripped down to his underpants. (NOTE: strips – stripping – stripped) stripe stripe /strap/ noun a long line of colour ć He has an umbrella with red, white and blue stripes. strive strive /strav/ verb to try very hard to do something, especially over a long period of time ć He always strove to do as well as his brother. ć Everyone is striving for a solution to the dispute. (NOTE: striv- ing – strove / strəυv/ – has striven / strv(ə)n/) strode strode /strəυd/ past tense of stride stroke stroke /strəυk/ noun 1. a serious medi- cal condition in which someone sudden- ly becomes unconscious because blood has stopped flowing normally to the brain ć He was paralysed after his stroke. ć She had a stroke and died. 2. the act of hitting something such as a ball ć It took him three strokes to get the ball onto the green. 3. a style of swim- ming ć She won the 200m breast stroke. í verb to run your hands gently over something or someone ć She was strok- ing the cat as it sat in her lap. strong strong /strɒŋ/ adjective 1. who has a lot of strength ć I’m not strong enough to carry that box. 2. which has a lot of force or strength ć The string broke – we need something stronger. ć The wind was so strong that it blew some tiles off the roof. 3. having a powerful smell, taste or effect ć I don’t like strong cheese. ć You need a cup of strong black coffee to wake you up. ć There was a strong smell of gas in the kitchen. ı strength strongly strongly /strɒŋli/ adverb in a strong way strove strove /strəυv/ past tense of strive struck struck /strk/ past tense and past partici- ple of strike structure structure /strktʃə/ noun a building or something else that is built Basic.fm Page 312 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com struggle 313 stutter struggle struggle /str(ə)l/ noun a fight ć Af- ter a short struggle the burglar was ar- rested. í verb to try hard to do some- thing difficult ć She’s struggling with her maths homework. ć She struggled to carry all the shopping to the car. stubborn stubborn /stbən/ adjective deter- mined not to change your mind ć He’s so stubborn – he only does what he wants to do. stuck stuck /stk/ past tense and past participle of stick student student /stjud(ə)nt/ noun a person who is studying at a college, university or school ć All the science students came to my lecture. ć She’s a brilliant student. ć Two students had to sit the exam again. studio studio /stjudiəυ/ noun 1. a room where an artist paints ć She uses this room as a studio because of the good light. 2. a place where things such as films or broadcasts are made ć And now, back to the studio for the latest news and weather report. ć They spent the whole day recording the piece in the studio. 3. a very small flat for one per- son, usually one room with a small kitchen and bathroom ć You can rent a studio overlooking the sea for £300 a week in high season. (NOTE: The plural is studios.) study study /stdi/ noun the work of examin- ing something carefully to learn more about it ć The company asked the con- sultant to prepare a study into new pro- duction techniques. ć The review has published studies on the new drug. (NOTE: The plural is studies.) í verb 1. to learn about a subject at college or uni- versity ć He is studying medicine be- cause he wants to be a doctor. ć She’s studying French and Spanish in the modern languages department. 2. to look at something carefully ć She was studying the guidebook. (NOTE: studies – studying – studied) stuff stuff /stf/ noun 1. a substance, especial- ly something unpleasant ć You’ve got some black stuff stuck to your shoe. 2. equipment or possessions ć Dump all your stuff in the living room. ć Take all that stuff and put it in the dustbin. ć All your photographic stuff is still in the back of my car. í verb 1. to push some- thing into something to fill it ć He stuffed his pockets full of peppermints. ć The £20 notes were stuffed into a small plastic wallet. 2. to put small pieces of food such as bread, meat or herbs inside meat or vegetables before cooking them ć We had roast veal stuffed with mush- rooms. stuffy stuffy /stfi/ adjective without any fresh air ć Can’t you open a window, it’s so stuffy in here? (NOTE: stuffier – stuffiest) stumble stumble /stmbəl/ verb 1. to almost fall by hitting your foot against some- thing ć He stumbled as he tried to get down the stairs in the dark. 2. to make mistakes when reading aloud or speak- ing ć She stumbled a little when had to read the foreign words. stump stump /stmp/ noun 1. a short piece of something left sticking up, such as the main stem of a tree that has been cut down ć After cutting down the trees, we need to get rid of the stumps. 2. one of the three sticks placed in the ground in cricket ć The ball hit the stumps and the last man was out. stun stun /stn/ verb 1. to make someone be- come unconscious with a blow to the head ć The blow on the head stunned him. 2. to shock someone completely ć She was stunned when he told her that he was already married. (NOTE: stuns – stunning – stunned) stupid stupid /stjupd/ adjective 1. not very intelligent ć What a stupid man! 2. be- having in a way that is not sensible ć It was stupid of her not to wear a helmet when riding on her scooter. ć He made several stupid mistakes. sturdy sturdy /stdi/ adjective well made and not easily damaged (NOTE: sturdier – sturdiest) stutter stutter /sttə/ noun a speech problem where you repeat the sound at the begin- ning of a word several times ć He is tak- ing therapy to try to cure his stutter. í verb to repeat the same sounds when speaking ć He stuttered badly when making his speech. Basic.fm Page 313 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com [...]... They spoke to each other in a strange foreign tongue ć It was clear that English was not his native tongue ˽ mother tongue or native tongue the language which you ton tone tongue This is trial version www.adultpdf.com Basic. fm Page 335 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM tonight 335 spoke when you were a little child ć She speaks English very well, but German is her mother tongue tonight /tə nat/ adverb,... time in a modern piece like this ć He tapped his foot in time to the music í verb to count something in hours, minutes and seconds ć I timed him as he ran round the track ć Don’t forget to time the eggs – they have to cook for only timber time This is trial version www.adultpdf.com Basic. fm Page 333 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM timetable 333 three minutes ȣ find time / fand tam/ to do something... trial version www.adultpdf.com Basic. fm Page 322 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM takeaway 322 2 to make an amount smaller ć He took £25 off the price 3 (of a plane) to leave the ground ć The plane took off at 4.30 take over phrasal verb 1 to start to do something in place of someone else ć Miss Black took over from Mr Jones on May 1st ć When our history teacher was ill, the English teacher had to take... translate ten or spoken words into another language ć Can you translate what he said? ć He asked his secretary to translate the letter from the German agent ć She translates mainly from Spanish into English, not from English into Spanish travel / tr v(ə)l/ noun the action of travel moving from one country or place to another ć Air travel is the only really fast method of going from one country to another í... birthday as a surprise ć What a surprise to see you again after so long! í verb to make someone surprised ć It wouldn’t surprise me if it rained ć What surprises This is trial version www.adultpdf.com Basic. fm Page 318 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM surprised 318 me is that she left without saying goodbye surprised /sə prazd/ adjective feeling surprised or showing surprise ć She was surprised to... swan swap (NOTE: swaps – swapping – swapped) swarm /swɔ m/ noun a large group of This is trial version www.adultpdf.com swarm insects flying around together ć A swarm of flies buzzed around the meat Basic. fm Page 319 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM sway 319 sway /swe/ verb 1 to move slowly and sway smoothly from side to side ć The crowd swayed in time to the music ć The palm trees swayed in the... call brought a swift response from the police swim /swm/ verb to move in the water using your arms and legs to push you along ć She can’t swim, but she’s taking swimming lessons ć She swam across the English Channel (NOTE: swims – swimming – swam /sw m/ – swum /sw m/) í noun an occasion when you swim ć What about a swim before breakfast? ć It’s too cold for a swim swimmer / swmə/ noun a person who... (NOTE: swings – swinging – swung /sw ŋ/) í noun a seat held by two ropes or chains, to sit sweetness swell swelling swept swerve swift swim swimmer swimming swing This is trial version www.adultpdf.com Basic. fm Page 320 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM switch 320 on and move backwards and forwards, usually outdoors ć She sat on the swing and ate an apple switch /swtʃ/ noun a small object which you push... motorways or the motorway system ć the London underground railway system 2 a way in which things are organised ć I’ve got my own system for dealing with invoices This is trial version www.adultpdf.com Basic. fm Page 321 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM T t /ti /, T noun the twentieth letter of the alt phabet, between S and U table / teb(ə)l/ noun 1 a piece of furniture with a flat top and legs, used.. .Basic. fm Page 314 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM style 314 style /stal/ noun 1 a way of doing style something, especially a way of designing, drawing or writing ć The room is decorated in Chinese style . ć He stammers badly when making speeches. ć She rushed into the police station and stammered Basic. fm Page 304 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com stamp. ‘Gone with the Wind’. ć He has a starring role in the new play. (NOTE: stars – starring – starred) Basic. fm Page 305 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com stare. in a place as a vis- itor ć They stayed two nights in Edin- burgh on their tour of Scotland. ć Basic. fm Page 306 Friday, January 16, 2004 3:10 PM This is trial version www.adultpdf.com steadily