Words 4

Question 1

to happen or exist earlier in history than something else

Answer 1

pre‧date [transitive]

The kingdom predates other African cultures by over 3,000 years.

Question 2

1before marriage [countable]
an agreement between two people to marry, or the period of time they are engaged

2arrangement to do something [countable] an official arrangement to do something, especially one that is related to your work

3involvement [uncountable]
when you become involved with someone or something in order to understand them

4fighting [uncountable and countable] technical fighting between armies etc

5employment [uncountable and countable] formal an official arrangement to employ or pay someone to do a particular job

6 machine parts [uncountable] the fitting together of the working parts of a machine

Answer 2

en‧gage‧ment
1 engagement of/to

Their engagement was announced in the paper.
Tony was stunned when Lisa suddenly broke off their engagement (=finished it).
engagement ring (=a ring that a man gives a woman to show that they are engaged)

2 official/public/royal etc engagement

The princess will continue to carry out royal engagements.
This is his only public speaking engagement on the tour.
His excuse of a prior engagement was accepted.

3 engagement with/in

a strategy of engagement and cooperation with China
Many students pass without any real engagement in learning.

4 military rules of engagement

5 Please sign to indicate your acceptance of the terms of engagement.

Question 3

1plant
a) [intransitive] to grow roots

b) [transitive usually passive] if a plant is _______ed somewhere, it is held in the ground firmly by its roots

2 be ____ed in something to have developed from something and be strongly influenced by it

3 search [intransitive always + adverb/preposition]
to search for something by moving things around [= rummage]

4 pigs [intransitive usually + adverb/preposition] if a pig ____s somewhere, it looks for food under the ground

5 ____ed to the spot/floor/ground etc so shocked, surprised, or frightened that you cannot move

____ ___ somebody phrasal verb

1 to want someone to succeed in a competition, test, or difficult situation

2 especially American English to support a sports team or player by shouting and cheering

____ something ↔ ___ phrasal verb
1 to find out where a particular kind of problem exists and get rid of it

2 to find something by searching for it

____ something ↔ __ phrasal verb
to dig or pull a plant up with its roots

Answer 3

root
1
a) [intransitive]
New shrubs will root easily in summer.

b) [transitive usually passive]
a bush firmly rooted in the hard ground

root itself
Clumps of thyme had rooted themselves between the rocks.

2 be rooted in something
The country’s economic troubles are rooted in a string of global crises.
This feeling of rejection is often deeply rooted in childhood.

3 root through/in/amongst something (for something)
Leila rooted through her handbag for a pen.

4 root for
pigs rooting for truffles

5 rooted to the spot/floor/ground etc
She stood rooted to the spot, staring at him.

root for somebody phrasal verb

1 You can do it - I’m rooting for you.

2 especially American English
the Los Angeles fans rooting for the Lakers

root something ↔ out phrasal verb

1 Action is being taken to root out corruption in the police force.

2 I’ll try and root out something for you to wear.

root something ↔ up phrasal verb

Question 4

a very big change that often causes problems

Answer 4

up‧heav‧al [uncountable and countable]

political upheaval
Moving house is a major upheaval.

Question 5

1 a small partly enclosed place where one person can do something privately, such as use the telephone or vote

2 a small partly enclosed structure where you can buy things, play games, or get information, usually at a market or a fair

3 a partly enclosed place in a restaurant with a table between two long seats

Answer 5

booth [countable]
1 a voting booth

2 a crafts booth

Question 6

1 someone’s ______ is their health and happiness

2 help that is provided for people who have personal or social problems

3 American English money that is paid by the government in the US to people who are very poor or unemployed [= benefit British English]

Answer 6

wel‧fare [uncountable]

1 Our only concern is the children’s welfare.

2 welfare benefits/services/programmes etc

the provision of education and welfare services
The company’s welfare officer deals with employees’ personal problems.
3 on welfare
Most of the people in this neighborhood are on welfare.

Question 7

1rest [intransitive and transitive]
to rest or do something that is enjoyable, especially after you have been working

2become calm [intransitive and transitive]
to become quiet and calm after you have been upset or nervous, or to make someone do this

3muscle [intransitive and transitive]
if you _____ a part of your body or it _______es, it becomes less stiff or less tight

4rules/laws [transitive]
to make a rule or law less strict

5 _____ your hold/grip
a) to hold something less tightly than before

b) to become less strict in the way you control something

6 _______ your concentration/vigilance etc to reduce the amount of attention you give to something

Answer 7

re‧lax
1 I just want to sit down and relax.
A hot bath should help to relax you.

2 Once out of danger, he started to relax.
Relax! Everything’s fine.

3 Gentle exercise can relax stiff shoulder muscles.

4rules/laws [transitive]
relax rules/regulations/controls

Hughes believes that immigration controls should not be relaxed.

5 relax your hold/grip
a) relax your hold/grip on
He relaxed his grip on my arm.

b) relax your hold/grip on
The party has no intention of relaxing its hold on the country.

6 relax your concentration/vigilance etc

Question 8

a strong dislike of something or someone [= hatred]

Answer 8

a‧ver‧sion [singular, uncountable]

aversion to
Despite his aversion to publicity, Arnold was persuaded to talk to the press.

have an aversion to something
I have an aversion to housework.

Question 9

1 ________ attitudes or behaviour are firmly established and therefore difficult to change

2 ________ dirt is under the surface of something and very difficult to remove

Answer 9

in‧grained
1 ingrained attitudes or behaviour

ingrained in
The idea of doing our duty is deeply ingrained in most people.

2 ingrained dirt

Question 10

1 [intransitive and transitive] to fight someone by holding them and pulling or pushing them

2 [intransitive and transitive] to move something or try to move it when it is large, heavy, or difficult to move

3 ______ with something
to try to understand or find a solution to a difficult problem

Answer 10

wres‧tle
1 wrestle with

The two men wrestled with each other.
Police officers wrestled him to the ground.

2 wrestle with

Ray continued to wrestle with the wheel.

3 wrestle with something
I have been wrestling with this problem for quite some time.

Question 11

formal
1 someone who has ___________ beliefs wants to make very big social or political changes

2 relating to or involving the Messiah

Answer 11

mes‧si‧an‧ic formal
1 Many young people have an admirable messianic zeal about them.

2 relating to or involving the Messiah

Question 12

formal

1 to include a wide range of ideas, subjects, etc
2 to completely cover or surround something

Answer 12

en‧com‧pass [transitive] formal

1 The study encompasses the social, political, and economic aspects of the situation.

2 The houses encompassed about 100 square metres.

Question 13

1 a single thin piece of thread, wire, hair etc

2 one of the parts of a story, idea, plan etc

Answer 13

strand [countable]
1 strand of
[British English] He reached out and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

2 [British English] Plato draws all the strands of the argument together.

Question 14

1worry [uncountable and countable]
worry that is caused by having to deal with a problem or work too hard over a long period of time [↪ stress]

2difficulty [uncountable and countable]
a difficulty or problem that is caused when a person, relationship, organization, or system has too much to do or too many problems to deal with

3force [uncountable]
a situation in which something is being pulled or pushed, or is holding weight, and so might break or become damaged

4injury [uncountable and countable]
an injury to a muscle or part of your body that is caused by using it too much

5plant/animal [countable]
a type of animal, plant, or disease

6quality [singular]
a particular quality which people have, especially one that is passed from parents to children

7way of saying something [singular]
formal an amount of a feeling that you can see in the way someone speaks, writes, paints etc

8 strains of something literary
the sound of music being played

Answer 14

strain
1 [British English] I couldn’t look after him any more; the strain was too much for me.
[British English] Did you find the job a strain?
[British English] the stresses and strains of police life

strain for
[American English] The trial has been a terrible strain for both of us.

strain on
[British English] It’s quite a strain on me when he’s drinking heavily.

put/place a strain on somebody
[British English] The long working hours put a severe strain on employees.

under (a) strain
[British English] I know you’ve been under a lot of strain lately.

crack/collapse/buckle etc under the strain (=become unable to deal with a problem or work)
[British English] I could see that she was beginning to crack under the strain.

2 strain on
[British English] The dry summer has further increased the strain on water resources.

put/place (a) strain on something
[British English] The flu epidemic has put a huge strain on the health service.

strain in
[British English] The attack has led to strains in the relationship between the two countries.

under (a) strain
[British English] His marriage was under strain.

break/crack/collapse etc under the strain
[British English] The party split under the strain.

3 strain on
[British English] The strain on the cables supporting the bridge is enormous.

put/place (a) strain on something
[British English] Some of these exercises put too much strain on the back muscles.

[British English] These four posts take the strain of the whole structure.

break/snap/collapse etc under the strain
[British English] The rope snapped under the strain.

4 [British English] Long hours working at a computer can cause eye strain.

[British English] The goalkeeper is still out of action with a knee strain.

5 strain of
[British English] different strains of wheat

[British English] a new strain of the flu virus

6 strain of
[British English] There’s a strain of madness in his family.

7 [American English] a strain of bitterness in Young’s later work

8 strains of something
[American English] We sipped wine to the strains of Beethoven.

Question 15

loyalty to a leader, country, belief etc

Answer 15

al‧le‧giance [uncountable and countable]

allegiance to
You owe allegiance (=have a duty to give allegiance) to your king.

swear/pledge allegiance
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

an oath of allegiance

switch/transfer allegiance (=start to support a different person, group etc)

The people here have strong political allegiances.

Question 16

1 ____ __/____ something
to use information, experience, knowledge etc for a particular purpose

2 ____ __ something
to use part of a supply of something such as money

3 ____ __ a cigarette/cigar etc
to breathe in smoke from a cigarette etc

4 British English formal
if a period of time or an event ____s __, it comes closer to its end

Answer 16

draw on phrasal verb
1 draw on/upon something

[British English] His work draws heavily on learning theories of the 1980s.
[British English] She has 20 years’ teaching experience to draw on.

2 draw on something
[British English] I drew on my savings to pay for the repairs.

3 draw on a cigarette/cigar etc

4 British English formal
[British English] Winter is drawing on.
[British English] As the journey drew on, he started to feel tired.

Question 17

___ __ phrasal verb

to ___ money that you owe, especially when you do not want to or you are late

Answer 17

pay up phrasal verb

She refused to pay up.

Question 18

____ __/____ somebody/something phrasal verb

1 to formally ask someone to do something

2 to visit someone for a short time

Answer 18

call on/upon somebody/something phrasal verb

1 call on somebody to do something
The UN has called on both sides to observe the ceasefire.

2 Why don’t you call on my sister when you’re in Brighton?

Question 19

__ ____ phrasal verb
1 to return to a place that you have just come from

2 there’s no __ing ____ spoken
used to say that you cannot make a situation the same as it was before

3 [ always + adverb/preposition]
to have been made, built, or started at some time in the past

4 if people __ ____ a particular length of time, they have known each other for that length of time

5 to think about a particular time in the past or something that someone said before

__ ____ __ something phrasal verb
to not do something that you promised or agreed to do

__ ____ __ something phrasal verb
to start doing something again after you have stopped for a period of time

Answer 19

go back phrasal verb
1 I think we ought to go back now.

go back to/into/inside etc
I felt so sick I just wanted to go back to bed.

go back for
I had to go back for my passport (=to get my passport).

2 there’s no going back spoken
I realized that once the baby was born there would be no going back.

3 [ always + adverb/preposition]
It’s a tradition that goes back at least 100 years.

go back to
The building goes back to Roman times.

4 Peter and I go back 25 years.
We go back a long way (=we have been friends for a long time).

5 If you go back 20 years, most people didn’t own a computer.

go back to
I’d like to go back to the point that was made earlier.

go back on something phrasal verb

go back on your word/promise/decision
Delors claimed that the President had gone back on his word.

go back to something phrasal verb
He went back to sleep.

go back to doing something
She went back to watching TV.

Question 20

to do something in a way that saves time, effort, or money, but that also results in it not being done properly

Answer 20

cut corners

There’s a temptation to cut corners when you’re pushed for time, but it’s not worth it.

Question 21

informal if you do something _______ , you only just succeed in doing it, and very nearly failed to do i

Answer 21

by the skin of your teeth informal

[British English] Two others made it by the skin of their teeth.

Question 22

___ British English (=be able to understand something)

Answer 22

get your head round something British English

I just can’t get my head round what’s been going on here.

Question 23

to be very different from something

Answer 23

be a far cry from something

The company lost £3 million, which is a far cry from last year’s £60 million profit.

Question 24

a subject or problem that no one wants to deal with, because it is difficult and any decision might make people angry

Answer 24

hot potato [countable]

The issue has become a political hot potato.

Question 25

a decision that is easy, and that you do not need to think about, used when you want to emphasize that it is really very easy

Answer 25

no-brainer [singular]

Joining the savings plan is a no-brainer. Just do it.

Question 26

a) to stay where you are and not move

b) to stay in the same situation, and not change your mind and do anything new

Answer 26

sit tight spoken
a) [British English] Just sit tight - I’ll be there in five minutes.

b) [British English] We’re advising all our investors to sit tight till the market improves.

Question 27

informal

to accept criticism or punishment for something you have done

Answer 27

face the music informal

Question 28

informal

to immediately start dealing with the most important part of something

Answer 28

cut to the chase informal

Question 29

If someone ‘___s red’, it means they suddenly get very angry, for example

Answer 29

If someone ‘sees red’, it means they suddenly get very angry, for example:

When he made that rude comment about my son, I just saw red and started shouting at him.

Question 30

If something is ________ it means that it is totally bad

Answer 30

If something is rotten to the core, it means that it is totally bad, for example:

I thought you had some good in you - but no! You’re just rotten to the core.

Question 31

This simply means that he wanted some new people in parliament so that he could make a fresh start.

Answer 31

Cromwell wanted some ‘fresh blood’ in his parliament. This simply means that he wanted some new people in parliament so that he could make a fresh start.

Our office is pretty boring nowadays. We could really do with some fresh blood.

Question 32

This means that he abolished them. We often hear about things being ___________: ideas, initiatives and cars are all things that can be ___________

Answer 32

Finally, we heard that ‘Oliver Cromwell ‘scrapped’ traditional holidays’. This means that he abolished them. We often hear about things being scrapped: ideas, initiatives and cars are all things that can be scrapped, for example:

The government are planning to scrap the unpopular bedroom tax.
Let’s scrap that idea – it’s not going to work.

Question 33

to feel that there is no hope at all

Answer 33

to despair [intransitive] formal

Despite his illness, Ron never despaired.

 despair of (doing) something	
He despaired of ever finding her.

despair of somebody
My teachers began to despair of me.

Question 34

1 if an unpleasant feeling _____s you, you feel it very strongly

2 to completely surround or cover something

Answer 34

en‧gulf [transitive]

1 despair so great it threatened to engulf him

2 The building was engulfed in flames.

Question 35

1 if something bad, such as crime or disease, is ________, there is a lot of it and it is very difficult to control [↪ rife, widespread]

2 a plant that is _______ grows and spreads quickly, in a way that is difficult to control

Answer 35

ram‧pant

1 Pickpocketing is rampant in the downtown area.
rampant inflation

—rampantly adverb

Question 36

strongly established and not likely to change - often used to show disapproval

Answer 36

en‧trenched

entrenched in
Ageism is entrenched in our society.

entrenched attitudes/positions/interests etc

a deeply entrenched belief in male superiority

—entrench verb [transitive]

Question 37

1 if you give someone a ________, you make them look more attractive by giving them new clothes, a new hair style etc

2 if you give a place a ________, you make it look more attractive by painting the walls, putting in new furniture etc

Answer 37

make‧o‧ver [countable]

2 It’s time we gave the kitchen a makeover.

Question 38

bad behaviour that is not very serious, or slightly dishonest activities

Answer 38

she‧nan‧i‧gans [plural] informal

She wouldn’t put up with his shenanigans.

financial shenanigans

Question 39

to continue to change your opinions, decisions, ideas etc [= waver]

Answer 39

vac‧il‧late [intransitive] formal

vacillate between
Her parents vacillated between different approaches to discipline.

—vacillation noun [uncountable and countable]

Question 40

1 to suddenly and quickly decrease in value or amount [= plunge]

2 to fall suddenly and quickly from a very high place [= plunge]

Answer 40

plum‧met also plummet down [intransitive]

1 plummet from something to something
Profits plummeted from £49 million to £11 million.
House prices have plummeted down.

2 The plane plummeted towards the earth.

Question 41

1 to obtain something, especially something that is difficult to get

2 to provide a prostitute for someone

Answer 41

pro‧cure [transitive] formal

1 procure something for somebody

He was accused of procuring weapons for terrorists.

—procurable adjective

—procurement noun [uncountable]
the procurement of raw materials from abroad

—procurer noun [countable]

Question 42

1 to cover a surface with ___:

2 be/get ___red with the same brush
if someone is ___red with the same brush as someone else, people think they have the same faults or have committed the same crimes, even if they have not

3 ___ and feather
to cover someone in ___ and feathers as a cruel unofficial punishment

Answer 42

tar past tense and past participle tarred, present participle tarring [transitive]

1 a tarred roof

2 be/get tarred with the same brush

You’ve made it very clear that you think I’m tarred with the same brush as William.

3 tar and feather

Question 43

1 a black substance, thick and sticky when hot but hard when cold, used especially for making road surfaces ➔ coal ___

2 a sticky substance that forms when tobacco burns, and that gets into the lungs of people who smoke

Answer 43

tar [uncountable]

2 high tar cigarettes

Question 44

1 [intransitive and transitive] if an engine or vehicle _____s, or if you _____ it, it stops because there is not enough power or speed to keep it going

2 [intransitive] informal to deliberately delay because you are not ready to do something, answer questions etc

3 [transitive] informal to make someone wait or stop something from happening until you are ready

4 [intransitive] to stop making progress or developing

Answer 44

to stall

1 The car kept stalling.
An inexperienced pilot may easily stall a plane.

2 Quit stalling and answer my question!
He was just stalling for time.

3 Maybe we can stall the sale until the prices go up.
We’ve got to stall him somehow.

4 The peace process remained stalled.

While his career has stalled, hers has taken off.

Question 45

disagreement among a group of people

Answer 45

dis‧sen‧sion [uncountable and countable]

dissension in/within/between/among
This move sowed dissension within the party ranks.

The Labour Party was torn by internal dissensions.

Question 46

such as an engineer or scientist whose work is important but who does not get much attention or fame

Answer 46

back‧room boy [countable usually plural] British English informal

Question 47

when the people, especially business people or politicians, who are involved in a discussion try hard to gain an advantage for their own side - used to show disapproval

Answer 47

horse-trading [uncountable]

Question 48

to argue about something unimportant [= quarrel]

Answer 48

squab‧ble [intransitive]

squabble over/about
They’re always squabbling over money.

squabble with
He’s squabbling with the referee.

—squabble noun [countable]
a petty squabble

bitter squabbles between employers and unions

Question 49

1 to keep something or continue to have something

2 to store or keep something inside something else

3 to remember information

4 if you ______ a lawyer or other specialist, you pay them to work for you now and in the future

5 if a company _____s workers, it continues to employ them for a long time

Answer 49

re‧tain [transitive] formal

1 You have the right to retain possession of the goods.
The state wants to retain control of food imports.

2 A lot of information can be retained in your computer.
Limestone is known to retain moisture.

3 I find it very difficult to retain facts.

4 He has retained a lawyer to challenge the court’s decision.
We had to pay a retaining fee (=an amount of money to keep someone working for you).

5 It’s increasingly difficult to recruit and retain good staff.

Question 50

formal bad government

Answer 50

mis‧rule [uncountable]

The country has suffered years of misrule by a weak and corrupt government.

Question 51

to be a very typical example of something

Answer 51

e‧pit‧o‧mize also epitomise British English [transitive]

This building epitomizes the spirit of the nineteenth century.

Question 52

1 [intransitive and transitive] to gradually become less or weaker before disappearing completely, or to make something do this

2 [transitive] to waste something valuable such as time, money, or energy

Answer 52

dis‧si‧pate formal

1 As he thought it over, his anger gradually dissipated.
Little by little, the smoke was dissipated by the breeze.

2 His savings were soon dissipated.

Question 53

1 literary power to rule or influence people

2 a swinging movement from side to side

Answer 53

sway [uncountable]

1 These old attitudes still hold sway in the church.

under somebody’s sway
She was now completely under his sway.

2 the sway of the ship

Question 54

1 [intransitive and transitive] to come together, or to bring people together, to support an idea, a political party etc

2 [intransitive] to become stronger again after a period of weakness or defeat [↪ recover]

_____ ______ (somebody) phrasal verb

if a group of people _____ _____, they all try to help you when you are in a difficult situation

Answer 54

rally past tense and past participle rallied, present participle rallying, third person singular rallies

1 rally to
Fellow Republicans rallied to the President’s defense.

rally to do something
Surely the local business community could have rallied to raise the cash.

an attempt to rally support for the party

2 After a shaky start, he rallied and won the title in style.
The Tokyo stock market rallied later in the day.

rally around (somebody) phrasal verb

Her friends all rallied round when she was ill.

Question 55

to lead an attack or organized action

Answer 55

to spear‧head [transitive]

the troops who spearheaded the rescue mission

Question 56

someone who is _______ does or supports something with great energy

Answer 56

zeal‧ous

a zealous preacher
zealous political activists

be zealous in (doing) something
No one was more zealous than Neil in supporting the proposal.

—zealously adverb

Question 57

1 [intransitive always + adverb/ preposition,transitive] also ____ out/forth to flow out of something quickly in large quantities, or to make something flow out in this way

2 [intransitive always + adverb/ preposition,transitive] also ____ out/forth to say a lot of bad or negative things very quickly

3 [intransitive and transitive] also ____ up informal
to vomit

Answer 57

spew

1 Factory chimneys spewed fumes out into the sky.

spew from/into/over etc
Brown water spewed from the tap.

2 Groups like these use the Internet to spew racial hatred.

Question 58

1 to go around a town or other busy place rather than through it

2 to avoid obeying a rule, system, or someone in an official position

Answer 58

to bypass [transitive]

1 Interstate 8 bypasses the town to the north.

2 Francis bypassed his manager and wrote straight to the director.

Question 59

1 [countable] a piece of healthy skin or bone taken from someone’s body and put in or on another part of their body that has been damaged

2 [countable] a piece cut from one plant and tied to or put inside a cut in another, so that it grows there

3 [uncountable] informal especially British English hard work

4 [uncountable] especially American English the practice of obtaining money or advantage by the dishonest use of influence or power

Answer 59

graft

1 Martha had to have several skin grafts.

3 Our success has been due to sheer hard graft.

4 He promised to end graft in public life.

Question 60

1 a dog with thick curly hair

2 be somebody’s ______
British English informal if someone is another person’s ______, they always do what the other person tells them to do

Answer 60

poo‧dle [countable]

Question 61

to pay out money, especially from a large sum that is available for a special purpose

Answer 61

dis‧burse [transitive] formal

—disbursement noun [uncountable and countable]

Question 62

someone leaves themselves some ______ ____, they do or say something in a way that allows them to change it later

Answer 62

wiggle room [uncountable]

Question 63

people who belong to a high social class

Answer 63

gen‧try [plural] old-fashioned

a member of the landed gentry (=gentry who own land)

Question 64

the state of a situation as it is

Answer 64

status quo

the status quo

maintain/preserve/defend the status quo (=not make any changes)
[British English] Will the West use its influence to maintain the status quo and not disrupt the flow of oil?

Question 65

1 ____ ____ __ something informal
if a long statement, argument etc ____s ____ __ a single statement, that statement is the main point or cause

2 ____ something ↔ ____
to make a list or piece of writing shorter by not including anything that is not necessary

3 if a food or liquid ____s ____, or if you ____ it ____, it becomes less after it is cooked

Answer 65

boil down phrasal verb
1 boil down to something informal

It boils down to a question of priorities.

2 boil something ↔ down

You can boil this down so that there are just two main categories.

3 Spinach tends to boil down a lot.

boil something ↔ down

glue made from boiling down old sheepskins

Question 66

1 to avoid doing a duty

2 to decide not to be part of a group or system

3 if a school or hospital in Britain ___s ___, it decides to control the money that it is given by the government, instead of being controlled by local government

Answer 66

opt out phrasal verb

1 opt out of

You can’t just opt out of all responsibility for the child!

2 opt out of
Britain wants to opt out of the new European regulations.

Question 67

happening after a particular action or event, especially as a result of it

Answer 67

en‧su‧ing [only before noun]

the ensuing battle/conflict/debate etc

In the ensuing fighting, two students were killed.

the ensuing days/months/years etc (=the days, months etc after an event)

The situation deteriorated over the ensuing weeks.

Question 68

to have a harmful effect on someone or something:

Answer 68

im‧pinge
impinge on/upon somebody/something phrasal verb

Personal problems experienced by students may impinge on their work.

—impingement noun [uncountable and countable]

Question 69

1 to interrupt someone or become involved in their private affairs in an annoying and unwanted way

2 to come into a place or situation, and have an unwanted effect

Answer 69

in‧trude [intransitive]
1 Would I be intruding if I came with you?

intrude into/on/upon

Employers should not intrude into the private lives of their employees.

2 intrude on

It is to be hoped that TV cameras never intrude on this peaceful place.

Question 70

1 _____ havoc/mayhem/destruction (on something)
to cause a lot of damage or problems

2 _____ revenge/vengeance (on somebody) formal
to do something unpleasant to someone to punish them for something they have done to you

Answer 70

wreak [See pronunciation table in “How to use dictionary” pages] past tense and past participle wreaked or wrought

1 wreak havoc/mayhem/destruction (on something)

These policies have wreaked havoc on the British economy.

2 wreak revenge/vengeance (on somebody) formal

He promised to wreak vengeance on those who had betrayed him.

Question 71

a combination of things or people that do not work well together or are not suitable for each other

Answer 71

mis‧match [countable]

mismatch between

the mismatch between the demand for health care and the supply

—mismatched adjective:

a mismatched couple

Question 72

1 [uncountable] the state of not reacting to or being involved in something in an emotional way [≠ involvement]

2 [countable] a group of soldiers who are sent away from a larger group to do a special job

3 [singular, uncountable] formal when something becomes separated from something else

Answer 72

de‧tach‧ment

1 detachment from
He felt a sense of detachment from what was happening around him.

3 detachment of
detachment of the retina

Question 73

1 ___________s [plural]
more soldiers, police etc who are sent to a battle, fight etc to make their group stronger

2 positive/negative ___________
positive ___________is when you give someone praise or rewards for their behaviour or work, so they want to continue doing well.
Negative ___________is when you give someone punishments or criticism when their behaviour or work is bad, so that they want to improve to avoid punishments

3 [uncountable] the act of making something stronger

Answer 73

re‧in‧force‧ment

1 reinforcements [plural]

The police called for reinforcements.

2 positive/negative reinforcement

We need to give students plenty of positive reinforcement.

3 The bridge needs some structural reinforcement

Question 74

1 [transitive] to publicly support a political group, country, or person that you agree with

2 [intransitive and transitive] to arrange things so that they form a line or are parallel to each other, or to be in a position that forms a line etc

3 [transitive usually passive] to organize or change something so that it has the right relationship to something

Answer 74

align verb

1 align yourself with somebody/something

Church leaders have aligned themselves with the opposition.

a country closely aligned with the West

2 The desks were neatly aligned in rows.

Make sure that all the holes align.

3 align with
This policy is closely aligned with the goals of the organization.

Question 75

1 [linking verb, not in progressive] to be considered to be something

2 [linking verb, not in progressive] if several people or things ___________something, they are the parts that form it

3 [transitive usually in passive] formal to officially form a group or organizati

Answer 75

con‧sti‧tute

1 Failing to complete the work constitutes a breach of the employment contract.

The rise in crime constitutes a threat to society.

2 We must redefine what constitutes a family.

3 The Federation was constituted in 1949.

Question 76

if a new idea, product, or method ___________s another one, it becomes used instead because it is more modern or effective [= replace

Answer 76

su‧per‧sede [transitive]

Their map has since been superseded by photographic atlases.

Question 77

____________ differences between two people, groups, or ideas are so big that no one will ever agree about them or be satisfied with the

Answer 77

un‧bridge‧a‧ble

unbridgeable gulf/gap/chasm etc (between somebody/something and somebody/something)
the unbridgeable gulf between the rich and the poor

Question 78

to make it difficult for someone or something to move forward or make progress

Answer 78

to im‧pede [transitive]

Storms at sea impeded our progress.

Question 79

1 a turn that you make in a car, on a bicycle etc, so that you go back in the direction you came from

2 a complete change of ideas, plans etc

Answer 79

U-turn [countable]

1 make/do a U-turn
He made a quick U-turn and sped away.

2 make/do a U-turn

Critics accused the government of doing a U-turn on its promise to increase education spending.

Question 80

depending on something that may happen in the future

Answer 80

con‧tin‧gent formal

contingent on/upon

Further investment is contingent upon the company’s profit performance.

Question 81

1 to spread an idea or belief to as many people as possible

2 to make a new law come into effect by announcing it officially

Answer 81

prom‧ul‧gate [transitive] formal

—promulgator noun [countable]

—promulgation noun [uncountable]

Question 82

to damage something very badly

Answer 82

rav‧age [transitive usually passive]

a country ravaged by civil war

His health was gradually ravaged by drink and drugs.

Question 83

to combine your money, ideas, skills etc with those of other people so that you can all use them

Answer 83

pool [transitive]

Investors agreed to pool their resources to develop the property.

The students worked together, pooling their knowledge.

Question 84

_________ effort/action/attack etc

a _________ effort etc is done by people working together in a carefully planned and very determined way

Answer 84

con‧cert‧ed

concerted effort/action/attack etc

Libraries have made a concerted effort to attract young people.

—concertedly adverb

Question 85

1 [uncountable] informal power or the authority to influence other people’s decisions

2 [countable] British English informal a hard blow given with the hand

Answer 85

clout

1 political/economic etc clout
people with financial clout

the clout to do something

Few companies have the clout to handle such large deals.

An official protest could carry considerable clout.

2 He gave him a clout round the ear.

Question 86

a ___________ action or decision is done by only one of the groups involved in a situation [↪ bilateral, multilateral

Answer 86

u‧ni‧lat‧e‧ral formal

a unilateral action or decision

a unilateral declaration of independence

unilateral disarmament (=when one country gets rid of its own nuclear weapons without waiting for other countries to do the same)

—unilateralism noun [uncountable] —unilaterally adverb

Question 87

1 to include a wide range of ideas, subjects, etc

2 to completely cover or surround something

Answer 87

en‧com‧pass [transitive] formal

1 The study encompasses the social, political, and economic aspects of the situation.

2 The houses encompassed about 100 square metres.

Question 88

1 ____________ damage, change etc is so serious or so great that you cannot change something back to how it was before [≠ reversible]

2 if an illness or bad physical condition is __________, it will continue to exist and cannot be cured:

Answer 88

ir‧re‧ver‧si‧ble

1 irreversible damage

Fossil fuels have caused irreversible damage to the environment.

2 Miller is in an irreversible coma.

irreversible blindness

—irreversibly adverb:
His reputation was irreversibly damaged by the affair.

Question 89

when people are made to obey a rule, law etc

Answer 89

en‧force‧ment [uncountable]

law enforcement

Question 90

formal if a particular period of time _______s, it passes

Answer 90

e‧lapse [intransitive not in progressive]

Several months elapsed before his case was brought to trial.

The assignment must be completed within an overall elapsed time of one week.

Question 91

something that you do to achieve something or deal with a situation, or the act of doing it

Answer 91

re‧course [singular, uncountable] formal

We may conclude that he never had recourse to this simple experiment.

without recourse to something (=without using or doing something)

a way of solving disputes without recourse to courts of law

Surgery may be the only recourse.

Question 92

1 a _______ idea, plan, or method can work successfully

2 technical
able to continue to live or to develop into a living thing

Answer 92

vi‧a‧ble

1 a viable idea, plan, or method

viable alternative/proposition/option etc
The committee came forward with one viable solution.

economically/commercially/financially viable
Will a hotel here be financially viable?

2 viable seeds

—viably adverb

—viability noun [uncountable]
the long-term economic viability of the company

Question 93

to be the cause of something, or be the basic thing from which something develops

Answer 93

un‧der‧lie past tense underlay past participle underlain present participle underlying, third person singular underlies [transitive]

formal

the one basic principle that underlies all of the party’s policies
➔ underlying

Question 94

___________cause/principle/problem etc

the cause, idea etc that is the most important, although it is not easily noticed

Answer 94

un‧der‧ly‧ing

underlying cause/principle/problem etc

the underlying causes of her depression

There is an underlying assumption that younger workers are easier to train.

Question 95

the act of keeping something under control, stopping it becoming more powerful etc

Answer 95

con‧tain‧ment [uncountable] formal

containment of public expenditure

political containment of member states

Question 96

1 to use violence or threats to take control of a plane, vehicle, or ship [↪ carjack

2 to take control of something and use it for your own purposes

Answer 96

hi‧jack [transitive]

1 The airliner was hijacked by a group of terrorists.

2 Some people think the party has been hijacked by right-wing extremists.

—hijacker noun [countable]

Question 97

formal if something such as a tradition or right is __________ed in something, it is preserved and protected so that people will remember and respect it

Answer 97

enshrined

formal

enshrine in
The right of free speech is enshrined in the Constitution.

Question 98

1 if advantages ________ to you, you get those advantages over a period of time

2 if money accrues or is ________ed, it gradually increases over a period of time

Answer 98

ac‧crue [intransitive and transitive]

1 accrue to
benefits that accrue to students

accrue from
advantages accruing from the introduction of new technology

2 Interest will accrue until payment is made.

—accrual noun [countable usually singular]

Question 99

1 container/place
if something such as a bag, box, or place ________s something, that thing is inside it

2 writing/speech
if a document, book, speech etc _________s something, that thing is included in it

3 substance
if a substance contains something, that thing is part of it

4 control feelings
to control strong feelings of anger, excitement etc

5 stop something
to stop something from spreading or escaping

6maths
technical to surround an area or an angle

Answer 99

con‧tain [transitive]

1container/place
The thieves stole a purse containing banknotes.

The museum contains a number of original artworks.

2writing/speech
The letter contained information about Boulestin’s legal affairs.

be contained in/within something
The proposed changes are contained in a policy statement.

3substance
This product may contain nuts.

4 control feelings
Jane couldn’t contain her amusement any longer.

contain yourself
He was so excited he could hardly contain himself.

5 stop something
Doctors are struggling to contain the epidemic.

measures aimed at containing political opposition
➔ self-contained

6 maths
How big is the angle contained by these two sides?

Question 100

an ___________ change or problem spreads gradually without being noticed, and causes serious

Answer 100

in‧sid‧i‧ous formal

an ___________change or problem

an insidious trend towards censorship of the press

—insidiously adverb

—insidiousness noun [uncountable]

Question 101

1 to put many limits on what someone can do - used to show disapproval

2 to put shackles on someone

Answer 101

shackle [transitive]

1 Industrial progress is being shackled by a mass of regulations.

2 He was blindfolded and shackled to a radiator.

Question 102

pleased with a situation, especially something you have achieved, so that you stop trying to improve or change things - used to show disapproval

Answer 102

com‧pla‧cent

There’s a danger of becoming complacent if you win a few games.

a complacent attitude towards the problem

complacent about
We simply cannot afford to be complacent about the future of our car industry.

—complacently adverb

Question 103

1 to make a man feel weaker and less male

2 to make someone or something weaker or less effective

3 medical to remove all or part of a male’s sex organs [= castrate]

Answer 103

e‧mas‧cu‧late [transitive]

1 Some men feel emasculated if they work for a woman.

2 The bill has been emasculated by Congress.

—emasculation noun [uncountable]

Question 104

1 [uncountable] a soft creamy brown sweet food

2 British English an attempt to deal with a situation that does not solve its problems completely, or only makes it seem better

Answer 104

fudge

2 a fudge

Question 105

to make a bad situation worse

Answer 105

ex‧a‧cer‧bate [transitive]

The recession has exacerbated this problem.

I don’t want to exacerbate the situation.

—exacerbation noun [uncountable]

Question 106

1 [singular] the basic ideas, features, or facts on which something is based

2 [uncountable] solid rock in the ground below soil or sand

Answer 106

bed‧rock

1 Marriage and children are the bedrock of family life.

Question 107

loyalty to a leader, country, belief etc

Answer 107

al‧le‧giance [uncountable and countable]

allegiance to
You owe allegiance (=have a duty to give allegiance) to your king.

swear/pledge allegiance
I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

an oath of allegiance

switch/transfer allegiance (=start to support a different person, group etc)

The people here have strong political allegiances.

Question 108

1 _____ at him/her/you! British English old-fashioned spoken
used when you think someone is saying something stupid or acting as if they are more important than they really are

2 ____! old use used to tell someone to listen

_____ ____ phrasal verb

to remember and talk about things that happened in the past

____ _____ __ something phrasal verb
to be similar to something in the past

Answer 108

hark

1 hark at him/her/you! British English old-fashioned spoken
Hark at him! I bet he couldn’t do any better.

2 hark! old use

hark back phrasal verb

hark back to
It’s useless to continually hark back to the past.

hark back to something phrasal verb

music that harks back to the early age of jazz

Question 109

the number below the line in a fraction [↪ numerator]

Answer 109

de‧nom‧i‧na‧tor [countable] technical